able to proue none of those things they lay to his charge The lyke case were the other Apostles in as we haue oftentimes seene So the Euangelistes declare that Pylate and Herode beare witnesse of Christes innocencie Thys maketh for the commendation dignitie of the christian faith doctrine Which who so now a dayes slaundreth openly bewray them selues to be worse than the Gentiles It appereth also by this place what a miserable state the Iewes were in at this time seeing a despiser of all religion had the greatest authoritie among them and they constrayned to pleade their matters of religion before him And this they may thanke the wicked priests their own wicked ingratitude of which denied Christ to be their king and sauiour before Pylate The like state are a great many in nowe a days vnder the tyrannie of the Turkes by whose exaÌ„ple except we repent in time it is to be feared that all they that now a dayes disdayne to heare the worde of God and refuse the iudgement of the holy ghost touching fayth and religion wâ—ll one day suffer the like Finally he declareth why he kept him beeing innocent in prison Namely bicause he had appealed vnto Caesar. But here he craftily dissembleth his own wickednesse which yet he can not otherwise do but by bewraying himself while he confesseth playnly that he draue the innocent to such an exigent that he must needes appeale vnto Caesar. For he had not purposed to gratifie the Iewes to Paules hinderaunce and preiudice â–ª he would neuer haue appealed vnto Caesar. But this is a common trick among great men magistrates craftily to cloke their own faults then to make men beleeue they greatly fauour iustice when they most transgresse the bounds limits of the same Furthermore by this occasion it came to passe that Agrippa was desirous to heare to see Paule which thing was the occasion of a notable sermon which Luke setteth forth in the chapter folowing Thus we may see that through the prouidence of God those things aduaunce his kingdome which we least thought of Why therfore do we trouble vexe our selues about our owne deuises Why do we not rather euery one cast all our care vpon God do our duety For so should it come to passe that we should euery where haue occasion to serue God and in al our dangers and distresses should haue Iesus Christ to be our protectour and defender to whom be prayse honour power and glorie for euer Amen The Clix Homelie ANd on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pompe and were entered into the Councell house with the Captaynes and chiefe men of the Citie at Festus commaundement was Paule brought foorth And Festus sayde king Agrippa and all yee men which are here present with vs ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue intreated me both at Hierusalem and also heere crying that he ought not to lyue any longer Yet founde I nothing worthy of death that he had committed Neuerthelesse seeing that he hath appealed to Caesar I haue determined to sende him Of whome I haue no certayne thing to write vnto my Lorde Wherfore I haue brought him vnto you and specially vnto thee O king Agrippa that after examination hadde I might haue somewhat to wryte For mee thinketh it vnreasonable for to sende a prysoner and not to shewe the causes which are layd agaynst him ALthough God haue giuen vnto man nothing more excellente and commodious than the worde of the Gospell wherein he offereth vs the incomparable treasures of hys grace and the right way vnto saluation yet such is the vntowardnesse of this miserable worlde that it hateth enuieth nothing so muche as the same word Which thing is the cause that the ministers therof are many times so greeuously molested and afflicted and become as it were certayne gasing stockes vnto all the world But bicause we vpon whoÌ„ the endes of the world are come should not be offended at these things forasmuch as it is euident that the world should exercise great crueltie vnder Antichrist their captayne God therfore would haue vs instructed partly by prophesies and partly by examples wherby we might learne that no new or strange thing hapneth vnto vs but that the Ministers of his word haue in al ages bene so vsed in this world And yet that his worde could neuer be extinguished through any attempts of his enimies for it endureth for euer and at al times bringeth foorth condigne fruites as the Scriptures euery where declare Many examples we haue hereof and among them this one is notable that Luke setteth foorth in Paule the Apostle For although he liued in bondes and was constrayned to appeale vnto Caesar both by reason of the iniquitie of his enimies and the vnrighteousnesse of the President yet before king Agrippa before the Captaynes before the chiefe men of Caesarea and the whole nobilitie of that couÌ„trey he so handleth Christes cause that he both proueth his innocencie in the hearing of them al and leaueth in their minds certaine euident pricks stings of the worde of god But it shall be good to consider euery thing in order as it is declared The Euangelist beginneth his narration with Paules hearers among whom are first numbred Agrippa Bernice his sister who sayth he came into the auditorie with all kinde of princely pompe and ostentation After them come the captaines of the souldiours other loâ—ds of the court and as many as were of authoritie in the citie whoÌ„ Festus thoght good to haue there present to this ende that howsoeuer the matter fel out he might the easilier auoyde the enuy of the Iewes Aboue al things we haue to consider Agrippa who as we sayd before was desirous to heare Paul. For this desire proceeded more of a certayne vayne curiositie of minde than of any loue vnto the truthe or saluation In so muche that he resembleth Herodes Antipas brother to his graundfather which also was desirous to see Chryst but for none other cause saue for that he heard his miracles praysed of so many a profe wherof he giueth vs in that he coÌ„meth to Paules sermoÌ„ not like a disciple or lerner nor laieth aside none of his princely pompe but bringeth all his courtlinesse with him for a shew into y preching place By this exaÌ„ple we learne what affection this world beareth to the word of god Surely either it hateth it or at least contemneth it euen of nature as which would not haue his workes reproued by the light therof and vseth to preferre earthly things before heauenly Yet in the meane season it coÌ„meth to passe many times that some come to heare it thoughe not led with the desire of saluation yet with the affections of the fleshe that is to say with curiositie or with hope of some gaine or of hatred to Popishe doctrine or bicause they would not be thought to be vngodly or
to his Apostles goyng out of this worlde he vndoubtedly beholdeth them still and will not suffer any of them to be taken out of his hande In the meane while this also serueth for our purpose that he that gaue commaundements when he went forth declareth thereby plainely that he will one day come agayne Let vs therefore prepare our selues against his commyng beyng alwayes mindefull of the woordes of Christ where he sayth Let your loynes be gyrded aboute and your lightes brennyng and yee your selues like vnto men that wayte for theyr Lorde when he will returne from the weddyng that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly happy are those sâ—ruaunts whom the Lorde when he commeth shall finde wakyng c. But before wee ende our Sermon some thinges remayne to be discussed which commend vnto vs the dignitie and authoritie of the Apostles doctrine The first is that he sayth they were chosen of Christ He speaketh of a speciall choyse and election whereby they were taken not onely into the number of them that shoulde be saued but were also appoynted for such an ende and vse that they should be Preachers of the grace conferred by Christ and as Paule sayth Stewardes of the mysteries of God. Furthermore he saith they receyued commaundementes of Christ. For as Princes make for their Ambassadours letters of commission which wee call instructions in the which not onely is contayned the remembrance of thinges they haue to doe but also the credite and authoritie they be put in euen so Iesus Christ would instruct his Ambassadours with commaundementes that it might appeare what they had to doe But bicause many consider Christ but as he were man onely and perceyue nothing in the Apostles passing the condition of common persones therefore Luke addeth that these commaundementes were giuen by the holy Ghost If wee would lay all these thinges togither it should appeare that they were no humane but diuine affayres that were committed to the Apostles It shall appeare also that theyr doctrine is to be referred to Christ as to the Auctor thereof For they are Christes messengers as Paule sayth And they are commended with the testimonie of Christ saying He that receyueth whom so euer I sende receyueth me Againe He that receyueth you receyueth mee and he that receyueth mee receyueth him that sent mee It is our partes therefore Brethren to iudge well of the office and doctrine of the Apostles and thankefully to acknowledge the vnspeakeable benefite of God giuen vs by theyr preachyng and to imbrace it with true faith For so shall it come to passe that wee being borne againe of the immortall seede of his diuine Woorde shall leade a life woorthy the children of God and beyng deliuered out of the horrible tempestes of this worlde shall liue for euer in Heauen with the Sonne of God Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour to whom all prayse honour glory and power are dewe for euer Amen The seconde Homelie TO whom also he shewed himselfe aliue after his passion and that by many tokens appearing vnto them fortie dayes and speaking of the kingdome of God. WHyle Luke in writyng the Actes of the Apostles goeth aboute to ioyne that discourse with the story of the Gospell as I tolde you yesterday he doth it not at al-aduentures but admonished and instructed by the holy Ghost who meaneth thereby to teache vs some excellent pointe of learnyng For hereby it appeareth that the story of the Apostles should by no meanes be seuered from the story of the Gospell and that whatsoeuer the Apostles did in setting forth the Gospell and kingdome of Iesus Christ is aswell to be referred to Christ as the Auctor of it as the thinges he did in his owne person while he was here on earth For it is plaine that the Apostles did nothing of theyr owne head and power but were mooued and inspired thereto as Christes chosen instruments by his holy spirite This thing the woordes of Christ teach vs saying It is not you that speake but the spyrit of my Father that speaketh in you And in an other place he promiseth his holy spirite to instruct them with all truth and to giue them counsell what to doe Wherevnto Paule had a respect saying vnto the Corinthians Seeke you experience of Christ that speaketh in mee The knowledge hereof is not in vaine bicause it serueth both for our learning and consolation For by these testimonies wee are taught that wee may safely beleeue the doctrine and writinges of the Apostles not onely bicause they are the Ambassadours of Iesus Christ for wee see that Ambassadours sometime doe their message falsely but also for that they be instructed with his spirite and as he inspyreth and directeth them doe their office It is no small consolation that wee know Christ hath a care of his Church For he that departing from vs in his bodie left vs Apostles by whose mynistery his Church might be gathered togither hee distributing the giftes of his holy spyrite in all Ages giueth vnto his Church some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some Shepheardes and Teachers to the edifiyng of the Saintes to the woorke and mynistration euen to the edifiyng of the body of Christ c. But bicause Luke in yesterdaies Sermon made mention of Christs Ascention into Heauen he taketh occasion thereby to intreate of the last thing that Christ did a little before his Ascention bicause it serueth well to the purpose of his discourse or story And in this place he speaketh of two thinges wherof Christ intreated with his Disciples The one is a diligent proofe of his Resurrection the other an instruction touchyng the Kingdome of god Of both which we will speake asmuch as the Lord shall put in our mindes And touching the proofe of his Resurrection he vseth but fewe woordes but they very pithie For the same Iesus saith hee which before hee suffered did and taught many things vpon the earth the very same after he had suffered was dead shewed himself aliue againe to his Disciples euen the very self same person none other neither in any other body but euen in the selfe same in the which he suffered Neither shewed he himself to them as it were by chaunce but prooued by many arguments infallible demoÌ„strations that he was truely risen againe in the very same body wherein he liued while he was here vpon the earth And here Luke speaketh of those things which he more largely in the Gospel describeth that Christ did after his Resurrection And amongst those things first are his apparitions as when he appeared to Mary Magdalene in the Garden by the Sepulchre like a gardener where shee knewe him And a little whyle after meetyng other women also commyng from the graue hee saluteth them and biddeth them shewe his brethren and namely Peter howe he was rysen againe Againe he falleth in company with
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
be counted rather warmelings and cowardly forsakers of the standing and place that they are set in Howbeit in putting away the crime he neyther vseth a bare deniall onlye nor waywardly retorteth slaunder for slaunder but prooueth by arguments that it is false that they layde to theyr charge The first argument he taketh of circumstance of the time These be not sayth he as ye suppose drunken for it is but the thirde houre of the day For the auncient fathers vsed to account twelue howers in the day as may be gathered by the hystorie of the Gospell and prophane wryters also And bicause they beganne theyr count from the day spring or rising of the sunne this thirde hower must be referred to the morning and with vs in the summer time it may be called seauen or eight a clocke in the forenoone Peters argument therfore is of this sort They that are giuen to drunkennesse begin to banquet and bouse towarde euening or the beginning of the night But where it is nowe but morning we cannot of right be accused of drunkennesse But O happie state of those dayes when men might reason after this sort For although it be credible that manye were giuen aswell to drunkennesse as to other vices yet such was the honestie of that time that it was a shame to be drunken and those that were giuen to such drinking were drunken as Paule sayth in the night for feare of open shame In these dayes this argument should be of small force and authoritie where as they euery where now rule the rost which ryse earely to drinke wine as Esay complayneth of the vsage of his dayes Yea there be found amongst the Princes and Magistrates which forgetting the saying of Salomon ryse vp betymes to banquetting and ryot But what speake I of Princes seeing there be deuines not free from this vice I remember once being at the Sessions Imperiall where they went about to establishe a generall peace and to appoynt an vniforme religion through Germanie howe I sawe a deuine of great name and fame yea the standard bearer of the contrarie part that sayde he woulde not dispute of so weightie a matter when he was sober And he was so constant of his worde that I sawe him not so fewe tymes as once well whitteled by one of the clocke But would God there were not to be found euen among them of our owne profession which being infected with this publike and common euill of all Germanie were not giuen to much to this quassing And surely if there were none other argument apparaunt this one were ynough to reprooue the corrupt maners of these dayes For who can denie but the dayes of Noah and Lot be amongst vs where with one mouth all men talke of their cuppes and to be drunken is accounted with all states and degrees a commendable and an honourable matter This vice wee may thanke not onely for corruption of good maners but also for the ouerthrow of iustice and lawes and the decay of religion and oppression of the libertie of our countrie But returne we to Peters Sermon who taketh an other argument of thinges spoken long before to acquite the Apostles of suspition of drunkennesse For where euen the good also might iustly meruaile howe vnlearned men shoulde sodenly come to speake such diuers languages and to bee expert in them and the wicked and mockers imputed it to drunkennesse it was needefull the truth of the matter shoulde be more openly declared Therefore Peter teacheth that this was the worke of the holy ghost the sending of whome he prooueth by the .2 of Ioel to haue beene promised long before in the kingdome of the Messias This Ioel prophecied in the time of Esay and Micheas and forewarned the people of the warres that Sennacherib should make agaynst them And least the godly should despayre and thinke that God had left off to care for his people any more he comforteth them and sheweth how Israell shoulde not quite be destroyed bycause the Messias should be borne of that people whome God had ordeyned to be the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde and for the more comfort of them describeth in fewe woordes the kingdome of the Messias Which place Peter the more diligently and at large cyteth for that he woulde accuse them of doltishnesse and lacke of witte which ascribed the most manifest effectes of the holye ghost to drunkennesse For this was a most filthie errour not to marke and obserue so great a benefite of God and that promised so long agone and most diligently described but to raile at it This place giueth vs three things to consider The first prophecieth of the plentifull and liberall pouring out of the holy ghost which should be in the tyme of christ The other describeth the troublesome estate of this worlde in the kingdome of Christ insomuch that it reckoneth vp the punishments wherewith God will reuenge the vnthankfulnesse and incredulitie of the worlde The thirde declareth the maner of saluation and sheweth the way howe men may escape safely all daungers But at this present we will declare onely the first part This the Lorde in these wordes vttereth by the Prophete And it shall come to passe in the latter dayes sayth the Lorde that I will poure out of my spirite vpon all flesh And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie And your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruaunts and on my handmaydens I will poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie These wordes are by themselues plaine and euident ynough yet are they more deepely to be considered bycause of the things comprehended in them seruing to our instruction The first thing to be obserued in them is that where the Prophete prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ amongst the great and singuler benefites bestowed on vs by Christ he chiefly commendeth the gift of the holy ghost The cause thereof seemeth to me was not for that the holy Prophete eyther was ignoraunt of other thinges or despised them but bicause next after Christ there can nothing be giuen vs of God more excellent than that spirite of Christ which here is spoken of For our heauenly father hath inclosed in Christ his sonne all the treasures of his grace and of our saluation But men are regenerated by his holy spirite to become the sonnes of God and heyres of the goodes which Christ hath purchased vs Which regeneration is so necessarie for vs that vnlesse we be renued by the same we cannot as Christ testifieth see the kingdome of God. The same spirite illuminateth our mindes to vnderstande the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and kindleth in vs the desire of them Without the which light the naturall man cannot perceyue the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. This spirite is a comforter by whome we being incouraged are able to abide and ouercome whatsoeuer aduersitie in this
all these things serue to prouoke vs to consider our dignitie Gods liberalitie towards vs to celebrate the goodnesse of God to shew our selues thankful for his gifts which he so merciful a lord so bouÌ„tifully hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs. Last of all Ioel rehearseth the effectes of the holye ghost which are common to all them that beleeue In which place he maketh mention of prophecie the gift whereof he sayth both yong men and olde men sonnes and daughters shall receyue By prophecie we suppose ought to be vnderstanded not so much the gift of telling things to come as the true and certaine knowledge of the mysteries of saluation and chiefly the vnderstanding of the old Testament according to the exposition of Paule which is to be seene He addeth by way of exposition visions and dreames bicause that by those meanes God vsed in tymes past to reueale his will vnto the Prophetes as may be seene in the booke of Numbers 12. Chap. For the Prophetes vse to set forth the mysteryes of Christ with certaine phrases of speache such as were knowne and in vse with all men in their dayes Examples whereof may be seene euery where of such as reade their wrytings So by thys worde prophecying he promiseth the true knowledge or vnderstanding of Gods will and that saluation that is common to all men in the kingdome of Christ which also we read is promised in other places Esay verily saith that the earth shall be full of the knowledge and vnderstanding of God. And the Lorde sayth I will plant my lawe in the inwarde partes of them and write it in their heartes and I will be their God and they shall be my people And from thenceforth shall no man teach his neighbour or his brother and say Knowe the Lorde But they shall all knowe me from the lowest vnto the highest sayth the Lorde c. And Christ out of the Prophete testifieth that they shall bee all taught of the Lorde Therefore the principall effect of the holy ghost and which is common to all men is a sure knowledge of the will of God and an vnderstanding of saluation and the mysteryes of the kingdome of God and as farre as is requisite for euery man an intelligence both of the olde and newe Testaments By this therefore we may iudge what they be that set naught by the knowledge of the will of God and where they vnderstand it not of themselues will yet be taught of no man whome this one place may prooue to want the spirite of christ To this may be ioyned the Lords ouer the fayth and the Tyrantes of the Church which driue the Christian people from the reading of the Scripture and dare call that generall benefite of the holy ghost which the Prophete so highly commendeth the beginning and seede of heresies and errours It is our partes brethren to acknowledge the gift of Gods grace and to embrace the spirite of Christ that we being borne againe by his operation illuminated and made meete to all good workes may enioy the eternall inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ the sonne of God to whome be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xiij. Homelie And I will shewe woonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapoure of smoke The Sunne shall be turned into darcknesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lorde come And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall be saued THe Apostle Peter driueth his first sermon which he made at Hierusalem after he had receyued the holy ghost to that ende that the Apostles obserued in all their sermons that is to say to bring his hearers to the knowledge of Christ and to winne them to the saluation that is in him Which thing that he might with the more ease bring to passe he by and by in the beginning is well ware that his doctrine be not reiected before it be knowne and heard For he diligently before hande aunswereth all those thinges which might giue his hearers any cause or occasion to mysiudge or suspect it Among these there were some godly and deuout yet more that were vngodly vntowarde and obstinate And the religious were holden with ignorance so that they were astonyed at so great a myracle and being in doubt could not tell what to iudge or thinke of the matter But the other were in farre woorse case and taking for wyth cauils and slaunders they mock and delude all the meaning of the myracle accusing the Apostles of drunkennesse and those that hearde them of foolishnesse Therefore it was needefull some present remedy should be had which he tooke out of the seconde Chapiter of Ioël For by that place he teacheth that here is nothing done eyther of error or affection of man but that all this doing is the worke of God and promised of God long agone by the Prophets And he is very diligent in cyting the wordes of the Prophet bicause the place not onely serued to confute their reproche but also greatly made for Peters purpose This place as I sayde in the Sermon before goyng hath three members or partes The first comprehenâ—deth the bounteous and most liberall promise of the holye ghost The seconde describeth the troublous state of the worlde which shoulde continue euen to th ende therof in the kingdome of Christ and so rehearseth the punishments wherwith God woulde reuenge the contempt of his sonne and the Gospell which thing serued marueylously to make the Iewes afrayd that they should not thinke they shoulde escape scot free for contemning of Christ and his Gospell The third sheweth the way how to auoide all these euils and mischiefes The first part we declared yesterday It remayneth that we nowe set forth the two later And bicause I see there is a doubt and controuersie touching this great and notable daye of the Lorde whereof the Prophet maketh mention in this place First it seemeth good to me to shew my iudgement concerning the same There be that vnderstande it to be the daye of Christes resurrection and the signes and woonders which are here prophecied should come they expounde to be the things that happened in the death and resurrection of christ Surelye their sense and meaning is godlye But bicause of the prophecies of Iesus Christ which he vttereth almost in the same wordes concerning the state of the later times the ende of this daye is farther to be extended Other thinke the whole time of the worlde after Christes birth is comprehended in the signification of this daye But me thinketh the glorious and notable daye of the Lorde when he shall iudge the whole worlde maye here be vnderstanded For where he had made mention of the later time a little before he sayeth the state and condicion of the time which he now describeth should continue vntill the ende
things which we haue cited of himselfe the matter must be the better marked and then shall it appeare that they are most manifestly deceyued in their opinion For Dauid speaketh of one whose soule shoulde not abide with the soules of the deceassed and which in his bodye shoulde suffer no corrâ—ption But it is euident that Dauid is deade and his tombe at this day is to be seene amongst you wherin his body after the maner of all fleshe as he sayeth of himselfe is consumed into dust Therefore the wordes of the Psalme cannot be vnderstanded of him Howbeit though this be a firme and sure argument yet was it not sufficient vnlesse also he coulde prooue it ought to be vnderstanded of christ Wherefore he addeth Therefore seeyng Dauid was a Prophete and knewe that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christ as touching the fleshe should spring of the fruite of his loynes and sit vppon his seate he knowing this before c. By the which wordes he teacheth vs that no man ought to marueyle that Dauid prophecied these things of Christ which was promised to be the sauiour of the worlde He vseth two kindes of argument The first is taken of Dauids person and of his office For all men knowe that Dauid was a Prophete But this was the office of all Prophetes by the spirite of Christ to searche out his mysteries chiefely his death and resurrection as Peter in other places diligently teacheth And if a man searche the bookes of the Prophetes he shall there finde manifest and plaine prophecies of Christ and of his kingdome which thing Christ himselfe acknowledged saying after his resurrection It behooued that all the things shoulde be fulfilled which was written in the lawe of Moses and in the Prophets concerning me Therefore what marueyle is it that Dauid being a Prophete prophecied of Christ The other argument is touching the promises of god God had promised by an othe vnto Dauid that out of his loynes shoulde spring he that was promised to be the sauiour of the worlde which shoulde establishe the throne of his kingdome and possesse it for euer Therefore Dauid ought and might easily expounde the mysteries of that saâ—iour â—o promised And the things here rehearsed ought manifestlye to be vnderstanded of him bicause they can not be meant of Dauid nor of anye other The promises made long ago vnto Dauid appertaine to the explication of this place Amongst which the chiefe is that that Nathan the Prophete by the spirite of God declared in these wordes when Dauid consulted touching the building of the Temple When thy dayes bee fulfilled thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy body and will stablish his kingdome Hee shall builde an house for my name and I will stablish the seate of his kingdome for euer c. Which place as may easily be perceyued can not be vnderstanded of Salomon bicause he was borne and set in his kingdome Dauid being yet alyue neyther was the seate of his kingdome continuall But this promise is fulfilled in Iesus Christ which many yeares after tooke fleshe of the stocke of Dauid and appointed the house of God that is to say the congregation of all Nations and peoples whose kingdome as the Aungell testifieth shall haue none ende Besides this promise to put all things out of doubt he added an othe whereof Peter in this place maketh mention and which is expressed in the scriptures For herevnto appertaineth that which we reade Psal. 89. I haue sworne once by my holy nesse that I will not fayle Dauid His seede shal endure for euer and his seate is lyke as the sunne before me He shall stand fast as the moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heauen c. And againe The Lorde hath made a faithfull othe vnto Dauid and he shall not shrinke from it Of the fruite of thy body shall I set vpon thy seate And meete and conuenient it is that we should adde herevnto that which is read of the Priesthoode of Christ confirmed with the othe of god For Dauid prophecying hereof sayth The Lorde hath sworne and will not repent him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Where therefore Dauid was instructed with such and so manye promises of God it is easie to perceyue that this ought to be vnderstanded of the true Messias which is the verye sonne of Dauid bicause they are more excellent and high mysteries than can fall out eyther vppon Dauid or any of his children But before we leaue this place two things are to be noted First we are taught that the auncient fathers were not altogither ignorant of Christes mysteries and specially those which concerne his death and resurrection In deede we must confesse that a more full knowledge hereof was reserued vnto the time appointed But to denye Antiquitie the whole knowledge of Christ were to rashe a part bicause we knowe Christ testifieth of Abraham that he reioyced to see his daye that he sawe it and was gladde And as we sayde erewhyle he sayth Moyses and the Prophetes prophecied of his mysteries This might be prooued by authoritie of elder promises and the bookes of the Prophetes abundantlye if neede so were But let it suffice vs to learne this namely that the bookes of the olde Testament appertaine to vs also which thing manye nowe a dayes ouer boldly vse to denie For it is euident that in them the knowledge of Christ is conteyned Therefore we must confesse that they appertaine to vs also vnlesse we will reiect the knowledge of Christ as nothing belonging vnto vs How much better doth Paule who sayth Whatsoeuer things are written before time are written for our learning that through pacience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope Adde herevnto that which he sayth in the seconde Epistle to Timothie Cap. 3. The next thing worthy to be obserued in this place is howe God doth vouchsafe with an othe to confirme and establishe our redemption and saluation which only is included in Christ our lord Howbeit the credite and authoritie of Gods worde alone farre passeth any othe that can be made Howbeit that high God stoupeth downe to our capacitie bicause he would haue vs nothing doubt of our saluation And he bounde not himselfe on this wise to Dauid only but also to Abraham as Paule sayth For to him it is sayde I haue sworne by my selfe sayth the Lorde bicause thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne c. Afterwarde this othe was repeated againe where the Lorde sayd to Isaac I will perfourme the othe which I sware vnto Abraham thy father c. And herevnto appertaine those earnest and solemne contestations of God the father wherewith he beareth witnesse from heauen that Iesus Christ is his beloued sonne for whose sake he is reconciled vnto
bicause Christ greatly hindered and empayred their gayne and honor But Gods spirite bloweth where it pleaseth neyther must we dispayre of any mans health bycause of his profession and trade of lyfe Further where he was a Cypriote he so looued the faythfull of Ierusalem that on them onely he woulde bestowe or shew thys liberalitie For he vnderstoode without doubt that in Christ all difference of nations was abolished as otherwheres the Scripture teacheth And his so great liberalitie wanted not a singuler commoditie For his vertue is enrolled in perpetuall memorie and the Apostles thought good to call hym Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolation For he deserued to haue so singuler a name which by his liberalitie gaue so singuler comfort to so many In the meane season we be taught what names they deserue which defraude the poore of Christ by raping and reauing the Church goodes and as much as in them is let and hinder the religion and doctrine of christ These be in verie deede the children of disturbance and perdition whose iudgement steepeth not as the example of Ananias following will teache vs Let vs marke the exercises of the primitiue Church and gyue our selues to the lyke in thys most troublesome worlde where Sathan euerywhere raiseth vp persecutours against the doctrine of truth Let the preachers be armed with a bold liberty of teaching the word and let them remember they are the seruants of God whome no authoritie of man ought to mooue Let them which professe the name of Christ be at vnitie togither in christ Let them labour to shewe their vnitie and concorde by workes of liberalitie and specially by helping of the poore These be the markes of Christians and these be the strongest weapons and defences of Christians For by these they be knowne to be the Disciples of Iesus Christ who is able easily to defende them against all the assaultes of the worlde and shall at length delyuer them from all perill and daunger and bring them to his celestiall kingdome to him be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The fift chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxxij. Homelie A Certaine man named Ananias with Sapphiâ—a his wife solde a possession and kept awaye part of the price his wife also being of counsell and brought a certayne part and layde it downe at the Apostles feete But Peter sayde Ananias how is it that Sathan hath filled thine hart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost and keepe awaye part of the price of the lande Pertayned it not to thee onely and after it was solde was it not in thine owne power why hast thou conceyued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto god When Ananias hearde these wordes hee fell downe and gaue vp the ghost And great feare came on all them that heard these things And the yong men rose vp and put him apart and caried him out and buried him THe Euangelist Luke hath declared what exercises and studies the primitiue Church was giuen vnto in the most perillous time of persecution We haue there seene all things belonging to a perfite and most absolute forme and order of a Churche For the Apostles taught the worde of God boldly and trulye The people as meete was receyued the same as their vnanimitie concorde and earnest loue abundantly declared But the holy ghost was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes phrenetike and troublesome men which herof would take occasion rashly to condemne all Churches wherein all things were not answereable to the perfection of the primitiue Church Wherfore he would haue the historie of Ananias and Sapphira to folow which teacheth vs that Satan had in this holy society his bondmen whose dissimulation at last burst forth and appeared Wherefore nothing is in all poynts sounde and perfite And they are not to be regarded which condemne whole congregations bicause of a few of dissembling merchauntes or voluptuous liuers that are founde in the same considering we reade of Iudas among the Disciples of Christ and that he testifieth that as well badde as good be drawen by preaching of the Gospell Before we beginne the historie we must marke that as Iudas tooke occasion of his sinne by the goodes of the Church so Ananias stumbling at the same stone begunne the first disturbance in the Church The holy ghost thought good to admonishe vs by these examples that the managing of ecclesiasticall goods is a perillous matter â–ª and that they manifestly put their saluation in hazarde that offende therein Therefore whosoeuer glorye in the name of Christ and his Gospell let them diligently take heede to themselues But if they would weigh this one thing they woulde neuer lyke hungrye Cormoraunts runne so greedily to the administring of them The historie hath in it two partes The first declareth what became of Ananias and next what of Sapphira his wife But for the better vnderstanding of the first part we will first consider Ananias facte then Peters iudgement touching the same last of all the punishment which God layde vpon him Ananias deede is tolde with great simplicitie least we shoulde thinke the Apostles leaned any thing to their affections A certain man named Ananias with Sapphira his wife solde a possession and kept awaye part of the price his wife also being of counsell and brought a certaine part and layde it downe at the Apostles feete Here is principally to be enquired what that fault was which the Lorde a little while after punished with sodeine death For after the iudgement of the fleshe here is no fault made but we may thinke Ananias rather worthie of prayse and rewarde For to sell his lande it was no fault bicause it was lawfull for him so to doe both by Gods law and mans And of any craft or collusion vsed in the bargaine and sale here is no mention Neyther hath the Lorde forbidden vs to reserue part of our owne goodes for our necessities bicause Paule sayeth they be worse than Infidels which looke not to their owne families And he teacheth vs that wee must not so giue almes that our liberalitie be occasion to others of ease and to our selues of want and distresse Furthermore it seemeth he is verye beneficiall to the Church of Christ that giueth but the halfe the third or fourth part of his goodes to the vse thereof Also Christ testifyeth that he shall be rewarded that giueth but a cup of colde water to any of his Disciples in his name Therefore we must consider the minde of Ananias which we maye gather in the other part of the historie by the wordes of Sapphira and so we shall see wherein he offended to saye in hypocrisie and counterfeyting of fayth and loue wherwith he went about to deceyue as well God as the congregation For the ambicious man sawe what prayse and glorye Ioses the Leuite had gotten through his liberalitie Wherefore he being desirous also to
hath the authoritie of the sworde committed him of God And me thinketh there needeth no long disputation agaynst them which in matters of religion will haue the authoritie of the sworde altogyther to cease For though we graunt them that no man ought violently to be compelled to the fayth for that it is the gift of God yet is it the Magistrates duetie by the sworde to keepe vnder both blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers least for lacke of punishment they doe and speake agaynsâ— the glorie of God and publike tranquilitie See the â—aw Leuit. 24. Deut. 13. Neyther seemeth Peter in thys present place nor Paule afterwarde to haue sought any other thing than the defence of religion In primis let vs beare in minde the chiefe poynt of this hystorie and being frayde with the horrible example of Ananias let vs flye dissimulation let vs worship God in spirite and truth and cleaue to Iesus Christ with mindes burning in godly fayth to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxiij. Homelie AND it came to passe that as it were about the space of three houres after his wyfe came in ignorant of that which was done And Peter sayd vnto hir Tell me Solde ye not the lande for so much And shee sayde yea for so much Then Peter saide vnto hir Why haue yee agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde Beholde the feete of them which haue buryed thy husbande are at the dore and shall carie thee out Then fell she downe streyte waye at his feete and yeelded vp the ghost And the yong men came in and founde hir deade and caryed hir out and buryed hir by hir husbande BYcause our Sauiour Iesus Christ was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes false brethren and hypocrites in the Church which would be authors of great offences he would therefore in the beginning and springth of the Church haue some terrible example shewed agaynst them whereby we myght learne what such as they be shoulde looke for and trust to We haue seene the first part hereof in Ananias in whom the conditions of hypocrytes are trimly expressed These men are destitute of true fayth which thing is the fountaine beginning of all euill For hereof it commeth to passe that they wickedly mocke and despise as well God as his Church Herevnto maye we adde incurable obstinacie the accomplishment of all vice wherby it commeth to passe that a man may easilier conuert open synners than such as haue once purposed in theyr minde to deceyue the congregation by hypocrisie and dissimulation These things shall appeare the more plainely if we consyder the other part of thys storie which contayneth as dolorous and lamentable an ende of Sapphira which within three houres after not knowing of hir husbandes death came in vnto Peter and the faythfull which were with him as Luke reporteth For commonly it so commeth to passe that we knowe those things last which it behooued vs first to knowe bicause menne vse rather in our absence to disclose our faultes than to reprooue vs to our face Then also the affection of loue so worketh in the godly that they vnwyllingly bring tydings of anye thing which may giue occasion of griefe to their neighbours Which seemeth me to be the cause that Sapphira as yet knewe not of the death of hir husband But to the ende we may receyue the more vtilitie by consideration of thys hystorie first of all we will speake of the question wherewith Peter beginneth with hir and then of the ouer bolde confidence of Sapphira and last of all of the punishment wherewith God was reuenged on hir Peters demaunde was neyther light nor superfluous For thereby Sapphiras impietie did appeare the playner which otherwise might eyther haue seemed ignoraunt of hir husbandes craft or else to haue bene induced by hys authoritie so to haue dissembled Therefore Peter requireth of hir a reason of this their doing saying Tell me solde you the lande for so much Furthermore where the successe of the matter declareth that Peter did nothing of priuate affection but by the instinct of the holy ghost it behooueth vs here to marke the order that God vseth in punishing the wicked The incurable naughtinesse of Sapphira could not be hidden from him neyther coulde any man haue letted him to haue punished the same by and by But he woulde haue a time of repentaunce graunted hir and hir minde to be tryed and stirred vp by a straunge demaunde least he might seeme ouer hastie to anye man by his seueritie Such examples of Gods long sufferaunce are euerywhere extant For he is well ware of vsing any crueltie against the guiltie as Tyrannes doe but will haue them vnderstande by what offences they haue prouoked his wrath and punishment agaynst themselues Thus we read he did with our first parents and he gaue them that liued in the beginning of the worlde an hundred and twentie yeares space wherein to repent them and did also vouchsafe to sende them Noah the preacher of righteousnesse Likewise he would not destroy the Chanaanites and Amorrhites vntill he saw they filled the measure of iniquitie and were become alltogither incurable But what neede examples seeing we haue plentie both in the holy prophane hystories to let passe those things whereof wee see experience daylie both in others and in our selues Let vs rather apply these matters to our instruction and first of all let vs not abuse the long suffering of god For he prouoketh vs to repentaunce Let vs not therefore like reprobates procure vnto vs the wrath of God by contynuing in synne without repentaunce and waxe euery day woorse and woorse For God is slacke in punishing but this slacknesse as the heathen haue vsed to saye he recompenceth with weight and heauinesse of punishment Also let vs followe the goodnesse of God and not be to hastie in our iudgement although it appeare some haue deserued punishment For where God euery where desyreth the saluation rather than destruction of men what boldnesse is it I pray you to sâ—ryue to ouercome Gods iustice by our rigour and seueritie which thing they haue chiefely to consider which haue receiued power and authoritie from God to punishe other least through their seueritie and hastinesse of iudgement they bring the bodyes and soules of them in ieopardie whose saluation they shoulde principallye seeke But let vs harcken to Sapphira who boldly lyeth without all shame and feare of god And she doth not simply affirme the thing but vsing a signe of contestation confirmeth as it were by an oâ—h that which she knew to be false For where euery man had libertie to giue what seemed him good it was lyke hytherto that no man was required to giue account before the congregation what he receyued and layde forth Therefore Sapphira should haue thought that it was not without some mysterie that such a question was now mooued especially knowing in hir selfe that
morning the Bishops come togither and call an assembly or counsell consulting which waye they maye quench the fire of the Gospell But the Lorde from aboue laughing at them and meaning to make all the worlde laugh at them by the helpe of one Aungell deliuereth the Apostles out of prison and marueylously eludeth the counsell of their enimies who thought themselues craftie and wyly ynough But bicause it seemed good to the holy ghost to describe all the partes of this hystorie we also must thinke no studie or diligence to much to search them out bicause we maye receyue much profite by our traueyle therein First therefore let vs consider the Counsell to the which we sayd they busily addressed and hyed themselues the circumstaunces whereof beyng considered we shall perceyue all things declaring a shew and countenance of a lawfull Counsayle The chiefe in the Counsayle is the high Priest who in these cases was appoynted of God to haue the highest authoritie and who by Goddes apoyntment was most to be obeyed For sentence of death was long ago giuen against them which durst obstinately despise the Priestes saying To him be adioyned the other Priestes least anye man might thinke the Bishop did any thing of his priuate affection And least any man also might suspect the whole order of Priests the Elders were also called the institution of which order was long before appoynted of God and represented the forme of the whole Church Furthermore they take vnto them the Capitaine of the Temple with the other publike Officers that bicause they woulde seeme to doe nothing against the common weale These things being thus ordeyned what letteth nowe that this should not be a Counsell lawfully gathered togither Surely touching outwarde appearance you can easily require none other thing But if a man regarde the ende of all this doing it shall appeare they were not gathered togither by the holy ghost but by the instigation of Satan and that therefore no good or godly person ought to obey or submit himselfe to them For they assembled togither to oppresse the truth and they go about to ouerthrowe the kingdome of Christ by conspiracie Thys place teacheth vs to iudge of counsayles which are now a daies in euery mans mouth bicause manye suppose controuersies of religion can not be decyded wythout a generall counsayle Touching whose opinion as I will not nowe dispute so it seemeth to me it would be very profitable if such a free and generall counsell might be obteyned wherein all controuersies might be concluded by the onely worde of God such as was the Synode of the Apostles whereof shall be spoken in the .xv. chapter and such as we knowe those olde counsayles were of Nicaea Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and such other as the godly Emperours by their authoritie gouerned and ruled least the ambition of Byshops might kindle more cōtention But whether we may hope for any such like in these dayes I can not easily tell bicause I see none of the contrary parte contented to forsake their possession of the Church wrongfully vsurped nor wylling to submyt themselues to the iudgement of others Agayne if we consider what counsels haue beene these many yeres since the Bishops of Rome gate the supremacie ouer the Church no man that is in hys right wits can looke for any goodnesse to come of them bicause they obserue not so much as any outwarde shewe of a lawfull counsayle For to beginne with the chiefe poynt Their counsayles vse to be summoned and called by the Byshops of Rome whose supremacie is not ordeyned of God and is most contrarie to the glorie of christ They also will be the chiefe rulers Presidents and Iudges of the counsell which ought rather to pleate their cause and to gyue an account of their stewardship which many yeres now hath bene requyred of them They haue Bishops sytting which them not such as Paule requyreth but such as the God on earth vseth to create from whome if a man take their pieuishe and stage play apparell and vayne names and tytles they shall haue nothing left that representeth any show of Byshoply duetie or dignitie And they onely haue authoritie to gyue sentence which are not worthy the lowest rowme in the Church but are by Gods sentence long since excommunicated For the Prophet affirmeth that the Chanaanites that is to say sellers of holye thinges shall haue no place in the Lordes house And such as they did Christ long since dryue out of the Iewish temple And Christ sayth in his reuelation that Infidels Murtherers Whoremongers Wytches Idolaters and all lyers haue their place prepared in the lake burning with fyre and Brymstone And who I pray you is so impudent that will denie but a many of them are polluted with these vyces which yet haue onely the power and authoritie to iudge matters of religion And although they vse to call Emperours kings and princes to their counsayle it skilleth not bicause it is euident they haue all sworne obedience to the Pope and are not accounted for Catholikes onlesse they giue vp themselues wholy to the Sea of Rome Wherfore thys outward shewe representeth no lawfull counsayle but with a vayne visure beguyleth the simple and vnwarie And if a man marke the ende wherevnto they referre all thing it shall appeare more plainely that they seeke onely the oppressing of the truth and the ghospell than needeth with many words to be declared For this doth the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ testifie which they haue shed and most greedily thirst after The warres whereof they haue bene the first authors agaynst the mainteyners of the true fayth doe prooue the same They confesse the same in their Bulles wherby they summon and call counsellers For they so burne in hatred of the truth that where they are wholy couered with hypocrisie and furnished at all points to cloke and dyssemble all things yet can they herein little or nothing dissemble their great hatred but openly professe that which they long ago haue conceyued against the Ghospell Therefore let them that desyre the ouerthrowe of Christes church and kingdome and will wittingly perishe submit matters of fayth and religion to their iudgement But whosoeuer hath a care of his owne saluation of the glorie of Christ and safetie of the Church let him vnderstande that this saying of Dauid chiefly belongeth to this place Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stande in the way of sinners and hath not sitte in the seate of the scornefull But let vs let passe these matters and come to the priestes and Elders who hauing consulted about the Apostles sende their seruaunts to the prison to bring them before the counsell And here the Lorde agaynst whom they stroue doth marueylously mocke and deryde them For the seruaunts finde the Apostles deliuered out of prison They returne to their maysters and so declare the matter that they
nothing contrary to the same though it seeme neuer so worthy of authoritie And hereof the Lord himselfe giueth vs warning where he forbiddeth vs in the law to beleeue false Prophets although they confirmed their doctrine with myracles For the Lorde your God sayeth Moses tempteth you to see whether you loue the Lorde your God with all your heart c. Therefore they obiect myracles to vs in vaine which go about to perswade vs in things varying from Gods worde See 2. Thess. 2. Math. 24. Besides in Simon is set forth a manifest marke whereby a deceyuer may be knowne For he challengeth to himselfe godly honor which Satan chiefly desireth to th ende to spoyle God of his honor wherein he farre differeth from the good Aungels which refuse godly honor being offered them and put it ouer vnto god See Apocal. 19. and .22 And the faythfull seruaunts of God being well remembred of their naturall corruption be most free from this sacrilegall desire of godly honor and giue all the prayse to God for whatsoeuer they doe well and laudably Example hereof we haue seene before in Iohn and Peter and shall hereafter see the lyke in Paule Therfore let them be driuen from vs and clapped out of our company which dare to take vpon them any be it neuer so little a peece of diuine honor For he can be no faythfull seruant that will take vnto him his maisters glory Last of all we haue in the Samaritanes an example of the inconstancy and lightnesse of the Commons in that they yeelde to this crafty deceyuour and suffer themselues to be beguiled This is the propertie of the world to delite in deceyuers and to reioyce in deuisers of straunge subtelties But if there be any hope of neuer so little gayne yee shall see them who oughte to depend onely vpon the word of God by and by striken in a great rage They that in these dayes seeke after Soothsayers to heare tell of thinges lost or who hath taken them away giue vs examples of this madnesse And there be woorse than these which thinke diseases may be put awaye by incantations and certaine conceiued formes of wordes and with costly superstition hyre such as professe such kynd of witchcraft But the obedience of the Samaritanes being better instructed deserueth prayse This it becommeth vs to imitate and not to giue our studye to curious sciences which are long since plainely condemned by Gods sentence See Exod. 22. Leuit. 20. Deut. 18. Mich. 5. God the father hath appointed Iesus Christ to be our teacher and Sauiour Him it behooueth vs to heare and to doe his commaundement to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lviij. Homelie BVT assoone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of GOD and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himselfe beleeued also And when he was baptized he continued with Phillip and woondered beholdyng the my racles and signes which were shewed When the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn which when they were come downe prayed for them that they might receyue the holy Ghost For as yet he was come on none of them But they were baptized only in the name of Christ iesu Then layde they their handes on them and they receyued the holy ghost BIcause the kingdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ was to be extended ouer all the world it was therfore necessary that the gospell by the teaching wherofmen are brought vnto Christ should be preached vnto all Nations whereof we haue seene how the Apostles receyued a commaundement of the Lorde himself being ready to ascende vp into heauen The great persecution which Luke sayth beganne at Ierusalem gaue an occasion of the putting this matter in execution For where before the tyme of this persecution the sermons of the Apostles sounded but in Ierusalem onely the other faithful ministers of Christ beyng thence dispersed beganne to preach in other places and had such good successe that within short space Phillip being come to Samaria wanne vnto Christ by his continuall preachyng the Gospell the people of the Citie which Simon long tyme had bewitched with his Magicall sciences For they contempning his Magicall conueyaunces began to giue eare vnto Christ to heare him only And how prosperously they tooke this thing in hand this present place declareth which setteth out vnto vs a more full constitution and ordering of that churche and most diligently sheweth the great going forwarde of those men in fayth and other gifts of the spirite First it is declared how they grew into one body of a congregation where he sayth Assone as they gaue credence to Philips preaching of the kingdome of God and of the name of Iesu Christ they were baptized both men and women Therefore this place is attributed chiefly to the beliefe which they gaue vnto Philips preaching in such sort that they thought his doctrine was confirmed with authority inough by the myracles which he wrought We learne therfore that through fayth congregations do duely grow in one are most stronglye knit with an inwarde bande For this Fayth only grafteth vs in Christ Iesu and maketh vs members of one body in him as Paule in many places testifieth Whervpon we euidently gather agayne that where men want faith there can be no church of Christ for such must needes be led with most variable and contrary senses and meanings We are taught by the example of the Samaritanes that the worde of God where men teache must be beleeued and that it must not be comptrolled by mans reason so that it shall nede euery day new authority For as Paule testifieth that the scriptures are inspired of GOD so the ministerye of the worde instituted of Christ in his church expressely teacheth the same Therfore whosoeuer beleeueth the ministers of Christ bringing Christes voyce and his worde we may saye hee beleeueth Christ and not men For vnto all suche belongeth this saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And whosoeuer receyueth hym that I sende receyueth me Wherefore Paule iudgeth the Thessalonians for this cause woorthy to be praysed for that they receyued his doctrine not as the worde of a man but as of an Aungell And the same prayse the Samaritanes deserue and as many as haue beleeued the Gospell according to their ensample Furthermore to this inwarde communion consisting of Fayth is ioyned also an outwarde bande of communion or societie For it is sayd that all as well men as women were baptized in the name of Iesus christ For as Christ chose his elect out of the world so will he haue them separated from the world and consecrated to himselfe onely To the which ende he requireth of them a playne confession of their fayth and furnisheth them wyth sacraments whereby they be
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
the world he shal easily perceiue in himself that hath not vtterly lost his senses And what we haue to do when God by such meanes as these allureth vs Pauls exāple declareth In dede ther appereth in him some smack of carnal slouthfulnesse which being strickē to the groūd doth not yet know his lord But this is worthy to be cōmended that whē the Lord had told him what he was by by he demandeth what his wil is that he should do For this is the saying of a true hūble hart submitting himself wholy to obey the wil of god Let vs therfore folow this exāple which the holy Ghost wold haue put in wryting to serue for our instruction And when we are chastised let vs think we are chastised of the Lord who requireth of vs repentance And let vs do penaunce not according to our owne braine or as seemeth good in our sight but according to Gods appointment which we shal learne in his word For after this sort aduersitie shal serue to our amendment and our amendment or conuersion shall be acceptable vnto god But if a mā wold compare these things with the vsage of our dayes he shal easily perceiue how many wayes mē herein offend For a man shal find few which whē they are chastised wil acknowledge God to be the author therof but the most part impute their misfortunes vnto other causes And if there be any so touched with the feeling of religion ▪ that they are constrained to acknowledge the hand of God yet is that feling very smal and of litle continuance or else ioyned with superstition wherby being deceiued they do their penaunce but counterfetly and for a litle season as God vpbraideth the people of Israel by his Prophet And this is the cheefe cause of so many and so continuall calamities as are in our dayes which if we redresse not lette vs neuer looke for better state The last thing in this treatise is how Paule is sent into the Citie to Ananias of whome he requireth more fully to be instructed The causes of this precept or doing we haue declared before where ye may loke for the same It becommeth vs to follow the example of Paule that framing our selues according to Gods calling we turne from superstition and other sinnes vnto God and hang wholy vpon his mouth and word fashioning our life and conuersation according to his will. For so after we haue happily ended this life we shall be coheires in heauen with Iesus Christe the sonne of the euer liuing God to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxliij Homelie ANd one Ananias a perfecte man and as pertaining to the lawe hauing good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt came vnto mee and stoode and said vnto me brother Saule receiue thy light And the same houre I receiued my sight and sawe him And he saide the God of our fathers hath ordained thee before ▪ that thou shouldest knowe his will and shouldest heare the voice of his mouth For thou shalt be his witnesse vnto all men of those things which thou hast seene and heard And nowe why tarriest thou Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. BIcause all chaunge of religion is odious as arguing a light and inconstant minde therefore Paule so diligently excuseth his leauing the Iewes religion And first he declareth that he behaued himselfe therein with great zeale least any should thinke he were fallen away of ignorance and lack of knowledge or of hatred of discipline or of leuitie and inconstantnesse And he beginneth the Historie of his vocation in suche sorte as it may appeare that he was not onely called by God but also constrained And now he addeth hereunto how he was ordained vnto the office of an Apostle by the ministery of Ananias ▪ who was appointed of God to be the interpreter of this heauenly oracle and vision The principall vse of this place is to answere them which suspected the storie of his vocation and saide that Paule was deceiued by a vaine fantasie and delusion He beginneth in commodious wise with the description of Ananias lest any man might thinke he had giuen credit to any slender or light person of no estimation And for bicause the Iewes would not haue admitted the testimonie of any that had forsaken his religion he first and formoste commendeth him for a diligent obseruer and follower of the lawe where he saithe he is a godly man according to the lawe Unto this commendation he ioyneth the publike testimonie of al the Iewes dwelling at that time at Damascus Beesides this hee declareth howe his sight was restored to him againe the cheefe vse wherof it seemeth God would haue to be this that Paule mighte knowe that Ananias was sent vnto him of god For who woulde accuse him of vanitie which beeing admonished by heauenly Oracle yea beeing vtterly amased and following such an expounder of the Oracle had altered his religion And Paules example teacheth vs that of all things we must flee leuitie in religion that wee rashly beleeue not euery one For as in religion consisteth the summe of our saluation so it appeareth there haue bene in all ages deceiuers whiche haue layde snares to entrappe the mindes of the simple And both Chryste and the Apostles abundauntly teache vs that suche should arise in the Church after them Therefore the suggestions of the men of our dayes is to bee lamented which in the most cleare light of the Gospell beleeue euery spirite contrary to the bydding of Iohn the Apostle yea they take them to be the true followers of the Apostles which with scoffery and tauntes can quippe the Ecclesiastical Ministers and Magistrates in secrete wheras them selues in the meane season are neither learned nor honest Agayne let vs marke what the true commendation of a Minister is and of all that beare any publike office The first thing is godlynesse ordered and directed after the lawe of God that is according to Gods appoyntment For it is not ynough onely to be godly but wee must frame the same according to Gods worde Otherwise it shall be a zeale without knowledge suche as the Iewes and Paule sometime were deceiued with Agayne they must haue a good testimonie of them amongst whom they dwell and also of others abroade that the Gospell bee not euill spoken of for their sake See Paule touching this poynt in the first to Timothe the third chapter Unto this must be ioyned a lawful vocation or calling which thing if they feele not in them selues they shall neither boldly nor profitably discharge their duetie But it is euident that the Prophets and Apostles to whom we haue giuen credite were suche For they following the worde of God in all thing haue not swarued one nayles breadth from the same And such was their integritie of life that to this day the Turkes and Papistes reuerence their name
insolent and proude stiles which other men vsed to flatter them with For this kinde of men are easily moued to wrath specially when they suppose their estimation is lightly regarded which they farre preferre both before the glory of God and the publike saluation of man Heere let vs marke what manner of Counsels wicked Bishops vse commonly to haue Paule was burthened before with slaunders whereby they thought to bring him in hatred of all his nation And when he was about to answer thereto in a great concourse of people they disturbed him with furious clamoure and shouting Now againe as he is about to make his excuse they resist him with open violence and that in place of iustice whereof they would seeme to be great fauourers Such a Counsell for all the world was it wherein Christ was condemned when Caiphas was president And that was not much vnlike wherein Steuen was oppressed Suche also haue beene the Counsels of the Popes this many hundreth yeares as may be proued by that one Counsell of Constance where we reade the holy Martires of Châ—ist Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage were condempned with like armoure and weapons What we may hope for at the Counsels of oure dayes appeareth aboundantly by their indictions or Bulles The crafte and impudencie whereof who so perceiueth not doubtlesse they are to be iudged voide of common sense and reason But let vs returne vnto Paule and see howe he tooke this iniurie God saith he shall smite thee O thou painted wall c. In the which words it seemeth to some that he offended against the commaundement of Christ which biddeth vs to tourne the other cheeke to him that smiteth vs on the one But he shall easily be cleared of this fault if we will weigh bothe his wordes and his person For he cursseth him not of any naughtie minde or affection but reproueth his sinne according to the office of an Apostle and sheweth that God hath a punishment prepared for him And first he calleth him painted wall euer following the example of Christ which sayth al the whole packe of them were like vnto painted sepulchers or graues And by and by he rendreth a reason why he so sayth adding Thou sittest to giue iudgement according to the Lawe That is to say Thou claymest vnto thee power to giue Iudgement vpon mee vnder a proud pretence of Lawe and commaundest me to bee smitten contrary to Lawe therefore thou aunswerest not vnto the person and name of a Iudge but vnder the cloke therof hydest an heart that cannot abide the truth and that thirsteth for bloud Therfore God wil strike thee although there be no man to take vengeance on thee These things I say Paule speaketh according to the office of a Minister and not of any reprochful or slaunderous intente or meaning And it is no doubt but he had a respect vnto the example of Christ who when the Byshops seruant smote him tourned not his other cheeke but earenestly rebuked his stoute and contumelious doing And here in this place we are taught that the pacience which holy Scripture commaundeth is not such a kinde of cowardlinesse as giueth the wicked leaue to do what they lust For although we be commaunded paciently to suffer whatsoeuer God sendeth yet must we not flatter the wicked nor dissemble Gods iudgementes Also here may all they which are in office learne a generall doctrine and rule For that which Paule threatned vnto Ananias chaunced not long after For about the beginning of the Iewes warres he was cruelly slaine by Manaim Captaine of a sort of rebellious Iewes being well worthie of suche a death who feared not himselfe to rebell against God and they shall neuer escape the handes of Gods vengeance which follow him in striuing against God and violently oppressing them that be innocentes or else suffering them to bee oppressed by other The Lorde shall smite them whome the Scriptures euery where teach to be the only and true president and reuenger of al iudgements And although they be able to fray men yet shall they neuer escape the handes of god We haue examples in Pharao Saule Achab and many others of whome prophane hystories make mention But as Paule was declaring these things by and by there starte foorth certaine that rebuke him but there was none that would reprehende the vniust force of Ananias For as tyrants take vpon them to do what they lust so they easily find flatterers to defend their authority against al men Whereby it commeth to passe that where they do al men open iniurie yet no man dare complaine on them A like tyrannie hath the Cleargie vsed many yeares in the Church For where the Monkes and Priests molested al men at their plesure yet were they counted very holie and to haue nicked them but in worde onely was a very dangerous and heinous matter But Paule by a feate Ironie and kinde of scorne reproueth this tyrannous hypocrisie saying I wist not brethren that he was the high priest As though he should say Who would take him for the high Priest in whom he sawe nothing worthie such name and title For if he be the high Priest why heareth he not mens causes quietly and with indifferencie Otherwise I am not ignorant that by Gods lawe no man oughte to cursse the lawful Magistrate Reade Deuter. 22. Exod. 22. Magistrats are taught by this Ironie of Paule that then their authoritie is inuiolable and safe when they do their office and shew themselues to be such as al wise men may iudge worthy of that honour For vnies they promote â–ª the glorie of God refrayne from violence defende good lawes and be an example of honest lyfe the same may be sayde vnto them that Paule in this place obiecteth to Ananias For who will take blasphemers bloudsuckers lawe-breakers drunkardes adulterers gamsters ruffians and such lyke companions for senatours and rulers we knowe verily that God of his iust iudgement sometime ordeyneth such whose misgouernance the godlie in temporall matters most paciently suffer But if the same be not honored as they woulde let them not maruell but acknowlede their fault and amend For in so doyng they shall haue Iesus Christ the king of kinges and Lord of Lordes the defender of their aucthoritie To whom be praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxlviij Homelie WHen Paul perceiued the one part were Saduceis and the other Phariseis he cryed out in the counsel Men and brethren I am a Pharisey the sone of a Pharisey of the hope and resurrection from death I am iudged And when he had so sayde there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis and the Saduceis and the multitude was deuided For the Saduceis sayde there is no resurrection neyther Angell nor spirite But the Phariseis graunt both And there arose a great crye and when the Scribes which were of the Phariseis part arose they stroue saying We fynde no euill in this man though a spirite or
was at this time among the people of the Iewes seeing men durste declare so wicked an enterprise vnto the Priestes and Elders who they knewe vndoubtedly would ioyne with them in their doing Therefore they were all worthy miserably to perishe togyther Which thing let all them looke for like wise which in these dayes labour to gratifie Antichrystes Priestes with sheading of innocent bloud and banishing of the godly And yet howe vayne moste tymes their enterprises are this Hystorie following declareth For a nephew of Paules beeing but a yong strippling yet meete inough to interrupte their deuise chaunceth through the ordinaunce of God to vnderstande their purpose He declareth all the matter vnto Paule who sendeth hym vnto the Captayne and by his diligence and industrie this bloudy attempte as wee shall heare hereafter was quite dashed and defeated Thus God thought good to ratifie his late promise teaching vs all howe easie it is for hym to ouerthrowe the deuises of the wicked For what are wicked enimies able to doo agaynst him which seeth all thing and can arme and set foorth weakenesse agaynst them so he destroyed the wicked tyrannie of Pharao by Moyses that was throwen away in his infancie So he deliuered Sisara and Holoâ—ernes moste skilfull and valiaunt Captaynes to women to be killed So by the wisedome of Daniell beeing but a childe he reproueth the filthy luste of the Elders and Senatours and defendeth the honest and vertuous lyfe of Susanna And here in this place by the meanes of a yong springal he defeateth such a counsell and deuice as seemed scarse possible to be disappoynted by any meanes bycause it was taken in hande by moste desperate men confirmed with the holynesse of an othe or vowe and corroborated with the authoritie of the Priestes and Elders Lyke kinde of examples are in all Hystories By them it behoueth vs to learne the power of God in whom let vs truste and wee shall lesse feare the tyrannie of the wicked and beeing bolde in the quarell of truthe let vs put all our hope and confidence in God onely through Iesus Chryste our Lorde To whome bee blessing honour power and glory for euer and euer Amen The Cl. Homelie AND Paule called one of the vnder Captaynes to him and sayd bring this young man vnto the highe Captayne for he hath a certayne thing to shewe him And he tooke him and brought him vnto the high Captaine and sayde Paule the prisoner called mee vnto him and prayed mee to bring this young man vnto thee which hath a certayne matter to shewe thee The highe Captayne tooke him by the hande and went with him out of the way and asked him what is it that thou haste to tell me And he sayde The Iewes are determined to desire thee that thou wouldest bring foorth Paule to morrowe to the Councell as though they woulde enqâ—â—â—e somewhat of hym more perfectly but followe not thou theyâ— myndes for there lye in wayte for him of them more than fortie men which haue bounde them selues with a vowe that they wyll neyther eate nor drynke tyll they haue kylled hym And nowe are they ready and looke that thou shouldest promyse The vpper Captayne then let the young man departe and charged hym saying See thou tell it out to no man that thou haste shewed thys thing to mee And hee called vnto him two vnder Capitaynes saying Make ready two hundred Souldiours to goe to Caesarea and horsemen threescore and tenne and speare men two hundred at the thirde houre of the nyghte and delyuer them beastes that they may sette Paule on and bryng hym safe vnto Felix the hyghe Deputie ALthough God neuer forsaketh hys electe but according to hys promises is at hande wyth them alwayes and in all places yet hee mixeth many tymes aduersitie wyth prosperitie bycause it is very profitable so to haue them kepte in dooing their duetie and to exercyse their fayth that they may learne to depende onely vppon hym and to ascribe all prosperitie vnto hym alone Many examples heereof are euery where But chiefely in the Hystories of Moyses Dauid and others wherevnto thys example tolde heere of Paule may worthely bee referred For wee haue hearde howe God appeared vnto him beeing greuously and many wayes tempted and effectuously comforted him promising hym that he shoulde not onely escape the handes of the Iewes but also shoulde beare witnesse of hym at Rome But lo or euer it was scarse day forty men conspire hys death and taking the Priestes and Elders to counsell with them so deuise the matter that it seemeth impossible for him to escape This appeared vtterly to be contrary to the promise of God yet bicause Paule is not ignoraunt of Gods vsage and custome he is neyther feared with the mention of sodayne daunger nor God fayleth not of hys promises yea where he least hoped for it God sendeth hym ayde and assistaunce as wee shall nowe see The vse of all these things is that wee should confirme our fayth heereby and not caste off our hope when wee see the successe of thynges not agreable vnto Gods promises For although the Lorde linger and tarry yet can he not forget vs continually But that we may receiue the more vtilitie hereby we muste diligently consider euery person First of all commeth Paule foorthe who althoughe he were confirmed wyth the Oracle yet hee boasteth not foolishely of Gods promyse and prouidence and setteth not all daungers lyghte but prudently taketh holde of that one meane that remayned in man and which hee myghte safely vse wythout breache of Relygion and Christian faythe hauing a care how to make the Captayne vnderstande all the matter by his Nephew that he beeing admonished of his duetie might conuey him from the bloudy handes of these conspiratours And bycause the matter might seeme of more importance and not bee suspected by reason of the age of the strippling he ioyneth a Centurion with him to be his spokesman intercessor By which example we are first taught howe we should vse the prouidence and promises of God in aduersitie For we muste not doubte but God by his eternal prouidence and counsell ruleth al things and the same can be stopped or hindred by no endeuour of any enimies For he vseth to scatter the counsell of Nations but his counsell as Dauid sayth endureth for euer Agayne he promiseth to bee with his people and to assiste them in all aduersities whose promises wee muste assuredly beleeue In the meane season the remedies and meanes which both are lawefull of them selfe and offered of God muste by no meanes bee despised or neglected least by putting our selues ouer rashely in daunger wee seeme to tempt god For the same muste be obserued in al our dooings that is vsed intillage and husbandrie For although all the encrease thereof commeth of God yet no man ought to neglecte husbandry without the great contempt of god Thus we read Dauid vsed somtimes to flie and somtimes other meanes which God
and false Prophet Who can saye that God had any care of this man whome he suffreth to be seduced with so many and diuers errours But that faythfull shepehearde Christ seeketh his lost sheepe in the mountaynes and valleyes yea and in the sea also and will not suffer them to be taken out of his hande This place therefore teacheth vs that we must not despaire to hastilye of any man except he manifestly proue himselfe to be of the number of the reprobate Moreouer Luke declareth in this Sergius the example of a good and a godly magistrate For both he is very desirous to learne the truth and also he ouerhastilye condemneth not the Ministers of a doctrine not heard before but calling them before him giueth them libertie freely to declare their doctrine The Princes of our dayes shoulde doe well to imitate this man whereof manye of them condemne the doctrine of truth before they knowe it and vse cruelly to punishe them whose fayth and religion they are vtterly ignoraunt of But let them remember they shall not be excused through ignorance considering it is their parts to do nothing of ignorance but diligently to search out and examine all causes These things being thus premised let vs nowe marke howe the contention beginneth where it plainly appeareth that the Apostles were the beginners hereof For where Sergius the Proconsull had sent for them to learne of them the worde of God it is like that they made no tariance but with all speede hasted to set forth the kingdome of god And here streyghtway commeth forth this Magitian and withstandeth them as they preach the worde For he quickly sawe that there was like to be no longer abiding for him with the Proconsull if he were once lightned with the knowledge of truth And although Luke declareth not after what sort he resisted the Apostles yet bicause he was a false Prophete and sorcerer it maye be easily gathered that he left no wayes vnassayde which might seeme to oppresse the truth And this Contender is diligentlye to be considered that by him we may learne to knowe all false Prophetes And fyrst marke his prowde name whereby he challengeth to himselfe a certaine Godheade For being called after his right name Elymas he woulde in the Syrian tongue be called Bariesu that is to saye the sonne of the Sauiour whereby we coniecture that he presumed to promise saluation to them that woulde follow his teaching He is therefore of the number of those that Christ prophecied shoulde come and challenge to them the maiestie of his name But it is the propertie of false Prophetes that if themselues vsurpe not the name of God yet they will haue their doctrine called after his name that vnder this pretence they might the easlyer beguile the simple Thus Zedechias speaking before Achab of the victorie that he shoulde get against the Syrians vseth that common beginning of the Prophetes Thus sayth the Lorde The same may we see in diuers others Yea there was yet neuer false Prophete but he went about to get him authoritie by colour of Gods name Moreouer this he doth according to the vsage of all false Prophetes he getteth him the friendship and familiaritie of the Proconsull and cleaueth fast vnto him as a most neare companion For deceyuers vse to get them the friendship of great estates both for that when they haue gotte them on their sides other by their example are the easlyer allured and also to purchase themselfe safetie by their authoritie For where they knowe they are destitute of the ayde of truth they must needes seeke for the arme and power of man whereby to defende themselfe So Baalam in time past notwithstanding he was admonished to the contrary by Oracle went about to get the friendship of Balac king of the Moaâ—ites And it is manifest that the Romaine Antichristes haue clymed to such power as they haue being ayded with the amitie and armor of Princes yea the deceyuers and hooded Iuglers are so neare and at hande about Princes that they can scarce let a fart but they must know it And this is the cause that such teachers frame their doctrine according to the delicate eares of their hearers least they shoulde offende them vpon whome they wholy depende This was Elymas onely scope and ende to turne the Proconsull from the fayth that he shoulde not beleeue that that Paule sayde And as all the Ministers of true doctrine consent herein to winne menne vnto God by fayth in Christ so all deceyuers agree herein to ouerthrowe the faith in Christ which being ouerthrowne the kingdome of God can take no place among menne For Satan knoweth that his force is most weakened by true fayth wherof there are examples euerywhere in the Euangelistes But let vs see howe Paule confuted this wicked enchaunter First Luke sayth he was full of the holy ghost wherby he meaneth that he was moued by the spirite somewhat aboue his ordinarie wont which thing he therfore declareth aforehande that we might thinke he did nothing of fleshly affection when we shall heare his heauy and intollerable weyght of wordes In the meane season we are admonished to fyght against the enimies of truth not with the blinde affection of fleshe but by the conduct and counsayle of the holy ghost whome vndoubtedly they shall fynde to bee their enimye be they neuer so well garded with worldly power Then he goeth on in his businesse fyxing his eies fast vpon Elymas which is an argument of a well meaning and vnfearefull minde And verily it becommeth vs boldly and constantly to resist Antichristians that they maye thinke men feare them not For why shoulde we feare them seeing he is greater that is on our side Why also shoulde they be the more encouraged through our cowardlynesse who already are turmoyled with the terrours of their naughtie conscience Thirdly he painteth him out egregiously in his colours and ioyneth a speciall weight and poyse vnto euery worde First ô full of all deceytfulnesse sayth he He accuseth him therefore of subtiltie and craft as one that sought praise and authoritie by sorcery and enchauntment Secondly he vpbraydeth him with naughtynesse of minde being readye to commit whatsoeuer wickednesse it were For what is more naughtye and wicked than vnder colour of Gods holy name to beguile men which is the chiefe commendation of false Prophetes and sorcerers For by this meanes they sette God at sixe and seauen as they saye who threatneth that he will not let the prophanation of his name go vnreuenged Thirdly he calleth him the chylde of the deuill to declare his impudencie who presumed to call himselfe the sonne of the Sauiour For that he was a childe of the Deuils both his insolent pride of minde and earnest studie of naughtinesse did abundantly declare Fourthly he calleth him the enimy of all righteousnesse and that well worthy forasmuch as he was Christes aduersarie without whome can be founde no righteousnesse that
is before God acceptable Fifthly thou ceasest not sayth he to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde In the which wordes he comprehendeth two most heinous offences incurable maliciousnesse and earnest desire to peruert the worde of the Lorde For his worde is simple and pure and sheweth vnto vs a most playne waye of saluation But through the naughtinesse of manne it seemeth vncertaine and full of perplexitie Last of all he thundreth against him the heauy sentence of punishment And nowe beholde the hande of the Lorde is vppon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see for a season Where yet among the terrible thunder crackes of Gods threates we see there is hope of saluation left if he will repent and turne vnto the lord For God so vseth to reueale his wrath by his worde that yet he will not haue them swallowed vppe of despaire whome he will haue saued The chiefe vse of this place is that we learne what the faythfull Ministers of Christes Church haue to doe in these dayes where many Elymae are buzeing in the eares of Kings and Princes to bring them from the fayth that they may at their pleasure oppresse the ruder sort and the Comminaltie For we can iudge the Monkes and Priests none other which deceytfully sell their trifles vnder color of Gods holy name and like the presumpteous Gyauntes arrogate to themselues power vpon heauen who of set purpose striue against the righteousnesse of Christ and the faith that maketh righteous who impudently set light the authoritie of Gods word and corrupt the same with the traditions of men who make the most plaine way of saluation most intricate and vnfyndable with their infynite mazes of Monkish vowes of orders of rules of merites of bulles of pardons and of cases reserued who fynally not herewith content procure Princes to committe slaughter and murther and to shedde innocent bloude These must be accused with like boldenesse and libertie that men maye learne to beware of them which hitherto haue beguiled them with their stagelike maiestie Neyther lette vs giue eare vnto them which in this case prescribe vs rules of modestie and charitie forasmuch as it is euident that many of them be incurable and are bent onely to defende their vsurped tyrannie be it right or be it wrong Nowe remayneth the ende and successe of this contention heauy for Elymas the deceyuer but most ioyfull for Sergius the Proconsull For on Elymas falleth by and by the punishment pronounced by Paule and being striken blinde he gropeth for one to leade him by the hande The like we saw fall out before to Ananias and Sapphira whereby it behoueth vs to learne the power of Gods word The chiefe thing to be marked in this place is what remayneth for false teachers and deceyuers which dare to withstande the worde of God eyther for vauntage or honour They are made blinde for the most part if not in body yet it minde and the Lorde of his iust iudgement hath giuen them vp into a reprobate sense so that they are neyther able to embrace the truth nor yet to forsake and auoide manifest and knowne errours Furthermore being in Gods iudgement defamed they lose the strength and ayde of fleshe wherein they so much trusted So is fulfylled that that is written in Zachary 11. chap. ô Idols shepehearde that leaueth the flocke The sworde shall come vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be sore blinded And there want not examples of this iudgement in our dayes but we want eyes to behold them And these our Elymae are so much the more miserable that being blinde yet they thinke still they see and seeke for none to leade them but contemptuously disdaine those which God offereth them Furthermore as this contention came to passe vnprosperouslye for Elymas so great profyte came thereby vnto the Proconsull whome the Lorde by this meanes deliuered out of darkenesse For he seeing the iudgement of God beleeued and beganne to make much of Christes doctrine This is the peculiar propertie of Gods children that they acknowledge the iudgementes of God are amended by others example where the euill and deceyuers waxe worse and worse But in all this storie this thing is most comfortable that we see the truth can be vanquished neyther with open force of Tyrants nor subtile conueyance of the Deuill For being pressed and borne downe it riseth againe and by striuing gathereth the more strength Therefore let vs embrace the truth and constantly stande by the author and defender thereof Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxviij. Homelie WHEN Paule departed from Paphos they that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem But they wandred through the countries and came from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Sinagoge on the Sabboth daye and sate downe And after the lecture of the lawe and the Prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any sermon to exhort the people say on THere appeare many and notable tokens of diuine power and maiestie in the workes of Iesus Christ but among them al this is the most notable and euident that by the ministerie of the Apostles within few yeres he subdued all the world For where it is manifest that they were furnished with no fleshlye succors but were the least esteemed of all men and yet brought to passe things of such importance we must needes acknowledge that Gods power wrought by them whereby it came to passe that the worlde was brought to a newe countenance and the Gentyles deliuered from the errors of their olde superstition and receyued the true religion This is the chiefe thing that we haue to consider in this present voyage of Paule and Barnabas For these two being sent forth by the appoyntment of God to preach the Gospell indifferently to all Nations they prosperously passe through all impedimentes standing in their waye And fyrst cōming to Cyprus they subdue vnto the kingdome of Christ the inhabiters of a most rich Islande giuen to all riotousnesse and worshipping of Venus and they doe not onely winne vnto them the common people but Sergius also the Romaine Proconsull whose authoritie onely had bene ynough to haue resisted them if it had bene mans affayres only they had gone about and they leade about Elymas the sorcerer a chosen instrument of the Deuill and striken with horrible blindenesse in triumph so that in one conflict it appeareth mannes force and the Deuils sleightes were ouercommen both togither Nowe let vs see howe such a prosperous beginning gaue a good occasion to the Apostles farther to spreade the kingdome of Christ. Hauing gone through Cyprus they passe from Paphus into Pamphilia and came vnto Perga a Citie of that Region making a great voyage both by sea