bee able to doe all Therefore to his goodwill to vs ward which in these woords Our father wée haue expressed wee do now ioyne knowledge of all thinges and power to do althings adding Which art in heauen By these wordes the faith of them that pray is stirred vpp and confirmed Nowe there doe followe in order sixe petitions The first is Hallowed be thy name Wée haue called God our father and our selues his sonnes But it is the part of sonnes to honour or glorifie their father and therefore immediatly vppon the beginning we desire that the name of the Lord God and our father might be sanctified or hallowed That truely is holy and vndefiled alwayes in it selfe neither is it made any whitt the better or the worse by vs Wherevppon we pray that that which is and remaineth holy in it selfe should be acknowledged of vs to bee such and alwayes sanctified of vs. A name is the definition of any thing whatsoeuer and names are inuented to make a difference of one thinge from another whereby they mighte bée knowen amonge themselues But GOD is infinite and vnmeasurable moreouer hee is one therefore hée hath not a name whereby to bee defined hee néedeth not a name whereby to be discerned from other Gods. Therefore those names that are attributed vnto him in the Scriptures are attributed for our infirmitie to the end that by some reason and comparison wee mighte vnderstand somethinges that are spoken of him that is vnmeasurable and infinite Therefore the name of GOD in verye deede is GOD him selfe with all his Maiestie and glorie To Sanctifie or Hallowe otherwhiles signifieth to separate thinges from a prophane vnto an holy vse In this place it signifieth to magnifie to praise and to glorifie Wée desire therefore that GOD himselfe who of his owne nature is a good holie and for euer blessed gentle bountifull and a mercifull father might as hée is in himselfe bee acknowledged and magnified of all vs that all nations leauing their errour and heresies mighte consecrate them selues in trueth to this one onely father and God that all thinges which defile the name of the Lord of whiche sort are wicked deceiptes or practises vngodlinesse Epicurisme an vncleane life and especially corrupte and antichristian doctrine may bee taken awaye that béeing inlightened wee mighte sanctifie or hallowe the name of the Lord. Wherefore in this petition we desire the holy ghost the verie onely authour it selfe of all true sanctification Wée pray for true faith in GOD by Christ thoroughout the whole world Wée pray for holy thoughtes and a pure life wherewith wée might glorifie the name of the Lord whiche is done while euerie one doeth his owne duetie while Sathan the authour of al vncleannesse is cast out while corrupt doctrine is taken awaye and deceipt ceasseth while the filthinesse of the world is banished This petition the most excellent king and Prophete Dauid setteth forth in these wordes GOD be mercifull vnto vs blesse vs shewe vs the light of his countenaunce and bee mercifull vnto vs that thy way may be knowen vppon earth thy sauing health amonge all nations Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee And as followeth in the thréescore and seuenth Psal. To this belongeth the whole prayer of oure Sauiour described by S. Iohn in the 17. Chapiter of his Gospel The second petition is Thy kingdome come For the name of God and our father cannot bee sanctified or hallowed vnlesse hee reigne in vs There is one kingdome of GOD another of the diuel Furthermore one kingdome of God is said to bee of glorie and another rightly of grace The kingdome of glorie is not of this world but of another world The kingdome of Grace is the kingdome of Christe in this world wherein Christ reigneth by the holy spirite in his faithfull ones whiche of their owne accord submit themselues vnto him to bee gouerned saying and doeing those thinges which beautifie and beséeme christians The diuell also reigneth in the children of vnbeléefe which yeeld themselues vnto him to be gouerned according to his vngodlinesse and wickednesse doeinge those thinges which are not onely delightfull to the flesh but whiche turne to the reproch of Gods maiestie whom after this life by the iust iudgement of God the diuel the king of the vngodly catcheth vnto hell into the kingdome of death and iudgement there continually to burne Moreouer the earthly kingdome which princes of this world gouerne is called either the kingdome of God or the kingdome of the diuell euen as it shall fashion frame it selfe to one of the twaine All these things wée do knit vpp in fewe words because wée haue more plentifully entreated of them in another place Wherefore we pray in this second petition that Christe might reigne and liue in vs and wée in him that the kingdome of Christ might be spread abroad and inlarged and preuaile thoroughe the whole world that Doctours or teachers and ecclesiasticall magistrates finally that princes also yea and scholes too and whosoeuer may further the kingdome of Christe béeing annoynted and watered with his graces may flourish ouercome and triumphe furthermore we pray that the kingdome of the diuel and antichriste maye bée broken and vanquished least it hurte and annoye the Sainctes that with with the kingdome of the diuell all vngodlinesse may be dasht and troden vnder foote to be short that all the weapons and armour of Antichristianisme may be broken into shiuers and come to naught Lastly we pray in this second petition that after we haue sayled out of the tempestuous gulfe of this worlde we might be receiued and gathered vnto Christ and all the Saintes into the euerlasting kingdome of glory For as we desire the kingdome of God to come vnto vs and God to reigne in vs so we praye to come or to be receiued into his kingdome and to liue for euer with him most holily The thirde petition is Thy will be done as wel in earth as it is in heauen God reigneth not in vs vnlesse we be obedient vnto him therefore after his kingdome we desire the grace of perfect obedience For we desire not that God do what he will. For continually Gods will is done albeit we neuer pray for it and though we wrestle and striue against it with all our might For the Prophet sayth Our God is in heauen he hath done whatsoeuer pleased him in heauen and in earth We aske therefore that what he will the same he maye make vs both to will and to do For his wil is alwayes good but our wil through the corruption of sinne is euill Therefore we pray him to be present with vs with his grace that our will may be regenerated and framed to the good wil of God that of it own accorde it yealde it selfe to the holie Ghoste to be framed that his grace will that which he inspireth that he finish in vs that which
weales or CongregatioÌ„s yea and that more is the most flourishing Kingdomes in all the world vnder their authoritie All the wysemen in the whole worlde I meane â—hose whiche liued in his time did reuerence Solomon a King and so great a Prophet and came vnto him from the very vtmoste endes of the worlde Daniel also had the preeminence among the wisemen at Babilon being then the moste renoumed Monarchie in all the worlde He was moreouer in great estimation with Darius Medus the Sonne of Astyages or Assuerus and also with Cyrus that moste excellent king And here it lyketh me well to speake somewhat of that diuine foreknowledge in our Prophets and moste assured foreshewing of things which were to come after many yeares passed And now to say nothing of others did not Esaias most truly foretell those things which were afterward fulfilled by the Iewes in our Lord Christ Not in vaine did he séeme to them of olde time to be rather an Euangelist then a Prophete foretelling thinges to come He did openly tel the name of king Cyrus one hundred and thréescore yeares at the least before that Cyrus was borne Daniel also was called of them in the olde time by the name of one whiche knewe muche For he did foretell those things whiche are and haue béen done in al the kingdomes of the world almost and among the people of God from his owne time vntil the time of Christ and further vntill the last day of Iudgement so plainely that hee may séeme to haue compiled an hystorie of those thinges whiche then were already gone and past Al these things I say doe very euidently proue that the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes are the very word of God with whiche name and title they are set fooâ—the in sundrie places of the Scriptures Verily Peter the Apostle saithe The prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghoste And although God did largely clearly plainely and simply reueale his woâ—d to the world by the Patriarchs by Mâ—ses by the Priestes and Prophetes yet did he in the laste times of all by his Sonne set it forth moste clearely simply and aboundantly to al the worlde For the very and onely begotten Sonne of God the father as the Prophetes had foretolde descending from Heauen doth fulfill al what soeuer they foretolde and by the space almoste of thrée yeares dothe teach all pointes of Godlinesse For saith Iohn No man at any time hath seene God the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hathe declared him The Lord himselfe moreouer saith to his Disciples Al things which I haue herd of my Father haue I made knowne to you And again he saith I am the light of the world whosoeuer doth followe me doth not walke in darkenes but shall haue the light of life Our Lord also did teache that to him whiche would enter into Heauen and be saued the heauenly regeneration was néedeful bicause in the first byrth man is borne to death in the second to life But that that regeneration is made perfect in vs by the spirit of God whiche instrueteth our hartes in faith I say in faith in Christ who died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification He taught that by that faith they whiche beleeue are iustified that out of the same faith doe growe sundrie fruites of charitie and innocencie to the bringing foorthe wherof he did most earnestly exhorte them He taught furthermore that he was the fulfilling or fulnes of the law and the Prophets and did also approue and expound the doctrine of Moses and the Prophetes To doctrine he ioyned diuerse miracles and benefites wherby he declared that he him selfe was that light of the world and the mightie bountifull redéemer of the world And to the intent that his doctrine and benefites might be knowne to all the worlde he chose to himselfe witnesses whome he called Apostles bicause he purposed to sende them to Preache throughout the world Those witnesses were simple men innocentes iust tellers of trueth without deceipt or subtilties and in all pointes holy and good whose names it is very profitable often to repeate in the Congregation The names of the Apostles are these Peter and Andrewe Iames and Iohn Philippe and Bartholomevve Thomas Mathevv Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe Iudas his brother vvhose surname vvas Thaddaeus Simon and Iudas Iscariot into whose roome because he had betraied the Lord came Saint Matthias These had he by the space almoste of thrée yeares hearers of his heauenly doctrine and beholders of his diuine workes These after his ascension in to the Heauens did he by the holy ghost send downe from Heauen instruct with all kinde of faculties For as they were in the Scriptures passing skilful so were they not vnskilfull or wanting eloquence in any tongue And being once after this manner instructed they depart out of the Citie of Ierusalem and passe through the compasse of the earthe preaching to all people and Nations that which they had receiued to preach of the sauiour of the world the Lord Iesus Christ And when for certaine yeares they had preached by woord of mouth then did they also set downe in writing that whiche they had preached For some verily writ an hystorie of the words and deeds of Christ and some of the wordes and déedes of the Apostles Other some sent sondrie Epistles to diuers Nations In all which to confirme the trueth they vse the Scripture of the lawe and the Prophetes euen as we reade that the Lorde oftentimes did Moreouer to the twelue Apostles are ioyned two greate lightes of the world Iohn Baptiste then whom there was neuer any more holy borne of women and the chosen vessel Paule the greate teacher of the Gentiles Neither is it to be merueiled at that the forerunner and Apostles of Christ had always very great dignity and authoritie in the Churche For euen as they were the embassadours of the eternall King of all ages and of the whole worlde so being indued with the spirit of God they did nothing according to the iudgement of theyr owne mindes And the Lord by theyr ministerie wrought great myracles thereby to garnishe the ministerie of them and to commend their doctrine vnto vs And what may be thought of that moreouer that by that woorde of God they did conuert the whole world gathering together laying the foundations of notable Churches through out the compasse of the world which verely by mans counsell and wordes they had neuer béene able to haue brought to passe To this is further added that they whiche once leaned to this doctrine as a doctrine giuing life did not refuse to die Besides that how many soeuer had their beliefe in the doctrine of the Gospell they were not afraide through water fire swordes to cutte of this life and
Prince For sayth Dauid The Lorde saide to my Lorde sitte thou at my righte hande till I make thine enimies thy footestoole And the Prophete Zacharie sayth Beholde the man that is called the braunche hee shal budde oute of his place and build the Temple of the Lorde and sitte and rule vppon his Throne and be a prieste vppon his seate In this sense the right hand of God is infinite and conteined in no measure of place wheras wée confesse that our Lorde doth sitte at the righte hande of the father wee doe professe that the sonne is exalted aboue all thinges hauinge all thinges subiecte vnder himselfe as Paule in his first Chapter to the Ephesians sayth and finallye that the sonne being so exalted cā do al thinge doth reigne in the vniuersall Church doth deliuer them that are his doth make intercession to the father in heauē and in the power of his Godheade is present in all places For therfore did the Créede adde almightinesse to this setting of his where it is sayde He sitteth at the right hande of the father almightie And in Saint Mathew the Lorde sayth To me is giuen al might in heauen and in earth goe therefore and bring all nations vnto me So then I suppose that briefly thus I haue well declared what manner of place heauen is to wit a place of quietnesse ioye and euerlasting felicitie wherin the sonne of God doth sit doth dwell and is in his humanitie as we also that are the members of Christe shal be in the very same place without all dolour and griefe in ioye for euermore And although our Lorde be deliuered from all grieuous businesse yet we meane not that he sitteth idlely leaning on his elbowes For he is a King a Prieste and very God in the very temple of God he can not choose therefore of his natural propertie and office but work saluation in the elect and do all things that lye God a king and Prieste in hande to doe So then nowe we all knowe what our Lorde doth as he sitteth in heauen Neither is it any trouble to him at all to do and worke that which he doth for he worketh not of compulsion but naturally and of his owne accord Thus and no otherwise did the ancient interpreters of the holy Scriptures handle this Article of our belief Some of whose testimonies I will here alledge Saint Hierome in his exposition of Paules first Chapter to the Ephesians sayth He hath declared the power of God by the similitude of a man not bycause a seate is placed and God the father sitteth ther on hauing his sonne sitting ther with him but bycause we can not otherwise conceiue howe the sonne dothe iudge and reigne but by such wordes applyed to our capacitie As therfore to be next to God or to depart farre from him is not to be vnderstood according to the distance of places but after mens merites bycause the Saints are heard by him but the sinners of whome the Prophete sayth Beholde they that get them selues from thee shal perish are remoued farre inough for comming neare him at all Euen so likewise to be eyther at the right or lefte hande of God is to be taken so that the Saints are at his right hand sinners at his left As our Sauioure him selfe also in the Gospel affirming the same dothe say that at the right hande are the sheepe and the goates at the left Moreouer this very word to Sit dothe argue the power of a kingdome by which God is beneficiall to them on whom he doth vouchsafe to sit in so much as verily he doth rule them and hath them alwayes in his guiding and dothe turne to his owne becke or gouernment the necks of them that before ranne out of the way at randon and at libertie Saint Augustine in his booke De Fide et Symbolo sayth We beleeue that he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father Yet not so therefore as though we shoulde thinke that God the Father is comprehended within the limites of a mans bodye so that they that thinke of him shoulde imagine that he hath bothe a right and a left side And whereas it is sayde that the Father sitteth we muste not suppose that he doth sitte with bended hammes leaste peraduenture we fall into the same sacrilege for whiche the Apostle accurseth them that haue chaunged the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man For a detestable thing it is to place God in suche a likenesse in a Christian Churche and muche more wicked is it to place it in the heart where the temple of God is verily and in deede if it be cleansed from earthly desires and errour We must therfore vnderstand that at the right hande is as muche to say as in greatest happinesse where righteousnesse and peace and gladnesse is euē as also the Goates are placed at the lefte hande that is in miserie for their iniquities to their peine and torment Whereas God therefore is sayde to sit thereby is not ment the placing of his limms but his iudiciall power whiche his maiestie neuer wanteth in bestowing worthy rewardes on those that are worthy of them And so foorth The blessed Bishop Fulgentius in his seconde Booke to King Trasimundus sayth The Lorde to shewe that his humanitie is locall sayeth to his Disciples I ascende to my father and to your father my God and your god And by and by after declaring the in comprehensibilitie of his Godhead he sayth to his Disciples Behold I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the wold The blessed Martyr and Bishop of Trent Vigilius in his first booke against heresies sayth This was to go to the Father and to depart from vs to take away out of this world the nature whiche he tooke of vs Thou seest therefore that it was proper to the same nature to be taken away and to departe from vs according to the wordes of the Angels whiche sayde This Iesus who is taken vp from you shall come againe euen as ye see him goe into heauen For see the myracle See the mysterie of both his properties The Sonne of God in his humanitie is departed from vs according to his diuinitie he saith to vs Beholde I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If he be with vs howe sayth he The time shall come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the sonne of man and ye shal not see it But both he is with vs and not with vs Bycause them whome he hath left and departed from in his Godhead he hath not lefte nor forsaken in his manhoode This sayth he The seuenth Article of our faith is this From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade In the former Articles there is set foorth and confessed the diuine goodnesse bountifulnesse and grace in Christe nowe also shall be declared the diuine iustice
aboue the heauens But what is he that can portraye a spirite in any Image or substaunce God is an incomprehensible power quickening and preseruing all and euery thing But Dauid describing Images sayth The Idoles of the heathen are siluer and golde the workes of mens handes They haue eares and heare not noses haue they and smell not They haue hands and handle not feete haue they and walke not neyther is there any voyce in the throate of them Wherefore if these be compared to God how like I beseeche you are they vnto him To goe about therefore to expresse God in any visible likenesse is the nexte way to dishonour God and to bring him into contempt Gods eye beholdeth all thinges Idoles sée nothing Gods eares heare all things Idoles heare nothing By God all things liue moue and are preserued the Idoles them selues neyther liue nor moue and vnlesse they be vphelde by the men that make theÌ„ they fall and are dasht in péeces An Idole breatheth not GOD giueth to other a breathing spirite Howe then and wherein are these twaine alike In substance or in shape If ye say in substaunce I aunswere is God then of golde of siluer or of wood If in shape myne aunswere is hath the inuisible power of God then put on visible and mortall members Howe greatly therefore did the Anthropomorphites offende herein If then there be no similitude of God howe commeth it to passe I beséeche you that Images and Idoles be called the likenesse and pictures of God Among vs he that calleth another an Idole or an Image doth séeme to haue spoken it too too despightfully in reproche of the other For we know that Idoles are counterfaites of men and not men in déede and therefore doe we call him an Image that is a sotte a foole a dolte an idiote and one that hath no wit nor knoweth any more then he heareth of other Why then henceforwarde should we any more call Images the likenesses of God God is lyuing Images are monumentes of deade men as Solomon the authour of the booke of Wisdome sayth God is glorious and heauen and earth are full of the glory of his maiestie but Idoles are without all glory and subiect to the scoffes and mockes of men Images are tokens of absent friendes But God is present alwayes and euery where And the signes or tokens which God did of olde ordeine and giue to his people were not simply the signes and Images of God but tokens of Gods presence signifying that God who by nature is a spirite and inuisible incomprehensible and vnmeasurable is present still among them Such a token was the cloude the smoake the fire and finally the very Arke of the couenaunt which also the Cherubim did couer with their winges signifying thereby that no mortall man coulde looke God in the face and that therefore the soule and the minde and spirite ought by contemplation to be lifted vp into heauen there to behold him For to Moses who notwithstanding is sayde to haue séene God face to face it was sayd No man shall see me liue When once we are deceassed then shall we sée him as he is according to the sayings of the blessed Euangelist Iohn So then these I say are the causes why the Lorde will not haue him self represented or portrayed in any mattier or likenesse Herevnto now doe appertaine the places of Scripture and testimonies of the men that are the chiefest pillers of true religion and godlinesse of Moses Esay and Paule Moses in Deut. sayth The Lorde spake vnto you from the middest of the fire and a voyce of wordes ye hearde but likenesse saw ye none but heard the voice only Take good heede therefore vnto yourselues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in that day least ye marre your selues by making you a grauen image the likenesse of any manner of figure whether it be the picture of man or woman the likenesse of any manner of beaste that is on the earth or the lykenesse of any manner of feathered foule that flyeth in the ayre or the likenesse of any manner of worme that creepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any manner of fishe that is in the waters beneath the earth Yea and leaste thou lifte vp thine eies vnto heauen and wheÌ„ thou seest the Sunne the Moone and the Starres with all the hoast of heauen thou shouldest beginne to worship them and reuerence them and shouldest worship and serue the thinges which the Lorde thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen Take heede therefore that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he hath made with you and that ye make you no grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that the Lorde thy God hath forbidden thee This hath Moses thus farre Esaias also in his fourtie Chapter sayth Beholde all people to wit compared to God are in comparison of him as a droppe of a bucketfull and are counted as a little dust sticking on the balance and weying nothing at all Yea the Isles are to him as a very little thing Libanus is not sufficient to minister fire to his offering and all the beastes thereof are not inoughe for one sacrifice All people in comparison of God are reckoned as nothing in respect of him they are lesse then nothing and as that that is not To whome then wil ye liken God or what similitude will ye set vp to him Shall the Caruer make him an Image and shall the Goldsmyth couer it with golde or caste it into a fourme of siluer plates Moreouer shall the poore man that he may haue somewhat to set vp choose a tree that is not â—otten and seeke out a cunning woorkeman to carue there out an Image that moueth not Know ye not this heard ye neuer of it And again It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the worlde whose inhabitours are in comparison of him but as Grashoppers It is hee that spreadeth out the heauens like a curtaine hee stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in It is he that bringeth princes to nothing and maketh the iudges of the earth as though they were not To whome nowe will yee liken mee and to whome shall I be like sayth the holy one Lift vp your eyes on high and consider who hath made those things whiche come out by so great heapes and he calleth them all by their names And so foorth Thus much out of Esaias Moreouer Paule the Apostle of Christ disputing at Athens of true religioÌ„ saith God that made the world and all that therein is seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with handes neyther is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing since he himself giueth life and breath to al and euery where and hath made of one bloud all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath
Father and the Sonne and name them the Trinitie teach that the man whiche God the Word tooke vppon him is to be accompted perfecte man not in body onely but in soule also euen as the auncient doctours of the Church did also thinck But forbeecause the question about Ousia and Hypostasis did trouble the Churches that there were sundrie contentions disputations concerning the differēce betwixt them they seeme to me to haue determined very wisely that those names should not at the first presently bee vsed in questions of GOD vnlesse it were that when a man wente about to beate downe the opinion of Sabellius hee were compelled to vse them least by lacke of words he should seeme to call one the same by three names when hee should vnderstand euery one peculiarly in that threefold distinction Socrates in the 7. Chap. and thirde booke of his historie addeth But they did not bring into the Church a certeine newe religion deuised of themselues but that whiche frō the beginning euen till then the Ecclesiasticall tradition taught and prudent Christians did euidently set foorth And so foorth Therefore awaye with the Popes champions to the place whereof they are worthie which when wee teach y all pointes of true godlinesse and saluation are fully conteyned and taught in the Canonicall Scriptures by the way of obiection do demaund in what place of the Scripture we find the names of Trinitie Person Essence and Substance and finally where we find that Christe hath a reasonable soule For although those very words consisting in those syllables are not to bée found in the Canonicall bookes which were by the Prophets and Apostles written in an other and not in the latine tongue yet the thinges the matter or substaunce which those woords doe signifie are most manifestly conteined and taught in those books whiche thinges likewise all and euery nation may in their language expresse for their commoditie and necessitie speake and pronounce them Away also with all Sophisters which thinke it a great point of learning to make the reuerend mysterie of the sacred Trinitie darcke and intricate with their straunge their curious and pernicious questions It is sufficient for the godly simplie according to the Scriptures and the Apostles créed to beléeue and confesse that there is one diuine nature or Essence wherin are the father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste Neither is it greatly materiall whether ye call them substances or subsistences or persons so that ye do plainly expresse the distinctiō betwixt them and eche ones seueral properties confessing so the Vnitie that yet ye confound not the Trinitie nor spoile the persons of their properties And héere now it will do verie wel out of the Scriptures to cite such euident testimonies as maye euidently proue the mysterie of the Trinitie with the distinction and seuerall properties of the thrée persons The Lord in the Gospel after S. Matthew saith All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth goe ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Tertullian alledging those wordes against Praxea sayth He did last of all commaund his disciples to baptise into the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost We are baptised not into one nor once but thrice at euery name into euery seuerall person Thus much Tertullian Nowe as euery seuerall person is seuerally expressed so the diuinitie of them all is therein singularely taught to be one and common to them all because hee biddeth to baptise not onely into the name of the Father but also of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste The Apostle and elected vessell Paule doeth flatly denie that any man either ought to be or euer was baptised into the name of any man whiche is nothing else but méere man Were ye sayeth hée baptised in the name of Paule So then the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is GOD into whose name wée are baptised The same Lord in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayeth When the comforter commeth whome I will sende vnto you from the father that is the spirite of trueth he will lead you into all trueth He shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All things that the father hath are mine therefore said I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest mention made of the person of the father from whome the spirite is sente of the person of the Sonne whiche sendeth him and of the person of the holy Spirit which commeth vnto vs Thou hearest also of the mutual and equall communion of the Diuinitie and all good thinges betwixte the thrée persons For the holy Ghost speaketh not of himselfe but that which he heareth He shall sayeth the Sonne take of mine And againe All things that the father hath are mine And therfore what things the Sonne hath those are the fathers the diuinitie glorie and Maiestie of them all is coequall With these most euident speaches doe these two manifest testimonies of Iohn Baptist agrée First he sayth He whom God hath sent doth speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him The Father loueth the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. Loe héere againe in the one Godhead thou hearest the three persons distinguished by their properties For the Father loueth sendeth the Sonne and giueth all things into his hand The Sonne is sent and receiueth all thinges but the holy Ghost is giuen of the Father and receiued of the sonne according to fullnesse Then againe the same Baptist crieth the second time and sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a Doue and it abode vppon him And I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto mee vppon whom soeuer thou shalt see the Spirite descending and tarying still vppon him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and bare record that this is the Sonne of GOD. Héere againe are shewed vnto vs as clearely as the day-light the thrée persons distinguished not confounded For he that sendeth Iohn is the Father The holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but appeareth vpon the head of Christ in the likenes of a doue And the Sonne is the sonne not the Father and that too the sonne of the Father vpon whose head the holy Ghost did abide And now to this place doth belonge the testimonie of the Father vttered from heauen vppon his Sonne Christ For he sayeth This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am wel
yet able to confesse beléeuers bycause he reputeth them of his grace for beléeuers Neyther is this any wonder or strange thing since god yea to them that are of perfect age imputeth faith for righteousnesse For in all points righteousnesse acceptation or sanctification is frée and imputatiue that the glory of his grace might be praysed Furthermore his will is that little ones should not be despised muche lesse to be cast out among the number of the Saintes Yea he doth affirme that Angels are giuen vnto them to bée their kéepers who though they be ministers of Gods maiestie yet the selfe same are giuen and graunted to litle children to be their guard so that hereby we may iudge what great store the Lord setteth by infants and learne not to wype them out of the skoare of Gods people to whome the inheritaunce of life is due We attribute nothing here to the byrthe which is after the fleshe but all thinges to the grace and promise of god Nowe it is euident by all these testimonies that as well the infantes of the faythfull are to bee baptised as also those that are of perfect age confessing the faythe Nowe on the contrarie parte the Anabaptistes doe contend that none is to be baptised but he alone whiche bothe is able to be taught and to beléeue yea and to make confession of his fayth also And for confirmation of this thing they bring these sayinges of our Sauiour Out of Saint Matthewe Goe yee therefore and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the Father c. Out of Marke Goâ— yee into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures he which shall beleue and bee baptised shall bee saued c. Beholde say they teaching goeth before baptisme Therefore they that are notable to be taught ought not to be baptised Furthermore to beléeue goeth before and to baptise followeth after Infantes do not beléeue therefore they are not to be baptised Vpon all these they heape vp out of the Actes of the Apostles examples whiche proue that the faithfull that is to say they that confesse the fayth were baptised of the Apostles They reckon vppe also the newly instructed Christians of the olde time to whom say they there had bene no place giuen if they had baptised infantes I aunswere If the order of the wordes make anything in this matter we also haue in a readinesse to serue oure turne For in Marke thus we reade Iohn baptised in the desert preaching the baptisme of repentaunce in whiche place we sée that to baptise goeth before to preache followeth after Yea I will shewe also that that place which they alledge out of Matthewe for them selues maketh also for vs For Matthewes wordes be these All power is giuen vnto me both in heauen and in earth sayth the Lord Goe therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say discipulate that I may so speak that is make ye me disciples or gather together al nations yea he teacheth them also the way means how to gather disciples vnto him out of all nations or al nations by baptising teaching them By baptising and preaching â—e shall gather me together a church And he setteth out both of them seuerally one after an other swéetely and shortly saying baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste Teaching them to obserue all thinges which I haue commaunded you Now therefore baptisme goeth before teaching But we doe not thereby gather that those nations which neuer heard any thing before of God and the Sonne of God and the holy Ghoste are to be baptised neyther would the Apostles haue borne that but we alledge these thinges to declare vpon howe fickle a foundation the Anabaptists do build And we simply say that it is not true whiche these men imagine that the Lord coÌ„manded his apostles to baptise them onely whom they taught Neyther dothe he here poynt out who are to be baptised in the whole worlde but he speaketh of them that are of perfect age and of laying the firste foundations of fayth and of the Churche among the Gentiles being rude as yet and ignoraunt altogether in religion They that are of perfect age are able to beare preaching or teaching Infantes are not so They that are of perfect age are able to beleeue and confesse Infantes are not so Therefore he speaketh nothing here of infantes Yet therefore they are not debarred from baptisme It is a general law He which doth not labor let him not eate but who is so cruell and vnnaturall to thinke that therefore infantes are to be famished to death The Lorde when true religion beganne to be spread abroad sent his Apostles into all nations vnto them which bothe were ignoraunt of God and strangers from the Testamentes of God Truely it behâ—â—ued them not firste to baptise and afterwarde to teache but first to teach and then to baptise If at this day we shuld go to 〈◊〉 or turne the Turkes to the sayth of Christe first truely we should â—eache theÌ„ afterward baptise the seruantes of Christ and those that would yelde themselues into his subiectioÌ„ So the Lord him self in times past also first renued his couenant with Abraham him selfe and instituted CircumcisioÌ„ for a seale of the Couenant and after that Abraham was circumcised But he him selfe when he vnderstoode that infantes also were partakers in the couenant and that circumcision was the seale of the couenaunt he afterward did not only circumcise Ismael being thirtéene yeares of age and all that were borne in his owne house but infantes also among whom we reckon Isaach also Euen so the faythfull whiche were turned by the preaching of the Gospel from gentilisme and confessing were baptised when they vnderstoode that their infantes were counted amonge the people of God and that baptisme was the badg of Gods people they caused also their infantes to be baptised As therefore it is written of Abraham He circumcised al the menchildren in his house so we oftentimes reade in the Actes and writings of the Apostles that after the maister of the house is turned the whole familie is baptised But as concerning the newly instructed Christians they came in the old time from the Gentiles dailye vnto the Church whome these did instruct in the principles of faythe being ignoraunt therein and afterwarde baptised them But the auncient fathers them selues neuerthelesse baptised also the infants of the faythful which anon we will declare Neither doe they lawfully gather when they conclude in this sort Hee which shall beleeue and be baptised shall be shwed Infantes doe not beléeue therfore they are not to be baptised For againe it is certeine that it is spoken of them that be of perfecte age as in Matth. And bycause he requireth fayth and confession of fayth of those that are of perfect age it doth not followe therevpon that he requireth the same of infantes For he accounteth these as his
words of my gainsayers but with the examples of those which shewed the contrarie For first mine owne citie Hippone was obiected against mee which wheÌ„ as sometime it held wholie with Donatus was by the feare of the imperiall lawes conuerted to the Catholique vnitie and at this day we see it so greatly to detest the naughtinesse of your herâ—ticall stomaches that it is thought verilie that your heresie was neuer within it And many more places by name were reckoned vppe vnto mee that by the effect of the thing it selfe I might confesse that in such a case as this that may be rightly vnderstoode where it is written Giue a wise man occasion and he wil be the wiser And againe not euerie one that spareth is a friend nor euerie one that striketh is an enimie Better are the stripes of a friend than the voluntarie kisses of an enimie It is better to loue with seueritie than to deceiue with lenitie Hee that byndeth a phrensie man and waketh him that is sick of the lethargie doth trouble them both yet hee loueth them both Who can loue vs more than God himselfe doth and yet as he teacheth vs mildely so hee ceaseth not to terrifie vs to our health Thinckest thou that no man ought to bee compelled to righteousnesse when thou readest that the goodmaÌ„ of the house said to his seruauntes Whomsoeuer yee finde compell them to come in When thou readest that hee that was first called Saul and afterward Paule was constrayned by the violent force of Christe which compelled him to know and keepe fast the trueth of the Gospell And the same Augustine againe In Epist ad Bonifacium comitem 59. saith Where is that now that they were wont to crie and say that it is at euerie ones free choice to belieue or not to belieue Whom did Christ constreine whom did hee compell Loe here they haue the Apostle Paul for an example let them confesse in him that Christ first compelled him than taught him first struck him and afterward comforted him And it is wonderfull how he which by the punishment of his bodie was compelled to the Gospel did after his entring in labour more in the Gospell than all they that were called by word alone and whom the greater feare compelled to charitie his charitie once perfect did caste out al feare Whie then should not the Church therfore compell her lost children to returne since the lost children haue compelled other to their destruction Againe in the same epistle the same Augustine saith Wheras some which would not haue vpright lawes ordeined against their vngodlines do say that the Apostles did neuer require any such thinges of the kinges of the earth they doe not consider that that was an other time not like to this that all thinges are done in their due time and season For what Emperour did at that time belieue in Christe to serue him by making lawes in defeÌ„ce of religion against vngodlines WheÌ„ as yet that Prophecie was in fulfilling Whie did the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The kinges of the earth stoode vppe and the rulers toke counsell against God and against his Christ For as yet that was not begunne which followeth in the Psalme where it is said And now vnderstand ye kinges and be ye learned ye that iudge the earth serue him in feare and reioyce in trembling But how doe kinges serue God in feare but by forbidding punishing with deuout seueritie those thinges which are done against Gods commaundements For in that hee is a man hee serueth him one way but in that he is a king he serueth him an other way Because in that hee is a man hee serueth him by liuing faithfullie but in that hee is a kinge hee serueth him by establishing conuenient lawes to coÌ„maund that which is iust and to forbid the contrarie As Ezechias serued him by destroying the groaues and temples of idols and those highe places that were erected against the Lords commaundement As Iosias serued him by doing the like As the king of Niniuie serued him by compelling the whoale citie to please and appease the anger of the lord As Darius serued him by geuinge the idole into Daniells power to bee broken in peeces and by casting his enimies in amonge the Lyons As Nabuch odonosor serued him by a terrible proclamation which forbadde all men within his Dominion to blaspheme the true and verie god In this therefore should kinges serue God in that that they are kinges by doinge those things which none can doe but kinges Wherefore when as in the Apostles times the kings did not as yet serue the Lord but imagined a vaine thinge against the Lord and against his Christe that the Prophets sayings might bee fulfilled there could not as then I say any lawes bee made to forbid vngodlines but counsell be rather taken to put vngodlines in practise For so the course of times did turne that both the Iewes should kil the Preachers of Christe thinckinge that thereby they did God good seruice that the Gentiles also should freat and rage against the Christians and make the Martyrs constancie ouercome the flames of fyre But afterward when that beganne to be fulfilled which is written And all the kinges of the earth shall worshippe him all nations shall serue him what maÌ„ that were wel in his wittes would say to kinges Tush take yee no care how or by whom the Church of your Lord is defended or defaced within your kingdom let it not trouble you to marke who will be honest who dishonest within your Dominion For since God hath giuen man free will whie should adulterie bee punished and sacrilege left vntouched Is it a lighter matter for the Soule to breake promise with God than a woman with a man Or forbecause those thinges which are not committed by contempte but by ignoraunce of religion are to bee more mildely punished are they therefore to be vtterly neglected It is better who doubteth for men to bee brought to the worshipping of God by teaching rather than for to be compelled to it by feare or griefe of punishmente But because these are the better they which are not such are not therefore to bee neglected For it hath profited many men as wee see by experience first to haue beene compelled with feare and griefe that afterwarde they might either bee taughte or followe that in deede which they had learned in woordes Hetherto I haue rehearsed the words of S. Augustines aunswere to the obiections of them which are of opinion that by no lawe disobedient rebells seduced people and deceiuers ought to be punished in cases of religion I sée my hope doth faile mée wherin I thought that I could haue béene able in this Sermon to haue made an ende of all that I had to say touchinge the magistrate But I perceiue that héere I must staye vnlesse I shoulde goe on déerely beloued and bée too tedious vnto you all I meane to
they shall all knowe mee from the little vnto the greate But of the law it is written that it was grauen in tables of stone Yet for all this let no man thinke that the fathers obteined no remission of their sinnes For as they by faith had frée forgiuenesse of their sinnes so did God both write his lawe and powre his spirite into their heartes For which of vs at this day can saye that wée excell in knowledge and in faith either Abraham Moses Samuel Dauid Esaie Daniel or Zacharias So then the difference is not in that the fathers of the old testamente were without the remission of sinnes and the illumination of the holie Ghoste and that wée alone which are the people of the newe testament haue obteined them but the difference doeth consiste in the greatnesse amplenesse largenesse and plentifulnesse of the giftes to witt because they are more liberallie bestowed and more plentifully powred out vppon more nowe than they were of old For all nations being called doe not by dropmeale but by whole handfulls drawe the water of life The Lord doth powre out his spirite vppon all fleshe Of old God was knowen in Iurie onely but nowe since Christe is come into the world his disciples are gone thoroughe all the corners of the earth teach all kingdomes to knowe the Lord. Of old the worthie men and Prophets were not so many but that they might bée numbred because the land of promise in a maner alone did bréed such good and holy men But who is at this day able to reckon all that kings Princes noble men Prophets Bishops doctours Martyrs excellent persons of euery sexe estate and age whiche haue beene and are at this day bred not onely in Iurie but also in Arabia Idumea Phenicia Mesopotamia Persia Asia Aegypt Africa Gréece Italie the Easte the South the Weste and the North Frée remission of sinnes is preached to all countries and kingdomes All the faithfull in euerie nation vnder heauen are throughe Christ receiued into the grace and fauour of God the father All haue receiued in great abundaunce the gift of the holy Ghoste All haue prophecied All haue knowen the lord Finallie the lawe maketh no man perfecte The Gospell simplie maketh perfect and doth directly without any stopp lead vs to Christe and causeth vs to rest and to content oure selues in him alone Last of all I will not slippe ouer this difference althoughe it be of little weight and such an one as other like vnto it may be easilie obserued that the lawe appointing out a certeine land peculiarly separated from other nations did promise to the old fathers the possession of the same so long as they did kéep the law but if they did transgresse the lawe then did it threaten that they should be rooted vpp and vtterly cast out of that good land But to vs no one limited lande is expressely promised For the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the rounde world and all that therein is But althoughe hée doeth not héere assigne to vs as hée did to oure forefathers of olde any certeine or peculiar thinge yet doeth hée not at any time neglecte vs For hée féedeth blesseth and preserueth vs in euery land and nation Therfore the promises which were of old made to oure forefathers concerning the land of promise being come to an end are vtterly vanished away so that they which for an age or two agoe did incite many nations to arme themselues for the recouerie of the holy land doe seeme to haue béene besides their witts Christ by his comming into the world hath sanctified all the earth For there are in euerie nation of the world some sonnes and heires of God and his kingdome Touching the likenesse and agréement the vnlikenesse and difference of both I meane the old and newe testaments or people I haue therfore spoken the more briefely béecause I haue in the first Sermon of the first Decade and in the sixte Sermon of this third Decade alreadie hādled the selfe same matter Finallie I haue but shortly touched the abrogation of the law because I did a good while ago set foorth two treatises y one of the Auncient Faith the other of the Only and eternall Couenaunt of God whiche treatises I knowe to bée familiar amonge you I will not héere in the conclusion recapitulate vnto you y special points of this Sermon partly because I haue alreadie béene somewhat to long and partly because I haue as I hope vsed so plaine an order that euery point is indifferently well settled in euery manns memorie Thus haue I by Gods grace and sufferance made an end to treate of Gods holy law wherin I haue béene occupied a good sort of dayes by seuerall Sermons Blessed bée God and oure heauenly father world without end whome I beséech to blesse vs all thorough Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ Of Christian libertie and of offences Of good workes and the reward thereof ¶ The ninthe Sermon I HAVE alreadie through many sermons discoursed longe vppon Gods lawe nowe therefore because vppon the consideration handling of the lawe there doe arise certaine pointes not to bee omitted which doe depend vppon and are annexed hand in hand vnto the lawe of which sort are Christian libertie good woorkes the reward of good woorkes sinne and the reward or punishment of sinne I wil speake of them in order as God shall put into my mouth whō I shall desire you to praye vnto with mée beséeching him not to suffer me to speake in these or other points of holy doctrine the thing that shall sounde against his holy will. Vppon the abrogation of the lawe doeth Christian libertie depende and follow as the effecte of the abrogating of the lawe which libertie doth minister vs occasion to speake of offences Nowe concerning Christian libertie the most holy Apostle of Christ Sainct Paule hath reasoned verie diligently and largely whereby we may gather that the consideration of Christian libertie is neither of no weighte nor yet of little profite But the treatise therof is especially necessarie to vs of this age amonge whom there are no small number of men which doe either not vnderstand what Christian libertie is or else if they knowe it do foulie abuse it thereby to fulfill the lustes of the flesh I will therefore tell you who is the deliuerer that setteth vs at libertie who they are that he setteth at libertie and wherein and howe farre forth he setteth them at libertie whiche things being once knowen it wil be an easie matter to perceiue what Christian libertie is what the propertie or disposition of those is which are so set at libertie and howe farre forth they must beware from giuing office to any man and from abusing their graunted libertie There is none other deliuerer promised giuen and preached vnto vs than Christ Iesus the Sonne of god For he which doth deliuer other men must be himselfe frée from the
this saying so often cited and beaten vppon in the Lawe and the Prophets Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD and a strange God thou shalt not worship Now a straunge God is whatsoeuer without and beside the onely liuing true and euerlasting God thou choosest vnto thée selfe to bee worshipped the onely and alone true liuing and euerlasting GOD therefore is to bée worshipped In the historie of the Gospell wée read that the diuel tempted our Lord Christe and hauing ledd him vpp into an high mounteine shewed him from thence all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them and said All these will I giue thee if thou falling downe wilt worship mee and that the Lord made aunswere Auoyd Sathan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And surely worshipping and seruing are lincked mutually the one with the other that they cannot bee seuered or put a sunder Wherevppon it followeth that séeing the Lord requireth onely and alone to bee serued hée will doubtlesse in like maner only and alone be worshipped And Helie the great prophete of God teaching that God can in no case abide to haue one ioyned vnto him in worship cryeth out vnto the people worshipping God and with him their God Baal How long sayth hée do you halt on both partes If the Lord be God follow him If Baal bee God goe after him As if he should haue said You cannot worship God and Baal at once No man can â—erue two maisters For the Lord our God requireth not a péece but our whole heart our whole minde and soule Hée leaueth nothing therfore for vs to bestowe vppon any other In the Epistle to the Hebrues Paule sheweth that Christ is more excellent than Angels because the Angels adore or worship Christe but they againe are not worshipped If then the Angels are not worshipped whome shall wee graunt beside the liuing true and euerlasting God that deserueth to bée worshipped God therefore onely and alone is to be worshipped For in the Reuelation of Iesus Christ made vnto the blessed Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn thus we reade written And I sawe another Angel fleeing throughe the middest of heauen haueing the euerlasting Gospel to preache vnto them that dwell vppoÌ„ the earth to all nations kinreds and tongues people saying with a lowde voyce Feare God and giue him honour beecause the houre of his iudgement iâ— come and worship him that hath made heauen and earth the sea and founteynes of waters And againe in the same booke we read And I fell downe before the feete of the Angel to worshipp him And he said vnto mee See thou doest it not I am thy fellow seruant and of thy brethren hauing the testimonie of Iesu worship God. Againe in the ende of the same booke thou dost read And after I had heard and seene I fel downe to worshippe before the feete of the Angel whiche shewed mee these thinges And hee said vnto mee See thou doest it not for I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them that keepe the wordes of this booke With this thing the saying and doing of S. Peter doth not greatly disagrée at whose féete when Cornelius the Centurion fell downe and worshipped Peter said Arise I also mee selfe am a man and therewithall laying his hand on him which lay a long did lift him vpp and set him on his féete Right religiously therefore wrote Augustine touching True religion saying Let not religion be vnto vs the worshipping of mans handie woorke For better are the workemen themselues which make such whome notwithstanding we ought not to worship Let not religion be to vs the worshipping of mortall men beecause if they haue liued godlily they are not to be estéemed as those that would séeke such honours but their will it is that hee should bee worshipped of vs who inlightening them they reioyce that wee are made fellow partakers of his merite They are to be honoured therefore for imitation or following sake not to bee worshipped for religions sake And if they haue liued ill they are not to bée worshipped wheresoeuer they bee The same Augustine in his first booke De consensu Euangelistarum of the consent of the Euangelistes and eightéenth chap. reasoning why the Romanes neuer receiued both the God the worship of the God of the Hebrues considering that they receiued y gods almost of all the Gentiles to bee worshipped And hee aunswereth That that came to passe by none other occasion than because the God of the Hebrues would onely and alone be worshipped without a mate or partener If any require his words they are these There resteth nothing for them to say why they haue not receiued the holy rites and worshipp of this God saue onely because hee would be worshipped alone and hath forbidden them to worshipp the Gods of the Gentiles whome neuerthelesse these people did worship For the sentence or opinion of Socrates who as by Oracle it was ratified was the wisest of all men is that euery God ought in such sort to be worshipped as he himselfe hath giuen coÌ„mandement he would be worshipped Therfore were the Romans of very necessitie forced not to worship the God of the Hebrues Because if they would worship him after another fashion than he himselfe said hee would bee worshipped they should not then worshipp him but that whiche they themselues had deuised made And if they would in that maner worship him as hee himselfe prescribed than they sawe that they were debarred from worshipping other Gods whom hée forbad to be worshipped And vppon this they refused the worshipp of the onely true God to the intent they might not offend many counterfecte false Gods thincking that the anger of them would rather be more to their disprofite than the goodwill of him to their benefite Thus saith Augustine And althoughe these thinges are written concerning the worship and seruice of God and that we dispute of adoring Gods Maiestie yet notwithstanding they are not impertinent or beside our purpose For the worshipping and seruing of GOD are inseparably lincked and knitt together Of this seruing of God we will speake more hereafter But by the woordes cited before wée doe gather that onely and alone the true liuing and euerlasting God is to bée worshipped according to that commonly-knowne sentence of the lawe Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD him shalt thou feare and him onely shalt thou serue To him shalt thou cleaue and in his name shalt thou sweare Furthermore God from the beginning hath promised and perfourmed yea and will performe whiles this world standeth great rewards to his true woorshippers Contrarywise wée beléeue that great mischiefes or punishments are prepared for those which either doe not at all worshippe God or else in stéed of the true GOD doe worshippe straunge Gods. The Lord in his Reuelation
otherwise serue their Lord and king than Kings that is in doing those thinges whiche Kinges ought to doe namely to execute iudgement and iustice For albeit these be in the worlde yet râ—le they not after the worlde because they are now gouerned by the spirite of their king Christe and directe all their doings to the prescripte rule of Gods word and in all things yéelde them selues to be guided by the spirite of God and so farre surely their kingdome is not of this worlde Of these things I haue else where cited much out of S. Augustine acording to the scripture And our king Christe defendeth his Churche and his ministers sometime by the aide of Princes sometimes he preserueth and spreadeth abrâ—ade the same lying open to persecutions through infirmitie and weakenesse For it is pressed downe but not oppressed or kepte vnder still Christe the mightiest Prince alwayes reigning and ouercomming in those that â—ee his Nowe the bounds of this Earthlie kingdome of Christe reache vnto the vtter-moste partes of the Earth For all the kingdomes of the worlde and all nations perteine vnto the kingdome of Christ Héerevnto belong all the testimonies of the Prophets touching the calling of the Gentiles whereof thou maist finde verie manis in Esay and Zacharie who excellentlye describe the kingdome of Christe in Earth Wherevppon the Iewes tooke occasion to feigne I wot not how great glorious things of the maiestie and victeryes of the Messias whiche neuerthelesse long since were aboundantlye fulfilled in Christe but more spiritually than carnally But they while they dreame of and looke for carnall things loathe spirituall and loose bothe But the faithfull through the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of Christe their king most aboundauntly obteine those good thinges whiche the Prophetes promised namely plentifull peace bothe with God and men and all kinde of felicitie alwayes to bée blessed alwayes to be safe though they fight continuallie from all enimyes as well visible as also inuisible and to inioy euerlasting saluation Which things the Prophetes in their writings haue set foorthe in a moste large kinde of style yet vnderstandinge nothing else than as euen now we said that the faithfull shall be moste happie and shall possesse in Christe all good gifts bothe of soule and bodie as much indéede as is necessarie and healthfull for the Saincts And this is that kingdome now we vnderstand bothe as well that of grace as this of 〈◊〉 which that Ioseph of Aramathia iust Simeon and Anna y Prophetisse with other Saints awaited and loked for This same kingdome Philippe the Deacon preached to them of Samaria and Sainte Paule the Apostle to them of Rome which thinge Luke doeth testiffe in the Actes of the Apostles Chapter 8. and 28. But the seate or throne and palace of our king is Heauen For hee ascended a conquerour into Heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie from theÌ„ce â—â— y Sunne of righteousnesse hee shineth to all which liue in his Churche or in his kingdome yea and he â—hâ—â—sâ—th the harts of the faithfull to him selfe wherein he may dwell Furthermore that we may vnderstande ouâ— King though not corpâ—rally presente in earth but ascended into Heauen not therefore to be absent from his kingdom he verily in his word compareth himselfe to the head and vs to the bodie or the meÌ„bers Now therefore as the bodie is neuer without the head so the kingdome of God is not without Christ the prince And as the vitall spirite from the harte and the power or vertue of féeling and mouing froÌ„ the head is powred into the bodie so are we quickened or made aliue by our Prince Christe he iustifying preseruing comforting confirming and defending vs from all euill As all the members are ruled by the head so all the faithful in the kingdome of Christe are gouerned by their King Christe Paule therefore saithe God raised Christe from the dead set him on his right hand in heauenly places farr aboue all rule and power and might euery name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to coÌ„e And hath put all things vnder his féete gaue him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his bodie y fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Of which kinde there are very many other to be found in the writings of the Apostles first of all that Christ is the head of the church and he it is which giueth saluation to the body for he gaue him selfe for the church to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the worde that he might present it vnto him selfe a glorious church c. And thus much hetherto of the kingdoÌ„e of Christ in earth which is bothe called the kingdome of grace and the Church militant Moreouer the kingdome of God is called the kingdome of heauen and of glory for that occasion because those whome our Lord king hath sanctified on earth and guided with his spirit yea and also iustified béeing deliueied from the fleshe and taken out of this world he glorifieth in heaueÌ„ and recâ—iueth thâ— into ioy into the fellowship both of himselfe and of all the saints For the souls of the faithful eueÌ„ as soone as they depart out of their bodies are foorth with receiued into heaueÌ„ to reigne with Christ the euerlasting king for euer to reioice with all the Saincts But in the laste iudgemeÌ„t wherewith we beleue that the quick and dead shall be iudged of Christe our king the bodies of the Sainctes shall be raised vp clarified coupled againe to their soules and how many soeuer haue cleaued vnto Christ their king from the beginning of the world shal liue for euer reigne in glorie together with Christe their king and prince Of this kingdoÌ„e of the Saints the Prophets Apostles haue spoken muche and chiefelye the Apostle Sainte Iohn in his Reuelation Some haue called this kingdome the Church triumphant This kingdome of GOD or of Christe is an euerlasting kingdome For as euen to the worldes end the Church shall be on earth howsoeuer this worlde and the Prince of the worlde doe rage so the faithfull after iudgement shall liue and reigne with Christe happie for euer bothe in bodie and soule For the Lord saith in the Gospell The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church Also the last times shall be as the dayes of Noe were wherein thoughe the wicked did farre in number excéede the Churche of the faithfull yet Noe and his were saued in the Arke but the wicked were destroyed with the floud in such sort surely shal iniquity by all means preuaile in the end of the worlde but in the meane while those that are elected into the kingdome of Christe shall be saued by Christe whome they shall looke for to be their Iudge and shall sée theire redéemer comming in the cloudes of
his confession and the keyes of giuing of sentence iudgement or of opening shutting vpp of heauen of forgiuing or reteyning of sinnes They say that this power was promised to Peter in Matthew the Lord saying Vnto thee wil I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but that it was giuen to all the disciples in Iohn Christe saying Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiueÌ„ to theÌ„ And in these dayes is giuen to the priests by the bishop in their consecration laying their hands on the priests at the giuing of them their orders sayinge Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinns soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them They call the power of placing ministers of the Church Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to consist in a certeine prelacie and the fulnesse of it to rest onely in the Pope hauing respecte to the whole vniuersall Church For it belongeth onelie to the Pope to appoint rulers and prelats in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie because it was said to him Feede my sheepe Moreouer they say that all iurisdiction ecclesiasticall doth come from the Pope to inferiour rulers either mediatlie or immediatlie in which thinges authoritie is limitted at his pleasure that hath the fulnesse of power For a bishop hath authoritie onelie in his diâ—cese and a curate in his parish c. Power of Apostleship or preaching the word of God they call the authoritie of preaching which the Lord had giuen to his disciples saying Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to all creatures But doctours in these dayes affirme y none ought to be sent out to preach but onely by Peter that is his successour mediatly or immediatly c. They say that the power of iudiciall correction was giuen to Peter by God to whome he said If thy brother shall offend or trespasse against thee c. For the words of the Lord are knowen wel enough in S. Matth. cap. 18. They say therfore that God gaue authoritie vnto priestes not onely of excoÌ„municating but also of determining iudging and establishing commandements lawes and canons because in that place it is said Whatsoeuer ye bind vppon earth it shal be bound in heauen To conclude they saye that the power and authoritie to receiue thinges necessarie for this life in reward of their spirituall labours was giuen by these woordes of the Lord Eatinge and drincking suche as they haue These thinges do these men teach concerning Ecclesiasticall power not onelie foolishlie but also falslie Of the power of consecration sacrificing howe vaine and foolish it is wee haue oftentimes said in other places and perhaps will say more if God grauÌ„t life in conuenient place and time Of the power of the keyes we wil dispute God willing about the end of the next sermon And something we brought when we disputed of penance auricular confession But they are foolish shameles trifles which they babble of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the fulnesse of the high power that is to saye of the bishop of Rome whiche I doubt not are knowen well enough to the whole world longe agoe and of that matter there shall follow hereafter some arguments for the confutation therof in these our sermoÌ„s Wheras they vsurpe vnto themselues the office of teaching and crie out that no man can lawfullie preach but such as are ordeined by them they thereby séeke the ouerthrowe of Gods word the defence assertion of their owne errors whiche shall also be intreated of in his due place The power of excommunicating they haue so filthilie shamefullie abused that the Church through their negligence and wicked presuÌ„ption hath not only lost true discipline but also excommunication it selfe hath béene a great many yeares nought else with the bishops of Rome but fire sword wherewith they first raged against the true professours of Gods word and persecuted the innocent worshippers of Christ Moreouer that there is no power giuen of God to the ministers of the Church to make new lawes we wil shew in place coÌ„uenient The authoritie and power to receiue wherewith to liue haue they put in execution to the vttermost but in recompence of their temporall haruest they haue not soawen spirituall thinges but rather being a sléepe they haue suffered him that is oure enimie to soaw cockle in the lords field and that not by any other but by their owne meanes For haue not they not being contented with thinges necessarie for this life vnder that colour subtilely inuaded kingdomes and most shamefully cruelly possessed them Wherfore he that seeth not that ecclesiastical authoritie as it is by these men affirmed and also by them put in practise is but a méere tyrannie ouer simple soules it is plaine hee séeth nothing at all Wée wil nowe herevnto ioyne a true simple plaine manifest doctrine concerning ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Power is defined to be a right which men haue to doe some thing by It is called in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherof the first word signifieth right and power the second abilitie to execute power or authoritie For oftentimes it commeth to passe that a man shall haue authoritie to doe a thinge but is destitute of abilitie to performe it But God can do both and hath giuen them both vnto the Apostles against those the were possessed with diuels as Luke witnesseth saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee gaue them power and authoritie ouer all diuels c. And there is also one sort of power whiche is free and absolute an other sort of power whiche is limitted whiche is also called ministeriall Absolute power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restreyned by the lawe or will of any other Of which sort is the power of Christ which he speaketh of in the Gospell saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen in earth goe therefore and teache all nations baptising them c. Hee speaking againe of this power in the Reuelation shewed vnto S. Iohn the Apostle sayeth Feare not I am the first the last and I am aliue but was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore And I haue the keyes of hell and of death And againe These thinges sayeth he that is holie and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no man openeth The power whiche is limitted is not frée but subiecte to an absolute or greater power of another whiche cannot of it selfe doe euerye thinge but that onelye that the absolute absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certeine conditions Of whiche sort surely is the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and which may rightly be called the ministeriall power For the Church of God vseth her authoritie committed vnto her for this purpose by her ministers S. Augustine acknowledging this distinction speaking of Baptisme in his fifte treatise vppon Iohn sayeth