the supper whyle they denie that his body can be contayned in any place Let vs therfore see what is properly to be vnderstanded by his ascention next who ascended then after what maner and into what place he ascended And vnto these afterwarde we will adioyne the cause why he ascended and what commoditie and profite commeth to vs by his ascention They properly are sayde to ascende which go from a lower place vnto an higher Wherfore ascention is a moouing or carying the Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from one place to another and that from a place beneath vnto a place vpwarde And that euen here there is such a motion or moouing none but he that is most contentious can denie For this is it that Luke meaneth in the beginning of this booke where he speaketh of Christes ascention saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he went vp or ascended and in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he was taken vp Both which wordes signifie a taking or carying away from a lower place vnto an higher Neyther admit we their cauillation where they expounde these wordes the clowde that conueyed him out of their sight thereby feyning their disparition or vanishing out of sight For euen there it is sayde of the clowde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it caried him or tooke vp on high that in the meane season I saye nothing how Christ must needes be in a place while he was in the clowde vsing it as an instrument whereby to ascende Beside that the Apostles behelde him with their eyes as hee went and sought him not looking this waye and that as one conueying himselfe inuisibly away For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as he went marke the locution whereby is euidently declared a moouing from a place to a place the Apostles behelde him looking vp into heauen But what needed they to lift vp their eyes to heauen if the Lorde were not caried into heauen Why did they not rather looke hither and thither for him into the ayre as after one that sodeinly vanished away And the Aungels afterwarde reprehend not the Apostles for that they vainelye supposed he was gone vp into the element but they rather confesse it to be true and plainely entreate of his comming backe againe Ascention therefore is a moouing from a lower place to an higher whereby Christ was caried vppe into heauen For vnlesse we confesse this the holy ghost must be accused who without cause in rehearsall of a plaine hystorie which all men ought to knowe woulde of purpose beguile vs with needelesse wordes It followeth next to see who is ascended But the storie is of Christ Iesu which being raysed from the deade prooued the veritie of his bodye fourty dayes togither by many argumentes But when the Scriptures speake of Christ the distinction of natures whereof he consisteth as the Scripture teach vs must be verye well obserued For he which from euerlasting is very God of the same maiestie and glory with the father yea of one substance with him he in the time appoynted as Paule sayth was made man of a woman that is tooke vpon him manhoode or the nature of man Wherefore in one and the selfe person of Christ are ioyned two natures to saye the diuine and the humane And yet by reason of the vnitie of person the natures be neyther confounded nor chaunged but the propertie of eche nature remayneth whole and distinct And by vnitie of person it commeth to passe that that which is proper to one nature onely is attributed to whole Christ and Christ is sayde to haue done or suffred that which is peculiar to one nature onely which thing the fathers vsed to call the communion or comixtion or likenesse of properties of speache It appertayneth to the diuine nature that Christ is sayde to be from euerlasting and before Abraham was borne who notwithstanding after his humane nature was borne afterwardes in a time appointed And the sonne of God is sayde to haue suffred and dyed where his diuinitie can neyther suffer nor die And yet it is trulye sayde For he that was truely the sonne of God wherein he was able to die dyed According to the same reason the sonne of man was sayde to be in heauen when he was vppon the earth bicause the same touching his godheade pierced the heauens also although according to his body hee was in the earth and there commoned with Nicodemus Which things if we obserue in this place it shall appeare that Iesus Christe tooke his humane nature which he receyued of the virgins bodye into heauen For it can not be vnderstanded of his diuine nature whereof it is saide I fill heauen and earth Againe Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footestoole And whereas the Godhead is not mooued from place to place but is infinite immeasurable ascention by no meanes agreeth therewith And yet we truely saye that God ascended bicause Christ who is very God ascended in his manhoode And yet we deuide not Christ into partes or denye the vnitie of person as did one Nestorius but we make a difference betweene the natures of Christ and their properties as hee deuideth not man that maketh a distinction betweene the actions of the soule and of the bodye which are knowne to be much different And here that saying of Austen is to be well marked where hee forbiddeth vs to take euerye thing in God to be euery where as God. And Christ ment not to prooue the presence of his Godheade by the extending of his body into all places but by the operation of his holy spirite But the Scriptures shewe also the place into which he ascended And Luke sayeth that he was taken vp on high And the Angels afterwarde call it heauen that it might appeare vnto vs to what place he went And Marke more expressely signifying the place in heauen writeth that he is set downe on the right hande of the Father Wee knowe what a great manye holde and affirme of the heauens which by them vnderstande the kingdome and presence of god We knowe also that the right hande of God maye be taken for the felowship of the diuine maiestie and kingdome into the which we confesse that Christ is truly taken according as he sayth All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth But we saye there is here a certaine place assigned into the which we one daye shall be receiued to reigne with Christ for euer And this sense we draw out of Christes owne words speaking of his departure In my fathers house bee many mansions or dwellings which if it were otherwise I woulde haue tolde you I go to prepare you a place And if I go to prepare you a place I will come againe and take you vnto my selfe that where I am there may you be also Coulde he more plainly and expressely declare a certaine place Paule in the heauenly place and
lyghtened wyth the gospel Pag. 655. The church at Berrhea disturbed Pag. 656. B ante L. Blasphemie is a deniall of the faith Pag. 856. Blasphemous and filthy talkers are ledde with the euill spirite 85. Who are sayde to be blessed and happye 763. Blessedfulnesse is to bee iudged of holynesse of place 313. True blessednesse discrybed 119.120 True blessedfulnesse is to bee most like vnto God. 757. It is more blessed to gyue then to take ibidem To blesse is to bid farewell 35. The heyres of blesse 187. The maner of Christs blessing 188. Christ is the Mediator of blesse 47. Blessing what it comprehendeth in it ibidem B ante O. The true marke of those that are borne againe 138. Bookes of the Byble belong to all men 326. B ante R. The vtilitie of well bringing vp of chyldren 615. Breaking of breade 140.734 Brethren kinsfolke of Christ. 48. Brethren at Rome their kindenesse Pag. 894. B ante V. Burials must be reuerently vsed by christians 359. Burthens and yokes are all those things that are taught beside fayth in Christ. 608. B ante Y. Byshops could alwayes abyde to be reprehended of other Byshoppes Pag. 468. Byshops of Rome make money of religion 719. Byshops accuse Paule 818. Byshops of Rome may erre 198. Byshops counselles what they are Pag. 240. Byshops of Romes craft and tyranye in persecuting the truth 191. Byshoppe of Rome hys incurable impietie 350. Byshops which ought most to sette foorth Christes doctrine greatest enimies thereof 191. C. C ante A. CAlamities of men directed to an ende by God.  Captiuity of Babilon 343. Care of God for vs. 832. God careth most for his people wheÌ„ they are most destitute of mannes helpe 349. Carnall men what they seeke for in Christ. 26. Causes of the calamities of thys worlde 101. Cause of all calamitie is the not beleeuing and gainesaying of the Gospell 31. Causes of calamitie are as well in the godly as the vngodly 101. Causes of strife and contention 550 Cause of saluation is fayth 168. Causes of the euilles of these latter dayes ibidem Causes whye Saule was cast of Pag. 528. Causes of afflictions are to bee diligently considered 269. C ante E. Centurion is Paules friend 871. Centurion gentlye obeyeth Paule Pag. 810. Centurion and his souldiours fayth Pag. 882. Ceremonies that the Apostles taught are certaine 3. Ceremonies of the lawe are abolyshed 76. Ceremonies in religion howe farre they are lawfull 349. Ceremonies of the olde lawe to what ende and vse they were 292. Certainetie and antiquitie of christian fayth 175. C ante H. Chanaan lande a figure of our saluation and of heauen 294. Charitie of the Apostles towarde their enimies 561. Charitie must be vsed euen towarde the vnthankfull 355. Charitie is the cognizaunce of Christes children 77. Charitie hath hir markes and tokens ibidem Charitie and wisedomes examples Pag. 758. What the nature of charitie is 896. Charitie is not suspitioâ—s 769. The propertie of charitie 756. Charitie in Steuen 351. The effect of Gods chastisement declared in Paule 395. The chastisement of God requyreth repentaunce ibidem The duetie of those whome God chastiseth 491. Chiliastes errour touching the dwelling on earth 98. Goddes children acknowledge hys iudgements and amend by others examples  Who be the children of God. 94. Howe the children of GOD are knowne 181. The children of Iacob grieuouslye offende 308. Choyse of meates 434. and .435 Christian libertie must bee mainteyned 607. Christian fayth doth not derogate from humanitie and ciuilitie 293. The beginning of the christian faith Pag. 202. Christians nowe denie and betraye Christ as the Iewes did 166. Christian people may sometime saue themselues by flying 411. Who ought to bee called Christians Pag. 141. Howe christians be ydolaters 343. Christes enimies 100. The begynning and vse of a christian name 490. Christians what they owe to theyr brethren being in daunger for the testimonie of Christ. 491. Christians must talke of the kingdome of God. 15. Christians must increase go forwarde in fayth 476. What the markes and weapons of christians are 227. The duetie of christians 879.793 and 761. The sacrifices of christians ibidem Christians maye vse the lawe for their safegarde and succour 838. Christians maye possesse thynges of their owne 143. Christians maye seeke ayde of Magistrates 812. Christians which waye they maye get themselues fauour and authoritie 241. Christians must boldely defend their cause 500. Christ is reiected of the buylders Pag. 202. What Christs last comming teacheth vs. 41. Why Christes second comming is so long differred 175. Howe Christ is the aungell of the great counsell 326. Christ instructed hys Apostles with commaundementes before he left the earth 8. Christ is taken hold of by faith 544 Christ is the head of apostolike doctrine 679. Christ comforteth hys Apostles being in errour of an earthly kingdome 30. Christ descrybed of the Prophetes to be honourable 2. Christ called a Mountayne of the Prophets ibidem Christ is the Sauiour of all Nations 32. Christ being preached the kingdome of God is preached 119.915 Christ by his diuine power and operation is euery where 40. Christ is very God. 106.448 Christ is the Lorde 127. Christ is the name of God and the Image of hys father 9 Christ is a priest 127. Christ is a man. 106. Christ is a man approoued of God. Pag. 107. Christ is lyfe and they that beleeue in hym haue lyfe 12. Christ is the lyfe and the resurrection 119. Christ is an vniuersall sauiour 127. Christ dyed according to Gods appointment 109 Christ was a very man of the stock of the Iewes 178.448 Christ tooke hys humane nature into heauen 35. Christ appertayneth to the Iewes Pag. 184. Christ is ascended into Heauen the place of the blessed 35. Christ is ascended into that place whyther our bodyes must also ascende ibidem Christ gyueth light to his people in the myddle of darknesse 494. Christ was crucyfied being innocent 535. Christ shall iudge the quick and the deade 457. Christ resembled to Moses 179. Christ seeth and careth for his sheepe on earth 8. Christ is the peacemaker betweene God and man. 448. Christ the Prince and chiefe of all Prophets 333. Christ is the Phisition for sinnes 130. Christ ouercame by death 381. Christ preached by Moses and the Prophets 177. Christ is the Prince or chiefe of the Prophets 333. Christ is a Prophet 178. How Christ must be acknowledged and confessed 649. How Christ must be preached ibideÌ„ How Christ perfourmed the office of a priest 6 How Christ is a stumbling block to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentyles 663. Christ ruleth in the myddle of hys enimyes 242. Christ is declared a king by God his father 2. Christ is a king and a priest 37.452 Howe Chryst fulfylled the office of a king 6. Christ is a victorious king 126 Christ aduaunceth vs to saluation Pag. 576. Christ is not euerye where in bodye Pag. 34.35 Christ ought to dye but once 540. If Christ bee
a foolish and more than childish consequence herein Christ hath caried his body aboue the heauens and all the partes of the worlde visible Ergo the bodye of Christ filleth all the worlde corporally and substantially And this is their maner of reasoning But Paule in this place speaketh of the Prophecies of the olde lawe or as some other saye of the power and maiestie of christ Other expounde it of the spirituall grace and giftes which Christ after he had receyued all power shed vpon men as Ioel before prophecied But whether of these it is here is appointed no corporall presence of Christ vpon earth Christ had fulfilled all the things prophecied before of his incarnation passion death and resurrection Nowe remayned his ascention whereof there were prophecies and where through the businesse of our saluation as we afore declared shoulde be perfited and ended He therefore ascended that herein nothing shoulde be left vnfulfilled And if anye man will haue it vnderstanded rather of the maiestie and power of Christ which he declareth by the bestowing of his heauenly gifts I will not contende with him For thereto the sentence commeth bicause Christ hauing consummate and finished our saluation in his manhoode sayth hee hath receyued all power in heauen and in earth And then he sayde hee woulde send his holy spirite when he went from this worlde vnto his father Yea he sayde It is expedient for you that I go for if I go not that comforter will not come vnto you It is no lesse pieuishe where they reason from Christes diuinitie to his humanitie We confesse surely that these two natures are ioyned togyther in Christ and that Christs person by reason of them ought not to be deuided we say not that they be disioyned or seuered by reason of his death But that which no godly man will denie was done in hys death that here also is to be obserued In his death the distinction of the natures and properties remayned whole and safe For his humane nature suffred death which the diuine coulde not His humane nature suffred the crosse and diuers dolours which cannot happen to the diuine nature And he which as he was very man dyed vpon the crosse and being deade was buried the same as verye God shooke the earth tooke the light from the sunne and wrought effectually in the mindes of men and shewed most euident tokens of his godheade If the same be here considered this matter shall be easily perceyued For Christ touching his diuine nature is euery where and hath his operation euery where The same concerning his humane nature is contained in a certaine place of heauen which is the eternall dwelling of all those that be blessed And for all this we separate not the diuinitie from the humanitie when we say it filleth all places and is euerye where present But we follow the rule of Augustine who sayth We must beware that we doe not so defende or affirme the diuinitie of his manhoode that wee take awaye the veritie of his bodye c. By these also we are taught in what sense Christes promises are to be taken where he sayth he will be present with vs vnto the ende of the worlde For wee expounde them of the presence and power of his Godheade For Christ is present with those that be his by his diuine power and by operation of his holy spirite whereby he ruleth guideth keepeth safe and defendeth them He is with them by his grace and merite that they fall not into the snares of Synne and Satan but stande fast in the fauour and friendship of God the father As touching his bodily presence by other his words where he doth inculcate diuers times that he must go out of the worlde and that he can tary no longer in the worlde we learne that in these wordes he speaketh nothing concerning the same And if it lyke them to expounde these former promises of the presence of his body then where he sayth in another place he shall no longer tary in the world that must needes be vnderstanded of his godly presence For without we reconcyle these places so diuers in themselues by making a difference of his natures enterchaunge of properties of speach we shall be in much perplexitie and vncertaine What shall these men therefore get but while they contende about his bodilye presence bereue themselues of his spirite and diuine protection and as Terence the Poet sayth with reason become madde Neyther admit wee here their colde and shamelesse refuge whereby they would creepe away vnder the inuisible conuersation of Christes body here on earth For Christ speaketh not of the maner and qualitie of the thing but of the thing it selfe and denyeth that he tarieth any longer in the worlde But with what reason should he so say if he taried in the world inuisibly And in the .xxiiij. of Mathew he biddeth vs not to beleeue them which shoulde saye towarde the ende of the worlde he is here or there in the Closet Spence or Buttry Of these things nowe may be easily gathered how the wordes of the supper are to be vnderstanded We knowe that Christ reached breade to his Disciples and sayde This is my body But we say it is a sacramentall kind of speach whereby as is commonly seene the name of the thing signified is attributed to the signe After which sort Circumcision was called the couenant and the Easter feast the Passeouer Neyther obserue we this in this matter without cause for so the verity of Christs body enforceth vs wherof we haue already spoken And Christ himselfe in the Gospell of S. Iohn willing to take the grosse opinion of his flesh from his Disciples sendeth them to his ascention that there they might learne how his body coulde not substantially really be eaten but that they must vnderstand a spiritual eating which was by faith Looke the .vj. of Iohn I passe ouer many other things that might be sayde bicause I would not be to long in wordes It is our part to holde fast the plaine hystory of the ascention and with our harts lifted vp by faith to seeke Christ in heauen that wee may be fed euerlastingly with the vertue and merite of his flesh and bloude But let vs returne to the Aungels whose wordes haue in them a marueylous comfort For as they blame the grosse opinion of the Disciples desiring the bodily presence of Christ so they comfort them with the promise of his last comming This same Iesus say they which is taken vp from you shall so come as you haue seene him go hence The Aungels promyse a visible comming of christ And any comming inuisible beside that which is by his holy spirite the Scripture knoweth not That is a visible comming which we professe in the articles of our faith in which he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead Many things are saide in the scripture touching this comming
them powers or vertues least he might seeme to haue any affinitie with Iuglers For the things which the Euangelistes write of him he did verilye and in deede and of his owne power as Luke plainely testifieth where he sayeth vertue or power went from him whereby the sicke were healed And himselfe sayth in another place power or vertue went from him when he healed the woman that was sicke of the bloudy fluxe Then he calleth Christes workes woonders bicause they exceeded the common course of nature and drewe the mindes of the beholders into an admiration and amazednesse But bicause the things whose causes we know not are oftentimes taken for woonders when in deede they portende nothing at length he calleth the thinges that Christ did signes For the workes of Christ had a certaine ende which was to beare witnesse of his Godheade and of his office For by them he was knowne to be both the sonne of God and also he that was promised to be the redeemer of the worlde For the which cause he sent the disciples of Iohn to the consideration of his works And oftentimes he inculcateth his workes to the Iewes and vpbraydeth them so that the fault of their incredulitie is the greater The works sayth he that the father hath giuen me to finishe the same workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the father hath sent me Againe If I doe not the workes of my father beleue me not But if I doe and ye beleeue not mee beleeue the workes that ye may knowe and beleeue that the father is in me and I in him And againe If I had not done among them the woorkes which none other man did they should haue had no sinne Therfore Peter doth very wel to call the workes of Christ signes He sayth these signes were done amongest them and he calleth none other to witnesse the same but themselues to whome he preached which did see them And so he quippeth their greate waywardnesse and ingratitude which coulde not be mollified and ouercome with so many and so great benefites of Christ being so marueylous and woonderfull He also goeth about by the consideration hereof to bring them to the knowledge of Christes diuinitie wherof not long after he discourseth more largely For although he here say that God did these things by Christ yet it derogateth nothing from the power and diuinitie of Christ whereas he confesseth these workes are giuen him of the father and that the father and he be all one In these things we are taught the true knowledge of Iesus Christe He is very God and man in one vnseparable person Uerye God from euerlasting begotten of the father Man made of a woman when in the tyme appoynted he came into the worlde to be the redeemer of mankinde And we must well marke the difference of the natures to saye the diuine and humaine which neyther deuyde the vnitie of person nor by reason of the vnitie are confounded among themselues For the properties of bothe the natures remayne inuiolable whole and sounde according as the Euangelists teach vs in euery place For euen Christ himselfe which touching his diuinitie is all one with the father speaking of his manhoode confesseth his father to be greater than he And Christ in his humanitie or manhoode dyeth who in his diuinitie or godheade is subiect neyther to death ne yet to any other corruption Such an one doth the holy scripture teach vs euery where that Christe is For whome the Prophetes call the ofspring and sonne of Dauid the same they vse also to call the father of eternitie our Lorde and our god And whome they prophecie shoulde be borne in Bethlehem his progresse and outgoing they confesse to haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting Yea the Lorde himselfe speaking of Christ sayth Aryse O thou sworde vpon my shepehearde and vppon the man which is my fellow or as some interprete it my coequall In the which words the two natures of Christ are more cleerely to be seene than the day For God calleth him Virum that is a very man and also testifieth that he is his coequall Manye other testimonies might be brought to this purpose if neede so were which they that reade the scriptures maye euerye where see On these things rest the first articles of our fayth and beliefe in christ For we protest that we beleeue in the onely begotten sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ which was conceyued by the holy ghost borne of the virgin Marie and so foorth To the declaration whereof all those things serue that are written in the Euangelistes concerning the mysterye of his incarnation See Luke 1. 2. Iohn 1. Math. 1. It shall be profitable for vs to holde fast the knowledge of both natures in Christ bicause that vppon these dependeth the office of Christ and the certaintie of our saluation For where it is manifest that he is both God and man we certainly beleeue that he is a mediatour betweene God and man bicause such ought to be the condition of a sequester or mediatour that he may be accepted of both the parties at variance But the infirmity of man was not able to abyde the rigour and maiestie of Gods iustice no more than the iustice of God alloweth mans righteousnesse which is nothing Therefore Iesus Christ was founde out who being the sonne of God of the same eternitie and substance with God was made man and ioyned both the natures so togither in one person that by his meane we haue a peace renued with God and a free entrance prepared to the throne of grace His merite the father can not deny bicause he is both his beloued sonne and also free himselfe from all sinne and wickednesse To him also maye we safelye trust considering he hath experience of our infirmities and knoweth howe to haue compassion on vs Wherevnto Paule had a respect saying We haue not an high Priest which cannot haue compassion on our infirmities but was in all poyntes tempted lyke as we are but yet without sinne Agayne Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of fleshe and bloude he himselfe also lykewise tooke part with them that through death he myght vanquishe him that had Lordship ouer death that is to say the deuill and that he myght deliuer them which through feare of death were all theyr lyfe time subdued vnto bondage For he in no place taketh on him the Angels but the seede of Abraham taketh he on him Wherefore in all things it became him to be made lyke vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that it came to passe that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour thē also that are tempted The consideration of these things might teach men how they dote which leaue this only mediatour Iesus Christ and turne
Where is the promise of his comming 66â— 1. IOan 2. Let the same abyde in you which you heard from the beginning 129.588 3. Now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what wee shall bee 540 4. Greater is he that is in you then hee that is in the world 353 4. Here in is loue not that wee loued God. 531 APocaly 3. The Epistle to those of Laodicca 660 14. Blessed are the dead whiche dye in the Lord. 313 20. The Sea shall gyue vp hir dead which are in hir 313 21. There shal bee new Heauens and a newe earth 175 22. Woorship God. 260 FINIS The first chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The first Homelie IN the former treatise deare THEOPHILVS we haue spoken of all that IESVS began to doe and teach vntill the daye in which hee was taken vp after that hee through the holye Ghost had giuen commaundements vnto the Apostles whom he had chosen GReat is the prayse of Hystorie though but prophane for that the wysest men haue called hir the witnesse of tymes the light of truth the life of remembrance the Maystresse of lyfe and the Messenger of Antiquitie yet certaine it is that these titles may be applyed to no Hystorie more deseruedly and truely than to the Hystorie contayned in the Bookes of the olde and newe Testament which the holy Ghost hath deliuered vnto the Church For this Hystorie bringeth vs an exact an infallible account of the tymes from the first beginning of the worlde vnto the birth of Iesus Christ which account with other wryters is founde vncertayne and deceytfull This Hystorie is not onely the light but also the touchstone whereby the writinges and credite of all other Hystoriographers ought to be tryed This Hystorie conserueth vs the memorie of things done in very deede and which in very deede appertayne to our â—aluation And those things which lye hidden in the â—ecrete closets of reuerend antiquitie she most truely reporteth vnto vs and maystresse of life shee onely and none other ought to be called For she layeth before vs the examples not onely of vices and vertues and the chaungeable occurrences of the worlde by the which we may learne how to â—rame this present life but taking hir flight yet higher she giueth preceptes of eternall saluation of the soule shee reuealeth the holy will of God shee layeth before vs presidents of Gods promises and threates shee describeth the iudgement of God against the disobedient and declareth his protection and tuition wherewith hee defendeth those that worship him And to conclude shee setteth before vs to beholde as in a glasse all the nature and propertie of God that euery man may see what an one he vouchsafeth 〈◊〉 be â—o vs what maner of ones he requireth vs againe to be towardes him Which things vnlesse we imprint in our mindes we traueyle in all other hystories but in vaine which may delight vs with vaine ioye but are not able to enflame our mindes with the loue of true vertue and holy religion But amongst the volumes of holy Scripture that make mention and report of things done I thinke there is none extant the reading and knowledge whereof is eyther more profitable or necessarye than this which is entituled the Actes of the Apostles For to say nothing of Luke the Author hereof whose prayse is in the Gospell which was present almost at all the things done for the holy scripture inspired of God needeth not the authoritie or prayse of man such is the dignitie and maiestie of the things comprised in this Booke that if the same be not able to allure mooue any man to esteeme and loue the woorke in vayne shalt thou go about by humane reason to perswade him Amongst the which thinges we will intreate presently of those which containe the argument summe of the whole narration or discourse And first of all Luke descrybeth the beginning proceeding and successe of that kingdome which Christ hath in thys worlde whereof appeareth in the Prophets many things foreshewed and tolde For Dauid testifieth that Christ is declared a King by God his Father whose inheritaunce sayth hee are all the Nations of the earth and who also shall rule the Islandes Zacharie prophecieth that the boundes of hys kingdome should stretch from sea to sea In Daniel it is called the Mountayne that shoulde fill the worlde wherevnto all the thinges are to be referred written in other Prophetes by these wordes In the latter dayes it will be that the hill where the house of the Lord is buylded shall be the chiefe among hilles and exalted aboue all little hilles I passe ouer diuers things for prolixitie which might be alleaged to this purpose But if thou wouldest search these thinges in the Hystorie of Iesu Christ written by the Euaungelistes thou shouldest finde little or nothing answerable to such honorable Oracles For they describe Christ to be lowly poore and subiect to the iniuries and reproches of euery man and who after an infinite sort of calamities abode most shamefull death on the crosse Further they shewe the borders of his kingdome to haue bene very narrow and straite for that the misteries of the same were vnderstanded but of very few But if thou wilt pervse this Booke by by whatsoeuer the Prophets haue prophecied of the same shall appeare to be most true For he that seemed despised and a man of no estimation by his glorious ascention into heauen hath triumphed ouer the Deuill and all his enimies sitteth on the right hande of hys father from thence sendeth the holy Ghost before promysed to his Apostles wherewith they being inflamed beginne to preache Christ and not content within the borders of Iurie are dispersed amonge the Gentiles and amongst them by the playne and simple preaching of the Gospell spredde the kingdome of Christ both farre and neare so that Christ stretcheth his kingdome from sea to sea and the Islandes of the sea beginne to acknowledge him to be theyr King and by the ministerye of the Apostles it commeth to passe that all nations and people flocke vnto this Mountayne exalted aboue all Mountaynes yea reigning in heauen which thing Christ a few dayes before his death prophecied should come to passe in these wordes When I shall be lyft vp from the earth I will drawe all people vnto mee And this is so euident an argument of the kingdome of Christ and of his power that there can be none more euident For no Prince were he neuer so mightie coulde so quickly chaunge the fashion of the whole world as the Apostles in few yeres did being but abiects and contemned persons and by the spirit of Christ woorking in them graffed in the hartes of men a newe and before that time vnknowne desire of fayth and christian religion Except therfore this Booke were extant the truth of the kingdome of Christ and the maiestie therof should appeare eyther
once for all into that very Sanctuary to saye into heauen with hys true body and bloude which he tooke of vs that he might there appeare before God for our sinnes and appease the wrath of god Hitherto appertayneth it that Paule sayth Christ is not entred into a sanctuarye made with handes but into heauen it selfe that he myght appeare now before God for vs. Againe Christ being an high Priest of good thinges to come came by a greater and a more perfect Tabernacle not made with handes that is to saye not of this building neyther by the bloude of Goates and Calues but by his owne bloud he entred in once into the holye place and founde eternall redemption Of the which we gather that Christ after he had perfourmed the things he came to doe on earth entred into heauen to accomplish that which remayned there to be done that is to place himselfe there a Mediatour intercessour and aduocate for vs Wherevnto all those thinges are to be referred that are written in the Scripture touching the office of an Intercessor and aduocate And here is no small fruite of Christes ascention For as often as the conscience of our sinnes troubleth vs and that we thinke heauen is shut a gainst vs by reason of our sinne so often we may flie to the consideration oâ— the ascention as to a most safe sanctuarye and be assured that he is in heauen which maketh intercession for vs who by reason of his merite couereth our vncleanesse and reconcileth vs vnto god Iohn the Apostle teacheth vs the same in these wordes Little children I write these thinges vnto you to th ende you shoulde not sinne But if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous And Paule sayth Who shall be able to charge the elect of God with sinne It is God that iustifieth who is it that condemneth It is Christ that is deade yea rather that is risen againe who is also on the right hande of God and maketh intercession for vs. Moreouer bicause the Apostles as yet perceyued not these things therfore being astonied with Christes sodeyne departure looked wishely vp into heauen missed his bodily presence which they were woont to haue it behooued they should be more fully instructed Therfore Angels clothed in white garments appeared to them which spake to them on this wyse You men of Galiley why stande you looking vp into heauen The same IESVS which is taken from you vp into heauen shall so come euen as you haue seene him go into heauen There is in these wordes first a reprehension and then a singular comfort and consolation Wee therfore will speake of ech of them as much as this place shall require The beginning of their saying seemeth to haue in it some reprehension You men of Galiley say they why stand you looking vp into heauen Here the Aungels accuse not onely the deede of the Disciples but also the affection and ignorance of their minds For the Apostles therfore lift vp their eyes into heauen bicause they sawe Christ was taken vp in the Clowde And the Aungels denie it not but rather confesse that it so was They were worthy of reprehension that being so often admonished of Christes departure and instructed so often with promises that they should haue the holy ghost would yet desire to haue Christs bodily presence and seeke him both with minde and sight after a sort wayte that he should come downe againe vnto them This therfore the Angels reprehende as if they should saye what ignorance grossenesse of hart is this of yours why marueyle you still at Christes departure Hearde you not before how he must thus depart Hath he not promised you the holy ghost to be your comforter and tutor why therfore wayte you not for him and let passe this bodily presence vntill the daye he shall come in the glory of the father to iudge the quicke and the dead as you may remember he tolde you before this And if we conferre the wordes of the Aungels with the things spoken a little before in the storye of the Ascention it shall appeare as cleare as day that there ought no such bodilye presence of Christ Iesu to be established on the earth from henceforth as they feyne which saye that the body of Christ which was borne of the virgin Marie which honge on the crosse which was buried is eaten in the supper corporally substantially and really handled with the hands of the faithful They see that the hystory of the ascention maketh against this grosse opinion and therefore they make of it a disparition or vanishing away as before I sayde Further they abuse the places of the Scripture First they alledge the wordes of Paule Christ is ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Wherevpon they gather that the condicion of his body being chaunged is spred ouer all places as well supernall as infernall and so he filleth all things with his body Then flying to his diuinitie by reason thereof they saye it must needes be that his humane nature should be euery where likewyse bicause it is vnited and knitte with the Diuine And they thinke they haue founde Gordius knot whyle they say such is the coniunction of the natures that it can not be sundred by death howe much lesse then can this grosse distance of places separate it They haue also the promises of Christ whereby they thinke their opinion confirmed For these be his wordes Where two or three bee gathered in my name there am I in the middest of them Agayne I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde They ioyne to these the wordes of the supper and crie out till they be hoarce againe This is my body which they make also wordes of promise as though Christ by them had promised a reall and substantiall presence of his bodye But the answere is easie to all these As touching the place of Paule we will not dispute of the heauens after the maner of the Philosophers We knowe that Aristotle appoynteth no place without the compasse and circle of the heauens But it is not lawfull to rest vpon the authorite of an heathen man when matter of fayth is in question Paule speaketh of the heauens that be aboue vs and bicause they be accounted among the parts of the world and shall melt in the fire of the last day he sayth that Christ is ascended aboue them to testifie that he is now out of the circuite of this corruptible worlde and taken into that place which from euerlasting was appoynted for the elect and is subiect to no decay or destruction Therfore the more they vrge that Christ is ascended aboue all heauens thereby it appeareth the more hee is gone forth of the worlde Paule addeth to fulfill all thinges which they expounde of Christes body bicause they will shew themselues grosse and foolishe inough For who seeth not
shall haue no occasion to complaine or finde fault with god Great comfort we maye gather hereof if we marke the difference betwixt the afflictions of the godly and vngodly For the one bicause they neyther can nor will repent haue no ende of their afflictions but eternall torments in hell remayne for them But to the other they be as the rod of a father wherwith they are quickened to amende their liues to bee zealous in fayth to be feruent in godlynesse and to be desirous of Gods worde and the ende and vse of them is that none should perish with the vnhappy worlde So the things that are written touching the troublesome state and calamities of the later times serue for all ages For they feare the wicked with threates that they maye vnderstande what to hope for bicause of their contempt of Christ and his Gospell And the godlye be admonished by them of their duetie hauing warning of his will strengthen their mindes against the offence that riseth of such aduersitie But returne we to the place of the Prophete In the thirde and last part of this place he sheweth a remedie against these calamities and the way how we may escape and auoyde them And Peter would not omit that part bicause the Iewes might see that the same way of saluation in times past was shewed by the Prophetes which he nowe preached And this is a great argument of Gods goodnesse which in the middest of aduersities so fauourably sheweth the way howe to auoyde them For looke how terrible the things are which go before the state of the later dayes so pleasant and comfortable are the things that follow after For the Prophete sayth And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lorde shall be safe This is a most notable and verye euangelike sentence the which Paule also vsed to beate downe the righteousnesse of the lawe and of workes And in this present place Peter taketh occasion of the same sentence more at large to discourse of christ We will briefely speake of such things as are to be considered in the same First he sheweth that there is saluation and deliuerye by inuocation which the Scriptures with great consent teach to be due vnto God onely Ergo in our selues there is no hope of saluation or deliuerye For if there were any strength in our selues to saue vs by it were an absurde thing to seeke saluation otherwheres And the saluation also which is shewed vs to be in God without our selues we cannot attayne vnto through our owne power and abilitie For we haue neede to vse inuocation and prayer which are due to none but to him in whose meere kindenesse and liberalitie we put our trust For he that is perswaded he hath deserued any thing vseth no intreatie or prayers but law and right in requiring those things which are due vnto him It is manifest therefore that both saluation is to bee founde in God onely and that the same is the meere and free gift of his liberalitie and that we must labour to obtaine the same by prayers and continuall inuocation This done he setteth forth the maner howe we shoulde inuocate him wherein manye are perplexed and much in doubt For there be some that vnderstande well ynough how all saluation is in God onely But they suppose by reason of their sinnes they are debarred from the maiestie of God and therefore eyther they abstayne altogither from inuocation as vnprofitable and superfluous or else they exercise it to coldely and without faith But to these the Prophete proponeth not only the Lorde but the name of the Lord to be inuocated But what name of the Lord shall we say this is Is it any peculiar name consisting of letters and sillables wherby as we see in the names of other things the nature of God his disposition and all his properties be comprised I will think no man so simple as that he supposeth the euerlasting incomprehensible infinite and vnspeakable essence and nature of God can be comprehended in a fewe of letters Therefore that is called the name of God after the maner of men that setteth forth God to vs to be knowne as farre as is possible And hereto are to be referred whatsoeuer things are spoken of his maiestie veritie iustice goodnesse wisedome grace power mercye and all his whole nature And bicause these things be moste euidently seene in Christe onely which is the expresse ymage of God the father and the brightnesse of his glory coeternall with him and consubstantiall therfore he may well be called the name of God in whom all inuocation ought to be made For he was seene in the flesh and hath reuealed to vs whatsoeuer things are meete for vs to know concerning God. God also hath made him an Aultare and propitiatory for vs in whome we offer to him prayers and all kinde of worship To him hath God borne witnesse from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased And by him is there an entraunce for vs vnto the throne of grace as the Apostle teacheth Therefore all that will inuocate God are sent vnto him both that they might beleeue God to be suche an one as he is declared in Scripture to be and also desire of him to be saued and hearde for Iesus Christes sake This reprooueth our righteousnesse and teacheth vs that we are voyde of all merites before god For if in our prayers we haue neede of anothers helpe which vnlesse they be offered by Christe are not allowed of God what hope shall be left vs all our life after if Christ be taken from vs But bicause he is comprehended by fayth it is meete our prayers shoulde proceede of faith and of such a fayth as certainely beleeueth that we for Christes sake are accepted with god Hereof sprang that auncient vsage of the Church where all prayers for the most part are concluded with the name of Iesus christ For the holy fathers well knewe the saying of Christ No man commeth to the father but by mee Also this same doth recreate with marueylous comfort mens myndes that are afrayde with the conscience of their sinnes For although we see our selues such as are vnworthy whom God should doe for and whome he should mercifully heare yet a most certaine and an infallible trust riseth in our mindes which maketh vs to think that Iesus Christ is ours and that we shall be hearde of God bicause of our faith in him And this is that true inuocation which Christ himselfe teacheth to consist in the spirite and in truth For fayth springing in vs of the holye ghost leadeth our mindes and spirites into the contemplation of god And bicause it breedeth in vs a sure trust of the grace of God our prayers cannot bee feyned but are a most true testimony of our faith and hope Wherefore the Prophete promiseth vs a most excellent fruite in
spirite for diuers weightie causes vrged Peter to paint them out by these names First where they despised the faith of Abraham which only maketh vs the children of God and in the meane season chalenged to themselues the names of his children they ought not to be taken for any such Next bicause their authoritie was great with all men for that they were in an office long before appointed of God and gloried in that they successed most holye men it was needefull they should be reprooued and knowne vnto all men for swarâ—ers from them least anye man should be deceyued with their glorious styles and vaunt of their succession Therefore Peter doth wisely godlily and boldly in calling them a naughty and peruerse generation For in so doing he both admonisheth vs that they ought to be auoyded and putteth the simple out of feare and doubt which thought it an heynous matter openly to forsake them By Peters example we also in these dayes are taught what to doe A great many suppose a bare and simple knowledge of the truth is sufficient whereof they vse marueylously to glory â–ª amonge those that are desirous of the truth And yet they are still conuersaunt with the wicked and with the professed enimies of Christ yea they keepe company with the authors of false doctrine and can not abide that the Ministers of the Gospell should openly reprooue them But it is plaine that Peter the Apostle was of a farre other iudgement who would haue the faithful separate themselues from the wicked and feareth not to note deceyuours by the name of an vntowarde generation contrary to the common opinion of all the people He tooke example of Christ so to doe which euery where biddeth vs to eschue false teachers and teacheth vs that their company is pernicious and hurtfull The same the other Apostles also did as it is manifest which thought not they had done their dutie to point at the false teachers of their dayes with their fingers but also warned vs of them whome by inspiration of the holy spirite they knewe shoulde come in the later age of the worlde whereof we haue testimonies 1. Timoth. 4. 2 Timoth. 3. and .4 2. Thess. 2. 1. Iohn 2. and .4 Therefore whosoeuer hath in these dayes the ministery of the Gospell committed to him let him imitate the faithfulnesse and diligence of these men Bicause it is euident the sheepe are so foolishe that they can scarse beware of the Woolfe when they are warned yea for hope of a little lucre they will creepe into the mouthes of them Let them therefore paint out in their colours and terme by their true and proper names all these deceyuers and take no regarde to them which for priuate gaine hold with them Let other also learne to obey their faythfull aduertisementes and to flie the professed enimies of Christ whose company if they auoyde not they can not be taken for the members of christ Let them at the least be mooued with feare of the daunger which we knowe hangeth both ouer their heades and them that follow them For they that refuse to come forth of Babilon the mother of whoredome shal taste of those plagues also which the Lorde hath ordeyned for hir We haue therefore Peters counsell touching the waye of saluation wherevnto Luke ioyneth the notable successe that followed thereof For he sayth that they that gladlye embraced his preaching were baptized and the same day there were added vnto them about three thousande soules The godly writer in marueylous breuitie comprehendeth a great matter For here is fulfilled that that Christ sayde vnto Peter when he was called to be an Apostle Hereafter thou shalt take men on lyue For he which a little before was but a rude fisher letting slippe the nette of the Gospell bringeth three thousande people vnto the obedience of the faith in Christ who both gladly receyued his preaching and willingly continued in the same This place teacheth vs two things very needefull to be knowne First we learne that godly and faithfulfull ministers doe neuer preach the worde of God in vaine although many things seeme to stoppe and hinder the course thereof This the Lorde witnesseth by his Prophete Lyke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither agayne but watreth the earth maketh it fruitefull and greene that it maye giue corne to the sower and breade to him that eateth so the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne agayne voyde vnto mee but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it We haue in this matter a moste manifest example hereof where we maye also see things that might hinder the profite and fruite of Gods worde A people of nature rebellious and stubborne such as Moyses the Prophetes describe and set forth As many as were of any power authoritie wâ—â—e enimies to the doctrine Great daunger and perill in receyuing the doctrine of the Gospell bicause before this as many as followed Christ were excommunicated The Apostles were rude contemned and despised persons yet the worde of the moste high God driuen lyke a shower or storme with hys winde or breath which as Christ sayth bloweth where it liketh bursteth through all these stoppes and impediments This ought to comfort vs in this age that we despayre not of Christes Church and the successe therof notwithstanding we see so diuers enterprises and attemptes euery where busily bent and ment against the same Next we are taught what the nature of faith is and what the propertie of Gods elect people is For here are two thinges ascribed vnto them One is that they gladly embraced Peters sermon For where the mindes of those that beleeue are drawne with the spirite of God they streyght way knowe his voyce and the chiefe shepeheards and follow it Neither haue they any greater pleasure than in the study of the worde of God wherein they vnderstande that that most mercifull father and the onelye author of saluation talketh with them The other is that Luke sayeth they continued in the same which is as necessarie a propertie as the first For Christ sayeth He that abydeth vnto the ende shall be safe But hee that setteth his hande to the plough and looketh backwarde is not meete nor woorthy of the kingdome of God. If we compare these thinges with the maners of our age it wyll easily appeare how vnhappy an age it is For with many and continuall sermons can very fewe be woonne vnto christ And we maye see euen in them that haue professed Christ eyther a negligent contempt of Gods worde or else some detestable lightnesse whereby vpon euery trifling occasion they dishonestly starte from the truth that they haue knowne and professed But let vs returne to Luke which in fewe words setteth out the forme of the primitiue Church the maners the rites and the exercises of the same the chiefe
she was guiltie But where without all care and boldly she dareth to lye she prooueth by a strong argument that she is altogither incurable â–ª For what goodnesse may a man there hope for where shame is banished wherewith honest natures as it were with a bridle are kept in doing their dutie In the meane season Sapphira expresseth a confident audacitie which is the peculiar propertie of hypocrites For whome feare they that haue minded to beguyle God and are not afrayde of his sight â–ª Wherefore the Scripture by many examples prooueth that that there is nothing more bolde and confident than hypocrisie And where open sinners for the most part fall downe at the first worde that God speaketh and are afrayde to come in his sight Hypocrites dare euen then vaunte of their integritie perfection when they feele their consciences wounded layd open before the iudgement of god Caine sheweth vs an example of this thing who being asked for Abel his brother durst malapertly answere God say who hath made me my brothers keeper And in the Prophete the Hypocrytes expostulate with God as being to wayward where they saye wherefore fast we and â—hou seest vs not wee put our liues to straightnesse and thou regardest vs not Againe It is but lost labour to serue God what profite haue we for keeping his commaundementes and for walking humbly before the Lorde of hostes What shall we saye of Iudas the Traytour who when he knewe Christ was not ignoraunt of his wickednesse and perceiued he was grieuously rebuked and reprehended yet with the other Apostles he dare to aske Christ whether he suspect him of so great an offence And Sapphiras confidence is as great considering there were so many examples that declared the Apostles were inspired with the holy ghost It is very profitable to marke well these thinges that through their boldenesse and temeritie hypocrites beguile vs not or by their wicked sayings put vs of But let vs returne vnto Peter who by inspiration of the holy spirite vnderstandeth this fraude and guyle and suffreth himselfe not to be mooued with this womanish and hypocriticall boldenesse but pronounceth the sentence of God which the same spirite put in his minde agaynst hir which consisteth of two partes The first accuseth and reprooueth hir sinne For God punisheth no person but first conuict of his sinne that he may vnderstande wherefore he is punished Howe commeth it to passe that you haue agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde He amplifyeth the boldenesse and heynousnesse of the fact by admiration and interrogation and he sayth they haue conspired togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde But if a man woulde haue asked Ananias or Sapphira of this their doing I beleeue they woulde haue earnestly denyed they had had any such meaning But it maketh no matter what iudgement we haue of our sinnes for they are examined after the rule of Gods lawe And bicause these two maried folke went about to beguyle the congregation in whome the spirite of God is resident and reigneth it cannot be denied but through wicked temeritie they tempted the spirite of god Therefore by their hypocriticall wilynesse they sinned against the lawe which forbiddeth to tempt god And they are lymed with the same fault which go about in these dayes to beguyle the Church of Christ with counterfayting of fayth and holynesse who also shall well find that God will not let them go vnpunished for their tempting of him And least Sapphira might be excused by the authoritie and commaundement of hir husbande Peter first accuseth the consent that was betweene them and by that argument taketh from hir all excuse Where we learne that no man must consent to euill men if he will escape the iudgement of God no not to those which haue authoritie ouer vs giuen them of god For the man had power giuen him ouer his wife when it was sayde to Eue Thy lust shall pertayâ—e to thy husbande and hee shall haue the rule ouer thee And the Apostles commaunde wiues to be obedient vnto their husbandes But Sapphira is blamed for this onely that she consented to hir husbande who craftily withhelde a part of the money which he woulde seeme to haue giuen to the church Therfore the sinne that is committed against the lawes of God can be excused by no authoritie or commaundement of man bicause we must obeye God rather than man as Peter before had sayde and shall be repeated agayne in this Chapter Nowe if it be not lawfull to consent to their sinâ—es which haue power ouer vs by the ordinaunce of God what sâ—all become of those which allowe and defende not onely with consent of minde but by vnlawfull company and publike prayse the wickednesse of them whose companie they maye altogither forbeare yea which by the lawes of God they ought to forbeare To say nothing of them which are companions with them in their traueyle and daungers and helpe them forwarde in their mischieuousnesse The other part of Gods sentence pronounced by Peter conteyneth the punishment which Sapphira had with hir husbande Beholde sayeth he the feete of them which buried thy husbande bee ready at the doore to carye thee out And by and by she fell downe deade at Peters feete and was caried forth and buried by hir husbande This is the tenour of Gods iustice that they which commit like fault are punished with like punishment as he testifieth in the Prophete saying Should I not punishe these things and should I not be auenged of all such people as these be Hereof ought a generall rule to be taken which must extende to all sinnes and wickednesse For he that in times past reuenged most seuerely the oppression of the poore vniust violence tyrannie vsurie slaughter adulterie whoredome and such like he will punishe the same in vs at this day except we repent as be commeth Christians Yet the chiefe ende and meaning of this place is that we should learne what remayneth for them which vnder the pretence of Christ seeke their owne lucre and dare deceyue the Church It seemeth sometimes that the worlde laugheth vpon them but their felicitie is not stable and they long enioye not their goodes wrongfully gotten For the gladnesse of the vngodly is quickly ended and the ioy of hypocrites continueth but the twinkling of an eye We haue also an example hereof in Iudas the Traytor who when he thought he had best prouided for his owne behoofe and seemed to haue bene in high fauour with the Bishops feeleth in himselfe such seueritie of Gods iustice that it driueth him to the halter so that he coulde long enioye neyther his lyfe nor his money which was dearer to him than his lyfe And God graunt that a number in these dayes taste not of the lyke punishment which vnder colour of the Gospell haue sought nothing else but the spoyle and possession of the Church goods We haue
power of this worlde is but vayne if it be compared with christ For this Agrippa that in short space had clymed by prosperous successe to such heyght of power and dignitie which had escaped the cruell handes of Tyberius and marueylously defeated the craftes of Herodes Antipas assoone as he beganne to encounter with Christ dyed most miserably as we shall heare in the ende of the Chapter The like was seene in Iulian who where he had bene a most prosperous warryer sodeinly lost both his Empyre and his lyfe when he begun once to set on Christ whom he vsed in scorne to call Galileyan We haue like examples in our dayes which we ought diligently to consider that we be not offended at the power and force of Christes enimies For he is stronger and of more power that is on our side And they shall in all ages feele the yron scepter of Christ that will not be ruled by his wholesome rede and discipline Thirdly it behooueth vs to search out the causes of this deuised persecution whereof Luke toucheth the one after a darke sort but the other he declareth plainely First he sayth that Herode stretched out his handes to vexe certaine of the congregation And bicause he maketh mention of the Church which in poyntes of religion had deuided themselues from the residue of the Iewes it seemeth that Agrippa was incensed against them as authors of schisme For tyrants can away with no likelyhoode of schisme be it neuer so little among their subiects not for that they delight so much in peace but for that they feare their state which they know standeth in great hazard through schisme and discention Which is the cause that though they be voyde of all religion yet they seeke to haue in their Realmes an vniforme consent in religion For the craftie men well knowe that there is nothing of more efficacie to deuyde the mindes of men than diuersitie and vnlikenesse of religion There be examples of both these in the Scriptures Ieroboam to the intent that the tenne Trybes ouer whome he had gotten to be King shoulde not be reconciled agayne to the house of Dauid deuised newe maners of religion And Antiochus bicause he woulde stablishe his Empyre commaunded one forme of religion to be vsed ouer all his Prouinces In the meane season we haue to note diligently howe the onely worshippers of truth most commonly are counted for schismatykes where as yet there are none other people more ledde with the desire of true vnitie and whereas there springeth no ranker encrease of sects than of superstition Among the Iewes were the sects of Phariseys Sadduceys Essenes and others of like heare And yet Agrippa layd hands on none of these Only the Church of Christ as the mother of deuision suffreth persecution We haue seene the like euen in our dayes For who is ignorant of the innumerable most diuers sectes of Monkes wherby Christendome now many ages hath bene deuided But which of the Popes or Emperors or kings hath called them schismatikes although they both professed a diuers name and also diffred from other men in apparell rytes and other ceremonies Yea such were defended by the Popes authoritie and made of Kinges priuie counsayles But assoone as the right fayth set forth by the sincere doctrine of the Gospel put vp hir head by and by were hearde euerywhere the horrible names of Heretikes sectaries and schismatikes For where truth only most strongly ouerthroweth the kingdome of Satan he cannot abyde that they which haue heretofore liued in darknesse and yeelded them to his gouernement should imbrace hir In the meane while they crie out and say peace and tranquilitie is disturbed and can suffer any thing in their Realmes rather than the peace of Christ. The other cause which more prouoked Herode raging of his owne selfe Luke plainely expresseth where he sayeth Seeing that it pleased the Iewes he tooke Peter also â–ª This new king therfore thought to picke a thank of the Iewes who he knew of nature could not awaye with seruitude and yet bare great hatred vnto Christes religion In this example are the condicions of tyrants trimly declared whose propertie it is to establishe their tyrannie with the bloude of harmelesse menne For the bloude of the poore is not deare in their sight as the Prophete testifyeth of the good King. But they playe for mennes heads as it were at the dyce if they thinke any gayne lyke to come by their deathes So we reade that Augustus sometime purchased Antonius fauour with Cicero his heade And Pylate bicause he woulde gratifye Herodes Antipas sent Christ vnto him and to get the good will of the people of Iewes adiudged him to dye on the crosse whose innocencie he had tryed by many argumentes by this meanes purposing to winne their good willes agayne whome he had many wayes grieuouslye offended And there want not lyke examples in these days For they which persecute the doctrine of Christ and his Disciples to haue the friendship of the Popes Byshops doe rightly imitate Agrippa And that that we reade L. Flamineus did sometyme beheadding a certayne man for his Concubines sake and pleasure the same nowe a dayes among Princes is a common thing for the whoore of Babylons sake not onely to behead and burne but also to make horible warres agaynst the professours of Christian doctrine Here let it comfort vs that wee haue God the reuenger of our cause who as he destroyed the Iewes burning in deadly hatred against Christ so hath he after horrible sortes reuenged their vnrighteousnesse which went about to redeeme the good will of a wicked Nacion with the bloude of his saints They shall fynde the lyke iudgement that at this day dare persecute Christ for this most wicked worldes sake We shall haue more commoditie to speake of these thinges in the ende of the Chapter where Luke reporteth the horrible ende of Herode Fourthly is declared what this great king attempted and did against the Church of christ And there are two wicked deedes of his declared wherby he hath purchased himselfe a perpetuall ignominie and blot of name First is his beheading of Iames the brother of Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist He was one of the chiefe among the Apostles For him and Iohn his brother and Peter did Christ vse more familiarly than the other when hee tooke him as a witnesse of the myracle of Iairus daughter raysed agayne and woulde haue him a beholder of his glorification He was for his feruent zeale of godlynesse and vehemencie of speach called the sonne of thunder Yet God by his secret iudgement suffreth one of the chiefe of the number of the Apostles to be killed and such a worshipper of Christ to become a praye to a moste cruell tyraunt By which example is euidently declared that tribulations and shamefull deaths are not arguments of Gods wrath as the wicked vse to say which thinke it an
and trust which they did vse in the office committed vnto them For as we sawe in the ende of the Chapter before the Magistrates of Antioch so tooke against them by reason of the instigation of the Iewes that they were in daunger of their lyfe and were banished the coastes of Pisidia in shamefull wise Besides there were diuers thinges which might haue made them despaire of the Iewes saluation For they were not ignoraunt of the prophecies and threates of Christ which with one consent declared howe the kingdome of God shoulde be caryed to the Gentyles and they might manye wayes perceyue that the time of this forsaking was at hande And what I praye you might they hope for at their handes whome they sawe embrued with the bloude of the sonne of God and who did deadly hate the truth Yet go they on constantly executing the charge committed to them of the holy ghost least any shoulde perish through their sloth And no doubt but that saying rang in their eares which was sayde vnto Ezechiel If I saye vnto the wicked and vngodly man without doubt thou shalt die and thou giuest him not warning that he maye turne from his euill waye and so liue â–ª then shall the same vngodly man dye in his owne vnrighteousnesse but his bloude will I require at thy hande c. But let all men to whom God hath committed charge ouer any persons thinke that sayde vnto them that was sayde to the Prophete and which we see the Apostles obserued In which place Magistrates Parents and other such like are to be accounted All which must well beware that they let not the malice of menne ouercome them For although they whome they haue the charge of be incurable yet shall they receyue great profyte by their diligent study and endeuour if they doe deliuer but their owne soules Moreouer this is a notable example of Christian charitie that the Apostles so painefully and with such perill traueyle to bring a most enuious nation and like shortlye to perishe by reason of their incurable wickednesse vnto saluation For where charitie alway hopeth well they also hoped that some remnants might be saued as we see commeth to passe oftentimes in shipwrack Hereof commeth it that Paule so incessantly prayeth for them and wisheth to be accursed so that they might be saued The like affection we see in Christ who was mooued with all maner of pittie when he sawe them miserably dispersed like sheepe that had no shepehearde He wept also when he behelde that bloudie Ierusalem bicause he sawe they obstinatelye ranne into their owne destruction and woulde not knowe the daye of their visitation By these examples are those barbarous and grosse people reprooued who are touched so little with the calamitie of others or else so impotently ledde with the desire of priuate reuenge that for some fewes sake who haue iniuried them they will beare hatred to the whole Nation to say nothing of such who when they can alleage no cause of their hatred are yet of a certaine secrete corruption of nature driuen headlong with hatred reioyce at the miserie of others But how can they be the children of God which so farre differ from the nature and propertie of God For he desireth that men shoulde be saued and come to the knowledge of truth He vseth to spare whole Cities for a fewes sake that be good which Cities they desire to be destroyed for a fewes sake that be euill But the chiefe cause of this euill is for that we consider not as meete is the goodnesse of God towardes those that deserue a thousande deathes nor his promises which rewardeth them that earnestly doe their office and dutie Nowe let vs see what the Apostles gotte by this feruent proceeding of theirs that hereby they also may be refused which leaue of despayring they shall doe any good before they take the matter in hand They so spake sayth he that a great multitude both of the Iewes and Greekes beleeued Therefore the worde of God is neuer preached without fruite and euerywhere there are some founde which receyue it as they ought to doe so that it bringeth forth fruite as we haue oftentimes declared And God fayleth not for his part those that faithfully labour in his name For as Peter letting slippe his nettes at the Lordes bidding caught a great hale of fyshe hauing before taken nothing as long as he followed his owne heade so as manye as order their matters in the name of God and as he appoynteth them fynde greater commoditie of their labour than they looked for Therefore it must be attributed to our sloth and falshoode that so little good is done in these dayes For howe shoulde the Lorde with his helpe prosper them who hauing no regarde of his glory seeke onely their owne commoditie and neuer will aduenture to doe any thing for Gods name sake and for the saluation of all men â–ª Also it appeareth in this place as we haue often sayde that the enterprises of Christes enimies are in vaine and that his kingdome by persecutions is rather furthred than hindred The continuall course of the Actes of the Apostles declareth the same if we well regard it Let vs in these things acknowledge the wisedome of God and not despaire to soone of Christes kingdome seeing he can so prosperously defeate the deuises of his enimies Furthermore after this good successe Christes kingdome is afreshe persecuted so that a manne may see it is most true that Christ foreshewed concerning the wicked enterprises of the worlde and the traueyles and daungers of his Ministers It shall profyte our knowledge if we deepely weigh and consider all the circumstaunces of this newe tragedie First he nameth the beginners of the persecution euen the Iewes who not content with their owne incredulitie incensed the mindes of the Gentyles against their brethren who had professed Christ which coulde not be without slaundering of them And no doubt but they called them the authours and sowers of sedition and trouble forasmuch as we see the faythfull seruants of Christ haue in all ages bene charged with like crimes It is verily an horrible thing that the Iewes should conceyue such a cankred hate against the truth and they whome God in time past vsed to call his children and Priestly kingdome to be made the vngodly vesselles and instrumentes of wrath Lette no man therefore put his confydence in the worthynesse of forefathers or in any such prerogatiues but followe humilitie and reuerence God if they meane not to be throwne downe of God as they were let vs marke in this place who are the authors of tumultes and sedition Not they that beleeue the Gospell but they which refuse to beleeue it For the beleeuing labour to be at peace with all men as much as in them lyeth The other bicause they can not abide the light vse to bring the Ministers of the truth in suspition with the
and for that men woulde after the vsage of the Gentyles call the nature essence of God to the iudgement of mans reason Which error brought in the multitude of Gods and the grosse and absurde opinions that men had of them Of this followed another error that where they thought there were many Gods they iudged euery person and thing whereby they had any benefyte and commoditie to be a god Hereof it came to passe that they counted the starres of heauen the elementes beastes and men to be gods whose pedegrues tombes and monuments were to be seene vpon earth Now these false and counterfeite Gods must needes haue sacrifyces and worshippings Then were holy dayes deuised altars erected temples builded sacrifyces killed pictures and Images hong and set vp and infynite such like deuises of auncient superstition brought in Of all which thinges the Priestes were the Captaines and Ringleaders who by this stuffe sought their priuate honor and gayne And if now a man would compare the doings these many yeares among Christians with these thinges he shall fynde no difference betwene the olde and newe superstition more than that the names of the Goddes being chaunged the same rytes and sacrifyce are still retayned and the errour is so much the more detestable bicause vnder the pretence and name of them which willingly lost their liues for the glory of Christ the glory of God the father and of his Christ is defaced And the multitude of Priestes which hereby perceyued such plenty of gayne growing vnto them encreased the ignorance of the people But how much this doing offended the true worshippers of God Paules oration following abundantly sheweth Let vs learne to knowe God by the Scriptures to worshippe him in spirite and truth to call vppon him onely in our needes and distresses and to giue thankes to him onely when we be deliuered out of daungers in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxviij Homelie WHEN the Apostles Barnabas and Paule hearde this they rent their clothes and ranne in among the people crying and saying Sirs why doe you thus We are mortall men like vnto you and preach vnto you that you shoulde turne from these vanities vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth the sea and all things that are therein the which in times past suffred all nations to walke in their owne wayes Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he shewed his benefites from heauen giuing vs rayne and fruitefull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse And with the sayings scarce restrayned they the people that they had not done sacrifice vnto them MAn through the fall of sinne did not onelye lose his former dignitie wherein he was created but also had the light of his reason wherwith before he vsed to beholde God and his proceedinges so extinguished that he was not able by his owne capacitie and vnderstanding to attayne vnto the knowledge of those things that belonged vnto the spirite of god Which thing was the cause that he not onely deceyued himselfe through his owne imaginations but also perniciouslye abused those thinges that God had ordeyned whereby to bring him to knowledge Examples hereof appeare euerywhere in the hystories of all ages and this is one very notable that falleth out among these people of Lystra For Paule and Barnabas preach vnto them the Gospell of Iesus christ And no doubt but they vsed as great diligence in preaching to them as we reade they vsed in other places Besides their teaching they shewed a myracle wherby a certaine lame man was through the name and power of Christ restored to his limmes againe and so was it declared by the very deede selfe that Christ was such an one as the Apostles preached he was that is to say a most mightie restorer redeemer of mans decayed nature But what preuayled all these thinges with the men of Lystra which being destitute of the light of the holy ghost were led with the blinde reason of their fleshe They learne not to knowe Christ hereby They take no occasion by such a myracle to glorifye him But according to the nature and propertie of man taking holde of euery thing next them sticke onely in the Apostles woonder onely at them and thinke they ate the onely workers of the myracle and without anye regarde had vnto Iesus Christ prepare godly honor and sacrifyces for them And it had bene a tollerable thing if they of Lystra onely whome custome of Gentyle superstition had long bewitched had thus offended But the infection of this ensample ranne so farre that among the professours of Christes name the chiefe poynt of godlynesse and religion seemed to stande in like worshipping of Saintes vnto whome by reason of the myracles wrought by them in times past sicke persons prisoners men in daunger on the seas and otherwhere vsed to make their prayers to eâ—eâ—t altars to make 〈◊〉 and to builde Churches and to offer all kinde of sacrifyces hauing in the meane season little or no regard at all of Christes merit in whom only the Apostles and Martyrs shewed vs all hope of saluation The madnesse of these people deserueth more at large to be confuted But this present place is sufficient to confute them where it is declared howe the Apostles tooke this doing of the people of Lystra First he liuely describeth the Apostles gestures whereby they abundantly declared howe much this kinde of honor displeased them For they rent their garments after the maner of their Nation which was a gesture of those that tooke great griefe indignation by reason of some intollerable blasphemie as appeareth by the example of Ezechias and Caiaphas of the which Ezechias hearing the blasphemous sayings of Rabsaces the Chaldey declared his sorowe and indignation by this gesture and the other sitting as a Iudge vpon Christes cause did egregiously counterfeyte a minde abhorring blasphemie by the same gesture But the Apostles which vsed alwaye to preferre the glory of Christ before all priuate affections did not counterfeyte or dissemble in this place And being not satisfyed with tearing of their garments they leape into the throng of the people as menne ready to quench some publike fyre which they being straungers and forreners coulde not doe without daunger of their life Furthermore they goe not about their matters with bare wordes only but with crying out that a man woulde thinke they had forgotten all modestie and myldenesse being in their priuate cases knowne to be most modest and pacient Therfore by this example may be gathered what the nature of the godly is and with what feruencie of zeale they vse to striue for the glory of god It seemeth to them an intollerable blasphemie when men go about to giue vnto them or to any other creature any diuine honour They haue a carefull regarde vnto the couenaunt of God and to his lawe the chiefe and principall
intercession those promisses are ratified whereof wee should haue no vtilitie at all vnlesse he were the maintainer and defender of the couenaunt But bicause as well the diuine power of Christ as also the office whereunto his father appoynted him appeareth most euidently in the resurrection of the deade as Paule other wheres declareth he omitteth nowe the other Articles and taketh him to entreate only thereof as a thing cheefely appertaining to this present controuersie For by this it appeared both that Iesus Christ which rose againe from the deade was the aucthor of life and saluation and also the error of the Saduces which vtterly denied the resurrection was confuted For it is very like that this secte at that time did muche preuaile with many men and that diuers of Paules hearers were infected with the same For onlesse we graunte this Paule may seeme too importunate which asketh in angrye wise why it should seeme incredible to them that he saide God should raise the deade againe And vndoubtedly Paule intreated of all these things more at large and confirmed them with testimonies of scriptures But Luke doth but touch certaine breefe notes of euery thing to giue vs an occasion the more to meditate thereof And surely this place which the breuitie thereof maketh obscure will be moste plaine if a man woulde draw out therof the propositions or arguments which Paule as it is euident more at large handled Wherof this shal be the first Our controuersie is touching the hope of the promisse made by God vnto the fathers and of the whole meane of our saluation The seconde I teache that this hope consisteth in Iesus Christe onely which they constantly denie The third I proue by the resurrectioÌ„ of him which declared that he was both the sonne of God and the aucthor of life that all the meane of our life and saluation consisteth in Christe The fourth neither ought the resurrection of Christ to seeme incredible to any man for as much as it is a moste easie thing vnto God in the end of the world to raise all the dead againe as all the scriptures declare he shall doe This seemeth to me to be the order of Paules oration and the summe of al those things which hitherto haue ben spoken which if we consider it shall be very easie to explicate euery thing more at large Also by the enumeration of certaine principall poyntes he thought he wold make his hearers attent bicause they should not thinke that he contended with the Iewes about a trifle as Festus before had said In the meane season we haue to consider certaine common places falling out in this matter And first of all we be taught what the faith hope of all the Sainctes and of the whole church of God hath bene in al ages Uerily euen such as hath depended vpon Christ the sonne of God which became man for our sake and which beleeueth that all faithe and saluation consisteth in him only For this dothe Paule in this place call the hope of the promisse made sometime vnto the fathers But the Catholike faithe saithe that all the promisses are confirmed in Christ as Paule himselfe euery where confesseth specially in the first Chapter of the second to the Corinthians and in the tenth Chapter of the first to the same Corinthians where he wryteth that the condition of the fathers of the olde Testament was allone with oures so that he attributeth to them oursacraments also which are baptisme and the supper eueÌ„ as other wheres he attributeth to vs the passeouer and spirituall circumcision Howbeit these things shall more euideÌ„tly appeare if we consider the promisses of God which he made sometimes vnto the fathers Among these fathers Adam is the first who when hee was thrust out of Paradise into this vale of misery had none other hope of saluation giuen him than that which is in Christ only For the seede of the woman was promised vnto him whose heele the serpent should lie in wait to sâ—ing although in vaine for as much as that seede shuld crush and tread down the serpents head But Christ alone may be called the seede of the woman which without any commixtion of mannes seede toke fleshe of the virgin Marie The Deuill that olde Serpent lay craftely in waite against his heele that is to say against his humane nature and by his instruments brought to passe that he was slaine vpon the Crosse but to his owne vtter hinderance and destruction For heereby it came to passe that Christ when he died trade downe the head of the Diuell that is vanquished his rule and tirannie by the merite of his deathe and vtterly disarmed him of his force and draue him out of his kingdome But seeing there is no doute but that Adam beleeued this promisse for as muche as he chaunged his wiues name and called hir Heuâ— as which should bring foorth them that should lyue it is euident that he dyd put his whole hope and trust in Iesus Chryst alone which was that promised seede of the woman Therefore Adam was a christian man and beleeued that he and his posteritie should be deliuered and saued from the tyrannie of the Diuell through the merite of Chryst onely Paule in the .11 chapter to the Hebrues proueth most euideÌ„tly that Abel Enoch Noe and the other fathers as many as before the floud plesed god were of the same fayth After the floud we haue chiefly to consider Abraham with whom it pleased God to renue his couenant whom the scriptures cal the father of all those that beleeue Moyses and Paule beare witnesse that he beleeued God and howe that beleefe and fayth was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse What he beleeued all men knowe verily that the promise of God which sayde that in his seede all nations should be blessed and saued should be confirmed And that this seede was Chryst bothe Paule in the third to the Galathians and Chryst him selfe witnesseth For Chryst sayth Abraham reioyced to see my day and he sawe it and was glad This is to be vnderstanded of the contemplation and sight of fayth onely Whervppon we gather that Abraham also was stayed vp by fayth onely in Chryst and at length saued Touching his ofspring and issue Isahac and Iacob what needeth it to speake seeing it is manyfest that the promises made vnto the father are so oftentimes repeated vnto them yea Iacob when he lay a dying preached to his children touching the sauiour that was promised and playnely expresseth his comming And if we consider Moses it shal appeare that he also had his respecte vnto Chryst onely He sendeth the people of Israell vnto him whereas he promiseth them a great Prophet which al men were bound to heare as we vnderstode before by the words of Stephen and Peter Moreouer that one Epistle to the Hebrues is sufficient to teach vs that all the Ceremonies of the lawe and the Leuiticall seruice were
communication with Agrippa touching Paule Festus testifieth that Paule is innocent Paules hearers Paule is broughte forthe in chaines to preache Festus causeth Paule to be diligeÌ„tly heard Paule hathe licence to speake for himselfe Paul declareth his cause without feare The argument of Paules oration Pauls childhode and education Of what importance the godly bringing vp of children is The state of the whole coÌ„trouersie The sum order of this preseÌ„t place The faithe of the Fathers is a most ancient thing 1. Cor. 5. Collos. 2. Adam Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Gene. 12. Roma 4. Iohn 4. Isahac and Iacob Moses Luke 24. The state of the true fayth in this world The true trade of mainteining the The resurrectioÌ„ of the dead oughte not to bee thought incredible Paul became a Christian agaynst hys will. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Cor. 15. Psalm 7. Psal. 2. .33 The tirannie of Paule agaynst the Churche of Christ. The state of the churche Persecutours cause men to blaspheme The story of Paules conuersion Christe rayseth vp Paul whoÌ„ he had throwen downe before Paule is called to the office of an â—postle A minister Roma â–ª 1. A witnesse God deliuereth his seruants being in danger The ende vse of the Gospell 1. Corin. 3. The order and manner of saluation Paule obeyeth God coÌ„trary to the bidding of the Priestes The maner of true obedience Saule 1 Sam. 13. 15 The points and order of Euangelike doctrine Math 10 Luke 24 Luke 17 Paul is laid holde on for his obeying of God. 2. Peter 2 1. Cor. 10 Psal. 34. c Paule preacheth the gospel vnto Agrippa Paule is a detter vnto all men The sum of the gospell Festus is a president of those which heare the worde with a prophane intent Paule constantly and modestly defendeth his ministerie Which is the best wai of teaching Christian religion is certain and not to bée suspected of obscuritie The scripture of it self worthy of credite Agrippa is a paterne of those in whoÌ„ the cares of this worlde chooke the seede of the woorde A very christian wishe of Paule Iohn 6 Math. 11. c 1. Cor. 5 The innocencie of Paule The argument of the Chapter Paul is brought to Rome among malefactours Sée Valeri Max. 16. Booke and v. chapter Esay 53 â–ª Luke 22. Paules companions Aristarchus The Centurion is Paules freÌ„d Paul would not flée no not when he might Paules voyage or nauigation is ful of danger God warneth vs of danger and giueth vs counsell in time See Leui. 16. Paules aduise is despised The punishmeÌ„t of gods counsel despised Mannes power is of nâ— force against God. What happeneth to such as will lose nothing at Gods bidding Paule hym selfe is in hazard with the despisers of God. Paul giueth comforte and counsel inaduersitie He modestly rebuketh their former disobedieÌ„ce He comforteth He alleageth the Oracle The promises of God must be taken holde of by faithe The incredulitie and distrust of the Maryners The propertie of the flesh in dangers Exod. 5 The properties of those that are too confident or bolde Paule commaundeth to stay the Marriners The right vse of Gods instrumeÌ„ts or meanes Prouer. 31 The faithe of the captaine and souldioures Paule exhorteth them to take meat The nature or propertie of fayth The discipline of the Table Parali 14. They caste their Corne into the sea The description of the shipwracke The deuise of the souldiers in killing the prisoners The truthe of Gods promise cannot be let or hindred The hospitalitie of those of Malta Luke 10. Hebr. â—3 Mark. 19. Paul by miracle was knowen to those of Malta A vyper byteth Paule Paul shaketh off the viper without any hurte The people of Malta take Paule for a God. The family or stocke of Paule Marke 10. The hospitalitie of Publius Math. 25. The rewarde of hospitalitie The thankfulnesse of the people of Malta Math. 10. Luke 9 and .10 Paule is caried in an Idolatrous shippe The church at Putesti The Romane brethren goe out to méete Paule The thankfulnesse of the Romane brethren Paule is encouraged or confirmed by the méeting of the brethren Paul is kept in an hired house at Rome Paule calleth togither the chéefe of the Iewes Rom. 10.9 Math. 5 1 He putteth away wrongfull suspitions 2 He excuseth his appealing 3 He declareth the state of the whole coÌ„trouersie The Iewes beare witnesse of Paules innocencie Paule preacheth in an house The argumente of Paules sermon The fountaine of the Apostles doctrine Psal. 45 Iohn 10 Paule teacheth all the whole day Amos. 7. The effecte of Paules Sermon Iohn 15. Paule rebuketh the stubbornesse of the Iewes The Iewes vnbeléefe was wilful The cause of incredulitie Iohn 3. The punishment of incredulitie Iohn 8. Deut. 32. Math. 21. In his .vii. boke and .xv chapter The contention of the Iewes about the doctrine of the Gospell Paule was in prison two yeres togither 2. Timo. 2. Paule being in prison preacheth writeth j. Paul preacheth the kingdome of God. 1. Timo. 2. Colos. 2. Mat. 3. 17. Iohn 14. ij. Paule precheth plainly iij. Paules successe Iob 38. Ierem. 5. What Paul did after the two yeres were expired A conclusioÌ„ with a repetition of the Premisses THE IVDGEMENT of S. Hierome vppon the Actes of the Apostles The Actes of the Apostles seme to set forthe but a bare History onely and to weaue as it were the infancie and beginning of the Church but if we consider howe Luke the wryter of them is that Physition whose praise is in the Gospell we shall at once perceiue euery woorde of him to be a medicine for the sicke and languishing soule IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater noster rowe at the signe of the Starre