not absolutely perfect As for those whiche doe earnestly affirme that all pointes of godlynesse were taught by the Apostles to the posteritie by worde of mouth and not by writing their purpose is to set to sale their owne that is mens ordinaunces in steade of the worde of God. But against this poyson my brethren take this vnto you for a medicine to expell it Conferre the things whiche these fellowes set to sale vnder the colour of the Apostles traditions taught by worde of mouthe and not by writing with the manifest writings of the Apostles and if in any place you shall perceiue those traditions to disagrée with the scriptures then gather by and by that it is the forged inuention of men and not the Apostles tradition For they which had one and the same spirite of trueth lefte not vnto vs one thing in writing and taught an other thing by worde of mouthe Furthermore we muste diligently search whether those traditions do set forward the glory of God rather then of men or the safetie of the faythfull rather then the priuate aduauntage of the Priestes And we muste take héede of mens traditions especially since the Lorde sayth In vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men So that nowe the surest way is to cleaue to the word of the Lorde lefte to vs in the Scriptures whiche teacheth aboundantly all thinges that belong to true godlynesse It remayneth nowe for me to tell in what manner of sorte this perfecte doctrine of godlynesse and saluation I meane the very word of God ought to be hearde of the faythfull to the intent it may be hearde with some fruit to profite them aboundantly I will in fewe wordes containe it Let the worde of God be hearde with greate reuerence whiche of right is due to God him selfe and godly things Let it be hearde very attentiuely with continuall prayers betwéene and earnest requestes Let it be hearde soberly to our profite that by it we may become the better that God by vs maye be gloryfied and not that we go curiously about to search out the hidden counselles of God or desire to be counted skilfull and experte in many matters Let true fayth the glory of God and our saluation be appointed as the measure and certaine ende of oure hearing and reading For In Exodus Moses the holy seruaunt of God is commaunded to sanctifie the people and make them in a readinesse to heare the sacred Sermon whiche God him selfe did mynd to make the next daye after Moses therefore commeth and demaundeth of the whole people due obedience to be shewed as well to God as to his Ministers Then commaundeth he them to washe their garmentes to abstaine from their wiues After that he appointeeh certaine limites beyonde whiche it was not lawful vpon paine of death for them to passe By this we plainely learne that the Lorde doth require suche to be his Disciples to heare him as doe especially shewe obedience and reuerence to God in all thinges For he being God speaketh to vs men all we men owe vnto God honoure and feare A man vnlesse he become lowly humble and obedient to God is altogether godlesse Then is it required at the handes of those whiche are méete hearers of the worde of God that they lay aparte worldly affaires whiche are signified by the garments to treade vnder foote all filthynesse and vncleannesse of soule and bodye to refraine for a season euen from those pleasures whiche are lawfull vnto vs The holy Ghost dothe loue the myndes that are purely cleansed whiche yet notwithstanding are not cleansed but by the spirite of god Néedefull it is to haue a sincere beliefe in God and a ready good will and desire to liue according to that whiche is commaunded in the word of god Moreouer we muste be wise to sobrietie Ouer curious questions must be set aside Let things profitable to saluation only be learned Last of all let especial héede be takeÌ„ in hearing and learning For saythe Solomon If thou wilt seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalte obteine it Againe he sayth The searcher out of Gods maiestie shall be ouerwhelmed by his wonderfull glory And againe he sayth Seeke not things too highe for thee neyther goe about to searche out things aboue thy strengthe but what God hath commaunded thee that thinke thou always on and be not ouer curious to knowe his infinite workes for it is not expedient for thee to see his hidden secrets with thine eyes Wherevpon the Apostle Paul sayth Let no man thinke arrogantly of him selfe but so thinke that he may be modest and sober according as God to euery one hath giuen the measure of fayth And hereto belongeth that which the same Apostle saythe Knowledge puffeth vp but charitie doth edifie But chiefly we muste beware of those plagues which choake the séede of the worde of God and quenche it without any fruite at all in the hearts of the hearers Those plagues and diseases hath the Lorde rehcarsed or reckoned vp in the parable of the sower For first of all wanton and vaine cogitations whiche alwaies lye wide open to the inspirations of Satan and talke of naughtie men are plagues to the word of god Also voluptuous and deintie louers of this world who can not abide to suffer any affliction for Christ and his Gospell do without any fruite at all heare Gods worde although they seeme to giue eare vnto it very ioyfully Furthermore the care of this worlde and the deceit of riches are moste pestilent diseases in the hearers of the worde of god For they doe not onely hinder the séede that it can not bring soorthe fruite in their heartes but also they doe stirre vp and egge men forwarde to gaynesay the worde of God and to afflict the earnest desirers of Gods worde Here therefore we muste take héede diligently leaste being infected with these diseases we become vaine and vnthankfull hearers of the worde of god We must praye continually that the bountifull and liberall Lorde will vouchsafe to bestowe on vs his spirit that by it the séed of Gods word may be quickned in our heartes and that we as holy and right hearers of his worde may beare fruite aboundantly to the glory of God and the euerlasting saluation of oure owne soules For what will it auayle to heare the worde of God without fayth and without the holy spirite of God to worke or stir inwardly in our hearts The Apostle Paule sayth He whiche watreth is nothing nor he whiche planteth but it is God whiche giueth increase We haue néede therefore of Gods watering that the word of God may growe to a perfect age may receiue increase yea and may come also to the bringing foorthe of ripe fruite within our mindes The same Aposâ—le Paule saythe To vs also is the worde of God declared euen as vnto our fathers But it auayled them nothing to heare the worde bycause it was not ioyned with
Fayth in them that hearde it For they dyed in the desarte And immediately after he sayth Let vs therefore doe our best to enter into that reste so that no man dye in the same example of vnbeliefe If therefore that the worde of God doe sounde in oure eares and therewithall the spirite of God doe shewe foorth his power in our harts and that we in fayth doe truly receiue the word of God then hath the worde of God a mighty sorce and wonderful effect in vs For it driueth away the misty darknesse of errors it openeth our eyes it conuerteth and inlighteneth our mindes and instructeth vs most fully and absolutely in truth and godlines For the Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes beareth witnes sayth The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimony of God is true and geueth wisedome vn to the simple The commaundement of the Lord is pure and geueth light vnto the eies Furthermore the word of God doth féede strengthen confirm and comfort our soules it doth regenerate clense make ioyfull and ioyne vs to god yea and obtaineth al things for vs at Gods handes setting vs in a most happy state in so much that no goods or treasure of the whole worlde are to be compared with the worde of god And thus much do we attribute to the worde of God not without the testimony of Gods worde For the Lord by the prophet Amos doth threa ten hunger thirst not to eate bread and to drinke water but to heare the worde of God. For in the olde new testaments it is sayd that man doth not liue by bread onely but by euery worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of god And the Apostle Paul saith that all things in the scriptures are written for our learning that by patiēce and comfort of the scriptures we might haue hope Also Peter saith ye are born a new not of corruptible seede but of incorruptible by the word of god which liueth lasteth for euer And this is the worde which by the gospell was preached vnto you The Lorde also in the gospell beareth witnesse to the same and sayth Now are ye cleane by the worde which I haue spoken vnto you Againe in the gospell he crieth saying If any man loueth me he will keepe my saying and my father will loue him and we will come into him and make our dwelling place in him Ieremie saith also Thy word became my comfort And the Prophet Dauid saith The statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the hart Wherunto adde that saying of the Lordes in the gospell If ye remaine in me and my wordes remaine in you aske what ye will and it shal be done for you In an other place also the Prophet crieth saying If ye be willing and will hearken ye shall eate the good of the land but if ye wil not heare my word the sword shall deuoure you Moreouer Moses doth very often and largely reckon vp the good thinges that shall happen to them which obey the worde of God Leuiticus 26. Deutero 28. Wherefore Dauid durst boldly preferre the word of God before all the pleasures and treasures of this world The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgementes of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they thē gold yea then much fine golde sweeter also then hony and the dropping hony combes For by them thy seruaunt is plainely taught and in keeping of them there is great aduantage Therfore is the lawe of thy mouth more precious vnto me then thousands of siluer and golde Vnlesse my delight had been in thy lawe I had perished in my miserie To this now doth appertaine that parable in the gospell of him which bought the precious pearle and of him also which solde all that he had and bought the grounde wherin he knewe that treasure was hidde For that precious pearle and that treasure are the gospell or worde of God which for the excellencie of it is in the scriptures called a light a fire a Sworde a Maule which breaketh stones a Buckler and by many other names like vnto these Dearely beloued this howre ye haue heard our bountifull Lorde and God who would haue all men saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth how he hath reuealed his word to al men throughout the whole world to the intent that all men in al places of what kinde age or degrée so euer they be may know the trueth and be instructed in the true saluation and may learne a perfect way how to liue rightly well and holily so that the mā of God may be perfect instructed to all good workes For the Lorde in the worde of trueth hath deliuered to his Church all that is requisite to true godlinesse and saluation Whatsoeuer thinges are necessary to be knowne touching God the works iudgments will and commaundements of God touching Christe our faith in Christe and the duties of an holy life all those thinges I say are fully taught in the worde of god Neither néedeth the Church to craue of any other or else with mens supplies to patch vp that which seemeth to be wantinge in the worde of the Lorde For the Lord did not onely by the liuely expressed voice of the Apostles teach our fathers the whole summe of godlinesse and saluation but did prouide also that it by the meanes of the same Apostles shoulde be set down in writing And that doth manifestly appéere that it was done for the posterities sake that is for vs and our successours to the intent that none of vs nor ours should be seduced nor that false traditiōs should be popt into any of our mouthes in stéede of the truth We must all therfore beware we must all watch and sticke fast vnto the worde of God which is left to vs in the scriptures by the Prophetes and Apostles Finally let our care be wholy bent with faith and profite to heare whatsoeuer the Lord declareth vnto vs Let vs cast out and treade vnder foote whatsoeuer by our flesh the world or the deuill is obiected to be a let to godlines We know what the diseases plagues of the séede of Gods worde sowed in the hartes of the faithful are We know how great the power of Gods worde is in them which heare it deuoutly Let vs therfore beséech our Lorde God to powre into our mindes his holy spirite by whose vertue the séede of Gods word may be quickened in our harts to the bringing forth of much fruite to the saluation of our soules and the glory of God our father To whom be glory for euer Of the sense and right exposition of the worde of God and by what maner of meanes it may be expounded ¶ The thirde Sermon DEarly beloued brethren I doe vnderstande that by meanes of my doctrine of the worde of God ther are risen sūdry thoughts in the hartes of many men yea and that of some there
tranquilitie doe preserue fellowly societie among men doe defend the good bring inordinate persons into better order and lastly doe not make a little onely to the setting for warde of religion but doe also abrogate euill customes and vtterly bannish vnlawfull mischiefes Hereof we haue examples in the déedes of Nabuchodonosor Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other Princes more But touching the Magistrates power his lawes and office I will speake of them in an other place Ecclesiasticall lawes are those which being taken out of the worde of God and applyed to the state of men times and places are receiued haue authoritie in the church among the people of god I call these ecclesiasticall lawes and not traditions of men bycause being takeÌ„ out of the holy scriptures and not inuented or brought to light by the wit of man they are vsed of that Churche which heareth the voyce of the shéepehearde alone and knoweth not a straungers tong The congregation commeth together to heare the word of God and vnto common prayers at Morning at Euening and at such appointed houres as are moste conuenient for euery place and euerie people and that the church holdeth as a lawe The Church hath solemne prayer times holy dayes and fasting dayes which it doth kéepe by certaine lawes The Church at certaine times in a certaine place and appointed order dothe celebrate the Sacraments according to the lawes and receiued custome of the Church The Churche baptiseth infantes it forbiddeth not women to come to the Lordes Supper and that it holdeth as a lawe The Churche by Iudges conueniently appointed doth iudge in causes of matrimonie and hath certaine lawes to direct them in such cases But it deriueth these and al other like to these out of the Scriptures and doth for edification apply them to the estate of men times and places so that in diuers Churches ye may sée some diuersitie in déede but no discord or repugnancie at all Furthermore Ecclesiasticall lawes haue their measure certain marks beyond which they may not passe to wit that nothing be done or receiued contrarie or differing in any iote from the worde of God sounding againste charitie and comelinesse either in little or muche that lastly this rule of the Apostle may be effectually obserued Let all thinges be done decently according vnto order and to the edification of the Church If therefore any man shall goe about vnder a coloured pretence of ecclesiastical lawes tobring in and pop into the mouthes of the godly any superstitious busie and vnseemely traditions of men whiche withal do differ from the Scriptures their part shall be first to trie that deceipt of theirs by the rule of Gods worde and then to reiect it There remaine nowe the traditions of men whiche haue their beginning are made and inuented of men at their owne choyce of some foolishe intent or some fonde affection of mankinde contrarie or without the holy Scriptures of which sorte you shall finde an infinite number of examples I meane the sectes the dominion and single life of spirituall men the rites and sundry fashioned customes vsed in their Church Touching all which the Lorde in the Gospell citing the Prophet Esaie sayth Why transgresse ye the Lords commaundement for your own traditioÌ„ ye hypocrites rightly did Esaias prophesie of you where he saith This people commeth nigh vnto me with their mouth and with their lippes they honour me but their heart is farre from me but they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines the precepts of men The blessed Martyr Cyprian alluding to these wordes of Christ Epistolarum lib. 1. epi. 8. saith It is corrupt wicked and robberie to the glory of God what soeuer is ordeyned by the giddie madnesse of mens heads to the violating of Gods disposition Depart as farre as may be from the infectiue contagiousnes of such fellowes and seeke by flight to shunne their talke as warely as an eating cancker or infecting pestilence for the Lorde forewarneth and telleth you that they are blinde leaders of the blinde Paule also in his Epistle to Titus sayth Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men turning from the trueth I doe of purpose here let passe the words of Paul in his second chapter to the Colossians bycause the place is knowne of all men I will not trouble you dearely beued with too large and busie an exposition hereof For I suppose that this little that I haue sayde touching the lawes of nature and of men I meane lawes politique Ecclesiasticall and méere traditions of men are sufficient to the attentiue and faythful hearers who at their comming home do more diligently thinke of euery point by theÌ„ selues and also reade the places of Scripture often cited by me and deuoutly expounded The Lord for his mercy graunt that we doe neuer despise the admonitions of natures lawe graffed in our heartes nor yet be intangled in mens traditions but that we in walking lawfully in vpright politique lawes and holy Ecclesiasticall ordinaunces maye serue the Lord To whom be all glory honour and dominion for euer and euer Amen Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first Table ¶ The second Sermon THE lawe of God openly published proclaimed by the Lord our God him self setteth downe ordinarie rules for vs to knowe what we haue to doe and what to leaue vndone requiring obedience and threatning vtter destruction to disobedient rebels This lawe is diuided into the Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes All whiche partes and euery point whereof Moses hath very exquisitely written and diligently expounded The Morall lawe is that which teacheth men manners and layeth downe before vs the shape of vertue declaring therewithall howe great righteousnesse godlinesse obedience and perfectnesse God looketh for at the handes of vs mortall men The Ceremoniall lawes are they whiche are giuen concerning the order of holy and Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies and also touching the ministers and things assigned to the ministerie and other holy vses Last of all the Iudiciall lawes giue rules concerning matters to be iudged of betwéen man and man for the preseruation of publique peace equitie and ciuil honestie Touching the two latter of these I will speake of them in place conuenient At this time I meane to discourse vpon the Morall lawe First of all therefore let no man thinke that before Moses time there was no lawe and that the lawe was by Moses firste of all published For the selfe same especiall pointes of the Morall lawe whiche Moses setteth down in the ten Commaundements were very well knowne to the Patriarches euen from the beginning of the world For they worshipped the one â—rue God alone for their God whome they reuerenced and called vpon him Iacob tooke away with him the Syrian Idolles of Laban out of his house and hid them in Bethel vnder an oke or Terebinth trée which was nigh to
true Temple the true highe priest the true altar of incense and burnte offeringes euen Christe Iesus the Lord and Sauiour they haue the true worshippe whiche was of olde prefigured onelye in those externall Ceremonies As I haue alreadie declared vnto you in that place where I handled the Iewishe Ceremonies The Gentiles are out of euerie quarter of the world called vnto Christe Iesu All the promises touching the calling of the Gentiles haue béene hetherto most aboundantly fulfilled and are euen at this day Nowe are wee the chosen flocke according to the doctrine of Saincte Peter We are the royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people being called hereunto that wee should preach the power of him which hath called vs out of darckenesse into his meruailous light Therefore let the vnhappie Iewes vnlesse perhappes they had rather to bee intangled in greater errours to bée vexed dailye with endelesse calamities and so at laste perishe eternally turne vnto Christ by faith and together with vs beginne to worshippe him in whome their fathers hoped and in whome alone is life and saluation For that I may with the Apostles woords conclude this place GOD is made manifest in the fleshe iustified in the spirite seene to the Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued in the world and receiued in glorie And euerie one that beleeueth him shal liue eternallie and neuer be confounded Wée haue nowe behinde the last part to expounde the contents whereof are that God the father who before was angrie with the world is pleased nowe in his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ oure lord First of all therefore I haue to shewe you that God was angrie with the world whiche is no hard matter to proue For God is angrie at sinnes But the whole world is subiecte to sinne therefore it must of necessitie be that the most iust God is mightilie angrie with all the world And Paule sayeth The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse vnrighteousnesse of men Againe the same Apostle sayeth that all men are subiecte vnto sinne for confirmation whereof hee citeth these sentences of the holy Scriptures saying There is none righteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues for to deceiue the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is full of cursing bitternesse their feete are swift to shedd bloud Hartes greefe and miserie are in their wayes and the waye of peace haue they not knowen There is no feare of God before their eyes Nowe least the Israelites should aunsweare that these thinges doe not perteine to the people of GOD but to the heathen and vngodly alone hee addeth Wee knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe sayeth it sayeth it to them which are vnder the lawe that euerie mouth may bee stopped and that all the world may bee endaungered to God. No man is here excepted For to the Galathians the same Apostle sayeth Hee hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that hee may haue mercie on all It followeth therefore that all the world was subiect to the wrath or indignation of the most iuste and righteous God as is at large proued in the second fourth and fifte Chapiters to the Ephesians But the heauenly father is appeased or recōciled to this wicked world thorough the onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christe And this I hope I shall aboundantly proue by the onely testimonie of God himselfe For the father by sending downe a voyce from heauen vnto the earth vppon Christe first ascending newely out of the water after his baptisme and then againe at his transfiguration in the sighte of his disciples did significantly saye This is my beloued sonne in whom I am delighted pleased or reconciled heare him This testimonie is read to haue béene foreshewed in the 42. Chapiters of Esaies Prophecie And Peter the Apostle repeateth the same in the first cap. of his second Epistle Paule also did as it were expound this and saye It pleased the father that in the Sonne should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe since he hath sett at peace thoroughe the bloud of the Crosse by him both the thinges in earth and the thinges in heauen In heauen is God and wée men heere vppon earth Nowe Christe is the mediatour which goeth betwixte vs and reconcileth vs vnto his father so that nowe we are the beloued of the father in his beloued sonne For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the same Apostle sayth He hath made vs accepted in the beloued in whom wee haue redemption thorough his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace All this shall be more fully vnderstood by that which followeth For nowe I must proue that God the father hath in his sonne giuen vs al things that are necessarie to a happie life and eternal saluation I name héere two thinges a happie life and euerlasting saluation By a happie life I vnderstand a holy and godly life whiche wee liue and lead quietly and honestly in this present world Eternall saluation is that felicitie of the life to come whiche wée with assured hope doe verilie looke for Nowe we haue in Christ a most absolute doctrine of a happie life taught vs by the Gospel wherein also wée doe comprehend the example of Christ his owne trade of life Verily our heauenly father hath made him oure teacher in saying Heare him And he himselfe in the Gospel after Sainct Matthewe sayeth Bee ye not called maisters for ye haue one master euen Christ who in the Gospel after S. Iohn is called The light of the world In an other place also he testifieth that his doctrine is conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherevppon it commeth that hee referreth his disciples to the diligent reading of the holy scriptures Touching which Scriptures Paule the teacher of the Gentiles and the vniuersall Church of Christ doth say All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction whiche is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte instructed in all good workes Wherefore althoughe the whole world bee madd and that the obstinate defenders of the traditions rather than the Scriptures do whet their téeth for anger yet maugre their heades the word of the Apostle shal abide most firme wherein he testifieth that the doctrine of the scriptures otherwise called the Christian doctrine is in all pointes most absolute and thoroughly perfecte Touching whiche matter because I haue alreadie spoken in the first Sermons of the first Decade I am therfore here a great deale the briefer Nowe concerning the eternall saluation fully purchased for vs by Christe thus ye must thincke Eternall saluation is the séeing and enioying of the eternall God and so consequently an
excommunication the secular power hath nowe by the space of 30. yeares and more beene called on and persecution hath beene euery where raysed vpp against guiltlesse Christians not for committing heynous crimes and defending naughtinesse but for inueighing against mischiefes and mischiefous men and for requiring the reformation of the Church and yet euen at this day most cruell edicts are out and crueltie is exercised euery day more more against them that confesse the name of Christ yea such is their impudencie brasen-faced boldnesse they dissemble not that the counsell if any must be celebrated shall be called for the rooting out of heresies yea they doe openly professe that the counsell once held at Trent was to this end assembled Nowe since these things more clearely than the sunne are perceiued to be most true thou shalt most holy kinge doe wisely and religiously if without looking for the determination of a generall counsell thou shalt proceed to reforme the Churches in thy kingdome according to the rule of the bookes of both testaments which we do rightly beleeue being written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be the very word of God. But nowe that it is lawfull for euery Christian Church much more for euery notable Christian kingdome without the aduise of the Church of Rome and the members therof in matters of religion depraued by them wholie to make are formation according to the rule of Gods most holy word it is therby manifest because Christians are the congregation the Church or subiects of their king Christ to whome they owe by all meanes most absolute and perfect obedience Now the Lord gaue his Church a charge of reformation he commended vnto it the sound doctrine of the Gospell together with the lawfull vse of his holy Sacraments he also condemned all false doctrine that I meane that is contrarie to the Gospell he damned the abuse and prophanation of the Sacraments and deliuered to vs the true worship of God proscribed the false therefore Christians obeying the Lawes commaundements of their Prince do vtterly remoue or take away all superstition and do restore establish and preserue the true religion according to the manner that Christ their Prince appointed them He verilie is a foole or a mad man which sayeth that the Church of Christ hath none authoritie to correcte such errours vicces and abuses as do daily creepe into it And yet the Romish tyrannie hath so bewitched the eyes of many men that they thincke that they cannot lawfully doe any thinge but what it pleaseth Rome to giue them leaue to doe The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of prouinciall Synods held in sondrie prouinces wherein there were handled matters of faith and the reformation of the Churches and yet no mention once made of the bishop of Rome What may be thought of that moreouer that in certeine Synodes not heretical but orthodoxasticall and Catholique thou mayest finde some that were excommunicated for appealing from their owne Churches vnto the Church of Rome Sainct Cyprian writing to Cornelius the bishop of Rome doth say Since that it is ordeined by vs all that it is iust and right that euery mans cause should be heard there where the crime is committed that to euery seueral pastour is appointed a portion of the flocke which euery one must gouerne make accompt of his doings before the Lord it is expedient verilie that those ouer whome we haue the charge should not gad to and fro by that meanes with their subtile and deceiptfull petulancie to make the concord of bishops to be at iarre but to pleade their causes there where they maye haue their accusers present and witnesses of their crime committed But letting passe the testimonies of men we do now come to the testimonies in the booke of god The most holy king Iosias most godly Prince may alone in this case teach you what to do and how to do with the warrant authoritie of God himselfe He by the diligent reading of the holy booke of God and by the contemplation of things present and the manner of worshipping God that then was vsed did vnderstand that his auncestours did greatly very farre erre from the plaine and simple truth for which cause he calleth together the princes and other estates of his kingdome together with all the priestes to hold and celebrate a counsell with them In that counsell he standeth not long disputing whether the examples of the elders ought rather to be followed or Gods commuandement simplie receiued whether he ought rather to beleeue the Church or the Scripture and whether all the iudgement of religion ought to be referred to the high priest For laying abroade the booke of the Lawe he submitteth both himselfe and all his vnto the Sacred Scripture Out of the booke of the Lawe both he him selfe doth learne biddeth all his to learne what thinge it is that pleaseth God namely that which was commuanded and learned in the reading of the Lawe of god And presently hee gaue charge that all men should doe and execute that not hauing any regard to the auncient custome or to the Church that was at that time he made all subiecte to the word of god Which deede of his is so commended that next after Dauid hee is preferred before all the kinges of Iuda and Israel Nowe your royall Maiestie cannot followe any better or safer counsell than this cōsidering that it proceedeth from God and that it is most fit for the cause which is euen nowe in hand The disputation is of the Reformation of Religion and the true fayth of Christ You know that that doth spring from heauen namely that it is taught by the word of God and powred into our hartes by the holy Ghost For Paul sayth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ Therefore as true fayth is not grounded vppon the word of man so is it not taught or planted by the same For in an other place the same Apostle sayth My preaching was not in the enticing words of mans wisedome but in the shewing of the spirite and of power that your faith might not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Not without good cause therefore doe we refuse the traditions of men and turne onely to the doctrine of the word of the Lord without which it is assuredly certeine that there is no doctrine nor any foundation of true fayth Neither are they worthie to be heard who thincke that the Canonicall Scriptures are not plaine enough full enoughe or sufficient enough to minister a perfect platforme of reformation They blaspheme the spirite of God imputing vnto it obscurenesse imperfection which faultes no prophane writer can well abide to heare off Sainct Paule in defence of the trueth sayth All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that
Gentiles Againe when the same Paule at Corinthe had preached Christe to the Iewes and they resisted and reuiled The Apostle shooke his rayment and sayde Your bloude be vppon your owne heades I am cleane from hencefoorth I will goe vnto the Gentiles And so he did â—â—nd the vnbeléeuers And God confirmed the preaching of Paule bycause it procéeded from God him selfe And vnlesse you put the proper and true keye into the locke you shall neuer open it The true and right keye is the pure worde of God the counterfet and théeuishe key is a doctrine and tradition of man estraunged from the worde of god I thinke I haue sufficiently proued by euident testimonies of the scripture that the keys giuen to the Apostles and Pastours of the Churche and so to the Churche it selfe are nothing else than the ministerie of teaching the Church For by the doctrine of the Gospell as it were with certeine keyes the gate of the kingdome of heauen is opened when a sure and readie meane and waye is shewed to come to atteine vnto the participation of Christe and the ioyes of euerlasting life by true fayth To the testimonie of God mans recorde agréeth For Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vpon Matthewe chapter 23. The keye saythe he is the word of the knowledge of the scriptures by whiche the gate of truthe is opened to men And the key-bearers are the Priests to whom is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the scriptures Other testimonies of olde interpreters of the Scriptures differing nothing from these of oures for that I am desirous to be briefe I do not bring Since these thinges are thus brethren and are deliuered vnto vs in the expresse Scriptures we will not therefore greatly passe what the Papistes babble touching the power of the keyes and what offices dignities preferments and I knowe not what other thing and what authoritie of Priestes they deriue from thence We haue learned not out of the wordes or opinions of men but out of the manifest worde of GOD that the keys are the ministerie of the preaching of the worde of GOD and that the keyes are giuen to the Apostles and to their successours that is to say the office of preaching remission of sinnes repentaunce and life euerlasting is coÌ„mitted to them Wherevpon we nowe conclude this that the chiefe office of a Pastour of the church is to vse those very keyes whiche the Lorde hath deliuered to his Apostles and no other that is to preache the onely and pureworde of GOD and not to fetche any doctrine from any other place than out of the verie worde of god For there is a perpetuall and inuiolable lawe at this day also layde vpon our Pastours which we reade was layd vpon the most auncient gouernours of the Churche the Lorde him selfe witnessing in Malachie and saying My couenaunt was with Leuie of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afrayde before my name The lawe of truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equitie and turned many from their iniquitie For the Priestes lippes shoulde preserue knowledge and they shoulde seeke the lawe at his mouth for hee is the messinger of the Lorde of hoastes Againe the Lord sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and giue them warning from me In Ieremie the Lorde sayth The Prophete that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and hee that hath my woorde let him speake my woorde faythfully He expressely puts a difference betwéene heauenly things and earthly thinges betwéene those thinges whiche are of the word of GOD and those that are feigned and chosen by man whiche hée willeth to let passe as vncerteine thinges and as dreames For he immediately addeth Is not my worde as fire sayth the Lorde and like a hammer that breaketh the harde stone And againe Heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that preache vnto you and deceiue you truly they teache you vanitie for they speake the meaning of their owne hearte and not out of the mouth of the lord Therefore all the true Prophetes of GOD haue this continually in their mouth Thus sayth the Lorde The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it And therefore they deliuered vnto the people nothing contrarie vnto the worde of god The olde people had also the Scripture And the Prophetes were nothing else but interpreters of the Lawe applying the same to the place time matters and persons Also oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayth oftentimes that his doctrine is not his owne but the fathers Whiche thing if you vnderstande literally and according to his words I knowe not whether any thing can be spoken more absurde Therefore the Lorde meaneth that his doctrine is not of man but of god Doth not he sende vs continually to the writinges of the Lawe and the Prophetes and confirmeth his owne sayinges by them But Christe is the onely teacher of religion and maister of lyfe appoynted vnto the vniuersall Churche by GOD the father To this Churche he himselfe also sending teachers and shewing them what they shoulde deliuer fayth Teach them to obserue those thinges which I haue commaunded you Also Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures But the Apostle Paule witnesseth that the Gospel was promised by the Prophetes of God in the holy Scriptures And this doctrine receiued of Christe the Apostles deliuered to the nations adding nothing vnto it taking nothing from it and there withall also they expounding the auncient writings of the Prophetes yet neyther in this matter trusting any thing to their owne wit nor being ruled by their owne iudgement For the Apostle Peter saith As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to an other as good stewardes of the manifold graces of god If any man speak let him talke as the words of god Tertullian also in his booke intituled De Praescript haeret which I haue also elswhere rehearsed expresly saith It is not lawful for vs in any thing to rest vpoÌ„ our owne fancie or iudgemeÌ„t neither yet to be negligent markers what any other man bringeth foorth of his owne braine We haue the Apostles of the Lord for authours for not they them selues did choose any thing whiche they might establish after their own fancie and the doctrine whiche they receiued of Christe they faythfully deliuered to the nations And therefore if euen an Angel from heauen should preach any otherwise he shal be accurssed at our hands Thus farre he We haue moreouer shewed in our sermons of faith and of the churche that faith dependeth vpon the only worde of God and that it wholy stayeth vpon the onely word of God also that the churches of god are builded and preserued by the worde of God and not by mans doctrine all whiche séeme to apperteine to this matter Neyther is it leâ—t to the byshops
of God about burials and graues But howe muche there was in the time of Poperie no man can declare in fewe wordes These be the necessarie institutions of the Churche of GOD and are by the faithfull religiously obserued without superstition to edification as for other matters which are onely deuised by the inuention of man the godly nothing weighe them I knowe what thinges may here be obiected That forsoothe the auncient people of the olde Testament had sundrie and manifolde rites ceremonies instituted of God by his prophetes because beeing rude they had néede of such instruction But since the common sorte of Christians are also more rude than is to be wished so many sundrie and diuerse ceremonies were deuised by the auncient fathers not without the motion of the spirit which they must also obey I answer that this is no true nor sounde reason whereby the weake in faith may receiue commoditie For surely then would not the Apostles of Christ haue saide nothing therof Moreouer experience teacheth that the state and condition of the weake and simple is such that the more ceremonies are left vnto them the more their mindes are diuersly dispersed and are lesse vnited to Christ to whoÌ„ alone al things are to be ascribed For it pleased the father that all fulnesse should dwell in him and to heape together in him al things apperteining to our life and saluation Yea the diuine wisedome of God hathe taken away y who le externall discipline instructioÌ„ setting a difference betwéen vs them We should therefore procéede to bring againe Iudaisme if we shuld not leaue of to multiplie heape together rites ceremonies according to the maner of the olde Church For in olde time those ceremonies were had in vse althoughe they were not infinite but comprised within a certein number At this present there is no vse nor place for theÌ„ in the church Neither do we want moste graue authoritie to proue the same The Apostles and elders in a greate assemblie méete together at HierusaleÌ„ at a couÌ„sell where the Apostle Peter plainely telleth them that they tempt the Lord in going about to lay the yoake of the lawe vpon the frée necks of the Christians There is also a Synodall Epistle written wherin by one consent they testifie that it hath séemed good to the holy Ghost them to lay none other burthen 〈…〉 the church of Christ thaÌ„ y which 〈…〉 in few words To the intenâ— therby it may be euident that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for the Church without the câ—remonies of the law If he would 〈…〉 haue the rites which in olde time were by God instituted to be ioyned to the Gospell how much lesse ought we at this present to couple therewith the inuentions of men Vnto which moreouer is wickedly ascribed either the preparation to the grace worshipping of God or part of our saluation that we may say no lesse at this day than S. Paule said long agoe After that you haue knowne God howe chaunceth it that ye returne againe to weake and beggerly elements which you would begin to serue a new Ye obserue days moneths times yeres I am a feard lest I haue taken paines aboute you in vaine Vnto all these things this is also to be added that this instruction of ceremonies whereof they speake belongeth to the worshipping of god But we are fordidden to deuise vnto ourselues any strange worshipping we are forbidden also to put too or take away any thing from the institution or word of god Wherfore the Church of God neither ordeineth nor receiueth of other any other such constitutions Of which matter we haue also spoken somewhat before whereas we intreated of the abrogating of the lawe and of Christian libertie I trust that in these fiftie sermons I haue as shortely conueniently as might be comprehended the whole matter of faith godlinesse or true religion also of the Church That which I do often repeate in al my sermons my books that do I also againe repeat in this place that the learned may with my goodwill and thankes gather and imbrace better things out oâ— the scriptures Vnto the Lorde our God the euerlasting founteine of al goodnes be praise and glorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Esai 58. Esai 62. Iohn 21. 2. Tim. 4. Dan. 12. 1. Tim. 4 Ezech. 3. Ierâ— 1. â— Cor. 9. â— Pet. 5. Apoc. 20. Ezech. 32. The Nicene counsel The counsel of CoÌ„stantinople The counsel of Ephesus The counsel of Calcedon About the yeare of our Lord About the yeate of our lorde 185. About the yeare of our lorde 210. â—bout the â—are of 〈◊〉 lord 〈◊〉 About the yeare of our Lorde 336. Catholiques Haeretiques Verbum what it is In English a thing The worde of God what it is Of â—he 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The word of God reuealed to the worlde by men Howe and by whom the worde of God hath bene reuealed from the beginning of the world Abraham The clearest lights of the firsâ— world Adam and Methusalem Noe. â—em Iaacob Kahad Amram Moses The chief contents of the holy fathers liuely tradition God. CreatioÌ„ of the world Sinne and death Grace life and redeÌ„ption by Christ Fayth The lineall descent of Messias The league of God. The worship of God. Life eternall and the day of iudgemeÌ„t The true â—ystoricall â—arration â—eliuered by the fathers to their children Moses in an hystory compileth the traditioÌ„s of the fathers The auâ—horitie of Moses very great The proceding of the woord of God. The Prophetes The Law. The auâ—â—oritie of â—he holy â—â—ophetes â—as very great Polyhistoâ— 2 Pet. 1. The word God reuealed by the onne of God. The chief coÌ„tents of Christe his doctrine The Apostles of Christ â—â—hn Bapâ—â—st and â—â—ule The authoâ—â—tie of the Apostles â—â—y great 1. Thes 2 The roll of the bookes of the diuine Scriptures The scripture is sound and vncorrupted â—o whom 〈◊〉 worde â—â— God is â—â—ealed What haue I to doe what was written to theÌ„ of olde time The writings of the old testament are also giuen to Christians To what â—nd the â—ord of God is 〈◊〉 Gods goodnesse to be praysed for teaching vs. All points of true godlinesse â—re taught â—s in the holy scriptures â— Tim. 3. The Lord bothspake did many things which arâ— not writteÌ„ The Apostles set downe in writing the whole doctrin of godlinesse Against the liuely and faiâ—â— traditioâ—â— of the Apostles Howe the worde of God is to â—e hearde The diseaâ—es and plagues of the hearers of gods word What the power and effect of Gods word is Gods will is to haue his wordâ— vnderstoode Difficultie in the scriptures The word of God requireth an exposition A solemn exposition of Gods worde what their meaning is that wil not haue the scriptures expounded The scriptures are 〈◊〉 to be â—orrupted with fortune exposâ—tâ—ons The holy scriptures â—re not to be expouÌ„ded according to â—ens fanâ—â—sies The
him selfe Peccatum voluntariuÌ„ inuoluntarium See Augstine demendaâ—â— ad CoÌ„seâ—tium cap 9. 10. â—◠〈◊〉 mens 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 to be 〈◊〉 the best 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 hasteÌ„ 〈…〉 Sinnes hiddâ—n and 〈◊〉 Sinns mortal and veniall â—hether 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 after 〈…〉 sinne 〈…〉 Whether the vertuous works of the heathen are sinnes or no Whether the good workes of the Saints are sinnes or no Of the sin â—gainst the â—oly ghost What blasphemie is properly The beginning of this sinne against the holy ghost Blaspheâ—â—â— against 〈◊〉 sonne of man. The 〈◊〉 â—gainst 〈◊〉 holy 〈◊〉 Sinne against the holy ghost 〈◊〉 not remitted Or endler vnrepentance Of the 〈◊〉 certainâ— punishmeÌ„â— of sinners The places of 〈◊〉 The Lorde doth punish sinners iustly â–ª God punisheth most surely Examplâ— of Goâ— iustly 〈…〉 â—ods long 〈◊〉 Why sinâ— aâ— plagued with temporall punishments considering that they are forgiuen by the grace of God. Absolâ—â— defiled 〈◊〉 fathers bed 〈◊〉 by he 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 was huâ—bled Howe wicked punishâ—â— EuangeliuÌ„ the gospel Esai 61. Luke â— â—he Gosâ—â—ll what 〈◊〉 The definition of the Gospell That the Gospell is tydings from heauen The Gosâ—ell is the â—orde of â—â—d alâ—hough it 〈◊〉 vttered â—y the 〈◊〉 of â—en The â—â—spâ—ll 〈…〉 The word â—race 〈…〉 is The 〈◊〉 of Godâ— grace The cause of the Gospell The working of gods grace The coâ—trouersâ—â— betwixt Augustiâ—â— and Pelaâ—â—us toucâ—ing the grace of God. 1. Gratiâ— gratum ciens 2. Gratâ—â— gratis 〈◊〉 3. Gratâ—â— operaâ—â— gratia operaâ—â— 4. Graâ—â—â— praeueâ—â—ens tia 〈◊〉 quent 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈…〉 The promises touching Christ our Sauiour The first Euangelie Gospell or preaching of glad tydings Gen. 3. 1. Pet. 1. Deus 〈◊〉 essentâ—â—lis 〈◊〉 9. 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 God the father hathe through Christ perfourmed to vs that which hee promised to our forefathers Iesus is Christ thâ—â— is that looked for Messiaâ— The Iewes 〈◊〉 that â—hrist is 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Iesus 〈◊〉 Christe God the 〈…〉 the world is pleased with it in the Sonne 〈◊〉 things 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 giueÌ„ 〈◊〉 christ 〈◊〉 Christe alone is our life and saluation 〈…〉 fully 〈…〉 The vnsinâ—ere preaching of the gospel The sum of the gospel Saluation preached in the gospel doth belong to all â—â—erfore 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 saued The faithfull are saued The Gospel teacheth faith and repentance Howe 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 Howe Christ did preach the Gospel Of regeneratioÌ„ more largely is spoken in the SermoÌ„ of repentance Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 Paul 〈…〉 gospel The manâ—er and order of our sanctification purification iustification 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 hath seemed Errours refuted 〈◊〉 Aâ—raham â—e father 〈◊〉 the faith 〈◊〉 is iustiâ—â—â—d The righteousnesse of Christians is imputatiue 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 Why 〈◊〉 doctriâ—â—â—â—aith that iustifieth without workes is to be keâ—â— vncorrupted in the Church 〈◊〉 Christ See the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Actes 〈◊〉 the Apâ—stles 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Sermoâ— the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The conclusion summe of all To repent 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 worde 〈◊〉 〈…〉 it is What repentance is ConuersioÌ„ to God. The doctrine of veritie is needful to repentance 〈◊〉 feare 〈◊〉 God to 〈…〉 Our humbling and acknowledging of our sinnes The feare of God is of two sortes Sorrow to God ward 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 Sinnes are fully and surely forgiuen vnto penitents 1. Pet. 2. Against the Nouatians and Anabaptistes 〈…〉 Of the coÌ„fession of sinnes ConfessioÌ„ of sinnes ordeined of God. â—he conâ—â—ssion 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 to â—od Publique or open confession Leuit. 10. Actes 1 â–ª Confeâ—â— that is made tâ— our 〈◊〉 Consultation Confession of sinnes ordeyned of men Exhomologesis I find him otherwise called Natalius Luke 9. Ioha 8. * An 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Of auricular confession 〈…〉 was 〈◊〉 comâ—â—â—ded 〈…〉 Auricular confession can be proued by 〈◊〉 place in all the scripture 〈…〉 Wheâ— aurieâ—â— confeâ—â— is to 〈◊〉 kept 〈◊〉 churâ—◠〈◊〉 solutâ—â— sakeâ— Of the satisfaction of workes Note here the difference that they make betwixte Paena and culpa peccati â—od afflicâ—â—â— them â—hose 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many sinnes be forgiuen her because she â—oued much Of indulgencies 〈…〉 The filthy marte of indulgences 〈…〉 〈…〉 Of the power of man. VnderstaÌ„ding Will. Of the 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 of reâ—eneratioÌ„ What and of what kinde the Libertie is that is in man. 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 man 〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 spirite Of the worthie fruites or of the fruites worthie of repentaÌ„ce 〈…〉 of all 〈◊〉 What thinges are necessarie in penitentes The outwarde exercises of repentaÌ„ce 〈…〉 〈…〉 False and True repentance True penitentes are in an happie caâ—e Vnrepentantes are vnhappy 〈◊〉 not 〈…〉 No repentance commeth too late Math. â— Whether they that mind to reforme the Churches must state to looke for the determinatioÌ„ of a counâ—â—â—â— Ieremie 8. Luke 9. What counsels haue beene in these latter ageâ— celebrated What christians at this day may looke for by general counsels It is lawfull for enerie Christian Church to reforme thinges out of order Holie Kinge Iosias Faith cannot be refourmed but bâ— thâ— worde of God. Rom. 10. 2. Cor. 2 The scriptures doe sufficiently minister a full platforme howe to refourme the church Sundrie opinions coÌ„cerning God. â— Iohn 12 Wherevppon the diuersitie of opinioÌ„s coÌ„cerning God do rise and from whence the true knowledg of him must be setched â—hat 〈◊〉 is a God Psalm â— A 〈◊〉 is to 〈◊〉 kept 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 God 〈◊〉 Pro. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 19. 〈…〉 〈…〉 The fourmâ—â— and mâ—â—ners oâ— knowiâ—â— God. Exod â–ª Iohn 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 1. Cabala is a tradition of the Iewes leafte to them by Moses not in writing but from the father to the sonne wherein is conteined as wel the secrets of nature as the mysticall sense included in the wordes of the holy scripture Iah and Hu. Hu signifieth He or this Adonai The Loâ—â— of Sabboth or oâ— Hostes Daniel 〈◊〉 high 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Actes 17. Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim This Dii importech as much as if one shoulde say Gods. Schaddai Gene. 17 Saturâ—â—â— It seem that we English men do borrow of the 〈◊〉 manes their 〈◊〉 Gott 〈◊〉 turne their 〈◊〉 T 〈◊〉 D 〈◊〉 we soâ—â— God 〈◊〉 we shoâ—â— say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 Trinitie Dionysius of the names of God. Visions prosopographie of God. Prosopographie is a picturing or reprseentinge of bodily lineameÌ„ts Prosopopeie is where those are broughte in to speake that doe not speak Anthropomorphites How 〈…〉 tributeâ— God 〈◊〉 iâ— bodilesse Pâ—â—lm 94. These â—ordes of 〈…〉 taken 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—tulliaÌ„ How the pâ—triarchs 〈◊〉 see God. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. â— Exod. 33 God 〈◊〉 doe 〈◊〉 thinge 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 fathers his Soâ—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 God giueth his giftes frely without respect of mans merites How Goâ— did shew him selfâ— to Mose◠〈…〉 God doth most euidently open him selfe through Christ 2. Cor. 4. Hebr. 1. Iohn 6. Math. 11. Iohn 14. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 1. Gods wiâ—dome appeareth Gods goodneâ—â— appeareâ—â—â— Godâ—
God is reuealed in what manner it is to be hearde and what the force thereof is or the effect Our God is the God of all men and nations who according to the saying of the Apostle woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and therfore hath he for the benefite life and saluation of all men reuealed his worde that so in déede there might be a rule and certaine waye to leade men by the pathe of iustice into life euerlasting God verily in the olde time did shewe him selfe to the Israelites his holy and peculiar people more familiarly then to other nations as the Prophete sayth To Iacob hath he declared his statutes and his iudgementes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation neyther hath he shewed them his iudgementes and yet he hath not altogether bene carelesse of the Gentiles For as to the Niniuites he sent Ionas so Esaias Ieremias Daniell and the other Prophetes bestowed muche labour in teaching and admonishing the Gentiles And those moste auncient Fathers Noe Abraham and the rest did not onely instruct the Iewish people which descended of them but taught their other sonnes also the iudgementes of god Our Lorde Iesus Christe verily laying open the whole world before his disciples sayd Teach all nations Preache the Gospell to all creatures And when as Sainte Peter did not yet fully vnderstande that the Gentiles also did appertaine to the fellowship of the Churche of Christe and that to the Gentiles also did belong the preaching of the glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christe for the faythfull the Lord doth instruct him by a heauenly vision by speaking to him out of heauen and by the message which came from Cornelius as you knowe dearely beloued by the hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles Let vs therfore thinke my brethren that the worde of God and the holy Scriptures are reuealed to all men to all ages kindes degrées and states throughout the worlde For the Apostle Paule also confirming the same sayth Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Let none of vs therefore hereafter say what néede I to care what is written to the Iewes in the olde Testament or what the apostles haue written to the Romanes to the Corinthians and to other nations I am a Christian The Prophets to the men of their time and the Apostles to those that liued in the same age with them did both preach and write For if we thinke vprightly of the matter we shall sée that the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes ought therefore to be receiued of vs euen bicause we are Christians For Christ our Sauiour and maister did referre vs to the written bookes of Moses and the Prophets Saint Paule the very elect instrument of Christ doth apply to vs the Sacramentes and examples of the olde Fathers that is to say Circumcision in baptisme Coloss 2. and the Paschall lambe in the Supper or Sacrament 1. Cor. 5. In the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle he applyeth sundry examples of the Fathers to vs And in the fourth to the Romans where he reasoneth of fayth whiche iustifieth without the helpe of works and the lawe he bringeth in the example of Abraham And therewithall addeth Neuerthelesse it is not written for Abraham alone that fayth was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be reckoned if we beleeue c. By that meanes say some we shal againe be wrapped in the lawe we shall be inforced to be circumcised to sacrifice fleshe and bloud of beastes to admit againe the priesthood of Aaron together with the temple and the other ceremonies There shall againe be allowed the byll of diuorcement or putting away of a mans wife together with sufferaunce to marrie many wiues To these I aunswere that in the olde Testament we muste consider that some thinges there are whiche are for euer to be obserued and some thinges whiche are ceremoniall and suffered onely till time of amendement That time of amendment is the time of Christe who fulfilled the lawe and tooke awaye the curse of the lawe The same Christe chaunged Circumcision into Baptisme He with his owne only sacrifice made an end of all sacrifices so that nowe in steade of all sacrifices there is lefte to vs that onely sacrifice of Christe wherein also we learne to offer our own very bodies and prayers together with good déedes as spirituall sacrifices vnto god Christ changed the Priesthood of Aaron for his owne and the Priesthoode of al Christians The Temple of God are we in whom god by his spirit doth dwell All ceremonies did Christ make voide who also in the nineteene of Mathewe did abrogate the bill of diuorcement together with the marriage of many wiues But althoughe these Ceremonies and some externall actions were abrogated and cleane taken away by Christ that we should not be bound vnto them yet notwithstanding the Scripture whiche was published touching them was not taken awaye or else made voide by Christ For there must for euer be in the Churche of Christ a certaine testimoniall wherby we may learne what manner of worshippings and figures of Christ they of the olde time had Those worshippiÌ„gs figures of Christ must we at this day interprete to the Churche spiritually and out of them we muste no lesse then out of the writinges of the newe Testament preach Christ forgiuenes of sinnes and repentance So then to all Christians are the writinges of the olde Testament giuen by God in like manner as the Apostles writ to all Churches those thinges which bore the name or title of some particular Congregations And to this end is the woord of God reuealed to men that it may teache them what and what maÌ„ner one God is towardes men that he would haue them to be saued aâ—d that by faithe in Christ what Christ is and by what meanes saluation commeth what becommeth the true worshipers of God what they ought to flie and what to ensue Neither is it sufficient to know the wil of God vnlesse we do the same and be saued And for that cause sayde Moses Heare Israell the statutes and iudgements whiche I teache you that ye may doe them and liue And the Lorde in the Gospell confirming the same cryeth Blessed are they whiche heare the worde of God and keepe it And here is to be praysed the excéeding great goodnesse of God whiche would haue nothing hid froÌ„ vs whiche maketh any whit to liue rightly well and holily The wise and learned of this world doe for the most part beare enuy or grudge that other shoulde attaine vnto the true wisedome But our Lorde doth gently and of his own accorde offer to vs the whole knowledge of heauenly things and is desirous that we goe forward therein yea and that more is he doth further our
Father and the Sonne and name them the Trinitie teach that the man whiche God the Word tooke vppon him is to be accompted perfecte man not in body onely but in soule also euen as the auncient doctours of the Church did also thinck But forbeecause the question about Ousia and Hypostasis did trouble the Churches that there were sundrie contentions disputations concerning the differēce betwixt them they seeme to me to haue determined very wisely that those names should not at the first presently bee vsed in questions of GOD vnlesse it were that when a man wente about to beate downe the opinion of Sabellius hee were compelled to vse them least by lacke of words he should seeme to call one the same by three names when hee should vnderstand euery one peculiarly in that threefold distinction Socrates in the 7. Chap. and thirde booke of his historie addeth But they did not bring into the Church a certeine newe religion deuised of themselues but that whiche frō the beginning euen till then the Ecclesiasticall tradition taught and prudent Christians did euidently set foorth And so foorth Therefore awaye with the Popes champions to the place whereof they are worthie which when wee teach y all pointes of true godlinesse and saluation are fully conteyned and taught in the Canonicall Scriptures by the way of obiection do demaund in what place of the Scripture we find the names of Trinitie Person Essence and Substance and finally where we find that Christe hath a reasonable soule For although those very words consisting in those syllables are not to bée found in the Canonicall bookes which were by the Prophets and Apostles written in an other and not in the latine tongue yet the thinges the matter or substaunce which those woords doe signifie are most manifestly conteined and taught in those books whiche thinges likewise all and euery nation may in their language expresse for their commoditie and necessitie speake and pronounce them Away also with all Sophisters which thinke it a great point of learning to make the reuerend mysterie of the sacred Trinitie darcke and intricate with their straunge their curious and pernicious questions It is sufficient for the godly simplie according to the Scriptures and the Apostles créed to beléeue and confesse that there is one diuine nature or Essence wherin are the father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste Neither is it greatly materiall whether ye call them substances or subsistences or persons so that ye do plainly expresse the distinctiō betwixt them and eche ones seueral properties confessing so the Vnitie that yet ye confound not the Trinitie nor spoile the persons of their properties And héere now it will do verie wel out of the Scriptures to cite such euident testimonies as maye euidently proue the mysterie of the Trinitie with the distinction and seuerall properties of the thrée persons The Lord in the Gospel after S. Matthew saith All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth goe ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Tertullian alledging those wordes against Praxea sayth He did last of all commaund his disciples to baptise into the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost We are baptised not into one nor once but thrice at euery name into euery seuerall person Thus much Tertullian Nowe as euery seuerall person is seuerally expressed so the diuinitie of them all is therein singularely taught to be one and common to them all because hee biddeth to baptise not onely into the name of the Father but also of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste The Apostle and elected vessell Paule doeth flatly denie that any man either ought to be or euer was baptised into the name of any man whiche is nothing else but méere man Were ye sayeth hée baptised in the name of Paule So then the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is GOD into whose name wée are baptised The same Lord in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayeth When the comforter commeth whome I will sende vnto you from the father that is the spirite of trueth he will lead you into all trueth He shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All things that the father hath are mine therefore said I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest mention made of the person of the father from whome the spirite is sente of the person of the Sonne whiche sendeth him and of the person of the holy Spirit which commeth vnto vs Thou hearest also of the mutual and equall communion of the Diuinitie and all good thinges betwixte the thrée persons For the holy Ghost speaketh not of himselfe but that which he heareth He shall sayeth the Sonne take of mine And againe All things that the father hath are mine And therfore what things the Sonne hath those are the fathers the diuinitie glorie and Maiestie of them all is coequall With these most euident speaches doe these two manifest testimonies of Iohn Baptist agrée First he sayth He whom God hath sent doth speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him The Father loueth the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. Loe héere againe in the one Godhead thou hearest the three persons distinguished by their properties For the Father loueth sendeth the Sonne and giueth all things into his hand The Sonne is sent and receiueth all thinges but the holy Ghost is giuen of the Father and receiued of the sonne according to fullnesse Then againe the same Baptist crieth the second time and sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a Doue and it abode vppon him And I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto mee vppon whom soeuer thou shalt see the Spirite descending and tarying still vppon him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and bare record that this is the Sonne of GOD. Héere againe are shewed vnto vs as clearely as the day-light the thrée persons distinguished not confounded For he that sendeth Iohn is the Father The holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but appeareth vpon the head of Christ in the likenes of a doue And the Sonne is the sonne not the Father and that too the sonne of the Father vpon whose head the holy Ghost did abide And now to this place doth belonge the testimonie of the Father vttered from heauen vppon his Sonne Christ For he sayeth This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am wel
of prayer for the â—eade For that whichsome albedge out of â—he second booke of Machâ—beiâ— proueth thing For that booke is not canonicall Which thing it behooued them to haue learned long since euen out of Hierome They adde that prayer for the deade is an vnwritten tradition of the Apostles I heare them But I knowe well enough that the vnwritten traditions of the apostles are not contrarie to their writtâ—n doctrines I knowe well enoughe that the written doctrines of the apostls no where commaunde prayers for the deade and in no place allowe them When Paule the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to moderation in lameâ—ting for the dead the time being then verie fitte and most 〈◊〉 to giue commaundement concerning offering of prayers for the soules of the deade if he had thought them any whit profitable and necessarie yet notwithstanding he maketh no manner mention of them yea rather he simply teacheth what they ought to beléeue touching the fouâ—es of the faithfull being separated from their bodies namely that they liue in euerlasting blessednesse with Christ wayting and looking for the reâ—urrection of their bodies But who can not sée that this certeintie and plainnesse of the Apostles doctrine is intangled and perilously shaken with this feigned Apostolique tradition For if we beléeue in Christ let vs beléeue his wordes and promises He him selfe saide that he is the resurrection and life of the faithfull and that the soules of the beléeuing euen immediately 〈…〉 death of the body 〈◊〉 escape and 〈◊〉 into liâ—â— â—f I say we 〈…〉 of the Lord why then doe we aâ— yet being 〈◊〉 for the saluation of the 〈◊〉 of the deade prays and make supplicatioÌ„ for them as though they had not yet obteyned saluation â–ª By these our prayers truely we giue a manifest proofe that we dout of our faith hope not after that as concerning the saluation of our fouls which wedge â—â—th professe with tâ—ung and which also the wordes of Christe and the Apostles commaunde vs to hope after The stedfast faith truely and assured hope of those that beléeue and stay them selues vppon the promises of Christe dâ— forbid vs here to take and weare blacke mourning garments in offerings for the dead whose souls we beléeue to haue already put on white garmentes they forbid vs to giue occasion eyther to vnbeléeuers or to weaklinges in fayth of repreheâ—â—ing vs worthily bycause we 〈◊〉 and lament for them who 〈◊〉 say do liue with God as if they were â—ast into hell fire and busily set our selues a worke with making humble prayers vnto God to deliuer the miserable souls out of torments that is to say bycause the faith which we professe with tong and voyce we condemne by the testimonie of â—ure heart and mynd yea and of our outwarde workes If we goe on after this sorte truely we are double dealers in our hope and in our faith The things whiche we speake séeme to be dissembled false and feigned For it auayleth nothing in words to â—â—â—nt of vertue and with déedes to destroye trueth Therfore let him that wil receiue this 〈…〉 as they caâ—â— it of the Apoâ—â—les touching the offering of prayers for the faithfull departeâ— as for me I meane to receiue nothing repugnant to true â—ayth and 〈◊〉 from the apoâ—â—les doctriâ—e 〈◊〉 doe I persuade any man to receâ—â—â— such â—anitie This also I can not choose but tel you that that which they call the tradition of the apostles S. Augustine calleth the tradition of the fathers reâ—â—iued of the Churche For in his 〈◊〉 〈…〉 apostâ—li 32. he sayth This which the fathers deliuered the whole Church obserueth to wit that prayers shoulde be made for them in the communion of of the body and bloud of Christ wheÌ„ they in their own place are reheâ—â—â—ed at the verie sacrifice and the same is mentioned to be offered for them also And againe 〈…〉 gerendâ— Cap. 4. he saith Supplications or prayers for the soules of the dead are not to bee neglected whiche the church hath receiued to be made for all that be departed in the Christian brotherhod not rehearsing them by name but in a general remembrance of them altogether Thus saâ—e he â–ª Who though in some place he 〈◊〉 the traditioÌ„s of the apostles very say yet by these words this séemethmore expresly to be his meaning y this 〈◊〉 or order of praying for the dead was deliuered to the churche by the fathers and doubtlesse many yeares after the Apostles time was receiued of the church The same August defendeth in more places than one that the receiuing of the Eucharist or sacrameÌ„t of the Lordes supper is as necessarie for infants being newe come forth of their mothers wombe to y attaining of saluation as the sacrament of baptisme The chiefe and notable places wherein â—e hand â—â—th 〈…〉 in his first booke against 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 against y Pelagians Nether doth he 〈◊〉 that opinion with lesse 〈…〉 than the tradition â–ª bicause that 〈…〉 and very vsual in the church in y age But who at this day receiueth y ceremonie as Apostolical Who séeth not that those good fathers otherwise most faithfull pastours in that thing suffered some inuention of man The written doctrine of S. Paule deserueth at this day more to be estéemed than that auncient tradition of the church Paul writeth Let euery man 〈◊〉 himselfe and so let him eatâ— of this â—â—eade and drinke of this cap. Whâ—reby al men vnderstand that y Eucharist or sacrament of the Lords supper is for them to receiue that are of perfect age not 〈…〉 For y cauâ—â— it 〈…〉 for our elder to forsake y tradition and to draw more neare to the scripture Let theÌ„ therefore in this mâ—tter giue vs 〈◊〉 also to depart froÌ„ the vncertein tradition of the fathers to cleane to the moste 〈◊〉 faith doctrine of the apostles But 〈◊〉 say they was condeÌ„ned for this cause for that he beléeued prayers were vnprofitable for the dead I 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 y Aerius was coÌ„deÌ„ned neither do I take vpon me to defend him whom â—hylastrius Epiphanius Augustine do make mention to haue 〈…〉 Arian a man polluted with other â—oule errors But touching prayers for the dead whether they be profitable or vnprofitable there is no doubt that they are catholiques notheretiques who beléeue that which is deliuered â—et downe in the apostles créed For according to the tradition of this créede we beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes 〈…〉 life euerlasting They which beleèue these things â—â—tein vndoutedly what soâ—â—er they beléeue For the Lord said to the Contâ—â—ion Go thy way and as tho◠〈…〉 so be it done vnto thâ—â— Therefore who so euer beléeueth forgiuenes of sinâ— life euerlasting hath obteyned forgiuenesse of sinnes surly he shal liue in euerlasting life Which thing if y be true as it caÌ„not be false whith is deliuered vnto vs in the apostles créede what place I pray you shall prayers
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
of the church of Christe as the Popish pastors do falsely boast to ordeine new lawes and to broach new opinions For the doctrine whiche was deliuered to the apostls of Christ is simply to be receiued of the church and simply and purely to be deliuered of the pastours to the church whiche is the congregation of such as beléeue the word of Christe And who knoweth not that it is sayde by the Prophete All men are lyars God only is true And the church is the piller and ground of truth bycause as it stayeth vpon the truth of the Scriptures euen so it publisheth none other doctrine than is deliuered in the scriptures neither receiueth it being published And who is he that will challenge to him selfe the glorie due vnto God onely God is the onely lawegiuer to all mankinde especially in those thinges which perteine to religion and a blessed life For Esaie sayth The Lorde is our iudge the Lord is our lawegiuer the Lorde is our king and he him selfe shal be our Sauiour And S. Iames also saythe There is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy God challengeth this thing as proper to him selfe to rule those that are his with the lawes of his word ouer whome he only hath authoritie of life and death Moreouer those lawes can not be godly whiche presume to prescribe and teache fayth and the seruice of God after their owne fancie The doctrine concerning fayth and the worship of God vnlesse it be heauenly is nothing lesse than that which it is sayd to be God only teacheth vs what is true fayth and what worship he delighteth in And therefore in Matthewe the sonne of God pronounceth out of Esaie In vayne doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men Ioyne herevnto also that from the newe constitutions of men there springeth alwayes vp a wonderfull neglecting yea and contempt of the word of God and of heauenly lawes For through our owne traditions as the Lorde also sayth in the Gospell we goe astraye and despise the commaundements of God. Nowe since it is manifest from whence the Pastour or doctour must fetche his doctrine to wit from no other place than out of the Scripture of the old and new Testament which is the infallible and vndoubted word of God and that therefore this doctrine is certeine and immutable There remaineth nowe also something to be spoken of the manner of teaching which the teacher or pastor of the Churche ought to followe And here I will onely briefly touche the shorte summe or effect of matters Afore all other thinges therefore it is required of Pastours that continually they account that to be spoken vnto them whiche the Apostle commanded to be often tolde to Archippus Take heede to the ministerie that thou haste receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it And moreouer 〈◊〉 they neuer turne away their eies from that liuely picture of a good and euill shepehearde whiche Ezechiel that famous Prophete setteth out after this manner Thus sayth the Lorde God woe be vnto the shepeheardes of Israel that feede them selues shoulde not the shepeheards feede the flocks ye eate the fat ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the shepe the weak haue ye not strengthened the sicke haue ye not healed neither haue ye bound vp the broken nor brought againe that whiche was driuen away neyther haue ye sought that whiche was lost but with crueltie and with rigour haue ye ruled them And againe I will feede my sheepe sayth the Lord God I will seeke that whiche was lost and bring againe that whiche was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgement Hereby we gather that it is the duetie of a good Pastour or shepeheard to féde and not to deuour the flocke to minister not to exercise dominion to séeke the safetie of his shéepe not his priuate gaine and also to séeke out againe the lost shéepe that is to say to bring again such as can not abide the truth and wander in the darkenesse of errous home to the church and vnto the light of the trueth and to restore and bring back againe the shéep that is driuen or chased away to wit such as are separated from the felowship of the Saintes or godly for some priuate affections sake to heale or binde vp such as are broken For he meaneth the wounds of sinnes whiche Ieremie also commaundeth to heale and to be short to strengthen the weake and féeble shéep and not altogether to treade them vnder foote and to bridle such shéepe as be strong that is to say men flourishing in vertues least they be proude and puffed vp with the giftes of God and so fall away But let him thinke that these thinges can not be perfourmed but through sounde and continuall teaching deriued oute of GOD his worde The manner of teaching extendeth it selfe to publique and priuate doctrines By publique doctrine the Pastour eyther catechiseth that is to say instructeth them that be younglings in religion or other whiche are grounded therein To the younglings or ignoraunt sorte he openeth the principles of true religion For Catechesis or the fourme of Catechising comprehendeth the groundes or principles of fayth and Christian doctrine to wit the chiefe pointes of the couenaunt the tenne commaundements the Articles of fayth or Apostles Créede the Lordes prayer and a briefe exposition of the Sacramentes The auncient churches had Catechisers appoynted properly to this charge And the Lorde commendeth vnto vs bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe with great earnestnesse the charge of the youth commaunding vs to instruct them both betimes and also diligently in true religion Moreouer he setteth out great rewardes and grieuous punishments in that behalfe Assuredly no profite or fruite is to bee looked for in the Churche of those hearers that are not perfectly instructed in the principles of religion by Catechising for they knowe not of what thing the Pastor in the Churche speaketh when they heare the couenaunt the commaundement the lawe grace fayth prayer and the sacraments to be named Therefore if in any thing then in this ought greatest diligence to be vsed The doctrine whiche apperteyneth to the perfecter sorte is specially occupyed in the exposition of holy Scripture It may appeare out of the writings of the old bishops that it was the custome in that happie and most holie primitiue churche to expounde vnto the Churches not certeine parcels of the Canonicall bookes neyther some chosen places out of them but the whole bookes as well of the newe Testament as the olde And in so doing there came no small fruite vnto the Churches As at this day also we sée by experience that Churches can not be better instructed nor more vehemently stirred vppe
of godlinesse and in daylie prayers though they sing not yet remaine they neuerthelesse the sonnes of god Neither yet doth all singing and in euery place edifie neither are all Churches fitt to singe Doeth not Rabanus saye in the same place that I euen nowe cited For fleshly minded mennes sake not for such as are guided by the spirite the custome of singing is instituted in the Church that they that are not moued by wordes may bee allured with the sweetnesse of the melody c. But the singing about which there is controuersie at this day is not that auncient singing but that more is both in matter and tune for the most parte it is cleane contrarie to the olde The common sort call it Gregories singing doubtlesse not of that great Gregorie who séemeth not to haue béene very fréendlie to singing as it appeareth by his constitution whiche is read in the Registre in the fifte parte thereof Cap. 44. Wee shall therefore séeme to iudge more truely if we referre it to Gregorie the fifte which is said to haue béene enthronized aboute the yéere of our Lorde 995. and moreouer to haue vsed the healpe of I knowe not who one Robertus Carnotensis Yet there are some whiche ascribe it to Vitalianus some to Gelasius It yrcâ—eth mee to rehearse what Durandus hath patcht together of this matter in his Rat. Diuin lib. 5. For I little weigh it There are manie thinges in this kinde of singing to be discommended For first of all many things yea the most are soung contrarie to true godlines neither are all thinges that are sounge taken out of the holie Scriptures but out of I knowe not what kinde of Legendes and out of the traditions of men And those things whiche are soung out of the Scriptures are for the moste parte so wrested and corrupted that there remaineth no parte of the heauenly sense or meaning Creatures and deade men are called vpon Moreouer this kinde of singinge is commaunded and they singe not of their owne accorde or good will but vpon constrainte yea they singe for money and to th' end that they may get an Ecclesiasticall benefice as they terme it Onely Clearkes hyred for that purpose doe nowe a dayes singe not the whole Churche of Christe as in time paste hath béene accustomed Neither is there any ende or measure in their singinge They singe day and night And to this foolishe and vngodly kinde of singinge as to a heauenlie or meritorious worke there is more attributed than true faith doeth allowe A man maye well say that it is that much babbling which the Lorde in Matthewe forbiddeth and condemneth as an Heathenish superstition They singe moreouer in a straunge tongue which fewe doe vnderstand and therefore without any profite at all to the church There is hearde a longe sounde quauered and streyned to and fro backewarde and forewarde whereof a man can not vnderstand one worde Often times the Singers striue amonge themselues for the excellencie of voyces whereby it commeth to passe that the whole Churche ringeth with an hoarse kinde of yellinge and through the strife that riseth about their voyces the hearers little vnderstande what is sounge I say nothing at this present of their musicke which they call Figuratiue and of their musicall instrumentes all whiche are conteined in a manner in their Organes as they terme them I saye nothinge of their Diriges or prayers for the deade Of which I haue also intreated in an other place But these and such other like so occupied the whole time of diuine seruice in the Churche that verie little or none was lefte for true prayers and for the holie and heauenlie preaching of the worde of god Therefore for moste iuste causes they that beléeue the Gospell doe neither vse such singing neither suffer it in the Church of god And they séeme to deale verie deuoutly and in like manner moste wisely whiche bestowe the beste parte of the time or euen the verie whole time of ecclestasticall assemblies in feruent and quiete prayers and in the wholesome preachinge of the worde of God omitting that singinge especially since it is a harde thinge so to limitte or restraine singinge which otherwise is tollerable leaste at some time it excéede and go beyond the appointed boundes Furthermore that our auncient predecessours had certeine and appointed houres wherein they prayed bothe priuately in their houses and publiquely in assemblies all the holie Scripture witnesseth in many places Dauid more than once in his Psalmes sayeth that he will goe vnto the Lord in the Morning and Eueninge Daniel prayed vnto the Lorde at thrée seuerall houres or times of the day Againe Dauid saith Seuen times in a day doe I praise thee But by seuen times he vnderstandeth many times For so else-where we reade written I will smite you for your sinnes seuen times And againe The iust man falleth seuen times and riseth vp againe And also If thy brother sinne seuen times in a daye and turne seuen times in a day vnto thee c. Seuen times therefore in diuerse places as also in this of Dauid is put for many times And Christe our Lorde hath tyed the priuate prayers of the faithfull as wee haue also tolde you before neither to place nor yete to time he hath not taken away publique prayers For he is the Lord not of confusion but of order But his Disciples when they were in the land of Iurie did them selues also obserue the accustomed houres of praying whiche that nation kept at libertie not of necessitie and specially for the assemblies sake For Peter Iohn goe vp into the temple at the ninth houre of prayer In the day of pentecost all the Saincts with one accorde were gathered together receiued the holy Ghost at the thirde houre of the day And it is also read that Peter priuately went vpp into the vpper parte of the house aboute the sixt houre The Temple béeing destroyed and the Iewes scattered abroade the Churches gathered out of the Gentiles did not obserue like houres of gatheringes together or of assemblies but at their owne libertie as to euery church it séemed most méete and conuenient Of which diuersitie truely the Ecclesiasticall historie also makethe mention yet for the most part there were houres in the morning and euening vsed for assemblies S. Hierome in his Epitaph vppon Paula expounding not the rite or order of the vniuersall church what it should doe in holie assemblies but what the companyes of solitarie virgins are woont to doe of their owne accorde sayeth In the morning at three sixe and nine of the clocke at euening at midnight they did sing the Psalter by order Onely vpon the Sunday they went vnto the Church neere vnto the whiche they dwelt c. So it perteineth to priuate institution which of the same sorte is read writen to Laeta touching the institution of her daughter and to Demetriades De custodienda virginitate
mingled with the wine in the cuppe the people is vnited vnto Christe and the multitude of the beleeuers is coupled and ioyned vnto him in whoÌ„ they beleeued And thus in blessing the Lords cup only water may not be offred neither in like sort may wine only For if any man offer onely wine the bloud of Christe beginneth to be without vs but if it be water only then doeth the multitude beginne to be without Christe But when they are both mingled together and are ioyned with a confused mixture betwixt them theÌ„ is there an heauenly spiritual sacrameÌ„t wrought By these words truly doth S. CypriaÌ„ shewe vnto vs a good mysterie but why doe we seeke to bee wiser than Christ and to mingle together moe mysteries than wee haue receiued of him The holy scripture maketh mention of no water but rather reporteth that the Lorde vsed nought else but meere wine For the Lord sayth Verily I say vnto you that henceforth I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine For he plainely sayde not the wine but the fruite of the vine that herein wee shoulde make no manner of mingling But what if that the holy martyr of God himselfe Saint Cyprian hath laboured by all the meanes hee might to shewe that the only is to be followed of the faithfull in celebrating of the Lordes supper which they haue receiued of our Lord Christe himselfe And forasmuche as that testimonie doth make much to all this our treatise concerning Christes supper to be celebrated according to the words of the gospel I will recite it worde for worde out of the second epistle of the 3. book of his epistles We must not sayth he depart in any respect from the doctrine of the Gospel and those things that our maister taught did himself the scholers also ought to obserue and do The blessed Apostle in another place speaketh more coÌ„stantly and stoutly saying I meruell that you are so soone chaunged from him that called you to grace vnto another gospel which is nothing else but there besome that trouble you go about to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ Howbeit if we our selues or an angel from heauen do preach vnto you any other thing than that wee haue taught let him be accursed As I haue said before so say I now againe if any man preache any other thing vnto you than that whiche you haue receiued let him be accursed Since therefore neither the Apostle himselfe neither an angel from heauen can preache or teache otherwise than Christe him selfe once hathe taught and his Apostles haue preached I muche maruell from whence this custome hath growen that contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles in some places water is offered in the Lords Cup whiche being taken alone caÌ„not expresse the Lords bloud And againe there is no cause déerely beloued brother that any man should thinke that the custome of certeine men is to be followed if there be any that heretofore haue supposed that water alone is to bée offered in the Lordes â—up For it must be demaunded of them whom they haue followed herein For if in the sacrifice which is christ none is to be followed but Christe doubtlesse then ought wée to hearken vnto to do after that which Christ hathe done and commaunded to bee done since he him selfe sayeth in his Gospel If you do that which I commaunde you to do I will call you no longer seruaunts but friendes And the Christ alone should be heard the Father him selfe also witnesseth from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whâ—â—e I haue delight heare him Wherefore if onely Christe is to be heard wee ought not to regard what any other before vs hath thought meete for vs to doe but what Christ did first who is before all other Neither ought we in any case to follow the custome of men but the trueth of God considering what the Lord speaketh by the prophet Isaie saying They worship me in vaine teaching the commandements doctrine of men And againe the Lord repeating the selfe same words in the gospel sayth Ye set Gods commandementes aside to establish your owne traditions And in another place he sayth He that shall breake any one of the least of these commaundementes and shal on this sort teache men shal be accounted least in the kingdome of heauen But if it be not lawful to breake the least of the commaundementes of God howe muche more heinous is it to breake thinges so greate so weightie and so muche belonging to the Lordes passion the sacrament of our redemption or else to change it into any other order by mans traditions than is instituted by God And so forth as followeth There is no man can denie but that these thinges are of authoritie euen against the authour himselfe For neither by the scriptures nor by the example of Christe can it bee proued that water was mingled with the wine at the supper As for the authorities and testimonies which the author alledgeth euery man may perceiue how litle they make to the purpose yea that they be wrested froÌ„ their naturall meaning The gospel plainly pronounceth that the Lord dranke of the fruite of the vine vnto his disciples And as often as Paule maketh mention of the cup yet teacheth hee in no place that water was mingled with the wine or that it ought to be mingled with it Wherefore these watermen that is to say they that vse water only in celebrating the Lords supper are iustly condeÌ„ned such as the Martionites and Tâ—â—tianes were Howbeit it is an indifferent matter whether you vse râ—d wine or white in the supper Againe why did not the Lord deliuer the Sacrament of the Supper vnto vs vnder one fourme of bread or wine only but rather vnder both kindes the doctours of the church by one coÌ„sent suppose this to be the cause for that he would signifie or rather testifie vnto vs that he tooke both soule flesh vpon him and gaue the same for vs and also hath deliuered our soules flesh froÌ„ euerlasting destruction For although there be 2. kinds yet do they make but one sacrament and they may not be separated Neither is their opinion of iudgemente to be allowed of who of their owne priuat or rather sacrilegious authoritie do corrupte the institution of Christ offering to the Lay people whiche do coÌ„municate the one kind only of bread graunting to priests both kinds so challenging both kinds to themselues only But Paul the Apostle receiued the authoritie from the lord himself to admit all the faithful people of Christ vnto the Lords cup and therefore let these bold fellowes consider from whome they haue receiued commaundement to put back the Layitie and to forbid them the cup whiche by the Lorde our God is graunted vnto them For Christ in plaine wordes and as it were by the spirite of prophecie foreséeing what shoulde come to passe in the Church saide