and clamor with vniust force wyth stones swordes firebrandes and whatsoeuer other instrumentes of the power of darckenesse With these we reade the Prophetes were in tymes past assaulted With such they disputed agaynst christ And the hystorie following will shewe howe they vsed the same agaynst the Apostles But bicause Christ hath many times giuen vs warning of these thinges we must not be offended at the same Let vs therefore be so prepared that they light not vpon vs vnawares and vnlooked for It is worthy of great obseruation and heede that whyle they rage most in violence and wrong yet they seeme to obserue a kinde of lawe and equitie For bicause they had accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and false doctrine therefore they gyue him the punishment appoynted of God for blasphemers and seducers And the witnesses as is prescribed in the law threwe the first stones at him which to doe with the more ease they put of their apparel and deliuer it vnto Saule to keepe who after he was conuerted vnto Christ was called Paule Therefore here wanteth nothing belonging to the forme of lawe And Steuen myght seeme iustly to haue suffered and according to the lawe But that is not alwayes lawfully done which hath a shewe of lawe and we must deepely wey the causes of punishments or else we shall grieuouslye erre in our iudgement In the meane season marke howe God sometime suffreth the wicked with whose rage he will haue his people exercised to fyll vp the measure of their wickednesse And by example of the witnesses we are taught howe farre impietie proceedeth if it be not stopped at the beginning They sinned in bearing of false wytnesse being neyther ignoraunt of the lawe of God neyther of the punishment appoynted for false wytnesses And they are not afrayde that Salomon sayth the Lorde hateth and vtterly abhorreth a false witnesse They are not yet contented to haue committed so horrible a fault but they go further and embrue their handes with innocent bloude where also they were not ignorant of that that is written in the lawe touching murtherers So true it is that Salomon sayth when the wicked are once ouer their shooes there is no hoe with them Let vs therefore feare the entycing beginnings of sinne least whyle they instill into vs an hatred to the worde of God we sticking fast in the toughe myer thereof be at length wholye swallowed vp of the great gulfe of vngodlynesse The things sayde of Saule who as it is written consented to the death of the holye man and receyued great pleasure therein make a waye and preparation to the hystorie following and for the setting forth of the glory of god But of these things more shall be sayde in their place It remayneth that we declare howe Steuen behaued himselfe when he was put to this cruell death where three thinges are tolde of him First he called vpon the Lorde which thing we beleeue he continually vsed to doe And it is expressed that he prayed in three wordes Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite These wordes haue in them the confession of a true fayth and an argument and token of a great and strong beliefe For being on euery side beset with the terrors of death yet he acknowledgeth and confesseth that Christ is his Sauiour folowing the example of the theefe crucified with Christ. Further he beleeueth that the soules dye not in death but passe to the state of a better life yea he knoweth that euen in death through fayth in Christ men fynde lyfe This is a great prayse of fayth that euen then it is inuincible and comforteth vs when all other helpes fayle Also Steuens example teacheth vs to whome to commende our soules when we be at the poynt of death Not to Saintes as the superstitious vse but vnto Christ our Lorde who as he hath redeemed them with the pryce of his bloude so by his resurrection he hath ouercome death and by his ascention into heauen hath prepared for vs a place in the which we shall be gathered vnto him Secondarily Steuen sheweth a token of charitie which can not be seperated from fayth For folowing the example and commaundement of Christ he prayeth for his enimies that God woulde not punishe them for their sinne as they deserued This reprooueth the wickednesse of his enimies which put him to death as an enimie of the common weale which witnesseth by his last wysh he made that no man was more desirous of all mennes welfare than he But this is the state of the vngodly in this worlde the chiefe cause of whose infelicitie is this that they neyther can knowe their benefactors nor beware of the most daungerous enimies of the publike weale Let vs learne to extende our charitie euen to the ingratefull and with godly prayers commende them to God which moste grieuously offende agaynst vs And let vs not suffer our selues to be feared with the wickednesse of men forasmuch as Gods iudgements be vnknown to vs and God lightly vseth not to reueale vnto euery man who they be that are incurable amongest men as we reade he did sometime vnto Ieremie 7.14.15 cap. Let vs also be stirred vppe with the effect of this prayer which the conuersion of Saule alone prooueth was not fruitelesse Last of all is sayd that Steuen hauing thus spoken fell on sleepe whom yet his enimies hoped now with his doctrine to haue now bene cleane dispatched out of the way The scripture oftentimes vseth this word slepe speaking of the death of the godly For so is the condicion propertie of death set forth Death is the resolution or dissolution of man consisting of soule and body In this death the soule neyther dyeth nor sleepeth but passeth into lyfe euerlasting as Christ sayth Iohn 5. Wherevpon death hath aptly bene called a passing into heauen The body is sayde to sleepe bicause it is layde in the earth as it were to sleepe out of the which in the latter daye it shall be raysed vp by Christ that it may also enioye the blysse of heauenly lyfe There are euerywhere testimonies of Scripture concerning these things and occasion shall serue oftentimes to intreate of the same Wherefore we nowe meane to be briefe Let vs set Steuen before vs to imitate that when we shall depart this lyfe our soules being gone before to the dwellings of the blessed and happy we being at the last gloriously raysed vp also in body may attayne to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The eyght chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lvj. Homelie AT that tyme there was a great persecution agaynst the congregation which was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abrode throughout the regions of Iurie and Samarie except the Apostles But deuout men dressed Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him As for Saule he made hauocke of the
Contentions of the Iewes with the Apostles 550. Contention about iustification before the Apostles 594. Conuersion of Paule whye it is so dyligently descrybed 399. The hystorie of Paules conuersion Pag. 857. Conuersion what effect it bringeth Pag. 625. Conuersion hath hir begynning of God. 786. Conuersion cōsisteth in three points Pag. 625. The maner of true conuersion 787. An example of true conuersion Pag. 375. The duetyes of those that are conuerted 787. Corinthe what manner of Citie it was 677. Cornelius compared with the souldiours of our dayes 427. Cornelius obedience 431. Cornelius calling 428. Corne throwne into the Sea. 885. Corporall absence of Christ hindereth not the faythfull 124. Corporall presence of Christ is none vpon the earth 38. Corporall presence of Christ wrongfullye maynteyned in the supper confuted by arguments 38. No corporall presence of Christ vppon earth after his ascention ibidē No neede of Christes corporall presence vpon earth 8. They that defende the corporall presence of Christ in the supper denie the veritie of his body 11. Correction in religion is necessarye  Corruption of our nature 531. Man is subiect to corruption 541. Corpses why they were washed in tymes passed  Counsell of the Priestes Scribes Pag. 794. An example of an antichristian counsell 796. The counsels decree agaynst the Apostles 206. Counsell gathered in the holy ghost Pag. 598. A Paterne and fourme of a lawfull counsell 250. Counselles of the Pope descrybed Pag. 196. Counsell called to wythstande the Apostles 249. The question asked in the Priestes counsell 198. What the Popes counsels are 794. Ministers must not bee commytted to antichristian counsels 778.779 How Papistes deale with the faythfull in their counsels 598. Counsell howe to make an vnitie betweene the Iewes and Gentiles 601. Counsell of the elders discussed 771. The ende of mannes counsell is not happie 771.772 The counselles of God are daungerous to search 555. The counselles of God can not bee hindered by mannes deuise 251. The counsels of men agaynst Christ are but vayne 204. The counsell of the souldyours to kyll the prysoners 886. Couetousnesse pulleth the mynde from God. 631. Couetousnesse commonlye maketh men the enimies of truth 631. Couetousnesse in Ministers is to be condempned 756. Paule disswadeth from couetousnesse by his owne example ibidem Couetousnesse in the Church is a great euill 804. Couetousnesse howe hurtefull it is Pag. 631.632 Howe couetousnesse robbeth God of his honor 370. Cowardly feare 25. C ante R. Craft and subtiltie in Steuens accusers 289.291 Craft of the enimies of truth  Craft of Sathan 588. Creple or lame man heareth the gosple and beleeueth 565. Creple from his mothers wombe healed through the power of God. Pag. 151. Creple miraculously healed 566. Creples state most miserable 565. Crosse must Christians beare after Christes example 206. The crosse and slaunderous death is no token of Gods wrath 490. The crosse is not one of the least notes of Christs church 415. The crosses standarde is the tryumph of the faythfull 253.254 The crosse must not offend vs. 647. C ante V. Curious and vnprofitable questions 27.28 Curiositie a great euill 27. Custome of GOD in punishing of sinners 59. Custome must gyue place to y word of God. 442. D. D ante A. DAmascus delyuereth Paule out of daunger 411. Day of refreshing 174. Day of restitution 175. What is the great day of the Lorde Pag. 97. Dauyd prophecied of Christ bicause he was a Prophet 121. Dauid reported to haue fulfilled all the wyll of God in what sence Pag. 529. Dauids authoritie among the Iewes Pag. 121. Dauids prophecie touching Christs ascention declared 125. Dauids prophecie touching Christs resurrection declared 123. Dauids prophecie concerning christ Pag. 122. Dauid praysed 529. Dauids sinnes reprooued by the worde of God. 129. Dauids persecutions are figures of Christes persecutions 59. D ante E. In what state the dead are 541. Deacons openly elected 66. Deacons of the Church dyd sometime Minister 286. Deacons who ought to bee what maner of men 278. Deacons vppon what occasion they were ordeyned 274. Deacons howe they were chosen at the begynning 66.67 c. Deacons of the church 280. Deacons instituted in the Primitiue churches haue three commodities Pag. 283. Death is not the destruction of the fleshe and body 116.117 Death of Christ was voluntarie Pag. 380. Death is a rest or quiet 117. Death hath no power vpō the soule Pag. 116. Death is an enterance into the kingdome of heauen 355.356 Death is a ioyfull thyng 116. Decins after he had shed the bloude of the Martyrs dyed in a barbarous Country with hys Sonne where his body could not be found to be buried 301. Decree of the Synode apostolike declared 608. Decree renewed for the not preaching of Christ. ibidem Deceyuers vse to chalenge godlye honor 570.571 Degrees of dignitie among christians are not abolished 292. Deliuerie out of Egypt cyted by Paule 525. The delyuered must ascrybe the glorie vnto God. 496. The delyuered out of one trouble must prepare them to an other Pag. 810. The duetie of the delyuered out of daunger and trouble 167. Death of the godly expressed by this worde sleeping 355. Death is but a sleepe 356. Death is a passage into heauen ibidē The causes of Christes death 108. The effect of Christes death 111. Death of Christ is included in hys resurrection 64. Death is to be considered 541.746 Death and the Deuill conquered by Christ. 381. The rest after death is grounded vpon hope 117.118 Death must not be procured 638. Death of Christ must not offend vs. Pag. 535. Death must not offende vs. 381. Deade Corpses must bee decentlye buryed 358. Deade men canonized deface the merite of Christ. 359. Deuill what hee maye doe by Gods permission but not of hys owne absolute power 364. Deuils notable pollicie 809. D ante I. Diana called Multiniamia or the nourisher of all thyngs 722. Dianas Image come downe from heauen 726. Difference betwene Saule and Dauyd 529. Difference of the olde and newe Testament 95. Difference betweene Christ and ministers 22. Difference betweene the doctrine of Iohn and Christ. 698. Difference betweene the godlye and vngodly 494. Dignitie of the Ministerie of the church 623. Dignitie of all men is one before God. 601. Dyligence of Herode in watchyng Peter 490. Dioclosian Maximinian and Galerius persecuting the Church are destroyed of God. 301. Disobedience layde to the Apostles charge 256. Disobedience reprehended 878. Disobedience punished 875. Discipline in the Church taught by the Apostles 3. Discipline in the church necessarie Pag. 150. Discipline at the Table 883. Disciples of Christ comforted by aungels 41. Disciples after hys ascension desyre styll his bodily presence 38. Disciples reprehended of the Aungels 38. Disciple what the name teacheth vs. Pag. 419. Disciples at Ierusalem afrayde of Paule 412. Dissention workers 588. Dissentiōs no cause why we should doubt of our saluation 588.589 Dissention in religion must not offende vs. 592.593 Dissention betweene Paule Barnabas 612. D
faythfull reioyce in the Lorde The wicked also be glad and reioyce and for ioye manye times become madde But this they doe eyther bicause they haue riches and honors and the fruition of the naughtie lustes of the fleshe or else by reason of their wickednesse as Salomon sayth of some But their ioyes are neyther sounde nor sure but are ended in most grieuous sorrow For Christes sentence in the Gospell was long ago pronounced against them woe be to you that nowe laugh for you shall mourne and weepe But the mirth or ioye of the godlye bicause it stayeth vpon the Lorde cannot quayle or be ouerturned For they glorye and reioyce in afflictions bicause that in all thinges they knowe they shall ouercome by him which loued them in Iesus Christ. The seconde fruite of godlynesse is the gladsomnesse of the tongue By this is expressed the greatnesse of the ioye which can not be kept within the minde but breaketh forth by the tongue For this tongue of the godly reioyceth not in light affections and ribauldrie or in wanton talke such as we maye see in the vngodly but in godly giuing of thankes and in setting foorth the name of God and his benefites And surely this is a great glory of the godly that they perceyue themselues euery day bounde vnto God by new and fresh benefites for the which cause they prayse his holy name Many reioyce in the fauour of Princes and thinke it a worthye matter when they haue any iust occasion offred them to prayse and commende the Princes liberality But the glory of a christian man is farre greater which euery day findeth most weightie causes fresh occasions to commend and set forth the goodnesse of god And herein consisteth not the least part of our dutie For God will be magnified and extolled of vs and requyreth none other thing of vs for his beneficence bicause he hath no neede of any thing that is ours Call sayth he vpon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Hereof proceede those vowes of the Saints which promise songs and hymnes vnto the lord Christ in one place in the person of Dauid promiseth this thing to his father saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation will I prayse thee My prayse is of thee in the great congregation my vowes will I perfourme in the sight of them that feare him And Dauid where he asketh helpe of God speaketh after like maner I will prayse the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thankesgiuing This also shall please the Lord better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Hereto maye be applied the voyce of the godly spoken of by the Prophete O forgiue vs all our sinnes receyue vs graciously and then will we offer the bullockes of our lippes vnto thee Here by the way may the infelicitie of our dayes be perceyued For where there be very fewe whose tongues reioyce in giuing God thankes and in praysing his holy name therefore is that true ioye also verye rare that is conceyued by faith and holy exercise of obedience By the which argument we maye strongly conclude that the exer I se of fayth and godlynesse is also very rare The thirde fruite of godlynesse is My fleshe shall rest in hope He speaketh of death whiche he promiseth him shall be ioyfull and without all griefe Here in the meanewhile is shadowed out a moste absolute felicitie and blisse which by death as the Poete sayth death is the last ende of all thinges can not be let or hindred By death which for the most part commeth sodainly all things whereby this vnhappye worlde measureth felicitie vse to be disturbed At the mentioning of death rich men are amazed ambicious men quake voluptuous men tremble and the most valiaunt men vse to be afraide But Christ reioyceth herein as in a rest full of great hope So doe all the members of Christe to whome aboue all other men it is giuen to contemne death yea to reioyce in death whose propertie the Prophet in this place most liuely expresseth First he maketh mention only of the fleshe or body shewing that death hath no power vpon the soule which is the chiefe part of man For the soule departing out of the bodye goeth to euerlasting life as otherwheres we haue shewed which was the cause that Paule desired to be loosed and to be with Christ. Then speaking of the flesh or of the body he threatneth it not with destruction but sayth My fleshe shall rest in hope Therfore he promiseth a rest to the flesh which the godlye in death finde to be most sure All the whole race of our lyfe swarmeth with heapes of calamities and daungers Trauell and paines are still at hande Sorrowes and cares spring euery day still a fresh And to be briefe this short life is tossed with the continuall stormes and tempestes of combrances and traueyles so that the Prophete truly sayde The dayes of our age are threescore yeares and tenne and though men be so strong that they come to foure score yeares yet is their strength then but labour and sorowe And in other places the Scripture sayth that man is borne to labour as the birde to flying But in death is rest and he that is deade hath escaped all the toyle of labours and care sickenesse and all other accidents of aduersities And least any man shoulde thinke we had none other rest in death than such as beastes and other liuing creatures haue which haue no life after this he sheweth that our fleshe resteth in hope He meaneth the hope of resurrection which is both certaine and also the only cause of true comfort For God putteth vs in this hope in calling himselfe the God of them which are departed this life as Christ teacheth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob And in the Prophets he constantly promiseth there shal be a resurrection See Ezechiel 37. Dan. 12. Isa. 26. 66. Christ reasoneth oftentimes in the Gospell of the same The tyme shall come sayeth he when all they that bee in their graues shall heare my voyce and shall come foorth c. Looke more touching this matter in Math. 25. Iohn 11. Iob speaking of this hope sayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh yea and I my selfe shall behold him not with other but with the same eyes And doubtlesse the holye Martyrs being emboldened with this hope ouercame all the sorrowes which they susteined with great constancie of minde Therefore it is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs out of these and such like places to take argumentes of comfort in the departure and burials of our friendes Furthermore bicause the Prophet tooke occasion to make mention
case both here in our coūtrie and abrode who list to marke and consider them True it is that christians haue bene made away and murthered vpon verye light and tryfling occasions and are also at this daye where tyrants doe reigne For in Tertullians dayes which liued about two hundreth and nine yeares after Christ If the riuer Tybris at Rome had flowed vp to the walles if Nilus the riuer in Aegypt had not watered their fieldes if there had bene no raine if there had bene anye earthquake dearth or plague by and by the people would crye to haue the Christians throwne to the Lions And all this was to ridde the countrie of them and to deface their beliefe and doctrine But what followed hereof Uerily nothing lesse than they wéened For Tertullian tolde them plainely Torment racke condemne and make vs awaye and your vniust dealing with vs is but a tryall of our innocencie Therefore God suffreth vs to suffer this at your handes The more exquisite your crueltie is towarde vs the more it allureth to take our partes And whereas they call vs Sectaries as then they did the Christians lette vs reioyce in that we see our quarrell and theirs our slaunders and theirs so like and tell them as Tertullian telleth Scapula the Romanes President that this sect shall not fayle or decay but the more it seemeth to be cut downe the more let them be assured it is builded vp And considering what they be that are our condemners Let vs also saye Such and such consecrators of our condemnation we reioyce in For as Tertullian sayde whosoeuer knoweth him meaning Nero must needes vnderstande that of force it must be some singuler good thing that he woulde condemne so may we as truely say of Boner Storye and such like that haue condemned our faythfull brethren and sisterne that whosoeuer knewe what they were how they liued and howe they dyed must néedes know also that it coulde be none other than good that they woulde condemne And therefore lette vs saye to them with Tertullian for a short aunswere when you condemne vs God pardoneth vs. Wherfore let vs not feare them that can kill the body but then can doe no more ne yet that but when God permitteth but rather let vs feare him that can cast both body and soule into the fire of hell which is Iesus Christ our Sauiour knowing that he will crowne all those that striue lawfully and continue vnto the ende to him therefore with the father and the holy ghost thrée persons and one eternall maiestie of godheade all honor power and glory be now and euer worlde without ende Amen To the Noble and honorable Consuls and whole Senate of the famous Common weale of Zurich his verye good Lordes and Maysters Raufe Gualthere Tigurine wisheth grace and peace from God the father through Iesus Christ our Lorde IT is an olde custome and confirmed by examples of holy Fathers that the professours of good Artes and learning vse to dedicate the fruites of theyr studyes eyther to theyr friendes or to men of honour and authoritie whereby to procure eyther their fauour and good wyll or else to make them defenders of their labours and paynes And whereas I haue thought good most honourable Lordes and fathers to dedicate my labors vpon the Actes of the Apostles chiefly vnto you many and weightie causes haue mooued me therevnto For priuately your liberalitie towarde mee required the same and publikely the continuall care that you haue to profite your countrey and religion in generall enforced me to shew myne alleageance good hart towards you with some dutie of gratitude thankfulnesse Wherby that feruent desire that you beare vnto godlinesse might be set forth with the publike testimonie of our Church whose example now many yeres diuers excellent states of common weales haue not bene ashamed to ymitate Howbeit to tell you the playne truth the chiefe cause of this my dooyng was for that I perceyued the matter of this booke and the consideration therof appertayned vnto you principally For in this boke is conteyned a most absolute paterne and forme of Christes vniuersall Church which it behooueth all such as are in authoritie beare rule well to knowe and vnderstande For those men that say temporall magistrates haue nothing to doe but with temporall matters and woulde haue them vtterlye to abstaine from entermedling in ecclesiasticall affayres are in no wyse to be regarded which men seeme to mee to be of opinion that they would haue common weales exempt from Gods prouidence without the which the verye Gentyles perceyued they coulde not stande or be preserued And who knoweth not that sentence of the Godly and princely Prophete Except the Lorde keepe the citie the watcheman waketh but in vayne Which also exhorteth kings and Princes to suffer themselues to be instructed in the word of God and to kisse and reuerence Iesus Christ the sonne of god But to what ende should kings be taught the word if there be no vse of the same in the administration of the common weale And howe shall they kisse or reuerence Christ if they neglect his Church which he esteemeth dearer than the apple of his eye yea than his life And how can they neglect that body whereof if they be not members vnder Christ their head they can not be saued We must hearken rather vnto Esaias who prophecying of Christes Church amonge other thinges sayth Kinges and Queenes shall be thy Nurrices In which wordes he seemeth not so much to comfort the Church as to sette foorth the office and dignitie of Kinges and Rulers which chiefly appeareth in this that God doth vouchsafe to commit vnto them the care of his Church which he hath redemed with the bloud of his sonne In dede we must confesse that God hath herein no neede of mans helpe if he would vse his absolute perelesse power Neyther deny we that many times Churches are increased and defended rather by the power and vnspeakeable councell of God than by the industrie of man But this commeth not so to passe bicause God disalloweth the care and dutie of Magistrates but that it might appeare howe all prayse and glorie is to be ascribed to him onely bicause no man should thinke religion depended more vppon the will of man than vppon Gods prouidence In the meane season such is the goodnesse of God that he doth vouchsafe to take men to be hys coadiutors helpers by their ministery to regenerate his elect people through the word defendeth the same vnder godly magistrates against the rage of this world in the midle of present daungers on euery side that they may liue in peace rest as farre forth as is conuenient for their faith and saluation And that this is the will of God not only the scriptures testifie but the whole consent of all nations doth likewise proue the same Certes in that golden world of the Patriarkes we read that one man was both king and
the lyfe he that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall hee lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer What needeth many woordes There is none other cause of our beliefe in Christ but for that God promiseth vs euery where in him the life both of body and soule But who would beleeue to finde life in him which was not able to restore him selfe to lyfe againe Therefore least wee beyng offended at Christes death should doubte in his promises he was reuiued againe the thyrde day after his death and being raysed againe in his true body declared that he had power and authoritie to rayse againe our bodies likewise For he that beyng truely dead and buried touchyng his manhoode coulde rayse himself againe shall he not now much more being aliue and in his kingdome be able to restore our bodies from death to lyfe againe Hereunto belonge other promises of Christ prouyng his resurrection For he sayth Where I am there shall my mynister be And in an other place I will come againe and take you to my selfe that where I am there may you be also Againe Father those that thou hast gyuen to mee I will that where I am they shall be with mee that they may see my glory And what else could these fayre promises declare vnto vs but death vnlesse Christ being risen againe from death liued nowe in Heauen For thus we must of necessitie conclude where Christ is there must also his ministers be which beleeue in him but Christ being dead and buried remayned in death Ergo his ministers also remayne in death Now Christes resurrection doth moste stronglye confute this so desperate an argument and teacheth vs to reason agaynst the threates of death and terrour of Hell on this sorte Where Christ is there must also his mynisters be But Christ is risen from death ascended into Heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Ergo The mynisters of Christ shall ryse from death and shall with Christ theyr king raigne in Heauen for euer Which thinges if the faithfull deepely consider in theyr mindes they shall straight way being boldened with this confidence be able to triumph ouer death and all theyr enimies and say with Paule the Apostle Death where is thy stinge Hell where is thy victory If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs For they are fully perswaded that neyther death nor lyfe can seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Besides this death which is the reward and punishment of sinne could by no other meanes be conquered but by his resurrection For as longe as death helde them that were departed thys life hir power strength could neuer seeme subdued And it behooued that death should be subdued to set mankinde at libertie and to deliuer him from sinne For who could be certayne of remission of his sinnes and reconciliation with God the father as long as death raigned which God in his wrath appointed for the punishment of sinne It was therefore necessary that Iesus Christ should take away the yoke of sinne and rise againe from death that it might appeare howe death was subdued that sinne the sting of death was taken away and saluation restored to mankinde againe Therefore it was not without a cause that Christ thought it good to haue the truth of his Resurrection with so euident argumentes to be confirmed This is the chiefe cause that the auncient Prophetes mooued with the spirite of Christ prophecied the same aswell otherwheres as in the Psalme xvj and in Esay liij is to be seene Surely wee learne that this was the chiefe hope and greatest article of confession and beliefe wherby the true Catholikes woorshippers of God were alwaies knowne tried as may appeare by thexample of Iob. For when he was accused by his importunate friendes of breach of faith and religion he prooued him selfe this way onely to be faultlesse for that he firmely beleeued the roote and foundation of religion I know saith he that my redeemer lyueth and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered agayne with my skinne and shall see God in my fleshe and I my selfe shall beholde him not with other but with the same eyes This hope is layde vp for me in my bosome â–ª This place teacheth vs what wee should iudge of those mockers which Hystories mention to haue bene in all Ages and the Apostles foreshewed should raigne in the later age And now a dayes we may euery where here the prophane and wicked voices of such as thinke themselues iolly companions and pleasantly conceyted when they can with scurrilitie scoffe and deride that which we holde and beleeue of the last commyng of Christ and of the resurrection of the bodye But they can by no argument more euidently prooue themselues voyde of all religion than by this For in this Article all the pointes of our beliefe and religion so agree that who so denieth this taketh away at once all the beliefe and mysteries of mans saluation Wee gather this sense out of Paules woordes which writyng against such among the Corinthians as denied the resurrection amongst other thinges saith If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rysing againe of the dead then is Christ not rysen againe If Christ be not rysen againe then our preachyng is in vayne and your fayth is also in vaine and you remayne in your sinnes Therfore they that are fallen a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this lyfe onely wee beleeue on Christ then are wee of all men most miserable c. Therefore such wicked scoffers must be put away from vs and haue no place permitted to them in well ordered common weales For what will they leaue vnassayde which will go about so boldely to ouerthrowe the foundation of our health and as it were with one blowe cut of the heade of all faith and religion as much as in them lieth Let vs learne to haue a right thought and cogitation of the resurrection that the same may serue both to gouerne our life and to comfort vs For this is a most effectuall preseruatiue against the intisements of flesh the world oftentimes to call to remembrance set before our eyes the shew and counterfaite of the last iudgement set out to vs in the scripture Againe there can happen no greater comfort to man than while he is in this body to thinke of the ioyes of heauen which he shall enioy in the resurrection of the dead Notwithstanding he is now depressed with infinite greefes cares and sorrowes Uerily Paule exhorteth the Christians one to comforte an other with such things as are written in Scripture touching this article It remaineth that we speake of that other thing
or labour to superfluous Nowe seemeth it time to declare what Christ aunswered And his answere contayneth two poyntes First he reiecteth the Apostles demaunde as pieuish and vnworthy the answering Secondly he openeth more cleerely the maner of his kingdome and in such sort that he both comforteth the fearefull Apostles and declareth after what sort in his kingdome they must minister their office To the first poynt these wordes appertaine It belongeth not to you to know the times and seasons the which the father hath reserued in his owne power And in the beginning he sayeth nothing agaynst their false opinion of his kingdome both for that other times he had spoken much of the same and the comming of the holy ghost was at hande which should teach them all truth His wordes sounde as though hee shoulde saye thus much I haue many times intreated of my kingdome and hytherto as I perceyue I haue profited nothing But admit that I shoulde set vp such a kingdome amongst the people of Israel as you dreame yet is your curiositie to be reprehended that woulde knowe the verye time whereof you neuer hearde me saye any thing and which it had becommed you in pacience and hope to haue looked for and not through vnprofitable and bolde temeritie to haue preuented the time that God woulde reueale These wordes of Christ are diligently to be obserued For with them he bridleth the bolde curiositie of mans wit and appoynteth vs certaine boundes of Christian wisedome whiche it is vnlawfull for vs to passe or go beyonde For where the Disciples are reprehended for that they would ouer curiously enquire for such things as God had reserued to his owne power onely it appeareth sufficiently that hereby we are prescribed how farre our wisedome must extende that we should continually be occupied in the searching and consideration of those things that God hath vouchsafed to reueale to vs in his Scriptures and not to knowe those things which he hath reserued to himselfe alone And what things he would haue hid from vs and vnknowne to leaue them to his power wisedome and iudgement vnto that daye in the which we shall not knowe in part but shall face to face beholde the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen The same the wise man admonisheth whose words would to God were written in the harts of many curious persons Seeke not sayth he after the things that be aboue thee and search not foolishly for the things farre aboue thy strength Studye the things commaunded thee of God and be not curious in many of his workes For it is not needefull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secret Make not to much search in superfluous things and be not curious in many of his works For many things are shewed vnto thee already which be aboue the capacitie of men The medling with such hath beguiled many a man and tangled their wittes in vanitie Wherevnto is to be referred the saying of Salomon He that searcheth the maiestie shall be depriued of the glory Here therefore are confuted and condemned by this sentence of Christ all the soothsaying Artes of Mathematicals amongst which Iudiciall Astrologie beareth the bell For Christ forbiddeth to enquire after the times and seasons that is what ought to be done at euery time and what tyme is appoynted for euery thing And herein is the chiefe vse of Astrologie to foreshewe the successe of euery thing in his time For when they knowe the houre of ones natiuitie by by they looke vpon the Horoscope or ascendent and figure of heauen and so pronounce of the course of his whole life And not content with the things belonging to the body goodes of fortune they take vpon them to iudge of the soule also as though the vertues and vices of man and so by consequent eternall saluation depended vppon the Planets After like sort they write Prognostications of the things that shal happen euery yeare In which as if they were Oracles of Apollo they reason of warres of sicknesses of dearth and scarcitie of things and what vyces and naughtynesse shall raigne all the yeare following And what doe these men else but that that was reprehended in the Disciples which yet went not about to learne such things by any Arte forbidden of God but to know it at Christes mouth whom God hath made vnto vs wisedome Neither let them obiect the example of the Prophetes whose prophecies are extant of things that were to come and who did sometimes appoynt the times of things afterwarde to followe as is plaine that Hieremie and Daniel chiefely did For these men vttered that thing for the instruction and comfort of man which they receyued by Gods holy spirite And God oftentimes vseth to foreshewe things to come by his Prophetes for mans health sake But he hath in no place taught vs soothsaying Artes whereby mans industrie can trye out thinges to come but he hath condemned them and shut out the students of them from his kingdome and people as is to see in Deut. 18. and Mich. 5. Chapter There is also condemned in this place the curiositie of such as going farther dare search for the latter day and ende of Christes comming which Christ hath so appointed in his fathers power onely that he sayth it is vnknowne to the Aungels and to himselfe as he is man. Whatsoeuer things is meete for vs to know they are abundantly declared in the scripture We are admonished of the signes that go before that daye not that we shoulde dispute of the verye time of his comming but that being awaked from the sleepe of sinne we should lift vp our heades that the day of our redemption approching we mought be founde faithfull and diligent seruants In lyke maner me thinketh they are here reprehended which wade to farre in the secretes of Gods eternall predestination and prouidence while they search what number is of the elect and call to account of mans reason the iudgementes of God whereby hee chooseth or refuseth men which as they farre passe mans reache and capacitie so can they not without great daunger be sought out But the things in this matter which serue both for our comfort instruction God hath vouchsafed to reueale For it is playne that the faithfull are elected from euerlasting in Christ Iesus only through the meere fauor of God without respect of our workes or merites It is playne that this election is firme and stable whereof God as Paule sayth cannot repent him It is playne that faith is the infallible signe of this election whereby we apprehende Iesus Christ and in him righteousnesse and saluation It is playne that the ende marke of our election is to lyue holy blamelesse in this life that when we be taken from this lyfe we may lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ. These things God hath reuealed and with these we ought to be content In the
as we may see in Daniel 7. .12 And Christ diligently describeth the same Math. 24.25 Iohn 5. He would also the Apostles shoulde be admonished hereof in this place bicause the remembraunce thereof serueth much both for our instruction and comfort For if according to the saying of the sonne of Syrach the remembrance of death bridleth the desire of sinne How much more shall it be restrayned if wee consider in our minde the ymage and counterfaite of the last iudgement where we all shall stande before the iudgement seate of Christ to receyue euery one of vs according as he hath done in this body whether it be good or bad What shall it then profite a man to haue gayned all the worlde if he shall lose his soule Agayne there commeth to vs by remembring of that daye marueylous consolation For hee that shall come to be a reuenger of all euill and a punisher of the wicked shall appeare the Redeemer of his people whom he shall make partakers of his kingdome and table glorifying them both in bodye and soule Wherefore speaking of the signes that shall go before the latter daye he sayth When these things beginne to come to passe lift vp your heades for your redemption draweth neare And Iob speaking of Christ comming to the iudgement saith I knowe that my Redeemer liueth c. It behooued therfore that the Apostles shoulde be admonished hereof that being boldened with this hope they might passe and ouercome the present daungers and grieuous troubles that were to come In the meane time let vs thinke that it is our dutie often to thinke vpon the same whereby we may both represse the naughtye desires of the fleshe and haue a good courage in the middest of daungers and distresse and so happily finishing the race of this lyfe may liue for euer with Iesu Christ our Lorde to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The sixt Homelie THEN returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called Oliuete which is from Hierusalem a Sabboth daies iourney And when they were come in they went vp into a Parlour where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Philip and Thomas Barthilmewe and Mathewe Iames the sonne of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes and Iudas the brother of Iames. These all continued with one accorde in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Iesus and with his brethren ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath taken his bodye from earth into heauen by his glorious ascention yet may we not thinke that he therefore hath cast aside the care of our saluation For it cannot be that that good shepeheard can forget them whome he did vouchsafe to redeeme with the price of his bloude This appeareth aswell by manye other arguments as specially by this that happened in his ascention as wee saw erewhile For whyle the Apostles abashed with his sodeyne departure stoode looking vp into heauen not knowing what to doe he sendeth his Aungels by whose ministerye they are not onely instructed concerning his ascention but also they heare a marueylous comfort touching his comming againe Which comfort we see was effectuous by that which fell out therof For Luke goeth on with his hystorie and sheweth what the Apostles did after Christ was taken from them we will speake of eche of these things in order to th ende the more learning instruction and consolation maye come vnto vs therby First of all they returne againe into the Citie For after they had worshipped as Luke sayth they returned againe to Hierusalem and being gathered togither in the vpper storye of the house which was appointed them to be in they waited for the spirite promised of God the father and Iesus Christ. It was from Mount Oliuete whence Christ ascended into heauen into the Citie a Sabboth dayes iourney which after the authoritie of Hierome is counted a two myles Here in these thinges we haue a singular example of the obedience of faith which it becommeth vs well to followe For the Apostles go agayne into the Citie not of their owne head and counsayle but as the Lord commaunded them which as wee perceyued in the beginning of this booke charged them not to depart from Hierusalem nor to seperate themselues one from another before they had receyued from heauen the holye ghost And yet there were diuers thinges that might haue perswaded them the contrary Amongst which the feare of present daunger and hostile entrappinges of the Iewes seemeth not to be eyther lightest or least And who coulde thinke to be safe in such a Citie as had bene vsed to slaye the Prophetes and whose handes were yet embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god Againe the small commodiousnesse and vnhandsomnesse of the place might haue turned the mindes of diuers awaye For in one house yea in a peece of one house as may be gathered by that that followeth about an hundred and twentie persons dwelled togither which coulde not be without great trouble as any wise man maye vnderstande Beside yet a more grieuous temptation cloked with the pretext of fayth and religion that is to saye that they knewe the holy ghost for whose cause they shoulde tarie in the Citie was tyed to no one place but as Christ sayth breatheth wheresoeuer it will. So that they might thinke it not onely in vayne but also a foolishnesse to wayte in such a daungerous place for the sending of the holye ghost which might as well be giuen them in another place as there And surely it is lyke that diuers such thoughts arose in them seeing there is no man ignorant how many things they that be in feare vse to cast in their mindes But they ouercome all these things with the fayth onely that they gaue to Christes wordes and despising all aswell perill as counsell of mans reason they purpose to obey the commaundements of christ Neither wanteth that holy obedience a most happy successe For they be both safe in that bloudy Citie and they also not many dayes after receiue the holye ghost as Christ had promysed Of this example we ought to make a generall lawe and rule that is to saye that we must walke in the vocation of God and in whatsoeuer his commaundements obediently and that wee suffer not our selues for any reasons that the fleshe can make to be pulled from our dutie For whereas our God is holye and a most louing father to mankinde he commaundeth nothing but that which is both holye and healthfull for vs For all his iudgementes are righteousnesse and truth and as Paule sayth this is the purpose and ende of Gods will that all men should be saued And bicause he is omnipotent he defendeth and maintayneth them that walke in his vocation and keepe his commaundementes and suffreth no hurt to happen vnto them The holy worshippers of God are sometimes tempted bicause it is necessary their fayth
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
of that time drew neare when Christ appearing in the glorye of the father and pronouncing a finall sentence vpon all flesh shoulde appoint a full and absolute blisse to his faythfull deuoyde of all sorrowes daungers and griefes which they shoulde enioy both in body and soule It behooued therefore that this troublesome state of the worlde which shoulde alwayes remaine after the birth of Christe and after he had fulfilled the worke of our redemption should be thus diligently described least any man after this great promise of the holye ghost and fauour of God shoulde promise himselfe to haue all thinges in this worlde in peace and safetie with which error we reade the Chiliastes in times past were bewitched And there want not in these dayes which hope for an vniuersall and stable peace and tranquillitie ofall things vnder Christ which bicause they see not as yet come to passe they beginne to suspect all that is written of our faith and religion They draw the cause of their errour out of the Prophetes descriptions of the kingdome of Christe such as both otherwheres and also in Esay xj and lxv Chapters are extant But there are other places of Scripture which ought to haue bene ioyned with them where wee are ab undantlye taught that we ought to looke for no such thing in this worlde For Dauid sayeth Christ shall reigne in the middest of his enimies And Christe denyeth that his kingdome is of this worlde Hee euerye where admonisheth his children of the crosse and bitter afflictions which he would haue them prepared for In the worlde sayth he you shall haue tribulation They are therfore ridiculous in very deede which contrarye to Christes saying promise as well others as themselues ease peace and tranquillitie in this world And yet we denie not the things that are read in the Prophetes touching a peaceable state of Christes kingdome But we vnderstande them partlye of the tranquillitie of the minde and of the spirituall ioye of the faithfull and partly of the faithfull onely and of the conuersation and fellowship which they onely haue one with another For so they be truely at rest and certaine of their saluation and dwell safely among them who where before they might haue seemed Woolues and Lions being conuerted to Christ are become most meke sheepe and lambes And yet manye stryfes and afflictions they shall abide which as Christe plainly admonisheth vs shall be so much the more grieuous howe much nearer the vniuersall redemption of the godly approcheth which when he commeth shall be cleane dispatched But to come at length to the woordes of the Prophete two things in them seeme chiefly to be considered wherof one is the troublesome and vnhappie state of the worlde which he sayth should be after Christ his comming in the fleshe the other concerneth the causes of the euils and calamities which serue not a little aswell to comfort vs as to instruct vs. He describeth the state of the later dayes in these wordes I will shewe woonders in the heauens aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoke The sunne shall be turned into darckenesse and the moone into bloude He maketh mention of straunge woonders which bicause they be tokens of things to come in considering of them we must also comprehende in our minde the calamities and miseries which they portende For it is not Gods propertie or custome to delude the mindes of men with vaine and ydle sights And Iesus Christ in the gospel repeating the same things maketh mention of afflictions also wherof these be signes and prognostications Ye shall saith he heare of warres and tidings of warres For nation shall rise against nation and Realme against Realme and there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places The Prophet proponeth diuers kinds of woonders to make vs the more attent He saith there shall be woonders in heauen in the number whereof blasing starres firebrands flashings of light flying Dragons long starres like swordes and dartes and what so euer such like maye be accounted which although the Astrologers number amongst the things proceeding of natural causes yet this place sufficiently teacheth vs that they be signes and tokens of calamities to followe Furthermore he sayeth there shall be also signes vpon the earth amongst the which earthquakes ought to haue the first place whereby it is manifest great alterations of things haue many times bene portended Herevnto appertaine the straunge inundations and ouerflowings of waters monstrous births of children the vncouth voice of beasts springs of waters running with bloude the straunge fruites of trees and plantes with infinite others lyke examples whereof we haue both in hystories and daily experience But the Prophete returning agayne to heauen maketh peculiar mention of the sunne and moone whose brightnesse he sayth shall be obscured with horrible darknesse and the terrible sight of bloude The meaning of all which is that in the later daye such shall bee the countenaunce of the worlde that whither soeuer wee turne our eyes there shall appeare the horrible signes of Gods wrath and his iudgements euen in those creatures the vse whereof hath bene chiefly to sette forth the goodnesse of God and to comfort man amongest which we take the sunne and moone to be the chiefe Moreouer if we compare the things here spoken with hystories we shall see that all these things in sundry ages haue many wayes bene fulfilled But what neede we runne to hystories where in our owne dayes we haue seene many examples hereof and may euery day still see newe What age euer was there since the beginning of the worlde wherein so many blasing starres haue bene seene as hath appeared within these .xxxiij. yeres I speake not of speares swoords darts horses sights of men yea armed hostes Lyons and many other which hauing bene seene in the Clowdes haue feared the mindes of the lookers on Who knoweth not of the â—arthquakes and horrible inundations of waters The monstrous birth both of men and beastes brought forth within the space of this .xxx. yeares no man can easilye number Bloude hath sproong out of the earth and runne not in so fewe places as one We haue seene in the eares of corne marueylous and straunge sights The bearded grapes and clusters hauing tuftes of heare growing out of them haue vpbraided the Germaines with their drunkennesse as it were men strong to drinke wine as the Prophet sayth Here we must learne the continuall vsage of God which neuer punisheth man before he giue warning thereof by woonders and that their seeing of these woonders should not be in vaine he ioyneth most times his worde to the same For where he woulde haue men to be saued he doth nothing as the Prophete sayth except hee reueale his secretes before vnto his seruauntes the prophetes This may be prooued by the examples of all ages from the first beginning of the worlde
of the resurrection he more fully setteth forth the same going on speaking still vnder the person of christ For he saith Bicause thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neyther wilt thou suffer thine holye one to see corruption Thou hast shewed me the wayes of lyfe thou shalt make me full of ioy with thy countenance There be in these words diuers things which are to be vnderstāded of Christ only as Peter teacheth in the things folowing Yet bicause the certaintie of our resurrection dependeth vpon Christes resurrection whome Paule for that cause calleth the first fruites of them that sleepe the fruites and effects of all those things that came to passe in Christs resurrection appertaine also to vs Therefore it shall be profitable for vs diligentlye to consider the things here sayde For as they set forth the resurrection of Christ so they teach vs wherein to hope and paint out the order and maner of our resurrection with that true felicitie which followeth the same First he sayth Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell The Hebrues take this worde Inferi which we englishe hell sometime for the sepulchre or graue sometime for the deade and buried in which sense the brethren of Ioseph saye Thy seruauntes shall bring the graye heade of our father with sorow ad infernum siue inferos that is to say to the graue The sense therfore of Christes words is that the soule of Christ should not tary long separated from the bodye in the place where the soules of the blessed be but should returne shortly to the body againe Manye haue vnderstoode these wordes of the discention of Christ into hell which we professe among the articles of our faith whose iudgement me thinketh ought not altogither to be reiected Great disputation hereabout hath bene kept among the auncient writers And in our dayes haue certaine phreneticke persons starte forth which haue sayde that the soule of Christ hath suffered in hell the tormentes of the damned But Christe himselfe confuteth them whiche a little before he died sayde vnto the theefe This daye thou shalt be with mee in Paradyse Besides being ready to giue vp the ghost hee sendeth not his soule to hell but commendeth it into the handes of his father Furthermore it is manifest that he offered himselfe vpon the aultar of the Crosse for the sinnes of all the worlde and did there fully accomplish the businesse of our saluation so that he truely sayde It is done or finished Therefore it must not be suffred that any shall say Christes soule suffered any thing after it departed out of his body It was heauy and sadde and felt the terrours of death at mount Oliuete as he himselfe confesseth It seemed also to haue felt the angrye countenaunce and wrath of his father in punishing sinne when he sayde vpon the crosse My God my God why haste thou forsaken me But bicause his death and passion was sufficient to purge our sinnes it is a very absurde and vnchristian point to adde anye thing else thereto Therefore Christes descending into hell may plainely be vnderstanded if we saye eyther that he truely died or that the merite of his death extended vnto them also which died before him from the beginning of the worlde as Peter in another place seemeth to meane saying that Christ preached vnto the deade which were in prison This serued bothe to the greater comfort of those which beleeued the promises made of him and increased the paines and sorrowes of the reprobate which wickedlye contemned them In the meane season the vtilitie and profit of the things here spoken is deriued vnto vs also For as Christes soule was not forsaken so our soules be in the protection and hande of God and shall retourne to our bodies againe in the later day Secondly therefore he addeth Neyther wilt-thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption This after a sort perteyneth to the exposition of the first member In the meane season as he spake of the soule so he sheweth what shall become of the body He sayth it shall not see corruption whiche afterwarde at large he declareth to be vnderstanded of Christes body onlye And surely it is plaine that all our bodies are subiect to corruption for the saying of God must of necessitie be fulfilled Thou art dust and into dust thou shalt returne againe Neyther doth the arte and industrie of man any thing preuayle going about to conserue the bodies of great men with sweete odours spicery and perfumes But Christes bodye bicause it was raysed againe the thirde daye coulde not see corruption much lesse be corrupted but rose againe a glorious body and voyde of all corruption Here is the resurrection of our bodies proued For although our bodies corrupt moulder to dust yet by the power of Christ when the last day commeth they shall be restored againe as we haue heretofore declared For our mortall bodies as Paule sayth must become lyke vnto Christes glorified bodye Neyther shall it be impossible for him to raise our bodies from the dust which made man at the beginning of claye yea all this great frame of the worlde of nothing They maye here also be confuted which saye Christes body in the resurrection was vanished awaye and had not the true properties of a body such as is to be felt and handled to be conteyned in a place to moue from place to place c. For if he sawe no corruption howe coulde he lose those things without the which a verye body cannot consist Thirdly he sayth Thou hast shewed mee the wayes of life that is thou hast brought me into life And he speaketh of the heauenlye and eternall life which only is worthye so to be called Ergo life euerlasting followeth after resurrection which life euen as Christ had so shall we haue the same in him This is well to be obserued where it is sayde the waye of life is shewed to christ Adam by sinne deserued death and the doore of Paradise after he was driuen out God fensed and garded with a sworde of fire least he shoulde returne thither and eate of the tree of life God signified hereby that men of their owne strength and power could not enter into life But in Christ the waye of life was set open againe that euen as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and through sinne death so by Christ only righteousnesse and life shoulde be restored againe Therefore the Apostle speaking of Christ sayth that the life appeared to vs. And Christ euerye where is called the breade of life the light and the waye of lyfe and the resurrection and the lyfe This commoditie therefore which the resurrection of Christ hath gotten vs is verye singular bicause we shall be raysed to an heauenly and an eternall life not to an earthly and mortall such as we nowe liue which may be trulyer called a death than a life The meane hereto
them in question he aunswereth them by another testimony saying For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole This argument consisteth of two pointes First Dauid ascended not into heauen Ergo these thinges ought not to be vnderstanded of Dauid He denieth that Dauid is ascended into heauen not bicause he thinketh him to be reckoned in the number of the damned but speaketh of his bodye which as was beforesayd was consumed into dust and earth Touching the soule this saying of Christ standeth in force He that beleeueth in mee hath lyfe euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but is passed from death vnto life The other argument standeth vppon the testimonye of Dauid who sheweth that these things ought not to be vnderstanded of himselfe but of Christ which shoulde be borne of his stocke For in the Psalme Cx. he sayeth The Lorde sayde to my Lorde c. which place is so cleere and so vndenyable that Christ thought good to vse it against the Scribes In the meane season we are taught by Peters example that the Scriptures ought to be expounded by conference of other places least standing rashly vpon some one place we gainesay many other which thing is the cause of many errors in the Church It is to be marked how vnto Christes ascention into heauen he ioyneth the sending of the holy ghost This doth he very prudently and in order For hereby he teacheth vs that though Iesus Christ haue taken his body out of this worlde yet ought he not to be contemned For he hath not for all that cast of the care of the Church but by his spirite is present with the same by the which spirit he woorketh more effectually in the mindes of those that be his than before he did when he was conuersaunt with vs in body wherefore he sayth vnto the Disciples that it is expedient for vs that he leaue the worlde and go vnto the father For so place shoulde be giuen to the holy ghost which we coulde not haue so long as we did sticke to his bodily presence And surely after that Christ had giuen his bodye vpon the aultare of the Crosse for the life of the worlde and had by the raysing vp thereof againe ouercome death there was no more for his body here to doe vpon earth It remayned therefore that by his glorious ascention he should open the gates of heauen which our sinne had shut against vs and should become a pledge for vs in heauen whereby we might be assured of the inheritance possession of heauen Therfore Christ caried his body into heauen and set it on the right hand of his father hath sent vnto vs being here on the earth to vse Tertullians terme his holy ghost to be his vicare or substitute By the operatioÌ„ of him he regenerateth vs through the immortall seede of the word of God to be the sonnes of god By him he teacheth vs and comforteth vs The same is the earnest or gage of our saluation Through the encouragement we crie Abba father By him it commeth to passe that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him All which things sithens Christ worketh in vs most effectuallye by his spirite there is no cause we shoulde complaine of the absence of his body which is resident in heauen for our healthes sake And they that require the presence of his bodye and desire to haue it shewed on earth seeme to me little mindefull of the admonitions which are read in the .xxiiij. of Mathew Also Peter describeth the kingdome of Christ with the wordes of Dauid which it behooueth vs oftentimes diligentlye to consider The first point herein is how he sayth Christ is exalted by the right hande of God and ascended into heauen Therfore his kingdome is heauenly not of this worlde as himselfe confessed before Pylate In deede all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth but not to rule after the maner of Princes in this worlde in whose reignes must needes fall out vncertaine and vnstable entercourse of matters bicause they labour to obtayne kingdomes by the vncertaine and vaine power of the flesh We are also taught that we must not seeke for worldly goodes in the kingdome of Christ suche as are riches honors pleasures friendship of the worlde and others of like sort They are eternall and celestiall goodes which God the father hath giuen vs in christ Therefore we ought altogither to be busied in studying for them Then he teacheth vs that Christ sitteth at the right hande of God by the which phrase of speach both a certaine place is appointed of beatitude and blisse and also an equall power of kingdome or empire with God the father For the father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his handes He also commaundeth all men to honour the sonne euen as they honour the father Wherevnto also this worde sitting belongeth whereby is expressed the maiestie of Christ in his reigne and the sure and vnmooueable power of his kingdome Last of all he sayth that all his enimies shall be subdued and become his footestoole Christ is therfore a victorious king and an inuincible vanquisher of his enimies Satan is the capitaine and standerdbearer of them all who was threatened with death long sithens by the first promyse of saluation that was made in Christ when God sayd The seede of the woman shall treade downe the serpentes heade And Christ teacheth vs that he is alreadye iudged and cast out In like maner it is as playne that sinne is ouercome For God sayth Paule sent his sonne and hath condemned sinne by sinne that is to say by the sacrifice of his sonne offred vpon the aultar of the crosse for sinne he hath put awaye the guilt or trespasse of sinne and hath taken awaye the power and force thereof that it shall hereafter not hurt vs But sinne being put away it is euident that death also must be vanquished which fought against vs by none other weapon than the sting of sinne Therefore all the power of hell is truelye subdued by Christ. He also ouercommeth the world and tyraunts with all the â—able of the reprobate For we reade that it hath bene long since decreed by the father that they that will not be gouerned by the wholesome worde of his sonne shall be brused and broken to poulder with his rod of yron Neither want there examples of dayes longe passed and nowe present which teache vs what notable victories and triumphes Christ atchieueth of the enimies of his Church Let vs learne therfore to acknowledge this king and not to feare this worlde which when it rageth most is nearest to destruction and is able to doe nothing against them whome Christ taketh charge of against whome the gates of hell are not able to preuayle
was the author of this myracle and to shew all the vse therof Yet first he preacheth the resurrection of Christ both for that the reason of our saluation purchased by Christ consisteth in it and also for that it commodiously doth away the offence or slaunder of the crosse You sayth he killed the authour of lyfe but God hath raysed him from death whereof wee are witnesses It was needefull that these things shoulde be ioyned to the premisses least anye man might thinke the wicked had ouer much power permitted them For these things teach that their crueltie and iniquitie coulde derogate nothing from Christ as who being raysed from death doth nowe liue and raigne in heauen Herof we may take a generall comfort For as the crueltie and tirannie of the Iewes could nothing hinder or let Christ so whosoeuer doth imitate the Iewes impietie and tirannie cannot hurt the members of christ In deede the Princes of the worlde ioyne togither and desire to ouerthrowe the kingdome of christ But the Lord from high laugheth at their deuises whose counsayle shall stande for euer Looke the Psalmes .ij. and .xxxiij. Let no man therefore be afrayde of men who though they rage neuer so much haue no power but on our goods and body which otherwise is mortall and shall perishe Yea neyther haue they power theron farther than God permitteth who hath all the heares of our heade numbred But the soule being out of all daunger and hazarde trusteth in Christ hir redeemer and shall neuer be deceyued of hir hope But let vs see how Peter setteth forth the order of the myracle His name through the faith of his name hath made this man whole whome you see and knowe It seemeth a darke kinde of speache except a man marke the order of the wordes And it deceyueth manye bicause they thinke nomen this worde name is put in the accusatiue case whereas all the order of construction plainly prooueth it to be the nominatiue Thus must it be set in order and construed The name of Iesus Christ hath strengthned and made whole this man whome ye see present and that through the beliefe which hee hath in the name of Christ. And for the more playne vnderstanding he addeth by waye of exposition The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health in the presence of you all The sense of all togither is that Iesus Christ through his name that is by his vertue power and merite hath giuen helth and safetie to this lame man bicause he hath beleeued in him He repeateth the name of Christ and faith of Christ the oftner to the intent the glory of Christ might seeme the greater in setting forth whereof the Apostles thought they had neuer done ynough as appeareth euerye where in their writings and sermons These wordes surely are not lightlye to be passed ouer For where we sayde that in this lame man was set forth to vs a figure of all mankinde in the healing of him we may beholde all the order of our saluation Here therefore is declared who is the true author of our saluation then the meane whereby we receyue saluation and the ende wherevnto all these things serue and tende As concerning the author of saluation Peter alleageth the name of Iesus Christ whome a little before he called the author and Lorde of life That this worde name is taken for power rule or merite it is more euident than needeth with many wordes to be declared And where at first he excluded all power and holynesse of men from this businesse and nowe maketh mention of Christ onely by whose meane and power all this matter is brought to passe it easily appeareth that the origen and beginning of our saluation is to be referred to Christ only For by his merite we are deliuered from sinne and redeemed from death and the tirannie of the deuill And himselfe in the Prophete testifyeth there is none other redeemer but he only But we shall haue occasion to speake more hereof in the fourth Chapter where Peter testifieth there is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man by the which he may be saued c. Howbeit it is not ynoughe to knowe that all saluation is contayned in Christ vnlesse we vnderstande howe to attaine and take holde of the saluation in him But Peter sheweth that also where he sayeth this man was made sounde and whole by faith that is bicause of his fayth in the name of Iesus Christ. Againe The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health Therefore we take holde of saluation by faith and beside fayth there is nothing in vs whereby to take holde of it bicause wee bee graffed in Christe none other waye than by fayth Hee that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in mee and I in him For where he is departed from vs in bodye and dwelleth in vs by his Spirite and liueth and reygneth in vs by his Spirite it is onelye a worke of fayth whereby we apprehende him and the saluation in him For the which cause oftentimes fayth is sayd to saue and to iustifie So Christ sayth to the woman which was sicke of the bloudy fluxe Thy fayth hath made thee whole And he promiseth saluation to Marie Magdalen by the same wordes Christ onely in deede saueth and iustifyeth For in him is life and he is made vnto vs of God the father wisedome righteousnesse satisfaction sanctification and redemption But bicause faith grafteth vs in Christ and maketh vs partakers of the goodnesse that is in him therfore saluation and iustification is not without a cause attributed thereto Marke now the definition of faith which Peter compriseth in these wordes where he sayth The fayth of hys name and the fayth that is by him For by these wordes he declareth that he speaketh of such a faith as stayeth vpon Christ and which acknowledgeth and beleeueth Christ to be such an one as he is described in name to be The name of the sonne of God incarnate is Iesus Christ. He receyued the name of IESVS of the Aungell before he was borne but in his Circumcision he tooke it againe after the solemne vsage of the people of Iewes which signifyeth a sauiour or Redeemer as sayeth the Aungell Thou shalt call his name IESVS for he shall saue his people from their sinnes This worde Christ with the Latines is asmuch to saye as annoynted and signifyeth the maner of our saluation and redemption For Kings and Priests in the old time were annointed and for that cause were called Meschijm and Christi that is to saye annointed So it behooued the Sauiour that was promised shoulde be called bicause he is that true King whome God hath set ouer his holy hill of Sion and whose kingdome is stretched ouer all the world See the Psalmes ij lxxij Zach. 9. For he like a faithfull king hath deliuered his people from the tyrannye of the deuill he ruleth
and gouerneth them defendeth and enricheth them moste bounteously with the treasures of his heauenly kingdome The same is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech For he taught in times past and daily doth teach in his Church And by the onely sacrifice of hys body hath purged all the sinnes of men And nowe he maketh intercession for vs before his father being a faithfull bishop to performe all the things which remayned to be done for vs with the father Therefore whosoeuer truly acknowledge the sonne of God to be a king and Priest and the only sauiour of the Church of God and staye vpon him only they beleeue trulye in the name of the sonne of God which the Apostle teacheth to be the chiefe commaundement of God. The ende or fruite of this faith is the wholenesse and soundnesse of all man such as we see happened to this lame man and halt Christ bicause of his faith bestowed on him perfite health of body so that nowe he was able to walke to leape and to skippe And that his soule and conscience was likewise healed appeared by that he praysed God and ioyned himselfe to the Apostles Therefore Christ hath made vs all perfitely whole by faith And he deliuereth vs not from sinne and the punishment therof alone but also regenerateth vs by the immortall worde of God through the operation of his spirite Whereby it commeth to passe that we vnderstande the things that be heauenly frame our selues to the will of God resist the desires of the fleshe and finally can doe all things in Christ which strengthneth vs And after this life attayne to the perfite saluation and true blisse which is prepared for vs in heauen Into this blisse the soule departing this worlde by faith is receyued and commeth not into iudgement And the bodie when it shall haue put of all corruption being raysed vp in the later daye by the trumpe and voyce of an Archaungell shall rise againe Therefore this is a most large and ample fruite offaith which also we can attaine to none other waye than by faith in christ Let vs therefore studie the worde of God by the which God giueth vs faith Let vs ioyne feruent prayers to our studie that being quickened through this faith we may attayne perfite health both of bodie and soule and come to the possession of heauen in Iesus Christ our only sauiour king and Priest to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxiij. Homelie AND nowe brethren I knowe that you did it through ignoraunce as did also your Rulers But God which before hath shewed by the mouth of all his Prophetes howe Christ shoulde suffer hath thus wise fulfilled Repent you therefore and conuert that your sinnes may be done awaye When the time of refreshing commeth which we shall haue of the presence of the Lord and when God shall sende him which before was preached vnto you that is to witte Iesus Christ which must receyue heauen vntill the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the worlde beganne be restored againe THe Apostle Peter in the seconde parte of his sermon touching the myracle done vpon the lame man hath so declared God to be the author thereof that he hath also shewed the Iewes of their great wickednesse committed agaynst Iesus Christ the sonne of god And where there was nothing more horrible and cruell than this fact of theirs it is no doubt but a great number of them in their consciences were not a little wounded and feared Wherefore it was necessary to shewe them the waye of repentance and saluation This doth he in this place which is the thirde member of his sermon wherein he marueylously frameth himselfe to their disposition and capacitie First bicause they seemed to stande vppon the pitte of desperation he teacheth them that there is yet hope of pardon and saluation Then sheweth he them the way of saluation and exhorteth and mooueth them with most weightie reasons to take holde of the same All which thinges being discussed shall much serue for our instruction For they teache vs that God will likewise pardon them which haue most grieuously sinned and they shew what way of saluation they must take which will be reconciled vnto God and are desirous to be saued His beginning is very wittie and commodious in that he teacheth them they be not yet past hope of saluation For except sinners vnderstande this in vaine shall we exhort them to repentance bicause they will thinke it cannot profite them And then it will come to passe that eyther they will become stubborne and heape sinne vpon sinne or else will be swallowed vp of desperation as we reade Iudas was which thing was the cause that the Prophetes among the grieuous reprehensions wherewith they accused the sinnes of the people and threatened them punishment did intermeddle promises and oracles of Christ our sauiour that being feared with the conscience of sinne they might lift vp their mindes againe through faith in the sauiour promised them and learne to seeke saluation in him Peter followeth the industrie of these Prophetes which knewe it belonged to his dutie not to feare the people from Christ by threatening woordes but to winne them vnto him Which ende and marke the Ministers of Christ in these dayes ought to set before them But let vs see the arguments wherwith Peter encourageth them to hope for pardon and saluation First he mitigateth their offence by reason and pretence of ignoraunce I knowe sayth he that you did it through ignorance as did also your Rulers For if they as Paule sayth had had knowledge they would not haue crucified the Lorde of glory Yet Peters wordes are not so to be taken as though he woulde nowe extenuate or excuse their wickednesse which before he so set forth exaggerated For so could he not do without suspicion of lightnesse And ignorance of it selfe excuseth not the things that are committed against the glory of God yea ignorance is no small fault considering we knowe that men are created to that ende to knowe God to worship him and glorifie him But he meaneth to make a difference betweene the Iewes sinne and the sinne against the holy ghost This sinne is when men wittinglye and willingly cast away the knowen truth and Christ whome they knew in their mindes and so make warre with God and his Christ as is euident Iudas the traytor Iulian the Apostata and such other whelpes of that haire did Christ testifyeth that such mennes sinnes shall not be forgiuen And Iohn forbiddeth vs to praye for it The reason hereof the Apostle in the .vj. Chapter to the Hebrues rendreth by a feate similitude taken from the earth For as the earth being well husbanded and watred from aboue and yet remayning barren and fruitlesse by that argument sheweth sufficiently that it will neuer be good so if men
those thinges which by Moyses were prefigurated But it sufficeth to giue occasion to them that list more deepely and exactly to search them Now vnto this description of Christ he ioyneth what the dutie is that we owe him for Moyses saith him shal you heare in al things whatsoeuer he saith to you The same God the father commaunded vpon the hill of Thabor as we declared a little before saying Heare him Yet let no man thinke he hath fulfilled the cōmaundement of God if he receiue the word of God but into his eares as Iudas and the Phariseyes Pylate and many others did But first an earnest desire of the Gospell is required bicause among manye thinges whereabout men be most vainly occupied one thing is necessary as Christ teacheth vs From the studie of the worde the beliefe which we haue in it cannot be secluded For howe can we labour to get that thing the credit and truth whereof we suspect Obedience followeth beliefe whereby we acknowledge Christ to be the teacher of fayth religion and director of our whole life and to our power obey him These markes of the children of God did he teach vs where he sayth He that is of God heareth the wordes of God. Agayne My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me Whervpon we gather for a suretie that they be not the children of God nor the sheepe of Christ which refuse to heare Christes voyce speaking in the Gospell Aboue all things we must note that whatsoeuer Christ speaketh we are commaunded to heare it For there be which heare Christ in deede but they heare him but in those things only which like their fleshlye appetyte against the which if anye thing be spoken they thinke that apperteyneth not vnto them Of this number be they which gladly heare and marueylously embrace the promises of the Gospell where the grace of God is preached and free forgiuenesse of sinnes but the same will not admit the doctrine of repentaunce which rebuketh and accuseth sinne They be like vnto those which after a sort can suffer the doctrine of truth to be preached but cannot abyde if a man reprooue the deceyuers and Antichristes And we see many so affected that they will greatly extoll and commende whatsoeuer is spoken of the kingdome of Christ of his victorie of the glorye of the elect which they shall possesse in heauen but yet they so abhorre the crosse persecutions that they can suffer no mentions to be made thereof But these men are farre deceyued For Christ is not deuided neyther can the parts of Christ his doctrine be separated For he that commaunded forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name the same requireth all men likewise to repent And he that sayde to the woman that was a sinner and bewayled hir sinnes Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee The same sayd vnto him that was sicke of the Palsey being nowe healed Beholde thou art made whole sinne not againe heereafter least a worse thing happen vnto thee And afterwarde he sayde by Paule that whooremongers and adulterers without repentance shoulde not enter into the kingdome of god Likewise he that confesseth himselfe to be the light and the truth and biddeth vs to walke in him the same reprooueth false Christes and Antichristes and biddeth vs beware of them Againe he that promiseth the treasures of heauen to those that be his the same affirmeth constantly that in the world they shall suffer tribulation And he that gloriously rose from the dead and with great triumph was taken vppe into heauen a little before that was despitefully hanged betweene two theeues Therfore as we must embrace whole Christ so is it necessary that we giue eare to his whole doctrine vnlesse we will wholy be depriued of him A figure hereof went before in the Paschall lambe which the Iewes were commaunded to eate whole and the bones and other things which coulde not be eaten were commaunded to be burned So must whole Christ be receyued and if anye thing seeme in him vntollerable that same must be consumed and ouerpassed with the fire of fayth and loue of God. Furthermore bicause our fleshe herein maketh much resistance which very vnwillinglye commeth to this yoake Moyses vrgeth vs with grieuous menace and threatening It will come to passe sayeth he that euerye soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among that people This punishment comprehendeth the whole destruction of man both body and soule For what hope of saluation can remayne for him which is secluded and cut of from the Church people of God which only is receyued into the fellowship and communion of all Gods goodnesse But why shoulde he not be reiected from the fellowshippe of him which refuseth to heare him whome God hath appoynted to be his maister and the teacher of his whole Church How much more grieuous punishment doth he deserue which dare treade the sonne of God vnder his feete Hereof are taken those heauye threates in the Gospell which seeme to manye too vehement and more cruell than reason woulde such as is that saying of the Baptist He that beleeueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe and the wrath of God abideth vpon him And Christ when he had promysed eternall life to the beleeuers addeth He that will not beleeue shall be condemned But Peter thought to admonishe the Iewes hereof bicause they should not thinke the contempt of Christ and his Gospell to be a game and pastime but shoulde knowe that the daunger of their soule laye thereon And let vs thinke the same is sayde vnto vs For such is the authoritie of Iesus Christ with his father that no man can be accepted and welcome to him except he be graffed in Christ. But the bare and emptye profession of a Christian name graffeth vs not in him but a liuely faith which maketh vs to obey his doctrine and firmely to beleeue in him See what is said of the true and counterfeite hearers of Christ Math. 7. and Luc. 6. Chapters Although the authoritie of Moyses was great with the Iewes yet bicause Peter will omit nothing he ioyneth hereto testimonies of the Prophetes diuers of the which it is like he rehearsed But here he taketh all saying All the Prophetes from Samuell and thencefoorth as manye as haue spoken haue tolde of these dayes He beginneth the number of the Prophetes with Samuel bicause before him was no Prophete after Moyses whose writings are extant Yea before he prophecied the worde of the Lorde was a rare and precious thing as we reade 1. Samuel 3. Which afterwarde by many Prophetes began most clearely both to be preached and writen euery where And as many as were from that time haue prophecied of Iesus Christ as may plainely appeare to all them which haue reade their sermons or bookes with diligence It is a plaine and manifest oracle of God that Nathan telleth to Dauid of Christ
Iohn the Baptist and Christ doe plainely declare where they seuerely and earnestly rebuke the Iewes glorying in the bare title of Abraham But Peter by this argument confirmeth those that might dispaire to the entent they might vnderstande their traueyle should not be in vaine if they woulde follow their fathers the Prophetes and embrace Christ the Sauiour whome they foretolde was to come Marke how Peter going about to perswade the Iewes to hope for saluation first maketh mention of the Prophetes He knewe therefore that this was the chiefe argument of Gods fauour toward vs to giue vs expositors of his will bicause that except we perfitely knew it we could not attaine vnto saluation Therfore among the benefites of the olde testament which God in time passed bestowed on his people this is chiefely to be remembred that he furnished them with Prophetes by whome they might be taught the will of god See Mich. 6. Amos. 2. Psal. 107. 2. Paral. 36. Yea Christ himselfe by this argument prooueth that he tooke the Apostles for his friendes bicause he hid none of those thinges from them which were shewed to him of his father Whereof we gather howe great the ingratitude and wickednesse of them is which dare contemne the worde of God and hisse at the Prophets by whose ministerie the same is preached They shall one daye feele the sentence of Christ when he most seuerely reuenge the contempt of his seruants as he threateneth Math. 10. Secondly he calleth to their remembrance the vocation of the Iewes and promise of God alleaging the couenaunt or testament of God made in the time past with Abraham You sayeth he are the children of the couenant which God made with your fathers saying to Abraham Euen in thy seede shall all the kinreds of the earth be blessed He seemeth by an Hebrewe phrase to call them the children of the Testament to whom the Testament belonged and which were Heires written in the Testament of god For so we reade they are called the children of wrath or death whome God in his wrath appointeth to death Peter seemeth to make two argumentes The first is of a thinge before denounced or shewed saying God in the Testament which he made with your fathers hath written you for heyres also Ergo the saluation contayned in the Testament of God belongeth as well to you as to the fathers The Antecedent needed no great proofe with those who knewe the promise of God well ynough I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee Then alleaging the summe and effect of the Testament he prooueth by an argument a comparatis that is of things compared or layde togither that they cannot be excluded from the promises For thus God testified to their father Abraham that in his seede all the Nations of the earth shoulde be blessed And if the Testament of God extended to forreine Nations who I pray you will denye that it appertayneth to them that be borne of the stocke of Abraham Yet let vs alwaye remember that Peter speaketh these things condicionally and that saluation is promised to them which by the faith that was in Abraham take holde of Christ least we attribute vnto carnall generation that which dependeth vpon the meere grace of God and his free election as Paule at large prooueth to the Romaines the .ix. Chapter By this place may the madnesse of the Anabaptistes be confuted which will not admit the children borne of the faythfull into the societie and fellowship of Christes Church yet none of vs denie but that saluation standeth in Goddes election and not in carnall generation In the meane whyle where as God in his Testament hath longe since included the children of the faythfull it may seeme great rashnesse to denye them the communion of the Testament and Churche of god Shall we thinke the condicions of the newe Testament more hard and grieuous for our children than the olde were whan by Circumcision the eyght day they were taken into the fellowship of the people of God Or shall the authoritie of Christ be of no force with vs which attributeth fayth to little children and affirmeth that the kingdome of heauen pertaineth to them Or what shall we saye to Paule which speaking of vnlike mariages feareth not to call those children holy which haue but one parent onely be it father or mother that is a Christian Let vs therefore auoyde the headye audacitie of our iudgement and constantly keepe the articles of Gods couenant where it is manifest that saluation is promised euen to very children It is diligently to be considered that God woulde haue our redemption and saluation comprised in a couenant or Testament Which thing as it begon in Abraham so was it afterwarde many times renewed with Abrahams posteritie ofspring Hereto appertayne the things spoken by Dauid Psal. 89. and. 132. and also the things we read in Ieremy 31. touching the new Testament of god And God did not onely make a Testament but confirmed the same with an othe For he sware vnto Abraham and that by himselfe bicause he coulde sweare by no greater These thinges serue to proue the certaintie of our saluation For if no man reiect or breake a mans testament after it is engrossed lawfully prooued then none hath so much authoritie as to infringe or violate the Testament of god For Paule saith the gifts of God are without repentance and his calling cannot be broken God affirmeth the same Ieremie the .33 saying If the couenant which I haue made with daye and night may be broken that there shoulde not be daye and night in due season then maye my couenaunt also be broken which I made with Dauid my seruant c. And in another place he sayeth that the naturall affections of the parents towarde their children be not so sure and vehement as the care he hath to keepe the truth of his Testament and the certaintie of our saluation It shall be profitable to marke diligentlye the summe of Gods Testament which is alleaged by Peter out of the .xxij. chap. of Genesis In thy seede sayth God vnto Abraham shall all the kinredes of the earth bee blessed In which wordes God comprehendeth three thinges First he sheweth what profite commeth to vs by his Testament Secondly he declareth the mediator by whome we shall receyue it Thirdly he teacheth to whome the inheritance of this Testament is to be extended First God promiseth a blessing which is set agaynst the curse as appeareth in Deut. 27. and .28 This blessing comprehendeth in it the whole and entire safetie of man and specially the fauour of God which enricheth vs with all kinde of goodes For it cannot be that he can want either in bodie or soule that hath God fauourable and mercifull to him And it behooued this thing should expressely be promised vs bicause by nature as many as are of the stocke
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
hath the authoritie of the sworde committed him of God And me thinketh there needeth no long disputation agaynst them which in matters of religion will haue the authoritie of the sworde altogyther to cease For though we graunt them that no man ought violently to be compelled to the fayth for that it is the gift of God yet is it the Magistrates duetie by the sworde to keepe vnder both blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers least for lacke of punishment they doe and speake agaynsâ— the glorie of God and publike tranquilitie See the â—aw Leuit. 24. Deut. 13. Neyther seemeth Peter in thys present place nor Paule afterwarde to haue sought any other thing than the defence of religion In primis let vs beare in minde the chiefe poynt of this hystorie and being frayde with the horrible example of Ananias let vs flye dissimulation let vs worship God in spirite and truth and cleaue to Iesus Christ with mindes burning in godly fayth to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxiij. Homelie AND it came to passe that as it were about the space of three houres after his wyfe came in ignorant of that which was done And Peter sayd vnto hir Tell me Solde ye not the lande for so much And shee sayde yea for so much Then Peter saide vnto hir Why haue yee agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde Beholde the feete of them which haue buryed thy husbande are at the dore and shall carie thee out Then fell she downe streyte waye at his feete and yeelded vp the ghost And the yong men came in and founde hir deade and caryed hir out and buryed hir by hir husbande BYcause our Sauiour Iesus Christ was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes false brethren and hypocrites in the Church which would be authors of great offences he would therefore in the beginning and springth of the Church haue some terrible example shewed agaynst them whereby we myght learne what such as they be shoulde looke for and trust to We haue seene the first part hereof in Ananias in whom the conditions of hypocrytes are trimly expressed These men are destitute of true fayth which thing is the fountaine beginning of all euill For hereof it commeth to passe that they wickedly mocke and despise as well God as his Church Herevnto maye we adde incurable obstinacie the accomplishment of all vice wherby it commeth to passe that a man may easilier conuert open synners than such as haue once purposed in theyr minde to deceyue the congregation by hypocrisie and dissimulation These things shall appeare the more plainely if we consyder the other part of thys storie which contayneth as dolorous and lamentable an ende of Sapphira which within three houres after not knowing of hir husbandes death came in vnto Peter and the faythfull which were with him as Luke reporteth For commonly it so commeth to passe that we knowe those things last which it behooued vs first to knowe bicause menne vse rather in our absence to disclose our faultes than to reprooue vs to our face Then also the affection of loue so worketh in the godly that they vnwyllingly bring tydings of anye thing which may giue occasion of griefe to their neighbours Which seemeth me to be the cause that Sapphira as yet knewe not of the death of hir husband But to the ende we may receyue the more vtilitie by consideration of thys hystorie first of all we will speake of the question wherewith Peter beginneth with hir and then of the ouer bolde confidence of Sapphira and last of all of the punishment wherewith God was reuenged on hir Peters demaunde was neyther light nor superfluous For thereby Sapphiras impietie did appeare the playner which otherwise might eyther haue seemed ignoraunt of hir husbandes craft or else to haue bene induced by hys authoritie so to haue dissembled Therefore Peter requireth of hir a reason of this their doing saying Tell me solde you the lande for so much Furthermore where the successe of the matter declareth that Peter did nothing of priuate affection but by the instinct of the holy ghost it behooueth vs here to marke the order that God vseth in punishing the wicked The incurable naughtinesse of Sapphira could not be hidden from him neyther coulde any man haue letted him to haue punished the same by and by But he woulde haue a time of repentaunce graunted hir and hir minde to be tryed and stirred vp by a straunge demaunde least he might seeme ouer hastie to anye man by his seueritie Such examples of Gods long sufferaunce are euerywhere extant For he is well ware of vsing any crueltie against the guiltie as Tyrannes doe but will haue them vnderstande by what offences they haue prouoked his wrath and punishment agaynst themselues Thus we read he did with our first parents and he gaue them that liued in the beginning of the worlde an hundred and twentie yeares space wherein to repent them and did also vouchsafe to sende them Noah the preacher of righteousnesse Likewise he would not destroy the Chanaanites and Amorrhites vntill he saw they filled the measure of iniquitie and were become alltogither incurable But what neede examples seeing we haue plentie both in the holy prophane hystories to let passe those things whereof wee see experience daylie both in others and in our selues Let vs rather apply these matters to our instruction and first of all let vs not abuse the long suffering of god For he prouoketh vs to repentaunce Let vs not therefore like reprobates procure vnto vs the wrath of God by contynuing in synne without repentaunce and waxe euery day woorse and woorse For God is slacke in punishing but this slacknesse as the heathen haue vsed to saye he recompenceth with weight and heauinesse of punishment Also let vs followe the goodnesse of God and not be to hastie in our iudgement although it appeare some haue deserued punishment For where God euery where desyreth the saluation rather than destruction of men what boldnesse is it I pray you to sâ—ryue to ouercome Gods iustice by our rigour and seueritie which thing they haue chiefely to consider which haue receiued power and authoritie from God to punishe other least through their seueritie and hastinesse of iudgement they bring the bodyes and soules of them in ieopardie whose saluation they shoulde principallye seeke But let vs harcken to Sapphira who boldly lyeth without all shame and feare of god And she doth not simply affirme the thing but vsing a signe of contestation confirmeth as it were by an oâ—h that which she knew to be false For where euery man had libertie to giue what seemed him good it was lyke hytherto that no man was required to giue account before the congregation what he receyued and layde forth Therefore Sapphira should haue thought that it was not without some mysterie that such a question was now mooued especially knowing in hir selfe that
serue to commende and set forth the Gospell and sende men vnto Christ whom vaine superstition hath hitherto entangled in trifles of no profite Furthermore we may more firmely reason of Peters wordes which we heard in the thirde chapter There is more regarde with God of vertue and godlynesse than is of garmentes or of all mannes bodye yea the vertue and godlynesse of the Saints auayled nothing to the working of myracles Therfore much lesse ought they to be ascribed to their garmentes or to their bones We will adde to this argument how in an other place it is sayd that power went from Christ himselfe not from his cote But superstition will quickly fall if we consider the ende and marke wherto all myracles are to be referred and directed which is of two sortes First it behooued that by them the doctrine of the Apostles shoulde be confirmed as Christ himselfe teacheth Wherevpon we gather that he is to be beleeued and that nowe a dayes we neede no newe myracles For if the Ministers preache the doctrine of the Apostles that doctrine hath long sithence bene prooued and confirmed by miracles And if they teach a doctrine not agreable with that they ought not to be receyued though they worke neuer so many myracles forasmuch as myracles are permitted to false and Antichristian teachers to th ende the fayth of the elect maye appeare the more manifest and euident See Deuter. 13. Math. 24.2 Thess. 2. The other ende and vse of myracles is to teach the knowledge of Iesus Christ in whose name they were wrought by the Apostles and Apostolike men Diuers diseased with sicknesses and infirmities are in Christes name healed and with them some Demoniackes whome the naughtie spirite of Satan did haunt Therefore let vs acknowledge Iesus Christ to be hee which as sayeth the Prophete hath borne our diseases and infirmities and he that healeth not onely our bodies but also our soules For we being borne againe of his spirite and word receiue fresh strength so that we are able to do all things through his comfort He only deliuereth vs from the tyranny of Satan For he therfore came into the world as Iohn saith to destroy the workes of the Deuill And the first promise of saluation teacheth vs that through his power and merite the serpentes heade must be troden downe Which to be done alredy himselfe partly teacheth in the gospell and partly the myracles wrought in his name abundantly testifie And Luke sayth they were all healed in the name of Christ that were brought vnto the Apostles to be healed Wherevpon we gather that he is an vniuersall Sauiour who as he calleth all men vnto him that labour and are laden euen so he excludeth none that come vnto him He adioyneth to the Apostles myracles the publike exercise of the whole Church where he sayth they all continued with one accorde in Salomons porch Which is to be vnderstanded of their holy assemblies as appeareth by the ende of the seconde Chapter where there is mention made of houses in which they brake breade The Euangelist by this place meaneth none other thing but that the faythfull had a speciall care to come vnto the Church and there to be vnited togither not so much in bodies as in myndes by fayth and charitie Wherein they shewe vs an example of christian stoutnesse and constancie who being not ignorant of the threates and decrees of the Counsell woulde not yet for all that refrayne from commyng among the congregation Howbeit it woulde haue sufficed mannes wisedome to haue kept their fayth in their myndes and to haue commoned of Christ with their faythfull brethren wythin their priuate houses And now a dayes many excuse their dastardlynesse by these reasons wherby they account the confession of Christ amongest indifferent thinges and suffer Princes by their decrees and lawes to wring and wrest it from them yea it is thought a poynt of prudencie in tyme of daunger to dissemble our fayth to intermit comming to the Church and all Sacraments eyther vtterly not to meddle with articles in controuersie or else to make a shypmans hose of them or else wholye to denye the fayth But what yll ende the successes of this wisedome hath the Church findeth not without great griefe and the destruction of manye They doe muche better which haue learned of Christs wordes that confession can not be seperated from faith For with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse but with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation And it is Christes saying Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and my wordes in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Aungels Let vs consider that it is not without a cause that mention is so often made of comming to the Church For hereof we gather that the Church can by no meanes stande wythout these assemblies both bicause of publike prayers which Christ hath commended to vs not without a peculiar promyse and also to preuent false teachers whose propertie Paule wryteth is to go into houses and to bring into bondage women laden with sinne and all such as lye open to their craftynesse And that no man shoulde take occasion to trouble or breake so necessary an order Christ himselfe neuer shunned comming to the Church but taught therein openly and by that argument prooueth that he ought to be taken neyther for schismatike nor false teacher And for this cause it seemeth that the first beleeuers abhorred not the Iewes temple bicause they had no more commodious place in all the Citie The Anabaptistes are confuted by this example a fanaticall broode and kinde of seditious people which thinke it vnlawfull to come within our Churches and in our congregation and haue a great warynesse that they be not polluted with them where notwithstanding it seemeth to them but a trifle to make a schisme in the Church of Christ which is the most horrible and detestable crime that is But let vs returne to the discipline and exercises of the primitiue Church amongst which in the thirde place is conteined a certaine maiestie that made the enimies afrayde of them and all the people to reuerence them For Luke sayth Of other durst no man ioyne himselfe vnto them But the people magnified them Which is to be vnderstanded of those which were not vtterâ—y godlesse and voyde of all religion and yet were ledde with the carke and cares of the worlde and the fleshe For when they had seene the horrible and vnhappie ende of Ananias and Sapphira they were afrayde to ioine themselues to the company of those that punished hypocrisie so seuerely their consciences well knowing their owne imperfection Therfore the societie and company of the Church was from thence forth the purer into the which perhaps at the first many such as Ananias was had craftily crept in yet these men
state be we all in if we consider the case of our saluation and the condition of Christes kingdome into the which through fayth we be grafted and receyued To them that beleeue in Christ is promised peace safetie ioye saluation and victorie against the world and Satan the prince of the worlde But if a man consyder the course of this worlde he shall perceyue that the faythfull are exercised with perpetuall troubles aduersities and calamities and be in subiection to the will and pleasure of Tyrannes But shall we doubt of Gods truthe whyle these things thus fall out and complayne that we are beguiled wyth false promises No. But let vs learne rather that Christes kingdome is not of this worlde and that we must not iudge of it according to the outwarde shewe and appearaunce of it Let vs also learne to extende the eyes of our fayth further and to haue a regarde vnto the promyses of God which will neuer fayle notwithstanding this vnhappie worlde tosse and turmoyle neuer so much For it is Gods saying My couenaunt will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lippes He seeth the counsayles and deuises of Nations and princes and not onely seeth them but bringeth them to naught but his counsayle standeth fast for euer And thys is chiefely to be vnderstanded of the promises of our saluation the truth whereof is inuiolable bicause they are founded on Christ against whom the gates of hell are not able to preuaile Who so shall constantly cleaue vnto him according to the example of Abraham shall prooue at the length that they shall haue the ouerhand of the world and the Deuill And shall see them throwne vnder their feete which now so greedily gape after their liues For they ouercome in all things by him who hath loued them and hath giuen his sonne for vs so that wyth Paule they are able to say If God be with vs who can be against vs who shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God Steuen goeth forth with his hystorie begunne and rehearseth the Oracle of the bondage of the people of Israell in Egypt which is declared in Genesis 15. chap. And albeit he purpose hereafter also to speake thereof yet thought he here to make mention of the same least any man might thinke it came to passe at all aduentures and without the appointment of god And thys place must be referred to that ende wherevnto all the things before be referred For herein appeared the fayth of Abraham that he quayled not at this heauie newes and prophecie and it also teacheth vs that there was a Church sometime in Egypt which God acknowledged for hys people and which of his singuler benefite he set at libertie when they neyther had temple nor ceremonies leuiticall Wherevpon any man maye gather that the grace of God and our saluation is not bounde to outward sacraments but dependeth vpon the meere fauour of God which can none other wayes be taken holde of but by true fayth For this was playne that the deliuerie out of Egypt was a signe of the saluation to come And if the seruitude or bondage of the body could not be put away but by the mighty hande of God who seeth not that mans merites and power can nothing auayle in putting away the seruitude of the soule without the helpe and grace of God These things are to be applyed also to our enformation bicause they set out to vs the condition and state of Gods Church to be beholden as in a Glasse First it is to be considered howe in speaking of the seede of Abraham to whome the inheritaunce of the lande of Chanaan was promised he sayth It shall be a soiourner in a straunge land and they shall euill intreate them fower hundred yeares long These things teache vs what case the faythfull be in vpon the earth For that they be the verie seede or children of Abraham both Christ and Paule testifieth To these is promised the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome as Christ beareth witnesse saying Feare not little flock for it hath pleased the father to giue you a kingdome Agayne father I will that where I am these be also with me And agayne In my fathers house are many dwellings I go to prepare you a place And I wyll come agayne and take you vnto my selfe that where I am there may you be also Wherevnto Paule seemeth to haue alluded where he sayth Our felowship or conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for Christ our Sauiour And although we be inheritours of the heauenly countrie yet it appeareth not to the world that we shal so be but in the meane season we be Pilgrimes in a straunge land that is to say in thys worlde and haue nothing of our owne And that this lyfe of oures is lyke to a pilgrimage we are taught not onely by the oracles of scripture but also by daylie experience for as much as we come naked into this worlde and depart hence naked And we be not only Pilgrimes but also manye wayes afflicted by the children of this worlde which chalenge to themselues the rule and dominion of this worlde so that the Prophet doth not without a cause compare the Church vnto a stone to the rearing vp whereof all people exercise their force and strength And Chronicles teach vs that euen since the beginning of the worlde as many as haue giuen themselues to God by true faith haue bene in daunger of persecution which things we must beare in minde that we be not offended wyth things that come to passe in our dayes as straunge and vnwoonted Thys must we holde as vndoubted true that nothing happeneth to vs by hazarde or chaunce but according to Gods prouydence and ordynaunce which gouerneth all things rightfully Neyther could thys worlde or Satan the prince thereof doe any thing against vs but through Gods permission and sufferaunce And he permitteth or suffreth him not as one that reioyceth in our calamities or mourning as Tyrannes vse but bicause he seeth it good that the naturall corruption growing and cleauing vnto vs should thys waye be brydeled and punished whereby it commeth to passe that somewhyle we stande amazed at the consyderation of ryches somewhyle at the pompe of honors and dignitie somewhyle with the desyre of carnall pleasures and concupiscence or else decline and swerue from the waye of saluation Then therefore it is needefull to haue thys noysome stupiditie shaken of and the desyres of the fleshe to be quenched with the crosse and tribulations that we may learne to hate this worlde and to be enflamed with the ardent loue of the heauenly Chanaan And let vs promise our selfe no better state in thys life bicause the worlde that can not abyde the truth will alwaye be one and our corrupt fleshe howsoeuer it be corrected wyll vpon euerye light occasion fall to hir olde vsage Yet this
senses into heauen that we maye enioye Christ sitting on the right hande of the father aboue Nowe if the ceremonies instituted of God can neyther iustifie nor saue vs yea to vse them it is hurtfull if they be done without fayth how much more detestable is the errour of them which will attribute to mans constitutions and to the wearishe and colde ceremonies that the bolde curiositie of brayne hath deuised the glorye of iustification and saluation For as the Lorde once vniuersally condemned all the traditions of men so it is as cleere as the Sunne that these ceremonies can not be ministred with faith bicause fayth can rest vpon none other foundation than the worde of God as Paule teacheth Therefore this onely Canone ouerthroweth all Poperie which with all the rytes and ceremonies therof is so mainteyned with the foolishe decrees of superstitious men that it needeth no further demonstration Steuen prosecuteth his narration begonne and beateth downe the vaine affyaunce in the fathers in whome they marueylously gloryed as we tofore haue declared And to prooue that the fathers were iustifyed neyther by circumcision nor euer a whyt the better therfore nor yet merited saluation by anye workes but were saued through the meere and vnspeakeable goodnesse and fauour of God he rehearseth the straunge vnnatural deede that they did against Ioseph their brother which he toucheth in fewe words but such that it may easily appeare how heynous a deede it was For thus he sayth The Patriarches hauing indignation solde Ioseph into Aegypt The storie is in Moses Gene. 37. chap. First he sheweth the spring of this fact to be enuie wherein they boyled against their innocent brother for none other cause but for that they vnderstoode God had appointed for him great honors and dignities They were in the lyke fault that Caine once was in For he slewe his brother Abel blynded with the affection of enuie and hatred For although the Patriarches shed not his bloude yet were they guilty of murther both bycause of their pretenced malice of mynde the fulfilling wherof God stopped by meanes of Ruben and also for that they solde their brother to alyauntes which was a thing that God afterwarde appoynted to be punished with death Adde vnto this a number of other things concurring in the doing of this deede and it shall appeare that by this one fact they had deserued to be cast of for euer and therefore that it was not to be ascribed to their righteousnesse but to Gods goodnesse that he did vouchsafe to make the nation that came of them his owne people and inheritaunce For they vpon a bolde and rashe impietie and vngodlynesse tooke vpon them to contende wyth God whose deuise by thys meane they thought to stop and hinder They were also vnkinde towardes their father who they knewe well had a great delight in Ioseph and whose olde age they should rather haue comforted than haue made sadde Of theyr vngodlynesse towarde their brother what needeth it to speake whom as much as in them laye they went about not onely to kyll in bodye but also in soule whyles they sell him to Ismaelites into Egypt miserably to serue among such as they knewe had no knowledge of God nor his wyll What punishmentes therefore what Helles were sufficient to reuenge suche a deede if God would haue shewed his rigour rather than his goodnesse and mercie This place also serueth for our information teacheth vs that it is a vaine thing to vaunt or glory in the vertue of our auncestors Not that we deny it is a singuler gift of God if any man happen to haue famous and excellent progenitors but we say we haue them not to thend to brag of them in Gods sight For though our forefathers were neuer so good yet had they that goodnesse of the fauour of God and to vs commeth no profite by their vertue vnlesse we endeuor to follow it which thing is at large set forth in Ezechiel the .xviij. Chapter And it is manifest that God neuer sharplier threatned the Iewes than when they begonne to bragge of Abrahams vertue For then Iohn calleth them Adders broode and Christ the children of the Deuill And that that Steuen noted in the Iewes the same is most euident to be seene in all Nations as well particulerly as generally For although there be some of their forefathers which by reason of their vertues and good deedes deserued some prayse amongst men yet there want not diuers others whose vngraciousnesse deserued not onely the destruction of the whole Nation but also eternall damnation and forsaking of the whole posteritie vnlesse God of his peculiar and fauourable sparing woulde haue them saued Let vs all therefore humble our selues in the sight of God and let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lorde who is mercifull louing pacient and of great goodnesse who dealeth not with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our wickednesse See the Psalme 103. And bicause Steuen is entred into the historie of Ioseph whose chastitie wisedome righteousnesse and godlynesse myght seeme to deserue to bring him to promotion and dignitie and that for his sake all the Nation of the Iewes was honoured and benefited he aunswereth this error also and sheweth that euen Ioseph also receyued whatsoeuer he had of Gods fauour and not of his owne desert and merite God sayth he was with him and deliuered him out of all his troubles Where Ioseph therefore suffred aduersitie paciently that he was not ouercome with the whorish entisements of his dishonest mistresse that he kept his fayth and trust to his maister vnblemished that he despayred not in the miserie of prison and captiuitie all this was the benefite of God which woulde not leaue him destitute of his grace By his grace it came also to passe that he being instructed with the spirite of prophecie coulde giue the king wholesome counsell and get hys fauour Wherfore it is to be attributed neyther to Iosephes witte neyther to Pharaos clemencie but to Gods goodnesse that Ioseph came to be gouernor of all Egypt Adde herevnto howe God woulde haue all these things come to passe in a prophane Countrie when the people of God had yet no temple builded nor ceremonies of the lawe as yet appoynted Wherevpon agayne we gather that the ceremonies which long after ensued were not deliuered to iustifie by but to shadowe to vs the true meane of iustification and saluation which was giuen by promise in the beginning of the worlde and was to be fulfilled by Christe in the time thereto appoynted What meane we therefore to contende for those thinges without the which it is playne the fathers pleased God and were saued There remayne in the example of Ioseph certaine other pointes that serue for the information and teaching of euery man whereof wee haue yet farther to speake The first is that he sayth God was with Ioseph Then neyther the falshoode of his
and horsemen of the Egyptians and thought they must needes perishe eyther vpon their swordes or else be swallowed vp of the sourges of the sea sodeinly the sea stricken with Moyses rodde as God commaunded deuyded it selfe in two parts lyke a walle standing on both sides and the winde blowing roughly dryed vppe the myerie fourde that the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on drie foote whome when the Egyptians with deadly hatred pursued sodeynly the heapes of waters ioyned togither agayne and oppressed and swallowed them vp By which myracle God euidently taught vs that he is able to helpe his people by those things which seeme to them most hurtfull and agaynst them and that he can giue them a passage to escape through the middle of all the thinges that lye in their waye that waâ—ke in hys vocation Agayne he vseth to punishe his enimies by those things in which they haue their most hope and affiaunce yea he can blinde their eyes and sende them the spirite of gyddinesse that they shall runne into their owne mischiefe and not be able to anoyde the daungers lying before their face For it is certayne the Egyptians tooke the redde sea for a sure bulwarke and thought that the Israelites their wiues and children shoulde pershe therein yet Gods prouidence so ordreth all things that the Israelites passe safely through both body and goodes and the Egyptians bee drowned and of their owne heade enter into the middle of the sea betweene the two mayne walles of water notwithstanding they had so often before felt Gods heauye hande Whereby we learne that we shoulde despayre in no aduersitie nor put any trust or confidence in outwarde thinges bycause God is able so quickly to turne all thinges vpside downe In the thirde sort Steuen comprehendeth those that were done in the wildernesse where the people had Manna giuen vnto them which fedde them fourtie yeares togither where Quayles fell rounde about their tentes where Moyses opened the veines of quicke springs out of the hard rockes where by godly prayer he gate a glorious victorie of the Amalechiâ—es where God marueylously defeated the sleyghtes of Balaam where the wicked murmurers perished with straunge plagues where their garmentes in fourtie yeares space neyther consumed with wearing neyther dyd rotte for oldenesse I omit diuers other things which by Moyses are more diligently rehearsed But seeing Steuen so willinglye acknowledgeth all these things and so highly commendeth them he abundantly declareth that they doe him no small iniurie to accuse him as a contemner of Moyses And bicause he sendeth the Israelites from Moyses to Christ he euidently sheweth that al these signes serued but to confirme Moyses doctrine and ought not to be racked to the ende to cause the people to depende and hang vpon Moyses And they are confuted by this place which abuse the myracles wrought sometime by the Saintes to proâ—ue the superstitious inuocating and worshipping of them â–ª whereas they 〈◊〉 witnesse but of their doctrine whereby we were brought vnto Christ. And bicause he was not ignorant that his aduersaries chiefelye vrged him with this argument that he ledde his hearers by this doctrine from the ceremonies of the lawe vnto Christ and the beliefe in him he prooueth that he doth not so in contempt of Moyses but according to his example and commaundement For this is that Moyses sayeth he which sayde vnto the children of Israel A Prophete shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren lyke vnto me him shall you hearâ— â–ª Wherevpon he gathereth that it was not Moyses meaning that the Iewes shoulde sticke in the ceremonies giuen by him but that he promised them another Prophete whose sayings they must all hearken vnto or else perish both body and soule This Prophete was Christ whom the Scripture calleth the Prince of all Prophetes by whose spirite all other Prophets were inspired Also he beateth backe their accusation of his contemning of Moyses vpon their owne heades whyle he sheweth that they refuse Iesus Christ whome Moyses so earnestly and with such authoritie commended The place is in the .xviij. of Deuteronomie vpon the explication whereof we haue spoken more largely in the .xxiiij. Sermon where we expounded the same place in Peters sermon which brought the same text Let vs learne that it is God the fathers will that we shoulde heare Christ and be obedient vnto him by true obedience of fayth and so obteyne saluation in him to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lj. Homelie This is he that was in the congregation in the wildernesse with the Angell which spake to him in the Mount Sina and with our fathers This man receiued the worde of life to giue vnto vs to whome our fathers would not obey but cast it from them and in their hearts turned backe agayne into Aegypt saying vnto Aaron make vs Gods to go before vs For as for this Moyses that brought vs out of the lande of Aegypt wee wote not what is become of him And they made a Calfe in those dayes and offered sacrifice vnto the ymage and reioyced ouer the workes of their owne handes BYcause the Iewes had all the trust of their saluation in outwarde ceremonies and gloryed in keeping the fayth of their auncesters and forefathers they accused all those which taught men to seeke saluation in Christ onely of great blasphemie both agaynst God agaynst Moses and the fathers This Steuen founde true as before we haue declared who for that he would the more easilye cleere himselfe hereof breaketh forth into the prayse of Moyses greatly extolling him and declaring how vnworthily their fathers intreated him The ende of all which is to laye the crime wherewith they charged him both vpon their fathers in whome they so greatly gloryed and also vpon themselues which stubbornely refused Christ of whome he sheweth that Moses bare witnesse Moreouer he gathereth hereof that the fathers were saued through none of their desertes but by the meere mercy of God and that therefore they ought to put their hope and trust in none other The same is the ende also of this present place where first he rehearseth the setting forth of the lawe whereof Moses was the minister afterwarde he declareth the heynous trespasse of their fathers in offending both agaynst Moses and the lawe of God. And in speaking of the setting forth of the lawe he maketh mention of two other things which were able to purchase no small credit vnto Moses â–ª First he sayth he was in the congregation with the fathers in the wildernesse In these wordes he comprehendeth fourtie yeares space wherein he suffered with so great fayth and pacience the Nation of the Iewes that there is to be founde in no hystories any to be compared with him This is an argument of a singuler fayth which coulde be ouercome by no terrors by no continuall labours nor by no vnkindenesse of the people but would stoutly go
bloudie impietie What neede we to speake of the goodes and reuenues of Monasteryes whereof a great part as appeareth was gathered togither by Simonicall sleightes of such persons as vsed to sell all thinges in Religion For it is as cleere as the day light that these goodes are so vnhappie that commonly they are a stumbling stone to them whome the Gospell hath shined vpon while they are more earnestly busied in getting them into their handes than in setting foorth of Christs glorie So vnhappie vnprosperous is this mischieuous simonie And that that is here sayde of these goodes may iustly be vnderstanded and verified of all goodes vniustly gotten of the which this is the propertie that they procure vnto the owners of them the horrible malediction and cursse of god For the saying of the Lorde is well knowne Wo to him that hourdeth vp the things that be none of his In the seconde part of his Oration Peter exhorteth him to repentance whereby he plainly putteth him in comfort of pardon For to what ende should one repent or conuert which should thinke his doing therein vnprofitable Here it appeareth what the ende and marke of all reprehensions in the Congregation ought to be truely that men might turne from their sinnes and be reconciled vnto God which marke vnlesse it be obserued the libertie of rebuke and reprehension shall nothing differ from euill speaking or rayling Wherefore least Simon shoulde suspect Peters wordes hereof he addeth Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God that the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee He mencioneth his thought that the heynousnesse of his fault might appeare the more the cogitation wherof ought to be farre from a christen mannes minde And here by the way we learne that men sinne not onely in deedes but also by thoughts and desires For where men ought to be giuen vnto God both in bodie and soule it deserueth to be called sinne if we swarue neuer so little from the obedience of god Herevnto belong the things which Christ speaketh in Mathew the fift Chapter touching the exposition of the lawe Furthermore for that he would pearce Simons minde the deeper whome he perceyued to be grieuously tempted by the deuill he toucheth the fountaynes rootes of sinne thereby shewing that he hath neede earnestly to repent Wherevnto this is to be referred which hee sayde in a maner doubtingly If happily the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee But nowe he addeth For I perceyue that thou art full of bitter gall and wrapped in iniquitie In the first member or part he alludeth to that saying of Moses where the Israelites are commaunded to beware of themselues least there be among them some roote that beareth gall and wormewood He noteth the inwarde malice or corruption of the minde which causeth whatsoeuer men doe to be bitter and vnpleasaunt before god For as the true worshipper of God out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth out that is good so the vngodly bring nothing but that that is wicked out of the euill treasure of their hart such as in deede Christ sayth polluteth men And by this wrapping or binding is expressed the state of them which being intangled in the snares of sinne cannot vntwine themselues without much a doe and feruent zeale of repentance He teacheth vs that Simon is in such a condition or case that he shoulde thinke a colde and superfluous shewe of repentaunce as not sufficient This place teacheth vs whether sinners ought to be sent verily vnto God with whome vnlesse they be made at one there can be no hope of their saluation Therefore we see in the Prophetes this one thing still repeated that the people should conuert and returne vnto God from whom by sinne they had strayed But for the more commodious doing hereof it behooueth to obserue two things both which Peter prescribeth vnto Simon The first is the woorke of repentance which as we haue elsewhere taught comprehendeth acknowledging of our sinne contricion of heart and amendment of our whole lyfe The other consisteth in godly prayers wherby we aske forgiuenesse of our sinnes bicause the same is a free gift and commeth not through any merites of our workes But Christ alone worketh them both who by his spirite both regenerateth the beleeuing and by the merite of his death washeth away our sinnes reconcyleth the father vnto vs againe Therefore all the order of our saluation consisteth in fayth whereby we take holde of him Therefore aboue all things it behooueth to vrge or require fayth not a deade fayth such as Hypocrites bragge of but a liuely and effectuall power of the spirite whereby it commeth to passe that we both liue in Christ and he by his spirite worketh in vs For this onely grace of God certifyeth the wauering conscience of man and vseth to bring forth in vs most plentifull fruites of true Godlinesse Nowe how did Simon take this graue and wholesome expostulation His wordes declare that he was striken in conscience and mynde For he sayth Praye yee for me vnto the Lorde that none of these things which you haue spoken fall on me It seemeth he commendeth himselfe to the prayers of the congregation but it is a manifest argument of distrust that he sayeth nothing of himselfe but thinketh he may be holpen onely with the prayers of other But in vaine are the prayers of others vnlesse we returne our selues vnto the Lorde This the places of the Prophets teache vs where we are forbidden to pray for them that are wicked and will not repent See Iere. 7.14.15 Ezech. 14. Therefore the errour of them is peeuishe and noysome which think they may be relieued with the hyred prayers of Monkes and Priestes where they themselues holde on in their wickednesse and where the prayers they murmure in a straunge tongue are many tymes not vnderstanded of the Monkes that mumble them We knowe that the prayers of the faythfull are effectuall whereby they commende vnto God the traueyles and burthens of their brethren seeing that Paule desireth to be relieued by them But these prayers take place for them whose selues are mindefull of their duetie and with constant fayth watch for their owne saluation Let vs therefore be mindefull of these thinges and praye earnestly that we be not blinded with the affections of ambition and couetousnesse and so lose our saluation but that we may serue God in sinceritie of heart and attaine vnto saluation in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .lx. Homelie AND they whenâ—they had testified and preached the worde of God returned towarde Ierusalem and preached the Gospell in many Cities of the Samaritanes The Aungell of the Lorde spake vnto Philip saying Arise and go towarde the South vnto the way that goeth downe from Ierusalem vnto the Citie of Gaza which is in the Desert And he arose and went on And beholde a man
sodeynly and destroyed all the worlde Upon Sodome he rayned fire and brimstone from heauen The haughtie and stowte stomaked Aegyptians he brought downe one while by darknesse one other while by swarmes of flies sometime by the hopping of filthie frogges sometime by twinging and byting of Lice Antiochus and Herod he killed with wormes and vermine that bred of their owne fleshe He killed Saul the Tyranne wyth his owne sworde I let passe an infinite number of like sort bicause this fall of Saul may serue in steade of many examples It shall profite vs well to beholde him What doe the letters procured from the high Bishop profite him being nowe sodeinly fallen What auayleth the power graunted by his authoritie agaynst the Christians Can he be helde vp by the ministerie of that garde of his that he brought with him No with what engines and weapons lyeth he ouerthrowne that euen now seemed an other Enceladus Then was no clap of thunder as yet heard no ratling of clowdes among themselues no renting or reauing with fall of thunderbolte Onely a light from heauen flashing in hys face and the voyce of Christ sounding in his eares so stryketh him both in bodie and soule that he lyeth wide open and yeeldeth to Christ his Conquerour whome a little before he ment to put cleane away out of all mens remembraunce As these things serue for our consolation agaynst the wicked enimies of Christ so they must be applyed to our instruction For they teach vs how vnprosperously the pride of them succeedeth which seeing euery day the examples of Gods power Maiestie dare yet stowte and waxe fierce against God and his worde which I iudge to be one of the chiefe arguments of our corruption when we puffed vp in affiaunce of well fauourednesse kindred dignities or ryches forget God who can so easily pull downe our prowde stomackes Let vs rather acknowledge Gods power and humble our selues willingly vnder his valiaunt hande least we prooue to our vtter losse and hinderaunce how much he is able to doe Nowe let vs beholde Saule thus lying prostrate along who hearing a voyce from heauen asketh Who art thou Lorde He hearde he was cast downe by him whome he persecuted and yet he asketh who he is Yet is this saying a token of an humbled and asswaged minde Which would God we might see in these dayes in those whome God vseth to cast downe either by sicknesse by pouertie or other affliction or calamitie and yet acknowledge not the Lorde nor that God hath cast them downe But bicause Saule sheweth himselfe nowe to be somewhat meeker the Lorde doth vouchsafe to make him aunswere saying I am Iesus whome thou persecutest It is harde for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke Which aunswere standeth in two poyntes In the first he teacheth who he is and also reprooueth him of his heynous offence as though he shoulde saye Thou thinkest thou goest about to persecute men and such who as they are hated of all men so haue they no reuenger or defender amongst men But they are not without a reuenger neyther doest thou persecute them alone For I am that Iesus whome they professe I reigne in heauen and diligently obserue their condition and case I long since promised to be their patrone and defender yea such familiaritie is betweene me and them that I thinke it done to my selfe whatsoeuer thou doest to the least of them c. Hereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that whatsoeuer is done to them that worship Christ the same is done to christ For it is his saying that is reade in the Prophetes He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And Esay in the .lxiij. chapter speaking of the beneuolence of God towarde hys people amongst other things sayth In all their afflictions I am afflicted Let this serue for the instruction of Tyrannes that they forget not howe they haue Christ their enimie while they persecute the Church who shall one day bruyse them with a rodde of yron and breake them in peeces lyke a Potters vessell Againe let the Godly take comfort hereof that in tribulation they haue Christ a companion with whome if they suffer they shall one daye reigne In the other part of his aunswere he layeth a punishement before their eyes saying It is hard for thee to spurne agaynst the pricke He vseth a Metaphore or translation taken from Oxen or Horse which if they winse agaynst the Goade they do not only not preuayle in so doyng but also pricke themselues the deeper into the fleshe and are occasion of their further hurt The Lorde threatneth the same shall come to passe in Saule and in all other which after his example persecute the Church that is to saye that their attemptes shall not onely be in vaine but daungerous and hurtfull also for the beginners For the Church of Christ is the heauie stone in lifting vp whereof no man shall trie maystryes without some hurt as God promiseth by his Prophete And there want not examples whereby to prooue the same For hereto belongeth the storie of Pharao which spurning against the pricke hath renowmed the waues of the redde sea with his and hys peoples destruction The same iudgement tryed Sanheribe who warring with God and the people of Israell by the hande of one Aungell lost hys whole armie bagges and baggage Of Antiochus and Herode we spake ere while To whome may be ioyned the Emperours of Rome as manye as after Christes tyme persecuted the Churche and within short space bought their crueltie full deare To these if wee ioyne the examples of Gods iudgementes in our dayes agaynst the enimies of the Church we shall say that the truth of this sentence which Christ here pronounceth is infallible To vs this must be the vse of all these things that we feare not the power of the worlde and persecution of Tyrannes nor be not therewith discouraged For that verie Christ lyueth still and will not forsake hys Church which he hath promised to be with vnto the ende of the worlde to him be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .lxiiij. Homelie AND he both trembling and astonyed sayd Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe And the Lorde sayde vnto him â–ª Aryse and go into the Citie and it shall be tolde thee what thou must doe The men which iourneyed wyth him stoode amazed hearing a voyce but seeing no man And Saule arose from the earth and when he opened his eyes he sawe no man But they led him by the hande and brought him into Damascus And he was three dayes without sight and did neyther eate nor drinke AS Saule before hee was conuerted vnto Iesus Christ with great crueltie persecuted the name and Church of Christ so God chose him to set forth in him a peculiar ensample of his grace and goodnesse teaching vs hereby that we haue nothing that we may glorie in before God but that both our
saluation and whatsoeuer things else helpe vs to the attayning thereof ought to be referred to Gods mere goodnesse grace For although all men beare not like hatred agaynst Christes Church as Paule did and that God compelleth not all men by open force to take the way of saluation yet are all men in one state and condition so that they must bee drawne and conuerted by the mightie power of god For if we consider man as he is ruled and led by naturall lore and reede we shall well perceyue he vnderstandeth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of god Wherefore where the vnderstanding is corrupt the will must needes bee euill and corrupted which bringeth forth the impure and wicked desires of the fleshe so that God truly sayd in the beginning The inuentions of mans heart are euill euen from his childehoode But where by reason of sinne all our power is so weakened that of our selues we be not able to thinke well It well appeareth that no man either would or could earnestly think of his saluation except he were illuminated drawne molified by God although some mens corruption is more manifest and notorious than others But bicause in Saules conuersion there are many other things which serue for our information Luke standeth diligently vpon the discription therof And at this time bicause he hath declared the first act or dooing he rehearseth the effect of this harde encounter and diuers other things incident to the same He comprehendeth in few words a marueylous effect of gods punishmeÌ„t in Paule For sayth he trembling and astonyed he sayde Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe And the Lorde sayde vnto him aryse and go into the Citie c. We haue in this place diligently to consider both Gods person and Paules And first in Paule we may see a token of a minde greatly humbled and readie to all kinde of obsequie and seruiceablenesse For now he doth vouchsafe to call him Lorde whome before he hated woorse than a dogge or Tode And of his owne accorde enquireth what his will and pleasure is folowing those seruaunts which of a dutifull and diligent readinesse to please vse to preuent their maysters commaundement before they heare it Hereout we may gather two thinges belonging to our instruction First whosoeuer feele Gods hande chastyning them are admonished of their dutie Let them acknowledge that God like a father punisheth and beateth them to the entent to amende them and correcteth those that be his least they should be condemned with the world that will not repent Which is the cause that the Prophete pronounceth him happie or blessed whome the Lorde chasteneth Againe let them acknowledge him to bee their Lorde and earnestly enserch after his will that they may knowe how to get his fauour and good will. This is the propertie of Gods elect who thinke nothing more grieuous and intollerable than to perceyue God to be offended with them But the reprobate be of a farre other opinion who although sometime they be compelled to obey and yeelde vnto God yet they frette and fume and by many aâ—guments declare they doe it agaynst their willes Wherefore they by and by â—eturne againe to their nature and to their olde woont scarcely intermitted The Scripture sheweth examples hereof in Pharao and Saule the king With whome may be numbred the Bishops seruaunts that were sent to apprehende Christ who though they were smitten to the grounde by the power of his worde yet they by and by rose againe and layde wicked handes on him â–ª whome they ought to haue acknowledged for their Lorde Let vs therefore doe as Paule did as oft as we be cast downe by sicknesse oppressed with pouertie or become prayes to our enimies or be any other wayes troubled or molested and let vs say with the heart Lorde what wilt thou haue vs to doe And so shall those thinges turne to our health which seemed to vs to be very hurtfull Secondly this example teacheth vs howe necessary a seuere kinde of correction is sometime in matters of fayth and religion For we see many of such a propertie and condicion that vnlesse they be constrayned by force they will not yeelde vnto the worde of god Wherefore Christ commaunded that some shoulde be compelled to come to the heauenly mariage Of which number it is more euident that Paule is one than needeth great declaration Therefore it is no small error they holde which crye out that no man ought to be compelled in matters of fayth and religion bicause God onely hath power and authoritie ouer the mynde of man For to graunt that it belongeth to God alone to inspire to drawe and to giue fayth yet we knowe agayne that God commaundeth false teachers to be conuinced both by argumentes and Scriptures and also to be bridled by the sworde of the Magistrate if they waxe obstinate and incurable By the same reason superstition false worship and blasphemie is commaunded to be made awaye For it were an absurde thing to punishe them which lye in wayte for our bodies and goodes and let them scape free which wickedlye deface the glory of God and lay snares of damnation for mennes soules There are examples euerywhere of them which being restrayned through seuere chastisement haue ceased after that from their blasphemie and haue bene brought to knowledge of the truth But as in all other thinges so herein chiefely we wishe all wisedome and moderation to be vsed But let vs heare Christ who by and by sheweth himselfe courteous and friendly to him whome he seeth so ready to doe his commaundement For as the father in the Prophets crieth Returne vnto me and I will returne vnto you so we reade in the Gospell that hee calleth all vnto him that are heauye loden and openly testifyeth that he will refuse none that coÌ„meth vnto him He commaundeth him to go into the Citie that he maye there learne of Ananias what he hath to doe Two causes maye be rendred of this commaundement For God by this meanes trieth Paules modestie whyle hee sendeth him to them whome not long before he ment violently to laye hold on And also procureth hereby an authoritie and dignitie to the ministerye of his worde For where he knoweth that men oftentimes contemne it he teacheth vs therefore that the vse thereof is necessarye to the attayning of saluation This we sawe in the hystorie of the Aethiop whose heart where 〈…〉 illuminated by the secrete working of his spirite yet woulde he vse the ministerie of Philip to do the same And now although he vouchsafe to talke with Saule yet he sendeth him to Ananias to learne the mysteries of fayth and saluation and by his ministery to be baptised and taken into the fellowship of the Church Wherevnto that also is lyke that hereafter we shall heare tolde of Cornelius the Centurion whome God admonisheth by an Aungell sent vnto him to sende for Peter and to
euerywhere that Paule afterwarde obserued the same trade and confirmed Churches in euery place He sayth that he toke care for all Churches Therfore the Bishops of Rome go about foolishly and ridiculously to defende their supremacie by this place For first they attribute to Peter onely that which it is euident was also commaunded to the other Apostles Next they impudently chalenge to themselues the office of Peter being altogither vnlike Peter Besides this while they catch vnto themselues the cure ouer all Churches they discharge not the dutie belonging to a faithfull Apostle and shepehearde ouer one Church We are furthermore taught that the Churches haue then most neede of faithfull ouerseers when all things seeme to be at peace and in safetie For as through ydlenesse and ease men easily fall into licentiousnesse of the fleshe so being at ease in peace and quietnesse they be most in daunger of the snares of the deuill as Christ hath taught vs. But by this meanes it came to passe that Peter came to the Saints that is to the faythfull sanctified by the merite of Christ which dwelt at Lidda where he restored one Aeneas a man sicke of the palsie and which had lyue bedrid the space of eyght yeares togither to his health agayne in the name of Iesus christ In this myracle the circumstances of persons are diligently to be considered And in Aeneas certaine things be reported which make for the setting forth of the myracle For he was sicke of the palsie which as it is hardly cured euen at the beginning so being let long to run it becommeth incurable The same is a figure of the corruption of manne For sinne hath brought vs all to be weake so that being bereaued of the strength of our first state at the beginning wee bee not able to thinke well And this sickenesse coulde be cured by no mannes arte or counsayle which being deriued from our first father into vs is conceiued and borne with vs and groweth with vs as Dauid testifieth of himselfe Psal. 51. Wherefore except we be borne agayne from aboue there is no helpe for vs in anye other thing And this Peter plainly teacheth vs in this place whereas being mooued by the holy ghost he commeth to him and wyth great boldenesse sayth Aeneas The Lord Iesus Christ make thee whole Aryse and make thy bedde For he so speaketh these wordes that he manifestly confesseth all the effect and prayse of the myracle is due vnto Christ onely and that to himselfe belongeth only but the ministerie thereof And that the Apostles euerywhere did on this wise is declared before in the restitution of the man that was lame and hault in the third Chapter The faythfull that were at Lydda acknowledged the same who perceiuing that Aeneas was made whole by the name of Iesus Christ by and by were conuerted vnto the Lorde Iesus And this is the vse of all myracles to beare witnesse of the Apostles doctrine and to bring men vnto Iesus Christ by whose power they are done They are therfore pieuish and foolish that so set forth the myracles wrought by the ministerie of the Saintes that they teach the people to runne vnto them worship them But it is plaine that they be false miracles which are done to that ende to establishe the worship of any creature and to call men from God the creator of all things Here might many things more be sayd But bicause the same matter is intreated otherwheres and falleth out oftner to be intreated of we will of purpose nowe be briefe Let it be sufficient to be hereof admonished that Iesus Christ is the onely Phisition both of bodye and soule and the most faythfull defender and protector of hys Church who onely is able to preserue hir amiddes the floudes of persecution and sodeinly to graunt hir rest in hir affliction To him be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxix. Homelie THERE was at Ioppa a certaine woman a Disciple named Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas the same was full of good workes and almes deedes which she did And it came to passe in those dayes that she was sicke and dyed Whom when they had washed they layd hir in a Chamber But forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Ioppa and the Disciples had heard that Peter was there they sent vnto him desiring him that he would not bee grieued to come vnto them Peter arose and came with them And when he was come they brought him into the chamber and all the wydowes stoode rounde about him weeping and shewing the coates and garmentes which Dorcas made whyle she was with them And Peter put them all foorth and kneeled downe and prayde and turned him to the body and sayde Tabitha aryse And she opened hir eyes and when she sawe Peter she sate vp And he gaue hir the hande and lift hir vp And when hee had called the Saintes and widdowes he shewed hir alyue And it was knowne thorowe all Ioppa and many beleeued on the lord And it came to passe that he taryed many dayes at Ioppa with one Simon a Tanner AS the sonne of God our Sauiour Iesus Christ sent his Disciples to preach the Gospell so he furnished them with myracles whereby to purchase a credite to their doctrine and to declare the force or fruite of the merite of Iesus christ To this ende must those two myracles principally be referred which Luke reporteth were done by the ministerie of Peter in the ende of the Chapter The first is the restitution of Aeneas who laye bedred eyght yeares of the Palsie but by calling on the name of Christ was healed Wherby we are taught that the strength of our decayed nature is restored by Christ our Phisition and that we which are not able otherwyse to thynke a good thought are able in him to doe all things To this is ioyned another myracle which as it is in deede greater and more woonderfull so it more comforteth vs For Peter rayseth Thabita or Dorcas which was deade to life agayne thereby declaring that Iesus Christ is Lorde also ouer death and therefore that they ought not to feare death which through fayth be grafted in him The consideration hereof shall be very profitable if in order we marke the persons of whome Luke here intreateth He beginneth the description of the myracle with hir on whome the myracle was shewed And although it seeme to be a matter of no great importance by what name she was called yet he thought good to make mention thereof for the more troth of the storie He sayeth that she was called Thabita in the Assirian tongue Dorcas in the Greeke tongue which worde in the Latine tongue is as much to saye as a Kydde But it is more behoofefull to consider the things reported of hir The first is the profession of fayth and religion bicause he writeth shee was a Disciple that is to saye a Christian. For they that
Christ that is to saye of the Church Therefore absurde and pernicious is the errour of them which when persecution ariseth forsake the congregation or else if they once haue bene in daunger thinke they haue done ynough for their part and will be ioyned to them no longer for feare of newe daungers And thus they alienate themselues from Christ for whose name sake they abode the first bruntes and whyle they will keepe their bodies out of daunger destroye their soules Let vs also see what maner of Christians Peter founde in the house of Mary Luke comprehendeth a great matter in fewe words and sayth there were many there gathered togither and praying And yet it is not to bee thought that all the faythfull of the whole Citie were gathered into one house but it is likely that there were other assembles also in other places and that in the night season bicause they might not meete togither in the day time And hereof it seemeth that those meetinges of Christians in the night and earely in the morning tooke their beginnings Wherof the prophane writers make mention not that they thought anye more religion or effect of prayers in one time than another but for that in the time of persecutions lying in wayte of their enimies they coulde not otherwise scarse come togither Nowe a dayes such kinde of meetinges are of many vtterly condemned thinking that all men ought to abstaine from them least the godly might giue some suspition of sedicion or of some other more dishonest misdemeanour But why doe not these notable comptrollers consider the example of the Primitiue Church and suffer the brethren that be vnder the crosse to doe as they did in times passed seeing both their cases be a like In the meane whyle we denie not but that there ought to be had herein great diligence and circumspection For as it was in tymes passed a great occasion to the enimies of Christ to rayle and depraue the Christian religion euen so in the ages following it was cause of superstition whyle certaine foolishe men thought they might here vppon grounde their Mattens and singing before daye This place in the meane whyle yet teacheth vs what maner of exercises the Christians shoulde haue at all times but specially when persecutions are stirring or any other kinde of publike calamitie And here ought to be diligent heede had of these holy meetings For as Christ desireth to haue his to be one so it becommeth them to testifye publikely the desire of their vnitie and fellowship Which thing was cause that in the olde Testament Moses gaue such diligent aduertisement concerning their festiuall dayes in all which the chiefe matter was the holy conuocation or assembly And Ioël the Prophet admonishing the people of their dutie in the time of the Assyrian warres commaundeth them oftentimes to proclayme an holy assembly And it is not without a cause that Paule wryting to the Corinthians reasoneth in diuers Chapters of the good order to be had and vsed when the congregation meete togither For he knewe that Christ had adourned such as were gathered togither in his name with a peculiar promise testifying that he is in the middle of them And yet shall not those assemblies be allowed be they neuer so great except those things be done in them which God commaundeth He will haue his worde openlye taught Therefore we must come togither to heare it He will haue vs to praye vnto him Therefore when we meete we must ioyne togither in prayer that we maye euen in a troupe togither I will vse Tertullians wordes compasse and beset God about with prayers For this kinde of violence is acceptable vnto him as Christ hath taught vs by the example of the wydowe It is euident that these men obserued both these things For although Luke make mention in this place but of prayers onely yet forasmuch as they be ordred according to Gods worde and take their force of the promises of God it is not lyke they were slacke herein Of such assemblies as these the most auncient writers make plentifull mention And if we woulde compare these things with the vsage of our dayes it should easily appeare howe farre we haue swarued from the integritie of the Primitiue Church For it pleased God that these companies shoulde come togither in the night time bicause of perilles on euery side at hande but wee will not come togither in the day time when we maye so doe without anye daunger And they that come to the Church doe as they did whose vanitie and wickednesse Ezechiel accuseth cap. 33. And againe they that meete in the night time eyther they striue who shall quaffe best or they playe at the defamed dyce or else runne vp and downe the streetes with their noyses in too dissolute a wise To speake nothing in the meane whyle of those that if any persecution aryse turne to cursing and rayling vsing all vnseemelye speach against the harmelesse Ministers as though the matter touched not the whole congregation but them alone And hereof commeth it that wee perceiue such continuall calamities in our days For why should God spare to strike them which whilste they are layde on will not acknowledge his hande nor turne vnto him correcting them like a father Luke now proceedeth in his Oration begunne and declareth how the faythfull were affected at this sodeine and vnlooked for comming of Peter And first it appeareth they were somewhat troubled at the knocking at the doore bicause Rhoda the mayde runneth not forthwith to open the doore but standeth harkening who it shoulde be that was at the doore For whereas they were not ignorant howe greatly Herode burned in hatred against the church there was nothing so sure but they had some suspicion and feare in it But Rhoda knowing it was Peter by his voyce surprised with exceeding ioy and desirous to be the messenger of such gladsome tydings before shee would open the dore goeth and telleth it within They which scarce thought of any such thing much lesse hoped therefore fyrst sayde she was madde and afterwarde hearing that she constantly affirmed it to be true supposed yet that it was not Peter but his Aungell that was at the doore and did counterfeyte his voyce So a man may see the notable seruants of Christ bewtifyed with all kinde of vertues tossed with diuers affections and betweene hope feare and ioye standing in a doubt Hence therefore with the madnesse of the Stoykes who whyle they teache that a good and perfite man must be voyde of all affections of the mynde go about to make of men blockes and mushroomes And yet Paule witnesseth that Iesus Christ was subiect to such infirmities and was many wayes tempted like a very true man so that he coulde haue compassion on vs Yet here are two things to be diligently considered before we go any further The first is for our consolation where we are
and accustomed lecture of the lawe and Prophetes was ended the Rulers of the Sinagoge supposing them to be no common persons gaue them leaue to speake vnto the people For they send a message to them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any Sermon to exhort the people saye on And so Paule begonne a singular sermon of Iesus Christ and the whole mysterie of our saluation the beginning whereof God willing we shall heare to morowe At this time we haue certaine other thinges to consider of which we will speake in order First and foremost the Apostles spredde not the doctrine of saluation abrode in Tauernes among drunken blowbolles nor yet in corners and woodes among the rude and ignorant people but they come into a publike place and openly teach the Gospell This it appeareth they did after the example of Christ who vsed himselfe to go into the Sinagoges and to teach openly And when he was examined by Caiphas of his doctrine and Disciples as though he had bene an heretike he defendeth himselfe by this argument only that he taught openly in the Sinagoge and in the Church and was not afrayde to abide the iudgement of the whole people touching his doctrine Which examples serue to repoorue them which sowe newe opinions secretly among the people and flie and abhorre nothing so much as the light and iudgement of the congregation This one thing abundantlye prooueth that they are deceyuers seeing that truth desireth nothing so much as the light Where yet we do not condemne them which being compassed about with persecutions exercise the duties of godly religion in secret which thing we reade was done at Ierusalem by the faythfull in the house of Mary and otherwheres so that they be ready to giue an account of their fayth to as many as require the same and not like the Anabaptistes by stubborne silence and craftie dissimulation delude them that go about to trie their fayth and doctrine Then againe it is no superfluous notation of time where it is sayde they went into the sinagoge on the Sabboth dayes For hereby he teacheth vs that they diligently kept the religion of the Sabboth which day it is euident was dedicated vnto God at the beginning of the world was diligently commended by Moses vnto the Israelites For where we be busied with diuers occupations it was necessary that there should be one time appointed free from all cares and businesse wherein we shoulde giue our selues wholy both in body and soule to the honouring of god Therefore God appointed the seauenth daye to this exercise which he for this cause called his daye that when that daye commeth we should abstaine from all other businesses and exercises And he ordeyned it to be kept so holilye that he appointed death for the breakers thereof And in the Prophets this is reckoned for one of the most grieuous offences and causes of the captiuitie of Babilon that they did vnhallowe the Sabbothes of the Lorde For the which cause the sonne of God although he many times reprehended the superstitious keeping of them yet he diligently obserued those thinges wherein the worship of God consisted For on those days he entred into the Sinagoges and was present at their publike assemblies and prayers Moreouer hee taught and hearde others teach and also vsed diligently the deedes of liberalitie Which thing the Apostles remembring they thought good also to followe the example of their maister But now a dayes the matter is come to that passe that among Christians they may go for the best menne that breake the Sabbothes but with handy works toward the getting of their liuing whereas a great many prophane them with heynous wickednesse nor at any time doe men more sinne in pryde and arrogancie in drunkennesse concupiscence and ryot than on that day which ought to be bestowed wholy in the study of godly workes and eternall rest and quiet And notwithstanding these thinges are openly committed yet wee still seeke what should bee the causes of the miseries and wretchednesse of our dayes Howbeit where the religion of the Sabboth as touching the outward obseruation consisteth chiefly in the holy assemblyes which Moses calleth holye conuocations Luke declareth diligently what was done in this assembly First the Apostles sate downe no doubt among the residue that were there gathered togither This is the dutie of modestie and honestie wherof regard must alwaies be had euerywhere but chiefly in the Church that nothing be done out of order and dishonestly Then he maketh mention howe the lawe and the Prophetes were reade which was obserued among the Iewes of a common custome as we shall vnderstand a little after by Paules sermon and by the wordes of Iames in the .xv. Chapter For so Moses ordeyned by the commaundement of God which custome after their returne from Babylon Esdras restored againe as appeareth in Nehemias cap. 8. And Christ vsed none other custome when out of the place of Esay he taught the mysteries of our saluation in the Sinagoge at Nazareth These thinges teach vs that in the congregation the worde of God comprehended in the Scriptures ought to be intreated For this cause Paule commendeth vnto the Ministers of Churches the studie of holy scripture bicause none other voyce than such as speaketh in the scripture must be hearde in Gods house Therfore their errour is enormious and absurde in that Church which declare vnto the simple people most foolish trifles out of the Legendes of Saints or else vrge and exact mans traditions wherwith Christ himselfe out of the Prophete teacheth that all Gods religion is corrupted Which thing as it is in these dayes to much frequented â—o if at any time any place be left for the word of God it is vsed to be sayde or song commonlye in a straunge tongue so that no profyte can come to the people thereby But touching this matter see Paules iudgement 1. Cor. 14. Thirdlye this also is to be commended that none of them taketh vppon him to speake before he be lawfully requested For although of auncient custome the interpreters and Prophetes sate next to the Teachers yet none impudently intruded himselfe so that vndesired or without necessitie he woulde speake vnto the people Wherefore Paule and Barnabas also although they were sent by the holy ghost yet they thinke it not good to breake so profytable and auncient a custome of the Church Therefore the Anabaptistes disorder is not to be suffered which abuse the place of Paule 1. Cor. 14 â–ª saying that all men ought to haue leaue to speake in the Church For Paule in that place speaketh of those that had the gift of interpretation and prophecie and sate with the teachers as was euen nowe sayde But such as were no interpreters he commaundeth to keepe silence And he commaundeth all things to be done decently and in order Neyther lette any man obiect here vnto me what I thinke the Apostles woulde haue done if no
certaine auncient copyes of great credite he sayth I saye vnto thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright vpon thy feete For it is not credible that those fyrst wordes wherein the name of Christ is alleaged were of Paule omitted as it is read in the common copyes and translation bicause this was the onely ende and marke both of the Apostles doctrine and myracles to bring men to beleeue that Christ was their sauiour And this worke on both sides proceeding of faith wanted not a prosperous successe For he by and by which hitherto had alwayes bene lame start vp and walked Thus God by this myracle gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine as yesterday was declared And bicause the myracles of Christ and the Apostles commonly set forth vnto vs the maner of our saluation and redemption therfore we will in this lame man briefly touch the same This lame man or Creple is a paterne or example of the state and condicion of vs all yea of all mankinde For as this man is lame and that from his mothers wombe euen so all we be weake and lame vnto all things belonging to our saluation And this infyrmitie cleaueth to vs euen from our mothers wombe as who be conceyued and borne in sinne And if we consider our life passed we shall see that we neuer walked to say in the waies of God which ledd vs to the inheritance of eternall life For we haue all strayed out of the waye like sheepe euery one of vs hath followed his owne wayes And God himselfe testifyeth that the imaginations of men are euill euen from their childehoode Therefore looke in what case this lame man was as touching his body the same case be we all in as concerning our soule and looke howe farre the soule passeth the bodye and in so much more miserable a case it shall appeare we be Therefore there is no health in our selues but we must needes looke it without our selues euen there where this lame man founde it He heard the Gospell of Iesus Christ and by his power he beleeued he shoulde be made whole and by faith obtayned his desire We must go the selfesame way to be saued Lette vs heare the Gospell and beleeue in Iesus Christ which is preached in the same Gospell and streightwaye we shall be saued He it is that deliuereth all them from their sinnes that beleeue in him bicause he is made sinne for vs that we through him might be made that righteousnesse that is acceptable before God. It is he that regenerateth vs and who by the immortall eternall seede of heauenly generation healeth the sores and maladies of our corrupt nature It is he that instructeth vs with fresh force so that we that were not able of our selues to thinke one good thought are able by him to doe all things and as long as we abide in him we bring forth much fruite And bicause he only is able to worke these things he only is to be taken for our sauiour and we being in misery and like to perishe must out of hande seeke for him to be our Phisition and none other Also we are taught by example of this lame man what the dutie of them is whome Christ hath thus healed and deliuered He at Paules calling start vp by and by and walked So when Christ calleth vs let vs forthwith rise vp out of the myre wherin we haue to long sticked casting away the works of our corrupt blind flesh let vs walk in the ways of the lord These things might be more copiously dilated with many examples amplified but it may suffise by these few words to giue occasion to think further herof to those which are feruent in the studie of godlines Nowe come we to the seconde part of this place where the effect of the myracle is described which fell out farre otherwise than Paule purposed For as by his doctrine so by the myracle he ment to trayne his hearers vnto christ But they take occasion thereby to start from christ For being deceyued with the olde fables of Poetes they suppose the Apostles are Goddes which tooke vppon them the fourme or similitude of men and so came downe into the earth And perhaps they called to minde the comming downe of Iupiter and Mercurie to Lycaon their progenitor For these two cried they were come downe from heauen and most foolishly applied their names vnto the Apostles For they say Barnabas is Iupiter either bicause he was the auncienter man or else bicause of his graue countenance and they thinke Paule is Mercury the gods interpreter messenger bicause he spake vnto the people And iumpe at that time cōmeth Iupiters Priest which more pricketh these mad men forward For bringing Oxen garlands with him he maketh preparation for a sacrifyce according to the maner of the Gentyles This is a most notable example teaching vs howe easily mans nature swarueth from true godlynesse vnto superstition and ydolatrie and howe harde a thing it is to put errors away which haue bredde in vs from our tender yeares Not long before these people of Lycaonia gaue eare to Paule preaching of Christ. They sawe a myracle also wrought in the name of christ Yet the olde perswasion of the Goddes comming downe vnto the earth remayneth still in their mindes and they take occasion of foule error of that whereof they shoulde haue catched holde of godlynesse Howbeit we all confesse that they were both foolishly and wickedly deceyued But howe more foolishe than these are the Papistes which yet vse to bragge of the name of christ They confesse the Apostles are but men and the seruants of Christ whose ministerye it pleased him to vse in setting forth hys kingdome And yet they make Gods of them and attribute vnto them those things which belong to God onely and ought to be ascribed to no creature without the prophane contempt of the true liuing god For they teach vs that they are to be inuocated in daungers and prescribe vnto them their diuers properties prerogatiues as foolish as euer the heathen did in their Gods appoynting one a Patrone for prisoners another for those in daunger of shipwracke another for traueylers by the way other for those in perill of fyre And bicause they cannot tell when they haue played the fooles ynough where they confesse that these Saints haue suffred death for Christes sake yet they ascribe vnto them a great part of the glory of Christ feygning that they are intercessors and aduocates vnto God for them and making their vowes and prayers vnto them Let vs be ashamed therefore to take such paynes in confuting the follye of the Gentyles seeing there is much more folly to be founde among the professors of Christes religion Furthermore the holy ghost setteth out vnto vs in this example the beginning and proceeding of Idolatrie The beginning of all error hath bene the ignorance of the true God
Lette vs I beseech you thinke hereof whome it hath pleased God these many yeares to let enioy the preaching of the Gospell and to let vs abounde in the quiet and peace thereof where a number beside feele great want therof and being famined would be glad of one little morsell of Euangelike consolation But let vs returne to Paule and his companions who though they be forbidden in one place to preach yet cease not from doing their duetie but passing through Misia come at length to Aeolis and to a Citie in the same Countrie called Troas earnestly seeking euerywhere occasion to preach And there Paule being admonished by oracle vnderstandeth he must go into Macedonia For there appeareth vnto him a Macedonian which vndoubtedly was nothing but an Aungell and desireth to haue his countrye holpen And here came diuers thinges very profytable for vs to consider First is the example of Paule whereby we are taught that we must not be slacke in doing our office and dutie although our enterprise succeede not at the fyrst or seconde attempt as we desire For we reade the like came to passe many times both to the Prophetes and the Apostles which followed their calling the more earnestlye the more impedimentes they perceyued were layde in their waye Let all men go forwarde after these mennes examples and God will assist their endeuours who vseth when he seeth time and place to giue occasion of onset and also prosperous successe Furthermore this place sheweth vs a singuler example of Gods goodnesse whereby it commeth to passe that God worketh our saluation when we least knowe or thinke of it For who among the Macedonians woulde you thinke thought eyther of Paule or of the waye of saluation who when he came had none but a fewe of women to followe him and heare him So by this meane is the saying of the Prophete fulfylled I am founde of them that sought me not and haue appeared to them that asked not after mee And that that Luke sayth came to passe here among them of Macedonia the same may be seene in all other that eyther haue attained or at this day do attayne vnto saluation For before this worlde was made Paule sayth we were elected in Christ. And our fyrst parent Adam when he was fallen in sinne and did not onely not seeke God but fled from him yet was he both sought of God and called and receyued the free promise of saluation Hereto appertayneth it that men in the Scriptures are compared vnto sâ—eepe which hauing once strayed from the flocke neuer returne vnlesse the shepeheard by his diligence fette them agayne But Christ is our shepehearde which vseth to seeke his sheepe in valleyes and mountaynes and when he hath founde him layeth him on his shoulder and bringeth him home And this care of God may not onely be perceyued in those thinges that concerne the saluation of our soules but also sheweth it selfe in the things seruing to the vse and maintenance of our bodies For as God feedeth our bodye bountifully in giuing vs a liuing out of the earth so hath he appoynted the Aungels to be our tutors and keepers which â—arie rounde about them that feare him and deliuer them But bicause we haue hereof intreated heretofore let this nowe suffyse Yet let vs marke the vse of his doctrine which consisteth chiefely in this poynt that we shoulde be thankefull vnto God and stryue in all kinde of aduersities to defende our calling by the inuincible hope and affiaunce of Gods ayde and succor Furthermore this example commendeth vnto vs the dignitie of the Gospell and the ministery thereof For fyrst this is a notable thing that Paule is called by an Aungell and by the Oracle of God to preache So Peter was admonished by a vision from heauen to preach vnto Cornelius and to the Gentyles and the spirite led Philip to teach the Aethiopian his saluation Therefore some menne doe very vainely to contemne the ministerie of man as a thing of small or none account and requyre to haue Aungels to teach them seeing Aungels sende vs vnto men to be taught Yea Paule will not haue vs to beleeue an Aungell if he teach anye thing disagreeing from the doctryne of the Apostles Also the wordes of the Aungell commende the dignitie of the Ministerie For he sayth Come into Macedonia and helpe vs. Yet is it in Gods power onely to helpe vs both in body and soule But bicause the worde of the Gospell is the power of saluation to all that beleeue it the Ministers thereof are therefore not without a cause sayd to helpe men and to saue them And for this cause Abdias prophecying of the kingdome of Christ calleth the Apostles Sauiours Therefore the temeritie and impietie of those which saye that the Gospell causeth troubles and disquietnesse is reprooued seeing it is euident that men cannot choose but perishe except they be called by the preaching of Christ into the way of saluation according to the saying of the Prophete The Nation and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe But what doth Paule when he heareth he is called of God into Macedonia to men vnknowne and into Europe another part of the worlde Doth he tryfle and make delayes bicause he was before once or twyse forbidden No yea he prepareth him to the voyage and frameth him altogither vnto Gods calling and at length with a strayght course commeth to Philippie a very notable Citie and state By which example we are taught that nothing is rashly to be taken in hand without Gods calling but when we are certaine thereof then wyth speede to doe that the Lorde commaundeth For he so little regardeth prolongers and delayers that he cannot abyde pretence of godlynesse if vnder colour therof we neglect our vocation as we are taught by the example of him which was not suffered to go burie his father after Christ had called him to the ministerye of the worde But this is the most commodious way to doe well if we haue a diligent regarde to the calling of God and followe the same faythfully and earnestly For they that trust their owne deuises and seeke after vanitie as Dauid sayth cannot choose but grieuouslye offende God graunt that we be all mindefull hereof and followe our vocation that after we haue on earth fulfylled our duetie we maye at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cviij Homelie WE were in that Citie abiding certaine dayes and on the Sabboth dayes we went out of the Citie besides a riuer where men were wont to pray And we sate downe and spake vnto the women which resorted thither And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the Citie of Thyaâ—ira which worshipped God gaue vs audience whose heart the Lorde opened that shee attended vnto the things that Paule spake When she was baptized and hir housholde she besought vs
things are obteyned which farre exceede the strength of man and where nature is constreyned to giue place So we reade that by prayer Moses deuided the waues of the redde sea By prayer he gaue the Amalekytes a great ouerthrowe Iames the Apostle testifieth that Elias through prayer locked the heauens that they gaue no raine and by the same opened them agayne Here in this place at the prayers of Paule and Silas the foundations of the prison are shaken gyues and manacles vnloosed and all the doores of the prison opened Wherevnto that which we hearde before of Peter which was deliuered out of prison at the prayers of the congregation is also like Let vs herewith comfort our selues in aduersitie that we be not ouercome of the threates of the worlde forasmuch as no man is able to take praying from vs which is of more force and efficacie as it well appeareth than any other thing And of the more force it is alwaye the more grieuously we are oppressed Likewyse let all men abstayne from oppressing of Innocents whose prayers and gronings we see are of such effect with God. Furthermore let vs see the principall effect of this myracle that is to saye the conuersion of the Iayler of the prison wherein the holye ghost thought good to set forth a generall example for all menne to imitate This conuersion hath in it certayne steppes and degrees which it shall be good for vs in order to consider Fyrst being waked with the earthquake he seeth all the doores opened and where he thought all the prisoners were fledde he drewe his sworde and was about to haue killed himselfe fearing the seueritie of the lawes which made it death for the Iaylers of prisons if any prisoners escaped through their negligence An example of which seueritie Herode before shewed vpon them which he set to watch Peter Thys keeper therefore mynding to escape open shame and being deceyued wyth the common errour of the Gentyles thought it woulde sounde to his great praise of manlynesse in auoyding infamy and shame to kill himselfe Thus had Satan bewytched mens mindes that they sought saluation in destruction and prayse in ignominie and shame Howbeit in deede there is nothing more pernitious and dishonest than to go about by violent death to throwe downe the burthen of the crosse that God layeth vpon vs and this kynde of feare doth vtterly declare cowardlye hearts and such as growe out of kinde which neyther can nor will suffer any thing Agayne thys is an euident argument of a desperate mynde forasmuch as no man will bereue himselfe of lyfe which of all other is the pleasauntest thing that man can wyshe or desire but he that before hande despayreth of the helpe and grace of God and as the example of Iudas the Traytor and such lyke abundantly declare Therefore Paule doth well to call vpon this keeper that he doe himselfe no harme And Christian menne must take heede that they harken not to the suggestions of Satan perswading them to kyll themselues For whatsoeuer colour or pretence he set vppon them yet in deede they are deuilyshe and daungerous bicause it is euident God wyll not the death of a sinner but rather that he shoulde conuert and lyue We are therfore taught by this example what kynde of lyfe they commonly lead which eyther serue the wicked or consent vnto them as it is euident this Iayler did of whome we intreate For beyng to obsequious and double diligent to execute the wicked commaundement giuen him of wicked Magistrates he putteth the Apostles in the stocks in the inner prison But being fast a sleepe as though all thing had bene safe such a chaunce falleth as putteth him in hazard both of body and soule Yea he had euen nowe vtterly perished had not the Lord of hys singular fauour reuoked him from destruction by Paule the preacher of saluation Let vs thynke that to be a notable very golden sentence whych is in the fyrst Psalme Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stande in the waye of sinners and hath not sitten in the seate of the scornefull c. Furthermore we haue in Paule an example of Christian charitie whych is so carefull for his saluation who not long before had so vncourteously and vniustly handled him Let vs imitate this doyng and loue those which hate vs and seeke their saluation that wishe our destruction So shall we be taken to be the true children of God the father which suffreth his sunne to aryse both vpon the good and the bad But let vs returne to the Iayler of the prison which Luke writeth was sodenly chaunged yea become altogither another man For after he heard the prisoners were not fledde but stayed by the hande of God comparing the boldenesse and playnnesse of the Apostles wherof the like hytherto had bene seene in no men with the present myracle being stryken wyth the inwarde inspiration of God he is altogither a whaped in hys minde For he beginneth to feele in himselfe howe grieuously he had sinned by his vngentle vsage of those whome he sawe God so greatly regarded Wherfore calling forthwith for lyght he goeth in vnto them falleth downe at their feete and at length bringing them forth which was contrary to the Magistrates commaundement sayth Syrs what must I doe to be saued Who will not here acknowledge the mightie hande of God which wrought all this matter Surely it must be ascrybed vnto God that he reuerenceth these men being scourged and put to open shame that he breaketh the wicked and vniust commaundement of the Magistrate and that he demaundeth the right way how to be saued Yea he teacheth by his example that those thinges must not lightly or negligently be passed ouer that God worketh myraculously in his seruaunts For there is nothing almost more pernicious than that amazednesse which maketh vs blynde in the manifest workes of god It is euident that this thing in time past brought Pharao to his destruction and at this day this hurteth many men that they iudge all thinges come to passe by fortune and chaunce and search not out the iudgements of God in the things which they see fall out beyonde the course of nature Let vs therfore alway diligently marke and search out the right way of saluation touching which we see this keeper nowe so profytably made inquirie For streyght wayes the Apostles aunswere him friendly and declare vnto him in fewe wordes the right and absolute way of mannes saluation saying Beleeue on the Lorde Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshold They preach fayth onely and that fayth that stayeth vpon none other but Iesus Christ the onely author of saluation For in him is conteyned all satisfaction righteousnesse redemption and sanctifycation all which we obtayne none otherwayes than by fayth whych is the cause that the scripture teacheth we are iustifyed and saued by fayth wherof seeing we haue
so oftentimes founde God his ayder and helper is afrayde to go meete his brother Esau. Moses fearing the tyranny of Pharao flieth into Madian and scarce woulde returne againe into Egypt at Gods calling Iosue a valiant warrier discomfyted with one ouerthrowe of his people declareth the feare he had conceyued in his minde by vnmanly weeping and mourning We reade howe Dauid which being but a stripling ouercame Goliath after he was a man growen and had gotten many victories feared oftentimes the threates and attemptes of Saule Helias whome neyther the sight and tyrannie of Achab nor furie of the people coulde withholde from killing the Priestes of Baal being afrayde at the threates of one syllye woman which was Iesabel tooke him to hys heeles and desired god he might die What shall I speake of Peter who being not afrayde of a company of harnessed men was quite dismayde at the worde of one symple wench and denyed Christ Manye like examples might be rehearsed which we repeate not to the ende to detect the infyrmities and falles of holy men but bicause the consyderation of them serueth not a little for our instruction For both we knowe our owne infyrmitie thereby the knowledge wherof maketh vs not to trust to much in our selfe and we are admonished of charitie that we rashly condemne not men which otherwise haue deserued well if they seeme to doe otherwise than becommeth them For God will haue the tokens of common imperfection appeare euen in them also that we be not to much addicted vnto them and so forgette the grace of God which by them had wrought singular workes In the meane season we must helpe them with our prayers that eyther they may beware they fall not or else that they may by Gods grace speedily rise agayne For this deutie did Christ vse towardes his Disciples as the Gospell declareth Luc. 22. Iohn 17. But let vs consider Gods person which by and by comforteth him being in this feare although there is no mention made that he did call vppon God therefore For God doth not onely heare them which open their desire of minde by crying but he seeth the secret sobbes and gronings of the heart and helpeth comforteth them And so is it very needefull he should bicause oft times it commeth to passe that we are so compassed on euery side with aduersitie that we are not able in words to declare the desire of our hearts Then is fulfylled that that God promiseth by his Prophete Esay cap 65. It shall come to passe that or euer they call I shall aunswere them while they are yet but thinking howe to speake I shall heare them So the Lorde speaketh to Moses standing by the redde sea why cryest thou Yet we reade of no worde he spake This is a great argument of the goodnesse of god For as God knoweth whereof we haue neede so he vseth to helpe vs in season and time and although he sendeth vs temptations to teache vs our infyrmitie and to enflame vs the more vnto godlynesse yet he tempereth the same with comfort that we be not vtterly swallowed vp of sorowe Let no man therefore despayre to soone seeing God hath infynite meanes whereby to comfort and helpe vs And here in this place he thought good to vse both vision and Oracle both which were very needefull bicause Paule had no man to comfort him and sawe many causes which might make him thinke that so corrupt a Citie had no regarde of god The words that God here spake conteyne in them three poyntes of euerye whereof we will intreate orderlye First he taketh away the cause of all this euill where he biddeth him not to feare This kind of precept is often times mentioned in the scripture For so sayth god vnto Moses being dismayed at the meeting of the king of Basan To Iosue also being redy to ioyne battayle with the fyue kings it was sayd Be not afrayd of them And the Lord sayth vnto Ieremie when he called him to the office of a Preacher Be not afrayde of their faces c. Christ also biddeth the Apostles that they shoulde not feare those which killed the bodye but coulde not hurt the soule I omitte diuers places of this sort The cause why God so oftentimes forbiddeth his seruauntes to feare is for that there is nothing of more efficacie to pull menne from doing their dutie than feare For assoone as feare is once conceyued in the heart the light of reason is so blemished that it cannot see what is needefull to be done and no deuises or counsels are more vncertaine than such as persons in feare and perplexitie take in hande And if they stande throughly in feare then maketh it men shamelesse also so that for feare of losse of lyfe or goodes they committe moste mischieuous actes and many times they incurre a greater daunger for the auoyding of a perill present Bicause this thing falleth vppon priuate men howe much more necessary is it that men in publike office shoulde be bolde and voyde of feare For if these men offende it is not against them selfe onely but against other also whome God hath committed vnto their charge Which was the cause that the wise man Iethro required boldenesse of minde in Iudges Therefore God did verye aptly make his beginning of comfort in this place In the second part he commaundeth him what to doe Speake sayth he and holde not thy peace Here no manne must thinke that God vsed any superfluitie of wordes He ioyneth these two togither bicause many times diuers speake and yet holde their peace whiles they speake such thinges as they thinke no man will be offended with and in the meane while keepe silence of such things which they ought by Gods commaundement to speake The meaning therefore of the commaundement is that he shoulde preach the gospell plainly and dissemble or keepe close none of the thinges conteyned in the same although he wist many woulde be displeased therwith By this let all Ministers learne that they haue not done their dutie if they preach the worde of God except they preach it all and that plainely and so applye it vnto euery man that he maye thinke it spoken vnto him For as he is an vntrusty ambassadour which speaketh nothing but that he is commaunded and yet vttereth not euery thing but for fauour of some persons omitteth many things so can he not be iudged to be a faythfull Minister of Christ that leaueth out neuer so small a portion of the Gospell to please men with See what is sayde hereof Iere. 1. Ezech. 3. and .33 Math. 28. In the thirde part he sheweth very graue and effectuall reasons wherof this is the fyrst for I am with thee This one reason ought to be sufficient against all daungers For whereas God is almightie they can want nothing with whome he is present For what are Creatures able to doe against God without whose power they cannot stande
deede but not according to knowledge suche as Christ sharpely reprehended in Peter when he also dissuaded him from bearing the Crosse yet their affection is to be praised in that they are carefull for Paules safetie being farre vnlike to menne in these dayes which bring Ministers in daunger wythout a cause and thinke that they haue well discharged their dueties if they can for a time redeme a worldly peace with the liues and bloud of the Ministers But Paule moste earnestly withstandeth them and complayneth of them saying they greeue him more with their weping than with the remembraunce of the daunger Therfore Paule was not stony hearted such an one as the Stoikes faine their good and blissefull man to be but he coÌ„fesseth plainely that Goddes calling is more deare vnto him than his life and body The holy Ghost setteth his Example before all Ministers yea before all Christians to bee followed For vnlesse wee bee of the same mynde wee shall little or nothyng profytte in the waye of Christe bicause daungers are at hande on euery syde to them that seeke to serue Chryst. And this is no grieuous thing to the true godly if they wel wey the matter for what more profitable losse can we haue of this transitorie life and body which shall in few moneths mouldre into dust than to giue it for Chrystes sake whome we know died and rose againe for this ende that whether we liue or die we haue him to our Lord and Protectoure Which is the cause that Christ biddeth vs we should not feare theÌ„ which are able to kill the body but yet haue no power vpon the soule which is the better part of man And vnto these reasons do Paules companions also giue place For seeing him so constantly to persist in his purpose they say The will of God be fulfilled So now they perceiue at length that he is instigated heereunto by the calling of god Therfore least they might seeme to striue against God they commit them selues and the whole businesse vnto him folowing bothe the example and commaundement of christ And surely there is no more safe hauen for the godly to get them selues into amidde the raging and horrible tempests of these dayes than the will of god Which bicause it is holy and wholesome is able most effectually to recreate and cheare the mindes that are tossed with troubles and cares with the consideration therof Let vs therfore after the example of these men haue a regarde onely vnto the same and couragiously suffer what so euer God layeth vpon vs who for that he is faithfull wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but euen in the middle of temptation wil make a way that we shall be able to beare it Nowe followeth Paules arriuall at Ierusalem where we haue three things to be considered First his frendes accompanie him which hitherto had bene his companions and vnto these are added newe frendes gotten at Caesaria In which place the truth of God appeareth which vseth to ioyne freendes and companions to them that suffer daunger for his names sake as otherwheres we haue declared Furthermore in them appeareth a notable example of faithe and constancie For they were not ignorant what was like to happen vnto Saule And there was greate cause for their owne parte also to be afraide Yet they forsake him not whome they knewe maintained Christes quarrell nor would not be driuen from him by any waues and â—ourges of aduersitie Let suche marke this Example as are pot freendes and as long as fortune laugheth will be companions with men but if shee begin once to lowre they forget all frendship and benefites and turne their backes The second is how the faithfull there prouide Paule of a commodious lodging For althoughe daungers were toward him yet prudencie must be ioyned with religion as Christ teacheth who in daungers wil haue vs to be wise as serpents His hoste was one Mnason a Cypriote borne and an olde disciple or protestant whereby is noted the perseueraunce and continuaunce he was of in the faith And charitie accompanieth faithe whereof this was a notable argument that he would lodge Paule and his companions knowing what daunger they were like to be in This is the propertie of true faith that the nigher daunger approcheth and the more vehemently it vrgeth the brighter it shineth Therefore our coldnesse is very worthy to be blamed which in daungers dissemble our faith and plainely neglect the duetie of charitie Last of all the brethren at Ierusalem do gladly receiue Paule yet heereafter we shall heare what euill rumors they spread of him But thy brethren would not condempne him without hearing of his cause They are most worthy to be folowed and teach vs by their example that we rashly beleue not such as ill report the brethren For such as these for the most parte are the chosen instrumentes of the Deuill which knoweth that the Church can no way be more greuously disturbed than by the deuision of the brethren Let vs therfore be mindfull of charitie which of all things abhorreth suspitiousnesse and let vs wholely apply our selues to keepe the vnitie of the Church vnblemished in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxix Homelie ANd on the morrow Paule went in with vs vnto Iames. And all the Elders came togither And when he had saluted them he told by order all things that God had wrought among the Gentiles by his Ministration And when they heard it they glorified the Lord and said vnto him thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleue and they are all earnest followers ouer the law And they are enfourmed of thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their children neyther to liue after the customes What is it therfore The multitude must needes come togither for they shall hear that thou art come Do therfore this that we say to thee We haue four men which haue a vow on them TheÌ„ take purifie thy selfe with them and do cost on them that they may shaue their heads and all shall knowe that those things which they haue heard concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the law But as touching the Gentiles which beleue we haue written and concluded that they obserue no such thing saue only that they keepe them selues from things offred to Idolles and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication ALthough many false rumors were spred of Paule the Apostle that chosen vessell of Iesus Christ whereby bothe his good name and doctrine was greeuously stained and impeached by his aduersaries yet Luke wryteth that the brethren at Ierusalem did frendly and courteously receyue him thereby teaching vs that they had a more regarde of charitie than of a fewe of persones boyling in hatred
For that that fel out so luckely with the Romanes we reade hath ben an help to many others wherby to aspire climb vp vnto power and glory Agayne we know how most florishing kingdomes haue sodenly had a fall when iustice and censure of publike lawes hath begun to be neglected It behoueth vs chiefly to consider the case and state of the godly for Paule is ioyned with other prisoners who without all doubt were for the moste part greeuous and haynous misdoers So the scripture teacheth vs that Chryste was numbred with the wicked which also many times chaunced vnto the martyres With whose examples it behoueth vs in these days to be encoraged that we be not offended at the moste vniuste iudgements of the world Moreouer there appeareth in Paules miserable case a singular documēt of Gods goodnesse wherby it cōmeth to passe that the pitiful cōpany of the prisoners hath such a cōforter coūseler through whose meanes we shal heare at length how they were al saued And there is no doubt ▪ but Paul vsed al maner of occasions to instruct teach them the misteries of christian faith religion bicause we haue seene hitherto howe ernestly he desired the saluation of al men Thus God giueth vs singular occasiō euen then to do wel when he semeth vtterly to haue no care of vs Herevnto also belōg the things folowing where we are taught y god had a speciall regarde of Paul in al these dangers For first he ioyneth vnto him most faithful cōpanions to help succour him with their presence ministerie Amōg these was Luke the writer of this history as appereth by the order of the whole story Thē next Aristarchus the Macedonian a mā without peraduenture very rich which was able to susteine so great charges For he wēt out of Grece with Paul to Ierusalē althogh he saw him apprehēded by y Iewes yet did he not forsake him but for .ij. whol yeres togither more he did faithfully help him now he accōpanieth him vnto Rome Thus god vseth to ayde succour his people that they be not tēpted aboue their strēgth when they are vtterly forsakē of men he is their defender This exāple of Aristarchus is very notable reprouing flaterers parasits which vse to measure frendship by profite meaning to suffer nothing for the truthes sake ▪ insomuch that they are ashamed of the martirs of Christ. But we must haue a respect vnto God the rewarder which recompenseth the fayth of Aristarchus with immortall glory and inheritance of the kingdome of heauen An other argument of Gods prouidence and goodnesse we heare it is that the Centurion is so friendly vnto Paule For bothe he curteously intreateth him and when he came to Sidon he giueth him leaue to go visite his friends to recreat and refresh him selfe among them The like we saw before in Lysias the Tribune Felix the Presidēt So Abdias in times paste was a patrone protectour of the Prophets and Ieremie had friends while he was in prison that succoured him bothe with helpe and counsayle Reade the first of the Kings the .18 chapter Ieremie 38. Of these things it behoueth vs also to take comfort that we yelde not to the enterprises of tyrannes but commende our selues and all our doings to God onely Howbeit in this place we haue to consider Paule who beeing in a citie very full of people and standing on the sea coaste where he might easily eyther haue hid him selfe or haue slipped away yet woulde vse no suche oportunitie and aduauntage of escape The causes were both for that he shoulde haue done vniustly to haue brought the Captayne in danger which had wel deserued of him and also for that he had learned by the Oracle that he must go to Rome We are taught by this example that we must not seeke our owne safetie by any vnlawfull meanes For if in our distresses there appeare no way of escape but suche as is repugnant vnto charitie fayth and iustice then is it certayne that God hath determined of vs otherwise whose will and pleasure it is meete we obey least while we make prouision for our body and goodes we lose our soule Now foloweth a diligent and long description of their nauigation or sailing the course wherof let them that are desirous to know euery thing searche for in the Geographers tables We haue to consider howe it was a paynefull and daungerous voyage seeing it is expressely declared that the windes were agaynst them Howbeit God could easily haue remedied these incomberaunces who by many examples hath declared himselfe to be the Lord ruler of the sea But thus it pleased him to haue his chosen vessel tried that the glory both of his truth power might seme the more euident In the meane season it appeareth what state our life is in verily a troublesome state and like to a pilgrimage wherin we see newe trauels and daungers euery day appeare But chiefly this is to be seene in the life of those that are godly which is continually assaulted with freshe cares and troubles An example hereof we haue in Chryst our head who assone as he was borne found enimies whose awaytes and trecheries made the whole course of his life vnpleasaunt perillous Paule also found euen the same which wrastling a long time with the craftes and awaytes of the Iewes is at length cōmitted to the sea an element of all others most cruel the perils wherof he had also before proued as appereth by the eleuēth chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians Infinite other examples of this kinde might be repeated if neede so were Let vs rather marke the vse of these things which is to arme our selues with constant fayth and to ouercome al aduersitie seeing it is euident that there is prepared for vs rewardes of eternall rest in heauen which we shall enioy hereafter with Iesus Chryst to whom bee prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxvij Homelie WHen much time was spent and when sayling was now ieopardous bycause also that they had ouerlong fasted Paule put them in remembraunce and sayd vnto them Sirs I perceiue that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage not of the lading and ship only but also of our lyues Neuerthelesse the vnder Captayne beleeued the gouernour and Master of the ship more than those things which were spoken of Paule And bicause the hauen was not commodious to winter in many toke counsel to depart thence if by any meanes they might attayne to Phenices and there to winter Which is an hauen of Candy and lyeth towarde the South and Northwest winde When the Southwinde blew they supposing to obteine their purpose loosed vnto Asson and sayled paste all Candy but not long after there arose agaynst their purpose a flawe of winde out of the Northeast and when the shippe was caught and could not resist the winde we let
togither And his humanitie is the more notable for that being a ruler a rich man he yet disdained not strangers in such manyfold afflictiōs as rich men for the most part vse to do which think other mens mishaps appertayne nothing vnto them Then next for that he receiueth them al togither which could not be without some trouble very great cost For we heard how there were in that ship two hundred three score sixtene persons and al escaped safe vnto lande Let riche men they that be in authoritie lerne here their duetie not to thinke that God hath giuen to the◠alone so great gifts but let them remēber that they are appoynted but stewards Wherfore let them be liberal vnto those that haue neede so that their plenty may releue the others scarcity And doubtlesse this is a great offence of them which forgetting their dutie haue cōpassion on no body but passe ouer the cry of the poore with deaf eares who at lēgth according to the saying of Salomon shal find the eares of god shut to their praiers yea at the latter day they shal haue Christ to accuse them Furthermore the people of Malta receiue a notable recōpense amends for their hospitalitie and that by the ministery of Paule So that we may learne there is no man so vyle but may procure vnto vs great vtilitie so that we shew our selues curteous liberal vnto him For God can requite vs by any man their reward vseth not to be lost that for gods sake or for Chrystes vse to benefite any body In this present place are declared two rewardes which these men receyued of Paule him selfe Fyrste the father of Publius receyued who beeing sicke of a Feuer and of a bloudy Fluxe a disease vtterly vncurable was restored to healthe by Paules meane That this was a great benefite and pleasure if wee consyder but the body onely no man can denie althoughe wee say nothing howe by this occasion he was broughte vnto the fayth Where we muste marke howe in thys cure Paule obserued the manner and order prescribed of Chryste For bothe he vseth prayer and layde hys handes vppon the sicke body Wherby we are taught that this miracle was not wrought ▪ through the power of Paule but of God which after this sort woulde set forth his sonne Iesus Chryst as Peter and Iohn haue before declared For the Apostles wrought their miracles farre otherwise than Chryst which vsing his absolute power by hys worde onely pronounced draue away deuils and diseases But the Apostles and other holy seruauntes of Chryste did the same by calling on the name of Chryste Here is the errour of those men confuted which bycause of the Miracles that holy men wrought thinke they ought to be inuocated and do not regarde how God is the author of them whose honour and glory the Sainctes chiefly sought See more concerning this matter in the thirde and fourtenth Chapters The seconde rewarde extended vnto more men For the same of Publius father beeing healed stirred vp other men also so that they lykewise were deliuered from diuers diseases The ende and vse of all these things was that they shoulde vnderstande Paule was the Minister of Chryst which deliuereth vs from infirmitie both of body and soule and that we should therefore seeke all saluation in his merite But bycause we haue intreated hereof oftentimes in other places let it nowe suffise briefly to haue touched these things But let vs see the people of Malta who Luke sayth requited with great thankfulnesse suche great benefites For they also both greatly honoured them and when they should departe gaue them whatsoeuer things were needefull vnto their voyage These are manyfest fruites of fayth by the which we are also taughte what we owe vnto them by whose meane Chryst and the light of the Gospell shineth vnto vs For where we ought to esteeme them as our parents bicause we are regenerated through their ministerie they deserue to be honoured yet not with godly honour but with such as we owe to our parents and with such as it is mete for man to receyue of man And surely Paule writeth that the Elders which gouerne well are worthy of double honour 1. Timoth. 5. Marke then I pray you and God will what ieoly gospellers they be that thinke them selues trim men when they can steyne the good name of Ministers with scoffes and quippes And as children owe vnto their parentes not onely honour but also necessaries whereby to liue so is it necessarie that the hearers prouide the ministers of the same This God commaunded in tymes paste in the olde Testamente as may be seene in the eightenth Chapter of the booke of Numbers and in the fiue twentith chapter of Deut. And Chryst forbiddeth his Apostles to cary money or any other prouision with them bicause they should liue of the ministery of the gospel like other laborers And if it had not bene right and lawfull so to haue done then shoulde the Apostles haue offended which receiued these things But see more touching this matter in the first to the Corinth the ninth Chapter Therfore great is the vnthankfulnesse of those men in these dayes to say no worse who giuing nothing them selues vnto the ministers enuie and craftily beguyle them of the things that other in times past haue giuen vnto them But after the ende of three Monethes they returne to their voyage agayne by sea the course wherof let them seeke in the Geographers Tables that desire to haue further instruction in euery suche poynt We haue herein two things to obserue The one is that Paule and his company go on bord into a shippe of Alexandria which after the errour of the Gentiles was thought to be vnder the patronage and defence of Castor and Pollux Through which example many men counte imagerie and superstition among indifferent things as thoughe a Christian man touching the outward conuersation mighte vse them without offending of god But wee must likewise consider that Paule did not this of his owne accorde but of constraint neither also consented vnto wicked superstition either winked at any thing for fauoure of men Therefore the example of Paule maketh not for the defence of those dastardes that vse to dissemble in matters of religion to serue the time The other is howe after they had fette a long compasse about by the sea they arriued at length from Syracusa a Citie of Cicile in Italie And at Putesti they finde brethren or christians with whom at their entreatie they taried seuen dayes Where also may be seene the charitie of those brethren which did vouchsafe at their great charges to chearishe and make much of straungers so long a while and also the curtesie of the captaine and souldioures which for a prisonners sake would stay so many dayes Heere appeareth also the might and power of God which maketh his seruauntes to be accepted and fauoured and the