denie it For whosoeuer hath any taste of the doctrine of the gospell shall confesse that the preaching therof beateth downe the same Neyther doth the spirite of Christ by outwarde worde onely oppugne the same but it also consecrateth the minds vnto God that they which a little while ago were the bondslaues of sinne are now become the Temples of the liuing god In the meane season we denie not but there are many which abuse the colour of the gospell to sow dissention and to plant libertie But ought the gospell to be charged therewith I pray you what wise man condemneth the Magistrate bicause diuers vnder the colour thereof haue become Tyrauntes and oppressors of the libertie of their Countrie Why doe we not rather marke the vse of the Magistrate which is appointed for that ende that the lust of priuate persons should be restrayned and violence and tyrannie be brideled Euen so let vs confesse that the right vse of the Gospell and effect of the holye ghost is onely to set vp true concorde and holly honestie of life Nay if we shall confesse the truth there is none other concorde acceptable before God than that which is amonge the faythfull in Iesus Christ which are borne againe of the worde and spirite of god Neyther can there be any other true holinesse and innocencie than that whereof Christes spirite is the Author For that holinesse which men counterfaite without his spirite is hippocriticall and is not able to abide the iudgement of God as straunge from the righteousnesse of Christ which vseth to supplie all the defectes and wantes of the faythfull Now to these aforesayde poyntes Luke ioyneth the maner of his sending which was visible both bicause the Apostles might conceyue through presence of the spirite the greater confidence and boldnesse to go about their office and also for our cause that it might appeare how Iesus Christ neuer forsaketh his Church but defendeth it by his inuisible grace which he declared by the sending of his holy spirit For hereto serueth that notable promise I will not leaue you comfortlesse And againe Beholde I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde But touching the maner howe this thing was here done three things remaine to be discussed First there was sodainly a noyse from heauen And it is not without a mysterie that these things come to passe sodainly or vnlooked for For this is alwayes Gods vsage that he then most truely performeth his promises when we least looke for them yea when there is no more helpe remayning in man So he performeth his promise in deliuering his people out of the bondage of Egypt foure hundred yeares after the Israelites were bereft of all libertie and were constrayned to beholde most horrible examples of Tyrannie in their newe borne babes and haue nothing safely to trust vnto So in this place he sendeth the holy ghost now sodainely when they least thought of it whose comming he had deferred now a .xj. daies long We are taught by these examples paciently to wayte for the promises of god For where God is truth it selfe he cannot deceiue And forasmuch as he is our Lord we his seruaunts it becommeth vs to attende his leysure and not to prescribe him any time Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid be stronge and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lorde And the Prophete sayth If he tarie yet wayte thou for him For in verie deede he will come and not be slacke And such a noyse and sounde came from heauen bicause wee might knowe that the holye Apostles endued with an heauenly and diuine spirite were become preachers of an heauenly and diuine doctrine and not mans the aucthoritie and credite whereof might be called in doubt This serueth to confute the foolishnesse of such as with the ritche glutton require teachers to come from an other worlde from heauen or from hell And whatsouer thinges are sayde of mans saluation and dutie they reiect with this scoffe saying there was yet neuer none that came eyther from heauen or hell to tell vs what is there to do So they disclose how theyr wicked mindes are voyde of all religion For onlesse these wicked men had vtterly put away all shamefastnesse they would know that the sonne of God came downe from heauen into fleshe and rose againe from death and most faythfully declared vnto vs the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen They would know that the holy ghost came downe from heauen and spake these things by the Apostles which they haue taught vs touching the meane of our saluation and what our dutie is But he that would require any newe kinde of learning yea though an Aungell brought it from heauen he ought not to be beleeued but accursed Secondly a certaine blast or violent winde russhing in filled all the house where the Apostles dwelt And that the spirite is signifyed by blast or winde it is no doubt bicause the very name of spirite is a borrowed speache and the diuine power is so called for that it pierceth and by his power conserueth all things And the Hebrues vse this worde Ruach which is as well vsed for the winde as for the spirite Christ woulde in this place therefore vse the token of winde to set before our eyes as it were the strength and efficacie of the holy spirite which is incomprehensible to mans capacitie and can be attayned to by no power of man It is better to here himselfe interpretate the same thing For reasoning with Nicodemus of the operation of his spirite by the which they that beleeue are borne againe he sayth The winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the noyse thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth For as the wit of man coulde not hitherto shewe vs for a certayntie the causes and begynnynges of the wynde although they haue long and much searched for the same so the operation of the holy spirite farre passeth the capacitie of man although we effectuallye feele the same in our hartes And euen as the blowyng of windes can not be let by any deuice or force of men so the spirite of Christ which worketh by the gospell feareth not the strength of men nor is not hindred therby to shew his power where and when he wyll Yea foolishe and ridiculous is the endeuour of them whosoeuer wyll striue with God to bryng the spirite and worde of God to their bent wyl holde them within boundes of them appoynted Examples hereof we haue euery where but the Apostles examples of right ought to haue the first place They were commaunded of the Lorde that they should fyll all the world with their preachyng This seemed a thing impossible to be done by simple vnlearned men despised persons Yea as many as were counted eyther of power or wisdome in the worlde withstoode them Yet the spirite of Christe by the ministerie of the
maynteyning of religion to haue Schooles duely and truely appoynted who for the preseruation and continuaunce of them thought good to prouide for them both by their counsayle and aucthoritie as appeareth easely by the foundations of most auncient Colledges Which after they had degenerated that they were become the dennes of ydle men giuen to the throte and belly or of pieuishe supersticiouse then sprong therof the horrible ruine and decaye of the Church Which Iulian the Apostata a subtyll and craftie man well forespyed who for this cause commaunded that the Christians should be kept from learning that through ignoraunce and lacke of knowledge the subtyltie and mockerie of Philosophie might take place Therefore if Christian Princes wyll not be taken for folowers and fellowes of Iulian let them knowe that the prouidyng and caryng for Schooles belongeth to them principally But let vs returne to the Apostles who we sayde erewhyle were instructed with the gift of tongues by the holy ghost For although this seemeth to haue come to passe in the Apostles onely Yet is it further to be extended For this is alway the effect of the holy ghost to chaunge and instruct the tongues of the beleeuyng For bicause the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belongyng to the spirite of God therefore he can not reason of them as meete is And as often as he goeth about to dispute of diuine matters so often he bewrayeth his follie and infancie which thing chaunced to the gentile Philosophers as Paule saith Besides that man is delighted in vanitie and reioyceth in filthy talke and oftentymes giueth the bridle of his tongue to blasphemie as euery daye may be seene in the dayly communication of the children of this worlde Ouer and besides these mischiefes he cannot speake no not when he would be taken for most religious For when he goeth about by prayer to craue the helpe of God his mynde is pulled away either by vayne thoughtes or else he is troubled with the conscience of his sinnes that he can not pray with sure affiaunce of mynde and the prayer that is without faith can not auayle But the spirite of Christ remedieth all these faults For where he regenerateth the mindes of men and powreth into them the true knowledge of the mysteries of saluation he maketh vs able to reason of the nature of God of his wyll and of his iudgementes And the tongues which were vsed to blasphemie backbyting raylyng periurie filthie talke and all kinde of vncleannesse he loseth them to prayse God to giue him thankes and maketh them speake those thinges that set foorth the glorie of God and serue to the edifying of other to abstayne from those thinges that corrupt good maners Againe bicause he is the spirite of adoption and beareth witnesse that we certaynly be the sonnes of god He is the aucthour that wee dare call vppon GOD the father and distruste his good wyll and fauour no longer And Paul expresseth this effect of the spirite saying You haue not receyued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but you haue receyued the spirite of adoption whereby we crye Abba Father And againe Bicause you are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into our heartes crying Abba Father Whereunto the large promises of Christ are to be referred that promise them that pray to his father in his name to be hearde This spirite lykewise withstandeth the cogitations of the fleshe and enflameth the minds as they are praying with the desire of saluation glory of god Besides that the spirite of Christ worketh here a newe myracle For as hee deuided the tongues of the Apostles that they might be able to speake the languages of all nations so hee giueth to the faithfull of all nations one and the same tongue whereby in all partes of the worlde they inuocate one and the same father with one and the same sounde and with one and the same faith And so those tongues be knit againe in one which the insolent and bolde presumption of man had deuided in sunder And this seemeth to me to be that tongue of Chanaan which the Prophete sayde the Cities of Egypt and all nations should speake And if the holy ghost chaunge the tongues of men so that he maketh them to speake the thinges that are holy and godly and which edifie many and make them with sure confidence to aske helpe of God then it easely appeareth with what spirite they are led with vtter blasphemies and cursinges with open mouth which breath out the poyson of slaunder and cursed speaking which offende the mindes of many with their impure and filthy talke hauing no regarde neither of age nor sexe and which in prayer are either altogither colde or else inuocate creatures and are not afrayde to ascribe to them the glory due to God alone or else are voyde of that sure trust and affyaunce which they shoulde call vpon God with For these are not the effectes of that holy spirite but of that maligne and vncleane spirite And Christ saith The mouth speaketh of the aboundaunce of the hart Therefore the hartes of suche are vndoubtedly possessed of the vncleane spirite of Sathan Christ therefore doth not without a cause confesse that we shall either be iustified or condemned by our sayinges And Dauid among the preceptes of lyfe numbreth this very grauely as the cheefe Kepe thy tongue from euyll and thy lippes that they speake no guile Adde hereunto that Paul the Apostle commaundeth all scurrilitie of tongue and filthy communication to be farre from the mouthes of Christians and numbreth filthynesse of speache in that roule for the which the wrath of God commeth vpon the chidren of disobedience Let Christian men therefore haue this prayer of Dauid often in their mouth Set a watche O Lorde before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes Let vs consider the other effect of the holy ghost in the Apostles which we may gather of the whole context of the storie The same is a bolde confession of Iesus Christ deuoyde of all feare For they begyn openly euery where to preach him to euery one that they meete with diuers languages they set forth the great workes of God as they that hearde them beare witnesse For they call the preaching of Christ or the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the great and wonderous workes of God bicause that in Christe the whole maiestie of God is most euidentlye of all other thinges seene And although there are many workes of God whereby he sheweth vs his nature and power yet amongst them all this worke that Christe did is the chiefest For in him the rigour of Gods iustice was seene who woulde not haue his owne sonne spared to th ende our sinnes shoulde be purged with due punishment This also declareth the vnspeakeable fauour and mercie of God wherewith he so tenderly loued vs that he had rather
be counted rather warmelings and cowardly forsakers of the standing and place that they are set in Howbeit in putting away the crime he neyther vseth a bare deniall onlye nor waywardly retorteth slaunder for slaunder but prooueth by arguments that it is false that they layde to theyr charge The first argument he taketh of circumstance of the time These be not sayth he as ye suppose drunken for it is but the thirde houre of the day For the auncient fathers vsed to account twelue howers in the day as may be gathered by the hystorie of the Gospell and prophane wryters also And bicause they beganne theyr count from the day spring or rising of the sunne this thirde hower must be referred to the morning and with vs in the summer time it may be called seauen or eight a clocke in the forenoone Peters argument therfore is of this sort They that are giuen to drunkennesse begin to banquet and bouse towarde euening or the beginning of the night But where it is nowe but morning we cannot of right be accused of drunkennesse But O happie state of those dayes when men might reason after this sort For although it be credible that manye were giuen aswell to drunkennesse as to other vices yet such was the honestie of that time that it was a shame to be drunken and those that were giuen to such drinking were drunken as Paule sayth in the night for feare of open shame In these dayes this argument should be of small force and authoritie where as they euery where now rule the rost which ryse earely to drinke wine as Esay complayneth of the vsage of his dayes Yea there be found amongst the Princes and Magistrates which forgetting the saying of Salomon ryse vp betymes to banquetting and ryot But what speake I of Princes seeing there be deuines not free from this vice I remember once being at the Sessions Imperiall where they went about to establishe a generall peace and to appoynt an vniforme religion through Germanie howe I sawe a deuine of great name and fame yea the standard bearer of the contrarie part that sayde he woulde not dispute of so weightie a matter when he was sober And he was so constant of his worde that I sawe him not so fewe tymes as once well whitteled by one of the clocke But would God there were not to be found euen among them of our owne profession which being infected with this publike and common euill of all Germanie were not giuen to much to this quassing And surely if there were none other argument apparaunt this one were ynough to reprooue the corrupt maners of these dayes For who can denie but the dayes of Noah and Lot be amongst vs where with one mouth all men talke of their cuppes and to be drunken is accounted with all states and degrees a commendable and an honourable matter This vice wee may thanke not onely for corruption of good maners but also for the ouerthrow of iustice and lawes and the decay of religion and oppression of the libertie of our countrie But returne we to Peters Sermon who taketh an other argument of thinges spoken long before to acquite the Apostles of suspition of drunkennesse For where euen the good also might iustly meruaile howe vnlearned men shoulde sodenly come to speake such diuers languages and to bee expert in them and the wicked and mockers imputed it to drunkennesse it was needefull the truth of the matter shoulde be more openly declared Therefore Peter teacheth that this was the worke of the holy ghost the sending of whome he prooueth by the .2 of Ioel to haue beene promised long before in the kingdome of the Messias This Ioel prophecied in the time of Esay and Micheas and forewarned the people of the warres that Sennacherib should make agaynst them And least the godly should despayre and thinke that God had left off to care for his people any more he comforteth them and sheweth how Israell shoulde not quite be destroyed bycause the Messias should be borne of that people whome God had ordeyned to be the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde and for the more comfort of them describeth in fewe woordes the kingdome of the Messias Which place Peter the more diligently and at large cyteth for that he woulde accuse them of doltishnesse and lacke of witte which ascribed the most manifest effectes of the holye ghost to drunkennesse For this was a most filthie errour not to marke and obserue so great a benefite of God and that promised so long agone and most diligently described but to raile at it This place giueth vs three things to consider The first prophecieth of the plentifull and liberall pouring out of the holy ghost which should be in the tyme of christ The other describeth the troublesome estate of this worlde in the kingdome of Christ insomuch that it reckoneth vp the punishments wherewith God will reuenge the vnthankfulnesse and incredulitie of the worlde The thirde declareth the maner of saluation and sheweth the way howe men may escape safely all daungers But at this present we will declare onely the first part This the Lorde in these wordes vttereth by the Prophete And it shall come to passe in the latter dayes sayth the Lorde that I will poure out of my spirite vpon all flesh And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie And your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruaunts and on my handmaydens I will poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie These wordes are by themselues plaine and euident ynough yet are they more deepely to be considered bycause of the things comprehended in them seruing to our instruction The first thing to be obserued in them is that where the Prophete prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ amongst the great and singuler benefites bestowed on vs by Christ he chiefly commendeth the gift of the holy ghost The cause thereof seemeth to me was not for that the holy Prophete eyther was ignoraunt of other thinges or despised them but bicause next after Christ there can nothing be giuen vs of God more excellent than that spirite of Christ which here is spoken of For our heauenly father hath inclosed in Christ his sonne all the treasures of his grace and of our saluation But men are regenerated by his holy spirite to become the sonnes of God and heyres of the goodes which Christ hath purchased vs Which regeneration is so necessarie for vs that vnlesse we be renued by the same we cannot as Christ testifieth see the kingdome of God. The same spirite illuminateth our mindes to vnderstande the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and kindleth in vs the desire of them Without the which light the naturall man cannot perceyue the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. This spirite is a comforter by whome we being incouraged are able to abide and ouercome whatsoeuer aduersitie in this
out of their mindes enioy such peace as Paule sayth passeth all vnderstanding For the nearer distresse and aduersitie approcheth the more feeling they haue of Gods present spirit whome Christ hath promised to comfort those that be his These things we ought to haue still in our remembrance that being confirmed in consolation of the spirite â–ª we may be able to beare and ouercome valiantly all daungers for Christes namesake But let vs see the maner of his deliueraunce which is the chiefest part of this place wherfore Luke vseth a marueylous diligence in describing it rehearsing euery thing that came to passe about the same And first he sayth expresselye that God vsed the ministerie of an Aungell so that euen here also it maye appeare howe that is fulfylled which the Scripture promiseth where it sayth that God hath appoynted and prepared the Aungels to serue his elect But the things pertayning to the explication of this place may be supplied of that which was said in a like hystory in the .xxxiiij. homily It shall suffise to adde this one thing that men ought to haue great consideration of their dignitie remembring that the Aungels are present and to giue themselues to innocencie and puritie of maners least they bereaue themselues through their owne default of so holy a succour and safegarde Wherevnto it seemeth Paule had a respect when he gaue warning that if women coulde none otherwise be prouoked to shamefastnesse and comelynesse in their apparell yet for feare of the Aungels which are conuersaunt among the godly they shoulde vse it After this it is sayde a certaine light shyned in the prison being otherwyse darke and horrible which me thinketh serued partly for that it might appeare this was an Aungell of light and partlye that Peter myght see what he had to doe And it is very often seene in Scripture that good Aungels haue appeared in bright and shyning wise as may be gathered by the storie of the resurrection and ascention of christ This place teacheth vs that Christ is able to lighten and giue effectual comfort to those that be his euen in the middest of darkenesse so that he can make those things pleasant and comfortable that otherwise seeme vnto vs fearefull and horrible For he is the light of the world which whosoeuer followeth walketh not in darknesse Thirdly an Aungell puncheth Peter on the side as he sleepeth waketh him and biddeth him aryse quickly whereas he once thinketh not of anye maner of deliuerye This is an argument of the goodnesse of God which alwaye waketh for vs that our cruell enimie deuour vs not And that that here commeth to passe vnto Peter eche one of vs euery daye fyndeth true but such is our blindenesse that we acknowledge not the present goodnesse of god For it is euident that Satan lyeth still in wayte to catch vs wandreth vp and downe like a roaring Lyon seeking whome he maye deuour How then commeth it to passe that in our sleepe he destroyeth vs not when we are not able by prayer to keepe him of nor to doe or thinke any thing for our owne safegard Can there be here any other reason alleaged than that we dwell safe vnder the defence of the most highest and vnder the shadowe of the almighty as the Prophet saith Psal. 91. Wherby we also leearne with what diligence we ought at all times to commend our selues vnto the tuition and protection of god These things may also comfort vs agaynst the terrours of death For where it appeareth that God taketh care for vs in our sleepe which is an ymage or counterfeyte of death we shall thinke that by death we are not excluded from his prouidence Example whereof Christ setteth out in Lazarus whome being deade and lying buried in his graue he doth vouchsafe to call his friende Which is the cause that the Saintes being ready to giue vp their lyfe vse to commende themselues vnto God the father lyke as though they woulde laye themselfe downe to sleepe or to rest Fourthly the chaines fell of from Peters hands at the voice of the Aungell and all things touching his deliuery were done without any difficultie For the souldiours whether they were through Gods power fast on sleepe or whether they were amazed with the brightnesse of the Aungell as we reade came to passe in the resurrection of the Lorde neyther staye Peter araying himselfe nor going out and without any let or stoppe Peter passeth the first and seconde watch being ledde by the Aungell Moreouer the yron gate which alone was able to keepe out and in all persons opened of it owne accorde And the Aungell leaueth not Peter before he had sette him safe out of all daunger It pleased God thus by steppes and degrees to set him at libertie that his benefite might seeme the more notable For otherwise he coulde by some straunge myracle haue set him safe sodeinly in Maries house Here is the inuincible power of God to be considered and howe easie a thing it is for him to set his people at libertie to whom things otherwise inuincible vse to obeye and giue place For it hath not onelye come to passe in Peters deliuerie but also at diuers other times that nature hath bene fayne to yeelde vnto Gods pleasure that a waye of escape might be opened to his elected For hereto maye be referred the passage through the redde sea and the deuiding or parting a sunder of the riuer Iordane Likewise we reade that the fyre touched not Daniels fellowes no not so much as their garments or heare beyonde the course of nature And the Lyons chose rather to laye aside their naturall fiercenesse than to hurt the seruant of God contrary to Gods pleasure Which thing the Ecclesiasticall hystorie reporteth oftentimes to haue come to passe in the Martyrs Herevnto belongeth the falling of the walles of Iericho at the blasting of Trumpettes that the army of the Assyrians were slaine all in one night and diuers other examples are to be seene of them that reade eyther prophane or Ecclesiasticall hystories With these things therefore let vs strength our fayth against the threates of tyrants For it is moste certayne that God is able to deliuer those that be his out of any daunger so it be his good pleasure And if at any time he refuse so to doe it is bicause he knoweth it is so needefull for our saluation In the meane season he remayneth faythfull and suffreth vs not to be tempted further than we be able to beare To conclude the Euangelist sheweth what Peter did in all this meane whyle First he sayth that Peter wyste not whether this geare was done of a truth or not For he thought it was a vision such as was shewed him before in the hystory of Cornelius And this is an argument of mans infirmitie wherewith he is so encombred that he cannot perceyue the manifest works of God specially if they be ouershadowed
and troubles of all Christendome doth not only liue in peace hir selfe but also is a most safe sanctuarie for forreyners and straungers resorting to hir from all places Therefore great and weightie causes as me thinketh haue mooued me most honourable and my especiall good Lordes to dedicate this my labour and traueyle vnto you wherein according to the grace of God bestowed vppon mee I haue gone about to open and make plaine that booke which describeth the fiâ—st countenaunce and looke of that Church that is called the primitiue Church wyth the proceedings encrease and whole estate of the same a president wherof I see you haue followed with no lesse industrie and diligence than good and happie successe Which president if they shall follow which shall suceede you in gouernement of the common weale they shall both see howe you haue done nothing rashly and on a head and shall also perceyue themselues woonderfully pricked forwarde to obserue and keepe with all their power that fourme and order of a refourmed Church and Religion that they shall receyue of you And surely it shall be verie profitable to meditate oftentymes by what meanes and beginnings our auncestours deuised such an order and fourme both of Church and common weale For in so doing they shall neyther regarde slaunderers which maliciously depraue thinges done well and godlily neyther shall they be turned from the truth for anye stormes of persecution or threates of the worlde that may aryse It is also profitable manye tymes to talke of these thinges before the people which as they are ledde most commonly with things present so doe they easily forget thinges passed and gone and verie seldome thinke of things to come Therefore they allow not the deuises of the Magistrates but when they see them ioyned eyther with present profite or cleere of perilles and daunger For as soone as daunger once appeareth they finde fault and lacke of wisedome and equitie in those whose councels they ought faythfullye to set forward and obey But if they did vnderstande that their rulers had God for the authour and guyder of their drifts and deuises and that they did whatsoeuer they did according to their duetie then surelye they woulde learne more religiously to iudge of their rulers and more easilye to obey them and woulde not so sodenly bee mooued and turned at euerye rumour of daunger arysing Surely this was the thing that I chiefly ment and intended when I began openly to reade this booke to the flocke of Christ among you and to publishe and set abroade that which I had openly spoken and declared For I sawe that the state of this age waxing euery day woorse and woorse was such that it was most nedefull continually to pervse the bookes of holy scripture and to sette before the people the examples of the primitiue Church conteyned in the same that they shoulde not be deceyued with the gloses of such as vnder a false colour and pretence of antiquitie burthen vs with newe errours and accuse those thinges of noueltie which graue and godly menne haue restored vnto vs out of the worde of god Accept therefore these my labours mine honourable and good Lordes with such fauour as you haue manye yeares borne vnto the truth and vnto mee and manye other my fellowes and coparteners euen from our childehoode Continue your good will vnto the students of diuinitie holde on your accustomed humanitie and gentlenesse toward the pilgrimes and banished for Christes sake abide in the mainteyning of your lawes and correcting of the peoples maners in enhaunceing vertuous exercises and in bridling wickednesse with iustice In many places the horrible contempt of God reigneth Diuers doe wickedly reiect the wholesome benefite of Gods worde and the knowledge of christ Charitie in most men waxeth chill and fayth fayleth euerie day by little and little Iniquitie aboundeth and newe croppes of naughtinesse dayly encrease God therefore being angrie â–ª threatneth vs with punishment and feareth the world with woonders monsters and horrible vprores of kingdomes And yet will he neuer fayle them which abyde and continue in promoting his glorie defende the Church of his Christe and according to the measure of their vocation perseuere in doing their duetie He shall blesse your labours and gouerne your councels by his spirite he shall blesse all your people so that they shall of their owne accorde obey your wholesome lawes and moste happilye enioye the gladsome benefite of euangelicall peace He shall blesse your whole Church so that it shall go forwarde euerie day more and more in the doctrine of godlinesse To him who is the onely Lorde of Lordes the immortall and euerlasting God be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen Giuen at Zurich in your famous and chiefe Citie of Heluetia the first daye of August in the yeare of oure Lorde 1557. ⧠Ioannes Parkhurstus Anglus Episcopus Nordouicensis Multa relucenti debent haec tempora Lucae Et debet Lucas multa Rodolphe tibi Lux Lucae luxit totum diffusa per orbem Lux Lucae lucet nunc magè luce tua Ergo tibi Lucae tantum qui luminis adfers Christus cum Luca lucida regna dabit Eiusdem aliud ad Lectorem Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerint Apostolorum Qui ritus veteres apudque Patres Et quot discere Lector est ne cordi Huc adsis auido legantur ore Haec quae scripta vides pererudita Sacris eruta scripta quaeque libris Aut è Patribus eruta Orthodoxis Quae multo peperit tibi labore Gualtherus pietate clarus atque Doctrina patriae decus suaeque Praefulgens celebres habendus inter Scriptores potes id negare Liuor Laudes quid memorare pergo plures Vino vendibili haud opus virente Est suspensa hedera Liber loquatur ¶ A Table of the chiefe wordes and things expounded in these Homelies and Annotations A A ante A. AAron and hys chyldren chosen to be ministers Pag. 67. A ante B. Abelles fayth what it was Pag. 853. Abnegation or denying of our selfe is the beginning of Christianitie Pag. 367. Abraham is an example of the obedience of fayth 295. Abraham pleased God wythout the ceremonialles 293. Abraham is in manye daungers after he came into the lande of promyse 297. Abrahams faythe is stedfast althoughe hee bee tryed dyuers wayes ibidem Abrahams singuler faythe is sette forth ibidem Abraham what GOD dyd with him after hee came into the lande of promise ibidem Abrahams faythe in all aduersities is vpholden by Gods promyse onely ibidem A ante C. Actes of the Apostles instructe all states and degrees of men wyth examples Pag. 4. Actes of the Apostles commende the truth and Maiestie of the propheticall Oracles of vtility necessitie dignitie and Maiestie 2 Actes wherewith it begynneth the hystorie 1. A ante D. Adam was a christian 852. Adams sinne depryued vs of lyfe Pag. 119. Admiration of Gods workes is necessary 157 Admonitions out of Gods words are needefull
which Christ treated of with his disciples at his last being amongst them He spake saith Luke of the kingdome of god It is the cōmon vsage in scripture to call the affaires of our redemption and saluation by the name of the kingdom of God or of heauen bicause the ende and scope thereof is that as long as we liue here we should be gouerned with the spyrite of God and being taken out of this life should liue and raigne with God in Heauen What thinges so euer therefore pertayne to the mysteries hereof Christ hath diligently and in order expounded them The beginning hereof springeth of vs For before all things it behooueth vs to know in what kingdome wee are borne and lyue before Christ hath illuminated vs For except wee were borne sinners and by reason of sinne were in daunger of the Deuill and Hell wee shoulde neede no restoryng to the kingdome of god But bycause our state is so miserable it was needefull the Sonne of God should be giuen which takyng our sinnes vpon him should pourge them with the sacrifice of his body and bloud vpon the Aulter of the Crosse and through the operation of his holy spirite should regenerate vs to be the sonnes of God by the immortall seede of his woorde which regeneration bringeth forth the mortification of the olde man and conuersion of the whole life and causeth them which before were ledde with the suggestions and corrupt affections of Sathan to be brought to the obedience of fayth to depend all togither vpon God his woorde And this is that kingdome of God which he hath restored vnto vs through his sonne for whose increase wee pray as Christ hath commaunded vs saying Let thy kingdome come And truly it was needefull that the mysteries of this kingdome should diligently bee declared to the Apostles bicause that being deceyued with the common errour of the Iewes they imagined a worldly kingdome in Christ wherein they hoped for honours ryches victories and peace in the worlde as theyr often striuings for the supremacie abundantly declare Furthermore wee ought earnestly to obserue thexample of Christ which would with such diligence and traueyle teache and instruct his Apostles appointed to the preachyng of the Gospell and mynistery of his Church And yet wee reade that they were conuersant with him whole three yeres were at his sermons sawe all his myracles and at length were sent abroade to preach The Lord therefore would admonish vs that the office of teachyng in the Church is not vnaduisedly to be taken vpon vs neither that it ought to be cōmitted to any person without a diligent tryall For if things of pryce the custodie whereof is difficult daungerous are not committed to euery man neither doth any man that is wise rashly take charge of them how much more care and studie ought to be in this thing where the charge of Christs Church and the soules which the Sonne of God hath redeemed with his owne bloud is taken in hand Is there any more precious thing to be found than these How great and perilous a charge the ouersight of them is none can be ignorant of which knoweth the infirmitie of our flesh the entisements of the world and the subtill sleightes of our common enimie And it is the voyce of God which once beyng spoken to Ezechiel appertayneth to all the mynisters of the Church I will require the bloude of those that perishe at thy hande This thing should they often remēber which beyng studious of Diuinitie meane at any time to take this charge vpon them that they may the more earnestly applie the studie of holy scripture that they labor continually in searching the mysteries of the kingdome of God least being deceyued through ignoraunce they commit perhaps some error in theyr office Paule well remembring the great daunger in this case earnestly vrgeth Tymothe who he confesseth had euen of a childe learned the scriptures busily to apply his reading They also which in the Church haue authoritie to choose and ordeyne ministers ought well to remember the same least they disorder the Church by admitting such as be vnmeete which thing they must diligently take heede of For it is no small error that herein is committed bicause they are both Auctors of disorder in the Church and also partakers of other mens faultes as Paule plainely declareth Would to God they would well consider this thing which thinke the ministery of the Church to be a sanctuary for pouertie enter into the same for their priuate lucre and bellyes sake or without any mature aduise and deliberation but drunken with blynde affections thrust vnfit persons into the Church and sometimes knowne naughtie packes and despisers of all good discipline Last of all we learne by the example of Christ what and what maner communications Christians ought to vse that is to say godly and such as make for correction and amendement of maners For Christ talketh of the kingdome of God with his Apostles Let vs after his ensample common and reason oftentimes of the kingdome of God and of our saluation obteyned by christ Let vs diligently do away the corruption of our nature and let vs endeauour that other may see and perceyue the same Let vs haue our mind on Christs benefits and often and willingly set forth the same let vs remember the benefit wherby he hath bound vs all vnto him let vs auoyd filthie communication which corrupteth good manners remembryng Paules saying which numbreth dishonest talke among the thinges for the which the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience And let vs alway be mindefull of that saying of Christ which affirmeth we shall giue an accompt in the day of iudgement for euery ydle woorde God graunt that wee abidyng in the meditation of his kingdome may learne to dispise thinges earthly loue thinges that be heauenly may die in the fleshe and liue in the spyrite that hereafter wee may liue raigne in Heauen with Iesus Christ to whom be blessyng honour glory and power for euer Amen The thirde Homelie AND gathered them togither and commaunded them that they should not depart from Hierusalem but to wayte for the promise of the Father wherof sayth he you haue heard of me For Iohn truely baptized with water ▪ but you shall be baptized with the holy Ghost after these few dayes BIcause Christ chose his Apostles to th ende that through theyr mynisterye the doctrine of saluation should be sowne amongst all nations It was needefull that first they should be well instructed in all the thinges that belonged to theyr office wherein as Christ who was most desirous of our saluation intermitted nothing so S. Luke setteth forth very diligently his last conuersation and doyngs with his Apostles partly for that wee might perceyue the endeuour and good will of Christ towards vs and partely to declare what things are chiefly necessary in the
to god For if euer there were any Cities notable for power and glory Hierusalem will in that poynt easily haue the superioritie For to omit that for the space of foure hundred three score and seauentene yeares there was among the people of God the seate of the kyngdome and Priesthoode that the kingdome stretched to the riuer Euphrates that it brought forth most valiant kings most holy Priests and most diuine Prophetes this one thing farre passeth all the glorye of the worlde that God did vouchsafe to make it a president and a patterne of the Church of Iesus christ For this cause is she adorned with such prayses in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes Therfore is Christ sayde to reygne in Syon Therfore the Scriptures call hir the Citie of the great King. Besides this glory the Apostles receyue in hir the holy ghost and with good successe doe there begin the helthfull preaching of the Gospell But coulde all this glory deliuer hir from the hande of God being angrye with hir and from imminent destruction when she had forgotten the benefits of God and his commaundementes and followed not the vertues of hir forefathers nor shewed hir selfe thankfull and obedient to God Naye but where they chose rather to follow the multitude of such fathers as brake both Gods lawes and mans shed the bloud of the Prophets neyther the godlynesse of Dauid which first builded there his pallace and temple neyther the wisedome of Salomon neyther the integritie of Iosaphat neither the valiantnesse of Ezechias neyther the zeale of Iosias neither the sermons of the Prophets which rang in euery place of hir neyther the myracles done by Christ and his Apostles in hir neyther the Gospell begonne there to be preached could let but that within fourtie yeares she was vtterly destroyed and being raced and layde euen with the grounde hath scarce any marke or monument there left of so famous and noble a Citie And that we saye happened to Hierusalem both Capernaum that peculiar Citie of Christ and Corozain and Bethsaida notable by reason of the Apostles dwelling there felt euen the same Let them cease therefore to glorye in the vertues of their forefathers and in the olde benefites of God that cease not with vnthankfulnesse and disobedience to prouoke the wrath of god For vnlesse the hearers of the worde of God be aunswereable to Gods benefites they shall haue the same lot and porcion with the vnhappy Cities of Iurie Furthermore to return to the purpose of Christ let vs see what the Apostles haue to do in the citie of Hierusalem He biddeth them to wayte there for the promise of his father by the which he meaneth the holy ghost which he calleth the promise of the father both for that he is truely promised and giuen of the father only and also for that he had promised sundry times by the Prophetes that in the comming of the Messias he would plentifully poure forth his spirit vpō men as Peter afterwards declareth out of Ioel. In the meane season he putteth them likewise in remembrance of his promises which appeare euery where in the Gospell If any man beleeue in me sayth he as the Scripture sayth riuers shall runne out of him of the water of lyfe Which wordes are to be vnderstanded of the holye ghost whom they that beleeued in Christ should receyue as the Euangelist there teacheth And in another place he sayth I will praye vnto my father and he shall giue you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth whome the worlde cannot receyue Againe That comforter which is the holy ghost whom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things and shall put you in remembrance of all things which I haue sayde vnto you And againe When the comforter shall come which I will sende you from my father the spirite of truth which proceedeth from the father he shall beare witnesse of me And a little way after When he commeth which is the spirite of truth he shall bring you into all truth Bicause therefore the father once promised by his Prophetes this spirite to the worshippers of his sonne Iesus Christ and Christ hath obtayned vs the same according as hee is our Mediator and intercessour therefore it is well called the promise of the father Here is to be considered that Iesus Christ suffreth not his Apostles appointed long before to the office of preaching and a great while by him faithfully instructed to leape sodeinly into the ministery but requiring obedience of them cōmaundeth them to waite for the spirite promised of his father We are taught by this example of Christ that obedience to Christs commaūdements is chiefly required in the ministers of his word For it is very meete that they which should bring other to the obedience of faith which is the ende of the preaching of the Gospel should first be obedient to the same themselues and that they should doe nothing without the appoyntment and commaundement of their Captayne For so shall they not onely by their doctrine but also by their owne example perswade their hearers the better to obedience Moreouer this place admonisheth vs that it is not ynough for Ministers of the word to be furnished with knowledge and learning except they haue also the gift of the holy ghost For where no man commeth vnto Christ without hee be drawne by his father they that haue the gouernaunce of the Church shall in vayne teach and admonish men vnlesse the holy ghost work with their studie and industry Paule the Apostle well perceyued this matter which calleth the Church the tillage of God and confesseth that neyther he that planteth neyther he that watreth is any thing but ascribeth all the glorye and successe of this matter to God onely which alone can giue increase Therefore the Ministers haue neede to be prepared by the holy ghost least while they vndertake such a charge without his guyding they procure displeasure and losse not onely to themselues but also to the whole Church Neyther shall he euer be meete for this roume which feeleth not the effectuous motions of the holy spirite within his hart Hereof proceede those preparations of the Prophetes which we reade in Scripture such as Esay Hieremie Ezechiel and other had before they preached which seemeth to be the cause that Paule forbade that yong Studentes shoulde not be chosen to the ministery of the Church bicause such for the most part cannot be verye sure of the operation of the holy ghost and his present ayde But that we speake of the ministers of the worde is to be referred to all men which are appointed to great charges and offices in the common weale In which number Magistrates are not last to be placed who being the expositors and interpreters of Gods iudgements are in scripture called Gods. For what can they eyther well foresee or iudge vnlesse
they cannot looke vpon Moses face that is they cannot vnderstande the true and plaine meaning of the lawe Therefore the Iewes and false Christians the mainteyners of mans righteousnesse obiect to vs in vaine the lawe and workes thereof whereas Christ is both the ende of the lawe and without him there is no true knowledge of the lawe But in the meane season the contempners of the olde lawe are reprooued who thinke there is no more vse of the same to be had among the Christians As though the will of God were not the same nowe that it was woont to be and as though we also had not neede to be led by the hande of the lawe vnto Christ that distrusting our owne righteousnesse we might learne to take holde of the righteousnesse of God that commeth by fayth in Iesus Christ. In deede we confesse that the Ceremonies of the law are abholished bicause all figures are fulfilled in Christ yet the vse of the lawe remayneth whole and sounde whose duetie it is to teach vs our vnrighteousnesse and corruption of nature and all our satisfaction for the same to be in Christ. Furthermore it behooueth to consider the persons of the Apostles that we may vnderstande what they were dooing at this tyme where certaine things are to be repeated out of the first Chapter First we heard howe they obeyed the commaundement of Christ being nowe readie to ascende into heauen who bade them returne to Hierusalem and there to wayte for the spirite which he promised them Therefore they returne thither and there abide vnto this day in the which the spirit is sent as a little after we shall see where Luke sayth plainly this happened at Hierusalem Moreouer he attributeth vnanimitie and concorde to them For they went not dispersed vp and downe the Citie neyther was there such brawle and contention betweene them as was woont to be but they taryed with one accorde all togither in one place Adde vnto these a thirde poynt whereof mention also is made before howe they continually persisted in praier For it is not to be thought that they were become euer the slacker in praying seeing they were compassed about wyth daunger on euery side and as appeareth by choosing of Mathias prepared themselfe diligently to the administration of their office These things serue for the publike instruction of vs all For they teache vs howe they ought to prepare themselues which desire to haue the holye ghost giuen vnto them and to haue his giftes increased in them Hereof we haue neede by reason of our inwarde and naturall corruption wherewyth onlesse we be borne againe we shall not see the kingdome of god We haue neede of the same spirite bicause of the worlde and the desires of the fleshe wherewith we be many tymes reuoked from the way of saluation We haue neede also of the same by reason of temptations wherewith Sathan oftentymes goeth about to bring vs in doubt of the certentie of our saluation and redemption and would easily ouercome vs except we were confirmed wyth the spirite of Christ which as Paule sayth is the sure earnest and pledge of our saluation But the same spirit entereth not into a froward soule Therefore we haue neede to prepare our selues that we may be meete to receyue him First therefore obedience is requisite whereby it behooueth vs to be in subiection to the will of God and to his precepts yea euen in those things that to our reason seeme daungerous hurtfull or superfluous For by what meanes shall we thinke it will come to passe that they shall haue the spirite of God giuen them which are not ashamed to rebell agaynst God God can not abide that they shall glorie in his lawe and in his worde which runne on in disobedience Howe much lesse will he vouchsafe to giue his holy spirite to such Furthermore it is meete that they be of one accorde and in charitie togither which shall receyue the holy ghost For where God himselfe is charitie he requireth earnestly the studie thereof in those that be his yea Christ appoynted it as a Cognizance for his to be knowne by And it cannot be that Christ will iudge them worthie of the spirite of Christian brotherhoode that are deuided by hatred enuie contentions and open enimitie and so declare themselues to be straungers from the bodie of Christ which is the Church or Congregation Moreouer vnto the studie of concorde and obedience must be ioyned feruent and continuall prayers For although God promise his spirit freely and giueth the same of his meere grace he will yet haue vs to pray to him and aswell doth the maiestie of God require we should praye to him as the dutie whereby we be bound to him Neyther can we declare any more manifest token of our fayth than if we go aboute by prayer to obtaine those things that belong to our saluation Therefore we heare Dauid saye Make me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirite within me Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me And we say euery day as Christ commaundeth vs Let thy kingdome come Yea Christ himselfe promiseth vs that we shall not aske God his spirite in vaine Where he sayth If you being euill can giue good gyftes vnto your children howe much more shal your father of heauen giue the holy spirit to them that desire it of him Therefore let vs in these dayes ioyne togither these three obedience vnanimitie and prayers after the example of the Apostles and then shall we perceyue in our selues a marueylous comming forwarde in true godlinesse and a most wholsome increase of the holy ghost Furthermore the consideration of the Apostles teacheth vs that the spirite of Christ which worketh by preaching of the gospell is a spirite of concorde and holinesse and not the Author of dissention and carnall libertie as some in these dayes crie out which by this meanes would bring the doctrine of the gospell in suspicion and hatred bicause say they it is the seede of dissention and a planting of licencious liuing But we may easily aunswere theyr slaunders For as the Apostles being at vnitie and concorde receyued the holy spirite so it is plaine that after they had receyued him their concorde was not disturbed but euery day more and more confirmed And the same effect of the spirite is in all them that beleeue For it cannot be that he can be Author of discorde amongst them whom being knit togither in one head Iesus Christ he maketh members of one and the same bodie and coheyres of the same kingdome And as it is impossible that the members of one bodie quickened with one spirite can be at variance togither so can they not striue amongst themselues which are brought by the doctrine of the gospell vnto Christ and are indued with his spirite As touching that our enimies obiect to vs the libertie of the flesh we
contemneth the authoritie of Christ by whose institution the same was commended Last of all he speaketh of prayers which we suppose ought to be vnderstanded of publike prayers For Luke meaneth not to tell what euery man did priuately at home in his owne house but what the publike exercises of the Churche were He did not thinke it good to forget publyke prayers which Christ commended vnto vs by a notable promise where he sayth If two of you agree in earth vpon any maner of thing whatsoeuer they desire they shall haue it of my father which is in heauen And wee reade in Ioël the Prophete that publike prayers are greatly commended in times of affliction For where God reioyceth in the vnanimitie of the godly and faithfull he cannot choose but graunt the prayers of a great many which with one hart and mouth as it were burst in vpon him And if we diligently consider the manifolde hazardes on euery side of vs it shall appeere they are not without a cause commended vnto vs Wherefore their blindenesse and slouthfulnesse is greatly to be bewayled which both priuately in their owne house call very seldome vpon God and openly despise and neglect the publike prayers of the Church yea rascallye deride the holye assemblies which the Church hath ordeyned for preaching of the worde and for publike prayers Here therefore we haue the exercises of the primitiue Church which no man I thinke will denie to be both Apostolike and Christian. That Church continued in the Apostolike doctrine by meane whereof it was gathered togither and by baptisme It did exercise mutuall and publike beneuolence and liberalitie towardes all Nations It obserued the order of the mysticall supper as Christ did institute it It continued stedfastlye and dailye in praying Whosoeuer endeuour in these dayes thus to doe ought to be taken for the members of the Church and for Christians although they be hated and despised of all the worlde beside And whosoeuer we see estraunged deuided from these wayes it is impossible they should eyther be Christians or Apostolike The worshippers of the sea of Rome glory now a dayes in the title of the Church condemne vs of heresie bicause we are departed from them But they must first prooue that the name of the Church ought to be with them If they deserue the title of the Church why neglect they the Apostles doctrine why doe they persecute it with fire and sworde why lode they them with newe traditions whom Christ hath made free from the yoake of the lawe by the price of his owne bloude why doe they riotously spende the goodes of the Church giuen by the liberalitie of Princes and priuate men to relieue the poore with and for the most part bestowe them on ruffyans iesters and buggered boyes why prophane they the supper of the Lorde and turne it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade why haue they in steede of publike prayers brought in a roaring and yelling of an outlandishe tongue These things might be dilated at large so that all men might see they are most vnworthy the name of the Church But it sufficeth to diligent hearers of the worde to giue but an occasion to consider further hereof In the meane season let none amongst vs that glory in the name of the Gospell thinke all is well at home seeing that in vs also remaine many things to be amended The doctrine of the Apostles soundeth in our Churches but how little a great many set by it the thing it selfe declareth The studie of charitie and distribution is waxed colde The vse of the supper with some is farre degenerated from the primitiue simplicitie with other some it is made little account of What negligence reigneth in publike prayers maye be iudged by the Church assemblies to the which verye fewe vse to come and they seldome times Wherefore we also must frame our selues better to the primitiue order if we also will not in vaine bragge of the Church But some maye marueyle by what succour or defence the primitiue Church coulde liue in safetie among suche professed enimies in so bloud-thirstie a Citie This Luke declareth saying feare came vpon euery soule and manye woonders and signes were shewed by the Apostles The myndes therefore of the wicked were bridled with a certaine secret feare They saw the marueylous boldenesse of the Apostles and their bolde libertie of speach They sawe them who not long before were enimies of Christ sodenly chaunged They saw signes and wonders wrought by the Apostles They marueyle therefore and are amazed Adde herevnto the spirite of Christ which as he worketh in the elect a childely feare hope fayth and obedience so he horribly troubleth and feareth the wicked with the conscience of their sinne They feare therefore to beginne any thing against the greene springth of christ So God can defende his sheepe in the middest of the woolues For we depend not vpon the will or power of our enimies but vpon the counsell of Gods prouidence With this we reade the Patriarches sometime were defended among the bloudy Nation of the Chanaanites the Lorde thundering in their mindes Touch not mine annoynted c. With the same succour and defence is the Church garded also in these dayes wherewith Christ hath promised alwaies to be present These things ought to stirre vs vp and to embolden vs We haue professed in our baptisme to serue Christ. Let vs giue our selues to such things as become Christians and let vs not feare the enterprises of the worlde For fayth which is our victorie ouercommeth the worlde With this let vs embrace Christ truely who being our Capitaine and Protector we shall be able to ouercome To him be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xix. Homelie AND all that beleued kept themselues togither and had all things common and solde their possessions and goodes and parted them to all men as euery man had neede And they continued dailye with one accorde in the Temple and brake breade from house to house and did eate their meate togither with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praysing God and had fauour with all the people And the Lorde added to the congregation dailye such as shoulde be saued AS God woulde haue all the meane of our saluation comprehended in his onlye sonne Iesus Christ so is it manifest that the same appertayneth onelye to them which be members of hys Church For the Church is commonlye called his bodye bicause it is by fayth vnited and knit to one heade which is Christ which poureth into all hys members the spirite of health and life And as it cannot be that a member deuided from the bodye can feele any part of liuely spirite that commeth from the heade so is it impossible that they can be quickened with the spirite of Christ which are deuided from the Church which is his body And bicause all sectes that euer were or yet be chalenge to them
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire begūne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
she was guiltie But where without all care and boldly she dareth to lye she prooueth by a strong argument that she is altogither incurable â–ª For what goodnesse may a man there hope for where shame is banished wherewith honest natures as it were with a bridle are kept in doing their dutie In the meane season Sapphira expresseth a confident audacitie which is the peculiar propertie of hypocrites For whome feare they that haue minded to beguyle God and are not afrayde of his sight â–ª Wherefore the Scripture by many examples prooueth that that there is nothing more bolde and confident than hypocrisie And where open sinners for the most part fall downe at the first worde that God speaketh and are afrayde to come in his sight Hypocrites dare euen then vaunte of their integritie perfection when they feele their consciences wounded layd open before the iudgement of god Caine sheweth vs an example of this thing who being asked for Abel his brother durst malapertly answere God say who hath made me my brothers keeper And in the Prophete the Hypocrytes expostulate with God as being to wayward where they saye wherefore fast we and â—hou seest vs not wee put our liues to straightnesse and thou regardest vs not Againe It is but lost labour to serue God what profite haue we for keeping his commaundementes and for walking humbly before the Lorde of hostes What shall we saye of Iudas the Traytour who when he knewe Christ was not ignoraunt of his wickednesse and perceiued he was grieuously rebuked and reprehended yet with the other Apostles he dare to aske Christ whether he suspect him of so great an offence And Sapphiras confidence is as great considering there were so many examples that declared the Apostles were inspired with the holy ghost It is very profitable to marke well these thinges that through their boldenesse and temeritie hypocrites beguile vs not or by their wicked sayings put vs of But let vs returne vnto Peter who by inspiration of the holy spirite vnderstandeth this fraude and guyle and suffreth himselfe not to be mooued with this womanish and hypocriticall boldenesse but pronounceth the sentence of God which the same spirite put in his minde agaynst hir which consisteth of two partes The first accuseth and reprooueth hir sinne For God punisheth no person but first conuict of his sinne that he may vnderstande wherefore he is punished Howe commeth it to passe that you haue agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde He amplifyeth the boldenesse and heynousnesse of the fact by admiration and interrogation and he sayth they haue conspired togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde But if a man woulde haue asked Ananias or Sapphira of this their doing I beleeue they woulde haue earnestly denyed they had had any such meaning But it maketh no matter what iudgement we haue of our sinnes for they are examined after the rule of Gods lawe And bicause these two maried folke went about to beguyle the congregation in whome the spirite of God is resident and reigneth it cannot be denied but through wicked temeritie they tempted the spirite of god Therefore by their hypocriticall wilynesse they sinned against the lawe which forbiddeth to tempt god And they are lymed with the same fault which go about in these dayes to beguyle the Church of Christ with counterfayting of fayth and holynesse who also shall well find that God will not let them go vnpunished for their tempting of him And least Sapphira might be excused by the authoritie and commaundement of hir husbande Peter first accuseth the consent that was betweene them and by that argument taketh from hir all excuse Where we learne that no man must consent to euill men if he will escape the iudgement of God no not to those which haue authoritie ouer vs giuen them of god For the man had power giuen him ouer his wife when it was sayde to Eue Thy lust shall pertayâ—e to thy husbande and hee shall haue the rule ouer thee And the Apostles commaunde wiues to be obedient vnto their husbandes But Sapphira is blamed for this onely that she consented to hir husbande who craftily withhelde a part of the money which he woulde seeme to haue giuen to the church Therfore the sinne that is committed against the lawes of God can be excused by no authoritie or commaundement of man bicause we must obeye God rather than man as Peter before had sayde and shall be repeated agayne in this Chapter Nowe if it be not lawfull to consent to their sinâ—es which haue power ouer vs by the ordinaunce of God what sâ—all become of those which allowe and defende not onely with consent of minde but by vnlawfull company and publike prayse the wickednesse of them whose companie they maye altogither forbeare yea which by the lawes of God they ought to forbeare To say nothing of them which are companions with them in their traueyle and daungers and helpe them forwarde in their mischieuousnesse The other part of Gods sentence pronounced by Peter conteyneth the punishment which Sapphira had with hir husbande Beholde sayeth he the feete of them which buried thy husbande bee ready at the doore to carye thee out And by and by she fell downe deade at Peters feete and was caried forth and buried by hir husbande This is the tenour of Gods iustice that they which commit like fault are punished with like punishment as he testifieth in the Prophete saying Should I not punishe these things and should I not be auenged of all such people as these be Hereof ought a generall rule to be taken which must extende to all sinnes and wickednesse For he that in times past reuenged most seuerely the oppression of the poore vniust violence tyrannie vsurie slaughter adulterie whoredome and such like he will punishe the same in vs at this day except we repent as be commeth Christians Yet the chiefe ende and meaning of this place is that we should learne what remayneth for them which vnder the pretence of Christ seeke their owne lucre and dare deceyue the Church It seemeth sometimes that the worlde laugheth vpon them but their felicitie is not stable and they long enioye not their goodes wrongfully gotten For the gladnesse of the vngodly is quickly ended and the ioy of hypocrites continueth but the twinkling of an eye We haue also an example hereof in Iudas the Traytor who when he thought he had best prouided for his owne behoofe and seemed to haue bene in high fauour with the Bishops feeleth in himselfe such seueritie of Gods iustice that it driueth him to the halter so that he coulde long enioye neyther his lyfe nor his money which was dearer to him than his lyfe And God graunt that a number in these dayes taste not of the lyke punishment which vnder colour of the Gospell haue sought nothing else but the spoyle and possession of the Church goods We haue
such mischiefe become a praye for sedicious and wicked persons For who seeth not here that saying of Christ fulfilled I came in my fathers name and ye receyue me not If another come in his owne name him you will receyue Which thing we see coÌ„meth to passe also in these dayes For the nature of the worlde is incurable delighting and reioycing in seducers and deceyuers and hating the Ministers of the truth continually Therefore it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they taste of effectuall elusion and wittingly and willingly runne into destruction But let vs returne to Gamaliel to see how he vseth these examples For of these he gathereth the foundation of his sentence whose proposition or coÌ„clusion is abstayne from these men and let them alone Which to perswade them he bringeth his argument in fourme of a Dilemma in this wise This businesse wherof the Apostles whome you iudge worthy to die are ministers and stewards is eyther of God or of man But whether soeuer it be I think it good you absteyne from shedding their bloud For if it be of man and is gouerned none other waies than by mans counsayle it wil fall of it selfe as the examples of Theudas and Iudas within these few yeres passed abundantly declare Therfore what madnesse were it to incense and stirre vp the â—urie of the Commons to take that out of the waye which within a shorte space though no man set hande to it will fall to the grounde alone But if it be of God and be gouerned and ordered by him it cannot quayle by anye force or counsayle of man For what is man being but dust and ashes able to preuayle agaynst God Now the ende of this counsell must be diligently obserued the which whyle manye neglect they take occasion hereby of a most pernicious opinion whereby say they no attemptes be they neuer so wicked no errors be they neuer so blasphemous are by force to be kept vnder Whereof can followe none other thing but the ouerthrowe of all discipline aswell ciuill as Ecclesiasticall For the Magistrate shall carie his sworde in vayne And in vayne doth Paule appoynt such Ministers in the Church as shall not onely teache the truth but also be able to confute and conuince the gaynesayers Who will thinke that this so wyse a man ment to loose all the sinewes of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement at once It appeareth rather he had this meaning to saue the Apostles from the furie of the Iudges and from present death which he sawe he shoulde most commodiously doe if he shewed them that they could not without manifest daunger conclude any extremitie agaynst them For eyther they must fall in daunger to Godwarde if the Apostles doctrine were true and they the ministers of God or else of the commons whose rage they were better to auoyde than to prouoke speciallye in such a matter as coulde not long stande if it were but mennes working Furthermore whether he vnderstoode the truth or not he yet seemeth ambiguous and doubtfull in his talke Therefore their case is of a farre other sort which being illuminated with the true knowledge of the truth ought by office to defende it and to roote out errors and wickednesse In the meane season this ought to be to vs as an Oracle that we learne Gods counsels can be hindered by no force of men but that mans counsell falleth of it selfe For God is eternall and immutable so is his worde eternall and can by no meanes be infringed And Dauid testifyeth that God scattereth the counselles of the Nations but establisheth his owne counsayle for euer We haue examples euerie where to prooue the same Saul long stryued against the counsell of God who had fully decreeed to make Dauid king of Israel But the more he stryued the lesse he perceyued he preuayled and founde an euill ende of his contending with god But chiefely this thing is to be applyed to matters of fayth and religion It is Gods counsell and decree that his sonne whome he begat from euerlasting should beare rule ouer his holy hill that is to say the church To him it was saide Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole Satan from the beginning of the world hath withstanded this deuise and counsell And in Abel whome for this cause we may call the first Martyr of Christ beganne this persecution which continued all the yeares following and yet to thys houre endureth But the kingdome of Christ and the Church endureth also bicause it is buylt vpon that rocke agaynst the which the gates of hell are not able to preuaile And if on the contrary side a man consider the vsage of the Gentiles and that monstrous Chaos of ydolatrie which most mightie Monarchies followed confirmed by space of manye yeares allowed by the consent almost of all people and nations assaulted at no tyme by force of any man he shall see it is fallen downe of it selfe and scattered abroade by the spirite and worde of christ The lyke reason is of the holy scripture which the Apostle calleth inspired of God. For if a man consider the prophane wryters their Bookes surely were in great estimation and had no enimies to make them away yet the most part of them are perished and scarce are the names of those bookes extant which in tymes past most riche kings sought with great diligence and bought full dearely as is reported of Ptolomeus Philadelphus and such other lyke But the holy bookes of Scripture so many tymes burned banished and hated of most mightie princes are yet forth comming and being almost translated into al tongues be in stead of maysters and teachers ouer all the worlde Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction and comfort that we rashely doe nothing against God nor feare not the threatning decrees and ordynaunces of the world and of tyrannes against the kingdome of Christ. But let vs so acknowledge God for our reuenger and defender that we may faythfully serue him in buylding vp of his church according to our vocation as Coadiutours of Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxix. Homelie AND to him agreed the other And when they had called the Apostles they bette them and commaunded that they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go And they departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And daylie in the Temple and in euerye house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. BIcause it is so ordeyned that all men of a certaine naturall instinct are desyrous of helth welth it can not be chosen but they must be much offended at aduersitie tribulation especially such as accustometh to ryse bycause of religion For it commeth to passe most times that men iudge of religion according to the effect and successe therof and
appointed to some other that may serue at the table that is to say which may see to the thinges belonging to the helping and succouring of those that be poore We are taught in the first part of thys relation how great the dignitie of the gospell and worde of God is consydering the Apostles preferre the preaching hereof before the ecclesiasticall distribution and helping of the poore which yet is a most godly thing verie necessary Neyther were they ignoraunt that the ministers of the Gospell ought by no meanes to despise the poore seing afterwarde they so earnestly commended the care of them to Paule and Barnabas But when the matter came to thys point that either the ministerie of the table or worde must be intermytted â–ª they thinke it vnmeete to neglect the preaching of the worde vnder the pretence of looking to the poore Bicause greater respect is to be had of the soule which is fedde with the worde of God than of the body and bodily foode as Christ hymselfe teacheth Seeke first the kingdome of god c. Yea Christ hymselfe preferreth the studie of his worde before all other dueties which sometimes were done vnto hym For he aunswered the woman that sayde blessed be the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that gaue thee suck yea blessed are they rather which heare the worde of God and keepe it Whervnto is to be referred the storie of Martha Marie Lazarus sisters in the same Euangelist And Paule thought he ought to haue more regarde of the Gospell than of the sacraments where he sayth he was not sent to baptise â–ª but to preache the gospell Furthermore the Apostles in thys place plainely teach that the excellencie and waight of his office is suche that it requireth a peculiar man voyde of all other cares and labours Which was the cause that Christ would not haue his Apostles occupied in the administration of Empyres and kingdomes of this worlde Herein our counterfait Byshops in these daies are verie faultie which will doe any thing rather than preache and are oftener seene in the Courtes and Campes of princes than in the Pulpit where Paule sayth the chiefe propertie in a Bishop is to be able to teach But would God they onely herein offended and that we had not among vs that eyther through immoderate desyre of ryches or in vanities to say in banquetting hawking and hunting and sometime in dishonest exercises spent not the greatest part of that tyme that otherwise shoulde be employed to reading and teaching They shall one daye feele the horrible iudgement of God when the bloud of those which haue perished through their negligence shall be required at their handes In the seconde part of the Oration they shewe what is to be done for the succouring of the afflicted Church where they saye Looke out therefore among you seauen men of approoued honestie being full of the holy ghost and wisedome wome we will appoynt for this businesse They thinke it good to ordeyne Deacons or Stewardes to whome this charge myght peculiarly appertaine And they will haue seauen to be chosen bicause they suppose that number sufficient for that time not that they woulde haue all Churches bounde to that number Although this might seeme profitable to commit the charge of publike goods to no fewer bicause many times commeth to passe that such eyther waxe the more insolent or else seeke after their priuate gayne vnlesse they be restrayned by the rule and authoritie of others And though no such thing fall out yet a fewe are sooner suspected than many standing charged with one thing But least they might erre in their election they diligently declare what maner of men must be ordeyned First they will haue them chosen out of the companye of the faythfull Therefore none must be admitted therevnto which is an aduersary of the fayth or estraunged from it Then they requyre men of a tried honestie to thintent that publike goodes might safely be committed to them Thirdly they looke that they be full of the holye ghost not suche as are ledde and ruled altogither with filthy affections Last of all they will haue a respect to be had of their wisedome that is of their skill and dexteritie in handling of matters bicause without this the lawfull dispensation of such goodes cannot be exercised Ioyne vnto these the thinges that Paule requireth in Deacons and it shall easily appeare what in these dayes is to be obserued and followed But as in other thinges so herein also is committed great ouersight For with the Papistes hath nothing remayned but the bare name of Deacons onely yea euen they that are called Gospellers whether they bring the Church goodes to the publike Treasury or conuert them to other vses they commonly make such Stewardes as are straungers from the fayth which hate the worde of God and the Ministers therof who when they haue wasted and consumed their owne goodes seeke to enriche themselues by the Church goods whome a man may see rather full of wine than of the holye ghost and not ledde so much with the spirite of wisedome as with the impotent and vnruly perturbations of the minde These men grieuouslye offende but no lesse doe they offende by whose voyces such men are chosen For Paule testifieth that they are partakers of other mennes sinnes In the thirde and last part they declare what they themselues intende to do least any man might suspect they sought their owne ease or ydlenesse We saye they will giue our selues to prayer and to the ministration of the worde By this worde giue they expresse an ardent and earnest industrie and endeuour which all Ministers of the worde must haue that will doe good in their office In two duties they comprehende the chiefe poyntes of Ecclesiasticall ministerie The first is doctrine or teaching which for that it must be taken from the mouth of God we haue neede diligently to studie the holy scripture in the which God speaketh to vs. Therfore Paule biddeth Timothie to applye his reading Againe bicause the same must be applyed to edification we must take good heede that the worde of God be duely broken and deuided that it may serue as well to instruct as to comfort euerye man But bicause the endeuour and diligence of the Minister is in vayne except God giue the encreas he must by continuall prayer be intreated that he will vouchsafe to drawe and inspire the mindes of the hearers by his holy spirite Christ our Lorde ioyned both these togither whose example the Apostles in thys case thinke good to imitate Let as manye as be Ministers of the Churche followe the same and they shall perceyue that they shall not labour in vayne For Iesus Christ that true and supreme king of the Church shall with the grace of his holye spirite prosper their studies to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlj. Homelie And
it is not lyke that the Samaritanes lacked these By the name of the spirite therefore are vnderstanded in this place those moste excellent giftes wherin the primitiue church flourished and which were giuen to the beleeuers in visible wise as in the feast of Pentecost we sawe the Apostles were sodenly replete with the holy spirite These so euident giftes of the holy spirite in the primitiue Church were needefull to be bestowed as well at Samaria as otherwheres to the ende that Christes kingdome might the farther be spred abroade And although now adayes these giftes for the more part are ceased yet this commoditie commeth to vs therby that we knowe the holy Ghost is the President and gouernour of Christes Church as hee promised In this place we haue to consider the industrie of the Apostles For as soone as they heare tell that Philip laboureth at Samaria in the businesse of the Lorde they sende certayne of their company vndesired to helpe him in his traueyle And herein appeereth no maner of way any doltishe ambition For they sende Peter and Iohn whose labors hytherto were more apparant and euident than any others And they are contented to go being appoynted by others not taking vpon themselues alone to sende Legates à latere as they are called And Philip when they come doth not disdainefully reiect them as thrusting their sickles into an other mannes haruest and depriuing him of some part of his honor and glorie but courteously giueth them the place in that Church whose foundation he had first layde Whereby we are taught that ioyning of mindes and mutuall helpe is chiefly to be required in the setting foorth of Christes kingdome But bicause there is no place for these thinges among the ambitious therefore Christ warneth his disciples so often of humilitie Wherevnto if they were giuen in these dayes which haue the rule of Churches they should surely gouerne the Prouinces committed to them more commodiously than they doe But touching rytes and orders they vse none other ceremonie than the laying on of handes which was vsed of Christ least any man shoulde rashlye arrogate to himselfe power or authoritie to alter or chaunge anye thing They make their prayers also before least any one might thinke the holy ghost was bounde to the outwarde ceremonie but that it was giuen of God and that all men might perceiue it was obtayned through prayer And their doyng wanted not a prosperous successe We knowe that of this place the Papistes haue brought in their sacrament of Confirmation but their inuention is so ridiculous and their temeritie so manifest that it deserueth no long confutation It shall be our partes to followe the vnitie of fayth according to the example of the Samaritanes that we also may prosperously growe togither in Christ Iesu our heade and Sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lix. Homelie WHEN Simon sawe that through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was giuen he offered them money saying Giue me also this power that on whome soeuer I put the handes he may receiue the holy ghost But Peter sayde vnto him thy money perishe with thee bicause thou hast thought that the gift of God may be obteyned with money Thou hast neyther part nor fellowship in this businesse For thy hart is not right in the sight of god Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and praye God that the thought of thine heart may bee forgiuen thee For I perceyue that thou art full of bitter gall and wrapped in iniquitie Then aunswered Simon and sayd Praye ye to the Lorde for me that none of these things which you haue spoken fall on me THe Euangelist Luke after the common maner of the scriptures doth not onely describe the prosperous successe of the primitiue Church the notable examples of the faythfull but also he sheweth the maners of the false Christians and hypocrytes and the vices that they brought with them into the church So before this he declared the hystory of Ananias and the grutch and quarrell which begunne in the Church And in lykewise now he declareth the horrible example of Simon who did contaminate the profession of fayth with sacrilegall ambition and couetousnesse The vse of all these things is that we should vnderstande how there shall alwayes bee hypocrites in the Church which shall be authors of grieuous offences wherwith the faythfull yet must not be so offended to thinke that all other therfore ought to be condemned or else forsake the Church as we haue seene the Anabaptistes in our dayes doe This place is worthy to be well considered which first declareth Simons sinne next the earnest reprehension of Peter for the same and last of all what Simon thought therof and howe he tooke it Luke comprehendeth Simons fault in fewe wordes saying when hee saw how through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was giuen he offred them money saying Giue me also this power that on whom so euer I laye handes he may receyue the holy ghost It was declared before howe Simon beleeued and that woondring at the myracles being so straunge hee was among others baptized But he was of their number which although they will not forsake the desires of the fleshe yet being touched with some feare of God will not openly striue against him And these men after a sort for a whyle cloke the corruption of their minde but they cannot alwayes lye hidden And after this sort doth Simon bewraye himselfe and sinneth two maner of wayes For first being puft vp with ambition he desireth to be lyke vnto the Apostles in dignitie of ministerie and so arrogateth to him selfe godlye honor whyle he coueteth to haue such power giuen vnto him that he might after his owne will giue the holy ghost vnto men Nowe vnto ambition couetousnesse is a companion wherewith being blinded hee maketh religion a matter of gayne and lucre and thinketh he maye make merchandize of the giftes of the holy ghost For therfore he would buye this power with money to thintent afterwarde he might make the more gayne of the same Which was to vnholy a cogitation of God and his giftes and farthest of from the meaning of Christ who when he endewed the Apostles with these giftes sayde freely you haue receyued giue freely This example of Simon teacheth vs that pryde is the cause of all euill and as the wiseman sayeth the beginning of sinne This was the cause that made the Aungels to fall And Adam pricked forwarde with pryde became a transgressour of Gods commaundement whyle he would forsooth be lyke vnto god Moreouer dayly examples teach vs that prowde and ambitious men doe nothing right and that such for the most part are most pernicious disturbers of publike weales But whereas the euill of ambition is euery where a pestilent thing in the Churh it is most pestilent of all other For where it once inuadeth the Church it
at large by narration Wherfore in all these things we will briefely touch those things only which serue for this present place First he plainely teacheth what this Christ is where he calleth hi m Lorde of all things This is an euident testimonie of his diuinitie For it is manifest that the rule of all things pertayneth vnto God alone bicause he alone is the creator of all things And it is playne that all thinges were made by that eternall worde and that all power is giuen him of the father He must needes therefore be true god And lette no man here obiect vnto vs this worde of giuing as though he were therfore the lesse bicause he receyueth of another For this is to be referred to the nature of manne which he tooke vpon him to the which in a certayne time appoynted God the father gaue that which Christ according to his Godheade had from euerlasting For thus he speaketh himselfe a little before he went to hys death Now glorifie me ô father with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee ere the worlde was The Arrians are hereby confuted and the Seruetanes which nowe a dayes follow their steppes and the dignitie of Christian fayth is defended against the Iewes and Turkes which saye we glory and trust in one that is no more but a man. Then Peter toucheth by the waye the meane of our saluation where he sayth that that eternall worde of God Iesus Christ was sent from God the father For in this worde sent he comprehendeth all the mysterie of his incarnation euen as Paule also where he sayth when the fulnesse of tyme came God sent his sonne made of a woman c. In his incarnation are comprised whatsoeuer things Christ did or suffred in the flesh for our saluation sake of the which things we shall hereafter intreate Furthermore he sayth he was sent to the children of Israel not that he belonged to them alone but for that he tooke fleshe and was borne of them and shoulde first shewe himselfe to them vntill through their vnbeliefe he should be caryed vnto the gentiles Thou shalt obserue in these things that al these affaires of Christ which are preached in the gospell are not of man but of Gods ordering and appoyntment For this worde was sent from god And it is euident that this is the eternall decree of God that Iesus Christ should be the King and Priest of his people Psal. 2.110 Wherevpon we gather that men striue in vaine by their owne power against his Gospell which thing before this we hearde that Gamaliel sawe and is abundantly declared by the examples of all ages Last of all he commeth to the ende and marke of all this matter which is that peace shoulde be preached by Christ Iesus So Esaias cap. 52. speaking of the Preachers of the Gospell sayth O how bewtifull are the feete of the Ambassadour that bringeth the message from the mountayne and proclaymeth peace c. Peter maketh mention of preaching not for that Christ is the Minister therof only but bicause that peace wherof he is the author is offred to vs by preaching of the Gospell receiued by hearts of fayth He specially speaketh of that peace which is betweene god and vs by the meane of Iesus christ For before times by reason of our sinnes we were seperated from god reputed as his enimies And Paule writeth that the wrath of God was declared from heauen agaynst all vngodlynesse and vnrighteousnesse of men Therefore there was neede of a peacemaker and reconcyler which the scriptures declare God the father hath giuen vs euen Iesus christ For he hath taken vpon him our sinnes which were cause of the seperation betweene God and vs he hath purged them by the merite of his death and satisfied the rigour of Gods iustice And he being made ours by fayth doth clothe vs with his righteousnesse and doth defende and shielde vs that wee be able to abyde the iudgement seate of God who otherwyse had deserued by reason of our sinnes to be damned for euer Thus it commeth to passe that according to Paules doctrine we being iustified by fayth are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lorde Thys the father himselfe confesseth when from heauen he sounded that ioyfull and comfortable voyce This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased And this is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding and which can by no maner of afflictions be disturbed bicause it maketh them seeme light and easie to them which vnderstande that God is become mercifull to them in Christ and that they are made the children of god This peace also breedeth ciuill brotherly concorde amongst men bicause that by meane of Christ all that respect of persons among the faythfull wherby mutuall concorde among men is chiefly broken is taken away And bicause it kindleth mens mindes wyth the fire of charitie it so graffeth in them the desire of peace that they hate no things more deadly than such as they knowe hinder it Great therefore and very execrable is the ingratitude and iniquitie of those men which exclame and crye out saying the preaching of the gospell is the disturbaunce of publyke peace and policie For thus they make Iesus Christ the Prince of true and euerlasting peace the author of those offences which they may thanke the wicked worlde of who therefore maketh tumultes and businesses agaynst Christ and his worde bicause they can not suffer the light thereof whereby their naughtie workes are reprooued Let vs acknowledge the goodnesse of God which doth vouchsafe to offer the doctrine of saluation vnto all men and let vs with true fayth embrace Iesus Christ the onely author of saluation and peace to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .lxxv. Homelie YOV I saye knowe that woorde which was published throughout all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached howe GOD annoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost and with power Which Iesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the deuill For God was with him ALthough Peter made this Sermon at Caesarea in the house of Cornelius the Captayne yet the same apperteyneth to all men and is meete at this daye to be most diligently considered of vs For beside that manye thinges are gone before which teach vs that the spirit of God was the author hereof in this part Peter fully includeth the whole order of our iustification and saluation And hereof he admonished his hearers in the proposition as erewhile we sawe whereas he promised them to speake of the eternall worde of God which is Iesus Christ who being Lorde of all things and therefore very God did yet vouchsafe to come into the worlde to reconcyle mankinde vnto God the father and to be the author and preacher of that moste wholesome peace Now bicause by these wordes he
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
ghost It seemeth that Peter reasoneth on this wise Christ our Lorde promised to his elect his spirite which the worlde coulde not receyue and he sayd that he alone was the giuer therof Therfore whereas he hath sent the same spirit vnto the Gentiles hath vouchsafed to baptise them with his holy ghost I could not choose but followe the example of such a guyde nor iudge them vnworthy the baptisme of water whom God had iudged worthye of his spirite And Peter maketh a trimme difference betweene Christ the Minister bicause he woulde not haue that wrongfully attributed to the externe ministerie that belongeth onely vnto christ But bicause we haue otherwheres entreated hereof it shall suffise for this time to haue noted thus much by the waye The fifth part conteyneth a very graue conclusion as well in wordes as arguments For he sayth If God therefore gaue vnto them lyke giftes as he gaue vnto vs which beleeued in the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I should withstande God It shoulde haue bene a wicked part to haue sayde they had bene vnlike whome God had vouchsafed to make like But how much more greater impietie had it bene to haue shut out from the communion of the Church those whome God by so euident an argument had declared to haue pertayned to his Church Yea whome he had openly chosen and adopted Therefore Peter confesseth that he shoulde haue bene an aduersary of God if he had gone about any such thing And if they be the aduersaries of God which keepe those men from the fellowship that is in him whom he doth vouchsafe to make members of his Church bicause they thinke them vnworthy of so great fauor and grace what shall we saye of them which by false doctrine deceyue Christes sheepe or else rage against them with plaine force and tyrannie bicause of their confession of Christ They shall one daye feele his mightie and heauie hande whose enimies they chose rather to be than his friendes followers It is our part so to acknowledge and embrace the grace of God as also to bring and trayne all other to the fellowship of saluation the which God the father hath set out to his elect in his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxix. Homelie WHEN they heard this they helde their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentyles graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe They also which were scattered abroade through the affliction that rose about Steuen walked throughout vnto Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioche preaching the worde to no man but vnto the Iewes onely Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioche spake vnto the Greekes and preached the Lorde Iesus And the hande of the Lorde was with them and a great number beleeued and tourned vnto the Lorde AS the Apostle Peter in conuerting of Cornelius dyd the duetie of a godly and faythfull Apostle whyle he thought it good to obey the expresse commaundement of God wythout any lyngering so when his dooing was of some persons vniustly reprooued he shewed an excellent example of a christian and Apostolyke modestie For he declared the reason of his doing most friendly and diligently vnto them of whome he might most iustly haue requyred what authoritie they had so to doe But leauing all other arguments apart he vrgeth this one thing that he did nothing of hys owne deuyse but according to Gods appointment and commaundement By which example we haue learned with what argumentes we shoulde arme our selues against those which nowe a dayes accuse vs with lyke frowardnesse for breaking the traditions and customes of men Let the authority of Gods worde suffise vs which whosoeuer despyseth he is vnworthye of whome the Church of Christ should make any accompt It remayneth in thys hystorie to intreate howe those men which erewhile were such knapped Comptrollers accepted Peters Apologie or defence He sayth they helde their peace and gloryfied God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles graunted repentance vnto lyfe Moreouer they were whysted and dyd not with mans reason argue or replye agaynst the commaundement and wyll of god By which argument is aboundantly declared that they stroue not against it of malice or enuie but rather of an inconsiderate and blinde zeale of godlynesse which Paule also otherwheres layeth to their charge And bicause Peter easily espyed the same affection in them for thys cause he thought to deale with them herein the more gently For they which are ledde with a zeale of the glory of God and vse to credyt and yeelde vnto reasons shewed them must not be cast of as incurable or be ouer bytterlye delt withall And 〈◊〉 is the propertie of those that be truely faythfull that they will willingâ—â— yeelde vnto arguments brought out of the worde of God although they â—â—lly perceyue not the reason of the things that are sayde For this is the true and right exercise of fayth when we submit our reason vnto the commaundementes and worde of God which thing Paule euerywhere teacheth vnder the obedience of fayth which he sheweth to be the ende and scope of preaching the gospel wherby it easily appeareth that they are not to be taken for faythfull which are not ashamed stiffely to contende against the manifest Oracles of Gods worde Furthermore it is sayde they glorifyed God which is a meere euident signe that they receiued Peters excuse and admitted it with good wyll For there be some that being subdued by force of reason holde their peace bycause they haue not what to answere yet as the Poet sayth they hyde their griefe in the bottome of their hart But he that glorifyeth God testifieth by an infallible argument that he is fully satisfyed We are taught that we must reioyce and be gladde at those whome God doth illuminate with the lyght of his truth This we ought to doe both by reason of the desyre that euery christian man is bounde to haue of the glorie of God and also bicause of the loue which we ought to beare to the furtheraunce and profite of our neighbour And surely there is nothing that so reioyceth a faythfull soule as to see the light of truth to spreade it selfe abroade to the increase of Gods glory and the saluation of many Againe we ought to mourne from the hart when we see any neglect or fall from the waye of saluation So we read that Samuel contynually mourned bicause of Saules most wretched fall And Paule contynueth in prayers for the Iewes and desyreth to be accursed from Christ for them that they might be saued But nowe a daies we be a colde in both these pointes which thing is the chiefe cause that the Gospell proceedeth no better But let vs see the wordes wherewith they declare the affection of their minde Then hath God also graunted to the Gentyles say they repentaunce vnto lyfe
sent Barnabas to them as it were to helpe them After that he sheweth the singuler diligence that Barnabas vsed in accomplishing the charge committed vnto him and last of all his prosperous successe And touching the Ierosolymites amongst whome it seemeth he numbreth the Apostles he sayth but little bicause their meaning may easily be perceyued by Barnabas doing This is it therefore that he sayth that when worde was brought to Ierusalem how Antioch was conuerted vnto Christ they that by reason of their office were the chiefe among them and watched for the saluation of all men sent Barnabas thither to confirme the beliefe of the newe Disciples and to nourishe mutuall good will amonge the congregations The lyke whereof we sawe done before when they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria which being wonne by the preaching of Philip set open hir gates vnto the worde of god This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that congregations farre distant when neede so requireth shoulde be holpen both with counsell and trusty diligence of Ministers that they are greatly to be praysed that in this case vse most diligence For if Christ so greatly commende the benefite that is done but to one of his least Disciples that he will at the later daye testifye it was done to himselfe and promiseth a sure rewarde to him that giueth but a cup of colde water to him that he sendeth with howe much more glory will he rewarde those which confirme or saue whole congregations by their helpe and counsell Lette Bishops and Christian Magistrates remember this well that they suffer not themselues to be plucked from doing their dutye by such as saye they are authors of sedition which vse to prescribe or giue counsayle to straungers in matters of religion But let vs see Barnabas of whome Luke diligentlye speaketh For he declareth what maner of man he was and what he did in these affaires of the Antiochianes And although his person is sufficiently described by the things which he did at Antioch yet haue we first to consider the same that we may be the better able to iudge of the cause of so excellent vertues as shined in him specially bicause Luke for that ende and intent describeth his propertie and condicion He sayth he was a good man and full of the holy ghost and of fayth This is so singuler a commendation of this holy man as Demosthenes and Cicero coulde haue deuised no greater For what greater prayse can there be than to be called of the holy ghost good whereas by the testimonie of Christ there is not one good but onely God But least anye man might thinke that Luke had forgotten that saying he sheweth straight waye whyle he was bolde to call him a good man doubtlesse bicause he was full of the holy ghost and of fayth For although God onely be of himselfe good in deede yet bicause he doth vouchsafe to giue vnto men his spirit and by him his other vertues there is no let but we maye call them good in whome appeare any arguments of Gods goodnesse by reason of Gods spirite dwelling in them And where fayth onely maketh vs partakers both of the spirite of God and all other goodnesse the same doth Luke attribute to Barnabas saying he was full of fayth For by fayth are men iustifyed bycause thereby they take holde of Christ through whose desert they are purifyed from all iniquitie and made meete for all good workes to performe faithfully both towardes God and man whatsoeuer duties they owe vnto them It is very good that we remember this definition of a good man to laye it against the fonde iudgement of the worlde which vseth to call them that are hypocrytes and giuen to the pleasures and desires of the fleshe good men Furthermore we are taught by this place what maner of men shoulde be called to beare office in the Common weale and specially in Ecclesiasticall affaires Euen good men surely who it is euident are gouerned by the holy ghost and endued with faith For vnto such men may any thing safely be committed And whosoeuer commit vnto wicked men voyde of Gods spirite eyther publike or priuate matters to them it falleth out for the most part as we reade it did vnto Noah which sent the Rauen out of the Arke And Salomon sayth very wisely as he doth all things He is lame of his feete yea drunken he is in vanitie that committeth his message to a foole For both they are deceyued of their hope and manye times paye for their follye and lightnesse Moreouer we must see what Barnabas did in the Church at Antioch all which Luke comprehendeth in fower articles First he sayth when hee came and had seene the grace of God hee was glad He vnderstandeth by the grace of God the profite of faith and the giftes of the holy ghost which followe it And he vseth this worde grace to teach vs that all these thinges are giuen of Gods goodnesse This is a notable argument of a good man and faythfull Minister of Christ that Barnabas reioyceth in the profite of other men For they which lacke faith and the lightning of the holy ghost they enuie other for the most part seeking their owne glory And all men followe not the modestie of Moses which desired that all the Israelites might be filled with the holy ghost and be instructed with the gift of prophecying Yea there are euerywhere the more pitie many examples of ambicious men which while they go about to take from other their due honour breede great contentions in Congregations But they which are gouerned by the spirite of Christ and illuminated with true fayth they easilye despyse the losse of priuate glorye so that they perceyue they maye aduaunce the glorye of GOD. After this Barnabas exhorteth the Antiochianes that with purpose of heart they woulde cleaue vnto the Lorde For as in all other exercises and studies so chiefly in religion is perseueraunce and continuation needefull For he that wrastleth is not crowned or rewarded except he wrastle or stryue lawfully And Christ alloweth not them which haue once layd their hande to the plough and looke behinde them Therefore Barnabas doth well in requiring perseuerance of the Antiochians But least he might seeme to require onely an outwarde shewe and bare bragge of wordes he exacteth purpose of heart For that is a true perseuerance and ioyning with our sauiour Christ when we haue dedicated and giuen our harts to his seruice And those which haue so done no terror of perils can feare them from the Lorde For they esteeme all thinges but losse and dammage so that they may winne Christ. But bicause Barnabas was not ignorant that there were many things which vsed to call men from Christ he thought that exhortation also was needefull for them notwithstanding there appeared notable tokens of Gods grace in them which thing caused Paule to commaunde Timothie continually to exhort those
through the infyrmitie of the fleshe shall by Christes merite be supplied and if they fall into any sinne by repentance through guiding of the spirite they shall rise vp againe Moreouer Paule taking occasion of the storie of Dauid passeth to the seconde part of his sermon wherein he declareth that Iesus whome the Apostles preached is the promised Sauiour for whose sake God in times past did so benefyte the fathers And bicause he knewe he had to doe with the Iewes the most grieuous enimies of Christ he prooueth it by manye and strong arguments of the which there are three contayned in this place which we will in order treate of The fyrst is where he sayth he shall be borne of that stocke whence the Prophetes sayde he shoulde come that is to say of the seede of Dauid But it woulde be long to recite all the promises yea superfluous considering they were so common and ryse that the Messias was commonly called the sonne of Dauid Yet if any man desire more let him reade the thinges written 2. Sam. 7. Psal. 132. Esay 11. Ierem. 23. c. That Christ was borne of the seede of Dauid touching his manhoode Mathewe and Luke prooue by a diligent Genealogie or Pedegree And here we haue to marke that he sayth this Sauiour was raysed vp according to the promise This part teacheth vs that he was giuen vnto vs also according to the meere grace of God and that it is to be attributed to no merites of man that God hath sent his sonne to be our Sauiour For that the promise was made of fauour Dauid himselfe confesseth as erewhile we sawe And if any man attribute this vnto Dauids modestie he shall be conuinced by the promise that we reade was made to our fyrst fathers who had deserued death and fledde away to hyde themselues from god And Chryst himselfe truly referreth all this saluation to the grace of God where he sayth Iohn 3. So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne c. Which words the Apostle expoundeth writeth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs c. Here also appeareth the infallible truth of God which must be extended to all promises that we maye herein fet fyrme comfort in all kinde of temptatioâ—s For he that woulde not deceyue vs when his sonnes death laye vpon it howe shoulde he in other things deceyue vs The seconde argument is that he sayeth he shall come in such sort and wise as the Prophetes prophecied the promised Messias shoulde come For he had a forerunner such as is described Esay 40. Malach. 3. and .4 Chapters That was Iohn which preached the baptisme of repentance whereby he prepared the mindes of men duly to receyue Christ. Marke the Euangelist vseth the same argument where he writeth the Gospell of Iesu Christ beganne as it was foretolde by the Prophetes In the meane season it is worthy to be obserued that it was necessarye to haue a forerunner who by repentance which he declared both by preaching and sacraments should prepare a people vnto christ This prooueth the corruption of our nature whereby it commes to passe that we cannot attaine to saluation except we be wholye chaunged and regenerated Furthermore it confuteth them which thinke that Christes doctrine is the seede of licentious liuing seeing none coÌ„meth vnto him but he that is worthily prepared by true repentance But bicause we haue alreadye often intreated hereof and haue freshe occasion still offered to speake of the same it shall suffyse briefly thus to haue noted it The thirde argument he taketh of testimonie For he alleageth the testimonie of Iohn not for that Christes cause consisteth or stayeth vppon mannes testimonie but for that Iohn was of suche authoritie among the Iewes that he was commonly taken for a Prophete as may be seene Mathew 21. and in Iosephus which sayth that the death of Iohn was cause of the ouerthrow that Aretes gaue vnto Herode In which sense Christ in another place vseth his testimonie Iohn 5. This man sayeth Paule where some thought he was the Messias to put the people out of all suspicion sayeth whome thinke you that I am I am not Christ for behold there commeth one after me c. These things are more at large declared in Iohn 1. Luc. 3. and Math. 3 â–ª Chapters Herein is declared what the propertie of the people is in their iudgements of Gods seruants For eyther they attribute to much vnto them or vtterlye contemne them for meane is there none For they that at fyrst thought Iohn was the Messias suffered him not long after to be the pray of a most cruell tyrant Example whereof we shall see in those of Lystra in the next Chapter Iohn teacheth vs by his example what trustynesse the godlye ought to vse in setting forth the glorye of christ For they dandle not the dulnesse and folly of the people thereby to haue themselues the more magnifyed but that Christ may haue his whole glory they vse to abase themselues and to thinke themselues the woorst of all other Yea they thinke their glorye consisteth in this if by their meane Iesus Christ may euerywhere be glorifyed And if Iohn which was the holyest man that euer was borne of a woman be no body in comparison of Christ who then perceyueth not that the whole prayse of our redemption is to be ascribed to Christ alone The example of Peter and Iohn haue declared the same whereof was spoken in the thirde and tenth Chapters It is our dutie to trust in Christ onely and to acknowledge him to be the Sauiour that was promised in the beginning to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxj Homelie YE men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is this worde of saluation sent For the inhabiters of Ierusalem and their rulers bicause they knewe him not nor yet the voyces of the Prophetes which are reade euery Sabboth daye they haue fulfilled them in condemning him And when they founde no cause of death in him yet desired they Pylate to kill him And when they had fulfilled all that were written of him they tooke him downe from the tree and put him in a sepulchre but God raysed him againe from death the thirde day and he was seene many dayes of them which came vp with him from Galiley to Ierusalem which are his witnesses vnto the people THat that all the Scripture both of the olde and newe Testament with one consent declareth that same in this sermon Paule both plainly and constantly teacheth namely that Iesus Christ is the onely redeemer and sauiour of mankinde in whom alone we haue blessing righteousnesse saluation and life But bicause he had to doe with the Iewes whome he knewe still withstoode Christ with great obstinacie therefore he handleth this cause with great grauitie And fyrst he
creepe into them and to draw them which began to beleeue in Christ by little and little from him Besides this he thought to tickle the Apostles mindes with ambition and desire of vayne glory to th ende that being herewith entysed they might neglect the glory of god You see therfore what poyson lyeth hid vnder the bayte of this honorable and holye acclamation With this intent we reade he flattered Christ also and bare recorde of him Let vs here marke the sleyght of Satan which can marueylouslye dissemble his hatred of the truth and transforme himselfe into an Aungell of light Therefore lette vs suspect whatsoeuer commeth from him Neyther let vs beleeue his instrumentes although they speake neuer so grauely and honorably in the commendation of Gods seruauntes and haue the holy scriptures neuer so ryfe in their mouth This place serueth to refute them which say we are vniustly offended with the Papacie bicause therein the name of Christ is preached the commendation of Saints are celebrated the lessons of holye scripture are daily vsed and nothing is done without the inuocation of Gods holy name But these men are ignoraunt how Antichristes sea or chayre must stande in the Church and marke not this saying of Christ Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde c. And if we woulde looke nearer on the matter it shall appeare that they seeke nothing vnder the pretence of religion and Christ his Church and his reuerende name but to establishe their tyrannie and to bring mennes traditions in credite Also by this place are they confuted that holde with Coniurers enchaunters or soothsayers bicause they heare them mutter out the reuerent names of God and weighty sentences of scripture But what marueyle is this since the Deuill durst alleage scriptures against our Maister Christ yea they sinne the more grieuously bicause they colour their impietie with the name of God the abuse and prophanation whereof he will not leaue vnpunished Nowe what Paules opinion was touching all these pointes this present example declareth He for a time beareth with this Maiden testifying this truth of them wayting for some suggestion of the holy spirite bicause he woulde not offende through blinde and ouerhastie affection at length inflamed with an holye zeale and indignation he rebuketh the Mayde thus crying and in the name of Christ expelleth the spirite Which example although it serue for the instruction of all men yet chiefely it teacheth the Ministers of the worde their dutie who must haue so great a care of the truth that they shoulde suffer nothing which by any meanes maye derogate any thing from the same although it made greatly for their prayse and glorye For as we declared before Satan vseth by flatterie to set on such as he knoweth are other wayes inuincible For the which cause Christ forbade the euill spirites to speake and woulde receyue no commendation at their mouthes Wherefore they are greatly deceyued that vse to dally with those whome they knowe are altogither straungers from the truth They hide many times their poison but the more they flatter the sorer they hurt It is the part of a christian man to take none for his friende whom he knoweth to be Christes enimie and cannot abyde the doctrine of christ But this is very worthye to be considered that Paule setteth Iesus Christ agaynst the Deuill and that he is constrayned to depart assoone as he heareth the name of Christ pronounced This is an vnspeakable argument of the power of christ For none can enter the house of a mightie man and ryfle him of his goodes except he fyrst binde him But Iesus Christ cōming into the world hath so vanquished the Deuill the Prince thereof that if he heare but the name of Christ onely he is constrayned to leaue his possession in men and to giue place vnto christ Therfore we must needes confesse that the power of Christ is much greater than the power of the deuill And of this we must fet comfort in our temptations that we feare not him who hath no power or force agaynst Christ in whom we are graffed through fayth Agayne we are by this place taught that Christ hath nothing to doe with the deuill seeing he doth not vouchsafe to receyue of him any testimonie be it neuer so honorable For what societie or communion can be betweene them seeing according to the fyrst promyse Christ came into the world to breake or crush the Deuils head and to destroy his works This also admonisheth Christians of their dutie that they should haue nothing to doe with the deuill For it is not meete for them that haue professed Christ to dallye with the Deuill in any poynt Let them therefore flye these soothsaying Artes which the craft of the Deuill and curiositie of man hath inuented Let them flye the inglings of enchauntmentes whereby he promyseth men helpe in their diseases or in their other distresses Let them flye false and prophane worshippings Idolatrye superstition and whatsoeuer else plucketh vs from god Let them hate the tyrannie of sinne whereby the libertie that Christ hath purchased vs is lost Let them watch constantly in the fayth and resist the Deuill and he shall depart from them whereby it shall come to passe that we hauing shaken of his yoke shall here leade a life acceptable vnto God and shall hereafter liue and reygne in heauen with our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cx. Homelie AND when hir Mayster and Mystresse sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paule and Sylas and drewe them into the market place vnto the Rulers and brought them to the Officers saying These men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces which are not lawfull for vs to receyue neyther to obserue seeing wee are Romaines And the people ranne against them and the officers rent their clothes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods And when they had beaten them sore they cast them into prison commaunding the Iayler of the prison to kepe them diligently Which when he had receyued such commaundement thrust them into the inner prison and made their feete fast in the stockes AS the Deuill partly with flatterie and deceyte and partlye by open force withstoode Iesus Christ while he liued here on earth and preached the Gospell euen so he vseth the same weapons against the Apostles of Christ at this daye that in tymes past he vsed This maye we see in this present hystorie For agaynst Paule preaching amonge the Philippians he setteth a Damsell possessed with the spirite of the Deuill by whome he giueth a notable testimonie of the truth vnto Paule meaning this way to bring the doctrine of the Gospell in suspition with wise men and to get himselfe some rowme among the professors of christian faith But the Apostle Paule quickly smelleth his subtiltie and compelleth the spirite being adiured by the name of
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
and becke the Apostle writeth that the Deuils tremble and quake Why then are we afrayde of Satans craft or power whose helpe we see Christ here vse at his pleasure so mightilye Nowe is the Prince of this worlde throwne out of his kingdome which so long he hath so falsely claymed vsurped And it is no harde thing for them to ouercome him that are by fayth graffed in Christ. Nowe let vs come to the last part of this hystorie which conteyneth in it manifolde and singular fruite First this thing was knowne amongst all the Ephesians who were all striken of God whome they sawe so seuerely reuenge the abusing of his sonne and of his name This is the lawfull vse of Gods iudgements to put in our mindes a sense or feeling of Gods religion But O miserable wretches that we be which maye seeme altogither to be waxed deafe seeing we are mooued with no examples that God daily sheweth vppon the blasphemers and contemners of his name and worde Next many of them that beleeued came of their owne accorde and confessed their doings openly This is an euident argument of the mortifycation of the fleshe which being most desirous of honor and estimation can hardly be brought to confesse she hath erred But the desire of truth and glorye of God ouercommeth all affections of the fleshe in those that beleeue By this place it appeareth what maner of confession the Scriptures requyre of vs verily publike and open which serueth to the setting forth of Gods glorye and to the amendement of many Therefore their ignorance is very grosse which thinke by this example to establishe auricular confession wherewith this confession that Luke here speaketh of hath no affinitie For these Ephesians come of their owne accorde and confesse their olde errors giuing thankes vnto God which had vouchsafed to deliuer them from them But the Pope enforceth men agaynst their willes to confesse their secret faultes also which no manne was priuie to before We reade they made confession but once where the Pope commaundeth vs oftentimes to confesse They made open confession and that before all men But the Pope teacheth vs to whisper our sinnes in the eare of the Priest onely They by their confession sought nothing but the glory of god The Pope commaundeth to aske remission of sinnes and satisfaction of the priest What stande we long The more diligently a man examineth the circumstances of this dooing the more manifestly it shall appeere auricular confession is rather ouerthrown than confyrmed by this example But lette vs returne to the Ephesians whereof many were hytherto giuen to curious artes but are nowe so touched with the feeling of Christes spirite that they openly burne their bookes on heapes where we vnderstande not onely their Magicall bookes but also all other bookes that serued rather vnto fruitelesse and offensiue studies than vnto godlynesse such as for the most part are the bookes of Astrologie Geomantie soothsaying bookes and bookes of loue and such like He sheweth also the pryce or value of the bookes which after the Germanes account amounteth to the summe of sixe thousande sixe hundred threescore and sixe florenes By this meane the godly persons thought to take all occasion of offence both from themselues and from other in time to come And this is the true propertie of them that vnfeynedly repent that they hate the instrumentes of sinne as much as the sinne it selfe and are not grieued to lose those things which they knowe had sometime bene occasion of their fall be they neuer so precious Therefore they cannot be iudged to haue truly repented nor to vnderstande the heynousnesse of their offences which vse to retaine and keepe in these dayes the instrumentes of their euill dooinges such as are Images superstitious deckinges of Churches bookes that teach superstition amorous writings wanton apparell and innumerable such like Last of all Luke sayth that the worde of God grewe mightily and was confyrmed in the hearts of the Disciples which was an effect of their former studie For the worde of God vseth marueylously to growe if all impediments be taken out of the waye that may hinder it Let vs therfore followe the example of this famous Church that increasing daily more in fayth we may become perfyte men in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxviij Homelie AFTER these thinges were ended Paule purposed in the spirite when hee had passed ouer Macedonia and Achaia to go to Ierusalem saying After I haue bene there I must also see Rome So sent hee into Macedonia two of them that ministred to him euen Timotheus and Erastus but he himselfe remayned in Asia for a season The same tyme there arose no little adoe about that way For a certayne man named Demetrius a siluer smyth which made siluer shrines for Diana was not a little benefyciall to the craftes men Whome he called togither with the workemen of like occupation and sayd Sirs you knowe that by this craft we haue aduauntage Moreouer you see and heare that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded and turned awaye much people saying that they bee not Goddes which are made with handes So that not onely this our Craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also that the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana shoulde be despysed and hir magnifycence shoulde bee destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshippeth BYcause Paule knewe that the Lorde had not appoynted him to be a teacher of one Nation onely therefore he thought he woulde not serue still in one Nation but preach the Gospell euerywhere vnto all people Yea he thought that on him chiefely lay the charge of all Churches as he declareth in his later Epistle to the Corinthians Wherfore being not contented here and there to gather Churches togither he goeth to see and visite those he had gathered and ordeyned least anye thing might fall downe agayne eyther by the wearysomnesse of man or by the craft and subtiltie of the Deuill We haue seene hitherto diuers ensamples of lyke endeuor wherevnto this may also be annexed that Luke telleth in the beginning of this place to the which he ioyneth a newe hystorie of sedition raysed against Paule whereby his purpose of visiting the Churches for a time was stopped The author of this deuise and counsayle was the holy spirite by whose conduct and guyding we haue often shewed that Paule beganne and tooke all his matters in hande He purposed to go into Macedonia and Achaia to visite and confyrme the Churches of the Philippians Thessalonians and Corinthians and also to gather an almesse or reliefe among them to cary to the needy brethren in Syria as may euidently be gathered of his Epistles to the Corinthians which iourney being ended he ment to go to Rome to bestowe some gift of the spirite vpon the faythfull there also and to receyue mutuall consolation of
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
which example wee are taught that Gods will and calling muste be preferred before all affections For it is impossible for vs to be wholly voyde of these affections as long as we liue in the fleshe and it is euident that they beare a stroke euen in the godly But a moderation muste be vsed to bring them vnder the obedience of fayth And this must be obserued in all cases but specially when by death our friendes be pulleâ— eyâ—her from vs or we from them whose good counsell and help we found to be very profitable for vs Lette vs then remember we are vrged with Gods calling whome to gaynesay or striue againste as it is a verie rashe enterprise so is it both foolish and daungerous Secondly Luke describeth Paules long and tedious voyage which al men must confesse to haue bene both painefull and perillous Wee will not tarie long in the description of the places for that is to be sought for in the Geographers And bicause there are so many places recited which Paule sayled by without making any abode in them it is a token that hee made very great haste to be at Ierusalem by the feast of Pentecost Here is to be considered Paules feruente industrie and diligence in the office committed to his charge and his constant fayth Hee might haue liued in the worlde as he testifieth of himself writing to the Philippians quietly and in honor And his first state of life abundantly declareth that he was of no smal authoritie among the Iewes He saw moreouer that in folowing of Christ there was continuall paines and trauell and euerye day freshe daungers springing Yet he embraced this kinde of life according to Gods will and calling and with a constant course ouercame them all and whatsoeuer things in this worlde were either of gayne or glory vnto him those he counted as damageable set light of them only for that he would winne Christ. Wherin it appeareth he was not a litle encouraged with the hope of that heauenly crowne which he knew was laid vp for him and al that were godly Let vs folowe the Example of so notable an Apostle least we be either ouercome with trauails and dangers or else being enticed with the allurement of the world leaue of the course of our vocation prescribed by christ For what is there in this world stable or permanent What thing is able to satisfie the desire of the minde and of the flesh Only God is omnisufficient and perfect good who hath opened to vs in Christ his sonne the treasures of all goodnesse in whome onely mennes mindes are quieted and at rest He that drinketh of this fountaine shall not thirst for euer Happy therfore and blessed are they that can exchaunge the counterfayte felicitie of this worlde for the fountayne of this eternall blisse Thirdly he telleth howe they came at lengthe vnto Tyrus where wee haue diuerse things in order to bee considered Among which this is one of the chiefe that he sayth they founde Disciples at Tyrus that is is to say certaine christian brethren and such as might seeme to haue passed all those of whom any mention hath bene made hitherto in dueties of fayth and charitie Which may seeme a maruellous thing if a man consider the auncient state of the Citie of Tyrus and the horrible Oracles of the prophets agaynst the same reporting hir to be both riotous proud couetous and lecherous Yea Chryst our Lord detesting the vnthankfulnesse of the Cities of Galilee compareth them with Tyre and Sidon vpon the which God in times past had shewed seuere examples of his iustice Yet euen in this same Citie shone the light of the Gospell and heere would Chryste haue a Churche planted and endued with notable gyftes Herein appeareth the truth of God and his goodnesse towardes sinners which turne vnto him For so he long agone prophesied by Esay it should come to passe After the ende of seauenty yeres shall the Lorde visite Tyre and she shall conuert vnto hir reward and she shal traffique with all the kingdomes of the earth And hir traffique and wares shall be holy vnto the Lord. And in the .45 Psalme And the daughter of Tyre shal be there with a gyft like as the riche also among the people shall make their supplications beâ—fore thee These things I say this present place declareth to haue ben fulfilled when Paule found christians there so feruent in fayth and loue And this is a notable example of Gods goodnesse wherby we are taught how we should not ouer hastely dispaire either of our selues or of other men seeing God would build him a Church in such a Citie as vpon which he had in times before shewed so heauy an example of his iustice by reason of the sinnes and offences of the same Againe Luke writeth how the brethren of Tyrus admonished Paule by the spirite that he shoulde not goe vp to Ierusalem This seemeth to repugne agaynst that whych Paule spake in the congregation at Malta saying he was bounde by the spirite to go thither But these places are easily reconciled if a man consider the figure called Synecdoche which is very common in the holy scripture where the whole coÌ„munication of these disciples is atributed to the holy ghost he being in dede the author but of one part onely For they by inspiration of the spirite admonished Paule of the imprisonment afflictions which Paule was like to fynd at Ierusalem But the Counsell they gaue him that he shoulde not go vp thyther was of their owne deuise bycause of a louing affection they wished well vnto him but were ignoraunt of Gods determination For many times it commeth to passe that the Prophetes through the reuelation of God vnderstande what is to come and yet are vtterly ignoraunt of Gods meaning and the ende of his dooing which is the cause that many tymes they erre in their dooings whyles they are not contented with the reuelation of God but take the wisedome of the fleshe vnto Councell whereof we haue examples in Ionas diuers others In the mean season marke howe many wayes God woulde haue Paule to bee tempted He draweth him to Ierusalem beeing bounde by his spirite In euery Citie and congregation he telleth him howe he shall be layde by the heeles and imprisoned And nowe come others endued with the spirite of prophesie and warne hym that he goe not thyther Whereto serue all these things Uerily God mente heereby to prepare his Apostle to the crosse by continuall premeditation least he shoulde fall from him thorough the manyfolde clamour of the furious people and entrappings of his enimies Also he learneth vs heereby an example of christian constancie and obedience whiche wee muste so earnestly laboure to haue that wee muste not obey men though wee see rare examples of Gods holy spirite in them if they councell vs any thing contrary to the will and commaundement of god Adde therevnto the vnhappie ende of
worlde betydeth vs for Christes sake And he doth not onely the part of a comforter but is also a most faythfull counsaylour For he telleth vs what to doe and when we be in perplexitie and doubt he lighteth vs the torch of truth by whose conducting we escape the daungers of fayth and ofsaluation Beside all this he is the earnest and sure pledge of our redemption and saluation For as Iesus Christ taking vp into heauen the fleshe that he tooke of vs would haue it there to be a gage of our saluation so he putteth his spirite in our heartes in steede of a pledge to imprint the confidence of saluation in vs and to arme vs strongly agaynst temptations Wherefore he is called of Paule the spirite of adoption because that being regenerated by him we are assured by his testimonie that we be the sonnes and heyres of god Therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophete taketh the gift of this holy spirite amongst all other most to be commended We are also here taught what we ought chiefly to doe in the kingdome of christ In which place we may see the diuers and noysome errours of men which while they followe carnall things onely and vnder the coulour of Christ gape after worldly goodes vse many tymes to denie Christ in their life whome they professe with their mouth And to these shall be ioyned those to whome hereafter it shall be sayde Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Christes kingdome is a spirituall kingdome and not of this world Therefore let vs desire the giftes of the spirite wherewith if we be furnished the other things that we haue neede of shall come of their owne accord Moreouer it is conuenient we see the maner of this promise and to whome it apperteyneth He declareth the maner in this one word of pouring out whereby he promiseth a large and plentifull grace of the spirite As touching the persons to whome he will giue it he treateth more at large saying I will poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe Therefore this is an vniuersall promise But he addeth for expositions sake sonnes and daughters yong men and olde to teach vs that there is no difference in the kingdome of Christ eyther of age or sexe For in Christ as Paule sayth there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle neyther bonde nor free neyther man nor woman In the meane season least any might thinke that the holy spirite was giuen to good and bad alyke God restrayneth his promise to his seruauntes and handmaydens to the ende we should vnderstande that it ought vniuersally to be expounded of them For where he is the spirite of adoption he can be receyued of none but of them whō God doth vouchsafe to acknowledge for his sonnes But they be sonnes of God which acknowledge him to be their father and call vpon him which serue him which worship him which please him and honour him And although they cannot performe the things that belong to the sonnes of God before they be regenerated by this spirite through the free benefit of God and therforethey be oftentimes vnknowne to vs before we see the effects of the holy ghost in them yet it is euident that none be partakers of this spirite but such as the Lorde taketh for his And he knoweth who be his and so knoweth them that no man can take them out of his hande And here by the waye commeth the difference of the olde and newe Testament to be considered For although one and the same Christ one and the same fayth and way of saluation one and the same spirite is set forth in both of them yet there may be perceyued no little difference wherein easily appeareth howe much greater our dignitie and felicitie is than theirs of the olde Testament This appeareth first in the number of the faythfull and next in the maner of teaching For in the olde Testament it is plaine there were but a small number of worshippers and the knowledge of saluation seemed to be compassed within the boundes of the people of Iurie For the wordes of God be well knowne which he sayth to the Israelites Ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine Ye shall bee vnto me a kingdome of priestes and an holy people Againe You only haue I accepted of all the Nations on the earth For which cause sake me thinketh that is also spoken in the Psalmes In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell At Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Syon Hee sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes But in the newe Testament the spirite of the Lorde is poured vppon all fleshe and the way of saluation is stretched to the farthest endes of the earth There it is sayde that they shall come from the East and from the West that shall sitte in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob There the Apostles receyue a commaundement to preache the Gospell to all Nations There Peter learneth vs howe there is no respect of persons wyth God but in all Nations they that feare him and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him And here is fulfilled that which was spoken before by the Prophete That the barren and desolate should haue more children than shee that was maryed ▪ Againe though there be singuler examples of the faythfull of the olde Testament the like whereof you shall hardly finde in these dayes yet is it plaine that the way and meane of our saluation is now much more manifestly taught than it was woont to be in the olde Testament Before the lawe was published there were in deede large and liberall promises but obscure ynough if we waye them that liued in those dayes which sawe them not as then fulfilled In the lawe our saluation was shadowed with signes and figures but such as whereof many tooke occasion to establishe the righteousnesse of workes Then followed the Prophetes and they declare the mysteryes of Christ somewhere darckely and somewhere more plainely and openly And the thinges which seeme to vs most euident in their writinges seemed without doubt to them in those dayes obscure and darke ynough But in the new Testament the vayle of darcknesse is rent and that light brought in which being come giueth light to all men in the worlde In the Gospell the things are plainely taught which before tyme were hidden and secrete And there fishers and Publicanes see and heare those things which many Prophetes and iust men desired in tymes past to heare and see As touching this plentifull and bounteous gift of the holye ghost and true light thereof Ioel also prophecieth The ende and vse of