and promise For herevnto appertayneth it where they promise him the bullocks of their lips Dauid speaking hereof sayth what rewarde shall I giue vnto the Lorde for all the benefites that he hath done vnto me I will receyue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lorde· I will paye my vowes nowe in the presence of all his people And he testifyeth that this shall please the Lorde better than a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes These thinges teach vs what to thinke of the vnkinde and wicked raylers agaynst Gods worde who haue a pleasure with bitternesse of tongue to caâ—pe at it and saye it is the cause of all calamitie where it were their dutie to acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God for it Furthermore let vs see howe the beholders were affected with this myracle Amongst whome some were Iewes which accompanied Peter from Ioppeâ— Luke sayth that they were amazed seeing the gift of the holye ghost was poured vpon the Gentyles also For although they were not ignorant what came to passe vnto Peter yet the common error of the Iewes still bewitched them who thought all Nations vnholy and straungers from God but such as were circumcised and had receyued the other ceremonies of the Iewes lawe It is very notable that they which are of the faythfull are so deceyued For hereby it appeareth that euen to the godlye sometime the spottes of error cleaue and therefore all things that they doe must not be drawen to imitation Which thing it appeareth Paule obserued who biddeth the Corinthians to followe him as farre forth as they see him to follow Christ. For there is nothing so appropriate vnto man as to erre and be deceyued Nor nothing so difficult and laborious as to plucke vp olde rooted errors out of mennes mindes example whereof we haue seene in the Apostles still stumbling at the expectation and looking for of a carnall and earthly kingdome Therefore they are greatly deceyued which iudge continuall teaching and admonition to be superfluous and vnprofitable seeing that blindnesse and frowardnesse of mannes witte is such that he taketh occasion of stumbling at euery thing and hardlye can be brought into the waye againe Wherefore Paule was of a farre better iudgement when he commaunded Timothie to preach in season and out of season But to returne to the exposition of the hystory Peter hath a much better iudgement who of the premisses gathereth the ende of the myracle For where by an heauenly vision he was commaunded to go to Cornelius and to preach the Gospell vnto him and seeth nowe the gifte of the holy spirite giuen to them that heare and beleeue it he easilye acknowledgeth that the grace of the Gospell belongeth to the Gentyles also and that the vncircumcised also so that they beleeue in Christ ought to be receyued into the fellowship of the Church forasmuch as God doth vouchsafe to giue them his holy spirite For drawing an argument from the thing vnto the signe thereof he sayeth Can anye man forbidde water that these shoulde not be baptized which haue receyued the holye ghost as well as we Which is as much as if he shoulde saye As many as are the members of Christ must be receyued by baptisme into the fellowship of Christes Church But no man can doubt but these men are the members of Christ seeing they haue receyued the spirite of Christ as well as we Ergo it is reason they shoulde be baptized And forthwith he commaundeth them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde that is to saye to be consecrated to Christ the Lorde and numbred with his Church For Peters commaundement must not so much be vnderstanded of the fourme of baptisme as of the ende and vse thereof Of these things it is easie to gather all the meaning of baptisme Peter surely acknowledgeth baptisme to be the first sacrament of Gods people and Church whereby outwardly the benefites of regeneration and adoption and whatsoeuer else is giuen vs in Christ are sealed vnto vs and thereby as many as are partakers of them are admonished of their dutie Wherevpon we gather that as many as it appeareth are of the people of God haue neede thereof By these things are many errors confuted that we see haue crept in these many yeares about baptisme yet reigne euerywhere And first this place confuteth the vnholy deprauers of the Sacraments which thinke they are superfluous for them that beleeue and are regenerate by fayth Which kinde of men while they greatly extoll fayth and the grace of God doe wickedly contemne the wisedome of God and his ordinaunces Howbeit Peter sawe that Cornelius and his familie truly beleeued and that they were indued with the holy ghost and adopted into the number of the children of God and yet for all that he commaundeth them to be baptized bicause he would not seeme to contemne Christes commaundement For why shoulde he contemne the sacramentes of Christ which knewe that God in the olde Testament had made it death for them that contemned his sacraments Agayne this place confuteth the boldenesse of the Anabaptistes which vse to keepe the children of the Christians from their baptisme But Peter prooueth that they are to be baptized for none other cause but for that he sawe they were endued with the spirite of Christ and therefore were members of his Church Why then shoulde not infants be baptized by as good right who we knowe are borne members of the Church and who Christ testifyeth appertayne to the kingdome of God Moreouer the example of this place maketh agaynst the error of the Papistes which vse to tye the grace of God vnto Sacramentes and vse to bring it and put it in their sacraments by exorcismes and coniuring wheras it is euident that they are but the cognizances tokens of the grace that is giuen vs in christ And if thou well examine this place it shall appeare the same came to passe vnto Cornelius that somtime was to be seene in Abraham so that thou mayst see the sacraments of both the Testaments had all but one reason For Paule witnesseth that Abraham was iustifyed by fayth that he afterwarde receyued Circumcision which was a seale of the righteousnesse of fayth So we heare that Cornelius beleeued and was endued with the spirite of God which was an infallible argument of his regeneration and iustification and nowe at length commeth baptisme where by all these benefytes of God are sealed and confirmed Therefore it is euident that the grace of God is not tyed vnto baptisme neyther that it is by baptisme poured into vs as by a Pype or Conduite forasmuch as if we receyue the Sacramentes without fayth they be vtterlye superâ—luous yea wee knowe they indammage the contemners of them as maye be seene in the examples of Iudas the Traytour and Simon the Sorcerer Before we leaue this place it is good to
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
of the things done by Paule at Ephesus beginneth to tell fyrst howe he brought certaine persons to frame that vaunted themselues of the gospell but were not throughly instructed therein and howe he adourned that church with the giftes of the holye ghost Which hystorie as it serueth much to our instruction so is it for this cause dyligently to be considered bycause dyuers men in times past haue contended by authoritie of this place to baptise those againe which before had bene baptised by Heretiques At this day also the Anabaptistes abuse the same a verie frowarde and phrentike kinde of persons keeping infantes from their baptisme and affirming that none ought to be baptised but such as are of yeares of discretion and well infourmed in the principles and knowledge of Christ. But that both these and the olde wryters were deceyued it shall easily appeare by the text it selfe whereby it shall be prooued that Paule ment nothing lesse in this dooing than that which they go about to gather thereof For fyrst it is sayd Paule went about to examine certaine disciples which he met withal after he came again to Ephesus But it is not lykely that these and no more had professed Christ bicause we may gather a greater vtilitie of the gospell among the Ephesians by that we heard in the ende of the .xviij. chapiter Nowe that Paule taketh these to examine rather then any other this seemeth to be the cause for that they liued not agreeably to the profession of christian men For it is like it hapned at Ephesus as it doth commonly in euery place when the truth is fyrst preached but the discipline of the church not fully established For then we shall see many which will professe to be gospellers more for hatred of the olde state then for loue of the truth bicause they would vnder a cloke of the gospell liue the more licentiously Bycause Paule perceyued that these were such a kinde of people to the intent they might be brought to better conformitie and passe and not perishe like those that receyued the seede of the gospell into a stonie grounde Paule beginneth to examine them of their beliefe and so to laye before their eyes howe farre they were as yet from the marke of perfection He demaundeth therefore if they had receyued the holy ghost This question must be vnderstanded of the giftes of the holye ghost which God at that time vsed to giue to the faithfull that is to say the knowledge of tongues and exposition of the scripture whereof we haue already manye times intreated This place teacheth vs howe to know true christians from false and counterfeyte For although those speciall giftes of the holye ghost which were sometime miraculously giuen be at this day ceassed yet the promise of Iesus Christ remayneth fyrme which promised his spirite to those that were his And as Paule elsewhere sayth they that haue not the spirite of Christ can not be his members And the other effectes of Gods holye spirite are as necessary at this daye as the vnderstanding of tongues and interpretation of scripture was in time passed namely the mortifycation of the olde man the regeneration and innouation of our minde purifycation sanctifycation and such other like As many therefore as lacke all these things it is certaine they boast in vaine of the faith name of Christ except we shall say that the spirite of Christ is an ydle and sluggishe spirite But let vs heare the aunswere of them whome Paule examineth in which they vtter a very grosse and barbarous ignoraunce saying No we haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no. But howe were they ignoraunt of the holy ghost which had heard so often mention of him in the lawe and in the Prophets For it is out of doubt they were Iewes bicause they were baptized with the baptisme of Iohn Were they ignoraunt then of that saying of Moses which in the beginning of his hystorie wryteth that the spirite of God mooued vpon the waters Or else had they neuer heard that saying of Dauid by the worde of the Lorde were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth Againe take not thy holye spirite from me Besides they might haue knowne the voyce of the Messias speaking by the Prophet the spirite of the Lorde God is vpon me c. How is it therefore that they say they haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no The aunswere is easie For as Paule demaunded of the effectes of the holy ghost so they make aunswere concerning the same as if they should say we being content with those things which we haue heretofore learned seeke no farther neyther care we whether there be any holye ghost or no which worketh such peculiar giftes in mens mindes bicause we thinke the knowledge hereof to high for vs and not to appertaine to vs So these men be an example of carnall people which professe the truth with their mouth but haue denyed the power thereof as Paule sayth and in deede refuse that which with mouth they confesse 2 Timoth. 3. Tit. 1. A great number of these are euery where to be founde who being perswaded that the bare name of Christ is sufficient vnto blisse doe little regarde the giftes of the holy ghost namely the mortifycation of the fleshe the renewing of the minde regeneration sanctification and such lyke And through these mens faulte it commeth to passe for the most part that the doctrine of the gospell is so yll spoken of in the worlde Therefore such must not be suffered but be reprooued and their dissimulation must be disclosed that both they may vnderstande their errour and other be the lesse offended So doth Paule in this place For he gathereth nerer vpon them vrgeth them to confesse that they were not come to the christian perfection For he sayth In whose name then were you baptized That is to say what professed you when you fyrst receyued the Gospell and ioyned your selues to the Church of Christ They aunswere they were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn and so they testifye that they professed that doctrine religion wherof Iohn was a Minister and teacher and therby they plainly shewe they care little for any other than that Nowe Paule here catcheth them and holdeth them fast and inferreth Iohn sayth he baptised with the baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they shoulde beleeue on him that was to come after him that is in Iesus Christ hereby teaching that Iohn requyred a farre other thing of his Disciples than a bare profession of his name and of the Gospell For fyrst he appoynted repentaunce wherevnto with great earnestnesse he exhorted all degrees of persons as appeaâ—eth Luc. 3. Neyther requyreth he onely repentaunce but sheweth also remission of sinnes preaching Iesus Christ whose forerunner he was appoynted of God to be He taught men to embrace him by true fayth to
sonne that they that suffer with him may also be glorified with him And thus much touching the exposition of the place of the Prophet which the Eunuch had in his handes Let vs nowe see howe vpon this occasion the Aethiope attayned vnto the knowledge of Christ. For where a little before he confessed his ignoraunce nowe he enquireth of the true â—ense of the place I praye thee sayth he of whome speaketh the Prophete these things This is an Argument of a great zeale that he that was to be honoured as a great man of dignitie becommeth as it were a suter and a suppliaunt to a man of no estimation and hitherto vnknowne to the ende he would learne the true meaning of that scripture In the meane season it is not to be negligently passed ouer that the Eunuch inflamed with such desire of religion was as yet ignoraunt of those things which comprehende all the maner of our saluation God oftentymes permitteth this not for that he is eyther vnmindfull of his promises or enuyeth vs the knowledge of his worde but for that by this delaying he will kindle in vs a more feruent desire exercise our faith and teach vs that the misteryes of his wisdome be more high than can bee atteyned to by mans diligence and capacitie Therefore let this delaying offende no man but let vs rather go on in feruent desire of the truth and search out the healthfull mysteryes of the diuine wisedome and Christ will not fayle of his promise which offereth himselfe to be founde of them that seeke him Also Philips easie entreatance is to be marked who by and by openeth his mouth that is to say beginneth a diligent discourse of the place of the Prophete wherein he beginneth to preach Iesus Christ vnto the Aethiop And it is very lyke he also diligently expounded all the other thinges which are contayned in the same Chapter touching Christ declared that they ought to be vnderstanded of Iesus Christ the sonne of God and of Marie â–ª Here are two thinges to be obserued First what ought to be preached Iesus Christ and he onely Not for that his name shoulde be oftentimes foolishly repeated and iterated but whatsoeuer things belong to our saluation must be declared to be in him alone For the father hath giuen him only by whom true repentance and remission of sinnes commeth vnto vs as Peter before hath taught vs And in him onely is lyfe and saluation to be founde Wherefore they are both foolishe and false teachers whosoeuer teache these thinges without Christ or shewe them to be in anye other beside him The other thing that we be taught is howe the doctrine and preaching of Christ maye be taken and learned out of the bookes of the Prophetes Yea among all other things extant beside them there whereby it can be prooued Chryst himselfe confesseth the same where he sayth those thinges be conteyned in Moses and the Prophetes which he did and suffered for our saluation Himselfe in the schoole at Nazareth being about to teach the knowledge of true saluation and of himselfe taketh the place of Esaye reade in the .lxj. chapter to expounde Therefore wicked and execrable is the ingratitude of them which disdainfully contemne the bookes of the olde Testament Let vs rather acknowledge the grace of God which woulde vnderset and beare vp the knowledge of his sonne with so many and so euident testimonies lette vs seeke the same with feruent desire that after thexample of the Eunuch being therwith indued we may reygne with Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxij. Homelie AND as they went on their way they came vnto a certaine water and the ChaÌ„berlain said see here is water what doth let me to be baptised Philip said vnto him If thou beleeue with all thine heart thou mayest And hee aunswered and sayde I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of god And hee commaunded the Chariot to stande still And they went downe both into the water both Philip and also the Chamberlaine and he baptised him And as soone as they were come out of the water the spirite of the Lorde caught awaye Philip and the Chamberlaine sawe him no more And he went on his waye reioycing But Philip was founde at Azotus And he walked through the Countrie preaching in all the Cities till he came to Caesarea YEsterday your charitie heard the Sermon of Philip wherewith he conuerted the Eunuch This he tooke out of the writinges of Esay The argument thereof was Iesus Christ whose mysteries no doubt he diligently expounded declaring that he was the sauiour of the worlde that was promysed in whome God the father as Peter before thys taught vs giueth vs both repentaunce remission of our sinnes Now followeth the effect of this Sermon which herein appeareth that the Eunuch being endued with the knowledge of Christ desyreth to be baptysed in his name and to be receyued into the outwarde societie of the Church by a visible signe and sacrament which he would neuer haue done vnlesse the spirite of God had marueylously wrought in his mynde which he promised vnto his elect Nowe let vs see the Eunuches baptisme the description whereof Luke diligentlye setteth forth bicause euery circumstaunce thereof serueth aswell for our consolation as our instruction First commeth the Eunuch who after he had hearde Philip a good while intreating of Christes mysteries and perceiued that his mind was drawne and illuminated with the power of the spirite assoone as he sawe water desired to be baptised for this is the saying of an ardent desire Beholde here is water what doth lette but I may be baptysed Whereof may be gathered that Philip among other things had intreated of baptisme also according to the institution of Christ whereby he will haue those that beleeue in him to be consecrated vnto him and taken into the body of his Church whereby also he sealeth vnto vs his benefites as sometime he vsed to doe in Circumcision as Paule hath taught vs Therefore where the Eunuch had receyued Chryst wyth all his heart he coulde refrayne no longer but would testifie his beliefe also and be numbred in the Church of Christe by this solemne ceremonie he woulde be numbred and taken for one of Chrystes Church And here we haue to consider the propertie of fayth wherein two things are to be noted First that fayth cannot long lye hid but after that it hath conceyued Christ in the minde and hath instructed the whole manne with the knowledge of Christ it will shewe also forth it selfe and by outwarde profession of name be seperated from others desiring to be graffed in Christ and to be consecrated to him For it knoweth that God is a iealous God which will not suffer anye other religion among his people It knoweth that Iesus Christ chose him a peculiar people out of all the world whome he will haue to giue themselfe
plainely testified that our saluation is conteyned in Iesus Christ alone he nowe beginneth by narration of the historie more at large to explicate and dilate the same and that in such sort that it maye easilye appeare howe all the thinges that belong to the redeeming of mankynde are performed by Christ. He beginneth his narration with the time and place shewing where and when Christ began to be knowne Also he citeth them for witnesses of the things which fame long before had bruted so farre abrode least any man might iudge the hystorie to be vncertaine or doubtfull you sayth he know that word which was published ouer all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached It is not without a cause that he maketh mention of the place forasmuch as Esay sometime prophecied that Christ shoulde beginne to preach in Galiley as Mathew also hath noted in his .iiij. Chapter and Esay 9. And it seemeth he alleageth the time for none other cause saying this preaching beganne after the baptisme of Iohn bicause the Prophetes foreshewed that he shoulde be the first Minister of the new Testament and the forerunner of the promised Sauiour For that those things belong vnto him which are reade in Esay 40. of a voyce crying in the wildernesse and in Malachie of Elias appeareth by the writinges of the Euangelistes and by the testimonie of Christ himselfe in Mathewe the .xj. Chapter more manifest than needeth long demonstration They are therfore by this place confuted which denye that Iohn ought to be accounted among the Ministers of the Gospell Whereas it is playne that he bare witnesse of Christ and sent his Disciples of fayth and good zeale vnto Christ. And prepared all the people aswell by his doctrine as by baptisme to embrace and receyue Christ which office of his his father Zacharie by inspiration of the holy spirit acknowledged in him assoone as he was borne We haue here rather to marke diligentlye that the businesse of Christ Iesus and his Gospell beganne by Iohn whose dutie it was to prepare their mindes that shoulde be the Disciples of Christ by the doctrine of repentance and baptisme For this waye Christ thought good to declare that hee woulde haue no man to seeke howe to lyue licentiouslye and fleshly vnder the pretence of him which thing it is euident both many did in tymes past and many doe the same in these dayes also and euen those which glorye in the name of the Gospell For the which cause Christ himselfe thought good to beginne his teaching with repentance and bade the Apostles afterward to beginne with the same Math. 4. and .10 Luc. 24. And they are not to be hearde which seperate the doctrine of repentance from the Gospell wheras without repentaunce we cannot be partakers of the saluation which is in christ And yet for all this we attribute not saluation to mannes merite or righteousnesse bicause we are commaunded to preach repentance in the name of christ And Peter before Act. 5. hath taught vs that God the father hath appoynted Christ to be the author and giuer thereof vnto vs In the meane season they are reprooued also which slaunderously say that we open gappes to the fleshe whereby to sinne by preaching of the Gospell whereas these men for none other cause more hate and persecute the Gospell than for that it grieuously accuseth and inueyeth agaynst their open wickednesse and the cloked hypocrisie of a great many Furthermore it behooueth vs to marke how the Apostle speaketh of the ministery of Iohn For he sayeth he preached Baptisme He ioyneth preaching with Baptisme to declare he was a minister both of doctrine and the sacrament For as by Baptisme he admonished men that they were purged made cleane so expounding the misteries therof by words he taught vs that purification is to be had in Christ only that worthy fruits of repentance are required of them that are purified Wherby it appeareth it is necessary that teaching be ioined with the sacraments forasmuch as without it the mysteries of the sacraments cannot be vnderstanded So God in the beginning commaunded that the meanyng of the feast of Passeouer should be declared vnto the children And we see that the sermons of the prophets are chiefly busied in declaring the misteries of the sacrifices and ceremonies of the lawe while they most grieuously reprehende them which carefully obserued the sacrifices neglecting in the meane season the duties of life by them signified And Christ a little before he departed from his Disciples cōmaunded them not only to baptize but chiefly commended vnto them the preachyng of the Gospell Which thing Paule so diligently obserued that he confesseth how he preached euerywhere but baptized verye fewe These thinges serue to confute them which tying grace to the outwarde signes thinke the vse of them alone sufficient vnto saluation and vse no doctrine wherby to declare the vse of them yea they vse a straunge tounge in the administration of them But how absurde a thing this ought to be iudged Paule sheweth at large in the first to the Corinthians and .xiiij. chapter Hauing nowe declared the beginning of the Gospell he sheweth that Iesus Christ is the author thereof to the ende he woulde notifie vnto vs what and what maner of one we ought to beleeue he is He expressely calleth him Iesus of Nazareth for that we should acknowledge it is he whom by reason of the basenesse of his countrie and bicause of his poore and lowly conuersation outwardly all men contemned Him he testifyeth that God annoynted teaching by these wordes that he is the Sauiour of mankinde which God had long before ordeyned For he maketh mention of annoynting bicause of the olde figure For of olde time the Priests and Kinges of Israel vsed to be annoynted who it is manifest were figures of the Sauiour promised And it was a receyued opinion that the promised Sauiour was called by the name of the Messias or Christ that is to saye annoynted bicause this denomination did declare his Priesthoode and kingdome and all the whole order of our redemption wherevpon the Disciples being asked in the gospell whome they sayde Iesus was they confessed he was Christ that annoynted of god Moreouer least some man might think him to be of no more excellency than other Priests and Kings who by reason of their outward annointing were called by the same name Peter teacheth that he was annoynted wyth the holy ghost and with power alluding no doubt to that verse of Dauid who prophecying of the kingdome of that promysed Sauiour sayth God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Thus he calleth the holy ghost by whose guyding the sonne of God became man and so administred his kingdome and Priesthoode that there is perceyued no griefe or sorowe therein but all kinde of pleasauntnesse and delyght For so he interpreteth the same in the Prophet saying The spirite
followe him to giue themselues wholy to him bicause in him onely those things were to be founde which are fygured by outwarde baptisme For who is able to performe them without the operation of the holy spirite Therefore the glorye you haue in Iohn your teacher is of so little sufficiencie that his doctrine and baptisme wherewith you were baptized compelleth you to go further so to cleaue vnto Christ that being graffed in him through a liuely fayth and quickened with his spirite you may declare by the very effectes of the holy ghost that you are true Christians And that this is the verye playne and vnracked meaning of Paules wordes the whole order of the hystorye prooueth Wherefore foolish is the error of them which by this place go about to prooue that Iohn his baptisme and Christes was not all one but diuers For that is a thing so farre from Paules meaning that it rather prooueth howe men are sent by the baptisme of water that Iohn ministred vnto Christ in whome onely those thinges are to be taken holde of the tokens whereof we receyue in baptisme Also here is a generall rule confyrmed how it is not to be borne with that they that will be taken for true worshippers of God shoulde stay or rest vpon the authoritie of man but that they ought to be vrged to giue themselues wholy vnto Christ to liue in him by the quickening of his spirite least while they professe him with their mouth they declare by their deedes howe they be farthest of from him Furthermore Luke ioyneth herevnto a moste prosperous ende of this hystorie For these persons being conuict in their consciences through the secrete working of the holye ghost yeelded vnto Paules reasons and were baptized in the name of the Lorde Iesus These wordes must not be expounded of the baptisme of water as though they receiued that againe For so it shoulde followe that Iohns baptisme had not bene lawfull nor sufficient to consecrate men vnto god But that this is an absurde thing to be sayde both the example of Christ teacheth vs which did vouchsafe to be baptised of Iohn and so to become a copartener with vs and also this thing prooueth the same for that we no where read how they were rebaptised whom Iohn had baptised before wherefore this place must be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre the Minister or author whereof Iohn before had sayde that Christ shoulde be For the holye ghost was giuen in the likenesse of fyre whereof we spake in the seconde Chapter of this booke And it is manifest that this worde baptising is often vsed for the giuing of the holy ghost and his giftes For so Iohn vseth it speaking of Christ he shall baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire Christ being ready to ascende vp into heauen vseth it in the same sense saying you shall bee baptised with the holye ghost within these fewe dayes Which phrase of speach Peter vttered in the same sense before the congregation intreating of Cornelius conuersion So in this place Luke teacheth vs howe this worde baptising ought to be taken whyle by waye of exposition he addeth And when Paule had layde his handes on them the holye ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and did prophecie Therefore by laying on of handes they were consecrated or appoynted onely vnto Christ and after that followed the holye ghost accoâ—ding as we hearde came to passe at Samaria also Wherevppon it appeareth that the olde writers abused this place whyle by authoritie hereof they contended that those ought to be newe baptised which had bene baptised by heretykes before Herein they were deceyued that they thought Iohn and Christes baptisme of water was diuers And the ignorance of the Anabaptistes is as great that apply vnto the baptisme of water that which ought to be vnderstanded of the baptisme of fyre that is to saye of the receyuing and gyft of the holy ghost But we haue principally to consider the ende and vse of the myracle that is how God ment to confyrme and adorne the authoritie of his Gospell hereby among the Gentyles as we haue already oftentimes declared Let vs therefore beleeue the Gospell whose credite and truth is prooued by so many and notable signes and woonders Let vs in lyfe aunswere to the profession of our fayth that we being quickened with the spirite of Christ maye liue in him to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxvj. Homelie AND he went into the Synagoge and behaued himselfe boldlye for the space of three monethes disputing and giuing them exhortations of the kingdome of god When diuers waxed harde hearted and beleeued not but spake euill of the way and that before the multitude he departed from them and seperated the disciples And he disputed daily in the schoole of one called Tyranus â–ª And this continued by the space of twoo yeares so that all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesu both Iewes and Greekes And God wrought speciall myracles by the handes of Paule so that from his body were brought vnto the sicke Napkins and Partelettes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirites went out of them AFter the Euangelist Luke hath declared how Paule had fullye enstructed those twelue menne at Ephesus which liued not aunswereable to their profession he sheweth afterwarde how by the ministery of the same Paule the kingdome of God was spredde farre and neare both among the Ephesians and ouer all the Countrie bordering vpon Asia And this present place comprehendeth the summe of this hystorie in the consideration whereof we must be the more diligent bicause there are diuers thinges in euery part thereof which serue for the common instruction of vs all After this he sheweth what was done with the reprobate and vnbeleeuing Thirdly he describeth the singuler profyte and commoditie of the Apostles labour and traueyle First the Euangelist comprehendeth the whole summe of Paules doctrine in fewe wordes where he sayeth that he entred into the Synagoge and there disputed three monthes togther boldly and exhorted men to receyue the kingdome of god Therefore as otherwheres so here also he preacheth fyrst to the Iewes Hereby appeareth partly the great mercy of God towarde so rebellious and frowarde a people and partly a moste feruent and syncere affection of charitie in Paule which by so manye and grieuous iniuries coulde not be quenched But bicause we haue hereof intreated diuers times already let vs omit this poynt and see what trade of teaching Paule vsed among the Ephesians wherevnto there appertayne three things whereof Luke discourseth Fyrst he nameth the place and sayth he taught in the open Synagoge That therefore that Paule diligently obserued in other places he thought good to vse also at Ephesus namely to teach in one certayne and publike place although he knewe well the Iewes vsages which in that place bare all the rule Whereby
Saintes companye how profitable it is 879 Saintes how much wee must attribute to them 161 Saintes are tryed with feare 684 Sapphira maketh an impotent and bolde lye 229 Sapphira ignoraunt of hir husbands death for a season and why 232 Sapphiras wickednesse reproued by Peter ibidem Sapphira punished as was hir husbande 237 Satan put men out of the waye of saluation 576 577 Satan can doe nothing against man but by gods permission 410 Satan hath his instrumentes euerye where 576 Satan throwne out by the name of Christ. 629 Satan what traines he vseth to establishe his kingdome among men Pag. 627 Satan howe hee is sayde to fill the heartes of the vngodlye 230 Satan beareth witnesse to the truth Pag. 628.629 Satans â—lightes must be taken heede of 577 Satans effectes in Hypocrites and in the wicked 230 Satans propertie 357 Satans pollicie 576 Saule receyueth a two folde answere of the Lorde 395 Saule persecuting the faythfull persecuteth Christ. 790 Saule an example of a cruel tyraunt Pag. 390.359 Saule truely called a rauening wolfe Pag. 357 Saule set forth for a peculiar example of Gods goodnesse and grace Pag. 394.395 Saule authorised by the Priestes to playe the Tyraunt 390 Saule when he was conuerted 392 Saule how he was conuerted ibideÌ„ Saule a president of tyranny 390 Saules conuerting to Christ historised 392 Saules ende and purpose 391 Saule the persecutor described 390 Saule the persecutors punishment Pag. 394 Saules saluation must be attributed to the grace of God onely 395 S ante C Schisme beginners are the byshops of Rome 194 Schooles foundations 49.84 Schooles needefull 509 Sclaunders wherewith Ministers are charged 467 Sclaunders must Christians put away and defende their good name Pag. 91 Sclaunders maye lawfullye be aunswered to ibidem Sclaunder or offence ibidem Scripture is of it selfe of credyte and auctoritie sufficyent 867 Scripture is enspired of God. 54 Scripture conteyneth al thing needefull for vs to beleue and obserue 7 Scripture of the olde and newe Testamentes pertayneth to all them that loue God. ibdem. Scripture must be expounded 647 Scriptures authoritie and certaynetye 897 Scripture must bee interpreted by conference of places 127 Scripture with what minde men must reade it 62 Scripture must be elucidated wyth interpretations 398 Scripture containeth the knowledge of the true God. 571 S ante E Sectes cause of discention among the Iewes 803 Securitie or carelesnesse must bee auoyded 269 Sedition described 722 Sedition happily ended 653 Sedition ended with ioye 653 Sedicion soone appeased 728 Sedition beginners who 770 In sedicion what christians must do Pag. 725 Seditious persons but fewe in number maye be authors of manifolde euilles 724 Sermons ought to beginne and ende with prayers 754 Seruers of tyrauntes turnes what they may looke for 504 S ante H Shipwrake described and the number of them that were in the shippe Pag. 885 A true sheapeheardes example 764 Shooes putting of what it meaneth Pag. 328 S ante L Sleepinesse or drowsinesse of churchmen 733 Slouthfulnesse of men in our dayes Pag. 272 Slouthfull men reprehended 890 Sluggishnesse and ydlenesse 653 S ante I Signes externe seale the interne and spirituall gyftes of God. 304.305 Signes visible of the presence of the holy ghost 82 Signes that God sheweth must bee dilygently considered 158 Signes externe are not sufficient to saluation 305 Signes called after the names of the things that they signifie 80.290 Signes haue muche lykenesse wyth the thinges that they signifie 80 Signes are diuerse 159 Signes to what vse they serue 359 Signes must not haue to much attributed to them 305 Sticking to signes is the beginning of ydolatrie 158 Simon how he tooke Peters expostulation 374 Simon Magus beleeueth and is baptised 367 Simon Magus an example of an hipocrite and a deceyuour 268 Simon Magus his sinne 370 Simons of our dayes 371 Simplicitie of the fayth 672 S ante O Solomon for his wiues sake that were aliauntes buylded Temples Pag. 340 Solomons wish 20 Sole or single lyfe maintayners 46 Soules of men vnder the protection of God. 119 S ante P Spirites appearing what wee ought to iudge of it 762 Spirite of Christ author of concorde and holynesse 78 Spirite of Christe his efficacy how great it is in men 155 Spirite of Christ in whome it raigneth 90 Spirites of the disseassed walke not Pag. 500 Spirite signified by the blowing of the winde and for what cause 79 Spirite of Christ so delyuereth vs from fearâ— that wee dare boldelye confesse Christ. 86 Spirite of God is from euerlasting Pag. 74 Spirite why it was promised to the Apostles 19 Spirite teacheth vs to reason of Gods doings and to call vpon him for helpe 84 Spirite of God wrought in the Apostles 74 Spirite of God spake by the Apostles 8 Spirite of Christ maketh men bolde in the confession of Christ. 85 Spirite of God altereth and enformeth tongues and for what causes Pag. 84 Spirite is the promise of the father Pag. 18 Spirite when he was sent 75 Spirite what daye he was sent to the Apostles ibi Spirite how he must be receyued 77 Spirite how he is giuen to whom Pag. 94 Spirite how he is sent 78 Spirite in what scence it is sayde to be sent to the Fathers 18.19 Spirite often promised and wherefore 74 Spirite where it was giuen ibidem Spirite sent visibly for what cause Pag. 78 Spirites effect in the Apostles and their hearers 82 Spirites effectes common to all beleeuers 96 Spirite how necessarie and to what vse in men 78 Spirites inuincible power 558 Spirites sending and Christes ascention ioyned togyther 124 Spirites sending called by the name of baptisme 21 Spirite promised Christ confirmeth by an argument taken from baptisme and the argument explicated ib. Spirites operation and giftes 77 Spirites effectuous operation 124 Spirites effectes in these dayes why they be so rare 258 Spirite promysed serueth for our comfort and instruction 19 Spirites power can not be comprehended nor hindred by any man. 80 Spirite howe the Apostles are sayde to haue receyued 74 Spirite must bee receyued of men with great preparation 77 Spirite of Satan what it doth in vncleane persons 85 Spirite of the olde and newe testament is but one 76 S ante T Steuen accused of impietie and stubbornenesse and vpon what occasion 288 Steuen accused of blasphemye against God and his lawe 292 Steuen by slaunders and false witnesse brought in hatred with all the people 287 Steuen instructed by the holy Ghost sheweth himselfe a fine disputer and abolde ibid. Steuen readye to yelde vp his lyfe is comforted by a vision and what that vision teacheth vs. 334 Steuen is without feare though in daunger of death 290 Steuen went not about to abrogate the lawe 351 Steuen prooueth that the cerimoniall lawe is abrogated ibid. Steuen deserued the crowne of martirdome 357 Steuen what he did at his death 355 Steuen no dispiser of Moses 321 Steuen blasphemed not the Temple and holy place nor the outwarde seruise 345
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
that Iesus Christ which otherwheres receyueth no testimonye of man woulde prooue his promise by an argument taken from the authoritie of Iohn and his baptisme For this is the guise and maner of God to accommodate himselfe to our capacitie for that he would haue it appeare that Iohn spake by the holy ghost This therfore seemeth to me to be the meaning of Christes words If you remember with your selues both the things which I haue sundry times promised you and which you haue heard of Iohn my forerunner you can no longer doubt of the sending of the holye ghost For when he baptised those that came to him in Iordane he gathered the people not to himselfe but to me whom he truely confessed to be more excellent than himselfe and shewed them what I would giue them that beleued in me euen the holy ghost which is the spirite of adoption and earnest of saluation kindled in the beleeuing people a great desire of my kingdome The water of baptisme was a figure of this benefite which afterward I should bestow vpō them Which seeing ye haue receyued of Iohn not without the inspiration of God doubt not of the things which he hath promised you For as Iohn hath discharged his dutie towardes you and hath receyued you being sprinkled with water into the felowship of my body which is the Church euen so wil I not fayle truly to accomplishe that that belongeth to my charge that is to poure out my spirite most abundantly vpon you the signe whereof you haue already receyued This sense I say seemeth of all other most agreeable to Christes purpose Neyther ment Christ here to make a difference betweene his and Iohns outwarde baptisme For it is plaine that Iohns baptisme and Christs was all one forasmuch as Christ would be baptised of him He rather maketh a difference betweene the signe and the thing signified by the signe and betweene his and Iohns office He calleth the sending of the holy ghost by the name of baptisme by an allusion and bicause of the proportion that is perceyued to be betweene the outwarde signes and the things signified But we haue in these wordes two things most worthy to be considered First that we ought to make a difference betweene the Ministers and Christ whose Ministers they are least we attribute to them that that belongeth only to christ Iohn baptiseth with water but Christ giueth the holy ghost So the Minister is occupied about outward things while he preacheth the word admonisheth exhorteth rebuketh comforteth prayeth for the congregation ministreth the sacraments But they themselues be subiect to Christ which according to his good will quickneth the seede of the word in them by his holy spirit worketh holy motions cheereth them with comfort and to conclude reformeth and frameth them after the image of God neyther mattereth it that all these thinges sometimes be attributed to the Ministers and that Paule sayth he had begotten the Corinthians in Christ and that he traueyleth againe with the Galathians For where God hauing no neede of vs doth vouchsafe to vse men as his coadiutors bicause he would haue the Ministery by him ordeyned in the more authoritie therefore vseth he to adorne it with such titles For the which cause the same Paule sayth vnto the Corinthians whom he perceyued too much addicted to the Ministers What is Paule what is Apollo but Ministers by whom you haue beleeued and as the Lorde hath giuen to euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watred but it is God that giueth the increase So neyther is he that planteth any thing neyther he that watereth but God which giueth the increase If these thinges be obserued both we shall worthily esteeme of the Ministerie and giue all the glory of our saluation to Christ for the which his spirite euery where in the Scriptures so earnestly laboureth Secondarily it is very worthye the consideration that Christ taketh an argument from baptisme to prooue to his Apostles the truth of his promise Wee are taught hereby that the Sacramentes doe so seale the promises and benefites of God that wee neede no whit to doubt of the same For God mocketh vs not with vaine shewes and promises but whatsoeuer he promiseth in worde and sealeth with sacraments the same hee vseth to perfourme in deede He promiseth vs by the preaching of the gospell forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of Iesu Christ and the spirite of adoption whereby we are made the children of god He addeth as a seale to his promise baptisme where we being visibly washed are receyued into the outwarde societie of the Church or children of god Therfore whosoeuer beleeueth the promise of the Gospell hee is so certayne of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes of his adoption and the possession of the heauenly inheritance as he is certayne hee is washed with baptisme By a lyke reason are we taught in the Gospell that the flesh and bloude of Christ were gyuen and offred on the aultar of the crosse for the lyfe of the worlde that the sinnes of the worlde should be purged with the sacrifice of the immaculate lambe Christ hath ioyned to this promise his supper the remembraunce of hys death in steade of a seale therof Therefore whosoeuer beleeueth the Gospell is as certaine that Christes body and bloude was offred for his sinnes and is as surely fedde with the merite of Christes bodye and bloude vnto lyfe euerlasting as hee is sure that he receyueth part of the breade and wine at the Lordes table according to Christes institution And after this sort the sacraments are sayd to seale the righteousnesse of fayth and to confirme and feede our fayth not that the outwarde elements conceyue anye secrete vertue or power by the wordes of consecration for that efficacy and power must be attributed to all that holy businesse by reason of Christes institution which institution if thou take away alter or breake thou prophanest and ouerthrowest the sacrament vtterly Therfore our myndes must be lift vp that the thing we testifye by outwarde action wee may perfourme by fayth which only apprehendeth Christ and the benefites which he hath bestowed on vs and gathereth vs into the number of those which shall raigne with him in heauen to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth Homelie WHEN they therefore were come togither they asked of him saying Lorde wilt thou at this time restore againe the kingdome to Israell And hee sayde vnto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power But yee shall receyue power after that the holy ghost is come vpon you And you shall be witnesses vnto me not onely in Hierusalem but also in Iurie and in Samarie and euen vnto the worldes ende AFter Luke with great diligence hath declared how our sauiour Iesus Christ instructed his Apostles whō he would haue to be teachers of al the world with
declareth the office of Christ calling him a Prophete Howbeit Moyses was not ignorant that Christ should be both a King and the Redeemer of mankinde and denyeth it not in this place but maketh mention of his office which for his purpose and matter in hand was chiefly to be required Prophetes whether they shewe of things to come or else by the worde of God admonish men of things present are the interpreters and openers of Gods will. But bicause Christ shoulde be a Priest in the Church of God for euer he must not abstayne from teaching which is the chiefe poynt required in a Priest as maye be seene Malachie 2. Wherfore also in another place he is described in the person of a Prophete or preacher as in Esay 61. Which place he himselfe expoundeth of himselfe in the sinagoge at Nazareth And he is not declared to be such an one in the olde Testament only but God hath set him forth also being here on earth by a very solemne and open authorisement to be the vniuersall and vndoubted teacher of all the worlde Whereas vpon mount Thabor before most credible witnesses both of the deade and of the liuing that is to saye before Moyses and Elias Peter Iames and Iohn he pronounced that notable saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him And Christ himselfe followed the office of teaching with great studie and diligence and openly confesseth that he was sent for that cause Therefore it is not without a cause that Moyses and Peter calleth him a Prophet And we are taught by this place that it is not sufficient if we confesse Christ to be our sauiour and Redeemer vnlesse we acknowledge him to be a teacher sent of God and doe that dutie to him that schollers owe to a faythfull and trustie schoolemaister Thou shalt moreouer consider howe we ought to reuerence the ministerie whereby the Gospell is preached For whereby can it more singularly be commended than by the example of the sonne of God who both himselfe was a minister on the earth and appoynted the ministerie to be alwaye in his Church wherevnto Paule hauing a respect sayth that wee be messengers in the roume of Christ and preache vnto the worlde the worde of attonement Which woulde God both the hearers and ministers woulde alwaye remember least the one sort thinke to contemptuously of the ministerie and the other through their naughtynesse make it to be laughed at Thirdly is declared what maner a Prophete Christ should be to saye like vnto Moyses Which is not so to be taken as though we shoulde acknowledge in Christ nothing of more excellencie than in Moyses whereas Moyses was but a meere man and a sinner and Christ was both God and man the author of our saluation But this similitude or comparison must be referred to the office of a Prophete and figure of Christ which Moyses bare wherein many things both pleasant and profitable come to be considered First Paule testifieth of Moyses that he had rather to suffer sorrowe and affliction with the people of God than to be taken for Pharao his Nephewe and enioye the treasures and delightes of Egypt The same affection we see in Christ who being in the shape of God humbled and abased himselfe and taking on him the shape of a seruaunt chose rather to be afflicted with vs and to die for vs than to see vs any longer in misery Furthermore as Moyses was of his brethren moste vnworthilye refused so when Christ came amongst his owne his owne receyued him not and before Pylate they denyed him saying wee haue no king but Caesar. Yea and nowe a dayes also he is most vnworthily reiected of manye to whome he offreth himselfe and in himselfe eternall life and saluation through the Gospell Thirdly as Moyses deliuered the people of God from the cruell tyrannie of Pharao brought them out of Egypt and drowned them in the surges of the read sea so the sonne of God hath deliuered mankinde from the power of the deuill and brusting the bondes of sinne and death hath slayne Satan the spirituall Pharao with all his preparation engines and armor through the merite of his bloude Fourthly as Moyses lyke a faithfull shepehearde ledde the people of Israell safely through the vnknowne wayes of the wildernesse so Iesus Christ is that faythfull shepeherde that goeth before his sheepe and leadeth vs safelye through the deserte of this worlde being full of all kinde of daungers by the light of his worde and guiding of his spirite Fifthly as Moyses gaue Manna to the people being an hungred and gat springes of water out of the rocke for them being a a thirst so Iesus Christ feedeth our soules vnto life euerlasting by the merite of his flesh hath opened in his side a most plentifull fountaine of saluation by the which only al thirsty drouthes of the soule are quenched See Iohn 6.4.7.19 Sixthly as Moyses was the interpretor of Gods worde to the people when they were not able to abide the maiestie of God speaking to them so where none of vs hath seene God nor can see him as long as we be clothed with this mortall fleshe the sonne of God which is in the bosome of his father hath declared vnto vs whatsoeuer behooueth vs to knowe of God and prooueth by that argument that he taketh vs for his friendes bicause he hath hid none of these things from vs which he heard of his father Seuenthly as all the weyghtie causes which coulde not be discussed by the ordinarie Iudges vsed to be referred and brought vnto Moyses and he receyuing sentence from the mouth of the Lorde declared it and that was taken for vndoubted and ought not to be countermaunded as may be seene Exod. 18. and .33 Leuit. 24. Numer 15. c. so whatsoeeuer things eyther in the mysteries of faith and kingdome of heauen or in the conuersation of our whole lyfe passe the capacitie of our reason it behooueth they be referred to Christ onely and we must stand to his sentence so that we must subdue all our vnderstanding to the obedience of fayth which Paule testifieth is the end and scope of the Gospell Eightly as Moyses alwaye made intercession so God for the people as oft as they sinned and did it so faythfullye that for their sakes he desired to be wyped out of the booke of God So Christ when the sentence of damnation hoong ouer all our heades made intreatie for vs and woulde become accursed for vs to deliuer vs from the curse The same also being made a mediatour betweene God and man maketh alwayes intercession for vs to the father And as manye as feele they haue deserued Gods wrathe through their sinnes must vse him for their aduocate and spokesman vnto god Many other things might be alleaged in the which it is manifest Christ was like vnto Moyses or rather an absolute and perfite accomplisher of
to bende and bring al their force to those places where the enimies stronglyest assault them Let them whome the Lorde hath appoynted gouernors and pastors of the congregation doe the like Neyther are they to be heard which thinke those things ought to be suppressed and not spoken of which offende the aduersaries in our preaching For the Lord hath appointed vs ministers of his word not maisters and iudges vpon whose determination and appointment his doctrine must depende Therfore their boldnesse is most wicked which dare take vppon them to prescribe the holye spirite which is the only gouernour of the Church and of doctrine Secondly he sheweth howe the whole Church was giuen to vnitie and concorde The multitude sayth he were of one heart and one soule The meaning is that they were all of one minde and will the ende whereof vndoubtedly was none other than the enlargement of Christes kingdome This likenesse and parilitie of will and minde bringeth forth true friendship and stable concorde For they which haue this marke before them to set forth the kingdome of Christ are nothing desirous of their priuate lucre which thing alone disturbeth all friendship It shall appeare this was a singular worke of the holy ghost if we consider that the multitude of the beleeuers in whom this concorde consent so euidently appeared were fyue thousand persons This truly is the right marke and token of the faithfull such as they are neuer without For they that acknowledge but one father in heauen are receyued into one baptisme be but one bodie vnder Christ the head and are all quickned but with one spirit of Christ it cannot be that they can be deuided among themselues Therefore Christ appointed this as a cognisaunce to knowe his by saying By this shall all men knowe that you are my Disciples if you loue one another And agayne Paule by this argument prooueth the Corinthians as yet to be carnall by reason of the enuie contention and deuision that was among them It is worthye to be considered how after they had hearde the threates and wicked attemptes of their enimies they gaue themselues so earnestly to mutuall loue and vnitie That is the very propertie of loue then most to shewe his effectes when he seeth his brethren compassed about with daunger necessitie and to haue most neede of helpe This example condemneth the guise of our daies wherin men are destitute voide of all vnity and concord We heare amongest the professors of the faith and doctrine of the Gospell the factious names of Zwinglians and Lutheranes And so farre is this emulation spred that where the one part is in daunger the other forsake their brethren and without any pittie or mercie laugh in their sleeues at them Yea many times they declare their ioye by bitter tauntes and offer the members of Christ hanging vpon the crosse vinegar mingled with gall To say nothing in the meane season of the contentions raylings vpbraydings and slaundering one of another that is among them It is to be feared therfore least while we bite one another we be bitten and destroyed one of another Who soeuer in their distresses will haue any ayde or helpe of God must first be ioyned togither in minde through charitie But least any man might thinke this ioyning of mindes stoode in bare and vaine affection he sheweth in the thirde part howe they declared the same by their deedes First he maketh mention of beneuolence and helping of the poore the exercise wherof they cannot omitte whose mindes agree togither in christ And this place is moste worthye to be considered both bicause of the Anabaptistes who as we declared before in the seconde chap. go about by this place to establish Plato his communion of all things and bicause of false gospellers which intermit all exercise of Christian contribution Therfore for the more easie vnderstanding of this Treatise we will first consider the summe of the matter then the trade and order which the faithfull obserued in this case and last of all what the fruite and effect hereof was He comprehendeth the summe hereof in fewe wordes where he sayth No man sayde ought of the things that he possessed was his owne but they had all things common Here the propertie of things is not denied bicause there is expresse mention â—â—de of possession but he expresseth the affection of minde which the faithfull had who although they possessed houses fermes and such other like yet no man was so wedded to them that he thought they were giuen to him alone but woulde haue them to serue the vse and necessitie of others also Whereby we gather that all thinges were common among them by will but not by lawe After which sort the Prouerbe sayth all things are common among friendes And in this place the true fountaine of Christian beneuolence and contribution is declared that is to say a minde which is not addict and tyed to the desire of riches but which iudgeth truly of them and the vse of them For according to Paules saying the vse of the riches of this worlde consisteth onely in meate and drinke and clothing wherein howseroume also is vnderstanded forasmuch as we be borne naked into this worlde neyther shall we carie any thing hence with vs But where the faithfull person vnderstandeth that mannes nature is suffised with few things he cannot be drowned in ouer great desire of heaping riches togither and he iudgeth not his treasure to consist in them and although he seeth they multiplie increase yet he setteth not his whole hart vpon them But vnderstanding rather that he is but a stewarde of them he laboureth to make him friendes of the vniust Mammon which may receyue him when he shall haue neede into euerlasting habitations The consideration hereof maketh the goodes of the faythfull to be common vnto other although they keepe to themselues the right of propertie The maner and order which they obserued in thys distribution maketh for the declaration of thys sense For thereof Luke sayth As many as were possessours of houses and landes solde them and brought the price of the things that were solde and layde them downe at the Apostles feete And distribution was made to euery man according as he had neede First he sayth houses and landes were solde which euery man dyd not ne yet they that did sell solde all and reserued nothing to themselues For there are dyuers examples of many which had houses of their owne and kept families which Paule not onely permytted but also as we may reade he streightly commaunded the same Therefore they solde as much as seemed requisite for the present necessitie of the Church and it was at euery mans disposition eyther to keepe or sell his owne as shall hereafter appeare by Peters wordes to Ananias Further they layde not the price or money downe for all men to take but brought it to the Apostles