THE Agreemente of Sondry places of Scripture seeming in shew to Iarre Seruing in stead of Commentaryes not onely for these but others lyke Translated out of French and nowe fyrst publyshed by Arthure Broke ¶ Seene and allowed accordyng to the ordre appoynted in the Queenes Maiestyes Iniunctions Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Crane by Lucas Harrison Anno. 1563. The Prynter to the Reader THE AVTHOVRS ABsence whose only couÌ„tenauÌ„ce wold haue feared faults polished a far meaner work pleadeth in excuse of the apparauÌ„t flacknesse in perusiÌ„g this smal treatise which as now it swarmes with matter and singuler ê“fite had also flowed wyth EloqueÌ„cemought he haue enioyed himself wheÌ„ the Realm thought good to coÌ„mauÌ„d him But syth euen absent he mought hereby benefit the godly though repyning to see his learned knowledge racked froÌ„ EloqueÌ„ce enforced he was by my oft entreaties to leaue behinde him this orphane Babe Worthy in deede for lawfull and vnspotted doctrine to beare his Syres Name howbeit yet rough vnmete to match with many other his trauaylles satisfieng the hygh expectation that fame had blowen of hym NotwithstaÌ„ding syth it is not the least tryal of mercy to father the fatherlesse what he disdayneth in this youÌ„g Imp for it hath not yet raught the honorable roomes of the rest that ye to whoÌ„ hereby coÌ„modity by our meanes shall grow accept to your patronage That as the cause of imperfection if any be rose for your sakes through my meanes so the ê“tection froÌ„ the enuious sitheuen much it shroudeth worthy enuy may ê“cede froÌ„ your Curtesyes It doing yâ—ure selues shal ye discharge of vnkindnesse me of blame him of feare Which if by one prayse worthye worke ye wyll not small encouragement hath be hereafter wyth the venture of hys fame to tender your profyte And I as lyght cause to hâ—sard my thanckes in lyke importunity on the Lerned Shame therefore be it to neglecte your frendes Feare and doubt to hynder your selues Which as ye shal seke to auoid so in eschuing the Causes pursue the contrary SOme meÌ„ heretofore haue attempted this self maner of writyng y e same worke that is here offred vnto you Neyther was their labour altogether vayne For at the least if they had but gathered suche places of Scripture as seme to dysagree and done theirendeuour to agree theÌ„ thoughe they haue not yelded the true meanyng of places which thei had takeÌ„ in hand to expouÌ„d yet so it is y e thys inuention of theirs hath geuen a taste opened away vnto such other as followed theÌ„ who were able to geue a more certayne resolutioÌ„ of the same differences Let euery one haue hys prayse but chiefly let not the first inuentours be greued y â— those whiche came after holpe theÌ„selues w t their inuentioÌ„ and y t hauing a greater light of y â— scripture they laboured to open y â— whiche beefore was very darkly handled Neither let y â— laste sort seke to set forth themself to y e dyscoÌ„mendation of those y â— went before but let both partes setting abrode simply y t which god hath geuen theÌ„ bryng forth their workes w t a common agreement to the glorye of hym only whiche openeth the eyes of men and geueth them vnderstandyng and wysedome to speake well Be it so than frendly Reader that you read y â— others workes y t haue treated on thys maner or be it y â— you be desirous to take profite of thys presente worke I pray you bring with you a sober quiet Iudgement And I hope y â— wheÌ„ you shal haue red y e other you wil not refuse y â— reading of this as vnprofitable As at other tymes it hath bene nedeful to represse the fransy of many troubled spirits so thinke you y â— at this day all such are not yet so stilled but y â— they geue many occasions of terrible frayes ouerthrowing corruptyng y â— meanyng of y e scriptures to confyrme their opinions And it is necessary that they should be withstode And bicause y â— moste troublesome and hard fighte of theirs y â— we must abyde is when y â— assault is geueÌ„ vs by y e holy â–ª scriptures of which self scriptures we must borrowe al oure strength defence it behoueth vs in this case to vse great wisedome by which we may repulse y â— deceiptes sleyghtes of our aduersaries and so to applie theÌ„ to our purpose as neuerthelesse we mystake theÌ„ not so bee destitute of weapon defence For if wee were assayled by any other meane eyther by Philosophye or by any other doctrine of men it were an easye matter to repulse such assaults for y â— worde of God which we make our bucklar defence is of strength agaynst al doctrynes is aboue al doctrynes But here in is al y e doubt wheÌ„ by y â— word meÌ„ wil destroy y â— word in vs and vs in the word There are many y t reade y e holy scriptures to this purpose only y â— by the they may establysh y e traditions ordinances of men They seke in theÌ„ some couer to kepe their trifling ceremonies Ther ar other y t hauyng Imagined or takeÌ„ some opinioÌ„ in their head holding wilfully and stubbornly y t whiche they haue once conceaued they wrest awrie ouerthwartly the places of scripture hauyng regard to their own ambition rather theÌ„ to y â— teaching edifâ—yng of y e symple ones There are also diuerse whiche not caring for any religioÌ„ but rather wishing y â— al thing wer disordered y â— euery one shold do what semeth hiÌ„ best wickedly take certain scrapings of y â— holy scriptures and assone as they haue fouÌ„d in theÌ„ some litle shew of discord they lay hand on y â— as if they had ouer coÌ„me al tending to no other end but to briÌ„g y â— word of god to be despised hated the readyng of it suspected How is y e world at thys day fyld ful of Epicures contemners CoÌ„trarywise ther ar very fewe y â— hyt y â— marke which bryng with theÌ„ a good mynde read heare y e scriptures to fynde Christ in theÌ„ to coÌ„fyrme theÌ„ self in y e true faith to obey God deuoutly as they ought But these Hogs Dogs wold not once voutchsafe to opeÌ„ their eies to loke vpoÌ„ one only sillable in theÌ„ if it were not to finde some Iarre in theÌ„ to make theÌ„ disagree to haue some occasioÌ„ to find fault with theÌ„ But y e holy ghost which is y e teacher and author of y e scriptures who is y â— spirit of truth euer like to him self alwaies fast coÌ„stant profers nor brings forth any thing y t is contrary to himselfe nor any thing to entangle or trouble y e spirit of y â— fathful reader or to make him vncertayn or in doubt what opinioÌ„ to beleue what not
to beleue For verely if there be any disagreeing in y e holy scriptures how maye a man know what is certayne sound How shal a mā discerne y ◠truth frō y ◠whiche is false y ◠good frō y ◠il y ◠certain from y ◠vncertayne the lyght frō y ◠darknesse Wherfore we must not feare that the scriptures deceaue vs as if ther wer any disagreeing in thē neither nede we doubt y t the false expoūders of thē shal haue y e vpper hand reach to y ◠marke y ◠they shotte at if to y ◠readyng of thē we bryng with vs a spirite ready to be taught but rather we shal haue wheron to staye vs to defende vs agaynst al assaultes I hope y t they which shalbe guyded with such a spirit of mekenesse may be holpe by this worke which as yet is but begon Thys is but only a profe offered in hast at whiche if you shal beginne to take profite let vs vnderstand it you shal geue hym y ◠hath thus begon y e occasion to go further foreward whiche thyng also he promiseth you Read and profiite in the feare of the Lorde FINIS 1 No Man knoweth vvhether he bee vvorthye of Loue or of Hate Ecclesiast ◠I knovv in vvhom I beleue and am sure that he can keepe that vvhych I gaue hym to keepe vntyl that Daye Tym. ◠ep ◠THE MOST IGNORANT of al so they be not stubborne may easely vnderstande what Salomon meaneth in thys part of Scripture to 〈◊〉 y ◠we trauail in hayne if we iudge by the presente state whome God loueth or whom he hateth for God sheweth not his loue continually to those whom he wil prosper nor hys hate to them whō he wyll afflict And that to reproue the vayrenesse of mannes vnderstanding whiche is dull euen in those thinges which chiefly ought to be knowen But thys that is spoken touching y e iudgement of outward things and so farre foorth as a man may Iudge of hymself letts not at al the certainty of fayth neyther doth it cause a faythfull man to be vnassured of y ◠loue of God and not resolued that life is layd vp for him in heauen This assurednesse maketh vs know what difference there is betwene faith and opinion Fayth leaneth not on the authority of men neither doth it doutfully rest on God but a certayne knowledge is ioyned wyth fayth So if according to the conceit of men we speake of things that chaunce vnto vs we haue no assurance of gods goodnesse toward vs. But when fayth guydeth the sprite of man then man is well assured what so euer betyde hym that nothyng shall separate hym from the loue wherwith God loueth him 2 Seeke and you shall finde Math. 7. I vvas found of those that sought me not Esai 65. THis commodity we haue by faith in our praiers y ◠if in faith we seke God we shal find him always redi to succor vs in al our necesities he is prest of hymself to graunt our requestes so that we pray to him And his riches shalbe displayed vnto vs so that we seke them and aske them It is certaine that God watcheth often for the safety of hys faythful when they slepe to the ende he may preuent their prayers For we were more than miserable if in thys our brutall dulnesse God taried for our prayers But bicause Christ speaketh here to hys Disciples he sheweth them playnly in what maner the heauenly father wyll make vs partakers of his gifts Although therfore he geue vs all good things freely yet notwithstandyng to exercise our fayth he wyl haue vs seke hym by our prayers on which he wyl bestow that which proceadeth from hys goodnesse only So God wyl haue vs seke hym yet he is the first that sought and foūd vs which thing appeareth in that he saith he was found but it was of those that sought hym not which was when he graffed vs into his household by faith And therin he declareth that hys grace and mere goodnesse hath preuēted vs that we brought wyth vs no desert or worthinesse at all 3 I vvyll remēbre their sinne no more Genesis 3 Verely I saye to thee thou shalt not depart from thens til thou haue paid the last farthing Math. 5. EVEN after that we haue offēded God notw tstanding promyseth to be at one w t vs for of nature he is gentle and prone to pardō ells our offences and wickednesse wold shut the doore and entraunce to hys bounty yf we had not thys thing euer set before our eyes that he easely pardoneth and forgetteth our sinnes he kepeth not in mind the faultes and wrongs that are done to him for he condescendeth wyllingly and of his owne accord to fal to agremēt But it behoueth vs to know that thys is not spoken to all mankind indifferently but is a priuiledge belōging properly to his Church For it is saide in Deutronomy that God reuēgeth terribly casting back the faults of the Fathers into the bosome of the Children Gods wrath agaynst rebelles vnbeleuers and obstinate persones shall neuer be appeased And in some sorte that may agree hereunto which Christ our Lord saith Verely I say vnto thee thou shalt not come oute from thens tyll thou haue payed the vttermost Farthing Albeit Christ simply geueth warning that it is very profitable for vs euen after the maner of men to agree with our aduersaries betime bycause that rigorous men are often domaged by their owne euel desire Yet this similitude may be well and fytly applied to God that Iudgement with out mercy shalbe executed on him that wil not agre or be reconciled with hys brethren or that shall striue to the vttermost 4 Art thou called a seruaunt care not 1. Corint 7. Yet if thou cā be at liberty be so rather 1. Corint 7. EVery man muste be content wyth hys calling and follow it not that men are so bound but some may lawfully chaunge their estate or trade of life but men ought to amend their vnaduised desire by which some are stird to chaunge their sort of life without any iust occasion whether it be through superstition or curiousnesse of conscyence or some other fond motion To be short this sentence bringeth al men to thys poynt to remembre what stādeth with their calling If any be called to bōdage sayth Saint Paul he must not be vexed with carefulnesse but rather masse haue his conscience quiet He wil haue bondmen to be of good there and not troubled as thoughe bondage shuld let them frō the seruice and true obedience of God Notwithstanding he mitigateth that sentence for sayeth he if the seruaunte can fitly bryng to pas to com into fredome let him take to hym that more comodious state of lyfe He teacheth that liberty not only is good but also more cōmodious thā bondage This then maketh these two sentences no whitte to disagree For Saint Paul biddeth not
not yet eyes meete to beholde the lyght of lyfe vntyll God haue opened them It is certaine that al the sermōs should serue to no purpose if god taught not inwardly by hys spirit Neuerthelesse hee woulde not take awaye the meane whiche hee himselfe had ordayned to weete to heare and reade the Scriptures as though it were not necessary for mē to be instructed by y ◠outward ministery but y ◠it shuld not behous thē only to wayt for reuelatiōs from aboue But when Christe sayeth Search the Scriptures he reproueth y ◠fond vauntyng of the hypocrites which said they had life in them and yet they medled onely wyth the dead letter Truly lyte should be sought in the Scripturs saing they be appoynted for vs for that vse and to that ende not withstanding what booteth it to think that the scripture bringeth lyfe and the whylest to go away from the natural meaning of them and to put the light of life by peruerse opinions How may it be that y ◠law shuld quicken w tout Christ which only quickeneth it Beside thys place teacheth vs that if we would haue true knowledge of God and of Iesu Christ hys sonne we must take it of the scriptures For if we forge imaginations of God after oure fantasyes and as it shall seeme good to vs wee haue but a vayne Imagination and a shadow in stead of God But the whilest let vs remember how we must search the scriptures If we go to to them thinkyng to finde any thyng in them by our owne diligēce or wisdome we shal brīg awai w t vs nothing els but false vaine opiniōs But we must resigne our spirits to god to y e end that he which is y e autor of y e scriptures may make vs wel to vnderstand the truth of them 55 Flesh and bloud cannot possesse the Kingdome of God Cor. 15. VVe beleeue the resurrection of the flesh EMong the articles of our fayth wee beleue that our bodies shall ryse agayne without thys the preaching of y e Gospel wer vain for if our bodies rise not again christ is not risē agaī if he be not risen agayne what shal becōm of our hope This is the argumēt which Saint Paul maketh 1. Corinth 15. then euery man shal rise againe in his owne body and the fleshe of euery one that shal haue bene corrupted and shal haue slept in the earth shal be fully restored and ioyned agayne to hys soule when it shal haue put of al weakenesse and corruptiō to be made like vnto the glorious body of Iesus christ Though ther be nothing that the vnderstāding of man repulseth more yet faith is not deceued when she holdeth assuredly on the power of God ioyned with his promisse He that hath made man of nothyng can easily make him hole again after y ◠he hath bene wasted Now to y ◠ende this should not seeme so strāge to vs y ◠spirit sets before our eies an ordinary experience After that the corn is cast into the ground it semeth to be lost for it rottes and wasteth in the ground but afterwarde it springeth vp fairer So when the body hath ben corrupted it tarieth the time apointed by God to cōme out of y ◠earth to be altogether perfect So then euen as the corne by meanes of the sede taketh agayn a new shape and that more fayrer so the faythfull which dyeth and goeth to rest with the sede of Iesu Christ which is the spirite of God is raysed agayne by the same spirite which raysed the sonne of God from death Moreouer God hath geuen a visible certayntye hereof in Iesus Christ so that is manyfestly set before our eyes which otherwyse semed vnto vs altogether incredible Therefore to vnderstand perfectly what our resurrection shalbe we must still loke vpon Christ whoe is the myrrour and substance of it Lyke as he rose agayne in the self body in which he suffered so we also shal ryse agayne in the selfe same fleshe which we carry about wyth vs. And also as after hys resurrection he had another glorye much greater than he had had before so we shall bee farre other after our rysyng agayne And thys serueth to expound the other sentence that fleshe bloude cannot possesse the kyngdome of God to wete in the same qualitie y ◠now they are in and vntil thys corruption be chaunged to incorruption Before we be able to receaue this heauēly heritage our bodyes muste bee renued in asmuche as they ar subiect to corruption they cannot enter into the kyngdome of God whiche is incorruptible vnto whiche they shall haue no accesse till Christ haue fashioned vs a newe after hys owne Image otherwyse our flesh shal not be partaker of the glory of God til it be renued and quickened by the spyrite of Christ 56 And he is the attonement for our synnes and not only for ours but also for the synnes of the vvhole vvorlde 1. Ioan. 2. I praye not for the vvorlde Ioan. 17. THE summe of the first sentence cōmes to thys poynt that y ◠faythful should be thorowly persuaded that the clensyng gottē by Iesu Christ extendeth vnto all those that haue receaued the Gospell by fayth and that is to the end a man shoulde not thynke that thys benefyte is restrayned to a fewe people onely or to certayne ages A man maye replye howe maye thys bee that the synnes of all the worlde are blotted oure There at certayne frentrycke spyrites which vnder thys coloure receaue al the reprobates to saluation yea the deuyl hymselfe But wee oughte not to tarye aboute the refutyng of thys monstruous opynion If a man saye that Iesu Christ hath sufficientlye suffered for the faultes of all the worlde but that hys death hath profyted the faythfull onely thys is somewhat but it is not all For here is another meanyng in the woordes of Sainte Iohn that is to saye that thys benefite is becōme cōmon to the whole Church and therfore the reprobate ar excluded Whē he sayth of al the world it is spoken of thē that shoulde beleue and whiche were scattered in diuerse countreyes of the world For then we are made trulye to vnderstande what the grace of Iesu Christ is when it is tolde vs that it is the only saluation of all the worlde As touchyng y ◠other sentence wher Christ sayth that he prayeth not for the worlde thys worde world is taken in another meanyng to wete for the reprobate And therein he sheweth openly that he will aske nothyng whiche agreeth not with the good pleasure of his father He recōmendeth vnto him those onely which hys father loueth of hys owne good will For he sayeth he prayeth not for those that are cutte of from the kingdome of God bycause he hath not care but onely for hys owne shepe which he had receaued at y ◠hand of hys father A man will saye that here is an absurditie for the beste rule we
man is marred and corrupted daily in the faithful but they are so farre from losing by that meane any of their true lyfe that rather it is soe encreased by that mean for the inward man is ther by renued as it is said 2. Cor. 3. and which is more Death it self is vnto them a freedome from the bondage of Death 66 He that kepeth Israel vvil not slomber nor sleepe Psal 121. Ryse vp Lord vvhy slepest thou Psal 44. THys Sentence is very worthy to be noted that God is the keeper defender of all his faythful yea so a keper that he will make them whole and safe in al sortes Ther is great talking of the power of God but in the meane tyme how many are there that in al their talk haue this reply in their mouth God can if he wyll but we are vncertayne and in doubte of his intēt So we must not onelie attribute power vnto God but also a fatherly care and continual watchfulnesse And we oughte to haue him before our eies as our cōtinual defender which watcheth at al houres for our saluatiō to the end we might rest vs fafely vpon hys holy prouidence On one syde the Epicures forge y ◠God hath no care at all for the world and so they quench al feare and reuerence of God But on the other syde there is daunger leaste when a man hathe ymagyned that God gouerneth the world it should be a confounded ymagynation by whyche a man were not resolued that God hath care for al his faythfull partycularlye for so oure spirites shoulde hang in doubt shoulde flote in continual vnquietnesse And surely a man can neuer cal vpō God earnestly nor with a good and liuely affection till the certayntye of thys kepyng be well prynted in the heart But now such complayntes are many times in the scriptures chiefly in the Psalmes Lorde ryse or awake whye slepest thou The iudgement of the fleshe maketh vs so to speake and thinke that God is layed down and that he slepeth when he doth not manifestly exercyse hys Iudgements when we are afflicted and that we fele not the remedyes as sone as we haue called vpon God It semeth to vs that he slepeth but it is not so Thys good Lord suffereth vs to lament so and to make hym such complayntes in oure prayers yet it behoueth vs to be certaynly persuaded that he continually and wythoute ceasyng watcheth for our profyte and saluatiō but bycause our spirites be stowe we conceaue not at the fyrst what care h◠hath of vs. The faythful then requyr◠he should shew in effecte y ◠he is neither forgetfull nor a slepe Al must be resolued that God hath hys eyes set on thē though he dyssemble yet notwithstandyng bycause thys persuatiō is of faith not of the fleshe they cast familiarlye into the bosome of God thys contrary iudgement which they haue conceaued of the present syght of y ◠dede by thys meanes they caste out of their heartes these fylthy affections to the end fayth shuld afterward com forth pure clere 67 The iuste shall liue by fayth Abac. 2 Thys do and thou shalt liue Luke 10. THE proud confydence of the flesh is contrary to fayth which y e Prophet sayth the iuste shal liue Whē he hath made mention of the destruction of the proud he addeth also that the lyfe of the meke and iuste consisteth in fayth But there is nothyng that maketh a mā to line before God but righteousnesse It foloweth thē y ◠our righteousnesse also consisteth in fayth and thys lyfe which we haue of fayth is not to dure onely for a whyle but is fyrme for euer For it is sayth by which wee mount a lofte it is fayth by which wee passe ouer al daungers of thys present life ouercōm al myseries troubles fayth is to vs an assured port in y e middest of y ◠stormes and tempestes of this world To be short faith maketh vs to obtayne victorie against al y ◠world as S. Iohn sayth in hys fyrst canonicall Wherfore let vs thus conclude y t they which ar counted iuste with God liue by faith only Then let vs hold this seing no man can be iustifyed otherwise thā by fayth also no mā can liue but by fayth for life can not be but wher righteousnesse is The lawe veryly contayneth perfect Iustice so y t if any coulde accomplyshe a lawe he should obtayne lyfe bicause he should fynde righteousnesse in y e lawe sufficient to make hym liue as also the promyse is made in the lawe that whosoeuer shal do y ◠thinges contayned in it shal lyue And this is y ◠which is here sayd Do this and thou shalt lyue But in the meane season we must see how thys promyse agreeth with the free iustification whiche is by fayth For the reason why God iustifyeth vs freely is not for that the lawe sheweth not perfect righteousnesse but bycause we fayle in kepyng it Wherfore al the scripture pronounceth that there is no man that can obtayne lyfe by it The fault is not in the lawe but in y ◠weaknesse of man and the faulte is in oure fleshe So a mā may say that these two sentences agree well together for the lawe sheweth howe men may obtayne ryghteousnesse by their woorkes and that no man is iustifyed by his works for the lacke is not in the doctryne of the lawe but in men Besyde it was mete that Iesus Christ shoulde cleere hymself of the false accusyng of y e Iewes and of the slaunder which he knew well the rude and ignorante charged hym with as though he had abolyshed the lawe in that it is the continual rule of ryghteousnesse 68 The Lavve administreth death 2. Cor. 5. Hys commaundement is euerlastyng lyfe Ioan. 12. SAINT Paule calleth the lawe not only y e administer of death but also of damnation and that iustly For where men are warned of their duety and they heare that all they that satisfye not the iustice of God are cursed they are constrayned to fynde themself gyltye of synne and death They bring therfore from the lawe nothing els but suche a condemnation forasmuche as God claymeth y ◠to which a man standeth bound to hym And in the meane season he geueth not the power or abilitye to fulfyl it The lawe only geues the rule of wel liuyng but the whilest it reformeth not the heartes to the obedience of iustice and it declareth eternal death to transgressours and therefore it can not but condemne or to say better the offyce of the lawe is to shew the sycknesse but it is in such sort as it geueth no hope of healyng For seyng it leaueth a man to hymself it muste nedes be that it awardeth him to dye Loe howe the lawe is the minister of death But to accorde thys sentence with the fyrste it behoueth to loke vpon the opposition that is beetwene the lawe the Gospel For
myscheuous desyre to slaunder they aske thys question whoe besyde God only can forgeue synnes But although this came out of malicious mouthes yet moste true it is that onely God hath power authoritye to forgeue synnes as he onely can condemne so only he can quyte But whē in thys 20. Chapter of Saint Iohn Christ geueth charge to hys Disciples to forgeue synnes he geueth not ouer vnto them that which is propre to himselfe It is propre vnto him to remytte and forgeue synnes whiche honour he resygneth not to them in asmuch as it belongeth to hym but he wil haue thē beare recorde in hys name of the forgeuenesse of synnes and offences so that it is he y e reconcileth men to God To bee shorte it is he alone to speake fytly that forgeueth synnes by hys Apostles and ministers Howe commeth it then to passe that hee aduaūceth so hyghly their dignitie seing that he appoynteth them only for witnesses and declarers and not for authors of the benefyte Thys is done for the greate establishyng of oure fayth As in dede there is nothyng that more profyteth vs than that we resolue and persuade our self that our synnes cōme not into Iudgement or accompt beefore God Zachary in the first Chapter of Saint Luke calleth thys knowledge of y ◠forgeuenesse and pardon of synnes the knowledge of synnes Nowe seyng the good pleasure of God is such to vse the witnesse of men for to allowe thys forgeuenesse of synnes then wee shall quyet our selues when wee shall knowe that it is God himselfe that speaketh to vs in the person of hys ministers For thys cause Saint Paule saieth we exhorte you to be reconciled to god as if Iesus Christ hymself made obtestation by vs. The faythfull then ought to be so resolued that what they heare touchīg the forgeuenesse if synnes is ratified and ought nolesse to esteme the reconcilyng or attonement whiche is declared vnto them by the voyce and worde of men than if he hymself stretched his hand to them Now marke two things which it behoueth vs to remēber First that a treasure is offred vs but it is in little vessels those are men which are sente vs to offer and open thys treasure vnto vs in the name of another not as theyr owne ryches but as hys that sente them vs. Nexte that we oughte to esteeme thys treasure no whyt the lesse bycause it is in dyspiseable vessells but rather wee haue occasion to geue thankes vnto God in that he hath dealte so fauourably with men that they represente hys person and the person of hys Sonne when they heare wytnesses of the forgeuenesse of synnes so God onely forgeueth synnes yet he confyrmeth that whiche men appoynted by hym declare vnto vs touchyng the forgeuenesse of synnes 99 Call no man on earth your father for ther is but one that is your father vvho is in heauen Mat. 23. Honour thy father thy mother Exod. 20. THe Lord Iesus had shewed before y ◠thys honor belonged to no other to be called Lord but to God only If this seme to hard forasmuche as he himself hath appoynted men to be our Masters teachers y ◠answer is easye True it is y e Christ hymself whē he yet dwelt on the earth chose his Apostles appoynted thē to y ◠offyce of teachyng and if the stryfe be for the title it is very certayn that when Saint Paul named hymself the Master teacher of the Gentils hys mynde was not wickedly to steale from Christ the honour y ◠belonged vnto hym Neyther is Christes meanyng any thyng ells but to bryng euery man vnder hym from the greatest to the smallest to reserue his right wholly to hymselfe He careth not then with what tytle they be adorned which haue the charge of teachyng only hys wil was to kepe al mē w tin these boundes that no mā should vsurpe any rule ouer y e fayth of hys brethren Nowe in the same sense the honour of the name father belongeth to God for men haue not geuen to themselfe that name but it hath bene graunted them of God And it is not ynough to saye that men which haue children are fathers according to the fleshe and that God alone is father of the spirites True it is that sometime a mā shal finde thys distinction in y ◠scriptures as in the. 12. Chapter to the Hebrues But seing Saint Paule calleth hymself very often a spiritual father it behoueth vs to see how this agreeth with y e words of our Lord Iesu loe then what we must say The honour of father is falsely geuen vnto men when by that name the glorye of God is darkened that is when a mortall man seperates hymself from God to be accompted a father seyng that al degrees of kyndred depend of God only by Christ and those degrees are so knytte together y ◠to speake fytly God is alone the father vnto al. The whilest God willeth and commaundeth vs to honour our fathers to reuerence them to obeye them and to loue them and thys commaundement is confyrmed by threates and by promysse The threate is that al stubborne dysobedient children to their fathers should be punyshed by death The promysse is that they that shal honour and obeye their father shal liue long on the earth Yet notwithstandyng we muste haue thys resolution before our eyes that a man neuer ought to turne aside from the will of God Nowe touchyng that the fathers haue rule ouer theyr children it is for thys reason bycause God hath chosen them impartyng to them some parte of hys honour The subiection then that children owe vnto their fathers ought to bee vnto them as a stayre to leade them to the reuerence and obedience of God whoe is the chiefe father But if the fathers wil make their children to withstande God they are nomore theyr fathers but straungers whiche woulde tourne them from thys true obedience which they owe to their true father 100 Abraham beeleued in God and it vvas imputed to him for ryghteousnesse Gene. 5. VVas not Abraham oure Father Iustifyed by hys vvoorkes vvhen he had offered hys sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Rom. 4. SAINT Paule to the Romaynes the. 4. Chapter to shewe that Abraham was not Iustifyed by hys workes maketh thys argument If Abraham were Iustifyed by hys woorkes he maye beaste of hys deserte but so it is that he hath nothyng whereof to boast beefore God It followeth then that he was not Iustifyed by his workes But thys is hys glorye the thing he may boaste of that he embraced the goodnesse of God by fayth Fayth maketh a man to cōme oute of hym and leadeth hym to God So the glorye of Abraham was not in hys woorkes nor in the worthinesse of hys person but in the mere goodnesse and grace of God For when a man will trulye boaste hymselfe he must bryng nothyng of hys owne but the knowledge of hys owne myserye throughe whiche he