things which can not be attayned too nor perceyued by mans reason it becommeth vs with Paule to marueyle with godly confession of our ignorance and to crie out O the depth of the riches and of the wisedome of God how vnsearchable be his iudgementes and his wayes vnfindeable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene a counsell with him or who hath first giuen to him and it shall be giuen to him againe For of him and by him and in him c. Nowe let vs see the other part of Christes aunswere wherein he repeateth such thinges of his kingdome as serue for this present purpose Hee so handleth this matter as I sayde before that he both marueylously comforteth the Disciples and admonisheth them of their dutie For he sayth You shall receyue power when the holy ghost shall come vpon you and you shall be witnesses to me not only in Hierusalem but in all Iurie and Samarie and vnto the worldes ende First he repeateth the promyse of the holy ghost wherwith he comforteth the Disciples and describeth the state of his kingdome I woulde not sayth he haue you abashed where you heare you are appointed to the setting forth of my kingdome among the Gentyles For this thing will not bee compassed by mans strength which I perceyue in you to be very small and little regarded Here needeth heauenlye and diuine strength from aboue which I haue often promised you shal not want and now againe I promise you the same For the holy ghost shall come vpon you which shall giue you courage and strength that shall make you able to fulfill your office We are here admonished that Christes kingdome as hee confessed before Pylate is not of this worlde or earthly but spirituall neyther consisteth in the power honour glory triumphes riches and pleasures of this world but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holye ghost Wherevpon we gather further that it is not set foorth and defended with carnall weapons and strength of Princes of this worlde but with preaching of the worde wherwith the spirite of God worketh effectuously in the harts of men This teacheth the wordes of Paule where he sayth Though we walke in the fleshe yet warre we not after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to cast downe strong holdes wherewith we ouerthrowe counsayles and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God bring into captiuity all imagination to the obedience of Christ. c. Therfore they labour in vaine which go about by mans counsell leagues fight fauour and amitie of Princes and such lyke meanes to set vp the kingdome of god For Christes kingdome is in the mindes of men which by no mans strength can be forced but with the power and operation of the holye ghost It becommeth both Kings and Princes to be the nurses and maintayners of the Church as Esay sayth but they shall neuer with outwarde power and strength set forth the kingdome of christ And the examples of all ages plainely teach vs that whatsoeuer man went about by his counsell and strength that way to bring it to passe neuer happily succeeded Moreouer he expressely teacheth what the Apostles haue to doe in their office in this kingdome You shall be my witnesses sayth hee This shall bee your kingdome your office your dignitie to beare witnesse of my doctrine life myracles passion death buriall resurrection from death and ascention into heauen and briefly of all the things which I haue done and suffred for mans saluation Neyther shall you expounde the hystorie of things by mee done onelye but declare the ende and vse of them that all nations maye acknowledge mee their onelye teacher sauiour and redeemer Christ thought good in this place to vse this worde witnesse as also in Iohn the .xv. to admonish as well the Apostles as the hearers of their dutie For the Apostles and their successors learne by the dutie of a witnesse how to preache the Gospell of Iesus christ In a witnesse the looue of truth is chiefly required and a lying witnesse God hateth Againe it is the part of a witnesse to speake nothing but that he knoweth which he hath so certainly seene and heard that he doubteth nothing of the truth of them Further he must haue no corrupt affections least of hatred feare or fauour he put to hyde or conceale any thing but plainly confesse the thing he knoweth Such witnesses we reade that the Apostles were For whatsoeuer they heard Christ teach or sawe him doe they truely preached it neyther feared they the threates of their enimies as appeareth in all hystories Neyther confirmed they their witnesse of Christ with words onely but with their life with death and with their bloud It becommeth the Ministers of the worde to imitate their truth and constancy who if for fauour of man or feare of daunger they chaunge or at least dissemble any thing in the quarrell of Christ they pollute themselues with an horrible crime and are in daunger of Christes sentence Whosoeuer is ashamed of me in this naughty and adulterous world him will I also be ashamed of when I come wirh the holy angels in the glory of my father Againe the hearers of the Apostles and Apostolicall doctrine are here admonished what an heynous offence it is not to beleeue the holye gospell or to gainesay it For it is not a simple preaching of Christ or an hystoricall and bare narration but a testimonie which the Apostles as sworne witnesses brought into the worlde by the very sonne of God gaue not only before the common people but also before the Bishoppes and Priestes Kinges and their Counsell But he that in the lawe giueth no credite to sworne witnesses and openly denieth their testimony bringeth himselfe in daunger of lyfe What shall we saye then of those ⪠which feare not to speake against the Apostles being Christes witnesses For they accuse not only the Apostles of lying but also Christ himselfe as much as in them lyeth yea they woulde cause God the father to be suspected as though he would bring forth false witnesses and obtaine his sonnes cause with suborned witnesses This sawe that beloued Disciple of Christ when he sayth If we receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnesse of God which he bare of his sonne He that beleeueth the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyer bicause hee beleeueth not the witnesse that God beareth of his sonne c. These things if we consider brethren we shall finde the chiefe cause of the euils of these daies For where we take it for a ieast and pastime to call in question and doubt the things written by the Apostles of Iesus Christ yea many wickedly deny them and persecute that testimony of Iesus Christ with fire and sworde
denie it For whosoeuer hath any taste of the doctrine of the gospell shall confesse that the preaching therof beateth downe the same Neyther doth the spirite of Christ by outwarde worde onely oppugne the same but it also consecrateth the minds vnto God that they which a little while ago were the bondslaues of sinne are now become the Temples of the liuing god In the meane season we denie not but there are many which abuse the colour of the gospell to sow dissention and to plant libertie But ought the gospell to be charged therewith I pray you what wise man condemneth the Magistrate bicause diuers vnder the colour thereof haue become Tyrauntes and oppressors of the libertie of their Countrie Why doe we not rather marke the vse of the Magistrate which is appointed for that ende that the lust of priuate persons should be restrayned and violence and tyrannie be brideled Euen so let vs confesse that the right vse of the Gospell and effect of the holye ghost is onely to set vp true concorde and holly honestie of life Nay if we shall confesse the truth there is none other concorde acceptable before God than that which is amonge the faythfull in Iesus Christ which are borne againe of the worde and spirite of god Neyther can there be any other true holinesse and innocencie than that whereof Christes spirite is the Author For that holinesse which men counterfaite without his spirite is hippocriticall and is not able to abide the iudgement of God as straunge from the righteousnesse of Christ which vseth to supplie all the defectes and wantes of the faythfull Now to these aforesayde poyntes Luke ioyneth the maner of his sending which was visible both bicause the Apostles might conceyue through presence of the spirite the greater confidence and boldnesse to go about their office and also for our cause that it might appeare how Iesus Christ neuer forsaketh his Church but defendeth it by his inuisible grace which he declared by the sending of his holy spirit For hereto serueth that notable promise I will not leaue you comfortlesse And againe Beholde I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde But touching the maner howe this thing was here done three things remaine to be discussed First there was sodainly a noyse from heauen And it is not without a mysterie that these things come to passe sodainly or vnlooked for For this is alwayes Gods vsage that he then most truely performeth his promises when we least looke for them yea when there is no more helpe remayning in man So he performeth his promise in deliuering his people out of the bondage of Egypt foure hundred yeares after the Israelites were bereft of all libertie and were constrayned to beholde most horrible examples of Tyrannie in their newe borne babes and haue nothing safely to trust vnto So in this place he sendeth the holy ghost now sodainely when they least thought of it whose comming he had deferred now a .xj. daies long We are taught by these examples paciently to wayte for the promises of god For where God is truth it selfe he cannot deceiue And forasmuch as he is our Lord we his seruaunts it becommeth vs to attende his leysure and not to prescribe him any time Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid be stronge and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lorde And the Prophete sayth If he tarie yet wayte thou for him For in verie deede he will come and not be slacke And such a noyse and sounde came from heauen bicause wee might knowe that the holye Apostles endued with an heauenly and diuine spirite were become preachers of an heauenly and diuine doctrine and not mans the aucthoritie and credite whereof might be called in doubt This serueth to confute the foolishnesse of such as with the ritche glutton require teachers to come from an other worlde from heauen or from hell And whatsouer thinges are sayde of mans saluation and dutie they reiect with this scoffe saying there was yet neuer none that came eyther from heauen or hell to tell vs what is there to do So they disclose how theyr wicked mindes are voyde of all religion For onlesse these wicked men had vtterly put away all shamefastnesse they would know that the sonne of God came downe from heauen into fleshe and rose againe from death and most faythfully declared vnto vs the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen They would know that the holy ghost came downe from heauen and spake these things by the Apostles which they haue taught vs touching the meane of our saluation and what our dutie is But he that would require any newe kinde of learning yea though an Aungell brought it from heauen he ought not to be beleeued but accursed Secondly a certaine blast or violent winde russhing in filled all the house where the Apostles dwelt And that the spirite is signifyed by blast or winde it is no doubt bicause the very name of spirite is a borrowed speache and the diuine power is so called for that it pierceth and by his power conserueth all things And the Hebrues vse this worde Ruach which is as well vsed for the winde as for the spirite Christ woulde in this place therefore vse the token of winde to set before our eyes as it were the strength and efficacie of the holy spirite which is incomprehensible to mans capacitie and can be attayned to by no power of man It is better to here himselfe interpretate the same thing For reasoning with Nicodemus of the operation of his spirite by the which they that beleeue are borne againe he sayth The winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the noyse thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth For as the wit of man coulde not hitherto shewe vs for a certayntie the causes and begynnynges of the wynde although they haue long and much searched for the same so the operation of the holy spirite farre passeth the capacitie of man although we effectuallye feele the same in our hartes And euen as the blowyng of windes can not be let by any deuice or force of men so the spirite of Christ which worketh by the gospell feareth not the strength of men nor is not hindred therby to shew his power where and when he wyll Yea foolishe and ridiculous is the endeuour of them whosoeuer wyll striue with God to bryng the spirite and worde of God to their bent wyl holde them within boundes of them appoynted Examples hereof we haue euery where but the Apostles examples of right ought to haue the first place They were commaunded of the Lorde that they should fyll all the world with their preachyng This seemed a thing impossible to be done by simple vnlearned men despised persons Yea as many as were counted eyther of power or wisdome in the worlde withstoode them Yet the spirite of Christe by the ministerie of the
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
obserue the order of iustification and saluation in the example of Cornelius We see that he was holpen and stirred vp by the grace of God to doe that that was good and acceptable vnto God whereas before that he had bene a Gentyle and estraunged from the people of god But being receyued into fauour Peter the Apostle was appointed to be his teacher to preach to him the doctrine of saluation Cornelius beleeueth the worde being preached The holy ghost followeth after his beliefe which both regenerateth the minde and also bringeth forth diuers marueylous vertues Being illuminated with this spirite he is giuen wholy to prayse God and at length being baptized he is receyued into the fellowship of Christs Church This order we see obserued euerywhere For the beginning of our saluation springeth of the grace of God who chose vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde He hauing chosen vs instructeth vs by his outwarde worde giueth vs fayth illuminateth vs being regenerate with his spirit and maketh vs meete vnto euery good work And that which he promiseth by his worde and offreth by his spirite vnto the faythfull minde the same he confirmeth by outwarde Sacramentes also See Rom. 9.10 Finally it is declared howe Cornelius behaued himselfe after all these things They besought Peter sayth Luke to abyde with them a few dayes And there was none other cause of this desire but for that they were enflamed with the looue of the Gospell and desired to heare him euery daye bicause they woulde be the more confirmed in the knowledge of true saluation Furthermore they coulde not be so soone satisfyed with the presence of their very friende who they perceyued had ministred so great grace vnto them And here is truly expressed the propertie of those that faythfully beleeue They lothe not the teaching of that worde nor attribute not so much to themselues to thinke that they shall haue hereafter no more neede of it Yea they acknowledge themselues to be men and bicause they will be taken for the children of God they can not be filled with the voyce of their father but desire to haue him still speake vnto them Moreouer they shewe themselues thankefull and kinde towarde the Ministers of God by whose diligence they are taught in matters of fayth and saluation For they thinke it a matter of no great weyght to requite them with carnall benefits which giue vnto them spirituall riches For they vnderstande that their saluation dependeth chiefly on them For the which cause they can suffer themselues to be rebuked and chidden as we may see in Dauid and Ezechias But the wicked be of a farre other minde which vse to condemne the Ministers as molesters of their vngodly desires and publike enimies whereof the scripture sheweth examples in Pharao Achab the Phariseys and infinite others Whose vngodlynesse deserueth to feele the vengeaunce of Gods iustice bicause they woulde not suffer to be faythfully admonished Lette vs therefore acknowledge the grace of God and embrace his worde wyth thankefull myndes studying to frame our selues thereafter that we maye hereafter be made partakers and heyres of the saluation promised in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The eleuenth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxviij. Homelie AND the Apostles and brethren that were in Iurie hearde that the Heathen also had receyued the worde of god And when Peter was come vp to Ierusalem they that were of the Circumcision contended against him saying Thou wentest in to men vncircumcised and diddest eate with them But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order vnto them saying I was in the Citie of Ioppa praying and in a traunce I sawe in a vision a certayne vessell descende as it had bene a great sheete let downe from heauen by the fower corners and it came to mee ⪠into the which when I had fastened mine eyes I considered and sawe fowerfooted beastes of the earth and vermin and wormes and foules of the ayre ⪠And I hearde a voyce saying vnto me Aryse Peter slea and eate And I sayd not so Lord for nothing coÌmon or vnclean hath at any time entred into my mouth But the voyce aunswered me agayne from heauen Count not thou those things common which God hath clensed And this was done three tymes And all were taken vp agayne into heauen And beholde immediatlye there were three men already come into the house where I was sent from Caesarea vnto me And the spirite sayde vnto mee that I shoulde go with them without doubting Moreouer these sixe brethren acâompanyed me and wee entred into the mannes house And he shewed vs howe he had seene an Aungell in his house which stoode and sayde to him Sende men to Ioppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter He shall tell thee words wherby both thou and all thine house shall be saued And as I began to preache the holy ghost fell on them as he did on vs at the beginning Then came it to my remembraunce howe that the Lorde sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy ghost Forasmuch then as God gaue them lyke giftes as hee gaue vnto vs when we beleeued on the Lorde Iesus Christ what was I that I shoulde haue withstanded God ALthough the blessed Euaungelyst Luke hath both abundantlye and diligently described the hystorie of Cornelius which was conuerted vnto the fayth in the Chapter before going yet in this Chapter he repeateth the same againe after another sort and maner of narration The cause of which his doing was for that it might appeare to all men that the Gentyles were vndoubtedly called according to Gods appointment by preaching of the Gospell and receyued into the communion of the Church by the sacrament of baptisme That the declaration hereof was necessarye bicause of the Iewes hath already oftentimes bene shewed And the same serueth very much for our instruction both bicause the grace of Gods goodnesse is thereby marueylouslye set forth and the certaintie of all our saluation which springeth of the Iewes is most firmely prooued Therefore no man must accuse the holy writer for to often repeating of one thing or of needelesse loquacitie or babling but rather they ought to be prouoked by his diligence the more earnestly to weygh consider a matter of such importance Furthermore Luke taketh occasion to rehearse agayne the same hystorie by reason of the vniust iudgement of a certaine sort of persons who being deceyued accuse Peter whereby he is enforced thus to declare and open the meaning of his dooing vnto them First therefore let vs see howe the Church which was here and there dispersed through Iurie iudged concerning the vocation of the Gentyles For this thing coulde not long lye hidden both bicause of the notable worthynesse of the persons and also for that it was a straunge thinge and not seene before Therefore
was woÌt to vse in subduing of his enimies where three things are to be considered The first is how he suffreth Paule to approch neare vnto Damascus before he declare any signe of his wrathe iudgement And there is no doubt but hauing the Citie in his sight which he thought was a Sanctuarie for the faithfull he was altogither inflamed with furie the godly in the citie miserably trembling in the meane while for feare to whose eares the fame of this Wolfe that hied hym so fast was comen afore But euen as he was ready to set mouth on his pray the Lord was at hand For this is Goddes propertie to winke at many things in the wicked and for a time to beare with their attemptes that while he chastiseth those that be his a pit may be digged vp for their enemies in the meane season and so his people are the more gloriously deliuered See the Psalme 94. Next of al he easily and without any do layeth this tyrant along which came both stout in minde with manacings and with publike authoritie For with a lightning he vtterly dismaieth him But what is so easie vnto God as to throw lightning from heauen And by and by this furious Euceladus and Giant falleth to the ground whom neither his companie and retinue nor the high Priestes letters could defend from the wrath of christ And straight way being become tame and gentle he demaundeth what mighty Champion this is offring to be at his appoytment and obedience in all things Besides this he is not only made feebler in body but also stricken blinde in so much that he is faine to be led by the hand into that Citie by others to the which he came to fette out the Christians Thus God vseth in wonderfull wise to disapoint and delude the enterprises of his enimies so that they which erewhile semed to all men inuincible and as it were to prescribe God are laughed of all men to scorne Examples heereof we haue elsewhere declared the ende of all which is this that we feare not the power of our enimies but set our hope fast in God who can so easily deliuer vs out of their hands And to this ende cheefely serue which is the thirde pointe of this treatise the words of Christe saying Saule Saule why persecutest thou me Again I am Iesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest For by these words he plainely testifieth that whatsoeuer had hitherto beene done against his faithful people was done vnto him For there is suche a coniunction betwixt Christ and vs as vseth to be betweene the head and the members Who wold haue thought that Christ had had any regard of his church when Steuen was so vnworthily stoned to deathe Or when Saule burst open the dores and caried both men and women to prison But yet Christ did not onely see these things and was sory for the calamitie of his people but was so affected as though he had bene beaten and caried to prisone him selfe Heerevnto beelongeth that which hee saithe in the Prophet He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye These things as they serue for the consolation of the godly so oughte they to feare all those which thinke it but a light matter to persecute the members of Christ either for their faith or religion or else to iniurie them or oppresse them by vsurie or other vniust meanes For he heareth the cry of his seruauntes and sheweth himselfe a mightie reuenger In the meane season Christes example teacheth vs what a compassion and affection ought also to be amongst vs which glory in Christ our head and doe professe to be members all of one body Let vs therfore reioyce with them that reioyce and lament with them that lament Last of all heere is set forth vnto vs a notable example of true conuersion al the circumstances whereof it shal be very profitable to consider And first Paule himselfe is to be considered who before he was conuerted was like such a wolf as Iacob the Patriark forshewed of For burning altogither in rage he goeth on to wurrie and scatter abrode Christes shepefold not once thinking al the meane while of his owne conuersion vnto christ Therfore he rusheth in furious wise into his own destruction vndoutedly had perished if the Lord reaching his hand from heauen had not pulled him back Wherby we lerne that the beginning of conuersion springeth of god for we be al in that state conditioÌ that Paul was for being of nature corrupted we folow the blind affections of the flesh and being bewitched with intisements of sinne we please our selues in our sinful doing neuer thinking of amendment vnlesse the spirit of god put vs in mind therof for what can we herein do who of our selues are not able once to thinke wel Therfore the Prophet saith very wel Conuert vs we shal be conuerted and Paul testifieth that God worketh in vs both the wil and the dede according to his good plesure This part might be declared by many examples but forasmuch as they are euery where easie to be sene to all theÌ that read the scriptures we wil be brâfe And here the defenders of free wil are conuinced which teach that a man may learne repent at his owne voluntary pleasure But if the beginning of conuersion procede of our selues then surely some praise of merite desert is due to our work which cannot staÌd without the reproch of Christ. But if the beginning of goodnesse proceede froÌ God alone why be we so proud brag so much of fre wil seing ther is no vse therof in that thing wherof we staÌd most in nede according to these mens iudgement But to let passe thâse maters let vs peruse the maner of Pauls coÌuersion which containeth in it certain exâern outward things certeÌ intern inward The things external are Pauls abashmeÌt with the lightning throwing from his horse Christes reprouing him of his heinous sin by his word Inwardly Christ worketh by his spirit bringeth down his haultie stomacke This is the solempne and common vsage of God in conuerting of sinners such as the corruption of our nature of necessitie requireth For wher we wallow delite in sin it behoueth vs to be wakened with some strange plage or calamitie And to this end god sendeth vs diuers chastisemeÌts such as are sicknesses pouerty dearth huÌger wars and whatsoeuer like aduersities happen vs either priuately or publikely Again wheras our flesh neuer iudgeth rightly of sin it is nedeful that the ouglinesse therof be bewraid by the word of God which thing Christ declareth saying of his spirit that it reproueth the world of sin Unto these externe outward things God ioyneth secrete suggestions of his spirite wherby he twitcheth vs by the eares of our coÌscieÌce stirreth vs vp earnestly to think of repentaÌce And that god hath obserued this order froÌ the beginning of
priest But when God afterward vnder the law would haue these offices seuered yet ordeyned he a great coniunction and amitie betweene the kinges and priestes least eyther the kings shoulde reigne without religion or the Priestes by them not cared for and regarded might at the pleasure of wicked men bee misused Wherevnto also maye be referred howe God when he first gaue his lawe vnto the Iewes chose Moses and Aaron which were brothers germaine committed to the one the charge of the Tabernacle and Gods whole seruice and to the other the ordering of the common weale therby teaching vs that then both Churches and common weales are in most safetye when brotherly concord and agreement is betweene both these administrations This thing all those iudges and kinges well perceyued which are commended in the Scriptures for their well gouerning the common wealth Such as we reade chiefly Gedeon Samuel Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias were with whome if a man would compare the residue that the holy ghost hath noted as naught he shall find this to bee the cause as well of priuate as publike calamitie that they haue thought the worde of GOD and care of religion hath eyther nothing belonged vnto them or else that they might dallye and playe with the same at their pleasure And if we will reade the Hystoryes of the Gentyles it shall appeare they were woonderfullye deceyued in the knowledge of the true GOD and that therefore they polluted the seruice of God with horrible errours And yet they firmelye helde this as a generall rule and principle that common weales coulde not be happely gouerned without the true worshippe of God and knowledge of his will which was the cause that they greatly reuerenced the Philosophers as professours of rare and singuler wisedome and in doubtfull affayres asked counsell at the Gods and in erecting of Temples Altars and Images to them spared no kinde of lauishe and cost Uerilye the people of Athens whose Citie was compted as a publike vniuersâtie and schoole of wisedome so thought the care of religion belonged vnto them that amonge the articles of publike othe ministred to their Citizens this was the chiefe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That is to say for the Temples and seruice of the Coddes I will fight both alone and in company These menne thought that whosoeuer were desirous eyther of publike peace or priuate thryft ought to haue a speciall regarde of Gods honor Let no man therefore accuse me of temeritie if I saye that such are destitute of common sense and blinder than the prophane Gentyles which crie out the care of the Churche and religion belongeth not to temporall Magistrates and rulers And I thinke I shall not do much amisse if I say that such are to be auoided as the publike and open enimies of mankind For take away religion from man and what shal remaine wherin he shall differ from the brute beasts ⪠we see in them like motions of affections as are in wild beasts And if they were not bridled with the feeling of religion they woulde burst out at euerye occasion and the more they are armed with authoritie and with the sword the more harme they woulde doe Therfore that we offende not through the bolde and preposterous wisedome of the flesh it shall be verie profitable to haue a true paterne and forme of a Church for men to follow in their Councels that desire eyther to mainteyne the Church or else to reforme it being fallen in decay This paterne the holy scriptures in euerie place set out vnto vs and while the lawe endured it did set forth vnto vs all the partes thereof vnder the figure of the Tabernacle and in the time of the Prophetes vnder the allegorie of a spouse a flocke a vineyarde the Temple and Citie of Ierusalem A most absolute and euident paterne or President of the Church this booke comprehendeth and setteth foorth vnto vs declaryng that the same so grewe and increased as the Prophetes once described it vnto vs bicause none shall saye that we still had in our mouth such a Church as neyther was euer vpon the earth or euer shall bee as wise men vsed sometymes to saye of Plato his common weale For although wee shall hereafter see the accomplishment and full perfection of the church in heauen yet doth this booke set before vs such a president therof that whosoeuer frame themselues thereafter shall be members of that heauenly and perfite church and shall also vnderstand what way is best to take in preseruing and reforming their Churches and shall be offended at no chaunces of aduersitie nor yeelde to the dreames of such as obtrude vnto vs a straunge forme of Church saying our predecessours wanted many things which holye fathers afterwarde ordeyned and were receyued and established by authoritie of generall Councels For where this booke conteyneth in it an Hystorie of about xxviâj yeares settyng out vnto vs the Actes done in the Church ouer all the worlde besides the sermons of the Apostles their Counselles their sayings and doyngs aswell publike as priuate opened in a plaine and sufficient narration or discourse who will not say but hee is impudent that will affirme there are diuers other thinges necessarie vnto saluation which wee knowe the true Christian Church in the Apostles tyme had not Furthermore what arrogancie were it to contende with the Apostles whome the sonne of God appoynted to bee the teachers of all the worlde and to be witnesses of his doings as though wee were able of our selues to inuent or deuise a more absolute and perfite thing than they It shall also be very profitable to marke the trade and order of this Primitiue Church as out at a loupe or creuise and the chiefe poyntes thereof which Luke sayth sprang first of the word of God after Christ was ascended into heauen and from thence had sent his holy spirite through whose inspiration the Apostles beganne to preach the Gospell vnto the worlde and to bring disciples or beleeuers vnto christ Wherevppon wee gather that they which either will be members of Christes Church their selues or bring other to the communion and felowshippe thereof must beginne with the wholesome doctrine of the worde of god For where by byrth we are the children of wrath wee must needes be regenerated from aboue to become the children of god The seede of this regeneration is the eternall worde of God which beeing preached by the ministerie of man but quickened in the myndes of the hearers by the power of the spirite renueth the whole nature of man so that his fleshe being mortified he lyueth onely vnto GOD through Christ who not long before being estraunged from God lyued vnto sinne And the Apostles taught but one vniforme doctrine of the worde in all places the which worde Christ himselfe distributed into hys partes when he first commaunded repentaunce to be preached in his name and then next forgiuenesse of sinnes And although the Apostles had not alwayes
Iudges must follow the goodnes bountifulnes of god 234.235 Iudges what their dutie is 851 Rashe Iudgements ende 645 Iuliane the Apostata forsaketh the fayth 301 Iuliane hys last wordes 218 Iulius Maximinus and hys sonne raging agaynst the Churche were destroyed of their souldiours by the iust iudgement of god 300.301 Iustification of man through fayth in Iesus Christ proued by notable examples in the Actes of the Apostles 3 Iustification of fayth taught by the Prophetes 459 Iustifications order 463 Iustifications reason 595 Iustification attributed to woorkes is a greeuous offence 596 Iustice and temperance are fruites of fayth 829 Iustice of man can not stande in the Iudgement seate of god 801 Iustice commeth not of merites of workes but of fayth as Steuen teacheth through out his oracion 298 K ante Y Kyngs that are proude ambitiouse ruled manye tymes by their bondemen 504 Kyngdome of Christ eternall and inuincible 381 Kyngedome of Christe is not of the earth 24 Kyngdome of Christ by preaching of the gospell spred in all places 3 Kyngdom of Christ spred to the borders aboute Iurie and howe it mikht further be spred 242 Kyngdome of Christ what it is 126 Kyngdome of Christe is spirituall Pag. 30 Kyngedome of Christe enlarged by preaching ibidem Kyngdome of god 710 Kyngdome of god by his appointement âaryed to the Gentyles 509. and 510 Kyngdome of god declared and for what cause 14 Kyngdom of god preached by Paule Pag. 916 Kyngdome of god when it should be preached ibid. Kyngdome of christ and of his word howe they differ 381 Kyngdome of Christes beginninge successe and increase in thys world Pag. 2 Kyngdome of Christes power maiestie 126 Kyngdome of Christes enlargement Pag. 506 Kingdome of Christe is peaceable Pag. 98 Kingdome of Christ bounded by the Prophetes 32 Kingdome of God comprehendeth in it our saluation and redemption Pag. 13 Kingdome of the Iewes conferred vpon Dauid 528 Kingdome of Christes estate 30 Of Goddes Kingdome and heauenly glory howe we are made partakers 286 L ante A LAbourers that are faythful must be holpen Pag. 579 Last dayes estate what it shall bee 174 Last daye searchers 29 Last dayes feare and remembraunce what it causeth 174.175 Laste daye Deriders and Iesters Pag. 100 Later dayes troublesome estate 98 Lawes ceremoniall not necessary too saluation 293 Lawfull defence permitted to the godly 644 Lawe leadeth vs by the hande vnto Christ. 75.76 Lawe cannot iustifie 544 Law gyuen for them that came after also 335 Lawe wherein it is abrogated Pag. 334 Lawe howe it was published ibid. Lawe is a mirroure or glasse 544 Lawe sheweth vs the true way to attayne vnto lyfe 334 Lawe howe it is called the lyuely woorde ibid. Lawes preuayle not onles they bee executed 618 Lawe and ceremonies vse and ende Pag. 292 Lawe in Christ is ended 76 Lawe begonne in the daye of Pentecost ibid. Lawe can not truly bee vnderstanded but by the Spirit of Chryst. Pag. ibid. Lawe wherto it serueth 545 Lawes publike are profitable to bee kepte 797 Lawes auctoritie wherein it dependeth ibid. L ante E Leuitie or gentlenes of God excuseth not our sinne 525 Leuitie or lightnes in religion muste be auoyded 789 Leâites or Priestes offended wyth Christ. 227 Leuitie of commones may bee seene in the Samaritanes 362.363 L ante I Liberalitie to the poore commended Pag. 144 Liberalitie in releeuing the poore Pag. 224 Liberalitie is a commendable thinge Pag. 760 Liberalities examples 154 Liberalitie of God. 155 Libertie and free speeche in reprehending of sinnes 110 Libertie abused what hurt it procureth to the people 816 Libertie who can vse best 426 Libertie of Christ muste bee kept inuiolable 602 Libertines Colledge the greatest enemies of Steuen 286 Lightes whereto they serued in the Church 734 Lighte gyuen vs in Chryst. 553 Lighte shyneth where Peter is in prison 494 Licinius Ualerianus a persecutoure of Christes Church taken by Sapores king of the Persians is fain to serue for a footeblocke for Sapores to gette on horse backe by Pag. 301 L ante O Long sufferance of God exemplified Pag. 234 Looking in what the woord conteyneth in it 219 Lottery of twoo kyndes 71 Lot is a part or porcion 70 Lottes are in subiection to Gods prouidence 72 Lottes which bee lawfull and which not 71.72 Lotterye vnlawefull and who abuse lawfull lottes ibid. Lottes are an auncient vsage 72 Lottes vsed in diuidinge of inheritaunce ibidem Lottes Matthias is choosen by Pag. 71 Lottes lawfull to vse 72 L ante V Lucius septimus Seuerus persecuting the Church was kylled in his flourishing estate 300 Lucre sought in religion is not allowed of God. 720 Luke inspired of the holy ghost writeth the story of the gospel diligeÌtly Pag. 2 Luke wrate of all thinges in what sence 5.6 L ante Y Lyfe of man lyke a Pylgrimage Pag. 299 Lyfe eternall 119 Lyfe eternall estate moost happye Pag. ibid. Lyfe of manne of what estate condicion it is 871 Lydia is an example of true conuersion 624 Lydia causeth hir houshoâd to be baptised 626 Lydia howe and after what manner shee was conuerted 625 Lystra dwellers how they were affected at Paules myracle 890 M ante A MAgistrates muste beware of brybes Pag. 831 Magistrates offended at the Apostles 556 Magistrates by the sworde muste keepe vnder blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers 233 Magistrates duetie too enquire oute matters diligently 848 Magistrates must be carefull for the fayth and for religion 849 Magistrates wycked 643 Magistrates must bee diligent in the defence of God. 816 Magistrates must do no euill for fauour of men 835 Magistrates must not hasten iudgement for mens fauour 828 Magistrates muste not be defrauded of their honour 119 Magistrates dutie 32 Magistrate must ayde the godly requiring it 812 Magistrates opprssinge innocentes howe they muste bee punished Pag. 801 Magistrates muste bee instructed with the power of the holy ghoste Pag. 20 Magistrates howe farre they muste bee obeyed 274 Magistrate curteouse is a beautifying of his office 816 Magistrates auctoritie howe it is preserued 801 Magistrates wicked their manners Pag. 799 Magistrates must heare causes with diligence 821 Magistrates inferioure muste bee simplye obeyed without lookynge for further aucthoritie of Superioâr 426 Maiestie and truthe of Chrystes Kingdome declared in the story of the Apostles 2 Malta is the place where the Knights of Saint Iohns order keepe their residence 887 Malta people are an example of hospitalitie ibidem Malta men an Example of humanitie 888 Malta menne take Paule for a god Pag. 889 Malta mennes kyndnes 892 Mannes ende teacheth vs the woorshipping of one God. 671 Mannes nature and condicion as he is naturall 396 Manne goyng about to deceyue vs vnder pretence of Religion howe wâe muste iudge and esteeme him Pag. 229 Manne what hee oweth vnto God. Pag. 2â0 Manne how hee must prepare himselfe to receyue the Holy Ghoste Pag. 77 Manne how hee is called the vessell and instrument of God. 399 Mannes enterprises wee muste not passe
to his Apostles goyng out of this worlde he vndoubtedly beholdeth them still and will not suffer any of them to be taken out of his hande In the meane while this also serueth for our purpose that he that gaue commaundements when he went forth declareth thereby plainely that he will one day come agayne Let vs therefore prepare our selues against his commyng beyng alwayes mindefull of the woordes of Christ where he sayth Let your loynes be gyrded aboute and your lightes brennyng and yee your selues like vnto men that wayte for theyr Lorde when he will returne from the weddyng that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly happy are those sâruaunts whom the Lorde when he commeth shall finde wakyng c. But before wee ende our Sermon some thinges remayne to be discussed which commend vnto vs the dignitie and authoritie of the Apostles doctrine The first is that he sayth they were chosen of Christ He speaketh of a speciall choyse and election whereby they were taken not onely into the number of them that shoulde be saued but were also appoynted for such an ende and vse that they should be Preachers of the grace conferred by Christ and as Paule sayth Stewardes of the mysteries of God. Furthermore he saith they receyued commaundementes of Christ. For as Princes make for their Ambassadours letters of commission which wee call instructions in the which not onely is contayned the remembrance of thinges they haue to doe but also the credite and authoritie they be put in euen so Iesus Christ would instruct his Ambassadours with commaundementes that it might appeare what they had to doe But bicause many consider Christ but as he were man onely and perceyue nothing in the Apostles passing the condition of common persones therefore Luke addeth that these commaundementes were giuen by the holy Ghost If wee would lay all these thinges togither it should appeare that they were no humane but diuine affayres that were committed to the Apostles It shall appeare also that theyr doctrine is to be referred to Christ as to the Auctor thereof For they are Christes messengers as Paule sayth And they are commended with the testimonie of Christ saying He that receyueth whom so euer I sende receyueth me Againe He that receyueth you receyueth mee and he that receyueth mee receyueth him that sent mee It is our partes therefore Brethren to iudge well of the office and doctrine of the Apostles and thankefully to acknowledge the vnspeakeable benefite of God giuen vs by theyr preachyng and to imbrace it with true faith For so shall it come to passe that wee being borne againe of the immortall seede of his diuine Woorde shall leade a life woorthy the children of God and beyng deliuered out of the horrible tempestes of this worlde shall liue for euer in Heauen with the Sonne of God Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour to whom all prayse honour glory and power are dewe for euer Amen The seconde Homelie TO whom also he shewed himselfe aliue after his passion and that by many tokens appearing vnto them fortie dayes and speaking of the kingdome of God. WHyle Luke in writyng the Actes of the Apostles goeth aboute to ioyne that discourse with the story of the Gospell as I tolde you yesterday he doth it not at al-aduentures but admonished and instructed by the holy Ghost who meaneth thereby to teache vs some excellent pointe of learnyng For hereby it appeareth that the story of the Apostles should by no meanes be seuered from the story of the Gospell and that whatsoeuer the Apostles did in setting forth the Gospell and kingdome of Iesus Christ is aswell to be referred to Christ as the Auctor of it as the thinges he did in his owne person while he was here on earth For it is plaine that the Apostles did nothing of theyr owne head and power but were mooued and inspired thereto as Christes chosen instruments by his holy spirite This thing the woordes of Christ teach vs saying It is not you that speake but the spyrit of my Father that speaketh in you And in an other place he promiseth his holy spirite to instruct them with all truth and to giue them counsell what to doe Wherevnto Paule had a respect saying vnto the Corinthians Seeke you experience of Christ that speaketh in mee The knowledge hereof is not in vaine bicause it serueth both for our learning and consolation For by these testimonies wee are taught that wee may safely beleeue the doctrine and writinges of the Apostles not onely bicause they are the Ambassadours of Iesus Christ for wee see that Ambassadours sometime doe their message falsely but also for that they be instructed with his spirite and as he inspyreth and directeth them doe their office It is no small consolation that wee know Christ hath a care of his Church For he that departing from vs in his bodie left vs Apostles by whose mynistery his Church might be gathered togither hee distributing the giftes of his holy spyrite in all Ages giueth vnto his Church some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some Shepheardes and Teachers to the edifiyng of the Saintes to the woorke and mynistration euen to the edifiyng of the body of Christ c. But bicause Luke in yesterdaies Sermon made mention of Christs Ascention into Heauen he taketh occasion thereby to intreate of the last thing that Christ did a little before his Ascention bicause it serueth well to the purpose of his discourse or story And in this place he speaketh of two thinges wherof Christ intreated with his Disciples The one is a diligent proofe of his Resurrection the other an instruction touchyng the Kingdome of god Of both which we will speake asmuch as the Lord shall put in our mindes And touching the proofe of his Resurrection he vseth but fewe woordes but they very pithie For the same Iesus saith hee which before hee suffered did and taught many things vpon the earth the very same after he had suffered was dead shewed himself aliue againe to his Disciples euen the very self same person none other neither in any other body but euen in the selfe same in the which he suffered Neither shewed he himself to them as it were by chaunce but prooued by many arguments infallible demoÌstrations that he was truely risen againe in the very same body wherein he liued while he was here vpon the earth And here Luke speaketh of those things which he more largely in the Gospel describeth that Christ did after his Resurrection And amongst those things first are his apparitions as when he appeared to Mary Magdalene in the Garden by the Sepulchre like a gardener where shee knewe him And a little whyle after meetyng other women also commyng from the graue hee saluteth them and biddeth them shewe his brethren and namely Peter howe he was rysen againe Againe he falleth in company with
which Christ treated of with his disciples at his last being amongst them He spake saith Luke of the kingdome of god It is the coÌmon vsage in scripture to call the affaires of our redemption and saluation by the name of the kingdom of God or of heauen bicause the ende and scope thereof is that as long as we liue here we should be gouerned with the spyrite of God and being taken out of this life should liue and raigne with God in Heauen What thinges so euer therefore pertayne to the mysteries hereof Christ hath diligently and in order expounded them The beginning hereof springeth of vs For before all things it behooueth vs to know in what kingdome wee are borne and lyue before Christ hath illuminated vs For except wee were borne sinners and by reason of sinne were in daunger of the Deuill and Hell wee shoulde neede no restoryng to the kingdome of god But bycause our state is so miserable it was needefull the Sonne of God should be giuen which takyng our sinnes vpon him should pourge them with the sacrifice of his body and bloud vpon the Aulter of the Crosse and through the operation of his holy spirite should regenerate vs to be the sonnes of God by the immortall seede of his woorde which regeneration bringeth forth the mortification of the olde man and conuersion of the whole life and causeth them which before were ledde with the suggestions and corrupt affections of Sathan to be brought to the obedience of fayth to depend all togither vpon God his woorde And this is that kingdome of God which he hath restored vnto vs through his sonne for whose increase wee pray as Christ hath commaunded vs saying Let thy kingdome come And truly it was needefull that the mysteries of this kingdome should diligently bee declared to the Apostles bicause that being deceyued with the common errour of the Iewes they imagined a worldly kingdome in Christ wherein they hoped for honours ryches victories and peace in the worlde as theyr often striuings for the supremacie abundantly declare Furthermore wee ought earnestly to obserue thexample of Christ which would with such diligence and traueyle teache and instruct his Apostles appointed to the preachyng of the Gospell and mynistery of his Church And yet wee reade that they were conuersant with him whole three yeres were at his sermons sawe all his myracles and at length were sent abroade to preach The Lord therefore would admonish vs that the office of teachyng in the Church is not vnaduisedly to be taken vpon vs neither that it ought to be coÌmitted to any person without a diligent tryall For if things of pryce the custodie whereof is difficult daungerous are not committed to euery man neither doth any man that is wise rashly take charge of them how much more care and studie ought to be in this thing where the charge of Christs Church and the soules which the Sonne of God hath redeemed with his owne bloud is taken in hand Is there any more precious thing to be found than these How great and perilous a charge the ouersight of them is none can be ignorant of which knoweth the infirmitie of our flesh the entisements of the world and the subtill sleightes of our common enimie And it is the voyce of God which once beyng spoken to Ezechiel appertayneth to all the mynisters of the Church I will require the bloude of those that perishe at thy hande This thing should they often remeÌber which beyng studious of Diuinitie meane at any time to take this charge vpon them that they may the more earnestly applie the studie of holy scripture that they labor continually in searching the mysteries of the kingdome of God least being deceyued through ignoraunce they commit perhaps some error in theyr office Paule well remembring the great daunger in this case earnestly vrgeth Tymothe who he confesseth had euen of a childe learned the scriptures busily to apply his reading They also which in the Church haue authoritie to choose and ordeyne ministers ought well to remember the same least they disorder the Church by admitting such as be vnmeete which thing they must diligently take heede of For it is no small error that herein is committed bicause they are both Auctors of disorder in the Church and also partakers of other mens faultes as Paule plainely declareth Would to God they would well consider this thing which thinke the ministery of the Church to be a sanctuary for pouertie enter into the same for their priuate lucre and bellyes sake or without any mature aduise and deliberation but drunken with blynde affections thrust vnfit persons into the Church and sometimes knowne naughtie packes and despisers of all good discipline Last of all we learne by the example of Christ what and what maner communications Christians ought to vse that is to say godly and such as make for correction and amendement of maners For Christ talketh of the kingdome of God with his Apostles Let vs after his ensample common and reason oftentimes of the kingdome of God and of our saluation obteyned by christ Let vs diligently do away the corruption of our nature and let vs endeauour that other may see and perceyue the same Let vs haue our mind on Christs benefits and often and willingly set forth the same let vs remember the benefit wherby he hath bound vs all vnto him let vs auoyd filthie communication which corrupteth good manners remembryng Paules saying which numbreth dishonest talke among the thinges for the which the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience And let vs alway be mindefull of that saying of Christ which affirmeth we shall giue an accompt in the day of iudgement for euery ydle woorde God graunt that wee abidyng in the meditation of his kingdome may learne to dispise thinges earthly loue thinges that be heauenly may die in the fleshe and liue in the spyrite that hereafter wee may liue raigne in Heauen with Iesus Christ to whom be blessyng honour glory and power for euer Amen The thirde Homelie AND gathered them togither and commaunded them that they should not depart from Hierusalem but to wayte for the promise of the Father wherof sayth he you haue heard of me For Iohn truely baptized with water ⪠but you shall be baptized with the holy Ghost after these few dayes BIcause Christ chose his Apostles to th ende that through theyr mynisterye the doctrine of saluation should be sowne amongst all nations It was needefull that first they should be well instructed in all the thinges that belonged to theyr office wherein as Christ who was most desirous of our saluation intermitted nothing so S. Luke setteth forth very diligently his last conuersation and doyngs with his Apostles partly for that wee might perceyue the endeuour and good will of Christ towards vs and partely to declare what things are chiefly necessary in the
to god For if euer there were any Cities notable for power and glory Hierusalem will in that poynt easily haue the superioritie For to omit that for the space of foure hundred three score and seauentene yeares there was among the people of God the seate of the kyngdome and Priesthoode that the kingdome stretched to the riuer Euphrates that it brought forth most valiant kings most holy Priests and most diuine Prophetes this one thing farre passeth all the glorye of the worlde that God did vouchsafe to make it a president and a patterne of the Church of Iesus christ For this cause is she adorned with such prayses in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes Therfore is Christ sayde to reygne in Syon Therfore the Scriptures call hir the Citie of the great King. Besides this glory the Apostles receyue in hir the holy ghost and with good successe doe there begin the helthfull preaching of the Gospell But coulde all this glory deliuer hir from the hande of God being angrye with hir and from imminent destruction when she had forgotten the benefits of God and his commaundementes and followed not the vertues of hir forefathers nor shewed hir selfe thankfull and obedient to God Naye but where they chose rather to follow the multitude of such fathers as brake both Gods lawes and mans shed the bloud of the Prophets neyther the godlynesse of Dauid which first builded there his pallace and temple neyther the wisedome of Salomon neyther the integritie of Iosaphat neither the valiantnesse of Ezechias neyther the zeale of Iosias neither the sermons of the Prophets which rang in euery place of hir neyther the myracles done by Christ and his Apostles in hir neyther the Gospell begonne there to be preached could let but that within fourtie yeares she was vtterly destroyed and being raced and layde euen with the grounde hath scarce any marke or monument there left of so famous and noble a Citie And that we saye happened to Hierusalem both Capernaum that peculiar Citie of Christ and Corozain and Bethsaida notable by reason of the Apostles dwelling there felt euen the same Let them cease therefore to glorye in the vertues of their forefathers and in the olde benefites of God that cease not with vnthankfulnesse and disobedience to prouoke the wrath of god For vnlesse the hearers of the worde of God be aunswereable to Gods benefites they shall haue the same lot and porcion with the vnhappy Cities of Iurie Furthermore to return to the purpose of Christ let vs see what the Apostles haue to do in the citie of Hierusalem He biddeth them to wayte there for the promise of his father by the which he meaneth the holy ghost which he calleth the promise of the father both for that he is truely promised and giuen of the father only and also for that he had promised sundry times by the Prophetes that in the comming of the Messias he would plentifully poure forth his spirit vpoÌ men as Peter afterwards declareth out of Ioel. In the meane season he putteth them likewise in remembrance of his promises which appeare euery where in the Gospell If any man beleeue in me sayth he as the Scripture sayth riuers shall runne out of him of the water of lyfe Which wordes are to be vnderstanded of the holye ghost whom they that beleeued in Christ should receyue as the Euangelist there teacheth And in another place he sayth I will praye vnto my father and he shall giue you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth whome the worlde cannot receyue Againe That comforter which is the holy ghost whom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things and shall put you in remembrance of all things which I haue sayde vnto you And againe When the comforter shall come which I will sende you from my father the spirite of truth which proceedeth from the father he shall beare witnesse of me And a little way after When he commeth which is the spirite of truth he shall bring you into all truth Bicause therefore the father once promised by his Prophetes this spirite to the worshippers of his sonne Iesus Christ and Christ hath obtayned vs the same according as hee is our Mediator and intercessour therefore it is well called the promise of the father Here is to be considered that Iesus Christ suffreth not his Apostles appointed long before to the office of preaching and a great while by him faithfully instructed to leape sodeinly into the ministery but requiring obedience of them coÌmaundeth them to waite for the spirite promised of his father We are taught by this example of Christ that obedience to Christs commauÌdements is chiefly required in the ministers of his word For it is very meete that they which should bring other to the obedience of faith which is the ende of the preaching of the Gospel should first be obedient to the same themselues and that they should doe nothing without the appoyntment and commaundement of their Captayne For so shall they not onely by their doctrine but also by their owne example perswade their hearers the better to obedience Moreouer this place admonisheth vs that it is not ynough for Ministers of the word to be furnished with knowledge and learning except they haue also the gift of the holy ghost For where no man commeth vnto Christ without hee be drawne by his father they that haue the gouernaunce of the Church shall in vayne teach and admonish men vnlesse the holy ghost work with their studie and industry Paule the Apostle well perceyued this matter which calleth the Church the tillage of God and confesseth that neyther he that planteth neyther he that watreth is any thing but ascribeth all the glorye and successe of this matter to God onely which alone can giue increase Therefore the Ministers haue neede to be prepared by the holy ghost least while they vndertake such a charge without his guyding they procure displeasure and losse not onely to themselues but also to the whole Church Neyther shall he euer be meete for this roume which feeleth not the effectuous motions of the holy spirite within his hart Hereof proceede those preparations of the Prophetes which we reade in Scripture such as Esay Hieremie Ezechiel and other had before they preached which seemeth to be the cause that Paule forbade that yong Studentes shoulde not be chosen to the ministery of the Church bicause such for the most part cannot be verye sure of the operation of the holy ghost and his present ayde But that we speake of the ministers of the worde is to be referred to all men which are appointed to great charges and offices in the common weale In which number Magistrates are not last to be placed who being the expositors and interpreters of Gods iudgements are in scripture called Gods. For what can they eyther well foresee or iudge vnlesse
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 vpoÌ 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 whoÌ he would haue to be teachers of al the world with
Passeouer Luke in the seconde Chapter following sayth the holy ghost was sent In the meane season they abode with one consent in prayers and supplication And although the argument or matter of the prayers which they made be not expressed yet of the circumstances it may easily be gathered what they prayed For what else should they praye for which knewe their owne weakenesse and sawe such a burthen layde on their shoulders then that God woulde hasten the sending of his holy spirite and vouchsafe to defende them from falling For they had learned by their first sliding back how vaine and of no value mans strength is in Gods affayres except we be vpholden by the present ayde of his diuine grace Let vs here obserue how Luke sayth they were continually occupied in prayer and supplication which otherwyse were furnished with most large promises and were endued with great fayth For if we reade in Iohn what Christ did with his Disciples a little before his death we shall see the holye ghost so often promised that it was almost tedious And being risen from death againe he put them diuers times in remembrance of the same And that they beleeued the promises of Christ it appeareth plainely by their returne into the Citie For vnlesse they had beleeued that Christ would be as good as his promise they would neuer haue gone backe againe into so bloudy a Citie and where such daunger was Therefore faith is no let why we should not perseuer and abyde continually in prayers and good workes I know there are diuers that cauill about the thinges spoken of fayth which only iustifieth and saueth as though it made prayer vnprofitable and extinguished or at least much hindered good workes But these men so farre swarue from the truth that there is no more effectuous prouocation to good workes than that that springeth in our mindes of fayth Naye if we be not furnished with fayth wee can neyther praye profitablye nor be feruent in good workes For howe shall they call vpon him in whom they beleeue not sayth Paule And how shall God accept our prayers except we conceyue sure confidence of his good will towardes vs Last of all where as we naturally abhorre from good workes it cannot be that we shoulde gyue our selues wholy therevnto vnlesse we be sure that they please God the father for Iesus Christes sake To saye nothing howe it is impossible to please God without fayth and howe whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The Apostles and they that be with them ioyne two thinges to their prayers without the which our prayer is of no force or auayle before God that is to saye vnanimitie and perseuerance Unanimitie or agreement is needefull bicause wee be the children of one father as we professe in the Lordes prayer saying Our father which art in heauen c. But what father is so retchlesse and carelesse to suffer his children to be at discorde among themselues And the law of nature teacheth vs that they that be one mans children and of one inheritance should looue and agree togither But as many as by faith are grafted in Christ are borne of the same seede to saye the incorruptible and immortall seede of Gods worde to be the children of God and heyres of his kingdome in heauen yea to saye more they are made members of one body and acknowledge one heade and are quickened with one and the same spirite Is it possible therefore that such can be voyde of loue ⪠concorde among themselues Doe they not through hatred and enmitie seperate themselues from the body of Christ and commit horrible hypocrisie while they dare lyke true children of GOD at common prayer appeare in the sight of GOD Therefore in our prayers ought that thing chieflye to haue place that Christ requyreth of them which come to doe sacrifice saying If thou offer thy gyft at the aultare and there remember that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee leaue there thy gyft before the aultare and go and bee reconcyled vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For if we must take heede that our brother haue no cause of hatred against vs how much more must we beware that we swell not in hatred agaynst our brother We must haue no lesse consideration of perseuering or continuance in prayer forasmuch as God manye times deferreth long the helpe he promiseth vs and almost seemeth to haue no care at all of vs which thing caused the holyest men to burst forth into these sayings How long wilt thou forget me O Lorde for euer Howe long wilt thou hyde thy face from me how long shall I crye and thou wilt not heare But in such cogitations we must remember that God cannot forget vs nor cease to care for such as he hath vouchsafed to redeeme with the bloud of his sonne For he sayth in the Prophete Can the mother forget hir yong Infant so that she will not haue pittie vpon the babe of hir owne body but admit they be forgetfull yet will not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee in both my hands And Dauid sayth Thou tellest my flittings and puttest my teares in thy bottâll Are not these things noted in thy booke Therefore when God deferreth the help we looke for he doth it for this only cause to try our faith pacience and yet as I sayd before hee suffreth vs not to be tempted aboue our strength Wherefore euen then must we chiefly bende all the force of our faith call for his helpe praying continually And of what force this perseuerance or importunitie is before God Iesus Christ hath taught vs in very fitte parables therfore let vs diligently doe that the Apostles did whyle they wayted for the holy ghost For we also haue neede of the holy ghost to bridle the desires of the fleshe and to strengthen vs in hope and faith Let vs make our selues ready to receyue him with obedience vnanimitie and perseuerance in prayer that being quickened and illuminate with him in this present worlde we may leade a lyfe acceptable to his diuine Maiestie and at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The seuenth Homelie IN those dayes Peter stoode vp in the middes of the Disciples and sayde the number of names that were togither were about an hundred and twentie ye men and brethren this Scripture must needes haue bene fulfilled which the holy ghost through the mouth of Dauid spake before of Iudas which was guyde to them that tooke Iesus For he was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration And the same hath nowe possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged hee burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne to all the inhabiters of Hierusalem insomuch that the same fielde is called
they cannot looke vpon Moses face that is they cannot vnderstande the true and plaine meaning of the lawe Therefore the Iewes and false Christians the mainteyners of mans righteousnesse obiect to vs in vaine the lawe and workes thereof whereas Christ is both the ende of the lawe and without him there is no true knowledge of the lawe But in the meane season the contempners of the olde lawe are reprooued who thinke there is no more vse of the same to be had among the Christians As though the will of God were not the same nowe that it was woont to be and as though we also had not neede to be led by the hande of the lawe vnto Christ that distrusting our owne righteousnesse we might learne to take holde of the righteousnesse of God that commeth by fayth in Iesus Christ. In deede we confesse that the Ceremonies of the law are abholished bicause all figures are fulfilled in Christ yet the vse of the lawe remayneth whole and sounde whose duetie it is to teach vs our vnrighteousnesse and corruption of nature and all our satisfaction for the same to be in Christ. Furthermore it behooueth to consider the persons of the Apostles that we may vnderstande what they were dooing at this tyme where certaine things are to be repeated out of the first Chapter First we heard howe they obeyed the commaundement of Christ being nowe readie to ascende into heauen who bade them returne to Hierusalem and there to wayte for the spirite which he promised them Therefore they returne thither and there abide vnto this day in the which the spirit is sent as a little after we shall see where Luke sayth plainly this happened at Hierusalem Moreouer he attributeth vnanimitie and concorde to them For they went not dispersed vp and downe the Citie neyther was there such brawle and contention betweene them as was woont to be but they taryed with one accorde all togither in one place Adde vnto these a thirde poynt whereof mention also is made before howe they continually persisted in praier For it is not to be thought that they were become euer the slacker in praying seeing they were compassed about wyth daunger on euery side and as appeareth by choosing of Mathias prepared themselfe diligently to the administration of their office These things serue for the publike instruction of vs all For they teache vs howe they ought to prepare themselues which desire to haue the holye ghost giuen vnto them and to haue his giftes increased in them Hereof we haue neede by reason of our inwarde and naturall corruption wherewyth onlesse we be borne againe we shall not see the kingdome of god We haue neede of the same spirite bicause of the worlde and the desires of the fleshe wherewith we be many tymes reuoked from the way of saluation We haue neede also of the same by reason of temptations wherewith Sathan oftentymes goeth about to bring vs in doubt of the certentie of our saluation and redemption and would easily ouercome vs except we were confirmed wyth the spirite of Christ which as Paule sayth is the sure earnest and pledge of our saluation But the same spirit entereth not into a froward soule Therefore we haue neede to prepare our selues that we may be meete to receyue him First therefore obedience is requisite whereby it behooueth vs to be in subiection to the will of God and to his precepts yea euen in those things that to our reason seeme daungerous hurtfull or superfluous For by what meanes shall we thinke it will come to passe that they shall haue the spirite of God giuen them which are not ashamed to rebell agaynst God God can not abide that they shall glorie in his lawe and in his worde which runne on in disobedience Howe much lesse will he vouchsafe to giue his holy spirite to such Furthermore it is meete that they be of one accorde and in charitie togither which shall receyue the holy ghost For where God himselfe is charitie he requireth earnestly the studie thereof in those that be his yea Christ appoynted it as a Cognizance for his to be knowne by And it cannot be that Christ will iudge them worthie of the spirite of Christian brotherhoode that are deuided by hatred enuie contentions and open enimitie and so declare themselues to be straungers from the bodie of Christ which is the Church or Congregation Moreouer vnto the studie of concorde and obedience must be ioyned feruent and continuall prayers For although God promise his spirit freely and giueth the same of his meere grace he will yet haue vs to pray to him and aswell doth the maiestie of God require we should praye to him as the dutie whereby we be bound to him Neyther can we declare any more manifest token of our fayth than if we go aboute by prayer to obtaine those things that belong to our saluation Therefore we heare Dauid saye Make me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirite within me Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me And we say euery day as Christ commaundeth vs Let thy kingdome come Yea Christ himselfe promiseth vs that we shall not aske God his spirite in vaine Where he sayth If you being euill can giue good gyftes vnto your children howe much more shal your father of heauen giue the holy spirit to them that desire it of him Therefore let vs in these dayes ioyne togither these three obedience vnanimitie and prayers after the example of the Apostles and then shall we perceyue in our selues a marueylous comming forwarde in true godlinesse and a most wholsome increase of the holy ghost Furthermore the consideration of the Apostles teacheth vs that the spirite of Christ which worketh by preaching of the gospell is a spirite of concorde and holinesse and not the Author of dissention and carnall libertie as some in these dayes crie out which by this meanes would bring the doctrine of the gospell in suspicion and hatred bicause say they it is the seede of dissention and a planting of licencious liuing But we may easily aunswere theyr slaunders For as the Apostles being at vnitie and concorde receyued the holy spirite so it is plaine that after they had receyued him their concorde was not disturbed but euery day more and more confirmed And the same effect of the spirite is in all them that beleeue For it cannot be that he can be Author of discorde amongst them whom being knit togither in one head Iesus Christ he maketh members of one and the same bodie and coheyres of the same kingdome And as it is impossible that the members of one bodie quickened with one spirite can be at variance togither so can they not striue amongst themselues which are brought by the doctrine of the gospell vnto Christ and are indued with his spirite As touching that our enimies obiect to vs the libertie of the flesh we
fewe to Hierusalem euen this day that the holy ghost is giuen to the Apostles that among the first they might be wonne vnto Christ by the preachyng of the Apostles as about the ende of this Chapter we shall heare Nowe these men are astonied and woonder at the great myracle of God which they see shewed in the Apostles and they extoll it with many wordes leauyng out nothyng that maketh to the settyng foorth of the same For they both confesse the Apostles are Galileans and they beare witnesse they heare euery one their owne proper phrase of speache and they also recken vp the nations whose tongues they heare them vse Yet they stande not styll in this bashement but goyng further they seeke the ende and vse of this matter saying What meaneth this We are taught by the example of these men who are meete hearers of the doctrine of the Gospell and in whom this doctrine bryngeth foorth worthy fruites They are such which beyng not wholly destitute of religion doe humbly marueyle at the myracles of God and sticke not onely in the outwarde contemplation of them but earnestly thinke of the ende and vse of them God suffereth not these mens studyes to be frustrate whose pleasure it is that men shoulde come to the knowledge of truth And we reade that Salomon sayde If thou seekest after wisdome as after money thou shalt finde hir And Christ saith Seeke and you shall finde Now after these men follow another sort of men whom Christ calleth by the name of Dogges and Swine and the scripture in other places calleth them scorners and mockers For Luke saith there were aswel that mocked the Apostles as those that woondred at them saying These men are full of newe wine The example of these men is set foorth to shewe vs howe farre the wickednesse of such runneth as haue once purposed to persecute the truth For they become incurable and can be reclaymed with no maner of wordes or deedes For with what myracle wyll they be mooued whom this myracle can not mooue which was the greatest that euer was wrought amongst men But they are so farre from being mooued therwith that they take occasion rather to reproche and blaspheme it and they attribute it to the detestable vice of drunkennesse which of force they perceyue to be the workyng of the holy ghost There are diuers examples of this sort apparaunt which serue all to this ende to teache vs that we be not offended with the vniust iudgements of this worlde concernyng the truth For this is alway seene that the doctrine of the Gospell is to some the sauour of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauour of death vnto death And Paule teacheth vs that Christ crucyfied is a stumblyng block vnto the Iewes and foolishnesse vnto the Greekes Therfore let vs leaue such to the iudgement of God and let vs frame our selues to the doctrine of the Gospell that it beyng quickened in our heartes by the woorkyng of the holy ghost may bryng foorth worthy fruites by the which we may be knowne to be true beleeuers and may enioy the euerlastyng promises of the Gospell in Iesus Christe to whome be blessyng honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xij. Homelie BVT Peter stepped foorth with the eleuen and lyft vp his voyce and sayde Ye men of Iewry and all ye that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my words For these men are not drunken as ye suppose seyng it is but the thirde houre of the day But this is that which was spoken by the prophete Ioel. And it shal be in the last dayes saith God of my spirite I wyll poure out vpon all fleshe And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruauntes and on my handmaydes I wyll poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie WHen Iesus Christ the sonne of God was newely borne into the worlde and was brought by Marie his mother into the Churche accordyng to the appoyntment of Moyses lawe the holy and reuerende olde father Simeon by inspiration of the holy ghost amonge other thynges sayde Beholde this chylde is set to be the fall and vprisyng agayne of many in Israel and for a signe which is spoken agaynst Howbeit that which is spoken of Iesus Christ may be vnderstanded of the Gospell of Christ preached by the Apostles For although the doctrine therof be playne and simple and sheweth also the true way howe to attayne to saluation Yet shall men alwayes haue diuers iudgementes touchyng the same and there shall be no small number of such as shall openly speake agaynst it This dyd Esay the prophete see long agoe who vtteryng a prophecie of Christe and his doctrine begynneth after this sort Who hath giuen credence to our preaching or to whom is the arme of the Lord knowne The Lorde declareth the cause of all this matter where he saith this world can not abyde the lyght bicause the workes therof are euyll The scriptures also set foorth many lyke examples the ende and warnyng of all which is that we shoulde not be offended when the lyke happen in these dayes Among which this example that the Apostles prooued the first day they receiued the holy ghost and went about to administer their office is very notable For where they were indued with a singuler myracle such as the lyke had neuer beene hard of tyll this day which was the vnderstandyng of all languages and preached Iesus Christe in diuers tongues by reason of their hearers of diuers nations by and by the vnconstant people were deuided into sundry and diuers opinions For the more godly sort woondered at the worke of God and diligently searched after the meanyng thereof The wicked scorners accused them of drunkennesse So true it is that Paule saith that Christe seemeth foolishnesse to the wise of this worlde But bicause we spake hereof in the last Sermon let vs haste to the explication of this present place where the fayth and courage of the Apostles is more cleerely and euidently to be seene For they are so litle mooued or feared with the wicked slaunders of men that Peter rather taketh occasion hereof to speak vnto them and with a fruitfull sermon winneth many of them vnto Christ. Before we go about to expounde Peters Sermon let vs consyder what is sayde of hym and the other Apostles Peter sayth hee standyng with the eleuen lyft vp his voyce They stoode therefore without feare and thought neither to flye nor leaue their charge although they were so vniustly iudged And yet there seemed no small cause of feare and desperation For what shoulde they thinke they coulde preuayle in wordes with them whose wicked and frowarde mindes so great a myracle as euer was wrought could not mollifie and mooue But they stoode vnfeared and not onely remayne and tary by it but also begyn to set
be counted rather warmelings and cowardly forsakers of the standing and place that they are set in Howbeit in putting away the crime he neyther vseth a bare deniall onlye nor waywardly retorteth slaunder for slaunder but prooueth by arguments that it is false that they layde to theyr charge The first argument he taketh of circumstance of the time These be not sayth he as ye suppose drunken for it is but the thirde houre of the day For the auncient fathers vsed to account twelue howers in the day as may be gathered by the hystorie of the Gospell and prophane wryters also And bicause they beganne theyr count from the day spring or rising of the sunne this thirde hower must be referred to the morning and with vs in the summer time it may be called seauen or eight a clocke in the forenoone Peters argument therfore is of this sort They that are giuen to drunkennesse begin to banquet and bouse towarde euening or the beginning of the night But where it is nowe but morning we cannot of right be accused of drunkennesse But O happie state of those dayes when men might reason after this sort For although it be credible that manye were giuen aswell to drunkennesse as to other vices yet such was the honestie of that time that it was a shame to be drunken and those that were giuen to such drinking were drunken as Paule sayth in the night for feare of open shame In these dayes this argument should be of small force and authoritie where as they euery where now rule the rost which ryse earely to drinke wine as Esay complayneth of the vsage of his dayes Yea there be found amongst the Princes and Magistrates which forgetting the saying of Salomon ryse vp betymes to banquetting and ryot But what speake I of Princes seeing there be deuines not free from this vice I remember once being at the Sessions Imperiall where they went about to establishe a generall peace and to appoynt an vniforme religion through Germanie howe I sawe a deuine of great name and fame yea the standard bearer of the contrarie part that sayde he woulde not dispute of so weightie a matter when he was sober And he was so constant of his worde that I sawe him not so fewe tymes as once well whitteled by one of the clocke But would God there were not to be found euen among them of our owne profession which being infected with this publike and common euill of all Germanie were not giuen to much to this quassing And surely if there were none other argument apparaunt this one were ynough to reprooue the corrupt maners of these dayes For who can denie but the dayes of Noah and Lot be amongst vs where with one mouth all men talke of their cuppes and to be drunken is accounted with all states and degrees a commendable and an honourable matter This vice wee may thanke not onely for corruption of good maners but also for the ouerthrow of iustice and lawes and the decay of religion and oppression of the libertie of our countrie But returne we to Peters Sermon who taketh an other argument of thinges spoken long before to acquite the Apostles of suspition of drunkennesse For where euen the good also might iustly meruaile howe vnlearned men shoulde sodenly come to speake such diuers languages and to bee expert in them and the wicked and mockers imputed it to drunkennesse it was needefull the truth of the matter shoulde be more openly declared Therefore Peter teacheth that this was the worke of the holy ghost the sending of whome he prooueth by the .2 of Ioel to haue beene promised long before in the kingdome of the Messias This Ioel prophecied in the time of Esay and Micheas and forewarned the people of the warres that Sennacherib should make agaynst them And least the godly should despayre and thinke that God had left off to care for his people any more he comforteth them and sheweth how Israell shoulde not quite be destroyed bycause the Messias should be borne of that people whome God had ordeyned to be the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde and for the more comfort of them describeth in fewe woordes the kingdome of the Messias Which place Peter the more diligently and at large cyteth for that he woulde accuse them of doltishnesse and lacke of witte which ascribed the most manifest effectes of the holye ghost to drunkennesse For this was a most filthie errour not to marke and obserue so great a benefite of God and that promised so long agone and most diligently described but to raile at it This place giueth vs three things to consider The first prophecieth of the plentifull and liberall pouring out of the holy ghost which should be in the tyme of christ The other describeth the troublesome estate of this worlde in the kingdome of Christ insomuch that it reckoneth vp the punishments wherewith God will reuenge the vnthankfulnesse and incredulitie of the worlde The thirde declareth the maner of saluation and sheweth the way howe men may escape safely all daungers But at this present we will declare onely the first part This the Lorde in these wordes vttereth by the Prophete And it shall come to passe in the latter dayes sayth the Lorde that I will poure out of my spirite vpon all flesh And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie And your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruaunts and on my handmaydens I will poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie These wordes are by themselues plaine and euident ynough yet are they more deepely to be considered bycause of the things comprehended in them seruing to our instruction The first thing to be obserued in them is that where the Prophete prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ amongst the great and singuler benefites bestowed on vs by Christ he chiefly commendeth the gift of the holy ghost The cause thereof seemeth to me was not for that the holy Prophete eyther was ignoraunt of other thinges or despised them but bicause next after Christ there can nothing be giuen vs of God more excellent than that spirite of Christ which here is spoken of For our heauenly father hath inclosed in Christ his sonne all the treasures of his grace and of our saluation But men are regenerated by his holy spirite to become the sonnes of God and heyres of the goodes which Christ hath purchased vs Which regeneration is so necessarie for vs that vnlesse we be renued by the same we cannot as Christ testifieth see the kingdome of God. The same spirite illuminateth our mindes to vnderstande the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and kindleth in vs the desire of them Without the which light the naturall man cannot perceyue the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. This spirite is a comforter by whome we being incouraged are able to abide and ouercome whatsoeuer aduersitie in this
worlde betydeth vs for Christes sake And he doth not onely the part of a comforter but is also a most faythfull counsaylour For he telleth vs what to doe and when we be in perplexitie and doubt he lighteth vs the torch of truth by whose conducting we escape the daungers of fayth and ofsaluation Beside all this he is the earnest and sure pledge of our redemption and saluation For as Iesus Christ taking vp into heauen the fleshe that he tooke of vs would haue it there to be a gage of our saluation so he putteth his spirite in our heartes in steede of a pledge to imprint the confidence of saluation in vs and to arme vs strongly agaynst temptations Wherefore he is called of Paule the spirite of adoption because that being regenerated by him we are assured by his testimonie that we be the sonnes and heyres of god Therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophete taketh the gift of this holy spirite amongst all other most to be commended We are also here taught what we ought chiefly to doe in the kingdome of christ In which place we may see the diuers and noysome errours of men which while they followe carnall things onely and vnder the coulour of Christ gape after worldly goodes vse many tymes to denie Christ in their life whome they professe with their mouth And to these shall be ioyned those to whome hereafter it shall be sayde Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Christes kingdome is a spirituall kingdome and not of this world Therefore let vs desire the giftes of the spirite wherewith if we be furnished the other things that we haue neede of shall come of their owne accord Moreouer it is conuenient we see the maner of this promise and to whome it apperteyneth He declareth the maner in this one word of pouring out whereby he promiseth a large and plentifull grace of the spirite As touching the persons to whome he will giue it he treateth more at large saying I will poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe Therefore this is an vniuersall promise But he addeth for expositions sake sonnes and daughters yong men and olde to teach vs that there is no difference in the kingdome of Christ eyther of age or sexe For in Christ as Paule sayth there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle neyther bonde nor free neyther man nor woman In the meane season least any might thinke that the holy spirite was giuen to good and bad alyke God restrayneth his promise to his seruauntes and handmaydens to the ende we should vnderstande that it ought vniuersally to be expounded of them For where he is the spirite of adoption he can be receyued of none but of them whoÌ God doth vouchsafe to acknowledge for his sonnes But they be sonnes of God which acknowledge him to be their father and call vpon him which serue him which worship him which please him and honour him And although they cannot performe the things that belong to the sonnes of God before they be regenerated by this spirite through the free benefit of God and therforethey be oftentimes vnknowne to vs before we see the effects of the holy ghost in them yet it is euident that none be partakers of this spirite but such as the Lorde taketh for his And he knoweth who be his and so knoweth them that no man can take them out of his hande And here by the waye commeth the difference of the olde and newe Testament to be considered For although one and the same Christ one and the same fayth and way of saluation one and the same spirite is set forth in both of them yet there may be perceyued no little difference wherein easily appeareth howe much greater our dignitie and felicitie is than theirs of the olde Testament This appeareth first in the number of the faythfull and next in the maner of teaching For in the olde Testament it is plaine there were but a small number of worshippers and the knowledge of saluation seemed to be compassed within the boundes of the people of Iurie For the wordes of God be well knowne which he sayth to the Israelites Ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine Ye shall bee vnto me a kingdome of priestes and an holy people Againe You only haue I accepted of all the Nations on the earth For which cause sake me thinketh that is also spoken in the Psalmes In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell At Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Syon Hee sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes But in the newe Testament the spirite of the Lorde is poured vppon all fleshe and the way of saluation is stretched to the farthest endes of the earth There it is sayde that they shall come from the East and from the West that shall sitte in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob There the Apostles receyue a commaundement to preache the Gospell to all Nations There Peter learneth vs howe there is no respect of persons wyth God but in all Nations they that feare him and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him And here is fulfilled that which was spoken before by the Prophete That the barren and desolate should haue more children than shee that was maryed ⪠Againe though there be singuler examples of the faythfull of the olde Testament the like whereof you shall hardly finde in these dayes yet is it plaine that the way and meane of our saluation is now much more manifestly taught than it was woont to be in the olde Testament Before the lawe was published there were in deede large and liberall promises but obscure ynough if we waye them that liued in those dayes which sawe them not as then fulfilled In the lawe our saluation was shadowed with signes and figures but such as whereof many tooke occasion to establishe the righteousnesse of workes Then followed the Prophetes and they declare the mysteryes of Christ somewhere darckely and somewhere more plainely and openly And the thinges which seeme to vs most euident in their writinges seemed without doubt to them in those dayes obscure and darke ynough But in the new Testament the vayle of darcknesse is rent and that light brought in which being come giueth light to all men in the worlde In the Gospell the things are plainely taught which before tyme were hidden and secrete And there fishers and Publicanes see and heare those things which many Prophetes and iust men desired in tymes past to heare and see As touching this plentifull and bounteous gift of the holye ghost and true light thereof Ioel also prophecieth The ende and vse of
vnto Peter and the other Apostles ye men and brethren what shall we doe He attributeth two things vnto them First they are pricked in heart He vnderstandeth the terrours of conscience which rose in them by the acknowledging of their sinne and by the feeling or feare of the wrath of God in them With these must we beginne if we will take any profite by preaching of the worde For as long as we liue carelesse in sinne and are touched with no feeling of our sinnes nor feare of the iudgements of God we can not earnestly thinke of the waye of saluation as men that iudge the care thereof vnprofitable and superfluous And bicause this faulte cleaueth to vs by corruption of nature but being delighted with the enticementes of sinne acknowledge not our selues for sinners it is necessarye that our sinnes be reprooued and accused by the worde of God which thing Christ declareth to be one of the first workes of the holy ghost By reason wherof the worde of the Gospell is called a sworde and the light For being sharper than any two edged sworde it entreth through euen vnto the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughts and of the intents of the heart and setteth them not only before our selues but before others to beholde And that this is a thing necessarye we are taught not onely by the expresse worde of God but also by the example of Gods elect to speake nothing in the meane season of the filthye children of the world which cannot repent Surely Dauid although he were a man euen according to Gods owne minde yet did he not acknowledge his grieuous sinnes of adulterie manslaughter and manye such vices as followed them till he was reprooued of the Prophete by the worde of god And then he beginneth to crie out I haue sinned against the Lorde Againe I acknowledge my faults and my sinne is euer before me My bones are vexed and my soule is also sore troubled There is no health in my flesh bicause of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne And such like as are read in the Psalme lj vj.xxxviij and in other places And the lyke we may see euen in our own sinnes There were now fiftie dayes and more gone since the death of christ And how many were there at Ierusalem of them that cried the bloude of Christ be on vs on our children which shewed any token of repentance But rather liued carelesse out of doubt had perished if god had not shaken that carelesnesse of fro their mindes For they being prouoked by Peters sermon begin now at length to be pricked in their harts to tremble and to thinke of their saluation We must saye the same euen of our selues if we will confesse the truth They therefore are greatlye deceyued which will not haue sinnes rebuked by the worde of God and crie out that it belongeth not to the dutie of Ministers to be busied in reprehending of sinne Such men finde sometime dumbe dogges which frame their doctrine according to their lustes but then is that saying of the Prophete fulfilled that the sworde of the Lorde commeth vpon the carelesse and the bloude of them that perish shall be required at the handes of the flattering preachers To this pricking of heart and terrour of conscience is added an other thing that is to say they séeke counsell at Peter and the Apostles howe to be deliuered from their sinne and to be restored againe to Gods fauour And this is no lesse necessary than the first whereof we spake euen nowe For it is manifest that the verye wicked are compunct and stricken sadde with the worde of God and the accusing of their sinne But as all thinges worke to the best in the elect so the wicked take occasion on euerye side to offende the more grieuouslye as we see in this place it commeth to passe For where their sinnes are openlye detected eyther through impacient fiercenesse they rise against the worde of God and will not seeme to haue sinned wherof we haue examples in Achab and afterwards in the Priests of the Iewes or else turning them to their owne workes they seeke by them howe to satisfie the iustice of God and to auoyde his wrath And when they can see nothing but the heynousnesse of sinne and the horrible wrath of God then begin they to crie out with Caine My wickednesse is greater than can be forgiuen and so at length with Iudas come to an vnhappy ende We must therefore after the example of these men go farther and not sticke in the bitter terrors of conscience We must take counsell of the thing whereof our terrour riseth that is to say of the word of God which as Pelias did sometime with his Iaueling against Telephus both woundeth our consciences and maketh them whole againe Neyther must wee here be so afrayde with the grieuousnesse of sinne that we must thinke our selues forlorne and past hope For this sentence of God remayneth still in his full strength which sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that âee conuert and liue And Christ our Lord doth not only promise that they that seeke shall finde but also professeth that he is a Phisition for suche as are sicke in conscience and in euery place biddeth them that traueyle and are heauy laden to come vnto him And we must thinke it was not without the secret instinct and working of God that they whose handes as yet reeked with the bloude of the sonne of God were the first that hearde the Apostle preach For God in this doing woulde haue vs perswaded that the merite of Iesus Christ and the liberalitie of his goodnesse coulde not be counterpeysed or outweyed with any sinnes so that we woulde cleaue vnto him by faith But let vs heare Peters short and sweete counsayle Repent you and be you euery one baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receyue the gift of the holy ghost For to you was the promise made c. He requireth of them three things but we will entreate onely of two at this present of the thirde we will speake in the sermon following The first thing he dispatcheth in one worde ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sayth he which the Latine interpreter translateth poenitentiam agite that is repent ye He beginneth with that which the Scripture euery where exacteth Moyses verily sheweth them which shoulde be punished for their offences and for transgressing of the lawe that their way to be saued stoode only in repentance That this repentance is that thing which the Prophets chiefây vrge is more manifest than needeth to be prooued Iohn the Baptist the first minister of the newe Testament beginneth his preaching with the same And Christ when he begunne to preache cryed Repent ye for the
and gouerneth them defendeth and enricheth them moste bounteously with the treasures of his heauenly kingdome The same is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech For he taught in times past and daily doth teach in his Church And by the onely sacrifice of hys body hath purged all the sinnes of men And nowe he maketh intercession for vs before his father being a faithfull bishop to performe all the things which remayned to be done for vs with the father Therefore whosoeuer truly acknowledge the sonne of God to be a king and Priest and the only sauiour of the Church of God and staye vpon him only they beleeue trulye in the name of the sonne of God which the Apostle teacheth to be the chiefe commaundement of God. The ende or fruite of this faith is the wholenesse and soundnesse of all man such as we see happened to this lame man and halt Christ bicause of his faith bestowed on him perfite health of body so that nowe he was able to walke to leape and to skippe And that his soule and conscience was likewise healed appeared by that he praysed God and ioyned himselfe to the Apostles Therefore Christ hath made vs all perfitely whole by faith And he deliuereth vs not from sinne and the punishment therof alone but also regenerateth vs by the immortall worde of God through the operation of his spirite Whereby it commeth to passe that we vnderstande the things that be heauenly frame our selues to the will of God resist the desires of the fleshe and finally can doe all things in Christ which strengthneth vs And after this life attayne to the perfite saluation and true blisse which is prepared for vs in heauen Into this blisse the soule departing this worlde by faith is receyued and commeth not into iudgement And the bodie when it shall haue put of all corruption being raysed vp in the later daye by the trumpe and voyce of an Archaungell shall rise againe Therefore this is a most large and ample fruite offaith which also we can attaine to none other waye than by faith in christ Let vs therefore studie the worde of God by the which God giueth vs faith Let vs ioyne feruent prayers to our studie that being quickened through this faith we may attayne perfite health both of bodie and soule and come to the possession of heauen in Iesus Christ our only sauiour king and Priest to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxiij. Homelie AND nowe brethren I knowe that you did it through ignoraunce as did also your Rulers But God which before hath shewed by the mouth of all his Prophetes howe Christ shoulde suffer hath thus wise fulfilled Repent you therefore and conuert that your sinnes may be done awaye When the time of refreshing commeth which we shall haue of the presence of the Lord and when God shall sende him which before was preached vnto you that is to witte Iesus Christ which must receyue heauen vntill the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the worlde beganne be restored againe THe Apostle Peter in the seconde parte of his sermon touching the myracle done vpon the lame man hath so declared God to be the author thereof that he hath also shewed the Iewes of their great wickednesse committed agaynst Iesus Christ the sonne of god And where there was nothing more horrible and cruell than this fact of theirs it is no doubt but a great number of them in their consciences were not a little wounded and feared Wherefore it was necessary to shewe them the waye of repentance and saluation This doth he in this place which is the thirde member of his sermon wherein he marueylously frameth himselfe to their disposition and capacitie First bicause they seemed to stande vppon the pitte of desperation he teacheth them that there is yet hope of pardon and saluation Then sheweth he them the way of saluation and exhorteth and mooueth them with most weightie reasons to take holde of the same All which thinges being discussed shall much serue for our instruction For they teache vs that God will likewise pardon them which haue most grieuously sinned and they shew what way of saluation they must take which will be reconciled vnto God and are desirous to be saued His beginning is very wittie and commodious in that he teacheth them they be not yet past hope of saluation For except sinners vnderstande this in vaine shall we exhort them to repentance bicause they will thinke it cannot profite them And then it will come to passe that eyther they will become stubborne and heape sinne vpon sinne or else will be swallowed vp of desperation as we reade Iudas was which thing was the cause that the Prophetes among the grieuous reprehensions wherewith they accused the sinnes of the people and threatened them punishment did intermeddle promises and oracles of Christ our sauiour that being feared with the conscience of sinne they might lift vp their mindes againe through faith in the sauiour promised them and learne to seeke saluation in him Peter followeth the industrie of these Prophetes which knewe it belonged to his dutie not to feare the people from Christ by threatening woordes but to winne them vnto him Which ende and marke the Ministers of Christ in these dayes ought to set before them But let vs see the arguments wherwith Peter encourageth them to hope for pardon and saluation First he mitigateth their offence by reason and pretence of ignoraunce I knowe sayth he that you did it through ignorance as did also your Rulers For if they as Paule sayth had had knowledge they would not haue crucified the Lorde of glory Yet Peters wordes are not so to be taken as though he woulde nowe extenuate or excuse their wickednesse which before he so set forth exaggerated For so could he not do without suspicion of lightnesse And ignorance of it selfe excuseth not the things that are committed against the glory of God yea ignorance is no small fault considering we knowe that men are created to that ende to knowe God to worship him and glorifie him But he meaneth to make a difference betweene the Iewes sinne and the sinne against the holy ghost This sinne is when men wittinglye and willingly cast away the knowen truth and Christ whome they knew in their mindes and so make warre with God and his Christ as is euident Iudas the traytor Iulian the Apostata and such other whelpes of that haire did Christ testifyeth that such mennes sinnes shall not be forgiuen And Iohn forbiddeth vs to praye for it The reason hereof the Apostle in the .vj. Chapter to the Hebrues rendreth by a feate similitude taken from the earth For as the earth being well husbanded and watred from aboue and yet remayning barren and fruitlesse by that argument sheweth sufficiently that it will neuer be good so if men
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire beguÌne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
that we be not afrayd with the power of our enimies when we see our selues to weake for them For this is not our fight but a battell taken in hande vnder Gods conduct who can most easilye subdue their force and attemptes Which thing Iohn teacheth vs when he sayth that he that is in vs is of more power than he that is in the worlde Last of all the faithfull expresse more euidently the effect and ende of these mischieuous attempts where they say They gathered themselues togyther to doe whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsaile determined before to be done Howbeit the wicked consult not nor meete not togither to put Gods will and purpose in execution but they declare vnto vs how they are able to doe nothing but that which God hath decreed to haue done and that then they most further Gods purpose when they most studie to hinder it This shall appeare to be manifest if we consider what the Priestes of the Iewes dyd They woulde keepe Christ oute of his kingdome Therefore they mooued the Romane Presidents and communaltie against him and sâynted not vntill they sawe him vpon the Crosse dead and buried But what other did they in all these things but helpe Christ being the Sauiour of the worlde according to the eternall purpose of his Father to enter into his kingdome And by the consideration hereof the Apostles remooue out of the way that blocke whereat such stumble as thinke the wicked are able to ouercome Christ by power and force Here serueth the vse of Gods singuler prouidence to make men vnderstande that the enterprises of the wycked can go no further nor doe no more than God hath appoynted Here haue we to obserue that they acknowledge in Gods prouidence not onely his prescience and foreknowledge but also his stable decree and hande whereby he doth execute at his pleasure that which he hath decreed that himselfe may be all in all And yet the wicked are not therfore excused bicause they respect not the decree and will of God but followe their owne corrupt affections as we haue alreadie many times declared And although the primitiue Church doth truely beleeue and professe the same yet she prayeth and with feruent sute beseecheth God of his succour and ayde Therefore the doctrine that submitteth all things and the successe of them vnto God taketh not praying away For God will be prayed to and inuocated And for this cause the godly vse it the more ardently for that they knowe all thinges are gouerned by his appoyntment For they doe that which he commaundeth and they search not ouer curiously after his secret counselles but permit the successe of all things vnto him whome they knowe to be faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and bringeth all things to an happy ende for all them that loue him Nowe let vs see the thirde part of this prayer which contayneth the peticions of those thinges which they perceyued then they had most neede of The first of them is And now Lorde beholde their threatnings By this worde beholde they meane iudgement and punishment and it is as much to saye as if they should desyre God to reuenge theyr cause For who had more right to reuenge him than he for as much as agaynst him this warre was made as they had prooued by the wordes of the Psalme Thys is the peculiar vsage of the godly that when they perceyue they are hyndered in their vocation or not able to make their parte good to appeale vnto the iudgement of God as we see Dauid oftentymes dyd when Saule persecuted hym yet shall we neuer doe it wyth more affyaunce than when the glory of God by the wycked is openly impeached Thus Ezechias layde the blasphemous letter of the king of Assyria open before the Lorde and beseecheth hym that he wyll defende hys quarrell And it is no doubt but he heareth them which be carefull for the glorie of his name seeing he so mercyfully heareth the pryuate quarrels of those that be hys But to the ende they woulde not seeme so to commyt thys matter vnto God as to withdrawe themselues out of all daunger they beseeche God also to gyue them such grace that they maye speake and declare his worde boldely which thing chiefely is to be vnderstanded of the Apostles and other Ministers of the worde who vnlesse they be boldened and guyded wyth the spirite of God may easily be made afrayde with the threats and assaultes of the worlde to intermyt their office Which thing Paule after hys manifolde traueyles in the ministerie acknowledged and therefore thought good to be holpen wyth the publike prayers of the congregations that he might speake the worde of God freely and with open mouth Yet is thys also to be referred to euery singuler christian and it behooueth to pray for euery particuler person that they may confesse Christ boldely and stowtely before thys naughtie and adulterous worlde It is necessarie that we vnderstand how this boldenesse is gyuen vs of god For so shall we be prouoked to pray oftentymes for the increase of fayth crying with the Apostles Lorde increase our fayth Thirdly they require that the power of working myracles may be increased bycause God hath appoynted them as certayne publike seales and testimonials to the Apostles doctrine And they desyre the same may be done by the name of Christ to declare that theyr care is onely for Christes glorie In thys place there shyneth a marueylous stoutenesse and most ardent zeale towardes Christ in the primitiue Church They perceyued a little before that the mindes of the Iewes were incensed with the doctrine and myracles of the Apostles yet desyre they that the Apostles may haue more boldenesse graunted them and their giftes of myracles to be increased so little place doe they gyue to their enimies furie though but for a season which yet the men in our dayes wyll doer who thinke that to be the best trade of teaching that most pleaseth the professed enymies of truth and seeke nothing but ydlenesse and the peace of the worlde being little or nothing carefull for the increase of Christes kingdome These men thinke the Ministers are to feruent and manye tymes also those that be scarce luke warme which seemeth to me is the chiefe cause that Christes kingdome is so little inlarged amongst vs. To conclude Luke sheweth what effect ensued of their praying For God heard their prayers which was declared both by a sensible signe that is to saye by the moouing of the house which signified the presence of God and also by most wholesome effectes For they were filled with the holye ghost that is to say they perceyued an effectuall comfort of the holye ghost and courage giuen them where before this the feare of daunger did somewhat dismay them And they to whome the ministerie of the Gospell was committed preached the same with great constancie so that a
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 ââde 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
ryse agayne layde handes on him and bounde him And their offence is not much lesse who when they haue once or twyse bene in daunger for the name of Christ as though nowe they had done all their dutie shunne all daungers that after may ensue and auoyde all trouble that maye betyde vs for Christes sake And yet there be that offende more grieuously than these who to keepe themselues out of daunger feare not to denye the truth But we shoulde after Paules example finish our race and course For it is not in our power to appoynt our selues an ende of our labours and traueyle but we must abide the pleasure of the Lorde who although he deferre his helpe for a season yet will he not fayle them that firmely and constantly trust in him And he is not meete for the kingdome of Christ which hauing once set his hande to the plough looketh backe agayne but he shall be safe that continueth to the ende It is chiefely to be noted how the Aungell calleth the Gospell of Iesus Christ the worde of life It is adourned with diuers other names in the Scripture For it is called the worde of grace bicause it declareth the grace of God giuen vs in christ Paule calleth it the word of reconciliation bicause of Christ who hath reconcyled God the father vnto vs He also testifieth that it is the power of god vnto saluation In another place it is called the worde of truth and saluation But this is the excellentest name where it is called the worde of lyfe which is the proper and peculiar name belonging to it For both that immortall worde liueth and raygneth for euer and giueth life to al men which vouchsafe to embrace it with true faith For it preacheth to vs Iesus Christ which only hath the words of eternall lyfe It sheweth vs and giueth vs in him all thinges necessarye for our lyfe In him we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes satisfaction righteousnesse sanctification pryce of our redemption and whatsoeuer other lyke And this worde doth not onely regenerate vs into the sonnes of God by fayth in him but also giueth vs being nowe regenerated the spirite of adoption by whome we crye Abba father which is the infallible pledge of our saluation And for this cause the doctrine of the Gospell excelleth all the wisedome of the world bicause it is the guide of eternall lyfe where the professours of other sciences cannot safely promise vs the safety of this present life Therfore it is truly compared to a most precious pearle and to an incomparable treasure for whose cause all men that desire true saluation ought willingly to lose and bestowe all their goodes Agayne bicause for Christes sake who is lyfe and saluation the Gospell is adourned with so singuler a title all those doctrines ought to be reputed for deadly and pestiferous that obscure the merite of Christ and pull mennes mindes from the fayth in him Which doctrines whosoeuer professe they are theeues and murtherers both for that they robbe Christ of his glorye and also for that in steede of the worde of lyfe they giue vnto the simple followers thereof the deadly poyson of mannes traditions But let vs returne to the Apostles who as Luke writeth obeyed the Aungelles commaundement and by and by in the morning went into the Church and preached there Yet many things might haue perswaded them the contrary both bicause of the late daunger they had bene in and the tried power of their aduersaries which they knewe woulde no waye sooner be prouoked than with their preaching of the Gospell Furthermore by this fact of theirs they myght seeme to bring all the congregation besides in daunger in kindling their enimies rage with fresh matter But so little are they hereby let from their purpose that without further deliberation taking they obeye the commaundement of god Their obedience is sette forth for an example to vs For it is a generall rule of God that we doe not that which seemeth good in our owne sight but that we fulfill his commaundement And there is no greater nor more hurtfull plague than to take our fleshe to counsell where God hath expressed his will by playne commaundement which thing the example both of Saule and others abundantly declare And Paule many times witnesseth that the obedience of fayth is the marke and ende of preaching the gospel Therfore whosoeuer cast this obedience away and harken to the counsailes of the flesh surely they glorie but in vaine in the Gospell and fayth of Christ. Wherefore let vs applye the example of the Apostles to our selues and let vs diligently execute that thing that God hath commaunded vs not regarding the tyrannie of the world and then Iesus Christ shall not fayle of his helpe and succour in our godly enterprises to whom be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxvj. Homelie But the chiefe Priest came and they that were with him and called a Counsell togyther and all the Elders of the children of Israel and sent men to the prison to set them When the Ministers came and founde them not in the prison they returned and tolde saying The prison truly founde we shut with al diligence and the kepers standing without before the dores But when we had opened we found no man within When the chiefe Priest and the ruler of the Temple and the high Priestes hearde these things they doubted of them wherevnto this woulde growe Then came one and shewed them Beholde the men that you put in prison stande in the Temple and teache the people Then went the Ruler of the Temple with Ministers and brought them without violence for they feared the people least they shoulde haue bene stoned WHen that King and holy Prophete Dauid purposed to describe the kingdome of our Redeemer and Sauiour Iesus Christ taking his beginning of the furious attemptes of wicked enimies against the same he sayth why doe the heathen so furiously rage togither and why doe the people ymagine a vayne thing The Kings of the earth stande vp and the Rulers take Counsell togither agaynst the Lorde and agaynst his annoynted Let vs breake their bandes a sunder and cast awaye their cordes from vs He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne The Lorde shall haue them in derision Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure Whereby we are taught that the attemptes of Christes enimies are not only vayne but also ridiculous and to no men more daungerous than to the authors and beginners thereof Many ensamples of such attempts might we bring forth amongest which this is one of the chiefe that our holye wryter Luke now proponeth For the Apostles were apprehended at the counsell and instigation of the Bishoppes and were put in the common prison not onely vnder locke and keye but also are safely kept with watch and warde The next daye after in the
shall any man take his sheepe out of hys hande And as the impious rage of the Priestes coulde not let God from exalting him with his right hande no more shall the wicked enterprises of Princes and the worlde in these dayes any maner of wayes hinder or empayre his kingdome and glory They shewe also the waye and meane howe Christ giueth saluation which all men must needes imbrace that are desyrous of their saluation This way or meane consisteth in two pointes to say repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes of both which it is written Christ is the onely author That repentaunce is a conuersion and turning of the whole man vnto God hath manye times already beene declared This conuersion vnto God is necessarie for all men bicause we all through sinne haue gone astray and daylie swarue from the waye of saluation But that this is no worke of mans power or strength we are taught not onely by the scriptures but also by daylie experience and no man can be conuerted except he be conuerted of god See Ieremie 31. Lamentations 5. This conuersion Christ onely worketh truely in vs while he makes vs newe men by the seede of his worde and by the spirite of regeneration illuminating vs with the knowledge of God and enduing vs with a new and holy will and gyuing vs strength to doe that which of our owne power we should neuer be able to doe They are here confuted which hearing repentaunce required by and by thinke the merite of their owne righteousnesse is confirmed and extoll the power of free will. But what glorie we in our owne wyll if Christ be the author of this conuersion in vs And what I praye you shall we merite by our repentaunce which are not able to repent except Christ by his spirite stirre vs vp and leade vs thereto But although a man be conuerted vnto God yet herein is not our saluation perfite and full For where we be sinners we haue neede also of forgiuenesse and satisfaction that nothing want to satisfie Gods iustice But where we sayde euen now that we coulde not conuert vnto God vnlesse we were regenerated by Christ much lesse can we satisfy for our sinnes And Christ teacheth vs that our sinnes be such a debt as we are not able to pay Wherefore as in the first part Christ succoureth our infirmitie so in this also he helpeth vs For by the merite of his death he both purgeth the debt of our sinne and maketh vs iust in the sight of God whyle he bestoweth on vs that beleeue in him his iustice For therfore he became sinne for vs that we by his meanes should be that righteousnesse which before God is allowed And bicause both these things without the which no man can be saued come by the benefite of Christ onely we most strongly gather hereof that without Christ we haue no saluation which is the cause that he comprehending the summe of the gospell in fewe wordes teacheth that repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name In the meane whyle we learne also how much they erre which vnder a pretence of Christ seeke to lyue lycentiously or thinke he is any cause or occasion of dissolute conuersation where as he is the verie onely author of true and healthfull repentaunce Furthermore they confirme their preaching of Christ by testimonies where they say And we be witnesses of these wordes and also the holy ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him And let no man thinke it rashlye and insolently done of the Apostles to alleage their owne testimonie before them of whome they were accused For where Christ appointed them witnesses of his dooings they might not refuse to doe their dutie in this behalfe And hereby their doctrine was greatly authorised which no man by any meanes ought to denie except he will accuse Christ of falsehoode But bicause the Apostles were not ignoraunt that their testimonie should be of little weight before the Priestes they adde an other testimonie also to witte the testimonie of the holy ghost which holy ghost God giueth vnto them which be obedient vnto christ And although all the beleeuing feele his testimonie within their mindes and by the same be assertayned of their saluation yet chiefely these wordes be to be vnderstanded of the giftes and operation of the holy spirite whereby he bare wytnesse in the primitiue Church to the doctrine of the gospell For by the power of the holy ghost it came to passe that the faythfull spake with newe tongues that they sodainely became newe men and that they wrought myracles which things as we neede not in these dayes for as much as the Apostles doctrine is sufficiently prooued so testimonie of the holy ghost ought to suffise vs whereby we feele our minds confirmed and through whose encouragement we crye Abba father But this is not negligently to be passed ouer where he sayth the holy ghost is gyuen vnto them that obey christ And yet it must needes be that they were endued before this with the holye ghost bycause without hym they neyther could beleeue nor obey But in them the gift es of the spirite were augmented and increased as Chryst sayth To euery one that hath shall be gyuen Whereof we gather agayne that they cannot haue the holye ghost which striue agaynst christ For he confesseth that the holy ghost is such a thing as the worlde can not receaue Hereby it appeareth why the operations and giftes of the holy ghost be so rare and seldome in these dayes for thys cause verily bicause there be so fewe that endeuour to obey Christ. It becommeth vs by these examples to be stirred vp to the holy obedyence of fayth that being indued with the holy spirite we may go forwarde in all goodnesse and atteyne to saluation in Iesus Christ to whome be honour prayse power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxviij. Homelie WHEN they heard that they claue a sunder and sought meanes to slay them Then stoode there vp one in the counsell a Pharisey named Gamaliel a Doctour of lawe had in reputation among all the people and commaunded the Apostles to go a side a little space sayde vnto them Ye men of Israel take heede to your selues what ye intende to doe for before these dayes rose vp one Theudas bosting himselfe to whom resorted a number of men about a foure hundred which was slayne And they all which beleeued him were scattered abroad After this man was there one Iudas of Galyley in the dayes of the tribute and drew away much people after him He also perished and all euen as manye as harkened to him were scattered abroad And nowe I say vnto you refrayne your selues from these men and let them alone For if this counsell or this woorke be of men it will come to naught But and if it be of God ye can not destroy it least happily ye be found to striue against God. THe
appointed to some other that may serue at the table that is to say which may see to the thinges belonging to the helping and succouring of those that be poore We are taught in the first part of thys relation how great the dignitie of the gospell and worde of God is consydering the Apostles preferre the preaching hereof before the ecclesiasticall distribution and helping of the poore which yet is a most godly thing verie necessary Neyther were they ignoraunt that the ministers of the Gospell ought by no meanes to despise the poore seing afterwarde they so earnestly commended the care of them to Paule and Barnabas But when the matter came to thys point that either the ministerie of the table or worde must be intermytted ⪠they thinke it vnmeete to neglect the preaching of the worde vnder the pretence of looking to the poore Bicause greater respect is to be had of the soule which is fedde with the worde of God than of the body and bodily foode as Christ hymselfe teacheth Seeke first the kingdome of god c. Yea Christ hymselfe preferreth the studie of his worde before all other dueties which sometimes were done vnto hym For he aunswered the woman that sayde blessed be the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that gaue thee suck yea blessed are they rather which heare the worde of God and keepe it Whervnto is to be referred the storie of Martha Marie Lazarus sisters in the same Euangelist And Paule thought he ought to haue more regarde of the Gospell than of the sacraments where he sayth he was not sent to baptise ⪠but to preache the gospell Furthermore the Apostles in thys place plainely teach that the excellencie and waight of his office is suche that it requireth a peculiar man voyde of all other cares and labours Which was the cause that Christ would not haue his Apostles occupied in the administration of Empyres and kingdomes of this worlde Herein our counterfait Byshops in these daies are verie faultie which will doe any thing rather than preache and are oftener seene in the Courtes and Campes of princes than in the Pulpit where Paule sayth the chiefe propertie in a Bishop is to be able to teach But would God they onely herein offended and that we had not among vs that eyther through immoderate desyre of ryches or in vanities to say in banquetting hawking and hunting and sometime in dishonest exercises spent not the greatest part of that tyme that otherwise shoulde be employed to reading and teaching They shall one daye feele the horrible iudgement of God when the bloud of those which haue perished through their negligence shall be required at their handes In the seconde part of the Oration they shewe what is to be done for the succouring of the afflicted Church where they saye Looke out therefore among you seauen men of approoued honestie being full of the holy ghost and wisedome wome we will appoynt for this businesse They thinke it good to ordeyne Deacons or Stewardes to whome this charge myght peculiarly appertaine And they will haue seauen to be chosen bicause they suppose that number sufficient for that time not that they woulde haue all Churches bounde to that number Although this might seeme profitable to commit the charge of publike goods to no fewer bicause many times commeth to passe that such eyther waxe the more insolent or else seeke after their priuate gayne vnlesse they be restrayned by the rule and authoritie of others And though no such thing fall out yet a fewe are sooner suspected than many standing charged with one thing But least they might erre in their election they diligently declare what maner of men must be ordeyned First they will haue them chosen out of the companye of the faythfull Therefore none must be admitted therevnto which is an aduersary of the fayth or estraunged from it Then they requyre men of a tried honestie to thintent that publike goodes might safely be committed to them Thirdly they looke that they be full of the holye ghost not suche as are ledde and ruled altogither with filthy affections Last of all they will haue a respect to be had of their wisedome that is of their skill and dexteritie in handling of matters bicause without this the lawfull dispensation of such goodes cannot be exercised Ioyne vnto these the thinges that Paule requireth in Deacons and it shall easily appeare what in these dayes is to be obserued and followed But as in other thinges so herein also is committed great ouersight For with the Papistes hath nothing remayned but the bare name of Deacons onely yea euen they that are called Gospellers whether they bring the Church goodes to the publike Treasury or conuert them to other vses they commonly make such Stewardes as are straungers from the fayth which hate the worde of God and the Ministers therof who when they haue wasted and consumed their owne goodes seeke to enriche themselues by the Church goods whome a man may see rather full of wine than of the holye ghost and not ledde so much with the spirite of wisedome as with the impotent and vnruly perturbations of the minde These men grieuouslye offende but no lesse doe they offende by whose voyces such men are chosen For Paule testifieth that they are partakers of other mennes sinnes In the thirde and last part they declare what they themselues intende to do least any man might suspect they sought their owne ease or ydlenesse We saye they will giue our selues to prayer and to the ministration of the worde By this worde giue they expresse an ardent and earnest industrie and endeuour which all Ministers of the worde must haue that will doe good in their office In two duties they comprehende the chiefe poyntes of Ecclesiasticall ministerie The first is doctrine or teaching which for that it must be taken from the mouth of God we haue neede diligently to studie the holy scripture in the which God speaketh to vs. Therfore Paule biddeth Timothie to applye his reading Againe bicause the same must be applyed to edification we must take good heede that the worde of God be duely broken and deuided that it may serue as well to instruct as to comfort euerye man But bicause the endeuour and diligence of the Minister is in vayne except God giue the encreas he must by continuall prayer be intreated that he will vouchsafe to drawe and inspire the mindes of the hearers by his holy spirite Christ our Lorde ioyned both these togither whose example the Apostles in thys case thinke good to imitate Let as manye as be Ministers of the Churche followe the same and they shall perceyue that they shall not labour in vayne For Iesus Christ that true and supreme king of the Church shall with the grace of his holye spirite prosper their studies to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xlj. Homelie And
bicause all things are written for our instruction we must applie the example of Abraham not onely to this present cause but also to our selues and there shall no little profite ensue vnto vs if we well consyder the calling of God and the fayth or obedience of Abraham In the calling of God whereby Abraham came out of Vr in Chaldaea into the land of Chanaan are two things principally to be considered The first is that he was called without any merite or desert of his before going For Iehosuah in his .xxiiij. Chapter testifieth that he dwelt among Idolaters and worshipped straunge Gods. Yea Epiphanius by report of auncient writers sayth that Thares Abrahams father was the first that made ymages of claye and that therfore he was punished of God with the death of Haran his sonne who was the first among the auncient fathers that of naturall death died before his father Neyther coulde he be commended bicause he was circumcised or was in the time of the Temple whereof the one was built many yeares after the other was a signe of the couenaunt made with him whereas the righteousnesse of fayth which he had alreadye attayned was sealed and confirmed The seconde is howe all this calling dependeth vpon the bare worde of god For he is commaunded to forsake his countrie and kindred and seeth nothing that might cause him to looke or hope for any better state or coÌdicion For God promised him neither trustier friendes nor fruitfuller countrie but speaking directly sayth Come into the lande which I shall shewe thee These things are worthy to be diligently obserued For first they teach vs that we are called to saluation and to the heauenly countrie whereof the lande of Chanaan was sometime a figure through the meere grace of God without respect of any our workes or deserts in this matter For what had we deserued seeing we were chosen in Christ before the world was made Or what can they bragge of that haue nothing but that they haue receyued And surely if we consider the disposition of our nature it shall appeare that we are no more mindefull of the heauenly Countrie before we be called and drawen than Abraham was of the land of Chanaan whose name he had not heard of yea when the Lord calleth vs we prooue the vntowarde nature of the fleshe stryueth agaynst Gods calling which we can neuer be able to ouercome except we be holpen by the effectuous drawing of the holye spirite Furthermore we are taught that our vocation which offereth vs saluation dependeth vpon the onely worde of God and therefore can not be taken holde of by fleshlye sense or mannes reason but by fayth onely which also is the gift of God For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging to the spirit of God. And God hath prepared such things for them that loue him as neyther eye hath seene nor eare hearde nor yet hath entred into the heart of man And here the power of fayth marueylously declareth it selfe which only taketh holde of the promises of God and most surely embraceth those things that farre exceede all sense and capacitie of mannes reason Therfore Paule calleth it a sure confidence of things which are hoped for and a certeyntie of things which are not seene These things ought well to be considered of them who thinke the doctrine of the iustification of fayth so light a matter as though it appoynted to easie a waye vnto saluation and so mainteyned the securitie and licentiousnesse of the fleshe For how can that be iudged a light and easie matter that surmounteth and passeth all the powers of man Or shal we account it a matter of greater weyght before God that men doe of their owne power than that that cannot be done without the power of the holy ghost Let vs compare fayth with all the workes of all the Monkes that euer were and yet shall we finde more yea and perfiter workes among the Philosophers of the Gentyles but fayth shall we be able to shewe in none but in him that is borne agayne of the word of God through the holy spirite Therefore our saluation and iustification is iustly ascribed to the greatest and exellentest thing that any man liuing can haue vpon the earth Nowe the beliefe and obedience of Abraham following the calling of God is very woonderfull There were diuers thinges which myght haue lette and hindred hi m. For to let passe all other great is the force of our natiue soyle and countrie and draweth men as the Poet sayth with a great desire and lyking and still maketh them mindefull thereof And it is no small authoritie that kinsefolke and allyaunce be of whome we then most vehemently loue when we be ready to forgo them The age also and infirmitie of his father myght haue stayed him whereof he dyed before he came to the borders of the Countrie promised And it is also likely that Abraham was in great honor in his countrie such as he coulde not easily hope for in a forreyne lande among straungers But none of all these things coulde withholde that godly brest but that without delaye he woulde followe the vocation of God wythout any curious enquirie of the condicion and state of the Countrie This is that obedience of fayth so oftentimes commended of Paule and which he sayth is the ende of the lawe This doth Christ require of vs where he commaundeth vs to forsake father mother sister brother wife children and our selues if we will be his Disciples And the accomplishment hereof is so difficult a thing that it is vndoubtedly impossible for vs to performe it except we be regenerate and borne againe of the holy spirite as Christ teacheth disputing with Nichodemus Therefore let them that desire to be called Christians examine themselues after this rule least whyle they rashly bragge thereof they become lyke foolishe buylders who go about to set vp some great building before they haue cast the charges thereof Let this consideration awake vs incessantly to make our feruent prayers for the increase of fayth that after the losse of all these worldlye goodes we maye come to the inheritaunce of the heauenly Countrie with Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The .xliiij. Homelie AND he gaue him none inheritaunce therin no not so much as one foote and promised that he woulde giue it him to possesse and to his âeede after whereas yet he had no sonne God sayde on this wyfe thy seede shall be a soiourner in a straunge land and they shall make them bonde and intreate them euill fower hundred yeares And the Nation whome they shall serue I will iudge sayth the Lorde And after that they shall come forth and serue me in this place BIcause Steuen was accused as a publike enimie of Gods glory and all religion by reason of his doctrine of abrogation of the lawe and ceremonies
Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slayne them which shewed before of the comming of that iust whome you haue now betrayed and murthred And ye also haue receyued the lawe by the ministration of Aungelles and haue not kept it when they hearde these things their hearts claue a sunder and they gnashed on him with their teeth THus farre the blessed Martyr Steuen hath aunswered the obiections layde agaynst him and with long discourse hath shewed that he neuer blasphemed God nor his law nor yet the Temple For beginning at Abraham he declareth that he is a worshypper of that onely God who did vouchsafe in time past to reueale himselfe vnto the fathers and to offer vnto them his grace That done he maketh a singuler discourse of the lawe and prooueth that Christ was euidently promised to the fathers in the lawe At length intreating of the Temple and outwarde obseruances he prooueth by most strong arguments that neyther the grace of God is tyed to them neyther the true worshipping of him nor yet the meane of mannes saluation But bycause Steuen was not ignoraunt what maner of Iudges he shoulde haue in his cause and for that they coulde no longer dissemble the rage of their mindes as euery man may easily gather of the circumstances with a weyghtie vehement kynde of reprehending them he concludeth his Oration Where we maye perceyue that it was Steuens purpose and intent to plucke of the visure from the faces of them which bragged in the name of the church and fowly abused their power that they should no longer feare the simple and vnlearned with this slye conueyance of theirs And this is a thing very needeful when we perceiue we haue to do with them with whome the worde of doctrine will not preuayle And surelye in our daies nothing so much hindreth the verity as that they be the enimies therof which many yeres haue challenged to them the name gouernance therof Wherfore it is necessary that they which haue the charge of the Church committed vnto them doe followe euen at this day also the example of Steuen But to come to the handling of this present place there were thrée things specially which made them the prowder that is to saye Circumcision the glory and dignitie of the fathers and the lawe giuen them by Gods speciall benefite And of all these the godlye Martyr of Christ so speaketh that he playnely prooueth all their affiaunce to be in vaine which they had in them And beginning with Circumcision he sheweth that they gloryed therin in vayne calling them stiffenecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares He seemeth to haue a respect vnto the wordes of Moses and of God which are written Deuteronomie 10. and Ieremie 4. as though he shoulde saye I knowe you haue a great confidence in Circumcision but that is but a very vanitie seeing you neglect the circumcision of the heart and minde God woulde that you shoulde by an outwarde signe professe hys couenaunt but he commaunded you to circumcise your heartes with the sworde of the spirite and to put your neckes hytherto ouermuch disobedient into the yoke of his obedience But it is playne that you neuer woulde thus doe For you euer resisted the holy ghost speaking to you by the Scriptures and by the Prophetes So Steuen accuseth them of no common disobedience but of heynous incredulitie as who went about to mocke God with their Circumcision which was but a signe of Gods couenant This place teacheth vs that men are little holpen by outwarde signes vnlesse they sticke vnto the thinges signifyed by them For where God is a spirite he will not be worshipped with vaine ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth As for the Ceremonies he hath instituted them for our sakes to the intent they shoulde bring our mindes by contemplation of fayth to the consideraunce of our dutie Which thing if we neglect then the signes improoue vs of infidelitie and excuse vs not which is the cause that the Prophetes so earnestly accuse the obseruers of outwarde ceremonies and so carefully commende vnto them the care of spirituall worshipping This serueth also to teache vs that we cleaue not to much to baptisme ⪠and to the supper and so neglect the fayth that is in Christ and the studie of innocencie and charitie without the which Christian religion cannot consist And if the colde obseruation of rytes commaunded by God is not able to saue vs what shall we say of the obseruers of mens traditions which God hath wyped cleane awaye with the sworde of his worde as otherwheres we haue declared Esay 29. Math. 15. We are taught also what maner of men they are which wickedly resist the worde of God preached by men which thing it is euident the Iewes dyd For they sayeth Steuen resisted not the Prophetes but the holy ghost And we must not thinke he thus sayd at all aduentures For where Ministers speake by the inspiration of the holy spirite and the same spirite worketh obedience in mennes mindes and putteth vs often in remembrance of amendement of our lyfe certes they resist this spirite that refuse to obey this worde And this is an infallible argument of vncircumcised hearts and stiffe necks Here therefore haue we a rule howe to iudge of the people of these dayes which marueylously please and delyght themselues in that they dare boldly contemne the sermons of Gods Ministers and can scoffe and rayle at the m. But let vs returne vnto Steuen which likewise ouerthroweth that glorye that they sought in the dignitie of their auncestry For that the Iewes put great confidence in their forefathers it appeareth by this For when Iohn the Baptist and Christ admonished them to amende their lyfe they chopte him in the teeth with Abraham their father and alleaged the prerogatiue of their stocke But Steuen maketh a difference betweene their forefathers There were amonge them certaine good and sincere worshippers of God such as was Abraham Isaac and Iacob and their likes in whom they coulde not glory being altogither vnlike them as bastardes going out of kynde Againe there were otheâ notorious wicked persons and bloudy tyrannes against the Prophetes Unto these sayth he these fellowes were lyke bicause they liuely represented their natures and condicions yea passed them As your fathers did euen so do you Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue killed them which shewed before of the comming of that Iuste So calleth he Iesus Christ who is both absolutely iuste himself for in whose mouth there could be found no guile and is made of god the father our righteousnes Wherfore in Ieremy he is called the lord our righteousnes Furthermore as your fathers killed the prophets which foretold of him as the monuments sepulchres declare that are builded in the honor of them euen so did you betray Christ himselfe to the Romane President and made him out of the
and clamor with vniust force wyth stones swordes firebrandes and whatsoeuer other instrumentes of the power of darckenesse With these we reade the Prophetes were in tymes past assaulted With such they disputed agaynst christ And the hystorie following will shewe howe they vsed the same agaynst the Apostles But bicause Christ hath many times giuen vs warning of these thinges we must not be offended at the same Let vs therefore be so prepared that they light not vpon vs vnawares and vnlooked for It is worthy of great obseruation and heede that whyle they rage most in violence and wrong yet they seeme to obserue a kinde of lawe and equitie For bicause they had accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and false doctrine therefore they gyue him the punishment appoynted of God for blasphemers and seducers And the witnesses as is prescribed in the law threwe the first stones at him which to doe with the more ease they put of their apparel and deliuer it vnto Saule to keepe who after he was conuerted vnto Christ was called Paule Therefore here wanteth nothing belonging to the forme of lawe And Steuen myght seeme iustly to haue suffered and according to the lawe But that is not alwayes lawfully done which hath a shewe of lawe and we must deepely wey the causes of punishments or else we shall grieuouslye erre in our iudgement In the meane season marke howe God sometime suffreth the wicked with whose rage he will haue his people exercised to fyll vp the measure of their wickednesse And by example of the witnesses we are taught howe farre impietie proceedeth if it be not stopped at the beginning They sinned in bearing of false wytnesse being neyther ignoraunt of the lawe of God neyther of the punishment appoynted for false wytnesses And they are not afrayde that Salomon sayth the Lorde hateth and vtterly abhorreth a false witnesse They are not yet contented to haue committed so horrible a fault but they go further and embrue their handes with innocent bloude where also they were not ignorant of that that is written in the lawe touching murtherers So true it is that Salomon sayth when the wicked are once ouer their shooes there is no hoe with them Let vs therefore feare the entycing beginnings of sinne least whyle they instill into vs an hatred to the worde of God we sticking fast in the toughe myer thereof be at length wholye swallowed vp of the great gulfe of vngodlynesse The things sayde of Saule who as it is written consented to the death of the holye man and receyued great pleasure therein make a waye and preparation to the hystorie following and for the setting forth of the glory of god But of these things more shall be sayde in their place It remayneth that we declare howe Steuen behaued himselfe when he was put to this cruell death where three thinges are tolde of him First he called vpon the Lorde which thing we beleeue he continually vsed to doe And it is expressed that he prayed in three wordes Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite These wordes haue in them the confession of a true fayth and an argument and token of a great and strong beliefe For being on euery side beset with the terrors of death yet he acknowledgeth and confesseth that Christ is his Sauiour folowing the example of the theefe crucified with Christ. Further he beleeueth that the soules dye not in death but passe to the state of a better life yea he knoweth that euen in death through fayth in Christ men fynde lyfe This is a great prayse of fayth that euen then it is inuincible and comforteth vs when all other helpes fayle Also Steuens example teacheth vs to whome to commende our soules when we be at the poynt of death Not to Saintes as the superstitious vse but vnto Christ our Lorde who as he hath redeemed them with the pryce of his bloude so by his resurrection he hath ouercome death and by his ascention into heauen hath prepared for vs a place in the which we shall be gathered vnto him Secondarily Steuen sheweth a token of charitie which can not be seperated from fayth For folowing the example and commaundement of Christ he prayeth for his enimies that God woulde not punishe them for their sinne as they deserued This reprooueth the wickednesse of his enimies which put him to death as an enimie of the common weale which witnesseth by his last wysh he made that no man was more desirous of all mennes welfare than he But this is the state of the vngodly in this worlde the chiefe cause of whose infelicitie is this that they neyther can knowe their benefactors nor beware of the most daungerous enimies of the publike weale Let vs learne to extende our charitie euen to the ingratefull and with godly prayers commende them to God which moste grieuously offende agaynst vs And let vs not suffer our selues to be feared with the wickednesse of men forasmuch as Gods iudgements be vnknown to vs and God lightly vseth not to reueale vnto euery man who they be that are incurable amongest men as we reade he did sometime vnto Ieremie 7.14.15 cap. Let vs also be stirred vppe with the effect of this prayer which the conuersion of Saule alone prooueth was not fruitelesse Last of all is sayd that Steuen hauing thus spoken fell on sleepe whom yet his enimies hoped now with his doctrine to haue now bene cleane dispatched out of the way The scripture oftentimes vseth this word slepe speaking of the death of the godly For so is the condicion propertie of death set forth Death is the resolution or dissolution of man consisting of soule and body In this death the soule neyther dyeth nor sleepeth but passeth into lyfe euerlasting as Christ sayth Iohn 5. Wherevpon death hath aptly bene called a passing into heauen The body is sayde to sleepe bicause it is layde in the earth as it were to sleepe out of the which in the latter daye it shall be raysed vp by Christ that it may also enioye the blysse of heauenly lyfe There are euerywhere testimonies of Scripture concerning these things and occasion shall serue oftentimes to intreate of the same Wherefore we nowe meane to be briefe Let vs set Steuen before vs to imitate that when we shall depart this lyfe our soules being gone before to the dwellings of the blessed and happy we being at the last gloriously raysed vp also in body may attayne to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The eyght chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lvj. Homelie AT that tyme there was a great persecution agaynst the congregation which was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abrode throughout the regions of Iurie and Samarie except the Apostles But deuout men dressed Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him As for Saule he made hauocke of the
that bodies are committed to the ground as seedes vnto the earth which afterward shall be raysed vp with more glory Howbeit it is like the holy men had an other consideration For while they decently bury him that was condemned by the sentence of the counsell they manifestly reproue the vnrighteousnesse of their aduersaries giue an euident testimony of the fayth which Steuen had preached Furthermore they declare how they reuerenced him whoÌ they saw was so singular an instrumeÌt of christ And they are not like vnto those which now adays vse to let slip the raynes of an impotent vnbridled tonge against the ministers of the word by whose free speach and doctrine they see their enimies are incensed and so seeke after the bloud of the faithfull ministers of Christ deride their coÌstancy boldnesse whom they ought to reuerence honor In the meane time we learne by this example what we owe to the bodies of the deade that is to say honest and comely buriall forasmuch as Paule sayeth our bodies be the Temples of the holy ghost We must in our buryinges vse no pryde or superstition wherin diuers faultes are now adayes committed For there are some which puffed vp with vanitie doe so forgette their mortall estate that they will after death also be prowde while they fasten the armes cognizances of vayne glory about their Tumbs There are other again which labour by Diriges and sacrifices to do away the sinnes of the dead or else after a peculiar sorte of ceremonie vse to canonize them and make them saintes wherof the one is peeuish and without example the other derogatory and repugnaunt vnto Christes merite and doctrine which teacheth vs that those that beleeue passe from death vnto lyfe and haue neede of no new expiacions Moreouer they make great lamentation ouer Steuen And that is not against the rule of Paule whiche forbiddeth vs we shoulde not mourne as the heathen do For they lament not as vncertaine doubtfull of Steuens estate but for that they see the wicked to haue such power and the church depriued of so excellent a Minister which might yet haue done very much good in setting forth the kingdome of christ Neither are they to be blamed which cannot by and by forget their friendes like men voyde of all humanitie and common sense but are enforced to weepe forasmuch as God hath not made vs blockes and the scripture euery where condemneth those that be destitute of naturall affections On this sort we reade Abraham bewayled Sara his wife Ioseph with his brethren Iacob their father the people of Israell Aaron Moses and Samuel wyth godly dutie Yea Christe when he sawe the two sisters mourne wepte for his belooued Lazarus In deede a meane must be kept lest we may be thought either to enuy the dead their heauenly felicitie or else to stande in doubte or not firmely to beleeue the inheritaunce of the same Last of all Luke setteth vs out a singuler example of tiranny that Saule vsed against the church wherin first the great crueltie of the tyranne next the vayne successe of his purpose and intent is to be considered Of this Saule it was sayd before that he consented to the death of Steuen and kept their clothes that stoned him wherby is signified that he was guiltie of innocent bloude But now he can not be satisfied with the tirannye of an vniuersall persecution but deuiseth a peculier way and goeth about vtterly to pull vp the church as it were by the rootes And he setteth not on them alone which openly professed the faith but bursteth into priuate houses and draweth out not onelye men but women also whome the infirmitie and weakenesse of sexe defended and putteth them in prison in so muche that certaine writers thinke not vnwittily the Oracle of a Woolfe that shoulde come out of the tribe of Beniamin ought to be applied vnto this Saule For he was in deede a rauenyng Woolfe which yet at length when he was conuerted distributed the wholesome spoyles of Euangelicall preachyng almost ouer the whole world And the thinges which Luke here reporteth of him he himselfe oftentimes confesseth yea he lamenteth hym of the same verye often See Actes 26. 1. Cor. 15. Galath 1. The vse of them all is that we shoulde acknowledge the goodnesse of God whiche did vouchsafe to take into his fauour so great an enimy For as he himselfe interpreteth the matter On hym would Iesus Christ shewe all long pacience to declare an example vnto them which should beleeue on him vnto eternall lyfe But what preuayled Saules great enterprise Coulde he make hauocke of the church Nothing lesse Yea he was the cause that they beyng scattered hither and thither spred the word of saluation kingdome of Christ the further Thus God knewe how to set forth the glorye of his sonne euen by those wayes which seemed most to hinder it Whervnto also is to be referred how the euill spirites in the gospell euen against their will brought before Christe and threw to the ground those whom they thought they had all power ouer Therefore their feare is foolishe which suffer themselues to be discouraged with the attemptes of tyrannes In the meane while we are aduertised of our dutie that we be not ouercome with persecutions nor forsake not our dutie by and by Which thyng diuers doe in these dayes who hauing bene once or twise in daunger make holyday for euer after as though they had fully discharged their dutie toward Christ already But they of whom Luke here speaketh do better which being driuen out of Ierusalem are by their banishment made the bolder and preach Christ euerywhere being myndfull of that sentence which sayth they shall be saued not which begin well but which continue vnto the ende Let vs therfore follow their zeale that after we haue faithfully finished this race of life we may attaine to the garland of the heauenly reward through Iesus Christ to whom be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lvij. Homelie THEN came Phillip into a Citie of Samarie and preached Christ vnto them And the people gaue heede vnto those thinges which Phillippe spake with one accord hearing and seyng the myracles which he did For vncleane spirites crying with lowde voyce came oute of many that were possessed of them And manye taken with palseyes and many that halted were healed And there was great ioye in that Citie But there was a certaine man called Simon which before tyme in the same Citie vsed witchcraft and bewitched the people of Samarie saying that he was a man that coulde doe great things whome they regarded from the least to the greatest saying this man is the power of God which is called great And hym they set much by bicause that of long tyme he had bewitched them with sorceries ALthough the Kingdome of Christ and the church is alway assaulted and set on by the
neglect the same if we will be saued But bicause hearing alone is not ynough for wicked men and spirites doe many times heare it behooueth that our mindes also be mooued and stirred This thing is brought to passe partly by outwarde thinges as we see here by signes and partly by the inwarde working of the holy spirite which working if we feele not it shall nothing profite vs to heare the outward preaching or reading of the worde as Paule diligently and plainely teacheth Howbeit when God reuealeth his worde to vs and pricketh our mindes by the inwarde suggestion of his holy spirite he requireth earnest attention and taking heede least we let the infernall birdes eate vp the seedes out of our minde or suffer the same to be choked with thornes or to be troden vnder of naughtie affections which thing Christ hath faithfully warned vs of Whosoeuer therefore after this sort proceede in the businesse of saluation as we reade the Samaritanes here did they shall quickely receyue great profite thereby And if we compare these things with our doings we shall perceyue what answere to make them who marueyle how it commeth to passe that so few profit by the preaching of the word For who is it almost that stumbleth not as they say at the thressholde or in the beginning We see fewe hearers of the worde at the Church and they thinke they haue sufficiently done their dutie if they heare the Sermon vppon Sundaye onely And fewe there are that heare the same attentiuely and with desire to learne But fewest of all muse or meditate diligently of that they haue hearde In the meane season the naughtie affections of the fleshe beare rule euery where carying vs headlong vnto the blinde desires of the worlde Therefore how can it herein otherwyse come to passe than as in a fielde ouergrowne with thornes and full of stones except it be diligently âylled Let vs cast of this noysome sloth of mynde and followe the Samaritanes and then shall that fruite shortly ensue that Luke sayth they receyued For he sayeth There was great ioye in that Citie This is the fruite of fayth that vseth to spring of the feeling we haue of Gods reconcilement with vs For as the countenaunce of God being angry with vs doth vexe and trouble our mindes being feared with the conscience of our sinfulnesse so the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth that God is reconcyled to vs in Iesus Christ his sonne doth marueylously cheere and recreate our spirites Therefore the Aungels when they tolde the shepeheardes how Christ was borne sayde that they brought them great ioye And that olde father Simeon filled with the feeling of this ioye desired to haue leaue to depart and to be deliuered from the prison of his body Paule also byddeth the Christians alwayes to reioyce bicause this ioye cannot be taken away by any aduersitie forasmuch as the godly vse to reioyce in afflictions as we sawe before in the Apostles which reioyced in that they were thought worthy for Christes sake to be scourged Therefore they are wicked and most vnkynde men that saye the Gospell is the cause of aduersitie and publike calamitie Wheras it is euident God sendeth such things bicause of mennes sinnes and disobedience But they are lyke vnto those which obiected the same vnto Ieremie saying that from the time he beganne to preache they felt all kyndes of distresse and miserie Furthermore to returne vnto Luke there fell out a great hindraunce vnto Christes kingdome thus luckily succeeding among the Samaritanes For Simon the sorcerer which long time had borne a swinge in that city had bewitched the miserable people with his magicall Artes. God would haue Philip his Apostles coped with this Merchant to thintent partly that we might knowe how there will be alway hypocrites in the Church at whose leuitie and falshoode no man shoulde be offended and partly that all men might knowe by an euident and infallible argument that the Apostles wrought their myracles by no magicall sleyghtes but by the power of God seeing that so famous a Magitian ouercome of them acknowledged in them a greater power than his was which power he thought he might with money haue purchased In lyke sort woulde God haue the Magitians of Egypt ioyne agaynst Moses Here it shall be profitable for vs diligently to consider euery person And first Philip sheweth vs a singuler example of valiaunt fayth For this Simon was no small hinderance vnto syncere doctrine bicause the errour of the Samaritanes was confirmed both with antiquitie and superstition For they did not onely thinke that Simon was indued with heauenly power but also they beleeued he was the very selfe power of god But Philip is feared neither with the iuglings of his Magicall enchauntments nor with the rooted error of the foolishe people but rather hath a respect to Christes comaundement who bade the Gospell shoulde also be preached in Samaria Let them followe such a minde as this whosoeuer haue any office committed vnto them whether they be publike or priuate persons For they must not be afrayde of Bugbeares which professe Christ whose power by so many arguments is prooued to be so great Let vs consider that he is stronger and greater that is in vs than he which rageth in the world This Simon is a notable ensample of a deceyuer whome a man might fitly compare with Baalam the false Prophet It is sayde that of long time he had bewitched the people of Samaria For being skilfull in Magicall sciences he shewed straunge woonders and chalenged to himselfe go dly honor calling himselfe not onely the great power of God but also God the father and the sonne and Helena his harlot the holy ghost as Epiphanius a most diligent searcher out of olde heresies hath written By this example we are taught that the Deuill is able to doe much by his Ministers not of his owne free power but by the permission of god For through Gods sufferaunce the Magitians of Egypt did handsomely imitate certayne of Moses myracles And the Witch at Saules request seemed to haue raysed vp Samuelles corpes out of the graue Wherewith may worthily be num bred the Oracles vttered long agone at Delphi or Pytheum although for the most part they were doubtfull in their signification Of lyke kynde are those things which we reade of Images whereof some haue spoken some haue gone out of their places and infinit others haue bene notable by reason of many myracles to say nothing of those which were manifest in the kingdome of Antichrist as Christ and his Apostles foretolde God permitteth these thinges by his iust iudgement partlye bicause of the wicked which deserue to be deceyued whereas they will not imbrace the truth as the examples of Pharao and Saule euidently prooue partlye for the elects sake whose faith must this waye be tryed that they maye learne to cleaue to the simple word of God and admit
encouraged to go about it where he promiseth most prosperous successe to those that walke in hys commaundements An example of this diligence is to be seene in Abraham who being commaunded to go out of his countrie thought good to obey the calling of the Lorde though he were altogither ignoraunt what should folowe thereof Which thing as it most prosperouslye succeeded with him so we reade that Saule was tangled in horrible calamities who had rather folowe the deuises of his owne reason than the commaundementes of god See Samuel 1.13 and 15. Chapter But let vs consider the Aethiopian who is so diligently described First he declareth his state and condicion in that he sayth he was an Eunuch by which name it appeareth the Courtyers of the Kinges and Queenes of the East were called and specially those that were of their Chamber although they were not all gelded Wherefore it maketh for the exposition of thys name that he calleth him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say a prince and one that had the charge of all the Queenes treasure whome we may call the Cofferer or Lorde Treasurer Whereby it plainely appeareth that he was none of the inferiour Courtyers but one of the chiefe of the court This place teacheth vs that Magistrates and officers ought not for their office sake which they susteyne to bee excluded from the Kingdome of Christ as the seditious Anabaptistes crie For Paule plainely testifyeth that such are the Ministers of god And there are examples of manye which whyle they were in office were illuminated with the knowledge of Christ and for all that were not commaunded to giue vp their office Of this number was Ioseph a Senator of Ierusalem whome the Euaungelistes write was a Disciple of Christ and of godly affection buried Christ. So Peter bade not Cornelius to giue vp his Captaineship And it was lawfull for Sergius Paulus after he was conuerted vnto Christ to continue in the Proconsulshippe of Cyprus Therefore most vayne are the clamours of the Anabaptistes where they stiffely denie that Christian men ought to beare any office Then he declareth the maners and studie of the Aethiopian by two arguments For he sayth he went vp to Ierusalem for to worship and as he iourneyed was giuen to reading of the Scripture Therfore although he were an aliant and straunger yet he had some vnderstanding of that true God which before time woulde chiefely be knowne in Iurie as the Prophete witnesseth Neyther must we say that he was deceyued through foolishe superstition and so included and tyed religion to certaine places For where he was studious of the Scriptures he reuoked externe worshipping to the rule of Gods worde which is the onely waye of true religion and vndoubtedly he respected the promise of God who long before had promised in that Church to heare the prayers aswell of Straungers as of Iewes The reason of which promise was founded on Iesus Christ a figure of whom aswell the Temple was as the sacrifices made in the same The example of this Eunuch teacheth vs what the studies of Princes and great men ought to bee Let them remember that they shoulde principally and aboue all things haue a care of religion Now let them not appoynt the same after their owne brayne as we reade sometyme Ieroboam did for the establishment of his tyrannie but according to Gods worde which it behooueth them both to heare and reade moste diligently For it was before declared that they be the Ministers of god He hath appoynted them to be the Nourices of his Church as the prophet sayth Esa. 49. He himselfe is in the middle of their Sessions and iudgementes And to him shall they hereafter giue an account of their administration which they neuer can wel doe vnlesse they being enflamed with the desire and loue of religion think that they ought aboue all thinges to followe the worde of god For thys cause the king in tymes past was commaunded to haue an abridgement of the lawe and to be continually exercised in reading of the same And surely it appeareth that all those Princes which haue deserued any prayse before God were most studious of these things such as were Dauid Salomon Asa Ezechias Iosias and after the Apostles time Constantinus Theodosius Carolus and diuers others of whose godlynesse the foundations of Churches and Colledges now a dayes euerywhere beare witnesse If the princes in these daies were occupied in the same studies and as many as beare rule and authoritie Christian affayres shoulde better prosper and goe forwarde But bicause blinde concupiscence the madde desire of dycing sumptuous banquetting immoderate hunting and hauking contempt of Gods worde and his sacraments and insatiable desire of warring and fighting are comen in their place nothing can be hoped for at these Princes that may serue eyther for the publike weale or reformation of the Church and glory of God. Unto these thinges Luke ioyneth what Philip and the Aethiopian dyd For Philip is commaunded to ioyne himselfe neare vnto the Chariot and nowe the holy spirite offreth an occasion of well doing although Philip till this time sawe none For as he drewe neare he heard the Eunuch reading alowde a notable place of Esaye the Prophete concerning Christ and streyght waye being mooued by the spirite he demaundeth whether he vnderstande the place Here some men might thinke Philip of small ciuilitie which being not called woulde approche so neere to a man of authorities Chariot and would aske such a question of one whom he knew not as manifestly vpbrayded him with ignorance But whereas he had betaken him selfe wholy vnto God he diligently fulfilleth all that God commaunded not regarding the doltish reasons of the flesh And that which he doth after the commaundement of god prosperously succeedeth For he findeth notable tokens of great modestie and humanitie in the noble man though he were a straunger who hauing iust occasion disdainefully to haue reiected Philip as is the guyse of great and rich men yet he modestly confesseth his ignoraunce and bicause he was moued by the secrete instinct of the spirite to thinke well of Philip biddeth him to come vp vnto him and taketh him as an expositor of the Scripture which he read Uerily this noble man deserueth singuler prayse whyle he is neyther puffed vp with the affiance of his owne witte neyther refuseth a straunge interpreter neyther disdayneth the Scriptures the most part whereof he perceyued to be more difficult than he coulde easily vnderstande But God alloweth such hearers of hys worde as being endued with humble myndes doe reuerently tremble at his worde In the meane season we are taugââ that the Scriptures ought to be opened by Expositions and interpretatioâ ⪠And God vttreth those interpretations by men which being illuminaââ ãâã his spirit by comparing of Scriptures togither and obseruing the prâpertie and proportion of fayth picke out the true meaning and sense of
saluation and whatsoeuer things else helpe vs to the attayning thereof ought to be referred to Gods mere goodnesse grace For although all men beare not like hatred agaynst Christes Church as Paule did and that God compelleth not all men by open force to take the way of saluation yet are all men in one state and condition so that they must bee drawne and conuerted by the mightie power of god For if we consider man as he is ruled and led by naturall lore and reede we shall well perceyue he vnderstandeth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of god Wherefore where the vnderstanding is corrupt the will must needes bee euill and corrupted which bringeth forth the impure and wicked desires of the fleshe so that God truly sayd in the beginning The inuentions of mans heart are euill euen from his childehoode But where by reason of sinne all our power is so weakened that of our selues we be not able to thinke well It well appeareth that no man either would or could earnestly think of his saluation except he were illuminated drawne molified by God although some mens corruption is more manifest and notorious than others But bicause in Saules conuersion there are many other things which serue for our information Luke standeth diligently vpon the discription therof And at this time bicause he hath declared the first act or dooing he rehearseth the effect of this harde encounter and diuers other things incident to the same He comprehendeth in few words a marueylous effect of gods punishmeÌt in Paule For sayth he trembling and astonyed he sayde Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe And the Lorde sayde vnto him aryse and go into the Citie c. We haue in this place diligently to consider both Gods person and Paules And first in Paule we may see a token of a minde greatly humbled and readie to all kinde of obsequie and seruiceablenesse For now he doth vouchsafe to call him Lorde whome before he hated woorse than a dogge or Tode And of his owne accorde enquireth what his will and pleasure is folowing those seruaunts which of a dutifull and diligent readinesse to please vse to preuent their maysters commaundement before they heare it Hereout we may gather two thinges belonging to our instruction First whosoeuer feele Gods hande chastyning them are admonished of their dutie Let them acknowledge that God like a father punisheth and beateth them to the entent to amende them and correcteth those that be his least they should be condemned with the world that will not repent Which is the cause that the Prophete pronounceth him happie or blessed whome the Lorde chasteneth Againe let them acknowledge him to bee their Lorde and earnestly enserch after his will that they may knowe how to get his fauour and good will. This is the propertie of Gods elect who thinke nothing more grieuous and intollerable than to perceyue God to be offended with them But the reprobate be of a farre other opinion who although sometime they be compelled to obey and yeelde vnto God yet they frette and fume and by many aâguments declare they doe it agaynst their willes Wherefore they by and by âeturne againe to their nature and to their olde woont scarcely intermitted The Scripture sheweth examples hereof in Pharao and Saule the king With whome may be numbred the Bishops seruaunts that were sent to apprehende Christ who though they were smitten to the grounde by the power of his worde yet they by and by rose againe and layde wicked handes on him ⪠whome they ought to haue acknowledged for their Lorde Let vs therefore doe as Paule did as oft as we be cast downe by sicknesse oppressed with pouertie or become prayes to our enimies or be any other wayes troubled or molested and let vs say with the heart Lorde what wilt thou haue vs to doe And so shall those thinges turne to our health which seemed to vs to be very hurtfull Secondly this example teacheth vs howe necessary a seuere kinde of correction is sometime in matters of fayth and religion For we see many of such a propertie and condicion that vnlesse they be constrayned by force they will not yeelde vnto the worde of god Wherefore Christ commaunded that some shoulde be compelled to come to the heauenly mariage Of which number it is more euident that Paule is one than needeth great declaration Therefore it is no small error they holde which crye out that no man ought to be compelled in matters of fayth and religion bicause God onely hath power and authoritie ouer the mynde of man For to graunt that it belongeth to God alone to inspire to drawe and to giue fayth yet we knowe agayne that God commaundeth false teachers to be conuinced both by argumentes and Scriptures and also to be bridled by the sworde of the Magistrate if they waxe obstinate and incurable By the same reason superstition false worship and blasphemie is commaunded to be made awaye For it were an absurde thing to punishe them which lye in wayte for our bodies and goodes and let them scape free which wickedlye deface the glory of God and lay snares of damnation for mennes soules There are examples euerywhere of them which being restrayned through seuere chastisement haue ceased after that from their blasphemie and haue bene brought to knowledge of the truth But as in all other thinges so herein chiefely we wishe all wisedome and moderation to be vsed But let vs heare Christ who by and by sheweth himselfe courteous and friendly to him whome he seeth so ready to doe his commaundement For as the father in the Prophets crieth Returne vnto me and I will returne vnto you so we reade in the Gospell that hee calleth all vnto him that are heauye loden and openly testifyeth that he will refuse none that coÌmeth vnto him He commaundeth him to go into the Citie that he maye there learne of Ananias what he hath to doe Two causes maye be rendred of this commaundement For God by this meanes trieth Paules modestie whyle hee sendeth him to them whome not long before he ment violently to laye hold on And also procureth hereby an authoritie and dignitie to the ministerye of his worde For where he knoweth that men oftentimes contemne it he teacheth vs therefore that the vse thereof is necessarye to the attayning of saluation This we sawe in the hystorie of the Aethiop whose heart where ãâ¦ã illuminated by the secrete working of his spirite yet woulde he vse the ministerie of Philip to do the same And now although he vouchsafe to talke with Saule yet he sendeth him to Ananias to learne the mysteries of fayth and saluation and by his ministery to be baptised and taken into the fellowship of the Church Wherevnto that also is lyke that hereafter we shall heare tolde of Cornelius the Centurion whome God admonisheth by an Aungell sent vnto him to sende for Peter and to
delectable and pleasaunt Spring the cheerefull and mery Sommer and fruitefull Haruest So after continuall showres and horrible stormes of hayle commeth comfortable Phoebus and chaseth away the Clowdes And Mariners when the terrors of tempests be ouerpast haue afterward cleere weather and prosperous windes And that the state of the Church is ruled by lyke interchaungeablenesse the examples of all ages testifie But the only booke of Iudges may abundantly suffyce to approoue the same Let no man therefore be so abashed at the countenance of present calamitie to thinke he must vtterly perishe For eyther God will cheere them in this lyfe with better successe of thinges or else of his mercy he will take them out of all the stormes of this world into the inheritance of his heauenly kingdome In the meane season this place teacheth vs that the crosse is not alway such a marke of the Church that it can neuer be without it bicause we heare in this place that the primitiue Church had vniuersall peace and the same came to passe also oftentimes in the yeres following Therfore their iudgement is most vayne who rashly condemne euery Church which through the benefite of God enioyeth rest and will graunt vnto Christians no time of breathing nor rest from the crosse Agayne we are admonished that for the attayning of peace there needeth neyther dastardly dissimulation nor false abnegation of the fayth but rather constancie and boldnesse to keepe the word and doctrine of faith For Luke sayth that then peace ensued after Paule had stirred the enimies of the truth both at Damascus and at Ierusalem with earnest preaching and disputation agaynst them Therefore they that nowe a dayes woulde haue vs to dissemble the truth and say that by our vehement inueyghing against errors and superstitions we more exasperate and kindle the enimies mindes talke altogither in vayne as though God were not able to bridle and keepe vnder them which in their rage doe nothing but threaten fire and sworde Naye we are taught by examples that they which for such mens sake can finde in their hart to denye the fayth and truth doe seldome finde them faythfull in friendship Next Luke declareth the fruite of the peace ensuing forasmuch as he saith the congregations were edifyed This may be vnderstanded two maner of wayes For the Church is sayde to be edifyed eyther when new beleeuers be added therevnto or else when they which before beleeued through more plentifull gyftes of the holy ghost profite in the faith And the holy ghost doth not without a cause vse this Metaphore of building forasmuch as the Church is the house of god which is builded of liuely stones that is to say of such as beleeue in Christ 1. Timoth. 3. and. 1. Peter 2. and all the faythfull are called otherwheres the Temple of the holy ghost For the which cause the teachers are called builders and the building of the church is called the building of God. Furthermore beside that by this example it appeareth howe the enterprises of Christes enimies in pulling downe the church are in vayne we are also taught what oughte to be the ende and marke of all them which beare office in the Church Paule diligently inculcateth the same speaking of the publike exercises of the Churche in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and .xiiij. Chapter Herevnto let all Ministers apply themselues with all their power both with teaching and reproouing and let them alwayes remember this saying of Paul that they haue power giuen them to edifie and not to destroy Let them therefore suffer nothing in the Church that serueth to the destruction thereof Let Kinges and Magistrates haue the same ende before them whome the Lorde hath appoynted to be the Nurses of his Church as we haue already oftentimes declared The Elders to whom the discipline of the Church belongeth let them looke vpon the same Let parents and teachers of youth direct all their doinges to this ende This care shoulde euery day stirre vp priuate men also For whosoeuer bringeth any thing to the spirituall building vp of this Church and shall builde but one man as a liuely stone vppon Christ which is the foundation surely he deserueth more prayse than they which with great costes builde Churches of Marble Last of all is declared how the faithfull vsed this peace and tranquility They walked sayth he in the feare of the Lorde and were filled with the comfort of the holy ghost He attributeth to them feare of the Lord whereby he vnderstandeth all things belonging to true religion the knowledge of god sincere faith loue of God fulfilling of his word and faithfull obedience vnto him For how shal he feare god which knoweth him not how shall the knowledge of God lacke fayth and how shall fayth want the looue of God And where these things be there must needes be the loue of the word and obedience to the same He sayth also that they were fylled wyth the comfort of the holy ghost By this we may vnderstande both the preaching of the Gospell and the inwarde suggestion of the spirite which Christ promiseth to those that be his Surely both these marueylously comfort the mindes and afflicted consciences of men in that they teache vs that God is made at one with vs and reconcyled to vs through the merite of Christ and in the middle of the broyle of afflictions besprinkle vs with the promises of Gods helpe as with the most wholesome water of a liuely fountaine And in these thinges Luke sayeth the primitiue Church sought the recreation of their myndes their ioyes and delightes Whereby we gather what their exercises ought to be which are at rest and peace Therefore execrable is the wickednesse and ingratitude of such which abuse quietnesse and peace to the license of the fleshe and in the meane season will neither by helpe counsayle nor at least by comfort ease them whome they see many wayes afflicted for the testimonie of Iesus Christ. This sinne as it is heynous so it is to common in these dayes whereby it commeth to passe that as we abuse peace so we be easily offended and vtterly dismayde at euery light affliction These things being thus premised he passeth to Peters actes or doings out of which he picketh two myracles done orderly one after the other the one done at Lidda the other at Ioppe The occasion of these myracles is said to be Peters traueyling from Church to Church according to his Apostolyke office not for that he vsurped vpon them as a Lorde and ruler but as to succour where neede was such as were heauy laden and in distresse to confirme the weake to pull vp errors where any were growen and to bestow benefits vpon all men For that these were the duties of the Apostles it appeareth by many other places and the very name of an Apostle teacheth the same which forbiddeth them to haue anye certaine or fixed sea or dwelling place we reade
of the Lorde God is vpon mee for the Lorde hath annoynted mâe and sent me to preach good tydings vnto the poore that I might bynde vp the wounded hearts that I might preach deliueraunce to the captiue and open the pryson to them that are bounde to restore sight vnto the blinde and to declare the acceptable yeare of the Lorde He is sayde to be annoynted aboue hys fellowes bicause God hath not giuen vnto him his spirite by measure but so abundantly that we all receyue of his fulnesse For he came downe vpon him in the visible forme of a Doue when he was baptised of Iohn so that Iohn thereby knewe that he was that Sauiour that God did declare and manifest vnto mankinde See Iohn the first Chap. There be also other argumentes which prooue he passed all other annoynted of the olde Testament whether they were Kings or Priests For although they were called Christes or annointed yet had none of them power so to annoynt their subiectes that they coulde call them after their annointing Christians that is annoynted But this the sonne of God hath perfourmed who hath annoynted vs and made vs Kings and Priestes to God his father Also none of the annoynted in the olde Testament was worthye of diuine honour and worship None other hath reformed the whole worlde None hath bene had in such estimation amonge his scholers that after his Maisters death he coulde finde in his heart to die for his maisters namesake Moreouer no mannes kingdome or priesthoode hath endured from euer vnto this day And bicause they were mortall men they had neede of Uicares and successors to administer the office wherevnto they were called But the sonne of God being made the administrator of the euerlasting kingdome hath receyued all power in heauen and in earth And bicause he is present with hys Church he hath neede neyther of Uicar nor Successor The same is a king for euer after the order of Melchisedech For hee blesseth vs with all spirituall benediction He teacheth vs by the outwarde worde and inspiration of his holy spirite and he giueth vnto his Church some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some Pastours and Teachers The same hath with one offering that is to say with the price of his body and bloud purged the sinnes of all the world and hath made perfite for euer them that are sanctified Furthermore being gone vp into heauen he maketh intercession for vs and is a faythfull Bishop for vs in all those things that are to be done for vs with God. Therefore it is truly sayde of Peter that he is the annoynted of God that is to saye appoynted to be the King and Priest of his people Whervpon we gather that all they sinne agaynst the eternall decree of God which make to themselues any other patrones of saluation any other Sauiours of their soules any other Priestes or intercessours For in so doing they robbe the sonne of God of his honor which he constantly affirmeth in the Prophete he will giue to none other Agayne bicause it is manifest that he is annointed of God we must beleeue that his power is inuincible and that they neede not feare the force of the worlde or of hell which acknowledge this king But bicause we haue otherwheres intreated of this argument lette these fewe things for this tyme suffise Furthermore least any man might thinke that Iesus the sonne of God is delyted with a bare name and tytle after the maner of men Peter declareth that he hath and doth faithfully performe the office of a king and priest At this present he premyseth certayne generalities declaring his benefites tââarde vs meaning hereafter to intreate of the maner of our redemption as the Sermon following shall declare And first he sayeth he went about doyng good vnto all men This is the dutie of a faithfull king and Priest not onely to helpe them with ayde and counsell that seeke for it at his hande but also diligently to prouide and looke about who haue neede of a tutor and benefactor This the Euangelistes teache vs that Iesus Christ the sonne of God hath most faithfully performed For as for our saluation sake he came into the worlde so he caried the doctrine of saluation and myracles wherwith he confirmed the same ouer all Iury Galiley and remayned no long whyle anywhere but plainly confessed that he must preache to all men euerywhere And he did not onelye curteously receyue them that came to him but also friendly inuited and called to hym all that laboured and were heauy laden promising all them that would come vnto hym reast and refreshing And that which it appeareth he dyd in tymes passed the same he doth also at this daye while he spreadeth the preachyng of his Gospell wyde ouer that it enricheth lyke a shower of raine now one nation now an other with the seede of his heauenly word so that not without a cause it may be sayd now adayes also he goeth vp and downe bestowing his benefites on euery man For he faithfully teacheth them that be in errour he bringeth the deceyued and wandring Pilgrimes into the way he friendly correcteth the corrupted with vice he gently comforteth the afflicted consciences and with his righteousnesse and satisfaction defendeth them that are feared with the rigor of Gods iudgement Therefore great and hydeous is the ingratitude of them which abhorre such a benefactour as cruell and vnmercifull and vse to seeke helpe and counsell at others Yet is their iniquitie more horrible which wickedly reiect his word and will not witsafe to heare it and so cast from them that saluation which they ought to seeke and embrace with open armes and all kinde of diligence Both these vices are to common in our dayes the indignitie wherof if we woulde diligently expende we shoulde lesse marueyle at the causes of so many euils as on euery side compasse vs. The other benefite of Iesus Christ is sayth he that all they that were oppressed of the Deuill were healed by him This appertayneth peculiarlye to the office of a King whereof also mention is made Psal. 72. He shall kepe the simple folke by their right defende the children of the poore and punish the wrong dooer c. But bicause Christ was the author of our spirituall redemption Peter maketh mention of a spirituall Tyrant to saye of the Deuill who after he had made our first parentes guiltie of transgression by them brought in all kinde of calamitie and death it selfe into the world and by the permission of God so oppressed all mankinde wyth his exceeding tyrannie that he is thereof called the Prince of the worlde For he brought to passe by sinne that they whom God had created vnto lyfe fell into death that they whome God aboue all other Creatures had endued with reason sinned agaynst the lawe of nature that they which ought wholy to haue depended on the worde
of God suffred themselues to be seduced with the lying Oracles of the deuill that they whome it became to haue worshipped God onely worshipped woode and stone and did abhominable sacrifice vnto Deuils And for bicause fewe acknowledged the great tyrannie of the deuill God suffred also that many were corporallye possessed of him and raged aswell agaynst themselues as agaynst others as we may learne in the hystorie of the Gospell But for all these maladies Iesus Christ is gyuen to be our Phisition who according to the promyse made in the beginning shoulde breake the Serpents heade and as the Apostle sayeth destroye the workes of the Deuill This thing he abundantly declareth he was both able and willing to doe whyle by his worde he healeth them whych were scourged with the horrible whippes of sicknesses while he draue forth of men deuils and vncleane spirites and would not suffer them which before seemed Lordes ouer all thinges once to hysse Heereto are to be referred whatsoeuer myracles of lyke sort the Euangelistes write whereby is declared vnto vs that that strong man is come which hath entred the Deuils house that is to saye the worlde hath bounde him and taken awaye all his armor harnesse as Christ teacheth vs in the Gospell Peter testifyeth that all these things were done by the power of God to aunswere the Scribes which sayde that he cast forth Deuils by the helpe of Belzebub There are examples in hystories which declare that the kingdome of the Deuill is destroyed by the power of christ For it is euident that all Oracles ceassed and kept silence when Christ died And Constantinus wryteth that when Dioclesian reygned the Deuill complayned out of Apollos caue or denne that the Christians whome he called iust did let that he could not gyue true Oracles as before he vsed Howbeit we shall a little hereafter see more euident proofes of Christes victorie agaynst the Deuill where Peter disputeth of his death and resurrection In the meane whyle it becommeth vs to remember our dutie which is that being taken from the power of darkenesse into the kingdome of the sonne of God we defende our libertie and fight continually agaynst Satan our common enimye that we be not at any time founde vnthankefull to Iesus Christ our deliuerer to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxvj. Homelie AND wee are witnesse of all thinges which hee did in the lande of the Iewes and at Ierusalem whome they slewe and hanged on tree Him God raysed vp the thirde day and shewed him openly not to all the people but vnto vs witnesses chosen before of God for the same intent which did eate and drinke with him after he arose from death And hee commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testifie that it is hee which was ordeyned of God to be the iudge of quicke and deade To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoeuer beleeueth in hm shall receyue remission of sinnes THe Apostle Peter hath taught Cornelius the Centurion being appoynted therevnto of God in such wyse that he hath also set out before all men a generall and most absolute doctrine of saluation For he preacheth vnto him Iesus Christ the onely sauiour of mankinde in whome all the Scripture testifyeth that all the meane of our saluation is conteyned And hereof in the discourse before âoâe he sayd two things First that God annoynted him that is ordeyned him to be the King and Priest of his people Wherevpon we gather that all those which appoynt to themselues any other mediatours or patrones of saluation doe sinne agaynst the eternall purpose of god Next he teacheth howe diligently and faythfully Iesus Christ vsed himselfe in his office For he sayeth he went about and of his exceeding liberalitie offred the benefite of saluation to them that sought it not And this was the ende and purpose of all his doyng to bring all those that were oppressed of the deuill into the kingdome and liberty of the sonnes of god which deliuery he declared and shewed by myracles thorowe the which he most faythfully releeued those that were vexed and troubled as well wyth incurable diseases as wyth rage of deuils by the wholesome helpe and power of his worde Now vnto these things Peter in thys place addeth that which perfyteth and maketh vp the doctrine of saluation For first he declareth the order and maner that Christ vsed in the redeeming of mankynde then he sheweth what vtilitye and profite commeth to vs thereby Therefore this place is worthye to be considered of vs verye diligently Before he declareth the order and maner of mannes redemption he confirmeth his doctrine by witnesses saying And wee are witnesses of all the thinges which he did in the lande of the Iewes and at Hierusalem And it ought to seeme no absurde or straunge thing to any man that Peter so boldlye produceth himselfe among his fellowes as witnesses of his sayinges For we haue already oftentimes hearde howe Christ appoynted them to that charge and a little hereafter it shall be declared that they were chosen of God to beare witnesse of Iesus Christ and of those things that he did concerning our saluation These things teach vs howe grieuously they offende which disdayne to beleeue the Gospell For where the narration of the thyngs that Christ did is not bare and emptye but hath the testimonie of God it easily appeareth that this contumely or reproch must needes redounde vnto God as hath bene otherwhere at large declared Howbeit as concerning the maner of our redemption which we sayde is chiefly intreated of in this place there are three thinges sayde of Christ in the which all those thinges are contayned that was needefull to be done in this behalfe Among which the first is the death of Christ the which he toucheth but briefly bicause it was well knowne He saith he was by the Iewes hanged on a tree and killed He maketh mention of a tree not so muche bicause he would expresse his cruell and horrible kinde of death as to put the hearers in remembraunce of the mistery of that sacrifice that Christ offred when he dyed for our sinnes For it appeareth that sacrifices were woont to be offered and burned vpon bundels of woode And thus doth Peter himself see me to interpretate this place where as in the second chapiter of his first epistle he writeth that Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that is purged them by the sacrifice of his body vpon the altare of the crosse Christ teacheth vs the very same where he sayth that he will giue his flesh for the lyfe of the world which it is playne he did no where but on the crosse Esaias the Prophete is a copious expositor of these things who sayth Chap. liij He was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse For the chastisement of our peace was layde vpon him and with
no aunswere to or at least he might snappishly haue put them back and rebuked them But he knewe that the same lawe aswell belonged to himselfe as to other where he commaunded all Christian men to be ready to giue a reason or aunswere of their doing to euery man. And as in this place he paciently suffereth the vniust censure and checke of men in a iust quarrell so when he was accused of Paule before all men for his dissimulation and inconstancie we reade he aunswered nothing disdainefully And this we reade was alwaye the custome in the primitiue Church that Bishoppes coulde suffer and beare to bee iudged and corrected by other Byshoppes Thus it appeareth Victor the Bishop of Rome was reprehended and admonished of his dutie by Iraeneus and certaine other Bishops of lesse famous Churches for his ouer hastie sentence of excommunication giuen against the Bishoppes of Asia These things reprooue the pride of the bishops of Rome that folowed who are not only not ashamed to make themselues Iudges ouer all the world but also refuse the iudgement of all men My hart quaketh as often as I remember that blasphemous Canone which will not haue the Pope condemned no not though he forget his owne and other mennes saluation and leade with him headlong into hell whole heapes of mennes soules Howbeit he coulde no maner of way more euidently haue prooued himselfe to be Antichrist than in that he refuseth the iudgement of the Church and Bishops challenging to themselues the supremacie ouer them all But to let this passe let vs hearken to Peter intreating his cause and matter Peter in his Apologie vseth a diligent narration or discourse as euen nowe we declared the which he so ordereth that he reporteth not onelye what was done but sheweth also that it was well done and lawfully And this narration consisteth of fiue partes or members of all which we will speake as much as appertaineth to this present matter letting passe that that hath bene sayde in the Chapter before going In the first part is contayned the vision of a great vessell or sheete let downe to him from heauen by which God taught him that no man from thenceforth should be iudged vnworthy of the Gospell and fellowship of the people of God for neglecting the ceremonies of the lawe forasmuch as the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Iesus Christ who had made one people of both Peter thought it good to beginne his narration with this that it might appeare to all men that he did nothing of his owne head but according as God appointed In the second part he alleageth the sure commaundement of God ⪠least he might be thought to haue bene beguyled by some dreame or ydle phantasie For euen at the same time he sayeth by the prouidence of God they stoode at his Hostesse doore that were sent from Cornelius and he addeth The spirite sayde that I shoulde go with them nothing doubting And this is the strength of his whole defence which he setteth against his aduersaries accusation For they sayde Thou wentest in to menne that are vncircumised and hast eaten with them Therefore Peter aunswereth them The spirite of the Lord bade me so to do And being with this simplicitie of words content he letteth passe all Rhetoricall colors wherwith he might haue confirmed garnished this argument Which example teacheth vs that they are not to be accused or if they be accused they may easily be defended before Christian men which cast of the traditions and customes of men at Gods appoyâtment For the authority of this saying of the Apostles shall remaine in force for euer we must obey God more than men Let vs also in these dayes with this argument defende our selues against the Papistes which with lyke frowardnesse accuse vs for hauing broken the traditions of men and take occasion of offence on euery side without any giuen on our behalf It offendeth them that we deny Christ is offred in the sacrament of the aultar for the sinnes of the quicke and the deade But we laye against them the word of Christ who yeelding vp his life vpon the crosse declared that all maner of expiation for sinne and our redemption was nowe accomplished Furthermore we heare Paule say that Christ being once offered can be offred no more They are offended bicause they see we haue put the ymage of Christ and the Saintes out of our Churches But we laye for our selues agaynst them the authoritie of God forbidding ymages to be made and commaunding those that are made to be made out of the way and destroyed They are offended bicause we haue taken awaye the differences of meates But the Apostle defendeth vs which sayth it is a doctrine of the Deuill to bring it vp The lyke reason there is of all other thinges in controuersie betweene vs These we haue alleaged onelye for example sake And if our aduersaries will not yeelde vnto the word of God but will holde on and set the customes and traditions of men against the authoritie of the same then shall it easily appeare that they are not the seruauntes of God but of men The thirde part of the narration contayneth the vision of the Aungell which we heard was sent from God vnto Cornelius Hereof Peter thought to make mention to declare that Cornelius did nothing vnaduisedly but was mooued by God to sende for him to teach him Here is diligently to be obserued howe the Aungell speaketh of the ministerie or preaching of the Gospell Peter sayth he shall speake wordes whereby thou and all thy house shall be saued Then he testifyeth that saluation commeth by preaching of the Gospell This the holye Psalmist sawe when he sayde God sent hys worde and they were healed And Paule sayth that the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all beleeuers It is not thus sayd bicause the sounde of wordes bringeth saluation as the supersticious thinke of their exorcismes but bicause through the preaching of the Gospell Christ is offered to vs and they that preach the Gospell be messengers in the roume of Christ that by their ministerie men might be reconcyled to God the father through christ Therefore no common weales nor familyes can haue any sounde health or saluation without they receiue the gospell of Iesus Christ. Therfore their ingratitude that saye the worde of saluation is the cause of all euils as well priuate as publike is most execrable as we read was somtime obiected to Ieremie These men are ledde with the spirite of Caiphas who also sayde that Christ woulde be the author and cause of their destruction vnlesse he were made awaye by the wicked conspiracie of the priests Fourthly he declareth the marueylous sending of the holy ghost The expositor whereof he alleageth Iesus Christ to be I remember sayeth he the worde of the Lorde howe he sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy
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 ãâã is the propertie of those that be truely faythfull that they will willingââ yeelde vnto arguments brought out of the worde of God although they ââlly 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
they easily heare the voyce of Christ and perceyue that God calleth them bicause they haue the seede of God in them which lying hidden before is by the worde of God quickened and brought to maturitie and perfyte ripenesse Hereof it proceedeth that Christ sayth they that are borne of God and are the sheepe of his flocke heare his voyce and are delighted therwith yea and those he acknowledgeth for his sheepe of whome hitherto he was vnknowne and which were afterwarde to be called and drawne saying I haue other sheepe also which are not of this folde Them also must I bring in and they shall heare my voyce and there shall bee one folde and one shepehearde Of which sort Luke sheweth that these Antiochians were And the treatie hereof ought to seeme to no man superfluous forasmuch as there is nothing belonging to our saluation more pleasaunt or profytable to bee considered than this For herein are opened the fountaines of our saluation and we are taught that the same dependeth vppon the meere grace of God and therefore the arrogant and Pharisaicall glorying in mannes iustice and merite is hereby quite ouerthrowne and buryed This also prooueth the certaintie of our saluation and marueylously fortifyeth our fayth if it shoulde stagger through temptations For God cannot repent him of his electing and calling vs. And whereas we be elected or chosen in Christ which is that impregnable rocke against which the gates of hell are not able to preuayle and which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken out of his handes It is impossible that they should fall from their saluation which feele themselues to be graffed in him Wherevnto this place also is to be referred where it is sayde As many beleeued as were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting For although the Iewes raged neuer so much they coulde not hinder the saluation or faith of one of the elected And as many as shall in this wyse consider Gods predestination and election shall perceyue their fayth to be marueylously increased And if any will wade yet deeper in Gods secrets mysteries and will presume to call his eternall counsayles to the count of mans reason they shall at length go so farre that eyther they shall scoffingly deride the iudgements of God or else attribute that vnto man which it becommeth vs to seeke only in the grace and fauour of God and shall spoile Christ of his glory who is the foundation of our saluation See Rom. 9.11 But to returne to these electes let vs consider the effect of Gods word that appeared and shewed it selfe in them by the which may easily be gathered what their dutie is whome God electeth This is a marueylous effect of Gods worde that euen in the greatest feare of all daungers the hearts of those that beleeued are recreated with ioye considering howe God the father is well pleased with them Wherevnto Christ had a respect when he bade vs reioyce in troubles Then after that it is sayde they glorifyed the worde of God which is a token of thankefulnesse which they cannot choose but render vnto God which haue anye thing tasted of the grace of god They vse to glorifye the worde of God which embrace it with fayth and submit themselfe vnto it subduing all their reason and vnderstanding vnto it which is not the last nor least ende of preaching the Gospell as we haue in other places declared These thinges teache vs what they haue to doe that will be counted of the number of the elect and they also are here confuted which saye the exercises of Christian religion and good workes are by this doctrine of free election and predestination put away and destroyed For where as it was before declared vocation or calling followeth election and iustifycation by fayth followeth calling or vocation it cannot be that he which vnderstandeth he is elected can cast from him the workes of a Christian man For he knoweth that we are elected in Christ to that end that after we haue here liued an innocent and irreprehensible life we shall liue with Christ for euer in heauen Wherefore according to the Apostles commaundement he laboureth by continuall traueyle in innocencie and godlynesse to ratifye and confyrme his election and calling Thirdly it is to be obserued howe Luke sayth the worde of God was published throughout all the Countrie For hereby it appeareth howe little the wicked are able to preuayle against Christ with all their attempts For the spirite of God bloweth where it listeth and is not mooued eyther with the authoritie or power of man Therfore the same commeth here to passe that we sawe came to passe before at Ierusalem in the persecution of Steuen And this is the propertie of the worde of God the more to shewe his power and force the more it is withstanded delighting as it were to wrastle with the aduersaries And there is no cause for any man to aske why we see not Christes kingdome haue as good successe in these dayes For by our sloth and negligence the boundes thereof are drawne in and narrowed and we see that saying of Christ is true in all states of men where he testifyeth that in the later times faith shall be very rare scant vpon the earth Furthermore after these ioyfull successes of the Apostles and victories gotten against these wicked enimies a newe businesse aryseth namely a manifest persecution whereof the same Iewes were the authors bicause they coulde preuayle nothing at the fyrst and bicause they sawe the doctrine of Christ stronger than to be ouerturned with the craft of Sophisters or with slaunders and reproches And the Iewes many times in this booke are reported to haue bene the beginners of persecution and Paule writing of them in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians seconde Chapter sayth For as they killed the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophets euen so they persecute vs and God they please not and are contrary to all men and hinder vs that we shoulde not speake vnto the Gentyles that they might bee saued to fulfill their sinnes alwaye c. Which things are therfore to be obserued that we might acknowledge the iust iudgement of God vpon them and how those horrible and straunge calamities fell vpon them worthily which our Sauiour Christ threatened vnto them and are written in hystories For God purposed by the example of them to teache vs what remayneth for all the despisers and enimies of his sonne And it is very worthy the consideration to see by what subtile meanes they procured this persecution and what effect it had First their subtiltie appeareth in those whom they went about to make on their sides against the Apostles And these were fyrst certaine women commended for their honestie and godlynesse And it was not without a cause that they thought their helpe meete for this purpose For this sexe of women as they are naturally inclined and giuen to superstition so are they very
be vnderstanded as concerning the hystory of Cornelius the Centurion which Peter alleageth to verie good purpose bicause the same before had bene called in question and argued on among the faythfull as we sawe in the eleuenth Chapter The summe of his argument is this God when he called and adopted Cornelius and his family from gentilitie vnto Christ and into the societie of his Churche did by that example set forth vnto vs a true and perfyte meane and way of attayning vnto saluation But he requyred nothing else of them but to heare the gospell of me and to beleeue it Ergo these two thinges are sufficient for man to be iustifyed by and to attaine vnto saluation that is to say to heare the gospell and by true fayth to imbrace Christ preached in the same And Peter gathereth most strongly of perticulers an vniuersall doctrine bicause God vseth one certaine and inuiolable rule in sauing of all men And it is not lyke that God would neglect that rule in sauing a prophane souldyour that was confyrmed in the bloude of his sonne But that his argument might beare the more weight he calleth them for wytnesses of the same thing you know sayth he how that a good whyle ago that is in the beginning of the Church God dyd choose or appoint amongst vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue Upon the which wordes he might haue inferred why then doe you requyre circumcision and fulfylling of the law ouer and beside those things that seeme to God sufficient Or whence haue you authoritie to alter the order appoynted of God and to be so bolde as to adde or take anye thing from the same But he leaueth all this to them to gather Yet he ioyneth two things more hereto whereby he openeth this example Fyrst God sayth he which knoweth the hartes and is not deceyued with any outwarde appearaunce hath aboundantly prooued this waye that I haue nowe tolde you to be sufficient euen by his owne testimonie For assoone as men beleeued the gospell that was preached he sent vnto them the holy ghost as well as vnto vs Which spirite since this world and prophane men euen by Christs owne testimonie can not receyue it appeareth most euidently that God acknowledged these men for the members of his Church and for coinheritours with Christ although they were neyther circumcised nor had receyued any other ceremonie of the lawe Then pointing as it were with hys fynger to the maner of iustifycation and God sayth he put no difference betweene them and vs seing that with fayth he purifyed their hartes Before this in deede the Iewes were deuided from the Gentiles by the lawe but Christ hath broken downe the particion of the lawe and of two people hath made one Church and hath purifyed the Gentiles as well as the Iewes by fayth Hereto appertayneth that place of Paule And the wordes which he wryteth to the Romanes cap. 3. We holde therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe Is he the God of the Iewes onely ⪠Is he not also the God of the Gentiles yes euen of the Gentiles also for it is God onely that iustifyeth the circumcision that is of fayth and vncircumcision thorow fayth Furthermore Peter in one briefe sentence comprehendeth whatsoeuer may be sayde of our iustifycation Fyrst he confesseth that our hartes haue neede to be purifyed Man therefore must needes be a thing altogither polluted bicause the hart is the Fountaine out of which spring all our doings God himselfe beareth wytnesse hereof where he sayth the inuentions and deuises of man are naught euen from his childhood And this one thing is aboundantly sufficient to ouerthrowe all the righteousnesse of our workes as oftentimes we haue declared Then teacheth he howe purifycation is wrought by fayth bicause it taketh holde of Christ whome God hath ordeyned to be our iustifyer He cleanseth vs from our sinnes through the merite of his bloude He communicateth vnto vs his righteousnesse so that by reason of fayth whereby we be grafte in him we are taken for righteous in the sight of god Wherefore Paule declareth that he is made our righteousnesse of God Againe besides this he onely mortifyeth the reliques and dregges of our fleshe whiles he chaungeth and regenerateth vs by his worde and spirite gyuing vs power to bring forth fruites aunswerable to our profession Whervnto these words of his are to be referred Now are you cleane thorow the words which I haue spoken to you He that abydeth in me I in him bringeth forth much fruit But bicause we can haue no felowship with Christ but through fayth the scripture truly affirmeth that we be purifyed iustifyed by fayth which phrase of speech must not so be taken as though faith were a vertue through the merite wherof men were clensed froÌ their sinnes but bicause we therby take hold of Christ in whoÌ all our righteousnesse consisteth Thirdly he maketh God the author of this purification Therfore he is the only author of our faith which Paule also testifyeth to be the gift of god And Christ sayth none commeth vnto him but whom the father draweth For where the naturall man perceyueth not the mysteries of the spirite we of our selues are not able once to thinke well we must needes be illuminated and drawne of God that fayth may take place in vs So all the glory of our iustification must returne vnto God and nothing must be lefte to mans power or merite This sawe Dauid long ago when he called vpon God to be forgiuen of his sinnes saying Washe me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne Purge me with Isope and I shall be cleane washe me and I shall be whyter than snowe Delyuer me from bloud-guyltinesse ô God thou that art the God of my saluation And hereby maye we receyue great comfort to strengthen our faith in temptations For where our iustifycation and saluation dependeth vpon God it must needes be certaine and infallible Hereof proceede those sayings of Paule who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifyeth who is it that can condemne Such was the certainetie of this doctrine among the people of God in all ages that the Phariseys also could plainely confesse that God onely had power to forgiue sinnes Therefore we doe not without cause nowe a dayes bewayle the folly and pryde of those men which attribute this glorie eyther to their owne workes or else to most arrogant and impudent hypocrites Howe grieuously these men offende Peter sheweth in the second part of his oration which now we shal consider Nowe therefore sayth he why tempt you God to put vppon the Disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare He teacheth by these weightye wordes that all our saluation is ouerthrowne and that such
is not without a cause suspected For a Bishop must be blamelesse and Paule forbiddeth yong schollers chiefely to be kept out of the Ministery bicause such are in daunger of backbiting and slaundering Nowe adayes bicause we be to soone intreated in admitting of euerye one it is no marueyle though the authoritie of the Ministerie growe so much in contempt Moreouer it maye seeme to anye man marueylous that God woulde suffer such most chosen vessels of his grace to be intangled in such implacable hatred and that the holye ghost woulde haue their errours recorded in wryting for their sake that shoulde come after But to him that shall deepely ponder these things there shall appeare to be diuers iust and weightye causes of this doing For fyrst these things teache vs that euen the holyest men also are subiect to perturbations of minde and therefore haue neede of the grace of god This Paule acknowledgeth where he writeth that he felte the pricke of the fleshe and had the messenger of Satan sent him agaynst the which he had none other wayes to resist but by the grace of God. The same Paule writing of the lawe of sinne which in all men fyghteth against the spirite of God cryeth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body subdued vnto death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde The vse of all these things is to teach vs that whatsoeuer things holy men doe commendably we should ascribe them vnto God as to the author and only magnifye him therefore Againe these slydinges of holye men stirre vs vp vnto a feruent and continuall desire of godlinesse that according to Paules saying we may worke our saluation with feare and trembling For who will not be afrayde who will not be stirred vp to watch and praye when he seeth such notable seruaunts of God so grieuously fall Who will not stande in dreade to fall yea euen then when he seemeth to stand sure There is also another vse and commoditie of this contention that we now adayes be not offended with the discentions of the Ministers of the worde nor for discentions sake suspect the doctrine of Gods worde For the authoritie thereof dependeth not on man but as Esaias sayeth endureth for euer when all fleshe with the glory thereof wythereth and falleth away like a flower The fourth and last poynt of this Chapter is the peregrination of Paule and Barnabas in which they execute and perfourme their deuise concerning the visiting and confyrming the Churches in the word of god For although they disagreed among themselues yet is neyther of them vnmindefull of his dutie But Barnabas goeth into Cyprus and Paule into Syria and Cilicia and from thence into Lycaonia And this constancie is worthy of all men to be followed that we suffer not our selues by contention and importunitie of men to be ouercomme and so forgetting our duties become vnfaythfull vnto god In the meane season it behooueth vs to consider the goodnesse and wisedome of God which knoweth best howe to vse the offences of his people For of this lamentable discorde of the Apostles springeth this profyte that diuers Churches are at one very time visited and confyrmed Yea God many tymes vseth the sinnes of the wicked to the setting forth of his glory and the saluation of manne Examples whereof are extant both in the sale of Ioseph and manye other hystories Yet let no man for all this thinke vs voyde of fault For men sinne and by sinne deserue to be made the vesselles of wrath And if any good followe of their offending all that is to be ascribed to the goodnesse and wisedome of god God graunt that by vs his name may be glorifyed and that our most mercifull father woulde vse all our doinges to that ende to serue for the commoditie and saluation of many that we may lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ to whome be all prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xvj. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cvj. Homelie THEN came he to Derba and to Lystra and beholde a certaine Disciple was there named Timotheus a womans sonne which was a Iewesse and beleeued but his father was a Greeke Of whome reported well the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium Him would Paule that he should go forth with him and toke and circumcised him bicause of the Iewes that were in those quarters For they knew al that his father was a Greke As they went through the Cities they deliuered them the decrees for to keepe that were ordeyned of the Apostles and Elders which were at Ierusalem And so were the congregations stablished in the fayth and increased in number daily THe Apostle Paule appoynted to visite the Churches which he had gathered togither by preaching of the Gospell and to confyrme them in the fayth they had once receyued least being eyther drowned in securitie or circumuented with the subtiltie of Satan or ouercome wyth persecutions they shoulde fall awaye This he so doth that whersoeuer occasion also is offred he laboureth to winne moe congregations vnto christ This hystorie Luke in this place describeth who was Paules continuall companion in this iourney and therfore as a witnesse that sawe all things knewe all things well And fyrst we hearde how they went ouer Syria and Cilicia Then it followeth what they did in Lycaonia the Churches wherof by reason of the Iewes the bitterest enimies that Christ had had more neede to be strengthned than others and hereof Paule stoode in feare bicause he had diuers times tryed the hostyle attemptes and implacable mindes of the Iewes Moreouer the Euangelist taketh his beginning of the calling of Timothie whome Paule tooke vnto him as a companion in his voyage and partener in all his labors For he knewe that without fytte Ministers of the worde the kingdome of Christ and fayth in him could not be enlarged Wherefore as the Princes of this world which labour to dilate and stretch out their borders a farre are altogither occupied about getting of long tryed Captaynes and bolde souldiours from all places so was this the chiefe care of Paule to searche and get many faythfull and fytte Ministers for the Church of Christ by whome the kingdome of Christ might be stretched farre and wyde whosoeuer desire the safetie of the Church whether they be teaching Bishops or ruling Magistrates they must followe this example For as without the preaching of the worde newe Churches cannot be planted so those that are already planted and gathered togither cannot be kept in doing their dutie without the same Hereof proceeded that care and industrye which the Prophetes of the olde Testament had about schooles which our Predecessors being most prudent and godly men did imitate as the foundations of most auncient Colledges doe testifye In the vocation of Timothie there are two things to be considered wherof we shall speake in order Fyrst it is described who and what maner
that notable marke of the beast which no man can receyue or keepe wythout denying of christ Wherfore it becommeth Christian men rather to impugne these thinges than neuer so little to violate the profession of Christes name Before we passe from this place we haue to consider the mariage of Timothies parents forasmuch as Luke maketh expresse mention thereof He sayth that Eunica his mother was a Iewe and his father a Greeke or a Gentyle Yet we reade that Iewes were forbiden to marrye with the Gentyles Yet such was the state of the people of the Iewes in those daies that being oppressed vnder the tiranny of the Romanes and dispersed here and there they were driuen to suffer many things agaynst their wyll In the meane season the godly woman Eunica by reason of this mariage was in such daunger as God foreshewed in his lawe For she was not able by Circumcision to take hir sonne Timothie into the societie of Gods people who no doubt was borne before Christ suffered and the lawe was abrogated by reason hir husbande withstoode hir who as it is like was deuoyde of true religion bicause Paule commendeth him in no place and yet setteth forth in writing the worthy fayth of Eunica and Lois These thinges ought to feare the professors of Christian fayth from drawing the yoke with Infydels as elsewhere the Apostle sayth Also the example of Eunica is very notable which procured hir sonne to be trayned vp in the scriptures from his childehoode agaynst hir husbandes will least he shoulde be corrupted with the superstition and ydolatrie of the Gentyles Lette Matrones matched in such vnlyke mariages well obserue this thing Let them remember that their children be holy by reason of the promise of the couenaunt as Paule plainly teacheth Let them therefore bring them vp in the doctrine of true godlynesse and trayne them vnto God whose honor if they seeke with all their heart they shall fynde him true of his promises where he sayeth he will be their protector and defender But let vs come to the treatie of this present place where after the vocation of Timothie is declared what they which were with Paule taught in the Churches As they went sayth he through the Cities they deliuered them such things to obserue and keepe as were decreed by the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem Which wordes the Papistes wrest I wote not to what maner of traditions which they imagine the Apostles and their successors deliuered from hande to hande vnto the Church but were neuer written This Sanctuarye being by them once founded whatsoeuer they cannot prooue by authorite of Scripture they saye by and by it is the tradition of the Apostles But Luke sayth no such thyng but speaketh of those decrees whereof mention was made in the chapter before going They were these that man was iustifyed and saued by the onely grace of God through faith in Iesus Christ and not by the works of the lâwe that we should abstaine from those things which pollute the profession of our fayth and our holynesse as is Idolatrie and fornication that we must labour for loue and in outwarde things yeelde somewhat vnto the weake or else vnto such as are not yet come vnto the fayth if there be any hope of winning them In the meane season that we beware mennes consciences be not snarled or charged with any burthen intollerable These things Luke sayth that Paule and those with him did euerywhere inculcate both to represse the Iewes which to importunately vrged the Gentyles to the obseruing of the lawe and to brydle the licentiousnesse of the Gentyles which abused the Christian libertie with great offence For he chiefly desired that peace might flouryshe in the Church whereby he knewe the same shoulde chiefly increase Agayne where there was no daunger of offence he constantlye defended the libertie of Christ bicause he woulde not preiudice the same which thing the Apostles wynked at for the weakes sake The fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians teacheth the same where he maketh the eating of thynges offered to Idolles free as touching conscience if there be none present that is offended therewith In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that it is not sufficient to haue good lawes made vnlesse they which haue the charge thereof see them put in execution For dayly experience teacheth vs that execution is the lyfe and sinewes of the lawe Take that awaye and the lawe shall lye as deade and as Anacharsis sayde shall become lyke vnto Spyders webbes which euerye bolde and presumptuous bodye will not sticke to breake Therefore let both Ministers of the Church and gouernors of the common weale imitate Paule if they meane to doe their duetie and not rather with vayne counterfeyting mocke both God and man. Last of all Luke addeth a notable successe of their most godly endeuour and labour where he sayth the Churches were confyrmed in the fayth and grewe and increased euery day more and more in number And bicause he maketh mention of fayth it is euident that Paule chieflye beate that into their heades and not vayne and colde Ceremonies and traditions These are the continuall effectes of the worde of God that lyke vnto a showre it neuer returneth wythout fruite vnto him that sent it These also are the weapons wherby the kingdome of Christ in this world is most prosperously enlarged to saye diligent preaching of the worde and feruent desire to conserue and keepe the same Whensoeuer these cease by and by fayth falleth and all loue of true religion dyeth We haue examples hereof euerywhere whereby they are conuinced which thinke it sufficient if they be not constrayned through tyrannie to be partakers of wicked sacrifyces and yet in the meane season they liue in such places where the worde of God is banished and no duties of Christian religion exercised Let vs all therefore studye to set forth the worde of God that both our selues maye be confyrmed in the fayth and the Church daylye increase in number of beleeuers wherein Iesus Christ onely reygneth the sauiour of mankynde and onely Brydegroome of the Church to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cvij Homelie WHEN they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia they came to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia but the spirite suffered them not But when they had gone thorowe Mysia they came downe to Troada And a vision appeared to Paule in the night There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs After he had seene the vision immediately we prepared to go into Macedonia being certified that the Lorde had called vs for to preache the Gospell vnto them When we losed forth then from Troada we came with a strayte course to Samothracia and the next daye to Neapolis and from thence to Philippos which is the chiefe
true religion and saluation and therefore the more zelouslye they defended superstition the more egerly they resisted the truth yet in the meane tyme this is needefull in saluation that mennes mindes shoulde not be voyde of the feare of God but enclined to embrace the truth and desirous of true religion For except the grounde be good the seede of the worde can not well growe in it And yet this is not so to be vnderstanded as though this promptnesse and towardnesse came of our selfe For of our selues we are not able to thinke well and the inuentions of man are naught euen from his childehoode as God testifyeth It is therefore the gift and worke of God if men be giuen vnto the desire and loue of religion and the truth which otherwyse by reason of naturall corruption they abhorre in their heartes Next Lydia hearde Paules teaching Therefore she vseth that meane and instrument whereby God vseth to giue and stirre vp fayth in vs For fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. Therefore whosoeuer will profyte in the knowledge of saluation must labour to haue fayth and we must not regard those that seeke new reuelations For God speaketh to vs in the scriptures which who so refuse to heare are commonly praies for the deuill which miserably deludeth the deceyued with lying reuelations Last of all it is sayd that God opened the heart of Lydia to giue heede vnto the things that Paule spake For without this in vaine is the worde eyther preached or hearde whereof bicause we haue already oftentimes spoken it seemeth not nowe needefull to saye any more And if any man aske why God did not open the harts of others aswell to him we say with Paule ô man what art thou that disputest with God who hath first giuen vnto God and it shall be giuen to him againe For it becommeth vs not ouer curiouslye to searche out the priuie counsayles of God but in them to reuerence his great goodnesse iustice veritie and wisedome It is our part by this place to learne the order of true conuersion which chiefely consisteth in these three pointes to haue a loue in our hartes vnto religion to heare the worde and to be illuminated with the spirite of God. It remayneth for vs to consider the effectes of true fayth which shewed themselues in Lydia Fyrst she is baptized according to the commaundement of Christ and custome of the Church By baptisme he comprehendeth the confession of fayth wherby she renounced hir olde superstition and professed to followe Christ desiring to be accounted among the members of his Church We are by this example also admonished that the godly must not contemne the sacramentes but vse them reuerently both for that they knowe they are instituted by Christ and also for that they are glad to haue the benefyte of saluation whereof Christ is the author by them sealed and confyrmed But Lydia not content with hir owne baptisme causeth hir whole houshold and familie likewise to be baptized This is the property of all the faythfull that they desire all men to be partakers of saluation wyth them but speciallye those which they knewe God hath committed to their charge And this they doe not of priuate affection but following the commaundement of God whose will it is alwaye that we shall consecrate and dedicate vnto him all our people So Abraham circumcised not onely himselfe but all the men in his familie according to Gods commaundement And in the lawe housholders are commaunded to instruct their familie in the commaundements of God. And that which was commaunded them Magistrates must thinke belongeth to them also and labour to take away superstitiousnesse and to plant the desire of true religion among the people as we reade those godly Kinges Dauid Asa Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and such like diligently did And doubtlesse it is not without the great suspition of impietie that one shoulde so rule ouer others to bereue God of his right which claymeth all men to himselfe Finally Lydia biddeth the Apostles home to hir house and offreth them lodging with great instancie saying If you thinke that I beleeue on the Lord come home to my house and abyde there Which wordes haue in them such kinde of obtestation that the Apostles might not refuse the friendship offred except they would both condemne hir and thinke hir vnworthy the name of a Christian. Although at the fyrst after a ciuill sorte they refuse to come home to hir house both for that they woulde not be thought lyke deceyuers to abuse the simplicitie of women and to gape after their goodes and also for that Paule would neuer burthen any as he many times testifyeth 1. Cor. 9.2 Thes. 3. Howbeit Lydia by hir intreatie vttereth a minde inflamed with charitie and vnfearfull constancie For it is a poynt of charitie in that she is desirous to take them into hir house and to giue them their boorde of whome she had receyued and drawne the doctrine of saluation Agayne it is a token of a valiaunt courage that being a straunger she durst receyue teachers of a newe doctrine into hir house which she well knewe she might not doe without daunger But this is the propertie of faith that it neyther feareth body nor goodes so that the glory of Christ may be enlarged Let them I pray you looke on the example of this woman which nowe a dayes boaste of their fayth and they shall streyght perceyue howe wyde they are from the propertie of fayth Let vs therefore praye vnto God that he will vouchsafe to open our harts that we being instructed in true fayth may expresse Christ in our whole life and liue with him in heauen to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cix Homelie AND it came to passe as we went to prayer a certaine Damosell possessed with a spirite that prophecyed mette vs which brought hir maister and mystresse much vauntage with prophecying The same followed Paule and vs and cryed saying These men are the seruants of the most high God which shewe vnto vs the way of saluation And this did she many dayes But Paule not content turned about and sayde to the spirite I commaunde thee in the name of Iesu Christ that thou come out of hir And hee came out the same houre ALthough Iesus Christ the Sonne of God by the merite of his death hath so ouerthrowne the kingdome of the Deuill that he hath no more power agaynst the kingdome of Christ yet ceaseth he not according to his auncient vsage still to assault the same and as Christ intermitted nothing belonging to the redemption of mankinde so Satan for his part leaueth nothing vnassayd to pull men from Christ their sauiour and from the way of saluation An euident example hereof is declared in this present hystorie For after Paule was come vnto the Philippians Lydia the selâer of Purple conuerted vnto the fayth by his preaching beganne to declare the
at Lyddias house and them they exhort to be stedfast in the fayth and comfort them very effectually Moreouer Paule wryteth an Epistle vnto them wherin we are taught how prosperously this coÌgregation afterward came forward whose beginning seemed altogither vnprosperouse vntowarde Whereby it appeereth the course of the Gospell can be hyndered by no attemptes of the wicked Sometime the Ministers thereof are bounde but the worde of God can not be bounde Againe they that preach the same are thrust out and banished but the spirite of Christ cannot be banished but breatheth wheresoeuer it pleaseth yea when men holde their peace the stones will preach Christ. Let these thinges make vs constaunt in the fayth that hauing at length ouercome the worlde and Prince thereof we may liue and raigne in heauen wyth Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xvij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxiij Homelie NOWE as they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a great Synagoge of the Iewes and Paule as his maner was went in vnto them and three Sabboth dayes disputed wyth them by the scriptures opening and alleaging that Christ must haue suffred and rysen agayne from the death and this is Iesus Christ whome sayde he I preach vnto you And some of them beleeued and ioyned in companye with Paule and Silas also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude and of the chiefe women not a fewe OUr Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the Gospell of Luke sayth No manne which putteth hys hande to the plough and looketh backward is meete for the kingdome of heauen Which wordes doe admonishe vs that of all christians especially of the Ministers of the word is required an inuincible constancie of the minde whereby they maye go forwarde without feare against al traueyle and daunger and not be withdrawne by anye temptations to forsake the office committed to their credit Of which constancie is set out vnto vs a most worthy example in the Apostle Paule who from the fyrst daye he tooke in hande the seruice of Christ and the Gospell was in continuall labour and daunger and yet held on seeking daylie new occasion with great courage of minde to set forth the kingdome of christ And as he had done heretofore in other places the selfe same did he wyth incredible industrie among the Macedonians as this present hystorie declareth For being verie euill intreated at Philippi to the which place he was called by a vision yet he murmureth not against God nor doubteth not of his calling nor leaueth not of his duetie through feare but taketh his iourney directly thorowe Amphipolis and Apollonia and commeth to Thessalonica the chiefe Citie of all Macedonia where after he had spreade the lyght of the Gospell he getteth him to Berrhoea and from thence to Athens where he preacheth Christ among the most learned Phylosophers of the Gentiles and as it were vpon the open stage of all the worlde But to let passe all other thinges let vs see what was done at this tyme at Thessalonica First it is sayde he went through Amphipolis and Apollonia and there is no mention made that Paule preached in those Cities therfore it is lyke the holy Ghost offered him no occasion there to preache But when he came to Thessalonica he went into the Iewes Synagoge which was very notable and full of people and there by the space of three Sabboth dayes he taught them the gospell of Iesus christ And yet it might seeme a straunge thing that Paule woulde offer the doctrine of saluation agayne vnto the Iewes whose incurable malice he had so often tryed and whome he perceyued God had cast of by many euident arguments But he was mooued partly with the feruent desyre he had to set forth the kingdome of God and partly with the constant loue that he bare to his nation for whose sake otherwhyle he wished to be accursed And yet we must not thinke this to be any blinde affection for as much as the Lorde had long before prophecied that though the Iewes were cast off certaine remnauntes shoulde be saued And perhappes he might be mooued by the example of Elias who when he thought all the people had forsaken the God of Israell was tolde that there were yet seauen thousande which had neuer bowed their knees vnto Baal We are taught by this example of Paule that we must not ouer hastily cease from doing our duetie bicause of many mens ingratitude but rather as the Apostle otherwhere teacheth vs tollerate the euill wyth meekenesse instruct those that make resistaunce if at anye time God will giue them repentance to knowe the truth and that they may come to themselues againe out of the snare of the Deuill For where we be the seruauntes of God it becommeth vs to imitate his condition and propertie and not to be offended with the ingratitude of the worlde for as much as we knowe that we haue a rewarde layde vp with the Lorde which shall neuer fayle vs Therefore inexcusable is their waywardenesse which assoone as they perceyue they nothing profyte cease of from doing their duetie are not ledde with the example of God and of Christ which vsed such great lenitie and long sufferaunce towards the incurable malice of the Iewes euen from the fyrst beginning of that nation It is also worthy the obseruation to see howe Paule keepeth the religion of the Sabbothes and goeth into the Synagoges to preach there following the example of Christ who dyd nothing in secret but taught abroade openly In the meane season we see this was an olde vsage amonge the people of God for the godly to come vnto the Church for whose sake we reade holy dayes and holy places were in times past ordeyned of god It is necessarie that we obserue the same both for doctrine sake which can no waye more commodiously be taught and also bicause of externe religion which ought to be openly exercised that the profession of true fayth fayle not For the which cause Christ adourned the congregation and Church comming with hys example and commended it with a notable promise and this is the cause that Paule in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians is so diligently occupied in gyuing preceptes for the well ordering of them Wherfore their frowardnesse must needes be detested which deryde and scoffe at the publike assemblies of christians plainely testifying that they are ledde with no care of wholesome doctrine or sincere religion But what doth Paule in the Synagoge of the Iewes euen the same that we heare he vsed to doe in many places For he taught out of the scriptures declaring howe it was necessarie that Christ shoulde die and rise againe from the dead and that this was the same Christ whom he preached Here must we diligently marke all these pointes bicause they fullye conteyne the whole trade of the
so often defended and delyuered and hauing this let vs manfully defend our vocation that hauing with stedfast course gotten the Gole we may obteyne the rewarde of eternall life in our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxv. Homelie THESE were the noblest of birth among them of Thessalonica which receyued the worde with all diligence of minde and searched the scriptures daylie whether those things were euen so And many of them beleeued also of worshipfull women which were Greekes and of men not a fewe When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the worde of God was preached of Paule at Berrhoea they came and mooued the people there And then ymmediatly the brethren sent away Paule to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and Timotheus abode there still And they that guyded Paule brought him vnto Athens and receyued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with speede and went their way ALthough the kyngdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is daylie and continually assaulted by this world and the Prince thereof yet can it be so little ouerthrowne that in the myddle of persecutions it most prosperously commeth forwarde The contynuall hystorie of this booke declareth the same but chiefely the discourse of the things done by Paule For as he laboured more than all the Apostles else so he suffered more grieuous persecutions than they and found euerywhere enimies of the fayth by whose craft he was still chased and dryuen away But as often as the rage of his enimies compelled him to auoyde any place so often he left the seede of Gods worde in the mindes of the hearers and caryed the Gospell to an other place and so still wanne more vnto Christ the lord Luke wryteth that this was done at Macedonia For we hearde howe he was vniustly and vnworthyly intreated at Philippi yet the Epistle which he wrote vnto the Philippians declareth that he had not laboured there in vaine His persecution was cause that he went vnto the Thessalonians amongs whome he taught three Sabboth dayes At length he was driuen from thence also by his olde enimies the Iewes But the faith of Christ could not be driuen out which now had taken roote in many mens hartes But hee being come vnto Berrhoea preacheth the Gospell with great auayle These things serue to comfort vs against the attempts of the world and the Deuill For as Salomon sayth There is no counsel against the Lord. But it is his counsell or deuise that Christ should haue all power in heauen and in earth and that the borders and boundes of his kingdomes shoulde be stretched ouer all the worlde Wherefore it must needes come to passe for as much as heauen and earth shall sooner fayle then the decrees and ordynances of god But let vs see this present place which declareth what things Paule dyd at Berrhoea He beginneth with the commendation of the Iewes at Berrhoea declaring howe prosperously and in what order the gospell proceeded among them He commendeth them by comparing them with the Thessalonians For these men contumeliously reiected the worde of god But those of Berrhoea being of a more towardnesse and better zeale receyued the same with all readynesse of minde and searching the scriptures by themselues at home they examined tried the things that Paule taught as with a Touchstone Hereof it came to passe that a great multitude of them beleeued and by their example manye of the Greekes and Gentyles as well men as women were brought vnto the fayth of christ This example teacheth vs what maner of men they ought to be that will profytably heare the Gospell Aboue all thinges it is necessarie to haue a certayne readynesse of minde to receyue the same For vnlesse the worde maye haue place gyuen it in the mindes of men it can bring forth no fruite Wherefore they stumble at the verie thresholde and euen in the beginning that disdaine to heare the worde which is the peculiar marke of the children of the Deuill as Christ teacheth This example is to be well obserued of them which are prowde of their nobilitie and byrth and vaunt themselues therof in vaine cognizaunces and badges Howbeit touching the generation of the fleshe it is in all men alyke corrupt and such as maketh vs the children of sinne The seede of regeneration is the worde of God which being quickened in our minde by the spirite we that before were the seruauntes of sinne are borne to be the children of god Therfore they are neyther noble nor gentle which giue not place herevnto and be not borne againe of the same and so be made the children of god Wherefore Luke truely calleth these people of Berrhoea noble for their studie and desyre that they had vnto the worde In the meane season yet we must take heede of to much facilitie least to hastily receyuing whatsoeuer is taught vnder pretence of Gods worde we learne false opinions and be caryed about with vncertayne doctrine as with a blast of winde Therefore we must weygh and expende and examine whatsoeuer is sayde by the Canon of holye scripture according to that saying of Paule Trye or prooue all thinges keepe that which is good And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth Beloued beleeue not euery spirite but try the spirites whether they be of God or no. Two notable errours are confuted in this place which haue grieuously troubled the Church a great number of yeares One of them is the forbidding of the laytie and commons to reade the holy scripture Yet God would haue them alwaye common to all sortes of men For he made a lawe to that ende before all the multitude of Israel called vnto the same And the holye Ghost ordeyned that the bookes of Scripture shoulde be written in none other but the vulgare tongue And sure it were an absurde matter to exclude anye man from the doctrine of eternall lyfe seeing God would haue the same and the knowledge thereof to come vnto all men The other errour they holde which will haue their doctrine iudged of no man but lyke arrogant and Cyclopicall Gyauntes chalenge to themselues authoritie to teache what they will in the Church yea they say it is intollorable and hereticall that any man should demaund of them any reason or accouÌt of that they say Are they then better then Paule was which suffred his sermons to be examined according to the rule of scripture Or else shall he be an heretike that now a dayes doth that for the which these people of Berrhoea were counted noble and true chyldren of God Yea howe say you if Paule submit himselfe vnto the censure of the godly His wordes be these If eyther I Paule or an Aungell from heauen preach an other Gospell than hath bene preached he ought to be accursed And Christ sayth this is the propertie of his sheepe to know his voyce from the voyce of a
waye we must so doe we are taught by the same ensample For it is no doubt but the Philosophers defended their matter with quaynt fallacies and many wordes But Paule auoyding vaine contention of wordes setteth before them Iesus Christ onely and his resurrection declaring that these two things are sufficient to conuince all the dotages of Philosophers and Heretykes For if God sent Iesus Christ into the worlde to purge the sinnes of men and to saue mankynde neyther can the opinion of Epicures Stoikes nor Iusticiaries stande which eyther saye God regardeth not the things appertaining to man or attribute saluation to the merytes of our workes Agayne if there be a resurrection of the deade there must needes followe another lyfe after this and therefore it is most folly to set felicitie in the pleasure of this present worlde This might be extended to all sectes and heresies but it may suffyse to admonishe you that all fayth and saluation is so conteyned in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the article of resurrection that whosoeuer is well instructed herein is easily able to confute all maner of heresies Therfore the order of our saluation is playne needeth not much demonstration of wordes and vayne quiddities of Sophistrie They that in times past coulde boldly vrge this way did easily get the victory of all heretykes were they neuer so subtle witted It seemeth good to me in this place to shewe what Sozomenus reporteth to haue chaunced to a certayne Logitian very expert in Dialecticall quiddities in the councell of Nice Where as this Logitian euery day gaue newe onsets vpon the Byshops who both in the affiance of the dexteritie of their wit and skyll of Logicke dysputed with him and none of them coulde get any holde or aduauntage of him a certayne simple man of nature which knewe nothing but Iesus Christ and hym crucifyed tooke hym in hande and sayde Philosopher in the name of Iesus Christ hearken vnto the truth There is one God which made heauen and earth and gaue lyfe vnto man made of the slyme of the earth which created all things aswell inuisible as visible by the power of his worde and established and made fast the same by the sanctification of his spirite This worde and wisedome which we call the sonne pitying our misery was borne of a virgin and by suffering of death hath deliuered vs from eternall death and by his resurrection hath purchased vs eternall life whome we wayte for to come to be the iudge of all our doings Beleeuest thou this is true ô Philosopher Then he as one that had neuer learned the skill to denye a thing I beleeue it sayth he And turning about to his Disciples and to all that hearde him sayth As long as the matter was debated by wordes I set wordes against wordes and by arte and skill of speaking ouerthrewe that was spoken but when in steade of wordes vertue or power came out of the mouth of the speaker wordes coulde no longer preuayle against power nor man was not able to stryue against god c. So mightye is the playne and vnlearned confession of Christ which whosoeuer blendeth with the subtiltye of Philosophers make it very weake and feeble as maye euidently be seene in the schoole Doctors But this conspiracie of so many diuers sectes agaynst the truth teacheth vs moreouer howe impossible it is to preach the doctrine of the Gospell vnto the world without contention forasmuch as the wisedome of the worde is contrary to it wherevnto so euer it incline whether it banish or embrace vertue Therefore they are in deede to be laughed at in these dayes which woulde haue vs performe that that neyther Christ nor hys Apostles coulde performe It remayneth that we declare howe the Athenians receyued Paules doctryne where we see two sortes of men are bewrayed One sort are such as receyue the worde with rayling saying What meaneth this babler or tryfler ⪠And these men are to be founde among the professors of wisedome So vnfyt is the wisedome of man to perceyue the kingdome of God that whatsoeuer is preached of Christ and lyfe euerlasting it seemeth to hym foolishnesse Here hast thou what to aunswere those men which now a dayes obiect vnto vs the authoritie of wyse and great men and all the pryde of the worlde For if these things shoulde take place Paule vndoubtedly had had the ouerthrowe among the Athenians The other sort is curious menne which supposing that Paule preached newe Gods or halfe Gods tooke and brought him vnto Mars his streete to the end that he should there openly giue account of hys doctrine Therefore there gathereth about him an infynite number of ydle persons aswell Citizens as forreyners who sayth Luke had naught else to doe euery day but eyther to heare or tell newes Thys thing God did permit so to come to passe bicause he woulde haue hys sonne preached in the most famous place of all the worlde In the meane season this place teacheth vs what condicion the Gospell is in in this worlde For eyther it is most dishonestly despysed of manifest enimies or else lyght men of behauiour abuse it as dishonestly to serue their affections whych if they perceyue succeedeth not after their minde then they become also openenimies thereof And bicause these things haue thus fallen out in all ages no man ought to be offended hereat but rather to followe Paules constancie and not to care one Dodkin for the lyghtnesse of this world but wyth a strong fayth to trust in Iesus Christ our sauiour who though he be reiected of those which will seeme to be builders of Gods Church yet is he become the heade stone in the corner To him be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxvij Homelie PAVLE stoode in the middest of Mars streete and sayde yee men of Athens I perceyue that in all things you are to supersticious For as I passed by and behelde the maner howe you worship your Gods I founde an Aultar whereon was written vnto the vnknowne God whome you then ⪠ignorantly worshippe him shewe I vnto you God that made the worlde and all that are in it seeing that hee is Lorde of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with handes as though he needed of anye thing seeing hee himselfe giueth lyfe and breath to all men euery where THe Apostle Paule in the fyrst to the Corinthians sayeth wee preache Iesus Christ crucified vnto the Iewes an occasion of falling and vnto the Greekes foolishnesse For where the wisedome of the fleshe looketh onely vppon the thinges before hir eyes and perceyueth not the mysteries of Gods spirite it cannot seeme but a most foolishe thing vnto hir if a manne seeke saluation in Christ that was crucifyed and openly slaundered This thing Paule founde true aswell at Athens as in other places For where as in that Citie he preached Christ among the wysest men that were in those dayes they giue so little eare
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 appeaâeth 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
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 accoâding 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 ⪠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
and soules of the deceassed wherin one of the least defences of Antichristes tirannie hath not consisted to saye nothing howe through their wicked exorcismes they haue polluted baptisme and Gods whole religion Yea by this meane it came to passe that no kinde of men had more students of Necromantie and Magike then the Monkes and Priestes and euen the highest priestes were not behinde in these wicked sciences For the hystories of Syluester the seconde Gregorie the seuenth Alexander the sixte and many other are well knowne to euery man Also we are taught what to iudge of such ⪠as attribute godly power to holy names and sentences taken out of scriptures as though by these eyther euill spirites coulde be driuen awaye or diseases and maladyes ridde from men and beastes bodyes or that they which study south-saying an arte inuented by mans curiositie could tell vs what is to come or what shall happen hereafter This is a Iudaicall or rather an heathen or a Gentile superstition and not without a cause condemned by the lawes of god For fyrst vnto a vaine sounde of wordes vnto dombe fygures and ceremonies full of horror is attributed a power of helpe which is no light offence against the fyrst precept of the tables For there we are commaunded to acknowledge God onely for our helper to put our trust in hym onely and to aske all our ayde and succour of him Next men are sent from the inuocation of God vnto wicked sciences as though thereby God might be inforced to helpe vs against his will. Moreouer the kingdome of the deuill is no waye more fortifyed then this who dyligently seeketh to make men looke for helpe and counsell in other thinges then in God bicause that is the most commodious way for him whereby to deceyue and beguile men Therefore we reade that these sciences in olde time were not without a cause abolished both by the lawes of GOD and Emperours And there remaine in the Popes law Canons gathered out of most auncient counsels and fathers which admonishe vs to keepe such as were giuen to these artes from the communion of the faythfull And here we must not giue eare to their obiections which frame arguments of the successe and holynesse of the words thereby to defende their impious superstition For they say a many are healed by these meanes and that things otherwise impossible are hereby euery day brought to passe Againe they say there is no offence in them bicause they consist for the more parte vpon the holy names of God or else vpon certaine notable sentences of holy scripture The aunswere is easie to both these obiections We knowe that Satan is able to shewe woonders but not without the sufferance of god It is well knowne what he wrought in tymes past by the Magitians in Egypt and howe he burned Iobes cattle and seruauntes by fyre from aboue Yea Augustine testifyeth that he is able to doe straunge matters bicause he can transfourme himselfe into an Aungell of light But doth it therefore become christian men to beleeue his suggestions or to vse his helpe why doe we not rather regarde the counsell of God which suffereth Satan thus to doe bicause he meaneth eyther to trye the fayth of his people or else to send effectuall illusions to those that haue deserued destruction Let vs therfore stande fast in the fayth least we swarue therefro and be left wholy to Sathans scorning and delusion Againe touching the holynesse of the wordes we dispute not but we say the more holy they are the more detestable it is to abuse them For this is not the vse eyther of the names of God or of his wordes to serue for magicall mutterings and with a vaine sounde to dryue away eyther spirites or diseases but to declare and set out vnto vs the propertie of God and his wyll And if holynesse of wordes can excuse Magicians and enchaunters then shall they also be excused that commonly abuse the other holye and wholsome creatures of god But howe vaine these mens excuse is that forme or maner of exorcisme which these exorcistes vsed aboundantly declareth For what is there in them to be reprehended They vse this worde adiuring according to the example of most godlye men Next they adiure by the name of Iesus and least they might seeme to meane some counterfeyte Iesus they plainely expresse him whome Paule preacheth Notwithstanding they are accused of impietie bicause they vsed the holye wordes naughtily and without fayth for their lucre sake and aduauntage Therefore away with them that will seeke such slender pretences for their Iewishe and heathen superstitions and let vs not beleeue them which dare abuse the names of God and his Christ. But let vs consider the successe of this enterprise which was very agreeable to their presumptuousnesse For the euil spirit answereth these exorcistes and sayth Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are you And streightway he setteth the man whome he possessed vpon them maketh hym to season on them so strongly preuayling against them al that he wel bette them and set them packing out of the house naked By the which argument it is most euidently perceyued that there is no power in holye wordes of themselues whereby to driue awaye deuils or any other euils but that all such effectes depende vpon Gods prouidence which sometime worketh myracles also euen by Infydels when he seeth their helpe serue for the setting forth of his kingdome and glory This example teacheth what all they maye looke for which abuse the name of Christ or his lawes for their priuate lucre and aduauntage This is a common thing in these dayes For what else doth the Pope seeing vnder the cloake of Christes name he chalengeth to him the supremacie in the Church What else doe Masse Priestes when peruerting the maner and order of the supper they imagine Christ is at their becke and chaunge the wordes of the supper into a coniuration through the power whereof they transubstanciate as they say the breade and wine into the body and bloude of Christ What shall I speake of the keyes vnder the pretence whereof they haue burst into mennes consciences ordeyned satisfactions and expiations of sinnes little or nothing differing from those which we reade the heathen sometimes vsed I lette passe infynite other things which though God punishe not by and by as we see he did the children of Sceua yet the iudgement of the Lorde as Peter sayeth sleepeth not by the which long sithence their punishments are appointed We are moreouer taught by this place howe great the power of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is seeing he can vse the Deuill be he neuer so lothe to the setting forth of his kingdome For who wyll thinke that he woulde willinglye beare witnesse to Iesus Christ and Paule his seruaunt and hurt his owne bondmen and instruments He is yet compelled to doe both bicause it seemeth so good vnto the Lorde at whose sight
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
both to Chryste and his Apostles which dare coyne newe Articles of fayth and thruste into the Churche diuers things expressely contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles Secondely hee declareth the manner that hee obserued in teaching whyle hee saythe he taughte bothe priuately and apertly thoroughout euery house witnessing bothe to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles These thinges declare the continuall trauell of the Apostle wherewith he was so enflamed that as he sette before all men the doctrine of saluation so he omitted nothing which made for the saluation of all men Wee learne heereby what the beste trade and manner of teaching is Firste all thinges muste bee declared generally and openly that belong to saluation so that all men may vnderstande what they ought eyther to doo or to leaue vndoone But bycause all men do not yelde of their owne accorde and yet many tymes they offende of carelesnesse more than of malice without offence of others it behoueth also to adioyne priuate admonitions exhortations and reprehensions For if it be the duetie of euery Christian to admonishe his neighboure and to bring him into the way that is out of it howe muche more oughte the Minister thus to doo of whome Chryste one day shall require an accompte of the office committed vnto hym But by this word witnessing is noted an earnest and free kinde of speech without the which all other things are but colde It is diligently to be considered what authoritie the Minister hath ouer the sheepe committed to his charge seeing that he muste teache and exhorte them bothe openly and priuily through euery house Where also may be gathered howe they ought to bee taken which will not be admonished neither publikely nor priuately of their Ministers For why shoulde they bee iudged the sheepe of Chryst which presumptuously disdayne the voyce of their shepheard Finally he coÌprehendeth the summe of his doctrine in two poynts that is to say in repentaunce toward God and fayth in Iesus Chryst. These things agree with the commaundement of Chryst which appoynted the Apostles to preach repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name Wherby it appeareth that Paule preached a true Gospell and also what maner of doctrine ought to be preached And heere repentaunce hathe the first place which otherwheres we haue defined to be a conuerting or turning vnto God which diffinition Paule alloweth where he sayth he taught repentaunce towarde God that is such a thing as men turne vnto God by Of this tooke the Apostles the beginning of their preaching as Chryst commaunded them bicause we haue all gone out of the way and are of nature corrupte And bycause wee flye the sighte of God as Adam did therfore must fayth in Chryst also be preached which teacheth vs that wee are reconciled to the father through meane of his sonne by whome wee beeing borne agayne of the immortall seede of Gods worde are made the children of god Therefore their errour is very hurtefull and shamefull whiche still vrge penaunce but in the meane whyle neglecte faythe without the whiche repentaunce can not stande For howe shoulde he returne vnto God which hath not Chryste who onely is the way the lighte and the truthe and without whom no man commeth vnto the father But bycause we haue entreated of these matters other wheres more at large let these fewe suffise for this season Let all men learne by Paules example to iudge of Doctrines and not suffer any manner of doctrine to be thrust in among them but suche as teacheth a true conuersion vnto God through fayth in Iesus Chryste to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxiiij Homelie AND now behold I go bounde in the spirite vnto Ierusalem not knowing the things that shall come on me there but that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery Citie saying that bands and troubles abide me But none of these things moue me neither is my life deare vnto my selfe that I might fulfill my course with ioy and the ministration that I haue receyued of the Lorde Iesu to testifie the Gospell of the grace of god And now behold I am sure that hencefoorth ye all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to recorde this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men For I haue spared no laboure but haue shewed you all the counsayle of God. ALthough Iesus Chryst the sonne of God whyle he was in this world alwayes loued his Disciples maruelously yet he declared most euident tokens of his loue a little before his gooing away as those graue and wholsome admonitions that he gaue them at his laste Supper abundauntly declare Paule following his example was not onely carefull for the saluation of Churches whyle he was among them but when he departed from them yea beeing absent he much more manyfestly declared howe neare his harte the welfare of them all dyd sitte This appeareth euerywhere in all his Epistles but specially in this oration which he made in the Synode at Miletum before the Pastours and Ministers of Asia For where he foresawe that he shoulde neuer come agayne to the Churches of Asia and knewe what daunger was lyke to follow by false teachers after he was gone therefore he warneth them with all trustinesse and diligence possible both of their duetyes and other things necessarie for their saluation But chiefly he setteth before them his owne example to purchase the more authoritie to his admonition whereof bycause we yesterday intreated sufficiently ynough nowe we will come to the explication of this present place For there followeth a reason of the cause that moued him so earnestly to vrge his owne example verily euen for that he was vpon departure and should returne no more to them agayne For hereof he gathered that they ought to follow the example of their Apostle and teacher with all diligence to take vpon them the care of the Church least they should lose that through their slouthe and negligence which he had gotten with so great labours and trauell And this is the whole summe of this place It shall be good to consider all things in the order that they are declared and to seeke out what mysteries lye hidden in euery worde First and now beholde sayth he I go bounde in the spirite vnto Ierusalem By the which words he vnderstandeth a secrete motion of the holy Ghost which we see was alwayes his guide in all his dooings Unto whoÌ although he willingly obeyed as the things folowing declare yet he testifieth that he is led bounde as it were least he might seeme ouer lightly or rashly to tempt God by putting himselfe in daunger without a cause He declareth therefore that he coulde not do otherwise vnlesse he would obstinately wrastle with the spirite of god This maner of Paules speaking teacheth vs how we should regard both the secret suggestions of the holy
Ghost also his open and expresse oracles They muste be like baÌds wherby our wayward striuing flesh must be brought to the obedience of faith that willingly least we fele the mightie hand of god to our great losse calamitie who bringeth theÌ which had lefer to folow the seÌsuality of flesh than to obey his calling euen perforce to that he willeth Thus we read he was angry with Moses refusing the office that he offered him Exod. 4. And vnto Ieremie doing the lyke and alleaging his youthe he sayde in wrathfull wyse Saye not I am to yong For thou shalte go to all that I shall send thee vnto ⪠and whatsoeuer I commaunde thee that shalt thou speake c. Iere. 1. What happened vnto Ionas for refusing the vocation of God is more euident than nedeth rehearsal of wordes So from this matter he commeth by litle litle to his purpose saying I knowe not what shall become of me there nor what the cause is that the spirite so vrgeth me to take this iourney but the same spirite telleth me that euery where afflictions and bands are prepared for me which thing the holie Prophets in euery Church with one consent testifie Yet must I goe thorough all these pykes and daungers yea and through death also considering it so semeth good vnto God who only hath power both vpon my selfe and death This place is very worthye to be consydered bicause it may serue much both for our instruction and consolation For first it declareth the faythfull care of God which vseth to defende and prouide for those that be his For where he loueth entirely he can not chose but consider them and giue them warning in time of all thinges that shall befall them For howe can he neglecte his seruauntes that honoure him seing he foresheweth the paines of the wicked bringeth no calamitie vpon them but he first warneth them thereof by his Prophetes Nexte we see howe God also warneth those that be his Paule vnderstoode that bands afflictions were prepared for him at Hierusalem But what the ende hereof should be the holy Ghoste as yet had not reueled vnto him God therefore after a generall sorte for the most parte admonisheth those that bee his although he declare not the perticulers of euery thing For he reuealeth asmuch vnto them as is needefull for them to know so that they may prepare themselues to beare the Crosse but to leaue all the successe thereof vnto him So we haue generall predictions whereby we are admonished that we shall suffer tribulations and aduersities in the worlde The chiefe vse whereof is that we shoulde prepare our selues to beare them least if they fel on vs vnarmed they would be occasion of greater offence Thirdely it behoueth vs to obserue the counsell of God which he is wont meruellously to shewe towarde his faythfull seruaunts Paule being many times before warned of the brethren eyther by flying saued him selfe or else prudently defeated his ennimies awaytes Nowe is he also admonished of bandes and afflictions but he is so vrged and prycked forwarde by the spirit of God that he vnderstandeth he must wade through the middle of them notwithstanding the brethren greatly dissuade him to the contrarie We reade also that Iesus Chryst sometime auoyded the attemptes and laying wayte of his enimies yet at length he commeth forth to meete them when he perceiued his houre was come and that the eternall decree of his heauenly father so required These thinges teach vs that daungers are not alwayes sufficient occasions for a man to flye For when we are vrged with the sure vocation of God we must not suffer our selues to be reuoked neyther through fire nor sworde nor floudes of the maine Sea as once happened at the redde Sea from doing our duetie wherevnto we perceyue we are called of God. But bycause he woulde not put his friendes and brethren to much in feare he vseth an Apostolyke and Christian consolation saying Howe of None of these things moue me As who should say I woulde not haue you to be greeued for my sake For why should you take any sorrowe for these things that I make no accounte off Why Paule doest thou then contemne the Oracles of the holy Ghost and the louing admonitions of thy brethren No but I therfore little esteeme the present daungers that be at hande bicause I passe little of my life that is to say I esteeme not this temporall lyfe more than my vocation which the Lorde hathe appoynted me vnto Yea I desire to finishe my course ioyfully and to satisfie my office and duetie by publishing the Gospell of the grace of God in all places Therefore where I haue long sithence dedicated my lyfe vnto Chryste imprisonmentes and afflictions can not make me afrayde This example of Paule declareth howe the godly should vse themselues in aduersitie Firste they shoulde not so care for tribulations that for the auoyding of them they shoulde committe any vncomely and vnworthy parte Otherwise God will not haue vs ledde with that Stoikes indolencie but that wee shoulde not haue more consideration of our selfe than of his vocation There can bee no greater comforte in this case than if men oftentimes meditate vppon Gods prouidence which Christ setteth before his Disciples and Dauid maketh this to bee his onely defence and safest Sanctuarie that he beleeueth His fleetings are numbred with God and hys teares putte in his bottell Math. 10. Psalm 56. Nexte let them take heede that they preferre not this temporall lyfe before the eternall Let them rather consider howe God hath lente vs this lyfe to liue vnto him and if neede also so require to dye vnto him And bicause we must once dye we can neuer dye happelier than in Gods vocation For so shall that saying of Dauid be verified on vs Precious in the sighte of the Lorde is the death of his Saincts And if it be vnlawfull to preferre this lyfe before the life euerlasting howe muche lesse oughte we to preferre riches honours pleasures and suche other worldely commodities as these before the same For what aduantageth it a man to get all the worlde and to lose his soule Or what thing is so precious that it can redeeme but one soule Finally the godly muste labour all that in them is to passe all aduersities ioyfully and to accomplishe their course that is the office wherewith they are put in charge prosperously For it suâfiseth not to beginne well but to continue still on as wee haue often tymes declared Let all men therefore remember that this lyfe is lyke vnto a race the ende whereof is death which they moste ioyfully take holde of which do their duetie euen vnto the ende But before we go any further let vs see how Paule speaketh of the Gospell and the Ministerie thereof He calleth it the Gospell of the grace of God of the effecte thereof bycause it offereth to vs the grace
skins but rather publikely professe their thirst of Christian bloude with skarlet coloure and their tyrannie with clinking of armoure and garrisons of men By meane of these the doctrine of truthe lyeth wrapped and entangled in infinite erroures and laberinthes and as it were euen buried And the same parties haue rent the Church which ought most to maintaine vnitie hauââent the Church into sixe hundred sectes euery one of them professing a propre and sundry faithe and religion in name habite ceremonies and vsages Lette vs awake O brethren and goe against these Wolues and take heede that we be not found to be hirelings rather than true shepherdes But let vs heare Paule which repeating his example which is the .v. argument exhorteth them most earnestly saying Wherefore awake and remember that by the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one of you night and day with teares He maketh mention of these three yeres bicause they should thinke no labor or trauaile too much For it should be a shame not to take labor and paines seeing suche an Apostle of Christ refused it not And they be in no small fault which by their negligence let the Churches gathered together by the trauailes and deathes of the Apostles run at hauocke Furthermore as it becommeth the Ministers to follow the example of the Apostles so must all Christians followe their steppes for as much as they were the followers of Christ as Paule himselfe declareth where he sayth be yee folowârs of me as I am the folower of Christ ⪠And this is the true worshipping of the Sainctes not that that standeth in adoration and inuocation of them which al the scripture saith is due to God onely Sixthly he reasoneth of the easinesse and vtilitie of their doing herein to aunswere them which were feared with the difficultie and daunger that was on euery side And for a more vehemencie of speeche he vseth a forme of imprecation saying and nowe brethren I commende you vnto God and to the worde of his grace which is able to build c. As who should say I knowe it is a difficult matter that I require and passing all mans power Howe be it it must not be brought to passe by mans force This is Gods husbandry this is Gods worke He laid the foundation he therefore is able to finishe the building and it is no difficult thing for him to vse your helpe to bring his matter to passe By his assistance therfore you shall easily ouercome all things Hee shall guide you with his spirit and the worde of grace which though it seeme but a slender thing yet it pearseth and cutteth sharper than any two edged swoorde The same God hathe prepared worthy rewardes already for suche trauailes and paines euen the inheritaunce of his kingdome where you shall shine among them that are sanctified like as the starres in the firmament These things must be layde vp in the bottome of our hartes O brethren For as they comfort vs in maruellous wise so they teache vs what the weapons and strength of the Ministers of the woorde are The weapons of our fight be spirituall sayth Paule These be the spirit of God the worde and God him selfe Who shall they then feare Or who shall bee able to withstande them Lette vs fight with these weapons rather than with the frendships of this world as with the confederacie and wisedome of the fleshe which haue very little or no vse at all in setting vp the kingdome of God. Wee learne moreouer that the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of Heauen pertaineth onely to them that are sanctified The sanctified are suche whose heartes faithe hathe purified and whome Christ hathe consecrated to GOD the Father throughe the price of hys Bloude The same beeing quickened with the spirit of God doe their dueties earnestly and striue earnestly to enter into that inheritance through all kinde of daungers the hope whereof they knowe will neuer deceiue them bicause it dependeth vppon the sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Christe to whom all praise honoure power and glory are due for euer Amen The Cxxxvj. Homelie I Haue desired no mannes siluer golde or vesture yea yee your selues knowe that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities and to them that were with me I haue shewed you all things howe that so labouring yee ought to receiue the weake and to remember the woordes of the Lorde Iesu howe that he saide it is more blessed to giue than to receiue And when he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and prayed with them all And they all wept sore and fell on Paules necke and kissed him sorowing moste of all for the woordes which hee spake that they should see his face no more And they conueyed hym vnto the shippe BIcause the Apostle Paule in that notable assemblie of the Ministers of Asia where he reasoned of the administration and gouernaunce of the Church foretolde of greeuous Wolues that should rise vp euen out of their own selues which throughe peruerse Doctrine should miserably disturbe the flocke of Christ in the later part of his oration he declareth bothe wisely and in time and place what they should cheefely beware of if they would auoide the name of suche Wolues He admonisheth them onely to take heede of couetousnesse bicause it is the roote of all âuill and bringeth all things out of frame if it once take possession in the mindes of the Cleargie For when they once make lucre of religion it causeth all godlinesse to be set to sale which also is a cause that they defile the doctrine of the woorde with the traditions of men that they hunt after the fauor and frendship of the world that they winke at open malefactoures and set open the doores to all manner of disorder The priestes of the Iewes may be an example vnto vs in whom Christ chefely reprehendeth this as the welspring of all corruption Therefore Paule dothe not without a cause other wheres warne Bishoppes that they be not giuen to filthie lucre and heere in this place he diligently reasoneth of this euill And bicause his admonition should bee the more of waighte he prouoketh them by hys owne Example declaring howe he vsed himselfe whyle hee was in Asia and alleageth waightie reasons and causes of his so doing I haue desired no mannes siluer gold or vesture saith he By the which woordes he declareth that he labored not to enriche him selfe by them forasmuch as he desired not of them the things necessary to his liuing muche lesse receiued or tooke them Hereby he teacheth that the Ministers of Churches must be free from the desire of heaping vp goods bicause they that goe about to enrich them selues shall neuer escape the snares of the Deuill and temptations But least any man might Obiecte againe and say whereof then O Paule liuedst thou He addeth by and by after yee knowe that these handes ministred to my necessities and to those that
ennimies vnto religion But bicause suche come not as learners but as iudges and comptrollers and bring with them the opinions they haue conceiued before it cannot be that the gospel doth any thing profite them the ende whereof Paule saith is to captiuate all the wisedome of the flesh and to bring it in obedience to the faith Therfore we must bring with vs humble and lowly mindes and desirous to learne if wee will receiue any profite thereby See Luke 8. Againe we are taught by this Example what to iudge of them which come to Sermons and Churches in pompous attire and araye These are like vnto Agrippa and Bernice and giue no litle offence For first it is a great token of lightnesse in them that they remember not howe they are but mire and clay and that the beginning of apparell proceeded first of sinne so that it were more meete for vs to humble our selues in them than to shew any pride therin Another occasion of offence there is in that we be the aucthors that other folishly imitate vs or else conceiue wanton imaginations or else minister occasion to the porer sort to be impacient and to murmure againste god Therefore we incurre that horrible sentence of God which pronounceth that terrible woe against suche as giue other occasion of offence Furthermore it is a token of a certaine beastly dulnesse and of a minde too too vntowarde to shewe pride in the sight of God where we ought to shewe moste lowlinesse For who would not say he were out of his wittes which should come before a Prince to aske pardon of his trespasse in proud apparell and with sturdie and lofty countenance And yet we come vnto the Church to aske forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to heare the woorde of saluation in all insolent and proude manner Uerily Christ forbiddeth vs to be carefull for nedefull apparell With what face therefore can we make garments of suche sundry sortes deuises to set out our pride See what Esay saith in his third Chapiter at large touching this offence But let vs consider Paule which at Festus commaundement is brought forthe bounde in chaines as appeareth by his owne saying yet not as a guiltie person before iudges but as a teacher and preacher Heere in this sight or shew appeareth the wonderfull counsel of God where an assembly of most honorable personages glittering in golde purple and scarlate abide the comming of Paule looking like a prisoner pale and wanne and dragging his chaine after him in his hande Yea God offereth vnto him being thus in bandes a singular occasion to behaue himselfe boldly in the quarell of his name Whereby it appeareth howe the wicked can nothing preuaile with their enterprises and deuises For what other thing went the Iewes about hitherto but to take from Paule all occasion of preaching and so to extinguishe all his doctrine But they so little preuaile heereby that rather by their meane he is brought before a great and honorable assembly before whome otherwise he shuld neuer haue had opportunitie to haue preached Let these things serue to comfort vs among the terrors of this world For why should we henceforth feare the world seeing God is of as great power in these dayes to defend his people and to promote his word Chefely we haue in this place to coÌsider Paul which as the sequele declareth was bolde and couragious of minde for he was not dismaide at the sight of the king the nobilitie But he declareth his matter so stoutly that though he were in bands yet he put his auditors in no litle feare and greatly moued the king in his minde The like thing we saw hapned before in Felix These things teach vs that Gods word can not be bound although his ministers be in prison and in bandes For the aucthoritie or effect therof dependeth not vpon man For the spirit of god bloweth wher it wil and is not subiect to the vaine pleasure of man We are taught also what we haue to do in like case Let vs boldly defend Christes cause not passe a strawe for the aucthoritie and tiranny of this world For the cause we haue in hand is iust and good and vpon it dependeth all our saluation And it is not our cause but Gods who can easily defend the same And it is not we that haÌdle it but the spirit of God which worketh and speaketh in vs according to the promisse of Christ. Who therfore wil withstand the spirit of God Who will thinke to preuaile against it Or who being comforted and holpen therby wil let him selfe be ouercome of cowardly feare Last of all Festus setteth Paule before Agrippa the residue of his hearers and repeateth in few words his cause and the end of this present accusation For this saith he is he whom all the Iewes required to haue put to death which yet in his iudgement had committed nothing worthy of death Howbeit bicause he had appealed vnto Caesar he desired that they wold diligently heare him weigh euery thing that he might haue some mater of certaintie to wryte to Caesar of him After this sort the Romane President causeth Paule to be diligently heard which thing was not don without the prouidence of god In the meane season we haue a new testimony of Paules innocency which it behoued many times thus to be defended bicause God forsaw that in all ages his doctrine shuld haue greuous enimies Here apeareth also the incurable malice of the Iewes which ceased not to require an innoceÌt to be put to death For thus they folow their forfathers at the hard heeles who as we read with like impudeÌcy required the death of Christ the sonne of god Pilate being much against it Therfore they are vtterly ouerthrowne by the iust iudgement of God made a common exaÌple vnto al men as Christ many times prophesied shuld happen vnto them Moreouer we haue to consider Festuâ saying which thinketh it a point of absurditie to send a prisoner and not to declare wherof he is accused wherfore he was put in prison These things teache vs that we must so deale with prisoners that we may haue ful perfit certificate of all things For we must not deale rashly in matters of life death Seing that an hethen man vnderstode thus much what shall it become those magistrates to do which professe the name and word of Christ And with what moderation of minde becommeth it vs to entreat al captiues seing we know that whatsoeuer benefite or harm we do them the same we do vnto Christ himself But wold to God our aduersaries in these dais wold vse this equitie towards the seruantes of Christ who thinke it but a sport to vse all kinde of vncurtesie towards vs without any cause Howbeit let these things nothing offend vs seing we know that Christ also was most vncurteously delt with For why should the disciples or schollers thinke to bee in better case than their
danger of the Iewes therfore he first sheweth the reason therof which was that he was deliuered through the help of God and therfore ought not to be slacke in his office Thus he ascribeth vnto God the benifite of his deliuery whereof it seemed the captaine was the aucthor bicause he knewe the captaine was led by the hand and spirite of god In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that those which haue once or twice proued felt the helpe of God ought to be inflamed with greater diligence and not as some vse to waxe the more remisse and negligent as though they had fulfilled all their duetie at once For beside that we owe vnto God all kinde of duetie the lawe of thankfulnesse requireth the more faithe and industrie of vs least we might seeme vnkiâde to God our benefactoure Againe bicause he would not seeme importune in preaching vnto them he declareth that he is bounde in duetie so to doe For hee was detter vnto all men both smal and great Thus he stirreth vp their mindes to thinke that the gospell appertained vnto them also This is very diligently to be considered that we heare the gospell is preached by the commaundement of God to men of all states degrees For hereby we learne that there is no respect of persons with God yea that he would haue all sortes of men to be saued Therefore he hathe appoynted the ministers of the word to be the disposers and stewardes of all his houshold Lette this comfort them that are coÌpassed about with troubles also teach both ministers and hearers their duetie that neither the one at their pleasure get and procure them disciples after their owne calling nor those other thinke they be at libertie and not bounde to the rule of the gospell At lengthe he repeateth what he taught verely none other thing but that that Moses and the Prophetes had foreshewed in times past He comprehendeth all his doctrine in three Articles which it is euident were then moste in controuersie The first was that Christ was that sauioure that was promised should suffer death for vs For this of all other things was coumpted moste absurde as the wordes read in the twelfth of Iohn abundantly declare The seconde was that the same Christe should rise againe from the dead and that the first but not in order For we reade that diuers other before Christ were raised againe but in worthinesse and in power as the aucthor of the resurrection and life of all men The thirde was that hee should illuminate with his worde and spirite not only the Iewes but also the Gentiles And that Paule declared these things with many places and testimonies of scripture the onely exclamation of Festus shall afterwarde proue And surely there are euery where extant many testimonies bothe of Moses and the Prophets wherby to proue all these things Wherupon we gather againe that the doctrine of the gospell is no newe thing resting or consisting in a few of persons but of most antiquitie and allowed with the consent of all ages Furthermore howe in the scriptures are contained whatsoeuer things are needeful to be beleeued seeing that Paul was able to proue all the mysteries of Christian faith by them Lette vs therfore be contented with them only and constantly holde faââ the faithe contained in them that by theÌ we may attaine to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord to whome be blessing honoure power and glory for euer Amen The Clxv. Homelie AS he thus spake for him selfe Festus said with a loud voice Paule thou art beside thy selfe Much learning doth make thee madde And Paule saide I am not madde moste deare Festus but speake forthe the wordes of truthe and sobernesse For the King knoweth of these things before whom also I spake freely Neither thinke I that any of these things are hidden froÌ him for this thing was not done in a corner King Agrippa ⪠beleeuest thou the Prophetes I wotte well that thou beleeuest Agrippa saide vnto Paule Somwhat thou bringest me in minde for to become a christian And Paule saide I would to God that not only thou but also all that heare me to day were not somewhat only but altogither suche as I am except these bands And when he had thus spoken the king rose vp and the deputie and Bernice and they that sate with them And when they were gone aparte they talked betweene them selues saying This man dothe nothing worthy of death or of bonds Then saide Agrippa vnto Festus this man mighte haue bene let lose if he had not appealed vnto Caesar. AFter Luke hathe declared Paules oration he sheweth what effect it toke with the hearers And this is a very worthy place to be considered For in two examples he describeth two kindes of men which heare the word of God in vaine The end and vse of all these things is that both ministers may learne how to deale with such fortes of men and also all others vnderstand what to beware of if they will heare the worde of God to their profite and commoditie The first kinde is set out in the example of Festus the Deputie who is a president of vngodly persones and of those which haue no knowledge nor taste at all of any godlinesse Where we haue first to consider Festus and then Paule He gaue eare vnto Paule declaring his visions and prouing al the mysteries of the christian faith and mans saluation by the testimonies of the scriptures whereof he had neuer heard any thing at all as being a Gentile which had more vnderstanding by all likelihode in warres than in religion Wherfore he supposeth that Paule in reasoning of such profouÌd and difficulte matters was madde and like vnto those that in their frantike fittes vse to imagine with themselues monstrous and wonderfull things and so vtter them without all reason and very importunately hee interrupteth Paule in his speaking Yet in this one thing he is not altogither vnreasonable that he imputeth the wante of wit which he supposed to be in Paule to ouermuche studie of learning vpbraiding him with none other thing as many vse to do in these dayes This example teacheth vs how litle the word of god preuaileth with theÌ which are led only with mans reason For this is their coÌmon property to couÌt that a mockery that passeth the reach of their capacitie reason Wheras in the mean season they vnderstand nothing lesse than the things belonging to the spirite of god Therfore it caÌnot be choseÌ but they must thinke the gospel of Iesus Christ crucified to be the greatest foolishnesse in the worlde bicause there is nothing so absurde and voide of reason as to aske and hope for saluation in him which was hanged and died on the Crosse among theeues and murtherers Therefore that that happened vnto Paule preaching before Festus the same we read happened before vnto the Prophets and afterward vnto the successoures of the Apostles also namely
the Prophetes sent vs vnto him And the Apostles knewe none other Sauioure in whome if wee also putte oure truste we shall not be deceyued Nowe followeth the Answere of the Iewes which standeth in two poyntes For firste they giue a notable testimonie of Paules innocencie whereas they say they neither receiued letters from any man nor hearde by reporte any thing of him For what shoulde the Priestes wryte any thing of Paule whose innocencie they knewe all men perceyued In the meane season heere appeareth the state of the godly which thoughe they bee neuer so innocent yet easily finde ennimies by whose procurement they are either cast in prison or else banished their country And whether of these two come to passe the ennimies being afterwarde carelesse passe not neyther is there any man which thinketh the care of suche persones belongeth any thing vnto him And at lengthe they conceiue farther hatred againste them and goe about to put the innocentes vnto deathe also In the second part the Iewes shew themselues desirous to heare Paules iudgement concerning the faithe and religion of Christe althoughe they knewe that all men euery where spake against it And surely it is worthy of great commeÌdation that they are not so blinded with the former iudgementes of other men to reiecte all declaration and recoumpte of faithe as nowe a dayes many vse to doe who like Serpentes stoppe theyr eares and so shutte the dore of the kingdom of heauen vpon themselues whome if none other reason be able to moue let them at least be ashamed in that we see the Iewes more indifferent and vpright iudges in suche matters But heere we haue specially to consider the state of the Gospell ⪠which in all ages euery where hath bene spoken against For the Deuil the Prince of this worlde cannot suffer the doctrine of Christe bicause Christe moste mightily subdueth his kingdom Likewise naughtie and wicked persons abhorre the light thereof bicause they knowe it reproueth theyr wicked workes And the iustiâiaries and hipocrites flee from the same as a thing that detecteth our naturall corruption and ouerturneth the confidence of all mannes rightuousnesse Wherfore it cannot be chosen but it shall haue ennimies on euery side But this serueth bothe for our learning and comforte For it stirreth vs vp to prepare our selues to the conflicte And that we promisse not our selues sluggishe idlenesse Againe it teacheth vs that the power of the Gospel is of God inuincible which hathe beene able so many yeares to withstand the attempts of the world the Prince therof For if a man woulde consider all other religions that euer were in the world he shal perceiue that they haue falne of their owne accord and haue come vnto nothing althoughe no man euer assaulted them with force of armes But the Christian religion which is drawne out of the gospel hauing had in all ages most fierse ennimies which hathe persecuted it with fire and sword indureth yet vnto this day and shall indure vntill the later day when Christ shal come vnto iudgement to recompence the afflictions of his people with eternall ioy and to reward his enimies with condigne paines for their wickednesse Let no man therefore be offended with the stubbernesse of them that speake againste it or with the fury of them that persecute it For Iesus Christ the Bridegrome of the Churche liueth and raigneth who can most easily deliuer hiâ out of the hands of hir ennimies To him he praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The Clxxiiij Homelie ANd when they had appointed him a day there came many to him into his lodging to whome hee expounded and testified the kingdome of God and preached vnto them of Iesus both out of the lawe of Moses and out of the Prophets euen from morning till night And some beleeued the things which were spoken and some beleeued not But when they agreed not among themselues they departed after that Paule had spoken one woorde well spake the holy Ghoste by Esay the Prophete vnto oure Fathers saying Go vnto this people and say with your eares shal you hear and not vnderstande and with your eyes shall you see and noâ perceyue ⪠for the heart of this people is waxed grosse and with their eares haue they had no lust to heare and their eyes haue they closed least they shoulde see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their harts and should be conuerted and I should heale them Be it knowne therefore vnto you that this saluation of God is sent vnto the Gentiles and they shal heare it And when he had said these words the Iewes departed from him and had great dispicions among themselues ALthoughe the Ministers of Iesus Christ and Preachers of the Gospell are exercised with diuers tribulations and are many times imprisoned and layde in bandes yet the worde of God can not be bound or shutte in prisone bicause the spirite of Christe breatheth where it pleaseth him and is not subiecte to the will or pleasure of man Yea as the doctrine of Christe throughe his deathe was the further enlarged as hee promised it should come to passe so also it encreaseth throughe the afflictions and punishmentes of the Ministers An euident example heereof is sette foorthe in the Historie of Paule For although he had heretofore preached the Gospell abrode in many places of the worlde yet was there a greate dore opened vnto him being a prisonner and in chaines in that hee was permitted freely to preache vnto all men in the Citie of Rome as it were in the sight and vpon the stage of all the world and that with suche successe that his doctrine pierced into the Emperors court also as may be gathered by the salutations or greetings sent to the Philippians Phil. 4. Surely it was a straunge and very wonderfull thing wherin men might consider the prouidence and power of Christe but that they will be blinde in the cleare light Furthermore Luke declareth howe this thing came to passe and out of many Sermons he choseth one whereby we may iudge of all the other But we shall speake of all the circumstances in order First the Euangelist noteth the time and place saying they resorted to Paules lodging vpon a day appointed For at those dayes it was not permitted christians to haue any churches neither though they had had churches had it bene lawfull for Paule to haue taught in them being a prisonner and in bondes Therefore as in other places the Apostles preached in priuate houses so heere also Paule assembleth them in the house which he had hired wherby we gather that the worship and doctrine of god ought not so to be tyed to any place as thoughe it helped or auailed any thing to saluation For it is euident that the woorde of God hathe aucthoritie of it self Also God heareth praiers in euery place so that we pray in faith and lifte vp cleane handes vnto him Wherefore if
Apostles burst into all the worlde which this vehement blast here did foresignifie and in despite of the worlde and Prince of the worlde the doctrine of the gospell was published throughout all Nations Let these thinges comfort vs against the vayne enterprises of the worlde and Tyrannes which studie to stop the course of the gospell For Christe lyueth styll which from hygh derideth the counselles of them and whose spirite bloweth where he wil and is not ruled at mens pleasure Thirdly there appeare clouen tongues as it were of fire which when they were settled vpon the heades of eche of them they were all fylled with the holy ghoste Wee sayde the wynde was a token or signe of the holye ghoste But here commeth a visible signe also of the presence of the spirite that there myght be no doubt at all thereof For this is the maner and trade of God to declare by outwarde tokens the inwarde and spirituall giftes which are conceyued by fayth only and haue their beyng in the mynde The which by reason of the proportion and infallible truth of God wherof they are signes and seales vse to be called after the names of the things that they signifie By this meanes it commeth to passe that Luke reasonyng of the tongues which sate vpon the Apostles heades so speaketh of them as though the spirite him selfe had syt on their heades But it is euident that these tongues were neither essentially the holy ghost nor yet had the holy ghost included in them For who wyll say the substaunce of the holy ghost is of fire except any man list to dote with the Persians which worshipped the fire as a god Who also wyll thinke the holy ghost whiche pierceth through all thinges and whom the scripture teacheth to be euery where present can be inclosed in so small a thyng as a tongue Besydes Luke saith not that the holy ghost sate on their heades but that their mindes were fylled with the holy ghost And the holy ghost shoulde in vayne syt vpon our crownes onlesse he entred into our mindes shewed foorth his power and efficacie Therfore the tongues were tokens of the presence of the holy spirite neither coulde the name of holy ghoste for any other cause be applyed to them than by reason of proportion and similitude that is betweene them as euen nowe was sayde Furthermore as in all other signes whiche God accustometh to vse there is perceaued to be a great lykenesse with the thinges that they signified so here also the presence of the spirite coulde by no other signe haue bene more euidently and properly expressed The lykenesse of tongues was most agreable with the Apostles office whom God had appoynted to be preachers The diuision of the same tongues represented the gift which they chiefly had neede of bicause they must beare witnesse of Christe in all Countries and be vnderstanded of all men And the element of fire signified that the voyce of the Apostles shoulde be effectuous through the workyng of the spirite For by this the spirite as by a bright brenning fire consumeth all the thinges in vs that are carnall and earthly By the same the spirite kindleth the myndes of men with the loue of heauenly thinges that leauing all earthly thinges behinde them they may aspire to the onely eternall goodes of the heauenly kingdome With this the holy ghost warmeth men that are benummed with sinne and maketh them meete and nimble to all good workes and to doe all thinges in Christe And this feruencie and fierie zeale is the proper marke of them which are led with the spirite of Christ Which spirit who so euer feeleth to be quenched in him let him ceasse to glorie in the spirit I coulde here rehearse diuers other effects of Christes spirite but that there is more commodious place to speake therof in the sermon folowyng where it shall be declared what the spirite wrought in the Apostles Let vs acknowledge the truth and goodnesse of Christ wherby he would thus prouide for his Church And let vs prepare our selues after the ensample of the Apostles that we also may be endued with the spirite of Christe and enflamed with the holye loue of God that being founde stoute in the duties of Christian life we may be taken for the true children of God and Coheyres of Iesus Christ to whom be blessing honour glorie and power for euer Amen The eleuenth Homelie AND they began to speake with other tongues euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce There were dwellyng at Hierusalem Iewes deuout men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When this was noysed about the multitude came togither and were astonied bicause that euery man hearde them speake with his owne language They wondred all and marueyled saying among themselues Beholde are not all these which speake of Galiley And howe heare we euery man his owne tongue wherin we were borne Parthyans and Medes and Elamytes and the inhabiters of Mesopotamia and of Iurie and of Capadocia of Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia of Egypt and of the parties of Lybia which is beside Syren and straungers of Rome Iewes and Proselytes Greekes and Arabyans we haue hearde them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of god They were all amazed and wondred saying one to another what meaneth this Other mocked saying These men are full of newe wine ALthough the promises of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe were first made to the Apostles and may seeme to belong to them onely Yet is it manyfest that the same are generall and to be extended to all them that doe beleue For as the Apostles bicause of their imperfection and other faultes had neede of the holy ghost and without the helpe of him could not discharge the office committed to them euen so we haue neede of the same spirite bicause if we be destitute of him we can neither order our life christianly nor holde the certainty of faith against the temptations of Satan Therfore the consideration of this present hystorie no man ought to thinke either vnprofitable or superfluous which both strongly mainteyneth the aucthoritie of the Apostolike doctrine also instructeth vs many other wayes For it teacheth vs howe we shoulde prepare our selues to receiue the spirite how we should iudge the spirites As touching the first was spokeÌ yesterday The other may be learned by this preseÌt place For Luke goeth on in the discription of the hystory declareth the effectes of the holy ghost which he wrought aswel in the Apostles as in their hearers And beginnyng with the Apostles hee attributeth two thinges vnto them which they receyued by the operation of the holy ghost The first is that by and by after they had receyued the holy ghost they began to speake with straunge diuers tongues This is so great wonderful a myracle as I know not whether euer there happened a greater amongst men For who is ignoraunt how
wicked yet can it not be ouercome bicause the truth of Gods Oracles and promises is infallible who hath appointed to Christ his sonne an euerlasting kyngdome This haue we seene hitherto prooued and declared by many examples For oftentymes did they striue stoutely both in the Senate and in the Counsell against the Apostles but the truth had alwaye the victory At length Steuen was stoned and the enimies being made the more fierce therby shew their vttermost power amongst whome the rage of Saule chiefly appeareth But so little is Christes kingdome amongst these rages brought vnder that rather where it seemed heretofore to be hedged in within the narrow walles of Ierusalem it stretcheth it self now through all Iury and Samarie And hereof Luke taketh occasion to shew with what successe the gospell beganne to be preached out of Iurye And first he treateth of the coÌuersion of Samaria which we reade was foretold of by the prophetes in the historye whereof we haue the longer to stande for that the thinges which are most diligently proponed in it serue greatly both for our comfort and instruction First he sheweth whose ministery God vsed in conuerting of Samaria It was Philips not the Apostle but he which before was numbred amonge the Deacons as the auncient writers of the Church with one consent declare chiefly Epiphanius writing of Simon and the Simoniakes For although it was the Deacons office to take the charge of the Church goodes and of the poore yet they were also permitted to preache the Gospell when necessitie so required as hitherto we haue seene by the example of Steuen And maye be there was not so great neede of Deacons at Ierusalem by reason the congregation was so scattred in the tyme of persecution and therefore they gaue themselues wholy to the ministerye of the worde where before they were distributers of the goodes ecclesiastical And Paule afterward bade that the Deacons by their well ministring should get themselues a degree to a greater office and function Nowe it is reported that Philip did two things at Samaria First he preached Christ to them And that that Luke toucheth briefly in this place he afterwarde declareth more at large where he saith he preached the mysteries of the kingdome of God and of the name of Iesus christ In this place he maketh mention but of Christ onely bicause vnder his name he comprehendeth the whole Gospell And Christe hath appoynted the Gospell to consist of two partes that is to saye repentaunce and remission of sinnes Both which Iesus Christ giueth as Peter before hath manifestly taught For he alone giueth the spirite of regeneration and succoureth our corrupt nature He alone also forgiueth sinnes and hath purged them with the price of his bloud Therefore he that preacheth Christ the same of necessitie must preache repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes And this is a sure note whereby the true preachers may be knowne from the false For whosoeuer teache that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe and hath performed the things needefull for the amendement and saluation of mankynde they are to bee taken for the true Ministers of Christ. But whosoeuer sheweth that these thinges be other where to be had than in Christ and inuenteth newe meanes of attayning to saluation he is to be called a false teacher though he were an Aungell from heauen Therfore Paule plainly testifyeth that he knoweth but Iesus Christ only and reioyceth but in his crosse onely Unto this preachyng were ioyned myracles which Philip wrought according as Christ had promised For he draue out vncleane spirites from men and healed folke sicke of the palsey whose diseases were incurable And this working of Christes spirit was not superfluous For although by the worde all those thinges are offered vs which serue to our saluation yet it is needefull that our myndes drowned in a certaine naturall slumber be awaked by outwarde signes and prepared to receyue the worde Furthermore where as diuers things fall out otherwhile wherby our fayth is tryed and tempted it is very profitable to haue it propped vp with these outwarde signes In the meane season we reade that such signes were wrought by the Apostles as for the most part admonish vs of the benefites of christ For he vanquished the force of the Deuil ouerthrew his kingdome and valiauntly deliuered vs from his tirannye He hath restored to vs againe the strength of our corrupted nature that we which were able to do no good thing of our selfe be able through him to doe all thinges And he himselfe in the Gospell sayeth that without him we can do nothing But it is very worthy the consideration where it is sayd the euill spirites went out of them crying It is playne that they did the lyke otherwheres also For in Christes presence they complaine that they are driuen out before their tyme and leaue them miserablye torne out of whome they depart against their willes These things set before our eyes the propertie and disposition of Satan who is altogither giuen to destroy men For as from the beginning he was a murtherer so he alwayes runneth vp and downe like a roaryng Lion and seeketh whome he may deuoure For the which cause he vnwillingly departeth out of them whose myndes he hath possessed Yea being one 's cast forthe he studieth and laboureth to gette into his olde possession agayne as Christ teacheth These thinges as they stirre vp in vs an ardent desire to take heede that we be not circumuented by the craft of so hurtfull an enimy and lose our saluation so they declare vnto vs the power of Christ which by his spirit and worde is able so easily to expell the Deuill though he struggle and striue neuer so much against it Nowe let vs see howe the Samaritanes receyued Iesus Christ whome Philip preached And the people gaue heede sayth Luke vnto those thinges which Philip spake with one accorde hearing and seeing the myracles which he did And a little after There was great ioye in that Citie In these wordes the Euangelist comprehendeth two speciall thinges First he teacheth that they receyued Christ how they came to the knowledge of him Then he sheweth the fruite of this earnestnesse and beliefe To the first this belongeth where he sayth they hearde Philips sermons they saw his myracles and gaue their mindes and studies to all the thinges he sayde and did Of this studie and earnestnesse sprange fayth which as we shall afterwarde heare they sealed with baptisme We haue herein to consider the order of saluation For although we acknowledge God only to be the author hereof which worketh in men according to his pleasure yet for the moste part he vseth to bring men orderly and by a certaine rule to their saluation In this order first is hearing of the worde For where God offereth vs saluation by the worde and as Dauid sayth sendeth his worde and healeth vs we must not
God giueth repentaunce after two sortes eyther when he graunteth time and place to repent or else when he mollifyeth and conuerteth mens mindes by his spirite and worde by repentance to frame themselues to a better trade of lyfe In this place it appeareth that God did both although the later sense be more agreeing to this present argument It is most worthy to be obserued where they say repentaunce vnto lyfe is giuen vnto the Gentiles by preaching of the Gospell For in so saying they testifie that they speake of that repentaunce which through fayth in Christ bringeth saluation and which we may call the scope and marke of all the Gospell which is that we being reconcyled vnto God through Christ shoulde turne vnto him with all our hartes and liue in him For so Paule writeth God hath reconcyled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen to vs the office to preache the attonement Nowe then are we messengers in the rowme of Christ euen as though God did beseech you through vs So pray we you in Christes steede to be reconcyled vnto God. They name repentaunce expreslye hauing respect vnto that saying of Christ which commaundeth both repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name Neyther must these two be at any time seperated least men take occasion vnder pretence of the Gospell to liue carnally Againe this hath in it a singuler comfort that he sayeth repentaunce is giuen vnto lyfe Therefore repentaunce in the faythfull is neuer in vayne or vnfruitefull but maketh them partakers of saluation through christ There are apparaunt promises of God wherein he euerywhere promiseth lyfe vnto them which turne vnto him with all their hart Where he sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue And we must not thinke that God flattereth or deludeth any man with vaine promises Hereto belongeth the whole booke almost of the Iudges which prooueth by many examples that the Israelites neuer returned to God by true repentaunce in vayne And it is manifest that the Niniuites through faythfull repentaunce caused God to reuoke his sentence passed against them What shall I speake of these seing we reade that the repentaunce that Achab had but for a season and little time was by the mouth of God commended These things ought to encourage them which stande vpon the pytbrinke of desperation thinking that God is so offended with them for their former wickednesse that their repentaunce is not acceptable vnto him Which men woulde be comforted with these sayings of the Prophet If your sinnes were as red as Scarlet they shall be as whyte as snowe And though they were like purple they shall be as whyte as woolle Againe The Lorde is full of compassion and mercye long suffring and of great goodnesse He will not alwaye be chyding c. Nowe after Luke hath made an ende of the storye of Cornelius which contayneth the beginning and first fruites as it were of the vocation of the Gentiles he returneth to the discourse of the things belonging to the whole Church which he had intermytted and declareth howe the kingdome of Christ began to be stretched enlarged vnto the Gentyles And first he telleth how Antioch was conuerted vnto Christ and how men were there first called Christians And principally he noteth the occasion therof saying it was bicause of the persecution that was raysed agaynst Steuen And it is very worthye to be considered where he sayth the beginning of such a benefite sproong of so dolefull a cause For howe pitifull a case the Church stoode in in the time of that persecution we hearde in the .viij. Chapter when the rage of persecutours went so farre that it was not safe for a man in secrete âo be a christian when both men and women were haled out of their dores as to a slaughterhouse which thing was the cause that the Church being scattered hither and thither seemed like a scratched and torne body that had beâne incurable But by the grace and goodnesse of God it commeth to passe that of euery member of this scattered Church springeth a newe body For they whome this cruell tempest had thus scattered remembring their office and dutie beganne to preach euerywhere the name of Christ and many of them going as farre as Phenicia and Cyprus did illustrate those countries with the light of the Gospell By which example the primitiue Church and fayth full of all ages might be confirmed not to be offended with the cruell attempts of enimies forasmuch as it appeareth by these men that the kingdome of Christ can not be ouerthrowne nor driuen into straightes but is rather thereby builded vp enlarged For that that Luke reporteth here to haue come to passe the same the writers of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie report to haue come to passe in all persecutions And as after horrible tempests cleere weather commonly followeth so it appeareth that after persecutions the Church alway looked more bright cheerefull For God scattereth the deuises of Nations but his purpose standeth fast for euer whereby he hath made his sonne king and Ruler of all the worlde See the Psalmes 33.2 110 But Luke diligently intreateth of those by whose ministery God brought to passe a matter of such weight and importance All which were dispersed bicause of the faith and doctrine of Christ yet they agreed not in all points touching the order ministerie of the gospell For some of them preached to the Iewes only who it is lyke were ignorant of the things done betweene Peter Cornelius Other some which he writeth were of Cyprus Cyrene came to Antioch and preached to the Greekes that is to the Gentyles So it oftentimes commeth to passe that in some things they which are counted the most faithfull seruants of Iesus Christ doe disagree God so disposing his giftes that his woorde may be of the more authoritie and that the successe thereof shoulde not seeme to depende of a certayne conspiracie and consent of men among themselues Wherevnto also is to be referred that that is hereafter reported of the contention that fell betweene Paule and Barnabas which wexed so hote that those singuler and chosen instrumentes of Christ departed one from another Therefore let it offende no man if nowe a dayes he see any like matter to fall out in the Church For Paule writeth that there must be sectes that the elect may be tryed Howbeit in all this adooe the feruent desire of spreading abrode the kingdome of Chryst is greatly to be praised wherewith they all being enflamed haue vtterlye forgotten the daungers that they were in a little before and euerywhere publishe the worde of god Such constancie ought all faithfull Ministers of Christ to haue to th ende they must not thinke they haue done all their dutie when they haue bene once in daunger for the name of christ And they must not thinke they are for
embrace the kingdome of Christ were fylled with disdaine and fyrst beganne to speake against Paule and at length fell to flatte blasphemy and rayling And bicause this contention went so farre that the Apostles were âaine to shake of the dust of their feete against them a thing which we reade very seldome done by them therfore it behooueth vs to expende the circumstances of the whole hystorie the more diligently First Luke teacheth vs what the cause was of such a tumult and businesse Uerily for that the Iewes sawe the whole Citie almost came togither to heare the worde of god Howbeit it was euident ynough that they all came not of a godly intent and purpose For otherwise they woulde neuer haue suffred the Iewes a people hated of all Nations to haue intreated the Apostles so vngently Wherefore although the desire of truth drewe some thither as was aforesayde yet the greater part were mooued of vaine curiositie Which thing although the Apostles might easily haue supposed yet woulde they not let passe so commodious an occasion but are prest and ready to teach them Whereby we learne that they which will fruitefully be occupied in setting forth the kingdome of God haue neede of a feruent study and zeale that they must let no oportunitie escape be it in season or out of season as Paule elsewhere admonisheth Christ teacheth vs the same by his owne ensample which taketh occasion of euery thing to teach by and did so little refuse any one that came vnto him that he reiected not Nicodemus comming to him in the night season nor the woman of Samaria giuen to dishonest gayne and aduauntage Yea he sayeth this is his meate to doe that wherevnto his father sent him Hereby is their sloth improoued which being often called on will not teache and haue more regarde of their owne ease than of mens saluation Then next the cause of the tumult is declared which was the enuy of the Iewes seeing such a great throng of people They seeme to be mooued partlye with ambition and enuye while they are afrayde to lose their priuate honor and glory which thing Christ obiecteth vnto them Iohn 5. and partly with a preposterous zeale of the lawe whereby they were led to take in euill part that the vncircumcised Gentyles shoulde be matched with them in saluation which thing was cause that Paule was much troubled as we shall see when we come to the places In the meane while this place teacheth vs that all kinde of zeale is not allowable before God and that they which of zeale and good intent impugne the truth are not streightway to be pardoned For Paule otherwhiles attributeth a zeale of God vnto the Iewes yet he condemneth them in that they are not zealous for the glory of God according vnto knowledge We must therefore beware that no euill affection rule in vs and that we sinne not of ignoraunce in Gods will which must be the onely rule of all our doings Thirdlye here is declared what the Iewes the Apostles aduersaries did which went out before the congregation was broken vp bicause they would not heare the word because they feared they should lose their glory they speake against them also and stryue agaynst the truth by arguments And seeing they cannot that way preuaile they turne vnto rayling whereby no doubt they depraued both the doctrine and persons of the Apostles to make the simple people suspect their doctrine enuie them Such are the craftes of the wicked which euen nowe a dayes also they practise and they of whome men looke for arguments scriptures they thinke by their talke so to preuaile that they will rayle and often times open their wicked mouth against the name and word of god Also this place teacheth vs wherevnto hatred of the truth bringeth men at the length when they will continue in the same For it maketh them blasphemers open enimies and impudent raylers who yet at the beginning seemed good men and tollerable Let men therfore stoppe at the beginning and vse to acquaint their eares with the truth if they meane not to holde on still in stubbornnesse But did the Apostles giue place to this stowtnesse of the Iewes No. But with greater courage and boldenesse of speach resisted them For so must the Ministers of the worde be furnished that they must not onely teach the truth but also be able to withstand the gainesayers And it is vnmeete that they that are the Ministers of Christ shoulde yeelde vnto the enterprises of the worlde Herevnto appertaine the examples of the Prophetes who we reade were alwayes the constanter the more bolde they sawe the enimies of Gods worde were See what is sayde of Micheas in the fyrst booke of the Kinges and .xxij. Chapter and of Ieremie and others in euery place And it seemeth that Christ admonished the Apostles of daungers to come for none other cause so much as for that they shoulde not be discouraged with the boldenesse of their enimies nor be offended at them These things must we remember in these dayes where Antichristes bande is so whote in assaulting the truth Let vs thinke that nowe our constancie and stoutenesse is chiefely requisite faithfully to defende the Churches quarrell being in hazarde And the Apostles saying is diligently to be considered where they with graue and godly weight of wordes pronounce the horrible sentence of excommunication against these incurable persons For what more hope was there to be had of such as they sawe had clymed vp to the toppe of impietie and fyrst had stopped their eares against the worde of God and after that had spoken against it and at length were become blasphemers of it But chiefely the Apostles charge them with vnthankefulnesse and incredulitie which was the cause of their punishment saying it was meete the worde of God shoulde first be preached vnto you whome God did vouchsafe to adorne with the couenant the promises and kindred of his sonne But you make your selues vnworthy of such grace while through your incurable malice you despise the saluation offred vnto you What other thing therfore remaineth but that we turne vnto the Gentyles and gather God a Church out from among them which hitherto haue bene straungers from the couenant and Testaments For so must that saying of Christ be fulylled The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen vnto a Nation which shall bring forth the fruites thereof In these things it is very diligently to be considered howe these vnbeleeuing perish through their owne iudgement vnto whome Christ is preached for a testimonie Furthermore how notwithstanding mans incredulitie and vnthankefulnesse Gods worde is nothing preiudiced or hindered For God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham which shall embrace Christ with true faith as we see commeth to passe in the vocation of the Gentyles For they whose heartes were harder than stones being mollifyed with
the spirite and worde of God came with great chearefulnesse vnto the kingdome of Christ. Howbeit bicause the Apostles woulde seeme to doe nothing rashlye and of their owne heades they alleage the Oracle of God out of the .xlix. Chapter of Esay whereby they teache that God long agoe decreed that the Gentyles also shoulde knowe howe they had saluation in Christ and that the same shoulde no longer be deferred seeing the Iewes vnto whom the same was fyrst to be preached despised it Here therefore is the calling of the Gentyles prooued whereof we haue heretofore oftentimes spoken Moreouer the place of Esay teacheth vs what is giuen to vs in christ First and foremost a light which worketh in vs the true knowledge of God and saluation which the industrie of mans reason cannot attaine vnto for no man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him Uerily saluation followeth this light For this is life euerlasting that wee knowe God the father and Iesus Christ whome he hath sent This is a woonderfull bountie and goodnesse of God which woulde in so short and briefe a summe set out vnto vs all that belongeth to our saluation Let vs therfore walke in this light that darkenesse do not ouerwhelme vs that we may attaine to saluation in this light that is in Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxv Homelie WHEN the Gentyles hearde this they were gladde and glorifyed the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the region But the Iewes mooued the deuout and honest women and the chiefe of the Citie and raysed persecution against Paule and Barnabas and droue them out of their coastes But they shooke off the dust of their feete against them and came vnto Iconium And the Disciples were filled with ioye and with the holy ghost ALthough God gaue vnto his Sonne Iesus Christ a kingdome and all maner of power yet the scriptures euerywhere testify that he should haue many enimies in the worlde and Christ himselfe oftentimes admonished his Disciples thereof least they shoulde hope for a temporall felicitie and kingdome and so be offended with the crosse and aduersitie This present hystorie sheweth vs an euident example of such things as Christ sayde shoulde come to passe Paule after he had conuerted Cyprus and Pamphilia came to Antioch in Pisidia and there according to his custome preached Christ in the Sinagoge of the Iewes By and by he hath both Iewes and Gentyles to embrace the doctrine of fayth yea the whole Citie almost beganne to listen and giue eare to the gospell so that the matter seemed to be brought to passe euen as he woulde haue it But sodeinly the Iewes stande vp and openly speake against the Apostles in their sermons refrayne not from rayling In the which contention the constancie and boldenesse of the Apostles is specially to be noted whereby they did not only resist their wicked enimies but also pronounced the horrible iudgement of God against them declaring howe God woulde forsake them and transferre his kingdome vnto the Gentyles yet coulde not this contention be so appeased but more grieuous matters yet ensued of the which Luke intreateth in this place For he teacheth vs howe the doctrine of the Gospell was most faithfully published euen in the middle of the enimies After this he sheweth a newe persecution by meanes whereof the Apostles were driuen out of Pisidia and came to Lycaonia The ende of this Tragedie at length is declared to haue bene prosperous and ioyfull to the godly but very horrible and miserable for the vngodly To the fyrst part of this place appertaineth this saying when the Gentyles hearde this they were glad and glorified the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the Region The Gentyles which hearde Paules wordes reioyced not bicause the Iewes were forsaken for that had bene vnsitting both for their faith and Christian charitie but for that they hearde that saluation belonged to them also and that Christ was the sauiour not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles according to the Oracles of the Prophetes Therefore with thankefull mindes they embrace the worde of God and worthily commende it And this saluation is not contayned within the walles of the Citie onely but is caried and spred abrode by preaching of the worde ouer all the Countrie of Pisidia There are in these things certaine poyntes worthy of diligent consideration of all which we will intreate orderly And first it is to be considered what these men were of whome these thinges are reported verily such as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And Luke so describeth them that it is manifest what the cause is that men beleeue the Gospell when the same is impugned of many and cruell enimies Surely it is the free election of God who ordeyneth those vnto lyfe whom it pleaseth him and likewise leaueth them in destruction and eternall damnation whome it seemeth him good For if we consider man as he is of nature we shall see it is not in his will or power to beleeue the Gospell and to take holde of Christ. For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging vnto the spirite of God. And wee bee not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought Our sauiour Christ teacheth vs the very same where he sayth it is needefull that we be borne againe from aboue and that none coÌmeth vnto him but whome his father draweth He sayde likewise vnto Peter making confession of his faith Happy or blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Of the which sayings we may easily gather that faith belongeth to them onely whome God hath chosen and predestinate vnto life euerlasting And it is plaine that this election was made from euerlasting and before the beginning of the worlde and that in Christ who was ordeyned to be our sauiour and Redeemer before this world was made Therefore our election is free and of Gods mercie Furthermore those whome he chose in Christ the same when he seeth good he calleth by preaching of the Gospell and draweth effectuously by his spirite that being graffed in Christ through faith they may be iustifyed by his merite and made partakers with him of the heauenly glorye according to that saying of Paule Those which he knewe before he also ordeyned before that they shoulde bee like fashioned vnto the shape of his sonne Moreouer whome he appointed before them also he called And whome he hath called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them he also glorified And as many as be of this number
the world he shal easily perceiue in himself that hath not vtterly lost his senses And what we haue to do when God by such meanes as these allureth vs Pauls exaÌple declareth In dede ther appereth in him some smack of carnal slouthfulnesse which being strickeÌ to the grouÌd doth not yet know his lord But this is worthy to be coÌmended that wheÌ the Lord had told him what he was by by he demandeth what his wil is that he should do For this is the saying of a true huÌble hart submitting himself wholy to obey the wil of god Let vs therfore folow this exaÌple which the holy Ghost wold haue put in wryting to serue for our instruction And when we are chastised let vs think we are chastised of the Lord who requireth of vs repentance And let vs do penaunce not according to our owne braine or as seemeth good in our sight but according to Gods appointment which we shal learne in his word For after this sort aduersitie shal serue to our amendment and our amendment or conuersion shall be acceptable vnto god But if a maÌ wold compare these things with the vsage of our dayes he shal easily perceiue how many wayes meÌ herein offend For a man shal find few which wheÌ they are chastised wil acknowledge God to be the author therof but the most part impute their misfortunes vnto other causes And if there be any so touched with the feeling of religion ⪠that they are constrained to acknowledge the hand of God yet is that feling very smal and of litle continuance or else ioyned with superstition wherby being deceiued they do their penaunce but counterfetly and for a litle season as God vpbraideth the people of Israel by his Prophet And this is the cheefe cause of so many and so continuall calamities as are in our dayes which if we redresse not lette vs neuer looke for better state The last thing in this treatise is how Paule is sent into the Citie to Ananias of whome he requireth more fully to be instructed The causes of this precept or doing we haue declared before where ye may loke for the same It becommeth vs to follow the example of Paule that framing our selues according to Gods calling we turne from superstition and other sinnes vnto God and hang wholy vpon his mouth and word fashioning our life and conuersation according to his will. For so after we haue happily ended this life we shall be coheires in heauen with Iesus Christe the sonne of the euer liuing God to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxliij Homelie ANd one Ananias a perfecte man and as pertaining to the lawe hauing good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt came vnto mee and stoode and said vnto me brother Saule receiue thy light And the same houre I receiued my sight and sawe him And he saide the God of our fathers hath ordained thee before ⪠that thou shouldest knowe his will and shouldest heare the voice of his mouth For thou shalt be his witnesse vnto all men of those things which thou hast seene and heard And nowe why tarriest thou Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. BIcause all chaunge of religion is odious as arguing a light and inconstant minde therefore Paule so diligently excuseth his leauing the Iewes religion And first he declareth that he behaued himselfe therein with great zeale least any should thinke he were fallen away of ignorance and lack of knowledge or of hatred of discipline or of leuitie and inconstantnesse And he beginneth the Historie of his vocation in suche sorte as it may appeare that he was not onely called by God but also constrained And now he addeth hereunto how he was ordained vnto the office of an Apostle by the ministery of Ananias ⪠who was appointed of God to be the interpreter of this heauenly oracle and vision The principall vse of this place is to answere them which suspected the storie of his vocation and saide that Paule was deceiued by a vaine fantasie and delusion He beginneth in commodious wise with the description of Ananias lest any man might thinke he had giuen credit to any slender or light person of no estimation And for bicause the Iewes would not haue admitted the testimonie of any that had forsaken his religion he first and formoste commendeth him for a diligent obseruer and follower of the lawe where he saithe he is a godly man according to the lawe Unto this commendation he ioyneth the publike testimonie of al the Iewes dwelling at that time at Damascus Beesides this hee declareth howe his sight was restored to him againe the cheefe vse wherof it seemeth God would haue to be this that Paule mighte knowe that Ananias was sent vnto him of god For who woulde accuse him of vanitie which beeing admonished by heauenly Oracle yea beeing vtterly amased and following such an expounder of the Oracle had altered his religion And Paules example teacheth vs that of all things we must flee leuitie in religion that wee rashly beleeue not euery one For as in religion consisteth the summe of our saluation so it appeareth there haue bene in all ages deceiuers whiche haue layde snares to entrappe the mindes of the simple And both Chryste and the Apostles abundauntly teache vs that suche should arise in the Church after them Therefore the suggestions of the men of our dayes is to bee lamented which in the most cleare light of the Gospell beleeue euery spirite contrary to the bydding of Iohn the Apostle yea they take them to be the true followers of the Apostles which with scoffery and tauntes can quippe the Ecclesiastical Ministers and Magistrates in secrete wheras them selues in the meane season are neither learned nor honest Agayne let vs marke what the true commendation of a Minister is and of all that beare any publike office The first thing is godlynesse ordered and directed after the lawe of God that is according to Gods appoyntment For it is not ynough onely to be godly but wee must frame the same according to Gods worde Otherwise it shall be a zeale without knowledge suche as the Iewes and Paule sometime were deceiued with Agayne they must haue a good testimonie of them amongst whom they dwell and also of others abroade that the Gospell bee not euill spoken of for their sake See Paule touching this poynt in the first to Timothe the third chapter Unto this must be ioyned a lawful vocation or calling which thing if they feele not in them selues they shall neither boldly nor profitably discharge their duetie But it is euident that the Prophets and Apostles to whom we haue giuen credite were suche For they following the worde of God in all thing haue not swarued one nayles breadth from the same And such was their integritie of life that to this day the Turkes and Papistes reuerence their name