what neede wee haue to hearken to his doctrin and to rest theron But there are a great many of fantastical persons which thinke it ynough for them to haue taken some tast of y e Gospel And thereuppon it commeth that the world is nowadayes so full of vngodlynes as is seene euery where insomuch that the most part of such as haue heard y e Gospel become dullards worldlings and naughtipackes euen like dogs skorning all religion or else lotting it slippe like water as they say so as they passe not to continue still brutish yea and vtterly fenslesse The world at this day is full of such vermin and doung And what is the cause thereof The foresaid Rechlesnes finally also pride where through a great number do beare themselues in hand y t they haue knowledge ynough to rule themselues wel that it is needlesse now to learne any more and y t euery man may gouerne himselfe as he lifteth By reason wherof doctrin is despised god is vnregarded and therfore he must needs withdraw his spirit from such folke So then let vs learne to submit our selues with all lowlynes and carefulnesse to y â— general rule which god hath set in his church euen for euer which is that there shoulde bee men which should haue the charge to teach vs and that we should hearken vnto them and by that meane continue fast knit together in the obedience of our faith with indissoluble bond become one body in verie deede agreeing al in Gods truth and in the pure Religion Marke it therefore for a speciall point that we haue then the true token that we be of Gods flocke and of his Church when his word is purely preached among vs and euery of vs doth quietly receiue the doctrine at the mouth of such as haue the charge to preach it And therewithall as I haue saide afore it behooueth those which are called vnto that state to looke well to themselues that they surmise not to theÌ„selues a fantasticall dignitie in this world to make theÌ„selues ydols For wherefore be we shepherds but to giue men the foode of life In respect whereof it behooueth vs to bring folke vnto God and to holde them still vnder his gouernment And that is vtterly vnpossible to be done vnlesse gods word doe sounde and ring loude and shirle in our mouthes so as folk may haue their eares beaten therewith and be dayly prouoked to come vnto God and to sticke vnto him with such firmnesse and constancy as wee may neuer start away againe For in all ages men haue misused y e things which were ordâ—ined for their welfare specially vnto the people of God We see howe the Priests themselues stepped away vnder the law That is y e cause why y e Prophets crie out against them Esay 56.10 that they be dumbe dogs y t they be blinde watchmen y t God had set theÌ„ as on a high stage or watchtowre to the intent they should keepe good watch for the preseruation of the people of the true Religion But they were blinde Again he wold haue their mouthes open to teach that whensoeuer they saw any misbehauiour they should crie out against it with open throat as it is said in y e Prophet Esay Esay 58.1 But they haue bin as dumbe dogs they haue done nothing but fill their bellies and as for the people they past not though they weÌ„t al to destruction decay We see then how y t vnder the Lawe the Priestes did wickedly abuse their vocatioÌ„ insomuch y t whereas they were vtterly corrupted yet neuerthelesse they would needes take vpon them to bee men of great valor be named Prelates of the Church Howbeit in y e end when God had well rebuked them he giueth definitiue sentence of condemnation vpon them by his Prophet Malachie who was y e last of them Malach. 2.6.7.8 No no saieth he pretend no more y e name of your father Leuie say not any more y t God hath chosen you to the dignitie of Priesthood for Leuie walked in the feare of God kept his law and the verie condition whereupon God called you is that the lawe should be in your mouth so as men might seeke for learning at your hands and you be as Gods messeÌ„gers and Angels But you haue corrupted and falsified all thinges And therefore I also doe renounce you and disclaime you After that maner did God speake to the priests of old time Likewise let not vs thinke it strange nowadayes that these horned beastes of the Popedome doe still vsurpe the title of Prelates and Bishoppes and will needes bee worshipped vnder colour of vaunting themselues to haue the gouernement of the Church which indeede is a starkâ— lye for it behooueth vs to consider whether they bee set vp by God or no or whether they haue thrust in themselues or no. They haue no sure grounde For as it is saide in the fifth Chapter to the Hebrewes Heb. 5.4 No man ought to take authoritie vppon him in the Church for it is not for any man to intrude himselfe but it behooueth vs to be called Certaine it is that our Lorde Iesus Christ declaring the will of God his father and his owne will also ordeined not dumbe folke thereunto which shoulde but vaunt themselues with a two-horned Myter and such other gewgawes Hee meant not to play a pageant that men shoulde disguise themselues and in the meane while no man know to what purpose those things serued Hee intended not that men shoulde play murlimewes as one that coulde wel skill to mocke at God and all his doctrine by making of Crosses and blessing of Altars Our Lorde Iesus Christ did not put forth any such defilementes in his Church but Satan corrupted all things And therefore they which at this day doe terme themselues Prelates in the Popedome cannot alledge that they be sent of God nor that they ought to haue any authoritie or credite in the name of Iesus Christ. For hee disclaimeth them because they haue not any likenesse to his institution Sith it is so we may boldly conclude that in Popery there is no Church at al but a hellish Synagogue and that whosoeuer medleth there or thrusteth himselfe in among them forsaketh Iesus Christ and cutteth himselfe off as a rotten member from his Church Loe at what point the Papistes are It may bee that they will call vs heretikes and Schismatikes as they doe indeede Yea but they bee not our Iudges and wee may boldly laugh at the sentence which they giue vppon vs as vaine For wee haue our warrant in heauen who alloweth vs and holdeth them as accursed For we know that the true marke of sheepeherds is to preach Gods worde that men may inquire at their mouth howe to behaue themselues according to Gods will knowing that it is hee which sendeth them vnto vs. And therefore whensoeuer wee haue the Gospell purely preached vnto vs and that wee
bâ—t also to the ende wee shoulde staye vppon them and bee so grounded vppon them that if all the troubles of the worlde shoulde rise vp against vs wee shoulde still holde our owne and continue stedfast and inuincible If this were sayd to the people of olde time which had not so large instruction by a great deale as wee haue much more dooth it belong to vs nowadayes God gaue the Iewes sufficient instruction so farre foorth as was requisite for their welfare That is true but yet did he teach them vnder shadowes and figures which maner of teaching was darkesome in comparison of that which we haue nowadayes For in the Gospell we haue the sunne of righteousnesse shining as it were at nooneday Mal. 4.2 So then Gods worde must serue vs not onely to shewe vs the right way but also to inable vs to withstand all the temptations of Satan and his vpholders We must say I be so armed as we may fight and put backe all errors and falsehood so as after we haue once knowen God we may stick to him stedfastly to the vttermost And that is the cause why Saint Paul treating of the vse of the Gospell Eph. 4.14 sayth that we must not be lyke little babes which are drawen too and fro so as we should no sooner see any trifling toye to beguile vs but we should by and by be gadding after it and what a thing were that But we must sayth he be so setled in the fayth that if there come any cousiners that goe about to leade vs by craft and to deceiue vs wee may bee fenced against them and not bee shaken by them ouersoone True it is that we must needes haue a begetting in our Lord Iesus Christ and that at the first our faith may be so weake that we shall be lyke little babes But we must growe still and dayly gather new strength vntil we come to mans estate that we be perfect to meete with our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus yee see what force the doctrine of trueth ought to haue when it is taught vs. That is to wit we must not onely count it good in consenting to it but also be so well assured of it that the diuell doe what he can may not be able to remoue vs by reason of the certeintie which wee haue whereby wee bee inabled to beate backe whatsoeuer shall be set against vs. And doubtlesse wee see by the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ that such as haue bin faithfully taught may well repulse all the wiles of Satan Matt 4.7 For when Iesus Christ was tempted wherewith armed he himselfe but with the holy Scripture Wee see that if there rise vp neuer so many false Prophets among vs yet if wee be throughly well grounded in faith setled in it as we ought to be we shal coÌ„tinue stedfast the diuell shall win nothing at our handes True it is that now then we shal find some impedimeÌ„ts for Gods seruauntes shall bee sure of trouble that serueth to humble theÌ„ but yet whatsoeuer it be their faith is alwayes the better prooued by errors heresies such other lyke thinges whereby our Lord sheweth that we haue profited well in his schoole that wee can neuer be led away vnto wickednesse whatsoeuer betideth Also we heare what Saint Paul sayth when hee armeth vs against all spirituall battels that may befall vs Eph. 6.12 16.17 hee giueth vs the sword of Gods word hee deliuereth vs the Shield of faith and hee giueth vs the helmette of hope And thereupon hee inferreth that wee shall not onely be inabled to withstand all the assaultes that Satan can make vppon vs but also bee defended from his fiery dartes when there is no lykelyhoode for vs to escape from his subtleties Now therefore whensoeuer the Gospell is preached vnto vs or that wee reade the holy scripture let vs learne not onely to receiue the thinges as true which are told vs out of the mouth of God but also to bee so fully resolued of them in our selues as we may not be trayned vnto wickednesse nor turned aside from the right way when the diuell stirreth vp any heresies And so ye see what is told vs in this text For our Lord thinkes it not enough that the faithfull should serue him and hold them to his trueth when they bee in quiet without temptation but also hee will haue them to yeeld such trust vnto his worde that if the diuell fall to sowing of his darnell to marre al and wicked men rise vp to deface the truth by al the meanes they can and to turne it into lyes such as haue learned what the true religion meaneth should not change nor be fickle and vnconstant but shewe that the thinges which they know are of God and an abiding trueth so as it is not for men to swarue or start from them in any wise Now theÌ„ let vs beare this warning wel in mind and euery of vs examine himselfe and when we haue once vnderstoode y e things y t haue bin told vs and are necessary to our saluation let vs not imagine our selues to haue a perfect and right faith as is requisite vnlesse wee bee so constant and fully resolued in the thinges that our Lorde hath shewed vs that we abide by it and followe our course still whatsoeuer come of it For whosoeuer fleeteth or starteth aside at euery matter sheweth that hee neuer knewe Iesus Christ as hee ought to doe And therefore Saint Paul in another place vseth two similitudes to shewe of what force Gods word ought to bee with vs to hold vs fast vnto him in his obedience Hee saith that wee must be throughly grounded and rooted For many haue a kinde of faith but that is but in outward shewe and appearaunce as for inwardly it hath no liuely nor deepe roote For if a man haue but a faire braunch couered with flowers to what purpose is that One blast of wind will deface it But if a tree bee well planted the roote of it will hold it fast in the middest of all stormes Euen so must wee bee rooted in our Lorde Iesus Christ and we must be throughly well grounded vppon him so as men may perceiue not onely that wee haue knowledge but also that our heartes doe yeeld record of our playne dealing And marke here the cause why so many men are so greatly hindered and indeuour no further but to purchase themselues credit among men When they come to a Sermon where the Gospell is preached for the most part they thinke they haue well profited when they can skill to talke of it and there are very feawe that haue a care to be so grounded in it as to lay it vp in their hartes that GOD may be witnesse of it there are very fewe that indeuour to atteine to that steddinesse And therefore doth God abhorre that foolish vaine gloriousnesse wherethrough men seeke but onely to win themselues
estimation by setting a faire face and countenaunce vppon the matter And therefore let vs marke in feawe wordes that Gods word ought to serue vs to dubble purpose First to teach vs his will that wee may submit our selues simply vnto it so that when wee haue the grace giuen vs to haue the doctrine purely taught vs then euery of vs should agree thereunto and hearken to the voyce of our sheepheard and followe whatsoeuer is tolde vs without gainesaying The thing which wee must doe when wee haue order in the Church so as there be no sectes nor troubles in it but Gods trueth is purely preached is that there must bee true concorde and brotherly loue among vs to answere our God all with one hart and one mouth that his trueth may be aduaunced among vs. The second vse thereof is that when it falleth out that Satan indeuoreth to turne vs away and there spring vp heresies false doctrines and errors among vs wee must withstand all such things and shew that Gods trueth is strong enough to hold vs still vnto him according to my former saying that our faith must get the vpper hand of all the world so as wee bee starke deafe in hearkening to any of all the wiles that are put to vs to intice vs from GOD and his pure trueth Thus yee see in effect what is told vs in this text And let vs marke well Moseses maner of speache If a prophet steppe vp among you sayth he Hereby hee sheweth that wee must not onely withstand the open enemies that fight against Gods word and pretend not at all to bee of his flocke or to haue any partnership or neighborhoode with vs but also resist our homebred battels insomuch that if there rise vp any deceiuer among our selues that is to say if any such as maketh pretence to be of the fellowship of the faithfull and to be as it were of the very household of faith step vp we must not bee troubled at it out of measure And that is well worthie to be noted for if the christian faith be impugned by the wicked which pretend not to come vnto God as by the Turkes Paynims and Iewes so as they blaspheme with open mouth forasmuch as they be vtterly cut off from the Church lyke rotten members their resisting of the Gospell and their striuing to abolishe the Christian religion is no great woonder to vs. For why Wee be as it were hardened with such examples Therfore when the opē enemies set themselues against God his word it is a tēptation that will easily bee ouercome But when those that are knitte vnto vs and are as it were of our owne bodie doe fall to tearing of the vnitie of our faith in peeces to peruert Gods trueth and to marre it in such wise as it shoulde bee disfigured that is such a perplexitie and griefe to vs as wee wote not where to become And that is the thing that troubleth so many simple folkes nowadayes What shall wee doe say they For wee see so much disputing in the Church and so greate diuersitie of opinions that it were better to aske no question of any thing insomuch that a great number become carelesse for feare to bee intangled in wicked matters and to bee beguyled and therefore they let all alone and will not in any wise come neere vnto God Wee see a greate sorte of men of that stampe Othersome let loose the raynes of the brydle and take libertie to maintaine one while one mans saying and another while another mans and are neuer fully persuaded of any thing but are in one mynde to day and in another minde to morrowe and chaunge at euery minute of an houre Wee see a number of wild heades nowadayes which haue no stay at all but thinke that all thinges are lawfull And why For I see there are diuerse opinions say they But such men do shewe that they neuer tasted what Gods trueth is The first sort doe well bewray a cursed vnbeleefe For our Lorde promiseth that such as seeke him with a lowly heart shall not be disappointed but hee will shewe him selfe to them Esa. 45.19 Matt. 7.7 Luke 11.19 Let vs knocke and the doore shal be opened If wee desire reuerently to be guided by God surely he will not faile vs. Let vs distrust our owne infirmitie and rudenesse and our Lorde will give vs the spirite of discretion so as wee shall not bee beguyled To be short this saying of Saint Paul which I haue alleaged alreadie heretofore shall euer be perfourmed ◠Cor. 11.19 namely that heresies shall turne to the true tryall of our faith and not bee able to ouerthrowe it For as touching those that are so fleeting without cause they shewe that there was nothing in them but a false pretence and that they did but play the hypocrites in making a countenance to sticke to Gods trueth for had they beene well rooted in it as I sayde they woulde haue continued stedfast in it still To conclude let such examples prouoke vs to put this lesson the better in vre And when wee see the troubles that are nowadays in the world let vs not be ouercome by them neither let our faith be defaced But the more the diuel laboureth and inforceth himselfe to vndo it the more let it aduaunce it selfe and get the vpper hande of such assaultes And when wee see false prophets step vp among vs let vs not ceasse to yeeld this honour still to God that wee hold our selues to his word and start not from it by any means And very necessitie constraines vs to it in these dayes because wee see that such as call themselues Christians and take that title most vppon them are the worst enemies of God that a man can finde For the Turkes Iewes are not more fierie and venemous at this day against God to deface the whole doctrine of saluation than are the Papistes And therefore let vs arme our selues with the warning that is giuen vs heere which is that when wee see false prophets step vp in the sheepefold and in the middes of Gods house yet notwithstanding wee must not faile to hold on stil nor make a stumbling blocke of it to step aside or start away but ouergo it through the power of faith Yea and to come yet neerer the matter when wee see these varlets that had pretended to be at oddes with the Papistes and had mingled themselues among vs do thereupō fall to inuenting of false opinions let vs not bee ouermuch amazed for all that True it is that wee be not senselesse that we haue neede to be waked but yet must wee alwayes conclude thus with our selues How nowe Our Lord hath beene so gratious to vs as to open his owne holy mouth to giue vs the certeintie of faith by his Gospel and shall wee nowe turne away at euery push After that manner say I must wee withstande all the temptations that may befall vs when deceiuers
knowledge of y e Gospell And in deede according heereunto it is sayde in the Psalme that kinges shall come to submitte themselues to him that was to bee sent to be the redeemer Psa. 72.10.11 â— 13â— 4 Esa. 49.7.23 And againe that they shal be as foster fathers to the Churche and that Queenes shall giue her sucke that is to saye that such as haue the sworde of Iustice in their hande shall take Gods Churche into their protection to mainteine it in the pure doctrine and in the same Religion that is set downe in Gods worde Sith it is so it is to be concluded not onely that it is Lawefull for all Kinges and Magistrates to punish heretikes and such as haue peruerted the pure trueth but also that they be bounde to doe it and that they misbehaue themselues towardes GOD if they suffer errours to roust without redresse and employ not their whole power to shewe a greater zeale in that behalfe than in all other thinges For is it reason that he which sitteth in the seate of Iustice shoulde punishe a theefe for doing wrong but to the valewe of fiue shillinges and in the meane while let a traytour to GOD goe vnpunished Gods name is thereby blasphemed 2. Cor. 3.18 his trueth whiche is his image is trampled vnder foote and it is much more than if a man should rende some princes Cotearmour in peeces In so dooing the liuing image of GOD is skorned and as it were spitted at and the saluation of mennes soules hindered and shall the Magistrates sit still at it like ydolles They must punish a theefe for the valewe of fifteene pence and beholde this is such a traytour as goeth about to confounde heauen and earth together and must the same go vnpunished What a dealing were that Doeth not euen nature teache what is to be doone in this behalfe And as for those that say that we should let the euill weedes growe still doe they not shewe themselues to be growen out of kinde like monsters and that they bee more intollerable than if they were starke madde For it shoulde seeme that their meaning is to defie the whole order of nature and men see that they not onely speake against GOD but also poyson mennes soules and bewray themselues not to haue one droppe of setled discretion Nowe then let vs marke that sith God hath declared that in the reigne of his Sonne euen kinges shoulde bee called to the knowledge of the trueth and become a parte of his Church It behoueth them to giue example to their people and it is good reason that they shoulde employ their whole power and authoritie to maintaine the good doctrine and to cause GOD to be honored and serued and to driue away all ydolatrie and superstition and to see that it bee not Lawefull for anie man to spewe out blasphemies agaynst GOD. That is the thing which we haue to marke vpon this place And whereas it is alleadged that Iesus Christ vsed not the materiall sworde to aduaunce his doctrine withall that is true and wee also bring not the sworde in our hande into the pulpit to prooue the things that wee preache But lette vs learne to put a difference betweene offices and let vs consider howe our Lorde Iesus Christe came to preache his worde when hee woulde that such as receiue it should euerie man in his owne state and calling followe whatsoeuer is ordeined for him Nowe it is true that in the time of our Lorde Iesus Christ the great men of the worlde claue not to the Gospell no more than we see them doe yet still at this day but the little ones and weakâ—linges were faine to be chosen thereby to beate downe the pride of the worlde as Saint Paule auoweth in the first to the Corinthians Ye see sayeth he that there bee not many noble men 1. Cor. 1.26 men of power or wise men among you And why For men are but too much giuen to the aduauncing of themselues and if God had begunne at the great ones the litle ones shoulde haue seemed as nothing But God ment to beate downe all pride that men might learne to chalendge nothing to themselues Notwithstanding howesoeuer the case stand when the great ones are called to the seruice of God then must they imploy theÌ„selues in the thinges that belong to their charge For the thinges that I alleadged out of Esay Dauid and diuerse other Psalmes belong to the reigne of our Lorde Iesus Christ and to the state of the Christian Church Therefore must we needes conclude that our Lorde will haue Princes and magistrates to vse the sworde that is giuen them to the mainteynaunce of his honour and of the vnitie of faith and good agreement so as if any man rayse vp trouble or goe about to sowe darnell he may be rooted out But is not that punishment too rigorous Yes for some will well ynough graunt as constrained thereunto that it is good that heresies shoulde be repressed but that it were too great an extremitie to proceede so farre as to punishe them with death Yea but as I sayde afore wee must esteeme Gods honour as it deserueth For if wee woulde that deceiuers shoulde be reprooued so as they might not haue their mouthes open and yet that they shoulde not bee vtterly suppressed as were requisite it were all one as if we shoulde say In deede we ought to please God but as for to put a man to death for blaspheming him what a thing were that Loe at what point we be Bet God for all that will not faile to be had in estimation as I sayde afore yea and that to our cost if wee goe that way to worke For the very cause in deede why we see the worlde infected with so many troubles and errours is our lasines in that wee haue neither zeale nor disposition to beate downe the leasinges of Satan Nay rather which worse is there are a great number which maintaine them willingly And yet in the meane while men crye out that all thinges are confounded that all thinges goe to hauocke and that there are so greate troubles as is pitie to beholde And what is the cause thereof Euen the princes that are willing to maintaine errours and further them by all meanes they can so as it may seeme that they bee of Satans setting vp as it were to vpholde his part against God and his worde Their people likewise desire nothing so much as to be fedde with lyes that is al their seeking and God sendeth it them For as I haue shewed afore it is a iust rewarde for them Why then should men cry alas or why should they be greeued at the matter when all men both great and small seeke the vtter defacing of Gods trueth and to giue scope to all manner of leasinges Therefore let vs learne in any wise to haue the zeale and affectioÌ„ which our Lorde commaundeth vs or else it wil come to passe the heresies
which they had seene with their eyes But beholde there followed a newe falling away euen in the life of Noy His owne children forsooke the seruice of GOD and forged ydols to them selues Nowe this ought of reason to bee taken for newe But the mischiefe continueth still and wee see that ydolatrie reigned euen in the time of Abraham Foure hundred yeares mo had passed at such time as the lawe was giuen yea there were passed about a fiue hundred yeares since the time that Abraham had beene an ydolater at home with his father Iosua 24.2 Superstition therefore had beene auncient and was become as it were rotten Men had weltered in it so long time that they might well say We in these dayes are not the first beginners thereof No but though an errour bee once waxen olde yet must not men make a custome of it neither must they of a wicked custome make a continuall lawe or rule Loe howe men beguyle themselues by sticking too stiffely to things that are growen into euill custome For why They beare them selues in hande that if a thing haue beene vsed of long time then it is lawfull for men to doe it But an euill custome is nothing else than an errour forgrowen And it is so much the woorse and the more to bee misliked because God hath beene the grieuouslyer offended by it Wherefore let vs beware that wee drawe not thinges to a consequence because they haue beene abused of long time but let vs still returne backe to the originall And this is a verie necessarie poynt for vs in these dayes For the Papistes affirme that the thinges which wee doe are newe and that they were inuented but a whyle agoe Yea but if wee aske them a proofe of their antiquitie what say they That such thinges haue beene done nowe these fiue hundred yeares Truely they lye most commonly with full mouth For the thing which they holde as chiefe and most resolute is not of so long continuance If yee seek for their confession or shrift about a foure hundred yeares agoe there was no lawe at all thereof If yee looke for their transubstantiation it is in like case They make men beleeue that the breade is no more a materiall thing but that it is God whome wee ought to worship And that is spycke and spawne newe I meane euen in accounting after the manner of men In like case is it with all the residue If wee looke vppon all the fashions which they holde at this day surely they bee but a renuing of the thinges that were in olde tyme and yet there is little or no resemblaunce in them But let vs put the case it were to bee graunted them that the forme of religion which they holde hath beene obserued by the space of a thousande yeares or mo What will a thousand yeares helpe when wee come before GOD They will not bee reckened for a day Psal. 90.4 2. Pet. 3.8 no nor for a minute as I sayde afore And where is then our true antiquitie In Iesus Christ who is the beginning of all thinges and to whome all things are to bee brought backe againe In the liuing God by whom our Lorde Iesus Christ is sent vnto vs to make his will knowen vnto vs. There must wee bee grounded if wee will haue the auncient faith For in holding our selues to men wee shall haue nothing but noueltie Score wee vp neuer so many yeares they will stande vs in no steede for all passeth and glydeth away But wee must haue him which hath neither beginning nor ending and his vnchangeable trueth must bee our rule When wee rest vppon that then haue wee the auncient faith And therefore wee at this day may well protect against the Papistes Turkes and Iewes themselues that they bee backeslyders and haue withdrawen themselues from the true and pure religion and that wee continue in the doctrine which hath beene followed in all ages worshipping the God which created vs which gaue foorth his lawe by the hand of Moses and which hath vttered himself most perfectly by the Gospel Bring wee here any newe thing Say wee that men must haue newe rules and newe fashions inuented by men at the Papistes doe For all their Religion is grounded vppon these poyntes namely that they must keepe the traditions of their elders that they must obserue the lawes of their mother holy Church that the same must bee taken in equall authoritie with the holy Scripture and that the holy Ghost was not giuen fully ynough to the Apostles but that the perfection of thinges was reuealed afterwardes to a sort of hypocrites and I wote not to whome else Those are thinges whereon the Papistes rest The Turkes are altogether Renegates The Iewes haue peruerted the lawe and haue no more of it but the dead letter because they haue refused Iesus Christ who is the soule therof as Saint Paul termeth him 2. Cor. 3.6.7 8. So then wee may well protest that our faith is auncient for as much as it is grounded vppon Gods trueth who neuer chaungeth ne varyeth and that men haue not taught vs any thing on their owne head but that wee haue the same God which hath vttered him selfe in all ages and that wee followe the doctrine whereunto hee woulde haue men to holde themselues which likewise is euerlasting Thus much concerning the first poynt And as touching the mention that is made of the fathers let vs marke that in this behalfe wee must in any wise vse discretion that wee take not those indifferently for our fathers which could not beget vs by the worde of God For the Egyptians and all the Infidels of the worlde coulde welynough say Our fathers liued so so haue they taught vs wee holde our religion of them and such sayinges might wel bee set as a sheelde to defende them But because God disclaymed their fathers therefore coulde that excuse stande them in no steede For God presupposeth heere that hee had called to him both Abraham and the Patriarkes and also that they had helde the true religion which thing did put a difference betwene them and the rest of the whole worlde Againe whereas hee sayeth that they had worshipped gods whome their fathers feared not it is all one as if hee shoulde vpbrayd them saying What I adopted and choose your fathers to bee my children and they worshipped mee as their God and will you nowe forsake mee To bee short wee must holde this for a generall rule our fathers are those whome God hath reputed and aduowed to bee his children Therefore whosoeuer seeketh any other fathers than the children of God shall finde nothing but bastardie And at that poynt are the Papistes For in speaking of the fathers they consider not that the Apostles and such other as haue beene begotten by the pure doctrine of the Gospel are our true fathers but they call hypocrites and dreamers yea and scorners of GOD which haue turned all thinges vpside downe their
agree in vnitie of faith God doeth vs to vnderstande that hee dwelleth among vs and our Lorde Iesus Christ doeth then shewe himselfe to bee the heade of that whole bodie That is the thing which wee haue to gather vppon this text where it is saide that the children of Leuie shall keepe Gods couenant And why For else it might perish in the worlde according whereunto Saint Paul saieth 1. Tim. 3.15 that the Church is the Arch the Piller and the vpholder of Gods trueth And howe is that Because that men as I haue saide afore are so inclined to vanitie and leasings that they shoulde bee alienated out of hande from the pure Religion if they were held still by that meane The Church then is as a Gardian to Gods trueth to the intent it shoulde not bee dâ—rie away but that we should alwayes haue that light among vs and that wee might vnderstand that where preaching is there Gods voice ringeth in our eares so as if wee were neuer so sore shaken too and fro yet doeth God giue vs a sure stay wherewith to resist all temptations Yee see then how the keeping of Gods couenant is committed to the Leuits and generally to all such as haue the office of sheepherds among Gods people Moreouer for the better maintaining of the pure Religion it behooueth them to haue a zeale of Gods honour they must all their life long indeuour to maintaine the doctrine and therewithall they must haue their mouthes open to preach the worde that is committed vnto them to the ende that that treasure bee not lost nor buried but that all men may bee made partakers thereof They shall preach thy lawe then vnto Iacob and thy doctrine vnto Israel so as Gods worde must needes be published if we will shew our selues to bee a people dedicated vnto him Againe let vs marke also that heere is speciall mention made of Gods worde and of his lawe to doe vs to wit that God will not haue mens inuentions to reigne among his people but will haue men to hold themselues wholly vnto him and as yee would say to hang altogether vpon his mouth Nowe then the children of Leuie haue not here a libertie giuen them to forge lawes after their owne liking and to set foorth whatsoeuer they list as the Pope and al his haue done And it is to be seene yet still at this day howe the same tyrannie reigneth in such sort that whatsoeuer is termed by the name of Gods seruice in Poperie is but a confused heape of all manner of dotages whereunto euery man hath put to his peece and yet they cannot alledge one syllable of holy scripture to shew that God alloweth their doings But men haue stepped foorth through their owne diuelish rashnes haue made Lawes and Statutes to binde mens consciences vnder paine of deadly sinne and moreouer haue coyned articles of faith at their owne pleasure From whence then hath all the doctrine of poperie beene taken Not from the fountaine of y e truth but from the hellish stinking puddle of Satan where there is nothing but confusion Where haue they founde their praying vnto Sainctes but in their owne braine or rather that Satan hauing forged it in his shoppe hath besotted them therewith Againe where finde they any of the thinges which they speak concerning works of supererogation Merits the Apes toyes of their Masse and all their Ceremonies in generall It is certaine that al these things were set forth by men But contrariwise our Lorde hath tolde vs here that he meaneth not to haue those to put forth any thing of their owne whom hee hath appointed to beare abroade his worde For the commission which hee gaue to the Leuites was to set those thinges abroade which they had receiued of him and to deale them forth plainly and rightly to the people taking good heede that they did not alter or falsifie any thing And therefore let vs marke that wee shall then bee allowed for Gods people when our faith flittereth not after the lure of mortall men without knowing why wee beleeue but that wee rest wholly vppon God and that when wee knowe that wee haue his worde to rule vs by then will hee vpholde and auowe vs to bee his Church But yet must wee alwayes come backe to this that it is not ynough for vs to haue the lawe written and to haue Gods worde in our handes and to make a priuate reading thereof at home in our houses but the same worde must also bee preached and expounded vnto vs. And why so Because Gods will is that it shoulde be so and therefore wee must not dispute vppon it For why The order which God hath set among vs is not to bee broken Neither hath hee doone it without cause and iust reason as I haue saide alreadie considering the frailtie that is in vs and how easily wee be led to swarue aside Moses addeth heereunto That they shall put vp the perfume vnto the nosethrilles of the Lorde and lay the whole burnt offerings vppon his Altar This concerneth the Ceremonies For vnder the Lawe they had thinges which we haue not nowadayes namely the figures of the things which were fulfilled in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For the Priesthoode did vs to vnderstande that the people coulde not haue any accesse vnto GOD without some meane And when the people came to worshippe God and to offer sacrifices they helde themselues in y e outmost court There was the first part wherein they all held themselues and it was not lawfull for them to preace any further There was also y e sanctuarie for the priests and lodgings for the tribe of Leuie Also there was the great Sanctuarie whereinto the high-priest entered all alone with great solemnitie And all this serued to shewe yet more liuely the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ. But nowe all those things are come to an end For there is no more shadowing the veile as it is said is broken asunder and we haue the heaueÌ„ly sanctuarie wherunto we be called right forth and Iesus Christ hath set it open for vs. And so there needeth nowe no more burnt offering there needeth no more sacrifising for sinnes for our Lorde Iesus Christ hath by his one only sacrifice wiped away the sins of the world made an euerlasting attonement the vertue whereof can neuer be diminished As often then as we will preace vnto God it is not for vs to bring thither either calfe or sheep but we must resort to the bloudshed of our Lorde Iesus Christ because that thereby the euerlasting redemption is purchased vnto vs. Nowe we see wherein the Priestes of the olde lawe differed from vs. Yet notwithstanding those which are ordeined at this day to preach Gods worde ought to knowe that God will haue them to shewe the way in praying to him And to that ende serued the perfumes that were made in the Temple Let vs not thinke that God taketh
10. Looke Couenants Promise of man What sinne is committed when a Promise bounde with an oth is broken 94. a 50.60 Of the Promise made in Marriage and of how great importance it is 789. b 10 Howe farre foorth men keepe touch in the thing that they Promise 94. a 10 Looke Couenant Promises of Men. When and by what default there wil alwaies bee some fainednesse in our Promises 94. a 10 The deceitfulnesse of men notwithstanding their Promises neuer so autentically made 94. a 40 Prophesie both true and false Howe â—he Iewes make their boast of the gift of Prophesie and why the same was giuen them 682. b 50.60 Two places touching the Prophesie of false Prophets comming to passe and not comming to passe reconciled 534. a 30.40.50.60 and b all Of Ieremies Prophesie touching the Iewes captiuitie in Babylon howe Homaniah went about to discredite and scorne the same 534. a 60. and b all Whether the Diuell can Prophesie or no. 533. b 50.60 534. a 10 Prophesies The blessinges that Iacob and Moses gaue the twelue tribes were Prophesies 1212. b 10. and a 20.30.40 What we must doe that wee maie not bee deceiued as in respect of particular Prophesies 533. b 10 All Prophesies performed in Christ to which intent he came 674. b 50.60 Prophet Vnto what Prophet we must not hearken and vnto whome these wordes appertaine 529. b 30.40.50.60 c. That a Prophet maie saie something that shall come to passe afterwarde and yet neuerthelesse not haue the more warran to be taken for a seruant of God 535. a 20.30 Howe euill Ieremie the Prophete was intreated for telling the trueth 538. a 60. b 10.20.30 Not the title onelie but the effect also of a Prophet must bee had and what that is 678. a 60. and b 10.677 a 20 Of a true Prophet and a false the differences of both and infallible tokens to knowe them 680. b 50.60 534. a all and 535. a 10 The meaning of Moses by these words God will raise vs vp a Prophet 664. a 20.30.40.50.60 â— 10. c. 665. a 10. 674. b 20.30 Howe Moseses wordes Yee shall obey the Prophet are meant 666. a 50.60 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes The man that will not heare y e Prophet shall die without release 675. a 30. c. Christ the great and cheefe Prophete promised to the Iewes 665. b 30. 642. a 40 False Prophet Howe a False Prophete preuailed against a true Prophet and withstood him to his facâ— 538. b 10.20.30 Howe we bee affected when the thing that a false Prophet saith to vs doth come to passe 531. a 10. and what we must do in such a case ibidem 20 Though a False Prophet speake the truth yet is not that a warrant that his doctrine is true 681. a. 30. Notable doctrine vpon these wordes Thou shalt not be afraide of such a False Prophet 684. a 20.30 Of a False Prophete that spake in as excellent a stile and manner of speech as could be of Gods vnchangeable truth 804. b 60. and 805. a 10.30.40 Prophetes Against such as holde that there is no more neede of the law and the Prophetes 463. a 30.40.50 God will haue vs to sift the Prophetes whether they teach aright or no. 677. b 50.60 and 678. a 10 To what ende God raiseth vp Prophetes and their charge 677. a 50.60 Why wee haue no Prophetes nowe adaies to tell vs of things to come by speciall reuelation 681. b 60. 682. a 10 Howe the true Prophetes did set them selues against the False Prophetes 681. b 10.20 What the Prophetes would saie when they meant to proue that they were sent of God 681. a 50. Example of Ieremie ibid. 60. b 10 Of the office of Prophets and in what pointes the same consisted 679. b 40 50.60 Ministers of the Church are in the same degree that the Prophets were and how 666. a 20.30 All the Prophetes tooke their end in Christ and he made a perfect conclusion of all 666. a 10 No more Prophetes in Israell after the time of Zacharie and Aggeus 665. b 40 That there shall be Prophetes alwaies in Gods Church 665. a 30 That God will raise vp Prophetes from time to time among the people and to what intent 665. a 10.20.30 and 67â— all What Christ meant by this saying That Iohn Baptist excelled all the Prophetes 675. b 50.60 676. a 10 Moses and his fellowe Prophetes were but seruantes and how 674. b 40 The Iewes were destitute of Prophets from Malachies time till the comming of Christ. 1247. a 40. b 10 Moses excelled all the Prophetes that were to be founde in Israell why 1246.30.40.50.60.1247 al. False Prophetes What ought to bee our refuge when there rise vp neuer so manie False Prophets among vs. 527. b 50.60.529 a 50.60 b 10 Of False Prophetes who they bee and howe wee must withstande them 528. b. 40.50.60 and 530. a 30. and 531. a 30 The order that False Prophets true Prophets vse in their admonitions doe differ and how 534. b 40.50 The offence of False Prophetes aggrauated by comparison 536. a 60. and b 10.20.30 and 537. b 10.20 Remedies for the rooting of False Prophetes and heretikes out of the Church 536. a 20.30.40.50.60 Why God setteth downe a lawe for False Prophetes 679. a 30 Howe it commeth to passe that False Prophets doe sometimes speake the truth 680.50 b. 60. 681. a 10.20 Tokens whereby to discerne False Prophetes aright 679. b 40.50.60 Two sorts of False Prophets set downe by the Lord himselfe 682. a 60. and b 10 Howe God will turne the sayings of the False Prophetes into the contrarie 682. a 40.50 The pride and presumption of False Prophetes noted and condemned 683. a 30.40.50.60 The cause why Moses saith that he wil discouer False Prophets 682. a 10.20 False Prophetes or teachers that goe about to seduce Gods people from the right waie compared to bitter rootes 1032. a 50. b all 1033. a b all To what ende God suffereth False Prophets to bee stirred vp by Satan to sowe their daâ—nell among vs. 533. a 10 Prosper Howe a man should bethinke himselfe if he would Prosper in his owne person 952. b 50.60 953. a 10.20 948 b 50.60 How it is not alwaies perceiuable that God doeth prosper them that serue him and why 324. b 60. 325. a 10 The way how to Prosper all our life loÌ„g 482. a 50.519 a 20. 551. a 30.40 345. b 10.20 How we seeke and intend to Prosper as it were in despite of God and of the ende of our drifts therein 518. b 10.20 What a kinde of contentation we must haue if God list to Prosper vs. 355. b 40 What wee haue to learne when God promiseth to Prosper vs if wee serue him 347. a 10. Looke Blessed Prosperitie Prosperitie a good trial to bewray what is in mens hearts see howe 349. a 10 From whence all manner of Prosperitie
THE SERMONS OF M. IOHN CALVIN VPON THE FIFTH BOOKE OF Moses called Deuteronomie Faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open Pulpet Together with a preface of the Ministers of the Church of Geneua and an admonishment made by the Deacons there Also there are annexed two profitable Tables the one containing the chiefe matters the other the places of Scripture herein alledged Translated out of French by ARTHVR GOLDING ET INVENTA EST PERIIT AT LONDON Printed by Henry Middleton for GEORGE BISHOP Anno Domini 1583. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Syr Thomas Bromley Knight Lord Chauncelour of England one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell his singular good Lord health prosperitie and increase of Honour BEing desirous to testifie my duetifull minde towardes your good Lordship I thought there could be no better meane in all respects than the dedication of this present worke which containeth a large exposition of the whole Lawe of God and of the practise thereof in the Commonweale of Israel wherof the onely reading with due consideration may iustly commend it many wayes euen to such as are of greatest learning wisedome authoritie and vertue For if we haue an eye to the author of the groundworks thereof it is God and not man If to the Lawemaker it is the Lawe of the Iudge of the whole world the lampe of light the welspring of wisdome the touchstone of truth the rule of right the ground of goodnesse the bond of blessednesse the loadstarre to life the opener of our vnderstanding and the gouernour of our wits the faithfull following whereof is the way to welfare the procurer of peace the path of true pleasure the entrie of immortalitie and the harbourer of happinesse Or if we haue an eye to the maner of the deliuering thereof it is most woonderful accompanied with many great myracles signes and tokens and honoured with the glorie and maiestie of Gods owne presence If to the intent of the Lawegiuer it is the repayring and reforming of man according to the Image of his maker in true holinesse and righteousnesse If to the end of the Lawe it is to driue vs vnto Christ that by him wee might be saued If to the obedience which it requireth it is altogether spirituall holie euerlasting All which things are not onelie great but the greatest that can be and fuller of maiestie and glorie than can be expressed or conceiued by man Againe if we haue an eye to the partie by whose seruice and ministery this law was published hee was a man peculiarlie chosen of God indued with most excellent giftes ful of the holy Ghost such a prophet as neuer had his like Christ onlie excepted a figure of Christ familiar with God a perfect paterne of a good gouernour and a verie father of his Commonweale Or if we haue an eye to the parties to whom it was deliuered they were a people whom God had purposely chosen redeemed and deliuered from most miserable thraldome to the intent to be their King and to dwell among them and that they should be vnto him a holie people and a royall Priesthoode for euer which things are surelie most excellent and singular prerogatiues And as for the Preacher of these Sermons by whom the sayde things are laide foorth and expounded to the better vnderstanding of the Reader it is well knowen that for the manifold talents and excellent gifts which God had bestowed vpon him and for his diligent and most painfull imploying of the same to the beating downe of Idolatrie and superstition to the winning of folke vnto God and to the edifying of Christs flock he was in his lifetime and yet still is a man of great reputation and renowme As for mine owne trauell in translating this worke I humbly submit the iudgement and censure thereof to your Lordships fauourable acceptation the obtainement whereof shall greatlie increase my gladnesse in that I haue done any thing whereby the Church of GOD is or may bee any whit edified Written the xxj of December 1582. Your good Lordships most humble alvvaies at Commaundement ARTHVR GOLDING To the Christian Reader Grace and Peace from GOD c. IT is no small fauour that wee daily receiue from the hands of our God partly by the publike ministerie of his word and partlie by the priuate reading of such good workes as by the meanes of manie his faithfull seruants he hath published and spread abroad in this last age of the world But as the beholding of this doth make manie Godly mindes to reioyce in that they see Gods great goodnes striuing continuallie to ouercome the malice and frowardnesse of mans minde So on the otherside it pincheth them at the heart when they perceiue not only what slender entertainment Gods graces haue amongst vs but euen what manifest contempt is offered vnto them while men notwithstanding the woonderful sunshine of Gods holie trueth remaine in as great darkenesse almost in respect of iudgement and be as dissolute and carelesse in their conuersation as euer they were in the time of the most grosse and palpable blindnes Would to God that the miserable experience of our dayes were not too plaine a proofe of this point And yet this is not spoken either as in dislike of our state with some discontented people or to the discrediting and defacing of Gods religion which we professe with the practising Papists who with one blow at the Gospel would if they could crafâ—â—lie cut the throate both of Religion and policie but in all holie loue and affection to make this carelesse generation more studious to labour to abound both in sound knowledge of the trueth and in all holie obedience to the same In which respect not onelie are these few lines written at this present but this notable worke of Master Caluins Sermons vpon Deuteronomie published that in our owne natiue Language wherein what paine and cost hath beene bestowed that they might come foorth as beneficiall to the Christian Reader as might be though I my selfe may speake much in trueth as an argument of some weight to induce the godly brethren to the buying and reading thereof yet letting that point passe as a matter not much to be stoode vpon I minde onely to presse those things and that also in very fewe words which shal be most material And that is that as al states and conditions of men may out of the same fetch many profitable points for their instruction both in faith and obedience towards God and man so particularly if a man would ouerthrow Atheists or confute Papists and other Heretikes or wound the wicked or encourage the faint hearted or comfort the afflicted conscience cast downe with the sight of sinne or performe any other seruice towards God himselfe or other men he shall haue matter and that in great store plentifully ministred vnto him for the performance of these and all other dueties whatsoeuer Wherefore I would aduise thee good Reader to get it speedilie
y e whole world and so must wee doe Though all the whole world crie out with one voyce that it is not now needefull to rest vpon the holy scripture and that the opinions of the great wise men of the world shall stand let vs giue eare to that which GOD sayeth Albeit there were but one man that laboured to bring vs from the errours and superstitions that haue full scope euerywhere yet let that one man bee more esteemed at our handes than a hundred thousand others For wee see the rule thereof that is giuen vs here And although Moses was the writer of this Booke yet is it the holy Ghostes dooing who vsed him as an instrument Now then where it is saide That the spies reported it to bee a good land wee see that the two are set downe at it were in the roome of all the twelue and the other tenne are laid vnderfoote For they were not worthie to bee remembred and we knowe that God destroyed them for their vntrustinesse Then if there bee any deceiuers that seduce the common people so as their wicked doctrine is receiued and men like well of them and in the meane while there are very fewe that teache vs to serue God purely let vs heare those fewe let vs not sticke to say These are the teachers that instruct vs rightly what wee ought to doe Though the nomber of their aduersaries be neuer so great let vs not make any account of theÌ„ forasmuch as we see that God destroyeth them that they be as it were rased out of his booke for beholde this storie written by Moses is the very register of God Insomuch that whereas on the one side ten men had conspired to miscarie the people they were all reiected God made no reckening nor account of them And on the contrarie part whereas there were but two that incouraged the people faithfully those were put in nomber for all y e rest for they were well worthy to be esteemed as ministers and shepherdes in Gods Church for their due perfourming of their charge Therfore if we marke this text we shall be throughly armed and fenced against all the stumbling blockes y t trouble most men who when they see a sort of dogges barking at Gods trueth are vtterly at their wits ende and knowe not what to doe nor where to become Wherefore let vs looke to obserue the rule that God giueth vs then shall wee euer keepe on our course neuer be turned out of the way for the troubles and diuisions that we see in the world And hereunto also ought that to serue which Moses addeth You would not saith he but were disobedient To whom He saith not singly vnto God but vnto the mouth of God This maner of speache might seeme harsh at the first sight but yet it importeth good doctrine Wee know that men are alwayes desirous to excuse themselues wheÌ„ they withstand God and incounter his word and yet for all that they ceasse not to protest that they meane not to be against God Their intent then is that men should not thinke them to doe that which they do But here to cut off occasion of all startingholes the holy Ghost saith expresly that we must yeeld to Gods mouth And what is meÌ„t by this mouth of his It is his vttering of his will vnto vs when he speaketh to vs by his ministers by his Prophets and by such as he raiseth vp in his Church to gouerne hâ—s people That then is y e thing that wee must take heede vnto for God will not shewe himselfe to vs in visible maner True it is that at the same time he gaue signes tokens to the end it might bee knowâ—n that he himselfe spake by Moses but yet in the meane while he vsed Moses as his instrument therewithall confirmed his lawe which was published at that time After him came the Prophets and them also did God vse as his mouth but in the Gospell wee haue his mouth open most of all So then let vs marke well y â— they which protest that their intent is to serue God in the meane while make none account of his word as it is vttered and left in writing are but hypocrites yea euen shamelesse hypocrites bicause the deede it selfe proueth them liars For whereas they on the one side say that their intent is to serue God and God on y e other side intendeth to trie our obedience by setting his word before vs y e same is a good triall to discerne whether our saying that we be his seruantes be so in good earnest or no. For thereby it appeareth that they hearken not to his word but rather reiect it preferre their owne opinions and fancies before it And so ye see a point that ye ought to marke wel And hereby it appeareth how much y e whole world is to be condemned now adayes For y e Papistes can well ynough say y t their intent is to be subiect vnto God yea to what purpose else do they take so great paines martyr theÌ„selues in their foolish deuotions All the Idolatries which they commit they terme by the name of Gods seruice But yet for all that behold wee haue the holy scripture wherein God hath vttered his will vnto vs and he will haue men to be ruled thereby This is alledged to the Papistes to the end they should not followe their owne lykings but submit themselues to the bridle in such sorte as God hath layde it vppon vs and beare his yoke quietly But contrariwise they will needes serue God after their owne imaginations as we see by the confused mingling that is among theÌ„ which maketh it manifest that they haue no care at all to obserue Gods commaundements For their saying is mee thinkes that this is good thus were we taught by our fathers Wherby we see that they doe flatly resist Gods mouth They will not stick afterward to say O wee worship God Yea marie but God will haue men to harken to his mouth and we knowe what maner a one that is namely euen the same wherewith he hath spoken by Moses and the prophets and finally by the Apostles by whom he hath taught vs familiarly all that euer hee would haue vs to doe So then let vs nowe take good heede to this doctrine for wee cannot disobey Gods mouth that is to say his word but it is a manifest despising of him for they be things that differ not neither can they be separated asunder Furthermore not onely the Papistes doe prouoke God by resisting his word but also we see that euen they which possesse the Gospell will beleue nothing but that which lyketh theÌ„selues For what reuereÌ„ce hath the holy scripture nowadayes among a nomber of men In deede the word Gospell costeth them nothing but in the meane while if a man tell them that God sayth not any thing which is not there euery man takes vpon him to bee an
wandering in the wildernesse by the space of fortie yeeres God shewed yet more harde and rigorous vengeance vppon them afterwarde in the thraldome of Babylon and other miseries that happened vnto them for the thraldome of Babylon lasted three score and ten yeares And at their returne although he shewed great and wonderfull power yet were they but a handfull which were saued according to this saying of the Prophet Esay Esa. 10.22 though thy people were as the sande of the sea yet shoulde but a small remnant of them be saued And in another place hee saith we had beene as Sodome and Gomorre Esa. 1.9 if God had not reserued a little seede yea euen a verie little one Wee see then that God increased his wrath against such as amended not at the example of their fathers And why Because they were the lesse to bee excused for they ought to haue taken warning by the punishmentes that were prepared for them Therefore did they double their offence And what thinke we of the desolation that hath happened since the first preaching of the Gospell for the refusall whereof the wretched world hath wandred so astray as all things haue bin corrupted in the Church so that in steede of Gods seruice there hath beene nothing but abhominations insteed of truth there hath beene nothing but diuelish lyes and errours and all thinges haue beene put out of order there and that the same confusion hath lasted nowe so long time All these thinges doe put vs in minde that Gods voyce ought to sounde shirler noweadayes in the Gospell than it did in the Lawe For as is saide by the Prophet Aggeus Agge 2.7 God maketh heauen and earth to quake nowadayes when the Gospel is preached And besides that wee haue all the thinges that befell to the people of olde time which serue vs as a liuely picture There must wee beholde Gods wrath to restrayne our selues from doing euil 1. Cor. 10.11 as Saint Paul sheweth vs in y e tenth of the first to the Corinthians But if wee make no reckening therof is it not reason that God shoulde punish vs sorer than hee did the Iewes Let vs learne then to hearken to Gods voyce while it soundeth in our eares and let vs beware that wee harden not our heartes least God sweare in his wrath For it is saide expresly that God sware And whie Because men thinke his threates to be vaine if hee make them not to perceiue that hee speaketh in good earnest And of a trueth we see dayly that when Gods threatnings are vttered vnto vs a great many of vs do but shake our eares at them and the number of those that are touched with them is verie smal Therefore the othe that GOD sweareth is no more than needeth euen in respect of the blockishnesse that is in men forasmuch as they bee so foolish as to make but a mocke of euerie thing that is tolde them And like as God to helpe the weakenesse of our faith vseth an othe when hee confirmeth his promises so on the contrarie part hee vseth to sweare when hee threatneth to punishe vs. And why To the ende that being afraide and abashed at it wee shoulde come to repentance For if wee bee not made to stoope that wee may take holde of Gods iustice our faultes will neuer mislike vs. Gods iustice then must become as a thunder or lightning and we must bee abashed before him that we may no more bee so drunken in our sins as wee were And therefore whensoeuer Gods threatnings do not dismay vs sufficiently let vs cal to minde the oth that Moses speakes of here and let vs assure our selues that it is we whom the same pointeth at according to that which I haue alledged alreadie both out of the Psalme and out of the record of the Apostle And therewithall let vs also marke well the words that are set downe heere by Moses None of this cursed and wicked generation saith hee shall see the good land that I haue promised Heere GOD maketh a comparison betweene lande and the people This lande then was a singular gift in token whereof hee calleth it his rest meaning thereby that he had chosen that lande to bee as a dwelling place and euerlasting inheritance for the people to rest in vnder his protection For there is no certaintie in this worlde and if wee bee lodged in any place wee may bee put out of our nest againe to day or to morrowe But God tolde them that hee had assigned the lande of Chanaan for an euerlasting possessiō to the children of Abraham to mainteine them and keepe them safe there so as no man shoulde trouble them nor euer driue them out againe Yee see then that the lande was not a common gift but a gift that deserued to bee esteemed as most excellent aboue al others But behold the people on the otherside are malicious and froward Therefore it is all one as if our Lorde shoulde say I see wel ynough howe the worlde goes I shall sooner make fire and water to agree than cause this people to like of my benefits For in my benefites there is nothing but meere goodnesse and in this people there is nothing but meere naughtinesse Let vs marke well then that to inioy Gods benefites wee must frame our selues to his will and righteousnesse for our naughtinesse and Gods goodnesse can neuer match together insomuch that if wee will needes followe our owne nature God must needes withdrawe his goodnesse away from vs. True it is that God looketh not for any worthinesse at our hands why hee shoulde doe vs good nay rather hee fighteth dayly against our sinnes and vseth mercie where as hee might lawfully vse rigour against vs. But yet for all that if hee see that we continue in our naughtinesse hee can no longer continue in doing vs good Yee see then that the doctrine which we haue to gather vppon this consideration is that there must bee as it were an accorde and melodie betweene God and vs and that when hee imparteth his benefites vnto vs we must make such estimation of them as wee indeuer to serue and honour him for them and consider that he calleth vs to him to plucke vs backe from our sinnes If wee doe so the good that he hath done vs shal be confirmed more more Otherwise it must needes bee that our naughtinesse shall cut off the course of his goodnesse Why so For as I haue said alreadie when God offreth men his benefits they refuse them of a wilfull frowardnesse it is as if fire and water should meete together But besides this wee must also marke Gods vpbrayding of the people with their saying that their yong children shoulde be a pray to their enemies They saith he shall possesse the lande yea euen to the intent that you may be proued lyers Heere it behoueth vs to marke well that when men will needes doubt of Gods trueth they must in the ende be
vpon the fourth Chapter NOw then O Israel hearken to the ordinaunces and Lawes which I teache you to doe that yee may liue and goe in and possesse the lande which the Lord God of your fathers giueth you 2 Ye shall not adde anie thing to the word which I command you neither shall yee take anie thing from it to intent yee may keepe the commaundementes of the Lord your God which I commaund you THe conclusion y t Moses maketh here is wel worthie to be marked for it maketh for the matter which hath bin expounded heretofore that is too wit that wee haue neede to bee prepared to the obeying of our God because wee bee disobedient of our own nature and our affections drawe contrarie to his will insomuch that whereas hee will haue vs to walke vprightly there is nothing but vtter lewdenesse in vs. Againe if wee happen to haue any good disposition desire to walke after Gods commaundementes wee start away incontinently in the turning of a hand and there is no constancie in vs towardes any good On the other part wee haue a sorte of foolishe dotages which cary vs away so as wee will needes bee euer disputing with God yea and be wiser than hee Therefore haue wee neede to be subdued and humbled by al meanes or else God shall neuer be able to welde vs. For this cause it is sayd that the people heard not the lawe published vnto them one day onely but that they were often times put in minde of it And that forasmuch as they were stubborne GOD had subdued them by many chastisementes as by leading them about in the wildernesse the space of fortie yeeres to inure them to obedience and by trying them diuers wayes to teach them that it was no resisting of such a maister After that Moses hath treated of all those thinges hee sayth Harken now O Israell what I tell thee in the name of God As if hee should say it is time now or neuer for you to begin to walke in obedience that yee bee no more lyke wilde folke as yee haue bin that yee giue not head to your wicked lustes that yee bee not so fierce as to shake off Gods yoke and that ye stick not to your owne fond inuentions which make you to runne astray but that yee beare well in minde what yee haue indured For if yee cannot yet bowe your neckes to submit your selues to your GOD in the ende hee must be faine to breake you if ye will not bowe Now heere yee his voyce sayth hee And wee must apply this to our vse That is to say Seeing it is now a great while agoe since wee began to heare the worde of God wee must not bee still as young nouices we must not bee lyke the young bullockes or Steeres which cannot yet skill what it is to beare the yoke but wee must bee throughly acquainted with obeying If they that neuer were taught Gods trueth bee wilde-headed and cannot finde in their heartes to stoope at the first but runne gadding heere and there after a number of worldly vanities it is not to bee wondered at True it is that that shall not serue to excuse them no surely for seeing that God hath created vs to the ende to serue and honor him wee ought to giue our selues wholy vnto him euen from our mothers wombs Neuerthelesse if wee be somewhat straunge for want of teaching it may bee borne withall among men But if at the end of twentie yeeres when wee haue had our eares continually beaten with the Gospell so as GOD hath spoken vnto vs earely aud late and cryed out vnto vs to waken vs wee abide still at our Absie and wot not what rule or doctrine meaneth must it not needes bee sayd that wee bee of too vntowarde a nature Yes and that is it which the Apostle meaneth in saying 1. Cor. 3.1 yee ought by this time to haue bin great doctors in respect of the time that yee haue gone to schoole and beholde yee bee still rawe and vnlearned so as it shoulde seeme that GOD neuer spake to you According then to the time that God of his grace shall haue bestowed in teaching of vs by his worde let vs learne to yeelde our selues the more teachable and to shewe that he hath not lost his labor but that we haue profited well in his schoole And this poynteth at vs inespecially For howe long time hath the Gospel beene preached among vs so as wee heard nothing else euery day but what Gods will is Nowe then it is good reason that wee on our side should not bee so straunge but that wee shoulde consider that wee ought not to bee still newe to beginne in the things that haue beene tolde vs so often alreadie And againe wee must profite also as well by chastisementes as by teaching If GOD haue humbled vs in any wise because hee seeth that wee cannot otherwise bee subdued vnto him so as hee hath tamed one with sickenesse and another with pouertie after what fashion soeuer GOD hath made vs to feele his hande let vs looke well to it that wee profite our selues thereby and that this word Now which Moses vseth here be wel printed in our hearte and minde So that if wee haue bin ouerseene if wee haue not at the first bin so well disposed to liue as it becommeth vs if wee haue not bin so forewarde as wee ought to haue bin in running to our God when hee hath called vs at leastwise let vs not continue so hardharted and stubborne to the vttermost But nowe let vs see in effect what Moses requireth here Hearken O Israel sayth he to the ordinaunces and statutes which I teach thee to doe that thou mayst liue and enter into the land which the Lorde thy God giueth thee and possesse it Here Moses declareth that our lyfe shall alwayes bee full of disorder and confusion vntill wee haue yeelded so much authoritie vnto God ouer vs as to haue the whole guyding of vs and that wee haue made our account to rest simply vppon his worde To bee shorte wee bee taught heere to rid our selues of all selfeweening and that when the case concerneth how to liue well wee must not step to it vppon our owne head and after our owne fancie to say this seemeth good to mee Whereat must wee then begin At learning as Moses declareth And therefore hee that giueth eare vnto God to receiue whatsoeuer is tolde him from him shall bee well learned But on the contrary part vntill such time as wee haue heard our GOD speake and that hee haue performed the office of a teacher towardes vs it is certeine that our life shall be quite out of order Wee may well flatter our selues as ignorant wretches doe who beare themselues in hand that the worlde goes as well with them as is possible when in the meane while they be no better than bewitched so as there is neither wit nor discretion in them Ye see
without cause saide that if wee looke well to our selues none of all the wretched vnbeleeuers which torment themselues to atteine vnto God and holde not the right way thither haue such aduauntage as wee haue For whensouer we call vpon God simplie and according to his worde wee be neuer disappointed Psa. 145.18 But now let vs come to that which Moses addeth concerning statutes and laws which is the principall point of this sentence What people is there saith he which hath so rightfull statutes and ordinances as we haue Truely if a man would haue beleeued the heathen they thought verie well of themselues in their owne dotages and they bare themselues in hand that there was nothing but sounde perfection in them But yet for all that it is a wonder to see howe they became so dull They that otherwise were of great skill and sharpewitted were become so brutish in their superstitions as euen little children might iustly haue beene ashamed of them But the light must be faine to shine in the darke or else it will neuer bee possible to discerne a right And for proofe thereof what is the cause that the heathen are so hardened in their owne dotages It is for that they neuer knewe Gods Lawe and therefore they neuer compared the trueth with the vntruth But when Gods lawe commeth in place then doeth it appeare that all the rest is but smoke insomuch that they which took them selues to be maruelous wittie are founde to haue beene no better than besotted in their owne beastlinesse This is apparant Wherefore let vs marke well that to discerne that there is nothing but vanitie in all worldly deuises we must knowe the Lawes and ordinances of God But if we rest vppon mens lawes surely it is not possible for vs to iudge rightly Then must wee needes goe first to Gods schoole and that will shewe vs that when wee haue once profited vnder him it will be ynough That is all our perfection And on the otherside wee may despise all that euer is inuented by man seeing there is nothing but fondnesse and vncertainty in them And that is the cause why Moses termeth them rightfull ordinances As if he shoulde say it is true indeede that other people haue store of ceremonies store of rules and store of Lawes but there is no right at all in them all is awrie all is crooked True it is that they perceiue it not and what is the cause thereof but for that it is not possible for them to discerne good from euill without Gods worde which is the trueth Howesoeuer wee fare wee cannot do the thing that is iust or right except wee haue first learned it at Gods hande And if wee haue beene so farre ouerseene as to allowe our owne doings let vs not goe on still for God will disallowe euerie whit of it because wee must take all our rightnesse at his trueth In this case it is not for euerie man to bring his owne weightes and his owne balance but wee must hold ourselues to that which God hath vttered and doth vtter True it is that Moses doeth greatly magnifie the people of Israell heere but yet neuerthelesse we must vnderstande that the priuiledge which is so greatly magnified heere did nothing aduantage those which reiected the lawe and profited not themselues thereby The Iewes are termed heere a wise and skilfull people a noble people a people that hath nothing but excellency and worthinesse in them And why so Because God had chosen them and vttered his iudgementes and righteousnesse vnto them Esa. 42.18 But yet for all that on the other side they be termed blinde and deafe And why Because they did what they coulde to haue quenched the light that God had kindled for them We knowe that they were taught by the doctrine which conteined their whole wisedome And therefore when they despised it they coulde not be but dubble blinded insomuch that the ignorance of the heathen and infidels was nothing in comparison of theirs that had so reiected Gods grace when it was put into their handes And that is a point well worthie to bee weyed The Iewes do arme themselues yet still at this day with the same texte when they list to commende themselues Tush say they it is saide that wee bee men of vnderstanding a people of great wisedome a people of passing nobilitie and worthinesse This is true if they had helde fast the treasure that God gaue them and kept it well But seeing they bee fleeted away from the law or rather y e a veyle is cast before their eyes 2. Cor. 3.14 16. because of their reiecting of Iesus Christ yea and seeing that euen before his comming they disobeyed the Prophetes and became hardharted against the doctrine of saluation that was brought to them it coulde not bee but that as I saide afore they must needes become more ignoraunt than all the rest of the worlde For if the heathen bee as good as destitute of reason because they haue not beene in Gods schoole needes must they to whome GOD hath spoken Eph. 4.18 and yet are disobedient therevnto needes must they I say bee striken with the spirite of disinesse and bee caried away by the diuell and become as wilde beastes so as they shall not offende of simple ignorance as they doe which neuer hearde any thing but of wilfull rage more than beastly Euen after that manner is it happened to the Iewes And it is the verie same thing wherewith the Prophete Esaye vpraideth them in his two and forteeth chapter saying Hearken ye deafe Esa. 42.18.20 see yee blinde And why speaketh hee to the deafe and blinde to heare and see well Hee addeth the reason by and by saying yee haue seene ynough and yee haue hearde ynough but yee haue not regarded it Also God complayneth of his paines taken in teaching of his people and of losing his labour therein For saieth hee haue not I done workes ynowe among you Yes but what for that You haue had neither eares nor eyes And nowe if yee bee compared to the rest of the worlde yee passe all the heathen and vnbeleeuers in blindnesse And why For yee haue had teaching ynough and too much And his vpbraiding and blaming of them is not for that they had not sufficient experience whereby to haue beene dewly taught but for that they did shut their eyes and woulde not profite themselues by the thinges that GOD shewed them Seeing that the Iewes are thus blamed by the Prophet notwithstanding that Moses had reported them to bee a people of wisedome and vnderstanding let vs come to our selues and consider that if this bee happened to the naturall braunches what shall become of the impes that are grassed into the tree as Saint Paul speaketh of it in the eleuenth to the Romanes Rom. 11.17 It is certaine that the Iewes went before vs in preheminence or at lestwise they had the birthryght in Gods Church
Exod. 4.22 and haue it yet stil. And which more is Ep. 2.12.13 at such time as wee were straungers vnto God they were his householde folke and in his house and Church Rom. 9.4 Yet notwithstanding euen after they had beene inlightened as wee see heere they were condemned of greater blindnesse than the wretched Painims that neuer had any taste of the trueth nor any one sparke of good knowledge And why for they had made themselues vnworthy of such a benefite But God in these dayes sheweth himselfe more familiarly to vs than he did to the fathers in the time of the lawe 2. Cor. 3.18 For in the Gospell his face shineth foorth in such wise as wee may beholde it to be transfigured into his glorie Is not our Lorde Iesus the liuely image of God his father And doeth not hee shewe himselfe in such wise in his Gospel that we may discerne him as well as if he dwelt among vs Nowe then if wee haue not our eyes open to receiue this doctrine nor bee diligent to profite in the same muste not the vengeance which the Prophet Esaye speakes of light vpon our heads that is to wit that wee shall be more blinde and brutish than the heathen Esa. 42.20 for as much as wee haue seene and woulde not see And in good sooth wee knowe it without his telling vs thereof Looke me vppon the Turkes they haue some reuerence to their religion and so haue the Papistes also yet are both of them cut off from the Church of God through their own fault but yet are they not so much to blame as wee Therefore when men slide backe againe after they haue once knowen the Gospell yee shall see them become like dogges so as there is no more honestie nor feeling of God in them but they bee vtterly bewitched and growe into the senslesnesse of minde which Saint Paul speaketh of 1. Tim 4.4 namely that they make no remorse of conscience at any thing And wee neede not to goe farre to seeke examples hereof For euen among vs there are diuers to bee seene who hauing vnhallowed Gods word after that sort are become starke madde and fall at defiance with GOD being possessed with such diuelish rage as there remaineth not any more shamefastnesse in them Therefore when wee see this geere we ought to quake at it and to say Loe howe GOD reuengeth the contempt of his worde And therefore let vs beare in minde that when God hath bene so gratious to vs as to doe the office of a scholemaster among vs and to teach vs by his word it behooueth vs to followe the light thereof For if it bee put out through our naughtinesse it must needes bee that wee shall become more dull of vnderstanding than all the rest of the worlde whiche neuer wist what GOD or true Religion is Thus yee see what wee haue to marke as in respecte of this sentence Nowe Moses addeth immediatly Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue seene nor let them euer depart from thy heart that is to wit the day wherein thy God made thee to appeare before his Maiestie in the valley of Hareb. There hee taught thee his lawe when hee willed mee to make you all to appeare together before him Therfore be mindfull of that day and let it neuer be forgotten Nowe when as Moses saith take heede to thy selfe keepe thy soule Hee sheweth that hee cannot sufficiently expresse the care which wee ought to haue to walke in the feare of God and to make and keepe good watch for feare of starting from him least the diuell harrie vs abrode and make vs become as stray sheepe Nowe if this bee not superfluous what needeth any more to quicken vs vp withall See howe God speaketh heere hee saieth not onely take heede to your selues but also take heede to your selues and take heede to your soules That is to say vppon perill of your liues take heede to your selues and watch well that yee bee not taken vnwares And this is not said without cause for wee see howe frayle wee bee Although God haue giuen vs so sure a foundation as wee can neuer be shaken downe if wee holde vs to it yet doe wee nothing but totter and euerie thing of nothing maketh vs to reele Seeing then that our nature is so vnconstant and wee swarue so easily from Gods trueth let vs assure our selues that this exhortation is not set downe heere without cause Againe wee see also howe wyly the diuell is and howe many meanes hee hath to beguile vs and wee are easily ledde to giue eare to such as seduce vs. Also there is great policie vsed to deceiue vs insomuch that the cousiners doe shroude themselues euen vnder the name of GOD in their foisting in of their false doctrines and errours and the diuell disguiseth himselfe by transforming himselfe into an Angel of light as S. Paul speaketh of him 2. Cor. 11. â— and hee assaulteth vs not some one way onely 1. Pet. 5.1 but when hee perceiueth that hee hath missed on the one side hee runneth streight to the other so as wee haue no sooner withstoode one assault but wee must by and by come to another Seeing then that wee on our sides are so fraile and the diuell hath such shifte of wyles and slyghtes to beguyle vs we may well assure our selues it is not for nought that Moses willeth vs here to beware euen vpon perill of our soules But what for that Wee see neuerthelesse how ill this doctrine is put in practise For wee bee carefull ynough for the thinges that concerne this earthly life insomuch that we stande alwayes vpon our gard for feare of being taken vnwares and on what side so euer a man come to assaile vs he can not enter vpon vs for wee are euer armed but as concerning Gods worde wee forget that out of hand True it is that men will come to some Sermon nowe and then for fashions sake but when they come home againe they neuer thinke more of it it is quite out of their rememberaunce it goes in at the one eare and out at the other as saieth the prouerb so that in the ende they finde themselues emptie and hungerstaruen bicause they made none account of the warning that is giuen vs here So then let vs learne to bee more watchfull and to keepe better warde and let vs weigh well this saying That we must take heed to our selues Why so For if wee doe not keepe good watche and looke well about vs wee shall wonder to see how soone the Diuell will haue snarled vs in his snares Moreouer forasmuch as it is very harde for vs to doe so and wee see that at one time or other wee bee quickly thrust out of the way let euerie of vs take good heede to himselfe and rowse vp all our wittes and gather them about vs applying
iudges seeth for you yea and that he seeth clearely and writeth y e things in his Registers which you forget and wilfully ouerslip and he will put you in rememberaunce of them to your cost For when so heynous offences are committed our Lorde will not haue them let slip vnder colour of simplicitie or pretence of ignorance but he wil haue them sifted out and information given of them the truth tried by all meanes possible so as mē may not say where are we nowe What is to bee done And when it commeth to iudgement he wil haue y e matter laid forth handled plainely so as the truth of it may be knowen and after al this diligence vsed he will haue sentence giuen according to y t which is knowen That is the first point namely that wee suffer not faultes and crimes to slip for want of due inquisition and examination how the case standeth There is a second point which I haue touched alreadie and that is y t God would there should bee some correction for such as commit manslaughter vnawares And thereby he sheweth as I said afore that he loueth mankinde dearely in so much that if wee offend that way although it be not of malice but by chaunce as they say in such wise as the lawe which he hath ordained meaneth although we ment not so to do yet neuerthelesse we must feele by experience see with our eyes howe deare mans life is vnto him This is another thing which wee haue to marke vpon this place And herewithall let vs marke also y t God intended to preuent y e daungers as we haue said y t the kinsfolk might not be prouoked for we bee too much subiect to our passions therefore he purposed to cut of occasions obiectes as they terme them In deede it is a wicked imperfectiō in me it is a vice worthie to bee condemned when I hate one y t hath slaine my brother or my neighbour vnwillingly or when I beare him any grudge And why For the poore mā is not blame worthy bicause God acquitteth him there is no fault in him And yet for all that I can not finde in my heart to looke vppon him but if he come towards my heart riseth against him I am mooued at him Therefore am I to blame Neuerthelesse GOD seeing our frailtie hath vouchsafed to beare with vs in y t behalfe hath not left vs without a remedie for it Now wee are warned thereby to eschew the occasions of al euill to the vttermost of our power if God on his part haue vouchsafed to deliuer vs from such temptations do not they ouerthrow themselues wilfully which thrust thēselues into them Sure this lesson is verie profitable extendeth verie farre For we see how a great nōber sticke not to fling out at randō to offēd God And wherby Through rashnes To their owne seeming they be able to resist whatsoeuer cōmeth in their way thereupon they step forth boldly and without discretion they maruaile greatly y t God shold disappoint their ouerlustinesse so as they neede not any thing else to make them to stumble yea and to tumble into some grosse fault Seeing then that we be ouer hardy in hazarding our selues against a nomber of temptations let vs learne y t God by giuing vs such a lawe doth warne vs generally to walke in feare It is true y t if God call mee to any thing all the daungers in the worlde must not hold me back nor stoppe me For why God calleth mee and he will shield mee But if I of mine owne foolish rashnesse will needes aduenture vppon a thing that God commaundeth mee not if it fall out to my harme what is the cause thereof but the ouerweening presumptuousnes wherewith I was puffed vp For I considered not mine owne frailtie that I should haue humbled my selfe before God to haue walked in his feare Then let vs marke well that wee must not cast our selues ouer boldly in daunger and promise our selues this and that as we see a nomber doe which say as for mee I can well serue God Although other men misbehaue themselues yet may I liue vertuously euen among the wicked It is true but art thou sure y t thou doest it No but this lustie gallant that speaketh thus stoutly intermingleth himselfe with the wicked and with their abhominations If he heare Gods name blasphemed and outrageously misused a hundred thousand times he winketh at it and vaileth his bonnet if he see any loosenesse and vnhonest pranckes hee intermedleth himselfe with them and if he happen not to giue his full consent to them yet he withstandeth them not Thus ye see how that vnder the colour of hardinesse mē cast themselues into daungers which they ought to shunne considering that God warneth them of them after that sort And herewithal Moses here setteth down the inquisition that was to bee made that is to say Whether there were any hatred at that present time or before Wherein he sheweth y t it is not ynough to heare a mans confession and his protestation y t he did it not vpon any malice wee must not stay there For if the offenders may bee beleeued there shall neuer be anie hanged they will well ynough cleare themselues and it is a common rule among them but the iudge must be of wisedom to bowlt out things to seeke out the truth some where else than at the mouth of the offender True it is that the confession of offenders ought to be takē but if a mā should tarie til they vtter things of their owne accord condemne themselues it were too great a mockerie Therfore they must be straitened and constrained to say the truth and triall must bee made by other meanes that men may be assured and vtterly out of doubt of it And euen verie nature it selfe sheweth it vs though there were no lawe written by Moses Thus ye see what we haue to remember vpon this place Whereas it is said that inquisition must bee made whether there were any malice borne to day or yesterday or of any time afore it is a manner of speache that is rife in the Hebrew tongue whereby is meant whether any hatred or rancour were perceiued to haue bin betwixt them at any time before And why For it is to bee presumed y t where there is any hatred the partie goeth to worke w t malice And contrariwise if it bee found y t there was no quarell no ill will no hatred no rancour can it bee saide that the manslaughter was committed of malice and set purpose No. And hereby we be put in minde that the life and conuersation of a man ought to direct and leade vs to the finding out of the matter True it is that we ought alwais to iudge of matters without respect of persons and we must euer haue an eye to the deede to the desert of the case as
first vpon the fifth Chapter 44 This is the Lawe which Moses did set before the children of Israel 45 These are the Couenants Ordinances and Lawes which Moses shewed to the children of Israel after they were come out of Egypt 46 Beyond Iordan in the valley against Bethphogor in the Lande of Sehon King of the Amorrhytes which dwelt in Hesebon whom Moses and the children of Israel smote after they were come out of Egypt 47 And possessed his land and the land of Og King of Basan two kings of the Amorrhytes which were beyond Iordan towards the Sunrising 48 From Aroer which is vpon the banke of the riuer Arnon vnto the Hill of Sehon which is Hermon 49 And all the plaine beyond Iordan Eastwarde vnto the Sea that is in the plaine vnder Asdoth of Phasga The fifth Chapter ANd Moses called all Israel and said vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and Lawes which I set before you this day that ye may learne them and keepe them in deede 2 The Lord our God made a couenant with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde our God made not this couenant with our fathers but with vs which are all here aliue at this day FOr as much as it is hard to keep men in subiectiō to GOD therfore after hee had chosen him a people he vouchsafed to rule thē not for once and awaye but euen so long time till they ought to haue bin well inured to his yoke And after the same maner doeth he deale dayly with his Church One worde ought to bee ynough to make vs vnderstand the trueth of our God But forasmuch as wee beleeue not so speedily as were requisite when wee haue begunne wee start away againe and finally forget the things that he had taught vs therefore he thinketh it not ynough to haue tolde vs once what is needefull for our saluation but he doeth also put vs oft in minde of it printeth it in our heartes as much as is possible That is the cause why Moses rehearseth in this text y t he not onely deliuered them y e law in Horeb but also taught it them new againe after he had gone about with them a fortie yeres or fast vpon it yea and ceased not of al that time to set the things continually before them which GOD had earst commaunded him to vtter vnto them as hath bin touched already heretofore But the diligence of Moses is not superfluous in that hee sayth that being come to the side of Iordan and hauing vanquished Sehon king of the Amorrhites and Og the king of Basan his neighbour hee did stil put the people in minde of Gods lawes and ordinaunces that they might stand to them and put them in vre and that if they had not had sufficient teaching already they might at leastwise euen then know Gods trueth and sticke to it That is the matter which moses meant by this text And here he setteth downe expresly the Lawes Couenants Statutes and ordinances to expresse the better as I haue tolde you heretofore that God taught not his people by halues ne gaue them a doctrine that was darke short or vnperfect but such a lawe as comprehended al that was for their benefite welfare so as if they sticked thereunto they should not neede to seeke any further for they should haue wherewith to direct themselues in all poyntes and all respectes Yea verily for the lawe is a full doctrine accordingly also as the worde hath his originall thereof Againe there are Couenantes which is as much to say as y ◠God couenanteth and indenteth with men so as he neither forgetteth nor leaueth any thing out that may make for the maintenance of the couenant betwixt him and vs in that it hath pleased him to adopte vs for his children and Church to take vs to himselfe Whatsoeuer concerneth the spirituall aliance betweene him and vs is comprehended vnder the worde Couenant because they be articles For when men intende to couenant they set downe articles as well on y e one side as on the other We see then how God protesteth here that the Lawe hath enough to teach men withall so they hold themselues to it Afterwarde followe Statutes and ordinances It is a wonder to see how painefull GOD is in teaching of vs and how hee telleth vs that he hath not omitted any thing and yet for all that our wittes are so fugitiue that wee still couet some better thing than wee finde in Gods word This diuelish curiositie hath reigned at all times in the worlde And we see that euen at this day do what wee can this cursed desire cannot be ouer-mastered but that men will still needes be wiser than God would haue them to be And why For when his worde is preached vnto vs there is no cause for vs to finde fault that hee hath not shewed vs all that is for our behoofe Yet notwithstanding wee be ticklish still and woulde faine haue this and that besides that which God hath shewed vs. Seeing then that such faultinesse bewrayeth it selfe in vs it standeth vs so much the more on hand to remember the counsel that is giuen vs here that is wit that if wee will suffer God to bee our maister wee shall finde all perfection of wisedome in his schoole For his lawe is of sufficient abilitie to make vs wise And againe Colos. 1.28 Deut. 6. as I haue sayd heretofore it conteineth all the poyntes that serue to vnite vs vnto our GOD wherein consisteth our whole happinesse and glorie Moreouer it sheweth vs the rule of well doing so as we need not to seeke any where else what GOD alloweth for wee haue there his statutes and ordinances Then may wee well knowe and assure our selues that our lyfe shall please GOD when wee passe not the boundes that hee hath set vs. But if wee adde any thing at al to it let vs not thinke that GOD alloweth that as righteousnesse or as a good thing for hee forgate not any thing that was necessarie or behoofefull And these two poyntes are well worthie to be noted For they serue to make vs to set the more store by the doctrine that is dayly set foorth to vs in the name of GOD. Sith wee see it is the perfect wisedome ought wee not to apply all our wittes to it and to holde vs to it Sith wee see that GOD foresloweth not but continueth to teach vs dayly ought not wee also on our side to bee attentiue and diligent to profite vnder him And though wee bee not so well giuen to it at the first as were meete wee shoulde ought wee not to inforce our selues all our lyfe long to know Gods will still more and more till wee bee quite rid of all ignoraunce which shall bee when wee be taken out of this world 1. Cor. 1.9.10.12 and not before Surely that which Moses did ought to serue vs for a rule and example at this day For hee did it not
at al aduenture And besides that GOD ordayned him to bee as a looking glasse to all prophetes and to all such as haue charge to teache in Gods Church Let vs vnderstand therefore that GOD will not haue vs to learne his trueth in one day as though one lesson were enough for vs but hee will haue the thinges often rehearsed to vs which wee haue heard that they may tary with vs and bee so rooted in our heartes as wee may no more alledge in excuse of our selues O I haue not yet bin wel instructed God then on his part is alwayes ready so as wee cannot erre except we doe it wittingly willingly and wilfully as it were But here is expresse mention made of the Temple of Pheor to shewe that although the people had an eysore there to turne them away to superstition yet had they a remedie for it also inasmuch as GOD called earnestly vppon thē by his worde that they shoulde not meddle with the idolatries of the heathen In deede it was a hard chastisement for them to bee driuen to haue the temple of an idoll continually in their sight It was as if God meaning to haue spyted them shoulde haue sayd I haue called you to possesse a lande that is alotted to my seruice where yee shoulde haue seene nothing y t should haue offēded you for my Sanctuarie should haue bin set vp among you I should haue bin worshiped purely according to my law y e land should not haue bin defiled with old superstitiōs al such things should haue bin wiped out so as ye should haue heard nothing sownde in your eares but my prayers But now ye bee here in a corner of a countrie where ye beholde the temple of an idoll and where shameful abhominations are committed Therefore it is as a vengeance which yee be faine to suffer for your sinnes because yee be not worthie to enter into the land that I promised you Thus yee see how it was Gods will to chastise his people whē hee did let them dwell by the temple of Pheor Lykewise if wee in these dayes bee mingled with idolaters so as wee bee faine to looke vpon the filthinesse which they commit and vppon their peruerting of all religion let vs vnderstand that by that meanes God punisheth vs or at leastwise humbleth vs because of our sinnes And wee ought to bee sory not onely for the offences that are committed by the vnbeleeuers but also because wee may well perceiue that wee be not worthie to see the whole worlde reformed so as there might bee one accorde and consent of harmonie in religion and GOD bee purely worshipped euery where I say wee bee not worthie to see it Nowe then if superstitions bee neere vs and wee bee driuen to beholde the markes of them or to heare any peece of them Let vs impute it to our owne sinnes But yet howsoeuer the worlde went GOD failed not to giue the people of Israel a good remedie For when the lawe was taught them so by Moses it was as if GOD had separated those that were his from the blinde wretches that went astray in their superstitions And hereupon wee haue to note that although the whole worlde bee peruerted and great confusion is to bee seene and all is full of error and corruption yet notwithstanding we must take Gods worde for our guide and that must strengthen vs to defy all superstitions and idolatries And if wee bee so full of vanitie as to fleete too and fro after that God hath giuen vs his worde there will bee no excuse for vs. For as I haue sayd afore Gods declaring of his will vnto vs ought to bee a sufficient bridle for vs. Though all the worlde went the contrary way and one sorte followed their owne fancies and another sorte had some lykelyhood of religion yet ought none of those thinges to wey with vs when wee haue once heard the voyce of our GOD and thereby gotten knowledge of his will And therefore let vs learne to make this certeine and infallible doctrine auaileable that it may drawe vs from all wicked opinions from all errors and from the thinges which the diuell hath forged and men inuented in the worlde Thus ye see what wee haue to remember when Moses maketh mention here of Pheors temple Now herewithall hee addeth also that this was done after their ouercomming of the two kinges Og king of Basan and Sehon king of the Amorrhites or of Hesebon And this circumstance serued to blame the people if they yelded not themselues obedient vnto God Wee knowe that the more fauor GOD sheweth vs the more ought wee to bee prouoked to loue and feare him God hath shewed himselfe beneficiall to vs nowe ought not the same to drawe vs the more vnto him Yes For if wee bynde a mortall man vnto vs by our wel doing he shall bee taken and deemed vnthankefull if hee acknowledge not the good that wee haue done him and howe much lesse are we to be excused if we doe not so to the liuing God Then let vs beare in minde that Moses maketh expresse mention here of the two kinges that had bin ouercome to the intent that the people shoulde haue considered thus with themselues Goe to we haue had here two excellent victories Heretofore when wee woulde haue attempted it against the forbidding of our GOD wee were stoutely beaten back there was no strength nor courage in vs our enemies came lyke Waspes or Hornets to sting out our eyes according to the similitude which hath bin set downe heeretofore But now are two strong and mightie kinges ouercome without any cost of ours So as GOD hath giuen them into our handes Who was the cause of these two victories was it not God who directed and ruled all Seeing then that he hath pitied vs and begonne to performe the promise which he made to our fathers and giuen vs so good a hansell of it already ought wee not to indeuer to giue our selues in such wise vnto him as wee may be wholy at his commaundement Should wee not put our selues into his hand which hee hath shewed to be so mightie for the loue of vs Behold say I how Moses meant the thinges that he rehearseth concerning the discomfiture of Sehon and Og namely to blame the people for their vnthankefulnesse if they yelded not thēselues quietly to y e seruice of their God which had bound thē so greatly vnto him But now must we also apply this doctrine to our vse Whensoeuer wee perceiue any sloth or coldnes or rebelliousnesse in our selues so as our fleshe falleth to striuing and wee labor not to Godward with so cheareful minde and lustie courage as were expedient we must enter into account of the benefites that we haue receiued at his hand and thinke thus with our selues wretched creature how happeneth it that thou art so loth to sticke to thy GOD seeing hee hath shewed thee his will consider what thou hast of him bethinke thee
the Lawe was not mortall to continue onely during the liues of such as had the first hearing of it but that it was a doctrine which shoulde continue in force and authoritie for euer The Lorde our God saith hee made not his couenant with our fathers that is to say hee meant not that onely our fathers should bee his people and so to binde himselfe in such sort vnto them y t his law should serue but for a fortie or fiftie yeres but he hath made his couenant lykewise with vs and with those that were yet vnborne when the lawe was giuen foorth Although then that yee were not at mount Horeb ne sawe the fire vppon the hill yet notwithstanding assure your selues that your God did adopt you at the same time vnto himselfe and comprised you lykewise in the couenant that hee made Therefore it behooueth you to keepe his lawe because it was set forth to last for euer and to continue from age to age and to be preached vnto the worldes end That is the true and proper meaning of Moses And hereof wee may gather a good lesson which is that although we were not at the first setting abroad of the Gospell nor sawe the thinges that are reported to vs of the lawe yet must not Gods word forgoe his authoritie with vs. And why True it is that Gods raysing vp of Moses was a speciall prerogatiue to the people that liued in that time but yet must not the authoritie of the Lawe bee impeached for all that for it conteineth Gods trueth which indureth for euer and is not variable nor transitorie after the maner of men It is sayde that men are lyke a flower or as the grasse y t withereth and dryeth away out of hand Es. 40.6.7.8 1. Pet. 1.24 Psal. 103.10 Psal. 117.2 119.90.152.160 1. Pet. ◠25 Psal. 119 142. Psal. 146.6 2. Cor. 3.11 Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14 He. 9.10.11 Mat. 5.17.18 He. 8.8.9.13 but Gods trueth endureth for euer And this trueth which is vnchangable and vnuariable is conteined in the Lawe True it is that the Lawe as concerning the ceremonies is quite abolished but as concerning the substance of it the doctrine y t is cōteined in it it keepeth his force for euer and neuer decayeth Nowe let vs marke that although wee were not in the time of Moses yet is it not for vs to despise the the thinges that are reported to haue bin done at that time or which are contayned in the lawe And why For hee spake them to vs. Hee spake not onely to the multitude that was assembled at mount Horeb but also generally to the whole worlde Now if this bee verifyed of the lawe much more reason is it that it should bee so of the Gospell For as I sayd the lawe as concerning the shadowes and figures is gone to decay but in the Gospel there is no such lyke thing For here our Lord maketh his newe and euerlasting couenant He. 8.8.9 10. it is a couenant that indureth from age to age without ceasing What is to be done then when the Gospel is preached Wee must assure our selues that the sonne of GOD is come into the worlde not onely to teache those with whome hee was conuersant when he was a mortal man Matt. 17.5 but also to purchase them vnto God his father Act. 20.28 and to call the world to saluation by giuing his Apostles commission to sound foorth their voyces through the whole worlde Matt. 28.19 Mar. 16.15.16 that euen those might bee made partakers of his doctrine which neuer heard them which doctrine wee also must receiue still at this day as if Iesus Christ himselfe were stil among vs or as if the Apostles spake to vs with their owne mouthes That say I is the thing which wee haue to remember vppon this place And therefore let vs not make any alteratiō in Gods Church or attempt to innouate any thing in his worde forasmuch as we knowe that hee will haue it to holde on continually in one equall course and trayne For seeing hee hath giuen vs his Gospel and stablished a certaine gouernment in the time of the Apostles and in the primatiue Church it behoueth vs to come to the same and to stay there If wee doe otherwise it is all one as if wee would make Gods worde mortall and corruptible as wee our selues are Wherefore let vs learne that although the worlde bee variable so as there bee turnes and returnes euery day and there is not any of vs all which hath not a number of opinions running in his head yet must wee not looke to haue the libertie to doe now one thing and now another Why so For God hath not made his couenant with our fathers but with vs that are aliue this day Then let vs vnderstand that as long as wee bee in this world God gouerneth vs here and sheweth vs the way to the end wee should not bee as wandering Pilgrims roming vp and downe to gad after our owne lustes but bee guided as it were by his hand To be short whereas Moses sayth here vs that are all aliue this day it serueth to shewe that men must not of all their lyfe long inuent any newe lawe nor haue one to day and another to morrowe For why Our lyfe dependeth vpon Gods Lawe and that ought to content vs Leuit. 18.5 Ezec. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 therefore let vs but onely profite in that and haue an eye to the thinges that tend thereunto Furthermore no doubt but that Moses vpbraideth the people here with their vnthākefulnesse if they should not dedicate their liues to the seruice of GOD. As if hee should say By what meanes liue wee Is it not because our Lorde hath placed vs in this world Againe seeing that the lyfe which wee haue commeth of him ought wee not to bestowe it in his seruice Ought it not to bee wholy consecrated vnto his wil Thus then ye see how Moses tanteth al such as runne astray and follow not Gods worde But yet herewithall wee must beare in minde the thing which I haue touched afore that is to wit that wee haue not a doctrine of two or three dayes continuance but that wee must bee confirmed in it as long as wee liue When wee haue once receiued the thinges that are conteined in y e holy scripture Phil. 3 1◠Eph. 4.15 we must indeuer to profite in them and to goe forewarde still in such wise as wee may still growe in them vntill God take vs out of the world assuring our selues that he wil keep couenant with vs so as he for his part wil not bee vnfaithfull nor vnconstant but stedfast in his purpose Seeing that hee is so let vs bee the lyke and so long as wee liue let vs haue none other respect but to sticke to him euen in such wise as hee sheweth vs by his word For wee must not goe about to knit and linke our selues to
to doe And so yee see the cause why hee spake so briefely Moreouer he hath as yee woulde say chawed the thinges to vs that we might learne to submit our selues quietly to him and that euen the veriest ydiots might knowe that they neede not to bee greate clearkes to vnderstande his Lawe for asmuch as hee hath stooped so lowe that there is not so ignorant a poore soule but hee vnderstandeth what is conteined in the Lawe That is the effect of the matter which wee haue to remember here Furthermore seeing God hath forbidden murther as an owgly and outragious thing let vs assure our selues that hee which riseth vp against his neighbour to murther him is not worthy to liue vpon the earth for he is worse than a wood beaste Wee see howe Beares Lyons and other wilde beastes doe play together And why is that Because that although they haue no reason nor discretion although they haue no Lawe nor equitie yet notwithstanding the common knowledge or instinct of nature holdeth them in order Yee see then that the verie beasts haue skill to liue well together with the beastes of their owne kinde without hurting one another And shoulde not men bee restreined by some consideration seeing that God hath imprinted it in their hearts that murther is a wicked thing They see they bee all of one nature and euerie man beholdes the image of God in his neighbor And shoulde not this serue them for a bridle to withholde them from all violence What a dealing were it else So then let vs beare well in minde that although God had neuer spoken to vs yet haue wee sufficient proofe in our selues alreadie that if any man set himselfe against his neighbour hee defieth nature and is vnworthy to be reckened in y e aray of men But nowe seeing that the authoritie of God is matched with the knowledge which wee ought to haue had aforehande and that hee sheweth vs that there shall no bloude of man bee shed but the same shall come to account before him let the hearing thereof teach vs to liue without doing any man wrong or els let vs assure our selues he will become our mortall enemie for hee telleth vs that men are in his protection In deede the threate is not expressed heere but yet is it all one for as much as it is spoken of in other places Seeing it is said that man is created after the image of God Gen. 9.6 it is not lawfull to make any assault vppon him For it were all one as if our Lorde shoulde say yee bidde mee battell when yee goe about to hurt one another after that fashion for I haue printed mine image in you If a man shoulde but deface the armes of a Prince it were so great an iniurie as should bee punished as a murther And why Because it tendeth to the confusion of the state Beholde Gods image is printed in men and it is despised and shoulde not such an outrage be punished dubble Yes Now then let vs mark that God in telling vs that we assault him when we do any man wrong intendeth to shew vs that that ought to restraine vs or else we be too witlesse and madde Yea and to the intent wee should the better bethinke vs thereof our Lord telleth vs that a murther cannot bee committed but the lande is defiled with it Num. 35.33 as is declared in another texte where it is saide that the shedding of mans bloude bringeth such a stayning and defiling with it as can scarsly bee wyped out When there is any speaking of manslaughter yea though it bee done lawfully 1. Chro. 22.8 as in warre which is allowed yet is it saide to bee a defiling And why To the intent that wee shoulde learne to abhorre the shedding of bloud the more If an enemie bee slaine in open warre although GOD pardon it because the slaier hath iust and lawfull cause and doeth it of necessitie yet notwithstanding it is saide still to bee a staine and the dooer thereof is saide to bee defiled And why is that To the intent wee shoulde knowe that God hath created vs to liue quietly together and that wee cannot giue a fillippe as they say but that it is streitwayes a spotte vpon vs and wee be by and by defiled before God Seeing then that the holy scripture vseth all these formes of speech ought we not to be held the better in awe to liue without doing of any wrong to our neighbours Yes Howebeit forasmuch as God doeth so chawe thinges to vs heere according to our rawenesse and infirmitie let vs marke further that it is not ynough for vs to abstaine from bloudshed but that wee must also abstaine from all outrage and violence To bee short mens persons must bee deare and precious vnto vs. For till we bee come to that point God will take vs still for murtherers If a man doe but strike his neighbour although hee kill him not yet is he a murtherer alreadie in Gods sight And why I haue tolde you alreadie howe GOD vsed that worde of set purpose to shewe vs that although wee take a quarrelling or the giuing of a blowe ouerthwartly to bee small and light faultes yet they bee not so before God And why Because there is alway a murtherous intent in it And that is y e cause why God calleth it murther And besides that if we be forbidden to commit murther let vs vnderstande that wee bee likewise forbidden to doe any wrong or to make any assault vppon our neighbours If wee doe but lift vp our fist against one or touch him in anger by and by there is murther committed before God If wee thought well on this woulde we not be mielder than we be Wee see some men so testie that if a word doe but mislike them by and by their fist is vp to smite and beate the partie For they thinke it is a small matter so they shedde no bloude But wee must not make God to eate his worde in that he telleth vs that all quarellers are murtherers So then let vs learne to forbeare our owne fancies when we intend to iudge of our faults and let vs quietly imbrace the sentence that god hath giuen assuring our selues that all such as offer any violence to their neighbours are alreadie guiltie of murther before God That is the thing in effect which we haue to remember here But haue wee abstained from all anoyance Haue we done no outrage to the persons of our neighbors Then must we go euen to the heart For God hath not giuen a ciuill Lawe onely to make vs liue honestly but he hath giuen a Lawe agreeable to his owne nature We knowe he is a spirit Ioh◠〈…〉 and he will haue vs to serue him in spirite and trueth Seeing it is so we must vnderstand y t he hath giuen vs a rule not only for our hands and feete but also for our affections thoughts True it is that inasmuch
to the end we should learne to serue him as he commaundeth vs and not lyke well of any thing but that which he alloweth for good Thus ye see whereto this saying is referred that God wrate the lawe in two tables And his wil was to write it in two tables of stone purposely to the intent it should continue For it was not giuen for any little time neither is it transitorie True it is that the ceremonies had an end 2. Cor. 3.11 Gal. 3.19 He 7.18.19 and 9.8.10 Ephe. 2.15 Col. 2.14.17 And in that respect the lawe is called temporall namely because the order that had bin stablished among the people of olde time to continue till the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ was then abolished and thinges were made perfect so as wee be no more vnder the shadowes figures which serued for that time Neuerthelesse the substance and trueth of the lawe serued not for that one age onely Matt. 5.18 but is a thing that shall indure for euer and neuer faile Wherfore let vs learne that Gods setting forth of his wil at the going of his people out of Egypt and his speaking to them vppon mount Sinay was after such a sorte as he prouided and tooke order therewithal that his doctrine should stand in force for euermore And for that cause did he set downe his lawe in two tables of stone and not write it in barckes of trees as the maner of wryting was in those dayes or as we might say nowadayes in paper or parchment but his will was to ingraue it in stone as an euerlasting monument to confirme vs the better in the thinges that he had sayd For he was not satisfied with the speaking of it for that onely day but by ingrauing it in stone his intent was that wee all our life long should giue attentiue eare to heare what he tolde vs. Yet notwithstanding surely Gods ingrauing of his lawe in stone after that sorte would serue to small purpose vnlesse it were also ingrauen in our hearts 2. Cor. 3.3 What is to be done then Let vs assure our selues that the doctrine which God setteth downe vnto vs is behoofefull and necessarie for vs and yet it should stand vs in no stead vnlesse hee added a second grace which is y t the thing which he hath vttred be forthwith printed in our heartes and bowels Then lyke as God wrate his lawe at that time in two tables of stone with his finger that is to say with his power so now he must be fain to write it with his holy spirit in our heartes which are stony and hard as the prophet sheweth where he prayeth God to giue vs heartes of fleshe that may be soft lythe and plyable to receiue whatsoeuer he shall say Nowe then seeing that God hath shewed vs visibly y t it belongeth to him to write his Lawe that it may be well knowen let vs beseech him to vouchsafe to write it in vs now adayes by the power of his holy spirit to the end wee may holde it fast as the diuell may neuer wype it out of our rememberances doe what he can And herewithall Moses concludeth that the Lawe was deliuered vnto him to bee the preseruer and keeper therof and to bee the minister and dealer forth of it to the people so as euerie man might acknowledge him for a Prophet For otherwise he could not haue executed his office nor haue builded Gods Church except meÌ„ had knowen that that charge had bin committed vnto him Likewise now adayes if we were not perswaded that it is Gods will y t his Gospell should be preached by the mouthes of men and that there should be Shepheardes in his Church to beare abrode his worde who would vouchsafe to come togither Neither I nor any other creature is of abilitie to traine men to come to receiue the thinges that are to be vttered by my mouth When I speake here in the name of God and men giue eare to the doctrine to submit themselues to it and to doe him homage it is more than all the lawes and proclamations of kings and Emperors can doe Is the mortal man the doer thereof No. But when we once knowe it to be Gods will that this order shoulde bee in his Church and that it should bee kept vnuiolably namely that there should bee sheepheards to beare abroad his worde and to expounde the same which should be as messengers to bring tidings of the forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and to rebuke reproue comfort and exhort when we I say doe vnderstand it to be Gods wil that there should be such gouernment in his Church then are wee ashamed to withstand him y t hath created and fashioned vs. So then ye see now why Moses sayd in this text that God deliuered him his lawe for himselfe Trueth it is that God gaue it for all the people in generall as I sayd afore Why then is Moses now the possessor of it It should seeme that God meant to bereaue all his people thereof and that none should bee priuiledged but Moses so as the lawe should be restrained vnto him and the residewe be as it were shut out from it But it is not so For although the Lawe was giuen for all the people yet was Moses made the protector of it And looke what God hath spoken of him we must extend it yet further accordingly as we heare that the prophets were put in the same commission Deut. 31. â—er 1.5.7 â— 2 to bee as it were disposers or dealers foorth of the treasure of saluation and of Gods couenant so as their office was to shewe Gods will from time to time and to bring vs worde of it in his name And the generall rule which Saint Paul giueth vs â— Cor. 4.1 is that men must esteem vs as Gods ministers as dealers forth of the secretes which he sendeth to the world Now whereas Saint Paul sayth wee bee dealers forth of Gods secretes he sheweth vs thereby that it is not enough for vs to haue the holy scripture and to reade it euery man at home in his house but it is required that it should bee preached vnto vs that wee should haue this order of being taught by the mouthes of men and that there should bee shepheardes to serue Gods turne to the ende y t by giuing care vnto them wee might profite more and more in the doctrine of saluation And for the same cause doth Saint Paule say in another place 2. Tim. 3.15 that the Church is the piller of trueth and as it were the ground and standard of the trueth The Papistes alledge this textfull doltishly to clayme priuiledge to themselues to deuise newe articles of fayth and to lode men with lawes at their owne pleasure But Saint Paul meant the cleane contrarie For hee saith that the Church is the piller or ground of Gods truth because that seeing God hath
vttered his trueth to men by his Lawe and by the Prophetes and Apostles his will is that the same ministerie should indure continualy namely that there should bee men ordeined and appointed to the office of expounding his worde and of building vp his Church Then let vs vnderstand that after that maner the Church is the meane of vpholding Gods trueth sounde and vnappayred For when God rayseth vppe men indued with his spirite to confirme vs in the faith and to inlighten vs and to shewe vs the right way by that meane Gods trueth continueth in the worlde so as it is not quenched nor vtterly done away Let vs mark then that Moseses meaning here is not to make him selfe the onely possessor or owner of Gods lawe and to shake off the people and to shutte them out of the gate but to vtter his minde plainely to this effect my friendes in deede the Lawe is common to vs all all of vs are Gods children I chalendge no more to my selfe in that behalfe than to you but yet will I dischardge my selfe of the commission that God hath giuen mee which is that I should serue you for a faithfull expounder of the Lawe and bee as a keeper thereof that yee might not thrust it vnder foote nor forget it for euer but alwayes bee put in minde of it by mee Sith it is so let all ministers of Gods worde looke that they bee readie prepared to serue the ignoraunt and let all men consider howe it is not for vs onely to reade the holy scripture but wee must also be diligent to profit therein and humbly come to y e hearing of those whom he hath appointed to be his ministers to giue vs the exposition vnderstanding therof Thus ye see whereto this text is to be referred Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better and to drawe vs dayly to such repentance as our whole desire may be to serue him and to please him without seeking any whit of our own will And that forasmuch as we be so greatly giuen to worldly thinges it may please him to drawe vs from them and therewithall to graunt that wee may submit our lyfe to his will and frame it to his righteousnesse and that for the bringing thereof to passe his worde may so ouerrule vs as wee may bee gouerned by it and all our whole lyfe be framed thereafter vntill that being quite rid of all our fleshly affections wee be clothed againe with his heauenly glory at such time as wee shall haue no more neede neither of writing nor of preaching That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xvij of Iuly 1555. The xliij Sermon which is the fourteenth vpon the fifth Chapter 23 And when yee heard the voice from the middest of darkenesse because the Hill burned yee came to mee all the heades of your tribes and your Elders 24 Then saide you Behold the Lord our God hath shewed vs his glorie and his greatnesse and wee haue hearde his voice from the middest of the fire This day haue wee seene that GOD hath spoken with man and man is still aliue 25 Now then why die wee for if wee heare the voice of our Lord God againe this great fire will deuour vs and we shall die 26 For what man is hee that may heare the voice of the liuing God speaking from the middest of the fire as we doe and yet liue 27 Goe thou and heare whatsoeuer the Lord our God shall say and then tell thou vs what the Lord our GOD saieth to thee and wee will heare it and doe it WEe bee of opinion that where as God causeth his worde to be preached vnto vs by y e meanes of men if he spake to vs in his owne maiestie or sent some Angell to appeare vnto vs wee would bee the better touched and all the world would bee conuerted by and by and euery man obey without gaine saying or rebelling but wee knowe not what is for our owne benefite and behoofe For if wee looke vppon our owne frailtie it is not possible that God should make vs feele his power but it shoulde be to our vtter vndooing and destruction Now therefore when men are desirous that God should come downe from heauen or manifest himselfe by some visible token they know not what they bee nor how frayle their state is For did they wel consider it they would bee agast at Gods infinite glorie knowing well that they were not able to abide it Besides this let vs assure our selues that God tendereth our welfare and saluation in shewing vs his will by the mouth of men when hee ordeyneth and appoynteth them to be ministers of his worde to bring vs such message as hee knoweth to bee for our benefite Neuerthelesse it was his pleasure to auowe it by open proofe to mens faces that it is not good for them to heare his voyce thunder from heauen And that is the cause why hee thought good to giue forth his lawe not simply by Moses but by comming downe in his owne person as I haue declared already and as I tolde you yesterday that the lightninges and whirlewindes and the flaming of the fire and all that is written in the ninteenth and twentith chapters of Exodus Exod. 19.18.19 20.18 was done euery whit of it to the end that the people of Israell should learne to yeede reuerence to Gods word And this lesson belongeth to vs also For Gods inteÌ„t was that the remembrance of those thinges shoulde indure for euer and that they should be put in vre continually So then we see here that God hath vttered his glorious maiestie once for all to teach vs to receiue his worde with all reuerence and lowlynesse But yet furthermore hee intended lykewise y t the people should bee driuen of themselues to say It is not good that God should speake to vs againe Onely let vs haue a man to bring vs the doctrine which it shall please him to send vs. And this rule serueth to condemne vs if wee followe not this people which stepped forth to say so And if any man alledge that the thinges which were spoken at that time cannot binde vs The answere is easie namely that if God should doe the lyke at this day that is to wit if hee should speake y e thinges with his owne mouth which we heare at the mouthes of men it were impossible for vs to abide his glory wee should bee vtterly vndone And therefore let vs learne that this is rehearsed vnto vs to the ende that in the person of the people of Israell wee might vnderstand that God applyeth himselfe to our â—lendernesse and infirmitie and that in voutsafing to send vs his worde to bee preached vnto vs by men lyke our selues whome hee maketh his
1.18 That no man euer saw God but the sonne who hath alwayes beene in the bosome of the father hath reuealed him vnto vs. The fathers of olde time had a knowledge as I said but that knowledge is esteemed as none at all in comparison of the knowledge which we haue now adayes by the Gospell Matt. 4.2 God sheweth himselfe more plainely vnto vs by the shining forth of the daysunne of righteousnesse And for the same cause the Prophet Esay treating of the redemption that was to bee perfourmed in the person of the sonne of God Esa. 25.9 saith expressely Behold this is he beholde this is our God The Prophet crieth out this is he this is our God He contenteth not himselfe to say behold our God but he speaketh as if the thing were present and as though God had appeared vnto him How so And was not God in y e mids of his people Exod. 25.8 Yes for he said I will dwel among you And againe This is my rest Sion is y e place where I will dwell Psal. 131.13.14 And afterward he protesteth that he will neuer depart thence and that the people is his temple and a royall Priesthood Why then doeth the Prophet Esay say Behold behold our God this is he this is he when our Lorde Iesus Christ was to come into the world Euen bicause God reuealed himselfe to vs in greater perfection Now then we be the lesse to be excused if we run gadding nowe adayes without holding of our selues to the pure trueth so as euerie of vs turneth away after his own dotages to say it seemeth so to mee this thinke I good Let vs assure our selues that all this is nothing worth but we must repaire to the certaintie that is brought vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. Neuerthelesse so farre off is the worlde from knowing this that it should seeme they bee all bent to spyte God and haue conspired to turne their backes vppon him and to shake off all subiection that they may haue libertie to continue in their disorders and to scape in the meane while vnespyed with their lewdnesse The Iewes are vnexcusable according as wee see howe the Prophetes vpbrayde them with their wilfull forsaking of God Es. 42.19.20 65.10.11 Esa. 55.11 so as they coulde not excuse themselues by saying y t they had not heard any thing as the poore Paynims might doe for God protesteth that he spake not in vaine And now adayes when God speaketh to vs with open mouth 2. Cor. 3.18 and wee haue him perfectly discouered vnto vs by the Gospell is it not too great a lewdnesse that men should runne astray after that fashion Were there euer any superstitions more grosse and more outragious than are to bee seene nowe adayes in the Popedome It is true that the Iewes medled with the superstitions of the Heathen and tooke much filth and vncleannesse of them but if all bee well searched it will bee founde that the Papists haue farre exceeded them For Gods word is as it were at this day buryed among them When they treate of fayth they fetch the points of it from mens inuentions and the holy scripture is in as much reuerence among them as if it were dead and that all thinges went to hauocke Loe at what poynt they bee And if a man speake to them of Gods seruice as I sayde they bee busie about their owne inuentions Yea verily myne intent is good say they and so they beare themselues in hand that God will suffer himselfe to bee dandled lyke a little babe and will neuer come to examine any whit of the doctrine of Poperie Againe if they speake of fayth exhort they men to resort to Gods free promises No but they chalendge all to themselues When they take in hand to treate of the office of Iesus Christ they ouerthrowe the vertue of his death and passion as much as they can When they treate of their saluation then step forth their owne free-will their merites and their satisfactions But contrariwise we should resort to the mere grace of the holy Ghost Ro. 7.17.18 acknowledging our selues to bee in bondage to sinne vntill God deliuer vs from it through his mercie And thereuppon it commeth that the holy Scripture calleth the forgiuenesse of sinnes our righteousnesse That is the point which wee must resort vnto Rom. 3. â—2 23 â—4 to know that when wee haue done amisse wee can bring none other amendes or payment for it than such as wee borrowe of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But there is not a word of all this in Poperie When God is to be prayed vnto they make their vagaries to their Heesaintes and Sheesaintes in the meane while Iesus Christ is not knowen to bee as he is neither is let alone with the office that is giuen him by God his father but they depose him lyke a sorte of theeues and traytours that seeke nothing else but to burie him againe and to make hauocke of all the glorie that was giuen him by God his Father After the same sort deale they also in all other things Wee see how the Sacramentes are defiled to the vttermost In stead of the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ they haue set vp that same hellish abhomination of the Masse wherein they say that Iesus Christ is sacrificed as though he had done nothing alreadie nor were appointed to be the onely euerlasting Priest by God his father Heb. 7 2â— Wee see then that the Papists haue so dalyed with Gods word wherein he hath reuealed himselfe as it should seeme that they meant of set purpose to wype away the knowledge that is in the Gospell And therefore wee haue so much the more neede to marke well this saying That the Lord is God yea eâ—en the onely one God Nowe then as oft as this word God commeth to our minde let vs assure ourselues that it serueth to cut off all toyes that may come in our heades and all inuentions of men and all other things whereof we haue not warrant in the holy scriptures For God will haue vs to consider him in such wise as wee snarle not ourselues in the imaginations and errours of idolatrie And of a truth we cannot haue the true God except wee haue him alone that is to say without adding any companion vnto him For as soone as we fall to bringing in of vndergoddes we forsake the liuing God And why Bicause his will is to bee alone as he auoweth in another place by his Prophet Esay saying Esa. 41. â—â— I am the liuing God saieth the Lord and I will not giue my glory to any other Againe we haue seene heretofore how he called himselfe a iealous God And why was that but to withdrawe vs from all corruptions 2. Cor. â—â— as S. Paule affirmeth in the second to the Corinthians For as soone as we be turned aside from the simplicitie of Gods word it
and in the meane while God is let alone and his lawe is forgotten And therefore it is not to bee wondered at that hee hardeneth vs in such brutishnes and that there is so grosse ignorance in the world as fewe folke haue the true taste and sauor of the doctrine of saluation but rather wee see that all men despise it and are so farre off from hauing any affection and zeale to the knowing of it that they doe rather thrust it from them when it is offered them and when GOD seeketh them they runne from him Sith wee see such vnthankefulnesse euerywhere it is any maruell that our Lorde reuealeth not his trueth as hee would doe if men were well minded towardes it It is true that God taryeth not till wee come vnto him but rather performeth that which hee sayth by his prophet Esay Esa. 65.1 namely that hee appeareth to them that aske not after him and that hee is found of them that seeke him not insomuch that hee sayth to them that are farre off from him Lo here I am Yet notwithstanding men must not vnder this color that God reacheth them his hand and draweth them out of the dungeons of ignorance before they euer thought vppon him men I say must not flatter and fode themselues in their carelesnesse but rather wee must learne according to this text that whereas wee bee ignorant of the trueth wee must at leastwise doe our indeuer to get knowledge of it and resorte to such as wee thinke that God hath reuealed more vnto than to our selues If wee doe so and with all humilitie seeke to knowe the thinges that are auaileable to our saluation God will shewe himselfe to vs and giue vs such meanes and helpes as he knoweth to be expedient for vs. And although mortall men faile vs yet will hee so supply our want by the power of his holy spirite as wee shall not continue still in darkenesse if wee seeke y e light for he wil not shut y e dore against vs if we knock Matt. 7.7 Luâ— 11.9.10 do our indeuer to enter Thus ye see in effect what we haue to remember vppon y e text Furthermore it behoueth vs to marke that here God sheweth not the end of his commandements what is ment by them and to what vse he hath appoynted theÌ„ He doth not onely shew that the people were iustly bound to keepe the lawe that was giuen them seeing that God had bought them so dearly Here are two things The one is that inasmuch as God hath giuen vs his worde hee doth well deserue that wee should yeelde him obedience Why so Because we be his creatures and hee hath voutsafed to gather vs together vnto him to bee his people and to fight vnder his standard and hath made vs to bee of his flocke and of his Church Marke that for one poynt The other is that wee should know to what end hee hath giuen vs his Sacraments so as we haue the preceptes of his whole Lawe which pertaine to the exercising of vs in his feare and in the hope of our saluation and to what end he hath set such order among vs as wee now haue Wee must knowe what is meant by all this Neuerthelesse this briefenesse will bee darkesome if it be not declared better When wee consider how God hath created shaped vs and moreouer made vs after his owne image and giuen vs witte and reson and therewithall the hope of a better life and finally hath voutsafed to take vs as his houshold folke it sheweth vs that wee bee bound to submit our selues vnto him For seeing hee is our maker doe wee not owe him all obedience Nay there is yet more namely that in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne hee hath redeemed vs and made vs partakers of his Gospell to the ende that wee should bee guided by his hand Now then the first poynt is that when we haue knowledge it must stirre vs vp to serue God to stick to the pure religion that is comprehended in his word Howbeit this is not enough but wheÌ„ we be asked yet neerer Wherfore y e promises of y e forgiuenes of sins are giuen vs wee must answere Alas it is because we be wretched sinners we should be continually in anguish and sorrowe of minde if we knewe not that God is coÌ„tented to be mercifull vnto vs of his owne meere grace For hee cannot loue vs except we be righteous and wee shall neuer finde any holynesse in our lyfe Psal. â—â— or perfection in our vertues but it is through Gods mercie which it pleaseth him to extend towards vs. And so now yee see whereunto the promises tend Againe if it be demaunded of vs why hee hath appoynted the order of prayer as wel publique as priuate it is for that euery of vs ought to inure himselfe to seeke all his succor at his hand For wee haue not any good thing wee be destitute both of wisedome strength and righteousnesse wee bee woorse than emptie vntill our good God doe succor our needes and the meane thereof is to flee to him for refuge To that end hath hee ordeined priuate prayer And publique or common prayer is ordeined to the intent to assure vs the better that hee will here the common accorde that is among vs when wee bee come together as it were into one bodie and therewithall wee make confession of our faith exercise our charitie By this meanes then we learne why and to what end our Lorde hath set order in his Churche that is to lay what he meant to betoken thereby and to what purpose it is to be referred If a man aske vs what is meant by Baptisme and wherefore it was ordeined it is to the intent wee should know that euen from our mothers wombe wee bring nothing but all maner of vncleanesse with vs and that wee be ful of infection and filth before the Lord so as wee must be faine to bee washed or else hee will not vouchsafe to auowe vs for his Eph. 5.26.27 And wherewithall must wee be washed With the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. 1 Iohn 1.7 That then is the way to make vs cleane For as long as wee liue in Adam and in our owne nature wee can doe nothing but euill We bee so marred as there is nothing in vs but vtter rebelliousnesse against GOD. Therefore wee must enter as it were into death and into the graue Rom. 6.4 to bee renewed and our Lord must bee faine to giue vs a new vnderstanding and a new heart and he must so shape vs new againe as we may no more be the same we were before but bee as yee would say cast in a newe mould Eph. 4.23.24 and bee made new creatures as the scripture vseth to speake of it Thus ye see how wee may learne what Baptisme is what it betokeneth and to what end it was ordeyned As
doe euill but gaue himselfe wholly to well doing and to walke according to Gods wil. So then to offer willing sacrifices vnto God let vs remember what is said in this text and what hath bin treated of alreadie heretofore namely that before there is any speech of the keeping of Gods commandements Loue is set downe in the first place bicause wee haue neede to giue our selues first vnto GOD and to haue our hearts as ye woulde say fast tyed and knit vnto him ere we can indeuour to behaue our selues according to his lawe and righteousnesse But nowe let vs returne to the matter that was touched before Moses sayeth That GOD will keepe Couenant yea euen with a thousand generations of them that loue him As if hee shoulde say When God hath once planted his worde hee continueth that grace not onely till the decease of those to whome he speaketh but also to their children and their ofspring Nowe then let vs looke about vs and whereas wee perceiue Gods grace in that he hath vouchsafed to reserue vnto vs his word which was in maner abolished and will haue the same now preached vnto vs if wee I say perceiue his goodnesse in that behalfe let vs also hope that hee will continue the same towardes our children which hee hath begunne towardes vs if wee serue him by dooing the thinges that hee commaundeth vs. Ye see then that the goodnesse which God sheweth vs in his word must not make vs slouthfull and carelesse but rather bee as a spurre to pricke vs foreward vnto him that his holy couenant bee not broken on our part and through our default Furthermore whereas he sayeth Knowe thou that thy God is God yea and a strong God thereby he meant to separate the liuing God from all the idols which the world hath forged in al ages And it is a text well woorth the noting For wee shall neuer serue God with all our heart neither shall wee be able to trust in him and to rest vpon him vnlesse we be sure that he is almightie and that he onely is God No doubt but the vnbeleeuers may well beare themselues in hand for a time that their religion is good and the worlde seeth how wilfull they be in that behalfe but yet all is but stubbornnesse whatsoeuer they make of it And therefore it behoueth vs to be fully resolued and perswaded of this that wee must not haue a flying faith so as our hoping to be saued is but at al aduenture For we must alwayes beare in minde how S. Paule saieth that we must know whom wee beleeue 2. Tim. 1.12 and that God is a faithfull keeper of that which wee haue committed vnto him Then if we know not that our God is one and that he is alone and that he is the verie true God we shal be alwayes wauering and our faith shall haue no stedinesse That is the cause why Moses saieth expresly Know thou that thy God is the God As if he should say Consider in what state the wretched heathen meÌ„ and such as giue ouer themselues to superstition are It is true that they wil talk ynough of God howbeit y t is but rouingly they knowe not who he is But it is not so with you For seeing that your God hath taught you and discouered himself to you he hath certified you of his wil and shewed you that ye need not doubt but your religion is such as you ought to sticke to Now then swarue neither one way nor other neither halt ye but go on right forth seeing you bee sure of your religion Marke that for one point Howbeit for as much as we see men giuen to follow their own fansies which notwithstanding doe but tend to their owne destruction we must remember by this text of Moses that vntill such time as we be sure that the God whoÌ„ we worship is the true God wee shall euer bee intangled in some one thing or other And albeit that we doe our indeuor to serue him at leastwise to our seeming yet is it nothing it is but faining and that hope or trust is but a besotting of our selues Wel may we haue some opinion but as for to haue a setled faith so as we may glorie that our saluation is laide vp in God and that he will keepe it safely bicause he hath taken vs to himself it is vnpossible that we should haue any such certaintie vnlesse wee can say with Saint Paule I knowe whom I haue beleeued and he will be a faithfull keeper of that which I haue committed vnto him So then let vs put such difference betweene the liuing God and all the idols which men haue forged of their owne braine as he may be knoweÌ„ alone aboue all others And that we may so doe let vs learne to deuise nothing of our own head For as soone as wee father any thing vpon God which is not in his owne word it is all one as if wee did set vp an idoll for by that meane we disguise him Therefore wee must so sticke to the liuing God to the ende we may bee his people and hearken quietly to so much of his will as he sheweth vs by his worde as it may suffice vs to haue so much knowledge of him as he hath reuealed by his word without seeking any further For as for those that are so bolde as to take leaue to say I weene this is good and why should not God take this or that in good worth and in the mean while haue no warrant of the holy scripture I say they forsake the liuing GOD and turne away after idoles For what else are the imaginations of men but verie idoles to deface the true Maiestie of the onely God Thus much concerning this place Moreouer Moses termeth God Faithfull to shewe that like as afore he attributed strength vnto him for the Hebrewe worde that he vseth commeth therof so must we also haue his truth before our eyes and in our rememberaunce to the end to leane vnto him to referre our selues wholly vnto him knowing that Gods strength serueth not to abash vs but that whensoeuer it is spoken of it is matched immediatly with mercy to the intent we should be drawen vnto him and come to him with a cheerefuller courage Then is it not without cause that Moses hath set down Gods trueth heere of purpose to hold the people in obedience to him And heereby wee bee taught not to preace into Gods priuities and to dispute of thinges that are too high for vs yea and vtterly vncomprehensible but rather that wee must rest vppon his word and trueth which he hath reuealed vnto vs. True it is that we must bee fully perswaded of this point that GOD chose vs in his euerlasting purpose Eph â—â—â— not bicause wee were woorthie of it but bicause it pleased him so to doe and that there is none other cause thereof but onely his good pleasure as the holy Scripture sheweth vs.
Christ Hebr. 5.2 should beare abroad his word that they shold prease vnto him to bee as mediators betweene him men Ye see then how it was Gods will to teache his people humilitie by visible signes and outward ceremonies to the ende that his worde should be embraced with all reuerence continue euermore in good state But as for vs wee haue not nowadayes the ceremonie any more but we haue the trueth which ought to continue to the worlds end Therefore whensoeuer Gods word is preached vnto vs Col. 2.17 let vs learne to stoope to it to know y t it is a heauenly doctrine wherunto it becommeth vs to encline that it is not for vs to bring our own fond imaginations in y t case for then wo be vnto vs. Neuerthelesse God granteth vs a special fauor in that he inableth vs to beare abroad his word maketh it to dwel in vs Esa. 66 2â— whereby he sheweth that he hath performed the thing which he promised by his Prophets y t is to wit that he hath chosen vs for his Leuytes as shal be declared more at length to morrowe Now let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea euen in such wise as it may lead vs to such repentance that we may be sorie for them all our life long be ashamed that we haue bin so wretched sinners And that therwithall wee may be quickened vp to glorifie him the more for the great goodnes which he hath shewed vpon vs proceede continually more more in obeying him to the intent that his law may be the better ingraued in vs by his writing of it in our hartes we become the readier to follow the things y t he shal haue shewed vs so as we may be forward to obey him all our life long our life be wholy dedicated vnto him That it may please him to graunt this grace c. On Wednesday the xi of September 1555. The Lxx. Sermon which is the seconde vpon the tenth Chapter 8 The same time the Lord c. 9 Therefore Leuie had no portion nor inheritaunce with his brethren but the Lord is his inheritaunce as the Lord thy God sayd vnto him 10 And I taried on the mountaine as I had doone afore fortie dayes and fortie nightes And the Lord heard mee that time also so as the Lord would not destroy thee 11 But the Lord sayde vnto mee vp get thee hence and goe before the people that they may goe and possesse the Land which I sware to their fathers to giue them WE sawe yesterday how Moses in this text did magnifie Gods mercie as well towardes the Leuites as towardes the whole people For in sheweing that Aaron was punished for his fault it appeareth plainly that all his whole linage deserued to haue ben disgraded Yet notwithstanding God of his goodnes vouchsafed y t there should bee a certaine number of men appointed to his seruice and them he chose not for any worthines that was in them but only for his owne mercies sake For if wee be not worthie of so much as that God should crowde vs into a litle corner of his house how should he aduaunce vs to farre higher degree That then is the meaning of Moses Neuerthelesse wee must marke herewithall the three charges which he setteth downe here which he reporteth to haue been assigned to the Leuites The first is To beare the Arke of Gods couenant the vessels of the sanctuary The seconde is To be at hand to serue God the third is To blesse in the name of God These are the three things that were incident to the priesthod of old time For as concerning the Sanctuarie with al the appurtenances therof it was but a figure which we must referre to the spiritual temple that is to wit to Gods church Hebr. 8.5 Rom. 12 1. to the sacrifices which are offered vnto him by the faithful when they dedicate themselues to him both in bodie soule by yelding vp their ownselues y t he may be glorified in them Marke that for one point The second is the seruice wherof he speaketh which consisteth likewise in figure but the trueth therof is performed toward vs when such as nowadayes are called to the gouerning of Gods church do their dutie in offering vp mens soules in sacrifice vnto God Rom. 15.6 by preaching y e gospell in maintaining the order state of the church in such wise as God be glorified and the church be cleansed from all stumbling blockes The third is to blesse in Gods name that is to yeeld a testimonie of Gods goodnes and grace to his people Now must we applie these things to y e trueth of them y t we may be edified by them Let vs say I haue a regarde to apply these three things to their trueth substance Col. 2 1â— which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath brought vs by his comming It is said here that the Leuiâ—es must beare the vessels of God And this belongeth not only to the ministers of the worde or to such as beare publike office in the church but also to all the faithful in general And that is the cause why it is said by y e prophet Malachie Mal. 3.3 y t the Leuits were made priests which thing I say was accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ at which time the church was aduanced to greater perfection than it was vnder y e law Likewise Esay telleth vs that all men shal be Leuites vnto y e Lord. Esa. 6 〈…〉 Al the children of Israel saith he shal execute the office of priesthod vnto God And in the same respect doth S. Peter say 1. Pe◠〈…〉 y t we be a royal priesthod S. Peter speaks not there of any peculiar sort of people after y e maner of y e Pope who hath villanously corrupted y e said sentence of his in attributing it to his owne clergie as he termeth them y t is to wit to y e stinking rable of his powlshorn greaslings but he attributeth y t honorable title to all the faithfull to as many as are of the church of God Moses could wel say euen in his time Exod. 〈…〉 Yee be a priestly kingdome y t is to say a nation holy aboue all others But S. Peter turning the same words saith y t now we be become a royal priesthod inasmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ hauing shewed himself to the world is ordeined priest after the order of Melchizedech Heb◠〈…〉 to communicate the same grace to y e whole church Therfore let vs marke wel y t this gift of becoÌ„ming Priestes Leuites is not a priuilege or prerogatiue graÌ„ted to three or four but inasmuch as al y e things which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath receiued of God his father ar coÌ„mon to vs all
in very dede But what We welter in our own dung euen till we do as it were stinke in it without any care or regard at all And that is the cause of such contēpt of the gospel of such vnthankefulnes as is seene almost euery where Yet notwithstanding it behoueth y e faithfull to consider of how great value it is 2. Cor. 5.20 y t God receiueth them to mercy sheweth himselfe to be a father to them that such as are appointed to preach his word are as witnesses to certifie vs y t God beareth vs such fatherly loue Trueth it is y t this was accōplished by our Lord Iesus Christ for he was the only priest and y t that which wee do is not to take his office vpon vs but onely to approue ratifie the thing y t he did Hebr. 5.6 And therefore let vs marke well that it belongeth onely to our Lord Iesus Christ to assure vs of the loue of God his father but yet doth he also witnes it vnto vs by y e mouthes of such as preach the Gospel in his name It hath bin told vs herewithall that the things which were figured vnder y e Law Col. 2.17 haue bin performed in his person For the high priests when they blessed the people had a solemn ceremony of lifting vp of their handes as though they made an offering vp of all the people vnto God Likewise whē Iesus Christ wēt vp into heauen he vsed y e same fashiō by lifting vp his hands to blesse his disciples Luke 24.50.51 in whose persons hee pronounced a general blessing vpon y e whole body of his Church We see then y t the figures of y e Lawe belōg to vs at this day howbeit not as touching the outward vse of them but as in respect of the substance truth of thē Wherby we be warned to get vs to our Lord Iesus Christ who bringeth vs y e full accomplishment of all thinges And we must vnderstand y t although he be not now conuersant in y e world to blesse vs yet will he haue vs to bee made partakers of the same blessing by meanes of y e gospel when it is preached among vs. This is the effect of the thinges which we haue to gather vpon that place Now Moses addeth That God hath giuen the Leuites no portion among their brethren but that he himselfe would be their portion and heritage Yea but yet for all that he appointed them y e tenthes first-fruits as is shewed in the fourth booke of Moses Num. 18.21 Now then Gods assigning of a portion vnto thē was in such sort as they possessed not any Lande or inheritance more thā their townes suburbs for their cattell But yet tooke they the tenthes firstfruits all other such things of all y e people Herein God had a cōsideration y t such as he mēt to dedicate to y e seruing of himselfe should be w tdrawen frō all worldly affaires y t they might intend to y e seruing of God Gods intent then was y t the Leuits their children shold not giue thēselues to husbādry such other things And why For they had ynough to do to discharg thēselues of their dutie otherwise y t is to wit in calling vpō the people to folow Gods cōmandementes to keepe his couenant so as religion might continue vnapaired faith might haue his full force so consequently y t God might be honored Also they had the Sacrifices which serued them in steed of Sacraments at y t time they were many in nūber because the people could not otherwise be held in order they would easily haue bin mard if they had not bin restreined w t many bridles That therfore was ynough to keep y e Leuits occupied And for the same cause God gaue thē a portion beside the tithes that they might haue wherwith to finde mainteine thēselues while they were a doing of their duties But this hath bin corrupted falsified by the papistes For they haue borne men in hand that tithes belong to thē by Gods Law And why because as they say they belonged to y e Leuits But they consider not y t the Leuites were inheriters of the land of Chanaan as well as those y t were of the tribes of Iuda Beniamin Ephraim Manasses and all y e residue In respect whereof it was meete they shold haue had their portiō with their brethren they ought not to haue bin excluded or banished frō it for y e inheritance of the land was cōmon to them all therfore was it meete y t they should haue had their part of it Yea but God recompensed them after an other fashion It were meete then y t the Pope al his rable shold shew how y e inheritances of all landes belong to thē then might they therepon demand their tithes Thus ye see how this text hath bin miswrested But yet for all this let vs beare in minde howe S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 9.13 y t euen at this day it is Gods wil y t they which preach y e gospel should be nourished and mainteined as well as the Priestes had their liuinges appointed thē in old time 2. Cor. 3.6 S. Paul demādeth in way of cōparison whether y e spiritual seruice y t is yelded to God nowadaies ought not at the least to be asmuch esteemed as the seruice y t was vnder the figures of y e law Now it was Gods will y t such as serued at the altar should be mainteined by the altar therefore it is good reason y t such as at this day doe serue Gods Church in bringing thē his word should also be nourished and mainteined Thus ye see y t the way to vnder stād this text a right is to take S. Paul for our expounder thereof But to conclude peremptorily y t tithes belong to the preachers of y e gospel is to grosse an abuse fondnes Neuertheles we must mark also y t it is not our Lords meaning y t ydols or idle bellies much lesse y t such as peruert al order turne vs away from y e seruing obeying of God should be nourished in his Church Now then if the Shepherdes will needes claime to be found at y e common charges of the Church they must looke that they occupie themselues in the seruice of God As how It is no title of idlenes it is no fantasticall dignitie to be called the Shepherde of a Church but it is a kinde of bondage howbeit y t it be honorable And therfore y e party y t is appointed to be a shepherd or minister must looke y t he obey God and serue his people For we can not serue him y t hath put vs in office but by seruing of his Church Yee see then how the Pope al his hangers on are disappointed of the things which they pretend to pertain to them of
baptisme at this day For circumcision serued to two endes First God thereby condemned all mankinde and all that is of mans owne nature shewing them thereby that all of it is euill And secondely he gaue hope of saluation in y e seede of Abraham accordingly as he had promised To this purpose say I serued y e figure of circumcision namely to put the Iewes in minde y t frō their mothers wombe they brought nothing with thē but condemnation that all y t euer was of man was cursed before God because it had nothing in it but sinne corruption Secondarily againe they were comforted forasmuch as they sawe that God promised them saluation Eph. 1.3 by the seede of man and y t he receiued them into fauour and iustified thē of purpose to haue them separated frō all y e rest of the worlde Gen. 1◠1◠Seeing the Iewes had this prerogatiue surely if they had not ment to deface Gods power as much as in thē lay they should haue made their circumcision auailable by cutting off al y t euer was of their owne nature assuring themselues y t men can not please God Rom. 1. ◠vntill they haue giuen ouer the thinges y t were their owne Hereunto had Moses an eye when he sayd Circumcise your heartes this day For their obseruing of y e figure was nothing except they cōsidered to what end God ment to lead them by it They beguiled themselues with y e visible signes and y t was ynough to thē for Satan hath alwaies this policie with him to make men busie their wits about the thinges y t they see with their eyes as whereunto he seeth them inclined For all our seeking is to content God with faire couers and though we neuer come nie him in verie deede yet would we fain pay him with a sort of pelting trifles The Iewes then esteemed their circumcision ynough too much but yet in so dooing they abused it because they regarded not y e thing y t God ment to shew thē therby but were tied altogether to y e visible signe Therfore doth Moses rebuke them saying thinke not y t the hauing of circumcision in your bodies is all y t you haue to doe for Gods giuing of y t signe vnto you was to help your infirmity of purpose to leade you further therby namely to bring you to true repentāce For when ye once perceiue y t al y t euer is of your own nature bringeth nothing but cursing you shall see that all of it is to be done quite and cleane away Therefore bethinke ye to mortifie your selues as if he should say Circumcision consisteth not in the outwarde paring away of the fleshe but the trueth thereof is within it is your heartes that must bee circumcised Moses his meaning hereby is not to condemne the outwarde signe but to shewe the true vse of it which folke had corrupted through superstition and hypocrisie Accordingly whereunto Ioell sayth Ioel. ◠◠Rend your heartes not your garments Wherin his meaning is not that men should no more shew any token of repētance by humbling themselues before God but to shew that all that euer men do by outwarde signes as by rending of the hayre from their heades and beardes by much weeping by knocking vpon their brests and by al other maner of gestures that may shew them to be abashed in maner out of comfort before God is nothing except y e hart be broken afore Euen so circumcision is vtterly vnprofitable vnles y e hart be circumcised as wel as y e body Now we see the meaning of Moses but it will become the plainer easier vnto vs if we come to our baptisme I haue already touched the likenesse that is betweene these two sacraments and it is all one as if a man should say vnto vs nowe adayes if you would y t God should take you for his people and heritage yee must be baptised in your soules What baptised in our soules Yea for south For the water that is cast vpon our bodies is nothing if wee haue not the trueth of it namely that we be so plunged vnder the water as if we werein a graue Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 that is to say y t it maketh vs to die in our selues so as our owne affections our owne thoughtes our owne witte our owne reason and our owne wisedome beare not any more sway in vs but y t we suffer our selues to be gouerned by God so as all our fleshly lustes bee subdued and held in captiuitie vnder him and vnder his yoke Therefore if a man would shew vs the true meaning of our baptisme he shoulde say looke that yee be baptised within And for the same cause also doeth Saint Paule in the seconde to the Romans Rom. 2.28 sette downe a difference betweene the circumcision of the letter and the circumcision of the spirite And he sayeth that the one is inwarde and the other outward Whereas he termeth it the Circumcision of the letter it is by a similitude for he hath an eye to the worde To what purpose serueth the reading of Gods Law and of the Gospel if it touch vs not inwardely Verily if euery of vs haue his Bible in print and yet let it alone what doe we else but make it vnholy by our not applying of so great a treasure to our vse by our not imploying of the same to our profite according to the intent of our God Euen so standeth the case with the sacramentes sayeth Saint Paule For they be but as a dead letter so long as wee haue no more but the visible signes it is but a gay appearance and shew before men But the whole matter consisteth in hauing the trueth before God Wil we haue the true Circumcision then must it be inwardly that is to say in the Spirite That is to say God must worke there So we see nowe that the meaning of Moses was that folke shoulde not boast vainely of the bare name of God nor of the wearing of his badge without the trueth of it so as they could shewe the power thereof but that they should fare the better by the signe that is giuen them to warrant their adoption to the entent it might appeare that God hath not without cause separated them from the heathen which were as good as banished out of his church had no acquaintāce at al with him Againe we see that this doctrin toucheth and concerneth vs nowadayes because we haue baptisme which serueth to the same vse y t circumcision did namely to lead vs to repentance Therfore must we apply it to our vse And forasmuch as God hath vouchsafed to giue vs a seale of the fatherly loue which hee beareth vs and that it pleased him to gather vs into his Church and to shew y t he hath taken vs vnto himself to be heirs of his kingdome Let not vs disappoint our selues of such a benefite through our
owne lewdenesse and vnthankefulnesse but lette vs endeuour to fare the better by it by beeing washed in our soules that is to say by mortifying our owne imaginations reasons and lustes and by offering vp of our selues in sacrifice vnto god to the ende that he may renewe vs and that nothing else but his spirite may reigne in vs so as hee may beare the whole swaye This exhortation is made vnto the Iewes because it was their dutie to apply their sacramentes vnto such ende Neuerthelesse let vs marke that it is not in our power to performe the thing y t is required here For although the Iewes ought to haue bin circūcised in their heartes yet was it verie necessary that God should worke in y t behalfe Likewise it standeth vs in hande nowadayes to mortifie our selues we be cōmanded so to do but yet must wee be faine to resort vnto God who reserueth to himselfe y e office of renewing our soules And that is the cause why it is sayd y t our Lorde Iesus Christ is only he which baptiseth with fire the holy Ghost Iohn 1.33 For if a man y t ministreth baptisme had power to regenerate then had he in himself the power maiestie glory which is giuen to y e sonne of God But our baptising is only with water y t is to say we haue but the signe of baptisme cōmitted vnto vs yet notwithstanding our doing is not in vaine for we must needes be faithfull witnesses of God And forasmuch as we doe it in his name we must not thinke y t the thing is voide vnprofitable But yet for all that it behoueth vs to resort to our Lord Iesus Christ and to consider y t our ministring of baptisme in his Church is by his authoritie therefore that it belongeth vnto him to make it auaileable that it is only his spirit wherby we be regenerate For if euerie man could wash his own soule it might be sayde that the minister baptiseth with water and y t euerie man baptiseth himselfe with truth but it can not be sayd so for that were as much as to robbe Gods sonne of the thing that is peculiar vnto him He hath reserued that honour to himselfe neuer giuen it to any creature no not vnto y e Angels of heauen Therefore let vs vnderstand that nowadayes when it is tolde vs that we must make the outwarde signe auailable vnto vs by being baptised in our soules we must therewithall immediately submit our selues vnto God praying him to performe the thing by the power of his holy spirit which he representeth to vs outwardly by the figure thereof and to mortifie and renewe vs in such wise as we may haue the trueth of baptisme sealed vppe and ingrauen in our soules In like case was it with the people of olde time True it is that here Moses exhorteth y e Iewes to Circumcise their heartes but yet we shall see hereafter Deut. 3◠6 howe he will say the Lorde our God themselues so ill as it was verie requisite for thē to be done to vnderstand that it was but a fondnesse for them to boast themselues to be Gods people Nowe to the intent we may learne to put this doctrine in practise as it ought to be Let vs vnderstande that such as will needes harden them selues in naughtinesse shal be destroyed by God who will make them to feele y e force of his power according to this saying of his If ye fall to stubbornes with me Leuit. 26.23 24. I will deale stubbornly with you againe And it is all one with this saying of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 With the frowarde I wil be froward and I wil deale roughly with such as harden thēselues against me Then let vs learne that Gods intent is to lay a yoke vppon our neckes by his worde of purpose to bring vs in subiection to his righteousnesse And all is for our benefite Insomuch that although it bee so vnpossible for vs to fulfill the Lawe that wee can not so much as put foorth one of our litle fingers to the furtheraunce of it no nor once thinke a good thought yet is that yoke gentle amiable of it selfe and all the harme of it commeth of our selues For if wee will not bowe downe our neckes but strout them out as hard as if they were steele or brasse so as in steede of being as Oxen to labour or as sheep to heare the voyce of our shepherd we become sturdy buls and fall to striking with rage furie to shake off the yoke so as we not only followe not the worde but also shake off all subiection and inharden ourselues against God what excuse will there be for vs seeing wee yeelde not ourselues vnto him willingly to be taught at his hande Yet for all that we see how the world goeth God therefore must be faine to ouermaster vs to tame vs by maine hande And in verie deede looke what afflictions soeuer light vpon vs we ought to take thē as strokes of Gods hād to make vs bowe our neckes vnder him and to become tractable and obedient But when we go awke and cleane contrary after that fashion thē doth he threaten vs thus by Moses I will deale stubbornely as well as you He vseth that terme of purpose to the intent y t men should not dally with him For at the first blush the saying might seeme straunge which I alledged out of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 namely that hee will deale frowardely with such as are froward For howe can that be Can God be frowarde No But it is all one as if he shoulde say yee shall finde in me a greater hardnesse than yours is Let vs incounter together and see which of vs is stoutest and best able to holde out I tell you it is you that are like to be confounded and go to wrecke And therfore let vs leaue our naughtinesse and repaire vnto God while he calleth vs and when we be come to him let vs suffer ourselues to be gouerned by his holy spirite which is the spirit of meeknesse that we may submit our selues obediently vnto him And for perfourmaunce thereof lette vs marke the lesson that Moses addeth immediatly The euerlasting thy God sayeth he is the God of Gods a great a mightie a strong God yea but let vs marke also that he doth not accept that is to say regard mens persons but iudgeth according to the truth Beware therefore y t ye trust not any more in your circūcision nor in such like thinges but beare in mind that God wil haue your seruice to be such as your hearts may be wholly dedicated vnto him and that he wold haue you to submit your selues vnto him so as he may haue you in his possession and you enioy the inheritance which hee promised to your fathers and which belongeth vnto you Gods greatnesse which Moses speaketh of in this place is the first
vs to look vpon to y e end we should refer al to our own profite For y e end of time saith he is come vpon vs and we see nowe the perfection of the things which God had but begun as then And here is mention made of Coree Dathan and Abiram y t is to wit of such as could not abide the obseruing of thinges in such sort as God had then commanded them by Moses True it is that they professed thēselues to be Gods chosen the children of Abraham mark y t for one point For they alledged y t they were sanctified their intent was that their circumcision should be as a warrāt for them that they were a holy sacred generation But yet for al y t they would none of the preesthood at leastwise not as God had ordeyned it but euery of thē would haue it to him selfe Now I pray you haue not we for our part seene the like rebellion against God his word For wherefore hath al the skirmishing bin both against the doctrine against y e disciplyne of the church with such rage but to displace the order y t God set among vs When heretikes yea euen such heretikes as brought mo blasphemies than euer were herd of since there was any christian Church came hither they were mainteyned here with tooth nayle openly yea euen by such as sate in the seate of Iustice in so much as they tooke part with them and shewed them as much fauor as Turkes shoulde haue vnder Mahomet Afterward when other heretikes came hither to bring in Freewil again to set it vp to the derogation of Gods grace blaspheming his election and Prouidence they had those mē for their Patrons Aduocats which ought to haue bin their Iudges those spake for them in our presence and that with such impudencie as if they had bent them selues like buls to strike vs with their hornes to set themselues as shamefully as could be against God and his doctrine This haue we seene Againe when thinges were shewed them so plainly by the holy scripture as would haue beene receiued euen among the very papists and when so cleare and euident texts were alledged as coulde not be gaine said which things we not only spake by mouth but also gaue them the articles in writing set downe y e sentences of the scripture whereby the truth was pointed to as with ones fiuger They were not ashamed to reiect all but stepped forth proudely still as it were to say wee will fight against God whatsoeuer come of it True it is that they spewed not out such sayings with full mouth for they protested still to hold themselues to the Gospel O sayd they our desire is to haue y e Gospel Yea but what maner of Gospell A tauerngospell There was no talking among them of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ For it was a cōmon by word among them to say There needs no more to be knowē than y t which al of vs know that is to wit that we must loue God and our neighbour And what needeth there so much preaching for that matter If a man replyed hereupon sayd vnto thē how can y t be If yee wil haue preaching to ceasse the Sacraments to be superfluous the must the whole order which God hath set in his church be disanulled Wel would they say then let y e Gospel be preached simply w tout such storming And againe as touching y e Sacraments belong they not to vs as well as to you Why not would we y t there should be no more order kept Nay we cā minister y e supper as wel as you preachers Such things as these I say were seen and herd But if Coree Dathan Abirā be condemned here by y e holy ghost to haue intēded y e breaking of al order I pray you what shal a man say of those which haue fought so manifestly against god after this fashion for these things were not done of ignorāce Although they be so shameles as to say stil wee haue ment no such thing yet is their malice too too apparant For had no man spoken to them of it or had no man pointed thē as with his finger to y e texts of the scripture so as it might haue bin saide see here the will of God there is no difficultie in y e matter it needeth not any scanning as though there were any doubtfulnes in it see here y e opē text they might haue had some colour for their pretence But seing y t things were so shewed vnto them yet they cōtinued wilful still see yee not that it was an open making of war against God Is it not to be seene also what pretence was made by Coree Dathan Abiram Out of question their sayings were after this maner Why If Aaron haue the highpriesthod alone to himself he shal haue al superiority what shal we be Euen so standeth y e case with these men to their seeming al were marde on their side if God should beare y e sway But god will beare the sway by this order and we see it is no impeachement at all to the ciuill power which is a thing vtterly distinct from it neither can any thing better maintaine Magistrates in their souerainty forasmuch as y e order of Gods Church is spiritual so as it medleth not with y e punishing of mens bodies nor w t penalties nor with imprisonments nor with such other like things but all is referred to y e word the sacraments Seeing y t this is apparant doth it not serue better for y e stablishment of Empyres kingdomes Lordships than if there were nothing else to be had than a confused tyranny where nothing were reserued vnto God to our Lord Iesus Christ And therfore when men streine themselues to y e vttermost of their power to ouerthrow y t order do they not fal to spitting in y e face of Iesus christ to spite him withall For it is his will to reigne among vs yea he will haue his kingdom to be in vs. Now thē when he chooseth men setteth them vp to gouern his church in his name is it not too shameful an vnthankfulnes to say we will not admit it but thrust it from vs As who shold say they wold make men beleeue y t the Consistory were a thing vtterly seuered from Geneua it self wheras God hath granted vs y e grace to make it a member of the body Nowe then to dismember Iesus Christ by separating y e things which he hath ioyned together is it not a setting of themselues openly against him We see then y t these rebellions haue happened among vs who is to bee blamed for it Truly y e heads of the sedition are to be seene and y e perceiuing of thē hath not bin at some one time or a day or twaine ago but it is now a seuen or eight years since it began
with their turning away from his word when it is preached vnto them is that their so doing is through a diuelish stubbornes y t euen by y e witnes of their own conscieÌ„ces it is a worshipping of gods which they haue not knowwen For our faith must not be vncerteine it must not be an opinion or weening but it must bring a sure knowledge with it And what maner of knowledge Truely as in respect of our own wit reason if we intend to come vnto god we must worship him w t all humilitie remeÌ„ber that his secrets surmount our vnderstaÌ„ding But yet here withall it behoueth vs to stande vppon so sure a ground euen by knowledge as our owne consciences may beare record of it wee bee able to say with S Iohn 1. Iohn 3.2 we wote well y t we be y e children of God Lo here what the true Religion is It is not an vnaduised zeale or a liking that men cast to this thing or that but a sure knowen doctrine grounded vpon Gods trueth wherethrough we be able to say y t it is he which hath spoken to vs y t he is a faithfull witnesse of y e things y t are for our welfare saluation And againe whatsoeuer we alleage wee shall alwayes abide conuicted of our malice So that when wee haue once beene taught y e word of God if wee afterwarde worship gods whom we haue not knowen if we swarue aside to any superstition or if we continue not in y e pure simplicitie of y e holy scripture surely we shal iustly be accused to haue had strange Gods to haue bin forgers of them as folke y t loue the vntrueth better than y e trueth According wherunto S. Paul speaking of all such as obeyed not the Gospel 〈◊〉 1.25.28 saith it is good reason they shold be striken with horrible blindnes that forasmuch as they honored not the creator it was meete that they should become vnderlings to the creatures y t is to say to the things which they had dreamed in their own fond braine foolish fancies Now theÌ„ seeing y t our God hath taught vs let vs learn to hold our selues at a stay to his word to vnderstand in what maner he hath shewed himself vnto vs let vs benefite our selues by al the records which he giueth vs beware y t we wander not one way or other ne followe not our owne leasings For there wil be no excuse for such as would not be certified of God when he was readie to do it Now in the end Moses addeth that when the people were come into the land of promise they shoulde diuide their companie in two partes the one halfe vpoÌ„ mount Garizim the other halfe vpon mount Eâ—all that they which should bee vppon mount Garizim should pronounce the blessings that those which should be vpon mount Ebal should pronounce the curses which thing wee see was done accordingly For this commandement shal bee rehearsed yet againe in the 27. Chapter of this booke Deâ—t 27. â—â— Ios. 3. â—â— And Iosua in his eyghth Chapter declareth y t he had obeyed the coÌ„mandement of Moses The effect of y e storie is that when y e people were entred into y e land they should meete with two mountaines y e one called Hebal y e other Garizim Now god had commanded y t one part of y e people namely certaine tribes shold be on y e one side on mount Garizim y t the rest of the tribes should be vpoÌ„ mount Hebal y t the Leuites shold stand in the middes of y e host bearing the Ark of God to shew y t God was chiefe souerein there that the Leuites were as witnesses or sureties to vndertake matters in y e behalf of the people like as if there were two parties to make som solemne match or couenant a notarie or register is present to take an othe betwixt them euen so God had ordeyned y t the people shoulde be there to heare receiue y e doctrine of saluation y t they should answere on their part as in y e passing of som solemn contract to y e end they might knowe vpon what condition God had chosen theÌ„ preferred theÌ„ before al other nations of y e earth as shal be shewed hereafter in the foresaid 27. Chapter And what were y e blessings They were a rehersal of y e same thing that God had spoken afore namely al such as keepe my law shal be blessed Al such as worship me with a pure conscience shal be blessed all such as hallow my name shal be blessed al such as obey their fathers mothers shal bee blessed all y t liue chastly shal be blessed all y t abstaine from deceit extortion al maner of euil shal be blessed God then on his parte promised blessing after y t maner Hereunto the people answered Amen Amen y t is to say So be it whereby they ratified y t which had been spoken by the mouth of God Again on y e contrarie part y e curses were vttered on mount Hebal in this wise Cursed be he y t turneth aside after strange gods Cursed be he y t dishonoreth his father or his motheâ— Cursed be hee that offendeth in theft or in whoredom Cursed be he y t performeth not all y e coÌ„mandements conteined in this booke Amen Amen said y e people When the curses were vttered after y t fashion it behoueth euery man to answer AmeÌ„ And so ye see what is said in this text Now let vs mark y t by that meanes god ment to touch y e people neerer to y e quicke by their agreing to such a couenant And the same belongeth vnto vs. For although wee haue not y e same cerermonie y t was obserued at y t time yet haue we y e trueth howsoeuer the world go whensoeuer Gods word is preached vnto vs although we receiue it not yet shal it not fal to y e grounde but it shal light vpoÌ„ our heads spite of our teeth it shal be an intolerable burthen to sink vs down to y e bottom of hel Therfore when we receiue gods word into our harts let beware y t we like wel of it y t we ratifie the promise of our saluatioÌ„ which he maketh vs. Nowe hee adopteth vs to be his children and if we be his children we be also his heires Therfore when we imbrace the preached word by faith obedience although our mouth speake not a worde yet doe wee confirme Gods truth to our saluation according to this saying of S. Iohns that as many as beleeue in the only sonne of God Iohn 3.33 haue set to their seales that God is true Thus ye see howe the full measure of our saluation and of the promise is accomplished hath his full effect power when we on our side do aunswere rightly Amen And
acknowledgement of our faults praying him c. On Saturday the xxviij of September 1555. The Lxxx Sermon which is the first vpon the twelfth Chapter THese are the ordinaunces and Lawes which yee shal keepe that yee may doe them in the Lande which the Lord God of thy fathers hath giuen thee of possesse all the dayes which thou shalt liue vpon the earth 2 Ye shall destroy all the places wherein the people whom yee shal conquere haue serued their gods whether it be vpon high mountaines or vpon the hils or vnder any maner of greene trees 3 Also yee shall digge downe their Altars and breake their images and burne their woods with fire Yee shall destroy the images of their gods and dispatch the names of them out of that place 4 Yee shall not deale so with the Lord your God 5 But looke what place soeuer the Lord your God shal choose out of al your tribes to set his name in and to dwel in there shall yee seeke him and thither shall yee resorte WHeras Moses exhorteth y e people here againe to obserue the ordinances statutes of y e law and to do thē it doth vs to vnderstand y t if we be not diligēt in following Gods will we shal soone be carried away vnto wickednes one way or other For it falleth out vpon vs y t we do cōmit many faults through ouersight we stumble at euery turning of a hand because y e deuill doth easily beguile vs we haue no great wit or discretion in vs our mind is ful of fondnes consequētly vnconstant therfore if we be not very diligent in obeying our God we shall neuer obserue his law as we ought to do Now thē let vs beware y t we set our minds earnestly to y ◠ordering of our life For if we bethinke vs not aduisedly of it ne haue any great care of it we shal not fail to do amisse some way or other That is y e thing which we haue to gather vpon this place where Moses saith y t we must not only put gods cōmandemēts in execution but also keepe thē to do them As if he should say y t if men holde not themselues well in awe if they bee not very watchfull in following their duety if they be not well aduised earnest in their doings by by they slip away and there is no stedines in them and although there haue bin some good zeale in them yet it vanisheth away out of hande And he sayth expresly that they be the statutes and ordinances of the God of their fathers Which serueth to the better confirming of the matter y t we haue seene heereto fore which is that the Land of Chanaā was giuen thē by vertue of the couenant and promise y t was made before they were borne The Iewes then are put in minde in this place to thinke thēselues beholden to Gods free bestowed goodnes for their promised inheritāce forasmuch as they coulde not boast of it as of a cōquest because God had assigned it to their fathers before they were borne Neuerthelesse his purpose is also to confirme them in the doctrine of the Law to the end they might knowe y t they worshipped not a new god or a god lately found out but the same God which had bin reueiled to their fathers in all ages afore therfore he telleth them they were lesse to be excused if they held thē not to the religion y t had bin knowen in all times afore at leastwise among their fore fathers For we heare what God vpbraydeth them withall by his prophet Ieremie Go seeke all the worlde about saith he go ouer y e sea Ier. 〈…〉 see if the heathen nations haue changed their gods and yet they be but idols Sith you see such stedfastnes constancie in the infidels y t they be not variable in their superstitions but rather as it were wedded wilfully giuē ouer to thē what a shame will it be to you to haue forsaken the liuing God when ye haue knowen him not to continue in his word Then let vs marke wel in this text that Gods vpbraiding of y e Iewes with his manifesting of himself vnto thē to their fathers so long time aforehand is to y e ende they should be the more worthy to be condemned if they hild not them selues to the doctrine which had bin so well warranted vnto thē But let vs marke also y t it is not inough for vs y t our forefathers held some kind of religion but we must also see y t the same be alowable And whereas it is sayd here y t their forefathers knew the same God which had setforth his Law to thē at y t time the knowledge or opinion which the fathers had is not y e chief ground that we ought to stand vpon for God presupposeth y t he had so certified thē of his word as they were not in any doubt at all Therfore first let vs learn to knowe what our Lord declareth vnto vs and then let vs afterward go to antiquitie And it is certaine that if the religion be true good it is not new nor deuised in our time but our repaire must be to the things y t are witnessed in the Law and y e prophets There we shal see how God hath gathered his Church how he hath gouerned it how it hath alwayes had his truth euen from the beginning of the world In dede the number of people is but small y t haue followed godlinesse the rest haue turned away after their owne inuētions Howbeit we must not haue an eye to the world but let it suffice vs y t god hath had a church of his owne in all ages whereunto it behoueth vs to be ioyned to become one w t it For although the Church haue bin despised of the worlde yet hath it alwayes bin precious in Gods sight And we see the like still at this day True it is that the most part of such as boast thēselues to be beleeuers are doted with leasinges errours abuses but wee must let thē alone submit ourselues to the truth y t God telleth vs knitting ourselues in vnity of faith concord with the faithfull which are contented to followe whatsoeuer God hath shewed thē Thus ye see y t the way for vs to put this text in vre where the God of the fathers is spokē of is y t it is not ynough for vs to haue som antiquitie as the papists alledge saying we haue bin a long time in possession but we must be well groūded vpō certainty so as we know y t the God whom we worship is not an idoll When a man knowes y t once then let him proceede to the cōsent agreement of faith according to our beleef wherby we confes y t there is but one almightie god which is y e father of our lord Iesus Christ and by the same reasō our father too
safetie doe thinke it better to behaue themselues after another sorte and to chaunge their state and what a kinde of dealing is that It is a diuelishe rage that we be caried away withall when wee cannot bee quiet in our selues at such time as god hath giuen vs outward rest and holdeth our enimies locked vp so as although they be round about vs yet he suffereth them not to make any chaunge to disquiet vs with all and yet we our selues cannot abyde to sit in quiet Wherefore let vs marke wel y t seeing God is so gracious to vs as to grant vs libertie to serue him purely it is our dewtie to holde our selues quietly vnder his obedience without attempting any thing at all But the Papistes haue well shewed in this case that they cannot find in their harts in any wise to submit themselues vnto God and that their intent is not to yeeld him any obedience For first of all they looked not what God ment by the olde figures of the Lawe and yet they followed the things that Moses cōmaunded concerning lightes perfumes and apparell And why was that Bicause they considered not that all those things were referred to our Lord Iesus Christ. They were much more brutish than the very Iewes that had no faith at all For the Iewes at leastwise held themselues to the rule that was giuen them In deede they knewe not the right vse of their Ceremonies but yet had they an expresse commaundement from God durst not attempt any thing against the same But as for the Papistes notwithstanding that Iesus Christ bee manifested and haue accomplished all the thinges that were betokened in olde time yet haue they vtterly ouerthrowen that good and substantial foundation and thrust his death and passion vnder foote They fall to taking vp of lightes And what needes that The holy ghost hath shewed himselfe visibly in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ Ma◠3. 〈…〉 Act. 1.3 and afterward vpon the Apostles to doe vs to vnderstand that we must no more looke for any outward figures bicause we haue the truth and substance of them But what The Papists haue abolished the infinite grace of God and vtterly made a mocke of it They will needes offer sacrifice and haue attyred their priestes thereafter disguising them as though it were to the playing of an enterlude And all this geere is but gugawes for they bee not commaunded of God and besides that they be done as it were in despite of him All that was doone in the law was of Gods setting vp these men fall to setting vppe of newe fashions such as God neuer spake of Againe they place a mortall man in y e roome of our Lord Iesus Christ as who shold say that the office of our Lord Iesus Christ were not welynough knowne and apparant vnlesse it were figured out with newe and straunge toyes It is all one as if a body should shew forth the picture of a man when the partie himselfe is present and shoulde saye Behoulde this picture and yet the man is there himselfe who can much better shew himselfe what he is than the picture can doe Euen so doe the Papists in setting forth of y e picture of Iesus Christ. He is named the liuely image of God Although the father be incomprehensible in his owne maiesty yet hath he so vttered himselfe in the person of his sonne ◠Cor. 〈…〉 He 〈…〉 2. Cor. 〈…〉 as wee may behold him there face to face as sayth Saynt Paule in the second to the Corinthians But the Papistes drawe a Curteine before it and tell vs that wee must bee contented with pictures It is therefore a turning of all thinges vpside downe and a bringing in of diuelish confusion Neuerthelesse wee see that in the Popedom there is no harkning what God saies but all is doone at the appointment of man Looke whatsoeuer they do they terme it by the name of Gods seruice Yea but how is God dewly serued God sayth ye shall not doe whatsoeuer seemeth good to your selues seeing that I haue set you downe a certaine order bee contented to bee gouerned by my woord But what say the Papistes Mee thinkes this is good This we take to be excellent euery man castes to his collup and in all Gods woord a man shall not finde one syllable of al the things which they terme Gods seruice and which they will needes haue to passe in their account For let a man search all y e things through which are comprised vnder y t name in y e Popedom he shall find thē euerychone to bee forged and builded by men and that God not onely disclaymeth them but also condemneth them bicause he hath shewed vs his certaine and infallible truth which is the thing that we must frame our selues vnto Wee see then howe all this doctrine hath beene wickedly throwen downe in the Popedome and that is bicause they haue peruerted the true vse of the figures of the Lawe and taken inordinate liberty to doe whatsoeuer came in their heades without hauing any regarde to the witnessinges that God giueth vs whereby they might haue said These be the thinges which we ought to do Now so much the more diligēt ought we to be in marking this place For were wee still in doubt nowadayes what to doe so