teacheth vs in euery place that hee is gyuen to vs a King and a Priest but chieflye Dauid So as he was King he gaue vs Lawes of lyfe euerlasting and made his expedition as it were into this worlde to fight against Sathan the common enimie of mankinde ouercame him and set vs at libertie which were tyed fast in the chaines of our sinne Furthermore of his liberalitie more than royall he abundantly enriched all that beleeue in him with the treasures of the kingdome of Heauen Moreouer by his Priesthood he taught vs he prayed for vs and for al them which hanged him on the Crosse and he offred his body bloud which he tooke of vs to be a sufficient sacrifice and acceptable to God for our sinnes Hereunto serued the myracles by the which he thought to bring men to the obedience of faith and to teache the simple thereby how to know him The other place he assigneth for Doctrine wherin the reason of all the things done by Christ is declared In the meane season we must not thinke Luke in vaine to haue ioyned Workes and Doctrine togyther comprehending in these twoo woordes all that concerneth christ For he teacheth that in the consideration of Christ these twoo must needes be ioyned togither For except wee consider hys doctrine with hys woorkes they shall no more auayle vs to the knowledge of saluation than the thinges done by any other liuyng a thousand fiue hundred yeares past and more But if we consider his doctrine we shall vnderstand that all these thinges were wrought for our sakes that saluation might happen to vs through the benefite of Christ our Redeemer Also the consideration of hys woorkes shall bring credite and authoritie to his doctrine forasmuch as they beare most manifest witnesse of hys diuine power and Godhead as Christ him selfe teacheth saying the woorkes which the Father hath giuen mee to finishe the same woorkes that I doe beare witnesse of mee that the Father hath sent mee And againe If I doe not the woorkes of my Father beleeue me not but if I doe them and if you beleeue not mee beleeue the woorkes that yee may know and beleeue that the Father is in mee and I in him With these woordes are the counterfait Christians of this worlde impeached who beleeue all the workes of Christ and furnished with an Hystoricall faith vse to praise all the things that euer he did or suffered but when it commeth to the poynt to beleeue in one Christ and the saluation obtayned by his onely merite then as though they had forgotten theyr former fayth they turne an other way and seeke infinite meanes besides Christ to attayne to saluation by These men doe as they which being allured with the testimonye of common reporte of friendship or familiarity greatly extoll the Science of Phisicke but when they fall sicke refuse to vse the same thereby plainely declaring that they distrust both the Arte and knowledge of Phisicke Euen so that which these men confesse of Christ with theyr mouth they denie in deede The cause of this hurtfull wauering is none other but this for that they consider Christes bare woorkes whereby they are mooued somewhat to marueyle at them but that marueyle endureth not forasmuch as it wanteth the proppe of doctrine and is ignorant of the ende of them Whereas if they would heare Christes teaching they should perceyue that these myracles were wrought and described to the intent that in him onely wee should repose all hope of our saluation For this is his saying I am the waye the light and the truth No man commeth to the Father but through mee Whosoeuer drinketh of this elementall water drawne by his owne strength shall thirst againe But whosoeuer shall drinke of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are laden and I shall refreshe you Furthermore it is to be considered that Luke maketh Christes ascention the very ende and bounde of the story of the Gospell For he saith that he hath spoken in the first Booke of all the things that Christ both did and sayde vntill the same daye that he was taken vp into Heauen after he had giuen commaundements to his Apostles whom he had chosen Hereby we gather that Christ by his glorious ascention into Heauen hath perfourmed all the poyntes of our redemption and saluation For wee haue shewed before that in the Gospell is perfectly contayned the thinges which concerne our saluation Bicause therefore the Ascention of Christ is placed last it is certaine that it was the last ende of all the thinges necessarye to our saluation This if wee holde it shall appeare as cleare as may be that wee henceforth neede no more bodily presence of Christ in the earth For what should he doe in earth which longe since hath faithfully and fully perfourmed the things he had here to doe Wee haue neede of the Spirite the Grace the Meryte the Doctrine the Counsell and protection of Christ which he neuer withholdeth from his and after this sorte as he promised He is with them vntill the ende of the worlde He him selfe also forbiddeth vs to beleeue them which shall say hee is any where corporallye present But bicause wee haue a more commodious place to speake of these thinges a little after where the Hystorie of the Ascention is handled let these fewe woordes suffice for this present This is now to be obserued that Christ would not leaue the earth before he had giuen commaundementes to his Apostles For I vnderstande not this place of that one commaundement where he badde they should not departe from Hierusalem till they had receiued the promised holy Ghost but Luke seemeth to speake vniuersally of all the thinges which Christ meant to admonish his Apostles of and chiefly those which concerned the office of their Apostleship of the which a little after followeth more to be saide This is very comfortable that Christ although absent in his body ceaseth not yet to care and prouide for his Church For here he fulfilleth the dutie of a good and faithfull Householder which goyng into the countrie committeth the charge of his familie to his trusty friendes and in the meane season telleth eche of his housholde what they shall doe while he is absent Euen so Christ ascending into Heauen commended the care of his Church to his Apostles whom he testifieth in the Gospell to take as his friendes He instructeth them with commaundements least they through rashnesse or vnfaithfulnesse should offende The Parables in the .xxiiij. and .xxv. of Mathew make for the exposition of this place Let no man therefore thinke that he is in such daunger of Tyraunts and deceyuers that he is left destitute of the ayde of Christ and so lieth open to theyr pleasure crueltie For he that hath redeemed his sheepe with the pryce of his owne bloud and gaue such charge of them
regarded For that duiers signes and woonders aswell true as false be wrought amongest men we are taught by the holye Scriptures They are called true myracles when that thing is truly done that is sayd to be done and which beareth witnesse to the doctrine of truth such as were sometimes the myraculous workes of the Apostles done by Christes institution They are called false which deceyue vs by some lying shew as Charmers and Iuglers vse or which call men from God and from the faith and doctrine of the truth Such as sometimes Iannes and Iambres shewed before Pharao And such as are ascribed to Antichrist and to the deceyuers in the later dayes And God suffreth them otherwhiles to be done in the sight of his people that in the elect he may trye the constancie of their faith as Moses testifyeth Deut. 13. and in the reprobate he maye exercise the seueritie of his iudgement bicause through the efficacie of errour as Paule sayeth they are seduced which woulde not admit the loue of the truth Therefore myracles are neu er so to be taken that we must cleaâe onelye to them or to their doctrine that worke them but we must examine them after the rule of Gods worde that in those which beare witnesse to the truth and teach vs to trust in god we may acknowledge God to be the author and reiect all other as false by whose baytes Satan vseth to lye in wayte against our faith and saluation If this thing be not obserued we shall through our owne default be deceyued not onely by false myracles but also by true whereof God is the author whyle we heeding the persons regarde not the ende wherfore they are done Whereof this place giueth vs an euident example and another hereafter is written of the people of Lystra which tooke occasion to commit ydolatrie of a myracle done by Paule as in his place shall appeare But let vs consider Peter which of the peoples amazednesse taketh occasion to preach Thinke you he abuseth the ignoraunce and errour of the people Goeth he about by this meane to get himselfe and his fellowes authoritie which he might easily haue done No verily Naye he beginneth to preach Christ and defendeth his honour and glorye There are fower members or principall pointes of his sermon First he correcteth the ignorance of the people sheweth them that there is nothing here done through âhe power and vertue or holynesse of men Secondly he declareth God to be the author of the myracle who hath wrought the same by his sonne where he also admonisheth them of their heynous offence committed against the sonne of god Thirdly he requireth of them repentaunce Last of all bicause the Christian religion did seeme to repugne with Moses and the Prophets he teacheth them that they did set forth Christ and that they must of necessitie beleeue Christ vnlesse they will seeme grieuouslye to offende against Moses and the Prophetes And therewithall he also teacheth that Christ which was promised to the fathers belonged also to them least they should be drowned in dispaire through the conscience of their sinnes But at this present we will speake but of the first part onely purposing to intreate of the reast in theiâ place and time First he goeth about to remooue ignorance and error out of their minds This is the right and most commodious waye of teaching the truth For mans propertie and condicion is like to the earth whereof he was made The earth yeeldeth thornes and bryers of it owne accorde neyther bringeth it forth good seede with any increase vnlesse it be diligently clensed and ridde of them So the minde of man corrupt with originall sinne bringeth forth errors of it selfe ⪠which except they be strongly repulsed it neyther can suffer the doctrine of truth nor receyue any fruite or commoditie thereby Wherefore the Lorde commaundeth the Prophete to breake downe and roote vp before he builde or set And Peter is not colde in this behalfe as though he âhunned honour for ciuilitie and modestie sake as ambicious folke vse which hunt for glorye euen then when they feyne to be contemners thereof But framing his talke by an interrogatiue point maketh it the more vehement saying Ye men of Israell why marueyle yee at this or why looke you so on vs as though by our owne power and strength wee had made this man to go These wordes sauour of some reprehension I pray you sayth he what cause hath mooued you to conceyue such abashment of this myracle wheras not long sithens many such were wrought by Christ howe commeth it to passe you remember not them And then it should easily appeare who is the author of this Surely in vaine you looke vpon vs yea your errour is so great that it may not be winked at For our power or holinesse hath herein done nothing But it is anothers woorke who must haue all the prayse of that is done Let vs obserue in this place the modestye and truth of the Apostles whereby they so challenge vnto Christ all honor and glorie that they reserue nothing to themselfe of that is due to him This is the propertie of all the Saintes For they acknowledge Christes voyce saying by the Prophete I am the Lorde this is my name And my glorye will I giue to none other There are examples of this endeuour not only in this place but also otherwheares The Baptist when hee was asked whether hee were Messias the sauiour he giueth all that prayse to Christ onely whose forerunner onely he confesseth himselfe to be The same before his Disciples which of a carnall zeale enuied Christ testifyed that Christ was the bridegroome of the Church to whome all men must be brought and sheweth that all power and glorye was giuen vnto him from God the father and sendeth his Disciples vnto him And Paule had rather to be stoned than he woulde receyue any godly honor when they of Lystra offred it him of their owne free motion and will. Of this minde it is plaine also the Angels are For where Iohn being rauished with the excellencie of reuelations would haue worshipped an Aungell he sayde vnto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and of thy brethren the Prophetes and of them which keepe the wordes of the prophecie of this booke Worship thou God. Wherevpon Augustine in his .xlix. Epistle disputing of the honour due to God only writeth of the Aungels whom he calleth the spirituall creatures on this wise Howe much more godly it is and in subiection to God so muche lesse it doth vouchsafe it selfe of such honour as it knoweth belongeth but to God. And a little afterwarde comparing the euill aungels who sayth he ioy and are delighted in the errors of men with the good he addeth wherefore euen as wicked pryde whether it bee of men ⪠or of Spirites commaundeth or desireth these diuine honours to be
noysed no further among the people let vs threaten and charge them that they speake hencefoorth to no manne in this name And they called them and commaunded them that in no wise they shoulde speake nor teach in the name of IESV THe Apostle Peter so aunswereth the question propounded to him and to Iohn in the counsell at Ierusalem concerning the lame man that was healed that he teacheth them not onely that they enquire of but also declareth to them after a compendious and briefe sorte the whole effect and summe of saluation We are taught by this example so to traueyle with the professed enimies of the truth as to laboure to winne them to Christ and to saluation Which ende Christ as it is manifest set before him as often as he had contention with his aduersaries But nowe let vs see what effect ensued of Peters answere which in so great vehemencie of speach and earnest ayde of the holy ghost coulde be of no small force Where we may see a marueylous confusion of mindes which that it might be the more perceyued is so described of Luke that first he declareth what an abashment it wrought in the counsell then what deuise and counsell they toke concerning the Apostles both which we meane to entreate of in order First they are filled with admiration and amazednesse and wotte not what way to take in so much that they know not what to say against it And least any man might thinke they were fooles or at their wittes ende for feare he sheweth the causes which made them so perplexed and in doubt First was the confidence and boldnesse of speach in the Apostles which they here perceyued did surpasse their expectation For they knewe they were simple and vnlearned men not brought vp in faculties or artes beside their mother tongue They knewe they were taken from fyshers craft to be the Apostles of christ And euen yet still did that olde opinion bewitch their mindes which caused them once to saye that none of the Scribes or Phariseys but the accursed and rascall people which were ignorant in the lawe and scriptures helde with christ Therefore presupposing they shoulde easily haue ouercome the Apostles they could not choose but be amazed when they see them aunswere with such discretion to their question reprooue their iniustice so boldlye and defende Christes quarell with such wisedome and constancie For they are compelled will they nyll they to acknowledge some power of God in them and perceyue they are ledde with a farre other wisedome than the wisedome of the fleshe And this was the chiefe cause why Christ woulde choose ignorant and vnlearned Apostles that the doctrine of the Gospell might be acknowledged to be set forth by the power of God and not through mans wisedome eloquence or authoritie and that all the prayse and glorie thereof might redounde vnto God alone whereof Paule disputeth at large in the first to the Corinthians the first Chapter The other cause of their amazednesse was the euident truth of the myracle wrought by the Apostles which they are neyther able to call in doubt nor yet to charge with any suspicion of Magicke or enchauntment For they see the man stande before them on whome the Apostles had bestowed this benefite of health whether called by them or of his owne accorde ioyned to them to see the ende and successe of the matter I wote not Therefore they are in a perplexitie of minde and haue not one worde to answere So they which thought to haue ouercome and caught the Apostles in some trip by demaunding of one question are shamefully vanquished and confounded Here is fulfilled that which Christ promised saying I will giue you vtteraunce and wisedome against which all your aduersaries shall not be able to make resistaunce It appeareth also howe vaine the deuises of men are against christ He knoweth their cogitations to be vaine and bringeth the counsayle of the heathen to naught but the counsayle of the Lorde endureth for euer as Dauid sayd Psal. 33. and. 94. For it is he verily who as Elephas the Themanite sayth destroyeth the deuises of the subtill so that their handes are not able to perfourme any stedfast thing he compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynesse and ouerthroweth the counsayles of the wicked The Gospell sheweth vs a like example in a blinde man restored by Christ to his sight againe who being both vnlearned and a begger doth marueylously hold the whole Colledge of Scribes and Phariseyes at a baye that the more questions they aske of him the more they vtter their foolishnes Let no man therefore be afrayde eyther of the power or craft of these enimies where as God so easily turneth them both vpside downe For it is not our cause that we haue in hande but Gods which will giue vs both a mouth and vtterance nor it is not we that speake but the spirite of our father which is in vs. But before we leaue this place we must speake somewhat of two things very worthy to be obserued First it is not without a cause that Luke writeth the wicked enimies of Christ were so amazed at the bolde and free speach of the Apostles For by this example we are taught that there is nothing so effectuall to bridle the wicked as is freedome of speach where they are reprooued to their faces and the truth which they withstand is boldly defended For such is the force of wordes that they easily pierce the minde But if the zeale of Gods truth and glorie be ioyned therevnto it cannot be but the consciences of the hearers must be wounded howsoeuer ⪠they many times dissemble the same Whereby it commeth to passe that although they alwayes do not truly repent yet many times they counterfeyte repentaunce and abstayne from doing euill where of we maye see a manifest example in Achab after that Elias had with such libertie as beseemed a Prophete vpbrayded him with the vnworthy slaughter of Naboth Againe when the ministers of the word suffer their tongues to be brydled or else of themselues keepe silence to please the worlde by and by we see the wicked are encouraged to runne into all kinde of licentious sinne and fill vp the measure of iniquitie and at length miserably perishe with their blinde watchmen and dumbe dogges See Ezechiel the .iij. and .xxxiij. Chapters For the which cause a franke and bold kinde of reprehension is euerywhere required in the Ministers The Lorde sayth vnto Esaye crye now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lift vp thy voyce like a Trumpet and shewe my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes And the Lorde commaundeth Hieremie to stande against the Priestes people Princes and Kinges like a brasen wall without feare Therefore Paule woulde haue sinners openly rebuked afore all men that other thereby might be brought in feare Yea where being iâ prison he commendeth himselfe and his cause to the
in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to say the bloudy fielde SAint LVKE hitherto hath declared what the Apostles did in their owne priuate case after Christ departed from the earth attributing to them true obedience vnitie of mindes and continuance in prayer And these verily are wholesome exercises wherewith we must prepare our selues duely to receyue the holye ghost who entreth not into a frowarde soule and whome the worlde cannot receyue but contemneth and derideth such cogitations and studies Nowe in this place he beginneth to declare what the Apostles first did how they settled themselues to the publike ministery of the Church which was committed vnto them And this was the substitution of Matthye in the place of Iudas the traytour and reprobate For where Christ would haue the Apostles to be twelue in number whom hee ordayned to be Iudges of the twelue Trybes of Israel it was requisite the same number should be fulfilled least the falshoode of Iudas should any way hinder the ordinaunce of Christ. In the meane season the example of the Apostles admonisheth vs that the chiefe care of the Church ought to be in prouiding to haue fitte meete ministers For how shal they beleeue in him sayth Paule of whom they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher howe shall they preach except they be sent And the same Apostle in another place sayth that himselfe Apollo and Cephas were the ministers of God by whome the Corinthians beleeued For although it belonge onely to God to giue fayth and hee worketh the same in the mindes of men by the vertue of his holy spirite for which cause the worshippers of Christ are called by the Prophet the taught of God yet for our sakes he witteth safe to vse the outwarde ministerie of the worde the vse and dignitie whereof must be defended and retayned in the Church Which thing is the cause why the Prophetes account fitte teachers among the chiefe benefites of God and Christ teacheth his Apostles to praye vnto God to sende worthy and faithfull workmen into his vineyarde And Paule in another place sheweth the maiesty and great care of Christ for his Church by this one argument chiefly that he sendeth from high giftes of his holy spirite and giueth some Apostles some Prophetes some Euaungelists some Pastors and teachers to the increase of the Saintes in the woorke of administration and to the building vp of his bodye They ought well to remember this that take vppon them in these dayes authoritie ouer the Church of Christ whether they be Bishops or secular Magistrates that they fayle not in this most necessary poynt to see to the Church but that they order euery thing in such sort that they maye leaue to their posteritie presidents of sounde and true doctrine Whervnto chiefly belongeth the appointing of schooles and bringing vp of youth which the Prophetes in the olde Testament had a great care of and after that the Christian Emperours likewyse Which things whosoeuer eyther through negligence or wasting of the Church goodes consume they ought to be taken for the greatest enimies of the Church and shall one daye buy such their heynous offences full deere at Christes hande But to addresse vs to the declaration of this present place Luke with great diligence rehearseth this hystorie declaring how the chiefe vse thereof is for vs to learne by example of the Apostles what to obserue and followe in choosing and appoynting ministers of the Church He beginneth with the description of the Church that was at that time In those dayes sayth he when they being gathered togither with one accorde looked for the comming of the holy ghost Peter stoode vp in the midst of the Disciples and proposed a matter which indifferently appertained to them all The number of them that beleeued when they were rehearsed by name was about an hundred and twentie Here both the small number of beleeuers in the Primitiue Church and Peter the Apostle are diligently to be considered For touching the number of them that professed Christ I thinke there is no man but marueyleth that there was no more founde in so famous and populous a Citie that professed and followed christ For what had Christ left vnassayde in that Citie For to omit the teaching aduertisements exhortation of the Prophets if a man consider but the things done in that Citie from the time that Christ came among them he shall perceyue an incredible hardnesse of heart and frowardnesse in that nation Iohn the Baptist went before Christ by reason of the plainnesse of his doctrine and straightnesse of his lyfe had bene able to haue mooued anye kinde of men But howe smally he profited the proofe very well declared Then by and by vpon followed Christ who to his doctrine which he framed and prepaced all maner of wayes to winne them with added myracles of such force and efficacie that they were able to make the verye enimies to confesse the truth Uerily Nicodemus confessed that no man but he that was sent of God coulde doe such things as they sawe him doe euery daye And manye openlye sayde Shall Christ when hee commeth worke more myracles than this man hath done I let passe the signes and woonders which partlye went before Christes death and partly followed which were able to mollifie the harts of the most cruell souldiers And yet after all these thinges there are no more but sixe score persons reckened among all that beleeued by Lukes testimonie who was a most faithfull and true witnesse In this appeareth the great power of Iesus Christ which of this smal remnant as the Prophets afore times tolde was able to multiplie and encrease his Church that in fewe yeares it was spred ouer all the worlde Wee maye learne also the vntowardnesse of mans nature and acknowledge almost an incurable naughtinesse in him and not to be offended though we see but fewe in these dayes that beleeue the doctrine of the Gospell For this did Esaias long ago foresee therfore minding to preach of the redemption that should be made by Christ crieth out who hath beleeued our preaching to whom is the arme of the Lorde declared And Christ speaking to his flocke sayth feare not little flocke for it hath pleased my father to giue you a kingdome And himselfe speaking of the last times declareth that such shall be the fashion and condicion of the worlde when he commeth that he shall finde no faith or truth vpon the earth Therfore great is the errour of those which iudge of faith and doctrine according to the multitude or fewnesse of them that followe it which is a common thing nowe a dayes For such was the state of the Church euen in the verye beginning that the smallest number embraced the doctrine of truth Noah only with his familie in that auncient worlde followed a diuers faith and religion from the residue of
fewe to Hierusalem euen this day that the holy ghost is giuen to the Apostles that among the first they might be wonne vnto Christ by the preachyng of the Apostles as about the ende of this Chapter we shall heare Nowe these men are astonied and woonder at the great myracle of God which they see shewed in the Apostles and they extoll it with many wordes leauyng out nothyng that maketh to the settyng foorth of the same For they both confesse the Apostles are Galileans and they beare witnesse they heare euery one their owne proper phrase of speache and they also recken vp the nations whose tongues they heare them vse Yet they stande not styll in this bashement but goyng further they seeke the ende and vse of this matter saying What meaneth this We are taught by the example of these men who are meete hearers of the doctrine of the Gospell and in whom this doctrine bryngeth foorth worthy fruites They are such which beyng not wholly destitute of religion doe humbly marueyle at the myracles of God and sticke not onely in the outwarde contemplation of them but earnestly thinke of the ende and vse of them God suffereth not these mens studyes to be frustrate whose pleasure it is that men shoulde come to the knowledge of truth And we reade that Salomon sayde If thou seekest after wisdome as after money thou shalt finde hir And Christ saith Seeke and you shall finde Now after these men follow another sort of men whom Christ calleth by the name of Dogges and Swine and the scripture in other places calleth them scorners and mockers For Luke saith there were aswel that mocked the Apostles as those that woondred at them saying These men are full of newe wine The example of these men is set foorth to shewe vs howe farre the wickednesse of such runneth as haue once purposed to persecute the truth For they become incurable and can be reclaymed with no maner of wordes or deedes For with what myracle wyll they be mooued whom this myracle can not mooue which was the greatest that euer was wrought amongst men But they are so farre from being mooued therwith that they take occasion rather to reproche and blaspheme it and they attribute it to the detestable vice of drunkennesse which of force they perceyue to be the workyng of the holy ghost There are diuers examples of this sort apparaunt which serue all to this ende to teache vs that we be not offended with the vniust iudgements of this worlde concernyng the truth For this is alway seene that the doctrine of the Gospell is to some the sauour of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauour of death vnto death And Paule teacheth vs that Christ crucyfied is a stumblyng block vnto the Iewes and foolishnesse vnto the Greekes Therfore let vs leaue such to the iudgement of God and let vs frame our selues to the doctrine of the Gospell that it beyng quickened in our heartes by the woorkyng of the holy ghost may bryng foorth worthy fruites by the which we may be knowne to be true beleeuers and may enioy the euerlastyng promises of the Gospell in Iesus Christe to whome be blessyng honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xij. Homelie BVT Peter stepped foorth with the eleuen and lyft vp his voyce and sayde Ye men of Iewry and all ye that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my words For these men are not drunken as ye suppose seyng it is but the thirde houre of the day But this is that which was spoken by the prophete Ioel. And it shal be in the last dayes saith God of my spirite I wyll poure out vpon all fleshe And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruauntes and on my handmaydes I wyll poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie WHen Iesus Christ the sonne of God was newely borne into the worlde and was brought by Marie his mother into the Churche accordyng to the appoyntment of Moyses lawe the holy and reuerende olde father Simeon by inspiration of the holy ghost amonge other thynges sayde Beholde this chylde is set to be the fall and vprisyng agayne of many in Israel and for a signe which is spoken agaynst Howbeit that which is spoken of Iesus Christ may be vnderstanded of the Gospell of Christ preached by the Apostles For although the doctrine therof be playne and simple and sheweth also the true way howe to attayne to saluation Yet shall men alwayes haue diuers iudgementes touchyng the same and there shall be no small number of such as shall openly speake agaynst it This dyd Esay the prophete see long agoe who vtteryng a prophecie of Christe and his doctrine begynneth after this sort Who hath giuen credence to our preaching or to whom is the arme of the Lord knowne The Lorde declareth the cause of all this matter where he saith this world can not abyde the lyght bicause the workes therof are euyll The scriptures also set foorth many lyke examples the ende and warnyng of all which is that we shoulde not be offended when the lyke happen in these dayes Among which this example that the Apostles prooued the first day they receiued the holy ghost and went about to administer their office is very notable For where they were indued with a singuler myracle such as the lyke had neuer beene hard of tyll this day which was the vnderstandyng of all languages and preached Iesus Christe in diuers tongues by reason of their hearers of diuers nations by and by the vnconstant people were deuided into sundry and diuers opinions For the more godly sort woondered at the worke of God and diligently searched after the meanyng thereof The wicked scorners accused them of drunkennesse So true it is that Paule saith that Christe seemeth foolishnesse to the wise of this worlde But bicause we spake hereof in the last Sermon let vs haste to the explication of this present place where the fayth and courage of the Apostles is more cleerely and euidently to be seene For they are so litle mooued or feared with the wicked slaunders of men that Peter rather taketh occasion hereof to speak vnto them and with a fruitfull sermon winneth many of them vnto Christ. Before we go about to expounde Peters Sermon let vs consyder what is sayde of hym and the other Apostles Peter sayth hee standyng with the eleuen lyft vp his voyce They stoode therefore without feare and thought neither to flye nor leaue their charge although they were so vniustly iudged And yet there seemed no small cause of feare and desperation For what shoulde they thinke they coulde preuayle in wordes with them whose wicked and frowarde mindes so great a myracle as euer was wrought could not mollifie and mooue But they stoode vnfeared and not onely remayne and tary by it but also begyn to set
prayers of the congregation Watch sayth he with all instancie and prayer for all the Sainctes and for me that vtteraunce may be giuen vnto me that I may open my mouth freely to vtter the secretes of my Gospell whereof I am a messenger in bondes that therein I may speake freely as I ought to speake Therefore let the Ministers neuer suffer this boldnesse to be taken from theâ for the which they see the Apostle is so carefull Next we must diligently consider how he writeth the lame man which was healed stoode with the Apostles when they pleaded their cause and therefore was in daunger with them This teacheth vs the slate and condicion of the godly in this worlde Assoone as they haue receyued the benefite of saluation in Christ they are vnder the perill and threates of the wicked So Lazarus raised againe by Christ was by and by in great hazarde bicause the Clergie of the Iewes sought to make both Christ and him out of the waye For as the wicked seeke to haue the glory of Christ extinguished so can they not abide them by whome the same is set forth and declared This is diligently to be obserued least while Christ offreth vs eternall saluation we promise our selues the felicitie and friendship of this world and being brought into a fooles paradyse when tribulation afterwarde coÌmeth we fall away from him as we see many doe in these dayes with the daunger of their saluation Also this lame man is an example of a Christian thankfulnesse and courage bicause he forsaketh not his benefactors in their perils but to his power standeth with them and helpeth them Yet there were diuers reasons wherewith he might haue excused himselfe and haue obtayned pardon of the Rulers for the benefite which he receiued of the Apostles Yet we reade he vsed none of these things His example reprooueth such as are glad to receyue the benefite of Christes saluation but will abide neyther perill nor tribulation with him Of whose number they also are which are contented to haue all our saluation in Christ preached but will not haue those thinges ioyned therewith which Christ pronounceth against Antichristes and deceyuers bicause they see many in the world are offended therewith To whome also they are lyke which greedily embrace the doctrine of saluation preached by the ministers and reioyce that they are deliuered out of the entanglinges and caltroppes of errour But when they see the worlde rageth and stormeth against the Ministers they denie them all helpe and succour yea they shunne the sight of them least they might seeme to holde with them The worlde in these dayes is full of such men and they may goe for the best which openly rayle not at the ministers when they be in daunger and giue them not vineger to drinke as they hang vpon the crosse But let them remeÌber Christ cannot be deuided but that we must altogither be without him or else receyue him in such sort as he is giuen vs of his father The Scriptures set him forth crucifyed and teach vs that by the crosse he is entred into the glory of the father We must embrace him in such sort and come by the same way into the glory of heauen He calleth those that be his to the bearing of the crosse and promiseth them no better condicion nor being in the worlde than that which he tasted and founde in the worlde He cannot abyde those disciples and seruantes which are ashamed of him before this naughtie adulterous and wicked worlde Let vs therefore after the example of this lame man be armed with a Christian stowtenesse and saye euery one with Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue in him Nowe let vs come to the seconde part of this place wherein is conteyned what the Counsell decreed against the Apostles For when they had commaunded them âo go aside they begin to consult among themselues where maye be seene a marueylous perturbation and confusion of mindes in them First what shall we doe say they to these men O foolish and preposterous question Were they ignorant that Innocents ought to be set at libertie and those to be rewarded which had done good But this way they bewray their pretensed malice seeking some meanes howe to vse crueltie against well doers and those that were guyltlesse But going yet further they more and more vtter their selues in that they confesse the truth of the myracle saying A manifest signe is wrought by them and it is knowne to all the inhabiters of Hierusalem and we cannot deny it They are therefore wicked bicause they yet conspire togither against Christ the author of the myracle They confesse also what chiefely vrgeth and offendeth them For they make no mention neyther of God nor of Christ but are only grieued that the matter is so knowne and spredde abrode among the people Therefore they had more regarde of the people than of God as who altogither depended vpon the estimation of the ignorant and superstitious multitude and had no care for the glorie of God which thing Christ in one place sayth was the chiefe cause of their incurable vnbeliefe At length they conclude what they will doe The thing that was done coulde not be vndone But perceyuing the daunger like to ensue by the peoples falling awaye from them they thinke it good that the matter be noysed no further abrode So with obliuion and forgetfulnesse they thinke to burie all memorie and remembraunce of christ And this they labour to bring to passe by threates and tyrannie when they see they haue no reason therefore Let vs threaten them saye they that they henceforth speake to no man in this name And so they send for the Apostles with great grauity of words publish that godly decree of their sacred oecumenicall counsel What shal we here first either marueyle at or detest O brethren Their impudencie wicked tyrannie or their dulheadnesse and follye They openly confesse that they cannot denie the myracle and yet they woulde haue it kept close And that that was in euery bodies mouth they forbidde the Apostles to speake of Furthermore they take vpon them to wrastle with Christ whome they coulde not keepe in his graue when he was deade and buried with a garrison of armed men and authoritie of the Romaine president which sealed the grauestone with his signet And nowe he is on liue and in his reigne the blockheaded Disardes thinke with vaine bragges and threates to suppresse and extinguishe his glorie Let vs here consider wherevnto obstinate impietie of minde and hatred once conceyued against the truth bringeth men They are not able to cease from striuing against Gods counsayle and ordinaunce no not when they perceiue themselues guiltie in their owne consciences For surely there is no peace with the wicked as the Prophet sayth And their mindes
newe amongst which this one is very notable which the Bishops of the Counsell at Constance vsed towardes Iohn Husse agaynst all right and lawe whome they were not afrayde with breach of their owne promise and the Emperours safe conduct cruelly to burne hauing none other cloke to excuse their heynous fact but that promise was not to be kept vnto heretikes Let no man therefore marueyle though he perceyue him vniustlye and vnworthily entreated In the meane season let vs learne in the beginning to quench the fire of hatred glimering against the truth least we also fall into the lyke blindnesse and incurable frowardenesse Now bicause the importunacie of a fewe coulde little or nothing preuayle agaynst the doctrine of the truth these most subtill Sophisters labor earnestly to set al the people with the Elders Scribes in Steuens top And as may be gathered bythe circumstaunces they rayse an open tumult in the citie meaning to apprehend him and bring him before the counsell Which is an olde pollicie of Satan meaning to make them away in an vprore or sedition whom they see armed with the defence of truth and lawe But moste times it commeth to passe that they which with seditious sleyghtes assault thetruth do most miserably perish by sedition as we may see it hath hapned to the nation of the Iewes And here is set forth a notable example of the leuitie inconstancie of the common people It was declared before how the Apostles and all the Church were in great estimation with the people both for the notablenesse of theyr myracles and also for the shew of an heauenly and as it were diuine maiestie that shone in them But now a number circumuented with the sleyghtes of these Sophisters stande vp against the doctrine of truth The lyke lightnesse in the people did Christ also finde whome one whyle they woulde haue made a king another whyle like mad men they cried out to haue him crucified So the men of Lystra at the first cried out saying Paule was a God but within a whyle after they woulde haue stoned him And many like doinges we reade in the histories of the Gentiles the vse of all which is that we hunt not for prayse of the people nor studie not to please the worlde but rather God whose will is certaine and remayneth stable and vnmooueable Nowe let vs see what thinges they laide to Steuens charge by these false witnesses whom Luke saith they brought before the Counsell The summe of their accusation is This man ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place and against the lawe He is therefore accused of impietie and not thereof only but also of incurable obstinacie which hitherto by no reasons coulde be perswaded They make mention of the holy Citie and Temple by name bicause it seemed to the Iewes an intollerable impietie to speake or intende any thing against these places being commended by so many promises of god Therfore this was chiefly laid to Hieremies charge that he prophecied against the holy Citie and Temple But bicause it behooued the crime shoulde be prooued by witnesses and that the blasphemies shoulde be declared more plainely what they were they adde for we haue hearde him saye howe this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroye this place and shall chaunge the ordinances which Moses gaue vs. Therefore where they thought both their religion and their Citie shoulde endure for euer they iudged him that shoulde saye any thing touching the destruction thereof to be a wicked body Furthermore whence they tooke hold of this accusation may easily be gathered of the Apostles doctrine For they taught that men were iustified and saued by the mere grace of God through the merite of Iesus Christ and that nothing in the businesse of our saluation was to be attributed eyther to mannes workes or outward ceremonies For the one were polluted and imperfite and the other were shadowes and figures of the redemption in Christ to come which Christ had put awaye in the sacrifyce of hys owne body as might be gathered of the renting of the Temple which happened at the death of christ They also exhorted al men to cast away al their vaine hope in the righteousnesse of the lawe and to embrace with sure faith the righteousnesse of God offred them in christ The which thing bicause they woulde the more easilye perswade them they called to their remembraunce the peril of present destruction wherof Christ oftentimes had warned them Therefore the craftie and most impudent sclaunderers take occasion of their accusation hereof saying Steuen spake of the abolishing of their religion and destruction of the Citie but they craftilye conceale the causes moouing him so to saye Yea they so set forth the matter as though Steuen shoulde seeme to haue threatened to set the temple on fire and speaking very contemptuously of Christ they compare him as it were with the glorye and magnificencie of the Temple to make his doctrine to be the more despised This place is with all diligence to be obserued For as it teacheth vs that truth for the most part is assaulted with lyes so it plainly warneth vs that Christes doctrine can neuer be so wysely and modestlye preached but that the wicked world wil take occasion to sclaunder the same We finde it to be true in these our corrupted dayes wherein whatsoeuer the faythfull teachers of the truth say is most vniustly carped at For where we teach that men are iustified by the meere grace of God that our strength and workes haue no prayse in the case of our saluation by and by we are called the enimies of good workes and mainteyners of carnall libertie Agayne if we say that whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation is conteyned in Christ onely bicause he is the onely mediatour aduocate and intercessor appoynted betweene God and vs streyght way we are condemned as wicked blasphemers of the blessed Uirgin and Saintes Item if we go about to deliuer the Church of Christ from the intollerable yoke of humane traditions to correct abuses and to restore the auncient simplicitie of the primitiue Church by and by there start vp that crie out we are aduersaries of religion and the true worshippe of God deprauers of the Sacramentes and robbers of God of his honour And if we declare vnto the worlde drowned in the filthy âlowes of wickednesse the imminent wrath of God and the punishments long agone deserued therefore then we are condemned and railed at as disturbers of publike tranquillitie and sowers of sedition And to be briefe nothing can be done so soundly so godlily and so modestly that can escape the censure and checke of the sclaunderous and enuious aduersary But no man must be so mooued with these things that he must leaue or forsake the charge committed to him of the Lorde Let vs consider that this is the olde guyse of the world agaynst the which we must both constantly prudently striue and resist
people through false accusations and by sedition to oppresse the truth But in the meane season they goe about with marueylous conueyance to put the godly in the fault wherof we haue examples in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate It behooueth vs to marke these things that we nowe a dayes to quickly beleeue not those which say that common weales and publike peace is disturbed by preaching of the Gospell Secondly it is declared what maner of men the Apostles shewed themselues to be in this tumult They go on and yeelde not at the fyrst to the wicked but abiding a long space at Iconium doe the businesse of the Lorde with great trust and boldenesse And God assisteth them with his fauour and by myracles and signes giueth testimonie vnto the worde of grace that is to saye to the Gospell whereby the grace of God in Christ is preached vnto vs The example of the Apostles teacheth vs that they which will be Ministers of Christ must not yeeld ouer soone to the attemptes of the wicked although they see great trouble like to follow therof For we must admit nothing against the glory of God the rather to agree with the world which Christ calleth naughty adulterous and vntowarde and therefore teacheth it to be vnmeete that the true seruants of God shoulde haue so much regard thereof In the meane season this place sheweth vs what the vse of myracles is They be done by the handes of the Ministers God being the author of them not for that men shoulde attribute vnto the Ministers more than vnto men but that they shoulde be as seales for them that beleeue not and which haue not bene vsed to the worde of God. Christ our Lorde confesseth the same of his myracles And he teacheth vs that those which the Apostles shoulde doe shoulde serue for none other vse Here therefore are confuted two errours reigning euerywhere in our dayes The fyrst is the errour of them which requyre myracles of vs whereof there is no great neede among Christian people whose faith must stande vpon the worde of God and which confesse that the Apostles doctrine hath long since bene sufficientlye prooued by myracles The other is of the Papistes which alleage a number of most pieuish myracles against the manifest truth for their inuocation of Saints transubstantiation Purgatorie other such kinde of trifles Howbeit it behooued they shoulde fyrst haue prooued their opinions by the worde of God which thing seeing they cannot doe they ought to be taken for false and lying signes that are brought forth for the proofe of them such as Christ long agone prophecied Antichrist shoulde worke in the later dayes Thirdly it is declared howe farre this persecution went The whole multitude of the Citie was deuided sayth he and part helde with the Iewes and part with the Apostles This was not therefore a little trouble among a fewe of persons but all the whole Citie was deuided and take part one against another which thing is the greatest plague that can happen in a Citie Howbeit this is it that Christ sayde shoulde come to passe I came not to sende peace but a sworde For I came to set a man against his father and the daughter against hir mother and the daughter in lawe against hir mother in lawe and a mannes foes shall be they that are of his owne housholde Here yet must we remember what was sayde before of the vnbeleeuers which were the procurers of this persecution For Christ is not properly and truely anye authour of diuision forasmuch as in all places he commendeth peace vnto vs and commaundeth vs to loue our enimies But such is the malice of the wicked that the more they are vrged with the wholesome doctrine of Christ the more they raue and at length professe open enmitie which thing cannot be ended without sedition For as the vngodly will holde fast their vngodlynesse with tooth nayle so the godly must not forsake their standing wherin they are placed of God least they seeme to make more of the friendshippe of the worlde than of the glorye of Christ and the saluation of mennes soules For the which cause the Apostles shewe not themselues to be Neutrales in this contention although they were straungers whome Cicero forbiddeth to be curious in other mens common weales For where some are sayde to take part with them it easily appeareth that they also tooke a part Therefore they are little like vnto the Apostles which assoone as controuersies fall out in matters of religion thinke it an high poynt of wisedome to stande as neutrales and indifferentes Solon sayth he was no good Citizen which in a sedition woulde be of no syde And shall we call them Christians who when Christes glory is assaulted will sit like ydle gazers without all daunger and looke on Surely these men are those warmelinges neyther colde nor hote which Christ threateneth he will spewe out Fourthly the same ende commeth of this persecution which was before of that at Antioch For the enimies of Christ with the rulers and Magistrates rose vppe in such rage that the Apostles were in daunger to haue bene stoned Wherefore they following the counsayle and example of Christ fled from thence reseruing themselues for a more seasonable time And yet are they not to be blamed bicause they fled in a sedition raysed by their occasion For what shoulde they else doe seeing the matter tended to open violence Let vs diligently marke what they did after they were escaped For they gaue not themselues to fylthie ydlenesse but comming to Lystra and Derba spred the doctrine of the Gospell ouer all Lycaonia As therefore it is lawfull to flie when neyther the glory of Christ nor the saluation of the Church is in hazarde least by putting our selues in daunger rashlye we seeme to to tempt Christ so must we take heede that we followe not the counsayle of rascall feare and forsake the office that God hath called vs to Let vs therefore haue alwayes before our eyes the glory of God as the marke of all our deuises For so shall it come to passe that hauing passed all daungers we shall keepe both our fayth and soules in Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxvij Homelie AND there sate a certaine man at Lystra weake in his feete being a creple from his mothers wombe and neuer had walked The same hearde Paule preach which beholding him and perceyuing that he had faith to be whole sayde with a lowde voyce I saye to thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright on thy feete And he start vp and walked And when the people saw what Paule had done they lift vp their voyces saying in the speach of Lycaonia Goddes are come downe to vs in the lykenesse of men And they called Barnabas Iupiter and Paule Mercurius bicause hee was the Preacher
comforted the congregations abroade insomuche as if a man consider those times we shall confesse we haue receiued more profite and commoditie by Paules bondes than of all his doings and sayings beside while he went at libertie oueral the world For those times may we thaÌke for those singular Epistles written as the holy Ghost endited them to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Collossians to the Hebrues to Philemon and the seconde to Timothe Which the Churche vntill this day hathe kepte and preserued as moste singular and precious Iewels Howbeit many thinges mighte haue feared Paule either to haue written or to haue taughte For this doctrine was the cause he was put in pryson Also he alone trauayled in this quarell at Rome Lykewise at the firste meeting he founde the Iewes lyke vnto them selues that is to say stubborne and disobedient Furthermore that earnest desire that he had to write vnto forrein nations might seeme to declare a minde somewhat inconstant and vnquiet And it might be thought next neighbour to sedition to teache and confirme men in that fayth and religion which we sayde before was condemned by the whole consent of the Senate Againe he was in daunger to be depriued at length of this libertie and to haue had more bonds layde vpon him to haue ben cast into some inner prison and dungeon And we muste not thinke that he was so blockishe that he did not perceiue and consider these thinges But he that knew that he ought his life vnto Christe coulde not by these persuasions be pulled from doing his duetie And this is verily a wonderfull example whereby we be taught how muche we owe vnto God if at any tyme we perceiue we be holpen and defended by him in the middest of dangers and aduersitie For then we must be feared neither with dangers paste neither with dangers present or to come but must be inflamed with greter zeale that by our bolde defending the glory of God we may shewe our selues thankful to him accordingly Therfore that reason of fleshly wisdome that many in these dayes follow is playnly foolish and peruerse which thinke we should hold our peace bicause of enimies dangers on euery side appering as though it were in the enimies power to hinder or further the course of the Gospel Nay it becommeth vs the more boldly to go forward with Gods quarel bicause we plainly find his truth power so apparant in the middle of our dangers But touching Paules doctrine Luke sayth three things which we must not let passe The first is what he preached namely the kingdome of God wherof we haue intreted ofteÌ times before And here by way of exposition he addeth teaching those things which concerne the Lord Iesus Wherby we gather that then the kingdome of God is preached when Chryste is preached For there is none other way to come vnto that kingdome than the same which all the Scriptures with one consent shew vs to be in Christe Iesus For he onely it is that hath destroyed the kingdome of the diuel the works therof he only is the mediator betweene God and vs. He only hath put out the hande writing of sinne that was against vs and purchased vs the good will of his father Therfore it is not without a cause that he saith No man coÌmeth vnto the father but by me These things only are sufficient to disproue all other religions which shew vs the kingdome of God or any way of saluation beside christ SecoÌdly is declared how Paule preached with al confidence or boldnesse that is to say plainely and freely so that for fauour of men he cloked dissembled nothing For he was not ashamed of the gospel of Iesus Christ as he testifieth otherwheres Neither feared he the tiraÌnie of the world prince thereof bicause he had learned of a long time to wrastle therewith And verily Chryst requireth such ministers as will do his businesse diligently and leaue nothing vnto the worlde nor to the wisedome of the flesh which vnder a fayre pretence of modestie bringeth in a dastardly dissembling of the truthe and a denyall of the right fayth Thirdly is declared the successe that Paule had in his preaching Which by this onely argument appeareth was moste prosperous or luckie bycause there was none whiche forbadde him to preache And this me thinketh is the greatest miracle of all others that God wrought to Paule For alwayes before this tyme whersoeuer he came he founde enimies who either by secrete awaytes or else by open force and sedition alwayes troubled him and would hynder him in his teaching and at lengthe draue him out of their Cities But when he was brought to Rome as a prisoner there he teacheth beeing in bondes where Nero a monster of mankinde was Emperoure where bothe the Christian and Iewishe religion was hated and enuied where all men were bewytched either with the vayne superstition of the Gods or with an Epicurious contempte of all religion Where finally the diuell seemed to haue the chiefe See of his kingdome there preached he Chryste freely two yeres togither no man forbidding hym Of whiche thing wee can shewe none other cause but that God woulde brydle the mindes of all men with a mightie hande that though all would not yelde to the doctrine of the Gospell yet they shoulde not be so bolde as to withstande it Thus in a Citie that was the Lady and maistresse of the world the Apostle beeing a captiue triumpheth by preaching Chryste crucified bringing many more vnto the obedience of Chryste than any Emperoure euer subdued The lyke wee reade happened in tymes paste when Daniell beeing ledde captiue to Babylon defended the true Religion bothe constantly and prosperously And althoughe the chiefe of the kingdome were muche agaynst it yet firste he instructed Nabuchodonosor and afterwarde Darius with some knowledge of the true God and was the authour that they dyd by publike Proclamations spread farre and neare the honour and glory of God ouer all their kingdomes Wherevnto also this deserueth to be referred that when the Romane Emperours vsed all kinde of outragious crueltie agaynst the name of Chryste and his Churche yet were there many tymes founde euen in their owne courtes and among the chiefe of them suche as greatly fauoured the Christians and openly defended the true religion Some of which afterwarde when the enimies of Chryst were taken away were aduaunced to the Empire as may be seene in the Stories of Iouinian and Valentinian the Emperours Thus Christ declareth his power where a man would least thinke Nor it is no harde thing for him to brydle the willes of men bycause he compasseth in the sea with bounds which causeth the same to lay down his swelling waues and surges Therfore as many as are strong in him let them hope for his present ayde and they shall neuer be disappoynted of their hope Nowe what Paule dyd after the two yeres were expired Luke dothe
one kinde of hearers but such as seemed greatly to differ both in vocation conuersation nature yet did not they thinke it good for this cause to chaunge or omit any thing in the doctrine of the gospel being wholy busted to bring many men vnto Christ by duly orderly dealing of his word And vnto this doctrine of the word they ioyned the vse of the sacraments and those whome they perceyued to beleue they tooke into the societie of the Church by baptisme with all their family and deliuered to them the sacrament of thankesgiuing in such sort as Christ prescribed the often receyuing whereof sealed to them the benefite of their redemption and a thankefull commemoration of the Lordes death is therein celebrated and the whole bodye of the Church is the more surely knitte togither with the bande of loue and charitie And by these meanes within the space of eyght and twentie yeares it is euident the whole worlde was brought vnto the obeysaunce of Christ and that by the ministerie of such as were neyther of noble stocke dignitie in calling nor of any estimation in learning Therefore this was the verie working of God from aboue wherein wee haue to reuerence his power and to embrace his goodnesse which so graciously prouided for the worlde liuing oppressed vnder the tyrannie of the deuill This booke setteth forth most diligently the exercises of the Primitiue Church Great sinners and notorious wicked men such as not long before had wickedly enterprysed to shed the bloud of the only begotten sonne of God embraced the doctrine of the gospell And the same being brought to the consideration of their sinnes openly confessed them and trusting in the onely mercie of God through Christ obteyned fauor and forgiuenesse From thenceforth forsaking their former sinfulnesse and taking a better waye and trade of lyfe they forsooke their companie by whome before they were polluted And to their Godlye life they ioyned prayers wherein they were feruently occupied both in consideration of their owne infirmitie and by reason of dayly perilles and incombraunces as many examples declare And for that they woulde haue neyther doctrine nor the wholesome frequenting of the Sacramentes to cease they had a speciall regarde that there might be Ministers and Elders euerywhere appoynted whome they placed in euery Citie and with great diligence kept in dooing their dutye And at length least the profession of Christ might seeme to consist onely in vaine contemplation there sprang and grewe among them such feruent loue and liberalitie that we may in these dayes sooner woonder at the same than follow it For eche Church and congregation faythfully made prouision for their poore and those Churches that were of best habilitie and ryches relieued the want and pouertie of others further of sending to them such collections of money as they had made and gathered for them Well remembring vndoubtedlye our Sauiour Christ which being readie to leaue the earth appointed the poore in his place promising to accept whatsoeuer benefite bestowed vpon them as done vnto his owneselfe And where being occupyed in such Godlye exercyses all men ought to haue made much of them and loued them they yet founde on euery syde most grieuous enimyes The Iewes Scribes and Phariseyes and Philosophers of the Gentyles gainsayde them whereby they were enforced to haue perpetuall conflicts with those that had the chiefe commendation for wisedome and learning as well amonge the Iewes as the Gentyles Moreouer euen out of the Church it selfe arose false brethren who both through their lewde conuersation hindred the growth of the Church now springing and offended very manye with their craftie and deceyueable enterpryses such as Ananias was among the Iewes and Simon Magus amonge the Samaritanes And certaine wicked persons giuen vnto vnlawfull sciences muche troubled the Apostles and the other godly Bariesu or Elymas the Sorcerer in Cyprus a mayde possessed with a prophecying spirite at Philippi and certaine exorcistes or coniuring Iewes at Ephesus And when the deuill perceyued he coulde nothing preuaile by any of these instrumentes he began to styrre vp the Magistrates and Rulers by them to keepe vnder the towarde croppe of the true and healthfull fayth And this thing the Iewes first began to bring Christes religion the more in suspicion seeing that Nation where it first sprang receyued not the same Herevppon the Apostles were called before councelles at Hierusalem were commaunded to silence were beaten with roddes and so being further threatned were lette go againe At length Stephen was stoned the godlye driuen out of the Citie and persecution raunged in euery place neyther were the Apostles themselues spared For Herod beheaded Iames and thought for the Iewes pleasure to haue serued Peter likewise if God had not after a myraculous sorte deliuered him out of the present daunger hee was in And the Iewes were not content themselues to reiecte Christ as none of their king and sauiour but also they would not haue him to reigne among the Gentyles Wherefore they mooued and procured vprores agaynst the Apostles in all places as appeareth by the adoe that happened at Antioche Iconium Lystrae Corinth Thessalonica and many other places And finally they brought to passe that the Apostles and professors of the Christian fayth were reported to bee guyltie not onely in matters of religion but also to haue âoldelye transgressed and broken the Romayne lawes and to haue troubled and distourbed the whole worlde Wherevppon the matter went so farre that the Romaine Emperours also whose power at that tyme stretched ouer all the worlde drewe their sworde agaynst the Christians But among all these so great and many daungers and in so craftie and most cruell attempts of the enimies there appeared a marueylous constancie of the Apostles and other beleeuers whereby they both truely and plainely protested their fayth in Christ and boldly defended and mainteyned the doctrine of truth and neyther by flattrie or threats coulde be brought to forsake the standing wherein God had placed them Therfore our faythfull God did not fayle them in so Godly a constancie but declared by many and euident tokens that he had a care of his Church For being in bandes and prison he deliuered them out of the same by the ministerie and seruice of Aungelles he comforteth them with ioyfull âightes and visions he armeth them with the spirite of constancie he giueth them a mouth and tongue which none of the enimies was able to resist he confirmeth the doctrine and faith of his people with myracles he effectually draweth the mindes of men to beleeue them and to be short he causeth the doctrine of the Gospell dispite of the worlde and Prince thereof through fire and sworde luckily to spreade ouer the whole face of the earth In these things is conteyned a perfite and an absolute paterne of a Church wherevnto all things written any where else in the scriptures touching the Church maye bee referred This fourme or frame of a Church it is euident that
ante O. Doctrine of the Apostles 139. Doctrine is tyed to no place 899. Doctrine deuised by the holye ghost must be taught in the church 20. Doctrine of Christ maye be learned out of the Prophets 383. Doctrine of the gospell succeedeth most luckily among the enymies thereof 553. Doctrine of faith is not against good workes 640. Doctrine is the chiefe thyng in the church 280. Doctrine of Paule accused 773. Doctrine of Paule out of the scripture 648. Doctrine Apostolike which is true Pag. 407. Doctrine of truth can neuer bee so wisely modestly preached but the world wyll seke to reprochit 289. Doctrine Apostolike hath Christ hir author 8. Doctrine apostolike whence it springeth 900. Doctrine of Christ whereto it serueth 7. Doctrine of Christ begynning and ende 63. Doctrine is chiefely to bee cared for in the Church 139. Doctrine how Paule vsed it 648. Doctrine taught of the Apostles is true 3. Doctrine of Christ contemned bringeth punishment 547. Doctrines that deface the merite of Christ are pernitious 248. Doctours of the Church called pillers 345. Doctours who be 508. Doctrine Apostolike disturbed by the Professours 407. Doctrine of Christ planteth not licentious lyfe 530. Doinges of mân must be examined after the rule of Gods worde  Domitian a persecutor of the Church kylled by his owne men 300. D ante R. Dronkennesse whereof it beginneth and what euill is in it 92. D ante V. Dutie of christian men in persecutitions 491. Duetie of them whome Christ hath lyghtened 790. Duetie both of Iewes and Gentiles is to seeke the Lorde 601. Duetie of christians what it is 180. Duetie of seruauntes 437. Dust shaken of 557. E. E ante D. EDucation and good bringing vp of children howe profitable it is 617. E ante F. Effect of the Apostles sermon 569. Effect of Gods promisses 846 Effect of Peters sermon 129. Effect of the Apostles counsell 137. Effect of the Apostles doctrine 561. Effect of persecution and banishement 557. Effect of Gods worde in the elect and their duâtie 555. E ante L. Election or choosing is from euerlasting 554. Election gratuitie or free the fountayne of all goodnesse 525. Electing of Ministers vnorderlye what hurt it doth 70. Election lawfull getteth Ministers authoritie ibidem Election lawfull confirmeth Ministers in their office ibidem Electing Ministers in the Church asketh heede and dyligence 281. Election is not hyndred through our sinnes 681. Electing must be made openly in the sight of the church 66. Election and Predestination are certaine 687. Election what the ende and marke thereof is 29. Election of Ministers must be vsed as in the primitiue church 68. The elected bee nât free from coÌmon calamities 420. The elect acknowledge and receyue the worde of God. 548. The elect easilye knowe the worde of God. 555. The elect what their disposition is Pag. 138. The elect are chosen out of all sortes of men 509. The elect God tryeth diuers wayes and delyuereth them when they looke least for it 805. Electing of Ministers in the Primitiue Church 66. Eloquence a gyft of the holy ghost Pag. 698. Elymas the Sorcerer contendeth with Paule 514. Elimas contention wyth Paule how it ended 517. Enemies of the truth must be boldly reprehended 516. Enemies of the truth what weapons they vse 833. Enemies of the truth what craftes they vse 192.245 Enemies of the Apostles who 191. Enemies of Christ and hys gospell who ibidem Enemies of Christ depriued of all helpe and dignitie 60.61 Christes professed enimies must bee fledde 136. Enemies of Christ howe they shall be punished 59. Enemies of Christ are the persecutors of hys church 393. Enemies of Paule set at debate among themselues by God. 805. Enemies greatest to the truth are Priestes 191.244 Enemies of the truth and of the Ministers who 244. 819. Enemies of the truth are giuen vp into a reprobate sense 287 The attemptes of Christes enemies are vaine 242 The attemptes of the enemies of Christ. 218. Enemies of Christe fight againste God and yet execute his counsell Pag. 218.219 What ende Christes enemies haue in their enterprises 262. Enemies of Christ conspired what their propertie is 268 The enemies of Christes enterprises are folish 251. The enemies of Christes enterprises easely disappointed as appeareth by examples 394 The enemies of the Churches enterprises are nothing but mere conceipte and opinion 856. The enemies of Christ destruction Pag. 59. The craftes of the enemies of the truth 192.245 The enemies of the truthes enterprises defeated and the godly defended Pag. 246. The enemies of the truthes impudencie 833.834 The enemies of the truth how they must be delt with 199. E ante P Ephesus estate and condicion 704. Epicures 26. Epicures opinions 660. Epicurious lyfe shal raigne toward the later tymes 661.662 Epistle of Captaine Lysias and the parts therof 814. E ante R. Errours manifest and knowne must not be denyed 408. Errour of the Apostles what comoditie it hath 25.26 Errour of a carnall kingdome imagined by the Israelites appeareth by scripture to be olde 27. Errours rooted are hard to be pulled vp ibidem E ante S Essenes secte what it was 803. E ante V Euangelists sincere how they may be discerned from false ibidem His Baptisme dilygenly described Pag. 384.387 Eunuch complayneth not of Philips departure 387. Eunuche is zelous although ignoraÌt in many things 382.383 E ante X Examples speciall make no rule generall 143. Examples of Auncestours excuse not errours 673. Example of godly persons preserued by the Lord. 233. Excecation and blyndenes of the wicked is incurable 252. Execution or accomplishing the message sent to the Church at Antioch Pag. 610. Execution of Lawes is the lyfe of them 618. Examinacion of Ministers necessary to be had in the church 15 Example of a christian boldnes 90. Example of an effectuouse power working of the holy ghost ibidem Exercise of the Apostles 611. Exhortacions necessary to styrre vp the people 521. Exorcistes or Coniurers in the church Pag. 712. Exorcistes of the Papistes 713. Externe or outwarde religion 640. F ante A FAce of god what is ment by it 120. To be gathered to the fathers what it is 541. Fathers alwaies contemned Moses Pag. 321.366 The vaine braggers in younger and later fathers 164. Fathers neuer obedient to gods commaundements 343. Fathers in the beginning pleased god by fayth onely without the lawe ceremonies 292. Fathers which are to be followed in religion 162. Affiaunce in Fathers beaten downe by Steuen 350 Fathers examples how they are to be followed 292. False Apostles make their hearers vncertain of saluation 606. False Prophets seeke the frendship of great estates 515. False teachers muste bee noted by name and set out in theyr colours Pag. 516.137 Faultes coÌmitted by other men cannot excuse vs. 519 False witnesses brought againste Steuen 287 False teachers and their societie must be auoyded 137. False Apostles are nicked 606. False prophets seke nothing but how to turne men from the fayth 137. Fame of those the
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
the people all the world besides being fallen to superstition and Idolatrie But neyther the paucitie of his houshold was able to bereaue him of saluation nor the multitude of his aduersaries to condemne him yea where al the world beside perished he was saued and hath God both to allowe and defend his faith The same we may say of Loth liuing among the Sodomites Besides this Elias onely setteth himselfe aswell against al the Priests of Baal as against king Achab al his Courtyers in the quarell of faith and religion And Micheas alone encountreth with three hundred false Prophetes whome the king fauoured and maintayned Therfore it is meete that we regarde rather the very doctrine of truth which comming from the mouth of God is contayned in the holye Scripture than the authoritie of men Forasmuch as all men are lyars and God alone true in his saying It is profitable also to consider what Peter doth who rising vp amongst the Disciples proposeth this thing to bee entreated of openlye amongst them all Herehence the Bishops of Rome seeke the defence of their supremacie or rather tyranny as also of other places that seeme to attribute any prerogatiue of superioritie to Peter They seeme to mee to doe as men which are in daunger in deepe gulfes and ryuers For as they vse to catch holde of euery thing that commeth next to their hande so these men snatch at euery thing whereby to defende the dignitie of their supremacie so battred nowe and shaken that it threatneth the catholyke and vniuersall ruine therof By this meanes they challenge to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which yet were giuen to all the Apostles at once as is euident to be seene in Iohn the .xx. Chapter So they contend that the charge of Christs flocke is committed to Peter onely as to the chiefe consider not what iniury they doe to the residue of the Apostles as though Christ had made them feeders of swyne and Asses and not of his sheepe After lyke maner where they nowe heare howe Peter speaketh first in the congregation by and by they make him Christs Uicar the head of the Churche and the chiefe of the Apostles And going farther they take all this honor to themselues as to the lawfull and ordinary successors of Peter But howe vayne and friuolous these things are the matter it selfe declareth For Peter prescribeth nothing of his owne heade as any ruler of the Church or Lorde ouer the other Apostles but being in the middest of the Disciples as his equals and fellowes proposeth a matter of great weyght to be intreated of indifferently amongst them all In the which treatie hee leaueth to euery man free libertie according as God should put in their harts by his spirite to saye or to doe And that he speaketh first was done by the speciall instinct of the holy ghost which by this meanes would make the example of grace that Christ shewed in Peter being receyued againe into fauour after his foule fall more euident and manifest Furthermore in that the other paciently heare him speake it is a token of vnanimitie which Luke before attributed to them and is not done so much for superiorities sake as for order without which nothing in the Church or common weale can continue in safety Wherfore Paule commaundeth all things in the Church to be done comely and in order As touching the state of the Apostles he maketh them all fellowes and equals and where in one place he calleth himselfe the least of the Apostles hauing respect to the vnworthynesse of his former lyfe the same speaking of the ministery feareth not to match himselfe with Peter saying He that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision the same was also mighty in me among the Gentyles And meaning to roote out from amonge the Corinthians the sectes of them that helde of Paule Peter and Apollo he sayth What is Paule what is Apollo but ministers by whom you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euerye man grace Peter himselfe acknowledgeth the same who within a little after speaking of Iudas witnesseth that he had receyued a part in the ecclesiasticall ministery And if Iudas had a part therein what ignorance shall it be to ascribe and pull the whole vnto Peter Unlesse perhaps wee will saye that Peter for fauour flattered the wicked traytour and woulde transferre to the childe of perdicion that which belonged onely vnto hymselfe But whereto vse wee so manye wordes seeing it is plaine that Iesus Christ diuers times rebuked with great seueritie the ambicious desire of supremacie that was among his Apostles It is knowne what is written of this matter And Peter earnestly admonisheth the pastors of the Church to beware that they take vpon them no Lordship ouer the Church which is called Christes patrimonye and the lot of his enheritance For whome shall we thinke to be of such great authoritie to be worthy to haue rule and dominion ouer that precious flock that is redeemed with the bloud of Christ And if no man must beare rule ouer the Lordes flocke lyke as Princes of this world vse to doe how much more absurde shall it be for them which haue but one maner of charge in feeding the flocke to arrogate any Lordshippe or rule vnto themselues Therfore what else doe the Bishops of Rome by their so greedye desire of supremacie but forget the preceptes of Christ and bewraye themselues to be nothing lesse than Peters lawfull and true successors But let them passe and come we to Peters Oration And that consisteth of two parts First he pulleth that stumbling blocke out of the waye which myght trouble the mindes of the more simple and vnlearned sort For when they sawe that Iesus Christ was betrayed by Iudas and afterwarde perished himselfe most miserablye both body and soule it was an easie matter for them eyther to doubt whether Christ knewe all thinges or else to suspect all the sort of the Apostles togither with their doctrine Therfore Peter doth not without a cause aunswere this great inconuenience in the beginning of his Oration On the other side he exhorteth the Disciples that they will appoint some other in Iudas roume least his falling from the fayth myght any thing preiudice Christes institution The first part he beginneth with the testimony of holy scripture wherin he plainly vttereth the euerlasting purpose of Gods prouidence which is a most strong reason to put awaye offences that is to beleeue that nothing commeth to passe by chaunce but by the decree and will of god Wherfore he sayth ye men and brethren it behooued thys Scripture shoulde be fulfilled which the holy ghost spake before by the mouth of Dauid touching Iudas which was guide to them that tooke Iesus The sense of which words seemeth me to be this I would not O brethren haue any of you to be offended at the cruell deede of Iudas
prophecied by the instinct of the same spirite And Paule meaneth the same where he sayth the Scripture is inspired of God. The vses of these places be that we acknowledging the dignitie and authoritie of the Scriptures might take whatsoeuer is sayde in the same to be the worde of God and that we should not thinke it lawfull for vs by any meanes to gainesay his commaundementes The Apostle goeth forth with the first part of his Oration and declareth diligently the dignitie of Iudas which he had aswell as the other Apostles before he fell For he sayth which was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration For some man might thinke Iudas was in deede accounted amongst the Apostles but for none other cause but to make vp the number being otherwise a vayne man of no estimation But Peter aunswereth this obiection saying he was not onely of the number of the Apostles but had obtayned fellowship in the administration The Euangelists beare witnesse of the same accounting him with them which Christe sent forth to preache whyle he was here on earth and which had power giuen them to worke myracles which returned to Christ and told him the good successe they had in the time of their Ambassage And so little is Iudas seperated from the number of them in any place that euen then the Euangelists saye he was of their number when they tell of that heynous deede which he committed in betraying of Christ. And what shall we saye is the cause that so often mention is made of this matter both before and is nowe agayne by Peter repeated Would the holy ghost eyther flatter wicked Iudas or stayne the order of the Apostles with this blot No. Yea he teacheth vs another thing both most worthy and necessary to be marked that is that wee should take no offence at the faults of excellent men and that bicause of their falles we should not rashly condemne all other of their vocation which manye vse foolishlye to doe in the faultes of those of the ministerie For when they see some great fall in such as before they woondred at by reason of their syncere doctryne ioyned with wisedome and constancie not contented to be offended at their vyces only they open their mouth against the whole order of the ministerye crying out that they are all dissemblers and knaues and goyng yet farther feare not to call their doctrine in question and doubt Therefore Iesus Christ foreseeing that the ministers of his worde were men and myght sometymes greuously fall by reason of humane fragilitie least any man being offended at their vyces shoulde vtterlye condemne the doctrine of the Gospel he would forwarne them by certaine faults of the Apostles chiefly by the horrible fall of Iudas For if the Apostles had bene cleere of al faults we shoulde not without a cause in these dayes doubt of their doctrine whom we see oftentimes greeuously to fal But forasmuch as neyther the crime of ambicion which Christ many times reprehended in them nor the fowle fall of Peter denying his mayster nor the heynous offence of Iudas betraying him derogateth any whit from the doctrine of the Gospell hee is surely verye foolishe which is so offended at the vices of the ministers that for the vices sake he will accuse the doctrine of truth of falshoode Yea there is no vocation of men but hath both good and badde in it And if nothing were wanting in the order of the Apostles by Iudas fall for it is supplyed by Matthias succeeding how much lesse by his fall shall any thing be derogated from the Apostles doctrine Neyther saye I this for that I woulde open any gappe to Ministers to lyue euer the more lycentiously For wee knowe that the greater their offence is the more grieuous shall their punishment be But we giue counsell to the weake that they throwe not awaye the wholesome doctrine of the truth to their great daunger with the naughty life of the Ministers wherof Christ gaue vs a warning speaking of the Iewish Scribes in this wise The Scribes and Phariseys sit in the chayre of Moses All thinges therfore that they commaunde you to obserue that obserue and doe but doe not ye after their workes for they say and doe not Moreouer the consideration of these things put away an other stumbling blocke For this is the common case of the faithfull of Christ and of all the Church to be most in daunger of their owne acquaintance Godlye Abell was slaine by his owne brother of father and mother Ioseph was sold by his owne brethren And Moses findeth his brethren the Israelites for whose sake he forsooke the riches pleasures of Egypt more vnkind almost than the Egyptians Dauid also complayneth most of their lying in waite which sometymes were of his most familiarest friendes And wee daylye finde that saying of Christ true A mans enimies be they of his owne house And these thinges offende many a man being grieued that their owne friendes mindes be estraunged from them and then begin they wrongfully to deny many things of the doctrine by them preached supposing it to be the chiefe cause of such discention and diuision To speake nothing in the meane season of them which thinke the condicions of the godlye to be so harde and sharpe that a man cannot long continue friendship with them And this one example aunswereth all these men where wee are taught howe the sonne of God the singular patterne of all myldenesse and humilitie was betrayed of his owne familiar and domesticall Disciple Why therefore shall wee promyse our selues anye thing of mans propertie and condicion Or shall we thinke it vnmeete to be in the same state that the sonne of God was in for our sake But let vs returne to Peter who as he hath set forth the former dignity that Iudas had and his heynous offence so he liuely paynteth out his horrible ende and as it were setteth it before our eyes to looke vpon and beholde not thereby to satisfie his minde as one burning in hatred with the remembraunce of so wretched a man but for that he woulde kindle in all mens mindes a certaine feare of God and a desire of true godlynesse by making mention of so horrible an example And it was to a good purpose to make mention hereof seeing they consulted about choosing a newe Apostle to th ende they shoulde be brought to a diligent consideration of their office and to a feruent desire of accomplishing the same Therfore he sayth And he truly possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne vnto all the inhabiters of Hierusalem in so much that the same fielde is called in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to saye the bloudy fielde It behooueth to consider all these things in such order as
their mindes as they read occupied with other cogitations as though the reading of scripture were appoynted but for delyte or to passe the time away Let vs therfore well marke what commaundementes and examples belong to our vocation that we maye continue in the same and declare our industrye towarde god For in thus doing a minister of the worde shall thinke whatsoeuer things are spoken by the Prophetes or Apostles touching the administration of the same worde to be sayde vnto him And they that be Magistrates let them thinke whatsoeuer is sayde in the Scriptures touching the dutie of Officers with examples of auncient Magistrates whether they be good or badde to be spoken vnto them The same shall priuate men also doe of what state or condicion so euer they be So shall it come to passe that with a certayne godly delight and pleasure of minde they shall receyue incredible profite by reading of the Scriptures Let vs examine the wordes of Peter wherein two things most appertayning to this present purpose are handled First he teacheth what maner of person should be chosen to the roume of an Apostle Then he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle And of these two he so disputeth that they may serue to the institution of all Ministers of the word of the congregation To the first part appertayneth this saying Wherefore of these men which haue companied with vs all the time that the Lorde IESVS had all his conuersation among vs beginning at the baptisme of Iohn vntill that same day that he was taken vp from vs must one be ordayned c. Peter requireth here two things of great weyght The first is a sure and sounde knowledge of Iesus Christ and of all the things he did whyle he was amongst his Disciples For vsing an Hebrewe phrase by two contraries that is to saye of going in and comming out he includeth all things that euer Christ did Yet least any man should take occasion hereof ouer curiouslye to inquire after euery thing he compasseth this knowledge within certaine boundes that is to saye the baptisme of Iohn and the glorious ascention of Christ into heauen For before Christ was baptised of Iohn he led a priuate life in Nazareth of Galiley behauing himselfe obediently to his Parents and exercising the Carpenters craft as maye be gathered But the thinges that concerned our redemption and belonged to the office of the Messias he then went aboute when hee had bene baptised of Iohn and was authorized by the visible annoynting of the holy Ghost and by the testimonye of the father which was hearde from heauen For which cause the Euangelists contented with the describing of his incarnation touching his nonage and childehoode haue written very little For the holy ghost ment hereby to bridle the foolish curiositie of mans wit which not many yeares ago vttred and set forth it selfe by no simple writers I warrant you who haue compyled vs the lyfe and whole chyldehoode of Christ to the great mockery open scorne of the Christian profession Howbeit Peter thinketh the knowledge of these things sufficient and inough which Christ did after he was so solemnlye admitted and put in office And this knowledge was necessary bicause Christ ordayned his Apostles to be faithfull witnesses of his doings Secondly he requireth a certaine and euident signe of perseuerance and continuance For he woulde haue none chosen out of that number which were yet but nouices and newly entred into Christes religion but such as began to follow Christ from the beginning of his conuersation amongst men and so continued with him being neyther feared with daunger of persecution nor offended with the crosse and his âlaunderous death And these thinges should now a dayes be obserued in choosing ordering of Ministers if they had any care of the Church which chalenge greatest authoritie ouer the same For it is playne that the chiefe dutie of the Minister standeth in teaching as God sayth by the Prophete In the Priestes lippes should be the sure knowledge that men may seeke the lawe at his mouth For hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes But how shall he teach who is vnlearned and rude him selfe Surely Paule in a Bishop requireth this thing chieflye that he be able to teach and that not only the playne doctrine of truth to the more tractable sort of men but also that he be able to refell and conuince such as shall gainesay and contrary the same whereof there is alwayes a great multitude Therefore in a Minister of the worde the knowledge of Christ and his misteries is necessary with al the things that concerne the articles of the Christian fayth and the dutie of the faythfull There is required of him diligent reading of the Scripture wherein hee ought to be well exercised He hath neede of the knowledge of the tongues that in reading the Scriptures he depende not vpon the sense of others and be constrayned to looke with other mens eyes and to go with other mens feete Furthermore it is meete he be furnished with the Artes of speaking that hee maye perceyue what to propounde in what place and after what sort and order All which are of such weyght that Paule not without a cause exhorted Timothy to continue on still in reading who yet he confesseth of a childe had learned the Scriptures Moreouer whereas infinite daungers hange ouer the function of Ministers boldenesse of minde is requisite least being ouercome with feare of perill hee drawe backe or sticke in the middest of his course But this shall chiefly be perceyued by perseuerance or continuance whereof no doubt he had giuen manifest tokens The same hath Paule obserued likewyse where he sheweth vs that a Byshop shoulde not be a yong scholer or Nouice least being puffed vp with sodaine dignitie he commit some thing dishonest or vncomely and giue occasion to the aduersary to reprooue him Yea and Christ himselfe at his last supper commendeth his Apostles whom it is plaine were subiect to many faultes and infirmities chiefely for this cause that they abode with him in all his temptations But let vs see Peters last wordes where he defineth the office or dutie of an Apostle Let one be appoynted sayth he which may be a witnesse of his resurrection First he will haue a partner or fellow ioyned with the eleuen not a seruant whome the reast at their pleasure might commaunde For he knewe that equalitie was needefull to be amongst Christes Ministers Then he calleth him a witnesse which name Christ called them by a little before he went from hence And the often repeticion and diligent consideration of this name is not a little profitable For hereby the worthynesse of the Christian fayth and certaintye of the doctrine euangelicall may be perceyued bicause Christ had not onely preachers of the things he did âut also sworne witnesses which wrate and deliuered to vs the fayth in him Last of
foorth Gods quarrell and cause with great boldenesse Therefore by their example we may see howe effectuall the operation of the holy ghost is For they which not long before vsed handy craftes and occupations being rude and vnlearned men are nowe able to abyde the sight of such a multitude and the diuers clamours of so vnruly a sort with constant courage And those whom before euery lyght occasion made so afrayde that they durst not professe the name of Christ before a fewe of rascall segons do nowe defend his quarrell most stoutly before a great assembly gathered togither of euery nation and degree neither lacke they for the handes of tormentours to make them confesse the truth but offer themselues freely to defende the same Learne hereof howe we must trye and prooue whether the spirite of Christ raigne in vs yea or no. For vnlesse this zeale and stoute courage to defende Christ and his truth be seene in vs We shall in vayne boast of his spirite And yet nowe a dayes amongst those that most bragge of his spirite it is thought a commendable thyng for a man to stop his eares at the horrible blasphemies of wicked men vttered agaynst Christ and the truth of his Gospell as if they were but Sirenes songes The Apostles shewe themselues in this place to be farre other maner of men amongst whome Peter mooued but with a very lyght taunt or quip as it myght seeme begynneth with bolde speache to defende Christes cause and the Gospels Further it is not lyghtly to be passed ouer howe Peter is saide to stande with the eleuen This is an euident argument of equalitie which the Apostles diligently conserued among themselues For where Christ put them all but in one office which they now hauyng receyued the holy ghost better vnderstoode then before all that most vayne contention about superioritie wherewith before they were enflamed is vtterly quenched Therfore Peter sytteth in no throne alone by hym selfe the other standyng about him as his seruauntes and garde He is not separated from the other but ioyned togither with them and sheweth euidently that he is but one of their number And although he alone make the oration yet he defendeth not his owne cause but the common case of them all so that herein Peter myght seeme rather the minister of the residue than the prince and chiefe of them Away therfore with them that by Peters example challenge a supremacie to themselues in the Churche and are puffed vp with pride of the Persians Christ gaue his Apostles example of humilitie which to followe it becommeth all Christian men much more them whome he hath appoynted to be Sheepeheardes of his Churche Hereunto is to be referred that place of Paule which vsing great obtestations vrgeth this one thyng that they that will be accompted the ministers of Christ must seeke after vnanimitie and for humilitie which is the mother thereof Let nothyng be done saith he through contention or vayne glorie but in meekenesse of mynde âet euery man esteeme another better than himselfe Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man on the thinges that are other mens Let the same mynde be in you that was also in Christ Iesu. See the place to the Philippians the seconde Chapter But let vs consyder Peters sermon in which the effect and power of the holy ghost shall more clearely appeare The begynnyng hereof is neither affectate nor ambicious For the doctrine of the truth is simple and hath no neede to be commended with vaynnesse of wordes forasmuch as it commendeth it selfe sufficiently in that it teacheth vs most playnely the way of saluation Wherefore Peter only callyng vpon the men whome he purposeth to speake vnto saith Yee men of Iurie and all yee that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my wordes He vseth the name of Iewes to admonishe them both of their auncient glorie and of their duetie For God in tymes passed had chosen them and made them Iehudim that is Confessours by whom he woulde be celebrated and worshipped Wherevpon in some place it is sayde God is knowne in Iurie For the same cause he maketh mention of Hierusalem which is often times called the holy citie to shewe them that they ought to be mooued euen with the holynesse of the place to listen diligently to the thinges which appertayne to the glorie of God and to their owne saluation For he is not content to be hearde onely by the way as of men that are otherwyse occupied but diligently and wyll haue it layde vp in their myndes His oration consisteth of two partes The first aunswereth the slaunder of the wicked scoffers which accuse them of drunkennesse a thyng which first of all behooued to be put away bicause their sayings should haue bene of no aucthoritie or credite yf they had bene taken for drunkardes and blowboldes The other part preacheth Iesus Christe and comprehendeth all the order of mans saluation We are taught by example of the first that it is lawfull to make aunswere vnto slaunders and to defende the honestie of our name and fame agaynst slaunderers and detractours For as Salomon saith A good name and honest report is to be preferred before much riches It behooueth them specially which are in the ministerie to haue a regard thereof bicause the slaunders whereby their name and estimation is impayred doeth not so much touch their owne persons as God himselfe to whose contempt they specially tend which was the cause that the Apostle would haue a Bishop to haue the commendation of those that be abrode also How much more ought he to take heede that he be not contemned of those he hath the charge of But bicause the naughtinesse of many goeth so farre that they are not ashamed to charge the holy Ministers of God with false crymes for that they may the more easily make the doctrine of truth to be hated and suspected therefore excusations and purgations of themselues be both necessarie and lawfull For we reade that Christ manye tymes vsed them thereby to bring his doctrine out of contempt And Paule not so fewe tymes as one plentifully and copiously disputeth against his aduersaries touching his Apostleshippe his calling and truth which he vsed in the same bicause he sawe he coulde not be contemned but his preaching of the Gospell also must grow out of regarde in the mindes of very many Therefore Peter beginneth his oraââon very well with purging of the crime thereby to bring the Apostles out of all suspicion Neyther are they to be regarded which in such case require sufferance For Christian pacience letteth not but that we may defende Christ and his truth to the vttermost And they that be of this opinion to thinke all the slaunders that are ioyned with contempt of the Gospell ought to be passed ouer as though we heare them not deserue neyther the name of pacient nor modest men but are to
cannot shut vp the bowels of pitie Ouer and besides this the first beleeuers were to be envred by this voluntarye contribution to take the more paciently the losse of their goodes which shortly after should ensue when persecution arose seeing they had learned before to bestow them on others and were contented themselues to liue with a little Therefore this place ministreth no example of confusion whereby these phrenetike disturbers of common weales may be mainteyned but only a certayne liberalitie towardes the poore is in this place commended which God would haue alwayes to flourish in his Church We know what God sayth Deuter. 15. Let there be no begger at all amongst you Yet God was not ignorant there woulde be alwayes that shoulde be pinched with penurie But that the same shoulde runne vagarant about as publike spectacles of pouertie and beggerie is most contrary to the nature of charitie whervnto all Gods people are bounde And there are diuers other lawes of God extant whereby an order is declared howe the poore may be commodiouslye prouided for that they neede not go begging from doore to doore Hereof it commeth to passe that the Prophetes in euery place commend the poore vnto vs And Christ doth vouchsafe so to commende the care and helpe that ought to be taken for them that he testifyeth he will in the later daye reward them that haue done good to the poore for his sake euen as though they had done it to himselfe which order and institution was of such force and authoritie with the Apostles that they were not ashamed to make prouision for the poore Yea when Paule and Barnabas had declared the trade of their ministerie to Iohn Peter and Iames they thought good to admonish them of this one thing that they shoulde not neglect the poore whome they knewe Christ had so diligently commended vnto them Besides that Paule exhorteth the Corinthians that they shoulde not onely see for the prouision of their owne poore but also where they were very rich they shoulde helpe the needye brethren at Ierusalem which were verye poore And surely it is euident that our predecessors had a great care herof if we consider the donations and foundations both of Princes and priuate men which with greater liberalitie had giuen their goodes to the Church to the ende that both puritie of doctrine myght be preserued and the poore and needy relieued and helped But in these dayes religion is growne into such contempt that they are very fewe and scant which will giue ought of their owne but euery where there are ynough which wil rape and reue and prodigally waste that which others haue giuen They shall one daye prooue that Christ is a reuenger which will not contemne the crye of his poore and will most seuerely reuenge the spoyle and waste of his Church And it is to be feared least they shall leaue them to the wicked enimies of the Churche and fayth to be rifled bicause they disdaine to bestowe them on their euen Christians the brethren of Christ. But let vs returne to Luke which describeth the publyke and holy assembly of the Church where he sayth they continued euery day in the temple with one accorde Then they came oftentimes togither in the temple not for that they would be at the Iewes sacrifices which they knew were abolished through the bloude of Christ but bicause of the concourse of the people that they might teach and winne the more vnto christ By this example we are taught to seeke occasion on euery side to set forth the kingdome of Christ and for this cause the people ought oftentimes to meete togither that there may be the greater number to heare the worde of god For where the faithfull are gouerned by the light of the truth they cannot be ashamed thereof and seeke not darckenesse and corners as they doe whose workes be euill Uerily we reade that Christ taught alwayes openly and thereby excused himselfe both when he was taken and afterwarde also before Caïphas And Paule the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the .xj. and .xiiij. Chap. diligently describeth the publike assemblies and holy meetinges which he woulde neuer haue done if he had not vnderstoode they had bene of much force to the setting forth of Gods true religion Two thinges are ascribed to the primitiue Church continuance togither and vnanimitie of mindes which are needefull at all times but specially in assemblies and Churche meetinges For where God as it hath otherwheare bene sayde hath commended them by a singuler promise such an earnest studie and perseuerance in keeping the same is meete for Christians Againe where these assemblies are made both for doctrine sake for publike prayers and vse of the sacramentes vnanimitie for this purpose is chiefly requisite With this it becommeth Ministers of the word to be ioyned togither least they be authors of partaking and sectes suche as we knowe were once in the Church of Corinth but let them with one accord vrge set forth the doctrine of truth labor to bring Disciples vnto Christ as he commaunded in the .xxviij. chap. of Mathew That vnanimitie in praiers is of great weight before god appeereth hereby bicause mutuall loue is euery where commaunded and Christ earnestly desireth of his father that all the beleeuing may be one as he and his father are one The same reason may be made also of the sacramentes For where they seale vnto vs the benefites of Christ and are tokens and pledges of the fellowship and vnitie which we haue in Christ by the vsing wherof we are taken into one body with Christ it cannot be that they can vse them duly which are at enmitie amongest themselues These things ought well to haue bene considered in these dayes where there is great faulte committed on all sides For they that glorye in the doctrine of the Gospell and haue enioyed the same a long whyle waxe slacke for the most part and are quite voyde of perseuerance as though they had attayned already to perfection and had now no more to doe They are deuided into diuers and sundry sectes and one of them excoÌmunicateth another So that it must needes come to passe that Paule sayth If you byte and deuoure one another take heede least you be likewise consumed one of another And it is no marueyle that the Gospell doth no better succeede and go forwarde considering those men are neither feruent in perseuerance nor ioyned togither in vnanimitie in whome the same of all other is chiefely required Let who so will reade Eusebius preface vpon the eyght booke of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie and he shall finde a most liuely description of these times and what we may looke for Unto these Luke ioyneth the trade of lyfe that these first Christians liued in priuately among themselues And they brake breade sayth he from house to house and did eate their meate togither with singlenesse
those thinges which by Moyses were prefigurated But it sufficeth to giue occasion to them that list more deepely and exactly to search them Now vnto this description of Christ he ioyneth what the dutie is that we owe him for Moyses saith him shal you heare in al things whatsoeuer he saith to you The same God the father commaunded vpon the hill of Thabor as we declared a little before saying Heare him Yet let no man thinke he hath fulfilled the coÌmaundement of God if he receiue the word of God but into his eares as Iudas and the Phariseyes Pylate and many others did But first an earnest desire of the Gospell is required bicause among manye thinges whereabout men be most vainly occupied one thing is necessary as Christ teacheth vs From the studie of the worde the beliefe which we haue in it cannot be secluded For howe can we labour to get that thing the credit and truth whereof we suspect Obedience followeth beliefe whereby we acknowledge Christ to be the teacher of fayth religion and director of our whole life and to our power obey him These markes of the children of God did he teach vs where he sayth He that is of God heareth the wordes of God. Agayne My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me Whervpon we gather for a suretie that they be not the children of God nor the sheepe of Christ which refuse to heare Christes voyce speaking in the Gospell Aboue all things we must note that whatsoeuer Christ speaketh we are commaunded to heare it For there be which heare Christ in deede but they heare him but in those things only which like their fleshlye appetyte against the which if anye thing be spoken they thinke that apperteyneth not vnto them Of this number be they which gladly heare and marueylously embrace the promises of the Gospell where the grace of God is preached and free forgiuenesse of sinnes but the same will not admit the doctrine of repentaunce which rebuketh and accuseth sinne They be like vnto those which after a sort can suffer the doctrine of truth to be preached but cannot abyde if a man reprooue the deceyuers and Antichristes And we see many so affected that they will greatly extoll and commende whatsoeuer is spoken of the kingdome of Christ of his victorie of the glorye of the elect which they shall possesse in heauen but yet they so abhorre the crosse persecutions that they can suffer no mentions to be made thereof But these men are farre deceyued For Christ is not deuided neyther can the parts of Christ his doctrine be separated For he that commaunded forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name the same requireth all men likewise to repent And he that sayde to the woman that was a sinner and bewayled hir sinnes Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee The same sayd vnto him that was sicke of the Palsey being nowe healed Beholde thou art made whole sinne not againe heereafter least a worse thing happen vnto thee And afterwarde he sayde by Paule that whooremongers and adulterers without repentance shoulde not enter into the kingdome of god Likewise he that confesseth himselfe to be the light and the truth and biddeth vs to walke in him the same reprooueth false Christes and Antichristes and biddeth vs beware of them Againe he that promiseth the treasures of heauen to those that be his the same affirmeth constantly that in the world they shall suffer tribulation And he that gloriously rose from the dead and with great triumph was taken vppe into heauen a little before that was despitefully hanged betweene two theeues Therfore as we must embrace whole Christ so is it necessary that we giue eare to his whole doctrine vnlesse we will wholy be depriued of him A figure hereof went before in the Paschall lambe which the Iewes were commaunded to eate whole and the bones and other things which coulde not be eaten were commaunded to be burned So must whole Christ be receyued and if anye thing seeme in him vntollerable that same must be consumed and ouerpassed with the fire of fayth and loue of God. Furthermore bicause our fleshe herein maketh much resistance which very vnwillinglye commeth to this yoake Moyses vrgeth vs with grieuous menace and threatening It will come to passe sayeth he that euerye soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among that people This punishment comprehendeth the whole destruction of man both body and soule For what hope of saluation can remayne for him which is secluded and cut of from the Church people of God which only is receyued into the fellowship and communion of all Gods goodnesse But why shoulde he not be reiected from the fellowshippe of him which refuseth to heare him whome God hath appoynted to be his maister and the teacher of his whole Church How much more grieuous punishment doth he deserue which dare treade the sonne of God vnder his feete Hereof are taken those heauye threates in the Gospell which seeme to manye too vehement and more cruell than reason woulde such as is that saying of the Baptist He that beleeueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe and the wrath of God abideth vpon him And Christ when he had promysed eternall life to the beleeuers addeth He that will not beleeue shall be condemned But Peter thought to admonishe the Iewes hereof bicause they should not thinke the contempt of Christ and his Gospell to be a game and pastime but shoulde knowe that the daunger of their soule laye thereon And let vs thinke the same is sayde vnto vs For such is the authoritie of Iesus Christ with his father that no man can be accepted and welcome to him except he be graffed in Christ. But the bare and emptye profession of a Christian name graffeth vs not in him but a liuely faith which maketh vs to obey his doctrine and firmely to beleeue in him See what is said of the true and counterfeite hearers of Christ Math. 7. and Luc. 6. Chapters Although the authoritie of Moyses was great with the Iewes yet bicause Peter will omit nothing he ioyneth hereto testimonies of the Prophetes diuers of the which it is like he rehearsed But here he taketh all saying All the Prophetes from Samuell and thencefoorth as manye as haue spoken haue tolde of these dayes He beginneth the number of the Prophetes with Samuel bicause before him was no Prophete after Moyses whose writings are extant Yea before he prophecied the worde of the Lorde was a rare and precious thing as we reade 1. Samuel 3. Which afterwarde by many Prophetes began most clearely both to be preached and writen euery where And as many as were from that time haue prophecied of Iesus Christ as may plainely appeare to all them which haue reade their sermons or bookes with diligence It is a plaine and manifest oracle of God that Nathan telleth to Dauid of Christ
which should be borne of his stocke There are manye other more euident than this vttered by Dauid such as appeare Psalm 2.22.89.119 c. Of Esaye what neede we to speake which hath written so playne an hystorie of all the thinges which Christ shoulde doe that as S. Ierome sayth he deserueth in many places to be taken for an Euangelist rather than a Prophete The lyke is to be affirmed of all the other Prophetes whose sayings if we should rehearce worde by worde we might sooner finde howe to beginne than to make an ende Let it suffyce to tell you that there is no so small a thing in Christ but the same may be proued by the oracles of the olde Testament wherevpon we also gather that the bookes of the olde Testament ought not to be condemned as certaine phanaticall persons affirme which crye they belong onelye to the Iewes They sinne agaynst the industrie and goodnesse of God which thought good all maner of wayes to confirme our saluation Therefore let vs marke here both the certaintie of the doctrine of the Gospell and Christian faith and also the antiquitie therof for if we ioyne vnto the testimonies of Moyses and the Prophetes the figures of the lawe and the auncient promises made long before to the Patriarches a man shall easily perceyue that there was neuer anye kinde of doctrine or religion confirmed and set forth with so many testimonies The first standeth vpon the promise which was made in Paradise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman which shoulde treade downe the serpents heade Therefore great is the folly or rashnesse of them to speake no worse which eyther openly dare gainesay the doctrine of the Gospell or else seeke other counselles by authoritie whereof to determine and rule our fayth and religion For what doe these men else but reprooue God which spake by Moyses and the Prophetes of lying or at leastwise call his truth in doubt Besides they foolishly require the authoritie of men whereas we ought not to beleeue an Angell teaching the contrary Therfore letting them go let vs embrace Christ whome one vniforme consent of Scripture setteth out to vs in whome only all righteousnesse sanctification truth and saluation is conteyned To him be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The .xxv. Homelie Ye are the children of the prophetes and of the couenant which God made vnto our fathers saying to Abraham Euen in thy seede shall all the kinreds of the earth bee blessed First when God had raysed vp his sonne Iesus vnto you he sent him to blesse you that euery one of you shoulde turne from his wickednesse THe Apostle Peter so sheweth the Iewes the way and meane vnto saluation that therewith also he remooueth all impedimentes which myght lette them from taking that waye where we had two things chiefely to consider The first was the preposterous obseruance of Moyses and their auncestries religion For they feared if they embraced Christ they shoulde offende agaynst the lawe and religion which God gaue vnto their forefathers He teacheth them therefore that therein is no daunger bicause both Moyses and the Prophetes directed and sent men vnto christ But that they rather offended against Moyses which disdayned to receiue Christ whereas Moyses long before appointed that such as they were shoulde be punished by death There was yet one other stoppe which was the conscience of that sinne which they had committed agaynst christ For where they had wickedly denied him as Peter before tolde them they sawe it was meete and conuenient that Christ also should denye and forsake them and not regarde or accept their repentaunce And they coulde not be ignorant howe God by his Prophete reiecteth the prayers of such as woulde holde vp handes vnto him embrued with bloude Wherefore Peter in this place remedyeth this inconuenience and prooueth by strong argumentes that Iesus Christ appertayneth to them also and will not put them backe if they will turne vnto him with all their hearts which is the principall state and subiect of this place wherwith also he concludeth his sermon with very good successe Before we enter into Peters wordes we haue an example in him to marke which teacheth vs the right trade howe to preach the Gospell That consisteth herein to make all men vnderstand how the promises of the gospell appertaine vnto them For vnlesse they be hereof assured they neither can make great account of them ne yet surely trust vnto them Which thing is the cause that Paule is so diligent in proouing the vocation of the Gentyles For in vaine shoulde the Gospell haue bene preached to them except they had knowne that the saluation purchased by Christ had aswell belonged to them as to the Iewes For this cause all the promises of the Gospell are vniuersall and may be applied to all men which with true fayth will embrace them Come vnto me sayth Christ all ye that labour and are heauie laden c. So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for vs to th ende that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting And in another place he sayth that he prayeth for all them that shoulde beleeue in him through the preaching of the Apostles Wherevnto also is to be referred that that Iohn sayth that is howe all they which are sinners haue Christ for their aduocate bicause hee hath giuen himselfe an attonement for the sinnes of all the worlde And Paule oftentimes in the businesse of saluation excludeth all respect of persons and testifieth that all they that beleue in Christ haue saluation giuen them of God in him See Rom. 10. Galat. 3. Colos. 3. Ministers must so minde and remember these things that they must debarre no man from the vniuersall promises of God but must so deuide and order the word of the Gospell that no man may doubt of the certaintie of his saluation but maye vnderstande that the merite of Christ belongeth to them all indifferently Now after these premisses let vs come to Peters saying which with three arguments most strongly confirmeth the Iewes fayth First he admonisheth them of their auncient dignitie and of their elders saying you be the children of the Prophetes that is to say you come of that people or nation of whome the Prophetes came Or rather you be the children of the Patriarches who it is euident were most notable Prophetes as by whome the promises of saluation were declared first vnto mankind For the which cause the holy ghost long agone called them Prophetes Hereof Peter gathereth that without doubt the promises long before reuealed by the Prophetes appertaine to the nation of the Iewes if so be they will receyue them and imitate the fayth of their progenitors For Peter in this place doth attribute nothing here to carnall generation which is of no effect in those that degenerate and waxe wicked as those graue expostulations of
out of Paule we declared Christ blesseth vs as he is a priest For it was the Priestes office to blesse the people as Moyses teacheth Numer 6. Although there is great difference betweene them Christ for they were ministers only of the figure and shadowe Christ doth not only wishe vs good but also giueth it and in him God blesseth vs with all spirituall blessing as Paule teacheth Ephe. 1. But Peter addeth the maner also of this blessing saying whyle he turneth euery man from his wickednesse For where of sinnnes the curse springeth there can be no place for blessing afore sinne be taken awaye Nowe Christ taketh them awaye yea he hath long sithence clensed them by the merite of his death for which cause the Baptist calleth him the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde He taketh not sinne away foâ one time only but conuerteth all them froÌ their sinnes that beleeue in him For where he giueth them his spirite they be regenerated and renewed by him so that they which before were giuen to the bondage of sinne doe cast of the yoake of sinne and liue vnto God and beginne to serue him in studie of innocencie and charitie Whereby we gather that they are greatly deceyued which imagine Christ to be a patrone of carnall libertie and saye that by preaching of him we plant carelesse lyfe in the mindes of men Certainlye Christ came into the worlde to destroye the workes of the deuill But among these workes sinne hath the chiefe place as there is none that can denie Nay rather if we will confesse the truth there can be in vs no true turning from sinne but such as Christ is author of through his spirite according to that saying of Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Agayne Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and so shall we be turned Furthermore before we make an ende we haue to be obserued that the Iewes abounding in so many prerogatiues dignities as both here and else where are declared in the .ix. to the Romaines receiued no coÌmodity by any of them all but were forsaken of God for that through stubborne incredulitie they contemned Christ and despised the preaching of the gospell whereof Paule intreateth at large Rom. 11. Therfore all externe things are but vaine except we embrace Christ with true fayth who onely conuerteth vs from sinnes purgeth our sinnes reconcileth vs to God and maketh vs inheritors of the kingdome of heauen This Christ hath Peter in his sermon taught them and sheweth them that in him the treasure of saluation is opened vnto them notwithstanding it might seeme they were fallen from saluation and the grace of god Let vs therfore thinke these things spoken also vnto vs and labour to become the true members of Christ and to be quickened with his spirite that hereafter we may raigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxvj. Homelie AS they spake vnto the people the Priestes and the Rulers of the Temple and the Saduceys came vpon them taking it grieuously that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from death And they laide handes vpon them and put them in holde vntill the next day for it was now euentyde Howbeit many of them which hearde the wordes beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande HItherto Luke hath described the beginning and successe of the primitiue church There haue we seene what the doctrine of the Apostles was which they deliuered vnto the Church also what the studies and exercises of the primitiue Church were Nowe herevnto is most commodiously adioyned how the worlde receyued this doctrine where we shall see howe the very same thing fell out that Christ before that shewed his Apostles of For in Iohn he sayth The seruant is not greater than his Maister If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also If they haue kept my saying they will keepe yours Againe They shall deliuer you vp to the Councels and shall scourge you in their sinagoges And these things they whom God had hitherto kept safe from the furie of their enimies vntill the beginning of his Church myght be stablished and settled a little surer beginne nowe to finde true But nowe most fierce enimies sodenlye rushe in vppon them they take and cast them into prison they bring them to examination before the Counsayle and at length being vexed with long disceptation and reasoning they dismisse them with grieuous threates We must in all this narration marke this one thing chiefely aboue all other which shall serue much for our consolation and instruction that is not to be offended at the attempts of the wicked wherewith in these dayes they oppugne the doctrine of Christ and his Church For this worlde whose propertie it is to hate and persecute the light of the truth bicause it bewrayeth their naughtie doings vseth of olde thus for to doe Here it behooueth vs to be armed with the constancie of the primitiue Church that we leaue not our place when we are assaulted but that we wayte for an happie ende and successe of such temptation with a stronge and inuincible fayth which God graunteth vnto them whome he seeth tried and made the better vnder the crosse But bicause we shall haue occasion oftentimes to speake of these things let it suffice vs to haue touched this little hereof least we lose the marke whereto all these things must be directed Nowe we shall discusse euery part and circumstance of the things that Luke hath sayde He describeth who were the Apostles enimies and authors of their persecution what craftes and deceite they vsed what cloke they had for their wicked and vniust enterprise howe violently they layde handes on the Apostles and howe vaine their attempt was bicause through their furie the number of the faythfull were rather increased than diminished Among the enimies of the Apostles there are three kindes of men rehearced The first are Priestes whome by the circumstaunces we may easilye gather were the ringleaders and beginners of all this businesse Howbeit it had bene their partes rather to haue taken vppon them the defence of the truth and to haue preached Christ vnto the people of whome Moyses and the Prophetes bare witnesse After these followeth the Ruler of the Temple who by all likelyhoode was some Capitaine of the Romaine souldiors For where the Temple stoode in the most impregnable place of the Citie and was well fenced with munition I suppose the Romaynes gaue the Presidentes of Iurie a speciall charge thereof least the Iewes vnder colour of religion and holy assemblies shoulde mooue any insurrection or sedition And vndoubtedly the Capitaine of the Temple brought with him his garde or souldiors which alwayes attended on his seruice were at his commaundement There was a thirde kinde of men
beside these called Saduceyes who plainely scoffed at all religion For they denyed the resurrection of the bodye and whatsoeuer else is written of the mysteries of eternall life as may be seene Math. 22. and Actes 23. And it can not be that any syncere religion coulde be in them which durst denye these things without the which religion coulde not stande And if we expende the matter well it shall appeare that the same men came against the Apostles which were sent out to take Christ at mount Oliuete as Luke in his Gospell sheweth Let vs here marke who are alwayes like to be the greatest enimies of the Church and doctrine of Christ and authors of persecution Uerily the Priestes that is to say those which take vpon them the gouernance of doctrine and of the whole Church For as soone as they being ouercome with ambition and couetousnesse beginne to seeke priuate honour and chaunge religion into lucre which the storie of the Gospell abundantly declareth those Iewish doctors did Math. 7.23 Iohn 5. c. it can not be chosen but they will be the first to withstand the truth bicause they are the first that are reproued through the light of the truth Hereof we see it commeth to passe in all ages that these kinde of men haue procured most trouble agaynst the doctrine of truth The times that the Prophets liued in declare this to be true against whome the Bishops and Priestes made most a do The same Iohn the Baptist prooued true whose doctrine and Baptisme the Leuites sent from Ierusalem beganne first to reprehend And Christ had no sorer enimies than the Priestes through whose deuises he was taken condemned and nayled to the crosse The Apostles nowe finde the same to be their grieuousest enimies And those whom Pylate and the Romaine garrison hytherto suffred to preache Christ are disturbed by them whose fauour and defence they ought to haue had in setting forth the kingdome of christ Let vs remember this geare and not be troubled though we perceyue those against vs in these dayes which hitherto haue chalenged to themselues in the Church the name of learning and holynesse I meane the Popes with all the rable of Bishops and Monkes For where it is euident they are all ledde with couetousnesse and ambition and haue long since obscured the doctrine of truth with mannes traditions and haue made lucre of religion it cannot be but they must hate the light of the truth and wish the extinguishment thereof But let vs consider the craft which they vse in setting vppon the Apostles First they enter not into the Church alone and so laye hande vpon the Apostles For so all men woulde haue perceyued howe they had beene led with the desire of their priuate honor and lucre And it was a daungerous matter for them to prouoke the furie and rage of the people against them Wherefore they ioyne vnto them the ruler of the Temple who was authorised by publike order to see there shoulde be no businesse made in the Church and so they woulde seeme to haue a regard of publike tranquillitie where in deede they did it for none other purpose but to vse the ayde of the officer for the defence of their tyrannie Then ioyne they also vnto them the Saduceyes men voyde of all religion bicause they thought such meetest for their purpose For such men as these thinke it a poynt eyther of a foolishe or a seditious minde contrary to custome to alter any thing in religion Last of all they rushe in vpon them as they be in their sermon and that sodenly bicause they would feare the people withall Wherevpon we may thinke they had consulted hereof before and that they did nothing at aladuenture or without deliberation The like craft haue all they vsed against the truth which nowe these many yeares haue conspired against the same For Daniel attributeth to Antichrist the eyes of a man that is to say witte and wylinesse to foresee things And Christ sayth the children of this worlde are wyser in their kinde than the children of lyght And surelye if we well consider the hystories of the Bishops of Rome we shall see they haue vsed the lyke wylinesse these many yeares and that they haue then chiefely set forwarde their owne matters when they haue seemed to do nothing lesse and being bolstred vp by the secular powers haue clymed vp to such rule and tyrannie as nowe they exercise So Boniface the thirde made Phocas embrued with the heynous murther of Maurice his maister the Emperour to thintent that he againe might make him the supreme head of the Church So by the strength of the Lumbardes they draue the Emperors of Greece out of Italie and when the Lumbardes seemed to them more intollerable than the Greekes they vsed the Frenchmens ayde to subdue the Lumbardes Neyther made they Charles Emperor of the west Church where the Romaines had bene without an Emperour more than three hundred yeares for any other cause but to haue a Captaine or ruler of the Church whose ayde and helpe they might vse to defende their vsurped power ouer the Church and to brydle such as woulde speake against it They most plainely bewrayed their meaning when they conueyed the Empire to the Germaines and caused the Emperours to sweare homage and obedience to them and reserued the authoritie of confirming and crowning the Emperour to themselues least any other than such as woulde doe after their pleasure should ascende to such dignitie They shall confesse that I say the truth whosoeuer will reade the fourme of oth wherwith the Emperours are bounde and which they haue put among the Canons of their lawe and also the Canon of Boniface the eyght concerning maioritie and obedience For he speaking of two swordes that is of the ecclesiasticall and secular power doth expressely chalenge them both vnto the Bishops of Rome in these words Both are in the power of the Church namely the spirituall swoorde and the materiall But the one to bee exercised of the Church the other for the Church The one by the hande of the Priest the other by the hande of Princes and souldiours but at the becke and sufferaunce of the priest c. Let vs therefore acknowledge the truth of the olde President when we see Bishops fight against the truth with force of kinges Let vs marke the subtiltie of this beast which compasseth hir matters by strength of others Let vs consider hir continuall traueyâe in oppressing the truth and not iudge of them according to our leysinesse They wake when we soundly snort Let vs therfore awake likewise and according to Christes admonition beware of men Howbeit it might seeme a straunge and tyrannicall deede violently to carie men awaye without order of lawe Therefore Luke sheweth what their pretence was They tooke it grieuously sayth he that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from the deade In these words he
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire beguÌne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
to punishe them bicause of the people For all men praysed God bicause of that which was done For the man was aboue fourtie yeare olde on whom this myracle of healing was shewed As soone as they were let go they came to their fellowes and shewed all that the high Priestes and Elders had sayde CHrist Iesus our Sauiour not without a cause doth oftentimes preach of persecutions and afflictions before his Apostles saying they woulde alwayes follow his disciples And the ende of these admonitions is not by feare to driue them from the faith but his purpose is lyke a faithfull Captaine to arme vs with faith and pacience against daungers foreseene For the which cause he promiseth vs present ayde and sayth we shall ouercome all the perils and attemptes of our enimies The first trouble the Apostles were in doth euidentlye shewe vs an example of the same which is therefore the more diligently to be considered bicause both so faithfull a defence of Christ succouring his belooued in their distresse doth comfort vs and the example of the Apostles admonisheth vs of our dutie being in like case and daunger We haue hearde how all they that were of any power or authoritie among the Iewes conspired against the Apostles through whose tyranny first they were cast in prison then were they called before a counsell to giue an account of their faith and doctrine before most wicked Iudges yet the truth ouercommeth and that in such wyse that they are all amazed and wote not what to do hauing not long before promised themselues the conquest and victorie And they perceyue there is no waye left them but by threates to discourage the constancie of the Apostles wherefore they commaunde them that from thenceforth they make no more mention of Iesus Christ nor preache his doctrine anye more This is the continuall vsage of the worlde to oppresse the preaching of the Gospell both with publike proclamation and open force But with what constancie of minde Christian people ought to withstande their threates and enterprises the happy ende of this tragedie which Luke now declareth teacheth vs euery part whereof must be the diligentlyer discussed that we may receyue the more consolation and instruction thereby The Apostles aunswere is here first to be placed who plainely testifye that they neyther can nor ought to obey their commaundements Yet least they should seeme frowarde impudent or rashe they alleage such reasons as no man coulde easilye disalowe or disprooue The first standeth vpon the authoritie of God which is greater than ought to yeelde to any mannes commaundement be he neuer so excellent The Argument is on this wise God must be more obeyed than men But God commaunded vs to preach and the commaundement of the sonne of God is Go yee into all the worlde and preach the Gospell to all creatures Againe you shall be witnesses vnto me at Hierusalem and in all Iurie Wherefore we may not obey you commauÌding the contrary The Maior they prooue by a figure called concession or graunting leauing the matter to their owne iudgement as men are woont in such thinges as are cleare and out of controuersie And surely it were an impietie more than deuilish for any man to challenge to himselfe more authoritie and reuerence than is due vnto God bicause it is euident that he is not only Lord of priuate persons but also of Kings and Princes to whom we are all bound by publike sacraments The other reason of the Apostles is on this wise we haue seene and heard all those things that we teach Ergo we may not keepe them in silence but disclose them The force of this consequence standeth in this point for that they were not chosen appoynted to be ydle beholders of the things that Christ did but for witnesses as the Lord saith Iohn 15. Therfore they might not conceale any of the things which they had seene and hearde vnlesse they would incurre the daunger of false testimonie the which Salomon saith God doth chiefely detest Furthermore bicause the redemption and saluation of man coÌsisteth in those things which were committed to the Apostles as witnesses that sawe the same to be preached they might not suppresse or keepe close any of them without the manifest detriment and losse of publike saluation and Christes glory For as much as in them had bene they shoulde haue suppressed by silence the glory of Christ and hindered the saluation of many a man which by preaching of the Gospell they might haue wonne vnto god Therefore Peter reasoneth truly and his arguments ought to haue bene of great force and weight with the Iudges if they had not openly striuen against God as afterward Gamaliel plainely telleth them This aunswere of the Apostles is verye notable For first it declareth the right trade of obedience wherein men vse diuersly and daungerouslye to erre For as all men vnderstande that obedience is necessary both publikely in common weales and in the Church and priuately in all affaires so for the most part it is most rigorously exacted in the decrees and constitutions of men which is manye times the fountaine of most errours and wickednesse For hereof it commeth to passe that Princes and Magistrates dare by their proclamations commaunde menne to forsake the fayth of Christ to denie the truth and to embrace superstition ydolatrie and many for this cause the easilier obey their commaundements for that they thinke they owe them this obedience and are out of all fault if they obey them Of this fountaine it springeth that children contract mariage with the vnbeleeuing and soiourne and dwell with them bicause they will not seeme to disobey their parents And some deceyued with the same error holde fast their professed Monkerie and supersticiousnesse wherevnto they bounde themselues by vowe of obedience But Peter aunswereth all these squaring obedience after the iudgement of God whether it be right in the sight of God to harcken vnto you more than to God iudge yee Therefore we must not so much consider what seemeth right and good vnto men as what God requireth of vs To him we sayde erewhile all men were bounde by the sacraments The Magistrate is his minister as Paule teacheth He is in the Scripture called a Iudge and the President of all iudgement To him shall our parents one day giue a reckoning and as many as haue the rule and authoritie ouer vs Therefore we must haue a singuler regarde vnto him and thinke no mannes authoritie so great that we let our selues be drawne thereby from the obedience we owe vnto him Herevnto appertaineth that saying of Christ which so teacheth vs to pay vnto Cesar the things that belong vnto him that we also giue vnto God that which is due vnto him True faith syncere and sounde religion studie of innocencie and charitie inuocation and such like belong vnto god Let vs not suffer these things to be taken from vs by any commaundement of man whereby
bicause Christ greatly hindered and empayred their gayne and honor But Gods spirite bloweth where it pleaseth neyther must we dispayre of any mans health bycause of his profession and trade of lyfe Further where he was a Cypriote he so looued the faythfull of Ierusalem that on them onely he woulde bestowe or shew thys liberalitie For he vnderstoode without doubt that in Christ all difference of nations was abolished as otherwheres the Scripture teacheth And his so great liberalitie wanted not a singuler commoditie For his vertue is enrolled in perpetuall memorie and the Apostles thought good to call hym Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolation For he deserued to haue so singuler a name which by his liberalitie gaue so singuler comfort to so many In the meane season we be taught what names they deserue which defraude the poore of Christ by raping and reauing the Church goodes and as much as in them is let and hinder the religion and doctrine of christ These be in verie deede the children of disturbance and perdition whose iudgement steepeth not as the example of Ananias following will teache vs Let vs marke the exercises of the primitiue Church and gyue our selues to the lyke in thys most troublesome worlde where Sathan euerywhere raiseth vp persecutours against the doctrine of truth Let the preachers be armed with a bold liberty of teaching the word and let them remember they are the seruants of God whome no authoritie of man ought to mooue Let them which professe the name of Christ be at vnitie togither in christ Let them labour to shewe their vnitie and concorde by workes of liberalitie and specially by helping of the poore These be the markes of Christians and these be the strongest weapons and defences of Christians For by these they be knowne to be the Disciples of Iesus Christ who is able easily to defende them against all the assaultes of the worlde and shall at length delyuer them from all perill and daunger and bring them to his celestiall kingdome to him be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The fift chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxxij. Homelie A Certaine man named Ananias with Sapphiâa his wife solde a possession and kept awaye part of the price his wife also being of counsell and brought a certayne part and layde it downe at the Apostles feete But Peter sayde Ananias how is it that Sathan hath filled thine hart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost and keepe awaye part of the price of the lande Pertayned it not to thee onely and after it was solde was it not in thine owne power why hast thou conceyued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto god When Ananias hearde these wordes hee fell downe and gaue vp the ghost And great feare came on all them that heard these things And the yong men rose vp and put him apart and caried him out and buried him THe Euangelist Luke hath declared what exercises and studies the primitiue Church was giuen vnto in the most perillous time of persecution We haue there seene all things belonging to a perfite and most absolute forme and order of a Churche For the Apostles taught the worde of God boldly and trulye The people as meete was receyued the same as their vnanimitie concorde and earnest loue abundantly declared But the holy ghost was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes phrenetike and troublesome men which herof would take occasion rashly to condemne all Churches wherein all things were not answereable to the perfection of the primitiue Church Wherfore he would haue the historie of Ananias and Sapphira to folow which teacheth vs that Satan had in this holy society his bondmen whose dissimulation at last burst forth and appeared Wherefore nothing is in all poynts sounde and perfite And they are not to be regarded which condemne whole congregations bicause of a few of dissembling merchauntes or voluptuous liuers that are founde in the same considering we reade of Iudas among the Disciples of Christ and that he testifieth that as well badde as good be drawen by preaching of the Gospell Before we beginne the historie we must marke that as Iudas tooke occasion of his sinne by the goodes of the Church so Ananias stumbling at the same stone begunne the first disturbance in the Church The holy ghost thought good to admonishe vs by these examples that the managing of ecclesiasticall goods is a perillous matter ⪠and that they manifestly put their saluation in hazarde that offende therein Therefore whosoeuer glorye in the name of Christ and his Gospell let them diligently take heede to themselues But if they would weigh this one thing they woulde neuer lyke hungrye Cormoraunts runne so greedily to the administring of them The historie hath in it two partes The first declareth what became of Ananias and next what of Sapphira his wife But for the better vnderstanding of the first part we will first consider Ananias facte then Peters iudgement touching the same last of all the punishment which God layde vpon him Ananias deede is tolde with great simplicitie least we shoulde thinke the Apostles leaned any thing to their affections A certain man named Ananias with Sapphira his wife solde a possession and kept awaye part of the price his wife also being of counsell and brought a certaine part and layde it downe at the Apostles feete Here is principally to be enquired what that fault was which the Lorde a little while after punished with sodeine death For after the iudgement of the fleshe here is no fault made but we may thinke Ananias rather worthie of prayse and rewarde For to sell his lande it was no fault bicause it was lawfull for him so to doe both by Gods law and mans And of any craft or collusion vsed in the bargaine and sale here is no mention Neyther hath the Lorde forbidden vs to reserue part of our owne goodes for our necessities bicause Paule sayeth they be worse than Infidels which looke not to their owne families And he teacheth vs that wee must not so giue almes that our liberalitie be occasion to others of ease and to our selues of want and distresse Furthermore it seemeth he is verye beneficiall to the Church of Christ that giueth but the halfe the third or fourth part of his goodes to the vse thereof Also Christ testifyeth that he shall be rewarded that giueth but a cup of colde water to any of his Disciples in his name Therefore we must consider the minde of Ananias which we maye gather in the other part of the historie by the wordes of Sapphira and so we shall see wherein he offended to saye in hypocrisie and counterfeyting of fayth and loue wherwith he went about to deceyue as well God as the congregation For the ambicious man sawe what prayse and glorye Ioses the Leuite had gotten through his liberalitie Wherefore he being desirous also to
in the meane season had a good opinion of them and published theyr prayses abroad bicause they sawe a certayne kinde of heauenly and Aungelike lyfe shine in them Diuers lyke examples of them maye we reade in hystories And vnder Traian the Emperour the Christians lyfe was so vnblameable that where he intended to persecute them at the intreatie of Plinius Secundus who was one of the iudges they were let alone and not medled with Thys place teacheth vs two things most worthy to be obserued First that the Church consisteth onely of faythfull persons and such as are true christians and that lying hypocrites can haue no place therein For where Christ is the king of truth as he testifyed before Pylate he can not abyde nor suffer lyers and hypocrites And in the Gospell he sayth they shall be put out from the maryage which come in without the wedding garment In an other place he adiudgeth them to eternall damnation with the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable and murtherers and whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolators Secondly we learne what getteth christians authoritie and fauour with men verilye when they aunswere to their vocation and lyue a lyfe aunswerable to the name of Christ whereby God our heauenly father may be glorifyed For that that God sayde vnto Heli the priest by his Prophete shall alwayes stand firme and ratified Them that worship me will I worship and they that despise me shall come to shame Which things if we would diligently consyder it should easily appeare howe it commeth to passe that the name of the Gospell in these dayes is euerywhere enuyed and the professours thereof for the most part are hated and slaundered Our vnbrideled and dissolute lyfe deserueth it whereby vnder a pretence of the gospell we burst into all vngodlynesse and we which would seeme holyer than all others doe passe all other almost in lycentious lyuing Let vs amende these things and we shall quickly prooue the Church shall be reuerenced agayne as she was woont Fourthly he sayth that there was daylie added to the Church newe christians as well men as women which were indued with true fayth and were moued thervnto by the holy ghost Thys teacheth vs how vaine the attemptes of Christes enimyes are seeing they that had the supremacy in the Citie of Ierusalem were not able to hynder the growth of the Church nowe springing For as Christ sayth The winde bloweth where it will and is subiect to no mans pleasure or appointment And dyuers examples teach vs that the Church in tyme of persecutions alwaye increased rather than diminished For this is the propertie of Christ to beare rule in the middest of his enimies Let no man therefore be feared with the manaces of wicked enimies as though it were in their power to ouerthrowe the Church For it is buylt vpon Christ against whome the gates of Hell cannot preuayle Besides this the kingdome of Christ beginneth to be spreade abroad in the Cities nigh adioyning For the fame of these myracles being caried to and fro caused a great manye to bring their sicke and demoniake people to Ierusalem and by that occasion they came to the knowledge of christ The chiefe vse of this place is to make vs in these dayes vnderstande by what meanes Christes kingdome may be enlarged Wherein they which vnder the cloke of the Gospell follow carnall wisedome and haue not yet subdued the same to the obedyence of faith take dyuers consultations For there be some that thinke it best for the faythfull to serue the time to graunt many things and to winke at other vntill the worlde maye looke with an other countenaunce and their mindes waxe calmer which now hate the truth Other agayne turning to carnall defences thinke good by confederacie and fight to bring the matter to passe But the successe of things prooueth both these sortes to be farre wyde and deceyued For this is Gods businesse and can be brought to passe with none other power and strength than his Neyther thorow an hoste of men neyther thorow strength but thorowe my spirite as the Lorde sayth by his Prophet And agayne I will saue them in the Lord their God and I will not saue them by bow nor sword nor by battayle nor by horse nor by horsemen c. We know in deede sometime that he vseth the ministerie of Princes and men and warre as the examples of the Machabees of Constantine and Theodosius doe testifie but euen then he so moderateth the matter that the power of his spirite sheweth it selfe in the middle of these thinges and hath onely the preheminencie Therefore let as many as consult how to haue the Church mainteyned and the kingdome of Christ aduaunced regarde him onely For when they go about to bring the matter to passe by mans counsell and defence there will not God worke any longer Therefore let vs continue in the exercises of the primitiue Church such as Luke hitherto hath rehearsed Let the teachers constantly preach the doctrine of truth not suffer themselues to be plucked from the same considering it hath bene confirmed by so many myracles let them that will be taken for christians earnestly harken to the same and let them ioyne contynuall prayers to the studye of the worde for as much as without Gods secrete working nothing can be brought to passe Let the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall discipline be in force that neyther hypocrites nor open naughtie packes may haue any place in the Church Let the studie of loue and liberalitie towarde the poore raigne amongst vs that the household of fayth through our couetousnesse be not gased on like publike stages of beggerie Bycause these thinges nowe a dayes are not onely neglected but also peruerted it is no marueyle that we see so little fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Let vs therefore settle our selues herevnto with all our hartes and our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ wyll helpe our studies and endeuoures to whome be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxv. Homelie THEN the chiefe priest rose vp and all they that were with him which is the sect of the Sadduceyes and were full of indignation and layde handes on the Apostles and put them in the common prison But the Aungell of the Lorde by night opened the prison doores and brought them forth and saide Goe and stande and speake in the temple to the people all the wordes of this life When they heard that they entred into the Temple early in the morning and taught THat Oracle of Dauid the King and Prophet saying that Christ should reigne in the middest of hys enimies is verye wonderfull Hereof we gather that Christ shall rule in thys worlde yet so as he shall neuer want those that shall go aboute to subuert and ouerthrowe his kingdome Examples hereof we may euerye where see in the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Hystoryes But most manifestlye of all others
is it seene in thys present Booke where in the report of the Apostles actes and description of the primitiue Church Luke alwayes ioyneth these two thinges togyther that is to say the successe of Christes kingdome and the furious rage of the vngodly against the same These thinges serue to the ende that we should neyther be offended at the Crosse and aduersitie whereof Christ so often tymes hath gyuen vs warning neyther hope for anye contynuall peace and tranquillitie of the Church in thys worlde but that we should euen then prepare our selues to the crosse when the Church seemeth to be most in safetie Wherevnto thys present hystorie is chiefely to be referred For Luke a little before setteth forth vnto vs a flowrishing state of the Church shewing vs what aâthoritie it grewe in and how it increased day by day in so much that the Citie of Ierusalem was nowe to little to conteyne the kingdome of Christ bicause it began to be caryed abroad among straunge Nations But among these so many and prosperous proceedings there foloweth a grieuous persecution and great daunger bicause Christ gaue his enimies such power that they layde handes on the Apostles and put them in prison thinking also to put them vnto death Yet these things serue more to comfort vs than to feare vs bicause the Lorde so presently helped the Apostles being in daunger for the glorie of his name But that we maye receaue the more vtilitie and profite hereby first we must consider the enimies of Christ and the Apostles Then howe the Lorde did elude and frustrate their enterprise And last of all we will declare what the Apostles did after they were delyuered from the perill they were in Luke wryteth diligently of the enimies and persecutours of the church and of their enterprises For he sayth the high priest rose vp agaynst the Apostles and not he alone but all his complyces and fellowes and they that were his nearest friendes and familiars and these sayth he were of the Sadduceyes secte that we may perceaue what corruption raigned nowe among the Iewes when they were supreame heades of the Church to whome the resurrection of the dead which is the chiefe article of our fayth and religion seemed but a game and pastime as we haue often tymes declared And surely if they had not bene vtterly voyde of all religion eyther the sinceritie of the Apostles doctrine or the reuerente maiestie of the congregation or the wonderfull worthynesse of myracles and so great concursse of all sortes of people to the kingdome of Christ might haue mooued them lesse to haue raged But Luke declareth also what incensed them For he sayth they were full of zeale that is enuie and indignation For they could not abyde them to be had in prise and estimation by whose doctrine theyr honor and aduauntage was defaced Yet is it no doubt but they made the zeale of God and the publike commoditie of all the people to be the pretence of their priuate affections as we reade Caiaphas and his complyces did before Wherevnto came this zeale so farre that they layde hands on the Apostles and commaunded them to the common gayle as breakers of publike peace and open malefactours These things must be applyed to our times also bicause it is manifest al things are written for our sakes that we may haue enstruction and comfort thereby First this example teacheth vs who are alwayes like to be the greatest persecutors of Christes truth Truely they which glorie in the tytle of Priesthoode and will be taken for the chiefe heades of the Church and ought chiefely to maintaine and preach the truth But as soone as vnder pretence of Religion they beginne to seeke their owne gayne and lucre then can they neyther beleue themselues nor yet suffer the light of the truth whose brightnesse discloseth their naughtinesse and deceit And such for the most parte are these Sadduceis yea the Hogges of Epicures hearde For vnlesse they thought the thinges written in Scripture touching Heauen and Hell the immortalitie of the soules and the resurrection of the deade more vaine than fables they woulde neuer neyther so wickedly corrupte the scriptures with their traditions nor yet so impudently turne relygion into priuate lucre and aduantage Therefore Christ and the Apostles shewe vs how Antichrists place and Sea should be euen in the very church that we might perceyue from whence most daunger were to be looked for and feared And if we well marke these tymes it shall appeare they onely haue bene the enimies of the doctrine of the Gospell and kingdome of Christ which heretofore haue bene thought to be the chiefe heades of the Church For it is euident that the matters attempted by Princes and Kings were done for their sakes and by their procurement and instigation This thing offendeth many in these daies and make them thinke that the doctrine in our Churches is not the truth bycause the Popes and Byshoppes are enimies thereto But great folly it is to be offended with that which hath bene the most vsuall and common thing since the worlde beganne as other wher 's hath bene declared But we must as diligently consider wyth what craft and weapons these men fight Where first is to be noted howe egregiouslye they can counterfaite the zeale of God whose glorie they lament to be troden vnder foote and his Church to be so daungerously deuided But this is but a corrupt zeale as we see in Caiaphas to whome the confession of truth which Christ vttered seemed blasphemous and intollerable So nothing seemeth so impious and intollerable to these our heades as that that tasteth of the truth of the Gospell and is repugnant to their proude tyrannye and aduauntage And it appeareth euen by this place that we ought to haue no better iudgement of the zeale of our enimies bicause that as the Bishops of the Iewes coulde beare with the madde errours of the Saduceyes so they woulde helpe to bring downe Christ so these men can beare with the wicked sale and marte of holye things condemned by the Popes owne Canons with the scorcing of Gods doctrine with horrible periurye whoredome and all kinde of vnbridled lyuing so that those things that pertaine to their vaineglory and aduauntage might be left alone vntouched But to graunt them that in deede they haue a zeale to the glory of God yet can they not be excused but are lyke vnto the Iewes which as Paule sayth had a zeale of God but yet were voyde of all knowledge and truth For GOD will not haue vs followe our owne zeale but his woorde which for this cause he hath witsafed to reueale to all ages to the intent no man should followe the suggestions of the fleshe and wisedome of man But what maner of zeale these men had may be iudged by the successe of the thing For they that were Stewardes of the worde of God and ought with argumentes of Scripture to haue
brought them that erred into the waye and to haue conuinced the gaynesayers as men hauing forgotten their dutie turne vnto force and shut them in the common prison which as yet were conuicted of no fault or crime And this is it that Christ layde to their charge when they came out armed with swordes and Clubbes to take him whom they dayly hearde teaching in the Temple where he ought to haue bene conuinced if he had taught any thing repugnaunt to Gods truth Naye they vsed open force euen in their Counsell in that they suffer the high Priestes seruaunt to strike Christ on the cheeke without check Histories declare howe they haue fought these many yeares with the same weapons agaynst the doctrine of truth Neyther neede we to heape many examples togither bicause that one fact of the Counsell at Constance is sufficient which the heades of the Romaine Church commytted agaynst that holy martyr of Christ Iohn Husse whome neyther his safe conduyct neyther the Emperours maiestie neyther lawe of armes neyther intreatie of the godlye nor threates of the Bohemians coulde deliuer out of their bloudy handes And our maisters and Bishops in these dayes vse no argumentes more often against the Teachers of the truth than to arme Princes against the same and those that teache it and then thinke they are notable defenders of the Church when they persecute the true Church of Christ with fire and sworde To speake nothing in the meane season of such as saye the examination and hearing of these matters appertaine nothing to Princes and so hale they the martyrs of Christ to their execution without hearing their cause first cutting out their tongues bicause they shall not declare their fayth and cause of their death to the people looking on But howe farre these men passe the tyrannie of the Iewishe Bishops so much more grieuous shall that punishment be that Christ hath ordeyned for them whose kingdome can be oppressed by no force of man. This doth the other part of the storie declare wherein is shewed what the Lord did in the meane whyle who myght seeme to haue cast of all care of his Church and suffered his enimies to long But he neyther sleepeth nor forsaketh those that be in daunger for his sake For the Aungell of the Lorde came who neyther feared the authoritie of the Priestes nor yet the lawe for breaking the prison but openeth the doores bringeth out the Apostles and commaundeth them to returne to the Temple there to preach the wordes of lyfe that is to saye the Gospell of Iesus Christ in whome only lyfe is to be had These thinges teache vs howe God hath a care for those that be his and that his worde cannot be bounde although his Ministers lye bounde in prison For the breath of God breatheth where it will and is not subiect to the iudgement of the worlde And Paule sayth that he lyeth bounde but that the worde of God cannot be bounde Let no man therefore be offended with the imprisonment of the Ministers of Goddes worde no not with their death seeing the setting forth of his worde dependeth not of vs but of the pleasure and power of god It shall be good more diligently to consider the maner and ende of this deliuery In their deliuery this is chiefely to be obserued that God would haue the prison doores opened by the ministerie of an Aungell which he myght many other wayes haue brought to passe But God woulde this waye testifie and declare the great dignitie of his elect whereas not onely the inferiour and earthly creatures but also the heauenly spirites and Aungels are appoynted to doe them seruice We are taught by manye places of Scripture to gather a generall rule hereof Paule verily teacheth vs that the Aungels are ministering spirites sent out for the seruice of them which shall be heyres of saluation And that saying of Dauid is well knowen The Aungell of the Lorde tarieth rounde about them that feare him and deliuereth them And that which the malignaunt Tempter expoundeth of Christ only is to be referred to euery one of his members whome God hath commended to the charge and custodie of the Aungels that they shoulde not dashe their foote agaynst a stone And there wanteth not examples of them which haue bene holpen by the visible ministerie of Aungelles Loth was deliuered from the burning of Sodome by the aungelles Iacob âeeth an hoste of Aungelles and perceyueth himselfe in safetie by their ayde and succour Whole armies of Aungels deliuer Elizeus out of the handes of the Assirians Daniel confesseth the Aungell of the Lorde did shutte the mouthes of the Lyons that they coulde doe him no hurt An Aungell many daies faithfully serued Thobias sonne in visible shape and likenesse An Aungell smiteth the first borne of the Egyptians and guideth the people of Israel through the wildernesse And it appeareth Ezechias was deliuered from the siege of the Assirians by the helpe of an Aungell These examples and such other lyke are rehearsed not to th ende we also shoulde require the ministerie of Aungels in visible wyse but that we shoulde not doubt of their ayde and helpe although they appeare not to vs We manye times finde this true when we be deliuered from secrete daungers and so escape vnknown ieoperdies without all counsell or helpe of man Let vs therefore acknowledge the dignitie of our nature and condicion wherein we be set through the benefite of Gods grace Let the same serue for our comfort that we despayre not in aduersitie and for our instruction that we offend not through our impure and naughty life the Aungels and so driue from vs so holy and necessary a succor and defence Furthermore the Aungell sheweth the ende why they are deliuered where he saith to the Apostles being brought out of prison Go and stand and speake in the Temple all the wordes of this lyfe to the people He appoynteth them therefore to returne to the execution of that office and charge that Christ had put them in and co mmaundeth them to their vttermost power to set forth the kingdome of Christ whose ayde and helpe they nowe presently had prooued This agreeth with Goddes commaundement in other places that being deliuered out of any distresse we shoulde glorifie him For this was not spoken onely to the Apostles but appertayneth indifferently to all men For God will haue all men diligently to applye their vocation and being deliuered out of daunger to returne therevnto with the more feruencie the longer they haue intermitted it Therefore their offence is grieuous which being deliuered from sickenesse or pouertie or other kinde of calamitie giue themselues vnto vice and naughtynesse and pollute the name of God with impuritie of lyfe who seeme vnto me to bee lyke those souldiours which being sent out to take Christ when they were cast to the grounde by his secrete power yet when they were permitted to
heare the Apostles aunswere very Apostolike and venerable by reason of the grauitie thereof which may be deuided into three partes First they put awaye the crime of disobedience Secondly they aunswere the other two obiections briefely And last of all they declare the whole matter of Christs kingdome if happily they might winne any of them vnto the same The fault of disobedience they excuse briefely not denying they were forbidden to preache but replying that they ought to obey God more than men Which sentence they before also so propounded that they made the Priestes themselues Iudges thereof bicause all men endued with common reason and vnderstanding might easilye perceyue the authoritie and truth thereof But forasmuch as they perceyue the Priestes growne to such impudencie that they sticke not to preferre their owne authoritie before Gods they boldlye and plainely repeate the same agayne In these wordes we may learne the true trade of obedience For they deny not that men must be obeyed to whome God hath giuen rule ouer vs such as be our parentes teachers Officers maisters and Lords but that we must obey God more than them They therefore appoynt certaine boundes and limittes of obedience within the compasse whereof they must walke which shall prescribe others what to doe For parentes haue left them their authoritie ouer their children Magistrates haue their power reserued by doctrine of the Gospell ouer their subiectes And that authoritie which God hath giuen to the Ministers of his worde must not be broken or violated And Peter in another place commaundeth seruants to obey their maisters though they be vnreasonable and waywarde The lyke reason is also of persons maried and of all others whome God hath made superiours ouer other But if they beginne to abuse their power and dignitie and will take vpon them to commaunde things contrary to the lawes of God and to the dutie that we owe him we must then run vnto the rule of Peter not suffer the authoritie of man and counterfayte shewe of Gods institution to preiudice or derogate any thing from Gods commaundement For assoone as they beginne to passe their boundes and to resist God they are but meere men and not to be accounted as the ministers of god But bicause we haue spoken hereof before let these fewe wordes suffice for this time Secondly they aunswere the other two crimes in one saying The God of our fathers hath raysed vp agayne Iesus whome yee slewe and hanged on tree In fewe wordes they dispatch two things The first is the God of our fathers hath raysed vp Iesus that is to saye we preache that Iesus and sauiour which we haue not imagined of our owne heade but which the God of our fathers once promised yea whome he from euerlasting ordeyned to be the sauiour of the world Therfore no man ought to accuse our doctrine eyther as new or false And I see none other cause why they make mention of the fathers but for that they woulde put them in minde of the promises reuealed to the fathers concerning christ Where by the waye may be perceyued the antiquitie and infallible certaintie of the Christian fayth and religion And we maye vse the same argument in these dayes against them which accuse our doctrine of newnesse and falshoode For why is it called new which preacheth Christ that was promised from the beginning of the world Why is it called false which sheweth vs saluation in him that is the way the light and the truth The seconde is where he speaketh of Iesus saying whom ye slewe and hanged on tree As though he should say we go not about to bring vpon you the blode of Christ nor to charge you with his death For you your selues were the authors principalles of that heynous deede you condemned him by your consents delyuered him to Pylate you required him to be put to death when Pylate iudged him to be let loose It was you that sayd His bloud be vpon vs vpon our children These things al men know bicause they were openly done And though we would holde our peace yet the thing it selfe cryeth out and will not be kept hid c. We learne by the Apostles example with what constancie and libertie we must cope with the professed enimies of the truth It behooueth vs boldly to defend the quarrel of the truth We must also freely reprooue their wickednes that they thinke not men be afraid of them For such is the nature of wicked Bishops that the more they be feared the more fierce they waxe bicause they think their craft is not yet espied But if a man withstand them to their face then their combe is cut Hence springeth that constancie of the prophets wherby they withstoode most mightie princes For this cause Christ which was the myldest of all other men seemeth to thunder when he hath to doe with the Scribes Phariseis whom he knew to be altogither incurable Therfore their modestie is preposterous that now a dayes flatter Popes Bisshops who in deede are greater enimies of the truth worse than the Iewishe Priests Howbeit least they might seeme to neglect them which perhaps might be woonne they briefly set forth the whole hystory of Christ and of our saluation and confirme the same with most sure testimonies which is the thirde part of this Apologie or defence For they say Him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a ruler and a Sauiour for to giue repentance vnto Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes And we be witnesses or recordes hereof c. In these wordes both Christ himselfe and the maner and meane whereby he giueth vs saluation is described And they saye Christ is not onely a sauiour but the Prince of saluation exalted by the right hande and power of god In the Scriptures mention is oftentimes made howe Christ is a King and Prince chiefely in the Psalmes and sermons of the Prophetes For herevnto belong the things reade in the Psalmes ij xlv.lxxxix.cx c. Mich. 5. And the Aungell Gabriel seemeth to haue alluded herevnto where he sayth he shall sit in the chaire of Dauid his father and of his kingdome shall be none end Thus the holy ghost teacheth vs that Christ is not only the minister of our saluation but is the author which by his owne power hath deliuered vs from the tyrannie of the deuill also that he is so mightie a sauiour that no man is able to resist him Neither did he by force take vnto him that honor but when he had most lowly humbled himselfe that name was giuen vnto him that is aboue all names in the which euery knee shoulde bowe c. This serueth for our comfort in temptations For where Christ is a mightie king whome the right hande of God hath exalted and to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth it shall be an easie matter for him to defende vs neyther
such mischiefe become a praye for sedicious and wicked persons For who seeth not here that saying of Christ fulfilled I came in my fathers name and ye receyue me not If another come in his owne name him you will receyue Which thing we see coÌmeth to passe also in these dayes For the nature of the worlde is incurable delighting and reioycing in seducers and deceyuers and hating the Ministers of the truth continually Therefore it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they taste of effectuall elusion and wittingly and willingly runne into destruction But let vs returne to Gamaliel to see how he vseth these examples For of these he gathereth the foundation of his sentence whose proposition or coÌclusion is abstayne from these men and let them alone Which to perswade them he bringeth his argument in fourme of a Dilemma in this wise This businesse wherof the Apostles whome you iudge worthy to die are ministers and stewards is eyther of God or of man But whether soeuer it be I think it good you absteyne from shedding their bloud For if it be of man and is gouerned none other waies than by mans counsayle it wil fall of it selfe as the examples of Theudas and Iudas within these few yeres passed abundantly declare Therfore what madnesse were it to incense and stirre vp the âurie of the Commons to take that out of the waye which within a shorte space though no man set hande to it will fall to the grounde alone But if it be of God and be gouerned and ordered by him it cannot quayle by anye force or counsayle of man For what is man being but dust and ashes able to preuayle agaynst God Now the ende of this counsell must be diligently obserued the which whyle manye neglect they take occasion hereby of a most pernicious opinion whereby say they no attemptes be they neuer so wicked no errors be they neuer so blasphemous are by force to be kept vnder Whereof can followe none other thing but the ouerthrowe of all discipline aswell ciuill as Ecclesiasticall For the Magistrate shall carie his sworde in vayne And in vayne doth Paule appoynt such Ministers in the Church as shall not onely teache the truth but also be able to confute and conuince the gaynesayers Who will thinke that this so wyse a man ment to loose all the sinewes of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement at once It appeareth rather he had this meaning to saue the Apostles from the furie of the Iudges and from present death which he sawe he shoulde most commodiously doe if he shewed them that they could not without manifest daunger conclude any extremitie agaynst them For eyther they must fall in daunger to Godwarde if the Apostles doctrine were true and they the ministers of God or else of the commons whose rage they were better to auoyde than to prouoke speciallye in such a matter as coulde not long stande if it were but mennes working Furthermore whether he vnderstoode the truth or not he yet seemeth ambiguous and doubtfull in his talke Therefore their case is of a farre other sort which being illuminated with the true knowledge of the truth ought by office to defende it and to roote out errors and wickednesse In the meane season this ought to be to vs as an Oracle that we learne Gods counsels can be hindered by no force of men but that mans counsell falleth of it selfe For God is eternall and immutable so is his worde eternall and can by no meanes be infringed And Dauid testifyeth that God scattereth the counselles of the Nations but establisheth his owne counsayle for euer We haue examples euerie where to prooue the same Saul long stryued against the counsell of God who had fully decreeed to make Dauid king of Israel But the more he stryued the lesse he perceyued he preuayled and founde an euill ende of his contending with god But chiefely this thing is to be applyed to matters of fayth and religion It is Gods counsell and decree that his sonne whome he begat from euerlasting should beare rule ouer his holy hill that is to say the church To him it was saide Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole Satan from the beginning of the world hath withstanded this deuise and counsell And in Abel whome for this cause we may call the first Martyr of Christ beganne this persecution which continued all the yeares following and yet to thys houre endureth But the kingdome of Christ and the Church endureth also bicause it is buylt vpon that rocke agaynst the which the gates of hell are not able to preuaile And if on the contrary side a man consider the vsage of the Gentiles and that monstrous Chaos of ydolatrie which most mightie Monarchies followed confirmed by space of manye yeares allowed by the consent almost of all people and nations assaulted at no tyme by force of any man he shall see it is fallen downe of it selfe and scattered abroade by the spirite and worde of christ The lyke reason is of the holy scripture which the Apostle calleth inspired of God. For if a man consider the prophane wryters their Bookes surely were in great estimation and had no enimies to make them away yet the most part of them are perished and scarce are the names of those bookes extant which in tymes past most riche kings sought with great diligence and bought full dearely as is reported of Ptolomeus Philadelphus and such other lyke But the holy bookes of Scripture so many tymes burned banished and hated of most mightie princes are yet forth comming and being almost translated into al tongues be in stead of maysters and teachers ouer all the worlde Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction and comfort that we rashely doe nothing against God nor feare not the threatning decrees and ordynaunces of the world and of tyrannes against the kingdome of Christ. But let vs so acknowledge God for our reuenger and defender that we may faythfully serue him in buylding vp of his church according to our vocation as Coadiutours of Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxix. Homelie AND to him agreed the other And when they had called the Apostles they bette them and commaunded that they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go And they departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And daylie in the Temple and in euerye house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. BIcause it is so ordeyned that all men of a certaine naturall instinct are desyrous of helth welth it can not be chosen but they must be much offended at aduersitie tribulation especially such as accustometh to ryse bycause of religion For it commeth to passe most times that men iudge of religion according to the effect and successe therof and
heauen Againe you are they which haue abidden with me in my temptations and I appoynte vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appoynted to me that you maye eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome c. Which promises bicause they sawe fulfilled and confirmed in Christ which through the crosse triumphed ouer all the power of hell and by death entred into the kingdome of heauen they could not but greatly reioyce when they perceyued that by these beginnings they hasted to the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome And as these thinges were an occasion to the Apostles to reioyce so ought they to cause vs in afflictions to reioyce and be glad For this is the propertie of all Christians as Paule sayth to reioyce and be merie in afflictions And surely there are notable causes which in these dayes ought to stirre vs to the consideration of these thinges forasmuch as we see these many yeares the enimies of Christ swarming in Germanye who for this cause most cruelly persecute vs for that we haue chosen rather to obey Christ than Antichrist At whose victories and successe many are so offended that they suspect as it were the doctrine of truth and we haue seene many more is the pitie as touching the fayth to haue made shipwracke But if we would call to remembrance our sinnes and woulde diligently consider the ingratitude whereby Germanie these many yeares hath partly neglected the vnspeakable benefite of Gods worde and Christian libertie and partly betrayed it and with vnbridled licentiousnesse of lyfe polluted the same we shoulde see the wonderfull goodnesse of God towardes vs who woulde haue vs in ieoperdie for the truth of his worde and become witnesses of his sonne and yet had deserued destruction through our sinnes and wickednesse And that it might appeare we stoode in daunger and suffered not for our owne wickednesse but only for religion and the truthes sake he sent in among vs such enimies whose liuing and maners abundantly declare that they were not so much prouoked with our sinnes agaynst vs as with our onely confession of the truth Therefore what more euident argument of Gods goodnesse and grace coulde be shewed vnto vs than that he hath giuen vs strength not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his names sake For hereof we may conclude with Paule If we die with Christ we shall liue with him· If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him Bicause manye see not this glory of the crosse eyther they filthily fall away from the profession of the fayth or else with vngodly reproches vpbrayde vs with our fayth and sclaunderously defame vs which mourne vnder the crosse of christ As many truly as consider these thinges as they ought cannot choose but glory and reioyce in Christ when they see his markes appeare in their bodies Therefore greatly is their folly to be bewayled who are offended at the afflictions and crosse of Christ whereas they might rather gather argumentes of comfort and ioye of the same Finally Luke sayeth of the Apostles that without any regarde had to this wicked decree they ceased not to teache and preach in the name of Iesus christ And this they did openly in the Temple as long as they coulde be suffred But when the tyrannie of their enimies had driuen them out of the Temple then beganne they to preache in the houses of the faythfull For Gods truth is not bounde to any certaine place but may be taught euery where so that a regarde be had of order and comlynesse as Paule teacheth Thus they perfourme in very deede that which they protested in the Counsell that is howe God was more to be obeyed than men and by their example confute them which now a dayes affirme that in matters of faith and religion we must simply obey the magistrates As though God had made himselfe and his religion subiect to mannes pleasure and appoyntment But bicause we haue already intreated hereof once or twyse there needeth no more to be sayde at this time In the meane whyleâ theâ constancie of the Apostles is woonderfull which being scourged and beaten doe boldly go on in the office that God appointed The slothfulnesse of men in our dayes is by this example confuted who hauing suffred somewhat for the truthes sake alreadye thinke they haue nowe done all their dutie and will henceforth suffer neyther paines nor daunger any more In deede their doings might after a sort be borne with if it were in our owne libertie to appoynt the boundes of our labour But bicause we be seruants it becommeth vs to wayte vpon the Lordes will and to abide his leysure with silence And Christ sayth they be not meete for his kingdome which loke backewarde but such as continue vnto the ende See Luke the .ix. Mathew the .xxiiij. Beside it is the commaundement of God that we being deliuered out of daungers and distresse through his benefite shoulde glorifie him Which thing they cannot doe that leaue and forsake their standing and being ouercome with feare of perilles procure their ease and quietnesse Wherfore let euery man in his calling followe the constancie of the Apostles but chiefely such as the Lorde hath committed the dispensation and ordering of his Church and worde to and let them not distrust his ayde who they see so long agone had such a care of his flocke Whosoeuer can giue a iust account of their ministerye vnto him shall be partakers of his kingdome To him be blessing honor glory and power for euer Amen The sixt chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xl. Homelie IN those dayes when the number of the Disciples beganne to increase there arose a grutch among the Greekes against the Iewes bicause their widowes were despised in the dayly administration Then the twelue called the multitude of the Disciples togither and sayde It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God and serue Tables Wherefore brethren looke you out among you seauen men of honest report and full of the holy ghost and wisedome to whome we may commit this businesse But we will giue our selues continually to prayer and to the ministration of the worde THe Euangelist Luke thus farre hath set forth the beginning proceeding increase and order of the primitiue Church In the which we haue seene all things very wisely ordered according to the worde of God and amongst the horrible persecutions and cruell attemptes of the enimies with moste prosperous successe administred Howbeit bicause the things there intreated be somewhat generall nowe at length the godly writer descendeth to matters more speciall declaring howe certaine peculiar persons employed their great traueyle to promote and aduaunce Christes kingdome Among whome bicause Steuen which was one of the Deacons of whom no mention hath bene heretofore made is the first he beginneth most commodiously his hystorie with the institution of the Deacons and in this present place teacheth vppon what
the ãâã Which gift Paule numbreth amongst the chiefe Therefore they are ãâã pieuish which looke for reuelations from heauen and lyke Doltes wickedly despyse the ministerie of the Church Let vs followe the godlynesse of this Eunuch his modestie humilitie and feruent desire of saluation For so it shall come to passe that we also shall attayne to true saluation in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxj. Homelie THE tenour of the Scripture which he read was this Hee was ledde as a sheepe to be slayne and lyke a Lambe dumbe before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Bicause of his humblenesse he was not esteemed But who shall declare his generation for his lyfe is taken from the earth The Chamberlane aunswered Philip and sayde I praye thee of whome speaketh the Prophete this of himselfe or of some other man Philip opened his mouth and beganne at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus THe Euangelist Luke diligently descrybeth the hystorie of the Aethiopian conuerted vnto Christ aswell for many other causes as for that it conteyneth an ensample of true conuersion whereby we are taught howe God dealeth with vs when he mindeth to receyue vs into the societie of saluation First Luke sheweth how God is the cause efficient of this conuersion who of his meere fauour sent Philip throughe whose ministerie the Eunuch of Aethiopia shoulde be conuerted The same God as he chose vs all before the foundations of the worlde were layde wythout any respecte had to our good workes so by his grace he ministreth vnto vs and giueth vs when we thinke nothing thereof all thinges belonging to our saluation Next Philip is an instrument of this conuersion whose helpe God here vseth according to his custome For where our infirmitie is not able to abyde the maiestie of God he ordeyneth that we shall be taught and ledde by the ministerie of men which is a speciall argument of Gods goodnesse towarde vs and therefore is euerywhere first accounted among the benefites of god The instrument that Philip vseth is the worde of God not such an ineffable and ymaginary worde as certayne Seraphicall and fanaticall smatterers in Diuinitie suppose but the verye same worde that is conteyned in the Scriptures For out of these must all sermons and the whole doctrine of saluation be taken neyther must wee looke for any newe kynde of doctrine vnhearde of vntill this day Amongst all these thinges the mynde of the Eunuch so well disposed to receyue the truth and doctrine of saluation is notable That he was studious of religion the long iourney that he tooke both full of traueyle and daunger doth abundantly declare His desire to learne his diligent reading of the Scripture and that he woulde âake vnto him a man vnknowne of whome hee hoped for a more full ãâ¦ã prooueth All which things it is manifest he had through the ãâã of God bicause these thinges vse to appeere in no man vnlesse he ãâã with some singuler illumination of the spirite But let vs see what ãâã they doe whyle they are togither which Luke in this place describeth repeating worde by worde the place of Esaye which gaue occasion to Philip to reason with the Aethiop touching Christ and hys saluation This place is in the .liij. Chapter neyther is there any other place that more euidently comprehendeth the misteries of Iesus Christ so that Ierome not without a cause iudgeth the Prophete Esay worthie to be numbred rather among the Euangelistes than the Prophets In the meane while Gods prouidence is to bee considered which gouerneth mennes affayres and suffereth nothing by hazarde to come to passe whereof wee haue an euident argument bicause euen at the very same tyme that Philip beginneth to talke with the Aethiope Luke sayth he was reading of that verie place An Ethnick or Infidell would impute this thing vnto fortune or chaunce But we acknowledge the prouidence of God which doth not onely giue all things their successe but also ruleth all other thinges appertayning to the same For how should he neglect mens matters be they neuer so small which numbreth the heares of our heades feedeth the byrdes of the ayre and singulerly decketh the flowers of the fielde Furthermore touching the place of Esaye it comprehendeth in it the whole summe of our redemption For it declareth the mysterie of Christes death and the victorie whereby he is entered inâo the glorie of his father and hath gotten an immortall and euerlasting kingdome It shall be good to consider euery thing in the order as it is declared First he setteth forth the death of Christ in these wordes He was ledde as a sheepe to be slaine and like a lambe dumbe before his shearer so he opened not his mouth By these wordes he doth not onely set forth the pacience of Christ which as at many other tymes so in his passion and death appeared most perfite but also he teacheth that he tooke his death of his owne accord and willingly so that the counsaile or force of his enimies wrought not the same In deede the Scribes and Phariseys tooke counsaile agaynst him Iudas sought all meanes busily to betraye him The high Priestes in theyr counsaile pronounced him guiltie of death Pilate caused him after he was whipped to be nayled on the Crosse. But what could all these haue done if he would haue vttered or shewed the strength of his diuine power and maiestie Yea who pulled him downe from his fathers bosome to the earth By whose counsayle tooke he fleshe and manhoode in the Uirgines wombe Who gaue them strength to rise againe which were sent out agaynst him and fell to the grounde at one worde spoken of hym These thinges therefore teache vs that he dyed bicause it was his pleasure to die forasmuch as he came into the worlde for none other cause but for that he would giue his life for the life of the worlde Therefore where he was able most valiantly to haue resisted the enterprises of his enimies he would yet be led to his death like a sheepe and a lambe so that he would not seeme no not in worde to vtter any token of an vnpacient minde and vnwilling to die Herevnto appertayneth that that is sayde in the Gospell Therefore doth my father loue me bicause I put my life from me that I might take it againe No man taketh it fro me but I put it away of my selfe I haue power to put it from me and I haue power to take it againe And Paule expounding these sayings sayth He became obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse and tooke vpon him the shape of a man being in the shape of God. Now these thinges serue partly for our redemption and saluation and partlye for our instruction For thus it behooued that our sinne of disobedience should be done away which made vs subiect to eternall damnation Moreouer Christ taught vs
the worde of fayth which wee preach For if thou acknowledge with thy mouth ⪠that Iesus is the Lords and beleeue in thine hart that God raysed him vp from death ⪠thou shalt be âaâe For to beleeue with the heart iâstifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh ãâ¦ã Nowe when Philip had gotten of the Eunuch that he chiefly desired by and by without any âariaunce he went downe with him into the water and there baptiseth him Where we haue to consider howe baptisme is ministred in common water whether it were ryuer or fountayne as Ierome thinketh I knowe not Neyther is there any mention made of newe hallowing it or of salt sprinckled or of oyle or of exorcisme and many such like as the superstition of Popes in the ages following brought in For Philip knewe the example of Iohn which had baptised in the ryuer of Iordane He knewe also that by the ordinaunce of Christ all water was consecrated to the vse of baptisme and had no neede of newe purging and coniuring Away therfore with the wicked and peeuish inuentions of most bolde merchaunts which would haue religion to serue for priuate honour and gaine Yet I would none by these examples shoulde take occasion euery where to baptise in fountaynes or ryuers For as we confesse it may be godlily done if necessitie so require so where Churches be appoynted all things ought to be done decentlye and according to lawfull order least libertie bursting out into vnbrideled licence disturbe both discipline and vnitie of Churches It remayneth to tell of the ende of all this hystorie which comprehendeth the departure of Philip from the Eunuche which Luke sheweth was after a myraculous sort For when they came out of the water the spirite of the Lorde caught Philip and the Eunuch sawe him no more God woulde by this myracle confirme the fayth of the Eunuch For after this sort hee might vnderstande that nothing was done in all this businesse by chaunce but all things through the prouidence of god Let vs see what they both did after they were seperated Luke sayth the Eunuch helde on his way reioycing Then he complayned not of Philips so sodaine departure neyther carefully enquired after him and much lesse detested him as though he had beene some craftie Apostle or Iugler Hereof must be gathered no argument of any inconstant or vnkinde minde But whereas he was now indued with fayth and taught by the holy ghost who according to Christes promise brought all things to his minde and by his testimonie confirmed the doctrine of fayth which Philip had taught him Therefore he coulde easily settle and quiet hys minde By which example we learne that we must not so sticke to the ministers that when they are gone we must dispayre in matters of fayth and religion Let vs acknowledge them as Gods coadiutours and stewardes of the mysteries of God by whome he giueth vs fayth Againe let vs vnderstande that the spirite of Christ truely supplyeth the dutie of a Teacher and that Christ will not fayle vs although he sometime take them away to whom we knowe we are much bounden For Gods spirit can be bounde neyther to persons nor places but bloweth where him lyketh Moreouer the fruite of fayth which the Eunuch receyued is declared where Luke sayth He helde on his waye greatly reioycing So before hee wrote that great ioye was made in Samaria when Philip had preached the Gospell there The ioy of a faythfull minde must hereby be vnderstanded which vseth to spring of the peace and quiet of conscience For after Christ is receiued by fayth then man vnderstandeth that God the father is reconciled vnto him whose wrath and horrible iudgement he was before afrayde of And as that peace of God as Paule beareth witnesse passeth all vnderstanding so it chaseth from the minde all the ãâã of ãâã it âlâereth the whole minde and maketh vs to be without all âeaâe in the ãâã of all afflictions For this is the saying of all those that are faythfull ⪠If God bee with vs who can be agaynst vs Who shall lay any thing to the ãâã of Gods chosen ⪠It is God that iustifieth vs who is it that can condemne For they knowe that the gates of hell are not able to preuayle agaynst that liuelye rocke on whome they are buylded Therefore bicause the Eunuch had obtayned this suretie of a quiet minde he returneth home with greater ioye than if he had gotten the great treasure of kings or if he had returned to Candace with the triumph and victorie of the greatest enimies of Aethiopia For what ryches deserue to be compared with the treasures of the kingdome of heauen Or what victorie is there so great as that which the faithfull haue gotten by Iesus Christ against the deuill and hell If princes in these dayes were as desirous of this victorie as they are of the Kingdomes and vaine glorie of this worlde then would they also more reioyce and the worlde also should be in better case But let vs returne to Philip which was founde at Azotus and from thence passing a long by the sea coast preached the Gospell to all the Cities in these quarters vnto Caesarea where it seemeth he tooke house to dwell in bicause Paule hosted there as we maye see in the .xxj. Chapter You shall marke diligently the feruent and great desire that the men of the primitiue Church had to set forth the kingdome of christ For although Philip had traueyled greatly in conuerting Samaria and now might greatly haue gloried in conuerting the great man of Aethiopia yet he thinketh not he had done his duetie but enioyneth himselfe freshe labours and refuseth not to vndertake new daungers for Christes sake We see the lyke desire in Paule who hauing laboured more than all the Apostles yet holdeth on his course with great feruencie These things reprooue the slouth of our dayes where all sortes and states of men as soone as they haue borne a little brunt make holyday for any more they will doe as though it were at our disposition and libertie to start from the calling of God and the dutie committed to vs Furthermore these thinges teache vs howe vaine the enterprises of the wicked are agaynst the doctrine of christ For the more they rage the more the truth shineth and ouercommeth Yea in the tyme of persecution by their meanes and diligence it is most opened and set forth who before seemed dastardes and cowardes Hereof haue we an example in Philip of whom there was no mencion made almost while the Church was in quiet at Ierusalem but that we hearde he was numbred among the Deacons But now being become an outlaw and banished man he winneth Samaria vnto Christ he sendeth the Eunuch whome he conuerted into Aethiopia to be an Apostle and spreadeth the Gospell ouer all Iurie Thus vseth God to frustrate the attempts of his enimies Therefore no man ought
to be offended at the manaces of Tyrannes which now a dayes threaten destruction to the Gospell and to our Churches But let vs rather trust in God who is both able to saue his elect in this worlde and to make them coheyres with Christ in the world to come to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The ninth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxiij. Homelie AND Saule yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter agaynst the Disciples of the Lorde went vnto the highe Priest and desired of hym letters to carye to Damascus to the Sinagoges that if hee founde anye of this waye whether they were men or women he myght bring them bounde to Ierusalem And when he iourneyed it came to passe that as he was nygh to Damascus sodeinly there shyned round about him a lyght from heauen and he fell to the earth and hearde a voyce saying to him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And he sayde what art thou Lorde And the Lorde sayde I am Iesus whome thou persecutest It is harde for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke THat saying of Christ is verye notable No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him And it is not vnlyke vnto that other where he sayeth to his Disciples You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For bothe oâ them teach vs that saluation and whatsoeuer belongeth therto commeth to vs through the meere grace of God and that nothinge is to bee ascrybed to our workes or merites Hereof there are many examples among which this one is notable which of late we sawe in the Aethiop vnto whome Philip a Preacher of true saluation by the meere benefite of God was sent when he thought not of it much lesse seeking after it Yet bicause it is reported that he was endued with certaine singuler gifts least any man myght thinke that he attayned to saluation through the merite of them the hystorie of Saule conuerted vnto Christ is of purpose sette after his conuersion whome Iesus Christ doth not only prouoke and draw agaynst his will vnto saluation but as it is sayd in the Parable of certaine guestes Luke 14. compelleth him to come in And surely Luke so reporteth all this historie that euery man may see nothing is here attributed to the merit of man but that saluation commeth vnto Saule by the benefite of Gods onlye grace Yea Paule himselfe plainly teacheth that this ensample is to bee referred chiefely to this ende where he sayth that he was therefore called and cutte of euen in the middle of hys tyrannicall enterprises agaynst the Church that Iesus Christ might shewe on him first all clemencie and mercye for an ensample vnto them that shoulde beleeue in him And in another place he confesseth he is vnworthy the name of an Apostle if we respect his merite or desert but that hee is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is Howbeit whereas there be in this hystorie many things most worthy to be knowne and considered it shall be profitable for vs to examine all the poyntes and circumstances thereof And at this present Luke first propoundeth the description of Saule and then he beginneth the hystorie of hys conuersion Luke is very diligent in describing of Saule bicause by his description both Gods power goodnesse is the more euidently knowne First he declareth his disposition and nature where he sayth he breatheth out threatnings and slaughter His mynde therefore was inflamed and incensed agaynst the Church a signe and note whereof he had giuen before at the stoning of Steuen and when he did make hauocke of the Church at Ierusalem as hath bene declared heretofore Yet nowe seeing he preuayleth nothing but that the Church spreadeth euery day further and further he conceyueth such a furie and rage in his mynde that he can doe nothing nowe but breath out and dreame of cruell threates bloudy slaughters and destructions For as we sayde before such is the nature of tyrauntes and the enimies of the Church that after they haue once tasted the bloude of the godly the more they rage and lyke beastes haue cast from them all sense of humanitie and are not able to put awaye that rage of mynde that they haue conceyued vnlesse they be tamed by the mightie hande of god Examples of this crueltie is euerywhere so be seene in hystories The consideration of them serueth vs for this purpose to make vs vnderstande what to hope for of the tyraunts of these dayes whome we see nowe so vsed vnto bloude that they thirst after it more cruelly than any Tygres Whom surely vnlesse the Lord tame no mannes force or reason can mollifie or appease But bicause rage of mynde must be fenced with armour Saule prouydeth him of that also For it is sayde he went vnto the high Priest of whome he receyued letters to the Sinagoges of Damascus whereby full power was giuen him to bynde as many as he coulde fynde to be Christians Wherby we gather that matters of religion the same tyme were committed by the Romaine Presidentes to the high Priestes For they being blinded in Gentyle superstition as it is credible that they were soone wearied with the dayly controuersies about religion so they sought all meanes whereby to ridde themselues of such incombrances and to lay the enuie and hatred of the people vppon others neckes Thys occasion fell out as the Byshops woulde wyshe it whose aduaunâage and honor came in perill by preaching of the Gospell Saule therefore garded by their authoritie and taking to him complices and ministers of his mischiefe goeth to Damascus for that he vnderstoode the kingdome of Christ beganne to spring and flourishe marueylously in that place This thing teacheth vs that Byshops will alwayes bee the grieuousest enimies of true religion and Christian doctrine who by their studie and diligence ought most to set it forwarde For assoone as they begynne to conuert religion into lucre they can then abide the lyght of the truth no longer which reprooueth their naughtynesse That these Byshoppes were such is more euident by the hystorie of the Gospell than needeth any long demonstration What we may therefore hope for of the Prelates of our dayes he shall easily perceyue that well marketh their couetousnesse and ambicion In the meane season we haue to consider the prophane cowardlynesse and slouth of Princes and Magistrates who bicause they passe little of religion will get them no enuie or hatred for religion sake And yet least they shoulde seeme Godlesse and voyde of religion they commit such matters to Popes Byshops and Cardinals getting themselues by this pretence a great estimation of godlynesse and seeking an excuse agaynst them that might saye they were persecutors of the truth For they say such controuersies belong not vnto them and perswade themselues that they cannot doe more godlye than to commit all such matters vnto the heades of the Church In which iudgement they are marueylously confirmed
by the counterfayte Bishops For by this meanes they chalenge to themselues all power to iudge of religion whose ambition and couetousnesse woulde fall to the grounde if the doctrine of truth were not extinguished But God which will not let this trayne and craft go vnreuenged shall full sore punish them and the Byshops of the Iewes togither And this pretence shall not excuse Princes forasmuch as the charge of the Church and hearing of matters in religion pertayneth vnto them For to this ende and purpose was the booke of the lawe deliuered to the king And the Prophete teacheth vs that Kinges ought to be Nurses of the Church And wee want not most notable examples of Kinges which bicause of their setting forth of the truth and maintayning of the Church haue purchased to themselues singuler commendation But let vs also consider what Saules ende and purpose was It was this that whosoeuer he shoulde finde men or women ãâã Christes profession he should bring them bounde to Ierusalem ⪠There was therefore no difference of sexe with him And surely he that was becomme so cruell spared no age neyther For he was nowe purposed to make all the Christians awaye and so vtterly to extinguishe the name of christ The cause of this cruell attempt he declareth otherwheres to be the zeale of his olde religion which he thought by all meanes was to be retayned and defended For it is manifest he was a Pharisey and himselfe confesseth many times that he persecuted the name of Christ and his Church euen for the looue that he bare to the lawe Let vs here first obserue howe much God suffreth the wicked to doe For Luke sheweth that these thinges were attempted agaynst the Disciples and Christian women But so the Lorde had foreshewed that it shoulde be iudged a Gods seruice to kill any that beleeued in him And the Apostles waâne vs ãâã many times to thintent that we be not offended at the stormes of persecution and at the Crosse. For why shoulde we in these dayes wishe ourselues a better state or condicion than was in the time of Christ hys Apostles and the primitiue Church Moreouer Saules example teacheth vs howe littâe a preposterous zeale in religion which men sometymes conceyue of humaine traditions wythout the prescript of Gods worde auayleth to attaynement of saluation For the more feruent Saule is herein the farther he recedeth from Christ which is the only way of saluation The more he striueth for the righteousnesse of the law the farther he is from the righteousnesse of Christ which alone defendeth vs from the iudgement of god And that that commeth to passe in Saule the same he testifieth came to passe in the Iewes For he sayth they burne in zeale towards God but not according to knowledge Where they fell into this inconuenience that whyle they woulde establishe their owne righteousnesse they lost the righteousnesse that is in god The same maye be affirmed of the Monkes but that the most part of them are more giuen to their belly and to ydlenesse than to religion Yet maye this most truly be sayde of Tyrants that the more constantly they labour to keepe the religion of their forefathers the more feruently they persecute the Gospell Here is that hurtfull error of theirs confuted which thinke those thinges that are done agaynst God and his true religion may be excused by zeale of godlynesse As though God had giuen vs the rules of his worde in vayne and that they ought not chiefly to be obserued as we haue elsewhere declared Furthermore here is to be considered both the goodnesse and power of god who coulde not only make so cruell a Woolfe sodeinly tame but also a most faythfull Shepehearde of his flocke Let no man therefore rashly dispayre of any mannes saluation or of the Church seeing God can both sodaynly chaunge the myndes of men and make them defenders of his Church who euen nowe it seemed woulde haue destroyed the same Let vs come to the hystorie of Saules conuersion which Luke setteth forth in liuely colors And beginning with the time and place And when he iourneyed sayth he it came to passe as hee was nygh to Damascus Therefore when Saule was in most hope of good successe and bringing his matters to passe then âoth Christ withstande his attemptes Nowe he beholdeth Damascus before his face perhaps as a woolfe hauing espied his pray casteth in his mynde terrible cogitations howe he myght soonest rauishe Christes sheepe Marke hââe the counsayle and vsage of God which manye times suffreth his enimies to raunge so farre that they seeme scarce a naile bredth from the marke of their purpose Which thing is the cause that the Christians whose destruction the tyrants conspyre sometime conceyue great and horrible terrors of mynde And such terrours it is lyke they of Damascus were in when they heard that Saule came and was almost in their necks But thus vseth God to doe both for that he will the more gloriously shewe his power agaynst the wicked and teach the godly not to bee afrayde nor feare when they see themselues beset rounde about with their enimies So he suffered Pharao to go so farre that the Israelites beganne to deuyse not howe to escape but howe to be buried But when with open mouth like a Woolfe he would haue swallowed vp Israel God sodeinly destroyed him Many thinges of lyke sort myght be rehearsed if time woulde serue But thys ought to be the vse of them all that we prescribe God no time who wil let no oportunitie by any meanes escape whereby to bring his doinges to effect But let vs obserue that saying of the Prophete Tarie thou the Lords leysure be strong and he shall comfort thiâe heart Furthermore the euangelist declareth the maner of his conuersion saying Sodenly there shone a light rounde about him from heauen and he fell to the ground and heard a voyce saying vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me This is a terrible sight to mannes senses yet such as sufficiently teacheth vs that these thinges were easily done of the Lorde For he sendeth a light from heauen as it had beene a lightning which was as easie a thing for him to doe as to sende out and call backe the sonne againe Hee woulde haue this light sodainly to appeare to the ende the cruell Woolfe might be the more feared which in his greedie famine had after a sort alreadie deuoured the church of christ Unto these flashings of light was added a voyce in steede of a thunder and sodeinly smiteth him to the grounde when he least feared any such thing These thinges teach vs how easie a matter it is for God to beate downe the enterpryses of his enimyes For where he is the Lorde of hostes he can arme all things agaynst them and there is none so dispysed a creature but is able to punishe those whom God will haue punished So he once sent water
delectable and pleasaunt Spring the cheerefull and mery Sommer and fruitefull Haruest So after continuall showres and horrible stormes of hayle commeth comfortable Phoebus and chaseth away the Clowdes And Mariners when the terrors of tempests be ouerpast haue afterward cleere weather and prosperous windes And that the state of the Church is ruled by lyke interchaungeablenesse the examples of all ages testifie But the only booke of Iudges may abundantly suffyce to approoue the same Let no man therefore be so abashed at the countenance of present calamitie to thinke he must vtterly perishe For eyther God will cheere them in this lyfe with better successe of thinges or else of his mercy he will take them out of all the stormes of this world into the inheritance of his heauenly kingdome In the meane season this place teacheth vs that the crosse is not alway such a marke of the Church that it can neuer be without it bicause we heare in this place that the primitiue Church had vniuersall peace and the same came to passe also oftentimes in the yeres following Therfore their iudgement is most vayne who rashly condemne euery Church which through the benefite of God enioyeth rest and will graunt vnto Christians no time of breathing nor rest from the crosse Agayne we are admonished that for the attayning of peace there needeth neyther dastardly dissimulation nor false abnegation of the fayth but rather constancie and boldnesse to keepe the word and doctrine of faith For Luke sayth that then peace ensued after Paule had stirred the enimies of the truth both at Damascus and at Ierusalem with earnest preaching and disputation agaynst them Therefore they that nowe a dayes woulde haue vs to dissemble the truth and say that by our vehement inueyghing against errors and superstitions we more exasperate and kindle the enimies mindes talke altogither in vayne as though God were not able to bridle and keepe vnder them which in their rage doe nothing but threaten fire and sworde Naye we are taught by examples that they which for such mens sake can finde in their hart to denye the fayth and truth doe seldome finde them faythfull in friendship Next Luke declareth the fruite of the peace ensuing forasmuch as he saith the congregations were edifyed This may be vnderstanded two maner of wayes For the Church is sayde to be edifyed eyther when new beleeuers be added therevnto or else when they which before beleeued through more plentifull gyftes of the holy ghost profite in the faith And the holy ghost doth not without a cause vse this Metaphore of building forasmuch as the Church is the house of god which is builded of liuely stones that is to say of such as beleeue in Christ 1. Timoth. 3. and. 1. Peter 2. and all the faythfull are called otherwheres the Temple of the holy ghost For the which cause the teachers are called builders and the building of the church is called the building of God. Furthermore beside that by this example it appeareth howe the enterprises of Christes enimies in pulling downe the church are in vayne we are also taught what oughte to be the ende and marke of all them which beare office in the Church Paule diligently inculcateth the same speaking of the publike exercises of the Churche in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and .xiiij. Chapter Herevnto let all Ministers apply themselues with all their power both with teaching and reproouing and let them alwayes remember this saying of Paul that they haue power giuen them to edifie and not to destroy Let them therefore suffer nothing in the Church that serueth to the destruction thereof Let Kinges and Magistrates haue the same ende before them whome the Lorde hath appoynted to be the Nurses of his Church as we haue already oftentimes declared The Elders to whom the discipline of the Church belongeth let them looke vpon the same Let parents and teachers of youth direct all their doinges to this ende This care shoulde euery day stirre vp priuate men also For whosoeuer bringeth any thing to the spirituall building vp of this Church and shall builde but one man as a liuely stone vppon Christ which is the foundation surely he deserueth more prayse than they which with great costes builde Churches of Marble Last of all is declared how the faithfull vsed this peace and tranquility They walked sayth he in the feare of the Lorde and were filled with the comfort of the holy ghost He attributeth to them feare of the Lord whereby he vnderstandeth all things belonging to true religion the knowledge of god sincere faith loue of God fulfilling of his word and faithfull obedience vnto him For how shal he feare god which knoweth him not how shall the knowledge of God lacke fayth and how shall fayth want the looue of God And where these things be there must needes be the loue of the word and obedience to the same He sayth also that they were fylled wyth the comfort of the holy ghost By this we may vnderstande both the preaching of the Gospell and the inwarde suggestion of the spirite which Christ promiseth to those that be his Surely both these marueylously comfort the mindes and afflicted consciences of men in that they teache vs that God is made at one with vs and reconcyled to vs through the merite of Christ and in the middle of the broyle of afflictions besprinkle vs with the promises of Gods helpe as with the most wholesome water of a liuely fountaine And in these thinges Luke sayeth the primitiue Church sought the recreation of their myndes their ioyes and delightes Whereby we gather what their exercises ought to be which are at rest and peace Therefore execrable is the wickednesse and ingratitude of such which abuse quietnesse and peace to the license of the fleshe and in the meane season will neither by helpe counsayle nor at least by comfort ease them whome they see many wayes afflicted for the testimonie of Iesus Christ. This sinne as it is heynous so it is to common in these dayes whereby it commeth to passe that as we abuse peace so we be easily offended and vtterly dismayde at euery light affliction These things being thus premised he passeth to Peters actes or doings out of which he picketh two myracles done orderly one after the other the one done at Lidda the other at Ioppe The occasion of these myracles is said to be Peters traueyling from Church to Church according to his Apostolyke office not for that he vsurped vpon them as a Lorde and ruler but as to succour where neede was such as were heauy laden and in distresse to confirme the weake to pull vp errors where any were growen and to bestow benefits vpon all men For that these were the duties of the Apostles it appeareth by many other places and the very name of an Apostle teacheth the same which forbiddeth them to haue anye certaine or fixed sea or dwelling place we reade
Parable of Talents which is written Math. 25. to this place In the other part he teacheth him what he shoulde doe The chiefe poynt of the commaundement is that he should sende for Simon Peter who shoulde teache and instruct him what to doe And this is an euident argument of the goodnesse of God that he putteth Peter rather than Cornelius to payne to take the iourney For thus he vseth to offer vnto vs grace and saluation when we seeke not for it not bicause he woulde fauour the sloth of our fleshe but for that by his diligence he woulde enflame vs to the like diligence in seeking for our saluation and his glory We haue an example hereof in our first parentes who bicause they woulde not first seeke God and call vpon him were sought for and called of him Furthermore thys place maketh for the setting forth of the outwarde worde and Ecclesiasticall ministerye For as before he sent Paule to Ananias so nowe he appoynteth Peter to be Cornelius teacher whome he myght haue instructed by ministery of the Aungell For it is euident that none commeth vnto Christ but such as the father draweth and fayth is the gift of God but yet the order of God abideth inuiolable that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. As many therefore as disdayne to heare the worde of God at the mouth of man declare thereby that they be vnworthye of the kingdome of God bicause they contemne his ordinaunce and desire the order of saluation by him instituted to be destroyed Let vs also vse the doctrine of the Apostles that we being therby instructed may doe those thinges which be acceptable vnto God and may obtayne saluation through Iesus Christ our only Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxj. Homelie AND when the Aungell which spake vnto him was departed he called two of his housholde seruantes and a deuout souldier of them that wayted on him and tolde them all the matter and sent them to Ioppa On the morowe as they went on their iourney and drewe nigh vnto the citie Peter went vp vpon the top of the house to praye about the sixt houre And when he waxed an hungred he woulde haue eaten But whyle they made ready he fell into a traunce and sawe heauen opened and a certayne vessell come downe vnto him as it had bene a great sheete knit at the fower corners and was let downe to the earth wherein were all maner of fowerfooted beasts of the earth and vermin and wormes and foules of the ayre And there came a voyce to him Ryse Peter kill and eate But Peter sayde not so Lorde For I haue neuer eaten thing that is common or vncleane And the voyce spake vnto him AS GOD in electing the people of the Iewes vsed his singuler fauour and goodnesse the which Moses and the Prophetes euerywhere sette forth so when he cast them of and tooke the Gentyles into their place he declared a singuler example of his wrath and iustice which thing it behooueth vs the more diligently to consider bicause Paule deduceth a generall doctrine therof shewing that no man shall escape vnpunished which contemneth the mercie and goodnesse of God considering that God hath vsed so great seueritie in lopping of the naturall braunches But bicause this seemed to the Iewes a thing vnmeete to be sayde or to be beleeued insomuch that the Apostles for a good space were not resolued in that poynt and the Gentyles also had no little doubt thereof in consideration of the lyfe which they had led aforetymes it was therefore requisite that there shoulde be some notable entry and beginning hereof Therefore is Cornelius the Centurion chosen euen from among the number and vocation of warriers that the mercy of God might appeare the more plaine and manifest He is aduertised by an Aungell sent from heauen to call Peter vnto him by the which argument onely it did euidently appeare that all thinges in this businesse came to passe by Gods working Yet shall the same appeare in the things following more fully and euidently and for the declaration hereof this present place maketh not a little which sheweth the faythfull obedience of Cornelius being thus admonished by the Aungell and also teacheth vs how Peter was aduertised by a vision from heauen that he should not refuse to go preach the Gospell to Cornelius Luke is verye diligent in describing of Cornelius obedience bicause it giueth vs an euident testimonie of his fayth which shall appeare the more playne and manifest if we expende howe many impediments there were to haue kept him from beleeuing and obeying the Aungels words It was a daungerous matter for him to chaunge religion whose dutie it was chiefly to see that no tumults or businesse shoulde be made in Syria through the chaunge or alteration of any thing And there was no helpe or ayde for him in man wherby he myght hope to defende himselfe agaynst the power of the Emperor of Rome Moreouer it was to be suspected that in a Tanners house there shoulde be any which coulde teach a man the waye to lyfe and saluation For who would looke for such a teacher out of such a schoole Who woulde not also suspect him that as it were laye lurking in such an obscure corner But fayth onely ouercommeth all these things which to obey Cornelius had long before submitted himselfe And this example may worthily be ioyned to those which Paule repeateth Heb. 11. We are taught that we must not for any daungers be feared or drawen from the doctrine of truth nor suspect the fayth any maner of way for any slender or base appearance outwardly but let vs followe Cornelius and without all delaye fulfill the commaundements of god For he by and by called vnto him two of his seruants and a deuout souldier and sendeth them to Ioppa to bryng Peter vnto him Where appeareth a singuler commoditie whych Cornelius had by the godly ordering of his familie For nowe hath he faythfull seruaunts to whome he may safely commit a businesse of such credit and importance An example whereof Moses sheweth vs in Abraham and his seruant But their case is farre otherwise which so neglect their familie as though their instruction appertayned nothing vnto them For where they will not bring them vp in their dutie to God they be for the most part vntrustie and vnfaythfull to them as who through their negligence was void of religion This Nero the tyrant founde true who as the Hystoriographers wryte complayned that he had neuer a faythfull friende no not at the last houre of his death For why shoulde he finde them trustye whome he wickedly had armed and set agaynst God and his Christ Hereof ought all men in authoritie to learne a generall doctrine to vse them that belong vnto them to the true religion and worshipping of god For it cannot bee that they will be faythfull to their
of the Prophete He sent out his worde and healed them They be also to vs in steade of fathers bicause through their ministerye we bee borne againe and made the sonnes and heyres of God as we reade Paule hath oftentimes inculcated And the Philosophers haue taught euen by the lawe of nature that children are neuer able to make their parentes amendes Who then is able to recompence him through whose labour and traueyle he is made the sonne of God and heire of the kingdome of heauen For the which cause the Prophetes vse to account faythfull teachers among the chiefe benefites of God as may be seene Psal. 147. Esay 30. Amos 2. Mich. 6. c. And Paule among the giftes of the holye ghost wherewith from aboue he adorneth his Church maketh mention chiefely of Pastors Teachers Prophetes Apostles and Euangelists But now a dayes men are growne to such vnthankfulnesse that they dare say Ministers are sent of the deuill and are the publike authors of all euill But they shal one daye haue teachers meete for them since they so vnthankfullye reiect the preaching of saluation Thirdly Cornelius promiseth Peter obedience and attention where he sayth Nowe therefore we are all here present before God to heare all thinges that are commaunded thee of God. These wordes are worthye of singuler consideration For they teach vs what maner of persons the hearers of the worde should be First he sayth they are present before god Therefore it behoueth all men that heare the worde of God in the Church to remember aboue all thinges that they stande in the presence of god For this is the saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And he promiseth that he will bee in the middle of them that are gathered togither in his name Moreouer he sayeth he is present with those that belong vnto him This is one other thing which the hearers shoulde remember namely that they haue neede of teaching and instruction and therefore it is vnmeete that they shoulde suffer their wittes at the Sermon time to be a wooll gathering For they that so doe receyue the word as Christ sayth into the way where it is destroyed of the birdes and can bring forth no fruite Finally Cornelius is ready to heare all the things that Peter hath to say from god Let vs thinke that the very same is required of vs also and let vs not be so bolde as to heare and embrace some things and to let passe other some which like not our appetites and fantasie If a man woulde compare these thinges wyth the vsage of our dayes alas what an horrible corruption shall he finde Many come togither but not as in the sight of God but much like vnto those of whome we reade in Ezechiel 33. chap. Further a man shall euerywhere heare such busie bodies who when they haue hearde the worde brag that they haue no neede of teaching and instruction But what a number is there of those which dare to controlle the worde of God and will haue such things preached whereof they hope to haue gayne and will commaunde the Ministers to silence if they speake any thing that dislyketh their affections or which the worlde cannot brooke Howbeit it were better the worde were not preached to them and they shall one daye feele that their wicked contempt shall beare witnesse agaynst them These things also admonish Peter of his dutie that he shoulde onely and freely preach the things which God had committed to him without any inuentions of his owne braine In the which the dutie of Ministers specially consisteth as hath already oftentimes bene declared Let vs set Cornelius before vs to imitate and followe that being enflamed with lyke desire of the worde we may worthilye receyue the doctrine of saluation and being therby regenerated may liue a godly life in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxiiij. Homelie THEN Peter opened his mouth and sayde Of a truth I perceyue that there is no respect of persons with God but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him you know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israell preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things ALthough Cornelius hath sufficientlye heretofore declared his great desire to knowe the truth by godly prayer and holy fast yet he more euidently sheweth the same when he heard that Peter the Apostle was come vnto him and was ready to teach him For he confesseth that the Apostle is welcome vnto him and promiseth him that he will faithfully and obediently heare all that he had to say vnto him on Gods behalfe Which place teacheth vs what all they haue to doe which meane to heare the worde of God profitably Furthermore as Cornelius sheweth vs an example of a godly and diligent hearer so in him also it appeareth that a godly and feruent desire vnto the word cannot be without profite and good successe but according to the promise of Christ whosoeuer shall vnfeynedly seeke shall finde out the will of god For he that a little before stirred vp Peter by the oracle of an heauenly vision to go vnto Cornelius euen the same now also by the secret inspiration of his spirite stirreth vppe his minde to prepare himselfe with great grauitie and diligence to teach For so is ment by the opening of his mouth as already hath bene declared The argument of his Sermon is that men are purged and saued through Iesus Christ alone He vseth a very commodious order For it hath a beginning verye apt and meete to get good will and beneuolence bicause that he sheweth howe the doctrine of saluation belongeth also vnto the Gentyles Then in fewe wordes he comprehendeth the summe of the whole Gospell which shortly after he prosecuteth more at large by hystoricall narration confirming the same wyth testimonies both of the Prophetes and Apostles At length he declareth the marke and ende of all these things teaching vs that we become partakers as well of Christ as of the saluation giuen vs in him by fayth onely But at this time we meane to intreate but of the two first partes onely minding to speake of the other when time and oportunitie shall serue He frameth his beginning with an exclamation saying Of a truth I perceyue that with God there is no respect of persons c. The sense is that the Gospell and doctrine of saluation belongeth aswell to the Gentyles as to the Iewes Heretofore there was a great space and an high wall betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles For Paule writeth that the Gentyles were straungers from the common weale of Israel aliauntes from the testaments and couenantes without hope without Christ and without God. And he addeth that that maketh for the explication of this place but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu you which were sometime farre of are made nye by the
that were committed to his charge and by all meanes to be alwayes instant vppon them Therefore their error is most absurde which thinke all doctrine vnprofytable and superfluous for those which haue already once attayned to the knowledge of truth Thirdly Barnabas goeth to Tharsus from thence he bringeth Paule to Antioch to thintent the congregation through his ministery might the more be strengthened This is an other argument of a true faithfull minde and feruent in loue towarde christ For Barnabas coulde not be ignorant howe great giftes of the spirite were in Paules brest and how much authoritie he should lose if Paule came to Antioch who was the singularest instrument that Christ had But we haue before shewed that they which are feruent in faith seeke not to be glorifyed of men but desire to promote the glory of god Yea it is certayne that all they lacke fayth which are led with the desire of their owne glory prayse which argument Christ vseth against the Scribes of the Iewes In the meane season Barnabas example teacheth vs that in well ordred congregations the chiefe care is to haue fit Ministers of the word and that they shoulde be sought for and brought from all places Christ teacheth the same where he biddeth vs to praye vnto the Lorde of the haruest that he will sende forth labourers Herof we see it came to passe that the chiefe of the Prophetes and most noble Kings had so diligent a care and consideration of schooles bicause without them they perceyued the Church coulde not stande nor the pure doctrine of fayth be maintayned Wherefore their ingratitude is very grosse which do not onely contemne the Ministers as persons vnprofitable whome the Lorde of his mercy offreth but also hate them as the greatest malefactors that can be and woorse than Toades Last of all is adioyned howe Barnabas and Paule continued a whole yeare togither at Antioch For this cause vndoubtedly for that they sawe the congregation had neede of their help For Luke writeth not that they sate ydelie there like sluggards but declareth that they instructed there a great company of men in the true faith and religion of christ Let ministers of the Church followe this example and while they perswade other men to perseuerance let them constantly perseuer in their duty and not boaste themselues of the bare name of Pastors but lette them doe that that belongeth to true Pastors least they become followers and successors of that foolishe shepeherde which is described in Zachary .xj. Chapter Nowe remayneth the profite and successe of this godly and feruent diligence which Luke sayth was notable For first he sayth a great company was added vnto the Lorde Whereby it is euident that the traueyles of the godly Ministers was not without effect For as the worde of God like vnto a fruitefull seede hath power or vertue in it selfe to bring forth fruite so it alwayes falleth vpon some which being well disposed to receyue it bring forth worthy fruites And although some bring stony hearts some thorny giuen to all kinde of pleasures yet hath God his people euerywhere which receyue his seede into good hearts and there keepe it till it bring forth much fruite And the Prophete beareth witnesse that the worde of God returneth not without fruite or in vaine but is like vnto a showre of raine which watereth the grounde and maketh it fruitfull Moreouer God blesseth the studies of his Ministers so that they shall not labour in vayne This ought to encourage those that labour in the Church of Christ to thinke their traueyles can not be lost For if they deliuer but a fewe soules from destruction let them thinke they haue gotten great treasure bicause Christ witnesseth that the saluation of one soule cannot be redeemed with all the substance of the world In the meane while marke howe he sayth this compaâye was added vnto the Lorde Then Paule and Barnabas gathered not scholers to themselues but vnto the Lorde For they knewe well that they must glory in Christ alone as their teacher and maister And they knewe Christ commaunded them to bring schollers vnto him Therefore great is their insolencie which be authors of sectes among Christians and make them the seruauntes of men whome Christ hath purchased to himselfe with the price of his bloude See what Paule sayth against this doing in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1.3.7 c There ensueth yet another commoditie which hath gotten perpetuall and immortall glory to the Citie of Antioche For where in that Citie the first Church of the Gentyles was gathered togither it came to passe that they which hytherto were called but Disciples are now first adourned with the name of Christians And this is that newe name which God long before promised hee woulde giue vnto his elect And what greater glorye coulde comme vnto the Antiochianes Let the Bishoppes of prowde and haultie Rome be compared with these men and they shall whether they will or nill be inforced to giue place And yet we neuer reade that that prowde tytle was giuen to Antioch to be called the heade of the Church But to let passe these matters let vs rather expende the force of this name bicause it is not giuen vs without the prouidence of god It is euident that we be so called of the sonne of God which according to the figure of the olde ⪠Testament wherewith Kings and Priests were annointed is of the Greekes for excellencie sake called Christ of the Hebrues Meschias and of vs annoynted bicause God hath appointed him the vniuersall and euerlasting King and Priest of his people as may be seene Psalm 2. and .110 And where he giueth himselfe and all that is his wholye to his people therefore he woulde haue them to be called Christians after his owne name And he hath not giuen vs a naked and an emptie name but as the Apostle sayth he hath annointed vs and made vs Kings and Priestes to God his father Therfore the vse of this name is manifolde For first it admonisheth vs of the dignitie which we haue in Christ wherevnto there is none like as they shall confesse which throughly weigh the matter For it is plaine that there was neuer King which was able to make all the subiectes of his Realme Kings no not his Courtyers or those that were of his counsayle But such is the vertue power of Iesus Christ that he is able to make them Kings for euer that acknowledge him to be their king Then this name serueth to confirme the beliefe and certaintie of our saluation For in Iesus Christ is God the father well pleased Therefore he can not be angrye with vs nor forsake vs whome he hath vouchsafed to call after the name of his belooued sonne Hence therefore may we fett arguments of consolation in aduersity especially in the temptations of our conscience Finally this title admonisheth vs of
power of this worlde is but vayne if it be compared with christ For this Agrippa that in short space had clymed by prosperous successe to such heyght of power and dignitie which had escaped the cruell handes of Tyberius and marueylously defeated the craftes of Herodes Antipas assoone as he beganne to encounter with Christ dyed most miserably as we shall heare in the ende of the Chapter The like was seene in Iulian who where he had bene a most prosperous warryer sodeinly lost both his Empyre and his lyfe when he begun once to set on Christ whom he vsed in scorne to call Galileyan We haue like examples in our dayes which we ought diligently to consider that we be not offended at the power and force of Christes enimies For he is stronger and of more power that is on our side And they shall in all ages feele the yron scepter of Christ that will not be ruled by his wholesome rede and discipline Thirdly it behooueth vs to search out the causes of this deuised persecution whereof Luke toucheth the one after a darke sort but the other he declareth plainely First he sayth that Herode stretched out his handes to vexe certaine of the congregation And bicause he maketh mention of the Church which in poyntes of religion had deuided themselues from the residue of the Iewes it seemeth that Agrippa was incensed against them as authors of schisme For tyrants can away with no likelyhoode of schisme be it neuer so little among their subiects not for that they delight so much in peace but for that they feare their state which they know standeth in great hazard through schisme and discention Which is the cause that though they be voyde of all religion yet they seeke to haue in their Realmes an vniforme consent in religion For the craftie men well knowe that there is nothing of more efficacie to deuyde the mindes of men than diuersitie and vnlikenesse of religion There be examples of both these in the Scriptures Ieroboam to the intent that the tenne Trybes ouer whome he had gotten to be King shoulde not be reconciled agayne to the house of Dauid deuised newe maners of religion And Antiochus bicause he woulde stablishe his Empyre commaunded one forme of religion to be vsed ouer all his Prouinces In the meane season we haue to note diligently howe the onely worshippers of truth most commonly are counted for schismatykes where as yet there are none other people more ledde with the desire of true vnitie and whereas there springeth no ranker encrease of sects than of superstition Among the Iewes were the sects of Phariseys Sadduceys Essenes and others of like heare And yet Agrippa layd hands on none of these Only the Church of Christ as the mother of deuision suffreth persecution We haue seene the like euen in our dayes For who is ignorant of the innumerable most diuers sectes of Monkes wherby Christendome now many ages hath bene deuided But which of the Popes or Emperors or kings hath called them schismatikes although they both professed a diuers name and also diffred from other men in apparell rytes and other ceremonies Yea such were defended by the Popes authoritie and made of Kinges priuie counsayles But assoone as the right fayth set forth by the sincere doctrine of the Gospel put vp hir head by and by were hearde euerywhere the horrible names of Heretikes sectaries and schismatikes For where truth only most strongly ouerthroweth the kingdome of Satan he cannot abyde that they which haue heretofore liued in darknesse and yeelded them to his gouernement should imbrace hir In the meane while they crie out and say peace and tranquilitie is disturbed and can suffer any thing in their Realmes rather than the peace of Christ. The other cause which more prouoked Herode raging of his owne selfe Luke plainely expresseth where he sayeth Seeing that it pleased the Iewes he tooke Peter also ⪠This new king therfore thought to picke a thank of the Iewes who he knew of nature could not awaye with seruitude and yet bare great hatred vnto Christes religion In this example are the condicions of tyrants trimly declared whose propertie it is to establishe their tyrannie with the bloude of harmelesse menne For the bloude of the poore is not deare in their sight as the Prophete testifyeth of the good King. But they playe for mennes heads as it were at the dyce if they thinke any gayne lyke to come by their deathes So we reade that Augustus sometime purchased Antonius fauour with Cicero his heade And Pylate bicause he woulde gratifye Herodes Antipas sent Christ vnto him and to get the good will of the people of Iewes adiudged him to dye on the crosse whose innocencie he had tryed by many argumentes by this meanes purposing to winne their good willes agayne whome he had many wayes grieuouslye offended And there want not lyke examples in these days For they which persecute the doctrine of Christ and his Disciples to haue the friendship of the Popes Byshops doe rightly imitate Agrippa And that that we reade L. Flamineus did sometyme beheadding a certayne man for his Concubines sake and pleasure the same nowe a dayes among Princes is a common thing for the whoore of Babylons sake not onely to behead and burne but also to make horible warres agaynst the professours of Christian doctrine Here let it comfort vs that wee haue God the reuenger of our cause who as he destroyed the Iewes burning in deadly hatred against Christ so hath he after horrible sortes reuenged their vnrighteousnesse which went about to redeeme the good will of a wicked Nacion with the bloude of his saints They shall fynde the lyke iudgement that at this day dare persecute Christ for this most wicked worldes sake We shall haue more commoditie to speake of these thinges in the ende of the Chapter where Luke reporteth the horrible ende of Herode Fourthly is declared what this great king attempted and did against the Church of christ And there are two wicked deedes of his declared wherby he hath purchased himselfe a perpetuall ignominie and blot of name First is his beheading of Iames the brother of Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist He was one of the chiefe among the Apostles For him and Iohn his brother and Peter did Christ vse more familiarly than the other when hee tooke him as a witnesse of the myracle of Iairus daughter raysed agayne and woulde haue him a beholder of his glorification He was for his feruent zeale of godlynesse and vehemencie of speach called the sonne of thunder Yet God by his secret iudgement suffreth one of the chiefe of the number of the Apostles to be killed and such a worshipper of Christ to become a praye to a moste cruell tyraunt By which example is euidently declared that tribulations and shamefull deaths are not arguments of Gods wrath as the wicked vse to say which thinke it an
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commauÌdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
to be so great in the Church as to preach what him listeth seeing that we heare how Paule and Barnabas preached nothing of their owne brayne but the worde of God only For where the Church is the house of God in it must the word and voice of God onely sounde And it is a poynt of sacrilegall boldenesse to teach any thing in the Church vnder pretence of Gods name which is not agreeable with the worde of god For the which cause we reade that aswell all the Prophetes as the Apostles were bounde vnto this commaundement to propone nothing vnto the Church but that they receiued from the mouth of god See ⪠Ezech. 3. Ierem. 1. Math ⪠28. Thirdly is declared where they taught to say in the Sinagoges of the Iewes For although they were sent vnto the Gentyles yet order was to be obserued that saluation should fyrst be preached vnto the Iewes For so it behooued that after they through their owne default had fallen from saluation the kingdome of God shoulde be caried vnto the Gentyles that their fall might serue vnto the saluation of other Nations Yea if we well expende the matter it shall appeare it was not without the deuise of Gods prouidence that at that time the Iewes shoulde dwell scattered almost among all Nations For hereby was offered the Apostles a very good occasion to preach the Gospell For out of the law and Oracles of the Prophets it was declared that Iesus Christ was that Sauiour of the worlde that was promised Which thing when the Gentyles hearde and perceyued that the hystorie of Iesus Christ agreed in all poyntes with the writings of the Prophetes they beganne to haue a good opinion of the holy scriptures which was the first steppe vnto saluation and thus it came to passe that they by true fayth embraced that âauiour that was preached among them Therfore the Apostles did very well and wisely to beginne their preaching in the Iewes Sinagoges Lette vs acknowledge the goodnesse of God through whose benefyte true saluation by preaching of the Gospell is offered to vs also in these dayes though we be vnworthy in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxvij. Homelie WHEN they had gone through the Isle vnto Paphos they founde a certaine sorcerer a false Prophete a Iewe whose name was Barâesu which was with the ruler of the countrie one Sergius Paulus a prudent man The same Ruler called vnto him Barnabas and Saule and desired to heare the worde of god But Elymas the sorcerer for so is his name by interpretation withstoode them and sought to turne away the Ruler from the fayth Then Saule which also is called Paule being full of the holy ghost sette his eyes on him and sayde ô full of all subtiltie and deceytfulnesse thou chylde of the Deuill thou enimie of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde And nowe beholde the hande of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see the sunne for a season And immediatly there fell on him a myst and a darknesse and he went about seeking them that should leade him by the hande Then the Ruler when he saw what came to passe beleeued and wondred at the doctrine of the Lord. THat sentence of Dauid the King and Prophete is very notable where he prophecieth that Iesus Christ shall rule in the middest of his enimies For hereby a kingdome is promised vnto Christ but we are therewith also admonished of the subtiltie and tyrannie of the Deuill which assaulteth the same kingdome with continuall warre This booke declareth vnto vs many notable examples hereof For hitherto it hath set out to vs those which haue openly encountred with Christ such as were fyrst the chiefe heads of Ierusalem and then Herode called Agrippa Yet Christ our king ouercame their enterprises and they well founde that they stroue against him in vaine And Herode bicause he attempted a bolder enterprise than the rest bought his wickednesse with ⪠horrible punishment Yet Satan pulleth not back his foote but bringeth into the game place a new Champion for his kingdome which is Elymas the sorcerer if by any meanes he coulde by magicall sleightes and conueyaunce ouercame these souldiours of Christ whome he sawe perill of imprisonment and present death coulde not subdue For where Paule and Barnabas had spredde the light of the Gospell almost throughout Cyprus and nowe drewe nigh vnto Paphus a great renoumed Citie he setteth this sorcerer against them by his meane to stoppe the prosperous course of the Gospell among the Cypriotes Yet the Apostles ouercome hauing Christ to their Captaine whose glory the more Satan went about to obscure and darken shined the brighter The describing of this contention is diligently to be considered where Christ setteth his Apostles to wrastle with a famous sorcerer and deceyuer For besides that it teacheth vs alwayes to looke to be contended with it egregiouslye paânâeâh out the ãâã and condicions of false Prophetes and teacheth vs howe we shall ãâã against them But that ãâã maye receyue the more commoditie hereby ⪠we will fyrst consider the occasion of this contention then their encouâââiâ and ioyning togither and last of all the conclusion The occasion of this âââânesse seemeth to haue bene the prosperous successe of the gospell in the Isle of Ciprus For where beginning at Salamine which standeth on the sea coast Eastwarde the Apostles had gone through the whole Islande as farre as to Paphos westwarde so that the fame of this newe doctrine by them thus published came to the hearing of Sergius Paulus the Proconsull he sent for the Apostles and was desirous to heare them preach the worde of god Whereby it appeareth though he were a Romaine that he was desirous of the truth and that he begonne already to suspect the Gentyle religion which perhappes was the cause that he gaue eare to this sorcerer the Iewe hoping that he was able to teache him the truth And pricked forwarde with like desire he sent for Paule and Barnabas also to heare what they taught But this coulde not Elymas the sorcerer abyde who hitherto had bene very familiar with the Proconsull He therefore diligently watched all meanes to withstande the Apostles as shortly after we shall heare Nowe before we go any further two thinges are to be marked First that God hath some that be his in all degrees of people as we sayde in the sermon before going Here is to be added howe he vseth to call and saue those that be his when they seeme to stande vppon the pit of destruction For Sergius Paulus of whome mention is here made being brought vp from his childhoode in the religion of the gentiles had bene alwayes vsed to ydolatrie Afterwarde although he acknowledged his errour he was encombred with a newe and more hurtfull errour whyle he hitteth vpon this Iewe a Sorcerer
and false Prophet Who can saye that God had any care of this man whome he suffreth to be seduced with so many and diuers errours But that faythfull shepehearde Christ seeketh his lost sheepe in the mountaynes and valleyes yea and in the sea also and will not suffer them to be taken out of his hande This place therefore teacheth vs that we must not despaire to hastilye of any man except he manifestly proue himselfe to be of the number of the reprobate Moreouer Luke declareth in this Sergius the example of a good and a godly magistrate For both he is very desirous to learne the truth and also he ouerhastilye condemneth not the Ministers of a doctrine not heard before but calling them before him giueth them libertie freely to declare their doctrine The Princes of our dayes shoulde doe well to imitate this man whereof manye of them condemne the doctrine of truth before they knowe it and vse cruelly to punishe them whose fayth and religion they are vtterly ignoraunt of But let them remember they shall not be excused through ignorance considering it is their parts to do nothing of ignorance but diligently to search out and examine all causes These things being thus premised let vs nowe marke howe the contention beginneth where it plainly appeareth that the Apostles were the beginners hereof For where Sergius the Proconsull had sent for them to learne of them the worde of God it is like that they made no tariance but with all speede hasted to set forth the kingdome of god And here streyghtway commeth forth this Magitian and withstandeth them as they preach the worde For he quickly sawe that there was like to be no longer abiding for him with the Proconsull if he were once lightned with the knowledge of truth And although Luke declareth not after what sort he resisted the Apostles yet bicause he was a false Prophete and sorcerer it maye be easily gathered that he left no wayes vnassayde which might seeme to oppresse the truth And this Contender is diligentlye to be considered that by him we may learne to knowe all false Prophetes And fyrst marke his prowde name whereby he challengeth to himselfe a certaine Godheade For being called after his right name Elymas he woulde in the Syrian tongue be called Bariesu that is to saye the sonne of the Sauiour whereby we coniecture that he presumed to promise saluation to them that woulde follow his teaching He is therefore of the number of those that Christ prophecied shoulde come and challenge to them the maiestie of his name But it is the propertie of false Prophetes that if themselues vsurpe not the name of God yet they will haue their doctrine called after his name that vnder this pretence they might the easlyer beguile the simple Thus Zedechias speaking before Achab of the victorie that he shoulde get against the Syrians vseth that common beginning of the Prophetes Thus sayth the Lorde The same may we see in diuers others Yea there was yet neuer false Prophete but he went about to get him authoritie by colour of Gods name Moreouer this he doth according to the vsage of all false Prophetes he getteth him the friendship and familiaritie of the Proconsull and cleaueth fast vnto him as a most neare companion For deceyuers vse to get them the friendship of great estates both for that when they haue gotte them on their sides other by their example are the easlyer allured and also to purchase themselfe safetie by their authoritie For where they knowe they are destitute of the ayde of truth they must needes seeke for the arme and power of man whereby to defende themselfe So Baalam in time past notwithstanding he was admonished to the contrary by Oracle went about to get the friendship of Balac king of the Moaâites And it is manifest that the Romaine Antichristes haue clymed to such power as they haue being ayded with the amitie and armor of Princes yea the deceyuers and hooded Iuglers are so neare and at hande about Princes that they can scarce let a fart but they must know it And this is the cause that such teachers frame their doctrine according to the delicate eares of their hearers least they shoulde offende them vpon whome they wholy depende This was Elymas onely scope and ende to turne the Proconsull from the fayth that he shoulde not beleeue that that Paule sayde And as all the Ministers of true doctrine consent herein to winne menne vnto God by fayth in Christ so all deceyuers agree herein to ouerthrowe the faith in Christ which being ouerthrowne the kingdome of God can take no place among menne For Satan knoweth that his force is most weakened by true fayth wherof there are examples euerywhere in the Euangelistes But let vs see howe Paule confuted this wicked enchaunter First Luke sayth he was full of the holy ghost wherby he meaneth that he was moued by the spirite somewhat aboue his ordinarie wont which thing he therfore declareth aforehande that we might thinke he did nothing of fleshly affection when we shall heare his heauy and intollerable weyght of wordes In the meane season we are admonished to fyght against the enimies of truth not with the blinde affection of fleshe but by the conduct and counsayle of the holy ghost whome vndoubtedly they shall fynde to bee their enimye be they neuer so well garded with worldly power Then he goeth on in his businesse fyxing his eies fast vpon Elymas which is an argument of a well meaning and vnfearefull minde And verily it becommeth vs boldly and constantly to resist Antichristians that they maye thinke men feare them not For why shoulde we feare them seeing he is greater that is on our side Why also shoulde they be the more encouraged through our cowardlynesse who already are turmoyled with the terrours of their naughtie conscience Thirdly he painteth him out egregiously in his colours and ioyneth a speciall weight and poyse vnto euery worde First ô full of all deceytfulnesse sayth he He accuseth him therefore of subtiltie and craft as one that sought praise and authoritie by sorcery and enchauntment Secondly he vpbraydeth him with naughtynesse of minde being readye to commit whatsoeuer wickednesse it were For what is more naughtye and wicked than vnder colour of Gods holy name to beguile men which is the chiefe commendation of false Prophetes and sorcerers For by this meanes they sette God at sixe and seauen as they saye who threatneth that he will not let the prophanation of his name go vnreuenged Thirdly he calleth him the chylde of the deuill to declare his impudencie who presumed to call himselfe the sonne of the Sauiour For that he was a childe of the Deuils both his insolent pride of minde and earnest studie of naughtinesse did abundantly declare Fourthly he calleth him the enimy of all righteousnesse and that well worthy forasmuch as he was Christes aduersarie without whome can be founde no righteousnesse that
is before God acceptable Fifthly thou ceasest not sayth he to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde In the which wordes he comprehendeth two most heinous offences incurable maliciousnesse and earnest desire to peruert the worde of the Lorde For his worde is simple and pure and sheweth vnto vs a most playne waye of saluation But through the naughtinesse of manne it seemeth vncertaine and full of perplexitie Last of all he thundreth against him the heauy sentence of punishment And nowe beholde the hande of the Lorde is vppon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see for a season Where yet among the terrible thunder crackes of Gods threates we see there is hope of saluation left if he will repent and turne vnto the lord For God so vseth to reueale his wrath by his worde that yet he will not haue them swallowed vppe of despaire whome he will haue saued The chiefe vse of this place is that we learne what the faythfull Ministers of Christes Church haue to doe in these dayes where many Elymae are buzeing in the eares of Kings and Princes to bring them from the fayth that they may at their pleasure oppresse the ruder sort and the Comminaltie For we can iudge the Monkes and Priests none other which deceytfully sell their trifles vnder color of Gods holy name and like the presumpteous Gyauntes arrogate to themselues power vpon heauen who of set purpose striue against the righteousnesse of Christ and the faith that maketh righteous who impudently set light the authoritie of Gods word and corrupt the same with the traditions of men who make the most plaine way of saluation most intricate and vnfyndable with their infynite mazes of Monkish vowes of orders of rules of merites of bulles of pardons and of cases reserued who fynally not herewith content procure Princes to committe slaughter and murther and to shedde innocent bloude These must be accused with like boldenesse and libertie that men maye learne to beware of them which hitherto haue beguiled them with their stagelike maiestie Neyther lette vs giue eare vnto them which in this case prescribe vs rules of modestie and charitie forasmuch as it is euident that many of them be incurable and are bent onely to defende their vsurped tyrannie be it right or be it wrong Nowe remayneth the ende and successe of this contention heauy for Elymas the deceyuer but most ioyfull for Sergius the Proconsull For on Elymas falleth by and by the punishment pronounced by Paule and being striken blinde he gropeth for one to leade him by the hande The like we saw fall out before to Ananias and Sapphira whereby it behoueth vs to learne the power of Gods word The chiefe thing to be marked in this place is what remayneth for false teachers and deceyuers which dare to withstande the worde of God eyther for vauntage or honour They are made blinde for the most part if not in body yet it minde and the Lorde of his iust iudgement hath giuen them vp into a reprobate sense so that they are neyther able to embrace the truth nor yet to forsake and auoide manifest and knowne errours Furthermore being in Gods iudgement defamed they lose the strength and ayde of fleshe wherein they so much trusted So is fulfylled that that is written in Zachary 11. chap. ô Idols shepehearde that leaueth the flocke The sworde shall come vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be sore blinded And there want not examples of this iudgement in our dayes but we want eyes to behold them And these our Elymae are so much the more miserable that being blinde yet they thinke still they see and seeke for none to leade them but contemptuously disdaine those which God offereth them Furthermore as this contention came to passe vnprosperouslye for Elymas so great profyte came thereby vnto the Proconsull whome the Lorde by this meanes deliuered out of darkenesse For he seeing the iudgement of God beleeued and beganne to make much of Christes doctrine This is the peculiar propertie of Gods children that they acknowledge the iudgementes of God are amended by others example where the euill and deceyuers waxe worse and worse But in all this storie this thing is most comfortable that we see the truth can be vanquished neyther with open force of Tyrants nor subtile conueyance of the Deuill For being pressed and borne downe it riseth againe and by striuing gathereth the more strength Therefore let vs embrace the truth and constantly stande by the author and defender thereof Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxviij. Homelie WHEN Paule departed from Paphos they that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem But they wandred through the countries and came from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Sinagoge on the Sabboth daye and sate downe And after the lecture of the lawe and the Prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any sermon to exhort the people say on THere appeare many and notable tokens of diuine power and maiestie in the workes of Iesus Christ but among them al this is the most notable and euident that by the ministerie of the Apostles within few yeres he subdued all the world For where it is manifest that they were furnished with no fleshlye succors but were the least esteemed of all men and yet brought to passe things of such importance we must needes acknowledge that Gods power wrought by them whereby it came to passe that the worlde was brought to a newe countenance and the Gentyles deliuered from the errors of their olde superstition and receyued the true religion This is the chiefe thing that we haue to consider in this present voyage of Paule and Barnabas For these two being sent forth by the appoyntment of God to preach the Gospell indifferently to all Nations they prosperously passe through all impedimentes standing in their waye And fyrst coÌming to Cyprus they subdue vnto the kingdome of Christ the inhabiters of a most rich Islande giuen to all riotousnesse and worshipping of Venus and they doe not onely winne vnto them the common people but Sergius also the Romaine Proconsull whose authoritie onely had bene ynough to haue resisted them if it had bene mans affayres only they had gone about and they leade about Elymas the sorcerer a chosen instrument of the Deuill and striken with horrible blindenesse in triumph so that in one conflict it appeareth mannes force and the Deuils sleightes were ouercommen both togither Nowe let vs see howe such a prosperous beginning gaue a good occasion to the Apostles farther to spreade the kingdome of Christ. Hauing gone through Cyprus they passe from Paphus into Pamphilia and came vnto Perga a Citie of that Region making a great voyage both by sea
and accustomed lecture of the lawe and Prophetes was ended the Rulers of the Sinagoge supposing them to be no common persons gaue them leaue to speake vnto the people For they send a message to them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any Sermon to exhort the people saye on And so Paule begonne a singular sermon of Iesus Christ and the whole mysterie of our saluation the beginning whereof God willing we shall heare to morowe At this time we haue certaine other thinges to consider of which we will speake in order First and foremost the Apostles spredde not the doctrine of saluation abrode in Tauernes among drunken blowbolles nor yet in corners and woodes among the rude and ignorant people but they come into a publike place and openly teach the Gospell This it appeareth they did after the example of Christ who vsed himselfe to go into the Sinagoges and to teach openly And when he was examined by Caiphas of his doctrine and Disciples as though he had bene an heretike he defendeth himselfe by this argument only that he taught openly in the Sinagoge and in the Church and was not afrayde to abide the iudgement of the whole people touching his doctrine Which examples serue to repoorue them which sowe newe opinions secretly among the people and flie and abhorre nothing so much as the light and iudgement of the congregation This one thing abundantlye prooueth that they are deceyuers seeing that truth desireth nothing so much as the light Where yet we do not condemne them which being compassed about with persecutions exercise the duties of godly religion in secret which thing we reade was done at Ierusalem by the faythfull in the house of Mary and otherwheres so that they be ready to giue an account of their fayth to as many as require the same and not like the Anabaptistes by stubborne silence and craftie dissimulation delude them that go about to trie their fayth and doctrine Then againe it is no superfluous notation of time where it is sayde they went into the sinagoge on the Sabboth dayes For hereby he teacheth vs that they diligently kept the religion of the Sabboth which day it is euident was dedicated vnto God at the beginning of the world was diligently commended by Moses vnto the Israelites For where we be busied with diuers occupations it was necessary that there should be one time appointed free from all cares and businesse wherein we shoulde giue our selues wholy both in body and soule to the honouring of god Therefore God appointed the seauenth daye to this exercise which he for this cause called his daye that when that daye commeth we should abstaine from all other businesses and exercises And he ordeyned it to be kept so holilye that he appointed death for the breakers thereof And in the Prophets this is reckoned for one of the most grieuous offences and causes of the captiuitie of Babilon that they did vnhallowe the Sabbothes of the Lorde For the which cause the sonne of God although he many times reprehended the superstitious keeping of them yet he diligently obserued those thinges wherein the worship of God consisted For on those days he entred into the Sinagoges and was present at their publike assemblies and prayers Moreouer hee taught and hearde others teach and also vsed diligently the deedes of liberalitie Which thing the Apostles remembring they thought good also to followe the example of their maister But now a dayes the matter is come to that passe that among Christians they may go for the best menne that breake the Sabbothes but with handy works toward the getting of their liuing whereas a great many prophane them with heynous wickednesse nor at any time doe men more sinne in pryde and arrogancie in drunkennesse concupiscence and ryot than on that day which ought to be bestowed wholy in the study of godly workes and eternall rest and quiet And notwithstanding these thinges are openly committed yet wee still seeke what should bee the causes of the miseries and wretchednesse of our dayes Howbeit where the religion of the Sabboth as touching the outward obseruation consisteth chiefly in the holy assemblyes which Moses calleth holye conuocations Luke declareth diligently what was done in this assembly First the Apostles sate downe no doubt among the residue that were there gathered togither This is the dutie of modestie and honestie wherof regard must alwaies be had euerywhere but chiefly in the Church that nothing be done out of order and dishonestly Then he maketh mention howe the lawe and the Prophetes were reade which was obserued among the Iewes of a common custome as we shall vnderstand a little after by Paules sermon and by the wordes of Iames in the .xv. Chapter For so Moses ordeyned by the commaundement of God which custome after their returne from Babylon Esdras restored againe as appeareth in Nehemias cap. 8. And Christ vsed none other custome when out of the place of Esay he taught the mysteries of our saluation in the Sinagoge at Nazareth These thinges teach vs that in the congregation the worde of God comprehended in the Scriptures ought to be intreated For this cause Paule commendeth vnto the Ministers of Churches the studie of holy scripture bicause none other voyce than such as speaketh in the scripture must be hearde in Gods house Therfore their errour is enormious and absurde in that Church which declare vnto the simple people most foolish trifles out of the Legendes of Saints or else vrge and exact mans traditions wherwith Christ himselfe out of the Prophete teacheth that all Gods religion is corrupted Which thing as it is in these dayes to much frequented âo if at any time any place be left for the word of God it is vsed to be sayde or song commonlye in a straunge tongue so that no profyte can come to the people thereby But touching this matter see Paules iudgement 1. Cor. 14. Thirdlye this also is to be commended that none of them taketh vppon him to speake before he be lawfully requested For although of auncient custome the interpreters and Prophetes sate next to the Teachers yet none impudently intruded himselfe so that vndesired or without necessitie he woulde speake vnto the people Wherefore Paule and Barnabas also although they were sent by the holy ghost yet they thinke it not good to breake so profytable and auncient a custome of the Church Therefore the Anabaptistes disorder is not to be suffered which abuse the place of Paule 1. Cor. 14 ⪠saying that all men ought to haue leaue to speake in the Church For Paule in that place speaketh of those that had the gift of interpretation and prophecie and sate with the teachers as was euen nowe sayde But such as were no interpreters he commaundeth to keepe silence And he commaundeth all things to be done decently and in order Neyther lette any man obiect here vnto me what I thinke the Apostles woulde haue done if no
apt to deceyue specially when the matter hath a pretence of religion and colour of any custome receyued Then by them is there an entry made vnto the husbandes with whome by flattery and enticements they are able to doe very much but specially if they be commended for their honestye and godlynesse Heua the fyrst mother of vs all maye serue for example whom Satan in the beginning thought a meete instrument to abuse whereby to deceiue mankinde And bicause his fyrst enterprise succeeded so well he thought afterwarde to vse the same instrument still Therefore through women he deceyued Salomon which was the fyrst sower of Idolatrie among the Israelytes which Idolatrie afterwarde coulde not be rooted out with all that the kings and Prophetes coulde doe And by the authoritie of Iesabel he brought in the worshipping of Baal I let passe infynite other examples which might be alleaged Paule had so well marked this thing that he wrote howe this was commonly the propertie of deceyuers to beguyle women specially such whose consciences they see are clogged with sinne And this is so common a thing in our daies that he is blinder than a Mole or Want that seeth it not Yet let no man thinke I speake this in reproch of womankinde But let it serue rather to teach women to beware that they suffer not themselues to be beguyled vnder so false a visor and pretence of religion And where women alone perhappes might be made light account of they mooue the Magistrates also and the chiefe of the Citie against them in exasperating of whome they doubtlesse vsed the helpe of the women They make the Magistrates offended with them as with disturbers and breakers of publike peace which hath in all ages bene the onely argument wherewith the wicked haue most impugned the doctrine of truth as the hystories of the Propetes teache vs all which it is plaine were for the most part accused with Christ of sedition And at this daye there is nothing more ryfe and common But let vs marke howe there is nothing in all Antioch of any power eyther by reason of holynesse or publike authoritie but it is bent and armed against the Apostles hauing none but the Commons onlye to take their part They that measure religion according to the authoritie of men are hereby reprooued For if this opinion may preuayle the Apostles cause must be in daunger of quailing Therefore Christ teacheth vs a farre other maner of lesson who testifyeth that the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen are hidden from the wise and reuealed vnto little ones Referre also to this place the things spoken 1. Cor. 1. about the ende to this purpose Nowe the effect of the persecution was that the Apostles were exyled the borders of Pisidia by publike authoritie Yet was not the gospell vtterly banished and put to flight forasmuch as there is mention made hereafter of Disciples which were endued with all kinde of giftes of the holye ghost It was a common thing in all ages that alwayes the true worshippers of God were put in exylement as publike plagues Where in the meane season the wicked might without checke walke vp and downe in the middle of the streetes for whose sake the wrath of God vseth to be kindled And after banishment commonly followeth losse of goodes and miserable pouertie God suffreth these things to light vpon his elect for many causes For this waye he declareth his power which then most appeareth when he preserueth his Church in the middle of the waues of persecution Then also he trieth the faith of those that be his as gold is tried in the fyre mortifieth the vnworthy reliques of the flesh that we be not therby deceyued âwarâe aside Moreouer he maketh vs like vnto his sonne y they which suffer with him may also reigne with him Furthermore he vseth this waye to make those that be his weary of the worlde which worlde otherwise our fleshe vseth to esteeme and make to much of Therefore these things ought to offende no man but let vs rather often thinke on the promises of Christ such as are these There is none that hath forsaken house or brethren or sistren or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my sake but hee shall receyue an hundreth folde nowe in this life with persecutions and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlasting Againe ye are they which haue bidden with mee in my temptations and I appoynt vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appoynted to me that you may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome c. And againe where I am there shall my minister also bee They which diligently consider these things can haue nothing come vnto them so grieuous or intollerable but they knowe the ende thereof shall be ioyfull In the meane season let vs earnestly shew our dutie of charitie vnto those that are banished for Christes sake and which come vnto vs being driuen out of their owne Countrie and let vs not suffer them by our meanes wrongfullye to be suspected seeing they suffer for the same cause that Christes Apostles did Let vs remember that saying of Christ I was harbourlesse and you tooke me in c. Nowe let vs see the ende of this Tragedie which Luke writeth was very horrible and miserable to the obstinate Iewes but very ioyfull to the godly those that beleeued For the Apostles seeing y malice of the Iewes to be inuincible shooke of the dust of their feete against them and departed vnto Iconium a Citie of Lycaonia which thing they did according to Christes commaundement who sayde on this wise to his Disciples whosoeuer will not receyue you when you go out of the Citie shake of the verye dust from your feete for a testimonie against them And againe in the same Euangelist he sayth cap. 10. Into whatsoeuer Citie you enter and they receyue you not go your wayes out into the streetes of the same and saye euen the very dust of your Citie which cleaueth on vs wee wype of against you Notwithstanding be ye sure of this that the kingdome of God was come nigh vpon you Therefore this shaking off of dust was a solemne and publike signe of execration whereby was signifyed that all the wicked contemners of the Gospell shoulde be scattered abrode like dust and that such horrible curse of God hong ouer them that they which woulde be saued shoulde not so much as be partakers of the dust belonging vnto them And these thinges God woulde haue done for a testimonie or witnesse against them to take awaye from them all maner of excuse For the wicked commonly pretende ignorance when they are vrged with Gods iudgementes And to the ende they shoulde not so doe but be choked with the testimonie of their owne conscience the Apostles might not depart thence without publike protestation and denunciation of punishment which shoulde come vpon them as if
sowne amongst men must still be cherished and watered For the parable of Christ is well knowne concerning our enimie which whyle we be a sleepe vseth to sowe Darnell and Coâcle Therfore they are much to blame which aâter they haue preached the worde thinke they haue discharged their duetie whereas afterwarde their dyligence and industrie is more needefull than before that they which before began to heare and follow the voyce of Christ be not seduced and pulled back through Satans craft Also it is a notable example of christian loue and zeale that Paule and Barnabas returned to them againe who iniuriously and shamefully had intreated them dryuing them out of their Cities Let no man therefore be offended at the vnthankfulnesse of men nor thinke it is therefore lawfull for him to leaue of his duetie bicause his hearers for whose saluation he is so carefull lyke not of hym as he deserueth For why shoulde a man imitate him whome he thinketh worthy to be blamed Thou thinkest them worthy to be reprehended which doe not their duetie Why then sufferest thou thy selfe to doe woorse than they in not doing thy duetie Remember rather that thou art the seruaunt of God and therefore lookest for thy rewarde at his hande and not of this blockishe and ingratefull world whose propertie it is to requite those that doe them good with all euill The things that came to passe vnto Moses Dauid the prophets to Christ his Apostles aboundantly declare the same Yea the hystories of the Gentiles are full of these examples For here vnto are to be referred Aristides Themistocles Miltiades Cimon Camillus the Scipions the Catones Cicero and infynite others who where they were the deliuerers of their Countries from calamities whereby the vnkinde Citizens eyther shamefully banished their Countries or else vnworthily put to death and kylled But let vs diligentlye consyder what Paule and Barnabas did in the Cities wherevnto they returned Fyrst it is sayde they confirmed the myndes of the Discipels And yet is it the worke of God onely to rule the mindes of men to confyrme them and to mooue them after his owne pleasure Yet the Apostles confyrme them whose ministerie God did vouchsafe to vse to that purpose who where he worketh onely all things in all men yet for the most part he vseth his meanes and a certaine orderly proceeding Therfore euen as by preaching of the worde he illuminateth mens mindes with faith so by the same meanes he confyrmeth mens mindes in the faith And so must we thinke and consyder hereof least we attribute to the ministerie of menne that which is onely the worke of God or else make to light of the ministerie ordeyned of god For grieuous and detestable is the error of them which whyle they will seeme to defend the glorie of God contempne the order appointed of God despise the doctrine of hys worde shunne to âoyne with the congregation neglect prayers and vnder the pretence of Gods holye name liue carelesly and wickedly Howbeit Luke declareth howe the Apostles confyrmed the mindes of the Disciples saying as followeth exhorting them to contynue in the faith Mens mindes therefore vse to be confyrmed with exhortations taken out of the worde of god Let vs also marke howe it is not sufficient for men once to beleeue in Christ but that they must also abyde and continue in the true fayth For except they so doe the later ende will be woorse than the beginning and they are not thought worthy of the kingdome of God which haue once layde their hande to the Plough and looke backe agayne Hereof came it to passe that Christ after his ascention rebuked the Church of Ephesus bicause she had lost hir former loue and feruent zeale of fayth but commended the Church at Thyatira bicause they increased euery daye more and more in faith and godlynesse Therefore it behooueth all congregations diligently to meditate all these thinges that they corrupt not the lawdable beginnings of fayth with fylthie falling awaye and negligence Also let all degrees and states of men learne hereby to take heede of their office this is a generall rule in all thinges that it is in vaine to beginne well except we continue on vnto the ende In the meane whyle this place teacheth vs that the doctrine of faith is certaine and inuiolable For it were no commendable thing to perseuere and continue in the fayth if there were any thing in the doctrine thereof to be amended or chaunged which thinge is to be obiected against them who whyle they dare not openly condempne the doctrine of the Apostles yet saye they there are diuers things added to it since as necessarie to be obserued as the things that they taught But if a man will compare those things with the doctrine of the Apostles he shall finde that the truth of the Apostles doctrine can not stande if such thinges be admytted Let vs learne therefore so to persist in the faith and doctrine of the Apostles that we admit nothing contrarie therevnto yea that we beleeue not an Aungell if he woulde nowe preache any newe or other gospell Moreouer they put away the offence of the Crosse which was a thing very needefull bicause mannes reason most times iudgeth of fayth according as things in time fall out And it is not vnlike but many mens mindes were marueylously tempted seeing the Apostles doctrine was euerywhere reiected and they still in daunger and trouble for the same But the Apostles in a briefe saying giue a most effectuall comfort to the weake in faith saying that by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen This saying hath in it two reasons very fytte to comfort vs The fyrst is that they say it must so be and can not be otherwise And common sense teaceth vs that we must take paciently and in good worth that that cannot be otherwise Thus they declare in what state of lyfe the godly haue to liue in this worlde which Christ also testifyeth is full of all maner of afflictions whereas he commaundeth vs euerye day to take vppe our Crosse and so to followe him And surely if a man will marke the course of this life hee shall see nothing free from euill and miserie For this lyfe floweth with all maner of molestations which spring of sinne such as are sickenesse labor care watching pouertie alteration of the world and infynite like by reason whereof our life is compared to a moste troublesome and perillous pilgrimage and continuall traueyle But beside these there are other afflictions which the worlde that cannot abyde the light hath in store for the godlye For hereof proceedeth it that the worlde hateth them that they are rayled on and put to shame that euery man doth them iniurye that they laye violent handes on them that they are imprisoned manacled and fettered that they are banished lose their goodes and suffer moste vyle and horrible deathes Thus is fulfylled
a cause that Luke maketh mention twise or thrise of the grace worke of god For fyrst he sayth they were committed vnto the grace of God in this worke to the intent that all the Church might wytnesse they were able to doe nothing without the grace of god Then declare they what woonders God wrought by them which kinde of phrase attributeth the whole successe of their ambassage and ministerie to God onely Moreouer they declare howe God opened the dore of fayth vnto the Gentyles Then is there a dore opened vnto the fayth when an effectuall operation of the holy spirite is ioyned vnto the outwarde preaching whereby the mindes of men are illuminated and drawne vnto the obedience of fayth This is the only worke of God as Christ testifyeth saying No man commeth vnto me except my father draweth him We are taught therefore by the example of the Apostles to attribute nothing to our owne industrie and wisedome in deede of vs it is required to be faithfull and diligent Howbeit as the successe of our doings must be committed vnto God so must all the prayse and glorye of their well doings be referred vnto him also Which doctrine is not onely for ministers of the worde to remember but also for all Magistrates housholders maryed folke seruauntes and to conclude for all states and degrees of men as we haue oftentimes declared Last of all it is sayde they tarrie a good space at Antioche to the ende doubtlesse to recreate themselues with honest and godly quietnesse hauing bene wearied a long whyle before with many labours and daungers both by lande and sea For it is meete conuenient that they should reape some fruite of their labours whose fayth and diligence had bene so many waies tried So Christ bade his Apostles when they returned from preaching the gospell to go aside out of the waye for a season and to repose themselues a little Let no man yet thinke that the Apostles sate still at Antioche ydely gasing vpon others For without doubt they faithfully taught the brethren and tooke paines in helping the other Ministers But for a certaine time they surceased from traueyling and taking anye enterprise of daunger in hande God the father of mercie graunt that all they that nowe a dayes glory in the gospell may fynishe the course of their lyfe with like diligence and successe as did the Apostles and that in the heauenly Chanaan they may enioy perpetuall rest and peace with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xv. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cj. Homelie AND certayne men which came downe taught the brethren except you be circumcised after the maner of Moses you cannot be saued So when there was rysen discention and disputing not a little vnto Paule and Barnabas and certayne other of them should go vp to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles and Elders about this question And after they were brought on their way by the congregation they passed ouer Phoenices and Samaria declaring the conuersion of the Gentyles and they brought great ioy vnto all the brethren And when they were come to Ierusalem they were receyued of the congregations and of the Apostles and Elders and they declared all the things that God had done by them IN the former part of his treatise or worke Luke hath declared howe the primitiue Church was gathered togither both of Iewes and Gentiles by preaching of the Apostles and howe by the wonderfull assistaunce of GOD it was preserued amonge the contynuall stormes blastes of persecution Herevnto is added a newe hystorie in thys Chappiter that teacheth vs howe the Lorde preserued the same Church agaynst false brethren and teachers least it myghte lose eyther simplicitie of doctrine or puritie of faith For hytherto for fourteene yeares togyther Paule had preached the Gospell and according to the common consent of the Apostles doctrine had taught that all saluation was in Christ Iesus onelye which doctrine being euerywhere receyued certayne of the Iewes specially those of the Phariseys secte that professed the fayth of Christ began to withstande Who albeit they confessed Christ yet they would needes haue circumcision and the ceremonies of the lawes to be ioyned with it which opinion whiles Paule earnestly resisted caused great adooe and contention insomuch that it horribly shooke the whole Church But our Sauiour Christ forsooke not them that stroâe for the glory of his merite by whose prouidence it came to passe that the plaine and simple doctrine of Christ was defended and confyrmed by the publike testimonie of the Apostles and the whole Church The consyderation of thys hystorie serueth much both to instruct and comfort all congregations For as by the example of the Apostles we are taught which waye to resist false doctrine âo learne we that the doctrine of truth standeth fyrme and sure against all inuasions wherefore we will in order consider all the partes of this present place First Luke telleth who were the authors of this strife discention euen certaine persons that came out of Iurie and from Ierusalem Therfore they must needes be of great authoritie considering Ierusalem was the mother Church of all other and was worthily esteemed of all menne bicause from thence the Gospell of saluation did fyrst issue and spring for the which cause Paule also commendeth it saying It was meete the Gentyles shoulde minister corporall thinges vnto those of Ierusalem which had giuen them the spirituall and eternall giftes of saluation And it is no doubt but those deceyuers and seducers did marueylously bragge of the name and authoritie of the Apostles and did make lyght of Paules name as who should saye he deserued not to be counted among the Apostles bicause he had not bene conuersant with Iesus Christ whyle he liued For this maye we gather of Paules Epistles where he is enforced earnestlye to defende his authoritie and Apostleship against them Furthermore we maye here see howe deceyuers breede euen in the Church but were neuer true members of the Church For they that are in deede of the Church vse to continue in the same Therefore Christ sayth they go in sheepes clothing And Paule in another place sayth from among your selues shall ryse grieuous wolues c. And this is a woonderfull craft of Satan which knowing that men doe hate and abhorre him vseth to counterfeyte an Aungell of light and vnder the cloke of holynesse to beguyle and deceyue the simple This place serueth to confute them which constantly beleeue that the Romane Church cannot erre and be deceyued and affirme that whatsoeuer commeth from thence ought to be receyued as an Oracle And yet out of Ierusalem where the Apostles discharged their office and dutie with all diligence came these hypocrites and deceyuers What therefore shall we hope for at their handes amongst whome these many hundred yeres hath bene seene no token eyther of Apostolike lyfe or
doctrine Furthermore the state of the controuersie that these deceyuers helde is expressed For they called backe the Gentyles vnto Circumcision and Ceremonies of the lawe saying Except you be circumcised you cannot bee saued Which saying it is very like they confyrmed with many articles For they had the lawe of God who ordeyned Circumcision for a perpetuall signe of his couenant amongst the Israelites They had also the example of the Church at Ierusalem where the Apostles yeelded so farre to the weakenesse of the Iewes that they circumcised their infantes Moreouer where through Circumcision they were bounde to obserue the lawe according to that saying of Paule I testifye to euery man that is circumcised that hee is bounde to keepe the whole lawe This being taken awaye they cryed and sayde that the whole lawe was abrogated and a gate opened vnto all wickednesse Yet they confessed Christ notwithstanding and woulde seeme to be followers of the Gospell like goodlye blenders and compounders which thought the lawe might be mingled with the Gospell and the righteousnesse of workes with fayth This therefore was the whole state of the controuersie whether men were iustified through the grace of God by fayth onely in Christ or whether the righteousnesse of the lawe was necessarye vnto saluation And if a man will weygh and expende this matter well it shall appeare that this was the verye same controuersie which is betweene vs and the Papistes nowe in these dayes who professe Christ also but yet affirme that men are iustifyed and saued by their merites and good deedes sauing that in this poynt the Papists case is the weaker and worse for that they grounde not vppon the lawe of Moses once giuen by God but vppon mannes traditions which long sithence haue bene condemned by the sentence of god They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines of men Therfore it is very necessary for vs to vnderstand this controuersie For if there be no place due vnto the workes of Gods lawe for vs to glory we be iustifyed by then doubtlesse be they very miserable and blinde which dare chalenge this praise vnto the colde obseruances of mannes traditions In the meane season mannes peruersenesse bewrayeth itselfe in this place which where God offreth saluation vnto vs freely contemneth the same and seeketh rather a sumptuous and laborious way of attayning therevnto Examples of this peruersitie appeare in all ages and the Lorde complayneth hereof in Esay 55. saying Wherefore laye you out your money vppon the thing that feedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not Againe My people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the well of the water of life and digged them pits yea vile and broken pits that can holde no water And would God that he had not more occasion to make the like complaint euerywhere at this day Thirdly followeth the effect of false doctrine that these Iewish Christians brought in That was sedition and open schisme through the which Luke sayth the Church at Antioch which hitherto had bene moste quiet and as a common sanctuarie to all the godly was disturbed Therefore they that fall from the simple doctrine of the truth and bring new and false opinions into the Church these are disturbers of the Church By this name doth Paule here sette out these fellowes saying I marueyle that you are so soone turned from Christ that called you by grace vnto another Gospell which yet is none other but that there be some which trouble you And in other places he calleth them Dogges euill workers concision and the verye enimies of the crosse of Christ. I know we are charged by the Papists in these dayes to haue disturbed to disturbe the Church But if the truth of the Apostles doctrine be well marked it shal appeere we are most cleere from this crime the puritie of which doctrine bicause we endeuour to restore maketh vs in deede to disturbe the ydlenesse of them who vnder a false pretence of Christ his Church had a delight to disporte themselues both with the felles and fleshe of the miserable sheepe Furthermore the chiefe vse of this place is that we be not so offended with the discentions rising in our dayes by reason of religion that we therefore thinke all doctrine of fayth and religion to be doubtfull and vncertayne For it is euident that the doctrine of truth hath in all ages bene diuersly assaulted and that therefore diuers discentioâs haue risen by meanes thereof This God suffereth to come to passe by his iust iudgement and for the weale of our saluation For fyrst according to the saying of Paule there must needes bee sectes that they which are perfite may be knowne Agayne by this occasion it commeth to passe that the chiefe articles of our fayth and saluation are the more diligently and earnestly examined which vnlesse they were thus called in question woulde for the most part lye vnconsidered and buryed For God can so moderate mischiefes that they serue vnto the saluation of those that be his and to those that loue God all thing worketh to the best And this may we see in thys present controuersie as cleere as daye For hereby came it to passe that the meane of our iustifycation was intreated and discussed the more diligently by the Apostles and that the ceremonies of the lawe were the lesse regarded among the Iewes wherein yet a great many put much trust Euen so in our age the sacrifyce of the Masse was no way more ouerthrowne than by the controuersie which fell out about the supper of the Lorde Therfore their clamour is pieuishe and absurde which complaine and saye that by reason of such discentions religion is doubtfull and vncertaine For vnder this colour they go about to hyde and cloake their prophane and hollowe heartes Furthermore let vs consider what Paule and Barnabas and the faithfull of Antioch did in this disceptation As for Paule and Barnabas it is sayd that they had much contention and daylie disputation with these disturbers Therefore they were no dumbe Dogges which woulde suffer all kindes of doctrine to creepe into the Church but rather they earnestly withstoode these deceyuers so that the true faith was not ouerturned with their gloses Yet otherwheres Paule becommeth all things to all men and earnestly commaundeth those that be strong in faith pacientlye to beare with the weaker Why therefore sheweth he himselfe in this place to be so difficult and vntreatable Bicause it was a matter of more importance than coulde be dissembled For by this opinion the righteousnesse of fayth which we haue in Christ alone is ouerturned For they which by Circumcision make them selfe bonde vnto the law to them is Christ become vnprofitable and they which will be iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace Moreouer by thys meanes the Christian libertie was in hazarde which coulde be purchased with none other pryce
vnprofytable and all the time of their voyage lost they preach euerywhere the conuersion of the Gentyles And this was the chiefe cause of the contention bicause many tooke it in euill parte that the vncircumcised Gentyles were receyued into the felowship of Christ and his Church But the godly men vnderstoode that the workes of God which serued to the setting forth of Christes glorye must not be dissembled bicause some men had a wrong iudgement of them Nay we must rather wrastle against the waywardnesse of the worlde least thereby Gods glorie might be impayred For that that Christ sometime sayde vnto the priestes being offended with the childrens showting If these holde their peace the stones shall crye the same let vs thinke spoken euen to vs For although we prouyding for our slouthfulnesse dare doe nothing for the glorie of God yet will God easily fynde faythfull defenders of the same and we shall be made the vessels of wrath ignominie which would not be the instruments of grace and glorie Thirdly the brethren reioyce in the conuersion of the Gentiles and neyther enuie them the fellowship of saluation neyther Paule nor Barnabas the singuler commendation of such a Ministerie This is the propertie of the godly that they reioyce at the setting forth of Christes glorie and the saluation of others Fourthly when they were come to Ierusalem they were receyued by the Apostles and the whole congregation as singuler instrumentes of christ For it becommeth vs to reuerence the giftes of God in them whose ministery God vseth both to our profyte and his praise They agayne declare what God had done by them bicause the same made much for their purpose the aduersaries going about through their peeuishe opinion to ouerthrowe the vocation of the Gentyles God graunt that in these dayes also contentions being calmed and layde downe we maye all giue âare to the Apostles doctrine and that all heartes through the vnitie of fayth and bonde of true loue may strongly be knyt togyther in Iesus Christ our onely sauiour to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cij Homelie THEN rose vp certayne of the sect of the Phariseys which did beleeue saying that it was needefull to circumcise them and to commaunde them to keepe the lawe of Moses And the Apostles and Elders came togyther to reason of this matter And when there was much disputing Peter rose vp and sayde vnto them yee men and brethren you knowe howe that a good whyle ago God did choose amonge vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue And Cod which knoweth the hartes bare them witnesse and gaue vnto them the holy ghost euen as he did vnto vs and put no difference betweene vs and them seeing that with fayth he purified their hartes Nowe therefore why tempt you God to put on the disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor wee were able to beare But we beleeue that through the grare of the Lorde Iesus Christ we shall be saued as they doe Then all the multitude was appeased and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paule who told what signes and wonders God had shewed among the Gentyles by them AFter the doctrine of the Gospell was spreade by the ministerie of Paule Barnabas among the gentiles and that they were taken into the communion of Christ and his Church a grieuous contention fell out among those of the fayth bicause dyuers saide the Gentiles ought to be circumcised and to be inforced to obserue the lawe of Moses which thing others agayne dyd constauntly denie Luke by the instinct of the holy ghost descrybeth this controuersie verie dyligently bicause it serueth much for the instruction of all men For it teacheth vs we must not take it for anye insolent or straunge thing though nowe a dayes also some controuersies rise among the professours of one fayth and doctrine for as much as God suffereth not such controuersies to come to passe without some vtilitie and auayle to all men Agayne he sheweth vs what we haue to doe in such a case For we must according to the ensample of Paule and Barnabas stowtely defende the truth against all men and not harken to the iudgements of any men but aske counsell of the Apostles of Iesus Christ whome he hath appoynted for to be the teachers of his worde But Luke holding on in the hystorie begonne sayth that a greater contention fell out hereabout after that the matter was proposed vnto the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem The Authors hereof were those of the Phariseys that beleeued in Christ yet retayning this smatche of olde leauen that they strengthly vrged the fulfylling of the righteousnesse of the lawe For it appeareth by the storie of the gospell that the Phariseys set all iustification in the outwarde exercise of the workes of the lawe Wherfore it could not be chosen but that they should be the more obstinate in keeping the same Whereof we haue example in the Monkes at this day whome it is an harde matter to drawe from their olde secte but some tokens thereof will still remayne It is worthy diligently to be obserued how the chiefe article of christian religion was canuassed through this contention in the hearing of the godlye before the Apostles so that whether parte helde the truest opinion coulde at the fyrst not be perceyued Hereby we are taught that we must not marueyle although the excellentest heades and wyttes in the worlde be sometime deceyued or else stiffely stande in defence of receyued errours For by this meane God sheweth vs howe to marke the corruption of our nature that we being humbled by the consideration therof should not stande to much in our owne conceyte Howbeit Peter vntill this tyme helde his peace in all this contention to the ende he woulde not seeme arrogant in prescribing of others and bicause it was expedient that euery man should saye his minde But when he perceyued that the contenders minds waxed hotter and hotter he standeth vp both modestly and grauely by his authoritie to moderate the matter and plainely defendeth the opion of Paule and Barnabas who taught that the meane of mans saluation consisted in the onely faith of Iesus Christ and that the obseruation of the ceremonials needed not yea that no praise and glory of iustification was to be ascribed vnto the lawe All his saying dependeth vpon two poyntes whereof the one sheweth that God appointeth none other waye of saluation to be obserued than that which is prescribed in the gospell namely the fayth in Iesus Christ. The other declareth how it is a verie heynous matter for anye man to affirme that the fulfylling of the lawe is necessarie to saluation But of eche of them we shall by order intreate The fyrst poynt is taken out of the example of God which iustifyed the fyrst fruites of the beleeuing Gentiles none otherwise than by fayth in Iesus Christ. This place must
euerywhere extant in hystories and Poetes wrytings the examples of fylthie lust the Poets seeking great commendation of wytte by descrybing such venerious actes and persons Therefore it was needefull to admonishe the Gentyles diligently of both these things Hereof ought to be gathered a generall and perpetuall precept howe it is the duetie of christian people to keepe themselues in all things cleane and vnspotted vnto god Neyther must they be partakers of straunge sacrifyces for as much as God requyreth the whole heart and minde of man. And that saying of Paule is well knowne you can not be partakers of the Lordes tables and of the table of deuilles Agayne as touching our conuersation of lyfe it behooueth vs also to consecrate the same vnto god For it is euident that our bodyes through the bloude of Christ are dedicated to be temples of the holye ghost Therefore God must be glorifyed in our bodyes Wherefore fylthie and abhominable is the error of them which say whoredome is lawfull and free for christian men whereas Paule would not once haue it named among christians and threateneth the horrible vengeaunce of God not onely vnto adulterers but also vnto whoremongers In the second sort are numbred strangled meates and bloude from which he would haue the Gentyles also absteyne For although thys precept be numbred among the ceremonies which are plainely abolished in Christ yet bicause there was an olde lawe concerning the same appointed by God vnto all the worlde after the floude and thys was a thing daylie vsed among men they of the weaker sorte among the Iewes coulde not but be greatly offended seing the Gentiles eate of all those things without any difference Therefore Iames thinketh it meete that the Gentyles in this behalfe should refraine their lybertie and for charities sake absteyne from those things which of themselues were lawfull and graunted by God yet by vsing them inconsiderately and vnwarily might be offence vnto others And that this was the Apostles meaning appeareth by the wordes of Paule I know and am fully certified by the Lorde Iesus that there is nothing common of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth it to be common to him it is common But if thy brother be grieued with thy meate now walkest thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ dyed Cause not your treasure or commoditie to be euill spoken of for the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioye in the holye ghost c. He sayth also that he would neuer eate fleshe rather than offende any man. Therefore this place maketh not for them which thinke they may lawfully prescribe fasting dayes and such lyke by the authoritie of the Apostles commaunding to absteyne from strangled and bloude For theyr reason is not all one bicause they vrge mans traditions onely which are of no authoritie in religion and laye snares for mennes consciences which the Apostles thought by all meanes to be auoyded But hereto also appertayneth the reason that Iames bringeth Moses sayth he hath of olde time in euery Citie those that preach him in the Synagoges where hee is read euery Sabboth daye By the which wordes he meaneth nothing else but that as yet Moses was of such authoritie among the Iewes that it was impossible sodainely to pull them from his ordinances Therefore for the times sake and for charitie this was to be graunted them vntill mens consciences in the meane season being at libertie the olde ceremonies might honorably be layde aside and buried In the meane whyle we haue to consider that this was an auncient vsage in all ages among the people of God that the lawe and sacred scriptures were vsed to be reade on the holy dayes It becommeth vs therefore to keepe the same vse and diligently to defende our libertie and hauing a consideration of charitie and puritie of life beware of gyuing of offences So shall it come to passe that both we our selues shall be saued and shall also bring others vnto Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Ciiij Homelie THEN pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole congregations to sende chosen men of their owne companye to Antioche with Paule and Barnabas They sent Iudas whose surname was Barsabas and Sylas which were chiefe men among the brethren and gaue them letters in their handes after this maner The Apostles and Elders and brethren sende greeting vnto the brethren which are of the Gentyles at Antioche Syria and Cilicia for as much as we haue hearde that certaine which departed from vs haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your mindes saying you must be circumcised and keepe the lawe to whome we gaue no such commaundement It seemed therefore vnto vs good when we were come togither with one accorde to sende chosen men vnto you with our beloued Barnabas and Paule men that haue ieoparded their liues for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ we haue sent therefore Iudas and Silas which shall also tell you the same things by mouth for it seemed good to the holye ghost and to vs to charge you with no more than these necessarie thinges that is to saye that yee abstayne from thinges oâfered to ymages and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication from which if you keepe your selues you shall doe well So fare you well BIcause all power is gyuen vnto Iesus Christ from God his father he can therefore not onely defende and preserue his kingdome but also so moderate and gouerne all thinges that whatsoeuer Satan worketh against the same kingdome he maketh it serue for the setting forth of the same For after Satan could not by persecutions and open violence stop the course of the gospell he set vpon the Church by sowing dissention among them and raysed a grieuous contention about iustifycation which is the chiefe and principall article of christian religion to this ende and purpose that all the doctrine of the gospell might be enuyed and suspected But he preuayled so little that by this occasion the truth was the more knowne and the righteousnesse of fayth the more valiauntly defended agaynst the Phariseys as we haue hytherto seene in the sayings of Peter Paule and Barnabas and last of all by Iames saying Wherevnto chiefely belongeth that ioyfull and victorious ende of all the contention which Luke nowe describeth Fyrst rehearsing the consent and agreement of the whole Church and next a Copie of the Epistle sent from the Synode of all which we shall speake in order First he expresseth the vniforme consent of them all where he sayeth the Apostles and Elders and the whole Congregation decreed that Messengers should be sent with letters to Antioch where this great fyre was fyrst kindled in all their names This was very prudently decreed of them for that the present contention might hereby not onely be alayed but all occasion of strife in time to
singular fruites of fayth For shewing hir dutie of thankefulnesse vnto the Apostles she requested them home to hir house and lodged them By which occasion it came to passe that the Apostles proceeding earnestly in their office daylye wanne more and more Disciples and so beganne a Church togither as shall appeare in the ende of the Chapter But Satan thinking this geare intollerable assayeth to resist these fyrst principles and beginnings of Christes kingdome And fyrst he handleth the matter with subtiltie and guilefull flattery and by and by when his fyrst enterprise succeedeth not he setteth vpon the Apostles by open force and at length dryueth them out of the Citie But at this time we will examine but the fyrst encounter Luke beginneth his hystorie with the description of that person whose helpe Satan vsed in this conflict This was a mayde or damozell possessed with the spirite of Python which by hir prophecying was very gaynefull vnto hir maister and mystresse Nowe thys spirite of Python the Gentyles supposed to be Apollo who had that name giuen him as the Poets feigne of that Serpent Python which he slewe wyth his bowe and arrowes And that Apollo was the President of prophecying is more manifest than needeth by many wordes to be prooued For Delphi Claros Delus and diuers other places where vnder the name of Apollo the deuill sometime vsed to vtter hys Oracles were very notable and famous He lykewise inspyred certayne priuate persons striking them sodainly madde and making them speake ambiguous and doubtfull sayings which superstitious men receyued and embraced for credible Oracles And at length the matter came to this passe that foolishe men woulde enterprise or take nothing in hand vnlesse they had fyrst consulted with these Prophets and in all their distresses they woulde runne to these Oracles whereby it came to passe that great aduauntage followed Bicause man is of this nature that he will let for no labour nor cost about those things which may any kinde of way satisfye his curiositie And Satan rayseth vppe an instrument hereof among the Philippians agaynst the Apostles to the intent eyther to make the wiser sort suspect them or else the rude and vnskilfull Commons to hate them In the meane whyle we maye consider with what engines Satan maintayneth hys kingdome amongst men namely by lying and curious and soothsaying Artes wherein he counterfeyteth the spirite of Prophecie to drawe men by that meanes from the worde of God which ought to be the onely rule in all our doyngs The Professors of these Artes in Egypt were the Magitians whych the Scripture sayeth wythstoode Moses Among these may Baalam also be numbred although he did egregiously counterfeyte a loue of the truth Such were diuers and many sorts of Prophetes among the Chanaanites whome God by his lawe commaunded to be destroyed Unto the which maye be referred the Augures Aruspices and interpreters of dreames Astrologers Necromancers Geomancers Hydromancers and infynite others whose counsayles and sayings were of great authoritie among Kings and Magistrates in the administration and gouernance of their kingdomes and common weales And surelye if we consider the thing well Satan scarcely exercised the power of his kingdome in anye other thyng more than in this vanitie of Oracles wherewith he bewitched all the worlde a great number of yeres And in these dayes he many times rayseth vp certayne Prophetes which eyther make themselfe cunning in the knowledge of thinges to come or else can put awaye diseases by enchauntments and assay to doe diuers other things impossible for man to perfourme But some will demaunde wherefore God in times past suffred and yet to this day suffreth these things to be done The answere is readye For where the Gentyles in tymes past were not contented with the reuelations of God but went about to fynde out the mysteries of Gods maiestie by the pregnancie of their owne wit this presumption of theirs deserued that they shoulde be gyuen vppe into a reprobate sense and miserably seduced wyth the wyles and ginnes of the Deuill Paule gaue vs warning that the same shoulde come to passe towarde the later dayes saying that Antichrist should haue power on them which would not embrace the truth offred of god And if a manne consider the Philippians he shall fynde they were worthye to be thus seduced by this Demoniake Damsell For such was their liberalitie towards hir that hir Master and Dame had no small aduauntage by hir But yet they so little regarde the Apostles of Christ that they had wanted harbour vnlesse Lydia which also was a forrenner had taken them into hir house The like vnthankefulnesse peruersitie is in these dayes For men will not embrace the light of the truth and where they bestowe much cost vpon dumbe ymages deceyuing Priestes Coniurers Inchaunters Soothsayers and wise folke as they call them euery thing seemeth to much that they bestow on the doctrine of truth They are worthy therefore to be a pray for Satan by whose subtiltie they may perceyue both their goods to be consumed and their bodies troubled and molested Let vs therefore learne to harken vnto the lawe of God which teacheth vs to take heede and beware of all such kindes of deceyuers and commaundeth vs only to studie and followe the worde of god See Deut. 18. Leuit. 20. Esaye 8. And they that will not thus doe let them learne by the example of Saule what to looke for See. 1. Sam. 28. But nowe it is time to marke what Satan did by this Damsell She following the Apostles which of custome resorted to the prayers cried out saying These men are the seruantes of the most high God which shewe vnto vs the waye of saluation What kinde of thing sayest thou is this that I heare Is this the saying of the Deuill withstanding the Apostles Yea verily Why he coulde not saye any more in their commendation than to confesse them to be the seruauntes of God and the preachers of saluation Howbeit it behooueth vs not so much to consider the wordes as the pretence and meaning of the Deuill by whose suggestion these wordes were spoken For so shall thou perceyue that he most craftily vndermineth Christes cause where he seemeth most to holde with the same For here in this place he beareth witnesse vnto the Apostles doctrine to make it with the wiser sort specially with the Iewes if anye were present to be suspected For Satan knoweth he is accounted a lyer amongest all menne For this cause he crieth that the Apostles are the seruantes of God and messengers of saluation to make them the rather to be suspected with wise men Furthermore he seeketh to make those that beleeue the Apostles to beleeue also his answeres whereby they heard the Apostles doctrine commended But the faith in Christ cannot stande where ought is attributed vnto the deuill whose kingdome Christ came into this worlde to destroye Therefore vnder the pretence of Christ he seeketh priuily to
that in Claudius dayes they were all driuen out of Rome and Italie And surelye it might seeme a grieuous attempt for Iewes defamed persons almost with all men to prescribe lawes vnto the Romanes the Lords seigniors of the whole world And this accusation was of such force and effect that all the people ranne vpon the Apostles as it had bene to the quenching of some great fyre begun Thou shalt in this place consider what the crafts of the enimies of the truth are We heard how they were incensed led with the desire of priuate lucre aduantage But bicause it was an vnhonest poynt to disturbe the whole citie for a fewes sake they make of a priuate case a publike with marueylous arte and craft so proceeding as though they tooke the publike weales cause in hande Thus we heare Caiaphas played the Rhetorician when he sayde vnto the Scribes consulting agaynst Christ It is expedient for vs that one man dye for the people and not all the Nation perishe And now a dayes nothing is so common a thing as to set a pretence of common weale vpon priuate affections when men desire the doctrine of truth to be banished This craft they haue learned of their Captaine the Deuill who we reade vsed the same trickes euen from the beginning For did he not this wayes entyce our fyrst parents to breake Gods commaundement so propose his matter as though he had sought no whitte for his owne auayle but was onely carefull for theirs When he begoonne also to dispute with Christ he seemed to go about to cause Christ to declare his Godheade vnto the worlde by some woonderfull and myraculous wise and not to holde the worlde anye longer in suspence and doubt what he was For to this ende were his sayings touching turning of stones into breade and casting himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple We haue euerywhere examples of such sleyghtes the chiefe ende whereof is to warne vs that we suffer not our selues to be circumuented and beguiled eyther with the craftes of the deuill himselfe or of his members This place also teacheth vs with what crimes commonly the truth is charged in this worlde Namely that she troubleth and disquieteth common weales and beguyleth the simple Commons with new and false religion Hereof commeth it to passe that the Ministers and teachers of the truth are counted for seditious fellowes seducers and beguilers The faythfull seruauntes of God Moses and Aaron are so called of Pharao the tyrant For thus he aunswereth them desiring him that the people myght be set at libertie You Moses and Aaron why pluck you the people away from their labour But the wicked Achab more bitterly vpbraydeth the Prophete Elias with the same saying Art not thou he that troublest Israel Yet is that more grieuous that Amasias the Priest layeth to Amos the Prophetes charge before king Ieroboam in these wordes Amos hath made a conspiracie against thee in the middest of the house of Israel and the lande cannot away with his sermons Yea the wicked Courtyers of Sedechias the king accuse Ieremie of treason and of flying to his enimies the Assirians saying he is the onely authour of all their miseries and destruction But this is no marueyle considering these were the poynts of accusation that were layde vnto Christes charge For the Priestes sayde vnto Pylate wee founde this man peruerting the whole Nation and forbidding to paye tribute vnto Caesar saying he was Christ a king Agayne If thou let him loose thou art not Caesars friend Whosoeuer maketh himselfe a king speaketh against Caesar. These are grieuous matters and argue the great impudencie of the worlde And yet they may seeme tollerable being compared with the things done in our dayes These thinges in times past did they saye which were the professed enimies of the Prophetes and Apostles and which knewe not that Christ was their sauiour But nowe adayes they that will be taken and counted for Christians which challenge vnto them the chiefe gouernaunce of the Church which professe themselues to be the nurses shepeheardes and defenders of the Church vse to persecute the ministers of Christ and his Gospell and call that a newe doctrine a seditious and a deceytfull which according to the scriptures of the olde and newe Testament sheweth that all our saluation is onely in Christ Iesus which teacheth vs the right vse of the sacraments innocencie and puritie of life the duties of charitie commaundeth vs to loue our enimies leaueth lawes and priuiledges free vnto Magistrates biddeth vs giue vnto Caesar that is Caesars and vnto God that belongeth vnto him which commendeth vnto vs principally the desire of peace and commaundeth vs asmuch as lyeth in vs to haue peace with all men Who may not therefore crie out ô maners ô tymes Let vs therfore acknowledge the blindenesse of this world and not esteeme their slaunders one myte whereby they go about to defame and bring in suspition the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell It remayneth for vs to consider what the iudgement of the Gouernour of Philippi was concerning this present cause But what saye I the iudgement whereas without all iudgement they raged like madde men against the Apostles Sreyghtways they tare and rent their garments as though there wanted Ministers of such mischiefe Then they commaunde them without hearing their aunswere and being guiltlesse to be beaten with roddes And when they had bene well scourged at length they cast them in prison commaunding that they shoulde be well watched as though they were worthye of more punishment than other malefactors Which thing was the cause that they were put in an inner prison and their feete thrust into the stockes But what more iniustice coulde Magistrates and men in office shewe He offendeth that doth but denie him leaue that is accused to excuse himselfe But these men besides beate straungers with roddes and when they haue beaten them thrust them in prison meaning afterwarde at leysure to heare their aunswere The cause of this rage was for that they suffered other that slaundered them to much to kindle their choler Therfore let them that sitte in iudgement flie this pestilent plague and remember that they haue two eares giuen them for this cause that one maye be kept open for the Plaintife and that other for the defendant Let them also remember that God is the President of iudgements to whome they also shall one day giue an account of their iudgements In the meane season we are admonished what the state of the godly is in this worlde Notorious malefactors maye liue in safetye but the godlye are hated and persecuted of all men and where they hurt none but doe good vnto all men they haue least thanke of all men in the worlde It was a singular benefite to deliuer the Damsell out of the thraldome of Satan But for their good turne they are punished with strypes and imprisonment as publike enimies of the Citie Hereof we haue euery
the Citie crying These that trouble the worlde are come hyther also whome Iason hath receyued priuilie And these all doe contrarie to the decrees of Caesar affirming an other king one Iesus And they troubled the people and the officers of the Citie when they heard these things And when they were sufficiently aunswered of Iason and of the other they let them go And the brethren immediatly sent away Paule Silas by night vnto Berrhoea which when they were come thyther entred into the Synagoge of the Iewes AS God ordeyned his sonne from euerlasting to be the sauiour of mankinde so he prophecyed in the beginning of the world that there should be perpetuall enmitie and contention betweene the Deuill and him when he sayde vnto the Serpent I will set enmitie betweene thee and the woman betweene thy seede and hir seede The same shall treade downe thy heade and thou shalt treade vpon hys heele Continuall examples of which prophecie this booke of the Apostles actes declareth vnto vs For wheresoeuer in the worlde the Apostles went about to erect and establishe the kingdome of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell there Satan by his instrumentes alwayes withstoode them This he did fyrst at Ierusalem by the Scribes Priests after that at Samaria by Simon the Sorcerer after that againe at Damascus by Areta king of Arabia in Cyprus by Elymas the Sorcerer at Antioch in Pisidia by the Iewes who after that of an obstinate purpose and implacable hatred followed Paule euerywhere by sea and by lande to hynder and stop the course of the gospell For these were his enimies at Lystra These withstoode him as he taught at Derba And nowe being called of God into Macedonia they trouble and molest him For by their meanes as this present place teacheth he is thrust out of Thessalonica where the gospell began prosperously to take roote The chiefe vse of all these things is that we must not be offended if the lyke come vpon these dayes but that we consyder that this alway is the state of the church in this worlde bicause the worlde delyghteth more in seruing the Prince thereof than in Christ. But let vs vewe this present place which marueylously serueth to instruct and comfort vs against the wicked assaultes of the Deuill and the worlde For fyrst it teacheth vs with what instruments the Deuill fought agaynst Paule at Thessalonica After that it describeth their properties and qualities and the good successe of all this Tragedie Among the instrumentes of the Deuill which he here thought good to vse are two kynde of men rehearsed The fyrst are the Iewes which Luke sayth had indignation at the Apostles But they were hypocrites which vsed the pretence of Gods lawe and zeale of auncient religion to cloke their obstinacie and vnbeliefe with where in deede they sought nothing but their priuate gaine and glorye as by their conspiracie may easily appeare For they tooke vnto them certaine vagabundes men of naughtie conditions whose companye they ought to haue shunned as a moste pestilent plague if they had loued truth and religion For thus are ydle and luskishe lubbers worthie to be called who when they haue spent their goodes in waste stande in the market place lyke publyke wares to be solde and are ready to commit all kinde of mischiefe so they may fynde a buyer This is a marueylous society and such as a man would neuer once suspect could be amonge professours of such vnlyke studyes but that the force of hatred once conceyued against the truth is so great that it vseth to ioyne men of most diuers conditions and natures in league togither Thus thou seest the Priestes Scribes and Phariseyes the Sadduceyes Iudas the Apostle the souldiours Herode and Pilate conspire togither against Christ all which otherwise were of diuers countreyes religion and profession This place teacheth vs who are the most earnest and chiefest enimies of the truth Uerily hypocrites which vnder a false pretence of religion seeke their owne aduauntage and such as being nusseled in ydlenesse and cannot away with pouertie are readie to sell their helpe about any thing For as the fyrst sort by the testimonie of Christ can not beleeue bicause they burne in desyre of priuate glorye so the other thinke there is most right where most meede is Therefore Satan vseth craftily to ioyne and consocyate these two sortes of men togither to the ende that these bolde and desperate dickes of Caria hyred and waged by hypocrites may with open violence bring that to passe which they cannot with their craftie and subtile inuentions This is the cause that nowe a dayes so manye Prelates are seene in kings Courtes that Byshops be of Princes counsels and that Monkes which bragge they are men deade vnto the worlde are seene flying in the fyeld among armed men For they can fynde themselues no more trustie defendoures than such as haue solde their soules and consciences and measure all truth and religion by gaine and lucre These things teach vs what kinde of men they shoulde most of all beware of which desyre to haue their Churches in safety In many places now a dayes Abbotes and Bishops craftily insynuate themselues and pretende a kinde of zeale But when they are once let in by and by they fynde men meete for their purpose and deuises which being brybed with golde dare forceably doe anye thing against the doctrine of Christ and they are founde to be most of all other voyde of al religion and righteousnesse which seemed before to beare greatest zeale vnto God. This the seconde part of this place teacheth vs which declareth their doings which hytherto pretended the zeale of godlynesse in their enterprise The fyrst thing that they doe they set all the Citie by their conspiracie in an vprore which was easie for them to doe by false rumours which they spredde both openly and priuily agaynst the Apostles as enymies of the publike weale That done they violently giue an assault to an other mans house meaning to haue brought forth the Apostles if they had found them there But what kinde of zeale is that that maketh men burst open dores and hale innocents vnto death Yet is there a more heynous matter than this For when they could not fynde them they sought for they bring and pull before the Iudges Iason the Apostles hoste a man for his hospitality worthy of singuler prayse and with him certaine of the brethren which beleeued in Christ and accuse them as Traytors vnto the Citie And they so frame their accusation that they intermeddle in euery worde most impudent lyes and slaunders These say they that trouble the worlde are come hyther also whome Iason hath receyued priuilye They call the Apostles which preach peace and mutuall looue troublers of the worlde whereas they themselues had nowe set all the Citie on a roare lyke seditious fellowes But bicause they knewe religion in pretence whereof they made this adooe was smally regarded
straunger and to follow his voyce onely Howbeit the short role or recount of beleeuers that Luke rehearseth must be also consydered which we see was gathered togither of al kinde of men Fyrst many Iewes beleeue althoughe the forsaking of that Nation was euen at hande Yet God vtterly forgetteth not his couenaunt but according to his promise preserueth certaine remnaunts Unto these are adioyned certaine noble and chiefe women of the Gentyles and at length are dyuers men besides numbred Whereby it appeareth that the grace of God which is giuen vs in Christ appertayneth to all sortes of men and that none is to be excluded from it eyther for cause of countrie nation sexe or whatsoeuer condition For in Christ Iesu there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle bondman nor free man nor woman c. Which thing as it serueth to comfort vs so it teacheth euerie man to be mindefull of christian societie and to contempne no man ouer insolently in comparison of himselfe But let vs see what Satan attempted at Berrhoea against the kingdome of Christ verily euen the same that he dyd otherwheres For he can not suffer that to go forwarde that he knoweth hyndereth and ouerthroweth his kingdome And bicause he could fynde none in that Citie meete to serue his turne he calleth out the Iewes from Thessalonica who hearing and disdayning that the fayth of Christ went forwarde at Berrhoea come flying in post haste and cause a great sturre and tumulte there also Satan therfore vseth the lyke pollicie here that we sawe he vsed before at Lystra which is his propertie also at these dayes if he perceyue there want disturbers of Christes kingdome in one place to bring and fetch them from an other And it is a marueyle to see howe nymble the Monkes be in accomplishing this matter whome the Deuill can craftily sende abroade not onely into Cities but also into kings Courtes and priuie counsels to cause Princes being bewitched with their suggestions to shut their eares against the doctrine of truth In the meane season marke here the incurable malice of the Iewes wherewith they are so netled that they themselues doe not onely refuse the fayth of Christ but also can not suffer other to be illuminated with the same so that it is not without a cause that Paule so earnestly reprehendeth them in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians the seconde Chapter Lyke vnto these men are all those in these dayes that giue themselues to the deuill to be instrumentes to impugne the fayth of Christ and thereby seeke great commendation Yet let them remember that they shal haue the same iudgement whereof was shewed an example vppon the Iewes to the woonder of the whole worlde For the holy ghost long agone prophecyed that all they shoulde be brused with the yron rodde of Christ which would not be corrected and amended by his worde And there want not examples of most mightie kings which haue founde this reuengefull sentence of Christ true to their great losse and hynderaunce whereof bicause we haue alreadie at large intreated otherwheres we will for thys time be contented to haue spoken these fewe wordes But what doe the brethren in the middest of this hurlye burlye Leaue they Paule in the bryars and daunger or refuse they to giue him counsell and to helpe him No. But rather leauing Silas and Timotheus which were not in such daunger to remaine at Berrhoea they conuey Paule away vsing therein great and singuler diligence For they take their iourney towarde the sea and by and by turne their course and come to Athens from whence Paule afterwarde wrote his fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians It seemeth they helde not on their waye directly bicause they woulde auoyde the wayte of the Iewes who they sawe raged in such hatred against Paule Furthermore here is to be obserued the loue and kindnesse that they of Berrhoea shewe vnto their teacher For who doubteth but this attempt of theirs was a matter not onely of much expence and labour but also of great daunger But nothing could let them to go on in their godly duetie bicause they had a right iudgement of the benefyte of the gospell which they had receyued and they thinke it but a small matter to shewe an outwarde duetie and reuerence for the gift of eternall saluation Nowe a dayes bicause fewe men iudge rightly of Gods grace offered in the gospell they wil susteyne no labour and perill about the same But most times it commeth to passe that they which will suffer no daunger for Christes cause an other tyme are molested with greater cares for causes lesse godly This place furthermore teacheth vs that wisedome with fayth maye well stande togyther For Christ commaundeth vs to beware of the wylinesse of men and to vse the wisedome of Serpents against it We haue neede therof bicause of the children of this worlde whom Christ himselfe witnesseth to be wiser in their generation than the children of light Yet let vs remember that we must appoynt certaine boundes vnto the wisedome of the fleshe that we doe nothing through the counsell and perswasion thereof against our duetie wherein there is no better or more safe remedy then if we submyt all our vnderstanding vnto the obedience of fayth as Paule otherwheres teacheth vs So shall it come to passe that we shall neyther tempt God by putting our selues rashely in daunger nor dishonestly forsake the truth but holde the myddle way in dooing our duetie and hereafter raigne with Iesus Christ whome we serue in heauen to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxvj. Homelie WHILE Paule wayted for them at Athens his spirite was mooued in hym when he sawe the Citie giuen to worshipping of Images Then disputed he in the Synagoge wyth the Iewes and with the deuout persons and in the market daylie with them that came vnto him by chaunce Certaine Philosophers of the Epicures and of the Stoikes disputed with him And some there were which sayde what will this babler say Other sayde he seemeth to be a tydings bringer of new Deuils bicause he preacheth vnto them Iesus and the resurrection And they tooke him and brought him into Mars hys seate saying maye wee not knowe what thys newe doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest straunge tydings to our eares we would know therfore what these things meane For all the Athenians and straungers that were there gaue themselues to nothing else but either to tell or to heare some newe thing THe Euangelist Luke hytherto hath described the dyuers iourneys and wandrings of Paule the Apostle by reason whereof he lyghtened so manye nations and Cities with the preaching of the gospell that he sayde otherwheres not without a cause that he had laboured more than all the Apostles Further least any man might thinke he had drawne ignoraunt and vnlearned men onely with an artifyciall and elaborate kinde of eloquence he came at length to Athens not
else to the fyre But he respected the promises of Christ wherewith he was so emboldened that no daunger coulde feare him to doe his duetie It is also a token of singuler modestie that he yeeldeth to better counsell and doth not obstinately vrge that which was both daungerous and had little profyte ioyned therewith Let euerye manne followe this example bicause we see many times the greatest wyttes in their owne daungers knowe least what waye or counsell to take It is also worthye the noting that Paule hath great men to his friendes A fewe such we reade Christ had amongst whome Nicodemus and Ioseph are counted the chiefe Iohn 12.3 Math. 27. Here the error of the Anabaptistes is refelled which saye that a christian ought to beare no office But chiefely we learne howe vaine the defence and succour of the worlde is seing their authoritie coulde not keepe Paule from daunger of sedition It becommeth vs therefore to put all our hope and trust in God alone and not in Princes or in the children of men for there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. And that this is the vse of this present example Paule teacheth in hys seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fyrst chapter Nowe Luke commeth to the seditious of whome he reporteth two things First some sayth he cryed one thing some an other and the most part knewe not wherefore they were come togyther This is a peculiar thing in the time of sedition that like a flowing streame it caryeth many away with it being vtterly ignoraunt of the meaning thereof and a great many good men also euen against their will. Therefore such would be appeased rather by counsell and reason then by force For if force be vsed commonly the Innocentes drinke for it the wicked beginners slylie slipping awaye A dolorous example whereof Germany sawe when in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred twentie and fyue horrible streames of husbandmens bloude almost ouerflowed hir Let Princes therefore haue in minde rather that saying of the Prophet where they are commaunded to holde their subiects liues deere Psalm 72. Moreouer the Iewes thrust forwarde one Alexander who by all likelyhoode was one of Paules friendes and drewe him forth bicause they ment to bring him in daunger He desired silence and woulde haue giuen a reason and an accounte of things attempted touching religion But when they perceyued he was a Iewe and an enimie of heathen superstition they turne to their furious exclamations againe and for two houres long fyll all the Citie with the noyse of their Diana For as the belly lacketh eares so commonly they are deafe and wyll heare no reason which mooue sedition for the bellyes sake And this is the contynuall practise of the wicked to barke against the truth wyth furious clamours which otherwyse they knowe is inuincible In the meane season the faintnesse of a great many is reprooued who knowing the truth are yet altogyther colde in the confessing thereof and regarde not the zeale of the vngodlye whome they see bolde euen in the defence of superstition Let vs learne therefore what state the truth standeth in in this worlde and beyng armed wyth the constancie of fayth let vs stowtely beare out whatsoeuer God sendeth that we maye vanquishe all aduersity through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be all praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxx. Homely WHEN the towne Clarke had ceased the people he sayde yee men of Ephesus what man is it that knoweth not howe that the Citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen Seing then that no manne sayth here against yee ought to be content and to doe nothing rashly for ye haue brought hyther these men which are neyther robbers of Churches nor yet despysers of your Goddesse VVherefore if Demetrius and the craftesmen which are with him haue a matter agaynst any manne the lawe is open and their Rulers let them accuse one another But if you go about any other thing it shall bee determined in a lawfull congregation For we are in ieoperdye to be accused of this dayes vprore forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we maye giue a reckoning of this concourse of people And when he had thus spoken hee let the assembly depart WE haue hearde the sedition that Demetrius raised against Paule described by Luke Where beside the propertie of the furious people we noted diuers pointes wherein Paule was chiefely to be considered First he boldly and constantlye woulde haue ventured to go in among the people mynding to haue giuen an account openly both of his fayth and doctrine But seeing he coulde not be permitted so to doe he keepeth him among his friends committing the whole successe of the matter vnto God yet so as he swarued not a nayle breadth from the truth nor yet dissembled anye thing for cowardlye feare Which example admonisheth vs what we shoulde doe in lyke case or in open persecution Before all things it becommeth vs according to Peter the Apostles precept to be ready to giue an account to euerye manne that demaundeth it 1. Pet. 3. But when the enimies shall so raue that there is no place for truth and the confession therof we must proceede warily and wiselye least we put our selfe in daunger without Gods calling and so tempt him In the meane season let vs be constaunt in acknowledging the truth and wayte the Lordes leysure who neuer forsaketh them that put their trust in him and who by his wisedome and power is able easily to cease and alaye all cruell tempestes This present hystorye sheweth vs an ensample hereof where God appeaseth a very daungerous sedition to all seeming by the help of one Scribe or Towneclarke and such a one as the whole course of his Oration proueth manifestly to haue had no vnderstanding in Christes religion where the power of God appeareth the more seeing he vseth the reprobate and their helpe in the defence of his people Let vs examine the Towneclarkes Oration throughout all the partes thereof the chiefe ende whereof is to represse the seditious tumult of the vnruly people himselfe in the meane season being little carefull for religion He beginneth with that the most vexed these seditious They stoode in great feare of their Diana for hir sake they so cryed out as we haue heard before bicause if the worshipping of hir were layde awaye they sawe their gayne was lyke to be gone But the Towneclarke sayth this was no iust or sufficient cause for them to make such a stirre For what man is there sayeth he but knoweth that the Citie of Ephesus is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen As who shoulde saye To what purpose repeate you so often with furious clamor the name of Diana Who denyeth you to be hir honourers Who knoweth not that Dianas Image came downe from heauen Or who letteth you
grace and fauor By this place are declared vnto vs the frutes that vse alwayes to followe the studie of the gospell For it bothe bringeth life vnto vs bicause the gospell is the power of saluation vnto all that beleeue in it and it recreateth the minde with sounde ioy while it teacheth vs that the Father is reconciled vnto vs through the Sonne Which ioye as it is full and perfite so no man is able to take it from vs. Furthermore the Euangelist returneth to the description of Paules voiage rehersing in order both the Cities and places which either they sailed by or else made abode in for any time The situation and standing of which places if any man desire to knowe he may peruse the tables and bookes of the Geographers From Troas vnto Asson Paule went on fote sending his companions afore by Barche For he ment either to visite the congregation as he went or to auoide the anoyance of sailing by Sea. Where yet his humanitie is to be praised that he would ease his felowes of trauaile and not abuse their industrie and good will. At length passing by Ephesus they come vnto Miletum or Malta wher he called the ministers of Asia vnto a Synode It is wrytten that he made great haste bicause he purposed to be at IerusaleÌ at Pentecost not after the vsage of the Iewes but bicause of the concursse of people which he thought should heare him preach to their great auaile and profite This place is very notable containing Paules trauailes and ieoperdies By the which we learne howe difficult a matter it is duely and truely to serue God who can abide none worse than idle and sluggish worshippers Thus we read Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses the Prophets and after them Christ were troubled and embrued with continuall laboures and perilles Therefore let vs also prepare our selues to labours and daungers that we be not troubled when they sodainly fall on vs This place teacheth vs also of what authoritie the gospell ought to be with vs which we know was set forth with such paines and trauaile and with the effusion of so much bloud For to this ende laboured all the Apostles and the Prophetes before them and the very sonne of God who testifieth that he came also to preach and set forth the gospell Therfore their slouthfulnesse is execrable which so easely let such a treasure be taken from them Their religion likewise is preposterous which alwayes hauing in their mouthes the Saintes and honouring of the Saintes doe in the meane season lothe the doctrine of the gospell for whose sake tyll the Saintes suffered suche paines abode so many daungers and at length shed their bloud Let vs therfore haue a true opinion of this treasure O brethren by the which only saluation is offered vs the aucthor wherof is Iesus Christ to whom be praise honoure power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxiij Homelie And from Miletus he sent Messengers to Ephesus called the elders of the congregation which when they were come to him he saide vnto them ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue bene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which came to passe vnto me by the laying await of the Iewes bicause I would kepe backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but to shew you and teach you openly thorow out euery house witnessing both to the Ievves and also to the Greekes that the repentance that is towarde God and that faith which is toward our Lord Iesus THe holy Ghost by the holy wryter Luke moste diligently reporteth the Actes of the Apostles of Iesus Christ partly for that all ministers might haue a presideÌt to follow and partly that all men might vnderstande of what aucthoritie the gospell ought to be with vs which they haue set forth with such great paines and trauailes And heereunto is this presente Acte of Paule the Apostle to be referred Who although he made great haste to Ierusalem and ment to spend no time in Asia yet he intermitted none of the things which belonged to the vtilitie of the Churches of Asia For he calleth before him at Miletus the Elders or Ministers of Ephesus and the Cities adioyning and in a general CouÌcel concludeth with them things of much waight and importance By which example as the faith and industrie of Paule appeareth so we are taught that the conuocation of ministers with the common consent of all parties is very necessary for the determination of Ecclesiasticall matters This maketh for the maintenance of discipline in the Church to kepe vnder the ambition of prelates to conserue an vnitie in true doctrine and to beat downe heresies which many times vse to creepe in if ministers doe not faithfully sette to their helpes Heere therfore the error of those that would mingle the workes of the lawe with the faith in Christ was abolished by a general conuocation and the truthe defended by aucthoritie of the same Heereunto that moste godly and prudent Prince Constantine the great had a respecte when he vsed to cal the Synodes of Bishops togither against the which Licunus the publike ennimie of Christian religion did greatly resiste who by publike Proclamation as Eusebius wryteth forbade the pastoures of the churches to meete or assemble togither For the craftie subtile Foxe perceiued that by consent and vnitie of the Ministers the Churche and the confession of a true faith were cheefely established and that this consent was cheefely maintained by aucthoritie of Counsels And Antichrist as craftily hath pulled vnto him selfe all aucthoritie of Counsels to the end that he would not haue his tyrannie kepte vnder by Counsels lawfully assembled Also in the Ministers of Asia is declared a singuler example of modestie who although they were more in number yet refused not the appointment of Paule being but one who had preached Christ first in those quarters and whome by many arguments they had proued was a chosen instrument of christ For although the dignitie of all Ministers in the Church is alike and none ought to chaleÌge power or aucthoritie ouer other yet an order is necessary in the Churche which can neuer be kept and maintained except Ministers will obserue modestie and humilitie among themselues And Paule did not therefore call these Pastors of Asia before him bicause he chalenged any priuate aucthoritie or iurisdiction ouer them but bicause it was for the behoofe auaile of the whole church that they should haue warning of matters of importance wherein he thought not to be behinde for his parte bicause as he confesseth other wheres he knewe him selfe to be a debter bothe to the Iewes and to the Gentiles Furthermore let vs see Paules oration containing in it the causes of the calling of this Synode For it hath in it a vehement and pithie exhortation that for as muche as they
should see him no more they would followe his example and diligently kepe the doctrine he had taught them that they would carefully watche for the sauegarde of the Churche and stoutly resist those heretickes whereof a numbre very noysome and hurtfull would follow He exhorteth them the rather by his example and vrgeth them the more earnestly bicause that as he was in his owne conscience not culpable so he communed with them to whome his credite and diligence was well knowne And in the beginning he comprehendeth brefely bothe the example of his owne life and the summe of his doctrine Concerning his liuing he sayth thus Yee knowe from the first day I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which happened to mee by the laying await of the Iewes As he calleth them to witnesses so he alleageth all the time of his conuersation among them least any mighte thinke hee had counterfaited godlinesse for a small seasone as a great many vse to doe who when they haue craftily crope and gotte within men through their pretence of vertuousnesse at lengthe moste shamefully bewray their cloked naughtinesse For the wicked can not long counterfet godlinesse But bicause Paule had wholely addicted himselfe vnto Christ and to his religion therefore he alwayes obserued one tenor of conuersation and one like studie and trauaile in the Ministerie Of this studie and trauaile is it to be vnderstanded where it is sayde he serued the Lorde wherein he maketh mention of three things specially humblenesse of minde teares which the earnest desyre of all mennes saluation caused him to shed and greeuous temptations which yet could neuer plucke him from doing his office and duetie By these lette the Ministers of Churches learne what manner of men they ought to be in the Ministerie of the Churche And firste lette them laboure for Humilitie that they ascribe not to them selues impudently any Diuinitie or Godheade which is the propertie of Antichriste or contempne any persone in comparison of themselues and so arrogantly seeke rule and Lordshippe ouer their fellowe Ministers which thing Peter warneth them of in his first Epistle and fifthe Chapter For it becommeth them that will bee Christes Ministers to followe Christes ensample who as hee derogateth nothing from the glory of his Father so hee neuer disdained any persone in so muche that hee liued very familiarely with Publicanes and sinners and did witsafe to washe hys Disciples feete so leauing it to them as an Example of Humilitie teaching them that they shoulde refuse no kinde of duetifulnesse one towardes an other Unto Humilitie must bee ioyned a desire to profite all menne whiche Ministers muste seeke with all diligence yea euen with teares For hereof we haue an ensample in Christe who as Mathewe wryteth in the ninthe Chapter was moued euen from the bottome of the heart when he sawe the Iewes go astray like sheepe lacking a Shephearde And in an other place we read he wepte when hee behelde Ierusalem that vnkinde and bloudy Citie knowing that for their greeuous wickednesse and irrepentant mindes they should shortly come to destruction The like affection of Charitie we see in Moses who chose rather to bee wyped oute of the Booke of life than to see the destruction of his Countrymen Samuel the Prophete had the like in him also who hearing that God hadde forsaken Saule tooke suche a care of heart therefore that he ceased not mourning till God reprehended him for it 1. Sam. 15. and ⪠16. And that Paule proudely bragged not of this affection bothe his faithfull and continuall diligence to sette foorthe the publike saluation proueth and also this that for the Iewes sake which were hys mortall ennemyes hee wished to be accursed And surely as many as well vnderstande the reason of their Ministerie cannot wante thys affection for where they heare that menne are borne againe by their Ministerie they take them for theyr Children whome they bryng vnto GOD and they vse to embrace them with a Fatherly affection which if any man wante doubtlesse hee aboundantly declareth that hee vnderstandeth not the dignitie of hys Ministerie But there muste bee also ioyned heereunto a thirde thing that they fall not in the time of temptation or being ouercomen with feare forsake not their Churches when persecution ariseth For Christ saithe that this is the propretie of hirelings Yea lette them thincke that their Faithe and constancie is then cheefely required when they see bothe them selues and their sheepe most of all tempted And if a manne woulde compare those that nowe a dayes will bee called Successoures of the Apostles wyth this Example of Paule it shall easely appeare howe little or nothyng of Paules heart and minde is in them bicause in pride they exceede all barbarous Princes they fill the world full of warres they haue no pitie of the sheepe that goe astray but are only careful how to prouide for them and theirs with the common losse and detriment of other men But lette vs retourne vnto Paule who rendering an accompte of hys Doctrine setteth out a perfecte patterne of the same not onely to the Ephesians and those of Asia but to all Ministers for all tymes and all places And fyrste he sayth he didde all things among them of good purpose and intente I kepte backe nothyng that was profitable vnto you but shewed you it c. The sense is that hee kepte from them nothyng that was necessarie for them to knowe The same is required of all Ministers to teache the doctrine of saluation perfectly and to keepe backe nothyng for the worldes pleasure Yea the more the worlde rageth the more muste the trumpe of the worde sounde that they suffer not the truthe to bee oppressed and ouercome with the fury of the worlde Heere is reproued the errour of them whych thinke it good to yeelde somewhat to the enimyes of truthe that they bee not the more incensed by playnenesse of teaching as thoughe they became not the fiercer throughe the slothe of Ministers whyle they thynke men feare them and the Ministers distruste their grounde and quarell It is heere chiefly to bee noted that the Apostles teache all thinges fully and perfectly that concerne the saluation of man so that there needeth no additions or patches to supply or make vp their doctrine For it is euident that Chryst concealeth nothing from them prouing by this argument that he tooke them for his friendes bycause he reuealed all thinges vnto them that he receyued of his father He promised them his spirite to prompt them and put them in remembraunce of all things which we haue seene before they receyued Therefore the doctrine of the Apostles is full and perfecte whereby they taughte Iesus Chryste onely vnto the Churche as their Epistles and Sermons aboundantly declare Therefore they do great iniurie
man and redeemed the Churche with the price of his bloud Therefore the Church is deare vnto Christ and they are guiltie of the bloud of Christ that neglecte the Church and either abolishe the profite thereof themselfe or else suffer it to perishe and decay Marke howe the Churche belongeth to no one man but vnto God who hath redeemed and purged hir with his bloud and espoused hir vnto him selfe Therefore as no man may challenge vnto him selfe rule ouer the spouse of God so euery one that is a membre of the same must looke that they consecrate them selues to God onely and addicte not them selues to worship any creature that they be not punished for their execrable fornication Also this serueth for our consolation that it is impossible that God should neglecte them whome hee redeemed with so great a price Thinke that there is the like reason before God of all creatures For as euery man is created after the image of God so are they redeemed and purchased with the bloud of the sonne of god Shalt thou then go vnpunished if thou slaunder any of them do him wrong violently hurt him or contumeliously disdaine him or offend him in religion or conuersation of life Read the things wrytten of Paule Rom. 14. which make muche for this place and the .8 chapter of the first to the Corinthians The fourth reason is borowed of necessitie For he declareth that it is necessary that the church be diligently seene vnto bicause it was in great daunger of wolues or false teachers For althoughe the shepheard may sometimes be at leasure or take his sleepe when there is no suspition of daunger yet then is it no time of idlenesse nor sleepe when the Wolues begin to howle and to be seene comming in companies togither I am sure saith Paule that after my departure grieuous wolues shall enter in which shal not spare the flock yea of your owne selues shall men arise which shall miserably peruert the simple doctrine of truth labouring rather to gette to them selues schollers than to Christ whose glory they ought only to seke Paule knew that such should arise euen by peculiar reuelation of the holy spirite For otherwheres prophesying of false teachers he maketh the holy Ghost the aucthor of prophesie Howbeit let vs marke in this place the faithfull care of God in vsing to prouide for his Church The Church is as a flock or Kid in the midle of a sort of wolues But God so careth for hir that he giueth hir diligent warning not only of present dangers but also of daungers to come For there are Prophesies of Antichrist and Antichristian teachers Christ also reasoning of the later dayes so describeth these false Prophets that he must willingly and wittingly perish that beleeueth them The wrytings of the Apostles are full of the like aduertisements which for breuities sake I omit In the meane time we learne howe they dote which nowe a dayes would haue nothing but the bare doctrine of truthe taught but will not haue the Church admonished of present daungers and the Wolues to be reproued bicause they see that the exclamations of the shepherdes vexe make the Wolues the more fierce As thoughe it were possible to tame Wolues or if no man take them in hand to alter their nature and that the shepherds ought not rather to haue this marke before their eyes to teache the sheepe to beware of the Wolues How foolishly was it done of the Apostles to admonish vs of Wolues to come if no man now a dayes must finde fault with them that go abrode Secondarily let vs marke how he saith these Wolues shall come when he is gone For they are afraide while the faithfull Ministers are present and throughe their diligence and care they are kepte backe from breaking in among vs But bicause this vnkinde world commonly little esteemeth the diligence of such men God suffereth Wolues to burst into the whole flocke like wilde and vnbrideled horsses when the faithful Ministers are gone And we lacke not examples inough to proue the same Let vs learne therfore how much we haue to make of faithfull and diligent ouerseers as well of the Church as of the common weale the deathes and departures of whom be commonly tokens of great misfortunes and publike calamities to come Thirdly lette vs see the description of false teachers and what their trade is The Apostle calleth them Wolues after the example of Christ who it appeareth called them by the same name They are so called bicause of their naturall hatred against the flocke of Christ and also greedinesse for that insatiable and rauine of theirs to spoile and wurrie the Church He declareth also from whence these Wolues arise They shall arise sayth he from among your selues So sayth Iohn âhey went out from vs c. And Paule sheweth vs Antichristes seate euen in the very Church 2. Thess. 2. It is profitable diligently to obserue the same that we be not offended with the falling away of some light persons considering we see such become sodenly the enimies of truth which a little before semed stout defenders of the same For what new or strange thing is this Seeing Iudas for a certaine space had a roume among the Apostles and Paule knew that from among them to whome he so carefully commended the Church wolues wold arise Also heereby is confuted the peeuish and dâltish vaunts of the Bishops of Rome which they now adayes stand so much vpon For they think it is impossible that the bishops of that church shuld erre whose accompte of succession they can make from the times of the Apostles But to graunt them that Peter and Paule had once bene Bishops of Rome which yet they shall neuer be able to proue will they deny that their successoures may erre But Paules successoures among the Ephesians were these rauening Wolues of whome he biddeth them to beware But as the Papacie consisteth of nothing but visures shewes so must the maiestie therof ready shortly to fal downe be vpholden with counterfet and visured arguments Furthermore he toucheth their doctrine where he sayth they shall speake wâested and peruerse things For the declaration of truthe is plaine and simple which false teachers with their gloses vse to peruert to make intricate and by so doing to make all things vncertaine Moreouer their ende is to draw disciples after them They deuide the Church therefore with sectes as Peter foretolde should come to passe But Histories declare that Paules warning was not in vaine For it is well knowne what swarmes of Heretickes most miserably disturbed the Church the whole world ouer And if a man would compare these things with our dayes it shall appeare that Paules admonition is as needefull in these dayes as euer it was For out of the Church euery day procede those greuous Wolues which nowe are growne to suche impudencie that they go about to couer them selues no longer in sheepe
skins but rather publikely professe their thirst of Christian bloude with skarlet coloure and their tyrannie with clinking of armoure and garrisons of men By meane of these the doctrine of truthe lyeth wrapped and entangled in infinite erroures and laberinthes and as it were euen buried And the same parties haue rent the Church which ought most to maintaine vnitie hauââent the Church into sixe hundred sectes euery one of them professing a propre and sundry faithe and religion in name habite ceremonies and vsages Lette vs awake O brethren and goe against these Wolues and take heede that we be not found to be hirelings rather than true shepherdes But let vs heare Paule which repeating his example which is the .v. argument exhorteth them most earnestly saying Wherefore awake and remember that by the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one of you night and day with teares He maketh mention of these three yeres bicause they should thinke no labor or trauaile too much For it should be a shame not to take labor and paines seeing suche an Apostle of Christ refused it not And they be in no small fault which by their negligence let the Churches gathered together by the trauailes and deathes of the Apostles run at hauocke Furthermore as it becommeth the Ministers to follow the example of the Apostles so must all Christians followe their steppes for as much as they were the followers of Christ as Paule himselfe declareth where he sayth be yee folowârs of me as I am the folower of Christ ⪠And this is the true worshipping of the Sainctes not that that standeth in adoration and inuocation of them which al the scripture saith is due to God onely Sixthly he reasoneth of the easinesse and vtilitie of their doing herein to aunswere them which were feared with the difficultie and daunger that was on euery side And for a more vehemencie of speeche he vseth a forme of imprecation saying and nowe brethren I commende you vnto God and to the worde of his grace which is able to build c. As who should say I knowe it is a difficult matter that I require and passing all mans power Howe be it it must not be brought to passe by mans force This is Gods husbandry this is Gods worke He laid the foundation he therefore is able to finishe the building and it is no difficult thing for him to vse your helpe to bring his matter to passe By his assistance therfore you shall easily ouercome all things Hee shall guide you with his spirit and the worde of grace which though it seeme but a slender thing yet it pearseth and cutteth sharper than any two edged swoorde The same God hathe prepared worthy rewardes already for suche trauailes and paines euen the inheritaunce of his kingdome where you shall shine among them that are sanctified like as the starres in the firmament These things must be layde vp in the bottome of our hartes O brethren For as they comfort vs in maruellous wise so they teache vs what the weapons and strength of the Ministers of the woorde are The weapons of our fight be spirituall sayth Paule These be the spirit of God the worde and God him selfe Who shall they then feare Or who shall bee able to withstande them Lette vs fight with these weapons rather than with the frendships of this world as with the confederacie and wisedome of the fleshe which haue very little or no vse at all in setting vp the kingdome of God. Wee learne moreouer that the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of Heauen pertaineth onely to them that are sanctified The sanctified are suche whose heartes faithe hathe purified and whome Christ hathe consecrated to GOD the Father throughe the price of hys Bloude The same beeing quickened with the spirit of God doe their dueties earnestly and striue earnestly to enter into that inheritance through all kinde of daungers the hope whereof they knowe will neuer deceiue them bicause it dependeth vppon the sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Christe to whom all praise honoure power and glory are due for euer Amen The Cxxxvj. Homelie I Haue desired no mannes siluer golde or vesture yea yee your selues knowe that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities and to them that were with me I haue shewed you all things howe that so labouring yee ought to receiue the weake and to remember the woordes of the Lorde Iesu howe that he saide it is more blessed to giue than to receiue And when he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and prayed with them all And they all wept sore and fell on Paules necke and kissed him sorowing moste of all for the woordes which hee spake that they should see his face no more And they conueyed hym vnto the shippe BIcause the Apostle Paule in that notable assemblie of the Ministers of Asia where he reasoned of the administration and gouernaunce of the Church foretolde of greeuous Wolues that should rise vp euen out of their own selues which throughe peruerse Doctrine should miserably disturbe the flocke of Christ in the later part of his oration he declareth bothe wisely and in time and place what they should cheefely beware of if they would auoide the name of suche Wolues He admonisheth them onely to take heede of couetousnesse bicause it is the roote of all âuill and bringeth all things out of frame if it once take possession in the mindes of the Cleargie For when they once make lucre of religion it causeth all godlinesse to be set to sale which also is a cause that they defile the doctrine of the woorde with the traditions of men that they hunt after the fauor and frendship of the world that they winke at open malefactoures and set open the doores to all manner of disorder The priestes of the Iewes may be an example vnto vs in whom Christ chefely reprehendeth this as the welspring of all corruption Therefore Paule dothe not without a cause other wheres warne Bishoppes that they be not giuen to filthie lucre and heere in this place he diligently reasoneth of this euill And bicause his admonition should bee the more of waighte he prouoketh them by hys owne Example declaring howe he vsed himselfe whyle hee was in Asia and alleageth waightie reasons and causes of his so doing I haue desired no mannes siluer gold or vesture saith he By the which woordes he declareth that he labored not to enriche him selfe by them forasmuch as he desired not of them the things necessary to his liuing muche lesse receiued or tooke them Hereby he teacheth that the Ministers of Churches must be free from the desire of heaping vp goods bicause they that goe about to enrich them selues shall neuer escape the snares of the Deuill and temptations But least any man might Obiecte againe and say whereof then O Paule liuedst thou He addeth by and by after yee knowe that these handes ministred to my necessities and to those that
here is declared a newe enterprise of the Iewes attempted to oppresse Paule by For when Festus was gon to Ierusalem to take an othe of allegeance of the Citizens and inhabitants there by and by the Priests and men of aucthoritie came vnto him and accuse Paule whome Felix had left in prison desiring the newe President of his fauoure that he mighte be brought to Ierusalem to be iudged and that they might procede against him according to the law of their Countrey But in the meane season they were purposed priuily to waite him by the way and to kill him In this place may be sene how vnquiet in minde the wicked are after they be once inâlamed with hatred of the truthe For where alwayes their naughtie workes are disclosed by the light thereof it can not be that they can easily lay away the hatred once conceiued But rather they boile and frothe in their mindes like the raging sea busily watching euery small occasion wherby to extinguish the light of that truth which they so hate And coÌmonly the force of this hatred is suche that without any regarde many times to their priuate auailes they only seke and desire how to make the ministers of the truth out of the way whose doctrin they perceiue so vexeth and fretteth them Both these things may be seene in this present example For we haue heard howe Paule was in prison whole two yeares Howbeit neither the continuance of time neither the miserable state of captiuitie could assuage their mindes for they could bear with any thing better than with the doctrine of the truth Wherfore they narowly watch euery little occasion spare neither for pains nor cost to bring their desire at length to passe First therfore they begin to make their requests and petition vnto the newe President against Paule which they oughte to haue made rather in the behalfe of their common weale and to haue besought him of his frendship towards all meÌ in general But they thought by this meane to preiudice Paule that the President might conceiue he was some publike enimie of his whole nation and couÌtry considering they labored so earnestly to haue him punished And we must not think that hatred of the truthe had so great force in these men onely For it is the common guise of all that are vngodly that if they might haue their wish neuer so much yet nothing is more deare vnto them than to haue the liues of them who they know wil withstaÌd their impietie and naughtinesse Heereunto belongeth that that the Euangelists wryte of Herodias which when she heard how Herode had offered hir daughter the one halfe of his kingdom yet she required but only the heade of Iohn to be giuen hir bicause as long as he liued and preached she thought hir raigne shuld not only be vnpleasant but all hir life also Many things of like sort might be reported and examples euen of our dayes but bicause they are euery where to be sene therfore we think good to passe theÌ ouer Let vs rather marke the vse of these things which is that we trust not ouer sone those which haue once conspired against the truthe For although they can sometimes trimly dissemble and colour their hatred against the truth yet the poison therof lieth hiddeÌ depe in their brests assone as occasion serueth wil burst forth with might and main And in these persons hath that saying of the Prophet chefely place pronouncing that the hart of man is froward vnsearchable Again here appeareth what the weapons of the vngodly are First they counterfet a countenaÌce of law and equity in that they require to haue him brought to Ierusalem to be iudged which might seeme an honest and iust request both bicause all the businesse began there first and also for that it seemed not reason that they which were so many in number and aucthoritie shuld be at so great charges and take such pain to iourney so farre for one mannes sake But in the meane season vnder this faire face of equitie they cloke an horrible and bloudy meaning as was euen nowe declared Lette vs learne by this place to iudge of those men which now adayes doe the like wherof a man may euery where finde more than are profitable in a Christian common weale Uerily Christe saith that these men fight with the power of darkenesse and therefore are the ministers of the Deuil which was a lier and murtherer from the beginning And Paule prophecied that Antichrist should raigne cheefely through lying and open force Therfore as many as resist the truth and the ministers therof with violent and trecherous sleights it is euident that they fight for the deuil vnder the standerd of Antichrist with whom except they repent in time they shal hereafter receiue the pay and wages of eternall damnation Moreouer let vs see how God disapointed the bloudy deuises of his ennemies For it was his woorking that Festus consented not to the desire petition of the Iewes whose request yet as shal appeare hereafter he made no small account of And surely there were great causes that might haue moued him to yeld vnto the Iewes For he might both iustly haue suspected Paule whome Felix going out of his office had left in prison and it seemed that the request which the cheefe of the Iewes made was not to be reiected and againe he might appeare but slenderly witted if in the beginning of his gouernement he would procure him the hatred of a whole nation for one mannes sake and he a prisonner and of no reputation But through the secrete inspiration God it commeth to passe that Festus had more regarde of iustice and of the Romaine lawes than of the Iewes nation Wherefore he thinketh good to keepe Paule at Caesarea still yet permitting the Iewes according to order of lawe to proceede against him It pleased God to teache all them that be in office or aucthoritie by the example of this Gentile what they haue to doe in like case verily to commit nothing either for fauoure of men or respect of priuate commoditie but to folowe equitie and lawe which if it be not kept it is impossible that common weales can continue in safetie Therefore lette Christian Kings and Princes be ashamed both of their lightnesse and vnrighteousnesse which now a dayes commonly condemne the maintainers of Euangelical truth and faith without hearing for the Popes and Bishops pleasure yea bicause they would seeme very religious they giue them all power against the faithful of Christ so coÌmitting the sheepe vnto the Wolues They shal one day feele to their great smart what they doe when bothe the bloudie Popes shall be punished and Christ our iudge shall require at the handes of the Kings his people committed vnto their charge But heere haue we cheefely to consider God the aucthoure of all these things whose woorking wee euen nowe saide all this was For where hee had said Paule should beare
notable and is the oftenest cyted and alleaged of any other in the new Testament For all the Euangelists make mention heereof Mathew in the thirtenth Marke in the fourth Luke in the eyght and Iohn in the twelfth Chapiters And Paule repeateth the same in the tenth Chapiter to the Romanes Therfore we muste not thinke the consideration thereof superstuous For it conteyneth in it three thynges greatly belonging to vs also Fyrst the sinne of the Iewes is described in that they wittingly and willingly are blinde and despise the knowen light of the truthe like vnto men that hauing their perfecte sighte and hearing make yet as if they were blinde and deafe And that these were such the Gospell in many places teacheth vs Would to God these onely in times paste had bene suche and that we had not euery where the lyke in our dayes also who beeing conuinced euen by the testimonie of their conscience fayne yet as though they could not vnderstande the mysterie of the fayth Yet here appeareth the brightnesse of Goddes woorde which is so greate that it mightily pierceth both the eyes and eares of men For that worde which God hath set oute vnto vs as a Candle is not darke and obscure Therefore all the darkenesse is of man a grosse and wilfull darkenesse as the thinges following declare Secondly the Prophet describeth the cause of this euill namely an hart waxed grosse So calleth he the mynd which is indurate or hardned with naughtie affections so that it can be moued with no admonitions or exhortations of men All suche dooings as thys Chryste expresseth in the Parable of a mariage and Gestes bydden to the mariage wherein some hadde maryed a wyfe some hadde bought Oxen some other farmes whereabout they beeing occupied refused to come vnto the mariage Heereby are vnderstanded suche men as beeing addicted to the flesh and to earthly thinges neglecte and despise thinges heauenly Such e it appeareth the chiefe of the Iewes were who had a greater regarde to their honour and aduauntage than vnto Chryst and the kingdome of heauen and nowe a dayes there can scarse bee shewed any other cause of the Gospelles contempte than for that menne studie euery where to heape vp ryches and to fulfyll the pleasures of the fleshe so that they hadde rather lacke Chryste than forsake these their desires Thus it appeareth that all they which perishe in their incredulitie are inexcusable For The lyghte is come into the worlde and menne haue loued darkenesse more than it c. And Paule sayth that a tyme should come when menne shoulde not suffer the doctrine of truthe but shoulde gette them selues false teachers whiche shoulde speake thinges agreable to their fantasie and affections It is euidente that this also hathe bene these many yeres fulfylled according to the Letter and at thys day is so fulfylled that a man shall fynde a greate many whiche shall confesse that in the Gospell is taughte the true doctrine of Fayth and Religion and yet wyll preferre the Popishe Religion before it both bicause it betteâ lyketh the fleshe and also for that it is more acceptable to the worlde To speake nothing in the meane season of them which openly and with great clamour testifie that they will neither heare nor suffer those that shall teach better or holesomer doctrine Howebeit the Prophete pronounceth the punishement that these men deserue which is bothe manyfolde and horrible For firste they are not conuerted that they may be healed Therefore all hope of saluation is taken from them For where there is none other way of saluation than to turne vnto God and to be at one with him it can not be but that all they that disdayne the worde of God wherby they are called vnto this holesome conuersion and wherby the right way therto is taught them must vtterly fall from saluation Wherefore it muste needes be that they must perish in their sinnes as Chryste threatneth the Priestes of the Iewes Then the next is that this saluation is translated and caried vnto other This god often threatneth vnto the Iewes therby to mollifie their stony confidence For where they were once adopted of God and became his peculiars they thought it was impossible that they shoulde fall from their dignitie Yea they persuaded them selues that the kingdome of God muste fall if God should forsake them Paule therfore teacheth them that this affiance of theirs is most vayne bicause God could easily translate his kingdome whole sound in all parts vnto the Gentiles And this he affirmed not of his owne head but as hauing a respecte vnto the Oracles of God wherby it was long agone prephesied that it shuld so come to passe Herevnto belong the things read in Deut. 32. They haue angred me with that which is no God and prouoked me with their vanities And I also will prouoke them with those which are no people I will anger them with a foolishe Nation c. See also what is sayde in Oseas to this purpose And Christ sayth also expressely The kingdome of God shall bee taken from you and giuen to a Nation which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof Nowe howe this came to passe and was verified the whole order of this Booke abundauntly declareth And Paule in the tenth and eleuenth to the Romanes more at large sheweth And least any man shoulde thinke the iudgement of God stayeth heere wee muste also marke that an horrible destruction bothe of the Citie and whole Nation followed as Chryste threatâeâ assoone as the doctrine of the Gospell was taken from them and caryeâ vnto the Gentyles These thinges are worthy to be diligently and continually obserued that we also may learne heereby what to hope for if we follow the Iewes and become vnkinde vnto God and wickedly wrastle agaynst the doctrine of the Gospell as they did For God is constante in his iudgements and the nation that doth the like he vseth to punish with like iudgements Ierem. 5. And there is no cause why wee should thinke that the Gospell and kingdome of Chryste shall fayle though we be forsaken which persuasion as we sayde erewhyle deceiued the Iewes For God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham And there be diuerse coniectures which portende or shewe that the Empire is lyke to returne into the East and that the West shal be in seruitude agayne aâcording to the opinion of Lactantius Whiche thing if it come to passe we shall see the kingdome of Chryst greatly increase among the Turkes and perhaps among the Iewes also Touching which thing Paule in the eleuenth Chapter to the Romanes seemeth to prophesie some things not altogither obscurely But let vs returne vnto Paules hearers ⪠which Luke sayth ⪠wente out hauing begonne a great contention among themselues while some helde on in striuing against the doctrine of truth and other some ⪠labored to maintayne the same And here that sentence of Chryst is
that border vpon him The condicions of Tyrants The successe of the wicked is a preamble of ruine Ierem. 12. Prou 16. Psal. 37. Herode desâreth to be honoured as a God. The destruction of Herode Eusebius in the .2 booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie .x. chap. A disease which maye well be called the lowsie euill by reason of lyce which encrease so mightily that they deuour and eate vp the body 1. Pet. 5. The enlargement of Christes kingdome 1. Pet. 1. 1 The commendation of the Churche at Antioch Prophets Pastours Roma .. 10. 1. Cor. 4. Ephes. 4. Amos. 2. Manaen a noble man and a Courtyer Phil. 2. Heb. 11. 2 Paule and Barnabas are sent to the Gentyles Rom. 13. Heb. 1. The order of Ecclesiastical ministery Rom. 10. Heb. 5. 3 How Paule and Barnabas beginne to preach amoÌg the Gentyles Exod. 3.4 Math. 8. The Apostles preache vnto the Cypriotes Rom. 5. Math. 9.18 Luke 9. The Apostles preach the worde of God. They preach in the Synagoge of the Iewes Rom. 11. See Theodorete touching the prouidence of God in his x. Sermon Psal. 110. 1 The occasion of the coÌtention betweene Paule and Elymas the sorcerer Luke 15. Iohn 10. 2 The meeting togither of Paule and Elymas the sorcerer The condicions of false Prophetes Math. 24. Paule confuteth Elymas 1. Iohn 4. 3 The ende and successe of the contencion 2. Tim. 3. 1 Pamphilia is lightened with the gospell Rom. 15. 2 Iohn Mark fayleth in the ministerye of the Gospell 3 The Apostles go into Pisidia Iohn 16. Iohn 14. Math. 28. Psal. 27. Esay 40. 4 What the Apostles did in Antioch of Pisidia The truth must be preached openly Iohn 18. The Sabboth dayes must be kept holy Num. 15. The order of holy metings or assemblies Luke 4. Math. 15. Esay 29. 2. Tim. 3. The argument parâs of Paules sermon 1 The beginning of Paules sermon Rom. 12. Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Augustus chap. 53. 1. Iohn 5. 2 The narration 1 Free election or choyse Psa. 76.147 Iosua 24. Ephe. 1. Psal. 65. ij. The deliuery out of Egypt iij. The sufferance of God towarde sinners Psal. 103. iiij. The possession of the lande of promise Deut. 6. v. The ordinance of common weale and kingdom 1. Reg. 6. Genes 49. Hose 13. The translation of the kingdome of Iurie vnto Dauid Psal. 2. Esay 60. The prayse of Dauid 2. Sam. 7. 1. Sam. 15. Howe Dauid is sayde to haue fulfilled all the will of God. Psal. 19. 2. Sam. 15. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 24. The second part of the Sermon teaching howe Iesus is Christ. i. Iesus is borne of the seede of Dauid according to the promise Genes 3. 1. Iohn 4. ij. Iesus had a forerunner as was foreshewed iij. The testimony of Iohn Baptist coÌcerning Christ. Iosephus in his .xviij. booke of antiquities cap. and Eusebius Caesariens reporteth the same out of him in the first booke of his ecclesiasticall hystorie and xiij chap. The Gospell ought fyrst to be preached to the Iewes Math. 10. He aunswereth the slauÌder taken by the crosse Esay 2. i The priests were ignoraÌt of Christ and the scriptures Mala. 2. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 3. ij. The Priestes fulfilled the scriptureâ ⪠iij. Christ was put to the death of the crosse innocently 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 2. iiij. The Priestes enterprises coulde not hurt Christ. Iohn 10. The resurrection of Christ is prooued Luc. 10. 1. Cor. 15. 1 The testimonie of the Apostles coÌcerning christ and his resurrection 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1. Iohn 14.8 Rom. 8. Luke 22. Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 15. The doctrine of the Apostles is not newe Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Math. 13. The truth of Gods promises Dani 2. Gene 49. Gene. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5. 2 The testimonies of the Prophets of Christ and his resurrection Psal. 2. The resurrection declareth the glory of the sonnes of God. Rom. 1. 1. Iohn 3. The place of Esay 55. Christ is but once onely offered The place of the .xvi. psal The state of the deade Esay 63. The consideratioÌ of death Math. 10. Apoc. 14. Luc. 16. Ezech. 32. Esay 14. 1. Cor. 15. The knowledge of christ is necessarye to the attainment of saluation Iohn 17. Luke 17. Iohn 8. Iacob 1. Remission of sinnes is giuen vs in Christ. i. All men are sinners Gene. 8. Psal. 51. Esay 64. ij. Sinns are forgiuen of grace fauor iij. Grace is giuen vs in Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 1. iiij. Christ is taken hold of by fayth Rom. 3. The law can not iustifye Esay 1. Psal. 50. Psal. 51. Hebr. 10. The vse of the lawe Galat. 3. Righteousnes of works is ouerthrowne Math. 15. Luke 17. 1. Cor. 2. Galat. 6. The conclusion of Paules sermon Vnto the Gospell must bee ioyned threates and declaration of punishments Math. 11. Luke 19. Mat. 23.24 Ezech. 3.33 Contempt of Gods worde worde is a most grieuous sinne Rom. 11. Reprobates cannot abide to heare the word of god Iohn 8.10 Psal. 58. The elect acknowledge the worde of God and receyue it A Proselyte was anye straunger or forreuer born that did conuert or turne vnto the Iewes religion Esay 1.10 Rom. 10. In religion perseuerance or holding on is needefull The Gospell is called the grace of God. Math. 10. Luke 10. The coÌtention of the Apostles with the Iewes Iohn 15. i. The occasion of the contention Phil. 1.2 Tim. 4. Iohn 4. ij. The cause of the contention Rom. 10. Num. 15. iij. The sleightes and weapons of the Iewes iiij. The Apostles stoutly and boldlye resist Titus 1. v. The Apostles excommunicate the incurable Math. 21. Math. 10. The place of Esay 4 9. touching the vocation of the Gentyles Iohn 1. Iohn 17. 1 The doctrine of the Gospell is set forth in the midst of troubles They that are ordeyned vnto life eternall beleeue 1. Cor. 2. Phil. 2. Iohn 3 6. Math. 16. Ephes. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. Iohn 10. Rom. 11. The effect of Gods worde in the elect and their duties Math. 5. Ephe. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The word of God is set forth through the enterprises of the aduersaries Luke 18. 2 PersecutioÌ raysed by the Iewes Women raysed against the Apostles 2. Tim. 3. Magistrates offended with the Apostles Math. 11. Banishment the effect of persecution 2. Tim. 2. Marc. 10. Luke 22. Iohn 12.14 and .17 Math. 25. 3 The end of the persecution The shaking off of oust Luke 9. The ende of persecution is ioyfull vnto the faythfull Iohn 16. Iconium 1 The Apostles teach in the sinagoge The constancie and fayth of the Apostles Ezech. 3. The loue of the Apostles toward their enimies Rom. 10.9 Luke 19. 1. Tim. 2. 2 The effect of the Apostles doctrine 3 The persecutioÌ against the Apostles i. The Iewes are authors of the persecution ij. The Apostles do boldlye resist the seditious Marc. 8. Iohn 5.10 Marc. 16. Math. 24. 2. Thes. 2. iij. All the citie is at diuision Math. 10.
The trade of Christians paciencie Defence of lawe is permytted to the godlye The preposterous feare of the wicked The ende of rashe iudgement The Apostles departure from Philippi The constancie of Paule 1 Paule preacheth vnto the Iewes Esay 10. 2. Tim. 2. The obseruing the Sabboth dayes and comming to Church 2 The trâde or maner of Paules doctrine 2. Timo. 3. Iohn 5. Luc. 4. 2. Timo. 2. The fruite of Paules teaching Gene. 3. 1 Hypocrites and vagabondes are the enimyes of truth Iohn 5. 2 The indeauours of the enimies of truth Luc. 22. 3 A ioyfull ende of the sedition Math. 10. 1 Berrhoea is lyghtened with the Gospell Iohn 8. 1. Thess. 5. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Tim. 2. Galat. 1. Iohn 10. Esay 10. Galat. 3. 2 The disturbance of the Church at Berrhoea Psal. 2. 3 Paule departeth from Berrhoea Math 10. Luke 16. The prayse of Athens Paule taketh occasion to preach at Athens Iohn 2. Psal. 68. Apoc 3. Paule disputeth at Athens about religion Exod. 4. Heb 4. Ierem. 23. After what maner Paule taught at Athens Psal. 94. Luke 17. 2. Pet. 3. Iohn 3. This storye is written in Sozomenus 2. booke and 3. chap. But this author hath folowed Ruffinus reporting the same in the .x booke of the Ecclesiasticall story and 3. chap. there shalte thou reade it tolde with some more circumstances Howe the Athenians receyued Paules doctrine The argument of Paules sermon 1 The beginning with insinuation The Athenians are more superstitious than other Nations ãâ¦ã Iohn 4. Hebr. 11. Psal. 50. Rom. 1â Iohn 4. Rom. 1. 1. Reg. 18. Esay 29. Math. 15. 2 Paule teacheth the true knowledge of God. The religion in Temples is a vaine thing 1. Reg. 8. Iere. 7. Iohn 4. Matth. 24. God is not worshipped with sacrifices Psal. 50. Esay 63. Wherefore Sacrifices serued Psal. 51. The sacrifices of christians Rom. 12. Math. 26.25 Heb. 13. The beginning of mankind teacheth the worshippe of one God. The prouydence teacheth vs that one God ought to be worshipped Psal. 113. Math. 6.10 The ende of mans creation teacheth vs the worship of God. Esay 1. Ierem. 8. GOD is ãâã better by the creation of man than by ymages God can not be expressed in any ymage Esa. 40.44 1 An aunswere to them that alleage the ignorance of their forefathers for their errors Rom. 16. Math. 13. 2 He vrgeth repentaunce by terrour of the last iudgement Amos. 3. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn 15. Math. 16.24.25 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 14. Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Math. 16. Cap. 19. Zach. 12. Iohn 19. Psal. 2. 3 He preacheth Christ. 1. Pet. 1. Ephes. 1. Luc. 24. Rom. 4. The effect of the doctrine of Christ among the Athenians 1. Cor. 9. What maner of Citie Corinth was Corinthiari vt graecari c. Aquilas is Paules hoste Aquilas is an ensample of fayth and charitie 1. Cor. 16. Rom. 16. Math. 10. Paule getteth his liuing with the labor of hys handes 2. Cor. 11. Philip. 4. Paule preacheth at Corinth 1. Cor. 3. 2. Tim. 2. Christ is the chiefe poynt of the Apostles doctrine The Iewes withstande Paule bearing witnesse vnto Christ. Degrees of vngodlinesse Paule shaketh of the dust agaynst the Iewes Math. 21. Luc. 19. The conuersion of Crispus and the Corinthians Paule is tempted with feare 1. Cor. 2. The diligence of God in comforting those that bee his Feare is forbidden Deut. 3. Iosue 10. Math. 10. Exod. 18. Ministers must speake and not holde their peace Reasons and argumentes of consolation Psal. 118. Math. 22. The certaintie of election and predestination Iohn 10. Ephe. 1. Rom. 8. Paule taryeth at Corinthe 1. Cor. 3. i. The Iewes are the beginners of a tumult against Paule Psal. 34. Gene. 12. Math. 10. Luke 9. The properties and studies of the enimies of truth Luke 6. 2 The chiefe matter of their accusation 3 Gallio refuseth to heare Paules cause as a matter not belonging to him The ende of this Tragedye is prosperous Psal. 105. Gallio is a president of an vngodly Officer What maner of state those people are in that lyued sometime in freedome but nowe in bondage Paule after his daungers abydeth at Corinth Iohn 10. The trust and friendship of Aquilas and Priscilla towards Paule Gene. 14. Gene. 18. Paules vowe Luke 9. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 9. Paule teacheth the Iewes at Ephesus Ezech. 18. Prouer. 16. Paules labors and diligence What maner of person and of what qualities Apollos was The baptisme of Iohn The giftes wherewith Apollo was endued 1. Cor. 12. Iohn 5. Phil. â â Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 13. How Apollos vsed his gifts The trade howe to teach in the church 1. Tim 4. Apollos profiteth in the knowledge of Christ. Math. 25. The prayse of Aquilas and Priscilla Iohn 8. Iohn 5. The modesty of Apollos 1. Cor. 14. Apollos goeth to Corinth 1. Tim. 5. In the church it is necessary that the wicked be confuted Titus 1. The ministers must fyght with scriptures The ââate of Ephesus Apocal. 2. Paule examineth such as aunswered not in life to their profession Roma 8. The grosse ignoraunce of those which truly proâesse not Christ. Psal. 33. ãâã 51. ãâã 61. Outwarde profession improoueth counterfeyt christians The baptism of Christ or of fyre Actes 11. Paule preacheâh to the Iewes in the Synagoge The place for doctrine must be publike The maner how to teach 2. Tim. 4. The argument of the Apostles doctrine The kingdome of God The vsage and property of reprobates Howe reprobates must be delt with Math. 7.10 The fruite of Euaungelike endeuour is manifolde The Iewes Exorcistes Iosephus in the eyght Booke of his antiquities the second chapter Cod. lib. 9. tit 18.26 quest 5. .7 Aug. de doct Christ. lib. 2. cap. 22. De Trinit lib. 4. cap. 11. The effect of the exorcistes is vnluckye 2. Peter 2. Iacob 2. The true vse of Goddes iudgements and an ensample of true repentaunce Paule is mynded to go from Ephesus Roma 1. Paules purpose is disappoynted A sodayne vprore Math. 12. Iohn 14. Demetrius is author of the vprore The Demetrij of our age Demetrius oration Fift booke and .33 chapter The description of the sedition What Paule did in the sedition A confused countenance of sedition Howe Christians should vse themselues in time of sedition Dianas ymage come from heauen In his second booke of false religion cap. 19. The Ministers of the Gospell are neyther Church robbers nor blasphemers The best form of common weale Rebellions are easily suppressed The Argument of the xx Chapter When and in what wise Paule departed froÌ the Ephesians Iohn 10. Ephesi 1. 2. Cor. 11. Paule visiteth Macedoniâ and Gréece 2. Corin. 11. Paule exhorteth the congregatioÌ to perseueraÌce The Iewes lay wayte for Paule Math. 10. Paules gard or garrisoÌ An exaÌple of a churche assembly Nehem. 13 Holy places Math. 5 The breaking of bread The manner of the Apostles preaching Eutichê° falleth out of a windowe dieth The miraculous raysing agayne of