with him he had leuer to acknowledge his fault with al humilitie than to leaue the thing vnsought that might be to Gods glorie So then let vs learne with him too acknowledge simply the offences that wee haue committed when it standeth vpon the honouring of God and let vs not be loth to receiue some shaâ—e before men For that is the way for vs also too haue our sinnes buryed before God so as they may neuer come to account nor to remembrance more that is to wit if we be contented too susteyne some marke of infamie before men if neede be that God may haue his due This therefore is the thing whiche wee haue too remember in that it is sayde that the common reporte wente that hee had earst destroyed the fayth as hee had done in deede Truely the fayth of the Gospell shall euermore get the vpper hande of all the assaultes of Sathan and of all the wicked Therefore it lay not in Saint Paules power 〈◊〉 abolishe the fayth nor too ouerthrowe it at such tyme as hee was caryed with such furie as wee haue seene For the fayth is grounded vppon Gods truth whiche is inuincible it is not subiect too the opinions of men But Saint Paule had respect heere too the infirmitie of the simple sort whome hee had cast downe as muche as lay in him For it is sayde in the Actes that hee did not onely persecute the Christians but also made some of them too recant Lyke as nowadayes when any great number is persecuted some spare neyther theyr bloud nor theyr lyues for the confessing of the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ Othersome redeeme this wretched and flightfull lyfe by recanting so that they banish themselues from the Kingdome of heauen as muche as they can cast themselues intoo Satans snares and throw themselues headlong into endlesse death and all too escape the handes of Tyrantes and of theyr enimies Therefore Saint Paules crueltie is purposely condemned by the holy Ghost for that he not onely was full of pryde and stubbornnesse agaynst God but also had inforced many too recant and giue ouer the fayth of the Gospell Yee see then howe hee behaued himselfe and that must serue for our learning For although the worde abide still in his full state and wee preiudice it not at all by our weaknesse yet notwithstanding the fayth is cast downe in our persons For if I swarue too please Gods enimies or if I disguyze the truth or by any meanes dissemble then is my fayth defaced True it is as I haue sayde alreadie that Gods worde shall alwayes holde his owne and yet oftentimes the fall of one man shal draw a great hauocke after it If men see some one person recant at whose hande great constancie was looked for then are many poore soules shaken and they wote not what too say True it is that wee ought not to rest vppon men but yet for all that as wee shall declare agayne anon there are many that haue neede too bee confirmed by good example Nowe if a man cast a stumbling blocke in their way they bee as good as vtterly ouerthrowne or else they be so hartshaken as they wote not where to become VVherfore let vs lerne to coÌ„mit our selues vnto god seing that the diuel hath so many vnderlings whiche seeke nothing but too bring all too confusion and imploy themselues wholy to ouerwhelme the Christian fayth let vs pray God to strengthen vs with such constancie as our enimies may bee put too shame though we bee assayled neerelyer than we bee And let vs not onely care euery man for himselfe but also for the great number of poore soules whom wee see as it were in the VVoolues mouth for they shall bee tormented and threatned and finally laboured by flatteryes and allurements too recant Therefore when wee fee such assaultes gyuen too our brothers at leastwize let vs haue the heart too pray God too ayde them at theyr neede so as theyr fayth maye continue still inuincible and get the vpper hande and that they may neuer swarue for all that euer Satan and all his broode can practize So muche the more then behoueth it vs to marke this Text where it is sayde that Saint Paule did cast downe and destroy the fayth For although God will alwayes maintaine his truth yet doo not men ceasse too go too destruction bycause theyr fayth is shaken by swaruing and stepping asyde from the right way Furthermore wee haue wherewith too confirme oure selues so that althoughe men continue not in such constancie as were requisyte and too bee wyshed yet let vs not bee too muche abashed at it seeyng it is a thing that hathe beene common in all ages VVas Sainct Paules preaching of the lesse credite bycause there were manye renegates that in the ende shewed themselues too bee Hypocrites and full of vnfaythfulnesse Euen some of hys owne companions that had beene linked wyth him as twoo fingers of one hande gaue him quyte ouer in the ende And yet muste not Sainct Paules doctrine bee reiected for all that Also when hee persecuted the Christians before hee was conuerted althoughe that manye had renounced the saluation whiche they shoulde haue accepted as it was offered them in Iesus Christe yet ought not the fayth too bee defaced therefore Likewyse in these dayes when wee see manie wretched folke quayle and giue ouer all and othersome agayne holde oute at whose handes wee woulde not haue looked for any greate constancie let vs profite our selues thereby and bee oute of all doubt that although the whole worlde go too ruyne yet wee haue a good and sure foundation if wee rest vppon our God Nowe whereas Saint Paule addeth that the faithfull glorifyed God in him it is too shewe the better so as men might perceyue it euen by eysight that the chaunge whiche was made in him proceeded of the onely hande of God And all of it commeth too this poynt namely that hee had not thrust himselfe in and that it coulde not bee layde too his charge that he had preached at all aduenture nor that there was any rashnesse or presumption in him or that hee was dryuen wyth any worldly respect but that God had gouerned and guyded him For whereas the faythfull had glorifyed God in him it was by acknowledging that the renuing of suche a man after that fashion and the making of a rauening VVoolfe too become a Sheepe yea and a Sheephearde was his woorke and a verie miracle that proceeded from hym Marke that for a speciall poynt And heereby wee see briefly that they on whom God hath bestowed giftes of grace so as they excell and are farre aboue all others must not therefore aduaunce themselues but finde meanes that the prayse may bee yeelded too him that hath right too it and which hath deserued it VVherefore let vs keepe this rule of humilitie whiche is that wee seeke not our owne estimation nor too preferre our selues aboue oure neighbours for
obteyned it and that doth common experience shewe well inough Seing then that our hartes must needes bee tied too the thing which wee take too be requisite too our chiefe felicitie let vs now see how euery man behaueth himself Such as are giueÌ„ to the flightfull goodes of this world or are so inflamed with ambitiousnesse and desire of honour that they seeke nothing else but too magnifie themselues and too bee in some high degree and great estate that they might bee had in estimation will alwayes labour for the same Such as are possessed with couetousnesse will neuer leaue gathering of goodes nor neuer bee satisfied with any thing They indure hunger and thirste heate and cold and dare nother eate nor drinke halfe their fill and all too the intent to heape vp out of measure Lo at what poynt they bee Againe such as couet to bee esteemed and exalted too the worldward indure as great miserie as if they were in the hands of the hangman nay the hangman would not torment them so cruelly as they doo themselues and yet they bee so headstrong as they cannot by any meanes bee turned from it But when God is so gratious as to shew vs where our welfare lieth that is to wit in the kingdome of heaueÌ„ although wee be warned that our life is of no continuance and that wee slip away out of hand yet are wee so rauished in loue with our vanities that we forsake the inestimable ioy wherevnto God calleth vs and set light by the heritage of heauen in comparison of these worldly things which are right nought Therefore let vs consider that S. Paules present vpbrayding of the Galathians when he asketh them where their happinesse is become toucheth and concerneth vs now adayes For he presupposeth that the Galathians knew that God could not haue done them a greater good turne in this world than to inlighten them with the knowledge of his Gospell whereby they had bin throughly persuâ—â—d and resolued that the world hath nothing but deceitfulnesse in it for somuch as it turneth vs away from the heritage of heaueÌ„ according also as our Lord Iesus Christ alledgeth the same similitude that the Gospell and the treasures riches conteined therein are a precious stone and that if we should giue ouer all the things which we esteeme in this world and which we like best of we should lose nothing by the bargaine nor haue any cause to repent vs. But now are we dubble too blame seeing we turne away after we haue knowen that God drew vs from beneath to make vs partakers of his heauenly glory and put that inestimable benefyte out of our remembrance for the whisking of a flye ouerthwart our eyes as they say For asmuch then as it hath pleased God to open our eyes and too plucke vs out of the myre wherein we were plunged with the vnbleeuers and ignorant persons not only in following superstitions and idolatries as others did but also in giuing ourselues ouer to our fleshly likings and wicked lusts and seeing that God hath made vs to perceiue where our true ioy lyeth and giuen vs such a tast of it as we ought to rest wholly vpoÌ„ it let vs take good heede that we neuer change our purpose nor alter our mind hereafter And if we do let vs consider how the spirit of God doth heere condemne vs of vnthankfulnesse by the mouth of Sainct Paule saying VVhere is your happinesse For had we bin alwayes let alone like brute beasts without knowing wherein our welfare and ioy consist it had bin no maruell though wee had still kept on our common trace But seeing that God hath shewed vs that we must seeke all our welfare in our Lord Iesus Chryste and that he is the full perfection in whome we must wholly rest if we do afterward fleete too and fro and bee shaken now one way and now another it is certaine that wee can no more excuse ourselues by ignorance Ye see then that the thing which wee haue too beare in mind in this text is that when we haue once bin taught the Gospell we must set light by the thinges that wee made too great account of before and which men couet without end or measure that is to wit by the allurements of Satan and of the world and by all transitory and flightfull things whiche haue no substantialnesse in them and continually seeke our Lord Iesus Christ till wee come to the full enioying of al the benefytâ— which hee hath brought vs. And now herevppon S. Paule blameth the Galathians yet further that he cannot be their enimie but for telling them the truth For it is too great a leawdnesse to fall out with our freende only for shewing himselfe faithfull towards vs. VVhat is the thing that wee shoulde cheefly desire in a freend but that he should deale roundly with us and not beare two faces in one hood nor vse any craft and vntruth towards vs Euery man can tell that welynough and it is as a naturall lesson which we know without schooling and yet notwithstanding we be greeued and displeased with them that tell vs the truth and by that meanes do worke our weale and therefore must it not needs be that we are bewitched of Satan if we step vp against them and become their enimies Sainct Paule then sheweth the cause of his feare that they should be alienated from him and blameth theÌ„ that they were become his enimies for none other cause than that he had dealt soundly and roundly with them Nowe although this vice be horrible and all men condemne it yet is it as common as any other nowadayes in the world For what else mainteineth frendship but lying flattering dissimulation counterfetting and such other like things In somuch that if a man go roundly to worke hee shall purchace himselfe hatred and ill will on all sydes And the very cause of the greatest contentions and debates that are nowadayes in the world is that men stop their eares against all truth and reason for we would fayne haue all thinges buried that might mislike vs Therefore this was not written for the Galathians only but is to be applyed still at this day to the common instruction of all suche as cannot abide that men shoulde deale faithfully and truly with them For let euery of ys looke vppon himselfe and examine himselfe well and he shall find that all of vs are atteinted with that vice till God haue purged vs of it So then let vs assure ourselues that if we greeue such as tell vs the truth in so doing wee despise God and fall out with him rather than with the men VVe will protest the cleane contrary neuerthelesse we do but lye when we caÌ„not indure that God should bewray the thing that we would haue concealed I meene that he should discouer our faultes and rebuke them and hold vs in awe and not beare with any thing that is not lawfull for vs. Thus 〈◊〉 see in
commes to a Sermon let him beare well in minde that he which preacheth speaketh not of his own authoritie but in the behalf of our Lord Iesus Christ whō God his father hath appointed to be our iudge And to what ende is Iesus Christ our Iudge To the ende that euery of vs should condemne himselfe and that hauing so passed condemnation we should resort to him to be quit Now then if a mortall man couer my sinnes for some loue that he beareth to me will the heauenly Iudge spare me bicause hee spareth me VVere it not better that he which hath the charge to teach me should condemne me shew me my faults to the end I might be sorie for them and learne to mislike of the thing that would bring me to destruction Ought not I to take the profer while God hath his armes stretched out to receyue mee and while Iesus Christ commeth before me offering me vp to God his father as an acceptable sacrifice of sweete sauor And so must it not needes be that wee are as good as mad and bewitched by Satan if we cannot abide to haue our sores rubbed and bewrayed that we may be brought to that which is for our welfare If a man please a sicke bodie what will become of him Shall hee giue him drinke euerie minute of an houre Shall he giue him wine whereas hee shoulde giue him water Shall hee giue him Sallets It were the next way to poyson him Too bee short it is certayne that a man doth alwayes seeke hys owne death when hee woulde haue men too soothe him But nowe whiche is the better either that he which hath the ordering of a sicke man should yeeld to al his desires or that he should bridle him notwithstanding that he chafe at it and gnash his teeth and storme bicause hee may not haue hys owne will in his desires But it is certain that if there be inordinate desires in sick folkes there are much more inordinate desires in vs. VVhat would become of vs thē if they that haue the charge to bear abrode Gods word and ought to play the phisitions had not a care to kepe vs frō the things which they know to be hurtfull to vs and to minister the things vnto vs which they know to be for our welfare For surely if they should sooth vs in our affections it were the way to cast vs quite downe This in effect is the thing that we haue to consider when S. Paule speaketh of his affection Now he addeth the second argument namely that he had not his gospell of men but by reuelation from heauen He confirmeth still his matter in that hee sayth that neither Peter nor Iohn can haue any such reuerence in their owne persons as that men shoulde be bounde to hearken too them as of themselues for that is reserued to God alone and to our Lorde Iesus Christ and they must not haue any companion Then sith it is so let vs learne to loke vp when the cace cōcerneth the certeintie of our fayth and let vs surmount all that is in this world and quite and clene giue ouer men And though they be neuer so excellent yet let not our faith rest here beneath nor vpon any creature but let it be grounded vpon God The Papistes will say we be full of pride and statelinesse for that wee will bee wyser than all the worlde Truly if we rested vpon our owne wit and weening or vpon our owne opinion it were too great a pryde But forasmuch as wee walke in humilitie shrinking downe from all our owne reason and wisedome and acknowledging that we muste bee fooles in thys worlde if wee will obtayne the wisedome of God Seeing I say that wee haue suche a modestie and sobernesse in vs and attempt not too knowe more than is lawfull for vs but in the meane whyle doo so magnifie Gods doctrine so that wee can defie all that is of the world that loftinesse must needs be good for it is the thing wherin God will be glorified Therfore we may defie the Crosses Myters Gewgaws of the worlde and all the hornes of the Pope wherby he aduanceth himself against God I say we may defie them yea and abhorre them as things full of filthinesse and infection whereby oure mortall enimie Satan goeth about to poyson vs. And therewithall let vs bee so setled vpon Gods truth as wee may tryumph ouer all that is agaynst it assuring our selues that our fayth must get the vpper hande of all that euer setteth it selfe agaynst it to batter and beare it downe the which thing to do Satan neuer forgetteth too torment vs as much as is possible But if wee bee once strengthned in our God let vs not feare that wee shall bee vanquished by all his temptations for we bee sure that as long as God is on our syde we may esteeme all that shall come of creatures to be no better than smoke Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him too make vs feele them more and more till we be vtterly rid of them and that so long as we haue to liue in this worlde he will beare vs vp in our weakenesse till hee haue remedyed it and we bee throughly reformed according to the perfection of his righteousnesse wherevnto he calleth vs. And so let vs all say Almightie God our heauenly father c. The. 5. Sermon vpon the first Chapter 11 But brethren I do you to wit that the Gospel which vvas preached by me is not of man 12 For I receyue it not of man neither learned I it but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ c. WEe saw this Morning that all suche as haue the charge office to teach in gods Church must forget all lyking and fauour of the worlde for otherwise they can neuer discharge theyr duetie faythfully considering howe men doo alwayes desire and couet too be flattered and cannot abide to haue their faultes rebuked as they ought to be Thereupon I tolde you also that euery man must rid himselfe of all fleshly affections that they maye become true disciples of our Lorde Iesus Christ For so long as we shall follow our owne lustes the gate shall bee shette agaynst vs and wee shall neuer haue any enterance in vntoo the Gospell And truely we see howe the Prophete Esay speaketh thereof Hee sayth that all such as will haue men to preache pleasurable things to their lyking doo dryue away God as farre off from them as they can True it is that they will not speake after that sort For euen in the Countrey of Iewrie euerie man protested to serue the God that was reuealed too their father Abraham and which had published his law by Moyses Sacrifyzes were offered in the Temple and there were fayre shewes ynowe there Neuerthelesse the Prophete concludeth in one woorde that men were desirous too bee soothed and fayre spoken too and by
eldership neuer so muche But if S. Paule were aliue at this day that one texte of his were inough too make him too bee burnte a hundred tymes For let men write and speake as muche as they liste and they can not more liuely decipher or bewray that the Pope and al his clergie are a heape of Ismaelites and filthie bastardes whiche fighte agaynst God and all his true and right begotten children according also as Moyses hathe reported it For what else alledge the Papists for them selues saue that it is not a day or twayne ago or a hundred yeeres ago that they haue had possession but that they haue kepte their traditions and Ceremonies these eyght or nine hundred yeeres But surely euen in this behalfe also they lye and are past shame But put the cace that the world had not appayred these eyght hundred yeres yet notwithstanding that eldership of theirs which they alledge is not better nor of greater value than was the eldership of Ismael Agayn vnto their eldership they add also multitude saying that wee be but a handfull of folke in comparison of them they haue kings Princes on their side the whole world agreeth with theÌ„ both great smal say as they say the largenesse of their kingdome stretcheth out far wide throughout al Europe welneere and into a peece of Affrike VVhen they haue all this for themselues very well it is euen as the eldership of Ismael Nay it were more meete for them to haue begon at the other ende that is to wit at the holding fast of the pure doctrine of the Law the Gospell without mingling any thing at all with it for else it is a generall conclusion that there is nothing in them but corruptnesse and bastardie But they will not enter into this discourse that men might knowe whither they be bacebegotten of Gods word or no for it is seene too manifestly alreadie And in good fayth as I haue sayd alreadie vnder the name of the Church they haue boldly taken vpon them to disanull and falsifie the whole worde of God SotheÌ„ there is no bringing of the Papists to the true trial or touchstone that men mighte discerne certenly whether they be Gods children or no but they stande proudly vppon their eldership as Ismaell did they alledge that they are an infinite number and wee but sprules as ye would say and folk despised to the worldwarde which haue neither estimation nor credite Thus yee see howe Ismaell speaketh now a days by the mouth of the Papists Now wee for our part had neede to be armed with pacience for it is a right hard teÌ„ptation that they which are Gods deadly foes shuld after a sort possesse the highest roomes in his house that we should be hidden vnder theÌ„ like corne vnder chaffe vpon a barne floore This is a hard irksome plight And surely we see many that giue ouer the Gospell through infirmitie VVhen the poore simple soules heere these so braue titles of Catholike Church of Apostolike sea of Vicar of Christ of Successor of S. Peter and S. Paule of Prelates and of Bishops I say when all this gay geere is flashte oute before the sillie soules they are amased at it and conclude by by then must wee needes sticke to it For they bee rauished at the sight of these vizors that serue to scare little children But they that haue any firmnesse in them iudge according to that which God sheweth them are not at that poynt And in good sooth when the Papists say that they be the representing Church they say truely for in deede they make a godly representation resemblaunce or shewe that is too say there is as it were a gaye gazing stocke but as the Prouerbe sayth all is not â—â—de that glistereth Therefore they must bee searched to the bottome to see if there bee truthe in them or no. And so let vs marke what is tolde vs heere by S. Paul that is to wit that it was not once only that there was an Ismaell in Gods Church to persecute Isaac but that wee see the lyke at this day and that the children of God shall be borne downe and trampled vnderfoote by such as haue no more but the bare title of Eldership and vnder that shadow beguyle the simple sort cloking all their filthes foulnesse vnder the pretence of gay colours But howsoeuer the world go let vs prepare our selues to battell sayth S. Paul and let not our fayth quayle at the sight of the pride of the enimies of Gods truthe yea euen of the housholde enimies of it which are not as Turkes and heathen men but keepe a garison in the Church and yet will needes be Prelates and more than greate pillers of it How soeuer the world go I say let vs not be abashed for it sith we be fenced with the example of our father Isaac to the intent we should hold out stoutly for asmuch as we be regenerated by the pure seede which God alloweth whereby wee bee made his lawfull children and heires of his heauenly kingdome But heere a man might thinke it strange that S. Paul should say that Isaac was persecuted of his brother Ismaell For Moyses rehearseth no more but that at the day when Isaac should be weaned at the feast that was made at it Ismaell laughed him to scorne It is not sayd that Ismaell layd any persecution vpon Isaac for aught that is recorded by Moses only it is said that he beeing then of some age thinking to haue a much higher degree thaÌ„ Isaac bicause he was already come to yeres of discretion did laugh at him mocke him Nowe if there were nothing more thaÌ„ simple mocking laughter it seemeth that S. Paul should not terme it persecution VVe must mark that the persecutioÌ„s of Gods children are not done only by sword fire racking imprisonment or other torments of the body but also in that they be wouÌ„ded with the scornful reproches which the vnbeleeuers and enimies of Gods truth doo spue out agaynst them And if we do wel practise the thing that is sayd in the Psalme wee shall not thinke the maner of speeche straunge which S â–ª Paul vseth heere For where as it is sayde that the raylings whiche are caste foorth agaynst Gods maiestâ—â— ought too rebounde backe vppon vs it is to shew that we ought to be very tender harted or squeymish when we heere Gods name set light or his honor diminished in any maner of wyse If any of vs bee touched in our good name or honestie wee will be angry and make a quarell of it wee see that for one crosse worde cholerike fellowes doo by and by draw their swordes and all is vnder colour that they muste maynteyne their honor and honestie If a man speake euill of our Parents or kinsfolke we will be in such heate and fumish passions as wee can not be appeased Then if God be misused or his
he be shaken downe and too continue alwayes stedfast in the thing which wee knowe too bee of our God whatsoeuer this man or that man doo babble or prate Yee see then that the thing whiche Sainct Paule ment is that wee shoulde not one of vs looke at another lyke sheepe which leape one after another intoo a riuer or a pit when one is leapt in afore them or lyke Cranes and other byrdes that flie all on a rowe one after another no wee may not doo so but wee muste alwayes bee constant without swaruing aside from the woorde of God Marke that for one poynt But aboue all things Sainct Paule telleth vs that wee muste not bee dazeled at mennes gay showes when they peruert Gods pure truthe vnder colour of their owne skill but that when wee see them too haue no regarde of any thing nor religion no feare of God no awe yea and that sometymes they bee woorse than paste shame so that if they once come so farre foreward as too get the Lawe in their owne handes they passe for noman but do after a sorte spit euen in Gods face I say when wee see them become suche Monsters wee muste wayt that God should execute his iustice vpon them and shew how much store he setteth by the soules which he hath bought so deerly And that is the cause why he addeth purposely whosoeuer he bee For heere he intended too deface all the gay titles whereof men vaunt themselues in setting vp their bristles against God Like as at this day whereas the Pope turneth Gods truthe vpside downe and through Diuelish pryde mingleth and mangleth all things yet notwithstanding he ceasseth not too call himselfe the Seruant of Gods Seruantes the Successor of Iesus Christ and the Vicar of Sainct Peter The Bishops also suppose themselues too haue a very lawfull tytle to suppresse all knowledge of the truth in naming themselues Prelates But Sainct Paule telleth vs heere that when men are so disguyzed they bee but Idolles for all that and God is vnchangeable and altereth nother his nature nor his minde Then sith it is so although men were exalted too the third heauen yet ought wee too take them for starke Diuelles if they go about to mingle aught at al of their owne deuizing with the pure simplicitie of Gods woord To bee short we see heere all worthâ—â—esse of man beaten downe when the obedience of fayth commeth in presence True it is that in ciuill caces there hath alwayes bin superioritie but yet muste God not withstanding gouerne stil by his woord and his seruis must be ruled thereby that our fayth may be wholly conformable therevnto and though all the world should set it self against it and heape vp neuer so huge and high mountaynes of most excellent titles euen vp too the cloudes all must be hild but as smoke yea and as filth and dung Thus yee see in effect what Sainct Paule ment to say Yet doth he it not too excuse the Galathians of their vnaduized ouershooting of themselues but too giue them courage to returne vnto God There are many too bee seene now adayes which thinke themselues to bee scaped out of Gods hands and too be quite discharged when they can say that their Prelates and Shepeherdes haue taught them so But S. Paule admitteth no such excuce but sayeth that the way for them to scape the damnatioÌ„ that is prepared for the deceyuers is to returne to Gods pure truth not to refuze to be brought backe againe though they haue swarued from it for a time And herewithall also for a coÌ„clusion he doth vs to vnderstand how deere our saluatioÌ„ is to God and how great store he setteth by it For whereof coÌ„meth that which S. Paule sayeth heere namely that all such as trouble the Churche shall giue a reckening of it and bee ouerwhelmed at Gods hand but of that wee be his heritage and he taketh all his pleasure in vs as in them whom he hath chozen and adopted and for that we be as it were his accomplishment as S. Paule termeth vs Seing it is so let vs learne to trust in God seing he hath so fatherly care of our saluation And so let vs learne to put from vs all false doctrine constantly and with such stoutnesse as we ought to do For wee see that God is chafed and moued too anger telling vs that he will neuer pardon those that haue so troubled his For asmuch then as wee see that God powreth out his indignatioÌ„ vpon them that haue troubled his Churche let vs haue a zele answereable therevnto and let vs abhorre all false doctrines And when wee see men desirous of nothing but too sowe some troubles let vs take them as our mortall enemies let vs make warre valiantly agaynst them and let vs fight too the vttermost for the truth of our God assuring our selues that that is the thing wherein lieth all our happinesse Thus yee see in effect what we haue to gather vpon this streyne And so for asmuch as God hath once called vs too him and ceasseth not to pricke vs forward dayly by exhortations let vs hold vs vnder his obedience And although we see many troubles dissentions and debates in the world yet let vs alwayes sticke stedfastly to the truth which cannot deceyue vs. And for asmuch as we may be soone seduced and deceyued let vs pray God too giue vs wisedome and discretion and also let vs giue diligent eare to his woord as whiche is able to strengthen vs against all Satans illusioÌ„s and let vs no more be led too daunce after other mennes pypes as S. Paule warneth vs in the end of this Epistle Seing then that we haue the meane which God hath stablished too holde vs alwayes too bee of his house and Church let vs stand stedfast therein And if we happen too bee turned aside through the foolishnesse and vnaduizednesse of our flesh let vs by and by herken to the warnings that are giuen vs heere let vs mourne for our faults and when wee haue mourned let vs serue our God knowing that he is euer readie too receyue vs. And although we see neuer so great a number of despyzers and worldlings which ceasse not to corrupt and peruert the doctrine of the Gospel yea and too bee vtterly sotted in their corruptions although I say that we see such stumblingblockes yet let vs take good heede that vnder the colour thereof we be not turned away vnto wickednesse and so be wrapped in the same damnation with them for following of their steppes but let vs go forward to the saluation that is set afore vs and wherevnto God prouoketh vs dayly to come Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgmeÌ„t of our faults praying him to make vs feele theÌ„ more more therwithall to beare with our infirmities till he haue rid vs quite and cleane of theÌ„ and clothed vs againe with the purenesse of his
bring in a thing that seemeth not to bee of any great importance let vs bethynke vs what a tayle it myght drawe after it And for proofe heereof when wee be once turned from the simplicitie of the Gospell wee shall become like whooremongers according as wee haue seene in the last Epistle howe Saint Paule sayth expressely that the Diuell vseth Bawdes trickes and Ruffian trickes when hee commeth too turne vs from the doctrine of the Gospell Hee will alwayes make some goodly and fayre protestation like as when a Ruffian intendeth to deceiue a yong wife or a mayde hee will not vse any lewde termes or knauerie for hee knoweth that shee woulde abhorre them but hee will marke by little and little howe hee may infect hir with hys deadly poyson Euen so playeth the Diuell in that behalfe For if he should shewe his hornes as they say at the first dash and shewe himselfe openly too bee Gods enimie euerie man woulde shunne him and we would abhorre him But hee windeth himselfe slily in and creepeth in at small cranies so as wee shall woonder that he coulde preuayle with vs in sundrie things and wee shall still beare our selues in hande that wee ceasse not to holde with Iesus Christ and his Church And yet for all that wee shall bee turned away and in the ende wee shall perceyue our selues too bee quite cutte off Therefore when we reade this example that the Diuell had marred and corrupted the Churches whereof mention is made heere and that vnder the shadowe of the Ceremonies of Moyses lawe let vs bethinke our selues the better and stande stiffely without turning asyde by any meanes from the simplicitie of the Gospell Furthermore seeing hee hath stryued and disputed about the Ceremonies of the lawe let vs looke well aboute vs too profite our selues by all that is heere conteyned and let vs stande continually vpon our garde that wee may finde out the craftes and wyles of Satan And whensoeuer hee shall go about too vndermine vs let vs looke well too our businesse and stande alwayes too that which wee haue learned so as we may be out of all doubt that wee shall not finde any thing in the doctrine of the Gospell which is not the pure woorde of God For as I sayde that is the thing wherevpon our fayth must bee grounded And if any man will adde neuer so little too it let vs not onely suspect it but also abhorre it for when there is such a mingle mangle made with Gods pure truth it can be nothing else but corruption Now let vs come to the order which Saint Paule keepeth in handling the doctrine which wee shall see poynt by poynt That hee may bee the better heard and also receyued he confirmeth his owne authoritie which some men had gone about too impeache For beholde the pollicie of those dogges that incountered agaynst him was too alledge that the Apostles taught otherwise than hee did Nowe forasmuch as Saint Paule had not bin conuersant wyth our Lorde Iesus Christ while hee lyued in this worlde it was supposed at the fyrst that the Apostles were a degree aboue him and ought to be preferred before him And on the other syde they inquired who had put him in that place as though hee had thrust himselfe in and had done it rather of rashnesse than otherwise Saint Paule therefore was fayne too set himselfe agaynst all this geere and too shewe that hee was truely sente of God Furthermore as I sayde earst the Diuell stirred vp others who comming from Ierusalem sayd that that was the mother Church and the holinesse of all Christendome and they pretended too bee zeelous setters foorth of the purenesse of the Gospell By reason whereof it behoued Saint Paule too go forwarde in shewing that hee had not aduaunced himselfe nor taken any thing vpon him of his owne heade but had obeyed the calling of God and of our Lorde Iesus Christ who had made him his Apostle Yea and hee compareth himselfe with Iohn and Iames and Peter who were as men termed them the pillers of the Church and so taken to be among all men shewing that hee was no whitte inferiour to them And why doth hee so To the ende his doctrine might be receyued for that is the marke that he amed at Afterwarde when he hath prepared the Galathians too receyue obediently the warnings that he giueth them thē he debateth the matter which was at that time in controuersie and sheweth that the Gospell is beaten downe if we haue not the freedom which is purchased for vs by the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ which is that the ceremonies of the law should not holde vs any more in subiection or awe For as we shall see hereafter if such subiection should be admitted all the frute of our redemption and of the saluation which is purchased for vs by the sonne of God should go to wreck But nowe let vs come to the order that S. Paule keepeth for the mayntenance of his authoritie He sayth that he is an Apostle not on mennes behalfe nor by man but by Iesus Christe and by God the father which hath raysed him from the dead Fyrste of all we haue to marke here that Saincte Paule to the intente too bee receyued groundeth himselfe vppon the ordinaunce and appoyntment of God For surely no man ought to take vppon hym anye honoure in the Churche saue he that is called as I haue declared alreadie Besides that our fayth should be verie feeble if it should bee settled vpon men howe great excellencie or worthinesse soeuer were in them yea thoughe they were perfecter than Angells yet were that nothing our fayth is so precious a iewell as it muste rest altoogether vpon God and his truthe Seing it is so if a man intend to be heard it must not be alledged that he is wittie and skilfull or that he hath seene and hearde muche and is a man of great experience al those things are but smoake when it commeth too the leadyng of vs too the kingdome of Heauen For there the matter standeth not vpon profounde witte and high and exquisite knowledge all those things are but the sleyghts of Satan Ageyne wee knowe howe it is fayde generally of all mannes wysedome that it is but stark follie yea and that God laugheth it to scorne and abhorreth it bicause it turneth vs away from the obeying of him Therefore whensoeuer the cace concerneth the teachyng of vs all thyngs that beelong too man or too anye creature muste be layde a water that there maye bee a well ordered gouernemente in the Church and suche a one as God alloweth For if men aduaunce themselues in that cace God is thereby plucked backe and in the ende there wyll bee nothyng but vtter confusion So muche the more then behooueth it vs too marke well what S. Paule sheweth vs heere in that hee doth not alleadge or bryng any thyng of his owne for the stablishyng of his authoritie
there is nothing but spottinesse rebelliousnesse in vs till God haue changed vs how so answer they and what shall then become of our own free will To be short Iesus Christ shal be named oft ynough and men wil reserue vnto him the title of Redemer But in the meane season his office shal be parted and put too the spoyle and euery man shall catch a portion of it too himselfe Besides this they imagine that the Saints and Angels of heauen are as patrones to them and finally they haue infinit wayes to their owne seeming wherby to come vnto God But herevpon we may well conclude that the holy Ghost doth iustly auow them to be backsliders and to haue giuen ouer Iesus Christ and to be become strangers to him For they falsly abuse his name Iesus Christ is not variable according as wee haue seene howe S. Paule in the seconde to the Corinthians sayd that we shall not finde yea and nay in him but that he will continue alwayes at one stay To be short whatsoeuer the Papists bable concerning Christianitie is altogyther hypocrisie and leasing and they doo but falsifie the name of Gods sonne and abuse it wickedly For they make a mumrie of it or rather an Idoll Yee see then why Saint Paule blameth the Galathians for beeing so caryed away Nowe if a man demaunde the reason howe it was in that some woulde haue made them to obserue the ceremonies of the lawe as things necessarie and yet had God commaunded them Yea verely howbeeit that was but with a temporall condition for the people of olde tyme so as they muste of necessitie haue all ceassed at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Forasmuch therefore as the Galathians mingled the olde figures and shadowes of the lawe with the cleare light of the Gospell Saint Paule being not able too suffer it sayth that they were turned aside from God yea and vtterly falne away from him But there is yet a worse thing than that namely that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ was thereby disanulled bicause men doo always beare themselues in hand that they deserue and earne righteousnesse before God to be in his fauour for their seruing of him and so when these deceiuers had brought in the said error that men ought to kepe the old forworne figures it was all one as if they had threaped a meritorious seruice vpon God whither hee woulde or no. But our saluation must bee of free gift or else Iesus Christ is nothing woorth I terme it saluation of free gift bicause it is giuen vs simplie of God so as wee bring not any thing with vs to the attaynment thereof but onely an eager desire too be filled wyth the thing that wee want Therefore it standeth vs on hande too come as poore beggers vntoo God if wee mynde too bee iustified for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake For if wee imagine neuer so small a droppe of deseruing in our selues it stoppeth vs from comming too our Lorde Iesus Christ And not without cause dooth an auncient Doctor say that wee cannot receyue the Saluation that is offered vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ except wee haue first dispatched the mynding of our owne desertes and acknowledged that there is nothing but vtter wretchednesse in our selues Thus yee see why Sainct Paule had yet more iust reason too say that the Galathians were caryed away from Iesus Christ and from his father But there was yet this clogge more namely that they were made too beleeue what other men lysted and thereby brought in subiection too a slauishe bondage too bee robbed of the quietnesse of conscience which wee ought too haue in our Lorde Iesus Christ For besydes that wee bee reconcyled by the sacryfize of hys death and passion wee bee also set free from the rygor of the law vnder the which wee were hilde in bondage As for example according as we shall see more fully hereafter for as nowe I do but ouerrunne matters whereof we shall see a larger discourse afterwarde Ye know howe it is sayde in the lawe that whosoeuer performeth not al that God commaundeth to the vttermost point shall be accursed But it is impossible for vs to attaine too such perfection Therefore it stoode vs vpon too haue freedome purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ that the Lorde might not any more holde vs vnder his yoke whiche was intollerable as it is sayde in the fifteenth of the Actes Nowe wee see in effect why Saint Paule blameth the Galathians for falling away lyke periured persons towardes God and towardes our Lorde Iesus Christ as hauing gyuen him the slippe and forsaken the fayth whiche they had plighted vntoo him And by this example wee bee warned to holde vs to the pure doctrine and simplicitie of the Gospell wythout wauering one way or other For it is not ynough to haue the name and title of Christians no nor yet to beare the marke of baptisme but we must continue stedfast in the doctrine of the Gospell For as I haue sayd heretofore our Lord Iesus Christ cannot denie himselfe and when we haue dreamed this and that of him yet must we bee fayne to knowe him for such a one as he is giuen vs of God his father Nowe the Gospell sheweth wherefore he is come what his office is the benefites that wee receyue by him and what hys power is towardes vs. And therefore if wee haue not the pure and single doctrine wherein our Lorde Iesus Christ was manifested vnto vs surely wee haue nothing at all and whensoeuer wee haue once bin instructed in it wee must holde it still too the last pushe For if we swarue neuer so little from it there will bee nothing but vnfaythfulnesse in vs. And in good sooth it standeth vs on hande to bethinke vs of the horrible fall wherevnto we were tumbled with others when wee were plunged in so many errours trumperyes and Illusions of Satan that Iesus Christe was vtterly vnknowne too vs. Seeing that God hath nowe of his owne infinite goodnesse plucked vs out of such a bottomlesse gulfe let vs settle our selues too haue a constant and fast fayth that wee bee no more shaken like Reedes with euery winde but abyde fast in the roote of the Gospell grounded vppon the inuincible power of our Lorde Iesus Christ And againe seeing that in him all Gods promises are yea and Amen and haue their truth in him so as they be performed there let our fayth also abyde stedfast there This is it that wee haue to remember in this saying of S. Paules Furthermore to put the Galathians to the greater shame hee setteth before them their calling by grace These woordes from him that hath called you maye bee referred as well too Iesus Christ as too GOD the Father for there is no great difference in the matter But in the meane time we see in effect what Saint Paule ment too say Therefore hee casteth the Galathians in the
the appetite of men Gods truth must nedes be corrupted Also â–ª he addeth that if he should please men he were not the seruant of Iesus Christ But the diuell hath many meanes slightes to darken Gods truth in such wise as it may wel seme vnto vs that we be stil with God yet in the mean while we shal be a great way of from him vnlesse we haue wisdome and discretion as it is giuen vs heere Therefore let vs haue the skill too discerne God from men so as we may not be abashed nor amazed when wee see many contrarieties muche diuersitie of opinions and many incounters and disputations Let none of all those things make vs chaunge our beleefe And why Let vs looke no more but whether wee can bee sure in God if we haue that once let vs boldely despise the whole worlde But if we bee not well settled in our fayth it is certayne thâ—â— euerie blaste of winde wyll ouerthrowe it or at leastwyze make it too stagger too and fro Therefore let vs take such taste as wee maye knowe that God hathe verily had pitie of vs too the ende too shewe vs hys wyll and let vs looke well too suche as teach vs and marke of what minde they be led and gouerned whether they seeke to obey God on their owne part and too leade vs in the same way by their owne example Furthermore when S. Paule sayth that if he shoulde please men hee were not the seruant of Iesus Christ that doctrine implyeth verie much For we knowe well ynough what men are of their owne nature howe there is nothing in them but iniquitie and stubbornnesse agaynst God Then if we minde to pleasure them we must giue ouer God and haue nothing to doo with him For men go alwayes backwarde if they bee not compelled to come vnto God and they kicke agaynst him like wilde beastes Therefore wee cannot please them but by straying from God and by giuing the brydle to such as leape out eft a tone side and eft a toother yea and euen the good men coulde sometymes finde in their heartes that God shoulde applie himselfe too their appetites For although they bee still minded too serue him yet are they not at all tymes and in all poyntes so well ruled as to haue giuen ouer all their owne opinions lykings and desires but that sometimes they shall euerie one of them be tempted to do one thing or other insomuch that if wee were not hilde short and made to retire out of hande wee would runne to our destruction To bee short there is none of vs all but hee woulde bee pleased insomuch that if they which haue the charge to buylde and teach the Church would please men they shoulde bee fayne too renounce our Lorde Iesus Christ And hereby all Ministers of Gods worde are taught to shet their eyes when they intende to discharge their duetie faythfully so as they must not looke aside too regarde men according to their disordered desires which they see but sette aside all desire of their good lyking and fauour And if they purpose to lead those vntoo God which woulde else bee stubborne hearted whatsoeuer come of it let them so deale that God may haue his right and that our Lorde Iesus Christ may haue his authoritie For as I haue sayd alreadie what is too bee done when we speake in his name VVee must not onely generally condemne all that is of our owne nature but also so ransacke mens consciences as euerie of them may feele that God executeth his iurisdiction there and that the Gospell is not onely a launcing yron to pricke but also a sworde that pearceth to the marye of the bones as the Apostle sayth in the Epistle too the Hebrewes There must then be neyther thought nor affection which the Gospell must not search Truely it cannot bee but that they which are so wounded must needes grone and haue some greefe and hartbyting But yet must wee shet our eyes at all that and not regard what men couet or desire but passe on still forward Furthermore this warning serueth not onely for the Ministers of Gods worde but for all men ingenerall Therefore if we desire too bee Christians let vs learne to do so much honour to the sonne of God that although his woorde bee not verie well too our lyking nor we finde fauour in it according to our naturall witte yet notwithstanding we may not ceasse too receyue it obediently And so when any man commeth to a Sermon lette him first and formost make his reckening to be rebuked as meete is and let him vnderstande that it is for his profite that hee is not soothed And if hee haue itching eares let him lay them away from him assuring himselfe that else he is forclosed so as hee shall neuer receyue the doctrine to his profite and instruction VVherefore let vs all suffer our sores too bee rubbed and our selues to be condemned and too bee dealt with cleane contrarie to our lyking Thus yee see how euery of vs ought to be prepared if wee purpose to bee scholers too the sonne of God and to yeeld him the maystrie which belongeth vnto him And wee ought too endeuer this thing so much the more forasmuch as we see our nature driueth vs to the contrarie way For we bee blinded with selfeloue and euery of vs coueteth too be honoured but honoured we cannot bee but by flatterie and lying For who is he among vs that deserueth to bee commended There is nothing but filthinesse and infection in vs before God For all the goodly vertues which we haue to outwarde showe are but corruption till God haue reformed vs. So then it is certaine that all that euer we haue of our owne nature must be clensed or else wee shall rotte in our owne wretchednesse And therefore forasmuche as there is none other meane to drawe vs to saluation but by clensing vs of all our vyces and the same clensing cannot bee done but by violence when we bee warned by the doctrine of the Gospell so as our owne consciences rebuke vs although we like well to bee nowe and then flattered and soothed yet let vs seeke to be spoken vnto earnestly and to haue our faults told vs and to be made ashamed of them and too haue our vnhonestie discouered and not desire to be pleased for it were the next way to make vs rotte in our owne naughtinesse if we should holde it so in secrete and it woulde cost vs dearly the setting on if we should be so flattered by men and in the meane season the heauenly Iudge should thunder downe vppon vs. Thus ye see how euery of vs ought too profite himselfe by that which S. Paule speaketh here namely that if the preachers gratifie and please men in so doing they renounce God and if they renounce him what shall become of the rest of the people VVhither shall they be led but to the diuell Therfore when any man
when he did set foorth our Lorde Iesus Christ and that there a man shall finde whatsoeuer hee can wishe for his welfare And in one other Text too the Ephesians hee sayeth that that is the thing wherevntoo wee must applie all our studie bothe farre and wide so as wee neede not too bring any petie trashe too further the thing that hee had sette out afore Then sith it is so wee see that all suche as intangle themselues in mens deuices and inuentions haue a disguised Iesus Christ and a bastarde Gospell whiche God disclaymeth so that our Christianitie can bee no Christianitie except wee continue in the things whiche wee haue learned of the sonne of God who is our onely Master and in the things which the Apostles also haue taught vs in his name Lo what wee haue too remember in this Text. Nowe heerevppon Saint Paule sheweth his owne conuersation whereby it maye bee gathered that out of doubt hee was as it were fashioned by the spirite of God For so straunge an alteration as was seene in hys person coulde not happen except God had put too hys hande and wrought after a secrete and vnaccustomed fashion And so yee see in effect whereat hee amed when hee sayeth that the Galathians knewe his conuersation or maner of lyuing VVee haue heere a good lesson Howbeeit that we may profite the more by it let vs marke howe Saint Paule continueth the thing that hee had touched afore which is that a man shall not find a stedfast foundation in any creature whereon to setle fayth but that God onely must bee the founder thereof and although men bee meane and instrumentes of it yet notwithstanding they haue neede too bee authorised of God and too haue it knowne that hee hath sent them and allowed them and that they bring not any thing which they haue not receyued of him Nowe if a man haue an eye too the vertues that were in Sainct Paule certainly hee deserued well too haue some credite and audience among menne Yet notwithstanding hee acknowledgeth and confesseth that hee is nothing as in respect of himselfe and that all that euer he hath is onely to serue our Lord Iesus Christ and to set forth the things faythfully which he hath receyued of him VVhat shall wee then say too such as haue neither good life doctrine or ought else VVhereas they call themselues Prelates and take vppon them some statelinesse and superioritie so as their sayings go for sawes are they therefore aduaunced aboue S. Paule Admit they were yet must all loftinesse of man ceasse and bee pulled downe so as nothing may hinder the exalting of Iesus Christ As for example although S. Iohn Baptist had recorde borne vnto him that there was not an excellenter man borne of woman yet notwithstanding he saith that both himself and others must be diminished that Iesus Christ might grow and increase Likewise S. Paule speaking of it in another place sayth that the Church must in such wise be builded as our head Iesus Christ may always haue preemīnence For if we should so aduance men that Iesus Christ should be defaced among them that were a terrible building and such a one as should bring nothing but ruine and confusion And in good sooth if a man should become as big as a Piller of this Church and his head of the bignesse of ones fist so as it should be hid betwene his shoulders He should be a monster and it were much better for him too keepe his ordinarie proportion But like as the Church is the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ so must hee bee aduaunced aboue all men and euery man must loke vpon him and sticke to him And certesse the Papists condemne themselues at this day by their own prouerb in that they say a man cannot knowe God for his Apostles And in verie deede they haue buryed Iesus Christ in such sort that he is as good as hidden in the worlde For they haue robbed him of all that belonged to him insomuch that whereas he is called the lawgiuer the Iudge and the King to shew that he alonely ought to beare rule we see how mē haue decked thēselues with all those feathers Therfore let vs kepe our selues from such confusion if we increase let vs always abide in the root groundwork of the simplicitie of the Gospell Let vs take good heed that we swarue not a heare breadth from it And as touching that which is rehersed heere concerning the conuersion of S. Paule it tendeth still to this ende namely to do vs to wit that he did not thrust himselfe in of his owne heade but that God reached him his hand and that the doctrine which he had preached was giuen him by reuelation so as it might safely be hilde as the worde that proceeded out of the mouth of God and consequently as the certaine and infallible truth I haue tolde you heretofore that if a man seke to be heard for his owne skil for his great and deepe vnderstanding for his fayre speech or for his great eloquence all those things are nothing but filthinesse and dung and that God only must haue that authoritie and honor at our handes and that forasmuch as it pleaseth God to speake to vs by the mouth of his only sonne only Iesus Christ must haue the preeminence to be the master and teacher of all his and wee likewise must become his flock to heare his voyce Lo how our Lorde Iesus Christ is to be honored among vs namely by becomming his true scholers and without feyning In the Popedome a man may wel ynough worship some Marmoset with the honor of Iesus Christ whē as in the meane while the Gospell is troden vnder foote and blasphemed and yet notwithstanding those blind wretches thinke themselues too haue made a fayre hande Yea but in very deed it is an open spitting in the face of our Lord Iesus Christ when men renounce his woorde wherein they should beholde his glorie and maiestie as Saint Paule sayth in the seconde to the Corinthians Then is it no honouring of Christ when men make many murlimewes and ceremonies but when they submit themselues simplie to the doctrine wherein it is his will to be knowne and wherein hee sheweth himselfe vnto vs as it were face to face Thus ye see in effect what wee haue too beare away And herewithall in this conuersion of Saint Paules wee see perfectly the heauenly power which he minded to shewe vs heere that is to wit that it was not of man but that God had vttered hys arme to the ende it might bee knowne that such chaunge came of him and that S. Paule was become a new creature For surely it is a more excellent worke of God when a man is repayred after his Image than when we be borne into this transitorie lyfe And so wee see howe Saint Paule was made a newe man And that is the cause why he
things should goe to hauocke and confusion in the world than to abyde that Gods woord being so precious and holy a thing as it is should in any wise be peruerted yea it were better that heauen and earth should be confounded together than that that should bee suffered So then lette vs consyder well this doctrine howe it maye serue our turne and doe vs good not onely to beate backe all the assaultes that shall bee put too vs by the enimies of Gods truth but also too frame vs too all lowlynesse and modestie so as oure whole desire maye bee too bee guyded and gouerned by Gods woorde and by the doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Chryste Howbeeit therewithall lette vs bee so stoute hearted as not to bee turned awaye by men neyther for theyr credite and authoritie nor for their threatenyngs nor for all the pryde and statelinesse of the worlde but that wee maye alwayes sticke stedfastly to our Lorde Iesus Chryste And if any bodie come and laye any newe thing afore vs lette vs eâ—ermore haue a good eye too the ende wherevntoo they woulde leade vs and consyder that lyke as Satan hathe many wiles and policies so also haue his vnderlings too And therfore let vs on our side haue the skil to loke to our selues in such wyse as we may always know our Lord Iesus Christ and be guyded thither so as he may be our only marke and shoote anker and we vnderstande that hee hath all fulnesse of welfare in him to the ende that wee should seeke our wantes in him and all things be put away that might hinder vs from comming vnto him And nowe lette vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgemente of oure faultes praying him too make vs feele them in suche wise as wee may craue forgiuenesse of them at hys hande wyth true repentance and profyte after suche sorte more and more in hys worde as it may make vs too forsake oure selues and leane vntoo hym and hys power that he may hold vs vp in our fraylenesse till he haue brought vs to the perfection wherevnto he calleth vs at thys daye And so let vs all say Almighty God our heauenly father c. The ninth Sermon which is the third vpon the second Chapter 6. But as for those that are in estimation I passe not vvhat they haue bin in time past for God regardeth not the outvvard apparance of man surely those that vvere in estimation did adde nothyng vnto me 7 â–ª But coÌ„traryvvise vvheÌ„ they savv that the preaching of the Gospell to the vncircumcised vvas coÌ„mitted vnto me as the preaching to the circumcysed vvas committed vnto Peter 8 For he that vvas of povver in Peters Apostleship tovvardes the Circumcizion was of povver in mee also tovvardes the Gentiles WE saw this morning that when meÌ„ mingle their owne fancies with Gods truth ther is nothing but corruption and by that meanes the Gospel is falsified VVhich thing ought to holde vs in such awe as no man shoulde presume to adde aught at all to the things that we haue from aboue For God hath taught vs so perfectly as we can not put too any thing without great blasphemie forasmuch as it were a couert accusing of him of vnaduisednesse or els of nigardship as who shuld say he were loth too bestow things vpon vs which would be for our welfare Seeing then that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for vs let vs abide in it And if any man step vp to bring in some addition of his own let vs abhor it yea though the thing seme to haue neuer so great reason in it as oftentimes the diuell vseth to shroude himself vnder this couert that we must not stick at light slender points But surely God must be hearkned too in al points and al respects â–ª according as it is to be demed by S. Paules dooing who could easyly haue let slip the circumcizing of Titus as a smal thing yet notwithstanding would not beÌ„d in that behalf the reason wherof was least the Gentiles shoulde be made subiect to such necessitie as was intended to be layde vpon theÌ„ Yet we read that he sticked not to circumcise Timothie Neuerthelesse the matter seemed to be all one and that S. Paule vsed inconstancie and variablenesse in that behalfe Beholde there were twoo Heathen men which had not bin nourished and instructed in the law of Moyses from their birth And the Iewes would neuer haue receyued any man that had not ben circumcized For they deemed all men to be vncleane whiche bare not that warrant about them Now S. Paule circumcyseth the one and will not doe the lyke to the other who will thinke that he kept an euen hande If wee consider all thyngs well wee shall see why he refuzed to circumcyse Titus and yet had circumcysed Timothie Circumcision was at that tyme lawfull of it selfe It was not lyke the Idolatries that are in Papistrie nowadayes If ye aske what holywater is it is an vnhallowing of baptisme For in baptim wee haue a washing that ought to suffice vs both in lyfe and death and God will not haue vs too haue anie other warrant of the spirituall clenzing that was obteyned for vs by the blud of our Lord Iesus Christ but we must be contented with it But as for the Holywater of the Papists what else is it than an endlesse baptysing of our selues As touching the Masse it is so vilanous and outrageous a trecherie that noman can come at it but he must defyle himself by renouncing the death of our Lord Iesus Christ But Circumcision stoode not in the like case for it was profitable for the tyme that it lasted True it is that it was abolished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ but yet for all that the Iewes myght keepe it still till they were fully instructed in the libertie of the Gospel Saint Paule therfore had circumcised Timothie and the reason why was for that hee sawe manye weaklings whiche woulde haue bene offended bycause they were not yet throughly confirmed in the knowledge of the Gospell but thought that it behoued them to keepe still the ceremonies of the Lawe And it is sayd that wee must yeeld one to an other for charitie byndeth vs thervnto Euery man must not do what he him self thinks good to the trubbling of his neybours but we must so fashyon our selues one too an other as none maye bee offended through our faulte S â–ª Paule then forbare in hauing respect too the poore Ignorant weaklings who not withstanding myghte bee brought to knowledge in tyme. And as concerning the persone of Titus he sawe how men went about to lay a yoke of bondage vpon the Gentiles and that the same wold be a holding of the Iewes alwayes vnder the Lawe whiche was then but superstition For it was for them to haue known that the law had serued out his time and that the ceremonies should not continue for euer If thys
is a maner of bearing with things which is commendable as I haue said alreadie which is to be gentle in rebuking such as haue done amisse so as we labour to win them and drawe them backe againe by freendlinesse and bee not too fumishe and hastie with them For there are faults that may be borne with and which are not to be searched to the bottom for it doth but sharpen men when they see an ouereagernesse of fault fynding according as yee shall see diuers whiche keepe as it were continuall watche too see if they can fynde anye thing too carpe at in some man or other all theyr holynesse consisteth in taunting of one man and in rayling vppon an other and too bee short they bee the greatest Correcters of the worlde But our desyre of rebuking must be so brydeled as wee seeke not to finde fault with men And yet on the other side the flattering that reigneth nowadayes to much in the worlde is a vice which we ought to shunne as a deadly plague Therefore according as euerie of vs loueth his neighbour so let him lerne to vse the freenesse of speach which S. Paule sheweth vs heere And specially when Gods truthe is in hande let no man be spared let the zeale of God get the vpper hande in vs and although we shoulde purchase displeasure and runne in daunger of many slaunders and backbytings yet ought wee neuerthelesse to vndertake the chalenge For there is no excuse for vs if wee play the traytours by dissembling when the truthe of the Gospell is falsified Wherefore wee must followe the thing that Saint Paule sheweth vs heere and the deede which hee did too his fellow Peter muste serue vs for a lawe and rule so as wee may shewe that wee desyre nothing more than that God shoulde bee hearde that his truth shoulde not bee turned intoo a lye and that there should not be any thing shuffled too it nor any Leuen or Darnell mingled with it but that it shoulde continue alwayes in hys owne pure singlenesse And on the other syde the greate ones are warned heere too submit themselues meekely and too yeelde themselues plyable too the correction that is offered them knowing that God surrendered not his owne right when hee aduaunced them too that state but muste still keepe his soueraigne dominion execute hys iurisdiction by hys woorde in suche wyse as they whiche are moste highly aduaunced muste bowe downe theyr neckes and vnderstande that it were a diuelishe confuzion too pretende a priuiledge too receyue no chastizement For by that meanes Gods woorde shoulde bee as good as thrust out of doores and hee bee bereft of the soueraintie which he hath ouer vs and therefore after that maner must wee put that doctrine in vre And specially nowadayes when wee see men so bolde too bende themselues after that fashion agaynst God let vs bee fenced aforehande agaynst them and let nothing abash vs seeing we knowe what the quarell is wherein we fight agaynst them but let vs hardily defie all that filthie dungeon that is to wit the Pope and his Cleargie and let vs not passe a whit for these stinking vermin when we see them bend their hornes at our Lorde Iesus Christ and that vnder his shadowe and by pretending his name they go about too thrust his Gospell vnder foote yea and too burie it vtterly or else too make suche a confuzed mingling of it as men may not knowe who is mayster Then sithe wee see that the Diuell possesseth them after that sort let vs not sticke too arme our selues too the battell and too stande out agaynst them too the vttermost specially seeing that among other things the quarell is more fauourable too vs in these dayes than it coulde seeme to bee in the tyme that Saint Paule mainteyned it True it is that the reason is alyke and springeth all out of one fountaine but yet was Saint Paule faine too fight agaynst the Ceremonyes that God had commaunded by his owne mouth And why did hee so Bycause that thereby the Gospell was darkened the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ was after a sort beaten downe mennes merites were stablished and finally men knewe not whereat God had amed in his lawe And nowadayes the selfe same reasons moue vs to fight agaynst all the abhominations that haue bin set vp in the Popedome But we haue this for an aduantage that all these things were forged in the shoppes of Sathan and of men Nowe wee knowe there is nothing but vanitie in men so long as they bee ruled by their owne fancie and submit not themselues too the obeying of God For as much as the cace standeth so let vs fight so much the more manfully seeing that our Lorde doth in all respects giue vs wherewith to keepe vs from being dismayed at the titles that are set afore vs to outface vs with which are nought else but illusions of Satā Ye see in effect what we haue to beare in mind But it behoueth vs also too marke well howe Saint Paule addeth that his rebuking of Peter was bycause hee and his companyons walked not the right way in the truthe of the Gospell and besides that his rebuking of them was bycause hee sawe that the mischiefe was alreadie spread farre and wyde and that if he had forborne any longer the remedie woulde haue come out of season Beholde here twoo reasons which it standeth vs on hande too marke well As touching the truth of the Gospell I haue shewed you alreadie howe it is the purenesse which it behoueth vs to sticke vnto He might well haue sayd that they walke not the right way in the Gospell but he speaketh of the truth of the Gospell according as hee had vsed the same worde once afore The reason why he doth so is for that men woulde haue a halfe faced Gospell and be are themselues in hande that they bee discharged before God so the name of Christianitie runne roundly in theyr mouthes Like as at this day the woorde Gospell is taken to bee meetely honourable among the Papists but yet the Gospel which they haue is but a bastardgospell bicause they haue put their owne collups and gobbets to it They haue turkined all things after their owne pleasure and they haue taken suche a scope that Iesus Christ is but an vnderling in comparison of them For they haue giuen determinate sentence as it were from Heauen And in good sooth they haue not beene ashamed too say that the Contentes of the Gospell are but as an Apsie of the Christians or as it were an introduction and that the greate Mysteryes and principall matters haue beene reuealed too them since so as they muste come from Councels and from the Sea of Rome Thus is our Lorde Iesus Christe mocked as thoughe they had taken in hande too crucifie him newe agayne For men coulde not deuyze too offer hym a greater villanye than too saye that he was but as an Vsher of a Schoole to teach
the washing of them away which was done by the deathe and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Yee see then that our righteousnesse is that God accepteth vs howebeit not in respecte of our owne worthynesse but in respect of the obedience of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby all our misdooings are wyped out That is the first benefite which wee haue by our Lorde Iesus Christe The seconde is that whereas wee bee frowarde of our owne nature and al that the Papists terme by the name of freewill is but frenzie and that howe great accompte so euer men make of them selues all is but naughtinesse and wee bee full of vyce and corruption in steade of beeing so our Lorde Iesus Christ giueth vs the grace to be sory for our sinnes to labour to do good for so long as we abide in our owne nature euery of vs sootheth and flattereth him selfe in his euill But when we haue once tasted the inestimable loue of our God and perceyued what our Lorde Iesus Christ is then we be so touched by his holy spirite that wee condemne the euill and desire to drawe neere vnto God and too frame our selues to his holy will VVee be sure of that once and although wee go halting yet doo wee continually sigh to see our owne imperfections and infirmities and perceyue full well how it is the spirite of God that moueth vs thervnto when our chiefe desire is to forsake the sinfulnesse that is in vs and commeth of our fleshe so as we wishe nothing else but that God should be glorified in all our lyfe and faythfully obeyed in all things That is the seconde benefite which our Lord Iesus Christ bringeth vs and they be two things knit togither by vnseparable bande so that like as the light of the sunne can not be separated from his heate so these two graces that is to wit our righteousnesse and the remission of our sinnes are vnseparably matched with our renewment which is done by the spirit of sanctification Thus ye see two graces inseparable and like as when we say that the Sunne is whot it ceasseth not to shine also yet notwithstanding the light of the sunne is not heate so when we say that wee be iustified by the remission of our sinnes it is not ment that our Lord Iesus Christ doth thēcefoorth suffer him selfe too bee mocked and despised but that wee haue neede to be throughly clensed so as wee may learne too renounce the world and our selues too the ende to sticke vnto him with true obedience Howsoeuer the worlde go the thing that S. Paule speaketh in this text shall alwayes be founde true namely that he was crucified with Iesus Christ to liue vnto God Then if any man accuse the Gospell that it giueth libertie to doo euill and too sinne wee may alwayes answere howe so By the lawe wee bee alwayes dead for there wee see our owne cursednesse whiche will leaue vs dismayde in dispayre But in the Gospell although wee bee crucified that is too saye althoughe there bee a spice of death in the Gospell yet is that death a quickening deathe and the cause of lyfe For so long as men lyue too them selues they bee dead vnto God they bee wretched carkasses full of rottennesse But when they dye in them selues they lyue vntoo God And for that cause Sainct Paule in the twelfth too the Romanes calleth vs lyuing sacrifices where hee telleth vs that wee muste bee transformed and vtterly gyue ouer our owne reason and our owne wyll too yeelde God suche seruice as is meete for him too haue He saythe Offer vp your selues as lyuing sacrifices So then in the Lawe there muste needes bee a deadly deathe a deathe that leaueth vs vtterly ouerwhelmed and sunken euen downe intoo hell But in the Gospell there is a quickening deathe And why For wee bee crucified wyth Iesus Christ too lyue vnto God that is too saye our olde man as Sainct Paule termeth it in the sixth too the Romanes and that whiche wee haue of our owne nature is doone awaye howebeeit not at the first daye but by little and little But howe soeuer the cace stande wee shall perceyue that our Lorde Iesus Christe mortifieth all that was in vs of our owne or of the worlde so as wee bee not so greatly giuen too nestle heere bylowe bycause wee see it is a myserable state too lyue heere and oure very care is too stycke vntoo God Thus yee see howe wee may bee crucified with our Lorde Iesus Chryste But what is mente by that crucifying Verily it is a certayne kynde of deathe Howebeeit that deathe bryngeth vs too lyfe whiche thing the death whiche the Lawe bringeth dooth not Nowe then wee see the very intente of Sainct Paule and the naturall meanyng of this texte Therefore nowe a dayes when the enimies of the truthe blaspheme the Gospell we haue heere an answere to stoppe their mouthes And if they holde on still let them barke lyke dogges but they shall not bee able too byte doo what they can See heere what the Papistes flushe foorth when wee preache that men are iustified throughe Gods free goodnesse O say they are they so That were the nexte waye to giue euery man the brydle too lyue after his owne lyking and too cause that there mighte be no more remorse nor scruple of conscience so as euery man myghte haue leaue too doo what he lysted That is the common blasphemie of the Papistes Agayne when wee shewe them that they can not bynde vs by their traditions and that it is but a tyrannie whiche they haue vsurped in robbing God of his righte and that the libertie was purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ to the ende that wee shoulde not bee tyde too the things whiche men woulde lay vpon vs of lawe and necessitie in matters concerning the spirituall gouernment of our soules O saye they see what cōmes of it their desire is nothing else but too wallowe in all pleasure and too leade a loose lyfe Surely wee maye easily answere too all this For the doctrine that wee bring serueth not to stirre vp mens lustes nor to giue them too greate and lawlesse a libertie but too the cleane contrarie But howsoeuer the cace stande it oughte too suffice vs that if wee shoulde abyde in the quamyre of the Papistes surely there woulde bee nothyng but deathe for vs. For were they not too faste asleepe and vtterly dulled vndoubtedly they shoulde bee tossed wyth suche vnquietnesse and hartebytings as they should needes see that that is not the thing wherevpon wee muste reste But beholde they bee so rotted in their ignoraunce that they haue not anye feelyng of Gods iustice at all But as for oure partes for as muche as wee knowe wee haue suche a freedome purchased vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ and are sure of our saluation bicause God dothe freely forgiue all our faultes and doo feele alreadie by the working of Gods holy spirite that he
them and to be short they cannot finde in their heartes to come as poore beggers before God but wyll alwayes bring some present with them And yet notwithstanding all that euer wee thinke our selues too haue is but abhomination Therefore Saint Paule sheweth vs that there is none other meanes for vs too receyue lyfe at our Lorde Iesus Christes hande and too bee made partakers of his death and resurrection and so to attaine too the heritage of heauen by his meanes than to be vtterly voyded of all the foolishe ouerweenings which the children of this world conceyue when they imagin with themselues ô as for mee I haue some vertue in mee I haue some towardnesse and to lay it all downe and cast it quite away For vntill wee haue forgotten our owne desertes surely wee shall neuer be able to conceyue the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ Do wee then come vntoo him Let vs come vtterly emptie For if wee make any countenaunce of hauing aught it is nothing else but winde Truely whensoeuer men are puffed vp with pryde they become so full that they are readie too burst howbeeit all of it is but wynde But yet howe so euer wee fare that wynde holdeth vs backe from receyuing the benefites that are purchaced and brought vntoo vs by the Sonne of God and which he communicateth to vs by his Gospell Thus ye see wherevnto the conclusion tendeth which Saint Paule maketh heere Now the Papistes will graunt well inough that wee bee not able to purchase saluation except we bee helped by our Lorde Iesus Christ howbeeit they imagin that men may halfe saue themselues and that looke what wanteth is supplied by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c so they suppose thēselues to haue a good auailable startinghole But in saying so they shew thēselues deadly enimies of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and vpholders of the cace and quarell of the false Apostles and deceyuers that had corrupted defloured and falsfied the pure truth in the Church of Galatia For those sort of men coulde well inough confesse that Iesus Christ was the Sauour of the world and they would haue bin ashamed too say that Iesus Christ was nothing nay rather they professed Christianitie And what deemed they of Iesus Christ That he came too help mens infirmities bycause they were not able to discharge the lawe too the full and that for asmuch as they could not haue so great and large perfection as was requisite therefore it behoued them too bee helped by Iesus Christ and euen as much doo the Papistes say at this day But S. Paule concludeth on the contrarie part that then Iesus Christ had died in vayne If any man replie no not so for there should come some frute of his death and passion by helping vs too the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and although we haue meanes to satisfie God withall yet would not the same suffyze vnlesse Iesus Christ should worke therewith I say if any man make such replie let vs marke that S. Paule hild this for a certaine and vndeceyuable principle that doo the best we can there is nothing but cursednesse in vs till God haue receyued vs of his meere grace Lo wherein the Papists beguile themselues and not they onely for it hath bin a common errour among the Turkes and among all the Heathen men that euer were The Turkes can confesse well ynough that they haue neede of Gods mercie that hath alwayes bin an opinion through the whole world but they haue intermingled their own satisfactions with Gods grace as if they should say although God be pitifull towardes vs yet muste we procure fauour in his sight by our owne deseruings After that maner were the Heathen folke woont too speake And what say the Papistes now adayes All one thing For after they haue once graunted themselues too be wretched sinners and to haue neede to be succored by our Lord Iesus Christ and that his death and passion are auayleable to make them way vnto God they interlace their owne freewill and their preparations and thervnto say that they deserue on their side and that although Iesus Christ help them yet he dooth not all himselfe And in very deede that is the flat doctrine of the Papistes woord for woord For they say wee cannot deserue aught except Iesus Christ go before vs and shewe vs the way for they say that he hath purchaced vs the firste grace and that it lieth in vs to follow on and too attayne to the second And if a man aske them what is ment by that first grace they say it is the occasiō of meriting or deseruing for that is their terming of it and their maner of speache And this occasion of meriting is nothing else with them but that men are able of themselues too binde God too them by their owne satisfactions But S. Paule telleth vs that it is to outrageous yea and too Diuelish a trayterousnesse too haue such pride and therefore he cōcludeth that Iesus Christ should haue died in vayne if wee should seeke rightuousnesse in the lawe VVill wee then possesse our Lord Iesus Christ It behoueth vs too know wherefore wee come vnto him namely bycause that by the Lawe we are already condemned cursed of God cut off from hope of life and full of all corruption so as God must be fayne too clenze vs by his holy spirit and for asmuch as there are many infirmities in vs we must alwayes come to our Lord Iesus Christe and to confesse that there is nothing in vs but all cursednesse and miserie wee must needes come too this conclusion of S. Paules that Christ had died in vaine if it behoued vs to obtayne rightuousnesse by the law whither it were wholly or partly VVee must needes confesse that and the veriest idiotes are able to perceyue it in so much that if we receyue not Iesus Christ with that condition it is certayne that his comming shall profite vs nothing at all It will be but as a winde to blow vs away together so as wee shall be no more able to take hold of Gods mercie that is offered vs in Iesus Christ Now seyng it is so let vs learne to leaue such maner of mingling and acknowledge our selues beholden too our Lord Iesus Christe for all things for when we go about too interlace our owne merites with the free remission of our sinnes it is but a falsifying of Gods truth Besides this when we haue learned to rest our selues after that maner vppon him let vs bee taken in loue with the spirituall benefites which he bringeth vs and let not the afflictions and aduersities of this world hinder vs from holding on our course and from the ouer comming of all temptations and distresses but that we may haue full ioy in the middes of all our sorrowes and troubles assuring our selues that al that euer wee can suffer in this world is nothing in comparison of that which is prepared
renounce our owne nature and let all things which we know to come of man be thrust vtterly vnder foote and let vs learne to holde vs simply to Gods pure truthe This say I is the thing that we haue to remember vpon the words of S. Paule where he sayth that those which knewe not God had serued suche as were but Idols Moreouer let vs not thinke our selues too bee wiser than the Galathians but as I haue sayde alreadie let vs vnderstande that in this place the holy Ghost mente too beate downe all pride that men might not presume vppon their owne reason and skill to doo what they like themselues but rather know that there is nothing but brutishnesse in vs till God haue inlightened vs with his grace Furthermore whereas S. Paule sayth that Idols are no Gods by nature he meeneth that we be very dulheaded when we can not repayre to the maker of all things who sheweth him selfe bothe aboue and beneathe too the ende we should know him to worship and serue him For wee can not looke vpon our hands and our feete but we must openly see Gods wonderfull wisdome power and goodnesse and when we beholde the skyes and the starres wee haue there a sufficient recorde that there is a soueraygne Lorde which maynteyneth them VVhen we consider the chaunges of seasons and see the snow rayne winde or heate beholde therein doth God shew him selfe VVhen the earth bringeth foorth hir fruites or is as good as dead and withered in all those things wee continually knowe God or at leastwise are conuicted that he sheweth him selfe there And if we will not perceiue him nowe wee shall bee driuen too confesse it at the latter daye when the bookes shall bee opened Now in the meane while if wee woorship those whiche are not Gods by nature it is all one as if wee dyd wilfully shet our eyes ageynst so many recordes and lookingglasses which God setteth afore vs to bring vs vnto him How soeuer the world go all the worshipping that men can deuise is but a vayne fancie till they haue bin brought intoo the good way For of their owne natural wit they cannot but giue themselues to al errour and deceiuablenesse He addeth Now that you haue knoweÌ„ God or rather haue bin knowen of hym Some translate it nowe that you haue been instructed in the knowledge of God but all comes too one Neuerthelesse in the firste part as I haue touched alreadye he sheweth that suche as haue bin trayned in the pure truth are giltie of periurie to Godward And therof they bee vnexcusable for it is no ignorance any more it is not with them as thoughe they neuer had tasted of the true religion but it â—as a manifest falshod lyke as if some subiectes knowing well inoughe who is their Prince should reuolte from him and breake the allegeance whiche they had promised him and confederate them selues with his deadly enimie Thus yee see in what plight wee bee namely that all suche as haue knowen Gods truth can not steppe aside after their owne superstitions and errours but they must become periured and false forsworne traytors For it is not causelesse sayde that all Idols must fall downe when God is to be glorified in his highnesse and that all superstitions must vanish away when his maiestie commeth abrode Nowe if he voutsafe too shew him selfe to vs it is as much as if he dyd set vp his chayre of estate among vs of purpose to bee so good and gracious too vs as too become our king If wee can not finde in our hearts too yeelde him any subiection are wee not falseharted caytifs towards him If we alledge for a replie that our intent is not so it is but hypocrisie For we knowe that our Lorde can abide no companion in so muche that he vseth the worde Ielosie to shew that he wil so possesse vs as we may belong vnto him wholly and not in parte Then if we will play on both sides row betweene two streames there will bee nothing but fayning and hypocrisie in vs. But there ought to bee a substantiall soundnesse in vs. And therfore S. Paule sayth not simply if wee bee beguyled by Satan forsake the Gospell quite and cleane but if we swarue from the simplicitie of it As for example the Galathians as I haue shewed alreadie had not renounced Iesus Christ nor denied their baptisme for they professed to holde the Gospell still but they had mingled it and that marred all a little Leuen sowreth a whole lumpe of dowe Euen so when men will needes adde I wote not what of their owne brayne to Gods truthe it marreth all For let a man put a little vineger or some other slabersauce into a cuppe of the best wine in the worlde and he were better to drinke sheere water In like cace is it when men wyll turkin the true Religion as all they doo which take vpon them too inuent I wote not what of their owne heade Surely it were muche better that they had neuer knowen anye more at all but grossely that there is a God than too haue beene trayned vp in the good doctrine of the Gospell and afterwaâ—â—e too falsifie all and too disfigure our Lorde Iesus Christe after that sorte Yee see then howe it is a thing that can not be borne withall and that is it which we haue to marke in the first place Secondly S. Paule sheweth that the calling of the Galathians to the Gospell came not of their owne proper motion nor through their owne furthering of the matter but of God who had sought them out when they were wandering and straying wretches And this is not spoken for them alone for wee know how the Prophet Esay speaketh after the same maner generally of all such as should be partakers of the saluation that is purchased for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ saying I was fouÌ„d of them that sought me not and I shewed my selfe to such as inquired not after me and vnto such as made none account of me I saide Lo here I am here I am See how God magnifieth his grace to the intent that men should not be so far ouerseene as to thinke that they atteine to fayth by their owne wisdome No sayth he yee bee all of you in the way of destruction there is none of you that coÌ„meth to me without I draw him for pitie of the wretchednesse wherein you be plunged Therfore it is I that haue discouered my selfe and all this is of mine owne meere gracious goodnesse for you would neuer haue soughte me yea there is none of you all but he withdrew him selfe further and further off from mee For wee be not onely as straying beasts but also as wylde and wood beastes wee be wholly giuen to rebellion tyll God haue tamed vs and chaunged vs that wee might be sheepe of his folde that he may do the office of a shephearde towards vs. So then it is not for
I sayde at the beginning that is too wit that whereas our Lord Iesus Christe hath tolde vs that he will haue vs too heere those that come in his name as if he spake in his owne persone he ment not thereby too make them idolles among men too the ende that such as haue charge to speake in his name should be exalted too haue any tirannie but he ment that his woord should be receyued reuerently and without gaynsaying And whereas S. Paule sayeth heere that he was receyued as an Angell or rather as Iesus Christ it is as much to say as he came not in his owne name but indeuered too preach Gods grace purely and too make men too followe Iesus Christ to frame themselues wholly vnto him that he might haue his due preheminence that the Gospell might be receyued without gaynsaying and that it might bring foorth such frute as it ought too doo that is to wit that it might be the power of God too the saluation of all beleeuers as it is sayd in the beginning of the Epistle too the Romanes Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may be moued more and more to amendment and that it may please him to beare with our infirmities till he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of all and so renewed vs according too his owne image so as all may bee pure and cleane in vs and his glory shewe it self there and we more and more fight in such wise agaynst our own sinfulnesse as it may bee vtterly emptied out of vs and he so fill vs with the grace of his holy spirit as we may draw others therevnto so as all of vs may with one common consent indeuer to serue to his glory and giue ouer our selues wholly therevnto And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 28. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fourth Chapter 15 VVhere is then your blissednesse for I beare you vvitnesse that if it had 〈◊〉 possible you vvoulde haue plucked out your eyes and giuen them vnto mee 16 Am I then become your enemie bicause I tell you the truth 17 They be ielous ouer you hovvbeit not for any good Nay rather they meene to shet you out too the end you should be fond of them 18 It is good too bee alvvayes earnest minded in good things not only vvhē I am present vvith you 19 My little children of vvhom I trauell in birth again till Christ be fashioned in you 20 I vvould I vvere vvith you novv could chaunge my voyce for I stand in doubt of you WEe neede no teaching to seeke the thing which we thinke to be good and profitable for vs for euery man is inclined to that by nature yea too much giuen vnto it But the mischief is that we know not the true profite frō the thing that is harmfull but are oftentimes so blinded with our foolish lusts that euery of vs ouerthroweth himself wilfully Not that we forget the thing which I said to be imprinted in our hartes but for that we be caried away by our vnruly lustes or else so bleared with the vanities of this world that we haue no discretion at all to iudge rightly And therfore we ought to flee vnto God continually so much the more that he may giue vs skill to discerne what is good for vs to the intent we may serue him and haue our mindes so wholly set vpon him as we may neuer be remoued specially for somuch as it oftentimes falleth out that suche as are taken to be very wise to the worldward become lyke little children according to the alteratiō of their desires giuing vp the things which they had set much store by and gadding after some pelting trifle that cōmeth in their sight so as there is no stay at all in them Sometimes we shall see a chiefe runne after three or foure at once and if there come a thing that he fought for he catcheth at that by and by and anon after if he spie an apple or a cherrie or some other thing that likes him he leaues all the residue too runne after that Euen so play wee no doubt but we alwayes thinke our selues wise ynough and wee take scorne too bee taught at any mannes hande or too bee warned what is good for vs for it seemes too vs too bee an offering of wrong too vs but yet experience sheweth that wee want bothe wit and reason For what is the cause that men doo so tosse and turmoyle themselues out of measure and yet runne astray all their lyfe long As I sayde afore all of vs with one common accorde holde this principle that wee desire too seeke our owne profit there is nother greate nor small but he is inclined vntoo that But lette vs see wherevntoo men apply their mindes there is not that man whose affections boyle not within him in somuch that ye shall see the greatest number as yee would say racke themselues and their mindes neuer ceasse day nor night too runne still vppon the things that come afore them whereby they hope for any profite And when they haue well tormented themselues a man shall scarsly finde one among a thousande that hath his affections well ordered in somuch that it were much better for them too bee a sleepe all the time of their lyfe than too take so much trauell without knowing why or wherefore Nowe then seyng that the moste parte of vs are proued not to discerne betwixt good and euill as were requisite and expedient wee haue neede to submit our selues vnto God praying him too guyde vs by his holy spirite And specially when the souerayne felicitie or welfare commeth in question surely whereas wee shoulde bee caried away and rauished in loue with it wee bee haled another way and doo nothing but fiske too and fro and there is so greate inconstancie and lightnesse in vs that the thing whiche wee loue more deerely than our lyfe too day shall bee as good as despyzed too morrowe And that also is the cause why Sainct Paule dooth in this texte vpbrayde the Galathians with their forgetting of their owne happinesse For this saying of our Lord Iesus Christs that looke where a mannes treasure is there is his harte also is taken of the cōmon order of nature He termeth that thing our treasure which we set most store by and whervpon we do wholly repose our selues for there are many things which men do well like of the which neuerthelesse they can easly finde in their harts too forbeare Though a man see a fayre and costly thing yet can he content himself quietly with his owne state still if he haue wherewith too maintayne himself But if wee esteeme our life vnhappie or vnfortunate without the inioying of any welfare at all surely we shall bee tossed with continuall vnquietnesse till wee haue
to the euerlasting inheritance and in the meane while indeuer to walk in suche wise in his commaundements as it may please him to beare with our frailtie till he haue quite and cleane ridde vs of it And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The .xxxiij. Sermon which is the third vpon the fifth Chapter 7 Yee ranne vvel vvho hath letted you that ye should not obey the truth 8 That counsell came not of him that called you 9 A little Leuen sovvreth a vvhole lump of dovve 10 I haue hope of you through the Lord that yee vvil be none othervvise minded But he that troubleth you shall beare his iudgement vvhatsoeuer he bee WEe knowe that God hath set downe such a rule for vs too liue by that if wee giue eare too his word wee shall not be subiect to walking at rouers but sure to hold the right way And that is a thing wherein the faythfull differ from the faithlesse For all such as submit themselues to Gods word are not in any doubt or disputation with themselues whither their doyngs are allowable or no for who hath power too iudge of that matter but onely God But he hath giuen his sentence alreadie So then forasmuch as mans life is lykened too a race let vs learne too followe whither soeuer God calleth vs and then shall wee not stray as wretched wanderers that do greatly ouertrauell and tyre themselues without any profit And for that cause also doth Sainct Paule in this text set downe a dubble race the one good which hath a right direction and the other wandering and vncerteine Now it is not ynough for men too take great peynes but they must also â—ame at a certeine end Moreouer we see herewithall a true difference betwene the race that is to bee counted good and the race that doth but ouerlabor men in vayne For S. Paule layeth them foorth certeinly and infallibly saying that all suche as obey the truth doo runne well Lo heere a saying of greate weyghte For therevppon wee may gather that when menne bee gyuen too theyr owne fancies or walke only by gesse or receyue all that is tolde them wythout discretion or skill they maye runne swiftlye ynoughe but they shall come neuer the neerer vntoo God VVhen they haue spent all theyr lyfe in traueling they shal fynde themselues further off than they were at the first And therfore let vs learne to begin at this poynt that is to wit to giue eare vntoo God who dooth vs the grace and honour too teache vs assuring our selues that there is none other truth but that which proceedeth of him and that when meÌ„ follow the deuises of their owne braine it shall bee but vntruth and leasing Yee see then that the waye for vs too fare the better by this saying of S. Paules is firste of all too consider that all the deuotions whyche men doo frame of theyr owne heades are but mere illusions of Satan and that all such as doo wâ—at they lyke best themselues may runne fast inough howbeit they shall be neuer the further forward in the right way but rather the further backe Then is nothing too bee taken and allowed for a good course or race but only the obedience which wee yeelde vnto Gods truthe VVere this throughly well knowen to the world nowe a dayes there woulde not bee so muche trouble and contention as is seene For what is the cause that wee drawe not all by one lyne and that euery of vs reacheth not out his hande to his neighbour It is for that most men cannot be persuaded to obey God Therefore the true course of the faythfull is well shewed to vs by the Prophet Esay when he sayth that euery man shall take his fellow by the hand and say Go we let vs go vp too the Lords hill and he will teache vs his wayes Nowe were wee fully resolued of this poynt so as wee were altogither willing and desirous to submit our selues to God it is certayne that wee shoulde all of vs runne togither and the formost should helpe forward the hindermost and the weaker sort shuld not enuy such as were their guides yea and that would giue them courage to go on But although we see the world full of stubbornesse and euery man giuen to his own liking yet must we profite our selues by this doctrine that is too wit by imprisoning our senses that wee take not a licentious libertie too doo what wee list but that wee obey the truthe assuring our selues that the foundation whervpon it behoueth vs too buylde is the sayde faythfull obedience which wee yeelde vnto Gods worde And whereas S. Paule vseth this worde Truthe it is specially to beate downe all foolishe presumptuousnesse and ouerweening bicause men beare them selues in hande that they be wise inough to order their owne lyfe And out of this ouerboldnesse sprang also the Seagulfe of all superstitions For if men knewe them selues too bee suche as they bee in deede that is to wit to be poore blinde and ignorant it is certein that they woulde with all humblenesse hearken vntoo God and then should not there be so many partakings and sectes as there bee But what As I sayde afore men will needes bee ouerwyse Now S. Paule too pull downe all loftinesse and to ridde vs of all pride and presumption sayth that there is no truthe to be founde but in the doctrine that commeth 〈◊〉 God and that howe sure so euer wee weene our selues to bee there is nothing but mere follie in vs except God gouerne vs and Gods word reigne wholly ouer vs. Further let vs vnderstande that to yeeld our selues techable is a farre greater vertue without all comparison than to enter into disputation and to be inquisitiue of things that belong not to vs nor are lawfull for vs. It is true that fayth is not a dotage or sottishnesse to receyue and beleeue without gaynsaying whatsoeuer shall be tolde vs but yet when God speaketh it behoueth vs too yeeld him so much honor as to keepe our mouths shut to open our eares to herkeÌ„ aduisedly to that which he telleth vs to frame our selues simply to the same Yee see then that the good race wherin we can not go amisse nor bee caried aside one way nor other is to follow the way that god sheweth vs by his word Otherwise as I sayd wee shall but roue according also as S. Paule vseth the selfe same similitude in taunting all the things that the ignoraÌ„t and vnbeleeuers doo to serue God withall For although they take neuer so much payne yet they doo but loose their labour But by the way let vs marke also how he blameth the Galathians for turning aside in the middest of their race saying that their faulte is so much the lesse to be excused in that they had begon well and not hild out likewise to the end True it is that euen the ignorantest in the world shal not fayle
rightuousnesse which ought too grow in vs vntill it bee fully perfect And so let vs all say Almighty God our heaueÌ„ly father c. The. 34. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fifth Chapter 11 My brethren if I preach still the circumcizion vvhy suffer I yet persecution For then is the stumblingblocke of the crosse put avvay 12 I vvould too God that they vvich trouble you vvere cut of 13 For you my bretheren vvere called vntoo libertie onely make not your libertie an occasion too the fleshe but serue yee one another through loue 14 For all the lavve is fulfilled in one vvoord vvhich is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self IT is seene that men are so giuen to their owne profit in all their doings that alwaies they bow crookedly and ouerthwartly without respect of equitie vprightnesse For mens couetousnesse and the respect which they haue eyther to their profite or too their ease doth so blind their eyes as they can discerne nothing Specially when Gods woord is to bee caried abrode then if a man forget not himself and shet not his eyes agaynst the things that may turne him away in this world from walking purely before God surely he shall neuer hold on his course but bee still starting out now on the one side and now on the other By meanes whereof Gods doctrine is oftentimes corrupted bycause that they which ought too beare it abrode are inclyned eyther too hatred or fauour and are afrayde of purchacing themselues some displeasure or of prouoking some anger against them Therefore it is vnpossible too serue God purely in our state of calling vnlesse wee bee fully resolued yea euen with an inuincible constancie not to be greeued if we be driuen to suffer for the doctrine which wee beare abrode but to fight lustily vnder the standard of our Capteyne Iesus Christ knowing that we cannot come to the glory of his resurrectioÌ„ but by suffering aforehand with him after his example The faithfull must be fayne to fashion themselues vnto that But the cace of such as should teach and haue the office of preaching Gods woord is more particular for it is certaine that the Diuell is alwayes practizing too put vs out of hart and he shall finde furtherers ynough in this worlde according as there are full many that cannot abyde that Gods woord should bee preached purely and vncorruptly They will not say with open mouth that Gods name ought to be buried but yet would they fayne deuyze a fashion of doctrine too their owne lyking Now therefore it behoueth vs too looke simply too that which God commaundeth and to harden our selues throughly to it according also as we se how Ieremie was willed to fight and God promized too giue him a forehead of brasse to push against those that should come to assayle him And for that cause doth S. Paule say now that if he listed to preach circuÌ„cizion and to make such a minglemaÌ„gle as the deceiuers went about to do he could rid his hands of al vexation and make euery man to clap their hands at him or at leastwise he could bring too passe that no man should persecute him and trouble him For the Iewes would easly hue graunted that Iesus Christ shoulde haue bin preached so they might haue hild stil the state of Eldership and the Ceremonies haue bin vsed still and the GeÌ„tiles haue bin as little vntimely borne things to come in aray in theyr trayne behind theÌ„ Yee see then what the Iewes desire was Sainct Paule could haue pleased them well in so doyng but that he minded too serue God faythfully and substantially But on the contrary part S. Paule sheweth that they whiche labored too ouerthrowe the doctrine that he had preached sought more the fauour and frendship of men than too discharge their duetie Nowe then wee see what is ment by this sentence where he sayeth My brethren if I preached Circumcizion still that is too say if I would agree too make a minglemangle that Iesus Christe might bee disguyzed and euery man haue what he woulde aske no man would be any more offended with mee I should be welcome euerywhere and I should haue credit by it But now is it likely that I will bee at defiance with all the worlde of purpose too bee tormented You see then at a woorde that I seeke not mine owne profite For what moueth these goodly doctors to make such a minglemangle as yee see but that they would fayne pleasure euery maÌ„ and are loth that any man should trouble â—â—em in any wise Seyng that their seeking is for ease and commoditie you ought of good right to suspect them Now then wee see here on the one side the thing that I touched not long since namely that all such as are called of God to the preaching of his woord ought to be fully determined vpon this that although the whole world should step vp against them yet they would not bow but abide all assaultes beyng well assured that God will maynteyne them at their neede and alwayes giue them victorie so they followe their vocation in pure singlenesse For wee cannot doo God any greater wrong and outrage than too submit our selues too mens likings by turning away from his woord eyther to the right hand or to the left Nother is it for vs to leaue any peece of our duetie vndone but wee must stedfastly maynteyne the truth of God which is vnchaungeable and ought not in any wise to be altered though men be neuer so variable and vnconstant And this is to be marked well bicause that although men haue some good willingnesse that God should be knowen and that his truth should bee preached accordingly yet the most part will commonly bow when they see the slaunders that are rayzed of theÌ„ and heere mens grudgings repinings against them specially wheÌ„ sometimes there shall bee so great broyles that all is like to go to wrecke For if we maynteyne Gods quarell as wee ought too do by and by the slaunderers will giue it out that we be wilfull Like as at this day the Papists do charge vs first of all with great rashnesse that we who be but a haÌ„dfull in comparison of themselues whiche are so houge a multitude yea and meÌ„ of so great experieÌ„ce which haue seene so much and are had in so great estimation and reputation will take vpon vs to controll all the states of the world and secondly that we be to precyze yea and to malapert in that wee will haue all mens heads vnder our girdle and do seeke nothing else but to ouermayster all men and to make euery man to stoupe to our lure Lo how wee bee wrongfully slaundered Neuerthelesse we must rather swallow vp this slaunder than forbeare the doing of any peece of our duetie For why in this behalfe it is not for vs to make any composition as it were betwene man and man For if twoo parties bee at variance for some summe of
that the world knew not God in true wisedome and therfore he was fayne to vse another fashion of teaching which is by foolishnesse For were wee throughly wise as wee woulde bee taken too bee wee haue as good an instruction as can bee in beholding the skies and the earth VVe see there a mirrour wherin god sheweth vs his infinit goodnesse power rightuousnesse mercie and wisedome And so wee see there the great treasures of Gods wisdome which ought 〈◊〉 rauish our wittes to wonder at it But who fareth the better by it Nay contrarywise wee see men cobble vp Gods benefites and fill their panches with them without any thinking vppon him at all and not onely that but also to kicke agaynst him that hath pampered them And when they weene too do God seruice they plucke away the honor that belongeth to him and set vp Idols after their owne fancie Seing then that the world hath not knowne God in true wisedome and by the order of nature God was fayne to trie another way as he did For if we iudge after our naturall wit it is a kind of starke folly to say that the sonne of God the heade of the Angelles the Lorde of glorie the welspring of life the persone to whome all maiestie belongeth was not onely made a mortall man and clothed with our state but also vtterly abased as Sainct Paule sayth in the seconde too the Philippians yea and became subiect too our curse and bare the name of sinne which is more VVhen a man speaketh to vs in such phraze of speech it must needes seeme straunge to vs as it is in deed But we must submit our selues with al lowlinesse and consider that forasmuch as we haue not profited by the things that god hath shewed vs from the beginning both in heauen and earth we must bee fayne to come to this other schole Thus much concerning this streyne where Saint Paule sayth then is the stumblingblocke of the Crosse put away But to be short we must gather vpon this Text that if there be any absurditie in the Gospel according to our vnderstanding the same must not make it out of taste with vs but we must cōsider that God intendeth to trie our obedience by sending vs to the death of of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that there we see as it were the gulfe of hell seeing that the sonne of God is there to beare our condemnation and is become our suretie there to pay all our dettes Againe let vs consider further that from death there was a goodly passage vnto glorie which appeared in his resurrection For the Sonne of God hauing suffered through infirmitie that is to say according to the ordinance of God his father and according to his owne good will also wherby he consented to submit himselfe to such bondage and hauing suffered in such wise that hee ouercame death by the power of his holy spirite he obteyned such a victorie as all knees must nowe bow before him and he hath a name aboue all names and men muste knowe that all the Maiestie of God appeared and shone forth in his person Thus yee see that wee neede not to bee ashamed of the Gospell And aboue all things let vs holde faste that which Saint Paule in the first to the Romaines calleth the power of God to the saluation of all beleeuers Then as for the worldlings and such as are swolne with pryde and ouerweening like Toades let them despize the Gospell as much as they list and let them perish in their owne cursednesse and in the meane while let vs with all humblenesse of fayth imbrace the sonne of God who offereth himselfe to vs of purpose to lift vs vp to the glorie of the kingdom of heauen But heere is yet more namely that Saint Paule matcheth Stumbling and the preaching of the Gospel togither as things inseparable It is true that wee must eschue all stumblingblockes as much as is possible for wo be to him by whom stumblingblockes come But yet muste Iesus Christ raigne and haue his full scope though all the whole worlde shoulde stumble at him The woorde Stumblingblocke importeth a stoppe hinderance or let as if there were a rough and stonie way that had some thornes and bushes or some other comberances in it the same were a meanes too make men stumble Nowe it were to be wished that Iesus Christ might go on freely and that all the worlde would receyue him and that nothing might stoppe the preaching of the Gospell from the one ende of the worlde to the other I say we ought to wishe it as much as in vs is Howbeeit let vs learne that God intendeth to trye the obedientnesse of our fayth by giuing Satan the brydle who casteth many stumblingblockes and cumberances in our wayes Too bee short our Lorde Iesus Christ is not without cause called a stone to stumble at and a stoppe for all men too dashe agaynst and by that meanes too breake their neckes And in the ende as it is sayde in Saint Luke they must be crushed by that stone for it is to hard for their stubbornnesse And this is verie much for our behoofe For we see many men so nice that if men agree not to the Gospell out of hande they thinke themselues quite and cleane discharged and set free before God from mainteining the quarel or cace any longer If all Kings and Princes had caused it to be proclaimed by the sound of a trumpet that there shoulde 〈◊〉 no more fighting agaynst Gods truth euerie man woulde make countenance too bee of the same minde But nowadayes ye shall see great crueltie tyrannie spytefulnesse manacing and such other like things Again ye shall see that the most part of the enemies are as greedie woolues that desire to deuour all and seeke to shed innocent bloud to the intent that they may haue their goodes Othersome haue a frentike zeale insomuch that they woulde fayne haue the name of God cleane wyped out and the doctrine of the Gospell vtterly quenched VVhen men see this ô say they I will not meddle with it VVhat Shall I bring all the world in my toppe Is it not manifest that they which haue tasted this doctrine are but a handfull of men and that all others are enemies too them or else they doo reiect them or laugh them to scorne or at leastwyse beare a poysoned and malicious heart agaynst them Yee see then that verie fewe are so strong as too beare out the stumblingblockes of the Gospell when they see as it were logges cast in theyr way and that Iesus Christ is hyndered by Satan and by the practises of his vnderlings O say they wee muste needes backe againe Yea and what a number are too bee seene at thys day whiche will say that this doctrine bringeth store of stumblingblockes Againe see I praye you what diuersitie of opinions it hathe say they Beholde such a one speaketh thus and such a one
wind about the simple but do the same to other folk which wee would haue done to our selues Thus yee see howe S. Paule meeneth that fayth is a frute of the spirite Nowe he addeth Meekenesse and gentlenesse bicause that without them it were impossible that there should bee any vnitie or concorde among vs. For if euery man should bee terrible and voyde of gentlenesse it were muche better for vs that wee were wylde beastes Therefore wee must shewe a willingnesse to communicate with those to whome God hath linked vs. Too bee shorte Loue is maynteyned by thys meeknesse goodnesse and gentlenesse whereof S. Paule speaketh heere And now immediatly he addeth Temperance or stayednesse which is not onely an absteyning from other mens goods but also a sober behauiour and a keeping of our selues from all loocenesse excesse and outrage To bee shorte S. Paule hath set downe these vertues whiche he rehearseth for Christians as if he shoulde say that if we be gouerned by the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christ it may 〈…〉 by our life for as muche as wee shall be so hilde in awe that 〈◊〉 shall not runne at rouers as these looce lyuers doo but we shall be charitable and kindharted one to another so as there shall be no wrangling no guyle nor no extortion in vs but euery of vs shall content him selfe with his owne indeuer to serue one anothers turne But yet notwithstanding wee see that all good commeth of Gods spirite Neuerthelesse wee see also that our Lord Iesus Christ is the fountayne out of whiche wee must draw And that if wee be his and belong vnto him as mēbers of his body he will shew in all our whole life that his receiuing of vs and his auowing of vs to be his children is not in vayne Heerevpon S. Paule concludeth that agaynst such vertues or agaynst the men that are indued with them the law hath no power nor force at al. And therfore he sayth in the first to Timothie that the Lawe is not giuen to the righteous but to the vnrighteous and to such as rush out into offences and misdealings Then if the deceyuers that troubled the Churche at that time had knowen well what is the ende of the Law and the Gospell they would not haue presumed to bring the faythfull in bondage after that fashion And therefore S. Paule scorning theyr hypocrisie which was matched with shamelesnesse sheweth that they pretended great zeale of the Lawe and yet bewrayed all maner of wickednesse and contempt of God in their lyfe lyke as now a dayes the Hypocrites in the Popedome crie out lowde agaynst vs that wee ouerthrowe all good workes and intende to bring in a licentiousnesse of all euill and to thrust out all desire of seruing God And why so Bicause wee vncace men out of all their fonde presumption and selfe estimation and shewe them that there is none other meanes to trust in God than by resting vpon his meere goodnesse in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ VVee say flatly that all that euer is termed by the name of merite or deserte is starke abhomination before God For so muche as they beare them selues in hande that they bee their owne Sauiours Yee see then that all loftinesse of man is pulled downe by our doctrine But yet dooth not that importe that euery man should take leaue to doo lewdly and haue no more care of seruing God nor of standing in awe of him But contrariwise wee say that Iesus Christ is giuen vnto vs not one 〈…〉 obteyne forgiuenesse of our sinnes at 〈◊〉 hand by his meanes but also to the end that beeing regenerated by his holy spirit we should walke in newnesse of lyfe And nowe in sooth what maner of men are they that maynteine the desert of good works so stoutly VVe see there is nothing but all kinde of cursed filthinesse in their whole life For if a man would seeke for scoffers that are altogither vnholie and neuer haue so muche as any one feeling that euer they shall come to account but are vtterly doted by Satan surely those are euen they Agayne when as they magnifie good workes what are the things that they would haue men to giue them selues vnto To babble much to go to mattins and euensong to trot from altar too altar too worship puppets too decke them trim too buy store of pardons too gad on pilgrimage and too bee short too mocke God too his face as though all the seruice of God were but a play of young children True it is that they dare not say but it is a good and commendable thing to bee discrete chast sober and so foorth but yet they can easily forbeare all those things so a man keepe their superstitions Too bee shorte all Gods commaundements are thrust vnder foote and as it were troden vpon and to their seeming it is no deuotion nor holinesse excepte a man doo all their gay gewgawes and things of nothing Thus yee see howe the contention that S. Paule had in his tyme indureth still at this day And for that cause he sayth that if his aduersaries agaynst whom he disputeth will maynteyne Gods Lawe they muste consider well to whom it speaketh and they must begin at them selues and that if they intende to make good schollers they must teach them sobernesse meeknesse chastitie patience such other things and moreouer to renounce all their owne wicked lusts These saith S. Paul are the true exercises wherin it behoueth vs to imploy all our indeuer And in the meane while let vs not shutte the gate agaynst Gods children in bereeuing them of the priuiledge that God hath giuen them For when he gouerneth them by his holy spirite he will not haue them subiect any more too the yoke of the Lawe Nowe therevpon S. Paule addeth that all they whiche are in Iesus Christ haue crucified their flesh with the lusts therof Here he sheweth that he 〈…〉 to haue a fleshly libertie and suche a one as the despisers of God 〈…〉 that he requireth chiefly that suche as talke of christian libertie should shewe in deede that they haue crucified all their lusts and concupiscences to the intent thereby to proue them selues the true members of our Lord Iesus Christ And this is needefull for vs to the ende wee may holde vs to the lawfull order and marke which God pointeth vs too when we would knowe what true libertie is Nowe a dayes there are many Christians from the teeth outwarde as farre as comes too the eating of fleshe vppon frydays and in Lenton they can welinough mocke at the pelting toyes of papistrie they can welinough say that if any restraynt bee made of one thing or other vnder payne of deadly sinne it is but an abuse and mockerie and they say truthe so they buyld vpon a good and sure foundation But what they that are so great talkers know no whit of our Lorde Iesus Christes office and power they knowe not why he came
downe into the worlde nor what grace he imparteth vnto vs by his Gospell they knowe not neyther what fayth nor what prayer is and yet for all that they will needes haue leaue to doo what they liste and that folke should lay the bridle looce in their necke Of these wylde Christians there are tootoo many nowe a dayes In the meane while the doctrine of God is blamed by their meanes For the enimies of the truthe vpbrayde vs with all suche as are loose liuers now a dayes and say that the same springeth of our preaching For this cause S. Paule hath answered his aduersaries and also armed and fenced vs to answere them to the ende to stoppe the mouthes of all raylers and of all suche as doo falsly slander the doctrine of the Gospell First of all therfore when the wicked sort say that we giue an inordinate libertie to all suche as seeke nothing but to doo lewdly Let vs looke backe to S. Paule who telleth them that the libertie which we speake of serueth for none but such as are a law to them selues namely through the working of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ But yet notwithstanding this ought to serue for a warning to all suche as imagine a libertie after their owne liking Therefore let them vnderstande that first of all it behoueth them to become members of our Lorde Iesus Christ VVil we then eate quietly without making any 〈…〉 VVill wee bee exempted from all 〈…〉 whiche doo nowe a dayes vexe the simple and ignorant sorte in the Papacie Let vs vnderstande what Iesus Christ is and let vs bee throughly his Let him gouerne vs and let his death and passion shewe their power and effectualnesse in our whole life Thus yee see what we haue to beare in binde in this text And heere S. Paule sheweth agayne that the true perfection of Gods children consisteth in abacing themselues so as they followe not the rule of their owne brayne and affections for wee bee vtterly corrupted Then can wee not bee but rebels agaynst God all the time of our life till wee haue kylled all the sinfulnesse of oure owne nature Marke this for one poynt that our lyfe shall neuer bee framed to the will of God excepte wee bee vtterly chaunged bothe in our thoughts and in our affections Secondly S. Paule sheweth that that can not be done but by communicating with our Lorde Iesus Christ for it is not without cause that he vseth this worde Crucified For thereby he declareth that so long as wee bee separated from our Lorde Iesus Christ and cast off from him and not knit vnto him by fayth our nature will alwayes bring foorth hir owne frutes that is to say nothing but all maner of naughtinesse and vice Thus ye see that first of all Freewill is beaten downe Secondly it is shewed vs that wee can not be partakers of any of Gods giftes nor of his holy spirite but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ according as I haue tolde you alreadie that wee must all drawe of his fulnesse for he is the onely fountayne that is able too suffice vs. And if wee seeke neuer so farre aboute elsewhere wee shall finde nothing but drythe and wee shall continue a thirst styll and if wee thinke too fill our selues it will bee but wyndinesse and misweening wherewith wee shall burste and yet not gather any good nourishment or substance Nowe heerevppon Sainct Paule concludeth that if wee liue after the spirite wee shoulde also walke after the spirite And it is a more easie declaration of the thing that I haue touched alreadie It had beene inough too haue auouched that wee can not bee set free but by crucifying all oure wicked lustes howe bee it for as 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Hypocrisie is so great that they doo alwayes finde â—â—aâ—ting holes and 〈…〉 man would bee esteemed as an Angell though his life bee out of order therefore Sainct Paule intended for a confirmation too adde this saying â–ª that if wee liue after the spirite wee must therewithall walke after the spirite As if hee should say that it is not inough for men too protest them selues to haue Gods spirite dwelling in their heart but they muste shewe that he is there for he is not idle Therfore if a man will discerne whether Gods spirit dwell in vs or no he must come to our works and to our life and according as our conuersation is so may he see what we be and what is within vs and giue iudgement by our outwarde workes that are apparant As for example if one would beare mee in hande that a blocke were a liuing a man too see too It stirreth neyther head nor foote thrust at it and shoue at it and yet there appeareth no lyfe in it and shall he then make mee beleeue that a peece of stone remoueth from place too place or hath any power in it or is a creature that hath a soule Euen so is it with those that boast them selues to be spirituall For although the vnbeleeuers and enimies of God be aliue as in respect of the body yet are they dead in respect of the heauenly life bicause their soule is vtterly corrupted but wee liue to Godwarde through the grace of his holy spirite And if this grace be in vs it can not bee idle as I sayde afore And that is the cause why S. Paul sayth that our conuersation will shewe whether we liue in the spirite or no. The worde walke is very rife in the holy scripture when the whole ordering of our life is mentioned neuerthelesse heere is not onely walking The worde that S. Paul vseth importeth more that is to wit too walke orderly as if he should say that we must frame our selues to the thing that is conformable too the will of God and of his holy spirite and that our life must bee so well ruled as it maye bee knowen that God gouerneth vs in deede and that our Lorde Iesus Christ holdeth vs too him selfe as the members of his body and that he hath truly witnessed that he dwelleth in vs by his holy spirite Therefore at a worde this thing muste needes bee knowen Nowe to bee shorte S. Paule ment heere to bewray the hypocrisie of all suche as make fayre protestation with their mouthe and woulde haue men to beleeue wonderous well of their zeale and yet in all their whole lyfe doo shew 〈…〉 at all too come neere God nor any 〈◊〉 of hys worde All such folke then are heere condemned of lying and vnfaythfulnesse And therefore that wee may discerne which are Gods children let vs come to the examining of our liues True it is as I haue touched heeretofore that sometimes the ignorant wretches and suche as neuer had any instruction in the Lawe shall haue some apparance of vertue But if a man sounde them throughly he shall finde it is but a shadowe and that they bee not well bent eyther too loue their neibours or to walke
the maner of the holy Scripture is to terme the giftes of the holy Ghost the spirit of truth the spirit of the feare of God the spirite of wisedome such other like bycause the fulnesse of all goodnesse is in him Yee see then that the summe of that whiche S. Paule teacheth heere is that we must not onely loue vertue and like well of such as walke in all perfection and in whom wee can find no blame but ouermore wee must be gentle in bearing with the faultes of suche as are not yet so well confirmed in the feare of God as were requisite too the ende we may bring them backe agayne into the right way that are turned aside or thrust out of it For if there should be no meeldnesse nor gentlenesse in vs as soone as a man had committed any faulte wee shoulde as it were plundge him in despayre and this is seene too much for that cause therefore Sainct Paule telleth vs that the meekenesse or meeldnesse of Gods children must trie it selfe by releeuing such as are fallen through weakenesse yea and that in such sort as it may be knowen that their saluation is procured Nowe I haue tolde you that there are two extremities or two vyces wherof wee muste beware The one is that we winke when any of our freendes haue offended God in so muche that euen when he hath giuen some cause of stumbling wee let it slippe bycause wee be loth too purchace his displeasure by rebuking him And now adayes yee see that the common way of maynteyning freendship in the world as too giue leaue and licence of all misdoyng through Diuelishe dissimulation For no man can abide too haue his galled backe rubbed nother doo any menne take warnings in good woorth sauing they whom God hath touched and to whom he hath giuen the spirite of obedience too yeelde themselues teachable Therefore suche maner of men as these will say with Dauid that they had leuer too bee 〈…〉 and with all sharpnesse than too haue the oyntments of the flatter 〈◊〉 â—â—ich serue but too rocke men asleepe in their vyces Neuerthelesse ye shall coÌ„monly see that all meÌ„ couet to be borne withall and to haue no woord spoken to them what soeuer they do nor to haue their heads troubled with their vices and misdoings Euery maÌ„ verifieth this in so much that God is forgotteÌ„ as the Prophet Esay sayeth there is no defender any where that maynteyneth the truth for there is as great confuzion and disorder as may be and yet men do let all slip True it is that if wrong be done to any man he will not sticke to say that such licentiousnesse ought too be redressed but he sayeth not so for any zele he hath to maynteyne the honour of God it is but onely for his owne peculiar aduauntage and for the regard that he hath to himselfe Thus yee see that God hath not any proctors or Aduocates to pleade his cace but euery man is for himselfe Therefore when wee see any man doo amisse let vs learne that it is no loue nor charitie too cloke his euill doings so as wee should dissemble them and make no countenance at all of them but that if wee haue a care of him that is so fallen wee muste turne him away If a man bee in the myre wee will reache him our hande too helpe him out and if wee passe by him and will not seeme too see him shall he not say it is too shamefull an vnkindnesse Euen so is it when wee suffer a man too fall a sleepe in his sinnes for by that meanes he is sunke downe too the bottome of perdition Then is it too greate a trayterousnesse if wee doo wittingly suffer a man too vndoo himselfe vtterly and therewithall wee shewe also that there is no zele of God in vs. For if he bee our father ought it not at leastwyze too greeue vs and make vs sorie when wee see wrong and iniurie offered vntoo him So then if the soules whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ hath bought so deerly bee precious vntoo vs or if wee set so much by Gods honour as it deserueth it is certayne that wee will not so beare with mens faultes but that we will indeuer too amend them Marke that for one poynt But there is also a contrarie vyce namely ouer greate rigorousnesse For this is a propertie of the Hypocrites that if they spie a mote in their neighbours eye they crie out alarum vppon him and they must needes follow him with hew crie whereas in the meane while a great beame in their 〈…〉 as our Lorde Iesus speaketh of them For 〈◊〉 therefore as there are many that wyden their consciences to swallow vp a whole Oxe in their owne caces and in the meane season can streyne at a gnat when it toucheth other men therefore we must beware that wee bee not to rough and sharpe in rebuking of our brother Besydes this there are also that haue an vnaduised zeale so as they bee too sowre and bitter and they are of opinion that they discharge not themselues except they proclayme mens faults alowde as it were by the sounde of a trumpet And howe many warnings are made nowadayes with an vpright carefulnesse If a man see any of his neighbours fall to naughtinesse he ought if he can haue accesse and enterance to him too tell him his fault but wee will none of that For as I sayde euerie man vnderpryeth other and lyes in wayt for him like a spie too see if he can finde any thing amisse in him and then vseth he sternnesse to the vttermost True it is that such as are handled ouerroughly after that fashion cannot complaine of it For whereof commeth the naughtinesse that is too riâ—e nowadayes among men that no man is warned secretly to the ende he might be brought backe vnto God but that the vices which were done in couert are blazed abrode yea euen to the diffaming of the partie It is for that euery of vs shetteth the gate bycause our eares are too itching and we cannot abide too bee tolde the truth but will needes keepe the possession of all naughtinesse as though God were deposed from his authoritie and had no prerogatiue of iudgement ouer vs. Forasmuch then as euery man woulde exempt himself from correction therfore all are worthie to be handled hardly after that fashion and too bee delt with like enemies and not like brethren For there can be no brotherhod among vs vnlesse correction take place so as euery man be subiect to it yea euen willingly And bycause we will not in any wise be rebuked therefore we deserue well to be handled with such excessiue rygour For this cause Saint Paul setteth downe the meane which is that we must haue a care one of another so that if any man stumble he may bee helped vp againe And howe By good warnings For that is the remedie which God hath stablished for vs by
he burie our faults through his infinite mercie and let vs pray him too take vs to mercie for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake and in the meane whyle too graunt vs the grace too walke in suche wyse as wee may â—â—â—de a true proofe that we 〈◊〉 his children and that his calling of vs hath not bin in vayne and also to cause the same grace too auayle in such wise in our hartes that wee may growe in it and bee strengthened more and more too serue and worship him all our lyfe long in true obedience to his holy woord And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 42. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the sixth Chapter 12 As many as desire vvith outvvard apparance to please in the flesh constreyne you too bee circumcized onely to the ende they may not suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ 13 For euen they themselues vvhiche are circumcized keepe not the Lavve but vvoulde haue you circumcyzed that they mighte glorie in your fleshe IT is not for nought that God hath so often warned the Preachers of his woorde not too seeke the well liking and fauour of men but as it were too shet their eyes against all worldly respects to the end that they gaze not heere there nor be hindered to do their duetie rightly For wee see it is impossible for vs too discharge our selues aright vnlesse wee looke vp vntoo God and turne away our looke from men bycause wee shall bee easly corrupted when wee bee so ledde whereas nothing ought too bowe vs one way or other Howbeeit this constancie is cheefly requisite in suche as shoulde beare abrode Gods woorde namely that they bee not ledde nother by ambition nor by couetousnesse too speake in fauour of men or too please them and that they bee not abashed at any threatening or perill For experience sheweth that so soone as a man is afrayde of his â—inne or hath respect of 〈◊〉 owne profite he will bee chaunged in the turning of a hande True it is that such as couet mennes fauour after that fashion will not at the first dash shew themselues to be wicked enemies of the truth according as our Lord Iesus Christ also putteth a differeÌ„ce betwene the hyrelings and the woolues After he hath spoken of the good and faythfull sheepeherds which seeke the coÌ„mon welfare of the flocke he sayeth there are also rauening woolues or theeues whiche seeke nothing else but too put all too spoyle ruine and confuzion And these are they which fight openly against God laboring and indeuering to ouerthrow the pure doctrine of the Gospell Neuerthelesse there are also which rowe betweene twoo streames who do make a countenance to serue God And truly some men builde howbeit not for any zele for there is no soundnesse of hart in them Notwithstanding so long as it is not to their coste they set a good face vpon the matter so that the world is oftentimes deceyued by them and taketh them too bee the ministers of Iesus Christ but yet their seeking is but for wages they bee wholly giuen too their bellies For proofe whereof if yee do but threaten them by and by they be dismayed and they will turne the cat in the pan so that wheras yesterday they seemed too maynteyne Gods woord too day they bende crooked and a crosse And why For they see it is the way to please the world and to profite themselues And for the same cause doth Sainct Paule nowe warned the Galathians to marke well that such as had troubled them and thruste them out of the right way were men giuen too their owne profite and by that meanes had brought their doctrine in suspicion Heeretofore he hath already sufficiently discussed and shewed by reason that if wee put our whole trust in Iesus Christe the Ceremonies of the Lawe are henceforth superfluous for they serued but for a time too shewe that it is not for vs too mingle any merite of their owne or any fonde opinion of purchacing rightuousnesse before God if wee bee well settled vpon the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe Sainct Paule then hath handled and layde foorth that matter as much as needed And now too the end that the simple sorte may bee the more moued he turneth his â—ale too the persones themselues saying Consider what is the 〈◊〉 that these men against whom I striue heere make such a minging of the Ceremonies of the law with our Lord Iesus Christ Is it zele that moueth theÌ„ therevnto or is it for that they be desirous to serue God No it is rather for that they bee lothe too put themselues in daunger of persecution Seyng then that feare causeth theÌ„ too misfashion Gods woorde yee neede not too make any long inquirie too knowe what maner of men they bee and whither they bee to be credited or no for yee see that their chaunging and transforming of themselues after that fashyon is bycause they would fayne shunne the battell Nowe then seing that they bee such traytours vnto God through their cowardlinesse deserue they too bee beleeued or to haue any reuerence yeelded to their sayings Thus yee see Sainct Paules meening But heere all Ministers of Gods woord are taught to haue such constancie and stedfastnesse as they may not passe whither the doctrine that they bring bee hated or beloued of the worlde but go on still in their race and not strike sayle at euery winde nor be shaken like wauering reedes that bowe too and fro but alwayes hold on in seruing of God what turnings and chaunges so euer happen and what troubles and disorders so euer befall To bee short wee must practize the thing that we haue seene before which is that if wee will please mennes fancies wee must giue ouer the seruis of the Sonne of God Marke that for one poynt And heerewithall also all the faythful may receyue a good and profitable lesson in this text that is too wit that they muste looke well vppon such as seeke their owne profit and aduauntage and are desirous to winne fauour with the worlde and woulde fayne be prayzed for a man shall neuer haue any holde of such folke They will not shewe themselues too bee such at the firste brunt as I sayd afore for there are that play the Popeholy hypocrites in somuch that it seemeth that but for them the woord of God woulde growe odious and so long as it is well lyked they cast out fire at their mouthes and yet in the meane whyle yee shall see them chaunge their minde from day too day If any perill happen and they see that they muste witnesse with our Lord Iesus Christ in good earnest then shew they their cowardlinesse and in the end turne quite away chauÌ„ge their coates as it is sayd in the Prouerbe But howsoeuer they fare let vs staâ—â— vpon our gard continually that wee may beleeue such as walke vprightly and start not out when they see the
heere of such as stoode vpon the sayde poynt that men ought of necessitie to bee circumcized For at some tymes Saint Paule had a speciall regarde to fashion himselfe like to the Iewes and absteyned from the libertie which was permitted him for eschuing of offences but did he alwayes mainteyne that there was no bonde of necessitie in the matter So then when Saint Paule submitted himselfe of his owne accorde he ment not to bring other men in bondage according as he protesteth that he intendeth not to binde any bodie True it is that the cace is altered when hee speaketh of mariage but yet hee sayeth generally that he will not lay any yoke of bondage vpon the soules that are redeemed by our Lorde Iesus Christ And thus yee see howe Saint Paule behaued himselfe in that behalfe Nowe 〈◊〉 sayth here They that constreyne you to bee circumcized that is to say they that lode you with the lawe and say you must keepe that Ceremonie vnder paine of deadly sinne seeke nothing else but too bring you in bondage without cause why To be short we see here whereof they be blamed which woulde subdue Christen folke too the keeping of the Ceremonies and shadowes of Moyses Lawe that is to wit that they were double fellowes and passed not vppon the truth of the matter whither God required such things or no but had a minde to please and pleasure the worlde and by that meanes to eschue persecution And we nowadayes haue neede to bee warned thereof as well as the Galathians needed then And if we looke vpon the state and disposition of our time we shall easily perceyue that this doctrine is not needelesse and that the holy Ghost intended to prouide for the thing whiche he knew to be for our behoofe For what a number are to be founde nowadayes which do strongly and stoutly mainteyne the Ceremonies of the Lawe and yet notwithstanding make none accounte of them But which is worse they mainteyne the follies and traditions that are inuented by men yea and euen such abuses errours and deceytes as are so grosse and fonde as may bee All these things shall be mainteyned with extreeme rygour by such as will needes haue men to obey them Like as nowadayes if a man charge these Hypocrites that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ and the brightnesse of his Gospell are darkned by the great number of their obseruations and that wee bee become as good as Iewes for in very deed the Papists haue borowed so many things of the Lawe that a man shall hardly discerne the difference betweene the Iewes them that call themselues Christians I say if a man doo charge them with these things yet wyll they mainteyne to the vttermost that men must do so still bicause they haue bin kept time out of minde If a man go further wyth them and say howe so Yee haue so many dotages that the verie heathen men were neuer so grosse and fonde in their superstitions as you be O tush say they yet must we keepe still the traditions of our mother holy Church And therewithall they crie to the fire with him But nowe what doo these Hypocrites which moue the 〈◊〉 of Princes and Iudges agaynst those that preach Gods worde faithfully So long as they be among themselues they make but a mocke at theyr owne traditions And when they dispute of them they will say cleane contrarie too theyr preaching and talking in the Pulpit VVhereby it appeareth that there is no zeale of God nor no soundnesse in them but that their whole seeking is to be fedde and pampered fatte and too liue in rest and too haue their ease and commodities Seing then that nowadayes there are so many men that haue not one whitte of the feare of God nor of the reuerence of his woorde in them who notwithstanding pretende too bee verie zealous and yet in verie deede doo but allure poore soules with baytes or rather as ye woulde say choke them it standeth vs so much the more on hande too marke well the thing that Saint Paule telleth vs heere which is that forasmuch as wee see that they which crie out and storme at others do nothing at all of that which they speake of we must stande vpon our garde and consider whereat they ame which teache vs. True it is that although the partie do cleane contrarie too that which hee sayeth yet muste not Gods woorde therefore bee of the lesse authoritie towards vs For it is no reason that bycause the man is wicked therefore God shoulde bee dispossessed of his soueraine prerogatiue And though a man leade a looce lyfe or do some shrewde turne yet ought not that to deface the heauenly doctrine so he preach faythfully Although a man be mutable fleeting and variable or though he bee an hypocrite and his life be not answerable to the things that hee speaketh with his mouth the truth of Gods worde must not therefore be imbaced towardes vs. Neuerthelesse I say now that whensoeuer we see men pretend great zeale and yet let themselues loce and take leaue to do contrarie to their preaching we must consider of it and haue the discretion not too bee ledde by theyr Pype nor drawne by the noze but to looke into theyr doctrine and to make a good and liuely tryall of it And when we go so to worke we shall see that the doctrine of the Papistes is but a couert which they take to liue quiet to the worldwarde and as for to Godwarde they care not how things go For they would not abide any chaūges but that they be loth to put themselues in daūger of any displeasure for they be alwayes afrayd to bee vexed or greeued in any wise Sith 〈◊〉 this it is an infallible marke to make vs beware of all Satans ambushes so as it shall not be possible for vs to be deceyued except wee lyst our selues as I haue declared before Furthermore Saint Paule addeth that such men desire to glorie in the fleshe of the simple It is very certaine that heere he hath an eye to the signe of Circumcision as if he should say they intende to prynt their marke vpon you to the ende they may vaunt VVe haue wonne them Yea but their winning of men after that sort is to make them so much the more detestable for so abusing the signe which God hath giuē them to warrant the adoption which he had made with Abrahams ofspring and for corrupting the true and lawfull vse thereof For God had commaunded the Iewes to be circumcised And why To the ende they might see that all mankind is accursed and that there is nothing but vncleanesse in vs and that wee must be faine to renounce all that is of our owne nature or else we shall neuer ceasse too bee filthie and damnable before God Lo what the Iewes ought to haue learned by their circumcizion Neuerthelesse therwithal they had also a record that by mans seede they