hee be the king of Israell let him nowe come downe from the crosse 269 28. I am with you vntill the ende of the world 879.327.520 28 All power is gyuen too mee in Heauen and in earth 35 28. Teaching them to obserue all things what soeuer I haue commaunded you 335 MArc 8. who so euer shall bee ashamed of mee and of my wordes c. 591 10. No man that forsaketh house c. Pag. 891 16. Goe yee into all the worlde and preache â–ª c. 133. â—10 16. Hee that beleeueth and is baptised shal be saued 458 16. Hee that beleeueth not shall bee dampned 182 16. When the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receyued into heauen 33 LUc. 1. Hee hath put downe the mightie from their Seates and exalted them of lowe degree Pag. 330 6. Woe vnto you that nowe laughe for you shall wayle and weepe Pag. 115 7. Thy sinnes are forgyuen thee Pag. 181 9. Who so euer will not receyue you when you go out of that citie 549 9. No man that putteth his hande to the plough and looketh back is apt to the kingdome of God. Pag. 549.612 10. Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despyseth you despyseth mee 592.608 10. Into whatsoeuer Citie you enter 549 11. Happie are they that heare the wordes of GOD and keepe it Pag. 351 12. Let your loynes bee gyrte about and your lightes brennyng 8 12. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to gyue you a kyngdome 50 13. It can not bee that a Prophete perishe any other where then at Hierusalem 16 26. The children of this worlde are wyser then the children of light Pag. 192.657 17. As it chaunced in the dayes of Noe so shall it bee in the dayes of the sonne of man. 661 18. There was a Iudge in a certain Citie 499 21. I will gyue you a mouthe and wysedom agaynst the which c. Pag. 175 22. Yee are they which haue abydden with mee in my temptacions Pag. 171.557 22. I appoint vnto you a kingedome as my father hath appointed vnto mee 538 22. You bee come foorth as vnto a theefe with swordes and stanes Pag. 491 23. To daye thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise 118. 23. Father forgyue them for they wote not what they doe 171 24. Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things c. 27 24. That all must be fulfilled which were written of mee in the lawe of Moyses and in the prophets and in the Psalmes 676 24. Handle mee and see for a spirite hath not fleshe and bone as you see mee haue 10 24. RepentaÌ„ce remission of sinnes muste bee preached in his name among all nations 133 IOan 1. Hee came amongest hys owne 309 1. In him was lyfe 538 1. No man hath seene God at any tyme but the sonne c. 552 1. Beholde the Lambe of GOD. Pag. 544 2. Tho zeale of thyne house hath euen eaten mee 659 3. Hee that beleeueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe 182 3. So GOD loued the world c. Pag. 184 3. The wynde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but knowest not whence it commeth and whether it goeth Pag. 79.138.195 4. Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall gyue him shall neuer be more a thirst 7.665 4. The true worshippers shal worship the Father in spirite and in the truth 328 4. Ye worship you wote not what Pag. 665 5. The woorkes that my Father hath gyuen mee to finishe beare witnes of mee 7 5. Hee that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent mee â–ª is escaped from death vnto lyfe Pag. 563 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce 117 6. No man commeth vnto mee except the Father drawe him 135. and 586.620 6. This is the will of him that sent mee that euery one whiche seeth the Sonne and beleueth on him 12 7. Hee that beleeueth on mee â–ª out of his belly shall flowe ryuers of water of lyfe 19 7. Doth any of the Rulers beleeue on him 45 8. Abraham sawe my day and was glad 122 8. Hee that is of God heareth the worde of God. 181 10. If I doo not the woorkes of my Father beleue me not 7 10 My sheep heare my voice 181.320 No man shal pluck them out of his hande 196.353 10. I haue other sheepe also whiche are not of this folde 554 11. This infirmitie is not vnto death but for the glory of God that the sonne of God might be glorified thereby 165 11. It is expedient for vs that one man dye for the people 633 12. Where I am there shall also my minister bee 12 12. When I am lifte vppe from the earth I will drawe all men vnto mee 2 13. Who so receyueth whom soeuer I sende receyueth mee 9 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you loue one another 223 13. You ought also to washe one anothers feete 328 14. I am the waye the light and the truth 538 14. No man commeth vnto the Father but by mee 107 14. In my Fathers house are many dwelling places â–ª 35 14. I will not leaue you comfortles Pag. 308.327.520 14. I will come agayne and receyue you euen vnto my self 12 24. I will praye the Father and hee shall gyue you an other Comforter â—9 15. Without mee yee can do nothing Pag. 110.270 15. If they haue kept my sayinge they will keepe yours also 550 15. Nowe are you cleane thoroughe the wordes which I haue spoken vnto you 596 16. Yee shall leaue mee alone and yet am I not alone 308.520 16. Nowe yee haue sorrowe but I will see you agayne and your harte shall reioyce 115. and 558 16. In the worlde yee shall haue tribulation 98 17. I haue glorified thee vpon earth Pag. 113 17. Father I will that those whiche thou hast gyuen mee be with me where I am 12.36 17. This is life euerlasting â–ª that they might knowe thee 542.552 18. My kingedome is not of thys worlde 98 19. Wee haue no kynge but Cesar. Pag. 179 19. It is finished 118 20. These things are written that you might beleeue 0 ROman 1. Which was declared to bee the Sonne of GOD with power 540 2. Whosoeuer hath sinned without lawe shall also perishe withoute Law. 675 3. What though some of them dyd not beleeue 17 3. Therefore wee holde that a man is iustified by fayth 595 3. All men haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God but are iustified freely thorough hys grace 458.544 4. Not in circumcision but in vncircumcision 294.297 5. That where sinne abounded there myght grace also raigne Pag. 512 7. The lawe is spirituall but we be carnall 155 7. O wretched maÌ„ that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death 613 8. If God bee with vs who can be against vs. 13.298 8. You haue not receyued the spirite of bondage to feare anye
can not be in rest and safetie bicause the insatiable auarice of Priestes exacteth tribute of them fayning that their soules are tormented and purifyed in the fornace of Purgatorie Is there not an vnknowne God worshipped amonge vs the God Maozim as Daniel sayeth whome all our fathers knew not which eyther is made of bread or chaunged into breade Would God men woulde nowe a dayes expende these thinges and learne what a miserable case it is to want the lyght of truth For whoso lacketh this lyght are both ignorant themselues of all things in religion and lose their labor before God which neyther can nor will be worshipped with mans traditions Let vs therefore harken vnto Paule and the Apostles whome God ordeyned to teach the blinde worlde his true religion and worship Furthermore Paule so teacheth al these things in the second part of his sermon that therwith also he confuteth the errors of the gentiles wherof sprang those errors which yet bewitch the world In the meane while although he had to do with most subtile Philosophers and curious men yet he disputeth not subtilly of Gods essence or nature which God himselfe testifyeth Exo. 33. is inscrutable but describeth God by his works teaching what we ought to beleeue of him and how to worship him God sayth he that made the world and all things therin conteyned seeing that he is Lorde of heauen and earth c. It seemeth he speaketh this agaynst the Epicures which affirmed the world was from euerlasting or else that all things came togyther by concurrence and meeting of motes togither and that God had no care of worldly things But Paule sayth that God is the creator and lord of the world and layth this for an infallible grounde of hys doctryne such as no man will denie but he that is voide of common reason Herofhe gathereth that templary religion was but a vayne thing which was of such pryce and authoritie among the Grecians that they hated the Persians for none other cause more than for that they euerywhere burned the temples in Greece bicause they sawe they serued more for superstition than godlinesse Thus reasoneth Paule He that is Lord of all things must needes be euerywhere But god as he is creator of all things so is he Lorde of all Therefore he is present euerywhere and so by consequence dwelleth not in Churches which are builded with mens handes But that which is sayde agaynst the Gentyles which iudged that religion stoode in the bewty and furniture of Temples and vnto them tyed the maiestie power and grace of God the same maketh agaynst all those which glorying in the honour of the true God are yet drowned in the dotage of this errour When Salomon had bestowed great costes and treasure in building of a Temple at length he sayth vnto God Behold the heauen of heauens is not able to conteyne thee howe much lesse this Church which I haue builded And God himselfe in Esay cap. 66. sayth Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole where therefore shall this house bee that you will builde for me Ieremie sharpely reprehendeth the Iewes trusting in the religion of their Temple Yea Christ sayeth that true worshippers are not tyed vnto certayne and peculiar places but sheweth vs that they worship God euerywhere in spirite and in truth Here therefore are all pilgrimages taken away in the whych foolish menne of an heathenish error suppose saluation chiefely to stande And yet for all this we vtterlye condemne not the vse of Churches For they serue for outward religion which is necessary for the profession of fayth and for the nourishing of concorde and vnitie whyle we resort thyther to heare the worde of God that is to saye common prayers and to haue the sacraments ministred Wherevnto Temples must be so ordered that we must thynke it vnlawfull to pollute them with any kinde of prophane vsages But Paule continueth on in describing of God saying that God hath neede of nothing Wherevpon he gathereth that he is not worshypped wyth handes and that religion consisteth not in outwarde obsequies and duties of men He prooueth the Antecedent in that he sayth he giueth life and breath vnto all men By this argument he impugneth the vaine affiance in priests in whome our Auncestours reposed the chiefe part of religion It seemeth Paule tooke his argument out of Gods wordes where he accuseth the Israelites that thought he was worshipped and pleased with sacrifyces For he sayth I will take no Bullocke out of thy house nor hee Goates out of thy foldes For all the beastes of the forrest are mine and so are the cattelles vppon a thousande hilles I knowe all the fowles vpon the mountaines and the wylde beastes of the fielde are in my sight If I be hungry I will not tell thee c. But by this argument it appeareth all popish religion is condemned For what else doe they in that religion but being deceyued by wicked superstition take from the poore commended to vs by Christ the duties which they offer to Saintes that haue no neede yea which knowe vs not Yea the most of their oblations serue for Idols voyde of all senses or for Priests that liue wantonly and in ryot In the meane season superstition hath taken so deepe roote that it is thought a lesse offence to kill a man and robbe him than to take a peece of a vayle from an Idoll or the aultar to clothe a poore bodye with O maners O times But some man maye saye If God be not worshipped by sacrifyces why did he appoynt them for the people by Moses and commaunde them Let vs consider there were two kindes of sacrifyces The one was expiatorie for sinnes so called not for that sinnes coulde be purged by the bloude of Oxen and Gotes for that Paule plainly denieth Heb. 10. but for that they prefygured Christ whome all the holy and godly men beleeued shoulde dye for the sinnes of the worlde at a time long before appoynted They taught vs also that we shoulde slaughter and mortifye all beastlye affections and bring a contrite heart before God which Dauid testifyeth is the acceptablest sacrifyce that God requireth Another kinde of them was gratulatorie or of thankes giuing for benefytes receyued Yet all these for the more part consisted in bloud bicause as yet the bloud of Christ was not shed wherwith only the father shoulde be appeased This bloude therefore being shed and the mysterie of our redemption accomplished there remayned no more sacrifyce expiatorie or propitiatorie for sinnes For Christ his merite is sufficient and there is no neede of other sacrifyce as the Epistle to the Hebrues at large teacheth vs Yet Christians want not sacrifyces but yet vnbloudy for since the bloude of Christ was shedde there is no more vse eyther of beastes bloude or mannes in the things pertayning to the ordinary honouring of God. For they make themselues
craft and power of men and therefore myght seeme not to be God Peter preuenteth this offence saying he was deliuered into the hands of vnrighteous men by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of god For this is as much as if he had sayde let no man thinke that eyther Iudas the traytour or the Priestes or Pylate had eyther so much counsell or power as to doe anye thing herein which God knewe not or suffered not to be done For whatsoeuer chaunsed vnto Christ came to passe by his foreknowledge and decree Whervnto also he had a respect in his Epistle where he sayth that before the worlde was made Christ was ordeyned before hande for this ende For demonstration sake may be brought the promises of God made in the beginning of the worlde and the Oracles of the Prophetes which teache none other waye of our redemption and saluation than that which is gotten by the bloude of the sonne of god Uerily Esay sayeth that the Lorde hath brought to passe that the iniquitie of vs all is heaped vpon him It was therefore the decree and worke of the same Lorde that our sinnes by his bloude shoulde be pourged This is a notable place to cause vs to learne rightly to iudge of Gods prouidence Let vs marke therefore that he toucheth not only Gods prescience as it were by the way but also maketh mention of Gods counsell or decree Yea he setteth it before Gods prescience bicause he testifieth it was an appointed and determined matter which is as much as if he should saye in our maner of speach all this businesse was concluded by the premeditation and long before deuysed counsell of god Here is confuted the glose of them which imagine nothing in God almost but prescience or foreknowledge saying that God foretolde by the Prophetes that he foreknew shoulde come to passe taking from him in the meane whyle all prouidence and administration of things Which men seeme to me to make God an ydle gazer vpon the worlde and a slouthfull and sluggishe bodye suffring many things to be done agaynst his will and otherwyse than he had appointed But Dauid instructeth vs farre otherwise which sayth that God beholdeth the things done in heauen and in earth and maketh him also to rule kingdomes and to gouerne all things with his becke And Peter in this place sayth that God foresawe not only the falshoode of Iudas the bloudy enterprises of the Priests and the iniquitie of Pylate suffring them to come to passe by a certayne ydle permission but also deduceth all the successe of this businesse from the certaine and determinate counsell or decree of god And that that happened in the sonne of God ought to be vnderstanded of the vniuersal gouernance of mankind which God susteineth and wieldeth vnlesse we suppose that God which is alway constant in himselfe is swarued from his common order and vsage But chiefly it is conuenient we consider the ende wherefore Peter alleageth the decree of Gods prouidence which ende bicause many obserue not they by and by crie out that we make God the auctor of euill bicause we say all things depende vppon his counsell and appointing Howbeit Peter in this place neither excuseth Iudas nor his complices nor yet chargeth God with that they wickedly vniustly did For where they sinned of their owne voluntary malice and set before their eies neither the counsell of God nor the redemption of mankinde but folowed the naughty affections of couetousnesse ambition and hatred the fault was in themselues and iustly were they punished for the same Peter maketh mention of Gods prouidence and decree bicause he woulde put awaye the slaunder and offence of the crosse and teache vs howe to iudge of all Christes affayres and our redemption The same vse of Gods prouidence must we also set before vs that it may serue as well to the instruction of our fayth and lyfe as for our comfort in aduersitie So by the decree of prouidence the scriptures teache vs that our saluation dependeth vppon the meere grace of God who before the worlde was made ordeyned Iesus Christ to be our redeemer and chose or elected vs in him See Ephe 1. Rom. 9.10.11 c. And thither doth Christ sende vs saying you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Againe without me you can do nothing Therefore the consideration of predestination and Gods free election only beateth downe the pryde of mans righteousnesse the perillous affiance that we haue therein The same bringeth vs most strong comfort in aduersitie when the wicked are in prosperitie and aloft For why shoulde a man be offended at them considering he is sure that he is vnder the tuition of Gods prouidence and that no aduersitie can happen vnto him without the will and pleasure of God Therefore Christ sendeth vs to the flowres of the fielde and birdes of the ayre in the which Gods prouidence is most easily perceyued and comforteth the Apostles agaynst the slaunders of persecution with arguments taken from them saying Are not two little sparrowes solde for a farthing And one of them shall not light on the grounde without your heauenly father Yea all the heares of your heade bee numbred If we examine these wordes after the capacitie of our reason I know they seeme to exceede all truth But if we consider the wisedome and omnipotencie of God which farre passeth all mans reason there can nothing be sayde that maye seeme so farre to exceede the truth but his force and power pierceth through it and passeth it See what is written Psal. 139 and .147 If we set these things before our eyes the consideration of his prouidence shall yeelde vs much learning and comfort And if any man wil go beyonde this and passe his boundes to him we saye as Salomon sometime said He that will search out high things it shall be to heauy for him And as Paule sayde What art thou O man which disputest with god c. See the place Rom. 9. Neyther was it without the will of God that the Apostle which was rapt into the thirde heauen and hearde wordes not meete to be vttered to man disdeyning to answere curious questions about this matter of Gods prouidence and predestination concludeth all that disputation with an exclamation full of admiration and woonder saying O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of god Howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counseller or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompensed againe For of him and through him and for him are all things To him be glory for euer Amen Last of all Peter ioyneth the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the deade in these wordes whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorrowes of death bicause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it This
they offer to Deuil â–ª and 〈◊〉 God. Beside all this they reioyced in the workes of their owne 〈◊〉 In these wordes is expressed partly a trust of minde and ioye that â—â—ringeth thereof both which ought to be sought in God onely and partly a kinde of outward reioycing whereinto ydolaters vse to fall without all modestie or measure The holye historie sheweth that both these things came to passe in thys place For assoone as the Calfe was molten and grauen with a great showte they cry These be thy Gods ô Israel which brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt Then being filled with the fleshe offred to the Idoll they rise vp to play This is the propertie of Idolaters For Idolâ— too men 〈◊〉 their hearts as the Prophet sayth So it commeth to passe that they which should reioyce in God onely reioyce in Idols and where they ought to be ledde and gouerned with the spirite of God they rage in immoderate and vnseasonable pastimes Nowe if thou wilt compare the things hytherto spoken with that is done in the Papaâ—ie or Popedome thou shalt see them all one For what other beginning canst thou alleage of ydolatrie but that men leaue the worde of God and turne agayne in their hartes â–ª to the abhominations of the Iewes and Idolaters from whence through the benefite of God they were delyuered â–ª This appeareth well in that dyuers of our doings agree with the rytes and ceremonies both of the Iewes and Gentiles By and by after contempt of the worde followed the contempt of the ministerie which the ignoraunce and blockheadnesse of the priestes greatly set forwarde which sent the simple people to dumbe ymages there to learne what belonged to their saluation Of these springes issued out newe Goddes some like men some like women some like oldemen some like yong Yea beside the fourmes of men were added fourefooted beasts fowles of the ayre wormes of the earth and fyshes of the sea I let passe the gastly fourmes and sightes of souldyours the whoorishe prancking and decking of Images which should haue represented the lykenesse of saints and of God hymselfe But new Goddes must haue new wayes and maners of worshipping Therefore in the honor of them were temples buylded aulters consecrated offerings hanged vp pylgrimages appoynted lampes burning holye dayes proclaymed sacrifices offred and nothing was left vndone which heretofore was vsed in the sacrifyces of the Gentyles And as though men had bene cleane eased of the burthen of theyr sinnes â–ª they greatly reioyced in the workes of their owne handes And there wanted not libertie of carnall ioyes which neuer raigned more than in the feastes and dedications of these Goddes So grieuous great was the blyndenes from the which God hath deliuered vs by the light of his gospell Let vs therfore hereafter flee the inuencions of our owne witte and the workes of our owne handes Let vs serue God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ in spirite and in truth to whome be prayse honor power and glory Amen The .lij. Homelie Then God turned himselfe and gaue them vp that they shoulde worshippe the hoste of the skie as it is written in the booke of the Prophetes ô yee of the house of Israell gaue yee to mee sacrifices and meate offeringes by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse And you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your God Rempham figures which ye made to worship them Therefore I will translate you beyonde Babylon AMongst many other things which Iesus Christ foretold should come to passe to the faythfull Preachers of hys Gospell this is not the least that he sayde the worlde shoulde persecute them as publike enimies of true religion This thing we see the Apostles founde true euen in the first springth of the church and among them Steuen chiefely who while he goeth about to bring men vnto Christ is accused for that he had spoken blasphemy agaynst God Moses the lawe and all the ceremonies thereof But he both boldly and wisely aunswereth these shamelesse sclaunders rehearsing the auncient religion whereby the fathers were saued and diligently expounding the things done by Moses declaring howe he receyued this worde of lyfe of God and deliuered it vnto the fathers He sheweth moreouer that the fathers were neuer obedient to Gods commaundements but being addicted to outward ceremonies onely feyned diuers things of their owne braine contrary to true religion And by this meane he goeth about to put out of their minds the vayne trust which they had in their fathers religion which is the moste daungerous impediment and let that can be to them that would come to the right waye of saluation To this ende therefore he recyted the hystorie of the golden Calfe whereby he conuinceth their fathers of great vngodlynesse shewing that they were saued of meere fauour seeing they deserued destruction through that wicked Idolatry only And he adioyneth herevnto this present place verye handsomely declaring that they alone sinned not herein but prooueth that their posteritie followed their steppes The rehearsing of the Idolatry of their posterity seemeth to be as it were a preoccupation For thence he preuenteth them if any man shoulde make lyght of the erecting this calfe or should say that it were long ago expiated by the godlynesse of their successors For there is no excuse left for them bicause they were so lyttle the better after their first fall that it rather increased whole heapes of impietie following For where they had once throwne awaye the worde of God and rushed into their owne destruction with myndes bent to vngodlynesse God which before tenderly fauoured them turneth his back to them and giueth them ouer into a reprobate sense to worship all the hoste of the skye and with greedinesse to followe all maner superstition of the Gentyles And in these fewe wordes Steuen briefely comprehendeth all that euer they afterwardes did agaynst the lawes of god For Salomon the first beginner of this euill for his wyues sakes that were Aliauntes and straungers builded Temples vnto diuers Gods of the Sydonians Moabites Ammonites and other Nations Ieroboam after that brought in againe the superstitious worshipping of Calues Achab brought in the honouring of Baal Amasias of a madde counsell and deuyse setteth vp the Goddes of the Idumeans whome he had vanquished to be worshipped Achaz was delyted with the Gods and religion of the Assirians At length Manasses following which farre passed all the wickednesse of his forefathers brought into Iurie whatsoeuer superstition or ydolatrie was to be founde any where among the Gentyles and by force defended those religions agaynst the true worshippers of God insomuch that we reade Hierusalem was filled with the bloude of the Saintes Whose impietie tooke so déepe roote that it coulde not be wholy pluckte vp agayne in Iosias dayes as the sermons of Ieremie and Sophonie abundantly declare And least any man might marueyle howe these things came to
tyme warneth vs at length to awake and casting from vs all vayne inuentions of men to worship the God of our fathers according to his prescript in truth and in spirite through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The .liij. Homelie OVR fathers had the Tabernacle of witnesse in the wildernesse as he had appoynted them speaking vnto Moses that he should make it accordyng to the fashion that he had sene Which Tabernacle also our fathers that came after brought in with Iosue into the possession of the Gentyles whome God draue out before the face of our fathers vnto the tyme of Dauid which found fauour before God and would fayne haue founded a Tabernacle for the God of Iacob but Salomon built him an house Howbeit he that is highest dwelleth not in Temples made with handes as sayth the Prophete Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole What house will you builde for mee sayth the Lorde Or which is the place of my rest Hath not my hand made all these thinges THe accusation against Steuen consisted of two speciall pointes the one was that he went about to abolish and put away the law the other that he had spoken blasphemye against the Temple and all their rites and ceremonies The first he hath thus farre answered vnto disputing both earnestly and reuerently touching the lawe and Moses the minister thereof For he hath shewed that it was giuen of god by Moses and confesseth it to be the worde of lyfe bicause it comprehendeth in it the rule of life and leadeth vs as a guide teacher vnto christ Furthermore bicause the Iewes gloried very much in the name of the fathers he declared that they were alwayes disobedient so that it appeareth they were not saued by the merite of the righteousnesse of the lawe but through the benefite of Gods mercy and fauouâ— This done he passeth to the other parte of his accusation and reasoneth of the holy place or Temple wherin their chiefe hope of helpe consisted And to be short the ende of all Steuens saying is to prooue that God and the right worshipping of hym is not tyed vnto the Temple Wherevpon it followeth that they oughte not straight wayes to be taken for blasphemers of God which speake agaynst the abolishing therof First therfore he intreateth of the Tabernacle then of the Temple builded about a foure huâ—dred and fourescore yeares after their comming out of Egipt The Tabernacle was a place ordeyned for to do Gods seruice in made of boordes of Sechim woode and hanged rounde about with Curtines being caried vpon two staues running through ringes of gold and the Curtines fastened togither with loupes buttons of silke In this Tabernacle was the Arke of the Couenaunt the Golden table the Candlesticke the Altare of Incense the Altare to burne sacrifices on the Brasen Lauer with the residue of the implementes belonging to the seruice concerning which see Exod. 25.26.27.30 c. All these thinges he easily graunteth that the fathers had in the wildernesse by Moses appointment which was Gods mouth and Interpreter And he calleth it the Tabernacle of witnesse bicause God by it testified his presence and gaue answere in that place for the resoluing of the peoples doubtes He addeth three things wherby he prooueth that the worshipping of God and God himselfe is not bound to this place First he saith it was made according to the paterne and saumpler shewed to Moses in the mountaine Whereby it appeareth it was but a figure and serued to shadow the mysteries of heauenly things as Paule also in the viij ix Cap. to the Hebrewes hath declared For this Tent was a figure of the Church which God will haue to be but one althoughe it consist of diuers kyndes and orders of men For it hath teachers which are in steade of pillers as Paule calleth Iames Peter and Iohn Gal. 2. It hath boordes of Ceder tree couered ouer with golde wherby all the faythfull are signified whome fayth and beliefe maketh vncorrupt shining in heauenly brightnesse All these are ioyned togither with the band aswel of doctrine as belief loue are builded vpon Christ which is the only buttrace foundation of the whole church He is in the Arke conteyning the true treasures of heauenly mysteries He prepareth vs a table where we may receiue the breade of eternall lyfe He is as it were in place of a candlesticke and by the light of his word shineth vpon his church The prayers also that are offered in him are as a pleasaunt incense odoure and sweete smell before God the father And he is the true Altare vppon whome we must offer our selues and the whole conuersation of our lyfe These thinges might be more largely intreated but we touche but the chiefe pointes of them that it may appeare to euery man why Steuen sayth the Tabernacle was made after the heauenly paterne to the ende verilye that we might therby vnderstande that no man in tyme past cleaued to the Tabernacle onely but that by fayth he was holden in contemplation of Christ and his church the mysteries wherof were by this Tabernacle signified And that the fathers then pleased God best when with myndes lyfte vp into heauen they worshipped God in spirite and truth And there are many places of Scripture wherin they are grieuously rebuked which cleaue to the outwarde ceremonies and neglect the spirituall worshipping See the Psalme 50. Esay 1.3.4 Micheas 6. Ieremy 7 c. In the meane while we are taught that nothing ought to be instituted in Gods seruice and religion according to mans deuise and pleasure For it in tyme past when outwarde ceremonies were most in vse Moses was bounde to obserue the paterne prescribed of God and where there appeare horrible examples of them which durst attempt the contrary then must we now a dayes be much more diligent to obserue those things which the sonne of God hath appointed to be in his churche for euer 〈◊〉 in the tyme of his laste comming we be taken with hym into the Tabernacle of heauen Secondly he sayeth that when Iosua was captayne the fathers brought the Tabernacle into the possession of the Gentiles that is into an vnholy laâ—d Wherby it appeareth again that the worshipping of god the way of saluation cannot consist therin Here we are taught by the way that the holy institutions of God are not polluted by the place so that the right lawfull vse of them be obserued For God is present euerywhere and by his presence sanctifieth both those that worship him and the ceremonies instituted by him Therfore in an vnholy lande the inhabitauntes wherof were a little before worshippers of ydoles might the tabernacle be placed and all the ceremonies appointed exercised That that is spoken of the outwarde seruice ought to be vnderstanded also of prayers which if they proceede of fayth are acceptable and allowable before
to his Apostles goyng out of this worlde he vndoubtedly beholdeth them still and will not suffer any of them to be taken out of his hande In the meane while this also serueth for our purpose that he that gaue commaundements when he went forth declareth thereby plainely that he will one day come agayne Let vs therefore prepare our selues against his commyng beyng alwayes mindefull of the woordes of Christ where he sayth Let your loynes be gyrded aboute and your lightes brennyng and yee your selues like vnto men that wayte for theyr Lorde when he will returne from the weddyng that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly happy are those sâ—ruaunts whom the Lorde when he commeth shall finde wakyng c. But before wee ende our Sermon some thinges remayne to be discussed which commend vnto vs the dignitie and authoritie of the Apostles doctrine The first is that he sayth they were chosen of Christ He speaketh of a speciall choyse and election whereby they were taken not onely into the number of them that shoulde be saued but were also appoynted for such an ende and vse that they should be Preachers of the grace conferred by Christ and as Paule sayth Stewardes of the mysteries of God. Furthermore he saith they receyued commaundementes of Christ. For as Princes make for their Ambassadours letters of commission which wee call instructions in the which not onely is contayned the remembrance of thinges they haue to doe but also the credite and authoritie they be put in euen so Iesus Christ would instruct his Ambassadours with commaundementes that it might appeare what they had to doe But bicause many consider Christ but as he were man onely and perceyue nothing in the Apostles passing the condition of common persones therefore Luke addeth that these commaundementes were giuen by the holy Ghost If wee would lay all these thinges togither it should appeare that they were no humane but diuine affayres that were committed to the Apostles It shall appeare also that theyr doctrine is to be referred to Christ as to the Auctor thereof For they are Christes messengers as Paule sayth And they are commended with the testimonie of Christ saying He that receyueth whom so euer I sende receyueth me Againe He that receyueth you receyueth mee and he that receyueth mee receyueth him that sent mee It is our partes therefore Brethren to iudge well of the office and doctrine of the Apostles and thankefully to acknowledge the vnspeakeable benefite of God giuen vs by theyr preachyng and to imbrace it with true faith For so shall it come to passe that wee being borne againe of the immortall seede of his diuine Woorde shall leade a life woorthy the children of God and beyng deliuered out of the horrible tempestes of this worlde shall liue for euer in Heauen with the Sonne of God Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour to whom all prayse honour glory and power are dewe for euer Amen The seconde Homelie TO whom also he shewed himselfe aliue after his passion and that by many tokens appearing vnto them fortie dayes and speaking of the kingdome of God. WHyle Luke in writyng the Actes of the Apostles goeth aboute to ioyne that discourse with the story of the Gospell as I tolde you yesterday he doth it not at al-aduentures but admonished and instructed by the holy Ghost who meaneth thereby to teache vs some excellent pointe of learnyng For hereby it appeareth that the story of the Apostles should by no meanes be seuered from the story of the Gospell and that whatsoeuer the Apostles did in setting forth the Gospell and kingdome of Iesus Christ is aswell to be referred to Christ as the Auctor of it as the thinges he did in his owne person while he was here on earth For it is plaine that the Apostles did nothing of theyr owne head and power but were mooued and inspired thereto as Christes chosen instruments by his holy spirite This thing the woordes of Christ teach vs saying It is not you that speake but the spyrit of my Father that speaketh in you And in an other place he promiseth his holy spirite to instruct them with all truth and to giue them counsell what to doe Wherevnto Paule had a respect saying vnto the Corinthians Seeke you experience of Christ that speaketh in mee The knowledge hereof is not in vaine bicause it serueth both for our learning and consolation For by these testimonies wee are taught that wee may safely beleeue the doctrine and writinges of the Apostles not onely bicause they are the Ambassadours of Iesus Christ for wee see that Ambassadours sometime doe their message falsely but also for that they be instructed with his spirite and as he inspyreth and directeth them doe their office It is no small consolation that wee know Christ hath a care of his Church For he that departing from vs in his bodie left vs Apostles by whose mynistery his Church might be gathered togither hee distributing the giftes of his holy spyrite in all Ages giueth vnto his Church some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some Shepheardes and Teachers to the edifiyng of the Saintes to the woorke and mynistration euen to the edifiyng of the body of Christ c. But bicause Luke in yesterdaies Sermon made mention of Christs Ascention into Heauen he taketh occasion thereby to intreate of the last thing that Christ did a little before his Ascention bicause it serueth well to the purpose of his discourse or story And in this place he speaketh of two thinges wherof Christ intreated with his Disciples The one is a diligent proofe of his Resurrection the other an instruction touchyng the Kingdome of god Of both which we will speake asmuch as the Lord shall put in our mindes And touching the proofe of his Resurrection he vseth but fewe woordes but they very pithie For the same Iesus saith hee which before hee suffered did and taught many things vpon the earth the very same after he had suffered was dead shewed himself aliue againe to his Disciples euen the very self same person none other neither in any other body but euen in the selfe same in the which he suffered Neither shewed he himself to them as it were by chaunce but prooued by many arguments infallible demoÌ„strations that he was truely risen againe in the very same body wherein he liued while he was here vpon the earth And here Luke speaketh of those things which he more largely in the Gospel describeth that Christ did after his Resurrection And amongst those things first are his apparitions as when he appeared to Mary Magdalene in the Garden by the Sepulchre like a gardener where shee knewe him And a little whyle after meetyng other women also commyng from the graue hee saluteth them and biddeth them shewe his brethren and namely Peter howe he was rysen againe Againe he falleth in company with
to god For if euer there were any Cities notable for power and glory Hierusalem will in that poynt easily haue the superioritie For to omit that for the space of foure hundred three score and seauentene yeares there was among the people of God the seate of the kyngdome and Priesthoode that the kingdome stretched to the riuer Euphrates that it brought forth most valiant kings most holy Priests and most diuine Prophetes this one thing farre passeth all the glorye of the worlde that God did vouchsafe to make it a president and a patterne of the Church of Iesus christ For this cause is she adorned with such prayses in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes Therfore is Christ sayde to reygne in Syon Therfore the Scriptures call hir the Citie of the great King. Besides this glory the Apostles receyue in hir the holy ghost and with good successe doe there begin the helthfull preaching of the Gospell But coulde all this glory deliuer hir from the hande of God being angrye with hir and from imminent destruction when she had forgotten the benefits of God and his commaundementes and followed not the vertues of hir forefathers nor shewed hir selfe thankfull and obedient to God Naye but where they chose rather to follow the multitude of such fathers as brake both Gods lawes and mans shed the bloud of the Prophets neyther the godlynesse of Dauid which first builded there his pallace and temple neyther the wisedome of Salomon neyther the integritie of Iosaphat neither the valiantnesse of Ezechias neyther the zeale of Iosias neither the sermons of the Prophets which rang in euery place of hir neyther the myracles done by Christ and his Apostles in hir neyther the Gospell begonne there to be preached could let but that within fourtie yeares she was vtterly destroyed and being raced and layde euen with the grounde hath scarce any marke or monument there left of so famous and noble a Citie And that we saye happened to Hierusalem both Capernaum that peculiar Citie of Christ and Corozain and Bethsaida notable by reason of the Apostles dwelling there felt euen the same Let them cease therefore to glorye in the vertues of their forefathers and in the olde benefites of God that cease not with vnthankfulnesse and disobedience to prouoke the wrath of god For vnlesse the hearers of the worde of God be aunswereable to Gods benefites they shall haue the same lot and porcion with the vnhappy Cities of Iurie Furthermore to return to the purpose of Christ let vs see what the Apostles haue to do in the citie of Hierusalem He biddeth them to wayte there for the promise of his father by the which he meaneth the holy ghost which he calleth the promise of the father both for that he is truely promised and giuen of the father only and also for that he had promised sundry times by the Prophetes that in the comming of the Messias he would plentifully poure forth his spirit vpō men as Peter afterwards declareth out of Ioel. In the meane season he putteth them likewise in remembrance of his promises which appeare euery where in the Gospell If any man beleeue in me sayth he as the Scripture sayth riuers shall runne out of him of the water of lyfe Which wordes are to be vnderstanded of the holye ghost whom they that beleeued in Christ should receyue as the Euangelist there teacheth And in another place he sayth I will praye vnto my father and he shall giue you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth whome the worlde cannot receyue Againe That comforter which is the holy ghost whom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things and shall put you in remembrance of all things which I haue sayde vnto you And againe When the comforter shall come which I will sende you from my father the spirite of truth which proceedeth from the father he shall beare witnesse of me And a little way after When he commeth which is the spirite of truth he shall bring you into all truth Bicause therefore the father once promised by his Prophetes this spirite to the worshippers of his sonne Iesus Christ and Christ hath obtayned vs the same according as hee is our Mediator and intercessour therefore it is well called the promise of the father Here is to be considered that Iesus Christ suffreth not his Apostles appointed long before to the office of preaching and a great while by him faithfully instructed to leape sodeinly into the ministery but requiring obedience of them cōmaundeth them to waite for the spirite promised of his father We are taught by this example of Christ that obedience to Christs commaūdements is chiefly required in the ministers of his word For it is very meete that they which should bring other to the obedience of faith which is the ende of the preaching of the Gospel should first be obedient to the same themselues and that they should doe nothing without the appoyntment and commaundement of their Captayne For so shall they not onely by their doctrine but also by their owne example perswade their hearers the better to obedience Moreouer this place admonisheth vs that it is not ynough for Ministers of the word to be furnished with knowledge and learning except they haue also the gift of the holy ghost For where no man commeth vnto Christ without hee be drawne by his father they that haue the gouernaunce of the Church shall in vayne teach and admonish men vnlesse the holy ghost work with their studie and industry Paule the Apostle well perceyued this matter which calleth the Church the tillage of God and confesseth that neyther he that planteth neyther he that watreth is any thing but ascribeth all the glorye and successe of this matter to God onely which alone can giue increase Therefore the Ministers haue neede to be prepared by the holy ghost least while they vndertake such a charge without his guyding they procure displeasure and losse not onely to themselues but also to the whole Church Neyther shall he euer be meete for this roume which feeleth not the effectuous motions of the holy spirite within his hart Hereof proceede those preparations of the Prophetes which we reade in Scripture such as Esay Hieremie Ezechiel and other had before they preached which seemeth to be the cause that Paule forbade that yong Studentes shoulde not be chosen to the ministery of the Church bicause such for the most part cannot be verye sure of the operation of the holy ghost and his present ayde But that we speake of the ministers of the worde is to be referred to all men which are appointed to great charges and offices in the common weale In which number Magistrates are not last to be placed who being the expositors and interpreters of Gods iudgements are in scripture called Gods. For what can they eyther well foresee or iudge vnlesse
or labour to superfluous Nowe seemeth it time to declare what Christ aunswered And his answere contayneth two poyntes First he reiecteth the Apostles demaunde as pieuish and vnworthy the answering Secondly he openeth more cleerely the maner of his kingdome and in such sort that he both comforteth the fearefull Apostles and declareth after what sort in his kingdome they must minister their office To the first poynt these wordes appertaine It belongeth not to you to know the times and seasons the which the father hath reserued in his owne power And in the beginning he sayeth nothing agaynst their false opinion of his kingdome both for that other times he had spoken much of the same and the comming of the holy ghost was at hande which should teach them all truth His wordes sounde as though hee shoulde saye thus much I haue many times intreated of my kingdome and hytherto as I perceyue I haue profited nothing But admit that I shoulde set vp such a kingdome amongst the people of Israel as you dreame yet is your curiositie to be reprehended that woulde knowe the verye time whereof you neuer hearde me saye any thing and which it had becommed you in pacience and hope to haue looked for and not through vnprofitable and bolde temeritie to haue preuented the time that God woulde reueale These wordes of Christ are diligently to be obserued For with them he bridleth the bolde curiositie of mans wit and appoynteth vs certaine boundes of Christian wisedome whiche it is vnlawfull for vs to passe or go beyonde For where the Disciples are reprehended for that they would ouer curiously enquire for such things as God had reserued to his owne power onely it appeareth sufficiently that hereby we are prescribed how farre our wisedome must extende that we should continually be occupied in the searching and consideration of those things that God hath vouchsafed to reueale to vs in his Scriptures and not to knowe those things which he hath reserued to himselfe alone And what things he would haue hid from vs and vnknowne to leaue them to his power wisedome and iudgement vnto that daye in the which we shall not knowe in part but shall face to face beholde the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen The same the wise man admonisheth whose words would to God were written in the harts of many curious persons Seeke not sayth he after the things that be aboue thee and search not foolishly for the things farre aboue thy strength Studye the things commaunded thee of God and be not curious in many of his workes For it is not needefull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secret Make not to much search in superfluous things and be not curious in many of his works For many things are shewed vnto thee already which be aboue the capacitie of men The medling with such hath beguiled many a man and tangled their wittes in vanitie Wherevnto is to be referred the saying of Salomon He that searcheth the maiestie shall be depriued of the glory Here therefore are confuted and condemned by this sentence of Christ all the soothsaying Artes of Mathematicals amongst which Iudiciall Astrologie beareth the bell For Christ forbiddeth to enquire after the times and seasons that is what ought to be done at euery time and what tyme is appoynted for euery thing And herein is the chiefe vse of Astrologie to foreshewe the successe of euery thing in his time For when they knowe the houre of ones natiuitie by by they looke vpon the Horoscope or ascendent and figure of heauen and so pronounce of the course of his whole life And not content with the things belonging to the body goodes of fortune they take vpon them to iudge of the soule also as though the vertues and vices of man and so by consequent eternall saluation depended vppon the Planets After like sort they write Prognostications of the things that shal happen euery yeare In which as if they were Oracles of Apollo they reason of warres of sicknesses of dearth and scarcitie of things and what vyces and naughtynesse shall raigne all the yeare following And what doe these men else but that that was reprehended in the Disciples which yet went not about to learne such things by any Arte forbidden of God but to know it at Christes mouth whom God hath made vnto vs wisedome Neither let them obiect the example of the Prophetes whose prophecies are extant of things that were to come and who did sometimes appoynt the times of things afterwarde to followe as is plaine that Hieremie and Daniel chiefely did For these men vttered that thing for the instruction and comfort of man which they receyued by Gods holy spirite And God oftentimes vseth to foreshewe things to come by his Prophetes for mans health sake But he hath in no place taught vs soothsaying Artes whereby mans industrie can trye out thinges to come but he hath condemned them and shut out the students of them from his kingdome and people as is to see in Deut. 18. and Mich. 5. Chapter There is also condemned in this place the curiositie of such as going farther dare search for the latter day and ende of Christes comming which Christ hath so appointed in his fathers power onely that he sayth it is vnknowne to the Aungels and to himselfe as he is man. Whatsoeuer things is meete for vs to know they are abundantly declared in the scripture We are admonished of the signes that go before that daye not that we shoulde dispute of the verye time of his comming but that being awaked from the sleepe of sinne we should lift vp our heades that the day of our redemption approching we mought be founde faithfull and diligent seruants In lyke maner me thinketh they are here reprehended which wade to farre in the secretes of Gods eternall predestination and prouidence while they search what number is of the elect and call to account of mans reason the iudgementes of God whereby hee chooseth or refuseth men which as they farre passe mans reache and capacitie so can they not without great daunger be sought out But the things in this matter which serue both for our comfort instruction God hath vouchsafed to reueale For it is playne that the faithfull are elected from euerlasting in Christ Iesus only through the meere fauor of God without respect of our workes or merites It is playne that this election is firme and stable whereof God as Paule sayth cannot repent him It is playne that faith is the infallible signe of this election whereby we apprehende Iesus Christ and in him righteousnesse and saluation It is playne that the ende marke of our election is to lyue holy blamelesse in this life that when we be taken from this lyfe we may lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ. These things God hath reuealed and with these we ought to be content In the
as we may see in Daniel 7. .12 And Christ diligently describeth the same Math. 24.25 Iohn 5. He would also the Apostles shoulde be admonished hereof in this place bicause the remembraunce thereof serueth much both for our instruction and comfort For if according to the saying of the sonne of Syrach the remembrance of death bridleth the desire of sinne How much more shall it be restrayned if wee consider in our minde the ymage and counterfaite of the last iudgement where we all shall stande before the iudgement seate of Christ to receyue euery one of vs according as he hath done in this body whether it be good or bad What shall it then profite a man to haue gayned all the worlde if he shall lose his soule Agayne there commeth to vs by remembring of that daye marueylous consolation For hee that shall come to be a reuenger of all euill and a punisher of the wicked shall appeare the Redeemer of his people whom he shall make partakers of his kingdome and table glorifying them both in bodye and soule Wherefore speaking of the signes that shall go before the latter daye he sayth When these things beginne to come to passe lift vp your heades for your redemption draweth neare And Iob speaking of Christ comming to the iudgement saith I knowe that my Redeemer liueth c. It behooued therfore that the Apostles shoulde be admonished hereof that being boldened with this hope they might passe and ouercome the present daungers and grieuous troubles that were to come In the meane time let vs thinke that it is our dutie often to thinke vpon the same whereby we may both represse the naughtye desires of the fleshe and haue a good courage in the middest of daungers and distresse and so happily finishing the race of this lyfe may liue for euer with Iesu Christ our Lorde to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The sixt Homelie THEN returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called Oliuete which is from Hierusalem a Sabboth daies iourney And when they were come in they went vp into a Parlour where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Philip and Thomas Barthilmewe and Mathewe Iames the sonne of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes and Iudas the brother of Iames. These all continued with one accorde in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Iesus and with his brethren ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath taken his bodye from earth into heauen by his glorious ascention yet may we not thinke that he therefore hath cast aside the care of our saluation For it cannot be that that good shepeheard can forget them whome he did vouchsafe to redeeme with the price of his bloude This appeareth aswell by manye other arguments as specially by this that happened in his ascention as wee saw erewhile For whyle the Apostles abashed with his sodeyne departure stoode looking vp into heauen not knowing what to doe he sendeth his Aungels by whose ministerye they are not onely instructed concerning his ascention but also they heare a marueylous comfort touching his comming againe Which comfort we see was effectuous by that which fell out therof For Luke goeth on with his hystorie and sheweth what the Apostles did after Christ was taken from them we will speake of eche of these things in order to th ende the more learning instruction and consolation maye come vnto vs therby First of all they returne againe into the Citie For after they had worshipped as Luke sayth they returned againe to Hierusalem and being gathered togither in the vpper storye of the house which was appointed them to be in they waited for the spirite promised of God the father and Iesus Christ. It was from Mount Oliuete whence Christ ascended into heauen into the Citie a Sabboth dayes iourney which after the authoritie of Hierome is counted a two myles Here in these thinges we haue a singular example of the obedience of faith which it becommeth vs well to followe For the Apostles go agayne into the Citie not of their owne head and counsayle but as the Lord commaunded them which as wee perceyued in the beginning of this booke charged them not to depart from Hierusalem nor to seperate themselues one from another before they had receyued from heauen the holye ghost And yet there were diuers thinges that might haue perswaded them the contrary Amongst which the feare of present daunger and hostile entrappinges of the Iewes seemeth not to be eyther lightest or least And who coulde thinke to be safe in such a Citie as had bene vsed to slaye the Prophetes and whose handes were yet embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god Againe the small commodiousnesse and vnhandsomnesse of the place might haue turned the mindes of diuers awaye For in one house yea in a peece of one house as may be gathered by that that followeth about an hundred and twentie persons dwelled togither which coulde not be without great trouble as any wise man maye vnderstande Beside yet a more grieuous temptation cloked with the pretext of fayth and religion that is to saye that they knewe the holy ghost for whose cause they shoulde tarie in the Citie was tyed to no one place but as Christ sayth breatheth wheresoeuer it will. So that they might thinke it not onely in vayne but also a foolishnesse to wayte in such a daungerous place for the sending of the holye ghost which might as well be giuen them in another place as there And surely it is lyke that diuers such thoughts arose in them seeing there is no man ignorant how many things they that be in feare vse to cast in their mindes But they ouercome all these things with the fayth onely that they gaue to Christes wordes and despising all aswell perill as counsell of mans reason they purpose to obey the commaundements of christ Neither wanteth that holy obedience a most happy successe For they be both safe in that bloudy Citie and they also not many dayes after receiue the holye ghost as Christ had promysed Of this example we ought to make a generall lawe and rule that is to saye that we must walke in the vocation of God and in whatsoeuer his commaundements obediently and that wee suffer not our selues for any reasons that the fleshe can make to be pulled from our dutie For whereas our God is holye and a most louing father to mankinde he commaundeth nothing but that which is both holye and healthfull for vs For all his iudgementes are righteousnesse and truth and as Paule sayth this is the purpose and ende of Gods will that all men should be saued And bicause he is omnipotent he defendeth and maintayneth them that walke in his vocation and keepe his commaundementes and suffreth no hurt to happen vnto them The holy worshippers of God are sometimes tempted bicause it is necessary their fayth
in their mother tongue Acheldama that is to say the bloudy fielde SAint LVKE hitherto hath declared what the Apostles did in their owne priuate case after Christ departed from the earth attributing to them true obedience vnitie of mindes and continuance in prayer And these verily are wholesome exercises wherewith we must prepare our selues duely to receyue the holye ghost who entreth not into a frowarde soule and whome the worlde cannot receyue but contemneth and derideth such cogitations and studies Nowe in this place he beginneth to declare what the Apostles first did how they settled themselues to the publike ministery of the Church which was committed vnto them And this was the substitution of Matthye in the place of Iudas the traytour and reprobate For where Christ would haue the Apostles to be twelue in number whom hee ordayned to be Iudges of the twelue Trybes of Israel it was requisite the same number should be fulfilled least the falshoode of Iudas should any way hinder the ordinaunce of Christ. In the meane season the example of the Apostles admonisheth vs that the chiefe care of the Church ought to be in prouiding to haue fitte meete ministers For how shal they beleeue in him sayth Paule of whom they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher howe shall they preach except they be sent And the same Apostle in another place sayth that himselfe Apollo and Cephas were the ministers of God by whome the Corinthians beleeued For although it belonge onely to God to giue fayth and hee worketh the same in the mindes of men by the vertue of his holy spirite for which cause the worshippers of Christ are called by the Prophet the taught of God yet for our sakes he witteth safe to vse the outwarde ministerie of the worde the vse and dignitie whereof must be defended and retayned in the Church Which thing is the cause why the Prophetes account fitte teachers among the chiefe benefites of God and Christ teacheth his Apostles to praye vnto God to sende worthy and faithfull workmen into his vineyarde And Paule in another place sheweth the maiesty and great care of Christ for his Church by this one argument chiefly that he sendeth from high giftes of his holy spirite and giueth some Apostles some Prophetes some Euaungelists some Pastors and teachers to the increase of the Saintes in the woorke of administration and to the building vp of his bodye They ought well to remember this that take vppon them in these dayes authoritie ouer the Church of Christ whether they be Bishops or secular Magistrates that they fayle not in this most necessary poynt to see to the Church but that they order euery thing in such sort that they maye leaue to their posteritie presidents of sounde and true doctrine Whervnto chiefly belongeth the appointing of schooles and bringing vp of youth which the Prophetes in the olde Testament had a great care of and after that the Christian Emperours likewyse Which things whosoeuer eyther through negligence or wasting of the Church goodes consume they ought to be taken for the greatest enimies of the Church and shall one daye buy such their heynous offences full deere at Christes hande But to addresse vs to the declaration of this present place Luke with great diligence rehearseth this hystorie declaring how the chiefe vse thereof is for vs to learne by example of the Apostles what to obserue and followe in choosing and appoynting ministers of the Church He beginneth with the description of the Church that was at that time In those dayes sayth he when they being gathered togither with one accorde looked for the comming of the holy ghost Peter stoode vp in the midst of the Disciples and proposed a matter which indifferently appertained to them all The number of them that beleeued when they were rehearsed by name was about an hundred and twentie Here both the small number of beleeuers in the Primitiue Church and Peter the Apostle are diligently to be considered For touching the number of them that professed Christ I thinke there is no man but marueyleth that there was no more founde in so famous and populous a Citie that professed and followed christ For what had Christ left vnassayde in that Citie For to omit the teaching aduertisements exhortation of the Prophets if a man consider but the things done in that Citie from the time that Christ came among them he shall perceyue an incredible hardnesse of heart and frowardnesse in that nation Iohn the Baptist went before Christ by reason of the plainnesse of his doctrine and straightnesse of his lyfe had bene able to haue mooued anye kinde of men But howe smally he profited the proofe very well declared Then by and by vpon followed Christ who to his doctrine which he framed and prepaced all maner of wayes to winne them with added myracles of such force and efficacie that they were able to make the verye enimies to confesse the truth Uerily Nicodemus confessed that no man but he that was sent of God coulde doe such things as they sawe him doe euery daye And manye openlye sayde Shall Christ when hee commeth worke more myracles than this man hath done I let passe the signes and woonders which partlye went before Christes death and partly followed which were able to mollifie the harts of the most cruell souldiers And yet after all these thinges there are no more but sixe score persons reckened among all that beleeued by Lukes testimonie who was a most faithfull and true witnesse In this appeareth the great power of Iesus Christ which of this smal remnant as the Prophets afore times tolde was able to multiplie and encrease his Church that in fewe yeares it was spred ouer all the worlde Wee maye learne also the vntowardnesse of mans nature and acknowledge almost an incurable naughtinesse in him and not to be offended though we see but fewe in these dayes that beleeue the doctrine of the Gospell For this did Esaias long ago foresee therfore minding to preach of the redemption that should be made by Christ crieth out who hath beleeued our preaching to whom is the arme of the Lorde declared And Christ speaking to his flocke sayth feare not little flocke for it hath pleased my father to giue you a kingdome And himselfe speaking of the last times declareth that such shall be the fashion and condicion of the worlde when he commeth that he shall finde no faith or truth vpon the earth Therfore great is the errour of those which iudge of faith and doctrine according to the multitude or fewnesse of them that followe it which is a common thing nowe a dayes For such was the state of the Church euen in the verye beginning that the smallest number embraced the doctrine of truth Noah only with his familie in that auncient worlde followed a diuers faith and religion from the residue of
vs. And the sonne himselfe bindeth his promise to vs by an othe as often as he repeateth that verilye I saye vnto you so much vsed in the Gospell These things serue much for our comfort and instruction we are taught to make much of Christ and not to despyse the saluation which commeth by his merite and is offered vs by preaching of the Gospell as he commaunded In time passed as Paule sayth they which had transgressed the lawe of Moyses dyed without mercye vnder twoo or three witnesses How much sorer shall he be punished which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth the bloude of the newe Testament as an vnholy thing c. And Iohn the Apostle admonisheth vs earnestly hereof saying if wee receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater which he testified of his sonne He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer bicause he beleeued not the recorde that God gaue of his sonne c. But what can be more horrible than to accuse God of a lye which is both eternall truth and also may so easily reuenge the contempt of himselfe Furthermore these things comfort vs asmuch in the conflict of temptations Satan many times goeth about to call the certaintie of our saluation into doubt But if we consider howe the same is sealed and confirmed as it were by an othe our fayth can not wauer For God is true and his worde endureth for euer But Peter returneth to Christ and prooueth that in him whatsoeuer things Dauid before times prophecied of the Messias are fulfilled The end of all his sayings is that men shoulde vnderstande howe Iesus of Nazareth was the sauiour of the worlde that was promised And of a manye of things which he might haue alledged he speaketh only of the resurrection and ascention bicause these two sufficed his purpose and serued chiefely for the present cause and controuersie which rose by sending of the holy ghost We shall speake of eche of them in order He reherseth the article of the resurrection to prooue Christ to be the sauior promised which argumēt Paule vseth also Of Peters words we may frame this argument Dauid a great while sithens prophecied of the Messias that neither his soule should long abide with the other soules of them that were departed nor that his bodye should suffer corruption bicause God woulde rayse him from death But this prophecie is fulfilled in Iesus of Nazareth Ergo it is manifest that Iesus of Nazareth is the Messias and sauiour Touching the Maior there is no doubt Therefore Peter laboureth in proouing the Minor the veritie whereof he confirmeth by the common testimonye of the Apostles of this thing sayth he wee bee all witnesses Neyther might these witnesses in whome there were such euident tokens of the holy ghost and of Gods working be easily reiected or contemned of men in their right wittes The Apostles vse oftentimes to prooue Christ to be our sauiour by his resurrection bicause Satan through death which happened by reason of sinne had the rule and Lordship ouer vs Neyther coulde we safely acknowledge Christ to be our sauiour except we were certaine that he had subdued the force of death In the meane season we must diligently consider the loyaltie and trustynesse of Peter and the other Apostles The Lorde chose them to be his witnesses as we sayde in the first Chapter They therefore perfourme the dutie of witnesses faithfully and boldly without all feare of any perill For in the citie of Ierusalem before a great assembly of people they testifie that Iesus is risen againe from the deade by the power of God yet was there a farre other rumor spred abrode in that citie For the souldiers as is declared in the last of Mathew being bribed with money by the Priests bare witnesse that the Disciples by night had stollen the body of Iesus awaye What a daungerous matter it was openly to gainesay these men euerye one may easily iudge seeing they had the authoritie of the Priests and of Pylate the Romaine President to defende them But the Apostles by faith in Christ ouercame all feare of daunger and left all men an example to follow which haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ committed vnto them The other argument whereby he prooueth Iesus to be the Messias promised he taketh of Christes ascention And this argument it seemeth hee vseth chiefely bicause of them which might thinke it a ridiculous matter to preach him to be a sauiour which coulde be seene no where amongst men Which also is the error of thē in these dayes who thinke him not a sauiour vnlesse he will shew himselfe bodily vnto them But Peter speaketh on this maner He being exalted by the right hande of God and hauing receyued of the father the promise of the holy ghost hath shed foorth this gift which you see and heare This saying seemeth the obscurer bicause for the breuitie thereof it cannot be perceyued wherevnto it is to be referred But the obscuritie is easily put awaye if we ioyne therewith the Oracle which Dauid vttered touching Christes ascention For of this Oracle and those thinges that Peter sayth we may frame an whole argument after this sort Dauid prophecied that Christ shoulde not only rise againe from the deade but also taught vs that he shoulde ascende into heauen For so he sayth Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuitie captiue and hast giuen giftes vnto men This thing as also the other before is fulfilled in christ For he after he was risen againe being exalted by the mighty right hande of God ascended vp into heauen we looking on and poured vppon vs the spirite which he obteyned of God the father which spirit hath wrought in vs these giftes of tongues which you doe see and heare Therefore it is manifest that this is the Messias Further no man must be offended for that he saith Christ receyued the spirite of his father as though he were not of lyke power with the father For Peter speaketh this of Christs humanity wherin Christ confesseth that his father is greater than he Although in an other place againe he saith his father and he bee both one that is to say in respect of his diuinitie And Christ himselfe very trimly looseth this knot speaking of the sending of the holy ghost in this wise He shall glorifie me for he shall receyue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All thinges whatsoeuer the father hath are mine Therefore sayde I vnto you that he shall take of mine and shew vnto you c. When the comforter is come whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of truth which proceedeth of the father hee shall testifie of me c. But least any man might suppose that the things spoken of Christes ascention were to be vnderstanded of Dauid or would call
hande and lift him vp Then he giueth him perfite health of body which power he had receyued togither with the other Apostles of christ And he so giueth the same that it may appeare to all men that he doth it not by his owne power but that Christ is the author thereof by whose commaundement power and operation all the myracle was wrought Of the which thing afterwarde he discourseth further before the people Also many things concurre and fall out that make for the veritie and setting forth of the myracle For Peter taketh the lame man by the hande and lifteth him vp And by and by his anclebones and feete receyue strength so that he hath not much adoe to rise as they whose limmes are weakened with long sickenesse but starteth vp and leapeth And it was no sodeyne moouing or pang onely for a season such as theirs is who are phrenetike or haunted with some spirite but he standeth steadily on his feete and walketh vp and downe Besides he goeth into the Church with the Apostles springing and leaping and declaring the benefite of god Therefore this lame man was so healed that there remayned no signe of his former infirmitie and disease For Gods workes be perfite and there is in them no poynt of craft fraude or deceit But before we conclude our sermon we must speake of two things seruing to the institution of our fayth The first is a figure of our spirituall restitution which the holy ghost thought good to set forth by this myracle For touching the soule we be all in like case as is this lame man He tooke his sicknesse euen from his natiuity which bereft him of the vse of al his limmes So we be borne sinners from our mothers wombe and such is the force of the sinne that naturally from Adam our father hath ouerflowne all his posteritie that it hath left in vs no power whereby to fulfill the lawe of God and to doe such things as belong to our saluation For the lawe of God is spirituall but we be carnall solde vnder sinne Then as the mercifull Lorde by his goodnesse preuented this lame man being without all hope of helth so God first sought for and called our first father which being feared with his sinne fledde from the sight of God and comforted him with the free promise of saluation And as the lame man is healed by the name of Iesus Christ which Peter preached vnto him and taking him by the hande lifteth him vp so through the merite of Christ haue we gotten saluation and the preaching of the Gospell offreth vs the same which when we haue receyued through fayth straightwayes we feele Christes spirite effectually working in vs which giueth vs the hande lifteth vs vp and maketh vs strong to ouercome the tiranny of sinne and to be able to walk in the wayes of the lord For it is his work to regenerate to enflame with loue of heauenly things to stirre vp affiance of saluation to certifie and make men sure of their adoâ—tion and to teach them to crye Abba father Besides he lightneth our mindes with the knowledge of God and his will he leadeth them into all truth and comforteth them in all aduersitie Therefore by his operation it commeth to passe that we which before were weake and lame are now able to do all things in Christ which comforteth vs. And although the propertie of the fleshe remayneth which maketh vs sometime to slippe and inuegleth vs with diuers temptations yet alwayes Christes spirite ouercommeth and suffreth vs not to be tempted aboue our strength For it is a perfite health which is gotten vs in Christ which can be disturbed with no endeuour of the worlde or Prince thereof Secondly the restored to health are taught their duties by example of this lame man He as soone as he hearde that health was promised him in the name of Christ and was lift vp by Peters hande he springeth by and by So after that by preaching of the Gospell we haue health offred vs in Christ and perceyue our selues to be quickened and stirred with the suggestion of the holy spirite let vs rise by and by out of the puddle of sinne and embrace the benefite of Christ with cheerefull minde For they can lyue no longer in sinne whome the merite of Christ hath deliuered from the bondage of sinne as Paule teacheth at large Afterwarde he goeth with the Apostles into the Temple Nowe it is plaine the Temple was a figure of christ Let vs therefore ioyne our selfe vnto him and follow the Apostles which shewe vs the waye howe we may be ioyned to Christ and to his Church And into the Church of Christ can we not be receyued vnlesse we first forsake the tentes of Satan vnder whom it becommeth them to refuse to fight which desire to be Christ his souldiers Besides all this it is sayd that he reioyced and praysed god Let vs also reioyce in the Lord and let vs prayse his goodnesse which it becommeth vs plainly to confesse and to set forth For they are in vaine redeemed and deliuered who are ashamed of Christ their Redeemer and of the benefite by him obtayned Therfore he requireth of vs euery where confession of our fayth and hath dedicated a remembraunce of his death in his mysticall supper which he would haue alwayes to continue in his Church It behooueth vs therfore to labour for these things that being truely graft in Christ and quickened with his spirite we may reigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The .xxj. Homelie AND all the people sawe him walke and prayse god And they knewe that it was he that sate and begged at the beautifull gate of the Temple And they woondred and were sore astonied at that which had happened vnto him And as the halte which was healed helde Peter and Iohn all the people ranne amazed to them in the porche that is called Salomons When Peter sawe that he aunswered to the people Ye men of Israell why marueyle ye at this or why looke you so on vs as though by our owne power and strength we had made this man to goe LVKE hath expounded the notable myracle whereby Peter healed the man that was halt from his mothers wombe The ende of this myracle was the same that is of all others that is that it shoulde serue to confirme the Apostles doctrine Wherefore the Euangelist not contented to haue tolde the hystorie hereof onely declared also what successe and effect followed of the same And first he sheweth how the lame man tooke the benefite of Christ who sayth he ioyned himselfe vnto the Apostles went with them into the Church and openlye set forth the prayses of god By this example is shadowed vnto vs what they ought to doe whome Christ hath restored againe through the vertue of his merite They must embrace the Apostles doctrine and thereby be openly ioyned to the
rage like the sea being troubled and tossed with the waues and sourges of affections We haue examples hereof euerywhere and in these dayes we see very many For who is ignoraunt howe the light of the Gospell is pierced so farre in our dayes that the very Popes haue many times confessed grieuous abuses in their Church They knowe also that not only the learned but also artificers mariners Carters ploughmen children and women can reason and iudge of religion They see euerywhere how they be reprooued in Sermons by the ministers of the worde howe the common people mocke them howe in publike songes they are nicked and accused and most liuelye set forth and portraytured in all kinde of pictures and payntinges And yet they still chalenge all kinde of iudgement in the Church Still they say they cānot erre forgetting vndoubtedly how they haue oftentimes confessed diuers abuses to be crept into the Church Yet they dare commaunde the Ministers to silence being not ignorant that though they holde their peace the stones will preach as these many yeares they haue prooued and tryed by their Pasquill Yet they still thinke the crakes of their Bulles and their vaine and counterfayte lightnings are of sufficient power to oppresse the truth of Christ now reigning O blinde and foolish people which see not so great light O wicked and deuilishe men which in the sight of all the worlde are not afrayde to striue against God But they shall one day feele howe vnhappy an ende they shall haue who being like vnto Saule will not haue Dauid to reigne ouer them and like vnto the Bishops of the Iewes go about to put Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid out of his kingdome Furthermore we learne by the example of these men howe daungerous a thing it is to committe the rule and authoritie of the Church to men voyde of religion and the feare of god There can be no wisedome in them bicause the beginning of wisedome as Salomon witnesseth is the feare of the Lorde Therefore they runne beyonde the compasse of all reason into all kinde of licentious affections and then thinke they haue well discharged their office if they can notifye to all men that they are not vnder the checke eyther of Gods lawe or mannes It would therefore be chiefely regarded in all elections aswell of ciuill as ecclesiasticall gouernors that they shoulde haue a speciall care what religion they are of as Iethro counsayled Moyses whose aduise God well liked and approoued And let them which are put in office thinke that they haue not power giuen them to doe what they list but that their authoritie is restrained within the boundes of Gods lawe and religion and that they shall one daye giue an account vnto God who in the Scripture is sette forth for a paterne and president of all true iudgement If Magistrates consider not these things then is their power but in the hande as it were of a madde man and they shall be the destruction as well of their common weale as of themselues where they ought to be the fathers and preseruers of their countrie See the Psalme 94. c. Finally here may we behold as in a glasse the disposition and propertie of the worlde Here are three sorts of men all burning in hatred against the truth and desirous to haue Christes name extinguished The first sort be they which chalenge to themselues the glorye of mans redemption and saluation such as it appeareth the Priestes of the Iewes once were when they had turned the Temple and worship of God into a most filthy Fayer and market place as Christ vpbrayded them more than once Their successors in these dayes be those which say the keyes of the kingdome of heauen belong only vnto them and call sinners to kisse their feete selling to them remission and forgiuenesse of their sinnes saying it is in their power eyther to canonize men for Saints in heauen or else to throw them downe headlong into hell Who while they go about to establishe their owne glorie can by no meanes abide the name of Christ which ouerturneth all their gaine and glory The seconde sort is very like vnto these They will not affirme they can saue others but they thinke they are able to saue themselues and as Paule sayth going about with the Iewes to establishe their owne righteousnesse will not be vnder the righteousnesse of God which he giueth vs in his sonne These men stande to their fastinges holydayes almesses Rosaries lyings on the grounde ▪ Mattens Monkes and Friers Cowles hereclothes shauings pylgrimages and an infinite number of such like wherin they both waste and weare their bodies and spende much money These also are the enimies of christ For they see that if we admit Christ all their righteousnesse falleth to the grounde and that they are to be laughed at which wearie and toyle themselfe with such traueyle and are at so great cost and charge in vaine The thirde sort are openlye wicked and hogges of Epicures hearde which onely professe a name of religion bicause they would not be taken for prophane and godlesse people These men cannot abide the worde of God bicause it reprooueth their sinne and wickednesse as Christ sometime sayde For they perceyue that they must eyther chaunge their maners or else go for naughtie packes amongst all that are godly Yet can all the sort of them craftily dissemble their corrupt nature and will not seeme to wreake their owne quarrell they defame the doctrine of Christ of vprore and sedition saying it is cause of all trouble miserie and calamitie It is well knowne howe Achab sayd that Elias disturbed the whole Realme of Israell It is well knowne howe Amasias the Priest of Bethel said that Amos the Prophete conspired against the king and that the countrie coulde not abide his sermons Wherevnto also may be referred what the Iewes in Egipt charged Ieremy with to his face as we reade in the .xliiij. Chapter of his booke And it shall appeare hereafter that this people had none other pretence in the .v. Chapter Nay woulde God they were content to doe but as the world in time past did and woulde not shewe a worse nature in these dayes It is good for vs to know these things that it seeme no straunge matter vnto vs when we heare how Christes wholesome doctrine is forbidden Let vs follow the constancie of the Apostles whereof shall be spoken in the next Sermon that when we haue ouercome the menaces and attemptes of the worlde we may attaine to true saluation in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxix. Homelie BVT Peter and Iohn answered and sayde vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to harken vnto you more than to God iudge you For we cannot but speake that which we haue seene and hearde So threatened they them and let them go and founde nothing howe
ryse agayne layde handes on him and bounde him And their offence is not much lesse who when they haue once or twyse bene in daunger for the name of Christ as though nowe they had done all their dutie shunne all daungers that after may ensue and auoyde all trouble that maye betyde vs for Christes sake And yet there be that offende more grieuously than these who to keepe themselues out of daunger feare not to denye the truth But we shoulde after Paules example finish our race and course For it is not in our power to appoynt our selues an ende of our labours and traueyle but we must abide the pleasure of the Lorde who although he deferre his helpe for a season yet will he not fayle them that firmely and constantly trust in him And he is not meete for the kingdome of Christ which hauing once set his hande to the plough looketh backe agayne but he shall be safe that continueth to the ende It is chiefely to be noted how the Aungell calleth the Gospell of Iesus Christ the worde of life It is adourned with diuers other names in the Scripture For it is called the worde of grace bicause it declareth the grace of God giuen vs in christ Paule calleth it the word of reconciliation bicause of Christ who hath reconcyled God the father vnto vs He also testifieth that it is the power of god vnto saluation In another place it is called the worde of truth and saluation But this is the excellentest name where it is called the worde of lyfe which is the proper and peculiar name belonging to it For both that immortall worde liueth and raygneth for euer and giueth life to al men which vouchsafe to embrace it with true faith For it preacheth to vs Iesus Christ which only hath the words of eternall lyfe It sheweth vs and giueth vs in him all thinges necessarye for our lyfe In him we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes satisfaction righteousnesse sanctification pryce of our redemption and whatsoeuer other lyke And this worde doth not onely regenerate vs into the sonnes of God by fayth in him but also giueth vs being nowe regenerated the spirite of adoption by whome we crye Abba father which is the infallible pledge of our saluation And for this cause the doctrine of the Gospell excelleth all the wisedome of the world bicause it is the guide of eternall lyfe where the professours of other sciences cannot safely promise vs the safety of this present life Therfore it is truly compared to a most precious pearle and to an incomparable treasure for whose cause all men that desire true saluation ought willingly to lose and bestowe all their goodes Agayne bicause for Christes sake who is lyfe and saluation the Gospell is adourned with so singuler a title all those doctrines ought to be reputed for deadly and pestiferous that obscure the merite of Christ and pull mennes mindes from the fayth in him Which doctrines whosoeuer professe they are theeues and murtherers both for that they robbe Christ of his glorye and also for that in steede of the worde of lyfe they giue vnto the simple followers thereof the deadly poyson of mannes traditions But let vs returne to the Apostles who as Luke writeth obeyed the Aungelles commaundement and by and by in the morning went into the Church and preached there Yet many things might haue perswaded them the contrary both bicause of the late daunger they had bene in and the tried power of their aduersaries which they knewe woulde no waye sooner be prouoked than with their preaching of the Gospell Furthermore by this fact of theirs they myght seeme to bring all the congregation besides in daunger in kindling their enimies rage with fresh matter But so little are they hereby let from their purpose that without further deliberation taking they obeye the commaundement of god Their obedience is sette forth for an example to vs For it is a generall rule of God that we doe not that which seemeth good in our owne sight but that we fulfill his commaundement And there is no greater nor more hurtfull plague than to take our fleshe to counsell where God hath expressed his will by playne commaundement which thing the example both of Saule and others abundantly declare And Paule many times witnesseth that the obedience of fayth is the marke and ende of preaching the gospel Therfore whosoeuer cast this obedience away and harken to the counsailes of the flesh surely they glorie but in vaine in the Gospell and fayth of Christ. Wherefore let vs applye the example of the Apostles to our selues and let vs diligently execute that thing that God hath commaunded vs not regarding the tyrannie of the world and then Iesus Christ shall not fayle of his helpe and succour in our godly enterprises to whom be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxvj. Homelie But the chiefe Priest came and they that were with him and called a Counsell togyther and all the Elders of the children of Israel and sent men to the prison to set them When the Ministers came and founde them not in the prison they returned and tolde saying The prison truly founde we shut with al diligence and the kepers standing without before the dores But when we had opened we found no man within When the chiefe Priest and the ruler of the Temple and the high Priestes hearde these things they doubted of them wherevnto this woulde growe Then came one and shewed them Beholde the men that you put in prison stande in the Temple and teache the people Then went the Ruler of the Temple with Ministers and brought them without violence for they feared the people least they shoulde haue bene stoned WHen that King and holy Prophete Dauid purposed to describe the kingdome of our Redeemer and Sauiour Iesus Christ taking his beginning of the furious attemptes of wicked enimies against the same he sayth why doe the heathen so furiously rage togither and why doe the people ymagine a vayne thing The Kings of the earth stande vp and the Rulers take Counsell togither agaynst the Lorde and agaynst his annoynted Let vs breake their bandes a sunder and cast awaye their cordes from vs He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne The Lorde shall haue them in derision Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure Whereby we are taught that the attemptes of Christes enimies are not only vayne but also ridiculous and to no men more daungerous than to the authors and beginners thereof Many ensamples of such attempts might we bring forth amongest which this is one of the chiefe that our holye wryter Luke now proponeth For the Apostles were apprehended at the counsell and instigation of the Bishoppes and were put in the common prison not onely vnder locke and keye but also are safely kept with watch and warde The next daye after in the
such mischiefe become a praye for sedicious and wicked persons For who seeth not here that saying of Christ fulfilled I came in my fathers name and ye receyue me not If another come in his owne name him you will receyue Which thing we see coÌ„meth to passe also in these dayes For the nature of the worlde is incurable delighting and reioycing in seducers and deceyuers and hating the Ministers of the truth continually Therefore it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they taste of effectuall elusion and wittingly and willingly runne into destruction But let vs returne to Gamaliel to see how he vseth these examples For of these he gathereth the foundation of his sentence whose proposition or coÌ„clusion is abstayne from these men and let them alone Which to perswade them he bringeth his argument in fourme of a Dilemma in this wise This businesse wherof the Apostles whome you iudge worthy to die are ministers and stewards is eyther of God or of man But whether soeuer it be I think it good you absteyne from shedding their bloud For if it be of man and is gouerned none other waies than by mans counsayle it wil fall of it selfe as the examples of Theudas and Iudas within these few yeres passed abundantly declare Therfore what madnesse were it to incense and stirre vp the â—urie of the Commons to take that out of the waye which within a shorte space though no man set hande to it will fall to the grounde alone But if it be of God and be gouerned and ordered by him it cannot quayle by anye force or counsayle of man For what is man being but dust and ashes able to preuayle agaynst God Now the ende of this counsell must be diligently obserued the which whyle manye neglect they take occasion hereby of a most pernicious opinion whereby say they no attemptes be they neuer so wicked no errors be they neuer so blasphemous are by force to be kept vnder Whereof can followe none other thing but the ouerthrowe of all discipline aswell ciuill as Ecclesiasticall For the Magistrate shall carie his sworde in vayne And in vayne doth Paule appoynt such Ministers in the Church as shall not onely teache the truth but also be able to confute and conuince the gaynesayers Who will thinke that this so wyse a man ment to loose all the sinewes of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement at once It appeareth rather he had this meaning to saue the Apostles from the furie of the Iudges and from present death which he sawe he shoulde most commodiously doe if he shewed them that they could not without manifest daunger conclude any extremitie agaynst them For eyther they must fall in daunger to Godwarde if the Apostles doctrine were true and they the ministers of God or else of the commons whose rage they were better to auoyde than to prouoke speciallye in such a matter as coulde not long stande if it were but mennes working Furthermore whether he vnderstoode the truth or not he yet seemeth ambiguous and doubtfull in his talke Therefore their case is of a farre other sort which being illuminated with the true knowledge of the truth ought by office to defende it and to roote out errors and wickednesse In the meane season this ought to be to vs as an Oracle that we learne Gods counsels can be hindered by no force of men but that mans counsell falleth of it selfe For God is eternall and immutable so is his worde eternall and can by no meanes be infringed And Dauid testifyeth that God scattereth the counselles of the Nations but establisheth his owne counsayle for euer We haue examples euerie where to prooue the same Saul long stryued against the counsell of God who had fully decreeed to make Dauid king of Israel But the more he stryued the lesse he perceyued he preuayled and founde an euill ende of his contending with god But chiefely this thing is to be applyed to matters of fayth and religion It is Gods counsell and decree that his sonne whome he begat from euerlasting should beare rule ouer his holy hill that is to say the church To him it was saide Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole Satan from the beginning of the world hath withstanded this deuise and counsell And in Abel whome for this cause we may call the first Martyr of Christ beganne this persecution which continued all the yeares following and yet to thys houre endureth But the kingdome of Christ and the Church endureth also bicause it is buylt vpon that rocke agaynst the which the gates of hell are not able to preuaile And if on the contrary side a man consider the vsage of the Gentiles and that monstrous Chaos of ydolatrie which most mightie Monarchies followed confirmed by space of manye yeares allowed by the consent almost of all people and nations assaulted at no tyme by force of any man he shall see it is fallen downe of it selfe and scattered abroade by the spirite and worde of christ The lyke reason is of the holy scripture which the Apostle calleth inspired of God. For if a man consider the prophane wryters their Bookes surely were in great estimation and had no enimies to make them away yet the most part of them are perished and scarce are the names of those bookes extant which in tymes past most riche kings sought with great diligence and bought full dearely as is reported of Ptolomeus Philadelphus and such other lyke But the holy bookes of Scripture so many tymes burned banished and hated of most mightie princes are yet forth comming and being almost translated into al tongues be in stead of maysters and teachers ouer all the worlde Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction and comfort that we rashely doe nothing against God nor feare not the threatning decrees and ordynaunces of the world and of tyrannes against the kingdome of Christ. But let vs so acknowledge God for our reuenger and defender that we may faythfully serue him in buylding vp of his church according to our vocation as Coadiutours of Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxix. Homelie AND to him agreed the other And when they had called the Apostles they bette them and commaunded that they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go And they departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And daylie in the Temple and in euerye house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. BIcause it is so ordeyned that all men of a certaine naturall instinct are desyrous of helth welth it can not be chosen but they must be much offended at aduersitie tribulation especially such as accustometh to ryse bycause of religion For it commeth to passe most times that men iudge of religion according to the effect and successe therof and
whether they haue spoken any thing against their receyued superstition abuses and errors of Popish tyranny yea or no. Which thing if once it appeere by and by sentence of death is pronounced neyther will they heare any reasons or argumentes whereby they are able to defend their dooings So that if any man confesse he haue denied the intercession of Saintes and hath spoken agaynst the superstitious worshipping of them he is streight way condemned of heresie and not permytted to giue any accompt of his doctrine in that behalfe Likewise he is iudged an heretike that speaketh against the sacrifice of the Masse against the fyre of Purgatorie against the supremacie of the Sea of Rome against selling of pardons and diuers such lyke merchaundizes and farther reasons of his doing or teaching will they not heare Let vs well note these thinges that they beguile not the simple when they see they giue vs free libertie in the counsell to pleate our matter For there lyeth a Snake in the grasse and they couet nothing else of vs but the confession of the truth which of all other things they most hate and detest But let vs heare Steuens aunswere which consisteth of a whole narration or historie taken of the first Origene and beginning of the Iewishe Nation and comprehendeth in it the chiefe benefites of God bestowed in times past vpon the fathers with the deedes done againe by them eyther good or euill What the ende and scope of the whole discourse is may easilye be gathered of the poyntes of his accusation The chiefe pointes wherof were that hee had blasphemed God and the lawe Therefore he beginneth to purge himselfe of impietie and least he might seeme to beguile them with vaine and trifling arguments he doth vtterly protest that he is altogither voyde of such impietie against God and his ordinances His first argument consisteth herein that he acknowledgeth and preacheth the same God that whylome wrought diuers things among the fathers and whom they onely worshypped Then prooueth he that he ought not to be iudged vngodly for abrogating the lawe and the ceremonies for as much as the fathers in time passed pleased God without the lawe and ceremonies onely by the obedience of fayth and that the same God liked not many of them after the lawe and ceremonies were instituted And thereof hee euidently prooueth that the law and ceremonies had a farre other vse and ende than that men could be iustified and saued by them but rather that such a way of saluation was shadowed by thē as was at length accomplished in Christ and that therefore the ceremonies were to be let passe and Christ to be embraced by true fayth And at length for that he woulde driue them from their vaine affiaunce in the fathers he setteth before their eyes their stubborne and incurable impietie accusing them earnestly that they had lieffer to followe their Progenitors than those auncient and holy fathers which through fayth pleased god And thys is the summe of all Steuens oration wherein we are taught after what sort and howe boldly we ought to defende Gods quarrell agaynst the enimies thereof Here appeareth also a marueylous power of the holy ghost which could instruct him with so perfite a knowledge of diuinitie and with so great boldenesse of minde that being set in the middle of these Woolues he could so wisely giue an account of his doctrine and faith and so constauntly contempne his enimies Which example ought to encourage vs to thinke that the power of the holy ghost can not be ouercome with the stowtenesse and frowardnesse of the wicked Let vs see nowe the beginning of his oration conteyned in thys place The beginning is briefe and short For he sayth yee men and brethren hearken He calleth them brethren bicause of countrie sake by which name the Iewes vsed often to salute one an other and fathers for the dignitie and office sake which they were in by Gods appointment whose authoritie he wyllingly acknowledgeth although he knewe them to be very corrupt and wicked Yet is he not so amazed at their dignitie that he thinketh it vnfit to dissent from them but rather he plainely and freely speaketh his iudgement and accuseth them of errour By this example we are taught that the christian fayth doth not abolishe the duties of humanitie and ciuilitie which we owe vnto them that are in authoritie and dignitie aboue vs For although touching the state of saluation there is no differences of persons in Christ Iesu as Paule teacheth yet the degrees of dignitie remaine and Christ hath not abolished the lawe of God the father which commaundeth vs to honour our parents and to rise vp vnto a gray head and as the same Apostle witnesseth it is the propertie of christian modestie that one goe before an other in honor Yet the chiefe care woulde be of Gods will and of the duetie we owe vnto him least we dissemble the truth for mans sake the confession whereof Christ euery where requyreth of vs Neyther must we at any time forget that Apostolike and verie christian Maxima or sentence that teacheth vs we must rather obey God than men As therefore by the example of Steuen the barbarous vncurtesie of certaine frenetike persons is condemned who to shew themselues christians salute princes and all others in authoritie by none other name than brethren so is the tyranny of them also confuted which thinke it not meete that any man should gainesay the Byshops of Rome bycause their authoritie is confirmed by prescription of so many yeares and priuiledge of so many Princes But vaine and ridiculous is the glorying in mans authoritie seeing it was lawfull for the Apostles to dissent from them whose power was ordeyned of God and whome they acknowledged for fathers by reason of Gods institution The plainenesse and simplicitie of the gentile Philosopher is much to be commended which sayde Socrates is my friend but truth is more my friend What vnrighteousnesse is it therfore to require of christian men that they should haue more regarde of the Antichrist of Rome than of Christ and his eternall truth But let vs returne vnto Steuen which beginneth his narration wyth Abraham the father of the Iewishe nation bicause they did most glorie in him And by his example he prooueth that the ceremonies of the law are not necessarie to saluation and that they are not to be thought wicked and blasphemous which preach they are abrogated bicause Abraham in time past pleased God without them The circumstaunces of place and tyme make for the amplification of the argument For least they might thinke that God had any respect to the lande of promise he sheweth that God called Abraham foorth being yet in Chaldea or Mesopotamia and that after Thares hys father was dead by reason of whose age or sicknesse it is lyke he stayed in Charran he came into the lande of Chanaan where he receyued the seale of circumcision Howbeit
great and eternall deuyse and counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankind For Paule teacheth that we were chosen in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And Peter sayth he was predestinate or foreordeyned from euerlasting that we shoulde be redeemed through his merit We must thinke it is not without a cause that he is sayd to haue appeared to Moyses For hereby it is euident that Christ tooke not his beginning when he was borne of the virgin Marie but that he was froÌ„ euerlasting yea and talked with the fathers in tymes past of such thinges as belonged to their saluation For although he yet was not incarnate and made man yet in his diuine power and goodnesse he coulde not choose but helpe and deliuer them of whom in the time appointed he ment to take his manhoode Therefore he sayth he was before Abraham and that Abraham sawe him And Daniel sawe in the Clowdes of heauen a Iudge lyke vnto the sonne of a man which came vnto the olde aged Furthermore Peter plainly confesseth that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ and so prophecied of things to come Therefore great is the temeritie of those which vtterly refuse all the olde Prophetes and say their bookes belong not at all vnto vs whereas both they were illuminated with Christes spirite and diuers and sundrye wayes bare witnesse of him See Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Lette vs rather acknowledge the goodnesse of God which in times past did vouchsafe to declare himself to the old fathers and by this meane woulde set forth vnto vs how to knowe the antiquitie and certaintie of our beliefe Furthermore Steuen diligently teacheth vs in what fourme and fashion Christ appeared vnto Moyses For he sayth the Aungell of the Lorde which was Christ appeared to Moyses in a flame of fire in a bushe This is the auncient guise vsage of God to talke with men in times past in some visible liknesse which men were not able to abide his godly nature and maiestie We haue examples euerywhere in the hystories of the Patriarches and Prophetes This causeth men to be attent and heedefull and to be in admiration of God which otherwise woulde carelesly contemne all godlynesse yet God for the most part tooke on him such formes and shapes as were most agreeable with the present affayres times and persons Which thing we also see done in this place For he woulde by a fiery bushe set before Moyses eyes the condicion and state of his people which were afflicted in Egypt They burned being incensed with the cruell tyrannie of Pharao but they were not consumed bicause the sonne of God was in the middle of them which at the time appoynted shoulde take his manhoode of the posteritie of them And this is the state of the Church in all ages in the consideration wherof it shal be profitable for vs often to be occupied It is like a bramble bushe a weake feeble flock but such as cannot easily be scattred abrode bicause thorowe faith it is most straightly knit and ioyned in Christ the heade thereof Therefore as husbandmen put fire vnto brambles and thornes cleauing one to another to burne them altogither so this worlde putteth the fire of persecution to the Church and with one fire goeth about to destroye it all at once And Christ suffereth this fire to be kindled bicause it is needefull this way to haue the fayth of his people to be tryed and the fleshe to be kept vnder and bridled yet he suffreth not his Church vtterly to be consumed but is himselfe in the middle thereof For he sayeth I will not leaue you comfortlesse I am with you vnto the ende of the worlde Hitherto belong whatsoeuer things God hath done for the defence of his Church since the beginning of the world Caine first set fire to it who though he killed his brother Abel yet he could not destroy his fayth and much lesse hinder God from raysing vp a freshe spring of his Church in Seth. Neyther after that could the mightie men which went before the floud any thing let but when they perished as they deserued God could marueylously preserue certaine remnaunts of his Church through the benefite of the Arke This bushe burned often also in the time of the Iudges but it was alwaye preserued by Gods aide and assistance It burned in Babylon from whence yet the Lorde brought it agayne and deliuered it It burned more than once after their returne from Babylon and at length when Antiochus reygned it seemed almost past recouerie when God raysed vp the Machabees who restored Gods religion and brought the people to their libertie agayne It burned after Christ was borne whole three hundred yeares almost vntill the time of Constantine the great Yet God neuer fayled it who is able to defende his people in the middle of the fire as he sometime did Daniels felowes It burneth euen at this day and there be euerywhere such as put firebrandes vnder it and inflame the mightyest Monarches of the worlde with hatred agaynst hir Yet shall they neuer preuayle so much as they woulde but shall feele the wrath of Gods vengeaunce in whose sight the death of those that be his is precious and will not suffer the bloude of hys belooued to be vnreuenged Yea whyle the persecuting tyraunts put fire vnder the Church they lyke drie woode are consumed with the fire of Gods iudgement the Church in the meane whyle abyding in the middle of the fire of persecution lyke a Leade or Cauldron where mettall tryers melt and get out golde and siluer See what is sayde of these similitudes Zacharie 12. and .13 But let vs come to his calling whereby he is restored to the office which he beganne to execute fortie yeares before This calling hath in it certaine pointes the consideration wherof is verie profitable First God declareth who hee is least Moses might doubt any thing of the certainetie of his vocation For he sayth to him as he was amazed with the sight of the bushe burning I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob It pleased God among many of his styles to vse this tytle chiefely to call to Moses remembraunce the couenaunt made with Abraham and the promises made long before vnto the fathers declaring thereby that he was not forgetfull of his couenaunt and promyses although he hytherto suffered the people to be afflicted By which example we are taught that in aduersitie we should chiefely haue respect to Gods promises which God can neyther forget nor fayle to perfouâ—me Yea we see the truth of Gods promises so infallible that God forsaketh not the deade whome he hath once taken to his tuition For hee is the Lorde both of lyfe and death Wherefore neyther lyfe nor death can seperate vs from the loue of god For whether we liue or die we be
passe after God had giuen them his lawe he sayth they were iustlye forsaken of God and giuen vp into a reprobate minde and vtterly blinded And that this was the iust iudgement of God may easily be gathered of the things before going For their vngodlynesse and vnthankfulnesse deserued the same whom neyther the worde of God nor infinite other thinges whereby it pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto them coulde keepe in doing their dutie They were worthy therefore that euen seeing they shoulde be blinde hearing they should be deafe and should be hardened in their harts as God threatneth by his Prophete Yet may we see in other Nations lyke examples of Gods iudgementes Paule affirmeth the same of the Gentyles superstition And would to God we sawe not the lyke euen among them that glorye in the name of Christians For after they had banished the authoritie of Gods worde from them and that it lyked them to learne rather of dumbe ymages than of the liuely worde of god then ranne they on so farre in superstition that the very Iewes and Turkes laughed at them And here commeth to my remembrance that notable saying of a Turkishe Ambassador who being in the Court of a great Christian Prince and being asked why the Turkes so abhorred the Christian religion and coulde not be induced to beleeue in it aunswered that no man being in his right witte coulde alowe or lyke that religion which worshipped those for Goddes that were inferior and of lesse power than they that worshipped them And what he ment therby he after declared by our breaden god and by the Idols which were worshipped in Churches which being made by those that worshipped them did prooue sufficiently sayde he that the religion was preposterous and contrary to common sense and reason These thinges Christian Princes knowe the Bishops and people in generall yet no man is grieued at the great iniurie thereby done vnto Christ so that wise men are not without a cause afrayde that many euen in our dayes also are giuen vppe into reprobate mindes This place teacheth vs also that no man can holde the right waye in religion except he be first guyded by the hande and spirite of god For the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. Nor no man commeth to Christ except the father drawe him And for bicause he draweth by his worde we must studie the same For whosoeuer make light thereof and cast it fro them make themselues vnworthye of the grace of god Wherefore God turneth his backe vpon them and wrappeth them in darkenesse deuoyde of all light and truth Therefore it behooueth vs to haue a diligent care of the worde and so to depende vppon the same that being entred into the ryght waye we swarue neyther to the right hande nor to the left And least any man should be so impudent as to denye that the fathers thus did Steuen alleageth a testimonie of the Prophete Amos written in the .v. chap. There the Lord accuseth the people of Israell as well for many other vices as for this that they abode not syncerely in his worde And that the heynousnesse of their sinne might the more appeare and that all men might see howe God doth not expostulate with them without a cause he sheweth that this is an olde impietie begun somtime in the wildernesse and afterwarde so increasing that it is become incurable and can not be taken awaye but with the destruction of the whole Nation It shall make much for our instruction if we diligently consider euerye thing that is here sayde First he speaketh of the disobedience and wickednesse of the fathers in the wildernesse in these wordes Gaue yee to me sacrifices and meate offerings by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse ô ye of the house of Israel By asking the question he fortifieth his saying and denyeth that the fathers gaue any sacrifices to him for fourtie yeres long And yet it appeareth they built a Tabernacle according as God had appointed and Alters vpon the which they offred all kinds of sacrifices vnto God which brought them out of the lande of Egypt But God denyeth that thing to be done in the honour of him that is done for any other ende than he appointeth For God appoynted that the ende of all their outwarde ceremonies shoulde be resemblances of the Sauiour that was promysed and that they shoulde admonish them of their dutie as well in fayth and religion as in the whole conuersation of their lyfe But they forgetting this were occupied in the bare ceremonies and thought that by them they satisfied God and purged their sinnes Whereby it came to passe that they abused all their Leuiticals for a cloke and colour of licentiousnesse and wickednesse Therefore God worthily refuseth all this worshipping and sayeth it belonged not to him And there be also other places of Scripture wherein he constantlye affirmeth the same and sheweth that the obseruation of those things which he so diligently prescribeth in the lawe is not profitable Looke Psalm 50. Esay 1. and .43 Mich. 6. Hoseas 6. Yea when he sawe that they gloryed in their circumcision hauing no respect to the spirituall circumcision he cryeth out that their circumcision is not auayleable We are taught therefore by this place that all that worshipping is in vayne which is not done to that ende that God hath appoynted it For it can not be that without the obedience of fayth any kinde of worship can please God. But where the worde of God is neglected there remayneth no place for faith or obedience therfore they are but as vncleane and prophane things whatsoeuer they doe although outwardly they appeare agreeable with the worde of god What shall we then say of those ceremonies which stande onely vpon mannes authoritie and tradition the Lord long ago with one word hath vtterly ouerthrowne them saying they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines of men Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be pulled vppe by the rootes ▪ The Lorde holding on in repeating the sinnes of the Israelites rehearseth what their posteritie did after they were in possession of the lande of Chanaan you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the Starre of your God Rempham figures which you made to worshippe them He comprehendeth all sortes of Idolatrie vnder three kindes The first was the worshipping of Moloch which as it appeareth by the actes of Salomon who first builded a Temple to him was the God of the Ammonites And it seemeth he was the God called on at mennes natiuities or byrthes in the honour of whome infantes were sacrificed in fire as Manasse did which sacrificed his sonne in fire God had appoynted death for the punishment of this wickednesse as is declared Leuiticus 20. in these wordes Whosoeuer hee be of the children of Israel or of the straungers that dwell in Israel that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch
God in what place so euer they be sayd So God heard Ionas praying in the belly of the Whale â–ª and Daniels fellowes crying out of the fornace found how God was able to deliuer them And the roaring of the Lyons could not let but that Daniels prayers ascended vp before the Lorde Unto these is added an other argument taken of the place whereby he prooueth the worshipping of God not to be tyed to the Tabernacle For he sayth it had no abyding place but was caried vp and downe for fower hundred yeares vntill the time of Dauid who was the first that through the singuler goodnesse of god had by the Aungell a place shewed vnto him where the Temple shoulde be builded which thing we reade he obtayned by most hartie and feruent prayers where he sayth I will not come within the Tabernacle of my house nor climbe vp into my bedde I will not suffer myne eyes to sleepe nor myne eye liddes to slumber neyther the Temples of my head to take any rest vntil I finde out a place for the Temple of the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob See the hystorie in the second booke of Samuel 24. chap. Item in the first of the Chronicles .xxj. chap. Before this time the Scripture playnely teacheth that the Tabernacle had no resting place For first it was placed in Silo where it seemeth it rested vnto the time of Heli. Whyle Saule was king it was first in Gilgal then in Nobe one of the Cities of the Priestes Under Dauid it was placed in Gabaon At length all the things belonging to it were by Salomon layde vp in the Temple as it had bene some singuler treasure Who nowe that is in his witte will say that the worshipping of god and meane of saluation was tyed vnto the Tabernacle where it had neuer no sure abyding place It is worthy to be diligently considered where he sayth it was through the singuler grace of God that Dauid knewe a certayne place wherein God would be worshipped vntill the time of correction This made for the confirmation and stabilitie of his kingdome which thing Ieroboam euidentlye obserued who perceyued that his kingdome could not be firme stable without some certayne place house for religion In the meane season we learne that this is a singuler gift of god vpon earth if externe religion be firmly established and that men may safely follow it This is a most strong bande to conserue Ecclesiasticall vnitie and an vnspeakeable argument of Gods goodnesse and fauour They that lyue vnder the tyrannous persecutors of the church acknowledge this thing and earnestly desire the same Let vs likewise acknowledge it which liue in rest peace least we prouoke the wrath of God by our notorious vnkindenesse and being in aduersitie let vs vnderstande howe great a commoditie that is which nowe a dayes so many men make so little account of Nowe hauing discoursed the thinges belonging to the Tabernacle he entreth to reason of the Temple also which succeeded in the Tabernacles place and which had the very same vse the Tabernacle had And this the scripture declareth was builded by Salomon whereas before tyll religion had a place appoynted there was none But bicause Dauid through diuine reuelation knew this place the Iewes seemed not all in vayne to thinke that the true worshipping of God was in that place onelye where Steuen sharpely rebuketh their blockheadnesse For although he graunt them that the Temple was builded by Gods appoyntment yet he by and by agayne sayth But hee that is the highest dwelleth not in Temples made with handes And bicause he would not be reprooued of rashnesse he bringeth the words of God speaking on this wise in Esay 66. cap. Heauen is my seate the earth is my footestoole what maner of house will you builde vnto me sayth the Lord or which is the place of my rest Hath not my hande made all these things By arguments taken of his owne nature he prooueth that he is included in no certain place nor hath no neede of these things which are done by men For he that is of all power and might and whom the heauen of heauens is not able to receyue as Salomon himselfe confesseth 1. Reg. 8. it is impossible that he can be conteyned within any house Agayne he that is the Creator and maker of all things hath no neede of our benefites as is declared at large Psal. 50. These things serue both for our consolation and instruction For whereas God is euerywhere he may therefore euerywhere be worshipped so that we neede to be neyther troubled with ouermuch costes ne yet with any great labour about the same And for bicause he hath no neede of our goodes the true trade of worshipping him and his fauour can not consist in such things Therfore it is a fowle and filthie error of these hypocrytes which when they had done these things thought they had fully discharged their duties vnto god Wherefore it behooueth vs rather to consider what the true vse and meaning of these outwarde things is They consist of time place ceremonies Tyme and place is conuenient for order sake For as it behooueth vs to appoynt certayne dayes for religion to be obserued on so the same cannot be done but in some place also But as saluation is not tyed to obseruation of dayes no more is it to this or that place Yet these things haue their vse in religion For they serue for the vse of the holy congregations whome it behooueth oftentimes to meete togither by reason of the preaching of the worde publike prayers and administring of the sacramentes And bycause Temples be appoynted to these exercises therefore they shoulde be exempt from all prophane and secular vsances Which was the cause that Aggeus the Prophet so much called on the building vp of the Temple But let vs not supersticiously be tyed in opinion to the ouermuch reuerencing of the place Nowe the vse of the Ceremonies appointed by God for of mans constitutions here is no one worde such as common custome calleth Sacraments is to seale or confirme vnto vs the benefites of God and therefore they lift vp our mindes by contemplation of fayth into heauen and admonishe vs of our duties both to God and to man These things it be commeth vs well to obserue and to be contented with them least being occupied in outwarde things we be wrapped in the olde errour of the Iewes and so lose the heauenly goodes Let vs therefore worship God the father in spirite and in truth who hath fully giuen vs in his sonne our onely Priest and Sauiour Iesus Christ all those things which he sometimes figured to the fathers in signes of ceremonies and the Temple to him be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .liiij. Homelie YE stiffe necked and of vncircumcised harts and eares you haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe you
Apostle nowe maketh mention of them after he had begunne to speake of the resurrection But here are certaine thinges diligently to be obserued before we go from this place First we preach sayth he the promise made vnto the fathers Ergo the Apostles are Authors of no newe and straunge doctrine but teache that waye of saluation which was once promysed by God vnto the fathers For this cause Christ alleageth the testimonies of Moses and of the Prophets And Peter heretofore sayde that all the Prophets bare wytnesse of christ By these is prooued the worthinesse of our fayth the certaintie of our saluation gotten by Christ. Moreouer here appeareth the difference betweene vs and the fathers of the olde Testament That saluation was promised vnto them which is perfourmed to vs in christ They also looked for the fulfylling of that which we beleeue is fulfylled Furthermore they had certaine figures and tokens of their redemption to come whereby to exercise and feede their faith But God hath prepared for vs sacramentes and seales of our redemption and saluation which are accomplished and finished To conclude our eyes see and our eares heare that which the holye fathers in times past greatly desyred to see and heare As these things confirme our fayth so they ought to stirre vp our mindes to be thankfull that we seeme not ingratefull to despise the saluation giuen vs the hope and expectation whereof kept the fathers in times passed in all kinde of dutifulnesse in the middle of all their aduersities Furthermore the truth and infallible trust of Gods promises may herein be seene For he so perfourmeth the promises made to the fathers vnto their children that he rather would haue his sonne lyue poorely and not regarded in this world and at length to suffer shameful death than to breake his promise Where also other circumstaunces are to be considered of vs all which it appeareth to agree with the promises of God the Oracles of the Prophets For at the tyme promysed the sonne of God came to take fleshe vpon him when nowe the fourth Monarchie flourished and when the Scepter was taken from Iuda He was also borne of a woman hys mother yet remayning a Uirgin The place where he was borne was Bethleem foreshewed by the oracle of the Prophet The myracles wrought by him were such as Esay sayde should be done in his kingdome cap. 53. As touching his death and passion resurrection ascention what needeth to speake seeing that in them is fulfilled according to the letter all the things which are red Psal. 22.41.68 Is. 53.63 Of the effect of these thinges which God sometime promised by his Prophetes we spake before It is truely therefore sayde of Paule that God hath perfourmed whatsoeuer thinges were in times past promised to the fathers Here ought we to fet argumentes of consolation in our temptations that we doubt not of Gods promise in perfourming of his helpe and fauour who we heare hath so faythfully perfourmed those things which coulde not be perfourmed but by hys sonne sent into the worlde and into the darkenesse of death But let vs returne vnto Paule which confirmeth by the Oracles of the Prophets that which he spake of Christ with so great authoritie Amongst which the chiefe place is attributed to Dauid who in the fyrst Psalme which nowe a dayes is counted the seconde he sayth prophecied of christ And he bringeth one verse of the Psalme onely yet so as he calleth to their remembrance the whole Psalme which though some go about to expounde of Dauid yet in deede it contayneth a manifest prophecie of the kingdome of Christ forasmuch as diuers things therein can by no meanes be applied vnto Dauid For the Prophete by suggestion of the spirite sheweth that Christ shall haue many and cruel enimies desirous to ouerthrow his kingdome and to pull downe all his authoritie but their enterprises shall be in vaine bicause Christ shall ouercome them all The cause of all which he alleageth to be Gods decree saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentyles for thine enheritance Paule expoundeth this place of Christes resurrection bicause that hereby God openly declared him to be his sonne euen when his wicked enimies chiefly conspired against him For not long before he hearde those blasphemous wordes If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse If he be the king of Israel let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue him c. Yea being compassed about with the cruell terrors of death he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And shortly after he was so closed in his graue that Pylate the Romane President in the Emperours name and authoritie sealed the graue stone with his ring set souldiours to watch it that he shoulde not ryse agayne who would then haue thought he had bene the sonne of God vpon whome the wicked had such authority But euen the same daye God begate him that is to say declared him to be his sonne whome yet otherwise he begate from euerlasting and yet nowe seemeth he to forsake him cast him of For when his wicked enimies sayd If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse he would not haue him come downe but did that that was more in raysing him vppe againe from death so that by their owne wordes he condemned them for wicked and shewed in deede that Iesus Christ is his sonne We haue furthermore to consider that the holy ghost prooueth the kingdome of Christ and his diuine maiestie chiefly by his resurrection For Paule in another place speaking of Christ sayth who was declared to be the sonne of God with power according to the spirit that sanctifieth in that that he rose againe from death For when death was ouercome it appeared vnto all men that the Deuill also which was the Lorde of death was ouercome which victorie was not a worke of mannes power but of Gods maiestie This thing must also be extended vnto Christes members For where both he that sanctifyeth and he that is sanctifyed are all one our glory also which is due to the children of God shall appeare at length in our resurrection We crie now also Abba father and carye the pledge of saluation in our heartes which is the holye ghost and be euen now the children of God but yet it appeareth not what we shall be But we knowe that when Christ appeareth at the later daye wee shall be like vnto him This is the cause that Christ calleth that day the regeneration Math. 19. not bicause we are then fyrst made the children of God but for that they that seeme in this worlde to be forsaken of God enuyed shall at that day be declared to be the children of God See Wisedome 5 Let vs herewith comfort our selfe in aduersitie against the vniust iudgement that
Iewes who went out sayeth he of the Sinagoge before the congregation brake vp And this they did for none other cause but for that they coulde not abide to heare the doctrine of Christ as shall appeare by that that followeth where it is written howe they made much adoe and striuing against the Apostles For as they that are borne of God heare the worde of Christ and knowe by and by the voyce of their shepehearde so the reprobates and children of this worlde hate that voice as euill as a Tode and can not be brought willinglye to seeke it and if at any time they seeme to heare it otherwise than they looked for or agaynst their will then they turne their heades from it and gette them out of the place where such noyse soundeth This is an euident token of incurable malice as we reade Dauid also noted comparing them to a deafe Adder which will in woonderfull wise stoppe his eares bicause he will not heare the voice of the charmer And although somtime they pretend they doe it for modesty yet it is alway the beginning of a greater impietie For they which at the fyrst doe but a little lothe the worde of God and refuse to heare it if they shall more stronglye be vrged there with then without all reason they rage against it The Scripture sheweth vs examples in Pharao Saul Achab and many others which to rehearse woulde be superfluous forasmuch as we shall streightway heare how stowtly and impiously these men bende themselues against the doctrine of saluation Nowe against these men Paule setteth other which worthily embraced the Apostles doctrine who Luke sayth were partly Gentyles and partly Proselytes And that these Proselytes were the more apt to receiue Christ it is euident for that they had not that prowde affiance in their owne worthynesse that hindred the Iewes from the fayth in Christ as Paule otherwheres teacheth Although among these were also some Iewes bicause God did not so vtterly cast of that Nation but that he reserued certayne remnantes to be saued Moreouer as in the fyrst sort we may see the maners of the reprobate so in these other sorts the propertie of the elect and children of God doth notablye appeare Which therefore is the more diligently to be considered bicause by them we may see what is wanting in our selues and what we ought to doe First they desire the Apostles that they will the next Sabboth day preach to them againe the same doctrine of saluation Ergo they loue the worde of God and they are not weary of it bicause by the secret suggestion of the holye ghost they perceyue the voyce of their heauenly father soundeth in the same Then when the Church brake vp they followed the Apostles and openly acknowledge them for teachers of the truth and their saluation who yet they knewe were hated of a great number Then they are not ashamed of the worde of God before men and they preferre the grace of Christ before the friendshippe of the worlde These are the principles and rudimentes of true religion wherein who so well exercise themselues shall at length bring forth fruites of fayth and saluation not to be repented of By these may we iudge of the maners of our dayes For a great many nowe a dayes despise the worde and thinke nothing so voyde of true wisedome as for a man to take aduise of the worde of God concerning his doings and sayings And though we no way else declare the same yet we abundantly testifye it by this one token in that we be not onely ashamed of the Ministers but also hate them abhorre them flie from them rayle at them and euery way iniurie them as the publike enimies of saluation and authors of all euill And yet on Gods name we bragge egregiously of our fayth and zeale towarde Christ and his Gospell But God is not beguiled with vaine wordes nor delighted with any kinde of religion but such as hath truth ioyned therwith But what saye the Apostles herevnto They exhort them to continue in the grace of God For they knewe well that saying of Christ No manne that layeth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is worthye of the kingdome of God. Againe He that abideth to the ende shall be safe And bicause they had good experience of mannes infyrmitie they knewe that exhortation was needefull for them for that they had but newlye layde the fyrst foundation of their faith and saluation For many times it cōmeth to passe that they which haue begonne well being eyther afraide of daunger or caried away and maystred of their affections fall away againe and swarue Therefore we must note the example of the Apostles that we thinke not faithfull admonitions superfluous without the which faith and the knowledge of saluation are very seldome retayned In the meane season it is very worthy the noting how they which perseuere in the Gospell are sayde to continue in the grace of god For by the Gospell is the grace of God offred vs And Christ sayth that that peace that the Gospell preacheth shall dwell in that house where the children of peace be who are such as embrace with true faith the peace and grace of god Wherevpon we gather againe that all they which refuse the Gospell which is the only message of that grace doe fall from the grace of god And hereof followeth all kinde of euill so that they are the most vnworthie people in the worlde which forsake Christ for the worldes sake This appeareth by the example of the Iewes whome the contempt of the Gospell brought to that miserable state that they haue liued in nowe more than .xv. hundreth yeares Therfore let vs thinke that sayde vnto vs that the Apostles sayde to these men in this place and let vs embrace the Gospell and perseuer in the same that we may likewise enioy the vndoubted grace of God and his assured helpe in all aduersities Howbeit Luke adioyneth to these premisses a grieuous contention following this prosperous successe of the Gospell wherby we are taught that the kingdome of Christ in this worlde beginneth neuer so prosperously but that some stormes of persecution are ready for them which go about to sette forth the same For the saying of Christ fayleth not If they haue hearde my voyce they will heare yours also And where this worlde commonly hateth the light of the truth the more they perceyue the same shineth the more they vse to rage and be madde Therefore no man ought to thinke it a straunge thing if the like fall out in our dayes and that we see troubles aryse among them to whom the Gospell at the fyrst is preached For Paule and Barnabas the faythfull Apostles of Christ doe here fynde the same to be true For the next Sabboth daye when almost all the Citie was gathered togither to heare the worde of God the Iewes beholding such a great company readye to
than wyth the bloude of Christ and they which were iustifyed by the fayth in Christ and enfrauncised with the libertie of the children of God were not subiect to the commaundement and intollerable yoke of the lawe as Peter hereafter will declare Besyde this the true vse of the lawe was peruerted which was to bring men as a tutor and gouernour vnto christ And these fellowes sent those that were graffed in Christ vnto the principles and beginnings of the lawe Moreouer it coulde not be chosen but the light of the Gospell shoulde haue bene obscured and darkened with the shadowes of the lawe Therefore Paule might not in any case haue borne with these deceyuers vnlesse he woulde haue bene counted an vntrustye Minister of christ By the which example we are taught that we must for concorde and vnities sake admit nothing that may any waye obscure the glory of Christ and simple confession of the fayth For that is a verye hurtfull concorde that is redeemed with the prophanation of the name of Christ and denying of the fayth For this saying of Christ standeth fyrme and strong he that loueth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me Againe whosoeuer shall bee ashamed of mee before this adulterous and naughty worlde him will I be ashamed of when I come in the glorye of my father Furthermore let vs hereof be perswaded that Christian menne can haue no peace without christ For if they will be true Christians in the world they shall haue afflictions and in Christ onely peace Howbeit they of Antioch that beleeued when they perceyued this contention euery day more and more to kindle they decree at length with one consent that Paule and Barnabas with certaine other Disciples shoulde go to Ierusalem to propounde this question vnto the Apostles and Elders there to be discussed And Paule easily yeeldeth vnto this decree not meaning to put the cause of truth to the iudgement of manne but for that he well knewe these deceyuers abused the name of the Apostles Therefore for the more commoditie of the vnlearned and simple people whose eyes they had dazeled with the brightnesse of Apostolike authoritie he easily admitted this counsaile as the most commodious and readyest waye that coulde be deuised And this hath bene the chiefe cause of all the Sinodes and Counsayles that heretofore haue bene gathered by godlye Kinges and Bishops For it was neuer the minde of those holy men that the cause of fayth and saluation shoulde be in subiection to mannes iudgement But where Heretikes vsed impudently to vaunt them of the consent of Apostolike doctrine and vniuersall Church vnto the vnlearned people the Catholikes thought good most commodiously to bridle them by Synodes and the publike testimonie of the Church to th ende that they shoulde not afterwarde be beleeued We haue diligently to consider the modestie that Paule here vseth For it is manifest he was endâ—ed with such constancie that he woulde not haue yeelded vnto the Apostles if they woulde haue pronounced any thing against the truth For he durst boldly reprehende Peter at Antioch and he teacheth vs that we ought not to beleeue an Aungell if he woulde preach any other Gospell Yet he despiseth not a meane and deuise of peace vttred by the godly brethren whereas he sawe the glorye of God coulde thereby no way be obscured and that the quiete of the weaker sorte might thereby be procured This modestie must be ioyned with constancie least whyle we will seeme constant we be founde obstinate and wayward For the spirit of Christ is tractable and maketh men which vse him as their counsayler desirous of his glory In the meane season their leuitie is not to be allowed which while they will seeme tractable and easie to be intreated be obedient to such counsayles they see doe quite deface and ouerthrow the veritie of faith and glorye of christ Furthermore this place teacheth vs which is the best waye to calme controuersies and contentions that rise about fayth and religion Some there be that thinke these matters might be taken vp and ended by mannes wisedome and pollicie if eche part woulde somewhat yeelde one to another as though men might daily in religion and Gods causes as in other worldly affaires Why rather doe we not resort vnto the Apostles to heare what they haue taught and appoynted whose doctrine is manifestly confyrmed with the testimonie of Christ himselfe For vnto them it is sayd He that heareth you heareth me c. And we know that Christ prayed for them which should beleeue in him according to their preaching Moreouer they were openly endued with the holy spirit which shewed manifest arguments of his presence and operation in them Wherefore we must earnestlye take heede that we swarue not one nayles breadth from their doctrine The Apostle Iohn teacheth vs the same where in his fyrst Epistle and seconde Chapter he sayeth Lette that remayne in you which you hearde from the beginning If that which you hearde from the beginning shall remaine in you you also shall continue in the father and in the sonne Paule also where he aduertiseth vs of such as presume to peruert the truth sayth But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned which also were committed vnto thee knowing of whome thou hast learned them and forasmuch as thou hast of a child knowne the holy scriptures which are able to make thee learned vnto saluation through the fayth which is in Christ Iesu. Therefore they are fowlye deceyued which by this example will obtrude vnto vs Counsayles as though religion ought by them to be ruled where it is euident these many yeres they haue bene such as haue had no signe or token of any Apostolike spirite in them And if they woulde heare the Prophetes and Apostles we would according to the example of Paule and Barnabas willingly go vp with them vnto the Apostles to heare what the spirite of God speaketh in them But if they will harken vnto men farewell they seeing we haue none other maister to harken vnto but Iesus Christ. But Luke also descrybeth Paules going to Ierusalem bicause there be diuers things therein worthy to be considered Amongst which the fyrst is howe Paule and Barnabas are brought on their waye by the congregation which appointed them worthy and faythfull companions to iourney wyth them Whereby it appeareth the congregation tooke their part and had no suspition in their doctrine and beliefe Let all congregations follow thys ensample that they leaue not the faythfull ministers of Christ destitute of helpe For what else doe they but susteyne open warre in the Churches quarrell and behoofe And surely their ingratitude is execrable which prouyde to stande out of Gunneshot when troubles arise about religion and will stande ydely gasing on as though the matter pertayned nothing vnto them but onely vnto the Ministers Then also to the ende their iourney should not be
but shadows of Chryst and of the things that belonged vnto hym I omitte the testimonies of the Prophetes for breuitie sake Let this suffise for them al where Christ teacheth vs that the mysteries both of his death and resurrection were long before prophesied by Moses the Prophets and wryters of the Psalmes Therefore Paule very well professeth that he teacheth none other fayth or hope of saluation than that which the fathers had which beleeued the promises that God had made Let vs also obserue howe he complayneth that he is accused for thys selfe fayth and that of the Iewes which did moste glory in the fathers and in the promises This thing teacheth vs what state the truth is in in this world verily euen suche that not only the open enimies take against hir but also those that will seeme to be the most earnest followers of hir This we read came to passe in the time of the Prophets long agone And as Chryst teacheth vs they made muche of the Prophetes tombes and graues which yet hated their doctrine worse than a tode So wheÌ„ Christ came vnto them which euery day looked for him according to the Oracles of the Prophets yet they neither knew him nor receiued him The same we see falleth out also euen in our dayes For they that bragge of the name of Chryst and supersticiously worship the mother of Chryst the Uirgin and the Sainctes with their reliques for Chrystes sake the same persecute the true fayth of Chryst and the doctrine of the Apostles for no cause so muche as for that it chalengeth to Chryste onely all the glory of our redemption and saluation And now a dayes euery where among the Christians suche men are accused of vngodlynesse and heresie as do teach that men ought to trust in Chryst onely and to seeke all their saluation in him alone Therefore we haue as great occasion in these dayes to complayne as Paule had who thought it vnmeete to be accused of the Iewes for the promise sake made sometime vnto the fathers But this is the vntowardnesse of this worlde wherat we must not be offended seeing it is both an olde practise and examples of al ages teach vs that the true worshippers of God haue alwayes wrastled and striuen agaynst the same Let vs obserue moreouer in what order and after what sorte Paule defendeth bothe his fayth and doctrine First he alleageth the promise or word of God and therevnto he ioyneth the consent of the whole Church For he nameth the twelue tribes togither therby playnly declaring that he hath no regarde what a certayne few of the Priestes thinke but what the whole company of the faythfull haue beleeued in all ages according to the word of god This is the best way of mayntayning and defending the fayth For where mannes traditions are of no authoritie with God the worde of God muste principally be brought foorth and by it a reason must be rendered of all opinions This foundation beeing layde then must we also haue an eye vnto the Churche not to the company of a certayne fewe which chalenge to them selues alone the name thereof but vnto that vniuersall assemblie and congregation which wee knowe hath bene from tyme to tyme continually since the beginning of the worlde although sometymes it hath bene somewhat selde and obscure somewhile somewhat more in number and more euident euen as it seemed good vnto him which chose vs in his sonne before the foundations of the worlde were layde Therefore the errour of our age is enormious and playne absâ—rde where many by and by at the firste choppe wyll alleage the consente of the Churche constituting the same vppon a certayne sorte of conspired counterfaytes that is to say smered and shauen creatures of Antichryst to whome they make the worde of God and the interpretation thereof to bee in subiection and gyue them power to decree and appoynte what they wyll concerning the fayth Whome if a man would examine according to the markes of the Primatiue Churche they shall so little be accounted worthy to be heades of the Church that they ought scarse to be taken for any members thereof Laste of all we see that the Article of resurrection ought to be taken for certayne and assured seeing that Paule alleageth the same with a certayne kind of indignation agaynst those that douted therof saying Why seemeth it vnto you an incredible thing that God should raise vp thâ— deade agayne As if he should say Is it not a maruayle that men should doubt of that which is euery where proued by so many argumentes â— For to let passe the Scriptures the reason of Gods iustice requireth that the dead should ryse agayne and receiue a recompence for the things which they heere haue done considering we see the wicked lyue mosâ—e commonly welthyly in this worlde and the godly in miseâ—ie Wee haue more ouer examples appearing euery yere in plants trees and in euery lyuing creature Do we not reade also that the first man was made of the earth â–ª and howe many were raysed agayne to life miraculously firste by the Prophets and then at length by Chryst him selfe But letting passe these arguments Paule sendeth his hearers to the consideration of Gods power onely verily to preuent this mischiefe that measureth the mysteries of fayth according to the capacitie and reache of mans reason It is also a ridiculous errour to thinke that impossible to God whereof we can not perceyue a reason by and by And this is to be obserued not onely in the Article of resurrection but also in all others to the ende wee shoulde subdue our reason to the obedience of fayth Yet must we not bring in as some men vse new and absurde opinions vnder the pretence of Gods omnipotencie For where we are certayne of the will of God according to his worde there it shal be lawfull for vs to reason of his omnipotencie which thing thou shalt in vayne doo if thou doo not first proue that God is willing to do that which thou meanest Furthermore let vs holde faste the chiefe poynt of this place that we trusting in the hope of the ancient promises worship God day and night which hath opened to vs life and eternall saluation in the promised seede Iesus Christ our sauiour to whom be praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxij Homelie I Also verily thoughte in my selfe that I ought to doo many contrary things cleane agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth which thing I also dyd in Ierusalem and many of the Sainctes dyd I shutte vp in prison and had receiued authoritie of the highe Priestes And when they were put to death I gaue the sentence and I punished them oft in euery Sinagoge and compelled them to blaspheme and was yet more madde vpon them and persecuted them euen into straunge Cities About which things as I went to Damascus with authoritie and licence of the high Priestes euen at Mid-day
that they were taken for men out of their wiâ—tes Yea Christe himselfe was mocked of Pilate what time he confessed he came into the world to preache the truthe For Pilate thought him to be of the number of those men which had labored long in vaine to finde out the truthe bicause all things among men are doubtfull and vncertaine why therefore are we offended bicause the gospell preuaileth so little in these dayes seeing there is suche a multitude of men euery where which blinded with the reason of the fleshe and distract in their mindes receiue the word of God into the way which the infernall Iayes that is to say the affections suggestioÌ„s of sathan by and by peck vp But what doth Paul Is he so feared with Festus importunate interruption that he holdes his peace and so throughe his silence confirmeth the sinister suspition that they had of his being out of his wit No. Yea rather he boldly defendeth the aucthoritie both of his ministery and of the gospell I am not mad saith he moste deare Festus but I speake the wordes of truthe and sobrietie Therfore he boldly putteth such slaunder away yet modestly with such reuerence as is due vnto Magistrates least through impatiencie and ire and rendering of railing againe he should haue declared he had bene out of his wit in deede Therefore after a wise sort he vtterly denieth he was mad and those wordes which seemed vnto Festus to be of a madde man he declared to be most true and vttered by him after no curious sort but with as muche sobrietie as could be and this he proueth by most credible witnesses among whome firste hee produceth the King who could be ignorante of none of those things which hitherto had beene said concerning Christ bicause they were not done in a corner or in secrete but in the most famous Citie of all nations and at the greatest principallest feast of all other Againe he calleth all the Prophets also to witnesse who foreshewed that these things should so come to passe as he declared a little before more at large And bicause his saying should haue the more waighte and aucthoritie he boldly and freely defendeth the aucthoritie of the Prophets For he turneth him vnto the king and saith Beleeuest thou O king Agrippa the Prophetes And not waiting till he had an answere he preuenteth it adding moreouer I knowe that thou beleeuest For he knew well that the maiestie and truthe of the scripture Propheticall was yet such euen among the most corrupt nation of the Iewes that if any maÌ„ called it in dout all men would take him to be an vngodly person And it is to be thought that Paul handled this mater the more at large bicause Agrippa confessed by and by that he was greatly moued with his words Now be it here we haue certain things to be diligently considered bicause they make not a little for the coÌ„mon instruction of all men First this place teacheth vs that the best way of teaching is that that Paul confesseth he had hitherto obserued where he saith he spake the words of truth sobrietie For aboue al things ministers must haue a regarde of the truth least they sel leasing wherof Christ saith the deuill is the father vnder the pretence of Goddes worde And in treating of the mysteries of truth let them vse a godly and holy sobrietie giuing heede only to suche things as may edifie men vnto godlinesse Least while they folowe the curiositie of the fleshe they bothe entangle themselues in vnprofitable and hurtfull questions and also offende the weake and ruder sorte Let them therefore remember that we knowe but in parte onely and our Prophesying is vnperfite but that heereafter there shall come a day when withoute all impediment we shall beholde all the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen openly in the face of God. Furthermore Paules woordes teache vs that the affaires of our saluation and Christian religion are certaine and that nothing of them is difficult or to be suspected For as none of the things which happened vnto Christ was done in corners so those things which concerned Christ and the way of saluation in him were done in times past publikely and openly among the Fathers For the Patriarkes to whome the promisses were made at the beginning were no rascalles or diffamed Also the deliuery of the people of Israell out of Egipte was a thing well knowen vnto the Gentiles The publishing of the lawe with so many myracles was a famous and a renoumed matter all which things were figures of the mysteries of christ As touching the Prophets no good man did euer suspect any falshoode in them Furthermore all the Monarchies bothe of the Assirians Persians Grecians and Romanes had to doe with the nation of the Iewes among whome the affaires of saluation were taughte The voices of the Apostles did freely sound abrode in all the world in so muche that all men knewe bothe what they did and preached This is a great dignitie of our faith which is to be found in none other religion This reproueth the impudencie of those men which nowe a dayes call our beleefe in doubte and question Furthermore this place teacheth vs that the aucthoritie and credite of the holy scripture is moste certaine and that wee must suffer no man to call it in controuersie For seing it is inspired of God it is vnlawfull to doubt of it For this cause Paule putteth it ouâ— of controuersie that Agrippa beleeued the Prophetes And Christ hauing to doe with the Scribes of the Iewes attributeth this vnto them that they firmely beleeue that life euerlasting is contained in the scripture â–ª Iohn 5. Howe muche more execrable is the impudeneie of our dayes where some men wickedly cauill and scoffe at the scriptures and other some wonderfully deminishe the aucthoritie of them while they contende they ought to be alowed and confirmed by the iudgement of men Furthermore lette vs see the seconde kinde of hearers of the woorde of whome wee haue a patterne sette foorthe in Agrippa the King and these are suche as being giuen vnto the worlde lette the seede of the worde be ouergrowen with the cares and desires of the same For hee dare not denie the Scriptures the aucthoritie whereof hee knewe was of God and infallible He seeth also that those things which Paule saythe are agreeable wyth the Scripture Hee feeleth also certaine euidente motions of the mynde whereby hee was allured to take parte wyth Christe and hee dissembleth not the same bicause hee openly confesseth that hee was somewhat persuaded What letteth hym therefore that hee goeth not forewarde and publikely professeth Christe Uerely the vnhappy liking that he had of the worlde the â—rendshippe and glory wherof seemed to him more excellent than that he would forsake it and goe vnto them whome many men hated and enuied and other some thought to be out of their wittes But would God we had no