Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slayne them which shewed before of the comming of that iust whome you haue now betrayed and murthred And ye also haue receyued the lawe by the ministration of Aungelles and haue not kept it when they hearde these things their hearts claue a sunder and they gnashed on him with their teeth THus farre the blessed Martyr Steuen hath aunswered the obiections layde agaynst him and with long discourse hath shewed that he neuer blasphemed God nor his law nor yet the Temple For beginning at Abraham he declareth that he is a worshypper of that onely God who did vouchsafe in time past to reueale himselfe vnto the fathers and to offer vnto them his grace That done he maketh a singuler discourse of the lawe and prooueth that Christ was euidently promised to the fathers in the lawe At length intreating of the Temple and outwarde obseruances he prooueth by most strong arguments that neyther the grace of God is tyed to them neyther the true worshipping of him nor yet the meane of mannes saluation But bycause Steuen was not ignoraunt what maner of Iudges he shoulde haue in his cause and for that they coulde no longer dissemble the rage of their mindes as euery man may easily gather of the circumstances with a weyghtie vehement kynde of reprehending them he concludeth his Oration Where we maye perceyue that it was Steuens purpose and intent to plucke of the visure from the faces of them which bragged in the name of the church and fowly abused their power that they should no longer feare the simple and vnlearned with this slye conueyance of theirs And this is a thing very needeful when we perceiue we haue to do with them with whome the worde of doctrine will not preuayle And surelye in our daies nothing so much hindreth the verity as that they be the enimies therof which many yeres haue challenged to them the name gouernance therof Wherfore it is necessary that they which haue the charge of the Church committed vnto them doe followe euen at this day also the example of Steuen But to come to the handling of this present place there were thrée things specially which made them the prowder that is to saye Circumcision the glory and dignitie of the fathers and the lawe giuen them by Gods speciall benefite And of all these the godlye Martyr of Christ so speaketh that he playnely prooueth all their affiaunce to be in vaine which they had in them And beginning with Circumcision he sheweth that they gloryed therin in vayne calling them stiffenecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares He seemeth to haue a respect vnto the wordes of Moses and of God which are written Deuteronomie 10. and Ieremie 4. as though he shoulde saye I knowe you haue a great confidence in Circumcision but that is but a very vanitie seeing you neglect the circumcision of the heart and minde God woulde that you shoulde by an outwarde signe professe hys couenaunt but he commaunded you to circumcise your heartes with the sworde of the spirite and to put your neckes hytherto ouermuch disobedient into the yoke of his obedience But it is playne that you neuer woulde thus doe For you euer resisted the holy ghost speaking to you by the Scriptures and by the Prophetes So Steuen accuseth them of no common disobedience but of heynous incredulitie as who went about to mocke God with their Circumcision which was but a signe of Gods couenant This place teacheth vs that men are little holpen by outwarde signes vnlesse they sticke vnto the thinges signifyed by them For where God is a spirite he will not be worshipped with vaine ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth As for the Ceremonies he hath instituted them for our sakes to the intent they shoulde bring our mindes by contemplation of fayth to the consideraunce of our dutie Which thing if we neglect then the signes improoue vs of infidelitie and excuse vs not which is the cause that the Prophetes so earnestly accuse the obseruers of outwarde ceremonies and so carefully commende vnto them the care of spirituall worshipping This serueth also to teache vs that we cleaue not to much to baptisme ▪ and to the supper and so neglect the fayth that is in Christ and the studie of innocencie and charitie without the which Christian religion cannot consist And if the colde obseruation of rytes commaunded by God is not able to saue vs what shall we say of the obseruers of mens traditions which God hath wyped cleane awaye with the sworde of his worde as otherwheres we haue declared Esay 29. Math. 15. We are taught also what maner of men they are which wickedly resist the worde of God preached by men which thing it is euident the Iewes dyd For they sayeth Steuen resisted not the Prophetes but the holy ghost And we must not thinke he thus sayd at all aduentures For where Ministers speake by the inspiration of the holy spirite and the same spirite worketh obedience in mennes mindes and putteth vs often in remembrance of amendement of our lyfe certes they resist this spirite that refuse to obey this worde And this is an infallible argument of vncircumcised hearts and stiffe necks Here therefore haue we a rule howe to iudge of the people of these dayes which marueylously please and delyght themselues in that they dare boldly contemne the sermons of Gods Ministers and can scoffe and rayle at the m. But let vs returne vnto Steuen which likewise ouerthroweth that glorye that they sought in the dignitie of their auncestry For that the Iewes put great confidence in their forefathers it appeareth by this For when Iohn the Baptist and Christ admonished them to amende their lyfe they chopte him in the teeth with Abraham their father and alleaged the prerogatiue of their stocke But Steuen maketh a difference betweene their forefathers There were amonge them certaine good and sincere worshippers of God such as was Abraham Isaac and Iacob and their likes in whom they coulde not glory being altogither vnlike them as bastardes going out of kynde Againe there were othe◠notorious wicked persons and bloudy tyrannes against the Prophetes Unto these sayth he these fellowes were lyke bicause they liuely represented their natures and condicions yea passed them As your fathers did euen so do you Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue killed them which shewed before of the comming of that Iuste So calleth he Iesus Christ who is both absolutely iuste himself for in whose mouth there could be found no guile and is made of god the father our righteousnes Wherfore in Ieremy he is called the lord our righteousnes Furthermore as your fathers killed the prophets which foretold of him as the monuments sepulchres declare that are builded in the honor of them euen so did you betray Christ himselfe to the Romane President and made him out of the
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
liuely sacrifyces vnto god They offer prayers and thankes giuing in the name of christ They bestow their goodes and money meate and cloth and such other duties vpon the poore whome Christ hath left in his place They that duly fulfyll these things accomplishe the Christian religion Let vs therefore holde fast Paules saying which affyrmeth that God hath neede of nothing let vs worship him in spirite and in truth and bestowe our temporall goodes vpon the poore which are the liuely Images of God that our seruice maye be acceptable vnto God through Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxviij Homelie AND hath made of one bloude all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath assigned before howe long tyme and also the endes of their habitation that they should seeke God if they might feele and finde him though he be not farre from euery one of vs For in him we liue mooue and haue our being as certaine of your owne Poetes sayde for wee are also his generation Forasmuch then as wee are the generation of God we ought not to thinke that the Godheade is like vnto golde siluer or stone grauen by craft and imagination of man. THat that Paule sought both in all his sayings and doinges the same he chiefely perfourmed in hys sermon made at Athens euen to bring his hearers from superstition and ydolatrie to the true religion and knowledge of god This was impossible to be done except he shoulde fyrst confute the errors that blinded them But bicause he woulde not be to long in his talke he tooke the chiefe errors to confute wherevpon the residue depended And yesterday he disputed against the vaine affiance of Temples and sacrifyces teaching that God was not conteyned within Temples bicause he was infynite nor was not worshipped with sacrifyces bicause he had neede of nothing Which thinges he so handleth that the same may serue to confute all those which at this daye esteeme religion according to the beautie or magnifycence of Temples and oblations But nowe he setteth vppon the very heade of impietie that is to oblations But nowe he setteth vppon the very heade of impietie that is to say feigned Gods and ymages the worshipping of them of the which he disputeth with great earnestnesse declaring that it is to shamefull and impudent an error to chaunge the maiestie and glory of God immortall into miserable men and dumbe Images And bicause he knewe he had to doe with those which were brought vp in such superstition whome it was a verye harde matter to perswade he heapeth a number of things togither to make the error seeme the more heynous And there is no doubt but Paule intreated of the matter at large although Luke hath noted but the chiefe poyntes thereof we shall speake of them all in order First he declareth the beginning of man. God sayth he of one bloude made all mankinde For it is manifest that all men of what nation and degree soeuer they be come of Adam Whereto doth Paule alleage this We gather two things of these wordes which make very much for the purpose we haue in hande The one is that they which haue but one maker and one beginning ought not to be deuided in sundry religions but ought rather to ioyne all their myndes and studies togither to worshippe that one Creator Therefore he nicketh the leuitie of the Gentyles which did not onely worship one false God but imagining there were diuers and manye goddes marueylously disagreed among themselues in this one thing and yet in this agreeing that they altogither swarued from the way of the truth Hereof ought a generall doctrine to be learned howe they offende agaynst the order of nature which in religion bring in sectes and diuision For they are authors and occasions that men forgette their beginning and neglect their maker Therefore this is a greater offence than commonlye menne weene for Would god this argument might take place among Christians who professing one Creator and one kinde of beginning and glorying in one Iesus Christ the sauiour of all men doe yet let themselues euery daye be deuided in newe sectes which pull them awaye from god their creator and Christ their sauiour And truly it is to be pittied that the authoritie of this argument shoulde be of lesse force nowe a dayes among Christian men than it was in tymes past among the gentyles The other thing that Paule gathereth of mannes origine and beginning is that goddes neyther can nor ought to be made of men which was an error spredde euerywhere among the Gentyles For it was playne vnto all men that those somtimes had bene men whome they worshipped now as goddes For in Creta were kept Iupiters cradell and Image Delos was the Ilande of Apollo and Diana The Citie of Thebae was renowmed by reason that Bacchus and Hercules was borne there And Venus of the Countrie where she was borne was called Cypria Marce Thracius Vulcan Leninius and Priapus Lampsacenus But Paule teacheth vs it is a foolishe opinion to beleeue that they are Gods which in times past had bene men forasmuch as all mankinde is come of one bloude But by this argument the worshipping of Saintes is ouerthrowne whome in the Popish religion it is more euident are worshipped for Gods than needeth any long demonstration For prayers are made vnto them they are inuocated and called on in mens distresses temples and aultars are dedicated to them sacrifyce is done vnto them holye dayes are appointed for them and the glory of health recouered is ascribed vnto them Howbeit we knowe they were menne and such men as were subiect to lyke infyrmities as we be as Paule confessed before the people at Lystrae Furthermore all the Scripture testifyeth that they were sinners And the Apostles according to Christes commaundement prayed forgiue vs our trespasses c aswell as we Therefore it cannot be that they are nowe become Gods and gouernors of the worlde Yet for all this we despyse them not nor yet bereaue them of the honour due to them we acknowledge that they were singular instruments of Gods grace but we affyrme they had this of the meere grace of God as they euerywhere confesse themselues Wherefore it shoulde be an absurde thing for vs to sticke to them or depende vpon them as Goddes and not rather after their doctrine and ensample to trust onely in God through Iesus Christ whome the scripture hath set out vnto vs to be our mediator Surely we thinke the Saintes can haue no greater iniurie done vnto them than to haue the glory of God which they most earnestly defended ascribed to them For they thought good to maintaine his glorye yea with the shedding of their owne bloude But let vs returne vnto Paule which sayth that menne were not onely made by God but also placed by him to dwell vpon the earth And least any man might hereof
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
Apostles burst into all the worlde which this vehement blast here did foresignifie and in despite of the worlde and Prince of the worlde the doctrine of the gospell was published throughout all Nations Let these thinges comfort vs against the vayne enterprises of the worlde and Tyrannes which studie to stop the course of the gospell For Christe lyueth styll which from hygh derideth the counselles of them and whose spirite bloweth where he wil and is not ruled at mens pleasure Thirdly there appeare clouen tongues as it were of fire which when they were settled vpon the heades of eche of them they were all fylled with the holy ghoste Wee sayde the wynde was a token or signe of the holye ghoste But here commeth a visible signe also of the presence of the spirite that there myght be no doubt at all thereof For this is the maner and trade of God to declare by outwarde tokens the inwarde and spirituall giftes which are conceyued by fayth only and haue their beyng in the mynde The which by reason of the proportion and infallible truth of God wherof they are signes and seales vse to be called after the names of the things that they signifie By this meanes it commeth to passe that Luke reasonyng of the tongues which sate vpon the Apostles heades so speaketh of them as though the spirite him selfe had syt on their heades But it is euident that these tongues were neither essentially the holy ghost nor yet had the holy ghost included in them For who wyll say the substaunce of the holy ghost is of fire except any man list to dote with the Persians which worshipped the fire as a god Who also wyll thinke the holy ghost whiche pierceth through all thinges and whom the scripture teacheth to be euery where present can be inclosed in so small a thyng as a tongue Besydes Luke saith not that the holy ghost sate on their heades but that their mindes were fylled with the holy ghost And the holy ghost shoulde in vayne syt vpon our crownes onlesse he entred into our mindes shewed foorth his power and efficacie Therfore the tongues were tokens of the presence of the holy spirite neither coulde the name of holy ghoste for any other cause be applyed to them than by reason of proportion and similitude that is betweene them as euen nowe was sayde Furthermore as in all other signes whiche God accustometh to vse there is perceaued to be a great lykenesse with the thinges that they signified so here also the presence of the spirite coulde by no other signe haue bene more euidently and properly expressed The lykenesse of tongues was most agreable with the Apostles office whom God had appoynted to be preachers The diuision of the same tongues represented the gift which they chiefly had neede of bicause they must beare witnesse of Christe in all Countries and be vnderstanded of all men And the element of fire signified that the voyce of the Apostles shoulde be effectuous through the workyng of the spirite For by this the spirite as by a bright brenning fire consumeth all the thinges in vs that are carnall and earthly By the same the spirite kindleth the myndes of men with the loue of heauenly thinges that leauing all earthly thinges behinde them they may aspire to the onely eternall goodes of the heauenly kingdome With this the holy ghost warmeth men that are benummed with sinne and maketh them meete and nimble to all good workes and to doe all thinges in Christe And this feruencie and fierie zeale is the proper marke of them which are led with the spirite of Christ Which spirit who so euer feeleth to be quenched in him let him ceasse to glorie in the spirit I coulde here rehearse diuers other effects of Christes spirite but that there is more commodious place to speake therof in the sermon folowyng where it shall be declared what the spirite wrought in the Apostles Let vs acknowledge the truth and goodnesse of Christ wherby he would thus prouide for his Church And let vs prepare our selues after the ensample of the Apostles that we also may be endued with the spirite of Christe and enflamed with the holye loue of God that being founde stoute in the duties of Christian life we may be taken for the true children of God and Coheyres of Iesus Christ to whom be blessing honour glorie and power for euer Amen The eleuenth Homelie AND they began to speake with other tongues euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce There were dwellyng at Hierusalem Iewes deuout men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When this was noysed about the multitude came togither and were astonied bicause that euery man hearde them speake with his owne language They wondred all and marueyled saying among themselues Beholde are not all these which speake of Galiley And howe heare we euery man his owne tongue wherin we were borne Parthyans and Medes and Elamytes and the inhabiters of Mesopotamia and of Iurie and of Capadocia of Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia of Egypt and of the parties of Lybia which is beside Syren and straungers of Rome Iewes and Proselytes Greekes and Arabyans we haue hearde them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of god They were all amazed and wondred saying one to another what meaneth this Other mocked saying These men are full of newe wine ALthough the promises of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe were first made to the Apostles and may seeme to belong to them onely Yet is it manyfest that the same are generall and to be extended to all them that doe beleue For as the Apostles bicause of their imperfection and other faultes had neede of the holy ghost and without the helpe of him could not discharge the office committed to them euen so we haue neede of the same spirite bicause if we be destitute of him we can neither order our life christianly nor holde the certainty of faith against the temptations of Satan Therfore the consideration of this present hystorie no man ought to thinke either vnprofitable or superfluous which both strongly mainteyneth the aucthoritie of the Apostolike doctrine also instructeth vs many other wayes For it teacheth vs howe we shoulde prepare our selues to receiue the spirite how we should iudge the spirites As touching the first was spokē yesterday The other may be learned by this presēt place For Luke goeth on in the discription of the hystory declareth the effectes of the holy ghost which he wrought aswel in the Apostles as in their hearers And beginnyng with the Apostles hee attributeth two thinges vnto them which they receyued by the operation of the holy ghost The first is that by and by after they had receyued the holy ghost they began to speake with straunge diuers tongues This is so great wonderful a myracle as I know not whether euer there happened a greater amongst men For who is ignoraunt how
of heart praysing God. And although this that he speaketh of breaking of breade may after a sort be vnderstanded of the mysticall supper as is declared in the Homely before going yet for that he maketh mention also of common meate it seemeth this place commodiously may be wholy expounded of their priuate trade of lyfe in bidding one another to their houses to meales and repastes Luke teacheth vs that the richer sort did not only depart with some portion of their goodes to the reliefe in generall but also that they did exercise liberalitie towardes the poore and others of that which they had reserued peculiarly for themselues And he therefore expresselye mencioneth houses that it might appeare diuers of the number of the faithfull kept their houses and goodes still wherby that confused and sedicious communion of things which the Anabaptistes doe imagine is most strongly confuted But here such an order and trade of lyfe and conuersation is expressed as is full of benefites loue and mutuall helping one another And bicause men offende much in immoderate and excessiue ryote and pride of feasting Luke thought good chiefely to entreate hereof saying they obserued three thinges therein First they feasted togither in gladnesse according to that saying of Paule He that sheweth mercy let him doe it with cherefulnesse For God loueth a cherefull giuer Therfore in their feasting there was no disdainefulnesse which causeth vs to yrke at our benefites but they receyued euery man with glad and chearefull minde and chiefely those whome they knewe wanted liuing For so Christ commaundeth vs to bid the pore which are not able to recompence and requite vs with benefites againe Unto cherefulnesse he addeth singlenesse of heart by the which he vnderstandeth sinceritie of minde voyde of all deceyte and guyle which is contrary to that vice which will seeme to benefite others and yet seeketh their own commoditie and gayne little minding the vtilitie and profite of others Thirdly he rehearseth thankesgiuing wherby they did set forth the bountie of God who as he made all thinges so is he the preseruer and nourisher of them all And if a man ioyne these three togither it shall easilye appeare that they had a singuler care of temperaunce for where this is not there is no true cherefulnesse and christian simplicitie much lesse giuing of thankes Therefore christian men must drawe them a rule out of these things howe to behaue themselues in their banquets Let them knowe that the chiefe thing therein must be charitie and the benefiting of others Let them studie to be harborous and knowe that they are not appointed Lordes but stewardes of the goodes that they haue Let them be mery and cheerefull in giuing bicause as Christ sayth It is better to giue than to receyue Herevnto let there be ioyned such a singlenesse of minde and sinceritie as becommeth Christians Chiefely let them be mindfull of God let them acknowledge him to be the author of all things belonging to our life let them aske their necessaries of him and thanke him for his gifts receyued For through fayth and giuing of thankes as Paule sayth meates are sanctified We haue in Christ an example hereof whome we neuer read to haue broken breade without blessing or giuing of thankes as maye be seené Math. 14.15 Luc. 24. Iohn 6. c. These things teach vs what we maye thinke of their banquetting which eyther vtterly despise the poore or else giue them with an euill will and forgetting to giue God thankes reioyce in scurrilitie and kindle intemperancye by lowde singing and vnseasonable musick Against these are the sermons of the Prophetes Isa. 5. and Amos. 6. Further least any man might thinke this feruent studie in godlynesse lacked his successe Luke teacheth vs what commoditie ensued thereof where he sayeth They had fauour with all the people And the Lorde added dayly c. He sheweth a double fruite hereof comming First they were in fauour and authoritie with all men of the wiser sort For it is playne by that that was sayde before that the wicked were afrayd of them Wee are hereby taught what thing getteth men true authoritie verilye the studie and desire of Gods religion and glory For it must needes be true that the Lorde sayde by the Prophete I will honour them that honour me and they shall be put to shame that despise me Let the Rulers of the church and other Magistrates marke well this thing The superintendents know that they haue neede both of authoritie and fauour but they go not alwayes about to get it that wayes that they ought to doe whiles some of them hunt for worldlye prayse some studye to heape vp riches other seeke to be aloft in worldly pompe being little carefull in the meane while for the honor and glory of god Where the feruent zeale and desire of Gods glorye is the most compendious way to come vnto glory For God which can turne the hartes of men which way it pleaseth him and preserueth the remembrance of them that be his as the Psalmist sayeth will surely rewarde them for euer An other fruite or commoditie therof is that the Lord added dayly vnto his church such as should be saued The church or congregation therfore encreased and they that first entred into it felt their fayth in them also encreased No man therfore can labor in vaine in the vineyard of the Lord so that he earnestly applye his vocation Marke in the meane time howe all encrease of the Church is attributed to the Lorde The Lorde sayth he added euery day vnto the Congregation such as should be saued In deede the Apostles preached and drewe men by preaching of the worde But all the successe of their labour must be ascrybed to God onelye who onely hath power vpon the harts of men For Christ hath taught vs that no man commeth to him except the father vouchsafe to drawe him This thing Paule expresseth by an elegant parable of husbandrye in the first to the Corinthians the thirde Chapter And the Lorde testifyeth by his Prophete that he will write his lawes in the heartes of the faythfull so that they shall neede none other instruction Wherevpon in another place the beleeuing are called most properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye taught of God or the Disciples and schollers of God. And Christ himselfe sayth that his spirite shall be our counseller and maister to leade vs into all truth Here is the impudencie of them reprooued which gather themselues disciples and call them after their owne name And they also are as faultie which acknowledge other maisters beside Christ and reioyce in their names more than in the name of Christ whome Christ and Paule most earnestly impugne and rebuke Let no man take occasion hereby to be slouthfull For euerye man must haue a respect to his calling and walke in the same and ascribe all successe not to his owne industrie but
hath the authoritie of the sworde committed him of God And me thinketh there needeth no long disputation agaynst them which in matters of religion will haue the authoritie of the sworde altogyther to cease For though we graunt them that no man ought violently to be compelled to the fayth for that it is the gift of God yet is it the Magistrates duetie by the sworde to keepe vnder both blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers least for lacke of punishment they doe and speake agaynsâ— the glorie of God and publike tranquilitie See the â—aw Leuit. 24. Deut. 13. Neyther seemeth Peter in thys present place nor Paule afterwarde to haue sought any other thing than the defence of religion In primis let vs beare in minde the chiefe poynt of this hystorie and being frayde with the horrible example of Ananias let vs flye dissimulation let vs worship God in spirite and truth and cleaue to Iesus Christ with mindes burning in godly fayth to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxiij. Homelie AND it came to passe that as it were about the space of three houres after his wyfe came in ignorant of that which was done And Peter sayd vnto hir Tell me Solde ye not the lande for so much And shee sayde yea for so much Then Peter saide vnto hir Why haue yee agreed togither to tempt the spirite of the Lorde Beholde the feete of them which haue buryed thy husbande are at the dore and shall carie thee out Then fell she downe streyte waye at his feete and yeelded vp the ghost And the yong men came in and founde hir deade and caryed hir out and buryed hir by hir husbande BYcause our Sauiour Iesus Christ was not ignoraunt that there would be alwayes false brethren and hypocrites in the Church which would be authors of great offences he would therefore in the beginning and springth of the Church haue some terrible example shewed agaynst them whereby we myght learne what such as they be shoulde looke for and trust to We haue seene the first part hereof in Ananias in whom the conditions of hypocrytes are trimly expressed These men are destitute of true fayth which thing is the fountaine beginning of all euill For hereof it commeth to passe that they wickedly mocke and despise as well God as his Church Herevnto maye we adde incurable obstinacie the accomplishment of all vice wherby it commeth to passe that a man may easilier conuert open synners than such as haue once purposed in theyr minde to deceyue the congregation by hypocrisie and dissimulation These things shall appeare the more plainely if we consyder the other part of thys storie which contayneth as dolorous and lamentable an ende of Sapphira which within three houres after not knowing of hir husbandes death came in vnto Peter and the faythfull which were with him as Luke reporteth For commonly it so commeth to passe that we knowe those things last which it behooued vs first to knowe bicause menne vse rather in our absence to disclose our faultes than to reprooue vs to our face Then also the affection of loue so worketh in the godly that they vnwyllingly bring tydings of anye thing which may giue occasion of griefe to their neighbours Which seemeth me to be the cause that Sapphira as yet knewe not of the death of hir husband But to the ende we may receyue the more vtilitie by consideration of thys hystorie first of all we will speake of the question wherewith Peter beginneth with hir and then of the ouer bolde confidence of Sapphira and last of all of the punishment wherewith God was reuenged on hir Peters demaunde was neyther light nor superfluous For thereby Sapphiras impietie did appeare the playner which otherwise might eyther haue seemed ignoraunt of hir husbandes craft or else to haue bene induced by hys authoritie so to haue dissembled Therefore Peter requireth of hir a reason of this their doing saying Tell me solde you the lande for so much Furthermore where the successe of the matter declareth that Peter did nothing of priuate affection but by the instinct of the holy ghost it behooueth vs here to marke the order that God vseth in punishing the wicked The incurable naughtinesse of Sapphira could not be hidden from him neyther coulde any man haue letted him to haue punished the same by and by But he woulde haue a time of repentaunce graunted hir and hir minde to be tryed and stirred vp by a straunge demaunde least he might seeme ouer hastie to anye man by his seueritie Such examples of Gods long sufferaunce are euerywhere extant For he is well ware of vsing any crueltie against the guiltie as Tyrannes doe but will haue them vnderstande by what offences they haue prouoked his wrath and punishment agaynst themselues Thus we read he did with our first parents and he gaue them that liued in the beginning of the worlde an hundred and twentie yeares space wherein to repent them and did also vouchsafe to sende them Noah the preacher of righteousnesse Likewise he would not destroy the Chanaanites and Amorrhites vntill he saw they filled the measure of iniquitie and were become alltogither incurable But what neede examples seeing we haue plentie both in the holy prophane hystories to let passe those things whereof wee see experience daylie both in others and in our selues Let vs rather apply these matters to our instruction and first of all let vs not abuse the long suffering of god For he prouoketh vs to repentaunce Let vs not therefore like reprobates procure vnto vs the wrath of God by contynuing in synne without repentaunce and waxe euery day woorse and woorse For God is slacke in punishing but this slacknesse as the heathen haue vsed to saye he recompenceth with weight and heauinesse of punishment Also let vs followe the goodnesse of God and not be to hastie in our iudgement although it appeare some haue deserued punishment For where God euery where desyreth the saluation rather than destruction of men what boldnesse is it I pray you to sâ—ryue to ouercome Gods iustice by our rigour and seueritie which thing they haue chiefely to consider which haue receiued power and authoritie from God to punishe other least through their seueritie and hastinesse of iudgement they bring the bodyes and soules of them in ieopardie whose saluation they shoulde principallye seeke But let vs harcken to Sapphira who boldly lyeth without all shame and feare of god And she doth not simply affirme the thing but vsing a signe of contestation confirmeth as it were by an oâ—h that which she knew to be false For where euery man had libertie to giue what seemed him good it was lyke hytherto that no man was required to giue account before the congregation what he receyued and layde forth Therefore Sapphira should haue thought that it was not without some mysterie that such a question was now mooued especially knowing in hir selfe that
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
things which can not be attayned too nor perceyued by mans reason it becommeth vs with Paule to marueyle with godly confession of our ignorance and to crie out O the depth of the riches and of the wisedome of God how vnsearchable be his iudgementes and his wayes vnfindeable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene a counsell with him or who hath first giuen to him and it shall be giuen to him againe For of him and by him and in him c. Nowe let vs see the other part of Christes aunswere wherein he repeateth such thinges of his kingdome as serue for this present purpose Hee so handleth this matter as I sayde before that he both marueylously comforteth the Disciples and admonisheth them of their dutie For he sayth You shall receyue power when the holy ghost shall come vpon you and you shall be witnesses to me not only in Hierusalem but in all Iurie and Samarie and vnto the worldes ende First he repeateth the promyse of the holy ghost wherwith he comforteth the Disciples and describeth the state of his kingdome I woulde not sayth he haue you abashed where you heare you are appointed to the setting forth of my kingdome among the Gentyles For this thing will not bee compassed by mans strength which I perceyue in you to be very small and little regarded Here needeth heauenlye and diuine strength from aboue which I haue often promised you shal not want and now againe I promise you the same For the holy ghost shall come vpon you which shall giue you courage and strength that shall make you able to fulfill your office We are here admonished that Christes kingdome as hee confessed before Pylate is not of this worlde or earthly but spirituall neyther consisteth in the power honour glory triumphes riches and pleasures of this world but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holye ghost Wherevpon we gather further that it is not set foorth and defended with carnall weapons and strength of Princes of this worlde but with preaching of the worde wherwith the spirite of God worketh effectuously in the harts of men This teacheth the wordes of Paule where he sayth Though we walke in the fleshe yet warre we not after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to cast downe strong holdes wherewith we ouerthrowe counsayles and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God bring into captiuity all imagination to the obedience of Christ. c. Therfore they labour in vaine which go about by mans counsell leagues fight fauour and amitie of Princes and such lyke meanes to set vp the kingdome of god For Christes kingdome is in the mindes of men which by no mans strength can be forced but with the power and operation of the holye ghost It becommeth both Kings and Princes to be the nurses and maintayners of the Church as Esay sayth but they shall neuer with outwarde power and strength set forth the kingdome of christ And the examples of all ages plainely teach vs that whatsoeuer man went about by his counsell and strength that way to bring it to passe neuer happily succeeded Moreouer he expressely teacheth what the Apostles haue to doe in their office in this kingdome You shall be my witnesses sayth hee This shall bee your kingdome your office your dignitie to beare witnesse of my doctrine life myracles passion death buriall resurrection from death and ascention into heauen and briefly of all the things which I haue done and suffred for mans saluation Neyther shall you expounde the hystorie of things by mee done onelye but declare the ende and vse of them that all nations maye acknowledge mee their onelye teacher sauiour and redeemer Christ thought good in this place to vse this worde witnesse as also in Iohn the .xv. to admonish as well the Apostles as the hearers of their dutie For the Apostles and their successors learne by the dutie of a witnesse how to preache the Gospell of Iesus christ In a witnesse the looue of truth is chiefly required and a lying witnesse God hateth Againe it is the part of a witnesse to speake nothing but that he knoweth which he hath so certainly seene and heard that he doubteth nothing of the truth of them Further he must haue no corrupt affections least of hatred feare or fauour he put to hyde or conceale any thing but plainly confesse the thing he knoweth Such witnesses we reade that the Apostles were For whatsoeuer they heard Christ teach or sawe him doe they truely preached it neyther feared they the threates of their enimies as appeareth in all hystories Neyther confirmed they their witnesse of Christ with words onely but with their life with death and with their bloud It becommeth the Ministers of the worde to imitate their truth and constancy who if for fauour of man or feare of daunger they chaunge or at least dissemble any thing in the quarrell of Christ they pollute themselues with an horrible crime and are in daunger of Christes sentence Whosoeuer is ashamed of me in this naughty and adulterous world him will I also be ashamed of when I come wirh the holy angels in the glory of my father Againe the hearers of the Apostles and Apostolicall doctrine are here admonished what an heynous offence it is not to beleeue the holye gospell or to gainesay it For it is not a simple preaching of Christ or an hystoricall and bare narration but a testimonie which the Apostles as sworne witnesses brought into the worlde by the very sonne of God gaue not only before the common people but also before the Bishoppes and Priestes Kinges and their Counsell But he that in the lawe giueth no credite to sworne witnesses and openly denieth their testimony bringeth himselfe in daunger of lyfe What shall we saye then of those â–ª which feare not to speake against the Apostles being Christes witnesses For they accuse not only the Apostles of lying but also Christ himselfe as much as in them lyeth yea they woulde cause God the father to be suspected as though he would bring forth false witnesses and obtaine his sonnes cause with suborned witnesses This sawe that beloued Disciple of Christ when he sayth If we receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnesse of God which he bare of his sonne He that beleeueth the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyer bicause hee beleeueth not the witnesse that God beareth of his sonne c. These things if we consider brethren we shall finde the chiefe cause of the euils of these daies For where we take it for a ieast and pastime to call in question and doubt the things written by the Apostles of Iesus Christ yea many wickedly deny them and persecute that testimony of Iesus Christ with fire and sworde
denie it For whosoeuer hath any taste of the doctrine of the gospell shall confesse that the preaching therof beateth downe the same Neyther doth the spirite of Christ by outwarde worde onely oppugne the same but it also consecrateth the minds vnto God that they which a little while ago were the bondslaues of sinne are now become the Temples of the liuing god In the meane season we denie not but there are many which abuse the colour of the gospell to sow dissention and to plant libertie But ought the gospell to be charged therewith I pray you what wise man condemneth the Magistrate bicause diuers vnder the colour thereof haue become Tyrauntes and oppressors of the libertie of their Countrie Why doe we not rather marke the vse of the Magistrate which is appointed for that ende that the lust of priuate persons should be restrayned and violence and tyrannie be brideled Euen so let vs confesse that the right vse of the Gospell and effect of the holye ghost is onely to set vp true concorde and holly honestie of life Nay if we shall confesse the truth there is none other concorde acceptable before God than that which is amonge the faythfull in Iesus Christ which are borne againe of the worde and spirite of god Neyther can there be any other true holinesse and innocencie than that whereof Christes spirite is the Author For that holinesse which men counterfaite without his spirite is hippocriticall and is not able to abide the iudgement of God as straunge from the righteousnesse of Christ which vseth to supplie all the defectes and wantes of the faythfull Now to these aforesayde poyntes Luke ioyneth the maner of his sending which was visible both bicause the Apostles might conceyue through presence of the spirite the greater confidence and boldnesse to go about their office and also for our cause that it might appeare how Iesus Christ neuer forsaketh his Church but defendeth it by his inuisible grace which he declared by the sending of his holy spirit For hereto serueth that notable promise I will not leaue you comfortlesse And againe Beholde I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde But touching the maner howe this thing was here done three things remaine to be discussed First there was sodainly a noyse from heauen And it is not without a mysterie that these things come to passe sodainly or vnlooked for For this is alwayes Gods vsage that he then most truely performeth his promises when we least looke for them yea when there is no more helpe remayning in man So he performeth his promise in deliuering his people out of the bondage of Egypt foure hundred yeares after the Israelites were bereft of all libertie and were constrayned to beholde most horrible examples of Tyrannie in their newe borne babes and haue nothing safely to trust vnto So in this place he sendeth the holy ghost now sodainely when they least thought of it whose comming he had deferred now a .xj. daies long We are taught by these examples paciently to wayte for the promises of god For where God is truth it selfe he cannot deceiue And forasmuch as he is our Lord we his seruaunts it becommeth vs to attende his leysure and not to prescribe him any time Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid be stronge and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lorde And the Prophete sayth If he tarie yet wayte thou for him For in verie deede he will come and not be slacke And such a noyse and sounde came from heauen bicause wee might knowe that the holye Apostles endued with an heauenly and diuine spirite were become preachers of an heauenly and diuine doctrine and not mans the aucthoritie and credite whereof might be called in doubt This serueth to confute the foolishnesse of such as with the ritche glutton require teachers to come from an other worlde from heauen or from hell And whatsouer thinges are sayde of mans saluation and dutie they reiect with this scoffe saying there was yet neuer none that came eyther from heauen or hell to tell vs what is there to do So they disclose how theyr wicked mindes are voyde of all religion For onlesse these wicked men had vtterly put away all shamefastnesse they would know that the sonne of God came downe from heauen into fleshe and rose againe from death and most faythfully declared vnto vs the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen They would know that the holy ghost came downe from heauen and spake these things by the Apostles which they haue taught vs touching the meane of our saluation and what our dutie is But he that would require any newe kinde of learning yea though an Aungell brought it from heauen he ought not to be beleeued but accursed Secondly a certaine blast or violent winde russhing in filled all the house where the Apostles dwelt And that the spirite is signifyed by blast or winde it is no doubt bicause the very name of spirite is a borrowed speache and the diuine power is so called for that it pierceth and by his power conserueth all things And the Hebrues vse this worde Ruach which is as well vsed for the winde as for the spirite Christ woulde in this place therefore vse the token of winde to set before our eyes as it were the strength and efficacie of the holy spirite which is incomprehensible to mans capacitie and can be attayned to by no power of man It is better to here himselfe interpretate the same thing For reasoning with Nicodemus of the operation of his spirite by the which they that beleeue are borne againe he sayth The winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the noyse thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth For as the wit of man coulde not hitherto shewe vs for a certayntie the causes and begynnynges of the wynde although they haue long and much searched for the same so the operation of the holy spirite farre passeth the capacitie of man although we effectuallye feele the same in our hartes And euen as the blowyng of windes can not be let by any deuice or force of men so the spirite of Christ which worketh by the gospell feareth not the strength of men nor is not hindred therby to shew his power where and when he wyll Yea foolishe and ridiculous is the endeuour of them whosoeuer wyll striue with God to bryng the spirite and worde of God to their bent wyl holde them within boundes of them appoynted Examples hereof we haue euery where but the Apostles examples of right ought to haue the first place They were commaunded of the Lorde that they should fyll all the world with their preachyng This seemed a thing impossible to be done by simple vnlearned men despised persons Yea as many as were counted eyther of power or wisdome in the worlde withstoode them Yet the spirite of Christe by the ministerie of the
foorth Gods quarrell and cause with great boldenesse Therefore by their example we may see howe effectuall the operation of the holy ghost is For they which not long before vsed handy craftes and occupations being rude and vnlearned men are nowe able to abyde the sight of such a multitude and the diuers clamours of so vnruly a sort with constant courage And those whom before euery lyght occasion made so afrayde that they durst not professe the name of Christ before a fewe of rascall segons do nowe defend his quarrell most stoutly before a great assembly gathered togither of euery nation and degree neither lacke they for the handes of tormentours to make them confesse the truth but offer themselues freely to defende the same Learne hereof howe we must trye and prooue whether the spirite of Christ raigne in vs yea or no. For vnlesse this zeale and stoute courage to defende Christ and his truth be seene in vs We shall in vayne boast of his spirite And yet nowe a dayes amongst those that most bragge of his spirite it is thought a commendable thyng for a man to stop his eares at the horrible blasphemies of wicked men vttered agaynst Christ and the truth of his Gospell as if they were but Sirenes songes The Apostles shewe themselues in this place to be farre other maner of men amongst whome Peter mooued but with a very lyght taunt or quip as it myght seeme begynneth with bolde speache to defende Christes cause and the Gospels Further it is not lyghtly to be passed ouer howe Peter is saide to stande with the eleuen This is an euident argument of equalitie which the Apostles diligently conserued among themselues For where Christ put them all but in one office which they now hauyng receyued the holy ghost better vnderstoode then before all that most vayne contention about superioritie wherewith before they were enflamed is vtterly quenched Therfore Peter sytteth in no throne alone by hym selfe the other standyng about him as his seruauntes and garde He is not separated from the other but ioyned togither with them and sheweth euidently that he is but one of their number And although he alone make the oration yet he defendeth not his owne cause but the common case of them all so that herein Peter myght seeme rather the minister of the residue than the prince and chiefe of them Away therfore with them that by Peters example challenge a supremacie to themselues in the Churche and are puffed vp with pride of the Persians Christ gaue his Apostles example of humilitie which to followe it becommeth all Christian men much more them whome he hath appoynted to be Sheepeheardes of his Churche Hereunto is to be referred that place of Paule which vsing great obtestations vrgeth this one thyng that they that will be accompted the ministers of Christ must seeke after vnanimitie and for humilitie which is the mother thereof Let nothyng be done saith he through contention or vayne glorie but in meekenesse of mynde â—et euery man esteeme another better than himselfe Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man on the thinges that are other mens Let the same mynde be in you that was also in Christ Iesu. See the place to the Philippians the seconde Chapter But let vs consyder Peters sermon in which the effect and power of the holy ghost shall more clearely appeare The begynnyng hereof is neither affectate nor ambicious For the doctrine of the truth is simple and hath no neede to be commended with vaynnesse of wordes forasmuch as it commendeth it selfe sufficiently in that it teacheth vs most playnely the way of saluation Wherefore Peter only callyng vpon the men whome he purposeth to speake vnto saith Yee men of Iurie and all yee that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my wordes He vseth the name of Iewes to admonishe them both of their auncient glorie and of their duetie For God in tymes passed had chosen them and made them Iehudim that is Confessours by whom he woulde be celebrated and worshipped Wherevpon in some place it is sayde God is knowne in Iurie For the same cause he maketh mention of Hierusalem which is often times called the holy citie to shewe them that they ought to be mooued euen with the holynesse of the place to listen diligently to the thinges which appertayne to the glorie of God and to their owne saluation For he is not content to be hearde onely by the way as of men that are otherwyse occupied but diligently and wyll haue it layde vp in their myndes His oration consisteth of two partes The first aunswereth the slaunder of the wicked scoffers which accuse them of drunkennesse a thyng which first of all behooued to be put away bicause their sayings should haue bene of no aucthoritie or credite yf they had bene taken for drunkardes and blowboldes The other part preacheth Iesus Christe and comprehendeth all the order of mans saluation We are taught by example of the first that it is lawfull to make aunswere vnto slaunders and to defende the honestie of our name and fame agaynst slaunderers and detractours For as Salomon saith A good name and honest report is to be preferred before much riches It behooueth them specially which are in the ministerie to haue a regard thereof bicause the slaunders whereby their name and estimation is impayred doeth not so much touch their owne persons as God himselfe to whose contempt they specially tend which was the cause that the Apostle would haue a Bishop to haue the commendation of those that be abrode also How much more ought he to take heede that he be not contemned of those he hath the charge of But bicause the naughtinesse of many goeth so farre that they are not ashamed to charge the holy Ministers of God with false crymes for that they may the more easily make the doctrine of truth to be hated and suspected therefore excusations and purgations of themselues be both necessarie and lawfull For we reade that Christ manye tymes vsed them thereby to bring his doctrine out of contempt And Paule not so fewe tymes as one plentifully and copiously disputeth against his aduersaries touching his Apostleshippe his calling and truth which he vsed in the same bicause he sawe he coulde not be contemned but his preaching of the Gospell also must grow out of regarde in the mindes of very many Therefore Peter beginneth his oraâ—â—on very well with purging of the crime thereby to bring the Apostles out of all suspicion Neyther are they to be regarded which in such case require sufferance For Christian pacience letteth not but that we may defende Christ and his truth to the vttermost And they that be of this opinion to thinke all the slaunders that are ioyned with contempt of the Gospell ought to be passed ouer as though we heare them not deserue neyther the name of pacient nor modest men but are to
Church and declare the benefite of Gods grace that it seeme not to be bestowed vpon vnworthy persons But Luke passeth to other matters declaring what effect this great myracle tooke among the people and howe an occasion of preaching was thereby offered to Peter where the proper and right vse of the whole hystorie sheweth it selfe The people sayeth Luke sawe the lame man walking and praysing god And not only sawe him walking but knew certainly it was he that was woont to sitte at the gate of the Temple to aske almes Which thing maketh for proofe of the truth of the myracle least anye man might deeme there were anye craft or sleyght vsed in the matter Then being rauished with admiration they ranne thicke and threefolde to the Apostles whome the lame man for ioye had not yet let go and forsaken Here we haue two things to obserue the one worthy of great commendation the other of reprehension as more plainly shall appeare by Peters wordes First being striken with marueylous admiration Luke sayth they were prouoked to runne to the Apostles and to bethinke them of so straunge and vnwoonted a matter which no manne can denye but was well done of them and not without a cause For we ought diligently to consider the workes of God and to marueyle at the excellencye of them for the which ende some Philosophers not altogither vnwittily haue sayde that God made manne Bicause that obseruation and marueyling stayeth not in a certaine blinde and amazed dulnesse of the minde but is a certayne preparation of the mynde whereby we are drawne to the true knowledge of god For God verily reuealeth himselfe and his will in his worde which being long since written he hath commaunded alwayes to be preached in his Church But such is the corruption of our minde that vnlesse we be drawne by some forcible motion we can neuer be brought from earthly things to the consideration of heauenly Wherefore God ioyneth to his worde many times certaine signes and most singuler works that they may awake our mindes out of that dull sleepe and bring them to the consideration of his worde and will. And for this cause Christ oftentimes eyther before his teaching or in his teaching vsed myracles to make men the more ready to receyue his doctrine Which myracles howe much good they did appeareth by the example of Nicodemus and others who by them came first to the knowledge of christ Nowe in all the myracles iudgementes and workes of God this is the chiefe ende and purpose that by them we shoulde take occasion to ryse higher to the better knowledge of Gods will and pleasure But here the sluggishnesse of this age is to be bewayled whereby it commeth to passe that many are waxed so deafe that they neyther can heare nor see anye of the thinges whereby God puncheth vs and waketh vs vp to acknowledge our saluation The word of the Gospell is preached andthe Lord commaundeth vs to watch We see euery where horrible examples of Gods iudgements wherewith he bridleth and punisheth the vncurable wickednesse of this world There are signes woonders and tokens of all sortes and kindes shewed To conclude whatsoeuer thinges Christ prophecied shoulde come to passe in the later age before his glorious comming are dayly done in our sight and fulfilled But we lying bolt vpright and snorting regarde none of all these things so that if there were none other signe or token surely by the ouer great securitie and carelesnesse of the worlde it maye be perceyued that these be the daungerous dayes wherof the Apostles many times haue admonished vs. But let vs awake O brethren and learne by this present example the workes of God that our marueyling at them maye be an helpe for vs to come to a more perfite knowledge of God. The other thing in the people is to be reprehended For although God pricked and stirred them vp by so notable a myracle yet were their mindes and eyes still vpon the Apostles whome they thought to be the authors of the myracle whereas they ought to haue lift vp their mindes to the consideration of Iesus Christ in whose name and by whose power the myracle was wrought This is the propertie of the fleshe to sticke to the present and next causes and to lift their minde no higher to knowe the true and onely author of all things that are done And this is no small errour for of this all superstition and ydolatrie tooke their beginning For hereof it came to passe that the Gentiles worshipped the Sunne Moone and the other planets as Gods. For in ascribing to them the benefites that God by them bestowed on mankinde what other thing did they The same errour mooued them to make these men Gods which had beâ—â—e authors to them of any publike weale or pleasure And this errour stayed not in men but bicause of the benefites they receyued by beastes and other creatures they thought there was a certaine kinde of Godheade in brute beastes riuers fountaines trees and herbes and turned the glorye of the immortall God into the likenesse of men flying fowles and fourefooted beastes Neyther did the ydolatrie vsed among the Christians spring of anye other occasion For when the myracles wrought in times past by Saints began to doltishly to be written by those that were vnlearned were also more foolishly preached and blazed in the pulpets straight way the ignorant people thought them to be done through the vertue and power of the Saints And so another errour sprang of that false opinion and caused them that were sicke or in other great daungers to make vowes to the Saintes by whose helpe they hearde that eyther themselues or other before had bene deliuered And bicause God sometymes mainteyned the remembrance of his Saintes by myracles wrought at their sepulchres they thought some godly power was also in those places whereof it came to passe that they tyed worshipping and inuocation to places peculiar And least anye thing shoulde be wanting to this superstition and ydolatrie Saâ—an beganne to beautifie the images of the Saintes with signes and myracles whereby the matter came so farre out of frame that nowe the thinges due to Christ alone were not only attributed to Saintes but also to the Saintes images which superstitions men had set vp against the commaundement of Gods maiestie And it was not ynough to make vowes to the Saintes but there must also be some famous place ymage of the Saint wrought and carued That these things were of a truth done we are taught both by histories and examples of superstitious men which shew vs in these dayes an infinit number of them Wherfore where the negligent consideration of myracles and the foolish admiration of them hath giuen occasion of fowle error and manifest vngodlynesse we are warned that whatsoeuer myracles are done without the doctrine of Gods worde which teacheth vs trulye to iudge of them they ought neuer to be
regarded For that duiers signes and woonders aswell true as false be wrought amongest men we are taught by the holye Scriptures They are called true myracles when that thing is truly done that is sayd to be done and which beareth witnesse to the doctrine of truth such as were sometimes the myraculous workes of the Apostles done by Christes institution They are called false which deceyue vs by some lying shew as Charmers and Iuglers vse or which call men from God and from the faith and doctrine of the truth Such as sometimes Iannes and Iambres shewed before Pharao And such as are ascribed to Antichrist and to the deceyuers in the later dayes And God suffreth them otherwhiles to be done in the sight of his people that in the elect he may trye the constancie of their faith as Moses testifyeth Deut. 13. and in the reprobate he maye exercise the seueritie of his iudgement bicause through the efficacie of errour as Paule sayeth they are seduced which woulde not admit the loue of the truth Therefore myracles are neu er so to be taken that we must cleaâ—e onelye to them or to their doctrine that worke them but we must examine them after the rule of Gods worde that in those which beare witnesse to the truth and teach vs to trust in god we may acknowledge God to be the author and reiect all other as false by whose baytes Satan vseth to lye in wayte against our faith and saluation If this thing be not obserued we shall through our owne default be deceyued not onely by false myracles but also by true whereof God is the author whyle we heeding the persons regarde not the ende wherfore they are done Whereof this place giueth vs an euident example and another hereafter is written of the people of Lystra which tooke occasion to commit ydolatrie of a myracle done by Paule as in his place shall appeare But let vs consider Peter which of the peoples amazednesse taketh occasion to preach Thinke you he abuseth the ignoraunce and errour of the people Goeth he about by this meane to get himselfe and his fellowes authoritie which he might easily haue done No verily Naye he beginneth to preach Christ and defendeth his honour and glorye There are fower members or principall pointes of his sermon First he correcteth the ignorance of the people sheweth them that there is nothing here done through â—he power and vertue or holynesse of men Secondly he declareth God to be the author of the myracle who hath wrought the same by his sonne where he also admonisheth them of their heynous offence committed against the sonne of god Thirdly he requireth of them repentaunce Last of all bicause the Christian religion did seeme to repugne with Moses and the Prophets he teacheth them that they did set forth Christ and that they must of necessitie beleeue Christ vnlesse they will seeme grieuouslye to offende against Moses and the Prophetes And therewithall he also teacheth that Christ which was promised to the fathers belonged also to them least they should be drowned in dispaire through the conscience of their sinnes But at this present we will speake but of the first part onely purposing to intreate of the reast in theiâ— place and time First he goeth about to remooue ignorance and error out of their minds This is the right and most commodious waye of teaching the truth For mans propertie and condicion is like to the earth whereof he was made The earth yeeldeth thornes and bryers of it owne accorde neyther bringeth it forth good seede with any increase vnlesse it be diligently clensed and ridde of them So the minde of man corrupt with originall sinne bringeth forth errors of it selfe â–ª which except they be strongly repulsed it neyther can suffer the doctrine of truth nor receyue any fruite or commoditie thereby Wherefore the Lorde commaundeth the Prophete to breake downe and roote vp before he builde or set And Peter is not colde in this behalfe as though he â—hunned honour for ciuilitie and modestie sake as ambicious folke vse which hunt for glorye euen then when they feyne to be contemners thereof But framing his talke by an interrogatiue point maketh it the more vehement saying Ye men of Israell why marueyle yee at this or why looke you so on vs as though by our owne power and strength wee had made this man to go These wordes sauour of some reprehension I pray you sayth he what cause hath mooued you to conceyue such abashment of this myracle wheras not long sithens many such were wrought by Christ howe commeth it to passe you remember not them And then it should easily appeare who is the author of this Surely in vaine you looke vpon vs yea your errour is so great that it may not be winked at For our power or holinesse hath herein done nothing But it is anothers woorke who must haue all the prayse of that is done Let vs obserue in this place the modestye and truth of the Apostles whereby they so challenge vnto Christ all honor and glorie that they reserue nothing to themselfe of that is due to him This is the propertie of all the Saintes For they acknowledge Christes voyce saying by the Prophete I am the Lorde this is my name And my glorye will I giue to none other There are examples of this endeuour not only in this place but also otherwheares The Baptist when hee was asked whether hee were Messias the sauiour he giueth all that prayse to Christ onely whose forerunner onely he confesseth himselfe to be The same before his Disciples which of a carnall zeale enuied Christ testifyed that Christ was the bridegroome of the Church to whome all men must be brought and sheweth that all power and glorye was giuen vnto him from God the father and sendeth his Disciples vnto him And Paule had rather to be stoned than he woulde receyue any godly honor when they of Lystra offred it him of their owne free motion and will. Of this minde it is plaine also the Angels are For where Iohn being rauished with the excellencie of reuelations would haue worshipped an Aungell he sayde vnto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and of thy brethren the Prophetes and of them which keepe the wordes of the prophecie of this booke Worship thou God. Wherevpon Augustine in his .xlix. Epistle disputing of the honour due to God only writeth of the Aungels whom he calleth the spirituall creatures on this wise Howe much more godly it is and in subiection to God so muche lesse it doth vouchsafe it selfe of such honour as it knoweth belongeth but to God. And a little afterwarde comparing the euill aungels who sayth he ioy and are delighted in the errors of men with the good he addeth wherefore euen as wicked pryde whether it bee of men â–ª or of Spirites commaundeth or desireth these diuine honours to be
Iohn the Baptist and Christ doe plainely declare where they seuerely and earnestly rebuke the Iewes glorying in the bare title of Abraham But Peter by this argument confirmeth those that might dispaire to the entent they might vnderstande their traueyle should not be in vaine if they woulde follow their fathers the Prophetes and embrace Christ the Sauiour whome they foretolde was to come Marke how Peter going about to perswade the Iewes to hope for saluation first maketh mention of the Prophetes He knewe therefore that this was the chiefe argument of Gods fauour toward vs to giue vs expositors of his will bicause that except we perfitely knew it we could not attaine vnto saluation Therfore among the benefites of the olde testament which God in time passed bestowed on his people this is chiefely to be remembred that he furnished them with Prophetes by whome they might be taught the will of god See Mich. 6. Amos. 2. Psal. 107. 2. Paral. 36. Yea Christ himselfe by this argument prooueth that he tooke the Apostles for his friendes bicause he hid none of those thinges from them which were shewed to him of his father Whereof we gather howe great the ingratitude and wickednesse of them is which dare contemne the worde of God and hisse at the Prophets by whose ministerie the same is preached They shall one daye feele the sentence of Christ when he most seuerely reuenge the contempt of his seruants as he threateneth Math. 10. Secondly he calleth to their remembrance the vocation of the Iewes and promise of God alleaging the couenaunt or testament of God made in the time past with Abraham You sayeth he are the children of the couenant which God made with your fathers saying to Abraham Euen in thy seede shall all the kinreds of the earth be blessed He seemeth by an Hebrewe phrase to call them the children of the Testament to whom the Testament belonged and which were Heires written in the Testament of god For so we reade they are called the children of wrath or death whome God in his wrath appointeth to death Peter seemeth to make two argumentes The first is of a thinge before denounced or shewed saying God in the Testament which he made with your fathers hath written you for heyres also Ergo the saluation contayned in the Testament of God belongeth as well to you as to the fathers The Antecedent needed no great proofe with those who knewe the promise of God well ynough I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee Then alleaging the summe and effect of the Testament he prooueth by an argument a comparatis that is of things compared or layde togither that they cannot be excluded from the promises For thus God testified to their father Abraham that in his seede all the Nations of the earth shoulde be blessed And if the Testament of God extended to forreine Nations who I pray you will denye that it appertayneth to them that be borne of the stocke of Abraham Yet let vs alwaye remember that Peter speaketh these things condicionally and that saluation is promised to them which by the faith that was in Abraham take holde of Christ least we attribute vnto carnall generation that which dependeth vpon the meere grace of God and his free election as Paule at large prooueth to the Romaines the .ix. Chapter By this place may the madnesse of the Anabaptistes be confuted which will not admit the children borne of the faythfull into the societie and fellowship of Christes Church yet none of vs denie but that saluation standeth in Goddes election and not in carnall generation In the meane whyle where as God in his Testament hath longe since included the children of the faythfull it may seeme great rashnesse to denye them the communion of the Testament and Churche of god Shall we thinke the condicions of the newe Testament more hard and grieuous for our children than the olde were whan by Circumcision the eyght day they were taken into the fellowship of the people of God Or shall the authoritie of Christ be of no force with vs which attributeth fayth to little children and affirmeth that the kingdome of heauen pertaineth to them Or what shall we saye to Paule which speaking of vnlike mariages feareth not to call those children holy which haue but one parent onely be it father or mother that is a Christian Let vs therefore auoyde the headye audacitie of our iudgement and constantly keepe the articles of Gods couenant where it is manifest that saluation is promised euen to very children It is diligently to be considered that God woulde haue our redemption and saluation comprised in a couenant or Testament Which thing as it begon in Abraham so was it afterwarde many times renewed with Abrahams posteritie ofspring Hereto appertayne the things spoken by Dauid Psal. 89. and. 132. and also the things we read in Ieremy 31. touching the new Testament of god And God did not onely make a Testament but confirmed the same with an othe For he sware vnto Abraham and that by himselfe bicause he coulde sweare by no greater These thinges serue to proue the certaintie of our saluation For if no man reiect or breake a mans testament after it is engrossed lawfully prooued then none hath so much authoritie as to infringe or violate the Testament of god For Paule saith the gifts of God are without repentance and his calling cannot be broken God affirmeth the same Ieremie the .33 saying If the couenant which I haue made with daye and night may be broken that there shoulde not be daye and night in due season then maye my couenaunt also be broken which I made with Dauid my seruant c. And in another place he sayeth that the naturall affections of the parents towarde their children be not so sure and vehement as the care he hath to keepe the truth of his Testament and the certaintie of our saluation It shall be profitable to marke diligentlye the summe of Gods Testament which is alleaged by Peter out of the .xxij. chap. of Genesis In thy seede sayth God vnto Abraham shall all the kinredes of the earth bee blessed In which wordes God comprehendeth three thinges First he sheweth what profite commeth to vs by his Testament Secondly he declareth the mediator by whome we shall receyue it Thirdly he teacheth to whome the inheritance of this Testament is to be extended First God promiseth a blessing which is set agaynst the curse as appeareth in Deut. 27. and .28 This blessing comprehendeth in it the whole and entire safetie of man and specially the fauour of God which enricheth vs with all kinde of goodes For it cannot be that he can want either in bodie or soule that hath God fauourable and mercifull to him And it behooued this thing should expressely be promised vs bicause by nature as many as are of the stocke
out of Paule we declared Christ blesseth vs as he is a priest For it was the Priestes office to blesse the people as Moyses teacheth Numer 6. Although there is great difference betweene them Christ for they were ministers only of the figure and shadowe Christ doth not only wishe vs good but also giueth it and in him God blesseth vs with all spirituall blessing as Paule teacheth Ephe. 1. But Peter addeth the maner also of this blessing saying whyle he turneth euery man from his wickednesse For where of sinnnes the curse springeth there can be no place for blessing afore sinne be taken awaye Nowe Christ taketh them awaye yea he hath long sithence clensed them by the merite of his death for which cause the Baptist calleth him the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde He taketh not sinne away fo◠one time only but conuerteth all them frō their sinnes that beleeue in him For where he giueth them his spirite they be regenerated and renewed by him so that they which before were giuen to the bondage of sinne doe cast of the yoake of sinne and liue vnto God and beginne to serue him in studie of innocencie and charitie Whereby we gather that they are greatly deceyued which imagine Christ to be a patrone of carnall libertie and saye that by preaching of him we plant carelesse lyfe in the mindes of men Certainlye Christ came into the worlde to destroye the workes of the deuill But among these workes sinne hath the chiefe place as there is none that can denie Nay rather if we will confesse the truth there can be in vs no true turning from sinne but such as Christ is author of through his spirite according to that saying of Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Agayne Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and so shall we be turned Furthermore before we make an ende we haue to be obserued that the Iewes abounding in so many prerogatiues dignities as both here and else where are declared in the .ix. to the Romaines receiued no cōmodity by any of them all but were forsaken of God for that through stubborne incredulitie they contemned Christ and despised the preaching of the gospell whereof Paule intreateth at large Rom. 11. Therfore all externe things are but vaine except we embrace Christ with true fayth who onely conuerteth vs from sinnes purgeth our sinnes reconcileth vs to God and maketh vs inheritors of the kingdome of heauen This Christ hath Peter in his sermon taught them and sheweth them that in him the treasure of saluation is opened vnto them notwithstanding it might seeme they were fallen from saluation and the grace of god Let vs therfore thinke these things spoken also vnto vs and labour to become the true members of Christ and to be quickened with his spirite that hereafter we may raigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxvj. Homelie AS they spake vnto the people the Priestes and the Rulers of the Temple and the Saduceys came vpon them taking it grieuously that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from death And they laide handes vpon them and put them in holde vntill the next day for it was now euentyde Howbeit many of them which hearde the wordes beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande HItherto Luke hath described the beginning and successe of the primitiue church There haue we seene what the doctrine of the Apostles was which they deliuered vnto the Church also what the studies and exercises of the primitiue Church were Nowe herevnto is most commodiously adioyned how the worlde receyued this doctrine where we shall see howe the very same thing fell out that Christ before that shewed his Apostles of For in Iohn he sayth The seruant is not greater than his Maister If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also If they haue kept my saying they will keepe yours Againe They shall deliuer you vp to the Councels and shall scourge you in their sinagoges And these things they whom God had hitherto kept safe from the furie of their enimies vntill the beginning of his Church myght be stablished and settled a little surer beginne nowe to finde true But nowe most fierce enimies sodenlye rushe in vppon them they take and cast them into prison they bring them to examination before the Counsayle and at length being vexed with long disceptation and reasoning they dismisse them with grieuous threates We must in all this narration marke this one thing chiefely aboue all other which shall serue much for our consolation and instruction that is not to be offended at the attempts of the wicked wherewith in these dayes they oppugne the doctrine of Christ and his Church For this worlde whose propertie it is to hate and persecute the light of the truth bicause it bewrayeth their naughtie doings vseth of olde thus for to doe Here it behooueth vs to be armed with the constancie of the primitiue Church that we leaue not our place when we are assaulted but that we wayte for an happie ende and successe of such temptation with a stronge and inuincible fayth which God graunteth vnto them whome he seeth tried and made the better vnder the crosse But bicause we shall haue occasion oftentimes to speake of these things let it suffice vs to haue touched this little hereof least we lose the marke whereto all these things must be directed Nowe we shall discusse euery part and circumstance of the things that Luke hath sayde He describeth who were the Apostles enimies and authors of their persecution what craftes and deceite they vsed what cloke they had for their wicked and vniust enterprise howe violently they layde handes on the Apostles and howe vaine their attempt was bicause through their furie the number of the faythfull were rather increased than diminished Among the enimies of the Apostles there are three kindes of men rehearced The first are Priestes whome by the circumstaunces we may easilye gather were the ringleaders and beginners of all this businesse Howbeit it had bene their partes rather to haue taken vppon them the defence of the truth and to haue preached Christ vnto the people of whome Moyses and the Prophetes bare witnesse After these followeth the Ruler of the Temple who by all likelyhoode was some Capitaine of the Romaine souldiors For where the Temple stoode in the most impregnable place of the Citie and was well fenced with munition I suppose the Romaynes gaue the Presidentes of Iurie a speciall charge thereof least the Iewes vnder colour of religion and holy assemblies shoulde mooue any insurrection or sedition And vndoubtedly the Capitaine of the Temple brought with him his garde or souldiors which alwayes attended on his seruice were at his commaundement There was a thirde kinde of men
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
that we be not afrayd with the power of our enimies when we see our selues to weake for them For this is not our fight but a battell taken in hande vnder Gods conduct who can most easilye subdue their force and attemptes Which thing Iohn teacheth vs when he sayth that he that is in vs is of more power than he that is in the worlde Last of all the faithfull expresse more euidently the effect and ende of these mischieuous attempts where they say They gathered themselues togyther to doe whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsaile determined before to be done Howbeit the wicked consult not nor meete not togither to put Gods will and purpose in execution but they declare vnto vs how they are able to doe nothing but that which God hath decreed to haue done and that then they most further Gods purpose when they most studie to hinder it This shall appeare to be manifest if we consider what the Priestes of the Iewes dyd They woulde keepe Christ oute of his kingdome Therefore they mooued the Romane Presidents and communaltie against him and sâ—ynted not vntill they sawe him vpon the Crosse dead and buried But what other did they in all these things but helpe Christ being the Sauiour of the worlde according to the eternall purpose of his Father to enter into his kingdome And by the consideration hereof the Apostles remooue out of the way that blocke whereat such stumble as thinke the wicked are able to ouercome Christ by power and force Here serueth the vse of Gods singuler prouidence to make men vnderstande that the enterprises of the wycked can go no further nor doe no more than God hath appoynted Here haue we to obserue that they acknowledge in Gods prouidence not onely his prescience and foreknowledge but also his stable decree and hande whereby he doth execute at his pleasure that which he hath decreed that himselfe may be all in all And yet the wicked are not therfore excused bicause they respect not the decree and will of God but followe their owne corrupt affections as we haue alreadie many times declared And although the primitiue Church doth truely beleeue and professe the same yet she prayeth and with feruent sute beseecheth God of his succour and ayde Therefore the doctrine that submitteth all things and the successe of them vnto God taketh not praying away For God will be prayed to and inuocated And for this cause the godly vse it the more ardently for that they knowe all thinges are gouerned by his appoyntment For they doe that which he commaundeth and they search not ouer curiously after his secret counselles but permit the successe of all things vnto him whome they knowe to be faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and bringeth all things to an happy ende for all them that loue him Nowe let vs see the thirde part of this prayer which contayneth the peticions of those thinges which they perceyued then they had most neede of The first of them is And now Lorde beholde their threatnings By this worde beholde they meane iudgement and punishment and it is as much to saye as if they should desyre God to reuenge theyr cause For who had more right to reuenge him than he for as much as agaynst him this warre was made as they had prooued by the wordes of the Psalme Thys is the peculiar vsage of the godly that when they perceyue they are hyndered in their vocation or not able to make their parte good to appeale vnto the iudgement of God as we see Dauid oftentymes dyd when Saule persecuted hym yet shall we neuer doe it wyth more affyaunce than when the glory of God by the wycked is openly impeached Thus Ezechias layde the blasphemous letter of the king of Assyria open before the Lorde and beseecheth hym that he wyll defende hys quarrell And it is no doubt but he heareth them which be carefull for the glorie of his name seeing he so mercyfully heareth the pryuate quarrels of those that be hys But to the ende they woulde not seeme so to commyt thys matter vnto God as to withdrawe themselues out of all daunger they beseeche God also to gyue them such grace that they maye speake and declare his worde boldely which thing chiefely is to be vnderstanded of the Apostles and other Ministers of the worde who vnlesse they be boldened and guyded wyth the spirite of God may easily be made afrayde with the threats and assaultes of the worlde to intermyt their office Which thing Paule after hys manifolde traueyles in the ministerie acknowledged and therefore thought good to be holpen wyth the publike prayers of the congregations that he might speake the worde of God freely and with open mouth Yet is thys also to be referred to euery singuler christian and it behooueth to pray for euery particuler person that they may confesse Christ boldely and stowtely before thys naughtie and adulterous worlde It is necessarie that we vnderstand how this boldenesse is gyuen vs of god For so shall we be prouoked to pray oftentymes for the increase of fayth crying with the Apostles Lorde increase our fayth Thirdly they require that the power of working myracles may be increased bycause God hath appoynted them as certayne publike seales and testimonials to the Apostles doctrine And they desyre the same may be done by the name of Christ to declare that theyr care is onely for Christes glorie In thys place there shyneth a marueylous stoutenesse and most ardent zeale towardes Christ in the primitiue Church They perceyued a little before that the mindes of the Iewes were incensed with the doctrine and myracles of the Apostles yet desyre they that the Apostles may haue more boldenesse graunted them and their giftes of myracles to be increased so little place doe they gyue to their enimies furie though but for a season which yet the men in our dayes wyll doer who thinke that to be the best trade of teaching that most pleaseth the professed enymies of truth and seeke nothing but ydlenesse and the peace of the worlde being little or nothing carefull for the increase of Christes kingdome These men thinke the Ministers are to feruent and manye tymes also those that be scarce luke warme which seemeth to me is the chiefe cause that Christes kingdome is so little inlarged amongst vs. To conclude Luke sheweth what effect ensued of their praying For God heard their prayers which was declared both by a sensible signe that is to saye by the moouing of the house which signified the presence of God and also by most wholesome effectes For they were filled with the holye ghost that is to say they perceyued an effectuall comfort of the holye ghost and courage giuen them where before this the feare of daunger did somewhat dismay them And they to whome the ministerie of the Gospell was committed preached the same with great constancie so that a
in the meane season had a good opinion of them and published theyr prayses abroad bicause they sawe a certayne kinde of heauenly and Aungelike lyfe shine in them Diuers lyke examples of them maye we reade in hystories And vnder Traian the Emperour the Christians lyfe was so vnblameable that where he intended to persecute them at the intreatie of Plinius Secundus who was one of the iudges they were let alone and not medled with Thys place teacheth vs two things most worthy to be obserued First that the Church consisteth onely of faythfull persons and such as are true christians and that lying hypocrites can haue no place therein For where Christ is the king of truth as he testifyed before Pylate he can not abyde nor suffer lyers and hypocrites And in the Gospell he sayth they shall be put out from the maryage which come in without the wedding garment In an other place he adiudgeth them to eternall damnation with the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable and murtherers and whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolators Secondly we learne what getteth christians authoritie and fauour with men verilye when they aunswere to their vocation and lyue a lyfe aunswerable to the name of Christ whereby God our heauenly father may be glorifyed For that that God sayde vnto Heli the priest by his Prophete shall alwayes stand firme and ratified Them that worship me will I worship and they that despise me shall come to shame Which things if we would diligently consyder it should easily appeare howe it commeth to passe that the name of the Gospell in these dayes is euerywhere enuyed and the professours thereof for the most part are hated and slaundered Our vnbrideled and dissolute lyfe deserueth it whereby vnder a pretence of the gospell we burst into all vngodlynesse and we which would seeme holyer than all others doe passe all other almost in lycentious lyuing Let vs amende these things and we shall quickly prooue the Church shall be reuerenced agayne as she was woont Fourthly he sayth that there was daylie added to the Church newe christians as well men as women which were indued with true fayth and were moued thervnto by the holy ghost Thys teacheth vs how vaine the attemptes of Christes enimyes are seeing they that had the supremacy in the Citie of Ierusalem were not able to hynder the growth of the Church nowe springing For as Christ sayth The winde bloweth where it will and is subiect to no mans pleasure or appointment And dyuers examples teach vs that the Church in tyme of persecutions alwaye increased rather than diminished For this is the propertie of Christ to beare rule in the middest of his enimies Let no man therefore be feared with the manaces of wicked enimies as though it were in their power to ouerthrowe the Church For it is buylt vpon Christ against whome the gates of Hell cannot preuayle Besides this the kingdome of Christ beginneth to be spreade abroad in the Cities nigh adioyning For the fame of these myracles being caried to and fro caused a great manye to bring their sicke and demoniake people to Ierusalem and by that occasion they came to the knowledge of christ The chiefe vse of this place is to make vs in these dayes vnderstande by what meanes Christes kingdome may be enlarged Wherein they which vnder the cloke of the Gospell follow carnall wisedome and haue not yet subdued the same to the obedyence of faith take dyuers consultations For there be some that thinke it best for the faythfull to serue the time to graunt many things and to winke at other vntill the worlde maye looke with an other countenaunce and their mindes waxe calmer which now hate the truth Other agayne turning to carnall defences thinke good by confederacie and fight to bring the matter to passe But the successe of things prooueth both these sortes to be farre wyde and deceyued For this is Gods businesse and can be brought to passe with none other power and strength than his Neyther thorow an hoste of men neyther thorow strength but thorowe my spirite as the Lorde sayth by his Prophet And agayne I will saue them in the Lord their God and I will not saue them by bow nor sword nor by battayle nor by horse nor by horsemen c. We know in deede sometime that he vseth the ministerie of Princes and men and warre as the examples of the Machabees of Constantine and Theodosius doe testifie but euen then he so moderateth the matter that the power of his spirite sheweth it selfe in the middle of these thinges and hath onely the preheminencie Therefore let as many as consult how to haue the Church mainteyned and the kingdome of Christ aduaunced regarde him onely For when they go about to bring the matter to passe by mans counsell and defence there will not God worke any longer Therefore let vs continue in the exercises of the primitiue Church such as Luke hitherto hath rehearsed Let the teachers constantly preach the doctrine of truth not suffer themselues to be plucked from the same considering it hath bene confirmed by so many myracles let them that will be taken for christians earnestly harken to the same and let them ioyne contynuall prayers to the studye of the worde for as much as without Gods secrete working nothing can be brought to passe Let the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall discipline be in force that neyther hypocrites nor open naughtie packes may haue any place in the Church Let the studie of loue and liberalitie towarde the poore raigne amongst vs that the household of fayth through our couetousnesse be not gased on like publike stages of beggerie Bycause these thinges nowe a dayes are not onely neglected but also peruerted it is no marueyle that we see so little fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Let vs therefore settle our selues herevnto with all our hartes and our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ wyll helpe our studies and endeuoures to whome be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxv. Homelie THEN the chiefe priest rose vp and all they that were with him which is the sect of the Sadduceyes and were full of indignation and layde handes on the Apostles and put them in the common prison But the Aungell of the Lorde by night opened the prison doores and brought them forth and saide Goe and stande and speake in the temple to the people all the wordes of this life When they heard that they entred into the Temple early in the morning and taught THat Oracle of Dauid the King and Prophet saying that Christ should reigne in the middest of hys enimies is verye wonderfull Hereof we gather that Christ shall rule in thys worlde yet so as he shall neuer want those that shall go aboute to subuert and ouerthrowe his kingdome Examples hereof we may euerye where see in the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Hystoryes But most manifestlye of all others
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
Euangelist Luke yesterdaye declared vnto vs what crymes the highe Priest obiected to the Apostles and howe the Apostles aunswered them Which hystory serueth chiefly to this purpose that we myght vnderstande with what crymes the wycked are wonte to defame the truth and the Ministers thereof and also what constancie and boldenesse it behooueth vs to vse in the defence of the same Where the first and chiefe care must be for the dutie that we owe vnto God that for any mans fauour or pleasure we offende not against the same Then we must take heede that through our fearefulnesse our enimies waxe not the more insolent as it appeareth their propertie is Furthermore we must constantly holde fast and keepe the confession of Christ that we be not ashamed of him before men who was not ashamed to become man and suffer death for our sake Nowe it foloweth what effect this aunswere or Apologie had with the wicked enimies of Christ which is a verie notable place bicause it reprooueth both the incurable obstinacie of the wicked and also teacheth vs howe easilie God beateth downe theyr bloudy enterprises First speaking of those which had conceaued an implacable hatred against the truth he sayth when they heard that they claue a sunder and were as men ready to burst for anger For it spited the prowde and ambitious men to see their authoritie so little regarded and it seemed a thing to them intollerable to here the truth of Christ so boldly and stoutely defended Therfore in the verie presence of the Apostles they consult howe to put them to death And it is verie lyke they rather vsed furious exclamations than any graue deliberation This example teacheth vs that the wicked and reprobate which are hardned in the hatred of Christ can no maner of waye be mytygated and mollified For such can not receiue the holy ghost who onelye hath power to alter and chaunge the hartes as we sayde in the last sermon For although the outwarde worde of God pierce their mindes and touch their consciences yet it hardeneth them and maketh them the more fierce And as great heate in the vpper region of the ayre dissolueth not a colder matter drawne vp thyther but maketh it congeale into yse Euen so the mindes of the wicked the more they are vrged with the worde of God the more fierce they wax and hard hearted Or else as the heate of the sunne melteth the wax but hardneth myre and claye so the worde of God wherewith the mindes of the vngodly are wonte to be taught and enfourmed maketh the vngodly more stubborne and frowarde Not that the fault is in the worde of God but bicause the corruption of nature in the wicked is such that it letteth stoppeth the true effect of the word Examples here of we haue in Caine and Pharao in Saul and Achab in Iudas the traitor and infinite others wherevnto these men may also be adioyned as the matter well declareth Here let vs learne what to iudge of the men in our dayes which manifestly vtter their â—ankred hatred against the worde where we are further taught what an heynous offence it is to persecute the truth especially if it proceede not of ignoraunce and of a foolishe zeale towarde God but of the instigation of most corrupt affections This thing deserueth that we are made vnfitte for the medicine of Gods worde which onely is able to restore vs to health and lyfe Furthermore thys example teacheth vs what the wicked enimies of the truth meaning and purpose is in their counsels surely none other but that the ministers of truth maye be made out of the waye who alone they suppose hinder their desyres wyshes For this they all peculiarly thinke that there is nothing more against them than the worde of God which reprooueth their wickednesse whereby it commeth to passe that they are not ashamed to shewe all their power against a fewe of simple men and to striue with all their might and mayne against them whome valiaunt men and of haultie courage would scarce vouchsafe to take any labour or paine about But these men be of an other opinion for they haue perswaded themselues that then they are safe when they be no more troubled with the painefull sermons of Gods worde So Achab thought Elias onely was his enimie and the disturber of the people of Israell and promised himselfe certaine victorie against the Assyrians till he tooke Micheas to counsell who as he was perswaded delighted in nothing but in telling of vnlucky tydings Euen so these men beleeued they should then be free from the gylte of Christes bloude and in safegarde and sure if the Apostles might be dispatched out of the waye that they could ring no more in their eares And euen nowe a dayes if a man happen to demaunde of some men what it is that most grieueth them they onely complayne of the Ministers of Gods worde And hereof commeth it to passe that this worlde so rageth against the preachers of the truth that it beleeueth they onely are the disturbers of all publike peace and tranquilitie which thing since it hath in all ages beene done let vs not marueyle at the vsage of our dayes nor be offended at the attempts of the wicked of whome Christ hath so often gyuen vs warning Let vs rather arme our selues with the spirite of constancie fortitude and pacience let vs also walke warely and circumspectly in the vocation wherevnto the Lorde hath appointed vs as Christ long agoe hath taught vs. But some man may marueyle by whose helpe and intercession the Apostles were deliuered out of the handes of their most cruell enimies and from the perill of present death Luke sheweth there stoode vp a patrone and defender of them one of their owne bench and number that is to saye Gamaliel whose profession he diligently describeth For he sayeth he was a Pharisey which sect as it ascribed to it selfe a countenance of outwarde iustice so was it most aduersary to the Christian faith and doctrine Further he was a doctor of the lawe wherevnto it appeareth he gaue more studye than the residue of his profession his studie wanted not a profitable successe Beside this he was of great authoritie which made all the people to loue him and reuerence him And that was a thing in this matter verye commodious and auaileable For where the residue of them feared the people his authoritie they coulde not reiect vpon whome they knewe all the Commons depended He therefore being mooued with the importunate deuises of his fellowe Phariseyes and meaning to withstande their furiousnesse commaundeth the Apostles for a little whyle to stande aside that he myght the more freely intreate of this cause declaring by this his doing howe much more prudent and wyse he was than the residue which in the presence of the Apostles so bewrayed the impotencie and rage of their mindes Then by and by declareth he his iudgement whereby he mittigateth
were neglected in the publike distribution of the Church goodes Which examples the holy ghost would therefore diligently to be written to declare what daungers chiefely they ought to shunne and auoyd which purpose not vnprofitable to bragge of their christian calling but in their doings meane to expresse the same For it becommeth not them which eyther haue already forsaken their owne goodes for the name of Christ or else ought to forsake them if necessitie so requyre to bestowe the goodes of the poore fraudulently and guylefully And it is an absurde and neuer ynough punishable offence to purloyne and imbecill away those things which other men haue giuen to the reliefe of the poore for the maynteyning of whome we are commaunded to spend all we haue But woulde God it were as easie a matter herein to correct the vsage of our dayes as we may not without great cause bewayle the same But what doe the Apostles after this grutch is risen Doe they rayle on them whome they heare thus murmure against them for their vniust distribution Doe they forsake these vnkinde murmurers and leaue of in displeasure all care of administration of the Church Doe they of their priuate authoritie prescribe anye newe order to the Church Or which thing might haue had some shewe of charitie doe they dissemble and make delayes as though by delaying and winking at the matter this mischiefe might haue beene qualified Luke maketh no mention at all of anye suche thinges For they see that mindes already to much incensed are not to be more prouoked neyther can they for a fewe of murmurers sakes leaue of the care of the whole Church which Christ had committed to them neyther doe they of their priuate authoritie as aspyrers to tyranny prescribe Gods houshold or inheritance any such thing neither do they thinke it good to dissemble or negligently to passe ouer so apparaunt an inconuenience But in time they prouyde a remedie and calling all the multitude togither they openly and friendly consult of some better order and way to be appointed for the poore This example or president is not onely in all ages to be obserued but also with great diligence to be followed if we desyre the churches preseruation and safetie For neyther must the pleasure of a fewe be so borne with that they shall doe whatsoeuer lyketh them and lyke Lordes prowdely beare rule ouer the church neyther must open vices be winked at especially such as giue occasion of murmurings and complaint For both they gather strength and creepe further with long tarryaunce and so inflame the mindes that that euill which at the beginning might easily haue beene cured or remedied becommeth incurable It also commeth to passe that hereby occasion is gyuen to such as be rashe and seditious to inuade and vsurpe a rule and dominion ouer the Churche and so at their pleasure to make and appoint newe orders and reformation This thing ought they to haue consydered which nowe a dayes bragge of their false succeeding the Apostles and will be taken for chiefe rulers of the Church who thinke it intollerable that the godly Magistrates should appoynt any reformation in their Churches as the complaintes of the whole worlde these many yeares could not awake them to take away the manifest and horrible abuses whereof they haue bene to long both the authors and defendors Yea and we also ought to haue consydered this thing which glory in the name of the gospell and wil seeme to haue refourmed our Churches For who is so foolish that heareth not the poore euery day for the like cause murmuring and complayning And would God the complaynts of poore were not more iust than theyrs of whome it is here intreated For in many places the Magistrates rape and reaue the Church goodes and they are spent and consumed by such as neyther serue the Church neyther are ledde with any desire of Euangelike truth the poore in the meane whyle and the ministers of the church also being in extreme beggerie and ready to sterâ—e for hunger whome Christ so diligently hath commended to hys church To say nothing of the neglecting of studies and wasting of schooles the contempt of discipline and good maners and infinite like mischiefes all which we may thanke this wicked robbing of churches and Colledges of Many wise men see these things and lament them Diuers faythfull Pastours of Churches reprooue them and desyre amendment Many openly bewayle it and there wante not which with seditious murmuring testifie the indignation of their mindes But what profite is there in all these wayes There be men which thinke these murmurers are to be brydeled by threates and proclamations and by punishments And they that seeme to be the best neglect and care nothing at all therfore So no man thinketh earnestly of any reformation bicause no man will be put out of possession of the Church goodes But the Lorde will finde a way one day and by his horrible iudgement will awake these sluggardes whome no admonishment of his diuine worde nor complaintes of the poore can awake But where the matter is of great wayte that is here intreated Luke also reciteth the Apostles Oration wherein they proposed this matter to be discussed of the church The Oration is deliberatiue and the state therof is that Deacons must be ordeyned to whome the distribution of the common money and care of helping the poore may be committed And the Oration consisteth of three pointes The first conteyneth a briefe excuse wherein they both render a reason of their present doing and modestlye put away the crime laide against them by these murmurers so that they take vpon them all the faulte least any occasion of suspicion or vpbrayding should remayne For they say It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God and serue at the table The argument is deduced of impossibilitie For they declare that it can not be that they can discharge both the offices that they haue hytherto susteyned wherefore it is necessarie that one of them be committed to some other They also declare that no man ought to take it grieuously if they haue made any default consydering the manifold affayres wherein hitherto they had beene occupied It is as much as if they should say Bicause the money was taken vnto vs which certaine godlye disposed had giuen to the churches vse we gladly tooke vppon vs the distribution of the same least we should seeme anye waye to neglect the Churches commoditie But we learne by experience that we are not able both to satisfie the place of teaching and also this office of distribution and we confesse that among so manifolde businesses something might be ouerseene of vs Wherefore we must lay aside the one or the other of these offices But we may not intermyt the office of teaching seing Christ hath commended the same vnto vs and hath appoynted vs witnesses of the thinges he hath done Therefore this other office must be
newe amongst which this one is very notable which the Bishops of the Counsell at Constance vsed towardes Iohn Husse agaynst all right and lawe whome they were not afrayde with breach of their owne promise and the Emperours safe conduct cruelly to burne hauing none other cloke to excuse their heynous fact but that promise was not to be kept vnto heretikes Let no man therefore marueyle though he perceyue him vniustlye and vnworthily entreated In the meane season let vs learne in the beginning to quench the fire of hatred glimering against the truth least we also fall into the lyke blindnesse and incurable frowardenesse Now bicause the importunacie of a fewe coulde little or nothing preuayle agaynst the doctrine of the truth these most subtill Sophisters labor earnestly to set al the people with the Elders Scribes in Steuens top And as may be gathered bythe circumstaunces they rayse an open tumult in the citie meaning to apprehend him and bring him before the counsell Which is an olde pollicie of Satan meaning to make them away in an vprore or sedition whom they see armed with the defence of truth and lawe But moste times it commeth to passe that they which with seditious sleyghtes assault thetruth do most miserably perish by sedition as we may see it hath hapned to the nation of the Iewes And here is set forth a notable example of the leuitie inconstancie of the common people It was declared before how the Apostles and all the Church were in great estimation with the people both for the notablenesse of theyr myracles and also for the shew of an heauenly and as it were diuine maiestie that shone in them But now a number circumuented with the sleyghtes of these Sophisters stande vp against the doctrine of truth The lyke lightnesse in the people did Christ also finde whome one whyle they woulde haue made a king another whyle like mad men they cried out to haue him crucified So the men of Lystra at the first cried out saying Paule was a God but within a whyle after they woulde haue stoned him And many like doinges we reade in the histories of the Gentiles the vse of all which is that we hunt not for prayse of the people nor studie not to please the worlde but rather God whose will is certaine and remayneth stable and vnmooueable Nowe let vs see what thinges they laide to Steuens charge by these false witnesses whom Luke saith they brought before the Counsell The summe of their accusation is This man ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place and against the lawe He is therefore accused of impietie and not thereof only but also of incurable obstinacie which hitherto by no reasons coulde be perswaded They make mention of the holy Citie and Temple by name bicause it seemed to the Iewes an intollerable impietie to speake or intende any thing against these places being commended by so many promises of god Therfore this was chiefly laid to Hieremies charge that he prophecied against the holy Citie and Temple But bicause it behooued the crime shoulde be prooued by witnesses and that the blasphemies shoulde be declared more plainely what they were they adde for we haue hearde him saye howe this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroye this place and shall chaunge the ordinances which Moses gaue vs. Therefore where they thought both their religion and their Citie shoulde endure for euer they iudged him that shoulde saye any thing touching the destruction thereof to be a wicked body Furthermore whence they tooke hold of this accusation may easily be gathered of the Apostles doctrine For they taught that men were iustified and saued by the mere grace of God through the merite of Iesus Christ and that nothing in the businesse of our saluation was to be attributed eyther to mannes workes or outward ceremonies For the one were polluted and imperfite and the other were shadowes and figures of the redemption in Christ to come which Christ had put awaye in the sacrifyce of hys owne body as might be gathered of the renting of the Temple which happened at the death of christ They also exhorted al men to cast away al their vaine hope in the righteousnesse of the lawe and to embrace with sure faith the righteousnesse of God offred them in christ The which thing bicause they woulde the more easilye perswade them they called to their remembraunce the peril of present destruction wherof Christ oftentimes had warned them Therefore the craftie and most impudent sclaunderers take occasion of their accusation hereof saying Steuen spake of the abolishing of their religion and destruction of the Citie but they craftilye conceale the causes moouing him so to saye Yea they so set forth the matter as though Steuen shoulde seeme to haue threatened to set the temple on fire and speaking very contemptuously of Christ they compare him as it were with the glorye and magnificencie of the Temple to make his doctrine to be the more despised This place is with all diligence to be obserued For as it teacheth vs that truth for the most part is assaulted with lyes so it plainly warneth vs that Christes doctrine can neuer be so wysely and modestlye preached but that the wicked world wil take occasion to sclaunder the same We finde it to be true in these our corrupted dayes wherein whatsoeuer the faythfull teachers of the truth say is most vniustly carped at For where we teach that men are iustified by the meere grace of God that our strength and workes haue no prayse in the case of our saluation by and by we are called the enimies of good workes and mainteyners of carnall libertie Agayne if we say that whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation is conteyned in Christ onely bicause he is the onely mediatour aduocate and intercessor appoynted betweene God and vs streyght way we are condemned as wicked blasphemers of the blessed Uirgin and Saintes Item if we go about to deliuer the Church of Christ from the intollerable yoke of humane traditions to correct abuses and to restore the auncient simplicitie of the primitiue Church by and by there start vp that crie out we are aduersaries of religion and the true worshippe of God deprauers of the Sacramentes and robbers of God of his honour And if we declare vnto the worlde drowned in the filthy â—lowes of wickednesse the imminent wrath of God and the punishments long agone deserued therefore then we are condemned and railed at as disturbers of publike tranquillitie and sowers of sedition And to be briefe nothing can be done so soundly so godlily and so modestly that can escape the censure and checke of the sclaunderous and enuious aduersary But no man must be so mooued with these things that he must leaue or forsake the charge committed to him of the Lorde Let vs consider that this is the olde guyse of the world agaynst the which we must both constantly prudently striue and resist
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 be offended at the manaces of Tyrannes which now a dayes threaten destruction to the Gospell and to our Churches But let vs rather trust in God who is both able to saue his elect in this worlde and to make them coheyres with Christ in the world to come to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The ninth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxiij. Homelie AND Saule yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter agaynst the Disciples of the Lorde went vnto the highe Priest and desired of hym letters to carye to Damascus to the Sinagoges that if hee founde anye of this waye whether they were men or women he myght bring them bounde to Ierusalem And when he iourneyed it came to passe that as he was nygh to Damascus sodeinly there shyned round about him a lyght from heauen and he fell to the earth and hearde a voyce saying to him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And he sayde what art thou Lorde And the Lorde sayde I am Iesus whome thou persecutest It is harde for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke THat saying of Christ is verye notable No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him And it is not vnlyke vnto that other where he sayeth to his Disciples You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For bothe oâ— them teach vs that saluation and whatsoeuer belongeth therto commeth to vs through the meere grace of God and that nothinge is to bee ascrybed to our workes or merites Hereof there are many examples among which this one is notable which of late we sawe in the Aethiop vnto whome Philip a Preacher of true saluation by the meere benefite of God was sent when he thought not of it much lesse seeking after it Yet bicause it is reported that he was endued with certaine singuler gifts least any man myght thinke that he attayned to saluation through the merite of them the hystorie of Saule conuerted vnto Christ is of purpose sette after his conuersion whome Iesus Christ doth not only prouoke and draw agaynst his will vnto saluation but as it is sayd in the Parable of certaine guestes Luke 14. compelleth him to come in And surely Luke so reporteth all this historie that euery man may see nothing is here attributed to the merit of man but that saluation commeth vnto Saule by the benefite of Gods onlye grace Yea Paule himselfe plainly teacheth that this ensample is to bee referred chiefely to this ende where he sayth that he was therefore called and cutte of euen in the middle of hys tyrannicall enterprises agaynst the Church that Iesus Christ might shewe on him first all clemencie and mercye for an ensample vnto them that shoulde beleeue in him And in another place he confesseth he is vnworthy the name of an Apostle if we respect his merite or desert but that hee is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is Howbeit whereas there be in this hystorie many things most worthy to be knowne and considered it shall be profitable for vs to examine all the poyntes and circumstances thereof And at this present Luke first propoundeth the description of Saule and then he beginneth the hystorie of hys conuersion Luke is very diligent in describing of Saule bicause by his description both Gods power goodnesse is the more euidently knowne First he declareth his disposition and nature where he sayth he breatheth out threatnings and slaughter His mynde therefore was inflamed and incensed agaynst the Church a signe and note whereof he had giuen before at the stoning of Steuen and when he did make hauocke of the Church at Ierusalem as hath bene declared heretofore Yet nowe seeing he preuayleth nothing but that the Church spreadeth euery day further and further he conceyueth such a furie and rage in his mynde that he can doe nothing nowe but breath out and dreame of cruell threates bloudy slaughters and destructions For as we sayde before such is the nature of tyrauntes and the enimies of the Church that after they haue once tasted the bloude of the godly the more they rage and lyke beastes haue cast from them all sense of humanitie and are not able to put awaye that rage of mynde that they haue conceyued vnlesse they be tamed by the mightie hande of god Examples of this crueltie is euerywhere so be seene in hystories The consideration of them serueth vs for this purpose to make vs vnderstande what to hope for of the tyraunts of these dayes whome we see nowe so vsed vnto bloude that they thirst after it more cruelly than any Tygres Whom surely vnlesse the Lord tame no mannes force or reason can mollifie or appease But bicause rage of mynde must be fenced with armour Saule prouydeth him of that also For it is sayde he went vnto the high Priest of whome he receyued letters to the Sinagoges of Damascus whereby full power was giuen him to bynde as many as he coulde fynde to be Christians Wherby we gather that matters of religion the same tyme were committed by the Romaine Presidentes to the high Priestes For they being blinded in Gentyle superstition as it is credible that they were soone wearied with the dayly controuersies about religion so they sought all meanes whereby to ridde themselues of such incombrances and to lay the enuie and hatred of the people vppon others neckes Thys occasion fell out as the Byshops woulde wyshe it whose aduaunâ—age and honor came in perill by preaching of the Gospell Saule therefore garded by their authoritie and taking to him complices and ministers of his mischiefe goeth to Damascus for that he vnderstoode the kingdome of Christ beganne to spring and flourishe marueylously in that place This thing teacheth vs that Byshops will alwayes bee the grieuousest enimies of true religion and Christian doctrine who by their studie and diligence ought most to set it forwarde For assoone as they begynne to conuert religion into lucre they can then abide the lyght of the truth no longer which reprooueth their naughtynesse That these Byshoppes were such is more euident by the hystorie of the Gospell than needeth any long demonstration What we may therefore hope for of the Prelates of our dayes he shall easily perceyue that well marketh their couetousnesse and ambicion In the meane season we haue to consider the prophane cowardlynesse and slouth of Princes and Magistrates who bicause they passe little of religion will get them no enuie or hatred for religion sake And yet least they shoulde seeme Godlesse and voyde of religion they commit such matters to Popes Byshops and Cardinals getting themselues by this pretence a great estimation of godlynesse and seeking an excuse agaynst them that might saye they were persecutors of the truth For they say such controuersies belong not vnto them and perswade themselues that they cannot doe more godlye than to commit all such matters vnto the heades of the Church In which iudgement they are marueylously confirmed
reioyced in the blasphemous wordes of flatterers whome it had behooued him to haue detested and abhorred Let them therefore learne by this example what to looke for at Gods hande which with lyke impietie set vp themselues against him It behooueth vs chiefly to note how mightily God reuengeth pride seeing he doth not onely punishe the prowde grieuously but also shamefully the more to tame and pull downe their haultie heartes and courages So it pleased him that Pharao shoulde not dye valiauntly in the fyelde but be drowned in the waues of the redde sea which is a shamefull kynde of death So he slewe Sanherib miserably in the Church of his owne God by his owne sonnes And with the same disease which is here described before that was Antiochus Herode the great Sylla and at length Maximinian the persecutor vglily consumed Peter therefore sayd most truly that God resisteth the prowde Let all degrees and states of men hereby learne to keepe themselues within the bounds of their vocation and if they perceiue any thing in themselues singuler or excellent to acknowledge that it commeth altogither of the goodnesse of god So shall it come to passe that humbling themselues vnder the mightye hande of God they shall vse his giftes as they ought to doe Furthermore this place teacheth vs what hurt flatterers procure vnto Princes For of nature we be selfelouers and like best our owne doings and sayinges Then if we admit flatterers we become starke blinde so that we see not manifest vices grow to be such as cannot abide to heare the truth or to be admonished Which thing hath bene the cause that great Realmes haue bene ouerthrowne by the tongues of flatterers as hystories declare And surely Herode had bene most prosperous if he had giuen eare rather to the Apostles reprehending his vice than to the voyces of flatterers and clawbacks For they caused him being swollen in a wicked and prowde contempt of God to be destroyed with horrible death Ouer all this hauing shewed the ende of the tyraunt Luke returneth to the story of the Church which he begonne howe the Gospell did spreade to declare that by Herode it was nothing hindered For the worde of God sayth he encreased and was multiplied spreading it selfe euery daye farther abrode This he will declare in the thinges following wherevnto he maketh a digression touching Paule and Barnabas returne from Ierusalem For we hearde about the ende of the eleauenth Chapter howe they were sent thither to cary that mony that was here and there gathered to the poore and needy brethren in Iurie pinched with dearth and famine Which businesse after they had faithfully discharged they return vnto Antioch from whence shortly after they departed with Marke whom they brought with them and published the Gospell both farre and neare This is very comfortable that we see the Church stande fast and suruiue all hir enimies and all tyrantes For she is borne and conserued by the worde of God which endureth for euer This thing the hystories of all times and nations teach vs. For miserably and fylthily died Phaâ—ao the Chanaanites Sanherib the Babylonians Antiochus the three Herodes Nero Domitian Traiane Antonye Seuerus the Maximini Decius Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus the two Maximinianes Liciuius Maxentius Iulian and as many as euer after all these durst to set vpon Christes Church For she flourisheth and liueth and shall for euer liue vnder hir trusty and most victorious defender and reuenger Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xiij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxxvj. Homelie THERE were in the congregation that is at Antioch certayne Prophets and Teachers as Barnabas and Simon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen Herode the Tetrarches nursefellowe and Saule As they ministred to the Lorde and fasted the holy ghost sayde Seperate me Barnabas and Saule for the worke wherevnto I haue called them And when they had fasted and prayed and layde their handes on them they let them goe And they after they were sent forth of the holy ghost departed vnto Seleutia â–ª and from thence they sayled to Cyprus And when they were at Salamine they shewed the worde of God in the Sinagoge of the Iewes and they had Iohn to their Minister THe Euaungelist Luke nowe in the two Chapters following describeth howe the doctrine of the Gospell by the ministerie of Paule and Barnabas began with full course to be preached indifferentlye to all Nations For where the Iewes onely vntill this time as hath oftentimes bene declared challenged to them the name of the Church and people of God and the benefyte of redemption purchased by Christ seemed to appertaine but vnto them alone and that that hath bene sayde of Cornelius the Centurion and of the Antiochians might seeme came to passe of some speciall priuiledge or fauour Therefore that no doubt might remayne the doctrine of saluation is nowe caryed indifferentlye vnto diuers Nations and those thinges are openly accomplished which the Prophetes long before prophecied of the calling of the Gentyles But least any one shoulde thinke that Paule and Barnabas did in this businesse ought of their owne heade and presumption Luke beginneth this hystorie with their calling and sending the chiefe scope wherof is that the kingdome of God and the whole matter of saluation was transferred brought to the gentiles not by mans deuise but by the appointment commaundement of God and that the Gentyles appertayned no lesse vnto the church of God than the beleeuing Iewes And that it was needefull to haue this matter so diligently declared shall appeere by that contention which hereafter is described in the .xv. Chapter Yea we maye see in the Epistles of Paule that the Iewes oftentimes withstoode the saluation of the Gentyles stoode in doubt of it And the Iewes were for no cause so much offended with Paule as for that he made the vncircumcised Gentiles all one with the Iewes in Christ which they thought was not without the notorious iniurie and prophane contempt both of the lawe of Moses and also of the people of the Iewes which thing also was cause that euerywhere he vsed such earnestnesse in defending his vocation who could well ynough haue borne the contempt of his owne name but that he sawe the glory of God and saluation of the Gentyles indaungered thereby But to come to the treatie of this present place fyrst Luke describeth the Church at Antioch from whence Paule and Barnabas were sent to preach the Gospell to the Gentyles Then declareth he their vocation and sending with the circumstances thereof Last of all he sheweth howe they vsed themselfe in the office committed vnto them He fyrst describeth the Church of Antioch not without a cause For herof it may be gathered that they coulde rashlye ordayne or appoynt nothing hauing the spirite so abundantly among them Neyther can Paule and Barnabas be accused as to
and false Prophet Who can saye that God had any care of this man whome he suffreth to be seduced with so many and diuers errours But that faythfull shepehearde Christ seeketh his lost sheepe in the mountaynes and valleyes yea and in the sea also and will not suffer them to be taken out of his hande This place therefore teacheth vs that we must not despaire to hastilye of any man except he manifestly proue himselfe to be of the number of the reprobate Moreouer Luke declareth in this Sergius the example of a good and a godly magistrate For both he is very desirous to learne the truth and also he ouerhastilye condemneth not the Ministers of a doctrine not heard before but calling them before him giueth them libertie freely to declare their doctrine The Princes of our dayes shoulde doe well to imitate this man whereof manye of them condemne the doctrine of truth before they knowe it and vse cruelly to punishe them whose fayth and religion they are vtterly ignoraunt of But let them remember they shall not be excused through ignorance considering it is their parts to do nothing of ignorance but diligently to search out and examine all causes These things being thus premised let vs nowe marke howe the contention beginneth where it plainly appeareth that the Apostles were the beginners hereof For where Sergius the Proconsull had sent for them to learne of them the worde of God it is like that they made no tariance but with all speede hasted to set forth the kingdome of god And here streyghtway commeth forth this Magitian and withstandeth them as they preach the worde For he quickly sawe that there was like to be no longer abiding for him with the Proconsull if he were once lightned with the knowledge of truth And although Luke declareth not after what sort he resisted the Apostles yet bicause he was a false Prophete and sorcerer it maye be easily gathered that he left no wayes vnassayde which might seeme to oppresse the truth And this Contender is diligentlye to be considered that by him we may learne to knowe all false Prophetes And fyrst marke his prowde name whereby he challengeth to himselfe a certaine Godheade For being called after his right name Elymas he woulde in the Syrian tongue be called Bariesu that is to saye the sonne of the Sauiour whereby we coniecture that he presumed to promise saluation to them that woulde follow his teaching He is therefore of the number of those that Christ prophecied shoulde come and challenge to them the maiestie of his name But it is the propertie of false Prophetes that if themselues vsurpe not the name of God yet they will haue their doctrine called after his name that vnder this pretence they might the easlyer beguile the simple Thus Zedechias speaking before Achab of the victorie that he shoulde get against the Syrians vseth that common beginning of the Prophetes Thus sayth the Lorde The same may we see in diuers others Yea there was yet neuer false Prophete but he went about to get him authoritie by colour of Gods name Moreouer this he doth according to the vsage of all false Prophetes he getteth him the friendship and familiaritie of the Proconsull and cleaueth fast vnto him as a most neare companion For deceyuers vse to get them the friendship of great estates both for that when they haue gotte them on their sides other by their example are the easlyer allured and also to purchase themselfe safetie by their authoritie For where they knowe they are destitute of the ayde of truth they must needes seeke for the arme and power of man whereby to defende themselfe So Baalam in time past notwithstanding he was admonished to the contrary by Oracle went about to get the friendship of Balac king of the Moaâ—ites And it is manifest that the Romaine Antichristes haue clymed to such power as they haue being ayded with the amitie and armor of Princes yea the deceyuers and hooded Iuglers are so neare and at hande about Princes that they can scarce let a fart but they must know it And this is the cause that such teachers frame their doctrine according to the delicate eares of their hearers least they shoulde offende them vpon whome they wholy depende This was Elymas onely scope and ende to turne the Proconsull from the fayth that he shoulde not beleeue that that Paule sayde And as all the Ministers of true doctrine consent herein to winne menne vnto God by fayth in Christ so all deceyuers agree herein to ouerthrowe the faith in Christ which being ouerthrowne the kingdome of God can take no place among menne For Satan knoweth that his force is most weakened by true fayth wherof there are examples euerywhere in the Euangelistes But let vs see howe Paule confuted this wicked enchaunter First Luke sayth he was full of the holy ghost wherby he meaneth that he was moued by the spirite somewhat aboue his ordinarie wont which thing he therfore declareth aforehande that we might thinke he did nothing of fleshly affection when we shall heare his heauy and intollerable weyght of wordes In the meane season we are admonished to fyght against the enimies of truth not with the blinde affection of fleshe but by the conduct and counsayle of the holy ghost whome vndoubtedly they shall fynde to bee their enimye be they neuer so well garded with worldly power Then he goeth on in his businesse fyxing his eies fast vpon Elymas which is an argument of a well meaning and vnfearefull minde And verily it becommeth vs boldly and constantly to resist Antichristians that they maye thinke men feare them not For why shoulde we feare them seeing he is greater that is on our side Why also shoulde they be the more encouraged through our cowardlynesse who already are turmoyled with the terrours of their naughtie conscience Thirdly he painteth him out egregiously in his colours and ioyneth a speciall weight and poyse vnto euery worde First ô full of all deceytfulnesse sayth he He accuseth him therefore of subtiltie and craft as one that sought praise and authoritie by sorcery and enchauntment Secondly he vpbraydeth him with naughtynesse of minde being readye to commit whatsoeuer wickednesse it were For what is more naughtye and wicked than vnder colour of Gods holy name to beguile men which is the chiefe commendation of false Prophetes and sorcerers For by this meanes they sette God at sixe and seauen as they saye who threatneth that he will not let the prophanation of his name go vnreuenged Thirdly he calleth him the chylde of the deuill to declare his impudencie who presumed to call himselfe the sonne of the Sauiour For that he was a childe of the Deuils both his insolent pride of minde and earnest studie of naughtinesse did abundantly declare Fourthly he calleth him the enimy of all righteousnesse and that well worthy forasmuch as he was Christes aduersarie without whome can be founde no righteousnesse that
embrace the kingdome of Christ were fylled with disdaine and fyrst beganne to speake against Paule and at length fell to flatte blasphemy and rayling And bicause this contention went so farre that the Apostles were â—aine to shake of the dust of their feete against them a thing which we reade very seldome done by them therfore it behooueth vs to expende the circumstances of the whole hystorie the more diligently First Luke teacheth vs what the cause was of such a tumult and businesse Uerily for that the Iewes sawe the whole Citie almost came togither to heare the worde of god Howbeit it was euident ynough that they all came not of a godly intent and purpose For otherwise they woulde neuer haue suffred the Iewes a people hated of all Nations to haue intreated the Apostles so vngently Wherefore although the desire of truth drewe some thither as was aforesayde yet the greater part were mooued of vaine curiositie Which thing although the Apostles might easily haue supposed yet woulde they not let passe so commodious an occasion but are prest and ready to teach them Whereby we learne that they which will fruitefully be occupied in setting forth the kingdome of God haue neede of a feruent study and zeale that they must let no oportunitie escape be it in season or out of season as Paule elsewhere admonisheth Christ teacheth vs the same by his owne ensample which taketh occasion of euery thing to teach by and did so little refuse any one that came vnto him that he reiected not Nicodemus comming to him in the night season nor the woman of Samaria giuen to dishonest gayne and aduauntage Yea he sayeth this is his meate to doe that wherevnto his father sent him Hereby is their sloth improoued which being often called on will not teache and haue more regarde of their owne ease than of mens saluation Then next the cause of the tumult is declared which was the enuy of the Iewes seeing such a great throng of people They seeme to be mooued partlye with ambition and enuye while they are afrayde to lose their priuate honor and glory which thing Christ obiecteth vnto them Iohn 5. and partly with a preposterous zeale of the lawe whereby they were led to take in euill part that the vncircumcised Gentyles shoulde be matched with them in saluation which thing was cause that Paule was much troubled as we shall see when we come to the places In the meane while this place teacheth vs that all kinde of zeale is not allowable before God and that they which of zeale and good intent impugne the truth are not streightway to be pardoned For Paule otherwhiles attributeth a zeale of God vnto the Iewes yet he condemneth them in that they are not zealous for the glory of God according vnto knowledge We must therefore beware that no euill affection rule in vs and that we sinne not of ignoraunce in Gods will which must be the onely rule of all our doings Thirdlye here is declared what the Iewes the Apostles aduersaries did which went out before the congregation was broken vp bicause they would not heare the word because they feared they should lose their glory they speake against them also and stryue agaynst the truth by arguments And seeing they cannot that way preuaile they turne vnto rayling whereby no doubt they depraued both the doctrine and persons of the Apostles to make the simple people suspect their doctrine enuie them Such are the craftes of the wicked which euen nowe a dayes also they practise and they of whome men looke for arguments scriptures they thinke by their talke so to preuaile that they will rayle and often times open their wicked mouth against the name and word of god Also this place teacheth vs wherevnto hatred of the truth bringeth men at the length when they will continue in the same For it maketh them blasphemers open enimies and impudent raylers who yet at the beginning seemed good men and tollerable Let men therfore stoppe at the beginning and vse to acquaint their eares with the truth if they meane not to holde on still in stubbornnesse But did the Apostles giue place to this stowtnesse of the Iewes No. But with greater courage and boldenesse of speach resisted them For so must the Ministers of the worde be furnished that they must not onely teach the truth but also be able to withstand the gainesayers And it is vnmeete that they that are the Ministers of Christ shoulde yeelde vnto the enterprises of the worlde Herevnto appertaine the examples of the Prophetes who we reade were alwayes the constanter the more bolde they sawe the enimies of Gods worde were See what is sayde of Micheas in the fyrst booke of the Kinges and .xxij. Chapter and of Ieremie and others in euery place And it seemeth that Christ admonished the Apostles of daungers to come for none other cause so much as for that they shoulde not be discouraged with the boldenesse of their enimies nor be offended at them These things must we remember in these dayes where Antichristes bande is so whote in assaulting the truth Let vs thinke that nowe our constancie and stoutenesse is chiefely requisite faithfully to defende the Churches quarrell being in hazarde And the Apostles saying is diligently to be considered where they with graue and godly weight of wordes pronounce the horrible sentence of excommunication against these incurable persons For what more hope was there to be had of such as they sawe had clymed vp to the toppe of impietie and fyrst had stopped their eares against the worde of God and after that had spoken against it and at length were become blasphemers of it But chiefely the Apostles charge them with vnthankefulnesse and incredulitie which was the cause of their punishment saying it was meete the worde of God shoulde first be preached vnto you whome God did vouchsafe to adorne with the couenant the promises and kindred of his sonne But you make your selues vnworthy of such grace while through your incurable malice you despise the saluation offred vnto you What other thing therfore remaineth but that we turne vnto the Gentyles and gather God a Church out from among them which hitherto haue bene straungers from the couenant and Testaments For so must that saying of Christ be fulylled The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen vnto a Nation which shall bring forth the fruites thereof In these things it is very diligently to be considered howe these vnbeleeuing perish through their owne iudgement vnto whome Christ is preached for a testimonie Furthermore how notwithstanding mans incredulitie and vnthankefulnesse Gods worde is nothing preiudiced or hindered For God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham which shall embrace Christ with true faith as we see commeth to passe in the vocation of the Gentyles For they whose heartes were harder than stones being mollifyed with
doctrine Furthermore the state of the controuersie that these deceyuers helde is expressed For they called backe the Gentyles vnto Circumcision and Ceremonies of the lawe saying Except you be circumcised you cannot bee saued Which saying it is very like they confyrmed with many articles For they had the lawe of God who ordeyned Circumcision for a perpetuall signe of his couenant amongst the Israelites They had also the example of the Church at Ierusalem where the Apostles yeelded so farre to the weakenesse of the Iewes that they circumcised their infantes Moreouer where through Circumcision they were bounde to obserue the lawe according to that saying of Paule I testifye to euery man that is circumcised that hee is bounde to keepe the whole lawe This being taken awaye they cryed and sayde that the whole lawe was abrogated and a gate opened vnto all wickednesse Yet they confessed Christ notwithstanding and woulde seeme to be followers of the Gospell like goodlye blenders and compounders which thought the lawe might be mingled with the Gospell and the righteousnesse of workes with fayth This therefore was the whole state of the controuersie whether men were iustified through the grace of God by fayth onely in Christ or whether the righteousnesse of the lawe was necessarye vnto saluation And if a man will weygh and expende this matter well it shall appeare that this was the verye same controuersie which is betweene vs and the Papistes nowe in these dayes who professe Christ also but yet affirme that men are iustifyed and saued by their merites and good deedes sauing that in this poynt the Papists case is the weaker and worse for that they grounde not vppon the lawe of Moses once giuen by God but vppon mannes traditions which long sithence haue bene condemned by the sentence of god They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines of men Therfore it is very necessary for vs to vnderstand this controuersie For if there be no place due vnto the workes of Gods lawe for vs to glory we be iustifyed by then doubtlesse be they very miserable and blinde which dare chalenge this praise vnto the colde obseruances of mannes traditions In the meane season mannes peruersenesse bewrayeth itselfe in this place which where God offreth saluation vnto vs freely contemneth the same and seeketh rather a sumptuous and laborious way of attayning therevnto Examples of this peruersitie appeare in all ages and the Lorde complayneth hereof in Esay 55. saying Wherefore laye you out your money vppon the thing that feedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not Againe My people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the well of the water of life and digged them pits yea vile and broken pits that can holde no water And would God that he had not more occasion to make the like complaint euerywhere at this day Thirdly followeth the effect of false doctrine that these Iewish Christians brought in That was sedition and open schisme through the which Luke sayth the Church at Antioch which hitherto had bene moste quiet and as a common sanctuarie to all the godly was disturbed Therefore they that fall from the simple doctrine of the truth and bring new and false opinions into the Church these are disturbers of the Church By this name doth Paule here sette out these fellowes saying I marueyle that you are so soone turned from Christ that called you by grace vnto another Gospell which yet is none other but that there be some which trouble you And in other places he calleth them Dogges euill workers concision and the verye enimies of the crosse of Christ. I know we are charged by the Papists in these dayes to haue disturbed to disturbe the Church But if the truth of the Apostles doctrine be well marked it shal appeere we are most cleere from this crime the puritie of which doctrine bicause we endeuour to restore maketh vs in deede to disturbe the ydlenesse of them who vnder a false pretence of Christ his Church had a delight to disporte themselues both with the felles and fleshe of the miserable sheepe Furthermore the chiefe vse of this place is that we be not so offended with the discentions rising in our dayes by reason of religion that we therefore thinke all doctrine of fayth and religion to be doubtfull and vncertayne For it is euident that the doctrine of truth hath in all ages bene diuersly assaulted and that therefore diuers discentioâ—s haue risen by meanes thereof This God suffereth to come to passe by his iust iudgement and for the weale of our saluation For fyrst according to the saying of Paule there must needes bee sectes that they which are perfite may be knowne Agayne by this occasion it commeth to passe that the chiefe articles of our fayth and saluation are the more diligently and earnestly examined which vnlesse they were thus called in question woulde for the most part lye vnconsidered and buryed For God can so moderate mischiefes that they serue vnto the saluation of those that be his and to those that loue God all thing worketh to the best And this may we see in thys present controuersie as cleere as daye For hereby came it to passe that the meane of our iustifycation was intreated and discussed the more diligently by the Apostles and that the ceremonies of the lawe were the lesse regarded among the Iewes wherein yet a great many put much trust Euen so in our age the sacrifyce of the Masse was no way more ouerthrowne than by the controuersie which fell out about the supper of the Lorde Therfore their clamour is pieuishe and absurde which complaine and saye that by reason of such discentions religion is doubtfull and vncertaine For vnder this colour they go about to hyde and cloake their prophane and hollowe heartes Furthermore let vs consider what Paule and Barnabas and the faithfull of Antioch did in this disceptation As for Paule and Barnabas it is sayd that they had much contention and daylie disputation with these disturbers Therefore they were no dumbe Dogges which woulde suffer all kindes of doctrine to creepe into the Church but rather they earnestly withstoode these deceyuers so that the true faith was not ouerturned with their gloses Yet otherwheres Paule becommeth all things to all men and earnestly commaundeth those that be strong in faith pacientlye to beare with the weaker Why therefore sheweth he himselfe in this place to be so difficult and vntreatable Bicause it was a matter of more importance than coulde be dissembled For by this opinion the righteousnesse of fayth which we haue in Christ alone is ouerturned For they which by Circumcision make them selfe bonde vnto the law to them is Christ become vnprofitable and they which will be iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace Moreouer by thys meanes the Christian libertie was in hazarde which coulde be purchased with none other pryce
come might be preuented And fyrst bicause they whose mindes through contention were mooued might happen to suspect Paule and Barnabas credite in this dealing they ioyne vnto them messengers of no small dignitie and estimation Againe least Silas and Iudas might not seeme by craft and subtiltie to be wonne and made on Paules side they commende and defende their authoritie by publike letters By which example we are taught that prudence and wisedome is chiefely to be vsed in publike affayres of the Church least vnaduised rashnesse maye preiudice a cause of it selfe otherwise both good and honest Here is to be considered the order of the Primitiue Church which the same Church was woont to vse in publike affayres The Apostles in deede with the Elders had the rule and ordering of all matters as they who had the ouersight of the Churche committed vnto them Yet they tooke not on them such rule and authoritie to exclude or shut out the people from the hearing of such things as appertayned indifferently vnto the whole Church Againe in the people was great consideration of modestie whereby it came to passe that euerye one gaue place vnto the truth and none of them prouoked eyther with 〈◊〉 or other peruerse affection would vnaduisedly stirre or make businesse Nowe where the ambition of Prelates hath disturbed and broken this order who contrary to the commaundement of Peter the Apostle haue chalenged vnto them a Lordship ouer the inheritance or Church of Christ the congregations are euery daye molested with newe contentions and there appeareth no ende eyther of errors or moste bitter debates But let vs see the letters of the Synode or Counsayle where a thing of most weight and importance is most briefely and plainely entreated For as truth is easily perceyued and voyde of all guile so it desireth no fetches nor affectate ornaments and deckings This Epistle or letter consisteth of fower partes all which for the more perspicuitie we will seuerally speake of The fyrst parte contayneth the superscription which nameth the authors of the Epistle and those to whome the same is written And they are all so named as a man may perceyue nothing is spoken of arrogancie or ambition Yet is there an order obserued wherof a man must haue regard in euery thing First are the Apostles placed bicause Christ appointed them to be teachers of the whole worlde and his witnesses and adourned them with such dignitie that they are called the salte of the earth and light of the worlde After that are the Elders named of whose office we haue spoken already before Last of all all the beleeuers are comprehended vnder the name of brethren Therefore these letters are written in the name of the whole Synode and Congregation And they are written vnto the brethren that dwelt at Antioch in Syria and Cilicia amongest whome schisme and troubles were raysed through the malice and craft of deceyuers We must marke the calling of one another brethren which appeareth to be a moste auncient vsage euen from the time of the Apostles There is two occasions of this name We are called brethren both bicause we haue all one father which is in heauen who hath prepared for vs one inheritaunce of hys kingdome and also for that Iesus Christ the sonne of God taketh vs for his brethren and doth vouchsafe to make vs coinheritours with him As therefore this name serueth much for the mainteyning of concorde among Christians so it bringeth a singular comfort in all kinde of temptations For it is impossible that Iesus Christ shoulde neglect them whom he hath once taken for his brethren and will haue to be heyres of his kingdome Woulde to God they woulde expende this name which now a dayes make such odious differences of Nations as though no dutie of Christian charitie were due vnto those which are borne out of our countrie Yet the Apostles acknowledge the Assyrians and Cilicians people farre distaunt from them and borne of the Gentyles to be their brethren What wickednesse is it therefore to thinke Christian menne whome Christ taketh for his brethren for the Countries sake to be straungers vnto vs Ought the inheritance of the earth to be greater than the inheritance of heauen In the seconde part they grauely controll the deceyuers and false Apostles euen as the weyght of the cause and daunger of saluation by them procured deserued And fyrst they confesse they went forth from them but so as they were no partakers with them And this they laye as a stopple against their vaine vauntes and bragging For they vsed to saye they came from Ierusalem and had learned their doctrine of the Apostles who taught the same learning at Ierusalem Therefore the Apostles denie not that they went forth from their Church but yet therefore they aduise not euery man to credite and receyue that they teach For it is commonly seene that deceyuers come forth of the Church as we haue elsewhere taught Therefore that vaine vanitie of tytles and succession whereby the Bishops of Rome defende their dignitie in these dayes while they alleage the authoritie of the Church of Rome and the Apostles their Predecessours is not sufficient We be not ignorant that the fayth of that Church was once such that Paule worthily commended the same Wee know also that there haue bene many Bishops in the same of notable godlynesse faith and learning of whome diuers haue bene crowned with martyrdome But what is all this to our Bishops now a dayes whose beliefe learning and conuersation is altogither different from those men They that will defende themselues by the authoritie of the Church should followe the steps of the Primitiue Church This done they declare what these deceyuers did They haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your mindes They are therefore disturbers and not builders of the Church as Paule well obserued wryting to the Galathians I marueyle you are so soone turned vnto another Gospell which is nothing else but that there be some that trouble you Againe I woulde to God they were seperated from you that trouble you In these wordes is declared the effect of false doctrine which a man may espie in all them which ascribe not vnto Christ onely all the order and praise of our saluation First they trouble and make the hearers vncertaine of their saluation whiles they ouerthrowe fayth For it cannot be that they haue anye thinge stable and certaine that sticke to the workes of the lawe bicause the lawe exacteth a perfyte and an absolute obedience in all poyntes which is not in mannes power to perfourme Wherefore according to the saying of Paule as soone as saluation is declared to be in workes then faith is in vaine and the promyse of none effect And the false Apostles doe not onely trouble men this waye but also for that they be authors of schisme which must needes ensue as soone as saluation is not attributed to Christ onely For example we haue the Church
that in Claudius dayes they were all driuen out of Rome and Italie And surelye it might seeme a grieuous attempt for Iewes defamed persons almost with all men to prescribe lawes vnto the Romanes the Lords seigniors of the whole world And this accusation was of such force and effect that all the people ranne vpon the Apostles as it had bene to the quenching of some great fyre begun Thou shalt in this place consider what the crafts of the enimies of the truth are We heard how they were incensed led with the desire of priuate lucre aduantage But bicause it was an vnhonest poynt to disturbe the whole citie for a fewes sake they make of a priuate case a publike with marueylous arte and craft so proceeding as though they tooke the publike weales cause in hande Thus we heare Caiaphas played the Rhetorician when he sayde vnto the Scribes consulting agaynst Christ It is expedient for vs that one man dye for the people and not all the Nation perishe And now a dayes nothing is so common a thing as to set a pretence of common weale vpon priuate affections when men desire the doctrine of truth to be banished This craft they haue learned of their Captaine the Deuill who we reade vsed the same trickes euen from the beginning For did he not this wayes entyce our fyrst parents to breake Gods commaundement so propose his matter as though he had sought no whitte for his owne auayle but was onely carefull for theirs When he begoonne also to dispute with Christ he seemed to go about to cause Christ to declare his Godheade vnto the worlde by some woonderfull and myraculous wise and not to holde the worlde anye longer in suspence and doubt what he was For to this ende were his sayings touching turning of stones into breade and casting himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple We haue euerywhere examples of such sleyghtes the chiefe ende whereof is to warne vs that we suffer not our selues to be circumuented and beguiled eyther with the craftes of the deuill himselfe or of his members This place also teacheth vs with what crimes commonly the truth is charged in this worlde Namely that she troubleth and disquieteth common weales and beguyleth the simple Commons with new and false religion Hereof commeth it to passe that the Ministers and teachers of the truth are counted for seditious fellowes seducers and beguilers The faythfull seruauntes of God Moses and Aaron are so called of Pharao the tyrant For thus he aunswereth them desiring him that the people myght be set at libertie You Moses and Aaron why pluck you the people away from their labour But the wicked Achab more bitterly vpbraydeth the Prophete Elias with the same saying Art not thou he that troublest Israel Yet is that more grieuous that Amasias the Priest layeth to Amos the Prophetes charge before king Ieroboam in these wordes Amos hath made a conspiracie against thee in the middest of the house of Israel and the lande cannot away with his sermons Yea the wicked Courtyers of Sedechias the king accuse Ieremie of treason and of flying to his enimies the Assirians saying he is the onely authour of all their miseries and destruction But this is no marueyle considering these were the poynts of accusation that were layde vnto Christes charge For the Priestes sayde vnto Pylate wee founde this man peruerting the whole Nation and forbidding to paye tribute vnto Caesar saying he was Christ a king Agayne If thou let him loose thou art not Caesars friend Whosoeuer maketh himselfe a king speaketh against Caesar. These are grieuous matters and argue the great impudencie of the worlde And yet they may seeme tollerable being compared with the things done in our dayes These thinges in times past did they saye which were the professed enimies of the Prophetes and Apostles and which knewe not that Christ was their sauiour But nowe adayes they that will be taken and counted for Christians which challenge vnto them the chiefe gouernaunce of the Church which professe themselues to be the nurses shepeheardes and defenders of the Church vse to persecute the ministers of Christ and his Gospell and call that a newe doctrine a seditious and a deceytfull which according to the scriptures of the olde and newe Testament sheweth that all our saluation is onely in Christ Iesus which teacheth vs the right vse of the sacraments innocencie and puritie of life the duties of charitie commaundeth vs to loue our enimies leaueth lawes and priuiledges free vnto Magistrates biddeth vs giue vnto Caesar that is Caesars and vnto God that belongeth vnto him which commendeth vnto vs principally the desire of peace and commaundeth vs asmuch as lyeth in vs to haue peace with all men Who may not therefore crie out ô maners ô tymes Let vs therfore acknowledge the blindenesse of this world and not esteeme their slaunders one myte whereby they go about to defame and bring in suspition the wholesome doctrine of the Gospell It remayneth for vs to consider what the iudgement of the Gouernour of Philippi was concerning this present cause But what saye I the iudgement whereas without all iudgement they raged like madde men against the Apostles Sreyghtways they tare and rent their garments as though there wanted Ministers of such mischiefe Then they commaunde them without hearing their aunswere and being guiltlesse to be beaten with roddes And when they had bene well scourged at length they cast them in prison commaunding that they shoulde be well watched as though they were worthye of more punishment than other malefactors Which thing was the cause that they were put in an inner prison and their feete thrust into the stockes But what more iniustice coulde Magistrates and men in office shewe He offendeth that doth but denie him leaue that is accused to excuse himselfe But these men besides beate straungers with roddes and when they haue beaten them thrust them in prison meaning afterwarde at leysure to heare their aunswere The cause of this rage was for that they suffered other that slaundered them to much to kindle their choler Therfore let them that sitte in iudgement flie this pestilent plague and remember that they haue two eares giuen them for this cause that one maye be kept open for the Plaintife and that other for the defendant Let them also remember that God is the President of iudgements to whome they also shall one day giue an account of their iudgements In the meane season we are admonished what the state of the godly is in this worlde Notorious malefactors maye liue in safetye but the godlye are hated and persecuted of all men and where they hurt none but doe good vnto all men they haue least thanke of all men in the worlde It was a singular benefite to deliuer the Damsell out of the thraldome of Satan But for their good turne they are punished with strypes and imprisonment as publike enimies of the Citie Hereof we haue euery
the Citie crying These that trouble the worlde are come hyther also whome Iason hath receyued priuilie And these all doe contrarie to the decrees of Caesar affirming an other king one Iesus And they troubled the people and the officers of the Citie when they heard these things And when they were sufficiently aunswered of Iason and of the other they let them go And the brethren immediatly sent away Paule Silas by night vnto Berrhoea which when they were come thyther entred into the Synagoge of the Iewes AS God ordeyned his sonne from euerlasting to be the sauiour of mankinde so he prophecyed in the beginning of the world that there should be perpetuall enmitie and contention betweene the Deuill and him when he sayde vnto the Serpent I will set enmitie betweene thee and the woman betweene thy seede and hir seede The same shall treade downe thy heade and thou shalt treade vpon hys heele Continuall examples of which prophecie this booke of the Apostles actes declareth vnto vs For wheresoeuer in the worlde the Apostles went about to erect and establishe the kingdome of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell there Satan by his instrumentes alwayes withstoode them This he did fyrst at Ierusalem by the Scribes Priests after that at Samaria by Simon the Sorcerer after that againe at Damascus by Areta king of Arabia in Cyprus by Elymas the Sorcerer at Antioch in Pisidia by the Iewes who after that of an obstinate purpose and implacable hatred followed Paule euerywhere by sea and by lande to hynder and stop the course of the gospell For these were his enimies at Lystra These withstoode him as he taught at Derba And nowe being called of God into Macedonia they trouble and molest him For by their meanes as this present place teacheth he is thrust out of Thessalonica where the gospell began prosperously to take roote The chiefe vse of all these things is that we must not be offended if the lyke come vpon these dayes but that we consyder that this alway is the state of the church in this worlde bicause the worlde delyghteth more in seruing the Prince thereof than in Christ. But let vs vewe this present place which marueylously serueth to instruct and comfort vs against the wicked assaultes of the Deuill and the worlde For fyrst it teacheth vs with what instruments the Deuill fought agaynst Paule at Thessalonica After that it describeth their properties and qualities and the good successe of all this Tragedie Among the instrumentes of the Deuill which he here thought good to vse are two kynde of men rehearsed The fyrst are the Iewes which Luke sayth had indignation at the Apostles But they were hypocrites which vsed the pretence of Gods lawe and zeale of auncient religion to cloke their obstinacie and vnbeliefe with where in deede they sought nothing but their priuate gaine and glorye as by their conspiracie may easily appeare For they tooke vnto them certaine vagabundes men of naughtie conditions whose companye they ought to haue shunned as a moste pestilent plague if they had loued truth and religion For thus are ydle and luskishe lubbers worthie to be called who when they haue spent their goodes in waste stande in the market place lyke publyke wares to be solde and are ready to commit all kinde of mischiefe so they may fynde a buyer This is a marueylous society and such as a man would neuer once suspect could be amonge professours of such vnlyke studyes but that the force of hatred once conceyued against the truth is so great that it vseth to ioyne men of most diuers conditions and natures in league togither Thus thou seest the Priestes Scribes and Phariseyes the Sadduceyes Iudas the Apostle the souldiours Herode and Pilate conspire togither against Christ all which otherwise were of diuers countreyes religion and profession This place teacheth vs who are the most earnest and chiefest enimies of the truth Uerily hypocrites which vnder a false pretence of religion seeke their owne aduauntage and such as being nusseled in ydlenesse and cannot away with pouertie are readie to sell their helpe about any thing For as the fyrst sort by the testimonie of Christ can not beleeue bicause they burne in desyre of priuate glorye so the other thinke there is most right where most meede is Therefore Satan vseth craftily to ioyne and consocyate these two sortes of men togither to the ende that these bolde and desperate dickes of Caria hyred and waged by hypocrites may with open violence bring that to passe which they cannot with their craftie and subtile inuentions This is the cause that nowe a dayes so manye Prelates are seene in kings Courtes that Byshops be of Princes counsels and that Monkes which bragge they are men deade vnto the worlde are seene flying in the fyeld among armed men For they can fynde themselues no more trustie defendoures than such as haue solde their soules and consciences and measure all truth and religion by gaine and lucre These things teach vs what kinde of men they shoulde most of all beware of which desyre to haue their Churches in safety In many places now a dayes Abbotes and Bishops craftily insynuate themselues and pretende a kinde of zeale But when they are once let in by and by they fynde men meete for their purpose and deuises which being brybed with golde dare forceably doe anye thing against the doctrine of Christ and they are founde to be most of all other voyde of al religion and righteousnesse which seemed before to beare greatest zeale vnto God. This the seconde part of this place teacheth vs which declareth their doings which hytherto pretended the zeale of godlynesse in their enterprise The fyrst thing that they doe they set all the Citie by their conspiracie in an vprore which was easie for them to doe by false rumours which they spredde both openly and priuily agaynst the Apostles as enymies of the publike weale That done they violently giue an assault to an other mans house meaning to haue brought forth the Apostles if they had found them there But what kinde of zeale is that that maketh men burst open dores and hale innocents vnto death Yet is there a more heynous matter than this For when they could not fynde them they sought for they bring and pull before the Iudges Iason the Apostles hoste a man for his hospitality worthy of singuler prayse and with him certaine of the brethren which beleeued in Christ and accuse them as Traytors vnto the Citie And they so frame their accusation that they intermeddle in euery worde most impudent lyes and slaunders These say they that trouble the worlde are come hyther also whome Iason hath receyued priuilye They call the Apostles which preach peace and mutuall looue troublers of the worlde whereas they themselues had nowe set all the Citie on a roare lyke seditious fellowes But bicause they knewe religion in pretence whereof they made this adooe was smally regarded
vnder and repressed by the power of God whyle Gallio a newe President of Achaia lyeth at Corinthe with one consent set vpon Paule take him bring him into the market before the iudgement seate of the Liefetenaunt By which example we are taught that the promises of God are not so to be vnderstanded as though God had ordeyned vs to be out of all maner daunger and hazarde But rather he will haue vs to be invred with troubles bicause it is so requisite for our fleshe and for the order of our saluation which is the cause that as Dauid sayth Many are the tribulations of the iust but the Lorde delyuereth them from them all Herevnto are the examples of all those to be referred which after most large and ample promyses of God haue bene tempted wyth most grieuous daungers God sayth vnto Abraham I will blesse thee and magnifie thy name I will blesse them that blesse thee and cursse them that cursse thee Yet after this by reason of hys wyfe Sara he was in daunger he was troubled with warres and suffered the great distresse of banishment And yet for all this God is no lyer but hys troth is so much the more manifest bicause he delyuereth him out of so manye and such perilles The same we might affirme of Moses Dauid Ieremie and all the Apostles but that we studie to be briefe Therfore they are greatly deceyued which so expounde the promises of the gospell that they by and by reprooue the Ministers of lying so soone as anye crosse or trouble aryseth Let vs remember that Christ promiseth vs a retribution of those things which we lose in persecution for his names sake and that all they which will follow him must beare the crosse after his example Furthermore let vs in this place obserue the maners and conueyances of the enimies of the truth that we maye the easilyer beware of them Fyrst we see the Iewes seeke occasion craftily to doe harme where vntyll this time they might seeme hushte and quyet For in a whole yeare and a halfe almost they sturred not agaynst Paule But assoone as they had a new Lieftenaunt then they beginne eyther for that they hoped that he was a man voyde of religion and iustice and therefore the fytter for their turne or else for that they thought they might safely make a sturre vnder a newe officer who was not as yet acquainted with the state affayres of Corinth Therfore that wisedome appeareth in them wherin Christ sayth they passe the children of light This teacheth vs that we must not snorte in securitie when the enimies of the truth and those that sometime were our enymies for the truth sake seeme to lye still But rather we must vse the wytte of Serpents against their craftes and enterprises which assoone as oportunitie serueth them will burst forth Wherfore that saying of Ecclesiasticus serueth well to this purpose Beleeue not thine enimie c. Next this the Iewes with one accorde make an insurrection agaynst Paule which is one other propertie of the wicked For where through diuersitie of affections they are alwayes at iarre and hurre yet to set on Christ and his worde they cleaue togyther lyke burres bicause they all hate the same alyke Thus the Phariseyes could agree togither well ynough with the Sadduceyes and Herodians when they went about to apprehende christ And we knowe howe Pylate was reconcyled vnto Herode after he had sent Christ vnto him to be mocked Let no man therefore trust the discordes of the wicked but let him put all his trust in Christ the author of true vnitie and consent But let vs consider the chiefe poynt of the accusation that the Iewes layde vnto Paules charge This fellow say they counselleth men to worship God contrary to the lawe Their meaning is that he bringeth in newe maner of worshippings contrarye to the lawes of god Nowe all alteration of religion was an hatefull thing vnto the Romaines And wythout doubt they amplifyed that fault marueylously and brought forth the Romane lawes as we heard before was done at Philippi Thessalonica But that this was a false accusation maye be gathered by this one argument for that Paule preached Christ which was the ende of the law and in whom were fulfylled whatsoeuer things were conteyned in the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes Yet we see alwayes the true worshippers of God are accused for prophaners of religion and yet are there none more earnest defenders and reuengers of the same then they And here they that are farthest of from all religion bragge most howe they are the maynteyners of religion as the Iewes pretende the keeping of the lawe where they had long agone ouerthrowne the same with mannes traditions So the prophane enimyes of the truth nowe a dayes haue the saintes and ymages of saints in their mouthes agaynst vs where as notwithstanding it is euident they little set by eyther saintes or their ymages For if they will defend the honor of the saintes why doe they not imitate their fayth Why persecute they their doctrine and wrytings with fyre and sworde Why call they them heretikes that desyre to follow their steps If they count ymages so godly a thing why neglect they the liuely ymages of God why robbe they the poore to clothe stockes and stones why burne they christian men to whom Christ hath restored the ymage of God by the price of hys bloude What else therefore doe these men but as the Iewes dyd which vnder a faire pretence of religion wyshed all religion and truth extinguished But what doth Gallio in this vprore Commaundeth he Paule to pleade his cause or giueth he him the hearing No. But being about to speake he interrupteth him which yet might seeme tollerable bicause he pronounced no sentence against him the matter being vndeclared But he cleerely putteth of the matter from his hearing saying it appertayneth not to his determination speaking most contemptuously of the Iewes religion as though it had bene a thing consisting onely in bare and vncertaine wordes or names The cause of his thus speaking he seemed to take of the Iewes owne wordes which by their foolishe genealogies and brawles about wordes caused the gentiles to laugh and scorne at all their religion The like thing we see nowe a dayes in papistrie whose iuglings and friuolous opinions causeth the Iewes and Turkes to laugh at our christian religion And woulde God there were not among the professours of the gospell which by their straunge and queynt questions caused not the vngodlye to scorne the christian fayth But as touching Gallio he commaundeth the busie Iewes to leaue of and putteth them from the barre Wherein some thinges are to be allowed and other some to be reprooued It is to be commended that he rashely condemneth not that religion that he knew not For in so doing he is of more equitie and modestie then many magistrates in our dayes who being ignoraunt in
Antioche the publike sanctuary as we sayde before of all godly persons From thence he passed through the Galathians and Phrygians confyrming the brethren euerywhere in the fayth for that he was not ignorant of the craftes and enterprises of Satan which lyeth still in wayte for the godly Luke in fewe wordes comprehendeth the great paynes care and marueylous dyligence that Paule vsed in the gouerning of Christ his Church But if a man would compare the Byshops of our dayes with him which bragge of Paule and Peters name good Lorde howe little shall a man fynde in them expressing but one sparkle of Paules breast In the meane season let vs acknowledge the truth of God which prouideth for his Church such faythfull and chosen instruments and let vs beseech him to sende out faithfull labourers into hys haruest which may enlarge the boundes of his Church that our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ may haue a kingdome in all nations to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxiiij Homelie AND a certaine Iewe named Apollos borne at Alexandria came to Ephesus an eloquent man and myghtie in the scriptures The same was enfourmed in the way of the Lorde and spake feruently in the spirite taught dyligently the things of the Lorde and knewe but the baptisme of Iohn onlye And the same beganne to speake boldely in the Synagoge whome when Priscilla and Aquila had hearde they tooke him vnto them and expounded vnto hym the way of God more perfitely And when he was disposed to go into Achaia the brethren wrote exhorting the Disciples to receyue him Which when he was come helped them much which had beleeued thorowe grace for he ouercame the Iewes myghtilye and that openly shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ. VNto the discourse of the thinges done by the Apostle Paule at Corinth and Ephesus Luke annexeth in order the hystorie of Apollos the Iewe borne at Alexandria For fyrst it maketh for the more perfyte declaration of the thinges done among the Corinthians bicause Apollos not long after this went to Corinth and watered the Church there that Paule had prosperouslye planted and lyke a dyligent husbandman brought it to more rypenesse of fruite as the Apostle confesseth in the fyrst to the Corinthians the thirde Chapter Here appeareth likewise the great goodnesse of God in prouyding for his Church For we heard in the Sermon going before howe Paule by secrete instinct of the holye ghost was taken from the Ephesians which being inflamed with the loue of the gospell desyred longer to haue kept him with them Therefore least any man might thinke that God neglected those that were so desyrous of saluation so myght take occasion to thinke yll of God he substituteth Apollos in his place to supply Paules absence by his diligence and endeuour For God neglecteth none that are desyrous of the truth who calleth all men vnto him euery where and allureth them with spreade open armes Therfore this hystorie maketh not a little for the comfort of the Church conteyning also an example of a faythfull and an absolute minister with many other things belonging to our instruction wherefore it shall be profytable to examine all the partes thereof Luke begynneth very commodiously with the description of the person saying fyrst he was a Iewe where partly is declared the great mercie of God which out of a most enuious nation falling and running headlong into destruction chooseth out euery day newe and freshe worshippers of hys sonne and Ministers and partly the Iewes malice is prooued incurable which could be ouercome neyther with the great dyligence of the Apostles nor yet with daylie domesticall examples Next he declareth how he was borne at Alexandria where hystories saye and thys present place prooueth was a most famous Church and schoole erected euen in the time of the Apostles For from thence commeth thys Apollos furnished with so many dyuers giftes whose labour and traueyle afterwarde appeared so great in the buylding vp of the congregation Luke in verye fewe wordes attributeth to him singuler qualities saying he is eloquent that is to saye had a gift aptly and in due maner to speake or reason of any matter also power or might in the scriptures that is a conuenable dexteritie in handling or intreating of them as one that had not learned them onely for ostentation sake Moreouer he declareth he was brought vp in the way of the Lorde thereby attributing vnto him the knowledge of Christ yet declaring he wanted some poyntes thereof where he sayth he knewe but the baptisme of Iohn onely So calleth he the principles of christian religion comprehending vnder this worde baptisme all the doctrine of Iohn and al that businesse whereof he was Minister In the which sence Christ also demaunded the Scribes of Iohns baptisme Math. 21. Yet this place must not so be vnderstanded as though Iohn had had no knowledge of Christ or had taught his Disciples any doctrine contrarie to christ For Iohns doctrine and Christes was all one For as Christ commaundeth the Apostles to preach repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name so reade we that Iohn mooued his hearers vnto repentaunce and shewed them that the grace of God and saluation was to be had in Christ onely For the summe of his doctrine was Repent you for the kingdome of God is at hande Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde The father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all things into his hande that all that beleeue in the sonne may haue lyfe euerlasting See Luke 3. Iohn 1. and thirde chapiters And bicause Iohn was in the myddle betwixt the Prophets and Christ and was therefore but the forerunner of the sauyour that was promised who should prepare and make ready the people to receyue Christ it suffised him to declare but a short and briefe summe of our saluation and knowledge of Christ that all men might vnderstande howe forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting was to be had but in him alone In the meane season it is manifest that he no where taught the secret misteries of Christes death resurrection and ascension or the whole order of our redemption in expresse wordes For the perfyte vnderstanding hereof was reserued for an other tyme yea we reade that the very Apostles were not so skilfull in these thinges although that Christ had oftentimes reasoned hereof vntill after his ascension they were illuminated by the holy ghost that was sent them as Christ had promised them Therefore although Apollos was brought vp in the waye of the Lorde and knewe that Christ was the sauiour of the worlde yet was he ignoraunt in manye thinges which concerned the maner of our redemption whereof he was more at large to be enfourmed as shall followe a little hereafter In the meane tyme we haue two thyngs to consider in the description of this person First is the order and lincking togyther of gyftes wherewith
of the things done by Paule at Ephesus beginneth to tell fyrst howe he brought certaine persons to frame that vaunted themselues of the gospell but were not throughly instructed therein and howe he adourned that church with the giftes of the holye ghost Which hystorie as it serueth much to our instruction so is it for this cause dyligently to be considered bycause dyuers men in times past haue contended by authoritie of this place to baptise those againe which before had bene baptised by Heretiques At this day also the Anabaptistes abuse the same a verie frowarde and phrentike kinde of persons keeping infantes from their baptisme and affirming that none ought to be baptised but such as are of yeares of discretion and well infourmed in the principles and knowledge of Christ. But that both these and the olde wryters were deceyued it shall easily appeare by the text it selfe whereby it shall be prooued that Paule ment nothing lesse in this dooing than that which they go about to gather thereof For fyrst it is sayd Paule went about to examine certaine disciples which he met withal after he came again to Ephesus But it is not lykely that these and no more had professed Christ bicause we may gather a greater vtilitie of the gospell among the Ephesians by that we heard in the ende of the .xviij. chapiter Nowe that Paule taketh these to examine rather then any other this seemeth to be the cause for that they liued not agreeably to the profession of christian men For it is like it hapned at Ephesus as it doth commonly in euery place when the truth is fyrst preached but the discipline of the church not fully established For then we shall see many which will professe to be gospellers more for hatred of the olde state then for loue of the truth bicause they would vnder a cloke of the gospell liue the more licentiously Bycause Paule perceyued that these were such a kinde of people to the intent they might be brought to better conformitie and passe and not perishe like those that receyued the seede of the gospell into a stonie grounde Paule beginneth to examine them of their beliefe and so to laye before their eyes howe farre they were as yet from the marke of perfection He demaundeth therefore if they had receyued the holy ghost This question must be vnderstanded of the giftes of the holye ghost which God at that time vsed to giue to the faithfull that is to say the knowledge of tongues and exposition of the scripture whereof we haue already manye times intreated This place teacheth vs howe to know true christians from false and counterfeyte For although those speciall giftes of the holye ghost which were sometime miraculously giuen be at this day ceassed yet the promise of Iesus Christ remayneth fyrme which promised his spirite to those that were his And as Paule elsewhere sayth they that haue not the spirite of Christ can not be his members And the other effectes of Gods holye spirite are as necessary at this daye as the vnderstanding of tongues and interpretation of scripture was in time passed namely the mortifycation of the olde man the regeneration and innouation of our minde purifycation sanctifycation and such other like As many therefore as lacke all these things it is certaine they boast in vaine of the faith name of Christ except we shall say that the spirite of Christ is an ydle and sluggishe spirite But let vs heare the aunswere of them whome Paule examineth in which they vtter a very grosse and barbarous ignoraunce saying No we haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no. But howe were they ignoraunt of the holy ghost which had heard so often mention of him in the lawe and in the Prophets For it is out of doubt they were Iewes bicause they were baptized with the baptisme of Iohn Were they ignoraunt then of that saying of Moses which in the beginning of his hystorie wryteth that the spirite of God mooued vpon the waters Or else had they neuer heard that saying of Dauid by the worde of the Lorde were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth Againe take not thy holye spirite from me Besides they might haue knowne the voyce of the Messias speaking by the Prophet the spirite of the Lorde God is vpon me c. How is it therefore that they say they haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no The aunswere is easie For as Paule demaunded of the effectes of the holy ghost so they make aunswere concerning the same as if they should say we being content with those things which we haue heretofore learned seeke no farther neyther care we whether there be any holye ghost or no which worketh such peculiar giftes in mens mindes bicause we thinke the knowledge hereof to high for vs and not to appertaine to vs So these men be an example of carnall people which professe the truth with their mouth but haue denyed the power thereof as Paule sayth and in deede refuse that which with mouth they confesse 2 Timoth. 3. Tit. 1. A great number of these are euery where to be founde who being perswaded that the bare name of Christ is sufficient vnto blisse doe little regarde the giftes of the holy ghost namely the mortifycation of the fleshe the renewing of the minde regeneration sanctification and such lyke And through these mens faulte it commeth to passe for the most part that the doctrine of the gospell is so yll spoken of in the worlde Therefore such must not be suffered but be reprooued and their dissimulation must be disclosed that both they may vnderstande their errour and other be the lesse offended So doth Paule in this place For he gathereth nerer vpon them vrgeth them to confesse that they were not come to the christian perfection For he sayth In whose name then were you baptized That is to say what professed you when you fyrst receyued the Gospell and ioyned your selues to the Church of Christ They aunswere they were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn and so they testifye that they professed that doctrine religion wherof Iohn was a Minister and teacher and therby they plainly shewe they care little for any other than that Nowe Paule here catcheth them and holdeth them fast and inferreth Iohn sayth he baptised with the baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they shoulde beleeue on him that was to come after him that is in Iesus Christ hereby teaching that Iohn requyred a farre other thing of his Disciples than a bare profession of his name and of the Gospell For fyrst he appoynted repentaunce wherevnto with great earnestnesse he exhorted all degrees of persons as appeaâ—eth Luc. 3. Neyther requyreth he onely repentaunce but sheweth also remission of sinnes preaching Iesus Christ whose forerunner he was appoynted of God to be He taught men to embrace him by true fayth to
we learne that there must be a certayne place for doctrine to be taught in and howe the same must not wythout some great cause be forsaken For this is a thing verye profytable for the maintenance of true doctrine and keeping vnder of false teachers which priuilye vse to creepe in and to beguyle the vnwarye For the which cause Christ himselfe vsed moste times to teache in the Temple and in the open Synagoges bicause he woulde not by his example defend them which without a cause refuse to come vnto the Church or else sowe false doctrine in corners both which the Anabaptistes in our dayes ouerboldly vse to doe Secondly is declared the trade that Paule vsed in teaching He spake freely and boldly dissembling nothing And fyrst he disputed confuting the errors of the Iewes wherewith they confounded and obscured the way of saluation being of it selfe playne and simple Next he exhorted and counselled them to yeelde vnto a truth This is the best order of teaching wherin these two thinges are necessary to be obserued fyrst that the aduersaries arguments be confuted and that by effectuall reasons they be vrged to take holde of the truth and earnestlye to followe it For as truth can haue no place as long as lyes and errors beare rule so fruitelesse and vayne shall the knowledge of truth be vnlesse men earnestly embrace hir and labour as it were to be transformed into hir Therefore Paule commaundeth the Minister of the worde not onely to teach but also to exhort rebuke and to be instant in season and out of season And Christ woulde haue those that were bidden to the wedding of the heauenly kingdome to be compelled to come in Therefore fylthye is the error of them which saye a bare and literall treatie of the Scripture is sufficient in the Church and will not suffer those things to be openly discussed in them that serue for the instruction of all parties as though our saluation stoode onely in a naked and empty contemplation of things Thirdlye Luke sheweth the matter and argument of Paules doctrine where he sayth he spake of the kingdome of God. For so are the affayres of our redemption and saluation called the administrator and executor wherof the Prophetes long since declared that the Messias shoulde be But of this Messias the Iewes had conceyued not onely false but also very carnall and grosse opinions by reason they misvnderstoode the Oracles of the Prophetes For they dreamed the kingdome of the Messias shoulde be here vppon earth and hoped to enioy a golden worlde vnder him such as had bene sometime vnder Salomon With the which error the Apostles also being beguyled promised themselues notable dignities and promotions as maye easily be gathered by their contentions And they among the Iewes also whose mindes were more of their saluation than of this earthly kingdome did rather thinke it consisted in wearishe ceremonies than in the merite of christ Therefore Paule diligently declared the veritie of the kingdome of God shewing that it was spirituall not earthly and that it consisted not in the vaine obseruation of Ceremonies but in the merite of Christ and in fayth whereby we be graffed into him This doctrine of Paule is to be had both in his Sermons which Luke hath described in this booke also in his Epistles so that there needeth no long rehearsall therof Let vs marke how the Scriptures call our redemption and saluation the kingdome of god For hereby the ende thereof is declared which is that Satan being vanquished and the worlde ouercome God might beare rule ouer vs as our king as we desire in our prayer saying Let thy kingdome come Wherefore they are false Christians that glorye in the name of Christ and yet let the Deuill rule in them who can haue no communion or fellowshippe with Iesus Christ. Neyther can they be Christians which are out of the kingdome of God bicause Christ came into the worlde for no cause but to restore his kingdome But howe can they be in the kingdome of God which suffer themselfe to be ruled by the Deuilles spirite and obey him in all thinges But bicause Christ can neuer be preached anye where so luckilye but manye reprobates shall ryse agaynst his doctrine hee declareth howe Paule dealt with them but yet so as he fyrst sheweth what they did They hardened their heartes agaynst Paules doctrine This is the propertie of the wicked the more they are vrged with the worde of God the more they harden their heartes not that Gods worde is in the fault but their owne selues For where they haue not in them the seede of the children of God they cannot knowe his voyce and worde and therefore the more mightily the holy ghost worketh to bring them to order the more fyercelye vse they to resist him Examples we haue euerywhere in Caine Pharao Saule Iudas and diuers other wherevnto woulde God we had not euerye day freshe examples ioyned After induration it followeth that they wyll neyther beleeue nor obey Therefore they cast away the worde of God as vayne and nothing pertayning vnto them Besides a woorse property than all this namely rayling and slaundering whereby they go about to bring Christes doctrine and religion in suspicion and enuy amongest the people For they follow the Deuils propertie desiring to haue many partners and fellowes of his perdition And by these steps doth impietie climbe vp vntill she be so high that she falleth into destruction What doth Paule with these persons First he departeth frō them least he should either more inflame them or giue occasion of vnprofytable contention and thys doth he according to Christs commaundement which bade vs we should not cast pearles before Dogges and Hogges and commaunded vs to shake the dust of our feete from vs against open obstinates Then next he seperated those disciples from them which had receyued the sounde doctrine doing the duetie of a faithfull shephearde whose chiefe care is that the sounde sheepe be not infected with the contagiousnesse of the diseased And yet Paule is not to be called a Schismatike for his so dooing although they bare the name of the church and people of God from whom Paule seuered his disciples Yea it is necessarie that the good should auoyde the familiaritie and companye of the vngodly bicause both they bycome heard hearted by the meanes and many times also partakers of the vngodlyes punishment See Apoc. 18. Thirdely Paule teacheth daylie in the schoole of one Tyrannus with what maner of thing it was and howe it came to be so called maketh no great matter but it is lyke it was a publike place and commodious to preache in Let vs rather consider Paules diligence which could by no vntowardnesse of the wicked be pulled from his duetie but the more he seeth them rage the more busily he holdeth on in teaching Let all that are in office eyther of the common weale or of the ministerie
else to the fyre But he respected the promises of Christ wherewith he was so emboldened that no daunger coulde feare him to doe his duetie It is also a token of singuler modestie that he yeeldeth to better counsell and doth not obstinately vrge that which was both daungerous and had little profyte ioyned therewith Let euerye manne followe this example bicause we see many times the greatest wyttes in their owne daungers knowe least what waye or counsell to take It is also worthye the noting that Paule hath great men to his friendes A fewe such we reade Christ had amongst whome Nicodemus and Ioseph are counted the chiefe Iohn 12.3 Math. 27. Here the error of the Anabaptistes is refelled which saye that a christian ought to beare no office But chiefely we learne howe vaine the defence and succour of the worlde is seing their authoritie coulde not keepe Paule from daunger of sedition It becommeth vs therefore to put all our hope and trust in God alone and not in Princes or in the children of men for there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. And that this is the vse of this present example Paule teacheth in hys seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fyrst chapter Nowe Luke commeth to the seditious of whome he reporteth two things First some sayth he cryed one thing some an other and the most part knewe not wherefore they were come togyther This is a peculiar thing in the time of sedition that like a flowing streame it caryeth many away with it being vtterly ignoraunt of the meaning thereof and a great many good men also euen against their will. Therefore such would be appeased rather by counsell and reason then by force For if force be vsed commonly the Innocentes drinke for it the wicked beginners slylie slipping awaye A dolorous example whereof Germany sawe when in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred twentie and fyue horrible streames of husbandmens bloude almost ouerflowed hir Let Princes therefore haue in minde rather that saying of the Prophet where they are commaunded to holde their subiects liues deere Psalm 72. Moreouer the Iewes thrust forwarde one Alexander who by all likelyhoode was one of Paules friendes and drewe him forth bicause they ment to bring him in daunger He desired silence and woulde haue giuen a reason and an accounte of things attempted touching religion But when they perceyued he was a Iewe and an enimie of heathen superstition they turne to their furious exclamations againe and for two houres long fyll all the Citie with the noyse of their Diana For as the belly lacketh eares so commonly they are deafe and wyll heare no reason which mooue sedition for the bellyes sake And this is the contynuall practise of the wicked to barke against the truth wyth furious clamours which otherwyse they knowe is inuincible In the meane season the faintnesse of a great many is reprooued who knowing the truth are yet altogyther colde in the confessing thereof and regarde not the zeale of the vngodlye whome they see bolde euen in the defence of superstition Let vs learne therefore what state the truth standeth in in this worlde and beyng armed wyth the constancie of fayth let vs stowtely beare out whatsoeuer God sendeth that we maye vanquishe all aduersity through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be all praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxx. Homely WHEN the towne Clarke had ceased the people he sayde yee men of Ephesus what man is it that knoweth not howe that the Citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen Seing then that no manne sayth here against yee ought to be content and to doe nothing rashly for ye haue brought hyther these men which are neyther robbers of Churches nor yet despysers of your Goddesse VVherefore if Demetrius and the craftesmen which are with him haue a matter agaynst any manne the lawe is open and their Rulers let them accuse one another But if you go about any other thing it shall bee determined in a lawfull congregation For we are in ieoperdye to be accused of this dayes vprore forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we maye giue a reckoning of this concourse of people And when he had thus spoken hee let the assembly depart WE haue hearde the sedition that Demetrius raised against Paule described by Luke Where beside the propertie of the furious people we noted diuers pointes wherein Paule was chiefely to be considered First he boldly and constantlye woulde haue ventured to go in among the people mynding to haue giuen an account openly both of his fayth and doctrine But seeing he coulde not be permitted so to doe he keepeth him among his friends committing the whole successe of the matter vnto God yet so as he swarued not a nayle breadth from the truth nor yet dissembled anye thing for cowardlye feare Which example admonisheth vs what we shoulde doe in lyke case or in open persecution Before all things it becommeth vs according to Peter the Apostles precept to be ready to giue an account to euerye manne that demaundeth it 1. Pet. 3. But when the enimies shall so raue that there is no place for truth and the confession therof we must proceede warily and wiselye least we put our selfe in daunger without Gods calling and so tempt him In the meane season let vs be constaunt in acknowledging the truth and wayte the Lordes leysure who neuer forsaketh them that put their trust in him and who by his wisedome and power is able easily to cease and alaye all cruell tempestes This present hystorye sheweth vs an ensample hereof where God appeaseth a very daungerous sedition to all seeming by the help of one Scribe or Towneclarke and such a one as the whole course of his Oration proueth manifestly to haue had no vnderstanding in Christes religion where the power of God appeareth the more seeing he vseth the reprobate and their helpe in the defence of his people Let vs examine the Towneclarkes Oration throughout all the partes thereof the chiefe ende whereof is to represse the seditious tumult of the vnruly people himselfe in the meane season being little carefull for religion He beginneth with that the most vexed these seditious They stoode in great feare of their Diana for hir sake they so cryed out as we haue heard before bicause if the worshipping of hir were layde awaye they sawe their gayne was lyke to be gone But the Towneclarke sayth this was no iust or sufficient cause for them to make such a stirre For what man is there sayeth he but knoweth that the Citie of Ephesus is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana and of the Image that came from heauen As who shoulde saye To what purpose repeate you so often with furious clamor the name of Diana Who denyeth you to be hir honourers Who knoweth not that Dianas Image came downe from heauen Or who letteth you
good and wholsome lawes bycause he thinketh his kingdome woulde easily bee established if they were ouerturned And his attemptes be not alwayes in vayne bycause there are fewe that followe Paules fayth industrie sufferaunce and diligence Thirdly is playnely declared what Paule dyd in these Churches He gaue them a long exhortation verily to continue in the fayth without the which none can bee saued Often exhortations are needefull both for vs which bee ready of nature to fall and also bycause of the Deuill whiche alway walketh vp and downe lyke a roaring Lyon and seeketh whom he may deuoure Therfore their iudgemente is not to bee admitted whiche thinke thys is but a superfluous care and labour In the meane season wee are admonyshed that Churches haue nothyng of more pryce than the worde of God out of the whiche dayly instructions exhortations and corrections ought to bee taken Wherein the Apostles were so diligente that they easily neglected all other things in comparison hereof as wee mighte perceyue in the sixte Chapter Therefore they bee farre vnlyke the Apostles that neglect the Office and Ministerie of the worde and teaching and are occupied in wearishe Ceremonies or else in administration of earthly iurisdictions But let vs returne vnto Paule and see what he suffered in thys voyage The Iewes layde wayte for hym as hee was sayling into Syria who had thoughte to haue made hym oute of the way But Paule prudently disappoynteth them altering his purpose and going by lande into Macedonia and Syria This place teacheth vs what rewarde Ministers of the Truth haue in this worlde Certes the worste that can bee whyle men seeke to destroy them whiche of all other men labour moste to bryng them to saluation For howe carefull Paule was for the Iewes bothe his continuall labours and trauell and also hys Epistles testifie specially that whiche he wryteth to the Romanes in the ninth and tenth Chapiters And yet had he no greater ennimies than they The same wee haue other wheares declared that Moyses and the Prophetes and Iesus Chryste the Sonne of God suffered Let no man therefore nowe a dayes bee offended when the lyke things fall out seeing such is the nature of the worlde that they thinke their felicitie standeth in the destruction of the godly In whiche their iudgemente yet they are moste myserablie deceiued For thus they bereeue them selues of the wholesome succour of prayers whiche the godly vse to make euen for their ennimies But what shall wee doo wylte thou say if wee shoulde come into the lyke hazarde Followe Paule in whome thou shalte note principally two thinges For he both constantly wente forwarde in his vocation and lykewise prudently auoyded the daunger thereof arising Thus must we aboue all things remember our vocation that wee bee not plucked therefro through any ingratitude of the worlde For why shoulde wee forget our calling and followe those whose wicked vsage wee are wonte to deteste Yet let vs be circumspect and as Chryste counsayleth vs beware of men least wee bee sayde to tempte God by putting our selues rashly and vnaduisedly in daunger Nowe what doth God in the meane season Leaueth hee his seruaunt in daunger No. But whyle the Iewes his kinssemen and false brethren as hee complayneth him .ij. Corinth xj lay in wayte for him God ioyneth vnto him faythfull fellowes and companions in his trauelles and daungers which helpe him in this perrill both with counsell and otherwise Heere are reckened seauen notable men of diuers congregations of whome Paule many tymes maketh mention in his Epistles beside Luke the wryter of this present Hystorie which made eyghte And some of these go before to see and marke whether there were any lying in wayte and to prouide Paule of lodging other some kepte closely vnto him to comforte him with their companie and to prouide him of necessaries And heere the truth and goodnesse of God is diligently to bee considered whiche vseth to defende his seruauntes that are in daunger and to prouide them of faythfull companions that labour and trauell for the glory of hys name Thus vnto Ioseph that required to haue the buriall of Chrystes body is ioyned Nicodemus to beare parte of the charges laboure and perill in the same But nowe a dayes wee complayne of the slothe and cowardelynesse of others saying wee are not able alone to beare the weyght of Chrystes quarell beeing as cowardely and slothefull as other But if wee woulde doo our duetie wee shoulde see God would quickely touche the heartes of others also Wee haue besides in Paules Companions a notable example of loue and thankefulnesse what a daungerous and laborous thing it was to followe Paule by Sea and by lande hauing euerywhere so many enimies euery man may easily coniecture But for all this they which worthely estemed the gyft of fayth that they had gotten by Paules teaching could not be separated from him And these men want not their reward euen vpon the earth bycause God hath registred their names in eternal memorie and their soules no doubt do now reioyce wyth Chryste in heauen bycause they accompanied his minister so curteously on earth The Apostle setteth foorth this promptnesse and readynesse of minde in the Galathians also who he sayth woulde not haue spared their eyes if hee had needed them But O the filthy vnthankefulnesse of our dayes which is runne so farre that they whiche bragge of the fayth rent and deface with filthy slaunders the names of them by whose ministerie they firste learned the fayth Yet let Gods promise and mercy comforte vs which will neuer leaue them destitute of his helpe whom he hath chosen to the inheritaunce of heauenly life in his sonne Iesus Chryste to whome bee prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxij Homelie AND vppon one of the Saboth dayes when the Disciples came togyther for to breake breade Paule preached vnto them ready to departe on the morrowe and continued the preaching vnto Midnyghte And there were many lightes in the Chamber where wee were gathered togyther and there sate in a wyndowe a certayne young man named Eutychus beeyng fallen into a deepe sleepe And as Paule was preachyng he was the more ouercome wyth sleepe and fell downe from the thirde lofte and was taken vppe deade But when Paule wente downe hee fell on hym and embraced hym and sayde Make nothyng adoo for hys lyfe is in hym So when hee was come vppe agayne and hadde broken the breade and eaten and talked a long whyle euen vntyll the mornyng at the laste hee departed And they broughte the young man alyue and were not a lyttle comforted And we went afore to Shippe and loosed vnto Asson there to receyue Paule For so had he appoynted and woulde him selfe goe on foote When we were come togither at Asson â–ª wee tooke him in and came to Mitylene And we sailed thence and came the next day ouer against Chios And the next day we arriued at Samos and taryed at
deede but not according to knowledge suche as Christ sharpely reprehended in Peter when he also dissuaded him from bearing the Crosse yet their affection is to be praised in that they are carefull for Paules safetie being farre vnlike to menne in these dayes which bring Ministers in daunger wythout a cause and thinke that they haue well discharged their dueties if they can for a time redeme a worldly peace with the liues and bloud of the Ministers But Paule moste earnestly withstandeth them and complayneth of them saying they greeue him more with their weping than with the remembraunce of the daunger Therfore Paule was not stony hearted such an one as the Stoikes faine their good and blissefull man to be but he coÌ„fesseth plainely that Goddes calling is more deare vnto him than his life and body The holy Ghost setteth his Example before all Ministers yea before all Christians to bee followed For vnlesse wee bee of the same mynde wee shall little or nothyng profytte in the waye of Christe bicause daungers are at hande on euery syde to them that seeke to serue Chryst. And this is no grieuous thing to the true godly if they wel wey the matter for what more profitable losse can we haue of this transitorie life and body which shall in few moneths mouldre into dust than to giue it for Chrystes sake whome we know died and rose againe for this ende that whether we liue or die we haue him to our Lord and Protectoure Which is the cause that Christ biddeth vs we should not feare theÌ„ which are able to kill the body but yet haue no power vpon the soule which is the better part of man And vnto these reasons do Paules companions also giue place For seeing him so constantly to persist in his purpose they say The will of God be fulfilled So now they perceiue at length that he is instigated heereunto by the calling of god Therfore least they might seeme to striue against God they commit them selues and the whole businesse vnto him folowing bothe the example and commaundement of christ And surely there is no more safe hauen for the godly to get them selues into amidde the raging and horrible tempests of these dayes than the will of god Which bicause it is holy and wholesome is able most effectually to recreate and cheare the mindes that are tossed with troubles and cares with the consideration therof Let vs therfore after the example of these men haue a regarde onely vnto the same and couragiously suffer what so euer God layeth vpon vs who for that he is faithfull wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but euen in the middle of temptation wil make a way that we shall be able to beare it Nowe followeth Paules arriuall at Ierusalem where we haue three things to be considered First his frendes accompanie him which hitherto had bene his companions and vnto these are added newe frendes gotten at Caesaria In which place the truth of God appeareth which vseth to ioyne freendes and companions to them that suffer daunger for his names sake as otherwheres we haue declared Furthermore in them appeareth a notable example of faithe and constancie For they were not ignorant what was like to happen vnto Saule And there was greate cause for their owne parte also to be afraide Yet they forsake him not whome they knewe maintained Christes quarrell nor would not be driuen from him by any waues and â—ourges of aduersitie Let suche marke this Example as are pot freendes and as long as fortune laugheth will be companions with men but if shee begin once to lowre they forget all frendship and benefites and turne their backes The second is how the faithfull there prouide Paule of a commodious lodging For althoughe daungers were toward him yet prudencie must be ioyned with religion as Christ teacheth who in daungers wil haue vs to be wise as serpents His hoste was one Mnason a Cypriote borne and an olde disciple or protestant whereby is noted the perseueraunce and continuaunce he was of in the faith And charitie accompanieth faithe whereof this was a notable argument that he would lodge Paule and his companions knowing what daunger they were like to be in This is the propertie of true faith that the nigher daunger approcheth and the more vehemently it vrgeth the brighter it shineth Therefore our coldnesse is very worthy to be blamed which in daungers dissemble our faith and plainely neglect the duetie of charitie Last of all the brethren at Ierusalem do gladly receiue Paule yet heereafter we shall heare what euill rumors they spread of him But thy brethren would not condempne him without hearing of his cause They are most worthy to be folowed and teach vs by their example that we rashly beleue not such as ill report the brethren For such as these for the most parte are the chosen instrumentes of the Deuill which knoweth that the Church can no way be more greuously disturbed than by the deuision of the brethren Let vs therfore be mindfull of charitie which of all things abhorreth suspitiousnesse and let vs wholely apply our selues to keepe the vnitie of the Church vnblemished in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxix Homelie ANd on the morrow Paule went in with vs vnto Iames. And all the Elders came togither And when he had saluted them he told by order all things that God had wrought among the Gentiles by his Ministration And when they heard it they glorified the Lord and said vnto him thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleue and they are all earnest followers ouer the law And they are enfourmed of thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their children neyther to liue after the customes What is it therfore The multitude must needes come togither for they shall hear that thou art come Do therfore this that we say to thee We haue four men which haue a vow on them TheÌ„ take purifie thy selfe with them and do cost on them that they may shaue their heads and all shall knowe that those things which they haue heard concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the law But as touching the Gentiles which beleue we haue written and concluded that they obserue no such thing saue only that they keepe them selues from things offred to Idolles and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication ALthough many false rumors were spred of Paule the Apostle that chosen vessell of Iesus Christ whereby bothe his good name and doctrine was greeuously stained and impeached by his aduersaries yet Luke wryteth that the brethren at Ierusalem did frendly and courteously receyue him thereby teaching vs that they had a more regarde of charitie than of a fewe of persones boyling in hatred
Nowe these things being premised it shal easely appeare what these Elders meant by their talke and what marke they shotte at in their doing Wherefore wee will nowe viewe and examine all the partes of theyr saying First they plainely declare that Paules good name and fame was euell spoken of amongst al men For they say It is reported that thou teachest al men to forsake Moses c. And this is to be muche commended in them that they dissemble nothing For it is good to deale plainly with freendes and brethren that if they haue offended it may be amended and that they may be iudged faultlesse if they be wrongfully accused And it is a great fault in them that will still accuse men when they are absent and flatter them when they are present And they also are very faultie which suffer other to backbite the brethren and will not warne them of whome they should beware For so it commeth to passe that slaunder breaketh frendship euery where a great many know not what cheefely to beware of Also they counsell him to make his purgation openly bringing diuers waightie reasons of that their counsell For first they alleage the multitude of beleuers all which had conceiued an euill opinion of him For they say thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleeue and they all are feruent folowers of the lawe And they expressely call them beleeuers least any man should thinke they would holde with obstinate and stubberne persons And they say there are many thousandes of them declaring that the saluation of so many is not a thing to be lightly regarded And surely it is likely that Paule was cheefely moued with this reason who was so carefull for his Countrymen that he wished to be accursed for their sakes They alleage also their zeale to the lawe to the ende it might appeare that they were as yet somewhat to be borne with seeing violent remedies could little preuaile in such feruencie of zeale Furthermore they reason of necessitie saying It must needes be that the multitude will come togither For where all men knowe thou art come the matter can not be dissembled Therefore it is needefull that thou purge thy selfe heereof And wheras by words thou shalt little or nothing preuaile with them that are rooted in superstition it is needefull that thou declare by some fact or other that thou hast hitherto bene vniustly reprehended And these persuasions had bene of no smal importance if the cause had not ben suche as might rather haue serued to confirme the superstitious in their error than to win those that were obseruers of the lawe as we shall by and by declare For now followeth the counsell wherby they thinke Paule may maintaine and keepe his good name and fame we haue foure menne say they which haue a vowe on them that is to say Nazareans whereof we entreated in the eightene Chapter out of the sixt Chapter of the boke of Numbres Ioyne thy selfe vnto these men and cause thy selfe openly to be shauen and purified with them according to the lawe Which thing as it is easie to be done so thereby it shall appeare vnto all men that thou hast hetherto bene wrongfully suspected and that thou oughtest to be taken for no despiser of the lawe seeing thou obseruest the Ceremonies commaunded in the same This is that Counsell of the Elders of the Congregation at Ierusalem which outwardly might seeme tollerable and the same that Paule before did at Cenchreae But he that expendeth the thing very wel shall perceiue a great difference betweene them and that the Apostle ought not to haue yeelded to their deuise seeing he had so earnestly maintained and defended the profession of faith and Christian libertie in other things of smaller importance For first of all he had bounde him selfe to the vow of a Nazarite among the Corinthians bicause he knew he should winne thereby some weaklings as he him selfe testifieth And heereby faithe suffered no detriment or damage bicause the onely shauing of his head deliuered him from his vowe But heere was required a Sacrifice which nowe had no more place left in the Church for that the vaile of the Temple was long before rent in the death of Christ and all Sacrifices vtterly abrogated Againe the thing he did at Conchreae was onely for the weakes sake and could not be drawne to the Example and confirmation of the Ceremonies of the lawe But the end of this fact was that Paule should testifie that he liked the whole lawe with all the Ceremonies thereof Heereof what other thing could spring but that the Iewes should be confirmed in their error and they which had hitherto so profited in Christ that they had renounced the law should be called backe againe to the obseruation thereof Furthermore if this had beene done in the first beginning of the Church it might haue seemed iustly to haue bene done for the weakes sake But seeing the Gospel had now ben preached euery where for two and twentie yeeres togither surely this was too great an indulgencie and bearing whereby to confirme an obstinate people in their superstition Yea God declared by his iudgement that he was displeased heerewith For to say nothing how vnhappily this counsell fell out for Paule God within fewe yeeres after did vtterly ouerthrow their Citie and Temple the forge of all superstition bicause they would not before make an ende of their Leuiticall Ceremonies Therfore these Elders beeing deceiued through ouermuche loue they bare to their nation counselled Paule heereunto and Paule ouer easely yeelded vnto them who ought rather to haue vsed the libertie which he shewed before in Titus cause against Peter Galath ij Therfore they are greatly deceyued which by this Example goe about to defend them which thinke all things must be done to winne mennes fauâ—ure by We know this thing ought to haue place in suche matters as are not derogatorie to the confession and libertie of Christ. But where these things come in hazard we must not swarue one nailes breadth from the way of truthe Wherfore the erroure of moste singular and holy men must not be taken for any Example but must rather cause vs to be the warier that we be not led awry by like erroure Furthermore in the last parte they preuent that which might be obiected touching the Gentiles For Paules example seemed to preiudice them and to maintaine their opinion that went about to bring in Circumcision and other Ceremonies among the Gentiles This therefore they denie saying Touching the Gentiles which beleeue wee haue wrytten heeretofore exempting them from all obseruing of lawes Ceremoniall so they abstaine from things that are plaine prophane and in the vsing of their libertie forgette not Charitie and pollute not them selfe with the fellowshippe of Idolles and Whoredome and offende no man with the vnseasonable eating of strangled or bloude which is a thing bothe easie and profitable for them to abstain from Read
wold haue that he prophecied proued set forth by the exaÌ„ples of his apostles that we shold be the lesse offended if at any time the like hapned to vs also For as the Apostles suffred al kindes of persecution aduersities so they teach by their example what it becoÌ„meth vs to doo when we be tried by persecutions teÌ„ptations And this is the cheef vse end of al this present matter of the whole history folowing But in this place there is no more rehearsed but the first act against Paul all the circuÌ„stances wherof we shal now examine He beginneth with the discription of the persons that appeared before Felix the Lieutenaunt And of one side stoode Ananias the high Priest the Elders and Tertullus a famous Orator greatly exercised in pleading by reason of his long practise And on the other syde Paule alone and in bondes and for many causes before suspected In this place appeareth againe as we haue often times already declared who are commonly the cheefe enimies of the truthe and of the ministers thereof and with what weapons they fight verily euen they which will seeme to be the greatest mainteyners both of religion and the common weale and amongst them such as make marchaundize of religion For the historie of the Gospel teacheth vs euerye where that Paules aduersaries in this place were euen such And these kind of men for the most part vse to excell in experience in wisedome in vtteraunce and in power aucthoritie for the which cause they haue many that fauour them folowe them Contrariwise the ministers of truth as they be fewe in number so commonly they are of small fame and estimation contempned and despised of all men as who seeme of bitternesse of minde or of ignorance rather than of godlines and loue of mens saluation to withstande the worlde But that it hath alway bene the godlies happe in this world being but few despised persons to cope with numbers in power and aucthoritie is to be seene by the examples of all ages Thus Moses and Aaron were matched with the Magitians of Egipt who were fauoured and defended with the kings aucthoritie and had all the Nobilitie of Egipt on their side So Elias alone encountreth with foure hundreth and fiftie Priestes of Baal and with almost as many Chaplins of the woodes and groues before Achab a most wicked Iudge And we read that Micheas not long after that was faine to set himselfe against foure hundreth false Prophetes Here might also be alleaged the histories of other Prophetes and Apostles of Christ himselfe whiche for breuities sake we omit bicause they that reade the scriptures hitte on them euery where We haue rather to consider the ende of these thinges wherof we shall receyue great profit vtilitie For first they serue for the instruction of euery maÌ„ that we should not iudge of faith or religioÌ„ according to the multitude or aucthoritie of theÌ„ that folow it as we see now adaies men coÌ„monly do But if we graunt theÌ„ this then shal not only Paule take the foile who being but one was accused by the priests Elders but also al the prophets with Christ his Apostles shal be in dauÌ„ger Yea we shal prefer the Turks before the ChristiaÌ„s which far passe vs both in territories dominions in multitude of natioÌ„s in victories other prosperities successe Wherfore we must rather herkeÌ„ vnto Christ which calleth his faithful a litle flock saith the few enter into the narow gate but heapes rashe into destruction through the broader waye Againe the coâ—syderation of these thinges doth not litle comfort vs that we be not afrayde although wee alone be sometime constrayned to stande agaynste manye both of great power glorye and aucthoritie For he that in thys place strengthened Paule will stande by vs also being in lyke daunger For we haue large promyses wherein he promyseth vs the prompting of hys spirite a mouth and wisedome against whiche no aduersaries shall be able to resist See Luke 21. Mat. 10. Mark. 13. But let vs heare Tertullus the Oratour whose Oration consisteth cheefl ye of three pointes The first is the beginning wherein he doth not as arteficiously as craftilye and impudently purchase him selfe beneuolence and good will partlye flattering Felix to his face and partelye the Iewes For they saye they may thanke him for the peace and quietnesse which they liued in and for that through his care and prouidence so many miseries were euery day redressed Againe they confesse they acknowledge this his goodnesse and benefites with thankes giuyng Yet do they lye egregiously in both For we haue hearde before how Felix gouerned the Cuntrey as naughtely as could be how he did infinite things cruelly and vniustlie and in all places where he came committed Whoredome and Murther and prophane wryters abundantly declare the same Againe it is euident to all men that haue but meane knowledge in histories that the Iewes also about these tymes made often and many rebellions agaynst the Romanes And yet the most vaine man is not ashamed to lye and by praising the tyranne dishonestly betraye his whole Nation whose commendation he should most earnestlie haue regarded But therefore do they falsely commende their quiet estate of gouernement to bring Paule the more in hatred with Felix as though hee were a disturber of publique peace and tranquillitie And in them it easelie appeareth what the bitternesse of hatred is once conceyued against the truthe For where the worlde hateth nothing so muche as the truethe bycause the light thereof reproueth theyr euill woorkes therefore it can suffer and beare most cruell enimies rather than the truth they thinke tyrannes tollerable ynough so they will put to their helpe in oppressing the truth So they preferred Tiberius Caesar a cruell and voluptuous tyraunt before Christe our Sauiour when they sayde they had none other king but Caesar. Yea they were not ashamed to preferre Barrabas a Murtherer and Captaine of a secte of Rebels before christ And this vntowarde and peruerse inudgement is no newe thing in the worlde For we reade that the Israelites in the wildernesse in time past offended and withstode Moses likewise maruellousâ—ie commending the seruitude of Egipt by reason of the Melons Amonds garelike fleshe such like things that land did abound in and disdained that state of life in the which euery houre God declared new tokens of his beneuolence good will like most miserable vnhappy men And would God we had not the like examples in our daies where meÌ„ woÌ„derfully extol the great peace we liued in in yÌ„e time of popery say yÌ„t the preching of the gospel hath marred altogither but in the mean seson they can craftily disseÌ„ble the bloudy wars that the Popes haue ben cheefe procurers of this many hundred yeares and will make no mention of suche greeuaunces as haue miserablye weakened both the goodes and consciences of
that are purified But as many as beleeue in Chryste are purified forasmuche as Chryste hathe sanctified and purged them by his bloud from their sinnes See the fifth sixt chapters of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Why then are we called now a dayes prophaners of Churches seeing we acknowledge Chryst our sauiour from the hart and to our power defend the auncient vse of Churches which is to serue for prayers teaching of the worde and administration of the Sacramentes Fourthly this name agreeth more rightly vnto them which set holy things to sale in Churches setting vp Idolles and practising many other things wherewith it is euident God hath bene offended in all ages Fifthly Paule layeth this faulte vpon the Iewes of Asia who as wee hearde before were the begynners of all thys adoo and were nowe absent For this is the continuall practise of all seditious mates that when they haue raised a multitude among whom good men be moste times in daunger they secretly conuey them selues away and stande out of Gunshot wayting the successe of the matter Would to God the poore commonaltie would alwayes remember this thing when suche rakehels as these abuse their distemperaunce and boldnesse to compasse and bring to passe their deuises Moreouer after confutation of these obiections Paule boldly prouoketh his aduersaries If these men here saith he will pleate the Asians cause goe too let them declare what euill they haue found in mee I know they haue nothing to lay to my charge except perhaps it bee a businesse made in their owne Counsell for the free confession that I vttered touchyng the resurrection of the deade But with what face can they thus doo seeing they shall bee enforced to confesse the resurrection them selues excepte they wyll altogither bee wycked the confidence of Paule and hys bolde speeche which declareth a manyfest argument of hys innocencie is worthy to bee considered The lyke it becommeth all Chrystes Ministers to haue and to persuade them selues that the worlde hateth them for the truthes sake onely For thys shall make them constante and bolde agaynst all daungers See Peter in his first Epistle the third and fourth Chapters Nowe remayneth the ende of this businesse which was farre other than the Iewes looked for For Felix deferreth all the matter vnto Lysias the Capraynes comming both for that he was not ignorant of the things concerning that way that is to say stubborne obstinate controuersies about faith religion and of the way warde and vnruely conditions of the Iewes but also for that they grouÌ„ded their whole accusatioÌ„ vpon the testimonie of Lysias In the meane season he hath a consideration of Paule whose innocencie he manifestâ—y perceiued For he coÌ„maundeth him to haue rest and permitteth his friends to come minister vnto him For certayne acquaintance abode with Paule in time of his captiuitie of whose number it appeareth that Luke was whose example teacheth vs that we must not forsake those that are in daunger for Christes sake seeing that he taketh whatsoeuer pleasure is done vnto them as done to himself Agayn Magistrates lerne by example of Felix to beware that for meÌ„s sakes they be not to rash in iudgement For iudgement is Gods whose ministers they must remeÌ„ber they are Therfore let them folow his equitâ—e tempered with long suffring In the mean season let theÌ„ not intreat prisoners to vncurteously seeing that wicked malefactors haue some pitie to be shewed on them for humanitie manhoodes sake Aboue all things let vs marke the truthe of God towardes those that honour him his power agaynst his enimies For it is his worke that Felix contrary to his nature wherof we haue oftentimes intreated is gentle and curteous vnto Paule And it is an easie matter vnto God to mollifie cruell hearts and to get his people fauour with their enimies also seeing he hath full power vpon all creatures and euen ouer the hearts of men Let none of vs therefore feare men nor doo any thing otherwyse than becommeth vs for their sake But rather let vs labour to commende our selues and our dooings vnto God which is able to defende hys seruaunts in the middest of their enimies to assuage their moody minds atlength to take vs â—rom al troubles into his kingdome the inheritaunce whereof he hath prepared for all them that honour hys name through Iesus Chryst To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clv. Homelie AND after a certayne dayes when Felix came with his wife Drusilla which was a Iewesse he called foorth Paule and heard hym of the fayth which is towarde Chryste And as he preached of righteousnesse temperaunce and iudgement to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this tyme when I haue a conuenient season I will sende for thee He hoped also that money should haue bene giuen him of Paule that he might loose him wherefore he called him the oftener and communed with him But after two yere Festus Portius came into Felix roume And Felix willing to shew the Iewes a pleasure left Paule in prison bounde IT was a wonderfull and a rare example both of Gods mercy and power that Paule founde suche courtesie and gentlenesse in Felix the President whose wycked tyrannie euen prophane wryters haue lefte reported in Hystories But it is farre more notable that Luke reporteth heere in thys place For Paule lyueth not onely in safetie but also fyndeth occasion to preach before him Wherby the truth of that saying of Paule appeareth which is that though the Ministers of God be sometimes in prison and bondes yet his word can not be bounde For that that happened vnto Paule the same falleth out in many Martyrs of Chryst also now a dayes that they which are led bound vnto the stake or fyre preache the worde of God boldly to the terrour of the wicked and consolation of the godly But let vs consider all the poyntes of this place in order First Paules hearers are described whom if wee diligently marke wee may playnly gather what the occasion was that Paule was appoynted to make this Sermon For Felix which had ben absent from Caesarea for a certayne dayes was now returned agayne with his wife Drusilla which I thinke was the chiefe procurer of this Sermon For she was a Iewe and daughter to Herode called Agrippa who after he had stayne Iames the Apostle was smitten by the Aungell and suffered greeuous punishement for his vngodlynesse and tyrannie Firste shee was betrouthed to Antiochus called Epiphanes but not maried bycause he would not be maried after the maners and rites of the Iewes After that she maried with Aziazus king of the people called Amazi from whome Felix the President enticed hir and caried hir away through fayre promises and by the conueyance of a certayne Magitian of Cyprus as before was declared wherfore she became not only a filthy adultresse but also wickedly transgressed the law of God and the religion of
here is declared a newe enterprise of the Iewes attempted to oppresse Paule by For when Festus was gon to Ierusalem to take an othe of allegeance of the Citizens and inhabitants there by and by the Priests and men of aucthoritie came vnto him and accuse Paule whome Felix had left in prison desiring the newe President of his fauoure that he mighte be brought to Ierusalem to be iudged and that they might procede against him according to the law of their Countrey But in the meane season they were purposed priuily to waite him by the way and to kill him In this place may be sene how vnquiet in minde the wicked are after they be once inâ—lamed with hatred of the truthe For where alwayes their naughtie workes are disclosed by the light thereof it can not be that they can easily lay away the hatred once conceiued But rather they boile and frothe in their mindes like the raging sea busily watching euery small occasion wherby to extinguish the light of that truth which they so hate And coÌ„monly the force of this hatred is suche that without any regarde many times to their priuate auailes they only seke and desire how to make the ministers of the truth out of the way whose doctrin they perceiue so vexeth and fretteth them Both these things may be seene in this present example For we haue heard howe Paule was in prison whole two yeares Howbeit neither the continuance of time neither the miserable state of captiuitie could assuage their mindes for they could bear with any thing better than with the doctrine of the truth Wherfore they narowly watch euery little occasion spare neither for pains nor cost to bring their desire at length to passe First therfore they begin to make their requests and petition vnto the newe President against Paule which they oughte to haue made rather in the behalfe of their common weale and to haue besought him of his frendship towards all meÌ„ in general But they thought by this meane to preiudice Paule that the President might conceiue he was some publike enimie of his whole nation and couÌ„try considering they labored so earnestly to haue him punished And we must not think that hatred of the truthe had so great force in these men onely For it is the common guise of all that are vngodly that if they might haue their wish neuer so much yet nothing is more deare vnto them than to haue the liues of them who they know wil withstaÌ„d their impietie and naughtinesse Heereunto belongeth that that the Euangelists wryte of Herodias which when she heard how Herode had offered hir daughter the one halfe of his kingdom yet she required but only the heade of Iohn to be giuen hir bicause as long as he liued and preached she thought hir raigne shuld not only be vnpleasant but all hir life also Many things of like sort might be reported and examples euen of our dayes but bicause they are euery where to be sene therfore we think good to passe theÌ„ ouer Let vs rather marke the vse of these things which is that we trust not ouer sone those which haue once conspired against the truthe For although they can sometimes trimly dissemble and colour their hatred against the truth yet the poison therof lieth hiddeÌ„ depe in their brests assone as occasion serueth wil burst forth with might and main And in these persons hath that saying of the Prophet chefely place pronouncing that the hart of man is froward vnsearchable Again here appeareth what the weapons of the vngodly are First they counterfet a countenaÌ„ce of law and equity in that they require to haue him brought to Ierusalem to be iudged which might seeme an honest and iust request both bicause all the businesse began there first and also for that it seemed not reason that they which were so many in number and aucthoritie shuld be at so great charges and take such pain to iourney so farre for one mannes sake But in the meane season vnder this faire face of equitie they cloke an horrible and bloudy meaning as was euen nowe declared Lette vs learne by this place to iudge of those men which now adayes doe the like wherof a man may euery where finde more than are profitable in a Christian common weale Uerily Christe saith that these men fight with the power of darkenesse and therefore are the ministers of the Deuil which was a lier and murtherer from the beginning And Paule prophecied that Antichrist should raigne cheefely through lying and open force Therfore as many as resist the truth and the ministers therof with violent and trecherous sleights it is euident that they fight for the deuil vnder the standerd of Antichrist with whom except they repent in time they shal hereafter receiue the pay and wages of eternall damnation Moreouer let vs see how God disapointed the bloudy deuises of his ennemies For it was his woorking that Festus consented not to the desire petition of the Iewes whose request yet as shal appeare hereafter he made no small account of And surely there were great causes that might haue moued him to yeld vnto the Iewes For he might both iustly haue suspected Paule whome Felix going out of his office had left in prison and it seemed that the request which the cheefe of the Iewes made was not to be reiected and againe he might appeare but slenderly witted if in the beginning of his gouernement he would procure him the hatred of a whole nation for one mannes sake and he a prisonner and of no reputation But through the secrete inspiration God it commeth to passe that Festus had more regarde of iustice and of the Romaine lawes than of the Iewes nation Wherefore he thinketh good to keepe Paule at Caesarea still yet permitting the Iewes according to order of lawe to proceede against him It pleased God to teache all them that be in office or aucthoritie by the example of this Gentile what they haue to doe in like case verily to commit nothing either for fauoure of men or respect of priuate commoditie but to folowe equitie and lawe which if it be not kept it is impossible that common weales can continue in safetie Therefore lette Christian Kings and Princes be ashamed both of their lightnesse and vnrighteousnesse which now a dayes commonly condemne the maintainers of Euangelical truth and faith without hearing for the Popes and Bishops pleasure yea bicause they would seeme very religious they giue them all power against the faithful of Christ so coÌ„mitting the sheepe vnto the Wolues They shal one day feele to their great smart what they doe when bothe the bloudie Popes shall be punished and Christ our iudge shall require at the handes of the Kings his people committed vnto their charge But heere haue we cheefely to consider God the aucthoure of all these things whose woorking wee euen nowe saide all this was For where hee had said Paule should beare
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
the perill of an other God eâ—â—dently put forthe his hand in that he broughte so many togither safe and sound vnto the shore Heereby wee may gather that it is as easie a thing for God to saue a number as a fewe For as he hath all things in tale and his prouidence stretcheth it selfe euen vnto heares and little sparrowes so is his power infinite and vnmeasurable and can be ouercome neither with multitude of those that haue neede of his helpe neither with greatnesse of daunger Thus brought he all the Israelites togither safe through the red Sea which was as easie for him to do as to deliuer Moses onely beeing caste out into the Riuer of Nilus In like sorte he fedde all the people of Israell fortie yeres in the wildernesse miraculously as easily as he afterwarde fedde Elias by the ministerie of Rauens Herevnto king Asa had a respect when beeing ready to ioyne battayle with an innumerable multitude of Ethiopians he made his prayer vnto God in this wise Lorde it is no hard thing with thee to helpe either many or them that haue no power It is very profitable for vs to acknowledge God to be suche an one For so doing we shall be feared neither with our owne wante of power and myserie nor with any multitude of daungers be brought into desperation Moreouer when all they in the Shippe had taken meate as Paule exhorted them they lightned the Shippe of all thinges in it insomuch that they caste the corne also ouer the borde For we heard before how they had caste out the Marchaundise and Tackle of the shippe And to this passe did necessitie driue these delicate persons whiche contrary to the will of God woulde needes seeke a more commodious hauen and would not bee contented with their present state and condition In the meane season this is a singular argument of their faith which would throw ouer borde their corne also For except they had certaynely beleeued that God would haue saued them they woulde neuer haue bene perswaded to haue caste away that succour of their lyfe that onely remayned But this example is set out for vs to follow that wee also when God so appoynteth it shoulde likewise willingly forsake those thinges without the which it seemeth our lyfe can not be mayntayned This wee see Abraham hym selfe did the Apostles and many others whose fayth the holy Ghoste commendeth in the Scriptures Now followeth the description of the wracke very breefe yet suche as teacheth vs that many thinges fell out therein which had bene able to quayle the fayth both of Paule and others if they would haue harkened rather to the wisedome of the flesh than to the promises of god For first although they see lande appeare a farre of yet they knewe not whether it were shore or not They are ignoraunt also whether they should come among their friends or enimies bycause many times it chanceth that they that escape shipwracke light in vnharberous Countreys where they suffer more harme of the barbarous people than of the sea which otherwise is a moste cruell element Wherfore the hope of succoure that shewed it selfe so farre of had ioyned with it no little feare Agayne when they had with all their might laboured to get to the shore they runne their shippe into a place that had the sea on both the sides where the foreship stucke in the sande and the sterne with violence of waues splete in sunder And heere the truth of Gods Oracle declareth it selfe by the which it was fortolde that the shippe should perishe which yet seemed nowe lyke to come safe and sounde to shore Howbeit this ship may be called a figure of those men which contrary to the worde of God seeme happie in their wyckednesse as though they should neuer be punished therefore For commonly suche men when they seeme to haue escaped all daunger haue a sodayne destruction as diuerse examples of suche men do testifie See what is written of these men Psalme 37. and .73 Thirdly the Souldiours deuise to kill the prisoners least any of them when he was gotte to shore shoulde take hym to hys heeles And out of doubte they were moued to take thys bloudy counsayle for feare of the Lawes An example whereof wee hadde before in the Souldiours of Herode whose handes Peter escaped by the guyding of an Aungell Actes 11. Howebeit this is greate wickednesse that they woulde not excepte Paule or spare hys lyfe throughe whose counsayle and prayers their lyfe was preserued But this is the propretie of the worlde and of all those that serue the worlde that they quickely forgette benefytes and good turnes and recompence them moste tymes with haynous iniuries Therefore they are very fooles which seeke to please the worlde and haue not rather a regarde vnto God who is the onely and moste faythfull rewarder of all men Moreouer as concerning the Souldiours deuise the daunger that Paule and the others were nowe in was more greeuous than the Shipwracke it selfe in so muche that all the prisoners were nowe in a moste wofull case and the promise of God seemed vayne who had promised to saue them all But the Lorde remedieth thys inconuenience in tyme also For the Captayne beeing desirous to saue Paule withstoode the Souldiours deuise so that it tooke not effecte He commaundeth also that as many as could swimme should fyrste take the Sea and the residue followe them vppon broken bordes and fragmentes of the Shyppe â–ª Heereby wisely prouiding that they shoulde not lette one an other in the businesse and sturre And so it came to passe that they all escaped alyue and safe vnto the shore as God had promysed should come to passe Heere the veritie of Gods promises is very notable which we see can be hyndered by no aduersitie Surely hitherto all thinges might seeme to haue conspired the death of Paule For the Sea rageth with greate and mayne surges and waues The winde armed the ayre also to their destruction The earth holdeth faste the shippe driuen and caried vpon hir The lightes and starres of heauen withholde their shine from the miserable creatures The false and vntrusty Maryners meane to runne away and the cruel souldiours deuise in their minds a bloudy slaughter But the truth of god whose pleasure it was that they should be saued ouercame all these things Therfore these things ought to comfort vs also amyddest the daungers of this worlde For experience teacheth vs that the worlde fareth lyke a moste troublesome Sea. But wee haue the promises of God who hath assured vs by his sonne to bee alwayes present and assistaunt vnto his people Therefore if God be with vs who can bee agaynst vs For surely wee beeing in safetie vnder hys protection shall happily escape through all troubles and daungers and come to the hauen of eternall blisse where the euerlasting inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen is appoynted and prepared for vs by Iesus Chryste to whome
fulfilled which saith he woulde sende a sworde and diuision whereby it shoulde come to passe tha◠they which were before moste intie◠and familiar friendes shoulde moste bitterly contende one with an other Yet let no man thynke thys happeneth through any defaulte of the Gospell seeyng the ende thereof is to vnite and knitte vs all togither in Chryste Therefore all thys commeth to passe through the naughtinesse of the wicked and reprobate Whose propertie it is the more earnestly they are vrged with the worde of God the more to rage and become madde as the examples of Cayn Pharao Achab Zedechias others do testifie But bicause the godly which know it is their dueties to defend the glory of God against all men can not yeld vnto these men ▪ hereof burst out al these flames of contention But by this present place it easily appeareth Paule profited somewhat with these men bycause therewere that openly withstoode these wycked persons For the word of God is neuer preached in vayne bycause it is of it selfe fruitfull and Chryst hath in all places his people which know his voyce and followe him In the meane season we are taught our duetie that if we will be godly and faythfull persons wee muste constantly defende the quarell of truthe agaynst all men For God requireth suche worshippers as are feruent and ardent in zeale no warmlings and dastards which can winke at all kinde of impietie and can with pacient minds and eares suffer all the scoffes of the wicked suche as a man nowe a dayes may finde a number who for this cause thinke them selues moste worthy to be praysed for wyse men and modest But in deede they bee very dullardes and destitute of all sense of godlynesse which are not prouoked with blasphemies and fooles also which so muche esteeme the friendship of the worlde ▪ that they denie vnto Chryst the duetie of godlynesse Therfore let vs prepare our selues to that holesome conflicte and strife which all the godly in this worlde muste suffer For there is no cause why wee should feare the power of this worlde forasmuche as we knowe we fight in his quarell which one day shall breake in peeces all the gaynesayers with a Scepter of Iron which is the sonne of God our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryste to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxxv. Homelie AND Paule dwelte two yeres full in hys lodging and receyued all that came in vnto hym preachyng the kingdome of God and teaching those things which concerne the Lorde Iesus with all confidence no man forbidding him OUr Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Chryste comforteth hys Disciples many times with this argument that he wyll not leaue them destitute and succourlesse but will be present ▪ with them vntill the ende of the worlde The truthe of which promises appeareth euery where aswell at all other times as also chiefly in aduersities for thē is Chryst so nigh at hande vnto his seruauntes that not onely he defendeth them mightely and faythfully but also directeth those thinges which seeme dolefull and infortunate vnto their saluation and to hys glory Wherein the captiuitie of Paule may bee vnto vs in steede of a number of testimonies Whiche in the beginning mighte haue seemed vtterly to haue stopped the course of the Gospell howebeit the Lorde so moderated it that through the same the doctrine of the Gospell was rather aduaunced than hindred For by the occasion thereof bothe the Romane Presidents and Souldiours heard the Gospell And at lengthe the preachyng thereof fylled Rome yea the iudgement place and the Emperours court But bycause these thinges haue bene spoken of before other thynges whiche remayne to bee considered in thys Hystorie muste briefly bee runne ouer Firste the Euangelist expresseth the tyme of Paules captiuitie saying that he abode two yeres togither in an house which he had hyred of hys owne charges beeing garded with that Souldiour of whome we made mention before And before that he lay in pryson whole two yeres also vnder Felix And it is lyke that there ranne some monethes betweene Felix his departure out of the Prouince and the tyme of Paules sending vnto Rome Furthermore wee muste allowe foure monethes at the least for his Nauigation and tyme that he spent in Malta Thus Paules captiuitie endured fiue yere all which time he found this one commoditie that he was not thrust into prison but was in open warde whereby he had occasion to preache euery where offred him Heere wee haue to consider the state which the godly bee in in this worlde who alone for the most parte are counted suche wicked persons as are vnmeete to enioy either libertie or lyfe But in the meane season what a sorte of wicked and slaunderous menne trowe yee lyued at their pleasure vnder Nero a moste ryotous tyrante But Paule alone as it were some publike plague or calamitie of the whole worlde is kepte in prison The like curtesie the Prophetes in tymes paste and after them Iohn the Baptist and at length the sonne of God him selfe founde who was put to death among theeues and murtherers and was counted a greater malefactour than Barrabas the murtherer The ende of all which thinges is that we should not be offended at the lyke in these dayes For it is not meete that the Scholers and seruauntes state shoulde be better than the teachers and masters Furthermore we knowe that they which are partakers of Chrystes afflictions in this worlde shall reigne with him hereafter in heauen Here appeareth also the infinite goodnesse of God which preserued Paule so long a tyme in open warde verily for his electes sake vnto whome by this occasion he woulde haue his Gospell to be reuealed For this farre passed the hope bothe of Paule and of all other the faythfull Bycause vnder Nero a moste vicious and cruell tyraunt no man woulde euer haue looked for the same Here therefore let as many as walke in Gods callyng fetche counsayle For as long as wee bee occupied in Gods affayres and so as it is requisite for our saluation God will easily defende vs among moste cruell enimies who was able to saue Noah in the middest of the waues of the floude which ouerflowed all the worlde and Ionas that lay hidde in the belly of the houge Whale And the same when tyme shall so require will translate vs from all misfortunes into the internall kingdome of his sonne Furthermore let vs see what Paule dyd in this two yeres space He receiued sayth he all that came in vnto him preaching the kingdome of God and teaching those thinges which concerne the Lorde Iesus with all confidence no man forbidding him He dyd then th◠same in bondes which he had done before beeing at his libertie bycause he vnderstoode he was nowe the Apostle and seruaunt of Iesus Chryst aswell as before And he dyd not onely preache but also sent letters now to one place nowe to an other and bothe instructed and