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
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
and troubles of all Christendome doth not only liue in peace hir selfe but also is a most safe sanctuarie for forreyners and straungers resorting to hir from all places Therefore great and weightie causes as me thinketh haue mooued me most honourable and my especiall good Lordes to dedicate this my labour and traueyle vnto you wherein according to the grace of God bestowed vppon mee I haue gone about to open and make plaine that booke which describeth the fiâ—st countenaunce and looke of that Church that is called the primitiue Church wyth the proceedings encrease and whole estate of the same a president wherof I see you haue followed with no lesse industrie and diligence than good and happie successe Which president if they shall follow which shall suceede you in gouernement of the common weale they shall both see howe you haue done nothing rashly and on a head and shall also perceyue themselues woonderfully pricked forwarde to obserue and keepe with all their power that fourme and order of a refourmed Church and Religion that they shall receyue of you And surely it shall be verie profitable to meditate oftentymes by what meanes and beginnings our auncestours deuised such an order and fourme both of Church and common weale For in so doing they shall neyther regarde slaunderers which maliciously depraue thinges done well and godlily neyther shall they be turned from the truth for anye stormes of persecution or threates of the worlde that may aryse It is also profitable manye tymes to talke of these thinges before the people which as they are ledde most commonly with things present so doe they easily forget thinges passed and gone and verie seldome thinke of things to come Therefore they allow not the deuises of the Magistrates but when they see them ioyned eyther with present profite or cleere of perilles and daunger For as soone as daunger once appeareth they finde fault and lacke of wisedome and equitie in those whose councels they ought faythfullye to set forward and obey But if they did vnderstande that their rulers had God for the authour and guyder of their drifts and deuises and that they did whatsoeuer they did according to their duetie then surelye they woulde learne more religiously to iudge of their rulers and more easilye to obey them and woulde not so sodenly bee mooued and turned at euerye rumour of daunger arysing Surely this was the thing that I chiefly ment and intended when I began openly to reade this booke to the flocke of Christ among you and to publishe and set abroade that which I had openly spoken and declared For I sawe that the state of this age waxing euery day woorse and woorse was such that it was most nedefull continually to pervse the bookes of holy scripture and to sette before the people the examples of the primitiue Church conteyned in the same that they shoulde not be deceyued with the gloses of such as vnder a false colour and pretence of antiquitie burthen vs with newe errours and accuse those thinges of noueltie which graue and godly menne haue restored vnto vs out of the worde of god Accept therefore these my labours mine honourable and good Lordes with such fauour as you haue manye yeares borne vnto the truth and vnto mee and manye other my fellowes and coparteners euen from our childehoode Continue your good will vnto the students of diuinitie holde on your accustomed humanitie and gentlenesse toward the pilgrimes and banished for Christes sake abide in the mainteyning of your lawes and correcting of the peoples maners in enhaunceing vertuous exercises and in bridling wickednesse with iustice In many places the horrible contempt of God reigneth Diuers doe wickedly reiect the wholesome benefite of Gods worde and the knowledge of christ Charitie in most men waxeth chill and fayth fayleth euerie day by little and little Iniquitie aboundeth and newe croppes of naughtinesse dayly encrease God therefore being angrie â–ª threatneth vs with punishment and feareth the world with woonders monsters and horrible vprores of kingdomes And yet will he neuer fayle them which abyde and continue in promoting his glorie defende the Church of his Christe and according to the measure of their vocation perseuere in doing their duetie He shall blesse your labours and gouerne your councels by his spirite he shall blesse all your people so that they shall of their owne accorde obey your wholesome lawes and moste happilye enioye the gladsome benefite of euangelicall peace He shall blesse your whole Church so that it shall go forwarde euerie day more and more in the doctrine of godlinesse To him who is the onely Lorde of Lordes the immortall and euerlasting God be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen Giuen at Zurich in your famous and chiefe Citie of Heluetia the first daye of August in the yeare of oure Lorde 1557. ⧠Ioannes Parkhurstus Anglus Episcopus Nordouicensis Multa relucenti debent haec tempora Lucae Et debet Lucas multa Rodolphe tibi Lux Lucae luxit totum diffusa per orbem Lux Lucae lucet nunc magè luce tua Ergo tibi Lucae tantum qui luminis adfers Christus cum Luca lucida regna dabit Eiusdem aliud ad Lectorem Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerint Apostolorum Qui ritus veteres apudque Patres Et quot discere Lector est ne cordi Huc adsis auido legantur ore Haec quae scripta vides pererudita Sacris eruta scripta quaeque libris Aut è Patribus eruta Orthodoxis Quae multo peperit tibi labore Gualtherus pietate clarus atque Doctrina patriae decus suaeque Praefulgens celebres habendus inter Scriptores potes id negare Liuor Laudes quid memorare pergo plures Vino vendibili haud opus virente Est suspensa hedera Liber loquatur ¶ A Table of the chiefe wordes and things expounded in these Homelies and Annotations A A ante A. AAron and hys chyldren chosen to be ministers Pag. 67. A ante B. Abelles fayth what it was Pag. 853. Abnegation or denying of our selfe is the beginning of Christianitie Pag. 367. Abraham is an example of the obedience of fayth 295. Abraham pleased God wythout the ceremonialles 293. Abraham is in manye daungers after he came into the lande of promyse 297. Abrahams faythe is stedfast althoughe hee bee tryed dyuers wayes ibidem Abrahams singuler faythe is sette forth ibidem Abraham what GOD dyd with him after hee came into the lande of promise ibidem Abrahams faythe in all aduersities is vpholden by Gods promyse onely ibidem A ante C. Actes of the Apostles instructe all states and degrees of men wyth examples Pag. 4. Actes of the Apostles commende the truth and Maiestie of the propheticall Oracles of vtility necessitie dignitie and Maiestie 2 Actes wherewith it begynneth the hystorie 1. A ante D. Adam was a christian 852. Adams sinne depryued vs of lyfe Pag. 119. Admiration of Gods workes is necessary 157 Admonitions out of Gods words are needefull
neuer forsaketh his seruauntes in daunger 349 God hath a rare of those that are his Pag. 834 God tryeth the faythe and pacience of his people 297 God aydeth his seruaunts when they are afflicted 308 Goddes singuler goodnes towardes men 151 Gods knowledge where it muste be sought 665 Gods counsell and vsage letting hys enemyes many tymes runne so farre that it might seeme they had theyr purpose 392 Goddes counselles cannot bee hindred 266 God described of his Omnipotencie Pag. 320 God giueth vs whatsoeuer goodnes is in vs. 308 God alone is the auctour of miracles 161 GODS wonderfull goodnesse Pag. 495.561 Gods goodnes toward synners that repent 761 Gods singuler goodnes speakinge frendly to his enemies 790 Gods goodnes takinge Paule his cruell enemyâ— into fauour againe Pag. 359 Gods iudgements must not be to far waded in 672 Gods vsage in punishing the wycked 207 Gods proper woork is to saue men Pag. 319 Gods wonderfull power against the wicked 212 Gods power in delyuering his people 643 Gods power is inuincible 816 Gods power in defeating his enemies deuises 318 Gods prouidence how it ought to comfort vs in daungers 315 Gods prouidence preserueth the godly in daunger 557 Gods prouidence stretcheth to all aages 315 Gods seruauntes are not ignoraunt of the Lords will. 542 GOD can easely delyuer his people out of daunger and make theyr enemies theyr defendours Pag. 261 God must not bee prescribed in any thing 35 God must be let alone with the successe of all our doings 583 How much we bee bounde to God. Pag. 904 God onely must be worshipped and honoured 891 Gods for defendours and patrones Pag. 668 Goddes can not bee made by men Pag. ibidem New Goddes 343 God Maozim 666 God Remphan 342 GOD'S right hande what it is Pag. 35 Gods right hand 126 God deferreth his helpe but taketh it not vtterly away 497 Godhead of Christ abolisheth not his manhode 39 Godhead and manhod of Christ and the vse thereof 107 Godlynes of the people of Berrhea Pag. 657 Godlynes commended 613 Who are truly godly 789 Godly morne at Paules departure Pag. 758 Godly and religious who be 87.88 Godly men muste defende and delyuer Ministers of the woorde Pag. 411 Godly men are not bounde by pacience to yeld to the vngodlyes pleasure 841 Godly liue not without glorye Pag. 758 Godly yelde vnto reason 471 Godlyes estate 493 Godly haue imperfections 101 Godly are feared with the presence of Goddes maiestie 426.427 Godlyes sayinges 269 God directeth the tribulations of the godly to his glory 841 God alwaye ioyneth with them that take part with the godlye in their daungers 731 Godly being circumuented with false iudgementes maye seeke meanes to escape so it maye bee done without preiudice of the truth 805 Goodes of monasteries wherevnto they ought to serue 372.373 Good can wee none do except we bee drawne of God. 320. Gospelles excellencie of Doctryne Pag. 247 Gospels ende in Preaching 674 Gospels course hindred by Simon Magus 363 Gospell is called the grace of God. Pag. 549 Gospell no cause of publyke miserye and calamitie 363 Gospell in what persones it bringeth foorth worthy frute 88 Gospell first preached to the Iewes Pag. 532 Gospell no cause of dissension or lycensiouse lyuing 76 Gospell can not bee Preached without contradiction 661 Gospell neuer Preached in vayne Pag. 649 Gospell teacheth vs our saluatioÌ„ perfitly 7 Gospell howe it is the kingdome of God. 870 Gospell can not bee preached without tribulation 403 Gospell or preaching of Christe called the wonderfull woorkes of God by the Apostles 85.86 Gospell is called the woorde of lyfe of grace of reconciliacion and is beautified wyth dyuerse other names in the Scriptures c. Pag. 247.248 Gospels course is most prosperous Pag. 763 Gospels worthinesse 277 Gospell why it is euill spoken of Pag. 194 Gospelles dygnitie and efficacie c. Pag. 461 Gospell is set furth in the myddle of tribulacions 553 Gospell is no new Doctryne 852 Gospell howe it ought to be preached Pag. 408 Gospelles ende and vse 860 Gospells ende is the obedience of fayth 297.298 Gospelles happie successe 283 Gospelles enemyes reiected by gods iust iudgement 427 Gospells greatest prayse what is Pag. 367 Gospell beginneth in Iohn 450 Gospell begynneth with the rebuking of sinne â—08 Gospell preached is a stombling stone vnto men 89 Gospel preached and confirmed with myracles by the Apostles of Christ Pag. 149 Gospelles preaching what it comprehendeth in it 184 The right trade of the Gospell preaching 900 Gospelles case or estate 900.901 The summe of the gospell 864 Gospell witnessed by the holy ghoste â–ª and by the Apostles 264 Gospell truely described 413 Gospell called a light and a sworde in what sence 129 Gospelles vse and effecte 79 Gospell must haue threates mixed emong 546 Gospell despisers fall from grace Pag. 336 Gospell gaynesaying howe wicked a thing it is 31 Gospell teacheth not libertie of the fleshe 78 G ante R Grace is gyuen vs in Chryst Iesu. Pag. 543 Grace of god is not tyed to Sacraments 463 Grace of god to miserable sinners Pag. 43 Grace of god and merite of workes cannot stande togyther 596 Grace or thankes gyuing is taught 895. Grace or thankesgyuing for goddes bountie and liberalitie Pag. 114. and 115 Gratitude or thankfulnes 653 Gratitude or kyndnes of Lydia to the Apostles 626 Gratitude or kyndnes of Christians Pag. 205 Gratitude in the people of Malta Pag. 892 Gratitude or kyndnes in Pharao Pag. 311 Greekes make a muttering bycause their Widowes were not releeued wyth the Almes of the Churche Pag. 275 H ante A HArtes must be purified 595 and .596 Hatred of goddes worde how farre it proceedeth 768 Hatred of truth is very bitter 819 Who haue the Lorde before theyr eyes 113.114 Who haue after the meaning of scripture  H ante E Hearers of Paule 841.842 Hearers of diuers kindes 548 Hearers of all nations 87 Hearers of Christes doctrine who bee meetest 88 Hearers of Goddes woorde who Pag. 378 Hebrewes what they vnderstande by this worde Inferi or hell 117 Herisie beginners sinne against the order of nature 667 Heretike who is and who is not Pag. 823 Heretiks how they must be confuted Pag. 826 Henoches fayth-what it was 853 Herordes Agrippa beginneth a persecution 488 Herod desireth to be worshippped as God. 505 Herode molesteth them that border vpon him 503 Herode howe hee was affected at Gods miracle ibidem Herode howe hee persecuted the Church 490 Herodes destruction 505 H ante I Hierusalem why it serued to so godly a purpose beeing so wicked and neere destruction 17 Hierusalem an ensample howe true Gods promises be 17 Hieeusalem in glory and power excelled all other cities 16 Hierusalems sinne and destruction Pag. ibidem At Hierusalem the Apostles receyued the holy Ghost ibidem At Hierusalem beginneth the preaching of the Gospell ibidem Histories of the Bible settâ— out the contemplacion of the inuincible God. 1 The ende of the historie of the Apostles 919 Historie of the olde
more Pag. 85 8. Those which hee knowe before those also dyd hee predestinate Pag. 554 8. The spirit of adoption by whom wee crye Abba father 538 8. Neyther death nor lyfe can seperate vs from the loue of GOD. Pag. 328 9. It is not of the will or industrie of man but of the mercie of God. Pag. 135 10. With the harte man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth confesseth vnto saluation Pag. 86 10. Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shal be safe 665 10. How shall they call on him on whome they haue not beleeued Pag. 509.665 10. How shall they beleeue without a Preacher 509.665.49 10. Howe shall they preache without they be sent 49.510.58 10. Hearing commeth by the worde of God. 625 11. The giftes of God are without repentance 29 11. For if God spared not the naturall braunches 547 11. O the deepenesse of the ryches c. 29.111 12. He that doth mercifully let hym doe it cheerefully 147 12. In gyuing honour â–ª go one before an other 293 12. Reioyce with them that doe reioyce and weepe with them that weepe 491 13. Princes are not fearefull to them that doe well but to them that do euill 321 14. I knowe and am perswaded by the Lorde Iesus that there is nothing common of itself 603 15. Whatsoeuer thinges haue beene written afore time were written for our learning 3 16. The mysterye kept secret since the worlde begonne 674 1. COrinth 1. Wee preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke and to the Gentyles foolishnesse 664 1. But vnto them which are called both of the Iewes and Gentiles we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God. Pag. 538 2. The naturall manne perceyueth not the thinges of the spirite of God. 308.554 3. Paule fed the Corinthians with mylke 680 3. We are the Ministers of God by whome you haue beleeued 566 4. disposers of the secrets of God. Pag. 9 4. What hast thou that thou hast not receyued 308.270 4. In Christ Iesu through the Gospell haue I begotten you Pag. 509 6. Whoremongers and adulterers shall not inherite the kingdome of God. 181 9. Woe vnto mee if I preach not the Gospell 212 10. Ye cannot bee pertakers of the Lordes table 602 10. God is faythfull and will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength 578 11. There must bee sectes that they which are tryed among you might be knowne 590 13. Nowe we see in a glasse euen in a darcke speaking but then shal we see face to face 175 14. The spirites of the Prophetes are subiect to the Prophets 70 15. This corruptible must put on incorruption 541 15. O death where is thy sting 23 â— COrinth 1. All the promyses of God in hym are yea â–ª 537 1. As the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in vs c. 637 3. Of our selues wee are not sufficient to thinke c. 620.320 â–ª 5. Wee are messengers in the roome of Christ. 71 5. Euery man shall receyue according as hee hath done in bodye Pag. 175.675 5. God hath made him to bee sinne for vs whiche knewe no synne Pag. 535 9. GOD loueth a cherefull gyuer Pag. 485 1. GAlath 1. I maruell that you are so soone turned froÌ„ Christ Pag. 589 1. If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell 607 3. This onely woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the Law. Pag. 184 3. Though it bee but a mans Testament yet if it bee proued no man c. 186 3. Hee sayeth not to the seedes as of many but to thy seede as of one ibidem 3. The Lawe is our Schoolemayster vnto Christ. 334 3. There is neyther bonde nor free neyther Male nor Female 293. and 656 4. Bycause you are Sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his son c. Pag. 85 4. When the full tyme was come GOD sente hys Sonne c. Pag. 448 5. If you byte and deuoure one another 146. â—24 5. Would GOD they were cut off which trouble you 606 5. I testifie to euery man whiche is circumcised 589 EPhesi 1. Accordinge as hee had chosen vs in him before the fouÌ„dacions of the world were layd Pag. 294.525.202 1. Christ worketh all thinges in vs. Pag. 201 1. God hath made Christ sit on his right hande in heauenly places Pag. 36 4. Christ is ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfyll all things 38. and 51 4. When hee went vp on hyâ— hee ledde captiuity captiue 37 4. Hee gaue some Apostles some Prophetes c. 10 6. Watch with all instancie and supplication 205 PHilipp â— In the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe 309 2. God woorketh in vs both to wil and to doe of good will. 270. and â—54 3. Our conuersation is in heauen Pag. 37 4. I can doe all thinges thoroughe Christ. 169 COlos 2. Hee hath spoyled al principalitie and rule and made a shewe of them openly 37 3. Filthie communication 15 THessalon 2. How they kylled the Lord Iesus 556 4. The Lorde himselfe shall descend from heauen in a showte and in the voyce of the Archangell 35 5. Reioyce euer praye continually 115 5. Examine all thinges holde faste that is good 655 1. TImoth 2. One Mediatoure Pag. 107 2. God would haue all men to come too the knoweledge of the truth 561.655 3. A Bishop must bee the husband of one wyfe 765 4. Meates are Sanctifyed by the woorde of GOD and prayer Pag. 147 5. Bee not partaker of other mens sinnes 15 6. Wee brought nothinge into this worlde and it is certayne wee maye carry naught awaye c. Pag. 299 2. TImoth 2. To deuide the word of Truth rightly and dulye Pag. 680 3. Applye thy reading 15 3. Thou hast perceyued my Doctrine 578.592 3. All scripture is gyuen by inspiration of God. 5â—2 4. Bee instant in season and out of season 351 HEbreor 1. Aungels are ministring spirits 246 2. Hee tooke not on him the Aungels but the seede of Abraham 105.178 4. Wee haue not an hyghe Priest that can not bee touched with the feelinge of oure infirmities Pag. 107 4. The woorde of God is a twoo edged sworde 660 9. Christ came to be an hyghe priest of good things to come 37 10. The bloud of Oxen and Gotes can not â—â—ke away sinnes 545 11. Faith is the grounde of thinges that are hopeâ— for 295 11. Without â—â—ith it is impossible to please God. 47.341.665 11. By fayth Moyses when he was great refused to bee called the Sâ—nne of Pharaos Daughter Pag. 320 13. Forget not to doe good and to distribute 139 13. Remember theÌ„ that are in bonds euen as if you were bound with them 491 IAmes 4â— The friendship of thys world is enimitie with GOD. Pag. 26 1. 〈◊〉 â–ª Christe was ordâ—yned before the worlde was made Pag. 109 4. The tyme is come that iudgement muste beginne at the house of God â–ª 269 5. God resisteth the proude 506 2. PEâ—r 3.
none at all or at leastwise might seeme obscure and vncertaine Beside this there is one other thing very profitable and necessary to be knowne that is to say what maner of countinaunce the Primatiue Church had which was founded by the Apostles according to the which the Church in all ages ought to be refourmed when any errors or abuses shall happen Touching which thing as all men dispute therof in these daies so shall a man finde very fewe which wil take the straight way opened by the Apostles to amende the same Wherby it commeth to passe that we put newe errors in the place of olde driue away olde superstitions with new as pieuish noysome as the olde Whereas if we would obserue the thinges written by Luke wee should haue a certaine an infallible rule aswell of doctrine as ceremonies which the Apostles left vnto the church They taught one Iesus Christ to be the onely Auctor of our saluation and that men which by nature are sinners and in daunger of damnation are by no other meanes iustified saued than by faith in Iesus Christ. Yea this booke aboundeth with most notable examples wherewith the principall and chiefe article of our christian fayth as I sayd eare whyle is warranted and confirmed against all the cauillations of Sophisters and Phariseis For what other did euer the Apostles require of the vncleane Gentiles and straungers from the common weale of the people of God but to leaue their olde superstition and to beleeue in Christ Did they not preache saluation and forgiuenesse of sinnes to them turning from their open ydolatrie Did they not most stoutely stande against those blinde Bayardes which would burthen the Gentiles with the woorks of the lawe as though Christ had not beene of power to saue but those which prepared themselues to him by the deedes of the Lawe Wherfore if the faith in Iesus Christ was once sufficient for the Gentiles and they not to be charged with the workes and ceremonies of the lawe published by God I pray you what shall let why the same faith and beliefe shal not suffise vs in these daies Or shall we say that the traditions of men are more profitable and necessary to the attaynement of Iustification and saluation than they which God once ordayned to remayne till the time of correction As touching ceremonies outwarde rytes the Apostles thought it vnlawfull to charge the Churches with any thing vpon their priuate authoritie Baptisme the order wherof they receyued of Christ the Lorde they haue most sincerely deliuered The vse and maner of the Lordes Supper as Christ did institute it they thought good to retayne In other matters of the Church this was their chiefe care to haue a Discipline wherewith Christ woulde the naughtye disposed to be kept vnder and that the poore shoulde be honestly prouided for whose case and condicion the Lorde did vouchsafe so earnestlye to commende vnto vs The thinges which besides these now a dayes vnder the name of the Apostles and Canons of the Apostles are obtruded wee can not acknowledge for Apostolyke neyther can any good man blame vs therefore forasmuch as Luke maketh no mention of them whose diligence and labour the holy Ghost thought good to vse in writing the Sermons and Actes of the Apostles Surely I will neuer thinke the holye Ghost eyther so vnwyse as to take a negligent wryter of so high matters or else so forgetfull as to let passe any of those things the knowledge and obseruation whereof was so necessarie in hys Church I would speake of euery thing more at large but that they recourse in the treatise of the Hystorie where they will be more commodiously handled Let it suffise for this time to haue shewed the great vtilitie of this booke in that it ministreth to vs a true and an infallible rule of reforming the Church which except they obserue which will be called and counted reformers they may well reioyce in their reformations in the iudgement of the fleshe but they shall neuer giue vs Churches that any man but meanely trayned in the holy Scriptures shall acknowledge in all pointes for sincere and true Apostolike Churches Howbeit this booke sheweth vs not only a forme paterne of the Church of Christ but also it plainely teacheth vs what the state and condicion of the Church is here in earth which to know is both profitable and necessarie aswell for doctrine and information as also for the comfort that thereby commeth vnto vs For we shal see the Apostles in euery part of the world finde it true that Christ foreshewed touching their Crosse and afflictions For God would not so worke by them as that the things both supersticiously and wickedly maintayned in the worlde till that daye shoulde yeelde of their owne accorde to their preaching but he would invre them with labours and contentions And in euery place there were founde that woulde withstande theyr doctrine and those not of the rascall and common sorte but they which for their learning and godlynesse the worlde woondered at such as were the Scribes and Priestes amongst the Iewes and the Philosophers of the Gentyles Neyther was the matter decyded wyth wordes For so great was the authoritie of the enimies of the truth that the Magistrates tooke their partes so that they were fayne to pleade their cause before them and to contrarie their commaundements with hazarde of their lyfe Thus being banished their natiue Countrie they felt the smart of exyle they were in perill by sea and lande they laye bounde in Prisons euerye man hated them and rayled vpon them and finallye they ended their charge of preaching the Gospell with their death and bloudsheading These thinges if wee consider wee shall perceyue what we haue to hope for nowe a dayes neyther shall wee be offended eyther wyth the authoritie or power of men striuing against the Gospell wyth such rage and furie as they did And on the other side the loyaltie and truth of Christ shall marueylously comforte vs whom the Apostles founde so true in his promyses For he promised the ayde of his holy Spirite present counsell in aduersitie and his safegard and defence against all men All which he so perfourmed that they hauing the vpper hande despite of the world and Prince therof obtained their purpose and were able with good successe to perfourme their vocation Let no man therefore feare the threates of tyraunts in these daies let no man be afrayde of Sathans enterpryses let no man be abasshed at the stormes tempestes of this worlde For Christ liueth still and the truth of his promyses is infallible which as they once were made to his Apostles euen so they are continued to all men which beleeue in Christ according to their doctrine And surely if there were no other vtilitie of this booke but this one there is no man but seeth how necessary the knowledge therof is in these dayes where wee see euery where such
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
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
craft and power of men and therefore myght seeme not to be God Peter preuenteth this offence saying he was deliuered into the hands of vnrighteous men by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of god For this is as much as if he had sayde let no man thinke that eyther Iudas the traytour or the Priestes or Pylate had eyther so much counsell or power as to doe anye thing herein which God knewe not or suffered not to be done For whatsoeuer chaunsed vnto Christ came to passe by his foreknowledge and decree Whervnto also he had a respect in his Epistle where he sayth that before the worlde was made Christ was ordeyned before hande for this ende For demonstration sake may be brought the promises of God made in the beginning of the worlde and the Oracles of the Prophetes which teache none other waye of our redemption and saluation than that which is gotten by the bloude of the sonne of god Uerily Esay sayeth that the Lorde hath brought to passe that the iniquitie of vs all is heaped vpon him It was therefore the decree and worke of the same Lorde that our sinnes by his bloude shoulde be pourged This is a notable place to cause vs to learne rightly to iudge of Gods prouidence Let vs marke therefore that he toucheth not only Gods prescience as it were by the way but also maketh mention of Gods counsell or decree Yea he setteth it before Gods prescience bicause he testifieth it was an appointed and determined matter which is as much as if he should saye in our maner of speach all this businesse was concluded by the premeditation and long before deuysed counsell of god Here is confuted the glose of them which imagine nothing in God almost but prescience or foreknowledge saying that God foretolde by the Prophetes that he foreknew shoulde come to passe taking from him in the meane whyle all prouidence and administration of things Which men seeme to me to make God an ydle gazer vpon the worlde and a slouthfull and sluggishe bodye suffring many things to be done agaynst his will and otherwyse than he had appointed But Dauid instructeth vs farre otherwise which sayth that God beholdeth the things done in heauen and in earth and maketh him also to rule kingdomes and to gouerne all things with his becke And Peter in this place sayth that God foresawe not only the falshoode of Iudas the bloudy enterprises of the Priests and the iniquitie of Pylate suffring them to come to passe by a certayne ydle permission but also deduceth all the successe of this businesse from the certaine and determinate counsell or decree of god And that that happened in the sonne of God ought to be vnderstanded of the vniuersal gouernance of mankind which God susteineth and wieldeth vnlesse we suppose that God which is alway constant in himselfe is swarued from his common order and vsage But chiefly it is conuenient we consider the ende wherefore Peter alleageth the decree of Gods prouidence which ende bicause many obserue not they by and by crie out that we make God the auctor of euill bicause we say all things depende vppon his counsell and appointing Howbeit Peter in this place neither excuseth Iudas nor his complices nor yet chargeth God with that they wickedly vniustly did For where they sinned of their owne voluntary malice and set before their eies neither the counsell of God nor the redemption of mankinde but folowed the naughty affections of couetousnesse ambition and hatred the fault was in themselues and iustly were they punished for the same Peter maketh mention of Gods prouidence and decree bicause he woulde put awaye the slaunder and offence of the crosse and teache vs howe to iudge of all Christes affayres and our redemption The same vse of Gods prouidence must we also set before vs that it may serue as well to the instruction of our fayth and lyfe as for our comfort in aduersitie So by the decree of prouidence the scriptures teache vs that our saluation dependeth vppon the meere grace of God who before the worlde was made ordeyned Iesus Christ to be our redeemer and chose or elected vs in him See Ephe 1. Rom. 9.10.11 c. And thither doth Christ sende vs saying you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Againe without me you can do nothing Therefore the consideration of predestination and Gods free election only beateth downe the pryde of mans righteousnesse the perillous affiance that we haue therein The same bringeth vs most strong comfort in aduersitie when the wicked are in prosperitie and aloft For why shoulde a man be offended at them considering he is sure that he is vnder the tuition of Gods prouidence and that no aduersitie can happen vnto him without the will and pleasure of God Therefore Christ sendeth vs to the flowres of the fielde and birdes of the ayre in the which Gods prouidence is most easily perceyued and comforteth the Apostles agaynst the slaunders of persecution with arguments taken from them saying Are not two little sparrowes solde for a farthing And one of them shall not light on the grounde without your heauenly father Yea all the heares of your heade bee numbred If we examine these wordes after the capacitie of our reason I know they seeme to exceede all truth But if we consider the wisedome and omnipotencie of God which farre passeth all mans reason there can nothing be sayde that maye seeme so farre to exceede the truth but his force and power pierceth through it and passeth it See what is written Psal. 139 and .147 If we set these things before our eyes the consideration of his prouidence shall yeelde vs much learning and comfort And if any man wil go beyonde this and passe his boundes to him we saye as Salomon sometime said He that will search out high things it shall be to heauy for him And as Paule sayde What art thou O man which disputest with god c. See the place Rom. 9. Neyther was it without the will of God that the Apostle which was rapt into the thirde heauen and hearde wordes not meete to be vttered to man disdeyning to answere curious questions about this matter of Gods prouidence and predestination concludeth all that disputation with an exclamation full of admiration and woonder saying O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of god Howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counseller or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompensed againe For of him and through him and for him are all things To him be glory for euer Amen Last of all Peter ioyneth the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the deade in these wordes whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorrowes of death bicause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it This
spirite for diuers weightie causes vrged Peter to paint them out by these names First where they despised the faith of Abraham which only maketh vs the children of God and in the meane season chalenged to themselues the names of his children they ought not to be taken for any such Next bicause their authoritie was great with all men for that they were in an office long before appointed of God and gloried in that they successed most holye men it was needefull they should be reprooued and knowne vnto all men for swarâ—ers from them least anye man should be deceyued with their glorious styles and vaunt of their succession Therefore Peter doth wisely godlily and boldly in calling them a naughty and peruerse generation For in so doing he both admonisheth vs that they ought to be auoyded and putteth the simple out of feare and doubt which thought it an heynous matter openly to forsake them By Peters example we also in these dayes are taught what to doe A great many suppose a bare and simple knowledge of the truth is sufficient whereof they vse marueylously to glory â–ª amonge those that are desirous of the truth And yet they are still conuersaunt with the wicked and with the professed enimies of Christ yea they keepe company with the authors of false doctrine and can not abide that the Ministers of the Gospell should openly reprooue them But it is plaine that Peter the Apostle was of a farre other iudgement who would haue the faithful separate themselues from the wicked and feareth not to note deceyuours by the name of an vntowarde generation contrary to the common opinion of all the people He tooke example of Christ so to doe which euery where biddeth vs to eschue false teachers and teacheth vs that their company is pernicious and hurtfull The same the other Apostles also did as it is manifest which thought not they had done their dutie to point at the false teachers of their dayes with their fingers but also warned vs of them whome by inspiration of the holy spirite they knewe shoulde come in the later age of the worlde whereof we haue testimonies 1. Timoth. 4. 2 Timoth. 3. and .4 2. Thess. 2. 1. Iohn 2. and .4 Therefore whosoeuer hath in these dayes the ministery of the Gospell committed to him let him imitate the faithfulnesse and diligence of these men Bicause it is euident the sheepe are so foolishe that they can scarse beware of the Woolfe when they are warned yea for hope of a little lucre they will creepe into the mouthes of them Let them therefore paint out in their colours and terme by their true and proper names all these deceyuers and take no regarde to them which for priuate gaine hold with them Let other also learne to obey their faythfull aduertisementes and to flie the professed enimies of Christ whose company if they auoyde not they can not be taken for the members of christ Let them at the least be mooued with feare of the daunger which we knowe hangeth both ouer their heades and them that follow them For they that refuse to come forth of Babilon the mother of whoredome shal taste of those plagues also which the Lorde hath ordeyned for hir We haue therefore Peters counsell touching the waye of saluation wherevnto Luke ioyneth the notable successe that followed thereof For he sayth that they that gladlye embraced his preaching were baptized and the same day there were added vnto them about three thousande soules The godly writer in marueylous breuitie comprehendeth a great matter For here is fulfilled that that Christ sayde vnto Peter when he was called to be an Apostle Hereafter thou shalt take men on lyue For he which a little before was but a rude fisher letting slippe the nette of the Gospell bringeth three thousande people vnto the obedience of the faith in Christ who both gladly receyued his preaching and willingly continued in the same This place teacheth vs two things very needefull to be knowne First we learne that godly and faithfulfull ministers doe neuer preach the worde of God in vaine although many things seeme to stoppe and hinder the course thereof This the Lorde witnesseth by his Prophete Lyke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither agayne but watreth the earth maketh it fruitefull and greene that it maye giue corne to the sower and breade to him that eateth so the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne agayne voyde vnto mee but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it We haue in this matter a moste manifest example hereof where we maye also see things that might hinder the profite and fruite of Gods worde A people of nature rebellious and stubborne such as Moyses the Prophetes describe and set forth As many as were of any power authoritie wâ—â—e enimies to the doctrine Great daunger and perill in receyuing the doctrine of the Gospell bicause before this as many as followed Christ were excommunicated The Apostles were rude contemned and despised persons yet the worde of the moste high God driuen lyke a shower or storme with hys winde or breath which as Christ sayth bloweth where it liketh bursteth through all these stoppes and impediments This ought to comfort vs in this age that we despayre not of Christes Church and the successe therof notwithstanding we see so diuers enterprises and attemptes euery where busily bent and ment against the same Next we are taught what the nature of faith is and what the propertie of Gods elect people is For here are two thinges ascribed vnto them One is that they gladly embraced Peters sermon For where the mindes of those that beleeue are drawne with the spirite of God they streyght way knowe his voyce and the chiefe shepeheards and follow it Neither haue they any greater pleasure than in the study of the worde of God wherein they vnderstande that that most mercifull father and the onelye author of saluation talketh with them The other is that Luke sayeth they continued in the same which is as necessarie a propertie as the first For Christ sayeth He that abydeth vnto the ende shall be safe But hee that setteth his hande to the plough and looketh backwarde is not meete nor woorthy of the kingdome of God. If we compare these thinges with the maners of our age it wyll easily appeare how vnhappy an age it is For with many and continuall sermons can very fewe be woonne vnto christ And we maye see euen in them that haue professed Christ eyther a negligent contempt of Gods worde or else some detestable lightnesse whereby vpon euery trifling occasion they dishonestly starte from the truth that they haue knowne and professed But let vs returne to Luke which in fewe words setteth out the forme of the primitiue Church the maners the rites and the exercises of the same the chiefe
cannot shut vp the bowels of pitie Ouer and besides this the first beleeuers were to be envred by this voluntarye contribution to take the more paciently the losse of their goodes which shortly after should ensue when persecution arose seeing they had learned before to bestow them on others and were contented themselues to liue with a little Therefore this place ministreth no example of confusion whereby these phrenetike disturbers of common weales may be mainteyned but only a certayne liberalitie towardes the poore is in this place commended which God would haue alwayes to flourish in his Church We know what God sayth Deuter. 15. Let there be no begger at all amongst you Yet God was not ignorant there woulde be alwayes that shoulde be pinched with penurie But that the same shoulde runne vagarant about as publike spectacles of pouertie and beggerie is most contrary to the nature of charitie whervnto all Gods people are bounde And there are diuers other lawes of God extant whereby an order is declared howe the poore may be commodiouslye prouided for that they neede not go begging from doore to doore Hereof it commeth to passe that the Prophetes in euery place commend the poore vnto vs And Christ doth vouchsafe so to commende the care and helpe that ought to be taken for them that he testifyeth he will in the later daye reward them that haue done good to the poore for his sake euen as though they had done it to himselfe which order and institution was of such force and authoritie with the Apostles that they were not ashamed to make prouision for the poore Yea when Paule and Barnabas had declared the trade of their ministerie to Iohn Peter and Iames they thought good to admonish them of this one thing that they shoulde not neglect the poore whome they knewe Christ had so diligently commended vnto them Besides that Paule exhorteth the Corinthians that they shoulde not onely see for the prouision of their owne poore but also where they were very rich they shoulde helpe the needye brethren at Ierusalem which were verye poore And surely it is euident that our predecessors had a great care herof if we consider the donations and foundations both of Princes and priuate men which with greater liberalitie had giuen their goodes to the Church to the ende that both puritie of doctrine myght be preserued and the poore and needy relieued and helped But in these dayes religion is growne into such contempt that they are very fewe and scant which will giue ought of their owne but euery where there are ynough which wil rape and reue and prodigally waste that which others haue giuen They shall one daye prooue that Christ is a reuenger which will not contemne the crye of his poore and will most seuerely reuenge the spoyle and waste of his Church And it is to be feared least they shall leaue them to the wicked enimies of the Churche and fayth to be rifled bicause they disdaine to bestowe them on their euen Christians the brethren of Christ. But let vs returne to Luke which describeth the publyke and holy assembly of the Church where he sayth they continued euery day in the temple with one accorde Then they came oftentimes togither in the temple not for that they would be at the Iewes sacrifices which they knew were abolished through the bloude of Christ but bicause of the concourse of the people that they might teach and winne the more vnto christ By this example we are taught to seeke occasion on euery side to set forth the kingdome of Christ and for this cause the people ought oftentimes to meete togither that there may be the greater number to heare the worde of god For where the faithfull are gouerned by the light of the truth they cannot be ashamed thereof and seeke not darckenesse and corners as they doe whose workes be euill Uerily we reade that Christ taught alwayes openly and thereby excused himselfe both when he was taken and afterwarde also before Caïphas And Paule the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the .xj. and .xiiij. Chap. diligently describeth the publike assemblies and holy meetinges which he woulde neuer haue done if he had not vnderstoode they had bene of much force to the setting forth of Gods true religion Two thinges are ascribed to the primitiue Church continuance togither and vnanimitie of mindes which are needefull at all times but specially in assemblies and Churche meetinges For where God as it hath otherwheare bene sayde hath commended them by a singuler promise such an earnest studie and perseuerance in keeping the same is meete for Christians Againe where these assemblies are made both for doctrine sake for publike prayers and vse of the sacramentes vnanimitie for this purpose is chiefly requisite With this it becommeth Ministers of the word to be ioyned togither least they be authors of partaking and sectes suche as we knowe were once in the Church of Corinth but let them with one accord vrge set forth the doctrine of truth labor to bring Disciples vnto Christ as he commaunded in the .xxviij. chap. of Mathew That vnanimitie in praiers is of great weight before god appeereth hereby bicause mutuall loue is euery where commaunded and Christ earnestly desireth of his father that all the beleeuing may be one as he and his father are one The same reason may be made also of the sacramentes For where they seale vnto vs the benefites of Christ and are tokens and pledges of the fellowship and vnitie which we haue in Christ by the vsing wherof we are taken into one body with Christ it cannot be that they can vse them duly which are at enmitie amongest themselues These things ought well to haue bene considered in these dayes where there is great faulte committed on all sides For they that glorye in the doctrine of the Gospell and haue enioyed the same a long whyle waxe slacke for the most part and are quite voyde of perseuerance as though they had attayned already to perfection and had now no more to doe They are deuided into diuers and sundry sectes and one of them excōmunicateth another So that it must needes come to passe that Paule sayth If you byte and deuoure one another take heede least you be likewise consumed one of another And it is no marueyle that the Gospell doth no better succeede and go forwarde considering those men are neither feruent in perseuerance nor ioyned togither in vnanimitie in whome the same of all other is chiefely required Let who so will reade Eusebius preface vpon the eyght booke of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie and he shall finde a most liuely description of these times and what we may looke for Unto these Luke ioyneth the trade of lyfe that these first Christians liued in priuately among themselues And they brake breade sayth he from house to house and did eate their meate togither with singlenesse
be deliuered Dauid prooueth the like goodnesse and notably setteth it forth where he is promised that the Messias shoulde be borne of his stocke which thing he neuer once durst haue looked for I let passe manye such other examples bicause we trye and finde the like euery day whereas we being carefull for things belonging only to the body he promiseth vs of his owne accord such blisse of his heauenlye kingdome in his sonne as passeth all mans vnderstanding and capacitie Let vs therfore learne to put our trust in his grace and goodnesse and let vs not despaire of his good will which is more liberall and bountifull than we can eyther wishe or desire Nowe let vs come to the thirde part of the hystorie which contayneth in it a diligent description of the myracle that Peter shewed the circumstances whereof we must as diligently consider Peter beginneth with causing the lame man to take heede and be attent saying Looke on vs. He woulde by this saying procure him to take diligent heede that he shoulde well acknowledge the author of that benefite that within a whyle after he should receyue least he might suppose it was done either by chaunce by mannes arte or by magicke For is euident that they onely fruitefully receyue the benefites of God which consider God is the author of them and ascribe all glory and thankes to him therefore But they which neglect Christ and looke onely vpon the Ministers myracles are many times to such men a cause of superstition as we may see in the men of our dayes which defend worshipping of Saintes chiefely by reason of the myracles that they wrought This is a token of great modestie in Peter that he speaketh not of himselfe alone but sayeth Looke on vs. He acknowledgeth therefore Iohn to be his partener and fellowe farre from the pride of the Popes which while they will be taken for Peters successors doe imperiously Lord it ouer other Bishops and chalenge to themselues all power vppon the Church of Christ. Then being not ignorant that the man looked to receyue some money of them he putteth him out of that conceyte and causeth him to hope for a better thing saying Siluer and golde haue I none ▪ such as I haue giue I thee For the Apostles be the Stewardes of spirituall goodes and of the mysteries of God as Paule sayeth and not of money wherewith the vngodlye moste times abounde more than the godly Peter professeth two thinges verye profitable to bee marked The first is pouertie and that hee hath neyther siluer nor golde For he was one of that companye that had left all they had and followed Christ. Therefore he coulde not haue the riches of the worlde Shall we therefore thinke him vnhappie and in miserie God defende Let no man therefore measure felicitie by the goodes and riches of this world For he cannot be miserable that possesseth Christ although he were bereaued of all his goodes and with Peter had neither siluer nor golde And if Peter lacked these goodes howe come Peters successors by so great abundance what maner of patrimonie I praye you of Peters is it and from whence commeth it that nowe a dayes hath not onlye the greatest reuenues of golde and siluer but also whole countries and kingdomes Surely we haue nothing in the scriptures written hereof neyther doe credible hystories make any mention hereof Onely of Iudas there is mention which sought golde and siluer by vnlawfull meanes which was the cause of his desperation and destruction And of Antichrist there is a prophecie that he shoulde possesse the treasures of the earth Let the Popes therefore stint to bragge of Peters patrimonie whereas Peter so plainly reprooueth them of lying But how shoulde they stinte which are beco me so impudent that they feare not to make a laughing game of Peters wordes when their new Pope lift vp on high in a stoole of easement whurleth amongst the people a kinde of counterfeyt money which is neither golde nor siluer saying Siluer and golde haue I none c. But within a while after being remooued to another place he casteth to his owne creatures golde and siluer they crying He hath scattred abrode he hath giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remayneth for euer and euer I pray you what is playing and iesting with the worde of God if this be not Uerily Thomas Aquinas did feately quippe these godlesse menne andforsakers of the truth For where in the Counsell at Lyons certaine reuenues and annuities were brought from Naples to Gregorie the tenth hee was not ashamed to saye to Thomas we cannot nowe saye as Peter once sayd Siluer and golde haue we none But Thomas answered him Neyther can you say Arise and walke For the learned man sawe that through couetousnesse of the Popes both the Church was brought out of square and the giftes of the holy spirite wherin the Church did sometimes flourish were vtterly extinguished Many men perceyue the same nowe a dayes also but such is the vntowardnesse of this time that men will wittingly be deceyued Let vs whose eyes the light of the Gospell hath opened flie their snares and impudent tyrannie and not suffer our selues anye longer to be deluded and robbed by them Secondly Peter professeth a promptnesse and readinesse of good will to benefite and to doe good where he sayth Such as I haue giue I thee which is as much as if he shoulde saye if I had money I woulde giue it thee also Howbeit I will giue thee that I haue These wordes shewe an example of a well willing minde which we also ought to haue in the exercise of beneuolence For there be that professe an earnest good will but they saye they wote not what nor howe much they shoulde giue the poore But the lawe of looue and good will aunswereth all these questions commaunding vs to looue our neighbour as our selfe Whosoeuer thus doe enquire not howe much they shoulde giue but seeke what their neighbour hath neede of and if they finde that they haue it depart with it to their neyghbour liberally Wherefore if they haue money they helpe the needy with money If they haue plentie of victualles they deale it amongest the hungrye if they haue raymēt they cloath them that they see go naked And if they haue none of all these at leastwise they giue their heart to their poore brethren the good will wherof they declare with friendly wordes with counsell and comfort wherewith they reare and cheare vp the poore bodye that is afflicted So following the example of Peter they giue whatsoeuer they haue Wherevpon we gather that they be voyde of charitie and ledde with no affection of doing good which aske what and howe much they should giue vnto the poore Nowe what that was the Peter had and gaue so liberallye vnto the poore he addeth In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Aryse and walke And he tooke him by the right
be not mollifyed with the knowledge of Iesus Christ which only seasoneth the mindes of men to saluation and maketh them fruitefull but become the more sauage and of purpose reiect and impugne the same certes they plainly ynough bewray that they be of the number of reprobates of whose saluation nothing is to bee hoped Therefore Peter cleareth his hearers of this sinne to declare that they ought not despaire of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and of saluation bicause they sinned not of purpose but of ignorance And it is lyke he had a respect vnto the prayers of Christ which for this cause prayed for them that crucified him saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they do This place is diligently to be considered to thintent we may learne what that ignorance is whereby sinnes are mittigated and excused For in the Scripture we finde two kindes of ignoraunces The first is of those that be wicked and openly rebell against God which we may call a wilfull ignorance bicause men will be ignorant of that they might know and learn. Example hereof we haue in Pharao which sayeth he knoweth not God notwithstanding long before he knew him by his wonders daily wrought and desired his ministers to praye to God for him and a little before his death sayde The God of the Hebrues fighteth against vs. See Exod. 5. and 14. Such was the ignoraunce of those Iewes which when they had asked counsell of Ieremie tolde him to his face they woulde not obey his worde Such is the ignorance of a number in these dayes which excuse their superstition with the cloke of ignorance and saye they were none otherwise taught And in the meane season refuse the truth offered them will not heare it flie them that would teach them and stoppe their eares lyke serpents This is an ignorance inexcusable bicause it damneth and stoppeth vp the way to amendement Yea Christ testifieth that this is the condemnation of the worlde that men flie the light and wilfullye and wittinglye wrappe themselues in darkenesse least their workes should be reprooued There is another kinde of ignoraunce which springeth of a zeale of godlynesse and the glorie of God whereby men persecute the truth not for the truthes sake but bicause they thinke the glory and worship of God is diminished thereby It is lyke that many sinned through this ignorance against Christ bicause they thought him an enimie of Moses and the lawe of the Temple and of all the seruice appointed by God. And Paule seduced by a like zeale persecuted the Church of christ And thereby he sayeth diuers of the Iewes offended This ignoraunce is worthye of pardon for none other cause but for that it is contented to be corrected and amended which if men refuse then are they culpable of that first and incurable kinde of ignorance Let them marke well this difference which now a dayes eyther flatter themselues or other men vnder the pretence of ignorance For it is euident that many offende of malice and frowardnesse Unto these things he addeth an argument taken from the prouidence of God for the better perswading them that they should be pardoned and saued God sayth he which before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophetes howe Christ shoulde suffer hath thus wise fulfilled The strength of the argument is in this that God vsed their sinne to a good purpose and that therefore they ought not to distrust the fauour of god For it is as much as if he shoulde say you can not nor ought not to denie but you haue committed an heynous offence Howbeit you must not despayre therfore but rather respect the ende wherevnto the great goodnesse of God hath directed all this your doing Your meaning was to blot and wipe out all remembraunce of Christ from amonge men Bicause you thought he was an enimie to God and to true religion ignoraunce blinded you whereby it came to passe that you were madde against the sonne of god But the ende of all this tragedie was most ioyfull For God by this meane which thing no man euer hoped hath fulfilled his eternall counsell of mannes redemption and hath accomplished whatsoeuer in tymes passed was prophecied by the Prophetes Why therfore shoulde you despaire of saluation which you heare is nowe obtayned and gotten Why shoulde you mistrust the goodnesse of God which in your wickednesse as you see hath bene so mercifull Surely God will neuer cast you of bicause of this your sinne which he hath so ordered and directed to your commoditie so that you refuse not his wisedome which nowe is declared vnto you We are hereby taught againe how we should vse the prouidence of God not to seeke therin a defence for our wickednesse but the instruction of our faith and life and the comfort of our mindes For the Apostle so quiteth not the Iewes that he chargeth God with the murthering of Christ but sheweth that God directed the Iewes fact to a good ende and purpose So if we or others offende let vs acknowledge the fault to be in our selfe and not so excuse our selues to make God the author of our wickednesse And if anye goodnesse fall out of our wickednesse yet then let vs not thinke we be altogither faultlesse but let vs embrace the goodnesse of God which turneth the wickednesse that deserued damnation to our saluation We alleaged an example hereof before in the hystorie of Ioseph which was solde away by his brethren to the which if you ioyne this example also you shall as it were in a glasse behold all the reason of this controuersie and matter Furthermore let vs not harcken to them which saye we may sinne on hardly seeing the glorye of God and our saluation is aduaunced by our sinning For as Paule teacheth vs we maye not doe euill that good may follow therof Nay the more arguments we haue of Gods goodnesse toward vs the more we ought to be sorie for our sinnes and to obey the will of god Let vs also here marke that we must not rashly iudge of other mens sinnes They must be examined by the rule of Gods worde We must not hastilye thunder out the sentence of damnation bicause we doe not alwaye knowe the counsell of Gods prouidence which perhaps vseth him whome we of priuate and to hastie affection ment to condemne to the furtheraunce and saluation of manye a man See what is sayde of these iudgementes Mathew 7. Let vs now see the counsell that Peter giueth touching saluation which he comprehendeth in fewe wordes saying Repent you and conuert that your sinnes may be done away This saying contayneth in it both a commaundement and a promise The commaundement is the very same that he gaue to them before that were pricked with the consideration of their sinnes He vttereth one thing in two words First he commaundeth them to repent which properly comprehendeth acknowledging of sinne contrition of hart Whosoeuer will giue
those thinges which by Moyses were prefigurated But it sufficeth to giue occasion to them that list more deepely and exactly to search them Now vnto this description of Christ he ioyneth what the dutie is that we owe him for Moyses saith him shal you heare in al things whatsoeuer he saith to you The same God the father commaunded vpon the hill of Thabor as we declared a little before saying Heare him Yet let no man thinke he hath fulfilled the cōmaundement of God if he receiue the word of God but into his eares as Iudas and the Phariseyes Pylate and many others did But first an earnest desire of the Gospell is required bicause among manye thinges whereabout men be most vainly occupied one thing is necessary as Christ teacheth vs From the studie of the worde the beliefe which we haue in it cannot be secluded For howe can we labour to get that thing the credit and truth whereof we suspect Obedience followeth beliefe whereby we acknowledge Christ to be the teacher of fayth religion and director of our whole life and to our power obey him These markes of the children of God did he teach vs where he sayth He that is of God heareth the wordes of God. Agayne My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me Whervpon we gather for a suretie that they be not the children of God nor the sheepe of Christ which refuse to heare Christes voyce speaking in the Gospell Aboue all things we must note that whatsoeuer Christ speaketh we are commaunded to heare it For there be which heare Christ in deede but they heare him but in those things only which like their fleshlye appetyte against the which if anye thing be spoken they thinke that apperteyneth not vnto them Of this number be they which gladly heare and marueylously embrace the promises of the Gospell where the grace of God is preached and free forgiuenesse of sinnes but the same will not admit the doctrine of repentaunce which rebuketh and accuseth sinne They be like vnto those which after a sort can suffer the doctrine of truth to be preached but cannot abyde if a man reprooue the deceyuers and Antichristes And we see many so affected that they will greatly extoll and commende whatsoeuer is spoken of the kingdome of Christ of his victorie of the glorye of the elect which they shall possesse in heauen but yet they so abhorre the crosse persecutions that they can suffer no mentions to be made thereof But these men are farre deceyued For Christ is not deuided neyther can the parts of Christ his doctrine be separated For he that commaunded forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name the same requireth all men likewise to repent And he that sayde to the woman that was a sinner and bewayled hir sinnes Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee The same sayd vnto him that was sicke of the Palsey being nowe healed Beholde thou art made whole sinne not againe heereafter least a worse thing happen vnto thee And afterwarde he sayde by Paule that whooremongers and adulterers without repentance shoulde not enter into the kingdome of god Likewise he that confesseth himselfe to be the light and the truth and biddeth vs to walke in him the same reprooueth false Christes and Antichristes and biddeth vs beware of them Againe he that promiseth the treasures of heauen to those that be his the same affirmeth constantly that in the world they shall suffer tribulation And he that gloriously rose from the dead and with great triumph was taken vppe into heauen a little before that was despitefully hanged betweene two theeues Therfore as we must embrace whole Christ so is it necessary that we giue eare to his whole doctrine vnlesse we will wholy be depriued of him A figure hereof went before in the Paschall lambe which the Iewes were commaunded to eate whole and the bones and other things which coulde not be eaten were commaunded to be burned So must whole Christ be receyued and if anye thing seeme in him vntollerable that same must be consumed and ouerpassed with the fire of fayth and loue of God. Furthermore bicause our fleshe herein maketh much resistance which very vnwillinglye commeth to this yoake Moyses vrgeth vs with grieuous menace and threatening It will come to passe sayeth he that euerye soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among that people This punishment comprehendeth the whole destruction of man both body and soule For what hope of saluation can remayne for him which is secluded and cut of from the Church people of God which only is receyued into the fellowship and communion of all Gods goodnesse But why shoulde he not be reiected from the fellowshippe of him which refuseth to heare him whome God hath appoynted to be his maister and the teacher of his whole Church How much more grieuous punishment doth he deserue which dare treade the sonne of God vnder his feete Hereof are taken those heauye threates in the Gospell which seeme to manye too vehement and more cruell than reason woulde such as is that saying of the Baptist He that beleeueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe and the wrath of God abideth vpon him And Christ when he had promysed eternall life to the beleeuers addeth He that will not beleeue shall be condemned But Peter thought to admonishe the Iewes hereof bicause they should not thinke the contempt of Christ and his Gospell to be a game and pastime but shoulde knowe that the daunger of their soule laye thereon And let vs thinke the same is sayde vnto vs For such is the authoritie of Iesus Christ with his father that no man can be accepted and welcome to him except he be graffed in Christ. But the bare and emptye profession of a Christian name graffeth vs not in him but a liuely faith which maketh vs to obey his doctrine and firmely to beleeue in him See what is said of the true and counterfeite hearers of Christ Math. 7. and Luc. 6. Chapters Although the authoritie of Moyses was great with the Iewes yet bicause Peter will omit nothing he ioyneth hereto testimonies of the Prophetes diuers of the which it is like he rehearsed But here he taketh all saying All the Prophetes from Samuell and thencefoorth as manye as haue spoken haue tolde of these dayes He beginneth the number of the Prophetes with Samuel bicause before him was no Prophete after Moyses whose writings are extant Yea before he prophecied the worde of the Lorde was a rare and precious thing as we reade 1. Samuel 3. Which afterwarde by many Prophetes began most clearely both to be preached and writen euery where And as many as were from that time haue prophecied of Iesus Christ as may plainely appeare to all them which haue reade their sermons or bookes with diligence It is a plaine and manifest oracle of God that Nathan telleth to Dauid of Christ
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire begūne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
noysed no further among the people let vs threaten and charge them that they speake hencefoorth to no manne in this name And they called them and commaunded them that in no wise they shoulde speake nor teach in the name of IESV THe Apostle Peter so aunswereth the question propounded to him and to Iohn in the counsell at Ierusalem concerning the lame man that was healed that he teacheth them not onely that they enquire of but also declareth to them after a compendious and briefe sorte the whole effect and summe of saluation We are taught by this example so to traueyle with the professed enimies of the truth as to laboure to winne them to Christ and to saluation Which ende Christ as it is manifest set before him as often as he had contention with his aduersaries But nowe let vs see what effect ensued of Peters answere which in so great vehemencie of speach and earnest ayde of the holy ghost coulde be of no small force Where we may see a marueylous confusion of mindes which that it might be the more perceyued is so described of Luke that first he declareth what an abashment it wrought in the counsell then what deuise and counsell they toke concerning the Apostles both which we meane to entreate of in order First they are filled with admiration and amazednesse and wotte not what way to take in so much that they know not what to say against it And least any man might thinke they were fooles or at their wittes ende for feare he sheweth the causes which made them so perplexed and in doubt First was the confidence and boldnesse of speach in the Apostles which they here perceyued did surpasse their expectation For they knewe they were simple and vnlearned men not brought vp in faculties or artes beside their mother tongue They knewe they were taken from fyshers craft to be the Apostles of christ And euen yet still did that olde opinion bewitch their mindes which caused them once to saye that none of the Scribes or Phariseys but the accursed and rascall people which were ignorant in the lawe and scriptures helde with christ Therefore presupposing they shoulde easily haue ouercome the Apostles they could not choose but be amazed when they see them aunswere with such discretion to their question reprooue their iniustice so boldlye and defende Christes quarell with such wisedome and constancie For they are compelled will they nyll they to acknowledge some power of God in them and perceyue they are ledde with a farre other wisedome than the wisedome of the fleshe And this was the chiefe cause why Christ woulde choose ignorant and vnlearned Apostles that the doctrine of the Gospell might be acknowledged to be set forth by the power of God and not through mans wisedome eloquence or authoritie and that all the prayse and glorie thereof might redounde vnto God alone whereof Paule disputeth at large in the first to the Corinthians the first Chapter The other cause of their amazednesse was the euident truth of the myracle wrought by the Apostles which they are neyther able to call in doubt nor yet to charge with any suspicion of Magicke or enchauntment For they see the man stande before them on whome the Apostles had bestowed this benefite of health whether called by them or of his owne accorde ioyned to them to see the ende and successe of the matter I wote not Therefore they are in a perplexitie of minde and haue not one worde to answere So they which thought to haue ouercome and caught the Apostles in some trip by demaunding of one question are shamefully vanquished and confounded Here is fulfilled that which Christ promised saying I will giue you vtteraunce and wisedome against which all your aduersaries shall not be able to make resistaunce It appeareth also howe vaine the deuises of men are against christ He knoweth their cogitations to be vaine and bringeth the counsayle of the heathen to naught but the counsayle of the Lorde endureth for euer as Dauid sayd Psal. 33. and. 94. For it is he verily who as Elephas the Themanite sayth destroyeth the deuises of the subtill so that their handes are not able to perfourme any stedfast thing he compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynesse and ouerthroweth the counsayles of the wicked The Gospell sheweth vs a like example in a blinde man restored by Christ to his sight againe who being both vnlearned and a begger doth marueylously hold the whole Colledge of Scribes and Phariseyes at a baye that the more questions they aske of him the more they vtter their foolishnes Let no man therefore be afrayde eyther of the power or craft of these enimies where as God so easily turneth them both vpside downe For it is not our cause that we haue in hande but Gods which will giue vs both a mouth and vtterance nor it is not we that speake but the spirite of our father which is in vs. But before we leaue this place we must speake somewhat of two things very worthy to be obserued First it is not without a cause that Luke writeth the wicked enimies of Christ were so amazed at the bolde and free speach of the Apostles For by this example we are taught that there is nothing so effectuall to bridle the wicked as is freedome of speach where they are reprooued to their faces and the truth which they withstand is boldly defended For such is the force of wordes that they easily pierce the minde But if the zeale of Gods truth and glorie be ioyned therevnto it cannot be but the consciences of the hearers must be wounded howsoeuer â–ª they many times dissemble the same Whereby it commeth to passe that although they alwayes do not truly repent yet many times they counterfeyte repentaunce and abstayne from doing euill where of we maye see a manifest example in Achab after that Elias had with such libertie as beseemed a Prophete vpbrayded him with the vnworthy slaughter of Naboth Againe when the ministers of the word suffer their tongues to be brydled or else of themselues keepe silence to please the worlde by and by we see the wicked are encouraged to runne into all kinde of licentious sinne and fill vp the measure of iniquitie and at length miserably perishe with their blinde watchmen and dumbe dogges See Ezechiel the .iij. and .xxxiij. Chapters For the which cause a franke and bold kinde of reprehension is euerywhere required in the Ministers The Lorde sayth vnto Esaye crye now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lift vp thy voyce like a Trumpet and shewe my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes And the Lorde commaundeth Hieremie to stande against the Priestes people Princes and Kinges like a brasen wall without feare Therefore Paule woulde haue sinners openly rebuked afore all men that other thereby might be brought in feare Yea where being iâ— prison he commendeth himselfe and his cause to the
man might iudge them rather kindled and enflamed with the threats of their enimies than made afrayde Whereof more shall be sayde in the next Sermon We are taught by this example that God neglecteth not the praiers of the godlye but that his eyes be fixed vpon the iust and his eares open vnto their prayers Let vs follow the example of the primitiue Church in these dayes where most cruell enimies euerywhere conspire togither against the truth and turning our selues vnto God by prayer let vs commit our whole cause vnto him let vs beseech him of increase of fayth and the holye ghost that we be not ouercome with any daungers or terrors but that after we haue happily ended the course of our life we may be receyued into his heauenly kingdome there to liue with Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxj. Homelie AND they spake the worde of God boldly And the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule Neyther sayd any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common And with great power gaue the Apostles witnesse of the resurrection of the Lord iesu And great grace was with them all Neyther was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessours of lands or houses solde them and brought the price of the things that were solde and layde it downe at the Apostles feete And distribution was made vnto euery man according as he had neede And Ioses which was called of the Apostles Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolation being a Leuite and of the countrie of Cyprus hauing lande solde it and layde the price downe at the Apostles feete AS Luke the Euangelist hath diligently described the first persecution that was raysed against the Apostles so reporteth he as diligentlye what the faithfull did during the time of these whurly burleys The ende of all which is that we should learne what to doe in like case First and foremost they gaue themselues vnto prayers which they powred out before God with one feruent accorde of minde To God likewise must we resort in our aduersities and not to the vaine helpe of the fleshe And we must aske of him not such things as serue the carelesnesse and ydlenesse of the fleshe but such as concerne the setting forth of Christs kingdome Now let vs see the other exercises of the primitiue Church wherby it shall appeare that they intermitted nothing that belonged to their dutie First Luke speaketh of the Apostles and all those who had the office of teaching committed to them He sayth they preached the worde of God with confidence that is boldly and freely whervnto a little after is added with great power gaue the Apostles witnesse of the resurrection of the Lorde Iesu. They accomplished therefore that which they protested they woulde doe contrarie to the decree of the counsayle Luke maketh mention only of the resurrection not for that they only preached the same only but bicause thereby Christ perfited and fulfilled the businesse of our redemption and saluation and for that we shoulde not thinke the Apostles yeelded anye thing to the Saduceyes which then were in greatest authoritie And it is not without a cause that Luke maketh mention of doctrine first of all other things for therevnto a principall care must always be had For where we are regenerate by doctrine and by the same the Church is gathered togither without the same the Church cannot stande in hir full strength and vigour Neyther was it without the prompting of the holy ghost that Salomon in tune past sayde When prophecying fayleth the people go to hauock And that this was truly sayde the examples of all ages abundantly testifye Wherefore as before he sayde the Church continued in the preaching and doctrine of the Apostles so now also he testifieth the Apostles are most mindefull and earnest in their office By which examples Ministers are admonished that they must not suffer the libertie of preaching to be taken from them through feare of persecution and threatning of enimies nor when daunger approcheth cease not to feede Christes sheepe with the word of doctrine and comfort For that is the propertie of hyrelings as Christ sayth and not of those which are readie to lay downe their liues according to the example of Christ for the sheepe committed to their charge But bicause men are much faultie herein it shall be profitable diligently to discusse this example that hereby Ministers may learne what appertaineth to them to doe And first bold libertie of teaching and vnfearefull affiance of minde is attributed to the Apostles Which is necessary for all ministers as it is plaine bicause there will be alwayes some that woulde haue them brydled and musseled For Christ witnesseth that the worlde cannot abide the light of the truth The same worlde cannot abide to be aduertised and reprehended So that there were in the olde time which durst say vnto the Prophetes Prophecie not to vs Looke not out right things for vs but speake faire wordes vnto vs looke out errours get you out of this waye depart out of this path and turne the holy one of Israell from vs. And Paule sayeth there shall be in the later dayes which shall not abide the worde of truth but hauing the ytch in their eares shal get them an heape of teachers which shall bring doctrine agreeable to their corrupt affections And we see it is euerywhere true that he prophecied Here therfore is required an Apostolike liberty bolde affiance of preaching whereby Bishoppes in the Church may applie their office in season and out of season that they maye encourage others of whom there is yet some hope remayning and deliuer their owne soules that the bloude of them that perishe be not required at their handes Furthermore it is sayd they chiefely inculcated the article of resurrection aboue all other And in deede this was the principall and chiefe article wherewith the chiefe of the Iewes were most offended For through this article they were conuinced partly of putting Christ vniustly to death and partly the Saduceyes coulde not suffer the same to be preached as who denied the resurrection Yet notwithstanding the Apostles boldly and stoutly preached the same so that it maye appeare they had a great care of the same This example teacheth vs that those articles are chiefely to be vrged which the aduersaries vse most to impugne For all things in the ministerie of the worde must be directed to edification and profite And the next care must be that the thing which is edified or builded must not fall downe againe But he shall performe none of these prosperously which most constantly resisteth not when the truth of doctrine is assaulted with the craft tiranny of the enimies and is moste in hazarde They that are set to defende Cities and Castelles vse
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
heauen Againe you are they which haue abidden with me in my temptations and I appoynte vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appoynted to me that you maye eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome c. Which promises bicause they sawe fulfilled and confirmed in Christ which through the crosse triumphed ouer all the power of hell and by death entred into the kingdome of heauen they could not but greatly reioyce when they perceyued that by these beginnings they hasted to the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome And as these thinges were an occasion to the Apostles to reioyce so ought they to cause vs in afflictions to reioyce and be glad For this is the propertie of all Christians as Paule sayth to reioyce and be merie in afflictions And surely there are notable causes which in these dayes ought to stirre vs to the consideration of these thinges forasmuch as we see these many yeares the enimies of Christ swarming in Germanye who for this cause most cruelly persecute vs for that we haue chosen rather to obey Christ than Antichrist At whose victories and successe many are so offended that they suspect as it were the doctrine of truth and we haue seene many more is the pitie as touching the fayth to haue made shipwracke But if we would call to remembrance our sinnes and woulde diligently consider the ingratitude whereby Germanie these many yeares hath partly neglected the vnspeakable benefite of Gods worde and Christian libertie and partly betrayed it and with vnbridled licentiousnesse of lyfe polluted the same we shoulde see the wonderfull goodnesse of God towardes vs who woulde haue vs in ieoperdie for the truth of his worde and become witnesses of his sonne and yet had deserued destruction through our sinnes and wickednesse And that it might appeare we stoode in daunger and suffered not for our owne wickednesse but only for religion and the truthes sake he sent in among vs such enimies whose liuing and maners abundantly declare that they were not so much prouoked with our sinnes agaynst vs as with our onely confession of the truth Therefore what more euident argument of Gods goodnesse and grace coulde be shewed vnto vs than that he hath giuen vs strength not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his names sake For hereof we may conclude with Paule If we die with Christ we shall liue with him· If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him Bicause manye see not this glory of the crosse eyther they filthily fall away from the profession of the fayth or else with vngodly reproches vpbrayde vs with our fayth and sclaunderously defame vs which mourne vnder the crosse of christ As many truly as consider these thinges as they ought cannot choose but glory and reioyce in Christ when they see his markes appeare in their bodies Therefore greatly is their folly to be bewayled who are offended at the afflictions and crosse of Christ whereas they might rather gather argumentes of comfort and ioye of the same Finally Luke sayeth of the Apostles that without any regarde had to this wicked decree they ceased not to teache and preach in the name of Iesus christ And this they did openly in the Temple as long as they coulde be suffred But when the tyrannie of their enimies had driuen them out of the Temple then beganne they to preache in the houses of the faythfull For Gods truth is not bounde to any certaine place but may be taught euery where so that a regarde be had of order and comlynesse as Paule teacheth Thus they perfourme in very deede that which they protested in the Counsell that is howe God was more to be obeyed than men and by their example confute them which now a dayes affirme that in matters of faith and religion we must simply obey the magistrates As though God had made himselfe and his religion subiect to mannes pleasure and appoyntment But bicause we haue already intreated hereof once or twyse there needeth no more to be sayde at this time In the meane whyle◠the◠constancie of the Apostles is woonderfull which being scourged and beaten doe boldly go on in the office that God appointed The slothfulnesse of men in our dayes is by this example confuted who hauing suffred somewhat for the truthes sake alreadye thinke they haue nowe done all their dutie and will henceforth suffer neyther paines nor daunger any more In deede their doings might after a sort be borne with if it were in our owne libertie to appoynt the boundes of our labour But bicause we be seruants it becommeth vs to wayte vpon the Lordes will and to abide his leysure with silence And Christ sayth they be not meete for his kingdome which loke backewarde but such as continue vnto the ende See Luke the .ix. Mathew the .xxiiij. Beside it is the commaundement of God that we being deliuered out of daungers and distresse through his benefite shoulde glorifie him Which thing they cannot doe that leaue and forsake their standing and being ouercome with feare of perilles procure their ease and quietnesse Wherfore let euery man in his calling followe the constancie of the Apostles but chiefely such as the Lorde hath committed the dispensation and ordering of his Church and worde to and let them not distrust his ayde who they see so long agone had such a care of his flocke Whosoeuer can giue a iust account of their ministerye vnto him shall be partakers of his kingdome To him be blessing honor glory and power for euer Amen The sixt chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xl. Homelie IN those dayes when the number of the Disciples beganne to increase there arose a grutch among the Greekes against the Iewes bicause their widowes were despised in the dayly administration Then the twelue called the multitude of the Disciples togither and sayde It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God and serue Tables Wherefore brethren looke you out among you seauen men of honest report and full of the holy ghost and wisedome to whome we may commit this businesse But we will giue our selues continually to prayer and to the ministration of the worde THe Euangelist Luke thus farre hath set forth the beginning proceeding increase and order of the primitiue Church In the which we haue seene all things very wisely ordered according to the worde of God and amongst the horrible persecutions and cruell attemptes of the enimies with moste prosperous successe administred Howbeit bicause the things there intreated be somewhat generall nowe at length the godly writer descendeth to matters more speciall declaring howe certaine peculiar persons employed their great traueyle to promote and aduaunce Christes kingdome Among whome bicause Steuen which was one of the Deacons of whom no mention hath bene heretofore made is the first he beginneth most commodiously his hystorie with the institution of the Deacons and in this present place teacheth vppon what
name of Egypt he comprehendeth the abhominable superstition which raigned in that Nation whervpon he sayth they set their myndes againe And in this he noteth the execrable leuitie and inconstancie of them which had so soone forgotten both their grieuous seruitude and bondage and their woonderfull deliuerie and would now imitate and folow them whose names they ought in their harts to haue abhorred This is the fountayne of all vngodlynesse when in our hearts we turne from the worde of God to the presidents and examples of men and studie more to please them than god Forthence springeth that detestable vnstablenesse which maketh vs not onely to forget the lawe of God but quyte putteth out of our remembraunce all the thrall and bondage that before tyme we haue bene in We haue examples hereof in these dayes euerywhere of them who to please the worlde followe the superstitiousnesse thereof and the intollerable yokes of Antichristianitie wherewith before they were oppressed they extenuate and make verye light of bicause they will not seeme to doe wickedly altogyther But after the contempt of Gods law followeth the contempt of Moses which they manifestly expresse in these wordes where they saye As for this Moses which brought vs out of the lande of Aegipt we wote not what is become of him They confesse then the benefite they receyued by Moses meane but of him they wote not what is befallen Yet they sawe him goe vp vnto the mountaine at Gods calling he also bade them to abyde hys comming He appoynted them Hur and Aaron to be his vycares and delegates Yet as though they had bene left doubtfull and vncertayne of all things they dare to complayne them Whereby it appeareth that Moses authoritie was very small with them seeing they coulde wickedly cast the lawe of God from them So alwayes where men in their hartes contempne the worde of God it vseth to breede the contempt and lothing of Gods Mynisters For where Sathan knoweth that God hath set them as labourers and watchmen through whose admonitions we be kept eyther in doing well or else be brought into the waye when we doe erre he laboureth onely how to discredite them and to bring them out of authoritie wyth men And this place teacheth vs what to iudge of them which vse to scoffe and rayle at the Mynisters of the worde Surely by that argument they prooue they are the despysers of God and his worde although they neuer so much denye the same For as he vseth not to contempne the Legate or Ambasadour which honoureth the Prince that sent him so if they had not learned to â—et â—â—d light they coulde not contempne his mynisters and Legateâ— Of these fountaynes beganne Idolatrie to spring For whyle they saye they â—â—ote not what is become oâ— Moses by and by they adde Make 〈…〉 to go before vs Shal we thinke that they were become so madde as to iudge Goddes coulde be made by the handes of men No. But they wouâ—â—e haue some visible signe or token of Gods presence whereby they might be assured of Gods present helpe and wherevnto they might dyrect the ceremonies of their outwarde seruice and worshipping And bycause they had once swarued from the worde to the deuyse of mans reason they cause a golden Calfe to be molten following the Egyptians who worshipped Apis their God in fourme of a Calfe wherein they commit manifolde errour For first they doubte of the presence of God whose many and notable signes they had hitherto seene And now they neyther remember the woonders which he shewed in Egypt and in the redde sea neyther regarde they the piller of clowde and fire that went before their campe neyther are they mindefull of the dreadfull Maiestie that appeared in the mounte of Sinai Next contrarie to the commaundâ—ment of God they make a molten Image wherein they go about to expresse the fourme or shape of God and as the Prophet sayth tourne the Maiestie of their God into the similitude of a Calfe â–ª that eateth haye Therefore they doe God extreme dishonour and make new Goddes while they imagine God to be a farre other maner of one than in deede he is This is the next step to Idolatrie when men are not contented with suche meanes as it pleased God to reueale himselfe by but dare of their owne heades deuise newe meanes God reuealeth himselfe by his worde and Sacraments by the frame and workemanship of this worlde and by his creatures in all which there appeare euident tokens of his godlye wisedome goodnesse iustice and omnipotencie And to the intent that we seeing these thinges might be stirred vp with the coâ—sideration of God and true godlynesse there is nothing almost conteyned in this worlde but the holy ghost hath taken parables out of them whereby he shadoweth out the mysteries of God and our saluation Therfore our eyes on euery side beholde Images consecrated by the worde of God to admonishe vs of our dutie Whosoeuer despyse these Images and follow the reason of the fleshe they can not choose but be polluted with the vice of Idolatrie For that that herein came to passe vnto the Iewes we reade the same also fell out among the Gentyles â–ª And that the Idolatry among the christians sprang of the same cause is more euident than needeth long proofe Furthermore we are taught howe requisite it is that from our childehoode we be well instructed in religion seing the Israelites after so many myracles seene and hearing the worde of God fall agayne to that kinde of Idolatrie that they were vsed to in Egypt After thys newe God foloweth worshipping Wherefore he sayth They offred sacrifice vnto the Calfe Howbeit they woulde seeme to haue offered to the true God that brought them out of the lande of Egypt For they make mention of the true God and Aaron as we reade proclaymed an holye day to the Lorde But bicause this Calfe was neyther true God nor the Image of God for who will say God is like vnto a Calfe they truely are sayde to haue done sacrifice to the Calfe Here therfore thou â—ast what to aunswere them which vnder a 〈◊〉 of godly 〈…〉 worshipping of Images maye be excused and saye that whatsoeuer we 〈◊〉 in the â—â—nour of him is acceptable vnto him â–ª although we sometime 〈◊〉 from the rule ofhis worde But the holy ghost speaking 〈◊〉 Steuen is 〈…〉 ther 〈◊〉 and opinion For all this worshippe resteth in the Images and stâ—etcheth not vnto God whoâ—â— similitude they represen◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 should Idols represent God which is the truth it self â–ª which Idols or Images â–ª the Prophet calleth lying Schoolemaysters â–ª And if thou wilâ— say â—hys worship streâ—cheth yet further I will confesse it is doâ—e in deede to the deuill who is both the father of lyes and onely delyghted in lyes Thys sawe Paule when in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter he wrâ—te The thinges that the Gentiles offer
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
passe after God had giuen them his lawe he sayth they were iustlye forsaken of God and giuen vp into a reprobate minde and vtterly blinded And that this was the iust iudgement of God may easily be gathered of the things before going For their vngodlynesse and vnthankfulnesse deserued the same whom neyther the worde of God nor infinite other thinges whereby it pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto them coulde keepe in doing their dutie They were worthy therefore that euen seeing they shoulde be blinde hearing they should be deafe and should be hardened in their harts as God threatneth by his Prophete Yet may we see in other Nations lyke examples of Gods iudgementes Paule affirmeth the same of the Gentyles superstition And would to God we sawe not the lyke euen among them that glorye in the name of Christians For after they had banished the authoritie of Gods worde from them and that it lyked them to learne rather of dumbe ymages than of the liuely worde of god then ranne they on so farre in superstition that the very Iewes and Turkes laughed at them And here commeth to my remembrance that notable saying of a Turkishe Ambassador who being in the Court of a great Christian Prince and being asked why the Turkes so abhorred the Christian religion and coulde not be induced to beleeue in it aunswered that no man being in his right witte coulde alowe or lyke that religion which worshipped those for Goddes that were inferior and of lesse power than they that worshipped them And what he ment therby he after declared by our breaden god and by the Idols which were worshipped in Churches which being made by those that worshipped them did prooue sufficiently sayde he that the religion was preposterous and contrary to common sense and reason These thinges Christian Princes knowe the Bishops and people in generall yet no man is grieued at the great iniurie thereby done vnto Christ so that wise men are not without a cause afrayde that many euen in our dayes also are giuen vppe into reprobate mindes This place teacheth vs also that no man can holde the right waye in religion except he be first guyded by the hande and spirite of god For the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. Nor no man commeth to Christ except the father drawe him And for bicause he draweth by his worde we must studie the same For whosoeuer make light thereof and cast it fro them make themselues vnworthye of the grace of god Wherefore God turneth his backe vpon them and wrappeth them in darkenesse deuoyde of all light and truth Therefore it behooueth vs to haue a diligent care of the worde and so to depende vppon the same that being entred into the ryght waye we swarue neyther to the right hande nor to the left And least any man should be so impudent as to denye that the fathers thus did Steuen alleageth a testimonie of the Prophete Amos written in the .v. chap. There the Lord accuseth the people of Israell as well for many other vices as for this that they abode not syncerely in his worde And that the heynousnesse of their sinne might the more appeare and that all men might see howe God doth not expostulate with them without a cause he sheweth that this is an olde impietie begun somtime in the wildernesse and afterwarde so increasing that it is become incurable and can not be taken awaye but with the destruction of the whole Nation It shall make much for our instruction if we diligently consider euerye thing that is here sayde First he speaketh of the disobedience and wickednesse of the fathers in the wildernesse in these wordes Gaue yee to me sacrifices and meate offerings by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse ô ye of the house of Israel By asking the question he fortifieth his saying and denyeth that the fathers gaue any sacrifices to him for fourtie yeres long And yet it appeareth they built a Tabernacle according as God had appointed and Alters vpon the which they offred all kinds of sacrifices vnto God which brought them out of the lande of Egypt But God denyeth that thing to be done in the honour of him that is done for any other ende than he appointeth For God appoynted that the ende of all their outwarde ceremonies shoulde be resemblances of the Sauiour that was promysed and that they shoulde admonish them of their dutie as well in fayth and religion as in the whole conuersation of their lyfe But they forgetting this were occupied in the bare ceremonies and thought that by them they satisfied God and purged their sinnes Whereby it came to passe that they abused all their Leuiticals for a cloke and colour of licentiousnesse and wickednesse Therefore God worthily refuseth all this worshipping and sayeth it belonged not to him And there be also other places of Scripture wherein he constantlye affirmeth the same and sheweth that the obseruation of those things which he so diligently prescribeth in the lawe is not profitable Looke Psalm 50. Esay 1. and .43 Mich. 6. Hoseas 6. Yea when he sawe that they gloryed in their circumcision hauing no respect to the spirituall circumcision he cryeth out that their circumcision is not auayleable We are taught therefore by this place that all that worshipping is in vayne which is not done to that ende that God hath appoynted it For it can not be that without the obedience of fayth any kinde of worship can please God. But where the worde of God is neglected there remayneth no place for faith or obedience therfore they are but as vncleane and prophane things whatsoeuer they doe although outwardly they appeare agreeable with the worde of god What shall we then say of those ceremonies which stande onely vpon mannes authoritie and tradition the Lord long ago with one word hath vtterly ouerthrowne them saying they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines of men Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be pulled vppe by the rootes ▪ The Lorde holding on in repeating the sinnes of the Israelites rehearseth what their posteritie did after they were in possession of the lande of Chanaan you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the Starre of your God Rempham figures which you made to worshippe them He comprehendeth all sortes of Idolatrie vnder three kindes The first was the worshipping of Moloch which as it appeareth by the actes of Salomon who first builded a Temple to him was the God of the Ammonites And it seemeth he was the God called on at mennes natiuities or byrthes in the honour of whome infantes were sacrificed in fire as Manasse did which sacrificed his sonne in fire God had appoynted death for the punishment of this wickednesse as is declared Leuiticus 20. in these wordes Whosoeuer hee be of the children of Israel or of the straungers that dwell in Israel that giueth of his seede vnto Moloch
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
of Aethiopia a Chamberlane and of great authoritie wyth Candace Queene of the Aethiopians and had the rule of all hir treasure came to Ierusalem for to worship And as he returned home againe sitting in his Chariot he read Esay the Prophete Then the Spirite sayde vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe vnto yonder Chariot And Philip ranne to him and he hearde him reade the Prophete Esaye and sayde vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he sayde how can I except I had a guide And he desired Philip that he woulde come vp and sit with him BIcause God hath appointed Iesus Christ his sonne to be the vniuersall Sauiour of the whole worlde therefore it behooued that the Gospell also wherin is contayned the way of saluation purchased by him shoulde be preached among all Nations Howe this was done Luke declareth in this Chapter He beginneth with the conuersion of Samaria which Christ himselfe expressely commendeth vnto the Apostles as we haue seene in the Historie of his Ascention And thither came Philip and first sowed the seede of Euangelike doctrine and fayth Shortly after the Apostles being sent thither gaue vnto them that were alreadie baptised in the name of Christ the gyftes of the holy spirite which thing was the occasion of the adooe that they had with Simon Magus The beginning of this present place appertayneth to the hystorie of the conuersion of Samaria wherevnto after is ioyned a newe discourse declaring howe the knowledge of Christ came vnto the Aethiopians And first Luke meaning to conclude his former narration proposeth in fewe wordes what the Apostles did furthermore at Samaria saying When they had testified and preached the worde of God they returned to Ierusalem and preached the Gospell in many Cities of the Samaritanes In the which wordes the Apostles are sayde to haue done three things First they beare witnesse of Christ whom Philip had preached Therefore they fulfill the office wherevnto Christ appoynted them when he commaunded them to bee his witnesses Then they preached the worde of GOD not the deuises of their owne head And herein also they haue a respect vnto Christes commaundement who charged them to preach the things which he commaunded them Thirdly in their returne they pretermit not the inferior places but preach Iesus Christ euery where in the Townes and Uillages This is an argument of a great and feruent zeale wherewith they being inflamed thinke they ought to let slip no occasion that may serue to set forth the kingdome of god In these thinges are most fully set forth the dutie of the Ministers of the worde and of the congregation Let the Ministers remember that they be not onely Preachers but also witnesses of christ And it is the propertie of witnesses to say the truth and boldly and without feare to speake that they knowe And he shall be called no faythfull witnesse that for fauour of men or any other affection shall obscure or hide the truth Moreouer let them know that the worde of God is committed vnto them whereof the Lorde hath made them Preachers and not Authors of newe opinions Therefore let them thinke that spoken to them that is sayde to Ezechiel who is commaunded to take his wordes from the mouth of the Lorde And let them not thinke it is graunted them to ioyne theyr gloses vnto Gods worde For what hath chaffe to doe with corne Howbeit in all these things is required a certaine zeale wherewith if they be not inflamed they shall doe no great good Therefore let them imitate Christ which we see euery where sought occasion to teach and to preach And Paule sayth he fashioned himselfe in all thinges to all men to winne many vnto Christ. Nowe vnto these premisses Luke ioyneth a newe hystorie as we before sayde wherein he telleth vs howe the doctrine of the Gospell came into Aethiopia by the ministerie of one man but such an one as we shall thinke laboured not in vaine bicause he was of great authoritie among the people And here is most manifestly fulfilled that that was long agone prophecied by the Prophete touching the subduing and bringing of the Aethiopians vnto the kingdome of christ See the Psalmes lxxij lxviij .lxxxvij. Nowe bicause this hystorie conteyneth an ensample of true conuersion it grieued not the godly writer to declare all the circumstances thereof And first he treateth of Philip whose ministerie it pleased God herein to vse After that he diligently describeth the Aethiopians person who was conuerted vnto the fayth of christ And last of all he beginneth to declare what Philip and he did being togither In Philip by whose meane the Aethiopian was conuerted we haue two things to note The speciall calling whereby God appointed him to this businesse and his obedience in following Gods calling It was a very singuler vocation forasmuch as it was a thing of no small importaunce which God had appoynted to be done For the Aungell of the Lorde appeareth vnto Philip and instructeth him diligently what to doe Aryse sayeth he and get thee towarde the South vnto the way that leadeth from Ierusalem vnto Gaza c. And although the Aungell doth not plainely declare what he shoulde there doe yet it was easie for Philip to coniecture that he was appoynted to some great and heauenly businesse This place teacheth vs by the way the dignitie of the Gospell forasmuch as we heare that Philip is called to the preaching thereof by an Aungell For where God hath appointed the Aungels as the Apparitories or Bedels of his maiestie whome he sendeth out for the saluation of his elect as Paule witnesseth to the Hebrues the first chapter it must needes be some great and excellent matter that is to be done by their ministerie seruice We learne also that the beginning of our saluation ought to be referred to the meere grace and fauour of god For as God in this place appoynteth to the Eunuche nothing thinking hereof a preacher of saluation so moste times when we thinke least of it he vseth to bring vnto vs the doctrine of saluation Which grace of God we ought so to acknowledge as to attribute nothing ouer arrogantly to our selues in that matter that may any thing blemishe or deface the maiestie of Gods grace The obedience of Philip deserueth singuler prayse which neyther replyeth vpon the Aungell nor curiously enquireth why he so commaundeth him but without al delay goeth on to the place he was commaunded committing all the successe of the matter to God which commaunded him Let vs thinke that the lyke obedience is required of vs least whyle we call Gods commaundements to the account of our reason we first become foolishe tryslers and lyngerers and then after that rashe and heady transgressors And as oft as the Lorde shall simply commaunde any thing not rendring any reason why he so cōmaundeth so often let vs thinke he tryeth our obedience and let vs with his general promises be
the 〈◊〉 Which gift Paule numbreth amongst the chiefe Therefore they are 〈◊〉 pieuish which looke for reuelations from heauen and lyke Doltes wickedly despyse the ministerie of the Church Let vs followe the godlynesse of this Eunuch his modestie humilitie and feruent desire of saluation For so it shall come to passe that we also shall attayne to true saluation in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxj. Homelie THE tenour of the Scripture which he read was this Hee was ledde as a sheepe to be slayne and lyke a Lambe dumbe before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Bicause of his humblenesse he was not esteemed But who shall declare his generation for his lyfe is taken from the earth The Chamberlane aunswered Philip and sayde I praye thee of whome speaketh the Prophete this of himselfe or of some other man Philip opened his mouth and beganne at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus THe Euangelist Luke diligently descrybeth the hystorie of the Aethiopian conuerted vnto Christ aswell for many other causes as for that it conteyneth an ensample of true conuersion whereby we are taught howe God dealeth with vs when he mindeth to receyue vs into the societie of saluation First Luke sheweth how God is the cause efficient of this conuersion who of his meere fauour sent Philip throughe whose ministerie the Eunuch of Aethiopia shoulde be conuerted The same God as he chose vs all before the foundations of the worlde were layde wythout any respecte had to our good workes so by his grace he ministreth vnto vs and giueth vs when we thinke nothing thereof all thinges belonging to our saluation Next Philip is an instrument of this conuersion whose helpe God here vseth according to his custome For where our infirmitie is not able to abyde the maiestie of God he ordeyneth that we shall be taught and ledde by the ministerie of men which is a speciall argument of Gods goodnesse towarde vs and therefore is euerywhere first accounted among the benefites of god The instrument that Philip vseth is the worde of God not such an ineffable and ymaginary worde as certayne Seraphicall and fanaticall smatterers in Diuinitie suppose but the verye same worde that is conteyned in the Scriptures For out of these must all sermons and the whole doctrine of saluation be taken neyther must wee looke for any newe kynde of doctrine vnhearde of vntill this day Amongst all these thinges the mynde of the Eunuch so well disposed to receyue the truth and doctrine of saluation is notable That he was studious of religion the long iourney that he tooke both full of traueyle and daunger doth abundantly declare His desire to learne his diligent reading of the Scripture and that he woulde â—ake vnto him a man vnknowne of whome hee hoped for a more full 〈…〉 prooueth All which things it is manifest he had through the 〈◊〉 of God bicause these thinges vse to appeere in no man vnlesse he 〈◊〉 with some singuler illumination of the spirite But let vs see what 〈◊〉 they doe whyle they are togither which Luke in this place describeth repeating worde by worde the place of Esaye which gaue occasion to Philip to reason with the Aethiop touching Christ and hys saluation This place is in the .liij. Chapter neyther is there any other place that more euidently comprehendeth the misteries of Iesus Christ so that Ierome not without a cause iudgeth the Prophete Esay worthie to be numbred rather among the Euangelistes than the Prophets In the meane while Gods prouidence is to bee considered which gouerneth mennes affayres and suffereth nothing by hazarde to come to passe whereof wee haue an euident argument bicause euen at the very same tyme that Philip beginneth to talke with the Aethiope Luke sayth he was reading of that verie place An Ethnick or Infidell would impute this thing vnto fortune or chaunce But we acknowledge the prouidence of God which doth not onely giue all things their successe but also ruleth all other thinges appertayning to the same For how should he neglect mens matters be they neuer so small which numbreth the heares of our heades feedeth the byrdes of the ayre and singulerly decketh the flowers of the fielde Furthermore touching the place of Esaye it comprehendeth in it the whole summe of our redemption For it declareth the mysterie of Christes death and the victorie whereby he is entered inâ—o the glorie of his father and hath gotten an immortall and euerlasting kingdome It shall be good to consider euery thing in the order as it is declared First he setteth forth the death of Christ in these wordes He was ledde as a sheepe to be slaine and like a lambe dumbe before his shearer so he opened not his mouth By these wordes he doth not onely set forth the pacience of Christ which as at many other tymes so in his passion and death appeared most perfite but also he teacheth that he tooke his death of his owne accord and willingly so that the counsaile or force of his enimies wrought not the same In deede the Scribes and Phariseys tooke counsaile agaynst him Iudas sought all meanes busily to betraye him The high Priestes in theyr counsaile pronounced him guiltie of death Pilate caused him after he was whipped to be nayled on the Crosse. But what could all these haue done if he would haue vttered or shewed the strength of his diuine power and maiestie Yea who pulled him downe from his fathers bosome to the earth By whose counsayle tooke he fleshe and manhoode in the Uirgines wombe Who gaue them strength to rise againe which were sent out agaynst him and fell to the grounde at one worde spoken of hym These thinges therefore teache vs that he dyed bicause it was his pleasure to die forasmuch as he came into the worlde for none other cause but for that he would giue his life for the life of the worlde Therefore where he was able most valiantly to haue resisted the enterprises of his enimies he would yet be led to his death like a sheepe and a lambe so that he would not seeme no not in worde to vtter any token of an vnpacient minde and vnwilling to die Herevnto appertayneth that that is sayde in the Gospell Therefore doth my father loue me bicause I put my life from me that I might take it againe No man taketh it fro me but I put it away of my selfe I haue power to put it from me and I haue power to take it againe And Paule expounding these sayings sayth He became obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse and tooke vpon him the shape of a man being in the shape of God. Now these thinges serue partly for our redemption and saluation and partlye for our instruction For thus it behooued that our sinne of disobedience should be done away which made vs subiect to eternall damnation Moreouer Christ taught vs
delectable and pleasaunt Spring the cheerefull and mery Sommer and fruitefull Haruest So after continuall showres and horrible stormes of hayle commeth comfortable Phoebus and chaseth away the Clowdes And Mariners when the terrors of tempests be ouerpast haue afterward cleere weather and prosperous windes And that the state of the Church is ruled by lyke interchaungeablenesse the examples of all ages testifie But the only booke of Iudges may abundantly suffyce to approoue the same Let no man therefore be so abashed at the countenance of present calamitie to thinke he must vtterly perishe For eyther God will cheere them in this lyfe with better successe of thinges or else of his mercy he will take them out of all the stormes of this world into the inheritance of his heauenly kingdome In the meane season this place teacheth vs that the crosse is not alway such a marke of the Church that it can neuer be without it bicause we heare in this place that the primitiue Church had vniuersall peace and the same came to passe also oftentimes in the yeres following Therfore their iudgement is most vayne who rashly condemne euery Church which through the benefite of God enioyeth rest and will graunt vnto Christians no time of breathing nor rest from the crosse Agayne we are admonished that for the attayning of peace there needeth neyther dastardly dissimulation nor false abnegation of the fayth but rather constancie and boldnesse to keepe the word and doctrine of faith For Luke sayth that then peace ensued after Paule had stirred the enimies of the truth both at Damascus and at Ierusalem with earnest preaching and disputation agaynst them Therefore they that nowe a dayes woulde haue vs to dissemble the truth and say that by our vehement inueyghing against errors and superstitions we more exasperate and kindle the enimies mindes talke altogither in vayne as though God were not able to bridle and keepe vnder them which in their rage doe nothing but threaten fire and sworde Naye we are taught by examples that they which for such mens sake can finde in their hart to denye the fayth and truth doe seldome finde them faythfull in friendship Next Luke declareth the fruite of the peace ensuing forasmuch as he saith the congregations were edifyed This may be vnderstanded two maner of wayes For the Church is sayde to be edifyed eyther when new beleeuers be added therevnto or else when they which before beleeued through more plentifull gyftes of the holy ghost profite in the faith And the holy ghost doth not without a cause vse this Metaphore of building forasmuch as the Church is the house of god which is builded of liuely stones that is to say of such as beleeue in Christ 1. Timoth. 3. and. 1. Peter 2. and all the faythfull are called otherwheres the Temple of the holy ghost For the which cause the teachers are called builders and the building of the church is called the building of God. Furthermore beside that by this example it appeareth howe the enterprises of Christes enimies in pulling downe the church are in vayne we are also taught what oughte to be the ende and marke of all them which beare office in the Church Paule diligently inculcateth the same speaking of the publike exercises of the Churche in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and .xiiij. Chapter Herevnto let all Ministers apply themselues with all their power both with teaching and reproouing and let them alwayes remember this saying of Paul that they haue power giuen them to edifie and not to destroy Let them therefore suffer nothing in the Church that serueth to the destruction thereof Let Kinges and Magistrates haue the same ende before them whome the Lorde hath appoynted to be the Nurses of his Church as we haue already oftentimes declared The Elders to whom the discipline of the Church belongeth let them looke vpon the same Let parents and teachers of youth direct all their doinges to this ende This care shoulde euery day stirre vp priuate men also For whosoeuer bringeth any thing to the spirituall building vp of this Church and shall builde but one man as a liuely stone vppon Christ which is the foundation surely he deserueth more prayse than they which with great costes builde Churches of Marble Last of all is declared how the faithfull vsed this peace and tranquility They walked sayth he in the feare of the Lorde and were filled with the comfort of the holy ghost He attributeth to them feare of the Lord whereby he vnderstandeth all things belonging to true religion the knowledge of god sincere faith loue of God fulfilling of his word and faithfull obedience vnto him For how shal he feare god which knoweth him not how shall the knowledge of God lacke fayth and how shall fayth want the looue of God And where these things be there must needes be the loue of the word and obedience to the same He sayth also that they were fylled wyth the comfort of the holy ghost By this we may vnderstande both the preaching of the Gospell and the inwarde suggestion of the spirite which Christ promiseth to those that be his Surely both these marueylously comfort the mindes and afflicted consciences of men in that they teache vs that God is made at one with vs and reconcyled to vs through the merite of Christ and in the middle of the broyle of afflictions besprinkle vs with the promises of Gods helpe as with the most wholesome water of a liuely fountaine And in these thinges Luke sayeth the primitiue Church sought the recreation of their myndes their ioyes and delightes Whereby we gather what their exercises ought to be which are at rest and peace Therefore execrable is the wickednesse and ingratitude of such which abuse quietnesse and peace to the license of the fleshe and in the meane season will neither by helpe counsayle nor at least by comfort ease them whome they see many wayes afflicted for the testimonie of Iesus Christ. This sinne as it is heynous so it is to common in these dayes whereby it commeth to passe that as we abuse peace so we be easily offended and vtterly dismayde at euery light affliction These things being thus premised he passeth to Peters actes or doings out of which he picketh two myracles done orderly one after the other the one done at Lidda the other at Ioppe The occasion of these myracles is said to be Peters traueyling from Church to Church according to his Apostolyke office not for that he vsurped vpon them as a Lorde and ruler but as to succour where neede was such as were heauy laden and in distresse to confirme the weake to pull vp errors where any were growen and to bestow benefits vpon all men For that these were the duties of the Apostles it appeareth by many other places and the very name of an Apostle teacheth the same which forbiddeth them to haue anye certaine or fixed sea or dwelling place we reade
Lord both of lyfe and death And the elect acknowledged the same which streight waye when they had seene the myracle beleeued in the Lorde Unto this narration Luke addeth a few other thinges which serue for a preparation to that that foloweth For he sayth that Peter remained at Ioppe certaine dayes in the house of one Simon a Tanner in whose house he was admonished by a vision from heauen to call the Gentiles into the Communion of the church and was sent for by Cornelius the Centurion as shall be shewed in the Chapter folowing Here let vs obserue of what maner of people the Primitiue Church was collected seeing Peter had none other hoste but such an one as got his liuing by an handycraft and that not one of the fynest Hereof Paule teacheth vs that we shoulde reioyce in the Lord alone Furthermore the modestie of Peter is declared who disdayned not such an harbour where as nowe adayes kinges palaces are scarce able to receyue his counterfeyt successor Let vs follow the modestie of the Apostle and therin beleeue and serue Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The tenth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxx. Homelie THERE was a certaine man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Captaine of the souldiers of Italy a deuout man and one that feared God wyth all his houshold which gaue much almes to the people and was alwayes in prayers vnto god The same sawe by a vision euidently about the .ix. houre of the day an Angell of God comming in to him and saying to him Cornelius When he looked on him hee was afrayde and sayde what is it Lorde He sayde vnto him Thy prayers and thy almesses are come vp into remembrance before god And nowe sende men to Ioppa and call for one Simon whose surname is Peter Hee lodgeth with one Simon a Tanner whose house is by the sea side He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to doe HItherto the first part of this storie hath bene declared wherein hath bene shewed howe the Apostles according to the commaundement of Christ preached the wholesome worde of the Gospell euerywhere to the Iewes And a great many beleeued and Luke declareth a marueylous increase of Christian faith in the Church Yet the greater part and specially those that were of most authoritie withstoode the truth For both they layde handes on the Apostles and stoned Steuen and made hauocke of the whole Church at Ierusalem by horrible persecution and sent Saule with publike commaundements as farre as Damascus to oppresse the growth of Christes Church being euen in the blade as we commonly vse to saye And it is not vnlyke but manye others did as it is here written Saule did Therefore the vncurable and stubborne contempt of so wholesome a doctrine deserued that at length the kingdome of God shoulde be taken from the Iewes and brought to the Gentiles as Christ prophecied should come to passe How this thing beganne to be put in effect Luke rehearseth in this Chapter and declareth the storie of Cornelius which we maye aptly name the first fruites of the Gentiles that were called seeing he was chosen of God to be the beginning of so weightie a matter Aboue all thinges the principall vse of this hystorie must be obserued which consisteth herein howe God vseth to cast of the vnthankfull and wicked enimies of the Gospell by his iust iudgement and is not so bounde to any Nation that he is compelled to beare with it if it be vnwoorthy Herevnto is to be added an other thing that is to saye howe the saluation contayned in Christ belongeth not to the Iewes onely but also to the Gentyles Which as it is no small comfort to vs which come of the Gentyles so it behooueth that wee stande alwaye in feare bicause the Iewes were cast of and forsaken least we by like vnthankfulnesse and disobedience deserue also to be refused For Paules saying shall alwayes stande in his full strength and force If God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least it come to passe that he spare not thee also And this is the sentence of Christ long agone pronounced that euery braunch that bringeth not forth fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire But bicause the vocation adoption of the vncircumcised Gentiles seemed to the Iewes a foolysh and an absurde thing for that they onely so many yeares togither were thought worthye of that name and tytle and therefore abhorred all other Nations as we doe the Turkes and them at this day First God would haue the vocation of the Gentyles to be preached by the Prophetes whereof we may see singuler testimonies in them Psal. 2. and .27 Esay 2. and .19 Agayne 42. and .49 Zach. 9. c. Then declareth he a notable beginning hereof in Cornelius whome he so called that any man might see therein the counsell and deuyse of Gods prouidence For he doth vouchsafe to sende his Aungell from heauen to Cornelius and instructeth Peter by an heauenly vision whereby he declareth that he will haue the Gentyles called into his Church as we shall see when we come to the place At this tyme we haue to consider what God did vouchsafe to doe by Cornelius For Luke beginneth with the description of Cornelius which he knitteth vp in marueylous breuitie and playnenesse First declaring his state and kynde of lyfe hee sayth he was a Captayne of the Italian Souldiers For the Romaynes vsed to entertayne diuers bandes of men of diuers Natiâ—ons according to the which they gaue them their names And bicause among all nations they esteemed none more than the Italians the Italian garrisons were preferred aboue others And there is no doubt but that Cornelius was an Italian forasmuch as he was one of the chiefe of that bande But bicause he dwelt at Caâ—sarea which the auncient wryters call Turris Stratonis the tower or castell of Straton the maner or state of the souldiers in those dayes must be considered that we maye the easilyer vnderstande the state of Cornelius Thus wryte the Romaine Hystoriographers After the victories that Pompey called the great had gotten who was the first that subdued Syria and Iurie vnto the Romaine Empire the people of Rome had no more grieuous enimies than the Parthians who were greatly encouraged with the death of Crassus with the ouerthrowe of the Romayne Legions and number of ensignes and standerdes which they had taken wherein were the pictures of splayed Eagles paynted Wyth whose incursions and roades bicause they were continually molested they thought good to place in the Cities bordering vpon them certayne garrisons of souldiers which within a short warning being mustred myght make a complete armie if neede so required whereby to repulse and beate backe the enimie And those souldiers also were a defence and safegarde for the Cities of Iurie to tame and keepe vnder the courage of the Iewes which were very prone
of the Prophete He sent out his worde and healed them They be also to vs in steade of fathers bicause through their ministerye we bee borne againe and made the sonnes and heyres of God as we reade Paule hath oftentimes inculcated And the Philosophers haue taught euen by the lawe of nature that children are neuer able to make their parentes amendes Who then is able to recompence him through whose labour and traueyle he is made the sonne of God and heire of the kingdome of heauen For the which cause the Prophetes vse to account faythfull teachers among the chiefe benefites of God as may be seene Psal. 147. Esay 30. Amos 2. Mich. 6. c. And Paule among the giftes of the holye ghost wherewith from aboue he adorneth his Church maketh mention chiefely of Pastors Teachers Prophetes Apostles and Euangelists But now a dayes men are growne to such vnthankfulnesse that they dare say Ministers are sent of the deuill and are the publike authors of all euill But they shal one daye haue teachers meete for them since they so vnthankfullye reiect the preaching of saluation Thirdly Cornelius promiseth Peter obedience and attention where he sayth Nowe therefore we are all here present before God to heare all thinges that are commaunded thee of God. These wordes are worthye of singuler consideration For they teach vs what maner of persons the hearers of the worde should be First he sayth they are present before god Therefore it behoueth all men that heare the worde of God in the Church to remember aboue all thinges that they stande in the presence of god For this is the saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And he promiseth that he will bee in the middle of them that are gathered togither in his name Moreouer he sayeth he is present with those that belong vnto him This is one other thing which the hearers shoulde remember namely that they haue neede of teaching and instruction and therefore it is vnmeete that they shoulde suffer their wittes at the Sermon time to be a wooll gathering For they that so doe receyue the word as Christ sayth into the way where it is destroyed of the birdes and can bring forth no fruite Finally Cornelius is ready to heare all the things that Peter hath to say from god Let vs thinke that the very same is required of vs also and let vs not be so bolde as to heare and embrace some things and to let passe other some which like not our appetites and fantasie If a man woulde compare these thinges wyth the vsage of our dayes alas what an horrible corruption shall he finde Many come togither but not as in the sight of God but much like vnto those of whome we reade in Ezechiel 33. chap. Further a man shall euerywhere heare such busie bodies who when they haue hearde the worde brag that they haue no neede of teaching and instruction But what a number is there of those which dare to controlle the worde of God and will haue such things preached whereof they hope to haue gayne and will commaunde the Ministers to silence if they speake any thing that dislyketh their affections or which the worlde cannot brooke Howbeit it were better the worde were not preached to them and they shall one daye feele that their wicked contempt shall beare witnesse agaynst them These things also admonish Peter of his dutie that he shoulde onely and freely preach the things which God had committed to him without any inuentions of his owne braine In the which the dutie of Ministers specially consisteth as hath already oftentimes bene declared Let vs set Cornelius before vs to imitate and followe that being enflamed with lyke desire of the worde we may worthilye receyue the doctrine of saluation and being therby regenerated may liue a godly life in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxiiij. Homelie THEN Peter opened his mouth and sayde Of a truth I perceyue that there is no respect of persons with God but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him you know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israell preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things ALthough Cornelius hath sufficientlye heretofore declared his great desire to knowe the truth by godly prayer and holy fast yet he more euidently sheweth the same when he heard that Peter the Apostle was come vnto him and was ready to teach him For he confesseth that the Apostle is welcome vnto him and promiseth him that he will faithfully and obediently heare all that he had to say vnto him on Gods behalfe Which place teacheth vs what all they haue to doe which meane to heare the worde of God profitably Furthermore as Cornelius sheweth vs an example of a godly and diligent hearer so in him also it appeareth that a godly and feruent desire vnto the word cannot be without profite and good successe but according to the promise of Christ whosoeuer shall vnfeynedly seeke shall finde out the will of god For he that a little before stirred vp Peter by the oracle of an heauenly vision to go vnto Cornelius euen the same now also by the secret inspiration of his spirite stirreth vppe his minde to prepare himselfe with great grauitie and diligence to teach For so is ment by the opening of his mouth as already hath bene declared The argument of his Sermon is that men are purged and saued through Iesus Christ alone He vseth a very commodious order For it hath a beginning verye apt and meete to get good will and beneuolence bicause that he sheweth howe the doctrine of saluation belongeth also vnto the Gentyles Then in fewe wordes he comprehendeth the summe of the whole Gospell which shortly after he prosecuteth more at large by hystoricall narration confirming the same wyth testimonies both of the Prophetes and Apostles At length he declareth the marke and ende of all these things teaching vs that we become partakers as well of Christ as of the saluation giuen vs in him by fayth onely But at this time we meane to intreate but of the two first partes onely minding to speake of the other when time and oportunitie shall serue He frameth his beginning with an exclamation saying Of a truth I perceyue that with God there is no respect of persons c. The sense is that the Gospell and doctrine of saluation belongeth aswell to the Gentyles as to the Iewes Heretofore there was a great space and an high wall betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles For Paule writeth that the Gentyles were straungers from the common weale of Israel aliauntes from the testaments and couenantes without hope without Christ and without God. And he addeth that that maketh for the explication of this place but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu you which were sometime farre of are made nye by the
bloude of christ For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken downe the wall that was a stoppe betweene vs. This Peter affirmeth with great grauity partly to make the hearers thinke well of him at whose saluation he enuied not after the maner of other Iewes and partly bicause they shoulde be the more diligent to heare those thinges which belonged to their saluation It shall be good to examine the wordes particulerly for our more comfort and instruction First by waye of an exclamation as we declared euen nowe he sayth of a truth or in dede I finde Which word declareth that he was before ignorant of this mysterie For being heretofore beguiled with the coÌ„mon errour of the Iewes and bewitched with the blind preiudice of the flesh he vsed to abhorre the Gentyles as menne prophane and abhominable before god But nowe by the heauenly vision the appearing of the Aungell and wordes of Cornelius he is taught another thing bicause he findeth in Cornelius words apparant tokens of a very Christian and regenerated mind Peters example teacheth vs that the Saintes sometime are ignoraunt of some things and therefore that we shoulde not beleeue the preiudice of our reason but that we shoulde diligently examine all thinges according to the rule of Gods worde Secondly he teacheth what he founde verily that God is no accepter of persons This word person declareth the outward shewe or appearance of man whereby he vseth eyther to be commended or contemned such as is Nobilitie high parentage riches honors Nation or Countrie basenesse of birth pouertie bondage and infinite such like The consideration whereof God commaundeth to be farre of from all Iudges bicause where these things take place there can be no vpright iudgement It can not be therefore that that thing is to be founde in God which he vseth to detest in men And surely the Scriptures euerywhere attribute this vnto God that he is mooued with no mannes kindred or stocke with no riches no pouertie no outwarde appearance no consideration of Countrie but sheweth himselfe iust and mercifull to all men alyke This thing is of great auayle in the cause of saluation For it serueth to our instruction that wee contemne no man by reason of these outwarde things forasmuch as it appeareth that God is not mooued herwith whose children we be and it comforteth men that are in affliction and of lowe degree when they heare that in Christ there is neyther bonde nor free Iewe nor Gentyle Scythian not Barbarous man nor woman rich nor poore See Galat. 3. Colos. 3. c. It maketh for the explication hereof that he streyght waye addeth what maner of men God accepteth in all kind of men least any man might thinke he gouerned things at all auentures For he addeth but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him He comprehendeth in two poyntes the whole lyfe of man such as God requireth of them that honor him For he percloseth all religion vnder the feare of God forasmuch as it is manifest that this feare cannot be without the knowledge of God nor without fayth and obedience By this worde righteousnesse he vnderstandeth that excellent vertue that giueth to euery man that that is his which is the best gouernor of mans whole lyfe and springeth out of the fountaynes of Christian charitie But if thou compare the corrupt nature of man with these thinges thou shalt perceyue that these thinges are not founde but in those people that are regenerate and that they cannot be attayned to without the grace of God and fayth in christ For howe shoulde they that are aliauntes from Christ please God by their outwarde workes seeing he is that onely mediatour in whome the father is well pleased Therfore they are greatly deceyued which of these wordes of Peter thinke the merit of mans righteousnesse may be established forasmuch as the grace of God onely is the cause efficient of those things that are here so highly commended Their error also is to be confuted which abusing this place affirme that euerye man may be saued in the religion of hys Nation whether he be Iewe or Turke so that being illuminated with some reuerence of God he seeke to accomplishe this common ryghteousnesse But Peters meaning in this place is farre other who rather goeth about to prooue that the doctrine of the Gospell wherby saluation in Christ is preached appertayneth to all men indifferently But I praye you what needeth it to be pubâ—ished to all men if saluation may be had without Christ This kinde of people of all other is moste pernicious who vnder the pretence of christian modestie bicause they wil not seeme to boldly to condemne any man do plainly extenuate the merit of Christ yea they call in doubt the righteousnesse of god his goodnesse wisedome truth whatsoeuer vertues besides are in god For if any man may be saued without Christ then it appeereth saluation must depend vpon our free wil zeale Then came Christ into the world in vayn then was he incarnated suffred died in vaine then rose he from the dead ascended into heauen in vayne And he shall be conuinced of a lie in that he said No man coÌ„meth to the father but by me Peter also shall be reproued as a lyer who according as the spirit of Christ did prompt him sayde there was no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men in which they could be saued Furthermore who I pray you shal say that god the father is eyther iust or wise or true or mercifull which without very great cause woulde put his sonne to such bitter sorrowes and afflictions Away therefore with these men which whyle they will seeme modest adnihilate the mysteries of our religion Let vs obserue the ende and marke of Peters words and leaue them to whome the light of the Gospell hath not yet shined to the iudgement of God who if they be saued must needes be saued through the merit of Christ vnlesse we will be contumelious both against Christ God. Let vs come to the seconde part of this Sermon which in these words conteyneth the proposition or declaration of the whole matter ye know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things Which wordes seeme vnto me thus to signifie I woulde not haue you O brethren to looke for anye newe or straunge matter For I purpose to intreate of such a matter as is nowe in euery mannes mouth the report whereof is vndoubtedly come euen vnto you that is howe God sent his sonne Iesus Christ which is coeternall with him and Lorde of all things vnto the children of Israel being made man of the Uirgin Marie and by him hath preached peace vnto them In these wordes doth Peter comprehende all the mysteries of Christ Iesu and of his Gospell which shortly after he dilateth more
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commaūdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
to be so great in the Church as to preach what him listeth seeing that we heare how Paule and Barnabas preached nothing of their owne brayne but the worde of God only For where the Church is the house of God in it must the word and voice of God onely sounde And it is a poynt of sacrilegall boldenesse to teach any thing in the Church vnder pretence of Gods name which is not agreeable with the worde of god For the which cause we reade that aswell all the Prophetes as the Apostles were bounde vnto this commaundement to propone nothing vnto the Church but that they receiued from the mouth of god See â–ª Ezech. 3. Ierem. 1. Math â–ª 28. Thirdly is declared where they taught to say in the Sinagoges of the Iewes For although they were sent vnto the Gentyles yet order was to be obserued that saluation should fyrst be preached vnto the Iewes For so it behooued that after they through their owne default had fallen from saluation the kingdome of God shoulde be caried vnto the Gentyles that their fall might serue vnto the saluation of other Nations Yea if we well expende the matter it shall appeare it was not without the deuise of Gods prouidence that at that time the Iewes shoulde dwell scattered almost among all Nations For hereby was offered the Apostles a very good occasion to preach the Gospell For out of the law and Oracles of the Prophets it was declared that Iesus Christ was that Sauiour of the worlde that was promised Which thing when the Gentyles hearde and perceyued that the hystorie of Iesus Christ agreed in all poyntes with the writings of the Prophetes they beganne to haue a good opinion of the holy scriptures which was the first steppe vnto saluation and thus it came to passe that they by true fayth embraced that â—auiour that was preached among them Therfore the Apostles did very well and wisely to beginne their preaching in the Iewes Sinagoges Lette vs acknowledge the goodnesse of God through whose benefyte true saluation by preaching of the Gospell is offered to vs also in these dayes though we be vnworthy in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxvij. Homelie WHEN they had gone through the Isle vnto Paphos they founde a certaine sorcerer a false Prophete a Iewe whose name was Barâ—esu which was with the ruler of the countrie one Sergius Paulus a prudent man The same Ruler called vnto him Barnabas and Saule and desired to heare the worde of god But Elymas the sorcerer for so is his name by interpretation withstoode them and sought to turne away the Ruler from the fayth Then Saule which also is called Paule being full of the holy ghost sette his eyes on him and sayde ô full of all subtiltie and deceytfulnesse thou chylde of the Deuill thou enimie of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde And nowe beholde the hande of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see the sunne for a season And immediatly there fell on him a myst and a darknesse and he went about seeking them that should leade him by the hande Then the Ruler when he saw what came to passe beleeued and wondred at the doctrine of the Lord. THat sentence of Dauid the King and Prophete is very notable where he prophecieth that Iesus Christ shall rule in the middest of his enimies For hereby a kingdome is promised vnto Christ but we are therewith also admonished of the subtiltie and tyrannie of the Deuill which assaulteth the same kingdome with continuall warre This booke declareth vnto vs many notable examples hereof For hitherto it hath set out to vs those which haue openly encountred with Christ such as were fyrst the chiefe heads of Ierusalem and then Herode called Agrippa Yet Christ our king ouercame their enterprises and they well founde that they stroue against him in vaine And Herode bicause he attempted a bolder enterprise than the rest bought his wickednesse with â–ª horrible punishment Yet Satan pulleth not back his foote but bringeth into the game place a new Champion for his kingdome which is Elymas the sorcerer if by any meanes he coulde by magicall sleightes and conueyaunce ouercame these souldiours of Christ whome he sawe perill of imprisonment and present death coulde not subdue For where Paule and Barnabas had spredde the light of the Gospell almost throughout Cyprus and nowe drewe nigh vnto Paphus a great renoumed Citie he setteth this sorcerer against them by his meane to stoppe the prosperous course of the Gospell among the Cypriotes Yet the Apostles ouercome hauing Christ to their Captaine whose glory the more Satan went about to obscure and darken shined the brighter The describing of this contention is diligently to be considered where Christ setteth his Apostles to wrastle with a famous sorcerer and deceyuer For besides that it teacheth vs alwayes to looke to be contended with it egregiouslye paâ—nâ—eâ—h out the 〈◊〉 and condicions of false Prophetes and teacheth vs howe we shall 〈◊〉 against them But that 〈◊〉 maye receyue the more commoditie hereby â–ª we will fyrst consider the occasion of this contention then their encouâ—â—â—iâ— and ioyning togither and last of all the conclusion The occasion of this â—â—â—â—nesse seemeth to haue bene the prosperous successe of the gospell in the Isle of Ciprus For where beginning at Salamine which standeth on the sea coast Eastwarde the Apostles had gone through the whole Islande as farre as to Paphos westwarde so that the fame of this newe doctrine by them thus published came to the hearing of Sergius Paulus the Proconsull he sent for the Apostles and was desirous to heare them preach the worde of god Whereby it appeareth though he were a Romaine that he was desirous of the truth and that he begonne already to suspect the Gentyle religion which perhappes was the cause that he gaue eare to this sorcerer the Iewe hoping that he was able to teache him the truth And pricked forwarde with like desire he sent for Paule and Barnabas also to heare what they taught But this coulde not Elymas the sorcerer abyde who hitherto had bene very familiar with the Proconsull He therefore diligently watched all meanes to withstande the Apostles as shortly after we shall heare Nowe before we go any further two thinges are to be marked First that God hath some that be his in all degrees of people as we sayde in the sermon before going Here is to be added howe he vseth to call and saue those that be his when they seeme to stande vppon the pit of destruction For Sergius Paulus of whome mention is here made being brought vp from his childhoode in the religion of the gentiles had bene alwayes vsed to ydolatrie Afterwarde although he acknowledged his errour he was encombred with a newe and more hurtfull errour whyle he hitteth vpon this Iewe a Sorcerer
and false Prophet Who can saye that God had any care of this man whome he suffreth to be seduced with so many and diuers errours But that faythfull shepehearde Christ seeketh his lost sheepe in the mountaynes and valleyes yea and in the sea also and will not suffer them to be taken out of his hande This place therefore teacheth vs that we must not despaire to hastilye of any man except he manifestly proue himselfe to be of the number of the reprobate Moreouer Luke declareth in this Sergius the example of a good and a godly magistrate For both he is very desirous to learne the truth and also he ouerhastilye condemneth not the Ministers of a doctrine not heard before but calling them before him giueth them libertie freely to declare their doctrine The Princes of our dayes shoulde doe well to imitate this man whereof manye of them condemne the doctrine of truth before they knowe it and vse cruelly to punishe them whose fayth and religion they are vtterly ignoraunt of But let them remember they shall not be excused through ignorance considering it is their parts to do nothing of ignorance but diligently to search out and examine all causes These things being thus premised let vs nowe marke howe the contention beginneth where it plainly appeareth that the Apostles were the beginners hereof For where Sergius the Proconsull had sent for them to learne of them the worde of God it is like that they made no tariance but with all speede hasted to set forth the kingdome of god And here streyghtway commeth forth this Magitian and withstandeth them as they preach the worde For he quickly sawe that there was like to be no longer abiding for him with the Proconsull if he were once lightned with the knowledge of truth And although Luke declareth not after what sort he resisted the Apostles yet bicause he was a false Prophete and sorcerer it maye be easily gathered that he left no wayes vnassayde which might seeme to oppresse the truth And this Contender is diligentlye to be considered that by him we may learne to knowe all false Prophetes And fyrst marke his prowde name whereby he challengeth to himselfe a certaine Godheade For being called after his right name Elymas he woulde in the Syrian tongue be called Bariesu that is to saye the sonne of the Sauiour whereby we coniecture that he presumed to promise saluation to them that woulde follow his teaching He is therefore of the number of those that Christ prophecied shoulde come and challenge to them the maiestie of his name But it is the propertie of false Prophetes that if themselues vsurpe not the name of God yet they will haue their doctrine called after his name that vnder this pretence they might the easlyer beguile the simple Thus Zedechias speaking before Achab of the victorie that he shoulde get against the Syrians vseth that common beginning of the Prophetes Thus sayth the Lorde The same may we see in diuers others Yea there was yet neuer false Prophete but he went about to get him authoritie by colour of Gods name Moreouer this he doth according to the vsage of all false Prophetes he getteth him the friendship and familiaritie of the Proconsull and cleaueth fast vnto him as a most neare companion For deceyuers vse to get them the friendship of great estates both for that when they haue gotte them on their sides other by their example are the easlyer allured and also to purchase themselfe safetie by their authoritie For where they knowe they are destitute of the ayde of truth they must needes seeke for the arme and power of man whereby to defende themselfe So Baalam in time past notwithstanding he was admonished to the contrary by Oracle went about to get the friendship of Balac king of the 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
is before God acceptable Fifthly thou ceasest not sayth he to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde In the which wordes he comprehendeth two most heinous offences incurable maliciousnesse and earnest desire to peruert the worde of the Lorde For his worde is simple and pure and sheweth vnto vs a most playne waye of saluation But through the naughtinesse of manne it seemeth vncertaine and full of perplexitie Last of all he thundreth against him the heauy sentence of punishment And nowe beholde the hande of the Lorde is vppon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see for a season Where yet among the terrible thunder crackes of Gods threates we see there is hope of saluation left if he will repent and turne vnto the lord For God so vseth to reueale his wrath by his worde that yet he will not haue them swallowed vppe of despaire whome he will haue saued The chiefe vse of this place is that we learne what the faythfull Ministers of Christes Church haue to doe in these dayes where many Elymae are buzeing in the eares of Kings and Princes to bring them from the fayth that they may at their pleasure oppresse the ruder sort and the Comminaltie For we can iudge the Monkes and Priests none other which deceytfully sell their trifles vnder color of Gods holy name and like the presumpteous Gyauntes arrogate to themselues power vpon heauen who of set purpose striue against the righteousnesse of Christ and the faith that maketh righteous who impudently set light the authoritie of Gods word and corrupt the same with the traditions of men who make the most plaine way of saluation most intricate and vnfyndable with their infynite mazes of Monkish vowes of orders of rules of merites of bulles of pardons and of cases reserued who fynally not herewith content procure Princes to committe slaughter and murther and to shedde innocent bloude These must be accused with like boldenesse and libertie that men maye learne to beware of them which hitherto haue beguiled them with their stagelike maiestie Neyther lette vs giue eare vnto them which in this case prescribe vs rules of modestie and charitie forasmuch as it is euident that many of them be incurable and are bent onely to defende their vsurped tyrannie be it right or be it wrong Nowe remayneth the ende and successe of this contention heauy for Elymas the deceyuer but most ioyfull for Sergius the Proconsull For on Elymas falleth by and by the punishment pronounced by Paule and being striken blinde he gropeth for one to leade him by the hande The like we saw fall out before to Ananias and Sapphira whereby it behoueth vs to learne the power of Gods word The chiefe thing to be marked in this place is what remayneth for false teachers and deceyuers which dare to withstande the worde of God eyther for vauntage or honour They are made blinde for the most part if not in body yet it minde and the Lorde of his iust iudgement hath giuen them vp into a reprobate sense so that they are neyther able to embrace the truth nor yet to forsake and auoide manifest and knowne errours Furthermore being in Gods iudgement defamed they lose the strength and ayde of fleshe wherein they so much trusted So is fulfylled that that is written in Zachary 11. chap. ô Idols shepehearde that leaueth the flocke The sworde shall come vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be sore blinded And there want not examples of this iudgement in our dayes but we want eyes to behold them And these our Elymae are so much the more miserable that being blinde yet they thinke still they see and seeke for none to leade them but contemptuously disdaine those which God offereth them Furthermore as this contention came to passe vnprosperouslye for Elymas so great profyte came thereby vnto the Proconsull whome the Lorde by this meanes deliuered out of darkenesse For he seeing the iudgement of God beleeued and beganne to make much of Christes doctrine This is the peculiar propertie of Gods children that they acknowledge the iudgementes of God are amended by others example where the euill and deceyuers waxe worse and worse But in all this storie this thing is most comfortable that we see the truth can be vanquished neyther with open force of Tyrants nor subtile conueyance of the Deuill For being pressed and borne downe it riseth againe and by striuing gathereth the more strength Therefore let vs embrace the truth and constantly stande by the author and defender thereof Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxviij. Homelie WHEN Paule departed from Paphos they that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem But they wandred through the countries and came from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Sinagoge on the Sabboth daye and sate downe And after the lecture of the lawe and the Prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any sermon to exhort the people say on THere appeare many and notable tokens of diuine power and maiestie in the workes of Iesus Christ but among them al this is the most notable and euident that by the ministerie of the Apostles within few yeres he subdued all the world For where it is manifest that they were furnished with no fleshlye succors but were the least esteemed of all men and yet brought to passe things of such importance we must needes acknowledge that Gods power wrought by them whereby it came to passe that the worlde was brought to a newe countenance and the Gentyles deliuered from the errors of their olde superstition and receyued the true religion This is the chiefe thing that we haue to consider in this present voyage of Paule and Barnabas For these two being sent forth by the appoyntment of God to preach the Gospell indifferently to all Nations they prosperously passe through all impedimentes standing in their waye And fyrst cōming to Cyprus they subdue vnto the kingdome of Christ the inhabiters of a most rich Islande giuen to all riotousnesse and worshipping of Venus and they doe not onely winne vnto them the common people but Sergius also the Romaine Proconsull whose authoritie onely had bene ynough to haue resisted them if it had bene mans affayres only they had gone about and they leade about Elymas the sorcerer a chosen instrument of the Deuill and striken with horrible blindenesse in triumph so that in one conflict it appeareth mannes force and the Deuils sleightes were ouercommen both togither Nowe let vs see howe such a prosperous beginning gaue a good occasion to the Apostles farther to spreade the kingdome of Christ. Hauing gone through Cyprus they passe from Paphus into Pamphilia and came vnto Perga a Citie of that Region making a great voyage both by sea
through the infyrmitie of the fleshe shall by Christes merite be supplied and if they fall into any sinne by repentance through guiding of the spirite they shall rise vp againe Moreouer Paule taking occasion of the storie of Dauid passeth to the seconde part of his sermon wherein he declareth that Iesus whome the Apostles preached is the promised Sauiour for whose sake God in times past did so benefyte the fathers And bicause he knewe he had to doe with the Iewes the most grieuous enimies of Christ he prooueth it by manye and strong arguments of the which there are three contayned in this place which we will in order treate of The fyrst is where he sayth he shall be borne of that stocke whence the Prophetes sayde he shoulde come that is to say of the seede of Dauid But it woulde be long to recite all the promises yea superfluous considering they were so common and ryse that the Messias was commonly called the sonne of Dauid Yet if any man desire more let him reade the thinges written 2. Sam. 7. Psal. 132. Esay 11. Ierem. 23. c. That Christ was borne of the seede of Dauid touching his manhoode Mathewe and Luke prooue by a diligent Genealogie or Pedegree And here we haue to marke that he sayth this Sauiour was raysed vp according to the promise This part teacheth vs that he was giuen vnto vs also according to the meere grace of God and that it is to be attributed to no merites of man that God hath sent his sonne to be our Sauiour For that the promise was made of fauour Dauid himselfe confesseth as erewhile we sawe And if any man attribute this vnto Dauids modestie he shall be conuinced by the promise that we reade was made to our fyrst fathers who had deserued death and fledde away to hyde themselues from god And Chryst himselfe truly referreth all this saluation to the grace of God where he sayth Iohn 3. So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne c. Which words the Apostle expoundeth writeth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs c. Here also appeareth the infallible truth of God which must be extended to all promises that we maye herein fet fyrme comfort in all kinde of temptatioâ—s For he that woulde not deceyue vs when his sonnes death laye vpon it howe shoulde he in other things deceyue vs The seconde argument is that he sayeth he shall come in such sort and wise as the Prophetes prophecied the promised Messias shoulde come For he had a forerunner such as is described Esay 40. Malach. 3. and .4 Chapters That was Iohn which preached the baptisme of repentance whereby he prepared the mindes of men duly to receyue Christ. Marke the Euangelist vseth the same argument where he writeth the Gospell of Iesu Christ beganne as it was foretolde by the Prophetes In the meane season it is worthy to be obserued that it was necessarye to haue a forerunner who by repentance which he declared both by preaching and sacraments should prepare a people vnto christ This prooueth the corruption of our nature whereby it commes to passe that we cannot attaine to saluation except we be wholye chaunged and regenerated Furthermore it confuteth them which thinke that Christes doctrine is the seede of licentious liuing seeing none coÌ„meth vnto him but he that is worthily prepared by true repentance But bicause we haue alreadye often intreated hereof and haue freshe occasion still offered to speake of the same it shall suffyse briefly thus to haue noted it The thirde argument he taketh of testimonie For he alleageth the testimonie of Iohn not for that Christes cause consisteth or stayeth vppon mannes testimonie but for that Iohn was of suche authoritie among the Iewes that he was commonly taken for a Prophete as may be seene Mathew 21. and in Iosephus which sayth that the death of Iohn was cause of the ouerthrow that Aretes gaue vnto Herode In which sense Christ in another place vseth his testimonie Iohn 5. This man sayeth Paule where some thought he was the Messias to put the people out of all suspicion sayeth whome thinke you that I am I am not Christ for behold there commeth one after me c. These things are more at large declared in Iohn 1. Luc. 3. and Math. 3 â–ª Chapters Herein is declared what the propertie of the people is in their iudgements of Gods seruants For eyther they attribute to much vnto them or vtterlye contemne them for meane is there none For they that at fyrst thought Iohn was the Messias suffered him not long after to be the pray of a most cruell tyrant Example whereof we shall see in those of Lystra in the next Chapter Iohn teacheth vs by his example what trustynesse the godlye ought to vse in setting forth the glorye of christ For they dandle not the dulnesse and folly of the people thereby to haue themselues the more magnifyed but that Christ may haue his whole glory they vse to abase themselues and to thinke themselues the woorst of all other Yea they thinke their glorye consisteth in this if by their meane Iesus Christ may euerywhere be glorifyed And if Iohn which was the holyest man that euer was borne of a woman be no body in comparison of Christ who then perceyueth not that the whole prayse of our redemption is to be ascribed to Christ alone The example of Peter and Iohn haue declared the same whereof was spoken in the thirde and tenth Chapters It is our dutie to trust in Christ onely and to acknowledge him to be the Sauiour that was promised in the beginning to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxj Homelie YE men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is this worde of saluation sent For the inhabiters of Ierusalem and their rulers bicause they knewe him not nor yet the voyces of the Prophetes which are reade euery Sabboth daye they haue fulfilled them in condemning him And when they founde no cause of death in him yet desired they Pylate to kill him And when they had fulfilled all that were written of him they tooke him downe from the tree and put him in a sepulchre but God raysed him againe from death the thirde day and he was seene many dayes of them which came vp with him from Galiley to Ierusalem which are his witnesses vnto the people THat that all the Scripture both of the olde and newe Testament with one consent declareth that same in this sermon Paule both plainly and constantly teacheth namely that Iesus Christ is the onely redeemer and sauiour of mankinde in whom alone we haue blessing righteousnesse saluation and life But bicause he had to doe with the Iewes whome he knewe still withstoode Christ with great obstinacie therefore he handleth this cause with great grauitie And fyrst he
collation he applyeth to the matter present For it is euident this Prophete preached in the reigne of Manasses what time both ydolatrie and all kinde of vice reygned vnder that wicked and cruell king For it is reported that he brought Iurie into errour and the Citizens of Ierusalem so that they exceeded the Gentyles in naughtynesse whom God before that had destroyed Besides this he greatly contemned the worde of God and passing all measure hated the truth against the which he was so inflamed that he fylled the whole Citie with the bloude of Innocents And yet they puffed vp in the confydence of Gods couenant of their forefathers of the temple and ceremonies thought they might without checke thus doe and those that admonished them to doe otherwise or threatened them with the iudgement of God they wickedlye scoffed at Therfore Abacuc then prophecied the comming of the Chaldeyes which he sayde shoulde ouerthrowe the Citie and Temple and shoulde carye all the people awaye a thing which they thought was impossible to be done Herevnto Paule hauing a respect seemeth to say you knowe what befell vnto your forefathers when they despised the sayinges of the Prophetes They sawe the destruction both of the Citie and Temple neyther coulde that prowde name of the people of God and trust in their ceremonies deliuer them from the punishment at hande For although it woulde seeme incredible vnto you if a man woulde saye that God woulde destroy your nation yet I say there are greater and more horrible punishments prepared for you For the kingdome of God shall be taken from you and you shall be forsaken and that saluation that was promised to your forefathers shall be conueyed vnto the Gentyles This example of Paule teacheth vs that the worde of saluation must so be preached that the iudgement of God must also be layd before the eyes of those that despise it and be vnfaythfull Therfore they are not to be heard that saye such preaching is not fytte for the myldenesse of the Gospell and vnseemely for charitie For so Christ taught his Apostles when he sayde it shoulde be easier for those of Sodome and Gomorrha in the daye of iudgement than for those which refused to heare them Yea himselfe thundreth out that horrible wo vnto those vnthankefull Cities of Bethsaida Corozaim and Capernaum Doth he not also threaten Ierusalem with besieging with the sworde with famine and with destruction This the frowardnesse of mannes nature partlye requireth which sometime must bee brought vnder by threates and partly the dutie of a pastor or shepehearde whome it becommeth like a watchman to giue warning of the sworde hanging ouer the peoples heades that though they be incurable yet he may deliuer his owne soule that the bloude of them that perish be not required at his hands This place also teacheth vs that there is no sinne more grieuous than the contempt of Gods worde forasmuch as God vseth to punish no sinne more grieuously For whatsoeuer sinnes else a man committeth might after a sort be ascribed to mans infyrmitie by reason whereof sometime euen the best men that be doe fall But if a man ioyne vnto licentious life contempt of Gods worde that is a token of a deuilishe and incurable wickednesse Which was the cause that God alwayes most seuerely reuenged the same It is knowne what came to passe in the beginning vnto the world for despising Noah the preacher of righteousnesse The lyke felt Pharao Saule Achab Manasses and all the people of Israel being ledde into Assyria Yet were these things but a pastime and fleabyting to that that afterwarde came to the Iewes for reiecting of Christ whereof to discourse any further the time will not suffer vs In the meane season it is necessarye to tell you this one thing that in the Iewes is set out to vs and to all ages an example whereby we are taught that no man shall scape vnpunished that is so bolde as to contemne the doctrine of christ For he that spared not the naturall braunches will much lesse spare the impes and graffes set in that stocke if they be barren Which thing we see the Churches of Asia and Greece hath many dayes since prooued which being once founded by the Apostles are nowe deuided from Christ and beare the horrible yoke of Mahomets impietie And woulde to God we sawe not in these dayes the preambles of calamitie to come in a great many which to much disdainefully lothe the saluation of the Gospell Let vs therfore apply to our selues that which Paule sayth in this place and embracing the doctrine of the Gospell with constant fayth and thankfull mindes let vs giue our selues wholy to Iesus Christ our Sauiour and redeemer to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxiiij Homelie WHEN the Iewes were gone out of the congregation the Gentyles besought that they woulde preach the word to them the next Sabboth When the Congregation was broken vp manye of the Iewes and vertuous Proselytes followed Paule and Barnabas which spake to them and exhorted them to continue in the grace of god And the next Sabboth day came almost the whole Citie togither to heare the worde of god But when the Iewes sawe the people they were full of indignation and spake agaynst those thinges which were spoken of Paule speaking against it and rayling on it Then Paule and Barnabas waxed bolde and sayde It was meeâ—e that the woorde of God shoulde first haue bene preached vnto you But seeing you putte it from you and thinke your selues vnworthye of euerlasting lyfe loe wee turne to the Gentyles For so hath the Lorde commaunded vs I haue made thee a light of the Gentyles that thou be the saluation vnto the ende of the worlde THat saying of God vttered in this wise by the Prophete Esaye 55. concerning his worde is verye notable and comfortable Like as the rayne and snow commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither againe but watreth the earth and maketh it fruitefull and greene So the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne agayne voyde vnto mee but shall accomplish my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it For although there be many that wickedly repell it yet hath God alwayes his chosen in whome it vseth to bring forth fruite An euident example whereof we haue at this present For after that Luke hath reported Paules sermon he sheweth also how he had diuers kinde of hearers whereof some we must imitate and other some for their wickednesse and boldenesse we must diligently eschue And in these diuers hearers we see the worde also to haue a diuers effect For to some it is the sauour of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauour of death vnto death as Paule himselfe beareth witnesse in the last Epistle to the Corinthians cap. 2. Paule beginneth with those which hearde the Gospell preached without any fruite that is to say the
Iewes who went out sayeth he of the Sinagoge before the congregation brake vp And this they did for none other cause but for that they coulde not abide to heare the doctrine of Christ as shall appeare by that that followeth where it is written howe they made much adoe and striuing against the Apostles For as they that are borne of God heare the worde of Christ and knowe by and by the voyce of their shepehearde so the reprobates and children of this worlde hate that voice as euill as a Tode and can not be brought willinglye to seeke it and if at any time they seeme to heare it otherwise than they looked for or agaynst their will then they turne their heades from it and gette them out of the place where such noyse soundeth This is an euident token of incurable malice as we reade Dauid also noted comparing them to a deafe Adder which will in woonderfull wise stoppe his eares bicause he will not heare the voice of the charmer And although somtime they pretend they doe it for modesty yet it is alway the beginning of a greater impietie For they which at the fyrst doe but a little lothe the worde of God and refuse to heare it if they shall more stronglye be vrged there with then without all reason they rage against it The Scripture sheweth vs examples in Pharao Saul Achab and many others which to rehearse woulde be superfluous forasmuch as we shall streightway heare how stowtly and impiously these men bende themselues against the doctrine of saluation Nowe against these men Paule setteth other which worthily embraced the Apostles doctrine who Luke sayth were partly Gentyles and partly Proselytes And that these Proselytes were the more apt to receiue Christ it is euident for that they had not that prowde affiance in their owne worthynesse that hindred the Iewes from the fayth in Christ as Paule otherwheres teacheth Although among these were also some Iewes bicause God did not so vtterly cast of that Nation but that he reserued certayne remnantes to be saued Moreouer as in the fyrst sort we may see the maners of the reprobate so in these other sorts the propertie of the elect and children of God doth notablye appeare Which therefore is the more diligently to be considered bicause by them we may see what is wanting in our selues and what we ought to doe First they desire the Apostles that they will the next Sabboth day preach to them againe the same doctrine of saluation Ergo they loue the worde of God and they are not weary of it bicause by the secret suggestion of the holye ghost they perceyue the voyce of their heauenly father soundeth in the same Then when the Church brake vp they followed the Apostles and openly acknowledge them for teachers of the truth and their saluation who yet they knewe were hated of a great number Then they are not ashamed of the worde of God before men and they preferre the grace of Christ before the friendshippe of the worlde These are the principles and rudimentes of true religion wherein who so well exercise themselues shall at length bring forth fruites of fayth and saluation not to be repented of By these may we iudge of the maners of our dayes For a great many nowe a dayes despise the worde and thinke nothing so voyde of true wisedome as for a man to take aduise of the worde of God concerning his doings and sayings And though we no way else declare the same yet we abundantly testifye it by this one token in that we be not onely ashamed of the Ministers but also hate them abhorre them flie from them rayle at them and euery way iniurie them as the publike enimies of saluation and authors of all euill And yet on Gods name we bragge egregiously of our fayth and zeale towarde Christ and his Gospell But God is not beguiled with vaine wordes nor delighted with any kinde of religion but such as hath truth ioyned therwith But what saye the Apostles herevnto They exhort them to continue in the grace of God For they knewe well that saying of Christ No manne that layeth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is worthye of the kingdome of God. Againe He that abideth to the ende shall be safe And bicause they had good experience of mannes infyrmitie they knewe that exhortation was needefull for them for that they had but newlye layde the fyrst foundation of their faith and saluation For many times it cōmeth to passe that they which haue begonne well being eyther afraide of daunger or caried away and maystred of their affections fall away againe and swarue Therefore we must note the example of the Apostles that we thinke not faithfull admonitions superfluous without the which faith and the knowledge of saluation are very seldome retayned In the meane season it is very worthy the noting how they which perseuere in the Gospell are sayde to continue in the grace of god For by the Gospell is the grace of God offred vs And Christ sayth that that peace that the Gospell preacheth shall dwell in that house where the children of peace be who are such as embrace with true faith the peace and grace of god Wherevpon we gather againe that all they which refuse the Gospell which is the only message of that grace doe fall from the grace of god And hereof followeth all kinde of euill so that they are the most vnworthie people in the worlde which forsake Christ for the worldes sake This appeareth by the example of the Iewes whome the contempt of the Gospell brought to that miserable state that they haue liued in nowe more than .xv. hundreth yeares Therfore let vs thinke that sayde vnto vs that the Apostles sayde to these men in this place and let vs embrace the Gospell and perseuer in the same that we may likewise enioy the vndoubted grace of God and his assured helpe in all aduersities Howbeit Luke adioyneth to these premisses a grieuous contention following this prosperous successe of the Gospell wherby we are taught that the kingdome of Christ in this worlde beginneth neuer so prosperously but that some stormes of persecution are ready for them which go about to sette forth the same For the saying of Christ fayleth not If they haue hearde my voyce they will heare yours also And where this worlde commonly hateth the light of the truth the more they perceyue the same shineth the more they vse to rage and be madde Therefore no man ought to thinke it a straunge thing if the like fall out in our dayes and that we see troubles aryse among them to whom the Gospell at the fyrst is preached For Paule and Barnabas the faythfull Apostles of Christ doe here fynde the same to be true For the next Sabboth daye when almost all the Citie was gathered togither to heare the worde of God the Iewes beholding such a great company readye to
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
people through false accusations and by sedition to oppresse the truth But in the meane season they goe about with marueylous conueyance to put the godly in the fault wherof we haue examples in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate It behooueth vs to marke these things that we nowe a dayes to quickly beleeue not those which say that common weales and publike peace is disturbed by preaching of the Gospell Secondly it is declared what maner of men the Apostles shewed themselues to be in this tumult They go on and yeelde not at the fyrst to the wicked but abiding a long space at Iconium doe the businesse of the Lorde with great trust and boldenesse And God assisteth them with his fauour and by myracles and signes giueth testimonie vnto the worde of grace that is to saye to the Gospell whereby the grace of God in Christ is preached vnto vs The example of the Apostles teacheth vs that they which will be Ministers of Christ must not yeeld ouer soone to the attemptes of the wicked although they see great trouble like to follow therof For we must admit nothing against the glory of God the rather to agree with the world which Christ calleth naughty adulterous and vntowarde and therefore teacheth it to be vnmeete that the true seruants of God shoulde haue so much regard thereof In the meane season this place sheweth vs what the vse of myracles is They be done by the handes of the Ministers God being the author of them not for that men shoulde attribute vnto the Ministers more than vnto men but that they shoulde be as seales for them that beleeue not and which haue not bene vsed to the worde of God. Christ our Lorde confesseth the same of his myracles And he teacheth vs that those which the Apostles shoulde doe shoulde serue for none other vse Here therefore are confuted two errours reigning euerywhere in our dayes The fyrst is the errour of them which requyre myracles of vs whereof there is no great neede among Christian people whose faith must stande vpon the worde of God and which confesse that the Apostles doctrine hath long since bene sufficientlye prooued by myracles The other is of the Papistes which alleage a number of most pieuish myracles against the manifest truth for their inuocation of Saints transubstantiation Purgatorie other such kinde of trifles Howbeit it behooued they shoulde fyrst haue prooued their opinions by the worde of God which thing seeing they cannot doe they ought to be taken for false and lying signes that are brought forth for the proofe of them such as Christ long agone prophecied Antichrist shoulde worke in the later dayes Thirdly it is declared howe farre this persecution went The whole multitude of the Citie was deuided sayth he and part helde with the Iewes and part with the Apostles This was not therefore a little trouble among a fewe of persons but all the whole Citie was deuided and take part one against another which thing is the greatest plague that can happen in a Citie Howbeit this is it that Christ sayde shoulde come to passe I came not to sende peace but a sworde For I came to set a man against his father and the daughter against hir mother and the daughter in lawe against hir mother in lawe and a mannes foes shall be they that are of his owne housholde Here yet must we remember what was sayde before of the vnbeleeuers which were the procurers of this persecution For Christ is not properly and truely anye authour of diuision forasmuch as in all places he commendeth peace vnto vs and commaundeth vs to loue our enimies But such is the malice of the wicked that the more they are vrged with the wholesome doctrine of Christ the more they raue and at length professe open enmitie which thing cannot be ended without sedition For as the vngodly will holde fast their vngodlynesse with tooth nayle so the godly must not forsake their standing wherin they are placed of God least they seeme to make more of the friendshippe of the worlde than of the glorye of Christ and the saluation of mennes soules For the which cause the Apostles shewe not themselues to be Neutrales in this contention although they were straungers whome Cicero forbiddeth to be curious in other mens common weales For where some are sayde to take part with them it easily appeareth that they also tooke a part Therefore they are little like vnto the Apostles which assoone as controuersies fall out in matters of religion thinke it an high poynt of wisedome to stande as neutrales and indifferentes Solon sayth he was no good Citizen which in a sedition woulde be of no syde And shall we call them Christians who when Christes glory is assaulted will sit like ydle gazers without all daunger and looke on Surely these men are those warmelinges neyther colde nor hote which Christ threateneth he will spewe out Fourthly the same ende commeth of this persecution which was before of that at Antioch For the enimies of Christ with the rulers and Magistrates rose vppe in such rage that the Apostles were in daunger to haue bene stoned Wherefore they following the counsayle and example of Christ fled from thence reseruing themselues for a more seasonable time And yet are they not to be blamed bicause they fled in a sedition raysed by their occasion For what shoulde they else doe seeing the matter tended to open violence Let vs diligently marke what they did after they were escaped For they gaue not themselues to fylthie ydlenesse but comming to Lystra and Derba spred the doctrine of the Gospell ouer all Lycaonia As therefore it is lawfull to flie when neyther the glory of Christ nor the saluation of the Church is in hazarde least by putting our selues in daunger rashlye we seeme to to tempt Christ so must we take heede that we followe not the counsayle of rascall feare and forsake the office that God hath called vs to Let vs therefore haue alwayes before our eyes the glory of God as the marke of all our deuises For so shall it come to passe that hauing passed all daungers we shall keepe both our fayth and soules in Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be all prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxvij Homelie AND there sate a certaine man at Lystra weake in his feete being a creple from his mothers wombe and neuer had walked The same hearde Paule preach which beholding him and perceyuing that he had faith to be whole sayde with a lowde voyce I saye to thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright on thy feete And he start vp and walked And when the people saw what Paule had done they lift vp their voyces saying in the speach of Lycaonia Goddes are come downe to vs in the lykenesse of men And they called Barnabas Iupiter and Paule Mercurius bicause hee was the Preacher
singular fruites of fayth For shewing hir dutie of thankefulnesse vnto the Apostles she requested them home to hir house and lodged them By which occasion it came to passe that the Apostles proceeding earnestly in their office daylye wanne more and more Disciples and so beganne a Church togither as shall appeare in the ende of the Chapter But Satan thinking this geare intollerable assayeth to resist these fyrst principles and beginnings of Christes kingdome And fyrst he handleth the matter with subtiltie and guilefull flattery and by and by when his fyrst enterprise succeedeth not he setteth vpon the Apostles by open force and at length dryueth them out of the Citie But at this time we will examine but the fyrst encounter Luke beginneth his hystorie with the description of that person whose helpe Satan vsed in this conflict This was a mayde or damozell possessed with the spirite of Python which by hir prophecying was very gaynefull vnto hir maister and mystresse Nowe thys spirite of Python the Gentyles supposed to be Apollo who had that name giuen him as the Poets feigne of that Serpent Python which he slewe wyth his bowe and arrowes And that Apollo was the President of prophecying is more manifest than needeth by many wordes to be prooued For Delphi Claros Delus and diuers other places where vnder the name of Apollo the deuill sometime vsed to vtter hys Oracles were very notable and famous He lykewise inspyred certayne priuate persons striking them sodainly madde and making them speake ambiguous and doubtfull sayings which superstitious men receyued and embraced for credible Oracles And at length the matter came to this passe that foolishe men woulde enterprise or take nothing in hand vnlesse they had fyrst consulted with these Prophets and in all their distresses they woulde runne to these Oracles whereby it came to passe that great aduauntage followed Bicause man is of this nature that he will let for no labour nor cost about those things which may any kinde of way satisfye his curiositie And Satan rayseth vppe an instrument hereof among the Philippians agaynst the Apostles to the intent eyther to make the wiser sort suspect them or else the rude and vnskilfull Commons to hate them In the meane whyle we maye consider with what engines Satan maintayneth hys kingdome amongst men namely by lying and curious and soothsaying Artes wherein he counterfeyteth the spirite of Prophecie to drawe men by that meanes from the worde of God which ought to be the onely rule in all our doyngs The Professors of these Artes in Egypt were the Magitians whych the Scripture sayeth wythstoode Moses Among these may Baalam also be numbred although he did egregiously counterfeyte a loue of the truth Such were diuers and many sorts of Prophetes among the Chanaanites whome God by his lawe commaunded to be destroyed Unto the which maye be referred the Augures Aruspices and interpreters of dreames Astrologers Necromancers Geomancers Hydromancers and infynite others whose counsayles and sayings were of great authoritie among Kings and Magistrates in the administration and gouernance of their kingdomes and common weales And surelye if we consider the thing well Satan scarcely exercised the power of his kingdome in anye other thyng more than in this vanitie of Oracles wherewith he bewitched all the worlde a great number of yeres And in these dayes he many times rayseth vp certayne Prophetes which eyther make themselfe cunning in the knowledge of thinges to come or else can put awaye diseases by enchauntments and assay to doe diuers other things impossible for man to perfourme But some will demaunde wherefore God in times past suffred and yet to this day suffreth these things to be done The answere is readye For where the Gentyles in tymes past were not contented with the reuelations of God but went about to fynde out the mysteries of Gods maiestie by the pregnancie of their owne wit this presumption of theirs deserued that they shoulde be gyuen vppe into a reprobate sense and miserably seduced wyth the wyles and ginnes of the Deuill Paule gaue vs warning that the same shoulde come to passe towarde the later dayes saying that Antichrist should haue power on them which would not embrace the truth offred of god And if a manne consider the Philippians he shall fynde they were worthye to be thus seduced by this Demoniake Damsell For such was their liberalitie towards hir that hir Master and Dame had no small aduauntage by hir But yet they so little regarde the Apostles of Christ that they had wanted harbour vnlesse Lydia which also was a forrenner had taken them into hir house The like vnthankefulnesse peruersitie is in these dayes For men will not embrace the light of the truth and where they bestowe much cost vpon dumbe ymages deceyuing Priestes Coniurers Inchaunters Soothsayers and wise folke as they call them euery thing seemeth to much that they bestow on the doctrine of truth They are worthy therefore to be a pray for Satan by whose subtiltie they may perceyue both their goods to be consumed and their bodies troubled and molested Let vs therefore learne to harken vnto the lawe of God which teacheth vs to take heede and beware of all such kindes of deceyuers and commaundeth vs only to studie and followe the worde of god See Deut. 18. Leuit. 20. Esaye 8. And they that will not thus doe let them learne by the example of Saule what to looke for See. 1. Sam. 28. But nowe it is time to marke what Satan did by this Damsell She following the Apostles which of custome resorted to the prayers cried out saying These men are the seruantes of the most high God which shewe vnto vs the waye of saluation What kinde of thing sayest thou is this that I heare Is this the saying of the Deuill withstanding the Apostles Yea verily Why he coulde not saye any more in their commendation than to confesse them to be the seruauntes of God and the preachers of saluation Howbeit it behooueth vs not so much to consider the wordes as the pretence and meaning of the Deuill by whose suggestion these wordes were spoken For so shall thou perceyue that he most craftily vndermineth Christes cause where he seemeth most to holde with the same For here in this place he beareth witnesse vnto the Apostles doctrine to make it with the wiser sort specially with the Iewes if anye were present to be suspected For Satan knoweth he is accounted a lyer amongest all menne For this cause he crieth that the Apostles are the seruantes of God and messengers of saluation to make them the rather to be suspected with wise men Furthermore he seeketh to make those that beleeue the Apostles to beleeue also his answeres whereby they heard the Apostles doctrine commended But the faith in Christ cannot stande where ought is attributed vnto the deuill whose kingdome Christ came into this worlde to destroye Therefore vnder the pretence of Christ he seeketh priuily to
creepe into them and to draw them which began to beleeue in Christ by little and little from him Besides this he thought to tickle the Apostles mindes with ambition and desire of vayne glory to th ende that being herewith entysed they might neglect the glory of god You see therfore what poyson lyeth hid vnder the bayte of this honorable and holye acclamation With this intent we reade he flattered Christ also and bare recorde of him Let vs here marke the sleyght of Satan which can marueylouslye dissemble his hatred of the truth and transforme himselfe into an Aungell of light Therefore lette vs suspect whatsoeuer commeth from him Neyther let vs beleeue his instrumentes although they speake neuer so grauely and honorably in the commendation of Gods seruauntes and haue the holy scriptures neuer so ryfe in their mouth This place serueth to refute them which say we are vniustly offended with the Papacie bicause therein the name of Christ is preached the commendation of Saints are celebrated the lessons of holye scripture are daily vsed and nothing is done without the inuocation of Gods holy name But these men are ignoraunt how Antichristes sea or chayre must stande in the Church and marke not this saying of Christ Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde c. And if we woulde looke nearer on the matter it shall appeare that they seeke nothing vnder the pretence of religion and Christ his Church and his reuerende name but to establishe their tyrannie and to bring mennes traditions in credite Also by this place are they confuted that holde with Coniurers enchaunters or soothsayers bicause they heare them mutter out the reuerent names of God and weighty sentences of scripture But what marueyle is this since the Deuill durst alleage scriptures against our Maister Christ yea they sinne the more grieuously bicause they colour their impietie with the name of God the abuse and prophanation whereof he will not leaue vnpunished Nowe what Paules opinion was touching all these pointes this present example declareth He for a time beareth with this Maiden testifying this truth of them wayting for some suggestion of the holy spirite bicause he woulde not offende through blinde and ouerhastie affection at length inflamed with an holye zeale and indignation he rebuketh the Mayde thus crying and in the name of Christ expelleth the spirite Which example although it serue for the instruction of all men yet chiefely it teacheth the Ministers of the worde their dutie who must haue so great a care of the truth that they shoulde suffer nothing which by any meanes maye derogate any thing from the same although it made greatly for their prayse and glorye For as we declared before Satan vseth by flatterie to set on such as he knoweth are other wayes inuincible For the which cause Christ forbade the euill spirites to speake and woulde receyue no commendation at their mouthes Wherefore they are greatly deceyued that vse to dally with those whome they knowe are altogither straungers from the truth They hide many times their poison but the more they flatter the sorer they hurt It is the part of a christian man to take none for his friende whom he knoweth to be Christes enimie and cannot abyde the doctrine of christ But this is very worthye to be considered that Paule setteth Iesus Christ agaynst the Deuill and that he is constrayned to depart assoone as he heareth the name of Christ pronounced This is an vnspeakable argument of the power of christ For none can enter the house of a mightie man and ryfle him of his goodes except he fyrst binde him But Iesus Christ cōming into the world hath so vanquished the Deuill the Prince thereof that if he heare but the name of Christ onely he is constrayned to leaue his possession in men and to giue place vnto christ Therfore we must needes confesse that the power of Christ is much greater than the power of the deuill And of this we must fet comfort in our temptations that we feare not him who hath no power or force agaynst Christ in whom we are graffed through fayth Agayne we are by this place taught that Christ hath nothing to doe with the deuill seeing he doth not vouchsafe to receyue of him any testimonie be it neuer so honorable For what societie or communion can be betweene them seeing according to the fyrst promyse Christ came into the world to breake or crush the Deuils head and to destroy his works This also admonisheth Christians of their dutie that they should haue nothing to doe with the deuill For it is not meete for them that haue professed Christ to dallye with the Deuill in any poynt Let them therefore flye these soothsaying Artes which the craft of the Deuill and curiositie of man hath inuented Let them flye the inglings of enchauntmentes whereby he promyseth men helpe in their diseases or in their other distresses Let them flye false and prophane worshippings Idolatrye superstition and whatsoeuer else plucketh vs from god Let them hate the tyrannie of sinne whereby the libertie that Christ hath purchased vs is lost Let them watch constantly in the fayth and resist the Deuill and he shall depart from them whereby it shall come to passe that we hauing shaken of his yoke shall here leade a life acceptable vnto God and shall hereafter liue and reygne in heauen with our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cx. Homelie AND when hir Mayster and Mystresse sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paule and Sylas and drewe them into the market place vnto the Rulers and brought them to the Officers saying These men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces which are not lawfull for vs to receyue neyther to obserue seeing wee are Romaines And the people ranne against them and the officers rent their clothes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods And when they had beaten them sore they cast them into prison commaunding the Iayler of the prison to kepe them diligently Which when he had receyued such commaundement thrust them into the inner prison and made their feete fast in the stockes AS the Deuill partly with flatterie and deceyte and partlye by open force withstoode Iesus Christ while he liued here on earth and preached the Gospell euen so he vseth the same weapons against the Apostles of Christ at this daye that in tymes past he vsed This maye we see in this present hystorie For agaynst Paule preaching amonge the Philippians he setteth a Damsell possessed with the spirite of the Deuill by whome he giueth a notable testimonie of the truth vnto Paule meaning this way to bring the doctrine of the Gospell in suspition with wise men and to get himselfe some rowme among the professors of christian faith But the Apostle Paule quickly smelleth his subtiltie and compelleth the spirite being adiured by the name of
nor hath any faith Therefore this Iayler doth well to declare his faith by workes of charitie which it becommeth vs also busily to apply if we will not be taken and called vaine professours of the faith Fourthly he reioyceth with all his housholde bicause he beleeued in God and knewe he nowe belonged vnto the Church of Christ in whome onely the treasures of saluation are layde vp And yet as we erewhyle declared he was in great daunger thereby For if the Iudges mindes had notbene sodainely altered which alteration he yet wist not of he had dyed for it insomuch as he had let those loose whome the Iudge had commaunded to be laide in yrons But as faith maketh all men obedient vnto God so it ouercommeth all labours and daungers and suffereth not the feeling of heauenly ioye which the spirite of Christ inspyreth to be ouercome with any temptations Therefore Paule wryting to these faythfull of the Phylippians byddeth them alwaies to reioyce and be glad Moreouer if a man would lay togither all things saide hitherto of this Iayler it shall appeare that fayth is not ydle nor can not be seperated from good workes For what good workes are here lacking He recompenseth the iniuries made before vnto the Apostles He obeyeth God duely with present daunger of his lyfe declaring hereby howe readie he ment afterwarde to be in all other thinges Hee receyued the sacramentes duelie as he ought to doe For where he receyued baptisme streight way it is not like he absteyned from the Lordes supper seing he was conuersaunt with the faithfull Furthermore he was carefull for the saluation of his familie and caused them also to be brought vnto Christ and vnto the congregation also he exerciseth charitie and benefycence liberally and euen in the middle of daungers ioyeth altogither in spirituall gladnesse And yet the Apostles being asked the true waye of saluation appointed him but faith onely in Iesus Christ. And this faith brought forth streight way such excellent fruites as we haue heard Wherevnto yet we must not attribute the glorie of saluation bicause he coulde haue done none of them vnlesse by faith he had beene graffed in Christ and quickned with his spirite Here fyrst are they confuted that saye the doctrine of faith is an enimie vnto good workes seing such increase of good workes springeth of none other thing so much as of faith And next they also which vnder a false pretence of the Gospell seeke the vnbrydelled licentiousnesse of the fleshe and to sinne without check Howbeit after the hystory of the keeper of the Prison ended Luke commeth vnto the officers of Philippi and declareth howe the Apostles were delyuered by their commaundement and authoritie For Gods workes are perfyte and beguyle not mens mindes with vaine hope and expectation of his helpe and succour In the meane season yet God marueylously tosseth the Apostles that one maye see he vseth the wicked to fulfyll his pleasure euen against their wyll But let vs discusse all things in order that we may receyue the more comfort and instruction thereby By the breake of daye came Sergeaunts from the Magistrates commaunding the Apostles to be let loose and it shall appeare afterward by Paules words that this was a secret dimission they went about meaning also to sende them out of the Citie But howsoeuer they were dimissed it is plaine that these Iudges did acknowledge both the innocencie of the Apostles and also their owne vnrighteousnesse which they vsed against them But whether it was the meane whyle of the night that caused them to consider so much or the earthquake that strake them in such feare that they durst not holde on in their tyrannie it is vncertaine But assuredly such sodaine chaunge of minde did aboundantly declare both their rashnesse and vnrighteousnesse Yet go they about marueylous craftily to hyde the heynousnesse they had commytted and whereof they were ashamed For therefore woulde they haue the Apostles priuily to be set at libertie to lay all the fault in them as though they mistrusting their cause had broke open the dores and fledde out of Prison Thus the wicked vse with craftes and colours to seeke to seeme righteous being ashamed of their naughtinesse but meaning no earnest repentaunce which causeth them to their further shame to heape freshe offences and sinnes vpon the olde Therefore this place teacheth vs fyrst what the repentaunce of the wicked is for the most part Doubtlesse a counterfeyte repentaunce and such as reuerence and feare of men onely wringeth out of them not repenting in the meane season from the heart nor nothing mindefull of amendement Thus we reade Saule repented when he earnestly required Samuel not to depart from him least his authoritie and estimation should vtterly haue quayled before the Elders and the people That this is a vaine and vnprofytable repentaunce appeareth euen by this for that in the meane season they hate the worde of God woorse than a Tode bicause the light thereof discloseth their wickednesse Let euery man therefore so learne to acknowledge his offences that he may also be sorrowfull for the same and not seeke to hyde them wyth the shaming of other but rather let them publishe them to the amendment of other and to the setting forth of Gods glorie whereof the scripture giueth vs examples in Dauid and Paule Also this place teacheth vs how easilye wicked officers can quit themselues of great heynous offences For what could this men haue done more wickedly and vnworthy their calling than to beate innocent persons without hearing their cause at the â—ry and clamour of the commons and being all gore bloude and their sores not washed to cast them into a darke dungeon And nowe they thinke it is ynnough if they put them not to death with more shame but conuey them priuily out of the Citie And here is no worde of amends making This is a common thing in these dayes especially in their causes whome the world hateth bicause of their sinceritie in truth and religion yea they thinke they deserue great commendation of modestie and equitie if they doe but depriue such Christians of honours and goodes and banishe them their countrie But let officers consider that they are placed of God in such degree of power and honour Let them also remember that iudgement belongeth vnto god Furthermore let them often remember that they shall one day also come before Christ to be iudged where they shall giue an accompt of all their iudgementes And therefore according to the admonition of the Prophete let them holde the bloud of their subiectes deare in their sight Furthermore here appeareth the inuincible power of God whereby he is able to take and deliuer his beloued out of the handes of the wicked although they persist in their wickeddesse For they repent not of their naughtinesse and thinke of no amendment as we sayde euen nowe yea they vndoubtedly wished the Apostles of
Apostles doctrine For fyrst they shewe whence Paule fet his doctrine verily out of the wrytings of Moses and the Prophets which otherwheres he sayth were inspyred of God and in the which Christ witnesseth that the mysteries of eternall lyfe are conteyned Therefore out of the same also in these dayes must the doctrine taught in the congregation be taken Neyther must their impudencie be borne with which will not haue the controuersies of our dayes deuided by the Scriptures but alleage vnto vs the traditions and Canons as they call them of the Apostles and the fathers and the counsels as though they had left vs thinges of more imperfection and certaintie than the Apostles Further we are taught howe Paule handled the scriptures He opened them that is to saye by dyligent interpretation he picked out the true sense and meaning of them applyed the things therin conteyned to his present purpose Which he coulde no wayes more commodiouslye doe then by conference of places By this example of Paule is theyr errour confuted which saye it is sufficient to haue the scripture read ouer in the Church and wyll not suffer the same by exposition to be opened Therefore in these mennes iudgement Paule offended verie much yea Christ himselfe who as we may reade vsed the same order of teaching in the schoole at Nazareth But whosoeuer followeth the example of Christ can not offend And Paule doth much better which requireth such a teacher of the Church as can distribute and deale as it were the worde of truth iustly and duely and can apply it to the instruction and comfort of euery body Thirdely is declared the argument of Paules doctrine which conteyneth in it chiefely two poyntes setting them as it should seeme agaynst so many errours of the Iewes For fyrst they were offended at the crosse of Christ bicause they vnderstoode the oracles of the Prophetes according to the letter and ymagined that the kingdome of Christ should be temporall and looked for a Messias wythout a crosse Which errour may now a dayes also be perceyued in them which would haue the Gospell preached without the crosse and where they desyre to be saued by Christ will not suffer and be afflicted with him The other errour of the Iewes was that they denyed Iesus the sonne of Mary to be their Messias or Christ. Paule laboureth to put both these errours away going about to prooue by testimony of scriptures that God had from before the begynning of the world ordeyned this way for man to be saued by that is to say by the incarnation death and resurrection of his sonne Againe applying those things vnto Iesus the sonne of Marie which the Prophets in tymes past spake before of the Messias he euidently declareth that he ought to be acknowledged for the Messias and that none other ought to be looked for Nowe as Paule declared these things at large by testimonies of scriptures gathered out of all places so might they be by vs in ample wise prosecuted But bycause it appeareth easily by the sermons both of Paule and the other Apostles going before what places they for the most part vsed and they that vse to reade the scriptures fynde euerywhere such things as conteyne in them the knowledge of Christ we wyll of purpose be the shorter In the meane while we haue here two things to obserue Fyrst what ought to be preached in the Church Uerily euen Iesus Christ only whome Paule otherwheres confesseth onely that he knoweth and none other For where he alone is sufficient for vs in all things bicause he is giuen to vs of the father to be our Brydegrome Shephearde King and Priest head righteousnesse wisedome satisfaction sanctifycation and redemption he himselfe would haue men brought vnto him it is vnmeete to teach any thing not agreeable with him The seconde thinge is howe Christ should be preached To be euen such an one as the Scriptures declare him to be who dying for vs on the Aultar of the crosse purged our sinnes and by his glorious resurrection ouercame death who reigneth not in this worlde lyke vnto the kings here on earth but being taken vp into heauen comforteth vs by his spirite and through our afflictions and infyrmitie of the flesh triumpheth ouer all our aduersaries They that haue conceyued in their mindes Christ to be such an one can be offended at no worldly attempts but being voyde of care and merie laugh at all that the worlde goeth about against the Church Learne therefore hereby to iudge of the doctrine of these dayes and harken not vnto them which in the businesse of our saluation teach any more then Christ seing that Paule knewe him onely notwithstanding he was rapt vp into the thirde heauen Moreouer the successe declareth that Paules preaching was not in vaine For certaine of the Iewes beleeued yet but a fewe bicause nowe beganne the blindnesse of that nation Yet God keepeth and fulfylleth hys truth while he saueth certaine remnauntes out of the innumerable multitude And that they were vnfayned beleeuers appeareth by this that they openly ioyne themselues vnto Paule and Silas both for learning sake and also to protest openly their beliefe Yet a greater company of the Greekes beleeued whome he calleth religious bicause before this they had tasted a little of true religion which it is lyke they learned by being conuersaunt with the Iewes For although the incredulitie of that nation was past hope yet God would vse them being dispersed abroade in the worlde to bring the Gentyles from ydolatry vnto the worshipping of the true God and euerywhere to sowe certaine principles and grounds of pure religion touching the honouring and inuocating of one god With this company of the faithfull are numbred certaine noble and chiefe women that a manne maye see howe God hath a regarde of his elect in all states and degrees of persons This place teacheth vs that the Gospell is neuer preached in vaine as hath bene already oftentymes declared Here are also touched the dueties of them that truely beleeue ardent desyre of true doctrine and religion thankefulnesse towarde the teachers of saluation and playne and open profession of the true fayth For God will haue none of them to worship him that can dissemble and play on both handes God graunt that we also being illuminated with the light of true fayth may declare our fayth both in worde and deede and by the same maye come vnto the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxiiij Homelie BVT the Iewes which beleeued not had indignation and tooke vnto them euill men which were vagabondes and gathered a company and set all the Citie on an roare and made assault vpon the house of Iason and sought to bring them out to the people And when they founde them not they drewe Iason and certayne brethren vnto the heades of
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
Corinthians and vsed his helpe in laying the foundation of a most famous Church Thus commeth it oftentimes to passe that the thing which at the fyrst seemed to vs very grieuous and intollerable is yet at length the cause of great commoditie profyte Therefore Paule for diuers occasions taketh vp his lodging with this man For besides that he was well instructed in the fayth his fortune was to be banished with others made him the more gentle vnto straungers whom they that dwell and liue all their lyfe at home for the most part contemne Furthermore being of the same occupation that Paule was that is to saye a sower or maker of tentes which in those dayes were made of hydes and skynnes it was very commodious for the Apostle to dwell with him bicause he might by the same trade helpe to get his liuing It shall be good to consider yet diligently both Aquilas and Paules person Aquilas giueth vs a notable example both of faith and charitie For being a man of handy-craft and banished he receyueth the Minister of Christ to harbour in a straunge Citie by his example reproouing the richer sort of dishonestie and shame which made so litle account of straungers in their owne dwellings yea it appeareth by other places that his hospitalitie was so great that he had a Church or Congregation in his house Let them therfore be ashamed of their inhumanitie and fylthye niggardenesse which abounding in riches and peace haue no compassion on the banished for Christes sake These shall one day learne to their great griefe what the sorrowes of banishment are and what an heape of cares persecution bringeth with it But they which being enflamed wyth the loue of Christ make much of his seruants and take them in shall fynde the Lorde a most thankefull recompencer who promyseth him a worthy rewarde that giueth but a cuppe of colde water to any one of hys Disciples He shall at the last day take whatsoeuer is done for any of his members as done vnto himselfe Lykewyse in Paule are notable and singuler vertues to be seene For this is an argument of constant fayth that he is not so offended at his course lodging that he woulde therefore forsake Corinth For he knewe that God vsed to choose the despysed things of this worlde wyth the which to set forth hys kingdome to the confusion of them which seeme in their owne conceyte excellent and singular Agayne he exerciseth loue and equitie in that he sitteth not ydle in Aquilas house but layeth his handes to worke and getteth his lyuing honestly Which example as it is worthye of singular commendation so doe they naughtily apply it which by the same exact of all Ministers to labour with their handes as though it were not meete for them to liue of the ministery of the worde For Paule laboured not bicause he thought it vnlawfull for any to liue of the stipend of the Church but for that there was yet no church at Corinth gathered of whose stypende he was able to liue In the meane season he thought he woulde not burthen those fyrst fruites of a Church gathered in Aquilas house whose substaunce and goodes were noâ— verye great Afterwardes when the congregation was growne to a full Church he woulde not vse hys ryght and libertie by reason of the slaunderous reportes of certayne false teachers which sayde that he and such as he was laye in wayte to enrich themselues by other mennes goodes and therefore they taught for naught For this cause woulde Paule in no case be inferior to these fellowes thinking it better for a season to want his dutie than by to hastie calling therfore to bring the Gospell in suspition Yet he sayth he robbed other Congregations to preach vnto the Corinthians freelye And he confesseth that the Philippians releeued him with mony which they sent him By this example of Paule our masking Byshoppes are reprooued who lyuing in ryot lyke Persians vppon the goodes of the Church doe no seruice to the Church at all And not these onely but certaine belly Gods also that glory in the name of the Gospell and yet are giuen altogither vnto couetousnesse shamefully forsaking the Churches where they might by their seruice doe much good for a little lucre and aduauntage sake of some greater stypende and wages Both these sortes shall one daye feele the iudgement of God which will not suffer his Church to be so slenderly regarded for naught But bicause Paule came not to Corinth to the end to sowe Tents but to set out the kingdome of Christ it is also declared which waye he did the same After his accustomed maner he frequented the Church on the sabboth dayes And fyrst he prudentlye moderated his doctrine handling it according to the capacitie of his hearers as he otherwheres confesseth saying he fedde them wyth mylke bicause as yet they coulde not awaye wyth stronger meate Thys order Luke expresseth by this worde perswading to declare that he did creepe as it were within his hearers for feare of ofâ—ending them at the begynning And verily it is to be thought that he proceeded in that order that he vsed at other tymes He knewe the Iewes were ledde with a preposterous zeale of their lawe and that they sought saluation and iustifycation in the workes thereof He taught therefore that all men were sinners and that they were not able of themselues to satisfie the lawe Thereby it was easily to be gathered that an other must be sought for by whose merite men might be saued Which was a most commodious waye to come vnto the mysteries of christ Let all Ministers of the word of God and his Church imitate thys example of Paule least whyle they haue no consideration of their hearers speaking all thinges in a confused order they driue them from the kingdome of Christ whome they myght wynne vsing the matter modestly and prudently Surely he requyreth such a Minister of the worde as can breake or deuyde the worde of truth in due order and rightly And Christ requyreth of him not onely trustinesse but also prudencie But least any man might thinke that Paule fedde them styll wyth mylke Luke wryteth that at length vpon occasion offered he more earnestly handeled Christes cause For when Silas and Timotheus were come out of Macedonia he beganne to pull all his wyttes togyther eyther for that he heard the Gospell had good successe among the Macedonians or else for that he was troubled in his minde with the miserable case and blindenesse of so famous a Citie For whose heart would not be mooued to see so notable a Citie running headlong into hir owne mischiefe and destruction and to see the ignorance of such a sort of men so miserably deceyuing themselues Surely what euer that constraint of Paule was it is certaine that he beganne more earnestly to be incensed by the holye ghost and to preache and testifye to the Iewes more openly that Iesus
the sonne of Marie was the Messias and Christ that is the sauiour of the worlde that was promysed by whose onely merite we are delyuered from the cursse of the lawe from sinne and from death Thus let Ministers prepare them away prudently that at length they may waxe feruent in setting forth Christ and maintayning his doctrine that they cloke not their fearefulnesse with the pretence of modestie Againe it appeareth that Christ is the chiefe marke and Butte of the Apostles doctrine whose wytnesses they were chosen to be Peter in the Sermons that are before gone hath taught vs that in hym onely is all our saluation conteyned Paule afterwarde wryting to the Corinthians confesseth that he knoweth nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucifyed Iohn sayeth that whatsoeuer is written by the Euaungelistes serueth to this ende that we shoulde beleeue that Iesus is Christ by beliefe attaine to lyfe euerlasting we must therefore be contented with the same For it is not lawfull for any man to chalenge to himselfe any more knowledge of saluation then the Apostles did which had Christ to their schoolemaister and his most faythfull spirite for their counseller Wherefore let vs all know Christ onely which is our king and only priest who dying for our sinnes and rysing againe for our iustifycation hath redeemed vs and made vs kings and priests to his father To him be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxxj. Homely AND when they sayd contrary and blasphemed he shooke his rayment and sayde vnto them your bloud be vpon your owne heades from henceforth will I go blamelesse vnto the Gentyles And he departed thence and entred into the house of a certaine man called Iustus a worshipper of God whose house ioyned hard to the Synagoge Howbeit one Crispus the chiefe Ruler of the Synagoge beleeued on the Lorde with all his housholde and many of the Corinthians when they gaue audience beleeued and were baptised Then spake the Lorde to Paule in the nyght by a vision be not afrayd but speake for I am with thee and no man shall inuade thee that shall hurt thee for I haue much people in this Citie And he contynued there a yeare and sixe Moneths and taught them the worde of God. OUr Sauiour Iesus Christ many tymes testifyed that the chiefe cause whye he came into the worlde was to saue sinners The Apostles beyng mindefull hereof vsed to preache the doctrine of saluation vnto notable synners and to bring them into the felloship of Christ and his Church So behooued it to be in the begynning bicause none shoulde thinke Christes merite coulde be ouercome by any heynousnesse of our sinnes or should beginne to dispayre of their saluation in him This same may notably be seene in the conuersion of Corinthe For we heard erewhyle that it was a most naughtie and corrupt Citie Yet is Paule sent thither to delyuer them by the preaching of the Gospell from the brynke of destruction And fyrst according to his vsuall maner he offereth saluation vnto the Iewes who yet of all others had deserued that God should not regarde them Who therefore will despayre of Gods mercie who so earnestly sought the saluation of so hatefull a people Let vs here marke howe the incurable impietie of this people wrastled here also against the long suffering of God Christ our Sauiour ouercomming and triumphing in the myddle of thys sturre and businesse For it is written that the Iewes gaynesayde Paule plainely bearing witnesse vnto Christ and at length rayled at him and blasphemed his doctrine That this was their common vsage we haue nowe learned by many examples This wickednesse of theirs is horrible if we consider eyther what they were in tymes passed or expende the rage of euill speaking that they vse agaynst Christ yet to this daye For who woulde not feare the horror of Gods iustice seeing he perceyueth no Nation these manye hundreth yeares such miserable vessels of his wrath as they which sometime were called the fyrst begotten of God the chosen stocke and Priestly kingdome of God It is very worthy to be noted that they nowe at length contrarye and gaynesaye Paule when he moste plainely beginneth to beare witnesse vnto Christ where as before this they had hearde him intreate of the law and certayne other pointes certayne sabboth daies togither very willingly For this that was done at Corinth we see commeth to passe nowe a dayes euerywhere They are after a sort borne withall that can nicke manifest abuses and errors a farre of as many vsed to doe in the tyme of Papistry But assoone as Christ is vrged and his glory plainly and manifestly defended then become they starke madde which before seemed very modest The cause of this euill is for that without the preaching of Christ all other reprehensions are but colde and are of no more weyght than the taulkes of Philosophers who we may reade disputed with great shewe of learning touching the studies of vertue and the miserable condicion of vices But Christ entring into the hearts of men cutteth awaye euen to the quicke all corruption aswell of religion as of manners and liuing and therefore the consequences that necessarily followe of this doctrine seeme to the worlde intollerable For of this doctrine followeth vtterlye the fall of buying and selling of holynesse Hereby is the brightnesse of mannes righteousnesse cleane put out and all affiance in our owne merites quyte ouerthrowne The same reprooueth our corrupt maners and exacteth of vs no counterfeyte or pagiantlyke repentance but a syncere and perfyte such as neyther the corruption of our fleshe can abyde nor mannes power perfourme It seemeth tollerable ynough vnto the worlde to reprooue an adulterer a souldier an vsurer a drunkerde and to let him alone in the Church if he be purged with a friuolous satisfaction although he follow styll the same trade of lyfe But if a man thunder out the sentence of damnation agaynst him by the voyce of the Gospell and exclude him out of the kingdome of God bicause he will not repent this they thinke to be a thing intollerable This is an euident proofe of our corruption and that they are in deede the enimies of God that purposely runne on in sinne and will not be corrected by the worde of god For who will not thinke him to be the enimye of God who despyseth the sonne of God in comparison of his abhominable sinfulnesse Agayne let vs obserue the maner of speach that Luke vseth They spake agaynst him sayth he and blasphemed The fyrst degree of vngodlynesse is to speake against the worde of God. This bicause many doe of ignoraunce their error at the fyrst may be winked at But he that is so led with naughtye and euill affection to speake agaynst the truth reuealed being not contented with this fyrst degree or steppe they commonlye turne them vnto rayling What these raylings and slaunders were that the Iewes vsed agaynst Paule we may gather
Therefore Dauid gathereth very probably thus The Lorde is my helper I will not feare what man can doe vnto me And bicause this promise is generall and appertayneth to all them that walke in the vocation of God all menne ought to applye it vnto themselues and in affiaunce hereof to beare out all the assaultes of the worlde couragiously The seconde reason is No man shall inuade thee that shall hurt thee He sayeth his enimies enterprises shall be in vaine This is a speciall promise which alwayes taketh not place For many times it commeth to passe that the godly are entangled in many troubles and grieuous daungers and we reade that Paule was layde hands on manye times yea after this he was taken and brought to Rome by sea and lande where he ended his life by the sworde And notwithstanding these things came so to passe yet abideth the truth of Gods fyrst promise sure and fast and god saueth those that be his from death and neuer fayleth them Wherefore we must walke and holde on in the vocation of god by fyre and sworde The thirde reason is that he sayth he hath much people in Corinth· By this he teacheth him that his labor shall not be in vaine bicause the word of god in the elect and predestinate to saluation vseth to be effectuall as is declared in the .xiiij. Chapter This is verye notable that God hath in so naughty a Citie so much people and more than Athens which thought hir selfe for vertue and wisedome to passe all other Cities Whereby we gather that they which are openly drowned in sinne are moste apt to receyue the kingdome of god than the Iusticiaries and holy ones that woulde seeme to all men to be iust and good For it fareth herein as in the sickenesses of the bodye For as they that are sicke of knowne diseases doe sooner seeke the Phisitions than they that are diseased with secret whereof they are ashamed and can after a sort hyde them so they that be notorious open sinners doe sooner receyue the doctrine of saluation than hypocrites which swollen with the confydence of their owne righteousnesse thinke they haue neede of none other For where these cannot denye but they are sinners they of necessitie are carefull howe to be saued and are compelled to seeke saluation in others than themselues Which is the cause that Publicanes and harlots are preferred before Phariseyes in the kingdome of god And Christ appointed the doctrine of saluation to beginne with the reprehension of sinners that laying aside the pryde of our owne righteousnesse we myght learne to flie vnto the grace of god In the meane season it ought much to comfort vs that the Lorde hath many heyres of eternall saluation in so vntowarde a Nation For hereby it appeareth that God is neuer without hys seauen thousande although all menne seeme wicked and naught 1. Reg. 19. For such is the certainetie of Goddes Election and Predestination that they are counted for Gods elect which are from euerlasting written in the booke of lyfe although they yet lye drowned in sinne Euen so Christ calleth them his sheepe which yet he had not called by outward preaching nor drawne by inwarde operation of his spirite but yet knewe they were gyuen him by his father before the foundations of the worlde were layde And this is a consolation of all other most effectuall that our sinnes cannot hynder Gods election For whome he hath predestinate those in tyme he calleth and draweth and maketh lyke vnto the ymage of his sonne and suffereth them not for any thing to be seperated from his loue Moreouer howe great the force of Gods comfort is appeareth by Paule which abode a whole yeare and sixe Moneths at Corinthe and there preached the worde of god Here the pacience of Paule and the truth and power of God which preserued his seruaunt so long in so wicked a Citie is diligently to be considered He aboade so long among these prowde and vnthankefull men as tyll he had brought those vnto God which he heard were his elected What fyercenesse and discourtesie they vsed in the meane season agaynst Paule may easily appeare by his Epistles This example of Paule reprooueth them that rashely leaue theyr Churches assoone as they see all things succeede not according to their desyre we are taught moreouer what a painefull thing it is to edifye and buylde the Church seing we heare that Paule laboured so long at Corinthe where he confesseth that he dyd but plant onely Yea his Epistles declare that there was neede afterwarde of contynuall traueyle and care Therefore the slouth of some Ministers is very detestable which suppose vehemencie of zeale in edyfying of the Church is but superfluous Let them all follow Paules industrie that by daylie exercise of fayth we may make sure our election and vocation and come to the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxij Homelie WHEN Gallio was Ruler of the Countrie of Achaia the Iewes made insurrection with one accorde against Paule and brought him to the iudgement seate saying This fellow counselleth men to worship God contrarye to the lawe And when Paule was about nowe to open his mouth Gallio sayde to the Iewes If it were a matter of wrong or an euill deede ô yee Iewes reason woulde that I shoulde heare you But if it be a question of wordes or of names or of your lawe looke yee to it your selues for I wyll be no iudge of such matters and he draue them from the seate Then all the Greekes tooke Sosthenes the chiefe Ruler of the Synagoge and smote hym before the Iudges seate And Gallio cared for none of these things ALthough God sendeth out the Ministers of his worde as sheepe among Wolues yet he defendeth them with his fauour and protection so that the wicked enimyes of truth can not doe what they please against them This Paule found true both at Corinth specially and at manye other places besides For being in feare and trembling in the midst of many daungers almost swallowed vp of feare God preuenteth him with his comfort and promyseth him not onely safetie but also great successe and fruite of his labour and traueyle And that he promysed him he perfourmeth to the vttermost as this present place declareth For in a tumulte and vprore where the Iewes raued lyke madde men when all hope of mans helpe was past God by his secret power wonderfully saueth and delyuereth hym so that he taketh no harme And bycause this is a peculiar and very notable example of Gods ayde and assistaunce it shall not be vnprofytable to discusse euery circumstaunce of this hystorie And fyrst the begynners of thys trouble are here noted which are the Iewes of whome seing we haue often times intreated it needeth not that we say any more These men hauing hytherto bene quyet being kept
and becke the Apostle writeth that the Deuils tremble and quake Why then are we afrayde of Satans craft or power whose helpe we see Christ here vse at his pleasure so mightilye Nowe is the Prince of this worlde throwne out of his kingdome which so long he hath so falsely claymed vsurped And it is no harde thing for them to ouercome him that are by fayth graffed in Christ. Nowe let vs come to the last part of this hystorie which conteyneth in it manifolde and singular fruite First this thing was knowne amongst all the Ephesians who were all striken of God whome they sawe so seuerely reuenge the abusing of his sonne and of his name This is the lawfull vse of Gods iudgements to put in our mindes a sense or feeling of Gods religion But O miserable wretches that we be which maye seeme altogither to be waxed deafe seeing we are mooued with no examples that God daily sheweth vppon the blasphemers and contemners of his name and worde Next many of them that beleeued came of their owne accorde and confessed their doings openly This is an euident argument of the mortifycation of the fleshe which being most desirous of honor and estimation can hardly be brought to confesse she hath erred But the desire of truth and glorye of God ouercommeth all affections of the fleshe in those that beleeue By this place it appeareth what maner of confession the Scriptures requyre of vs verily publike and open which serueth to the setting forth of Gods glorye and to the amendement of many Therefore their ignorance is very grosse which thinke by this example to establishe auricular confession wherewith this confession that Luke here speaketh of hath no affinitie For these Ephesians come of their owne accorde and confesse their olde errors giuing thankes vnto God which had vouchsafed to deliuer them from them But the Pope enforceth men agaynst their willes to confesse their secret faultes also which no manne was priuie to before We reade they made confession but once where the Pope commaundeth vs oftentimes to confesse They made open confession and that before all men But the Pope teacheth vs to whisper our sinnes in the eare of the Priest onely They by their confession sought nothing but the glory of god The Pope commaundeth to aske remission of sinnes and satisfaction of the priest What stande we long The more diligently a man examineth the circumstances of this dooing the more manifestly it shall appeere auricular confession is rather ouerthrown than confyrmed by this example But lette vs returne to the Ephesians whereof many were hytherto giuen to curious artes but are nowe so touched with the feeling of Christes spirite that they openly burne their bookes on heapes where we vnderstande not onely their Magicall bookes but also all other bookes that serued rather vnto fruitelesse and offensiue studies than vnto godlynesse such as for the most part are the bookes of Astrologie Geomantie soothsaying bookes and bookes of loue and such like He sheweth also the pryce or value of the bookes which after the Germanes account amounteth to the summe of sixe thousande sixe hundred threescore and sixe florenes By this meane the godly persons thought to take all occasion of offence both from themselues and from other in time to come And this is the true propertie of them that vnfeynedly repent that they hate the instrumentes of sinne as much as the sinne it selfe and are not grieued to lose those things which they knowe had sometime bene occasion of their fall be they neuer so precious Therefore they cannot be iudged to haue truly repented nor to vnderstande the heynousnesse of their offences which vse to retaine and keepe in these dayes the instrumentes of their euill dooinges such as are Images superstitious deckinges of Churches bookes that teach superstition amorous writings wanton apparell and innumerable such like Last of all Luke sayth that the worde of God grewe mightily and was confyrmed in the hearts of the Disciples which was an effect of their former studie For the worde of God vseth marueylously to growe if all impediments be taken out of the waye that may hinder it Let vs therfore followe the example of this famous Church that increasing daily more in fayth we may become perfyte men in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxviij Homelie AFTER these thinges were ended Paule purposed in the spirite when hee had passed ouer Macedonia and Achaia to go to Ierusalem saying After I haue bene there I must also see Rome So sent hee into Macedonia two of them that ministred to him euen Timotheus and Erastus but he himselfe remayned in Asia for a season The same tyme there arose no little adoe about that way For a certayne man named Demetrius a siluer smyth which made siluer shrines for Diana was not a little benefyciall to the craftes men Whome he called togither with the workemen of like occupation and sayd Sirs you knowe that by this craft we haue aduauntage Moreouer you see and heare that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded and turned awaye much people saying that they bee not Goddes which are made with handes So that not onely this our Craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also that the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana shoulde be despysed and hir magnifycence shoulde bee destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshippeth BYcause Paule knewe that the Lorde had not appoynted him to be a teacher of one Nation onely therefore he thought he woulde not serue still in one Nation but preach the Gospell euerywhere vnto all people Yea he thought that on him chiefely lay the charge of all Churches as he declareth in his later Epistle to the Corinthians Wherfore being not contented here and there to gather Churches togither he goeth to see and visite those he had gathered and ordeyned least anye thing might fall downe agayne eyther by the wearysomnesse of man or by the craft and subtiltie of the Deuill We haue seene hitherto diuers ensamples of lyke endeuor wherevnto this may also be annexed that Luke telleth in the beginning of this place to the which he ioyneth a newe hystorie of sedition raysed against Paule whereby his purpose of visiting the Churches for a time was stopped The author of this deuise and counsayle was the holy spirite by whose conduct and guyding we haue often shewed that Paule beganne and tooke all his matters in hande He purposed to go into Macedonia and Achaia to visite and confyrme the Churches of the Philippians Thessalonians and Corinthians and also to gather an almesse or reliefe among them to cary to the needy brethren in Syria as may euidently be gathered of his Epistles to the Corinthians which iourney being ended he ment to go to Rome to bestowe some gift of the spirite vpon the faythfull there also and to receyue mutuall consolation of
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
should see him no more they would followe his example and diligently kepe the doctrine he had taught them that they would carefully watche for the sauegarde of the Churche and stoutly resist those heretickes whereof a numbre very noysome and hurtfull would follow He exhorteth them the rather by his example and vrgeth them the more earnestly bicause that as he was in his owne conscience not culpable so he communed with them to whome his credite and diligence was well knowne And in the beginning he comprehendeth brefely bothe the example of his owne life and the summe of his doctrine Concerning his liuing he sayth thus Yee knowe from the first day I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which happened to mee by the laying await of the Iewes As he calleth them to witnesses so he alleageth all the time of his conuersation among them least any mighte thinke hee had counterfaited godlinesse for a small seasone as a great many vse to doe who when they haue craftily crope and gotte within men through their pretence of vertuousnesse at lengthe moste shamefully bewray their cloked naughtinesse For the wicked can not long counterfet godlinesse But bicause Paule had wholely addicted himselfe vnto Christ and to his religion therefore he alwayes obserued one tenor of conuersation and one like studie and trauaile in the Ministerie Of this studie and trauaile is it to be vnderstanded where it is sayde he serued the Lorde wherein he maketh mention of three things specially humblenesse of minde teares which the earnest desyre of all mennes saluation caused him to shed and greeuous temptations which yet could neuer plucke him from doing his office and duetie By these lette the Ministers of Churches learne what manner of men they ought to be in the Ministerie of the Churche And firste lette them laboure for Humilitie that they ascribe not to them selues impudently any Diuinitie or Godheade which is the propertie of Antichriste or contempne any persone in comparison of themselues and so arrogantly seeke rule and Lordshippe ouer their fellowe Ministers which thing Peter warneth them of in his first Epistle and fifthe Chapter For it becommeth them that will bee Christes Ministers to followe Christes ensample who as hee derogateth nothing from the glory of his Father so hee neuer disdained any persone in so muche that hee liued very familiarely with Publicanes and sinners and did witsafe to washe hys Disciples feete so leauing it to them as an Example of Humilitie teaching them that they shoulde refuse no kinde of duetifulnesse one towardes an other Unto Humilitie must bee ioyned a desire to profite all menne whiche Ministers muste seeke with all diligence yea euen with teares For hereof we haue an ensample in Christe who as Mathewe wryteth in the ninthe Chapter was moued euen from the bottome of the heart when he sawe the Iewes go astray like sheepe lacking a Shephearde And in an other place we read he wepte when hee behelde Ierusalem that vnkinde and bloudy Citie knowing that for their greeuous wickednesse and irrepentant mindes they should shortly come to destruction The like affection of Charitie we see in Moses who chose rather to bee wyped oute of the Booke of life than to see the destruction of his Countrymen Samuel the Prophete had the like in him also who hearing that God hadde forsaken Saule tooke suche a care of heart therefore that he ceased not mourning till God reprehended him for it 1. Sam. 15. and â–ª 16. And that Paule proudely bragged not of this affection bothe his faithfull and continuall diligence to sette foorthe the publike saluation proueth and also this that for the Iewes sake which were hys mortall ennemyes hee wished to be accursed And surely as many as well vnderstande the reason of their Ministerie cannot wante thys affection for where they heare that menne are borne againe by their Ministerie they take them for theyr Children whome they bryng vnto GOD and they vse to embrace them with a Fatherly affection which if any man wante doubtlesse hee aboundantly declareth that hee vnderstandeth not the dignitie of hys Ministerie But there muste bee also ioyned heereunto a thirde thing that they fall not in the time of temptation or being ouercomen with feare forsake not their Churches when persecution ariseth For Christ saithe that this is the propretie of hirelings Yea lette them thincke that their Faithe and constancie is then cheefely required when they see bothe them selues and their sheepe most of all tempted And if a manne woulde compare those that nowe a dayes will bee called Successoures of the Apostles wyth this Example of Paule it shall easely appeare howe little or nothyng of Paules heart and minde is in them bicause in pride they exceede all barbarous Princes they fill the world full of warres they haue no pitie of the sheepe that goe astray but are only careful how to prouide for them and theirs with the common losse and detriment of other men But lette vs retourne vnto Paule who rendering an accompte of hys Doctrine setteth out a perfecte patterne of the same not onely to the Ephesians and those of Asia but to all Ministers for all tymes and all places And fyrste he sayth he didde all things among them of good purpose and intente I kepte backe nothyng that was profitable vnto you but shewed you it c. The sense is that hee kepte from them nothyng that was necessarie for them to knowe The same is required of all Ministers to teache the doctrine of saluation perfectly and to keepe backe nothyng for the worldes pleasure Yea the more the worlde rageth the more muste the trumpe of the worde sounde that they suffer not the truthe to bee oppressed and ouercome with the fury of the worlde Heere is reproued the errour of them whych thinke it good to yeelde somewhat to the enimyes of truthe that they bee not the more incensed by playnenesse of teaching as thoughe they became not the fiercer throughe the slothe of Ministers whyle they thynke men feare them and the Ministers distruste their grounde and quarell It is heere chiefly to bee noted that the Apostles teache all thinges fully and perfectly that concerne the saluation of man so that there needeth no additions or patches to supply or make vp their doctrine For it is euident that Chryst concealeth nothing from them prouing by this argument that he tooke them for his friendes bycause he reuealed all thinges vnto them that he receyued of his father He promised them his spirite to prompt them and put them in remembraunce of all things which we haue seene before they receyued Therefore the doctrine of the Apostles is full and perfecte whereby they taughte Iesus Chryste onely vnto the Churche as their Epistles and Sermons aboundantly declare Therefore they do great iniurie
Magistrate or officer is necessarie to brydle and keepe vnder suche vnruly fellowes Let vs therefore lyue within the feare of God and directe al our dooings after his holy will who is able not onely to delyuer vs out of the hands of the wicked but also from the iawes of Hell and death through hys sonne Iesus Chryst our Lorde to whom be blessings honour power and glory nowe and euer Amen The Cxlj. Homelie THen the Captayne came neere and tooke him and commaunded him to be bounde with two chaynes and demaunded what he was and what he had doone And some cryed one thing some another among the people And when he coulde not knowe the certayntie for the rage he commaunded him to be carried into the Castle And when he came vnto a Stayre it fortuned that he was borne of the Souldiours for the violence of the people For the multitude of the people followed after â–ª crying away with him And when Paule beganne to be carryed into the Castle he sayde vnto the high Captayne May I speake vnto thee Which sayde Canst thou speake Greeke Arte not thou that Aegyptian which before these dayes madest an vproare and leddest out into the wildernesse foure thousande men that were murtherers But Paule sayde I am a man which am a Iewe of Tharsus a Citie in Cicill a Citizen of no vile Citie I beseeche thee suffer mee to speake vnto the people And when he had giuen him lycence Paule stoode on the steppes and beckened with his hande vnto the people and when there was made a great sylence he spake vnto them in the Hebrue tongue saying WHere Dauid a man after Gods owne mynde sayth Many are the tribulations of the iuste and the Lorde deliuereth them out of all The same appeareth in this Hystorie to be moste truely sayde For we haue here howe Paule was taken by the furious multitude of the Iewes howe he was buffeted and beaten howe he was lyke to be killed among them which burning in cankred hatred agaynst him thyrsted for nothing so muche as his bloud But lo on the sodayne God rayseth vp for hym a defender and deliuereth his Apostle by those which were strangers from the fayth and religion of god But where we haue in the laste Sermon entreated of the vse and ende heereof wee will nowe examine the hystorie of hys delyuerie which Luke moste exactly describeth with all the circumstances thereof First he declareth what the Captaine of the souldiers did He first of all taketh Paule out of their raging hands and commaundeth to bynde hym with two chaynes this doth he not of any head or ouercome with hastinesse of anger bicause al his dooing declareth manyfest tokens of a moderate meaning But he doth it partely for that he thought he was some euill man seeing euery body so earnestly set agaynst him and partly for that he perceiued he could pacify the furious people no way more commodiously than by making them beleeue that he should shortly be punished according to his deserts In the meane season beeing mindfull of his duetie he diligently enquireth what he is and what he had done For this is the duetie of a Magistrate to do nothing rashly or vpon heade For if he haue once iniuried him whom he ought to haue defended then is there no excuse lefte for him Therfore Moyses commaundeth the Iudges to heare both the small and the great yea and to searche out the circumstances of all matters that they offende not either through ignoraunce or blinde affection of the fleshe In the meane whyle we haue heere diligently to consider the maner of this deliuerie Paule is deliuered out of the present perill of his lyfe which the Iewes put him in yet is he bounde with two chayns as though he were some greeuous malefactor Howbeit God had ben able at once to haue set him cleane at libertie which thing bycause he doth not it is certayne that these chaynes were for Paules commoditie and that his captiuitie serued the more to set oute Chrystes kingdome And this is alwayes Gods continuall custome vsing in this sorte to moderate his benefites specially when he perceiueth wee haue neede to bee kepte vnder and brydeled This we finde true many times in sicknesse and in other tribulations wherein it becommeth vs paciently to suffer whatsoeuer God sendeth forasmuche as bothe his will is good and wee can not be exempte or secluded from the care and protection of his diuine prouidence by any aduersitie But what do the people in the meane season First they fill the eares of all men with vncertayne and confused noyse so that nothing coulde bee certaynely knowen or perceyued which is a thing commonly vsed in seditions as hath bene sayde in the .xix. Chapter Next when the Captayne had commaunded him to be bounde and to bee brought into the Castle meaning there to heare the matter they all follow most impudently after and preace vpon him with suche violence that the souldiours are fayne to carry him on their armes and neckes for feare the Rebels might doo him some harme At length they agree all in this that they woulde haue him put to death and made out of the way In which things as Luke setteth out to vs a liuely image of sedition so he teacheth vs that none are more greeuous enimies of the truthe and of the godly than suche as colour their enterprises with a zeale of godlynesse For here a man may see both more equitie humanitie in the barbarous souldiers than in the Iewes which would seme to fight for the Temple and for their religion For they would haue killed him without hearing his cause whome the Captayne made diligent inquirie of They trouble disturbe all thing with shouting and crying where the Captayne dothe all thing peaceably and in quiet These men impudently treade on him whom the souldiours vouchsafe to carry on their shoulders What needeth many words they would neither haue the truth enquired nor the cause tryed but would haue him foorthwith made out of the way to feede their wicked eyes with the sight of an Innocentes bloud We reade how the lyke fell out in Chrystes passion For there was more equitie in Pylate and Herode than in the Priestes and Scribes And the Priestes scorned him hanging on the crosse whom the barbarous Souldiours testified to bee an Innocent bycause of the wonders that they sawe There wante not examples in these dayes considering it appeareth that many bycause of their confession of the truthe are more iustly and gently entreated of Turkes than of the Byshoppes and Monkes which will seeme to bee enflamed with the zeale of godlynesse But this is the liuely portraiture of the diuell cruelly raging vnder the cloke of godlynesse Wee are taught by these examples that they are not to bee excused which wrong the faythfull of Chryst vnder a pretence of suche a zeale For this Chryste prophesied long agoe should come to passe And it is euident
danger of the Iewes therfore he first sheweth the reason therof which was that he was deliuered through the help of God and therfore ought not to be slacke in his office Thus he ascribeth vnto God the benifite of his deliuery whereof it seemed the captaine was the aucthor bicause he knewe the captaine was led by the hand and spirite of god In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that those which haue once or twice proued felt the helpe of God ought to be inflamed with greater diligence and not as some vse to waxe the more remisse and negligent as though they had fulfilled all their duetie at once For beside that we owe vnto God all kinde of duetie the lawe of thankfulnesse requireth the more faithe and industrie of vs least we might seeme vnkiâ—de to God our benefactoure Againe bicause he would not seeme importune in preaching vnto them he declareth that he is bounde in duetie so to doe For hee was detter vnto all men both smal and great Thus he stirreth vp their mindes to thinke that the gospell appertained vnto them also This is very diligently to be considered that we heare the gospell is preached by the commaundement of God to men of all states degrees For hereby we learne that there is no respect of persons with God yea that he would haue all sortes of men to be saued Therefore he hathe appoynted the ministers of the word to be the disposers and stewardes of all his houshold Lette this comfort them that are coÌ„passed about with troubles also teach both ministers and hearers their duetie that neither the one at their pleasure get and procure them disciples after their owne calling nor those other thinke they be at libertie and not bounde to the rule of the gospell At lengthe he repeateth what he taught verely none other thing but that that Moses and the Prophetes had foreshewed in times past He comprehendeth all his doctrine in three Articles which it is euident were then moste in controuersie The first was that Christ was that sauioure that was promised should suffer death for vs For this of all other things was coumpted moste absurde as the wordes read in the twelfth of Iohn abundantly declare The seconde was that the same Christe should rise againe from the dead and that the first but not in order For we reade that diuers other before Christ were raised againe but in worthinesse and in power as the aucthor of the resurrection and life of all men The thirde was that hee should illuminate with his worde and spirite not only the Iewes but also the Gentiles And that Paule declared these things with many places and testimonies of scripture the onely exclamation of Festus shall afterwarde proue And surely there are euery where extant many testimonies bothe of Moses and the Prophets wherby to proue all these things Wherupon we gather againe that the doctrine of the gospell is no newe thing resting or consisting in a few of persons but of most antiquitie and allowed with the consent of all ages Furthermore howe in the scriptures are contained whatsoeuer things are needeful to be beleeued seeing that Paul was able to proue all the mysteries of Christian faith by them Lette vs therfore be contented with them only and constantly holde faâ—â— the faithe contained in them that by theÌ„ we may attaine to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord to whome be blessing honoure power and glory for euer Amen The Clxv. Homelie AS he thus spake for him selfe Festus said with a loud voice Paule thou art beside thy selfe Much learning doth make thee madde And Paule saide I am not madde moste deare Festus but speake forthe the wordes of truthe and sobernesse For the King knoweth of these things before whom also I spake freely Neither thinke I that any of these things are hidden froÌ„ him for this thing was not done in a corner King Agrippa â–ª beleeuest thou the Prophetes I wotte well that thou beleeuest Agrippa saide vnto Paule Somwhat thou bringest me in minde for to become a christian And Paule saide I would to God that not only thou but also all that heare me to day were not somewhat only but altogither suche as I am except these bands And when he had thus spoken the king rose vp and the deputie and Bernice and they that sate with them And when they were gone aparte they talked betweene them selues saying This man dothe nothing worthy of death or of bonds Then saide Agrippa vnto Festus this man mighte haue bene let lose if he had not appealed vnto Caesar. AFter Luke hathe declared Paules oration he sheweth what effect it toke with the hearers And this is a very worthy place to be considered For in two examples he describeth two kindes of men which heare the word of God in vaine The end and vse of all these things is that both ministers may learne how to deale with such fortes of men and also all others vnderstand what to beware of if they will heare the worde of God to their profite and commoditie The first kinde is set out in the example of Festus the Deputie who is a president of vngodly persones and of those which haue no knowledge nor taste at all of any godlinesse Where we haue first to consider Festus and then Paule He gaue eare vnto Paule declaring his visions and prouing al the mysteries of the christian faith and mans saluation by the testimonies of the scriptures whereof he had neuer heard any thing at all as being a Gentile which had more vnderstanding by all likelihode in warres than in religion Wherfore he supposeth that Paule in reasoning of such profouÌ„d and difficulte matters was madde and like vnto those that in their frantike fittes vse to imagine with themselues monstrous and wonderfull things and so vtter them without all reason and very importunately hee interrupteth Paule in his speaking Yet in this one thing he is not altogither vnreasonable that he imputeth the wante of wit which he supposed to be in Paule to ouermuche studie of learning vpbraiding him with none other thing as many vse to do in these dayes This example teacheth vs how litle the word of god preuaileth with theÌ„ which are led only with mans reason For this is their coÌ„mon property to couÌ„t that a mockery that passeth the reach of their capacitie reason Wheras in the mean season they vnderstand nothing lesse than the things belonging to the spirite of god Therfore it caÌ„not be choseÌ„ but they must thinke the gospel of Iesus Christ crucified to be the greatest foolishnesse in the worlde bicause there is nothing so absurde and voide of reason as to aske and hope for saluation in him which was hanged and died on the Crosse among theeues and murtherers Therefore that that happened vnto Paule preaching before Festus the same we read happened before vnto the Prophets and afterward vnto the successoures of the Apostles also namely
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
in the snares of sinne and bee authours of our owne greatest myschiefes Thys chaunced vnto these Souldioures and Maryners who despisyng the Hauen that God had appoynted them at length by Shipwracke loste all that they hadde and were also in hazarde of their lyues Wee haue examples heereof euery where in Hystories among whiche thys one that wee reade of the Israelites is very singular whiche beeyng weery of their present state and condition desired to haue a king and could be induced by no reasons broughte by Samuell to keepe styll that kinde of pollicie or gouernement that God had giuen them Iulius Caesar wryteth the lyke thing of our Auncestours the Heluetians who beeing weerie of their natiue soyle and Countrey went about to plant them selues in Fraunce to their great losse and hinderaunce The vse of all these thinges is to make vs contented with the present state that God giueth vs and to seeke no further For by so doing we shall brydle the affections of the fleshe and kepe our selues in doing our duetie See what Paule hath written hereof 1. Tim. 6. But to returne agayne vnto our men there is a third thing that maketh them stiffe in their purpose bicause they thought the south winde was very good to go away withall And there is no doubt but a great many of them mocked Paule as one that woulde haue hindered the towardnesse of such successe by his couÌ„sel if they would haue giuen eare vnto him But not long after they are greuously punished for their disobedieÌ„ce This is a very notable policy of the diuel who commonly vseth to make the beginnings of sinne to seme easie and prosperous therby to entise vs the rather with the hope of good successe For as sinne flattereth and fawneth vpon our corrupt nature so in the beginning the successe thereof seemeth very fortunate whereby it commeth to passe that wee beeing drâ—nken with fortune doo wickedly despise all wholesome admonitions and many tymes with laughing clappe our handes and hysse at them Weâ— haue examples heereof euery where therefore wee neede not stande long heerein Thus the things that put adulterers dronkardes souldiours and all kinde of mischeeuous doers in good hope of maruellous successe are not long after the causes of gret calamities which thing the contemners of Paules counsel founde true as now shall be declared For not long after arose a Northeast winde notable euen by the prouerbe which turneth their whole shippe hyther and thither round about like as it had ben a wheele So they proue to their great hinderaunce and losse that suche can not long well prosper or go forward as go about any thing agaynst Gods forbode For most times it coÌ„meth to passe that when they thinke they are in most prosperitie some sodayne and vnloked for calamitie quite ouerwhelmeth them Whereof wee haue examples euery day in adulterers theeues couetous persons hired souldiers and to conclude in al the vngodly which the Prophet sayth liue not out halfe their days And this may be seene not onely in priuate men but also in kingdomes and common weales which are enlâ—â—ged by violence and vnrighteousnesse agaynst the lawes of god For commonly some vnhappie ruine throweth them also downe euen when all men thinke they are in moste safetie and that their power is inuincible This thing the fall of the Assirians and Babilonians teacheth vs the ouerthrowes of the Persians the destruction of the Greekes and that ruine of the Romane Empire which happened beyonde the expectation of all the worlde Therefore there is no cause that eyther wee shoulde waxe insolent 〈◊〉 proude of our prosperitie or bee greeued and offended at others But rather let the worde of God be the squire and rule of all our doings whose guâ—â—ing â–ª if wee follow wee shall neither erre from the truthe nor prouoke the 〈◊〉 of God agayâ—â—â— vs. Nowe followeth a more diligent description of that daunger that they procured vnto themselues For a flawe or tempest of winde caught their shippe with suche violence that they were not able to withstande it and therefore they let hir driue whither she woulde with winde and wether And although they were carried vnto the Ilande of Clauda and seemed then to bee in good câ—mforte yet by and by after they were disappoyâ—â—â—â— of thaâ— hope and beganne to bee in daunger bothe of losing their â—oteâ— and wholeshâ—ppe also By which example wee are taughte â–ª that their force is altogither in vayne whome God by hys Iustice persecuteth â–ª For wâ—ereâ—s God is the Lorde of Hostes he is able to arme eueâ— the smallest â–ª or least thinges that are agaynst his enimies so that they shall be able to vanquishe and subdue them Thus the wâ—nde which is the vaynest and vncertaynest thing that is when God so pleaseth is able to subuerte and turne all thinges vpside downe And wee reade howe the soote of the Furnace Frogges Lyce â—imicies Flies and moste small Wormes were the conquerours of Pharao Let no man therefore truste eyther in his owne strength or stryue agaynst God going aboute to â—â—nishe his sinne For although sometyme the stubborne and disobedient seeme to haue some hope of helpe yet whatsoeuer helpes they seeke for in the fleshe they are vnperfecte deceitefull and vayne The onely and certayne way of helpe and saluation is to turne vnto God and to be reconciled vnto him Beside all these euils or distresses they are compelled to caste out their goodes with their owne handes And nowe their mindes are so muche altered that where before they thought they dyd not ryde commodiously inough by Lasea they are nowe fayne of their owne accorde to throw out euen their necessaries and are carefull howe to escape wyth their lyfe where before their onely rare was for commoditie and delightes This is commonly the state of all suche which to obey God wyll suffer no losse of any of the thinges which serue to mayntayne their ryot and pleasure For at lengthe they are compelled to spende and to throwe away all and lose those thinges without the which lyfe can not bee mayntayned For thys is a common and true saying That that Chryste wyll not take the Chequer wyll rake And moste tymes suche as wyll not hazarde their goodes in the quarell of fayth and religion are morselles for tyrants to tyre vpon Likewise they that will not bridle their gluttonous luste and desire of fraunching and feeding as God commaundeth them are deliuereâ— to the Phisitians and Chirurgians to be vexed and tormented Beside that for the moste parte suche men are so troubled in their consciences that they woulde be glad to redeeme the rest and quiet thereof with all their goodes and riches if it were possible Let vs therefore dedicate our selues and all that is ours vnto Chryst which promiseth a lyberall and bountifull rewarde to all them which for his names sake suffer losse of lyfe or worldely goodes Matthew 19. Mark. 10. Let vs also caste away all those thynges that
the meane season and how some beleeued the promisse of god and some not touching euery of the which points we shall speake in order And first of all we haue to consider the Mariners who being in the Adriaticke sea and perceiuing by certaine markes that the lande was not farre of vsed all the diligence that they coulde to gette vnto the shore For letting downe a plumbet of lead by a long line they sounded for the depth of the sea and prepared all other things necessary for that present season which might seeme to be a worke of faith considering they so buckled and framed themselues vnto the promisse of god But when they had cast out their plumbet the seconde time and perceyued that the sea waxed verie shaule being stricken with a newe feare and forgetting the promise and oracle of God they go aboute dishonestly to runne awaye for they hoyse ouer the boate and gette them downe into it and make as though they woulde hoyse out the ankers aforeship where as they meant to prouide for themselues and to leaue the passengers destitute of all hope and sâ—â—coure Heere appeareth the propertie of the fleshe and of all suche as purpose to followe the waye and reason thereof These men at the firste are delyghted with the promyses of God and frame themselues accordingly that is when the successe of things agreeth with the promyses and when they thinke euerie thing will go forwarde and well But assoone as daungers begyn once to appeare that dashe their hope of successe they playnely renounce their fayth and turne them to the counsels of the flesh and shewe themselues moste dishoneste persons bothe towarde God and man And that these Mariners dyd we see the people of Israell dyd also who when they fyrste hearde that God had promysed to sette them at libertie embraced the deuice and counsell of God with great reuerence But Pharao vexed with the demaunde or request of Moyses and Aaron began to handle them more seruilely than before then forgat they the promise of God and fell to reâ—yling saying The Lord looke vnto you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to stinke in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruantes and haue put a sworde in their hande to sley vs. And the same people when they shoulde go out of Egipt laden wyth golde and costly apparell tooke their iourney ioyfully But when they came to the red Sea and sawe the Host of their enimies harde at their backes they by and by accused Moyses and Aaron the faythfull seruauntes of God of treason and murther Exod. 14. Agayne being miraculously delyuered out of that daunger they declared their ioye of myndes wyth singing But anone after perceyuing want and scarcitie of meate and drinke they turne agayne to their murmuring and complayning But what neede we rehearse this of the Israelites seeing we haue euerie where in these dayes the lyke examples And this is commonly the chiefe cause why men fall from the fayth and forgetting the commaundementes of God neglecte their dutie Let vs learne therefore to abandon the counsell of the fleshe which so disagreeth with the worde of God and in our temptations haue a respect onely vnto hys worde and not vnto the fleshe For the fleshe by reason it can see nothing but the presente state of things doth quickly dispayre But true faâ—th grounded vppon the worde of God onely cannot fall 〈◊〉 fâ—lter 〈…〉 knoweth that God is 〈◊〉 of whose wyll she is certified by hys worde See the 〈◊〉 of Abraham whiche Paul â–ª handleth in the fourthe to the Romaines diligently and trimly Agayne in these marâ—â—â—â—â— we may see what the propertie of suche bolde and confident persones is as despise◠〈…〉 and refuse godly and faythfull admonitions For thus wee see they dyd before â–ª where then persuaded the Centurion to sayle from Candâ—â—â— to the counsell of Paule But when they had brought bothe 〈…〉 and others in daunger then were they lyke â—asâ—atdes afraide 〈◊〉 sought dishonestly to forsake their tackle and compaâ—â—e This is the propertie of all those whiche are dronken in the 〈◊〉 of their owne wisedome The lyke partes also play seditious persones and those that are aucthoures of rebellion in common weales when daungers are on euery side at hand they conuey themselues away Thus Chore when he had made a stirre and vproare through oute the campe he setteth himselfe quiet in hys tente Num. 16. And Absalon while his souldioures are in the fight rideth himselfe vpon a Mule taking his pleasure and pastime when all other were in daunger These examples teache vs to suspect suche kinde of men and not to despise the wholesome counsell of sage and sober persons which we see agreeable with the worde of God. Nowe let vs returne vnto Paule who throughe the secrete instincte of the holy Ghoste perceiuing the Marriners intent admonished the Captaine and souldioures to disappointe this thing Heere we haue diligently to consider the woordes of Paule Except these men sayth he abide in the ship you can not be safe Yet God before this had promised them all their safetie whose Counsels can not be frustrate or made vaine Howe then can they not escape except the Marriners abide in the shippe Doth the truthe of Goddes promisse depende vppon the false Marriners But Paule reasoneth not in this place of the absolute power of god who might easely haue deliuered them oute of all daunger without helpe eyther of Marriners or shippe But bicause hee had no certaine promisse of miraculous deliuery yea hee was tolde that they muste all be cast a lande into a certaine Ilande hee thoughte the order of nature and the remedies that were at hande were not to be despised least by ouermuche confidence and truste in Goddes promisse hee shoulde make them to tempt god Which Example teacheth vs that the prouidence of God and the faithe that consisteth therein is no lette vnto the godly to vse all other lawfull and ordinary meanes For God will haue the order appoynted by him to bee obserued as by many Examples may bee declared In sowing of corne the Scripture teacheth vs that nothing succedeth except God giue the increase But the same Scripture testifieth that God hathe appointed this order that the grounde shoulde bee tilled by oure laboure and so muste receiue blessing from heauen and bee made fitte to beare corne So in the gouernaunce of an house wee knowe that all endeuoure is superfluous onlesse the Lorde builde the house And yet in the scripture diligent and careful housholders are commended and in setting forthe the praises of a good huswife or matrone the holy Ghoste mighte 〈◊〉 almost too industrious and carefull Therefore Paule dothe well in thinking the Marriners oughte not to bee lette goe althoughe hee nothing douâ—red in the promisse of God following the Example of Christe who where hee certainely knewe that he was commended to the ministerie and tuition