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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	cover_v	head_n	prophesy_v	1,689	5	11.0692	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14710	An hundred, threescore and fiftene homelyes or sermons, vppon the Actes of the Apostles, written by Saint Luke: made by Radulpe Gualthere Tigurine, and translated out of Latine into our tongue, for the commoditie of the Englishe reader. Seene and allowed, according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions; In Acta Apostolorum per Divum Lucam descripta, homiliæ CLXXV. English	Gwalther, Rudolf, 1519-1586.; Bridges, John, d. 1618.	1572 (1572)	STC 25013; ESTC S118019	1,228,743	968

to haue bene the Minister or Byshoppe of that Churche which Chryst had there And this is one of Gods rare iudgements that Paule shoulde nowe haue him to be his hoste whome before time he had caused to forsake Ierusalem and that which he there had Howebeit in Philippe Sainct Luke setteth out to vs a notable example of a sincere and an vnfayned Shepheard in fewe words comprising all that Paule requireth in a Bishop in the first to Timothe the third Chapiter and in the first to Titus For first he sayth he was an Euangelist he was therefore one meete and apte to teach which is the first and most necessarie qualitie of a Minister And the degree or office of the Euangelists was a meane betweene the Apostles and Pastours as may appeare by Paule For they made their abode in certayne places ▪ yet not beeing so tyed vnto them but that if necessitie so required they might repaire to places adioyning and further off Their name admonished them of their duetie and office which as touching doctrine was all one with the Apostles and Pastoures that is to say to preach the gospell and to enfourme men in the doctrine thereof For Chryst woulde not haue it free for the Apostles to teache what they listed but commaunded them to preache the Doctrine which he had taught them which onely in these dayes also ought to bee taught in the congregation Furthermore Philip had an house and substance able to suffise both his owne neede and also to harbour others in which thing Paule also requireth in a Minister For he receyueth Paule a great companie that come with him and entertayneth them curteously for a certayne dayes space which hee coulde not haue done without some costes and charges Therefore he was no begger or vagabunde such as many malapert Comptrollers of the Ecclesiasticall function would haue Ministers in these dayes to bee who are eyther bewitched with enuie or deceyued with ignorance not being able to make a difference betwene the Apostles and the Pastours And it is like he was very harborous which was able to entertaine Paule and his company so curteously which Paule had bene the cause of his exilement as we declared a little before Moreouer it is sayd he had Daughters Ergo a wife also vnlesse which were a wicked imagination we will say he was an Whooremonger which yet perhaps the maintainers of filthie single lyfe that Poperie hath brought into the Church would better like and beare with They are conuinced both by this and the example of other Apostles which Paule plainly confesseth caried their wiues aboute with them j. Corrinth ix The same Paule appointeth a Byshoppe or Minister to be the husband of one wife that is to say to be knit togither in lawfull wedlocke according to Gods first institution And it is a most vaine glose of them which thinke the ministerie is polluted by Matrimonie and the companie of a wife whereas it is euident it was instituted by God and is in it self holie and vndefiled Therfore Paule truly calleth it a doctrine of the Diuel that forbiddeth the vse of marriage bicause it is the propertie of the Diuel to call Gods institutions either vncleane vnprofitable or pernitious See the first to Timoth● the fourth Chapter And the frutes of Popishe single life doe notably set forth the aucthor of this doctrine Whereas it is manifest that heereof vseth to spring many times whoredomes adulteries incests and that horrible vice of Sodomie Last of al is declared what quali●ied persons Philips daughters were namely damosels indued with the gifte of Prophesying We know that this worde Prophesying signifieth many times the declaration of Gods worde and the holy scripture For so Paule saith that they that expound the scriptures in the Church refer and direct all their sayings and doings to the edification instruction and consolation of the Church doe Prophesie 1. Cor. 14. He calleth those women Prophetes that sit in the Church and heare the woord of God whome he commaundeth to sit couered on their heades in the Temple But whereas Lukes meaning was to declare that Philips daughters had rare and singular giftes this Prophesying is to be vnderstanded of a peculiare gift and vertue of the holy Ghost wherewith God had endowed them For what neede was it to haue noted that which al Christian women had indifferently learned and vnlearned euery age and sexe And I pray you who would haue iudged the children of so faithfull an Euangelist to haue bene other than desirous of Gods word But here is to be vnderstanded a singular gift of Prophesie wherwith God ment to adourne womankinde also in the time of Christ according to the Prophesie of Ioel that men might be the more attent to heare the word of God and that it might appeare that the merite of Christ appertained vnto women aswell as to them In the meane season it is manifest that Philip had a speciall care of the education and bringing vp of his children which according to Paules doctrine is a thing very necessary both for publike example sake and also for that it is scarce credible that he can well rule the congregation that is not able to gouerne his owne house And the example of Hely the priest declareth how God is offended with the Ministers of the Church which vse not to bridle the vntowardnesse and wantonnesse of their children seuerely Read the first of Samuel 2.3.4 Chapiters Moreouer while Paule abode with Philip a certaine Prophete whose name was Agabus came from Hierusalem or Iewrie which warned him againe of the enprisonment towards him and that not only by words but also by gestures and signes after the manner of the auncient Prophetes therby laying the thing as it were before his eyes For with Paules girdle he bindeth his owne handes and feete adding an exposition and declaration of his so doing saying the Iewes shall bind the man which oweth this girdle at Ierusalem on this wise God therfore would haue Paule oftentimes admonished heereof partly for that his faithe and constancie might appeare the more and partly for that we might learne by this example that present daungers be not alwayes sufficient causes for vs to ●●ie bicause God foresheweth them sometimes not to the ende we should shunne and auoide them but to prepare vs to the vndertaking and suffering of them And heere is principally to be considered both what Paule and also his Companions did in this present and euident perill Whereof the one parte wepte and desired him with teares that hee would not goe vp to Ierusalem as may bee gathered by Paules woordes And surely they could not want reasons to persuade him heereunto For bothe he seemed to tempte God and also to hazarde not onely him selfe but also to neglect the welfare of the Churche whome by this meane he bereeued of his seruice and Ministerie But this is a zeale commendable in

women with their heades couered bicause the man is free but the woman vnder the mans power whome she ought to take for hir heade For the which cause when the time of the vowe was out the Nazareans were shauen in solemne wise to th end they might know they were restored to their former libertie againe It may seeme that Paule tooke this vowe vpon him bicause of the Iewes which thought him to be a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and therefore thought by this meane the sooner to winne them to hearken to the Gospell For he seemeth to confesse a like thing where he writeth he became a Iewe vnto the Iewes and to those that were vnder the lawe as one himselfe vnder the lawe Otherwise he was not ignorant of Christian libertie which he euerywhere writeth ought not to be broken for anye ceremonies sake See Colos. 2. Galat. 4. Therfore they doe most foolishly which abuse the example of Paule to the maintenance of Monkishe vowes For this vowe was instituted in the lawe of God which although in the death of Christ it is abolished with the ceremonies thereof yet for the auncient dignitie thereof and for the weakes sake it was not sodeinely to be made awaye and buried but by little and little But it is euident that Monkes vowes are founded vppon the traditions of men which ought to be of no authoritie in religion Againe the Nazareans vowed vnto God where the moste part of Monkishe vowes are made vnto Creatures Agayne the vowes of the Nazareans altered not the trade of lyfe neyther was the vnitie of the Church therby deuided But Monkish vowes as they take away all former trades of life so they bring into the Church many diuers sectes The Nazareans vowed such things as man was able to performe Monkes vowe chastity which the whole Scripture sayth is not giuen to euery man The Nazareans were grieuous or chargeable to none by reason of their vowe But Monkes whyle they vowe wilfull pouertie will be fedde like ydle paunchbellies of other mennes labors The Nazareans vowe forbade them not obedience to Magistrates Parentes and all other estates to whome we be bounde by nature Monkes vowes breake all obedience and bind them onely to their Abbots who owe obedience both to Parentes and Rulers Furthermore the Nazareans had no affiance in their owne merites For they both confessed themselues to be sinners when their vowe was ended and that God was the author of all goodnesse But Monkishe vowes moste of all other maintayne an affiance in mans righteousnesse and deseruings Wherfore if there were no other cause this one were sufficient to condemne them and put them away But to let passe this pumpe and sinke of superstition returne we vnto Paule which traueyling out of Achaia into Asia the lesser came to Ephesus where we haue to consider foure thinges in order First he goeth into the Synagoge and disputeth with the Iewes Agayne here appeareth the loue he bare to his countriemen whome for manye causes as we haue otherwheres declared he coulde not hate although he had once or twyse before shaken the dust of agaynst them This example of Paule teacheth vs that the wrath and iudgement of God shoulde so be set out vnto the wicked that if they conuert they may yet knowe there is hope left that God will be fauourable vnto them and pardon them For it is God that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and lyue Wherefore we must vse all the diligence that we can to bring and winne people vnto the lord Secondlye the example of the Ephesians teacheth vs that the labor of the Saintes is not in vayne For where they are desirous to haue Paule remayne longer among them it appeareth euidently they had much profyted by him For it cannot be that they can delyght in the Ministers companye that haue not as yet tasted the fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Neyther can they be iudged for louers of the Gospell that vse to hate the Ministers thereof and little to regarde their labors and disdainefully to auoyde their companies Let vs agayne consider howe Paule refuseth to accomplishe a godly request For he sayth I must needs at this feast that commeth be at Ierusalem I pray you what neede vrged Paule so to be Shall we say it was for deuotion sake of the feast No. For he knewe well that holye dayes were abrogated among other ceremonies and there was no cause vrged him for the weake brethrens sake to go vp to Ierusalem bicause there were many Iewes in euery Citie drowned in Iewishe superstitions which notwithstanding went not thither Wherefore as in other places we haue reade howe Paule was guided by the holy ghost in all his doinges so it is lyke he was secretly mooued by the same spirite to take this voyage nowe in hande although the cause be not expressed nor yet declared what he did there more than saluted the congregation and brethren Surely Paules traueyle coulde not be in vayne in such a Citie wherevnto agaynst the feast repayred such a great multitude both of Iewes and Gentyles from among all nations For so euen at one time togither might the doctrine of the Gospell be scattred among many Nations It is to be marueyled why Paule is pulled so soone from them which seemed to be so ready to receyue profyte by the gospell and it may seeme an vncourteous and an vnloouing part to leaue them if we should herin leane vnto reason But Gods doings are to him knowne and certaine And the chiefe vse of such examples is for vs to learne to submit our willes and desires seeme they neuer so holy and good vnto the pleasure of god Fourthly let vs see howe Paule departed from Ephesus He biddeth them farewell which is a token of thankefulnesse and friendly good will. For their discourtesie is very vnhonest that depart from their hoste where they haue receyued benefytes without taking of leaue Moreouer he leaueth Aquilas with them that they should not seeme altogither destitute Furthermore he promiseth to returne to them againe by the leaue of god Whereby it manifestly appeareth that he bare them no euill will but was compelled and strayned for weighty considerations to leaue them Here we haue to imitate Paules religiousnesse which in a most godly cause presumeth nothing of his owne heade but vnderstanding that all endeuors and deuises depend vpon Gods prouidence referreth all things vnto his pleasure This sentence of Salomon is common manne purposeth but God disposeth What rashnesse then is this of men to attribute so much to themselues in prophane matters so to appoynt their doinges as though they woulde prescribe lawes vnto god See Iacob 4. Luc. 12. Paule being nowe departed from Ephesus commeth to Caesarea in Iury and from thence to Ierusalem when he had there greeted the congregation and dispatched the matters about the which he went he came to

translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors

blessing honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxiij Homelie PAVLE after this taried there yet a good whyle then tooke his leaue of the brethren and sayled thence into Syria Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him And he shore his heade in Cenchreae for he had a vowe And hee came to Ephesus and left them there but he himselfe entred into the Synagoge and reasoned with the Iewes When they desired him to tary a longer time with them he consented not but bade them farewell saying I must needes at this feast that commeth bee in Ierusalem but I will returne againe vnto you if God will. And he departed from Ephesus and when he was come vnto Caesarea and ascended vp and saluted the congregation he departed vnto Antioch and when he had taried there a while he departed and went ouer all the countrie of Gallacia and Phrygia by order strengthning all the disciples AS Paule liued no where in greater teare and trembling than at Corinth so founde he God no where more readye to ayde and assist him than there For fyrst he promised him his helpe and fauor by a vision Next being apprehended by the Iewes and brought before the Lieuetenant he deliuered him in woonderfull wise although the matter came to strokes and Sosthenes was very euill intreated The vse of all these things as we erewhile sayde serueth for the comfort of the godly For God is able to deliuer them also in like sort and we ought not to doubt of his good will forasmuch as it is euident he is true of his worde therfore he cannot breake nor fayle of his promise But bicause we haue hereof sayd ynough in the last sermon following the order of the storye let vs sée what was done after the styrres raysed against Paule at Corinth The fyrst thing here in this place declared is howe Paule taryed at Corinth many dayes after these feares of perill and daunger The next when he had taken his leaue of the late erected Church how he tooke his iourney with Aquilas and Priscilla into Syria and vnto Ierusalem yet hauing fyrst shauen his heade at Cenchreae by reason of a vowe he had made Here Paules constancie and manlynesse is singulerly to be commended which boldly ouercommeth all dreade and feare and remayneth at Corinth among his cruell enimies hauing no hope eyther in Magistrate or other kynde of men verilye for the rude and weake Disciples sake which he sawe had neede of comforting least their beliefe being as yet but tender and greene shoulde dye as they say in the blade and fyrst sprooting Yea he doth the part of a good shepehearde which Christ sayeth flieth not when he seeth the Woolfe comming but ventureth his life for the safegarde of his sheepe There maye also a generall doctrine be taken hereof howe they that haue once assayde the ayde and helpe of God ought to holde on in their vocation the more boldly and constantly not as some preposterous wisemen vse thinke they are therefore set at libertie bicause they should thenceforth take no more paines and traueyle as though they had discharged all their dutie Also Aquila and Priscilla those godly cowple are as much to be marked and considered who hauing bene once or twise banished before doe yet once againe chaunge their dwelling and accompanye Paule both by sea and by land And how ieoperdous a thing this was to say nothing of their expences and traueyle may be gathered by this one thing for that the whole nation of the Iewes seemed to haue conspyred moste obstinately togither to destroye Paule Uerily Paule for this their companye and for other causes prayseth them as those that had hazarded their liues for hys sake In which doing as they at that time deserued great thankes of all congregations so they gate themselues an immortall glory of name which remayneth vnto this day and shall for euer See Rom. 16. By their examples we ought also to be prouoked to be bolde in Christes glorye for the Gospell and the Ministers thereof bicause there are extaunt generall promises which promise them a sure rewarde which giue but a cup of colde water to any one for Christes sake The same reason ought to cause vs to consider all other needye brethren also whome the Lorde hath so commended vnto vs that he will at the daye of iudgement take it as done to himselfe that hath bene bestowed on them And the opinion of those menne that thinke common weales are ouercharged with the multitude of banished persons is most detestable and vngodly whereas such commonlye procure the blessing of God vnto those places that they be in Lot onely restored the Sodomites being taken and ouercomme to their libertie agayne And if that Citie had had but tenne inhabitants like vnto Lot they had also bene deliuered out of that horrible destruction of fyre from heauen for their sakes I might rehearse diuers other like examples but that the time and Text requyreth vs to speake of other things This is a straunge thing and not hearde of in the bookes of the newe Testament that Paule for a vowes sake that he had made shaueth hys heade This place can be vnderstanded none otherwise than of the vowe of the Nazaraeans vnlesse we will say Paule was giuen to mannes traditions who in other places affirmeth and standeth in it that the faythfull ought not be burthened with the ceremonies of Gods lawe As touching the Nazarites Moses writeth at large in the booke of Numbers cap. 6. By the which place it easily appeareth that euery man was at libertie to vse what trade of lyfe he would after the time or date of his vowe was expyred and runne out For where we read that Samson and Samuel which from their mothers wombe were put apart for great and weighty affayres obserued the lawes of the Nazarites all their life long we must make no general rule or lawe thereof They as hauing inspiration and feeling of great religion in their mindes bound themselues of their owne accorde to the obseruation of this vowe to the intent that they woulde the more feruently apply Gods calling and seruice Wherefore they altogither abstained from wine bicause drunkennesse and religion can by no meanes stande togither And with wine they auoided also other pleasures which otherwise were lawfull Furthermore they came at no burials no not of their parentes and kinsefolke bicause no affection ought to pull away men truly addicted vnto God from him for Christ also sayth that the care of the dead pertayneth rather to them who had rather to dye in the worlde than with him to aspire to the societie of heauenly life Moreouer the Nazareans all the time of their vowe lette their heare growe thereby testifying that they were not at their owne appoyntment but bounde by a peculiar vow For Paule himselfe teacheth vs that the couering of the heade was a token of subiection where he commaundeth men to pray bareheaded but