both particulerly and in generall In generall whyle manye conuert the Church goodes as they are called to prophane vses the poore in the meane season not onely pyning away for hunger but also the Churches lying desolate for want of faythfull and fitte teachers We offende also priuately when we glorie that God hath appoynted vs for stewardes of his goodes and in the meane whyle we eyther make hauock of them neglecting the poore or else hoorde them vp at home so that they neyther profite vs nor others Yet such menne as these commonly complaine of the mulitude of beggers as though it were impossible to helpe them all But they are reprooued of lying by their prodigalitie which to maintayne they haue goods ynough by the rust of their money which with insatiable greedinesse they lay vp and looke vpon in their Cofers and by the abundance of their apparell which they rather suffer mothes to eate than they wyll gyue them or the money they might make by selling them vnto the poore and so as Iames sayth they shall one day feele their damnation to be increased by those verie thinges wherevnto they haue bene so much giuen and addicted But that Ananias should haue nothing to excuse hymselfe by Peter sheweth he was forced by no necessitie to doe so wickedly saying Pertayned not thy lande to thy selfe onely and after it was solde was it not in thyne owne power Thou mightest eyther haue solde thy lande or else haue kept all the money therof to thy selfe and no man would haue thought thee euer the lesse worthy the company of the Christians Whereby it may euydently be gathered that no man was compelled by any lawe to sell hys goodes but that this was a free and voluntary contrubution as was declared in the former Sermon and yet Peter leaueth not here but sheweth the heynousnesse of thys offence to be so great that a Christian man shoulde not once haue thought any such thing much lesse haue done it For he sayth Why hast thou conceyued this thing in thy heart For Christ requyreth so great sinceritie and vprightnesse in those that be his that he will not onely haue their maners and outwarde conuersation pure but also their mindes and cogitations voyde of all dissimulation Last of all he rehearseth the chiefe of all the matter Thou hast not lyed to men but vnto God. For thou hast not to doe with men onely but also with God which searcheth the hartes and the reynes who thou shalt perceyue will be a reuenger of thy wickednesse Let vs marke in these thinges howe to take them which vnder the pretence of fayth and religion go about to deceyue menne Amongst whome with Ananias they be the chiefe which haulting on both sides so professe Christes religion that although the kingdome of Christ fayle or fall vpon the earth they will prouyde for themselues well ynough Next vnto these be those which lyke vnto Iudas robbe Christ and his Church eyther by craft or open force and at length betraye him with a kisse Whervnto may be ioyned Ieroboamyshe princes which vse religion to establishe their tyranny whyle they prescribe such articles of fayth and thrust in such rytes of religion as they knowe are not commaunded by Gods worde but depende vpon the meere traditions of men and seeke none other thing but to keepe men in awe and obedience ouer whome they raigne as we reade Ieroboam once dyd the first author of tyranny among the Israelites And as many as vnder the cloke of the gospell and christian fayth seeke to lyue licentiouslye are lyke vnto them whereof there is in these dayes a great number And it is an easie matter for all these eyther to beguyle men or else to put them so to silence that they shall not bewray out their hypocrisie But bycause they lye not vnto men onely but also to God hymselfe they shall neuer escape vnpunished For as nothing can be hidden from hym so vseth he most to hate and abhorâ—e lyers of all others And Christ testifyeth that such shall be shutte out of his kingdome For who would thinke him an honest man which would suffer other to be beguyled vnder the pretence of his name Therefore what folly or madnesse is it to imagine God to be such an one who is truth it selfe But to returne to the history doth Ananias fact seeme so horrible a thing to Peter onely Nay it is more horrible in Gods iudgement as the successe thereof declareth For as soone as he heard these wordes he ended his lyfe by sodaine death casting all them into a great feare by his miserable ende who heard of the same whereof we will speake hereafter when we shall entreate of the like destruction of Sapphira his wife First we haue here to consider the efficacie of Gods worde which God will haue perfourmed though it be vttered but by man For the strength thereof dependeth not on mans authoritie but standeth of and by it selfe Thys is to be vnderstanded as well of the promises as threates which are conteyned in the scripture For whatsoeuer the preachers promise the faythfull seruaunts of God they shall be as well fulfilled as if God from heauen would thunder them out And whatsoeuer they threaten vnto the wicked and prophane contempners of God they shall vndoubtedly fall vpon them The worde of Christ witnesseth the same which sayth that whatsoeuer his ministers binde or loose on earth shall be bounde or loosed in heauen And let no man here obiect vnto me that God alwayes vseth not so present an execution of his iudgements as we here see For although the wicked take occasion hereby to mock and make light all maner of threates Yet shall they buye this carelesnesse full deare when they shall here the voyce of Chryst their iudge whome they shall not be able to abyde Let vs rather acknowledge the long suffering of God which therfore sometimes differreth his punishment to giue vs a time to repent in And sometimes againe sheweth some examples of his iudgement to declare the truth and authoritie of his worde Furthermore it is to be considered how Peter slayeth Ananias by the worde and pronouncing of Gods iudgement whervnto that is not vnlike that Paule did when he strake Elymas the Sorcerer blinde as we shall see in the .xiij. Chapiter These things might seeme to haue beene vnsâ—emely for such as had the Ministerie of lyfe and saluation committed vnto them But the Apostles deserue no maner of reprehension to whome amongst other giftes of the holy ghost Paule teacheth the efficacie of powers was giuen that is an effectuall power of perfourming the thing that they spake Here also is the right and authoritie of the sworde prooued which the Magistrate hath to punishe malefactours by For if Peter and Paule may be excused for that they vsed the gift gyuen them of God agaynst Ananias and Elymas the Sorcerer with what reason shall we accuse the Magistrate who lykewise
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 IOHN 1. Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde Seene and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Anno Domini 1572. ECCLESIASTICVS X. The glory of the riche of the honorable and of the poore is the feare of God. In blasoning I haue no skill But yet I say thys of good will. THE Poesie in the Garter set that closeth in your Armes Will keepe your friends confounde your foes and shielde you from all harmes Perfourmde my Lorde for otherwise in Garters wryt alone And not in hart what shamefull fruites it yeeldes we see echeone If worthies erst now wofull wightes had marked well the same They might haue sit in honors seate which nowe haue lost their name TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE and his verye good Lorde Fraunces Earle of Bedforde Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of the Lordes of the Queenes Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell Grace and peace from God the Father with all encrease of temporall dignitie and honor MY VERY GOOD LORD sundry menne haue sundry meanings in dedycating their studyes and traueyles to such men of honor as you are Some seeke their friendshippe and good will some augmentation of lyuing some authoritie to commende and sette foorth their woorkes and labours some one thing some an other And I haue herein beene ledde with none of these considerations For your honors beneuolence and friendship I long sithence well founde and prooued which gaue me the best part of that exhibition wherby I lyued in Italie three or foure yeares togither and whereby also I lyue at this daye the better I meane the experience and knowledge which I learned in that space And mannes allowaunce or authoritie the maiestie of the matter that I offer vnto your honour needeth not which for that it is the worde of God almightie is so farre from taking any authoritie of man that rather man should haue no authority at all if it were not especially men in authority such as you are of whome God sayth Per me Reges regnant c. Otherwise in respect of mine owne simple handling thereof I must plainelye confesse that it hath neede of the meanest and simplest mans allowance that is As for lyuing I haue not hytherto greatly gaped after as knowing I haue more than eyther I euer made great suite for or can well deserue my small sufficiencie and the great charge of Ministerie committed vnto me being well weighed Mine onely intent in this simple labour of mine was to shewe my selfe some maner of wayes not vnmindefull of your Lordshippes liberalitie so longe agone bestowed vpon me nor of that great humanitye which the same vsed about a nine yeres past twise in one Lent at the Court being then at White Hall towarde so poore a man as I preuenting my bashfull nature and slackenesse of speach towarde my superiors with such curteous affabilitie that among the manifolde experiments which I had eftsoones before seene in you of a noble and gentle nature I iudged this not one of the least For true Nobilitie consisteth not somuch in the goodes of fortune gorgeous apparell and prowde and hauty lookes and behauior as in courteous countenance and other vertuous qualities of the minde the verye true implementes and furniture of a right Courtier And in whom soeuer these qualities are to be found he may truely be called Nobilis But peraduenture your Honor will say my gift is the lesse thankeworthy the longer your good desertes towarde mee haue bene forgotten Verilye my good Lorde it was alwayes no lesse truely than commonly sayde of such exercises and enterprises as this of mine is Sat cito si sat bene And to forget a benefite or good turne of all other vnkindenesses is the woorst For vnkinde he is that denyeth a good turne receyued Vnkinde also he is that will not acknowledge it further he is vnkinde that doth not requite it if he be able But of all other he is most vnkinde that forgetteth it And for proofe that I neuer forgat your honors good will friendship I could shewe you the three bookes of Machiauelles discourses translated by me â—ut of Italian into Englishe more than fourtene yeares past which I thought to haue presented vnto your Honour but was stayed therefrom partly bicause I hearde the worke inueighed against at Paules crosse as a treatise vnworthy to come abroade into mennes handes and partly for that I hoped still to haue some other matter more plausible and acceptable to gyue vnto the same Albeit to confesse a truth I heard no such stronge reasons alleaged against the booke but they myght as I thought with ease ynough haue beene answered although the Inueigher was himselfe a discourser In deede I suspected mine owne rude and vnripe translation and therfore I was the easlier induced to suppresse it Therfore with such men of Honor as you are which as Seneca sayeth vse to keepe no kalender of the benefites that they bestowe and as Christ sayth let not their left hande knowe what their right doth but looke for their reward in the world to come these fewe words I hope or rather I am sure may suffise for answere Albeit I see not but as the same Seneca sayth also beneficium reddidit qui libenter debet And for my parte I shall alwayes gladlye confesse that I am more bounden vnto your Honor than I am lyke at anye time to make satisfaction for This booke which I haue here translated shall for many skilles I trust be welcome vnto your Honor. First bicause it is the Actes of the Apostles which conteyne in them the infallible and vndoubted wordes of lyfe and saluation and a true hystorie of those thinges which the Apostles did and taught after Christes ascention Secondly for the wryters sake which was S. Luke whose praise is in the Gospell Thirdlye for his sake to whome Luke did dedicate it which was Theophylus a noble manne and of authoritie but which commendation farre passeth all other a sincere louer and faithfull setter forth of Gods true religion and honour I would make comparison betwene you if I spake of your Honor to others and not to you for so perhaps shoulde I not incurre so much suspition of flatterie as to prayse you to your face Last of all for his sake which by his learned commentaries vpon diuers partes of the scripture hath deserued so well of all vnfeyned Christians but specially in these Homelyes of his written vpon the Actes wherein he hath both most plainly and soundely opened the greatest misteries and controuersies of these dayes most meete and necessarie for euerye true Christian to knowe Of whome I will speake no further least in pervsing the worke your Lordship may finde howe
farre his desertes shall passe all praise that I am able to giue him and considering that the reuerende Father in God the Bishop of Norwich nowe liuing hath made certaine learned Verses in Latine which are printed in the forefront of his booke in commendation of the same Why your Lordship should accept it bicause it is by me translated there is no cause For I am inutilis seruus and haue done but my duetie if happily I haue done so much in respect eyther of the seruice I owe vnto our Englishe Church in generall or to your Honor in perticular And therfore being so many wayes bounde vnto your Honor as I am I finde no remedie but to desire I may yet further be bounde vnto the same And this is as Tullie interpreteth the matter I will speake it in his woordes animi ingenui cui multum debeas eidem velle plurimum debere Hereby therefore shall your honor binde mee the more vnto you if you accept and thinke well not of the worke for my sake but contrary wise of me for the workes sake and for my poore good willes sake which finde my selfe so estreighted with the consideration of your merites towardes mee and with the slender amends that I am able to make againe for the same that I am driuen to Aeschines shift sometyme Scholler vnto Socrates He being of himselfe but a pore yong man not able worthily to recompence Socrates for the learning that he had gotten by him and perceyuing diuers other of Socrates Schollers did gratifie him wyth sundrie riche and sumptuous presentes Sir sayth he I haue no meete or worthie thing to present your worship with and hereby most of all perceiue I how poore I am therfore I giue vnto you that onely thing that I haue which is my selfe This I beseech you sayth he take in good part Nowe surelye quoth he what else can this be but a verie great present and gift vnlesse perhaps thou make little or no account of thy selfe Thus trusting my poore present shall be none otherwise receyued at your honors hande than was Aeschines at Socrates I most humbly commende mee vnto the same beseeching almightie God for Christ his sake to giue you a lyfe wherein you maye long defende and maintaine his honour and glory At Herne the xxj of Aprill 1572. Your Honors most bounden Iohn Bridges Vicare of Herne ¶ The Translatour to the Christian Reader AMonge the manyfolde and subtile policies that the newe broched Diuines I meane such as haue crept out of the schoole of Thomas Aquinas Iohn Duns Occham Dorbell and such other Doctors haue deuised for the maintenance and vpholding of their kingdome there was neuer any one of more efficacie and force for that purpose than to haue the people kept from reading the holye Scriptures of God in their owne proper tongue and language And yet bicause they shoulde haue other matter ynough to occupye their heades and eyes vppon they inuented a booke called the golden Legende the authour whereof vndoubtedly had both a leaden mouth and an yron face as Lodouicus Viues a learned Spaniarde did very well perceyue and testifie To this they ioyned their Festiuall and such like bookes or to vse their owne terme more truely than they doe bible babble stuffed with most monstrous and impudent forgeries some of them so dishonest that it woulde and did abhorre manye christians eares to heare them And to this ende also they sette vp in euerye Church and Chappell such blockishe and stony schoolemaisters as coulde and did teach nothing else but lightnesse and vanitie lyes and errours And to be briefe whatsoeuer mannes ydle braine coulde deuise whatsoeuer anye Monke or Friers grosse Minerua could forge or inuent though it were no better than Amadis de Gaule the foure sonnes of Amon the tales of Robin Hoode and such other like fables yet were they thought very trimme and gaye geare to occupie the peoples eares withall Yea had they bene more fabulous than these if more might haue bene they shoulde haue bene borne and suffred rather than the holy Scriptures in such a tongue as the people might haue vnderstoode For this cause whosoeuer in consideration that the people were thus led about in the blinde mases of mannes inuentions woulde haue translated any péece of Scripture or other fruitefull treatise into the Englishe tongue for their vtilitie and edification he and all his wrytings were iudged to be burned as Hereticall For say they the laye people had bookes good ynough for them set open in euerye Church meaning their carued and painted Puppetrie and woulde suffer them to reade vppon none other Then also were hatched and maintained such straunge paradoxes and opinions as these Ignorance is the mother of deuotion The Scriptures make heretikes The Church cannot erre The laye folke must not medle with Scriptures We will beleue as our forefathers haue done meaning those that liued not past thrée or fower ages before and such as had bene fedde with like acornes and swill as they had bene vsed to and had neuer tasted one morsell of the swéete breade of Gods eternall and liuely worde And although these things be well ynough knowne vnto the learned so that they néede no such slender remembrances as these of mine are yet for the vnlearneds sake for whose cause I chiefely tooke paines to put this booke in Englishe I will shewe by Gods helpe both by Scriptures apparaunt reasons and auncient Doctors that these newe Doctors in this doing wrought altogither agaynst Gods forbode And yet woulde I haue no man to looke that I shoulde fully shewe and declare all the testimonies that might be brought for proofe of any part of my triple diuision For so might I write not an aduertisement for the vnskilfull but a worke and treatise which in quantitie might match or excéede the translation it selfe As touching Scriptures the newe Doctors and we also agrée herein that whatsoeuer is in eyther of the Testaments the olde or the new concerning good maners and holy conuersation it all serueth indifferentlye for all times and ages Therfore of consequence it must also serue for vs But in the olde Testament the fathers taught their children and families the lawes and rules of both the Tables that is to say their duties aswell vnto God as vnto man Ergo we also must doe the like Moses receyued the commaundementes to teache them to the people which he faithfullye and trulye did appoynting them to trayne and bring vp their youth and posteritie in the same not onely making them to learne them by rote like Dawes Pyes and Popingayes but opening and declaring vnto them the sense and meaning aswell of their Feastes and holye dayes which God did institute as of their sacramentes of Circumcision and Passeouer These be his wordes Harken ô Israel the Lorde our God is Lorde onely Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thine hart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And these wordes
shall be rewarded 300 W ante E. Weakenesse of man acknowledgeth not goddes workes  Wrake must not be yelded to in outwarde thinges  Weakenesse of manne hath neede of Gods tuition  W ante H Whoredome  W ante I Wickednesse hath hir degrees 682 Wicked meete in hell 541 Wicked in subiection to Gods commaundement 834 Wycked stryue in vayne agaynst Christ. 536 Wycked keepe a countenaunce of equitye 351 Wicked though they bee of sundrye opinions among themselues yet they are soone agreede against Christe and the truth 805 Wicked then rage most when theyr ende draweth neerest 315 Wicked laye all disturbaunces and troubles to the godlyes charge Pag. 562 Wickeds enterprises against Christ his kingdome are vaine 285.390 and .812 Wickeds mindes vnquiet 834 Wickeds craftes what they are 809 Wickeds familiaritie must be shunned 441 Wyckeds enterprises turned vpon the aucthors heades by God. 398 Wickeds estate 493 Wickeds agreement lasteth not long Pag. 805 Wickeds propertie 115.253.354 Wicked in the Church must bee confuted 703 Wickeds feare is preposterous 644 Wickeds wordes and sayings 253 Wickeds societye daungerous and hurtfull 311 Wickeds good successe in a preamble of destruction 504 Wickeds companions shall be punished with the wicked 397 Wicked amende not by Gods iudgements 499 Wicked are suffred of God till the pit be dygged vp for them 785 Wicked what power GOD gyueth them ouer his elect 837 Wickeds number is the greater 579 Witnesse how much it comprehendeth in it 693 Witnesse what his dutie is 30.31 Wisdome of christians must be bounded 28 Wisdomes first degree is to acknowledge the corruption of nature and how all ablenesse to doe well commeth of God. 27 W ante O Worlde cannot abyde Christ and his Gospell 208 Worlde rageth against christ in vaine Pag. 126 Worlde how it receyueth the doctrine of the Apostles 190 Worldes ingratitue towards the ministers 825 Worldes troublesome estate forshewed by the Prophets 98 Worldes force a vaine thing agaynst God. 311 Worlde what affection it beareth to Gods worde 842 Workes and doctrine must ioyne and go togyther 9 Woorkes that be good 415 Workes haue none of the faythfull enimies to them 420 Workes of Christ commended 106 Workes of Christ considered what they teache vs. ibid. Workes of Christ to what ende they serue ibid. Workes of God are needefull to bee considered of 〈◊〉 157 Workes of Gods maiestie euidentlye seene in Christ. 86 Workes righteousnesse ouerthrowne Pag. 545 Worde of God is the father enlarged by the assaultes of the enimies 555 Worde of God must bee so preached that the hearers may perceyue it belongeth to them 533 Worde of God preuayleth not wyth men led onelye with humaine reason 547 Worde of God must be preached not mans deuise 899 Worde of God can not be bound 903 Worde of God wherby it is hyndred Pag. 138 Worde of God how it must be harde Pag. 44.6 Worde of God must bee preached in the Church onely 512 Worde of God neuer preached without fruite 561 Worde of God contemned is an heynous sinne 547 Worde of Gods efficatie 233 Worde of God preached is not vaine Pag. 138 Worthynesse of Gods worde 266 Worde of GOD must bee beleeued though preached but by a man. 368 Wordes of the supper vttered by a sacramentall speache 40 Worshippers of Christ being persecuted â—hrist is persecuted 397 Worshippers of Christ are taught of God. 50 Worshippers such as God riquireth Pag. 916 Worship of one God. 667 Worshippers of God truly how much hee regardeth 818 Worshipping of Creatures ouerthrowne 572 Worship is in vaine if it bee not done as God appoynteth 342 Worshippings papisticall are preposterous 339.340 Worshipping of planetes and starres Pag. 34â— Worshipping of â—oloch ibid. Worshipping of ymages 343 W ante R Wrath is the worst councellour that is 264 W ante Y Wyll of God conteyned and learned in Christ onely 790.791 Wyshe of Paule 868 Z ante E ZEale preposterous in religion auayleth little vnto saluation as maye be seene in the example of Paule 400 Zeale feruent is needefull in them that should set forth Christes kingdome 549 Zeale of Godlynesse may not excuse thinges done against godlynesse and true religion 391 Zeale is necessarie in the godly 659 FINIS ⧠A TABLE OF THE PLACES OF SVCH Scriptures as are expounded in these Homelies and Annotations GEn. 3. I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman Pag. 650 3. Thy desyre shall be to thy husband and hee shall haue the rule of thee 236 4. Cain slewe Abell his Brother Pag. 306 4. Who made mee my brothers keeper 235 12. Get thee out of thy Nation and from thy Fathers house 294 15. Thy seede shall bee a straunger Pag. 299 17. Euery man childe among you shal be circumcised 303 22. By my self haue I sworne 123 22. In thy seede shal all the Nations of the earth bee blessed 163 and. 185 26. I will perfourme the oth which I sware to Abraham thy father pag. 123 37. The Patriarches solde Ioseph their Brother 306 45. God sent mee before you to prepare c. 310 46. Iacob goeth downe into Egypt with all his familie ibid. 50. Iacob is buried in Canaan 312 EXodi 1. Pharao commaundeth the men children to bee caste away 315 2. Moses was borne when tyranny raged most 316 2. Who made thee a Ruler ouer vs pag. 322 3 I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham 327 3 And fortye yeares after the Aungell of the Lorde appeareth too Moses in the desert of Sina in a bushe of fyre 326 19. Yee shal be vnto mee a kingdome of priestes and an holy people 95 22. Yee shall trouble no wydowe nor fatherles childe 329 32. Make vs Goddes to goe before vs. 335 LEuitici 20. Whosoeuer hee bee of the children of Israell or of the straungers that gyueth of his children vnto Moloch 342 35. The murtherer shall bee put to death 350 NUmerorum 1. Howe greatly the people of Israel was increased 596 6. The Nazarites 694 12. If there bee a Prophete of the Lordes among you I will bee knowne of him in a vision 333 DEuterono 7. The grauen Images of their Goddes shalte thou burne with fyre and couet not the golde and siluer that is on them 602 15. There shall be no begger among you 145.225 18. The Lord thy God wil stirre vp vnto thee a Prophet among you euen of thy Brethren lyke vnto mee vnto him shall yee harken pag. 177. c. 32. Uengeance is myne and I will rewarde 304 28. Thou shalt buylde an house and an other shall dwell therein 58 IOsue 10. Be not afrayd of them pag. 681 1. SAmuell 2. Them that woorship mee I will woorship pag. 242.148 15. Hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offringes as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed 529 SAmuel 7. When thy dayes be fulfilled thou shalt slepe with thy Fathers and I will set vp thy seâ—de after thee 122 7. Who am I O Lorde God and what is my
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
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
beside these called Saduceyes who plainely scoffed at all religion For they denyed the resurrection of the bodye and whatsoeuer else is written of the mysteries of eternall life as may be seene Math. 22. and Actes 23. And it can not be that any syncere religion coulde be in them which durst denye these things without the which religion coulde not stande And if we expende the matter well it shall appeare that the same men came against the Apostles which were sent out to take Christ at mount Oliuete as Luke in his Gospell sheweth Let vs here marke who are alwayes like to be the greatest enimies of the Church and doctrine of Christ and authors of persecution Uerily the Priestes that is to say those which take vpon them the gouernance of doctrine and of the whole Church For as soone as they being ouercome with ambition and couetousnesse beginne to seeke priuate honour and chaunge religion into lucre which the storie of the Gospell abundantly declareth those Iewish doctors did Math. 7.23 Iohn 5. c. it can not be chosen but they will be the first to withstand the truth bicause they are the first that are reproued through the light of the truth Hereof we see it commeth to passe in all ages that these kinde of men haue procured most trouble agaynst the doctrine of truth The times that the Prophets liued in declare this to be true against whome the Bishops and Priestes made most a do The same Iohn the Baptist prooued true whose doctrine and Baptisme the Leuites sent from Ierusalem beganne first to reprehend And Christ had no sorer enimies than the Priestes through whose deuises he was taken condemned and nayled to the crosse The Apostles nowe finde the same to be their grieuousest enimies And those whom Pylate and the Romaine garrison hytherto suffred to preache Christ are disturbed by them whose fauour and defence they ought to haue had in setting forth the kingdome of christ Let vs remember this geare and not be troubled though we perceyue those against vs in these dayes which hitherto haue chalenged to themselues in the Church the name of learning and holynesse I meane the Popes with all the rable of Bishops and Monkes For where it is euident they are all ledde with couetousnesse and ambition and haue long since obscured the doctrine of truth with mannes traditions and haue made lucre of religion it cannot be but they must hate the light of the truth and wish the extinguishment thereof But let vs consider the craft which they vse in setting vppon the Apostles First they enter not into the Church alone and so laye hande vpon the Apostles For so all men woulde haue perceyued howe they had beene led with the desire of their priuate honor and lucre And it was a daungerous matter for them to prouoke the furie and rage of the people against them Wherefore they ioyne vnto them the ruler of the Temple who was authorised by publike order to see there shoulde be no businesse made in the Church and so they woulde seeme to haue a regard of publike tranquillitie where in deede they did it for none other purpose but to vse the ayde of the officer for the defence of their tyrannie Then ioyne they also vnto them the Saduceyes men voyde of all religion bicause they thought such meetest for their purpose For such men as these thinke it a poynt eyther of a foolishe or a seditious minde contrary to custome to alter any thing in religion Last of all they rushe in vpon them as they be in their sermon and that sodenly bicause they would feare the people withall Wherevpon we may thinke they had consulted hereof before and that they did nothing at aladuenture or without deliberation The like craft haue all they vsed against the truth which nowe these many yeares haue conspired against the same For Daniel attributeth to Antichrist the eyes of a man that is to say witte and wylinesse to foresee things And Christ sayth the children of this worlde are wyser in their kinde than the children of lyght And surelye if we well consider the hystories of the Bishops of Rome we shall see they haue vsed the lyke wylinesse these many yeares and that they haue then chiefely set forwarde their owne matters when they haue seemed to do nothing lesse and being bolstred vp by the secular powers haue clymed vp to such rule and tyrannie as nowe they exercise So Boniface the thirde made Phocas embrued with the heynous murther of Maurice his maister the Emperour to thintent that he againe might make him the supreme head of the Church So by the strength of the Lumbardes they draue the Emperors of Greece out of Italie and when the Lumbardes seemed to them more intollerable than the Greekes they vsed the Frenchmens ayde to subdue the Lumbardes Neyther made they Charles Emperor of the west Church where the Romaines had bene without an Emperour more than three hundred yeares for any other cause but to haue a Captaine or ruler of the Church whose ayde and helpe they might vse to defende their vsurped power ouer the Church and to brydle such as woulde speake against it They most plainely bewrayed their meaning when they conueyed the Empire to the Germaines and caused the Emperours to sweare homage and obedience to them and reserued the authoritie of confirming and crowning the Emperour to themselues least any other than such as woulde doe after their pleasure should ascende to such dignitie They shall confesse that I say the truth whosoeuer will reade the fourme of oth wherwith the Emperours are bounde and which they haue put among the Canons of their lawe and also the Canon of Boniface the eyght concerning maioritie and obedience For he speaking of two swordes that is of the ecclesiasticall and secular power doth expressely chalenge them both vnto the Bishops of Rome in these words Both are in the power of the Church namely the spirituall swoorde and the materiall But the one to bee exercised of the Church the other for the Church The one by the hande of the Priest the other by the hande of Princes and souldiours but at the becke and sufferaunce of the priest c. Let vs therefore acknowledge the truth of the olde President when we see Bishops fight against the truth with force of kinges Let vs marke the subtiltie of this beast which compasseth hir matters by strength of others Let vs consider hir continuall traueyâ—e in oppressing the truth and not iudge of them according to our leysinesse They wake when we soundly snort Let vs therfore awake likewise and according to Christes admonition beware of men Howbeit it might seeme a straunge and tyrannicall deede violently to carie men awaye without order of lawe Therefore Luke sheweth what their pretence was They tooke it grieuously sayth he that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from the deade In these words he
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
brought them that erred into the waye and to haue conuinced the gaynesayers as men hauing forgotten their dutie turne vnto force and shut them in the common prison which as yet were conuicted of no fault or crime And this is it that Christ layde to their charge when they came out armed with swordes and Clubbes to take him whom they dayly hearde teaching in the Temple where he ought to haue bene conuinced if he had taught any thing repugnaunt to Gods truth Naye they vsed open force euen in their Counsell in that they suffer the high Priestes seruaunt to strike Christ on the cheeke without check Histories declare howe they haue fought these many yeares with the same weapons agaynst the doctrine of truth Neyther neede we to heape many examples togither bicause that one fact of the Counsell at Constance is sufficient which the heades of the Romaine Church commytted agaynst that holy martyr of Christ Iohn Husse whome neyther his safe conduyct neyther the Emperours maiestie neyther lawe of armes neyther intreatie of the godlye nor threates of the Bohemians coulde deliuer out of their bloudy handes And our maisters and Bishops in these dayes vse no argumentes more often against the Teachers of the truth than to arme Princes against the same and those that teache it and then thinke they are notable defenders of the Church when they persecute the true Church of Christ with fire and sworde To speake nothing in the meane season of such as saye the examination and hearing of these matters appertaine nothing to Princes and so hale they the martyrs of Christ to their execution without hearing their cause first cutting out their tongues bicause they shall not declare their fayth and cause of their death to the people looking on But howe farre these men passe the tyrannie of the Iewishe Bishops so much more grieuous shall that punishment be that Christ hath ordeyned for them whose kingdome can be oppressed by no force of man. This doth the other part of the storie declare wherein is shewed what the Lord did in the meane whyle who myght seeme to haue cast of all care of his Church and suffered his enimies to long But he neyther sleepeth nor forsaketh those that be in daunger for his sake For the Aungell of the Lorde came who neyther feared the authoritie of the Priestes nor yet the lawe for breaking the prison but openeth the doores bringeth out the Apostles and commaundeth them to returne to the Temple there to preach the wordes of lyfe that is to saye the Gospell of Iesus Christ in whome only lyfe is to be had These thinges teache vs howe God hath a care for those that be his and that his worde cannot be bounde although his Ministers lye bounde in prison For the breath of God breatheth where it will and is not subiect to the iudgement of the worlde And Paule sayth that he lyeth bounde but that the worde of God cannot be bounde Let no man therefore be offended with the imprisonment of the Ministers of Goddes worde no not with their death seeing the setting forth of his worde dependeth not of vs but of the pleasure and power of god It shall be good more diligently to consider the maner and ende of this deliuery In their deliuery this is chiefely to be obserued that God would haue the prison doores opened by the ministerie of an Aungell which he myght many other wayes haue brought to passe But God woulde this waye testifie and declare the great dignitie of his elect whereas not onely the inferiour and earthly creatures but also the heauenly spirites and Aungels are appoynted to doe them seruice We are taught by manye places of Scripture to gather a generall rule hereof Paule verily teacheth vs that the Aungels are ministering spirites sent out for the seruice of them which shall be heyres of saluation And that saying of Dauid is well knowen The Aungell of the Lorde tarieth rounde about them that feare him and deliuereth them And that which the malignaunt Tempter expoundeth of Christ only is to be referred to euery one of his members whome God hath commended to the charge and custodie of the Aungels that they shoulde not dashe their foote agaynst a stone And there wanteth not examples of them which haue bene holpen by the visible ministerie of Aungelles Loth was deliuered from the burning of Sodome by the aungelles Iacob â—eeth an hoste of Aungelles and perceyueth himselfe in safetie by their ayde and succour Whole armies of Aungels deliuer Elizeus out of the handes of the Assirians Daniel confesseth the Aungell of the Lorde did shutte the mouthes of the Lyons that they coulde doe him no hurt An Aungell many daies faithfully serued Thobias sonne in visible shape and likenesse An Aungell smiteth the first borne of the Egyptians and guideth the people of Israel through the wildernesse And it appeareth Ezechias was deliuered from the siege of the Assirians by the helpe of an Aungell These examples and such other lyke are rehearsed not to th ende we also shoulde require the ministerie of Aungels in visible wyse but that we shoulde not doubt of their ayde and helpe although they appeare not to vs We manye times finde this true when we be deliuered from secrete daungers and so escape vnknown ieoperdies without all counsell or helpe of man Let vs therefore acknowledge the dignitie of our nature and condicion wherein we be set through the benefite of Gods grace Let the same serue for our comfort that we despayre not in aduersitie and for our instruction that we offend not through our impure and naughty life the Aungels and so driue from vs so holy and necessary a succor and defence Furthermore the Aungell sheweth the ende why they are deliuered where he saith to the Apostles being brought out of prison Go and stand and speake in the Temple all the wordes of this lyfe to the people He appoynteth them therefore to returne to the execution of that office and charge that Christ had put them in and co mmaundeth them to their vttermost power to set forth the kingdome of Christ whose ayde and helpe they nowe presently had prooued This agreeth with Goddes commaundement in other places that being deliuered out of any distresse we shoulde glorifie him For this was not spoken onely to the Apostles but appertayneth indifferently to all men For God will haue all men diligently to applye their vocation and being deliuered out of daunger to returne therevnto with the more feruencie the longer they haue intermitted it Therefore their offence is grieuous which being deliuered from sickenesse or pouertie or other kinde of calamitie giue themselues vnto vice and naughtynesse and pollute the name of God with impuritie of lyfe who seeme vnto me to bee lyke those souldiours which being sent out to take Christ when they were cast to the grounde by his secrete power yet when they were permitted to
in extreeme necessitie so we by and by faint and giue ouer if God doe not graunt our peticions at the first being verie little mindefull of our state who being seruauntes ought paciently to abyde our Lordes leysure and not imperiously to appoynt him But let vs consider Ananias which being ouercome with feare of daunger putteth of the expresse and euident commaundement of the Lorde For he sayth Lorde I haue hearde of this man by many howe great euill he hath done to thy saintes at Hierusalem and here hee hath power from the highe priestes to binde all that call vpon thy name He alleageth the testimonie of others least he might seeme to feare in vaine But it is a ridiculous matter to stande more vpon the testimonie of man than vpon the worde of god It is also ridiculous to rehearse Saules doings of others mouthes before the Lorde as though he had hitherto beene ignoraunt of them But herevnto feare a naughtie and foolish Counsaylor vseth to bring vs if we once take him to consult with in discussing of Gods commaundements Yet it appeareth by this example that it taketh hold many times euen of holy men and faythfull worshippers of God. With this feare we reade Abraham was so ouercome that he denyed Sara to be his wife Moses striken with lyke feare can scarcely be induced to take vpon him the conduct and leading of the people of Israel Elias the Prophete tasted of this feare when after the slaughter of Baals Priestes he wiâ—t not whither to flie for feare of Iesabell the Queenes manaces and threats Ionas also deceyued through feare promised himself more safetie among the flouds of the sea and barbarous shipmen than in the ayde and vocation of the lord Here might also be brought forth the examples of others both Prophetes and Apostles But this is mans infirmitie for the which no man is rashely to be condemned bicause we see many tokens hereof appeared in Christ also when the howre of his death drewe nigh We must take heede that we be not so ouercome herewith that we leaue the charge inioyned vs of the lord But rather hauing a respect to the prouidence of God committe our selues wholy to the will of God as Christ teacheth his Apostles Wherevnto also are to be referred the general promises of Gods helpe which promise them that walke in his vocation sure and certaine ayde and succour And herewith I beleeue Ananias also was confirmed who although at the first seemed somewhat timerous yet he yeeldeth to God being instant vpon him and the seconde tyme of commaunding he faythfully obeyeth him It is a singuler consolation wherewith the Lorde comforteth Ananias wauering and fearefull minde Go sayth he for he is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and kinges and children of Israell For I will shewe him howe great thinges he must suffer for my names sake It seemeth there are two reasons alleaged wherefore Ananias ought not to feare and both of them are taken of Paules person First he sayth he is not a Tyranne and persecutor as he was heretofore but of the number of the elect hereafter should be a most valiant and faithfull defender of Christes name Then that there is so little feare to be had of any persecution to be made by Paul that rather he had to suffer many things for the name of Christ. These wordes contayne a singuler and worthie prayse of Paule which we ought diligently to consider both for that the excellencie of Gods goodnesse may the better be knowne and also that we may vnderstande howe great authoritie Paules doctrine is of First he is called after an Hebrue phrase the vessell of election that is to say a chosen picked or culled instrument For the Hebrues by this name vessell vnderstande all kinde of instruments vtensiles or implements And they vse the Genitiue case of the Substantiue for the Adiectiue Men are called the vesselles or instrumentes of God bicause God executeth hys iudgementes by them So Paule otherwheres calleth the elect the vessels of glorie and mercie and againe the reprobates the vessels of wrath And Senacherib by the same reason is called the rodde of Gods furie Christ calleth Paule a chosen vessell bicause he executed many thinges by him yea most wholesome workes in setting forth the Gospell and the fayth In the meane season this word vessell or instrument teacheth vs to remember our state and condition that if we haue any thing in vs that is excellent wee should not thinke it to be ours but learne to giue all the prayse and glorie vnto God who hath vouchsafed to vse their helpe The reprobates and such as want the knowledge of God vnderstande not this therefore they attribute to their owne power and witte whatsoeuer is of any excellencie in them But howe much such doing displeaseth the Lorde Senacherib the Assirian and Nabuchodonosor the Babilonian aboundauntly testifie Paule much better weighed these thinges which plainely confesseth that he is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is The same teacheth all Ministers that they must arrogate nothing to themselues or to others but that they remember all effect and successe of Ministerie commeth of the Lorde which giueth the increase The consideration hereof serueth very much to make men humble in heart and minde For it maketh them to take heede that they exceede not in pride or securitie and so become the vessels and instruments of wrath Secondlye Christ declareth the ende and vse of this instrument and sheweth that Paule is appoynted to beare his name that is to aduaunce and extoll his name before the Gentyles and Kings and people of Israel He vnderstandeth the preaching of the Gospell whereby Christes name vseth to be extolled and celebrated when repentaunce and remission of sinnes is preached in him Here all Ministers are admonyshed of their duetie To them it belongeth to beare the name of Christ that is to preache him to be a Sauiour King and Priest and to declare that all thinges that appertayne to our saluation are in him So Paule sayth he knoweth nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified The same sayth he reioyceth onely in the crosse of christ The same name did Peter cary where he sayde there was none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto manne in which he coulde be saued Wherby we gather that they be not the ministers of Christ but ledde with the spirite of Antichrist that declare any other name wherein repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached See concerning these men 1. Iohn 4. Let Ministers remember also that they must not cary this name into corners but before Nations Kings and Iewes For although we be not all Apostles yet it appertayneth to all Ministers not to be ashamed of Christ but to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde as Dauid sayth before Kings and Princes being readye to giue an account of our fayth
greater number haue bene deceyued with false opinions of God haue not truely serued hym Only Noe with his familie which were but eyght persons followed an opinion of God religion contrary to al the world hath God to confyrme warrant of the same And the Patriarches a very fewe in number as bright starres shining in the dark fyrmament were scattred abroade among the vnbeleeuing Gentyles what shal we say of the people of Israel the peculyars of the Lord Read we not that they and their Byshops most fowly and wickedly erred when contrarie to the commaundement of God they enterprised to cast a Calfe as the Prophet saith turned the maiesty of their God into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth hay And to speake of Gods newe people doth not Christ call it a small flock and sayth he not they are fewe which go in at the narrowe gate vnto saluation yea Paule sayth that grieuous Wolues shall rise vp euen of those of the congregation which shall not spare the flock and he sayth also that Antichrist shall sit aloft in the temple of god Let them cease therefore to obiect vnto vs the consent of multitude and authoritie of the Church which resist the open veritie We require the worde of God and voyce of Christ which ought to be the onely touch and rule to iudge all controuersies in doctrine Furthermore least anye man should put God in faulte of the Gentyles ydolatrie and superstition the Apostles vse a preoccupation or preuention in the which they cleere God of all maner of fault For hee saye they hath alwayes borne wytnesse of himselfe his nature and pleasure and hath shewed his inuisible nature and essence vnto the worlde by hys visible workes And omytting those great and woonderfull works of God which passe mans capacitie and reache he rehearseth his daylie workes whereby he doth good vnto men that euen for this cause they were able to drawe any man to the diligent consideration of so soueraigne a god For who is so blynde or dull that he perceyueth not the seasonable tymes and the increase of victuals springing thereof who will say these things come to passe by chaunce that are knyt togyther so fast by order of nature that if any thing commeth beside the woonted course of nature it is thought a woonder And I pray you what an vnthankfulnesse is it not to acknowledge that God which alone prouydeth vs not of necessaries onely but also giueth vs aboundance of those things that are delectable and pleasaunt Or what excuse of ignoraunce can they alleage for themselues which as often as they take their meate are admonished of Gods liberallitie towards vs In this place there is a profytable doctrine and for the beating downe of the superstitious curiositie of some persons verie necessarie that is to say who is the author of the influences of heauen and the increase and yeelde of the earth The Apostles say of God the Creator that he gyueth vs rayne from heauen and fruitefull seasons replenishing vs with foode and gladnesse Herevnto agreeth the scripture in euery place Dauyd diligently accounteth the same among the other workes of God saying He couereth the heauen with clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth and maketh the grasse to growe vpon the mountaynes He giueth fodder vnto the cattell and feedeth the yong Rauens that call vpon him He gyueth snowe lyke wooll and scattereth the hoare frost lyke ashes he casteth forth his yse like morsels He sendeth out hys word melteth them he bloweth with his winde and the waters flowe Againe He watreth the hylles from aboue the earth is filled with the fruit of his workes He bringeth forth grasse for the cattle and herbe for the vse of men that he may bring foode out of the earth c. I omyt infynite other testimonies which might be brought But God moderateth all these thinges according to hys iust will and pleasure whyle he sendeth plenteous encrease to them that walke in hys lawe and scarcitie and barrennesse to the disobedyent whereof we haue euydent examples Here the Astrologers are confuted who attrybuting these thinges to the position and placeing of the Planets reuoke and bring in agayne the prophane names of Gods and almost all kinde of gentilitie The superstitious are here also reprooued which make the saints authors hereof which aske rayne seasonable weather of them hauing Masses and seruice appoynted for that ende and purpose Let both these sortes see what God sayth in Hoseas chap. 2. And let vs followe the Apostles doctrine â–ª and acknowledge one onely God to be the author and gouernour of all these things which is â—eyther bound to the course of Planets nor is not subiect to nature but according to hys good pleasure and iust iudgement moderateth and ordereth all things Nowe Luke declareth the effect of the Apostles sermon and sayth that they of Lystra coulde scarce be restrayned with all this weyght of wordes and sentences but that they woulde doe sacrifyce vnto them So frowarde and obstinate man is in retayning of superstition yet is the obstinacie of our time greater These men coulde with one Sermon be prohibited where nowe adayes there are numbers which with many yeares traueyle and daylie sermons can not be brought into the right way Let vs therfore pray vnto God the father that he will illuminate both them and vs with his holye spirite and bring vs to the true and wholesome knowledge of him and his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxix Homelie THYTHER came certaine Iewes from Antioch and Iconium which when they had obtayned the peoples consent and had stoned Paule drewe him out of the Citie supposing he had bene deade Howbeit as the Disciples stoode rounde about him he arose vp and came into the Citie And the next daye he departed with Barnabas to Derba And when they had preached to that Citie and had taught many they returned againe to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch and strengthned the Disciples soules againe and exhorted them to continue in the fayth affirming that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God. AS our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ laboureth incessantly to maintaine and defende the saluation of mankinde so Satan is altogither occupyed in ouerthrowing the kingdome of God and in pulling men from the waye of saluation Hereof in this hystorie haue we a most euident example For as the Apostles were preaching at Lystra fyrst Satan moued certaine superstitious persons to giue diuine honour vnto them and no doubt but this was the drift of that malicious enimie of mannes saluation to haue tripped the Apostles by tempting them with ambition wheras he had attempted Christ before with the same But his enterprise commeth not to passe For Paule and Barnabas perceyuing this craft of the Deuill and being enflamed with more zeale than before defended most
at Lyddias house and them they exhort to be stedfast in the fayth and comfort them very effectually Moreouer Paule wryteth an Epistle vnto them wherin we are taught how prosperously this cōgregation afterward came forward whose beginning seemed altogither vnprosperouse vntowarde Whereby it appeereth the course of the Gospell can be hyndered by no attemptes of the wicked Sometime the Ministers thereof are bounde but the worde of God can not be bounde Againe they that preach the same are thrust out and banished but the spirite of Christ cannot be banished but breatheth wheresoeuer it pleaseth yea when men holde their peace the stones will preach Christ. Let these thinges make vs constaunt in the fayth that hauing at length ouercome the worlde and Prince thereof we may liue and raigne in heauen wyth Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xvij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxiij Homelie NOWE as they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where was a great Synagoge of the Iewes and Paule as his maner was went in vnto them and three Sabboth dayes disputed wyth them by the scriptures opening and alleaging that Christ must haue suffred and rysen agayne from the death and this is Iesus Christ whome sayde he I preach vnto you And some of them beleeued and ioyned in companye with Paule and Silas also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude and of the chiefe women not a fewe OUr Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the Gospell of Luke sayth No manne which putteth hys hande to the plough and looketh backward is meete for the kingdome of heauen Which wordes doe admonishe vs that of all christians especially of the Ministers of the word is required an inuincible constancie of the minde whereby they maye go forwarde without feare against al traueyle and daunger and not be withdrawne by anye temptations to forsake the office committed to their credit Of which constancie is set out vnto vs a most worthy example in the Apostle Paule who from the fyrst daye he tooke in hande the seruice of Christ and the Gospell was in continuall labour and daunger and yet held on seeking daylie new occasion with great courage of minde to set forth the kingdome of christ And as he had done heretofore in other places the selfe same did he wyth incredible industrie among the Macedonians as this present hystorie declareth For being verie euill intreated at Philippi to the which place he was called by a vision yet he murmureth not against God nor doubteth not of his calling nor leaueth not of his duetie through feare but taketh his iourney directly thorowe Amphipolis and Apollonia and commeth to Thessalonica the chiefe Citie of all Macedonia where after he had spreade the lyght of the Gospell he getteth him to Berrhoea and from thence to Athens where he preacheth Christ among the most learned Phylosophers of the Gentiles and as it were vpon the open stage of all the worlde But to let passe all other thinges let vs see what was done at this tyme at Thessalonica First it is sayde he went through Amphipolis and Apollonia and there is no mention made that Paule preached in those Cities therfore it is lyke the holy Ghost offered him no occasion there to preache But when he came to Thessalonica he went into the Iewes Synagoge which was very notable and full of people and there by the space of three Sabboth dayes he taught them the gospell of Iesus christ And yet it might seeme a straunge thing that Paule woulde offer the doctrine of saluation agayne vnto the Iewes whose incurable malice he had so often tryed and whome he perceyued God had cast of by many euident arguments But he was mooued partly with the feruent desyre he had to set forth the kingdome of God and partly with the constant loue that he bare to his nation for whose sake otherwhyle he wished to be accursed And yet we must not thinke this to be any blinde affection for as much as the Lorde had long before prophecied that though the Iewes were cast off certaine remnauntes shoulde be saued And perhappes he might be mooued by the example of Elias who when he thought all the people had forsaken the God of Israell was tolde that there were yet seauen thousande which had neuer bowed their knees vnto Baal We are taught by this example of Paule that we must not ouer hastily cease from doing our duetie bicause of many mens ingratitude but rather as the Apostle otherwhere teacheth vs tollerate the euill wyth meekenesse instruct those that make resistaunce if at anye time God will giue them repentance to knowe the truth and that they may come to themselues againe out of the snare of the Deuill For where we be the seruauntes of God it becommeth vs to imitate his condition and propertie and not to be offended with the ingratitude of the worlde for as much as we knowe that we haue a rewarde layde vp with the Lorde which shall neuer fayle vs Therefore inexcusable is their waywardenesse which assoone as they perceyue they nothing profyte cease of from doing their duetie are not ledde with the example of God and of Christ which vsed such great lenitie and long sufferaunce towards the incurable malice of the Iewes euen from the fyrst beginning of that nation It is also worthy the obseruation to see howe Paule keepeth the religion of the Sabbothes and goeth into the Synagoges to preach there following the example of Christ who dyd nothing in secret but taught abroade openly In the meane season we see this was an olde vsage amonge the people of God for the godly to come vnto the Church for whose sake we reade holy dayes and holy places were in times past ordeyned of god It is necessarie that we obserue the same both for doctrine sake which can no waye more commodiously be taught and also bicause of externe religion which ought to be openly exercised that the profession of true fayth fayle not For the which cause Christ adourned the congregation and Church comming with hys example and commended it with a notable promise and this is the cause that Paule in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians is so diligently occupied in gyuing preceptes for the well ordering of them Wherfore their frowardnesse must needes be detested which deryde and scoffe at the publike assemblies of christians plainely testifying that they are ledde with no care of wholesome doctrine or sincere religion But what doth Paule in the Synagoge of the Iewes euen the same that we heare he vsed to doe in many places For he taught out of the scriptures declaring howe it was necessarie that Christ shoulde die and rise againe from the dead and that this was the same Christ whom he preached Here must we diligently marke all these pointes bicause they fullye conteyne the whole trade of the
both to Chryste and his Apostles which dare coyne newe Articles of fayth and thruste into the Churche diuers things expressely contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles Secondely hee declareth the manner that hee obserued in teaching whyle hee saythe he taughte bothe priuately and apertly thoroughout euery house witnessing bothe to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles These thinges declare the continuall trauell of the Apostle wherewith he was so enflamed that as he sette before all men the doctrine of saluation so he omitted nothing which made for the saluation of all men Wee learne heereby what the beste trade and manner of teaching is Firste all thinges muste bee declared generally and openly that belong to saluation so that all men may vnderstande what they ought eyther to doo or to leaue vndoone But bycause all men do not yelde of their owne accorde and yet many tymes they offende of carelesnesse more than of malice without offence of others it behoueth also to adioyne priuate admonitions exhortations and reprehensions For if it be the duetie of euery Christian to admonishe his neighboure and to bring him into the way that is out of it howe muche more oughte the Minister thus to doo of whome Chryste one day shall require an accompte of the office committed vnto hym But by this word witnessing is noted an earnest and free kinde of speech without the which all other things are but colde It is diligently to be considered what authoritie the Minister hath ouer the sheepe committed to his charge seeing that he muste teache and exhorte them bothe openly and priuily through euery house Where also may be gathered howe they ought to bee taken which will not be admonished neither publikely nor priuately of their Ministers For why shoulde they bee iudged the sheepe of Chryst which presumptuously disdayne the voyce of their shepheard Finally he cōprehendeth the summe of his doctrine in two poynts that is to say in repentaunce toward God and fayth in Iesus Chryst. These things agree with the commaundement of Chryst which appoynted the Apostles to preach repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes in his name Wherby it appeareth that Paule preached a true Gospell and also what maner of doctrine ought to be preached And heere repentaunce hathe the first place which otherwheres we haue defined to be a conuerting or turning vnto God which diffinition Paule alloweth where he sayth he taught repentaunce towarde God that is such a thing as men turne vnto God by Of this tooke the Apostles the beginning of their preaching as Chryst commaunded them bicause we haue all gone out of the way and are of nature corrupte And bycause wee flye the sighte of God as Adam did therfore must fayth in Chryst also be preached which teacheth vs that wee are reconciled to the father through meane of his sonne by whome wee beeing borne agayne of the immortall seede of Gods worde are made the children of god Therefore their errour is very hurtefull and shamefull whiche still vrge penaunce but in the meane whyle neglecte faythe without the whiche repentaunce can not stande For howe shoulde he returne vnto God which hath not Chryste who onely is the way the lighte and the truthe and without whom no man commeth vnto the father But bycause we haue entreated of these matters other wheres more at large let these fewe suffise for this season Let all men learne by Paules example to iudge of Doctrines and not suffer any manner of doctrine to be thrust in among them but suche as teacheth a true conuersion vnto God through fayth in Iesus Chryste to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxiiij Homelie AND now behold I go bounde in the spirite vnto Ierusalem not knowing the things that shall come on me there but that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery Citie saying that bands and troubles abide me But none of these things moue me neither is my life deare vnto my selfe that I might fulfill my course with ioy and the ministration that I haue receyued of the Lorde Iesu to testifie the Gospell of the grace of god And now behold I am sure that hencefoorth ye all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to recorde this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men For I haue spared no laboure but haue shewed you all the counsayle of God. ALthough Iesus Chryst the sonne of God whyle he was in this world alwayes loued his Disciples maruelously yet he declared most euident tokens of his loue a little before his gooing away as those graue and wholsome admonitions that he gaue them at his laste Supper abundauntly declare Paule following his example was not onely carefull for the saluation of Churches whyle he was among them but when he departed from them yea beeing absent he much more manyfestly declared howe neare his harte the welfare of them all dyd sitte This appeareth euerywhere in all his Epistles but specially in this oration which he made in the Synode at Miletum before the Pastours and Ministers of Asia For where he foresawe that he shoulde neuer come agayne to the Churches of Asia and knewe what daunger was lyke to follow by false teachers after he was gone therefore he warneth them with all trustinesse and diligence possible both of their duetyes and other things necessarie for their saluation But chiefly he setteth before them his owne example to purchase the more authoritie to his admonition whereof bycause we yesterday intreated sufficiently ynough nowe we will come to the explication of this present place For there followeth a reason of the cause that moued him so earnestly to vrge his owne example verily euen for that he was vpon departure and should returne no more to them agayne For hereof he gathered that they ought to follow the example of their Apostle and teacher with all diligence to take vpon them the care of the Church least they should lose that through their slouthe and negligence which he had gotten with so great labours and trauell And this is the whole summe of this place It shall be good to consider all things in the order that they are declared and to seeke out what mysteries lye hidden in euery worde First and now beholde sayth he I go bounde in the spirite vnto Ierusalem By the which words he vnderstandeth a secrete motion of the holy Ghost which we see was alwayes his guide in all his dooings Unto whō although he willingly obeyed as the things folowing declare yet he testifieth that he is led bounde as it were least he might seeme ouer lightly or rashly to tempt God by putting himselfe in daunger without a cause He declareth therefore that he coulde not do otherwise vnlesse he would obstinately wrastle with the spirite of god This maner of Paules speaking teacheth vs how we should regard both the secret suggestions of the holy
that are purified But as many as beleeue in Chryste are purified forasmuche as Chryste hathe sanctified and purged them by his bloud from their sinnes See the fifth sixt chapters of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Why then are we called now a dayes prophaners of Churches seeing we acknowledge Chryst our sauiour from the hart and to our power defend the auncient vse of Churches which is to serue for prayers teaching of the worde and administration of the Sacramentes Fourthly this name agreeth more rightly vnto them which set holy things to sale in Churches setting vp Idolles and practising many other things wherewith it is euident God hath bene offended in all ages Fifthly Paule layeth this faulte vpon the Iewes of Asia who as wee hearde before were the begynners of all thys adoo and were nowe absent For this is the continuall practise of all seditious mates that when they haue raised a multitude among whom good men be moste times in daunger they secretly conuey them selues away and stande out of Gunshot wayting the successe of the matter Would to God the poore commonaltie would alwayes remember this thing when suche rakehels as these abuse their distemperaunce and boldnesse to compasse and bring to passe their deuises Moreouer after confutation of these obiections Paule boldly prouoketh his aduersaries If these men here saith he will pleate the Asians cause goe too let them declare what euill they haue found in mee I know they haue nothing to lay to my charge except perhaps it bee a businesse made in their owne Counsell for the free confession that I vttered touchyng the resurrection of the deade But with what face can they thus doo seeing they shall bee enforced to confesse the resurrection them selues excepte they wyll altogither bee wycked the confidence of Paule and hys bolde speeche which declareth a manyfest argument of hys innocencie is worthy to bee considered The lyke it becommeth all Chrystes Ministers to haue and to persuade them selues that the worlde hateth them for the truthes sake onely For thys shall make them constante and bolde agaynst all daungers See Peter in his first Epistle the third and fourth Chapters Nowe remayneth the ende of this businesse which was farre other than the Iewes looked for For Felix deferreth all the matter vnto Lysias the Capraynes comming both for that he was not ignorant of the things concerning that way that is to say stubborne obstinate controuersies about faith religion and of the way warde and vnruely conditions of the Iewes but also for that they grouÌ„ded their whole accusatioÌ„ vpon the testimonie of Lysias In the meane season he hath a consideration of Paule whose innocencie he manifestâ—y perceiued For he coÌ„maundeth him to haue rest and permitteth his friends to come minister vnto him For certayne acquaintance abode with Paule in time of his captiuitie of whose number it appeareth that Luke was whose example teacheth vs that we must not forsake those that are in daunger for Christes sake seeing that he taketh whatsoeuer pleasure is done vnto them as done to himself Agayn Magistrates lerne by example of Felix to beware that for meÌ„s sakes they be not to rash in iudgement For iudgement is Gods whose ministers they must remeÌ„ber they are Therfore let them folow his equitâ—e tempered with long suffring In the mean season let theÌ„ not intreat prisoners to vncurteously seeing that wicked malefactors haue some pitie to be shewed on them for humanitie manhoodes sake Aboue all things let vs marke the truthe of God towardes those that honour him his power agaynst his enimies For it is his worke that Felix contrary to his nature wherof we haue oftentimes intreated is gentle and curteous vnto Paule And it is an easie matter vnto God to mollifie cruell hearts and to get his people fauour with their enimies also seeing he hath full power vpon all creatures and euen ouer the hearts of men Let none of vs therefore feare men nor doo any thing otherwyse than becommeth vs for their sake But rather let vs labour to commende our selues and our dooings vnto God which is able to defende hys seruaunts in the middest of their enimies to assuage their moody minds atlength to take vs â—rom al troubles into his kingdome the inheritaunce whereof he hath prepared for all them that honour hys name through Iesus Chryst To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clv. Homelie AND after a certayne dayes when Felix came with his wife Drusilla which was a Iewesse he called foorth Paule and heard hym of the fayth which is towarde Chryste And as he preached of righteousnesse temperaunce and iudgement to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this tyme when I haue a conuenient season I will sende for thee He hoped also that money should haue bene giuen him of Paule that he might loose him wherefore he called him the oftener and communed with him But after two yere Festus Portius came into Felix roume And Felix willing to shew the Iewes a pleasure left Paule in prison bounde IT was a wonderfull and a rare example both of Gods mercy and power that Paule founde suche courtesie and gentlenesse in Felix the President whose wycked tyrannie euen prophane wryters haue lefte reported in Hystories But it is farre more notable that Luke reporteth heere in thys place For Paule lyueth not onely in safetie but also fyndeth occasion to preach before him Wherby the truth of that saying of Paule appeareth which is that though the Ministers of God be sometimes in prison and bondes yet his word can not be bounde For that that happened vnto Paule the same falleth out in many Martyrs of Chryst also now a dayes that they which are led bound vnto the stake or fyre preache the worde of God boldly to the terrour of the wicked and consolation of the godly But let vs consider all the poyntes of this place in order First Paules hearers are described whom if wee diligently marke wee may playnly gather what the occasion was that Paule was appoynted to make this Sermon For Felix which had ben absent from Caesarea for a certayne dayes was now returned agayne with his wife Drusilla which I thinke was the chiefe procurer of this Sermon For she was a Iewe and daughter to Herode called Agrippa who after he had stayne Iames the Apostle was smitten by the Aungell and suffered greeuous punishement for his vngodlynesse and tyrannie Firste shee was betrouthed to Antiochus called Epiphanes but not maried bycause he would not be maried after the maners and rites of the Iewes After that she maried with Aziazus king of the people called Amazi from whome Felix the President enticed hir and caried hir away through fayre promises and by the conueyance of a certayne Magitian of Cyprus as before was declared wherfore she became not only a filthy adultresse but also wickedly transgressed the law of God and the religion of
intercession those promisses are ratified whereof wee should haue no vtilitie at all vnlesse he were the maintainer and defender of the couenaunt But bicause as well the diuine power of Christ as also the office whereunto his father appoynted him appeareth most euidently in the resurrection of the deade as Paule other wheres declareth he omitteth nowe the other Articles and taketh him to entreate only thereof as a thing cheefely appertaining to this present controuersie For by this it appeared both that Iesus Christ which rose againe from the deade was the aucthor of life and saluation and also the error of the Saduces which vtterly denied the resurrection was confuted For it is very like that this secte at that time did muche preuaile with many men and that diuers of Paules hearers were infected with the same For onlesse we graunte this Paule may seeme too importunate which asketh in angrye wise why it should seeme incredible to them that he saide God should raise the deade againe And vndoubtedly Paule intreated of all these things more at large and confirmed them with testimonies of scriptures But Luke doth but touch certaine breefe notes of euery thing to giue vs an occasion the more to meditate thereof And surely this place which the breuitie thereof maketh obscure will be moste plaine if a man woulde draw out therof the propositions or arguments which Paule as it is euident more at large handled Wherof this shal be the first Our controuersie is touching the hope of the promisse made by God vnto the fathers and of the whole meane of our saluation The seconde I teache that this hope consisteth in Iesus Christe onely which they constantly denie The third I proue by the resurrectioÌ„ of him which declared that he was both the sonne of God and the aucthor of life that all the meane of our life and saluation consisteth in Christe The fourth neither ought the resurrection of Christ to seeme incredible to any man for as much as it is a moste easie thing vnto God in the end of the world to raise all the dead againe as all the scriptures declare he shall doe This seemeth to me to be the order of Paules oration and the summe of al those things which hitherto haue ben spoken which if we consider it shall be very easie to explicate euery thing more at large Also by the enumeration of certaine principall poyntes he thought he wold make his hearers attent bicause they should not thinke that he contended with the Iewes about a trifle as Festus before had said In the meane season we haue to consider certaine common places falling out in this matter And first of all we be taught what the faith hope of all the Sainctes and of the whole church of God hath bene in al ages Uerily euen such as hath depended vpon Christ the sonne of God which became man for our sake and which beleeueth that all faithe and saluation consisteth in him only For this dothe Paule in this place call the hope of the promisse made sometime vnto the fathers But the Catholike faithe saithe that all the promisses are confirmed in Christ as Paule himselfe euery where confesseth specially in the first Chapter of the second to the Corinthians and in the tenth Chapter of the first to the same Corinthians where he wryteth that the condition of the fathers of the olde Testament was allone with oures so that he attributeth to them oursacraments also which are baptisme and the supper eueÌ„ as other wheres he attributeth to vs the passeouer and spirituall circumcision Howbeit these things shall more euideÌ„tly appeare if we consider the promisses of God which he made sometimes vnto the fathers Among these fathers Adam is the first who when hee was thrust out of Paradise into this vale of misery had none other hope of saluation giuen him than that which is in Christ only For the seede of the woman was promised vnto him whose heele the serpent should lie in wait to sâ—ing although in vaine for as much as that seede shuld crush and tread down the serpents head But Christ alone may be called the seede of the woman which without any commixtion of mannes seede toke fleshe of the virgin Marie The Deuill that olde Serpent lay craftely in waite against his heele that is to say against his humane nature and by his instruments brought to passe that he was slaine vpon the Crosse but to his owne vtter hinderance and destruction For heereby it came to passe that Christ when he died trade downe the head of the Diuell that is vanquished his rule and tirannie by the merite of his deathe and vtterly disarmed him of his force and draue him out of his kingdome But seeing there is no doute but that Adam beleeued this promisse for as muche as he chaunged his wiues name and called hir Heuâ— as which should bring foorth them that should lyue it is euident that he dyd put his whole hope and trust in Iesus Chryst alone which was that promised seede of the woman Therefore Adam was a christian man and beleeued that he and his posteritie should be deliuered and saued from the tyrannie of the Diuell through the merite of Chryst onely Paule in the .11 chapter to the Hebrues proueth most euideÌ„tly that Abel Enoch Noe and the other fathers as many as before the floud plesed god were of the same fayth After the floud we haue chiefly to consider Abraham with whom it pleased God to renue his couenant whom the scriptures cal the father of all those that beleeue Moyses and Paule beare witnesse that he beleeued God and howe that beleefe and fayth was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse What he beleeued all men knowe verily that the promise of God which sayde that in his seede all nations should be blessed and saued should be confirmed And that this seede was Chryst bothe Paule in the third to the Galathians and Chryst him selfe witnesseth For Chryst sayth Abraham reioyced to see my day and he sawe it and was glad This is to be vnderstanded of the contemplation and sight of fayth onely Whervppon we gather that Abraham also was stayed vp by fayth onely in Chryst and at length saued Touching his ofspring and issue Isahac and Iacob what needeth it to speake seeing it is manyfest that the promises made vnto the father are so oftentimes repeated vnto them yea Iacob when he lay a dying preached to his children touching the sauiour that was promised and playnely expresseth his comming And if we consider Moses it shal appeare that he also had his respecte vnto Chryst onely He sendeth the people of Israell vnto him whereas he promiseth them a great Prophet which al men were bound to heare as we vnderstode before by the words of Stephen and Peter Moreouer that one Epistle to the Hebrues is sufficient to teach vs that all the Ceremonies of the lawe and the Leuiticall seruice were
maiestie of the Sainâ—tes which cheefely triumpheth vnder the crosse and afflictions For nowe Paule thoughe he were in bandes yet like a King and Emperoure hath souldiers obedient at his becke and commaundement The like wee haue seene also many times before and the Euangelistes teache vs that the Baptist made Herode afraide Why then are we offended at the crosse and afflictions Let vs rather constantly followe our vocation seeing the hande of God is able to defende vs in the middest of oure ennimies and looke for a rewarde in heauen which oure sauioure Iesus Christ hathe purchased vs through his merite to whome be praise honor power and glory foreuer Amen The Clxxiij Homelie ANd from thence when the brethren hearde of vs they came to meete vs at Appiforum and at the three tauernes When Paule sawe them he thanked God and waxed bolde And when we came to Rome the vnder captaine deliuered the prisonners to the cheefe Captaine of the hoste But Paule was suffered to dwell by himselfe with a souldioure that kepte him And after three dayes Paule called the cheefe of the Iewes togither and when they were come he saide vnto them Men and brethren thoughe I haue committed nothing againste the people or lawes of the Elders yet was I deliuered prisonner from Ierusalem into the hands of the Romanes which when they had examined me would haue let me goe bicause there was no cause of deathe in me But when the Iewes spake contrary I was constrained to appeale vnto Caesar not that I had ought to accuse my nation of For this cause then haue I called you euen to see you to speake with you bicause that for the hope of Israel I am bounde with this chaine And they saide vnto him we neither receiued letters out of Iewrie pertaining vnto thee neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harme of thee But we will heare of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this secte we knowe that euery where it is spoken against ALl Paules affaires done in the time of his Apostleship are very notable and for many skilles singuler yet the chefe among them is his bringing out of Iewrie vnto Rome with so great a preparation there to plead Christes cause the christian faith before Caesar. For how rare and insolent a thing this was in the iudgement of the world it shall easily appeare if a man compare Paules persone being of small account and reputation yea hated enuied almost of all men with the maiestie of Caesar and the whole Romane Empire whereof all nations and people stoode in feare For it could neuer haue beene brought to passe by any meanes of man that either the Romane Presidents shuld haue taken so greate paines in suche a mannes behalfe or that Nero the Emperor a man wholely set on fire with voluptuousnesse and tyrannie should haue suffered suche an one to haue come in his sighte or to heare him onlesse God had mightily stretched out his hande whose affaires all these things in doing were This was the cause that Luke described all this voyage so diligently which the Lord for many causes woulde haue notified that the fame and report of Paule going before should excite and stirre vp the mindes of the Romanes to heare him And this present place teacheth vs that the successe of Gods deuise was not in vaine wherein many other things recourse the consideration whereof is able singularly to enstruct and comfort vs. For Luke wryteth that the Brethren came oute of Rome vnto Appiforum and to the place called in the vulgare tong Tipergote whome when he saw he gaue thankes vnto God and conceiued thereby a greater boldnesse of minde In this place aboue all other things wee haue to consider God by whose dispensation it is certaine all these things came to passe For it pleased him that hys Seruaunte shoulde bee confirmed by the meeting of these Brethren that hee mighte afterwarde the more boldly wade thoroughe with Chrystes cause Whereunto also is to bee referred that wee heard laste touching the Brethren of Puteoli For althoughe Paule was bolde inoughe and ready to suffer not onely bondes but deathe also for the name of Christe yet was hee a man and wanted not his temptations And surely hee mighte well haue feared that hee shoulde haue laboured in vaine in Christes cause in suche a Citie whereas vngodlynesse and tirannie raigned God therefore to plucke this care oute of his minde moueth these Brethren to goe and meete him that hee mighte see howe there wanted not suche as hee mighte confirme by the Example of his constancie and as woulde helpe him with their Prayers in thys conflicte Lette vs therefore bee encouraged by this Example and constantly holde on in our vocation For neither shall the godly zeale of Gods woorde want his frute nor God himselfe faile vs who can most easely gette vs euery where suche as will take parte with vs bothe in laboures and daungers Againe the brethren at Rome are also to be considered For we knowe how Paule wrote an Epistle vnto them before these things came to passe in the which hee declareth aboundantly bothe his good will towardes them and promiseth that hee woulde come vnto them Therefore for this good tournes sake they shewe themselues thankeful vnto him although there were manye things that mighte haue discouraged them therefro For firste hee commeth with no pompe or worshipfull traine but is broughte bounde like a malefactoure with other prisonners Who woulde not haue beene ashamed of suche a man Or who woulde not haue feared some daunger by companying with him Againe it was a thing of it selfe daungerous among the Romanes to professe the Christian faithe and Religion which during the raigne of Tiberius as Tertullian wryteth was condemned by publike statute and decree Furthermore these that mette him were not onely in daunger but the whole Congregation at Rome beside for whome by this occasion more diligent and earnest searche and inquisition myghte haue beene made But howesoeuer these matters wente they thoughte it meete to declare theyr duetie of loue to suche an Apostle which trauailed so earnestly in the behalfe of all menne and therefore they had leiuer to incurre any daunger than to bee founde flacke in dooing their duetie These things teache vs what we owe vnto the Ministers of Christe by whose ministerie wee are broughte vnto saluation if at any time they happen to be in daunger for their faithe and doctrine Lette vs not bee ashamed of them beeing in bandes forasmuche as wee knowe that Christe was bounde and that the woorde of God can not bee bounde Againe hee will heereafter accepte it as bestowed on him that is bestowed on them At lengthe wee haue to consider Paule hymselfe also of whome there are two things affirmed Firste hee giueth thankes vnto God which is not so to bee vnderstanded as thoughe hee hadde lette the brethren passe and not once spoken vnto them For