and accustomed lecture of the lawe and Prophetes was ended the Rulers of the Sinagoge supposing them to be no common persons gaue them leaue to speake vnto the people For they send a message to them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any Sermon to exhort the people saye on And so Paule begonne a singular sermon of Iesus Christ and the whole mysterie of our saluation the beginning whereof God willing we shall heare to morowe At this time we haue certaine other thinges to consider of which we will speake in order First and foremost the Apostles spredde not the doctrine of saluation abrode in Tauernes among drunken blowbolles nor yet in corners and woodes among the rude and ignorant people but they come into a publike place and openly teach the Gospell This it appeareth they did after the example of Christ who vsed himselfe to go into the Sinagoges and to teach openly And when he was examined by Caiphas of his doctrine and Disciples as though he had bene an heretike he defendeth himselfe by this argument only that he taught openly in the Sinagoge and in the Church and was not afrayde to abide the iudgement of the whole people touching his doctrine Which examples serue to repoorue them which sowe newe opinions secretly among the people and flie and abhorre nothing so much as the light and iudgement of the congregation This one thing abundantlye prooueth that they are deceyuers seeing that truth desireth nothing so much as the light Where yet we do not condemne them which being compassed about with persecutions exercise the duties of godly religion in secret which thing we reade was done at Ierusalem by the faythfull in the house of Mary and otherwheres so that they be ready to giue an account of their fayth to as many as require the same and not like the Anabaptistes by stubborne silence and craftie dissimulation delude them that go about to trie their fayth and doctrine Then againe it is no superfluous notation of time where it is sayde they went into the sinagoge on the Sabboth dayes For hereby he teacheth vs that they diligently kept the religion of the Sabboth which day it is euident was dedicated vnto God at the beginning of the world was diligently commended by Moses vnto the Israelites For where we be busied with diuers occupations it was necessary that there should be one time appointed free from all cares and businesse wherein we shoulde giue our selues wholy both in body and soule to the honouring of god Therefore God appointed the seauenth daye to this exercise which he for this cause called his daye that when that daye commeth we should abstaine from all other businesses and exercises And he ordeyned it to be kept so holilye that he appointed death for the breakers thereof And in the Prophets this is reckoned for one of the most grieuous offences and causes of the captiuitie of Babilon that they did vnhallowe the Sabbothes of the Lorde For the which cause the sonne of God although he many times reprehended the superstitious keeping of them yet he diligently obserued those thinges wherein the worship of God consisted For on those days he entred into the Sinagoges and was present at their publike assemblies and prayers Moreouer hee taught and hearde others teach and also vsed diligently the deedes of liberalitie Which thing the Apostles remembring they thought good also to followe the example of their maister But now a dayes the matter is come to that passe that among Christians they may go for the best menne that breake the Sabbothes but with handy works toward the getting of their liuing whereas a great many prophane them with heynous wickednesse nor at any time doe men more sinne in pryde and arrogancie in drunkennesse concupiscence and ryot than on that day which ought to be bestowed wholy in the study of godly workes and eternall rest and quiet And notwithstanding these thinges are openly committed yet wee still seeke what should bee the causes of the miseries and wretchednesse of our dayes Howbeit where the religion of the Sabboth as touching the outward obseruation consisteth chiefly in the holy assemblyes which Moses calleth holye conuocations Luke declareth diligently what was done in this assembly First the Apostles sate downe no doubt among the residue that were there gathered togither This is the dutie of modestie and honestie wherof regard must alwaies be had euerywhere but chiefly in the Church that nothing be done out of order and dishonestly Then he maketh mention howe the lawe and the Prophetes were reade which was obserued among the Iewes of a common custome as we shall vnderstand a little after by Paules sermon and by the wordes of Iames in the .xv. Chapter For so Moses ordeyned by the commaundement of God which custome after their returne from Babylon Esdras restored againe as appeareth in Nehemias cap. 8. And Christ vsed none other custome when out of the place of Esay he taught the mysteries of our saluation in the Sinagoge at Nazareth These thinges teach vs that in the congregation the worde of God comprehended in the Scriptures ought to be intreated For this cause Paule commendeth vnto the Ministers of Churches the studie of holy scripture bicause none other voyce than such as speaketh in the scripture must be hearde in Gods house Therfore their errour is enormious and absurde in that Church which declare vnto the simple people most foolish trifles out of the Legendes of Saints or else vrge and exact mans traditions wherwith Christ himselfe out of the Prophete teacheth that all Gods religion is corrupted Which thing as it is in these dayes to much frequented â—o if at any time any place be left for the word of God it is vsed to be sayde or song commonlye in a straunge tongue so that no profyte can come to the people thereby But touching this matter see Paules iudgement 1. Cor. 14. Thirdlye this also is to be commended that none of them taketh vppon him to speake before he be lawfully requested For although of auncient custome the interpreters and Prophetes sate next to the Teachers yet none impudently intruded himselfe so that vndesired or without necessitie he woulde speake vnto the people Wherefore Paule and Barnabas also although they were sent by the holy ghost yet they thinke it not good to breake so profytable and auncient a custome of the Church Therefore the Anabaptistes disorder is not to be suffered which abuse the place of Paule 1. Cor. 14 â–ª saying that all men ought to haue leaue to speake in the Church For Paule in that place speaketh of those that had the gift of interpretation and prophecie and sate with the teachers as was euen nowe sayde But such as were no interpreters he commaundeth to keepe silence And he commaundeth all things to be done decently and in order Neyther lette any man obiect here vnto me what I thinke the Apostles woulde haue done if no
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
translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors
fewe to Hierusalem euen this day that the holy ghost is giuen to the Apostles that among the first they might be wonne vnto Christ by the preachyng of the Apostles as about the ende of this Chapter we shall heare Nowe these men are astonied and woonder at the great myracle of God which they see shewed in the Apostles and they extoll it with many wordes leauyng out nothyng that maketh to the settyng foorth of the same For they both confesse the Apostles are Galileans and they beare witnesse they heare euery one their owne proper phrase of speache and they also recken vp the nations whose tongues they heare them vse Yet they stande not styll in this bashement but goyng further they seeke the ende and vse of this matter saying What meaneth this We are taught by the example of these men who are meete hearers of the doctrine of the Gospell and in whom this doctrine bryngeth foorth worthy fruites They are such which beyng not wholly destitute of religion doe humbly marueyle at the myracles of God and sticke not onely in the outwarde contemplation of them but earnestly thinke of the ende and vse of them God suffereth not these mens studyes to be frustrate whose pleasure it is that men shoulde come to the knowledge of truth And we reade that Salomon sayde If thou seekest after wisdome as after money thou shalt finde hir And Christ saith Seeke and you shall finde Now after these men follow another sort of men whom Christ calleth by the name of Dogges and Swine and the scripture in other places calleth them scorners and mockers For Luke saith there were aswel that mocked the Apostles as those that woondred at them saying These men are full of newe wine The example of these men is set foorth to shewe vs howe farre the wickednesse of such runneth as haue once purposed to persecute the truth For they become incurable and can be reclaymed with no maner of wordes or deedes For with what myracle wyll they be mooued whom this myracle can not mooue which was the greatest that euer was wrought amongst men But they are so farre from being mooued therwith that they take occasion rather to reproche and blaspheme it and they attribute it to the detestable vice of drunkennesse which of force they perceyue to be the workyng of the holy ghost There are diuers examples of this sort apparaunt which serue all to this ende to teache vs that we be not offended with the vniust iudgements of this worlde concernyng the truth For this is alway seene that the doctrine of the Gospell is to some the sauour of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauour of death vnto death And Paule teacheth vs that Christ crucyfied is a stumblyng block vnto the Iewes and foolishnesse vnto the Greekes Therfore let vs leaue such to the iudgement of God and let vs frame our selues to the doctrine of the Gospell that it beyng quickened in our heartes by the woorkyng of the holy ghost may bryng foorth worthy fruites by the which we may be knowne to be true beleeuers and may enioy the euerlastyng promises of the Gospell in Iesus Christe to whome be blessyng honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xij. Homelie BVT Peter stepped foorth with the eleuen and lyft vp his voyce and sayde Ye men of Iewry and all ye that dwell at Hierusalem be this knowne vnto you and with your eares heare my words For these men are not drunken as ye suppose seyng it is but the thirde houre of the day But this is that which was spoken by the prophete Ioel. And it shal be in the last dayes saith God of my spirite I wyll poure out vpon all fleshe And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruauntes and on my handmaydes I wyll poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie WHen Iesus Christ the sonne of God was newely borne into the worlde and was brought by Marie his mother into the Churche accordyng to the appoyntment of Moyses lawe the holy and reuerende olde father Simeon by inspiration of the holy ghost amonge other thynges sayde Beholde this chylde is set to be the fall and vprisyng agayne of many in Israel and for a signe which is spoken agaynst Howbeit that which is spoken of Iesus Christ may be vnderstanded of the Gospell of Christ preached by the Apostles For although the doctrine therof be playne and simple and sheweth also the true way howe to attayne to saluation Yet shall men alwayes haue diuers iudgementes touchyng the same and there shall be no small number of such as shall openly speake agaynst it This dyd Esay the prophete see long agoe who vtteryng a prophecie of Christe and his doctrine begynneth after this sort Who hath giuen credence to our preaching or to whom is the arme of the Lord knowne The Lorde declareth the cause of all this matter where he saith this world can not abyde the lyght bicause the workes therof are euyll The scriptures also set foorth many lyke examples the ende and warnyng of all which is that we shoulde not be offended when the lyke happen in these dayes Among which this example that the Apostles prooued the first day they receiued the holy ghost and went about to administer their office is very notable For where they were indued with a singuler myracle such as the lyke had neuer beene hard of tyll this day which was the vnderstandyng of all languages and preached Iesus Christe in diuers tongues by reason of their hearers of diuers nations by and by the vnconstant people were deuided into sundry and diuers opinions For the more godly sort woondered at the worke of God and diligently searched after the meanyng thereof The wicked scorners accused them of drunkennesse So true it is that Paule saith that Christe seemeth foolishnesse to the wise of this worlde But bicause we spake hereof in the last Sermon let vs haste to the explication of this present place where the fayth and courage of the Apostles is more cleerely and euidently to be seene For they are so litle mooued or feared with the wicked slaunders of men that Peter rather taketh occasion hereof to speak vnto them and with a fruitfull sermon winneth many of them vnto Christ. Before we go about to expounde Peters Sermon let vs consyder what is sayde of hym and the other Apostles Peter sayth hee standyng with the eleuen lyft vp his voyce They stoode therefore without feare and thought neither to flye nor leaue their charge although they were so vniustly iudged And yet there seemed no small cause of feare and desperation For what shoulde they thinke they coulde preuayle in wordes with them whose wicked and frowarde mindes so great a myracle as euer was wrought could not mollifie and mooue But they stoode vnfeared and not onely remayne and tary by it but also begyn to set
worlde betydeth vs for Christes sake And he doth not onely the part of a comforter but is also a most faythfull counsaylour For he telleth vs what to doe and when we be in perplexitie and doubt he lighteth vs the torch of truth by whose conducting we escape the daungers of fayth and ofsaluation Beside all this he is the earnest and sure pledge of our redemption and saluation For as Iesus Christ taking vp into heauen the fleshe that he tooke of vs would haue it there to be a gage of our saluation so he putteth his spirite in our heartes in steede of a pledge to imprint the confidence of saluation in vs and to arme vs strongly agaynst temptations Wherefore he is called of Paule the spirite of adoption because that being regenerated by him we are assured by his testimonie that we be the sonnes and heyres of god Therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophete taketh the gift of this holy spirite amongst all other most to be commended We are also here taught what we ought chiefly to doe in the kingdome of christ In which place we may see the diuers and noysome errours of men which while they followe carnall things onely and vnder the coulour of Christ gape after worldly goodes vse many tymes to denie Christ in their life whome they professe with their mouth And to these shall be ioyned those to whome hereafter it shall be sayde Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Christes kingdome is a spirituall kingdome and not of this world Therefore let vs desire the giftes of the spirite wherewith if we be furnished the other things that we haue neede of shall come of their owne accord Moreouer it is conuenient we see the maner of this promise and to whome it apperteyneth He declareth the maner in this one word of pouring out whereby he promiseth a large and plentifull grace of the spirite As touching the persons to whome he will giue it he treateth more at large saying I will poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe Therefore this is an vniuersall promise But he addeth for expositions sake sonnes and daughters yong men and olde to teach vs that there is no difference in the kingdome of Christ eyther of age or sexe For in Christ as Paule sayth there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle neyther bonde nor free neyther man nor woman In the meane season least any might thinke that the holy spirite was giuen to good and bad alyke God restrayneth his promise to his seruauntes and handmaydens to the ende we should vnderstande that it ought vniuersally to be expounded of them For where he is the spirite of adoption he can be receyued of none but of them whō God doth vouchsafe to acknowledge for his sonnes But they be sonnes of God which acknowledge him to be their father and call vpon him which serue him which worship him which please him and honour him And although they cannot performe the things that belong to the sonnes of God before they be regenerated by this spirite through the free benefit of God and therforethey be oftentimes vnknowne to vs before we see the effects of the holy ghost in them yet it is euident that none be partakers of this spirite but such as the Lorde taketh for his And he knoweth who be his and so knoweth them that no man can take them out of his hande And here by the waye commeth the difference of the olde and newe Testament to be considered For although one and the same Christ one and the same fayth and way of saluation one and the same spirite is set forth in both of them yet there may be perceyued no little difference wherein easily appeareth howe much greater our dignitie and felicitie is than theirs of the olde Testament This appeareth first in the number of the faythfull and next in the maner of teaching For in the olde Testament it is plaine there were but a small number of worshippers and the knowledge of saluation seemed to be compassed within the boundes of the people of Iurie For the wordes of God be well knowne which he sayth to the Israelites Ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine Ye shall bee vnto me a kingdome of priestes and an holy people Againe You only haue I accepted of all the Nations on the earth For which cause sake me thinketh that is also spoken in the Psalmes In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell At Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Syon Hee sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes But in the newe Testament the spirite of the Lorde is poured vppon all fleshe and the way of saluation is stretched to the farthest endes of the earth There it is sayde that they shall come from the East and from the West that shall sitte in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob There the Apostles receyue a commaundement to preache the Gospell to all Nations There Peter learneth vs howe there is no respect of persons wyth God but in all Nations they that feare him and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him And here is fulfilled that which was spoken before by the Prophete That the barren and desolate should haue more children than shee that was maryed ▪ Againe though there be singuler examples of the faythfull of the olde Testament the like whereof you shall hardly finde in these dayes yet is it plaine that the way and meane of our saluation is now much more manifestly taught than it was woont to be in the olde Testament Before the lawe was published there were in deede large and liberall promises but obscure ynough if we waye them that liued in those dayes which sawe them not as then fulfilled In the lawe our saluation was shadowed with signes and figures but such as whereof many tooke occasion to establishe the righteousnesse of workes Then followed the Prophetes and they declare the mysteryes of Christ somewhere darckely and somewhere more plainely and openly And the thinges which seeme to vs most euident in their writinges seemed without doubt to them in those dayes obscure and darke ynough But in the new Testament the vayle of darcknesse is rent and that light brought in which being come giueth light to all men in the worlde In the Gospell the things are plainely taught which before tyme were hidden and secrete And there fishers and Publicanes see and heare those things which many Prophetes and iust men desired in tymes past to heare and see As touching this plentifull and bounteous gift of the holye ghost and true light thereof Ioel also prophecieth The ende and vse of
of that time drew neare when Christ appearing in the glorye of the father and pronouncing a finall sentence vpon all flesh shoulde appoint a full and absolute blisse to his faythfull deuoyde of all sorrowes daungers and griefes which they shoulde enioy both in body and soule It behooued therefore that this troublesome state of the worlde which shoulde alwayes remaine after the birth of Christe and after he had fulfilled the worke of our redemption should be thus diligently described least any man after this great promise of the holye ghost and fauour of God shoulde promise himselfe to haue all thinges in this worlde in peace and safetie with which error we reade the Chiliastes in times past were bewitched And there want not in these dayes which hope for an vniuersall and stable peace and tranquillitie ofall things vnder Christ which bicause they see not as yet come to passe they beginne to suspect all that is written of our faith and religion They draw the cause of their errour out of the Prophetes descriptions of the kingdome of Christe such as both otherwheres and also in Esay xj and lxv Chapters are extant But there are other places of Scripture which ought to haue bene ioyned with them where wee are ab undantlye taught that we ought to looke for no such thing in this worlde For Dauid sayeth Christ shall reigne in the middest of his enimies And Christe denyeth that his kingdome is of this worlde Hee euerye where admonisheth his children of the crosse and bitter afflictions which he would haue them prepared for In the worlde sayth he you shall haue tribulation They are therfore ridiculous in very deede which contrarye to Christes saying promise as well others as themselues ease peace and tranquillitie in this world And yet we denie not the things that are read in the Prophetes touching a peaceable state of Christes kingdome But we vnderstande them partlye of the tranquillitie of the minde and of the spirituall ioye of the faithfull and partly of the faithfull onely and of the conuersation and fellowship which they onely haue one with another For so they be truely at rest and certaine of their saluation and dwell safely among them who where before they might haue seemed Woolues and Lions being conuerted to Christ are become most meke sheepe and lambes And yet manye stryfes and afflictions they shall abide which as Christe plainly admonisheth vs shall be so much the more grieuous howe much nearer the vniuersall redemption of the godly approcheth which when he commeth shall be cleane dispatched But to come at length to the woordes of the Prophete two things in them seeme chiefly to be considered wherof one is the troublesome and vnhappie state of the worlde which he sayth should be after Christ his comming in the fleshe the other concerneth the causes of the euils and calamities which serue not a little aswell to comfort vs as to instruct vs. He describeth the state of the later dayes in these wordes I will shewe woonders in the heauens aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoke The sunne shall be turned into darckenesse and the moone into bloude He maketh mention of straunge woonders which bicause they be tokens of things to come in considering of them we must also comprehende in our minde the calamities and miseries which they portende For it is not Gods propertie or custome to delude the mindes of men with vaine and ydle sights And Iesus Christ in the gospel repeating the same things maketh mention of afflictions also wherof these be signes and prognostications Ye shall saith he heare of warres and tidings of warres For nation shall rise against nation and Realme against Realme and there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places The Prophet proponeth diuers kinds of woonders to make vs the more attent He saith there shall be woonders in heauen in the number whereof blasing starres firebrands flashings of light flying Dragons long starres like swordes and dartes and what so euer such like maye be accounted which although the Astrologers number amongst the things proceeding of natural causes yet this place sufficiently teacheth vs that they be signes and tokens of calamities to followe Furthermore he sayeth there shall be also signes vpon the earth amongst the which earthquakes ought to haue the first place whereby it is manifest great alterations of things haue many times bene portended Herevnto appertaine the straunge inundations and ouerflowings of waters monstrous births of children the vncouth voice of beasts springs of waters running with bloude the straunge fruites of trees and plantes with infinite others lyke examples whereof we haue both in hystories and daily experience But the Prophete returning agayne to heauen maketh peculiar mention of the sunne and moone whose brightnesse he sayth shall be obscured with horrible darknesse and the terrible sight of bloude The meaning of all which is that in the later daye such shall bee the countenaunce of the worlde that whither soeuer wee turne our eyes there shall appeare the horrible signes of Gods wrath and his iudgements euen in those creatures the vse whereof hath bene chiefly to sette forth the goodnesse of God and to comfort man amongest which we take the sunne and moone to be the chiefe Moreouer if we compare the things here spoken with hystories we shall see that all these things in sundry ages haue many wayes bene fulfilled But what neede we runne to hystories where in our owne dayes we haue seene many examples hereof and may euery day still see newe What age euer was there since the beginning of the worlde wherein so many blasing starres haue bene seene as hath appeared within these .xxxiij. yeres I speake not of speares swoords darts horses sights of men yea armed hostes Lyons and many other which hauing bene seene in the Clowdes haue feared the mindes of the lookers on Who knoweth not of the â—arthquakes and horrible inundations of waters The monstrous birth both of men and beastes brought forth within the space of this .xxx. yeares no man can easilye number Bloude hath sproong out of the earth and runne not in so fewe places as one We haue seene in the eares of corne marueylous and straunge sights The bearded grapes and clusters hauing tuftes of heare growing out of them haue vpbraided the Germaines with their drunkennesse as it were men strong to drinke wine as the Prophet sayth Here we must learne the continuall vsage of God which neuer punisheth man before he giue warning thereof by woonders and that their seeing of these woonders should not be in vaine he ioyneth most times his worde to the same For where he woulde haue men to be saued he doth nothing as the Prophete sayth except hee reueale his secretes before vnto his seruauntes the prophetes This may be prooued by the examples of all ages from the first beginning of the worlde
Church and declare the benefite of Gods grace that it seeme not to be bestowed vpon vnworthy persons But Luke passeth to other matters declaring what effect this great myracle tooke among the people and howe an occasion of preaching was thereby offered to Peter where the proper and right vse of the whole hystorie sheweth it selfe The people sayeth Luke sawe the lame man walking and praysing god And not only sawe him walking but knew certainly it was he that was woont to sitte at the gate of the Temple to aske almes Which thing maketh for proofe of the truth of the myracle least anye man might deeme there were anye craft or sleyght vsed in the matter Then being rauished with admiration they ranne thicke and threefolde to the Apostles whome the lame man for ioye had not yet let go and forsaken Here we haue two things to obserue the one worthy of great commendation the other of reprehension as more plainly shall appeare by Peters wordes First being striken with marueylous admiration Luke sayth they were prouoked to runne to the Apostles and to bethinke them of so straunge and vnwoonted a matter which no manne can denye but was well done of them and not without a cause For we ought diligently to consider the workes of God and to marueyle at the excellencye of them for the which ende some Philosophers not altogither vnwittily haue sayde that God made manne Bicause that obseruation and marueyling stayeth not in a certaine blinde and amazed dulnesse of the minde but is a certayne preparation of the mynde whereby we are drawne to the true knowledge of god For God verily reuealeth himselfe and his will in his worde which being long since written he hath commaunded alwayes to be preached in his Church But such is the corruption of our minde that vnlesse we be drawne by some forcible motion we can neuer be brought from earthly things to the consideration of heauenly Wherefore God ioyneth to his worde many times certaine signes and most singuler works that they may awake our mindes out of that dull sleepe and bring them to the consideration of his worde and will. And for this cause Christ oftentimes eyther before his teaching or in his teaching vsed myracles to make men the more ready to receyue his doctrine Which myracles howe much good they did appeareth by the example of Nicodemus and others who by them came first to the knowledge of christ Nowe in all the myracles iudgementes and workes of God this is the chiefe ende and purpose that by them we shoulde take occasion to ryse higher to the better knowledge of Gods will and pleasure But here the sluggishnesse of this age is to be bewayled whereby it commeth to passe that many are waxed so deafe that they neyther can heare nor see anye of the thinges whereby God puncheth vs and waketh vs vp to acknowledge our saluation The word of the Gospell is preached andthe Lord commaundeth vs to watch We see euery where horrible examples of Gods iudgements wherewith he bridleth and punisheth the vncurable wickednesse of this world There are signes woonders and tokens of all sortes and kindes shewed To conclude whatsoeuer thinges Christ prophecied shoulde come to passe in the later age before his glorious comming are dayly done in our sight and fulfilled But we lying bolt vpright and snorting regarde none of all these things so that if there were none other signe or token surely by the ouer great securitie and carelesnesse of the worlde it maye be perceyued that these be the daungerous dayes wherof the Apostles many times haue admonished vs. But let vs awake O brethren and learne by this present example the workes of God that our marueyling at them maye be an helpe for vs to come to a more perfite knowledge of God. The other thing in the people is to be reprehended For although God pricked and stirred them vp by so notable a myracle yet were their mindes and eyes still vpon the Apostles whome they thought to be the authors of the myracle whereas they ought to haue lift vp their mindes to the consideration of Iesus Christ in whose name and by whose power the myracle was wrought This is the propertie of the fleshe to sticke to the present and next causes and to lift their minde no higher to knowe the true and onely author of all things that are done And this is no small errour for of this all superstition and ydolatrie tooke their beginning For hereof it came to passe that the Gentiles worshipped the Sunne Moone and the other planets as Gods. For in ascribing to them the benefites that God by them bestowed on mankinde what other thing did they The same errour mooued them to make these men Gods which had beâ—â—e authors to them of any publike weale or pleasure And this errour stayed not in men but bicause of the benefites they receyued by beastes and other creatures they thought there was a certaine kinde of Godheade in brute beastes riuers fountaines trees and herbes and turned the glorye of the immortall God into the likenesse of men flying fowles and fourefooted beastes Neyther did the ydolatrie vsed among the Christians spring of anye other occasion For when the myracles wrought in times past by Saints began to doltishly to be written by those that were vnlearned were also more foolishly preached and blazed in the pulpets straight way the ignorant people thought them to be done through the vertue and power of the Saints And so another errour sprang of that false opinion and caused them that were sicke or in other great daungers to make vowes to the Saintes by whose helpe they hearde that eyther themselues or other before had bene deliuered And bicause God sometymes mainteyned the remembrance of his Saintes by myracles wrought at their sepulchres they thought some godly power was also in those places whereof it came to passe that they tyed worshipping and inuocation to places peculiar And least anye thing shoulde be wanting to this superstition and ydolatrie Saâ—an beganne to beautifie the images of the Saintes with signes and myracles whereby the matter came so farre out of frame that nowe the thinges due to Christ alone were not only attributed to Saintes but also to the Saintes images which superstitions men had set vp against the commaundement of Gods maiestie And it was not ynough to make vowes to the Saintes but there must also be some famous place ymage of the Saint wrought and carued That these things were of a truth done we are taught both by histories and examples of superstitious men which shew vs in these dayes an infinit number of them Wherfore where the negligent consideration of myracles and the foolish admiration of them hath giuen occasion of fowle error and manifest vngodlynesse we are warned that whatsoeuer myracles are done without the doctrine of Gods worde which teacheth vs trulye to iudge of them they ought neuer to be
shall any man take his sheepe out of hys hande And as the impious rage of the Priestes coulde not let God from exalting him with his right hande no more shall the wicked enterprises of Princes and the worlde in these dayes any maner of wayes hinder or empayre his kingdome and glory They shewe also the waye and meane howe Christ giueth saluation which all men must needes imbrace that are desyrous of their saluation This way or meane consisteth in two pointes to say repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes of both which it is written Christ is the onely author That repentaunce is a conuersion and turning of the whole man vnto God hath manye times already beene declared This conuersion vnto God is necessarie for all men bicause we all through sinne haue gone astray and daylie swarue from the waye of saluation But that this is no worke of mans power or strength we are taught not onely by the scriptures but also by daylie experience and no man can be conuerted except he be conuerted of god See Ieremie 31. Lamentations 5. This conuersion Christ onely worketh truely in vs while he makes vs newe men by the seede of his worde and by the spirite of regeneration illuminating vs with the knowledge of God and enduing vs with a new and holy will and gyuing vs strength to doe that which of our owne power we should neuer be able to doe They are here confuted which hearing repentaunce required by and by thinke the merite of their owne righteousnesse is confirmed and extoll the power of free will. But what glorie we in our owne wyll if Christ be the author of this conuersion in vs And what I praye you shall we merite by our repentaunce which are not able to repent except Christ by his spirite stirre vs vp and leade vs thereto But although a man be conuerted vnto God yet herein is not our saluation perfite and full For where we be sinners we haue neede also of forgiuenesse and satisfaction that nothing want to satisfie Gods iustice But where we sayde euen now that we coulde not conuert vnto God vnlesse we were regenerated by Christ much lesse can we satisfy for our sinnes And Christ teacheth vs that our sinnes be such a debt as we are not able to pay Wherefore as in the first part Christ succoureth our infirmitie so in this also he helpeth vs For by the merite of his death he both purgeth the debt of our sinne and maketh vs iust in the sight of God whyle he bestoweth on vs that beleeue in him his iustice For therfore he became sinne for vs that we by his meanes should be that righteousnesse which before God is allowed And bicause both these things without the which no man can be saued come by the benefite of Christ onely we most strongly gather hereof that without Christ we haue no saluation which is the cause that he comprehending the summe of the gospell in fewe wordes teacheth that repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name In the meane whyle we learne also how much they erre which vnder a pretence of Christ seeke to lyue lycentiously or thinke he is any cause or occasion of dissolute conuersation where as he is the verie onely author of true and healthfull repentaunce Furthermore they confirme their preaching of Christ by testimonies where they say And we be witnesses of these wordes and also the holy ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him And let no man thinke it rashlye and insolently done of the Apostles to alleage their owne testimonie before them of whome they were accused For where Christ appointed them witnesses of his dooings they might not refuse to doe their dutie in this behalfe And hereby their doctrine was greatly authorised which no man by any meanes ought to denie except he will accuse Christ of falsehoode But bicause the Apostles were not ignoraunt that their testimonie should be of little weight before the Priestes they adde an other testimonie also to witte the testimonie of the holy ghost which holy ghost God giueth vnto them which be obedient vnto christ And although all the beleeuing feele his testimonie within their mindes and by the same be assertayned of their saluation yet chiefely these wordes be to be vnderstanded of the giftes and operation of the holy spirite whereby he bare wytnesse in the primitiue Church to the doctrine of the gospell For by the power of the holy ghost it came to passe that the faythfull spake with newe tongues that they sodainely became newe men and that they wrought myracles which things as we neede not in these dayes for as much as the Apostles doctrine is sufficiently prooued so testimonie of the holy ghost ought to suffise vs whereby we feele our minds confirmed and through whose encouragement we crye Abba father But this is not negligently to be passed ouer where he sayth the holy ghost is gyuen vnto them that obey christ And yet it must needes be that they were endued before this with the holye ghost bycause without hym they neyther could beleeue nor obey But in them the gift es of the spirite were augmented and increased as Chryst sayth To euery one that hath shall be gyuen Whereof we gather agayne that they cannot haue the holye ghost which striue agaynst christ For he confesseth that the holy ghost is such a thing as the worlde can not receaue Hereby it appeareth why the operations and giftes of the holy ghost be so rare and seldome in these dayes for thys cause verily bicause there be so fewe that endeuour to obey Christ. It becommeth vs by these examples to be stirred vp to the holy obedyence of fayth that being indued with the holy spirite we may go forwarde in all goodnesse and atteyne to saluation in Iesus Christ to whome be honour prayse power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxviij. Homelie WHEN they heard that they claue a sunder and sought meanes to slay them Then stoode there vp one in the counsell a Pharisey named Gamaliel a Doctour of lawe had in reputation among all the people and commaunded the Apostles to go a side a little space sayde vnto them Ye men of Israel take heede to your selues what ye intende to doe for before these dayes rose vp one Theudas bosting himselfe to whom resorted a number of men about a foure hundred which was slayne And they all which beleeued him were scattered abroad After this man was there one Iudas of Galyley in the dayes of the tribute and drew away much people after him He also perished and all euen as manye as harkened to him were scattered abroad And nowe I say vnto you refrayne your selues from these men and let them alone For if this counsell or this woorke be of men it will come to naught But and if it be of God ye can not destroy it least happily ye be found to striue against God. THe
newe amongst which this one is very notable which the Bishops of the Counsell at Constance vsed towardes Iohn Husse agaynst all right and lawe whome they were not afrayde with breach of their owne promise and the Emperours safe conduct cruelly to burne hauing none other cloke to excuse their heynous fact but that promise was not to be kept vnto heretikes Let no man therefore marueyle though he perceyue him vniustlye and vnworthily entreated In the meane season let vs learne in the beginning to quench the fire of hatred glimering against the truth least we also fall into the lyke blindnesse and incurable frowardenesse Now bicause the importunacie of a fewe coulde little or nothing preuayle agaynst the doctrine of the truth these most subtill Sophisters labor earnestly to set al the people with the Elders Scribes in Steuens top And as may be gathered bythe circumstaunces they rayse an open tumult in the citie meaning to apprehend him and bring him before the counsell Which is an olde pollicie of Satan meaning to make them away in an vprore or sedition whom they see armed with the defence of truth and lawe But moste times it commeth to passe that they which with seditious sleyghtes assault thetruth do most miserably perish by sedition as we may see it hath hapned to the nation of the Iewes And here is set forth a notable example of the leuitie inconstancie of the common people It was declared before how the Apostles and all the Church were in great estimation with the people both for the notablenesse of theyr myracles and also for the shew of an heauenly and as it were diuine maiestie that shone in them But now a number circumuented with the sleyghtes of these Sophisters stande vp against the doctrine of truth The lyke lightnesse in the people did Christ also finde whome one whyle they woulde haue made a king another whyle like mad men they cried out to haue him crucified So the men of Lystra at the first cried out saying Paule was a God but within a whyle after they woulde haue stoned him And many like doinges we reade in the histories of the Gentiles the vse of all which is that we hunt not for prayse of the people nor studie not to please the worlde but rather God whose will is certaine and remayneth stable and vnmooueable Nowe let vs see what thinges they laide to Steuens charge by these false witnesses whom Luke saith they brought before the Counsell The summe of their accusation is This man ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place and against the lawe He is therefore accused of impietie and not thereof only but also of incurable obstinacie which hitherto by no reasons coulde be perswaded They make mention of the holy Citie and Temple by name bicause it seemed to the Iewes an intollerable impietie to speake or intende any thing against these places being commended by so many promises of god Therfore this was chiefly laid to Hieremies charge that he prophecied against the holy Citie and Temple But bicause it behooued the crime shoulde be prooued by witnesses and that the blasphemies shoulde be declared more plainely what they were they adde for we haue hearde him saye howe this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroye this place and shall chaunge the ordinances which Moses gaue vs. Therefore where they thought both their religion and their Citie shoulde endure for euer they iudged him that shoulde saye any thing touching the destruction thereof to be a wicked body Furthermore whence they tooke hold of this accusation may easily be gathered of the Apostles doctrine For they taught that men were iustified and saued by the mere grace of God through the merite of Iesus Christ and that nothing in the businesse of our saluation was to be attributed eyther to mannes workes or outward ceremonies For the one were polluted and imperfite and the other were shadowes and figures of the redemption in Christ to come which Christ had put awaye in the sacrifyce of hys owne body as might be gathered of the renting of the Temple which happened at the death of christ They also exhorted al men to cast away al their vaine hope in the righteousnesse of the lawe and to embrace with sure faith the righteousnesse of God offred them in christ The which thing bicause they woulde the more easilye perswade them they called to their remembraunce the peril of present destruction wherof Christ oftentimes had warned them Therefore the craftie and most impudent sclaunderers take occasion of their accusation hereof saying Steuen spake of the abolishing of their religion and destruction of the Citie but they craftilye conceale the causes moouing him so to saye Yea they so set forth the matter as though Steuen shoulde seeme to haue threatened to set the temple on fire and speaking very contemptuously of Christ they compare him as it were with the glorye and magnificencie of the Temple to make his doctrine to be the more despised This place is with all diligence to be obserued For as it teacheth vs that truth for the most part is assaulted with lyes so it plainly warneth vs that Christes doctrine can neuer be so wysely and modestlye preached but that the wicked world wil take occasion to sclaunder the same We finde it to be true in these our corrupted dayes wherein whatsoeuer the faythfull teachers of the truth say is most vniustly carped at For where we teach that men are iustified by the meere grace of God that our strength and workes haue no prayse in the case of our saluation by and by we are called the enimies of good workes and mainteyners of carnall libertie Agayne if we say that whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation is conteyned in Christ onely bicause he is the onely mediatour aduocate and intercessor appoynted betweene God and vs streyght way we are condemned as wicked blasphemers of the blessed Uirgin and Saintes Item if we go about to deliuer the Church of Christ from the intollerable yoke of humane traditions to correct abuses and to restore the auncient simplicitie of the primitiue Church by and by there start vp that crie out we are aduersaries of religion and the true worshippe of God deprauers of the Sacramentes and robbers of God of his honour And if we declare vnto the worlde drowned in the filthy â—lowes of wickednesse the imminent wrath of God and the punishments long agone deserued therefore then we are condemned and railed at as disturbers of publike tranquillitie and sowers of sedition And to be briefe nothing can be done so soundly so godlily and so modestly that can escape the censure and checke of the sclaunderous and enuious aduersary But no man must be so mooued with these things that he must leaue or forsake the charge committed to him of the Lorde Let vs consider that this is the olde guyse of the world agaynst the which we must both constantly prudently striue and resist
and horsemen of the Egyptians and thought they must needes perishe eyther vpon their swordes or else be swallowed vp of the sourges of the sea sodeinly the sea stricken with Moyses rodde as God commaunded deuyded it selfe in two parts lyke a walle standing on both sides and the winde blowing roughly dryed vppe the myerie fourde that the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on drie foote whome when the Egyptians with deadly hatred pursued sodeynly the heapes of waters ioyned togither agayne and oppressed and swallowed them vp By which myracle God euidently taught vs that he is able to helpe his people by those things which seeme to them most hurtfull and agaynst them and that he can giue them a passage to escape through the middle of all the thinges that lye in their waye that waâ—ke in hys vocation Agayne he vseth to punishe his enimies by those things in which they haue their most hope and affiaunce yea he can blinde their eyes and sende them the spirite of gyddinesse that they shall runne into their owne mischiefe and not be able to anoyde the daungers lying before their face For it is certayne the Egyptians tooke the redde sea for a sure bulwarke and thought that the Israelites their wiues and children shoulde pershe therein yet Gods prouidence so ordreth all things that the Israelites passe safely through both body and goodes and the Egyptians bee drowned and of their owne heade enter into the middle of the sea betweene the two mayne walles of water notwithstanding they had so often before felt Gods heauye hande Whereby we learne that we shoulde despayre in no aduersitie nor put any trust or confidence in outwarde thinges bycause God is able so quickly to turne all thinges vpside downe In the thirde sort Steuen comprehendeth those that were done in the wildernesse where the people had Manna giuen vnto them which fedde them fourtie yeares togither where Quayles fell rounde about their tentes where Moyses opened the veines of quicke springs out of the hard rockes where by godly prayer he gate a glorious victorie of the Amalechiâ—es where God marueylously defeated the sleyghtes of Balaam where the wicked murmurers perished with straunge plagues where their garmentes in fourtie yeares space neyther consumed with wearing neyther dyd rotte for oldenesse I omit diuers other things which by Moyses are more diligently rehearsed But seeing Steuen so willinglye acknowledgeth all these things and so highly commendeth them he abundantly declareth that they doe him no small iniurie to accuse him as a contemner of Moyses And bicause he sendeth the Israelites from Moyses to Christ he euidently sheweth that al these signes serued but to confirme Moyses doctrine and ought not to be racked to the ende to cause the people to depende and hang vpon Moyses And they are confuted by this place which abuse the myracles wrought sometime by the Saintes to proâ—ue the superstitious inuocating and worshipping of them â–ª whereas they 〈◊〉 witnesse but of their doctrine whereby we were brought vnto Christ. And bicause he was not ignorant that his aduersaries chiefelye vrged him with this argument that he ledde his hearers by this doctrine from the ceremonies of the lawe vnto Christ and the beliefe in him he prooueth that he doth not so in contempt of Moyses but according to his example and commaundement For this is that Moyses sayeth he which sayde vnto the children of Israel A Prophete shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren lyke vnto me him shall you hearâ— â–ª Wherevpon he gathereth that it was not Moyses meaning that the Iewes shoulde sticke in the ceremonies giuen by him but that he promised them another Prophete whose sayings they must all hearken vnto or else perish both body and soule This Prophete was Christ whom the Scripture calleth the Prince of all Prophetes by whose spirite all other Prophets were inspired Also he beateth backe their accusation of his contemning of Moyses vpon their owne heades whyle he sheweth that they refuse Iesus Christ whome Moyses so earnestly and with such authoritie commended The place is in the .xviij. of Deuteronomie vpon the explication whereof we haue spoken more largely in the .xxiiij. Sermon where we expounded the same place in Peters sermon which brought the same text Let vs learne that it is God the fathers will that we shoulde heare Christ and be obedient vnto him by true obedience of fayth and so obteyne saluation in him to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .lj. Homelie This is he that was in the congregation in the wildernesse with the Angell which spake to him in the Mount Sina and with our fathers This man receiued the worde of life to giue vnto vs to whome our fathers would not obey but cast it from them and in their hearts turned backe agayne into Aegypt saying vnto Aaron make vs Gods to go before vs For as for this Moyses that brought vs out of the lande of Aegypt wee wote not what is become of him And they made a Calfe in those dayes and offered sacrifice vnto the ymage and reioyced ouer the workes of their owne handes BYcause the Iewes had all the trust of their saluation in outwarde ceremonies and gloryed in keeping the fayth of their auncesters and forefathers they accused all those which taught men to seeke saluation in Christ onely of great blasphemie both agaynst God agaynst Moses and the fathers This Steuen founde true as before we haue declared who for that he would the more easilye cleere himselfe hereof breaketh forth into the prayse of Moyses greatly extolling him and declaring how vnworthily their fathers intreated him The ende of all which is to laye the crime wherewith they charged him both vpon their fathers in whome they so greatly gloryed and also vpon themselues which stubbornely refused Christ of whome he sheweth that Moses bare witnesse Moreouer he gathereth hereof that the fathers were saued through none of their desertes but by the meere mercy of God and that therefore they ought to put their hope and trust in none other The same is the ende also of this present place where first he rehearseth the setting forth of the lawe whereof Moses was the minister afterwarde he declareth the heynous trespasse of their fathers in offending both agaynst Moses and the lawe of God. And in speaking of the setting forth of the lawe he maketh mention of two other things which were able to purchase no small credit vnto Moses â–ª First he sayth he was in the congregation with the fathers in the wildernesse In these wordes he comprehendeth fourtie yeares space wherein he suffered with so great fayth and pacience the Nation of the Iewes that there is to be founde in no hystories any to be compared with him This is an argument of a singuler fayth which coulde be ouercome by no terrors by no continuall labours nor by no vnkindenesse of the people but would stoutly go
they offer to Deuil â–ª and 〈◊〉 God. Beside all this they reioyced in the workes of their owne 〈◊〉 In these wordes is expressed partly a trust of minde and ioye that â—â—ringeth thereof both which ought to be sought in God onely and partly a kinde of outward reioycing whereinto ydolaters vse to fall without all modestie or measure The holye historie sheweth that both these things came to passe in thys place For assoone as the Calfe was molten and grauen with a great showte they cry These be thy Gods ô Israel which brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt Then being filled with the fleshe offred to the Idoll they rise vp to play This is the propertie of Idolaters For Idolâ— too men 〈◊〉 their hearts as the Prophet sayth So it commeth to passe that they which should reioyce in God onely reioyce in Idols and where they ought to be ledde and gouerned with the spirite of God they rage in immoderate and vnseasonable pastimes Nowe if thou wilt compare the things hytherto spoken with that is done in the Papaâ—ie or Popedome thou shalt see them all one For what other beginning canst thou alleage of ydolatrie but that men leaue the worde of God and turne agayne in their hartes â–ª to the abhominations of the Iewes and Idolaters from whence through the benefite of God they were delyuered â–ª This appeareth well in that dyuers of our doings agree with the rytes and ceremonies both of the Iewes and Gentiles By and by after contempt of the worde followed the contempt of the ministerie which the ignoraunce and blockheadnesse of the priestes greatly set forwarde which sent the simple people to dumbe ymages there to learne what belonged to their saluation Of these springes issued out newe Goddes some like men some like women some like oldemen some like yong Yea beside the fourmes of men were added fourefooted beasts fowles of the ayre wormes of the earth and fyshes of the sea I let passe the gastly fourmes and sightes of souldyours the whoorishe prancking and decking of Images which should haue represented the lykenesse of saints and of God hymselfe But new Goddes must haue new wayes and maners of worshipping Therefore in the honor of them were temples buylded aulters consecrated offerings hanged vp pylgrimages appoynted lampes burning holye dayes proclaymed sacrifices offred and nothing was left vndone which heretofore was vsed in the sacrifyces of the Gentyles And as though men had bene cleane eased of the burthen of theyr sinnes â–ª they greatly reioyced in the workes of their owne handes And there wanted not libertie of carnall ioyes which neuer raigned more than in the feastes and dedications of these Goddes So grieuous great was the blyndenes from the which God hath deliuered vs by the light of his gospell Let vs therfore hereafter flee the inuencions of our owne witte and the workes of our owne handes Let vs serue God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ in spirite and in truth to whome be prayse honor power and glory Amen The .lij. Homelie Then God turned himselfe and gaue them vp that they shoulde worshippe the hoste of the skie as it is written in the booke of the Prophetes ô yee of the house of Israell gaue yee to mee sacrifices and meate offeringes by the space of fourtie yeares in the wildernesse And you tooke vnto you the Tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your God Rempham figures which ye made to worship them Therefore I will translate you beyonde Babylon AMongst many other things which Iesus Christ foretold should come to passe to the faythfull Preachers of hys Gospell this is not the least that he sayde the worlde shoulde persecute them as publike enimies of true religion This thing we see the Apostles founde true euen in the first springth of the church and among them Steuen chiefely who while he goeth about to bring men vnto Christ is accused for that he had spoken blasphemy agaynst God Moses the lawe and all the ceremonies thereof But he both boldly and wisely aunswereth these shamelesse sclaunders rehearsing the auncient religion whereby the fathers were saued and diligently expounding the things done by Moses declaring howe he receyued this worde of lyfe of God and deliuered it vnto the fathers He sheweth moreouer that the fathers were neuer obedient to Gods commaundements but being addicted to outward ceremonies onely feyned diuers things of their owne braine contrary to true religion And by this meane he goeth about to put out of their minds the vayne trust which they had in their fathers religion which is the moste daungerous impediment and let that can be to them that would come to the right waye of saluation To this ende therefore he recyted the hystorie of the golden Calfe whereby he conuinceth their fathers of great vngodlynesse shewing that they were saued of meere fauour seeing they deserued destruction through that wicked Idolatry only And he adioyneth herevnto this present place verye handsomely declaring that they alone sinned not herein but prooueth that their posteritie followed their steppes The rehearsing of the Idolatry of their posterity seemeth to be as it were a preoccupation For thence he preuenteth them if any man shoulde make lyght of the erecting this calfe or should say that it were long ago expiated by the godlynesse of their successors For there is no excuse left for them bicause they were so lyttle the better after their first fall that it rather increased whole heapes of impietie following For where they had once throwne awaye the worde of God and rushed into their owne destruction with myndes bent to vngodlynesse God which before tenderly fauoured them turneth his back to them and giueth them ouer into a reprobate sense to worship all the hoste of the skye and with greedinesse to followe all maner superstition of the Gentyles And in these fewe wordes Steuen briefely comprehendeth all that euer they afterwardes did agaynst the lawes of god For Salomon the first beginner of this euill for his wyues sakes that were Aliauntes and straungers builded Temples vnto diuers Gods of the Sydonians Moabites Ammonites and other Nations Ieroboam after that brought in againe the superstitious worshipping of Calues Achab brought in the honouring of Baal Amasias of a madde counsell and deuyse setteth vp the Goddes of the Idumeans whome he had vanquished to be worshipped Achaz was delyted with the Gods and religion of the Assirians At length Manasses following which farre passed all the wickednesse of his forefathers brought into Iurie whatsoeuer superstition or ydolatrie was to be founde any where among the Gentyles and by force defended those religions agaynst the true worshippers of God insomuch that we reade Hierusalem was filled with the bloude of the Saintes Whose impietie tooke so déepe roote that it coulde not be wholy pluckte vp agayne in Iosias dayes as the sermons of Ieremie and Sophonie abundantly declare And least any man might marueyle howe these things came to
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commaūdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
haue left that Church destitute of their ministerye considering it was so well seene vnto after they were gone For there were among them certaine Prophetes and teachers They are called Prophets which either by instinct of the holy ghost shew of things to come as we see before Agabus the Prophete did or else which haue the gift truly rightly to expound the writings of the Prophets in which sense Paule vseth this word Prophecie in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians 14 Chap. Both these senses is well agreeing in this present place For by hystories it is playne that the gift of prophecying endured many yeares in the primitiue Church And it can not be sayde that so notable a Church wanted exposition of Scriptures And they are called Teachers which openly instruct the Congregation and applye the holy Scriptures duly to all mennes information whome we nowe a dayes call Pastors or Ministers of the worde There was therefore at Antioch not onely a Church such as is euerywhere but also a College or schoole out of which was taken learned Ministers to be sent to other Cities This place teacheth vs that the chiefe ornament and beautie of the Church yea all the preseruation thereof consisteth in this that it be furnished and prouided of fyt Ministers and Teachers For by the ministery of them Paule plainely teacheth that through the worde of God Churches are begotten builded vp and preserued For how shall they beleue in him sayth he of whome they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher Agayne In Christ Iesu haue I begotten you through the Gospell Hereto chiefely it appertaineth where he writeth that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepeheardes and Teachers to the edifying of the Saintes euen to the edifying of the body of Christ. And bicause it is euident that the gift of teaching is not giuen to all men in myraculous wise as it was once to the Apostles therefore it is needefull to haue schooles where such may be brought vppe as shall afterwarde serue in the Ministerie Such were woont to be among the Iewes in the Cities of the Leuites and it appeareth by the storye of Samuel and Helisaeus that those singuler Prophetes of God had a speciall care of these schooles Yea Amos the Prophete most sharply reprehendeth those that did vse to corrupt the Nazarites and the yong menne giuen to the studie of the Scriptures with wyne â–ª This did great Kings and Emperours foresee in the Primitiue Church which did erect Colleges of their owne costes least at any time want of teachers might preiudice Gods religion Howbeit nowe a dayes eyther sloâ—hfull Dranes dwell in them or else they be at the appoyntment of such prowde men as hunt rather for ambicious names than studie for the edifycation of the Church Moreouer for that the notable Ministers of Christes Church should not be defrauded of their due prayse the holye ghost woulde haue their names recorded for a perpetuall remembraunce that it might euidently appeare that God regardâ—th those which doe faythfullye serue and studye for his Church And among these persons Manaen seemeth to be the chiefe who Luke writeth was fostered and brought vp with Herode the Tetrarch of a childe He was therefore a Courtyer and of a noble stocke For who will thinke that one of a baâ—e stocke shoulde be appoynted a playfellow with a kings sonne or that Herode woulde afterwarde despyse him that had bene brought vp with him from his childehoode This is a notable example of the goodnesse of God which vseth in all states of men to haue his chosen and to call them when iâ— seemeth him good For that vniuersall spirite and author of eternall life bloweth where it pleaseth him So we reade that Naaman was in the Court of the king of Syria And in Babilon Daniel and his fellowes helde fast Gods true religion yea Paule maketh mention of some in the house of Nero that beleeued And Nichodemus is a Disciple among the Scribes the greatest enimies of christ There is also in Manaen set out vnto vs an example of fayth and syncere religion who following the example of Moses chose rather to be afflicted with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season thinking the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Herode And surely if a man woulde compare the state of the Church as it was in those dayes with the life of the Court he shall fynde a marueylous working of the holy ghost in this Manaen and euident tokens both of true regeneration and mortifycation and forsaking of himselfe But that we heare that he did it behooueth vs to imitate For it cannot be that they can truelye take holde of Christ which haue not yet learned to despyse and treade vnder foote this worlde with the honors riches and pleasures thereof But let vs come to the seconde part of this diuision wherein the sending of Paule Barnabas to the Gentyles is described Here are two things chiefely to be discussed videlicet the holy ghost the author and moderator of all this businesse and then the order that Luke writeth they obserued First he expressely teacheth that the holy ghost was the author of all this doing For as they ministred to the Lorde and fasted the holy ghost sayde seperate me Barnabas and Saule for the worke wherevnto I haue called them And it is no doubt but these things are spoken of the holy ghost forasmuch as mention is made of holy ministerye and fasting Here the Papistes playe the fooles following Erasmus his translation and bicause he as vnaptly translated the Greeke worde by this worde sacrifyce they expounde this place of the sacrifyce of the Masse Howbeit the Greekes saye they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are occupied or busied in publike office or affaires as it may appéere where Paule calleth Magistrates and Aungels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for that they vsed to do sacrifyce but for that they are Gods publike officers ministers And where by Christes death it is manifest the Leuiticall sacrifyces are abolished that the seruice of Christ consisteth not in outwarde ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth therefore here can be vnderstanded none other ministery than such as Christ woulde haue vsed in his Church This comprehendeth in it the preaching of the worde publike prayer and the sacraments which are not sacrifyces but holye actions instituted to keepe in memorie the sacrifyce which Christ once offered vppon the aultar of the Crosse. And herein were they busily occupied when the holy ghost admonished them to sende forth Paule and Barnabas For that they were earnestly occupied herein the mention made of fasting abundantly prooueth There are in this part many things which prooue the vocation of the Gentyles to be the worke of god For as they were ministring to the Lorde the spirite aduertised the
is before God acceptable Fifthly thou ceasest not sayth he to peruert the straight wayes of the Lorde In the which wordes he comprehendeth two most heinous offences incurable maliciousnesse and earnest desire to peruert the worde of the Lorde For his worde is simple and pure and sheweth vnto vs a most playne waye of saluation But through the naughtinesse of manne it seemeth vncertaine and full of perplexitie Last of all he thundreth against him the heauy sentence of punishment And nowe beholde the hande of the Lorde is vppon thee and thou shalt be blinde and not see for a season Where yet among the terrible thunder crackes of Gods threates we see there is hope of saluation left if he will repent and turne vnto the lord For God so vseth to reueale his wrath by his worde that yet he will not haue them swallowed vppe of despaire whome he will haue saued The chiefe vse of this place is that we learne what the faythfull Ministers of Christes Church haue to doe in these dayes where many Elymae are buzeing in the eares of Kings and Princes to bring them from the fayth that they may at their pleasure oppresse the ruder sort and the Comminaltie For we can iudge the Monkes and Priests none other which deceytfully sell their trifles vnder color of Gods holy name and like the presumpteous Gyauntes arrogate to themselues power vpon heauen who of set purpose striue against the righteousnesse of Christ and the faith that maketh righteous who impudently set light the authoritie of Gods word and corrupt the same with the traditions of men who make the most plaine way of saluation most intricate and vnfyndable with their infynite mazes of Monkish vowes of orders of rules of merites of bulles of pardons and of cases reserued who fynally not herewith content procure Princes to committe slaughter and murther and to shedde innocent bloude These must be accused with like boldenesse and libertie that men maye learne to beware of them which hitherto haue beguiled them with their stagelike maiestie Neyther lette vs giue eare vnto them which in this case prescribe vs rules of modestie and charitie forasmuch as it is euident that many of them be incurable and are bent onely to defende their vsurped tyrannie be it right or be it wrong Nowe remayneth the ende and successe of this contention heauy for Elymas the deceyuer but most ioyfull for Sergius the Proconsull For on Elymas falleth by and by the punishment pronounced by Paule and being striken blinde he gropeth for one to leade him by the hande The like we saw fall out before to Ananias and Sapphira whereby it behoueth vs to learne the power of Gods word The chiefe thing to be marked in this place is what remayneth for false teachers and deceyuers which dare to withstande the worde of God eyther for vauntage or honour They are made blinde for the most part if not in body yet it minde and the Lorde of his iust iudgement hath giuen them vp into a reprobate sense so that they are neyther able to embrace the truth nor yet to forsake and auoide manifest and knowne errours Furthermore being in Gods iudgement defamed they lose the strength and ayde of fleshe wherein they so much trusted So is fulfylled that that is written in Zachary 11. chap. ô Idols shepehearde that leaueth the flocke The sworde shall come vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be sore blinded And there want not examples of this iudgement in our dayes but we want eyes to behold them And these our Elymae are so much the more miserable that being blinde yet they thinke still they see and seeke for none to leade them but contemptuously disdaine those which God offereth them Furthermore as this contention came to passe vnprosperouslye for Elymas so great profyte came thereby vnto the Proconsull whome the Lorde by this meanes deliuered out of darkenesse For he seeing the iudgement of God beleeued and beganne to make much of Christes doctrine This is the peculiar propertie of Gods children that they acknowledge the iudgementes of God are amended by others example where the euill and deceyuers waxe worse and worse But in all this storie this thing is most comfortable that we see the truth can be vanquished neyther with open force of Tyrants nor subtile conueyance of the Deuill For being pressed and borne downe it riseth againe and by striuing gathereth the more strength Therefore let vs embrace the truth and constantly stande by the author and defender thereof Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxviij. Homelie WHEN Paule departed from Paphos they that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem But they wandred through the countries and came from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Sinagoge on the Sabboth daye and sate downe And after the lecture of the lawe and the Prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if you haue any sermon to exhort the people say on THere appeare many and notable tokens of diuine power and maiestie in the workes of Iesus Christ but among them al this is the most notable and euident that by the ministerie of the Apostles within few yeres he subdued all the world For where it is manifest that they were furnished with no fleshlye succors but were the least esteemed of all men and yet brought to passe things of such importance we must needes acknowledge that Gods power wrought by them whereby it came to passe that the worlde was brought to a newe countenance and the Gentyles deliuered from the errors of their olde superstition and receyued the true religion This is the chiefe thing that we haue to consider in this present voyage of Paule and Barnabas For these two being sent forth by the appoyntment of God to preach the Gospell indifferently to all Nations they prosperously passe through all impedimentes standing in their waye And fyrst cōming to Cyprus they subdue vnto the kingdome of Christ the inhabiters of a most rich Islande giuen to all riotousnesse and worshipping of Venus and they doe not onely winne vnto them the common people but Sergius also the Romaine Proconsull whose authoritie onely had bene ynough to haue resisted them if it had bene mans affayres only they had gone about and they leade about Elymas the sorcerer a chosen instrument of the Deuill and striken with horrible blindenesse in triumph so that in one conflict it appeareth mannes force and the Deuils sleightes were ouercommen both togither Nowe let vs see howe such a prosperous beginning gaue a good occasion to the Apostles farther to spreade the kingdome of Christ. Hauing gone through Cyprus they passe from Paphus into Pamphilia and came vnto Perga a Citie of that Region making a great voyage both by sea
be vnderstanded as concerning the hystory of Cornelius the Centurion which Peter alleageth to verie good purpose bicause the same before had bene called in question and argued on among the faythfull as we sawe in the eleuenth Chapter The summe of his argument is this God when he called and adopted Cornelius and his family from gentilitie vnto Christ and into the societie of his Churche did by that example set forth vnto vs a true and perfyte meane and way of attayning vnto saluation But he requyred nothing else of them but to heare the gospell of me and to beleeue it Ergo these two thinges are sufficient for man to be iustifyed by and to attaine vnto saluation that is to say to heare the gospell and by true fayth to imbrace Christ preached in the same And Peter gathereth most strongly of perticulers an vniuersall doctrine bicause God vseth one certaine and inuiolable rule in sauing of all men And it is not lyke that God would neglect that rule in sauing a prophane souldyour that was confyrmed in the bloude of his sonne But that his argument might beare the more weight he calleth them for wytnesses of the same thing you know sayth he how that a good whyle ago that is in the beginning of the Church God dyd choose or appoint amongst vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue Upon the which wordes he might haue inferred why then doe you requyre circumcision and fulfylling of the law ouer and beside those things that seeme to God sufficient Or whence haue you authoritie to alter the order appoynted of God and to be so bolde as to adde or take anye thing from the same But he leaueth all this to them to gather Yet he ioyneth two things more hereto whereby he openeth this example Fyrst God sayth he which knoweth the hartes and is not deceyued with any outwarde appearaunce hath aboundantly prooued this waye that I haue nowe tolde you to be sufficient euen by his owne testimonie For assoone as men beleeued the gospell that was preached he sent vnto them the holy ghost as well as vnto vs Which spirite since this world and prophane men euen by Christs owne testimonie can not receyue it appeareth most euidently that God acknowledged these men for the members of his Church and for coinheritours with Christ although they were neyther circumcised nor had receyued any other ceremonie of the lawe Then pointing as it were with hys fynger to the maner of iustifycation and God sayth he put no difference betweene them and vs seing that with fayth he purifyed their hartes Before this in deede the Iewes were deuided from the Gentiles by the lawe but Christ hath broken downe the particion of the lawe and of two people hath made one Church and hath purifyed the Gentiles as well as the Iewes by fayth Hereto appertayneth that place of Paule And the wordes which he wryteth to the Romanes cap. 3. We holde therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe Is he the God of the Iewes onely ▪ Is he not also the God of the Gentiles yes euen of the Gentiles also for it is God onely that iustifyeth the circumcision that is of fayth and vncircumcision thorow fayth Furthermore Peter in one briefe sentence comprehendeth whatsoeuer may be sayde of our iustifycation Fyrst he confesseth that our hartes haue neede to be purifyed Man therefore must needes be a thing altogither polluted bicause the hart is the Fountaine out of which spring all our doings God himselfe beareth wytnesse hereof where he sayth the inuentions and deuises of man are naught euen from his childhood And this one thing is aboundantly sufficient to ouerthrowe all the righteousnesse of our workes as oftentimes we haue declared Then teacheth he howe purifycation is wrought by fayth bicause it taketh holde of Christ whome God hath ordeyned to be our iustifyer He cleanseth vs from our sinnes through the merite of his bloude He communicateth vnto vs his righteousnesse so that by reason of fayth whereby we be grafte in him we are taken for righteous in the sight of god Wherefore Paule declareth that he is made our righteousnesse of God Againe besides this he onely mortifyeth the reliques and dregges of our fleshe whiles he chaungeth and regenerateth vs by his worde and spirite gyuing vs power to bring forth fruites aunswerable to our profession Whervnto these words of his are to be referred Now are you cleane thorow the words which I haue spoken to you He that abydeth in me I in him bringeth forth much fruit But bicause we can haue no felowship with Christ but through fayth the scripture truly affirmeth that we be purifyed iustifyed by fayth which phrase of speech must not so be taken as though faith were a vertue through the merite wherof men were clensed frō their sinnes but bicause we therby take hold of Christ in whō all our righteousnesse consisteth Thirdly he maketh God the author of this purification Therfore he is the only author of our faith which Paule also testifyeth to be the gift of god And Christ sayth none commeth vnto him but whom the father draweth For where the naturall man perceyueth not the mysteries of the spirite we of our selues are not able once to thinke well we must needes be illuminated and drawne of God that fayth may take place in vs So all the glory of our iustification must returne vnto God and nothing must be lefte to mans power or merite This sawe Dauid long ago when he called vpon God to be forgiuen of his sinnes saying Washe me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne Purge me with Isope and I shall be cleane washe me and I shall be whyter than snowe Delyuer me from bloud-guyltinesse ô God thou that art the God of my saluation And hereby maye we receyue great comfort to strengthen our faith in temptations For where our iustifycation and saluation dependeth vpon God it must needes be certaine and infallible Hereof proceede those sayings of Paule who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifyeth who is it that can condemne Such was the certainetie of this doctrine among the people of God in all ages that the Phariseys also could plainely confesse that God onely had power to forgiue sinnes Therefore we doe not without cause nowe a dayes bewayle the folly and pryde of those men which attribute this glorie eyther to their owne workes or else to most arrogant and impudent hypocrites Howe grieuously these men offende Peter sheweth in the second part of his oration which now we shal consider Nowe therefore sayth he why tempt you God to put vppon the Disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare He teacheth by these weightye wordes that all our saluation is ouerthrowne and that such
intollerable yoke cannot be layde vpon the Disciples neckes without a marueylous offence if they be driuen to seeke saluation by obseruing the lawe And with this opinion or doctrine he sayth God is tempted For they tempt him that without his commaundement eyther go about themselues or exact of others to doe that that is not in their power And they also which will be taught the will of God by anye other meanes than he hath appointed So the Israelites tempted God when after his infynite benefytes they sayde they woulde acknowledge his goodnesse and omnipotencie if he coulde giue them fleshe to eate in the wildernesse And Christ shoulde haue tempted God if he had followed the deuils counsayle to haue cast himselfe downe headlong from the pinnacle of the Temple to haue prooued the will and truth of Gods promises toward him Both these thinges it is manifest they doe that will be iustifyed by the workes of the lawe For those things which farre passe the strength of man without any calling of God or his worde both they themselues enterprise to doe and also exact of other For it is as impossible for any man to fulfyll the law as to reach heauen with his fynger For the lawe is spirituall and requyreth not onely our outward workes but also all our minde and all the powers of man to obey god But we be carnall and solde vnder sinne And euen in the Saints remaine the dregs of flesh and the law of sinne which bringeth vs in thrall to sinne euen against our will and against the spirit of God as Paule confesseth of himselfe in the chapter last rehearsed Moreouer the law threatneth the sentence of malediction and death vnto as many as fulfyl not all the commaundements therof What else then doe they but tempt God which will be iustifyed by the lawe And bicause they neglect the meane of saluation which God offreth them in Christ and deuyse a newe meane to attayne vnto the grace of God they tempt him two wayes And if they will enforce other men also vnto the same way they lay such a yoke vpon them as the holy fathers in time past were not able to beare For thus vsed they to saye If thou Lord wilt marke narrowly what is done amisse who shall be able to abyde it Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant All our righteousnesse is like a patched garment and like a cloth arayed with a womans monethly disease Marke therefore what iust occasion we haue to contende with these men which nowe a dayes woulde haue people iustifyed by their workes and which like the Phariseys contemning the righteousnesse of God which he giueth vs in Christ go about to set vp their owne And let no man here replye Ergo the lawe is giuen vs in vaine Ergo we will boldly doe what we list For the true vse of the lawe remayneth still in that like a Tutor it leadeth vs vnto Christ and sheweth vs a rule howe to liue godly Neither must we renounce good workes although we attribute not the glory of iustifycation vnto them For although iustifycation belongeth only vnto God yet is it euident that the dutie of them whome God iustifyeth is continually to keepe innocencie and puritie of lyfe which is giuen them in Christ as much as in them is touching which poynt Paule hath diuers considerations What can be spoken more grieuously than that that Peter sayth agaynst them which woulde seeme to striue for the glory of God for good works and the duties of a Christian lyfe He sayeth they tempt God which is such an heynous offence by Scripture as is worthye of no pardon They put a yoke vpon other mennes neckes and bring them into thraldome againe that are redeemed with the bloude of christ Therefore they commit sacriledge against christ If our aduersaries nowe a dayes woulde expende these things they shoulde easily perceyue that they had no cause to rayle and fare so fowle with vs but woulde rather acknowledge their fault and not treade vnder foote the grace of God and the merite of Christ with their fylthie hypocrisie so waywardly as they doe Furthermore least Peter might seeme ouerboldlye to condemne the fathers in saying that they were able to fulfyll the lawe in his conclusion he bringeth in the meane whereby they were saued saying wee beleeue that through the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ we shall be saued as they doe beleeue Thus he encourageth the weake to whome it seemed an harde matter to forsake that religion wherein they beleeued their forefathers pleased God and were saued as though he shoulde say you are fowlye deceyued if you thinke our Predecessors were iustifyed and saued by the workes of the lawe seeing they haue plainely confessed they neuer fulfylled the lawe And if you woulde then knowe which waye they were saued we can shewe you none other than the same which is at this day preached to vs in christ For he whome we knowe is come they wayted for to come and hoped in none other Sauiour but him Therefore there is but one maner of fayth both of the olde and new Testament and but one way of saluation in them both Christ testifyeth the same speaking of Abraham where he sayth that Abraham sawe his daye and reioyced therein And Paule sayeth that the fathers did eate the same spirituall meate that we do eate and confesseth that they drewe saluation out of the rocke which was Christ. And to conclude he maketh such a communion betweene vs and the fathers that one while he applieth their sacraments vnto vs and an otherwhile ours vnto them They are therefore greatly deceyued that saye the olde Testament belongeth not vnto vs and saye we be no Iewes for whose behoofe they were written Why rather doe not we thinke the Iewes were the people of God whome God saued none other waye in times passed than we be saued now adayes Againe Peter briefely toucheth the meane of our saluation And the foundation thereof he layeth in the grace of God by the which worde alone the righteousnesse and merite of workes is excluded bicause they be contrary one to the other For if saluation come of grace as Paule sayth then not of workes for then grace shoulde not be grace if workes shoulde merite But if we be saued by workes then it is not by grace for the worke loseth the name of merite assoone as grace entreth See Romaines the .xj. Chap. Which place abundantly teacheth vs that the grace of God and the merites of our workes cannot stande togither Then againe he sayth that Iesus Christ is the mediator of that grace in whome we are taught by Oracle from heauen that God is reconciled vnto vs Last of all he sayth we take holde of this grace by faith For we beleeue sayeth he to be saued by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Therefore all the meane of our saluation may be comprehended in fewe and
common weales These and infynite such like thyngs it is to be thought recourced to Paules minde bycause he was a man which by long experience had learned what was meete in euery thing to be done But leauing all these reasons he setteth boldlye on the matter teaching them that are occupyed in Gods vocation by his example to admit no reasons of the flesh that might procure them from doyng their dutie For if the Prophetes and Apostles had bene ruled by such reasons neuer shoulde anye of them haue done his dutie but rather lyke Ionas they shoulde haue prouided for themselues to haue escaped by the sea For we see Moses straue agaynst Gods commaundement and refused the charge as long as he followed his owne reason and compared his impediment of speach and lacke of skill with Gods commaundements Let vs consider therefore that all thinges depende vppon Gods will and pleasure and not ours who can easily make the way plaine for them that walke in his calling For he is a sharpe double edged sworde piercing euen into the marrowe he is a deuouring fyre and deuiding the very stones Being therefore encouraged herewith let vs boldly enterprise whatsoeuer god commaundeth vs leauing to him the successe of the matter which cannot be other than ioyful vnto such as folow his conduct leading Furthermore Luke declareth the order that Paule followed in setting forth the kingdome of Christ among the Athenians First he reasoned with the Iewes touching that matter bicause he knewe they woulde the more easily giue eare vnto him if he brought Moses and the Prophetes This done he taketh those to instruct which had tasted of syncere fayth and religion by keeping company with the Iewes but yet were not fully enformed And hauing nowe layde this foundation he talketh with euery one he met withall in the market and went so farre that the Philosophers wherof the Citie had abundance beganne to dispute agaynst him And among diuers sectes of them the Epicures and Stoikes chieflye encountred with him who being of contrary opinions one to another coulde yet agree togither to set vpon the Minister of truth For the Epicures being the enimies of all wisedome and good learning did set perfyte felicitie in pleasure yet honest pleasure as they sayde as which conteyned in it quietnesse of mynde and health of body but climbing no higher than this they were authors of most absurde opinions which sprang hereof For where the feare of God and consideration of the lyfe to come stryketh mennes consciences in dread and maketh all worldly things vnpleasant they denyed the prouidence of God and also the life to come For they fabled that God walked vppe and downe from one side of heauen to another and had no regarde of mortall mennes affayres and that the soules died aswell as the bodies Insomuch that they vsed this Sardanapalus like saying Eate drinke make mery without any measure for after death there is no pleasure The Stoikes vtterly differing from them taught all felicitie and blysse to stande in vertue whych opinion though it seeme plausible and godly yet it pulled men from God as much as the Epicures did bicause it taught men to seeke felicitie in the merites of their owne workes Agayne bicause they perceyued the studye of vertue was disturbed and troubled by affections they woulde haue the followers of felicitie to be voyde thereof so that neyther they shoulde reioyce in prosperitie nor shewe any signifycation of sadnesse in aduersitie making of men stones and stockes deuoyde of those naturall motions and affections whereby parents and children are ledde one to loue another Furthermore by a certayne concatenation and connexion of causes they imagined a fatall necessity or destiny whervnto they made god also subiect These things teach vs with whom Paule had to doe and also admonish vs who are at this day euer haue bene the enimies of the gospell and of true doctrine For although in times passed the names of Epicures and Stoikes were in vse among the gentiles only yet were there among the people of God that were of their opinion be also in these daies Surely Nabal somtime among the Iewes sayd There is no God and Dauid testifyeth there were innumerable other of the same opinion Psal. 14. 53. Such were they also that sayd The Lord shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regard it Touching the later times in the which we are there are prophecies extant both of Christ the Apostles which euidently teach vs that Epicures trade and sect shal reigne among vs For Christ saith As it came to passe in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they did eate and drink they maried and were maryed euen vnto that same day that Noah went into the Arke c. And Peter prophecieth that there shall come mockers in the later days which shall walk after their owne concupiscence saye where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue in the same estate c. And such we see euerywhere now a dayes which although they directly professe not Epicures opinion yet liue they so that euery man may easily perceiue they beleeue there is neyther God nor life to come And they cannot abide the light of the Gospell bicause by it as Christ sayth their euill workes are reprooued In like wise may the Stoikes opinion be founde in all ages For this opinion helde the Phariseyes sometime among the Iewes who as they trusted in the ryghteousnesse of their owne works so were they the greatest enimies of christ This sect as we sawe in the .xv. Chapter bredde great disquietters in the Primitiue Church mingling the lawe and the Gospell togither and the merites of works with fayth In the dayes of the fathers and Doctors sprang the Pelagians the maynteyners of the same doctrine And if a man woulde search for the lyke in our age he should fynde the Monkes whome we may truly call the sworne Disciples of Zeno. For beside that they ascrybe felicitie vnto their owne vertues they teach also and earnestly exact such indolencie and want of griefe as the Stoikes did and go about to pull vppe by the rootes those affections which Nature hath sowen in the minde of man For what else doe they whyle they commaunde parentes to cast of their owne children and to penne them vp in monasteries while they also teach the children to put away all the loue and care of their parentes and to addict themselues wholye to Moonkishe rules It is knowen both to Barbers and bleare eyed as they say what hard and vnworthy things eyther to be spoken or beleeued they beate into tender mindes Such as these are must needes be enimies of the Gospell which accuseth and condemneth these madde and furious errors But we must not therefore gyue place vnto them but rather according to Paules ensample stryue earnestly agaynst them And what
more examples heereof than Agrippa in these dayes and that wee hearde not euery where suche as giue the gospell a singular commendation but yet folowe the doctrine of Antichrist still for feare of losing their heades and honor or else for fear of putting their life in danger In the meane season there appeareth in these men what a diuine and wonderful force the Gospel is of which wresteth out of them euen against their willes and striue they neuer so much to the contrary the confession of the truth yet it nothing profiteth them bicause they dare to set them selues against the holy Ghoste But as Paule very wisely and stoutly answereth Festus so bicause hee was able to doe no more he setteth against the wordes of Agrippa a very christian wishe and inflamed with great feruencie of charitie I wold wish saith he of God that not onely thou but also all those that heare mee this day were not only in parte but wholy suche as I am these bondes excepted And there is no doubt but that Paule wished these things euen from the heart who otherwheres prayed for the Iewes bothe day and nighte and wished to be accurssed for their sakes We are taught by the way that it is not sufficient for vs to beleeue in parte but that there is required of vs euery day an increasing in faith that we may at length growe into a perfite man in Christ Iesus And the opinion of those men is not to be allowed which suppose one or two Articles to be sufficient vnto saluation For so all the other should be vnprofitable and superfluous which thing shuld derogate muche both from the wisedome of God and also from his goodnesse Moreouer Paules wishe teacheth vs that Ministers haue no iurisdiction or power vpon the mindes of men but that the spirite of God only worketh in them effectuously For why should Paule trouble himselfe in vaine wishes if he had beene able to haue tourned Agrippa his minde But see what is saide to this purpose bothe by Christe and by Paule And we muste not let this passe howe Paule excepteth his bondes For althoughe they were nothing greeâ—ous vnto him and that he knewe wel the cheefe glory of his Ministerie consisted in them yet he wished the quietnesse and peace of other men as farre forth as it stode with the commoditie of their faithe and saluation For thus it becommeth all men to carie their owne crosse paciently yet in the meane season to prouide for all other mennes commoditie and tranquillitie as muche as they are able Heereby it appeareth with what spirite they are led which enuie at all mennes felicitie or else of rash iudgement condemne them as no good Christians whoÌ„ they see liue in any commodious or wealthy wise After these things Luke ioyneth the ende of all this dooing namely howe all the assembly and auditorie brake vppe and departed beeing neuer a whitte the better by reason of the impedimentes before rehearsed But thys is wonderfull that Paule is absolued and acquited againe by the consente of all menne and yet for all that they sette him not at libertie Whereby it appeareth howe little the worlde regardeth the state of the Godlye whome they see afflycted wythoute deserte The innocencie of Paule so often tymes tryed maketh muche for the setting foorth of the dignitie of the Christian fayth Which thing also reproueth the temeritie of those men which cry out in these dayes that the doctrine of the Gospell is sedicious seeing that Paule a most earnest preacher of the gospel was able so oftentimes to purge himself from the crime of sedition before prophane and heathen Iudges Let no man therefore be moued with the slaunders of this worlde but being constant in the doctrine of true fayth let vs boldely serue God which defendeth those that worship him in the middle of the tempestes of this worlde and giueth them the inheritaunce of his kingdome by Iesus Chryste our Lorde to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clxvj. Homelie WHen it was concluded that we should sayle into Italie they deliuered both Paule and certayne other prisoners vnto one named Iulius an vnder Captayne of Caesars souldiours And we entred into a shippe of Adramicium and loosed from lande appoynted to sayle by the coastes of Asia one Aristarchus out of Macedonia of the Countrey of Thessalonia tarrying styll with vs And the next day we came to Sidon And Iulius courteously intreated Paule and gaue him libertie to goe vnto his friends and to refresh him selfe and when we had launched from thence we sayled harde by Cypers bicause the winds were contrary And when we had sayled ouer the sea of Cylicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra which is in Lycia And there the vndercaptayne founde a ship of Alexandria that sayled into Italie and he put vs therein And when we had sayled slowly many dayes and scarse were come ouer agaynst Cindus bicause the winde withstoode vs we sayled harde by the coste of Candy ouer agaynst Salmo and with much worke sayled beyonde it and came to a place which is called the fayre hauens nye whervnto was the citie of Lasea THe Euangelist Luke in this Chapiter describeth the paynefull and daungerous nauigation of Paule the Apostle sent vnto Rome to appere before Caesar. Where surely at the first sighte suche great diligence of the holy Ghost might seeme vayne superfluous but if a man would weigh euery thing thoroughly he shuld perceiue many things in the same moste worthy to be knowen and considered For this Hystorie teacheth vs what the state of the godly is in this world It setteth foorth vnto vs in Paule examples of pacience and constancie it teacheth vs moreouer the infallible truth of Gods promises For although al things in the world semed to go crosse with Paul to hinder him from coÌ„ming to Rome yet the truth of God which had promised he should be brought before Caesar brusteth through al these impedimeÌ„ts There are yet besides this many other things ful of comfort instruction which we shal consider in their places First is declared how the Apostle was sent vnto Rome where mentioÌ„ is made of one Iulius a Centurion or pâ—â—ie Capitayne vnto whome Festus deliuered Paule among other prisoners to be carried Heere is to be noted a singular diligence of the Romanes in administring the lawe considering they take suche paynes and be at so great charges with sending of prisoners from one place to an other There are also diuerse other examples of this thing which gate them singular commendation and glory Yea it is euident that by this meane chiefly they aduaunced theÌ„ selues to so great a glory of Empire And the Scripture playnly teacheth both in the .lxxij. Psalme and in other places that there is no more ready or commodious way than this either to conserue or to enlarge Empires and kingdomes