deserue wel of mens saluacion must bee defended 607. Famine and persecucion vse to come togither 487. Familie well instructed how commodiouse it is 431. Familie brought vp in the feare of God. 427. Faith of Christ no cause of calamities 101.102 Faith must not be dissembled 385. Faith is the gift of God. 566. Faith beloÌ„geth to the elect only 553. Faith is the meane wherby we take holde of saluation 168. Faith thinketh not baptisme in vain or vnprofitable 384. Faith and religion must not bee iudged according to the successe it hath in this world 385. Faith commeth by hearing 565. Faith in Christ is the thing of most auncientie 896. Faith onely in Christ saued the Gentiles 3. Faith diuersly tryed 879 Faith must not be iudged according to the numbre of followers 51. Fayth is not ydle 419. Faith letteth not but that we muste pray 47. Faith of Paule 823. True fayth beleueth aswel the lyfe of the body as of the solue 12. Faith of the fathers is most auncieÌ„t Pag. 852. Fayth ouercommeth the world 142. Fayth of the olde and new Testament both one 597 Faith which waye it is truly defended 854 Fayth must not bee iudged of according to the auctoritie of men 43. Faith of what certaintie and antiquitie it is 183. 122. The chiefe articles of the Christian fayth 105.108.111 The whole summe of the Christian fayth 823. Fayth must be learned confyrmed of Paule 816. Faithes effect taught by the example of the Apostles 42. An example of Faithe and charitie Pag. 679. Faith and the Gospells fruites 823. Faithes fruites 169 Faithes frutte and operation 640. Fayth how certayne and of what auctoritie it is 122. Faythes propertie 138.889 A great argument of fayth 881. Fayth to iustifie taught by the Prophets 459 Faythes nature 138. Faithes dignitie 538 Faythes obedience strength and efficacie 42.320 Faithes woorke paciently to suffer discipline 529. Fayth in Moses singuler 334 Fayth wyll not lye hydden 384 Faythes state in this world 853 Faythes force declared by the example of Abraham 296.297 Fayth can not be separated from charitie 641. Faithe getteth saluacion proued by Steuen 296. Fayth onely is sufficient to mans saluation 3. Fayth of gods people tryed by him Pag. 557. Faythe and constancie of his people how god doth exercise 623. Faith only whether it iustifieth men or whether righteousnes of the law be necessary 589 Fayth taketh holde of the forgiuenes of sinnes 458. Fayth taketh holde of gods promises 879. Faythfull mynde heareth the worde of God willingly 700.701 Faythful prayer of what power and efficacie it is 637. Faythful haue god to reuenge theyr cause 489 Faithfull are chosen in Christe thorough the mere â—auour of GOD. Pag. 29 Faythfull what they abyde in this world 800 Faythfull sometyme erre 462 Faythfull what they seeke in Christ. Pag. 26.27 Faythfull dye happely in euery place and they dye not in misery that dye banished out of theyr Countrye Pag. 313 Faythfulls exercises 461 Faythful in lytle safetie in this world Pag. 212 Faythfulls estate on earthe 299 Faythfulls persecutours Christes persecutours 789 Faythfulls surest marke is the faithfull keeping of the Apostles doctrine 139 Faythfull in daunger too bee layde wayte for of theyr own household Pag. 56 Faythfulls true marke is mutuall loue and agreement 223 Faythfulls condicion or propertie Pag. 298 Faythe of the Fathers of the olde Testament and oures proued all one 597 Faythfull are not destitute of gyftes of the holy ghoste 134 Faythfull haue the effect of goddes holy Spirit among them indifferently 96 Faythfull what they are called in Scripture 148 Faythfulls smal nombre must offend no man. 50 F ante E Feastes instituted of God and why Pag. 75 Feare what it comprehendeth in it Pag. 4â—6 Feare of the wicked is preposterous Pag. 475 Feare the worste Counseller that is Pag. 401 Feare forbydden 681 Felix what he was 814 Felix and Dâ—usolla heare Paule Pag. 828 Felix the husbande of three queenes Pag. 815 Festus a president of suche as the woorde of God with a prophane mynde 865 Festus cause that Paule is herde with attencion 846 Festus beareth Paul wytnes that he is innocent 842 Festus admitteth Paules appeale though vnwillingly 839 Festus oracion to Agrippa touching Paule 841 Festus iniquitie and vnrighteousnes Pag. 837 F ante L Flesh of Christ taken vp into Heauen is a pledge that ours shall go thether also 36 Flesh and bloud in what sence it can not inherite the kingdome of Heauen 38 F ante R Frutes of sainct Paules Doctrine Pag. 649 Frute of fayth is Ioy of the conscience 387 Frute of Apostolike study 618 Frutes of true godlynes 147.148 F ante Y Fylthy communicacion what a sinne it is 84 Fylthines or whoredome with Idolles 335 G ante A GAlerius ende a persecutour of the Church 301 Gamalils counsel 264 G ante E Gentiles called 424 Gentiles fyrst called in Cornelius Pag. 425 Generatione how it is taken in the Scriptures 381 G ante L Glory of Christ what it is 381 Glory gotten by auÌ„cestrie but a vain thing 307 Glorie in tytles and successione but a vanitie 606 Glorying in the Gospell and woorde of God but vaine oneles in deede we followe that is prescribed therby 350 To glorifie the woord of God what it is 555 G ante O GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of the Fathers 163 God the auctour and fountayne of all goodnes 575 God aduaunceth abiect and despised persons to honour 330 GOD warneth vs of daungers and giueth vs Counsell in tyme. Pag. 872 God prouideth for his Church by his prophetes 483 God â—ustifieth vs of fauour through fayth in Christ 594 God may bee better knowen by his woorkemanshippe of the worlde then by Images 671 God scattereth the Councells of his enemies and defendeth his seruants 246 God defendeth his seruauntes in the myddle of wolues 142 God mixeth aduersitie with prosperitie 316 God punisheth no person but fyrste he conuicteth him of his sinne and maketh him vnderstande the cause of his punishment 236 God is not worshipped with sacrifyces 667 God muste not be tempted 236 GOD neglecteth not a mans state though he seeme to forgette him Pag. 807 GOD hath no respect of persons Pag. 446 God can be expressed by no Image Pag. 672 God is the maker and gouernour of all things 573 God of the Fathers 826 God in what sence he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Pag. 327 God muste be inuocated in Christe Pag. 103 God helpeth his people beyonde all theyr expectacion 316 God resisteth them that withstande the Doctrine that hee reuealeth Pag. 805 God saueth his people euen in the pyt of destruction 527 God deliuereth the Apostles callinge vppon him 637 God helpeth such as laboure faythfully 561 God comforteth his people 688 God delyuereth his people being in daunger 860 God knoweth his seruaunts and defendeth them in the mydle of the wycked proued by Examples Pag. 17 God neglecteth not those that are his Pag. 873 God
Passeouer Luke in the seconde Chapter following sayth the holy ghost was sent In the meane season they abode with one consent in prayers and supplication And although the argument or matter of the prayers which they made be not expressed yet of the circumstances it may easily be gathered what they prayed For what else should they praye for which knewe their owne weakenesse and sawe such a burthen layde on their shoulders then that God woulde hasten the sending of his holy spirite and vouchsafe to defende them from falling For they had learned by their first sliding back how vaine and of no value mans strength is in Gods affayres except we be vpholden by the present ayde of his diuine grace Let vs here obserue how Luke sayth they were continually occupied in prayer and supplication which otherwyse were furnished with most large promises and were endued with great fayth For if we reade in Iohn what Christ did with his Disciples a little before his death we shall see the holye ghost so often promised that it was almost tedious And being risen from death againe he put them diuers times in remembrance of the same And that they beleeued the promises of Christ it appeareth plainely by their returne into the Citie For vnlesse they had beleeued that Christ would be as good as his promise they would neuer haue gone backe againe into so bloudy a Citie and where such daunger was Therefore faith is no let why we should not perseuer and abyde continually in prayers and good workes I know there are diuers that cauill about the thinges spoken of fayth which only iustifieth and saueth as though it made prayer vnprofitable and extinguished or at least much hindered good workes But these men so farre swarue from the truth that there is no more effectuous prouocation to good workes than that that springeth in our mindes of fayth Naye if we be not furnished with fayth wee can neyther praye profitablye nor be feruent in good workes For howe shall they call vpon him in whom they beleeue not sayth Paule And how shall God accept our prayers except we conceyue sure confidence of his good will towardes vs Last of all where as we naturally abhorre from good workes it cannot be that we shoulde gyue our selues wholy therevnto vnlesse we be sure that they please God the father for Iesus Christes sake To saye nothing howe it is impossible to please God without fayth and howe whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The Apostles and they that be with them ioyne two thinges to their prayers without the which our prayer is of no force or auayle before God that is to saye vnanimitie and perseuerance Unanimitie or agreement is needefull bicause wee be the children of one father as we professe in the Lordes prayer saying Our father which art in heauen c. But what father is so retchlesse and carelesse to suffer his children to be at discorde among themselues And the law of nature teacheth vs that they that be one mans children and of one inheritance should looue and agree togither But as many as by faith are grafted in Christ are borne of the same seede to saye the incorruptible and immortall seede of Gods worde to be the children of God and heyres of his kingdome in heauen yea to saye more they are made members of one body and acknowledge one heade and are quickened with one and the same spirite Is it possible therefore that such can be voyde of loue â–ª concorde among themselues Doe they not through hatred and enmitie seperate themselues from the body of Christ and commit horrible hypocrisie while they dare lyke true children of GOD at common prayer appeare in the sight of GOD Therefore in our prayers ought that thing chieflye to haue place that Christ requyreth of them which come to doe sacrifice saying If thou offer thy gyft at the aultare and there remember that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee leaue there thy gyft before the aultare and go and bee reconcyled vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For if we must take heede that our brother haue no cause of hatred against vs how much more must we beware that we swell not in hatred agaynst our brother We must haue no lesse consideration of perseuering or continuance in prayer forasmuch as God manye times deferreth long the helpe he promiseth vs and almost seemeth to haue no care at all of vs which thing caused the holyest men to burst forth into these sayings How long wilt thou forget me O Lorde for euer Howe long wilt thou hyde thy face from me how long shall I crye and thou wilt not heare But in such cogitations we must remember that God cannot forget vs nor cease to care for such as he hath vouchsafed to redeeme with the bloud of his sonne For he sayth in the Prophete Can the mother forget hir yong Infant so that she will not haue pittie vpon the babe of hir owne body but admit they be forgetfull yet will not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee in both my hands And Dauid sayth Thou tellest my flittings and puttest my teares in thy bottâ—ll Are not these things noted in thy booke Therefore when God deferreth the help we looke for he doth it for this only cause to try our faith pacience and yet as I sayd before hee suffreth vs not to be tempted aboue our strength Wherefore euen then must we chiefly bende all the force of our faith call for his helpe praying continually And of what force this perseuerance or importunitie is before God Iesus Christ hath taught vs in very fitte parables therfore let vs diligently doe that the Apostles did whyle they wayted for the holy ghost For we also haue neede of the holy ghost to bridle the desires of the fleshe and to strengthen vs in hope and faith Let vs make our selues ready to receyue him with obedience vnanimitie and perseuerance in prayer that being quickened and illuminate with him in this present worlde we may leade a lyfe acceptable to his diuine Maiestie and at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The seuenth Homelie IN those dayes Peter stoode vp in the middes of the Disciples and sayde the number of names that were togither were about an hundred and twentie ye men and brethren this Scripture must needes haue bene fulfilled which the holy ghost through the mouth of Dauid spake before of Iudas which was guyde to them that tooke Iesus For he was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration And the same hath nowe possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he was hanged hee burst a sunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne to all the inhabiters of Hierusalem insomuch that the same fielde is called
more strong and effectuall comfort for the godly than to vnderstand there shall be a day of iudgement wherein Christ shall declare their innocencie gyue vnto them the reward of lyfe which he promised them Therefore Christ reasoning of the signes which shall go before the later day sayth when these things begin to come to passe lift vp your heades for your redemption draweth nye And Paule teacheth vs to looke for a sauiour from heauen which shall chaunge our vyle bodye that he maye make it lyke vnto his glorious bodye He teacheth also that the faythfull shoulde comfort one another with the meditation of Christes last comming This is a great glory of our fayth that maketh that daye merry and ioyfull vnto vs whereof the wicked children of this worlde cannot thinke without great feare and sorrowe of heart Nowe let vs passe to the seconde part of this place wherein we are taught howe we be made partakers of the saluation which is in christ This thing Peter setteth forth with great grauitie of wordes saying To him giue all the Prophetes witnesse that through his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shall receyue remission of sinnes Here must euery thing be distinguished that this doctrine being so necessary may seeme the more euident For first shewing the vtilitie of the thinges which he hath hitherto declared he teacheth vs that we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the name of christ And whyle he maketh mention thereof he plainely testifieth that we be sinners in that we haue neede thereof And whyle he teacheth that the same is giuen in Christ he sheweth that it is free as proceeding of the meere grace of God without our desert so that here we may heare that saying of Paule All men haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu. And herevnto is to be referred that that was saide before of the clensing of our sinnes made on the aultar of the Crosse. For there the sonne of God was made sinne for vs that we by his meanes should be that righteousnesse which is allowed before God. By this saying are all maner sectes of other religion taken cleane awaye For where Peter sheweth vs that we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the name of Christ onely he teacheth vs that they lose all their labour that seeke it any otherwhere and so with a newe argument he confirmeth that graue sentence that he vttered before the Senate at Ierusalem that there was none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man in which he could be saued The same Christ himselfe affirmeth where he sayth I am the way the truth and the lyfe No man commeth vnto the father but by me Secondarily Peter declareth to vs by this sentence the meane whereby we take holde of the remission of sinnes offred vs by christ For he sayth euerye one that beleeueth in him obtayneth the same Then by fayth we obtayne forgiuenesse of our sinnes The reason of which doctrine is that faith onely grafteth vs into Christ as he sayth himselfe He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude that is to say whosoeuer beleeueth in me dwelleth in me and I in him And forasmuch as forgiuenesse of sinnes dependeth vpon Gods free promise it can none other waye be taken holde of than by fayth For fayth taketh holde of Christ as he is set forth in the Gospell and cleaueth altogither vnto the promise of god For the which cause Christ euerywhere attributeth saluation vnto faith and euerywhere repeateth that generall sentence He that beleeueth in me hath lyfe euerlasting Agayne He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued And he sayth to the woman Great is thy fayth be it vnto thee as thou wilt And agayne Thy fayth hath made thee whole And from hence tooke the Apostles their opinion where they teach that men are iustified by fayth onely in Christ that is to saye deliuered and purged from their sinnes By the which opinion iustification of workes is plainely excluded For where iustification as euen nowe was declared is to be had in Christ onely which we can take holde of none other waye than by fayth it must needes followe that by fayth onely we are iustified And yet we condemne not the exercise of good workes but take from them the insolent tytle of merite and iustification the glory whereof is due onely to Christ that Christ maye haue his glory wholye to himselfe For otherwise we be not ignorant that all kinde of innocencie and righteousnesse is required of them whome Iesus Christ hath restored to the libertie of the children of God through the merite of his bloude But whereas Peter a little before had confirmed his doctrine by the testimonie of the Apostles bicause no man shoulde thinke there was anye collusion or craft among them he defendeth this cause yet by grauer authoritie telling vs that all the Prophetes testifye the same of christ And there is no doubt but he stoode some pretie whyle in reciting their testimonies albeit that Luke who thought it ynough to touch but the chiefe poynts of his Sermon only for breuities sake hath passed them ouer But it is a very easy matter to prooue that which Peter here sayth out of the writings of the Prophets For to begin with Moses yet not to rehearse the first promises he writeth that Abraham beleeued God and that fayth was imputed to him for righteousnesse And it is playne that Abraham had none other faith than the wayting for that seede in which all Nations shoulde be blessed And Iesus Christ sayth that he desired to see his day and that he reioyced therein Moses also setteth out vnto vs figures of the law all which no man will denie but to haue beene shadowes of Christ especially if he haue diligentlye reade but that one Epistle to the Hebrues And Paule plainely prooueth the iustification of fayth out of the .xxxij. Psalme Of Esaye what neede we to speake whereas we haue heard his testimony before where vnto he addeth this also by the knowledge of him which is my righteous seruaunt he shall iustifie the multitude for he shall beare awaye their sinnes And Ieremâ—e speaking of our Sauiour Christ sayth This shall bee hys name whereby they shall call him the Lorde our righteousnesse I omitte diuers other testimonies which might be alleaged bicause I woulde not be to long and for that it is good to leaue occasion to the studious to seeke them In the meane season let vs marke howe Peter groundeth vpon none other testimonies than the Prophetes and Apostles Whereby we learne what consent and what maner authoritie of men shoulde preuayle in matters of fayth and religion euen theirs doubtlesse whome it appeareth did speake by the holy ghost Those are they by whose ministerye God woulde haue the bookes of the olde and newe Testamentes
written If therefore any thing be brought forth contrarye to their doctrine let vs knowe that it commeth from man whose tradicions long since are beaten downe by the sentence of God. We haue therefore a notable and wholesome sermon of Peters whereby the first of the Gentyles are conuerted vnto Christ. This sermon if it be well expended conteyneth in it all the articles of our fayth concerning God the father Iesus Christ his sonne and the holy ghost The same comprehendeth in it a perfite order of the saluation of man which as it is sette forth to vs in Christ so is it to be taken holde of by fayth only in him Which bicause it is the gift of God it becommeth vs by continuall prayer to aske it of him that being truly graffed into Iesus Christ iustified by his merit we may be saued To him be all praise honor power glory for euer AmeÌ„ The .lxxvij. Homelie Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And they of the Circumcision which beleeued were astonied as many as came with Peter bicause that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gift of the holye ghost For they hearde them speake wyth tongues and magnifie god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbydde water that these shoulde not be baptised which haue receyued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde Then prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes AS God the father hath included all the meane of our saluation in Iesus Christ his sonne so he woulde that he shoulde be the sauiour and Redemer of all Nations and not of one people onely Whereof may be gathered euident arguments both of the first promises and oracles of the Prophetes and also of the last commaundement of Christ when he sent forth his Apostles into all the worlde to preach the Gospell But whereas the Iewes being puft vp with the prerogatiue of the lawe and ceremonies thereof vsed to despyse other Nations and woulde not vouchsafe to admit them into their congregation it was neede there shoulde be some peculiar demonstration to declare that the stoppe of the lawe was broken downe by Christ and that the grace of God was offred vnto the Gentyles also without the righteousnesse of the lawe This doth the holy ghost most liuely set forth in this hystorie For as God did vouchsafe to sende his Aungell to Cornelius a Gentyle and one vncircumcised and to awake Peter by an heauenlye vision to instruct him so Peter the Apostle preacheth vnto the same Cornelius by instinct of the holy spirite the whole order of saluation wyth marueylous breuitie and playnenesse and without any mention making of the ceremonies of the law teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is appoynted vs of God in whom to haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But least any man might thinke that Peter had ouer rashly and without aduyse blabbed out these sayinges the effect of the matter prooueth the same which Luke for this cause the more diligently describeth bicause he woulde stirre vs vppe to the more diligent consideration of the matter First whyle Peter as yet was speaking it is sayde the holy ghost fell on all them which hearde the preaching And not long after it is sayde likewyse that they spake with diuers tongues and declared the great grace of god The same therefore commeth here to passe that fell out in the daye of Pentecost and God thought good to confirme Peters doctrine which Cornelius and his kinne had receyued by the visible sending of his holy spirite and to declare in deede that the grace of saluation was alyke belonging to all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentiles and that from henceforth the ceremonies of the lawe were no more to be obserued This is euident that in the Apostles times it was a common thing to haue the visible sending of the holy ghost to be ioyned with the preaching of the Gospell which God did vouchsafe to giue vnto them that beleeued in him By the which argument Paule prooueth the iustifycation of fayth agaynst them which affirme that men are iustified by the workes of the law For he saith This onelye woulde I learne of you whether you receyued the spirite by the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth Are you such fooles that after you haue begonne in the spirite you nowe ende in the flesh He that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh myracles among you â–ª doth he it through the deedes of the lawe or by the preaching of the fayth We haue in this place to consider the dignitie and efficacie of the working of the Gospell For wee see this is the instrument whereby God vseth to giue his spirite and to worke effectuously in the minde of man so that it is not without a cause that Paule sayth the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue it And for the same cause he calleth the Preachers of the Gospell the ministers of the spirite For although all they that heare the Gospell in these dayes haue not the gyft of tongues giuen vnto them and such other gyftes as is euident remayned in the Church vntill the time of Iraeneus and after be for the moste part ceased yet it is manifest that all they are endued with the spirite of adoption and regeneration which duly heare the Gospell and embrace it by fayth whereby they crie Abba father and which Paule calleth the earnest or pledge of our saluation 2. Cor. 1. and .5 And the effectes of this spirite are manifest whyle it mortifyeth the fleshe wyth the earthly members thereof in the beleeuers regenerateth men illuminateth the mynde and causeth that they which by nature are apt and meete to no goodnesse are able to doe all thinges in christ Wherevpon we gather agayne that they are not to be taken for the members of Christ iâ— whome there appeare no effectes of the holy spirite For that spirite is not ydle and â—luggysh And Paule sayth that they which are destitute of the spirite of Christ are not his Agayne this place teacheth vs what the exercises of them that beleeue are after they haue receyued the holye ghost They speake with straunge new tongues which although it come not to passe to euery man as we sayd euen nowe yet the holy ghost ordreth the tongues of all them that beleeue to speake those thinges which serue to the glory of God and the edifying of other whereof hath bene sufficiently sayde in the second Chapter Then it is sayde that they greatly praysed god So doe they that truly acknowledge the grace of God which he offreth vs in Christ whereas contrarywyse whosoeuer beleeue to be iustifyed by their workes praise themselues And this giuing of thankes is a sacrifyce most acceptable vnto God which he both often requireth and the godly euerywhere vowe
sent Barnabas to them as it were to helpe them After that he sheweth the singuler diligence that Barnabas vsed in accomplishing the charge committed vnto him and last of all his prosperous successe And touching the Ierosolymites amongst whome it seemeth he numbreth the Apostles he sayth but little bicause their meaning may easily be perceyued by Barnabas doing This is it therefore that he sayth that when worde was brought to Ierusalem how Antioch was conuerted vnto Christ they that by reason of their office were the chiefe among them and watched for the saluation of all men sent Barnabas thither to confirme the beliefe of the newe Disciples and to nourishe mutuall good will amonge the congregations The lyke whereof we sawe done before when they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria which being wonne by the preaching of Philip set open hir gates vnto the worde of god This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that congregations farre distant when neede so requireth shoulde be holpen both with counsell and trusty diligence of Ministers that they are greatly to be praysed that in this case vse most diligence For if Christ so greatly commende the benefite that is done but to one of his least Disciples that he will at the later daye testifye it was done to himselfe and promiseth a sure rewarde to him that giueth but a cup of colde water to him that he sendeth with howe much more glory will he rewarde those which confirme or saue whole congregations by their helpe and counsell Lette Bishops and Christian Magistrates remember this well that they suffer not themselues to be plucked from doing their dutye by such as saye they are authors of sedition which vse to prescribe or giue counsayle to straungers in matters of religion But let vs see Barnabas of whome Luke diligentlye speaketh For he declareth what maner of man he was and what he did in these affaires of the Antiochianes And although his person is sufficiently described by the things which he did at Antioch yet haue we first to consider the same that we may be the better able to iudge of the cause of so excellent vertues as shined in him specially bicause Luke for that ende and intent describeth his propertie and condicion He sayth he was a good man and full of the holy ghost and of fayth This is so singuler a commendation of this holy man as Demosthenes and Cicero coulde haue deuised no greater For what greater prayse can there be than to be called of the holy ghost good whereas by the testimonie of Christ there is not one good but onely God But least anye man might thinke that Luke had forgotten that saying he sheweth straight waye whyle he was bolde to call him a good man doubtlesse bicause he was full of the holy ghost and of fayth For although God onely be of himselfe good in deede yet bicause he doth vouchsafe to giue vnto men his spirit and by him his other vertues there is no let but we maye call them good in whome appeare any arguments of Gods goodnesse by reason of Gods spirite dwelling in them And where fayth onely maketh vs partakers both of the spirite of God and all other goodnesse the same doth Luke attribute to Barnabas saying he was full of fayth For by fayth are men iustifyed bycause thereby they take holde of Christ through whose desert they are purifyed from all iniquitie and made meete for all good workes to performe faithfully both towardes God and man whatsoeuer duties they owe vnto them It is very good that we remember this definition of a good man to laye it against the fonde iudgement of the worlde which vseth to call them that are hypocrytes and giuen to the pleasures and desires of the fleshe good men Furthermore we are taught by this place what maner of men shoulde be called to beare office in the Common weale and specially in Ecclesiasticall affaires Euen good men surely who it is euident are gouerned by the holy ghost and endued with faith For vnto such men may any thing safely be committed And whosoeuer commit vnto wicked men voyde of Gods spirite eyther publike or priuate matters to them it falleth out for the most part as we reade it did vnto Noah which sent the Rauen out of the Arke And Salomon sayth very wisely as he doth all things He is lame of his feete yea drunken he is in vanitie that committeth his message to a foole For both they are deceyued of their hope and manye times paye for their follye and lightnesse Moreouer we must see what Barnabas did in the Church at Antioch all which Luke comprehendeth in fower articles First he sayth when hee came and had seene the grace of God hee was glad He vnderstandeth by the grace of God the profite of faith and the giftes of the holy ghost which followe it And he vseth this worde grace to teach vs that all these thinges are giuen of Gods goodnesse This is a notable argument of a good man and faythfull Minister of Christ that Barnabas reioyceth in the profite of other men For they which lacke faith and the lightning of the holy ghost they enuie other for the most part seeking their owne glory And all men followe not the modestie of Moses which desired that all the Israelites might be filled with the holy ghost and be instructed with the gift of prophecying Yea there are euerywhere the more pitie many examples of ambicious men which while they go about to take from other their due honour breede great contentions in Congregations But they which are gouerned by the spirite of Christ and illuminated with true fayth they easilye despyse the losse of priuate glorye so that they perceyue they maye aduaunce the glorye of GOD. After this Barnabas exhorteth the Antiochianes that with purpose of heart they woulde cleaue vnto the Lorde For as in all other exercises and studies so chiefly in religion is perseueraunce and continuation needefull For he that wrastleth is not crowned or rewarded except he wrastle or stryue lawfully And Christ alloweth not them which haue once layd their hande to the plough and looke behinde them Therefore Barnabas doth well in requiring perseuerance of the Antiochians But least he might seeme to require onely an outwarde shewe and bare bragge of wordes he exacteth purpose of heart For that is a true perseuerance and ioyning with our sauiour Christ when we haue dedicated and giuen our harts to his seruice And those which haue so done no terror of perils can feare them from the Lorde For they esteeme all thinges but losse and dammage so that they may winne Christ. But bicause Barnabas was not ignorant that there were many things which vsed to call men from Christ he thought that exhortation also was needefull for them notwithstanding there appeared notable tokens of Gods grace in them which thing caused Paule to commaunde Timothie continually to exhort those
compendious and short summe let him heare this saying of Paule All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God but are iustifyed freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu through faith by the meanes of his bloude c. And forbicause Paule knewe that the Iewes with whome he had to doe did ascribe iustifycation to the lawe and to the workes thereof and that this was the chiefe stumbling blocke of their fayth and saluation therfore he preuenteth their obiection saying By him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which you coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses In which wordes comparing the lawe with Christ he so challengeth the prayse and glory of our iustifycation to him that therewithall he testifyeth the same can by no meanes be attributed to the law For the law sayth he coulde not iustifye vs from all to saye sinnes from which yet all they are deliuered which take holde of Christ by true fayth And yet Paule is not to be accused of rashnesse as though he went about ouer impudently to infringe the authoritie of the lawe For it shall appeare that he truly so sayde if we diligently consider the lawe The lawe may be comprehended in two parts whereof the one consisteth in vertues or good workes the other in ceremonies In the fyrst we include morall and politicall precepts a short abridgement whereof we haue in the Decaloge or tables of the commaundements And if we looke in the same it shall appeare what God requireth of vs what we owe vnto him what to our neighbour and fynally what to our selues And our infyrmitie and corruption shall also appeare through the deprauation whereof we doe not onely disobey the lawe of God but also are vnable to obey the same For what man is there in all the worlde that is able to bring his minde and all the affections of his fleshe to the obedience of fayth as God requireth For what else is the lawe but a glasse wherein is bewrayed the corruption of our nature and our sinnes aswell secret as open brought vnto lyght And if we come vnto Ceremonies by the which the Iewes in time past measured their righteousnesse it shall appeare that they also are vayne and that we be rather accused thereby than iustifyed or relieued For what other thing doth the Circumcision made in our priuie member teach vs but that the beginning of our generation is corrupt and that we haue neede of regeneration What doe the dayly and yerely sacrifyces the sprinklings of bloude the often washings the rytes of expiation purifying what other thing did they teach vs but that we haue neede of purifycation clensing But did true purifycation consist in them No truly For the Lorde by his Prophet cryeth out that their hands which were most occupied in the exercise thereof were all to embrued with bloud And in another place Thinkest thou that I will eate Bulles fleshe or drinke the bloude of Gotes And Dauid troubled in conscience for his most heynous deede sayth Thou desirest no sacrifyce else woulde I giue it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings c. Naye hauing a respect to the bloude and merite of the Messias that was promised hee prayeth saying washe mee throughly from my wickednesse and clense mee from my sinnes Thou shalt purge me with I sope and I shall be cleane washe thou me and I shall be whiter than snowe Deliuer mee from bloudguiltynesse ô God thou that art the God of my health c. Hereof it seemeth Paule tooke that saying of his The bloude of Bullokes and Goates cannot take away sinne So that Paule in this place sayth most truly that the lawe cannot iustifye vs And yet for all this he contemneth not the lawe or maketh God the author of a thing superfluous and vnprofytable For his honor remayneth safe vnto him while herein consisted onely certayne godly exercises of fayth and whyle the law was as Paule otherwhere sayth a tutor and bringer of them which diligently marked the ende thereof vnto Christ. It is very worthy to be diligently obserued that Paule sayth we be iustifyed from all our sinnes through fayth in Iesus Christ which was impossible by the lawe to be perfourmed For thus saying he doth not onelye ouerthrowe the affiance which the Iewes had in the workes and ceremonies of the lawe but also all maner of Popery and the whole Popedome which is the greatest enimie that can be founde against the righteousnesse of God and the saluation which is offered vs in christ They marueylously glory in Christ their sauiour but they egregiously euacuate his deserts whyle they teache that through his merite originall sinne onely and the sinnes coÌ„mitted before baptisme are purged but all other sinnes through our owne satisfactions And these satisfactions for the most part consist in the inuentions of mens traditions as in obseruing of appoynted fastes in holy dayes in lyings on the grounde in cowles in pilgrimages in purchasing of pardons and such lyke tryâ—â—es Thus they reprooue Paule of lying which sayth we be deliuered from all our sinnes through the fayth we haue in christ They reprooue Christ of lying which out of the Prophete teacheth that God the father is in vaine worshipped with the traditions of men and calâ—eth vs vnprofytable seruantes although we coulde doe all that is commaunded vs in the lawe Let vs therfore fyrmely holde fast this sentence of Paule which as it attributeth to Christ alone all the whole meane of our saluation so is it sufficient to confute all kinde of sects and heresies And he is no true Christian that followeth not the same and stedfastly cleaueth not vnto Christ onely acknowledging him for his sauiour and redeemer putting his trust in him and worshipping him in spirite and in truth For it is impossible that they can please God which dare despise the sonne of God and preferre their workes before his merite Uerily Paule as he preacheth Christ alone in this place so in other places he confesseth he knoweth nothing but him onely and thinketh it to be a moste heynous offence if any body woulde trust or glory in any other thing Furthermore to make an ende of preaching with the Apostle it remaineth for vs to consider his conclusion which conteineth in it a grieuous and very horrible commination the cause whereof was as may seeme for that he perceyued in the hearers euident tokens of obstinacie and vnbeliefe For it is not credible that such a spirite as the Apostle had coulde without a cause so be moued For he sayth Beware that that fall not on you which is spoken of in the Prophetes c. Therfore he so threatneth them with punishment that yet he leaueth a place for hope of pardon whyle he warneth them to beware least c. He bringeth the Oracle of the Prophete out of Abacuc the fyrst Chapter which by comparison or
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
that notable marke of the beast which no man can receyue or keepe wythout denying of christ Wherfore it becommeth Christian men rather to impugne these thinges than neuer so little to violate the profession of Christes name Before we passe from this place we haue to consider the mariage of Timothies parents forasmuch as Luke maketh expresse mention thereof He sayth that Eunica his mother was a Iewe and his father a Greeke or a Gentyle Yet we reade that Iewes were forbiden to marrye with the Gentyles Yet such was the state of the people of the Iewes in those daies that being oppressed vnder the tiranny of the Romanes and dispersed here and there they were driuen to suffer many things agaynst their wyll In the meane season the godly woman Eunica by reason of this mariage was in such daunger as God foreshewed in his lawe For she was not able by Circumcision to take hir sonne Timothie into the societie of Gods people who no doubt was borne before Christ suffered and the lawe was abrogated by reason hir husbande withstoode hir who as it is like was deuoyde of true religion bicause Paule commendeth him in no place and yet setteth forth in writing the worthy fayth of Eunica and Lois These thinges ought to feare the professors of Christian fayth from drawing the yoke with Infydels as elsewhere the Apostle sayth Also the example of Eunica is very notable which procured hir sonne to be trayned vp in the scriptures from his childehoode agaynst hir husbandes will least he shoulde be corrupted with the superstition and ydolatrie of the Gentyles Lette Matrones matched in such vnlyke mariages well obserue this thing Let them remember that their children be holy by reason of the promise of the couenaunt as Paule plainly teacheth Let them therefore bring them vp in the doctrine of true godlynesse and trayne them vnto God whose honor if they seeke with all their heart they shall fynde him true of his promises where he sayeth he will be their protector and defender But let vs come to the treatie of this present place where after the vocation of Timothie is declared what they which were with Paule taught in the Churches As they went sayth he through the Cities they deliuered them such things to obserue and keepe as were decreed by the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem Which wordes the Papistes wrest I wote not to what maner of traditions which they imagine the Apostles and their successors deliuered from hande to hande vnto the Church but were neuer written This Sanctuarye being by them once founded whatsoeuer they cannot prooue by authorite of Scripture they saye by and by it is the tradition of the Apostles But Luke sayth no such thyng but speaketh of those decrees whereof mention was made in the chapter before going They were these that man was iustifyed and saued by the onely grace of God through faith in Iesus Christ and not by the works of the lâ—we that we should abstaine from those things which pollute the profession of our fayth and our holynesse as is Idolatrie and fornication that we must labour for loue and in outwarde things yeelde somewhat vnto the weake or else vnto such as are not yet come vnto the fayth if there be any hope of winning them In the meane season that we beware mennes consciences be not snarled or charged with any burthen intollerable These things Luke sayth that Paule and those with him did euerywhere inculcate both to represse the Iewes which to importunately vrged the Gentyles to the obseruing of the lawe and to brydle the licentiousnesse of the Gentyles which abused the Christian libertie with great offence For he chiefly desired that peace might flouryshe in the Church whereby he knewe the same shoulde chiefly increase Agayne where there was no daunger of offence he constantlye defended the libertie of Christ bicause he woulde not preiudice the same which thing the Apostles wynked at for the weakes sake The fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians teacheth the same where he maketh the eating of thynges offered to Idolles free as touching conscience if there be none present that is offended therewith In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that it is not sufficient to haue good lawes made vnlesse they which haue the charge thereof see them put in execution For dayly experience teacheth vs that execution is the lyfe and sinewes of the lawe Take that awaye and the lawe shall lye as deade and as Anacharsis sayde shall become lyke vnto Spyders webbes which euerye bolde and presumptuous bodye will not sticke to breake Therefore let both Ministers of the Church and gouernors of the common weale imitate Paule if they meane to doe their duetie and not rather with vayne counterfeyting mocke both God and man. Last of all Luke addeth a notable successe of their most godly endeuour and labour where he sayth the Churches were confyrmed in the fayth and grewe and increased euery day more and more in number And bicause he maketh mention of fayth it is euident that Paule chieflye beate that into their heades and not vayne and colde Ceremonies and traditions These are the continuall effectes of the worde of God that lyke vnto a showre it neuer returneth wythout fruite vnto him that sent it These also are the weapons wherby the kingdome of Christ in this world is most prosperously enlarged to saye diligent preaching of the worde and feruent desire to conserue and keepe the same Whensoeuer these cease by and by fayth falleth and all loue of true religion dyeth We haue examples hereof euerywhere whereby they are conuinced which thinke it sufficient if they be not constrayned through tyrannie to be partakers of wicked sacrifyces and yet in the meane season they liue in such places where the worde of God is banished and no duties of Christian religion exercised Let vs all therefore studye to set forth the worde of God that both our selues maye be confyrmed in the fayth and the Church daylye increase in number of beleeuers wherein Iesus Christ onely reygneth the sauiour of mankynde and onely Brydegroome of the Church to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cvij Homelie WHEN they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia they came to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia but the spirite suffered them not But when they had gone thorowe Mysia they came downe to Troada And a vision appeared to Paule in the night There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs After he had seene the vision immediately we prepared to go into Macedonia being certified that the Lorde had called vs for to preache the Gospell vnto them When we losed forth then from Troada we came with a strayte course to Samothracia and the next daye to Neapolis and from thence to Philippos which is the chiefe
hir forfathers in liuing with a man vncircumcised All which things although she had vnworthely committed yet it is likely that there was remayning in hir some feeling of that pure religion wherein she had bene brought vp from hir tender yeres This seemeth to bee the cause that shee was so desirous to heare Paule preache whose doctrine euery body spake of Which thing she might easily obteyne of Felix hir husbande louing hir so entirely Heere by the way wee may see what remayneth commonly for them which make mariage with wicked persons and boyde of true religion For although they being blinded eyther with the sting of concupiscence or bewitched with the glory of richesse and honour goe about to shake off all sense of religion yet the sting of conscience returneth agayne and the desire of fayth so denied and naughtely forsaken kindleth agayne but commonly dothe them little good bycause they haue so little regarde of God and their owne saluation Wherefore wee muste thinke that it was not without a cause that God by Moyses commaunded his people to abstayne from mariage with Infidels bycause he knew they were hereby like to incurre the present daunger of their saluation For the which cause Paule also willing to confirme the olde lawe forbiddeth vs to beare the yoke with vnbeleeuers Also it behoueth vs to marke the goodnesse of God which suffered the worde of the Gospell whereby lyfe and saluation is offered vnto man to bee preached vnto those that were polluted with suche filthy luste Hee is therefore truely that God which desireth to haue men saued and willeth not the death of a synner but rather that he should repente and lyue Heere vnto belong many examples of the Gospell wherein wee reade that Chryste of a certayne singular fauour and familiaritie offered saluation vnto Publicans and Harlots Which as it serueth for our consolation when we bee troubled with the suggestions of Sathan whereby he calleth the certayntie of our saluation into question so also it admonisheth vs of our dutie that we wickedly despise not the grace of god which he so louingly offereth vnto vs For as the preaching of the gospel is the cause of saluation to them that beleue and repent so they are inexcusable before God which being without repentance wickedly contemne it when it is offered of whose number we shall hereafter heare that Felix was But let vs see Paules Sermon whiche Luke reporteth not worde for word but reciteth only the cheefe pointes wherof may easyly gathered what he said These are three in nūber First Felix heareth him entreate of the fayth in christ Furthermore as Christ is alwayes constant in him selfe is but one yesterday to day for euer so there is alwayes but one trade of faith in Christ which ought not to be changed Wherfore we must thinke Paule spake none other things at this time but such as are conteyned else where both in his Sermons and Epistles The summe of all which is that men are iustifyed and saued freely without the workes of the lawe through faith onely in christ And as he laboured to bring the Iewes vnto Christ from the affiaunce in workes of the lawe so is it like that he entreated much of morall virtues before Felix bycause they little auayle vnto true Iustice in the sight of God but are acceptable vnto God bicause of fayth onely in Christ bicause we haue occasion euery where to speake of these thinges we will nowe tarry the lesse while vppon them This marke how the fayth in Christ must not be preached in corners and where no feare of daunger is but must then be stoutly and freelye confessed when we percyue the worlde offended with vs for the same Therefore they are not to be hearkened to which accompt the confession of faith among things indifferent For so they accuse the Apostles and holy martirs of Christ of madnesse whiche were neuer more feruent in defendyng the fayth than when they sawe it most cruellye assaulted Also the Anabaptistes are confuted by this example of Paule which being apprehended by the Magistrates can scarce be brought at any time to giue an accompt of their faith and many times will neither confirme their owne opinions with anye argumentes nor aunswere to the argumentes made agaynst them Howbeit Peter commaundeth all Christians to be ready to giue a reason of their faith to euery one that asketh them And Paule was so litle ashamed either of his fayth or doctrine that he disdayned not to preache the same being in bands before an heathen tyranne and filthie adultresse Secondly Paule reasoneth of Iustice and Temperance But vnder these two vertues are comprehended the true fruits of the faith that iustifieth Iustice we vnderstand in this place to be that that giueth vnto euery man that is his and therfore comprehendeth vnder hir all vertues Christe commendeth this vertue where he commaundeth to giue vnto God the thinges belonging vnto him and vnto Cesar the thynges that are due vnto him hereunto is to be referred that that Paule writeth in an other place Geue vnto all men that is their due tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due Feare to whom feare aperteyneth Honour to whom honour apperteyneth c. Temperaunce is an impediment or stoppe against vnlawfull desyres and brideleth voluptuousnesse that we be not carried with the entisementes thereof to sinne against God and iustice Therfore whatsoeuer might be sayde touching the exercise of vertues and good woorkes Paule did comprehende it vnder these two kindes namely Iustice and Temperance And these things must of necessitie be subiect to the doctrine of fayth both bycause they be the true fruites as we saide euen nowe by the whiche fayth is knowen and also bicause no man shoulde abuse the pretence of fayth to cloke his carnall libertie against the which many thinges are euery where sayde in the writinges of the Apostles Furthermore Paules prudencie ioyned with his free speache is here to be considered For he reasoneth of suche fruites of true fayth as cheefely were wanting in his hearers For we haue declared before that Felix did many thinges like a tyranne in gouernaunce of the prouince and had more regarde of his priuate aduantage than of publique iustice And Drusilla like a filthie adultresse marryed with an vncircumcised person contrary to the lawe of god Therefore it was meete to set these things before their eyes that they might plainely vnderstand how farre off they were from the way of saluation This example teacheth vs what we ought to preache and after what sorte many men would haue the grace of God and the faith that iustifieth only preached But the wickednesse of this world and of our age wherby we see all men euery where rushe into all kinde of mischeefe requireth a farre other thing Therefore these things must be reproued least we preach the grace of God in vaine to them that yet vnderstande not what
that border vpon him The condicions of Tyrants The successe of the wicked is a preamble of ruine Ierem. 12. Prou 16. Psal. 37. Herode desâ—reth to be honoured as a God. The destruction of Herode Eusebius in the .2 booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie .x. chap. A disease which maye well be called the lowsie euill by reason of lyce which encrease so mightily that they deuour and eate vp the body 1. Pet. 5. The enlargement of Christes kingdome 1. Pet. 1. 1 The commendation of the Churche at Antioch Prophets Pastours Roma .. 10. 1. Cor. 4. Ephes. 4. Amos. 2. Manaen a noble man and a Courtyer Phil. 2. Heb. 11. 2 Paule and Barnabas are sent to the Gentyles Rom. 13. Heb. 1. The order of Ecclesiastical ministery Rom. 10. Heb. 5. 3 How Paule and Barnabas beginne to preach amoÌ„g the Gentyles Exod. 3.4 Math. 8. The Apostles preache vnto the Cypriotes Rom. 5. Math. 9.18 Luke 9. The Apostles preach the worde of God. They preach in the Synagoge of the Iewes Rom. 11. See Theodorete touching the prouidence of God in his x. Sermon Psal. 110. 1 The occasion of the coÌ„tention betweene Paule and Elymas the sorcerer Luke 15. Iohn 10. 2 The meeting togither of Paule and Elymas the sorcerer The condicions of false Prophetes Math. 24. Paule confuteth Elymas 1. Iohn 4. 3 The ende and successe of the contencion 2. Tim. 3. 1 Pamphilia is lightened with the gospell Rom. 15. 2 Iohn Mark fayleth in the ministerye of the Gospell 3 The Apostles go into Pisidia Iohn 16. Iohn 14. Math. 28. Psal. 27. Esay 40. 4 What the Apostles did in Antioch of Pisidia The truth must be preached openly Iohn 18. The Sabboth dayes must be kept holy Num. 15. The order of holy metings or assemblies Luke 4. Math. 15. Esay 29. 2. Tim. 3. The argument parâ—s of Paules sermon 1 The beginning of Paules sermon Rom. 12. Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Augustus chap. 53. 1. Iohn 5. 2 The narration 1 Free election or choyse Psa. 76.147 Iosua 24. Ephe. 1. Psal. 65. ij. The deliuery out of Egypt iij. The sufferance of God towarde sinners Psal. 103. iiij. The possession of the lande of promise Deut. 6. v. The ordinance of common weale and kingdom 1. Reg. 6. Genes 49. Hose 13. The translation of the kingdome of Iurie vnto Dauid Psal. 2. Esay 60. The prayse of Dauid 2. Sam. 7. 1. Sam. 15. Howe Dauid is sayde to haue fulfilled all the will of God. Psal. 19. 2. Sam. 15. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 24. The second part of the Sermon teaching howe Iesus is Christ. i. Iesus is borne of the seede of Dauid according to the promise Genes 3. 1. Iohn 4. ij. Iesus had a forerunner as was foreshewed iij. The testimony of Iohn Baptist coÌ„cerning Christ. Iosephus in his .xviij. booke of antiquities cap. and Eusebius Caesariens reporteth the same out of him in the first booke of his ecclesiasticall hystorie and xiij chap. The Gospell ought fyrst to be preached to the Iewes Math. 10. He aunswereth the slauÌ„der taken by the crosse Esay 2. i The priests were ignoraÌ„t of Christ and the scriptures Mala. 2. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 3. ij. The Priestes fulfilled the scriptureâ— â–ª iij. Christ was put to the death of the crosse innocently 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 2. iiij. The Priestes enterprises coulde not hurt Christ. Iohn 10. The resurrection of Christ is prooued Luc. 10. 1. Cor. 15. 1 The testimonie of the Apostles coÌ„cerning christ and his resurrection 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1. Iohn 14.8 Rom. 8. Luke 22. Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 15. The doctrine of the Apostles is not newe Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Math. 13. The truth of Gods promises Dani 2. Gene 49. Gene. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5. 2 The testimonies of the Prophets of Christ and his resurrection Psal. 2. The resurrection declareth the glory of the sonnes of God. Rom. 1. 1. Iohn 3. The place of Esay 55. Christ is but once onely offered The place of the .xvi. psal The state of the deade Esay 63. The consideratioÌ„ of death Math. 10. Apoc. 14. Luc. 16. Ezech. 32. Esay 14. 1. Cor. 15. The knowledge of christ is necessarye to the attainment of saluation Iohn 17. Luke 17. Iohn 8. Iacob 1. Remission of sinnes is giuen vs in Christ. i. All men are sinners Gene. 8. Psal. 51. Esay 64. ij. Sinns are forgiuen of grace fauor iij. Grace is giuen vs in Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 1. iiij. Christ is taken hold of by fayth Rom. 3. The law can not iustifye Esay 1. Psal. 50. Psal. 51. Hebr. 10. The vse of the lawe Galat. 3. Righteousnes of works is ouerthrowne Math. 15. Luke 17. 1. Cor. 2. Galat. 6. The conclusion of Paules sermon Vnto the Gospell must bee ioyned threates and declaration of punishments Math. 11. Luke 19. Mat. 23.24 Ezech. 3.33 Contempt of Gods worde worde is a most grieuous sinne Rom. 11. Reprobates cannot abide to heare the word of god Iohn 8.10 Psal. 58. The elect acknowledge the worde of God and receyue it A Proselyte was anye straunger or forreuer born that did conuert or turne vnto the Iewes religion Esay 1.10 Rom. 10. In religion perseuerance or holding on is needefull The Gospell is called the grace of God. Math. 10. Luke 10. The coÌ„tention of the Apostles with the Iewes Iohn 15. i. The occasion of the contention Phil. 1.2 Tim. 4. Iohn 4. ij. The cause of the contention Rom. 10. Num. 15. iij. The sleightes and weapons of the Iewes iiij. The Apostles stoutly and boldlye resist Titus 1. v. The Apostles excommunicate the incurable Math. 21. Math. 10. The place of Esay 4 9. touching the vocation of the Gentyles Iohn 1. Iohn 17. 1 The doctrine of the Gospell is set forth in the midst of troubles They that are ordeyned vnto life eternall beleeue 1. Cor. 2. Phil. 2. Iohn 3 6. Math. 16. Ephes. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. Iohn 10. Rom. 11. The effect of Gods worde in the elect and their duties Math. 5. Ephe. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The word of God is set forth through the enterprises of the aduersaries Luke 18. 2 PersecutioÌ„ raysed by the Iewes Women raysed against the Apostles 2. Tim. 3. Magistrates offended with the Apostles Math. 11. Banishment the effect of persecution 2. Tim. 2. Marc. 10. Luke 22. Iohn 12.14 and .17 Math. 25. 3 The end of the persecution The shaking off of oust Luke 9. The ende of persecution is ioyfull vnto the faythfull Iohn 16. Iconium 1 The Apostles teach in the sinagoge The constancie and fayth of the Apostles Ezech. 3. The loue of the Apostles toward their enimies Rom. 10.9 Luke 19. 1. Tim. 2. 2 The effect of the Apostles doctrine 3 The persecutioÌ„ against the Apostles i. The Iewes are authors of the persecution ij. The Apostles do boldlye resist the seditious Marc. 8. Iohn 5.10 Marc. 16. Math. 24. 2. Thes. 2. iij. All the citie is at diuision Math. 10.
ante O. Doctrine of the Apostles 139. Doctrine is tyed to no place 899. Doctrine deuised by the holye ghost must be taught in the church 20. Doctrine of Christ maye be learned out of the Prophets 383. Doctrine of the gospell succeedeth most luckily among the enymies thereof 553. Doctrine of faith is not against good workes 640. Doctrine is the chiefe thyng in the church 280. Doctrine of Paule accused 773. Doctrine of Paule out of the scripture 648. Doctrine Apostolike which is true Pag. 407. Doctrine of truth can neuer bee so wisely modestly preached but the world wyll seke to reprochit 289. Doctrine Apostolike hath Christ hir author 8. Doctrine apostolike whence it springeth 900. Doctrine of Christ whereto it serueth 7. Doctrine of Christ begynning and ende 63. Doctrine is chiefely to bee cared for in the Church 139. Doctrine how Paule vsed it 648. Doctrine taught of the Apostles is true 3. Doctrine of Christ contemned bringeth punishment 547. Doctrines that deface the merite of Christ are pernitious 248. Doctours of the Church called pillers 345. Doctours who be 508. Doctrine Apostolike disturbed by the Professours 407. Doctrine of Christ planteth not licentious lyfe 530. Doinges of mâ—n must be examined after the rule of Gods worde  Domitian a persecutor of the Church kylled by his owne men 300. D ante R. Dronkennesse whereof it beginneth and what euill is in it 92. D ante V. Dutie of christian men in persecutitions 491. Duetie of them whome Christ hath lyghtened 790. Duetie both of Iewes and Gentiles is to seeke the Lorde 601. Duetie of christians what it is 180. Duetie of seruauntes 437. Dust shaken of 557. E. E ante D. EDucation and good bringing vp of children howe profitable it is 617. E ante F. Effect of the Apostles sermon 569. Effect of Gods promisses 846 Effect of Peters sermon 129. Effect of the Apostles counsell 137. Effect of the Apostles doctrine 561. Effect of persecution and banishement 557. Effect of Gods worde in the elect and their duâ—tie 555. E ante L. Election or choosing is from euerlasting 554. Election gratuitie or free the fountayne of all goodnesse 525. Electing of Ministers vnorderlye what hurt it doth 70. Election lawfull getteth Ministers authoritie ibidem Election lawfull confirmeth Ministers in their office ibidem Electing Ministers in the Church asketh heede and dyligence 281. Election is not hyndred through our sinnes 681. Electing must be made openly in the sight of the church 66. Election and Predestination are certaine 687. Election what the ende and marke thereof is 29. Election of Ministers must be vsed as in the primitiue church 68. The elected bee nâ—t free from coÌ„mon calamities 420. The elect acknowledge and receyue the worde of God. 548. The elect easilye knowe the worde of God. 555. The elect what their disposition is Pag. 138. The elect are chosen out of all sortes of men 509. The elect God tryeth diuers wayes and delyuereth them when they looke least for it 805. Electing of Ministers in the Primitiue Church 66. Eloquence a gyft of the holy ghost Pag. 698. Elymas the Sorcerer contendeth with Paule 514. Elimas contention wyth Paule how it ended 517. Enemies of the truth must be boldly reprehended 516. Enemies of the truth what weapons they vse 833. Enemies of the truth what craftes they vse 192.245 Enemies of the Apostles who 191. Enemies of Christ and hys gospell who ibidem Enemies of Christ depriued of all helpe and dignitie 60.61 Christes professed enimies must bee fledde 136. Enemies of Christ howe they shall be punished 59. Enemies of Christ are the persecutors of hys church 393. Enemies of Paule set at debate among themselues by God. 805. Enemies greatest to the truth are Priestes 191.244 Enemies of the truth and of the Ministers who 244. 819. Enemies of the truth are giuen vp into a reprobate sense 287 The attemptes of Christes enemies are vaine 242 The attemptes of the enemies of Christ. 218. Enemies of Christe fight againste God and yet execute his counsell Pag. 218.219 What ende Christes enemies haue in their enterprises 262. Enemies of Christ conspired what their propertie is 268 The enemies of Christes enterprises are folish 251. The enemies of Christes enterprises easely disappointed as appeareth by examples 394 The enemies of the Churches enterprises are nothing but mere conceipte and opinion 856. The enemies of Christ destruction Pag. 59. The craftes of the enemies of the truth 192.245 The enemies of the truthes enterprises defeated and the godly defended Pag. 246. The enemies of the truthes impudencie 833.834 The enemies of the truth how they must be delt with 199. E ante P Ephesus estate and condicion 704. Epicures 26. Epicures opinions 660. Epicurious lyfe shal raigne toward the later tymes 661.662 Epistle of Captaine Lysias and the parts therof 814. E ante R. Errours manifest and knowne must not be denyed 408. Errour of the Apostles what comoditie it hath 25.26 Errour of a carnall kingdome imagined by the Israelites appeareth by scripture to be olde 27. Errours rooted are hard to be pulled vp ibidem E ante S Essenes secte what it was 803. E ante V Euangelists sincere how they may be discerned from false ibidem His Baptisme dilygenly described Pag. 384.387 Eunuch complayneth not of Philips departure 387. Eunuche is zelous although ignoraÌ„t in many things 382.383 E ante X Examples speciall make no rule generall 143. Examples of Auncestours excuse not errours 673. Example of godly persons preserued by the Lord. 233. Excecation and blyndenes of the wicked is incurable 252. Execution or accomplishing the message sent to the Church at Antioch Pag. 610. Execution of Lawes is the lyfe of them 618. Examinacion of Ministers necessary to be had in the church 15 Example of a christian boldnes 90. Example of an effectuouse power working of the holy ghost ibidem Exercise of the Apostles 611. Exhortacions necessary to styrre vp the people 521. Exorcistes or Coniurers in the church Pag. 712. Exorcistes of the Papistes 713. Externe or outwarde religion 640. F ante A FAce of god what is ment by it 120. To be gathered to the fathers what it is 541. Fathers alwaies contemned Moses Pag. 321.366 The vaine braggers in younger and later fathers 164. Fathers neuer obedient to gods commaundements 343. Fathers in the beginning pleased god by fayth onely without the lawe ceremonies 292. Fathers which are to be followed in religion 162. Affiaunce in Fathers beaten downe by Steuen 350 Fathers examples how they are to be followed 292. False Apostles make their hearers vncertain of saluation 606. False Prophets seeke the frendship of great estates 515. False teachers muste bee noted by name and set out in theyr colours Pag. 516.137 Faultes coÌ„mitted by other men cannot excuse vs. 519 False witnesses brought againste Steuen 287 False teachers and their societie must be auoyded 137. False Apostles are nicked 606. False prophets seke nothing but how to turne men from the fayth 137. Fame of those the
Iudges must follow the goodnes bountifulnes of god 234.235 Iudges what their dutie is 851 Rashe Iudgements ende 645 Iuliane the Apostata forsaketh the fayth 301 Iuliane hys last wordes 218 Iulius Maximinus and hys sonne raging agaynst the Churche were destroyed of their souldiours by the iust iudgement of god 300.301 Iustification of man through fayth in Iesus Christ proued by notable examples in the Actes of the Apostles 3 Iustification of fayth taught by the Prophetes 459 Iustifications order 463 Iustifications reason 595 Iustification attributed to woorkes is a greeuous offence 596 Iustice and temperance are fruites of fayth 829 Iustice of man can not stande in the Iudgement seate of god 801 Iustice commeth not of merites of workes but of fayth as Steuen teacheth through out his oracion 298 K ante Y Kyngs that are proude ambitiouse ruled manye tymes by their bondemen 504 Kyngdome of Christ eternall and inuincible 381 Kyngedome of Christe is not of the earth 24 Kyngdome of Christ by preaching of the gospell spred in all places 3 Kyngdom of Christ spred to the borders aboute Iurie and howe it mikht further be spred 242 Kyngdome of Christ what it is 126 Kyngdome of Christe is spirituall Pag. 30 Kyngedome of Christe enlarged by preaching ibidem Kyngdome of god 710 Kyngdome of god by his appointement â—aryed to the Gentyles 509. and 510 Kyngdome of god declared and for what cause 14 Kyngdom of god preached by Paule Pag. 916 Kyngdome of god when it should be preached ibid. Kyngdome of christ and of his word howe they differ 381 Kyngdome of Christes beginninge successe and increase in thys world Pag. 2 Kyngdome of Christes power maiestie 126 Kyngdome of Christes enlargement Pag. 506 Kingdome of Christe is peaceable Pag. 98 Kingdome of Christ bounded by the Prophetes 32 Kingdome of God comprehendeth in it our saluation and redemption Pag. 13 Kingdome of the Iewes conferred vpon Dauid 528 Kingdome of Christes estate 30 Of Goddes Kingdome and heauenly glory howe we are made partakers 286 L ante A LAbourers that are faythful must be holpen Pag. 579 Last dayes estate what it shall bee 174 Last daye searchers 29 Last dayes feare and remembraunce what it causeth 174.175 Laste daye Deriders and Iesters Pag. 100 Later dayes troublesome estate 98 Lawes ceremoniall not necessary too saluation 293 Lawfull defence permitted to the godly 644 Lawe leadeth vs by the hande vnto Christ. 75.76 Lawe cannot iustifie 544 Law gyuen for them that came after also 335 Lawe wherein it is abrogated Pag. 334 Lawe howe it was published ibid. Lawe is a mirroure or glasse 544 Lawe sheweth vs the true way to attayne vnto lyfe 334 Lawe howe it is called the lyuely woorde ibid. Lawes preuayle not onles they bee executed 618 Lawe and ceremonies vse and ende Pag. 292 Lawe in Christ is ended 76 Lawe begonne in the daye of Pentecost ibid. Lawe can not truly bee vnderstanded but by the Spirit of Chryst. Pag. ibid. Lawe wherto it serueth 545 Lawes publike are profitable to bee kepte 797 Lawes auctoritie wherein it dependeth ibid. L ante E Leuitie or gentlenes of God excuseth not our sinne 525 Leuitie or lightnes in religion muste be auoyded 789 Leâ—ites or Priestes offended wyth Christ. 227 Leuitie of commones may bee seene in the Samaritanes 362.363 L ante I Liberalitie to the poore commended Pag. 144 Liberalitie in releeuing the poore Pag. 224 Liberalitie is a commendable thinge Pag. 760 Liberalities examples 154 Liberalitie of God. 155 Libertie and free speeche in reprehending of sinnes 110 Libertie abused what hurt it procureth to the people 816 Libertie who can vse best 426 Libertie of Christ muste bee kept inuiolable 602 Libertines Colledge the greatest enemies of Steuen 286 Lightes whereto they serued in the Church 734 Lighte gyuen vs in Chryst. 553 Lighte shyneth where Peter is in prison 494 Licinius Ualerianus a persecutoure of Christes Church taken by Sapores king of the Persians is fain to serue for a footeblocke for Sapores to gette on horse backe by Pag. 301 L ante O Long sufferance of God exemplified Pag. 234 Looking in what the woord conteyneth in it 219 Lottery of twoo kyndes 71 Lot is a part or porcion 70 Lottes are in subiection to Gods prouidence 72 Lottes which bee lawfull and which not 71.72 Lotterye vnlawefull and who abuse lawfull lottes ibid. Lottes are an auncient vsage 72 Lottes vsed in diuidinge of inheritaunce ibidem Lottes Matthias is choosen by Pag. 71 Lottes lawfull to vse 72 L ante V Lucius septimus Seuerus persecuting the Church was kylled in his flourishing estate 300 Lucre sought in religion is not allowed of God. 720 Luke inspired of the holy ghost writeth the story of the gospel diligeÌ„tly Pag. 2 Luke wrate of all thinges in what sence 5.6 L ante Y Lyfe of man lyke a Pylgrimage Pag. 299 Lyfe eternall 119 Lyfe eternall estate moost happye Pag. ibid. Lyfe of manne of what estate condicion it is 871 Lydia is an example of true conuersion 624 Lydia causeth hir houshoâ—d to be baptised 626 Lydia howe and after what manner shee was conuerted 625 Lystra dwellers how they were affected at Paules myracle 890 M ante A MAgistrates muste beware of brybes Pag. 831 Magistrates offended at the Apostles 556 Magistrates by the sworde muste keepe vnder blasphemers deceyuers and false teachers 233 Magistrates duetie too enquire oute matters diligently 848 Magistrates must be carefull for the fayth and for religion 849 Magistrates wycked 643 Magistrates must bee diligent in the defence of God. 816 Magistrates must do no euill for fauour of men 835 Magistrates must not hasten iudgement for mens fauour 828 Magistrates muste not be defrauded of their honour 119 Magistrates dutie 32 Magistrate must ayde the godly requiring it 812 Magistrates opprssinge innocentes howe they muste bee punished Pag. 801 Magistrates muste bee instructed with the power of the holy ghoste Pag. 20 Magistrates howe farre they muste bee obeyed 274 Magistrate curteouse is a beautifying of his office 816 Magistrates auctoritie howe it is preserued 801 Magistrates wicked their manners Pag. 799 Magistrates must heare causes with diligence 821 Magistrates inferioure muste bee simplye obeyed without lookynge for further aucthoritie of Superioâ—r 426 Maiestie and truthe of Chrystes Kingdome declared in the story of the Apostles 2 Malta is the place where the Knights of Saint Iohns order keepe their residence 887 Malta people are an example of hospitalitie ibidem Malta men an Example of humanitie 888 Malta menne take Paule for a god Pag. 889 Malta mennes kyndnes 892 Mannes ende teacheth vs the woorshipping of one God. 671 Mannes nature and condicion as he is naturall 396 Manne goyng about to deceyue vs vnder pretence of Religion howe wâ—e muste iudge and esteeme him Pag. 229 Manne what hee oweth vnto God. Pag. 2â—0 Manne how hee must prepare himselfe to receyue the Holy Ghoste Pag. 77 Manne how hee is called the vessell and instrument of God. 399 Mannes enterprises wee muste not passe
none at all or at leastwise might seeme obscure and vncertaine Beside this there is one other thing very profitable and necessary to be knowne that is to say what maner of countinaunce the Primatiue Church had which was founded by the Apostles according to the which the Church in all ages ought to be refourmed when any errors or abuses shall happen Touching which thing as all men dispute therof in these daies so shall a man finde very fewe which wil take the straight way opened by the Apostles to amende the same Wherby it commeth to passe that we put newe errors in the place of olde driue away olde superstitions with new as pieuish noysome as the olde Whereas if we would obserue the thinges written by Luke wee should haue a certaine an infallible rule aswell of doctrine as ceremonies which the Apostles left vnto the church They taught one Iesus Christ to be the onely Auctor of our saluation and that men which by nature are sinners and in daunger of damnation are by no other meanes iustified saued than by faith in Iesus Christ. Yea this booke aboundeth with most notable examples wherewith the principall and chiefe article of our christian fayth as I sayd eare whyle is warranted and confirmed against all the cauillations of Sophisters and Phariseis For what other did euer the Apostles require of the vncleane Gentiles and straungers from the common weale of the people of God but to leaue their olde superstition and to beleeue in Christ Did they not preache saluation and forgiuenesse of sinnes to them turning from their open ydolatrie Did they not most stoutely stande against those blinde Bayardes which would burthen the Gentiles with the woorks of the lawe as though Christ had not beene of power to saue but those which prepared themselues to him by the deedes of the Lawe Wherfore if the faith in Iesus Christ was once sufficient for the Gentiles and they not to be charged with the workes and ceremonies of the lawe published by God I pray you what shall let why the same faith and beliefe shal not suffise vs in these daies Or shall we say that the traditions of men are more profitable and necessary to the attaynement of Iustification and saluation than they which God once ordayned to remayne till the time of correction As touching ceremonies outwarde rytes the Apostles thought it vnlawfull to charge the Churches with any thing vpon their priuate authoritie Baptisme the order wherof they receyued of Christ the Lorde they haue most sincerely deliuered The vse and maner of the Lordes Supper as Christ did institute it they thought good to retayne In other matters of the Church this was their chiefe care to haue a Discipline wherewith Christ woulde the naughtye disposed to be kept vnder and that the poore shoulde be honestly prouided for whose case and condicion the Lorde did vouchsafe so earnestlye to commende vnto vs The thinges which besides these now a dayes vnder the name of the Apostles and Canons of the Apostles are obtruded wee can not acknowledge for Apostolyke neyther can any good man blame vs therefore forasmuch as Luke maketh no mention of them whose diligence and labour the holy Ghost thought good to vse in writing the Sermons and Actes of the Apostles Surely I will neuer thinke the holye Ghost eyther so vnwyse as to take a negligent wryter of so high matters or else so forgetfull as to let passe any of those things the knowledge and obseruation whereof was so necessarie in hys Church I would speake of euery thing more at large but that they recourse in the treatise of the Hystorie where they will be more commodiously handled Let it suffise for this time to haue shewed the great vtilitie of this booke in that it ministreth to vs a true and an infallible rule of reforming the Church which except they obserue which will be called and counted reformers they may well reioyce in their reformations in the iudgement of the fleshe but they shall neuer giue vs Churches that any man but meanely trayned in the holy Scriptures shall acknowledge in all pointes for sincere and true Apostolike Churches Howbeit this booke sheweth vs not only a forme paterne of the Church of Christ but also it plainely teacheth vs what the state and condicion of the Church is here in earth which to know is both profitable and necessarie aswell for doctrine and information as also for the comfort that thereby commeth vnto vs For we shal see the Apostles in euery part of the world finde it true that Christ foreshewed touching their Crosse and afflictions For God would not so worke by them as that the things both supersticiously and wickedly maintayned in the worlde till that daye shoulde yeelde of their owne accorde to their preaching but he would invre them with labours and contentions And in euery place there were founde that woulde withstande theyr doctrine and those not of the rascall and common sorte but they which for their learning and godlynesse the worlde woondered at such as were the Scribes and Priestes amongst the Iewes and the Philosophers of the Gentyles Neyther was the matter decyded wyth wordes For so great was the authoritie of the enimies of the truth that the Magistrates tooke their partes so that they were fayne to pleade their cause before them and to contrarie their commaundements with hazarde of their lyfe Thus being banished their natiue Countrie they felt the smart of exyle they were in perill by sea and lande they laye bounde in Prisons euerye man hated them and rayled vpon them and finallye they ended their charge of preaching the Gospell with their death and bloudsheading These thinges if wee consider wee shall perceyue what we haue to hope for nowe a dayes neyther shall wee be offended eyther wyth the authoritie or power of men striuing against the Gospell wyth such rage and furie as they did And on the other side the loyaltie and truth of Christ shall marueylously comforte vs whom the Apostles founde so true in his promyses For he promised the ayde of his holy Spirite present counsell in aduersitie and his safegard and defence against all men All which he so perfourmed that they hauing the vpper hande despite of the world and Prince therof obtained their purpose and were able with good successe to perfourme their vocation Let no man therefore feare the threates of tyraunts in these daies let no man be afrayde of Sathans enterpryses let no man be abasshed at the stormes tempestes of this worlde For Christ liueth still and the truth of his promyses is infallible which as they once were made to his Apostles euen so they are continued to all men which beleeue in Christ according to their doctrine And surely if there were no other vtilitie of this booke but this one there is no man but seeth how necessary the knowledge therof is in these dayes where wee see euery where such
horrible attemptes against the Church of Christ and such vnhappy disturbances and troubles in the same Yet besides all these the examples whereof this Hystorie is full bringeth vs no small fruit of learning and godlynesse For in this stage as it were of the Church may wee see the Apostles and Apostolike persons by whose example all the ministers of Christes Church may learne with what trust and prudencie they ought to handle Christs cause with what constancie and truth they may defende the same with what puritie of maners they shoulde leade others and with what courage and pacience they should vanquish all aduersitie Here are set forth Magistrates both good and bad by whose counsel and doings they that be in office may take a president of their gouernment Here want examples neyther of riche nor poore Here haue men of whome they may learne and here are remembred the notable deedes of certaine women of whom all womanhood may take an example to lyue by To be briefe there is no degree or state eyther of the laytie or spiritualtie but this booke instructeth it with many peculyer presidents And although it be but little which I haue spoken in commendation thereof yet I suppose it appeareth therby that God ment to enriche his Church with a singular iewell and treasure whan it liked him by the mynisterie of Luke to haue the storie of the Apostles and primitiue Church to be written It behooueth vs to acknowledge his goodnesse and to follow the diligence of the holy Ghost in searching for the thinges comprysed in this holy writing which Luke beginneth with these woordes In the former treatise deare THEOPHILVS we haue spoken of all that IESVS began to doe and teach c. Before hee entreth into the discourse of the Actes of the Apostles he rehearseth the thinges that Christ did with his Apostles a little before his Ascention He vseth a little short and plaine Preface in the which as it were by rehearsall of thinges done before hee continueth and ioyneth this booke with his first entituled the Gospell of Iesu Christ written by Luke and therwithal sheweth what he purposeth in thys his other booke For the sense of hys woordes seemeth to be this In the first booke I spake of all those thinges which Iesus Christ the Sonne of God did here on earth for our sakes but now in this I am purposed to discourse of the thinges which he would haue done by the mynistery of the Apostles after hys departure in body out of the worlde And he doth dedicate his booke to one Theophilus whom most men do thinke to haue bene some speciall friend of Lukes and singular in the fayth In deede the addition which he putteth to hys name in the Preface of his Gospell calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is most noble or excellent is vsed chiefely to great men in authoritie And afterwarde wee shall heare how he attributeth the same to Festus and Foelix presidents of Iurie He was therefore some godly man of authoritie such as God vseth alwayes to appoint in hys Church to succour and ayde the same beyng in strife and contention And yet no man may hereof gather that the same booke appertaineth not aswell to vs all But rather let all men endeuour to shew themselues to be Theophili that is to saye louers of God and thinke that Luke speaketh no lesse vnto them than to this auncient Theophilus And truly as many as beleeue in Christ being reconciled by him vnto God loue him with all theyr harte and powers But touchyng this opinion it mattereth not much since it is playne ynough that all the doctrine both of the olde and newe Testament appertayneth chiefely to all them that loue God so that thereout they may haue both learnyng and comforte It shall be profitable to examine these fewe woordes of the Euaungelist somewhat more diligently And first is to be considered how he professeth to write of all the thinges For Luke may seeme to repugne with Iohn which about the ende of the Gospell written by him saith There be also many other things which IESVS did which if they shoulde be wrytten euery one I suppose that all the worlde coulde not contayne the Bookes that should be written But these places may be easily reconciled For Luke saith not he hath written euery thing perticularly but he testifieth that he hath spoken of all things necessary to be knowē for the attaynement of our saluation and which may instruct vs with sufficient knowledge of Iesus christ For albeit the Euaungelistes rehearse not all the doings and sayinges of Christ yet is Christ neuerthelesse to be beleeued neither was it needefull they should declare all things For it is euident that Christ which is the selfe truth gainesayth not him selfe in anye place but he obserueth one ende in all his sayinges It is manifest that all his doings tende to one marke and purpose Wherefore though the Apostles had let passe none of them all yet should we haue knowne none other Christ nor learned any other fayth than that wee haue learned by the writinges extant This doth Iohn witnesse when he saith Many other signes truely dyd IESVS in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Booke These are wrytten that yee might beleeue that IESVS is Christ the Sonne of GOD and that in beleeuing yee might haue lyfe thorough his name IOHN witnesseth that wee attayne vnto life through beliefe in christ And forasmuch as this beliefe may fully be learned and perceyued by the thinges written of Christ I thinke no man but he that is past shame can denie but that all thinges concerning the perfect doctrine of our saluation and Christian fayth is comprehended in the writings of the Euaungelistes Therefore Luke in these woordes reprooueth the impudent arrogancye of the Sophisters of these dayes who being tried and conuict to haue thrust many thinges into the Church without authoritie of holy Scripture would fayne slippe away with this slye shift saying that all the thinges necessarie for vs to beleeue and obserue are not contayned in the Scripture Which if wee graunt then must wee confesse that eyther the Apostles Prophetes haue not taught vs the faith in Christ perfectly or that this faith is not sufficient to saluation neither of which is tollerable for Christian eares Furthermore Luke comprehendeth all Christes office and ministery here on earth in two woordes that is to say in Woorkes and Doctrine Wee will not here speake of the dutie of a teacher of whome it is well sayde that hee should teach the people with good example For the Euaungelist meaneth not in this place to describe the properties of a teacher but to propose and set forth such thinges as are to be considered of Christ. And he giueth Woorkes the first place whereby he meaneth not myracles onely but whatsoeuer thinges else hee did for our saluation as Kinge and priest For the Scripture
teacheth vs in euery place that hee is gyuen to vs a King and a Priest but chieflye Dauid So as he was King he gaue vs Lawes of lyfe euerlasting and made his expedition as it were into this worlde to fight against Sathan the common enimie of mankinde ouercame him and set vs at libertie which were tyed fast in the chaines of our sinne Furthermore of his liberalitie more than royall he abundantly enriched all that beleeue in him with the treasures of the kingdome of Heauen Moreouer by his Priesthood he taught vs he prayed for vs and for al them which hanged him on the Crosse and he offred his body bloud which he tooke of vs to be a sufficient sacrifice and acceptable to God for our sinnes Hereunto serued the myracles by the which he thought to bring men to the obedience of faith and to teache the simple thereby how to know him The other place he assigneth for Doctrine wherin the reason of all the things done by Christ is declared In the meane season we must not thinke Luke in vaine to haue ioyned Workes and Doctrine togyther comprehending in these twoo woordes all that concerneth christ For he teacheth that in the consideration of Christ these twoo must needes be ioyned togither For except wee consider hys doctrine with hys woorkes they shall no more auayle vs to the knowledge of saluation than the thinges done by any other liuyng a thousand fiue hundred yeares past and more But if we consider his doctrine we shall vnderstand that all these thinges were wrought for our sakes that saluation might happen to vs through the benefite of Christ our Redeemer Also the consideration of hys woorkes shall bring credite and authoritie to his doctrine forasmuch as they beare most manifest witnesse of hys diuine power and Godhead as Christ him selfe teacheth saying the woorkes which the Father hath giuen mee to finishe the same woorkes that I doe beare witnesse of mee that the Father hath sent mee And againe If I doe not the woorkes of my Father beleeue me not but if I doe them and if you beleeue not mee beleeue the woorkes that yee may know and beleeue that the Father is in mee and I in him With these woordes are the counterfait Christians of this worlde impeached who beleeue all the workes of Christ and furnished with an Hystoricall faith vse to praise all the things that euer he did or suffered but when it commeth to the poynt to beleeue in one Christ and the saluation obtayned by his onely merite then as though they had forgotten theyr former fayth they turne an other way and seeke infinite meanes besides Christ to attayne to saluation by These men doe as they which being allured with the testimonye of common reporte of friendship or familiarity greatly extoll the Science of Phisicke but when they fall sicke refuse to vse the same thereby plainely declaring that they distrust both the Arte and knowledge of Phisicke Euen so that which these men confesse of Christ with theyr mouth they denie in deede The cause of this hurtfull wauering is none other but this for that they consider Christes bare woorkes whereby they are mooued somewhat to marueyle at them but that marueyle endureth not forasmuch as it wanteth the proppe of doctrine and is ignorant of the ende of them Whereas if they would heare Christes teaching they should perceyue that these myracles were wrought and described to the intent that in him onely wee should repose all hope of our saluation For this is his saying I am the waye the light and the truth No man commeth to the Father but through mee Whosoeuer drinketh of this elementall water drawne by his owne strength shall thirst againe But whosoeuer shall drinke of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are laden and I shall refreshe you Furthermore it is to be considered that Luke maketh Christes ascention the very ende and bounde of the story of the Gospell For he saith that he hath spoken in the first Booke of all the things that Christ both did and sayde vntill the same daye that he was taken vp into Heauen after he had giuen commaundements to his Apostles whom he had chosen Hereby we gather that Christ by his glorious ascention into Heauen hath perfourmed all the poyntes of our redemption and saluation For wee haue shewed before that in the Gospell is perfectly contayned the thinges which concerne our saluation Bicause therefore the Ascention of Christ is placed last it is certaine that it was the last ende of all the thinges necessarye to our saluation This if wee holde it shall appeare as cleare as may be that wee henceforth neede no more bodily presence of Christ in the earth For what should he doe in earth which longe since hath faithfully and fully perfourmed the things he had here to doe Wee haue neede of the Spirite the Grace the Meryte the Doctrine the Counsell and protection of Christ which he neuer withholdeth from his and after this sorte as he promised He is with them vntill the ende of the worlde He him selfe also forbiddeth vs to beleeue them which shall say hee is any where corporallye present But bicause wee haue a more commodious place to speake of these thinges a little after where the Hystorie of the Ascention is handled let these fewe woordes suffice for this present This is now to be obserued that Christ would not leaue the earth before he had giuen commaundementes to his Apostles For I vnderstande not this place of that one commaundement where he badde they should not departe from Hierusalem till they had receiued the promised holy Ghost but Luke seemeth to speake vniuersally of all the thinges which Christ meant to admonish his Apostles of and chiefly those which concerned the office of their Apostleship of the which a little after followeth more to be saide This is very comfortable that Christ although absent in his body ceaseth not yet to care and prouide for his Church For here he fulfilleth the dutie of a good and faithfull Householder which goyng into the countrie committeth the charge of his familie to his trusty friendes and in the meane season telleth eche of his housholde what they shall doe while he is absent Euen so Christ ascending into Heauen commended the care of his Church to his Apostles whom he testifieth in the Gospell to take as his friendes He instructeth them with commaundements least they through rashnesse or vnfaithfulnesse should offende The Parables in the .xxiiij. and .xxv. of Mathew make for the exposition of this place Let no man therefore thinke that he is in such daunger of Tyraunts and deceyuers that he is left destitute of the ayde of Christ and so lieth open to theyr pleasure crueltie For he that hath redeemed his sheepe with the pryce of his owne bloud and gaue such charge of them
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
vs plainely that we must of dutie repent and yet that al desert of iustification is to be had in Christ only Therfore whosoeuer maketh no mention of Christ in teaching of repentance offendeth against the example of Peter And so be they cause to the ignorant to establish their owne righteousnesse wherin they can finde no certaintie nor soundnesse Next he speaketh of outward baptisme which he commaundeth them to receiue for forgiuenesse of sinnes Which wordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though outwarde baptisme washed vs from sinne For it is euident that wee be clensed from all our sinnes by the bloude of Iesus Christ. This is attributed to baptisme bicause it sealeth in vs the benefite of purification which is gotten vs by the bloude of christ Which thing we may see in Circumcision For where Abraham was iustified by faith he receyued Circumcision as a signe of the righteousnesse of fayth So they which are conteyned within the Testament of Christ and be therefore iustifyed receyue baptisme for remission of sinnes that is to saye the righteousnesse of God which he hath giuen vs in Christ is sealed in them by baptisme Wherefore Peter by this maner of speach assureth them of their saluation and comforteth them by an argument deduced or taken of the ende of baptisme In the meane season bicause we be taken into the Church of God by baptisme and are become professors of Christ as people which vnder his conduct must fight agaynst this worlde and the Prince thereof Peter requireth further of them a free and an open confession of their fayth in christ For Christ will haue no such worshippers as shall be ashamed of him Howbeit the Iewes did openlye denye Christ before Pylate whyle they cried they had no King or Messias beside Caesar. Wherfore it was necessary that they shoulde as freely confesse Christ least they might be iudged stil to be of the number of the false runnagates This could be done no way more commodiously than by baptisme which Christ woulde haue administred to the ende to get and bring him disciples as may be read Math. 28. Nowe if a man will compare the things togither which haue hitherto bene sayde it will appeare after what order Peter taught the way of iustification and saluation He began with rebuking of sinne as we haue hard before Then when he saw them pricked and contrite in hart he requireth them to repent by this meanes bringing them to some hope of grace and fauour Then againe least they should trust in the workes of penance and leane vppon their owne righteousnesse he sendeth them to the name of Christ and to his merytes At length he commaundeth them to professe Christ openly and to ioyne themselues to his Church This order of teaching we see the Apostles euerye where obserued which they had learned of Christ their maister as no man can deny For thus he sayd a little afore his departure from hence It is necessary that repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes shoulde be preached to all Nations in my name Go ye therefore into all the worlde preach the Gospell to all creatures and bring me disciples from out all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost Which things if a man compare with auriculer confession satisfactions merites pardons yeremindes purgatory and infinite such like exacted of those that should doe penance he shall finde they are farre wyde a sunder Furthermore bicause Peter had to doe with them which felt themselues guiltie of such an heynous wickednesse as had not bene seene the lyke he comforteth them with a double promise as is the maner of the Gospell for feare they should be swallowed vp of desperation First you shall receyue sayth he the gift of the holy ghost He seemeth to speake of a peculiar gift of the spirite such as in the time of the primitiue Church the beleuers were endued with either to speak with diuers tonges or else to be notable in other myracles as hereafter in the eight Chapter it shall appeare more plainely For it behooued to haue the ministerye of the Apostles adorned with some singular giftes to th ende men might the more easily be woonne vnto christ And although these gifts in these dayes for the most part be ceased yet there remayne other more necessary effects of the spirite through whose operation the beleeuing are regenerated mortified renued assured of their saluation emboldened and confirmed in perils so that they dare stoutly without any feare stand to the confession of the name of christ For it is the spirit of adoption which vseth to worke al these things in the children of God that they haue neede of in this world This promise was able singularlye to comfort them whose consciences were afrayde by reason of sinne For howe coulde they doubt to haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes which heard they should haue the same spirit that the Apostles had In the meane season this promise serueth also for our instruction For it teacheth vs that true beleeuers and Christians cannot vtterly be destitute of the giftes of the holye ghost There are diuers operations and diuers gifts of the spirite as Paule sayth and we see that some excell other some therein But there is not the meanest of them all that is vtterly voyde of the spirit bicause they be not the members of Christ which haue not the spirite of Christ. Therefore â—aine is the profession of Christ except we shewe and declare that we be quickened and gouerned by the spirite of Christ which thing caused the Apostle to saye that fayth is knowne by workes and Christ commaundeth vs to followe his father in our doings Secondly he alledgeth an auncient promise To you sayth he was the promise made and to your children and to all that be a farre of euen as many as the Lord our God shall call These things are to be vnderstanded of the couenant promises which were made in the olde Testament the summe wherof may be seene Genes 17. yet doth Peter extend the same promises to those that are a farre of that is to the Gentiles which as yet were straungers and alienes from the societie of the people of God bicause he woulde the easilier induce and perswade them For they which were borne of Abraham coulde doubt no longer of Gods goodnesse seeing they hearde the same extended also vnto the Gentiles These things teache vs to what vse Gods promises serue verily to confirme our wauering fayth in temptations and all other aduersities But before we make an ende of our sermon two things in these wordes are to be noted First he sayth the promises appertayne not to the fathers only but also to the children The wordes of the couenant teache vs the same where the Lorde sayth thus I will make my bonde betweene mee and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations
hande and lift him vp Then he giueth him perfite health of body which power he had receyued togither with the other Apostles of christ And he so giueth the same that it may appeare to all men that he doth it not by his owne power but that Christ is the author thereof by whose commaundement power and operation all the myracle was wrought Of the which thing afterwarde he discourseth further before the people Also many things concurre and fall out that make for the veritie and setting forth of the myracle For Peter taketh the lame man by the hande and lifteth him vp And by and by his anclebones and feete receyue strength so that he hath not much adoe to rise as they whose limmes are weakened with long sickenesse but starteth vp and leapeth And it was no sodeyne moouing or pang onely for a season such as theirs is who are phrenetike or haunted with some spirite but he standeth steadily on his feete and walketh vp and downe Besides he goeth into the Church with the Apostles springing and leaping and declaring the benefite of god Therefore this lame man was so healed that there remayned no signe of his former infirmitie and disease For Gods workes be perfite and there is in them no poynt of craft fraude or deceit But before we conclude our sermon we must speake of two things seruing to the institution of our fayth The first is a figure of our spirituall restitution which the holy ghost thought good to set forth by this myracle For touching the soule we be all in like case as is this lame man He tooke his sicknesse euen from his natiuity which bereft him of the vse of al his limmes So we be borne sinners from our mothers wombe and such is the force of the sinne that naturally from Adam our father hath ouerflowne all his posteritie that it hath left in vs no power whereby to fulfill the lawe of God and to doe such things as belong to our saluation For the lawe of God is spirituall but we be carnall solde vnder sinne Then as the mercifull Lorde by his goodnesse preuented this lame man being without all hope of helth so God first sought for and called our first father which being feared with his sinne fledde from the sight of God and comforted him with the free promise of saluation And as the lame man is healed by the name of Iesus Christ which Peter preached vnto him and taking him by the hande lifteth him vp so through the merite of Christ haue we gotten saluation and the preaching of the Gospell offreth vs the same which when we haue receyued through fayth straightwayes we feele Christes spirite effectually working in vs which giueth vs the hande lifteth vs vp and maketh vs strong to ouercome the tiranny of sinne and to be able to walk in the wayes of the lord For it is his work to regenerate to enflame with loue of heauenly things to stirre vp affiance of saluation to certifie and make men sure of their adoâ—tion and to teach them to crye Abba father Besides he lightneth our mindes with the knowledge of God and his will he leadeth them into all truth and comforteth them in all aduersitie Therefore by his operation it commeth to passe that we which before were weake and lame are now able to do all things in Christ which comforteth vs. And although the propertie of the fleshe remayneth which maketh vs sometime to slippe and inuegleth vs with diuers temptations yet alwayes Christes spirite ouercommeth and suffreth vs not to be tempted aboue our strength For it is a perfite health which is gotten vs in Christ which can be disturbed with no endeuour of the worlde or Prince thereof Secondly the restored to health are taught their duties by example of this lame man He as soone as he hearde that health was promised him in the name of Christ and was lift vp by Peters hande he springeth by and by So after that by preaching of the Gospell we haue health offred vs in Christ and perceyue our selues to be quickened and stirred with the suggestion of the holy spirite let vs rise by and by out of the puddle of sinne and embrace the benefite of Christ with cheerefull minde For they can lyue no longer in sinne whome the merite of Christ hath deliuered from the bondage of sinne as Paule teacheth at large Afterwarde he goeth with the Apostles into the Temple Nowe it is plaine the Temple was a figure of christ Let vs therefore ioyne our selfe vnto him and follow the Apostles which shewe vs the waye howe we may be ioyned to Christ and to his Church And into the Church of Christ can we not be receyued vnlesse we first forsake the tentes of Satan vnder whom it becommeth them to refuse to fight which desire to be Christ his souldiers Besides all this it is sayd that he reioyced and praysed god Let vs also reioyce in the Lord and let vs prayse his goodnesse which it becommeth vs plainly to confesse and to set forth For they are in vaine redeemed and deliuered who are ashamed of Christ their Redeemer and of the benefite by him obtayned Therfore he requireth of vs euery where confession of our fayth and hath dedicated a remembraunce of his death in his mysticall supper which he would haue alwayes to continue in his Church It behooueth vs therfore to labour for these things that being truely graft in Christ and quickened with his spirite we may reigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The .xxj. Homelie AND all the people sawe him walke and prayse god And they knewe that it was he that sate and begged at the beautifull gate of the Temple And they woondred and were sore astonied at that which had happened vnto him And as the halte which was healed helde Peter and Iohn all the people ranne amazed to them in the porche that is called Salomons When Peter sawe that he aunswered to the people Ye men of Israell why marueyle ye at this or why looke you so on vs as though by our owne power and strength we had made this man to goe LVKE hath expounded the notable myracle whereby Peter healed the man that was halt from his mothers wombe The ende of this myracle was the same that is of all others that is that it shoulde serue to confirme the Apostles doctrine Wherefore the Euangelist not contented to haue tolde the hystorie hereof onely declared also what successe and effect followed of the same And first he sheweth how the lame man tooke the benefite of Christ who sayth he ioyned himselfe vnto the Apostles went with them into the Church and openlye set forth the prayses of god By this example is shadowed vnto vs what they ought to doe whome Christ hath restored againe through the vertue of his merite They must embrace the Apostles doctrine and thereby be openly ioyned to the
was the author of this myracle and to shew all the vse therof Yet first he preacheth the resurrection of Christ both for that the reason of our saluation purchased by Christ consisteth in it and also for that it commodiously doth away the offence or slaunder of the crosse You sayth he killed the authour of lyfe but God hath raysed him from death whereof wee are witnesses It was needefull that these things shoulde be ioyned to the premisses least anye man might thinke the wicked had ouer much power permitted them For these things teach that their crueltie and iniquitie coulde derogate nothing from Christ as who being raysed from death doth nowe liue and raigne in heauen Herof we may take a generall comfort For as the crueltie and tirannie of the Iewes could nothing hinder or let Christ so whosoeuer doth imitate the Iewes impietie and tirannie cannot hurt the members of christ In deede the Princes of the worlde ioyne togither and desire to ouerthrowe the kingdome of christ But the Lord from high laugheth at their deuises whose counsayle shall stande for euer Looke the Psalmes .ij. and .xxxiij. Let no man therefore be afrayde of men who though they rage neuer so much haue no power but on our goods and body which otherwise is mortall and shall perishe Yea neyther haue they power theron farther than God permitteth who hath all the heares of our heade numbred But the soule being out of all daunger and hazarde trusteth in Christ hir redeemer and shall neuer be deceyued of hir hope But let vs see how Peter setteth forth the order of the myracle His name through the faith of his name hath made this man whole whome you see and knowe It seemeth a darke kinde of speache except a man marke the order of the wordes And it deceyueth manye bicause they thinke nomen this worde name is put in the accusatiue case whereas all the order of construction plainly prooueth it to be the nominatiue Thus must it be set in order and construed The name of Iesus Christ hath strengthned and made whole this man whome ye see present and that through the beliefe which hee hath in the name of Christ. And for the more playne vnderstanding he addeth by waye of exposition The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health in the presence of you all The sense of all togither is that Iesus Christ through his name that is by his vertue power and merite hath giuen helth and safetie to this lame man bicause he hath beleeued in him He repeateth the name of Christ and faith of Christ the oftner to the intent the glory of Christ might seeme the greater in setting forth whereof the Apostles thought they had neuer done ynough as appeareth euerye where in their writings and sermons These wordes surely are not lightlye to be passed ouer For where we sayde that in this lame man was set forth to vs a figure of all mankinde in the healing of him we may beholde all the order of our saluation Here therefore is declared who is the true author of our saluation then the meane whereby we receyue saluation and the ende wherevnto all these things serue and tende As concerning the author of saluation Peter alleageth the name of Iesus Christ whome a little before he called the author and Lorde of life That this worde name is taken for power rule or merite it is more euident than needeth with many wordes to be declared And where at first he excluded all power and holynesse of men from this businesse and nowe maketh mention of Christ onely by whose meane and power all this matter is brought to passe it easily appeareth that the origen and beginning of our saluation is to be referred to Christ only For by his merite we are deliuered from sinne and redeemed from death and the tirannie of the deuill And himselfe in the Prophete testifyeth there is none other redeemer but he only But we shall haue occasion to speake more hereof in the fourth Chapter where Peter testifieth there is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man by the which he may be saued c. Howbeit it is not ynoughe to knowe that all saluation is contayned in Christ vnlesse we vnderstande howe to attaine and take holde of the saluation in him But Peter sheweth that also where he sayeth this man was made sounde and whole by faith that is bicause of his fayth in the name of Iesus Christ. Againe The faith which is by him hath giuen to him this health Therefore we take holde of saluation by faith and beside fayth there is nothing in vs whereby to take holde of it bicause wee bee graffed in Christe none other waye than by fayth Hee that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in mee and I in him For where he is departed from vs in bodye and dwelleth in vs by his Spirite and liueth and reygneth in vs by his Spirite it is onelye a worke of fayth whereby we apprehende him and the saluation in him For the which cause oftentimes fayth is sayd to saue and to iustifie So Christ sayth to the woman which was sicke of the bloudy fluxe Thy fayth hath made thee whole And he promiseth saluation to Marie Magdalen by the same wordes Christ onely in deede saueth and iustifyeth For in him is life and he is made vnto vs of God the father wisedome righteousnesse satisfaction sanctification and redemption But bicause faith grafteth vs in Christ and maketh vs partakers of the goodnesse that is in him therfore saluation and iustification is not without a cause attributed thereto Marke now the definition of faith which Peter compriseth in these wordes where he sayth The fayth of hys name and the fayth that is by him For by these wordes he declareth that he speaketh of such a faith as stayeth vpon Christ and which acknowledgeth and beleeueth Christ to be such an one as he is described in name to be The name of the sonne of God incarnate is Iesus Christ. He receyued the name of IESVS of the Aungell before he was borne but in his Circumcision he tooke it againe after the solemne vsage of the people of Iewes which signifyeth a sauiour or Redeemer as sayeth the Aungell Thou shalt call his name IESVS for he shall saue his people from their sinnes This worde Christ with the Latines is asmuch to saye as annoynted and signifyeth the maner of our saluation and redemption For Kings and Priests in the old time were annointed and for that cause were called Meschijm and Christi that is to saye annointed So it behooued the Sauiour that was promised shoulde be called bicause he is that true King whome God hath set ouer his holy hill of Sion and whose kingdome is stretched ouer all the world See the Psalmes ij lxxij Zach. 9. For he like a faithfull king hath deliuered his people from the tyrannye of the deuill he ruleth
bicause all things are written for our instruction we must applie the example of Abraham not onely to this present cause but also to our selues and there shall no little profite ensue vnto vs if we well consyder the calling of God and the fayth or obedience of Abraham In the calling of God whereby Abraham came out of Vr in Chaldaea into the land of Chanaan are two things principally to be considered The first is that he was called without any merite or desert of his before going For Iehosuah in his .xxiiij. Chapter testifieth that he dwelt among Idolaters and worshipped straunge Gods. Yea Epiphanius by report of auncient writers sayth that Thares Abrahams father was the first that made ymages of claye and that therfore he was punished of God with the death of Haran his sonne who was the first among the auncient fathers that of naturall death died before his father Neyther coulde he be commended bicause he was circumcised or was in the time of the Temple whereof the one was built many yeares after the other was a signe of the couenaunt made with him whereas the righteousnesse of fayth which he had alreadye attayned was sealed and confirmed The seconde is howe all this calling dependeth vpon the bare worde of god For he is commaunded to forsake his countrie and kindred and seeth nothing that might cause him to looke or hope for any better state or coÌ„dicion For God promised him neither trustier friendes nor fruitfuller countrie but speaking directly sayth Come into the lande which I shall shewe thee These things are worthy to be diligently obserued For first they teach vs that we are called to saluation and to the heauenly countrie whereof the lande of Chanaan was sometime a figure through the meere grace of God without respect of any our workes or deserts in this matter For what had we deserued seeing we were chosen in Christ before the world was made Or what can they bragge of that haue nothing but that they haue receyued And surely if we consider the disposition of our nature it shall appeare that we are no more mindefull of the heauenly Countrie before we be called and drawen than Abraham was of the land of Chanaan whose name he had not heard of yea when the Lord calleth vs we prooue the vntowarde nature of the fleshe stryueth agaynst Gods calling which we can neuer be able to ouercome except we be holpen by the effectuous drawing of the holye spirite Furthermore we are taught that our vocation which offereth vs saluation dependeth vpon the onely worde of God and therefore can not be taken holde of by fleshlye sense or mannes reason but by fayth onely which also is the gift of God For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging to the spirit of God. And God hath prepared such things for them that loue him as neyther eye hath seene nor eare hearde nor yet hath entred into the heart of man And here the power of fayth marueylously declareth it selfe which only taketh holde of the promises of God and most surely embraceth those things that farre exceede all sense and capacitie of mannes reason Therfore Paule calleth it a sure confidence of things which are hoped for and a certeyntie of things which are not seene These things ought well to be considered of them who thinke the doctrine of the iustification of fayth so light a matter as though it appoynted to easie a waye vnto saluation and so mainteyned the securitie and licentiousnesse of the fleshe For how can that be iudged a light and easie matter that surmounteth and passeth all the powers of man Or shal we account it a matter of greater weyght before God that men doe of their owne power than that that cannot be done without the power of the holy ghost Let vs compare fayth with all the workes of all the Monkes that euer were and yet shall we finde more yea and perfiter workes among the Philosophers of the Gentyles but fayth shall we be able to shewe in none but in him that is borne agayne of the word of God through the holy spirite Therefore our saluation and iustification is iustly ascribed to the greatest and exellentest thing that any man liuing can haue vpon the earth Nowe the beliefe and obedience of Abraham following the calling of God is very woonderfull There were diuers thinges which myght haue lette and hindred hi m. For to let passe all other great is the force of our natiue soyle and countrie and draweth men as the Poet sayth with a great desire and lyking and still maketh them mindefull thereof And it is no small authoritie that kinsefolke and allyaunce be of whome we then most vehemently loue when we be ready to forgo them The age also and infirmitie of his father myght haue stayed him whereof he dyed before he came to the borders of the Countrie promised And it is also likely that Abraham was in great honor in his countrie such as he coulde not easily hope for in a forreyne lande among straungers But none of all these things coulde withholde that godly brest but that without delaye he woulde followe the vocation of God wythout any curious enquirie of the condicion and state of the Countrie This is that obedience of fayth so oftentimes commended of Paule and which he sayth is the ende of the lawe This doth Christ require of vs where he commaundeth vs to forsake father mother sister brother wife children and our selues if we will be his Disciples And the accomplishment hereof is so difficult a thing that it is vndoubtedly impossible for vs to performe it except we be regenerate and borne againe of the holy spirite as Christ teacheth disputing with Nichodemus Therefore let them that desire to be called Christians examine themselues after this rule least whyle they rashly bragge thereof they become lyke foolishe buylders who go about to set vp some great building before they haue cast the charges thereof Let this consideration awake vs incessantly to make our feruent prayers for the increase of fayth that after the losse of all these worldlye goodes we maye come to the inheritaunce of the heauenly Countrie with Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The .xliiij. Homelie AND he gaue him none inheritaunce therin no not so much as one foote and promised that he woulde giue it him to possesse and to his â—eede after whereas yet he had no sonne God sayde on this wyfe thy seede shall be a soiourner in a straunge land and they shall make them bonde and intreate them euill fower hundred yeares And the Nation whome they shall serue I will iudge sayth the Lorde And after that they shall come forth and serue me in this place BIcause Steuen was accused as a publike enimie of Gods glory and all religion by reason of his doctrine of abrogation of the lawe and ceremonies
our eyes when the glory and friendship of this world inuegleth vs to forsake christ For although Christes flocke be but little and the state of the Church seemeth but miserable and vnhappie yet is this the common saying of all that are godly One day in thy Courtes is better than a thousande I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of the Lorde than to dwell in the tentes of the vngodly Also Paule giueth vs a great argument of Christian modestie whyle being suspected and reiected of the godly he doth not stubbornely murmure against them nor immodestly setteth out his owne prayse nor forsaketh the Church disdainfully but paciently abideth all this doing For remembring his former lyfe he marueyleth nothing at the matter Yea he acknowledgeth the iudgement of God who woulde haue him so humbled and exercised that he shoulde as it were in humble and lowly wyse seeke their societie whome before he had disdainefully contemned and cruelly persecuted Let vs followe this example as often as the iniurie that other doth vnto vs grieueth vs And although we knowe our selues vniustly iniuried by them yet lette vs thinke we are not vnworthye of this iniurie but that we haue deserued more than this if God woulde deale with vs according to our deserts Finally when he seeth himselfe reconciled to the brethren he prooueth himselfe in deede to be a true Disciple of christ For he speaketh freely and boldly in the name of Iesus Christ. This is a description of the Gospell which preacheth to vs repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of Iesus Christ onely as we haue oftentimes declared He disputeth also with the Greekes who we sawe heretofore were the authors of a murmure and grutch that greatly disquieted the Church These men vsed to mingle the lawe with the Gospell and to ouerthrowe the fayth in Christ with the iustification of workes To the confutation of whome Paule was appoynted by the peculiar counsell of God as his Epistles declare This place teacheth vs that saluation must so be preached in the name of Christ only that therewithall we must also earnestly withstande all those things that maye ouerthrowe the same Touching which poynt bicause we haue intreated in the last Sermon it shall suffyse by the way to haue noted thus much But in the ende it is sayde that Paule had no better successe at Ierusalem than he had before at Damascus For the Iewes made a newe conspiracie agaynst him and woulde haue killed him And these are the argumentes of hypocrites which most egerly contending about the righteousnesse of workes thinke it but a tryfle to slea innocentes and to shed guiltlesse bloude But here agayne appeareth the fayth and loue of the Disciples which accompanie him to Caesarea and so sende him to Tharsus in Cilicia which was Paules natiue countrie And here Paules constancie is worthy of singuler commendation who being on euery side still in daunger yet forsaketh not Christ and his fayth For he knew by reading of the Prophetes that many were the tribulations of the iust He knewe that all they which professed Christ were called to beare the crosse He knewe also that he had deserued much grieuouser punishmente bicause he had procured the like vnto the christians before Wherfore he thought he ought rather to reioyce seeing he suffred that for Christes sake â–ª which God might haue layd on him as a punishment for his owne sinnes Which consideration if it were in our mindes it woulde easily cause vs also not to be offended at any aduersitie In the meane season Paule deserueth great prayse for that according to Gods commaundement when h ehad escaped he preached the Gospell in Tharsus being his owne countrie as appeareth hereafter in the xxij Chapter following the example of Christ who had a regarde of hys owne countrie though it were ingratefull and vnkinde Lette vs imitate Paules fayth godlynesse and constancie So shall it come to passe that God being our protector and defender we shall be deliuered from all the troubles of this lyfe present and liue hereafter in heauen with Iesus Christ the sonne of God our only Sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxviij. Homelie THEN had the congregation rest throughout all Iurie Galiley and Samarie and were edified and walked in the feare of the Lord and multiplied by the comfort of the holy ghost And it came to passe as Peter walked throughout all quarters he came also to the Saintes which dwelt at Lidda And there he founde a certaine man named Aeneas which had kept his bed eyght yeares and was sicke of the palseye And Peter sayde vnto him Aeneas The Lorde Iesu Christ make thee whole Aryse and make thy bedde And hee arose immediatly And all that dwelt at Lidda and Assaron sawe him and turned vnto the Lorde WE haue hitherto seene the beginninges of the Apostle Paule howe he entred hys Apostleshippe with great labors and daungers For he was twyse in ieoperdie of his lyfe and twyse he escaped through the faythfull helpe and industrie of the Disciples thoughe not without their daunger These things teach vs what troubles are ordeyned for the faythfull seruauntes of Christ whome yet it becommeth to follow the constancie and fayth of Paule that they suffer not themselues to be drawne from Christ wyth any perils or aduersitie For blessed is he which abydeth vnto the ende But he that putteth his hande to the plough and looketh backe thereby declareth sufficiently that he is not worthy and meete for the kingdome of heauen But whereas the things hitherto declared may seeme such as threaten the vniuersall ruine and destruction of the Church the godlye writer breaketh of the storie of Paule and not without the instinct of the holy spirite passeth to Peter the Apostle and describeth the cheerefuller successes of the Church which shortly followed In the consideration whereof we ought to bee the more diligent the more comfort they be able to minister vnto vs wading in the waues of these tempestuous dayes He beginneth with the generall state and condicion of all the Churches gathered togither and founded in Iurie Galiley and Samarie and he declareth that there was a most ioiful prosperous ende of all the troubles and turmoyles which the enimies of the truth began The Churches sayth he were at rest This may seeme a sodeyne chaunge of thinges and passing all expectation if we consider the state of the Church before and compare the fierce mindes of the enimies their deuises and power with the Church as it nowe was But this is Gods vsage who hauing regarde to our infirmitie intermedleth prosperitie with aduersitie and suffereth vs not to bee tempted aboue our strength And where afflictions abounde there giueth most comfort And this is no difficult thing for him to do which euery day sheweth lyke examples in things naturall So after Winter being grieuous to vs with frost and colde commeth the
beleeued in the primitiue Church were called Disciples vntill at Antioche they were called Christians as we shall afterwarde perceyue in the eleuenth Chapter And this name was not without a mysterie For it did admonishe vs that Christ is our teacher and declared that christianitie consisted not in the bare profession of the name but rather in doctrine and preceptes and in the diligent obseruation of the same Wherevnto Paule seemeth to haue had respect where he appointeth obedience to be the ende of preaching the Gospell and of all Apostolicall ministerie As therefore by the consideration of this name we are taught that the profession of a Christian name is in vayne and vnprofitable vnlesse we faythfully obey Christ whome we haue professed so we are also taught that the first steppe or greeste of our saluation is to be the Disciples of christ For he is the foundation of all doctrine as well of the Prophetes as the Apostles vppon whome as many as will be saued must be builded Which is the cause that this thinge is first placed in the commendation of Dorcas This reprooueth the superstition of all them which ascribing to them selfe a tytle of godlynesse and religion forsake the name of Christ whome they professed in their baptisme and choose rather to be called the Disciples of men Whose vanitie long since hath bene grieuously reprehended and confuted by the Apostle Furthermore he sayth she was full of good workes And that it myght appeare what works he ment by exposition he calleth them almes deedes This worde comprehendeth all the workes of mercie and charitie whereby our neyghbour is relieued whyle eyther the hungry is fedde the thirsty haue drinke the naked is clothed the captiue redeemed the sicke visited or else whensoeuer any afflicted is by our counsell or comfort holpen and refreshed For this worde almes in the Greeke taketh hys name of mercye And least any man might thinke there was in hir but some vayne affectation only he sayth she did almes deedes or mercy This example teacheth vs that fayth which maketh vs the Disciples of Christ is not ydle nor consisteth not in the sluggysh and slothfull contemplation of heauenly thinges For where it possesseth the mynde which is the chiefe part of man and truly beleeueth from the heart it cannot be but that it must drawe man wholy to the obedience of God and bring forth much fruite Therefore Iesus Christ saith He that abideth in me and I in him he bringeth forth much fruite And Iames the Apostle exacteth chiefely of the vaine vaunters of fayth that they will by their workes declare that fayth which is so much in their mouth Therefore we may worthily complaine that we haue much iniurie done vnto vs when they that glory in the merites of their owne righteousnesse saye we be the enimies of good workes seeing we confesse that it is no fayth except it shewe it selfe by workes and that none can doe good workes except he be ioyned vnto Christ by fayth For he sayeth As the braunch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abyde in the Vyne no more can ye except you abyde in me Agayne this example teacheth vs whych be in deede good workes For we haue hearde she was a Disciple of Christ and nowe the workes of charitie are attributed vnto hir Therefore they bee good workes which the Christians doe through fayth according to the rule of charitie For where of our selues we be not able to thinke well whatsoeuer we doe without fayth it must needes be sinne as Paule sayth Rom. 14. Furthermore it cannot be called good that serueth for the commoditie of none bicause god himselfe is for this cause called good for that he most liberally poureth his treasures of grace vpō all his creatures Therfore Christ hath taught vs that the lawe is fulfilled by loue or charitie and in the Prophetes he euerywhere exacteth loue of them which puffed vp in confidence of the ceremonies of the lawe thought that men were saued by the obseruing thereof Yea he teacheth vs that charitie or loue is the cognizaunce whereby his people and seruantes may be knowne and he sayth that in the day of iudgement he will haue most respect hervnto By this place are confuted all those things that men fayne of their owne heads whiles they attribute saluation to most trifling ceremonies voyde of faith and charitie the obseruing whereof all the Scripture with one consent sayth is altogither vnprofitable See Esay 29. Math. 15. Colos. 2. c. It followeth in the description of Dorcas that she fell deadly sicke and dyed what time as God woulde Peter the Apostle shoulde be at Lydda Howbeit god could easily haue prouided she should neither haue fallen sick nor yet haue died forasmuch as it appeereth he prolonged the daies of Ezechias and that Christ healed many of mortall diseases But he suffreth hir being ouercome of the sorrowes of sickenesse to die Wherevppon we gather that the elect are not free from common calamities wherewith mankinde vseth to be afflicted For both they are punished with sickenesse suffer penurie and hunger feele the smarte of banishment and haue experience of whatsoeuer other aduersities But as Paule testifyeth all thinges worke to their commoditie For so through them is Gods glorie declared and their fayth exercised and tried and alwayes there appeare in them euident arguments of Gods goodnesse This thing the example of the blind man teacheth vs who Christ sayeth was borne blinde to the ende the works of God might be shewed in him And when he hearde that Lazarus was sicke he sayde This infirmitie is not vnto death but for the glorye of God that the sonne of God may be glorified by it ▪ And the ioyfull and prosperous successe of the matter declareth that the example of Dorcas ought to be referred to the same ende For both she is restored vnto lyfe and by hir meanes many are wonne vnto christ These things teach vs that we neither shoulde be offended at the aduersities falling out vnto vs nor that we should ouer hastily giue iudgement of them who fall into aduersity and miserie For many times they be the excellent vesselles of Gods mercye and grace which by reason of continuall aduersitie seeme in the iudgement of the worlde to be the vessels of wrath Moreouer he addeth vnto the thinges spoken of Dorcas what they of hir housholde and certaine widdowes of Ioppa did when she was deade And first he sayth they washed hir body and layde it in a chamber For corses in olde time vsed to be washed both bicause of the hope of resurrection also for that they knew that those which after this life should appeere before the iudgement seat of god should neede to be purified Hereby was prefigured the purification which is giuen vs in the bloud of christ The same was also the meaning of the spices ointments wherwith the dead bodies were dressed before
bloude of christ For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken downe the wall that was a stoppe betweene vs. This Peter affirmeth with great grauity partly to make the hearers thinke well of him at whose saluation he enuied not after the maner of other Iewes and partly bicause they shoulde be the more diligent to heare those thinges which belonged to their saluation It shall be good to examine the wordes particulerly for our more comfort and instruction First by waye of an exclamation as we declared euen nowe he sayth of a truth or in dede I finde Which word declareth that he was before ignorant of this mysterie For being heretofore beguiled with the coÌ„mon errour of the Iewes and bewitched with the blind preiudice of the flesh he vsed to abhorre the Gentyles as menne prophane and abhominable before god But nowe by the heauenly vision the appearing of the Aungell and wordes of Cornelius he is taught another thing bicause he findeth in Cornelius words apparant tokens of a very Christian and regenerated mind Peters example teacheth vs that the Saintes sometime are ignoraunt of some things and therefore that we shoulde not beleeue the preiudice of our reason but that we shoulde diligently examine all thinges according to the rule of Gods worde Secondly he teacheth what he founde verily that God is no accepter of persons This word person declareth the outward shewe or appearance of man whereby he vseth eyther to be commended or contemned such as is Nobilitie high parentage riches honors Nation or Countrie basenesse of birth pouertie bondage and infinite such like The consideration whereof God commaundeth to be farre of from all Iudges bicause where these things take place there can be no vpright iudgement It can not be therefore that that thing is to be founde in God which he vseth to detest in men And surely the Scriptures euerywhere attribute this vnto God that he is mooued with no mannes kindred or stocke with no riches no pouertie no outwarde appearance no consideration of Countrie but sheweth himselfe iust and mercifull to all men alyke This thing is of great auayle in the cause of saluation For it serueth to our instruction that wee contemne no man by reason of these outwarde things forasmuch as it appeareth that God is not mooued herwith whose children we be and it comforteth men that are in affliction and of lowe degree when they heare that in Christ there is neyther bonde nor free Iewe nor Gentyle Scythian not Barbarous man nor woman rich nor poore See Galat. 3. Colos. 3. c. It maketh for the explication hereof that he streyght waye addeth what maner of men God accepteth in all kind of men least any man might thinke he gouerned things at all auentures For he addeth but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him He comprehendeth in two poyntes the whole lyfe of man such as God requireth of them that honor him For he percloseth all religion vnder the feare of God forasmuch as it is manifest that this feare cannot be without the knowledge of God nor without fayth and obedience By this worde righteousnesse he vnderstandeth that excellent vertue that giueth to euery man that that is his which is the best gouernor of mans whole lyfe and springeth out of the fountaynes of Christian charitie But if thou compare the corrupt nature of man with these thinges thou shalt perceyue that these thinges are not founde but in those people that are regenerate and that they cannot be attayned to without the grace of God and fayth in christ For howe shoulde they that are aliauntes from Christ please God by their outwarde workes seeing he is that onely mediatour in whome the father is well pleased Therfore they are greatly deceyued which of these wordes of Peter thinke the merit of mans righteousnesse may be established forasmuch as the grace of God onely is the cause efficient of those things that are here so highly commended Their error also is to be confuted which abusing this place affirme that euerye man may be saued in the religion of hys Nation whether he be Iewe or Turke so that being illuminated with some reuerence of God he seeke to accomplishe this common ryghteousnesse But Peters meaning in this place is farre other who rather goeth about to prooue that the doctrine of the Gospell wherby saluation in Christ is preached appertayneth to all men indifferently But I praye you what needeth it to be pubâ—ished to all men if saluation may be had without Christ This kinde of people of all other is moste pernicious who vnder the pretence of christian modestie bicause they wil not seeme to boldly to condemne any man do plainly extenuate the merit of Christ yea they call in doubt the righteousnesse of god his goodnesse wisedome truth whatsoeuer vertues besides are in god For if any man may be saued without Christ then it appeereth saluation must depend vpon our free wil zeale Then came Christ into the world in vayn then was he incarnated suffred died in vaine then rose he from the dead ascended into heauen in vayne And he shall be conuinced of a lie in that he said No man coÌ„meth to the father but by me Peter also shall be reproued as a lyer who according as the spirit of Christ did prompt him sayde there was no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men in which they could be saued Furthermore who I pray you shal say that god the father is eyther iust or wise or true or mercifull which without very great cause woulde put his sonne to such bitter sorrowes and afflictions Away therefore with these men which whyle they will seeme modest adnihilate the mysteries of our religion Let vs obserue the ende and marke of Peters words and leaue them to whome the light of the Gospell hath not yet shined to the iudgement of God who if they be saued must needes be saued through the merit of Christ vnlesse we will be contumelious both against Christ God. Let vs come to the seconde part of this Sermon which in these words conteyneth the proposition or declaration of the whole matter ye know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things Which wordes seeme vnto me thus to signifie I woulde not haue you O brethren to looke for anye newe or straunge matter For I purpose to intreate of such a matter as is nowe in euery mannes mouth the report whereof is vndoubtedly come euen vnto you that is howe God sent his sonne Iesus Christ which is coeternall with him and Lorde of all things vnto the children of Israel being made man of the Uirgin Marie and by him hath preached peace vnto them In these wordes doth Peter comprehende all the mysteries of Christ Iesu and of his Gospell which shortly after he dilateth more
obserue the order of iustification and saluation in the example of Cornelius We see that he was holpen and stirred vp by the grace of God to doe that that was good and acceptable vnto God whereas before that he had bene a Gentyle and estraunged from the people of god But being receyued into fauour Peter the Apostle was appointed to be his teacher to preach to him the doctrine of saluation Cornelius beleeueth the worde being preached The holy ghost followeth after his beliefe which both regenerateth the minde and also bringeth forth diuers marueylous vertues Being illuminated with this spirite he is giuen wholy to prayse God and at length being baptized he is receyued into the fellowship of Christs Church This order we see obserued euerywhere For the beginning of our saluation springeth of the grace of God who chose vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde He hauing chosen vs instructeth vs by his outwarde worde giueth vs fayth illuminateth vs being regenerate with his spirit and maketh vs meete vnto euery good work And that which he promiseth by his worde and offreth by his spirite vnto the faythfull minde the same he confirmeth by outwarde Sacramentes also See Rom. 9.10 Finally it is declared howe Cornelius behaued himselfe after all these things They besought Peter sayth Luke to abyde with them a few dayes And there was none other cause of this desire but for that they were enflamed with the looue of the Gospell and desired to heare him euery daye bicause they woulde be the more confirmed in the knowledge of true saluation Furthermore they coulde not be so soone satisfyed with the presence of their very friende who they perceyued had ministred so great grace vnto them And here is truly expressed the propertie of those that faythfully beleeue They lothe not the teaching of that worde nor attribute not so much to themselues to thinke that they shall haue hereafter no more neede of it Yea they acknowledge themselues to be men and bicause they will be taken for the children of God they can not be filled with the voyce of their father but desire to haue him still speake vnto them Moreouer they shewe themselues thankefull and kinde towarde the Ministers of God by whose diligence they are taught in matters of fayth and saluation For they thinke it a matter of no great weyght to requite them with carnall benefits which giue vnto them spirituall riches For they vnderstande that their saluation dependeth chiefly on them For the which cause they can suffer themselues to be rebuked and chidden as we may see in Dauid and Ezechias But the wicked be of a farre other minde which vse to condemne the Ministers as molesters of their vngodly desires and publike enimies whereof the scripture sheweth examples in Pharao Achab the Phariseys and infinite others Whose vngodlynesse deserueth to feele the vengeaunce of Gods iustice bicause they woulde not suffer to be faythfully admonished Lette vs therefore acknowledge the grace of God and embrace his worde wyth thankefull myndes studying to frame our selues thereafter that we maye hereafter be made partakers and heyres of the saluation promised in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The eleuenth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxviij. Homelie AND the Apostles and brethren that were in Iurie hearde that the Heathen also had receyued the worde of god And when Peter was come vp to Ierusalem they that were of the Circumcision contended against him saying Thou wentest in to men vncircumcised and diddest eate with them But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order vnto them saying I was in the Citie of Ioppa praying and in a traunce I sawe in a vision a certayne vessell descende as it had bene a great sheete let downe from heauen by the fower corners and it came to mee â–ª into the which when I had fastened mine eyes I considered and sawe fowerfooted beastes of the earth and vermin and wormes and foules of the ayre â–ª And I hearde a voyce saying vnto me Aryse Peter slea and eate And I sayd not so Lord for nothing coÌ„mon or vnclean hath at any time entred into my mouth But the voyce aunswered me agayne from heauen Count not thou those things common which God hath clensed And this was done three tymes And all were taken vp agayne into heauen And beholde immediatlye there were three men already come into the house where I was sent from Caesarea vnto me And the spirite sayde vnto mee that I shoulde go with them without doubting Moreouer these sixe brethren acâ—ompanyed me and wee entred into the mannes house And he shewed vs howe he had seene an Aungell in his house which stoode and sayde to him Sende men to Ioppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter He shall tell thee words wherby both thou and all thine house shall be saued And as I began to preache the holy ghost fell on them as he did on vs at the beginning Then came it to my remembraunce howe that the Lorde sayde Iohn baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy ghost Forasmuch then as God gaue them lyke giftes as hee gaue vnto vs when we beleeued on the Lorde Iesus Christ what was I that I shoulde haue withstanded God ALthough the blessed Euaungelyst Luke hath both abundantlye and diligently described the hystorie of Cornelius which was conuerted vnto the fayth in the Chapter before going yet in this Chapter he repeateth the same againe after another sort and maner of narration The cause of which his doing was for that it might appeare to all men that the Gentyles were vndoubtedly called according to Gods appointment by preaching of the Gospell and receyued into the communion of the Church by the sacrament of baptisme That the declaration hereof was necessarye bicause of the Iewes hath already oftentimes bene shewed And the same serueth very much for our instruction both bicause the grace of Gods goodnesse is thereby marueylouslye set forth and the certaintie of all our saluation which springeth of the Iewes is most firmely prooued Therefore no man must accuse the holy writer for to often repeating of one thing or of needelesse loquacitie or babling but rather they ought to be prouoked by his diligence the more earnestly to weygh consider a matter of such importance Furthermore Luke taketh occasion to rehearse agayne the same hystorie by reason of the vniust iudgement of a certaine sort of persons who being deceyued accuse Peter whereby he is enforced thus to declare and open the meaning of his dooing vnto them First therefore let vs see howe the Church which was here and there dispersed through Iurie iudged concerning the vocation of the Gentyles For this thing coulde not long lye hidden both bicause of the notable worthynesse of the persons and also for that it was a straunge thinge and not seene before Therefore
And if we compare the proceedings of these dayes herewith wee shall fynde but a fewe tokens of the primitiue Church For a great number conueye awaye the goodes of the Church and dishonestly make hauock of them and there are very fewe or none which of their owne goodes will exercise christian contribution But there is a great number of them which will abuse publike calamitie to their priuate commoditie And they that bee the best men will not releeue the neede of the poore before he see him brought to extreeme beggery be compelled to go from doore to doore God graunt that we maye be enflamed with true fayth and charitie that we may by our works be knowne for Christians at that day when Christ our Lorde and Sauiour shall come to iudgement in the glory of his father to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxxxij. Homelie AT the same time Herode the King stretched forâ—h his handes to vexe certaine of the Congregation And hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword And bicause he sawe that it pleased the Iewes he proceeded farther and tooke Peter also Then were the daies of sweete bread And when hee had caught him hee put him in prison also and deliuered him to fower quaternions of souldiers to be kept entending after Easter to bring him forth to the people And Peter was kept in pryson But prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation vnto God for him BEfore this the Euangelist Luke described to vs the persecutions raysed by the Priests agaynst the congregation which though they might seeme grieuous and horrible yet the persecution here reported was much grieuouser For a king of great power and one which had the ruling of all the Iewishe Nation was the beginner and procurer thereof And whereas tyll this time the Apostles abode safe and vntouched nowe hath this wicked Tyrant such power that by cruell death he maketh awaye one of the chiefe among them The ende of all this hystorye is that hereby we should learne the state of the Church and being myndefull of Christes admonitions prepare our selues to the like Howbeit where in these thinges there appeareth alwayes a great dulnesse of our nature all the circumstaunces of this place must be the more diligently considered And first Luke coupleth this present hystorie with the ende of the Chapiter before going and beginneth his narration or discourse of the tyme For where he had entreated of the dearth foreshewed by Agabus he writeth that the same time Herode begunne to persecute the Church And if you conferre this place with the ende of the Chapter it shall appeare this was done in the last yeare of Herode a little before he ended his lyfe at Caesarea by the horrible iudgement of god And if we cast the time according to hystories we shall fynde that this last yeare of Herode fell in the fourth yere of Claudius the Emperor what time the Hystoriens say that this dearth reygned There came two most grieuous calamities dearth and persecution togither eche of which seemed intollerable to the congregation Thys state of the Church is to be diligently considered of vs bicause God suffreth his Church with so many afflictions to be tryed and exercised For God which a little before had stirred vp the mindes of those at Antiochia and others to releeue the necessitie of the Iewes with their liberalitie suffreth now the furious blasts of this wicked king to rise against them But it is no straunge thing that here commeth to passe For there are infynit examples of this sort We reade of Abraham howe when at Gods calling he had forsooke his natiue Countrie and was come into the lande of Chanaan hee was driuen from thence by famine and inforced to flye into Egypt Isaac his sonne fynding the like trouble sustained great want of victuals among the enuious Nation of the Chanaanites So we reade that Ioseph hauing lost his libertie was put in prison and like also to lose his lyfe What shall I speake of Iacob his father which was still invred with troubles and vexation insomuch that euen in his extreeme age he confessed before Pharao that he had led the more part of the dayes of his lyfe in trouble and cares And if a man would consider and weigh the people of Israels estate as well in Egypt as in the wildernesse he shall see continuall traueyles and as it were freshe floudes of afflictions flowing by course And that which the Primitiue Churche nowe prooueth came to passe also in the yeares following Neyther is there any cause why we shoulde looke for any better in these dayes than the Oracles of Christ declare shall be about the last days where we are taught that the Church shall be exercised with famine plague wars persecutions in all parts Wherfore it behooueth vs to prepare our selues vnto pacience that wheÌ„ these things come to passe we may consider howe iudgement must beginne at the house of God and that wee bee iudged of God to the ende we should not be condemned with the irrepentaunt worlde Here also is the error of them confuted which iudge of religion and faith according to the things that fall out in this worlde as though the Citie of the godly were on earth whereas the Scripture euerywhere sheweth howe it is prepared for vs in heauen Secondlye Luke nameth the author of this persecution and wryteth that it was Herode By this place it appeareth that the Kinges of Galiley and Iurie were commonly called Herodes verily of that famous and great Herode which being an aliaunt first obteyned to be king of Iurie For it is plaine that this of whome Luke speaketh in this place was Agrippa Nephewe to this great Herode by Aristobulus his sonne whose death Iosephus in all poyntes agreeing with Luke describeth in the .xxix. booke of his antiquities and .vij. Chapter This Herode was both a moste mightye Prince and a craftie For after he was let out of prison by Caius Caesar where Tiberius had put him bicause of his ouermuch familiaritie with Caius and was declared king of the Tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias a little after he tooke from Herodes Antipas his vncle by the fathers side and sisters husbande the kingdome of Galiley procuring him to be banished by Caius to whome by his letters he had accused him And after the decease of Caius Caesar Claudius being Emperor he gaue him the Prouinces both of Iurie and Samarie And thus Agrippa obtayned almoste the whole kingdome of Herode the great his grandfather It shall behooue vs diligently to consider the power of this king that the power of Christ may appeare the greater which so easily subdued so mighty an enimie For God would set Christ and his Church togither with such an one as this to shew a singuler example and to declare that all the
them which so boldly durst alter the state of their coÌ„mon weale but when he was gone gaue them a very good king the father of the Messias promised yea vouchsafed to turne their follye and rashnesse otherwyse than they deserued to their commoditie And that Gods benefyte might the more appeare he reciteth a praise of Dauid pronounced by God himselfe Howbeit we haue somewhat to saye both of Saules putting from the kingdome and of Dauids placing in his roume which things it is like Paule discoursed more at large bicause they serue greatly for our information And fyrst for that no man shall thinke that God delighteth in transferring of kingdomes from one to another like a tyrant the holy scripture must be pervsed which very diligently reherseth the causes why Saule was reiected The chiefe of them was the prowde contempt of Gods word which made him more desirous of his owne glorie than of Gods. Hereof we haue examples in the fyrst of Samuel cap. 13. and .15 Upon this followed monstrous and horrible deedes For he did not onely attempt to persecute Dauid whom he sawe God allowed and liked but also went about to put Ionathas hys owne sonne to death and murthered the Priests of God most cruelly Furthermore he seeketh counsayle of a witch and shewed the token of a reprobate minde euen in the ende of his lyfe by killing himselfe This example is very notable which all men but chieflye such as beare rule and office ought often to consider that they maye vnderstande howe both their owne wealth and the wealth of their common weales depende vpon God onely and therefore let them giue eare vnto the worde of God let them set forth his glory and serue him as Dauid sayth in feare and reuereâ—â—â—y and humbly kysse the sonne of God Iesus Christ whome he hath appointed king of kings But bicause Kings and Princes count it but a sport nowâ— a dayes in contempt of gods word to turne all vpsetdown at their pleasure no man must marueyle that they their kingdomes so miserably perish For of Christ it was prophecied the nation and kingdome that will not serue thee shall perish But let vs see Dauid whome God adourneth with a notable commendation which Paule gathereth partly of the .lxxxix. Psalme and partly of the .xiij. Chapter of the fyrst booke of Samuel and he addeth nothing vnto the word of God but that he calleth him the sonne of Iesse who was a Bethlehemyte and a man of a base and poore estate and which got his liuing by cattell and grasing as the Scripture declareth This maketh for the setting forth of Gods goodnesse who woulde promote a man of base degree and the yongest of all his brethren to so high a dignitie and also warneth them not to glory ouermuch in Dauid seeing he was so exalted through the meere grace of god And surely if we will credit Dauid himselfe he is content to confesse the same For when he heard the promises of God touching the Messias that shoulde be borne of his stocke we reade that he cryed what am I ô Lorde or what is my house that thou shouldest so greatly aduaunce me c. Moreouer as we sayd Saule was put out of the kingdome bicause of his great pride contempt disobedience towarde God so Dauid is commended chiefly for that he fulfylled all the will of the Lorde Whereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that they are chiefly allowed of God which frame themselues to doe his will. For God is not delighted in sacrifyces so much as in obedience Howbeit some woulde aske in this place howe Dauid did all the will of the Lord considering he defyled himselfe with adultery and manslaughter and being ouercome with pride tooke a generall muster of his people contrary to the will of god But hereto it maye easily be aunswered First when Dauid heard he shoulde be the father of the sauiour promised he tooke holde thereof by constant fayth and therefore he coulde not displease God hauing him in whome God was pleased Then out of this fayth sprang all those vertues wherein it is plaine God is delighted For this faith made him humble greatly to esteeme the benefytes of God as euen now was sayde This fayth when at any time he fell through infyrmitie rayred him vp againe and prouoked him to repentance This fayth made him to loue and desire the worde of God so that he preferred it before the honye and the hony combe It was also a worke of faith that he pacientlye coulde abide when he was rebuked by the worde yea he declared himselfe to be obedient to suffer whatsoeuer was enioyned him bicause of his sinnes For when he hearde that Nathan the Prophete threatened him with the sworde and with ciuill warres he did not lightly shake him of nor accuse him of sedition but was contented thus onely to aunswere I haue sinned agaynst the Lorde And it was not the saying of a sluggish or lumpish minde but of one hartily sorowfull and desiring to haue his offences forgiuen as we maye see in the .lj. Psalme which he made euen at that very time And the thing it selfe declareth he nothing dissembled For when by his sonne he was driuen out of the Citie and kingdome he sayde vnto Zadocke the Priest which brought him the arke Carye the Arke of God againe into the Citie If I shall fynde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe and shewe mee both it and the Tabernacle thereof But and if the Lorde thus say I haue no lust vnto thee beholde here I am let him doe with mee what seemeth good in his eyes An argument of lyke minde it was that he did not onely pacientlye suffer Semey rayling against him but by his authoritie defended him that he had no hurt Where God also gaue him liberty of three plagues to choose whether he woulde he aunswered I am exceedinglye troubled let vs fall I pray you into the hande of the Lord. c. Furthermore as the Aungell strake the people with grieuous pestilence he sayde It is I that haue sinned and I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe what haue they done Lette thine hande I pray thee be against me and my fathers house What can be more modest than this minde what more godly more tractable and meeke To say nothing in the meane while of those duties and loues which he shewed towarde Saule so many wayes iniurying him With these thinges if a man compare the minde of Saule boyling in ambition pride enuie hatred wrath contempt of God and outragious stubbornnesse he shall easilye perceyue what difference was betweene them These things serue for the instruction of all men For they teach vs what maner of men they ought to be who desire to please god For if they embrace Iesus Christ with true fayth and desire to fulfyll his commaundements it shall come to passe that the offences they haue made
vseth to reuenge the contempt of his sonne and of his worde vppon them that holde on in their incurablenesse and vnbeliefe The fyrst he concludeth with great weyght of wordes saying Bee it knowne vnto you therefore yee men and brethren that through this Iesus whom I haue hitherto preached is the forgiuenesse of sinnes declared vnto you And it is not without a cause that he thus beginneth saying Be it knowne vnto you For by this meanes he thought to make them the more attent and diligently to consider that which was to followe And hereby he teacheth vs that it is necessary and conuenient that as many men as desire to be saued shoulde knowe christ For Christ himselfe teacheth vs that the chiefe poynt of our saluation consisteth in the knowledge of him where hee sayth This is lyfe euerlasting ô father that men should knowe thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent Then also where it is the peculiar counsell of God that the knowledge of Christ through the preaching of the Gospell shoulde be published ouer all the worlde they that despyse this knowledge of saluation offered vnto vs by God must needes bee iudged wicked and ingratefull contemners of Gods goodnesse They are by this place confuted that say matters of religion belong not vnto them and are wilfully ignorant and deceyued in their saluation Using commonly to abuse Christes wordes where he sayth The seruant that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes So that they thinke they shall be excused before the iudgement seate of God so long as they be vtterly ignorant in the mysteries of fayth and saluation But they ought also to thinke that it is vnmeete and not conuenient that they which will be called and taken for the seruauntes of God shoulde be ignorant of their maisters will and refuse to learne it It is Gods will that housholders shoulde declare his commaundements and workes vnto their family and shall we thinke to be excused if we wittingly be ignorant of that which God reuealeth vnto vs both by writing and plaine teaching Why doe we not rather harken what Christ sayth that they which are borne of God refuse not to heare the worde of God And Iames sendeth them which lacke wisedome vnto prayer to obtayne it of the father of lights And we want not examples both of Dauid and other holye men who were most desirous to obtayne this heauenly wisedome See Psal. 25.119 c. But lette vs returne vnto Paule which comprehendeth in a fewe of wordes the summe of all Gods benefytes giuen vs in Christ saying Through this man is preached vnto you remission of sinnes For in forgiuenesse of sinnes is vnderstanded all those things that appertayne to our saluation For it is euident that God is offended with vs bicause of sinne and that for sinnes sake we be excluded from the grace spirit and kingdome of god Wherby againe is gathered that God must needes be mercifull vnto them whose sinnes are forgiuen and taken away Ergo he giueth them his spirite wherewith being regenerate and made his children they become inheritors of the kingdome of heauen Let vs note how Paule in this briefe sentence doth most fully teach the true knowledge of saluation which if it be diuided into certaine poyntes and articles shall most easilye be perceyued and vnderstanded The fyrst of them is that we should vnderstande we be sinners and stande grieuously detbounden vnto God which hereby appeareth for that the scriptures euerywhere make mention of forgiuenesse of sinnes The scriptures likewise eueriwhere accuse vs of sinne and teach vs that we be of nature corrupt Moses from the mouth of God declareth that the inuentions and deuises of mans heart are naught euen from his childehode He setteth the lawe before vs as it were a glasse wherein the flesh may beholde hir corruption which otherwise vseth to flatter hir selfe In the booke of Iobe it is written that none borne of a woman is cleane Dauid confesseth that he was conceyued and borne in sinne Salomon writeth that the iust man falleth seauen times a day And in Esay the Prophete the faythfull confesse that our righteousnesses by reason of the contagiousnesse of sinne and the fleshe cleauing vnto vs are lyke an arayed and fylthy clowte And Christ admonisheth vs of the same where he teacheth vs to praye forgiue vs our trespasses For that prayer were superfluous if we were not loden with grieuous sinnes Nowe it must needes be that this foundation must lye in the knowledge of saluation bicause man can haue no care thereof vnlesse he fyrst vnderstand he is vtterly lost and corrupted But we haue neede also of another thing that is to vnderstande howe we be freely forgiuen For where through sinne we haue deserued eternall death and haue no sparke of goodnesse of our selfe and all that good which we seeme to doe is corrupt and vnperfyte it must needes be that this remission and forgiuenesse must come of fauour and grace The Parable in the .xviij. of Mathew teacheth vs the same And we professe this remission or forgiuenesse among the articles of our fayth where we saye we beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes and we alleage nor make mention of no satisfaction that dependeth vpon our workes Thirdly it behooueth that we knowe for whose sake this grace is bestowed on vs The same is Iesus Christ onely and alone in whome the father is well pleased bicause hee hath taken our sinnes vppon him and hath pourged them on the aultare of the Crosse by the merite of his bloude insomuch that otherwheres he sayeth he is made to vs of God the father righteousnesse satisfaction and sanctifycation yea and a sacrifyce for sinne that we by his meanes might be made righteous Iohn the Baptist taught vs the same where hee sayeth that Christ is the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde Fourthlye we must holde fast the meanes whereby Christ is made oures which Paule plainelye teacheth vs where he sayeth forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached to vs through christ For hereby is gathered that he is receyued by faith bicause there is none other meane whereby the worde preached may be taken hold of yet he expresseth the same more plainely in the wordes that followe saying By him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Wherevnto all the thinges written of fayth in any place of the scripture are to be referred but speciallye that that Christ commaunded his Disciples at his last departure from them For in Luke .xxiiij. he commaundeth repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name And in another place whosoeuer beleeueth and is baptized shall bee saued And all that that Paule prosecuteth at large in the Epistles to the Romanes Galathians Ephesians to diuers other he comprehendeth in this briefe sentence wherof if a man lyst to see yet any more
they easily heare the voyce of Christ and perceyue that God calleth them bicause they haue the seede of God in them which lying hidden before is by the worde of God quickened and brought to maturitie and perfyte ripenesse Hereof it proceedeth that Christ sayth they that are borne of God and are the sheepe of his flocke heare his voyce and are delighted therwith yea and those he acknowledgeth for his sheepe of whome hitherto he was vnknowne and which were afterwarde to be called and drawne saying I haue other sheepe also which are not of this folde Them also must I bring in and they shall heare my voyce and there shall bee one folde and one shepehearde Of which sort Luke sheweth that these Antiochians were And the treatie hereof ought to seeme to no man superfluous forasmuch as there is nothing belonging to our saluation more pleasaunt or profytable to bee considered than this For herein are opened the fountaines of our saluation and we are taught that the same dependeth vppon the meere grace of God and therefore the arrogant and Pharisaicall glorying in mannes iustice and merite is hereby quite ouerthrowne and buryed This also prooueth the certaintie of our saluation and marueylously fortifyeth our fayth if it shoulde stagger through temptations For God cannot repent him of his electing and calling vs. And whereas we be elected or chosen in Christ which is that impregnable rocke against which the gates of hell are not able to preuayle and which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken out of his handes It is impossible that they should fall from their saluation which feele themselues to be graffed in him Wherevnto this place also is to be referred where it is sayde As many beleeued as were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting For although the Iewes raged neuer so much they coulde not hinder the saluation or faith of one of the elected And as many as shall in this wyse consider Gods predestination and election shall perceyue their fayth to be marueylously increased And if any will wade yet deeper in Gods secrets mysteries and will presume to call his eternall counsayles to the count of mans reason they shall at length go so farre that eyther they shall scoffingly deride the iudgements of God or else attribute that vnto man which it becommeth vs to seeke only in the grace and fauour of God and shall spoile Christ of his glory who is the foundation of our saluation See Rom. 9.11 But to returne to these electes let vs consider the effect of Gods word that appeared and shewed it selfe in them by the which may easily be gathered what their dutie is whome God electeth This is a marueylous effect of Gods worde that euen in the greatest feare of all daungers the hearts of those that beleeued are recreated with ioye considering howe God the father is well pleased with them Wherevnto Christ had a respect when he bade vs reioyce in troubles Then after that it is sayde they glorifyed the worde of God which is a token of thankefulnesse which they cannot choose but render vnto God which haue anye thing tasted of the grace of god They vse to glorifye the worde of God which embrace it with fayth and submit themselfe vnto it subduing all their reason and vnderstanding vnto it which is not the last nor least ende of preaching the Gospell as we haue in other places declared These thinges teache vs what they haue to doe that will be counted of the number of the elect and they also are here confuted which saye the exercises of Christian religion and good workes are by this doctrine of free election and predestination put away and destroyed For where as it was before declared vocation or calling followeth election and iustifycation by fayth followeth calling or vocation it cannot be that he which vnderstandeth he is elected can cast from him the workes of a Christian man For he knoweth that we are elected in Christ to that end that after we haue here liued an innocent and irreprehensible life we shall liue with Christ for euer in heauen Wherefore according to the Apostles commaundement he laboureth by continuall traueyle in innocencie and godlynesse to ratifye and confyrme his election and calling Thirdly it is to be obserued howe Luke sayth the worde of God was published throughout all the Countrie For hereby it appeareth howe little the wicked are able to preuayle against Christ with all their attempts For the spirite of God bloweth where it listeth and is not mooued eyther with the authoritie or power of man Therfore the same commeth here to passe that we sawe came to passe before at Ierusalem in the persecution of Steuen And this is the propertie of the worde of God the more to shewe his power and force the more it is withstanded delighting as it were to wrastle with the aduersaries And there is no cause for any man to aske why we see not Christes kingdome haue as good successe in these dayes For by our sloth and negligence the boundes thereof are drawne in and narrowed and we see that saying of Christ is true in all states of men where he testifyeth that in the later times faith shall be very rare scant vpon the earth Furthermore after these ioyfull successes of the Apostles and victories gotten against these wicked enimies a newe businesse aryseth namely a manifest persecution whereof the same Iewes were the authors bicause they coulde preuayle nothing at the fyrst and bicause they sawe the doctrine of Christ stronger than to be ouerturned with the craft of Sophisters or with slaunders and reproches And the Iewes many times in this booke are reported to haue bene the beginners of persecution and Paule writing of them in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians seconde Chapter sayth For as they killed the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophets euen so they persecute vs and God they please not and are contrary to all men and hinder vs that we shoulde not speake vnto the Gentyles that they might bee saued to fulfill their sinnes alwaye c. Which things are therfore to be obserued that we might acknowledge the iust iudgement of God vpon them and how those horrible and straunge calamities fell vpon them worthily which our Sauiour Christ threatened vnto them and are written in hystories For God purposed by the example of them to teache vs what remayneth for all the despisers and enimies of his sonne And it is very worthy the consideration to see by what subtile meanes they procured this persecution and what effect it had First their subtiltie appeareth in those whom they went about to make on their sides against the Apostles And these were fyrst certaine women commended for their honestie and godlynesse And it was not without a cause that they thought their helpe meete for this purpose For this sexe of women as they are naturally inclined and giuen to superstition so are they very
Then Iupiters priest which dwelt before their Citie brought Oxen and garlandes vnto the porch and woulde haue done sacrifice with the people WHen our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ fyrst sent forth his Apostles to preache the Gospell he warned them of nothing so diligently as of persecutions that shoulde come vnto them in going about that businesse Of these he foretolde they shoulde suffer both many and grieuous not hereby meaning through feare to dismay them but to arme them with fayth against troubles foreseene that thereby they might learne to ouercome them Paule and Barnabas the chosen vessels of Christ well vnderstoode this thing who at the speciall commaundement of the holye ghost were sent forth as we hearde before to preach among the Gentyles For they vse such fayth and constancie in their office and charge that after persecution as men increased with more force and strength they returne with more alacritie to their office againe For being driuen out of Antioch they fyll Iconium with the doctrine of christ Agayne beinst expulsed Iconium by reason of a sedition there raysed they come to Lystra and Derba and there they beginne to teach And it is sayde they preached the Gospell least any man might thinke they had chaunged their doctrine for their enimies pleasure Their constancie is set forth to be imitated of all men to th ende that they which will seeme the true worshippers of Christ shoulde giue no place to the wicked enimies of the worde For he is vnworthy of Christ that more setteth by the friendship of this vntowarde and adulterous worlde than by the glory of christ Howbeit bicause mention was made of myracles whereby God gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine nowe Luke rehearseth one myracle among a great many which by reason of the effect falling out thereof seemed verye worthy to be declared For the more profyte that may come vnto vs by the consideration thereof fyrst we will discusse the myracle with the circumstances and then declare the effect thereof Luke beginneth with the description of him on whome the myracle was wrought He was a townesman of Lystra many wayes very miserable For he was lame of his feete and that from his mothers wombe so that thereby it appeareth his disease was incurable such as they be for the most part that cleaue to vs from our natiuitie and birth It is also added that he neuer went on his feete or walked So diligent a description of this Creple maketh for the certaintie of the myracle that the power of Christ might appeare the more euident in whose name not long after he was healed Here is to be obserued how Christ commonly setteth forth the glorye of his name by them which eyther are sicke of incurable diseases from their natiuitie or else are otherwise in great calamitie Such an one we reade the blinde man was whom Christ restored to his sight Such another was he that had the Palsie who at length after he had bene .xxxviij. yeares diseased was restored againe to his health Such an one was the woman which had eyghtene yeares gone stowping and bowed as it were togither Such were the Demoniakes that so raged and were by his benefyte deliuered These thinges serue fyrst for our consolation that we shoulde not take the aduersities that God sendeth impaciently considering that hereby Christ knoweth howe to fetch matter to glorifye his name by For God so little hateth vs therefore that rather by bearing them pacientlye he maketh vs the instruments of his glory Furthermore they make for our instruction that we rashly ryde not on them whome God hath punished with anye deformities or blemishes of nature For according to the saying of Salomon he that derideth the poore contemneth god his maker so is he very wicked which by tauntes and scornes nicketh them whom God hath chastened or afflicted with his hande Which thing is the cause that the lawe pronounceth them accursed that layeth a stumbling blocke in the blindes waye or curseth the deafe Let vs see what this Creple did before he was made whole He heard Paule preach and beleeued he should be made whole Whereby it appeareth that Paule preached of the saluation of christ Which when the creple heard to be confyrmed with many myracles he conceyued also good hope of his restitution who by like had also some secret suggestion of the holy spirite forasmuch as there is no promises vniuersall that promiseth health of bodye to all that beleeue in the name of christ Luke ment to shewe the cause of his saluation where he sayth hee beleeued For all the Scripture teacheth vs that by faith we are made partakers both of Christ and of all his benefytes and Christ many times teacheth vs the same saying when he healed any Be it done vnto thee according to thy fayth or thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee whole It is very worthy to be considered how fyrst it is sayde he hearde and afterwarde mention is made of his beliefe which he gatte by hearing the worde This teacheth vs after what sort and meanes fayth commeth vnto vs It is manifest that faith is the gift of God and that it consisteth not in the will eloquence or wisedome of manne For no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whome the sonne will open him And God vseth men for Ministers and instrumentes of his worde when he meaneth to teach men his word according to that saying of Paule We be the Ministers of Cod by whome you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euery man grace Therfore whosoeuer will attaine vnto fayth must diligently harken to the worde of god For how shall they beleeue except they haue hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. Wherefore Christ ioyning both these togither sayth He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting These things serue for commendation of the outward word that we contemne it not nor imagine another word of God nor search for such wayes of fayth as the Saintes neuer knewe of Which who so doe they lye open commonly to the assaults of the Deuill and are troubled with marueylous illusions and fare like men which hearing howe God giueth the encrease of corne leaue of tillage a thing that God hath ordeyned for the maintenance of man. After this Luke sheweth the myracle For Paule well beholding this Creple perceyued certaine tokens of fayth in him which coulde not be without some secret working of the holy spirite For who is able by a mans countenance which is the most variable and deceyueable thing that is to iudge surely of any mannes faith it must needes therefore be the suggestion of the spirite that certifyed Paule of this lame mannes fayth Then turning about vnto him he giueth him perfyte helth of his body And as it is written in
with such detestation bicause he seeth he should incurre both treason and fornication if he shoulde committe the like thing Woulde God they did well obserue these things which in these dayes think it most godlynesse and religion to sende the simple and vnlearned Comminaltie vnto Creatures or else teache them to seeke saluation in the merites of men Moreouer it is worthy to be considered how the Apostles call this worship which they of Lystra would haue done vnto them vanitie For hereby we gather that all such religion is vaine of no force as is deuised of mans imagination without the worde of God specially if it tende not to the worship of God onely but vnto creatures to whome God will not impart his glory Herevnto agree the things which Christ alleageth out of the prophet They worship me in vain teaching the doctrines of men Let the Papists here make answere whose religion as it chiefly consisteth in honouring of creatures so it standeth vpon none other foundation than mens traditions Furthermore the Apostles in these wordes comprehende the duetie of those that are mynisters of the worde whyle they affirme that their preaching is to the ende that men should turne from the vayne worshypping of creatures vnto the onely lyuing god Therefore the faythfull ministers of Christ must ioyne these two thinges togyther that is they must both ouerthrowe false religion and plant the true Wherevnto is to be referred that saying of the Prophet Beholde thys day haue I appoynted thee to roote vp and destroy and to buylde vp and plant For as in husbandry and tyllage all the labor taken in plowing and watering is in vayne except the things that hinder the cornes growth be rooted vp and good seede sowne so in the husbanding and dressing of the mynde they haue most vnfruitefully laboured which haue not paynefully and carefully ioyned both these togither Therfore the men of our dayes commit double offence For there are some men that so abhorre Antichrist and his wicked religion that being occupied onely in ouerthrowing the same they haue no remembraunce to restore agayne true and syncere religion Agayne there are other some which wyll haue men taught the true religion by preaching the word but will not haue abuses and superstition touched bicause they would not haue the displeasure of the world And these latter sort hope that superstition will fall of it owne accorde when men are come to the knowledge of the true God and they perceyue not that there is no place for the knowledge of God in mens mindes tyll these superstitions be remooued Therefore who so meaneth profitably and with commendation to traueyle in matters of religion must ioyne both these as is sayde togither Thirdly the Apostles teach vs to know what maner of God he is euen the maker of heauen and earth the Sea and all that in them is Such a God the scripture declareth euery where he is and such an one we openly professe hym to be in the articles of our fayth according to the tradition of the Apostles But they which confesse him to be the Creatour must also needes confesse that he is a gouernour For it is not meete that we shoulde ymagine God to be such a worke mayster as hath no regarde or care of his worke And Dauid confesseth in deede that he dwelleth on high but yet that he beholdeth whatsoeuer is done in heauen and in earth For by his prouidence it commeth to passe that the poore of lowe degree are aduaunced to princely dignitie that kingdomes are conueyed and transferred from one to an other that women that are barren are made fruitfull that the earth bringeth forth all maner of fruites that the seas ebbe and flowe that all the worlde is tossed and turned with such interchaungeable course and varietie of seasons And to conclude there is nothing so excluded from Gods prouidence but that it numbreth euen the dyuers wayes of byrdes flying the flowers of the fyelde and heares of our head By these things is their doting confuted which say that this worlde is eternall which is the fyrst step vp to impietie For hereof it will follow that all thinges come to passe by chaunce and that eyther there is no God at all or else that he walketh vp and downe ydely in heauen and hath no regarde what is done on earth Dauid most diligently discribed this secte of men which thus ymagine and fayne in his Psalm 14. and .53 But at this day this secte so raigneth that a man shall see fewe which are in deede perswaded that God is the creator and gouernour of all things But the ende of these men Peter trimlye setteth forth in his last Epistle and thirde Chapiter But let vs returne to the Apostles who in the thirde part of their oration confute the obiections that might be made against them such as was prescription of tyme and vniforme consent almost of all the world Which arguments at this day are woont to be alleaged against the truth For it seemeth an vnmeete and an absurde thing that so many should haue erred so many yeres togither that the truth should now at the length be knowne but to a small number of men and those of small name and fame But the Apostles aunswere these things in fewe wordes God say they in times past suffred all nations to walke in their owne wayes In these wordes lye two arguments The one that the Gentyles walked not in the preceptes of God but in their owne wayes and inuentions therefore we maye not take them for an example therein to followe The other is that this thing fell out through the permission and sufferaunce of God not that he was pleased with their superstition but that the presumption of such curyous men so deserued who as Paule in an other place sayth woulde seeke further in the mysteries of God then mans reason coulde attaine to and were not content with the ordinarie meanes whereby God had appoynted to be knowne This place teacheth vs that the wayes of man in hys saluation are blinde and deceyueable bicause the naturall man as was said in the begynning of thys sermon perceyueth not the thinges that belong vnto God. Except therfore mans wisedome submit it selfe vnto the word of God it cannot attayne to the true knowledge of saluation yea the higher it shall mount in perswasion of hir owne habilitie the deeper she shal fall into the gulfe of errors Therefore it is a great blindnesse of theirs that thinke matters of religion and controuersies rysing about the same can by mans reason and deuise be calmed and appeased These men doe â–ª as if one should appoynt those for Iudges of causes that can neyther see nor heare we are further admonished by this place that al they are miserably beguyled which alleage the multitude in matters of religion affirme that the Church cannot erre For it is euydent in all ages that the
constantly the glory of the true God so that nowe the townesmen of Lystra beginne to taste of the knowledge of God and to forsake the errors of their forefathers Wherefore Satan prooueth another way and armeth against them the professed enimies of the truth by whose meanes he had caused the Apostles at other times also to giue place to go backe For he calleth certaine Iewes from Antioch and Iconium who with slaunders had so incensed the mindes of those of Lystra against the Apostles that they like madde men rose against Paule woulde haue stoned him and haled him halâ—e for deade out of the gates of their Citie And the very vse of all this hystorie is to learne vs to beware of Satans sleyghtes wherewith he vseth to vndermine the truth and to imitate the constancie of the Apostles in withstanding them But bicause there are other things in the same seruing both for our instruction and comfort it shall be very profytable to consider all the circumstances of this contention First the same parties are the beginners of this disturbance who before had troubled the Apostles euen the Iewes of whose horrible blindenesse and desperate obstinacie in contending against Christ hath bene already oftentimes spoken But here is to be marked a notable sleyght and pollicie of Satan in that he bringeth these men from Antioch and Iconium as olde tried souldiours For his chiefe care is to haue euerywhere his instruments whereby he may ouerthrowe the kingdome of Christ and establishe his owne Wherefore if he perceyue that men are not fyt ynough for his purpose in one place he will bring other from other places by whose meanes and industrie he will compasse his purpose Hereof might manye examples be brought if olde examples needed where dayly are abundant For the like subtiltie he vseth in these dayes procuring Bishops and ydle Monkes to creepe in and maintayne the counsels of the wicked and to incense the vnlearned Comminaltie with slaunders against Christes doctrine inuegling the Nobles with fayre promises and somtimes with gifts and rewardes labouring all that they may to destroy the fruite of the Gospell euen in the springth and blade And this it shall be very profytable for vs well to marke that we may labour with no lesse traueyle and study yet godly and voyde of all guile to defende and set forth the truth Secondly we haue to consider the inconstancie of the Commons and people For they which not long before tooke the Apostles for Goddes and prepared to doe sacrifyce vnto them being sodenly perswaded by forreners and men of another profession and religion go about to put them to cruell death What therefore shall we thinke they woulde haue done if they had bene pricked forwarde eyther of their owne Nation or of the Romaine Presidents But this the leuitie and ticklenesse of the people which is both forgetfull of benefytes receyued and with detestable iniuries reward their benefactors is not so dishonest as common in euery place Example hereof we see in the Egyptians who being through Iosephes counsayle not onelye preserued in time of dearth but also aduaunced to great power and glorie yet forgotte they him almost before he was deade and vsed all maner of crueltie and tyrannie against his posteritie Moses felt euen the same who being the protector and defender of the people of Israel and hauing suffred all kinde of slaunderous reproches could scarce escape stoning What neede we to speake of Dauid and diuers others whose examples we reade in the storyes of the Gentyles seeing it is euident Christ suffred the like For they which called him and hayled him as their king and with honorable and great showtes receiued him as he came into Ierusalem shortly after ioyning with the Scribes and Phariseyes desired to haue him crucifyed These examples are very profytable For they teache vs that we must not trust in the prayse of the people which is so variable and inconstant For if a man will consider but himselfe onely he shall easily perceyue what diuers mindes and contrarye affections he shall be in at once And thinke we that the Commons a beast of so many heades will alway be constant which looke howe many heades it hath with so many senses it is ledde and admitteth and harkeneth euery day to the newe deuises of them which vse their inconstancie and leuitie to their lucre and aduantage Why rather labour we not to make our doings acceptable to God onely with whome we knowe there is a sure reward laide vp for vs which neither the leuitie of the Commons nor violence of Tyrants can take from vs. Thirdly we haue to consider God himselfe according to whose becke and prouidence it is manifest all thinges are ordred He suffereth the moste faythfull Apostle of Christ and chosen vessell of his grace to be stoned and that of them whose saluation he moste desired and for whome he prayed without ceasing Therefore it ought not to seeme a straunge or insolent thing vnto vs if the lyke come to passe in these dayes and we must not iudge of any mannes doctrine or fayth according to the euill successe therof bicause the like fell out in times past to the Prophets as Christ testifyeth Let vs rather comfort our selues with Gods prouidence which appeareth in this place by many arguments For who will not acknowledge it to bee the singular working and counsayle of God that Paule was thus stoned and Barnabas vntouched being Paules companion and whom not long before they seemed to preferre before Paule calling him Iupiter Who will say but he was preserued by the assistance of God seeing we reade none was present that went about to resist the enterpryse of these harebrained Commons And if any man will demaunde why God assisted this man rather than Paule surelye he can render no certaine reason therefore more than that it so lyked God whose iudgements are truth and veritie Yet if place may be giuen to godly coniectures it may seeme that God therefore spared Barnabas bicause he knewe he was as yet more weake than to beare out such a brunt For God is faythfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted with more than we can beare And Gods care and goodnesse seemeth towards Paule no lesse for he preserueth him in the middest of the showting of the people and stones flying about his eares so that he caught no deadly wounde or if he had any he recouered it Yea he so restored him againe that being thought to be deade and being drawne like a deade caryon out of the gates of the Citie he was able the next daye following to take his iourney Let no man therefore despayre in the middle of daungers considering that the boundes of Gods prouidence passe the markes and doles of all daungers For whether we liue or die we be the Lordes and nothing is able to seperate vs from his loue And Paule himself teacheth vs to learne a generall doctrine of
sowne amongst men must still be cherished and watered For the parable of Christ is well knowne concerning our enimie which whyle we be a sleepe vseth to sowe Darnell and Coâ—cle Therfore they are much to blame which aâ—ter they haue preached the worde thinke they haue discharged their duetie whereas afterwarde their dyligence and industrie is more needefull than before that they which before began to heare and follow the voyce of Christ be not seduced and pulled back through Satans craft Also it is a notable example of christian loue and zeale that Paule and Barnabas returned to them againe who iniuriously and shamefully had intreated them dryuing them out of their Cities Let no man therefore be offended at the vnthankfulnesse of men nor thinke it is therefore lawfull for him to leaue of his duetie bicause his hearers for whose saluation he is so carefull lyke not of hym as he deserueth For why shoulde a man imitate him whome he thinketh worthy to be blamed Thou thinkest them worthy to be reprehended which doe not their duetie Why then sufferest thou thy selfe to doe woorse than they in not doing thy duetie Remember rather that thou art the seruaunt of God and therefore lookest for thy rewarde at his hande and not of this blockishe and ingratefull world whose propertie it is to requite those that doe them good with all euill The things that came to passe vnto Moses Dauid the prophets to Christ his Apostles aboundantly declare the same Yea the hystories of the Gentiles are full of these examples For here vnto are to be referred Aristides Themistocles Miltiades Cimon Camillus the Scipions the Catones Cicero and infynite others who where they were the deliuerers of their Countries from calamities whereby the vnkinde Citizens eyther shamefully banished their Countries or else vnworthily put to death and kylled But let vs diligentlye consyder what Paule and Barnabas did in the Cities wherevnto they returned Fyrst it is sayde they confirmed the myndes of the Discipels And yet is it the worke of God onely to rule the mindes of men to confyrme them and to mooue them after his owne pleasure Yet the Apostles confyrme them whose ministerie God did vouchsafe to vse to that purpose who where he worketh onely all things in all men yet for the most part he vseth his meanes and a certaine orderly proceeding Therfore euen as by preaching of the worde he illuminateth mens mindes with faith so by the same meanes he confyrmeth mens mindes in the faith And so must we thinke and consyder hereof least we attribute to the ministerie of menne that which is onely the worke of God or else make to light of the ministerie ordeyned of god For grieuous and detestable is the error of them which whyle they will seeme to defend the glorie of God contempne the order appointed of God despise the doctrine of hys worde shunne to â—oyne with the congregation neglect prayers and vnder the pretence of Gods holye name liue carelesly and wickedly Howbeit Luke declareth howe the Apostles confyrmed the mindes of the Disciples saying as followeth exhorting them to contynue in the faith Mens mindes therefore vse to be confyrmed with exhortations taken out of the worde of god Let vs also marke howe it is not sufficient for men once to beleeue in Christ but that they must also abyde and continue in the true fayth For except they so doe the later ende will be woorse than the beginning and they are not thought worthy of the kingdome of God which haue once layde their hande to the Plough and looke backe agayne Hereof came it to passe that Christ after his ascention rebuked the Church of Ephesus bicause she had lost hir former loue and feruent zeale of fayth but commended the Church at Thyatira bicause they increased euery daye more and more in faith and godlynesse Therefore it behooueth all congregations diligently to meditate all these thinges that they corrupt not the lawdable beginnings of fayth with fylthie falling awaye and negligence Also let all degrees and states of men learne hereby to take heede of their office this is a generall rule in all thinges that it is in vaine to beginne well except we continue on vnto the ende In the meane whyle this place teacheth vs that the doctrine of faith is certaine and inuiolable For it were no commendable thing to perseuere and continue in the fayth if there were any thing in the doctrine thereof to be amended or chaunged which thinge is to be obiected against them who whyle they dare not openly condempne the doctrine of the Apostles yet saye they there are diuers things added to it since as necessarie to be obserued as the things that they taught But if a man will compare those things with the doctrine of the Apostles he shall finde that the truth of the Apostles doctrine can not stande if such thinges be admytted Let vs learne therefore so to persist in the faith and doctrine of the Apostles that we admit nothing contrarie therevnto yea that we beleeue not an Aungell if he woulde nowe preache any newe or other gospell Moreouer they put away the offence of the Crosse which was a thing very needefull bicause mannes reason most times iudgeth of fayth according as things in time fall out And it is not vnlike but many mens mindes were marueylously tempted seeing the Apostles doctrine was euerywhere reiected and they still in daunger and trouble for the same But the Apostles in a briefe saying giue a most effectuall comfort to the weake in faith saying that by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen This saying hath in it two reasons very fytte to comfort vs The fyrst is that they say it must so be and can not be otherwise And common sense teaceth vs that we must take paciently and in good worth that that cannot be otherwise Thus they declare in what state of lyfe the godly haue to liue in this worlde which Christ also testifyeth is full of all maner of afflictions whereas he commaundeth vs euerye day to take vppe our Crosse and so to followe him And surely if a man will marke the course of this life hee shall see nothing free from euill and miserie For this lyfe floweth with all maner of molestations which spring of sinne such as are sickenesse labor care watching pouertie alteration of the world and infynite like by reason whereof our life is compared to a moste troublesome and perillous pilgrimage and continuall traueyle But beside these there are other afflictions which the worlde that cannot abyde the light hath in store for the godlye For hereof proceedeth it that the worlde hateth them that they are rayled on and put to shame that euery man doth them iniurye that they laye violent handes on them that they are imprisoned manacled and fettered that they are banished lose their goodes and suffer moste vyle and horrible deathes Thus is fulfylled
a cause that Luke maketh mention twise or thrise of the grace worke of god For fyrst he sayth they were committed vnto the grace of God in this worke to the intent that all the Church might wytnesse they were able to doe nothing without the grace of god Then declare they what woonders God wrought by them which kinde of phrase attributeth the whole successe of their ambassage and ministerie to God onely Moreouer they declare howe God opened the dore of fayth vnto the Gentyles Then is there a dore opened vnto the fayth when an effectuall operation of the holy spirite is ioyned vnto the outwarde preaching whereby the mindes of men are illuminated and drawne vnto the obedience of fayth This is the only worke of God as Christ testifyeth saying No man commeth vnto me except my father draweth him We are taught therefore by the example of the Apostles to attribute nothing to our owne industrie and wisedome in deede of vs it is required to be faithfull and diligent Howbeit as the successe of our doings must be committed vnto God so must all the prayse and glorye of their well doings be referred vnto him also Which doctrine is not onely for ministers of the worde to remember but also for all Magistrates housholders maryed folke seruauntes and to conclude for all states and degrees of men as we haue oftentimes declared Last of all it is sayde they tarrie a good space at Antioche to the ende doubtlesse to recreate themselues with honest and godly quietnesse hauing bene wearied a long whyle before with many labours and daungers both by lande and sea For it is meete conuenient that they should reape some fruite of their labours whose fayth and diligence had bene so many waies tried So Christ bade his Apostles when they returned from preaching the gospell to go aside out of the waye for a season and to repose themselues a little Let no man yet thinke that the Apostles sate still at Antioche ydely gasing vpon others For without doubt they faithfully taught the brethren and tooke paines in helping the other Ministers But for a certaine time they surceased from traueyling and taking anye enterprise of daunger in hande God the father of mercie graunt that all they that nowe a dayes glory in the gospell may fynishe the course of their lyfe with like diligence and successe as did the Apostles and that in the heauenly Chanaan they may enioy perpetuall rest and peace with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xv. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cj. Homelie AND certayne men which came downe taught the brethren except you be circumcised after the maner of Moses you cannot be saued So when there was rysen discention and disputing not a little vnto Paule and Barnabas and certayne other of them should go vp to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles and Elders about this question And after they were brought on their way by the congregation they passed ouer Phoenices and Samaria declaring the conuersion of the Gentyles and they brought great ioy vnto all the brethren And when they were come to Ierusalem they were receyued of the congregations and of the Apostles and Elders and they declared all the things that God had done by them IN the former part of his treatise or worke Luke hath declared howe the primitiue Church was gathered togither both of Iewes and Gentiles by preaching of the Apostles and howe by the wonderfull assistaunce of GOD it was preserued amonge the contynuall stormes blastes of persecution Herevnto is added a newe hystorie in thys Chappiter that teacheth vs howe the Lorde preserued the same Church agaynst false brethren and teachers least it myghte lose eyther simplicitie of doctrine or puritie of faith For hytherto for fourteene yeares togyther Paule had preached the Gospell and according to the common consent of the Apostles doctrine had taught that all saluation was in Christ Iesus onelye which doctrine being euerywhere receyued certayne of the Iewes specially those of the Phariseys secte that professed the fayth of Christ began to withstande Who albeit they confessed Christ yet they would needes haue circumcision and the ceremonies of the lawes to be ioyned with it which opinion whiles Paule earnestly resisted caused great adooe and contention insomuch that it horribly shooke the whole Church But our Sauiour Christ forsooke not them that stroâ—e for the glory of his merite by whose prouidence it came to passe that the plaine and simple doctrine of Christ was defended and confyrmed by the publike testimonie of the Apostles and the whole Church The consyderation of thys hystorie serueth much both to instruct and comfort all congregations For as by the example of the Apostles we are taught which waye to resist false doctrine â—o learne we that the doctrine of truth standeth fyrme and sure against all inuasions wherefore we will in order consider all the partes of this present place First Luke telleth who were the authors of this strife discention euen certaine persons that came out of Iurie and from Ierusalem Therfore they must needes be of great authoritie considering Ierusalem was the mother Church of all other and was worthily esteemed of all menne bicause from thence the Gospell of saluation did fyrst issue and spring for the which cause Paule also commendeth it saying It was meete the Gentyles shoulde minister corporall thinges vnto those of Ierusalem which had giuen them the spirituall and eternall giftes of saluation And it is no doubt but those deceyuers and seducers did marueylously bragge of the name and authoritie of the Apostles and did make lyght of Paules name as who should saye he deserued not to be counted among the Apostles bicause he had not bene conuersant with Iesus Christ whyle he liued For this maye we gather of Paules Epistles where he is enforced earnestlye to defende his authoritie and Apostleship against them Furthermore we maye here see howe deceyuers breede euen in the Church but were neuer true members of the Church For they that are in deede of the Church vse to continue in the same Therefore Christ sayth they go in sheepes clothing And Paule in another place sayth from among your selues shall ryse grieuous wolues c. And this is a woonderfull craft of Satan which knowing that men doe hate and abhorre him vseth to counterfeyte an Aungell of light and vnder the cloke of holynesse to beguyle and deceyue the simple This place serueth to confute them which constantly beleeue that the Romane Church cannot erre and be deceyued and affirme that whatsoeuer commeth from thence ought to be receyued as an Oracle And yet out of Ierusalem where the Apostles discharged their office and dutie with all diligence came these hypocrites and deceyuers What therefore shall we hope for at their handes amongst whome these many hundred yeres hath bene seene no token eyther of Apostolike lyfe or
come might be preuented And fyrst bicause they whose mindes through contention were mooued might happen to suspect Paule and Barnabas credite in this dealing they ioyne vnto them messengers of no small dignitie and estimation Againe least Silas and Iudas might not seeme by craft and subtiltie to be wonne and made on Paules side they commende and defende their authoritie by publike letters By which example we are taught that prudence and wisedome is chiefely to be vsed in publike affayres of the Church least vnaduised rashnesse maye preiudice a cause of it selfe otherwise both good and honest Here is to be considered the order of the Primitiue Church which the same Church was woont to vse in publike affayres The Apostles in deede with the Elders had the rule and ordering of all matters as they who had the ouersight of the Churche committed vnto them Yet they tooke not on them such rule and authoritie to exclude or shut out the people from the hearing of such things as appertayned indifferently vnto the whole Church Againe in the people was great consideration of modestie whereby it came to passe that euerye one gaue place vnto the truth and none of them prouoked eyther with 〈◊〉 or other peruerse affection would vnaduisedly stirre or make businesse Nowe where the ambition of Prelates hath disturbed and broken this order who contrary to the commaundement of Peter the Apostle haue chalenged vnto them a Lordship ouer the inheritance or Church of Christ the congregations are euery daye molested with newe contentions and there appeareth no ende eyther of errors or moste bitter debates But let vs see the letters of the Synode or Counsayle where a thing of most weight and importance is most briefely and plainely entreated For as truth is easily perceyued and voyde of all guile so it desireth no fetches nor affectate ornaments and deckings This Epistle or letter consisteth of fower partes all which for the more perspicuitie we will seuerally speake of The fyrst parte contayneth the superscription which nameth the authors of the Epistle and those to whome the same is written And they are all so named as a man may perceyue nothing is spoken of arrogancie or ambition Yet is there an order obserued wherof a man must haue regard in euery thing First are the Apostles placed bicause Christ appointed them to be teachers of the whole worlde and his witnesses and adourned them with such dignitie that they are called the salte of the earth and light of the worlde After that are the Elders named of whose office we haue spoken already before Last of all all the beleeuers are comprehended vnder the name of brethren Therefore these letters are written in the name of the whole Synode and Congregation And they are written vnto the brethren that dwelt at Antioch in Syria and Cilicia amongest whome schisme and troubles were raysed through the malice and craft of deceyuers We must marke the calling of one another brethren which appeareth to be a moste auncient vsage euen from the time of the Apostles There is two occasions of this name We are called brethren both bicause we haue all one father which is in heauen who hath prepared for vs one inheritaunce of hys kingdome and also for that Iesus Christ the sonne of God taketh vs for his brethren and doth vouchsafe to make vs coinheritours with him As therefore this name serueth much for the mainteyning of concorde among Christians so it bringeth a singular comfort in all kinde of temptations For it is impossible that Iesus Christ shoulde neglect them whom he hath once taken for his brethren and will haue to be heyres of his kingdome Woulde to God they woulde expende this name which now a dayes make such odious differences of Nations as though no dutie of Christian charitie were due vnto those which are borne out of our countrie Yet the Apostles acknowledge the Assyrians and Cilicians people farre distaunt from them and borne of the Gentyles to be their brethren What wickednesse is it therefore to thinke Christian menne whome Christ taketh for his brethren for the Countries sake to be straungers vnto vs Ought the inheritance of the earth to be greater than the inheritance of heauen In the seconde part they grauely controll the deceyuers and false Apostles euen as the weyght of the cause and daunger of saluation by them procured deserued And fyrst they confesse they went forth from them but so as they were no partakers with them And this they laye as a stopple against their vaine vauntes and bragging For they vsed to saye they came from Ierusalem and had learned their doctrine of the Apostles who taught the same learning at Ierusalem Therefore the Apostles denie not that they went forth from their Church but yet therefore they aduise not euery man to credite and receyue that they teach For it is commonly seene that deceyuers come forth of the Church as we haue elsewhere taught Therefore that vaine vanitie of tytles and succession whereby the Bishops of Rome defende their dignitie in these dayes while they alleage the authoritie of the Church of Rome and the Apostles their Predecessours is not sufficient We be not ignorant that the fayth of that Church was once such that Paule worthily commended the same Wee know also that there haue bene many Bishops in the same of notable godlynesse faith and learning of whome diuers haue bene crowned with martyrdome But what is all this to our Bishops now a dayes whose beliefe learning and conuersation is altogither different from those men They that will defende themselues by the authoritie of the Church should followe the steps of the Primitiue Church This done they declare what these deceyuers did They haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your mindes They are therefore disturbers and not builders of the Church as Paule well obserued wryting to the Galathians I marueyle you are so soone turned vnto another Gospell which is nothing else but that there be some that trouble you Againe I woulde to God they were seperated from you that trouble you In these wordes is declared the effect of false doctrine which a man may espie in all them which ascribe not vnto Christ onely all the order and praise of our saluation First they trouble and make the hearers vncertaine of their saluation whiles they ouerthrowe fayth For it cannot be that they haue anye thinge stable and certaine that sticke to the workes of the lawe bicause the lawe exacteth a perfyte and an absolute obedience in all poyntes which is not in mannes power to perfourme Wherefore according to the saying of Paule as soone as saluation is declared to be in workes then faith is in vaine and the promyse of none effect And the false Apostles doe not onely trouble men this waye but also for that they be authors of schisme which must needes ensue as soone as saluation is not attributed to Christ onely For example we haue the Church
at Corinth the which Paule complaineth to haue bene deuided into many and diuers factions through the subtiltie offalse teachers Both these thinges they founde true which were ledde about with the doctrine of the Monkes before the light of the Gospell appeared But the Apostles adde a notable sentence vnto the description of these deceyuers whereby they manifestly declare that they gaue the false Apostles no such thing in commaundement Therefore they accuse them of lying and therby likewise declare that there shall be lyers in all ages that shall preache the iustifycation of workes vnder the pretence and name of the Apostles Lette them therefore crye till they be horce againe that they are Legates sent from the Popes side let them pretende Fathers and Counsayles let them wrest scriptures let them glorie in the authoritie of Kings and Princes and we shall sette against all these the Counsayle and authoritie of the Apostles which openly testifyeth that the Apostles make nothing for them which dare ouerthrowe the righteousnesse of faith and attribute the glory of our saluation any way vnto workes Naye we will referre that saying of Paule vnto this place who doubted not to strike with Cursse an Aungell presuming to preach any other Gospell than this In the thirde member of their deuision they greatly commende Paule and Barnabas bicause they knewe that these deceyuers did greatly impugne their authoritie which also was the cause that Paule diuers times defended his Apostleship not without some suspect of ambition as his Epistles to the Galathians and Corinthians declare Therfore they call them their beloued by which name they accuse all those of lying which affirmed that Paule discented from the other Apostles They ioyne herevnto a praise which is the greatest that can be deuised where they say they ieoperded their liues for the name of Iesus Christ. The example of the Primitiue Church teacheth that their name and fame which deserue well in setting forth the saluation of men ought to be maintained defended And this is not to be iudged as any flatterie when it is done modestly and to that ende to keepe their authoritie vnblemished Thus it pleased Christ to adourne the sonnes of Zebede with worshipfull tytles as long as their vertuous doings so deserued And Paule sometime digresseth and taketh occasion to commende Titus Luke Timothie Epaphroditus and such like both to spurre them forward and also that their ministery might the more profytably proceede and go forwarde And this is to be obserued not onely in the Church but also in the common weale bicause liuely and couragious spirites are no waye more effectually cheared to take in hande vertuous and worthy exploytes than by prayse and honor And there are euerywhere examples that teach vs that no common weales haue long flourished where there haue not bene appoynted worthy rewardes of commendation and honor for well deseruers Furthermore in this place is expressed what the true prayse of a Minister is verily when necessitie so requireth to laye downe his life for the testimonie and name of Iesus christ For as he deserueth not to be called a good souldiour who is not redy to hazard his life if the coÌ„maundement of his Captaine publike weale so require so can he be no faythfull minister of Christ which is not ready to forsake all he hath yea his life to for the glory of Christ thus doth Christ euen of very equity and right require of vs seeing he fyrst did vouchsafe to laye downe his life for the saluation of all mankinde And yet these thinges are not so to be vnderstanded as though none shoulde be taken for a faythfull Minister of Christ but he that hath hazarded his lyfe For Christ woulde not haue vs rashe and to prodigall of our liues but rather he commaundeth vs to vse the prudence of serpents shunning and taking heede of daungers And many times there appeareth no daunger why we should feare our life yet in the meane time it is required that we should be prompt and ready in minde that we steppe not backe when with perill of our life we shoulde defende the glorye of christ This promptnesse of minde doth Paule shewe when being admonished howe he shoulde be layde in bondes he confessed that he was ready not onely to suffer bondes or imprisonment but also death for the name of christ See the Actes .xx. and .xxj. And that that is sayde of the Ministers of the worde is vnderstanded also of all that be Christians For it is an vniuersall rule which commaundeth vs to confesse Christ before the world and teacheth that he is not fytte for the kingdome of God which looketh backe agayne after he hath once sette his hande vnto the plough The fourth part expoundeth the decree of the Synode in the which Peter and Iames sayings are repeated and reconcyled in the which place we haue orderly to consider three things First they alleage the author of the decree namely the holy ghost It hath seemed good saye they vnto the holy ghost and to vs. They ioyne themselues with the holye ghost not meaning to match their authoritie with his or that they woulde be beleeued alone without the consent of the spirite but bicause Christ made them Ministers of his spirite by whom he thought good to vtter his Oracles In the which meaning also it is sayde He that heareth you heareth me and he that despyseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Therefore bicause the Apostles pronounced nothing but that the holy ghost bade them they ioyne themselues after none insolent sort but after a modest and conuenient grauitie vnto the holye ghost â–ª least they might seeme to dissent from him And that the thing they write is the oracle of the holye ghost it appeareth by this that they decree nothing repugnant vnto the holy Scriptures And if the President of y Popishe Counsayles may say the same of their decrees we will confesse that they also are gathered togither in the holy ghost and that the thinges they enact are the decrees and Statutes of the spirite But as oft as they shall put forth opinions varying froÌ„ the Scriptures and repugnant vnto them so oft will we denie that they are ledde with the holy ghost bicause he cannot disagree with himselfe forasmuch as he is the spirite of truth Secondly they declare what it is that seemeth good vnto the holy ghost namely that we shoulde charge you with no more yoke and burthen Therefore whatsoeuer is beside the fayth in Iesus Christ is a yoke and a burthen For mennes consciences are burthened with the vnprofytable obseruation of traditioâ—s which can not further our saluation They repeate also what Iames had prescribed touching the eating of things offered to Idols touching whoredome strangled and bloude and they saye these are necessary to be obserued Here is to be noted what we sayd in the last Homelie touching the differences of these
diuers tymes intreated these fewe wordes for this time may suffyse Let vs note well thys one thing that there is none other thing in scripture for fayth to take holde on but christ For hereof it is gathered that all they that seeke saluation out of Christ lacke fayth and are miserably molested with vncertayne opinions Yet bicause this doctryne was more briefe than a barbarous man and a Gentyle coulde at the fyrst vnderstande therefore the Apostles afterwarde open the same more at large For they preach the word of the Lorde that is the Gospell aswell to hym as to all his housholde the summe whereof is that we are iustifyed and saued by fayth through the merite of christ In the meane season we are taught that fayth is no rashlye conceyued or imaginatyue opinion but a full and perfyte knowledge of Iesus Christ which dependeth vpon the eternall worde of god Therefore fayth must be learned in his worde and nothing admitted that is not plainly expressed in the Gospell And whatsoeuer is contained therein that let vs embrace with stedfast fayth that we also by that meane maye be saued through our Lorde Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxij Homelie AND he tooke them the same houre of the nyght and washed their woundes and was baptised and all they of his housholde straight way And when he had brought them into his house he set meate before them and ioyed that he with all his housholde beleeued on god And when it was day the officers sent the Ministers saying Let those men go The keeper of the Prison tolde this saying to Paule The officers haue sent worde to lose you Now therefore get you hence and go in peace Then sayd Paule vnto them they haue beaten vs openly vncondemned for all that we are Romaynes and haue cast vs in Prison and nowe would they sende vs away priuily Nay verily but let them come themselues and fet vs out when the Ministers tolde these wordes vnto the officers they feared when they heard that they were Romanes they came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the Citie And they went out of the Prison and entred into the house of Lydia and when they had seene the brethren they comforted them and departed AS the Euangelist Luke hath diligently descrybed the tyranny and vnrighteousnesse of the magistrate of Philippi vsed against the faythfull seruantes of Christ Paule and Silas so he reporteth as dyligently howe the keeper of the Prison a great dooer in the sayde wicked enterprise was conuerted vnto the faith of Iesus Christ. The ende of all which hystorie is partly to learne vs the true way howe to turne vnto God then what afterwardes we must do when we are turned vnto god And the fyrst point of this present place pertayneth vnto the later member wherein is declared what this keeper dyd after he had embrased christ This part therefore we wyll fyrst declare meaning afterwarde to speake of the Apostles delyuerie as much as God shall put in our mindes As touching the keeper of the Prison nowe conuerted vnto Christ foure things chiefely are affyrmed Fyrst in the same night he bringeth the Apostles out of Prison washeth their sores This he doth contrarie to the commaundement of the magistrate which badde they shoulde diligently and straightly be kept Yea euen he that knew the seueritie of the Iudges to be such that he would euen now haue kylled hymselfe when he thought the prisoners were fledde bringeth them out of his owne accorde putting himselfe in manifest daunger of his lyfe This place teacheth vs that the chiefe and principall effect of fayth is to make men obedyent vnto God and bolde to put those thinges in execution that they know God alloweth and commaundeth although the worlde thinke neuer so much the contrarie For this is the saying and minde of all the faythfull as well as of Peter that we must obey God more than man. Therefore they are confuted by this example which nowe a dayes alleage the authoritie of Princes publyke lawes the friendship of the worlde and infynite such lyke agaynst the preceptes of God and being frozen with cowardely feare dare neuer attempt any thing in Christes quarrell and glorye Let vs rather followe this keeper of the Prison whome neyther authoritie of magistrate publike lawe breaking of Prison nor present daunger coulde so feare but that he durst bring them out of prison whome he knewe were vniustlye committed thyther and to vnworthily entreated After this he is by and by baptized and causeth all his housholde lykewise to be baptized For he had learned by the Gospell which the Apostles preached vnto him that it was an ordynance of Christ that all they which woulde beleeue in him shoulde be ioyned togither into one bodye of the Church by baptisme Wherefore he thinketh the sacrament instituted of Christ ought not to be neglected nor did not sophistically reason of the doctrine of fayth going before on this wise If faith onely in our sauiour Iesus Christ be sufficient vnto saluation as you erewhyle dyd teache whye require you nowe baptisme which must needes be superfluous and vnprofytable For they that truely beleeue in Christ will neuer despise the ordynaunces of Christ bicause they know that the sacramentes are not repugnaunt vnto faith but are rather certaine labelles and outwarde seales of Gods promises whereof we take holde by fayth In the meane season we haue to consyder the zealous fayth of this keeper wherewith he was so enflamed that he would haue his housholde also dedicated vnto God by baptisme An example wherof we had before also in Lyddia Which thing as it serueth to confute the Annabaptistes which of their owne head keepe the children of the faythfull from baptisme so it reprooueth the sloth and intollerable sluggishnesse of them which haue so little care for their familie that they regarde not to haue them consecrated vnto Christ and to hys Church by outwarde sacramentes thereby abundantlye declaring that they are not greatly carefull for the glory of God. Thirdly he prepareth meate for them at his house for that he knew they had in the Prison a verie slender supper or none at all This is a worke of christian liberalitie and loue which they that beleeue in Christ are neuer wythout For it is impossible to seperate fayth from the loue of god And he that truely loueth God can not neglect his neighbour whom he knoweth is made after the similitude of God and so esteemed of hym that he would haue him redeemed with the bloude of his sonne which was the cause that Paule sayth fayth worketh through loue Galat. 5. For althoughe there be many workes of fayth yet may they all for the most part be referred vnto charitie bicause through it the whole lawe is fulfylled And the Apostle Iohn teacheth vs that he that neglecteth his neighbour neyther looueth God
nor hath any faith Therefore this Iayler doth well to declare his faith by workes of charitie which it becommeth vs also busily to apply if we will not be taken and called vaine professours of the faith Fourthly he reioyceth with all his housholde bicause he beleeued in God and knewe he nowe belonged vnto the Church of Christ in whome onely the treasures of saluation are layde vp And yet as we erewhyle declared he was in great daunger thereby For if the Iudges mindes had notbene sodainely altered which alteration he yet wist not of he had dyed for it insomuch as he had let those loose whome the Iudge had commaunded to be laide in yrons But as faith maketh all men obedient vnto God so it ouercommeth all labours and daungers and suffereth not the feeling of heauenly ioye which the spirite of Christ inspyreth to be ouercome with any temptations Therefore Paule wryting to these faythfull of the Phylippians byddeth them alwaies to reioyce and be glad Moreouer if a man would lay togither all things saide hitherto of this Iayler it shall appeare that fayth is not ydle nor can not be seperated from good workes For what good workes are here lacking He recompenseth the iniuries made before vnto the Apostles He obeyeth God duely with present daunger of his lyfe declaring hereby howe readie he ment afterwarde to be in all other thinges Hee receyued the sacramentes duelie as he ought to doe For where he receyued baptisme streight way it is not like he absteyned from the Lordes supper seing he was conuersaunt with the faithfull Furthermore he was carefull for the saluation of his familie and caused them also to be brought vnto Christ and vnto the congregation also he exerciseth charitie and benefycence liberally and euen in the middle of daungers ioyeth altogither in spirituall gladnesse And yet the Apostles being asked the true waye of saluation appointed him but faith onely in Iesus Christ. And this faith brought forth streight way such excellent fruites as we haue heard Wherevnto yet we must not attribute the glorie of saluation bicause he coulde haue done none of them vnlesse by faith he had beene graffed in Christ and quickned with his spirite Here fyrst are they confuted that saye the doctrine of faith is an enimie vnto good workes seing such increase of good workes springeth of none other thing so much as of faith And next they also which vnder a false pretence of the Gospell seeke the vnbrydelled licentiousnesse of the fleshe and to sinne without check Howbeit after the hystory of the keeper of the Prison ended Luke commeth vnto the officers of Philippi and declareth howe the Apostles were delyuered by their commaundement and authoritie For Gods workes are perfyte and beguyle not mens mindes with vaine hope and expectation of his helpe and succour In the meane season yet God marueylously tosseth the Apostles that one maye see he vseth the wicked to fulfyll his pleasure euen against their wyll But let vs discusse all things in order that we may receyue the more comfort and instruction thereby By the breake of daye came Sergeaunts from the Magistrates commaunding the Apostles to be let loose and it shall appeare afterward by Paules words that this was a secret dimission they went about meaning also to sende them out of the Citie But howsoeuer they were dimissed it is plaine that these Iudges did acknowledge both the innocencie of the Apostles and also their owne vnrighteousnesse which they vsed against them But whether it was the meane whyle of the night that caused them to consider so much or the earthquake that strake them in such feare that they durst not holde on in their tyrannie it is vncertaine But assuredly such sodaine chaunge of minde did aboundantly declare both their rashnesse and vnrighteousnesse Yet go they about marueylous craftily to hyde the heynousnesse they had commytted and whereof they were ashamed For therefore woulde they haue the Apostles priuily to be set at libertie to lay all the fault in them as though they mistrusting their cause had broke open the dores and fledde out of Prison Thus the wicked vse with craftes and colours to seeke to seeme righteous being ashamed of their naughtinesse but meaning no earnest repentaunce which causeth them to their further shame to heape freshe offences and sinnes vpon the olde Therefore this place teacheth vs fyrst what the repentaunce of the wicked is for the most part Doubtlesse a counterfeyte repentaunce and such as reuerence and feare of men onely wringeth out of them not repenting in the meane season from the heart nor nothing mindefull of amendement Thus we reade Saule repented when he earnestly required Samuel not to depart from him least his authoritie and estimation should vtterly haue quayled before the Elders and the people That this is a vaine and vnprofytable repentaunce appeareth euen by this for that in the meane season they hate the worde of God woorse than a Tode bicause the light thereof discloseth their wickednesse Let euery man therefore so learne to acknowledge his offences that he may also be sorrowfull for the same and not seeke to hyde them wyth the shaming of other but rather let them publishe them to the amendment of other and to the setting forth of Gods glorie whereof the scripture giueth vs examples in Dauid and Paule Also this place teacheth vs how easilye wicked officers can quit themselues of great heynous offences For what could this men haue done more wickedly and vnworthy their calling than to beate innocent persons without hearing their cause at the â—ry and clamour of the commons and being all gore bloude and their sores not washed to cast them into a darke dungeon And nowe they thinke it is ynnough if they put them not to death with more shame but conuey them priuily out of the Citie And here is no worde of amends making This is a common thing in these dayes especially in their causes whome the world hateth bicause of their sinceritie in truth and religion yea they thinke they deserue great commendation of modestie and equitie if they doe but depriue such Christians of honours and goodes and banishe them their countrie But let officers consider that they are placed of God in such degree of power and honour Let them also remember that iudgement belongeth vnto god Furthermore let them often remember that they shall one day also come before Christ to be iudged where they shall giue an accompt of all their iudgementes And therefore according to the admonition of the Prophete let them holde the bloud of their subiectes deare in their sight Furthermore here appeareth the inuincible power of God whereby he is able to take and deliuer his beloued out of the handes of the wicked although they persist in their wickeddesse For they repent not of their naughtinesse and thinke of no amendment as we sayde euen nowe yea they vndoubtedly wished the Apostles of
such as the wyse men in tymes past had learned euen by natures lore and that they were very grosse and barbarous that had suffred such naturall notices and knowledges to be extinguished in them At length concluding the place he thus inferreth forasmuch then as we are the generation of God wee must not thinke that the Godheade is lyke vnto golde siluer or stone grauen by arte or industrye of man. He calleth vs the generation of God chiefely bicause of the ymage after which we be made For as yet there was no place to speake of the adoption of the elect before them which yet vnderstoode not the principles of the knowledge of god The meaning therefore is this Where God woulde haue hys ymage to shyne in man the Lorde and gouernor of all creatures it were to grosse an error to forge a dumbe ymage of hym out of any deade thing For we cannot counterfeyte man as he is the Image of God bicause his ymage is in the soule whose forme and nature by mannes arte can not be expressed nor shadowed Howe much lesse then can manne expresse God in anye Image â–ª He nameth fyrst precious matter golde and siluer shewing that this is not able to represent the ymage of god For howe much soeuer it is esteemed among menne yet are they frayle thinges and corruptible but God is incorruptible and euerlasting Furthermore he speaketh not of the formes and fashions which man at his pleasure giueth vnto God but of the arte and industry of man as if he shoulde say Although the singularest artifycers and maysters woulde lay all their heades togither yet are they not able to conceyue in their mindes much lesse to expresse in any matter or Image the true Image of god Hereof we gather that the Images which are made of God are very lies bicause they are not able to performe that they promise But I pray you what greater iniurie can be done vnto God than to make him which is eternall truth like vnto a lye What is this else but to make of God the Deuill whome Christ calleth the father of lyes No honest man woulde be contented to be represented and made lyke vnto a murtherer or Ruffyan an honest Matrone would much mislyke to be pictured in the attyre of an harlot Shall we then be so bolde to aduenture to represent God by lyes It is not without a cause that Lactantius that eloquent writer vttered this sentence saying there was no religion where any Images were Woulde God they woulde well consider thys geare that nowe a dayes holde with Images who in my iudgement are not the least cause that God sendeth in the Turkes to reforme the worlde seeing that Princes cannot abyde to haue Christendome purged of superstition and ydolatry by the doctrine of the Gospell It is our partes to remember our beginning and dignitie to worship one God in Iesus Christ our Redeemer to whome be all power honor and glory nowe and euer Amen The Cxix Homelie AND the time of this ignoraunce God regarded not but nowe byddeth all men euerywhere repent bicause he hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the world with righteousnesse by that man whoÌ„ he hath appointed and hath offred fayth to all men after that he had raised him from death When they hearde of the resurrection from death some mocked and other sayde we will heare thee agayne of this matter So Paule departed from among them Howbeit certaine men claue vnto him and beleeued among whome was Dionisius a senatour and a woman named Damiris and other with them WE haue hearde the fyrst part of Paules sermon wherein he hath most diligently confuted the errors of the Gentyles teaching that God is neyther included within Temples nor worshipped with sacrifyces wyth great and feruent zeale inueyed he agaynst the feygned Gods and Images of the heathen plainly admonishing them that they transgressed the order of nature that worshipped them and that they were vnmyndefull both of the ende and dignitie that they were made for Nowe let vs lysten to the later part of his sermon wherein he exhorteth them to repentance in Christ namely that they shoulde conuert and turne from their impietie and false worship of goddes vnto the true god In which place bicause of the Epicures which laughed at all kinde of religion he most earnestly vrged the mention of the last iudgement We will declare eche thing in that order that Paule vttereth it First he aunswereth a question vsed to be mooued in all ages and is at these dayes euerywhere obiected when the truth is preached that is to saye why God hath suffered the worlde so manye yeares to be seduced And whether it be likely nowe at the length that the truth is disclosed to a fewe persons of no name and estimation But Paule aunswereth these demaundes briefely howe that God hath hitherto winked at the tymes of ignorance not bicause he delyteth in ignorance but bicause so it seemed good vnto him which appoynteth all thinges according to his iust iudgement and that the worlde coulde not choose but erre as long as God hid the light of his truth bicause men of themselues haue no feeling or vnderstanding of god And where he sayth that the truth hydden from the worlde before tymes is nowe reuealed he declareth that henceforth ignorance shall not be excused It is very worthy to be noted howe Paule alleaging Gods doing simply and barely mooueth no disputation at all concerning the causes why God suffered the worlde so long to erre We must also followe this tracke of modestie that we wade not to deepe in searching out the â—auâ—es of Gods iudgements or that we charge not him with the cause of our vngodlynesse For it is euident that he can do no man wrong bicause we all long sithence had deserued eternall damnation and be borne the children of wrath It is also euident that he gouerneth all thinges by iust iudgement And Paule in another place speaking of the reuelation of the Gospell sayth it is a mystery hidden from the beginning of the worlde Christ teacheth the same saying that the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen are not reuealed to euery one It is therefore a folly and to malapert and wicked an offence to call gods dooings to the controlment of mannes reason seeing he requireth of vs obedience of fayth and seeing nothing so well becommeth the children of God as to frame themselues vnto his will which appeareth in his worde and workes Furthermore Paule in this place expresseth the ende of the preaching of the gospell forasmuch as he sayth it is declared to euery man for that they shoulde repent Therfore it is not ynough to haue heard or learned the gospell but it behooueth vs to repent vs of our errors other vices The order and course of the whole story of the gospell teacheth vs the same Iohn the Baptist beginneth with the doctrine of repentaunce Then after him
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
Scriptures let them boldely bring foorth that no man be able to accuse them of falshood or forgery Howbeit it might haue seemed to Paule a greeuous thing to be appoynted to such an office as he knew euen by those things onely which a little â—eâ—ore he went about was subiect to infinite dangers Therfore the Lord mixeth therewith a consolation very commodious and in season wherein he promiseth to deliuer him out of the hands of the Iewes and Gentiles Thus by the way as though he had bene dooing of an other thing he declareth that he was sent also vnto the Gentiles to bring them lykewise into the societie and felowship of the Churche In the meane season this place teacheth vs that the Ministers must looke for hatred persecutions and all kindes of aduersitie in this world For except this were their state and condition it should not neede so often to confirme them neither with the consolations nor promises of Chryst. These promises must diligently be considered for by them we are taught howe Chryste neuer forsaketh his people in their tribulations And yet muste they not so be vnderstanded as though he would deliuer them from all kinds of aduersitie and set them in safetie or so preserue them that they shall not perishe in body For we reade that Paule at the last was beheaded by Nero and the other Apostles also were cruelly put to death But it is sayde that the Lorde deliuereth vs when in this present worlde he assisteth vs with his spirite giuing vs constancie of mynde commoditie of dooing and finally a mouthe and wisedome agaynst the which our enimies are not able to resiste with any probabilitie of reason Agayne when he shoreth vs vppe with consolations in the middle of our afflictions and translateth vs out of the prison of thys body into the possession of hys kingdome and preserueth our memorie and good name to remayne to posteritie After this sorte we knowe he delyuered the holy Martyres whose remembraunce florisheth at this day euen among the enimies of the fayth Which promises seeing they are both generall and alwayes true there is no cause why we should suffer our selues to bee feared or ouercome with any attemptes of this worlde For who shall separate vs from the loue of god c. Reade the place Rom. 8. To conclude he addeth the ende of all these thinges which is that through the ministerie of Paule the eyes of the blinde should bee opened that they beeing illuminated might conuert from darkenesse vnto lyght and beeing deliuered from the power of Sathan might be reconciled vnto God in whom they may receiue remission of their sinnes and inheritance of the king dome of heauen through fayth with all those whom God hath chosen vnto him selfe These things conteyne in them the duetie of Ministers of the worde and the true vse of the Gospell For this cause that thing is attributed vnto the Ministers which is properly the worke of God only as is declared at large Therfore through the Gospel mens eies are opened that they may see God and the way of saluation By the Gospell men are conuerted from darknesse vnto light so that hencefoorth they which were occupied in the works of darknesse might do the dedes of the light For the christian Philosophie consisteth not in vayne speculations but in practise which extendeth it selfe through all partes of a mans lyfe Agayne by the gospel men are brought out of the power of Sathan vnto God to obey him to serue him Finally the gospel offreth vnto vs the forgiuenesse of sins the inheritaÌ„ce of the kingdome of heuen And we may not thinke that these things stand in vayne sound of words but forasmuch as christ which is the only author of these things is preched through the gospel they are truely attributed to the preaching of the gospel bicause the same gospel is not in vaine but effectuous Therfore the preching of the gospel containeth in it the cheefest and only treasure of our saluation And the ministers therof ought to haue this only end before their eyes to bring men to be partakers of these things and not to leade them about as it were in a vaine maze and stagelike pompe of preaching Furthermore we haue heerein comprehended the whole order and manner of our saluation For where these things are giuen vnto vs of God it is euident that we want them of nature Therefore of nature we be blinde to perceiue any godlynesse and by our naturall corruption we deserue to waile and mourne vnder the tirannie of Sathan But by the goodnesse of God it commeth to passe that we be illuminated by Christ and be translated from the power of death and darknesse into his kingdome For we being sanctified and iustified by his merite enter into the kingdome of eternall life And all these things as we said ere while God offreth vnto vs to be receiued by faith through the gospell by the which faith the scripture teach that we be purified and made righteous bicause by it only power is giuen to vs to imbrace Christ and to receiue this goodnesse These things might be declared more at large with their dueties whome Christ hathe taken into the kingdome of his father But bicause we haue oftentimes spoken therof it shall be sufficient to shewe as it were with the finger the cheefe poyntes of euery thing In the meane season we haue heere to bewaile the vnkinde and vnhappy blindnesse of the worlde which contemning so plaine a way of saluation turne them to the most intricate Laberinthes and pitfals of eternall damnation It is our partes to shewe our selues thankfull vnto God and with constant faith to holde fast the only author of these goodnesses which is our Lord and sauioure Iesus Christ to whom be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Clxiiij Homelie WHerfore O king Agrippa I was not disobedient to the heauenly vision but shewed first vnto them of Damascus and at Ierusalem and throughout all the costes of Iewrie then to the Gentiles that they shuld repent and turne to God and do such works as become them that repent For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple and went about to kill me Seing therfore that I haue obtained helpe of God I continue vnto this day witnessing bothe to small and to great saying none other things than those which the Prophetes and Moses did say shoulde come that Christe should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from death and should shew light vnto the people and to the Gentiles PAVLE diligently reporteth the Historie of his conuersion before Agrippa bicause thereby hee was able manifestly to proue that he became a Christian man of no light heade ne yet preached the gospell vnto the Gentiles of any rashe enterprise but that God was the aucthoure of all the things which he had hitherto done who conuerted him when he was of a farre other minde
Apoc. 3. iiij. The Apostles flye from IconiuÌ„ and preach at other places 1 The myracle of the Creple that was healed The miserable state of the Creple Iohn 9. Iohn 5. Luke 13. Math. 8. Deut. 27. Leuit. 19. The Creple heareth the Gospell and beleeueth Math. 11. 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 10. Iohn 5. The Creple is myraculously healed A fygure of the redemption of man. Esay 53. Gene. 8. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 15. Phil. 4. 2 Howe they of Listra were affected at the myracle Ouid. Meta. 1. Olde errors are hardlye put awaye The beginning and going forwarde of Idolatry The Apostles put away worshipping from them by their gestures Esay 42. The Apostles put from them worship by speaking i. The proposâ—tion ij. The confirmation Hebrues 1. Esay 63. Deut 6. Math. 4. Iohn 3. 2. Cor. 11. All worship is vaine deuised without the word of God. Math. 15. Esay 29. The duetie of the ministers of the worde Ierem. 1. God is the Creator and gouernour of all things Psal. 113. iij. The confutation Roma 1. 1. Cor. 2. Psal. 106. Luke 12. Math. 7. Actes 20. 2. Thes. 2. God is not to be charged for mens Idolatrie Psal. 147. Psal. 104. Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. The effect of the Apostles sermon Satan hath euerywhere his instrumentes The inconstancie of the Commons The prouidence of God preserueth the godly in daungers Math. 5. 1. Cor. 10. Rom. 8.14 Math. 10. The dutie of Christians towardes their brethren in distresse Math. 10. Marc. 15. i. The Apostles made the bolder by afflictions returne to their vocation agayne Marc. 16. ij. They come to the Cities agayne from whence they were driuen iij. Ther confirme the minds of the Disciples iiij. They exhort menne to perseuerance Math. 12. Luke 9. Apocal. 2. Galat. 1. v. They put away the offence of the crosse Luke 9. Psalm 34. Iohn 15.16 Iohn 12.14 and .17 The Apostles appoynt Elders in euery church Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 12. The ceremony or maner of the Primitiue Church in â—hoosing Elders The Apostles commeÌ„d the congregation vnto the Lorde 2. Cor. 11. Iohn 17. Iohn 14. Iohn 10. 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. The Apostles preach the Gospell at Perga 1 They giue account of their doings abrode 1. Pet. 5. ij. They referre all their doings vnto God. Iohn 6. iij. They repoâ—e themselfe after thâ—ir traueâ—le and dauÌ„gers Marc. 6. The doctrine of the Apostles is onsâ—t by intestiâ—e diuision and schisme 1 The Authors of the discention Roma 15. 1. Iohn 2. Math. 7. Actes 20. 1. Cor. 11. 2 The state of the controuersie or discention Gene. 17. Galat. 5. Esay 29. Math. 15. Ierem. 2. 3 The successe therof Galat. 1. Philip. 3. 1. Cor. 11. 4 Paule and Barnabas stowtely resist Galat. 5. Galat. 3. Math. 10. Marc. 8. Iohn 16. The congregaâ—ion at Antioch referre the controuersie to the iudgement of the Apostles The cause of conuocations sinodes and counsayles in the primitiue Church Galat. 1.2 Luke 10. Iohn 17. 2. Tim. 3. Paule and Barnabas iourney to Ierusalem The controuersie of iustifycation before the Apostles Peters iudgement concerning iustification God iustifyeth of fauour or grace through faith in Christ. Ehesi 2. Roma 3. The waye how we are iustifyed Gene. 8. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 15. Ephes. 2. Iohn 6. Psal. 51. Rom. 8. Math. 9. To attribute righteousnes to the works of the lawe is an heynous offence Psal. 78. Num. 11. Rom. 7. Deut. 27. Psa. 130.143 Esay 64. The vse of the lawe Rom. 6. The faith of the fathers of the olde Testament and the newe is but one Iohn 8. 1. Cor. 10. Math. 3.17 A President of a counsell assembled in the holy ghost The order of the Apostles Counsayles 1. Iames subscribeth vnto Peters iudgement The Prophetes are agreeable with the Apostles The place of Amoz the .ix. Chap. Rom. 9.11 2 A deuyse how to make an vnitie and concorde betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles Fylthynesse of Images and fornication Deut. 7. Deut. 6. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 6. Ephe. 5. Heb. 13. Strangled and bloude Gen. 9. Leuit 17. and .19 Rom. 14. 1. Cor. â— The reading of Moses The consent of the counsayle of Ierusalem i. The superscription of the letter sent from the Counsayle Ephe. 4. ij. The false Apostles are touched Galat. 5. Rom. 4. Galat. 1. iij. Paule and Barnabas are commended Luke 9. iiij. The decree of the Counsayle is expounded Luke 10. Math. 15. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Tim 4. Math. 15. 1 The execution of the ambassage vnto the church at Antioch 2 The industrie of Sâ—las Paule Barnabas in setting forth the kingdome of Christ. Exod. 28. 3 The discention betweene Paule and Barnabas Luke 9. 2. Cor. 12. Rom. 7. Phil. 2. 1. Cor. 10. Esay 40. 4 Paule and Barnabas visite the churches The calling of Timothie What Timothie is and what maner of man. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 3. Timothie is circumcised Galat. 2. 1. Cor. 9. Timothie is borne of parentes th one a Iewe thother a Gentyle 2. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 7. The doctrine of Paule and his companions 1. Cor. 10. The profyte of the Apostles labour The vse of the Apostles peregrinatioÌ„ or 〈◊〉 Phrygia and Galatia are conuerted Paule is forbidden to preach in Asia 2. Cor. 3. Iohn 6. Rom. 8. Iohn 10. Luke 9.10 Paule is called to go into Macedonia Esay 65. Ephes. 1. Genes 3. Esay 53. Luke 15. Galat. 1. Esay 6â— Paules passage into Macedonia Luke 9. Paule preacheth at Philippi Lydia is an example of true conuersion Iohn 4. Luke 7. Math. 9. Luke 19. Math. 27. Iohn 7. Math. 11. Luke 1â— The order and maner of conuersion Luke 8. Roma 10. The effectes of conuersion and true fayth Deut. 6. Psal. 78. A Maid possessed with a spirite is an instrument of the Deuill Exo. 7.8 Roma 1. 2. Thes. 2. Satan beareth witnesse vnto the truth Marc. 1. Luke 4. Math. 7. Satan by the name of christ is expelled Gene. 3. 1. Iohn 3. Couetousnesse commonly incenseth Christes enimies 1. Tim. 6. Eccles. 10. Math. 6. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn 11. Iohn 12. The Apostles are accused of sedition deceyt Apolog. 5. The Apostles are scourged and put in prison The Apostles beyng whipped and put in bonds prayse and praye vnto God. Roma 5. Luke 22. 2. Tim. 2. Roma 8. Psal. 50. Psal. 94. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 10. God deliuereth the Apostles calling vpon him Eccle. 35. The keeper of the prison is conuerted Ezech. 18. Math. 5. The summe of saluation is fayth in Christ. i. The fruite and workes of fayth ij. Outwarde religion iij. Charitie Math. 22. Roma 13. iiij. Ioy of spirite Roma 6. Iames. 2. Ful and perâ—â—te deliuery of the Apostles The repentance of the wicked 1. Samu. 15. Wicked officers Roma 13. 2. Para. 13. Deuter. 1. Psalm 72. The power of God in delyuering his people Exodus 12. 1. Sam. 24. and .26 The simplicitie of fayth Paule will not be set at libertie and dismyssed priuilie