and perseueraunce 47. The Apostles remayne at Ierusalem 357. The Apostles did leade about no other mennes wyues 45. The Apostles did thrust nothing into the church of their owne authoritie 569. The Apostles obey the angell 248. The Apostles perceyuing a grutch to aryse in the Primitiue Church consult for a redresse in tyme. 276. The Apostles acknowledge themselues to be but felowes 90. The Apostles preach the Gospell at Perga 585. The Apostles haue taught vs fullye all thinges needefull to our saluation 743. The Apostles depart from Philippi Pag. 645. The Apostles preache the worde of God. 512. The Apostles are not to bee inuocated bicause of the myracles they wrought 892. The Apostles are put in the common Iayle 244. What the Apostles were before they receyued the holy ghost and what after 89. and 90. What maner of God the Apostles preached 163. What the Apostles did at Pisidia of Antioch 519. The Apostles returne to the Cities from whence they were dryuen Pag. 580. The Apostles referre all matters to the church 214. The Apostles are brought backe againe to the councell 252. Why Christ chose rude and vnlearned men to be his Apostles 204. The Apostles boldly withstand the seditious 564. The Apostles giue the holye ghost vnto the Samaritanes 368. The Apostles appoynt Elders in euery church 583. The Apostles are Christes sworne witnesses and whereof they must beare witnesse 786.63.123 The Apostles beare wytnesse of Christ in Samaria and preach the worde of God in all townes and villages 375. The Apostles are despised persons of none account 44. The Apostles are beaten with rods Pag. 267. The Apostles ascribe all thinges to God as to the author of them 9. The Apostles deedes after Christs ascention 42. The Apostles actes were done by the holy ghost 9. The Apostles equalitie 64. The Apostles authoritie in the church was equall 70. The Apostles communitie 143. The Apostles constancie 209.257 and. 262.553 The Apostles boldenesse in defending the truth 257.262 The Apostles grosse question touching the kingdome of Christ the cause of their errour and howe manifolde it was 24.25 The Apostles state when the holye ghost was sent 76. The Apostles saying concerning the appointing of deacons 277. The Apostles doctrine was no new doctrine 538. The Apostles office and doctrine is the benefite of God. 9 The Apostles doctrine howe it was accepted of the worlde 190. The Apostles and Ministers duetie 64. The Apostles fayth and trustynesse Pag. 124. The Apostles enimies and authors of their persecution 191. The Apostles contynuance in preaching 272. The Apostles industrie and modestie 368.758 The Apostles render a reason whye they are sent  The Apostles Sermons 730. The Apostles slippes and falles is no derogation to their doctrine Pag. 55. What the Apostles miracles were Pag. 891.892 The Apostles modestie 758. The Apostles names and why they are so often cyted 44. The duetie of the Apostles inioyned of God. 30.64.417.790 Why the Apostles iourneys are so 〈◊〉 described 759. The Apostles set wholy at lybertie Pag. 642. The Apostles first woorke done in the Ministerie 49. The Apostles common exercyses Pag. 239. The Apostles state while they preached the gospell on earth 4. The Apostles testimonie touching Christ and his resurrection 537. The Apostles wyues 45. The Apostles threatened with death Pag. 262. The Apostles are not suffered to to preache before they bee well instructed 80. A ante Q. Aquilas is Paules hoste 678. A ante R. Aristarchus 870. The argumentes vsed agaynst the faythfull of Christ. 772. The armour wherewith Ministers must defende themselues agaynst the worlde 211. The armour wherewyth Christes kingdome is inlarged 618. A ante S. Ascention of Christ maketh not carelesse of saluation 39. Ascention of Christ is a comfortable thing 36. Ascention of Christ is the ende of the gospell 7. Ascention of Christ is no dispartion or vanishing away 36. What ascention is 33. Who ascended 34. Whether Christ ascended 35. The hystorie of Christs ascentioÌ„ 33. The storie of the ascention is briefe and playne and why ibidem Circumstaunces of Christs ascentioÌ„ into heauen ibidem The ende of Christs ascention ibideÌ„ Christes ascention confirmeth hys victorie agaynst Sathan 37. The maner and causes of Chrystes ascention 36. What thynges followed after Christes ascention 42.43 Christ opened to vs the gates of heauen by hys ascention ibidem Christ is prooued to be the Messias by his ascention 123. Astrologie iudiciall and the abuse thereof 28. Astrologers and Soothsayers of all sortes 28.29 Assemblies at morning and euening Pag. 498. Assemblies ecclesiasticall why they were ordeyned 145.146 Assemblies of the faythfull ibidem Assemblies ecclesiasticall why they are necessary 241. The order of assemblies ecclesiasticall 529. Wicked persons many tymes get into the assemblies of the godly 282. A ante T. Athens praysed 658.659 Athenienses superscription â—65 Athenodorus counsell gyueâ— to â—â—gustus â—64 A ante V. Authors of the Apostles persecution 191. Authors of sedition are the wicked not the faythfull 562. Authoritie of man of what auayle it is in matters of religion 666. How true authoritie may be gotten Pag. 148.149 Mannes authoritie gyueth no commendation vnto Scripture 2. B. B ante A. BAckstarters the authors of schisme and diuision 589. Backstarters not to be taken to soone into the ministerie 519. Backstarters shall be alwaye in the worlde ibidem Banishment is cause of ryfling of goodes and pouertie 557. Banished for their religion must be comforted ibid. and 891. Baptisme delyuered to vs by the Apostles as Christ did institute it 3 Baptisme or the fyre of Christ. 707 Baptisme an outwarde bonde of the church 366. Baptisme of Iohn distinguished from Christs baptisme according to the signe thing that is signed Pag. 22. â—aptisme of Iohn 707. Baptisme of Iohn and of Christ both one 22. Baptisme is called the absolution or assoyling from sinnes 791. Baptisme what it sealeth 366.367 Baptisme howe it washeth vs from sinnes 132.133 Howe baptisme is called the Fountayne of regeneration 305. Baptisme a seale of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of Iesus christ 23. Baptisme is a signe of the purgation made by the bloude of Iesus Christ. 133. The reason and dignitie of baptisme Pag. 791. Baptisme muste not bee neglected Pag. 640. In baptisme what water ought to be vsed 387. To be baptised in the name of Christ. Pag. 132. To be baptised into the forgiuenesse of sinnes 133. Barnabas commendeth Paule 412. What maner of manne Barnabas was 467. Barnabas called Iupiter by the people of Lystra 567. What Barsabas signifyeth 72. B ante E. Beggers properties of our age 152. Beggers must not be suffred among the people of God. 152. To begyn well profiteth not without contynuing to the ende 549. Begynning of Paules sermon 524. Benefites of Christ towarde the inhabiters of Ierusalem 50. Benefites of God are then profytably receyued when men acknowledge GOD to bee the author of them 155. The remembraunce of benefites receyued soone dyeth with Princes Pag. 315. Berrhea
haue left that Church destitute of their ministerye considering it was so well seene vnto after they were gone For there were among them certaine Prophetes and teachers They are called Prophets which either by instinct of the holy ghost shew of things to come as we see before Agabus the Prophete did or else which haue the gift truly rightly to expound the writings of the Prophets in which sense Paule vseth this word Prophecie in his fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians 14 Chap. Both these senses is well agreeing in this present place For by hystories it is playne that the gift of prophecying endured many yeares in the primitiue Church And it can not be sayde that so notable a Church wanted exposition of Scriptures And they are called Teachers which openly instruct the Congregation and applye the holy Scriptures duly to all mennes information whome we nowe a dayes call Pastors or Ministers of the worde There was therefore at Antioch not onely a Church such as is euerywhere but also a College or schoole out of which was taken learned Ministers to be sent to other Cities This place teacheth vs that the chiefe ornament and beautie of the Church yea all the preseruation thereof consisteth in this that it be furnished and prouided of fyt Ministers and Teachers For by the ministery of them Paule plainely teacheth that through the worde of God Churches are begotten builded vp and preserued For how shall they beleue in him sayth he of whome they haue not hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher Agayne In Christ Iesu haue I begotten you through the Gospell Hereto chiefely it appertaineth where he writeth that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepeheardes and Teachers to the edifying of the Saintes euen to the edifying of the body of Christ. And bicause it is euident that the gift of teaching is not giuen to all men in myraculous wise as it was once to the Apostles therefore it is needefull to haue schooles where such may be brought vppe as shall afterwarde serue in the Ministerie Such were woont to be among the Iewes in the Cities of the Leuites and it appeareth by the storye of Samuel and Helisaeus that those singuler Prophetes of God had a speciall care of these schooles Yea Amos the Prophete most sharply reprehendeth those that did vse to corrupt the Nazarites and the yong menne giuen to the studie of the Scriptures with wyne â–ª This did great Kings and Emperours foresee in the Primitiue Church which did erect Colleges of their owne costes least at any time want of teachers might preiudice Gods religion Howbeit nowe a dayes eyther sloâ—hfull Dranes dwell in them or else they be at the appoyntment of such prowde men as hunt rather for ambicious names than studie for the edifycation of the Church Moreouer for that the notable Ministers of Christes Church should not be defrauded of their due prayse the holye ghost woulde haue their names recorded for a perpetuall remembraunce that it might euidently appeare that God regardâ—th those which doe faythfullye serue and studye for his Church And among these persons Manaen seemeth to be the chiefe who Luke writeth was fostered and brought vp with Herode the Tetrarch of a childe He was therefore a Courtyer and of a noble stocke For who will thinke that one of a baâ—e stocke shoulde be appoynted a playfellow with a kings sonne or that Herode woulde afterwarde despyse him that had bene brought vp with him from his childehoode This is a notable example of the goodnesse of God which vseth in all states of men to haue his chosen and to call them when iâ— seemeth him good For that vniuersall spirite and author of eternall life bloweth where it pleaseth him So we reade that Naaman was in the Court of the king of Syria And in Babilon Daniel and his fellowes helde fast Gods true religion yea Paule maketh mention of some in the house of Nero that beleeued And Nichodemus is a Disciple among the Scribes the greatest enimies of christ There is also in Manaen set out vnto vs an example of fayth and syncere religion who following the example of Moses chose rather to be afflicted with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season thinking the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Herode And surely if a man woulde compare the state of the Church as it was in those dayes with the life of the Court he shall fynde a marueylous working of the holy ghost in this Manaen and euident tokens both of true regeneration and mortifycation and forsaking of himselfe But that we heare that he did it behooueth vs to imitate For it cannot be that they can truelye take holde of Christ which haue not yet learned to despyse and treade vnder foote this worlde with the honors riches and pleasures thereof But let vs come to the seconde part of this diuision wherein the sending of Paule Barnabas to the Gentyles is described Here are two things chiefely to be discussed videlicet the holy ghost the author and moderator of all this businesse and then the order that Luke writeth they obserued First he expressely teacheth that the holy ghost was the author of all this doing For as they ministred to the Lorde and fasted the holy ghost sayde seperate me Barnabas and Saule for the worke wherevnto I haue called them And it is no doubt but these things are spoken of the holy ghost forasmuch as mention is made of holy ministerye and fasting Here the Papistes playe the fooles following Erasmus his translation and bicause he as vnaptly translated the Greeke worde by this worde sacrifyce they expounde this place of the sacrifyce of the Masse Howbeit the Greekes saye they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are occupied or busied in publike office or affaires as it may appéere where Paule calleth Magistrates and Aungels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for that they vsed to do sacrifyce but for that they are Gods publike officers ministers And where by Christes death it is manifest the Leuiticall sacrifyces are abolished that the seruice of Christ consisteth not in outwarde ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth therefore here can be vnderstanded none other ministery than such as Christ woulde haue vsed in his Church This comprehendeth in it the preaching of the worde publike prayer and the sacraments which are not sacrifyces but holye actions instituted to keepe in memorie the sacrifyce which Christ once offered vppon the aultar of the Crosse. And herein were they busily occupied when the holy ghost admonished them to sende forth Paule and Barnabas For that they were earnestly occupied herein the mention made of fasting abundantly prooueth There are in this part many things which prooue the vocation of the Gentyles to be the worke of god For as they were ministring to the Lorde the spirite aduertised the
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
commaundementes For the two fyrst are simplye and plainely necessarye bicause it becommeth Christian men to abhorre all kinde of ydolatrie and to keepe their vessell or body holye and vnspotted and not to make that the member of an harlot that Christ by his bloude hath consecrated to be a Temple for the holy ghost But concerning the decree of strangled and bloude they are necessary per accidens as they say or by reason of another thing that is to saye bicause of offence which the weake brethren might take by the eating thereof For where it is an heynous matter to destroye him by thy eating whom Christ hath vouchsafed to redâ—eme by the merit of his bloude we must of necessitie abstaine from those things for the weakes sake which otherwise of themselues are graunted lawfull least our libertie may giue vnto other occasion of destruction Otherwise this saying of Christ standeth in his full force and strength Nothing that goeth in at the mouth can defyle man. And Paule permitteth men to eate of the thinges offered to Idols if there be no daunger of offence and sayth that the conscience is no whit polluted thereby And in another place he calleth it a doctrine of Deuils when such a difference of meate is appoynted as wherein saluation is sayde to consist Therfore they most foolishly abuse this place which saye the decrees of Counsaylers are necessary to be obserued whereas diuers of them serue onely to yoke mennes consciences and manifestly repugne against the euident Oracles of Scripture In the meane season Christian libertie must not be ouerthrowne for their sakes which being rather obstinate than weake will not forsake their once conceyued errors but by all meanes cleaue to the defence of the same Against whome Christ his saying must rather be vsed Suffer not them for they are blinde leaders of the blinde Finally they declare the vtilitie and profyte hereof saying from these things if you keepe your selues you shall doe well For both you shall keepe your selues cleane and vndefyled and offende no man This must be the marke wherevnto all our doings must be leuelled In Christ onely by fayth we must seeke iustifycation and saluation In the meane season let vs keepe our selues from all contamination both of Idolatrie and other vncleannesse and endeuour as much as in vs lyeth to bring other men to saluation and let vs not giue offence vnto them for whome Christ hath vouchsafed to die These things whosoeuer will obserue they cannot be deceyued and erre and hauing prosperously ended the course of this lyfe they shall obtayne the fellowship of eternall life with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cv. Homelie WHEN they therfore were departed they came to Antioch and gathered the multitude togither and deliuered the Pistle which when they had read they reioyced of the consolation And Iudas and Silas being Prophetes exhorted the brethren with much preaching and strengthned them And after they had taryed there a space they were let go in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still But Paule and Barnabas taryed still at Antioch teaching and preaching the worde of the Lorde with other many But after a certaine space Paule sayde vnto Barnabas let vs go againe and visite our brethren in euerye Citie where wee haue shewed the worde of the Lorde and see howe they doe And Barnabas gaue counsayle to take with them Iohn whose surname was Marke But Paule would not take him vnto their company which departed from them at Pamphilia and went not with them to the woorke And the contention was so sharpe betweene them that they departed a sunder one from the other and so Barnabas tooke Marke and sayled vnto Cyprus and Paule chose Silas and departed being committed of the brethren vnto the grace of god And hee went through Syria and Cilicia establishing the Congregations AFter the Euangelist Luke hath diligently described the Actes of the Counsayle at Ierusalem and shewed with what dexteritie that contention was calmed and appeased which beganne among the Christians about the matter of iustifycation nowe in the last part of this chapter which we haue here recyted he rehearseth fower things chiefely to be considered whereof we meane to intreate so much as the grace of God obtayned by your prayers shall suffer vs. First is described the execution of the ambassage or message which the Ierosolymites sent to them of Antiochia wherein is to be considered what the Ambassadours Paule and Barnabas did and next howe the Churche of Antioch receyued them Touching the Ambassadors three things are sayde First when they came to Antioch after the congregation was wholye assembled they deliuered the letters taken them by the counsayle For where it was a publike matter and indifferently appertaining vnto all men they thought they would not haue any thing hidden from the people Where we may agayne see the maner of the primitiue Church in the which such matters as belonged to the knowledge and saluation of all men were intreated in all mens hearing The ambition of Masklike Bishops hath vtterly taken awaye this custome with the great detriment of publike saluation who haue iudged the ignorance and blindnesse of the people to be the chiefe boutrace and defence of their tyrannie Then next Iudas and Silas with manye exhortations and consolations confyrme the brethren in the receyued and acknowledged truth For the which ende and purpose the Apostle abundantly declareth that they were sent Yet is there a reason rendred of their so doing bicause they were Prophetes that is to saye publike expositors or interpreters of scriptures lawfully ordeyned For that the name of a Prophete is taken in this sense it manifestly appeareth by the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians .xiiij. Chapter This place in the meane season admonisheth vs that no man ought to take vpon him to doe anye thing publikely in the church but he that is lawfully called and instructed with worthy and conuenient giftes For pernicious and detestable is the impudency of the Anabaptistes who being neyther called nor furnished with fyt gifts rashly start forth and take vppon them to preach Thirdly they depart not from Antioch before they are dismissed in peace and with solemne blessing and that they see all troubles well composed and asswaged All which if a man conferre and laye togither it shall appeare that in this Legacie of theirs they vsed great diligence and trust and it is no doubt but the holye ghost by a generall example woulde teach vs with what credite and industrie publike affaires aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuile ought to be handled Furthermore as touching the Church it is sayde that she receyued them with ioye and was much recreated by them Before this the Epistle sent from the Sinode declareth they were much disturbed by reason of discention For the godly men were much grieued that the articles of the
Citie in the partes of Macedonia and a free Citie THE spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe woulde that the iourneyes and voyages of the Apostles and specially those of Paule shoulde be diligently described bicause the same make not a little for our instruction For by them appeareth a great goodnesse of God which within so short a space of tyme did vouchsafe to lighten all the worlde with the doctrine of the gospell and saluation and to bring the prophane Gentyles when they were most corrupt to the knowledge fellowship of him It appeareth also by this hystorie by what meanes and weapons the kingdome of God vseth here on earth both to be enlarged and conserued Uerily by the preaching of the Gospell whereby in despyte of the worlde the spirite of God bloweth where it will as Christ otherwheres sayeth And where God doth vouchsafe to vse the ministerie of men herein he required of them earnest diligence and vigilant zeale Wherein we haue to imitate Paule of all others touching whose feruent zeale Luke reporteth manye things Whereof this is no simple argument and proofe that not contented to haue gayned many Congregations vnto Christ he goeth agayne to visite them and confyrmeth them by faithfull admonitions teaching vs that we must be carefull in the matter of our saluation bicause all men knowe the sleyghtes of Satan which laboureth to turne vs or euer we be ware out of the way of saluation Yet Paule so visiteth the congregations that he endeuoreth to gather and gayne newe companies vnto Christ of the which thing in this place Luke chiefely intreateth First it is sayde he went through Phrigia and Galacia And that there were newe congregations there erected the Epistle of Paule to the Galathians abundantly declareth conteyning in a compendious and perfyte abridgement all the whole summe of Euangelike doctrine In that iourney came to passe this one thing most marueylous of all other that they were forbidden by the holy ghost to preach the Gospell in Asia Under the name of Asia is comprehended that part which bordering on the sea westwarde conteyneth in the continent Acolia and Lydia aboue Ephesus and Smyrna and Ionia it selfe Which countries as they are most fruitfull and rich of all others so for this cause they were very vnhappye in that Christ would not at this time they should heare the doctrine of saluation Such was the case of Bythinia also into the which the same spirite of Christ woulde not suffer Paule to go neyther By which argument it easily appeareth that the Apostles wandered not about the worlde at their owne pleasure but did all things by the guiding and ordering of the spirite of GOD for we knowe that this holye spirite was promised and giuen vnto them by christ Beside that they had singuler reuelations when neede was whereof we had example before in Peter and Philip where the Ethiopian Eunuch and Cornelius the Centurion by their ministery should be conuerted This maketh for the commendation of the Apostles doctrine that we despyse it not as an humane thyng and to be little esteemed seeing it is manifest it was published among men by the euident working of the holy ghost But some men vse in this place to mooue a graue question why Paule was suffred in one place to teach and forbidden in another This question some men thinke is very commodiously soluted if all such doings be referred vnto Gods prescience or foreknowledge For they saye he foreseeth who be worthy to haue his word and to be saued and who be not But these kind of menne whyle they are carefull to defende the iustice of God for feare of making him the author of any sinne they make little of his grace measuring saluation by the worthynesse of menne which is impossible for them to doe vnlesse they will also stablishe the merite of man and the prowde affiaunce in mannes righteousnesse But howe friuolous and vayne a glose this is appeareth by this in that all men of themselues are vnworthye of saluation For as Paule testifyeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and there is not a iust man no not one And there is none worthy to receyue the worde of saluation but such as God pleaseth to make worthy and meete For of our selues we are not once able to thinke good but all our worthynesse and abilitie to perceyue that that is good commeth of God. This saying of Christ is notable and well knowne to all menne No manne commeth to me but he whome the father draweth An example whereof we had in the .xiiij. Chapter where it is sayde they beleeued that were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting And in the next Sermon we shall haue the example of Lydia which therefore beleeued Paule bicause the Lord had opened hir hart It remayneth therefore that there can be none other cause alleaged of this doing but the franke and free election of God which embraceth by his mercye whome he pleaseth and whome againe he lyâ—â—eth their harts he hardeneth And yet no man must accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or crueltie forasmuch as he is bound to man and so ordreth his iudgements that great learning commeth thereby vnto vs For in the elect he sheweth an example of his meere goodnesse and in the reprobate the seueritie of his iustice that we may learne to feare the one and to embrace and kisse the other Moreouer the vse of this doctrine serueth and is necessarye for many purposes For it marueylously comforteth vs in temptations bicause we knowe our saluation is not founded in our power or in the merite of our righteousnesse but in the grace of God and merite of christ For who can ouerthrow this righteousnesse or grace who shall seperate those from the loue of God whom he hath once embraced Or who shall be able to take one sheepe out of Christes hande seeing all power is giuen to him in heauen and in earth Whosoeuer teach that saluation dependeth vpon our worthinesse doe vtterlye infringe the force and strength of this consolation Besides this doctrine teacheth vs our dutie and to acknowledge the great goodnesse of God when we perceyue our selues more sought after and visited by the worde of God than others For as God attributeth not this vnto our merites but of his meere grace goeth about to saue vs so if any disdaine to acknowledge his goodnesse and shewe themselues vnkinde towardes him he sheweth the horrible seueritie of his iustice agaynst them We haue for example Corozaim Bethsaida Capernäum and the whole Nation of the Iewes which we reade God cast of for none other cause but for that they woulde not acknowledge the day of their visitation Examples of like seuertitie are those Cities which God did vouchsafe to illuminate by the ministerie of Paule more than other For we sâ—e they are at this day tyrannously oppressed by the Turkes bicause they shewed not themselues so thankfull vnto God as they ought
more examples heereof than Agrippa in these dayes and that wee hearde not euery where suche as giue the gospell a singular commendation but yet folowe the doctrine of Antichrist still for feare of losing their heades and honor or else for fear of putting their life in danger In the meane season there appeareth in these men what a diuine and wonderful force the Gospel is of which wresteth out of them euen against their willes and striue they neuer so much to the contrary the confession of the truth yet it nothing profiteth them bicause they dare to set them selues against the holy Ghoste But as Paule very wisely and stoutly answereth Festus so bicause hee was able to doe no more he setteth against the wordes of Agrippa a very christian wishe and inflamed with great feruencie of charitie I wold wish saith he of God that not onely thou but also all those that heare mee this day were not only in parte but wholy suche as I am these bondes excepted And there is no doubt but that Paule wished these things euen from the heart who otherwheres prayed for the Iewes bothe day and nighte and wished to be accurssed for their sakes We are taught by the way that it is not sufficient for vs to beleeue in parte but that there is required of vs euery day an increasing in faith that we may at length growe into a perfite man in Christ Iesus And the opinion of those men is not to be allowed which suppose one or two Articles to be sufficient vnto saluation For so all the other should be vnprofitable and superfluous which thing shuld derogate muche both from the wisedome of God and also from his goodnesse Moreouer Paules wishe teacheth vs that Ministers haue no iurisdiction or power vpon the mindes of men but that the spirite of God only worketh in them effectuously For why should Paule trouble himselfe in vaine wishes if he had beene able to haue tourned Agrippa his minde But see what is saide to this purpose bothe by Christe and by Paule And we muste not let this passe howe Paule excepteth his bondes For althoughe they were nothing greeâ—ous vnto him and that he knewe wel the cheefe glory of his Ministerie consisted in them yet he wished the quietnesse and peace of other men as farre forth as it stode with the commoditie of their faithe and saluation For thus it becommeth all men to carie their owne crosse paciently yet in the meane season to prouide for all other mennes commoditie and tranquillitie as muche as they are able Heereby it appeareth with what spirite they are led which enuie at all mennes felicitie or else of rash iudgement condemne them as no good Christians whoÌ„ they see liue in any commodious or wealthy wise After these things Luke ioyneth the ende of all this dooing namely howe all the assembly and auditorie brake vppe and departed beeing neuer a whitte the better by reason of the impedimentes before rehearsed But thys is wonderfull that Paule is absolued and acquited againe by the consente of all menne and yet for all that they sette him not at libertie Whereby it appeareth howe little the worlde regardeth the state of the Godlye whome they see afflycted wythoute deserte The innocencie of Paule so often tymes tryed maketh muche for the setting foorth of the dignitie of the Christian fayth Which thing also reproueth the temeritie of those men which cry out in these dayes that the doctrine of the Gospell is sedicious seeing that Paule a most earnest preacher of the gospel was able so oftentimes to purge himself from the crime of sedition before prophane and heathen Iudges Let no man therefore be moued with the slaunders of this worlde but being constant in the doctrine of true fayth let vs boldely serue God which defendeth those that worship him in the middle of the tempestes of this worlde and giueth them the inheritaunce of his kingdome by Iesus Chryste our Lorde to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clxvj. Homelie WHen it was concluded that we should sayle into Italie they deliuered both Paule and certayne other prisoners vnto one named Iulius an vnder Captayne of Caesars souldiours And we entred into a shippe of Adramicium and loosed from lande appoynted to sayle by the coastes of Asia one Aristarchus out of Macedonia of the Countrey of Thessalonia tarrying styll with vs And the next day we came to Sidon And Iulius courteously intreated Paule and gaue him libertie to goe vnto his friends and to refresh him selfe and when we had launched from thence we sayled harde by Cypers bicause the winds were contrary And when we had sayled ouer the sea of Cylicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra which is in Lycia And there the vndercaptayne founde a ship of Alexandria that sayled into Italie and he put vs therein And when we had sayled slowly many dayes and scarse were come ouer agaynst Cindus bicause the winde withstoode vs we sayled harde by the coste of Candy ouer agaynst Salmo and with much worke sayled beyonde it and came to a place which is called the fayre hauens nye whervnto was the citie of Lasea THe Euangelist Luke in this Chapiter describeth the paynefull and daungerous nauigation of Paule the Apostle sent vnto Rome to appere before Caesar. Where surely at the first sighte suche great diligence of the holy Ghost might seeme vayne superfluous but if a man would weigh euery thing thoroughly he shuld perceiue many things in the same moste worthy to be knowen and considered For this Hystorie teacheth vs what the state of the godly is in this world It setteth foorth vnto vs in Paule examples of pacience and constancie it teacheth vs moreouer the infallible truth of Gods promises For although al things in the world semed to go crosse with Paul to hinder him from coÌ„ming to Rome yet the truth of God which had promised he should be brought before Caesar brusteth through al these impedimeÌ„ts There are yet besides this many other things ful of comfort instruction which we shal consider in their places First is declared how the Apostle was sent vnto Rome where mentioÌ„ is made of one Iulius a Centurion or pâ—â—ie Capitayne vnto whome Festus deliuered Paule among other prisoners to be carried Heere is to be noted a singular diligence of the Romanes in administring the lawe considering they take suche paynes and be at so great charges with sending of prisoners from one place to an other There are also diuerse other examples of this thing which gate them singular commendation and glory Yea it is euident that by this meane chiefly they aduaunced theÌ„ selues to so great a glory of Empire And the Scripture playnly teacheth both in the .lxxij. Psalme and in other places that there is no more ready or commodious way than this either to conserue or to enlarge Empires and kingdomes
maynteyning of religion to haue Schooles duely and truely appoynted who for the preseruation and continuaunce of them thought good to prouide for them both by their counsayle and aucthoritie as appeareth easely by the foundations of most auncient Colledges Which after they had degenerated that they were become the dennes of ydle men giuen to the throte and belly or of pieuishe supersticiouse then sprong therof the horrible ruine and decaye of the Church Which Iulian the Apostata a subtyll and craftie man well forespyed who for this cause commaunded that the Christians should be kept from learning that through ignoraunce and lacke of knowledge the subtyltie and mockerie of Philosophie might take place Therefore if Christian Princes wyll not be taken for folowers and fellowes of Iulian let them knowe that the prouidyng and caryng for Schooles belongeth to them principally But let vs returne to the Apostles who we sayde erewhyle were instructed with the gift of tongues by the holy ghost For although this seemeth to haue come to passe in the Apostles onely Yet is it further to be extended For this is alway the effect of the holy ghost to chaunge and instruct the tongues of the beleeuyng For bicause the naturall man perceyueth not the thinges belongyng to the spirite of God therefore he can not reason of them as meete is And as often as he goeth about to dispute of diuine matters so often he bewrayeth his follie and infancie which thing chaunced to the gentile Philosophers as Paule saith Besides that man is delighted in vanitie and reioyceth in filthy talke and oftentymes giueth the bridle of his tongue to blasphemie as euery daye may be seene in the dayly communication of the children of this worlde Ouer and besides these mischiefes he cannot speake no not when he would be taken for most religious For when he goeth about by prayer to craue the helpe of God his mynde is pulled away either by vayne thoughtes or else he is troubled with the conscience of his sinnes that he can not pray with sure affiaunce of mynde and the prayer that is without faith can not auayle But the spirite of Christ remedieth all these faults For where he regenerateth the mindes of men and powreth into them the true knowledge of the mysteries of saluation he maketh vs able to reason of the nature of God of his wyll and of his iudgementes And the tongues which were vsed to blasphemie backbyting raylyng periurie filthie talke and all kinde of vncleannesse he loseth them to prayse God to giue him thankes and maketh them speake those thinges that set foorth the glorie of God and serue to the edifying of other to abstayne from those thinges that corrupt good maners Againe bicause he is the spirite of adoption and beareth witnesse that we certaynly be the sonnes of god He is the aucthour that wee dare call vppon GOD the father and distruste his good wyll and fauour no longer And Paul expresseth this effect of the spirite saying You haue not receyued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but you haue receyued the spirite of adoption whereby we crye Abba Father And againe Bicause you are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into our heartes crying Abba Father Whereunto the large promises of Christ are to be referred that promise them that pray to his father in his name to be hearde This spirite lykewise withstandeth the cogitations of the fleshe and enflameth the minds as they are praying with the desire of saluation glory of god Besides that the spirite of Christ worketh here a newe myracle For as hee deuided the tongues of the Apostles that they might be able to speake the languages of all nations so hee giueth to the faithfull of all nations one and the same tongue whereby in all partes of the worlde they inuocate one and the same father with one and the same sounde and with one and the same faith And so those tongues be knit againe in one which the insolent and bolde presumption of man had deuided in sunder And this seemeth to me to be that tongue of Chanaan which the Prophete sayde the Cities of Egypt and all nations should speake And if the holy ghost chaunge the tongues of men so that he maketh them to speake the thinges that are holy and godly and which edifie many and make them with sure confidence to aske helpe of God then it easely appeareth with what spirite they are led with vtter blasphemies and cursinges with open mouth which breath out the poyson of slaunder and cursed speaking which offende the mindes of many with their impure and filthy talke hauing no regarde neither of age nor sexe and which in prayer are either altogither colde or else inuocate creatures and are not afrayde to ascribe to them the glory due to God alone or else are voyde of that sure trust and affyaunce which they shoulde call vpon God with For these are not the effectes of that holy spirite but of that maligne and vncleane spirite And Christ saith The mouth speaketh of the aboundaunce of the hart Therefore the hartes of suche are vndoubtedly possessed of the vncleane spirite of Sathan Christ therefore doth not without a cause confesse that we shall either be iustified or condemned by our sayinges And Dauid among the preceptes of lyfe numbreth this very grauely as the cheefe Kepe thy tongue from euyll and thy lippes that they speake no guile Adde hereunto that Paul the Apostle commaundeth all scurrilitie of tongue and filthy communication to be farre from the mouthes of Christians and numbreth filthynesse of speache in that roule for the which the wrath of God commeth vpon the chidren of disobedience Let Christian men therefore haue this prayer of Dauid often in their mouth Set a watche O Lorde before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes Let vs consider the other effect of the holy ghost in the Apostles which we may gather of the whole context of the storie The same is a bolde confession of Iesus Christ deuoyde of all feare For they begyn openly euery where to preach him to euery one that they meete with diuers languages they set forth the great workes of God as they that hearde them beare witnesse For they call the preaching of Christ or the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the great and wonderous workes of God bicause that in Christe the whole maiestie of God is most euidentlye of all other thinges seene And although there are many workes of God whereby he sheweth vs his nature and power yet amongst them all this worke that Christe did is the chiefest For in him the rigour of Gods iustice was seene who woulde not haue his owne sonne spared to th ende our sinnes shoulde be purged with due punishment This also declareth the vnspeakeable fauour and mercie of God wherewith he so tenderly loued vs that he had rather
them when he sayth that he shall be saued that calleth vpon the name of the Lord. Where we may note a double consolation First it is an vniuersall promise which promiseth saluation to all them that call vpon the name of the lord Ergo here is a doore of saluation opened to all men from entring into which we are not kept backe neyther by pouerty nor infamy of the world â—â—yther by diseases nor cruell torments neyther by sexe nor age neyther by difference of nation or kindred Nay we cannot be put by neyther by sinne nor death bicause in Christ we haue expiation of all our sinnes and he hath ouercome death and the gates of hell Furthermore saluation is absolutely promised so that we see they haue all things necessary to saluation that call vpon the name of the Lorde Wherevpon we gather that they which feele no taste nor comfort of saluation by their prayers call not vpon the name of the Lorde that is they are destitute of faith in Christe which fayth will not suffer our prayers to be made in vaine And this is the only way of saluation which the holy scriptures teach vs euerywhere And Peter thought to make mention hereof in this place to thintent the Iewes might vnderstand how they could none other wayes be deliuered from the imminent daungers and the horrible iudgement of God but by casting away all trust in their owne workes and righteousnesse and turning vnto the throne of grace by the fayth that is in Iesus Christe The same must we also in these dayes marke and consider Whatsoeuer troubles or calamities the Lorde or his Apostles foretolde shoulde happen in the later dayes they vrge and assault vs on euerye side The wysest and greatest men consult in euery place how to get a waye and remedye to bee saued And the vnhappy successe of things in these dayes teache vs howe vayne all counsayles be that proceede of mans deuyse Let vs therefore holde this waye which as it is the most simplest and playnest and deliuereth vs from many cares and troubles so is it infallible and certaine bicause it stayeth and resteth vpon the promise of God which no force of the worlde can ouerturne Wherfore let vs acknowledge our sinnes and in them let vs seeke the causes of the euils which we suffer Let vs vse the acknowledging of our sinne to beate downe the affiaunce in our owne righteousnesse And then turning vnto God let vs call vppon his holye name who surely will heare vs and deliuer vs for his names sake in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xiiij. Homelie YE men of Israell heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God among you with myracles woonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you as yee your selues knowe him haue you taken by the handes of vnrighteous persons after hee was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slaine him whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorowes of death bycause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it WE haue hearde the first part of Peters Sermon alreadye wherein he cleareth the Apostles from the crime of drunkennesse and teacheth how they were endued with the holy ghost He vseth in the place of demonstration the testimony of the Prophet Ioël which he so rehearseth that therewith he declareth the horrible punishmentes remayning for the contemners of the Gospell and teacheth the onely way of remedye and escape to be the fayth in Iesus Christe which things bicause they were sufficient to feare them that were not altogither incurable the Apostle passeth to the other parte where he preacheth Christ whome of late we sayde was the chiefe marke that the Apostles shotte at in all their doctrine And least his preaching might be in vayne he so proposeth the matter that he stirreth vp their mindes with the conscience of their sinnes to the ende that being feared therwith they might with the more feruent fayth and greedinesse embrace Iesus Christ in whom they heard saluation was preached And his chiefe studye is to be short and playne least any man might thinke the knowledge of Christ and the way of saluation contayned therein to be lyke the dreames of the Philosophers which neyther can be explicated in infinite volumes nor be discussed by any disputations nor fully be comprehended of anye man For he compriseth the chiefe articles of our fayth in fewe woordes which whosoeuer vnderstandeth he hath both attayned to the knowledge of Christ and to all the waye of saluation For first he descrybeth the person of Christ and teacheth vs what he is and howe we should knowe him Secondly he intreateth of the passion and death of christ Thirdly he declareth his resurrection Of these three we meane to saye so much as his spirite shall giue vs grace In speaking of Christes person he handleth all things prudently and circumspectly least they that were as yet weake might take occasion of offence For when he had gotten them to be attent by a short kinde of exhortation he bringeth them by little and little to the knowledge of Christ saying Iesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God amongest you by myracles signes and woonders which God wrought by him in the middest of you as ye your selues know â–ª c. In the which words he pronounceth of Christ two things First that he was a man for he calleth him one of Nazareth which name he had of Nazareth a Citie of Galiley where he was brought vp as appeareth by the storie of the Gospel But bicause this seemed not sure and strong ynough he calleth him Virum that is to say a man which name agreeth to none but him that is a very man in deede And Christ is truly called a man bicause as Paule saith he taketh on him no Angels nature or other heuenly essence but the sede of Abraham Furthermore least any man might take him for some common person he maketh a difference betweene him and other adding approoued of God amongest you with myracles c. And although he purposed to teache the diuinitie of Christ yet he prudently as yet dissembleth the name of God which would haue seemed very straunge in the eares of the Iewes He woulde haue them by his deedes to learne that he was very God whome hitherto they thought to be onely but a rascall and common person It is as much as if he should saye I preach vnto you Iesus of Nazareth which many of you iudge to be but a man only But you ought to consider that God hath openly shewed in him many declarations of a diuine nature the ende of all which was to commend him vnto you and to teache you that he was that long wayted for sauiour of mankinde which in tyme past he promised you And the workes of Christ whereof God commended him he adorneth with three titles First he calleth
author thereof doe euidently appeare First he sayth the man was lame from his mothers wombe and so lame that hauing lost the vse of all his limmes he was fayne to be borne Unto the which ioyne his age taken out of the words that follow for he was fourtie yeare olde and thou shalt perceyue his disease coulde not be cured by any arte of man For such are the diseases for the most part that cleaue vnto vs from our natiuitie or else by long time and continuance of yeares growne as it were into a nature or custome yet was the ende of all moste blessed For those thinges that did aggrauate and increase the poore mannes calamitie serued to the setting forth of Gods glorie for it might haue seemed but a small glorie to Christ for Peter to heale a disease curable by mannes arte and cunning But wheras he whose helth no man euer hoped for was healed by the name of Christ it is euident that Christ is almightie endued with diuine power and therefore is verye god And to this ende commonly serue the greatest calamities which God vseth to take from vs that by those things which no counsel or help of man can remedie he setteth forth the glory of his name Example whereof we haue both here in this place and also in him that was blinde from his natiuitie For the Disciples demaunding whether it was his fault or his parentes that he was borne blinde Christ aunswereth Neyther hath this man sinned nor yet his father and mother but that the woorkes of God shoulde be shewed in him This serueth both for our instruction and consolation For it teacheth vs that we must not rashly iudge of other mennes mishappes and miseries as though they that were fallen therein had deserued them through their vngraciousnesse For many times it commeth to passe that God suffreth vs to be afflicted for none other cause but for that by vs he will set forth his name and glorye Wherefore we must not be to hastie in iudgement least we runne against the same rocke that we reade Iobes friends once did which of his calamitie gathered that through his wickednesse and sinfull life he had deserued the wrath of god Also let them take comfort hereof whose calamities are so great that there is no more hope or helpe for them in man let them not therfore thinke they are forsaken of god But let them yeelde themselues paciently to God to doe his pleasure on them and they shall shortly prooue that those things which they thought were tokens of his wrath pertayned to the glorye of his name and to their saluation wherevnto Paule had a respect when he said We knowe that for them that loue God all things worke to the best Besides this remedilesse disease Luke testifieth he was poore And it is a token of extreeme neede that he was laid euery day at the temple gate which by reason of the gorgeous building was called beautifull to aske almes of them that went by to finde him But that this was against the law of God appeareth by that was sayde in the last sermons For Gods lawe is manifest forbidding any begger to be in Israel And many thinges are commaunded of God for the relieuing of the poore which he woulde haue so ordred that our brethren shoulde not go abrode lyke publike stages and woondermentes of miserie and beggerie whereof they were little mindefull as appeareth by example of this miserable creature who was as it maye seeme by his bringing euery day to the Temple gate one of Ierusalem and dwelling in a most welthye Citie And yet he is compelled amongst his brethren and among an infinite number of Priests to begge for his liuing Such other haue we described Iohn 9. and Marc. 10. This declareth the great corruption and degeneration of the Iewish nation For hereby it appeareth that the goodes which God had appointed to feede the poore with were alienated from them and through abuse transposed other wayes So true it is that there is nothing in right order among thē which in Gods religion dare rashly dispence with any thing contrary to his word And not long after extreme destruction folowed such extreme corruption Wherby we may iudge what we ought to looke for in these dayes who are in lyke fault as the Iewes were For we contrarye to the example of the primitiue Church suffer those to begge whome we ought to take and loue as our brethren The true vse of the Church goodes is marred and depraued by the Papistes and those thinges serue to the maintenaunce of ydle men wherewith the poore of the Church ought to be found and nourished And although they that bragge of the Gospell haue put awaye superstition and ydolatrie yet all their reformations of the Church stop here when they shoulde dispose the Church goodes truly and relieue the poore Christians whereby it is manifest that a great many vnder the cloke of the Gospell seeke but their owne gaine onely But Christ which shall come in the later daye to reuenge the quarell of the poore will not fayle of his dutie Last of all this is to be considered in the lame man that Luke sayth he asked almes of the Apostles But where he was daily layde at the gate of the Temple it is not vnlike that he was ignorant what miracles they did euery daye Why then did he not rather aske the health of his body Shall we iudge of him according to the propertie of the beggers in our dayes which cast themselues into diseases and refuse to be healed whereby to get the more by begging God forbid For so great a benefite coulde not haue light vpon so prophane a contemner of God and his grace Me thinketh rather it was for cause he was nowe vtterlye in dispayre to be cured of his disease There were in deede diuers examples of many which Christ had restored to their former health but he knewe of none borne lame from his mothers wombe that he had healed Wherefore since he was out of all hope of hauing his health againe he thought it in vaine to desire it of any body and hauing none other care but for his liuing he asked of the Apostles that which thereto belonged But he receyued more than eyther hee durst hope for or aske For he is deliuered from his sickenesse and made a singuler instrument and vessell of Gods goodnesse and glory which he did vse to the saluation of manye This is a singuler goodnesse of God towardes vs which oftentimes vseth to preuent and to doe beyonde all our hope and prayers in so much that he giueth vs both more and greater things than we once coulde haue hoped for So he promiseth vnto Abraham being onely carefull for Ismael his life a sonne also by Sara called Isaac So brought he the people of Israel out of Egypt with all their owne substance and part of the Egyptians also who scarce euer hoped to
they thereby are rather fretted and made the woorse For where their myndes froath and boyle like vnto the sea the more they are pressed and vrged therwith the more they vse to raue Examples we haue hereof euerywhere among which this one that is set forth in this Counsell gathered togither against Steuen is verye notable For where Steuen had declared his innocencye by moste weightie reasons and proofes and had with woorthy wordes reprehended their canckred and olde maliciousnesse so little are they mooued wyth any remorse of conscience to amende their lyfe that they rather conceyue in their heartes and vtter an vntreatable rage and furye a most filthy faulte in a Iudge not onely by alteration of countenaunce but also by a doggish maner of gnashing vpon him with their teeth And yet might this after a sorte haue bene suffered if they had helde their handes But as though they had not hitherto bewrayed their madnesse ynough they ioyne herevnto the vnworthy death and punishment of a most innocent man which thinge Luke very diligently describeth bicause it teacheth vs many things touching the deathe of Martyrs and diuers other thinges are therein comprehended which make both for our comfort and instruction He beginneth with the thinges that God shewed by his Martyr wrapped in so many woes and daungers For when he perceyued himselfe set in the middle of a sorte of Wolues and no hope of any mans helpe appearyng he began with eyes lift vp into heauen to seeke the helpe of god Which thing God long denied him not but sheweth him a vision wherwith both himself is comforted and his enimies made afeard By which thing we are taught that God forsaketh not those that be his when they be in daunger For hee seeth them and heareth them as the scripture euerywhere teacheth And for bicause he is a father he is touched with their miseries he hath pitie on them being in distresse and sheweth himselfe to be a most faythfull reuenger And although he alwayes deliuereth vs not from present daungers yet he comforteth our myndes in suche wyse that we are able to beare and suffer them Let vs therefore learne to haue no respect of mannes helpe which is most vayne but to lift our eyes vp into heauen and then shall we not be deceyued of our hope For this is the saying of all the godlye whiche Dauid vttereth I haue lifte vp myne eyes vnto the hilles from whence commeth my helpe My helpe commeth from the Lorde which hath made heauen and earth And the Prophete pronounceth him happye whose hope and trust is in the Lorde and accurseth him which trusteth in man and maketh flesh his strength It shall be profitable for vs to consider the maner and order howe God comforteth Steuen In this point the holy ghost hath the first place wherewith Luke sayth Steuen was replenished Here the Lord perfourmed that he promised where he sayth he would not leaue vs comfortlesse but sende vs the holy ghost to comfort vs. Him we haue very much neede of by reason of the infirmitie of the fleshe him we desire of God as Christ commaundeth saying Let thy kingdome come With this spirit the faythfull being emboldened do easily contempne the assaults of the world For of him is this saying of Iohn to be vnderstanded Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the worlde But bicause there appeared on euery side suche thynges as might feare the most valiaunt Martyr it pleased God also to sende hym outwarde comfort He sheweth hym therefore a vision conteyning all the meane of saluation For he seeth the heauens opened which thing we reade also was done in the baptisme of christ Christ also appeared in his glorye standing on the right hande of the father Which thinges forasmuch as they are reported by the name of a vision and where also it was said before that he lifted vp his eyes into heauen I thinke they appeared to him in deede visibly and were not offered only to the contemplation of his mynde And we neede not here to dispute much of naturall sight forasmuch as these thinges appeared to Steuen onely to whose eyes it was a most easie thyng for God to giue so straunge and farre pearcing a sighte And it was needefull that this first Martyr should see such thinges that we might vnderstand what all others had to hope of For they signifie vnto vs that now through the merite of Christ the heauens be open to vs and that we haue in them as Christ promised a place prepared for vs Furthermore they declare that Christ raigneth in heauen and doth not like an ydle and sluggish body neglect his peoples quarell but standeth in a readinesse to preserue and deliuer them as a trustie and faythfull Shepeheard which suffereth not his sheepe to be taken out of his handes And herevnto me thinketh are the prayers of the Saintes to be referred wherein they desire that God woulde arise vp and saue them And although Steuen onely had the grace to see these things yet GOD mooued him by his spirite to shewe the wicked Iudges of them Which thing he did very boldly For therby they might vnderstande that all their enterprises against Christ were vayne forasmuch as he nowe triumphantly raigned in heauen whome a little before they had put to the most shamefull death of the Crosse. We must learne a generall lesson hereof to knowe that Christes power and force is inuincible althoughe the wycked world storme and striue against him neuer so much For Dauid long sithens foretolde that this woulde be his propertie to beare rule euen in the middest of his enimies But nowe what did Steuens enimies among all these things Did the declaring of these matters any thing mitigate their raging and moody mindes No truly For first with furious showting they make a noyse and outcrie agaynst the holy man and stoppe their eares so that they woulde not no not agaynst their willes heare the worde of god This is the propertie of all the wicked that they refuse nothing so much as the word of God and can neyther heare nor suffer the same bicause nothing is more contrarye to their desires and purpose Wherefore Dauid likeneth them to Adders which stoppe their eares bicause they woulde not heare the wordes of the Charmer But this wickednesse deserueth that they shall crye another time and not be hearde as the Prophete sayth Mich. 3. And at length they shall heare that last and horrible sentence of Christ their Iudge which shall sende them with Satan their king into the paynes of eternall fyre And yet not contented with noyse and crying out to trouble Steuen preaching of the glorye of Christ they turne them to open violence For with one consent they runne vpon him thrust him out of the Citie and stone him Where it appeareth with what argumentes the wicked vse to dispute agaynst the truth verily with seditious showting
Congregation and entred into euery house and drew out both menne and women and thrust them into prison Therefore they that were scattered abrode went euery where preaching the worde of God. THe holy ghost would haue the vnworthye death of the blessed Martyr Steuen with great diligence described by Luke not so muche for Steuens sake that his name according to the Oracle of Dauid might be had in perpetuall remembrance but for our sakes for whose instruction and comfort the hystorie doth greatly serue For we are taught by the example of the most holy man and first Martyr how we also ought to suffer all maner of extremitie for Christes sake and the truths and not to shunne death be it neuer so cruell forasmuch as we haue Christ to be our reuenger who hath layde vp for vs a moste excellent rewarde in heauen Agayne it is moste comfortable that we see the kingdome of Christ is not ouerwhelmed with the slaughters and tyrannie of the wicked but rather dylated and enlarged For as this thing hath oftentymes otherwheres bene declared so at this tyme the hystorie following abundantly sheweth it came to passe what tyme as Steuen receyued the garlande of martyrdome to the declaration whereof Luke in this present place prepareth him premising three things whereby that that we now haue sayd is prooued euery one of which three things we will intreate of in order First it is sayde that an vniuersall and cruell persecution was raysed in Ierusalem agaynst the Church We haue seene diuers things before attempted by the Priestes but the Apostles were chiefely then thrust at and the enimies repressed with feare of the people were the more calme But nowe perceyuing all thinges succeede agaynst Steuen as they woulde haue them and that there aryseth no tumult or businesse in the people lyke beastes hauing once tasted bloude they waxe the more thirstie therefore yea more cruell and bolde and set vpon the whole body of the congregation to ouerthrowe it Wherein they so rage and take on that within a short whyle the whole Congregation is scattered throughout Iurie and Samaria which hither vnto dwelt togither in Ierusalem It shal be for our profite diligently to behold this viewe of the primitiue Church For in this Church we see all thinges are verye well ordred after the rule of christ And the Apostles had oftentimes notable victorie when they were apprehended and caused to pleade their cause before Counselles Wherevpon any body would haue hoped that great rest and peace shoulde haue ensued But beholde horrible tumultes aryse vppon the sodeyne and the enimies emboldened wyth the death of Steuen alone cruelly make warre and set on the whole Congregation What shall we therfore in these dayes hope for whose sloth and manifolde defectes deserue a more seuere correction For if God haue suffered these thinges to come to passe in the greene tree what shall he doe in the drie This place also reprooueth their preposterous iudgements which vse to pronounce of fayth and the doctrine of fayth according to the successe of thinges falling out in the worlde For if we shall beleeue these men then must we confesse that the Priestes quarrell was good and right and that the primitiue Church was vtterly deceyued But we must search deeper for the causes of Gods iudgements and then we shall perceyue that it is for our saluation that we be exercised and invred with the furiousnesse of the wicked who in the meane season fill vp the measure of iniquitie and at length receyue worthy punishment for their tyrannie at Christes handes who is the defender of his Church But here is chiefely to be considered how the Apostles remayne in the citie after all the residue were fled Yet we reade that before this they were chiefly molested and troubled Wherfore it must needes be that they were woonderfully preserued by the help of God in this boysterous tempest of persecution For God would haue his gospell long preached in this bloudy citie of Ierusalem to the intent that both his mercy and iustice might the more easily appeere His mercy and goodnesse in that hee suffred the doctrine of grace and saluation so long to bee preached to them that were embrued with the bloude of his sonne His iustice in that he subuerted by horrible destruction those that were incurable and woulde not repent In the meane whyle we haue two thinges to consider First that there are certaine limits bounds appointed for the wicked persecutors of the congregation which they cannot go beyond For he that hath set a border about the sea within the which that great heape of waters is conteyned he that bindeth Satan by his lawes the same bridleth the wicked that they cannot do as they would nor vse crueltie agaynst whom they would Herein receyue we great consolation of mynde when we consider that the lawes of Gods prouidence can not be broken with the rage of the wicked Agayne the Apostles gyue vs an example of faythfull Superindents of the word and of the Congregation For although they knewe that Christ sayde when they persecute you in one Citie flie vnto another â–ª yet bicause they were bounde by a certayne vocation and perceyued that the remnant of the Church was lyke to fall awaye if they also shoulde leaue the Citie they had rather to hazarde their lyfe than by vnhonest flying to forsake the congregation And surely Ministers haue neede in this case diligently to beware For as all are not rashly to be condemned which by flying prouyde for themselues so must we not thinke it lawfull for euery man at all times and in all places But if it be in such a case that the Minister alone is sought for of the enimye or else he be forsaken of them which hytherto woulde haue the name of a congregation or if no ruine or detryment ensue vnto the Congregation by his departing then is there no cause why he may not reserue himselfe for a more commodious season But they that forsake the publyke cause of the Congregation and go from them that holde fast the confession of fayth these in deede be Apostatas and hyrelinges who Christ sayeth vse to flie when they see the woolfe come Woulde to God they had well considered these things which in these dayes to hastily forsooke their Churches whom it behooued rather to haue folowed the ensample of Ambrose which denied to deliuer his Churches vnto the Arrianes although the Emperour commaunded it See the Epistle to Marcella his sister which in number is the thirtie and three Luke going on in his history begunne sheweth what the faythfull which remayned in the Citie did vnto Steuen being thus stoned First he sayeth they dressed him that is they buried him This is a most auncient vsage agreable to that firste sentence pronounced of God where he sayeth that we came of the earth and shall returne to the earth agayne and conteyneth the mistery of the resurrection in
none other cause graunted to flie but for that they shoulde after such daunger escaped turne vnto doing their dutie againe and to bestowe all their life after in setting forth the glory of Christ. Howbeit Luke maketh a diligent mention also of the places where these men preached And first he nameth Phaenicia which is neare vnto Iurie famous by reason of the Cities and people therin and is accounted notable euen among the prophane writers After that he nameth Cyprus an Islande of great fame in the Poets writings which they say by reason aswell of the pleasantnesse of the soyle as of the dissolute maners of the inhabitants is consecrated vnto Venus And here appeareth partlye the great goodnesse of God which woulde vouchsafe to endue such people with the knowledge of his sonne and partly the woonderfull and inuincible power of the Gospell through the preaching whereof the boundes of Christes kingdome were in short time so enlarged that from the mayne land it passed ouer sea and beganne to come into the Islandes as was long before foretolde of the Prophetes See Psalme 72. Esay 60.66 c. He chiefely maketh mention of Antioch which was the moste famous Citie of all the Cities of Syria For as it was notable by reason of Seleucus the builder thereof and of great renowme bicause of their woonderfull glorie and ryches so as we shall herafter heare the first Church among the Gentyles was there assembled and flourished in such number that they which before were called onely but Disciples of Christ beganne nowe to be called by a more worthy name Christians This Citie hath had Bishops notable both in life and learning It hath also so abounded in Martyrs that scarce any other can be compared therewith It is therefore woonderfull and much to be obserued that God woulde haue so great a Citie conuerted by the ministerie of those men whose names be not extant For this onely is written of them that they were of Ciprus Cyrene Howbeit it might haue pleased God aswell to haue vsed the helpe of notable Apostles But by the vyle and contemned thinges of this worlde after his maner he woulde bring to passe a thing of most importance that we might knowe howe we ought to reioyce and glory in him and not in man. Now let vs see what they preached that layd the foundations of the Church at Antioch They preached sayth Luke the Lord Iesus He was then the argument theme of their doctrine whome Paule also saith he only acknowledgeth He maketh mention onely of Iesus Christ bicause in him is contayned whatsoeuer things make for our saluation For he is giuen vnto vs of God to be the authour of repentance and remission of sinnes to all mankind as hath bene declared in the fyft Chapter For as in him onely remission of sinnes is to be founde so that repentance that is made without fayth in Christ cannot please god We haue here therfore what to answere them which reprehende vs and scorne vs bicause in our Sermons we inculcate and often repeate Christ only Thus we doe following the example of the Apostles and we can not doe otherwyse forasmuch as we can fynde no saluation without Christ. Last of all Luke declareth a notable successe of the Gospell saying And a great number beleeued and turned vnto the Lorde He first declareth the cause efficient least any man might ascribe it vnto the ministerie of men For he sayth the hande of the Lorde was with them Whereby we gather that all successe of fayth and saluation dependeth vppon God and that nothing is to be attributed to man more than the outwarde ministerie This thing Paule declareth at large in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the thirde Chap. And it is good oftentimes to haue the same in remembrance both bicause Ministers shoulde not waxe to prowde and also for that they whome God hath illuminated with true faith might learne to be thankfull vnto him Also the Euangelist expresseth the proper ende of Christian faith which is that they which through ignorance or superstition or sinne haue turned from God might conuert and turne againe vnto him Therefore fayth is not occupied in vayne speculation but is a liuely knowledge of Iesus Christ which draweth whole man vnto the obedience of god And they are not to be taken for Christians which being drowned in superstition and sinne will not conuert vnto the Lorde Let vs therefore set before vs this marke that we turning by true faith vnto God may attayne to saluation in Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxx. Homelie Tydings of these things came vnto the eares of the congregation which was in Ierusalem And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go vnto Antioch which when he came and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would continually cleaue vnto the Lorde For he was a good man and full of the holye ghost and of fayth and much people was added vnto the Lorde Then departed Barnabas vnto Tharsus for to seeke Saule And when hee had founde him hee brought him vnto Antioch And it came to passe that a whole yere they had their conuersation with the cōgregation and taught much people insomuch that the Disciples of Antioche were the first that were called Christians BYcause God had appointed Iesus Christ his sonne to be the Sauiour of all the worlde therefore it was requisite that all nations should be brought vnto him by preaching of the Gospell as it appeareth by the Oracles of the Prophetes and by the commaundement of Christ where he bade the Apostles to go into all the world and to bring him Disciples out of all Nations And howe this thing beganne to come to passe Luke declareth in this chapter For although it be described before in the storie of Cornelius conuersion to the fayth of Christ yet bicause it might seeme he was called vpon some speciall fauor or priuiledge the conuersion of the notable citie of Antioch is ioyned therevnto in the which a Church of the Gentyles for many causes notable is gathered togither The beginners whereof were certayne men that came from Cyprus and Cyrene as was yesterday declared of small or no name yet whose names vndoubtedly are written before God in the booke of life These men comming into the Citie preached Iesus Christ onely vnto the Gentyles teaching them that he was sent from God the father to giue repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes to them that beleeue in him And their godly enterprise wanted not a most prosperous successe For Gods power working most effectually by their ministery an innumerable sort of menne learned the fayth and turned vnto the Lorde Now vnto these premisses Luke ioyneth certaine things touching the confirming of the Church at Antioch And first he declareth the kindenesse of those of Ierusalem towardes this newe Church of Christ which
that were committed to his charge and by all meanes to be alwayes instant vppon them Therefore their error is most absurde which thinke all doctrine vnprofytable and superfluous for those which haue already once attayned to the knowledge of truth Thirdly Barnabas goeth to Tharsus from thence he bringeth Paule to Antioch to thintent the congregation through his ministery might the more be strengthened This is an other argument of a true faithfull minde and feruent in loue towarde christ For Barnabas coulde not be ignorant howe great giftes of the spirite were in Paules brest and how much authoritie he should lose if Paule came to Antioch who was the singularest instrument that Christ had But we haue before shewed that they which are feruent in faith seeke not to be glorifyed of men but desire to promote the glory of god Yea it is certayne that all they lacke fayth which are led with the desire of their owne glory prayse which argument Christ vseth against the Scribes of the Iewes In the meane season Barnabas example teacheth vs that in well ordred congregations the chiefe care is to haue fit Ministers of the word and that they shoulde be sought for and brought from all places Christ teacheth the same where he biddeth vs to praye vnto the Lorde of the haruest that he will sende forth labourers Herof we see it came to passe that the chiefe of the Prophetes and most noble Kings had so diligent a care and consideration of schooles bicause without them they perceyued the Church coulde not stande nor the pure doctrine of fayth be maintayned Wherefore their ingratitude is very grosse which do not onely contemne the Ministers as persons vnprofitable whome the Lorde of his mercy offreth but also hate them as the greatest malefactors that can be and woorse than Toades Last of all is adioyned howe Barnabas and Paule continued a whole yeare togither at Antioch For this cause vndoubtedly for that they sawe the congregation had neede of their help For Luke writeth not that they sate ydelie there like sluggards but declareth that they instructed there a great company of men in the true faith and religion of christ Let ministers of the Church followe this example and while they perswade other men to perseuerance let them constantly perseuer in their duty and not boaste themselues of the bare name of Pastors but lette them doe that that belongeth to true Pastors least they become followers and successors of that foolishe shepeherde which is described in Zachary .xj. Chapter Nowe remayneth the profite and successe of this godly and feruent diligence which Luke sayth was notable For first he sayth a great company was added vnto the Lorde Whereby it is euident that the traueyles of the godly Ministers was not without effect For as the worde of God like vnto a fruitefull seede hath power or vertue in it selfe to bring forth fruite so it alwayes falleth vpon some which being well disposed to receyue it bring forth worthy fruites And although some bring stony hearts some thorny giuen to all kinde of pleasures yet hath God his people euerywhere which receyue his seede into good hearts and there keepe it till it bring forth much fruite And the Prophete beareth witnesse that the worde of God returneth not without fruite or in vaine but is like vnto a showre of raine which watereth the grounde and maketh it fruitfull Moreouer God blesseth the studies of his Ministers so that they shall not labour in vayne This ought to encourage those that labour in the Church of Christ to thinke their traueyles can not be lost For if they deliuer but a fewe soules from destruction let them thinke they haue gotten great treasure bicause Christ witnesseth that the saluation of one soule cannot be redeemed with all the substance of the world In the meane while marke howe he sayth this compaâ—ye was added vnto the Lorde Then Paule and Barnabas gathered not scholers to themselues but vnto the Lorde For they knewe well that they must glory in Christ alone as their teacher and maister And they knewe Christ commaunded them to bring schollers vnto him Therefore great is their insolencie which be authors of sectes among Christians and make them the seruauntes of men whome Christ hath purchased to himselfe with the price of his bloude See what Paule sayth against this doing in the first epistle to the Corinthians 1.3.7 c There ensueth yet another commoditie which hath gotten perpetuall and immortall glory to the Citie of Antioche For where in that Citie the first Church of the Gentyles was gathered togither it came to passe that they which hytherto were called but Disciples are now first adourned with the name of Christians And this is that newe name which God long before promised hee woulde giue vnto his elect And what greater glorye coulde comme vnto the Antiochianes Let the Bishoppes of prowde and haultie Rome be compared with these men and they shall whether they will or nill be inforced to giue place And yet we neuer reade that that prowde tytle was giuen to Antioch to be called the heade of the Church But to let passe these matters let vs rather expende the force of this name bicause it is not giuen vs without the prouidence of god It is euident that we be so called of the sonne of God which according to the figure of the olde â–ª Testament wherewith Kings and Priests were annointed is of the Greekes for excellencie sake called Christ of the Hebrues Meschias and of vs annoynted bicause God hath appointed him the vniuersall and euerlasting King and Priest of his people as may be seene Psalm 2. and .110 And where he giueth himselfe and all that is his wholye to his people therefore he woulde haue them to be called Christians after his owne name And he hath not giuen vs a naked and an emptie name but as the Apostle sayth he hath annointed vs and made vs Kings and Priestes to God his father Therfore the vse of this name is manifolde For first it admonisheth vs of the dignitie which we haue in Christ wherevnto there is none like as they shall confesse which throughly weigh the matter For it is plaine that there was neuer King which was able to make all the subiectes of his Realme Kings no not his Courtyers or those that were of his counsayle But such is the vertue power of Iesus Christ that he is able to make them Kings for euer that acknowledge him to be their king Then this name serueth to confirme the beliefe and certaintie of our saluation For in Iesus Christ is God the father well pleased Therefore he can not be angrye with vs nor forsake vs whome he hath vouchsafed to call after the name of his belooued sonne Hence therefore may we fett arguments of consolation in aduersity especially in the temptations of our conscience Finally this title admonisheth vs of
our dutie that we should not forget that we be made Kings and Priestes by Christ and that we should valiauntly maintayne the dignitie of our name It is the propertie of a King to be at his libertie and not to be in subiection vnder the rule of another Let vs therfore abide in the libertie wherevnto the sonne of God hath called vs and not suffer our selues to be oppressed hereafter with the seruitude of sinne which is the fylthiest and miserablest thing that can be It is the property of a King to vanquish and ouercome his enimies Let vs therefore subdue and vanquishe the moste cruell enimies of our saluation Satan the world and the fleshe with all the concupiscences therof It is the part of a king to cōmaunde and beare rule Let vs therfore rule our selues mightily ouercome al those things which leade vs crosse the way of saluation So let vs lykewise performe the dutie of Priests to teach to pray to consecrate and offer Wherefore it shall be our dutie to teach those that belong vnto vs both by word and example of lyfe as farre forth as the dutie of our calling bindeth vs It shall be our parts to pray both in secret and openly and to make intercession to God not onely for our owne necessities but also for our neyghbors It shall also be our duties to consecrate our selues for liuely sacrifyce vnto God and to offer to him euery day the bullockes of our lippes that is to say giuing of thankes which is the moste acceptable and thankefull sacrifyce that we can giue vnto him These thinges myght at large be drawne through the whole lyfe of man but it shall suffyse to giue the vnlearned an occasion to expende and consider better of them Whosoeuer perfourmeth these things is worthy to be called a Christian. And such it appeareth the Patriarches were in times past whome God in the hundreth and fyft Psalme calleth his annoynted that is to saye Christians Such it is credible those men of Antiochia were which first enioyed that name And if any will presumptuously bragge of the name they shall surely deceyue themselfe but God they cannot deceyue Let vs therefore diligently thinke of these thinges that remembring both our dignitie and dutie we may aunswere to so notable and excellent a name and being taken from this lyfe may raigne in heauen with Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxj. Homelie IN those dayes came Prophetes from the Citie of Ierusalem vnto Antioch And there stoode vp one of them named Agabus and signified by the spirite that there should be great dearth throughout all the world which came to passe in the Emperour Claudius dayes Then the Disciples euerye man according to his abilitie purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iurie which thing they also did and sent it to the Elders by the handes of Barnabas and Saule ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ is alwaye present with his Church yet he suffereth it as he foretolde diuerslye and manye wayes to be troubled hauing aduersitie as it were by continuall enterchaunge still following prosperitie The principall cause wherof is partly for that he woulde brydle the lustynesse of our fleshe and partlye bicause he woulde teache vs that he is as well able to deliuer his people in aduersitie as to maintaine them in prosperitie We haue heretofore seene certayne notable examples hereof For the Gospell in the beginning being prosperouslye preached at Ierusalem brought a great number of Disciples vnto Christ shortly after riseth a tempest of persecution that driueth down the florishing of the Church flat to the grounde By and by againe when Saule was conuerted vnto Christ sodeinly the Church was quiet the doctrine of Christ being caried vnto the Gentyles gaue likelyhoode of great encrease seeing that at Antioch the noblest Citie in all Syria there was a Church of Gentyles assembled togither and were there first called after that noble name of Christians But beholde a great and straunge aduersitie following namely a dearth which as it troubled the whole worlde so it most miserablye afflicted the faythfull whose goodes were spent partlye in finding the poore of the Church and partly were taken from them in the rage of persecution The consideration herof is most profitable for vs for herby we may learne the lesse to be offended if the lyke aduersity betide vs in these dayes And of all other this present place is worthy to be diligently considered as well for the manifolde comfort as also the instruction which the holy ghost here setteth forth For it declareth the dearth that was in the Church and it setteth out the fatherly prouidence of God hauing a care for the same and also sheweth what way and counsayle the faythfull tooke seeing the publike calamitie like to ensue And of all these we meane orderly to intreate First we will speake of the dearth wherof prophane writers but chieflye Iosephus and Suetonius make mention This dearth no man will deny but was sent by the iudgement of God except such an one as will deny God to be the gouernor of the whole worlde For the Prophete witnesseth that there is no plague in a Citie without the Lordes doing And in the lawe among the punishmentes wherewith God reuenged the contempt of hys worde barrennesse of grounde and scarcitie of victuals ar◠chiefely reckoned See Leuiticus 26. Deuter. 28. And we must not thinke that anye thing commeth vnto man by fortune forasmuch as it appeareth that the care of Gods prouidence extendeth it selfe euen to the sparrowes flowres of the field It shall be good when such things come to passe to search the causes of Gods iudgements which can be founde no where sooner than in mennes conuersation And surely Luke seemeth to poynt as it were with his fynger the causes of this dearth where he writeth it was in the dayes of Claudius Caesar. For he therefore named the Prince of the world who had then all authoritie and rule in his hande that by him we might iudge of the whole state of the worlde and the condicions of those dayes For it appeareth that the vices of Princes first infect with their contagiousnesse the Nobilitie and then their corrupt example poysoneth the Comminaltie And euen prophane writers report that Claudius was in all poyntes a moste naughtye Prince For from his childehoode he was cumbred with diuers and continuall diseases so that being dulled and made lumpish both in bodye and spirit growing further in age he was thought vnable to discharge any office publike or priuate Insomuch that Antonia hys mother vsed to say he was a monster a worke of nature begunne but not fynished and when she woulde note any body of blockishnesse or dulnesse she would say he was more foole than hir sonne Claudius And his sister Liuulla hearing on a time that he should be chosen Emperour did openly and alowde
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
the spirite and worde of God came with great chearefulnesse vnto the kingdome of Christ. Howbeit bicause the Apostles woulde seeme to doe nothing rashlye and of their owne heades they alleage the Oracle of God out of the .xlix. Chapter of Esay whereby they teache that God long agoe decreed that the Gentyles also shoulde knowe howe they had saluation in Christ and that the same shoulde no longer be deferred seeing the Iewes vnto whom the same was fyrst to be preached despised it Here therefore is the calling of the Gentyles prooued whereof we haue heretofore oftentimes spoken Moreouer the place of Esay teacheth vs what is giuen to vs in christ First and foremost a light which worketh in vs the true knowledge of God and saluation which the industrie of mans reason cannot attaine vnto for no man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him Uerily saluation followeth this light For this is life euerlasting that wee knowe God the father and Iesus Christ whome he hath sent This is a woonderfull bountie and goodnesse of God which woulde in so short and briefe a summe set out vnto vs all that belongeth to our saluation Let vs therfore walke in this light that darkenesse do not ouerwhelme vs that we may attaine to saluation in this light that is in Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxv Homelie WHEN the Gentyles hearde this they were gladde and glorifyed the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the region But the Iewes mooued the deuout and honest women and the chiefe of the Citie and raysed persecution against Paule and Barnabas and droue them out of their coastes But they shooke off the dust of their feete against them and came vnto Iconium And the Disciples were filled with ioye and with the holy ghost ALthough God gaue vnto his Sonne Iesus Christ a kingdome and all maner of power yet the scriptures euerywhere testify that he should haue many enimies in the worlde and Christ himselfe oftentimes admonished his Disciples thereof least they shoulde hope for a temporall felicitie and kingdome and so be offended with the crosse and aduersitie This present hystorie sheweth vs an euident example of such things as Christ sayde shoulde come to passe Paule after he had conuerted Cyprus and Pamphilia came to Antioch in Pisidia and there according to his custome preached Christ in the Sinagoge of the Iewes By and by he hath both Iewes and Gentyles to embrace the doctrine of fayth yea the whole Citie almost beganne to listen and giue eare to the gospell so that the matter seemed to be brought to passe euen as he woulde haue it But sodeinly the Iewes stande vp and openly speake against the Apostles in their sermons refrayne not from rayling In the which contention the constancie and boldenesse of the Apostles is specially to be noted whereby they did not only resist their wicked enimies but also pronounced the horrible iudgement of God against them declaring howe God woulde forsake them and transferre his kingdome vnto the Gentyles yet coulde not this contention be so appeased but more grieuous matters yet ensued of the which Luke intreateth in this place For he teacheth vs howe the doctrine of the Gospell was most faithfully published euen in the middle of the enimies After this he sheweth a newe persecution by meanes whereof the Apostles were driuen out of Pisidia and came to Lycaonia The ende of this Tragedie at length is declared to haue bene prosperous and ioyfull to the godly but very horrible and miserable for the vngodly To the fyrst part of this place appertaineth this saying when the Gentyles hearde this they were glad and glorified the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the Region The Gentyles which hearde Paules wordes reioyced not bicause the Iewes were forsaken for that had bene vnsitting both for their faith and Christian charitie but for that they hearde that saluation belonged to them also and that Christ was the sauiour not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles according to the Oracles of the Prophetes Therefore with thankefull mindes they embrace the worde of God and worthily commende it And this saluation is not contayned within the walles of the Citie onely but is caried and spred abrode by preaching of the worde ouer all the Countrie of Pisidia There are in these things certaine poyntes worthy of diligent consideration of all which we will intreate orderly And first it is to be considered what these men were of whome these thinges are reported verily such as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And Luke so describeth them that it is manifest what the cause is that men beleeue the Gospell when the same is impugned of many and cruell enimies Surely it is the free election of God who ordeyneth those vnto lyfe whom it pleaseth him and likewise leaueth them in destruction and eternall damnation whome it seemeth him good For if we consider man as he is of nature we shall see it is not in his will or power to beleeue the Gospell and to take holde of Christ. For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging vnto the spirite of God. And wee bee not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought Our sauiour Christ teacheth vs the very same where he sayth it is needefull that we be borne againe from aboue and that none cōmeth vnto him but whome his father draweth He sayde likewise vnto Peter making confession of his faith Happy or blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Of the which sayings we may easily gather that faith belongeth to them onely whome God hath chosen and predestinate vnto life euerlasting And it is plaine that this election was made from euerlasting and before the beginning of the worlde and that in Christ who was ordeyned to be our sauiour and Redeemer before this world was made Therefore our election is free and of Gods mercie Furthermore those whome he chose in Christ the same when he seeth good he calleth by preaching of the Gospell and draweth effectuously by his spirite that being graffed in Christ through faith they may be iustifyed by his merite and made partakers with him of the heauenly glorye according to that saying of Paule Those which he knewe before he also ordeyned before that they shoulde bee like fashioned vnto the shape of his sonne Moreouer whome he appointed before them also he called And whome he hath called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them he also glorified And as many as be of this number
greater number haue bene deceyued with false opinions of God haue not truely serued hym Only Noe with his familie which were but eyght persons followed an opinion of God religion contrary to al the world hath God to confyrme warrant of the same And the Patriarches a very fewe in number as bright starres shining in the dark fyrmament were scattred abroade among the vnbeleeuing Gentyles what shal we say of the people of Israel the peculyars of the Lord Read we not that they and their Byshops most fowly and wickedly erred when contrarie to the commaundement of God they enterprised to cast a Calfe as the Prophet saith turned the maiesty of their God into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth hay And to speake of Gods newe people doth not Christ call it a small flock and sayth he not they are fewe which go in at the narrowe gate vnto saluation yea Paule sayth that grieuous Wolues shall rise vp euen of those of the congregation which shall not spare the flock and he sayth also that Antichrist shall sit aloft in the temple of god Let them cease therefore to obiect vnto vs the consent of multitude and authoritie of the Church which resist the open veritie We require the worde of God and voyce of Christ which ought to be the onely touch and rule to iudge all controuersies in doctrine Furthermore least anye man should put God in faulte of the Gentyles ydolatrie and superstition the Apostles vse a preoccupation or preuention in the which they cleere God of all maner of fault For hee saye they hath alwayes borne wytnesse of himselfe his nature and pleasure and hath shewed his inuisible nature and essence vnto the worlde by hys visible workes And omytting those great and woonderfull works of God which passe mans capacitie and reache he rehearseth his daylie workes whereby he doth good vnto men that euen for this cause they were able to drawe any man to the diligent consideration of so soueraigne a god For who is so blynde or dull that he perceyueth not the seasonable tymes and the increase of victuals springing thereof who will say these things come to passe by chaunce that are knyt togyther so fast by order of nature that if any thing commeth beside the woonted course of nature it is thought a woonder And I pray you what an vnthankfulnesse is it not to acknowledge that God which alone prouydeth vs not of necessaries onely but also giueth vs aboundance of those things that are delectable and pleasaunt Or what excuse of ignoraunce can they alleage for themselues which as often as they take their meate are admonished of Gods liberallitie towards vs In this place there is a profytable doctrine and for the beating downe of the superstitious curiositie of some persons verie necessarie that is to say who is the author of the influences of heauen and the increase and yeelde of the earth The Apostles say of God the Creator that he gyueth vs rayne from heauen and fruitefull seasons replenishing vs with foode and gladnesse Herevnto agreeth the scripture in euery place Dauyd diligently accounteth the same among the other workes of God saying He couereth the heauen with clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth and maketh the grasse to growe vpon the mountaynes He giueth fodder vnto the cattell and feedeth the yong Rauens that call vpon him He gyueth snowe lyke wooll and scattereth the hoare frost lyke ashes he casteth forth his yse like morsels He sendeth out hys word melteth them he bloweth with his winde and the waters flowe Againe He watreth the hylles from aboue the earth is filled with the fruit of his workes He bringeth forth grasse for the cattle and herbe for the vse of men that he may bring foode out of the earth c. I omyt infynite other testimonies which might be brought But God moderateth all these thinges according to hys iust will and pleasure whyle he sendeth plenteous encrease to them that walke in hys lawe and scarcitie and barrennesse to the disobedyent whereof we haue euydent examples Here the Astrologers are confuted who attrybuting these thinges to the position and placeing of the Planets reuoke and bring in agayne the prophane names of Gods and almost all kinde of gentilitie The superstitious are here also reprooued which make the saints authors hereof which aske rayne seasonable weather of them hauing Masses and seruice appoynted for that ende and purpose Let both these sortes see what God sayth in Hoseas chap. 2. And let vs followe the Apostles doctrine â–ª and acknowledge one onely God to be the author and gouernour of all these things which is â—eyther bound to the course of Planets nor is not subiect to nature but according to hys good pleasure and iust iudgement moderateth and ordereth all things Nowe Luke declareth the effect of the Apostles sermon and sayth that they of Lystra coulde scarce be restrayned with all this weyght of wordes and sentences but that they woulde doe sacrifyce vnto them So frowarde and obstinate man is in retayning of superstition yet is the obstinacie of our time greater These men coulde with one Sermon be prohibited where nowe adayes there are numbers which with many yeares traueyle and daylie sermons can not be brought into the right way Let vs therfore pray vnto God the father that he will illuminate both them and vs with his holye spirite and bring vs to the true and wholesome knowledge of him and his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxix Homelie THYTHER came certaine Iewes from Antioch and Iconium which when they had obtayned the peoples consent and had stoned Paule drewe him out of the Citie supposing he had bene deade Howbeit as the Disciples stoode rounde about him he arose vp and came into the Citie And the next daye he departed with Barnabas to Derba And when they had preached to that Citie and had taught many they returned againe to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch and strengthned the Disciples soules againe and exhorted them to continue in the fayth affirming that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God. AS our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ laboureth incessantly to maintaine and defende the saluation of mankinde so Satan is altogither occupyed in ouerthrowing the kingdome of God and in pulling men from the waye of saluation Hereof in this hystorie haue we a most euident example For as the Apostles were preaching at Lystra fyrst Satan moued certaine superstitious persons to giue diuine honour vnto them and no doubt but this was the drift of that malicious enimie of mannes saluation to haue tripped the Apostles by tempting them with ambition wheras he had attempted Christ before with the same But his enterprise commeth not to passe For Paule and Barnabas perceyuing this craft of the Deuill and being enflamed with more zeale than before defended most
the Church vsed in solemne wyse to come all togyther For the Primitiue Church vsed when any great necessitie vrged or constrayned them to appoynt solemne assemblies giuing themselfe to prayer fasting vntill the euening wherof we haue euident testimonyes in the Prophet Ioël the seconde Chapter and in the hystories of the Kinges The Primitiue Church was mooued with weyghty considerations to obserue these thinges in the electing of the Ministers For where they thought men might easily be deceyued they would not in such a weyghty case attribute any thing to mannes iudgement and therefore they thought it meete by godly prayers to seeke the inspiration of Gods spirite Againe where they thought it was requisite to haue menne furnished with singular giftes for such an office they besought God of the same also by humble supplication wherevnto bicause it shoulde be the more feruent they ioyned fasting as we haue otherwheres declared Moreouer Luke maketh mention of laying on of handes by the which is vnderstanded not onely consent of voyces but also imposition of handes which was a sacrament and token of consecration And it seemeth the later was the rather obserued For it is not likely that the Apostles receded from the ceremonie which they vsed in the choosing of Matthias or that they permitted any thing to the iudgement of man as we see cōmeth to passe in mens voyces seeing they prouoked all men to praiers and fasting This religion and holy simplicitie of the Church is worthy to be diligently obserued wherwith if a man would compare what is done at these dayes in the like case it shall easily appeare with what tyrannie the Church is oppressed For through the couetousnesse and ambition of Bishops it is come to passe that the libertie of the Church is trode vnder foote and choosing of Ministers dependeth vpon them who eyther sell all spirituall liuings for money or else watche carefully that none be made ministers but such as are for their owne tooth that will cloke and winke at all their doings After the choosing of these Ministers Luke sayth they commended the congregations to the Lorde on whome they beleeued This is a dutie of curtesie and humanitie to commende them to the tuition and defence of God whose prosperitie and well doing we wishe It also declareth the diligent care of the Apostles which alwayes had a speciall consideration of the Churches well fare Wherevnto that saying of Paule is to be referred I am combred daylie and doe care for all congregations who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not In the meane season we are admonished that by reason of our infyrmitie we haue neede of Gods protection and gouernaunce For as we be prone and readie to fall so Satan is still seeking howe to catch vs in his snares so that when Christ was going out of this worlde vnto his father he did not without a cause commende his Disciples vnto the protection of his father Thys ought to kindle in vs a feruent desyre to true godlynesse and religion that we betraye not our saluation through our owne slothfulnesse Againe hereof we may also take comfort in that it appeareth our saluation dependeth vpon the protection and prouidence of god For who would not dispayre if it should depende vpon mannes wyll and power which is the most vnconstaunt and deceyueable thing in the worlde Howbeit there is no cause for vs to dispayre if we consider howe it standeth in the tuition and gouernaunce of God who can not but haue a speciall care of vs seing he hath such care for the flowers of the fyelde and byrdes of the ayre and hath numbred the verye heares of our head He hath by his sonne promised vs that he wyll not leaue vs succourlesse And Christ in whome we beleeue professeth he is both a faythfull and valyaunt shepheard out of whose hande no man is able to take his sheepe Yea Paule in an other place teacheth vs that God knoweth who are his and how there is nothing that can seperate vs from the loue of God. Therefore as often as Satan tempteth vs let vs flye vnto the sanctuarie of Gods mercie and fauour vnto the which Christ hath commended vs Moreouer the example of the Apostle teacheth vs what we should doe after we haue done our duetie Let vs commit all the successe therof vnto God by whose prouidence we know all things are gouerned Thys is the onely meane to moderate and quyet our deuises Wherein who so are ignoraunt are marueylously troubled and often times leaue off their duetie supposing to bring matters to passe through their owne wisedome and deuise For standing betweene hope and dreade they can fynde no resting place for their deuise But they that knowe that trust and diligence is requyred of them in doing their duetie and that all successe thereof dependeth vpon God when they see they haue done their partes and duetie they can set light all daungers that come vnto them and no feare of daunger can with hold them from doing their duetie Nowe these things being done Paule and Barnabas appoynt to go agayne to Antioche in Syria from whence before they had tooke their leaue And bicause they would not lose their labour by the waye they preach the Gospell at Perga a Citie of Pamphilia This citie was famous by reason of Diana that was there worshipped which of the place was called Pergaea as the Gentyles write It was therfore a singuler worke of Gods goodnesse that he would vouchsafe so superstitious and ydolatrous a people the light of his worde Againe the diligence of the Apostles is to be considered and their vnwearysome and great traueyle that they vsed in ouerthrowing the kingdome of Satan Whosoeuer will be counted Apostolike and meane despite of the worlde and Prince thereof to roote out superstition and to set vp the kingdome of Christ let them imitate this zeale For they are not to be regarded which eyther by reason of the ingratitude of the worlde or of daungers on euery side appearing leaue of their dueties But it is time to consider what the Apostles did after their returne to Antioche Fyrst when the congregation was assembled togither like faythfull Legates and Ambassadours they declare vnto the whole Church all that they had done in their circuite Therefore the Apostles were no Lordes ouer mens faith prescribing all things of their absolute power according to their pleasure But rather they acknowledged themselues to be the seruaunts of Christ and did not impudently contempne his spouse as in these dayes they vse which swelling in the name and succession of the Apostles thinke it vnmeete to be at others appoyntment or to render an account of their doinges to anye man Let them reade I beseeche them that is written Moreouer they vtter and speake nothing of themselues in arrogant maner but make God the author of all their doings And it is not wythout
Christian fayth were contended vpon with such great offence Againe another cause of griefe there was that they sawe the Apostles Paule and Barnabas vnworthilye defamed and their Churches after a sort priuilye accused Therefore they cannot choose but greatlye reioyce when they heare that peace is restored their teachers quitte of slaunder and their Churches confyrmed with the testimonie of the Apostles Of this disposition ought all faythfull Christians to be vnto whome they are farre vnlike that are delighted with contentions with the ignominie and contempt of Ministers and with the disturbance of congregations Secondly Luke describeth the trusty care and industrie of all these persons in the setting forth and mainteyning of Christes kingdome which maye be perceyued by many and euident argumentes And as concerning Silas it is sayde that when he had licence to returne home againe yet he chose rather to remaine at Antioch doubtlesse for that he perceyued his traueyle whereof he sawe good successe followed was yet needefull for that Church Therefore Silas had more regarde of the Church of Christ than of his owne matters considering he preferreth Antioche before the Citie of Ierusalem and his owne proper habitation Which example it becommeth all the Ministers of Christ to imitate that they maye forsake themselues and all earthly things to th ende to traueyle the more easily in the ministerie of Christ and his Church Therefore the couetousnesse of them is execrable who being appoynted to the ministerie of the Church preferre their priuate doings before the saluation of men and for lucre sake leaue the congregation among whome they might with great vtilitie doe good seruice But of Paule and Barnabas is somewhat also sayde namely howe after they had abidden a certaine season at Antioch they preached the Gospel with many other their fellow Ministers Therefore they gaue not themselues vnto lurdenly ydlenesse although they might seeme after so manye daungers and traueyles to haue had iust occasion to haue sought their rest and quiet And in that it is sayde many in the Church at Antioch preached the Gospell it may easily be gathered what myldenesse of mindes was among them and how voyde they were of enuie seeking nothing more than the glory of Christ and the saluation of many And the exercise of the Apostles is most worthy to be considered who as we see chiefely intended the preaching of the Gospell For they knewe that was the message of saluation They knewe that with these weapons Nations were subdued vnto Christ and the worlde brought vnto the obedience of fayth They knew fynally that our Sauiour Christ was chiefely busied about this one thing and did nothing so oftentimes as that And they were not ignorant of the olde fygure where God commaunded that the Priestes vesture shoulde be hoong with belles thereby teaching that the sounde of his voyce that is the doctrine of the gospell was chiefly to be required of the ministers But now adayes it is come to this passe that Bishops abhorre from nothing so much as from the ministerye of the worde thinking it to be more commendable for them to feede Houndes and great Horses and a sluggishe and seruile sort of Courtlings of the reuenues of the Church than to feede Christes sheepe with the foode of heauenly doctrine And so by their example they bring the worde of God in contempt with all states of menne which is the chiefe cause of the calamities of these dayes There is also added an other argument of Paules doctrine namely howe he was carefull also for other Churches consulting with Barnabas touching the visitation of them For he well vnderstoode that it was not sufficient once to plant Churches but also howe it was very necessary to visite and looke vnto them bicause beside the naturall leuitie of mankinde diuers other thinges also fell out which might plucke vs from the fayth and disturbe and ouerturne the best ordred Churches that are Wherefore like a stowte souldiour he keepeth his watch and standing and spareth no labour so the Church may enioye that peace for the which they were once ordeyned which example if a man woulde compare with those which are wholye giuen to disturbe and ouerthrowe the Churches stablished by the fayth and diligence of others it shoulde easily appeare with what spirite they are ledde and what Princes Ministers they are Thirdly is declared a greieuous and infortunate discorde betweene Paule and Barnabas which for many causes is notable We hearde before in the thirtenth Chapter howe these two were made fellowes and Coparteners by the holy ghost They suffred many perils togither both by lande and by sea which is the greatest bande to binde amitie and friendship togither that can be Beside they prooued that God did marueylouslye blesse their labours with good successe But nowe by reason of a grieuous discention fallen among them they depart one from another and we reade not that they afterwarde ioyntly laboured togither any more The cause of this contention was one Iohn Marke of whose defection and falling awaye hath bene spoken in the .xiij. Chapter Barnabas thought good to haue him taken in agayne into the grace and fellowship of the Ministerie and no doubt but he alleaged weyghty reasons for his deuyse For with God there is pardon if men acknowledge and confesse their faulte And it is euident that Peter after he had denyed Christ was restored to his former rowme and dignity agayne And the godlinesse of Marie his mother seemed not a little to relieue his cause who when persecution raged most lette hir house be a certayne hauen and sanctuarye as it were for the godlye But for all these reasons Paule coulde neuer be perswaded to consent to haue such an one to his fellowe whome he remembred had so fowly slidde backe in the middle of his course and perhaps not without the grieuous offence of many For he remembred Christes saying No man that layeth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of God. And if we consider the circumstances it shall seeme that Paule was holpen with the consent and approbation of the Church For he choosing vnto him Silas is commended of the brethren vnto the grace of God that is with solemne prayer is let goe vnto his work or businesse Of Barnabas Luke reporteth but this one thing that he tooke vnto him Marke and sayled into Cyprus which was his countrie as was sayde before in the fourth Chapter being mooued and taking the matter in yll part And although Paules seueritie in euerye poynt seeme not to be excused yet woulde the holy ghost haue this example to remayne as a President against all runnagates and forsakers of their profession whereby we might learne that sinners haue an accesse vnto the grace of God but yet that they must not be to soone admitted into the ministerye of the Church which haue bene authors of any grieuous offence and whose credite by reason of their offences before committed
Lette vs I beseech you thinke hereof whome it hath pleased God these many yeares to let enioy the preaching of the Gospell and to let vs abounde in the quiet and peace thereof where a number beside feele great want therof and being famined would be glad of one little morsell of Euangelike consolation But let vs returne to Paule and his companions who though they be forbidden in one place to preach yet cease not from doing their duetie but passing through Misia come at length to Aeolis and to a Citie in the same Countrie called Troas earnestly seeking euerywhere occasion to preach And there Paule being admonished by oracle vnderstandeth he must go into Macedonia For there appeareth vnto him a Macedonian which vndoubtedly was nothing but an Aungell and desireth to haue his countrye holpen And here came diuers thinges very profytable for vs to consider First is the example of Paule whereby we are taught that we must not be slacke in doing our office and dutie although our enterprise succeede not at the fyrst or seconde attempt as we desire For we reade the like came to passe many times both to the Prophetes and the Apostles which followed their calling the more earnestlye the more impedimentes they perceyued were layde in their waye Let all men go forwarde after these mennes examples and God will assist their endeuours who vseth when he seeth time and place to giue occasion of onset and also prosperous successe Furthermore this place sheweth vs a singuler example of Gods goodnesse whereby it commeth to passe that God worketh our saluation when we least knowe or thinke of it For who among the Macedonians woulde you thinke thought eyther of Paule or of the waye of saluation who when he came had none but a fewe of women to followe him and heare him So by this meane is the saying of the Prophete fulfylled I am founde of them that sought me not and haue appeared to them that asked not after mee And that that Luke sayth came to passe here among them of Macedonia the same may be seene in all other that eyther haue attained or at this day do attayne vnto saluation For before this worlde was made Paule sayth we were elected in Christ. And our fyrst parent Adam when he was fallen in sinne and did not onely not seeke God but fled from him yet was he both sought of God and called and receyued the free promise of saluation Hereto appertayneth it that men in the Scriptures are compared vnto sâ—eepe which hauing once strayed from the flocke neuer returne vnlesse the shepeheard by his diligence fette them agayne But Christ is our shepehearde which vseth to seeke his sheepe in valleyes and mountaynes and when he hath founde him layeth him on his shoulder and bringeth him home And this care of God may not onely be perceyued in those thinges that concerne the saluation of our soules but also sheweth it selfe in the things seruing to the vse and maintenance of our bodies For as God feedeth our bodye bountifully in giuing vs a liuing out of the earth so hath he appoynted the Aungels to be our tutors and keepers which â—arie rounde about them that feare him and deliuer them But bicause we haue hereof intreated heretofore let this nowe suffyse Yet let vs marke the vse of his doctrine which consisteth chiefely in this poynt that we shoulde be thankefull vnto God and stryue in all kinde of aduersities to defende our calling by the inuincible hope and affiaunce of Gods ayde and succor Furthermore this example commendeth vnto vs the dignitie of the Gospell and the ministery thereof For fyrst this is a notable thing that Paule is called by an Aungell and by the Oracle of God to preache So Peter was admonished by a vision from heauen to preach vnto Cornelius and to the Gentyles and the spirite led Philip to teach the Aethiopian his saluation Therefore some menne doe very vainely to contemne the ministerie of man as a thing of small or none account and requyre to haue Aungels to teach them seeing Aungels sende vs vnto men to be taught Yea Paule will not haue vs to beleeue an Aungell if he teach anye thing disagreeing from the doctryne of the Apostles Also the wordes of the Aungell commende the dignitie of the Ministerie For he sayth Come into Macedonia and helpe vs. Yet is it in Gods power onely to helpe vs both in body and soule But bicause the worde of the Gospell is the power of saluation to all that beleeue it the Ministers thereof are therefore not without a cause sayd to helpe men and to saue them And for this cause Abdias prophecying of the kingdome of Christ calleth the Apostles Sauiours Therefore the temeritie and impietie of those which saye that the Gospell causeth troubles and disquietnesse is reprooued seeing it is euident that men cannot choose but perishe except they be called by the preaching of Christ into the way of saluation according to the saying of the Prophete The Nation and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe But what doth Paule when he heareth he is called of God into Macedonia to men vnknowne and into Europe another part of the worlde Doth he tryfle and make delayes bicause he was before once or twyse forbidden No yea he prepareth him to the voyage and frameth him altogither vnto Gods calling and at length with a strayght course commeth to Philippie a very notable Citie and state By which example we are taught that nothing is rashly to be taken in hand without Gods calling but when we are certaine thereof then wyth speede to doe that the Lorde commaundeth For he so little regardeth prolongers and delayers that he cannot abyde pretence of godlynesse if vnder colour therof we neglect our vocation as we are taught by the example of him which was not suffered to go burie his father after Christ had called him to the ministerye of the worde But this is the most commodious way to doe well if we haue a diligent regarde to the calling of God and followe the same faythfully and earnestly For they that trust their owne deuises and seeke after vanitie as Dauid sayth cannot choose but grieuouslye offende God graunt that we be all mindefull hereof and followe our vocation that after we haue on earth fulfylled our duetie we maye at length lyue in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cviij Homelie WE were in that Citie abiding certaine dayes and on the Sabboth dayes we went out of the Citie besides a riuer where men were wont to pray And we sate downe and spake vnto the women which resorted thither And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the Citie of Thyaâ—ira which worshipped God gaue vs audience whose heart the Lorde opened that shee attended vnto the things that Paule spake When she was baptized and hir housholde she besought vs
Christ destroyed yet by the secret working of God they are compelled to let them go free So the Egyptians although they truely chaunged not their mindes were constreyned to let the people of Israell goe laden with Golde and siluer Herevnto is to be referred how Saul with his owne mouth pronounced Dauid to be iust and whome he had long sought to slay him being founde he dismyssed with the publike testimonie of an innocent So we reade the Apostles also were set at libertie in the Counsell at Ierusalem when yet none of the Senators had forsaken his former impietie Let this comfort vs against the incurable malyce of this worlde Let the wicked runne on as long as they will yet are they Gods instrumentes to vse at his pleasure and by them many times euen against their willes he vseth to set forth his glorye The keeper of the Prison telleth Paule what the counsell had degreeed being glad bicause he perceyued no craft in the matter For commonly such is the simplicitie of the children of light that they cannot alway see the meaning of the wicked And at this day many like vnto this keeper thinke all is well if they whose liues were in daunger beset at libertie and perceyue not in the meane season howe they go about to preiudice the Gospell wyth vnrighteous iudgements and to stop and hinder the course thereof Therfore Paule did much better thus stowtely to refuse the fauour offered by this wicked magistrate saying they haue beaten vs openly vncondemned for all that we are Romaynes and haue cast vs in Prison and now woulde they send vs away priuily Nay verily but let them come themselues and fet vs out In the which wordes he complayneth him of iniurie done to him and hys fellow Silas and to aggrauate the accusation the more he alleageth the Romane lawes wherein it was enacted that no man should vse any vyolence vppon the bodye of a Citizen of Rome before his cause were heard Further he woulde not priuilie be put out of the Citie but honorably Let no man for all this accuse Paule eyther of pride or impatiencie considering he hath verie good cause thus to doe For fyrst he hath a care that the doctrine of the Gospell be not charged with any wrong suspition which eyther might offende those that as yet were weake in the fayth or else giue occasion to open enemies to reproche the same For who would not haue thought that the Apostles had suspected their owne cause if it had beene bruted abrode that they had bene secretly fled Moreouer Paule thought he would put these fierce fellowes in a feare make them by this meanes to vse hereafter more aduisednesse and lesse crueltie towarde the members of Christ. Whereby we gather that christian paciencie is not to suffer the wicked to doe what they liste without comptrolement But rather their wickednesse must be reprooued and brydelled if by any meanes it maye commodiously be done Also the glorie of God and our innocencie must be defended bicause many times herewithall the saluation of many is imperilled Thus Christ calleth them that came out to take him with swordes and staues the ministers and fulfyllers of the power of darckenesse And he openly reprehended the Priestes seruaunt that smote him without a cause So therefore must we paciently suffer whatsoeuer aduersitie commeth vnto vs that yet we must not betray the cause of Christ and his truth nor otherwise dishonestly forsake the same Againe we are taught that the godly may vse the priuilege of positiue lawes for their defence as farre forth as they repugne not agaynst truth and religion For Paule who was most ready to suffer any thing for Christes sake would not haue alleaged the lawes of Rome if they had bene wicked So after this we shall heare howe he appealed vnto Caesar and vsed the lawfull defence of armour against that wicked conspiracie that intended to kyll him Therfore great is their iniustice which saye all vse of lawe is forbidden Christian men and all kinde of defending themselues by lawe and will haue them rashely to rushe into all kinde of daungers But what did the Magistrates of Philippi when they had heard Paule speake They were afrayde not for that they had done them wrong but bicause they vnderstoode they were Romaines whome they had so serued For they well knew what the seueritie of the Romaines was in defending their lawes and priuiledges in so much that as Cicero testifyeth agaynst Verres this saying I am a free man or Citizen of Rome helped and saued many in the farthest partes of the worlde euen among the barbarous people And surely next vnto religion there is no stronger hold and bande of common weales than fyrme and constant keeping of equitie and lawes Therefore their feare was not without a cause for it was the occasion that they forthwith came vnto them to excuse themselues of that they had done and courteously to bring them out of prison desiring them for the auoyding of further trouble they would vouchsafe to depart out of their citie Where likewise may appeare the condicions of the wicked which being touched with no feare of God feare onely men of more authoritie then themselues and seueritie of lawes And if they may freely without checke offende before men then dare they doe any thing Wherof there is none other cause then that they thinke there is no God that careth for mens doings But the godly are farre otherwise minded whose care being set on God they so detest the horror of sinne that if at any time they offende of infyrmitie they are feared more with the consideration of the offence commytted then of the punishment due for it In the meane season we learne by this example to what ende and passe the rashe iudgementes of wicked Magistrates come Surely to bring the authors thereof into perill and shame Hence came it that these Magistrates striken in feare bring them forth honoraably whome the day before they had ignomiously put to shame and thus accuse they their owne temerite and vnrighteousnesse There are many examples of lyke kinde the vse whereof is to teach Magistrates and whosoeuer beare authority to learne to brydle their affections and according to the prophane wryters saying to take good deliberation afore they go about that thing which they once intend to doe Moreouer this example teacheth vs that the force of innocencie is so great that it egregiously confoundeth hir fiercest enimies Therefore let vs labour for innocencie and let vs not doubt but we also by hir meanes shall tryumph ouer our enimies howe fyerce so euer nowe they shewe themselues to be Nowe remayneth the last part of thys hystorie touching the Apostles going away which they must needes doe considering there was henceforth no place for them in that citie Yet they so depart not as vtterly neglecting the congregation but fyrst they go to see the brethren gathered togither
without the certaine aduise of Gods prouydence which I thinke was the most famous Citie that euer was For in antiquitie it passed many as which had to hyr king Cecrops about the time of Moses Afterwarde being renowmed by reason of the victories that she had achieued against the Persians shee did purchase vnto hir selfe immortall commendation for delyuering of Greece out of the handes of a barbarous people In happy pregnancie and sharpnesse of wytte she passed all other For hyr we haue to thanke for Socrates Plato Zenophon Crates and infinite others very famous by reason of their wisedome Which was the cause that in hir was founded a certaine vniuersitie and schoole as it were of the whole world wherevnto most noble men resorted from all partes of the worlde as vnto an onely sea and Castell of all wisedome And such was the fame of hir wisedome that the Romaines when they had ouercome all Asia thought their children could no where in the worlde be better infourmed in preceptes of wisedome and maners of lyuing then at Athens as the preface of Cicero to his sonne vppon the bookes of Offices and duties testifyeth And euen as in many other things so also in religion and honouring of the Gods she seemed to excell all others bicause in hir was to be seene the ymage of Minerua which was thought to haue comme downe from heauen and manye persons were at Athens whome they gloryed in and accounted as Goddes Into thys Citie did the Lorde sende Paule the Apostle to bring it by his ministerie vnto the obedience of fayth And that this was not attempted without good successe and profyte the ende well prooued This is a notable example both of the goodnesse of God and of the power of the gospell For who would not acknowledge the vnspeakeable grace of God when he heareth a Citie vtterly drowned in the darknesse of ydolatrie and humaine wisedome to be so fauourably regarded of god Againe who will not marueyle at the inuincible power of the gospell when he seeth the wisest men in the world confounded by the same and that by the ministerie of Paule which brought nothing with him but the pryntes of roddes and whippes and being driuen out of so many Cities was of no estimation in the worlde Therfore the hystorie of the conuersion of Athens is most worthy to be consydered the fyrst part whereof Luke rehearseth in this place declaring fyrst what Paule did there next howe his doctrine was receyued fyrst preached of most men in the Citie when he fyrst preached we will speake of eche of these things in order Paule abyding at Athens for the comming of Silas and Timotheus walked in the meane season rounde about the Citie consydering their maners and vsages in so much that he pretermytteth not the temples but goeth into them and veweth them as by his oracion hereafter shall appeare And perceyuing the greatest Citie that he had as yet seene so gyuen to Idolatrie and drowned therein waxeth feruent in the spirite mislyking that Gods religion was in such wise prophaned For God is offended with no sinne more then with ydolatrie And the mindes of the godly are most prouoked when they see the same bicause they holde nothing more deere â–ª then the glorie of the soueraigne god Hereof came it to passe that when Moses sawe the golden Calfe almost forgetting hymselfe he brake the Tables of the lawe and beateth the Calfe vnto powder and throweth it into the water to the intent the ydolaters might drinke and let downe their Calfe into their belly Elias incensed with lyke zeale kylled the priestes of Baal with his owne hande whome Iehu directly followed and is in holy scrypture commended therefore The scripture teacheth vs that Iosias with like zeale burned the bones of the ydolaters vpon their owne aultars that all men might perfytely see the indignitie of such wickednesse what shall we saye of the Prophetes which scarce vsed more force of wyt and eloquence in any thing then in speaking agaynst ydolatrie and ymages For then spared they neyther earnest nor game to blase and deface a thing most hatefull vnto god Their contumacie and stubbornesse therefore at thys daye is much to be marueyled and woondered at that will be taken for christians and gospellers and yet holde with ymages and fyght for them against the brethren that professe the fayth of Christ and by odious names call them whose zeale is commended by so many testimonies of scripture and examples of holy men fyghters against Images and Image breakers In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that all they which will fruitefully and with commendation traueyle in Christes quarrell and in the kingdome of God haue neede to be indewed with zeale For where impietie is a verie obstinate and tough euill it can neuer be pulled vp without verie feruent zeale Let the example of Christ stirre vp in vs this zeale who seing his fathers house turned into a market place or fayre as one that had forgotten his accustomed myldenesse made a whyp of such cordes as were next his hande and draue these wicked marchauntes out of the Temple calling to the disciples mindes that saying of Dauid the zeale of thine house hath euen eaten me vp Here the consideration of the Lords prayer putteth vs in minde of our duetie the chiefe peticions wherof are that the name of God should be sanctifyed and that his kingdome should come But howe shall they with vnfayned mindes praye for these things whome no vnhallowing the name of God and ouerthrowing of his kingdome toucheth or mooueth Therefore these hollow hearted people which in handling of religion are neyther hote nor colde and contrarie to the saying of Elias halt on both sides gaping to get great praise while they be addict to no side but are a lyke friendly to all partes are not to be heard or regarded Such sometime were the people of Laodicia whom Christ threatneth he will spewe out of his mouth But to returne vnto Paule doth he fret disdaine within himselfe bicause of the ydolatry that he seeth Nay he mindeth how to reforme this great Citie being both a straunger of no name amongst them Forthwith therfore he reasoneth of true religion and beginneth to preach Iesus Christ. But I pray you how many things were there to haue kept him from this doing if he would haue yeelded to the reasons of the flesh For he mought this haue thought wilt thou be so bolde in so notable a citie to improoue that religion which is of so many yeres antiquity established with such prosperous successe glorious victories heretofore wilt thou haue to doe with men of such fyne wits and so in â—red with disputations hauing scarcely learned the principles of their Philosophie Knowest thou not howe odious and daungerous all alterations are but chiefly those wherof straungers forreyners are the authors whom common reason and sence forbiddeth to be curious in other mens
Corinthians and vsed his helpe in laying the foundation of a most famous Church Thus commeth it oftentimes to passe that the thing which at the fyrst seemed to vs very grieuous and intollerable is yet at length the cause of great commoditie profyte Therefore Paule for diuers occasions taketh vp his lodging with this man For besides that he was well instructed in the fayth his fortune was to be banished with others made him the more gentle vnto straungers whom they that dwell and liue all their lyfe at home for the most part contemne Furthermore being of the same occupation that Paule was that is to saye a sower or maker of tentes which in those dayes were made of hydes and skynnes it was very commodious for the Apostle to dwell with him bicause he might by the same trade helpe to get his liuing It shall be good to consider yet diligently both Aquilas and Paules person Aquilas giueth vs a notable example both of faith and charitie For being a man of handy-craft and banished he receyueth the Minister of Christ to harbour in a straunge Citie by his example reproouing the richer sort of dishonestie and shame which made so litle account of straungers in their owne dwellings yea it appeareth by other places that his hospitalitie was so great that he had a Church or Congregation in his house Let them therfore be ashamed of their inhumanitie and fylthye niggardenesse which abounding in riches and peace haue no compassion on the banished for Christes sake These shall one day learne to their great griefe what the sorrowes of banishment are and what an heape of cares persecution bringeth with it But they which being enflamed wyth the loue of Christ make much of his seruants and take them in shall fynde the Lorde a most thankefull recompencer who promyseth him a worthy rewarde that giueth but a cuppe of colde water to any one of hys Disciples He shall at the last day take whatsoeuer is done for any of his members as done vnto himselfe Lykewyse in Paule are notable and singuler vertues to be seene For this is an argument of constant fayth that he is not so offended at his course lodging that he woulde therefore forsake Corinth For he knewe that God vsed to choose the despysed things of this worlde wyth the which to set forth hys kingdome to the confusion of them which seeme in their owne conceyte excellent and singular Agayne he exerciseth loue and equitie in that he sitteth not ydle in Aquilas house but layeth his handes to worke and getteth his lyuing honestly Which example as it is worthye of singular commendation so doe they naughtily apply it which by the same exact of all Ministers to labour with their handes as though it were not meete for them to liue of the ministery of the worde For Paule laboured not bicause he thought it vnlawfull for any to liue of the stipend of the Church but for that there was yet no church at Corinth gathered of whose stypende he was able to liue In the meane season he thought he woulde not burthen those fyrst fruites of a Church gathered in Aquilas house whose substaunce and goodes were noâ— verye great Afterwardes when the congregation was growne to a full Church he woulde not vse hys ryght and libertie by reason of the slaunderous reportes of certayne false teachers which sayde that he and such as he was laye in wayte to enrich themselues by other mennes goodes and therefore they taught for naught For this cause woulde Paule in no case be inferior to these fellowes thinking it better for a season to want his dutie than by to hastie calling therfore to bring the Gospell in suspition Yet he sayth he robbed other Congregations to preach vnto the Corinthians freelye And he confesseth that the Philippians releeued him with mony which they sent him By this example of Paule our masking Byshoppes are reprooued who lyuing in ryot lyke Persians vppon the goodes of the Church doe no seruice to the Church at all And not these onely but certaine belly Gods also that glory in the name of the Gospell and yet are giuen altogither vnto couetousnesse shamefully forsaking the Churches where they might by their seruice doe much good for a little lucre and aduauntage sake of some greater stypende and wages Both these sortes shall one daye feele the iudgement of God which will not suffer his Church to be so slenderly regarded for naught But bicause Paule came not to Corinth to the end to sowe Tents but to set out the kingdome of Christ it is also declared which waye he did the same After his accustomed maner he frequented the Church on the sabboth dayes And fyrst he prudentlye moderated his doctrine handling it according to the capacitie of his hearers as he otherwheres confesseth saying he fedde them wyth mylke bicause as yet they coulde not awaye wyth stronger meate Thys order Luke expresseth by this worde perswading to declare that he did creepe as it were within his hearers for feare of ofâ—ending them at the begynning And verily it is to be thought that he proceeded in that order that he vsed at other tymes He knewe the Iewes were ledde with a preposterous zeale of their lawe and that they sought saluation and iustifycation in the workes thereof He taught therefore that all men were sinners and that they were not able of themselues to satisfie the lawe Thereby it was easily to be gathered that an other must be sought for by whose merite men might be saued Which was a most commodious waye to come vnto the mysteries of christ Let all Ministers of the word of God and his Church imitate thys example of Paule least whyle they haue no consideration of their hearers speaking all thinges in a confused order they driue them from the kingdome of Christ whome they myght wynne vsing the matter modestly and prudently Surely he requyreth such a Minister of the worde as can breake or deuyde the worde of truth in due order and rightly And Christ requyreth of him not onely trustinesse but also prudencie But least any man might thinke that Paule fedde them styll wyth mylke Luke wryteth that at length vpon occasion offered he more earnestly handeled Christes cause For when Silas and Timotheus were come out of Macedonia he beganne to pull all his wyttes togyther eyther for that he heard the Gospell had good successe among the Macedonians or else for that he was troubled in his minde with the miserable case and blindenesse of so famous a Citie For whose heart would not be mooued to see so notable a Citie running headlong into hir owne mischiefe and destruction and to see the ignorance of such a sort of men so miserably deceyuing themselues Surely what euer that constraint of Paule was it is certaine that he beganne more earnestly to be incensed by the holye ghost and to preache and testifye to the Iewes more openly that Iesus
Therefore Dauid gathereth very probably thus The Lorde is my helper I will not feare what man can doe vnto me And bicause this promise is generall and appertayneth to all them that walke in the vocation of God all menne ought to applye it vnto themselues and in affiaunce hereof to beare out all the assaultes of the worlde couragiously The seconde reason is No man shall inuade thee that shall hurt thee He sayeth his enimies enterprises shall be in vaine This is a speciall promise which alwayes taketh not place For many times it commeth to passe that the godly are entangled in many troubles and grieuous daungers and we reade that Paule was layde hands on manye times yea after this he was taken and brought to Rome by sea and lande where he ended his life by the sworde And notwithstanding these things came so to passe yet abideth the truth of Gods fyrst promise sure and fast and god saueth those that be his from death and neuer fayleth them Wherefore we must walke and holde on in the vocation of god by fyre and sworde The thirde reason is that he sayth he hath much people in Corinth· By this he teacheth him that his labor shall not be in vaine bicause the word of god in the elect and predestinate to saluation vseth to be effectuall as is declared in the .xiiij. Chapter This is verye notable that God hath in so naughty a Citie so much people and more than Athens which thought hir selfe for vertue and wisedome to passe all other Cities Whereby we gather that they which are openly drowned in sinne are moste apt to receyue the kingdome of god than the Iusticiaries and holy ones that woulde seeme to all men to be iust and good For it fareth herein as in the sickenesses of the bodye For as they that are sicke of knowne diseases doe sooner seeke the Phisitions than they that are diseased with secret whereof they are ashamed and can after a sort hyde them so they that be notorious open sinners doe sooner receyue the doctrine of saluation than hypocrites which swollen with the confydence of their owne righteousnesse thinke they haue neede of none other For where these cannot denye but they are sinners they of necessitie are carefull howe to be saued and are compelled to seeke saluation in others than themselues Which is the cause that Publicanes and harlots are preferred before Phariseyes in the kingdome of god And Christ appointed the doctrine of saluation to beginne with the reprehension of sinners that laying aside the pryde of our owne righteousnesse we myght learne to flie vnto the grace of god In the meane season it ought much to comfort vs that the Lorde hath many heyres of eternall saluation in so vntowarde a Nation For hereby it appeareth that God is neuer without hys seauen thousande although all menne seeme wicked and naught 1. Reg. 19. For such is the certainetie of Goddes Election and Predestination that they are counted for Gods elect which are from euerlasting written in the booke of lyfe although they yet lye drowned in sinne Euen so Christ calleth them his sheepe which yet he had not called by outward preaching nor drawne by inwarde operation of his spirite but yet knewe they were gyuen him by his father before the foundations of the worlde were layde And this is a consolation of all other most effectuall that our sinnes cannot hynder Gods election For whome he hath predestinate those in tyme he calleth and draweth and maketh lyke vnto the ymage of his sonne and suffereth them not for any thing to be seperated from his loue Moreouer howe great the force of Gods comfort is appeareth by Paule which abode a whole yeare and sixe Moneths at Corinthe and there preached the worde of god Here the pacience of Paule and the truth and power of God which preserued his seruaunt so long in so wicked a Citie is diligently to be considered He aboade so long among these prowde and vnthankefull men as tyll he had brought those vnto God which he heard were his elected What fyercenesse and discourtesie they vsed in the meane season agaynst Paule may easily appeare by his Epistles This example of Paule reprooueth them that rashely leaue theyr Churches assoone as they see all things succeede not according to their desyre we are taught moreouer what a painefull thing it is to edifye and buylde the Church seing we heare that Paule laboured so long at Corinthe where he confesseth that he dyd but plant onely Yea his Epistles declare that there was neede afterwarde of contynuall traueyle and care Therefore the slouth of some Ministers is very detestable which suppose vehemencie of zeale in edyfying of the Church is but superfluous Let them all follow Paules industrie that by daylie exercise of fayth we may make sure our election and vocation and come to the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxij Homelie WHEN Gallio was Ruler of the Countrie of Achaia the Iewes made insurrection with one accorde against Paule and brought him to the iudgement seate saying This fellow counselleth men to worship God contrarye to the lawe And when Paule was about nowe to open his mouth Gallio sayde to the Iewes If it were a matter of wrong or an euill deede ô yee Iewes reason woulde that I shoulde heare you But if it be a question of wordes or of names or of your lawe looke yee to it your selues for I wyll be no iudge of such matters and he draue them from the seate Then all the Greekes tooke Sosthenes the chiefe Ruler of the Synagoge and smote hym before the Iudges seate And Gallio cared for none of these things ALthough God sendeth out the Ministers of his worde as sheepe among Wolues yet he defendeth them with his fauour and protection so that the wicked enimyes of truth can not doe what they please against them This Paule found true both at Corinth specially and at manye other places besides For being in feare and trembling in the midst of many daungers almost swallowed vp of feare God preuenteth him with his comfort and promyseth him not onely safetie but also great successe and fruite of his labour and traueyle And that he promysed him he perfourmeth to the vttermost as this present place declareth For in a tumulte and vprore where the Iewes raued lyke madde men when all hope of mans helpe was past God by his secret power wonderfully saueth and delyuereth hym so that he taketh no harme And bycause this is a peculiar and very notable example of Gods ayde and assistaunce it shall not be vnprofytable to discusse euery circumstaunce of this hystorie And fyrst the begynners of thys trouble are here noted which are the Iewes of whome seing we haue often times intreated it needeth not that we say any more These men hauing hytherto bene quyet being kept
grace and fauor By this place are declared vnto vs the frutes that vse alwayes to followe the studie of the gospell For it bothe bringeth life vnto vs bicause the gospell is the power of saluation vnto all that beleeue in it and it recreateth the minde with sounde ioy while it teacheth vs that the Father is reconciled vnto vs through the Sonne Which ioye as it is full and perfite so no man is able to take it from vs. Furthermore the Euangelist returneth to the description of Paules voiage rehersing in order both the Cities and places which either they sailed by or else made abode in for any time The situation and standing of which places if any man desire to knowe he may peruse the tables and bookes of the Geographers From Troas vnto Asson Paule went on fote sending his companions afore by Barche For he ment either to visite the congregation as he went or to auoide the anoyance of sailing by Sea. Where yet his humanitie is to be praised that he would ease his felowes of trauaile and not abuse their industrie and good will. At length passing by Ephesus they come vnto Miletum or Malta wher he called the ministers of Asia vnto a Synode It is wrytten that he made great haste bicause he purposed to be at Ierusalē at Pentecost not after the vsage of the Iewes but bicause of the concursse of people which he thought should heare him preach to their great auaile and profite This place is very notable containing Paules trauailes and ieoperdies By the which we learne howe difficult a matter it is duely and truely to serue God who can abide none worse than idle and sluggish worshippers Thus we read Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses the Prophets and after them Christ were troubled and embrued with continuall laboures and perilles Therefore let vs also prepare our selues to labours and daungers that we be not troubled when they sodainly fall on vs This place teacheth vs also of what authoritie the gospell ought to be with vs which we know was set forth with such paines and trauaile and with the effusion of so much bloud For to this ende laboured all the Apostles and the Prophetes before them and the very sonne of God who testifieth that he came also to preach and set forth the gospell Therfore their slouthfulnesse is execrable which so easely let such a treasure be taken from them Their religion likewise is preposterous which alwayes hauing in their mouthes the Saintes and honouring of the Saintes doe in the meane season lothe the doctrine of the gospell for whose sake tyll the Saintes suffered suche paines abode so many daungers and at length shed their bloud Let vs therfore haue a true opinion of this treasure O brethren by the which only saluation is offered vs the aucthor wherof is Iesus Christ to whom be praise honoure power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxiij Homelie And from Miletus he sent Messengers to Ephesus called the elders of the congregation which when they were come to him he saide vnto them ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue bene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which came to passe vnto me by the laying await of the Iewes bicause I would kepe backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but to shew you and teach you openly thorow out euery house witnessing both to the Ievves and also to the Greekes that the repentance that is towarde God and that faith which is toward our Lord Iesus THe holy Ghost by the holy wryter Luke moste diligently reporteth the Actes of the Apostles of Iesus Christ partly for that all ministers might haue a presidēt to follow and partly that all men might vnderstande of what aucthoritie the gospell ought to be with vs which they haue set forth with such great paines and trauailes And heereunto is this presente Acte of Paule the Apostle to be referred Who although he made great haste to Ierusalem and ment to spend no time in Asia yet he intermitted none of the things which belonged to the vtilitie of the Churches of Asia For he calleth before him at Miletus the Elders or Ministers of Ephesus and the Cities adioyning and in a general Coūcel concludeth with them things of much waight and importance By which example as the faith and industrie of Paule appeareth so we are taught that the conuocation of ministers with the common consent of all parties is very necessary for the determination of Ecclesiasticall matters This maketh for the maintenance of discipline in the Church to kepe vnder the ambition of prelates to conserue an vnitie in true doctrine and to beat downe heresies which many times vse to creepe in if ministers doe not faithfully sette to their helpes Heere therfore the error of those that would mingle the workes of the lawe with the faith in Christ was abolished by a general conuocation and the truthe defended by aucthoritie of the same Heereunto that moste godly and prudent Prince Constantine the great had a respecte when he vsed to cal the Synodes of Bishops togither against the which Licunus the publike ennimie of Christian religion did greatly resiste who by publike Proclamation as Eusebius wryteth forbade the pastoures of the churches to meete or assemble togither For the craftie subtile Foxe perceiued that by consent and vnitie of the Ministers the Churche and the confession of a true faith were cheefely established and that this consent was cheefely maintained by aucthoritie of Counsels And Antichrist as craftily hath pulled vnto him selfe all aucthoritie of Counsels to the end that he would not haue his tyrannie kepte vnder by Counsels lawfully assembled Also in the Ministers of Asia is declared a singuler example of modestie who although they were more in number yet refused not the appointment of Paule being but one who had preached Christ first in those quarters and whome by many arguments they had proued was a chosen instrument of christ For although the dignitie of all Ministers in the Church is alike and none ought to chalēge power or aucthoritie ouer other yet an order is necessary in the Churche which can neuer be kept and maintained except Ministers will obserue modestie and humilitie among themselues And Paule did not therefore call these Pastors of Asia before him bicause he chalenged any priuate aucthoritie or iurisdiction ouer them but bicause it was for the behoofe auaile of the whole church that they should haue warning of matters of importance wherein he thought not to be behinde for his parte bicause as he confesseth other wheres he knewe him selfe to be a debter bothe to the Iewes and to the Gentiles Furthermore let vs see Paules oration containing in it the causes of the calling of this Synode For it hath in it a vehement and pithie exhortation that for as muche as they
which example wee are taught that Gods will and calling muste be preferred before all affections For it is impossible for vs to be wholly voyde of these affections as long as we liue in the fleshe and it is euident that they beare a stroke euen in the godly But a moderation muste be vsed to bring them vnder the obedience of fayth And this must be obserued in all cases but specially when by death our friendes be pulleâ— eyâ—her from vs or we from them whose good counsell and help we found to be very profitable for vs Lette vs then remember we are vrged with Gods calling whome to gaynesay or striue againste as it is a verie rashe enterprise so is it both foolish and daungerous Secondly Luke describeth Paules long and tedious voyage which al men must confesse to haue bene both painefull and perillous Wee will not tarie long in the description of the places for that is to be sought for in the Geographers And bicause there are so many places recited which Paule sayled by without making any abode in them it is a token that hee made very great haste to be at Ierusalem by the feast of Pentecost Here is to be considered Paules feruente industrie and diligence in the office committed to his charge and his constant fayth Hee might haue liued in the worlde as he testifieth of himself writing to the Philippians quietly and in honor And his first state of life abundantly declareth that he was of no smal authoritie among the Iewes He saw moreouer that in folowing of Christ there was continuall paines and trauell and euerye day freshe daungers springing Yet he embraced this kinde of life according to Gods will and calling and with a constant course ouercame them all and whatsoeuer things in this worlde were either of gayne or glory vnto him those he counted as damageable set light of them only for that he would winne Christ. Wherin it appeareth he was not a litle encouraged with the hope of that heauenly crowne which he knew was laid vp for him and al that were godly Let vs folowe the Example of so notable an Apostle least we be either ouercome with trauails and dangers or else being enticed with the allurement of the world leaue of the course of our vocation prescribed by christ For what is there in this world stable or permanent What thing is able to satisfie the desire of the minde and of the flesh Only God is omnisufficient and perfect good who hath opened to vs in Christ his sonne the treasures of all goodnesse in whome onely mennes mindes are quieted and at rest He that drinketh of this fountaine shall not thirst for euer Happy therfore and blessed are they that can exchaunge the counterfayte felicitie of this worlde for the fountayne of this eternall blisse Thirdly he telleth howe they came at lengthe vnto Tyrus where wee haue diuerse things in order to bee considered Among which this is one of the chiefe that he sayth they founde Disciples at Tyrus that is is to say certaine christian brethren and such as might seeme to haue passed all those of whom any mention hath bene made hitherto in dueties of fayth and charitie Which may seeme a maruellous thing if a man consider the auncient state of the Citie of Tyrus and the horrible Oracles of the prophets agaynst the same reporting hir to be both riotous proud couetous and lecherous Yea Chryst our Lord detesting the vnthankfulnesse of the Cities of Galilee compareth them with Tyre and Sidon vpon the which God in times past had shewed seuere examples of his iustice Yet euen in this same Citie shone the light of the Gospell and heere would Chryste haue a Churche planted and endued with notable gyftes Herein appeareth the truth of God and his goodnesse towardes sinners which turne vnto him For so he long agone prophesied by Esay it should come to passe After the ende of seauenty yeres shall the Lorde visite Tyre and she shall conuert vnto hir reward and she shal traffique with all the kingdomes of the earth And hir traffique and wares shall be holy vnto the Lord. And in the .45 Psalme And the daughter of Tyre shal be there with a gyft like as the riche also among the people shall make their supplications beâ—fore thee These things I say this present place declareth to haue ben fulfilled when Paule found christians there so feruent in fayth and loue And this is a notable example of Gods goodnesse wherby we are taught how we should not ouer hastely dispaire either of our selues or of other men seeing God would build him a Church in such a Citie as vpon which he had in times before shewed so heauy an example of his iustice by reason of the sinnes and offences of the same Againe Luke writeth how the brethren of Tyrus admonished Paule by the spirite that he shoulde not goe vp to Ierusalem This seemeth to repugne agaynst that whych Paule spake in the congregation at Malta saying he was bounde by the spirite to go thither But these places are easily reconciled if a man consider the figure called Synecdoche which is very common in the holy scripture where the whole coÌ„munication of these disciples is atributed to the holy ghost he being in dede the author but of one part onely For they by inspiration of the spirite admonished Paule of the imprisonment afflictions which Paule was like to fynd at Ierusalem But the Counsell they gaue him that he shoulde not go vp thyther was of their owne deuise bycause of a louing affection they wished well vnto him but were ignoraunt of Gods determination For many times it commeth to passe that the Prophetes through the reuelation of God vnderstande what is to come and yet are vtterly ignoraunt of Gods meaning and the ende of his dooing which is the cause that many tymes they erre in their dooings whyles they are not contented with the reuelation of God but take the wisedome of the fleshe vnto Councell whereof we haue examples in Ionas diuers others In the mean season marke howe many wayes God woulde haue Paule to bee tempted He draweth him to Ierusalem beeing bounde by his spirite In euery Citie and congregation he telleth him howe he shall be layde by the heeles and imprisoned And nowe come others endued with the spirite of prophesie and warne hym that he goe not thyther Whereto serue all these things Uerily God mente heereby to prepare his Apostle to the crosse by continuall premeditation least he shoulde fall from him thorough the manyfolde clamour of the furious people and entrappings of his enimies Also he learneth vs heereby an example of christian constancie and obedience whiche wee muste so earnestly laboure to haue that wee muste not obey men though wee see rare examples of Gods holy spirite in them if they councell vs any thing contrary to the will and commaundement of god Adde therevnto the vnhappie ende of
men Yea some menne haue so farre exceeded in madnesse that they haue thoughte it better to dallie with their aunciente enimies than to abyde the lyght of the Gospell But these men shall once fynde the same true that the vnhappie nation of the Iewes felte by the Romanes not many yeares after they had driuen away the Apostles Nowe let vs returne to Tertullus whiche in the seconde parte of his Oration frameth a greeuous accusation agaynst Paule consisting of three pointes Fyrste he sayth he is a seditious person yea and woorsse than the plague it selfe bycause he troubled and disturbed the Iewes euerye where in the worlde And so they put Paule in faulte of that thing wherof their selues were the cheefe doers For the whole discourse of thys booke teacheth that the Iewes were the cheefe mouers of sedition hitherto both agaynste Paule and his companions For hereunto maye be referred the sturres and tumultes whiche wee haue hearde were made at Corinth Thessalonica Ephesus Antioch Iconium Lystra and diuers other Cities Next they cal him a maintener of the sect of the Nazarits Therfore accusing him of schisme and heresie a faulte in all ages compted the greatest in the Churche Tertullus seemeth in contempt to call the Christians Nazarites as who had but an obscure beginning and of small regarde or estimation For it appeareth by the first Chapiter of Iohns Gospell that the village of Nazareth was of small or no accompt forasmuch as Nathanael sayde to Philip telling him of Iesus of Nazareth Can there any good thyng come out of Nazareth And this is an olde pollicie of the Diuell to cause true religion to be suspected as a vile thing and of no reputation By reason whereof Iuliane the Apostata also sometyme called Christ and the Christians Galileyans Thereby they accuse him of polluting the Church and vnder the name of the Churche they comprehende all outwarde kinde of religion These thinges we at this daye ought the more diligentlye to obserue that we myght vnderstande what crimes are commonly layde against the truthe and not be offended if at any time we be called seditious scismatikes heretikes prophaners of Temple and Images Church robbers and subuerters of auncient religion For as all these thinges ought not to offende vs so neither muste we by and by beleeue them which impudently burthen innocent and godlie men with these crimes But bycause they woulde not seeme to charge Paule with false matter and accusation they produce witnesses Firste the Captaine hym selfe whom yet they accuse by the way as seeming to importunate to set a person at libertie lyke shortly to be punished according to the lawe Then againe they all affirme Tertullus saying to be true Where we haue to behold an example both of great audacitie and impudencie For they dare to accuse the Captaine and complaine that they are restrained from shedding of bloud by him who deserued great praise therefore So little the wicked repente them of their mischeeuous deedes that they continually hate them which hinder or let their wicked enterprises Moreouer where first they were accusers and next Iudges of the matter now they are also witnesses and will be beleued in euery thing and feare not the iudgement of God which hateth and abhorreth all false witnesses and commandeth them to be punished by the lawe of Talio or suffring of lyke These things serue for our great vtilitie For bothe we may learne to suspecte suche as nowe a dayes are lyke vnto these men and shall the lesse be offended if the lyke happen vnto vs For Iesus Chryst which was oppressed with lyke preiudices liueth and reigneth and hath ouercome all the power of hell and beeing ascended into heauen derideth the deuices of his enimies and moste faythfully maintayneth the quarell of his chosen seruaunts To him be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cliij Homelie THen Paule after that the Deputie him selfe had beckened to him that he should speake aunswered with a more quiet minde do I aunswere for my selfe forasmuche as I vnderstande that thou haste beene of many yeres a iudge vnto this people bycause that thou mayest knowe that there are yet but twelue dayes since I went vp to Hierusalem for to worship and they neither founde me in the temple disputing with any man neither raysing vp the people neither in the Sinagoges nor in the Citie Neither can they proue the things wherof they accuse me But this I confesse vnto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and haue hope towards God that the same resurrection of the dead which they them selues looke for also shall be bothe of iuste and vniuste And therefore studie I to haue alway a cleare conscience towarde God and towarde men WE heard yesterday the poyntes of a most haynous accusation made agaynst Paule which the holy Ghoste woulde haue diligently written as it was spoken by Tertullus partly for that the truth of the Apostolike storie should not be suspected seeing the wordes of the enimies also are reported so truely and partely bycause we should not be offended when we heare the lyke obiected agaynst vs or others which followe the true fayth Nowe therefore let vs heare Paul the Apostle which after Felix had made a signe vnto him to speake putteth away all these obiections both boldly and truely But before we come to the wordes of the Apostle we haue two things to consider The one is the example of Felix which teacheth vs that in iudgements both partes must be hearde The other is in Paule who beeing moste greeuously slaundered yet rusheth not foorth impudently to aunswere for him selfe nor is not led with suche rage to slaunder agayne but abyding till he had leaue giuen him of the President to speake pleateth his cause soberly and wisely Let all the godly do likewise least they cause the truth wherof they stand in defence to be suspected by reason of hastinesse and rayling which many times suche do as will rather satisfie the passions of their minde than follow the rule of reason These things beeing premised let vs proceede vnto Paules aunswere which consisteth in confuting of the obiections made agaynst him In his beginning he getteth him the beneuolence or good will of Felix yet in such sorte that he priuily quippeth his aduersaries without all foolishe kinde of lying and flattery For he saith he is the willinger to declare hys matter before Felix for that he had many yeres bene a gouernour of thys natiō for that cause was wel acquaynted with their natures cōditiōs For this thing alway the defendant most desireth to haue a Iudge of skill vnderstāding bycause many times it commeth to passe that they which otherwise are great fauourers of iustice offend of ignorance which daunger Paul confesseth he is not in ne feareth that Felix can be deceiued by
waye we must so doe we are taught by the same ensample For it is no doubt but the Philosophers defended their matter with quaynt fallacies and many wordes But Paule auoyding vaine contention of wordes setteth before them Iesus Christ onely and his resurrection declaring that these two things are sufficient to conuince all the dotages of Philosophers and Heretykes For if God sent Iesus Christ into the worlde to purge the sinnes of men and to saue mankynde neyther can the opinion of Epicures Stoikes nor Iusticiaries stande which eyther saye God regardeth not the things appertaining to man or attribute saluation to the merytes of our workes Agayne if there be a resurrection of the deade there must needes followe another lyfe after this and therefore it is most folly to set felicitie in the pleasure of this present worlde This might be extended to all sectes and heresies but it may suffyse to admonishe you that all fayth and saluation is so conteyned in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the article of resurrection that whosoeuer is well instructed herein is easily able to confute all maner of heresies Therfore the order of our saluation is playne needeth not much demonstration of wordes and vayne quiddities of Sophistrie They that in times past coulde boldly vrge this way did easily get the victory of all heretykes were they neuer so subtle witted It seemeth good to me in this place to shewe what Sozomenus reporteth to haue chaunced to a certayne Logitian very expert in Dialecticall quiddities in the councell of Nice Where as this Logitian euery day gaue newe onsets vpon the Byshops who both in the affiance of the dexteritie of their wit and skyll of Logicke dysputed with him and none of them coulde get any holde or aduauntage of him a certayne simple man of nature which knewe nothing but Iesus Christ and hym crucifyed tooke hym in hande and sayde Philosopher in the name of Iesus Christ hearken vnto the truth There is one God which made heauen and earth and gaue lyfe vnto man made of the slyme of the earth which created all things aswell inuisible as visible by the power of his worde and established and made fast the same by the sanctification of his spirite This worde and wisedome which we call the sonne pitying our misery was borne of a virgin and by suffering of death hath deliuered vs from eternall death and by his resurrection hath purchased vs eternall life whome we wayte for to come to be the iudge of all our doings Beleeuest thou this is true ô Philosopher Then he as one that had neuer learned the skill to denye a thing I beleeue it sayth he And turning about to his Disciples and to all that hearde him sayth As long as the matter was debated by wordes I set wordes against wordes and by arte and skill of speaking ouerthrewe that was spoken but when in steade of wordes vertue or power came out of the mouth of the speaker wordes coulde no longer preuayle against power nor man was not able to stryue against god c. So mightye is the playne and vnlearned confession of Christ which whosoeuer blendeth with the subtiltye of Philosophers make it very weake and feeble as maye euidently be seene in the schoole Doctors But this conspiracie of so many diuers sectes agaynst the truth teacheth vs moreouer howe impossible it is to preach the doctrine of the Gospell vnto the world without contention forasmuch as the wisedome of the worde is contrary to it wherevnto so euer it incline whether it banish or embrace vertue Therefore they are in deede to be laughed at in these dayes which woulde haue vs performe that that neyther Christ nor hys Apostles coulde performe It remayneth that we declare howe the Athenians receyued Paules doctryne where we see two sortes of men are bewrayed One sort are such as receyue the worde with rayling saying What meaneth this babler or tryfler ▪ And these men are to be founde among the professors of wisedome So vnfyt is the wisedome of man to perceyue the kingdome of God that whatsoeuer is preached of Christ and lyfe euerlasting it seemeth to hym foolishnesse Here hast thou what to aunswere those men which now a dayes obiect vnto vs the authoritie of wyse and great men and all the pryde of the worlde For if these things shoulde take place Paule vndoubtedly had had the ouerthrowe among the Athenians The other sort is curious menne which supposing that Paule preached newe Gods or halfe Gods tooke and brought him vnto Mars his streete to the end that he should there openly giue account of hys doctrine Therefore there gathereth about him an infynite number of ydle persons aswell Citizens as forreyners who sayth Luke had naught else to doe euery day but eyther to heare or tell newes Thys thing God did permit so to come to passe bicause he woulde haue hys sonne preached in the most famous place of all the worlde In the meane season this place teacheth vs what condicion the Gospell is in in this worlde For eyther it is most dishonestly despysed of manifest enimies or else lyght men of behauiour abuse it as dishonestly to serue their affections whych if they perceyue succeedeth not after their minde then they become also openenimies thereof And bicause these things haue thus fallen out in all ages no man ought to be offended hereat but rather to followe Paules constancie and not to care one Dodkin for the lyghtnesse of this world but wyth a strong fayth to trust in Iesus Christ our sauiour who though he be reiected of those which will seeme to be builders of Gods Church yet is he become the heade stone in the corner To him be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxvij Homelie PAVLE stoode in the middest of Mars streete and sayde yee men of Athens I perceyue that in all things you are to supersticious For as I passed by and behelde the maner howe you worship your Gods I founde an Aultar whereon was written vnto the vnknowne God whome you then ▪ ignorantly worshippe him shewe I vnto you God that made the worlde and all that are in it seeing that hee is Lorde of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with handes as though he needed of anye thing seeing hee himselfe giueth lyfe and breath to all men euery where THe Apostle Paule in the fyrst to the Corinthians sayeth wee preache Iesus Christ crucified vnto the Iewes an occasion of falling and vnto the Greekes foolishnesse For where the wisedome of the fleshe looketh onely vppon the thinges before hir eyes and perceyueth not the mysteries of Gods spirite it cannot seeme but a most foolishe thing vnto hir if a manne seeke saluation in Christ that was crucifyed and openly slaundered This thing Paule founde true aswell at Athens as in other places For where as in that Citie he preached Christ among the wysest men that were in those dayes they giue so little eare
vnto him that it appeareth he scarce preuayled any where lesse than there For some of them rayled at his doctryne and clapped their handes at it other of curiositie frame and apply it to their affections In the meane season in so great a corruption of menne appeareth the woonderfull wysedome of God which coulde so well vse the naughty affection of most curious men For by this occasion it cōmeth to passe that Paule being brought out into Mars hys streete as into a publyke stage of the whole worlde preached the Gospell of Iesus Christ. The argument of hys Sermon was to bring the Athenians from superstition and Idolatry to the honor of the onely true God through Iesus christ First therefore he friendly reprooueth them and accuseth them of their ouermuch superstition After that he reasoneth of God and of the true religion nycking their foolishnesse which thought God coulde be worshipped in Images or in any other inuentions of man At length he commeth nearer vnto Christes cause Yet at this time we will intreate but of the fyrst part with some other poyntes annexed to the same His beginning is very briefe wherin he artifycially insinuateth hymselfe and comprehendeth both the proposition and summe of his sermon He calleth them men of Athens bicause they esteemed it to be a very honorable name as the Orations of Demosthenes and diuers others declare In the olde tyme they were ignorant of those ambitious tytles wherewith nowe a dayes prowde and vayne men reioyce to be made madde and drunken which thynke all glory standes in the beautie of such names Furthermore he insinuateth hymselfe very friendlye into their mindes least they myght be offended wyth the beginning of his talke and so refuse to heare him For he sayth I perceyue you are ouermuch giuen to superstition Your wisedome and policie is euerywhere commended but in religion you seeme not onely ouercurious but also vncertayne of all thing so that therein you seeme to haue least knowledge wherein you shoulde haue most And bicause no man should reprooue hym of lying he prooueth his saying by the publike superstition of a certayne aultar in that Citie What the sayde superstition was diuers haue gone about curiouslye to search The Greeke Scholes make mention of one Philippides whose hystory they shewe and say the inscription was thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say To the Gods of Asia and Europa and Aphrica to the vnknowne and straunge god Howbeit I suppose it was onely but such as is of Paule reported For he might haue bene suspected for a forger and false reporter if he had recyted the superscription wherein they reposed so great holynesse otherwyse than it was written But it behooueth vs chiefely to consider Paules intent and purpose whych was to prooue that the Athenians had no certayne religion wherevnto to stande but wandred vppe and downe in a maze of opinions and superstitions being not contented wyth the Gods of the Gentyles and of their owne country but also worshipping an vnknowne god And vndoubtedly the wyser sort were not a little mooued and touched with hys sayings And therefore wythout holding them longer in doubt he promyseth to teach them the knowledge of that true God whome as yet they knewe not It is very worthy to be considered howe the Athenians erred in religion aboue all other Nations being yet the wysest and best learned of all others For their Citie flowed in the most subtile professors of Philosophy whom as we erewhile sayd students from all partes almost of the worlde came to heare This example teacheth vs howe fowly they are deceyued which will not suffer youth to studie diuinitie before they are euen drunken in the Gentyles Philosophie and made vtterly vnapt to the obedience of the Gospell where notwithstanding no kinde of persons more profyte therein than those which abandon the pregnancie of their owne witte and submitte all their vnderstanding to the obedience of fayth Moreouer let vs marke in this place howe the Athenians are here chiefly accused of false religion bicause they worshippe an vnknowne god For hereby Paule prooueth that they haue nothing certaine in their religion Herby it appeareth that religion cannot stande without the true knowledge of god For not onely Paule but Christ also vseth the same argument agaynst the Samaritanes where as it were with one blowe he stryketh downe all their religions saying you worship you knowe not what For the whole Scripture teacheth vs that religion consisteth chiefely in true fayth and inuocation of god For without faith it is impossible for any body to please God or to come vnto him And God requyreth this worship chiefly of vs that in our troubles we shoulde aske helpe and deliuery of hym But vnlesse we be inspired with the knowledge of Christ we can neyther beleeue in God nor call vpon him which thing Paule teacheth by an elegant and feate gradation He that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde sayth he shall be safe But how shall they call vpon him in whome they beleeue not How shall they beleeue vnlesse they haue hearde c. Beside this they that knowe not God truly turne to the imaginations of their owne reason wherein it appeareth euidently there is no certaintie by this one argument that eyther they themselues dayly haue newe deuises or else embrace the deuises of other men according to that saying of Christ Whosoeuer drinketh of this water materiall and drawen by his owne strength shall thirst againe c. Examples to prooue the same are euerywhere extant For the same that we heare the Athenians did foolishly worshipping such a God as by their publike inscription they confessed they knewe not the same we reade hath come to passe vnto all men For thinke we the Gentyles woulde haue chaunged the glorye of the immortall God into the ymage of a mortall man or else into a brute beast if they had knowne him truly Woulde they euery daye haue receyued newe maners of honouring him borrowed of forren Nations Woulde they haue thought by acte of Parliament to haue confyrmed or disanulled their Gods and their religion as Tertullian in his Apology testifyeth the Romaynes did What a foolish saying of the shipmayster was that which bade Ionas call vpon his God if happily he would heare them seeing they had called on their other Gods hytherto altogither in vaine But that that was thought a foolishnesse in the Gentyles the same Elias vpbraydeth the Israelites with calling vpon Baal And God many times complayneth howe the people multiplied and encreased their Gods. And we can confesse that all these people offended in times passed And yet fewe acknowledge with their hart that the same hath many yeares bene done and is yet done in the Popes kingdome For what certaintie is in that religion where the Pope euery day maketh newe gods and Goddesses Where euery daye newe kindes of rytes and ceremonies are deuised Where the deade