common weales These and infynite such like thyngs it is to be thought recourced to Paules minde bycause he was a man which by long experience had learned what was meete in euery thing to be done But leauing all these reasons he setteth boldlye on the matter teaching them that are occupyed in Gods vocation by his example to admit no reasons of the flesh that might procure them from doyng their dutie For if the Prophetes and Apostles had bene ruled by such reasons neuer shoulde anye of them haue done his dutie but rather lyke Ionas they shoulde haue prouided for themselues to haue escaped by the sea For we see Moses straue agaynst Gods commaundement and refused the charge as long as he followed his owne reason and compared his impediment of speach and lacke of skill with Gods commaundements Let vs consider therefore that all thinges depende vppon Gods will and pleasure and not ours who can easily make the way plaine for them that walke in his calling For he is a sharpe double edged sworde piercing euen into the marrowe he is a deuouring fyre and deuiding the very stones Being therefore encouraged herewith let vs boldly enterprise whatsoeuer god commaundeth vs leauing to him the successe of the matter which cannot be other than ioyful vnto such as folow his conduct leading Furthermore Luke declareth the order that Paule followed in setting forth the kingdome of Christ among the Athenians First he reasoned with the Iewes touching that matter bicause he knewe they woulde the more easily giue eare vnto him if he brought Moses and the Prophetes This done he taketh those to instruct which had tasted of syncere fayth and religion by keeping company with the Iewes but yet were not fully enformed And hauing nowe layde this foundation he talketh with euery one he met withall in the market and went so farre that the Philosophers wherof the Citie had abundance beganne to dispute agaynst him And among diuers sectes of them the Epicures and Stoikes chieflye encountred with him who being of contrary opinions one to another coulde yet agree togither to set vpon the Minister of truth For the Epicures being the enimies of all wisedome and good learning did set perfyte felicitie in pleasure yet honest pleasure as they sayde as which conteyned in it quietnesse of mynde and health of body but climbing no higher than this they were authors of most absurde opinions which sprang hereof For where the feare of God and consideration of the lyfe to come stryketh mennes consciences in dread and maketh all worldly things vnpleasant they denyed the prouidence of God and also the life to come For they fabled that God walked vppe and downe from one side of heauen to another and had no regarde of mortall mennes affayres and that the soules died aswell as the bodies Insomuch that they vsed this Sardanapalus like saying Eate drinke make mery without any measure for after death there is no pleasure The Stoikes vtterly differing from them taught all felicitie and blysse to stande in vertue whych opinion though it seeme plausible and godly yet it pulled men from God as much as the Epicures did bicause it taught men to seeke felicitie in the merites of their owne workes Agayne bicause they perceyued the studye of vertue was disturbed and troubled by affections they woulde haue the followers of felicitie to be voyde thereof so that neyther they shoulde reioyce in prosperitie nor shewe any signifycation of sadnesse in aduersitie making of men stones and stockes deuoyde of those naturall motions and affections whereby parents and children are ledde one to loue another Furthermore by a certayne concatenation and connexion of causes they imagined a fatall necessity or destiny whervnto they made god also subiect These things teach vs with whom Paule had to doe and also admonish vs who are at this day euer haue bene the enimies of the gospell and of true doctrine For although in times passed the names of Epicures and Stoikes were in vse among the gentiles only yet were there among the people of God that were of their opinion be also in these daies Surely Nabal somtime among the Iewes sayd There is no God and Dauid testifyeth there were innumerable other of the same opinion Psal. 14. 53. Such were they also that sayd The Lord shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regard it Touching the later times in the which we are there are prophecies extant both of Christ the Apostles which euidently teach vs that Epicures trade and sect shal reigne among vs For Christ saith As it came to passe in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they did eate and drink they maried and were maryed euen vnto that same day that Noah went into the Arke c. And Peter prophecieth that there shall come mockers in the later days which shall walk after their owne concupiscence saye where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue in the same estate c. And such we see euerywhere now a dayes which although they directly professe not Epicures opinion yet liue they so that euery man may easily perceiue they beleeue there is neyther God nor life to come And they cannot abide the light of the Gospell bicause by it as Christ sayth their euill workes are reprooued In like wise may the Stoikes opinion be founde in all ages For this opinion helde the Phariseyes sometime among the Iewes who as they trusted in the ryghteousnesse of their owne works so were they the greatest enimies of christ This sect as we sawe in the .xv. Chapter bredde great disquietters in the Primitiue Church mingling the lawe and the Gospell togither and the merites of works with fayth In the dayes of the fathers and Doctors sprang the Pelagians the maynteyners of the same doctrine And if a man woulde search for the lyke in our age he should fynde the Monkes whome we may truly call the sworne Disciples of Zeno. For beside that they ascrybe felicitie vnto their owne vertues they teach also and earnestly exact such indolencie and want of griefe as the Stoikes did and go about to pull vppe by the rootes those affections which Nature hath sowen in the minde of man For what else doe they whyle they commaunde parentes to cast of their owne children and to penne them vp in monasteries while they also teach the children to put away all the loue and care of their parentes and to addict themselues wholye to Moonkishe rules It is knowen both to Barbers and bleare eyed as they say what hard and vnworthy things eyther to be spoken or beleeued they beate into tender mindes Such as these are must needes be enimies of the Gospell which accuseth and condemneth these madde and furious errors But we must not therefore gyue place vnto them but rather according to Paules ensample stryue earnestly agaynst them And what
at the least in trauell bring forth at length Forsooth Horatius mountaines in Italie were great with childe and after their harde trauell brought forth a Mouse What one error or abuse in their Church of so many as all the worlde nowe séeth and they although they be impudent ynough cannot denie haue they refourmed Surely neuer might that worthy Bishoppe of Nazianzum his saying be more truly spoken than of these Councels If I must needes write the truth sayth he I neuer sawe any good ende or conclusion of these Bishops Councels in his Epistle to Procopius the .xlij. Epist. And yet they shame not still to say the holye ghost is President of their Councels and that he is shut in the closet of the Popes breast But I trowe it is not that holy ghost that Christ sayth breatheth where it will for that it woulde not be so partially tyed to the Popes bosome or that appeared vpon Christ in likenesse of a Doue It is I beléeue that ghastly ghost the Owle that sate so long in the Consistorie on a time ouer the Popes heade a méete holy ghost I assure you for such a consistorie and closet Lette vs therefore leaue them and this president of their Councels and marke what séemeth good to Gods holy spirite and to the Euangelistes and Apostles and fâ—llowe the same considering as S. Augustine sayth in his seconde Epistle to S. Ierome that no Scriptures are to be allowed but the vndoubted Canonicall And in his first booke and seconde chapter against the Epistle of Parmenian he iudgeth it a rashe and presumptuous part to beleeue anye that prooueth not that hee sayth by scriptures And in his thirde booke and .vj. chapter against the letters of Petilian he holdâ—th any thing accursed that is beside the lawe and the Gospell In his first booke of christian doctrine xxxvij chap. he sayth Our faith staggereth if it be not vpholden by scriptures In his .166 Epistle he sayth both Christ and his Church is knowne by the scriptures In his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .vj. chap. he sayth the holy ghost hath caused the darker thinges in the scriptures to be opened by playner And Chrysostome in his seconde exposition vppon Mathewe the .xxiiij. and .xxix. Homelies sayth The true Church can no waye else bee knowne but onely by the Scriptures bicause whatsoeuer things else in the Church Heretikes haue aswell as Catholikes But now to that they saye diuersitie of translations in Scripture bréedeth error although the same be sufficiently ynough confuted before by the example of the seauentie Translators or Interpreters by those fiue or sixe more that after Christes time corrected them by Origen by Hierome by the Euangelistes and Apostles writing in the Gréeke tongue yet we will alleage one or two places out of olde Doctors for confirmation of the same For touching all obiections that the aduersaries can make they are so fully aunswered by the olde Doctors as partly you maye haue perceyued that it were but vaine further to trauell therein S. Augustine which is one of the fower Cardinall and principall Doctors that our aduersaries allowe who impugne this opinion sayth thus against them They that haue translated the Scriptures sayth he out of the Hebrewe tongue into the Greeke maye be numbred but the Latine interpreters by no meanes For in the beginning of the fayth assoone as one had gotten a Greeke booke into his handes and seemed to haue some knowledge in both the tongues he tooke vppon him to interprete the same Which thing did more further than hinder vnderstanding so that the readers be not negligent For the pervsing of diuers bookes hath often times opened the darker sentences The place is in his seconde booke of Christian doctrine and .xij. chapter And Nicholaus de Lyra one of our aduersaries owne Doctors sayth in his Preface vpon the Genesis that Diuersitie of expositors stirreth vp attention But to bring more testimonies in a matter so cléere as daye is but impertinent séeing that both Gods lawe and mans alloweth the truth though testified but with two or thrée witnesses Thus hast thou gentle Reader my promise made in the beginning confirmed by authoritie of Scriptures euident reasons and testimonies of auncient Doctors though not in such abundant wise as might be yet in as large a sort as the lawe and rule of a Preface will permit Let vs therefore addresse and prepare our selues diligently not onely to reade the Scriptures but also to vnderstande them and not to vnderstande them onely and there to stay as I am afrayde too manye in these dayes make that their onely ende of reading but also to frame our selues to expresse our vnderstanding in our liues and conuersation least hauing the Gospell still in our mouthes and shewing nothing thereof in our maners and yet protesting a more sounde and exact knowledge than others we encrease at length but our owne punishment and damnation knowing that euery one that sayth Lorde Lorde shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen And howe the seruant that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Let vs remember that the temple of Salomon and the writings of the lawes and Prophetes among the Iewes little profited them bicause they abused them and woulde not leade a life aunswereable to such blessings of god God spared not that stocke of the Iewes of so many hundreth yeares groweth verily no more will he vs that are but Impes graft and set in the same stocke if we doe not better than we doe and they did But againe if we liue a repentant life as we ought to doe and a thankfull vnto God for his innumerable benefites and specially for the light of his worde nowe shining in our Church of Englande so ordering our works that they may shine before men and glorifie our father which is in heauen then rage the worlde neuer so much by Gods permission against his little flocke for their proofe and triall yet shall it neuer be able to take one of them out of his hand but that he will ayde and assist vs with the presence of his spirite and rule as Dauid sayth in the middle among his enimies and bruse them with his yron rod and breake all them in peeces like a potters vessell that any maner of way without repentance molest and afflict his dearely beloued spouse and Church Let vs not therefore feare any threates or enterprises of this worlde knowing that we shall ouercome in him that hath alreadye ouercome the Deuill and the worlde Greater sayth S. Iohn is the spirite that is in you than hee that is in the world For there was neuer yet tyrant that rose against Gods Church but some shamefull horrible ende folowed him most coÌ„monly in this world The ecclesiasticall story is full of examples of late God hath shewed some notable in this
one kinde of hearers but such as seemed greatly to differ both in vocation conuersation nature yet did not they thinke it good for this cause to chaunge or omit any thing in the doctrine of the gospel being wholy busted to bring many men vnto Christ by duly orderly dealing of his word And vnto this doctrine of the word they ioyned the vse of the sacraments and those whome they perceyued to beleue they tooke into the societie of the Church by baptisme with all their family and deliuered to them the sacrament of thankesgiuing in such sort as Christ prescribed the often receyuing whereof sealed to them the benefite of their redemption and a thankefull commemoration of the Lordes death is therein celebrated and the whole bodye of the Church is the more surely knitte togither with the bande of loue and charitie And by these meanes within the space of eyght and twentie yeares it is euident the whole worlde was brought vnto the obeysaunce of Christ and that by the ministerie of such as were neyther of noble stocke dignitie in calling nor of any estimation in learning Therefore this was the verie working of God from aboue wherein wee haue to reuerence his power and to embrace his goodnesse which so graciously prouided for the worlde liuing oppressed vnder the tyrannie of the deuill This booke setteth forth most diligently the exercises of the Primitiue Church Great sinners and notorious wicked men such as not long before had wickedly enterprysed to shed the bloud of the only begotten sonne of God embraced the doctrine of the gospell And the same being brought to the consideration of their sinnes openly confessed them and trusting in the onely mercie of God through Christ obteyned fauor and forgiuenesse From thenceforth forsaking their former sinfulnesse and taking a better waye and trade of lyfe they forsooke their companie by whome before they were polluted And to their Godlye life they ioyned prayers wherein they were feruently occupied both in consideration of their owne infirmitie and by reason of dayly perilles and incombraunces as many examples declare And for that they woulde haue neyther doctrine nor the wholesome frequenting of the Sacramentes to cease they had a speciall regarde that there might be Ministers and Elders euerywhere appoynted whome they placed in euery Citie and with great diligence kept in dooing their dutye And at length least the profession of Christ might seeme to consist onely in vaine contemplation there sprang and grewe among them such feruent loue and liberalitie that we may in these dayes sooner woonder at the same than follow it For eche Church and congregation faythfully made prouision for their poore and those Churches that were of best habilitie and ryches relieued the want and pouertie of others further of sending to them such collections of money as they had made and gathered for them Well remembring vndoubtedlye our Sauiour Christ which being readie to leaue the earth appointed the poore in his place promising to accept whatsoeuer benefite bestowed vpon them as done vnto his owneselfe And where being occupyed in such Godlye exercyses all men ought to haue made much of them and loued them they yet founde on euery syde most grieuous enimyes The Iewes Scribes and Phariseyes and Philosophers of the Gentyles gainsayde them whereby they were enforced to haue perpetuall conflicts with those that had the chiefe commendation for wisedome and learning as well amonge the Iewes as the Gentyles Moreouer euen out of the Church it selfe arose false brethren who both through their lewde conuersation hindred the growth of the Church now springing and offended very manye with their craftie and deceyueable enterpryses such as Ananias was among the Iewes and Simon Magus amonge the Samaritanes And certaine wicked persons giuen vnto vnlawfull sciences muche troubled the Apostles and the other godly Bariesu or Elymas the Sorcerer in Cyprus a mayde possessed with a prophecying spirite at Philippi and certaine exorcistes or coniuring Iewes at Ephesus And when the deuill perceyued he coulde nothing preuaile by any of these instrumentes he began to styrre vp the Magistrates and Rulers by them to keepe vnder the towarde croppe of the true and healthfull fayth And this thing the Iewes first began to bring Christes religion the more in suspicion seeing that Nation where it first sprang receyued not the same Herevppon the Apostles were called before councelles at Hierusalem were commaunded to silence were beaten with roddes and so being further threatned were lette go againe At length Stephen was stoned the godlye driuen out of the Citie and persecution raunged in euery place neyther were the Apostles themselues spared For Herod beheaded Iames and thought for the Iewes pleasure to haue serued Peter likewise if God had not after a myraculous sorte deliuered him out of the present daunger hee was in And the Iewes were not content themselues to reiecte Christ as none of their king and sauiour but also they would not haue him to reigne among the Gentyles Wherefore they mooued and procured vprores agaynst the Apostles in all places as appeareth by the adoe that happened at Antioche Iconium Lystrae Corinth Thessalonica and many other places And finally they brought to passe that the Apostles and professors of the Christian fayth were reported to bee guyltie not onely in matters of religion but also to haue â—oldelye transgressed and broken the Romayne lawes and to haue troubled and distourbed the whole worlde Wherevppon the matter went so farre that the Romaine Emperours also whose power at that tyme stretched ouer all the worlde drewe their sworde agaynst the Christians But among all these so great and many daungers and in so craftie and most cruell attempts of the enimies there appeared a marueylous constancie of the Apostles and other beleeuers whereby they both truely and plainely protested their fayth in Christ and boldly defended and mainteyned the doctrine of truth and neyther by flattrie or threats coulde be brought to forsake the standing wherein God had placed them Therfore our faythfull God did not fayle them in so Godly a constancie but declared by many and euident tokens that he had a care of his Church For being in bandes and prison he deliuered them out of the same by the ministerie and seruice of Aungelles he comforteth them with ioyfull â—ightes and visions he armeth them with the spirite of constancie he giueth them a mouth and tongue which none of the enimies was able to resist he confirmeth the doctrine and faith of his people with myracles he effectually draweth the mindes of men to beleeue them and to be short he causeth the doctrine of the Gospell dispite of the worlde and Prince thereof through fire and sworde luckily to spreade ouer the whole face of the earth In these things is conteyned a perfite and an absolute paterne of a Church wherevnto all things written any where else in the scriptures touching the Church maye bee referred This fourme or frame of a Church it is euident that
still on earth in hys body then his Godhead is absent Pag. 39. Christ was solemnly-declared to bee our teacher 58. Christ onely is to bee heard in the Church 19. Christ is the hope of Israel 897. Christ our high Priest is entered into the true sanctuary 37. Christ is set ouer Sion that is ouer the Church of God. 11. Christ ascended aboue the heauens how it is to be vnderstanded 35. Christ verie God and man ascended how it is to be vnderstanded 34. Christ being verye God receyueth the holye ghost in hys humanitie Pag. 124. Christ very God and man. 106. Christ being a conquerour appeareth for vs in heauen 37. Christ the author of lyfe and saluation 851. Christ is called iust or righteous Pag. 794. Christ is the annoynted of God. 127 Christes last act wyth his disciples Pag. 34. Christes descention into hell 117. Christes comming visible and inuisible after what sort 41. Christes soule in hell was subiect to no torments 118. The knowledge of Christ is necessarie to saluation 542. The knowledge of Christ is reuealed by God onely 791. Christes talke wyth Paule 793. Christes studye and care for hys church 8. Christes diuinitie ascendeth not Pag. 34.35 Christes doctrine howe it ought to be considered 3. Christes departure from the earth Pag. 33. Christ and Moses compared togyther 179. Howe wee bee made partakers of Christ and saluation 458. Christes ensamples is set before vs to follow 113. Christes trustinesse and loyaltie towardes God. ibidem Christes fayth in hys promyse towarde hys Apostles 2. Christes flying and auoyding 324. Christ what he did after his resurrection 10. Christs enymies in stryuing against God fulfill hys deuise 218. Christs enimies counselles must not be consented to 579. Christes manhoode is taken into eternall ioy and glory 119 Christ Iesus his power 367. The true knowledge of Iesus Christ. 105. Christes merite can not bee vanquyshed by any sinne of man. 130. Christes whole seruice consisteth in workes and teaching 6. Christs ministerie descrybed in fewe wordes 259. The abusers of Christes name for vauntage shall be punished 710. The indaungered for Christes name must not be forsaken 826. Under the name of Christ the whole gospell is conteyned 361. Christes obedience 113. Christes office 188. Christes workes and miracles what they were 6.105 Christes death and passion 108. Christes power in bringing downe hys enimyes 785. Christs promises are inuiolable 4. Christes kingdome is not of thys worlde â—â—8 Christes kyngdome belongeth as well to all Nations as to the Israelites 25. What wee ought to seeke for in the kingdome of Christ. 94. Christes aunswere to the curyous question of hys Disciples touching the carnall kingdome which they imagined 27.28 Christ by his resurrection is prooued to be God. 673. Christs sacrifice pâ—rgeth our sinnes Pag. 455. Christes spirite is the interpreteur of the lawe 76. Christes spirite what it worketh in men 155. Christes feruent desire of mens saluation 397. Christes power is inuincible 350. and .351 Christes visible comming serueth for our comfort and instruction ibideÌ„ Christes last company wyth hys Apostles why it is so diligently descrybed 16. They that followe Christs bydding forsake the sea of Rome 784.785 To Christ we owe fayth and obedience 180. Christ fulfilleth whatsoeuer the prophets foreshewed of hym 123. Christ and the deuill haue no fellowship togyther 316.317 Church meetings 733. The Church of God is the house of God. 68. In the church is sure fellowship and saluation 413. Who are receyued into the church of Christ. 155.156 Euery man must not bee suffred to speake in the church  C ante I. Circumcision teacheth vs that the begynning of our generation is corrupt 545. Circumcision doth not iustifie 303. Circumcision was vnprofitable to the Iewes and why 341. Circumcision spirituall what it is Pag. 349. Circumcision a signe or couenant of the Testament 304. The confidence in circumcision beaten downe by Steuen 303.349 Cities of Iurie their vnhappye estate 18. Ciuill or lawfull defence permytted to christians 896. C ante O. Comfort must be vsed towarde the afflicted 812. The commendation of Paule and Barnabas 607. Companying with the wicked must be auoyded 398. What company is hurtfull to christians 406. Godlye companye is the delyght of true christian people ibidem They that seke but their owne coÌ„moditie of what spirite they are 751. The Communitie of the Apostles Pag. 143. Communitie or liberalitie 139. Communities cause efficient is the loue of God. 146. Example of christian Communitie Pag. 143. The fountayne and order of Communitie 224.225 Communitie of goodes whether it be necessary 143.144 The true trade of communitie ibideÌ„ What communitie of goodes was in the begynning of Christes religion 226. Communion of the Lordes supper how profitable it is 140. Commaundements of God fulfilled what a blessing it purchaseth  Commaundementes of God transgressed procureth infelicitie  Conclusion of Paules sermon 83â— Concorde of mindes 49. Concord and vnanimitie is to be had in the church 223. What concorde is acceptable before God. 78. Concorde and vnitie of mindes most necessary in setting forth the kingdome of God. 369. No condition or degree of men neglected with God. 624. Confession of the Aethiopian 386. Confession of Christ and fayth must go togyther 85.86.240 Confession of the faith in Christ. 133. Confession of the fayth most beseemeth ministers 824.825 Confession of the fayth is no indifferent thing 86. To confesse Christ boldely is an effect of the holy ghost 85. When confession of fayth is requisite 829.830 To confesse Christ is a gloryous thing 765. Confession of a true fayth in Steuen 3â—2 Confidence taketh holde euen of the godly 101. Confidence hypocriticall 232.233 The maners of those that are confident 881. The disciples mindes confirmed by the Apostles 580.581 The confirmation of the Apostles oration made to the people of Listra 571. Congregations howe they maye be edified  Coniunction of mindes is the fountayne of liberalitie 143. Conscience in matters of religion must be chiefely regarded 801. CoÌ„sciences of men must not be snarled 612. Conscience pricketh and molesteth euen the wicked 251. The terrours of conscience 129. The consent of the wicked endureth not long 805. Consenting vnto sinne deserueth punishment 236. Consent of the Synode at Ierusalem 604. The consolation of Christs last comming 41. Arguments of consolation 684. Example of godly consolation ibideÌ„ The power of Gods consolation appeareth in afflictions 636. The effect of the consolation of the holy spirite 416. God confyrmeth hys consolation by deedes 808. Consolation in aduersitie whence it must be set 809. Consolation wherewyth GOD strengthneth hys people 113. The maner of Gods consolations Pag. 807. Constancie 740. Constancie and boldenesse in Paule Pag. 689. An example of christian constancie and boldenesse 792.21.22 The heynous offence of the counsell of Constaunce agaynst the holye Martyr Iohn Husse 245. The contempt of the ministers proceedeth of the contempt of Gods worde 336. Contempt of Gods word is the begynning of all vngodlynesse ibideÌ„
Steuen falleth on sleepe 355 Steuen set on by disputations 287 Steuen oppressed and taken by sedition ibid. Steeuen dyeth full of the holy ghost Pag. 334 Steuens enimies and their enterprises against him 286 Steuens description 285 SteueÌ„s enimies rage incurable 354 Steuens example in redinesse to dye must be followed 355 Steuens enimies how they tooke his oration 351 Steuens oration and answere made in the councell of the Priests with the argument narration and partes thereof 292 Steuen being stoned how the faythfull vsed him 358 Steuen being readye to dye comforted of God and how and in what maner 352 Stipendes of the Ministers 676 Stipend must not be withholdeÌ„ from the Ministers 756 Stipende why Paule exacted not Pag. 756 Strangled and bloud 603 Stubbornenesse a thing peculiar to the wicked 268 Studious we must be of charity 618 Studie to please the people cause of persecution 489 Studies and desires of the enimies of truth 656 Study we must to please God. 580 Starre worship a thing common to the Gentiles 368 Starres superstitiouslye obserued Pag. 342 S ante V Supper of the Lorde howe it must be admynystred 735 Supper of the Lorde called breaking of breade 140 Supper of the Lorde a signe and token of Christes death 23 Supper of the Lorde with the rightes and cerimonies must not be altered 140 Supper of the Lorde taught vs by the Apostles in what order and forme to be vsed 3 Supremacie chalengers in the church confuted 5â— Superscription of a letter sent from the Synode  S ante W Swerde to keepe vnder the wicked commended 233 Swerde must be drawne in defence of relygion ibid. S ante Y Synagoge fyt place for the Apostles to beginne to preach in 512 Synâ—cdoche a figure very much vsed in the scriptures 761 Synode or conuocation at Miletum Pag. 738 Synodes and conuocations howe commodious they are ibid. Synne of those that forsake true religion how grieuous it is 516 Synners must be remitted vnto god Pag. 373 Synners not punished but first they are warned 642 Synners God disdaineth not 510 Synners must be wonne rather than destroyed 399 Synners which way God vseth to conuert them 787 Synne of ignoraunce howe it maye be excused 170 Synne agaynst the holy Ghost ibid. Synnes of men must not be rashlye iudged of 171 Synnes be they neuer so manye can not exceede Christes merite 130 Synnes cause of all euill 104 Synnes in preaching must be reproued 127 Synnes are remitted of fauour Pag. 543 Synnes although they bee heynous ought not to make vs dispayre Pag. 130 Sinne how heinous it is declared by the worde of God. 790 Synne needefull to bee rebuked in the Church 108.109 Synnes forgyuen in the name of Christ. 458 Synnes committed by thought and cogitation 373 T ante A TAbernacle was a figure of heauenly thynges 345 Tabernacle caried into the land of the gentiles 346 Tabernacle of witnesse what it was Pag. ibid. Tabernacles vse among the Iewes Pag. ibid. Tabernacle had no resting place a long while ibid. Tabernacle had not the honor of god tyed vnto it 347 T ante E Teachers office in the Churche requireth a deliget tryall 14 Teaching in the Church how it must be ordered 741 To teache which is the best waye Pag. 700 Temperaunce is a fruit of faith 829 Temperaunce what effectes â—he hath Pag. 148 Temple or church of God who build it 201 Temple hath not worship tyed vnto it 345 Temples must not bee prophaned or defiled 825 Temples by whome they are defiled and abused ibid. Templary religion is a vaine thyng Pag. 666 Temple or church commers in pompeous and prowde aray what may be thought of them 844 Tertulous oracion 819 Testament of God contayneth oure saluation 186 Testament of circumcision gyuen to Abraham what it is and how to be vnderstanded 303 Testamente the olde and the new are the law of of godly lyfe 54 Testament olde and newe how they consent 95 Testimonie of Dauid touching the resurrection of Christ. 113 Testimonie of the xvj Psalme prooued 121 Testimonies of the kyngdome of Christ. 33 T ante H Thabita raysed againe by Peter 419 Theophilus who is â— Theudas what he was 265 Threates of the worlde must not feare Christians 213 T ante I Timothey circumcised 616 Timothey borne of a Iewe and a Gentile 617 Titles and styles abused 664 Titles wherefore they ought to serue 5â—3 T ante O Tongue of the faythfull of all nations is but one 84 Tongue keeping a necessary thing Pag. 85 Tongues sitting vpon the Apostles heades were tokens of the holye Ghost 80 Tongues wherefore they serue 82 Songue or speech of Canaan 85 Tormentes must not be vsed of magistrates without a good and iust cause 815 T ante R Traditions of manne must not bee thrust into the Church 20 Traditions the Apostles thrust none into the Church 580 Traiane persecuting the Churche felt the wrath of God. 300 Tribulations of our owne brethren must be thought to be our owne 491 Tribulations ende is most ioyfull Pag. 587 Tribune delyuereth Paule againe out of the Iewes handes 463 Tribune kept from his purpose by feare of lawe 797 Tribunes readynes to succour Paul. Pag. 812 Troublers of the Church 589 Truth fought against by open force Pag. 166 Truth of god infallible 538 Truth of gods promises ibid. Truth of gods promises inuincible Pag. 886 Truth must be preached openly 520 Truth with what colours it is assaulted 193 Truth with what crimes it is charged 633 Truth is not defended with railing Pag. 823 Truth of what effecte 846 Truth Euangelicall what enemies it hath 191 Truth and gospel defendours compted seditiouse of the wicked 192. and 193 Truthes enemies must not be trusted Pag. 834 Truth in what case in this worlde Pag. 853 Truth haters are paineful and hardy therin 766 Truth hatred how much it is able to doe 809 Truth hatred whereto it bringeth men at the length 550 Truth hatred howe farre it proceedeth 810 Truth haters who are most 208 T ante V Turkes doe not honour God. 823 Turkish Ambassadors saying against the ydolatrye of christendome 340 T ante Y Tyranny of clargie ouer the Church Pag. 797 Tyrauntes can not doe alway what they list 213 Tyrauntes haue miserably perished Pag. 506 Tyrauntes sleyghtes set out in Pharao 317 Tyrants properties set out in Saule Pag. 390 Tyran defenders are flatterers 801 Tyrauntes state and condicion 213 Tyre dwellers bring Paule on hys waye 762 Tyre dwellers praye openlye 763 Tyrus visited by Paule 761 V ante A VAlerius Aurilianus moouing persecution against the church being first feared with a thunder bolte falling at his feete and yet not repenting was not long after kylled of hys owne men lying in waite for hym 301 W ante A WAntonnesse in children must be rebuked 766 Waye to attayne to saluacion Pag. 393 Way of Christ. 694 Waye of lyfe made playne in Christ. Pag. 119 Wayes of men are blinde in matters of relygyon 575 Warfayring for money how it
mynisters of his woorde And first of all he prooueth the veritie of his Resurrection by many arguments sixe weekes togyther For whereas this is the ground of our saluation whosoeuer wel vnderstandeth knoweth not the same he shall nothing preuayle in preachyng the Gospell Secondly he expoundeth openeth the mysteries of the kingdome of God both bycause he would put out of theyr mynde the opinion conceyued by common error of the earthly kingdome of Christ and also bycause they should perceyue after what order and sorte they ought to handle the businesse of our beliefe and saluation by preaching of the Gospell And vnto these two adhereth a thirde point that is to say the promise of the holy Ghost which he both now repeateth confirmeth the truth thereof by graue testimony least by his sodaine departure from the earth they should be all amazed admonisheth them also of the place when where they should wayte for the same This is a notable place seruing much both to our instruction consolation First of the place he admonisheth them commaundyng them that they departe not from Hierusalem but to wayte there for the promise of the Father Here the Citie of Hierusalem is appointed to the singularest affayres and purposes that euer happened in the world And as the sonne of God by the sacrifice of his body and bloud in this Citie restored mankynde againe to his saluation so in the same place he would first haue his Apostles illuminated with his holy spyrite and beginne the preachyng of the Gospell And here is that thing that would make vs to marueyle if wee consider the state and condition of the Citie For this is that Citie vpon which Christ pronounced such terrible and horrible thinges should fall Against this Citie is spoken that that is in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathewe Hierusalem Hierusalem that killest the Prophetes and stonest them that are sent vnto thee how often woulde I haue gathered thy chyldren togyther as the Henne gathereth hir chyckens vnder hir wynges and thou wouldest not And while he was in Galyley beyng told how Herode layde wayte for him he aunswered it coulde not be that a Prophet shoulde dye in any other place than at Hierusalem not onely hereby declaring how sinfull the Citie was but also many times denouncing the ouerthrow and destruction of the same What shall wee thinke then was the cause that mooued Christ to appoint so wicked a City and so neare hir destruction to so holy an vse and businesse Surely none other than the infallible truth of God whose promises cannot fayle It was once prophecied by the Prophetes that the preaching of saluation shoulde spring from thence In the latter dayes sayth the Prophetes the hill where the house of the Lorde is builded shall be the chiefe among hilles and exalted aboue all little hilles And all Nations shall prease vnto it and the multitude of people shall go speaking thus one to another vp let vs go to the hill of the Lorde and to the house of the God of Iacob that he may shew vs his way and that we may walke in his pathes For the lawe shall come out of Syon and the worde of the Lord from Hierusalem Where it seemeth me good not to pretermit that whereof Suetonius though an heathen Auctor and enimye to the Christians maketh mention in the life of Vespasian saying that there was an olde and common opinion in the East countrie affirming that it was their destenie which should come from Iurie to be conquerors of all the worlde Which Oracle he as an Ethnicke and Gentile vnderstandeth of Vespasian who by reason of his valiauntnesse â–ª and courage shewed in the warres with the Iewes made an entrye thereby for himselfe and his children to climbe vnto the Empire We may more truly expounde the same of the Apostles which being borne in Iurie beganne to preach the Gospell in the Citie of Hierusalem afterwarde filled all Iurie with their preaching and at length dispersing themselues out of Iurie into all nations subdued and brought all the world to the obedience of christ Nowe bicause Christ was not ignorant that these things were decreed by God his father therefore he bade them they shoulde not depart from Hierusalem In the meane season the consideration of these things serueth muche both for our consolation and instruction For hereby it appeareth that the promises of God through the wickednesse and impietie of a fewe persons cannot be frustrated and made vaine What sayth Paule though some beleeued not Shall their vnbeliefe make the promise of God of none effect God forefende Naye let God be true and all men lyers This ought deepely to bee layde vppe in our memorie bicause we see it commeth often to passe that while we consider the great want of beliefe and wickednesse in man we vtterly dispayre as though the wickednesse of other should be our losse and hinderance which is a most grieuous temptation and as it accuseth God eyther of to much seueritie or of vnrighteousnesse so it hindreth and stoppeth vs most in the race of godlynesse For who woulde holde on in goodnesse that were once perswaded in his minde that he must perishe with the multitude of the vngodly Here therefore it is necessarye that we be armed against such temptations And stronger armour we cannot put on vs than if we thinke that God knoweth his be the multitude of the wicked neuer so great And in the Prophet he confesseth he beareth to vs such affection as mothers vse to beare vnto the children borne of their owne bodies And bicause he is the iust iudge of the earth he will not destroy the godly with the vngodly as Abraham the father of the faithfull well considered Againe bicause he is most wise and omnipotent he can easily discerne betweene the godly and vngodly and can punish the one as they haue deserued and with fauour defende the other Herevnto is to be referred that fanne which Iohn the Baptist attributeth to Christ wherewith he shall purge his floore and separate the chaffe from the corne Hereof wee haue in euery place examples The Lorde knewe Loth in the middest of Sodome He had a care of the Patriarches lyuing among the Chananites although by Gods appoyntment they were ordayned to be destroyed So in this place he knoweth his Apostles and whosoeuer in Hierusalem are of the number of his elect Neither doth the corruption and wickednesse of other more in number and authoritie than they preiudice or hinder them After the same sorte will hee know vs in these dayes for his people and will saue vs so that we will depart from iniquitie and in our lyfe expresse Christianitie It maketh for amendement of life that we learne by the example of the Hierosolimytes that no glory authoritie or prerogatiue of auncestrye can defende them against the iudgement of God which continue in their wickednesse and vnthankfulnesse
dwelling of the Saintes sheweth vs Christ saying Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ. Doth he not here appoynt the same place vnto Christ into the which our bodies shall once be receiued To this is to be ioyned the describing of the maner and order of the resurrection to come where he sayeth The Lorde himselfe shall come downe from heauen with the noyse and voyce of an Archaungell and trumpe of God and the deade in Christ shall first aryse and then wee that be on lyue which shall remayne shall be taken with them in the Clowdes to meete the Lorde and so shall we alwayes be with him He sayth that Christ the Lorde shall come yea descende from heauen and that it might appeare of what heauen he meaneth he sayth that we shall be taken in the Clowdes to meete Christ in the aire Therfore all these things are to be vnderstanded of some higher place in heauen where both Christ sitteth and raigneth in his body and into the which all the elect shall hereafter be translated Howbeit Luke is most diligent in describing the maner of his ascention Where first he sayth that holding vp his handes into heauen he blessed the Apostles that is bade them farewell and after the common maner of men departing one from another commended them to the tuition and protection of God almightie Afterwarde they looking vpon him he was taken vp into heauen Which one thing conuinceth them of vanitie and errour which saye Christ vanished away inuisibly For if they herein saye true how was he taken vp on high the Disciples looking vpon him Or would he therefore seeme to ascende bicause he woulde haue vs beleeue he were still conuersant on the earth Herevnto is to be added the ministerye or seruice of the Clowde which as it conueyed him from the earth as in a chariot euen so it caried hym higher than mans sight coulde reach to and tooke him out of sight He vsed the Clowde as a chariot according to that saying of the Psalme which makest the Clowds thy Charet For the Clowde was both a token of heauen into the which he should ascende and also bare plaine witnesse of his heauenly and diuine maiestie Wherevnto also is to be referred the appearing of the Aungels which he would not onely haue witnesses but also ministers of his ascention For it was meete that he which vsed the seruice of Angels in his conception natiuitie temptation death and resurrection should now likewyse vse the same ministers when he woulde declare the greatest poynt of his maiestie And it serued for our profit bicause we might know the maiestie of our sauiour and that although he were absent in bodye yet that he would easily protect and defende vs by his holye spirite and ministery of Aungels whose power hath long since bene prooued by many examples to be infinite and inuincible And although these be great tokens of Christes diuine maiestie and power yet maye we receyue more comfort of the causes mouing Christ to ascende into heauen For by them appeareth the great vtilitie that commeth to vs And first it was requisite so to be bicause of our redemption and saluation which otherwise coulde not be accomplished For whereas by reason of sinne the gates of heauen were shut vp and such is the corruption of our nature that Paule sayth fleshe and bloude that is man ledde with corrupt and carnal affections cannot inherite the kingdome of God it was necessarye that the heauens shoulde be opened againe by Christ that wee might take him for our sauiour and Redeemer This did Christ most commodiously by bringing his fleshe which he tooke of the Uirgin into heauen For who perceyueth not there is a waye made for our fleshe into heauen when he heareth that Christes fleshe in all poyntes lyke vnto ours sinne only excepted is resident in heauen To saye nothing in the meane season of the permutation and chaunge here made For as Christ graffeth his spirite in our hartes to th ende it shoulde be to vs in this lyfe the earnest and pledge of our eternall saluation so againe he caried into heauen our fleshe which he tooke of the virgin Marie that we myght be certified as it were by this pledge that we one daye should in our bodyes inherite the kingdome of heauen Wherevnto Paule hauing respect writeth God which is rich in mercy through the great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when wee were deade by reason of sinne hath quickened vs togither with Christ for by Grace are you saued and hath also raysed vs vp againe and hath also made vs sit with him in heauen And Paule speaketh not these things in vaine but hath Christ the warranter and Auctor of his saying whose Testament as it were these words following are Father I will that where I am these also whome thou hast giuen me may be with me Wherefore that strong and inuincible trust through the consideration of his ascention ought to bee in euerye mans minde that Tertullian speaketh of Be out of care or be of good cheere fleshe and bloude you haue gotten both heauen and the kingdome of God in Christ. Furthermore by Christes ascention into heauen as by a publyke triumphe we are certifyed of the victorie that he hath gotten of the Deuill For as the Princes of this worlde when they haue vanquyshed their enimies returne home agayne with triumph wherin the Captaynes of the enimies are led Captiues and their ensignes displayed all which declare the victory to be verily gotten so the sonne of God after he had made warre against the Deuill the Prince of this worlde and had vtterly subdued him woulde after this solemne pompe in the sight of his friendes go agayne into heauen that we might be assured the Deuils power was vanquished and that we were deliuered from his tiranny And to this ende Paule seemeth to alledge that saying of the .lxviij. Psalme When he was gone vp on high hee ledde captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And in another place hee writeth He made an open showe of rule and power and triumphed ouer them in his owne person Therefore as often as the power of Satan sinne and death shall make vs afrayde so often let vs flye to Christes ascention wherein he hath giuen vs an euident signe of victorye gotten of them and hath sealed the affaires of our redemption as it were with publike and solemne triumph Thirdly the reason of Priesthoode required that Christ shoulde enter into heauen wherevnto Dauid witnesseth he was assigned saying The Lorde hath sworne and will not repent him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech But the high Priest was woont once euerye yeare to enter into the holy place that was wythin the veyle and that not without bloude which bicause it was a figure of things it behooued Christ shoulde enter
and his horrible ende as though these things happened by hazarde or that the sonne of God betrapped by a wicked man had not bene able to haue escaped his crafts and deceytes I would not also that any should so take these matters as though the falshoode of so wicked a man should derogate any thing from our order and holy function which we are in by Christes appoyntment For it seemed good vnto God that these things should so come to passe whose counsayle and purpose it was that his belooued sonne shoulde be betrayed by one of his entire Disciples And he woulde not haue vs ignorant hereof For it is knowne what is read in the Psalme 41. which Christ himselfe repeated in his last supper saying He that eate breade with me hath layde great wayte for mee Nowe I tell you before it come to passe that when it is done you may beleue that I am he Wherfore cast your eyes vpon Gods prouidence reuerence his goodnesse and truth and let not the thinges offende you that are done by his determination and iust permission Yet let no man so vnderstande these things as though Peter went about to excuse Iudas heynous offence and to laye all the faulte thereof in god For that is not the meaning of the diuine prouidence which gouerneth all thing that we shoulde make God the Autor of our sinne bicause whatsoeuer men doe that is naught they doe it not to fulfill Gods purpose but to satisfie the cogitations and desires of their owne wicked will. It is playne in deede that it was Gods determination that his sonne Iesus Christ shoulde be betrayed through the craft of his Disciple and should come into the hands of his enimies and being condemned to death should be nayled to the crosse where he shoulde purge the sinne of the worlde by the Sacrifice of hys bodye But if a man consider Iudas the worker of this treason he in so mischieuous a deede had nothing lesse before his eyes than Gods purpose and the redemption of mankinde but being blinded and wounded with couetousnesse first polluteth himselfe with theft as Iohn sayth afterward with treason The same reason is to be made of Annas Cayphas Pylate all those other whom the Gospell testifieth to haue bene seekers executioners of Christs death The bookes of the holy Scripture are full of examples of the lyke kynde whereby we are aduertised howe grieuously men sinne in committing those things which God in deede will haue done but yet they doe them being mooued thereto through the blinde and inordinate affections of corrupt nature I praye you who is so dull headed to thinke that Ioseph came into Egipt without the speciall counsell of Gods prouidence whereas we reade that God aduertised Abraham himselfe long before of the going downe of his posteritie into Egypt who lykewise acknowledgeth not the marueylous wisedome of God in all this businesse which gouerneth al things most prudently and profitably Shall we therfore excuse Iosephs brethren which being mooued with enuye solde awaye their brother that deserued better of them yea we will expounde all thys businesse by Iosephes owne wordes yee thought euill agaynst me but God turned it to good to bring to passe as it is this daye and to saue much people alyue Yea we haue dayly experience of lyke occurrences and examples For who will saye the theefe killeth the wayfaring man without the prouidence of God considering we knowe that the dayes of our life and the heares of our heade are numbred before God But bicause the murtherer committeth such an heynous offence being mooued with wicked affection therfore is he in all the fault and shal iustly be punished for the same Let no man therfore seeke excuse for his wickednesse in Gods prouidence nor make God the Autor of his sinne but by the consideration hereof let vs seeke comfort whereby to arme and strengthen our selues against the horrible chaunces of this life And that Peter had a respect hereto it is euident by hys words wherein followe other things to be considered And first we are taught by a notable example of what efficacye and strength godlye prayers be For Luke shewed vs aboue that the Apostles continued with one consent in prayers wherby what was brought to passe is now perceyued For Peter which a little before was ignorant of the right maner of Christes kingdome and among the reast had put forth a foolishe question touching the very time of restoring the same by and by beginneth to preach of the Scriptures which he alledgeth most aptly and expoundeth most syncerely So true it is that the Apostle sayth If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of him that giueth that is of God and it shall be giuen him Further we are taught by the example of Peter that nothing ought to be appointed in the Church without the authoritie of the Scripture For as in well ordred common weales there are certaine lawes yea rather an authentike Code of lawes from the which no man of his owne heade hath authoritie to take anything or to put to any thing or else to appoynt anye thing in the common weale beside the prescript thereof euen so Christ hath deliuered to his Church the bookes of the olde and new Testament wherein are contayned the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and the lawes of eternall lyfe Therefore out of them must be taken all counsell and the Argumentes of all the sermons that are to be made in the congregation Neyther is there any man of such roume and ordering that must thinke he hath power to ordayne or appoynt any thing contrarye to the same This booke in the beginning was deliuered to the Kings not to th end they should thinke they had iurisdiction ouer the same but for that they should drawe forth of the same good lawes whereby to rule the people well And the Prophets were bounde by this commaundement to take their sermons from Gods mouth Which thing we can interprete to be none other but the Scriptures bicause by these as by a certaine mouth God reuealeth vnto vs the mysteries of his will. And Christ himselfe oftentimes preacheth forth of the scriptures and disdayneth not to turne the holye bookes and to expounde certaine places of them vnto the people An example wherof he shewed in the schoole at Nazareth Therfore Peter following the example of his mayster taketh the beginning of his sermon out of the Scriptures whome woulde God they woulde imitate which highly glorying in the succession of Peter dare yet thrust into the Church diuers thinges repugnaunt to the Scriptures onely vpon mans authoritie Furthermore Peter adourneth the scriptures with an excellent prayse where he sayth the holy ghost is Autor of them which woulde vtter these thinges by the mouth of Dauid The same he confesseth in another place where he sayth that the Prophetes were inspired with the spirite of Christ and
of that time drew neare when Christ appearing in the glorye of the father and pronouncing a finall sentence vpon all flesh shoulde appoint a full and absolute blisse to his faythfull deuoyde of all sorrowes daungers and griefes which they shoulde enioy both in body and soule It behooued therefore that this troublesome state of the worlde which shoulde alwayes remaine after the birth of Christe and after he had fulfilled the worke of our redemption should be thus diligently described least any man after this great promise of the holye ghost and fauour of God shoulde promise himselfe to haue all thinges in this worlde in peace and safetie with which error we reade the Chiliastes in times past were bewitched And there want not in these dayes which hope for an vniuersall and stable peace and tranquillitie ofall things vnder Christ which bicause they see not as yet come to passe they beginne to suspect all that is written of our faith and religion They draw the cause of their errour out of the Prophetes descriptions of the kingdome of Christe such as both otherwheres and also in Esay xj and lxv Chapters are extant But there are other places of Scripture which ought to haue bene ioyned with them where wee are ab undantlye taught that we ought to looke for no such thing in this worlde For Dauid sayeth Christ shall reigne in the middest of his enimies And Christe denyeth that his kingdome is of this worlde Hee euerye where admonisheth his children of the crosse and bitter afflictions which he would haue them prepared for In the worlde sayth he you shall haue tribulation They are therfore ridiculous in very deede which contrarye to Christes saying promise as well others as themselues ease peace and tranquillitie in this world And yet we denie not the things that are read in the Prophetes touching a peaceable state of Christes kingdome But we vnderstande them partlye of the tranquillitie of the minde and of the spirituall ioye of the faithfull and partly of the faithfull onely and of the conuersation and fellowship which they onely haue one with another For so they be truely at rest and certaine of their saluation and dwell safely among them who where before they might haue seemed Woolues and Lions being conuerted to Christ are become most meke sheepe and lambes And yet manye stryfes and afflictions they shall abide which as Christe plainly admonisheth vs shall be so much the more grieuous howe much nearer the vniuersall redemption of the godly approcheth which when he commeth shall be cleane dispatched But to come at length to the woordes of the Prophete two things in them seeme chiefly to be considered wherof one is the troublesome and vnhappie state of the worlde which he sayth should be after Christ his comming in the fleshe the other concerneth the causes of the euils and calamities which serue not a little aswell to comfort vs as to instruct vs. He describeth the state of the later dayes in these wordes I will shewe woonders in the heauens aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoke The sunne shall be turned into darckenesse and the moone into bloude He maketh mention of straunge woonders which bicause they be tokens of things to come in considering of them we must also comprehende in our minde the calamities and miseries which they portende For it is not Gods propertie or custome to delude the mindes of men with vaine and ydle sights And Iesus Christ in the gospel repeating the same things maketh mention of afflictions also wherof these be signes and prognostications Ye shall saith he heare of warres and tidings of warres For nation shall rise against nation and Realme against Realme and there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places The Prophet proponeth diuers kinds of woonders to make vs the more attent He saith there shall be woonders in heauen in the number whereof blasing starres firebrands flashings of light flying Dragons long starres like swordes and dartes and what so euer such like maye be accounted which although the Astrologers number amongst the things proceeding of natural causes yet this place sufficiently teacheth vs that they be signes and tokens of calamities to followe Furthermore he sayeth there shall be also signes vpon the earth amongst the which earthquakes ought to haue the first place whereby it is manifest great alterations of things haue many times bene portended Herevnto appertaine the straunge inundations and ouerflowings of waters monstrous births of children the vncouth voice of beasts springs of waters running with bloude the straunge fruites of trees and plantes with infinite others lyke examples whereof we haue both in hystories and daily experience But the Prophete returning agayne to heauen maketh peculiar mention of the sunne and moone whose brightnesse he sayth shall be obscured with horrible darknesse and the terrible sight of bloude The meaning of all which is that in the later daye such shall bee the countenaunce of the worlde that whither soeuer wee turne our eyes there shall appeare the horrible signes of Gods wrath and his iudgements euen in those creatures the vse whereof hath bene chiefly to sette forth the goodnesse of God and to comfort man amongest which we take the sunne and moone to be the chiefe Moreouer if we compare the things here spoken with hystories we shall see that all these things in sundry ages haue many wayes bene fulfilled But what neede we runne to hystories where in our owne dayes we haue seene many examples hereof and may euery day still see newe What age euer was there since the beginning of the worlde wherein so many blasing starres haue bene seene as hath appeared within these .xxxiij. yeres I speake not of speares swoords darts horses sights of men yea armed hostes Lyons and many other which hauing bene seene in the Clowdes haue feared the mindes of the lookers on Who knoweth not of the â—arthquakes and horrible inundations of waters The monstrous birth both of men and beastes brought forth within the space of this .xxx. yeares no man can easilye number Bloude hath sproong out of the earth and runne not in so fewe places as one We haue seene in the eares of corne marueylous and straunge sights The bearded grapes and clusters hauing tuftes of heare growing out of them haue vpbraided the Germaines with their drunkennesse as it were men strong to drinke wine as the Prophet sayth Here we must learne the continuall vsage of God which neuer punisheth man before he giue warning thereof by woonders and that their seeing of these woonders should not be in vaine he ioyneth most times his worde to the same For where he woulde haue men to be saued he doth nothing as the Prophete sayth except hee reueale his secretes before vnto his seruauntes the prophetes This may be prooued by the examples of all ages from the first beginning of the worlde
them in question he aunswereth them by another testimony saying For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole This argument consisteth of two pointes First Dauid ascended not into heauen Ergo these thinges ought not to be vnderstanded of Dauid He denieth that Dauid is ascended into heauen not bicause he thinketh him to be reckoned in the number of the damned but speaketh of his bodye which as was beforesayd was consumed into dust and earth Touching the soule this saying of Christ standeth in force He that beleeueth in mee hath lyfe euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but is passed from death vnto life The other argument standeth vppon the testimonye of Dauid who sheweth that these things ought not to be vnderstanded of himselfe but of Christ which shoulde be borne of his stocke For in the Psalme Cx. he sayeth The Lorde sayde to my Lorde c. which place is so cleere and so vndenyable that Christ thought good to vse it against the Scribes In the meane season we are taught by Peters example that the Scriptures ought to be expounded by conference of other places least standing rashly vpon some one place we gainesay many other which thing is the cause of many errors in the Church It is to be marked how vnto Christes ascention into heauen he ioyneth the sending of the holy ghost This doth he very prudently and in order For hereby he teacheth vs that though Iesus Christ haue taken his body out of this worlde yet ought he not to be contemned For he hath not for all that cast of the care of the Church but by his spirite is present with the same by the which spirit he woorketh more effectually in the mindes of those that be his than before he did when he was conuersaunt with vs in body wherefore he sayth vnto the Disciples that it is expedient for vs that he leaue the worlde and go vnto the father For so place shoulde be giuen to the holy ghost which we coulde not haue so long as we did sticke to his bodily presence And surely after that Christ had giuen his bodye vpon the aultare of the Crosse for the life of the worlde and had by the raysing vp thereof againe ouercome death there was no more for his body here to doe vpon earth It remayned therefore that by his glorious ascention he should open the gates of heauen which our sinne had shut against vs and should become a pledge for vs in heauen whereby we might be assured of the inheritance possession of heauen Therfore Christ caried his body into heauen and set it on the right hand of his father hath sent vnto vs being here on the earth to vse Tertullians terme his holy ghost to be his vicare or substitute By the operatioÌ„ of him he regenerateth vs through the immortall seede of the word of God to be the sonnes of god By him he teacheth vs and comforteth vs The same is the earnest or gage of our saluation Through the encouragement we crie Abba father By him it commeth to passe that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him All which things sithens Christ worketh in vs most effectuallye by his spirite there is no cause we shoulde complaine of the absence of his body which is resident in heauen for our healthes sake And they that require the presence of his bodye and desire to haue it shewed on earth seeme to me little mindefull of the admonitions which are read in the .xxiiij. of Mathew Also Peter describeth the kingdome of Christ with the wordes of Dauid which it behooueth vs oftentimes diligentlye to consider The first point herein is how he sayth Christ is exalted by the right hande of God and ascended into heauen Therfore his kingdome is heauenly not of this worlde as himselfe confessed before Pylate In deede all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth but not to rule after the maner of Princes in this worlde in whose reignes must needes fall out vncertaine and vnstable entercourse of matters bicause they labour to obtayne kingdomes by the vncertaine and vaine power of the flesh We are also taught that we must not seeke for worldly goodes in the kingdome of Christ suche as are riches honors pleasures friendship of the worlde and others of like sort They are eternall and celestiall goodes which God the father hath giuen vs in christ Therefore we ought altogither to be busied in studying for them Then he teacheth vs that Christ sitteth at the right hande of God by the which phrase of speach both a certaine place is appointed of beatitude and blisse and also an equall power of kingdome or empire with God the father For the father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his handes He also commaundeth all men to honour the sonne euen as they honour the father Wherevnto also this worde sitting belongeth whereby is expressed the maiestie of Christ in his reigne and the sure and vnmooueable power of his kingdome Last of all he sayth that all his enimies shall be subdued and become his footestoole Christ is therfore a victorious king and an inuincible vanquisher of his enimies Satan is the capitaine and standerdbearer of them all who was threatened with death long sithens by the first promyse of saluation that was made in Christ when God sayd The seede of the woman shall treade downe the serpentes heade And Christ teacheth vs that he is alreadye iudged and cast out In like maner it is as playne that sinne is ouercome For God sayth Paule sent his sonne and hath condemned sinne by sinne that is to say by the sacrifice of his sonne offred vpon the aultar of the crosse for sinne he hath put awaye the guilt or trespasse of sinne and hath taken awaye the power and force thereof that it shall hereafter not hurt vs But sinne being put away it is euident that death also must be vanquished which fought against vs by none other weapon than the sting of sinne Therefore all the power of hell is truelye subdued by Christ. He also ouercommeth the world and tyraunts with all the â—able of the reprobate For we reade that it hath bene long since decreed by the father that they that will not be gouerned by the wholesome worde of his sonne shall be brused and broken to poulder with his rod of yron Neither want there examples of dayes longe passed and nowe present which teache vs what notable victories and triumphes Christ atchieueth of the enimies of his Church Let vs learne therfore to acknowledge this king and not to feare this worlde which when it rageth most is nearest to destruction and is able to doe nothing against them whome Christ taketh charge of against whome the gates of hell are not able to preuayle
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire begūne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
he hath created which hath respect vnto things voyde of lyfe and seeth them gouerned The seconde part contayneth the narration wherein they shewe vnto God the attemptes of their enimies and the present daungers that they be in not that they thinke God is ignorant of them but for that they would somewhat ease their mindes of care and griefe by laying their complaints before Gods eyes which thing was the chiefe cause of these complaintes which the Saintes vsed to intermeddle among their prayers Here maye we perceyue the goodnesse of God whose eares be so easily opened to our complaintes and heareth vs so mercifully when we complaine of our miseries and distresse They take the beginning of their narration out of the seconde Psalme where Dauid inspired by the holy ghost described the kingdome of Christ and also the wicked enterprises of the worlde which fight against his kingdome The sense of all their sayinge is thus Wee finde it nowe true O God that thou once didst prophecie by the mouth of thy seruant Dauid For truly in this Citie of Ierusalem which in times past was called both holy and the seate of righteousnesse Herode and Pylate haue conspired togither against thy sonne the souldiers also of the Gentyles haue gathered themselues togither and the people of Israel which ought to haue serued thee c. And it is not for naught that they recyte this olde prophecie For hereby they declare that there is no straunge and vnwoonted thing come to passe and that therefore no man ought to be offended with the wicked attemptes of Christes enimies We are taught by their example howe we also shoulde call to remembrance the prophecies of the scripture when we be tossed with the tempests of persecution and specially those where Christ testifyeth there shall be perpetuall enmitie betweene the worlde and those that be his If you were of the worlde sayeth he the worlde woulde loue his owne But nowe haue I chosen you out of the worlde and therefore the worlde hateth you And Paule sayth Persecution shall followe all them that will liue godly in Christ Iesus Wherevnto chiefely belongeth that which God prophecied in the first beginning of the worlde that there shoulde be perpetuall enmitie betweene the Serpent and the seede of the woman that is betweene the deuill the Prince of this worlde and Christ who also includeth the Church which is his body The consideration of these things maketh vs not to be offended at persecutions forasmuch as we see it is so ordeyned of God that the godly shall be tryed as it were by fire with the rage and furie of the world Herevnto appertaineth that saying of Peter Dearely beloued marueyle not that you are prooued by fire which thing is to trie you as though some straunge thing happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as yee are partakers of Christes passions c. But it behooueth vs somewhat more diligentlye to marke howe the holye ghost speaketh of the enterprises of Christes enimies both by Dauid and also by the congregation of the faithfull First he describeth their enterprises saying they rage they ymagine they stande vp and take counsayle togyther These things expresse an ardent and earnest hatred against Christ and his kingdome which they seeke by all meanes to ouerthrow And he trimly describeth the maners and condicions of them For where he numbreth Nations People and Kinges among the enimies of Christ he attributeth to each of them their peculyar properties The vnbeleeuing Gentiles rage as who are ledde rather with furiousnesse of affections than with counsayle The people whereby is vnderstanded the communaltie ymagine or speake thyngs that be vayne whyle amonges their Cuppes commonly they talke of ouerthrowing the kingdome of christ But Kings and Princes tossed with the care of their kingdomes ryse vp ioyne togyther and openly take counsayle by what force and polycie Christ may be oppressed And yet he sayth they altogyther take in hande and muse vpon things that are but vayne For what are mortall men whose thoughtes and cogitations are but vaine able to doe against the Lorde They are conceyued with vexation they traueyle with vanitie and bring forth lying And God whose counsayle endureth for euer doth easily bring the counsayle of the heathen to naught Hereto belongeth the saying of the godly in the Prophet Breake downe ô you people and you shall be broken downe Muster you and you shall be broken downe Prepare you to battaile and you shall be torne in peeces take your counsayle togither yet must your counsaile come to naught goe in hande wyth all yet shall it not prosper for the Lorde is with vs. They that reade the Scriptures and stories of the Church may see euerywhere examples hereof so that it needeth not greatlye to make rehearsall of the same yet is that one example of Iulian the Apostata or runnagate most notable who burning in hatred against Christ ready to giue vp his ghost was constrayned to say Thou hast the victorie ô Galylean thou hast the victorie So that a certaine Christian very wittilye aunswered a wicked Sophister asking him what the Carpentare of Galyley did that he was making a Coffin or Beere to beare Iulian to his Graue vpon Afterwarde he sheweth against whome these enterprises are made They came togither against the Lorde and against his annoynted It myght haue seemed a light matter to contende or striue wyth Christ by reason of his humble and lowly porte of mannes nature which he tooke on him But they are not Christes enimies onely but also enimies of god For as hee which disdayneth to acknowledge the Kinges onely sonne to be the heyre and King of the Realme and is a procurer of sedition against him is worthily iudged to make warre against the king so he that will not acknowledge the sonne God to be our king and sauiour may well be sayde to be the enimie of God who hath giuen to him only all the power of his kingdome and all the glory of mans redemption that all men might honor the sonne euen as they honor the Father Neyther can God be acknowledged and honoured otherwyse than in his sonne Wherefore of consequence they neyther acknowledge nor honour God which doe not acknowledge and honour his sonne And if they rebell and mooue warre against the sonne of God then like the wicked Gyaunts they may be iudged to make warre against God also This did Iohn the Baptist well perceyue when he sayde The Father loueth the Sonne and hath gyuen all things into his hande He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath lyfe euerlasting He that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth vppon him And who can doubt but he is the enimie of God that prouoketh againâ—â— himselfe the irreuocable wrath of God These things serue both for our instruction that we defyle not our selues wyth lyke impietie and also for our comforte
that we be not afrayd with the power of our enimies when we see our selues to weake for them For this is not our fight but a battell taken in hande vnder Gods conduct who can most easilye subdue their force and attemptes Which thing Iohn teacheth vs when he sayth that he that is in vs is of more power than he that is in the worlde Last of all the faithfull expresse more euidently the effect and ende of these mischieuous attempts where they say They gathered themselues togyther to doe whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsaile determined before to be done Howbeit the wicked consult not nor meete not togither to put Gods will and purpose in execution but they declare vnto vs how they are able to doe nothing but that which God hath decreed to haue done and that then they most further Gods purpose when they most studie to hinder it This shall appeare to be manifest if we consider what the Priestes of the Iewes dyd They woulde keepe Christ oute of his kingdome Therefore they mooued the Romane Presidents and communaltie against him and sâ—ynted not vntill they sawe him vpon the Crosse dead and buried But what other did they in all these things but helpe Christ being the Sauiour of the worlde according to the eternall purpose of his Father to enter into his kingdome And by the consideration hereof the Apostles remooue out of the way that blocke whereat such stumble as thinke the wicked are able to ouercome Christ by power and force Here serueth the vse of Gods singuler prouidence to make men vnderstande that the enterprises of the wycked can go no further nor doe no more than God hath appoynted Here haue we to obserue that they acknowledge in Gods prouidence not onely his prescience and foreknowledge but also his stable decree and hande whereby he doth execute at his pleasure that which he hath decreed that himselfe may be all in all And yet the wicked are not therfore excused bicause they respect not the decree and will of God but followe their owne corrupt affections as we haue alreadie many times declared And although the primitiue Church doth truely beleeue and professe the same yet she prayeth and with feruent sute beseecheth God of his succour and ayde Therefore the doctrine that submitteth all things and the successe of them vnto God taketh not praying away For God will be prayed to and inuocated And for this cause the godly vse it the more ardently for that they knowe all thinges are gouerned by his appoyntment For they doe that which he commaundeth and they search not ouer curiously after his secret counselles but permit the successe of all things vnto him whome they knowe to be faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and bringeth all things to an happy ende for all them that loue him Nowe let vs see the thirde part of this prayer which contayneth the peticions of those thinges which they perceyued then they had most neede of The first of them is And now Lorde beholde their threatnings By this worde beholde they meane iudgement and punishment and it is as much to saye as if they should desyre God to reuenge theyr cause For who had more right to reuenge him than he for as much as agaynst him this warre was made as they had prooued by the wordes of the Psalme Thys is the peculiar vsage of the godly that when they perceyue they are hyndered in their vocation or not able to make their parte good to appeale vnto the iudgement of God as we see Dauid oftentymes dyd when Saule persecuted hym yet shall we neuer doe it wyth more affyaunce than when the glory of God by the wycked is openly impeached Thus Ezechias layde the blasphemous letter of the king of Assyria open before the Lorde and beseecheth hym that he wyll defende hys quarrell And it is no doubt but he heareth them which be carefull for the glorie of his name seeing he so mercyfully heareth the pryuate quarrels of those that be hys But to the ende they woulde not seeme so to commyt thys matter vnto God as to withdrawe themselues out of all daunger they beseeche God also to gyue them such grace that they maye speake and declare his worde boldely which thing chiefely is to be vnderstanded of the Apostles and other Ministers of the worde who vnlesse they be boldened and guyded wyth the spirite of God may easily be made afrayde with the threats and assaultes of the worlde to intermyt their office Which thing Paule after hys manifolde traueyles in the ministerie acknowledged and therefore thought good to be holpen wyth the publike prayers of the congregations that he might speake the worde of God freely and with open mouth Yet is thys also to be referred to euery singuler christian and it behooueth to pray for euery particuler person that they may confesse Christ boldely and stowtely before thys naughtie and adulterous worlde It is necessarie that we vnderstand how this boldenesse is gyuen vs of god For so shall we be prouoked to pray oftentymes for the increase of fayth crying with the Apostles Lorde increase our fayth Thirdly they require that the power of working myracles may be increased bycause God hath appoynted them as certayne publike seales and testimonials to the Apostles doctrine And they desyre the same may be done by the name of Christ to declare that theyr care is onely for Christes glorie In thys place there shyneth a marueylous stoutenesse and most ardent zeale towardes Christ in the primitiue Church They perceyued a little before that the mindes of the Iewes were incensed with the doctrine and myracles of the Apostles yet desyre they that the Apostles may haue more boldenesse graunted them and their giftes of myracles to be increased so little place doe they gyue to their enimies furie though but for a season which yet the men in our dayes wyll doer who thinke that to be the best trade of teaching that most pleaseth the professed enymies of truth and seeke nothing but ydlenesse and the peace of the worlde being little or nothing carefull for the increase of Christes kingdome These men thinke the Ministers are to feruent and manye tymes also those that be scarce luke warme which seemeth to me is the chiefe cause that Christes kingdome is so little inlarged amongst vs. To conclude Luke sheweth what effect ensued of their praying For God heard their prayers which was declared both by a sensible signe that is to saye by the moouing of the house which signified the presence of God and also by most wholesome effectes For they were filled with the holye ghost that is to say they perceyued an effectuall comfort of the holye ghost and courage giuen them where before this the feare of daunger did somewhat dismay them And they to whome the ministerie of the Gospell was committed preached the same with great constancie so that a
in the meane season had a good opinion of them and published theyr prayses abroad bicause they sawe a certayne kinde of heauenly and Aungelike lyfe shine in them Diuers lyke examples of them maye we reade in hystories And vnder Traian the Emperour the Christians lyfe was so vnblameable that where he intended to persecute them at the intreatie of Plinius Secundus who was one of the iudges they were let alone and not medled with Thys place teacheth vs two things most worthy to be obserued First that the Church consisteth onely of faythfull persons and such as are true christians and that lying hypocrites can haue no place therein For where Christ is the king of truth as he testifyed before Pylate he can not abyde nor suffer lyers and hypocrites And in the Gospell he sayth they shall be put out from the maryage which come in without the wedding garment In an other place he adiudgeth them to eternall damnation with the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable and murtherers and whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolators Secondly we learne what getteth christians authoritie and fauour with men verilye when they aunswere to their vocation and lyue a lyfe aunswerable to the name of Christ whereby God our heauenly father may be glorifyed For that that God sayde vnto Heli the priest by his Prophete shall alwayes stand firme and ratified Them that worship me will I worship and they that despise me shall come to shame Which things if we would diligently consyder it should easily appeare howe it commeth to passe that the name of the Gospell in these dayes is euerywhere enuyed and the professours thereof for the most part are hated and slaundered Our vnbrideled and dissolute lyfe deserueth it whereby vnder a pretence of the gospell we burst into all vngodlynesse and we which would seeme holyer than all others doe passe all other almost in lycentious lyuing Let vs amende these things and we shall quickly prooue the Church shall be reuerenced agayne as she was woont Fourthly he sayth that there was daylie added to the Church newe christians as well men as women which were indued with true fayth and were moued thervnto by the holy ghost Thys teacheth vs how vaine the attemptes of Christes enimyes are seeing they that had the supremacy in the Citie of Ierusalem were not able to hynder the growth of the Church nowe springing For as Christ sayth The winde bloweth where it will and is subiect to no mans pleasure or appointment And dyuers examples teach vs that the Church in tyme of persecutions alwaye increased rather than diminished For this is the propertie of Christ to beare rule in the middest of his enimies Let no man therefore be feared with the manaces of wicked enimies as though it were in their power to ouerthrowe the Church For it is buylt vpon Christ against whome the gates of Hell cannot preuayle Besides this the kingdome of Christ beginneth to be spreade abroad in the Cities nigh adioyning For the fame of these myracles being caried to and fro caused a great manye to bring their sicke and demoniake people to Ierusalem and by that occasion they came to the knowledge of christ The chiefe vse of this place is to make vs in these dayes vnderstande by what meanes Christes kingdome may be enlarged Wherein they which vnder the cloke of the Gospell follow carnall wisedome and haue not yet subdued the same to the obedyence of faith take dyuers consultations For there be some that thinke it best for the faythfull to serue the time to graunt many things and to winke at other vntill the worlde maye looke with an other countenaunce and their mindes waxe calmer which now hate the truth Other agayne turning to carnall defences thinke good by confederacie and fight to bring the matter to passe But the successe of things prooueth both these sortes to be farre wyde and deceyued For this is Gods businesse and can be brought to passe with none other power and strength than his Neyther thorow an hoste of men neyther thorow strength but thorowe my spirite as the Lorde sayth by his Prophet And agayne I will saue them in the Lord their God and I will not saue them by bow nor sword nor by battayle nor by horse nor by horsemen c. We know in deede sometime that he vseth the ministerie of Princes and men and warre as the examples of the Machabees of Constantine and Theodosius doe testifie but euen then he so moderateth the matter that the power of his spirite sheweth it selfe in the middle of these thinges and hath onely the preheminencie Therefore let as many as consult how to haue the Church mainteyned and the kingdome of Christ aduaunced regarde him onely For when they go about to bring the matter to passe by mans counsell and defence there will not God worke any longer Therefore let vs continue in the exercises of the primitiue Church such as Luke hitherto hath rehearsed Let the teachers constantly preach the doctrine of truth not suffer themselues to be plucked from the same considering it hath bene confirmed by so many myracles let them that will be taken for christians earnestly harken to the same and let them ioyne contynuall prayers to the studye of the worde for as much as without Gods secrete working nothing can be brought to passe Let the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall discipline be in force that neyther hypocrites nor open naughtie packes may haue any place in the Church Let the studie of loue and liberalitie towarde the poore raigne amongst vs that the household of fayth through our couetousnesse be not gased on like publike stages of beggerie Bycause these thinges nowe a dayes are not onely neglected but also peruerted it is no marueyle that we see so little fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Let vs therefore settle our selues herevnto with all our hartes and our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ wyll helpe our studies and endeuoures to whome be praise honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxv. Homelie THEN the chiefe priest rose vp and all they that were with him which is the sect of the Sadduceyes and were full of indignation and layde handes on the Apostles and put them in the common prison But the Aungell of the Lorde by night opened the prison doores and brought them forth and saide Goe and stande and speake in the temple to the people all the wordes of this life When they heard that they entred into the Temple early in the morning and taught THat Oracle of Dauid the King and Prophet saying that Christ should reigne in the middest of hys enimies is verye wonderfull Hereof we gather that Christ shall rule in thys worlde yet so as he shall neuer want those that shall go aboute to subuert and ouerthrowe his kingdome Examples hereof we may euerye where see in the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Hystoryes But most manifestlye of all others
is it seene in thys present Booke where in the report of the Apostles actes and description of the primitiue Church Luke alwayes ioyneth these two thinges togyther that is to say the successe of Christes kingdome and the furious rage of the vngodly against the same These thinges serue to the ende that we should neyther be offended at the Crosse and aduersitie whereof Christ so often tymes hath gyuen vs warning neyther hope for anye contynuall peace and tranquillitie of the Church in thys worlde but that we should euen then prepare our selues to the crosse when the Church seemeth to be most in safetie Wherevnto thys present hystorie is chiefely to be referred For Luke a little before setteth forth vnto vs a flowrishing state of the Church shewing vs what aâ—thoritie it grewe in and how it increased day by day in so much that the Citie of Ierusalem was nowe to little to conteyne the kingdome of Christ bicause it began to be caryed abroad among straunge Nations But among these so many and prosperous proceedings there foloweth a grieuous persecution and great daunger bicause Christ gaue his enimies such power that they layde handes on the Apostles and put them in prison thinking also to put them vnto death Yet these things serue more to comfort vs than to feare vs bicause the Lorde so presently helped the Apostles being in daunger for the glorie of his name But that we maye receaue the more vtilitie and profite hereby first we must consider the enimies of Christ and the Apostles Then howe the Lorde did elude and frustrate their enterprise And last of all we will declare what the Apostles did after they were delyuered from the perill they were in Luke wryteth diligently of the enimies and persecutours of the church and of their enterprises For he sayth the high priest rose vp agaynst the Apostles and not he alone but all his complyces and fellowes and they that were his nearest friendes and familiars and these sayth he were of the Sadduceyes secte that we may perceaue what corruption raigned nowe among the Iewes when they were supreame heades of the Church to whome the resurrection of the dead which is the chiefe article of our fayth and religion seemed but a game and pastime as we haue often tymes declared And surely if they had not bene vtterly voyde of all religion eyther the sinceritie of the Apostles doctrine or the reuerente maiestie of the congregation or the wonderfull worthynesse of myracles and so great concursse of all sortes of people to the kingdome of Christ might haue mooued them lesse to haue raged But Luke declareth also what incensed them For he sayth they were full of zeale that is enuie and indignation For they could not abyde them to be had in prise and estimation by whose doctrine theyr honor and aduauntage was defaced Yet is it no doubt but they made the zeale of God and the publike commoditie of all the people to be the pretence of their priuate affections as we reade Caiaphas and his complyces did before Wherevnto came this zeale so farre that they layde hands on the Apostles and commaunded them to the common gayle as breakers of publike peace and open malefactours These things must be applyed to our times also bicause it is manifest al things are written for our sakes that we may haue enstruction and comfort thereby First this example teacheth vs who are alwayes like to be the greatest persecutors of Christes truth Truely they which glorie in the tytle of Priesthoode and will be taken for the chiefe heades of the Church and ought chiefely to maintaine and preach the truth But as soone as vnder pretence of Religion they beginne to seeke their owne gayne and lucre then can they neyther beleue themselues nor yet suffer the light of the truth whose brightnesse discloseth their naughtinesse and deceit And such for the most parte are these Sadduceis yea the Hogges of Epicures hearde For vnlesse they thought the thinges written in Scripture touching Heauen and Hell the immortalitie of the soules and the resurrection of the deade more vaine than fables they woulde neuer neyther so wickedly corrupte the scriptures with their traditions nor yet so impudently turne relygion into priuate lucre and aduantage Therefore Christ and the Apostles shewe vs how Antichrists place and Sea should be euen in the very church that we might perceyue from whence most daunger were to be looked for and feared And if we well marke these tymes it shall appeare they onely haue bene the enimies of the doctrine of the Gospell and kingdome of Christ which heretofore haue bene thought to be the chiefe heades of the Church For it is euident that the matters attempted by Princes and Kings were done for their sakes and by their procurement and instigation This thing offendeth many in these daies and make them thinke that the doctrine in our Churches is not the truth bycause the Popes and Byshoppes are enimies thereto But great folly it is to be offended with that which hath bene the most vsuall and common thing since the worlde beganne as other wher 's hath bene declared But we must as diligently consider wyth what craft and weapons these men fight Where first is to be noted howe egregiouslye they can counterfaite the zeale of God whose glorie they lament to be troden vnder foote and his Church to be so daungerously deuided But this is but a corrupt zeale as we see in Caiaphas to whome the confession of truth which Christ vttered seemed blasphemous and intollerable So nothing seemeth so impious and intollerable to these our heades as that that tasteth of the truth of the Gospell and is repugnant to their proude tyrannye and aduauntage And it appeareth euen by this place that we ought to haue no better iudgement of the zeale of our enimies bicause that as the Bishops of the Iewes coulde beare with the madde errours of the Saduceyes so they woulde helpe to bring downe Christ so these men can beare with the wicked sale and marte of holye things condemned by the Popes owne Canons with the scorcing of Gods doctrine with horrible periurye whoredome and all kinde of vnbridled lyuing so that those things that pertaine to their vaineglory and aduauntage might be left alone vntouched But to graunt them that in deede they haue a zeale to the glory of God yet can they not be excused but are lyke vnto the Iewes which as Paule sayth had a zeale of God but yet were voyde of all knowledge and truth For GOD will not haue vs followe our owne zeale but his woorde which for this cause he hath witsafed to reueale to all ages to the intent no man should followe the suggestions of the fleshe and wisedome of man But what maner of zeale these men had may be iudged by the successe of the thing For they that were Stewardes of the worde of God and ought with argumentes of Scripture to haue
accuse that religion of falsehood whose professours they see exercised with persecutions and aduersities Wherefore it is not so profitable as necessary that we be well instructed agaynst all occasions of offences Which thing is the cause that the holye ghost would haue Luke so diligently wryte the afflictions of the primitiue Church Wherein chiefely is to be obserued what hath alwayes beene the state of Christes Church in this worlde and howe through the present and faythfull ayde of the Lorde it hath in times past beene preserued in greatest tribulations that we neyther be offended at the calamities of our daies as vnwonted nor dispayre of Gods helpe and preseruation of hys Church Thys present hystory sheweth vs examples of both these things the conclusion whereof the Euangelist nowe discribeth and first he telleth what the coniured enimies of Christ did and afterwarde what the Apostles dyd Concerning Christes enimies gathered togyther in the counsell Luke wryteth thus They agreed vnto Gamaliel and when they had called the Apostles they bet them and commaunded them they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go He sayth they obeyed Gamaliel his saying when yet they did two things which he counselled them not to doe For they bette the Apostles with roddes and renewed their first decree whereby they go about to prohibite the preaching of the Gospell Yet they herein obey Gamaliel that they put not the seruauntes of Christ to death as they had minded to doe yet could they not refrayne but beat innocent men with whippes and roddes Therefore it must needes be that they were in a verie great rage which when matters seemed done and past was not yet quenched But this is the verie propertie of the persecutours of Christ that when they seeme pleased and appeased yet secretly foster hatred and furie in their mindes and seldome will let any of Christs ministers passe without some marke of ignominie or open punishment least they might seeme vniustly to haue risen against them and for that they would put those that followe them in feare So Pylate although he iudged Christ to be innocent yet would he not let him go before he had scourged him It is yet verie comfortable that the Lorde so brydeled their rage by the onely perswasion of Gamaliel that they durst not put the guyltlesse to death whereof we gather that the wicked can not alwayes doe what they liste but are ruled euen against their willes with the raynes of Gods prouidence There are in this example diuers other thinges the obseruation whereof is also verie profitable for vs in these dayes And first we are taught that it is no straunge and vnwoonted thing though the godly and holy worshippers of Christ in these dayes be subiect to the will and pleasure of the vngodly and suffer afflictions For Christ hymselfe gaue vs warning hereof long agoe tolde vs that a time would come that whosoeuer kylled anye of his people should thinke he dyd God seruice He calleth those that be his to the crosse and by his owne example teacheth vs that we should not hoâ—e for any better state or condition than he suffered The Apostles nowe feele the same and are not offended thereat but rather oftentimes admonishe vs that we be not offended as at any straunge thing if at any tyme we be tryed by fyre See the first of Peter the fourth Chapter It shall be profitable for vs diligently to consyder and thinke vpon the same For in so doing it shall come to passe that we shall neyther vse our selues insolently in prosperity nor yet be discouraged in aduersitie bicause we haue foreseene them both Secondly it is worthy of consideration that the Apostles the elect instruments of Christ in a verie good and holy quarrell which to defend they take vpon them according to Christs commaundement are ignominiouslye beaten Whereof we plainly gather how foule and shamefull an error they are in which iudge afflictions to be a token and argument of a naughtye and vnrighteous cause of whose number are they which now a dayes charge vs as causers of all kinde of miseries and calamities whereby it appeareth say they how we erre in our beliefe and religion But herby it appeareth howe destitute they be of wytte and reason for that they perceaue not those thinges wherein the verie Ethnike Poets gaue a better iudgement For it is well knowne what Naso sayth I wyshe he may misse of successe That of the effect the deede doth gesse For if these mens iudgements preuayle we shall finde fewe or none of the true worshippers of God but they deserue likewise to be condemned bicause a blinde man may see many of them not onely molested with many persecutions but also slayne by the handes of most cruell enimies And that we should hope for no better Christes worde where he aduertiseth vs of the state of the latter dayes aboundantly teacheth vs Wherfore whosoeuer iudgeth of religion according to the falling out and successe of thys worlde may be iudged lyke to the Iewes Souldiours which gaue Christ hanging on the crosse Uineger to drinke and sayd If he be the king of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue him Hee trusted in God let him delyuer him if he will haue him for he sayde he was the sonne of God. And surely what more tarte and eger Uineger can there be than such vpbraydings whereby both the glory of God and the certaintie and truth of his worde is called in question And yet we may not thinke that God hath no care nor prouidence of the worlde when we see the true and holy seruaunts of God afflicted For to say nothing of his secrete iudgementes there are infinite other causes wherefore God suffreth these things so to come to passe For thys wayes God sometime pulleth downe the secret corruption and haultinesse of our flesh which vnlesse it were tamed would burst forth to the great inconuenience and dammage of his people And we may not reply and say that God many times vseth to humble bring downe those that otherwyse are lowly ynough and neuer shewed any great signe of fiercenesse or pride For God knoweth the naughtinesse of mans inclination and wherof we haue neede better and surelier than we can perceaue Therfore he chastiseth vs in time and some whyle preuenteth our naughtinesse before it waxe strong and make vs incurable and to be condemned with the worlde Furthermore he tryeth our fayth by this meanes not that he is ignoraunt of any thing but that both we may be an example to others and also prooue what infirmitie as yet remayneth in vs and howe much we haue neede of the helpe and grace of god Beside this he wyll hereby shewe vnto the worlde howe sinne displeaseth him seeing he so seuerely correcteth the small faultes of his electes yea their secret and hidden naughtinesse And herevnto had Peter a respect where he sayth
and clamor with vniust force wyth stones swordes firebrandes and whatsoeuer other instrumentes of the power of darckenesse With these we reade the Prophetes were in tymes past assaulted With such they disputed agaynst christ And the hystorie following will shewe howe they vsed the same agaynst the Apostles But bicause Christ hath many times giuen vs warning of these thinges we must not be offended at the same Let vs therefore be so prepared that they light not vpon vs vnawares and vnlooked for It is worthy of great obseruation and heede that whyle they rage most in violence and wrong yet they seeme to obserue a kinde of lawe and equitie For bicause they had accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and false doctrine therefore they gyue him the punishment appoynted of God for blasphemers and seducers And the witnesses as is prescribed in the law threwe the first stones at him which to doe with the more ease they put of their apparel and deliuer it vnto Saule to keepe who after he was conuerted vnto Christ was called Paule Therefore here wanteth nothing belonging to the forme of lawe And Steuen myght seeme iustly to haue suffered and according to the lawe But that is not alwayes lawfully done which hath a shewe of lawe and we must deepely wey the causes of punishments or else we shall grieuouslye erre in our iudgement In the meane season marke howe God sometime suffreth the wicked with whose rage he will haue his people exercised to fyll vp the measure of their wickednesse And by example of the witnesses we are taught howe farre impietie proceedeth if it be not stopped at the beginning They sinned in bearing of false wytnesse being neyther ignoraunt of the lawe of God neyther of the punishment appoynted for false wytnesses And they are not afrayde that Salomon sayth the Lorde hateth and vtterly abhorreth a false witnesse They are not yet contented to haue committed so horrible a fault but they go further and embrue their handes with innocent bloude where also they were not ignorant of that that is written in the lawe touching murtherers So true it is that Salomon sayth when the wicked are once ouer their shooes there is no hoe with them Let vs therefore feare the entycing beginnings of sinne least whyle they instill into vs an hatred to the worde of God we sticking fast in the toughe myer thereof be at length wholye swallowed vp of the great gulfe of vngodlynesse The things sayde of Saule who as it is written consented to the death of the holye man and receyued great pleasure therein make a waye and preparation to the hystorie following and for the setting forth of the glory of god But of these things more shall be sayde in their place It remayneth that we declare howe Steuen behaued himselfe when he was put to this cruell death where three thinges are tolde of him First he called vpon the Lorde which thing we beleeue he continually vsed to doe And it is expressed that he prayed in three wordes Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite These wordes haue in them the confession of a true fayth and an argument and token of a great and strong beliefe For being on euery side beset with the terrors of death yet he acknowledgeth and confesseth that Christ is his Sauiour folowing the example of the theefe crucified with Christ. Further he beleeueth that the soules dye not in death but passe to the state of a better life yea he knoweth that euen in death through fayth in Christ men fynde lyfe This is a great prayse of fayth that euen then it is inuincible and comforteth vs when all other helpes fayle Also Steuens example teacheth vs to whome to commende our soules when we be at the poynt of death Not to Saintes as the superstitious vse but vnto Christ our Lorde who as he hath redeemed them with the pryce of his bloude so by his resurrection he hath ouercome death and by his ascention into heauen hath prepared for vs a place in the which we shall be gathered vnto him Secondarily Steuen sheweth a token of charitie which can not be seperated from fayth For folowing the example and commaundement of Christ he prayeth for his enimies that God woulde not punishe them for their sinne as they deserued This reprooueth the wickednesse of his enimies which put him to death as an enimie of the common weale which witnesseth by his last wysh he made that no man was more desirous of all mennes welfare than he But this is the state of the vngodly in this worlde the chiefe cause of whose infelicitie is this that they neyther can knowe their benefactors nor beware of the most daungerous enimies of the publike weale Let vs learne to extende our charitie euen to the ingratefull and with godly prayers commende them to God which moste grieuously offende agaynst vs And let vs not suffer our selues to be feared with the wickednesse of men forasmuch as Gods iudgements be vnknown to vs and God lightly vseth not to reueale vnto euery man who they be that are incurable amongest men as we reade he did sometime vnto Ieremie 7.14.15 cap. Let vs also be stirred vppe with the effect of this prayer which the conuersion of Saule alone prooueth was not fruitelesse Last of all is sayd that Steuen hauing thus spoken fell on sleepe whom yet his enimies hoped now with his doctrine to haue now bene cleane dispatched out of the way The scripture oftentimes vseth this word slepe speaking of the death of the godly For so is the condicion propertie of death set forth Death is the resolution or dissolution of man consisting of soule and body In this death the soule neyther dyeth nor sleepeth but passeth into lyfe euerlasting as Christ sayth Iohn 5. Wherevpon death hath aptly bene called a passing into heauen The body is sayde to sleepe bicause it is layde in the earth as it were to sleepe out of the which in the latter daye it shall be raysed vp by Christ that it may also enioye the blysse of heauenly lyfe There are euerywhere testimonies of Scripture concerning these things and occasion shall serue oftentimes to intreate of the same Wherefore we nowe meane to be briefe Let vs set Steuen before vs to imitate that when we shall depart this lyfe our soules being gone before to the dwellings of the blessed and happy we being at the last gloriously raysed vp also in body may attayne to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The eyght chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lvj. Homelie AT that tyme there was a great persecution agaynst the congregation which was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abrode throughout the regions of Iurie and Samarie except the Apostles But deuout men dressed Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him As for Saule he made hauocke of the
sodeynly and destroyed all the worlde Upon Sodome he rayned fire and brimstone from heauen The haughtie and stowte stomaked Aegyptians he brought downe one while by darknesse one other while by swarmes of flies sometime by the hopping of filthie frogges sometime by twinging and byting of Lice Antiochus and Herod he killed with wormes and vermine that bred of their owne fleshe He killed Saul the Tyranne wyth his owne sworde I let passe an infinite number of like sort bicause this fall of Saul may serue in steade of many examples It shall profite vs well to beholde him What doe the letters procured from the high Bishop profite him being nowe sodeinly fallen What auayleth the power graunted by his authoritie agaynst the Christians Can he be helde vp by the ministerie of that garde of his that he brought with him No with what engines and weapons lyeth he ouerthrowne that euen now seemed an other Enceladus Then was no clap of thunder as yet heard no ratling of clowdes among themselues no renting or reauing with fall of thunderbolte Onely a light from heauen flashing in hys face and the voyce of Christ sounding in his eares so stryketh him both in bodie and soule that he lyeth wide open and yeeldeth to Christ his Conquerour whome a little before he ment to put cleane away out of all mens remembraunce As these things serue for our consolation agaynst the wicked enimies of Christ so they must be applyed to our instruction For they teach vs how vnprosperously the pride of them succeedeth which seeing euery day the examples of Gods power Maiestie dare yet stowte and waxe fierce against God and his worde which I iudge to be one of the chiefe arguments of our corruption when we puffed vp in affiaunce of well fauourednesse kindred dignities or ryches forget God who can so easily pull downe our prowde stomackes Let vs rather acknowledge Gods power and humble our selues willingly vnder his valiaunt hande least we prooue to our vtter losse and hinderaunce how much he is able to doe Nowe let vs beholde Saule thus lying prostrate along who hearing a voyce from heauen asketh Who art thou Lorde He hearde he was cast downe by him whome he persecuted and yet he asketh who he is Yet is this saying a token of an humbled and asswaged minde Which would God we might see in these dayes in those whome God vseth to cast downe either by sicknesse by pouertie or other affliction or calamitie and yet acknowledge not the Lorde nor that God hath cast them downe But bicause Saule sheweth himselfe nowe to be somewhat meeker the Lorde doth vouchsafe to make him aunswere saying I am Iesus whome thou persecutest It is harde for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke Which aunswere standeth in two poyntes In the first he teacheth who he is and also reprooueth him of his heynous offence as though he shoulde saye Thou thinkest thou goest about to persecute men and such who as they are hated of all men so haue they no reuenger or defender amongst men But they are not without a reuenger neyther doest thou persecute them alone For I am that Iesus whome they professe I reigne in heauen and diligently obserue their condition and case I long since promised to be their patrone and defender yea such familiaritie is betweene me and them that I thinke it done to my selfe whatsoeuer thou doest to the least of them c. Hereof may be gathered a generall doctrine that whatsoeuer is done to them that worship Christ the same is done to christ For it is his saying that is reade in the Prophetes He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And Esay in the .lxiij. chapter speaking of the beneuolence of God towarde hys people amongst other things sayth In all their afflictions I am afflicted Let this serue for the instruction of Tyrannes that they forget not howe they haue Christ their enimie while they persecute the Church who shall one day bruyse them with a rodde of yron and breake them in peeces lyke a Potters vessell Againe let the Godly take comfort hereof that in tribulation they haue Christ a companion with whome if they suffer they shall one daye reigne In the other part of his aunswere he layeth a punishement before their eyes saying It is hard for thee to spurne agaynst the pricke He vseth a Metaphore or translation taken from Oxen or Horse which if they winse agaynst the Goade they do not only not preuayle in so doyng but also pricke themselues the deeper into the fleshe and are occasion of their further hurt The Lorde threatneth the same shall come to passe in Saule and in all other which after his example persecute the Church that is to saye that their attemptes shall not onely be in vaine but daungerous and hurtfull also for the beginners For the Church of Christ is the heauie stone in lifting vp whereof no man shall trie maystryes without some hurt as God promiseth by his Prophete And there want not examples whereby to prooue the same For hereto belongeth the storie of Pharao which spurning against the pricke hath renowmed the waues of the redde sea with his and hys peoples destruction The same iudgement tryed Sanheribe who warring with God and the people of Israell by the hande of one Aungell lost hys whole armie bagges and baggage Of Antiochus and Herode we spake ere while To whome may be ioyned the Emperours of Rome as manye as after Christes tyme persecuted the Churche and within short space bought their crueltie full deare To these if wee ioyne the examples of Gods iudgementes in our dayes agaynst the enimies of the Church we shall say that the truth of this sentence which Christ here pronounceth is infallible To vs this must be the vse of all these things that we feare not the power of the worlde and persecution of Tyrannes nor be not therewith discouraged For that verie Christ lyueth still and will not forsake hys Church which he hath promised to be with vnto the ende of the worlde to him be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .lxiiij. Homelie AND he both trembling and astonyed sayd Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe And the Lorde sayde vnto him â–ª Aryse and go into the Citie and it shall be tolde thee what thou must doe The men which iourneyed wyth him stoode amazed hearing a voyce but seeing no man And Saule arose from the earth and when he opened his eyes he sawe no man But they led him by the hande and brought him into Damascus And he was three dayes without sight and did neyther eate nor drinke AS Saule before hee was conuerted vnto Iesus Christ with great crueltie persecuted the name and Church of Christ so God chose him to set forth in him a peculiar ensample of his grace and goodnesse teaching vs hereby that we haue nothing that we may glorie in before God but that both our
he sayth the fame hereof was streyght waye published ouer all Iurie Here are two sortes of men vttering and bewraying themselues The first are the Apostles and brethren by which name I suppose the Ministers of the word and their fellowes are here ment Of these the Euaungelist sayeth but this one thing and no more that they hearde the Gentyles had receyued the word of God also Wherevpon may be gathered that although they yet vnderstoode not very well the mysterie of this matter yet being mindefull of Christian modestie they woulde not blame or accuse Peter ouer hastily whose credite and diligence they had by manye proofes tryed Whose modestie the holy ghost hath set before vs to imitate least in iudging other mennes doinges we be ledde with vnaduised zeale and so breake the rules of Christian charitie Here is also to be considered the phrase or maner of speaking where he sayth the Gentyles receyued the worde of God whereas he might haue sayd they receyued Christendome were made partakers of Christ his Church But this way he thought to saye somewhat more and to make a difference betweene the true Christianitie and counterfayte dissembling of some kinde of persons For they receyue the worde of God which acknowledge it to be the worde of God and therefore labor to be transfourmed into it and to become followers of god So Paule writeth that the Thessalonians receyued the word where he sayth when you receyued of vs the worde whereby you learned to knowe God you receyued it not as the worde of man but as it was in deede the worde of God. Agayne And you became followers of vs and of the Lord receyuing the worde with much affliction They that receyue the worde of God after this sort bring forth marueylous fruites by the same For denying themselues and mortifying the affections of the fleshe they forsake their olde vngodlynesse and as children of light followe innocencie For they know that God is light and that they which will haue fellowship with him must walke in the light And they which bragge of the Gospell had neede oftentimes to consider this thing least whyle they crye with open mouth that they haue receyued the word of God they accuse themselues of lying shewing forth no fruites agreeable to the worde But let vs come to the other kinde of men which were not so indifferent iudges of Peters singuler doing Luke sayth these were of the Circumcision But whereas the first sort also were circumcised and Iewes I suppose he meaneth not here the people of the Iewes onely but those rather which would be taken for Christians yet did cleaue to fast vnto Circumcision and the Ceremonies of the lawe as necessary vnto saluation These men sayth Luke ouer boldly reprehended Peters doing and openly contended with him And this they lay to his charge as a matter of life and death that he went in to men vncircumcised that is to Gentyles and Heathen men and did eate with them For thus doing they accuse him of breaking the traditions of the Elders and of custome the origine whereof we haue otherwheres declared to haue sproong of the law of God being ouer straitly strayned By this example we are taught howe hurtfull a thing it is once to be bletched with error and to continue long in the same For commonly a certaine frowarde feruencie to defende error is ioyned therevnto bicause such is the inclination of mannes nature that none will seeme to haue erred With which vyce these men were also blinded which woulde not admit the Gentyles into the congregation albeit it was manifest by the playne testimonie of God that they were admitted thereinto So great and so tough is the corruption of mannes nature and so inuincible is his stubbornnesse in the defence of errors once receiued And would God there were not at this day infinite examples of this kinde in those men who being the heades of the Church thinke it but a tryfle to defende those things which they knowe to be contrary to the expresse Oracles of Gods worde Furthermore this place teacheth vs that no man can so prosperously and godlily doe any thing that he shall satisfie all men For this rather is the state of the worlde that they that shoulde be commended are accused and blamed This the Scripture teacheth vs came to passe vnto Moses both amongst the Egyptians and the Israelites We reade howe the Prophetes had experience of the same who while they watched and laboured for all mennes saluation were called disturbers of the Realme enimies of their countrie and authors of all euill And it appeareth the worlde had none other iudgement of Iesus christ For one while he is accused for neglecting washing of the handes another while for being conuersant with sinners by by againe as a breaker of the Sabboth after that they crie out he is a Samaritane possessed of the deuill Therfore Peter now suffreth the same that his maister did where he was worthy of singuler prayse for bringing the kingdome of God so prosperously vnto the gentiles he is faine rather to abide the venymous bitings of slaunderers And they onely which are manifest enimies of Christ doe not thus vniustly controll him but they also which would be taken for Christians brethren yea the schollers take the fetula and rod against the Maister The consideration herof ought to make vs pacient if the like at any time do fal out vnto vs It also teacheth vs that we must labour rather to approoue our doings to God than to the worlde which many times is both vnkinde to his benefactours and for the moste part deceyued in his iudgement Againe let vs learne that it is a great offence dishonestly to defame and slaunder the well doinges of our brethren For they that so doe declare the Deuills disposition whome the Greekes therefore haue called Diabolum that is to saye Deuill bicause he vseth to slaunder misreport and misconstrue all our doing and sayings And they also breake the rules of charitie whose propertie it is alwayes to hope well of the brethren and rather to couer the multitude of sinnes than to disclose and open them But after the vniust accusation of these waywarde men â–ª followeth Peters Apologie or defence deuoyde of all bitternesse the only ende and scope whereof is to shewe that nothing is herein done â–ª of priuate diuise but all things by the commaundement of God who woulde haue the Gentyles to be receyued into the communion of Christ and his Church And bicause he sawe his aduersaries mindes greatly exasperated he frameth a diligent narration of all things done euen from the beginning and confirmeth the same with sounde argumentes The which narration before I touch the modestie of the Apostle is to be considered who thought good so humblye and carefully to excuse himselfe to those whome hauing so iust a cause as he had he might eyther haue set light and giuen
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
followed We are here taught that we must not alwayes cleaue to the iudgements and examples of notable men but rather trie and examine all things after the rule of the Scripture afore we imitate them For if they were so fowly deceyued which had the greatest dignitie among the people of God by his appointment what shall we hope of others They are also confuted which when we bring forth the worde of God bring vs the examples of Princes and great estates For the question is not what men doe but what is done according or contrarye to the worde of god Moreouer we are taught that the reading of the Scripture neuer so much preuayleth not if we well vnderstande not the meaning of the Scripture Moses the Prophets were read of ordinary among the Iewes in all their sinagoges But whereas they were deceyued in the affiance of their owne righteousnesse they knew not the ende of the lawe which was Iesus Christ and being ignorant thereof they fulfylled the Scriptures presumptuously putting him to death whom Moses the Prophets did prophecie should be their sauiour We see the same hath come to passe these many yeres in the papacie or Popedome The vnlearned Monkes and Priests reade and sing the holy scriptures Yet Christ whome the scriptures teach is despised of a great many and Antichrist is worshipped and glorifyed whome the scriptures with one consent warne vs to beware of And other cause of so fylthy an error is there none than for that men being puffed vp with a Iewishe affiance of their owne works are not able to see the righteousnesse of Christ while they go about to set vp their owne righteousnesse See Rom. 10. Secondly he alleageth the authoritie of Gods prouidence declaring that for this cause no manne ought to be offended at the death of Christ bicause he suffred nothing but that the Prophetes to whome the holye ghost long before reuealed the counsayles and ordinaunce of God prophecied he shoulde suffer Wherefore the Priestes when they vnderstoode not the scripture yet they fulfylled them in that they presumed to condemne and put Christ to death And it is no doubt but Paule in this place brought forth the oracles of the Scripture which are extant euerywhere touching Christes passion In that he sayth the Prophecies were fulfylled by the wicked enimies of Christ we learne that the very wicked also are the instruments of God by whome oftentimes he vseth to bring his ordinances and deuises to passe And yet they are not therfore to be excused bicause they doe that that God will haue to bâ— done For where they like Bedlems rage in impietie against God and go about to hinder and not to set forwarde his ordinances they are in the fault and God is to be praysed and glorifyed which can moderate and order their audacitie and boldenesse so well Also his inuincible power and infallible veritie appeareth in these examples For if hys deuises take effect through the meane of his very enimies also then must they needes stande fast for euer Therefore they whose infyrmitie is feared with the cruell deuises of the Princes of this worlde let them seeke comfort hereat But whereas it might notwithstanding be obiected that it was scarce credible that God would appoynt him to be our Sauiour who was made away by so slaunderous a death and such as was cursed euen by the lawe therefore in the thirde part he prooueth he was innocent and guiltlesse and sheweth that his kinde of death must not be so much considred as his cause when they founde by him sayth he no cause of death yet desired they Pylate to kill him These things might haue bene declared more at large as it is like Paule did bicause he spake vnto them which suspected all Christes doing Let it suffyse vs to holde fast the scope and ende of Paule that is howe no man ought to be offended at Christes death which he suffered being an innocent forasmuch as many times the holyest men of all vse to be put to death both vnworthily and vniustly Also the true vse of Christes innocencie must be well weyghed which consisteth in the purgation or clensing of our sinnes For if Christ had not bene free and cleere of all sinnes he coulde neuer haue bene able to haue satisfyed for our sinnes For howe can he make others cleane that is himselfe vncleane Or how shoulde one being indebted himselfe paye other mennes debtes Therefore it behooued Christ shoulde be innocent that we might knowe howe he who had deserued no death for his part suffred death for vs Esay maketh mention herof where he expoundeth the mysterie of our redemption cap. 53. And hereto belongeth that saying of Paule God made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we by his meanes shoulde be the righteousnesse which before God is allowed And this is the chiefe cause why the Euangelistes be so earnest in setting forth the innocencie of christ Then if none ought to bee offended with Christes death bicause he suffred innocently by the same reason the vnworthy and vniust slaughters of the Saintes ought to offende no body whereby they are made partakers of Christes crosse to th ende to be glorifyed with him Fourthly least anye man shoulde thinke that Christ was ouercome by the force or power of his enimies and therefore shoulde deny that he were a sauiour or reuenger he teacheth that he receyued no losse or harme by the wicked enterprises of the Priestes They perfourmed all the thinges which were prophecyed of him while they killed him on the Crosse and pierced his side with a speare and at length tooke him down from the crosse and layd him in a sepulchre But for all this he was of neuer the lesse power or glory For God as he foreshewed raysed him vppe from death so that now he liueth for euer in a glorifyed body where they enuyed him this miserable and corruptible life But let it here offende no man that Christes buriall is permitted to his wicked enimies the honor whereof the Euangelistes ascribe to his faythfull disciples Ioseph and Nichodemus For Paule here speaketh howe they were not contented with his ordinary buriall but caused the grauestone to be sealed with Pylates signet and gotte souldiours to watch him and forceably to keepe him downe in his graue thinking that they of their owne power had killed him vpon the crosse and were ignorant that he layde downe his lyfe of his owne voluntary This diligent description of his buriall maketh for the more certaintie and truth of his resurrection For thus it appeareth there coulde be no frawde or deceyt in the matter and that it was a false rumour that the Priestes caused to be raysed by the souldiours being well bribed with money that his Disciples came and stole away his body In the meane season we may take a generall comfort hereof that the enimies of Christ fyght against him in vaine The same
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
and trust which they did vse in the office committed vnto them For as we sawe in the ende of the Chapter before the Magistrates of Antioch so tooke against them by reason of the instigation of the Iewes that they were in daunger of their lyfe and were banished the coastes of Pisidia in shamefull wise Besides there were diuers thinges which might haue made them despaire of the Iewes saluation For they were not ignoraunt of the prophecies and threates of Christ which with one consent declared howe the kingdome of God shoulde be caryed to the Gentyles and they might manye wayes perceyue that the time of this forsaking was at hande And what I praye you might they hope for at their handes whome they sawe embrued with the bloude of the sonne of God and who did deadly hate the truth Yet go they on constantly executing the charge committed to them of the holy ghost least any shoulde perish through their sloth And no doubt but that saying rang in their eares which was sayde vnto Ezechiel If I saye vnto the wicked and vngodly man without doubt thou shalt die and thou giuest him not warning that he maye turne from his euill waye and so liue â–ª then shall the same vngodly man dye in his owne vnrighteousnesse but his bloude will I require at thy hande c. But let all men to whom God hath committed charge ouer any persons thinke that sayde vnto them that was sayde to the Prophete and which we see the Apostles obserued In which place Magistrates Parents and other such like are to be accounted All which must well beware that they let not the malice of menne ouercome them For although they whome they haue the charge of be incurable yet shall they receyue great profyte by their diligent study and endeuour if they doe deliuer but their owne soules Moreouer this is a notable example of Christian charitie that the Apostles so painefully and with such perill traueyle to bring a most enuious nation and like shortlye to perishe by reason of their incurable wickednesse vnto saluation For where charitie alway hopeth well they also hoped that some remnants might be saued as we see commeth to passe oftentimes in shipwrack Hereof commeth it that Paule so incessantly prayeth for them and wisheth to be accursed so that they might be saued The like affection we see in Christ who was mooued with all maner of pittie when he sawe them miserably dispersed like sheepe that had no shepehearde He wept also when he behelde that bloudie Ierusalem bicause he sawe they obstinatelye ranne into their owne destruction and woulde not knowe the daye of their visitation By these examples are those barbarous and grosse people reprooued who are touched so little with the calamitie of others or else so impotently ledde with the desire of priuate reuenge that for some fewes sake who haue iniuried them they will beare hatred to the whole Nation to say nothing of such who when they can alleage no cause of their hatred are yet of a certaine secrete corruption of nature driuen headlong with hatred reioyce at the miserie of others But how can they be the children of God which so farre differ from the nature and propertie of God For he desireth that men shoulde be saued and come to the knowledge of truth He vseth to spare whole Cities for a fewes sake that be good which Cities they desire to be destroyed for a fewes sake that be euill But the chiefe cause of this euill is for that we consider not as meete is the goodnesse of God towardes those that deserue a thousande deathes nor his promises which rewardeth them that earnestly doe their office and dutie Nowe let vs see what the Apostles gotte by this feruent proceeding of theirs that hereby they also may be refused which leaue of despayring they shall doe any good before they take the matter in hand They so spake sayth he that a great multitude both of the Iewes and Greekes beleeued Therefore the worde of God is neuer preached without fruite and euerywhere there are some founde which receyue it as they ought to doe so that it bringeth forth fruite as we haue oftentimes declared And God fayleth not for his part those that faithfully labour in his name For as Peter letting slippe his nettes at the Lordes bidding caught a great hale of fyshe hauing before taken nothing as long as he followed his owne heade so as manye as order their matters in the name of God and as he appoynteth them fynde greater commoditie of their labour than they looked for Therefore it must be attributed to our sloth and falshoode that so little good is done in these dayes For howe shoulde the Lorde with his helpe prosper them who hauing no regarde of his glory seeke onely their owne commoditie and neuer will aduenture to doe any thing for Gods name sake and for the saluation of all men â–ª Also it appeareth in this place as we haue often sayde that the enterprises of Christes enimies are in vaine and that his kingdome by persecutions is rather furthred than hindred The continuall course of the Actes of the Apostles declareth the same if we well regard it Let vs in these things acknowledge the wisedome of God and not despaire to soone of Christes kingdome seeing he can so prosperously defeate the deuises of his enimies Furthermore after this good successe Christes kingdome is afreshe persecuted so that a manne may see it is most true that Christ foreshewed concerning the wicked enterprises of the worlde and the traueyles and daungers of his Ministers It shall profyte our knowledge if we deepely weigh and consider all the circumstaunces of this newe tragedie First he nameth the beginners of the persecution euen the Iewes who not content with their owne incredulitie incensed the mindes of the Gentyles against their brethren who had professed Christ which coulde not be without slaundering of them And no doubt but they called them the authours and sowers of sedition and trouble forasmuch as we see the faythfull seruants of Christ haue in all ages bene charged with like crimes It is verily an horrible thing that the Iewes should conceyue such a cankred hate against the truth and they whome God in time past vsed to call his children and Priestly kingdome to be made the vngodly vesselles and instrumentes of wrath Lette no man therefore put his confydence in the worthynesse of forefathers or in any such prerogatiues but followe humilitie and reuerence God if they meane not to be throwne downe of God as they were let vs marke in this place who are the authors of tumultes and sedition Not they that beleeue the Gospell but they which refuse to beleeue it For the beleeuing labour to be at peace with all men as much as in them lyeth The other bicause they can not abide the light vse to bring the Ministers of the truth in suspition with the
Then Iupiters priest which dwelt before their Citie brought Oxen and garlandes vnto the porch and woulde haue done sacrifice with the people WHen our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ fyrst sent forth his Apostles to preache the Gospell he warned them of nothing so diligently as of persecutions that shoulde come vnto them in going about that businesse Of these he foretolde they shoulde suffer both many and grieuous not hereby meaning through feare to dismay them but to arme them with fayth against troubles foreseene that thereby they might learne to ouercome them Paule and Barnabas the chosen vessels of Christ well vnderstoode this thing who at the speciall commaundement of the holye ghost were sent forth as we hearde before to preach among the Gentyles For they vse such fayth and constancie in their office and charge that after persecution as men increased with more force and strength they returne with more alacritie to their office againe For being driuen out of Antioch they fyll Iconium with the doctrine of christ Agayne beinst expulsed Iconium by reason of a sedition there raysed they come to Lystra and Derba and there they beginne to teach And it is sayde they preached the Gospell least any man might thinke they had chaunged their doctrine for their enimies pleasure Their constancie is set forth to be imitated of all men to th ende that they which will seeme the true worshippers of Christ shoulde giue no place to the wicked enimies of the worde For he is vnworthy of Christ that more setteth by the friendship of this vntowarde and adulterous worlde than by the glory of christ Howbeit bicause mention was made of myracles whereby God gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine nowe Luke rehearseth one myracle among a great many which by reason of the effect falling out thereof seemed verye worthy to be declared For the more profyte that may come vnto vs by the consideration thereof fyrst we will discusse the myracle with the circumstances and then declare the effect thereof Luke beginneth with the description of him on whome the myracle was wrought He was a townesman of Lystra many wayes very miserable For he was lame of his feete and that from his mothers wombe so that thereby it appeareth his disease was incurable such as they be for the most part that cleaue to vs from our natiuitie and birth It is also added that he neuer went on his feete or walked So diligent a description of this Creple maketh for the certaintie of the myracle that the power of Christ might appeare the more euident in whose name not long after he was healed Here is to be obserued how Christ commonly setteth forth the glorye of his name by them which eyther are sicke of incurable diseases from their natiuitie or else are otherwise in great calamitie Such an one we reade the blinde man was whom Christ restored to his sight Such another was he that had the Palsie who at length after he had bene .xxxviij. yeares diseased was restored againe to his health Such an one was the woman which had eyghtene yeares gone stowping and bowed as it were togither Such were the Demoniakes that so raged and were by his benefyte deliuered These thinges serue fyrst for our consolation that we shoulde not take the aduersities that God sendeth impaciently considering that hereby Christ knoweth howe to fetch matter to glorifye his name by For God so little hateth vs therefore that rather by bearing them pacientlye he maketh vs the instruments of his glory Furthermore they make for our instruction that we rashly ryde not on them whome God hath punished with anye deformities or blemishes of nature For according to the saying of Salomon he that derideth the poore contemneth god his maker so is he very wicked which by tauntes and scornes nicketh them whom God hath chastened or afflicted with his hande Which thing is the cause that the lawe pronounceth them accursed that layeth a stumbling blocke in the blindes waye or curseth the deafe Let vs see what this Creple did before he was made whole He heard Paule preach and beleeued he should be made whole Whereby it appeareth that Paule preached of the saluation of christ Which when the creple heard to be confyrmed with many myracles he conceyued also good hope of his restitution who by like had also some secret suggestion of the holy spirite forasmuch as there is no promises vniuersall that promiseth health of bodye to all that beleeue in the name of christ Luke ment to shewe the cause of his saluation where he sayth hee beleeued For all the Scripture teacheth vs that by faith we are made partakers both of Christ and of all his benefytes and Christ many times teacheth vs the same saying when he healed any Be it done vnto thee according to thy fayth or thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee whole It is very worthy to be considered how fyrst it is sayde he hearde and afterwarde mention is made of his beliefe which he gatte by hearing the worde This teacheth vs after what sort and meanes fayth commeth vnto vs It is manifest that faith is the gift of God and that it consisteth not in the will eloquence or wisedome of manne For no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whome the sonne will open him And God vseth men for Ministers and instrumentes of his worde when he meaneth to teach men his word according to that saying of Paule We be the Ministers of Cod by whome you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euery man grace Therfore whosoeuer will attaine vnto fayth must diligently harken to the worde of god For how shall they beleeue except they haue hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. Wherefore Christ ioyning both these togither sayth He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting These things serue for commendation of the outward word that we contemne it not nor imagine another word of God nor search for such wayes of fayth as the Saintes neuer knewe of Which who so doe they lye open commonly to the assaults of the Deuill and are troubled with marueylous illusions and fare like men which hearing howe God giueth the encrease of corne leaue of tillage a thing that God hath ordeyned for the maintenance of man. After this Luke sheweth the myracle For Paule well beholding this Creple perceyued certaine tokens of fayth in him which coulde not be without some secret working of the holy spirite For who is able by a mans countenance which is the most variable and deceyueable thing that is to iudge surely of any mannes faith it must needes therefore be the suggestion of the spirite that certifyed Paule of this lame mannes fayth Then turning about vnto him he giueth him perfyte helth of his body And as it is written in
so often defended and delyuered and hauing this let vs manfully defend our vocation that hauing with stedfast course gotten the Gole we may obteyne the rewarde of eternall life in our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxv. Homelie THESE were the noblest of birth among them of Thessalonica which receyued the worde with all diligence of minde and searched the scriptures daylie whether those things were euen so And many of them beleeued also of worshipfull women which were Greekes and of men not a fewe When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the worde of God was preached of Paule at Berrhoea they came and mooued the people there And then ymmediatly the brethren sent away Paule to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and Timotheus abode there still And they that guyded Paule brought him vnto Athens and receyued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with speede and went their way ALthough the kyngdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is daylie and continually assaulted by this world and the Prince thereof yet can it be so little ouerthrowne that in the myddle of persecutions it most prosperously commeth forwarde The contynuall hystorie of this booke declareth the same but chiefely the discourse of the things done by Paule For as he laboured more than all the Apostles else so he suffered more grieuous persecutions than they and found euerywhere enimies of the fayth by whose craft he was still chased and dryuen away But as often as the rage of his enimies compelled him to auoyde any place so often he left the seede of Gods worde in the mindes of the hearers and caryed the Gospell to an other place and so still wanne more vnto Christ the lord Luke wryteth that this was done at Macedonia For we hearde howe he was vniustly and vnworthyly intreated at Philippi yet the Epistle which he wrote vnto the Philippians declareth that he had not laboured there in vaine His persecution was cause that he went vnto the Thessalonians amongs whome he taught three Sabboth dayes At length he was driuen from thence also by his olde enimies the Iewes But the faith of Christ could not be driuen out which now had taken roote in many mens hartes But hee being come vnto Berrhoea preacheth the Gospell with great auayle These things serue to comfort vs against the attempts of the world and the Deuill For as Salomon sayth There is no counsel against the Lord. But it is his counsell or deuise that Christ should haue all power in heauen and in earth and that the borders and boundes of his kingdomes shoulde be stretched ouer all the worlde Wherefore it must needes come to passe for as much as heauen and earth shall sooner fayle then the decrees and ordynances of god But let vs see this present place which declareth what things Paule dyd at Berrhoea He beginneth with the commendation of the Iewes at Berrhoea declaring howe prosperously and in what order the gospell proceeded among them He commendeth them by comparing them with the Thessalonians For these men contumeliously reiected the worde of god But those of Berrhoea being of a more towardnesse and better zeale receyued the same with all readynesse of minde and searching the scriptures by themselues at home they examined tried the things that Paule taught as with a Touchstone Hereof it came to passe that a great multitude of them beleeued and by their example manye of the Greekes and Gentyles as well men as women were brought vnto the fayth of christ This example teacheth vs what maner of men they ought to be that will profytably heare the Gospell Aboue all thinges it is necessarie to haue a certayne readynesse of minde to receyue the same For vnlesse the worde maye haue place gyuen it in the mindes of men it can bring forth no fruite Wherefore they stumble at the verie thresholde and euen in the beginning that disdaine to heare the worde which is the peculiar marke of the children of the Deuill as Christ teacheth This example is to be well obserued of them which are prowde of their nobilitie and byrth and vaunt themselues therof in vaine cognizaunces and badges Howbeit touching the generation of the fleshe it is in all men alyke corrupt and such as maketh vs the children of sinne The seede of regeneration is the worde of God which being quickened in our minde by the spirite we that before were the seruauntes of sinne are borne to be the children of god Therfore they are neyther noble nor gentle which giue not place herevnto and be not borne againe of the same and so be made the children of god Wherefore Luke truely calleth these people of Berrhoea noble for their studie and desyre that they had vnto the worde In the meane season yet we must take heede of to much facilitie least to hastily receyuing whatsoeuer is taught vnder pretence of Gods worde we learne false opinions and be caryed about with vncertayne doctrine as with a blast of winde Therefore we must weygh and expende and examine whatsoeuer is sayde by the Canon of holye scripture according to that saying of Paule Trye or prooue all thinges keepe that which is good And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth Beloued beleeue not euery spirite but try the spirites whether they be of God or no. Two notable errours are confuted in this place which haue grieuously troubled the Church a great number of yeares One of them is the forbidding of the laytie and commons to reade the holy scripture Yet God would haue them alwaye common to all sortes of men For he made a lawe to that ende before all the multitude of Israel called vnto the same And the holye Ghost ordeyned that the bookes of Scripture shoulde be written in none other but the vulgare tongue And sure it were an absurde matter to exclude anye man from the doctrine of eternall lyfe seeing God would haue the same and the knowledge thereof to come vnto all men The other errour they holde which will haue their doctrine iudged of no man but lyke arrogant and Cyclopicall Gyauntes chalenge to themselues authoritie to teache what they will in the Church yea they say it is intollorable and hereticall that any man should demaund of them any reason or accoūt of that they say Are they then better then Paule was which suffred his sermons to be examined according to the rule of scripture Or else shall he be an heretike that now a dayes doth that for the which these people of Berrhoea were counted noble and true chyldren of God Yea howe say you if Paule submit himselfe vnto the censure of the godly His wordes be these If eyther I Paule or an Aungell from heauen preach an other Gospell than hath bene preached he ought to be accursed And Christ sayth this is the propertie of his sheepe to know his voyce from the voyce of a
good and wholsome lawes bycause he thinketh his kingdome woulde easily bee established if they were ouerturned And his attemptes be not alwayes in vayne bycause there are fewe that followe Paules fayth industrie sufferaunce and diligence Thirdly is playnely declared what Paule dyd in these Churches He gaue them a long exhortation verily to continue in the fayth without the which none can bee saued Often exhortations are needefull both for vs which bee ready of nature to fall and also bycause of the Deuill whiche alway walketh vp and downe lyke a roaring Lyon and seeketh whom he may deuoure Therfore their iudgemente is not to bee admitted whiche thinke thys is but a superfluous care and labour In the meane season wee are admonyshed that Churches haue nothyng of more pryce than the worde of God out of the whiche dayly instructions exhortations and corrections ought to bee taken Wherein the Apostles were so diligente that they easily neglected all other things in comparison hereof as wee mighte perceyue in the sixte Chapter Therefore they bee farre vnlyke the Apostles that neglect the Office and Ministerie of the worde and teaching and are occupied in wearishe Ceremonies or else in administration of earthly iurisdictions But let vs returne vnto Paule and see what he suffered in thys voyage The Iewes layde wayte for hym as hee was sayling into Syria who had thoughte to haue made hym oute of the way But Paule prudently disappoynteth them altering his purpose and going by lande into Macedonia and Syria This place teacheth vs what rewarde Ministers of the Truth haue in this worlde Certes the worste that can bee whyle men seeke to destroy them whiche of all other men labour moste to bryng them to saluation For howe carefull Paule was for the Iewes bothe his continuall labours and trauell and also hys Epistles testifie specially that whiche he wryteth to the Romanes in the ninth and tenth Chapiters And yet had he no greater ennimies than they The same wee haue other wheares declared that Moyses and the Prophetes and Iesus Chryste the Sonne of God suffered Let no man therefore nowe a dayes bee offended when the lyke things fall out seeing such is the nature of the worlde that they thinke their felicitie standeth in the destruction of the godly In whiche their iudgemente yet they are moste myserablie deceiued For thus they bereeue them selues of the wholesome succour of prayers whiche the godly vse to make euen for their ennimies But what shall wee doo wylte thou say if wee shoulde come into the lyke hazarde Followe Paule in whome thou shalte note principally two thinges For he both constantly wente forwarde in his vocation and lykewise prudently auoyded the daunger thereof arising Thus must we aboue all things remember our vocation that wee bee not plucked therefro through any ingratitude of the worlde For why shoulde wee forget our calling and followe those whose wicked vsage wee are wonte to deteste Yet let vs be circumspect and as Chryste counsayleth vs beware of men least wee bee sayde to tempte God by putting our selues rashly and vnaduisedly in daunger Nowe what doth God in the meane season Leaueth hee his seruaunt in daunger No. But whyle the Iewes his kinssemen and false brethren as hee complayneth him .ij. Corinth xj lay in wayte for him God ioyneth vnto him faythfull fellowes and companions in his trauelles and daungers which helpe him in this perrill both with counsell and otherwise Heere are reckened seauen notable men of diuers congregations of whome Paule many tymes maketh mention in his Epistles beside Luke the wryter of this present Hystorie which made eyghte And some of these go before to see and marke whether there were any lying in wayte and to prouide Paule of lodging other some kepte closely vnto him to comforte him with their companie and to prouide him of necessaries And heere the truth and goodnesse of God is diligently to bee considered whiche vseth to defende his seruauntes that are in daunger and to prouide them of faythfull companions that labour and trauell for the glory of hys name Thus vnto Ioseph that required to haue the buriall of Chrystes body is ioyned Nicodemus to beare parte of the charges laboure and perill in the same But nowe a dayes wee complayne of the slothe and cowardelynesse of others saying wee are not able alone to beare the weyght of Chrystes quarell beeing as cowardely and slothefull as other But if wee woulde doo our duetie wee shoulde see God would quickely touche the heartes of others also Wee haue besides in Paules Companions a notable example of loue and thankefulnesse what a daungerous and laborous thing it was to followe Paule by Sea and by lande hauing euerywhere so many enimies euery man may easily coniecture But for all this they which worthely estemed the gyft of fayth that they had gotten by Paules teaching could not be separated from him And these men want not their reward euen vpon the earth bycause God hath registred their names in eternal memorie and their soules no doubt do now reioyce wyth Chryste in heauen bycause they accompanied his minister so curteously on earth The Apostle setteth foorth this promptnesse and readynesse of minde in the Galathians also who he sayth woulde not haue spared their eyes if hee had needed them But O the filthy vnthankefulnesse of our dayes which is runne so farre that they whiche bragge of the fayth rent and deface with filthy slaunders the names of them by whose ministerie they firste learned the fayth Yet let Gods promise and mercy comforte vs which will neuer leaue them destitute of his helpe whom he hath chosen to the inheritaunce of heauenly life in his sonne Iesus Chryste to whome bee prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxij Homelie AND vppon one of the Saboth dayes when the Disciples came togyther for to breake breade Paule preached vnto them ready to departe on the morrowe and continued the preaching vnto Midnyghte And there were many lightes in the Chamber where wee were gathered togyther and there sate in a wyndowe a certayne young man named Eutychus beeyng fallen into a deepe sleepe And as Paule was preachyng he was the more ouercome wyth sleepe and fell downe from the thirde lofte and was taken vppe deade But when Paule wente downe hee fell on hym and embraced hym and sayde Make nothyng adoo for hys lyfe is in hym So when hee was come vppe agayne and hadde broken the breade and eaten and talked a long whyle euen vntyll the mornyng at the laste hee departed And they broughte the young man alyue and were not a lyttle comforted And we went afore to Shippe and loosed vnto Asson there to receyue Paule For so had he appoynted and woulde him selfe goe on foote When we were come togither at Asson â–ª wee tooke him in and came to Mitylene And we sailed thence and came the next day ouer against Chios And the next day we arriued at Samos and taryed at
and wyckedlye abused their gifte of libertie they are nowe depriued thereof and constrayned to suffer suche presidentes as had neyther commendation of Nobilitie nor fame of vertue but were defamed and euill reported by reason of filthye luste and beastlye crueltie And where yet they woulde not amende for all these plagues at length they were vtterlye forsaken and shut out of the kingdome of god These thynges suche menne oughte diligentlye to consyder as nowe a dayes also abuse the prerogatiue of libertie and make of it an vnbrydeled licenciousnesse bothe of saying and doyng But returne we to Lysias the Captaynes letter whiche after he had superscribed it begynneth the narration with Paules greate commendation For he declareth that he was apprehended for no demerite or faulte that hee hadde done through the vnreasonablenesse and iniustice of the Iewes Next he sayth he is a Citizen or freeman of Rome At length hee testifieth he is an Innocent where he sayth he had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment and that the Iewes had made this sturre and adoo agaynst him for no cause but for their lawe and religion sake This is a singuler commendation but we muste remember that these are the wordes of a Souldier and that he speaketh after the maner of the Romanes For where they desyred the vtter abolishment of the Iewes religion they cared not whether the presidents defended the same or not Therfore we see euery where that they litle regarded controuersies in religion But God commaundeth a farre other thyng whiche appointeth Magistrates to haue a speciall care of religion for it is not meete that they whom God of his goodnesse hath placed in such degree of dignitie should suffer the honour of God to be eyther neglected or defaced Yet the craft of the children of this worlde appeareth in the Captayne which so trimly dissembleth his errour committed in bynding and whipping a Citizen of Rome wryting now nothing but that that made for the getting of him praise and fauour Here is cheefly to be marked what a care God hath of his true seruauntes consydering he defendeth their innocencie by testimonie of their enimies Example hereof we nowe see euery day wheras they highly extoll and praise the Prophetes and Apostles which persecute their faith and doctrine with deadly hatred Why therfore feare we the slaunders of enimies or infamie of the worlde Nowe remaineth the latter part of the Epistle which consisteth of a certayne preoccupation or aunswere to an obiection that myght be made For lest Felix myght be offended for that an innocent person was not rather set at libertie than sent to hym with suche coste and charges He sheweth also the cause hereof he saith he did thus bycause of the waites that the Iewes laide for him which Paule shoulde neuer haue escaped if he had ben set at libertie Therfore it behoued in this wyse sayth he to prouide for the safetie of an innocent to see publique peace obserued Where againe the example of this Captayne putteth Magistrates in remembraunce of their duetie namely to take heede that no man suffer violence or iniurie because it is euident they are cheefly ordeyned to the ende that good men should not be oppressed through the insolencie and pleasure of other that are wicked Reade Psalm 72. Rom. 13. It foloweth what successe this matter had verilye a moste happye as God ordered it For the Souldiers faithfully fulfill the charge committed vnto them and bring Paule safely vnto Felix the President and he as though he had chaunged his nature becommeth curteous and easy to be spoken to and asketh him what cuntrey man he is Which when he knew he deferreth the hearing of his matter vntil the comming of his accusers For the lawe of nature teacheth vs that both partes ought to be hearde before sentence be giuen Let vs remember that all these thinges so happened according to Gods prouidence For it was his working that the Souldiers without grutching serued Paules turne that they were ready to defende him with perill of their lyfe that Felix accepteth him more curteously and frendly than his custome was and causeth hym to be kept in Herodes Iudgement Hall being an honest kynde of pryson The vse of these thinges is to teache vs that we must not passe much vpon the enterprises of men but studie onelye to please God which can mollifie barbarous mens heartes tame sauage and wylde maners and turne our enimies heartes to loue vs Let these thinges embolden vs with inuincible constancie of fayth to ouercome the tyrannie of the worlde and so to lyue hereafter eternally in heauen with Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xxiiij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clij Homelie AFter fiue dayes Ananias the Highe priest descended with the Elders and with a certaine Oratour named Tertullus which enfourmed the Deputie against Paule And when Paule was called foorth Tertullus began to accuse him saying Seeing that wee liue in greate quietnesse by the meanes of thee and that many good things are done vntoo this Nation through thy prouidence that allowe we euer and in all places most noble Felix with all thankes Notwithstanding that I be not tedious vnto thee I pray thee that thou wouldest heare vs of thy curtesie a fewe wordes For we haue found this man a pestilent fellowe and a moouer of debate vnto all the Iewes in the worlde and a maintainer of the secte of the Nazarites which hath also enforced to pollute the Temple whome wee tooke and would haue iudged according to our lawe but the highe Captaine Lysias came vpon vs and with great violence tooke him away out of our handes commaunding his accusers to come vnto thee of whom thou mayest if thou wilte enquire knowe the certaintie of all these thinges whereof we accuse him The Iewes likewise affirmed saying that these thynges were euen so THe Euangelist Luke declareth in this Chapiter how Paule was handled before Felix the Presidente beinge sente to hym from the Captayne that was appoynted for the safegarde of Ierusalem as we haue heard before In the whiche Narration firste it is declared howe the hyghe Priest and Elders layde matter of death vnto Paules charge And albeit that Paule so declared and opened his cause that the Lord Presidente coulde fynde no matter of death agaynst hym yet he keepeth him in pryson two whole yeares together and bicause he woulde shewe the Iewes a pleasure leaueth him bounde in pryson still till Pontius Festus succeeded him in the office These thynges are declared to this ende that we may learne thereby what state the godly are lyke to be in alwayes in this worlde and howe the worlde continually hateth them forasmuch as we see the Iewes spare for no laboure or costes to bryng Paule beyng a most faithful preacher of gods word to his cōfusion But as Christ prophecied these things shold happē to his disciples euē so he
comparing of them togither it might appeare he became a Christian man not of any lightnesse or inconstancie of mind but euen beeing compelled through the power of god And herevnto chiefly is to be referred the diligent declaration of all the circumstances For he alleageth both the place and the tyme and Chrystes talke and his companions for witnesses bycause no man shoulde thinke that he had bene beguyled with any vayne apparition or distraction of minde But bycause we haue spoken otherwheres of conuerting vnto God and of the duetie of those that conuerte it shall not now neede to repeate the â—ame againe Let vs nowe marke the ende of all these things which was none other but the defending of his vocation Yet is it not in vayne that he so diligently reporteth the wordes of Chryste sharpely reprehending his temeritie For heereby he teacheth the hearers that if they withstande the doctrine of the Gospell they shal not haue to do with any mortal man but with the sonne of God which will punishe their bolde enterprise to their great losse and hinderaunce These thinges ought to serue for our comforte that we abiding constantly in the true fayth may cleaâ—e faste vnto God alone among all the broyles and enterprises of this worlde who hath promised to all those that worship him the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen in his sonne Iesus Chryst to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxiij Homelie BVt ryse and stande vp on thy feete For I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witnesse both of those things which thou haste seene and of those thinges in the which I will appeare vnto thee deliuering thee from the people and from the Gentiles vnto whom I now sende thee to open their eyes that they may be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth that is towarde me BIcause Paule knew that the Iewes accused him principally of two poyntes namely for that he had forsaken the Iewes religion and turned to the fayth in Chryst and for that he had matched the Gentils with the Iewes by preching the Gospel among them therfore he diligently declareth the story of his conuersion bicause that alone was sufficieÌ„t to put away bothe the crimes Unto the first belong those things which haue hitherto ben said wherin he declareth that he chaÌ„ged not his religion vpon any light fantasie but whyle he was an enimie vnto Christ was compelled to yelde vnto Gods calling The seconde he will confute in this place where he rendreth a reason of his whole ministerie euen in the very wordes of Chryst which ministerie he sheweth was committed vnto him vpon this condition that he should preach the Gospell not only to the Iewes but also to the Gentiles But bycause these things belong aswell to our instruction as to the defence of Paule who may learne hereby both the reason of the ministerie ecclesiastical and also the whole meane of our saluation Therefore euery thing is to be considered in order The firste thing wee haue to note is howe Chryst commaunded Paule nowe friendly to arise and to stande vp on hys feete whome erewhyle he had horribly throwen downe as his enimie and persecutour But this thing happened not as wee haue other where 's heard before his heart was pulled downe and that he humbly enquired what the will of Chryst was and acknowledged him to be his Lorde Which thing yet he woulde neuer haue done but that he felt in his minde an effectuous working of the spirite of Chryst. This truelâ— is a notable example of Gods goodnesse which euen then euidently declareth it selfe when he seemeth to be angry For he will not alwayes be chiding with vs but forasmuche as he desireth to haue men saued he obserueth this scope and ende in his iudgements that he will haue men rather instructed to saluation than destroyed Neither will he draw foorth his whippes and scourges vntill he see he can not preuayle by his wordes Neither yet doth he beate vs for any other ende than to haue vs conuerte vnto him and to truste to be saued wherof we haue both testimonies and examples euery where in the scriptures wherewith we may confirme our wauering fayth in all troubles and aduersities But although it seeme a great thing for Chryste to giue his cruell enimie leaue to aryse yet is this greater and euen to be wondered at that he appoynteth him to the office of an Apostle which is the moste honorable and commendable function in the worlde Yea he sayth that he appeared to him to this ende to make him a minister and witnesse of all the thinges which he had bothe seene before and shoulde see heereafter Heere in two wordes he comprehendeth the whole office or duetie of Byshoppes of the Churche Firste he saythe that Paule shoulde bee a Minister not a Lorde and king So are the Apostles euery where called and suche as muste serue the whole Churche publikely in setting before them the foode of the soule and in taking care for the affayres of mannes saluation Reade Matthew the .20 and .24 Luke the .12 Herevnto it seemeth Paule had a respecte when he confessed he was a detter vnto all men to the Iewes and Gentiles to the learned and vnlearned Heereby is excluded the great desire of bearing rule agaynst the which Chryste oftentimes in the hearing of the Apostles entreated at large being not ignoraunt that many afterwardes would come which vnder the pretence of this ministerie would looke to reigne like tirauntes ouer the Church This done he sayth he should be a witnesse by the which name we reade the Apostles were called also in the first chapter Thus it liked him more playnly to set out the trade of the ministerie declaring also what things he should beare witnesse of verily euen of those which he had seene and which afterwarde he woulde reueale vnto him For Paule had seene and not seene onely but had also proued by experience that Christ liued and reigned and was an earnest defendour of his people Wherby it was easie for him to gather that he was the redeemer of mankinde and not onely a meere man but also suche a God as he knewe the Apostles preached that he was These therefore were the thinges that he should beare witnesse of By this place it appeareth as wee haue else where admonished For howe certayne and infallible a thing the doctrine of the Apostles ought to be taken seeing they which published the same were no runners about with pedlary wares but the very sworne witnesses of Iesus Chryst hauing their vocation confirmed with infinite miracles Therfore let al ministers remember they are witnesses and therfore must not preach new opinions at their owne pleasure but such things as they finde for certaintie in the holy
Scriptures let them boldely bring foorth that no man be able to accuse them of falshood or forgery Howbeit it might haue seemed to Paule a greeuous thing to be appoynted to such an office as he knew euen by those things onely which a little â—eâ—ore he went about was subiect to infinite dangers Therfore the Lord mixeth therewith a consolation very commodious and in season wherein he promiseth to deliuer him out of the hands of the Iewes and Gentiles Thus by the way as though he had bene dooing of an other thing he declareth that he was sent also vnto the Gentiles to bring them lykewise into the societie and felowship of the Churche In the meane season this place teacheth vs that the Ministers must looke for hatred persecutions and all kindes of aduersitie in this world For except this were their state and condition it should not neede so often to confirme them neither with the consolations nor promises of Chryst. These promises must diligently be considered for by them we are taught howe Chryste neuer forsaketh his people in their tribulations And yet muste they not so be vnderstanded as though he would deliuer them from all kinds of aduersitie and set them in safetie or so preserue them that they shall not perishe in body For we reade that Paule at the last was beheaded by Nero and the other Apostles also were cruelly put to death But it is sayde that the Lorde deliuereth vs when in this present worlde he assisteth vs with his spirite giuing vs constancie of mynde commoditie of dooing and finally a mouthe and wisedome agaynst the which our enimies are not able to resiste with any probabilitie of reason Agayne when he shoreth vs vppe with consolations in the middle of our afflictions and translateth vs out of the prison of thys body into the possession of hys kingdome and preserueth our memorie and good name to remayne to posteritie After this sorte we knowe he delyuered the holy Martyres whose remembraunce florisheth at this day euen among the enimies of the fayth Which promises seeing they are both generall and alwayes true there is no cause why we should suffer our selues to bee feared or ouercome with any attemptes of this worlde For who shall separate vs from the loue of god c. Reade the place Rom. 8. To conclude he addeth the ende of all these thinges which is that through the ministerie of Paule the eyes of the blinde should bee opened that they beeing illuminated might conuert from darkenesse vnto lyght and beeing deliuered from the power of Sathan might be reconciled vnto God in whom they may receiue remission of their sinnes and inheritance of the king dome of heauen through fayth with all those whom God hath chosen vnto him selfe These things conteyne in them the duetie of Ministers of the worde and the true vse of the Gospell For this cause that thing is attributed vnto the Ministers which is properly the worke of God only as is declared at large Therfore through the Gospel mens eies are opened that they may see God and the way of saluation By the Gospell men are conuerted from darknesse vnto light so that hencefoorth they which were occupied in the works of darknesse might do the dedes of the light For the christian Philosophie consisteth not in vayne speculations but in practise which extendeth it selfe through all partes of a mans lyfe Agayne by the gospel men are brought out of the power of Sathan vnto God to obey him to serue him Finally the gospel offreth vnto vs the forgiuenesse of sins the inheritaÌ„ce of the kingdome of heuen And we may not thinke that these things stand in vayne sound of words but forasmuch as christ which is the only author of these things is preched through the gospel they are truely attributed to the preaching of the gospel bicause the same gospel is not in vaine but effectuous Therfore the preching of the gospel containeth in it the cheefest and only treasure of our saluation And the ministers therof ought to haue this only end before their eyes to bring men to be partakers of these things and not to leade them about as it were in a vaine maze and stagelike pompe of preaching Furthermore we haue heerein comprehended the whole order and manner of our saluation For where these things are giuen vnto vs of God it is euident that we want them of nature Therefore of nature we be blinde to perceiue any godlynesse and by our naturall corruption we deserue to waile and mourne vnder the tirannie of Sathan But by the goodnesse of God it commeth to passe that we be illuminated by Christ and be translated from the power of death and darknesse into his kingdome For we being sanctified and iustified by his merite enter into the kingdome of eternall life And all these things as we said ere while God offreth vnto vs to be receiued by faith through the gospell by the which faith the scripture teach that we be purified and made righteous bicause by it only power is giuen to vs to imbrace Christ and to receiue this goodnesse These things might be declared more at large with their dueties whome Christ hathe taken into the kingdome of his father But bicause we haue oftentimes spoken therof it shall be sufficient to shewe as it were with the finger the cheefe poyntes of euery thing In the meane season we haue heere to bewaile the vnkinde and vnhappy blindnesse of the worlde which contemning so plaine a way of saluation turne them to the most intricate Laberinthes and pitfals of eternall damnation It is our partes to shewe our selues thankfull vnto God and with constant faith to holde fast the only author of these goodnesses which is our Lord and sauioure Iesus Christ to whom be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Clxiiij Homelie WHerfore O king Agrippa I was not disobedient to the heauenly vision but shewed first vnto them of Damascus and at Ierusalem and throughout all the costes of Iewrie then to the Gentiles that they shuld repent and turne to God and do such works as become them that repent For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple and went about to kill me Seing therfore that I haue obtained helpe of God I continue vnto this day witnessing bothe to small and to great saying none other things than those which the Prophetes and Moses did say shoulde come that Christe should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from death and should shew light vnto the people and to the Gentiles PAVLE diligently reporteth the Historie of his conuersion before Agrippa bicause thereby hee was able manifestly to proue that he became a Christian man of no light heade ne yet preached the gospell vnto the Gentiles of any rashe enterprise but that God was the aucthoure of all the things which he had hitherto done who conuerted him when he was of a farre other minde
fulfilled which saith he woulde sende a sworde and diuision whereby it shoulde come to passe tha◠they which were before moste intie◠and familiar friendes shoulde moste bitterly contende one with an other Yet let no man thynke thys happeneth through any defaulte of the Gospell seeyng the ende thereof is to vnite and knitte vs all togither in Chryste Therefore all thys commeth to passe through the naughtinesse of the wicked and reprobate Whose propertie it is the more earnestly they are vrged with the worde of God the more to rage and become madde as the examples of Cayn Pharao Achab Zedechias others do testifie But bicause the godly which know it is their dueties to defend the glory of God against all men can not yeld vnto these men ▪ hereof burst out al these flames of contention But by this present place it easily appeareth Paule profited somewhat with these men bycause therewere that openly withstoode these wycked persons For the word of God is neuer preached in vayne bycause it is of it selfe fruitfull and Chryst hath in all places his people which know his voyce and followe him In the meane season we are taught our duetie that if we will be godly and faythfull persons wee muste constantly defende the quarell of truthe agaynst all men For God requireth suche worshippers as are feruent and ardent in zeale no warmlings and dastards which can winke at all kinde of impietie and can with pacient minds and eares suffer all the scoffes of the wicked suche as a man nowe a dayes may finde a number who for this cause thinke them selues moste worthy to be praysed for wyse men and modest But in deede they bee very dullardes and destitute of all sense of godlynesse which are not prouoked with blasphemies and fooles also which so muche esteeme the friendship of the worlde ▪ that they denie vnto Chryst the duetie of godlynesse Therfore let vs prepare our selues to that holesome conflicte and strife which all the godly in this worlde muste suffer For there is no cause why wee should feare the power of this worlde forasmuche as we knowe we fight in his quarell which one day shall breake in peeces all the gaynesayers with a Scepter of Iron which is the sonne of God our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryste to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Clxxv. Homelie AND Paule dwelte two yeres full in hys lodging and receyued all that came in vnto hym preachyng the kingdome of God and teaching those things which concerne the Lorde Iesus with all confidence no man forbidding him OUr Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Chryste comforteth hys Disciples many times with this argument that he wyll not leaue them destitute and succourlesse but will be present ▪ with them vntill the ende of the worlde The truthe of which promises appeareth euery where aswell at all other times as also chiefly in aduersities for thē is Chryst so nigh at hande vnto his seruauntes that not onely he defendeth them mightely and faythfully but also directeth those thinges which seeme dolefull and infortunate vnto their saluation and to hys glory Wherein the captiuitie of Paule may bee vnto vs in steede of a number of testimonies Whiche in the beginning mighte haue seemed vtterly to haue stopped the course of the Gospell howebeit the Lorde so moderated it that through the same the doctrine of the Gospell was rather aduaunced than hindred For by the occasion thereof bothe the Romane Presidents and Souldiours heard the Gospell And at lengthe the preachyng thereof fylled Rome yea the iudgement place and the Emperours court But bycause these thinges haue bene spoken of before other thynges whiche remayne to bee considered in thys Hystorie muste briefly bee runne ouer Firste the Euangelist expresseth the tyme of Paules captiuitie saying that he abode two yeres togither in an house which he had hyred of hys owne charges beeing garded with that Souldiour of whome we made mention before And before that he lay in pryson whole two yeres also vnder Felix And it is lyke that there ranne some monethes betweene Felix his departure out of the Prouince and the tyme of Paules sending vnto Rome Furthermore wee muste allowe foure monethes at the least for his Nauigation and tyme that he spent in Malta Thus Paules captiuitie endured fiue yere all which time he found this one commoditie that he was not thrust into prison but was in open warde whereby he had occasion to preache euery where offred him Heere wee haue to consider the state which the godly bee in in this worlde who alone for the most parte are counted suche wicked persons as are vnmeete to enioy either libertie or lyfe But in the meane season what a sorte of wicked and slaunderous menne trowe yee lyued at their pleasure vnder Nero a moste ryotous tyrante But Paule alone as it were some publike plague or calamitie of the whole worlde is kepte in prison The like curtesie the Prophetes in tymes paste and after them Iohn the Baptist and at length the sonne of God him selfe founde who was put to death among theeues and murtherers and was counted a greater malefactour than Barrabas the murtherer The ende of all which thinges is that we should not be offended at the lyke in these dayes For it is not meete that the Scholers and seruauntes state shoulde be better than the teachers and masters Furthermore we knowe that they which are partakers of Chrystes afflictions in this worlde shall reigne with him hereafter in heauen Here appeareth also the infinite goodnesse of God which preserued Paule so long a tyme in open warde verily for his electes sake vnto whome by this occasion he woulde haue his Gospell to be reuealed For this farre passed the hope bothe of Paule and of all other the faythfull Bycause vnder Nero a moste vicious and cruell tyraunt no man woulde euer haue looked for the same Here therefore let as many as walke in Gods callyng fetche counsayle For as long as wee bee occupied in Gods affayres and so as it is requisite for our saluation God will easily defende vs among moste cruell enimies who was able to saue Noah in the middest of the waues of the floude which ouerflowed all the worlde and Ionas that lay hidde in the belly of the houge Whale And the same when tyme shall so require will translate vs from all misfortunes into the internall kingdome of his sonne Furthermore let vs see what Paule dyd in this two yeres space He receiued sayth he all that came in vnto him preaching the kingdome of God and teaching those thinges which concerne the Lorde Iesus with all confidence no man forbidding him He dyd then th◠same in bondes which he had done before beeing at his libertie bycause he vnderstoode he was nowe the Apostle and seruaunt of Iesus Chryst aswell as before And he dyd not onely preache but also sent letters now to one place nowe to an other and bothe instructed and
not declare ending in this place his hystorie according to the instincte of the holy spirite which would not haue the Church ouercharged with too many writings or bokes and therfore he hath writen onely those things which may suffise for the instruction of our fayth and life Howebeit out of Paules owne Epistles may some coniectures be taken wherby it is declared what he afterwarde did For in his seconde Epistle to Timothe and fourth Chapter he expresseth playnly that he pleated his cause before the Emperour saying he was deliuered through the benefite of God when he was redy to be offred And writing to the Philippians among other things he sayth I hope shortely to sende Timotheus vnto you assone as I shall see howe my matters will go and I truste in the Lorde that I my selfe also shall shortly come And writing to Philemon the Colossian he sayth Moreouer prepare me a place to lodge in for I trust that through the helpe of your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you Agayne in the .xiij. to the Hebrues he sayth Pray for vs and this I desire you the more instantly to do that I may the soner be restored vnto you Knowe yee that brother Timothe is deliuered with whome if he come shortly I will see you Yet before he was led prisoner to Rome he was minded to go into Spayne as the Epistle to the Romanes in the .xv. Chapter declareth Of the which thinges men gather not altogither without a cause that he was set at libertie and so returned through Grece and Asia the lesseâ— into Syria and when he had saluted the Easte Churches wente through Italie and Fraunce into Spayne Thus according to the opinion of these men he preached the Gospell ten yeres after he was set at libertie and at length beeing called backe to Rome agayne in the laste yere of Nero loste his heade and receiued the crowne of Martyrdome when he had preached Chryste vnto the moste parte of the worlde seuen and thirtie yeres long togither But bycause our saluation dependeth not on suche poyntes as these I will not contende herein ouer muche with any man And â—e thinketh they deserue not very much of Christian fayth and Religion which laboure in searching foorth those thinges which the holy Scriptures haue passed ouer in silence â–ª For in so doing bothe the Scriptures are more negligently handled and the supersticious haue occasion giuen them to be occupied in doubtfull and vnprofitable questions neglecting the doctrine of the Apostles and so being bewitched with fables do greeuously â—ire in matteâ—s of faith and saluation â–ª And surely as God would haue Moses sepulchre or buriall place in times paste vnknowen and the holy Ghost hath left fewe things in memorie in the olde Testament touching the martyrdomes of the Prophetes so in this present Treatise Luke hath described thâ—â—â—de but of two persons onely namely of Stephen and 〈◊〉 the Apostle beeing contented to say this onely of the residue that they moste constantly preached and confessed Chryst in all kindes of aduersitie â—o commending vnto vs the studie of the Apostles doctrine which maketh men followers of the Apostles and partakers with them of the heauenly inheritaunce Wherefore wee also in this place muste principally obserue and followe â–ª that feruent and continuall trauayle of Paule in setting foorth the glory of Chryste And wee muste not bee offended at his â—â—de â–ª For hereby Chryste maketh those that worshippe him lyke vnto him selfe in this worlde to the ende that hereafter they may bee partakers with him in heauen of his glory and kingdome Hitherto we haue expounded this booke according to the grace of God giuen vnto vs We haue seene therin the forme fayth and doctryne of the primatiue Church which we also must keepe and obserue in these dayes if we will be coumpted to be of Christe his Churche For we must giue no eare vnto those which say that many things are necessarily required about religion and the way of saluation that the primatiue Churche lacked Whose rashnesse or rather impudencie I know not whether a man may more maruell at For heerein they accuse the Apostles either of negligence or of vntrustnesse and feare not to prefer themselues before those whose examples the holy Ghost hathe set forthe to all men that will be counted the members of Christ and attaine to saluation in him to folowe And who will thinke that they which continued whole eight and twentie yeeres in the faithe and religion taughte by the Apostles lacked any of those things without the which saluation could not be obtained But if they were saued without those things which certaine bolde superstitious persons afterwardes brought in who will then deny vs saluation which folowe their steppes No man I thinke but hee that is led with the madnesse and frensie of the Manichees will accuse all this boke of falshode We haue seene also the state that the church is in in this world being molested with continuall tribulations whiles bothe open ennimies and false brethren vexe and disquiet the same Wee haue seene the vnworthy case that the Ministers are in and howe slenderly the world requiteth them Wee haue seene also the mighty hand and power of Iesus Christe whereby he faithfully defendeth his Churche in the middest of the waues of persecutions and by the crosse of his seruauntes moste gloriously triumpheth ouer the world and Prince therof Let vs therfore diligently vse these things to the instruction and confirmation of oure faithe that being strong in the same and ouercomming al dangers according to the example of the Apostles and primatiue Churche we may come to the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen prepared for vs from euerlasting â–ª 〈◊〉 Iesus Christe our King and Priest To whome be prayse honoure power and glorye for euer Amen FINIS I fought be said amisse remember man it spake If well do thou alone O Christ the glory take Deut. 6. Psal. 78. Math. 23. Math. 15. They began in the dayes of Ioannes Hircanus high Bishop of the Iewes about an hundred and thirtie yeares before Christ was borne Prou. 21. Galat. 1. Actes 20. Math. 15. Math. 15. 1. Cor. 7. Math. 16. Actes 17. 1. Thes. 12. Math. 11. Luc. 10. Psal. 119. Psal. 148. Psal. 47. Psal. 8. Math. 21. Math. 22. Marc. 12. Luc. 20. Iohn 5. Rom. 15. 1. Tim. 2. Actes 10. Rom. 2. Math. 5. Mar. 4. Luc. 8. Math. 19. Math. 11.13 Marc. 4. Esay 58. Psal. 150. Numer 11. Marc. 10. Psal. 32. Math. 2. Luc. 2. Math. 14.15 Luc. 5. Math. 9.20 Math. 8. Luc. 5. Math. 21. Mar. 12. Luc. 20. Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Iohn 18. Math. 27. Iohn 6. Colos. 3. ix. Homely vpon the Epistle to the Colossians In his Apologie toward the ende Matth. 7. Luc. 12. Rom. 11. Math. 5. Iohn 10. Psal. 110. Psal. 2. 1. Iohn 4. Apolog. 2. Tim. 2. Math. 24. Marc. 13. The commeÌ„dation of the holy History or Scripture The commeÌ„datioÌ„ and argument of
the worde of fayth which wee preach For if thou acknowledge with thy mouth â–ª that Iesus is the Lords and beleeue in thine hart that God raysed him vp from death â–ª thou shalt be â—aâ—e For to beleeue with the heart iâ—stifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh 〈…〉 Nowe when Philip had gotten of the Eunuch that he chiefly desired by and by without any â—ariaunce he went downe with him into the water and there baptiseth him Where we haue to consider howe baptisme is ministred in common water whether it were ryuer or fountayne as Ierome thinketh I knowe not Neyther is there any mention made of newe hallowing it or of salt sprinckled or of oyle or of exorcisme and many such like as the superstition of Popes in the ages following brought in For Philip knewe the example of Iohn which had baptised in the ryuer of Iordane He knewe also that by the ordinaunce of Christ all water was consecrated to the vse of baptisme and had no neede of newe purging and coniuring Away therfore with the wicked and peeuish inuentions of most bolde merchaunts which would haue religion to serue for priuate honour and gaine Yet I would none by these examples shoulde take occasion euery where to baptise in fountaynes or ryuers For as we confesse it may be godlily done if necessitie so require so where Churches be appoynted all things ought to be done decentlye and according to lawfull order least libertie bursting out into vnbrideled licence disturbe both discipline and vnitie of Churches It remayneth to tell of the ende of all this hystorie which comprehendeth the departure of Philip from the Eunuche which Luke sheweth was after a myraculous sort For when they came out of the water the spirite of the Lorde caught Philip and the Eunuch sawe him no more God woulde by this myracle confirme the fayth of the Eunuch For after this sort hee might vnderstande that nothing was done in all this businesse by chaunce but all things through the prouidence of god Let vs see what they both did after they were seperated Luke sayth the Eunuch helde on his way reioycing Then he complayned not of Philips so sodaine departure neyther carefully enquired after him and much lesse detested him as though he had beene some craftie Apostle or Iugler Hereof must be gathered no argument of any inconstant or vnkinde minde But whereas he was now indued with fayth and taught by the holy ghost who according to Christes promise brought all things to his minde and by his testimonie confirmed the doctrine of fayth which Philip had taught him Therefore he coulde easily settle and quiet hys minde By which example we learne that we must not so sticke to the ministers that when they are gone we must dispayre in matters of fayth and religion Let vs acknowledge them as Gods coadiutours and stewardes of the mysteries of God by whome he giueth vs fayth Againe let vs vnderstande that the spirite of Christ truely supplyeth the dutie of a Teacher and that Christ will not fayle vs although he sometime take them away to whom we knowe we are much bounden For Gods spirit can be bounde neyther to persons nor places but bloweth where him lyketh Moreouer the fruite of fayth which the Eunuch receyued is declared where Luke sayth He helde on his waye greatly reioycing So before hee wrote that great ioye was made in Samaria when Philip had preached the Gospell there The ioy of a faythfull minde must hereby be vnderstanded which vseth to spring of the peace and quiet of conscience For after Christ is receiued by fayth then man vnderstandeth that God the father is reconciled vnto him whose wrath and horrible iudgement he was before afrayde of And as that peace of God as Paule beareth witnesse passeth all vnderstanding so it chaseth from the minde all the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 it â—lâ—ereth the whole minde and maketh vs to be without all â—eaâ—e in the 〈◊〉 of all afflictions For this is the saying of all those that are faythfull â–ª If God bee with vs who can be agaynst vs Who shall lay any thing to the 〈◊〉 of Gods chosen â–ª It is God that iustifieth vs who is it that can condemne For they knowe that the gates of hell are not able to preuayle agaynst that liuelye rocke on whome they are buylded Therefore bicause the Eunuch had obtayned this suretie of a quiet minde he returneth home with greater ioye than if he had gotten the great treasure of kings or if he had returned to Candace with the triumph and victorie of the greatest enimies of Aethiopia For what ryches deserue to be compared with the treasures of the kingdome of heauen Or what victorie is there so great as that which the faithfull haue gotten by Iesus Christ against the deuill and hell If princes in these dayes were as desirous of this victorie as they are of the Kingdomes and vaine glorie of this worlde then would they also more reioyce and the worlde also should be in better case But let vs returne to Philip which was founde at Azotus and from thence passing a long by the sea coast preached the Gospell to all the Cities in these quarters vnto Caesarea where it seemeth he tooke house to dwell in bicause Paule hosted there as we maye see in the .xxj. Chapter You shall marke diligently the feruent and great desire that the men of the primitiue Church had to set forth the kingdome of christ For although Philip had traueyled greatly in conuerting Samaria and now might greatly haue gloried in conuerting the great man of Aethiopia yet he thinketh not he had done his duetie but enioyneth himselfe freshe labours and refuseth not to vndertake new daungers for Christes sake We see the lyke desire in Paule who hauing laboured more than all the Apostles yet holdeth on his course with great feruencie These things reprooue the slouth of our dayes where all sortes and states of men as soone as they haue borne a little brunt make holyday for any more they will doe as though it were at our disposition and libertie to start from the calling of God and the dutie committed to vs Furthermore these thinges teache vs howe vaine the enterprises of the wicked are agaynst the doctrine of christ For the more they rage the more the truth shineth and ouercommeth Yea in the tyme of persecution by their meanes and diligence it is most opened and set forth who before seemed dastardes and cowardes Hereof haue we an example in Philip of whom there was no mencion made almost while the Church was in quiet at Ierusalem but that we hearde he was numbred among the Deacons But now being become an outlaw and banished man he winneth Samaria vnto Christ he sendeth the Eunuch whome he conuerted into Aethiopia to be an Apostle and spreadeth the Gospell ouer all Iurie Thus vseth God to frustrate the attempts of his enimies Therefore no man ought
to be offended at the manaces of Tyrannes which now a dayes threaten destruction to the Gospell and to our Churches But let vs rather trust in God who is both able to saue his elect in this worlde and to make them coheyres with Christ in the world to come to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The ninth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lxiij. Homelie AND Saule yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter agaynst the Disciples of the Lorde went vnto the highe Priest and desired of hym letters to carye to Damascus to the Sinagoges that if hee founde anye of this waye whether they were men or women he myght bring them bounde to Ierusalem And when he iourneyed it came to passe that as he was nygh to Damascus sodeinly there shyned round about him a lyght from heauen and he fell to the earth and hearde a voyce saying to him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And he sayde what art thou Lorde And the Lorde sayde I am Iesus whome thou persecutest It is harde for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke THat saying of Christ is verye notable No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him And it is not vnlyke vnto that other where he sayeth to his Disciples You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For bothe oâ— them teach vs that saluation and whatsoeuer belongeth therto commeth to vs through the meere grace of God and that nothinge is to bee ascrybed to our workes or merites Hereof there are many examples among which this one is notable which of late we sawe in the Aethiop vnto whome Philip a Preacher of true saluation by the meere benefite of God was sent when he thought not of it much lesse seeking after it Yet bicause it is reported that he was endued with certaine singuler gifts least any man myght thinke that he attayned to saluation through the merite of them the hystorie of Saule conuerted vnto Christ is of purpose sette after his conuersion whome Iesus Christ doth not only prouoke and draw agaynst his will vnto saluation but as it is sayd in the Parable of certaine guestes Luke 14. compelleth him to come in And surely Luke so reporteth all this historie that euery man may see nothing is here attributed to the merit of man but that saluation commeth vnto Saule by the benefite of Gods onlye grace Yea Paule himselfe plainly teacheth that this ensample is to bee referred chiefely to this ende where he sayth that he was therefore called and cutte of euen in the middle of hys tyrannicall enterprises agaynst the Church that Iesus Christ might shewe on him first all clemencie and mercye for an ensample vnto them that shoulde beleeue in him And in another place he confesseth he is vnworthy the name of an Apostle if we respect his merite or desert but that hee is by the grace of God whatsoeuer he is Howbeit whereas there be in this hystorie many things most worthy to be knowne and considered it shall be profitable for vs to examine all the poyntes and circumstances thereof And at this present Luke first propoundeth the description of Saule and then he beginneth the hystorie of hys conuersion Luke is very diligent in describing of Saule bicause by his description both Gods power goodnesse is the more euidently knowne First he declareth his disposition and nature where he sayth he breatheth out threatnings and slaughter His mynde therefore was inflamed and incensed agaynst the Church a signe and note whereof he had giuen before at the stoning of Steuen and when he did make hauocke of the Church at Ierusalem as hath bene declared heretofore Yet nowe seeing he preuayleth nothing but that the Church spreadeth euery day further and further he conceyueth such a furie and rage in his mynde that he can doe nothing nowe but breath out and dreame of cruell threates bloudy slaughters and destructions For as we sayde before such is the nature of tyrauntes and the enimies of the Church that after they haue once tasted the bloude of the godly the more they rage and lyke beastes haue cast from them all sense of humanitie and are not able to put awaye that rage of mynde that they haue conceyued vnlesse they be tamed by the mightie hande of god Examples of this crueltie is euerywhere so be seene in hystories The consideration of them serueth vs for this purpose to make vs vnderstande what to hope for of the tyraunts of these dayes whome we see nowe so vsed vnto bloude that they thirst after it more cruelly than any Tygres Whom surely vnlesse the Lord tame no mannes force or reason can mollifie or appease But bicause rage of mynde must be fenced with armour Saule prouydeth him of that also For it is sayde he went vnto the high Priest of whome he receyued letters to the Sinagoges of Damascus whereby full power was giuen him to bynde as many as he coulde fynde to be Christians Wherby we gather that matters of religion the same tyme were committed by the Romaine Presidentes to the high Priestes For they being blinded in Gentyle superstition as it is credible that they were soone wearied with the dayly controuersies about religion so they sought all meanes whereby to ridde themselues of such incombrances and to lay the enuie and hatred of the people vppon others neckes Thys occasion fell out as the Byshops woulde wyshe it whose aduaunâ—age and honor came in perill by preaching of the Gospell Saule therefore garded by their authoritie and taking to him complices and ministers of his mischiefe goeth to Damascus for that he vnderstoode the kingdome of Christ beganne to spring and flourishe marueylously in that place This thing teacheth vs that Byshops will alwayes bee the grieuousest enimies of true religion and Christian doctrine who by their studie and diligence ought most to set it forwarde For assoone as they begynne to conuert religion into lucre they can then abide the lyght of the truth no longer which reprooueth their naughtynesse That these Byshoppes were such is more euident by the hystorie of the Gospell than needeth any long demonstration What we may therefore hope for of the Prelates of our dayes he shall easily perceyue that well marketh their couetousnesse and ambicion In the meane season we haue to consider the prophane cowardlynesse and slouth of Princes and Magistrates who bicause they passe little of religion will get them no enuie or hatred for religion sake And yet least they shoulde seeme Godlesse and voyde of religion they commit such matters to Popes Byshops and Cardinals getting themselues by this pretence a great estimation of godlynesse and seeking an excuse agaynst them that might saye they were persecutors of the truth For they say such controuersies belong not vnto them and perswade themselues that they cannot doe more godlye than to commit all such matters vnto the heades of the Church In which iudgement they are marueylously confirmed
by the counterfayte Bishops For by this meanes they chalenge to themselues all power to iudge of religion whose ambition and couetousnesse woulde fall to the grounde if the doctrine of truth were not extinguished But God which will not let this trayne and craft go vnreuenged shall full sore punish them and the Byshops of the Iewes togither And this pretence shall not excuse Princes forasmuch as the charge of the Church and hearing of matters in religion pertayneth vnto them For to this ende and purpose was the booke of the lawe deliuered to the king And the Prophete teacheth vs that Kinges ought to be Nurses of the Church And wee want not most notable examples of Kinges which bicause of their setting forth of the truth and maintayning of the Church haue purchased to themselues singuler commendation But let vs also consider what Saules ende and purpose was It was this that whosoeuer he shoulde finde men or women 〈◊〉 Christes profession he should bring them bounde to Ierusalem â–ª There was therefore no difference of sexe with him And surely he that was becomme so cruell spared no age neyther For he was nowe purposed to make all the Christians awaye and so vtterly to extinguishe the name of christ The cause of this cruell attempt he declareth otherwheres to be the zeale of his olde religion which he thought by all meanes was to be retayned and defended For it is manifest he was a Pharisey and himselfe confesseth many times that he persecuted the name of Christ and his Church euen for the looue that he bare to the lawe Let vs here first obserue howe much God suffreth the wicked to doe For Luke sheweth that these thinges were attempted agaynst the Disciples and Christian women But so the Lorde had foreshewed that it shoulde be iudged a Gods seruice to kill any that beleeued in him And the Apostles waâ—ne vs 〈◊〉 many times to thintent that we be not offended at the stormes of persecution and at the Crosse. For why shoulde we in these dayes wishe ourselues a better state or condicion than was in the time of Christ hys Apostles and the primitiue Church Moreouer Saules example teacheth vs howe littâ—e a preposterous zeale in religion which men sometymes conceyue of humaine traditions wythout the prescript of Gods worde auayleth to attaynement of saluation For the more feruent Saule is herein the farther he recedeth from Christ which is the only way of saluation The more he striueth for the righteousnesse of the law the farther he is from the righteousnesse of Christ which alone defendeth vs from the iudgement of god And that that commeth to passe in Saule the same he testifieth came to passe in the Iewes For he sayth they burne in zeale towards God but not according to knowledge Where they fell into this inconuenience that whyle they woulde establishe their owne righteousnesse they lost the righteousnesse that is in god The same maye be affirmed of the Monkes but that the most part of them are more giuen to their belly and to ydlenesse than to religion Yet maye this most truly be sayde of Tyrants that the more constantly they labour to keepe the religion of their forefathers the more feruently they persecute the Gospell Here is that hurtfull error of theirs confuted which thinke those thinges that are done agaynst God and his true religion may be excused by zeale of godlynesse As though God had giuen vs the rules of his worde in vayne and that they ought not chiefly to be obserued as we haue elsewhere declared Furthermore here is to be considered both the goodnesse and power of god who coulde not only make so cruell a Woolfe sodeinly tame but also a most faythfull Shepehearde of his flocke Let no man therefore rashly dispayre of any mannes saluation or of the Church seeing God can both sodaynly chaunge the myndes of men and make them defenders of his Church who euen nowe it seemed woulde haue destroyed the same Let vs come to the hystorie of Saules conuersion which Luke setteth forth in liuely colors And beginning with the time and place And when he iourneyed sayth he it came to passe as hee was nygh to Damascus Therefore when Saule was in most hope of good successe and bringing his matters to passe then â—oth Christ withstande his attemptes Nowe he beholdeth Damascus before his face perhaps as a woolfe hauing espied his pray casteth in his mynde terrible cogitations howe he myght soonest rauishe Christes sheepe Marke hâ—â—e the counsayle and vsage of God which manye times suffreth his enimies to raunge so farre that they seeme scarce a naile bredth from the marke of their purpose Which thing is the cause that the Christians whose destruction the tyrants conspyre sometime conceyue great and horrible terrors of mynde And such terrours it is lyke they of Damascus were in when they heard that Saule came and was almost in their necks But thus vseth God to doe both for that he will the more gloriously shewe his power agaynst the wicked and teach the godly not to bee afrayde nor feare when they see themselues beset rounde about with their enimies So he suffered Pharao to go so farre that the Israelites beganne to deuyse not howe to escape but howe to be buried But when with open mouth like a Woolfe he would haue swallowed vp Israel God sodeinly destroyed him Many thinges of lyke sort myght be rehearsed if time woulde serue But thys ought to be the vse of them all that we prescribe God no time who wil let no oportunitie by any meanes escape whereby to bring his doinges to effect But let vs obserue that saying of the Prophete Tarie thou the Lords leysure be strong and he shall comfort thiâ—e heart Furthermore the euangelist declareth the maner of his conuersion saying Sodenly there shone a light rounde about him from heauen and he fell to the ground and heard a voyce saying vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou me This is a terrible sight to mannes senses yet such as sufficiently teacheth vs that these thinges were easily done of the Lorde For he sendeth a light from heauen as it had beene a lightning which was as easie a thing for him to doe as to sende out and call backe the sonne againe Hee woulde haue this light sodainly to appeare to the ende the cruell Woolfe might be the more feared which in his greedie famine had after a sort alreadie deuoured the church of christ Unto these flashings of light was added a voyce in steede of a thunder and sodeinly smiteth him to the grounde when he least feared any such thing These thinges teach vs how easie a matter it is for God to beate downe the enterpryses of his enimyes For where he is the Lorde of hostes he can arme all things agaynst them and there is none so dispysed a creature but is able to punishe those whom God will haue punished So he once sent water
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
power of this worlde is but vayne if it be compared with christ For this Agrippa that in short space had clymed by prosperous successe to such heyght of power and dignitie which had escaped the cruell handes of Tyberius and marueylously defeated the craftes of Herodes Antipas assoone as he beganne to encounter with Christ dyed most miserably as we shall heare in the ende of the Chapter The like was seene in Iulian who where he had bene a most prosperous warryer sodeinly lost both his Empyre and his lyfe when he begun once to set on Christ whom he vsed in scorne to call Galileyan We haue like examples in our dayes which we ought diligently to consider that we be not offended at the power and force of Christes enimies For he is stronger and of more power that is on our side And they shall in all ages feele the yron scepter of Christ that will not be ruled by his wholesome rede and discipline Thirdly it behooueth vs to search out the causes of this deuised persecution whereof Luke toucheth the one after a darke sort but the other he declareth plainely First he sayth that Herode stretched out his handes to vexe certaine of the congregation And bicause he maketh mention of the Church which in poyntes of religion had deuided themselues from the residue of the Iewes it seemeth that Agrippa was incensed against them as authors of schisme For tyrants can away with no likelyhoode of schisme be it neuer so little among their subiects not for that they delight so much in peace but for that they feare their state which they know standeth in great hazard through schisme and discention Which is the cause that though they be voyde of all religion yet they seeke to haue in their Realmes an vniforme consent in religion For the craftie men well knowe that there is nothing of more efficacie to deuyde the mindes of men than diuersitie and vnlikenesse of religion There be examples of both these in the Scriptures Ieroboam to the intent that the tenne Trybes ouer whome he had gotten to be King shoulde not be reconciled agayne to the house of Dauid deuised newe maners of religion And Antiochus bicause he woulde stablishe his Empyre commaunded one forme of religion to be vsed ouer all his Prouinces In the meane season we haue to note diligently howe the onely worshippers of truth most commonly are counted for schismatykes where as yet there are none other people more ledde with the desire of true vnitie and whereas there springeth no ranker encrease of sects than of superstition Among the Iewes were the sects of Phariseys Sadduceys Essenes and others of like heare And yet Agrippa layd hands on none of these Only the Church of Christ as the mother of deuision suffreth persecution We haue seene the like euen in our dayes For who is ignorant of the innumerable most diuers sectes of Monkes wherby Christendome now many ages hath bene deuided But which of the Popes or Emperors or kings hath called them schismatikes although they both professed a diuers name and also diffred from other men in apparell rytes and other ceremonies Yea such were defended by the Popes authoritie and made of Kinges priuie counsayles But assoone as the right fayth set forth by the sincere doctrine of the Gospel put vp hir head by and by were hearde euerywhere the horrible names of Heretikes sectaries and schismatikes For where truth only most strongly ouerthroweth the kingdome of Satan he cannot abyde that they which haue heretofore liued in darknesse and yeelded them to his gouernement should imbrace hir In the meane while they crie out and say peace and tranquilitie is disturbed and can suffer any thing in their Realmes rather than the peace of Christ. The other cause which more prouoked Herode raging of his owne selfe Luke plainely expresseth where he sayeth Seeing that it pleased the Iewes he tooke Peter also â–ª This new king therfore thought to picke a thank of the Iewes who he knew of nature could not awaye with seruitude and yet bare great hatred vnto Christes religion In this example are the condicions of tyrants trimly declared whose propertie it is to establishe their tyrannie with the bloude of harmelesse menne For the bloude of the poore is not deare in their sight as the Prophete testifyeth of the good King. But they playe for mennes heads as it were at the dyce if they thinke any gayne lyke to come by their deathes So we reade that Augustus sometime purchased Antonius fauour with Cicero his heade And Pylate bicause he woulde gratifye Herodes Antipas sent Christ vnto him and to get the good will of the people of Iewes adiudged him to dye on the crosse whose innocencie he had tryed by many argumentes by this meanes purposing to winne their good willes agayne whome he had many wayes grieuouslye offended And there want not lyke examples in these days For they which persecute the doctrine of Christ and his Disciples to haue the friendship of the Popes Byshops doe rightly imitate Agrippa And that that we reade L. Flamineus did sometyme beheadding a certayne man for his Concubines sake and pleasure the same nowe a dayes among Princes is a common thing for the whoore of Babylons sake not onely to behead and burne but also to make horible warres agaynst the professours of Christian doctrine Here let it comfort vs that wee haue God the reuenger of our cause who as he destroyed the Iewes burning in deadly hatred against Christ so hath he after horrible sortes reuenged their vnrighteousnesse which went about to redeeme the good will of a wicked Nacion with the bloude of his saints They shall fynde the lyke iudgement that at this day dare persecute Christ for this most wicked worldes sake We shall haue more commoditie to speake of these thinges in the ende of the Chapter where Luke reporteth the horrible ende of Herode Fourthly is declared what this great king attempted and did against the Church of christ And there are two wicked deedes of his declared wherby he hath purchased himselfe a perpetuall ignominie and blot of name First is his beheading of Iames the brother of Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist He was one of the chiefe among the Apostles For him and Iohn his brother and Peter did Christ vse more familiarly than the other when hee tooke him as a witnesse of the myracle of Iairus daughter raysed agayne and woulde haue him a beholder of his glorification He was for his feruent zeale of godlynesse and vehemencie of speach called the sonne of thunder Yet God by his secret iudgement suffreth one of the chiefe of the number of the Apostles to be killed and such a worshipper of Christ to become a praye to a moste cruell tyraunt By which example is euidently declared that tribulations and shamefull deaths are not arguments of Gods wrath as the wicked vse to say which thinke it an