and comfort imprisoned captiues Herevnto Lactantius lib. Institut 6. cap. 12. hath an eye where he sayth The chiefest vertue is to keepe hospitalitie and to feede the poore To redeeme captiues also is a greate and excellent worke of righteousnes And as great a work of iustice is it to saue and defend the fatherlesse widowes the desolate helplesse whiche the law of God doth euery where coÌ„maund It is also a part of the chiefest humanitie and a great good deed to take in hand to heale and chearish the sicke that haue no body to helpe them Finally that last and greatest duetie of pietie is the buriall of strangers and of the poore Thus muche hitherto touching the duetie of ciuil humanitie which true loue sheweth to his neighbour in necessitie But it is not inough my brethren to vnderstande how we ought to loue our neighbour though we ought often to repeate it but rather we must loue him excéedingly and aboue that that I am able to say Let vs heare the Apostle who with a wonderful goodly grace of spéech with a most excelleÌ„t exquisite holy example of Christe doth exhort vs all to the shewing of charitie to our neighbour and sayth If therefore there bee any consolation in Christe if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirite if any compassion mercie fulfill ye my ioye that ye be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and minde let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory but in meekenesse let euery man esteeme one the other better then him selfe looke ye not euery man on his owne thinges but euery man also on the thinges of others For let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus who being in the fourme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and found in figure as a man he humbled him selfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse Wherefore God also hath lightly exalted him and giuen him a name which is aboue euery name that in the name of Iesus euery knee shoulde bow of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that the Lorde Iesus Christe is the glory of God the father To him alone be honor power for euer euer Amen The end of the first Decade of Sermons The Second Decade of Sermons writen by Henrie Bullinger Of lawes and first of the lawe of Nature then of the lawes of men ¶ The first Sermon THE summe of all lawes is the loue of GOD and our neighbour of which and euery parte whereof bycause I haue already spokeÌ„ in my last Sermon the next is that nowe also I make a particular discourse of lawes and euery part and kinde thereof Let vs therefore call to God who is the cause and beginning of lawes that he through our Lorde Iesus Christe will vouchsafe with his spirite alwayes to direct vs in the waye of trueth and righteousnesse A heathen writer no base authour ywis made this definition of lawe that it is an especiall reason placed in nature coÌ„mauÌ„ding what is to be done and fordidding the contrarie And verily the lawe is nothing but a declaration of Gods will appointing what thou hast to do and what thou oughtest to leaue vndone The beginning and cause of lawes is God him selfe who is the fountaine of all goodnesse equitie trueth and righteousnesse Therefore all good and iust lawes come from God him selfe althoughe they be for the most parte published and brought to light by men Touching the lawes of men we muste haue a peculiar consideratioÌ„ of theÌ„ by theÌ„ selues For of lawes some are of God some of Nature some of Men. As concerning Gods law I wil speak of it in my seconde Sermon at this present I will touch first the lawe of Nature and then the lawe of Men. The law of Nature is an instruction of the conscience and as it were a certaine direction placed by God him self in the mindes and hearts of men to teach them what they haue to doe and what to eschue And the conscience verily is the knowledge iudgement and reason of a man whereby euery man in him selfe and in his owne minde being made priuie to euery thing that he eyther hath committed or not committed doth eyther condemne or else acquite him self And this reason procéedeth from God who both prompteth and writeth his iudgementes in the hearts and mindes of men Moreouer that which we call Nature is the proper disposition or inclination of euery thing But the disposition of mankind being flatly corrupted by sinne as it is blinde so also is it in all pointes euill and naughtie It knoweth not God it worshippeth not God neyther doth it loue the neighbour but rather is affected with selfe loue towarde it selfe and séeketh still for the owne aduauntage For whiche cause the Apostle sayde That we by nature are the children of wrath Wherefore the lawe of nature is not called the lawe of nature bicause in the nature disposition of maÌ„ there is of or by it selfe that reason of light exhorting to the best things and that holy working but for bycause God hath imprinted or ingrauen in our myndes some knowledge and certaine generall principles of religion iustice and goodnesse which bycause they be grafted in vs and borne together with vs do therefore séeme to be naturally in vs. Let vs heare the Apostle Paule who beareth witnesse to this saith When the Gentiles whiche haue not the lawe do of nature the things conteined in the law they hauing not the law are a law vnto themselues which shew the workes of the lawe written in their hearts their conscience bearing theÌ„ witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing in that same day when the Lorde shall iudge the secrets of meÌ„ by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel By two arguments here doth the apostle very euidently proue that the gentiles are sinners For first of all least peraduenture they might make this excuse and say that they haue no law he sheweth that they haue a law and that bicause they transgresse this law they are become sinners For although they had not the written law of Moses yet notwithstanding they did by nature the things coÌ„teined in the law The office of the law is to disclose the wil of God and to teache thée what thou haste to do and what to leaue vndone This haue thei by nature that is this know they by the lawe of nature For that whiche followeth maketh this more plaine They when they haue no law are to them selues a law That is they haue in theÌ„ selues that which is written in the law But in what sort haue they it in them selues This againe is maâ—e manifest by that which followeth For they
of the holy Ghost which is in you c. 717. 861 6 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified in the name of the Lord c. 989 7 Sorrow which is to Godward causeth repentaunce vnto saluation c. 565. 593 7 Let euery man walke according as he is called And so ordeine I in all Churches c. 441 7 He that is called a bondman in the Lord is the Lords freeman Likewise he c. 441 7 To auoyd whoredome let euery man haue his owne wife and euery womaÌ„ her own husband 226. 1132 7 Let the husband giue to the wife due beneâ—olence likewise also the wife to the husband c. 226 7 The vnbeléeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeléeuing wife â–ª c. 497 8 Knowledge puffeth vpp but loue edifyeth c. 846 8 There is none other God but one And though there bee that are called Gods whether c. 624 8 Meate commendeth vs not to God For neither if we eate c 244 9 Haue we not power and authoritie to eate and drincke or may wée not carrie about with vs a woman sister c. 1121. 1132 9 Who doeth goe to warre at his owne costes and charges Or who pâ—anteth a vineâ—ard c. 1121 9 Doe I speake these thinges according to man doeth not the scriptur also say the same c. 1121 9 Doeth GOD care for oâ—en or doeth he not speake it altogether for our sakes c. 1121 9 If others be partakers of the power towards you why rather are not we c. 1122 9 Knowe ye not that they whiche take paines in the holy thinges doe eate of the holy thinges c. 1122 9 If wee sowe vnto you spirituall thinges is it a great matter if wée reape your carnall things c. 1120. 1122. 10 Flée fornication c. 234 10 I would not brethren that ye should be ignorant that our fathers c. 435. 982 10 The rocke was Christe c. 861 862 10 God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted c. 174. 310 480 10 Though wee be many yet are we one bread and one body for c. 822 10 Are not they whiche eate of the sacrifice â–ª partakers of the altar c. 329 10 Flée from idolatrie I speake as vnto them that haue vnderstanding iudge ye what I say c. 1022 10 God doeth not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that we are able to beare c. 754 11 When we are iudged wée are chastened of the Lord that we should not c. 308 11 So often as ye shal eate of this bread and drinke of this cup declare the Lords death tâ—l he come c. 1106 11 Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ c. 828 11 I receuied that of the Lord which I haue also deliuered vnto you c. 963. 1061 11 For this cause many are weake and feeble amonge you and many sleepe c. 1109 11 Whoso eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drincketh his owne damnation c. 1026 1108 11 Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread drinke of that cup. 1007. 1109. 1030 12 As the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of the body c. 1021 12 There are diuersities of giftes but it is the selfe same spirite c. 716 12 Through one spirite we are all baptised in one body c. 822. 1062 12 And all these thinges worketh euen one and the selfe same spirite distributing c. 717 13 The grace of oure Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy ghost be with you all c. 716 13 Loue suffereth wronge and is curteous Loue enuyeth not c. 98 13 If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mounteines out of their places c. 46â— 14 Let the Prophetes speake two or three at once let the other iudge c 839 14 If I pray in a straunge tongue my spirite or voice prayeth but my c. 714. 931 14 I will pray with the spirite and will pray with the vnderstanding c. 925. 933 14 If therefore when the whole church is come together in one and all speake c. 916 15 Loe I tell you a mysterie wée shall not all verily sléepe c. 86 15 S. Paule confesseth that he persecuted the Church or congregation of God c. 812 15 Flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of GOD c. 27. 89 15 If the dead doe not rise neither is Christ risen But Christ is risen being the first frâ—â—tes of them that sléepe c. 1091 15 It is sowen in corruption it riseth in incorruption it is sowen c 88 15 Of the resurrection of Christe from the dead c. 68 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians 1 IT is God which hath annoinâ—ed vs whiche hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirite in our heartes c. 726. 1016 3 Paule calleth the Lawe the letter the ministration of death c. 402 3 Ye are the epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with incke c. 874 3 The Lord hath made vs able ministers of the newe testament c. 715 4 Wee which liue are alwayes deliuered to death for Iesus sake c. 86 4 Wée haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power c. 293 4 We preache not oure selues but Iesus Christe the Lord and our selues your c. 874 4 Wée are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift c. 311 5 Thogh we haue knowen Christ after the flesh nowe yet henceforth know we him no more c. 689 6 There is no agreement betwéene Christ and Belial c. 817. 859. 1103. 6 So we as workers together beséech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine c. 646 6 Wherfore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord c. 859 11 But I feare least it come to passe that euen as the serpent c. 868 11 If any other be the ministers of Christe I am more in labours more c. 3â—4 11 I haue coupled you to one man to present you a chasâ—e virgin c. 868 11 I haue robbed other Churches hauing receiued wages of them to the incent I might do you seruice c 1122. 12 Least I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a pricke to the â—lesh c. 753 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Galathians 1 PAule though taken vp into the third heauen c. is referred ouer vnto a man c. 871 1 When it pleased GOD that I should preach his sonne amonge the Gentiles c. 427 1 I mâ—ruaile that yee are so some turned froÌ„ Christ whiche called you by grace c. 423 1 Thoughe wée or an angel from heauen
sayinges euen as it were siluer cleansed in the fire and seuen times fined from the earth This you shal more fully perceiue dearely beloued if I speake somewhat more largely of the cause or beginning and certaintie of the worde of god The worde of God is trueth but God is the onely welspring of trueth therefore God is the beginning and cause of the worde of God. And here in déede God since he hath not members like to mortall men wanteth also a bodily mouth yet neuerthelesse bycause the mouthe is the instrument of the voice to God is a mouth atributed For he spake to men in the voice of a man that is in a voice easily vnderstood of men and facioned according to the speach vsually spokeÌ„ among men This is euidentlye to bée séene in the things wherein he dealte with the holy fathers with whome as with oure parents Adam and Eua Noe and the rest of the fathers he is read to haue talked many and often tymes In the mount Sina the Lord him selfe preached to the great congregatioÌ„ of Israel rehearsing so plainly that they might vnderstand those tenne Commaundementes wherein is contained euerye poynt of godlinesse For in the. 5. of Deut. thus we reade These words meaning the. 10. CommauÌ„dements spake the Lorde with a loude voyce from out of the middes of the fire to the whole congregation And in the 4. Chapiter A voice of wordes you hearde but no similitude did you see beside the voice God verily vsed oftentimes the meanes of Angels by whose ministerie he talked with mortall men And it is very well knowne to all men that the sonne of God the father being incarnate walked about on the earth and being very God and man taught the people of Israell almost for the space of 3. yeares But in times past and before that the Sonne of God was borne in the worlde God by litle and litle made him selfe acquainted with the hartes of the holy Fathers after that with the minds of the holy Prophets and last of all by their preaching and writinges he taught the whole worlde So also Christe our Lorde sent the holy ghost which is of the father the sonne into the Apostles by whose mouths words writings he was knowen to all the world And al these seruants of god as it were the elect vessels of God hauing with sincere harts receiued the reuelation of God from God him selfe first of all in a liuely expressed voyce deliuered to the worlde the Oracles and worde of God whiche they before had learned and afterward when the world drewe more to an ende some of them did put them in writing for a memoriall to the posteritie And it is good to know how by whom all this was done For by this narration the true cause certaintie and dignitie of the word of God doth plainly appeare There are not extant to be séene the writings of any man from the beginning of the worlde vntill the time of Moses whiche are come to oure knowledge although it be likely that that same ancient and first world was not altogether without all writings For by S. Iude the Apostle and brother of S. Iames is cited the written prophesie of our holy father Enoch which is read to haue ben the seuenth from our father Adam Furthermore the writing or historie of Iob séemeth to haue bene set foorth a great while before But howe soeuer it is all the Saintes in the Churche of God giue to Moses the faithfull seruant of God the first place amoÌ„g the holy writers From the beginning therefore of the worlde God by his spirit and the ministerie of Angels spake to the holy fathers and they by word of mouth taught their children and childers children and all their posteritie that whiche they had learned at the mouth of God when they verily had hearde it not to the intent to kéepe it close to themselues but also to make their posteritie partakers of the same For God oftentimes witnesseth that He will be the God of the fathers and of their seed for euermore This is most plainly to be séene in the historie of Adam Noe and Abraham the first and great grandfathers In the. 19. of Genesis verily we reade that the angell of God yea and that more is that eueÌ„ the Lorde him selfe did say to Abraham And shall I hide from Abraham what I minde to doe since of Abraham shall come a great and mightie people and al the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And this I knowe that he will commaunde his children and his posteritie after him to keepe the way of the Lorde and to do iustice iudgement and the rest Abraham therfore a faithfull and zealous worshipper of God did not euen as also those olde fathers of the firste world did not waxe negligent at all herein but did diligently teache men the wil iudgemeÌ„ts of God whervpoÌ„ of Moses yea of God him selfe he is called a prophet That deuout liuely tradition of the fathers from hande to hand was had in vse continually euen from the beginning of the world vntil the time of Moses Moreouer God of his goodnesse did prouide the no age at any time should be without most excellent lightes to be witnesses of the vndoubted faith and fathers of great authoritie For the worlde before the deluge had in it 9. most excellent most holy and wise men Adam Seth Enos Kenam Malaleel Iared Enoch Methusalem and Lamech The chief of these Adam and Methusalem doe beginne and make an end of all the. 1656 yeares of the world before the deluge For Adam liued 930. yeres He dieth therefore the. 726. yeare before the floud And Methusalem liued 969. yeres He dieth in the very same yere that the floud did ouerflowe and he liued together with Adam 243. yeres so that of Adam he might be aboundantly inoughe instructed as concerning the beginning of things as concerning God the fall and restoring againe of mankinde and all things else belonging to religion euen as he was taught of God him selfe These two fathers with the rest aboue named were able sufficiently inoughe to instruct the whole age in the true saluation and right wayes of the Lorde After the deluge God gaue to the world againe excellent men and very great lightes The names of them are Noe Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Palec Reu Saruch Nachor Thaâ—e Abraham Isaac and Iacob Here haue we 13. most excellent Patriarches among whom the first two Noe and Sem are the chiefe nexte to whome Abraham Isaac and Iacob were more notable then the rest Noe liued 950. yeares in all He was 600 yeares olde when the floud drowned the worlde He therefore sawe and hearde all the holy fathers of the firste world before the deluge thrée only excepted Adam Seth and Enos And also he liued manye yeares together with the other whiche had both séene and heard them so that he could be
shew the worke of the lawe written in their hearts But who is he that writeth in their hearts but God alone who is the searcher of all harts And what I pray you writeth he there The lawe of nature forsooth the lawe I saye it selfe commaunding good and forbidding euill so that without the written lawe by the instruction of nature that is by the knowledge imprinted of God in nature they may vnderstand what is good and what is euill what is to be desired and what is to be shunned By these wordes of the Apostle we doe vnderstande that the lawe of nature is set against the written law of God and that therefore it is called the lawe of nature bycause it séemeth to be as it were placed or grafted in nature We vnderstande that the lawe of nature not the written lawe but that which is grafted in man hath the same office that the written lawe hath I meane to direct men and to teach thē and also to discerne betwixte good and euill and to be able to iudge of sinne We vnderstande that the beginning of this lawe is not of the corrupt disposition of mankinde but of God him selfe who with his finger writeth in our harts fasteneth in our nature and planteth in vs a rule to knowe iustice equitie and goodnesse Then also the Apostle maketh his seconde argument wherby he proueth the Gentiles to be guiltie of sinne and this argument he fetcheth from the witnesse bearing of their conscience For the conscience being instructed by the lawe of nature doth accuse and condemne the euill committed bycause this conscience onely and alone is in stéede of a thousande witnesses And againe it excuseth that is it absolueth and acquiteth them if nothing be committed contrarie to the lawe But although in this present life we doe set light by the iudgement of our conscience yet verily we may not thē despise or lightly passe ouer the consciences accusations when the Lorde shall come with iustice and equitie to iudge the world So then by all this it followeth that all nations are sinners whome vnlesse the Sonne of God the common and onely Sauiour and deliuerer of all the worlde doe cleanse from their offences it can not be but that all nations must néedes perish in their sinnes But nowe we come againe to the lawe of Nature of whiche there are two pointes especially for you to be put in mynde of The firste is Acknowledge God and worship him The seconde is Kéepe or mainteine societie friendship among mē Touching the first we haue these wordes of Christ his Apostle Whatsoeuer may be knowne of God is manifest among them to wit among the Gentiles for God hath shewed it to thē For his inuisible thinges being vnderstoode by his workes throughe the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God notwithstāding they glorified him not as God neyther were thankfull c. So then the Gentiles knewe God yea they knewe what so euer might be knowne of god But what teacher had they or what maister They had God to their maister In what order taught he them or out of what booke Not out of the written bookes of Moses or the Prophetes but out of that great and large booke of Nature For the thinges that are not séene of God in whiche sorte are his euerlasting eternitie his vertue power maiestie goodnesse and Godhead those he woulde haue to be estéemed of according to the visible things that is the thinges whiche he hath created For Gods eternall Godheade is knowne by mans creation by the continuall mouing of Heauen and the perpetuall course of riuers For it muste néedes be that he is moste mightie whiche susteineth all these thinges whiche moueth strengtheneth and kéepeth all thinges from decay and which with his becke shakes the whole worlde Finally who doth not sée the goodnesse of him whiche suffereth the Sunne to rise vpon the good and the euill But to what intent reuealeth he these thinges to the Gentiles To the intent forsoothe that they may acknowledge him to be God that they maye glorifie and worship him as God and be thankfull to suche a benefactour When therfore they doe not this they are inexcusable and perishe deseruedly for their vnbeliefe and vnthankfulnesse sake So then it is manifest that the lawe of Nature doth expresly teache that there is a God which is to be acknowledged and reuerently worshipped Touching the latter of these two especiall pointes that is for the preseruing of friendship and societie among men the Lorde in the Gospell sayth What so euer ye woulde that men shoulde doe to you doe ye the same to them This sentence did Alexander Seuerus the Emperour turne and expresse thus What soeuer thou wouldest not haue done to thee selfe that doe not thou to another Whiche saying he loued so well that he commaunded it to be written vp in his Palace and common houses of office Moreouer to that generall lawe belong these that followe Liue honestly Hurt not another Giue euery man his owne Prouide thinges necessarie for life and kéepe it from distresse But nowe bycause the lawe of Nature is made opposite to the written lawe of God it is requisite that it be aunswerable also to the lawe of God let vs therefore sée what the wise men and law giuers of the Gentiles haue left in writing to counteruaile the tenne Commaundementes and how farre their writings are answerable to the law of God. Pythagoras in S. Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum writeth thus of god God verily is one and he too is not as some doe imagine without the gouernement of the worlde but being wholy in euery place of it doth view al the generations in the whole compasse thereof and is him selfe the moderation of all ages the light of his owne vertues the beginning of all works the light in heauen the father of all things the life and quickening of all thinges and lastly the mouing of al the circles Sée here Pythagoras confesseth that there is but one God who is the maker preseruer and gouernour of all things the father of al and the light and life of al things Zaleucus in the Preface of his lawes writeth as followeth It is necessarie that all men which inhabite any citie or region what soeuer be throughly persuaded that there are Gods which is euident to be seene by the contemplation of heauen and all the world and by the goodly disposition and order of that that is therein For it is not conuenient to thinke that these are the workes of Fortune or mans abilitie Then also the Gods must be worshipped and honoured as they that are the causes of all good thinges that are done to vs by any manner of meanes Euery one therefore must do his best to haue his mind purely clensed from all euill For God is not honored of a
that they at their pleasure may cōmaund what they liste and that all men by and by must take it for lawe But that kind of ruling without al doubt is extreme tyrannie The saying of the Poet is verie well knowen which representeth the verie words of a tyraunt I say it and it shal be so my lust shal be the lawe The Prince in déede is y liuing lawe if his mind obey the written lawes and square not from the lawe of nature Power and authoritie therefore is subiecte vnto lawes For vnlesse the Prince in his heart agree with the law in his brest doe write the law and in his woords and déedes expresse the law he is not worthie to be called a good mā much lesse a Prince Againe a good Prince and magistrate hath power ouer the Lawe is maister of the lawes not that they may tourne put out vndoe make and vnmake them as they liste at their pleasure but because hée may put them in practise among the people applie them to the necessitie of the state and attemper their interpretation to the meaning of the maker They therefore are deceyued as farre as heauen is wide which thinck for a few priuileges of Emperours kinges graunted to the magistrate to adde diminish or chaunge some point of the lawe that therefore they may vtterly abolish good lawes and liue against all lawe and séemelinesse For as no Emperours or kinges are permitted to graunt any priuileges contrarie to iustice goodnesse and honestie so if they do graunt any such privilege it ought not to be receiued or taken of good subiects for a good tourn or benefite but to be counted rather as it is in déede their vtter destruction and cleane ouerthrowe Among all men at all times and of all ages the meaning substaunce of the lawes touching honestie iustice publique peace is kept vnuiolable if chaūge be made it is in circumstances and the law is interpreted as the case requireth according to iustice and a good end The law sayth Let no man kill an other let him that killeth an other be killed himself That law remayneth for euer vnchaungeable neither is it lawfull for any man at any time to put it out or wipe it away And yet the rigour of the law may be diminished and the law it selfe fauourablie interpreted as for example If a man kill one whom hee loueth entirely well and kill him by chaunce not of set purpose or pretended malice so that when hee hath done hee is soarie for it at the verie hart would if it were possible buye his life again with what soeuer hée hath to giue for it in such a case the killer ought not to be killed and therin the magistrate may dispence with the rigour of the lawe An other beareth a deadly and continuall grudge to one whom hee killeth and goeth about to colour the matter vnder the pretence of happe misfortune For hée sought occasion that hée might for himself haue a shew of chauncemedley In such a case as this the magistrate cannot chaung any iote of the law but must néedes kil him whom the meaning of the law commaundeth to kill I could alledge more examples like vnto these but my care is of purpose somuch as I may not to bee too tedious vnto you with too a long a discourse By this that I haue spoken it is apparauntly euident that lawes are good and not to be broken how farre forth they doe admit the Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Princes moderation interpretation limitation or dispensation least peraduēture that old and accustomed Prouerbe bée rightly applied vnto them Lawe with extremitie is extreme iniurie Hetherto I haue declared that lawes are good profitable necessarie and not to bee broken it remaineth now to tell what and what kind of lawes the magistrate ought most chieflie to vse for the ordering and mainteyning of honestie iustice publique peace according to his office Some there are whose opinion is that the magistrate ought not to vse any written lawes but that hée should rather giue sentence as hée thought best according to naturall equitie as the circumstances of place time persons and cases doe séeme to require Other some there are that do their indeuour to thrust into all kingdomes and common weales the Iudiciall lawes of Moses And some there are which hauing once reiected the lawe of Moses wil haue no iudgement giuen in law but what is deriued out of the lawes of heathen Princes But since they that haue the preeminence and magistrates autoritie are men either good or bad and since that euen in the best men courtousnes anger hatred fauour griefe feare and other affectiōs are rife to be found to whom I pray you haue they committed the common weale which reiecting all written statuts and certein lawes would haue euerie man that is a magistrate to giue iudgment as hée himself thinketh best Haue they not committed their common weale to the rule of a beast But what shal I say then of euill men that are in authoritie since in the best men thnges are so amisse As good were a kingdome subiecte to the furies of hel as bound to the iudgments of naughtie men But wée will say they haue them giue iudgement according to the equitie of natures lawe and not after the luste of their corrupt affection Mine aunswere is to that that they will giue iudgement as affection leadeth them without controllment and say that they iudged by naturall equitie They cannot they wil say iudge otherwise nor otherwise vnderstand the pith of the matter They thincke that beste which they haue determined and nothing is done contrarie to conscience and thou for thy labour shalt be called Coram nobis for daring find fault with their sentence in iudgment And so shal the iust man perish barbarous affections shall haue the vpper hand and naughtie men rule all the roste Yea and admitte wée graunt all men are good that are called to be magistrates yet diuersitie of opinions that will rise in giuing of iudgement will stirre vp among them endlesse braules and continuall troubles If all thinges therefore be well considered the best way by a great deale is to put written lawes in vre Let vs learne this by the example of our eternall wise excellent and mightie God who gaue to the Iewes his peculiar people such lawes as at his cōmaundement were set downe in writing The magistrate hath otherwise busines enough to iudge that is to applie and conferre the causes with the lawes to sée how farre and wherein they agrée or disagrée and to iudge who hath offended against the law and who haue not transgressed the lawe Now it is to be marked that in Moses Iudiciall lawe there are many things proper and peculiar to the Iewish Nation and so ordeyned according to the state of the place time and persons that if wée should goe about to thrust on and applie them
giuen by God touching the magistrate or Iudges with their office and election Of their election thus we reade Bring ye saith Moses to the people men of wisedome and of vnderstanding and expert according to your tribes and I will make them rulers ouer you Againe I will make thee rulers and Iudges to iudge the people according to thy tribes in all thy cities which the Lorde thy God giueth thee And yet againe more plainly Seeke saith Iethâ—o being inspired from aboue vnto Moses out of all the people men of courage and suche as feare God true men hating couetousnesse to wite such as hate to take money and bribes â–ª and make of them ouer the people rulers of thousands rulers of hundredes rulers of fifties and rulers of tennes and let them iudge the people at all seasons Which if thou doest thou shalt both keep the ordinances of God and the people in peace and safetie To this doth beloÌ„g that which we reade in the booke of NuÌ„bers where Moses prayed saying Let the God of the spirits of al fleashe set a man ouer this congregation which may go out and in before theÌ„ that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheepe without a shepehearde Herein Moses hath leaft an example for vs to imitate in making our prayers to God for the election of our Iudges For often times our opinions or iudgements of men do vtterly deceiue vs But the God of spirites doth behold the mindes and heartes kneweth what euery one is in thoughtes and inward meaning He therefore must be besought to giue and shewe to vs not hypocrites to be our Iudges but men of trueth and vertue In the same place doth Moses leaue to vs the description of consecrating newe chosen Iudges For they were set before the Lorde and handes were laide vpon them with making of prayers supplications Moreouer the office of Iudges is verie briefely but yet in moste effectuall and absolute sentences described of the Lord by the mouth of Moses in these wordes Heare the causes of your brethren and iudge righteousely betwixt euery man and his brother and the straunger that is with him Ye shal haue no respect of any person in iugement but heare the small and the greate alike and feare not the face of any man for the iudgement is Gods. Againe Iudge the people with iust iudgement Decline not in iudgement haue no respect of persons neither take thou any bribes for rewardes do blinde the eyes of the wise and doeth peruert iust causes Doe iudgement with iustice that thou mayst liue possesse the land which the Lorde thy God shal giue thee And againe Do no vniust thing in iudgement accept not the face of the poore neither feare thou the face of the mightie but iudge thou iustly vnto thy neighbor Againe Thou shalt not haue to doe with a false reporte thou shalt not followe a multitude to doe euil neither shalt thou speake in a matter of iustice according to the greater number for to peruert iudgement that is if thou séest an innocent to be condemned of the multitude do not thou therfore condemne him because the multitude hath condemned him but iudge thou iustly and committ not euil because of the many voices of the multitude Thou shalte not esteeme a poore man in his cause neither shalt thou hinder the poore of his right in his suite Keep thee farre from a false matter and the innocent and righteous see that thou slaye not Thou shalt not oppresse the straunger seeing ye your selues were straungers in the â—and of Aegypt And God verily when he had deliuered the people from the tyrannie of the kings of Aegypt did not putt them in subiection to kinges againe nor burden them with the tributes which kings are wont to exact of their subiects for he made them a common weale or an Aristocracie which was the moste excellent kind of regiment wherein the choicest men in all the multitude were piked out to beare that swaye and to rule the rest but yet because hee was not ignorant of his peoples foolishenesse and that they being wearie of their libertie woulde craue a king which thing he did afterward also disuade them from by his seruaunt Samuel he made lawes for a king also that hee might vnderstand that he was to liue vnder the lawes and to giue iudgement according to the lawes The discipline or institution of a king is thus expressed in the 17 Chapter of Deuteronomium WheÌ„ thou art come into the land which the lord thy God giueth thee and shalte saye I wil set a king ouer mee like as all the nations that are about me then thou shalt make him king ouer thee whome the Lord thy God shall choose One from among the middest of thy brethren shalte thou make king ouer thee and thou mayest not set a straunger ouer thee which is not of thy brethren But he shall not gather many horses vnto him selfe nor bring the people back againe into Aegypt to increase the number of horses that is to get him selfe a strong troope of horse men for as much as the Lorde hath saide ye shall hencefoorth go no more againe that waye Also let him not take many wiues to him selfe least his heart turne awaye neither let him gather too much siluer and golde And when he is sett vppon the seate of his kingdome he shall write him out a copie of this law in a booke according to the copie of the booke which the priestes the Leuites do vse and it shal bee with him he ought to reade therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to feare the Lorde his God and to keepe all the woordes of this lawe and these ordinaunces for to do them And let not his hart arise aboue his brethren neither let him turne from the commandement either to the right hand or to the leaft that hee may prolong his dayes in his kingdome both hee and his sonnes in the middest of Israel Thus much hitherto of the magistrates of Iudges and of kinges Nowe I suppose that in this institution of a kinge all thinges are conteined which are moste largely set out by other authors touching the discipline and education of a Prince And by the waye this is especially to bée noted that Kinges are not set as Lordes and rulers ouer the worde and lawes of God but are as subiectes to bee iudged of God by the worde as they that ought to rule and gouerne all thinges according to the rule of his worde and commaundements And here I haue to rehearsâ— vnto you some of the Iudiciall lawes I meane not all and euery seueral one but those alone which are the chiefe choicest to be noted by which ye may consider of the rest and plainly perceiue that the people of Israel were not destitute of anye lawe which was necessarie and profitable for their good state and welfare I will recite them vnto you as briefely as may bee
The eighth Sermon ALthough I haue hitherto in large Sermons layed foorth the lawe of God by seuerall partes yet mée thinketh I haue not sayde all that should be sayde nor made an ende as I should doe vnlesse I adde nowe a treatise of the vse effect fulfilling and abrogating of the lawe of God albeit I haue here and there in my Sermons touched the same argument Nowe by this discourse or treatise dearely beloued ye shal vnderstand that the testamēt of the olde and newe church of God is all one and that there is but one meanes of true saluation for all them that either haue or else at this present are saued in the worlde ye shall also perceiue wherein the olde testament doth differ from the newe Moreouer this treatise wil bee necessarie and verie profitable both to the vnderstanding of many places in the holy Scripture and also to the easie perceiuing and moste hoalesome vse of those thinges which I haue saide hitherto touching the lawe God who is the author the wisedome and the perfect fulnesse of the lawe giue mée grace to speake those thinges that are to the setting foorth of his glorie and profitable for the health of your soules The vse of Gods lawe is manifolde and of sundrie sortes and yet it may be called backe to thrée especiall poyntes and wee may saye that the vse therof is thréefold or of thrée sorts For firste of all the chiefe and proper office of the lawe is to conuince all men to be guiltie of sinne and by their owne fault to be the children of death For the lawe of God setteth foorth to vs the holie will of God and in the setting forth thereof requireth of vs a moste perfecte and absolute kinde of righteousnesse And for that cause the lawe is wont to be called the testimonie of Gods will and the moste perfect exampler of his diuine purenesse And hereunto belong those wordes of the Lord in the Gospell where he recitinge shortly the summe of Gods cōmaundements doth say The firste of all the commaundements is Heare O Israel the Lorde our God is one Lorde and thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde and with all thy strength This is the firste commandement and the seconde like to this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe There is none other commaundement greater then these Therefore to this doeth also apperteine that sayinge of the Apostle Paule The end of the commaundement is charitie out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned But since the law doth require at all our handes most absolute righteousnesse charitie and a pure heart it doth condemne all men of sinne vnrighteousnesse and death For in the lawe of God it is expressely said Cursed is euery one whiche abideth not in all that is writtē in the booke of the lawe to doe it But what one of vs fulfilleth all the pointes of the lawe what mā I pray either heretofore hath had or at this day hath a pure heart within him What man hath euer loued or doeth now loue God with all his heart with all his soule and with all his minde What man is he that did neuer luste after euill Or who is it now y lusteth not euery day Therefore imperfection and sinne is by the lawe or by the bewraying of the lawe reuealed in mankinde What shall we say to this where I pray you doth there appeare in any man that diuine and most absolute righteousnesse whiche the lawe requireth Iob crieth I knowe verilie that a man compared to God cannot be iustified Or How shall a man be found righteous if hee be compared to God If he wil argue with him he shall not be able to aunswere one for a thousand If I haue any righteousnes in me I will not answere him but I will beseech my Iudge Like to these are the words of the Apostle Iohn who saith If wee say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Againe If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in vs. Therefore by this meanes the lawe is a certaine looking glasse wherein we behold our owne corruption frailnesse imbecillitie imperfection oure iudgement that is our iust and deserued damnation For the Apostle doth expressely say that the law was giuen to the end that it might make manifest mens trāsgressions and by that meanes driue them to the acknowledging of their imperfection and guilt in sinning For none of vs doth looke into his owne boosome nor into the secrets of his owne breast but wee do all flatter our selues and will not be persuaded that our thoughts and deedes are so corrupt as they bee in very deede and therefore doth the lawe creepe in and lay open the secrets of our hearts and bringeth to lighte oure sinne and corruption Before the lawe saith the Apostle although sinne were in the world yet was it not imputed The same Apostle also saith The lawe worketh wrath for where there is no lawe there is no transgression And againe By the lawe cōmeth the knowledge of sinne For in the 7. to the Romans the same Apostle doth say more fully I knew not sin but by the lawe For I had not knowen luste excepte the law had said Thou shalt not lust But sinne taking occasion by the cōmaundement wrought in me al maner of concupiscence For without the lawe sin was dead I once liued without lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued and I was dead And it was found that the same commaundement which was ordeyned vnto life was vnto me an occasion of death c. For a good part of that Chapiter is spent in that matter Therefore the proper office of Moses and the principal vse and effecte of the lawe is to shew to man his sinne and imperfection As for those which staye heere and goe no further to make any other vse and effecte of the lawe but as thoughe Moses did nothing but kill the lawe nothing but slay they are diuersly and that not lightly deceiued I do here againe repeate it and tel them that the very proper office of the lawe is to make sinne manifest also that Moses his chiefe office is to teach vs what wée haue to doe with threateninges and cursings to vrge it especially whē the law is compared with the Gospel For in the third Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Paul calleth the law the letter and immediately after the ministration of death then againe hée calleth it a doctrine written in letters and incke and figured in tables of stone which should not endure but perish and decay The same Apostle on the otherside againe doeth call the Gospel the ministration or doctrine of the spirite which endureth decayeth not which is written in mens hearts giueth life to the beléeuers
of Christ Iesu haue nothing to doe with the decrées of mans inuentions and that they are not bound to obserue mens traditions because they are dead to traditions with Christ that is to say they are by Christ Iesu redéemed and set frée from traditions whiche traditions did in Christe his deathe finishe and come to an ende while hee did make vs his owne and sett vs at libertie Then also hée doth by imitation counterfaite the woordes of them whiche make those decrées saye Oh touch not Taste not Handle not These thrée preceptes stretch very farre and comprehende manye petit decrées All which hee doeth unmediately confute with these probable argumentes First because they appoinct the worshippe of GOD to be in thinges that perish in the vse thereof But the kingdome of God is neither meate nor drincke but doth consiste in spirituall thinges And that whiche entereth in by the mouth doeth not defile the man Secondarilie béecause they are not made of God the authour of all goodnesse but haue their beginning of mans inuentions But in vaine doe they worshippe mée sayeth the Lord in the Gospell teaching doctrines the preceptes of men Neither doeth the holy Apostle saincte Paul wincke at and slylie passe ouer because hée will not aunsweare to the thinges whiche doe most commende these traditions First of all they are commended for the shewe and appearaunce of wisedome that is in them For they séeme to haue béene not without great wisedome ordeined of wise menne in that they doe so fittlie serue to euerye person time and place The earnest defenders of mens traditions crie out and saye Oure auncestours weee no fooles their lawes are full of wisedome But Ieremie cryeth out on the other side saying They haue reiected the woord of GOD therefore what wisedome can bee in them An other cause why traditions are commended is the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a chosen kinde of worshippe which wée of our owne braynes haue chosen and taken to oure selues to serue and do God worship with all For men do gladly and willingly receiue the traditions of men because they are agréeable to their inclination Yea Christ in the holie Gospell sayth If ye had beene of the world the world would haue loued her owne Nowe for because I haue chosen you out of the worlde the world doth hate you And againe hée saith That whiche men set great store by is abhominable vnto God. Moreouer mens traditions are commended for humilitie which is vnderstoode in two manners or respectes For first that is said to be humilitie if any man doe readily obey and easilie yéeld to that which is vrged obtruded and thrust vpon him by men of countenaunce and authoritie Secondarilie the lawes of men do séeme to exercise humblenesse and kéepe men in humilitie But such obedience and humilitie may rather bée called sacrilege because it is not ruled and directed by the woord of God as the thinge whereby alone it should be tempered and squared but doth transferre and conueighe ouer the honour of GOD from God to men Last of all mens traditions are commended for the neglectinge of the fleshe For Oh that discipline and chasticemente of the fleashe séemeth to them a goodlye thinge by whiche the wantonnesse of the flesh is somewhat brideled and tamed Finallie the Apostle addeth Not in any honour to the satistyinge of the fleshe that is to say Whiche thinges although they haue a shewe of religion and holinesse haue notwithstanding in verie déede no honour at all considering that those externall things are ordeined of GOD for the ease and reléefe of menns necessities Yea Paul doth flatly finde fault with those decrées because they giue the bodie no honour for the satisfying of the same that is according to the measure of the bodies necessitie For a moderate care and looking to the bodie is not only permitted but also commanded least wée perhapps by too muche lacke and neerenesse do marre the bodie and make it vnapt to doe good woorkes Neither is the care of the flesh in any place forbidden vnlesse it tend to lustes and sensualitie Wherfore the Apostle saith Cherish not the flesh vnto concupiscence Therefore God hath graunted to man for his necessitie the vse of meate drincke sléepe cloathing reste alloweable pleasures and other thinges necessarie In the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians Saincte Paule saith When the fullnesse of the time was come God sent his sonne borne of a womā and made vnder the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe that wee mighte receiue by adoption the right or inheritaunce of children Nowe because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God thoroughe Christ And immediatly after againe Stand faste in the libertie wherewith Christe hath deliuered vs and bee not againe wrapped in the yoke of bondage In the second to the Hebrues hée saith Christe was made partaker of fleshe and bloud with vs to the ende that throughe death he might expell him that had Lordship ouer death that is the diuell and that hee might deliuer them which through feare of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage Thus I hope these testimonies of Scripture suffice for our purpose These thinges being wel weighed and throughly considered will plainely teache what kinde of libertie they haue whiche are made frée by Christ and what their propertie and inclination is to witt most religious and altogether giuen to holy thinges that is to say in all points addicted to the spirite without whiche there is no libertie and by which al the sonnes of God are alwayes gouerned The Lords frée men doe most diligently beware that they doe vnaduisedly offend no man by their libertie nor vainely abuse their purchased fréedome For they haue continuallie before their minds and eyes the weightie sayings of the holie Apostles of their Lord Christe Iesu Sainct Peter in the second Chapter of his first Epistle saith As free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of God. And Paule hath Brethren ye haue beene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one an other For I when I am free haue made mee selfe seruaunte to all that I maye winne the more They therefore do specially abuse Christiā libertie who seeking after carnall things vnder the colour and pretence of the spirite and of libertie doe make their bragges that they by the preachinge of the Gospell are set free from all bodily debtes dueties and therefore they do denye to their maisters creditours magistrates and princes the dutie that they owe them by that meanes reuolting and rebelling againste them These fellowes are seditious stirrers and not the reuerencers of the Euangelical doctrin Paule crieth Giue to
33 By the word of the Lord were the heauens made all the hoastes of them by the breath of his mouth c. 633. 34 This poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles c. 741 37 A good man is mercifull and lendeth guideth his woords with discretion c. 288 37 Yet a little and the vngodly shal be no where and when thou lookest in his place c. 300 38 Rebuke me not in thine anger O Lord neither chasten me in thy c. 919 38 Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thine hand doth presse mée sore c. 565 45 All the beasts of the woods are mine and the cattel c. 127 45 The Lord shall reigne for euer and his kingdom is a kingdome of all ages c. 638 45 Thy God hath annoynted thée with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes c. 705 50 Offer to the Lord the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vowes c. 113. 657. 922. 50 Why doest thou take my couâ—naunt in thy mouth c. When thou sawest a theefe thou consentedst vnto him c. 237 50 Whosoeuer offereth me thanks and praise he honoureth me c. 953 51 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thine holy spirite from me c. 722 51 Behold I was borne in wickednes in sinne hath my mother conceuied me 496 51 Make mee a cleane heart O Lord and renue a right spirit within me 819 51 Haue mercie vpon me O God according to the greatnesse of thy mercie For I â–ª c. 572 54 O come lee vs sing vnto the Lord let vs hartily reioyce in God eure saluation c. 651 61 Thou O Lord shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither shalt thou suffer thine holy one to sée corruption c. 764 62 Put your trust in God alwayes powre out your heartes before him c. 282 67 God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs snewe vs the light of his c. 944 72 Touching the infelicitie of the vngodly thou verily hast sett them in slipperie places c. 300 73 Touching the prosperitie of the wicked my feete were almost gone my treadings c. 292 75 Make vowes and paye them c. 381 78 The things that we haue heard and knowen suche as our fathers haue â—ould vs c. 622 79 Help vs O Lord of our saluasion for the glorie of thy name c. 921 81 In thine extremities and troubles O Israel thou calledst vppon mée and I deliuered thée c. 657 82 Man is the liuely image of god c 650 89 Thou Lord rulest the raging of the sea thou stillest the waues therof when they arise c. 639 91 Call vppon mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie mée c. 657 91 There shall no euill come vnto thée neither shall any plagne comâ— néere thy dwelling c. 741 91 Thou art my hope O Lord thou hast set thine house very highâ— c. 305 94 Vnderstand ye vnwise among the people ye fooles at length be wise c. 614 97 Thou Lord art higher than all that are in the earth Thou art exalted farre aboue all Gods c. 610 102 Heare my prayer O God and let my crie come vnto thée c. 914 103 The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and of great kindnesse c. 644. 942 103 Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mée blesse c. 952 103 Euen as the father pityeth his children so doeth the Lord pirie them c. 57 103 Praise the Lord O my soule and forgeâ—t not the thinges that hee hath done for thee c. 567 103 O praise the lord all ye angels of his ye that excell in strengthe yée that fulfil his commaundement c. 738 104 Of the fruite of thy works O God shal the earth be filled c. 639. 104 All thinges waite vppon thée that thou mayest giue them meate in due season c. 947 104 Whiche maketh his Angels spirites his ministers a flaming fire c. 714 110 The Lord sware and will not repent hun Thou art a priest for euer after tâ—e order of Melchisedech c. 704 110 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand c. 59. 633. 692. 699. 110 In the mightie power of holinesse the dewe of thy byrthe is to thée of the wombe of the morning c. 62 113 The idols of the heathen are siluer and gold the workes of mens hands c. 118 113 The Lord is higher than all nations and his glorie is aboue the heauens c. 610 116 Onely God is true and euery man a liar c. 834 118 The pathe of life shalt thou make knowen to mée the fulnesse c. 71 118 The stone which the builders refused is the head of the corner c. 861 119 Seuen times in a daye doe I praise thée c. 936 119 It is good for me Lord that thou hast troubled mée c. 294 119 I haue longed after thy commaundements c. 324 119 The praise of Gods word c. 253 120 Lord deliuer mee from lying lippes and a deceiptfull tongue c. 324 123 Our GOD is in heauen hée hath done what soeuer pleased him c. 945 128 The labours of thine handes shalt thou eate O well is thée and happie c. 269 135 I know that the Lord is great that he is aboue al Gods c. 639 136 Oh praise the Lord for hée is good because his mercie endureth for euer c. 164. 570 138 Whether shall I goe from the breath of thy mouth and whether shall I flée from thy countenaunce c. 610 139 Thou O Lord knowest my downe-sitting and mine vp-rising thou spyest out all my wayes c. 638 141 Let my prayer bee directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vpp of my hands as an euening sacrifice c. 658 141 The righteous shall sinite mée friendly but the precious baulmes of the wicked c. 324 142 Enter not into iudgment with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shal no man liuing c. 467. 555 145 When thou giuest it them they gather it when thou openest thy hand they are filled c. 714 145 The Lord is nigh vnto al that call vpon him vnto all such as c. 922 145 The Lord is iust in all his wayes and holy in all his workes c. 494 145 The eyes of all things do loke vpp vnto thée O Lord and thou giuest c. 947 145 The Lord vpholdeth such as fall and lifteth vpp all those that be downe c. 639 147 Great is oure Lord and great is his power and of his wisedome there is none end c. 639 ¶ Out of the Prouerbes of Solomon 1 MY sonne if sinners entice thée consent not vnto them c. 168 3 My sonne refuse not the chastening of
that séede and branch of life should come Moreouer the holy fathers taught that God by a certaine league hath ioyned him selfe to mankind and that he hath most streightly bounde him selfe to the faythful and the faythfull likewise to him selfe againe Wherevpon they did teache to be faythfull to God ward to honour God to hate false Gods to call vpon the onely God and to worship him deuoutly Furthermore they taught that the worship of God did consist in things spirituall as fayth hope charitie obedience vpright dealing holinesse innocencie patience trueth iudgement and godlinesse And therfore did they reprehend naughtinesse and sinne falshoode lacke of beliefe desperation disobedience vnpatientnesse lying hypocrisie hatred dispitefull tauntes violence wrong vnrightuous dealing vncleannesse riottousnesse surfetting whoredome vnrighteousnesse and vngodlynesse They taught that God was a rewarder of good but a punisher and reuenger of euill They taught that the soules of men were immortall and that the bodyes shoulde rise againe in the daye of iudgement therefore they exhorted vs all so to liue in this temporall life that we doe not lese the life eternall This is the sum of the worde of God reuealed to the fathers and by them deliuered to their posteritie This is the traditiō of the holy fathers which cōprehendeth al religion Finally this is the true auncient vndoubted authenticall catholike faith of the fathers Besides this the holy fathers taught their children childers children the accompt of the yeares from the beginning of the world also the true historicall course as well profitable as necessarie of things from the creation of the worlde euen vnto their owne times leaste peraduenture their children shoulde be ignoraunt of the beginning and succession of worldlye things and also of the iudgementes of God and examples of them whiche liued as well godly as vngodly I coulde declare vnto you all this euidently and in verye good order out of the first booke of Moses called Genesis if it were not that thereby the sermen shoulde be drawne out somewhat longer then the vse is But I suppose that there are few or rather none at al here present whiche doe not perceiue that I haue rehearsed this that I haue said touching the tradition of the auncient fathers as it were worde for worde out of the booke of Genesis so that nowe I maye very well go forwarde in the narration which I haue begonne So then what so euer hitherto was of the fathers deliuered to the world by worde of mouth as it were from hand to hande that was first of all put into writing by the holy man Moses together with those thinges whiche were done in al the time of Moses life by the space of 120. yeares And that his estimation might be the greater throughout all the worlde among all men and in all ages and that none shoulde but knowe that the writings of Moses were the very worde of God it selfe Moses was furnished and as it were consecrated by God with signes and wonders to be meruelled at in déede whiche the almightie by the hande that is by the ministerie of Moses did bring to passe and verily he wrought them not in any corner of the worlde or place vnknowne but in Egypt the moste flourishing and renoumed kingdome of that age Those miracles were greater and farre more by many then that they can be here rehearsed in fewe wordes neyther is it néedful to repeate them bicause you dearely beloued are not vnskilfull or ignorant of them at al. After that also God by other meanes procured authoritie to Moses For many and often times God had communication with Moses and amongst the rest of his talke sayde he Beholde I will come to thee in a thicke cloude that the people may heare me talking with thee may beleue thee for euermore Neyther was the Lord therewith content but commaunded Meles to call together all the people sixe hundreth thousand men I say with their wiues and children They are called out to the mount Sina where God appeareth in a wonderfull and terrible fashion and he him selfe preaching to the congregation doth rehearse vnto them the ten Commaundements But the people being terrified with the maiestie of God doth pray and beséech that God him self would no more afterward preach to the congregatiō with his owne mouth saying that it were inoughe if he would vse Moses as an interpreter to them and by him speake to the Church The most high God did like the offer and after that he spake to the people by Moses what soeuer he would haue done And for bycause that the people was a stifnecked people by keping company with Idolaters in Egypt was not a little corrupted Moses nowe began to set downe in writing those things whiche the holy fathers by tradition had taught the things also which the Lorde had reuealed vnto him The cause why he wrote them was least peraduenture by obliuion continuance of time and obstinancie of a people so slowe to beleeue they might either perish or else be corrupted The Lord also set Moses an example to folow For what so euer God had spoken to the Church in Mount Sina that same did he streight way after write with his owne finger in two tables of stone as he had with his finger frō the beginning of the world writtē the same in the harts of the fathers Afterward also in plain words he commaunded Moses to write what soeuer the Lord had reueled Moses obeyed the Lordes commaundement and writ them The holy Gheste whiche was wholye in the mynde of Moses directed his hand as he writ There was no abilitie wanting in Moses that was necessarie for a most absolute writer He was aboundantly instructed by his auncestours For he was borne of the holiest progenie of those fathers whome God had appointed to be witnesses of his will commaundements and iudgements suppose Amram Kahad Iacob Sem Methusalem and Adam He was able therefore to write a true and certain Hystorie from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill his owne time Wherevnto he added those thinges which were done among the people of God in his owne life time whereof he was a very true witnesse as one that sawe and heard them Yea and that more is whatsoeuer he did set forth in his bookes that did he read to his people and amongst so many thousandes was there not one found which gainsayed that whiche he rehearsed so that the whole consent and witnesse-bearing of the great congregation did bring no small authoritie to the writings of Moses Moses therefore contained in the fiue bookes called the fiue books of Moses an hystorie from the beginning of the world euē vnto his own death by the space of 2488. yeres In which he declared most largely the Reuelation of the worde of God made vnto men whatsoeuer the word of God dothe containe and teach In which as we haue the manyfolde Oracles of God him self
weales or CongregatioÌ„s yea and that more is the most flourishing Kingdomes in all the world vnder their authoritie All the wysemen in the whole worlde I meane â—hose whiche liued in his time did reuerence Solomon a King and so great a Prophet and came vnto him from the very vtmoste endes of the worlde Daniel also had the preeminence among the wisemen at Babilon being then the moste renoumed Monarchie in all the worlde He was moreouer in great estimation with Darius Medus the Sonne of Astyages or Assuerus and also with Cyrus that moste excellent king And here it lyketh me well to speake somewhat of that diuine foreknowledge in our Prophets and moste assured foreshewing of things which were to come after many yeares passed And now to say nothing of others did not Esaias most truly foretell those things which were afterward fulfilled by the Iewes in our Lord Christ Not in vaine did he séeme to them of olde time to be rather an Euangelist then a Prophete foretelling thinges to come He did openly tel the name of king Cyrus one hundred and thréescore yeares at the least before that Cyrus was borne Daniel also was called of them in the olde time by the name of one whiche knewe muche For he did foretell those things whiche are and haue béen done in al the kingdomes of the world almost and among the people of God from his owne time vntil the time of Christ and further vntill the last day of Iudgement so plainely that hee may séeme to haue compiled an hystorie of those thinges whiche then were already gone and past Al these things I say doe very euidently proue that the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes are the very word of God with whiche name and title they are set fooâ—the in sundrie places of the Scriptures Verily Peter the Apostle saithe The prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghoste And although God did largely clearly plainely and simply reueale his woâ—d to the world by the Patriarchs by Mâ—ses by the Priestes and Prophetes yet did he in the laste times of all by his Sonne set it forth moste clearely simply and aboundantly to al the worlde For the very and onely begotten Sonne of God the father as the Prophetes had foretolde descending from Heauen doth fulfill al what soeuer they foretolde and by the space almoste of thrée yeares dothe teach all pointes of Godlinesse For saith Iohn No man at any time hath seene God the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hathe declared him The Lord himselfe moreouer saith to his Disciples Al things which I haue herd of my Father haue I made knowne to you And again he saith I am the light of the world whosoeuer doth followe me doth not walke in darkenes but shall haue the light of life Our Lord also did teache that to him whiche would enter into Heauen and be saued the heauenly regeneration was néedeful bicause in the first byrth man is borne to death in the second to life But that that regeneration is made perfect in vs by the spirit of God whiche instrueteth our hartes in faith I say in faith in Christ who died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification He taught that by that faith they whiche beleeue are iustified that out of the same faith doe growe sundrie fruites of charitie and innocencie to the bringing foorthe wherof he did most earnestly exhorte them He taught furthermore that he was the fulfilling or fulnes of the law and the Prophets and did also approue and expound the doctrine of Moses and the Prophetes To doctrine he ioyned diuerse miracles and benefites wherby he declared that he him selfe was that light of the world and the mightie bountifull redéemer of the world And to the intent that his doctrine and benefites might be knowne to all the worlde he chose to himselfe witnesses whome he called Apostles bicause he purposed to sende them to Preache throughout the world Those witnesses were simple men innocentes iust tellers of trueth without deceipt or subtilties and in all pointes holy and good whose names it is very profitable often to repeate in the Congregation The names of the Apostles are these Peter and Andrewe Iames and Iohn Philippe and Bartholomevve Thomas Mathevv Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe Iudas his brother vvhose surname vvas Thaddaeus Simon and Iudas Iscariot into whose roome because he had betraied the Lord came Saint Matthias These had he by the space almoste of thrée yeares hearers of his heauenly doctrine and beholders of his diuine workes These after his ascension in to the Heauens did he by the holy ghost send downe from Heauen instruct with all kinde of faculties For as they were in the Scriptures passing skilful so were they not vnskilfull or wanting eloquence in any tongue And being once after this manner instructed they depart out of the Citie of Ierusalem and passe through the compasse of the earthe preaching to all people and Nations that which they had receiued to preach of the sauiour of the world the Lord Iesus Christ And when for certaine yeares they had preached by woord of mouth then did they also set downe in writing that whiche they had preached For some verily writ an hystorie of the words and deeds of Christ and some of the wordes and déedes of the Apostles Other some sent sondrie Epistles to diuers Nations In all which to confirme the trueth they vse the Scripture of the lawe and the Prophetes euen as we reade that the Lorde oftentimes did Moreouer to the twelue Apostles are ioyned two greate lightes of the world Iohn Baptiste then whom there was neuer any more holy borne of women and the chosen vessel Paule the greate teacher of the Gentiles Neither is it to be merueiled at that the forerunner and Apostles of Christ had always very great dignity and authoritie in the Churche For euen as they were the embassadours of the eternall King of all ages and of the whole worlde so being indued with the spirit of God they did nothing according to the iudgement of theyr owne mindes And the Lord by theyr ministerie wrought great myracles thereby to garnishe the ministerie of them and to commend their doctrine vnto vs And what may be thought of that moreouer that by that woorde of God they did conuert the whole world gathering together laying the foundations of notable Churches through out the compasse of the world which verely by mans counsell and wordes they had neuer béene able to haue brought to passe To this is further added that they whiche once leaned to this doctrine as a doctrine giuing life did not refuse to die Besides that how many soeuer had their beliefe in the doctrine of the Gospell they were not afraide through water fire swordes to cutte of this life and
not absolutely perfect As for those whiche doe earnestly affirme that all pointes of godlynesse were taught by the Apostles to the posteritie by worde of mouth and not by writing their purpose is to set to sale their owne that is mens ordinaunces in steade of the worde of God. But against this poyson my brethren take this vnto you for a medicine to expell it Conferre the things whiche these fellowes set to sale vnder the colour of the Apostles traditions taught by worde of mouthe and not by writing with the manifest writings of the Apostles and if in any place you shall perceiue those traditions to disagrée with the scriptures then gather by and by that it is the forged inuention of men and not the Apostles tradition For they which had one and the same spirite of trueth lefte not vnto vs one thing in writing and taught an other thing by worde of mouthe Furthermore we muste diligently search whether those traditions do set forward the glory of God rather then of men or the safetie of the faythfull rather then the priuate aduauntage of the Priestes And we muste take héede of mens traditions especially since the Lorde sayth In vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men So that nowe the surest way is to cleaue to the word of the Lorde lefte to vs in the Scriptures whiche teacheth aboundantly all thinges that belong to true godlynesse It remayneth nowe for me to tell in what manner of sorte this perfecte doctrine of godlynesse and saluation I meane the very word of God ought to be hearde of the faythfull to the intent it may be hearde with some fruit to profite them aboundantly I will in fewe wordes containe it Let the worde of God be hearde with greate reuerence whiche of right is due to God him selfe and godly things Let it be hearde very attentiuely with continuall prayers betwéene and earnest requestes Let it be hearde soberly to our profite that by it we may become the better that God by vs maye be gloryfied and not that we go curiously about to search out the hidden counselles of God or desire to be counted skilfull and experte in many matters Let true fayth the glory of God and our saluation be appointed as the measure and certaine ende of oure hearing and reading For In Exodus Moses the holy seruaunt of God is commaunded to sanctifie the people and make them in a readinesse to heare the sacred Sermon whiche God him selfe did mynd to make the next daye after Moses therefore commeth and demaundeth of the whole people due obedience to be shewed as well to God as to his Ministers Then commaundeth he them to washe their garmentes to abstaine from their wiues After that he appointeeh certaine limites beyonde whiche it was not lawful vpon paine of death for them to passe By this we plainely learne that the Lorde doth require suche to be his Disciples to heare him as doe especially shewe obedience and reuerence to God in all thinges For he being God speaketh to vs men all we men owe vnto God honoure and feare A man vnlesse he become lowly humble and obedient to God is altogether godlesse Then is it required at the handes of those whiche are méete hearers of the worde of God that they lay aparte worldly affaires whiche are signified by the garments to treade vnder foote all filthynesse and vncleannesse of soule and bodye to refraine for a season euen from those pleasures whiche are lawfull vnto vs The holy Ghost dothe loue the myndes that are purely cleansed whiche yet notwithstanding are not cleansed but by the spirite of god Néedefull it is to haue a sincere beliefe in God and a ready good will and desire to liue according to that whiche is commaunded in the word of god Moreouer we muste be wise to sobrietie Ouer curious questions must be set aside Let things profitable to saluation only be learned Last of all let especial héede be takeÌ„ in hearing and learning For saythe Solomon If thou wilt seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalte obteine it Againe he sayth The searcher out of Gods maiestie shall be ouerwhelmed by his wonderfull glory And againe he sayth Seeke not things too highe for thee neyther goe about to searche out things aboue thy strengthe but what God hath commaunded thee that thinke thou always on and be not ouer curious to knowe his infinite workes for it is not expedient for thee to see his hidden secrets with thine eyes Wherevpon the Apostle Paul sayth Let no man thinke arrogantly of him selfe but so thinke that he may be modest and sober according as God to euery one hath giuen the measure of fayth And hereto belongeth that which the same Apostle saythe Knowledge puffeth vp but charitie doth edifie But chiefly we muste beware of those plagues which choake the séede of the worde of God and quenche it without any fruite at all in the hearts of the hearers Those plagues and diseases hath the Lorde rehcarsed or reckoned vp in the parable of the sower For first of all wanton and vaine cogitations whiche alwaies lye wide open to the inspirations of Satan and talke of naughtie men are plagues to the word of god Also voluptuous and deintie louers of this world who can not abide to suffer any affliction for Christ and his Gospell do without any fruite at all heare Gods worde although they seeme to giue eare vnto it very ioyfully Furthermore the care of this worlde and the deceit of riches are moste pestilent diseases in the hearers of the worde of god For they doe not onely hinder the séede that it can not bring soorthe fruite in their heartes but also they doe stirre vp and egge men forwarde to gaynesay the worde of God and to afflict the earnest desirers of Gods worde Here therefore we muste take héede diligently leaste being infected with these diseases we become vaine and vnthankfull hearers of the worde of god We must praye continually that the bountifull and liberall Lorde will vouchsafe to bestowe on vs his spirit that by it the séed of Gods word may be quickned in our heartes and that we as holy and right hearers of his worde may beare fruite aboundantly to the glory of God and the euerlasting saluation of oure owne soules For what will it auayle to heare the worde of God without fayth and without the holy spirite of God to worke or stir inwardly in our hearts The Apostle Paule sayth He whiche watreth is nothing nor he whiche planteth but it is God whiche giueth increase We haue néede therefore of Gods watering that the word of God may growe to a perfect age may receiue increase yea and may come also to the bringing foorthe of ripe fruite within our mindes The same Aposâ—le Paule saythe To vs also is the worde of God declared euen as vnto our fathers But it auayled them nothing to heare the worde bycause it was not ioyned with
vs which iudge very fondly of them and bestow on them the honour due to God in worshipping and calling vpō them as we should worship and call vpon our tutours and defenders The very deuils and deuilish men shal be straunge Gods if we for feare shall stande in awe of them more then of God to whō in déede our feare is due The starres the Planets and signes in the firmament shall be strange Gods if we being deceiued with the Mathematicals shall wholy hang on them and in all our doings euermore haue regarde to the impressions of the skie directing euery minute of oure liues to the course of the starres Likewise if we shall honour and loue money or men with honour or loue due vnto God then shal this money and men of ours be imputed to vs for straunge Gods. King Asa is blamed 2. Paral. 7. for putting too muche confidence in Physicke and Physicians Physicke and Physicians therefore may be abused and made strange Gods. The Iewes are rebuked by the Lord in Esay cap. 30. for trusting too much in the Egyptians their confederates Confederates therefore may be abused and made straunge Gods. But most of all are condemned here the leagues and couenaunts made with the deuill by witchraft to haue him at commaundement Those blessings also whiche of right ought rather to be called cursings I meane superstitious exorcismes or coniurations are vtterly to be reiected wherin also this is blame-worthy that the name of the moste high God is horribly abused and takē in vaine But what is he that can exactly reckō vp euery particular thing wherein this firste commaundement is transgressed considering that in it is taught the perfect rule of godlynesse whiche is the inward worship done to God to wit to acknowledge God to beléeue him to thinke rightly of him to call vpon him to cleaue vnto him and in all things to obey him The second precept of the ten Commaundementes is Thou shalt not make to thee selfe a grauen Image nor any likenesse of those thinges which are in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them I am the Lorde thy God strong and iealous visiting the fathers sinnes in the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy vnto thousandes to them that loue me and keepe my Commaundements In the first commaundement the Lorde did teache and drawe out before our eyes the patterne of his inwarde worship and religion nowe here in the seconde he amendeth that which might be amisse in the outward rites and ceremonies If we coulde haue rightly iudged of God and haue kept as deuouth as we shoulde the firste Commaundement then should there haue bene no néede of the seconde but bicause God knew our disposition nature he doth therfore expresly forbid the thing that otherwise we would haue done For many there are whiche thinke that God ought to be portraied in some similitude or likenesse and to be worshipped with some bodily or visible reuerence in offering golde siluer pearles yuorie and precious thinges of price Wherefore the generall ende of this commaundement is to drawe them from those grosse imaginations and carnal worshippings of God who as he is an incomprehensible power and an eternall spirit so can he not be resembled to any corruptible similitude he will be worshipped in spirite and holinesse Vnder the name of the Ivole or imagined likenesse is conteined all the outwarde reuerence done therevnto when therefore the Idols are forbidden together with them is also forbidden all outward honour irreligiously exhibited to the true and very god For whersoeuer an Idole is there muste the Idolaters set him vp a pillour place him in a seate erect him an altar and builde him a temple And all these againe require kéepers and ouerséers Ministers or Priestes sacrifices and offerings ceremonies furnitures holy dayes cost and labour that will neuer be ended In this sense did the Prophetes say that Idolatrous images were endlesse labours and infinit miseries For after images are once receiued there is no ende or measure of expences and toyle This doth experience teache to be true Nowe to procéede this commaundement standeth of thrée seuerall partes For first of all God flatly forbiddeth to make a grauen image or other kinde of Idole that is God doth vtterly forbid to set vp or hallow to him any image of what shape or substance soeuer it be For as God will not so in déede he can not be expresly represented in any manner of likenesse Nowe in this commaundement are reckoned vp in a manner al the similitudes of those things whervnto we are wont in portraying to liken our pictures Thou shalt not sayth he fashion like vnto God any shape or figure of those things which are in heauen which are I say aboue vs Aboue vs are the celestial bodies the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and diuers birdes of sundry fashions In all whiche figures and shapes almost no smal number of the Gentiles did solemnly honour and reuerently worship the name of god Thou shalt not liken vnto God saith he any shape or fashion of those thinges that are in the earth In the earth are men beasts hearbes shrubbes trées and such like Nowe it is manifest that the Gentils worshipped God vnder the likenesse of men and beastes Cornelius Tacitus writing of the Germanes sayth But by the greatnesse of the visible celestiall bodyes they doe coniecture and verily thinke that the Gods are neyther inclosed in walles nor yet in fauour resembling mens visages and therefore doe they hallow woods and groues calling that hidden mysterie by the name of the Gods which with outwarde eyes they see not but with inward reuerence alone Lo here our auncestours worshipped God in the likenesse of trées and woods whiche neuerthelesse men are forbidden here to doe euen as also we are prohibited to worship our God in the likenesse of any thing that is in or vnder the water The Philistines worshipped God in the image of a fishe For Dagon their God bare the shape of a fishe Egypt honoured God in the similitude of Serpents All which and many other Paule knitteth vp together in the first to the Romanes where he argueth againste the Gentiles and saith Their foolishe heart was blinded when they counted them selues wise they became fooles and turned the glory of the incorruptible God vnto the likenesse not only of a mortall man but also of birdes and of fourefooted beastes and of creeping beastes Against this madnesse is the first part of the lawe directly giuen But nowe the cause why God wil not be represented in any visible or sensible image is this God is a spirit God is vnmeasurable incomprehensible vnspeakable all ouer and euery where filling heauen and earth eternall lyuing giuing life vnto and preseruing all things and lastly of a glorious maiestie exalted
all Goods ordinances scant any one can be found that is more commendable or profitable than wedlocke is Musonius Hierocles and other auncient sages thinke marriage to bee so necessarie to liue well and conueniently that the life of man without marriage séemeth to be maymed Euen they y heathens I meane doe make the euills and discommodities of mariage to consist in y married folkes and not in mariage For marriage of it selfe is good but many vse not well the thinge that is good and therefore they feele the smart of their foule abuse worthilie For who knoweth not that the faulte of dronkennesse is not to bee referred to wyne which is the good and holsome creature of God but to the excessiue bibbing and ouer great gréedinesse of maÌ„ which abuseth Gods good creature That which commeth out of the hart of man saith the Lord in the Gospell and not that which goeth in by the mouth defileth the man. Hereunto belongeth that saying of Paule the Apostle of Christ where hee attributeth sanctification to wedlocke for the bed saith he is vndefiled and in an other place he testifieth that the vnbeleuing husband is sanctified by the beléeuing wife hee affirmeth also that children borne in wedlocke are holy or cleane Moreouer the same Paule maketh Christ an eraÌ„ple of loue betwixt man and wife and shadoweth the mysteries of Christ and the Church by the colour of wedlocke he figureth I say a heauenly thing by an holy type that God doth allowe Wherevpon in an other place the same Apostle doth say That their doctrine is a verie doctrine of diuells which forbid men to marrie And so consequently it followeth that that is an heaueÌ„ly doctrine proceeding from God which permitteth mariage freely to all men and doth commende and reuerence it The excellencie and dignitie of matrimonie being thus vnderstoode let vs now séeke out and looke on the causes for which God hath ordeyned mariage for men to imbrace God according to his natural goodnesse directeth all his ordinaunces to the greate good and aboundant commoditie of mortal men and therefore it followeth that hee ordeyned matrimonie for the preseruatioÌ„ of mankinde to the end that mans lyfe might be pleasaunt swéete and thoroughly furnished with ioyes sufficient But al these causes may be reduced into the number of thrée First God himselfe doth say It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him an helpe therefore to be before him or to dwel with him So then that first cause whie wedlecke was instituted is mans commoditie that thereby the life of man might bée the pleasaunter and more coÌ„modious For Adam séemed not to liue halfe happilie nor sweetly enough vnlesse he had a wife to ioyne himselfe vnto which wife is not in the scriptures called an impediment or necessarie euill as certaine Poets and beastly men who hated women haue foolishly iangled but she is the helpe or arme of the man Antipater an heathen writer In sermone de Nuptiis doth wonderfullie agrée with this saying of the scripture and expresseth plainly what kinde of help and what manner of arme the wife is to her husband Whosoeuer saith hee hath not had triall of wife and children hee is vtterly ignoraunt of true mutuall goodwill Loue in wedlocke is mutuallie shewed when man and wife doe not coÌ„municate wealth children and hearts alone as friendes are wont to doe but haue their bodies in coÌ„mon also which friends cannot do And therfore Euripides laying a side the deadly hate that hee bare to women writ these verses in commendation of marriage The wife that gadds not gigglot wise with euerie flirting gill But honestly doth keepe at hoame not set to gossip still Is to her husband in his cares a passing sweete delight She heales his sicknesse all and calls againe his dying spirit By fawning on his angrie lookes she tourns them into smiles And keeps her husbaÌ„ds secrets cloase when friends worke wilie guiles For like as a man hauing one hand or one foote if by any meanes hee get himselfe an other may thereby the more easilie lay hold on what hee listeth or go whether he wil euen so he that hath married a wife shall more easilie enioy the healthfull pleasures and profitable commodities of this present life For married folkes for two eyes haue foure for two hands as many more which being ioyned together they maye the more easilie dispatche their handie businesses againe when the ones two handes are wearied the handes of the other supplie their roome kepe their worke in a forwardnesse still Mariage therfore which in steede of one member is by increase coÌ„pact of twaine is better able to passe thorough the course of this world than the single and vnwedded life Thus much out of Antipater Hierocles also in his booke de Nuptiis saith To liue with a woman is verie profitable euen beside the begetting of children For first she doth welcome vs hoame that are tyred abroad with labour and traueile shee interteyneth vs seruiceablie and doth all shee maye to recreate ouâ—e wearie mindes She maketh vs forget all sorrowe and sadnesse For the troublesom cases of our life and generallie of care and busines while wee are occupied in matters abroade in bargayning in the countrie or amonge oure friends are not easilie suffered to bee troubled with oure domesticall and houshold affayres but when we haue dispatched them and are once retourned to our wiues at home so that our minds are at quiet we restoared to our ease and libertie then are our coÌ„bersome businesses well lightened eased whereby they ceasse to trouble vs any longer Neither is a wife troublesome vndoubtedly but lighteneth things that are troublesom to vs For there is nothing so heauie that man and wife liuing in concord are not able to beare especiallie if they bee both willinge to doe their indeuour And so forth The second cause why matrimonie was ordeyned is the begetting of children for the preseruation of mankinde by increase and the bringing of them vppe in the feare of the lord For the Lord blessed Adam and Eua saying Increase and multiplie replenishe the earth Paule the Apostle in his Epistle to Titus saieth Speake to the elder women that they maye teache honest thinges that they may make the younger women to be sober minded to loue their husbandes to loue their childreÌ„ to be discrete hous keepers good obedient to their husbands And againe to Timothie Adam was not deceiued but the woman was seduced notwithstandinge through bearing of children she shal bee saued if they continue in faith and charitie and holines with modestie But the begetting of children were altogether vnprofitable if they were not wel brought vppe For shée that loueth her children in déede doth bring them vp in the feare of the Lord Which bringing vppe is no small coÌ„moditie to the comon weale Church of god The glorie also and worship of God is greatly augmented when as by wedlocke there
men that wittingly and willingly without all shame commit adulterie To Abimelech king of the Philiftines the Lord doth saye Loe thou shalt die because of the woman which thou hast taken away from hir husband And yet this king also had taken away Sara not knowing that shée was Abrahams wife Ioseph being prouoked to adulterie by his maisters wife doth simplie saye How should I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Euery word here doth beare some weight For adulterie is an heynous sinne Wherevpon in the booke of Iob we find these woords of Iob himselfe If mine heart haue bene deceiued by a woman or if I haue layde waite at my neighbours doore then let my wife bee an other mans harlot and let other men haue to doe with her For this is a wickednesse and sinne that is worthie to bee iudged to death Yea it is a fire that vtterlie should consume and roote oute all mine increase Iob sayth that hée hath not onely not committed adulterie but that hée hath not so much at any time as once giuen the attempt to defile an other mans wife Hée confesseth that adulterie is a sinne and so greeuous an offence that it doth deserue to haue the adulterers wife to be defiled with adulterie He addeth that adulterie is a fire that vtterly consumeth and deuoureth all thinges and lastly that it is a sinne to bée iudged and punished by death Moreouer Solomon the wisest of all men saith May a man take fire in his bosome and his cloathes not be brent Or can one go vppon hoat coales and his feete not be brent Euen so he that goeth in to his neighbours wife and toucheth hir cannot be vnguiltie Men doe not vtterly despise a theefe that stealeth to satisfie his soule when hee is hungrie But if he may be gotten hee restoreth againe seuen times as much or else he maketh recompence with all the substaunce of his house But whoso committeth adulterie with a woman hee lacketh vnderstanding and hee that doth it destroyeth his owne soule He getteth himselfe a plague and dishonour and his reproch shall neuer bee put out For the iealosie and wrath of the man will not be intreated neither accepteth he the person of any mediatour nor receiueth any giftes howe great soeuer they bee In these words of Solomon many thinges are to bée noted First as it cannot otherwyse bée but that fire must burne the garment wherein it is carried so no man can cōmit adulterie without damage and daunger of further punishmente Secondarilie comparison is made betwirte a théefe and an adulterer not that theft is thereby defended but because théeues although they be infamous doe seeme yet to sinne a greate deale lesse than adulterers doe For a théefe may make satisfaction by restoring the worth of the thing that hée stoale to him from whole hée stoale it away but for adulterie no amendes can bee made And what is hée that would not rather wish to haue théeues ransacke his chest and take away his substaunce than to haue his wife his dearling defiled with adulterie Moreouer Solomon calleth the adulterer madde and without vnderstanding Adulterie is iudged to be a sinne worthie of death endlesse infamie For the Lord in the lawe doth not say onely Thou shalt not commit adulterie But in an other place also goeth on addeth And he that cōmitteth adulterie with an other mans wife euē hee that cōmitteth adulterie with his neighbours wife let both the adulterer and the adultresse bee slaine Leuit 20. And this punishment of adulterie by death was not abrogated or chaunged by the very Gentiles For the Romane lawe called Lex Iulia is very well knowne how it commaunded adulterers to bee put to death Which lawe was of force in the time of S. Hierome as wée may gather by the Historie which hée wrate of an adultresse at the chopping off of whose head seuen stroakes were giuē Neither is it meruaile vndoubtedly that adulterie was amonge them of olde and is yet at this day according to the lawes to be punished by death For vppon that one many sinnes do depēd First of al the adulterer is a periured man For hée hath broaken and violated the faith which he gaue openly before God and the face of the congregation by calling to witnesse the most holie and reuerend Trinitie when the minister of Christe did solemnise the marriage and couple him to his wife by geuing hand in hand Secondarily the adulterer hath committed thefte and robberie For whē the adultresse doth make her body common to an other man then doth shée set to sale defile and marre not her owne but her husbandes body Thirdly bastardes borne in adulterie doe often times enioy an equall parte of inheritaunce with that right begottē children Which cannot be without great wrong done to the lawfull heyres and legitimate ofspring For they are against al right robbed of their due inheritance wher of an equall portion is giuen to him to whom by lawe no parcel is due Lastly beside all these innumerable mischiefes doe spring of adulterie Since therefore that it is a serpente with so many heades both the lawes of God and men do rightly punish adulterers with losse of life But some iollie fellowes there are forsooth that of adulterie do make but a sport They are persuaded that Dauids adulterie doeth make on their side and that place of scripture where wée read that the Lord was fauourable to the adultresse that was taken euen as the déede was in doing Whie doe not these merrie conceipted men cōsider how seuerely the Lord did punish Dauid for that offēce The bloudie house of Dauid was immediately after defiled with filthie inceste For Amnon doth perforce defloure his sister Thamar And streightway vppon the necke of that againe his house is defamed by most cruell parricide while Absalom in a banquet murdered his brother Amnon The verie same Absalom also Dauids sonne defileth or deflowreth his fathers wyues and that openly too laying al feare of God and shame aside Hée driueth his father out of his kingdome and hasteneth on to shorten his dayes Al which calamities Dauid confesseth that hee doth worthily susteine for the adulterie and murther by him committed Lastly many thousands of his people are slaine in the batteile Dauid himself is hardly and with much adoe restoared to his kingdome and afterward being restored hée repented his sinne all dayes of his life Nowe it is meruaile if adulterers consideringe these punishments will goe on yet to alledge the example of Dauid in defence of their naughtinesse Our sauiour did not come into the world to be a iudge but a Sauiour neither did he in any place vsurpe take to himself the right of the sword Who therfore will make any meruayle at it to sée the adultresse not to be condemned by him to be stoned to death Yet hée said Hath no man condemned thee as if he minded not to haue resisted the lawe
thee to prouide that they of thine owne household bee not a burden to other mens backes So then the man whose wealth is small is not compelled to spend that litle which hee hath in doing honour or shewing courtesie to other men It is enoughe for him to beare with a valiaunt hart his owne harde hap and to take héede that his pouertie procure him not to offend against right and honestie Let those who are indifferently stoared and richer menne who haue wealth at wil be courteous and liberall to enterteyne straungers wyth francke hospitalitie Let their minds be set to vse liberalitie to their owne praise and honestie and not giuen to filthie gréedinesse and vnhonest sparing of euery odd halfpenie For some thou shalt finde who thoughe they bee indifferently well stoared wyth wealth and possessions are yet not withstanding so whoalie giuen ouer to the gathering of more that neither for their owne honesties sake nor for any shewe of courtesie they will once bestowe a dodkin vppon any man whatsoeuer bee hee their owne countrieman or a stranger vnknowne These kinde of fellowes are alwayes chambered and kéepe themselues cloase in secreate counting houses their baggs are their pillowes whereon they sléepe dreame of their ruddockes they are not séene to sturre abroade least peraduenture occasion should bee offered them to giue entertainement or to shewe some ciuilitie to aliaunts and straungers The Scripture doth giue a farre better reporte of the most holie and famous Patriarchs our graund predecessours Lot sate in the gates of Sodome to wayte for straungers and wayfaring men to the ende hee might take them hoame to his house and giue them enterteynment so well as hee could And if it fell out that he mette with a straunger hee did not desire him hoame to his house for fashions sake onely that is with fainte or fayned woordes but hee vsed in earneste all the meanes hée could to compell him perforce to take vp his Inne and lodge with him that night Of oure father Abraham yée read in Genesis that in the verie heate of the day as hée sate in the doore of his tent hee espied three men that were trauellers whome at the first sight althoughe hée knewe them not hee enterteyned very louingly and badd them wellcome hartily For he stayeth not to looke when they should come and request to refreshe themselues wyth him but starteth vppe and meeteth them before they come to the doore of his tent where hee himselfe preuenteth them in speaking first vnto them and when hee had courteously after his countrie manner with obeysaunce saluted them hee biddeth them very louingly hoame to his house and sayth I beseech thee my Lord if I may finde fauour in thy sight passe not away I pray thee from thy seruaunt Loe heere hee calleth a traueller and a straunger too by the name of Lord euen as wee Germanes in the enterteyning of straungers are wont to say Sind mir Gott wol kommen lieben herren vnd gouten friind And althoughe hee were in the land where hee dwelt a man of highe authoritie and verie great name yet notwithstanding hee did as it were forget himselfe and say Passe not I pray thee away from thy seruaunt He calleth himself a seruant of strangers He goeth on moreouer sayth Let a little water be fet wash your feete refresh your selues vnder the tree And I will fet a morsell of bread to comforte your heartes and then shall yee goe on your way In these fewe woordes hee conteyneth in a manner all the pointes of ciuil courtesie Neyther did Abraham vse these woordes to make a shewe onely of bounteous liberalitie but when hee had by entreatie requested them to stay and by their graunt obteyned his desire hee bestirreth his stumpes to accomplishe in deedes the thinge that hee had promised hee maketh hast to Sara which was in the tent and sayth Make readie at once three measures of fine meale kneade it and make cakes The Scripture yet addeth further this cause And Abraham running vnto his beasts caught a calfe tender and good and gaue it to a younge man which hasted and made it readie at once And hee tooke butter and milke and the calfe which hee had prepared and sett it before them and stoode himselfe with them That is did himselfe serue them as they ate vnder the tree This is wonderfull verilie and to bee thought on deepely Those goods were well and woorthily bestowed vppon so bountifull liberall and courteous a man as Abraham was which knewe howe to vse his wealth so honestly and with so commendable courtesie Neither was hee alone in all his house so francke and liberall as his wife and familie were readilie giuen and very willing to put that holie excercise in vre and practise All thinges therefore were readie wyth a trice In making preparation also no diligence was wantinge choice was made of all thinges for riffe raffe and refuse geere was not serued to these straungers but the best and likelyeste of all that was found The good man himselfe taketh paynes like a seruaunte Hee himselfe bringeth in his countrie fare whiche farre doeth excell all costly cates and princelike dishes and setteth his guestes to meate with butter and milke and serueth the last course with veale well fedd and housewife like dressed Neither was hee contente with this courtesie and enterteynemente but humbled himselfe further yet and wayted at the Table while his guestes were at meate The table loe was serued by him which had those great ample promises made him by GOD which is the father of all the faithfull which is the roote and graundsyre of Christe oure Lord which was the friende of God and confederate to puissaunte kinges beeing himselfe the most honourable Prince in all the land as hée that had in warre ouercome and vanquished foure of the mightieste kinges of all the Easte and brought them backe againe to slauerie and bondage deliuering his people whom they had taken captiue This excellent and worthie man I say may well bée a paterne for all wealthie men to followe in bestowing honour courtesie and hospitalitie vppon straungers and men vnknowen For lastly beside his rare and seldome séene hospitalitie he shewed moreouer this point of courtesie that when they rose from meate he bare them companie some part of the way Let our wealthie pinchpence therefore at the last bee ashamed of and leaue their niggish liues and insatiable couetousnesse What pleasure I pray you haue they of their riches to whome doe they good whom doe they honour with their close kept coyne Or what honour or honestie doeth their monie procure or gett them while they liue amonge men Whie doe not the wiser sorte of wealthie men rather leaue this crue of miserable wretches and hearken to the Apostles words who saith Remember to keepe hospitalitie for by that meanes many haue lodged Angels vnwittingly and vnawares And verilie hée speaketh there of Lot and Abraham
they shall all knowe mee from the little vnto the greate But of the law it is written that it was grauen in tables of stone Yet for all this let no man thinke that the fathers obteined no remission of their sinnes For as they by faith had frée forgiuenesse of their sinnes so did God both write his lawe and powre his spirite into their heartes For which of vs at this day can saye that wée excell in knowledge and in faith either Abraham Moses Samuel Dauid Esaie Daniel or Zacharias So then the difference is not in that the fathers of the old testamente were without the remission of sinnes and the illumination of the holie Ghoste and that wée alone which are the people of the newe testament haue obteined them but the difference doeth consiste in the greatnesse amplenesse largenesse and plentifulnesse of the giftes to witt because they are more liberallie bestowed and more plentifully powred out vppon more nowe than they were of old For all nations being called doe not by dropmeale but by whole handfulls drawe the water of life The Lord doth powre out his spirite vppon all fleshe Of old God was knowen in Iurie onely but nowe since Christe is come into the world his disciples are gone thoroughe all the corners of the earth teach all kingdomes to knowe the Lord. Of old the worthie men and Prophets were not so many but that they might bée numbred because the land of promise in a maner alone did bréed such good and holy men But who is at this day able to reckon all that kings Princes noble men Prophets Bishops doctours Martyrs excellent persons of euery sexe estate and age whiche haue beene and are at this day bred not onely in Iurie but also in Arabia Idumea Phenicia Mesopotamia Persia Asia Aegypt Africa Gréece Italie the Easte the South the Weste and the North Frée remission of sinnes is preached to all countries and kingdomes All the faithfull in euerie nation vnder heauen are throughe Christ receiued into the grace and fauour of God the father All haue receiued in great abundaunce the gift of the holy Ghoste All haue prophecied All haue knowen the lord Finallie the lawe maketh no man perfecte The Gospell simplie maketh perfect and doth directly without any stopp lead vs to Christe and causeth vs to rest and to content oure selues in him alone Last of all I will not slippe ouer this difference althoughe it be of little weight and such an one as other like vnto it may be easilie obserued that the lawe appointing out a certeine land peculiarly separated from other nations did promise to the old fathers the possession of the same so long as they did kéep the law but if they did transgresse the lawe then did it threaten that they should be rooted vpp and vtterly cast out of that good land But to vs no one limited lande is expressely promised For the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the rounde world and all that therein is But althoughe hée doeth not héere assigne to vs as hée did to oure forefathers of olde any certeine or peculiar thinge yet doeth hée not at any time neglecte vs For hée féedeth blesseth and preserueth vs in euery land and nation Therfore the promises which were of old made to oure forefathers concerning the land of promise being come to an end are vtterly vanished away so that they which for an age or two agoe did incite many nations to arme themselues for the recouerie of the holy land doe seeme to haue béene besides their witts Christ by his comming into the world hath sanctified all the earth For there are in euerie nation of the world some sonnes and heires of God and his kingdome Touching the likenesse and agréement the vnlikenesse and difference of both I meane the old and newe testaments or people I haue therfore spoken the more briefely béecause I haue in the first Sermon of the first Decade and in the sixte Sermon of this third Decade alreadie hādled the selfe same matter Finallie I haue but shortly touched the abrogation of the law because I did a good while ago set foorth two treatises y one of the Auncient Faith the other of the Only and eternall Couenaunt of God whiche treatises I knowe to bée familiar amonge you I will not héere in the conclusion recapitulate vnto you y special points of this Sermon partly because I haue alreadie béene somewhat to long and partly because I haue as I hope vsed so plaine an order that euery point is indifferently well settled in euery manns memorie Thus haue I by Gods grace and sufferance made an end to treate of Gods holy law wherin I haue béene occupied a good sort of dayes by seuerall Sermons Blessed bée God and oure heauenly father world without end whome I beséech to blesse vs all thorough Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ Of Christian libertie and of offences Of good workes and the reward thereof ¶ The ninthe Sermon I HAVE alreadie through many sermons discoursed longe vppon Gods lawe nowe therefore because vppon the consideration handling of the lawe there doe arise certaine pointes not to bee omitted which doe depend vppon and are annexed hand in hand vnto the lawe of which sort are Christian libertie good woorkes the reward of good woorkes sinne and the reward or punishment of sinne I wil speake of them in order as God shall put into my mouth whō I shall desire you to praye vnto with mée beséeching him not to suffer me to speake in these or other points of holy doctrine the thing that shall sounde against his holy will. Vppon the abrogation of the lawe doeth Christian libertie depende and follow as the effecte of the abrogating of the lawe which libertie doth minister vs occasion to speake of offences Nowe concerning Christian libertie the most holy Apostle of Christ Sainct Paule hath reasoned verie diligently and largely whereby we may gather that the consideration of Christian libertie is neither of no weighte nor yet of little profite But the treatise therof is especially necessarie to vs of this age amonge whom there are no small number of men which doe either not vnderstand what Christian libertie is or else if they knowe it do foulie abuse it thereby to fulfill the lustes of the flesh I will therefore tell you who is the deliuerer that setteth vs at libertie who they are that he setteth at libertie and wherein and howe farre forth he setteth them at libertie whiche things being once knowen it wil be an easie matter to perceiue what Christian libertie is what the propertie or disposition of those is which are so set at libertie and howe farre forth they must beware from giuing office to any man and from abusing their graunted libertie There is none other deliuerer promised giuen and preached vnto vs than Christ Iesus the Sonne of god For he which doth deliuer other men must be himselfe frée from the
both labour and suffer rebuke because wee haue oure hope settled in the liuing God c. And here it will do well to reckon vp and cite the testimonies of Scripture which doe concerne the reward of good woorkes I wil therefore recite a fewe but such as shal be euident and perteyning to the matter The Lord in Esaie crieth Say to the iuste that it shall goe well with him for he shall eate the fruite of his studie or trauaile And wo to the wicked sinner for he shal be rewarded according to the workes of his hands In Ieremie we read Leaue off from weping for thy labour shal be rewarded thee And in the Gospel the Lord saith Blessed are ye when men speake all euill sayinges against you lying for my sake Reioyce ye and be glad for great is your reward in heauen The Apostle Paule also saith Glorie honour and peace to euery one that worketh good to the Iewe first and also to the Gentile Againe Wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euerie one may beare the deedes of his bodie according to that whiche hee hath done whether it bee good or badd And againe Euery one shall receiue a reward according to his labour Now let vs remember that the reward is promised and great gifts are prepared for them that labour manfullie To sluggardes and slowebacks are imminent the euils of this present life and also of the life to come To them that striue lawfully the garland is due But if it happen that the reward be defferred and that they whiche striue receiue not the promises by and by out of hand yet let the afflicted thincke that their afflictions tend to their commoditie and that they are layd vpon them by their heauenly father Let not their courage therefore faile them but let them shew themselues men in the fight and call to God for ayd For whosoeuer perseueareth vnto the end he shal be saued Let euerie one call to his remembrance the old examples of the holy fathers to whome many promises were made the fruite whereof they did not reape till many a day were come and gone wherein they stroue against and did ouercome full many a sharpe temptation The Apostle Paul cryeth I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith Hēce foorthe there is layde vpp for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee in that day not to mee only but to them also that haue loued his appearing They must lay before their eyes the truth of God who saith Heauen earth shal passe but my word shall not passe The Israelites verily were a longe time holden captiue in Aegypt but the Lord did not forgett his promise For in a fit and conuenient time he set them out at libertie with abundant ioy glorie for the triumph gotten ouer their oppressours The Amalechites and Chanaanites did a great while I confesse exalte themselues in sinne and wickednesse But when the measure of their iniquitie was fully filled then were they thoroughly recompenced for their paines by him that is the seuere reuenger of vnrepented wickednesse The Scripture therefore exhorteth all men to haue sure hope perseuearing patiēce and constancie inuincible Of which I spake in the third Sermon of this third Decade To this place doe béelong as I suppose those excellent wordes of S. Paule where hee saith It is a faithfull saying For if wee bee dead with him we shall also liue with him if wee be patient wee shall also reigne with him if we denie him he also shall denie vs if wee be vnfaithfull hée abideth faithfull hee cannot denie himselfe And againe Cast not awaye your confidence whiche hath great recompence of reward For ye haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye may receiue the promise For yet a verie little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarie And the iust shal liue by faith and if he withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him But wee are not of them that withdrawe our selues vnto perdition but we pertaine to faith to the winning of the soule Yet for all this we must not abuse these such like testimonies touching the reward of woorkes nor the very name of merites where it is found to be vsed of the fathers neither must we wreste it against the doctrine of méere Grace and the merits of Christe oure Sauiour Wée must thincke that the kingdome of heauen the other special gifts of God are not as the hire that is due to seruaunts but as the inheritaunce of the sonnes of god For although in the last day of iudgment the iudge shall reckon vpp many workes for which hee shall séeme as it were to recompence the elect with eternal life yet before that recital of good workes he shall say Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you since the beginning of the world Now if thou demaundest why he shall in the day of iudgement make mētion rather of works than of faith Mine aunswere is that it is a point or vsuall custome in the lawe for iudgement not onely to be iuste but also by the iudges pronunciation to haue the cause made manifest to al men wherfore it is iust And God doeth deale with vs after the order of men Wherefore he doth not onely giue iust iudgement but will also be knowen of all men to be a iust and vpright Iudge But we are not able to looke into the faith of other men which doth cōsist in the mind and therfore we iudge by their words and déeds Honest words and works beare witnesse of a faithfull hearte whereas vnhonest prankes and speaches doe bewray a kinde of vnbeliefe The workes of charitie and humanitie doe declare that wee haue faith in déed whereas the lacke of them do argue the contrarie And therefore the Scripture admonisheth vs that the iudgement shal be according to oure workes To this sense agréeth that in the 12. of Matthew where it is said By thy deedes thou shalt be iustified and by the same thou shalt be condemned To Abraham after he had determined to offer his sonne Isaac it was said Because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely begotten sonne I wil blesse thee and multiplie thee exceedingly c. But it is manifest that God made that promise to Abraham before Isaac was borne yea hée made it as soone as Abraham was brought out of his countrie therefore the promise was not nowe first of all annexed as a reward vnto the works of Abraham c. Therefore God examineth oure workes according to his owne fauourable mercie and not with the extremitie and rigour of lawe and doth reward them with infinite benefits because they procéed from faith in Christ albeit that for the sinne which abideth in vs they be vnpure nothing meritorious
not what manner of religion and woorship Therefore that they might by proofe sée that they were fooles and vngodly God gaue them vpp vnto filthie lustes In like manner kinge Amazias woulde not giue eare and hearken to the Lorde because God had determined to punishe his iniquities as is to be read in the fourth booke of Kings the fourtéenth Chapter and 2. Paralipo 25. Chapter Likewise did the Lorde putt the spirite of errour into the monthes of the false prophets and they seduced Aegypte Esaye 19. So also did a seducing spirite goe out from the Lorde of iudgement and was a lying spirite in the mouth of all the Prophets as is to be séene in the last Chapter of the thirde booke of Kinges Nowe the Lorde doeth all these thinges with iust and holie iudgement Againe GOD is saide to blinde mennes eyes so often as he doeth reuoke or take awaye the contemned light of his trueth and sinceritie leauing them that delight in darknesse to walke and sticke in their darkenesse still For then the Lorde permitteth his woorde to be preached to the vnthankfull and vngodly receiuers vnto their iudgment or condemnation For so verily doeth the Euangelicall and Apostolique doctrune teache vs to thinke This saith the Lorde is condemnation or this is iudgement that the sonne of God the verie true light came into the world and the world loued darkenesse more then light And Paule saide If yet the Gospell be hidd it is hid in them that perish in whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the senses of the vnbeleeuers c. In the same sense God is saide to harden man For when the Lorde calleth man and hee resisteth making him selfe vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen hee doeth then permitt him vnto him selfe that is hee leaueth man vnto his owne corrupte nature accordinge vnto which the heart of man is stonie which is mollified and made tractable by the onely grace of God therefore the withdrawing of Gods grace is the hardening of mannes hearte and when wee are leafte vnto our selues then are wee hardened Pharao king of Aegypt did by his murthering of the Israelitish infants by his tyrannie and many other vices horribly committed against the lawe of nature offende the eyes of Gods moste iust and heauenly maiestie therefore it is no meruaile that hee hardened his heart But if any man will not admitt or receiue this exposition yet can he not denye that God in the Scriptures doeth vse our kindes of phrases and manner of spéeches Nowe we are wont to saye this father doeth by too much cockering or ouer gentle dealing marre or harden his sonne he maketh him stubborne stiffenâ—cked yet the father doth not teÌ„der him to destroy but to saue him the sonne in deede by the abuse of his fathers clemencie doeth both destroye harden him selfe Therfore wheras the sonne is hardened that coÌ„meth by his owne not his fathers fault although the father beare the name to haue hardened him or made him past grace And verily if thou doest diligently consider the historie of Pharao thou shalte oftener than once finde this sentence repeated there And God hardened Pharaos heart namely when some benefite or deliuerie from euil was wrought before As though the Scripture shoulde haue saide by this benefite of deliuering him from euil did God harden the heart of Pharao while hee abused the goodnesse of God and supposed that al thinges would be afterwardes out of peril and daunger because God had taken away the present punishment and did beginne to doe him good And yet I confesse that God before he had benefited or layde any punishments vppon Aegypt did immediately vppon the calling of Moses saye I knowe that the king of Aegypt will not let you departe And againe See that thou do all these signes and wonders which I haue put in thy hande before Pharao but I will harden Pharaos heart that he shall not let the people goe But these sayings doe not tende hereunto that we should make God the author of all Pharaos falshood rebellion and stubborn dealing against the Lorde but rather they were spoken to the comfort and confirmation of Moses who is therefore so premonished that when he dealeth earnestly with the king and yet cannot obteine his suite hee shoulde notwithstanding knowe that he had Gods businesse in hande and that God by his long sufferance is the cause of that delaye when as notwithstandinge at the laste hee woulde temper all things to his owne honour and glorie The case by a similitude is al one as if an housholder should sende his seruaunt to his debitours saying Go thy waye and demaunde my debtes but yet I knowe that thou shalte receiue none of them For I by my sufferance and gentle dealing will cause them to bee the slacker to paye it But yet do thou thy duetie And I in the meane while will sée what is néedefull to be done To this may be added that euen in those verie Chapters where it is so so often saide God hardened Pharaoes heart This also is afterwarde annexed which layeth the hardening of Pharaos heart vppon Pharaos owne head saying He hardened his hearte and hearkened not vnto them In the ninthe of Exodus when Pharao was well whipped hee cryeth I haue nowe sinned the Lorde is iust but I and my people are vniust or wicked And immediately after againe But when Pharao sawe that it ceassed rayning hee sinned yet more and hardened his heart and it was hardened So then these and such like places must bee conferred with these woordes I haue hardened Pharaos heart and out of them must be gathered a godly sense such a sense I meane as maketh not God the author of euil Nowe also the Prophet Amos doth verie plainly saye There is no euill in a citie but the Lorde doth it But Augustine Contra Adimantum Ca. 26. did verie religiously write Euil in this place is not to bee taken for sinne but for punishment For the worde euil is vsed in two significatiâ—s the one is the euil which a man doeth the other euil is y paine which he suffereth Nowe the Prophet in this place speaketh of that euil which is the punishement that men do suffer For by the prouidence of God which ruleth and gouerneth all things man doâ—h to committ the euil which he will that he may suffer the euil which he would noâ— Therefore the euil that God doeth is not euill in respect of God but is euil to them vppon whome his vengeance lighteth So then he in respect of him selfe doth good because euery iust thing is good that vengeance of his is iuste and so consequently it is good The place of Esaie also must bee none otherwise vnderstoode in his 45 Chapter saying I am the Lord and there is else none it is I that created light and darkenesse I make peace and euil yea euen I the Lorde doe all these thinges For here he taketh
intricate places of the holie scripturs which it is hard to coÌ„prehend or define in any certeine order both that many things are vnknowen without the perill of Christian faith and also that in some points men do erre with out any crime of hereticall doctrine But concerning the two men by the one of whoÌ„ wee are sold vnder sinne by the other redeemed from sinne by one we are cast headlong into death by the other wee are made free vnto life because that man did in himselfâ— destroye vs by doing his owne will and not the will of him that madâ— him but this man hath in himselfe saued vs by doing not his owne wil but the will of him that sent him Therfore in the coÌ„sideration of these two men Christian faith doeth properly consist For there is one God and one mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus Because there is none other name vnder Heauen giuen vnto men in which they must be saued in him hath God appointed all men to trust raysing him vp from death to life Therefore Christian veritie doubteth not but that without this faith that is without the faith of the only mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus without the beliefe I say of his resurrection whiche God hath prescribed to men whiche cannot be truly beleeued without the beleefe of his incarnation and death without the faith therefore of the incarnation death and resurrection of Christ none of the auncient iust men could be clâ—nsed and iustified of God from their sinnes whether they were in the number of those iuste men whome the holy Scripture mentioneth or in the number of those iuste men whom the Scripture nameth yet are to bee beleeued to haue beene either before the deluge or betwixte the deluge and the lawe or in the verie time of the lawe not onely among the children of Israel as the Prophets were but also without that people as Iob was For euen their harts were cleÌ„sed by the same faith of the mediatour and charitie was powred into them by the same holy spirite which breatheth where he listeth not following after merits but euen working the verie merits themselues For Gods grace will not bee by any meanes vnlesse it be free by al meanes Although therefore death reigned from Adam vnto Moses because the law giuen by Moses could not ouercome it For there was no such law giuen as could quicken but such a lawe as whose office was to shewe that the dead to the quickening of whome grace was necessarie were not only ouerthrowen by the propagation and dominion of sinne but were also condemned by the hidden transgression of the verie law it selfe not that euery one should perish that did then vnderstand it in the mercie of God but that euery one being through the dominioÌ„ of death appointed vnto punishment and detected to himselfe by the transgression of the lawe should seeke for the helpe of God that where sinne abouÌ„ded grace might more abound which alone doth deliuer from the body of this death Although therefore the lawe giuen by Moses could not ridd any maÌ„ from the kingdome of death yet in the very time of the lawe were the men of God not vnder the terrifying conuinceing punishing law but vnder the delectable sauing and deliuering grace There were among them some which said In iniquitie was I conceiued and in sinne hath my mother fedd mee in her wombe And so forth For hetherto I haue cited the very words of S. Augustine I haue thus farre spoken of originall sinne of the natiue and hereditarie corruption of our nature which is the first part in the definition of sinne here followeth nowe the latter part to witt the very Action which ariseth of that corruption the actual sinne I say which is so called Ab actu that is an acte or a déede doing For in so much as that corruption whiche is borne together with and is hereditarie in vs doeth not alwayes lye hidd but woorketh outwardly and sheweth forth it selfe doth at last bring forth an imp of her owne kinde and nature which impe is actuall sinne therefore we define actuall sinne to bee an action or woorke or fruite of oure corrupte and naughtie nature expressing it selfe in thoughts words and workes against the lawe of God and therby deseruing the wrath of God. So then by this the cause of actuall sinne is knowen to be the very corruption of mankind which sheweth forth it selfe through concupiscence and euil affections affections intice the will wil being helped with the other faculties in man that worke together with it doth finish actual sinne And that ye may more clearely perceiue that whiche I saye I wish you to note that our minde hath two partes The vnderstanding or reason or iudgement and the will or appetite In the reason are the lawes of nature whereunto must be added the preaching or reading or knowledge of Gods word And nowe as of good woorkes in man there are two especiall causes to witt sound iudgement well framed by the woord of God and a will consenting and obeying therevnto and yet notwithstanding there is principallie to be required the comming to of the holye Ghoste from heauen to illuminate the minde and moue forward the will euen so we may most properly say that actuall sinne is finished when any thinge is of set purpose with aduised iudgement and the consent of our wil committed against the lawe of god And yet to these there doe many times happen other outward causes both visible and inuisible For euill spirites moue men and euill men moue men and other infinite examples of corruption that are in the world Hope seare and weakenesse doe also moue men Augustine Quaest in Exodum 29. sayeth The beginning of vice is in the will of man but the heartes of men are moued by sundrie accidental causes now this now that sometimes the causes are all one the difference is in the manner and order according to euery ones proper qualities which doe arise of euerie seuerall will. Againe in the 79. Psalme he sayeth Two things there are that woorke all sinnes in mortall men desire and feare Consider examine aske your heartes search your consciences and see if any sinnes can be but by desiring or else by fearing Thou aâ—t promised if thou wilt sinne to haue such a reward giueÌ„ thee as thou doest delight in and for desire of the gifte thou crackest thy conscience doest commit sinne And againe on the other side though peraduenture thou wilt not be seduced with giftes yet being terrified with threatnings thou doest for dread of that whiche thou fearest coÌ„mit the iniquitie that other wise thou wouldest not As for example Some one man or other would with giftes corrupte thee to beare false witnesse Thou presently hast turned thee selfe to God and hast said in thy heart what doth it aduantage a man if hee gaine the whole world suffer the losse
hereafter speake in a seueral sermon by it selfe In this place I will onely touche summarily such poynts of repentance as séeme to make for the demonstration of the Gospell Our Lorde Christe Iesus doth in the preaching of the Gospell require faith and repentaunce neither did he him selfe when hee preached the Gospell procéede any other waye For Marke hath Iesus came into Galile preaching the Gospell of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Neither did he otherwise instructe his disciples when he sent them to preache the Gospell vnto all nations For S. Luke saith Christ saide to his disciples so it is written and so it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe the thirde daye from the dead and that in his name should be preached repētance and the forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto all nations Sainct Paule like a good scholer following his maister in the Actes of the Apostles saith Ye knowe that I haue helde backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but haue shewed you haue taught you openly and throughout euery house witnessing both to the Iewes and also to the Greekes the repentance that is towarde god and the faith that is towarde our Lorde Iesus Christe In his Epistle to the Romanes where he doth compendiousely handle the Gospel he taketh occasion to beginne the preaching thereof at sinne conuincing both Iewes and Gentiles to be subiect therevnto Nowe hee beginneth at sinne to this ende and purpose that euery one descending into him selfe may sée and acknowledge that in him selfe he hath no righteousnesse but that by nature he is the sonne of wrath death and damnation not that suche acknowledging of sinnes doth of it selfe make vs acceptable vnto God or else deserue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting but that after a sorte it doth prepare a waye in the mindes of men to receiue faith in Christe Iesus and so by that meanes to embrace Christ Iesus him selfe who is our only and absolute righteousnesse For the hoale néede not the Physician but suche as are sicke and diseased They therefore whiche thinke them selues to be cleare without sinnes and righteous of them selues do vtterly reiect Christ and make his death of none effect but on the other side they that féele the diseases of the mynde and do from the bottome of their heartes confesse that they are sinners and vnrighteous not putting any trust in their owne strength and merites doe euen pant for the haste that they make to Christ which when they do then Christe doeth offer him selfe in the Gospell promisinge vnto them remission of sinns and life euerlasting as he that came to heale the sicke and to saue repentant sinners But the promise is receiued by faith and not by woorkes therefore the Gospell and Christ in the Gospel are receiued by faith For wee must diligently distinguishe betwirte the precepts and the promises The promises are receiued by faith the preceptes are accomplished by workes Wherevppon Paule is read to haue saide If the inheritaunce be of the lawe then is it not nowe of promise But god gaue Abraham the inheritaunce by promise The same Apostle to the Romans conferring the lawe and the Gospell together doth saye The righteousenesse which is of the lawe doth say whosoeuer doeth these thinges shall liue by them But the righteousenesse of faith doth saiye if thou beleeuest thou shalt be saued The lawe therefore is grounded vppon workes wherevnto it séemeth to atttribute righteousnesse But because no man doth in woorkes fulfill the lawe therefore is no man iustified by works or by the lawe The Gospell is not grounded vpon works For sinners acknowledge nothing in them selues but sinne and wickednesse For they féele in them selues that they are wholie corrupted and therefore they flée to the mercie of god in whose promises they put their trust hoaping verily that they shall freely obteine remission of their sinnes and that for Christ his sake they are receiued into the number of the sonnes of God. I would speake more in this place concerning faith in Iesus Christ the remission of sinnes and the inheritannce of life euerlasting if I had not alreadie in the sirste Decade declared them at large Here by the way ye haue to remember that the Gospell is not sincerely preached when ye are taught that we are made partakers of the life of Christe for our owne desertes and meritorious woorkes For wee are fréely saued without respect of any workes of ours either first or last And although I haue oftener than once handeled this argument in these Sermons of mine yet beecause it is the hooke wherevpon the hindge of the Euangelicall doctrine whiche is the doore to Christe doth hang and that this doctrine to wite That Christe is receiued by faith and not by workes is of many men verie greatly resisted I will for the declaration and confirmation sake thereof produce here two places onely but suche as be apparant enough and euident to prooue and confirm it by the one out of the Gospell of Christ our Lorde the other out of Paules Epistles Our Lorde Iesus Christ being about to teache briefely the waye to txue saluation that is to preach the gladd tydinges of life vnto Nichodemus in the Gospell after Saincte Iohn doth firste of all beginne at repentaunce and doth wholie take Nichodemus from him selfe leauinge him no merites of his owne wherein to put his trust For while hee doeth vtterly condemne the firste birth of man as that which is nothing auailable to obteine eternall life what doeth hee I beeséech you leaue to Nicodemus wherin he may bragge or make his boaste For he doth expressely saye Verily verily I say vnto thee vnlesse a man bee borne from aboue he cannot see the kingdome of god If the firste birth and the giftes thereof were able to promote a man to the kingdome of God what neede then shoulde he haue to bee borne the seconde time The seconde byrth is wrought by the meanes of the holye Ghoste which beeing from heauen powred into oure heartes doth bring vs to the knowledge of our selues so that wee may easily perceiue assuredly knowe and sensibly féele that in our fleshe there is no life or righteousenesse at all and so consequently that no man is saued by his owne strength or merits What then The Spirite forsooth doth inwardly teache vs that which the sounde of the Gospell doeth outwardly tell vs that We are saued by the merite of the sonne of God. For the Lorde in the Gospel saith No man ascendeth into heauen but hee that descended from heauen the sonne of man that is in heauen For in an other place he doth more plainely saye No man commeth to the father but by mee And againe to Nicodemus he saith As Moses did lift vpp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so muste the sonne of man be lift vp that euerie one which beleeueth in him shuld
hee is not regenerate and is yet without the true light of Gods moste holie Spirite For in another place the Apostle saith We are not able to thinke any good as of our selues but all our abilitie is of God. And therefore it is that wée do so often in the Scriptures finde mention of Inlightening or I lumination which shoulde without cause be expressed or named if so bee mannes vnderstanding were cleare of it selfe not darke and mistie There is therefore borne togeather with all men a blindenesse of heart mynde a doubting in the promises of God and an vnbeléefe and peruerse iudgement in all heauenly thinges For albeit that man hath at Gods hand receiued vnderstanding yet by reason of his owne corruption ignoraunce is a peculiar and proper heritage belonging vnto him For he is then in his kingdome when he is blynd when he doth erre when he doth doubte when hee doth not beléeue nor vse the gifts that God hath giuen him rightly as hee should that is to his owne saluation and the glorie of his maker Let vs nowe sée what the will of the olde man is able to doe Therefore since this will doeth followe a blynde guide God wote that is to say corrupt affection it is vnknowen to no man what foolishe choyce it maketh and wherevnto it tendeth And although the vnderstanding bee neuer so true and good yet is the will like to a shippe tossed to fro with stormie tempestes that is of affections For it walloweth vpp and downe with hope feare lust sorrowe and anger so that it chooseth and followeth nothing but euil For the holie Apostle speakinge of him selfe doth saye I knowe that in mee that is in my fleash there dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with mee but I finde no meanes to perfourme that whiche is good For the good that I woulde doe I not but the euill which I woulde not that do I. But nowe since the Apostle spake this of him selfe when he was regenerate what I praye you shall wee saye of the will of the olde man The olde man willeth all thinges whiche God willeth not and breakinge into all kinde of wickednesse doeth foulie fulfill his filthie lustes that is to say hee giueth his members seruauntes vnto vncleannesse and wickednesse from one iniquitie vnto another We haue of this verie many examples exhibited vnto vs bothe by the holie Scriptures and daily experience Let vs nowe against this oppose or set the newe man that is the man which is regenerate by the spirite of GOD through the faith of Iesus Christe Nowe regeneration is the renuing of the man by which through the faith of Iesus Christe we whiche were the sonnes of Adam and of wrath are borne againe the sonnes of God and do therefore putt off the olde man and put on the new which bothe in vnderstanding and wil doeth fréely serue the Lorde This regeneration is the renuing of the minde not of the bodie as we hearde in an other place out of the thirde Chapter of Sainct Iohns Gospell The author of this regeneration is the holie Ghost which is from heauen giuen vnto man I meane to a faithfull man For the gifte of the holie Ghoste is giuen for Christe his sake and that too vnto none but those that do beléeue in Christe This spirite of God doeth testifie with our spirite that wee are the sonnes of God and therefore the heires of his kingdome Wee are therefore a newe creature repayred nowe according to the image of GOD and indued with a newe nature or disposition whereby it commeth to passe that wee doe dayly put off that olde man and putt on the newe whiche thinge is done when we walk not in concupiscence after the Carnall inclination of the fleshe but in newenesse of sense according to the woorkinge of the holie Ghoste by whome wee are regenerate The same substaunce forme of the bodie abideth still the minde is chaunged the vnderstanding and wil renued For by the spirite of God the vnderstandinge is illuminated faith and the vnderstanding of God and heauenly thinges is plentiousely bestowed and by it vnbeleefe and ignoraunce that is the darkenesse of the olde man are vtterly expelled according to that saying of the Apostle Through Christe ye are made riche in all thinges in all speeche knowledge Againe Wee haue not receiued the spirite of the worlde but the spirite which is of GOD to knowe what thinges are giuen of Christe to vs. And againe We haue or know the spirite or mynde of Christ And againe ye haue no néede that any man teache you but as the verie annoynting doth instruct you of all thinges and is true abide ye in it And in this regeneration of man the will also doth receiue an heauenly vertue to do the good whiche the vnderstandinge perceiued by the holie Ghoste so that it willeth chooseth and woorketh the good that the Lorde hath shewed it and on the other side nilleth hateth and repelleth the euil that the Lorde hath forbidden it For Paule saith I knowe to be humble and I knowe to exceede I can doe all thinges through Christ who strengtheneth mee And againe to the Philippians he saith To you it is giuen for Christe not onely to beléeue in him but also to suffer for him And againe yet he doeth more plainly say It is God that worketh in you bothe to will and to performe according to the good purpose of the minde But now note this that what soeuer they doe whiche are regenerate by the spirit of God they doo it fréely not by compulsion nor against their willes For like as God requireth a cheerefull giuer so where the spirit of the Lord is there is frée libertie and hartie goodwil And Zacharie the Father of Iohn Baptist saide That we beeing deliuered from the handes of our enimyes might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life Yea and our Lorde him selfe in the Gospel saith If ye abide in my sayings ye shal be my Disciples in deede and ye shall know the trueth and the trueth shall make you free And againe If the sonne set you at libertie or make you free then shall ye be free in deede Touching this libertie of the sonnes of GOD I haue alreadie discoursed in the ninthe Sermon of my first Decade This libertie of the sonnes of God wée doe willingly acknowledge and fréely confesse but the arrogant disputations of some blasphemous praters concerning frée will as thoughe it were in our power of our selues to doe any heauenly thing wee doe vtterly reiecte and flatly denye And yet wee doe not make man subiecte to fatall necessitie nor turne vppon GOD the blame of iniquitie As we haue else-where more at large declared And S. Augustine in his controuersie with the Pelagians did so attemper his disputation that hee attributed the good to the Grace of God and the euill vnto our nature so that
the man of God may be perfecte instructed vnto all good workes What now I pray you is omitted in these woords that may seeme to apperteine to a most absolute reformation What I beseech you haue those impudent fellowes to say against this Proceed therefore proceed most holy king to imatate the most godly princes and the infallible rule of the holy Scripture proceed I say without staying for mans authoritie by the most true and absolute instrument of trueth the booke of Gods most holy word to reforme the Church of Christ in thy most happie England The Lord Iesus the head and mightie Prince of his Church presirue and lead thee his most faithfull worshipper in the way of his trueth vntill the end to the glorie of his name the good estate and welfare of the whole Christian Church At Tigure in the moneth of August the yeare of our Lord 1550. Your Royall Maiesties most duetifully bounden Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland The other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuerse wayes howe to knowe him That God is one in substaunce and three in persons ¶ The thirde Sermon I Haue hetherto in 32. sermōs discoursed vpon the word of God and the lawful exposition of the same vppon Christian faith the loue of God and our neighbour I haue also spoken of the law of Nature of mans lawe Gods lawe and of the parts of Gods lawe namely y Morall the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall lawes Of the vse of the lawe of the fulfilling abrogatiō of the same of the likenes difference betwirt the two testamēts and people the old and the newe Of Christian libertie of offences of the effecte merites of Good woorkes Of sinne and the sundrie sorts thereof also of the Grace of God or the Gospel of Iesu Christe in whome oure heauenly father hath giuen vs all thinges belonging to life and eternal saluation finally I haue treated of Repentaunce and of the thinges that doe especially seeme to belonge therevnto And forbecause oure purpose is to dispute discretly vpon the principal points of Christian religion that in the premisses wee haue heard often mention made of God of the knowledge worship of God of Iesus Christ of the holy Chost of good euil spirits of the church of Prayer of the Sacraments such like holy thinges since wee are now come to an end of those former points necessitie it selfe doeth here require that we should speake somewhat now of al euery one of these latter principles according to the holy Scripture so farre forth as the Lord shall giue me grace and abilitie to do the same Concerning God there were of old many erronious opinions not among the ruder sort of people only but euen in the whole packe of Philosophers conuenticles of false Christians As touching the Philosophers that auncient learned writer Tertullian was wont to say that Philosophers are the patriarchs of heretiques and touching false Christians the Apostle Iohn said They wente out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue remained with vs. Neither doe I sée what gaine you should gett by it if I should procéede to reckon vp vnto you all their opinions It is good perhaps to know wherin they erred least we also do strike vpon the same rock that they did Therfore if any y haue a desire vnto it doe wish to sée the opinions of the heathen sort and of heretiques cōcerning God let them search Plutarch in his Placitis Philoso lib. ◠Cap. 7. Or in other heathen writers Or in Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum and in the 4. Chapter Dogmatum vel de finitionum Ecclesiast I will at this time trouble the attentiue eares and minds of the godly hearers with that burthen That diuersitie of opinions is deriued from none other founteine than from the boldnesse vnskilfulnesse of men which are not ashamed of their owne deuice and braine to add and applie to God the thinges from which he is most farre frée And now that héere I may not sticke long in declareing the narrowe streightnesse and mistie darcknesse of mans wit who I pray you is able with his vnderstāding to conceiue the Béeing of God when as in déede no man did euer fully vnderstand of what fashion the soule of man is of what sort many other thinges are y be in mans body and of what maner substaunce the Sunne Moone are made There are giuen many reasons of naturall Philosophie but the woorke of God doeth still abide more great and wonderfull than that the witt or speach of man is able to comprehend or expresse it Let no man therefore that goeth about to knowe any certeintie of God descend into himself to search him out with thoughts of his owne neither let him ground his opinion vppon mens determinations and weake definitions For otherwise hee shall alwayes worshipp the inuention of his owne heart méere follie trifles and foolishe fantasies But on the other side againe the man cānot choose but thinke rightly iudge truely and speake well of God that attributeth nothing to himselfe deuiseth nothing of his owne braine nor followeth y toyes of other mens inuenting but in all thinges giueth eare to the word of God and followeth alwayes his holy reuelation Therfore let this stand as it were for a continuall rule that God cannot bée rightly knowen but by his word and that God is to be receiued beléeued to be such an one as he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs in his holy word For no creature verily can better tell what and what kinde of one God is than God him selfe Nowe since this God doeth in his word by the woorkemanshipp of the world by the holy Scriptures and by his oracles vttered by the mouth of the Patriarchs Prophetes and Apostles yea in the very minds and consciences of men testifie That He Is therefore did the kingly Prophete Dauid say The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. For he must néeds be an asse or a foole whiche denieth the thing that is euident to all men in the world which are not beside their wits namely That there is a God considering that euen Cicero an heathen authoure in his booke De natura Deorum doth say It is bred borne together with men and graffed in their hearts to thincke That there is a God. Truly they that denie God doe denie him whome neuerthelesse they feare and therefore by that feare they confesse y he Is by that meanes conuinceing them selues of lying and falsehoode Againe this is to bée noted that in demaunding who and what God is although that question is made doth arise euen by the beating out and discussing of the Scriptures yet a measure is to be kept and in any case
all his faithfull which shoulde abide with them for euer sayeth In that day ye shall knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you to witt by the holie Ghoste Iohn the Apostle expounding it and saying By this we knowe that he dwelleth in vs by the spirite that he gaue vnto vs. And againe By this we knowe that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen of his spirite vnto vs. S. Paule the vessell of election differeth not from Saincte Iohn writing and saying to the Romanes If any man hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the children of God. Now as touching true faith which tyeth vs vnto the Lord S. Paule saith I liue now yet not I but Christe liueth in me But the life whiche I now liue in the flesh I liue yet thorough the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and gaue vp him selfe for me And againe he saith Christe dwelleth in our hartes thorough faith With which sayings Sainct Iohn the Apostle agréeing againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God. For the Lord him selfe before that said in the Gospell He that eateth my fleshe and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And he eateth Christes flesh and drinketh Christes bloud that beléeueth Therefore Christe our Lorde is ioyned vnto vs in spirite and wée are tyed to him in minde and faithe as the body vnto the head they therefore that lack this knotte and bonde that is that haue not the spirite of Christe nor true faith in Christe are not the true and liuely members of Christe the Lord him selfe in the gospell witnessing and saying If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fier and they burne Which words of our sauiour the Apostle imitating as we said euen now said He that hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his But they that are not destitute of the spirite of Christe are inflamed with the loue of god Neither do we separate loue from faith the same S. Iohn so teaching vs saying God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him For the Lord saith in the gospell If a man loue me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we wil come vnto him wil dwel with him But although properly faith ioine vs to our head Christ yet the same also doth knit vs to all Christes members vpon earth For whereas there is but one faith of them al and therefore the same spirit there can not but be the same mouth the same minde the same sentence amongest them all although faith be not nowe taken only for a confidence in the mercy of God through Iesus Christe but also for an outwarde confession of fayth For we all confessing one faith and one and the selfe same head with one spirite and mouth we also together professe that we all are members of one and the selfe same body Neither is there any thing else in the worlde that more vnappeaseably disseuereth the mindes of men than the diuersitie of faith or religion and therfore there is nothing that maye more nearely ioyne vs together than vnitie of faith We come nowe to speake of loue whiche I sayde ioyneth together the members of the ecclesiasticall body mutually amongst them selues The Lord saith in the gospel A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that ye also loue one an other By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other It is therfore out of doubt that the onely marke of the church next after faith is loue a bond most firmely knitting together all the members This groweth from the communion of Christ and vnitie of the spirit For insomuch as Christ the king the head and highe Byshop of the catholique churche enduing vs all with one and the same spirite hath made vs all his members the sonns of God brethren and fellow heires whom vndoubtedly he loueth tenderly euery faithfull man can not choose but with feruent loue embrace the members and fellowe heires of their king their head and their high Byshop For Iohn the Apostle saith Euerie one that loueth him that begatte doth loue him also that is borne of him If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene Paule to the end that he might moste properly expresse before oure eyes and as it were set to viewe and beholde this vnitie and agréement of the members vseth a parable taken from the members of a mans body and saith For as we haue many mēbers in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one an others members The same in the twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians more largely and plainely expounding ioyning together of the heade and the members and that chiefly by the sayd parable of the members of a mans body and publishing it very eloquently witnesseth that betwéene the highest members of the churche and the lowest members of the same there is a very greate and apt consent and moreouer a diligent care and a helpe both continuall and most faythfull Of all whiche it appeareth that the markes of the true liuely church of Christ are the cōmunion of the spirit of Christ sincere fayth christian charitie without the which thinges no man is partaker of this spirituall body By these thinges also it shall be easie to iudge whether thou art in the fellowship of the churche or thou art not Moreouer we gather out of those things which we haue hitherto disputed touching the markes of Christes churche from whence is her original also how the church is planted spred abroade preserued Her originall is heauenly for S. Paule speaking of the churche saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Therefore he calleth the church heauenly not that it dwelleth altogether in heauē but that she being here on earth hath a heauenly beginning For the children of God are not borne of flesh bloud but from heauen by the renuing of the holy spirit who through the preaching of Gods word planteth faith in our hearts by which faith we are made the true members of Christ his church For Peter saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer And Paul saith I begat you in Christ
hath giuen vnto none neyther doth any minister vnles he be blinded with diuelish pryde take that vnto him selfe as though he did worke those workes that are proper vnto Christe eyther for Christe or in Christes stead or together with Christ The Apostles being Christ his most faithful ministers and most chosen instruments of God did not giue the holy ghoste did not drawe mens harts did not inwardly anoynt mens mindes did not regenerate soules they them selues did not deliuer from sinne death the diuell and hell For all these things be the works of God whiche he hath not communicated to any Wherfore the most holy Baptist in plaine wordes denied that he was Christ he denied that he him selfe baptised with the holy Ghoste I saithe he baptise with water but hee baptiseth with the holy Ghost I am the voyce of a cryer in the wildernes prepare the way of the Lorde And Paule pleading his cause before Agrippa wisheth of God that king Agrippa were such a one as Paule him selfe was except his bonds But such a wishe had not néeded if he him selfe could drawe sanctifie and absolue There are infinite other of this kinde to be séene in the scriptures Yet neuerthelesse the ministerie of the church is not néedles The kings counsellers and officers haue not equall power with the king neither are they kinges with the king or for the king but for all that their seruice is not in vaine Therefore that thing which Christ the sonne of God who is the greatest the best and the chiefe high priest of his Church worketh in his catholique church inwardly and in their mindes as the onely searcher of of the hearts the very same outwardly he declareth and testifieth by his ministers whome the Scripture for that cause calleth witnesses embassadours or messingers You sayth the Lord to his Apostles shall beare witnesse bycause ye haue beene with me frō the beginning And Paul saith I am ordeined a precher an apostle a teacher of the gentiles Therfore the same apostle in another place calleth the same Gospell both a testimonie and preaching of our Lord Iesus Christe And Ihon the Apostle affirmeth that he was banished into the Isle of Pathmos For the worde of God and for the witnessing of Iesus Christe And therefore when ministers beare witnesse of the Sonne of God and out of his word promise life euerlasting their worde is not called mans word but the word of God and they are saide to saue and to release from sinn For they are the true messingers and harroldes of the king who is the deliuerer who hath sent them to publishe remission of sinnes wherevpon also they attribute all the meanes of life saluation and deliuerie to the onely deliuerer Christe Paule in an other place calleth ministers Fellowe labourers with God and afterward againe Disopsers of the secrets of God. For the saluation whiche the sonne of God hath onely wrought and whiche he also onely giueth the ministers preache or dispose and so they are fellowe labourers The same Apostle out of the doctrine of the Gospell which resembleth the teacher in the Church to one that soweth séede compareth the ministers to gardeners and planters of trées to whom he committeth the outward manuring reseruing the inwarde working to Christe our Lord saying Who is Paule then and who is Apollos but ministers by whome ye beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but god gaue the increase So then neyther is he that planteth any thing neyther he that watereth but God that giueth the increase With whiche testimonie of the Scripture Augustine being instructed learned so to speake and write of the ministerie of the Church as nothing shoulde be diminished from the glorie of God which inwardly moueth and teacheth vs and yet in the meane time the office of the ministerie should not be taken away or despised as vnprofitable For in his Epistle Ad Circenses which in order is accounted the 130. speaking of the secrete drawing of God and the outwarde ministerie of men These are not sayth he oure workes but Gods I would not at al attribute these thinges vnto mans working no not if when wee were with you so greate a conuersion of the multitude through our speaking and exhortations should happen That thing hee worketh and bringeth to passe who by his ministers outwardly warneth by tokens or signes of things but by the things them selues he inwardly teacheth by him selfe Thus farre he But least it might séem to any man that he spake too briefly and sparingly and not worthily enoughe of the ministerie of the Church euen he him selfe immediately addeth and sayth Neyther therfore ought we to be more flowe to come vnto you bycause whatsoeuer is done prayse woorthy among you commeth not of vs but of him which alone doth wonderfull thinges For we ought more carefully to runne to behold the workes of God than our owne workes Bycause euen we our selues if we haue any goodnesse in vs we are his worke and not mans Therefore the Apostle said Neither is he that plāteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase The same writer speaking of the verie same thing in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn Al the men of that kingdome sayth he shall be suche as are taught of God they shall not heare by men and though they heare by men yet that which they vnderstand is inwardly giuen it shineth inwardly it is inwardly reuealed What doe men in preaching outwardly what do I nowe when I speake make you to heare a noyse of wordes with your eares But vnlesse he reueale it which it within what say I or what speake I The outward workman is the plāter of the tree and the inwarde is the creatour Hee that planteth and hee that watereth worketh outwardly that doe we But neyther is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase This is the meaning of They shall be all taught of God. Thus far Augustine Wherfore when in another place S. Paule sayth Ye are the Epistle of Christe ministred by vs written not with ynke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stonie tables but in fleshie tables of the heart we must diligently put a difference betwéene the worke of the spirit and the work of man or of the minister The minister doth not take on him the honor of God and the worke of the spirite but his owne worke that is to say the ministerie Paule preacheth and writeth with ynke but the spirite of God moueth the heart and with his grace or annoynting he writeth in the very heart so he worketh together with GOD Paule working his proper woorke and the spirite working his worke The Apostles are preachers and ministers of the Gospell not of the letter but of the spirite not that they giue the holie Ghoste but bycause they are preachers of the
from the olde He therefore suffered singing of Psalmes but in the meane time he preferred before it prophecie or the office of preaching and he also required of them that did sing bothe a mesure to be kept and also that it should be done with vnderstanding without which doutlesse bothe prayer singing is not only vnprofitable but also hurtfull I wil pray with the spirit saith the Apostle and will pray with the vnderstanding also I will singe with the spirit and will sing with the vnderstanding also Neither doe I knowe that in any place else the Apostle maketh mention of singing in holie assemblyes vnlesse we liste to applie that hether which Paule hath left written in the 3. to the Colossians though that may séeme to be a priuate institution For that whiche he hath left written in his Epistle to the Ephesians in these words Be not drunken with wine wherein is excesse but be fulfilled with the spirite speaking vnto your selues in psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lord in your harts Giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ What manner of saying it is it is easily iudged by the occasion and order of the words For he speaketh nothing of the publique singing accustomed to be vsed in the Church but of the priuate manner of singing For he had respect vnto riotous banquets where for the moste parte were vsed to be sung of such as were wel tippled songs which were not verie honest Be ye not therefore drunke with wine saith the Apostle lest ye sing songes that are scarse honest but rather if ye list to sing sing Psalmes and spirituall songes Wherevnto this also may be added that euen in those kinds of songs he requireth rather the songe of the hart than the warbling of the voice so far off is it that he at any time alloweth vncomely shrikings either publique or priuate albeit the sense and meaning shal be more simple and plaine if we vnderstand In corde which signifieth in the hart to be spoken in that place in sted of ioyfully or from the hart Wherfore no man can or ought to disallowe moderate and godly singing of Psalmes whethere it be publiquely vsed in holie assemblies or at home in priuat houses And truely you shall finde many testimonies in the ecclesiasticall historie written by Eusebius and Sozomenus declaring that the Esterne Churches euen immediatly after the time of the Apostles did vse to singe Psalmes and Hymnes vnto Christe our Lorde Ye shall also finde this that by certaine decrées of counsels it was ordeyned that no other thinge should either be read or soūg in holie assemblies but onely the canonicall Scripture For euen betimes there began neither a meane to be kept in the Churche neither the canonicall scripture only to be vsed for that certaine men intermedled their owne songes Yet héere déerly beloued I thought good to put you in mind of two excellent things concerning this matter The first of them is that the singing of the ancient Church was a far other kinde of singing than that which at this day is vsed For Erasmus Roter doeth rightly iudge that the singing vsed in the ancient churches was no other than a distincte and measured pronoūtiation such as at this day in some places is vsed in pronoūcing of the psalmes the gospel and the Lordes prayer Truly Plinie the Lieftenant in Asia by diligēt search or examinatiō of matters found out that the christians at certaine appointed times met together before day soūg a Psalme together amonge them selues vnto Christe their god The place of Plinie is to be séene in the 10. book of his Epistles to Traianus the Emperour Also Rabanus Maurus lib. insti Cler. 2 cap. 48. saith The primitiue church did so sing that with a little altering of the voyce it made him that sange to be heard the further so that the singing was more like lowd reading than song These things he borrowed out of the 33. chap. of S. Austines 10. book of confessions who in that place plainly confesseth that he doth sinne when he is more delighted with the swéetnes of the voices than with the sense of the words and therefor desireth that all the melodious tunes of swéet songs wherewith the psalter of Dauid is replenished might be remoued from his eares and the hearing of the Church For it séemed to be more safe which he remēbred he had often heard concerning Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria who with so little strayning of the voice made the Reader of the Psalme to vtter it that he rather séemed to read than to sing The last of the things I said I would put you in mind of is that singing howsoeuer it be an auncient institution neuerthelesse was neuer vniuersal of necessiti thrust vpō the churches but it was frée neither was it always vsed in all churches Whereunto may be added that which Sozomenus witnesseth that those Churches whiche did sing vsed not the very same kindes of prayers or Psalmes or readings or the very same time Socrates also in the 5. book of his historie cha 22. saith To be short in all Countries euery where you shall not finde two churches which in all points agrée together in prayer And that it was long yer the Westerne Churches receiued melodie or the custome of singing it appéereth euen by the testimonie of Augustine who in his 9. booke of Confess Chap. 7. rehearseth that Ambrose béeing oppressed with the snares persecutions of Iustina the Arian Empresse ordained that hymnes and psalmes should be soung according to the custome of the Easte partes since whiche time the custome of singing hath béene reteined and also receiued of other partes of the worlde Neuerthelesse before the Westerne churches receiued the order of singing they were estemed of all them of the East to be true Churches neither came it into any mans braine that therefore they were hereticall and schismaticall Churches or not rightlie gouerned because they were destitute of song or melodie No man gathered The Easterne Churches sing the Westerne doe not so therefore they are no churches If this vprightnes and libertie had remained safe and vnaltered that is to saye If according to that auncient vse of singing nothing had béene soung but canonicall scriptures if it had bene stil in the libertie of the churches to sing or not to sing truely at this day there should be no controuersie in the Churche aboute singing in the church For those churches whiche should vse singing after the ancient maner practised in singing would sing the word of God and the prayses of God onely neither would they think that in this point they surpassed other Churches neither would they condemne those Churches that sang not at all where as also these would not despise them that vsed soberly and godlily to sing For if godly men perseuere in the studie
our Aduocate For since hee sayeth Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name hee will giue it you howe much more effectually doe wee obteine that which wee aske in the name of Christ if wee aske it in his prayer Thus farre hée From hence ariseth a question Whether wée be so tyed to the words of the Lords prayer that wee maye not pray in other woordes at all I aunswere That the Lord would not so tye vs to his woordes sett downe and conceiued as though it were not lawefull to vse other woords or another fourme but he set foorth vnto vs certeine vniuersall thinges vnto the whiche wée might referre all our prayers For Augustine also to Proba De orando Deo Of praying vnto god sheweth that there is nothing in any place in the holy Scriptures prayed for which is not comprehended in the Lords prayer For sayeth hee if you runue ouer through all the words of all holie prayers you shall finde nothinge whiche this prayer of the Lord doeth not comprehend conteine To which woordes hee addeth immediatly So that it is free to vse such and such woordes in praying howbeit to say the same thinges but to speake other thinges it is not free Most warelie therefore and wisely do they who referre all their prayers vnto the Lords prayer vnto the whiche they attribute the chiefe and principall place and kéeping it continually in their minde doe meditate therevppon and exercise themselues therein There is wont also another question to be asked What néed there is to expresse and opâ—n oure desires in woordes vnto God since hée alreadie knoweth all thinges Wée tould you anon after the beginning of this Sermon that our prayer is an humbling of oure selues before the maiestie of God where vnto moreouer wee add this Wée doe not expresse and open oure desires vnto God as thoughe hée knewe them not or that wée would teach him being ignoraunt or that we would entreate and gett gods fauour with our curious laboursome and eloquent prayer but for oure owne sakes wée vse woordes wherewith to stirre vpp our selues And to this end all the most holy men of God are read in the Psalmes and holy histories to haue declared their desires largly vnto the Lord. Wee are not sayeth S. Hierome declarers but crauers For it is one thing to declare a thing to him that is ignoraunt and another thinge to craue a thing of him that knoweth In that it is a declaratioÌ„ in this a duetie There wee faithfully declare here wee lamentably beseech And Sainct Augustine sayeth Wordes are needfull for vs wherewith wee maye bee moued and diligently consider what wee should aske not wherewith wee should beleeue that the Lord is either taught or entreated Wherefore when the Lord forbad much babbling or vaine lipplabour in prayer he did not simplie tye the prayer of the faithfull vnto a fewe and short summe of woordes but hée forbiddeth vs after the manner of Ethnickes to powre out many woordes without witt reason meaning and vnderstanding so finally to thincke that wée shal be heard for oure muche babbling sake and often repeating of prayers as at this day they doe falslye thinke which say a certeine number of prayers which they call Rosaries of prayers For the Lord addeth They thincke they shal be heard for their much babbling sake S. Augustine maketh difference betwene babbling much and praying much To babble much sayeth he is in praying to make many superfluous woordes in a necessarie matter But to praye much is to call vnto him whome we pray vnto with a longe godly stirring vpp of the heart For this businesse for the most part is accomplished more with sighinges than with speakings And anon It is not wicked and fruitlesse when wee haue leasure to pray the longer For it is written of our Lord himselfe that he speÌ„t the whole night in prayer and prayed a long time Wherein what did he else but giue vs an example Thus farre hée And if it be a hard matter for any man to pray long and continually he may breake off his prayer howbeit hee must to it againe and oftentimes renue the same a fresh For such short speaking in prayer is praise-worthie And that we may make an end of this place let no man thinke that in praying hee declareth oure affaires vnto God as not knowing them Let no man thincke that hee is heard for his setting forth and euen for his laboursome and exact setting foorth and that oftentimes repeated and with most earneâ—t out-cries instilled or powred into the eares of God Let no man thinke that his prayer must stand vppon a certeine number that is to fay that Pater nosters must be numbered vpp to our God as not hauing a good memorie to a Lord ill to be trusted vppon corrals beades put together vppon a lace seruing as it were to make a reckoning or accompt And béecause I haue said which all godly men also throughout the whole world confesse that a most perfecte platforme of praying is deliuered vnto vs in the Lords prayer by our Lord Iesus Christe him selfe it remaineth that we cite word for word that most holy fourme of praying orderly made with most diuine words euen by the mouth of the Lord as Matthewe the Apostle hath lefte it recorded vnto vs and then to expound the same as briefly and plainely as may be to the intent that euery one may the better vnderstand what he prayeth â—éele a more effectuall working inwardly Of that most Heauenlye prayer this is the fourme O Our father which arte in Heauen hallowed bee thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done as well in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespase against vs And lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill A men This most holy prayer of our lord Iesus Christ our sauiour our doctour or teacher highest priest deliuered to the catholique church to be a catholique fourme or rule to praye vnto God is wont to be diuided into a litle preface and sixe petitions some reckon seuen Some say that the thrée former petitions serue chiefely to the spreading abroad of Gods glorie the thrée latter concerne the care of our selues and aske those thinges that are néedefull for vs But they séeme in manner all to conteine both The little preface is this O our father which art in heauen By this wée call vppon GOD and dedicating oure selues vnto him wée committ oure selues wholie vnto his protection and mercie And euerie word hath his highe mysteries For our Lord would haue vs rather pray with vnderstanding than with woordes These therefore doe admonishe vs and suffice to bee thought vppon but the minde beeing instructed with the holy Ghoste whiche I told you is néedefull before all thinges to them that pray and being lifted vpp to the beholding of God
members of Christes bodie of whom he is also a member and be readie to spend his life for them according to the example of Christe and whether he haue remitted or pardoned all anger and enimitie and whether he be desirous to call to minde Christes passion the whole mysterie of our redemption to giue thanks to God for our redeÌ„ption for all other gyftes of God already receiued to be receiued This is the right examining which agréeth with the receiuing of the mystical supper and when we haue done so we may in humblenes and feare of the Lord with gladnesse approche to the supper of our Lord Christ But here the faithful do tremble who are as it were priuie to their owne imperfection infirmitie For they do not finde these thinges to be so perfect in their mindes as otherwise they knâ—w a iust perfection requireth Satan commeth and he casteth in many and great stayes to the intent he may drawe vs backe from the celebration of the supper Therefore we say if any man suppose that none is to be admitted to the supper but he that is purged from al sinne infirmitie surely he shall driue away exclude al men howe many soeuer liue in this world nay he shal altogether depriue theÌ„ of the lords supper as not to be any loÌ„ger for sinful men but for Angels We must remeÌ„ber that this examinatioÌ„ resteth within his own bounds that God here also as euerie where else doth vse this clemencie and mercie towards vs He knoweth our weakenesse corruption with vs can beare our infirmities The Israelits vnder king Ezechias being not fully cleansed tooke part of the paschal lamb But the king prayed and said The Lorde who is good wil haue mercie vppon all men that with al their hart seeke after the God of their fathers will not impute it vnto them that they are not sanctified And herevnto is added in the holy history in 2. Chron â–ª 30. chap And the Lord heard Ezechias and he was pleased with the people The worthinesse which is inquired for by exacte examination is no absolute perfection but a wil and mind instructed by God which humblie acknowledgeth it owne vnworthinesse and therfore humblie prayeth for increase of faith charitie all perfection in Christ only At that first supper the Apostles were Christes guests among these was Iudas but because hee lacked faith and was a traitour yea a murtherer he was made guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the lord The other apostles were also sinners theÌ„selues but not wicked thei beleued in christ thei loued Christ one of theÌ„ loued aother like brethreÌ„ therfore they did not eate of the Lords supper vnworthily as Iudas did Although in the meane time at the same table they shewed tokens of great imperfectioÌ„ For Peter not without great contempt reproch of his brethren preferreth himselfe before them all Moreouer they contend among themselues for honour which of them should seme to be greater than another I will not nowe recite that streightway after they arose from the table they shamefully forsoke their maister and ranne away many wayes behaud them selues vnworthili but al these things were easily washed away for the faith had taken very déepe roote within them Neither will I here sticke to recite worde for worde the comfort of M. Iohn Caluine a godly and learned man who with great commendation teacheth in the church at this day my fellow minister most welbeloued déere brother whiche he hathe sette down for the afflicted in this case Let vs call to remembrance saith he that this holy banquet is a medicine for the sick a coÌ„fort for the sinfull a largesse to the pore which to the whole righteous and rich if there could any such be found would bring small vantage For seing that in this banquet Christ is giuen vnto vs to be eaten we vnderstand that without him we faynt faile and are forsaken Moreouer seeing he is giuen to vs to be our life we vnderstande that without him wee are but dead Wherfore this is the greatest only worthines which we can giue vnto God if we lay before him our own vilenes vnworthines that through his mercy he may make vs worthie of himselfe if we despaire in our selues that we may be coÌ„forted in him if we humble our selues that we may be lift vp by him if we accuse ourselues that we may be iustified by him Moreouer if we attein vnto that vnitie whiche he coÌ„mendeth vnto vs in the supper and like as he maketh vs all to dwel in him so that we may with likewise that ther were one soul one hart one tongue in vs all If we wel wey meditate these things theÌ„ shal these thoughts neuer trouble vs we that ar naked and destitute of all goodnes we that are stayned with spots of sinn we that are halfe deade how shoulde wee worthily eate the Lords bodie Let vs rather think that we being poore doe come to a plentifull giuer we that are sicke come to a Physician we that are sinful come to a sauiour that the worthines which is coÌ„manded by God coÌ„sisteth in faith chiefly which reposeth al in God nothing in our selues secondly in charitie suche charitie as it is sufficient if we offer it vnto God vnperfect that he may increse it to the better seing we cannot performe it absolute as it ought to be Thus farr he This muche haue I saide hetherto of the most holie supper of our lord Iesus Christe the moste excellent wholesome sacrament of Christians for which euen from the very beginning while the Apostles were yet liuing sathan the most deadly enimie to our saluation lying in wayte hath gone about to ouerthrow by many corruptions defilings from whiche being nowe for a time faithfully cleansed yet doth he not so leaue it but intermingles throwes an heap of coÌ„tentions into it being made vnto y churche y token of a couenant neuer to be broken Wherevpon the thing itself our saluation requireth that we bée circumspect giue no place to the temptour but agreing altogether in christ and being ioyned into one body by faithful celebrating of the supper we may loue one another and giue euerlasting thankes to our redéemer and Lorde Christe to whome be praise glory nowe for euer Amen Amen ¶ Of certeine institutions of the Church of god Of Scholes Of Ecclesiastical goodes and the vse and abuse of the same Of Churches and holie instrumentes of Christians Of the admonitioÌ„ correctioÌ„ of the ministers of the church and of the whole Church Of matrimonie Of widowes Of virgines Of monkes What the Church of Christ determineth concerning the sicke and of funeralls and buryall ¶ The tenth Sermon THERE remaine certeine thinges but a fewe truly whiche are to be expounded vnto you déerely beleued the whiche partly apperteine to the institution
doe notwithstanding behold him but in a myste in comparison of the brightnesse wherein hée shall appeare For wée shall hereafter sée him face to face in the glorie of his maiestie yet notwithstanding euen this sighte of him which now we haue is sufficient to saluation Therefore it is a very fine similitude preatily said of them which say Althoughe at day breake the brightnesse of the Sunne is not so great as it is at noone day yet wayfarers or trauellers doe not stay till the Sunne be at the highest but take the morning before them to goe their iourney in and haue light enough to see the way For in like manner they thincke that to oure forefathers euen that little portion of light which was in the morning was sufficient by the leading of saith to bring them through all impâ—dimentes to eternall felicitie In the meane time we haue great cause to reioyce that Christ the very Sunne and light of righteousnes doth after the maystie light of the daye starre of the lawe shine forth to vs in the newe testament Moreouer the forefathers in the old testament had types shadowes and figures of things to come but we haue nowe receiued the very thinge it selfe which was to them prefigured Therfore the thinge which God did promise to them he hath performed and giuen to vs They verilie did beleeue that Christ should come and deliuer all the faithfull from their sinnes and we beléene that he is alreadie come that hée hath redéemed vs and hath fulfilled all that the prophets foretold of him Therfore the Lord in the Gospell said The Prophets the lawe prophecied vnto Iohn since that time the kingdom of God is preached suffereth violence of euerie man. Whereuppon it is gathered when the thinge prefigured is come and present that then the figures and shadowes which did foreshewe the thinges to come do come to an end and vanishe away Therefore the yoke and burthen whiche our fathers did beare is thereby taken from our neckes The worshipping of God which they did vse externally was very busie and burthensome as the Aaronicall priesthoode the tabernacle or temple that was to be throughly furnished with most exquisite things and instruments their sundrie sorts of sacrifices many moe Ceremonies like vnto these Nowe from all this coste and businesse wée which be the people of the newe couenaunte are fréely disburthened and set at libertie And hée by whom wée are disburthened is Iesus Christ in whom alone we haue all things necessarie to life and saluation For it pleased God the father to recapitulate in him and as S. Paul saith to bring into a summe all thinges requisite to life and saluation that the thinges which séemed before to be dispersed here and there should in Christ alone be fullie exhibited and broughte vnto vs For Christ is the fulfilling of all the types Ceremonies by whose spirite since wée doe nowe possesse the thing prefigured wée haue no longer néede of the representing types and shadowes The external thinges that Christe hath ordeined are very fewe and of very small coste Therefore the people of the newe testament doth enioye a passing great ample libertie To this I suppose doeth belonge that excellent place of S. Paul which is to be séene in the 4. to the Galathians where in handling this matter diligently hée fayneth that there are two mothers the one whereof doth gender to bondage the other vnto libertie and that he doeth vnder the type of Agar and Sara By whiche hée noteth the two doctrines that of the law and that of the Gospell That of the lawe gendreth to bondage but that of the Gospell doth gender vnto libertie Therefore the lawe did gender the holie fathers and the prophets vnto bondage not that they should abide bondslaues for euer but that it might keepe them vnder discipline yea that it mighte lead them vnto Christ the full perfection of the lawe The libertie of the fathers was by the weight and heape of Ceremonies so oppressed and couered that althoughe they were frée in spirite before the Lord yet notwithstanding they did in outward shewe differ little or nothing from very boÌ„dslaues by reason of the burthen of the lawe that laye vppon their shoulders For in so much as the lawe was not as yet abrogated they were compelled precisely to obserue it But when Christe was come and had fulfilled all thinges then did the shadowes vanish away and that heauie yoke was taken from the necke of vs Christians So by this meanes our mother Sara gendreth vs vnto libertie She is the mother of vs all Of y mother whiche is also called the holy mother Church wée haue the séede of life shée hath fashioned vs and brought vs forth into the light shée colleth vs in her bosome wherein shée carrieth both milke and meate I meane the word of God to nourish saue and bring vs vpp Nowe the bonds being caucelled and y middle wal which was a stopp being broken downe God doeth more liberally rule his Church and not reteine it any longer vnder so streite a custodie For neither is the people of God conteined within the boundes of the land of promise For they are dispersed to y ends of the world neither are the circumcised those that kéepe the lawe his people now although it is not to be doubted but that eueÌ„ then when Circumcision was of force hee had some that were his people amoÌ„ge the GeÌ„tiles as Iob other mo which he himselfe did knowe but those are his people whiche doe acknowledge Christ although they be neither circuÌ„cised nor busied with the lawe This is a new people gathered together out of all the world by faith and the holie Ghoste To this new testament hath Christ giuen his owne name wherin the Iewes haue none inheritance vnlesse they forsake their stubborne opinion of the lawe and cleane to Christ alone without affiaunce in the lawe All the bookes of the Prophets are fullie fraughted with testimonies touching the calling of the Gentiles vnto the communion fellowship of God and also touching the reprobation of the Iewes who for their vnreclaymeable affiaunce in the lawe are vtterly reiected Furthermore the Apostle Paule putteth an other difference betwixte the two testamentes alluding to the Prophecie of Ieremie as is to be sene in the eighth Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrues For he attributeth to the people of the new testament certaine excellent gifts to witt absolute full remission of their sinnes For he saith Because I wil be merciful to their vnrighteousnesses I will no more remember their sinnes and iniquities Hée doeth also attribute to the people of the newe testament a most exquisite reformation and absolute illumination of their minds For he saith I wil plant my lawes in their mindes and write them in their heartes and then shall no maÌ„ teach his neighbour or his brother saying Knowe the Lord for