seene these men turned out againe by Monkes and Bishops and that they haue founde no helpe or succour in those goodes which they had layde vp for that vse to defende the Church by force agaynst the open enimies of religion And better successe let them not looke for which commit lyke offence For if Ananias and Sapphira deserued sodeyne death who as Luke writeth tooke nothing from the Church but deceytfully put aside and withhelde part of their owne goods what deathes and mischiefes doe not they deserue â–ª which dare ryfle Churches by open force and publike authoritie Let vs in these things acknowledge the power of Iesus Christ who as he alwayes doth vouchsafe to be mercifull to his Church so will he not suffer hir to be beguiled but will worthily punish both hir professed enimies and persecutors and also all hypocrites and deceyuers that the synceritie of true religion may be preserued to him be prayse honor power glorye for euer Amen The .xxxiiij. Homelie AND great feare came on all the congregation and as many as hearde it By the handes of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people And they were all togither with one accorde in Salomons porch Anâ— of other durst no man ioyne himselfe to them Neuerthelesse the people magnified them The number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grewe more and more in so much that they brought the sicke into the streetes and layde them on the beddes and couches â—hat at the least waye the shadowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them There came also a multitude out of the Cities rounde about vnto Ierusalem bringing sicke folkes and them which were vexed with vncleane spirites And they were healed euery one WEe haue hearde the horrible example of Goddes iudgement whereby Ananias and his wife Sapphira were punished with sodeyne death both for that they falsly counterfeyted a fayth in Christ and al so went about to beguyle the Churche in the goodes that were giuen for the reliefe of the poore This example teacheth vs how great the seueritie of God is in punishing of hypocrytes who as he cannot be deceyued so can he not but be grieuouslye offended with them that go about to beguyle him We haue seene also what a feruent desire was in the primitiue Church to conserue and mainteyne discipline least eyther dissemblers or open malefactors shoulde creepe in and cause the fayth of Christ eyther to be defamed or suspected And to thintent all posteritie myght be enflamed to followe the same this present place followeth which rehearseth manye and singuler fruites of this example whereto are adioyned the traueyles and exercises of the primitiue Church to thintent we maye learne by them what we haue in these dayes to doe if we desire to haue the kingdome of God enlarged or Christ to be fauourable vnto vs. First Luke sayeth And great feare came on all the congregation and on as manye as hearde these thinges Then the Christians feared as well as straungers to whome the report of this thing came And this was no vnprofitable feare for by it the godlye were the more aware and traueyled the more earnestly in Gods affayres â–ª and the enimies durst doe the lesse against the Church which they sawe had the spirite of God so manifestlye with them This is the chiefe fruite of ecclesiasticall discipline that it keepeth the godly in doing their dutie and feareth the vngodly Now a dayes bicause all men may doe what they will the Churches being disordered by licentiousnesse of lyfe become a praye to the enimies Here must we also learne the vse of Gods iudgementes which consisteth in this that by them we learne Gods iustice and being afrayde amende our liues by the godly consideration thereof God taught vs this vse â–ª when he shewed Abraham the horrible destruction of Sodome saying I knowe that he will commaund his housholde and his children after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe after right and conscience And for this cause woulde â—e that the presidentes of his iudgementes shoulde be recorded in writing and be reade in the Church both priuately and apertly as Asaph testifieth where he thus writeth He made a couenant with Iacob and gaue Israel a law which he commaunded our forefathers to teache their children That their posteritie might knowe it and the children which were yet vnborne To the intent that when they grew vp they might shew their children the same That they might put their trust in God and not to forget the woorkes of God but to keepe his commaundementes And not to be as their forefathers c. Therefore this vse of Gods iudgement whereby Ananias and Sapphiras dissimulation is punished must also be now a dayes retained that we may conceyue a true feare of God and take heede of hypocrisie and worship God in spirite and truth as Christ hath commaunded vs yea let all men be excited with this example and applye vnto themselues whatsoeuer any where in hystories is written of this kinde that by other mennes examples they maye learne what they haue to doe if they meane to auoyde the wrath of God. Secondlye it is sayde of the Apostles that by their ministerie many signes and woonders were shewed among the people Wherby it appeareth the prayers of the faythfull were hearde also in this behalfe which besought God that the Apostles might be endued with myracles through the authoritie whereof they might be holpen in setting forth the kingdome of christ And they worke not only common myracles but their power is extended so farre that the diseased layde in the streete desire but the shadowe of Peter paâ—sing by and thinke that it will helpe them Nowe beginneth that saying of Christ to be fulfilled He that beleeueth in mee the woorkes that I doe he shall doe the same and greater than these shall he doe This is the second fruit of ecclesiasticall discipline that God heareth the prayers of the Church and encreaseth the gifts of his spirite where contrarily he abhorreth their prayers which stop their eares at his lawe This appeareth by histories which euidently declare that the rarer giftes of the holy ghost and working of myracles began then to cease when discipline beganne to waxe dissolute and corruption of maners encreased Yet let no man thinke that superstition is here defended by that is written of Peters shadowe no more than by that we shall afterwarde heare of Paules handkerchefe â–ª Some vse thus to reason of this place If Peters shadow helped many how much more shall his rayment and bones And herof springeth all that confused Chaos of superstition which we see is in pilgrimages about Saints reliques wherof the most part be counterfeyted But we say that these myracles were not wrought to testifie eyther of Peter or Paules power but to confirme the preaching of the Gospell whereof they were ministers Therefore they
which they haue matched in authoritie with the Scriptures and haue commaunded men payne of death to receyue and beléeue them before the Scriptures He sayth iâ— conâ—erteth or turneth the soule that is to say it maketh him that readeth them a newe man a repentant person a faythfull beléeuer and a godly liuer So farre it is from peruerting or corrupting any godly student thereof He calleth it a sure and faithfull testimonie of the Lorde whereas mannes policies councels and deuises are alwayes vncertaine chaungeable and vnsure It giueth wisedome vnto the simple Why then shoulde they be kept from it Uerily this hath bene Gods practise in all ages as appeareth by all hystories that he hath reuealed his worde and will to no kinde of people sooner than vnto those that are simple as may be séene by those thankes that our Sauiour Christ gaue to God his father in the behalfe of his Disciples being but simple Clarkes saying I thanke thee O God fathâ—r of heauen and earth for that thou hast hidden these things verilye the vnderstanding of his kingdome from the wise that is to saye the great Doctors in their owne conceyte and in the worldes iudgement and hast reuealed them vnto the simple that is to the vnlearned and despysed wightes of this worlde For so doth Chrysostome expounde the wordes Rusticall people and Ideotes sayth he â–ª were illuminated persons of small account in the worlde or in the knowledge of God but not of obstinacie but ignoraunce If our new Diuines would admit these sayings of Christ and Chrysostome they shoulde soone perceyue how vnchristianly they speake and also howe vnlyke the olde Doctors whyle they raue and fare so fowle wyth poore Artificers and Craftesmen whome it hath pleased God in these dayes so to enriche with his spirite that when they haue bene called before these our newe Rabbines they haue shewed more true Diuinitie than all the whole Sinagoge of them were able I report me to Eusebius Ecclesiasticall hystory and to our owne entituled the Actes and Monumentes of the Church But Dauid goeth on saying The statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the heart the commaundement of the Lorde is pure and giueth light to the eyes The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgementes of the Lorde are true and righteous altogither More to be desired are they than golde yea than much fine golde sweeter also than hony and the bony combe Moreouer by them is thy seruant taught What I warraunt you this olde Diuine Dauid neuer ment that they taught eyther heresie or error In diuers other places of his Psalter maye be séene the earnest exhortations that he maketh to all the people to heare the worde of God as in the .xlix. Psalme O heare ye this all ye people ponder it with your eares all ye that dwell in the worlde High and lowe rich and poore one with another What shoulde they heare euen that that immediately followeth howe his mouth shall speake of wisedome and his heart muse of vnderstanding Here are none excluded from hearing what Dauid shall say but such as dwell in Vtopia The Diuines therefore that will barre any dwellers in this worlde from hearing or reading of Dauid must there go preache this doctrine Agayne Wherewithall shall a yong man clense his waye euen by ruling himselfe after thy worde Againe Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Againe When thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen vnto the simple Againe Kings of the earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the worlde yong men and maydens olde men and children prayse the name of the Lord. Here by an enumeration of al states and degrées sexes and ages may we sée that none are secluded from praysing the Lorde which then is done moste acceptablye when we sing prayse vnto him as the same Dauid sayth with vnderstanding which vnderstanding we can not haue without his worde Infynite more places there be in the Psalter to this effect as the diligent Reader thereof shall finde whereof this is one verye notable and therefore not to be omitted Out of the mouthes of very babes sucklings hast thou ordeyned strength that thou mightest still the enimy and the auenger It is the more notable for that Christ alleageth it in the .xxj. of Mathewe agaynst the Scribes and Phariseyes in defence of the people which so thankefully welcommed and receyued him into Ierusalem in the same sense that it is here brought for But let vs nowe come to the testimonies of the newe Testament Our Sauiour Christ hauing to doe with those Iewes which of all other in the worlde at that time most gloried in the knowledge of God and his religion bicause they had Bishoppes whose succession they coulde shewe by order euen from Aaron and therefore had antiquitie ynough hauing Scribes Phariseyes Sadduceyes Essenes Nobles Communes and all the worlde on their side yet did he plainly tell them that they erred and were deceyued for that they vnderstoode not the Scriptures For to the Sadduceyes which allowed no part of the olde Testament but the bookes of Moses denying the resurrection for that they imagined if there were any men shoulde knowe their wiues as they had before done in the worlde as appeareth by their captious and foolishe demaunde Christ aunswered yee erre not vnderstanding the Scriptures and power of God. Where we maye plainely learne that ignoraunce in the Scripture is the cause of error contrary to these newe Diuines assertion that saye Ignorance is the mother of deuotion Whereas true deuotion cannot be without the true vnderstanding of Gods will and his will by no meanes ordinary can be vnderstanded but by his worde Therefore to auoyde errour it is moste méete that people haue the Scriptures to search and vnderstande the will of God by Another time hauing to doe with the Phariseyes also as these two sectes of men were the greatest assaylantes that Christ euer had whereby we learne it is no newe practise that they most persecute Christes Church that challenge most authoritie and learning in the same he bade them for that they séemed to haue such exact knowledge in the worde of God and yet knew not that he was that Messias and Sauiour that God had promised them to search better in the Scriptures and they shoulde finde that the Scriptures in all places did testifye and beare witnesse that he was the same Whereby Christ plainly giueth vs to vnderstande that without the Scriptures we cannot truly knowe him These two places declare sufficiently howe necessarye the Scriptures are for all that will knowe Christ. We will adde two other testimonies to shewe howe profitable they are S. Paule in his Epistle to the Romaines sayth Whatsoeuer thinges haue bene written afore time they haue bene written for our learning that through pacience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope They are
translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors
things which can not be attayned too nor perceyued by mans reason it becommeth vs with Paule to marueyle with godly confession of our ignorance and to crie out O the depth of the riches and of the wisedome of God how vnsearchable be his iudgementes and his wayes vnfindeable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene a counsell with him or who hath first giuen to him and it shall be giuen to him againe For of him and by him and in him c. Nowe let vs see the other part of Christes aunswere wherein he repeateth such thinges of his kingdome as serue for this present purpose Hee so handleth this matter as I sayde before that he both marueylously comforteth the Disciples and admonisheth them of their dutie For he sayth You shall receyue power when the holy ghost shall come vpon you and you shall be witnesses to me not only in Hierusalem but in all Iurie and Samarie and vnto the worldes ende First he repeateth the promyse of the holy ghost wherwith he comforteth the Disciples and describeth the state of his kingdome I woulde not sayth he haue you abashed where you heare you are appointed to the setting forth of my kingdome among the Gentyles For this thing will not bee compassed by mans strength which I perceyue in you to be very small and little regarded Here needeth heauenlye and diuine strength from aboue which I haue often promised you shal not want and now againe I promise you the same For the holy ghost shall come vpon you which shall giue you courage and strength that shall make you able to fulfill your office We are here admonished that Christes kingdome as hee confessed before Pylate is not of this worlde or earthly but spirituall neyther consisteth in the power honour glory triumphes riches and pleasures of this world but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holye ghost Wherevpon we gather further that it is not set foorth and defended with carnall weapons and strength of Princes of this worlde but with preaching of the worde wherwith the spirite of God worketh effectuously in the harts of men This teacheth the wordes of Paule where he sayth Though we walke in the fleshe yet warre we not after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to cast downe strong holdes wherewith we ouerthrowe counsayles and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God bring into captiuity all imagination to the obedience of Christ. c. Therfore they labour in vaine which go about by mans counsell leagues fight fauour and amitie of Princes and such lyke meanes to set vp the kingdome of god For Christes kingdome is in the mindes of men which by no mans strength can be forced but with the power and operation of the holye ghost It becommeth both Kings and Princes to be the nurses and maintayners of the Church as Esay sayth but they shall neuer with outwarde power and strength set forth the kingdome of christ And the examples of all ages plainely teach vs that whatsoeuer man went about by his counsell and strength that way to bring it to passe neuer happily succeeded Moreouer he expressely teacheth what the Apostles haue to doe in their office in this kingdome You shall be my witnesses sayth hee This shall bee your kingdome your office your dignitie to beare witnesse of my doctrine life myracles passion death buriall resurrection from death and ascention into heauen and briefly of all the things which I haue done and suffred for mans saluation Neyther shall you expounde the hystorie of things by mee done onelye but declare the ende and vse of them that all nations maye acknowledge mee their onelye teacher sauiour and redeemer Christ thought good in this place to vse this worde witnesse as also in Iohn the .xv. to admonish as well the Apostles as the hearers of their dutie For the Apostles and their successors learne by the dutie of a witnesse how to preache the Gospell of Iesus christ In a witnesse the looue of truth is chiefly required and a lying witnesse God hateth Againe it is the part of a witnesse to speake nothing but that he knoweth which he hath so certainly seene and heard that he doubteth nothing of the truth of them Further he must haue no corrupt affections least of hatred feare or fauour he put to hyde or conceale any thing but plainly confesse the thing he knoweth Such witnesses we reade that the Apostles were For whatsoeuer they heard Christ teach or sawe him doe they truely preached it neyther feared they the threates of their enimies as appeareth in all hystories Neyther confirmed they their witnesse of Christ with words onely but with their life with death and with their bloud It becommeth the Ministers of the worde to imitate their truth and constancy who if for fauour of man or feare of daunger they chaunge or at least dissemble any thing in the quarrell of Christ they pollute themselues with an horrible crime and are in daunger of Christes sentence Whosoeuer is ashamed of me in this naughty and adulterous world him will I also be ashamed of when I come wirh the holy angels in the glory of my father Againe the hearers of the Apostles and Apostolicall doctrine are here admonished what an heynous offence it is not to beleeue the holye gospell or to gainesay it For it is not a simple preaching of Christ or an hystoricall and bare narration but a testimonie which the Apostles as sworne witnesses brought into the worlde by the very sonne of God gaue not only before the common people but also before the Bishoppes and Priestes Kinges and their Counsell But he that in the lawe giueth no credite to sworne witnesses and openly denieth their testimony bringeth himselfe in daunger of lyfe What shall we saye then of those â–ª which feare not to speake against the Apostles being Christes witnesses For they accuse not only the Apostles of lying but also Christ himselfe as much as in them lyeth yea they woulde cause God the father to be suspected as though he would bring forth false witnesses and obtaine his sonnes cause with suborned witnesses This sawe that beloued Disciple of Christ when he sayth If we receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnesse of God which he bare of his sonne He that beleeueth the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyer bicause hee beleeueth not the witnesse that God beareth of his sonne c. These things if we consider brethren we shall finde the chiefe cause of the euils of these daies For where we take it for a ieast and pastime to call in question and doubt the things written by the Apostles of Iesus Christ yea many wickedly deny them and persecute that testimony of Iesus Christ with fire and sworde
to haue erred When they were named they were bidden stande forth that all men might looke vpon them and know them And this example of the Primitiue Church is very notable wherby wee are taught that the election of Ministers of the worde and of the Churche shoulde not be done in corners secretly and within the house by a fewe persons but shoulde be done openly in the sight of the congregation and before all the people For if a Bishop must haue the testimony of them that be without as Paule sayth how much more ought he to be well knowne to them ouer whom he is put in charge Which thing if it be not obserued or be neglected eyther obscure or vnknowne persons eyther else wicked and infect with corrupt maners shall be appointed ouer the Church And they shall be ouerseers of the Church which deserue not the lowest roume in the Church This we are taught by the rytes of the olde Testament where by Gods commaundement Aaron and his children were openly chosen into the holye ministery all the people looking on Neyther let it trouble vs that Paule seemeth to giue authoritie to Titus and Timothie to choose Bishoppes For he woulde not haue them of their priuate authoritie to doe any thing but according to the dutie of Superintendentes to take heede that such as were worthy and meete might be chosen for Ministers And it is not likely that they had more graunted to them than the Apostles had which without the Churches counsayle woulde neuer doe any thing in this matter For not long after they chose Deacons openlye before the congregation and Paule and Barnabas by election ordayned Elders in euery congregation Hereby is reprooued that most corrupt and pernicious vsage of choosing of ministers which many yeares hath borne all the rule in this matter Where manye times some one person in many Churches vseth to choose and order Ministers of his owne authoritie Wherein chiefly Abbots Bishops and Prouostes be to blame And many of them also that glory in the name of the Gospell will be taken for reformers of the Church handle not the matter much better For whyle they put Monkes and Bishops out of their vsurped possession as right is yet they restore not to the Church the libertie which by tyranny they tooke from it but at their owne pleasures administrate the things vsed before time vsurped by the same Bishops and Monkes And hereof in many places sprang that preposterous order for such to choose and order Ministers of the Church as neyther well knowe the Ministers nor yet the Churches ouer which they are set And bicause manye naughty affections are ioyned with ignorance they are manye times therewithall so ledde out of the waye that without all regarde of religion in so weyghtye a matter they seeme to minde none other thing but to shewe the power they haue ouer Churches with as great pride as the Bishops and Monkes did before them Which euill and inconuenience vnlesse it be shortly repressed it will bring vs forth both Simonie the deadly confusion of all ecclesiasticall discipline And all this we are bound to the Bishops of Rome for which haue extorted from the Emperors by bloudy warres that they alone might haue authority to giue Bishopricks and al other whatsoeuer ecclesiasticall Benefices There be yet in Germany not a fewe places which can remember these battayles the Christian bloudshed about the â—ame Certes it is manifest that Henrie the fourth being Emperour both for this diuers other causes ioyned battayle and fought with the Popes in open fielde threescore and two times And at length through the craft and counsayles of the Bishops had his owne sonne as an enimie sent by them against him into the field who at length perceyuing their subtiltie and sleyghtes beganne to withstand them but being ouercome with their importunitie and boldnesse graunted to Calixtus the second all his authority since which time the liberty of the Church pining away as of a deadly disease is at length vtterly lost which libertie whosoeuer will haue restored againe be they Ministers or Magistrates they must knowe that they ought all to labour to haue the auncient vsage of choosing Ministers to be restored againe Nowe to come to the exposition of this present hystory when they had set two before the congregation Ioseph and Matthy men furnished and endued with all kinde of vertues yet none of the Apostles woulde take so much vpon him as to pronounce whether of them should be Apostle naye they thought it not safe to commit so weighty a matter to the number of voices but turning to deuout prayers referre all the successe of the matter to the infallible iudgement of god For they saye Thou Lorde that knowest the hartes of all men shewe whether of these two thou hast chosen c. This is a singular document of godly mindes and of such as will not ouer boldly chalenge to themselues any thing in Gods causes Which example if they would with lyke religion imitate which nowe a dayes haue the handling of Church matters and affayres many things vndoubtedly would succeede more happily than they doe Hereof we gather that the election of Ministers dependeth of God alone and must be referred to him We thinke it the dutie of the Church in this case being lawfully assembled to laye aside all priuate affections to search out such as to whom the function of the Church may safely and conueniently be committed And here we principally require a feruent desire of religion wherevnto fasting was woont to be ioyned that their prayers might be the more ardent and earnest And when there are any found that are thought worthy of so great a charge yet must we not then attribute to much to the iudgement of men But the most commodious and safest way is to referre all the successe of our counsayles to the iudgement of god Although I am not ignoraunt that we finde certaine places of Scripture wherby Ministers myght seeme to be chosen by the iudgement of men and the matter appeareth not to haue bene determined by lottes as here it was wherevnto these sayinges seeme chieflye to be referred which are written 1. Timoth. 3. 5. Titus 1. But I suppose mention is there made only of such things as are requisite in this case for men to doe as ministers and guides the order and president of the Primitiue Church standing still in force the which for diuers and weightie causes is necessary to be obserued still in the Church For first it is euident that the Church is the housholde and family of God as was aforesayde wherein the Ministers be as it were Bayliffes and Stewardes Howbeit none that is wise taketh so much vppon him in another mans house as to prescribe at his pleasure eyther the most vnderlyng seruant or else the Stewarde of the same What absurditie therfore shall it be for any man
to be so bolde in the house of God to doe it and to commit a matter of so greatweyght to the iudgement of our blinde reason Further in the choosing of Ministers no man will denye but that the chiefest regarde ought to be of the minde For in the minde is the residence of such vertuous qualities as the holy ghost requireth in a Minister But I praye you what man iudging of another mans mynde can be sure of hys iudgement Must we not confesse that men herein are deceyued euery dayâ— since at length we finde by euident tokens howe naughtye they are whom before we tooke for very perfect persons The Apostles may herein be examples vnto vs who were ignorant a great whyle what Iudas was although he were a theefe such a one as robbed God of his honor But God is of such propertie condicion that he can be beguiled with no craft or dissimulation For he seeth not only what is without vs but searcheth the harts and reynes yea he foreseeth the thoughts and counsayles of men long before they aryse in their myndes Therefore all this matter can be to no body more safely committed than to his iudgement Which thing chiefly mooued the Apostles in this businesse to saye Thou Lorde which knowest the harts of all men shewe whether of these twaine thou hast chosen c. In the which words they plainly confesse what mooued them to runne to the iudgement of god Uerily for that they were not able to see into the hartes of other men Whereas we therfore cannot but confesse the same likewise in our choosing of Ministers we must needes seeme ouer rashe if we will make our selues Iudges in a matter where the minde is chiefly to be considered Last of all the maner order of election which the Apostles vsed both getteth the Ministers no small authoritie in the minds of the hearers encourageth them also against the manaces and attemptes of the wicked and other daungers hanging ouer them For thus it commeth to passe that the verye enimies if they will confesse a truth cannot suspect the Ministers eyther of temeritie or falshoode For who can be thought to haue crept into the Ministery by vnlawfull meanes or through fauour and authoritie of men which is declared a Minister by the iudgement of God Or who with a safe conscience dare eyther contemne or hate him whom he knoweth to haue bene elected and ordayned by his owne praiers the praiers of the whole congregation In like sort these things animate and embolden the Ministers a thing very necessary for them against the threates and attemptes of this worlde For where they knowe they are not elected by the counsell and fauour of man but by Gods ordinance they may assure themselues of Gods ayde and assistance if they will be faithfull in their office They knowe it is sayde vnto them Be not afrayde of their faces for I am with thee to deliuer thee sayth the Lorde Agayne they may be sure they shall finde God a reuenger and punisher if they be slothfull wicked and vnfaithfull in their office For they knowe that it is sayde to all Ministers which is spoken to the Prophet If I saye vnto thee concerning the wicked man that without doubt he must dye and thou giuest him not warning nor speakest vnto him that hee maye turne from his euill way and so liue then shal the same vngodly man die in his owne vnrighteousnesse but his bloude will I require of thine hande The consideration whereof me thinketh gaue such boldenesse to the Prophetes and Apostles that neyther the flatteries of false brethren nor the threates of wicked enimies could daunt or discourage them For after this sort Amos the Prophet deluded the crafty counsell of Amasias For where he exhorted the Prophete to flye awaye least Ieroboam the King shoulde laye holde on him for his sermons that were so full of threates and rebukes and so come in daunger of aduersitie he aunswered on this wise I am neyther Prophete nor sonne of Prophete but a keeper of cattell Nowe as I was breaking downe Mulberies and going after the cattell the Lorde tooke me and sayde vnto me Goe thy waye and prophecie vnto my people of Israell c. By the which wordes the Prophet meaneth that he did nothing of his owne head or priuate counsell but went about the office enioyned him of God and that therefore he coulde not giue ouer the charge that God had layde vppon him The same Amos in the thirde chapter sayth When the Lyon roareth who will not be afrayde Seeing then the Lord God himselfe speaketh who will not prophecy Hereto are to be referred the things that the Apostles did with lyke courage before the counsell at Hierusalem For when they were forbidden to preache any more in the name of the Lorde Iesus they aunswered Wee must rather obey God than man Agayne Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken vnto you more than God iudge yee But for what cause had it bene lawfull for the Apostles thus to saye if they had not certainely vnderstoode they were called and chosen to this office by god And surely in vayne shall a man looke for such boldenesse of speach and affiance in doing in those which through fauour and by vnlawfull meanes creepe into the Ministery before they be called For knowing in their conscience how they come in by craft and being in their daungers by whose meane they come to such promotion they dare doe no notable thing in setting forth the truth and glorye of God but playing the egregious tryflers studie to please both God and man yea at the length casting aside all feare of God they giue themselues wholy to hunt for worldly praise so lyke rattes perish by bewraying themselues bicause as Paule sayth they be not the seruantes of God but men pleasers Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue in the Churche the auncient authoritie of discipline and the boldenesse of the Prophetes and Apostles in the Ministers and to be short the olde integritie and soundnesse of the whole Church let him labour to reuoke and call agayne this auncient order of choosing of Ministers shewed vs by the example of the Apostles But before we goe from this matter it is requisite to see with what wordes they describe the office of the Apostles They call it the lot of the Ministery and Apostleship By this worde lot they allude to the maner of casting lottes whereby a litlte after they meane to enquire Gods minde and pleasure But in the diuision of things a lot is oftentimes taken for a part or portion of any thing that falleth to vs by lot In the which sense they here call the lot of the Ministerie or Apostleship a part of the same Therfore they oftentimes acknowledge and confesse an equalitie of state and condicion among the Apostles For if Matthias receyued a part of that Ministery which was as well
them when he sayth that he shall be saued that calleth vpon the name of the Lord. Where we may note a double consolation First it is an vniuersall promise which promiseth saluation to all them that call vpon the name of the lord Ergo here is a doore of saluation opened to all men from entring into which we are not kept backe neyther by pouerty nor infamy of the world â—â—yther by diseases nor cruell torments neyther by sexe nor age neyther by difference of nation or kindred Nay we cannot be put by neyther by sinne nor death bicause in Christ we haue expiation of all our sinnes and he hath ouercome death and the gates of hell Furthermore saluation is absolutely promised so that we see they haue all things necessary to saluation that call vpon the name of the Lorde Wherevpon we gather that they which feele no taste nor comfort of saluation by their prayers call not vpon the name of the Lorde that is they are destitute of faith in Christe which fayth will not suffer our prayers to be made in vaine And this is the only way of saluation which the holy scriptures teach vs euerywhere And Peter thought to make mention hereof in this place to thintent the Iewes might vnderstand how they could none other wayes be deliuered from the imminent daungers and the horrible iudgement of God but by casting away all trust in their owne workes and righteousnesse and turning vnto the throne of grace by the fayth that is in Iesus Christe The same must we also in these dayes marke and consider Whatsoeuer troubles or calamities the Lorde or his Apostles foretolde shoulde happen in the later dayes they vrge and assault vs on euerye side The wysest and greatest men consult in euery place how to get a waye and remedye to bee saued And the vnhappy successe of things in these dayes teache vs howe vayne all counsayles be that proceede of mans deuyse Let vs therefore holde this waye which as it is the most simplest and playnest and deliuereth vs from many cares and troubles so is it infallible and certaine bicause it stayeth and resteth vpon the promise of God which no force of the worlde can ouerturne Wherfore let vs acknowledge our sinnes and in them let vs seeke the causes of the euils which we suffer Let vs vse the acknowledging of our sinne to beate downe the affiaunce in our owne righteousnesse And then turning vnto God let vs call vppon his holye name who surely will heare vs and deliuer vs for his names sake in Iesus Christ to whome be blessing honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xiiij. Homelie YE men of Israell heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God among you with myracles woonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you as yee your selues knowe him haue you taken by the handes of vnrighteous persons after hee was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slaine him whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorowes of death bycause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it WE haue hearde the first part of Peters Sermon alreadye wherein he cleareth the Apostles from the crime of drunkennesse and teacheth how they were endued with the holy ghost He vseth in the place of demonstration the testimony of the Prophet Ioël which he so rehearseth that therewith he declareth the horrible punishmentes remayning for the contemners of the Gospell and teacheth the onely way of remedye and escape to be the fayth in Iesus Christe which things bicause they were sufficient to feare them that were not altogither incurable the Apostle passeth to the other parte where he preacheth Christ whome of late we sayde was the chiefe marke that the Apostles shotte at in all their doctrine And least his preaching might be in vayne he so proposeth the matter that he stirreth vp their mindes with the conscience of their sinnes to the ende that being feared therwith they might with the more feruent fayth and greedinesse embrace Iesus Christ in whom they heard saluation was preached And his chiefe studye is to be short and playne least any man might thinke the knowledge of Christ and the way of saluation contayned therein to be lyke the dreames of the Philosophers which neyther can be explicated in infinite volumes nor be discussed by any disputations nor fully be comprehended of anye man For he compriseth the chiefe articles of our fayth in fewe woordes which whosoeuer vnderstandeth he hath both attayned to the knowledge of Christ and to all the waye of saluation For first he descrybeth the person of Christ and teacheth vs what he is and howe we should knowe him Secondly he intreateth of the passion and death of christ Thirdly he declareth his resurrection Of these three we meane to saye so much as his spirite shall giue vs grace In speaking of Christes person he handleth all things prudently and circumspectly least they that were as yet weake might take occasion of offence For when he had gotten them to be attent by a short kinde of exhortation he bringeth them by little and little to the knowledge of Christ saying Iesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God amongest you by myracles signes and woonders which God wrought by him in the middest of you as ye your selues know â–ª c. In the which words he pronounceth of Christ two things First that he was a man for he calleth him one of Nazareth which name he had of Nazareth a Citie of Galiley where he was brought vp as appeareth by the storie of the Gospel But bicause this seemed not sure and strong ynough he calleth him Virum that is to say a man which name agreeth to none but him that is a very man in deede And Christ is truly called a man bicause as Paule saith he taketh on him no Angels nature or other heuenly essence but the sede of Abraham Furthermore least any man might take him for some common person he maketh a difference betweene him and other adding approoued of God amongest you with myracles c. And although he purposed to teache the diuinitie of Christ yet he prudently as yet dissembleth the name of God which would haue seemed very straunge in the eares of the Iewes He woulde haue them by his deedes to learne that he was very God whome hitherto they thought to be onely but a rascall and common person It is as much as if he should saye I preach vnto you Iesus of Nazareth which many of you iudge to be but a man only But you ought to consider that God hath openly shewed in him many declarations of a diuine nature the ende of all which was to commend him vnto you and to teache you that he was that long wayted for sauiour of mankinde which in tyme past he promised you And the workes of Christ whereof God commended him he adorneth with three titles First he calleth
craft and power of men and therefore myght seeme not to be God Peter preuenteth this offence saying he was deliuered into the hands of vnrighteous men by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of god For this is as much as if he had sayde let no man thinke that eyther Iudas the traytour or the Priestes or Pylate had eyther so much counsell or power as to doe anye thing herein which God knewe not or suffered not to be done For whatsoeuer chaunsed vnto Christ came to passe by his foreknowledge and decree Whervnto also he had a respect in his Epistle where he sayth that before the worlde was made Christ was ordeyned before hande for this ende For demonstration sake may be brought the promises of God made in the beginning of the worlde and the Oracles of the Prophetes which teache none other waye of our redemption and saluation than that which is gotten by the bloude of the sonne of god Uerily Esay sayeth that the Lorde hath brought to passe that the iniquitie of vs all is heaped vpon him It was therefore the decree and worke of the same Lorde that our sinnes by his bloude shoulde be pourged This is a notable place to cause vs to learne rightly to iudge of Gods prouidence Let vs marke therefore that he toucheth not only Gods prescience as it were by the way but also maketh mention of Gods counsell or decree Yea he setteth it before Gods prescience bicause he testifieth it was an appointed and determined matter which is as much as if he should saye in our maner of speach all this businesse was concluded by the premeditation and long before deuysed counsell of god Here is confuted the glose of them which imagine nothing in God almost but prescience or foreknowledge saying that God foretolde by the Prophetes that he foreknew shoulde come to passe taking from him in the meane whyle all prouidence and administration of things Which men seeme to me to make God an ydle gazer vpon the worlde and a slouthfull and sluggishe bodye suffring many things to be done agaynst his will and otherwyse than he had appointed But Dauid instructeth vs farre otherwise which sayth that God beholdeth the things done in heauen and in earth and maketh him also to rule kingdomes and to gouerne all things with his becke And Peter in this place sayth that God foresawe not only the falshoode of Iudas the bloudy enterprises of the Priests and the iniquitie of Pylate suffring them to come to passe by a certayne ydle permission but also deduceth all the successe of this businesse from the certaine and determinate counsell or decree of god And that that happened in the sonne of God ought to be vnderstanded of the vniuersal gouernance of mankind which God susteineth and wieldeth vnlesse we suppose that God which is alway constant in himselfe is swarued from his common order and vsage But chiefly it is conuenient we consider the ende wherefore Peter alleageth the decree of Gods prouidence which ende bicause many obserue not they by and by crie out that we make God the auctor of euill bicause we say all things depende vppon his counsell and appointing Howbeit Peter in this place neither excuseth Iudas nor his complices nor yet chargeth God with that they wickedly vniustly did For where they sinned of their owne voluntary malice and set before their eies neither the counsell of God nor the redemption of mankinde but folowed the naughty affections of couetousnesse ambition and hatred the fault was in themselues and iustly were they punished for the same Peter maketh mention of Gods prouidence and decree bicause he woulde put awaye the slaunder and offence of the crosse and teache vs howe to iudge of all Christes affayres and our redemption The same vse of Gods prouidence must we also set before vs that it may serue as well to the instruction of our fayth and lyfe as for our comfort in aduersitie So by the decree of prouidence the scriptures teache vs that our saluation dependeth vppon the meere grace of God who before the worlde was made ordeyned Iesus Christ to be our redeemer and chose or elected vs in him See Ephe 1. Rom. 9.10.11 c. And thither doth Christ sende vs saying you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Againe without me you can do nothing Therefore the consideration of predestination and Gods free election only beateth downe the pryde of mans righteousnesse the perillous affiance that we haue therein The same bringeth vs most strong comfort in aduersitie when the wicked are in prosperitie and aloft For why shoulde a man be offended at them considering he is sure that he is vnder the tuition of Gods prouidence and that no aduersitie can happen vnto him without the will and pleasure of God Therefore Christ sendeth vs to the flowres of the fielde and birdes of the ayre in the which Gods prouidence is most easily perceyued and comforteth the Apostles agaynst the slaunders of persecution with arguments taken from them saying Are not two little sparrowes solde for a farthing And one of them shall not light on the grounde without your heauenly father Yea all the heares of your heade bee numbred If we examine these wordes after the capacitie of our reason I know they seeme to exceede all truth But if we consider the wisedome and omnipotencie of God which farre passeth all mans reason there can nothing be sayde that maye seeme so farre to exceede the truth but his force and power pierceth through it and passeth it See what is written Psal. 139 and .147 If we set these things before our eyes the consideration of his prouidence shall yeelde vs much learning and comfort And if any man wil go beyonde this and passe his boundes to him we saye as Salomon sometime said He that will search out high things it shall be to heauy for him And as Paule sayde What art thou O man which disputest with god c. See the place Rom. 9. Neyther was it without the will of God that the Apostle which was rapt into the thirde heauen and hearde wordes not meete to be vttered to man disdeyning to answere curious questions about this matter of Gods prouidence and predestination concludeth all that disputation with an exclamation full of admiration and woonder saying O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of god Howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counseller or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompensed againe For of him and through him and for him are all things To him be glory for euer Amen Last of all Peter ioyneth the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the deade in these wordes whom God hath raysed vp and loosed the sorrowes of death bicause it was impossible that he shoulde be holden of it This
them in question he aunswereth them by another testimony saying For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hande vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole This argument consisteth of two pointes First Dauid ascended not into heauen Ergo these thinges ought not to be vnderstanded of Dauid He denieth that Dauid is ascended into heauen not bicause he thinketh him to be reckoned in the number of the damned but speaketh of his bodye which as was beforesayd was consumed into dust and earth Touching the soule this saying of Christ standeth in force He that beleeueth in mee hath lyfe euerlasting and shall not come into iudgement but is passed from death vnto life The other argument standeth vppon the testimonye of Dauid who sheweth that these things ought not to be vnderstanded of himselfe but of Christ which shoulde be borne of his stocke For in the Psalme Cx. he sayeth The Lorde sayde to my Lorde c. which place is so cleere and so vndenyable that Christ thought good to vse it against the Scribes In the meane season we are taught by Peters example that the Scriptures ought to be expounded by conference of other places least standing rashly vpon some one place we gainesay many other which thing is the cause of many errors in the Church It is to be marked how vnto Christes ascention into heauen he ioyneth the sending of the holy ghost This doth he very prudently and in order For hereby he teacheth vs that though Iesus Christ haue taken his body out of this worlde yet ought he not to be contemned For he hath not for all that cast of the care of the Church but by his spirite is present with the same by the which spirit he woorketh more effectually in the mindes of those that be his than before he did when he was conuersaunt with vs in body wherefore he sayth vnto the Disciples that it is expedient for vs that he leaue the worlde and go vnto the father For so place shoulde be giuen to the holy ghost which we coulde not haue so long as we did sticke to his bodily presence And surely after that Christ had giuen his bodye vpon the aultare of the Crosse for the life of the worlde and had by the raysing vp thereof againe ouercome death there was no more for his body here to doe vpon earth It remayned therefore that by his glorious ascention he should open the gates of heauen which our sinne had shut against vs and should become a pledge for vs in heauen whereby we might be assured of the inheritance possession of heauen Therfore Christ caried his body into heauen and set it on the right hand of his father hath sent vnto vs being here on the earth to vse Tertullians terme his holy ghost to be his vicare or substitute By the operatioÌ„ of him he regenerateth vs through the immortall seede of the word of God to be the sonnes of god By him he teacheth vs and comforteth vs The same is the earnest or gage of our saluation Through the encouragement we crie Abba father By him it commeth to passe that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him All which things sithens Christ worketh in vs most effectuallye by his spirite there is no cause we shoulde complaine of the absence of his body which is resident in heauen for our healthes sake And they that require the presence of his bodye and desire to haue it shewed on earth seeme to me little mindefull of the admonitions which are read in the .xxiiij. of Mathew Also Peter describeth the kingdome of Christ with the wordes of Dauid which it behooueth vs oftentimes diligentlye to consider The first point herein is how he sayth Christ is exalted by the right hande of God and ascended into heauen Therfore his kingdome is heauenly not of this worlde as himselfe confessed before Pylate In deede all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth but not to rule after the maner of Princes in this worlde in whose reignes must needes fall out vncertaine and vnstable entercourse of matters bicause they labour to obtayne kingdomes by the vncertaine and vaine power of the flesh We are also taught that we must not seeke for worldly goodes in the kingdome of Christ suche as are riches honors pleasures friendship of the worlde and others of like sort They are eternall and celestiall goodes which God the father hath giuen vs in christ Therefore we ought altogither to be busied in studying for them Then he teacheth vs that Christ sitteth at the right hande of God by the which phrase of speach both a certaine place is appointed of beatitude and blisse and also an equall power of kingdome or empire with God the father For the father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his handes He also commaundeth all men to honour the sonne euen as they honour the father Wherevnto also this worde sitting belongeth whereby is expressed the maiestie of Christ in his reigne and the sure and vnmooueable power of his kingdome Last of all he sayth that all his enimies shall be subdued and become his footestoole Christ is therfore a victorious king and an inuincible vanquisher of his enimies Satan is the capitaine and standerdbearer of them all who was threatened with death long sithens by the first promyse of saluation that was made in Christ when God sayd The seede of the woman shall treade downe the serpentes heade And Christ teacheth vs that he is alreadye iudged and cast out In like maner it is as playne that sinne is ouercome For God sayth Paule sent his sonne and hath condemned sinne by sinne that is to say by the sacrifice of his sonne offred vpon the aultar of the crosse for sinne he hath put awaye the guilt or trespasse of sinne and hath taken awaye the power and force thereof that it shall hereafter not hurt vs But sinne being put away it is euident that death also must be vanquished which fought against vs by none other weapon than the sting of sinne Therefore all the power of hell is truelye subdued by Christ. He also ouercommeth the world and tyraunts with all the â—able of the reprobate For we reade that it hath bene long since decreed by the father that they that will not be gouerned by the wholesome worde of his sonne shall be brused and broken to poulder with his rod of yron Neither want there examples of dayes longe passed and nowe present which teache vs what notable victories and triumphes Christ atchieueth of the enimies of his Church Let vs learne therfore to acknowledge this king and not to feare this worlde which when it rageth most is nearest to destruction and is able to doe nothing against them whome Christ taketh charge of against whome the gates of hell are not able to preuayle
to punishe them bicause of the people For all men praysed God bicause of that which was done For the man was aboue fourtie yeare olde on whom this myracle of healing was shewed As soone as they were let go they came to their fellowes and shewed all that the high Priestes and Elders had sayde CHrist Iesus our Sauiour not without a cause doth oftentimes preach of persecutions and afflictions before his Apostles saying they woulde alwayes follow his disciples And the ende of these admonitions is not by feare to driue them from the faith but his purpose is lyke a faithfull Captaine to arme vs with faith and pacience against daungers foreseene For the which cause he promiseth vs present ayde and sayth we shall ouercome all the perils and attemptes of our enimies The first trouble the Apostles were in doth euidentlye shewe vs an example of the same which is therefore the more diligently to be considered bicause both so faithfull a defence of Christ succouring his belooued in their distresse doth comfort vs and the example of the Apostles admonisheth vs of our dutie being in like case and daunger We haue hearde how all they that were of any power or authoritie among the Iewes conspired against the Apostles through whose tyranny first they were cast in prison then were they called before a counsell to giue an account of their faith and doctrine before most wicked Iudges yet the truth ouercommeth and that in such wyse that they are all amazed and wote not what to do hauing not long before promised themselues the conquest and victorie And they perceyue there is no waye left them but by threates to discourage the constancie of the Apostles wherefore they commaunde them that from thenceforth they make no more mention of Iesus Christ nor preache his doctrine anye more This is the continuall vsage of the worlde to oppresse the preaching of the Gospell both with publike proclamation and open force But with what constancie of minde Christian people ought to withstande their threates and enterprises the happy ende of this tragedie which Luke now declareth teacheth vs euery part whereof must be the diligentlyer discussed that we may receyue the more consolation and instruction thereby The Apostles aunswere is here first to be placed who plainely testifye that they neyther can nor ought to obey their commaundements Yet least they should seeme frowarde impudent or rashe they alleage such reasons as no man coulde easilye disalowe or disprooue The first standeth vpon the authoritie of God which is greater than ought to yeelde to any mannes commaundement be he neuer so excellent The Argument is on this wise God must be more obeyed than men But God commaunded vs to preach and the commaundement of the sonne of God is Go yee into all the worlde and preach the Gospell to all creatures Againe you shall be witnesses vnto me at Hierusalem and in all Iurie Wherefore we may not obey you commaūding the contrary The Maior they prooue by a figure called concession or graunting leauing the matter to their owne iudgement as men are woont in such thinges as are cleare and out of controuersie And surely it were an impietie more than deuilish for any man to challenge to himselfe more authoritie and reuerence than is due vnto God bicause it is euident that he is not only Lord of priuate persons but also of Kings and Princes to whom we are all bound by publike sacraments The other reason of the Apostles is on this wise we haue seene and heard all those things that we teach Ergo we may not keepe them in silence but disclose them The force of this consequence standeth in this point for that they were not chosen appoynted to be ydle beholders of the things that Christ did but for witnesses as the Lord saith Iohn 15. Therfore they might not conceale any of the things which they had seene and hearde vnlesse they would incurre the daunger of false testimonie the which Salomon saith God doth chiefely detest Furthermore bicause the redemption and saluation of man cōsisteth in those things which were committed to the Apostles as witnesses that sawe the same to be preached they might not suppresse or keepe close any of them without the manifest detriment and losse of publike saluation and Christes glory For as much as in them had bene they shoulde haue suppressed by silence the glory of Christ and hindered the saluation of many a man which by preaching of the Gospell they might haue wonne vnto god Therefore Peter reasoneth truly and his arguments ought to haue bene of great force and weight with the Iudges if they had not openly striuen against God as afterward Gamaliel plainely telleth them This aunswere of the Apostles is verye notable For first it declareth the right trade of obedience wherein men vse diuersly and daungerouslye to erre For as all men vnderstande that obedience is necessary both publikely in common weales and in the Church and priuately in all affaires so for the most part it is most rigorously exacted in the decrees and constitutions of men which is manye times the fountaine of most errours and wickednesse For hereof it commeth to passe that Princes and Magistrates dare by their proclamations commaunde menne to forsake the fayth of Christ to denie the truth and to embrace superstition ydolatrie and many for this cause the easilier obey their commaundements for that they thinke they owe them this obedience and are out of all fault if they obey them Of this fountaine it springeth that children contract mariage with the vnbeleeuing and soiourne and dwell with them bicause they will not seeme to disobey their parents And some deceyued with the same error holde fast their professed Monkerie and supersticiousnesse wherevnto they bounde themselues by vowe of obedience But Peter aunswereth all these squaring obedience after the iudgement of God whether it be right in the sight of God to harcken vnto you more than to God iudge yee Therefore we must not so much consider what seemeth right and good vnto men as what God requireth of vs To him we sayde erewhile all men were bounde by the sacraments The Magistrate is his minister as Paule teacheth He is in the Scripture called a Iudge and the President of all iudgement To him shall our parents one day giue a reckoning and as many as haue the rule and authoritie ouer vs Therefore we must haue a singuler regarde vnto him and thinke no mannes authoritie so great that we let our selues be drawne thereby from the obedience we owe vnto him Herevnto appertaineth that saying of Christ which so teacheth vs to pay vnto Cesar the things that belong vnto him that we also giue vnto God that which is due vnto him True faith syncere and sounde religion studie of innocencie and charitie inuocation and such like belong vnto god Let vs not suffer these things to be taken from vs by any commaundement of man whereby
that we be not afrayd with the power of our enimies when we see our selues to weake for them For this is not our fight but a battell taken in hande vnder Gods conduct who can most easilye subdue their force and attemptes Which thing Iohn teacheth vs when he sayth that he that is in vs is of more power than he that is in the worlde Last of all the faithfull expresse more euidently the effect and ende of these mischieuous attempts where they say They gathered themselues togyther to doe whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsaile determined before to be done Howbeit the wicked consult not nor meete not togither to put Gods will and purpose in execution but they declare vnto vs how they are able to doe nothing but that which God hath decreed to haue done and that then they most further Gods purpose when they most studie to hinder it This shall appeare to be manifest if we consider what the Priestes of the Iewes dyd They woulde keepe Christ oute of his kingdome Therefore they mooued the Romane Presidents and communaltie against him and sâ—ynted not vntill they sawe him vpon the Crosse dead and buried But what other did they in all these things but helpe Christ being the Sauiour of the worlde according to the eternall purpose of his Father to enter into his kingdome And by the consideration hereof the Apostles remooue out of the way that blocke whereat such stumble as thinke the wicked are able to ouercome Christ by power and force Here serueth the vse of Gods singuler prouidence to make men vnderstande that the enterprises of the wycked can go no further nor doe no more than God hath appoynted Here haue we to obserue that they acknowledge in Gods prouidence not onely his prescience and foreknowledge but also his stable decree and hande whereby he doth execute at his pleasure that which he hath decreed that himselfe may be all in all And yet the wicked are not therfore excused bicause they respect not the decree and will of God but followe their owne corrupt affections as we haue alreadie many times declared And although the primitiue Church doth truely beleeue and professe the same yet she prayeth and with feruent sute beseecheth God of his succour and ayde Therefore the doctrine that submitteth all things and the successe of them vnto God taketh not praying away For God will be prayed to and inuocated And for this cause the godly vse it the more ardently for that they knowe all thinges are gouerned by his appoyntment For they doe that which he commaundeth and they search not ouer curiously after his secret counselles but permit the successe of all things vnto him whome they knowe to be faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and bringeth all things to an happy ende for all them that loue him Nowe let vs see the thirde part of this prayer which contayneth the peticions of those thinges which they perceyued then they had most neede of The first of them is And now Lorde beholde their threatnings By this worde beholde they meane iudgement and punishment and it is as much to saye as if they should desyre God to reuenge theyr cause For who had more right to reuenge him than he for as much as agaynst him this warre was made as they had prooued by the wordes of the Psalme Thys is the peculiar vsage of the godly that when they perceyue they are hyndered in their vocation or not able to make their parte good to appeale vnto the iudgement of God as we see Dauid oftentymes dyd when Saule persecuted hym yet shall we neuer doe it wyth more affyaunce than when the glory of God by the wycked is openly impeached Thus Ezechias layde the blasphemous letter of the king of Assyria open before the Lorde and beseecheth hym that he wyll defende hys quarrell And it is no doubt but he heareth them which be carefull for the glorie of his name seeing he so mercyfully heareth the pryuate quarrels of those that be hys But to the ende they woulde not seeme so to commyt thys matter vnto God as to withdrawe themselues out of all daunger they beseeche God also to gyue them such grace that they maye speake and declare his worde boldely which thing chiefely is to be vnderstanded of the Apostles and other Ministers of the worde who vnlesse they be boldened and guyded wyth the spirite of God may easily be made afrayde with the threats and assaultes of the worlde to intermyt their office Which thing Paule after hys manifolde traueyles in the ministerie acknowledged and therefore thought good to be holpen wyth the publike prayers of the congregations that he might speake the worde of God freely and with open mouth Yet is thys also to be referred to euery singuler christian and it behooueth to pray for euery particuler person that they may confesse Christ boldely and stowtely before thys naughtie and adulterous worlde It is necessarie that we vnderstand how this boldenesse is gyuen vs of god For so shall we be prouoked to pray oftentymes for the increase of fayth crying with the Apostles Lorde increase our fayth Thirdly they require that the power of working myracles may be increased bycause God hath appoynted them as certayne publike seales and testimonials to the Apostles doctrine And they desyre the same may be done by the name of Christ to declare that theyr care is onely for Christes glorie In thys place there shyneth a marueylous stoutenesse and most ardent zeale towardes Christ in the primitiue Church They perceyued a little before that the mindes of the Iewes were incensed with the doctrine and myracles of the Apostles yet desyre they that the Apostles may haue more boldenesse graunted them and their giftes of myracles to be increased so little place doe they gyue to their enimies furie though but for a season which yet the men in our dayes wyll doer who thinke that to be the best trade of teaching that most pleaseth the professed enymies of truth and seeke nothing but ydlenesse and the peace of the worlde being little or nothing carefull for the increase of Christes kingdome These men thinke the Ministers are to feruent and manye tymes also those that be scarce luke warme which seemeth to me is the chiefe cause that Christes kingdome is so little inlarged amongst vs. To conclude Luke sheweth what effect ensued of their praying For God heard their prayers which was declared both by a sensible signe that is to saye by the moouing of the house which signified the presence of God and also by most wholesome effectes For they were filled with the holye ghost that is to say they perceyued an effectuall comfort of the holye ghost and courage giuen them where before this the feare of daunger did somewhat dismay them And they to whome the ministerie of the Gospell was committed preached the same with great constancie so that a
God without controlment feareth the common people This is always the propertie of the wicked that their iudgements and the godlyes be diuers For the saying of the godly and faithfull person is this The Lorde is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde The Lorde is on my side I will not feare what man doth vnto me The voyces of the wicked be these The Lorde shall not see neyther shall the God of Iacob regarde it But these which haue cast from them the feare of God are compelled to feare mortall men and manye times their seruauntes yea their owne children and they which will not be ledde with the courageous feare of God are vexed with the cowardly and slauishe feare of most miserable men So God reuengeth his contempt And this preposterous feare is a worthy punishment for tyranny set vp agaynst righteousnesse and truth Which thing Magistrates desyring to continue in office with commendation ought diligently to beware of But some man may marueyle why God would suffer his Apostles to be apprehended and brought before them agayne whome a little before he delyuered by the ministerie of an Aungell was he no more able to defende them Or passed he no more on them who so diligently obeyed his commaundement Not so For their great constancy declared God had a singuler care of them But God would hereby teach vs that the Godly must triumph vnder the baner of the crosse For where Christ hanging on the crosse ouercame the world with the Prince therof and also synne death and hell it were vniust that we should desyre an easier way of victorie but wee must folow his steps as Peter teacheth This is a good remedy against the slouthfulnesse and securitie of the fleshe alwayes to be readie to beare the crosse And the Apostles shewe vs a singuler example of christian modestie who being taken and caried awaye in the vocation of God neyther murmur impaciently against God nor mooue the people to sedition against the magistrate For they knewe God would order all things wisely iustly and to their behoofe and commoditie They knew that Christes kingdome was not of thys world nor to be defended with worldly weapons They knew that God would assist them if his glorie and theyr saluation so requyred Therefore they commit themselues to his care and tuition and wayte paciently for his helpe All they are reprooued by this example which mutter against God and dare ouer boldely reprehende his iudgementes And as many also as seeke to mainteyne themselues by vnlawfull sedition as though it made any thing to the setting forth of Christes kingdome We knowe in deede that Tyrannes are sometimes punished by sedition and that by Gods iust iudgement it commeth to passe that they be a pray for the seditious bicause they are not contented to vse a moderate and iust kinde of rule towardes the godly But we neuer read that the godly were authors of sedition from which it appeareth Dauid so abhorred that he would not kill Saule his open enimie bicause he woulde commyt no heynous offence against the annoynted of the Lorde I speake of priuate men For the Magistrates office is an other thing which if they be christians must vse the sworde committed to them of God chiefely for the defence of the godly and glory of christ And what Byshops and Ministers of the Church haue in such a case to doe we are taught by the example of Ambrose who when the Emperour commaunded him to delyuer the Churches to the Arrians and that therevpon ensued not onely the disturbaunce of the congregation but also an vprore of the whole Citie he would neyther forsake the congregation being in perill ne yet mooue or procure fight agaynst the Emperour His wordes vnto the people amongst many others were these yee were afrayd least I would forsake the Church leaue you for feare of mine owne safegarde But you may remember he speaketh of the aunswere he made to the kings officers what I haue sayde that I can not forsake the congregation bycause I more feare the Lorde of the worlde than the Emperour of this worlde Surely if any force should carrie me from the Church my fleshe might be put out of possession but not my minde that I am readye to doe as the Priest vseth to doe if he purpose to doe as the Prince ought to doe Why therefore are you troubled willingly I will neuer forsake you enforced I knowe not how to resist I may sorrowe I may weepe I may mourne Against battayle Souldiours and the Gotthes my weapons be teares for such is the armour of a priest Otherwise I ought not nor may not resist and to flye and forsake the Church I vse not c. And when he was bydden by the officers of the Gothes to appease the people he aunswered In my power it is not to incense or mooue them but it is in the hande of God to appease them I though good here in thys place to note these things that ministers may learne constancie ioyned with true and christian prudencie by these things In the meane season it is euery mans dutie constauntly to abyde in hys vocation paciently to suffer perils faythfully to wayte for the helpe of God and then Christ will not fayle vs which hath promysed to be the defender of those that be his To him be prayse honor glorie and power for euer Amen The .xxxvij. Homelie AND when they had brought them they set them before the Counsayle And the chiefe Priest asked them saying Did not we straightly commaunde you thaâ— you shoulde not teache in this name And beholde you haue filled Ierusalem with your doctrine and intende to bring this mannes bloude vpon vs Peter and the other Apostles aunswered and sayde we ought more to obeye God than man The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus whome you slewe and hanged on tree Him hath God lift vp wyth hys right hande to be a Ruler and a Sauiour for to giue repentaunce to Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes And we are recordes of these things which we saye and so is also the holy ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obeye him ALthough God had deliuered his Apostles out of prison by the ministery of an Aungell yet he suffreth them to be apprehended and brought agayne before a Counsell of their moste cruell enimies For hereby he woulde teache vs that he is able not only to deliuer vs from daungers towarde but also to saue and preserue vs being in daunger This doctrine teacheth vs that we must not despaire of our safetie and Gods helpe whensoeuer he suffreth vs to be tempted with daungers and aduersities and taketh not from vs that cuppe which he once beganne to vs of that we should drinke it vp after him For he is out of daunger and safe which dwelleth vnder the defence of the
out were accepted for the people of God although they neyther had Church nor other ceremonies of the lawe And that therefore nothing letted why they might not at this daye also be saued without a Temple yea that it ought to be abrogated with all the ceremonies leuiticall forasmuche as it was playne he was already come and exhibited of whome all such things in tyme passed were but signes and shadowes The storie is written in Genesis 42.43 and in other Chapters following where at large are set forth those things which Steuen toucheth but briefely But least we lose the commoditie ensuing of the discourse it behooueth vs to note the chiefe points by themselues and so to apply them to our instruction Let vs examine therefore the cause that mooued the people to go into Egypt then their going downe and last of all what is sayde of the Patriarches death and buriall The cause that Iacob went downe into Egypt was a great dearth wherewith he was troubled in the lande of Chanaan and which he coulde by no meanes more commodiously auoyde bicause through Iosephs counsell Egypt onely had store of corne layde vp for such vse Here it is worthy to be well consydered howe God suffreth Iacob a true worshipper of him and a verie holye man to be troubled and molested with famine Thys might be imputed to his childrens naughtinesse if we read not how the like had bene seene in Abraham and Isaac And there are manye examples that teache vs howe the faythfull and true worshippers of God haue bene afflicted also with other aduersities and calamities Hereof we gather that aduersities and afflictions are not alwayes arguments of Gods wrath and that we should not dispaire in them as though we were quyte out of the fauour of god For eyther God of a fatherly care hereby preuenteth our naughtinesse and bringeth downe our hawtie courage least we shoulde grieuously offende hym or else lyke a father correcteth our faultes and by correction bringeth vs into the waye or else by thys meane executeth hys secret iudgementes not yet perceyued of vs as in thys present hystorie we see it commeth to passe For Iacob with all his familie is constrayned by famine to come into Egypt to make away to the Oracle wherein God had sayde vnto Abraham that his seede shoulde soiorne in a straunge lande out of which after many afflictions God should bring them agayne And the daylie effectes of our afflictions sufficiently teache vs that God bringeth many things to passe by his iust and wholsome iudgement which we before had no vnderstanding of But thys hath in it a singuler comfort that as he would haue Iacob feele the smarte of famine so he sent Ioseph before into Egypt and made hym ruler of all the countrie that by his counsell and prouision he and all hys familie should be fed This goodnesse and trust in God is set forth in the hundreth and fifth Psalme where it is thus sayde God called for a dearth vpon the lande and destroyed all the prouision of breade But he had sent a man before them euen Ioseph which was solde to be a bonde seruaunt c By him therefore had Iacob most succour in whom he supposed he had greatest cause of sorrowe For he had mourned and lamented bitterly for Ioseph whome he thought was deade through whose liberalitie he is nowe notwithstanding mainteyned and cherished Ioseph acknowledged thys counsell of God where he comforteth his brethren being feared with the remembraunce of their wickednesse saying that he was sent before into Egypt by Gods prouydence for the benefite and publike vtilitie of many And oftentimes it commeth to passe that the things that our enimies vniustly and vngently procure agaynst vs serue to our benefite and commoditie And yet their wickednesse is not to be excused therefore bycause they in their doing goe not about to fulfill Gods counsell or purpose but to satisfie their owne vnruly lustes as hath oftentimes already bene declared Also we haue here to consyder both Pharao and Ioseph For Pharao deserueth no small commendation of wisedome and kindenesse in that he maketh Ioseph whome he seeth to be of more wisedome counsell than his other men gouernour of hys kingdome although he knewe he was both a straunger and bonde man and in that he saw things prospered according to his deuise and counsel he liberally considereth rewardeth both him and all his kinsfolke Of which example men in authoritie may learne not onely thankefulnesse but also howe profitable a thing it is to put them in office that worship God truely bicause the blessing of God followeth suche and that which is done vnto them God taketh as done vnto himselfe Thys thing Putiphar before that perceyued well ynough whome God prospered in all his doings whyle Ioseph was ruler of hys house although he little considered the same The same doth Pharao nowe finde where by Iosephs industrie and wisedome he perceyueth himselfe greatly inriched and all Egypt and the nations adioyning preserued and mainteyned So afterwarde in this booke for Paules sake as manye as sayled in his companye were saued from drowning And as by the godly great commoditie vseth to come vnto many so oftentimes through a fewe that be wicked if they be of authoritie and power and may doe what they list ensueth great inconuenience and mischiefe Achan onely through his sacriledge as close as it was was the occasion of a publike calamitie And Ionas flying from Gods sight endaungereth not only himselfe but also the Mariners and as many passengers as were in the shippe So perillous and hurtfull a thing the company of the wicked is What maye therefore be hoped for where such are put in office and authoritie Surely none other but that they will be the cause of publike calamitie and generall destruction Whereof we haue an example in Manasses through whose bloudye and cruell wickednesse it came to passe that God being greatly offended agaynst the Iewes lette them be caryed to Babylon hauing their Citie and Temple first destroyed by fire and sworde Therefore in choosing of Officers for common weales and the Church the chiefe care must be that they be godly vnlesse we will haue destroyers reygne ouer vs rather than benefactors And surely the onely consideration of this place is sufficient to teache vs what the chiefe cause of the euils in our dayes is seeing such are euerywhere put in office and authoritie as are touched with no care of godlynesse nor religion In Ioseph we haue to consider the nature of loue tempered with the rule of equitie and iustice For he acknowledged his brethren who had handled him very naughtily and vncourteously and giueth them foode most liberally but yet he trieth their mindes with a certaine counterfaite a usteritie and sharpnesse of wordes and would not make himselfe knowne vnto them till he sawe they repented and were sorie Herein he followed the propertie of God the father
at large by narration Wherfore in all these things we will briefely touch those things only which serue for this present place First he plainely teacheth what this Christ is where he calleth hi m Lorde of all things This is an euident testimonie of his diuinitie For it is manifest that the rule of all things pertayneth vnto God alone bicause he alone is the creator of all things And it is playne that all thinges were made by that eternall worde and that all power is giuen him of the father He must needes therefore be true god And lette no man here obiect vnto vs this worde of giuing as though he were therfore the lesse bicause he receyueth of another For this is to be referred to the nature of manne which he tooke vpon him to the which in a certayne time appoynted God the father gaue that which Christ according to his Godheade had from euerlasting For thus he speaketh himselfe a little before he went to hys death Now glorifie me ô father with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee ere the worlde was The Arrians are hereby confuted and the Seruetanes which nowe a dayes follow their steppes and the dignitie of Christian fayth is defended against the Iewes and Turkes which saye we glory and trust in one that is no more but a man. Then Peter toucheth by the waye the meane of our saluation where he sayth that that eternall worde of God Iesus Christ was sent from God the father For in this worde sent he comprehendeth all the mysterie of his incarnation euen as Paule also where he sayth when the fulnesse of tyme came God sent his sonne made of a woman c. In his incarnation are comprised whatsoeuer things Christ did or suffred in the flesh for our saluation sake of the which things we shall hereafter intreate Furthermore he sayth he was sent to the children of Israel not that he belonged to them alone but for that he tooke fleshe and was borne of them and shoulde first shewe himselfe to them vntill through their vnbeliefe he should be caryed vnto the gentiles Thou shalt obserue in these things that al these affaires of Christ which are preached in the gospell are not of man but of Gods ordering and appoyntment For this worde was sent from god And it is euident that this is the eternall decree of God that Iesus Christ should be the King and Priest of his people Psal. 2.110 Wherevpon we gather that men striue in vaine by their owne power against his Gospell which thing before this we hearde that Gamaliel sawe and is abundantly declared by the examples of all ages Last of all he commeth to the ende and marke of all this matter which is that peace shoulde be preached by Christ Iesus So Esaias cap. 52. speaking of the Preachers of the Gospell sayth O how bewtifull are the feete of the Ambassadour that bringeth the message from the mountayne and proclaymeth peace c. Peter maketh mention of preaching not for that Christ is the Minister therof only but bicause that peace wherof he is the author is offred to vs by preaching of the Gospell receiued by hearts of fayth He specially speaketh of that peace which is betweene god and vs by the meane of Iesus christ For before times by reason of our sinnes we were seperated from god reputed as his enimies And Paule writeth that the wrath of God was declared from heauen agaynst all vngodlynesse and vnrighteousnesse of men Therefore there was neede of a peacemaker and reconcyler which the scriptures declare God the father hath giuen vs euen Iesus christ For he hath taken vpon him our sinnes which were cause of the seperation betweene God and vs he hath purged them by the merite of his death and satisfied the rigour of Gods iustice And he being made ours by fayth doth clothe vs with his righteousnesse and doth defende and shielde vs that wee be able to abyde the iudgement seate of God who otherwyse had deserued by reason of our sinnes to be damned for euer Thus it commeth to passe that according to Paules doctrine we being iustified by fayth are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lorde Thys the father himselfe confesseth when from heauen he sounded that ioyfull and comfortable voyce This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased And this is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding and which can by no maner of afflictions be disturbed bicause it maketh them seeme light and easie to them which vnderstande that God is become mercifull to them in Christ and that they are made the children of god This peace also breedeth ciuill brotherly concorde amongst men bicause that by meane of Christ all that respect of persons among the faythfull wherby mutuall concorde among men is chiefly broken is taken away And bicause it kindleth mens mindes wyth the fire of charitie it so graffeth in them the desire of peace that they hate no things more deadly than such as they knowe hinder it Great therefore and very execrable is the ingratitude and iniquitie of those men which exclame and crye out saying the preaching of the gospell is the disturbaunce of publyke peace and policie For thus they make Iesus Christ the Prince of true and euerlasting peace the author of those offences which they may thanke the wicked worlde of who therefore maketh tumultes and businesses agaynst Christ and his worde bicause they can not suffer the light thereof whereby their naughtie workes are reprooued Let vs acknowledge the goodnesse of God which doth vouchsafe to offer the doctrine of saluation vnto all men and let vs with true fayth embrace Iesus Christ the onely author of saluation and peace to whome be prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .lxxv. Homelie YOV I saye knowe that woorde which was published throughout all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached howe GOD annoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost and with power Which Iesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the deuill For God was with him ALthough Peter made this Sermon at Caesarea in the house of Cornelius the Captayne yet the same apperteyneth to all men and is meete at this daye to be most diligently considered of vs For beside that manye thinges are gone before which teach vs that the spirit of God was the author hereof in this part Peter fully includeth the whole order of our iustification and saluation And hereof he admonished his hearers in the proposition as erewhile we sawe whereas he promised them to speake of the eternall worde of God which is Iesus Christ who being Lorde of all things and therefore very God did yet vouchsafe to come into the worlde to reconcyle mankinde vnto God the father and to be the author and preacher of that moste wholesome peace Now bicause by these wordes he
our dutie that we should not forget that we be made Kings and Priestes by Christ and that we should valiauntly maintayne the dignitie of our name It is the propertie of a King to be at his libertie and not to be in subiection vnder the rule of another Let vs therfore abide in the libertie wherevnto the sonne of God hath called vs and not suffer our selues to be oppressed hereafter with the seruitude of sinne which is the fylthiest and miserablest thing that can be It is the property of a King to vanquish and ouercome his enimies Let vs therefore subdue and vanquishe the moste cruell enimies of our saluation Satan the world and the fleshe with all the concupiscences therof It is the part of a king to cōmaunde and beare rule Let vs therfore rule our selues mightily ouercome al those things which leade vs crosse the way of saluation So let vs lykewise performe the dutie of Priests to teach to pray to consecrate and offer Wherefore it shall be our dutie to teach those that belong vnto vs both by word and example of lyfe as farre forth as the dutie of our calling bindeth vs It shall be our parts to pray both in secret and openly and to make intercession to God not onely for our owne necessities but also for our neyghbors It shall also be our duties to consecrate our selues for liuely sacrifyce vnto God and to offer to him euery day the bullockes of our lippes that is to say giuing of thankes which is the moste acceptable and thankefull sacrifyce that we can giue vnto him These thinges myght at large be drawne through the whole lyfe of man but it shall suffyse to giue the vnlearned an occasion to expende and consider better of them Whosoeuer perfourmeth these things is worthy to be called a Christian. And such it appeareth the Patriarches were in times past whome God in the hundreth and fyft Psalme calleth his annoynted that is to saye Christians Such it is credible those men of Antiochia were which first enioyed that name And if any will presumptuously bragge of the name they shall surely deceyue themselfe but God they cannot deceyue Let vs therefore diligently thinke of these thinges that remembring both our dignitie and dutie we may aunswere to so notable and excellent a name and being taken from this lyfe may raigne in heauen with Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxj. Homelie IN those dayes came Prophetes from the Citie of Ierusalem vnto Antioch And there stoode vp one of them named Agabus and signified by the spirite that there should be great dearth throughout all the world which came to passe in the Emperour Claudius dayes Then the Disciples euerye man according to his abilitie purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iurie which thing they also did and sent it to the Elders by the handes of Barnabas and Saule ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ is alwaye present with his Church yet he suffereth it as he foretolde diuerslye and manye wayes to be troubled hauing aduersitie as it were by continuall enterchaunge still following prosperitie The principall cause wherof is partly for that he woulde brydle the lustynesse of our fleshe and partlye bicause he woulde teache vs that he is as well able to deliuer his people in aduersitie as to maintaine them in prosperitie We haue heretofore seene certayne notable examples hereof For the Gospell in the beginning being prosperouslye preached at Ierusalem brought a great number of Disciples vnto Christ shortly after riseth a tempest of persecution that driueth down the florishing of the Church flat to the grounde By and by againe when Saule was conuerted vnto Christ sodeinly the Church was quiet the doctrine of Christ being caried vnto the Gentyles gaue likelyhoode of great encrease seeing that at Antioch the noblest Citie in all Syria there was a Church of Gentyles assembled togither and were there first called after that noble name of Christians But beholde a great and straunge aduersitie following namely a dearth which as it troubled the whole worlde so it most miserablye afflicted the faythfull whose goodes were spent partlye in finding the poore of the Church and partly were taken from them in the rage of persecution The consideration herof is most profitable for vs for herby we may learne the lesse to be offended if the lyke aduersity betide vs in these dayes And of all other this present place is worthy to be diligently considered as well for the manifolde comfort as also the instruction which the holy ghost here setteth forth For it declareth the dearth that was in the Church and it setteth out the fatherly prouidence of God hauing a care for the same and also sheweth what way and counsayle the faythfull tooke seeing the publike calamitie like to ensue And of all these we meane orderly to intreate First we will speake of the dearth wherof prophane writers but chieflye Iosephus and Suetonius make mention This dearth no man will deny but was sent by the iudgement of God except such an one as will deny God to be the gouernor of the whole worlde For the Prophete witnesseth that there is no plague in a Citie without the Lordes doing And in the lawe among the punishmentes wherewith God reuenged the contempt of hys worde barrennesse of grounde and scarcitie of victuals ar◠chiefely reckoned See Leuiticus 26. Deuter. 28. And we must not thinke that anye thing commeth vnto man by fortune forasmuch as it appeareth that the care of Gods prouidence extendeth it selfe euen to the sparrowes flowres of the field It shall be good when such things come to passe to search the causes of Gods iudgements which can be founde no where sooner than in mennes conuersation And surely Luke seemeth to poynt as it were with his fynger the causes of this dearth where he writeth it was in the dayes of Claudius Caesar. For he therefore named the Prince of the world who had then all authoritie and rule in his hande that by him we might iudge of the whole state of the worlde and the condicions of those dayes For it appeareth that the vices of Princes first infect with their contagiousnesse the Nobilitie and then their corrupt example poysoneth the Comminaltie And euen prophane writers report that Claudius was in all poyntes a moste naughtye Prince For from his childehoode he was cumbred with diuers and continuall diseases so that being dulled and made lumpish both in bodye and spirit growing further in age he was thought vnable to discharge any office publike or priuate Insomuch that Antonia hys mother vsed to say he was a monster a worke of nature begunne but not fynished and when she woulde note any body of blockishnesse or dulnesse she would say he was more foole than hir sonne Claudius And his sister Liuulla hearing on a time that he should be chosen Emperour did openly and alowde
detest the vnworthy vnprosperous state of the people of Rome For he declared his corrupt nature many wayes First he wan the good will of the souldiers with mony wherby he came to be Emperour during which time he so vsed himselfe that he had much more care of his belly and that vnder his belly than he had of the Empyre as who would neuer rise from banquetting as long as his paunche woulde holde and till he had well whittled himselfe alwayes burning in insatiable desire and lust after women And it is not lyke that such a Prince coulde delight in other Nobles and Counsaylers than such as were like to himselfe what publike corruption of maners was in all degrees at that time maye easilye be coniectured by the writers of those dayes and by the continuall sermons of Iohn of Christ and his Apostles concerning repentaunce whereof there had bene no such neede if all had not bene naught And for an accomplishment of all vice there was the contempt and hatred of God and his worde For where God had sent his sonne into the worlde and by him had appoynted to reconcyle mankind againe vnto himselfe and had euerywhere published the healthfull worde of grace a great many were bolde not onely to contemne and hate it but also moste cruellye to persecute it insomuch that euen among the Iewes which gloryed in the name of God aboue all other Nations the worde of God coulde not be brooked Is it then any marueyle if God denyed the fruits of the earth to this drunken and corrupt world despising the wholesome foode of the heauenly worde and woulde tame and bring vnder with famine those that woulde so rage agaynst his Christ verily the Hystoriographers testifye that by reason of continuall drowthes and scarcitie of victuals reygning aswell euerywhere as at Rome Claudius Caesar was once in daunger of his lyfe hardly escaping but that the people being wearye of that dearth had lyke to haue stoned him Such examples as these teach vs what the cause of publike calamities is verily publike vyces and contempt of Gods worde And this cause God alleageth both in the lawe and in the Prophetes And they are here confuted which say these things growe of the doctrine of the Gospell For although the godly also feele and taste of these afflictions yet are they in farre other case than the vntowarde worlde is For they acknowledge the chastysement and discipline of God the father they ouercome aduersitie by fayth and pacience and bicause they can rightly vse aduersitie to the amendement of their lyfe it commeth to passe for the more part that they are most prosperously deliuered frō all aduersity by the mercifull hande of god For God is faythfull and will not suffer his people to be tempted aboue their strength And the thinges following will teach vs howe faithfullye the Lorde prouided for his Church in those dayes And that that we reade came to passe in the yeares after following is not much vnlyke herevnto For Eusebius writeth that in the reygne of Maximinus who did cruellye persecute the Christians God sent forth such dearth of victuals that the rich men welthy died openly in the streetes and that they which not long before had caused the Christians to be deuoured of wylde beastes to satiate their cruell eyes with their miserable death were openly eaten vp and deuoured of Dogges And while they miserably perished the Christians had not onely sufficient to liue by but also charitably relieued a great many readye to sterue for hunger These thinges woulde be considered of vs nowe a dayes where one Claudius alone reigneth not but drunkennesse beareth swinge in euery place and so little preuayleth godly admonition that men rather ioyne vnto their dissolutenesse of lyfe most wicked contempt and deadly hatred of Gods worde And surely there want not also in these dayes examples of Gods iudgements but we want both eyes and eares to perceyue that which might serue to our saluation See Esay ▪ 5. Eccles. 10. Amos. 6. Math. 24. But let vs see howe God prouided for his Church in this daungerous time of calamitie He raysed vp Prophetes and some of them he sent from Ierusalem to Antioche to lighten the late sproong Church of the Gentyles with the gift of prophecie Among these one Agabus stirred vp by the instinct of the holy ghost gaue the Christians warning of this famine to ensue and was the cause that they made prouision aswell for themselues as other Here we haue to consider the fatherly goodnesse of God who being prouoked through our sinnes to sende punishment yet vseth first to admonishe vs of the same both for that all men might see that nothing commeth to passe in this lyfe by chaunce and that also when wee are admonished we might conuert and be saued The which thing he hath so constantly obserued euer since the beginning of the worlde that the Prophete Amos durst saye the Lorde God doth no maner of thing but he telleth his secretes before vnto his seruants the Prophetes This appeareth in the men of the first age to whom God sent Noah the preacher of righteousnesse and graunted them an hundred yeares space to repent in before he woulde sende the floude to destroy them He sent Lot also to the Sodomytes by whose doctrine and example of lyfe they might be prouoked to amendement By Ioseph he warned the Egyptians of the dearth to come whereby he succoured the lyfe of a great manye He afterwarde prouoked them by Moyses not onely by wordes but also by horrible woonders to doe their dutie What needeth it to speake of the captiuitie of Babilon which it is manifest was foreshewed by the Prophetes many yeares or euer it came And Christ did not only foretell the last destruction of the Iewes but also Iosephus declareth that they were warned therof by many woonders And though God should neuer call sinners backe by any aduertisements yet are there generall warnings confirmed with innumerable examples of Gods iudgements which are sufficient to teach vs what all they maye trust too that rashlye transgresse the lawes of God and dare without repentance liue dissolutely See Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Ierem. 5. Let vs I beseech you acknowledge this goodnesse of the Lorde in these dayes least whyle we despyse his faythfull admonitions he punishe vs the more grieuously But before wee passe from this place this also is to bee considered that Agabus is sayde by the spirite to signifye this dearth to come For here is declared the maner and order howe the Prophetes in those dayes vsed to prophecie least any might thinke they coniectured by the Planets or else were giuen to the study of other vnlawfull sciences For the holy ghost was the author of their prophecying as the Lorde before had promised by Ioel. And Paule reckoneth prophecying among the gifts of the holy ghost Therfore the example of Agabus nothing defendeth the deceyuers of our dayes
taught that the prayers of the godly are so accepted with God that many times his goodnesse farre exceedeth them by graunting more than they dare presume to aske For although these people made continuall intercession to him for Peter yet it appeareth by this place that they had no hope in his deliuery They knewe well ynough that nothing was impossible vnto god But they perceyued not why God woulde saue Peter seeing he suffred Iames to die so vnwoorthy a death Therfore I suppose they desired God in their prayers that Peter by his grace might be strengthned in the confession of the truth and that for Christes sake he might stoutely ouercome the terrors of death And beyonde all hope they see Peter by the helpe of God restored to them againe which was an infallible argument of Gods goodnesse whereby they were taught that God woulde not suffer his Church to be torne in sunder of Tyrantes seeing he so faythfully defended the Ministers thereof There are infynite examples of like kynde which euery one may euerywhere see that readeth eyther the Scriptures or other writers And if we woulde but a little diligentlyer marke the iudgements of God we should see the like fall out in our owne affayres Let vs learne therefore constantly to hope in the Lorde and to commit our matters and our selues vnto his care and prouidence The other thing to be here obserued is that they suppose it was Peters Aungell that appeared For the godly people acknowledged what is sayde in the Scriptures touching the defence and ayde of the Aungels For no man ought to thinke that they ymagined any superstition deuoyde of syncere religion For there are Oracles of Scripture whereby we are taught that God hath appoynted the Aungels to be the Tutors and Ministers of man as may be seene Psal. 54. and 91. And we haue examples whereby it is manifest they haue appeared in visible fourme Therefore they neyther in foolish sort nor wicked vttered these words at Peters sodeyne comming Yet are we not ignorant that hereof sprang the common error that the superstitious had of the two Aungels appointed to euery man which error wee reiect for good considerations bicause the Scripture defyneth not for certaine any thing touching the number of Aungels whether it is one two or three or whole armies of Aungels that defende one man as wee reade of Iacob and Helisaeus Much lesse thinke wee them to bee hearde which saye that the soules of those that bee deade walke vp and downe and appeare For that opinion repugneth against the doctrine of Christ and the veritie of our fayth whereby we are taught that the soules of the godlye passe from death vnto life and that the soules of the wicked are caryed into hell and can not returne from thence agayne See Christ reasoning of these poynts in Iohn 5. and Luc. 16. Let it be sufficient for vs that the Aungels are the Ministers of God which vseth them at his pleasure for the safegarde of his elect and let vs acknowledge the worthynesse and dignitie of man which ought to be no small prouocation for vs vnto godlynesse Nowe is it time to turne agayne vnto Peter He beckoneth with his hande vnto the brethren being partly surprised with ioye and partly wyth amazednesse to keepe silence and rehearseth all thing in order as it was done declaring that God was the onely worker of this benefite And further he warneth them to signify these things to the residue of the brethren but chiefly vnto Iames the sonne of Alphaeus which the olde writers affirme was Bishop of Ierusalem Of which commaundement it seemeth there was two causes For he woulde haue the glory of God hereby the more thankefully spredde abrode and his brethren whome he knew were sadde for his sake to be quitte of their cares Therefore Peter by his example teacheth vs that we must not hide the benefytes of God in vnthankfull and vnkinde harts For then Gods benefytes are best declared when others prouoked by our meanes learne to hope in God and to call vpon him in their distresse as their defender and reuenger Dauid being deliuered out of the handes of the Philistynes makethmention hereof in the beginning of the Psalme xxxiiij Further it is declared that Peter went to another place For he easilye perceyued that he should doe no good to remaine in Herodes kingdome And the present benefyte of his deliuery did sufficiently declare that God would not haue him dye vnder the hande of Herode but to execute his Apostleship otherwheres Therefore he vseth the counsell of Christ saying If they persecure you in one citie flye vnto another Here hast thou therfore what aunswere to make vnto those which woulde haue the Ministers of the worde put into the Woolues handes and say that they truly followe the Apostles when without hope of doing any good they suffer the wicked not onely to condemne their doctrine and the truth of Christ but also themselues But it easily appeareth what causeth these men thus to say They woulde haue all the Ministers of the Gospell gone at once that Antichristes superstition might be brought in agayne Wherefore wee must vse the wisedome of serpents against these men according as Christ hath commaunded vs that through our temerity rashnesse we do not indammage Christs quarrell Nowe remayneth the last part of this place whereby wee are taught how Herode was affected in minde at this worke and myracle of god And first after it was knowne that Peter had escaped his bandes and imprisonment there arose a great feare trouble among the souldiours For where they were well acquainted with the fierce nature of Herode they looked for no goodnesse at his hande And they were not beguiled For where Herode had appoynted to put Peter to death and vnderstoode afterwarde that he was escaped like one beside himselfe he commaundeth the keepers to bee racked insomuch that although he heard they were in no fault yet he commaūdeth them to be had to prison or else which is the liker to their deaths This is a very notable example whereby we are taught that the wicked waxe the woorse and not better by the iudgements of god For where they are so bolde to striue agaynst God through his iust iudgement they are so blinded and hardened that in the open light they are not able to see nor to submit themselfe vnder the mightie hande of god And there is no cause why we should hope for any better of the tyrants of these dayes which haue begun to make warre agaynst God maintaine the same with such deadly hatred Here appeareth also an example of Gods prouidence whereby Herodes craft is deluded while he heareth the worke of God sette forth by them whose helpe he accustomed to vse against god And that example is not vnlike herevnto where the souldiours appointed by the Priests to watch the sepulchre of Christ were the fyrst that published his
alone conteyneth more in it than any manne is able to perfourme And if thou haue to speake vnto Christians what canst thou deuise more amiable than the name of brother or more honourable than the name of Christian wherby both the Priestly dignitie and Princely maiestie whervnto Christ hath aduaunced vs is expressed But nowe a dayes the worlde is come to such foolishnesse that they are iudged rude and rusticall that stuffe not their orations and writings with counterfeyted and most pâ—euish and ridiculous tytles whereby they make men already not well in their wits starke staring madde How much better did Augustus Caesar who thought this name Dominus or Lorde more honorable than sitting for a mortall man as he was Secondly we are taught what maner of men they shoulde be that will heare the worde of God worthily and to their profyte and vtilitie First they must be Israelites which in the wrastling of temptations must take fast holde of the worde of God and not suffer it by anye aduersitie to be taken from them Therefore is fayth required whereby the Apostle witnesseth we ouercome Then must they be such as feare God and tremble with great reuerence at his worde as the Lorde admonisheth by his Prophet Esay 66. For it cannot be that any can obey the worde of God but he that hath learned to thinke well of it For the which cause when Moses came to talke with God he was commaunded to put of his shooes that is to say all beastly and fleshly affections whereby the maiestie of God vseth to be driuen awaye Nowe seeing there be so fewe such hearers in these dayes for that cause we see the worde of God is so much preached in vaine But to returne vnto Paule he addeth to his beginning the narration of an hystorie wherein the fyrst part of his Oration is ended And he taketh the beginning of his narration of the fathers therby declaring that he preached neyther newe God nor newe fayth but the same by the which the fathers in time past were saued For he affirmeth that they had in deede many singuler giftes but yet nothing but that God of his grace gaue them who woulde haue the Sauiour that he promised borne of their posteritie But bicause they which trust in their owne worthinesse can hardly acknowledge the grace of God Paule vseth a diligent rehearsall of Gods benefyts which both maintaineth the grace of god against the boasters of their merits and also contayneth manifest examples of our whole redemption Wherefore it shall not be from Paules purpose if we runne them all ouer and expende such poyntes as serue for our instruction First he toucheth the fountaine of all goodnesse which is free election The God of this people sayeth he chose our fathers He calleth him the God of the people of the Iewes not after the maner of the gentiles which appoynted to euery Nation their peculiar God but bicause that God which was the Lorde and gouernor of all Nations chose vnto him the people of Iewes before all other by whom he would be knowne vnto all the world That this election or choyse was of his free mercie the Scripture teacheth in euery place Uerily Iosue testifyeth that Abraham serued straunge Gods before he was called And Moses doth many times inculcate this election that they might vnderstande whome to thanke for all those benefytes that they had receyued And hereto belong the things which we read in Ezechiel 16. and Amos. 3. and they take from the Iewes all occasion of glorying Hereby also appeareth that our saluation and whatsoeuer we haue that good is ought to be referred vnto the grace of God whereby he did vouchsafe to choose vs also before the foundations of the worlde were layde Dauid therefore doth well saye Blessed is the man whome thou hast chosen And if we haue no goodnesse of our selues but are chosen of God what madnesse is it I pray you to attribute saluation to our merites or works which vnlesse free election go before cannot please God. Secondly he alleageth the glory and notable deliuerye of this people out of Egypt For when they were Pilgrimes and straungers in Egypt God did marueylously exalt them fyrst by Ioseph who being made ruler of Egypt obtained fauour for them of the king of that Countrie After that being oppressed with tyrannie he brought them out of the house of bondage into libertie wiâ—h an high or mighty arme that is to saye by myracles and wonders with great power And that this was a free benefyte and goodnesse appeareth in this that they were pilgrimes and men most abiect For what coulde such deserue To saye nothing in the meane season howe they were polluted and defyled with the superstition of Egypt whereby they deserued rather to be kept in bondage still than to be sette at libertie These things containe in them a fygure of our common redemption much agreeing with this present argument For it is manifest we are all pilgrimes vpon the earth and haue here no continuall dwelling place Such therefore as we who deserued no possession vpon earth hath God lift vppe into heauen yea he hath witsafe to take as his children He also hath deliuered vs being oppressed with the deadly tyrannie of the deuill with his highe arme that is to saye by his sonne whome Esaye the Prophete cap. 53. calleth the arme of the Lorde Thirdly he sayth God suffered their maners fourtie yeares in the wildernesse Herein is noted a marueylous and more than fatherly bearing and tendernesse such as no mortall man woulde vse towarde his only sonne or seruaunt most profytable vnto him This thing well appeareth if we read the storie of Moses Howe often reade we they murmured against Moses howe often rose they sediciously against him howe often went they about to murther him But to let passe the thinges they did against Moses what did they not commit against God himselfe They forgate his commaundements and made a Calfe and chaunged the glory of God immortall into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth haye How often preferred they the seruitude of Egypt before the benefyte of their glorious deliuery how often did they tempt the will and power of God yet God bare with their incurable malice although they daily deserued with newe punishments to be destroyed This might seeme a wonderfull meekenesse of God if we daylye founde not the like For what daye or houre passeth in the which we prouoke not the iudgement of God against vs eyther in wordes deedes or thoughts and wicked desires Yet the Lorde spareth vs as though he had not thunderboltes and diuers other weapons at hande wherewith to punishe and strike vs. For he knoweth whereof we be made to vse the wordes of the Prophet and remembreth that we are but dust Yet least any man might thinke he maye hereby sinne without checke let vs note that this lenitie of God serued but hereto
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
all kinde of religion doe yet take vpon them onely to haue skill in the same Which is one of the greatest causes of the calamitie that troubleth the whole worlde in these dayes But by no meanes is it commendable that Gallio altogither neglecteth religion and thinketh the hearing thereof appertayneth not vnto him For God will haue the king still to be reading of the lawe and hath appointed magistrates to be seuere and diligent reuengers of true religion See Deut. 17 and 13. And we haue examples of most godly kings which in the scripture are for this cause chiefely commended that they banished superstition and restored true religion Therefore intollerable is the error of them nowe a daies which go about to perswade the magistrate that they should not meddle with any mannes religion but to let euery body serue God as seemeth him good But in deede these men haue a farre other fetch For they hope it will come to passe that Princes shall followe the example of Gallio and shall giue them leaue to plant what religion they please in the Church And as great is the errour of some princes and magistrates who being desyrous to be counted and called christians yet affirme that religion pertayneth not to their iurisdiction but commit the same vnto couetous Monkes and to vnlearned and prowde Prelates leauing Christes sheepe to the ordering and pleasure of most foolishe men yea vnto Woolues to be deuoured And thus princes thinke they are well excused which hope of theirs shall greatly deceyue them for God shall one day require his people which he commytted to their charge at their handes and by this argument they shall be prooued to be vntrustie seruauntes bicause they sayde religion appertayned not to their charge which of all other things was chiefely commended vnto them Nowe let vs see the ende of this Tragedie where the veritie of Gods promise most manifestly appeareth For after the Greekes perceyued that Gallio dyd not much regarde the matter they take Sosthenes the Ruler of the Synagoge and shamefully beate hym This it was lyke they did by the setting on of the Iewes For Sosthenes was a faythfull companyon of Paule whose helpe in setting forth the gospell it manifestlye appeareth Paule vsed by the superscription of hys fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians But thys seemeth a woonderfull thing that when the matter came to hande strypes Paule agaynst whom all the Iewes made thys insurrection goeth away vnhurte and vntouched yea is not compelled to depart the Citie For we shall heare how he taryed there a good space after But shall we say the cause was that they spared Paule were they perswaded by his eloquence and defence to keepe their handes from him The Liefetenaunt woulde not vouchsafe to heare him was it the authoritie of the Liefetenaunt that defended hym why he being a Gentyle and a manifest vngodly person had no regarde vnto the Iewes matters Had he anye other aduocate or defender But what other coulde be founde of such authoritie to withstande such furious men especially the Ruler being slacke in his duety doing who onely had authoritie in that Citie to commaunde It remayneth therefore that we confesse howe Paule was preserued by the secrete assistance of God alone that the promise should be fulfylled that sayde no man should be able to doe him harme Thus we reade how the Patriarches were sometime preserued amonge the Chanaanites God thundering in their eares and hartes Touch not mine annoynted c. So Christ with one worde delyuereth his Disciples although Peter had prouoked the raging enimy with drawne sworde wounding the Byshops seruaunt By these thyngs we may comfort our selues seing we see the power of God to be so great in perfourming his promise and defending hys people that euen then they escape safe awaye when they seeme to be in the myddest of their enymies furie But we must returne againe vnto Gallio in whome the holy ghost hath set vs out a president of an vngodly Magistrate and voyde of religion For he not long agone flatlye denied that religion belonged to his iurisdiction He also confessed that it was his dutie to defende the harmelesse from iniurie and to punishe wickednesse But yet he suffreth Sosthenes to be misintreated in his sight and so perfourmeth not that which erewhile ▪ he confessed was his dutie Many such there are in these dayes who for modesties sake leauing of the hearing of matters in religion doe streyghtway bewray themselues to be men farthest of from all religion and iustice in that they defend not the seruants of God from ciuill iniuries yea notorious wrongs done vnto them And there is no cause why we shoulde thinke them maintayners of iustice which haue cast from them the care of religion For how can it be that he can be faythfull and trustie to see men haue their right that is vntrustie to Godwarde and thinketh it not his dutie to maintayne Gods honor and glory Therefore we may nowe a dayes see many Galliones the more is the pitie and there is no greater cause of publyke iniustice than for that a number of Princes for the most part haue no feeling of religion But howe much more grieuously maye we saye they sinne who glorying in the name of Christian men suffer the faythfull seruants of Christ to be misvsed before their face and whome they ought to defende by their authoritie and with the sworde for mennes sakes consent to let their enimies haue them to condemne at their pleasure which is a thing in these dayes so much vsed that it needeth no examples to declare it Last of all is to be considered what a miserable state they are in which haue lost their libertie and are enforced to serue straungers For such were the Iewes who from Pompeius Magnus time as we knowe were in subiection to the Romaines and scattered abroade ouer all their iurisdiction Such also were the Corinthians who as hystories make mention were vanquished and brought vnder the Romaines obeysaunce by L. Mūmius their generall And no doubt but both these Nations were punished by the iust iudgement of God for their sinnes and offences But what misery fell they into by this one fact of theirs The Iewes were scattered throughout the worlde and hated of all men They heare their religion most shamefully despised by those whome they are enforced to take for their Lordes The Corinthians although in religion they agreed with the Romaines yet had they such a President as regarded not publike iniuries but winked at most heynous wickednesse Let them be mindefull hereof to whome God hath giuen libertie and freedome Let them vse it to the glorye of God least they feele the lyke iudgement of God and become examples for other Yea let them in that libertie of mynde and body that God hath giuen them rather serue and please him that they may liue with him in heauen through Iesus Christ the onely giuer of true libertie to whom be
and soules of the deceassed wherin one of the least defences of Antichristes tirannie hath not consisted to saye nothing howe through their wicked exorcismes they haue polluted baptisme and Gods whole religion Yea by this meane it came to passe that no kinde of men had more students of Necromantie and Magike then the Monkes and Priestes and euen the highest priestes were not behinde in these wicked sciences For the hystories of Syluester the seconde Gregorie the seuenth Alexander the sixte and many other are well knowne to euery man Also we are taught what to iudge of such â–ª as attribute godly power to holy names and sentences taken out of scriptures as though by these eyther euill spirites coulde be driuen awaye or diseases and maladyes ridde from men and beastes bodyes or that they which study south-saying an arte inuented by mans curiositie could tell vs what is to come or what shall happen hereafter This is a Iudaicall or rather an heathen or a Gentile superstition and not without a cause condemned by the lawes of god For fyrst vnto a vaine sounde of wordes vnto dombe fygures and ceremonies full of horror is attributed a power of helpe which is no light offence against the fyrst precept of the tables For there we are commaunded to acknowledge God onely for our helper to put our trust in hym onely and to aske all our ayde and succour of him Next men are sent from the inuocation of God vnto wicked sciences as though thereby God might be inforced to helpe vs against his will. Moreouer the kingdome of the deuill is no waye more fortifyed then this who dyligently seeketh to make men looke for helpe and counsell in other thinges then in God bicause that is the most commodious way for him whereby to deceyue and beguile men Therefore we reade that these sciences in olde time were not without a cause abolished both by the lawes of GOD and Emperours And there remaine in the Popes law Canons gathered out of most auncient counsels and fathers which admonishe vs to keepe such as were giuen to these artes from the communion of the faythfull And here we must not giue eare to their obiections which frame arguments of the successe and holynesse of the words thereby to defende their impious superstition For they say a many are healed by these meanes and that things otherwise impossible are hereby euery day brought to passe Againe they say there is no offence in them bicause they consist for the more parte vpon the holy names of God or else vpon certaine notable sentences of holy scripture The aunswere is easie to both these obiections We knowe that Satan is able to shewe woonders but not without the sufferance of god It is well knowne what he wrought in tymes past by the Magitians in Egypt and howe he burned Iobes cattle and seruauntes by fyre from aboue Yea Augustine testifyeth that he is able to doe straunge matters bicause he can transfourme himselfe into an Aungell of light But doth it therefore become christian men to beleeue his suggestions or to vse his helpe why doe we not rather regarde the counsell of God which suffereth Satan thus to doe bicause he meaneth eyther to trye the fayth of his people or else to send effectuall illusions to those that haue deserued destruction Let vs therfore stande fast in the fayth least we swarue therefro and be left wholy to Sathans scorning and delusion Againe touching the holynesse of the wordes we dispute not but we say the more holy they are the more detestable it is to abuse them For this is not the vse eyther of the names of God or of his wordes to serue for magicall mutterings and with a vaine sounde to dryue away eyther spirites or diseases but to declare and set out vnto vs the propertie of God and his wyll And if holynesse of wordes can excuse Magicians and enchaunters then shall they also be excused that commonly abuse the other holye and wholsome creatures of god But howe vaine these mens excuse is that forme or maner of exorcisme which these exorcistes vsed aboundantly declareth For what is there in them to be reprehended They vse this worde adiuring according to the example of most godlye men Next they adiure by the name of Iesus and least they might seeme to meane some counterfeyte Iesus they plainely expresse him whome Paule preacheth Notwithstanding they are accused of impietie bicause they vsed the holye wordes naughtily and without fayth for their lucre sake and aduauntage Therefore away with them that will seeke such slender pretences for their Iewishe and heathen superstitions and let vs not beleeue them which dare abuse the names of God and his Christ. But let vs consider the successe of this enterprise which was very agreeable to their presumptuousnesse For the euil spirit answereth these exorcistes and sayth Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are you And streightway he setteth the man whome he possessed vpon them maketh hym to season on them so strongly preuayling against them al that he wel bette them and set them packing out of the house naked By the which argument it is most euidently perceyued that there is no power in holye wordes of themselues whereby to driue awaye deuils or any other euils but that all such effectes depende vpon Gods prouidence which sometime worketh myracles also euen by Infydels when he seeth their helpe serue for the setting forth of his kingdome and glory This example teacheth what all they maye looke for which abuse the name of Christ or his lawes for their priuate lucre and aduauntage This is a common thing in these dayes For what else doth the Pope seeing vnder the cloake of Christes name he chalengeth to him the supremacie in the Church What else doe Masse Priestes when peruerting the maner and order of the supper they imagine Christ is at their becke and chaunge the wordes of the supper into a coniuration through the power whereof they transubstanciate as they say the breade and wine into the body and bloude of Christ What shall I speake of the keyes vnder the pretence whereof they haue burst into mennes consciences ordeyned satisfactions and expiations of sinnes little or nothing differing from those which we reade the heathen sometimes vsed I lette passe infynite other things which though God punishe not by and by as we see he did the children of Sceua yet the iudgement of the Lorde as Peter sayeth sleepeth not by the which long sithence their punishments are appointed We are moreouer taught by this place howe great the power of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is seeing he can vse the Deuill be he neuer so lothe to the setting forth of his kingdome For who wyll thinke that he woulde willinglye beare witnesse to Iesus Christ and Paule his seruaunt and hurt his owne bondmen and instruments He is yet compelled to doe both bicause it seemeth so good vnto the Lorde at whose sight
matter for that they desire to haue their owne countreyman to be tormented at the pleasure of a prophane heathen souldiour Beside this they handle their matter with no arguments or colour of honestie but with clamours with casting away their clothes with throwing vp of duste and other lyke furious gestures and braydes such as braynesicke and madde persons vse Which example teacheth vs how muche hatred of truthe is able to doe seeing it maketh them whose mindes it hath possessed to forget all modestie equitie and charitie For that that here was done agaynst Paule was done before in the presence of Pilate in Christes cause And there wante not examples wherby it may be proued how the wicked vse the very same in these daies also Furthermore this place teacheth vs what arguments coÌ„monly are made vsed agaynst the seruants of Chryst in these dayes aswell in their owne quarell as in Chrystes That is to say shouting threatning punishments fire sworde c. With these weapons they haue fought euen from the beginning of the worlde and with the same they fight still euen at this day And this is a miserable blindnesse and peruersenesse of the worlde that where in prophane and worldly matters all men prayse and holde with aduised deliberation in matters of religion and the common case of eternall saluation many men thinke the matter should be handeled and dispatched with vnreasonable noyse furious braydes vproaâ—es and rebellion But what dothe the Capitayne in this great rage of the Iewes â–ª Firste he coÌ„maunded Paule to be had into the Castle which thing was prudently done of him bicause there was no more effectual meane to apease the people than to haue him out of their sight agaynst whom they boyâ—ed in such anger hatred But by by he offendeth in vnrighteousnesse coÌ„manding him of whom as yet he had no sure suspition of any crime after the accustomed maner to be scourged examined For the Iewes had proued nothing agaynst him and he had heard Paule answere to his slaunders very wisely But herein he seemeth worthy of excuse bicause it was likely that he whose death all the people desired with one consent was not faultlesse But if we admit such coniectures who I pray you then shal be innocent who shall not be oppressed with sedicious clamour Therfore this was a greuous fault in the captaine And hereby let all that beare office and be in authoritie learne that they be not ouer cruel or hasty in their tormenting punishing of men For as it is a greeuous faulte shamefully to torment an innocent so it ofteÌ„times commeth to passe that men being ouercome with paine grefe coÌ„fesse they haue don those things which they neuer thoght or ment In the mean season thou shalt marke the vsage of wicked Magistrates They are of maruellous wit and forecaâ— in politike matters and therin they passe for the most part the children of light Yet haue they not true iustice but only a certen vaine shew of the same wherwith being cloked or couered they vse to handle matters in iudgement after their own pleasure commoditie Hereof we haue an example also in Pilate many like are euery where to be found in all hystories But commonly the ende of these iudgements is vnhappie as we shall shortely perceiue hereafter Let as many therefore as bee in office labour to fulfyll iustice forasmuch as the iudgements of God are committed vnto them and the Lord wyll one day require the bloude of hys seruauntes at their handes Wee are also taughte by thys example what state the Sainctes in this worlde are in They are accompted among the wicked and iudged vilest of all men whose bodies and life euery man freely scorneth and mocketh as pleaseth him This the prophets in times passed fouâ—â—d to be true The same Christ also founde him selfe vpon whome the Prophete foreshewed the same should fall out Psal. 53. Luke 22. And his forerunner Iohn was faine to satisfie and yeelde to the incestuous luste of Herode and Herodias Therefore let it not greeue vs to be counted in the number of these men nor be offended with the vniust iudgements of this world seeing it is euident that God wil maintaine and continue the remembrance of his seruaunts and so that the fame of Innocentes oppressed with slaunders can not long lie hidden See Psal. 34. Luke 12. But let vs see Paule whose life is heere in ieoperdie dothe he holde his peace like a blocke no. But he runneth vnto the lawe and alleageth the freedome of the Citie of Rome whereby he is defended and set at libertie For assoone as the Captaine heard that hee was a freeman Citizen of Rome he commaunded by and by to vnbinde him and vseth no torments vpon him Therefore the pacience of the Sainctes is no cowardlinesse or beastly stupiditie or blockishnesse as many imagine In deede they are ready to suffer any thing for Christes sake yet they neglect not such lawful defence as is agreeable with faith â–ª For as it is lawful to vse the other creatures of God euen so is it to vse the lawes also bicause the authoritie of them dependeth cheefely vpon God by whome it is manifest that Magistrates are ordained But alasse howe much more miserable is the state of the Sainctes in these dayes For although the Captaine knewe that it was a matter of religion that was in hand yet he suffereth Paule to enioy the priuiledges of Rome But in these dayes both lawes and priuiledges are mute if religion come once in question All this we may thanke the Popes of which teach meÌ„ that it is lawful to breake promisse with those that are suspected of herisy Whatsoeuer else may be said to this purpose loke for it in the sixth Chapter where is described what hapned to Paule at Philippi in a like matter or case At length foloweth the ende of the first Act of this tragedie The Captaine is afrayde not of God but of the seueritie of the Romaine lawes This is the manner of all the wicked preposterously to feare men more than god Howbeit being desirous to amend the fault that he had made and to vnderstand the matter more certainly he bringeth Paule on the morow before the counsel â–ª of whose vprightnesse and sanctimonie he coÌ„ceiued a very good hope This Captaine is of the number of those men which now adayes also loke for much goodnesse at Counsels whereas it is euident these many hundreth yeares they haue deceiued the expectation of all godly persons bicause they are summoned and gouerned by theÌ„ which make marchaundise of all religion and through whose tirannie all Christendome is oppressed Let vs consider how profitable a thing it is seuerely to keepe and maintaine the publike lawes For although Claudius Cesar in whose raigne these things were done was a shamelesse beast yet bicause the aucthoritie of lawes stode inforce there was some defence left for good men But whereas lawes lie troden
insolent and proude stiles which other men vsed to flatter them with For this kinde of men are easily moued to wrath specially when they suppose their estimation is lightly regarded which they farre preferre both before the glory of God and the publike saluation of man Heere let vs marke what manner of Counsels wicked Bishops vse commonly to haue Paule was burthened before with slaunders whereby they thought to bring him in hatred of all his nation And when he was about to answer thereto in a great concourse of people they disturbed him with furious clamoure and shouting Now againe as he is about to make his excuse they resist him with open violence and that in place of iustice whereof they would seeme to be great fauourers Such a Counsell for all the world was it wherein Christ was condemned when Caiphas was president And that was not much vnlike wherein Steuen was oppressed Suche also haue beene the Counsels of the Popes this many hundreth yeares as may be proued by that one Counsell of Constance where we reade the holy Martires of Châ—ist Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage were condempned with like armoure and weapons What we may hope for at the Counsels of oure dayes appeareth aboundantly by their indictions or Bulles The crafte and impudencie whereof who so perceiueth not doubtlesse they are to be iudged voide of common sense and reason But let vs returne vnto Paule and see howe he tooke this iniurie God saith he shall smite thee O thou painted wall c. In the which words it seemeth to some that he offended against the commaundement of Christ which biddeth vs to tourne the other cheeke to him that smiteth vs on the one But he shall easily be cleared of this fault if we will weigh bothe his wordes and his person For he cursseth him not of any naughtie minde or affection but reproueth his sinne according to the office of an Apostle and sheweth that God hath a punishment prepared for him And first he calleth him painted wall euer following the example of Christ which sayth al the whole packe of them were like vnto painted sepulchers or graues And by and by he rendreth a reason why he so sayth adding Thou sittest to giue iudgement according to the Lawe That is to say Thou claymest vnto thee power to giue Iudgement vpon mee vnder a proud pretence of Lawe and commaundest me to bee smitten contrary to Lawe therefore thou aunswerest not vnto the person and name of a Iudge but vnder the cloke therof hydest an heart that cannot abide the truth and that thirsteth for bloud Therfore God wil strike thee although there be no man to take vengeance on thee These things I say Paule speaketh according to the office of a Minister and not of any reprochful or slaunderous intente or meaning And it is no doubt but he had a respect vnto the example of Christ who when the Byshops seruant smote him tourned not his other cheeke but earenestly rebuked his stoute and contumelious doing And here in this place we are taught that the pacience which holy Scripture commaundeth is not such a kinde of cowardlinesse as giueth the wicked leaue to do what they lust For although we be commaunded paciently to suffer whatsoeuer God sendeth yet must we not flatter the wicked nor dissemble Gods iudgementes Also here may all they which are in office learne a generall doctrine and rule For that which Paule threatned vnto Ananias chaunced not long after For about the beginning of the Iewes warres he was cruelly slaine by Manaim Captaine of a sort of rebellious Iewes being well worthie of suche a death who feared not himselfe to rebell against God and they shall neuer escape the handes of Gods vengeance which follow him in striuing against God and violently oppressing them that be innocentes or else suffering them to bee oppressed by other The Lorde shall smite them whome the Scriptures euery where teach to be the only and true president and reuenger of al iudgements And although they be able to fray men yet shall they neuer escape the handes of god We haue examples in Pharao Saule Achab and many others of whome prophane hystories make mention But as Paule was declaring these things by and by there starte foorth certaine that rebuke him but there was none that would reprehende the vniust force of Ananias For as tyrants take vpon them to do what they lust so they easily find flatterers to defend their authority against al men Whereby it commeth to passe that where they do al men open iniurie yet no man dare complaine on them A like tyrannie hath the Cleargie vsed many yeares in the Church For where the Monkes and Priests molested al men at their plesure yet were they counted very holie and to haue nicked them but in worde onely was a very dangerous and heinous matter But Paule by a feate Ironie and kinde of scorne reproueth this tyrannous hypocrisie saying I wist not brethren that he was the high priest As though he should say Who would take him for the high Priest in whom he sawe nothing worthie such name and title For if he be the high Priest why heareth he not mens causes quietly and with indifferencie Otherwise I am not ignorant that by Gods lawe no man oughte to cursse the lawful Magistrate Reade Deuter. 22. Exod. 22. Magistrats are taught by this Ironie of Paule that then their authoritie is inuiolable and safe when they do their office and shew themselues to be such as al wise men may iudge worthy of that honour For vnies they promote â–ª the glorie of God refrayne from violence defende good lawes and be an example of honest lyfe the same may be sayde vnto them that Paule in this place obiecteth to Ananias For who will take blasphemers bloudsuckers lawe-breakers drunkardes adulterers gamsters ruffians and such lyke companions for senatours and rulers we knowe verily that God of his iust iudgement sometime ordeyneth such whose misgouernance the godlie in temporall matters most paciently suffer But if the same be not honored as they woulde let them not maruell but acknowlede their fault and amend For in so doyng they shall haue Iesus Christ the king of kinges and Lord of Lordes the defender of their aucthoritie To whom be praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxlviij Homelie WHen Paul perceiued the one part were Saduceis and the other Phariseis he cryed out in the counsel Men and brethren I am a Pharisey the sone of a Pharisey of the hope and resurrection from death I am iudged And when he had so sayde there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis and the Saduceis and the multitude was deuided For the Saduceis sayde there is no resurrection neyther Angell nor spirite But the Phariseis graunt both And there arose a great crye and when the Scribes which were of the Phariseis part arose they stroue saying We fynde no euill in this man though a spirite or