and him that is in prisoÌ„n and forsaken in Israel and will take away the remnaunte of the house of Ieroboam as one carieth away dunge till all be gone And al these thinges were fulfilled according to the saying of the Lord as the Scripture witnesseth in these words WheÌ„ Baasa was king he smote all the house of Ieroboam and left nothing that breathed of that that was Ieroboams But the very same king being nothing the better or wiser by an others mishap miserable example of his predecessour sticketh not to continue to teach the people to publish and defend the straung and forreine religion contrarie to the woord of God which Ieroboam had begunne But what followed thereuppon Forsothe the Lord by the preaching of Hanani the Prophete doth say vnto him Forasmuch as I exalted the out of the dust and made thee prince ouer my people Israell and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israell to sinne to anger mee with their sinnes behold I will roote out the posteritie of Baasa and the posteritie of his house and will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam Which was perfourmed as the scripture saith by Simâ—â— capitaine of the hoaste of Israel For he destroyed king Hela the sonne of Baasa when he was drunken and all his posteritie Amri succeeded in the kingdome who was the father of Achab that mischesous cutthroate whom the Syrians siue in fighting a battaile Aâ—ter him reigned his sonnes Ochosias and Ioram But when they left the religion taught in the woord of God to follow the new tradition of king Ieroboam and had thereunto added the worshipping of the shamefull idole Baal they were vtterly at last destroyed by the meanes of Iehu a very iust although a rigorous prince The ofspring of Amri reigned about the space of 40. yeares not without the sheading of much innocent bloud but it was at last destroyed when that measure of iniquitie was fulfilled was vtterly plucked vp at the rootes by the iust iudgment of Almightie god Let al Princes and magistrates therfore learne by these wonderfull and terrible examples to take héede to themselues how they deuise any new religioÌ„ or alter the lawful auncient maner of worshipping which God himselfe hath ordeined alreadie Our faithfull Lord is our good God who hath fullie simplie and absolutely set downe in his word his true religion lawfull kind of worshippe which hee hath taught all mâ—n to kéepe alone for euermore Let all men therefore cleaue fast vnto it and let them die in defence thereof that meane to liue eternallie They are punished from aboue whosoeuer doe adde too or take away any thing from the religion and kind of worshippe first ordeined and appointed of god Marcke this ye great men and Princes of authoritie For the kéeping or not héeping of true religion is the roote from whence aboundant fruite of felicitie or else vtter vnhappinesse doth spring and bud out Hee therefore that hath eares to heare let him heare Let no man suffer himselfe to bee seduced and caried away with any coloured intent how gooâ—ly to the eye secuer it bee which is in deede a meere vanitie and detestable iniquitie To God obedience is much more acceptable than sacrifices are Neither doe the decrees of the highest néede any whit at al our fond additions Here followeth now the second part of the magistrates ordinaunce which consisteth in making good lawes for the preseruation of honestie iustice and publique peace Which is likewise accomplished in good and vpright lawes But some there are who think it meere tyrannie to lay lawes on frée mens backs as it were a yoake vppon necks not vsed to labour supposing that euerie one ought rather to be left to his owne wil and discretion The Apostle in dede did say The lawe is not giuen for the iust but for the vniust But the cause whie the lawe is not giuen to the iust is because hée is iust For the iust worketh iustice and doth of his owne accord the thing which the lawe exacteth of euerie mortall man Wherefore the lawe is not troublesome to the iuste man because it is agréeable to the mind and thoughts of vpright liuers who doe imbrace it with all their hearts But the vniust desireth nothing more than to liue as hée iusteth hée is not conformable in any point to the lawe and therefore must hée by the lawe be kept vnder and brideled from marring himselfe and hurting other So then since to good men the lawes are no troublesome burden but an acceptable pleasure which are also necessarie for the vniuste as ordeined for the brideling of lawlesse and vnrulie people it followeth consequently that they are good and profitable for all men and not to bee reiected of any man What may bee said of that moreouer that God himselfe who did foresée the disposition of vs men what wee would bee and hath still fauoured the true libertie which hée desired alwayes to haue preserued amonge his people as one that euer meant them good and neuer did ordeine the thing that should tourne to their hinderaunce or discommoditie that God himselfe I say was their lawegiuer and hath not suffered any age at any time to liue as people without all lawe Yea too those common weales haue beene happie alwayes that haue admitted lawes and submitted themselues to be gouerned by lawes When as contrarilie those kingdomes haue of all other beene most miserable and torne in peeces by ciuil dissentions forreigne enimies which hauing banished vpright lawes did striue to mainteine their owne kind of fréedome their vncomptrolled dealing and licentious libertie that is their beastly luste and vnciuil rudenesse Good lawes therefore are for the health and preseruation of the people and necessarie for the peace and safegard of common weales and kingdomes Wherefore it is a wonder to see the follie of â—ome Christians since the verie Heathens haue giuen so honest report of lawes and lawegiuers They tooke their lawegiuers for Gods confessing therby that good lawes are the gift of god But the gift of God cannot be superfluous and vnprofitable Plutarch called lawes the life of cities Demosthenes did expressely confesse that lawes are the giftes of god Cicero named lawes the bondes of the citie because without lawes it is loosed dispersed the foundation of libertie and the wellspring of iustice and perfect honestie For lawes vndoubtedly are the strongest sinewes of the coÌ„mon weale life of the magistrates so that neither the magistrates can without the lawes conueniently liue and rule the weale publique nor the lawes without the magistrates shew forth their strength and liuely force The magistrate therefore is the liuing lawe and the lawe is the dumbe magistrate By executing and applying the lawe the lawe is made to liue and speake Which those Princes do not consider that are wont to say Wir sind das racht wée are the right wée are the lawe For they suppose
Christianitie but since they were in authoritie and bare the names of magistrates what let is there I pray you whie a true Christian man may not beare that office of a magistrate in his coÌ„mon weal What may be thought of this moreouer that in the new Testament certaine notable men are well reported off who when they were in authoritie were not put beside their offices because they were Christians and of a sound religion Touchinge Ioseph of Arimathea thus we read in Luke And behold there was a man named Ioseph a counsellour Marcke saith a noble Senatour who was a good man a iust the same had not consented to the counsel and deede of them which was of Arimathea a citie of the Iewes which waited also for the kingdome of God. Marke here I beséech you how notable a testimonie this man hath here Ioseph is a counsellour or Senatour yea and that more is a noble senatour too he sate in the Senate and amonge those Iudgâ—s which did coÌ„demne our sauiour christ but because hée consented not to their déede and iudgement he is acquited as guiltlesse of that horrible murder The same is said to haue béene a good man and a iuste and of the number of them that looke for the kingdome of God that is of the number of those which of Christ are called Christians and yet neuerthelesse he was a counsellour or senatour and that too in the Citie of Ierusalem A Christian therfore may lawfullie beare the office of a magistrate Hereunto belonge the examples of the Aâ—thiopiaÌ„ treasurer Actes 8. of Cornelius the Centurion Acts 10. and of Erastus the Chamberleine of Corinth Rom. 16. 2. Tim. 4 But oure desire is to haue the Anabaptistes proue and declare out of the Scriptures that which they obiecte here in saying that these men beinge once conuerted to that faith did streightway put off their roabes of estate and lay aside their magistrats sword For wée haue a litle before by the wordes of S. Augustine vpon Iohn Baptists answere who did himself also preach the Gospel alreadie proued that the souldiers that were baptised were not put beside their office nor coÌ„maunded by Iohn to giue ouer armour and ceasse to be souldiers They obiecte againe that the Lord conueyed himself priuilie away when the people were minded to haue made him a king which say they he would not haue done but because by his example hée would commend humilitie to all Christian people and as it were thereby to commaunde them not to suffer the charge to rule any common weale to be laid on their necks They adde moreouer these sayinges of the Lorde My kingdome is not of this world Againe Kings of nations haue dominion ouer them but ye shal not be so But they vnderstande not that the cause whie the Lord conueyed him selfe away was for the fond purpose of the foolish people which went about by making him a kinge not to doe the wil of God but being blinded with affections to séeke to bring those thinges to passe that were for the ease and fillinge of their bellies For in so much as hée had fedde them miraculously a little before therefore they thoughte that he would be a king for their purpose who was able to giue his subiectes meate without any coste or labour at all Furthermore oure Lord came not to reigne on the earth after the maner of this world as that Iewes imagined and as Pilate feared who dreamt that Messias should reigne as Salomon did and for that cause the Lord doth rightly say My kingdome is not of this world For hée is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righthand of his father hauinge subdued all kinges to himselfe and all the world beside wherein hée reigneth by his word and his spirite and which hée shall come to iudge in the ende of the world And although Christe denieth that his kingdome is of this world yet notwithstanding hée neuer denied that kinges and Princes should come oute of the world into the Church to serue the Lord therein not as men alone but as kinges and men of authoritie But kinges cannot otherwise serue the Lord as kinges but by doing the thinges for which they are called kinges And vnlesse that Christians when they are once made kinges should continue in their office and gouerne kingdoms according to the rule and lawes of Christe how I beséech you should Christe be called kinge of kinges and Lord of Lords Therefore when hée said Kinges of nations haue dominion ouer them but so shal not ye bee hée spake to his Apostles who stroaue amonge themselues for the chiefe and highest dignitie as if hee should haue said Princes which haue dominion in the world are not by my doctrine displaced of their seates nor put beside their throanes for the magistrates authoritie is of force still in the world and in the Church also The kinge or magistrate shall reigne But so shall not yée yée shall not reigne yée shall not be Princes but teachers of the world and ministers of the Churches Thus briefely I haue aunsweared to the Anabaptistes obiections which in other places also I haue many times confuted somewhat more largely By this that héere I haue saide I thincke I haue sufficiently proued that a Christian man cannot onelie but ought of duetie also to take vpon him the office of a magistrate if it be lawfully offered vnto him Now before I make an end of the discourse of this place I will briefly adde what the duetie of subiectes is and what euerie man doth owe to his magistrate First of all the subiectes duetie is to estéeme honestly reuerently and honourably not vilely nor disdainfullie of their magistrates or Princes Let them reuerence and honour them as the deputies and ministers of the eternall god Let them abroade also giue them the honour that is vsuallie accustomed in euerie kingdome and countrie It is a foule thinge for subiectes to behaue themselues vndeceÌ„tly towards their Lords and men of authoritie But a false a lighte or ill opinion once conceyued bréedeth a contempt of the things and persons touching whom that opinion is once taken vppe Some euidente testimonies of Scripture therefore must bée gathered and graffed in euerie mans heart that thereby a iuste estimation and worthie authoritie of magistrates and officers may bée bred and brought vpp in al peoples minds Here by the way let Princes and magistrates take héede to themselues that by a spotted and vnséemelie life they make not themselues contemptible and laughinge stockes and so by their owne defaulte loose all their authoritie amonge the common people The Lord oure God verilie voucheth safe to attribute his owne name to the Princes and magistrates of the people and to call them gods Exod. 21. Psalm 82. The Apostles called them the deputies and ministers of god â— Peter 2. Rom. 13. But who will not thincke wel of godds and them which are the deputies and ministers of god by
being vtterly forsaken of the Lord he heareth Samuel say to his face Thou hast refused and cast off the word of the Lord therefore hath God also cast thee away that thou shalt not be king of Israell I will not here stand ouer largely to declare the miseries and calamities wherein he was wrapped from that time forward For as he himselfe was horriblie haunted and vexed with the euill spirite so did he not ceasse to vexe and torment his people and kingdome vntill hee had brought them all into extreeme daunger where hee and some of his were slaine put to the worste by the heathen their enimyes leauing nothing behind him but a perpetuall shame and endlesse ignominie Next after Saule doth Dauid succeede in the seate and kingdome who without all controuersie was the most happiest of all other kinges and Princes But what stoare he did set by the word of the Lord it is euident to bee seene by many notable actes of his and especially in that Alphabeticall Psalme which in order and number is the hundreth and nintenth For therin he setteth forth the praise of Gods word the whoalsom vertue wherof he doth at large wonderfully expound in teaching what great desire zeale we ought to haue thereto For he was scholed had learned before by priuate mishaps and shameful deeds lastly by the vnhappie seditioÌ„ of his graceles sonne Absalom what an euill it is to decline froÌ„ the word of the lord SolomoÌ„ the sonne of Dauid the wisest most coÌ„mended king of all the world did so long enioy prosperitie praise at the mouth of the Lord as he did not neglect with reuerence to obey his word But when once he had transgressed the Lords commaundement streight way the Lord did say vnto him For as much as this is done of thee and that thou hast not kept mine ordinaunces and my statutes which I commaunded thee I will rent thy kingdome from thee and will giue it to thy seruaunt And nowe marke that according to that saying immediately after Solomons death the kingdome was rent into two partes and that 10. Tribes followed Ieroboam the seruaunt of Solomon Two tribes claue still to Roboam Solomons sonne Hee for neglecting the word of the Lord following after straunge Gods is ouerwhelmed with an infinite number of wofull miseries For the Scripture testifieth that the Aegyptians came vpp against Hierusalem and did destroy the Citie Palace and temple of the lord Abia the sonne of Roboam ouercame the host of Israell and bare away a triumphant victorie when hee had wounded and slaine fiue hundred thousand men of the 10. Tribes of Israell And of this so great a victorie no other cause is mencioned but because hee beleeued the word of the lord Next after Abia did his sonne Asa a renowmed and most puissaunt king reigne in his steede of whom the holy Scripture testifieth that hee abolished all superstition and did restoare sincere religion according to the word of God whereby hee obteyned a most flourishing kingdome in peace and quietnesse by the space of fourtie yeares Againe of Iosaphat Asa his sonne wee read The Lord was with Iosaphat because he walked in the former wayes of his father Dauid sought not Baalim but sought the God of his father and walked in his commaundement And therefore for his princelike wealth and famous victories he was renowmed through all the world But to his sonne Ioram who forsooke the word of God Helias the Prophete said Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iosaphat thy father and in the wayes of king Asa but hast walked the wayes of the kings of Israell behold with a great plague wil the Lord smite thy folke thy children thy wiues and all thy goods And thou shalt suffer great paine euen a disease of the bowells vntill thy guttes fall out And whatsoeuer the Lord threatened to bring vppon him by the mouth of the Prophet that did the vnhappie king feele with vnspeakeable tormentes to his great reproche being made an example of wretchâ—dnesse miserie which doth light on all the pates of them that do forsake the word of god Neither was the happ of Ochosias sonne to king Ioram and Athalia in any point better For at the commaundement of Iehu hee was stabbed in and slaine wretchedly bâ—câ—usâ— hee chose rather to followe the lawes and rites of the kinges of Israell than the verie true lawes of the Lord his god Moreouer Ioas a child yet but seuen yeares old being by the labour fayth and diligence of the faithfull priest Ioiada restoared to and settled in the place of his father who was slaine before him reigned after the wicked Athalia was put to death most happilie and in a prosperous state so longe as Ioiada the priest did line But when the high priest was once departed out of this world vnto the Lord the king being immediately seduced by the malice and wilinesse of his wicked counsellours left off to follow the word of the lord And as hee ceassed to followe the lord so did felicitie and glorie forsake to followe him For the Syrians comming on with a verie small power of armed men doe destroy and put to flight an insinite hoast of Iewish people they put to the sword all Ioas his counsellours and make a spoile of all his kingdome And Ioas for reiecting the Lord deserued with excessiue griefe first to behold this miserie than to 〈◊〉 away with a long consuming sicknesse and lastly vppon his bedd to haue his throate cruellte cutt of his owne houshold scruaunts Amasias the sonne of Ioas is renoâ—med for a â—amous victorie which he obteyned vppon the Idumitâ—s for no other cause but for obeying the word of the lord But afterward when hee began to rebell against God and his Prophets he is in battaile vanquished by Ioas king of Israell by whom when be was spoyled and compelled to see the ouerthrowe of a great part of the walles of Hierusalem he was himselfe at the last by conspiratours entrâ—pped and miserablie murdered Next after him succeeded his sonne Osias who also as well as his father enioyed a singular felicitie and most happie life so longe as he gainsayed not the mouth of God but when hee would vsurpe and take vppon him that office which God had properly appointed to the Leuits alone directly opposing himselfe against the word of the Lord he was striken with a leprosie and for his vncleannesse was compelled seuerallie to dwell â—loofe in banishmeÌ„t from the companie of men euen vntil his last and dying day Iothan also the sonne of Osias is reported to haue beene wealthie and victorious in his warres the cause of this felicitie the Scripture dâ—th briefly add and say Iothan became mightie because he directed his wayes before the Lord his God. But contrarily Achaz the some of Iothan as hee was of all the Iewishe kinges almost the wickeddest so was hee in his life
the most vnfortunate For in so much as hee forsâ—â—ke the lawe of the Lord his God the Lord deliuered both him and his people first into the hands of the king of Syrians and afterward into the hands of the Israelites who in one day â—lew one hundred and twentie thousand Iewes and tooke captine away with them two hundreth thousand women and children So Achaz himselfe and all that were his by feeling had proofe of all kinde of calamities beeing made an example to terrifie all other that doe gaiâ—â—say the woorde of god The good and godly king Ezechias succeeded his vngodly father in the seate and kingdome Of him wee haue this testimonie in the holie Scripture Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid did Hee put away the high places and brake the images and cut downe the groaues and all to brake the brasen Serpent which Moses had made For vnto those dayes the children of Israell burnt sacrifice to it Hee trusted in the Lord God of Israell For hee claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commaundements which the Lord commaunded Moses And now let vs heare what followed vppon this obedience and faith of his The Scripture goeth forward and sayth And the Lord was with him so that hee prospered in all thinges that hee tooke in hand While hee did reigne the most auncient and puissant Monarchie of the Assyrians was broken and diminished For when Senachâ—rib king of Assyria besieged the citie of Ierusalem the Angell of the Lord in one night â—lue in the Assyrian campe one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand souldiours And the king of Babylon also did verie honourably by his ambassadours send prince like giftes vnto Ezechias desiring earnestly his amitie and friendshipp For the glorie of that most godly king was blowen abroade and knowen in all the world Againe when his sonne Manasses a verie wicked man did not treade the pathe and expresse the deedes of his most holy father but being made king in the twelfth yeare of his age did of purpose crosse the word of God and brought in againe all the superstition which his father had abolished hee was taken captiue and carried away to Babylon and although by the goodnesse and mercie of God hee was restoared to his seate againe yet when he died hee left a maymed and a trouble some kingdome vnto his sonne Ammon who also for his rebellion against the word of God as a most vnfortunate man reigned but two yeares onely and was at the last wretchedly slaine by his owne houshold seruaunts In place of his murdered father was his sonne Iosias settled in the kingdome being when hee was crowned a child but eight yeares old Of all the kinges of Iuda he was the floure and especiall crowne Hee reigned quietly and in all pointes most happilie by the space of one and thirtie yeares Now the Scripture which cannot lye doth paint out to our eyes the fayth and obedience which hee did deuoutly shewe to the woord of God for which that felicitie did accompanie his kingdome Hee was nothing moued with the admonitions of his father Ammons counsellours But so soone as hee had heard the woords of the lawe read out of the booke which Helkia the high priest found in the temple at Hierusalem hee streight way committed himselfe whoaly to God and his woorde Neither stayed hee to looke for the mindes and reformations of other kinges and kingdomes but quickly forecasting the best for his people hee beganne to reforme the corrupted religion which hee did especially in the eightenth yeare of his age And in that reformation hee had a regard alwayes to followe the meaning of the holie scripture alone and not to giue eare to the deedes of his predecessours to the prescribed order of longe continuaunce noâ— to the common voyces of the greatest multitude For he assembled his people together before whome hee layde open the booke of Gods lawâ— and appointed all thinges to be ordered according to the rule of his written word And therevppon it commeth which wee finde written that hee spared not the auncient temples longe accustomed rites which Solomon and Ieroboam had erected and ordeyned against the word of god To be short this king Iosias pulled downe and ouerthrew whatsoeuer was set vpp in the Church or kingdome of Iuda against the woorde of god And least peraduenture any one should cauill and say that hee was ouer hardie and too roughe in his dealinges the Scripture giueth this testimonie of him and sayth Like vnto him was there no king before him which turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and all his might according to all the lawe of Moses neither after him arose there any such as hee Whereas wee read therefore that this so commended and most fortunate king was ouercome and slaine in a foughten battaile that death of his is to be compted part of his felicitie not of his miserie For the Lord himselfe said to Iosias I will gather thee vnto thy fathers and in peace shalte thou bee buried that thine eyes may not see all the euill which I will bring vppon this place For there is no greater argument that the people and verie princes of the kingdome vnder that most holie king were meere hypocrites and idolaters than for beecause next immediately after his death both his sonnes and Peeres reiecting the word of God did bring in againe all superstition and blasphemous wickednesse Whereuppon wee reade that for the whoale 22. yeares wherein the kinges of Iudâ— did reigne after the death of Iosias there was no peace or quietnesse in Hierusalem but perpetuall seditions and most bloudie murders Next after Iosias reigned his sonne Ioachas but within three monethes after he was taken bound and ledd captiue away into the land of Aegypt After the leading away of Ioachas his brother Ioachim ware the crowne whom in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne being bound in chaynes was slaine by Nabuchodonosor and lastly as Ieremie saith was buried in the sepulcre of an Asse In Ioachims steede was his sonne Iechonias set vpp but about three monethes after hee with his Princes and substaunce was taken captiue and ledd away to Babylon After him the kingdome was giuen to Zedechias the sonne of Iosias but because hee would not obey the word of God preached by the Prophete Ieremie he looseth both his life and kingdome in the eleuenth yere of his reigne In whose time also the temple is set on fire Hierusalem is sacked and the people slaine for the most part or led away captiue Thus much hetherto touching the kinges of Iuda For in Zedechias both the kingdome and maiestie or dignitie thereof did fayle and make an ende To these if wee add the endes and destinies of the kinges of Israell we shal againe be compelled to confesse that all felicitie of kinges and kingdomes doe
consist in hearing and following the word of God and that contrarily calamities and miseries doe rise by the coÌ„tempt and neglecting of the same For Ieroboam the first king of the seperated Israelites letting passe the word of God did ordeyne new rites to worship the Lord by and erected new temples but by so doing hee ouerthrew himselfe his house and all his kingdome After him doth Baasa succeede both in the kingdome idolatrous religion which was the cause why he his were vtterly destroyed Then followeth Amri the father of Achab who for augmenting idolatrous impietie is horriblie slaine with all his family so that not one of his escaped the reuenging sword of Gods anger ielousie And for because Iehu was faithfull valliant in killing those tyraunts in dispatching Baals priestes rooting out of idolatrous superstition the Lord doth promise say vnto him Because thou hast zealously done that which thou hast done according to all that is right in my sight therefore shall thy children vnto the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel And wee read verily that his sonnes and nephues were notable Princes which succeded in the kingdome euen Ioachas Ioas Ieroboam the second of that name and Zacharias The other kinges as Sellum Manahe Pekaiah Peka and Osee had their kingdome altogether like to the kingdome of the sonne of Iosâ—as to wit in a seditious troublesome a most miserable taking For they despised the mouth of the lord Therfore were they vtterly cutt off and for the most part either slaine or carried away captiue by their enimies the Assyrians From the diuision of tbe people into two seuerall kingdomes after the death of Solomon there were in number 19 kinges of Israell and 18. of Iuda The kings of Israell altogether reigned about 272. yeares and they of Iuda about 393. Now by the space of so many yeares in the most renowmed peculiar people of God which was as it were a glasse set before the eyes of all nations to view and behold themselues in there might the truest causes of felicitie calamities of all kings kingdoms in the whoale world be so liuely represented and perfectly paynted that there should bee no neede to fetch from else where a more plaine and euident demonstration of the same And yet for al that wee are not without other forreigne examples wherby to proue it For the Pharaoes of Aegypt were the destruction both to themselues and also to their kingdome by their stubborne rebellion against Gods word Againe Darius Priscus and the great Nabuchodonosor enioyed no small felicitie because they despised not the counsells of Daniel Balthazar king of Babylon a despightfull contemner of God and his word is in one night destroyed with all his power Babylon the most auncient and famous citie of the world is taken set on fyre sacked and ouerthrowne and the kingdom translated to the Medes and Persians Neither were the kinges of Persia vnfortunate at all I meane Cyrus and Darius otherwise called Artaxerxes because they fauoured the word of God and did promoate his people and true religion But on the other side wee read that Antiochus syrnamed Epiphanes was most vnfortunate who as it were making warre with God himselfe did most wickedly burne and make away the bookes of holy Scripture Furthermore wee haue as great stoare of examples also euen out of those Histories which followed immediately the time of Christ his ascension For so many Romane Emperours kinges and Princes as persecuted the preaching of the Gospell and Church of our Lord Iesus Christ aduaunced idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie so many I say did die a foule and shamefull death Of this are Eusebius and Orosius renowmed Historiographers assured witnesses Againe S. Augustine lib. 5. de Ciuit. Dei affirmeth that incredible victories verie great glorie and most absolute felicitie hath beene giuen by God vnto those kinges which haue in faith sincerely embraced Christe their Lord and vtterly subuerted idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie It is euident therefore that felicitie commeth by good will and obedience to the word of God that all kings and kingdoms shal be vnhappie which forsake the word of God and turne themselues to mens inuentions And this I haue I trust declared hetherto so plainly that the hearers may seeme not onely to vnderstand but also to see before their eyes and as it were to feele with their hands the pith and materiall substaunce of this whole treatise But wherunto doth all this tend That your Royall maiestie forsooth may vndoubttingly know be assuredly persuaded that true felicitie is gotten and reteyned by faithfull studie in the word of God to witt if you submit your selfe altogether and your whoale kingdome to Christe the chiefe and highest Prince if throughout your whoale realme you dispose and order religion and all matters of iustice according to the rule of Gods holy word if you decline not one haires breadth from that rule but studie to aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and goe on as hetherto you haue happily begon to subuert tread vnder foote the vsurped power of that tyrannicall Antichrist Not that your maiestie needeth any whit at all mine admonitions or instructions For you haue vndoubtedly that heauenly teachâ—r in your minde I meane the holie Ghoste which inspireth you with the verie true doctrine of sincere and pure religion Your Maiestie hath the sacred Bible the holiest booke of all bookes wherein as in a perfect rule the whoale matter of pâ—etie our true saluation is absolutely conteyned and plainly set downe Your Maiestie hath noble men and many Counsellours belonging to your kingdome faithfull valliaunt and skilfull heads both in the lawe of God and men who for their wisedome loue that they beare to the sincere truâ—th are greatly commended amonge forreigne nations And for that cause all the faithfull doe thinke and call your maiestie most happie But that happie king Ezechias although hee did especially vse the helpe of those excellent men Esâ—â— and Micheas did not yet despise faithfull admonishers euen amonge the 〈◊〉 sort of Leuites neither thought they that in admonishing the king theâ— lâ—st and 〈…〉 labour in vaine I therefore hauing good affiaunce in your 〈◊〉 good aâ—d godlâ—disposition do verily hope that this short discourse of mine touching the true causes of the felicitie and calamities of kinges and kingdoms shall haue a proâ—iting place with you Euen I which 12. yeares since did dedicate vnto your father of famous memorie Henrie viij a booke touching the authoritie of the holie Scripture and the institution and function of Bishopps against the Pontificall chuffes of the Romishe superstition and tyrannie and now by experience know that that labour of mine brought forth no small fruite within the realme of England am now so bold againe as to dedicate these my Sermons vnto your Royall maiestie In these Sermons I handle not the least and lowest points or places of Christian religion the
poore sillie Lazarus For Lazarus though he was the friende of God did notwithstanding die for want of foode The other though he was Gods enimie did spend his life in deintie fare and pleasures and felt none ill But hearken after this life what their iudgement was Abraham saith to the riche glutton My sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good and Lazarus likewise receiued euill but nowe he reioyceth and thou art tormented Therefore if the godly bee at any time afflicted in this present life they shal be abundantly rewarded for it in the life to come But if the wicked be spared in this worlde they are more grieuously punished in the world to come For God is iust rewardeth euery man accordinge to his merite If hereafter therefore thou shalte chaunce to sée the wicked liue in prosperitie thinke not thou by and by that God is vniust suppose not that his power is abated and say not that he sleepeth séeth them not For that saying of the Prophet which is also vsed by the Apostle Peter is assuredly true The eyes of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares open vnto their prayers Againe The eyes of the Lorde are vppon them that do wickednesse Wee must in suche a case fortifie our mindes with the iust examples of Gods iudgementes gathered together out of the holy Scriptures Let vs consider that the world was destroyed with the generall deluge when God had in vaine a longe time looked after repentaunce Let vs remember that Sodom Gomorrha and the cities adiacent thereaboute were burnt with fire sent down from heauen Let vs thinke vppon Aegypt howe it was stricken with diuers plagues and the inhabitantes drowned in the redde sea Let vs call to minde the thinges that happened by the holie and iust iudgement of God to the Amorrhites the Chanaanites the Amalechites the verie Israelits first vnder their Iudges then vnder their Kinges Their measure at last was fully filled Neither did they at anye time despise God and his worde but were at the last payde home for their labour They neuer sinned went scotfâ—â—e long The historie of Paulus Orosius yea the vniuersall historie of all the world doe minister vnto vs inumerable examples like vnto these declaring the certeintie of Gods iudgement Let vs thinke that God doeth not therefore allowe of sinnes beecause he is slacke in punishing them but let vs persuade our selues that he by the prolonging of punishment doth of his vnmeasurable goodnesse both looke and staye for the repentaunce conuersion of miserable sinners For in the Gospell the Lord biddeth not to cutt down the barren figg trée because hee looked to see if it woulde bring any fruite the next yere following The Apostle Paule saith Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thy stubbornesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the righteous iudgement of God which wil rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes to them which by continuing in wel-doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life But vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the trueth but obey vnrighteousnesse shall come indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vppon euery soule of man that doth euil This I saye let vs firmely holde with this let vs content our selues not grudging to sée the wicked liue long in prosperitie without paine or punishment The holie iust wise and mightie God knoweth best what to doe howe to doe why and when to doe euery thing conueniently To him bee glorie for euer and euer Amen To this belongeth also that God doeth as well afflicte the good as the badd Touchinge which I spake at large in the thirde Sermon of this thirde Decade Nowe here therefore some there are which demaunde why God doth with diuers punishements persecute those sinnes whiche he hath alreadie forgiuen to men For he forgaue Adam his sinne and yet he layde on him both death and innumerable calamities of this life beside To Dauid we read that the Prophet Nathan saide The Lorde hath taken thy sinne away and yet immediately after the same Prophet addeth The sworde shall not departe from thy house To this wee aunswere simply that these plagues which are layde on vs beefore the remission of our sinnes are the punishmentes due to our sinnes but that after the remission of our sinnes they are conflictes and exercises wherewith the faithfull doe not make satisfaction for their sinnes which are alreadie remitted by Grace in the death of the sonne of God but wherewith they are humbled and kept in their duetie hauing an occasion giuen of the greater glorie And here I wil not sticke to recite vnto you dearely beloued Saincte Augustines iudgement touching this matter in his seconde booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione Chap. 33. 34. where he sayth Thinges the guilt wherof God absolueth or remitteth to the ende that after this life they should doe no harme and yet he suffereth them to abide vnto the conflict of faith that by them men may be instructed and exercised profiting in the conflict of righteousnesse c. And presently after Before forgiuenesse they are the punishments of sinners but after remission they are the conflictes and exercises of iust men And againe after a fewe wordes more he faith The flesh which was first made was not the flesh of sinne wherein maÌ„ would not kéepe righteousnes among the pleasures of paradise Wherfore God ordeined that after his sinne the flesh of sinne being increased shoulde indeuour with paines and labours to recouer righteousnesse againe And for that cause Adam being cast out of Paradise dwelt ouer against Eden that is against the place of pleasures which was a signe that with labours whiche are contrarie to pleasure the fleshe of sinne was then to be invred which being in pleasures kepte not obedience before it was the flesh of sinne Therefore euen as those oure first parentes by liuing iustly afterward whereby they are rightly thought to be by the bloud of Christe deliuered from vtter punishment deserued not yet in that life to be called backe againe into Paradise so also the fleshe of sinne although when sinnes are forgiuen a man liue righteously in it doth not presently deserue not to suffer that death which it drew from the propagation of sinne Such a like thing is insinuated to vs in the booke of the Kings concerning the patriarche Dauid to whome when the prophet was sent and had threatened vnto him the euils that shoulde come vppon him through the anger of God bicause of the sinne which he had committed by the confession of the sinne he deserued forgiuenesse according to the answere of the prophete who tolde him that that sinne and crime was forgiuen vnto him and yet those thinges betyded him
otherwise serue their Lord and king than Kings that is in doing those thinges whiche Kinges ought to doe namely to execute iudgement and iustice For albeit these be in the worlde yet râ—le they not after the worlde because they are now gouerned by the spirite of their king Christe and directe all their doings to the prescripte rule of Gods word and in all things yéelde them selues to be guided by the spirite of God and so farre surely their kingdome is not of this worlde Of these things I haue else where cited much out of S. Augustine acording to the scripture And our king Christe defendeth his Churche and his ministers sometime by the aide of Princes sometimes he preserueth and spreadeth abrâ—ade the same lying open to persecutions through infirmitie and weakenesse For it is pressed downe but not oppressed or kepte vnder still Christe the mightiest Prince alwayes reigning and ouercomming in those that â—ee his Nowe the bounds of this Earthlie kingdome of Christe reache vnto the vtter-moste partes of the Earth For all the kingdomes of the worlde and all nations perteine vnto the kingdome of Christ Héerevnto belong all the testimonies of the Prophets touching the calling of the Gentiles whereof thou maist finde verie manis in Esay and Zacharie who excellentlye describe the kingdome of Christe in Earth Wherevppon the Iewes tooke occasion to feigne I wot not how great glorious things of the maiestie and victeryes of the Messias whiche neuerthelesse long since were aboundantlye fulfilled in Christe but more spiritually than carnally But they while they dreame of and looke for carnall things loathe spirituall and loose bothe But the faithfull through the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of Christe their king most aboundauntly obteine those good thinges whiche the Prophetes promised namely plentifull peace bothe with God and men and all kinde of felicitie alwayes to bée blessed alwayes to be safe though they fight continuallie from all enimyes as well visible as also inuisible and to inioy euerlasting saluation Which things the Prophetes in their writings haue set foorthe in a moste large kinde of style yet vnderstandinge nothing else than as euen now we said that the faithfull shall be moste happie and shall possesse in Christe all good gifts bothe of soule and bodie as much indéede as is necessarie and healthfull for the Saincts And this is that kingdome now we vnderstand bothe as well that of grace as this of 〈◊〉 which that Ioseph of Aramathia iust Simeon and Anna y Prophetisse with other Saints awaited and loked for This same kingdome Philippe the Deacon preached to them of Samaria and Sainte Paule the Apostle to them of Rome which thinge Luke doeth testiffe in the Actes of the Apostles Chapter 8. and 28. But the seate or throne and palace of our king is Heauen For hee ascended a conquerour into Heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie from theÌ„ce â—â— y Sunne of righteousnesse hee shineth to all which liue in his Churche or in his kingdome yea and he â—hâ—â—sâ—th the harts of the faithfull to him selfe wherein he may dwell Furthermore that we may vnderstande ouâ— King though not corpâ—rally presente in earth but ascended into Heauen not therefore to be absent from his kingdom he verily in his word compareth himselfe to the head and vs to the bodie or the meÌ„bers Now therefore as the bodie is neuer without the head so the kingdome of God is not without Christ the prince And as the vitall spirite from the harte and the power or vertue of féeling and mouing froÌ„ the head is powred into the bodie so are we quickened or made aliue by our Prince Christe he iustifying preseruing comforting confirming and defending vs from all euill As all the members are ruled by the head so all the faithful in the kingdome of Christe are gouerned by their King Christe Paule therefore saithe God raised Christe from the dead set him on his right hand in heauenly places farr aboue all rule and power and might euery name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to coÌ„e And hath put all things vnder his féete gaue him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his bodie y fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Of which kinde there are very many other to be found in the writings of the Apostles first of all that Christ is the head of the church and he it is which giueth saluation to the body for he gaue him selfe for the church to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the worde that he might present it vnto him selfe a glorious church c. And thus much hetherto of the kingdoÌ„e of Christ in earth which is bothe called the kingdome of grace and the Church militant Moreouer the kingdome of God is called the kingdome of heauen and of glory for that occasion because those whome our Lord king hath sanctified on earth and guided with his spirit yea and also iustified béeing deliueied from the fleshe and taken out of this world he glorifieth in heaueÌ„ and recâ—iueth thâ— into ioy into the fellowship both of himselfe and of all the saints For the souls of the faithful eueÌ„ as soone as they depart out of their bodies are foorth with receiued into heaueÌ„ to reigne with Christ the euerlasting king for euer to reioice with all the Saincts But in the laste iudgemeÌ„t wherewith we beleue that the quick and dead shall be iudged of Christe our king the bodies of the Sainctes shall be raised vp clarified coupled againe to their soules and how many soeuer haue cleaued vnto Christ their king from the beginning of the world shal liue for euer reigne in glorie together with Christe their king and prince Of this kingdoÌ„e of the Saints the Prophets Apostles haue spoken muche and chiefelye the Apostle Sainte Iohn in his Reuelation Some haue called this kingdome the Church triumphant This kingdome of GOD or of Christe is an euerlasting kingdome For as euen to the worldes end the Church shall be on earth howsoeuer this worlde and the Prince of the worlde doe rage so the faithfull after iudgement shall liue and reigne with Christe happie for euer bothe in bodie and soule For the Lord saith in the Gospell The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church Also the last times shall be as the dayes of Noe were wherein thoughe the wicked did farre in number excéede the Churche of the faithfull yet Noe and his were saued in the Arke but the wicked were destroyed with the floud in such sort surely shal iniquity by all means preuaile in the end of the worlde but in the meane while those that are elected into the kingdome of Christe shall be saued by Christe whome they shall looke for to be their Iudge and shall sée theire redéemer comming in the cloudes of
Heauen Daniel also in his Prophecie describeth the rysing and fallinge of all kingdomes of Antichrist also but attributeth no end to the kingdome of the Saincts or holie people but witnesseth that it shall be euerlasting The same doeth the Prophet Zacharie also in his 12. chapter For the Sainctes reigne on the Earthe by Christe and béeing translated from the Earth into Heauen they shall reigne together with theire kinge Christe for euer And the Scripture is woont oftentimes to speake of one of these kingdomes onely Of bothe these kingdomes wee vnderstande many places of Scripture first of all that which is spoken by our sautour WheÌ„ ye pray say O our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come For we pray y he would reign in vs while we liue on earth that we also may reigne ouer the world and the Prince of the worlde and that we be not ruled by Sathan neither that sinne reigne in vs but rather that we here béeing gouerned by him self may in time to come reigne with Christ in Heauen Contrariwise what manner of kingdome the kingdome of the world is it appeareth by considering the head or the king and prince therof which is the diuel the Authour of sinne of vncleannesse and of death He reigneth in the worlde the Prince doubtlesse of the kingdome of darcknesse Not that God and his Christe is not king of all things but because vnfaithful apostataes thrugh their owne proper malice reuolting from God to the diuell doe appoint him for their prince to whome euen of their owne accorde they submitt and yéelde them selues to be gouerned liueing in all vngodlynesse wickednesse and vncleannesse framing them selues like to their head the diuell with whome they shall be punished euerlastingly in the worlde to come as in this worlde they haue suffered them selues to be gouerned of him doeing his will. This prince of this worlde else where also called The GOD of this worlde hath Christe the true Kinge and Monarche of the worlde ouercome and hath destroyed his kingdome not that hee should not be as long as this worlde indureth but that he should not hurt the elect Sathan doeth liue and shall liue for euer how be it in miserie which life in very â—eâ—e is death but he hath no power against them y be redéemed by Christ the prince He hath and shal haue a kingdome euen vnto th' end of the world but in the children of vnbelief this kingdoÌ„e also in this world is in decaying as it were momeÌ„tany for a short time For the world passeth away all worldly things perish but all the elect of God are very strauÌ„gers froÌ„ this kingdoÌ„e yea they are as it were sworn enimies of this kingdome Neither can the prince of darcknes by his power pul away the partakers of the kingdome of Christ into his kingdome of iniquitie Truly he goeth about this diligently and with diuerse tentations vexeth the elect but those ouercoÌ„e through him which in time past vanquished the false King prince of théeues and taught vs that despising this filthy prince the world and the lustes of the world giuing our mindes to innocencie we shuld yéeld our selues to the good spirit to be gouerned These things haue I thus far declared as briefly as I culd touching the king Christ his onely and euerlasting kingdome And now Christ our Lord is a Prieste yea that chiefest only and euerlasting priest whom the high priestes of the olde people did prefigure shadowe out For Dauid in his song altogether diuine saith The Lord sware will not repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Which words the blessed Apostle alledging and expounding in his Epistle to the Hebrues hath left these words written The forerunner saith he is for vs entred into heauen after the order of Melchizedek made a Prieste foreuer For this Melchizedek Kinge of SaleÌ„ priest of the most high god who met Abraham coÌ„ming froÌ„ the slaughter or kings blessed him to whome also Abraham gaue the tenthes of all things who first indeed is caled by interpretation the king of righteousnes theÌ„ also king of Salem whiche is king of peace of an vnknowen father of an vnknowen mother of vnknoweÌ„ kin neither hauing beginning of dayes nor end of life but likened to the soÌ„ne of God remaineth a prieste for euer Surely our Lord Iesus Christ is both a righteous and peaceable king and the righteousnesse and peace of the faithfull and he is that euerlasting Prieste who according to his humanitie is beléeued to be borne of the virgin without séede of man therefore of an vnknowen father and according to his diuinitie begotten of the father therefore of an vnknowen mother and vnspeakably begotten from euerlasting and therefore of vnknowen kin hauing neither beginning nor end of life For albeit according to his humanity he was dead and buried yet according to his diuinitie he remaineth God immortall euerlasting The selfe same which is a king is also acknowledged a priest not according to the order of AaroÌ„ but according to the order of Melchizedek For as the scripture remeÌ„breth this one a priest so one Christ remaineth priest for euer hauing an euerlasting priesthood But high priestes in time past were caled annointed they did not thrust theÌ„ selues into such an office by force or deceipt Wherevpon the Apostle said No man taketh the honor to him self but he that is called of god as was Aaron so also Christ took not glorie to himself to be made high Priest but is made coÌ„firmed of him who said vnto him thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a priest foreuer after the order of Melchizedech But thou doest no where read that that our Priest was annointed with visible oile for hée was annointed with inuisible oile namely with the fulnesse of the holie Ghost as the prophet witnesseth Thy god hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes And againe The spirite of the Lord vppon me for the Lord hath annointed me sent me to preach good tidings vnto the poore Furthermore wheÌ„ we read that the office of Priests in times past was to serue in the tabernacle to teach the people to make intercession betwene God men to pray for the people and to blesse them to sacrifice also and to coÌ„secrate or sanctifie that now it is manifest that Iesus Christ is the lawful priest it is certeine y he is tied to the self same offices but indede to so much more excelleÌ„t thaÌ„ these by how much he hath obteined a more excellent priesthood Those priestes after the order of Aaron serued in the corruptible figuratiue tabernacle but our Lord béeing takeÌ„ vp into the true tabernacle heauen it selfe ministreth to all the saincts of god For
right hand of the father in heauen doeth not so oftentimes humbly fal downe on his knées and make intercession for vs as we doe sinne In the dayes of his flesh when he did offer vp praiers supplications with strong crying and teares hee was once heard in that which he feared For nowe he alwayes appeareth for vs in the presence of god Al our matters are manifest in his sight the father beeholdeth the face of his Christe for whose sake he is pleased with all his members hearing them and giuing them whatsoeuer healthful things they require according to that saying of our sauiour Verily verily I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he shal giue it you Therfore here wee must imagine no turmoyles no molestation no labour wherwith he shuld be wearied which is the intercessour aduocate priest of al before God the father in heaueÌ„ Whereof also I put you in minde in my last sermoÌ„ where I entreated of inuocation and intercession Wherfore our priest executing his office before God in heauen hathe néede of no altar of inceÌ„se no censer no holy vesselles or garments muche lesse hath he néede of the altar of burnt offerings For on the crosse which was his altar he offered vp him selfe but once for al. Neither was there any mortal man worthie to offer to the liuing god the liuing sonne of god And that only sacrifice is alwayes effectuall to make satisfaction for all the sinnes of all men in the whole world And though in the discourse of the ceremoniall lawes I haue alleadged many testimonies touching these things yet I caÌ„ not stay my self here but must cite vnto you some that be notable For this matter wherin the fruite of Christes diuinitie humanitie to be short al our saluation consisteth cannot worthily and diligently ynough be printed in mens harts Paule vnto the Hebrues speaking of the priestes of the olde Testamente and comparing Christ our high priest with them yea by all meanes preferring him sayth And among them many were made priests because they were not suffered to indure by reason of death But Christ because he indureth for euer hathe an euerlasting or vnchangeable priesthod for that it doth not palle ouer to another by succession Wherfore he is able also perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them For such an high prieste it became vs to haue which is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinnes made higher than the Heauens which needed not daily as those high priests to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes then for the peoples for that did hee once when he offred vp himself And againe he sayth Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands whiche are the similitudes of the true sanctuarie but into heauen it selfe to appeare nowe in the sight of God for vs Not that he should offer himselfe often as the highe priestes entred into the holie places euerie yere in strange or with other bloud For theÌ„ muâ—t he haue often suffered since the foundation of the world But now in the end of the worlde hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himself And as it is appointed vnto men that they shall once die and after that coÌ„meth the iudgement Euen so Christ once offered to take away the sins of many the second time shal be seene without sinne of them whiche waite for him vnto saluation And againe the same Paule saith Euerie priest appeareth daily ministring and oftentimes offereth one manner of offering which can neuer take away sinnes but this ma after he had offered one sacrifice foâ— sinns sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from hencefoorth tarrieth til his enimies be made his footstoole For with one offering hath he made perfect or consecrated for euer theÌ„ that are sanctified All these sayinges hitherto are the Apostle Paules And I think that these testimonies are not to be made manifest and agréeable to our purpose by a larger interpretation For they are all euen without any exposition of ours most euident and verie aptly agrée to the matter which we haue in hand For they doe plainely set forth and lay before our eyes to beholde the whole priesthood of Christ specially that which belongeth to the intercession and the onely and euerlasting sacrifice or satisfaction for sinnes It belongeth also to the same priesthoode to consecrate priestes vnto God all the faithfull not that we should offer for the satisfaction of sinnes but that we shoulde offer our prayers thankesgiuinges and our selues and the dueties of Godlinesse as it were euerie momente For Saint Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste sayeth Iesus Christe prince of the Kinges of the earth loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloud made vs kinges and priestes vnto God and his father We may finde the same sentence also in the Epistle of Saint Peter So that in these we may sée what fruite riseth and floweth vnto vs from the diuinitie and humanitie of Christe oure king and highe priest For he coulde not be prince of kings highe priest vnlesse he were God and man. Here this place requireth to speak somewhat of the name of a Christian and of the dueties of a Christian man We haue the name of Christians of Christ to whome being vnseparably knitte we are the members of that bodye whereof he is head And Christe is not his proper name for he is called Iesus but a name of office deriued from the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifieth annoynting so Christ signifieth asmuch as annointed Therfore Tertullian saith it is not a proper name but a name attributed And hee addeth Annointed is no more a name than cloathed or apparelled a thing accident to the name But the kinges high priestes were annointed with oyle therefore Christ signifieth vnto vs him that is king high priest or Bishop And because we are named Christians of Christe who hath annointed vs with the holy ghost truely we also are kings priestes Where you may sée how great a benefite we haue receiued of Christe God man for he hath made vs kings priestes We sée what the dutie of christians is namely to mainteine this dignitie euen to the last gaspe lest it be taken from vs againe by sathan Furthermore if we be kings we are Lordes ouer thinges and are frée ruling not ruled or in subiection Frée I say froÌ„ sinne and euerlasting death and from all vncleannesse Lords ouer sathan prince of this worlde and ouer the world it selfe For we rule the world and the fleshe wee are not ruled by them Herevnto belong those wordes of the Apostle Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodie that ye shoulde therunto obey by the lustes of it Neither giue ye your members as instruments or weapons of
appeareth the knitting together of the head and the members Christ and the faithful whereof we spake at first and of the which the Lord addeth in the gospel If ye abide in me my words abide in you aske what you will and it shal be done to you Moreouer this church of the faithful is called the kingdome of god For the sonne of God himself Christ Iesus is the king of the church that is to say of all the faithfull who by his spirite and word gouerneth the churche and shée againe willingly submitteth herselfe to his gouernement Neither are there found many kingdomes in the world because there is one onely king of glorie Christ Of this king kingdome I haue entreated in the 7. sermon of my fourth Decade Nowe we haue also said oftentimes that the church is likened to mans body In the body the head is the chiefe whiche is neuer absent from the body And being striken off leaueth a dead body voide of sense And albeit this haue verie many members yet is there a most pleasaunt agréement of them all amongst themselues Euerie one agréeth consenteth together amongst themselues they are soarie one with another and help ech one another The same thing likewise do al faithful people perform one towards another that one member doth to another member They are vnited to their head Christe by faith the head it selfe is ioyned to the members thorough grace and the spirite Christ is neuer separated from the church neither hath she life elsewhere but from Christ who although he bée absent in bodie from the militant church yet is he continually present in spirite in operation and in gouernemēt so as he néedeth no vicar in earth since he gouerneth alone continueth for euer the onely head the only king the only priest sauiour of his church For the Lord sayth in Ezechiel I wil raise vp ouer my sheepe a sheepherd who shal feede them to witt my seruaunt Dauid he shal feede them and he shal be their sheepeheard And I the Lord wil be their God my seruaunt Dauid shal be their prince among them I the Lord haue spoken it This last thing he added least any should doubt of the faith and certeinty of those things which are spoken God is the eternall trueth and he hath spoken it therefore that whiche hee hath spoken cannot be but most true But what hath he spoken That there shal bee and is one Pastor and Prince of the Church Behold that he said one is not without signification But who is that one He expoundeth that sayth My seruaunt Dauid to witt Christe Iesus that braunch of Dauids posteritie whom the authoritie of the Gospell calleth euery where the sonne of Dauid He shal be a shéepheard not in name and title onely but in déed For he shall féede his shéepe and therefore shal be in the middest of them For in the Gospel he sayth expressely Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And againe Behold I am with you alwayes euen to the end of the world Now if he be present with his church she hath no néede of a vicar For a vicar supplieth the place of him that is absent Wheresoeuer therefore Christe his vicar is acknowledged there is no Christe and therefore there reigneth Antichriste This wil be made as yet much more cleare and sure if wee weigh what it meaneth that Christe is said to be the head of the churche The head is the life saluation and light or that whiche giueth lighte to the Churche the supreme gouernour of the faithfull who both can and will alwayes bee present to the whole Congregation of Sainctes of all ages and dispersed throughout the whole world heare her prayers requests moreouer send her succour in all things and briefely who is able perfectly to gouerne the whole church and both prouide for and bring to passe al her matters and that in all things But this priuilege as I thinke thou canst giue to no creature without blasphemie and sacrilege onely therefore Christ perfect God and man is remayneth the onely head of the Church Those that acknowledge the Pope of Rome to be the head of the church militant either knowe not what they doe and saye or willingly and wittingly doe blaspheme the Sonne of God whome they will not haue to reigne ouer his Church alone But let vs nowe heare the testimonies of S. Paule the Apostle of this matter God sayeth hee hath raised vp Christ from the dead and sett him at his right hand in the heauenly places Farre aboue all principalities and powers and might and domination and euerie name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all thinges subiecte vnder his feete hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to the church whiche is his bodie euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Behold Christe is the head for he ruleth all things in heauen and in earth hee gouerneth all thinges hee hath all thinges subiecte vnto himselfe and maketh the Churche his body ministring vnto her those thinges whereof she hath néed and fulfilling all her desires Againe the same Apostle sayth Christ is the head of the Church and the same is the sauiour of the bodie It is the part of the head to preserue and gouerne the body But that no man performes but onely Christ hee remayneth therfore the onely head of his Church speciallie since the church is the spirituall bodie of Christe and therefore cannot haue a carnall head without you will make of the Church a Poetical monster For Christ is the head of the Church not béecause hée is man but béecause he is God and man But and if the defendours of the Romishe idol and champions of the monarchie of Rome by the head doe vnderstand the Prince or gouernour in earth as Saule in the Scripture is called the head ouer Israel and so doe vnderstand the chiefe bishop ruling in the chiefe sea let them againe heare the Scripture it selfe confuting their silthie errour and saying And there arose also a strife amonge the Apostles which of thē should seeme to be the greatest But Iesus said vnto them The kinges of the Gentiles reigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called Gratious Lords But ye shal not be so but let the greatest amonge you bee as the least and the chiefest as hee that serueth For who is greater he that sitteth at table or he that serueth Is not hee that sitteth at table And I am amonge you as he that ministreth That Primacie therfore of the church of Rome is of men it is not of the doctrine or institution of Christe yea rather quite contrarie it is repugnant vnto the institution doctrine and example of Christ who will not haue the Apostles
weales or CongregatioÌ„s yea and that more is the most flourishing Kingdomes in all the world vnder their authoritie All the wysemen in the whole worlde I meane â—hose whiche liued in his time did reuerence Solomon a King and so great a Prophet and came vnto him from the very vtmoste endes of the worlde Daniel also had the preeminence among the wisemen at Babilon being then the moste renoumed Monarchie in all the worlde He was moreouer in great estimation with Darius Medus the Sonne of Astyages or Assuerus and also with Cyrus that moste excellent king And here it lyketh me well to speake somewhat of that diuine foreknowledge in our Prophets and moste assured foreshewing of things which were to come after many yeares passed And now to say nothing of others did not Esaias most truly foretell those things which were afterward fulfilled by the Iewes in our Lord Christ Not in vaine did he séeme to them of olde time to be rather an Euangelist then a Prophete foretelling thinges to come He did openly tel the name of king Cyrus one hundred and thréescore yeares at the least before that Cyrus was borne Daniel also was called of them in the olde time by the name of one whiche knewe muche For he did foretell those things whiche are and haue béen done in al the kingdomes of the world almost and among the people of God from his owne time vntil the time of Christ and further vntill the last day of Iudgement so plainely that hee may séeme to haue compiled an hystorie of those thinges whiche then were already gone and past Al these things I say doe very euidently proue that the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes are the very word of God with whiche name and title they are set fooâ—the in sundrie places of the Scriptures Verily Peter the Apostle saithe The prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghoste And although God did largely clearly plainely and simply reueale his woâ—d to the world by the Patriarchs by Mâ—ses by the Priestes and Prophetes yet did he in the laste times of all by his Sonne set it forth moste clearely simply and aboundantly to al the worlde For the very and onely begotten Sonne of God the father as the Prophetes had foretolde descending from Heauen doth fulfill al what soeuer they foretolde and by the space almoste of thrée yeares dothe teach all pointes of Godlinesse For saith Iohn No man at any time hath seene God the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hathe declared him The Lord himselfe moreouer saith to his Disciples Al things which I haue herd of my Father haue I made knowne to you And again he saith I am the light of the world whosoeuer doth followe me doth not walke in darkenes but shall haue the light of life Our Lord also did teache that to him whiche would enter into Heauen and be saued the heauenly regeneration was néedeful bicause in the first byrth man is borne to death in the second to life But that that regeneration is made perfect in vs by the spirit of God whiche instrueteth our hartes in faith I say in faith in Christ who died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification He taught that by that faith they whiche beleeue are iustified that out of the same faith doe growe sundrie fruites of charitie and innocencie to the bringing foorthe wherof he did most earnestly exhorte them He taught furthermore that he was the fulfilling or fulnes of the law and the Prophets and did also approue and expound the doctrine of Moses and the Prophetes To doctrine he ioyned diuerse miracles and benefites wherby he declared that he him selfe was that light of the world and the mightie bountifull redéemer of the world And to the intent that his doctrine and benefites might be knowne to all the worlde he chose to himselfe witnesses whome he called Apostles bicause he purposed to sende them to Preache throughout the world Those witnesses were simple men innocentes iust tellers of trueth without deceipt or subtilties and in all pointes holy and good whose names it is very profitable often to repeate in the Congregation The names of the Apostles are these Peter and Andrewe Iames and Iohn Philippe and Bartholomevve Thomas Mathevv Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe Iudas his brother vvhose surname vvas Thaddaeus Simon and Iudas Iscariot into whose roome because he had betraied the Lord came Saint Matthias These had he by the space almoste of thrée yeares hearers of his heauenly doctrine and beholders of his diuine workes These after his ascension in to the Heauens did he by the holy ghost send downe from Heauen instruct with all kinde of faculties For as they were in the Scriptures passing skilful so were they not vnskilfull or wanting eloquence in any tongue And being once after this manner instructed they depart out of the Citie of Ierusalem and passe through the compasse of the earthe preaching to all people and Nations that which they had receiued to preach of the sauiour of the world the Lord Iesus Christ And when for certaine yeares they had preached by woord of mouth then did they also set downe in writing that whiche they had preached For some verily writ an hystorie of the words and deeds of Christ and some of the wordes and déedes of the Apostles Other some sent sondrie Epistles to diuers Nations In all which to confirme the trueth they vse the Scripture of the lawe and the Prophetes euen as we reade that the Lorde oftentimes did Moreouer to the twelue Apostles are ioyned two greate lightes of the world Iohn Baptiste then whom there was neuer any more holy borne of women and the chosen vessel Paule the greate teacher of the Gentiles Neither is it to be merueiled at that the forerunner and Apostles of Christ had always very great dignity and authoritie in the Churche For euen as they were the embassadours of the eternall King of all ages and of the whole worlde so being indued with the spirit of God they did nothing according to the iudgement of theyr owne mindes And the Lord by theyr ministerie wrought great myracles thereby to garnishe the ministerie of them and to commend their doctrine vnto vs And what may be thought of that moreouer that by that woorde of God they did conuert the whole world gathering together laying the foundations of notable Churches through out the compasse of the world which verely by mans counsell and wordes they had neuer béene able to haue brought to passe To this is further added that they whiche once leaned to this doctrine as a doctrine giuing life did not refuse to die Besides that how many soeuer had their beliefe in the doctrine of the Gospell they were not afraide through water fire swordes to cutte of this life and
God as I declared in my laste Sermon and though man obtaine it by harkning vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it is wholy impated to the grace of god For vnlesse this grace do worke inwardly in the heart of the hearer the preacher that laboreth out wardly doth bring no profit at al. We reade in the third chapter of S. Augustins booke De praedestinatione SanctoruÌ„ That once he was in an errour bicause he thought that that faythe wherewith we beleeue in God is not the gift of God but that it was in vs as of our selues and that by it we do obtain the gifts of God wherby we may in this world liue rightly and holily But this he confuteth in that booke at large and that substantially So then true faith whiche bendeth on God alone and is directed by the worde of God is formall enough or sufficiently in fashion Verily the forme of fayth is ingrauen in the heart of the faythfull by the holy Ghost And althoughe it be small and dothe not growe vp to the highest degrée yet notwithstanding it is true fayth hauing force in it as it were a graine of mustarde seede The theef that was crucified with our Lorde beléeued in the Lord Iesus and was saued although the force of fayth was strong in him but a very small season and brought not foorthe any great store of the fruit of good works finally that faith of the théefe was not any whit diuers or contrarie from the faith of Saint Peter and Saint Paul but was altogether the very same with theirs althoughe their faith brought forth somwhat more aboundantly the fruite of good works Peter and Paul were franckly and fréely iustified althoughe they had many good workes fréely was the théef iustified although his good works were very few or none at all Let vs hold therefore that true fayth is one alone which notwithstanding doth increase is augmented and again may decrease be extinguished There remaineth nowe for me to declare the vertue and effect of true fayth This hath the holye Apostle Paule done very excellently well yea that most absolutely too But although in the eleuenth chapter to the Hebrues he had sayd very muche he is compelled notwithstanding to confesse that he can not reckon vp all therfore at this time I meane to rehearse a few vertues of fayth leauing the rest dearely beloued to be sought out and considered of your selues True fayth before al things bringeth with it true knowledge and maketh vs wise in déed For by fayth we knowe God and iudge aright of the iudgementes and workes of God of vertues and vices The wisdome that it bringeth with it is without doubte the true wisdome Many men hope that they can attaine to true wisdome by the studie of Philosophie but they are deceiued as farre as Heauen is broade For Philosophie dothe falsly iudge and faultily teach many things touching God the workes of God the chiefe goodnesse the ende of good and euill and touching things to be desired and eschued But the very same things are rightly and truely taught in the word of God and vnderstoode and perceiued by fayth Fayth therefore is the true wisdome and maketh vs wise in déede For Ieremie also sayth Behold they haue cast away the worde of the Lorde what wisedome therefore can there be left in them The wisedome of Solomon is worshipfully thought of throughout the whole compasse of the world And yet we reade that the Lord in the Gospell after S. Math. vttred this sentence against the Iewes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it bycause she came from the endes of the worlde to heare the wisdome of Solomon and behold there is one in this place greater then Solomon Christe is preferred before Solomon and the wisedome of Christ before the wisdome of Solomon But it is well known that the wisedome of Christ the sonne of God can not be attained to without fayth Fayth therefore bringeth with it the most excelleÌ„t wisdome But herein this wisdome of ours deserueth a singular prayse bycause they that desire it are not sent to forreine nations with great cost laboure to learne it as to the priests of Egypt the Gymnosophistes of India the Philosophers of Greece or to the Rabines of the Iewes God hath dispersed the worde of God throughout the whole world so that now the word of faith is in the hearts of all the faithful For Paul the Apostle sayth Thus saith the iustice that is of faith say not in thy heart who shall descende into heaueÌ„ that is to fetch Christ downe from aboue Or who shal descend into the deepe that is to bring Christe from the dead againe But what saith he The word is nighe vnto thee euen in thy heart this same is the worde of faith which we preach for if thou coÌ„fesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and doest beleeue with thy heart that God hath raised him from the deade thou shalt be saued Faith therefore doth not only make vs wise but happy also the Lord him self bearing witnes thervnto saying to his disciples Happy are the eyes that see the things that ye se For I say vnto you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to se the things that ye se and to heare the things that ye heare and heard theÌ„ not We shal therfore finde in faith a most certaine determination of the most notable question stirred in since the beginning of the worlde of learned most excellent wits which is by what meanes a man may liue be happy attaine to the chief goodnesse be ioyned to the chief goodnesse so be iustified There haue ben yea yet are diuers opinioÌ„s touching this matter contrary the one to the other But we do briefly truely affirme that by true faith a man doth liue is happy attaineth to the chief goodnesse is conioyned to the chief goodnes also iustified so the god dwelleth in vs we in him that by faith we are both happy and blessed What I pray you could haue ben spoken more excelleÌ„tly worthily or diuinely touching true faith for se faith quickneth vs maketh vs happy ioyneth vs to the chiefe goodnes so that he in vs we in him may liue faith doth also fully iustifie vs But nowe it is best to heare the testimonies out of the scriptures Faith maketh vs happy For to S. Pet. coÌ„fessing the Lord Iesus by true faith it is saide Happy art thou Simon the son of Ionas Flesh and bloude hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heaueÌ„ S. Paule for the proofe of faith bringeth in that sentence of Dauid Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiuâ—n whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the maÌ„ to whoÌ„ the Lord shal impute no sin Faith quickneth or maketh aliue Eor the iust liueth by faith This doth Paule very often in his
which honge vppon the Crosse did heare the Angell of the Lord say Whie seeke yee the liuinge among the dead hee is not heere but is risen c. This historie of the Lords resurrection is set forth in the 24. after Luk and the 16. after Marke Peter the Apostle also in the seconde of the Actes affirminge the Lords resurrection by the testimonie of Dauid doth expresslye shew that the Lord is verily risen againe After this wée say againe that hée is risen out of or from the dead Which member doth expresse the truth both of his death and resurrection For the bodie or flesh dieth or is destroyed but being dead is raysed vp again this body therfore or flesh is raised vp again as thoughe hee that maketh confession of his beliefe should say Our Lord died euen in the very same condition of nature that other mortall men doe die in but hee taried not nor yet stack faste amonge the dead For the very same mortall fleshe which hee had taken vnto him and by dyinge had layde asyde hee nowe taketh againe immortallie As Dauid had foretolde before sayinge Because thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption For Christe is the first begotten of them that rise againe in whom as in the heade there oughte to be declared in what sorte the resurrection of all Christ his members shal be in the day of iudgement And wee confesse that this resurrection was made the thirde daye I meane the thirde day after his death For vppon the daye of Preparation hee is taken downe from the Crosse caried into a sepulcher where his bodie resteth the whole Sabboth daye and about the beginning of the first day of sabbothes which I say is the first day of the weeke and amonge vs at this day is called Sunday in the morning hée rose againe from the dead Wheras therfore in the twelfth Chap. of the Gospell after S. Mathewe wee reade that the Lorde saide As Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belly of the Whale So shall the sonne of man bee in the harte of the earth three dayes and three nightes Yet notwithstandinge in the sixtenth and twenteth Chapters expoundinge himselfe as hauinge spoken that by Synecdoche hee sayth I must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the Scribes and elders and be killed and raysed vp againe the thirde daye The sixt Article of our fayth is He ascended into Heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God the father Almightie That bodye which is of the same substaunce with our bodies taken oute of the Virgine Marie and taken verilie of the substaunce of the Virgin which honge vpon the Crosse and dyed and was buried and rose againe the very same bodie I say ascended into the Heauens sitteth at the righte hande of God the father For after that by the space of 40. dayes our Lord had abundantly enoughe instructed his Disciples touchinge the truth of his resurrection and the kingdome of God hee was taken vp into Heauen By that ascension of his hee declareth to the whole compasse of the earth that hee is Lorde of all thinges and that to him are subiecte al things that are in Heauen and in earth that hee is our strength the power of the faithfull and hee of whom they haue to boast againste the gates of Hell. For hee ascendinge into Heauen hath lead Captiuitie captiue and by spoylinge his enimyes hath inriched his people on whom hee dailye heapeth his spirituall giftes For hee sitteth aboue that by powringe his vertue from thence into vs hee maye quicken vs with the spirituall lyfe and decke vs with sondrie giftes and graces and lastlie defende the Church against all euills For God is our Sauiour kinge and bishoppe Whereuppon when as once the Capernaites were offended because the Lord had called himselfe the bread of life that came downe from Heauen to giue life vnto the Worlde Hee sayth Doth this offende you What therefore if you shall see the sonne of man ascende thether where hee was before As if hee should saye then verilie ye will gather by my quickeninge resurrection and glorious ascension into the Heauens that I am the breade of Lyfe broughte downe from Heauen and now againe taken vp into the Heauens there to remayne the Sauiour life and Lord of Heauen and earth Moreouer S. Peter the Apostle in the Actes sayth Let all the house of Israell knowe for a suretie that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee haue Crucifyed Lord and Christe Furthermore hee did not onely ryse againe from death and come to his Disciples but also ascended into Heauen as they béehelde and looked on him to the ende that wee thereby might bee assuredlie certified of eternall saluation For by ascending hee prepared a place for vs hee made readie the way that is hee opened the verie Heauens to the faithful God hath placed in heauen the very humanitie that hee tooke of vs which is in deede a liuelye and vnreproueable testimonie that all mankinde shall at the laste be translated into Heauen also For the members must needes be made conformable to the heade Christe oure heade is risen agayne from the deade therefore Wée his members shall also rise againe And euen as a cloud tooke away the Lord from the sighte of his Disciples So shall wée that belieue be caried in the Cloudes to meete the Lorde and shal whoalâ—e in Soule and bodie bée and for euer dwell in Heauen wyth oure head and Lord Christe Iesus And this doth Iohn euidently teach him that readeth his fourtenth chapter where the Lord sayth I go to prepare a place for you and will come againe to you and take you vnto my selfe that wheresoeuer I am yee may also be Paule the Apostle also witnesseth and sayth Wee that liue and shal be remayninge in the comminge of the Lorde shal be caryed in the Cloudes together wyth them that are raysed vp from the deade to meete the Lorde in the ayre Wee confesse therefore in this article that Iesus Christe being taken vp into Heauen is Lorde of all thinges the kinge and byshoppe the deliuerer and Sauiour of all the faythful in the whoale world Wée confesse that in Christe and for Christ wee belieue the lyfe euerlastinge which wee shall haue in this bodie at the ende of the worlde and in soule so soone as wee are once departed oute of this world But nowe by the waye wee must weighe the very woords of this article Hee ascended wee saye Who ascended I praye you Hee that was borne of the Virgine Marie that was Crucifyed dead and buried that rose againe from the deade Hee I saye ascended verilie both bodie and soule But whether ascended hee Into Heauen Heauen in the Scriptures is not taken alwayes in one signification First it is put for the Firmament and that large compasse that is ouer our heades wherein the birds flye too and
orderly procéeded in euery point and taught euery thing so euidently and plainely that there is nothing whiche ye doe not very well perceiue and vnderstand Let vs now prayse the Lord and thanke him for his goodnes for shewing vs his ways and let vs praye that we walking rightly in them may at the last come to his eternall ioyes Amen Of the thirde precept of the tenne Commaundementes and of Swearing ¶ The thirde Sermon THE thirde Commandement of the first Table is thus worde for worde Thou shalte not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine Bycause the Lorde will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh the name of the Lorde his GOD in vaine In the seconde Commaundement the Lord did set down the worship that he would not haue that he misliked of and did flatly forbid to wit a worldly earthly and carnall kinde of honour a base and vile kinde of worship a seruice that is directly contrarie to the spirite nature and maiestie of God that is to think that God will in shape resemble a man or any other creature made of earth or corruptible stuffe or matter and then againe to worship him vnder those shapes and figures with corruptible thinges that were first ordeined and created for the vse and behoofe of men and not of god For God is an eternall spirite which goeth all ouer and preserueth euery thing whom all the most excellent creatures of the whole world if they were ioyned together in one are not able to resemble nor yet to represent the least iote of excellencie in the liuing god God is so farre from lacking any corruptible thinges that he him selfe supplyeth the want of all our necessities It is a mere follie therefore to set vp a percher a taper or a smoakie torch before the maker and giuer of light It is a very toy to offer flesh of beasts to that eternall spirite who in the Psalmes sayth All the beasts of the woods are mine and the cattel in a thousand hilles I know all birdes vpon the mountaines and in my power are all the beastes of the fielde if I be hungrie I neede not to tell thee since the world is myne and all that is therein Now therfore in this thirde Commaundement the Lorde doth very exquisitely although very briefly declare the manner hâ—w he will be worshipped that is in holy reuerencing of his holy name The names wherby god is called are God Gods Maiestie Gods truth Gods power Gods iustice Now the charge of this commaundement is not to abuse the name of God and not to vse it in light and trifling matters but to speake to thinke and iudge honourably reuerently holily and purely of God and godly things But the pithe and effect almost of the whole lyeth herein that he sayth the name of the Lord thy god to wit which is thy chief goodnesse felicitie thy creator thy redéemer thy tender father Now note that the Lorde doth not barely forbid to vse his name but he chargeth not to vse it lightly or in vaine that is beyond necessarie vse or our behoofe and beside the honour and glory of god Let vs sée therefore howe we ought to sanctifie the Lordes name and howe we maye deuoutly vse the name of God and last of all so worship him as he him selfe hath appointed vs to do Firste of all we haue to thinke of God as of the chiefe felicitie and infinite treasure of all good thinges who loueth vs excéedingly with a fatherly affection alwayes wishing and by all means desiring to haue vs men saued and to come to the perfect knowledge of the very truth whose iudgements are true and iust whose workes for their excellencie are wonderfull and whose words are most true and truth it selfe Then must this holy name of God continually be called vpoÌ„ in praiers néede and requestes By that alone we must looke to obtaine whatsoeuer is néedful for our bodies or souls We must neuer cease to giue thanks to that for all the good benefites that we do or shall receiue For what good soeuer men haue and inioy that haue they not from else where than from God the fountaine and giuer of all This glory must euer be giueÌ„ to god If we be nipped with any aduersitie let vs not by an by murmur againste Gods good pleasure and his secrete iudgements but rather suffering and submitting ourselues vnder his mightie and fatherly hande let vs say with the Prophet Dauid It is good for me Lorde that thou haste chastened me Let not vs appoint God what he shal doe but wholy alwayes submit our selues to his good will and holie pleasure Let vs in al things giue God the glory in praysing openly and plainely professing his name and doctrine before Kings and Princes yea and in sight of all the world so often as occasion shall be giuen and the glory of God shal séeme to require Let vs not be ashamed of God our father of his truth and true religion Let vs not be ashamed of Christ our redéemer nor yet of his crosse But let vs be ashamed of errours idolatrie of the world and vanitie of lyes and iniquitie Let vs holily reuerently and deuoutly both speake and thinke of God his workes and his word Let the law of God be holy to vs let his Gospell be reuerend in our eies let the doctrin of the Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles be estéemed of vs as that which came from God him selfe Let vs not take the name of the Lord our God into our mouthes vnlesse it be in a matter of weight Let vs not blaspheme curse nor lye in the name of the Lorde Let vs not vse nay rather abuse the name or worde of God in coniuring iuggling or sorcerie For in these thinges the name of God is most of all abused Let vs precisely and holily kéepe the othe whiche we haue made by the name of the liuing and eternall god Let vs in al things tell truth and lye not that when this world that will not sée shall be inforced to see so great a reuerence and deuotion in vs to the name of our God it may be compelled thereby to glorifie our father which is in heauen And this verily is the godly vsing of the Lordes name and the religion wherin our God is very well pleased Nowe note by the way that there are sundry wayes whereby we abuse the name of God and first of all we abuse it as often as our harts are with out all reuerence to God him selfe when we do vnreuerently filthily wickedly and blasphemously speake of God of his iudgements of his word and of his lawes when we doe with scoffing allusions apply Gods wordes to light matters and trifles by that meanes turning and drawing the Scriptures into a prophane and vnhonest meaning Moreouer we do disgrace that name of the Lord our God wheÌ„ we call not vpon his name but turne our selues rather to I knowe
be magistrate whose care is day and night to haue an eye that the flock of the Lord be not scattered indaungered nor vtterly destroyed And thus haue I hetherto told you what kinde of men they ought to bée to whom the charge is to be committed ouer the Lords people Last of all touching the maner of consecrating magistrates sondrie citties and countries haue sondrie customes Let euery countrie fréelie reteine their owne vsual order I for my part thinke best of that maner of consecrating wherein sumptuous pompe is little or none but what reason and decencie séeme to allow The best and most profitable way is in coÌ„secrating them that are once chosen to vse a certaine moderate ceremonie and that too in the face of al the people that euerie one may know who they bee that are the fathers of the people to whom they owe honour whom they ought to obey and for whose health and welfare they ought to pray The people of God had a certaine prescribed ceremonie which wée read that they vsed in consecrating their kings and magistrates and it is certeine that it was profitablie and for good causes first inuented and then commaunded by God himselfe The rest that is yet behind to bee spoken touching the magistrate I meane to deferre vntill tomorrow And now to end with thanckisgeuing let vs praise the lord c. ¶ Of the office of the Magistrate whether the care of religion apperteine to him or no and whether hee may make lawes and ordinaunces in cases of Religion ¶ The seuenth Sermon THE first and greatest thing that chieflie ought to be in a magistrate is easilie perceiued by the declaration of his office and duetie In my yesterdayes sermon I shewed you what the magistrate is how many kindes of magistrates there are of whom the magistrate had his beginning for what causes hée was ordeined the maner and order how to choose péeres and what kinde of men should be called to be magistrates To this let vs now adde what the office and duetie â—â— a magistrate properlie is The whole office of a magistrate séemeth to consist in these 3. points To Order to Iudge and to Punish Of euerie one wherof I meane to speake seuerallie in order as they lye The ordinaunce of the magistrate is a decrée made by him for mainteyning of religion honestie iustice publique peace and it consisteth on ij points in ordering rightly matters of religion and making good lawes for the preseruation of honestie iustice common peace But before I come to the determining and ordering of religion I will brieflie and in few words handle their question which demaunde whether the care of religion do apperteine to the magistrate as part of his office or no For I see many that are of opinion that the care and ordering of religion doth belong to Bishops alone and that kings princes senatours ought not to medle therewith But the catholique veritie teacheth that the care of religion doth especiallie belong to the magistrate and that it is not in his power onely but his office duetie also to dispose and aduaunce religion For among them of old their kinges were priestes I meane maisters and ouerséers of religion Melchisedech that holie wise Prince of the Chananitish people who bare the type or figure of Christe our Lord is wenderfullie commended in the holie Scriptures Now hée was both king and priest together Moreouer in the booke of Numbers to Iosue newlie ordeined and lately consecrated are the lawes belonging to religion giuen vp deliuered The kings of Iuda also and the electe people of God haue for the wel ordering of religion as I will by examples anon declare vnto you obteyned verie great praise and againe as many as were slacke in looking to religion are noted with the mark of perpetuall reproch Who is ignoraunt the the magistrates especiall care ought to bée to kéepe the common weale in safegard prosperitie which vndoubtedlie he cannot do vnlesse he prouide to haue the word of God preached to his people and cause them to be taught the true worship of God by that meanes making himself as it were the minister of true religion In Leuiticus and Deuteronomie the Lord doth largelie set downe the good prepared for men that are religious and zealous in déede reckoneth vppe on the other side the euil appointed for the contemners of true religion But the good magistrate is commaunded to reteine and kéepe prosperitie among his people and to repel al kinde of aduersitie Let vs heare also what the wise man Salomon saith in his Prouerbes Godlines and trueth preserue the king and in godlines his seate is holden vp When the iust are multiplied the people reioyce and when the wicked ruleth the people lamenteth The king by iudgemeÌ„t stablisheth his dominioÌ„ but a tyrant ouerthroweth it When the wicked increase iniquitie is multiplied the iust shall see their decay Where the word of God is not preached the people decay but happie is hee that keepeth the lawe Whereby we gather that they which would not haue the care of religion to apperteine to princes doe séeke and bring in the confusion of al things the dissolution of princes and their people lastlie the neglecting oppression of the poore Furthermore the Lord commaundeth the magistrate to make triall of doctrines and to kill those that do stubbornelie teach against the scriptures draw the people from the true god The place is to be séene in the 13 of Deut. God also forbad the magistrate to plant groaues or erect images as is to be séene in the 17. of Deut. And by those particularities he did insinuate things general forbiding to ordeine to nourish set forth superstitioÌ„ or idolatrie wherfore he commaunded to aduauÌ„ce true religion so consequently it foloweth that the care of religion belongeth to the magistrate What may be thought of that moreouer that the most excellent princes and friends of God amoÌ„g Gods people did challeng to themselues the care of religioÌ„ as belonging to themselues in so much that they exercised toke the charge therof eueÌ„ as if they had béene ministers of the holie things Iosue in the mount Hebal caused an altar to be builded and fulfilled all the worship of God as it was commaunded of God by the mouth of Moses Dauid in bringing in and bestowing the arke of God in his place in ordâ—â—â—ng the worship of God was so diligent that it is wonder to tel So likewise was Salomon Dauids sonne Neither doe I thinke that any man knoweth not how much Abia Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias laboured in the reformation of religion which in their times was corrupted and vtterlie defaced The verie heathen kings and princes are praised because when they knew the trueth they gaue out edicts for the confirmation of true religion against blasphemous mouthes Nabuchodonosor the Chaldean the most mightie Monarch of all the world than who I
heauen Which deede is reported by heathen Historiographers but that it was obtained at the prayers of our men they do not reporte for with them the other myracles which are done by our menne haue no place of credite But amonge our men Tertullian maketh mention hereof and amonge the Greekes Apollinaris whoalso affirmeth that for the miracle of that notable deede that legions name was chaunged by the Emperour and called the legion of thunder Tertullian addeth that the letters of Marcus the Emperour are yet to be had wherin the full and manifest trueth of this matter is plainly declared Hetherto Eusebius Wherby wée gather that Christian souldiers of old were not onely giuen to prayer but to iustice also and holines of lyuing For who knoweth not that Iames the Apostle said The earnest prayer of a righteous man auayleth much Elias was a man vnder infirmities euen as wee are and hee prayed in his prayer the heauens gaue rayne the earth brought forth her fruite It is moste euidente therefore that souldiers of old were verie godly and religious men Dure souldiers at these dayes because they are farre from religion yea because they are enimies to true religion doe in stéede of victorie suffer ouerthrowes abroad and losse and destruction of their citties at hoame And worthilie doe common weales suffer such plagues for trustinge somuch in such wicked souldiers For to trust in them is all one as if they should put confidence in the verie diuells whom these souldiers doe for the most parte excéede in all kinde of filthines vncleannesse crueltie and villanie But now the word of God doth set before our eyes an innumerable sorte of examples almost of holie and vpright warres and of excellent kinges and capitaynes Abraham oure father settinge forwarde with a verie small armie pursueth the fower most puissant kings or robbers of the world hée ouerthroweth and putteth them to flight and hauing recouered his people and restoared to them their substance againe he giueth the thanks to God as to the author of that vnlikely victorie Moses and Iosue destroyed about 39. kings they punished seuerelie the vnspeakeable wickednesse of al those nations and planted the people committed to their charge in the land which god had promised to giue them The Iudges of the people of Israell had notable warres against the Heathens and infidels wherby they brake the tyrannie of those wicked men vnlawfullie vsurped amonge Gods people restoaring them againe to their libertie and religion The Prophete Samuel is here to be numbred amoÌ„g the notable Capitaynes of Gods people Ionathas Saules sonne was a worthie Capitaine and a singular example of a godlie man Than Dauid none was more excellent or worthie to be praised In warre hée vaÌ„quished the Philistines the Idumits the Syrians and a good part of the Easte beside by warre hée reuenged iniuries by warre hée mainteyned his libertie and kept Gods people from a number of mischiefes and yet notwithstanding he that warred thus is said to be a man according to Gods heartes desire and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ touching his flesh or his humanitie In Dauids posteritie thou maiest finde manie excellent warriours and valiaunt Capitaynes Abia Asa Iosaphat Amasia Ofia Ezechias and other moe Amonge these Iudas Machabeus hath not the last nor leaste place of all who fought verie stoutely for the lawe religion and people of God and died at the last in the middest of the batteile in defence of religion and his countrie quarrell I will not adde to these the examples of ConstaÌ„tine Gratian Theodosius and other more that were excellent in feates of warre Of these and other writeth S. Augustine in the ende of his fiâ—t booke De ciuitate Dei and Orosius verie largelie in the 7. booke of his historie vnto the ende of the 28. Cap. This is sufficient for godly magistrates Hetherto haue I discoursed of warre to be made by the magistrate and the vse of the sword in the magistrates hand touching which I gaue some notes by the way in that sermon wherein I expounded the fifte commaundement This being thus ended I haue now to proue that ChristiaÌ„ men may beare the office of a magistrate which treatise I meane therfore to take in hand because our madde headed Anabaptistes and some other builders of A deuised common weale by gainsayinge that which hetherto we haue alledged do goe about to proue that a Christian may not beare the office of a magistrate their reason is because Christians as they say may not striue in lawe nor kil any man nor recouer by warre thinges violently taken away nor reuenge any iniurie that is done vnto them And although these causes of theirs be aunsweared euerie one in his fitte and seuerall place yet will I briefely gather héere together a few substantiall argumentes by which a politique and Christian man may vnderstand contrarie to the madnesse and dreames of the Anabaptistes if hée bée called to beare rule and authoritie that then he both may and of dutie ought to serue the Lord his God in taking vpon him and executing the office of a magistrate For whereas they faine that the doctrine of the Gospell doth vtterly cutte off all kinde of defence and whatsoeuer else belongeth to the defence of Christian mens goods and bodies that is nothing so and they are deceiued as farre as heauen is wide for the truth doth teach vs cleane contrarie For whatsoeuer thinges are ordeined by God for a meanes of mens safe gard and good estate they are so farre from misbecoÌ„ming and being vnsemely for a Christian man if hée vse them and applie himselfe vnto them that if hée refuse and neglect them he cannot rightly be called a true Christian For the first and greatest care of euerie ChristiaÌ„ is by all meanes that he may to set forward and mainteine that health and safegard of all sortes of men But the magistrate is not ordeined by any man but by god himself for the health and wealth of all mankinde as it is expressely witnessed by the Prophets and Apostles but by Paule especially in the 13. to the Rom who then cannot therby perceiue that a Christian may praiseworthilie execute a magistrates office Furthermore no man will denie I knowe that a Christian mans faith is not in wordes onely but in deedes also to giue a proofe of iustice and mercie by all meanes to care for publique peace and tranquillitie to doe iudgemente with iustice to defend the fatherlesse widowes and children and to deliuer poore oppressed people Neither doth hée contemne flée from nor reiect occasion places and meanes by which hée may put those good woorkes in vre And therfore a Christian refuseth not the place or office of a magistrate For the magistrates office is to doe iudgement with iustice and to prouide for publique peace Moreouer it is vndoubtedly true as before we haue declared that Moses Samuel Iosue and Dauid are not excluded from the name of
significaÌ„tly in the Psalme where he sayth My feete were almost gone my treadings had wel nigh slipped for I was greeued at the wicked when I did see the vngodly in such prosperitie for they are in no peril of deth they are I say troubled with no diseases whereby they are drawne as it were to death but are lustie and strong They come into no misfortune like other meÌ„ but are free froÌ„ the euils wherwith other folk are plagued and this is the cause that they are so holden with pride wrapped in violence as in a garment Their eyes swel with fatnes and they do euen what they lust They stretch forth their mouth vnto heauen and their tongue goeth thoroughe the world Yea they dare to say Tush how shuld God perceiue it Lo these are the vngodly these prosper in the world these haue riches in possession TheÌ„ said I haue I cleÌ„sed my hart in vaine â—ashed mine hands in innocencie â–ª and I beare punisheÌ„t euery day And while I thought thus to my self I had almost departed from the generation of Gods children Now since this is so it followeth consequently to beate out the causes of these calamities For in so doinge wée shal be the better able to iudge rightly of the miseries both of that godly and wicked sort of people The causes of calamities are many of many sortes but the generall and especiall cause is knowen to be sinne For by disobedieÌ„ce sinne entred into that world and death by sinne and so coÌ„sequently diseases and al euills in the world They are very lightheaded and vaine fellowes that referre these causes to I cannot tell what blind constellations and mouinges of Planets For wee by our euill lustes and corrupte affections do heape vp day by day one euill on an others necke And at our elbowes standeth the deuill who roundeth vs in the eares eggeth vs forwards and as helps to spurre vs on there are a crewe of naughtie packes that neuer ceasse to traine vs in and daily there doe rise vp diuers instruments of tribulation wherewith the most wise and iust God doth suffer vs men to be excercised and tormented But the same causes of affliction are not alwayes founde to bee in the holy worshippers of God as are in the wicked despisers of his name The Saintes are often afflicted that by their trouble the glorie of GOD may be knowen to the world For when the disciples of Christ did sée y blind man in the Gospell which was blind from his mothers wombe they said to that Lord Maister who sinned this man or his parents that he was borne blinde Iesus aunswered Neither did this man sinne nor his parentes but that the woorkes of God might be made manifest in him Likewise when the Lord heard say that Lazarus was sicke This disease said hee is not to death but to the glorie of God that by it the sonne of God may be glorified And yet if wee touch this matter to the quicke there can none in the woorld be found without sinne so that if the Lorde will marke oure iniquities hee shall alwayes finde somewhat to be punished in vs As it is at large declared in the booke of Iob. Furthermore the Lord doth suffer his spouse the Church which hée loueth full dearely to bee troubled and afflicted to this end and purpose that hee may openly declare that the electe are defended preserued and deliuered by the power ayde of God and not by the policie or help of man For Paule saith We haue this treasure in earthen vessells that the excellencie of the power may be Gods and not of vs while we are troubled on euerie side but not made sorrowfull Wee are in pouertie but not in extreeme pouertie wee suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein wee are cast downe but wee perish not wee alwayes beare about in the bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our body For wee which liue are alwayes deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall fleshe Also the same Apostle saith Vertue is made perfect in infirmitie Againe as the afflictions of the holy martyrs and faithfull Saintes of Christ are testimonies of the doctrine of faith as our Sauiour in the Gospell saith They shall deliuer you vp to counsells in their Synagogues they shall scourge you yea ye shal bee brought before kinges and rulers for my sake that this might bee for a wittnesse to them and the people Euen so in like manner are the Saintes ouerladen wyth miseries made examples for vs to learne by how to ouercome and despise the world and to aspire to heauenly thinges Finally the Lord doeth trie these that bée his by laying the crosse vppon their neckes and purgeth them like gold in the fire hée cutteth from vs many occasions of euill that hee may bring vs to the bearing of greater and more plentifull fruite The wisedome of the Lord doeth therein followe the manner of Goldsmythes who put their gold into the fire to purge and not to marre it And hée imitateth also good husbandmen who when their corne is somewhat too ranke do mowe it downe and prune their trées not to destroy but make them beare more abundant fruite And this flesh of ours verilie in peace and quietnesse is luskish lazie drowsie and slowe to good and honest exercises it is content and séeketh no further than earthly thinges it is whoalie giuen to pleasures it doth vtterly forget God and godly thinges nowe therefore it is not expedient onely but also very necessarie to haue this dull and sluggishe lumpe stirred vpp and excercised with troubles afflicions and sharpe persecutions The Saints herein are like toyron which by vse is somewhat woarne and diminished but by lying stil vnoccupied is eaten more with ruste and canker Most truely therefore said S. Peter Dearely beloued thincke it not straunge that yee are tried wyth fire which thing is to trie you as though some straunge thing happened vnto you But reioyce rather in that yee are partakers of the afflictions of Christ that when his glorie is reucaled yee may be merie and glad For Paule to Timothie saith Remember that Iesus Christe of the seede of Dauid was raised from the dead according to my gospel for which I am afflicted as an euill doer euen vnto bondes and yet I suffer al things for the electes sakes that they might also obteine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glorie It is a faithfull saying For if wee bee dead with him we shal also liue with him if we be patient we shal reigne with him if we denie him hee shall also denie vs. For in his epistle to the Romans he saith Those which hee knew before he did also predestinate that they should be like facioned vnto the shape of his sonne that
booke saith that the reliques of the Romans were kept by the townsmen of Cęres in y Frēch warre at what time the Frenchmen inuaded Rome By which occasion it is likely that for remembraunce of the benefite all the worshipp due to God and all the holy rites or customes were according to the name of the towne vsuallie called Ceremonies But from whence soeuer the woord is deriued wée in this treatise vse it for the holy déede of worshipping God and the ecclesiasticall rites of sacred religion Now Ceremonies are holy rites belonging to the ministers of religion and also to the place time and holy worship exhibited to God all whiche howe they ought to be kept and obserued according as they should be the lawes called Ceremonial doe exactly teach and precisely describe Ceremonies therfore are the actions or rites which the lawes or rules called Ceremoniall doe frame or appoint Nowe Ceremonies are ordeyned either by God or men As touching those which God hath instituted they are of two sorts The one sort wherof he did ordeine in the old testament to the auncient Israelites and the other at the comming of Christe to vs that are the people of the new testament or couenaunt Of the Ceremonies of the new testament I meane to speake when I come to treate of the Church the Sacraments thereof At this time I wil discourse of the Ceremonies of the old testament which were holy rites and actions ordeyned and deliuered by God himself to the people of Israel vntil the time of amendement partly to represent in a shadowe to shewe the mysteries of God and partly to worship God by them and also with them to kéepe the people of God in a lawfull religion and in the societie of one ecclesiasticall bodie But men also haue brought in very many and sundrie sortes of Ceremonies as amonge the heathen the Archflamines did who were the priestes and ministers of Idols whiche offices and romes both their kinges and princes did sometimes supplie Among the Hebrues Ieroboam king of Israel to the destruction of him and his did chaung the Ceremonies which God had ordeyned into his owne that is into mens inuentions and detestable blasphemies In this latter age of the world wherein we liue there is no ho of Ceremonies that are instituted daily by brainsick people The miserie whereof many learned men both haue and do yet at this day lament and bewaile Angustine complayneth that in his time Ceremonies did increase too faste in the Church of God what would he say thincke you if hee were aliue to sée them now a dayes But of this I wil speake at an other time Now forbecause the word Ceremonies is attributed as a name to any heathenishe rites whatsoeuer I in this treatise would haue you to knowe y I speake not of euery Ceremonie but of those onely which were deliuered of God by Moses to the people of Israell not at the will of Moses but at the wil of God by the meanes or ministerie of Moses according as it was said vnto him See that thou doest all thinges according to the patterne that was shewed thee in the mountaine The originall therefore or beginning of these ceremonies which we treat of are referred to God himselfe y most true and assured author thereof and they did therfore please God because they were godly and might be exhibited in faith Contrarilie the Ceremonies in religion that are deuised and ordeyned of men are vtterly condemned as is to be seene in the 12. of Deuteronomie In the 17. Cap. of the 4. of kinges also we finde I srael walked in the ordinaunces or Ceremonies which they themselues had made to themselues It is knowne to all men what happened to Ieroboam and his houshold and all the kinges of Israel that walked in the wayes of Ieroboam So then these Ceremonies of ours I meane the Ceremonies wherof I speake are actions and rites not in prophane but holy matters which god himselfe did first ordeine which Gods people doth vse and exercise These Ceremonies were not deliuered to al people or nations but to the people of Israel only and that too as the Apostle saith vntill the time of amendment as that which should lye vppon the shoulders of the Iewes till the coming of Messiah at what time they should be taken away and after that appeare no more And in this sense verily the Apostle Paul calleth the lawe the schole mistresse vntill Christe We haue moreouer to note the end wherunto Ceremonies were ordeyned Ceremonies do especially belōg to the doctrine of pietie faith For they were added to the first table as a shoare or propp to vphold or staye it For they teach the outward worship of the true God which godly men do giue vnto him and by them were the Israelits drawen not onely from strange gods but from strange worships also wherewith they were too much and too long inured trayned vp in the land of Aegypt to the end they should not haue any occasion to receiue oradmit any strange kinds of worships when they were furnished and as it were wrapped in so exquisite sorts of curious Ceremonies This doth Moses in the 12. of Deut. make to be the cause why God appointed such busie Ceremonies Therfore Ceremonies and the vse of Ceremonies are in the scripture expressely called the worship of god For with them it pleased God to be worshipped and with them he did retaine his people in the true worshipping of him and in the true religion cōmunion of one ecclesiastical body For the church is seuered and diuided by the admitting or bringing in of new or strange ceremonies as it is euident in the states and dealinges of Solomon Ieroboam Moreouer the Apostle Paul said Are not they which eate of the sacrifice partakers of the altar so consequently of the whole religion Furthermore the chiefe or especial mysteries of Christ and his Church were shadowed in Ceremonies and were the Sacraments of the Iewish people wherwith the Lord would bind them vnto him put them in mind of his benefits and lastly kéepe the pietie obedience and faith of his people in vre exercise And because the Lord did especially require faith and faithfull obedience at the hands of his seruants in the obseruing of Ceremonies therfore those Ceremonies did not please but vtterly displease his Maiestie so oft as the people were ignorant of the meaning of the secret mysteries conteyned in those figuratiue showes so oft I say as they were without faith and obserued onely the outward actions or Ceremonies without inward zeale and touch of conscience For the Lord in Ieremie crieth out and saith Heape vp your burnt offerings with your sacrifices and eate the flesh For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt I spoke no word vnto them of burnt offeringes or sacrifices but this I cōmaunded them saying Hearken vnto and obey my voyce and I wil be your
in the temple was rent from the top to the very ground whereby all men might vnderstand that the way was opened into the Sanctum fanctorum that is into the very heauens that satisfaction was made for all men in respect of the law In the tabernacle also did hange other vayles which were as shadowes of y flesh of Christ Those vayles did hange at the very entrie into the Sanctum and the Atrium Now Christe our Lord is the way and the doore by whose incarnation and death wée haue an entrie made into the kingdome of god Yea Christ himselfe is oure tabernacle in whom wée dwel liue and in whome we worship and please our God he is the curtaine and seeling the rafter ornament of his Church hée is the trustie most assured couering that doth 〈◊〉 vs from the iniuries of man and the diuel hée is the barre of the Church which ioyneth the members thereof together kéepeth them in the vnitie of faith he is the piller and sockett of his Church hée is the head and onely all-in-all both of our life and true saluation In those figures therfore they of old had the chiefe mysteries hidden of Christe and the Church in which Christ is now no etherwise to be behold than he was in the beginning of the world beheld of the auncient Patriarchs to wit very God and very man the onely and highest king and priest the true Sauiour of the world in whome and by whome alone the faithfull haue their whole saluation To procéed now this Tabernacle by the Lords appointment was erected in Silo as soone as they came into the land of promise and did continue there vntill the time of Heli as is euident in the 18. of Iosue and 1. Samuel 1. and 3. Chap. Vnder Heli the Arcke was taken by the Philistines and caried into Palestine frō whence it was restoared againe and placed in Bethsemes from thence againe it was carried to Kiriathiearim into the house of Abinadab in Gibea that is on the hill For his house was set vppon an high place For in the 6. of the second booke of Samuel wée read Dauid wente with all the people to Baala Iuda which is in the 15. of Iosue called Kiriathiearim to fetch from thence the arke of God. And presently after And they fetched it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibea that is on the hill For there was an highe place in Kiriathiearim wherein Abinadab dwelte Some other which take Gabaa for the proper name of the towne doe say that the Arcke was translated from Palestine into Gabaa But this is sure the Arcke was conueyed from the house of Abinadab into the house of Obededom and from thence into the citie of Dauid that is into Sion For so is the citie Dauid expounded in the eighth Chap. of the 3. booke of kinges In Sion did Dauid pitche a newe tabernacle for the Arcke of God wherin hée did place it and appointed priestes to minister there before the Lord as it is at large described in the 16. Chapiter of the first booke of Chronicles And yet by building that new tabernacle Dauid neglected not the old tabernacle of appointment For after the time of Heli the taking of the Arcke by the Philistines it séemeth that it was translated diuersly from place to place Silo verilie wherein it was first placed was desolate as is to bee séene in the 78. Psalme and the seuenth Chapiter of Ieremie Therefore when Saule did reigne it appeareth to haue beene pitched in Gilgal where hée offered peace offeringes in signe of thanckesgiuing vnto the Lord for victorie against the Ammonites as is to bée seene in the 11. Cap. of the first booke of Samuel In the 21. cap. of y same booke it is apparant that the tabernacle was for a time in Nob a towne not very farre from Hierusalē Esaie 10 where Abimelech the priest gaue to Dauid the fresh Shew bread that was takē from the golden table In the time when Dauid reigned it was erected in Gabaon a citie of the Beniamites For in the 21. of the first of Chro. thus we read The tabernacle of the Lord which Moses made in the wildernes the altar of burnt offerings was at that time when the Angel appeared to Dauid wyth a sword ready drawen in the hill of Gabaon In that place was it also in the reigne of Solomon and to that hill did Solomon goe to praye to the Lord before the temple was builded For in the first Chapiter of the second booke of Chrenicles wée finde And Solomon wyth all the Congregation went to the highe place that was at Gabaon For there was the tabernacle of Gods appointment which Moses the seruaunt of the Lord made in the wildernesse But the Arcke of GOD had Dauid brought from Kiriathiearim into the place which Dauid had prepared for it For hee had pitched a tent for it at Hierusalem Moreouer the brasen altar that Bezaleel the sonne of Vri had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lord and Solomon and the Congregation wente to visite it Therfore where as wée read in the 3. Chapiter of the third booke of Kinges Solomon loued the Lord and walked in the wayes of his father Dauid onely hee sacrificed and burnte incense in the highe places that is not spoken in the dispraise but in the praise of Solomon as hée that did not at aduentures sacrifice in euery place but in the highe places to witt vppon that consecrated altar whiche was appointed of the Lord whereof I spoake euen now before Other there are which think that Solomon was not simplie blamed in these words for offering vppon the altar of burnt offerings for that was altogether lawful but because he had til thē deferred the building of the temple But that which goeth before followeth after doe make greatly that those words were speken in that sense and signification which I did first alledge The same Solomon when the temple was builded did cōmaund see that the old Arck with al the instrument◠longing thereunto should be brought by the priests as a precious treasure from Gabaon and placed in the temple which hee had caused to be builte for that purpose the holy Scripture bearing witnesse thereunto and saying And they brought the Arcke of the Lord and the tabernacle of appointment and all the holy vessells that were in the tabernacle the priestes and Leuites I say brought them into the temple The 3. of kinges 8. Cap. and the 2. of Chronicles 5. Cap. And so was the tabernacle of the Lord which stoode 478. yeares abrogated at the last and in stéede thereof the temple was erected Touching the temple of the Lord which was prepared by Dauid but builded and made an end of by Solomon I néed not make many woords in the description thereof because it is in the 3. of Kings and 2. of the Chronicles very busilie set downe painted out at the
whiche is exactly painted out in the 30. chap. of Exodus That altar was ordeined for two vses For first there was offered vppon it euery day incense or perfume which it was not lawfull to offer or prepare to any other God or creature That was done twice euery day at morning and at euening Zacharias the father of Iohn Baptist was in that ministerie when he sawe the Angel and for his vnbeliefes sake was made dumbe for a season Secondarilie incense was offered vppon that altar after a certaine solemne manner once in a yeare that was at the feast of Clensing as is declared in the 16. Chap. of Leuitiâ—us Nowe by incense or perfume is to bée vnderstood the prayers of the faithful as Dauid witnesseth where hee saith Let my prayer bee set foorth in thy sight as the incense and let the lifting vp of my handes be an euening sacrifice Nowe there was but one incense altar alone Whosoeuer builded any more hee was condemned of blasphemous wickednesse By that onely altar is figured Christe oure Lord both God and man the mediatour and intercessour betwixte God and man by whome all the Sainctes doe offer all their prayers to God their Lord and heauenly father They therfore build many altars which choose to themselues creatures to bee their intercessours by whose mediation they desire to obteine that which they lacke at y haÌ„ds of god In the end of the 30. cap. it is expressely said Who soeuer shall make like inceÌ„se to that to smell therto shal perish froÌ„ amonge his people Therfore through Christ alone the faith full Church of Christe doeth offer her prayers to God the father This altar whereof we speake was bound about with a crowne of gold For Christ our Lord and altar is a verie king and priest weareth the crowne of glorie Nowe wée must pray at morning and at euening that is continually very earnestly And we must alwayes pray in through the name of Christ And Christ is he alone through whoÌ„ God hath béen pleased with the prayers of them that haue prayed in the morning that is at the beginning of the world and is at this day pleased with them that pray to him at euening that is in the end and these last dayes of the world They therfore sinned moste greuously against the Lord that offered incense in the high places euery where For as they were rebellious and disobedient to God preferring their owne inuentions before the lawes of GOD whiche they neglected so did they despise the mysterie of Christe the onely mediatour in departing from that onlie altar In the Court or Atrium did stand an other altar which was called the brasen altar of the altar of burnt offerings which is finely described in the 27. of Exodus Of this sort also there was but this one For it was not lawfull for any religious man to sacrifice in any other place sauing in the holy place where this altar was vnlesse it were by some singular dispensation Therefore whom the Rubenites with their confederates had builte an altar by the bankes of Iordan and that the fame therof was brought to the eares of the other tribes of Israel they did all agrée with one consent that the crime was to be punished with open warre Whereby wée may againe gather the greatnesse of their fault whiche neglecting that altar did offer sacrifice in the high places Of whiche I also spake before Nowe that onely and Catholique altar of ours is Iesus Christe who offered himselfe a liuing sacrifice for vs to god Neither is there any sacrifice in all the world that can clense sinne but that alone Neither do any sacrifices of the faithfull please the father but those that are by faith offered vppon the altar Iesus Christe For Christ doth sanctifie vs and being sanctified we doe by him offer the sacrifice that hee doth well accept off This haue I taken out of the Apostles doctrine in the 13. to the Hebrues and the twelfth to the Romanes The last of the holy vessells was the brasen lauer which was placed in the Atrium betwixte the vaile of the Sanctum and the altar of burnt offerings It is described in the 30. chap. of Exodus In it was conteyned the water wherewith the priestes that ministred before the Lord did wash themselues By that lauer was Christ signified whiche is the washinge of the faithfull And by it was mente that holy thinges were not to be handled with vnwashed hands and féete They washe themselues that by the holy ghost are purified and by the grace of God are made fitt to the ministerie of religion But hée is in daunger of death that is not a partaker of the grace of life Beside these there are also reckoned other instrumentes belonging to the tabernacle but these in a manner are the chiefe I thought not good by beating out busilie euery particularitie to reherse vnto you euery smal thing least peraduenture by too long a treatise I should be too tedious vnto your patience Now the same holy vessells that were in the tabernacle were in the temple also sauing that in Solomons temple there was a farre more goodly shewe and pompe than in the tabernacle for none other cause vndoubtedly but that the mysteries of Christe and of the Church should increase euery day more and more to the sighte of the world Christe the true Solomon and king of peace and tranquillitie the very eternall felicitie it selfe hath raysed vpp in this world to himselfe a Church which stretcheth to the endes of the world Of which the Prophetes haue spoken very largely Zacharie especially and the famous Prophete Nathan 2. Samuel chap. 7. Thus muche hetherto of the holye place After the holy place in the sacred Ceremonies the next to be handled is the holy time For as to the outward religion a certaine place was giuen so to the same also an appointed time was assigned And holy dayes are to be imployed vppon holy actions For actions are either those which we cal handie works inuented for to get victuals clothing and other thinges necessarie for the vse of oure bodies or else they are holy or religious whiche are done for the exercise of outward religioÌ„ Wée must not consume all oure time in handie woorkes and prophane businesse neither can wée bestowe al times vppon outward religion But those actions are not without time For euery action is coÌ„teyned in time Therefore God hath diuided the time into sundrie parts for sundrie actions so that hee will haue some woorking dayes to serue for handie actions and other holy dayes for the exercise of outward religion Not that the working dayes are not holy dedicated to the Lord for he doth chalenge all dayes and times to himselfe and will at all seasons be worshipped in hart but for because the holy dayes are singularly and as it were more precisely consecrated to the outward worshippe of God than the working dayes are Therfore the
eyes of their minde vpon Christe and beléeue the mysterie of him conteined in woords déedes learning by them what who God is For God is such an one as he exhibiteth him selfe to be knoweÌ„ in Christ in that verie know ledge he doeth appoint eternall life to be where he saith And this is eternall life that they might knowe thee the only true God Iesus Christ whoÌ„e thou hast sent Let him y wisheth wel to himselfe take héede that he go not about to know any more than God him selfe doth teach vs in Christ But who soeuer neglecting Christ doth follow y rule subtilties of mans wit he verily doeth come to nought and perish in his thoughts The fourth meane to know god by is fetched out of the conteÌ„plation of his woorkes Dauid saith The heauens declare the glory of god and the firmament sheweth foorth the works of his bandes And the Apostle Paule saith His inuisible things beeing vnderstanded by his woorkes through the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternal power god head Loe the power and godhead of God are those inuisible things of God and yet they are vnderstoode by the coÌ„sideration of Gods workes therefore euen God him-selfe is knowne by the workes of god But now the workes of God are doubly considered or bée of twoe sorts For either they are layed before vs to be béehelde in thinges created for the behoofe of men as in heauen in earth in those things that are in heaueÌ„ and in earth and are gouerned and preserued by the prouidence of God of which sorte are the starres and the motions or courses of the starres the influences of heauen the course of time liuing creatures of all kindes trées plants fruites of the earth the sea and whatsoeuer is therein stones and whatsoeuer things are hid within and digged out of the earth for the vse of men Of these S. Basile S. Ambrose haue written very learnedly and godly in their bookes intituled The worke of sixe dayes the whiche they called Hexaemeron Héere may be inserted that history of nature which the glorious worthie king Dauid doth in the psalmes especially after the 100. psalme most fitly apply to our purpose But lest we shuld intangle make intricate the course of this preseÌ„t treatise I will hereafter speake of the creation of the world of gods gouernment prouidence in the same At this present it shal suffice to know the heaueÌ„ earth all that is therein do declare to vs and sette as it were before our cies an euident argument that God as he is moste wise is also most mightie woonderful of an infinite maiesty of an incomprehensible glorie moste iust most gratious and most excellent Esaie therefore a faithful teacher of the Church giuing good counsell for the state of mortall men doth say vnto them Lifte vp your eyes on high and consider who hath made these things that come foorthe by heapes calling them all by theire names whose strength is so great that none of them doth faile For although that euen from the beginning the starres haue shined to the worlde and haue in their course perfourmed that for which they were created yet are they not woarne by vse nor by continuance consumed awaye or darckened ought at all For by the power of their maker they are preserued whole Ieremie also cryeth O Lord there is none like vnto thee Thou art great and great is thy name with power Who woulde not feare thee O King of the gentiles For thine is the glorie for among all the wise men of the Heathen and in all their kingdoms there is none that may be likened vnto thee And immediatly after againe The Lord God is a true and liuing God and king If he be wroth the earth shaketh nether can the gentiles abide his indignation He made the earth with his power with his wisedome doth he order the whole compasse of the world and with his discretion hath he spred the hâ—auens out At his voice the waters gathered together in the aâ—re he draweth vpp the Cloudes from the vttermoste partes of the earthe he turneth lightning to raine bringeth the windes out of their tresures Or else the works of God are set foorth for vs to beholde in man the verie Lord prince of all creatures not so much in the workmanshipp or making of man whiche Lactantius and Andreas Wesalius haue passingly painted out for all men to sée as in the woorks which toward man or in man or by man the Lord him selfe doeth finish and bring to passe For God doeth iustly punish some men and by punishing them he doth declare that he knoweth the dealings of mortall men and hateth all wrong and iniurie Vppon other he heapeth vpp verie large and ample benefites and in béeing beuntifull vnto them he declareth that he is rich yea that he is the founteine of goodnesse that cannot be drawen dry that he is bountiful good merciful gentle and long suffering Héereof there are innumerable examples in the historie of the Bible Caine for the murder committed vppon his brother lyued here in earth a miserable wretched life For the iust lord doth reueÌ„ge the bloudshedd of the innocent The first world was drowned in the deluge a plague was layd it on for the conteÌ„pt of god But Noah and his were sauedin the Arke by the mercie of God. God bringeth Abraham from Vr of the Chaldées and placeth him in the land of Chanaan blessing and loading him with all manner of goods He doeth woonderfullie kéepe Iacob in all his troubles infinite calamities Through great afflictions he lifteth vp Ioseph froÌ„ the prison vnto the throne of Aegypt He doth gréeuously plague the Aegyptians for the tyrannie shewed in oppressing Israel and for the contempt of his commaundement But it would be too longe and tedious to make a beadrowe of all the examples Now by these and such like workes of GOD we learne who and howe greate our GOD is howe wise hée is howe good howe mightie howe liberall howe iuste and rightful and with-all we learne that we must beéeue and in althings obey him For Asaph sath The things that we haue heard and knowen and such as our fathers haue told vs those we will not hide froÌ„ our sonnes but wil shew to the generations to come the praise of the Lorde his mightie and woonderfull workes which hee hath done that the children whiche are borne when they come to age may shewe their children the same that they may putt theire truste in God and not forget the woorkes of God but kepe his commandements And so as foloweth in the 78. psalme An other waye to knowe God by next to this is that which is gathered vpon comparisons for the Scripture doeth compare all the moste excellent things in the world with God whoÌ„e it preferreth before them all so that we may
and man whosoeuer for the vnities sake of natures doth not so farr extend his humanitie as his diuinitie is extended For in the Gospel after S. Matthewe the Lord goeth not with his bodie into the house of the Centurion whereas yet notwithstanding there is no doubt that his Godhead being present not absent the seruaunt of the Centurion was cured of his disease And who will say that therfore the person is diuided by S. Matthewe for that he hath not extended the humanitie of Christe euen vnto his diuinitie The Angels speaking to the women concerning the bodie of Christ risen from the dead and now glorified say He is not heere he is risen But we are not ignorant that his diuinitie is in euery place And yet the Angels diuided not his inseparable person in that they did not make equal in al respects the humane body of Christ with his Godhead The Angels them selues doe not diuide the person of Christ when his body being taken vp from the mount Oliuet into heauen they standing on the earth testifie that he shall come againe after the same māner as they sawe him depart from them But who dare denie that the Lord was then also present with them Therefore our Lord after the manner of his verie body is in heauen not in earth but according to his infinite godhead he is euery where in heauen and in earth Man consisteth of soule and body and these most contrarie in natures betwene them selues make one person not two And who so euer attributeth and defendeth that which is proper to eyther of them doth not diuide the person The body sléepeth the soule sléepeth not these properties of partes make not two persons Herevnto séemeth to belong that whiche Theodoret hath left written in his 3. Dialogue saying We do not diuide the natural vnitie of the soule and the body neyther separate we the soules from their owne proper bodies but consider those thinges which properly belong to their natures Therefore when the scripture sayth And deuout men carried Stephan to his buriall made greate lamentation ouer him wilt thou say that his soule was buried with his body I thincke not And when thou shalt heare Iacob the Patriarch saying Burie ye me with my fathers thou doest vnderstand that to be spoken of his body not of his soule Againe thou doest reade There they buried Abraham and Sara his wife c. In whiche speach the scripture doth not make mention of the body but in al points signifieth the soule and body together But wee rightly diuide and say that the soules are immortall and that the bodies onely of the patriarches are buried in the double caue Euen so we also are wont to say In this or that place this or that mā was buried We do not say This mans bodie or that mans bodie but this man or that man For whosoeuer is wel in his wits knoweth we speake of the bodie So wheras the Euangelistes so oftentimes make mention of Christes bodie buried at the lengthe they sett downe the name of the person and say that Iesus was buried layd in the graue c. Thus farre Theodoret. And since it is without controuersie that this faith and doctrine from Christes time euen vnto our age hath flourished in the holy Church of God and against innumerable assaultes of sathan and heretiques hath remained most stedfast and the selfe same is deliuered and confirmed by testimonies of scripture and consents of holy coūsels I exhorte you dearely beloued that calling on the name of Christe you may perseuere continue in the same doctrine and béeing 〈…〉 by true faith and obedience to Christe verie God and man you may giue continuall thanks worshipping him that reigneth for euer ¶ Of Christe King and Prieste of his onely and euerlasting kingdome and Priesthoode and of the name of a Christian The seuenth Sermon I HAUE declared vnto you déerely beloued y Christ Iesus our Lorde is verye God and man whiche will bring more plentiful profite if we vnderstand what the fruite of that thing is Whiche is chiefely knowen by the offices of Christe our Lorde He is King and Prieste of the people of God therefore he hath a kingdome and a priesthoode Which things if we shall somwhat more diligentlie consider they shall declare vnto vs the excéedinge greate benefite of the diuinitie and humanitie of Christe Christe Iesus is a king therefore hee is Lorde of all ruler and gouernour of all things which are in heauen and in Earth and specially of the catholique Church it selfe whiche is the communion of Sainctes and for so muche as hee is King and Lorde truely by his royall or Kingly office he is the deliuerer or preseruer the reuenger and defendour and finallie the lawgiuer of his electe For he crusshed the Serpentes head that stronge and moste cruell enimie of Gods people whome when hee had conquered he bound and spoyled He deliuered the elect out of the power of darcknesse and sett them into the libertie of the sonnes of God that we might bee his peculiar people sanctified through the bloude of our kinge a purchased people to serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse Hee is humble louing and gentle which the historie of the Gospell also out of Zacharie rehearseth of him Matth. 21. Hee watcheth for vs he defendeth and gardeth vs hee enricheth vs with all manner of good thinges and furnisheth vs against our enimyes with spirituall armour and giueth vs aboundantly power to resist and to ouercome Hee hath purged the Temple of God casting out the Chanaanites he hath cancelled vnrighteous lawes he hath deliuered vs from them and now hee ruleth and gouernethe vs with the scepter of his mouthe exceeding good and most iust lawes being proclamed For he is God and man therefore hee is the onely Monarche the King of kinges and the Lorde of Lordes for he hath all the kings and rulers in the worlde subiect vnto him some verily of their owne accorde through faithe being obedient and other though striuing and rebelling againste him made subiect by his power And therefore saith the Prophet Dauid Be wise O ye kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence kisse the sonne least he be angry and so yee perishe from the right way For in an other place the same Prophet saith The Lord said to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enimies thy fotestole The Lord wil send foorth the rodd of his power out of Sion be thou ruler euen in the middes among thine enimies Esay also bringing in the Lord speaking saith I wil lift vp my hands vnto the Gentiles and set vp my standarde to the people and they shall bringe thee their sonnes vppon their shoulders for kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shal be thy noursing mothers Whiche thing ecclesiasticall
histories declare more largelie Of this King Christ the Prophets prophecying said And in mercie shal the seate be prepared and he shall sitt vpon it in trueth in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seeking iudgement and making haste vnto righteousnes And againe Beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde that I will raise vp the righteous brauÌ„che of Dauid which King shall beare rule he shall prosper with wisdome and shall set vp equitie and righteousnes againe in the earth In his time shall Iuda be saued and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name that they shall call him The Lorde our righteousnesse And because our Lord is a king therefore be must néeds haue a kingdome As well the realme dominion subiecte to a kinge is called a kingdoÌ„e as principalitie empire power maÌ„ner of gouernment it selfe Therefore the church the communion or fellowship of saints béeing obedient subiect to their king Christe is called the kingdoÌ„e of god For Micheas saith And the Lord shall reigne ouer them in mount Sion therfore Sion which signifieth the church is the kingdome of god And god is said to reigne when in the church he ruleth gouerneth kéepeth defendeth those that be his and indueth and maketh theÌ„ fruitful with diuerse graces For Paule saith The kingdome of God is not meate and drink but righteousnes peace ioy in the holy ghost Moreouer the kingdome of god is that eternall glorie felicitie which God dâ—eth communicate to his elect For the Lord saith in the gospel Comeye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which is prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world And the théefe euen at point of death making his praâ—er to the Lord who was redy to dye on the crosse desiring to bee â—artaker of this kingdoÌ„e saith Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome â–ª Againe since y gospel teacheth vs how God reigneth in vs in this world in time to translate vs vnto him self into that other that is since the gospell is that thing by which the Lord reareth vp his dominion it is not vnaduisedly called of Matthew in his 13. cap. the kingdome of god In another place for the same cause it is called the word of the kingdome To be short we at this preseÌ„t by the kingdome of God vnderstand the coÌ„gregation of saints it self the catholique church I meane and the power or administratioÌ„ of God reigning therein that is preseruing gouerning glorifying the same And this kingdome of god is verily but only one for ther is but one God only one king Christ only one church â— life â—uerlasting But his one kingdome of god according to he dispensation 〈…〉 two wayes First acording to y omâ—ipotencie of god For he 〈◊〉 he iâ— the highest omnipotent hath executeth ouer all creatures visible inuisible â—oste iust rule and equall powerâ— nill they or will they be obedient Secondly according to his spirits whereby he reigneth in his elect And so y kingdoÌ„e of God is againe two waies coÌ„sidered For either it is earthly is called the kingdome of grace or else it is heauenlye and is called the kingdome of glorie The earthly kingdome of grace is not therefore called earthly as though it were carnall earthly like the kingdome of Babylon Persia Alexander or Rome but because it is on earth For a good parte of the holie churche of God is conuersant on this earth beeing partaker of flesh bloud while it â—â—eth on the earth though it liue not an earthly life according to the â—â—esh For acording to the spirit whereby it is ruled it liueth a heauenly life Not that the partakers of the kingdome of God sinne not For the iust man falleth riseth seuen times in a day Whervpon it is also called the kingdome of grace For as long as we liue in this world our King Lord neuer denyeth his grace mercie to vs that craue pardon And the faithfull doe wholie hange vppon the grace of their king they embrace continuall repentance and endeuor theÌ„ selues to things of more perfectnesse For they frame all that they do according to the lawes of their king prince For he reigneth in his elect by the worde of truth and by the holie ghost By the word of truethe hee teacheth what the Saintes should doe and what they should auoide By his holie spirit he moueth their hartes and giueth strength to 〈◊〉 euill and followe that is good For truely our king reigneth not so much for him self as for vs For he maketh vs also kinges that we béeing deliuered from the diuell damnation sinne and the curse may be Lords ouer the diuel damnation sinne and the cursse yea ouer all thinges and ioynâ—t-heires with the sonne of God him self For these causes the kingdoÌ„e of God is called a spirituall kingdoÌ„e For the partakers of the kingdome of God indued with the spirite of God doe bring foorth the fruites of the spirit not the works of the flesh and to be short are gouerned with the spirit of god Neither truelie doeth our Lorde reigne after the manner of the kinges of this worlde sayinge to Pilate My kingdome is not of this worlde Which sentence some abuse gathering y there is no ouâ—ward gouernemeÌ„t in the church of God vnder whiche name they also take away the office of a Magistrate and speake so subtilely of the kingdome of God that a man cannot tell where the kingdome of God is or who be partakers of this kingdome They vnderstand nâ—t that the meaning must bee gathered vppon the occasion of that saying The Iewes accusing the Lorde before Pilate laide to his charge that he ambition flye sought after a kingdome The lord clering him self of this crime sheweth Pilate that his kingdome shal not be such a one whiche after hee had cast out Tiberius Caesar should be gotten and kepte with armes and be gouerned after the manner of this worlde declaring that he addeth If my kingdome were of this world then would my seruaunts surely fighte that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes Therefore he inferreth But now is my kingdome not from hence therefore they fight not for me to place main the throne of the kingdome Tiberius béeing cast out And anon he saith For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I should beare witnesse vnto the truethe and all that are of the truethe heare mye voice As therefore Christ by trueth not by lyinge deceipts and craftie practises like the Princes of this worlde prepareth him selfe a kingdome so by trueth he doeth bothe reteine gouerne his kingdome and whosoeuer imbrace trueth are partakers of Christes kingdome whether they be princes or of the coÌ„monaltie all these obey the voice of their king and serue their highest prince Héere neuerthelesse we expresly add y Kings can no
vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead your members as instrumentes or weapons of righteousnes vnto god For sinne shal not haue power or dominion ouer you And therefore when the prince of this world yea and the world it self and the flesh and sinne the wicked affection therof doe what they can to drawe vs againe out of freedome and bondage we must because we are kings valiantly resist them and continuing in conflict vanquishe and ouer come theÌ„ by the vertue of Christe reigning in vs For Saint Iohn the Apostle saith All that is borne of God ouercoÌ„meth the world And this is the victorie which hath ouercome the world euen our faith Hitherto belongeth the doctrine of fréedome and bondage whereof I intreated in the former Decade By al these we gather that the principall duetie of Christians is always to stand in battell array and to kéepe their place to watche and endeuour by all force and meanes least at any time being ouercome of their enimie sathan they be spoiled of their royal or kingly dignitie and be hailed downe into the bondage of hell Truly if we ouercome in Christ and with Christ wee shall reigne together with him that is we shal liue with him and all the saints in glorie for euer and euer And thus are we kinges in Christe Thus are we Christians Againe because we are christians that is to say annointed surely wee are priestes also and therefore according to our priestly office we teache we admonishe we exhorte and comfort all our brethren and al men that are â—oÌ„mitted to our charge Where notwithstanding we doe necessarily make a difference betwéene the christian priesthood and the Ecclesiasticall ministerie All Christians truly as well men as women are priestes but we are not al ministers of the church For we can not all one with another preach publiquely administer the sacramentes and execute other dueties of pastors vnlesse we be lawfully called and ordeined thervnto This our priesthood common to all is spiritual and is occupied in common duties of godlinesse not in publique and lawful ministeries of the church Whervpon one may and ought to instructe and admonish another priuately and while he so doth he executeth a priestly office as when the goodman of the house instructeth his childreÌ„ at home in godlinesse when the goodwife of the house teacheth and correcteth her daughters to be shorte when euery one of vs exhort euerie neighbour of ours to the desire and studie of godlinesse For the Apostle Paule sayeth Exhorte ye one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceipt fulnesse of sinne Moreouer since we be priestes we must offer sacrifices worthie of our god And we haue sufficiently testified that after Christ our highe and onely priest or bishop in all ages in all the whole worlde none doeth offer a satisfactorie sacrifice to take a way sinne For when he offered vp himself he offred a sacrifice but once howbeit alwayes effectual to cleanse the sinnes of all Therefore we offer vnto him thankesgiuing praise celebrating the memorie of that one only sacrifice we offer prayers wée offer our selues that is to say our bodies a liuely and a reasonable sacrifice to God together with all kinde of godlinesse and well doing For Paule sayth By Christe we offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes vnto God that is the fruite of lippes confessing his name To do good to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is wel pleased But touching these sacrifices I haue spokeÌ„ more in my former sermoÌ„ wherin I entreated what the true seruice of God is But since all sanctification is riseth from one highe priest Christe Iesus wée can sanctifie our selues no otherwise than with honest and pure conuersation of life which thing is required at our handes namely that we be holy and that we sanctifie the name of our God with an innocent life that it bée not euill spoken off throughe vs by men but that they may sée the good workes of the faithfull glorifie the Father which is in heauen There is none but may sée that all the duties of a Christian man are compreheÌ„ded in these pointes wherein vnlesse we exercise ourselues earnestly I do not sée that we are worthie of so excellent a name That this most holy name was first giuen to the faithfull at Antioch in Syria Luke is witnesse which yet let no man so vnderstande as if that name afore had béene altogether vnknowen to all men For now it is become moste common in time past it was the name only of most excellent and holy men and of suche as rather were so in déede than so acâ—ounted thoughe also by name they were in some manner so acknowledged For Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history maketh mention the y ancient fathers Adam Seth Noe Abraham other like vnto these were all Christians therefore Christian religion to be the verie purest perfectest and the auncientest The wordes of Eusebius if any require are these The nation of the Hebrues is not new but vnto all men in antiquitie famous and knowne to all Their bookes and writings do coÌ„teine auncient fathers of whome they make report before the floude rare indeede fewe in number howbeit in godlinesse righteousnes and in all kinde of vertues most excellent after the floud of other of the sonnes nephues of Noe as of Tharam A-Abraham of whoÌ„ as their capteine progenitour the posteritie of the Hebrues do boast So that if any man shal say that all these from Abraham him self euen to the first man being beutified with the testimonie of righteousnes through their works though not in name were Christians truely hee should not stray farre from the truth For a Christian signifieth a man whiche excelleth other in the knowledge and doctrine of Christ with moderation of mind and righteousnesse and continencie of life and through fortitude of vertue confessioÌ„ of Godlinesse toward the one and only God of all creatures And this name those auncient fathers did no lesse esteeme than we doe Neither had they care of the corporall circumcision as we also haue not neither of keeping the Sabbaoth day as we also haue not nor of absteining from meates nor other differences whiche thinges afterwardes Moses first of al ordeined and figuratiuely deliuered them to be perfourmed as suche thinges also euen at this day perteine not to Christians But they sawe plainly the Christ or annoynted of god As also it is declared alreadie before that hee both appeared vnto Abraham and gaue aunswer vnto Isaac and Israel and spake to Moses and after him to the prophetes Wherby thou shalt finde that these godly men also obteined the name of Christ according to that saying spoken of them to wit Touche not my Christes or mine annointed and do my prophets no harme Therfore it is
death of the soule But neuerthelesse y reasonable some liueth in his proper Essence or béeing so that when it liueth miserably a miserable life is in verie déede called death but desperation also is the very death of the soule For by hope wée liue And Paule sayeth I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in mee and the life whiche I nowe liue in the fleshe I liue by the faith of the sonne of God therefore they that are destitute of faith are dead they that haue faith liue S. Augustine Cap. 10. De fide Symbolo sayeth The soule as it may bee called corruptible by reason of finne and wickednes so it may be called mortal For the death of the soule is the reuolting or falling from God whiche first sinne of the soule was committed in Paradise as is declared in the holy Scriptures And the same Augustine againe Lib. de Trinitate 14. Cap. 4. sayeth The soule also hath his death when it lacketh a blessed life whiche is to bee named the true life of the soule But for this cause it is called immortall for that whatsoeuer life it liueth yea thoughe it bee most miserable yet it neuer ceaseth to liue Wée therefore fréely confesse that the soules of men separated or taken out of their bodies doe not die but liue immortall for euer the faithfull in euerlasting ioye and felicitie but the vnbeléeners in eternall damnation Whiche thing I will now goe on to confirme by some substantial testimonies of Scripture But first take this with you that testimonies of scripture in this case are farre more liuely than mans reasons framed out of Philosophie For these testimonies are fetched from the verie mouthe of the liuing God himselfe whiche preserueth vs in life who since he is true cannot lie and who since hee giueth life and is life it selfe is able to wittnesse most certainely aboue all other touching life Neither is it doubtfull that the spirit of God worketh ioyntly with the word of GOD of whom vnlesse the heartes of men be touched the reasons of Philosophie howe manifest soeuer they bee shall preuaile nothing especially in the daunger of death and in other temptations They are fleshlie therefore and brutishe altogether whiche are not ashamed to say That they cannot be persuaded or brought to beléeue the immortalitie of soules by the Scriptures onely Nay which is more that shall neuer be stedfast and stable in temptations whiche shall procéede from fleshe and bloud Wee will therefore add some certaine testimonies and those too most manifest Dauid the most nuissaunt and happiest king in the world comprising in one verse both the immortalitie of soules and the resurrection of bodies sayeth Thou O Lord shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither shalt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption Man consisteth of bodie and soule The bodie rotteth awaye when it is dead and is turned into dust but it shall not therefore perish For as the bodie of Christ which was buried did not rat but rose againe the third day so in the day of iudgemente shall oure bodies be raised vpp and by Christe â—e deliuered from corruption And our soul goeth not into hell there to remaine But as the soule of Christ returned from the nether parts vnto his bodie and ascended into heauen in his bodie which he had taken againe euen so shall oure soules also liue by Christ â–ª they shall not dit Solomon the sonne of Dauid excelling all kinges and mortall men in wisedome in one verse likewise expounding the prouidence of GOD touching the soule and the body saith The dust shall bee turned againe vnto earth from whence it came and the spirite shall returne vnto God who gaue it Solomon calleth mans bodie Dust béecause it is said in Moses that GOD made it of the dust of the earth Therefore the bodie turneth againe vnto dust for it putrifieth and is resolued into that which first it was euen vntill the Iudgement daye as the Lord sayeth For dust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned againe But the spirite that is to say the reasonable soule dieth not with the bodie it is not resolued into dust béecause it is not taken out of the dust neither is it scattered into the aire because it doest not consist of aire but returneth aliue from death vnto god And therefore it returneth vnto GOD because God gaue the soule and after a singular manner made man after his owne likenes image breathing into his face the spirite of life of life I say that is of liuely power not the spirite of death Therefore the soule caÌ„not perish béecause it receiueth immortalitie from God who since hee is life is able to preserue that breath of life which he hath made The Lord Iesus the true and verie sonne of God the life and resurrection of the faithfull sayeth plainely in the Gospell Feare ye not them whiche kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him whiche is able to destroye both bodie and soule in hell If when the bodie being slaine by tyrauntes the soule is not killed then it remaineth aliue after the bodie is destroyed and so assuredlie it remaineth that hauing put off the bodie it should bee caste of the most iust God into hell there euerlastingly to burne for his vnâ—aithfulnes For in the same Gospel the Lord saith againe Whosoeuer wil saue his life shall loose it againe whosoeuer will loose his life for my sake shal finde it For not he only looseth his life or soule whiche bridleth it from the pleasures of the world and liueth most temperately but hée also who offereth himselfe into the bloudy hands of tyrants to be slaine for the confession of Christian faith And hée findeth his life or soule whiche he lost Therefore the soules of men euen after the death of the bodie remaine aliue and immortall In the Gospel according to S. Iohn the Lord saith Verilie verilie I say vnto you hee that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement â–ª but is eâ—caped from death vnto me Thou hast in these words of the Lord the death of the bodie But forthwith afterward he witnesseth that wée Escape vnto life therefore mens â—oules remaine aliue after death For nowe hee speaketh nothing of the raising againe or of the saluation of the bodie but of the life of the soule after death In the same Gospel the Lord sayth againe Verilie verilie I say vnto you if a man keepe my saying he shall neuer see death But it is euident that all men are ordeined once to die namely with bodily death therefore the soule liueth after the death of the bodie For it must néedes be that a faithfull man shall neuer sée or â—eele death vnlesse hee told a lie who affirmed with an oth that which he spake For in euery other place he
power to giue iudgement of doctrines euen by this one sentence of the Apostle Paule appeareth Let the Prophets sayth he speake two or three at once and let the other iudge And in an other place he saith Proue all thinges and kepe that which is good And S. Iohn said Dearelie beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirits whether they are of God. But of this kinde of power to iudge there is also a certeine order For the Church doth not iudge at her owne pleasure but after the sentence of the holy Ghost and according to the order and rule of the holy scriptures And heere also order moderation and charitie is obserued Therefore if at any time the church of god according to the authority which she hath receiued froÌ„ the Lord do call a couÌ„sel together for some weightie matter as we read that the Apostles of the lord did in the Actes of the Apostles it leaneth not here to her owne fleshly iudgment but giueth ouer her selfe to bee guided by the spirite and examineth all her doinges by the rule of the word of God and of the two-fould charitie Wherefore the Church maketh no new lawes as the church of Hierusalem or rather the Apostolique church sayeth that it séemeth good both to the holy Ghost and to the Church that no other burthen should be layd vppon the faithful Christians but onely a few and those verie necessarie thinges and neither beside nor contrarie to the holy scriptures Now Ecclesiastical matters are of diuers sortes the good ordering and well disposing whereof for the coÌ„moditie of men is in the power of the Church of whiche sorte those thinges are which concerne outward worship in place in time as is prophecying or interpretation of tongues and scholes Also the Church hath to iudge in causes of matrimonie and chiefly it hath correction of manners admonitions punishmentes and also excommunicating or cutting off from the bodie of the Church For the Apostle also sayeth that this power is giuen him and yet to the intent hee should therewith edifie not destroy For all these thinges whiche we haue remembred such like are limitted with the rule of the word and of loue also with holy examples and reasons deduced out of the holy scriptures Of all which wee will perchaunâ—e more largelye speake in their place Thus much haue I hetherto said concerning Ecclesiastical power the contrarie whereof I haue declared with how open a mouth our aduersaries do publish but yet they handle these matters so grossely that it may appeare euen vnto children what they séeke or what they would defende to witt not the Ecclesiasticall power but their owne couetousnesse luste and tyrannie The Canonicall trueth teacheth vs that Christ himselfe doeth hold and exercise absolute or full power in the Church and that he hath giuen the ministeriall power to the Church who executeth it for the most part by ministers and religiously executeth it according to the rule of Gods word These thinges beeing in this sorte considered it shall not bee greatly laboursome to knowe the studies of the holy Church of god For it executeth as I said euen nowe that power whiche it hath receiued of GOD most carefully and faithfullye to the ende that it maye serue God that it may be holy and that it may please him And that I may reckon vp some of her studies specially first of all it worshippeth calleth vppon loueth and serueth one God in Trinitie and taketh nothing in hand not hauing first consulted with the word of this true god For she ordereth all her doings according to the rule of Gods word she iudgeth by the woord of God and by the same she frameth all her buildinges being built mainteyneth them being fallen downe she repaireth or restoreth them againe The assemblies and congregations of Saincts vppon earth she feruently furthereth and loueth In these things it harkeneth diligently to the preaching of the word of God she is partaker of the sacrameÌ„ts deâ—outly and with great ioy and desire of heauenly thinges It prayeth to God by the intercession of our only mediatour Christ with a strong faith ferueÌ„tly continually and most attentiuely It praiseth the maiâ—stie of God for euer and with great ioy giueth thanks for all his heauenly benefits It highly estéemeth all and euery the institutions of Christ neither doth it neglect any of them But chieflie it acknowledgeth that it receiueth all things belonging ether to life saluation righteousnes or felicitie of the onely sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ as he who onely chose her and then by his spirite and bloud sanctifyed her and made her a Church that is a chosen people whose onely king redéemer high priest and defender he is without whom there is no saluation Therefore in God alone by our Lord Iesus Christ she only resteth him shee onely desireth and loueth and for his sake she reioyceth to loose all things that apperteine to this world yea and to spend her bloud and her life And therefore it cleaueth vnto Christe by faith inseparablie neither doeth it hate any thing more bitterly than falling awaye from Christ and desperation For without Christ there séemeth nothing in all this whole life to be pleasant With Sathan as with a deadly enimie she hath vnappeaseable enimitie Against heresies and errours it striueth both constantly and wisely The simplicitie of the Christian faith the sinceritie of the doctrine of the Apostles it most diligently kéepeth She kéepeth her selfe as much as lieth in her vnspotted of the world and of the flesh from all carnall and spiritual infection And therfore she fléeth from and by all meanes detesteth all vnlawefull congregations and prophane religions with all wicked men and willingly and openly confesseth Christe both by woord and déede euen with the damage of her life It is exercised with afflictions but yet neuer ouercome It keepeth vnitie and concord carefully All and euerye the members of her body shee most tenderly loueth It doeth good vnto all men as much as power and abilitie will suffer It hurteth no man It forgiueth willingly It beareth with the weake brotherlye till they bee brought foorth forward to perfection Shee is not puffed vpp with pride but thoroughe humilitie is kept in obedience in modestie and in all the dueties of godlinesse But who I praye you is able to recite all and euery one of the studies of the church in a very large discourse much lesse in this short recitall And who would not desire to be a member of so diuine and heauenly a congregation I would by and by ioyne herevnto that which remayneth touching the vnitie of the catholique Church of the diuision thereof and of other thinges belonging to the consideration hereof but that I doe perceiue you beeing alreadie wearie of hearing do earnestly loke for an end of this sermon Therefore we will put off the residue till to morrowe And now lifting
Gospell that is of that whiche giueth the spirite of Christ yea which poureth it into the beléeuers but they are not preachers of the letter of the lawe which doth not giue grace and remission of sinnes but worketh wrath and bringeth sinne to light Touching the keyes and the power of the keyes there will be elsewhere a more fit place to speake And moreouer it séemeth that here is a méete place for those things which I haue disputed of in the first sermon of this Decade touching the power and ministerie of the Church Againe whereas the Lorde vseth in teaching his Church mans helpe and vs as labourers together in finishing the saluation of mankinde he sheweth most euidently howe greatly he loueth vs and howe muche he estéemeth of vs who hath layde vp so greate a treasure in earthen vessels and euen in vs our selues worketh what so euer is most excellent and ouercommeth all the highe excellencie of the world Whereby we learne againe to attribute all the glorie vnto Christ Paul againe teaching vs and saying We preache not our selues but Iesus Christe the Lorde and our selues your seruaunts for Iesus sake For it is God that commaunded the light to shine out of darknesse who hath shined in our hearts for to giue the light of knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christe But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power may bee of God and not of vs Wee are afflicted on euery side yet are we not in distresse c. Moreouer all the members of the Ecclesiasticall body are wonderfully glued together by the Ecclesiasticall ministerie For this chiefly helpeth to make concorde and continue vnitie bicause we want mutuall instruction and vnto euerie Churche is one peculiar pastour appointed as a gouernour as it were some faythfull housholder gouerning and kéeping in order his whole familie Truely it can not be denyed that in time past that moste exquisite order of the tabernacle and temple and the tribe of Leuie consecrated to the priesthoode were to this ende ordeyned of God whiche as soone as that vngodly king Ieroboam throughe wicked presumption forsooke hee rent the kingdome in péeces and at the length vtterly ouerthrewe both his owne house and the whole kingdome S. Paule also speaking of the endes of the holy ministerie instituted of God doth not forget the vnitie of the Ecclesiasticall body wherevnto also he ioyneth other notable good things If any man desire his wordes they are these He instituted ministers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the woorke of the ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christe till we all meete together in the vnitie of faithe and knowledge of the sonne of god vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe that we henceforth be no more children wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceite of men and with eraftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue But let vs followe the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the heade that is Christe c. These endes of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie are manifest in the preaching of the worde of god GOD hathe instituted a ministerie in the Church that all the members may be brought into the vnitie of the bodye and that they maye be subiect and cleaue to Christe their heade that thereby we may growe to be of full age and become perfect men that we be not alwayes children and that we lye not open to the deceites and bewitchings of all heretiques but being ioyned together in true faith and charitie let vs holde fast the pure and simple truth of Christe and seruing Christe vnfeignedly in this worlde we may after death reigne with him in heauen Out of these things let vs also deriue this that the Ecclesiasticall ministerie thoughe it be executed by men yet is it not of man that is to say inuented by man For the beginning thereof is from heauen and the authour or institutour thereof is God him selfe and therefore the worthinesse of it doth greatly excell The first preacher in paradise was God him selfe yea the sonne of God him selfe who by the ministerie of the holy ghoste alwayes spake to the Fathers euen as afterwardes being incarnate he was giuen of the father to be a maister and teacher to the whole worlde He preached vnto our parentes Adam and Eue remission of sinnes and repentance He ordeyued and reuealed a sacrifice insteade of a sacrament wherein might be represented ratified vnto them y price of the redemptiō promised by the séed in time couenient to be paide c. There succéeded in the ministerie Adā with his sonnes nephues Seth Enos Enoch No◠Sem Abrahā with their sonnes and nephues euen vnto Moses in whose time while he gouerned the Church and after him there are giuen Prophetes and Priestes euen vnto the time of Iohn Baptist and Iesus the promised séed I meane Christe our king and highe Prieste He in likewise sent into the worlde his disciples that is to saye the Apostles who ordeyned for their successours Byshops and Doctours Of whiche thing I haue spoken more largely in an other place God him selfe therefore is hearde in the voyce or doctrine of his ministers So that we are commaunded to giue eare to the ministers preaching the Gospell as to the verie Angels of God yea as to the Lord him selfe For this cause Paule prayseth the Galathians saying Ye despised not neyther abhorred my triall which was in the flesh but receiued me as an angel of God yea as Christe Iesus Wherevpon S. Augustine also in his third treatise vpon Iohn Let vs heare sayth he the Gospell as if the Lord were present and let vs not say Oh happie are they who could heare him bycause there were many of them which saw him and yet consented to kill him and many among vs who haue not seene and yet beleued For that also whiche sounded precious out of the mouth of the Lorde is both written for our sakes and kept for vs and is also read for our sakes and for our posterities sake shall bee read vnto the end of the world The Lord is aboue yea and the Lord whiche is the trueth is here also For the body of the Lord wherewith he rose may be in one place but his trueth is spread abroade euery where Let vs therefore heare the Lord and that also which he shal giue vs of his words Thus much he The Lord our highe prieste speaketh vnto vs euen at this day by the ministers preaching his word And we haue all things what so euer the Lorde spake by the patriarches prophets and apostles set out in the scriptures which the ministers of the churche doe reade and declare before vs Who therefore hereafter can despise the ministerie and the faithfull ministers of Christe especially since our Lord and
Plebani that is priests appointed for the people who only represent some shadowe of the old institution in this that they preache and administer the Sacramentes whiche neuerthelesse you cannot allowe beecause they minister them after Popish traditions and not after the doctrine of the Apostles And many other thinges they doe by reason of their office which godlines by al meanes doth dissallowe There are added vnto these hirelings helpers or vicars There are also ioyned vnto these Sacellani whome they call chaplaines of whom there is an excéeding number These euen as the monkish priests do account the chiefe partes of their duetie to be saying ouer their houres but especially in massing as for doctrine they attribute nothing to it For of this companie you shall finde some who neuer in all their life made one sermon For the charge of preaching they committ onely to their parishe priestes and their vicars they serue those Gods to whome their altar or their chapell is consecrated c. By all whiche thinges euen vnto blinde men it plainly appeareth how shamefully the first institution of ministers or pastours is corrupted and turned vpside downe They set ouer the priestes archpriestes I haue vsed that word in my preface or epistle in the beginning of the first Decade and I heare that some brethren are offended at it as thoughe there stucke some péece of Popish leuen still about vs or as though wee thought to bring in againe some vnworthie dignitie into the churche But I would not haue those brethren to feare With vs there are no Popish archpriests neither vnderstood I any Popish dignitie by that word but the office of ouerséeinge whiche others call visiting For they haue the charge of all degrées in our countrie in admonishing and correcting they haue no prelacie or superioritie they reape no rewards thereby c. But wee returne to our purpose They deriue priestes or sacrificers from the seuentie disciples whome it is read in the Gospel that the Lord did choose The order of bishops from Peter himselfe and the residue of the Apostles And immediatly they diuide the order of bishops into thrée partes namelye patriarches archbishoppes and bishops They account the patriarchs the fathers of princes or highest fathers And them also they call Primates And Primates say they haue authoritie ouer thrée archbishops as a king also hath authoritie ouer thrée dukes Here I thincke Cardinals haue their place in whom the church of Rome is turned as a gate vpon the hindges For in the Decretals of Gregorie De officio Archip. it is thus read Cardinals haue their name a Cardine that is of the hindg of a gate for as by the hindg the gate is ruled so by Cardinals the vniuersall churche is gouerned Archbishops are as it were the princes of bishops they are also syrnamed Metropolitanes because they haue their gouernment in the chiefest cities In verie déed Metropolis with the Gréekes is as it were a mother citie from whence Colonies are deducted that is people are sent out to inhabite some newe place Wherevpon he is called the Metropolitane byshoppe who gouerneth some one Prouince and hath other byshops vnder him And these are called both byshops chiefe priestes and presuls But if you compare all these thinges with that whiche I sayde before of the byshops and gouernours of the primitiue churche you will say there is very greate difference betwéene them But that whiche they write touching the Pope or chiefe byshop is farre from the writings of the Apostles and Euāgelists and from the first ordeyning of ministers made by our sauiour Christ All those bishops saye they our most holy Lord the Pope doth excell in dignitie and power who is called Pope that is the father of fathers he is also called vniuersall because hee is chiefe of the vniuersall churche and hee is also called Apostolicall and the chiefe bishop because he supplieth the roome of the chiefe of the Apostles For he is Melchizedec◠whose priesthood other are not to be compared vnto because he is the head of all bishoppes from whom they descend as members from the head and of whose power they all do receiue whome he calleth to be partakers of his care and burden but not to bee partakers of the fulnesse of power They therfore define the Pope to be the supreme head of the churche in earth and the onely vniuersall shéepeheard of the whole world who cannot erre nether ought to be iudged of any man For they saye he is the iudge of all men hauing absolute power For thus sayeth Innocent the 9. Pope in his thirde Quest Neither of the Emperour neither of all the Clergie neither of kinges nor of the people ought the iudge to be iudged Vppon whiche place he that wrote the glosse writeth thus A general coūsell cannot iudge the Pope As appeareth in the Extrauagants in the title of Election cap. Significasti Therfore if the whole world should pronounce sentence in anye matter against the Pope it seemeth that wee must stand to the Popes iudgement Herevnto perteine those common grounds of the clawbacke flattering laweyers of the Popes Court very plausible and authenticall That all the lawes of the Pope are to be receiued of all men as if they proceeded frō the very mouth of Peter That the authoritie of the Pope is greater than the authoritie of the Saincts That the Pope is all and aboue all That God and the Pope haue one consistorie Which thing also Hostien affirmeth In C. Quanto de Transl prael That the Pope cannot bee brought into order by any man thoughe hee bee accounted an heretique That he hath supreme power neither hath he any fellowe That he hath all lawes within his breast That there is a general counsell where the Pope is That hee hath all lawes in his breast That he hath both swordes whereby he maye rightly bee called an Emperour yea that hee is aboue the Emperour That hee onely can depose the Emperour and pronounce the sentence of the Emperour to be of no effect That he onely may spare whom he will and maye also take awaye the right of one man and giue it to another And finallie may take away priuileges To bee short they saye hee is Lord of Lords and hath the right of the king of kinges ouer his subiectes yea and also hath fulnes of power ouer the temporall thinges in earth Yea and also the whole world is the Popes diocesse wherein he is the Ordinarie of all men and it standeth vppon the necessitie of saluation that euerie man be subiect to the bishop of Rome Herevnto for conclusion I will add the words of the Glosser who sayeth In Ca. Quanto de Transl Episcopi Tit. 7. The Pope sayeth he is said to haue a heauenly power and therfore he altereth the verie nature of things by applying the things that are of the substance of one thing vnto another And of nothing hee can make something and that sentence which
bee able to doe all Therefore to his goodwill to vs ward which in these woords Our father wée haue expressed wee do now ioyne knowledge of all thinges and power to do althings adding Which art in heauen By these wordes the faith of them that pray is stirred vpp and confirmed Nowe there doe followe in order sixe petitions The first is Hallowed be thy name Wée haue called God our father and our selues his sonnes But it is the part of sonnes to honour or glorifie their father and therefore immediatly vppon the beginning we desire that the name of the Lord God and our father might be sanctified or hallowed That truely is holy and vndefiled alwayes in it selfe neither is it made any whitt the better or the worse by vs Wherevppon we pray that that which is and remaineth holy in it selfe should be acknowledged of vs to bee such and alwayes sanctified of vs. A name is the definition of any thing whatsoeuer and names are inuented to make a difference of one thinge from another whereby they mighte bée knowen amonge themselues But GOD is infinite and vnmeasurable moreouer hee is one therefore hée hath not a name whereby to bee defined hee néedeth not a name whereby to be discerned from other Gods. Therefore those names that are attributed vnto him in the Scriptures are attributed for our infirmitie to the end that by some reason and comparison wee mighte vnderstand somethinges that are spoken of him that is vnmeasurable and infinite Therefore the name of GOD in verye deede is GOD him selfe with all his Maiestie and glorie To Sanctifie or Hallowe otherwhiles signifieth to separate thinges from a prophane vnto an holy vse In this place it signifieth to magnifie to praise and to glorifie Wée desire therefore that GOD himselfe who of his owne nature is a good holie and for euer blessed gentle bountifull and a mercifull father might as hée is in himselfe bee acknowledged and magnified of all vs that all nations leauing their errour and heresies mighte consecrate them selues in trueth to this one onely father and God that all thinges which defile the name of the Lord of whiche sort are wicked deceiptes or practises vngodlinesse Epicurisme an vncleane life and especially corrupte and antichristian doctrine may bee taken awaye that béeing inlightened wee mighte sanctifie or hallowe the name of the Lord. Wherefore in this petition we desire the holy ghost the verie onely authour it selfe of all true sanctification Wée pray for true faith in GOD by Christ thoroughout the whole world Wée pray for holy thoughtes and a pure life wherewith wée might glorifie the name of the Lord whiche is done while euerie one doeth his owne duetie while Sathan the authour of al vncleannesse is cast out while corrupt doctrine is taken awaye and deceipt ceasseth while the filthinesse of the world is banished This petition the most excellent king and Prophete Dauid setteth forth in these wordes GOD be mercifull vnto vs blesse vs shewe vs the light of his countenaunce and bee mercifull vnto vs that thy way may be knowen vppon earth thy sauing health amonge all nations Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee And as followeth in the thréescore and seuenth Psal. To this belongeth the whole prayer of oure Sauiour described by S. Iohn in the 17. Chapiter of his Gospel The second petition is Thy kingdome come For the name of God and our father cannot bee sanctified or hallowed vnlesse hee reigne in vs There is one kingdome of GOD another of the diuel Furthermore one kingdome of God is said to bee of glorie and another rightly of grace The kingdome of glorie is not of this world but of another world The kingdome of Grace is the kingdome of Christe in this world wherein Christ reigneth by the holy spirite in his faithfull ones whiche of their owne accord submit themselues vnto him to bee gouerned saying and doeing those thinges which beautifie and beséeme christians The diuell also reigneth in the children of vnbeléefe which yeeld themselues vnto him to be gouerned according to his vngodlinesse and wickednesse doeinge those thinges which are not onely delightfull to the flesh but whiche turne to the reproch of Gods maiestie whom after this life by the iust iudgement of God the diuel the king of the vngodly catcheth vnto hell into the kingdome of death and iudgement there continually to burne Moreouer the earthly kingdome which princes of this world gouerne is called either the kingdome of God or the kingdome of the diuell euen as it shall fashion frame it selfe to one of the twaine All these things wée do knit vpp in fewe words because wée haue more plentifully entreated of them in another place Wherefore we pray in this second petition that Christe might reigne and liue in vs and wée in him that the kingdome of Christ might be spread abroad and inlarged and preuaile thoroughe the whole world that Doctours or teachers and ecclesiasticall magistrates finally that princes also yea and scholes too and whosoeuer may further the kingdome of Christe béeing annoynted and watered with his graces may flourish ouercome and triumphe furthermore we pray that the kingdome of the diuel and antichriste maye bée broken and vanquished least it hurte and annoye the Sainctes that with with the kingdome of the diuell all vngodlinesse may be dasht and troden vnder foote to be short that all the weapons and armour of Antichristianisme may be broken into shiuers and come to naught Lastly we pray in this second petition that after we haue sayled out of the tempestuous gulfe of this worlde we might be receiued and gathered vnto Christ and all the Saintes into the euerlasting kingdome of glory For as we desire the kingdome of God to come vnto vs and God to reigne in vs so we praye to come or to be receiued into his kingdome and to liue for euer with him most holily The thirde petition is Thy will be done as wel in earth as it is in heauen God reigneth not in vs vnlesse we be obedient vnto him therefore after his kingdome we desire the grace of perfect obedience For we desire not that God do what he will. For continually Gods will is done albeit we neuer pray for it and though we wrestle and striue against it with all our might For the Prophet sayth Our God is in heauen he hath done whatsoeuer pleased him in heauen and in earth We aske therefore that what he will the same he maye make vs both to will and to do For his wil is alwayes good but our wil through the corruption of sinne is euill Therefore we pray him to be present with vs with his grace that our will may be regenerated and framed to the good wil of God that of it own accorde it yealde it selfe to the holie Ghoste to be framed that his grace will that which he inspireth that he finish in vs that which
laide not a side his true and very body 2. Cor. 5. Philip. 3. Christ â—ath a reasoâ—able soule Matth. â—0 Matth. 26. Iohn 12. Luke 22. Luke 9. The hereticall error and the sounde truethe touchinge the mysterie of Christes â—ncarnation * Aprouer biall kind of speache whereby is meante that in avoyding a lesse error he fall into a greater Of the vnitinge of Chrste his Godhead and manhood Iohn 1. â— Tim. 3. Heb. 2. Heb. 2. Christ reteineth both natures vnmeddled or vnconfounded to gether 〈◊〉 7. â—sai 9. 〈◊〉 5. Matth. 22 Psal. 110. Luke 1. Iohn 14. Marke 14. Matth. 28. Rom. 1. The Natures in Christ are not mingled or coÌ„founded Christe in one persoÌ„ remaineth vndiuided 1. Cor. 2. Actes 20. Of communicatinge of â—â—opeâ—ties Iohn 3. Heb. 2. Iohn 6. Iohn 20. The person of Christ is not diuided Matth. 8. Marke 16. Actes 1. Actes 8. Christ is king of al. Gene. 3. Luke 11. Colos 1. 2. Pet. 2. Matth. 21. Christ is a monarche Psal. 2. Psal. 110. Esai 49. Isai 16. Ierem. 23 Of the kingdome of God. Mich. 4. Rom. 24. Matth. 25. Luke 23. The kingâ—ome of God which 〈◊〉 one iâ—â—wo waiâ— â–ª â—â—nfidereâ— Gods kingdome of grace in â—arth Pro. 24. 1. Sam. 7. Howe Canst reigâ—etâ— on 〈◊〉 in â—is kingâ—ome â—poc 1. The spiritual kingdome of God. Iohn 18. The â—ounds of Christes kingdome â—n earth The seate of our King Christe 〈◊〉 1. Ephe. 5. Gods kingdome of glorie in heauen Apoc. 21. 22. The kingdome of Christe is in euerlastinge kingdome Matth. 16 Matth. 24 Dan. 7. Matth. 6. The kingdome of the world what maÌ„ner of one it is Iohn 12. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Iohn 3. Christ Ieâ—us the â—â—gh pries â–ª Psal 110. Heb. 6. Hebr. 7. Gen. 14. Hebr. 5. Psal. â— Christ is aÌ„noynted Psal. 45. Esai 61. Howe Christ our priest doth the offices of a priest Christ the teacher of the church Christ maketh intercession Christ blesseth Christ sacrificeth Christ sanâ—â—ifieth Iohn 7. Iohn 17. Of Christs priesthood Heb. 8. Heb. 13. 1. Iohn 2. Esai 4 4. Hebâ— 5. Iohn 16. Heb. 9. Heb. 10. Apoc. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Of the name of a Christian Christians are kinge and priests Christians are kinge Rom. 6. I. Iohn 5. Christians are priests Heb. 3. Heb. 13. The name of a Christian moste auncient There are but fewe Christians Esa. 66. Matth. 7. A gainste false Christians The conclusion The word Spirit is â—â—pounded Spirit is â—ayer or 〈◊〉 Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 14. Spirit signifieth an Angel. Psal. 104. Hebr. 1. Spirit signifieth life Psal. 145. 104. Gene. 6. Spirit signifieth the soule of man. Luke 23. Iohn 19. Actes 7. Eccle. 12. Spirit signifieth affection of minde Spirit signifieth spiritual motions Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 3. Spirit â—ignifieth reuelation 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 4. What the holy ghosâ— is That the â—olyghost 〈◊〉 verie God. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 12. Matth. 28. ob 25. Luke 1. 2. Pet. 1. Actes 5. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 12. The holy ghost is neither minister â—or instrument The holie ghost is a substance not an accident Rom. 8. Gal. 5. Of the proceeding of the holie ghoste The holie ghost procedeth froÌ„ the father and the sonne Gal. 4. Matth. 10. Iohn 15. Iohn 14. Iohn 15. Iohn 5. The proceeding of the holie ghost is two-fouldor of twoe sortes Temporal proceding Eternall proceding Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decade about the beginning 1 Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 4. â—ncreasinges of the spirite 4. Reg. 2. Iohn â— Matth. 13. 1. Sam. 16. Psal. 51. Of the effect and power of the holie ghost The holie ghost The holie ghost is the Spirite of God aâ—d of the sonne 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. The holâ—e ghost is the comforter Iohn 14. The holiâ— ghoste is a comforter giueth ioye and gladnesse The holie ghost is the Spirite of trueth Iohn 16. Iohn 14. The Spirit of promise Gal. 3. The holie ghost the singer of god Luke 11. Exod. 8. Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decad what things are spoken against the heretiques called the Anthropomorphites The spirit is called water and a liuely founteine Esai 44. Iohn 7. The holie ghost is fire The holie ghost a mightie winde The holie ghost a fiâ—ie tongue The holie ghost a loue Matth. 3. â—sai 53. â—ohn â— Actes 8. â—api 7. The holie ghost oyle and aÌ„noyning 1. Iohn 2. Iere. 31. Hebr. 8. 2. Cor. 1. The holy ghost is the earnest of our inheritance Ephe. 1. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 3. The holie ghost loue or charity Rom. 5. The operations of the holie ghost Isai 1â— Wisdome VnderstaÌ„ding Counsell Strength Knowledg Feare Rom. 8. The spirit doth morâ—fie and quicken The spirit â—r holie ghost reuealeth â—he mysteries of the â—ingdome of God. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 16. The spirite foresheweth thinges to come Actes 11. The diuers giftes of the holy ghost Gal. 5. Tertullians notatable treatise of the holy ghost Isai 11. Isai 6â— Psal. 54. Rom. 8. â— Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 12. Mark. 3. A summe of the vnitie and Trinitie of God. Aâ— angel â—al 2 3. 1. Cor. 11. â— Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 6. â— Cor. 12. That there are angels Actes 23. Matth. 22. A. Steuchus in his 6. and. 8. booke de perenni philosophia What Angels are That Angels are created Heb 1. Coloss 1. When Angels were created Angels are Substances Heb. 1. Matth. 22. Hebr. 2. What maÌ„ner of Substances angels are Psal. 104 â–ª Bodily SubstaÌ„ces What bodies are taken of Angels Angels are incorruptible Matth. 22. 1. Cor. 15. Luke 20. Angels are moste free swifte and speedie Actes 5. Actes 1â— Iohn 5. Luk. 23. 16. Dan. 9. The strength of Angels Dan. 10. The knowledge of Angels Of the multitude and order of Angels Dan. 7. Matth. 26 Hebr. 12. The exposition of names giuen to Angels Angels Archangels 1. Thes 4. Thrones or Seates Psal. 18. Lordships Principalities Powers Cherubim Seraphim God vseth the ministerie of Angels Psal. 103. Exod. 19. Dâ—uâ— 5. Actes 10. Luke 15. Zacha â–ª 1. What the ministeries of angels are Esai â— Ezech. 3. Luke 2. 1. Pet. 1. Matth. 13. Luke 1. Matth. 2. Luke 22. Gen. 16. Actes 17. Exod. 12. Actes 12. 4. Reg. 19. 2. Reg. 24. 2. thess. 1. Apoc. 16. Psal. 34. Psal. 91. Matth. 18. Gen. 32. 4. Reg. 6. * Seruants Gene. 24. Exod. 34. 〈◊〉 10. â—an 4. We muste â—ot attribute too much vnto Angels Sainctes wil not be worshipped of vs. Actes 7. Gen. 16. Actes 27. Apoc. 22. The worâ—hippinge â—f Angels greatly coÌ„demned Marke what he thinketh of the temple builte to S. Michael in Mount Garganuâ— Of euill spirites That there are diuels What the diuel is That the diuel is a creature The diuel was not created euil Of the fall of Angels from heauen Iob. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn â— Isai 14. Ezech. 2â— The diuel is euerlastingly coÌ„demned Maâ—th 25. Mark 9. Iohn 5. Daâ— â—2 Apoc. 20. Diuels are spirits and