and the abhominable and murtherers c. 655 22 And after I had heard and séene I fell downe to worship c. 653 22 Sée thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt c. 743. 842. 890 The third and last table conteyning a short summe of such words or names and matters as are mentioned in this booke A. AAron a type or figure of Christ 332 Aaron his rod. 332 Abraham how he is iustified 3. 387. 554 Abia beléeuinge the ward of the Lord ouercommeth 5000000. men of theâ—ribe of Israel 253 Abigei what they are 279 Abrogation of the Lawe 409 Abrogation of the Iudiciall lawes 427 Abortion what it is 443 Abuse of Christian libertie 449 Alsolom 523 Abuse of the Church goods 1128 Achaz 254 AccusatioÌ„s false and wrongfull 320 Accusations that be iust 322 Actuall sinne and the cause thereof 505 Adam and â—ethusalem 649 Adoration 651 Adamonition before punishmeÌ„t 202 Adulterie spoken against 231 Adulterie and fornication 863 Adulcerie pardoned by Christ 234 Adulterie what things are in it forbidden 234 Arian heretiques condemned 775 Affinitie that the word of God hath with sacraments 291. 892 Afflictions 292 293. 298 299. 307. 310. 311. 312. 313 316. Altar 348 Altar or table of the Lord. 1070 Allthinges of God by God and in God. 494 Amasias 254 Ammon the king rebelling against the word of God after two yeares infortunate reigne was murthered of his owne household servaunts 255 Ambition worketh by priuate gifts 278 Anabaptistes and Nouations the me 〈◊〉 of Sathan 569 Angel and Angels 732. 733. 734. 735. c. vsque 745. Anthropomoâ—phites 118. 613 Antiochus Epiphanes 511 Anthemius 892 Annoynting or annoyling 1136 Apostles of Christ 11 Apostles how they bynde and loose 902 Apostles what they be 877 Apostles bâ—ptise infants 1055 Apostles authoritie very great 12 Apostles Créede 55 Apostles receiue wages 1121 Application of scripture necessarie 903 Appeale 392 Appearing of spirits 392 Article of the Christian faith 55 2 Article 59 3 Article 60 4 Article 63 5 Article 67 6 Article 69 7 Article 74 8 Article 78 9 Article 78 10 Article 81 11 Arâ—icle 84 12 Article 90 Aristocracie 169 Arcke 345. 346. 996. Assemblie 1064 Assemblies that be holy 915. 916 Ascension of Christ 69 Asturia 235 Asa 253 Ascend into heauen 1088 Auncient lawes 387 Authoritie of the Apostles very great 12 Authoritie of fathers 393 Auengment taken by the magistrate 196 Augustines opinion of the righte hand of the father 73 Augustines diuision of signes 955 Augustines sentence touching merites of Saintes 494 Auricular confession 577. 578 581 Authoritie of pastours 912 Authour of Sacraments God himselfe 962 Auncient exposition of the words of the Supper This is my bodie 1086 B. Backbiting pernicions 323 Bargaining buying selling 287 Baptisme 989. 1005. 1013. 1027. 1031. 1033. 1050. 1055. 1060. 1061. 1062. Baptising with water vnconsecrated 1039. 1040. Baptiser 1042 Baptised 824. 1055. 1060 Baâ—lards 395 Baâ—des and Curtisans haue benefices at Rome 900 Belongeth to vs to knowe what was written to theÌ„ in old time 15 Beléeue in the sonne of God. 59 Beléefe of oures the second Article thereof 58 Beléefe in the church forbidden 78 Bed in wedlocke ought to be vndefiled 226 Benâ—fits of God are to be acknowledged 952 Beginning of sinne against the holy Ghost 517 Beginning of the ministerie from whome and the worthines thereof 875 Behauiour of the godly in their calamities 300 Bearing witnesse 319 Birth of Christ 63 Bishops 878. 905. Blaspemie 516. 517 Blessing and thankesgiuing 977 Bloud and strangled forbidden by the apostles 421 Body of Christ 689 Body glorious 87. 88 Body naturall body spirituall 89 Bodies of the wicked rise againe 89 Bonauentures opinion of grace 1003 Bondage 395. 441. 442 Both kindes in the supper giuen receiued 1066 Bow downe to images what it is 122 Bread among the Hebrues what it signifyeth 947 Bread and wine remaine in their substance after consecration 984 Bread and wine are so called after consecration 985 Breaking of bread 1063 Buriall of Christ 65 Buying and selling c. 394 C. Catalogue of the bookes of the diuine Scripture 12 Cause of Christes incarnation 60 Calling to the ministerie 891. 893 Cathechising 907. Calamities 291. 293 Candlesticke golden 347 Carnall and fleshly people 404 Cure of the bodie 448 Cauills of those that attribute iustification to workes 458 Cause of sinne and euill 483 Catholique church what it is 79. 813 Carnall bondage and seruile 991 Carthage counsell for examining of bishops 895 Celebration of the supper c. 1072 Ceremonies 229. 328 329. 330. 364. 413. 415. 424. 1033. 1034. Confession of true religion 366 Charitie 92. 98 Christe as yet executeth all the dueties of a priest in the church 872 Christ what hee receynâ—th to himselfe from his ministerie and apostles 872 Christ is the naturall sonne of God 883 Christ reâ—eyneth both natures vnconfounded together 691 Christ in one person remayneth vndiuided 694 Christ is king of all 698 Christ is a Monarch 698 Christ is cotent to debate with Pilate of his kingdome 700 Christ called the onely sonne 59 Christ how he reigneth on earth in his kingdome 700 Christ Iesus the highe prest 704 Christ is annointed but with inuisible oile 705 Christ doth the office of a priest that is teacheth maketh intercession blesseth sacrificeth and sancrifieth 705 Christe his priesthood 706 Christians are kinges and priesis 709 Christ compared with Adam 49 Christ died not in vaine 50 Christ by interpretation annoynted 60 Christ is our Lord. 60 Christs conception and the maner thereof 62 Christes conception pure 63 Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 64 Christ a Judge 74 Christ conueyeth himselfe awaye when the people would haue made him a king 218 Christians haue nothing to doe with the yron like Philosophie of the Stoikes 301 Christ coÌ„mandeth vs to beare his crosse 309 Christ and Paule examples to vs. 314 Christ is the rock not Christ signifieth the rocke 991 Christ the first begotten 331 Christ and his Apostles institute scholes 1115 Christ hath taken all burthens froÌ„ our shoulders 437 Christ fulfilled the lawe and is the perfectnes of the faithful 407 Christ alone is our life and saluation 543 Christ doeth fully worke our saluation 544 Christ is receiued by faith and not by workes 548 Christ how he preached the Gospel 548. 661. 862. Church Churches and CoÌ„gregation c. 667. 812. 813. 815. 816. 820. 821. 827. 831. 832. 833. 852. 860. 861. 863. 864. 866. 867. 868. 1118 1127 Circumcision 355. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. Citie and temple of Hierusalem destroyed 413 Clearkes what they were sometime 883 CoÌ„municating of properties 696 Counsell of the priestes forsaken by king Ioas what followed 254 Conscience at quiet peace before God is the worke of the holy ghost 723. Constancie of the Apostles 723 Consecrating of pastours begun with fasting and prayer 897 Concupiscence 108. 949 Consubstantiall and coessentiall 59 Communion of sainctes 80 Confession and acknowledging of sinnes 81
doubt whether any more greate and mightie did reigne in the world publisheth a decrée that hée should be torne in péeces his house made a iakes whosoeuer spake reprochfullie against the true God which made both heauen and earth The place is extant in the third Chapiter of Daniels prophecie Darius Medus the sonne of Assuerus king Cyrus his vncle saith I haue decreed that all men in the whole dominion of my kingdome doe feare the God ofDaniel as is to be séene in the sixte of Daniel Cyrus king of Persia looseth the Iewes from bondage and giueth them in charge to repaire the temple and restore their holie rites againe Darius Persa the sonne of Hystaspes saith I haue decreed for euerie man which chauÌ„geth any thing of my determination touching the reparation of the temple and the restoring of the worship of god that a beame be takeÌ„ out of his house set vp and he hanged theron and his house to be made a iakes The verie same Darius again who was also called Artaxerxes saith Whosoeuer will not doe the lawe of thy God Esdras and the law of the king let iudgemeÌ„t straight way passe vpon him either to death or to vtter rooting out or to confiscation of his goods or imprisonment All this we find in the booke of Esdras The men which are persuaded that the care and ordering of religion doth belong to bishopps alone do make an obiection and say that these examples which I haue alledged do nothing apperteine to vs which are Christians because they are examples of the Iewish people To whom mine aunsweare is The men of this opinion ought to proue that the Lord Iesus his Apostles did translate the care of religion from the magistrate vnto bishops alone which they shal neuer be able to doe But wée on the other side will briefly shew that these auncient princes of Gods people Iosue Dauid and the rest were Christians verilie in deede and that therefore the examples which are deriued from them applied to Christian princes both are and ought to bée of force and effect among vs at this day I wil in the end adde also the prophecie of the Prophet Esai wherby it may appere that euen now also kings haue in the Church at this day the same office that those ancient kings had in that Congregation which they call the Iewish Church There is no doubt but that they ought to be accoÌ„pted true Christians which being annoynted with the spirite of Christ do belieue in Christ and are in the Sacramentes made partakers of Christ For Christ if ye interprete the verie word is as much to say as annointed Christians therefore according to the Etymologie of their name are annoynted That annointing according to the Apostles interpretation is the spirite of God or the gift of the holie ghoste But S. Peter testifieth that the spirit of Christ was in the kinges Prophets And Paul affirmeth flatly that wee haue the verie same spirite of faith that they of old had And doth moreouer communicate our Sacraments with them where hee saith that they were baptised vnder the cloud and that they all dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them which rock was Christe Since then the case is so the examples truly which are deriued froÌ„ the words and woorkes of those auncient kinges for the confirmation of faith and charitie both are and ought to be of force with vs And yet I know that euerie thing doth not consequently folow vppon the gathering of examples But here wée haue for the making good of our argument an euident prophecie of Esai who foretelleth that kinges princes after the times of Christ and the reuealing of the Gospell should haue a diligent care of the Church should by that meanes become the féeders and nourices of the faithfull Now it is euident what it is to feede to nourish for it is al one as if he shold haue said that they sâ—ould be the fathers mothers of the Church But hée could not haue said that rightly if the care of religion did not belong to Princes but to Bishops alone The words of Esaie are these Behold I wil stretch out my hand vnto the Gentiles and set vp my token to the people they shal bring thee thy sonnes in their lappes and thy daughters on their shoulders And kinges shal be thy nourcing fathers Queenes thy nurcing mothers they shal fal before thee with their faces flatte vppon the earth and licke vp the duste of thy feete c. Shal not wée say that all this is fullie performed in some Christian princes Among whom the first was the holie Emperour CoÌ„stantine who by calling a generall counsell did determine to establish true sincere doctrine in the Church of Christe with a settled purpose vtterly to roote out all false and hereticall phantasies and opinions And when the bishopps did not go rightly to worke by the true rule and touchstone of the Gospel and of charitie hée blamed them vpbrayding them with tyrannicall crueltie and declaring therwithal what peace the Lord had grauÌ„ted by his meanes to the Churches Adding moreouer that it were a detestable thing if the bishopps forgetting to thancke God for his gift of peace should goe on amonge themselues to baite one an other with mutuall reproches taunting libells thereby giuing occasion of delight and laughter to wicked idolatrers when as of dutie they ought rather to handle and treat of matters of religion For sayth hée the bookes of the Euangelistes Apostles and Oracles of the auncient Prophetes are they which must instruct vs to the vnderstanding of Gods holie lawe Let vs expell therefore this quarelling strife and thincke vppon the questions proposed to resolue them by the woordes of Scripture inspired from aboue After him againe the holie Emperours Gratian Valentinian Theodosius make a decrée and giue out the edicte in these verie woords Wée wil and coÌ„maund all people that are subiecte to our gratious Empire to be of that religion which the verie religion taught conueighed from Peter till now doth declare that the holie Apostle Peter did teach to the Romanes And so forward By this derely beloued ye perceiue how kings and Princes amonge the people of the new Testament haue béen the foster fathers and nourices of the Church being persuaded that the care of religion did first of all and especially belong to themselues The second obiection that they make is the leprosie of Osias king of Iuda which hée gatt by challenging to himselfe the office of the Priest while hée presumed to burne incense on the incense altar They obiect the Lords commaundement who badd Iosue stand before Eleazar the Prieste and gaue the king in charge to receiue the booke of the law at the Leuites haÌ„ds But our disputation tendeth not to that confounding of the offices and duties of the magistrate and ministers of the Church as that wée would
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
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
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
so haue we the most lightsom testimonies sentences examples decrees of the most excelleÌ„t ancient holy wise greatest meÌ„ of al the world touching all things which séeme to appertaine to true godlynesse the way how to liue wel holily These bookes therefore founde a ready prepared entraunce of beliefe among all the poâ—â—eritie as bookes which are authentical and which of them selues haue authoritie sufficient and which without gainsaying ought to be beléeued of all the world Yea and that more is our Lord Iesus Christe the only begotten sonne of God doth referre the faithfull to the reading of Moses yea and that in déede in the chiefest pointes of our saluation The places are to be séene Iohn 5. Luke 16. In the. 5. of Mathew he saythe Doe not thinke that I am come to destroy the law and the prophetes sor I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For verily I say vnto you though heauen and earth doe passe one iot or title of the lawe shall not passe till all be fulfilled Who so euer therefore shall vndoe one of the leaste of these commaundementes and shall teache men so he shall be called the leaste in the kingdome of heauen There haue verily some bene founde that haue spoaken against Moses the seruant of God But God hath imputed that gainsaying as done against his diuine Maiestie and punished it most sharply The proofes hereof are to be séene in Exodus 16. and Numerie the. 12. And first of the people murmuring against Moses theÌ„ of Marie Moses sister speaking against her brother But to the people it was sayde Not against the Ministers but against the Lorde are your complaintes As for Marie she was horribly strucken with a Leprofie Theotectus was strucken blinde Theopompus fel to be madde bicause he had vnreuerently touched the word of god For althoughe the worde of God â—e reueled spoken and written by men yet doth it not therefore cease to be that whiche in deede it is neyther dothe it therefore beginne to be the worde of men bicause it is preached and heard of men no more then the King his commandement whiche is proclaimed by the Criar is said to be the commaundement of the criar He despiseth God with God al the holy Patriarchs whosoeuer doth coÌ„temne Moses by whom God speaketh vnto vs and at whose hands we haue receiued those things which the Patriarches from the beginning of the world by tradition deliuered to the posteritie There is no difference betwéene the woord of God whiche is taught by the liuely expressed voyce of man and that whiche is written by the penne of man but so farre foorthe as the liuely voice and wryting doe differ betwéene themselues the matter vndoubtedly the sense and meaning in the one and the other is al one By this dearely beloued you haue perceiued the certaine hystorie of the beginning of the word of God. Now let vs go forward to the rest that is to adde the hystorie of the procéeding of the word of God by what meanes it shined euer and anon very cleare and brightly vnto the world By and by after the departure of the holy man Moses out of this world into heauen the Lord of his bountifulnesse gaue moste excellent Prophetes vnto his Churche whiche he had chosen to the intent that by it he might reueale his word vnto the whole world And the Prophetes were to them of the olde time as at this day amongst vs are Prophetes Priestes wisemen Preachers Pastours Bishops Doctors or Diuines most skilfull in Heauenly thinges and giuen by God to guide the people in the faith And he whosoeuer shall read the holy hystorie will confesse that there flourished of this sorte no small number and those not obscure euen vntill the captiuitie at Babilon Amongst whom are rekoned these singular and excellent men Phinées Samuel Helias Heliseus Esaias and Ieremias Dauid Solomon were both Kings and Prophets In time of the captiuitie at Babilon Daniel Ezechiel were notably knowen After the captiuitie flourished among the rest Zacharias the sonne of Barachias Here haue I reckoned vp a few amoÌ„g many who although they florished at sundrie times and that the one a greate while after the other yet did they all with one consent acknowledge that God spake to the world by Moses who God so appointing it left to the Churche in the world a breuiarie of true diuinitie and a most absolute Summe of the word of God conteined in writing All these Priestes Diuines and prophets in al that they did had an especiall eye to the doctrine of Moses They did also refer all men in cases of faith and religion to the bookes of Moses The lawe of Moses which is in déede the Lawe of God is moste properly called Thora as it were the guide and rule of faith and life they did diligently beate into the mindes of all men This did they according to the time persons and place expound to al men For al the Priests and Prophets before the incarnation of Christ did by word of mouth teache the men of their time godlines and true religion Neither did they teache any other thing then that whiche the Fathers had receiued of God which Moses had receiued of God and the fathers and straight wayes after committing it to writing did set it out to all vs which folow euen vntill the end of the world so that now in the Prophets we haue the doctrine of Moses and tradition of the Fathers and them in all and euery point more fully and plainely expounded and polished being moreouer to the places times and persâ—ns very fitly applyed Furthermore the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes haue alwayes béen of great authoritie among all wise men throughout the whole world For it is well perceiued by many argumeÌ„ts that they tooke not their beginning of the prophets theÌ„selues as chief Authours but were inspired froÌ„ God out of heaueÌ„ by the holy spirit of god For it is God which dwelling by his spirite in the mindes of the Prophets speaketh to vs by their monthes And for that cause haue they a most large testimonie at the hands of Christ his elect Apostles What say ye to this moreouer that God by their ministerie hathe wrought miracles and wonders to be marueiled at and those not a fewe That at the least by mightie signes we might learne that it is God by whose inspiration the Prophetes doe teach and write whatsoeuer they left for vs to remember Furthermore so many common weales and congregations gathered together and gouerned by the Prophetes according to the worde of God doe shewe moste euident testimonies of God his trueth in the Prophets Plato Zeno Aristotle and other Philosophers of the Gentiles are praised as excelleÌ„t men But whiche of them could euer yet gather a Churche to liue according to their ordinances And yet our Prophetes haue had the moste excellent and renowmed common
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
S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
feastes and holy dayes which we kéepe holy to Christe our Lord in memorie of his Natiuitie or Incarnation of his Circumcision of his Passion of the Resurrection and Ascension of Iesus Christe our Lorde into heauen and of his sending of the holy Ghost vpon his Disciples For Christian libertie is not a licentious power and dissoluing of godly Ecclesiasticall ordinances which aduaunce and set forward the glory of God and loue of our neighbor But for bicause the Lorde will haue holy dayes to be solemnized and kept to him self alone I do not therefore like of the festiuall dayes that are helde in honour of any creatures This glory and worship is due to God alone Paul sayth I wold not that any man should iudge you in part of an holie day or of the Sabbothes which are a shadow of things to come And againe Ye obserue dayes and monethes and yeares and times I feare least I haue laboured in you in vaine And therefore we at this day that are in the Churche of Christe haue nothing to doe with the Iewish obseruation we haue onely to wish indeuour to haue the Christian obseruation and exercise of Christian religion to be fréely kept obserued And yet as the hallowing of the Iewish sabboth so also the sanctifying or exercise of our Sunday must be spent occupyed about foure things which ought to be founde in the holy congregation of Christians if their Sunday be truely sanctified and kept holy as it should be Firste let all the godly Saintes assemble them selues together in the congregation Let there in that congregation so assembled be preached the worde of God let the Gospell there be read that the hearers maye learne thereby what they haue to thinke of God what the dutie and office is of them that worship God and how they ought to sanctifie the name of the lord Then let there in that congregation be made prayers and supplications for all the necessities of all people Let the Lord be praised for his goodnesse and thanked for his vnestimable benefits whiche he dayly bestoweth Then if time occasion and custome of the Church do so require let the sacramentes of the Church be religiously ministred For nothing is more required in this fourth commaundement than that we should holily obserue and deuoutly exercise the Sacramentes and holy lawfull profitable and necessarie rites and ceremonies of the Church Last of all let entyre humanitie and liberalitie haue a place in the Saints assembly let all learne to giue almes priuately and relieue the poore dayly and to do it frankly and openly so often as opporunitie of time and causes of néede shall so require And these are the dueties wherein the Lordes sabboth is kept holy euen in the churche of Christians and so much the rather if to these be added an earnest good wil to do no euil al the day long This discipline now must be brought in and established by euery householder in all our seuerall houses with as great diligence as it was with the Iewes Touching which thing I haue nothing to say here since I haue before so plainely handled this point as that ye perceiue that it agréeth euen to the Churche of vs that are Christians This one thing I adde more that it is the dutie of a Christian magistrate or at leastwise of a good housholder to compell to amendment the brekers and contemners of Gods sabboth and worship The péeres of Israell and all the people of God did stone to death as the Lord commaunded them the man that disobediently did gather stickes on the sabboth day Why then should it not be lawful for a Christian Magistrate to punishe by bodily imprisonment by losse of goods or by death the despisers of religion of the true and lawfull worship done to God and of the sabboth day verily though the foolishe and vndiscrete Magistrate in this corrupted age doe slackly looke to his office and duetie yet notwithstanding let euery householder do his indeuour to kéepe his seuerall familie from that vngodly naughtinesse let him punish them of his housholde by suche meanes as he lawfully may For if any one householder dwell among Idolaters which neyther haue nor yet desire to haue or frequente the Christian or lawful congregations theÌ„ may he in his own seuerall house gather a peculiar assemblie to prayse the Lorde as it is manifest that Lot did among the Sodomites Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the land of Chanaâ—n and in Egipt But it is a haynous sinne and a detestable schisme if the congregation be assembled either in cities or villages for thée then to séeke out bywayes to hide thy self not to come there but to contemn the church of God and asseÌ„blie of saints as the Anabaptistes haue takeÌ„ a vse to do Here therfore I haue to reckon vp the abuses of the sabboth day or that sinnes coÌ„mitted against this commaundement They transgresse this coÌ„maundement that cease not from euil works but abuse the sabboths rest to the prouoking of fleshly pleasures For they kéep the sabboth to God but work to the deuil in dicing in drinking in dauncing féeding their humors with the vanities of this world wherby we are not only drawn from the coÌ„panie of the holy congregation but do also defile our bodyes which we ought rather to sanctifie and kéepe holy They sinne against this precept which eyther exercise any handie occupation on the sabboth day or else lye wrapt in bed and fast a sléepe till the day be almost speÌ„t not once thinking to make one of Gods congregation They offend in this precept that awe their seruants to worke and by appointing them to other businesse do drawe them from the worship of God preferring other stinking thinges before the honour due to god And they aboue all other offende herein which do not only not kéepe holy the sabboth day them selues but doe also with their vngodly scoffes and euil examples cause other to despise and set light by religion when they do disdaine and mocke at the holy rites ceremonies at the ministerie ministers sacred Churches and godly exercises And herein too do both the goodmen and goodwiues offend if they be slacke in their owne houses to call vpon and to sée their families kéepe holy the sabboth day Who so euer do contemne the holynesse of the sabboth day they giue a flat and euident testimonie of their vngodlinesse and light regarde of Gods mightie power Furthermore the kéeping or despising of the sabboth doth always carry with it either ample rewards or terrible threates For the proofe whereof I will recite vnto you dearely beloued the wordes of Ieremie in his 17. cha Thus hath the Lord saide vnto me sayth he Goe and stand vnder the gate of the sonnes of the people through which the kings of Iuda goe in and out and vnder all the gates of Ierusalem and say vnto them Take heede for your liues that ye
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
haue the king to preach to baptize and to minister the Lords supper or the priest on the other side to sit in the iudgment seate and giue iudgement against a murderer or by pronouncing senteÌ„ce to take vppe matters in strife The Church of Christ hath and reteyneth seuerall and distinguished offices and God is the God of order and not of coÌ„fusion Hereunto tendeth our discourse by demonstration to proue to all men that the magistrate of duetie ought to haue care of religion either in ruine to restore it or in soundnesse to preserue it and still to see that it procéede according to the rule of the woord of the lord For to that end was the law of God giuen into the kinges hands by the priestes that hee should not be ignoraunt of Gods will touching matters Ecclesiasticall and politicall by which lawe hée had to gouerne the whole estate of all his realme Iosue the Capitaine of Gods people is set before Eleazar in deede but yet hee hath authoritie to commaunde the priestes and being a politique gouernour is ioyned as it were in one bodie with the ecclesiasticall ministers The politique magistrate is commaunded to giue eare to the ecclesiastical ruler and the ecclesiastical minister must obey the politique gouernour in all thinges which the law commauÌ„deth So then the magistrate is not made subiect by God to the priestes as to Lords but as to the ministers of the Lord the subiection duetie which they owe is to the lord himself and to his law to which the priestes themselues also ought to be obedient as well as the Princes If the lipps of the priest erre from the truth and speake not the word of God there is no cause why any of the common sort much lesse the Prince should either hearken vnto or in one title reuerence the priest The lippes of the priest sayth Malachie keepe knowledge they seeke the Lawe at his mouth because he is the messinger of the lord of hoastes To refuse to hear such priestes is to repell God himself Such priestes as these the godly princes of Israell did alwayes ayde and assist false priestes they did disgrade those which neglected their offices they rebuked sharpelie and made decrees for the executing and right administring of euerie office Of Salomon wee read that hée put Abiathar beside the priesthoode of the Lord that hee might fulfil the word of the Lord which he spake of Heli in Silo and made Zadok priest in Abiathars stéede In the second booke of Chronicles it is said And Salomon set the sorts of priestes to their offices as Dauid his father had ordered them and the Leuites in their watches for to praise minister before the priestes day by day as their course did require In the same booke againe Ioiada the priest doth in déede annointe Ioas king but neuerthelesse the king doth cal the priest giue him a coÌ„maundement to gather money to repaire the temple Moreouer that religious and excellent Prince Ezechias called the priestes and Leuites and said vnto them Bee ye sanctified and sanctifie ye the house of the Lord our God and suffer no vncleannesse to remaine in the sanctuarie My sonnes be not slacke now because the Lord hath chosen you to minister vnto him selfe Hée did also appoint singars in the house of the Lord and those that should play on musicall instruments in the Lords temple Furthermore king Ezechias ordeyned sondrie companies of priestes and Leuites according to their sondrie offices euerie one according to his owne ministerie What may be sayd of that too that euen hee did diuide to the priestes their portions and stipends throughout the priesthoode The same king gaue charge to all the people to â—éepe holie that feast of Passeouer writing to them all such letters as priestes are wont to write to put them in mind of religion and hartie repentaunce And after all this there is added And the king wrought that which was good right and iust before the Lord his God. When Princes therefore doe order religion according to the woord of God they do the thing that pleaseth the lord This and the like is spoken againe by the godly Prince Iosias Who therefore will hereafter say that the care of religion belongeth vnto bishops alone The Christian Emperours following the example of the auncient kings as of their fathers did with greate care prouide for the state of true religion in the Church of Christe Arcadius Honorius did determine that so often as matters of religion were called in question the bishopps should be sommoned to assemble a counsell And before them againe the Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius established a lawe wherin they declared to the world what faith and religion they would haue all men to receiue and reteine to witte the faith and doctrine of S. Peter In which edicte also they proclaimed all them to be heretiques which thought or taught y contrarie allowing them alone to be called catholiques which did perseuere in S. Peters faith By this we gather that the proper office of y priests is to determine of religion by proofes out of the woord of God that the princes dutie is to aâ—de the priestes in aduauncement and defence of true religioÌ„ But if it happen at any time that the priests be slack in doing their duetie then is it the princes office by compulsion to inforce the priestes to liue orderlie according to their profession and to determine in religion according to the woord of god The Emperour Iustinian in Nouellis CoÌ„stitut 3. writing to Epiphanius Archbishop of Constantinople saith Wee haue most reuerend Patriarch assigned to your holinesse the disposition of all things that are honest seemelie and agreeable to the rule of the holie scriptures touching the apointing ordering of sacred bishops reuereÌ„d clearkes And in the 7. Constitution hée saith Wee giue charge and commauÌ„demeÌ„t that no bishop haue liceÌ„ce to sell or make away any immoueables whether it be in houses or landes belonging to the Churches Againe in the 57. Constitution hée forbiddeth to celebrate the holie mysteries in priuate houses Hée addeth the penaltie and saith For the houses wherein it is done shal be confiscate and sold for money which shal be brought into the Emperours Exchequer In the 67 Constitution hée chargeth all bishops not to be absent from their Churches but if they be absent he willeth that they should receiue no commoditie or stipend of the prouinciall stuards but that their reuenue should be imployed on y Churches necessities In the 123. constitution the lieuetenauntes of euerie prouince are commaunded to assemble a counsell for the vse and defence of ecclesiasticall lawes if the bishops bee slacke to looke thereunto And immediatlie after hee saith Wee do vtterly forbid all bishoppes prelates and cleaâ—kes of what degree soeuer to play at tables to keepe companie with diceplayers to bee lookers on vpon gamesters or to runne to gaze vppon May games or
pageants I do not alledge all this as Canonical Scriptures but as proofes to declare that Princes in the primatiue church had power officiall authoritie and a vsuall custome graunted by God as Esai did prophecie and deriued from the examples of auncient kinges to commaund bishops and to determine of Religion in the Church of Christ As for them which obiect the churches priuilege let them knowe that it is not permitted to any prince nor any mortal man to graunt priuileges contrarie to the expresse cōmaundemēts and verie truth of gods word S. Paul affirmed that he had power giuen him to edifie but not to destroy I am the briefer because I wil not stād to proue that they are vnworthie of indifferent priuileges which are not such as priestes and Christ his ministers should be but are souldiers rather and wicked knaues full of all kind of mischiefe Amonge other thinges in the Canon Lawe Distinct 40 wée finde this written See to your selues bretherne how ye sitte vppon the seate for the seat maketh not the priest but the priest the seate the place sanctifieth not the man but the man the place Euerie priest is not a holie man but euery holie man is a priest Hée that sitteth wel vpon the seate receiueth the honour of the seate but he that sitteth ill vppon the seate doth iniurie vnto the seate Therfore an euil priest getteth blame by his priest hoode and not any dignitie And thus much thus farre touching this matter Since now that I haue declared vnto you déerely beloued that the care of religion doth belong to the magistrate too and not to the bishopps alone that the magistrate may make lawes also in cases of religion it is requisite that I inquire what kinde of lawes those are that the magistrates may make in matters of religion There is no cause whie the king or magistrate should suppose that power is giuen to him to make newe lawes touching God the worship of God or his holie mysteries or to appoint a new kind of true iustice and goodnesse For as euery magistrate is ordeyned of God and is Gods minister so must hée be ruled by God and be obedient to Gods holie word and commaundement hauing euermore an eye vnto that and depending stil vppon that alone The scripture which is y word of God doth abundauntly enough set downe al that which is proper to true religion yea the Lord doth flatly forbidde to adde too or take any thing from his holy word The magistrate therefore maketh no newe lawes touching God and the honour to be giuen to God but doth religiously receiue and kéepe doth put in vre and publish those auncient lawes in that kingdome which God hath allotted him vnto For hereunto apperteineth the giuing of the booke of Gods law vnto the kinges of Israell that they might learn therby the way to do the things which they of duetie ought to sée done To Iosue the Lord doth say See that thou doest obserue doe according to all the law that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Thou shalt not tourne from it either to the righte hand or to the left Neither shall the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouth but occupie thy minde therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt do wiselie Deuout and holie Princes therefore did doe their faithfull diligent indeuour to cause the word of God to be preached to the people to reteine and preserue among the people the lawes ceremonies and statutes of god yea they did their best to spread it to al men as farre as they could and as place and time required to applie it holilie to the states persons on the other side they were not slack to banish driue away false doctrine prophane worshipings of God blasphemies of his name but settled themselues vtterlie to ouerthrow and roote it out for euer In this sort I say godly magistrates did make and ordeine deuoute lawes for the maintenaunce of religion In this sort they bore a godlie and deuout care for matters of religion The cities which the Leuites had to possesse were of old their scholes of Israel Now Iosue did appoint those cities for studies sake and the cause of godlines King Ezechias was no lesse carefull for the sure paiment and reuenue of the ministers stipēds than hee was for the restoring and renuing of euerie office For honour and aduauncemēt maketh learning to flourish when néede and necessitie is driuen to séeke out sondrie shiftes beggarie setteth religion to sale much more the inuented lyes of mens owne mouthes Iosaphat sendeth Senatours and other officers with the priestes and teachers through al his kingdome For his desire was by all meanes possible to haue Gods word preached with authoritie and a certaine maiestie and being preached to haue it defended and put in vre to the bringing forth of good workes King Iosias doth together with idolatrie and prophane worshippinges of God destroy the false priestes that were to be found setting vppe in their stéeds the true teachers of Gods word and restoring againe sincere religion euen as also king Ioas hauing rebuked the Leuites did repaire the decayed buildings of the holie temple I am not able to runne through all the Scriptures and rehearce al the examples in them expressed let the Godly Prince or magistrate learne by these fewe what and how hée ought to determine touching lawes for religion On the other side Ahia the Silonite saith to Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord Thou shalt reigne according to all that thy soule desireth and shalt be king ouer Israel And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee and wilt walke in my wayes and doe that is right in my sight that thou keepe my statutes and my commaundements as Dauid my seruaunt did then will I be with thee build thee a sure house But the wretch despised those large promises and reiecting Gods word his temple at Ierusalem and his lawfull worship refusing also the Leuites hée made him priestes of the dregges and rascall sort of people hée built himself new temples which hée decked nay rather disgraced with images and idolls ordeyning and offering sacrifices not taught in Gods woord by that meanes inuenting a certain new kind of worshipping god and a new maner of religion And although his desire was to séeme to be willing to worshippe God yet is he by God condemned for a wicked man Hearken I pray the sentence of the Lord which hee denounceth against him Thou hast done euil saith Ahia as the Lord had taught him aboue all that were before thee For thou hast gone and made the other Gods and moultē images to prouoke mee and hast cast mee behinde thy backe Therefore I will bring euill vppon the house of Ieroboam and wil roote out from Ieroboam euen him that pisseth against the wall
Iudgemente Let therefore the feare of the Lord bee vppon you and take heede and bee dilligent For there is no vnrighteousnes with the Lord our God that hee should haue any respecte of persons or take any rewarde To these I will yet adde a fewe places of the holie Scripture more which shall partlie make manifeste those that wente before and partlie expounde and more plainlie expresse the office of the Iudge In Deuteronomie wée reade The Iudges shall iudge the people with equitie and iustice Thou shalte not peruerte Iudgemente nor haue respecte of personnes nor take a rewarde For a rewarde doeth blinde the eyes of the wise and peruerteth the woordes of the righteous Thou shalte doe Iudgemente with iustice that thou mayste liue and possesse the Land. Againe in Exodus wée finde Thou shalte not follow a multitude to doe euill neither shalte thou speake in a matter of Iustice accordinge to the greater number for to peruert Iudgemente Neither shalte thou esteeme a poore man in his cause keepe thee farre from false matters and the innocent and righteous see thou slaye not for I will not iustifie the wicked Thou shalt take no rewardes for rewardes blinde the seeinge and peruerte the woordes of the righteous In Leuiticus also wee haue this Yee shall doe no vnrighteousnes in Iudgemente thou shalte not fauoure the personne of the poore nor honour the mightie but in righteousnes shalt thou iudge thy neighbour Againe Yee shall doe no vnrighteousnes in Iudgemente in metyarde in weighte or in measure True balaunces true weightes a true Epha and a true Hin shall yee haue I am the Lord your God c. I suppose verilie and am thus persuaded that in these fewe woordes of the Lord our God are comprehended al that which profounde Philosophers and Laweyers of great learning doe scarcelie absolue in infinite bookes and volumes of many leaues Beside all this the most holie Prophete Ieremie crieth to the kinge and saith Keepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not greeue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherlesse or the widowe and shed no innoceÌ„t bloud Thus much touching the office of Iudges But in the eyes of some men this oure discourse may séeme vaine and fruitelesse vnlesse wée do also refute their obiections whereby they indeuour to proue that pleadinges and lawe matters are at an ende because the Lord in the Gospell saith To him that will sue thee at the lawe and take away thy coate let him haue thy cloake also And againe While thou arte yet with thine aduersarie vpon the way agree with him quicklie least hee deliuer thee to the tormentour They adde moreouer the strifes in the lawe which S. Paule the Apostle in the sâ—â—te Chapiter of his Epistle to the Corinthians doth flatlie condemne To al which obiections mine aunsweare is this As the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles doth not abrogate the priuate ordering of particular houses so doeth it not condemne or disanull the publique gouernemente of common weales The Lord in the Gospell after S. Luke chideth with and repelleth the young man who desired him to speake to his brother for an equall diuision of the inheritaunce betwixte them Hée blamed him not for because hee thinketh ill of him that claymeth an equall diuision or that parte of the inheritaunce that is his by righte but because hée thought that it was not his duetie but the Iudges office to deale in such cases The words of our Sauiour in that place are these Whoe hath appointed mee a Iudge betwene you and a diuider of land and inheritaunce And againe as wée reade in the Gospell If any man will sue thee at the lawe and take awaye thy coate giue him thy cloake also So on the other syde againste this doinge of iniurie there is nothinge more busilie handled and required in all the Euangelicall doctrine than charitie and welldoinge But a good deede is done in nothing more than in iudgmente and iustice Since therefore that Iudgemente was inuented for the practisinge and preseruinge of Iustice and vprighte dealinge it is manifeste that to iudge in matters of controuersie is not forbidden in the Gospell The notable Prophets of the Lord Esai and Zacharie crie oute and saye Ceasse to doe euill learne to doe good seeke after Iudgemente helpe the oppressed and pleade the cause of the fatherlesse and widdowe Execute true Iudgemente shewe mercie and louinge kindenesse euerie manne to his brother Doe the widdowe the fatherlesse the straunger and poore no wronge They sinne therefore that goe on to hinder Iudgemente and to thruste Iudges beside their Seates For as they pull awaye from the true God no small parte of his woorshippe so doe they open a wide gate to wronge robberie and oppression of the poore The Lorde I graunte commaunded that which oure aduersaries haue alledged meaninge there by to settle quietnesse amonge his people but because the malice of menne is inuincible and the longe sufferinge of sillie Soules makes wicked knaues more mischiefous therefore the Lord hath not forbidden nor condemned the moderate vse of Iudgements in lawe Moreouer wée reade in the Actes of the Apostles that Paule did oftener than once vse the benefite of Iudgemente not for monie or goodes but for his life which hée endeuoured to saue and defende from them that laye in waite to kill him Neither consented hée to the vniuste iudgemente of Festus the President but appealed to Caesar and yet wée know that Paule did not offend therein against the doctrine of the Gospell of Christe The same Paule in his Epistle to the Corinthians did not absolutely coÌ„demne the Corinthians for going to lawe aboute thinges belonginge to their liuing but because they sued and troubled one an other before Heathen Iudges It is good and séemely without doubte to suffer wronge with a patient minde but because it pleaseth the Lord to ordeine iudgement to bée a meane of helpe and succour to them that are oppressed with iniurie hée sinneth not at all that seekes to kéepe himselfe from wronge not by priuate reuengement but by the vprighte sentence of Iudges in lawe And therfore did the Apostle commaunde the Corinthians to choose out to themseluâ—s amonge the faithfull such Iudges as might take vp temporall matters in coÌ„trouersie betwixt them that fell at variaunce Thus haue I declared vnto you the seconde parte of the magistrates office which consisteth in Iudgement I will now therefore descende to the exposition of the third and laste parte which comprehendeth reuengemente and punishment For the magistrate by his office beareth the sworde and therefore is hée commaunded by God to take reuengement for the wronge done to the good and to punish the euill For the Sword is Gods vengeaunce or instrumente wherewith hée strikes the stroake to reuenge himselfe vppon his enimies for the iniurie done vnto him and is in the scripture generallie taken for vengeaunce and punishment The
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
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
if iudgement had once passed vpon her For hée came not to be a patrone to adulterers nor to breake the lawe but to fulfill it But if it like adulterers well that the adultresse was not condemned of the Lord then let them also like that sentence wherwith the Historie is ended when the Lord saith Go thy wayes and sinne no more Let them therfore leaue off to defile and destroy themselues with filthie adulterie The Lord in his lawe hath expresly named adulterie alone but therewithall hée doth inclusiuely vnderstand all kindes of luste and luxurie and al thinges else which do egge forward and stirre vp fire in men to wātonnesse which hee forbiddeth as seuerely as adulterie it selfe The Lord in the Gospell doth not onely forbidde the outward worke of adulterie but the very affection also and wāton lust of the hart and minde Ye haue heard sayth hée that it was said to them of old Thou shalt not commit adulterie But I say vnto you that whosoeuer loketh on a woman to luste after her hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his heart In the same place hee teacheth vs to plucke out oure eyes and cut off oure hands that is to extinguishe vncleane affections that rise in oure mindes while yet they bée younge and beginne to bud least peraduenture they breake oute from thoughtes to déedes So then in this precepte euery vncleane thoughte all ribaulde talke and filthines of bodilie déedes are vtterlye forbidden In this precepte is forbidden fornication or that kinde of whoorehunting which is said to be the medlinge of a single man with an vnmarried woman This kinde of whoredome is thought of many either to be a verie small offence or none at all But such kinde of men doth the diuell harten on bewitch and by those ill thoughtes driue on to commit that sinne when as the doctrine of the Euangelists and Apostles doth teach vs the contrary For the Apostles in that Synodal Epistle which they sent from Hierusalem to al nations doe expressely name and forbid fornication S. Peter reckoneth fornication amonge those filthie sinnes from which hee would haue Christians to be most cleare S. Paul saith Flee fornication Againe Let vs not be defiled with fornication as some of them committed fornication and fell in one day three and twentie thousand Fornication doth directlie fighte with the couenaunte of God whereby hée is ioyned to vs and wee to him and whooredome also spoyleth God of his glorie and doth most filthilie pollute the temple of the lord Let vs heare what the Apostle Paule saith touchinge this matter Knowe yee not that your bodies are the members of Christe Shall I therfore take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlotte GOD forbidde What know ye not that hee that is coupled to an harlotte is one bodie For two saith hee shal be one flesh But hee that is coupled to the Lord is one spirite Flee fornication Euerie sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but hee that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body What know ye not that your body is the tēple of the holie ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and ye are not your owne For ye are bought with a price Therefore fornication shutteth fornicatours out of the kingdome of god For the same Apostle saith Neither whoremongers nor adulterers shal inherite the kingdome of God. And therefore in an other place hée suffereth not fornication to bee so much as once named amonge Christians so farre was hée from admitting stewes and brothel houses amonge Gods people Moreouer whooredome doeth fill the whoale bodie with sondrie diseases it depriueth whoorehaunters of all their goods and substaunce it bringeth them to pouertie and extréeme miserie and driueth them at laste to vtter desperation It ouerthroweth their fame good name with shame and ignominie the viewe wherof is liuely expressed in the holy scriptures by the example of Sampson the strongest man amonge all the Israelites Solomon therefore the most wise of all other doth verie fitly in time and place conueniente admonish all men to flée the enticinge baites and flattering allurementes of whoorish strompets For the ende of them is deadly poyson and they throw a man downe headlonge into a bottomlesse pitte of endlesse miseries By this lawe also that kinde of whoredome is prohibited which consisteth in defloratiō of virgins and violent rapes by which children are perforce defiled and carried from their parents There is difference betwixt a rape perforce and the deflowring of a mayde done without violence Sichem defiled Dina the daughter of Iacob and althoughe hée desired to haue the defloured mayde to his wife and to chaunge his religion yet notwithstanding hée himselfe is slaine by Leui and Simeon the bretherne of Dina his citie is raced and filled with the bloude of murdered men whose goods were ransackte and layd open to spoile The historie is extant in the 34. of Genesis For the rape which Roderychus kinge of the Gothes in Spaine committed vppon the daughter of one Iulianus a liefetenaunt all Spaine in a manner was mingled with fire and bloud For Volaterranus in his second booke of his Geographie saith Roderychus reigned three yeares whose filthie lust brought an end aswell to the name as to the quiet kingdome of the Gothes in Spaine by meanes of the Saracenes that inuaded their land For when it fell oute that hee had defloured the daughter of one Iulianus a lieftenaunte of that part of Mauritania that is called Tingitana priuate griefe did pricke her father to seeke reuengement whereto hee vsed the commoditie of the place Wherefore Iulianus doth priuilie cal the Saracenes oute of Aphrica whoe in the yeare of grace 714. vnder the conduicte of their Capitaine Muzta being sente by Mirmomelinus their king at that time entring in through the streightes of Marrocko did in two yeares space subdue al Spaine almost except Asturia In the space of which time it is reported that seuen hundred thousand men on both sides were destroyed by that warre wherin also the king which had defloured the virgine with all his nobilitie was vtterlie slaine In Israel for that Leuits concubine whō the citizens of Gibea of the tribe of Beniamin had violently rauished were 25000. Beniamites slaine beside them which perished frō among the other eleuen tribes whose number amounted to 40000. men Neither is it vnknowen to anye that the kings were expelled out of the citie of Rome and Troy being wearied with tenne yeares warre which troubled both the East and West was at the laste vtterly sacked and cleane ouerthrowē because Tarquinius had perforce rauished Lucrecia and Alexander Paris had stolne oute of Gréece Menelaus his Helena an other mans wyfe Euerie age almost doth minister an innumerable sorte of such like examples For the most iust God hath alwayes by euidente examples declared how greatly hée is offended with deflowrers of virgines and rauishers of
now depart in peace By the helpe and will of God I will within these few dayes adde the rest of the tenne commaundementes The grace of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ be with you all Amen THE ende of the first Tome conteining two DECADES THE THIRDE AND fourth Decade of Sermons VVRITTEN TO THE most renowmed King of England Edward the sixt by Henrie Bullinger The second Tome IESVS This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Heare him Matth. 17. TO THE MOST RENOVMED Prince Edward the sixt King of England and Fraunce Lord of Jreland Prince of Wales and Cornewall defender of the Christian faith Grace and peace from God the father through our Lord Iesus Christ YOur maiestie would I knowe righte well most royall king admitt a straunger to talke with your Grace if any newe guest should come and promise that hee would briefly out of the sentences and iudgementes of the wisest men declare the very truest causes of the felicitie and vnhappie state of euery king kingdome and therefore I hope that I shall not be excluded from the speach of your maiestie because I do assuredly promise briefly to lay downe the very causes of the felicity and lamentable calamities of kinges and their kingdomes so clearely and euidently that the hearer shall not neede to trouble himselfe with ouer busie diligence to seeke out my meaning but onely to giue attentiue eare to that which is spoken For by the helpe of God I will make this treatise not to be perceiued only by the wit and deepe iudgement of learned heades but also to be seene as it were with the eyes and handled as it were with the hands of very ideots vnlearned hearers that too not out of the doubtfull decrees and deuises of men but out of the assured word of the most true god Euen the wisest men do very often deceiue vs with their counsels and greatly endamage the followers thereof But God which is the light and eternall wisedome cannot at any time either erre or conceiue any false opinions or repugning counsells much lesse teach others any thing but trueth or seduce any man out of the right way The wisedome of the father doth in the holy Gospell crie out and say I am the light of the world hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life This eternall wisedome of God as it doth not disorderedly wrap things vp together and make them intricate but layetb downe in order and teaceth them plainly so it doth not onely minister whoalsome counsells but bringeth them to the effect which they wish that obey her Oftentimes verily men do giue counsells that are not vnwhoalsome but yet in their counsells that is altogether omitted which should haue beene first and especially mencioned All the wise men almost of the world haue beene of opinion that kings and kingdoms should be most happie if the king of the countrie be a wise man if hee haue many wise aged faithfull and skilfull counsellours if his Captaines be valiaunt warlike and fortunate in battaile if he abound with substaunce if his kingdome bee on euery side surely fortified and lastly if his people bee of one minde and obedient All this I confesse is truly rightly and very wisely spoken but yet there is another singular and most excellent thing which is not her◠〈◊〉 â—monge these necessaries without which no true felicitie can bee attayned vnto 〈…〉 ing once gotten can safely be kept when as contrarily where that one thing is present all those other necessaries do of their owne accord fall vnto meÌ„ as they themselues can best wish or deuise The Lord our God therfore who is the onely giuer of wyse perfect counselles doth farre more briefly and better knit vpp all shortly and say in the Gospell But seeke ye first rather the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and â—ll 〈◊〉 thinges shall easily be giuen vnto you Againe Blessed are the eyes 〈…〉 that ye see For I say vnto you that many kings and Prophets haue 〈…〉 to sâ—e the thinges that ye see and to heare the thinges that ye heare 〈…〉 neither heard nor seene them And againe Nay rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And this one thing aboue allotâ—â—r is verâ—e necessarie Marie hath chosen the good part which sâ—all not be taken from her Hauing my warrant therefore out of the worde of God I dare bouldly anowe That those kinges shal flourish and be in an happie case which whoalie giue and submit themselues and their kingdomes to Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God being kinge of kinges and Lord of Lords acknowledging him to be the mightiest Prince and Monarch of all and themselues his vassalls subiectes and seruauntes which finally doe not followe in all their affaires their owne minde and iudgement the lawes of men that are contrarie to Gods commaundementes or the good intentes of mortall men but doe both themselues followe the verie lawes of the mightiest king and eternall Monarch and also cause them to be followed throughout all their kingdome reforming both themselues and all theirs at and by the rule of Gods holy word For in so doing the kingdomes shall flourish in peace and tranquillitie and the kinges thereof shall be most wealthie victorious long lyued and happie For thus speaketh the mouth of the Lord which cannot possibly lye When the king sitteth vppon the seate of his kingdome he shall take the booke of the lawe of God that hee may reade in it all dayes of his life that hee may do it and not decline froÌ„ it either to the right hand or to the left but that he may prolong the dayes in his kingdome both of his owne life of his children And againe Let not the booke of this law depart out of thy mouth Iosue or thou whatsoeuer thou art that hast a kingdome but occupie thy minde therein day and night that thou mayst obserue doe according to all that is written therin for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou be happie It is assuredly true therfore confirmed by the testimonie of the most true God in expresse words pronounced that the prosperitie of kinges and kingdomes consisteth in true faith diligent hearing and faithfull obeying the word or lawe of God whereas their calamitie and vtter ouerthrowe doth followe the contrarie This wil I make as my promise is in this annexed demonstration both euident to the eyes and as it were palpable to the verie handes by the examples of most mightie kinges not taken out of Herodotus or any prophane author but out of the infallible historie of the most sacred Scriptures Saule the first king of Israell was both most fortunate victorious so long as hee did in all things followe the word of God but when hee once gaue place to his owne good intentes and meanings
lawe sinne grace the Gospell and repentaunce Neither doe I as I thinke handle them irreligiously For I vse to conferre one Scripture with an other than which there is no way better and safer to follow in the handling of matters touching our religion And forbecause you are the true defender of the Christian fayth it cannot bee but well vndoubtedly to haue Christian Sermons come abroad vnder the defence of your Maiesties name My minde was according to mine abilitie and the measure of fayth which is in mee to further the cause of true religion which now beginneth to budd in England to the great reioysing of all good people I haue therefore written these Sermons at large and handled the matter so that of one many more may bee gotten Wherein the Pastors discretion shall easily discerne what is most auayleable and profitable for euery seuerall Church And the Pastors duetie verily is rightly to moawe the word of truth and aptly to giue the fodder of life vnto the Lords flocke They will not thinke much I hope because in these Sermons I doe vse the same matter the same arguments and the very same words that other before mee both auncient and late writers whom I haue iudged to followe the Scriptures haue vsed yer nowe or which I my selfe haue else wher alledged in other bookes of mine heretofore published For as this doctrine at all times in all pointes agreeable to it selfe is safest to be followed so hath it alwayes beene worthily praised of all good and godly people If the Lord graunt me life leysure strength I will shortly add the other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade which as yet are behinde And all that I say heere I speake it still without all preiudice to the iudgement of the right and true Church Our Lord Iesus the king of kinges and Lord of Lords lead you with his spirite and defend you to the glorie of his name and safetie of all your Realme At Tigure in the moneth of March the yeare of our Lord. 1550. Your Maiesties duetifullie bounden and daily Oratour Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland THE THIRD DECADE of Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger Of the fourth precept of the second Table which is in order the 8. of the 10. Commaundementes Thou shalt not steale Of the owning and possessing of proper goods and of the right and lawfull getting of the same against sundrie kinds of theft ¶ The first Sermon FOR the susteyning and nourishing of oure liues families wee men haue néede of earthly riches Nexte therefore after the comaundements touching the preseruation of mans life and the holy kéeping of wedlocks knot in this fourth commaundement a lawe is giuen for the true getting possessing vsing and bestowing of wealth and worldly substance to the ende that wée should not get them by theft or euill meanes that we should not possesse them vniustly nor vse or spend them vnlawfully Iustice requireth to vse riches wel and to giue to euery man that which is his now since the lawes of God bee the lawes of Iustice they do verie necessarilie by way of comaundement say Thou shalt not steale These words againe in number are fewe but in sense of ample signification For in this precept theft it self is vtterly forbidden all shifting subtilties are flatly prohibited deceipt and guile is banished al cousening fetches are cleane cutt off couetousnes idlenes prodigalitie or lauishe spending and all vniuste dealing is herein debarred Moreouer charge is here giuen for mainteining of iustice and that especially in contractes and bargaynes Wonderfull turmoyles verily are raysed vpp and begonne amonge men of this world about the getting possessing and spēding of temporall riches it was expedient therefore that God in his lawe which he ordeyneth for the health cōmeditie and peace of vs men should appoint a state and prescribe an order for earthly goods as in this lawe hee hath most excellently done And that yee maye the better vnderstand it I wil at this present by the help of Gods holy spirite discourse vppon the proper owning and vpright gettinge of worldly riches in which treatise the whoale consideration of theft in all his kinds shal be plainly declared For the proper owning and possessing of goods is not by this precept prohibited but wée are forbidden to gett them vniustly to possesse them vnlawfully and to spend them wickedly yea by this commaundement the proper owning of peculiar substance is lawfully ordeined firmely established The Lord forbiddeth theft therefore hee ordeineth confirmeth the proper owning of worldly riches For what canst thou steale if all things be common to all men For thou hast stollen thine owne and not another mans if thou takest from an other that which hée hath But God forbiddeth thefte and therefore by the making of this lawe hée confirmeth the proper possession of peculiar goods But because there is no small number of that furious secte of Anabaptistes which denie this proprietie of seuerall possessions I will by some euident testimonies of Scripture declare that it is both allowed and ratified of old Of Abraham who in the Scripture is called the father of faith Eliezer his seruaunt saith God hath blessed my maister merueylously that hee is become great hath giuen him sheepe and Oxen siluer and gold men seruaunts and mayde seruaunts camels and asses and to his sonne hath he giuen all that he hath Loe then Abraham was wealthie did possesse by the right of proprietie al those things which God had giuen him and he left them all by the title of inheritaunce as peculiar and proper goods vnto his sonne Isaac Isaac therefore and Iacob possessed their owne and proper goods Moreouer God by the hand of Moses brought the Israelites his people into the land of promise the groūds whereof he did by lot diuide vnto the tribes of Iosue his seruaunt appointing to euery one a particular portion to possesse and did by lawes prouide that those inheritaunces should not be mingled and confounded together In Solomon and the Prophets there are very many preceptes and sentences tending to this purpose But I knowe verie well that these troublesome wranglers do make this obiection and say That Christian men are not bound to these proofes that are fetched out of the old Testament And although I could confute that obiection and proue that those places of the old Testament doe in this case binde vs to marke and followe them yet wil I rather for shortnesse sake alledge some proofes out of the Scriptures of the newe testamēt to stop their mouthes withall Our Lord Iesus Christ doth greatly commend in his disciples the woorkes of mercie which doe consiste in feedinge the hungrie in giuing drincke to the thirstie in cloathing the naked in visiting prisoners and those that be sick and in harbouring strangers and banished men Hée therefore graunteth to his disciples a proprietie and possession of peculiar goodes wherewith they may frankly
full The place where the temple was afterward builded is reported to haue béen shewed to Dauid by the Angle of the Lord and that Dauid did first of all make sacrifice there vnto the Lord and addeth these words This is the house of the Lord God and this altar is for the sacrifice of Israel As if hée should haue said This plat of ground is appointed for tâ—e temple in this péece shal be builte the house of the Lord yea here shall be offered that onely and effectual sacrifice for all men the very sonne of God Christ Iesus incarnate For all the interpreters of the holy scriptures agrée that the place was at Ierusalem vppon the mountaine Moria where Abraham once would haue offered his sonne Isaac that in that appointed or fatall plâ—ce the temple â—as erected and thâ—t the hill Golgotha or Caluarie was not farre of but in the very topp of the mountaine Moria which was the place and holy hill wherein the holy Gospell doth testifie that Christ was offered for the sinns of al the world which was prefigured in a type of the auncient sacrifices other Ceremonies belonging to the temple The vse and end of the temple was none other than the vse and end of the tabernacle was before Ieroboam therfore and the kings of Israel did sinne most gréeuously when they forsooke the temple to make sacrifices in the high places in their Cathedrall Churches at Bethel and at Dan and in other high pleasaunt places The people of Iuda with their kinges did sinne most gréeuously either for sacrificing to God in the high places or else because they did not vtterly cutt downe those highe places For the Lord would and his wil was to be worshipped in one place which hée had chosen vnto himselfe The plaine lawe touching that matter is extante in the 12. of Deuteronomie is very expressely set downe in the 17 of Leuit. in these woords following Whosoeuer of the house of Israell shall kill an Oxe or a sheepe or a goate within the host or without the host to witt for a sacrifice vnto the lord For otherwise they mighte lawefully kill a beast for their sustenance in any place wheresoeuer and shall not bring it to the doore of the tabernacle of the coÌ„gregation to offer his Sacrifice before the dwelling place of the Lord bloud shal be imputed to that man as if he had shedd bloud Wherefore when the children of Israell bring their offeringes let them bring them to the Lord before the dore of the tabernacle of appointment vnto the priest that hee may offer them And let them no more offer their offerings to diuels after whoÌ„ they haue gone a whoring This shal be an ordinaunce to them for euer in their generations And he that doth not this shal be rooted out from amoÌ„g his people There are in these words thrée thinges to be noted First that it was not lawfull to sacrifice but in that one place onely that was before the altar of burnt offeringes Secondarilie wée haue to marke that that commaundement was giuen to the end that al men should vnderstand that the sacrifice was made to God to whom the tabernacle did belong Thirdly that to offer sacrifice out of y place against Gods comaundement was to make sacrifice vnto the diuel that the offerer was to be iudged as a murderer and that hee was excommunicated by the lord God as he that was excluded froÌ„ the companie of God his holy saints But wheras Samuel Helias and certaine other Patriarches did by Gods sufferance make sacrifices vpon some especiall causes in other places not before the altar in the tabernacle they did it by dispensation They therefore that sacrificed in highe places not to straunge Gods onely but euen to the very true God did sinne first of all by disobedience For God doth mislike yea he curseth al the worship done vnto him which we our selues do first inuent without the warrantise of his word it is faithfull obedience y pleaseth him best SecoÌ„darilie they sinned by making a schisme in the vnitie of the Ecclesiastical body Thirdly for despising the mysterie of Christ that was to be offered in the mount of Golgotha for not referring the meaning of their sacrifices to Christ the onely truth of all their typicall Ceremoines Lastly they sinned by trusting in their sacrifices as in well wrought woorkes to iustification and by neglecting the worship of God chaunging it into trifles of their owne inuentions The teÌ„ple stood from the time that Solomon did first build it vntil the first destruction of it vnder king Zedechias 440. yeares And from the reparatioÌ„ of it vnto the vtter ouerthrowe vnder Vespasian it stood 582. yeares Other there be that do accompt it otherwise Thus haue I hetherto spoken a litle of a great deale concerning the temple Now it remayneth for me to touch and lightly to passe ouer the holy instruments belonging to the tabernacle and temple of the Lord amonge which the arcke of the couenant was the chiefe which arcke was so called because of the tables of the couenant that were put within it It was also called the arke of the Lord God of hostes which dwelleth vppon it betwixt the Cherubim by that meanes the Lord himself was called by the name of Him that sitteth betwixt the Cherubim because he did from theÌ„ce giue aunsweares vnto his seruauntes and had placed it in the middest of his people to be a signe that his presence was alwayes amonge them Touching the stuffe whereof and the for me how the arcke was made I will say nothing here For the matter fashion are in their colours very liuely painted out in the 25. Chap. of Exod. Of the meaning mysterie vse of the arcke I will speake somewhat now We men lay vp in our coffers and cheasts the treasures y we most sett by And therfore we vnderstand that in the arcke was layed the treasure of the Church and all the substance of which the faithfull made most accompt We must not therfore seek for them in meÌ„ in Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid S. Marie Iohn Peter or Paule much lesse in the Romish indulgeÌ„tiarie but in him in whom all fulnesse dwelleth and in whom all the treasures of gods wisedome and knowledge are heaped vp in store who is not séen here on the earth but in the Sanctum Sanctorum in heauen I say aboue and is called Iesus Christ whose diuinitie is figured by the most pure gold and his humanitie by the Sittim wood that is of Cedar or rather white thorne For he tooke vpon him flesh like to our sinnefull flesh euen the very flesh that wée haue in al pointes sauing that it was not sinnefull Out of this arke do the faithfull fetche all good and necessarie things for the vse of their life and eternall saluation For in the arcke wée read that there was layd the tables of the couenaunt the
the first Decade and in the thirde Decade where I entreate of the Sainctes affliction in the tenthe Sermon of the same Decade and also in the fourth Decade where I spake of the Gospell The priests and Monkes do teache that repentaunce of the sinne committed and faith in Christ are not sufficient for the purgeing of sinnes without the satisfaction of our owne woorkes and merites whiche they make to be wearing of sackcloth fastings teares prayers almes déedes offeringes sundrie afflictions of the bodie pilgrimages and many other odde knackes like vnto these For they affirme that by these meanes the penaltie due to sinnes the guilt whereof they saye is only pardoned is washed awaye as with a showre of water powred downe vpon it But wee alreadie haue taught out of the Canonicall Scriptures that God doth not onely forgiue freely the guilte but also the penaltie of oure sinnes Wee haue alreadie taught that men are not iustified by theire owne workes and merites but by the meere grace of God through the faith of Christe Iesus For otherwise hee should in vaine haue taken our fleshe vpon him and in vaine should Christ haue qiuen him selfe vnto the moste bitter and reprochefull death of the Crosse Nowe we add if we are not iustified by workes then doe wee not with our woorkes make satisfaction for our sinnes For in effect although I acknowledge that there is a difference and do not confound them iustification and satisfaction come bothe to one ende By the iustification of Christ we are absolued By the satisfaction of Christ or rather for his satisfactions sake wee are also absolued Christ is our righteousenesse therefore also our satisfaction The price of our redemption is in Christe not in our selues If wee make satisfaction for our selues then is the price of our redemption in our selues And therefore are we both Christes Sauiours vnto our selues whiche thing doth flatly make Christ of none effect and therefore is it extreme blasphemie Moses in his lawe doth with little businesse or none dissolue all the arguments for satisfactiō wrought by our works For where he describeth the maner of cleansing sinnes he placeth no iott thereof in the workes of men but sheweth that it all consisteth in the Ceremoniall sacrifices Now we doe all agree and ioyntly confesse that in those sacrifices the onely sacrifice of Christe was plainly prefigured And to that is added that that only preaching and promise of the newe testament is this I wil be appeased vpon their vnrighteousenesse and sinnes will no more remember their iniquities Nowe where suche a remission is there is no oblation or satisfaction for sinne And wee in the Creede verily doe beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes But if the debitor make satisfaction to the creditor then what I pray you doth the creditor forgiue him Therefore this article of our faith the principall promise and preachinge of the newe testament is vtterly subuerted if we admit the doctrine of the satisfaction of our woorkes for sinnes We do acknowledge that teares fastings wearing of sackcloth almes déedes and the other woorkes of pietie humiliation and charitie haue a place in repentaunce Of whiche I will speake in place conuenient but wee denye that with them wee make satisfaction for our sinnes leaste wee should make the price of Christ his redemption of none effect We acknowledge that at some times the Lorde hath whipped them whose sinnes hee hath forgiuen as he did to our parents Adam and Euah and to king Dauid after his adulterie and murther of Vrias But I haue alreadie shewed you that those afflictions were not satisfactions for the sinnes which God had pardoned but exercises of Gods discipline and humiliation whiche doth by those meanes keepe his sernaunts in their duetifull obedience doth declare to all men howe hartilye he hateth sinnes although he doth fréely forgiue and pardon them Therefore least we because of that frée forgiuenesse should be the more inclined and proue to sinne he promiseth them whome he maketh to be examples for vs to take heede by Neither doe wee read that the Sainctes did simply attribute the benefite of iustification or satisfaction vnto their afflictions I cōfesse that Daniel the Prophet gaue counsell to the moste mightie kinge Nabuchodonosor and sayed Let thy sinnes be redeemed in righteousnesse and thine iniquities in shewing pitie to the poore But in these woordes the kinge was taught howe to leade the reste of his life that was yet behynd howe to rule the state of his kingdome The king had till then oppressed many nations and sinned in mercilesse crueltie wherevppon he persuadeth him to chaunge his olde kinde of life to imbrace iustice and deale well with all men Therefore hee speaketh not of the satisfaction of his sinnes before God but before men For there is saluation in none other than in Christe alone But if any man do stubbornly sticke vppon the letter wee saye that the righteousenesse of Christians is faith by whiche their sinnes are properly cleansed and that faith is not without good woorkes and charitie to which iustification is vnproperly ascribed Of which matter I spake in the treatise that I made of good woorkes Therefore when Saincte Peter doth cite that place of Solomon Charitie couereth the multitude of sinns the woorde Couereth is not there vsed for Purging For by the onelye bloud of Christe all sinnes are purged and wiped awaye but it is taken for Turning awaye For as selfe-loue in a manner is the roote of all sinnes so charitie is thought to bee the driuer away of all mischiefes For loue doth none ill to his neighbour Nowe whereas they obiecte that sentence of the Gospell where the Lord saith Many sinnes bee forgiuen her because shee loued muche they do misse here in because they vnderstande not that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly englished because or for that is here a note of inferring somewhat and that no other sense is gathered than this Manye sinnes bee forgiuen her therefore shee loued muche Or whereby it commeth that shee loueth muche Neither do wee here wrest the wordes of the Gospell to mainteine a wronge opinion For in the historie there goeth before First When they were not able to paye hee forgaue them both If hee forgaue them and if they were not able to paye he did not then forgiue thē for their loue For if they had béene able to paye he would not haue forgiuen them Secondarily there goeth before Whether of these will loue him more Simon saith He to whome hee forgaue the more Therefore the Lordes answer could in effecte bee nothing else but this I haue forgiuen her verie much therefore hath shee loued much So then I saye loue is of forgiuenesse not forgiuenesse of loue And then it followeth immediatelye And he saide to the woman thy faith hath saued the go in peace Wee doe therefore conclude that there is but one onely satisfaction for the sinnes of
should they amonge the heathen say where is their God To these diuine euident preceptes let vs annexe that notable exaÌ„ple of the truly repentaunt Niniuites out of the holy scriptures of whome y holy Prophete Ionas hath left this in writing The men of Ninâ—uee beleeued God and proclamed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of theÌ„ vnto the least of them And word came to the king of Niniuce which arose from his throne and put off his robe couered himselfe in sackcloth and sat downe in the ashes Moreouer by the kinges coÌ„maundement proclamatioÌ„ was made throughout the whole citie saying Let neither maÌ„ nor beast taste any thing neither feede nor yet drincke water but let both man and beast put on sackcloth crie mightily vnto God yea let euery man turne from his euill way from the wickednesse that is in his haÌ„ds Who can tell whether God wil turne be moued with repentance turne froÌ„ his fierce wrath that we perish not And now it is good to heare howe effectuall true repentaunce is in the sight of the lord Therfore it followeth in the same chap. And God saw their works that they turned from their euil wayes he repented of the euill which he said he would do to them and did it not And here also derely beloued ye must note y repentance is of 2. sorts to wit priuate or secrete publique or manifest Euery one doth secretly to himself repent priuately so often as when he hath sinned against god he doth desceÌ„d into himself and with the candle of gods word doth search al the corners of his hart confesse to God al his offences being greued that he hath offended him yet doth turne vnto him beléeuing verily that he wil be reconciled vnto him in Christ his sauiour for his sake doeth vtterly hate sinn entirely loue righteousnes and innocencie in following them so néere as he can The publique or solemne repentance is vsed in great calamities in dearth in pestilence warre and of the repentance it is that the prophet Ioel speketh whose words ye heard a litle afore And yet priuate repentance is in many points all one with the publique For Peter wéepeth bitterly priuate peniteÌ„ts do fast priuately absteine seuerely euen from all alowed pleasures much more then from the allurements and baits of the world But they y do truly repent either publiquely or priuately both do must specially hate coloured hypocrisie vaine ostentation Moreouer both kinds of repentance are frée voluntarie not extorted or coacted but proceding of a willing mind The pastour of the Church teacher of the truth I confesse doth seuerely call vpon al sinners without delay to repent themselues truly for their sinns coÌ„mitted but yet he doth by expresse lawe lay vppon no mans necke any precise order prescribing that time maner place or number but leaueth it frée to euery ones choice so that they do the thing that is decent according to the prescript rule in the word of god But publique repeÌ„tance is for the most part wont to be proclamed openly receiued of the whole coÌ„gregation so often as pietie requireth it and necessitie coÌ„pelleth it doth out of the word of God therewithal declare what how al things must be done decently ordered Againe it is manifest y there are 2. sortes of repentaunce more For there is true repentance false repentance The true repentance is y whiche doth exercise that is regenerate by the spirite of God is without all colour craft coÌ„teyning in it al those things that I haue hetherto told you off The scriptures conteined in the old new testament do minister to vs many examples of true repentance which I haue at large layd forth vnto you in y that I haue alreadie spoken Those examples are excellent which we find of our parents Adam Euah of the people of Israels often repenting in the 33. of Exod. in the booke of Iudges and the bookes of Kinges Yet more excellent than the rest is that of Dauid in the 12. cap. of the 2. of Samu and 1. Par. 21. And that of Manasses Iosias 2. Re. 33. 34 In the Gospell also we haue to sée the examples of Matthewe ZachÄ™us the sinneful woman Peter beside other more that here for shortnesse sake I do wittingly passe ouer But false or couÌ„terfeit repentance procedeth of a feigned hart though at a blush it séeme to haue the circuÌ„stances of true repentance yet for because it wanteth a turning to God and a sound confidence in him it is vnsincere and vtterly false For of al other it is most certaine that the repentaunce of Iudas Iscariote was false and counterfeite and yet he confessed his sinne hee bare record to the trueth and did with much anger and sorrowe restore to the priests the price which he toke for y innocent bloud but because he did not wholie turne to Christ put his whole confidence in his mercie and goodnesse all his repentance was without al fruit And without all profite doe hypocrits and those that are without the faith of the Gospell torment themselues and make a shew of outward repentance But they are most happie and in an heauenly case that do with al their heartes truely repente with faith vnfeigned for they receiue infinite goodnesse of their most bountifull and liberal God who is at-one againe with penitents and doeth nowe loue them that before he did for their sinnes most hartily and yet most iustly hate and abhorre The punishments also whiche he determined to lay vppon them he turneth into benefites For he doth fill and as it were loade penitentes with all maner good thinges both temporall and eternall Now ye vnderstood déerely beloued by my former sermons that God bestoweth so great benefites vpon vs not for our works of Repentance but for Christ his sake in whom alone the Saincts doe trust not putting any confidence in their workes of repentaunce how holy and commendable soeuer they be For in so much as the father loueth Christe that wée by faith are graffed in him God doeth therefore loue vs and oure works doe please him which workes of ours when he doth recompence hee crowneth not our works as our owne works but crowneth in vs the grace which hee himselfe hath giuen vs Againe it must néedes be that vnrepentauntes are most vnhappie They heare with what sinns and transgressions they haue offended God prouoked his iuste vengeaunce against themselues but therewithall they thinke not howe to preuent the wrath of God being readily imminent to take vengeaunce of them nor howe to obteine his fauour againe What else therefore doeth remaine behinde for them but a most certeine and iust destruction both of body and soule of all their goods and whatsoeuer things else they doe most estéeme in this transitorie life It is good héere to call
excommunication the secular power hath nowe by the space of 30. yeares and more beene called on and persecution hath beene euery where raysed vpp against guiltlesse Christians not for committing heynous crimes and defending naughtinesse but for inueighing against mischiefes and mischiefous men and for requiring the reformation of the Church and yet euen at this day most cruell edicts are out and crueltie is exercised euery day more more against them that confesse the name of Christ yea such is their impudencie brasen-faced boldnesse they dissemble not that the counsell if any must be celebrated shall be called for the rooting out of heresies yea they doe openly professe that the counsell once held at Trent was to this end assembled Nowe since these things more clearely than the sunne are perceiued to be most true thou shalt most holy kinge doe wisely and religiously if without looking for the determination of a generall counsell thou shalt proceed to reforme the Churches in thy kingdome according to the rule of the bookes of both testaments which we do rightly beleeue being written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be the very word of God. But nowe that it is lawfull for euery Christian Church much more for euery notable Christian kingdome without the aduise of the Church of Rome and the members therof in matters of religion depraued by them wholie to make are formation according to the rule of Gods most holy word it is therby manifest because Christians are the congregation the Church or subiects of their king Christ to whome they owe by all meanes most absolute and perfect obedience Now the Lord gaue his Church a charge of reformation he commended vnto it the sound doctrine of the Gospell together with the lawfull vse of his holy Sacraments he also condemned all false doctrine that I meane that is contrarie to the Gospell he damned the abuse and prophanation of the Sacraments and deliuered to vs the true worship of God proscribed the false therefore Christians obeying the Lawes commaundements of their Prince do vtterly remoue or take away all superstition and do restore establish and preserue the true religion according to the manner that Christ their Prince appointed them He verilie is a foole or a mad man which sayeth that the Church of Christ hath none authoritie to correcte such errours vicces and abuses as do daily creepe into it And yet the Romish tyrannie hath so bewitched the eyes of many men that they thincke that they cannot lawfully doe any thinge but what it pleaseth Rome to giue them leaue to doe The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of prouinciall Synods held in sondrie prouinces wherein there were handled matters of faith and the reformation of the Churches and yet no mention once made of the bishop of Rome What may be thought of that moreouer that in certeine Synodes not heretical but orthodoxasticall and Catholique thou mayest finde some that were excommunicated for appealing from their owne Churches vnto the Church of Rome Sainct Cyprian writing to Cornelius the bishop of Rome doth say Since that it is ordeined by vs all that it is iust and right that euery mans cause should be heard there where the crime is committed that to euery seueral pastour is appointed a portion of the flocke which euery one must gouerne make accompt of his doings before the Lord it is expedient verilie that those ouer whome we haue the charge should not gad to and fro by that meanes with their subtile and deceiptfull petulancie to make the concord of bishops to be at iarre but to pleade their causes there where they maye haue their accusers present and witnesses of their crime committed But letting passe the testimonies of men we do now come to the testimonies in the booke of god The most holy king Iosias most godly Prince may alone in this case teach you what to do and how to do with the warrant authoritie of God himselfe He by the diligent reading of the holy booke of God and by the contemplation of things present and the manner of worshipping God that then was vsed did vnderstand that his auncestours did greatly very farre erre from the plaine and simple truth for which cause he calleth together the princes and other estates of his kingdome together with all the priestes to hold and celebrate a counsell with them In that counsell he standeth not long disputing whether the examples of the elders ought rather to be followed or Gods commuandement simplie receiued whether he ought rather to beleeue the Church or the Scripture and whether all the iudgement of religion ought to be referred to the high priest For laying abroade the booke of the Lawe he submitteth both himselfe and all his vnto the Sacred Scripture Out of the booke of the Lawe both he him selfe doth learne biddeth all his to learne what thinge it is that pleaseth God namely that which was commuanded and learned in the reading of the Lawe of god And presently hee gaue charge that all men should doe and execute that not hauing any regard to the auncient custome or to the Church that was at that time he made all subiecte to the word of god Which deede of his is so commended that next after Dauid hee is preferred before all the kinges of Iuda and Israel Nowe your royall Maiestie cannot followe any better or safer counsell than this cōsidering that it proceedeth from God and that it is most fit for the cause which is euen nowe in hand The disputation is of the Reformation of Religion and the true fayth of Christ You know that that doth spring from heauen namely that it is taught by the word of God and powred into our hartes by the holy Ghost For Paul sayth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ Therefore as true fayth is not grounded vppon the word of man so is it not taught or planted by the same For in an other place the same Apostle sayth My preaching was not in the enticing words of mans wisedome but in the shewing of the spirite and of power that your faith might not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Not without good cause therefore doe we refuse the traditions of men and turne onely to the doctrine of the word of the Lord without which it is assuredly certeine that there is no doctrine nor any foundation of true fayth Neither are they worthie to be heard who thincke that the Canonicall Scriptures are not plaine enough full enoughe or sufficient enough to minister a perfect platforme of reformation They blaspheme the spirite of God imputing vnto it obscurenesse imperfection which faultes no prophane writer can well abide to heare off Sainct Paule in defence of the trueth sayth All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that
the man of God may be perfecte instructed vnto all good workes What now I pray you is omitted in these woords that may seeme to apperteine to a most absolute reformation What I beseech you haue those impudent fellowes to say against this Proceed therefore proceed most holy king to imatate the most godly princes and the infallible rule of the holy Scripture proceed I say without staying for mans authoritie by the most true and absolute instrument of trueth the booke of Gods most holy word to reforme the Church of Christ in thy most happie England The Lord Iesus the head and mightie Prince of his Church presirue and lead thee his most faithfull worshipper in the way of his trueth vntill the end to the glorie of his name the good estate and welfare of the whole Christian Church At Tigure in the moneth of August the yeare of our Lord 1550. Your Royall Maiesties most duetifully bounden Henrie Bullinger minister of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland The other eight Sermons of the fourth Decade written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of God of the true knowledge of God and of the diuerse wayes howe to knowe him That God is one in substaunce and three in persons ¶ The thirde Sermon I Haue hetherto in 32. sermōs discoursed vpon the word of God and the lawful exposition of the same vppon Christian faith the loue of God and our neighbour I haue also spoken of the law of Nature of mans lawe Gods lawe and of the parts of Gods lawe namely y Morall the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall lawes Of the vse of the lawe of the fulfilling abrogatiō of the same of the likenes difference betwirt the two testamēts and people the old and the newe Of Christian libertie of offences of the effecte merites of Good woorkes Of sinne and the sundrie sorts thereof also of the Grace of God or the Gospel of Iesu Christe in whome oure heauenly father hath giuen vs all thinges belonging to life and eternal saluation finally I haue treated of Repentaunce and of the thinges that doe especially seeme to belonge therevnto And forbecause oure purpose is to dispute discretly vpon the principal points of Christian religion that in the premisses wee haue heard often mention made of God of the knowledge worship of God of Iesus Christ of the holy Chost of good euil spirits of the church of Prayer of the Sacraments such like holy thinges since wee are now come to an end of those former points necessitie it selfe doeth here require that we should speake somewhat now of al euery one of these latter principles according to the holy Scripture so farre forth as the Lord shall giue me grace and abilitie to do the same Concerning God there were of old many erronious opinions not among the ruder sort of people only but euen in the whole packe of Philosophers conuenticles of false Christians As touching the Philosophers that auncient learned writer Tertullian was wont to say that Philosophers are the patriarchs of heretiques and touching false Christians the Apostle Iohn said They wente out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue remained with vs. Neither doe I sée what gaine you should gett by it if I should procéede to reckon vp vnto you all their opinions It is good perhaps to know wherin they erred least we also do strike vpon the same rock that they did Therfore if any y haue a desire vnto it doe wish to sée the opinions of the heathen sort and of heretiques cōcerning God let them search Plutarch in his Placitis Philoso lib. ◠Cap. 7. Or in other heathen writers Or in Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum and in the 4. Chapter Dogmatum vel de finitionum Ecclesiast I will at this time trouble the attentiue eares and minds of the godly hearers with that burthen That diuersitie of opinions is deriued from none other founteine than from the boldnesse vnskilfulnesse of men which are not ashamed of their owne deuice and braine to add and applie to God the thinges from which he is most farre frée And now that héere I may not sticke long in declareing the narrowe streightnesse and mistie darcknesse of mans wit who I pray you is able with his vnderstāding to conceiue the Béeing of God when as in déede no man did euer fully vnderstand of what fashion the soule of man is of what sort many other thinges are y be in mans body and of what maner substaunce the Sunne Moone are made There are giuen many reasons of naturall Philosophie but the woorke of God doeth still abide more great and wonderfull than that the witt or speach of man is able to comprehend or expresse it Let no man therefore that goeth about to knowe any certeintie of God descend into himself to search him out with thoughts of his owne neither let him ground his opinion vppon mens determinations and weake definitions For otherwise hee shall alwayes worshipp the inuention of his owne heart méere follie trifles and foolishe fantasies But on the other side againe the man cānot choose but thinke rightly iudge truely and speake well of God that attributeth nothing to himselfe deuiseth nothing of his owne braine nor followeth y toyes of other mens inuenting but in all thinges giueth eare to the word of God and followeth alwayes his holy reuelation Therfore let this stand as it were for a continuall rule that God cannot bée rightly knowen but by his word and that God is to be receiued beléeued to be such an one as he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs in his holy word For no creature verily can better tell what and what kinde of one God is than God him selfe Nowe since this God doeth in his word by the woorkemanshipp of the world by the holy Scriptures and by his oracles vttered by the mouth of the Patriarchs Prophetes and Apostles yea in the very minds and consciences of men testifie That He Is therefore did the kingly Prophete Dauid say The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. For he must néeds be an asse or a foole whiche denieth the thing that is euident to all men in the world which are not beside their wits namely That there is a God considering that euen Cicero an heathen authoure in his booke De natura Deorum doth say It is bred borne together with men and graffed in their hearts to thincke That there is a God. Truly they that denie God doe denie him whome neuerthelesse they feare and therefore by that feare they confesse y he Is by that meanes conuinceing them selues of lying and falsehoode Againe this is to bée noted that in demaunding who and what God is although that question is made doth arise euen by the beating out and discussing of the Scriptures yet a measure is to be kept and in any case
verily a detestable impietie to leaue this catholique and true rule of faith and to choose follow one newly inuented There are euen at this daye extante most godly and learned books of Ecclestasticall writers wherin they haue declared and defended this catholique faith by the holy scriptures against all wicked and blasphemous heretiques There are extant sundrie symboles of faith but all tending to one end set forth published in many synodall asseÌ„blies of bishops and fathers There is at this day eâ—tant learned and rehearsed of the vniuersal Church and all the members thereof both learned and vnlearned of euery sexe and age that Créed commonly called the Apostles Créed wherin we professe nothing else than that whiche wee haue hetherto declared namely that we beléeue in one God to wit the father the sonne and the holy Ghost And forbecause this consent of all the Sainctes concerning this true faith hath béene euer since the beginning of the world so sure and firme it was very well and godly prouided of auncient kinges and princes that no man should once dare be so bold either to cal into doubt or with curious questions and disputations to deface or make intricate this beléefe concerning the vnitie and Trinitie of the Almightie god Hée of old amonge the Israelites was stricken throughe and slaine which passed beyond the bounds that the Lord had limitted out And wee also haue certeine appointed boundes about the knowledge of god whiche to passe is hurtfull vnto vs yea it is punished with assured death God graunt that wee maye truely knowe and religiouslye worshippe the high excellent and mightie God euen so and such as he him selfe is For hetherto I haue as simplie sincerely and briefely as I could discoursed of the wayes meanes howe to know God which is in substaunce one and thrée in persons And yet wée acknowledge and doe fréely confesse that in all this treatise hetherto there is nothing spoken worthie of or comparable to his vnspeakeable maiestie For the eternall excellent and mightie God is greater than all maiestie and than all the eloquence of all men so farre am I from thincking that I by my woords doe in one iote come néere vnto his excellencie But I doe humblie beséech the most mercifull Lord that hée will vouchsafe of his inestimable goodnesse and liberalitie to enlighten in vs all the vnderstanding of oure mindes with sufficient knowledge of his name thoroughe Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ That GOD is the creatour of all thinges and gouerneth all thinges by his prouidence where mention is also made of the good-will of God to vs ward and of Predestination ¶ The fourth Sermon DErely beloued it remayneth now for mée in this dayes Sermon for a coÌ„clusion to that whiche I haue he-ther-to spoken concerning God briefly to add somewhat of that creation or worke of God whereby hée being the maker of all thinges hath to mankindes commoditie wholsomely created all things both visible and inuisible doth now as alwayes most wisely gouerne order the same For by so doing wee shall obteine no small knowledge of God and many things shal be more openly layed forth vnto vs which we in our last treatise did but touch and away In the searching out considering setting forth of the creation of the whole and the partes thereof all the diligence of all wise men hath béene sett on woorke doeth labour and shal be troubled so longe as this world indureth For what is he though he were the wisest the cunningest and diligentest writer of the naturall historie that leaueth not many thinges vntouched for the posteritie to labour in and beate their braines about Or what is he at this day which although hee vse the ayde industrie of most learned writers is not compelled to wonder at more and greater thinges than either they euer did or hee euer shall atteine vnto you The most wise Lord will alwayes haue wittie men that are inriched with heauenly giftes to bee alwayes occupied and euermore exercised in the searching out and setting forth the secretes of nature and of the creation But we doe simplie by faith conceiue that y worldes were made of nothing and of no heape of matter of God thorough the woord of God and that it doeth consist by the power of the holie Ghoste or spirite of god For so did king Dauid and Paule the teacher of the Gentiles both beléeue and teache But although the order of y who le and the manner of the creation cannot bee knitt vpp or declared in fewe woordes yet will I doe my endeuour to vtter somewhat by which the summe of thinges maye partly appeare to the diligent considerer And héere I choose rather to vse an other manns woordes than mine owne especially because I suppose this matter cannot be more liuely expressed than Tertullian in his booke De Trinitate setteth it foorth as followeth GOD hath honge vp heauen in a loftie height he hath made the earth massiue with a lowe and pressed-downe weight hee hath powred out the seas with a leuse and thinne liquor and hath planted all these beeing decked and full with their proper and fit instruments For in the firmament of heauen hee hath stirred vpp the dawning risings of the Sunne hee hath filled the circle of the glittering Moone for the comforte of the night with monethly increasings of the world and hee lighteneth the beames of the starres with sundrie gleames of the twinckling lighte the night he meaneth and hee would that all these should by appointed courses goe about the compasse of the world to make to mankind dayes monethes yeares signes times and commodities In the earth also hee hath lifte vpp high hilles aloft depressed downe the valleyes belowe layed the fieldes out euenly profitablie ordeined flockes of beastes for sundrie seruices and vses of men Hee hath made the massiue oakes of the woodes for the behoofe of man hee hath brought foorth fruite to feed him withal he hath vnlocked the mouthes of springs and powred them into running riuers After all whiche necessarie commodities beecause hee would also procure somewhat for the delight of the eyes hee cladd them all with sundrie colours of goodly flowers to the pleasure delight of those that beheld them In the sea also althoughe for the greatnesse and profite thereof it were very wonderfull hee framed many sortes of liuinge creatures some of a meane and some of a monsterous bignesse which doe by the varietie of the woorkemanshipp giue speciall notes of the woorkemans witt And yet not beeing therewithall content least peraduenture the rage course of the waters should with the damage of the earthes inhabitauntes breake out and occupie an other element hee cloased vp the waters limitts within the shoares that thereby when the raginge waues and foaminge water did rise vpp from the depth and chanell it mighte turne into it selfe againe and not passe beyond the boundes
word Colere is in Latine of large signification For we say Colere amicitiam to mainteine frendship Colere literaruÌ„ studia to loue learning Colere arua to till or husband our lands and Colere senes to reuerence olde men We in this place vse Colere for Seruire that is in all pointes like a seruant to be dutifull and to shewe him selfe obedient to reuerence or haue in veneration and to â—e worshippe The Hebricians vse their worde Abad which the Latine interpretour translateth Seruiuit coluit or sacrificauit that is he serued worshipped or sacrificed In the booke of Kings thou dost reade And Achab serued Baal worshipped him The GreciaÌ„s cal this seruice either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one is taken for the other though in déede Seruire to serue be more than Colere to worshippe For thou canst abide without any adoe to worship some man but to serue the same thou canst not so well away withall We say therefore that the seruice of God is a seruice whereby men submit them selues reuerently vnto God and obey him and according to his will worship him They therefore serue God which serue him earnestly behaue them selues duetifully in obeying him seruing him inwardly and outwardly as he hath appointed For the seruice of God is two-fold or of two sortes The true and the false TheÌ„ true is called true religion true fayth and godlinesse The false is called superstition idolatrie and vngodlinesse For that is the true seruice of God which springeth from the true feare of God from a sincere fayth whiche submitteth it selfe to God alone and applyeth it selfe in all things to the will of god The false seruice consisteth in the contrarie Touching the whiche we will say more when we come to speake of superstition The true seruice of God is diuided againe for perspicuitie or plainenesse sake into the inward seruice of God and the outward The inwarde seruice is knowne to God alone who is the searcher of heartes For it is occupyed in the feare of God and perfect obedience in fayth hope and charitie from whence doe spring the worshipping of God the calling vpon him thankesgiuing patience perseueraunce chastitie innocencie weldoing and the rest of the fruites of the spirite For with these giftes of God and spirituall thinges God who is a spirite is truly serued Without these no seruice is allowed of God howe so euer in the sight of men it séeme gay glorious and pure This seruice of god hath testimonies both diuine and humane but firste of all of the Lawe the Prophetes and the Apostles For in the lawe Moses sayth And nowe Israel what doth the Lorde thy God require of thee but that thou shouldest feare the Lorde thy God and walke in all his wayes that thou shouldest loue him and that thou shouldest serue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soul that thou shouldest keepe the commaundements of the Lord and his ordinaunces whiche I coÌ„mand thee this day for thy welth Micheas the Prophet bringeth in one asking questions concerning the true seruice of God in what thinges the same consisteth and he maketh answere I will shewe thee O man what is good and what the lord doth require of thee surely to do iustly or iudgement to loue mercy and to huÌ„ble thy selfe to walke with thy God. S. Paule the Apostle sayth I besech you brethren by the mercies of god that ye giue vp youre bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God whiche is your reasonable seruing of god And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye chaunged by the renuing of youre minde that ye may proue what is the wil of god and what is good and acceptable and perfect The same Apostle comprehending in few words the true seruice of God to be a turning from Idols vnto God and the fayth of Iesus Christ sayth They of Macedonia and other nations or quarters shewe of you how you are turned to God from Idols that ye might serue the liuing and true god and loke for his sonne from heauen whom he raysed from the dead euen Iesus who deliuereth vs from the wrath to come Moreouer S. Iames the Apostle saith Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father is this to visite the fatherlesse or orphanes and widowes in their aduersitie and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the worlde These diuine and euident testimonies of holy scripture declare plentifully enough dearely beloued which is the true inward seruice of god Humane testimonies neuertheles nothing disagréeing from diuine verie many and euery where found in Ecclesiasticall writers Lactantius lib. Institut 6. cap. 9. sayth Therefore the knowledge of God and his seruice is all in all In this consisteth all the hope and saluation of man this is the first step or degrée of wisedome that we shoulde knowe who is oure true father that we should reuerence him alone with due godlinesse that wee should obey him and most deuoutly serue him and to obteyne his fauour let all labour care and industrie be bestowed Of this kinde the same authour citeth other testimonies also largely in the tenth chapter of the same booke and in the firste chapter of his booke De vero Dei cultu he giueth vs manifest But in stead of many we like well the citing of that one testimonie touching the true seruice of God fréely vttered by the mouth of a Romane martyr before iudge Asclepiades at y Romane Consistorie For after he had both couragiously and religiously tolde what God was in person and what in substance he addeth Thou knowest God nowe vnderstand as well The fourme and man-ner how he serued is What kynd of Church it is where he doth dwell What gifts to giue he thought it not amisse What vowes he askes whome he beside all this Will haue his priestes and in his Church like-wise What he commaundes to bring for sacrifice Vnto him selfe euen in the minde of man A Church he hath vouchsafed vp to reare A liuely feeling breathing Church which can Not sundered be faire beautifull and cleare And neuer like destructions dint to feare With loftie top and painted pleasantlie With coloures fresh of great diuersitie At th' holy porch a priest is standing there And keepes the doores before the Church which beene Fayth is her name a virgine chast and cleare Her haire tyed vp with fillets like a Queene For sacrifices simple pure and cleene And which she knowes are pleasing bids this priest Offer to God and to his deare sonne Christ A shamefast looke a meeke and harmelesse hart The rest of Peace a body pure and chaste The feare of GOD which sinners doth conuart The rule like-wise of knowledge truly plaste A sober fast from all excessiue waste Of Gluttonie an hope which doth not faint A liberall hand which giues without restraint From these oblations a vapour doth
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
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
manifest that this godly inuentioÌ„ of those men who liued holily in the time of Abraham which of late by the doctrine of Christe is preached to all nations is the first moste auncient and eldest of aâ— Thus much Eusebius Furthermore if we behold our selues in this looking-glasse of a Christian name we shal see that very few at this day are worthie of this name Truly all of vs are commonly so called we will be all named christians but fewe of vs liue a life worthie of our profession We are named christians of holy annointing The holy annointing is the holy ghost himself Vpon whom shal my spirit rest saith the Lorde Euen vppon him that is poore and of a lowly troubled spirite and standeth in awe of my wordes But we set light by the word of God we haue very troublesome heades we are corrupt with euil affections and lewde lusts we swel with pride therfore we want the oyntment of holy oyle or are voide of the holy ghost Who therefore can say that we bée Christians We are all of vs in maner ruled by wicked desires by the flesh the world and the prince of this worlde fewe of vs rule the world the flesh and those thinges which are in them Therefore not the spirite of God but the spirite of the world and the fleshe beareth rule in vs The diuel the world and the fleshe haue dominion ouer vs for in them wee liue and them we doe obey wherevppon being estranged and let loose froÌ„ all righteousnesse and holines we are beecome flaues seruing a most vile filthie slauerie For we not desiring to be deliuered do neither séeke a redéemer nor being impatient of their tyrannie rise rebell against them but like faint-harted cowardes wée yéeld our selues to be brought in subiection and to be kept vnder their tyrannie nay it repenteth and yrcketh vs of our labours watchinges prayers of all duties of Godlines béeing carelesse wee lie lurking as in a place of voluâ—tuousnesse But who would 〈◊〉 â—uch swine the most holy name of a Christian but he that is bothe exceeding foolish and wicked No maruel theÌ„ iâ— such be thrust down into hell there eternally to burne and there eternally to be yoked vnto him whom they haue moste wickedly chosen to themselues to follow And now what one of vs is there y doth teach admonish exhort those that boast brag of this Christian name I speak nothing heere concerning the Doctors or teachers of the Church but my talke doth touche the office dutie of a christian man Truly the most part of vs are slowe in instructing our families and felowe-brethren For either it grieueth vs to take the paine or else we feare daunger Therefore we turne the office of admonishing instructing vpon the publique ministers of the church as though nothing at all of this matter were required of vs For this cause speaches in a maner vnséemly to be spoken are heard vttered of men I haue not the office of a minister I am no Pâ—aff priest why therefore should I 〈◊〉 â–ª why should I admonishe And these care not howe blasphemous and filthie things be spoken either at home or abroade For they liue to themselues and thinke that the glorie of God and the soules-healthe of their neighbour belongeth nothing vnto them But what sacrifices offer wee worthie of God and our name where are prayers and thanksgiuings where is the mortification of our fleshe and the denying of this world where is compassion or well-doing where is an holy and harmelesse life The contrarie if néede so required I coulde reckon vppe in a long bead-rowe but to what ende were it to make a large discourse of those thinges that are manifest vnto all men For who I pray you doth denie that the life of this presente age of men I meane whiche bragge and boaste of their Christian name is filthie stincking and pestilent Whiche thinges since they bee too too true and euident I haue nothing done amisse in saying a litle before that at this day there are fewe Christians They that are wise and desire to bee according to their name let them heare our Sauiour speaking in the Gospel of Matthew Striue to enter in at the streight gate for wide is the gate and broade is the waye that leadeth to destruction and many there be whiche goe in thereat Because streight is the gate and narrowe is the way whiche leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it Furthermore they whiche thing ought first of al to haue béen spoken doe verie greatly offende against religion and Christian profession whiche as they doe not sincerely acknowledge the priesthoode kingdome of Christ so they boast theÌ„selues to be chiefly praise worthie coÌ„mendable catholike because they coÌ„mit those things which by al meanes obscure darken the kingdome priest hood of Christ Christians being content with this only title name doe not ambitiously séeke after or admit another name But these men as thogh the name of a christiaÌ„ were but a light trifling name neuer rest vntil they be also called by other names as though they were babtised into the name of BrioÌ„ Benet Robert or FrauÌ„cis Christians cleauing only to their lawgiuer maister teacher Christ do not acknowlege the voice of strauÌ„gers neither goe a strawes breadth from the diuine scriptures But these men charge thée with heresie vnlesse thou receiue and woorship for heauenly Oracles al kinde of constitutions of the Romish Church though they be flat contrarie to the wordes teaching of Christ Christians acknowlege themselues to haue one king one deliuerer one sauiour one head in heauen These men worship his vicar in earth and attribute saluation not onely to triâ—â—ing things but to verie stinking loathsome thinges Christians put all their trust in God to whome they offer all their vowes and prayers by Iesus Christ whome they beléeue to be the only highe priest and most faithfull patrone and aduocate of all that beléeue They make their prayers to creatures and mens imaginations and choose to themselues so many patrones and intercessours as there doe liue saintes in heauen Christians know that the sacrifice of Christ once offered is alwayes effectuall to make satisfaction for all the sins of al men in the whole worlde and of all men of al ages But these men with often outcries say that it is flatte heresie not to confesse that Christ is daily offered of sacrificeing priests consecrated to the purpose Therfore the name of a christian is common to al but the thing signified ment by the name is common to the faithfull only who cleaue vnto one Christ Nowe I conclude my whole discourse of Christ a king and a priest with these words of saint Augustine The sonne of God whiche made vs is made among vs and beeing our king ruleth vs therfore we are Christians because he is Christe He is
most filthie life and wicked manners of the priestes of the Romishe Church I will at this time saye nothing For alreadie it appeareth I doubt not to them that are not wilfully blinde that that sea of Rome hath not the outward markes of the true Church of God ioyned with the pure word of God and sound preaching of the Gospell It wanteth I say a heauenly ministerie and lawefull ministers of the Church and also the wholsome vse of the Lords Supper and therefore it is not the true Churche of God from whiche no man may depart without béeing guiltie of scisme By this meanes some man wil say Christ shal haue no Church left him in the earth For they that be the gouernours of the Church if they erre and corrupt and forsake the word of God what hope I pray you remayneth of the Church Or where the markes of the Churche appeare not where I pray you is the Church I aunswere that almightie God in such calamities of the Church in the which the gouernours fall away from the word true worship of God and doe imbrace and bring in newe lawes and newe ordinances into the Churche the true outward markes of the Church being for a time either darckened or worne out of vse doth yet notwithstanding reserue vnto himselfe a Churche in the earth whiche Church also he furnisheth and repaireth with true teachers whome he sendeth into the same albeit they be not acknowledged for true ministers and teachers of Gods Church by those who will séeme to be the true and the ordinarie gouernours of the Church but are rather cōdemned as seditious disturbers of the Churche and execrable heretiques By examples taken out of the Scriptures the matter will be made more manifest In the time of Achas king of Iuda Vrias the high priest wincking at it and the princes of the land and priestes not resisting the king shutt vpp the temple of the Lord and toke awaye the holy altar whiche thing the Scripture expressely witnesseth and therefore both the ministerie of the word and the lawefull or ordinarie ministration of the Sacraments ceassed but yet notwithstāding there was a holy Churche in the kingdome of Iuda in the which as I may saye extraordinarilie no man doubteth the prophete Esaie with certeine other did preach Vnder Manasses the nephue of king Achas true doctrine and administration of the sacraments was banished except onely circumcision and that falling awaye continued vntill the Churche was refourmed by that most Godly king Iosias and yet in the meane season prophets were sent God had his Church in Iuda albeit the most part of the people with their gouernours did both followe and defende the wickednesse and defection of Manasses In the kingdome of Israel king Ieroboam thrust out of their offices the teachers and preachers of the lawe of the Lord and of the sounde trueth and in stéede of them gaue vnto the people prophane and vnlearned priestes and rulers And moreouer built newe temples yea those were cathedrall churches and sett vpp newe idols or calues a newe religion new altars and newe feastes and by this meanes abrogated the true religion of GOD to that end that there might no outward marks at all of the Church of God appeare in Israel and yet there is no doubt but God had a notable Church in Israel for the preseruation and repairing whereof from time to time God sent his Prophets albeit they were not acknowledged to be the true Prophets of God at the hands of the false church and of the false prophets Vnder Ieroboam the second of that name Amos the Prophete a shéepeheard or neateherd of Tecoa taught and preached the true word of God but he heard at the hāds of Amasias the high priest of the kingdome Get thee quicklie hence and goe into the land of Iuda and prophecie or preach there But prophecie no more at Bethel for it is the kings chappel and it is the kings court Furthermore when Achab passed all the kings before him in wickednesse and added moreouer to the vngodlines and falling away of Ieroboam y abhominable religion of Baal and had filled all the kingdome of Israel with superstitions idolatries enchauntments and sacrileges yea and moreouer persecuted the pure word of God in his prophets most cruely there was yet founde in Israel a most famous church of god Helias that great and most excellent prophet of God because of that horrible falling awaye from God and loathsomnesse of that most miserable people in whom there appeared no one token of the true Church of God flying into the wildernesse hid himselfe in cornērs and béeing asked of the Lord what hee did there he aunsweared I haue beene verie iealous for the Lord God of hostes for that the childrē of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunt cast downe thine altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I onely am lefte they seeke my life to take it away But streight wayes hee is sent backe into the land of Israel from whence he was fled and heard moreouer these words I haue left vnto my selfe seuen thousand mē in Israel who haue neither bowed their knees to Baal neither kissed him Behold this mightie prophet thought that only he himselfe had béene left of all the number of the faithful in Israel but he heard the God had reserued seuen thousand holy mē who had not bowed their knées that is to say had neuer serued Baal so much as with outward reuerēce But who knoweth not that the prophete vnderstood by the number of seuen an excéeding great number of the true seruants of God who vndoubtedly were circūcised not into the couenaunt of Baal but into the couenaunt of the eternall God The same men lacked not faith and therefore they were not without doctrine though the same were not so common neither séemed vnto the Baalits to be either ordinary or catholique But vndoubtedly they wanted the vse of the sacrifices for seeing they were not lawfully offered they would not be partakers of those that were vnlawful but in the meane season they were not destitute of the things which were signified by the outward signes or sacraments being partakers throughe faith of all the gifts of God. After the selfe same sort since the bishop of Rome after the maner of king Ieroboam hauing forsaken the sound preaching of the Gospell and hauing corrupted the first and simple institution of the Lords supper depraued and wrested to his owne profite other commaundements of God and placed himselfe in the throne or temple of God or in the church of God bragging that he is a God in earth surely the church of God oppressed with grieuous tyrānie could very hardly hetherto bee discerned by outward marks For in stéed of the sincere preaching of the Gospell a certeine kinde of doctrine mixed corrupted with mens decrées was set forth and in stéed of the Lords supper Popish masse was
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
in the ministerie it selfe and what god He verily for his excéeding goodnesse and mercy toward vs coueteth to poure him self wholy into vs which I thinke good to repeate often that it may be the déeper rooted in oure hearts and that we also may bethink our selues what we owe vnto God that we may bothe be strengthened and blessed in him and may perfectly vnderstand his will to vswarde and finally our duetie whereby we be bound vnto him As he therefore furthereth our saluation verie diligently in all thinges so least there shoulde be any thing wanting to true doctrine he him selfe commeth foorth to instruct men But such is our weaknesse and corruptioÌ„ through sinn we can not abide the méeting of his eternall wonderful maiestie Which is apparant by muche communication of God had with our fathers but especially at his meting with the whole Churche of Israel in mount Sina For when he came downe on the mount not without glorie and heauenly maiestie and vttered with his owne mouth a briefe summe of his whole religion and of all the lawes which summe we call the decalogue or tenne commaundements the people being astonnyed with his diuine maiestie said vnto Moses Talk thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs least we dye And God receiuing this offer sayde I haue heard the voice of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thee they haue well sayde all that they haue spoken Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would feare me c. In so much that this maner of teaching by men whiche men them selues haue chosen for them selues God will haue to be perpetuall and neuer to be broken so as when he sent his sonne into the world he cloathed him with flesh that he might after that manner speake vnto vs by him God in déede might by the secrete illumination of his spirite without mans ministerie as his power is tyed to no creature regenerate the whole world and gouerne the church it selfe but as he despiseth not his creatures nor destroyeth the worke of his owne handes and doth all thinges in order euen so from the firste beginning he foorthwith spake to the worlde by patriarches then by Prophetes afterwarde by Apostles neyther at this day ceaseth he to giue vnto the worlde doctours and pastours So that it becoÌ„meth vs not to tempt God that is not to looke for a secrete inspiration with the heretiques Enthusiastae but to acknowledge a iust order and that God him selfe speaketh vnto vs by men of whome he woulde haue vs to learne religion The Eunuch of Candace Quéene of Aethiopia did reade the holy Scriptures and the Lord could haue taught him by secrete inspiration the mysterie of faith but he giueth him Philip to be a teacher and an interpreter Likewise Paule the doctour of the Gentiles taken vppe into the thirde heauen and instructed by Christ him selfe not by men of all the principles of our religion is neuerthelesse referred ouer vnto a man called Ananias The Angel of God is sent to Cornelius capteine of the Italian band being at Caesarea which might haue instructed him in all pointes of true religion but he willeth him to call for Peter the Apostle He sayth the Angel will tell thee what thou must do For this cause ministers are called Sauiours they are sayde to conuert men their worde is called not the word of man but the worde of God he whiche despiseth them séemeth to despise God him selfe It is also sayd that they them selues doe binde and loose and reteine and forgiue sinnes For Abdias the Prophete sayth that Sauiours shal ascend into the mount Sion whiche many interprete of the Apostles Paule pleading before king Agrippa and rehearsing the wordes of God whicâ—â— came vnto him in a vision sayth â— send thee vnto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they may bee turned from darkenesse to light c. And Gabriel the Archangel sayd before that speaking of Iohn Hee shall go before the Lorde with the spirite and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust men Moreouer the Apostle to the Thessal We thanke God sayth he bycause when ye had receiued of vs the worde of the preaching of God ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which worketh also in you that beleeue Againe He therefore that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who hath euen giuen you his holy spirite For the Lorde sayth in the Gospell He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth mee And againe What so euer ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen and what so euer ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen And againe Whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted vnto theÌ„ and whose sinnes so euer you doe reteine they are reteined But some wresting these places of the holy scripture against the natural sense do giue the ministers an equall power in a manner with Christ and that which only perteineth vnto him they communicate also vnto them But they say that by such meanes the ministerie must be set out lest it wax vile and of no estimation among prophane men Othersome againe so speake of the inwarde drawing of the spirite that they séeme as it were to make superfluous or to take cleane away the outward ministerie and to attribute nothing at all vnto it Therefore the ministerie must be limited with his boundes leaste it be drawne hither and thither with the affections and lustes of men and either too much or too little be attributed vnto it Let the ministerie in déed be beautified and kept in authoritie but let it be done without the dishonouring of god Neyther in déede becommeth it vs vnder the pretence of the ministerie to attribute that to mans labour which is only Gods office on whome all men ought to depend and vnto whome as the onely welspring and giuer of all goodnesse they ought to haue respect Therfore the faithfull ministers of the Lorde Iesus ought only to haue regard herevnto that they may kéepe the glorie and authoritie of Christ vnblemished and his priesthoode sound vnto him selfe in euerie point For the Lorde Iesus him selfe sitting at the righte hande of the father in the true taberâ—acle which God pight and not man remaineth a priest yea the onely high priest of his church for euer executing as yet all the dueties of a priest in the Church For he as the onely teacher and maister in the Churche teacheth his disciples that is the Churche or congregation of the faithful induing them with the holy ghoste regenerating and drawing them sanctifying and making them frée from their sinnes Which thing the scripture in euerie place plainely teacheth This glory this power he
hath giuen vnto none neyther doth any minister vnles he be blinded with diuelish pryde take that vnto him selfe as though he did worke those workes that are proper vnto Christe eyther for Christe or in Christes stead or together with Christ The Apostles being Christ his most faithful ministers and most chosen instruments of God did not giue the holy ghoste did not drawe mens harts did not inwardly anoynt mens mindes did not regenerate soules they them selues did not deliuer from sinne death the diuell and hell For all these things be the works of God whiche he hath not communicated to any Wherfore the most holy Baptist in plaine wordes denied that he was Christ he denied that he him selfe baptised with the holy Ghoste I saithe he baptise with water but hee baptiseth with the holy Ghost I am the voyce of a cryer in the wildernes prepare the way of the Lorde And Paule pleading his cause before Agrippa wisheth of God that king Agrippa were such a one as Paule him selfe was except his bonds But such a wishe had not néeded if he him selfe could drawe sanctifie and absolue There are infinite other of this kinde to be séene in the scriptures Yet neuerthelesse the ministerie of the church is not néedles The kings counsellers and officers haue not equall power with the king neither are they kinges with the king or for the king but for all that their seruice is not in vaine Therefore that thing which Christ the sonne of God who is the greatest the best and the chiefe high priest of his Church worketh in his catholique church inwardly and in their mindes as the onely searcher of of the hearts the very same outwardly he declareth and testifieth by his ministers whome the Scripture for that cause calleth witnesses embassadours or messingers You sayth the Lord to his Apostles shall beare witnesse bycause ye haue beene with me frō the beginning And Paul saith I am ordeined a precher an apostle a teacher of the gentiles Therfore the same apostle in another place calleth the same Gospell both a testimonie and preaching of our Lord Iesus Christe And Ihon the Apostle affirmeth that he was banished into the Isle of Pathmos For the worde of God and for the witnessing of Iesus Christe And therefore when ministers beare witnesse of the Sonne of God and out of his word promise life euerlasting their worde is not called mans word but the word of God and they are saide to saue and to release from sinn For they are the true messingers and harroldes of the king who is the deliuerer who hath sent them to publishe remission of sinnes wherevpon also they attribute all the meanes of life saluation and deliuerie to the onely deliuerer Christe Paule in an other place calleth ministers Fellowe labourers with God and afterward againe Disopsers of the secrets of God. For the saluation whiche the sonne of God hath onely wrought and whiche he also onely giueth the ministers preache or dispose and so they are fellowe labourers The same Apostle out of the doctrine of the Gospell which resembleth the teacher in the Church to one that soweth séede compareth the ministers to gardeners and planters of trées to whom he committeth the outward manuring reseruing the inwarde working to Christe our Lord saying Who is Paule then and who is Apollos but ministers by whome ye beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but god gaue the increase So then neyther is he that planteth any thing neyther he that watereth but God that giueth the increase With whiche testimonie of the Scripture Augustine being instructed learned so to speake and write of the ministerie of the Church as nothing shoulde be diminished from the glorie of God which inwardly moueth and teacheth vs and yet in the meane time the office of the ministerie should not be taken away or despised as vnprofitable For in his Epistle Ad Circenses which in order is accounted the 130. speaking of the secrete drawing of God and the outwarde ministerie of men These are not sayth he oure workes but Gods I would not at al attribute these thinges vnto mans working no not if when wee were with you so greate a conuersion of the multitude through our speaking and exhortations should happen That thing hee worketh and bringeth to passe who by his ministers outwardly warneth by tokens or signes of things but by the things them selues he inwardly teacheth by him selfe Thus farre he But least it might séem to any man that he spake too briefly and sparingly and not worthily enoughe of the ministerie of the Church euen he him selfe immediately addeth and sayth Neyther therfore ought we to be more flowe to come vnto you bycause whatsoeuer is done prayse woorthy among you commeth not of vs but of him which alone doth wonderfull thinges For we ought more carefully to runne to behold the workes of God than our owne workes Bycause euen we our selues if we haue any goodnesse in vs we are his worke and not mans Therefore the Apostle said Neither is he that plāteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase The same writer speaking of the verie same thing in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn Al the men of that kingdome sayth he shall be suche as are taught of God they shall not heare by men and though they heare by men yet that which they vnderstand is inwardly giuen it shineth inwardly it is inwardly reuealed What doe men in preaching outwardly what do I nowe when I speake make you to heare a noyse of wordes with your eares But vnlesse he reueale it which it within what say I or what speake I The outward workman is the plāter of the tree and the inwarde is the creatour Hee that planteth and hee that watereth worketh outwardly that doe we But neyther is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase This is the meaning of They shall be all taught of God. Thus far Augustine Wherfore when in another place S. Paule sayth Ye are the Epistle of Christe ministred by vs written not with ynke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stonie tables but in fleshie tables of the heart we must diligently put a difference betwéene the worke of the spirit and the work of man or of the minister The minister doth not take on him the honor of God and the worke of the spirite but his owne worke that is to say the ministerie Paule preacheth and writeth with ynke but the spirite of God moueth the heart and with his grace or annoynting he writeth in the very heart so he worketh together with GOD Paule working his proper woorke and the spirite working his worke The Apostles are preachers and ministers of the Gospell not of the letter but of the spirite not that they giue the holie Ghoste but bycause they are preachers of the
fledd away Againe when the fire of the Lord deuoured the vttmost parts of the tents of Israel they cried vnto Moses and Moses againe cried vnto the lord and soudeinly the fire that deuoured them was consumed Againe the people murmured against the Lord and vengeaunce is prepared but Moses by milde continuall prayer quencheth the wrath of god For it is said vnto him I haue let them goe according to thy word Anon after when the people began a fresh to murmur against Moses and Aaron and that the vengeaunce of God had alreadie consumed foureteene thousand seuen hundred men Aaron at the commaundement of Moses burneth incense and standing betwéne the dead and those that were liuing howbeit néere and appointed to death hee pleadeth for and obteineth pardon by prayers Innumerable other of this kinde are read of Moses Iosue Moses successour by prayers made the course of the sunne and moone so long to stay vntil he had reuenged himselfe vpon his enimies Anna without any voyce heard by prayer putteth from her the reproche of barrennes and forthwith is made a fruitfull mother of verie many children Samuel the most godly sonne of godly Anna by prayer vanquisheth the Philistinâ—s and soudeinely in the time of Haruest raised vpp a mightie tempest of thunder and raine Wée doe also read things not vnlike of Helias Ionas in like manner prayed in the Whales bellie and was cast on the shore safe Iosaphat and Ezechias most religious kinges by prayers powred foorth vnto God by faith doe triumphe ouer their most puissaunt enimies Nehemias asked nothing of his king before hee had first prayed to the Lord of heauen therefore hée obteined all thinges The most valiaunt and man-like stomacht Iudith by prayer ouerthrew and slue Holophernes the most proud enimie of Gods people and the terrour of all nations And as Daniel brought all his affaires to passe by prayers vnto God so Hester tooke a déede in hand that was necessarie for Gods people and with thrée dayes fasting and daily prayers bringeth it to an happie end In the most blessed and most desired birth of our Lord IESVS companies of angels are heard singing praises together vnto god What and did not oure Lord when his life was in extreme daunger beetake him selfe to prayer and by and by heard the voice of an angel comforting him The Apostles together with the rest of the church pray with one accord about the third houre of the day and anon they receiue the holy Ghost And when the Apostles were in daungers the church crieth suppliantly for Gods help and presently without delay findeth succour They receiue much libertie to speake woorke very great signes and myracles among the people Peter by an Angel of God is brought out of a verie strong and fenced prison What should I speake of Paule and Silas praying and praysing the Lord in prison Is it not read that the foundations of the prison were all shaken with an earthquake and by that occasion the kéeper of the prison was turned vnto God Examples of which sort truely I could bring innumerable but that I am persuaded that to the Godly these are sufficient And faithfull men doe not attribute these forces effects or vertues to prayer as to a worke of ours but as procéeding from faith and so to God himselfe whiche promiseth these thinges and perfourmeth them to the faithful For the iudgement of Paul touching these is knowen in the 11. to the Hebrues and that all glorie is due to one god Who vouchsafe so to illuminate all our mindes that our prayer may alwayes please him Amen ¶ Of signes and the manner of signes of Sacramentall signes what a Sacrament is of whome for what causes and howe many Sacramentes were instituted of Christe for the Christian Churche Of what things they do consist how these are coÌ„secrated how the signe and the thing signified in the Sacraments are either ioyned together or distinguished of the kind of speeches vsed in the Sacraments ¶ The sixt Sermon THE treatise vppon the sacramentes remaineth which wée heard is ioyned to the woord of God and prayer But in speking of sacraments deliuered by Christ our king and high priest and receiued and lawfully vsed of his holy and catholique Churche I will by Gods grace and assistance obserue this order first to entreate of them generally and thaÌ„ particularly or seuerally And heere before hand I wil determine vppon the certeine signification of a signe or Sacrament wherein if I shal be somewhat longe or tedious I craue pardon déerly beloued therefore for I hope it shal not be altogether fruitlesse Signum a signe the Latine writers call a token a representing a marke and shew of some thing that hath signification So say Tullie and Fabius Fabius sayeth Some call Signum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thoughe some terme it Indicium other some Vestigium a marke or token whereby a thing is vnderstood as slaughter by bloud S. Aurelius Augustine the famous Ecclestastical writer Cap. 4. De magistro sayth We generally call all those things signes which signifie somewhat where also we finde words to bee Againe Lib. 2. de doctrina Christiana cap. 1. he saith A signe is a thing beside the semblance whiche it layeth before our senses making of it selfe somethinge to come into oure mind or thought as by seeing smoke we beleue there is fire The said Aur. August doth diuide signes into signes naturall and signes giuen Naturall he calleth those whiche without any wil or affection to signifie beside theÌ„selues make something else to be knowen as is smoke signifying fire For smoke hath not any will in it selfe to signifie Signes giuen are those which all liuing creatures do giue one to an other to declare as well as they caÌ„ the affections of their mind or any thing which they coÌ„ceiue meane or vnderstand And signes giuen hee diuideth againe by the senses For some belong to the eyes as the ensignes or banners of Capteines mouing of the hands all the members Some againe belong to the eares as the trumpet and other instruments of musicke yea words themselues which are chiefe principall among men when they intend to make their meaning knowen Vnto smelling hee referreth that sweete sauour of oyntment meÌ„tioned in the Gospel whereby it pleaseth the Lord to signifie somewhat To the tast hee referreth the supper of the Lord For saith he by the tasting of the sacrament of his bodie and bloud he gaue or made a signe of his will. He addeth also an exaÌ„ple of touching And wheÌ„ the woman by touching the hemme of his vesture is made whole that is not a signe of nothing but signifieth somewhat In this manner hath Augustine entreated of the kinds differences of signes Other also whose opinioÌ„ doth not much differ from hiâ— distinguish signes according to the order of times For of signes say they some are of thinges present some of thinges past and
spiritually But how well the same hath framed or doth frame with them the whole world speaketh it at this day The vowes which they vowe are most foolish They vowe chastitie which they haue not Chastitie is the gift of god it is not incident to all men And S. Paul sayth whoso caÌ„not liue continently let them marrie For it is better to marry than to burne Generally he sayde to burne whether it were in a vowe or out of a vowe Neither is it lawfull that an humane vow and which was foolishly taken in hande and vowed shoulde preiudice the law of god What maner of pouertie it is whiche is in Abbyes experience it selfe teacheth They put off pouertie when they put off their coÌ„mon garments and with their coule they put on great riches For Monkes a thing whiche in the old time would haue semed a strange and monstruous matter are made Princes The common sort of them liue idely and eate their bread fréely and for nought against the Apostles rule in the 2. Epistle to the Thessalonians cap. 3 where such be also accursed They forsake their parentes and kinsfolke whome by the lawe of GOD they are bound to serue and obey and betake themselues vnto straunge men by whome they are enforced to iâ—finite superstitions And they which are thus fréely set at libertie by their parentes either they are set at libertie through superstition or to the intent they may haue all the dayes of their life wherewithall to lye and rot in idlenesse So that it is euideÌ„t that such put on the coule for their bellies sake not for any religion What obedience is that which is quite contrarie to the obedience whiche is reuealed by the worde of God When the magistrate commaunded them to susteine and beare publique burdens with the residue of the faithfull they be euermore frée and exempted In olde time ministers of straunge religions had vnder the Kinges of Iuda princely priuileges and customes confirmed by prescription of long time but forasmuche as their ministerie was not allowed by the worde of God but was rather repugnant to the woorde of God they were not vngodlily neither vniustly or sacrilegiously broaken and disolued by holie kinges Who can well abide to heare their excuse who being admonished to doe penance for the sinnes whiche they haue committed make this exception that by vertue of their othe they are referred to their monkish order so that with safe conscience they cannot depart from the same For it is euident that the othe which they pretend is altogether a rash oth which is not to be perfourmed as I haue declared in the 3. sermon of the seconde Decade What I pray you can a bond which is made by man without God yea rather against the worde of God binde one vnto specially béeing made vnwisely or vnaduisedly If the crosse of Christ bée of so great vertue that it hathe released vs from the curse vnto which we were all subiect how much more shal it deliuer vs froÌ„ outward bonds wherewith we were intrapped not by God but otherwise through the follie or wickednesse of men or crafte of the diuell The Apostle Saint Paule crieth out Yee were bought for a price become not the seruantes of men But if happily through the malice of men or our owne follie wée become seruants the godly muste endeuour that through true faith and obedience they may be restored to the libertie of the children of god Verily the Gospell is preached vnto vs to the intent wée should bée deliuered from all vniust captiuitie and serue GOD in spirite and trueth Moreouer where some obiect that it were good and conuenient that all monasteries through out the whole worlde were refourmed and brought back to the first simplicitie We aunswere how that in this our vnhappie age it were in vaine yea plaine follie to hope for it They cannot be reduced to the auncient simplicitie neither will the Princes and Monkes suffer such reformation to be made for then they know that they must depart not onely with muche of their profites honoures and pleasures but with all together Howbeit they had rather that the whole worlde were together by the eares than they wold deliuer vp to God his kingdome whiche they haue hitherto enioyed But admit this thing were easie enough to accomplish who shall persuade vs that if Abbyes were refourmed according to the auncient institution that in this our age they shoulde bée aswell or better gouerned than they were in the olde time We sée what beginning they had howe they haue gone forward and howe increased We see what hypocrisie ambition couetousnesse pleasure and idlenesse could doe and to what point al things are come Do wée thinke that mens desires at this day will bée more moderate Doe wée thinke that discipline shall nowe be lesse corrupted by vs and our posteritie than it was by our forefathers yea we are constreined not to hope for the better but to feare the worse who euery day do experiment that which is worse than other For wée liue in the dregges of the worlde and in the verie latter end of all ages wherein the dragon of the bottomlesse pitte through the malice and vngodlinesse of men hath gotten to him selfe great power and force to disturbe and corrupte all thinges that are in the whole worlde Howbeit in so great perils this comforteth vs not a litle which is written in the word of truth that for the elects sake those dayes shall be shortened and that he shal be loosed for a short time and then anon be caste into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Moreouer if we will make a iust reformation we muste néedes goe to the founteines themselues But in the Primitiue Church wée read of nothing set down in the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles concerning Monkerie and there by wée vnderstand that it is not necessary for the Church yea we haue learned by experience that it is noysome and hurtefull to the Churche Wherfore true reformation persuadeth vs altogether to abrogate monkerie not reiecting or neglectinge in the meane season such as do repent whom the wickednes of the time hath made vnprofitable both for themselues and others but gently to receiue them into the care almes of the Church Thus much hitherto haue wée sayde by occasion and as it were by the way concerning monkerie which wee haue declared to haue had no place in the primitiue Churche of Christe and his Apostles Let vs therfore returne to other necessary institutions of the Church Likewise the faithfull Churche of Christe vseth discipline aboute the sicke and such as are departing out of this life There come aboute them neighbours and brethren and euerie one for his part sheweth the dueties of loue and charitie they relieue the néedie with their goods and if the sick be not néedie then do they shew other dueties of goodwill There commeth also the minister of the Churche who in
aduersaries of the same â—hether 〈◊〉 lawâ—â—l for a Magistrat â—o make 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Warre a thing full of peâ—il daunger Warre is the scourg of God. Warre for profite They that haue the iuster quaâ—ell are ouercome of the vniust The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in haÌ„d 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Since he asked 〈◊〉 of heathens he woulde a great deal soner haue 〈…〉 â—t at the handâ—s of Câ—risâ—ian Mâ—gistrates â—f aâ— then there had beenâ— any The 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 〈…〉 The word of God hath made lawes of warâ—e The description 〈◊〉 a christian souldiour 〈…〉 Christians â—ere in â—imes past The Laâ—ine copie â—ath Et 〈◊〉 solus â—â—tens by â—hiche I â—â—inke hee â—â—â—ant the â—mperour Legio Fulmiuca ExaÌ„ples of warre and Capitaines out of the Scripture A 〈…〉 may 〈…〉 〈…〉 Honestus Senator The Lord conueieth himself away whilâ— the people wold haue made him a King. My kingdome 〈◊〉 not of 〈◊〉 worlde 〈…〉 Of the 〈◊〉 of â—â—biects ObedieÌ„câ— to Magistrates Lawes 〈…〉 or â—â—â—sure The 7. precept What wedâ—ocke is 〈…〉 The cauâ—â—s of marâ—â—â—ge The 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 The begetting and bringing vp of children The bedd â—â— wedâ—ocke vnâ—efiled Actes 10 Tit. 1. 1. Cor. 7. 〈◊〉 No man â—orbidden â—o marrie The knot â—f wedâ—â—ck is inâ—â—ssoluble How matrimonie must be contracted Against Polygamie or the hauing of many wiues The secoÌ„d and third marriages after the first wife The 〈◊〉 beâ—â—uiour 〈◊〉 is â—â—quired 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Maâ—â—age Married â—â—lks must 〈◊〉 faithful They must dwel together with knowledge Ephe. 5. Let them beget anâ— bring vpâ— children Marriages must be â—egonne â—ith religion Against adulterie Gene. 12. Gene. 20. Gene. 39. Iob. 31. Prou. 5. Dauids adulterie The Lord â—â—solueth â—â—ulterie What other things are forbidâ—en vnder â—he title of adulterie 〈…〉 Actes â— 1. Pâ—â— â— 1. Coâ— â— â–ª 1. Coâ— â— â–ª Ephe. 5 〈◊〉 forâ—â—dden Asturia a Countrie in Spaine betwixt Galacia Portugall â—ncest Sodomâ—◠〈◊〉 forâ—â—dden â—sal 50. Of Continencie The continencie or the bâ—â—deling of the tounge Graunted pleasures 〈…〉 1. Peter 3. 1. Timo. 2 Titus 2. Continentie in builâ—inges ContineÌ„cy in meate drinke Christe against druÌ„â—â—nnesse 〈…〉 〈…〉 Of fasting 〈…〉 Of what qualitie kinde our fastinges must bee The end of fastings The trueast Of 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 choice 〈…〉 Differenceâ— an fastings The Latin copie hath Caulis whiche I turne Hearbes it maie also bee taken for Rootes Fastinges must be free not bound to lawes The summe of this 7. precept or commaundement Matth. 6. Luke â—0 Luke 11. FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce â—ssuâ—â—th thâ— felicitie oâ— calamitie of â—inges Kingdomes Deut. 17. Iosue 1. Saul 1. Samuel 13. 14. 15. c. Solomon 1. Reg. 4. 11. Roboam 2 Para. 12. Abia. 2. Para 13. Asa 2. Para 14. Iosaphat 2. Para. 17. Ioram 2. Para. 12. Ochosias 4. Kings 9 Ioas. 2. Par. 23. 24 Amasias 2 Para. 25 Osias 2. Para. 26. Iothan 2. Para. 27. Achaz 2. â—ara 28. Ezechias 4. Reg. 18. Manasses 4. Reg. 21. Ammon 4 Reg. 21. Iosias 4. Reg. 22. Ioachas Ioachim Iâ—chonias and Zedechias 4. Kings 23. 24. 25. The kings of Israell Forreigne kings Kings which fauoured gods word and kings which persecuted the same The. 8. â—oÌ„maundâ—ent Of the proper ownning of substance How in â—he Apoâ—â—les age 〈◊〉 thinges â—ere common Gangresis Synodus False doctrine concerning riches and rich men condemned Of the lawful getting of riches Matt. 6. Labour is commended and idlenesse coÌ„demned 〈…〉 〈…〉 Whether â—argayniÌ„g 〈◊〉 buying â—â—d selling â—e lawfull 〈◊〉 no. Sundrie kindes oâ— occupatiâ—n◠〈…〉 1. 〈…〉 〈…〉 vse Beware of prodigalitie Theaft Sundâ—â—â— sortes 〈◊〉 done withâ—â—ding Thinges found Pledges pawnes The withholding of labourers hire Damage that is don by taking away Robberie deceipt Dicing carding 〈…〉 That is the meâ—sure small and the price great Agaâ—â— suâ—â—â— Sacriledge Simoniaks Ambition 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—his is 〈◊〉 in no â—ace so â—uch as in â—â—llingers â—â—n counâ—â—e where â—e 〈◊〉 who â—rue all â—â—en for â—oney do â—actise it â—â—ily â—bigei Nothing â—f another mans must â—e possesâ—ed RestitutioÌ„ is necessarie Exod. 62. Esai 3. 〈…〉 〈…〉 to be 〈◊〉 To whom â—estitution â—â— to bee â—ade â—owe â—â—ch 〈◊〉 one â—â—ght to 〈◊〉 Good couÌ„sell or aduise Ample or large discourses haue bene made touching restitution Wee must not set ouâ— mindes on riches 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—iches are â—â—e gift of â—od for â—hich he â—ust be â—â—anked Goods serue to supply our necessitie Necessitie excludeth not allowed plesure The common english translation hath they were made merâ—ie riches must serue to do honour shewe curteous behauiour betweene maÌ„ man. 〈…〉 â—e say in â—nglish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peckes Goods must serue to reliefe the poore To whom we must do good Howe we ought to do good How farre we must do good The kinds of calamities The good and euill are afflicted with calamities The godly are afflicted when the wicked liue in pleasures Abac. 1. M 〈…〉 Psal. 〈…〉 The cauâ—â—s of calaâ—ities The causes why the Saints â—re afflicâ—ed We are deliuered by the goodnesse of the Lorde not bi our owne mea or abilitie AfflictioÌ„s are testimonies of the doctrin of faith We are tried by afflictions 1. Pet. 4. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Psal. â— Certaine punishments appointed as plagues to certaine sinnes Apoc. 3. Prouerb 3 Sinne is the cause of the chur ches persecutions what kind of sinnes the Saints sinnes re Why God â—oth puâ—ishe the â—ood with he euill 〈…〉 Luke 23 The causes of afflictitions in the wicked sorte The infelicitie of the vngodly Iames. 5. â—ere 12. Psal. 72. Psal. 37. 〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉 haue 〈…〉 their 〈…〉 The Stoikes were of opinion that a valiant man ought not to be greeâ—ed for aâ—y misery â—â— calamitiâ— Against the Stoiks â—â—dolentia Ferrea Philosophia Iohn â— Of the Saints patience The Image of patience The force 〈…〉 patiâ—nce Luke 12. Heb. 10. â—amâ— â–ª The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Hope is of thinges abâ—ent Hope is of â—hings 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Hope is of â—hings â—hat 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 Hope the gyfte of God. Though the Lord put off the perfourmance of his promises vnto vs for a seasoÌ„ yet he doeth not deceiue vs because he is faithfull and iust 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 The causes of our afflictions Math. 5. Dani. 9. 2. Reg. 15. 1. Cor. 11. 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Examples of Gods deliuerance The Lords commaundements of bearing the crosse The time of afflictiâ—n is short but the rewarde very ample and eternall No afflictions do seperate the godly froÌ„ their Lord and God. Rom. ◠〈◊〉 that the saintes suffer are recompenced with other commodities To deny the truth is not the way to keepe our Goodes 〈…〉 〈…〉 Afâ—liction in warres by deflouâ—ing of women The saintâ— in suffering the crosse doâ— feele no new or vnwoonted miseries Examples of afflictions in the patriarchs Christ and Paule examples vnto vs. 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 Anno Domini 306. Their afflictions were foretolde 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VengeaÌ„ce taken of â—loudie Rome â—opes dye of the â—ocks which doth
god Because man is created to the similitude and likenesse of god If a man should of purpose deface the image of the King or Prince set vp at their commaundement hée should be accused of treason committed in how great daunger is he then that doth destroy a man which is the reasonable liuely and very picture of God himselfe Wée read that Theodosius the Emperour did determine to destroy a great number of the Citizens of Antioch for none other cause but for ouerthrowing that Image that was set vp for the honour of Placilla Augusta But thereunto is added that one Macedonius an Heremite came to the Emperours messingers said O my friends goe say to the Emperour Thou art not an Emperour only but also a man Do not thou cruellie destroy the image of god Thou angrest thy maker when thou killest his image Consider with thee selfe that thou art soaâ—ie for an image of brasse Now it is euideÌ„t to al meÌ„ what difference there is betwixt a thing that is dead and that which hath life and a reasonable soule Moreouer it is an easie matter in steede of one brasen image to set vp more but it is vnpossible to restore one haire to them that once are slaine Finally murder is clean contrary to the nature of man For man chéerisheth himselfe and flesh destroyeth not it selfe but preserueth and nourisheth it selfe so much as it may But al wée men as many as liue are of one lumpe and of the same substantiall flesh to kill a man therefore is against mans nature Furthermore al men are the children of one father of one stocke of the same progenie murder therefore is directly against ciuil humanitie and is a plague that reigns amoÌ„g men And doth not the Lord our redéemer also require charitie of all men which must so abound that wée may not sticke to die for our neighbour To kill our neighbour therefore is flatly repugnaunt to Christian religion And take this by the way too that the bloud of man shedde by murder crieth out of the earth to heauen for reuengment For to Cain when he had slaine his brother it was said The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth out of the earth and is come vp to mee For bloudshedde verilie polluteth and maketh the ground accursed whereon it is shedde and is not cleansed againe nor easilie appeased vntill it doe also 〈◊〉 the giltie bloud of them which spilte before the giltlesse bloud of innocentes Lastly murders procure marke y conutters thereof with endlesse spots of reprochfull infamie and that which is worst of all it bringeth vnto them euerlasting damnation Wherefore Salomon in his Prouerbes sayth My sonne if sinners entice thee consent not vnto them If they say Com with vs we will lay waite for bloud wil lurk priuily for the innocent without a cause Wee will swallow them vp like the graue quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte Wee shall find all maner of costly riches and fil our houses with the pray Cast in thy lot among vs wee wil all haue one purse My sonne walke not thou with them but rather pull back thy foot from their wayes For their feete runne to euill and are hastie to shead bloud Now Dauid sayth that The bloudthirstie man and the hypocrite are abhominable to the Lord. From this law is exempted the Magistrate ordeyned by God whom God commaundeth to vse authoritie and to kill threatening to punish him most sharpely if hée neglect to kill the men whom God commaundeth to be killed This sixt commaundement of the Law therefore doth flatly forbid vppon priuate authoritie to kill any man But the magistrate killeth at Gods commaundement when hée putteth to death those which are by law condemned for their offences or when in defence of his people he doth iustly and necessarilie arme himself to the battell And yet the magistrates may offend in these two pointes two sundry wayes For either they do by law that is vnder the coloured pretence of law sâ—ay y giltlesse to satisfie their own lust hatred or couetousnes As wée read that Iesabell slew y iuste man Naboth with the Lords Prophets Or else by peeuish pitie and foolish clemencie do let them escape skotte frée whom the Lord commaunded them to kill as Saul Achab are reported to haue sinned in letting go the blouddie kings whom God commaunded to be slaine And Salomon in the 17. of his Prouerbes doth testifie that the Lord doth as greatly hate the magistrate that acquiteth a wicked person as him that condemneth an innocent man The magistrates also in making or else repelling warre do offend two wayes in this sort For either they doe vniustly themselues make warre vppon other men and intangle their people therein Or else they suffer forreigne enimies to rob and spoile the people committed to their charge do not with such force as they may kéepe off and defend that open wrong and manifest iniurie Both these offences are of sundrie sorts and therewithall so great that they can hardly be purged Thou readest therefore that the holie kings of Israell did neuer make warre vppon any body vnlesse the Lord commaunded them And they againe fought for their people suffered them not to be led away captiue as miserable bondslaues For so did the blessed Patriarch Abraham follow vpon pursue those foure kinges nay rather cutthroate robbers of the East and recouered by force of armes Lot Lots substaunce and the people of Sodom that were carried away And such warres as these are taken in hand either for the recouerie or else for the confirmation of peace so that the magistrates that make warre in such a cause are rightly and in déede the children of God because they are peacemakers For all peace makers are the children of God. And now this place and argument doe require that I speake somewhat touching the office or authoritie of the magistrate which by Gods helpe I will assay to doe not that I meane or can alledge all that may be sayd therof but that which shal séeme most properly to declare the meaning of it and is most necessarie for this presente treatise Magistratus which woord we vse for the roome wherein the magistrate is doth take the name A magistris populi designandis of assigning the masters guiders and captaines of the people That roome place is called by the name of power or authoritie by reason of the power that is giuen to it of god It is called by the name of Domination for the dominion that the Lord doth graunt it vpon that earth They are called Princes that haue that Dominion for they haue a preeminence aboue the people They are called Consules of Counseling And kinges of Commaunding ruling and gouerning the people So then the Magistracie that I may henceforward vse this word for the magistrates power and place is an office and an action in the executing of the same Aristotle defineth the
magistrate to be a kéeper of the lawes Plutarch in that booke wherein hée sheweth that learning is required to be in a king among other things sayth Princes are the ministers of god for the ouersight and safegard of mortall men to the end that they may partly distribute and partly keep the good things that he doth liberallie giue and franckly bestow vppon them The Magistracie by the Scriptures may be defined to be a diuine ordinaunce or action wherby the good being defended by the Princes 〈◊〉 and the euill suppressed by the same authoritie godlines iustice honestie peace and tranquilliâ—ie both publique and priuate are safely preserued Wherby we gather that to gouerne a common weale and to execute the office of a magistrate is a worship and seruice to God himselfe God verilie is delighted therein For the office of a magistrate is a thing most excellente and abounding with all good workes as in my former sermon I haue declared Now there are thrée kinds of Magistracies or gouernements of coÌ„mon weales the Monarchie the Aristocracie and the Democracie We may cal the Monarchie a kingdome wherein one alone doth by iust and vpright lawes rule all things and causes in the common weale For if that iustice equitie be once neglected that this One doe against all right and reason rule al the roast then is he a Tyrant and his power is Tyrannie that is to say wrong and iniurie which is a disease of that troubled kingdome and a vice that is as it were set â—â—posite to be the destructioÌ„ of that common weale The Aristocracie is the superiour power of a few Péeres wher a certaine number of holie and vpright men are chosen to be the guides and rulers of the people And this did first beginne by the fall of Tyrannie For when men perceiued how daungerous it was to commit the rule of their whoale state into one mans hand they altered the order and gaue the charge thereof to an appointed number of chosen men who did excell the common sort in power authoritie But if these chiefe or head men vse euill meanes to come to authoritie and neglecting the common weale do hunt after their owne aduauntage then is their gouernmeÌ„t not to be called an Aristocracie but an Oligarchie that is the violent lust of a few and not the good and vpright gouernement of chosen Péeres So then these few violent rulers are the contrarie to the estate where vpright headmen haue the preeminence The Democracie may be called a coÌ„mon weale wherein all the people together beare the whole sway and absolute authoritie And this Democracie began first by the fall of the Oligarchie For when the people saw that their head men did abuse their power waxed violent rulers they displaced them and kept the authoritie to themselues meaning that euery man should fréelie giue his voyce in matters touching the commonweale This kind of gouernement breaketh out commonly into outragious tumultes I meane into seditions and conspiracies for no man will suffer himselfe to be corrected while euerie man will challenge to himselfe full absolute authoritie to do what hée lusteth because for sooth hee is one and a member â—â— the people in whose hands the whoale authoritie doth consist Now touching the excellencie of these fourms or kindes of gouernement it maketh not greatly to my purpose to dispute which ought to be preferred before other Many haue preferred the Monarchie before the rest but therewithall they added If he which holdeth the Monarchie be a good and vpright Prince Which neuerthelesse is rare to be found They also which were of that opinion did themselues liue vnder Princes in Monarchies But it is dauÌ„gerous to speake against Iupiter Among many kings of Iuda and Israell thou shalt finde a verie few good or at least wise tollerable indifferent Princes wherby wée may perceiue that the Lord did not in vaine by the mouth of Samuel persuade his people to kéepe their Aristocracie and to be ruled by their priestes and elders as God by Moses and Iethro the wisest in the world had ordeyned long before And yet none can denie but that great perills and infinite discommodities are in the Aristocracie but farre more many in the Democracie But such is the condition of mortall men in this corruptible flesh that nothing among them is absolutely and on euery syde happie therfore that seemeth to them to be most excellent which although it be not altogether without inconveniences some kinde of vices doth neuerthelesse in comparison of other bring fewer perils and lesser annoyaunce But how soeuer the case doth â—â—aÌ„d the Apostles of Christ do commaund vs to obey the magistrate whether he be king or senate of chosen meÌ„ For Paul in his Epistle to Titus sayeth Warne them to be subiect to rule power and to obey magistrates For to the Romans he saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers For no power is but of god those powers that are are or deined by god Again to Tim. he saith I exhort you that prayers be made for kings for al that are in authoritie If therfore any man liue in a Monarchie let him obey the king if in a ceÌ„mon weale of what title soeuer let him be ruled by the Consuls Tribunes headmen elders of the people For we ought rather to obey the ordinaunce of God than ouer euriously to dispute of the kinds of gouernements which is the better or worse than other And in all cases truely the magistrate is very necessarie and cannot bée missing among men yea hée is so necessarie that without the magistrates help the state of men can hardly prosper nor easilie stand Neither doest thou read that the state and common-weale of the Israelites was euer at any time in greater daunger and peril of vndooing than it was in the middle time betwixt Sampson and Heli when they were gouerned by no magistrates but did euery man what he thought good himselfe For all men euen from their birth are blindly ledd with selfe loue and therefore they séeke their own aduauntage nothing pleaseth them but what they do them selues they vtterly mislyke the déedes and woords of other men yea such is oure fond affection and opinionatiue sense that how euil soeuer our causes are yet wee will not stick to face them out with a card of ten and to colour them with law and equitie Hée that will stand in deniall hereof did neuer consider mans disposition The people of Israel at their deliuerie out of Aegypt saw woÌ„derful signes they were meruaylously fedd froÌ„ heauen in y desart did euery day behold new myracles But yet hearkeÌ„ my brethren consider what Moses the meekest and gentillest man that euer was doth say touching this holy people this people of God whom God had chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe How shall I alone sayth hée to