be vnderstanded as concerning the hystory of Cornelius the Centurion which Peter alleageth to verie good purpose bicause the same before had bene called in question and argued on among the faythfull as we sawe in the eleuenth Chapter The summe of his argument is this God when he called and adopted Cornelius and his family from gentilitie vnto Christ and into the societie of his Churche did by that example set forth vnto vs a true and perfyte meane and way of attayning vnto saluation But he requyred nothing else of them but to heare the gospell of me and to beleeue it Ergo these two thinges are sufficient for man to be iustifyed by and to attaine vnto saluation that is to say to heare the gospell and by true fayth to imbrace Christ preached in the same And Peter gathereth most strongly of perticulers an vniuersall doctrine bicause God vseth one certaine and inuiolable rule in sauing of all men And it is not lyke that God would neglect that rule in sauing a prophane souldyour that was confyrmed in the bloude of his sonne But that his argument might beare the more weight he calleth them for wytnesses of the same thing you know sayth he how that a good whyle ago that is in the beginning of the Church God dyd choose or appoint amongst vs that the Gentyles by my mouth should heare the worde of the gospell and beleeue Upon the which wordes he might haue inferred why then doe you requyre circumcision and fulfylling of the law ouer and beside those things that seeme to God sufficient Or whence haue you authoritie to alter the order appoynted of God and to be so bolde as to adde or take anye thing from the same But he leaueth all this to them to gather Yet he ioyneth two things more hereto whereby he openeth this example Fyrst God sayth he which knoweth the hartes and is not deceyued with any outwarde appearaunce hath aboundantly prooued this waye that I haue nowe tolde you to be sufficient euen by his owne testimonie For assoone as men beleeued the gospell that was preached he sent vnto them the holy ghost as well as vnto vs Which spirite since this world and prophane men euen by Christs owne testimonie can not receyue it appeareth most euidently that God acknowledged these men for the members of his Church and for coinheritours with Christ although they were neyther circumcised nor had receyued any other ceremonie of the lawe Then pointing as it were with hys fynger to the maner of iustifycation and God sayth he put no difference betweene them and vs seing that with fayth he purifyed their hartes Before this in deede the Iewes were deuided from the Gentiles by the lawe but Christ hath broken downe the particion of the lawe and of two people hath made one Church and hath purifyed the Gentiles as well as the Iewes by fayth Hereto appertayneth that place of Paule And the wordes which he wryteth to the Romanes cap. 3. We holde therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe Is he the God of the Iewes onely ▪ Is he not also the God of the Gentiles yes euen of the Gentiles also for it is God onely that iustifyeth the circumcision that is of fayth and vncircumcision thorow fayth Furthermore Peter in one briefe sentence comprehendeth whatsoeuer may be sayde of our iustifycation Fyrst he confesseth that our hartes haue neede to be purifyed Man therefore must needes be a thing altogither polluted bicause the hart is the Fountaine out of which spring all our doings God himselfe beareth wytnesse hereof where he sayth the inuentions and deuises of man are naught euen from his childhood And this one thing is aboundantly sufficient to ouerthrowe all the righteousnesse of our workes as oftentimes we haue declared Then teacheth he howe purifycation is wrought by fayth bicause it taketh holde of Christ whome God hath ordeyned to be our iustifyer He cleanseth vs from our sinnes through the merite of his bloude He communicateth vnto vs his righteousnesse so that by reason of fayth whereby we be grafte in him we are taken for righteous in the sight of god Wherefore Paule declareth that he is made our righteousnesse of God Againe besides this he onely mortifyeth the reliques and dregges of our fleshe whiles he chaungeth and regenerateth vs by his worde and spirite gyuing vs power to bring forth fruites aunswerable to our profession Whervnto these words of his are to be referred Now are you cleane thorow the words which I haue spoken to you He that abydeth in me I in him bringeth forth much fruit But bicause we can haue no felowship with Christ but through fayth the scripture truly affirmeth that we be purifyed iustifyed by fayth which phrase of speech must not so be taken as though faith were a vertue through the merite wherof men were clensed frō their sinnes but bicause we therby take hold of Christ in whō all our righteousnesse consisteth Thirdly he maketh God the author of this purification Therfore he is the only author of our faith which Paule also testifyeth to be the gift of god And Christ sayth none commeth vnto him but whom the father draweth For where the naturall man perceyueth not the mysteries of the spirite we of our selues are not able once to thinke well we must needes be illuminated and drawne of God that fayth may take place in vs So all the glory of our iustification must returne vnto God and nothing must be lefte to mans power or merite This sawe Dauid long ago when he called vpon God to be forgiuen of his sinnes saying Washe me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne Purge me with Isope and I shall be cleane washe me and I shall be whyter than snowe Delyuer me from bloud-guyltinesse ô God thou that art the God of my saluation And hereby maye we receyue great comfort to strengthen our faith in temptations For where our iustifycation and saluation dependeth vpon God it must needes be certaine and infallible Hereof proceede those sayings of Paule who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifyeth who is it that can condemne Such was the certainetie of this doctrine among the people of God in all ages that the Phariseys also could plainely confesse that God onely had power to forgiue sinnes Therefore we doe not without cause nowe a dayes bewayle the folly and pryde of those men which attribute this glorie eyther to their owne workes or else to most arrogant and impudent hypocrites Howe grieuously these men offende Peter sheweth in the second part of his oration which now we shal consider Nowe therefore sayth he why tempt you God to put vppon the Disciples neckes that yoke which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare He teacheth by these weightye wordes that all our saluation is ouerthrowne and that such
vseth to reuenge the contempt of his sonne and of his worde vppon them that holde on in their incurablenesse and vnbeliefe The fyrst he concludeth with great weyght of wordes saying Bee it knowne vnto you therefore yee men and brethren that through this Iesus whom I haue hitherto preached is the forgiuenesse of sinnes declared vnto you And it is not without a cause that he thus beginneth saying Be it knowne vnto you For by this meanes he thought to make them the more attent and diligently to consider that which was to followe And hereby he teacheth vs that it is necessary and conuenient that as many men as desire to be saued shoulde knowe christ For Christ himselfe teacheth vs that the chiefe poynt of our saluation consisteth in the knowledge of him where hee sayth This is lyfe euerlasting ô father that men should knowe thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent Then also where it is the peculiar counsell of God that the knowledge of Christ through the preaching of the Gospell shoulde be published ouer all the worlde they that despyse this knowledge of saluation offered vnto vs by God must needes bee iudged wicked and ingratefull contemners of Gods goodnesse They are by this place confuted that say matters of religion belong not vnto them and are wilfully ignorant and deceyued in their saluation Using commonly to abuse Christes wordes where he sayth The seruant that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes So that they thinke they shall be excused before the iudgement seate of God so long as they be vtterly ignorant in the mysteries of fayth and saluation But they ought also to thinke that it is vnmeete and not conuenient that they which will be called and taken for the seruauntes of God shoulde be ignorant of their maisters will and refuse to learne it It is Gods will that housholders shoulde declare his commaundements and workes vnto their family and shall we thinke to be excused if we wittingly be ignorant of that which God reuealeth vnto vs both by writing and plaine teaching Why doe we not rather harken what Christ sayth that they which are borne of God refuse not to heare the worde of God And Iames sendeth them which lacke wisedome vnto prayer to obtayne it of the father of lights And we want not examples both of Dauid and other holye men who were most desirous to obtayne this heauenly wisedome See Psal. 25.119 c. But lette vs returne vnto Paule which comprehendeth in a fewe of wordes the summe of all Gods benefytes giuen vs in Christ saying Through this man is preached vnto you remission of sinnes For in forgiuenesse of sinnes is vnderstanded all those things that appertayne to our saluation For it is euident that God is offended with vs bicause of sinne and that for sinnes sake we be excluded from the grace spirit and kingdome of god Wherby againe is gathered that God must needes be mercifull vnto them whose sinnes are forgiuen and taken away Ergo he giueth them his spirite wherewith being regenerate and made his children they become inheritors of the kingdome of heauen Let vs note how Paule in this briefe sentence doth most fully teach the true knowledge of saluation which if it be diuided into certaine poyntes and articles shall most easilye be perceyued and vnderstanded The fyrst of them is that we should vnderstande we be sinners and stande grieuously detbounden vnto God which hereby appeareth for that the scriptures euerywhere make mention of forgiuenesse of sinnes The scriptures likewise eueriwhere accuse vs of sinne and teach vs that we be of nature corrupt Moses from the mouth of God declareth that the inuentions and deuises of mans heart are naught euen from his childehode He setteth the lawe before vs as it were a glasse wherein the flesh may beholde hir corruption which otherwise vseth to flatter hir selfe In the booke of Iobe it is written that none borne of a woman is cleane Dauid confesseth that he was conceyued and borne in sinne Salomon writeth that the iust man falleth seauen times a day And in Esay the Prophete the faythfull confesse that our righteousnesses by reason of the contagiousnesse of sinne and the fleshe cleauing vnto vs are lyke an arayed and fylthy clowte And Christ admonisheth vs of the same where he teacheth vs to praye forgiue vs our trespasses For that prayer were superfluous if we were not loden with grieuous sinnes Nowe it must needes be that this foundation must lye in the knowledge of saluation bicause man can haue no care thereof vnlesse he fyrst vnderstand he is vtterly lost and corrupted But we haue neede also of another thing that is to vnderstande howe we be freely forgiuen For where through sinne we haue deserued eternall death and haue no sparke of goodnesse of our selfe and all that good which we seeme to doe is corrupt and vnperfyte it must needes be that this remission and forgiuenesse must come of fauour and grace The Parable in the .xviij. of Mathew teacheth vs the same And we professe this remission or forgiuenesse among the articles of our fayth where we saye we beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes and we alleage nor make mention of no satisfaction that dependeth vpon our workes Thirdly it behooueth that we knowe for whose sake this grace is bestowed on vs The same is Iesus Christ onely and alone in whome the father is well pleased bicause hee hath taken our sinnes vppon him and hath pourged them on the aultare of the Crosse by the merite of his bloude insomuch that otherwheres he sayeth he is made to vs of God the father righteousnesse satisfaction and sanctifycation yea and a sacrifyce for sinne that we by his meanes might be made righteous Iohn the Baptist taught vs the same where hee sayeth that Christ is the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde Fourthlye we must holde fast the meanes whereby Christ is made oures which Paule plainelye teacheth vs where he sayeth forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached to vs through christ For hereby is gathered that he is receyued by faith bicause there is none other meane whereby the worde preached may be taken hold of yet he expresseth the same more plainely in the wordes that followe saying By him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Wherevnto all the thinges written of fayth in any place of the scripture are to be referred but speciallye that that Christ commaunded his Disciples at his last departure from them For in Luke .xxiiij. he commaundeth repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes to be preached in his name And in another place whosoeuer beleeueth and is baptized shall bee saued And all that that Paule prosecuteth at large in the Epistles to the Romanes Galathians Ephesians to diuers other he comprehendeth in this briefe sentence wherof if a man lyst to see yet any more
may first sée what the opinion of the Latine Church was in this poynt by one of the most approouedst Doctors in the same Church S. Hierome vpon these wordes of Paule to the Colossians Let the worde of Christ dwell plentifullye among you sayth thus By this place it is declared that euen the laye people ought to haue the woorde of Christ among them not onely sufficiently but also abundantly and to teach and admonishe one another Here besides that S. Hierome permitteth the lay people to haue the Scriptures and that plenteously he also suffereth them to teach and instruct one another saying moreouer that it is their dutie so to doe Chrysostome vpon the same place and wordes sayeth euen the same thing though in more large and ample maner Harken sayth he all yee secular people that haue charge of wife and children howe the Apostle commaundeth you chiefly to reade the scriptures and that not lightly and slenderly but with great diligence And a litle after that again Lysten sayth he I pray you all you laye people Buye you the Bible which is the medicine of the soule Or if you will haue nothing else get you the newe Testament the Gospels and Actes of the Apostles for your continuall and diligent teachers And by and by after he addeth This sayth he is the cause of all euill that the scriptures are not vnderstanded Note well I pray you howe Chrysostome holdeth this as an vndoubted and infallible truth that ignoraunce in the Scriptures is the cause of all euill Our Countrie man Beda called worshipfull as I suppose bicause of his great learning and reuerende life and demeanor is of the very same iudgement as appeareth by that he hath written vpon the first Epistle of S. Peter the seconde Chapter I might also here shewe howe the sayde Beda for more than nyne hundreth yeares past translated the Gospell of Saint Iohn into the Englishe tongue and howe Constantine so greatly commended for his godlynesse caused infinite copies of the Byble to be written and sent abrode into all the partes of his Empyre long before that But returne we to Chrysostome who many times chideth as it were with his hearers for that they giue no better héede to his sermons sometimes againe he prayeth and desireth them that they woulde come oftner to them and reade and pervse the scriptures at home at their houses more diligently than they had vsed Otherwhiles he aunswereth the obiections they vsed to make for their excuse But let vs heare his owne words Tell me saith he I pray you you that stand here present which of you can say one Psalme without the booke if it were required of you or any other peece of the scripture And he by by maketh their obiection answere But sayth he this is your defence for all such faultes I am say you no Monke I haue wife and children and charge of housholde verily this is it wherewith as it were with the plague you â—arre and corrupt all thinges bicause you thinke the reading of scriptures belongeth to Monkes onely where in deede it is much more necessary for you than for them for they that go abrode in the world and daily receyue wounde vpon wound haue more neede of Gods medicine than other men Wherefore it is a more grieuous and heynous fault to thinke the lawe of God to be superfluous than to be ignorant in it for these be wordes proceeding of a diuelishe cogitation Hearest thou not Paule say the scriptures are written for our correction Thus much hath Chrisostome in his second Homelie vpon S. Mathew these words also to the like effect in the same place folowing This sect sayth he is the working of the deuils inspiration that will not suffer vs to loke vpon the treasure least we should attaine to the riches therof Therfore he perswadeth men that there is no profit ryseth by reading the holy Scriptures bicause he woulde see no practise followe of the hearing Againe in his .xvij. Homelie vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues he bringeth other like obiections whervnto he also answereth Thou wilt saye sayth he I haue not reade it this is no excuse but a fault And in his .xxviii. Homely vpon the Genesis he earnestly erhorteth and counsayleth all men to the hearing reading of the scriptures These be his words I pray you sayth he come hither oftener and harken more diligently to the reading of the holy Scripture and not onely when you come hither but at home also take the holy Bible in your handes and receyue with great studie the commoditie therein conteyned And a little after that againe I pray you therfore sayth he let vs not lose so great a commoditie through our negligence but let vs apply the reading of the holy scripture euen at home also Nowe if these newe Diuines which haue gone so long disguised vnder the visar of antiquitie will yet farther replye and saye that the Scriptures are to difficult for all men to vnderstand and that they are not sufficient to discusse all controuersies that may arise in the church but that we must wayte for the Oire and determiner of counselles or that diuersitie of translations bréede obscuritie and errours among the people we will hereto also make them an aunswere and that out of the doctors that it may herein also appeare that they doe but pretende doctors seing they will not yéelde to the doctors when they heare them speake and make so expressely against them First touching hardnesse and difficultie wherewith they charge the scripture Saint Augustine in his second booke of christian doctrine and sixe chapter sayth thus The holye ghost hath so honorably and wholesomely tempered and qualified the holye Scriptures that it hath put hunger awaye by playner places and lothsomnesse by darker And againe in his thirde Epistle to Volusianus he sayth The maner of speech wherof the holy scripture consisteth all men may easely come vnto although verie fewe can pearce through it vttering the playner things therein conteyned like a familiar friend without all coulour to the heart aswell of the vnlearned as learned And those things which it hydeth in mysteries it doth not set out with haultie elocution fraying the slowe and vnlearned minde to come neere it lyke as the poore man commeth vnto the riche but allureth all men with lowlinesse of speeche feeding them not onely with manifest truth but exercising them with secret hauing the verie same things in playner places that it hath in harder Cyrill in his seauenth booke against Iulian sayth to the intent that the scriptures might be knowne to all men both small and great they are so commodiously set foorth in familiar speache that they passe nones capacitie Saint Hierome vpon the .xix. chapter of Esay sayth It is the maner of the scriptures after harder things to set playner Saint Austen in his .83 booke and .69 question affirmeth that circumstaunce of the Scriptures openeth the sence and meaning
house â–ª that thou hast brought me to so great dignitie and honour 529 15. Cary the Arke of God againe into the Citie if I shall c. 530 16. Suffer him to cursse ibid. 24. I am in a wonderfull streight Let vs fall now into the hand of the lord Agayne I haue sinned it is I that haue done wickedly But these sheepe c. 530 1. REgum 8. The Heauens of Heauens is not able to conteyne thee and how should then this house doe it that I haue buylded 666 2. PAralipom 14. Lorde it is no hard thing with thee to help with many or theÌ„ that haue no power 885 NEhemias 13. Of the Sabboth pag. 736 ESaie 2. In the latter dayes the Hill of the Lordes house shall be prepared 2 6. Heare in deede c. 340 10. If the number of the people of Israell â—cre as the sande of the Sea. c. 901 23. After the ende of seuentie yeares shall the Lorde visite Tyre and shee shall conuerte vnto hir rewarde 761 29. They worship mee in vayne teaching the doctrines of men 342 30. Prophecie not c. 222 33. Wo to thee that destroyest for thou shalt be destroyed 306 40. The worde of our God endureth for euer 335 42. I am the Lord this is my name my glory will I gyue to none other 571 1â—0 42. Beholde this is my seruaunt vpon whom I leaâ—e myne elect in whome my Soule is pacified Pag. 20â— 48. The vngodly haue no peace 207 49. It is but a small thing that thou art my seruaunt to sette vp the kindreds of Iacob 32 49. Will a woman forget hir owne infant 48 52. O howe beautifull are the feete of the Ambasador that bringeth the message from the mountaine and proclaymeth peace 447 53. Who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching 50.89 53. Wee haue all gone a straye lyke sheepe euery one hath turned his owne waye 566 53. And in his mouth hath beene founde no guile 350 53. This shal be his name by which they shall call hym the Lord our righteousnes 459 55. Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne Imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde Pag. 132 55. The worde that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my wyll and prosper in the thing wherto I sende it 138 55. Wherefore doe you laye out anye money for the thing that feedeth not 589 58. Cry now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of lyft vp thy voyce lyke a trumpet 205 58. Wherfore fast we and thou seest it not 235 60. Euery people and kingdome that serueth not thee shall perishe â–ª 622 63. Abraham knoweth vs not â–ª neyther is Israell aquaynted wyth vs. 541 64. God hath prepared such things for them that loue hym as neyther eye hath seene eare hearde nor harte hath vnderstanded c. Pag. 212 65. It shal bee that or euer they call I will aunswere them 685 66. HeaueÌ„ is my seate and the earth is my footestole 35 347.66â— IEremie 1. Beholde I putte my wordes in thy mouth 21 1. Be not abashed at their countenaunces 685 1. Beholde this daye doe I make thee a stronge fensed Towne Pag. 750 2. My people hath committed two euilles They haue forsaken mee the well of the water of lyfe c. Pag. 589 4. O Israell if thou wilt turn thee then turne thee vnto mee 131 10. Yee shall not learne after the maner of the Heathen nor be afrayd for the tokens of heauen 343 12. How happeneth it that the waye of the vngodly is so prosperous Pag. 504 17. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lorde hym selfe Pag. 353 23. Behold the tyme commeth saith the Lorde that I will rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid 6 23. I fulfill heauen and earth sayeth the Lord. 35 23. The Lorde our righteousenesse Pag. 350 23. The woorde of GOD is fyre Pag. 660 31. I will plant my Lawe in the inward partes of them and wryte it in their hartes 96 31 Turne vs and wee shall be turned 786 48. Cursed bee hee that dooth the woorke of the Lorde fraudulently 151 EZechielis 3. The bloud of them that perish I will requyre at thy handes 17 3. Thou shalt heare the worde at my mouth and gyue them warning from mee 21 3. When I shall saye vnto the wycked thou shalt surely dye 560 3. Thou sonne of man I haue made thee a watche man c. 683 DAnielis 2. Of the Mountayne Pag. 2 HOsee 4. Idoles robbe men of their hartes 338 13. Death where is thy stynge Pag. 111 IOelis 2. And it shall come to passe toward the latter dayes I will poure out my spirit vpon al flesh Pag. 93. c. 2. Turne you vnto mee with all your hartes 131 AMos 2. Prophecie not 222 3. You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth Pag. 99 3. There is no euill in a Citie but the Lord is auctor of it 483 3. The Lord God hath spoken and who will not prophecie 683 5. Haue you offred vnto mee Sacrifices and offrings fourty yeres in the wildernes 341 7. I was neyther Prophet nor prophetes sonne 69 9. The place of Amos. 9. 600 MIchee 4. The hill of the Lords house 2 ABacue 2. If he differ or put of yet wayght still 79 ZAcharie 2. Who so toucheth you toucheth the apple of myne eye Pag. 502 2. The apple of myne eye c. 300 9. His dominion shal bee from the one sea to the other 32 9. Behold thy King shall come vnto thee euen righteous a Sauiour and lowly 199 11. Wo to the Idole sheepeherd that leaueth his flocke 517 3. Aryse O thou swerde vpon my Shepherd and vppon the man that is my fellow 106.107 MAlachie 2. The Priestes lips shall keepe knowledge 63 3. It is but vayne too serue God. 236 IObe 5. He compasseth the wyse in their owne craftynes 204 19. I am sure that my redeemer liueth c. 13 ECclesiastic 3. Many haue bene deceyued through their owne vayne opinion 28 35. The prayer of him that humbleth himself goeth through the clowds Pag. 637 PSalm 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not c. 638 2. Of the kingdome of Christe Pag. 2 2. Aske of me and I will gyue thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritaunce 35.201 2. Thou shalt bruse them with a rodde of yron 126 7. They trauell with mischiefe and bring foorth vngodlynesse 218 14. There is no God. 114 16. The wordes there are prooued ought to bee vnderstanded of Christ and not of Dauid 113 22. My prayse shall be of thee in the great congregation 116 27. Tarrye thou the Lordes leysure be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 79 27. When my father and my mother forsaketh mee the Lorde taketh me vp 308.520 34. Keepe thy tongue from euill 85 34. The aungell of the Lorde campeth round about them that
feare him 548 34. The eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous 497 37. I haue seene the vngodly in great prosperitye and flourishing lyke a greene baye tree 505 48. The Citie of the great king 18 50. Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me 115.116 50. Thinkest thou that I will eate bulles flesh and drinke the bloud of Goates 545 51. washe me throughly from myâ—e iniquitie and clense me from my sinne 545 51. Renewe in mee a right spirite 77 56. Thou haâ—t numbred my flittinges thou hast put my teares in thy bottell 328.745 58. They are as venemous as the poyson of a Serpent they bee like the deafe â—dder that stoppeth hyr eares 548 65. Blessed is the man whome thou choosest 525 68. Thou wentest vp on high thou hast ledde captiuity captiue 124 69. The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee 659 69. I will prayse the name of the Lorde with a songue 461 72. His domynion shall be from the one sea to the other 32 72. He shall delyuer the poore when he cryeth the afflicted c. 321 and .453 76. In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell 91.95 80. Shewe the light of thy countenaunce and we shall be saued 120 89. I haue sworne once by my holynesse that I will not fayle Dauid 24 89. My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lyppes 298 94. He that made the eye shall he not see 300 94. In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart thy comfortes did refreshe my soule 115 94. The Lorde seeth it not neyther doth the God of Iacob vnderstande it 253 104. Thou that makest the clowdes thy charyot 36 104. He watereth the hylles from aboue the earth is replenished with the fruite of thy workes Pag. 575. â—05 Touch not mine annoynted 142 106. They turned theyr glorye into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth haye 337.574 107. Let them giue thankes whome the Lorde hath redeemed and deliuered out of the hande of the enimie 496 110. The Lord sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou on my right hand 266 and .119.33 110. Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 37.168.122 110. Rule thou in the myddle among thine enimies 98 113. Hee lifteth the simple out of the dust 330 116. Right deere in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes Pag. 475 116. What rewarde shall I gyue vnto the Lorde for all the benefits that he hath done vnto me 461 118. The Lord is the strength of my lyfe 253 118. The same stone which the builders refused 200 119. It is better to trust in the Lord. Pag. 254 119. It is good for mee that I haue beene in miserye 101 121. I will lyft vp mine eyes vnto the hylles â–ª from whence my helpe shall come 353 123. Beholde euen as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the handes of theyr maysters c. 113 132. I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house 346 141. Set a watche O God before my mouth 85 146. Put not your trust in Princes Pag. 317 147. Hee declares hys worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israell 95 147. Hee couereth the heauen wyth clowdes and prepareth rayne for the earth 575 1 PRouerb The beginning of knowledge is the feare of the Lorde 416 2. If thou seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalt finde hyr Pag. 88 6 The Lord hateth a false witnesse that bringeth vp lyes 354 16. Lottes are cast into the lappe but the ordering thereof standeth in Lorde 72 25. He that searcheth the maiestie of of God shall be depriued of the glorie 28 MAtthei 1. Thou shalt call hys name Iesus for he shall c. Pag. 168 3. Repent 130 3. And say not we haue Abraham to our father 350 3. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased 202 and .449.103 5. Blessed are the poore in heart for they shall see God. 120 5. The Citie of the great King. 18 5. One iote or one title of the lawe shall not scape 335 5. If thou bringest thy gyft to the aulter and there remembrest 48 5. You shall be perfect euer as your father which is in heauen is perfect 512 5. He maketh his sonne to aryse c. Pag. 638 6. Where your treasure is there will be your heart also 632 7. Seeke and you shall finde 88 7. With what measure you meate it shall be c. 301 7. Not euerye one that sayth vnto me Lorde 94 7. Depart fro me yee that worke iniquitie 351 8. Follow me and let the deade burye the deade 511 9. Thy fayth hath made thee safe Pag. 168 10. A mans foes shall be them of his owne housholde 56.563 10. Whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my father which is in heauen 86 10. He that receyueth you receyueth me 9.161 It is not you that speake but the spirite of your father that speaketh in you 9 10. Be you wise as Serpents 657 10. Feare ye not them which kill c. Pag. 685 10. If they persecute you in one Citye c. â—01 10. Goe not into the waye of the Gentiles 533 10. Hee that loueth father or mother more than me 591 10. It shal be gyuen you in that same hower what to speake 780 10. Come vnto mee all yee that labour sore and are laden 7 11. No man knoweth the father but the sonne 566 11. I thanke thee O Father bicause thou hast hidde these things from the wise 45.625 12. How can one enter into a strong mans house and spoyle c.  12. Out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh 85 13. The secrets of the kingdome of Heauen 641 15. Euery planting which my heauenly father c. 342 15. It is not meete to throwe the Childrens breade vnto dogges  15. Nothing that goeth in at the mouth c. 608 15. In vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines preceptes of men 589 16. The gates of hell shall not preuayle against it 298 17. This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym 449 18. Where two or three are gathered togither in my name  20. Who so will be cheefe among you Let him be your seruaunt 39.70 and .141 21. The kindome of God shall be taken from you c. 683.552 22. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac 327 22. Giue vnto Cesar those thinges which are Cesars and vnto god those things that are Gods. 211 23. All whatsoeuer they bidde you obserue that obserue and doe 56 23. Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophetes 16 24. Heare is Christ or there 8 24. Ye shall heare of warres and rumoures of warres 99 25. The parable of the talentes 308 25. Enter into the ioye of thy Lord Pag. 119 25. I was harbourlesse and yet toke me in 557 27. If
To the which thing Dauid had a respect where he said Whither shall I go from thy spirite or whether shall I go from thy presence If I climbe vp into heauen thou art there if I go downe into hell thou art there also c. Therefore it is manifest that all this Hystorie ought to be expounded of the operation and giftes of the holy ghost And the Apostles are sayde to receyue the holy ghost bicause the same which otherwise is incomprehensible wrought effectually in them and endued and furnished them with all maner of gyftes as was meete to the execution of so weightie an office After which sense euery where in the Scripture they are sayde to haue God and the spirit of God present in them in whom he woorketh and who suffer themselues to be guided and directed by him and they lacke God and his spirite which withstand his woorking and rather giue themselues to the vnruly desires of the fleshe and the worlde than vnto the gouerning of the holy ghost Yet these thinges shall appeare more plaine by the context of the Hystorie wherein first we will note the tyme then the Apostles persons and last of all the maner of this sending all in order Luke beginneth with the discription of the tyme not so much for Hystoricall order sake and to purchase and get credite to the thing that was done as to aduertise vs of verye great mysteryes whereof the diuine prouidence had chiefly a consideration It was the day of Pentecost which otherwheres the scripture calleth the feast of weekes or of newe corne bicause on that day the Shewbread of newe corne was offered It tooke the name of Pentecost amongst the Greekes of the number bicause it was celebrated the fifteth day after Passeouer or Easter He that will see the Ceremonies obserued on that day may looke them in Leuit. 23. and Deut. 16. The chiefe thing here to be considered was the remembraunce of the lawe which the Scripture sayth was giuen that day and vttered by the mouth of Gods Maiestie It shall appeare that this day was appoynted by God for this businesse not without a cause if we consider the number of people which vsed to be present at this feast and well marke Christ to be the truest and best expositor of the olde lawe For it is euery where seene that God vseth to notifie and publishe to all men the things that concerne our saluation For he would haue as Paule sayth all men to be saued and to come vnto the knowledge of truth It was therfore most commodious that the preaching of the Gospell should begin vpon one of the greatest holy dayes and amongst the greatest number of people that both the more people might be instructed and also that the miracle of the holy ghost which should shortly be published to diuers nations might after a sort prepare for the Apostles the way of preaching And the Lorde obserueth in the Apostles that thing which we reade him selfe obserued while he was on the earth For as he chose publike places alwayes to preach in so was he woont on the holy dayes to go to Hierusalem that aswell his doctrine as miracles might be knowne to the more people Yea he would be crucifyed at the feast of Passeouer that the knowledge of his death being so profitable might the sooner and the wyder be published abroade It shall be profitable for vs diligently to marke the tokens of Gods goodnesse which teach vs that the redemption made by Christ Iesus is offered of God to all men and appertayneth to all men neyther can we haue any surer consolation any where in our temptations Uerily Sathan will not lightly denie that Iesus Christ is a Sauiour and a Redeemer But he vseth this pollicie in assaulting our fayth that the redemption which is by Christ appertayneth not vnto vs and teacheth vs to measure the merites of Christ and the limits thereof according to our worthinesse or vnworthinesse And it cannot bee chosen but here our fayth must quayle forasmuch as there is no man but findeth himselfe most vnworthie of saluation when he throughly hath considered his owne nature But the consideration of those thinges which teach Christ to be the vniuersall Sauiour of all them that beléeue in him and a most bountifull Author of health that is glad to benefite most men doth most strongly prop and beare vp our fayth thus faltring But the other cause is more diligently to be searched where we sayde that the spirite of Christ was giuen in Pentecost bycause of the lawe once published on that day It is manifest that all the things which happened to the Iewes were shadowes and figures of things to come to the accomplishment and performance whereof Iesus Christ from euerlasting was ordayned and appointed Therfore Augustines obseruation seemeth to me neyther superfluous nor curious who in the consideration of this present Hystorie compareth it with the figure of the olde Testament touching the setting foorth of the law where there is a great likenesse of all circumstances and a iust proportion or measure of mysteries on both sides to be obserued which we haue thought good to expounde by Austens wordes A sheepe is slaine sayth he the Passeouer is holden and within fiftie dayes after the lawe written with the finger of God is giuen to make vs feare Christ is slaine who like a sheepe was led to be offered as Esay witnesseth The true Passeouer is celebrated and within fiftie dayes after the holye ghost which is the finger of God is giuen to make vs to loue c. Yea Paule the Apostle diligentlye compareth the preaching of the Gospell which began at Pentecost with the publishing of the law and by that comparison prooueth the authoritie of the Gospell And the Scripture sheweth that Christ is the ende of the law whereof he professeth himselfe to be a true interpreter Therefore there could be no fitter tyme chosen to sende the holy ghost in than the fifteth day after Easter which by reason of the law then published was very notable For hereby we are taught that there is but one spirit of the olde and new Testament and not two diuers as the Manychies in tyme past dreamed For Christ would not take vpon him to haue interpreted the lawe if it had beene published with any other spirite than the spirite of God neyther would haue commended and celebrated the memoriall thereof with so wholesome a myracle Further we are taught that the true sence of the lawe can be gathered of none other than of the spirite of christ For where Christ onely hath satisfyed the lawe to whome the lawe led vs as a guide and Schoolemayster they shall in vaine traueyle about the vnderstanding thereof which are destitute of the spirit of Christ and faith in Christ which he worketh in vs Which thing is the cause that Paule sayth the Iewes haue yet the vayle before their eyes by reason whereof
all these things serue to prouoke vs to consider our dignitie Gods liberalitie towards vs to celebrate the goodnesse of God to shew our selues thankful for his gifts which he so merciful a lord so bouÌ„tifully hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs. Last of all Ioel rehearseth the effectes of the holye ghost which are common to all them that beleeue In which place he maketh mention of prophecie the gift whereof he sayth both yong men and olde men sonnes and daughters shall receyue By prophecie we suppose ought to be vnderstanded not so much the gift of telling things to come as the true and certaine knowledge of the mysteries of saluation and chiefly the vnderstanding of the old Testament according to the exposition of Paule which is to be seene He addeth by way of exposition visions and dreames bicause that by those meanes God vsed in tymes past to reueale his will vnto the Prophetes as may be seene in the booke of Numbers 12. Chap. For the Prophetes vse to set forth the mysteryes of Christ with certaine phrases of speache such as were knowne and in vse with all men in their dayes Examples whereof may be seene euery where of such as reade their wrytings So by thys worde prophecying he promiseth the true knowledge or vnderstanding of Gods will and that saluation that is common to all men in the kingdome of Christ which also we read is promised in other places Esay verily saith that the earth shall be full of the knowledge and vnderstanding of God. And the Lorde sayth I will plant my lawe in the inwarde partes of them and write it in their heartes and I will be their God and they shall be my people And from thenceforth shall no man teach his neighbour or his brother and say Knowe the Lorde But they shall all knowe me from the lowest vnto the highest sayth the Lorde c. And Christ out of the Prophete testifieth that they shall bee all taught of the Lorde Therefore the principall effect of the holy ghost and which is common to all men is a sure knowledge of the will of God and an vnderstanding of saluation and the mysteryes of the kingdome of God and as farre as is requisite for euery man an intelligence both of the olde and newe Testaments By this therefore we may iudge what they be that set naught by the knowledge of the will of God and where they vnderstand it not of themselues will yet be taught of no man whome this one place may prooue to want the spirite of christ To this may be ioyned the Lords ouer the fayth and the Tyrantes of the Church which driue the Christian people from the reading of the Scripture and dare call that generall benefite of the holy ghost which the Prophete so highly commendeth the beginning and seede of heresies and errours It is our partes brethren to acknowledge the gift of Gods grace and to embrace the spirite of Christ that we being borne againe by his operation illuminated and made meete to all good workes may enioy the eternall inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ the sonne of God to whome be blessing honour power and glorie for euer Amen The .xiij. Homelie And I will shewe woonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapoure of smoke The Sunne shall be turned into darcknesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lorde come And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall be saued THe Apostle Peter driueth his first sermon which he made at Hierusalem after he had receyued the holy ghost to that ende that the Apostles obserued in all their sermons that is to say to bring his hearers to the knowledge of Christ and to winne them to the saluation that is in him Which thing that he might with the more ease bring to passe he by and by in the beginning is well ware that his doctrine be not reiected before it be knowne and heard For he diligently before hande aunswereth all those thinges which might giue his hearers any cause or occasion to mysiudge or suspect it Among these there were some godly and deuout yet more that were vngodly vntowarde and obstinate And the religious were holden with ignorance so that they were astonyed at so great a myracle and being in doubt could not tell what to iudge or thinke of the matter But the other were in farre woorse case and taking for wyth cauils and slaunders they mock and delude all the meaning of the myracle accusing the Apostles of drunkennesse and those that hearde them of foolishnesse Therefore it was needefull some present remedy should be had which he tooke out of the seconde Chapiter of Ioël For by that place he teacheth that here is nothing done eyther of error or affection of man but that all this doing is the worke of God and promised of God long agone by the Prophets And he is very diligent in cyting the wordes of the Prophet bicause the place not onely serued to confute their reproche but also greatly made for Peters purpose This place as I sayde in the Sermon before goyng hath three members or partes The first comprehenâ—deth the bounteous and most liberall promise of the holye ghost The seconde describeth the troublous state of the worlde which shoulde continue euen to th ende therof in the kingdome of Christ and so rehearseth the punishments wherwith God woulde reuenge the contempt of his sonne and the Gospell which thing serued marueylously to make the Iewes afrayd that they should not thinke they shoulde escape scot free for contemning of Christ and his Gospell The third sheweth the way how to auoide all these euils and mischiefes The first part we declared yesterday It remayneth that we nowe set forth the two later And bicause I see there is a doubt and controuersie touching this great and notable daye of the Lorde whereof the Prophet maketh mention in this place First it seemeth good to me to shew my iudgement concerning the same There be that vnderstande it to be the daye of Christes resurrection and the signes and woonders which are here prophecied should come they expounde to be the things that happened in the death and resurrection of christ Surelye their sense and meaning is godlye But bicause of the prophecies of Iesus Christ which he vttereth almost in the same wordes concerning the state of the later times the ende of this daye is farther to be extended Other thinke the whole time of the worlde after Christes birth is comprehended in the signification of this daye But me thinketh the glorious and notable daye of the Lorde when he shall iudge the whole worlde maye here be vnderstanded For where he had made mention of the later time a little before he sayeth the state and condicion of the time which he now describeth should continue vntill the ende
kingdome of heauen is at hande The same he commaunded the Apostles to preach not so little as once as may be seene Math. 10. and Luc. 24. Therefore Peter remembring his maister and the commaundement which he gaue biddeth them also to repent and declareth that all he had hitherto sayd touching their iniquitie was not to th ende that he would haue them perish through dispayre but that they should repent and be saued Nowe bicause the holy ghost woulde haue this counsell written and registred for our sake something must be sayde of repentaunce that we may learne also what is requisite for vs to doe The Latines saye that they doe poenitere that is to say repent whom it yrketh or grieueth for that they haue committed whereof is deriued this worde poenitentia repentance The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the correcting or amending of the minde For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Greekes signifieth that excellenter part of the soule which the Latines call mens the minde Wherevpon the Greekes call that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines call vnderstanding or perceyuing with the minde We saye therefore that he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to repent which vnderstandeth his error and beginneth earnestlye to thinke of amendement The Hebrues call it Theschubach which is as much to saye as conuersion or turning But bicause this conuersion as the nature of the Greeke word signifieth is referred to the minde we maye briefely define repentance to be a conuersion or turning of the minde vnto God from that which is euill and naught The worde of God prooueth this definition speaking thus by Hieremie If thou wilt returne thee ô Israell then returne vnto me And in other places the Scriptures saye they are gone from God which haue sinned Whereof it followeth necessarily that repentaunce whereby we renounce sinne ought to be called a returning and conuersion vnto god And the diligent consideration of this definition helpeth most grieuous errors For there are some which when they haue sinned vse to turne vnto creatures and to the workes of their owne hands and so pollute themselfe with a double fault as the Lorde sayth while they forsake the fountaine of the liuely water and digge themselues pittes that will holde no water There are another sort that imagine penance to be a game or stage playe and thinke it sufficient if after the maner of the Iewish hypocrites they light waxe candles burne incense go barefooted weare hearecloth and doe such lyke exercises the superstition wherof long sithens hath bene condemned by the preaching of the Prophetes See Esay 1.58 Hos. 6. Mich. 6. Zach. 7. But we shall well vnderstand that all these things doe little profite vs if we consider that repentance is a conuersion or turning of the minde vnto god Herevnto belongeth that which the Lord speaketh Turne vnto me with all your heart in fasting weeping and lamentation Rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne to the Lorde your god c. Also we may learne hereby howe manye parts of penaunce there be and wherein it consisteth The chiefe poynt is the acknowledging of our sinne for except we haue that we can neyther be sorye for our sinne nor turne from it vnto god This knowledge is taken out of the glasse of the law which doth not only detect open notorious sinnes but also discloseth the nature of sinne that lieth hidden in vs as Paule teacheth Terror of conscience sorrow of minde contrition follow the knowledge of sinne wherof we spake euen now For it cannot be but he must altogither be afrayde must sorow be contrite in hart that beholdeth in the law the countenance of God which is angry with the heynousnesse of his sinne And suche is the force of this contrition and sorrowe that it extorteth and forceth vs to confesse our sinne not in another mans eare whereof there is neyther commaundement in all the Scripture nor example but euen vnto God himselfe that we be miserable and sinnefull wretches as Iohn the Apostle teacheth vs in his first Epistle and first Chapter To confession is ioyned inuocation which by no meanes can be seperated from it Nowe of all these springeth a feruent desire of amendment of life and not of life onely but as much as maye be of our whole nature For nowe a man beginneth to mortify his flesh now he desireth to die to the world and to be crucifyed with Christ. He is now wholy set on fire with the desire of holynesse innocencie He burneth in the loue of righteousnesse and truth He is wholy occupied in good woorks the exercise wherof he heareth coÌ„mended of God hauing in the meane whyle no regard to them which are prescribed by the superstitious traditions of men Finally bicause he knoweth that all the fountayne of this euill sprang of going from God and his worde he laboureth to addresse himselfe againe wholy to the worde of God and to all his lyfe after the rule of god And this is no purpose or intent for a fewe of dayes only but a permanent and a continuall such as by reason of our continuall slippes and falles is nâ—edefull euery day to be renued For as the iust man falleth seauen times a daye so hee vseth seuen times a daye to rise agayne Hereby it appeareth what Peter would haue them to doe verily to acknowledge their sinnes to feare the iudgement of God to be sory for their offences to be contrite in hart to confesse their faults vnto God and to beseeche him of his grace and finally to labour to amende their lyfe to mortifie the fleshe to giue themselues to innnocencie holynesse righteousnesse and charitie To this purpose the Prophete cryeth Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde c. Let euery man thinke this is spoken to him and compare his lyfe with these things and it shall easily appeare what wayes he ought to take and what to refrayne The seconde thing that Peter requireth he expoundeth in these wordes Bee you euery one baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes This precept seemeth to conteyne in it two things For first in that he will haue them to be baptised in the name of Christ he sendeth them to Christ and sheweth them that saluation and forgiuenesse of sinne is to bee founde in Christ onely So Christ commaunded them to preach shewing them that remission of sinnes ought to be declared in his name And it was necessarye bicause of the Phariseyes doctrine which taught that men were iustifyed by their owne workes which opinion also manye holde in these dayes And surely if Peter had required nothing but penaunce he might seeme to haue consented to their doctrine But seeing he sendeth them that repent vnto Christ he teacheth
seene these men turned out againe by Monkes and Bishops and that they haue founde no helpe or succour in those goodes which they had layde vp for that vse to defende the Church by force agaynst the open enimies of religion And better successe let them not looke for which commit lyke offence For if Ananias and Sapphira deserued sodeyne death who as Luke writeth tooke nothing from the Church but deceytfully put aside and withhelde part of their owne goods what deathes and mischiefes doe not they deserue â–ª which dare ryfle Churches by open force and publike authoritie Let vs in these things acknowledge the power of Iesus Christ who as he alwayes doth vouchsafe to be mercifull to his Church so will he not suffer hir to be beguiled but will worthily punish both hir professed enimies and persecutors and also all hypocrites and deceyuers that the synceritie of true religion may be preserued to him be prayse honor power glorye for euer Amen The .xxxiiij. Homelie AND great feare came on all the congregation and as many as hearde it By the handes of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people And they were all togither with one accorde in Salomons porch Anâ— of other durst no man ioyne himselfe to them Neuerthelesse the people magnified them The number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grewe more and more in so much that they brought the sicke into the streetes and layde them on the beddes and couches â—hat at the least waye the shadowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them There came also a multitude out of the Cities rounde about vnto Ierusalem bringing sicke folkes and them which were vexed with vncleane spirites And they were healed euery one WEe haue hearde the horrible example of Goddes iudgement whereby Ananias and his wife Sapphira were punished with sodeyne death both for that they falsly counterfeyted a fayth in Christ and al so went about to beguyle the Churche in the goodes that were giuen for the reliefe of the poore This example teacheth vs how great the seueritie of God is in punishing of hypocrytes who as he cannot be deceyued so can he not but be grieuouslye offended with them that go about to beguyle him We haue seene also what a feruent desire was in the primitiue Church to conserue and mainteyne discipline least eyther dissemblers or open malefactors shoulde creepe in and cause the fayth of Christ eyther to be defamed or suspected And to thintent all posteritie myght be enflamed to followe the same this present place followeth which rehearseth manye and singuler fruites of this example whereto are adioyned the traueyles and exercises of the primitiue Church to thintent we maye learne by them what we haue in these dayes to doe if we desire to haue the kingdome of God enlarged or Christ to be fauourable vnto vs. First Luke sayeth And great feare came on all the congregation and on as manye as hearde these thinges Then the Christians feared as well as straungers to whome the report of this thing came And this was no vnprofitable feare for by it the godlye were the more aware and traueyled the more earnestly in Gods affayres â–ª and the enimies durst doe the lesse against the Church which they sawe had the spirite of God so manifestlye with them This is the chiefe fruite of ecclesiasticall discipline that it keepeth the godly in doing their dutie and feareth the vngodly Now a dayes bicause all men may doe what they will the Churches being disordered by licentiousnesse of lyfe become a praye to the enimies Here must we also learne the vse of Gods iudgementes which consisteth in this that by them we learne Gods iustice and being afrayde amende our liues by the godly consideration thereof God taught vs this vse â–ª when he shewed Abraham the horrible destruction of Sodome saying I knowe that he will commaund his housholde and his children after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and doe after right and conscience And for this cause woulde â—e that the presidentes of his iudgementes shoulde be recorded in writing and be reade in the Church both priuately and apertly as Asaph testifieth where he thus writeth He made a couenant with Iacob and gaue Israel a law which he commaunded our forefathers to teache their children That their posteritie might knowe it and the children which were yet vnborne To the intent that when they grew vp they might shew their children the same That they might put their trust in God and not to forget the woorkes of God but to keepe his commaundementes And not to be as their forefathers c. Therefore this vse of Gods iudgement whereby Ananias and Sapphiras dissimulation is punished must also be now a dayes retained that we may conceyue a true feare of God and take heede of hypocrisie and worship God in spirite and truth as Christ hath commaunded vs yea let all men be excited with this example and applye vnto themselues whatsoeuer any where in hystories is written of this kinde that by other mennes examples they maye learne what they haue to doe if they meane to auoyde the wrath of God. Secondlye it is sayde of the Apostles that by their ministerie many signes and woonders were shewed among the people Wherby it appeareth the prayers of the faythfull were hearde also in this behalfe which besought God that the Apostles might be endued with myracles through the authoritie whereof they might be holpen in setting forth the kingdome of christ And they worke not only common myracles but their power is extended so farre that the diseased layde in the streete desire but the shadowe of Peter paâ—sing by and thinke that it will helpe them Nowe beginneth that saying of Christ to be fulfilled He that beleeueth in mee the woorkes that I doe he shall doe the same and greater than these shall he doe This is the second fruit of ecclesiasticall discipline that God heareth the prayers of the Church and encreaseth the gifts of his spirite where contrarily he abhorreth their prayers which stop their eares at his lawe This appeareth by histories which euidently declare that the rarer giftes of the holy ghost and working of myracles began then to cease when discipline beganne to waxe dissolute and corruption of maners encreased Yet let no man thinke that superstition is here defended by that is written of Peters shadowe no more than by that we shall afterwarde heare of Paules handkerchefe â–ª Some vse thus to reason of this place If Peters shadow helped many how much more shall his rayment and bones And herof springeth all that confused Chaos of superstition which we see is in pilgrimages about Saints reliques wherof the most part be counterfeyted But we say that these myracles were not wrought to testifie eyther of Peter or Paules power but to confirme the preaching of the Gospell whereof they were ministers Therefore they
name of Egypt he comprehendeth the abhominable superstition which raigned in that Nation whervpon he sayth they set their myndes againe And in this he noteth the execrable leuitie and inconstancie of them which had so soone forgotten both their grieuous seruitude and bondage and their woonderfull deliuerie and would now imitate and folow them whose names they ought in their harts to haue abhorred This is the fountayne of all vngodlynesse when in our hearts we turne from the worde of God to the presidents and examples of men and studie more to please them than god Forthence springeth that detestable vnstablenesse which maketh vs not onely to forget the lawe of God but quyte putteth out of our remembraunce all the thrall and bondage that before tyme we haue bene in We haue examples hereof in these dayes euerywhere of them who to please the worlde followe the superstitiousnesse thereof and the intollerable yokes of Antichristianitie wherewith before they were oppressed they extenuate and make verye light of bicause they will not seeme to doe wickedly altogyther But after the contempt of Gods law followeth the contempt of Moses which they manifestly expresse in these wordes where they saye As for this Moses which brought vs out of the lande of Aegipt we wote not what is become of him They confesse then the benefite they receyued by Moses meane but of him they wote not what is befallen Yet they sawe him goe vp vnto the mountaine at Gods calling he also bade them to abyde hys comming He appoynted them Hur and Aaron to be his vycares and delegates Yet as though they had bene left doubtfull and vncertayne of all things they dare to complayne them Whereby it appeareth that Moses authoritie was very small with them seeing they coulde wickedly cast the lawe of God from them So alwayes where men in their hartes contempne the worde of God it vseth to breede the contempt and lothing of Gods Mynisters For where Sathan knoweth that God hath set them as labourers and watchmen through whose admonitions we be kept eyther in doing well or else be brought into the waye when we doe erre he laboureth onely how to discredite them and to bring them out of authoritie wyth men And this place teacheth vs what to iudge of them which vse to scoffe and rayle at the Mynisters of the worde Surely by that argument they prooue they are the despysers of God and his worde although they neuer so much denye the same For as he vseth not to contempne the Legate or Ambasadour which honoureth the Prince that sent him so if they had not learned to â—et â—â—d light they coulde not contempne his mynisters and Legateâ— Of these fountaynes beganne Idolatrie to spring For whyle they saye they â—â—ote not what is become oâ— Moses by and by they adde Make 〈…〉 to go before vs Shal we thinke that they were become so madde as to iudge Goddes coulde be made by the handes of men No. But they wouâ—â—e haue some visible signe or token of Gods presence whereby they might be assured of Gods present helpe and wherevnto they might dyrect the ceremonies of their outwarde seruice and worshipping And bycause they had once swarued from the worde to the deuyse of mans reason they cause a golden Calfe to be molten following the Egyptians who worshipped Apis their God in fourme of a Calfe wherein they commit manifolde errour For first they doubte of the presence of God whose many and notable signes they had hitherto seene And now they neyther remember the woonders which he shewed in Egypt and in the redde sea neyther regarde they the piller of clowde and fire that went before their campe neyther are they mindefull of the dreadfull Maiestie that appeared in the mounte of Sinai Next contrarie to the commaundâ—ment of God they make a molten Image wherein they go about to expresse the fourme or shape of God and as the Prophet sayth tourne the Maiestie of their God into the similitude of a Calfe â–ª that eateth haye Therefore they doe God extreme dishonour and make new Goddes while they imagine God to be a farre other maner of one than in deede he is This is the next step to Idolatrie when men are not contented with suche meanes as it pleased God to reueale himselfe by but dare of their owne heades deuise newe meanes God reuealeth himselfe by his worde and Sacraments by the frame and workemanship of this worlde and by his creatures in all which there appeare euident tokens of his godlye wisedome goodnesse iustice and omnipotencie And to the intent that we seeing these thinges might be stirred vp with the coâ—sideration of God and true godlynesse there is nothing almost conteyned in this worlde but the holy ghost hath taken parables out of them whereby he shadoweth out the mysteries of God and our saluation Therfore our eyes on euery side beholde Images consecrated by the worde of God to admonishe vs of our dutie Whosoeuer despyse these Images and follow the reason of the fleshe they can not choose but be polluted with the vice of Idolatrie For that that herein came to passe vnto the Iewes we reade the same also fell out among the Gentyles â–ª And that the Idolatry among the christians sprang of the same cause is more euident than needeth long proofe Furthermore we are taught howe requisite it is that from our childehoode we be well instructed in religion seing the Israelites after so many myracles seene and hearing the worde of God fall agayne to that kinde of Idolatrie that they were vsed to in Egypt After thys newe God foloweth worshipping Wherefore he sayth They offred sacrifice vnto the Calfe Howbeit they woulde seeme to haue offered to the true God that brought them out of the lande of Egypt For they make mention of the true God and Aaron as we reade proclaymed an holye day to the Lorde But bicause this Calfe was neyther true God nor the Image of God for who will say God is like vnto a Calfe they truely are sayde to haue done sacrifice to the Calfe Here therfore thou â—ast what to aunswere them which vnder a 〈◊〉 of godly 〈…〉 worshipping of Images maye be excused and saye that whatsoeuer we 〈◊〉 in the â—â—nour of him is acceptable vnto him â–ª although we sometime 〈◊〉 from the rule ofhis worde But the holy ghost speaking 〈◊〉 Steuen is 〈…〉 ther 〈◊〉 and opinion For all this worshippe resteth in the Images and stâ—etcheth not vnto God whoâ—â— similitude they represen◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 should Idols represent God which is the truth it self â–ª which Idols or Images â–ª the Prophet calleth lying Schoolemaysters â–ª And if thou wilâ— say â—hys worship streâ—cheth yet further I will confesse it is doâ—e in deede to the deuill who is both the father of lyes and onely delyghted in lyes Thys sawe Paule when in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter he wrâ—te The thinges that the Gentiles offer
Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slayne them which shewed before of the comming of that iust whome you haue now betrayed and murthred And ye also haue receyued the lawe by the ministration of Aungelles and haue not kept it when they hearde these things their hearts claue a sunder and they gnashed on him with their teeth THus farre the blessed Martyr Steuen hath aunswered the obiections layde agaynst him and with long discourse hath shewed that he neuer blasphemed God nor his law nor yet the Temple For beginning at Abraham he declareth that he is a worshypper of that onely God who did vouchsafe in time past to reueale himselfe vnto the fathers and to offer vnto them his grace That done he maketh a singuler discourse of the lawe and prooueth that Christ was euidently promised to the fathers in the lawe At length intreating of the Temple and outwarde obseruances he prooueth by most strong arguments that neyther the grace of God is tyed to them neyther the true worshipping of him nor yet the meane of mannes saluation But bycause Steuen was not ignoraunt what maner of Iudges he shoulde haue in his cause and for that they coulde no longer dissemble the rage of their mindes as euery man may easily gather of the circumstances with a weyghtie vehement kynde of reprehending them he concludeth his Oration Where we maye perceyue that it was Steuens purpose and intent to plucke of the visure from the faces of them which bragged in the name of the church and fowly abused their power that they should no longer feare the simple and vnlearned with this slye conueyance of theirs And this is a thing very needeful when we perceiue we haue to do with them with whome the worde of doctrine will not preuayle And surelye in our daies nothing so much hindreth the verity as that they be the enimies therof which many yeres haue challenged to them the name gouernance therof Wherfore it is necessary that they which haue the charge of the Church committed vnto them doe followe euen at this day also the example of Steuen But to come to the handling of this present place there were thrée things specially which made them the prowder that is to saye Circumcision the glory and dignitie of the fathers and the lawe giuen them by Gods speciall benefite And of all these the godlye Martyr of Christ so speaketh that he playnely prooueth all their affiaunce to be in vaine which they had in them And beginning with Circumcision he sheweth that they gloryed therin in vayne calling them stiffenecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares He seemeth to haue a respect vnto the wordes of Moses and of God which are written Deuteronomie 10. and Ieremie 4. as though he shoulde saye I knowe you haue a great confidence in Circumcision but that is but a very vanitie seeing you neglect the circumcision of the heart and minde God woulde that you shoulde by an outwarde signe professe hys couenaunt but he commaunded you to circumcise your heartes with the sworde of the spirite and to put your neckes hytherto ouermuch disobedient into the yoke of his obedience But it is playne that you neuer woulde thus doe For you euer resisted the holy ghost speaking to you by the Scriptures and by the Prophetes So Steuen accuseth them of no common disobedience but of heynous incredulitie as who went about to mocke God with their Circumcision which was but a signe of Gods couenant This place teacheth vs that men are little holpen by outwarde signes vnlesse they sticke vnto the thinges signifyed by them For where God is a spirite he will not be worshipped with vaine ceremonies but in the spirite and in truth As for the Ceremonies he hath instituted them for our sakes to the intent they shoulde bring our mindes by contemplation of fayth to the consideraunce of our dutie Which thing if we neglect then the signes improoue vs of infidelitie and excuse vs not which is the cause that the Prophetes so earnestly accuse the obseruers of outwarde ceremonies and so carefully commende vnto them the care of spirituall worshipping This serueth also to teache vs that we cleaue not to much to baptisme ▪ and to the supper and so neglect the fayth that is in Christ and the studie of innocencie and charitie without the which Christian religion cannot consist And if the colde obseruation of rytes commaunded by God is not able to saue vs what shall we say of the obseruers of mens traditions which God hath wyped cleane awaye with the sworde of his worde as otherwheres we haue declared Esay 29. Math. 15. We are taught also what maner of men they are which wickedly resist the worde of God preached by men which thing it is euident the Iewes dyd For they sayeth Steuen resisted not the Prophetes but the holy ghost And we must not thinke he thus sayd at all aduentures For where Ministers speake by the inspiration of the holy spirite and the same spirite worketh obedience in mennes mindes and putteth vs often in remembrance of amendement of our lyfe certes they resist this spirite that refuse to obey this worde And this is an infallible argument of vncircumcised hearts and stiffe necks Here therefore haue we a rule howe to iudge of the people of these dayes which marueylously please and delyght themselues in that they dare boldly contemne the sermons of Gods Ministers and can scoffe and rayle at the m. But let vs returne vnto Steuen which likewise ouerthroweth that glorye that they sought in the dignitie of their auncestry For that the Iewes put great confidence in their forefathers it appeareth by this For when Iohn the Baptist and Christ admonished them to amende their lyfe they chopte him in the teeth with Abraham their father and alleaged the prerogatiue of their stocke But Steuen maketh a difference betweene their forefathers There were amonge them certaine good and sincere worshippers of God such as was Abraham Isaac and Iacob and their likes in whom they coulde not glory being altogither vnlike them as bastardes going out of kynde Againe there were othe◠notorious wicked persons and bloudy tyrannes against the Prophetes Unto these sayth he these fellowes were lyke bicause they liuely represented their natures and condicions yea passed them As your fathers did euen so do you Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue killed them which shewed before of the comming of that Iuste So calleth he Iesus Christ who is both absolutely iuste himself for in whose mouth there could be found no guile and is made of god the father our righteousnes Wherfore in Ieremy he is called the lord our righteousnes Furthermore as your fathers killed the prophets which foretold of him as the monuments sepulchres declare that are builded in the honor of them euen so did you betray Christ himselfe to the Romane President and made him out of the
and redy to make tumults and insurrection Hence commeth it that we heare so often mention made of the Captaynes and souldiers in the writings of the Euangelists whereof diuers dwelled and kept house in Iurie and wandered not from place to place as the solde or hyred Nation of Caria did And it pleased God of this kinde of men to gather togither the first fruites of the Gentyles in the Church of Christ that his grace and goodnesse might appeare the greater seeing it is euident that in the lyfe of souldiers there is great licenciousnesse much corruption of maners and all kynde of vnrulynesse In the meane season of the things which we haue spoken of the souldiers of those dayes maye be gathered what the state of that people is which sometime were free and after that through ingratitude and disobedience lost their priuiledge of freedome For it is manifest that the Iewes whom God brought out of Egypt and set at libertie were such people as obeyed their owne lawfull Magistrates being subiect vnder no forreine Princes power But by abusing of this benefite they lost both their libertie and goodes for the most part So that now they are not onely in subiection to the commaundement and couetousnesse of the Romaine Presidents but haue in euery of their Cities garrisons of forren souldiers among whome though there were some to be commended for their equitie and godlynesse yet many examples teache vs that the most part of them were souldierlike that is to saye fierce and presumpteous Yea God in time past threatened such infelicitie to the disobedient Therefore let as many as enioye the benefite of freedome in these dayes learne by example of the Iewes to obey their lawfull Magistrates and their wholesome lawes least hereafter they taste of the lyke tyrannie and bondage But let vs returne to Cornelius whose conuersation and maners are marueylously commended For Luke attributeth to him deuotion and feare of god Whereby it appeareth he was free from that ydolatrie of the Gentyles which wickedly and foolishly worshipped many Gods. And this shall appeare to haue bene a great and singuler enterprise if we consider the state of those times when all Nations were vnder the rule of the Romaines by whose lawes it was enacted that no man shoulde professe any straunge religion For as Tertullian writeth none might be worshipped as a God but such as the Senate woulde allowe as Gods in so much that they refused to take Christ for a God bicause Tiberius had mooued the Senate to haue him so taken with the prerogatyue of his suffrage and voyce Therefore it must needes proceede of great constancie of minde in Cornelius that he durst being an Officer and therefore knowing he coulde not go vnespyde refuse the Goddes of the Gentyles and worship the true god By this example are the men of these dayes confuted which in matters of religion thinke inferior Officers must attempt nothing without the consent of the highest Magistrate but that men must simply obey the higher powers But as we denie not but whatsoeuer duties belong to the Emperours and Kings we must performe and fulfill them so we keepe and appoynt our religion for God onely and affirme that religion must not be violated or broken for any Princes pleasure And we knowe that Daniel and his fellowes long sithence thought as we doe which chose rather to be cast into an hote fornace and into a caue of Lyons than to violate or breake Gods true religion And this is the greatest commendation of Cornelius that he openly worshipped the true God not tarying for the Princes lawe to establish the same Yea and Christ commended the fayth of the Centurion which plainlye confessed he was vnder the commaundement of another by a singuler testimony and also myracle But where the Euangelist attributeth to Cornelius praise of deuotion and feare of God he declareth also his outward exercises wherby he vttred and declared his religious minde Amonge which this is the first where hee sayth he feared not God himselfe onely but that his familie also was well instructed in true deuotion and feare of god For this is the propertie of the godly that as their selues be giuen vnto God so wyshe they them also to be which belong vnto them For why shoulde they suffer them to straye from God whome they knowe he hath committed to their charge Surelye Abraham is commended bicause he was both godlye himselfe and did teach his familie the true worship and religion of God. And bicause there be commaundementes of God to that ende and purpose as is to be seene Deuter. 6. and Psal. 78. the vngodlynesse of the housholde is worthilye imputed to the housholder if through his negligence they waxe vngodly The Scripture setteth out to vs a notable example hereof in Heli. And the Queene of Saba prayseth Salomon bicause of his well ordred Countries but afterwardes he is blamed for the vngodlynesse of his wiues As manye therefore as will be praysed for religion let them not thinke they haue done their dutie if their selues be worshippers of God but let them labour to bring all those they haue charge of vnto God likewyse Moreouer Cornelius did almesse that is to saye exercised the workes of mercy Whereby it appeareth that religion had taken such roote in hys hart that being enflamed therwith he shewed all kinde of dutie vnto men also And it is lyke he was not ignorant of that rule which the Baptist had giuen vnto the souldiours which came to aske hym counsell saying Hurt no manne neyther trouble any man wrongfully and bee contented with your payes or wages But as though he had done but little in perfourming hereof he thinketh it his dutie to relieue other mens necessities also And truly he that feeleth not hys minde as yet so affected let him cease to glory in religion bicause Paule counteth the things of greatest importance as vnprofitable if we be voide of charitie Unto these as a thyrde thing is added continuance in prayer which I iudge was stirred vp in him of a desire that he had to knowe the truth For me thinketh he is to be counted in the number of those which hauing long agone attayned to the true knowledge of God thinke it is true that God had promysed a Sauiour but were ignoraunt who it was Him therefore he desired to haue reuealed vnto him least it shoulde come to passe that following his owne reason he might erre in the way of saluation This sense may be gathered afterwarde of the wordes of the Aungell which saith that Peter shoulde shewe him what he had to doe Let vs compare the Souldiers of our dayes with this Captaine which vse to defende themselues as well by his example as by others of his calling and it shall easily appeare how little these examples serue them Cornelius is commended for his deuotion But these men thinke deuotion belongeth not vnto souldiers
onely bicause he woulde not destroy the whole Nation according to their desertes In the meane while he grieuously punished them that were incurable and woulde not repent For none of them entred into the lande of promise but were ouerthrowne in the wildernesse with many plagues in somuch that God neyther spared Aaron nor Moses bicause they also had bene occasions of offence vnto the people Fourthly he rehearseth the inheritance of the lande of promise which God gaue by lot to the people of the Iewes hauing fyrst destroyed seauen mightie Nations This is at large set forth in the booke of Iosue And Moses diligently setteth forth that benefyte of God where he sayeth when the Lorde thy God hath brought thee into the lande which he sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and giueth thee great and goodlye Cities which thou buildedst not houses full of all maner of goods which thou fylledst not and welles digged which thou diggedst not vineyardes and Olyue trees which thou plantedst not c. Which wordes as they marueylously amplify the liberalitie of God so they might cause God to be thought vnrighteous and cruell vnlesse the causes be well considered for the which these Nations were cast out Moses reciteth them in other places where he forbiddeth wandring and promiscuous lustes incest ydolatrie sorcerie and enchauntmentes and such other curious artes and addeth Thou shalt not doe after the maner of this Nation which I cast out before thee for all these things haue they done wherfore I haue abhorred them c. See Leuit. 20 and .18 Deut. 18 Therefore for these offences these Nations were destroyed wherewithall when the Israelites also were defyled we reade that God cast them of also so that no man â—an in this case accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or of ouermuch seueritie Fifthly he setteth forth the benefyte of a common weale gouerned by good lawes For God did not onely giue vnto them the lande but also Iudges to gouerne and defend them against the tyrannie of their enimies And here is to be marked a manifest errour which through the negligence of Stationers and Printers hath depraued the numbers For it is written that after Moses and the distribution of the lande the Iudges ruled foure hundred and fyfty yeares whereas by infallible computation can be gathered but three hundred yeares onely which Paule was not ignorant of For it is euident that from the people of Israels going out of Egypt vntill the building of Salomons Temple which beganne in the fourth yeare of his reigne were but fower hundreth and fower score yeares From these take the fortie yeares that Moses ledde the people in the wildernesse and the fortie yeares of Samuel and Saule and as many of Dauid with the fower yeares of Salomons reigne and then shall remayne three hundred and sixe and fyftie yeares in the which the Iudges gouerned the common weale of Israel In these are declared two argumentes of Gods goodnesse For in all that time of the Iudges they deserued not so fewe times as once to be destroyed and yet were still saued Moreouer when they desired a King despising that forme of common weale which was the best of all other giuen them of God God did not set ouer them any forreine tyrant but gaue them Saule to be their king one of their owne brethren and one of the least regarded Trybes least the power of the newe king shoulde be to great and intollerable at the beginning Yea the Lorde tooke in good part and did well interpretate their inconsiderate rashnesse For so he brought the kingdome to Iuda out ofwhose Princely stocke Iacob prophecied that the Messias shoulde come But of this shall be intreated hereafter At this present let vs consider that the institution of a common weale is to be numbred among the speciall benefytes of god For where men naturally shunne to be corrected and yet without discipline it is impossible to leade a quiet and safe life it is a worke of Gods power and goodnesse to haue common weales and Magistrates ordeyned which thing it behooueth them to consider which through Gods gift enioy peace and good lawes least while they shew themselues vnkinde towardes God they cause God to giue them Kings in his wrath as the Prophete testifyeth he did to the Iewes But chiefly let Christians acknowledge their felicitie for whome God hath prepared the fruition of the heauenly kingdome in Iesus Christ the most victorious and immortall king to whome bee praise honour power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxx Homelie AND when hee was put downe he set vp Dauid to bee their King of whom he reported saying I haue found Dauid the son of Iesse a man after mine owne heart which shall fulfyll all my will. Of this mannes seede hath God according as he had promised brought foorth to Israel a sauiour one Iesus when Iohn had first preached before his comming the baptisme of repentaunce to Israel And when Iohn had fulfilled his course he sayde whom ye thinke I am the same I am not But beholde there commeth one after me whose â—â—ooes of his feete I am not worthy to vnlose THe Apostle Paule in this Sermon of his laboureth altogither to bring the Iewes from their vaine and superstitious trust in the lawe to the wholesome fayth of Iesus Christ. But where they so gloried in certaine prerogatiues wherewith God had adourned their Nation that they thought they had neede of none other Sauiour in the fyrst part of his sermon he beateth downe this affiance and teacheth that the fathers had not of their owne merite but of Gods meere fauour whatsoeuer goodnesse was in them and that for the Messias sake which was to be borne of their stocke And hereof he leaueth to euerye wise man to consider that this Messias ought to be taken holde of and kept by constant fayth vnlesse they will altogither fall from the grace of God and their former dignitie Furthermore he endeth this fyrst part of his Sermon with a diligent rehearsall of the olde benefytes of God in euery of the which appeareth the goodnesse and bountie of Gods grace which as it chose the fathers at the beginning so he saued them beyonde all their desertes where he might haue oftentimes cast them of and destroyed them And he bringeth the hystorie vnto the time of Saule whoÌ„ for this cause he chiefly maketh mention of that he may the easilier come vnto Dauid whome the Scriptures call the father of the Messias that was promised And in this place he declareth how the kingdome was translated vnto Dauid then by that occasion he taketh in hand the other part of his sermon wherein he prooueth that Christ is the Messias whose office and whole worke of our redemption he setteth out more at large The translation of the kingdome maketh much for Paules purpose For therein appeared a singuler token of Gods goodnesse in that he set not a tyrant ouer
that notable marke of the beast which no man can receyue or keepe wythout denying of christ Wherfore it becommeth Christian men rather to impugne these thinges than neuer so little to violate the profession of Christes name Before we passe from this place we haue to consider the mariage of Timothies parents forasmuch as Luke maketh expresse mention thereof He sayth that Eunica his mother was a Iewe and his father a Greeke or a Gentyle Yet we reade that Iewes were forbiden to marrye with the Gentyles Yet such was the state of the people of the Iewes in those daies that being oppressed vnder the tiranny of the Romanes and dispersed here and there they were driuen to suffer many things agaynst their wyll In the meane season the godly woman Eunica by reason of this mariage was in such daunger as God foreshewed in his lawe For she was not able by Circumcision to take hir sonne Timothie into the societie of Gods people who no doubt was borne before Christ suffered and the lawe was abrogated by reason hir husbande withstoode hir who as it is like was deuoyde of true religion bicause Paule commendeth him in no place and yet setteth forth in writing the worthy fayth of Eunica and Lois These thinges ought to feare the professors of Christian fayth from drawing the yoke with Infydels as elsewhere the Apostle sayth Also the example of Eunica is very notable which procured hir sonne to be trayned vp in the scriptures from his childehoode agaynst hir husbandes will least he shoulde be corrupted with the superstition and ydolatrie of the Gentyles Lette Matrones matched in such vnlyke mariages well obserue this thing Let them remember that their children be holy by reason of the promise of the couenaunt as Paule plainly teacheth Let them therefore bring them vp in the doctrine of true godlynesse and trayne them vnto God whose honor if they seeke with all their heart they shall fynde him true of his promises where he sayeth he will be their protector and defender But let vs come to the treatie of this present place where after the vocation of Timothie is declared what they which were with Paule taught in the Churches As they went sayth he through the Cities they deliuered them such things to obserue and keepe as were decreed by the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem Which wordes the Papistes wrest I wote not to what maner of traditions which they imagine the Apostles and their successors deliuered from hande to hande vnto the Church but were neuer written This Sanctuarye being by them once founded whatsoeuer they cannot prooue by authorite of Scripture they saye by and by it is the tradition of the Apostles But Luke sayth no such thyng but speaketh of those decrees whereof mention was made in the chapter before going They were these that man was iustifyed and saued by the onely grace of God through faith in Iesus Christ and not by the works of the lâ—we that we should abstaine from those things which pollute the profession of our fayth and our holynesse as is Idolatrie and fornication that we must labour for loue and in outwarde things yeelde somewhat vnto the weake or else vnto such as are not yet come vnto the fayth if there be any hope of winning them In the meane season that we beware mennes consciences be not snarled or charged with any burthen intollerable These things Luke sayth that Paule and those with him did euerywhere inculcate both to represse the Iewes which to importunately vrged the Gentyles to the obseruing of the lawe and to brydle the licentiousnesse of the Gentyles which abused the Christian libertie with great offence For he chiefly desired that peace might flouryshe in the Church whereby he knewe the same shoulde chiefly increase Agayne where there was no daunger of offence he constantlye defended the libertie of Christ bicause he woulde not preiudice the same which thing the Apostles wynked at for the weakes sake The fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians teacheth the same where he maketh the eating of thynges offered to Idolles free as touching conscience if there be none present that is offended therewith In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that it is not sufficient to haue good lawes made vnlesse they which haue the charge thereof see them put in execution For dayly experience teacheth vs that execution is the lyfe and sinewes of the lawe Take that awaye and the lawe shall lye as deade and as Anacharsis sayde shall become lyke vnto Spyders webbes which euerye bolde and presumptuous bodye will not sticke to breake Therefore let both Ministers of the Church and gouernors of the common weale imitate Paule if they meane to doe their duetie and not rather with vayne counterfeyting mocke both God and man. Last of all Luke addeth a notable successe of their most godly endeuour and labour where he sayth the Churches were confyrmed in the fayth and grewe and increased euery day more and more in number And bicause he maketh mention of fayth it is euident that Paule chieflye beate that into their heades and not vayne and colde Ceremonies and traditions These are the continuall effectes of the worde of God that lyke vnto a showre it neuer returneth wythout fruite vnto him that sent it These also are the weapons wherby the kingdome of Christ in this world is most prosperously enlarged to saye diligent preaching of the worde and feruent desire to conserue and keepe the same Whensoeuer these cease by and by fayth falleth and all loue of true religion dyeth We haue examples hereof euerywhere whereby they are conuinced which thinke it sufficient if they be not constrayned through tyrannie to be partakers of wicked sacrifyces and yet in the meane season they liue in such places where the worde of God is banished and no duties of Christian religion exercised Let vs all therefore studye to set forth the worde of God that both our selues maye be confyrmed in the fayth and the Church daylye increase in number of beleeuers wherein Iesus Christ onely reygneth the sauiour of mankynde and onely Brydegroome of the Church to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cvij Homelie WHEN they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia they came to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia but the spirite suffered them not But when they had gone thorowe Mysia they came downe to Troada And a vision appeared to Paule in the night There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs After he had seene the vision immediately we prepared to go into Macedonia being certified that the Lorde had called vs for to preache the Gospell vnto them When we losed forth then from Troada we came with a strayte course to Samothracia and the next daye to Neapolis and from thence to Philippos which is the chiefe
so often defended and delyuered and hauing this let vs manfully defend our vocation that hauing with stedfast course gotten the Gole we may obteyne the rewarde of eternall life in our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxv. Homelie THESE were the noblest of birth among them of Thessalonica which receyued the worde with all diligence of minde and searched the scriptures daylie whether those things were euen so And many of them beleeued also of worshipfull women which were Greekes and of men not a fewe When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the worde of God was preached of Paule at Berrhoea they came and mooued the people there And then ymmediatly the brethren sent away Paule to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and Timotheus abode there still And they that guyded Paule brought him vnto Athens and receyued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with speede and went their way ALthough the kyngdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is daylie and continually assaulted by this world and the Prince thereof yet can it be so little ouerthrowne that in the myddle of persecutions it most prosperously commeth forwarde The contynuall hystorie of this booke declareth the same but chiefely the discourse of the things done by Paule For as he laboured more than all the Apostles else so he suffered more grieuous persecutions than they and found euerywhere enimies of the fayth by whose craft he was still chased and dryuen away But as often as the rage of his enimies compelled him to auoyde any place so often he left the seede of Gods worde in the mindes of the hearers and caryed the Gospell to an other place and so still wanne more vnto Christ the lord Luke wryteth that this was done at Macedonia For we hearde howe he was vniustly and vnworthyly intreated at Philippi yet the Epistle which he wrote vnto the Philippians declareth that he had not laboured there in vaine His persecution was cause that he went vnto the Thessalonians amongs whome he taught three Sabboth dayes At length he was driuen from thence also by his olde enimies the Iewes But the faith of Christ could not be driuen out which now had taken roote in many mens hartes But hee being come vnto Berrhoea preacheth the Gospell with great auayle These things serue to comfort vs against the attempts of the world and the Deuill For as Salomon sayth There is no counsel against the Lord. But it is his counsell or deuise that Christ should haue all power in heauen and in earth and that the borders and boundes of his kingdomes shoulde be stretched ouer all the worlde Wherefore it must needes come to passe for as much as heauen and earth shall sooner fayle then the decrees and ordynances of god But let vs see this present place which declareth what things Paule dyd at Berrhoea He beginneth with the commendation of the Iewes at Berrhoea declaring howe prosperously and in what order the gospell proceeded among them He commendeth them by comparing them with the Thessalonians For these men contumeliously reiected the worde of god But those of Berrhoea being of a more towardnesse and better zeale receyued the same with all readynesse of minde and searching the scriptures by themselues at home they examined tried the things that Paule taught as with a Touchstone Hereof it came to passe that a great multitude of them beleeued and by their example manye of the Greekes and Gentyles as well men as women were brought vnto the fayth of christ This example teacheth vs what maner of men they ought to be that will profytably heare the Gospell Aboue all thinges it is necessarie to haue a certayne readynesse of minde to receyue the same For vnlesse the worde maye haue place gyuen it in the mindes of men it can bring forth no fruite Wherefore they stumble at the verie thresholde and euen in the beginning that disdaine to heare the worde which is the peculiar marke of the children of the Deuill as Christ teacheth This example is to be well obserued of them which are prowde of their nobilitie and byrth and vaunt themselues therof in vaine cognizaunces and badges Howbeit touching the generation of the fleshe it is in all men alyke corrupt and such as maketh vs the children of sinne The seede of regeneration is the worde of God which being quickened in our minde by the spirite we that before were the seruauntes of sinne are borne to be the children of god Therfore they are neyther noble nor gentle which giue not place herevnto and be not borne againe of the same and so be made the children of god Wherefore Luke truely calleth these people of Berrhoea noble for their studie and desyre that they had vnto the worde In the meane season yet we must take heede of to much facilitie least to hastily receyuing whatsoeuer is taught vnder pretence of Gods worde we learne false opinions and be caryed about with vncertayne doctrine as with a blast of winde Therefore we must weygh and expende and examine whatsoeuer is sayde by the Canon of holye scripture according to that saying of Paule Trye or prooue all thinges keepe that which is good And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth Beloued beleeue not euery spirite but try the spirites whether they be of God or no. Two notable errours are confuted in this place which haue grieuously troubled the Church a great number of yeares One of them is the forbidding of the laytie and commons to reade the holy scripture Yet God would haue them alwaye common to all sortes of men For he made a lawe to that ende before all the multitude of Israel called vnto the same And the holye Ghost ordeyned that the bookes of Scripture shoulde be written in none other but the vulgare tongue And sure it were an absurde matter to exclude anye man from the doctrine of eternall lyfe seeing God would haue the same and the knowledge thereof to come vnto all men The other errour they holde which will haue their doctrine iudged of no man but lyke arrogant and Cyclopicall Gyauntes chalenge to themselues authoritie to teache what they will in the Church yea they say it is intollorable and hereticall that any man should demaund of them any reason or accoūt of that they say Are they then better then Paule was which suffred his sermons to be examined according to the rule of scripture Or else shall he be an heretike that now a dayes doth that for the which these people of Berrhoea were counted noble and true chyldren of God Yea howe say you if Paule submit himselfe vnto the censure of the godly His wordes be these If eyther I Paule or an Aungell from heauen preach an other Gospell than hath bene preached he ought to be accursed And Christ sayth this is the propertie of his sheepe to know his voyce from the voyce of a
blessing honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxiij Homelie PAVLE after this taried there yet a good whyle then tooke his leaue of the brethren and sayled thence into Syria Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him And he shore his heade in Cenchreae for he had a vowe And hee came to Ephesus and left them there but he himselfe entred into the Synagoge and reasoned with the Iewes When they desired him to tary a longer time with them he consented not but bade them farewell saying I must needes at this feast that commeth bee in Ierusalem but I will returne againe vnto you if God will. And he departed from Ephesus and when he was come vnto Caesarea and ascended vp and saluted the congregation he departed vnto Antioch and when he had taried there a while he departed and went ouer all the countrie of Gallacia and Phrygia by order strengthning all the disciples AS Paule liued no where in greater teare and trembling than at Corinth so founde he God no where more readye to ayde and assist him than there For fyrst he promised him his helpe and fauor by a vision Next being apprehended by the Iewes and brought before the Lieuetenant he deliuered him in woonderfull wise although the matter came to strokes and Sosthenes was very euill intreated The vse of all these things as we erewhile sayde serueth for the comfort of the godly For God is able to deliuer them also in like sort and we ought not to doubt of his good will forasmuch as it is euident he is true of his worde therfore he cannot breake nor fayle of his promise But bicause we haue hereof sayd ynough in the last sermon following the order of the storye let vs sée what was done after the styrres raysed against Paule at Corinth The fyrst thing here in this place declared is howe Paule taryed at Corinth many dayes after these feares of perill and daunger The next when he had taken his leaue of the late erected Church how he tooke his iourney with Aquilas and Priscilla into Syria and vnto Ierusalem yet hauing fyrst shauen his heade at Cenchreae by reason of a vowe he had made Here Paules constancie and manlynesse is singulerly to be commended which boldly ouercommeth all dreade and feare and remayneth at Corinth among his cruell enimies hauing no hope eyther in Magistrate or other kynde of men verilye for the rude and weake Disciples sake which he sawe had neede of comforting least their beliefe being as yet but tender and greene shoulde dye as they say in the blade and fyrst sprooting Yea he doth the part of a good shepehearde which Christ sayeth flieth not when he seeth the Woolfe comming but ventureth his life for the safegarde of his sheepe There maye also a generall doctrine be taken hereof howe they that haue once assayde the ayde and helpe of God ought to holde on in their vocation the more boldly and constantly not as some preposterous wisemen vse thinke they are therefore set at libertie bicause they should thenceforth take no more paines and traueyle as though they had discharged all their dutie Also Aquila and Priscilla those godly cowple are as much to be marked and considered who hauing bene once or twise banished before doe yet once againe chaunge their dwelling and accompanye Paule both by sea and by land And how ieoperdous a thing this was to say nothing of their expences and traueyle may be gathered by this one thing for that the whole nation of the Iewes seemed to haue conspyred moste obstinately togither to destroye Paule Uerily Paule for this their companye and for other causes prayseth them as those that had hazarded their liues for hys sake In which doing as they at that time deserued great thankes of all congregations so they gate themselues an immortall glory of name which remayneth vnto this day and shall for euer See Rom. 16. By their examples we ought also to be prouoked to be bolde in Christes glorye for the Gospell and the Ministers thereof bicause there are extaunt generall promises which promise them a sure rewarde which giue but a cup of colde water to any one for Christes sake The same reason ought to cause vs to consider all other needye brethren also whome the Lorde hath so commended vnto vs that he will at the daye of iudgement take it as done to himselfe that hath bene bestowed on them And the opinion of those menne that thinke common weales are ouercharged with the multitude of banished persons is most detestable and vngodly whereas such commonlye procure the blessing of God vnto those places that they be in Lot onely restored the Sodomites being taken and ouercomme to their libertie agayne And if that Citie had had but tenne inhabitants like vnto Lot they had also bene deliuered out of that horrible destruction of fyre from heauen for their sakes I might rehearse diuers other like examples but that the time and Text requyreth vs to speake of other things This is a straunge thing and not hearde of in the bookes of the newe Testament that Paule for a vowes sake that he had made shaueth hys heade This place can be vnderstanded none otherwise than of the vowe of the Nazaraeans vnlesse we will say Paule was giuen to mannes traditions who in other places affirmeth and standeth in it that the faythfull ought not be burthened with the ceremonies of Gods lawe As touching the Nazarites Moses writeth at large in the booke of Numbers cap. 6. By the which place it easily appeareth that euery man was at libertie to vse what trade of lyfe he would after the time or date of his vowe was expyred and runne out For where we read that Samson and Samuel which from their mothers wombe were put apart for great and weighty affayres obserued the lawes of the Nazarites all their life long we must make no general rule or lawe thereof They as hauing inspiration and feeling of great religion in their mindes bound themselues of their owne accorde to the obseruation of this vowe to the intent that they woulde the more feruently apply Gods calling and seruice Wherefore they altogither abstained from wine bicause drunkennesse and religion can by no meanes stande togither And with wine they auoided also other pleasures which otherwise were lawfull Furthermore they came at no burials no not of their parentes and kinsefolke bicause no affection ought to pull away men truly addicted vnto God from him for Christ also sayth that the care of the dead pertayneth rather to them who had rather to dye in the worlde than with him to aspire to the societie of heauenly life Moreouer the Nazareans all the time of their vowe lette their heare growe thereby testifying that they were not at their owne appoyntment but bounde by a peculiar vow For Paule himselfe teacheth vs that the couering of the heade was a token of subiection where he commaundeth men to pray bareheaded but
women with their heades couered bicause the man is free but the woman vnder the mans power whome she ought to take for hir heade For the which cause when the time of the vowe was out the Nazareans were shauen in solemne wise to th end they might know they were restored to their former libertie againe It may seeme that Paule tooke this vowe vpon him bicause of the Iewes which thought him to be a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and therefore thought by this meane the sooner to winne them to hearken to the Gospell For he seemeth to confesse a like thing where he writeth he became a Iewe vnto the Iewes and to those that were vnder the lawe as one himselfe vnder the lawe Otherwise he was not ignorant of Christian libertie which he euerywhere writeth ought not to be broken for anye ceremonies sake See Colos. 2. Galat. 4. Therfore they doe most foolishly which abuse the example of Paule to the maintenance of Monkishe vowes For this vowe was instituted in the lawe of God which although in the death of Christ it is abolished with the ceremonies thereof yet for the auncient dignitie thereof and for the weakes sake it was not sodeinely to be made awaye and buried but by little and little But it is euident that Monkes vowes are founded vppon the traditions of men which ought to be of no authoritie in religion Againe the Nazareans vowed vnto God where the moste part of Monkishe vowes are made vnto Creatures Agayne the vowes of the Nazareans altered not the trade of lyfe neyther was the vnitie of the Church therby deuided But Monkish vowes as they take away all former trades of life so they bring into the Church many diuers sectes The Nazareans vowed such things as man was able to performe Monkes vowe chastity which the whole Scripture sayth is not giuen to euery man The Nazareans were grieuous or chargeable to none by reason of their vowe But Monkes whyle they vowe wilfull pouertie will be fedde like ydle paunchbellies of other mennes labors The Nazareans vowe forbade them not obedience to Magistrates Parentes and all other estates to whome we be bounde by nature Monkes vowes breake all obedience and bind them onely to their Abbots who owe obedience both to Parentes and Rulers Furthermore the Nazareans had no affiance in their owne merites For they both confessed themselues to be sinners when their vowe was ended and that God was the author of all goodnesse But Monkishe vowes moste of all other maintayne an affiance in mans righteousnesse and deseruings Wherfore if there were no other cause this one were sufficient to condemne them and put them away But to let passe this pumpe and sinke of superstition returne we vnto Paule which traueyling out of Achaia into Asia the lesser came to Ephesus where we haue to consider foure thinges in order First he goeth into the Synagoge and disputeth with the Iewes Agayne here appeareth the loue he bare to his countriemen whome for manye causes as we haue otherwheres declared he coulde not hate although he had once or twyse before shaken the dust of agaynst them This example of Paule teacheth vs that the wrath and iudgement of God shoulde so be set out vnto the wicked that if they conuert they may yet knowe there is hope left that God will be fauourable vnto them and pardon them For it is God that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and lyue Wherefore we must vse all the diligence that we can to bring and winne people vnto the lord Secondlye the example of the Ephesians teacheth vs that the labor of the Saintes is not in vayne For where they are desirous to haue Paule remayne longer among them it appeareth euidently they had much profyted by him For it cannot be that they can delyght in the Ministers companye that haue not as yet tasted the fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Neyther can they be iudged for louers of the Gospell that vse to hate the Ministers thereof and little to regarde their labors and disdainefully to auoyde their companies Let vs agayne consider howe Paule refuseth to accomplishe a godly request For he sayth I must needs at this feast that commeth be at Ierusalem I pray you what neede vrged Paule so to be Shall we say it was for deuotion sake of the feast No. For he knewe well that holye dayes were abrogated among other ceremonies and there was no cause vrged him for the weake brethrens sake to go vp to Ierusalem bicause there were many Iewes in euery Citie drowned in Iewishe superstitions which notwithstanding went not thither Wherefore as in other places we haue reade howe Paule was guided by the holy ghost in all his doinges so it is lyke he was secretly mooued by the same spirite to take this voyage nowe in hande although the cause be not expressed nor yet declared what he did there more than saluted the congregation and brethren Surely Paules traueyle coulde not be in vayne in such a Citie wherevnto agaynst the feast repayred such a great multitude both of Iewes and Gentyles from among all nations For so euen at one time togither might the doctrine of the Gospell be scattred among many Nations It is to be marueyled why Paule is pulled so soone from them which seemed to be so ready to receyue profyte by the gospell and it may seeme an vncourteous and an vnloouing part to leaue them if we should herin leane vnto reason But Gods doings are to him knowne and certaine And the chiefe vse of such examples is for vs to learne to submit our willes and desires seeme they neuer so holy and good vnto the pleasure of god Fourthly let vs see howe Paule departed from Ephesus He biddeth them farewell which is a token of thankefulnesse and friendly good will. For their discourtesie is very vnhonest that depart from their hoste where they haue receyued benefytes without taking of leaue Moreouer he leaueth Aquilas with them that they should not seeme altogither destitute Furthermore he promiseth to returne to them againe by the leaue of god Whereby it manifestly appeareth that he bare them no euill will but was compelled and strayned for weighty considerations to leaue them Here we haue to imitate Paules religiousnesse which in a most godly cause presumeth nothing of his owne heade but vnderstanding that all endeuors and deuises depend vpon Gods prouidence referreth all things vnto his pleasure This sentence of Salomon is common manne purposeth but God disposeth What rashnesse then is this of men to attribute so much to themselues in prophane matters so to appoynt their doinges as though they woulde prescribe lawes vnto god See Iacob 4. Luc. 12. Paule being nowe departed from Ephesus commeth to Caesarea in Iury and from thence to Ierusalem when he had there greeted the congregation and dispatched the matters about the which he went he came to
of the things done by Paule at Ephesus beginneth to tell fyrst howe he brought certaine persons to frame that vaunted themselues of the gospell but were not throughly instructed therein and howe he adourned that church with the giftes of the holye ghost Which hystorie as it serueth much to our instruction so is it for this cause dyligently to be considered bycause dyuers men in times past haue contended by authoritie of this place to baptise those againe which before had bene baptised by Heretiques At this day also the Anabaptistes abuse the same a verie frowarde and phrentike kinde of persons keeping infantes from their baptisme and affirming that none ought to be baptised but such as are of yeares of discretion and well infourmed in the principles and knowledge of Christ. But that both these and the olde wryters were deceyued it shall easily appeare by the text it selfe whereby it shall be prooued that Paule ment nothing lesse in this dooing than that which they go about to gather thereof For fyrst it is sayd Paule went about to examine certaine disciples which he met withal after he came again to Ephesus But it is not lykely that these and no more had professed Christ bicause we may gather a greater vtilitie of the gospell among the Ephesians by that we heard in the ende of the .xviij. chapiter Nowe that Paule taketh these to examine rather then any other this seemeth to be the cause for that they liued not agreeably to the profession of christian men For it is like it hapned at Ephesus as it doth commonly in euery place when the truth is fyrst preached but the discipline of the church not fully established For then we shall see many which will professe to be gospellers more for hatred of the olde state then for loue of the truth bicause they would vnder a cloke of the gospell liue the more licentiously Bycause Paule perceyued that these were such a kinde of people to the intent they might be brought to better conformitie and passe and not perishe like those that receyued the seede of the gospell into a stonie grounde Paule beginneth to examine them of their beliefe and so to laye before their eyes howe farre they were as yet from the marke of perfection He demaundeth therefore if they had receyued the holy ghost This question must be vnderstanded of the giftes of the holye ghost which God at that time vsed to giue to the faithfull that is to say the knowledge of tongues and exposition of the scripture whereof we haue already manye times intreated This place teacheth vs howe to know true christians from false and counterfeyte For although those speciall giftes of the holye ghost which were sometime miraculously giuen be at this day ceassed yet the promise of Iesus Christ remayneth fyrme which promised his spirite to those that were his And as Paule elsewhere sayth they that haue not the spirite of Christ can not be his members And the other effectes of Gods holye spirite are as necessary at this daye as the vnderstanding of tongues and interpretation of scripture was in time passed namely the mortifycation of the olde man the regeneration and innouation of our minde purifycation sanctifycation and such other like As many therefore as lacke all these things it is certaine they boast in vaine of the faith name of Christ except we shall say that the spirite of Christ is an ydle and sluggishe spirite But let vs heare the aunswere of them whome Paule examineth in which they vtter a very grosse and barbarous ignoraunce saying No we haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no. But howe were they ignoraunt of the holy ghost which had heard so often mention of him in the lawe and in the Prophets For it is out of doubt they were Iewes bicause they were baptized with the baptisme of Iohn Were they ignoraunt then of that saying of Moses which in the beginning of his hystorie wryteth that the spirite of God mooued vpon the waters Or else had they neuer heard that saying of Dauid by the worde of the Lorde were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth Againe take not thy holye spirite from me Besides they might haue knowne the voyce of the Messias speaking by the Prophet the spirite of the Lorde God is vpon me c. How is it therefore that they say they haue not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no The aunswere is easie For as Paule demaunded of the effectes of the holy ghost so they make aunswere concerning the same as if they should say we being content with those things which we haue heretofore learned seeke no farther neyther care we whether there be any holye ghost or no which worketh such peculiar giftes in mens mindes bicause we thinke the knowledge hereof to high for vs and not to appertaine to vs So these men be an example of carnall people which professe the truth with their mouth but haue denyed the power thereof as Paule sayth and in deede refuse that which with mouth they confesse 2 Timoth. 3. Tit. 1. A great number of these are euery where to be founde who being perswaded that the bare name of Christ is sufficient vnto blisse doe little regarde the giftes of the holy ghost namely the mortifycation of the fleshe the renewing of the minde regeneration sanctification and such lyke And through these mens faulte it commeth to passe for the most part that the doctrine of the gospell is so yll spoken of in the worlde Therefore such must not be suffered but be reprooued and their dissimulation must be disclosed that both they may vnderstande their errour and other be the lesse offended So doth Paule in this place For he gathereth nerer vpon them vrgeth them to confesse that they were not come to the christian perfection For he sayth In whose name then were you baptized That is to say what professed you when you fyrst receyued the Gospell and ioyned your selues to the Church of Christ They aunswere they were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn and so they testifye that they professed that doctrine religion wherof Iohn was a Minister and teacher and therby they plainly shewe they care little for any other than that Nowe Paule here catcheth them and holdeth them fast and inferreth Iohn sayth he baptised with the baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they shoulde beleeue on him that was to come after him that is in Iesus Christ hereby teaching that Iohn requyred a farre other thing of his Disciples than a bare profession of his name and of the Gospell For fyrst he appoynted repentaunce wherevnto with great earnestnesse he exhorted all degrees of persons as appeaâ—eth Luc. 3. Neyther requyreth he onely repentaunce but sheweth also remission of sinnes preaching Iesus Christ whose forerunner he was appoynted of God to be He taught men to embrace him by true fayth to
deede but not according to knowledge suche as Christ sharpely reprehended in Peter when he also dissuaded him from bearing the Crosse yet their affection is to be praised in that they are carefull for Paules safetie being farre vnlike to menne in these dayes which bring Ministers in daunger wythout a cause and thinke that they haue well discharged their dueties if they can for a time redeme a worldly peace with the liues and bloud of the Ministers But Paule moste earnestly withstandeth them and complayneth of them saying they greeue him more with their weping than with the remembraunce of the daunger Therfore Paule was not stony hearted such an one as the Stoikes faine their good and blissefull man to be but he coÌ„fesseth plainely that Goddes calling is more deare vnto him than his life and body The holy Ghost setteth his Example before all Ministers yea before all Christians to bee followed For vnlesse wee bee of the same mynde wee shall little or nothyng profytte in the waye of Christe bicause daungers are at hande on euery syde to them that seeke to serue Chryst. And this is no grieuous thing to the true godly if they wel wey the matter for what more profitable losse can we haue of this transitorie life and body which shall in few moneths mouldre into dust than to giue it for Chrystes sake whome we know died and rose againe for this ende that whether we liue or die we haue him to our Lord and Protectoure Which is the cause that Christ biddeth vs we should not feare theÌ„ which are able to kill the body but yet haue no power vpon the soule which is the better part of man And vnto these reasons do Paules companions also giue place For seeing him so constantly to persist in his purpose they say The will of God be fulfilled So now they perceiue at length that he is instigated heereunto by the calling of god Therfore least they might seeme to striue against God they commit them selues and the whole businesse vnto him folowing bothe the example and commaundement of christ And surely there is no more safe hauen for the godly to get them selues into amidde the raging and horrible tempests of these dayes than the will of god Which bicause it is holy and wholesome is able most effectually to recreate and cheare the mindes that are tossed with troubles and cares with the consideration therof Let vs therfore after the example of these men haue a regarde onely vnto the same and couragiously suffer what so euer God layeth vpon vs who for that he is faithfull wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but euen in the middle of temptation wil make a way that we shall be able to beare it Nowe followeth Paules arriuall at Ierusalem where we haue three things to be considered First his frendes accompanie him which hitherto had bene his companions and vnto these are added newe frendes gotten at Caesaria In which place the truth of God appeareth which vseth to ioyne freendes and companions to them that suffer daunger for his names sake as otherwheres we haue declared Furthermore in them appeareth a notable example of faithe and constancie For they were not ignorant what was like to happen vnto Saule And there was greate cause for their owne parte also to be afraide Yet they forsake him not whome they knewe maintained Christes quarrell nor would not be driuen from him by any waues and â—ourges of aduersitie Let suche marke this Example as are pot freendes and as long as fortune laugheth will be companions with men but if shee begin once to lowre they forget all frendship and benefites and turne their backes The second is how the faithfull there prouide Paule of a commodious lodging For althoughe daungers were toward him yet prudencie must be ioyned with religion as Christ teacheth who in daungers wil haue vs to be wise as serpents His hoste was one Mnason a Cypriote borne and an olde disciple or protestant whereby is noted the perseueraunce and continuaunce he was of in the faith And charitie accompanieth faithe whereof this was a notable argument that he would lodge Paule and his companions knowing what daunger they were like to be in This is the propertie of true faith that the nigher daunger approcheth and the more vehemently it vrgeth the brighter it shineth Therefore our coldnesse is very worthy to be blamed which in daungers dissemble our faith and plainely neglect the duetie of charitie Last of all the brethren at Ierusalem do gladly receiue Paule yet heereafter we shall heare what euill rumors they spread of him But thy brethren would not condempne him without hearing of his cause They are most worthy to be folowed and teach vs by their example that we rashly beleue not such as ill report the brethren For such as these for the most parte are the chosen instrumentes of the Deuill which knoweth that the Church can no way be more greuously disturbed than by the deuision of the brethren Let vs therfore be mindfull of charitie which of all things abhorreth suspitiousnesse and let vs wholely apply our selues to keepe the vnitie of the Church vnblemished in Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxxix Homelie ANd on the morrow Paule went in with vs vnto Iames. And all the Elders came togither And when he had saluted them he told by order all things that God had wrought among the Gentiles by his Ministration And when they heard it they glorified the Lord and said vnto him thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleue and they are all earnest followers ouer the law And they are enfourmed of thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their children neyther to liue after the customes What is it therfore The multitude must needes come togither for they shall hear that thou art come Do therfore this that we say to thee We haue four men which haue a vow on them TheÌ„ take purifie thy selfe with them and do cost on them that they may shaue their heads and all shall knowe that those things which they haue heard concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the law But as touching the Gentiles which beleue we haue written and concluded that they obserue no such thing saue only that they keepe them selues from things offred to Idolles and from bloud and from strangled and from fornication ALthough many false rumors were spred of Paule the Apostle that chosen vessell of Iesus Christ whereby bothe his good name and doctrine was greeuously stained and impeached by his aduersaries yet Luke wryteth that the brethren at Ierusalem did frendly and courteously receyue him thereby teaching vs that they had a more regarde of charitie than of a fewe of persones boyling in hatred
which the Scripture euery where teacheth are clensed purged by the onely bloud of Chryste But bycause that washing which is made by the bloud of Chryst is outwardly shadowed and expressed by Baptisme it commeth to passe that by reason of suche phrase of Scripture synnes are sayde to bee washed away by baptisme And bycause Paule shoulde not thinke it a straunge or harde kynde of saying he addeth thereto by calling on the name of the Lorde For by these words he is sent vnto Chryst which being taken hold of and called vpon by faith bestoweth such gifts of saluation vpon vs as the sacraments vse to figure and shadow out vnto vs And as we must in vsing of the Sacraments haue a respecte vnto Chryste if wee will haue them to profite vs so agayne wee are taught that they muste not be condemned nor thought superfluous by any meanes For God hath ordeined nothing without gret coÌ„sideration whose intent is not to haue his church ouercharged or clogged by any means Therfore Philip baptised the Eunuch also after he had confessed his fayth And Peter thought it good to baptise Cornelius houshold wheÌ„ they had receiued the holy ghost Yea Paul whoÌ„ the holy ghost secretly coÌ„mendeth is here earnestly moued to receiue baptisme These examples reproue the despisers of SacrameÌ„ts which while they will seeme too spiritual do wickedly set light the ordinances of God. Buâ— chiefly wee haue to marke Paule to followe hys example and in Religion not to deale rashly or vnconstantly but beeing rightly instructed in the truth to labour diligently to keepe and holde fast the same For so by labours and perils we shall come to the inheritaunce of eternal life which God the father of mercy hath appoynted vs from euerlasting in his sonne Iâ—sus Chryste to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The Cxlv. Homelie ANd it fortuned when I was come agayne to Hierusalem and prayed in the Temple I was in a traunce and sawe him saying vnto mee make haste and get thee quickely out of Hierusalem for they will not receyue thy witnesse that thou bearest of mee And I sayde Lorde they know that I prisoned and bet in euery Synagoge them that beleeued on thee And when the bloud of thy witnesse Steuen was shedde I also stoode by and consented vnto his death and kept the rayment of them that slue him And he sayde vnto me departe for I will sende thee a farre hence vnto the Gentiles They gaue him audience vnto this worde and then lifte vp their voyces and sayde away with suche a fellowe from the earth For it is not reason that he should lyue PAule the Apostle as hath nowe oftentimes bene declared goeth about in this diligent and long discourse of his dooings to put away the wrongful suspitions and reproches wherewith hys enimies burthened him There were two thinges chiefly which incensed the mindes of the people agaynst him namely his turning from the Iewes religion vnto the fayth of Chryst and that in preaching the Gospell of saluation vnto the vncircumcised Gentiles he seemed to match them with the Iewes For by these things they gathered that he was the very enimie of the people of God a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and of the Leuiticall seruice To the first poynt he hath hitherto answered alleaging still this one thing that he had done nothing rashly or of his owne head but all things according to Gods commaundement and calling So teaching vs by his example what wee also haue to doo in altering or defending our religion And now he proceedeth to the seconde poynte alleaging the same argument declaring that he was called foorth of God to preach vnto the Gentiles and neuerthelesse yet ceassed not to loue his Countreymen which thing shall moste playnely appeare by all the partes of that Hystorie which he here rehearseth For first he sayth he returned to Ierusalem verily to bestowe hys labour vpon them of whom he was borne and of whom he was brought vp and instructed For he maketh mentioÌ„ of this iourney for none other cause but to proue and declare that the faulte was not in him that he preached not the message of saluation vnto his own nation Furthermore we declared before out of the ninth chap. of his Epistle to the Galathians that this iorney of his was in the fourth yere after he was conuerted Wherefore to let passe the supputation of the time let vs consider the example of Paule which teacheth Ministers that although they be detters vnto al men yet ought they to haue a speciall care of their owne countrey and nation For this is the lawe of nature that we be bounde vnto those aboue others amongst whom we haue bene borne and brought vp from our childhoode This rule Chryst obserued also when he offered the doctrine of saluation euen at the beginning to those of Nazareth whose vnkindnesse yet he was not ignoraunt of And that that is sayd vnto the Ministers the same must all men obserue most to esteme their own natiue soyle countrey Wherin it behoueth them to folow Moses which chose rather to forsake the riches and delytes of the Court than his brethren oppressed with tyrannie Let thâ—m here learne their wickednesse which are growen to such impudencie that they can find in their heart to sel the libertie of their countrey lawes and priuileges and all other things so they may get any priuate gayne and aduauntage thereby But let vs returne vnto Paule who after he was come againe into the Citie went into the Temple to pray And of the Temple he maketh mention partly bicause none should say he lay lurking in a corner partely to put away the suspition of polluting the Temple which opinion he knewe many had of him What he desired in his praier may easily be gathered out of the tenth to the Romanes where he saith he praied oftentimes for the Iewes that they might obteine saluatioÌ„ And that this was the very end of his prayer we shal playnly see by the communication folowing which he had with Chryst touching the Iewes Agayne Ministers are here admonished of their duetie that is with continuall prayers to helpe procure anâ— further the saluation of the people For as the rule of faith charitie wherby they are bound to the flock committed vnto them commaundeth the same so necessitie also requireth it bicause it is euident that their labours are but in vayne onlesse God giue the encrease This the auncient Prophets likewise sawe in whose writings are extant many prayers for the people This must Magistrates also obserue forasmuche as they are able to do dothing without the ayde and assistance of God by whose spirit it is nedeful that they be ruled and led They haue also to imitate the examples of Moses Dauid Salomon Ezechias beside infinite others Now at length Paule expoundeth the Oracle wherby he was coÌ„maunded to go vnto the Gentiles He saith he was in
vnder foote it is impossible for common weales long to endure Moreouer the example of the Captaine teacheth vs what remaineth for them which to get the good will of men vse to giue hastie iudgement Uerily euen feare shameful trembling and a foule confusion of all things Therefore whosoeuer beare office let them be mindfull of these things and administer iudgement with deliberation and aduise And let the godly comfort themselues in that they see wicked persecutors may be so easily feared with the power of Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xxiij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxlvij Homelie PAule behelde the Counsell and sayde Men and brethren I haue liued in all good conscience before God vntill this day And the high priest Ananias commaunded them that stoode by to smite him on the mouthe Then sayd Paule vnto him God shall smite thee thou painted wall Sittest thou and iudgest me after the Lawe and commaundest me to be smitten contrarie to the Lawe And they that stoode by sayd reuilest thou Gods high priest I wist not brethren that he was the high priest For it is wrytten thou shalt not cursse the ruler of thy people AS Christ oure Sauiour appointed Paule to be a chosen and called vessell for him selfe so by his Example he teacheth vs al what fauor his faithfull are like to finde in this worlde and what their duetie is in suffering aduersitie For assoone as Paule had once professed Christ hee founde them his greeuousest ennimies for whose saluation hee was continually banished Uerily euen the Iewes for whose sake hee wished to be accursed And their rage burst out so farre that they inflamed against him the Romane Captaines whome otherwise they hated worse than a tode This is the state that all the godly are in to proue their familiars and entierest acquaintaunce most ennimies vnto them whose hatred many times so burneth that they are not ashamed to aske helpe of forreine ennimies against their Christian brethren But Paules constant and fearlesse courage defendes himselfe and his cause against all the assaultes of his aduersaries with the only word and commaundemeÌ„t of God whose Example it is fitte that we also folowe â–ª when like aduersitie vrgeth vs. Furthermore this is châ—eâ—ely 〈◊〉 be maruelled at 〈…〉 â—onsolation that in all this ad◠〈◊〉 businesse Paul 〈◊〉 more 〈…〉 the captain being but an heathen a man of warre than in the 〈…〉 of hi◠〈…〉 which claimed vnto the 〈◊〉 the fame of al godlinesse 〈…〉 For the captain forbiddeth them to vse any violence and â—â—liuereth Paul being in hazard of his life out of their furious hands Again he permitteth him to alleage the lawe for him selfe and to enioy the 〈…〉 maine priuiledges At lengthe when perceiued that this matter cheefely concerned religion thinking it belonged no longer to his hearing and determination he 〈…〉 in the profession thereof For assembling 〈…〉 and Sâ—â—iues hee being â— Paulâ— out vnto them to haue his 〈…〉 tried and examined by lawe â–ª And this was prudenâ—ly done and not vniustly in as much as he was an Ethâ—icke but as we saide yesterday he is he 〈◊〉 bicause he hath a 〈◊〉 hope in the holinesse of the counsel than â—t deâ—â—â—ueth This thing the sequele folowing aboundantly declareth which sheweth howe these Priestes ioyned all kinde of impudent aâ—daâ—iâ—â—e and hipocrisâ—e togither But let vs examine euery 〈…〉 in order Lukâ— beginning with Paule teacheth howe hee behaued himselfe in the Counsell And first noting his countenance and gesture of body 〈…〉 he behelde all the beâ—che earnestly This was an argument of aâ—â—resent and constante minde wherewith it behoueth them cheefely to be armed â–ª which defend the quarell of truthe least being ouercome with feare they falsely forsake the same and incourage the wicked eâ—â—imies of Christe which commonly take heart and boldnesse vnto them of the cowardlyneâ—se of the godly In the meane season heere appeareth the veritie of Christes promisses Hee promiseth his spirite for an Adâ—ocate to those that be his which shall both comfort them and â—eache them if at any time they bee compelled to giue an accoumpte of their faithe beâ—fore any Magistrate or Counsell Therefore beeing mindefull of his promisse hee forsaketh not his Apostle in so greate and daungerous an enterprise but armeth him with inuincible courage of minde But for as muche as these promisses are generall it beehoueth vs also to take comfort of the same Then Paule beginneth his Oration and boldly pronounceth of his innocencie I sayth he haue liued in all good conscience before God vnâ—â—ll this day Which woordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though he gâ—oried that hee were cleare of all sinne and able to stande vppon his owne righteousnesse before the iudgement seate of God but hee respecteth the present matter for hys aduersaries â—â—â—used hym of hys shamefull falling from auncient Religion of impietie againste God and that like a publike ennemie hee had wickedly violated the Lawe and the Temple â–ª and all the Leuiticall seruice and had gone aboute to bring the vncleane Gentiles into the societie of Goddes people Therefore bicause none shoulde bee preuented with these wrongfull suspiâ—ions and denie hym their hearing hee cleareth him selfe in the beginning of any fault herein committed saying Hee hathe doone all things of a good conscience as touching the Office of hys Apostleshippe in so much that he was â—ble to call GOD to witnesse of hys integritie and vpryghtnesse Otherwise he confesseth him selfe euery where to be a sinner and to haue neede of Christes merite and fauoure So many times holy men in their priuate matters â–ª vse to alleage their innocencie against suche as slaunder them which notwithstanding in the sight of God humbly coÌ„fesseth them selues to be vncleane sinners wherof we haue examples in Moses Dauid and infinite others This beginning of Paules oration teacheth vs that in matters of religion we muste cheefely haue regarde vnto our conscience that nothing be done through craft or dissimulation For where we haue heerein to doe with God which searcheth the heartes and raines there is no place for subtiltie and craftie conueyance And it shall be lawfull for vs to reioyce in the integritie of our conscience if we order our religion according to the worde of God and walke diligently in his calling and not after our owne deuise and pleasure Which thing if we endeuor to doe God will mercifully pardon those daily slips of life which we coÌ„mit through the infirmitie of the fleshe bicause we turne vnto Christ and daily repent vs in him Moreouer when Paule had begoon his Oration Ananias which was president of the Counsel commaunded to smite him on the mouth either for that he begon to declare his matter before he was demaunded or else for that by so bolde a defending of his innocencie he seemed to accuse them of vnrighteousnesse and iniquitie or else for that he left out those
here is declared a newe enterprise of the Iewes attempted to oppresse Paule by For when Festus was gon to Ierusalem to take an othe of allegeance of the Citizens and inhabitants there by and by the Priests and men of aucthoritie came vnto him and accuse Paule whome Felix had left in prison desiring the newe President of his fauoure that he mighte be brought to Ierusalem to be iudged and that they might procede against him according to the law of their Countrey But in the meane season they were purposed priuily to waite him by the way and to kill him In this place may be sene how vnquiet in minde the wicked are after they be once inâ—lamed with hatred of the truthe For where alwayes their naughtie workes are disclosed by the light thereof it can not be that they can easily lay away the hatred once conceiued But rather they boile and frothe in their mindes like the raging sea busily watching euery small occasion wherby to extinguish the light of that truth which they so hate And coÌ„monly the force of this hatred is suche that without any regarde many times to their priuate auailes they only seke and desire how to make the ministers of the truth out of the way whose doctrin they perceiue so vexeth and fretteth them Both these things may be seene in this present example For we haue heard howe Paule was in prison whole two yeares Howbeit neither the continuance of time neither the miserable state of captiuitie could assuage their mindes for they could bear with any thing better than with the doctrine of the truth Wherfore they narowly watch euery little occasion spare neither for pains nor cost to bring their desire at length to passe First therfore they begin to make their requests and petition vnto the newe President against Paule which they oughte to haue made rather in the behalfe of their common weale and to haue besought him of his frendship towards all meÌ„ in general But they thought by this meane to preiudice Paule that the President might conceiue he was some publike enimie of his whole nation and couÌ„try considering they labored so earnestly to haue him punished And we must not think that hatred of the truthe had so great force in these men onely For it is the common guise of all that are vngodly that if they might haue their wish neuer so much yet nothing is more deare vnto them than to haue the liues of them who they know wil withstaÌ„d their impietie and naughtinesse Heereunto belongeth that that the Euangelists wryte of Herodias which when she heard how Herode had offered hir daughter the one halfe of his kingdom yet she required but only the heade of Iohn to be giuen hir bicause as long as he liued and preached she thought hir raigne shuld not only be vnpleasant but all hir life also Many things of like sort might be reported and examples euen of our dayes but bicause they are euery where to be sene therfore we think good to passe theÌ„ ouer Let vs rather marke the vse of these things which is that we trust not ouer sone those which haue once conspired against the truthe For although they can sometimes trimly dissemble and colour their hatred against the truth yet the poison therof lieth hiddeÌ„ depe in their brests assone as occasion serueth wil burst forth with might and main And in these persons hath that saying of the Prophet chefely place pronouncing that the hart of man is froward vnsearchable Again here appeareth what the weapons of the vngodly are First they counterfet a countenaÌ„ce of law and equity in that they require to haue him brought to Ierusalem to be iudged which might seeme an honest and iust request both bicause all the businesse began there first and also for that it seemed not reason that they which were so many in number and aucthoritie shuld be at so great charges and take such pain to iourney so farre for one mannes sake But in the meane season vnder this faire face of equitie they cloke an horrible and bloudy meaning as was euen nowe declared Lette vs learne by this place to iudge of those men which now adayes doe the like wherof a man may euery where finde more than are profitable in a Christian common weale Uerily Christe saith that these men fight with the power of darkenesse and therefore are the ministers of the Deuil which was a lier and murtherer from the beginning And Paule prophecied that Antichrist should raigne cheefely through lying and open force Therfore as many as resist the truth and the ministers therof with violent and trecherous sleights it is euident that they fight for the deuil vnder the standerd of Antichrist with whom except they repent in time they shal hereafter receiue the pay and wages of eternall damnation Moreouer let vs see how God disapointed the bloudy deuises of his ennemies For it was his woorking that Festus consented not to the desire petition of the Iewes whose request yet as shal appeare hereafter he made no small account of And surely there were great causes that might haue moued him to yeld vnto the Iewes For he might both iustly haue suspected Paule whome Felix going out of his office had left in prison and it seemed that the request which the cheefe of the Iewes made was not to be reiected and againe he might appeare but slenderly witted if in the beginning of his gouernement he would procure him the hatred of a whole nation for one mannes sake and he a prisonner and of no reputation But through the secrete inspiration God it commeth to passe that Festus had more regarde of iustice and of the Romaine lawes than of the Iewes nation Wherefore he thinketh good to keepe Paule at Caesarea still yet permitting the Iewes according to order of lawe to proceede against him It pleased God to teache all them that be in office or aucthoritie by the example of this Gentile what they haue to doe in like case verily to commit nothing either for fauoure of men or respect of priuate commoditie but to folowe equitie and lawe which if it be not kept it is impossible that common weales can continue in safetie Therefore lette Christian Kings and Princes be ashamed both of their lightnesse and vnrighteousnesse which now a dayes commonly condemne the maintainers of Euangelical truth and faith without hearing for the Popes and Bishops pleasure yea bicause they would seeme very religious they giue them all power against the faithful of Christ so coÌ„mitting the sheepe vnto the Wolues They shal one day feele to their great smart what they doe when bothe the bloudie Popes shall be punished and Christ our iudge shall require at the handes of the Kings his people committed vnto their charge But heere haue we cheefely to consider God the aucthoure of all these things whose woorking wee euen nowe saide all this was For where hee had said Paule should beare
in the zeale of Christes glory He ioyneth power to his fayth whereby we vnderstande the gift of myracles according to that treatise of Paule touching the diuision of gifts in the first to the Corinthians .xij. Chap. And as he declared his fayth by his feruencie of zeale so he testified that other gifte of the holy spirite by notable myracles and woonders And although nothing is saide of his publike sermons it appeareth yet by order of the text that he vsed to preach both often earnestly and effectuously Wherefore we may here note by the way that the Deacons in the primitiue Church were not wholye debarred from the ministerie of the worde but although they were chiefely busied about distribution of the Church goodes yet they bestowed their labour as farre as they were able in other seruices of the Church that by this meane as Paule sayth they might winne themselues a good degree Heere chiefely is to be obserued the veritie of Christes promises whereby he instructeth his faythfull and industrious seruauntes For he sayth they shall be set ouer great and many thinges which are faithfull in small matters He promiseth that they that haue shall receyue more Steuen prooueth the same true as this place teacheth For where he well vsed the giftes of the holy ghost which he had in the beginning and did faithfullye administer temporall goodes he is encreased with more giftes and aduaunced to higher degree yea being made match with the Apostles he beginneth to distribute the eternall and heauenlye treasures of the Gospell with great prayse and vtilitie whome Christ hath vouchsafed to adourne with the crowne of martyrdome Let vs therefore be stirred vp with the consideration of this example not suffer our selues to be pulled backe from well doing with the consideration of our vnworthynesse whereas we maye attaine to the increasing of the holy ghost by fayth and diligence and may prepare for our selues an entrance and degree into more excellent ministeries Howbeit this valiant and stoute souldiour of Christ findeth by and by such as withstoode his godly purposes and enterprises For there stoode vp men of diuers Nations of the schoole or Colledge of the Libertines which disturbed and troubled him For where the citie of Ierusalem was ordeyned to be a place both for outwarde religion and for an vniuersitie and studie of the lawe there were in it diuers Colledges of Iewes which eyther for religion sake or for studie came thither from diuers nations of the which number this Sinagoge of the Libertines was who were the principall and chiefe Captaines of this conspiracie deuised against Steuen But howe this Sinagoge came so to be called there are diuers opinions amongst the Interpreters Howbeit I lyke best their opinion which suppose there was a certaine Colledge builded by those of Rome which were called Liberti wherein straungers were taught and instructed For we knowe that these Liberti were of great power and authoritie and that many of them went about to winne the fauour of the people by such benefits we learne by example of the Centurion whome the Priestes for thys cause commended vnto Christ bicause he had builded them a Sinagoge But it is not without a cause that Steuen is resisted by men of diuers Nations and such as are learned and of experience For as the mysteries of the kingdome of Christ are for the most part hidden from the wyse of the worlde so the greater is the glory of the Saintes which they get by such conflicts This serueth also to comfort vs that we yeelde not for feare if at any time we see our selues assaulted by many and furnished enimies Now it is profitable to consider after what sorte and with what conueyances these conspirators appoint their onset against Steuen Luke sayth they beginne with disputation the ende and drift wherof as appeareth was none other but to catch entangle him in his owne words which thing the Scribes also many times assayed against christ For trusting in their wit learning they hoped easily to haue the victorie of a rude and vnlearned bodye or at least such an one as yet had no great name of learning But the matter fell out farre otherwise than they looked for For he whome they supposed to be rude and vnprouyded being instructed with heauenly wisedome and prompted with the holy spirite doth not onely answere the questions they propone but vseth such plentie and force of argumentes that they by no meanes were able to resist him Whereby we see agayne that Christ who is the very truth it selfe neuer fayleth of his promise He promised his spirite to be a comforter and counseller to lead those that be his into all truth He promised them vtteraunce and wisedome against the which men shoulde not be able to stande He hath hitherto perfourmed his promises as we haue seene in the examples of the Apostles And the treasure of this heauenly wisedome is not yet spent and drawne out but Steuen also draweth out thereof such things as are necessary in this conflict Let no man therefore feare eyther the wisedome or authoritie of the worlde forasmuch as it is not our businesse but Christes that we haue in hande who is made vnto vs of his father wisedome and in whome all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome are hidden Let vs also consider that he is greater that is in vs than he which maketh suche a stirre in the worlde But doe these Sophisticall Libertines being ouercome by disputation yeelde No but turning them vnto vnlawfull and craftie conueyances they labour to oppresse him by lyes and false witnesses whome they perceyued strengthned with truth and therefore inuincible They suborned men that had their tongues to sell which through slaunders went about to bring the most faythfull Preacher of Christ in enuye of all the people And of these we will speake a little hereafter Nowe let vs consider how farre they vse to go which nourishe hatred in their heartes agaynst the truth and will not yeelde being yet ouercommen Such men are giuen vp into a reprobate sense and become so blinde that vnder the pretence of godlye zeale wherein they wickedly glorie they thinke they may doe what they will and feare not moste manifest and heynous wickednesse For these Libertines coulde not be ignorant of the lawe of Talio appoynted by God for false witnesses And though there were no lawes anye where extant yet common reason teacheth vs that they commit grieuous a fault which eyther beare false witnesse themselues or else bring forth and alledge false witnesse But they that burne in hatred of the truth make no count of these thinges and it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they are bereft of common reason and therefore pollute themselues with great wickednesse chasing and driuing away the truth after she hath shyned in their heartes There are diuers examples hereof extant as well olde as
newe amongst which this one is very notable which the Bishops of the Counsell at Constance vsed towardes Iohn Husse agaynst all right and lawe whome they were not afrayde with breach of their owne promise and the Emperours safe conduct cruelly to burne hauing none other cloke to excuse their heynous fact but that promise was not to be kept vnto heretikes Let no man therefore marueyle though he perceyue him vniustlye and vnworthily entreated In the meane season let vs learne in the beginning to quench the fire of hatred glimering against the truth least we also fall into the lyke blindnesse and incurable frowardenesse Now bicause the importunacie of a fewe coulde little or nothing preuayle agaynst the doctrine of the truth these most subtill Sophisters labor earnestly to set al the people with the Elders Scribes in Steuens top And as may be gathered bythe circumstaunces they rayse an open tumult in the citie meaning to apprehend him and bring him before the counsell Which is an olde pollicie of Satan meaning to make them away in an vprore or sedition whom they see armed with the defence of truth and lawe But moste times it commeth to passe that they which with seditious sleyghtes assault thetruth do most miserably perish by sedition as we may see it hath hapned to the nation of the Iewes And here is set forth a notable example of the leuitie inconstancie of the common people It was declared before how the Apostles and all the Church were in great estimation with the people both for the notablenesse of theyr myracles and also for the shew of an heauenly and as it were diuine maiestie that shone in them But now a number circumuented with the sleyghtes of these Sophisters stande vp against the doctrine of truth The lyke lightnesse in the people did Christ also finde whome one whyle they woulde haue made a king another whyle like mad men they cried out to haue him crucified So the men of Lystra at the first cried out saying Paule was a God but within a whyle after they woulde haue stoned him And many like doinges we reade in the histories of the Gentiles the vse of all which is that we hunt not for prayse of the people nor studie not to please the worlde but rather God whose will is certaine and remayneth stable and vnmooueable Nowe let vs see what thinges they laide to Steuens charge by these false witnesses whom Luke saith they brought before the Counsell The summe of their accusation is This man ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place and against the lawe He is therefore accused of impietie and not thereof only but also of incurable obstinacie which hitherto by no reasons coulde be perswaded They make mention of the holy Citie and Temple by name bicause it seemed to the Iewes an intollerable impietie to speake or intende any thing against these places being commended by so many promises of god Therfore this was chiefly laid to Hieremies charge that he prophecied against the holy Citie and Temple But bicause it behooued the crime shoulde be prooued by witnesses and that the blasphemies shoulde be declared more plainely what they were they adde for we haue hearde him saye howe this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroye this place and shall chaunge the ordinances which Moses gaue vs. Therefore where they thought both their religion and their Citie shoulde endure for euer they iudged him that shoulde saye any thing touching the destruction thereof to be a wicked body Furthermore whence they tooke hold of this accusation may easily be gathered of the Apostles doctrine For they taught that men were iustified and saued by the mere grace of God through the merite of Iesus Christ and that nothing in the businesse of our saluation was to be attributed eyther to mannes workes or outward ceremonies For the one were polluted and imperfite and the other were shadowes and figures of the redemption in Christ to come which Christ had put awaye in the sacrifyce of hys owne body as might be gathered of the renting of the Temple which happened at the death of christ They also exhorted al men to cast away al their vaine hope in the righteousnesse of the lawe and to embrace with sure faith the righteousnesse of God offred them in christ The which thing bicause they woulde the more easilye perswade them they called to their remembraunce the peril of present destruction wherof Christ oftentimes had warned them Therefore the craftie and most impudent sclaunderers take occasion of their accusation hereof saying Steuen spake of the abolishing of their religion and destruction of the Citie but they craftilye conceale the causes moouing him so to saye Yea they so set forth the matter as though Steuen shoulde seeme to haue threatened to set the temple on fire and speaking very contemptuously of Christ they compare him as it were with the glorye and magnificencie of the Temple to make his doctrine to be the more despised This place is with all diligence to be obserued For as it teacheth vs that truth for the most part is assaulted with lyes so it plainly warneth vs that Christes doctrine can neuer be so wysely and modestlye preached but that the wicked world wil take occasion to sclaunder the same We finde it to be true in these our corrupted dayes wherein whatsoeuer the faythfull teachers of the truth say is most vniustly carped at For where we teach that men are iustified by the meere grace of God that our strength and workes haue no prayse in the case of our saluation by and by we are called the enimies of good workes and mainteyners of carnall libertie Agayne if we say that whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation is conteyned in Christ onely bicause he is the onely mediatour aduocate and intercessor appoynted betweene God and vs streyght way we are condemned as wicked blasphemers of the blessed Uirgin and Saintes Item if we go about to deliuer the Church of Christ from the intollerable yoke of humane traditions to correct abuses and to restore the auncient simplicitie of the primitiue Church by and by there start vp that crie out we are aduersaries of religion and the true worshippe of God deprauers of the Sacramentes and robbers of God of his honour And if we declare vnto the worlde drowned in the filthy â—lowes of wickednesse the imminent wrath of God and the punishments long agone deserued therefore then we are condemned and railed at as disturbers of publike tranquillitie and sowers of sedition And to be briefe nothing can be done so soundly so godlily and so modestly that can escape the censure and checke of the sclaunderous and enuious aduersary But no man must be so mooued with these things that he must leaue or forsake the charge committed to him of the Lorde Let vs consider that this is the olde guyse of the world agaynst the which we must both constantly prudently striue and resist