me So Christ himselfe also said Auferetur à vobis regnum Dei The kingdom of God shal be taken from you giuen to the heathen which shall bring forth the fruits of it But alas when Gods kingdom is taken away in whose kingdom and dominion do the people then liue when Gods gospel his word is no longer preached what learning what doctrin what discipline is there left to bee taught And this oftentimes commeth to passe by means of our owne sin and wickednes that for the misusing of God and his gospel we neither haue Gods Kingdome nor his Gospell among vs. But then alas in what great miserie in what wretchednesse in what wofull case shall wée stand For if Gods Kingdom be shut from vs whither shal we fly If the light of his gospell be taken from vs what light shall be left vs If God will get him away from vs who shall bee our succour And therefore no man ought to reioice hereat no man ought to be glad of such a change But though Gods kingdom be taken away from vs though Gods Gospell bee no more preached vnto vs though God fly from vs and will hide himselfe away yet is God and his gospell nothing thereby altered God is still one and the same God his gospell is the same gospell that it was before his Kingdome continueth in one stay and estate it is not changed nor altered For saith Christ Caelum terra transibunt verbum autem meum non transibit Heauen and earth shall perish but may word shall not perish And again Portae inferorū nō praeualebūt aduersū illud The gates of hell shal not preuaile against it And therefore S. Paul hauing on his side this word of God which neuer changeth but alwayes continueth one and the same hauing I say this word of his which shal neuer perish and against which the verie gates of hel shal not preuaile he was bould to appeale from the slaunderous iudgement of the people and say I passe not what you thinke of me It is but a small matter for mee to bee iudged of you or of mans day c. Good people you haue here heard declared vnto you and thereby you may well perceiue that S. Paul notwithstanding hée was the seruant of God an elect vessell of the holy Ghost and the chiefest Apostle of Christ yet was euill spoken of and misliked euen of the Chrians and such as professed the name of God notwithstanding he was indéed the true seruant of God the minister of Christ and a faithfull dispenser of the secrets of God yet could not all men speake wel of him al men could not giue him a good report And therefore to cause them to conceiue a better opinion of him and report of him none other than he deserued he here willeth them that they should first weigh well and consider his doings they should examine his doctrine and the gospel that he had preached amongst them they should marke well and see whether he had been a faithfull dispenser of the mysteries of Gods gospell and then so estéeme him as the minister of Christ and Steward of the secrets of God And therefore iudge you nothing saith he before the time that the Lord come which shall bring that to light which is hid in darknesse and open the counsels of the hearts and then shall euerie one haue prayse of God And so in these daies as Paul in his time was misliked of many so I say in these our dayes the ministers of God and preachers of his gospell are euill spoken of amongst all men some say they are vnlearned they know nothing they are crafts men they were neuer set to school this they haue said and do yet report of them Some men say they preach they cannot tell what they speake against prayer against fasting against almes déeds and all other good works they allow nothing that good is they disallow in manner all things This you know hath béene spoken and yet is reported of such as now are ministers in Gods gospell But hereunto haue I none other thing to say than that which S. Paul in this place writeth to the Corinthians It is sufficient for vs to bee found the seruants of God the ministers of Christ faithfull dispensers of Gods secrets In the meane season doe not you good brethren thinke euill of the preachers of Gods word report not amisse of the ministers of Christ account not them your enemies that bring vnto you the glad tidings of the gospel When Paul came to Berea from Thessalonica and began there to preach the Gospell of Christ the people ranne to their bookes searched the Scriptures conferred his doctrine with the word of God and when they found that in all points it agréed therwith then they beléeued Paul then they embraced his doctrine then with willing harts they claue to his discipline And as they did euen so let vs do good brethren let vs not iudge rashly of Gods ministers let vs not ouer hastily giue sentence of them let vs not report euill of Gods seruants but let vs well weigh and consider what thing they teach vs let vs examine trie their doctrine with the touch-stone of Gods word let vs conferre their preaching their teaching their discipline with the Scriptures of the holy Ghost And this when you haue done then bée you our iudges then if you sée that we teach you nothing but the mysteries of God if you perceiue that we onely disclose vnto you the will of God if you sée that wée preach vnto you none other thing than the secrets of Gods gospell estéeme vs to be the seruants of God the ministers of Christ and stewards of the secrets of God The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND Sermon Psalme 67. 3. 4. 3. Let the people prayse thee O God let all the people prayse thee 4. O let the people reioyce and be glad that thou iudgest the folke righteously and gouernest the Nations vpon the earth c. AT what time the Iewes had grieuously offended God their Lord forgotten their obedience towards him and betaken themselues to strange gods euery man wandring after his owne lust and fansie and thereupon God began to plague and punish them with sundry and diuers plagues and with vnseasonable weather so that their grasse their corne their fruits what euer other commodities sprang out of the earth were al in great danger then Dauid the Prophet séeing all these miseries at once fall vpon the people called them home againe shewed them how they should returne from their wickednes come vnto God For God desireth not our destructiō he is loth to work reuengement vpon vs when we anger displease him In what euer houre the sinner shal returne from his sin come vnto me saith the Lord I shall be readie to receiue him As for all his sins that hee did before they shall not be thought vpon but in
and marke well whether we reueal vnto you Gods mysteries and his holie Gospell Consider with your selues and sée whether wée open vnto you Gods hidden Secrets By this shall you know whether wée be the seruants and dispensers of Gods mysteries But like as in S. Pauls time there was dissention strife great debate euen amongst the Christians and such as professed the name of God So likewise in our dayes good Bretheren euen in the time that wée our selues haue séene there hath béen discord and parts-taking among vs. Some haue said I will beléeue the old learning some againe haue said I will beléeue the new some haue said I will credit this man some I will beléeue that man And thus the father hath fallen out with the sonne the Mother with the daughter the brother with his brother and one neighbor with another ech man defending that part which he himselfe best liked But alas good Bretheren this is no new thing this hath béen from the beginning and euen in Christes time For at what time Christ himselfe walked here on this earth began to preach the glory of his father some said he was a good man some other said no some said he was a Prophet some other said he was none but one that deceiued the people some reioyced that it pleased God to send such a Preacher as Christ was some againe despised his doctrine and said he had a deuill These words the people then spake of Christ these words I say they spake of Christ himselfe He was called a Samaritane a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners a seducer of the people Therefore it is the lesse maruaile if such words be now at these dayes spoken as were spoken in the beginning of the Church if such words be spoken against vs as were spoken against Christ himselfe But S. Paul hath here giuen vs a rule whereby to know the true seruants of Christ and Stewards of Gods secrets Christ was the true Prophet and why so because he preached his fathers will What euer I haue heard of my Father saith Christ the same haue I declared vnto you Saint Paul was the true seruant of Christ and steward of his secrets and why so because he labored in Gods vineyard he preached he taught more than all the rest of the Apostles of Christ did Laboraui plus quà m caeteri omnes I haue labored more than all the rest of the Apostles haue done Therefore was he the true and faithful minister of Gods mysteries because he thus diligently alwaies taught Gods Gospell and the glorie of his name for this cause I say and none other was he the Steward and dispenser of Gods secrets So were the Patriarches and the Prophets the true seruants of God because they declared the will of God And here haue we to consider that Christ which was the true Prophet the Apostles which were the ture Ministers and Stewards of Christ the Patriarches Prophets which were the true and faithfull seruants of God were all greeuously afflicted persecuted from place vnto place and lastly put to most cruell death This I say hapned to Christ himself and all his Apostles S. Iohn the Euangelist only excepted And yet was Christ Gods own sonne the Apostles were the true Ministers and Stewards of Gods secrets And therefore if we shall in our time sée the Preachers of Gods word afflicted the Teachers of the Gospell of Christ persecuted the Stewards of Gods secrets miserably tormented yet let not vs good Bretheren let not vs giue ouer and shrink from Gods gospell let vs consider that this is no new thing no strange hap but such as hapned to the Patriarches to the Prophets to the Apostles yea and to Christ himselfe Now then let vs take this rule of S. Pauls and thereby let vs trie whether the Preachers in times past the Popes the Cardinals the Bishops were the true seruants of God Stewards and dispensers of his holie secrets There are at this day some that be called Bishops some that be called Cardinals they say that they carry vp the Church of Christ and are the props pillers of the same and therefore in token therof they haue alwaies pillers borne before them At this day the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe a generall Bishop an vniuersal Bishop not ouer this part or that part but ouer all Christendome yea he saith he is the head of Christs Church he saith that he hath power ouer Kings ouer Princes he hath power ouer purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels he can parden not only sinnes alreadie done but such also as shall be at any time hereafter committed and that he can not mistake the Scriptures of God that he can not erre and be deceiued what euer he doth all is well done no man can iudge him and sit vpon his doings I speake not this of malice I speake it not for any grudge or hatred I owe to his person God is my witnesse I neyther know him that now is nor any of them that haue heretofore time béen Bishops of Rome But all these their doings are written all these words which I haue here spoken are written I say euen in their owne Lawes and Decrées the places may be alleaged and brought forth Alas these are glorious titles to be called vniuersall Bishop and head of Christs Church to haue dominion ouer Kings and Princes to haue power ouer Purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels to haue authoritie to pardon sinnes past sinnes hereafter to be committed not to erre not to be deceiued all these are glorious and triumphant titles as you well sée But let vs now take Pauls rule the rule I say that S. Paul hath here giuen vs and let vs by the same trie whether the Bishops the Cardinals the Popes haue heretofore time or at this time do dispense vnto vs the mysteries of the Gospell as Stewards of the secrets of God whether they do preach teach the Gospel of Christ as the seruants and Ministers of Christ Alas we sée they do nothing lesse they do we sée nothing lesse than set forth the Gospell of God the glory of his holy name Now then can they call themselues Pastores when they féede not Gods shéepe how can they call themselues watchmen when they haue no regard to Gods flocke how can they call themselues pillers of the Church yea and the head of the Church when they shew themselues rather destroyers of the Church of Christ and not members of the same Alas if they be not Gods seruants whose seruants are they if they be not Dispensers Stewards of Gods secrets of whose secrets are they Stewards if they be not so much as members how are they then the Pillers head of Christs Church Saint Paul goeth further and saith It is not sufficient to be called Seruants to be called Ministers to be called stewards of Gods secrets but it is further
Sauiour whom thou hast prepared for al people Euen so in this place the prophet Dauid considering the great mercie that God had shewed the wonderous work that he had then wrought how that in his time al the whole people knew Gods way he said Laetentur exultent populi c Let the people reioyce be glad yea let all the people reioyce because thou iudgest the folke righteously gouernest the nations vpon the earth Now good brethren forasmuch as we haue here séene considered the state of Gods Church before Dauids time the state wherunto it was restored again in Dauids time Euen so let vs in like consider the state of Christs Church before our time the state condition of the same in our own time in those daies that we our selues haue séen Let vs cōsider how horrible darknesse what error confusion hath of late time bin in the Church of god let vs weigh consider I say the deformity great abuses the were in the same For alas we had the sacraments we had the holy gospel word of god but wee had them al in vain Baptism we had but we knew not the Principles of our faith The Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ wee had but wee vnderstood not why Christ left vs this Sacrament we knew not why he said Take eate this is my body c. It is the greatest Sacrament and yet we perceiued not what it meant We had Praiers wee had Psalmes wee had supplications vnto God and yet we vnderstood them not we vnderstood no word of them Wee worshipped things made with mens hands Images of blockes and stones such as had eyes and saw not eares and heard not neither had any breath in their mouthes such things we worshipped and this contrarie to the expresse commandement of God The Scriptures were rent were torne were troden vnder foote were burnt before our eyes We groped our way in the middest of the day as said the Prophet Ieremie And as the same Prophet of his owne time spake saying Secundum numerum Ciuitatum tuarum sunt Dij tui According to the number of the cities are thy Gods O Iuda so might we of our owne time haue said For looke how many cities we had so many Gods had wee also Euery Borough euery Towne yea euery village in a maner had his proper and peculier Saint It was then come to passe that Esaie prophesied saying Hell hath opened her mouth maruellous wide Hell hath gaped saith hee because they haue no knowledge of God because they haue no vnderstanding And so likewise Salomon When Prophesie faileth the people must needs be scattered This is the word of God and this is the miserie that wee our selues haue séene The old father Tobie when God had stricken him with blindnesse and so taken his sight from him and therefore his friends and acquaintance resorted vnto him to comfort him and somwhat if they might ease him of his great grief Alas said he what comfort can I receiue that cannot see the light of the Sunne Thus said he only because he could not behold the light of this world Alas what comfort then what ioy what consolation could wee haue when God tooke from vs the knowledge of his gospell the light of his word yea the knowledge of God himselfe when euery man ran whither himself best liked folowed that way which pleased his owne phansie Therefore were wee caried away therefore were we led into errour therfore lost we the knowledge of God because prophesie failed because Gods word was not taught and preached vnto vs. But now it hath pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto vs now we know what is what now can we discerne light from darknesse good from bad now we vnderstand know this I say Now we haue the Scriptures in our mother tongue that euery man may read and vnderstand them the same Scriptures that Christ hath sealed with his owne bloud And these Scriptures Ieremie that old father calleth The prop of our Faith So Christ himselfe Illae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de me They beare witnesse of me saith Christ and they shall lead you into al truth Hillary saith The Scriptures are the squire and Rule of our life In the Scriptures saith Christ you shall find euerlasting life And Paule writing vnto the Romains saith The Gospell of Christ is the power of God to saue all that beleeue theron The Scriptures were written saith he that we thereby should know our saluation All these things God hath now restored vnto vs. Now are wee able to know our profession now are we able to know our Religion to know God to know Christ to knowe our saluation Now haue wee the vse of the Primitiue Church the Communion vnder both kinds now haue wee our praiers in our knowne tongue as in the Apostles time as in the old Fathers and Doctors times they were vsed Tertullian that old Doctour speaking of his time We come together saith he and hear the Scripturs read vnto vs. We may now do as S. Basil writeth the people in his time did Sonus virorū mulierū paruulorū in orationibus claugorē edit tāquā fluctus ferientes littora The sound saith he of men women and children praying together maketh a noyse like the waues of the Sea beating on the shore Thus saith that old father they did in his time and thus may you now do Now may we say as Athanasius said If I be deceiued thou hast deceiued me O Lord. For thy word is plaine thy Gospell is true and therefore if we be now deceiued it is thy word it is thy Gospell that deceiueth vs God hath so plainly shewed vnto vs the light of his Gospel the knowledge of his word Therfore haue we most iust cause to say with the prophet Dauid Laetentur exultent populi Let the people reioyce be glad And therfore let vs not be vnkind let vs not be vnthankful let vs say thou O Lord iudgest the folk righteously gouernest the Nations vpon the earth Thou hast now restored vnto vs our praiers in our known tongue thy sacraments as they were vsed in the Apostls time in the Primitiue Church in the old Fathers Doctors times And let vs say with Zachary that holy father Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel Blessed is the Lord God of Israel Let vs say with Dauid Haec est dies laetemur exultemus in ea this is the ioyful day let vs reioyce be glad therin Let vs with Simeon the prophet say Nunc dimittis seruum tuū Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace Now lettest thou thy seruant O Lord depart in peace according vnto thy word Let vs say as the prophet here saith Laetentur exultent populi Let the people reioice and be glad because thou rulest the Nations vpon the earth O let the people praise thee O God let
and bring forth a sonne whose name shall bee Emanuel that is God amongst vs. And hereunto witnessed all the Patriarches and Prophets euen from the first beginning of the world vnto the time of the comming of our Sauior Iesus Christ And therfore because the whole Scriptures the Patriarches the Prophets spake thus plainely of Christ and declared his comming Christ said Scrutamini Scripturas illae enim testimonium perhibent de me search you the Scriptures for they do beare witnesse of me Likewise againe to the Scribes and Pharisies hee said Si Mosei crederetis crederetis mihi If ye beleeued Moses ye would beleeue mee for Moses also hath written to mee hee hath told you of me said Christ therefore if you beléeued him yée would also beléeue me And thus all the whole bodie of the Scriptures bare record of the comming of Christ the Patriarches knew long before that Christ should be borne the Prophets prophesied of his comming into the world But when Christ should be borne when his glorious comming should appeare that neither the scriptures declared neither the holy Patriarches knew nor the Prophets were able to shew And therfore said Christ Abraham voluit videre diem meum Abraham would faine haue seene my day he saw it therefore he reioiced But how did Abraham sée it with bodily eyes no but in faith because he was in faith able to sée it therefore he reioyced What then if he had with his eyes séene Christ if he had talked with him if he might haue touched and embraced Christ what ioy would hée haue made how would he haue reioyced and béene glad No doubt as the birth of Christ was most acceptable and welcome to al good men in that time so was his comming much longed for of the holy Patriarches and Prophets before time for they well knew that his time should be a time most acceptable that then all things should be in quietnesse vnitie and concord in euery place peace through the whole world And therefore said Esay the Prophet Et vocabitur princeps pacis He shal be called the Prince of peace And to declare this more plainly the same Prophet saith Then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lye downe by the Goat Bullocks Lyons and cattell shall keepe company together the Cow and the Beare shall lye together and there shall be no crying no wayling no noyse heard in the streets And therefore this Prophet Esay in another place considering the great ioy the great felicitie that Christ should bring into the world when hée should be borne cryed out and said Disrumpe coelos descende O Lord said he breake the heauens and come downe And so another Prophet in like foreséeing this great felicitie that should ensue the birth of Christ said Quis viuet videbit haec O who shall liue to enioy this merueilous felicitie When Christ was come into this world though then not borne but in his mothers wombe Iohn the Baptist béeing a babe and in his mothers belly also yet at the Maiestie of his Lord and at the presence of Christ he sprang for ioy and leapt in his mothers wombe So likewise at the birth of Christ for ioy that the Angels in heauen conceiued thereat they sang Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus Glorie be to God on high and in earth peace vnto men After that time whē Simeon that holy prophet had in spirit perceiued the true Messias Sauior of the world to be born had receiued Christ into his armes he cried out said Nunc dimittis seruum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Now euen now that this sight is prouided before the face of the whole world that so long hath béene looked for now that light is appeared which shall be the light of the Gentiles Now O Lord said be let thy seruant depart in peace I haue lyued long ynough to sée thy saluation Thus good brethren all the Scriptures throughout the Patriarches the Prophets shewed long before vnto vs the ioy and felicity that should come vpon the whole world at such time as Christ should be borne And therefore to confirme all this that they before had prophesied of him Christ here said vnto his disciples Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see Blessed are your eies said Christ for your eyes haue séene Gods promises performed that promise which he made to Adam saying The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Your eies haue séene that promise made vnto Abraham The seed wherein all nations shall bee blessed That promise also your eyes haue séene performed which God made vnto Dauid saying Of the fruit of thy bodie wil I set vpon thy seat You haue séene and do now sée that Emanuel of whom Esay prophesied You I say haue séene that thing whereunto all the Patriarches al the Prophets the whole body of the Scriptures do beare witnesse You do see and behold him whom Abraham would gladly haue séene You sée him whom Esay calleth the Prince of peace him in regard of whom the Prophet cried out and said O who shall liue to see this great ioy You sée him at whose presence Saint Iohn the Baptist being in his mothers wombe sprang leapt vp for ioy him at whose birth the verie Angels in heauen sang Gloria in excelsis him whom Simeon pronounced to bee the Sauiour of the world All this said Christ you sée you my disciples your eyes do sée all this and therefore blessed are your eyes happy and blessed are the eyes that sée whiche yée sée In the beginning saith S. Paul God spake diuersly and by sundry meanes vnto his people sometimes by dreames sometimes by reuelation sometimes by prophesies sometimes by Angels and sometimes by his owne voice but now in these dayes hee hath sent amongst vs his owne sonne by him saith he God hath declared his wil vnto vs cléerely and plainly euen by the mouth of his owne son When S. Iohn the Baptist baptized Christ in the riuer of Iordan it pleased God the Father to crye from heauen and say Hic est meus filius dilectus ipsum audit This is my beloued sonne heare him hearken vnto his voice giue eare vnto his doctrine for he it is to whom both the law the Prophets haue their respect And S. Paul saith Mysterium abscōditum a saeculis nunc autem reuelatur per Iesum Christum the mysterie that high mysterie of mans saluation that hath beene so many hundred yeres hid is now reuealed by Christ our Sauiour so long it hath béene hidden saith Saint Paul and now it is opened and shewed vnto the whole world by Christ Therefore blessed are your eyes said Christ yea blessed are the eyes which sée that yée sée for your bodily