erre If the Church of Rome cannot erre what néede haue they of that church either of the Scriptures or of the fathers or councels Perhaps through this pride they grew first to despise the holie Scriptures would not direct their waies by them They are high minded and boast themselues that they are as mount Sion which shal not be mooued Yet our Sauiour likeneth the Church sometimes to shéep as in the 15. of S. Mathew I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of Israel Sometimes to children which are simple and soone beguiled Sometimes to a Vine which is weake easily throwne down sometimes to the moone which waxeth and is also in wane and many times giueth no light The ancieÌ„t fathers compare the church of god to no one thing so vsually as to a shippe And who knoweth not how a ship is tossed hither thither how it is in daÌ„ger of sands of rocks and of pirats in danger of drowning by leaking If the shéepe were not a straying kind of cattel what should they néede a shéepheard If little children could guide themselues what néede had they of a guider If the vine did not hang down and lie on the ground what néede were there of proppes or of one to set it vp If there were no feare for the passage of a ship if it could not miscarie what should it néede a Pilote Let no man therefore saie the church is safe for euer it cannot erre it can not decay Such words are deceiuable and lying words For false Prophets shal come There shalbe a desolation there shal be a departing euen in the house of God and that daie of Christ shall not come except there come a departing first And that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition V. 4 Which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that hee doth sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God This the Apostle speaketh of Antichrist Hée is the man of sinne and the sonne of perdition It will be somewhat hard to treat of this matter and to opeÌ„ the words of this scripture Whatsoeuer I shall speake it will be ill taken of manie and manie will doubt of the truth of my spéeches such affection they bear to him whom the Apostle disciphereth to be Antichrist Albeit whatsoeuer I will vtter in opening the Apostles wordes shall be such as the holie scriptures and learned writings of the holie fathers haue left vnto vs and the church of God hath prooued and at this daie doth prooue to be true God promised that Christ shoulde come into the worlde euen the Shiloh vnto whome al the people should be gathered and that he should be the hope of Israel and deliuer his people from their sins God made promise of him to Adam to Abraham Dauid c. The scriptures are ful and the prophets make ofteÌ„ mention of this promise Olde men and yong men and al the people waited for the fulfilling thereof said Send him whom thou wilt send And againe Yee heauens send the dewe from aboue and let the clouds drop down righteousnes let the earth open and let saluation and iustice grow forth And againe God wil come saue you Thus was euerie eie bent vpon him and euery heart waited for his comming But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his son made of a woman that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes Hee was in the world and the world knew him not Hee came vnto his owne and his own receiued him not Light came into the worlde and men loued darknesse better than light They to whom the promise was made and which wished for him and made al their common talke of the hope of his comming when he came knewe him not they reuiled him and saide Beholde a glutton and drinker of wine a friend vnto publicans and sinners They called him Beelzebub and a false prophet and a seducer of the people Him they did take by the hands of the wicked they betraied him they denied the holie one and iust they hanged on a trée and killed the lord of life Such was the receiuing of Christ. This did they to him through ignorance It was not giuen them to knowe the secretes of the kingdome of heauen They haue not â—…nowen the father nor whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Therefore saith he I confesse vnto thee father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast reuealed them to babes euen so father bicause it so pleased thee Now as the comming of Christ was such is the comming of Antichrist God hath foretold of his comming Daniel hath foretold Christ and his Apostles Paule and Iohn haue foretolde it the Scriptures and oâ—…de Fathers make often mention hereof There is none neither olde nor young neither learned nor vnlearned but he hath hearde of Antichrist They hate his name and detest him before they know him But here you may marke the wonderful sleight and sutteltie of Satan The worlde shal looke after the comming of Antichrist He shal not faile but come Al men shal carie hatred against him and recken him abhominable and yet their eyes shal be blinded and their hearts deceiued so that they shal not knowe him They shal hate his name and embrace his doctrine he shal couer himselfe with a cloke of holinesse They shal thinke they doe good seruice vnto Christ but shal therein doe seruice vnto Antichrist The diuerse fantasies of men haue deuised manie sundrie fonde tales of the person of Antichrist Some say he should be a Iewe of the tribe of Dan. Some that he should bée borne in Babylon some that he should be bred vp in Bethsaida and Corazin some that he should rise vp in Syria some that Mahomet is Antichrist some that he should ouerthrowe Rome some that he should builde vp the Citie of Hierusalem some that Nero was Antichrist some that he should be borne of a Fryer and a Nonne some that he should continue but three yeares and a halfe some that he shoulde turne trées vpside downe with the toppes in the grounde and should force the rootes to growe vpwarde and then should flée vp into heauen and fal downe and breake his necke These tales haue béene craftily deuised to beguile our eyes that whilest we thinke vpon these gesses and so occupie our selues in beholding a shadowe or probable coniecture of Antichrist he which is Antichrist indéede may vnawares deceiue vs. Except that man of sinne bee disclosed The Apostle séemeth to teach vs of Antichrist as if he should be one man because he calleth him The man of sinne But wee may not so take him The maner of the scripture is oftentimes and in diuerse places it speaketh that of manie which séemeth to be-spoken but of one So doeth Daniel set foorth
as we haue receiued mercie we faint not but cast from vs the cloakes of shame and walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the trueth we approue our selued to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God In these spéeches he asketh credit because of his vpright handling of the word and chargeth the false prophets for marring the worde of God with vncleane and deceitful corruptions and gloseâ—… In forraine countreis women that haue no natural beautie of their own vse to paint and colour their faces that wheras they lack beautie in déede yet they may séeme beautiful Euen so is it oftentimes in matters of religion Such as holde not the true religion as it is taught by the word of God and hath beene practised in those Churches which the Apostles planted and among those Christians which liued nighest vnto that time when the Apostles preached because they knowe their religion which they professe nowe wil not agrée with that they deale deceitfully and with guile These be false Apostles and deceitful workmen They beguile our senses and blind our eyes They cal vs to worship an Idol in stéede of the true and liuing God They lead vs out of the light into darkenesse from the truth into errour from knowledge vnto ignorance They forbid laweful matrimonie and cal it filthinesse and allow open stewes and harlots as a thing which nothing empaireth their holinesse I wil not speake al that I might nor in such sort as the matter occasioneth Yet can I not but say somewhat of their spirituall craftinesse in abusing and beguiling the people of God The Aegyptians furnished richly decked their churches beautifully and al in the honor of a â—…t Many things among these men carrie great shew of holinesse which are nothing else but cloakes of their shame and manifest proofe that they are not allowed of God but are crept in by deceit and by guile Single life carrieth a faire shewe But O merciful God what shame and vilanies haue béene couered with this cloake Pius secundus sawe somewhat when he sayde as mariage was taken away from priests vpon great considerations so now vpon other greater considerations it were to be restored to them againe Hierome saw somewhat when he wrate thus Vide as nonnullos accinctos renibus pulla tunica barba prolixa à mulieribus non posse discedere sub codem manere tecto simul inire conuiuia ancillas â—…uuenes habere in ministerio praeter vocabulum nuptiarum omnia esse matrimonij You may see some that pretend grauitie are girded go in blacke and haue long beardes who can in no wise leaue the companie of women but keepe house with them and banquet with them They take young maydens into their seruice and do al thinges as if they were married saue that they lacke the name of mariage Castitatem docent castitatem non seruant sayth Origen They teach chastitie and yet keepe not chastitie And Epiphan They refuse mariage but not lust or pleasure Images are faire and beautiful The churches are decked and beset with them but they are a cloake of shame They are set in place of teachers The Priestes are ignorant and liue in idlenesse and sende the people to learne at pictures They cal them lay mens bookes yet What profiteth the Image sayth Abâ—… for the maker there of hath made it an image and a teacher of lies And Ieremie saith The stocke is a doctrine of vanitie What is their meaning to speake and pray in the Church in a straunge tongue This is a cloake of their shame Their priestes be so vnlearned they can scarce vnderstand english yet they saue their credite séeing they are able to reade latine And hereby they couer al their blasphemies and superstitions because the people can not vnderstande and therefore not reproue them I speake nothing of their reliques pilgrimages purgatorie and such other cloakes of shame which they vse to hide their couetousnesse and thereby drawe vnto themselues the riches of the whole worlde They cannot say with the Apostle our exhortation was not by deceit nor vncleannesse nor by guile I know there are some that lay it vnto our charge as the false Apostles did vnto Paule that we vse the word of God deceitfully they finde fault with our translations of the Scriptures They spare not to say there be a thousand faults in the new Testament Yet would they neuer set downe 500 or 100 or 50 or 25 or 5. If there be errors in the translation I know they were men which translated it and might erre like men May no translation be allowed that is not altogether perfect As if the gréeke translation were without fault or as if manie faultes were not in the common vulgar translation in latine or in the translation of Hierom. What then Must the gréeke translation be forbidden Must Hieromes translation or the vulgar translation be forbidden As for the old latine common translation though many learned men haue shewed the grosse errors thereof Yet haue they wel prouided for it in the counsel at Trident Ne quis veterem vulgatam editionem reijcere quouis praetextu audeat vel praesumat Let no man dare or presume say they by any maner of colour to refuse the old common translation of the Bible Yet is no translation of ours so corrupt as that which they haue thus priuiledged But if it were true which they falsely report reason would they did correct the errors and so set it abroad But thus they beare in hande that they may bring you in hatred of it and pul you from the reading of the scriptures I wil not say in what sort they abuse the word of God What speake I of abusing Nay they doe manifestly against and contrarie to the worde The worde of God teacheth vs forgiuenesse of our sinnes by the bloud of Jesus Christ once offred They teach contrarie that the same bloud is daylie offred and Christ as often newe borne as pleaseth the priest to say masse The word of God forbiddeth to make any grauen Jmage to bowe downe to it or worshippe it They teach contrarie that Images are to be worshipped and euen with such honour as is due to the paternes themselues The worde of God teacheth vs to pray in a knowen tongue they teach the contrarie and account it for heresie to pray in a knowen tongue The word of God chargeth al states of men to bee subiect to their Prince or higher power They withdrawe their obedience vnto ciuile Magistrates and teach the people to resist authoritie Erasmus sayth in his notes vppon these wordes of Christ Let these goe their way Nou quendam magni nominis theologum c. I knowe a Diuine of great fame and account for his learning which did wrest these wordes of Christ to defende the immunitie or lawelesse estate of cleargie men but this did he ridiculè
fondly or peeuishly saith Erasmus It would be ouer long to declare vnto you the foolish or rather blasphemous applying of the Scriptures to approoue their gestures at masse the soueraintie and chieftie that they chalenge One of their Bishops in y e late counsel as Trent saide of Paulus 3. then Pope Papa lux venit in mundum the Pope which is the light is come into the world Which are the words of the Euangelist declaring the Godhead of Christ. By these few it may appeare how vniustly they charge vs with corrupting the word of God And howe truely this fault is to be laid 〈◊〉 to them which either abridge the sense of the Scripture or reach it further than it yéeldeth or vtterlie refuse to stande to the authoritie thereof and in no case can like that the people of God shoulde reade the Scriptures and haue adiudged them heretiques and consumed their bodies in the fire which haue defended in spéech and sought to maintaine the doctrine of truth set down in y e holy scriptures The Apostle saith He was allowed of God They that enter into the ministerie must be allowed not of men onelie but of God Therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe sée whether his calling be of God If be haue not a testimony that God hath called him inwardly al other outward calling is to smal purpose God is a righteous iudge He will saie to the conscience and to the heart of such a one friend how camest thou in hither without thy wedding garment Who brought thée in Giue an account of thy stewardship thine account is great And because some are this date to be admitted into this office let vs praie vnto God for them that god wil alow them that he wil giue them hearts to conceiue and tongues to speak the trueth of God that they maie be the seruants of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God that they maie be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that they maie laie out the Lords money to his aduantage and so it maie be said vnto them Thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy maisters ioie V. 5 Neither yet did we vse flattring words as you know nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither sought we praise of men neither of you nor of others The seruant and messenger of God must so speake as God speaketh God speaketh déeply and to the heart He launceth the spirit and woundeth the inward parts He biddeth Esaie them the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes God himselfe saith I visite the sinne of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Againe he saith If yee shall despise my ordinances either if your soule abhorre my lawes so that yee will not doe al my commandements I wil set my face against you and you shal fall before your enimies and they that hate you shal raigne ouer you But vnto those that repent them of their sins and turne 〈◊〉 to him God saith Turne vnto me ye shal be â—…aued Againe Thou disobedient Israel returne saith the Lord and I wil not let my wrath fall vpon you So must the minister of God he must â—…hew foorth the mercie of God not hide his iudgements He hath the Lords busines in band he maie not do it negligently A flatterer maketh it his greatest care to please men hée séeketh their fauor he feareth to displease and dareth not speake that that will be euill taken When he séeth a theefe he runneth with him is partaker with the adulterers he soweth pillowes vnder the armes of sinners Whosoeuer saith nay his nay is readie if any saie yea he is ready to say yea he chaÌ„geth often as y e weatherecock he dareth not striue against y e stream his hart is at the wil of others he séeketh some gaine he séeketh his owne glorie and not the glorie of God They which are such are called in the Scriptures hirelings dumbe dogs that cannot barhe They denie God betraie his truth and deceiue the people They locke â—…ppe the truth in lies Of such the spirit of god saith Woe vnto them that haue a double heart and to the wicked lippes And A double minded man is inconstant in al his waies And He that is not with me is against me And He that gathereth not with me scattereth And How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lorde be God follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him And againe What communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial Cursed is he which â—…attereth the people and is vnfaithfull in the Lordes worke Nothing is so requisite in the steward of God as that he be found faithful and that he speake those things whereunto the Lord hath sent him boldly That they kéepe not backe the message giuen them of God nor feare to doe their errand for anie malice of men Who is it saith Saint Peter that wil harme you if you follow that which is good notwithstanding Blessed are yee if yee suffer for righteousnesse sake yea feare not their feare neither be troubled If the Apostle speake this comfort to all Christians which haue a care to serue God and thereby erhorteth them to stedfastnes and to sanctifie the Lord in their bearts and to â—…e readie to giue an account of their faith and of the hope that is in them howe much more ought â—…reachers and they which are appointed to the ministerie lay aside al feare and flatterie of men Woe vnto them that goe downe into Aegypt for help The Aergyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirite and when the Lorde shall stretch out his hand the helper shal fal and hee that is holpen shal fail and they shal altogether faile Christ â—…leth his diâ—…iples they are salt and they are light Salt must néedes be sharpe to a rotten wound Light must néeds be painful to a 〈◊〉 A good Phâ—…ution must néeds trouble and disguiet his sicke patient before hée can heale his disease and a good surgion must néeds trouble and rip vp â—…tered woundes We are Sur â—…eous we are â—…tions The worde of God is committed vnto vs that by vs it miâ—… be applied to season the earth and that the light ther of shonlâ—… shine foorth in al the worâ—… Crâ—…put aloud lift vp â—…hy voice as a trumpet If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who waâ—… prepare himselfe to the battel When God had called â—…eremie to the office of a Prophet said Thou shalt go to al that I shall send thee and whatsoeuer I commaund thee shalt thou speake he said further Feare not their faces least I destroy thee before them For beholde this daie I haue made
An Exposition vpon the two Epistles of the Apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians By the reuerend Father IOHN IEVVEL late Bishop of SARISBVRIE Whereunto is adioined a very necessarie table of the principal matters contained in this Exposition AT LONDON Printed by Ralfe Newberie Anno salutis 1584. Cum privilegio regia maiestati◅ TO THE RIGHT honorable Sir Francis VValsingham Knight principal Secretarie to the Queenes Maiestie and one of her H◅nesse most honorable i◅ie Counsel IT is now some long tyme sithēce that learned reuerende father bishoppe Iewel deliuered vnto the people of his charge the Exposition vpon the epistles of S. Paul to the Thessalonians when manie his hearers thought it worthie to be made common and besought him earnestly euen as since his blessed departure out of this life they haue often required me to publish the same It is very likely that he would if he had liued haue perused these his trauailes and some others haue drawne them to the vse benefite of the Church and rather haue spent his time in setting forth matters profitable for al mē to vnderstand towards the attainement of saluation than in folowing their humour anie longer whom neither the weaknesse of their owne cause nor the force of the truth nor the defence thereof by so waighty autorities of the holy Scriptures of the ancient catholike fathers and of general councels could content or perswade them to forsake the waie of contention whereunto they were entred and of troubling the Church of God with their writings against the truth This his purpose hee partlie declared in giuing his last answeare to a booke written by Maister Harding entituled A detection of sundrie foule errours c. For answere whereof he thought not good to charge with number of bookes or to encomber the world with needelesse labours but onelie by a shorte augmentation of his former defence of the Apologie of the Church of England to discharge Master Hardings quarels For reason whereof he saith I cannot imagine that anie my poore labours shall be able to end these quarels For a contentious man will neuer lacke wordes I haue endeuoured for my simple parte to say so much as to a reasonable man maie seeme sufficient If any thing be left vnanswered either it was nothing or nothing worth Wherein hee was of like minde vnto that famous learned man Maister Bucer who speaking of the new and fresh supplie that is made among the aduersaries of our Christian religion said thus Veteribus respondimus novos quotidie legimus nihil adferunt novi quid ergo faciemus Aunswere hath beene made by vs to their olde Writers wee reade their newe Writers which come foorth dailie which yet bring no newe matter or proofes with them What then shall wee doe What else but as he giueth counsaile laie downe al affection and fauour of parties and peruse that hath beene saide in matter of controuersie on both sides and iudge iustly of that is alleadged and with feare and reuerence be careful of our own saluation For after the trueth is once found out whosoeuer seeketh farther seeketh not for the truth but for errour The Apostle willeth Titus to staie foolish questions and genealogies contentions and brawlings about the law for they are vnprofitable and vaine And also to reiect him that is an heretique after once or twice admonition In like cafe he said vnto Timothie If anie man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlines hee is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doateth about questiōs strife of words whereof commeth enuie strife railings euil surmisings froward disputations of mē of corrupt minds destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlinesse from such separate thy selfe Now bicause he himself had some good liking to publish this exposition and the matter thereof is so fit for our time as nothing maie be more and there is not as I can learne anie interpretor vpon these epistles in the english tongue and his Sermons vpon them were the last fruits and trauailes hee bestowed in the cathedrall Church of Sarum I made choice of it amōg manie other excellent monumēts of his paines taken in the Church of God gaue my best diligence to peruse his notes thereupon and to draw them to some such perfection as might carrie to the Reader the whole waight of his matter without anie diminution euen as fully as he declared it so far foorth as the notes which remaine vnder his owne hand might direct me The which I most humblie commend to the fauourable protection of your Honor whom I beseech so to accept my simple indeuor herein as I haue beene careful to answere your Honors commandement in giuing foorth some part of his laboures to light In this discourse as there are manie good things fruitfully declared the vse and practise whereof is common to your Honour with al Christians so are there two matters the one of Vsurie the other of Antichrist that is of the bane and poison of the common wealth and of the infectiō and decaie of the Church wherein he bestowed more paines to open them and make them manifest that all men might know and abhorre them and beware of them What hath beene wrought by these two mischiefes to the vndoing in conscience substance and to the vtter destruction of the soules and bodies of manie thousand subiects of this realme within these late yeares it is to the griefe of all good men too wel knowne If therefore in the duetie of a good Bishop he standing in his watch hath discried these enimies to al ciuil and christian estates and if now so many yeares after his entrāce into rest by these means he cal vpon your good Honor to step forth in fresh courage into the battaile of the Lorde of hostes and to vse and employ the great giftes of wisedome and aucthoritie which God hath bestowed vppon you and to excite and stir vp others the worthie and notable captaines set ouer the people to be a fenced wal betwene them and these so perillous monsters and dangerous enimies what remaineth but that your Honour put to your hande and doe that for the comfort of Gods people which besides hir excellent Maiestie and hir honorable Counsaile no other can do in giuing life to al such lawes which haue beene deuised by men of great godlinesse and experience and haue beene confirmed by high authoritie to the suppression of Vsurie and to the setting foorth of Gods glorie The God of glory and of power who hath called your Honour to his seruice in high place strengthen you to doe his wil and grant you many and prosperous daies to the comfort of his Church and his common weale Your Honours most humble to commaunde IOHN GARBRAND A TABLE CONTAINING THE principal matters in this exposition A ANtichrist contrarie to Christ. 283 Antichrist his comming foretolde 281 Antichrist
and a new spirite wil I put within you I will put my spirite within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes and you shall keepe my iudgements and doe them And by the Prophet leremie I wil put my lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Therefore Dauid maketh his praier Teach me O Lord giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law The words of the Preacher enter in at the â—…are The spirite of God conueyeth them into the heart Augustine saith Auditur euangelium Auditur credunt quidam non credunt qui credunt intus a patre audiunt discunt qui non credunt foris audiunt intus non audiunt neque discunt Hoc est illâ—… datâ—…r vt credant illis non datur The Gospesis declared Some there are which beleeue some there are which beleeue not They which beleeue heare it inwardly by the father and so learne it They which beleeue not heare it onlie with their outward sense and not with inward feeling and therefore learne it not As much to saie to them it is giuen to beleeue to the other it is not giuen In the Actes of the Apostles Lydia a woman of the Citie of the Thiatirians heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul But it is saide Whose heart the Lord oponed that shee attended vnto the things that Paul spake The people which said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do did heare al the wordes of Peter but they had another teacher that gaue force vnto the worde and made it fruitefull in them and therefore it is said They were pricked in their hearts This also appeared in the Disciples which walked towards Emaus they heard Christ open the Scriptures vnto them they reasoned with him yet vntill their eles were opened they knew him not His worde crept into their eares but it was the spirite of God which wrought within them which inflamed their hearts and made them to knowe him Thus God blesseth his word and maketh it yéeld fruit in such measure as his wisedome hath appointed His blessing appeareth greater when many are conuerted yet is his word al one and the power thereof no whit shorter when it is vtterly refused or receiued but of few Surely saith God as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth maketh it-fruitfull that it maie giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth It shal not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I wil and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It is the word of the liuing God which is blessed for euer And blessed is that hart which can receiue it which GOD instructeth and to which he giueth knowledge of his worde which doth so learne it that he is assured of the truth thereof and nothing doubteth but it is indéede the worde of life which saieth thereof this is the waie in which if I walke I shall certainely go forward to the Citie of my GOD this is the truth if I hearken vnto it I shall neuer be dereiued Whosoeuer findeth himselfe indued with this grace he doth as plainely and evidently iudge of the wordes of God and trie out the trueth thereof from the deuises and doctrines of men as a man of cléere eie sight is ahle to iudge of colours and to knowe one colâ—…ur from an other Yea in this is the knowledge of that more certain because colour doth fade and alter and manie times one colour thereby waxeth like an other but the truth of GOD doth neuer alter it continueth one throughal ages it is the word of euerlasting life Heauen and earth shall perish but one title thereof shall not be lost The truth of God shall be established for euer The humble shall heare it and be glad As ye knowe after what maner wee were among you for your sakes You knowe howe I behaued my selfe after what maner I haue liued among you You knowe my first comming and entrie vnto you You knowe what doctrine I haue taught and what hath béene my conuersation of life I neuer deceiued any nor offered wrong vnto the simplest I sought not you nor yours but those things which are Iesus I haue liued by the labor of my hands in watchings in hunger in colde and nakednesse God hath ordained that they which teach the gospel should liue by the gospel Who séedeth a â—…lacke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke But I haue not vsed this libertie For I haue a great care least by anie meanes I should offend you Yet would I neuer flatter anie in that thing they had done amisse I neuer spared to rebuke ill If I should feare or séeke to please men I were not the seruant of Christ. I séeke not mine owne glorie but the glorie of him that sent me who also hath made me a minister of his gospel I haue forsaken al things my goods and life my flesh and my bodie and am daily in perils compassed daily by persecution séedeath death daily before mine eies for the loue I be are to you and for the care I haue of the Church You are the Lords shéepe I am your shaepeheard you are the house of God I am your builder you are Gods orchard I am your ouerséer and workeman I shall giue an attâ—…mpt for your soules You know how â—…ly I haue loued you in thâ—… Lord. Your griese hath béene my griese your ioie hath béene my ioie I haue praied for you daie and night and haue giuen thanks to God for you and reioâ—…ced in your behalfe What is more deare to a man than life yet haue I desired to yeeld vp my life that you might liue I haue béene readie to suffer death if thereby I might doe you good These things you cannot but remember your conscience beareth mée witnesse that I haue thus liued among you for your sake V. 6. And ye become followers of vs and of the Lord and receiued the word in much affliction with ioie of the holie ghost He commendeth the godlie for the practise of that which they haue learned and séene in him in that they haue receiued the gospel and framed their liues accordingly and haue continued stedfast in the same in the middes of persecution Herein he doth not onlie laie out himselfe and the other Apostles for an example but telleth them that this waie is also â—…roden out by our Lorde himselfe Who as he is the waie and the light that lightneth euerie man which commeth into the worloe so did he heare his crosse and did laie downe his life for his shéepe Therefore he saide to his Disciples The disciple is not aboue his Maister nor the seruant aboue his Lorde It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Maister is and the seruant as his
you enlarged your selues toward me and tooke me in When I was in prison you came to me and feared no man you were not ashamed of my bonds you were readie to loose your owne liues to saue me This is spoken of to your great praise And howe you turned to God from idols to serue the liuing and true God Here are set downe in fewe words the summe and parts of Christian religion The first is to forsake at â—…ols to turne from them then to turne vnto God and to put alout trust in 〈◊〉 to serue the liuing and true God The â—…nice of God and idols can not stand togither No man can turne vnto God that turneth not from idols This is a wonderfull effect of the gospell to forsake idols and serue God to leaue customes and the vsage of forefathers and giue eare to the trueth To loue from the heart that which thou diddest sometimes hate and to detest from the heart that which thou didbest sometimes loue is strange and wonderfull But to doe this for Christ which was borne of poore Marie whom the wise and learned and mightie men of this worlde despised which was crucified and hanged betwene two théeues whome they scorned vpon the Crosse to follow or beléeue or put trust in him to cal him the power and the wisedome of God to confesse him to be in whome al Israel shall be blessed and in whom all the worlde shal be saued to giue bodie or life for his sake is a straÌ„ge miracle No King no Prince no lawe no wisedome of man can worke this and bring it to passe This is the Lordes doing and it is maruelous in our eies And this doeth he in those onelie which receiue the word of the gospel with ioy of the holie ghost And to looke for his sonne from heauen whome he raised c. The holie Scriptures do not onlie teach vs to turne vnto God but also what it is that god giueth vnto al them which séeke him euen that they be deliuered from the wrath to come and for whose sake he deliuereth vs for Jesus his sonne whome he raised from the dead Therefore he telleth them howsoeuer they be reiected or despised as foolish among men if they continue in the things which they haue learned they shall be wise vnto saluation That therefore they lift vp their heads and looke for their redéemer That they saie thy kingdome come and Come Lord Jesus because he is appointed by God to be the Judge of the quicke and the dead and hée shal come in the glorie of his father and deliuereth from the wrath to come al those that trust in him For among men there is none other name giuen vnder heauen whereby wée must be saued This is the depth of al knowledge and the comfort which passeth al vnderstanding that against al temptations and afflictions which oppresse our conscience or bere and trouble our bodies we maie growe strong by faith in the sonne of God Christ Jesus and assertaine our selues of his comming from heauen for our delinerance CHAP. 2. FOr you your selues know brethren that our entrance vnto you was not in vaine HE taketh witnesse of them of his diligence and paines taken in the fulfilling of his ministery séeing it hath so good successe among them that they by the preaching of the gospell haue forsaken superstition and are turned vnto and do now serue the true and liuing God and do bâ—…leeue for giuenes of their sinnes and deliuerance from the wrath to come by Jesus Christ. It is a great and deadly smart to the faithfull seruant of God to sée the people wilfull and to despise the word of their saluation Hereof Esaie complaineth I haue spred out my handes al the daie long to a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good euen after their owne imaginations They stopped their eares and woulde not heare nor be reclaimed nor returne that they might be saued And Ieremie O that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe daie and night for the staine of the daughter of my people for they be adulterers and an assemblie of rebels Sword and destruction commeth vppon them and they will not sée Oh that they woulde giue eare and repent in time Againe My people is foolish they haue not knowen mee they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Dauid crieth out O yee sonnes of men howe long wil yee loue vanitie and seeke after lies Why forsake you the truth of GOD and haue no regarde to his mercie So our Sauior mourneth ouer Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne her broode vnder her wings and yee woulde not how carefully and tenderly haue I sought for thy saluation how often haue I called vpon thée sent vnto thée my seruantes and powred out my blessings before thine eies So bitter and mourneful a thing is it to al those that séeke the glorie of God to see no fruite followe of their labours to sée the people continue ignorant and wilfull and to séeke their owne destruction Therefore they turne themselues vnto GOD which is the father of lights and God of all comforte in whose hand are the hearts of the people that his worde maie haue frée passage and be glorified that God will open vnto them the doore of vtterance to speak the mysterie of Christ and publish the secret of the gospell boldlie that he will giue power to his worde declared by them and assist them with his holie spirite that hée will open the eies of the people that they maie sée and turne their heartes that they maie be conuerted So did Dauid make his praier Open thou my lippes O Lord and my mouth shal shewe foorth thy praise Albeit my month is simple and rude and barbarous yet if thou wilt it maie bée an instrument to declare thy glorie Then shall I teach thy waies vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Be fauourable vnto Sion builde the wales of Ierusalem Thus doe they lift vp their handes and call vnto GOD that he would send downe his light into the hearts of the people that what they heare they heare not in vaine but maie receiue it and vnderstande it and kéepe it For vnlesse GOD direct the heart and make it fit to receiue instruction the preacher though he be neuer so desirous to doe good doth labor in vaine God one lic disposeth the waies of men it is hée which trieth the corne from the chasse hée knoweth whome he will bring to he of his folde make to heare his voice Manie times he blesseth his word with great encrease among them which at the first despise it and intreate cruelly the preachers and messengers thereof
a pullie and binde great weights of leade at their héeles to rent them and teare their bodies asunder Some they haue tied vnto great péeces of timber and haue put fire at the soales of their féete They haue opened their mouthes and made them drawe in Lawne into their bodie A thing most cruel and yet which they haue practised the maner whereof hath béene thus reported They laie it so farre in the mouth that a mans breath easily draweth it into his bodie and so it is conueighed into the stomacke When it is wel setled then commeth the tormentour and taketh the Lawne by the other ende and rasheth it sodainelie with such a force as it séemeth he doth plucke out the verie heart and entrailes such a rare strange kinde of crueltie as is not practised vpon most notorious rebels and traitors As for death 40 or 50 at one time haue béene heaped together and burnt in one fire They haue set vpon the seruauntes of God and compassed the Church where they haue assembled togither to pray vnto God and murthered them in their innocencie whiles they lifted vp pure handes vnto God The French king by the counfaile of such as hate the Gospel of Christ sent his cruel souldiers and murthered his subiects at Valois He ouerthrew their houses burnt their Towne destroyed man woman and childe spoyled their corne and turned their trées vpside downe He wasted defaced vnpeopled it not for that they were théeues or rehels but because they beléeued in the name of Christ. Consider how many are murthered in Flaunders and in the kingdome of Fraunce They are not so farre from vs as Iudea from Thessalonica They ioyne next vnto vs. God is blessed in his saints and holy in al his workes no crueltie is able to quench his truth There is no counsel which shal preuaile against the Lord. He giueth increase and placeth children in fréede of their fathers The more are slaine by the enemies the more spring up by the working of his spirite The more are hewne downe the more multiplie We may not be strangers in this case It beboueth vs to consider the afflictions of our brethren They belong vnto vs We must pray to God for them that he wil put an ende to their misenies otherwise wee haue not the spirite of God we beare no loue nor care for his bause Of your countrey men This was the greatest and beauiest part of their troubles For what a heartes griefe is it to the father if his sonne rise vp against him or to the sonne to sée his father readie to betray him and to seeke his bloud Where this is done he will say O father I am thy sonne alas what haue I done to haue thy displeasure death is bitter but thy displeasure is more bitter than death It were a cruel thing that any man should kil an other what is it then if thou shouldest kil thine own child yet if thou be so bent take my life and spare my conscience spare my soule that I may deliuer it vp into his handes that hath giuen it me I would be obedient vnto thée thou art my father but I may not disobey God He is the father of fathers He hath saide He that loueth father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me It is a miserable case when persecution groweth so hot y â— the child is driuen to forsake his father or the father his child yet so doth the world blind many Satan so possesseth their harts y â— he turneth their loue into hatred and shutteth their senses and thoaketh and dammeth vp the springes of nature They become so blind and so unsensible that they neither féele their owne fleshe nor know their owne bloud They thinke in so doing they doe God good seruice They are enemies to the truth They are y e enemies of the crosse of Christ their end is destruction And forbid vs to preach vnto the gentiles that they might bee saued This is the ende whereunto the Gospel is giuen that the people should be saued S. Paule sayth God wil that al men shal bee saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore our Saniour appointed his Apostles to this office of preaching his word saying Go and preach the gospel vnto al nations Goe vnto the lost sheepe of Israel He sayth It is not the wil of my father that one of these little ones should perish Whosoeuer beleeueth and shal bee baptised shal be saued S. Iames exhorteth the faithful Receiue with meekenesse the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules By it we heare the swéete voyce of our Sauiour Come vnto mee all ye that trauaile and be heauily loaden and I wil refrosh you By it we heare the merciful calling of God Turne vnto mee and ye shal be saued By it we are warned to depart from the companie of such as are enemies to the truth and to haue no fellowshippe with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse Saue your selues sayth S. Peter from this frowarde generation By it we are taught to beléeue that Jesus Christ is the sonne of GOD that â—…is name is Jesus because he shal saue his people from their sinnes and that there is not salnation in any other besides him For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God This is therefore the dutie of the preacher to preach vnto the people that so they may be saued that they may knowe the wayes of GOD that they may repent them of their sinnes and be renewed vnto godlinesse Who would thinke there were any that would hinder the course of the Gospelâ—… or forbid to preach it unto the people The Apoâ—…e here layeth that fault to the Jewes That they forbid him to preach to the Gentiles The same fault Christ founde in the Scribes and Pharises Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye entred not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Sâ—… there haue béene alwaies and such there are now O say they why should y â— people know these thinges what should they meddle with the scriptures let them do their businesse and apply their occupations It is not reason not fit that euery one should be learned When they thinke they know somewhat they become proud and denise heresies and maintaine them as if God had not left them to enstruct the people or as if the holy scriptures and not the malice at Sâ—…tan were the cause of heresies But God hath said Gather the people together men 〈◊〉 women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law The Prophet Dauid thought it méete y e people shold know the scriptures therefore said Blessed is that man whose delight is in the law of
the Lord and in that lawe doeth exercise himselfe day and night And againe Wherewith shal a yong man redresse his waies In keeping thy words When Christ himselfe came first into the world to plant his Church he vourhsafed the poore and simple the knowledge of his trueth and the wed it first vnto them The first that had tidings of his birth were not Scribes and Pharises out a company of poore shéepheards The first that receiued his gospel taught it in the world were not doctors or learned men barâ—…rs tol-gatherers of base condition The first that met him with triumph at Ierusalem and sang Ozanna were not Bishoppes and priests but babes and infants They that followed him most and beléeued were not the greatest men of power and policy but such as the Pharises termed a cursed people which knew not the law The first that told the Apoâ—…les the resurrection of Christ were not the sagest and wisest men but two or thrée séelie women The first that were â—…nuerted to the faith after his resurrection were not any of the great learned or other wise estéemed known among the people but about 3000. poore séely simple men so base so out of knowledge that not one of their names could euer be knowne Why should any man resist the wisedom of God and denie the people the breade whereon they should féed the light by which they maie safelie walke the hearing and reading of the word by which they may be turned to GOD from idols to serue the liuing and true God they haue cruel hearts and are enimies to the glorie of God and to the saluation of his people which in such sorte denie them the knowledge of the Scriptures To fulfil their sinnes alwaies They haue resused the word of reconciliation they are not contented that they haue stoned the prophets killed them that were sent to the but they yet resist the holie Gospel deuise meanes to kéepe al others from the comforte thereof This is a token of Gods heauie displeasure vpon them that they repent not of their former â—…uils but grow worse and worse When the Scribes Pharises séemed to â—…ike the crueltie of their fathers said if they had béen in their daies they would not haue béen partners with them in the vloud of the prophets our sauiour maketh their hipocrisie knowne that herein they should be like to their fathers for they shoulde kil and crucifie the prophets and wise meÌ„ and scourge them in their sinagogues persecute them from citie to city said to them Fulfil ye also the measure of your fathers The cause of this indgement of God in giuing ouer the wicâ—…ed to increase the heape of their sins the Apostle setteth down to y e Romanes As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered theÌ„ vp vnto a reprobat mind to do those things which are not conuenieÌ„t For so he somtimes punisheth our sins suffereth the wicked to heape sin vpon sin y e so their daÌ„nation may be y e greater For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Though GOD he patient and long suffring because he would haue all men come to repentance yet in whom his mercie taketh no place to worke their amendment vpon them he poureth out his wrath and indignation to the utmost He meaneth not that al the whole nation of the Jewes were so caâ—… out of the fauour of GOD that neuer anie of them shall be saued for in an other place he faith Hath God cast away his people God forbid For I my selfe am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham of the tribe of Beniamin God hath not cast away his people which he knew before But miserable shall be their end and a terrible damnation shall they haue whosoeuer withstand the truth of God and to the rest of their wickednesse ioine such a hatred and dispitefull contempt of the poore and simple sort of the people that they kéepe them from the wholesome wordes of doctrine and forbid such as are willing to preach vnto them This is their condemnation that light came into the world and they loued darkenesse better than light They persecute vs saith Saint Paule and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies for the wrath or God is come on them to the vtmost V. 17 Forasmuch brethren as wee were kept from you for a season concerning sight but not in heart we enforced the more to see your face with great desire 18 Therefore wee would haue come vnto you I Paul at least once or twice but Sathan hindred vs. He tolde them before how dearely and tenderly he loued them exhorting comforting and be séeching euerie of them as a father his children He taketh care least by anie meanes they should doubt of his great good wil to ward them And therefore doeth both witnesse the same and shew them through what cause hée hath staied from them Such a zeale and care had he ouer the people O in what case then are they that are carlesse and make no regard of the people of God which hunt after manie liuings and bend not themselues to do good which serue their owne bellie and séeke to be rich and eate vp the people of God as if they were breade They cannot say they haue a desire to sée the face of their flocke and that their heart is with them Howsoeuer they finde time for other matters they can neuer take time to know their shéepe and to doe the worke of their ministerie among them They care not for them they thinke not of them They plant not they water not they watch not they giue no warning of the daungers at hand they teach them not to denie ungodlinesse and worldlie lusts and to liue soberly and righteously and godlie in this present world It were happy if al such were remoued out of the Church of GOD. They destroie the soules of manie and leade them to destruction by their negligence What accompt shall they giue vnto GOD for the soules of their â—…rethren where shall they stand or what will they saie when he shall bidde them make a straite accompt of their stewardship this is the practise of Sathan He vseth al meanes to snare vs and withdraw vs from that blessed hope Sometimes he letteth the encrease of the Gospell by raising vp tumultes and disquieting the Church of God and stirring the hearts of such as are in auâ—…tie to perfecute by al meanes the teachers of the Gospell of Christ. Againe when God giueth peace and quietnesse to his Church he leadeth the ouerséers of the people to a forgetfulnesse of their duetie to séeke the pleasures and delights of this life and to haue no regard of the worke of the Lord. Such occasions the Diuel seeketh to hinder our saluation and to withstand the truth and glorie of God V. 19 For what is our hope or ioy
the blessing of God offered vnto thée Where there is no prophecie the people perisheth He that despiseth it shall be despised of the Lord he shal be cast into darkenesse because he would not delight in the light V. 21 Trie al things and keepe that which is good Trie al things God hath giuen you the spirite of discretion and of iudgement Be wise and knowe what is that good and acceptable will of God He not deceiued with wordes of mans wisedome Let not the basenesse or simplicitie of anie cause you to refuse the message which he bringeth and carrie not your selues to liking of al that whatsoeuer shall be told you of such as beare great shew and countenance This was it that deceiued the people of GOD they gaue eare to false teachers which lead them to worshippe the workes of their owne hands Therefore they saide vnto the stone thou art our father thou hast deliuered vs they sell downe before it worshipped it beléeued in it they slewe the Prophets of God and stoned to death such as were sent vnto them The Scribes and Pharises séemed so grane and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed They were altogether appliable to beléeue to do to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith vnto them Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues S. Iohn therefore saith Dearely beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for manie false prophets are gone out into the world And further directeth vs howe we should trie them hereby shal ye know the spirit of God euerie spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Againe hereby may you trie them Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne If there come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hereby S. Paul required the Galathians to trie betwéene him and the false Apostles If anie man preach vnto you otherwise than that yee haue receiued let him bee accursed For now do I preach mans doctrine or Gods the Saduces erred touching the resurrection because they searched not the scriptures God teacheth vs by the prophet Esay to make triall of teachers and doctrines When they shall saie vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuination and at the soothsaiers which whisper and murmur shoulde not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is bicause there is no light in them Paule putteth Timothie in mind wherefore he left him at Ephesus to commaund some that they teach none other doctrine And to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breede questions rather than godlie edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betwéene good and il betwéene light and darknesse God hath made them the promise of his spirit and hath left vnto them his word They of Berea when they heard the preaching of Paule searched the scriptures dailie whether those things were so as he taught them and manie of them beléeued So do you giue héed to instruction and yet receiue not al things without proofe and trial that they are not contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good When you haue tried and found out the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded man is vnstable in al his waies Follow the truth and be not carried about with euerie wind of doctrine The diuel wil come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light Let him not take the loue of the trueth from you let him not remooue you from faith and a good conscience returne not like swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane Except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirite wil returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last state of you shall be worse than the first We haue great cause to harken diligently to the Apostle to keepe that is good We see this daie great confusion in al places Sathan woulde faine entangle vs againe with the errour of the wicked and séeketh to drawe vs from our stedfastnesse Now is the time wherin God maketh some triall of his seruauntes now iniquitie séeketh to haue the vpper hand They seduce the people saie here is Christ there is Christ here is the Church there is the Church God giue vs his holie spirite to guide vs in iudgement that we maie discerne the truth from falshoode and knowe the blessed and gratious will of GOD that wee maie walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our life In this worlde as there is a Iacob so is there an Esau as there are manie that loue Christ with an vnfained hart so are there manie that serue Antichrist and as there be many true professors of the trueth of God so are there manie despisers of the same This wée maie sée here at home within this realme We maie sée it and mourne and lament for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of GOD and man They saie with their lippes GOD saue Quéene Elizabeth yet they holde vppe their sword against her Alas what hath she deserued at their handes she hath alwaies dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud God preserue her that she maie long raigne ouer vs and bring al her enimies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that hereby they séeke to haue religion refourmed Thankes be to GOD religion is refourmed farre better than our fathers knewe it these many hundred yeares If those which liued before vs might haue séene and heard as we sée heare they would haue reioiced and thought themselues happie But they would haue the Masse What find they or sée they in it wherfore they should so desire it Trie things saith Paul Therefore examine and trie the masse What do we learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comforte for saluation It is a dumb and deadly seruice The people are forced to be at it it is the verie kay of their religion the people are bound to be present at masse yet they neither receiue anie thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand anie thing You are wise you haue reason you are the children of GOD be you iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause Will they call this the Lordes supper Is this
y e names of our fathers The Church of Thessalonica whose foundation was surely built by S. Paule himselfe for which he was so careful vnto which he wrate special letters to commende their increase in godlinesse and their stedfastnesse in the Gospel is forsaken and laide wast If the worke which the spirite of God wrought by the Apostle be decayed whose work may we thinke shal stande Ieremie spake vnto the people of the Jewes saying Trust not in lying wordes saying the Temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. That temple GOD himselfe commaunded to be built the forme and fashion thereof God himselfe deuised and appointed therein he placed his Tabernacle and sette vp his mercie seate therein he shewed foorth his maiestie and the glorie of his countenaunce Yet al this notwithstanding God saide by the prophet trust not in these wordes they be lying words and wil deceiue you As the Prophet spake of the temple at Ierusalem so may it be sayde of any other church throughout the worlde So may it be saide of the Churche of Rome Wée may say trust not in lying wordes saying the church of Rome the Church of Rome Say not thus with your selues the Church of Rome is built vpon a rocke so surely that it can not be moued or that no winde can shake it say not the faith of that Church can neuer faile These be lying wordes trust not in them for Christ neuer spake any such thing of y e church of Rome It neuer had promise of more special priuiledge than was giuen to the Church at Thessalonica Reade the Scriptures beholde the words of our Sauiour and consider them yen shal finde no spéech made of the Church of Rome nor any promise nor péece of promise wherein he bindeth himselfe more to y e church of Rome than he hath done to other churches or to this of Thessalonica Thessalonica was beautiful in the sight of God the Lorde of hostes had pitched his tentes rounde about her the name of the most bolie was placed in the middest of her shée enioyed like spirituall peace and prosperitie as did the Ierusalem of the almightie she was as a Citie fenced within it selfe but the Lord hath taken away the light of his countenaunce from her shée hath forsaken the waies of righteousnesse she hath left off to serue the Lorde and is become the place which the Lorde hath forsaken there is scarce anie remnant left there of those which call vppon the name of our saluation and loue the Lorde Iesus with an vnfained heart This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes And is his hande shortned that he cannot or is his zeale abated that he wil not in like seueritie deale with such as forsake him If he spared not the natural braunches if Ierusalem were ouerthrowne because of her iniquities it cannot be that hee wil spare other places that doe the like but that they shal also be cut off This is it that our Sauiour hath saide in the Gospel by S. Mathewe Therefore say I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken from you and shal be giuen to a nation which shal bring foorth the fruites thereof Such terrible dreadful examples hath God layde before our eyes to kéepe vs in his feare and in aâ—…e of his iudgements V. 2. Grace be with you and peace from GOD our Father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. This is the salutation of Paule in al his Epistles to say I wish that the blessing and fanour and loue of God may light vppon you But for the better consideration hereof that we may know how earnestly we ought to pray vnto God for this grace and peace which the Apostle wisheth to the Churches let vs looke into our selues and sée how miserable we are if wee be left voyde of this grace and if God take his holy spirite away from vs. By nature what are we other than the bonde slaues of sinne We are not able to lift vp our eyes into heauen nor to beléeue in GOD nor to praise him nor to cal vppon his name We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues Vnlesse hee open our lippes wee cannot shewe foorth his prayse Vnlesse hée heale our deafenesse we cannot giue care to his worde Vnlesse he giue vs vnderstanding heartes wee cannot take â—…owledge of his wil. Destruction and vnhappinesse sayth the Prophet Dauid are in their wayes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes speaking of such as had not receyued the fauour and grace of God to guide and direct them And by the Prophet Malachie God vttereth his displeasure against them saying I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lorde of hostes neither wil I accept an offring at your handes Therefore the Apostle prayeth that they may receiue such measure of Gods grace as may quench in them the fierie dartes of the wicked and enhable them to holde fast that worthie thing that is committed vnto them and may kéepe them holic and vndefiled against the glorious comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. V. 3. Wee ought to thanke God alwayes for you bretheren as it is meete because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the loue of euerie one of you towardes another aboundeth 4. So that we our selues reioice of you in the church of God because of your patience and fayth in al your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer God hath wrought this good worke of faith and loue and pacience in your hearts he wil make it prosper and encrease It is he which hath put this fire in you and he wil make it burne Hee hath layde his leauine in the dough or meale of your heart and wil make it heauie and worke vntill al be leauined Hée wil make you abounde more and more and wil bring to a good ende the thing he hath begonne Your faith groweth exceedingly This is the wil of God that we ware and encrease in al holinesse Hereby we know whether we be of God or no. We may not stand at a stay but must be renewed One sayth in via virtutis qui noÌ„ proficit deficit Whosoeuer mendeth not him self in the practise of vertue he groweth worse God hath placed vs in a race to run we must so run that we may attaine the price We are graffes of y e Lords planting we must grow to the heigh and breadth of a trée and bring foorth fruit We are pilgrimes and strangers and passe by the wildernesse of this world into our heauenly resting place wee may not stay by the way but must remoue our tentes and continually march on forwarde vntill that day come when wee shall enter into the lande of promise So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Church of God c. Your faith is not onelie true and pure but setled and
called you I coulde speake such thinges wherewith you woulde be better pleased but your case is such it requireth rather frâ—… and planie and â—…arpe reprehension whereby you may be brought to consider and amend your errours than faire and smoothed spéech which might hould you stil in your follie Séeke therefore the kingdome of GOD and the glorie thereof and seeke not your selues Weigh trueth and falsâ—…de in an indifferent ballaunce so shâ—…l the heauier weight of the one soone bewray the lightnesse of the other What thing in the worlde so Massie and so weightie as is the trueth Harden not your heartes as did your Fathers in the Wildernesse It is no sinne to yéelde vnto GOD it is no shame to lay a part al affection and to chaunge your minde to the denial of al vngodlinesse and imbracing of true holinesse The wise man sayth There is a shame that bringeth sinne and a shame that bringeth worshippe and fauour In this sort it is likely the Apostle would haue spoken if néede had so required But nowe seeing them forcibly assaulted and that yet they striued with such good courage against the perswasions of the wicked he commendeth their stedfastnesse and exhorteth them by these wordes not to yéelde vnto their persecutours nor to goe from their faith in Christ Iesus Neither by spirite that is by reuelation of the spirite The spirite of God wrought mightily and bestowed sundrie and great giftes vppon men Christ sayde to his Disciples When they deliuer you vp take yee no thought howe or what ye shal speake for it shal bee giuen you in that same houre what yee shall speake For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you And againe saith he I wil pray the father and he shal giue you an other comforter that hee may bide with you for euer The spirite of trueth whome the worlde can not receiue because the worlde feeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you The holie Ghost shal be with you to assist you to teach you al thinges to direct your counsels to leade you into al trueth and to preserue you from al errour Nowe as the spirite of God was among the faithful and distributed to euerie man seueral giftes as it séemed best to profit withal so did the spirite of Satan waite vpon the wicked and possessed their hearts and bodies and caused them to imagine and to doe those thinges which were vnséemely He vsed them as instrumentes to disquiet the Church of God and to cast into it the séede of error of vntrueth and dissention Of such spirites Saint Iohn giueth warning saying beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone into the worlde At what time Achab would not beléeue the aunswere which the Prophet Micheas made him there came foorth a spirite and stoode before the Lorde and sayde I wil go out and be a false spirite in the mouth of al his prophetes This spirite euer walketh vp and downe séeking whome hee may deuour and blindeth the mindes of many that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ may not shine vnto them Take héere that you be not deceiued by any such which shal séeke to abuse you by pretence of reuelation Though they shal take vpon them to tel you of the day or houre of the comming of our Lord beloeue them not for the false spirite is in the mouth of such prophetes Nor by worde or if anie shal report and goe about to perswade you that I haue so spoken or taught in the congregations or will boldely countenaunce out suche matter and tell you saring I was present I hearde his wordes and remember them this was the doctrine which Paule preached refuse him that is such a one for hee bringeth not the trueth vnto you but deceiueth you with lying and vaine fables Nor by letter as it were from vs. Againe it may bee they which lie in waite to destroye you for their better way wil counterfaite letters and sende them vnto you in my name This is a token in them that they bée past shame bee not you carried away by anie such pretence from that which wee haue preached vnto you Wée haue not taught you that the day of Christ is at hande Oh then be not so soone remooued away vnto an other Gospel by them which trouble you and intende to peruert the Gospel of Christ. Manie such sâ—…eightes and false deuises haue béene vsed by deceiuing spirites to blind the eyes of the simple There haue béene some which haue â—…etie abroade their owne fantasies vnder the names of Adam the first man that GOD created vppon the face of the earth and of Cain and Seth. Others haue called their owne dreames the Gospel of Thomas and of Bartholemewe and of Barnabee and of the Apostles of Christ. Saint August sayth of the Manichees Manichaeilegunt seripturas Apocryphas nescto à quibus sutoribus fabularum sub nomiâ—…e Apostolorum Scripâ—…as The Manichees â—…ead secret hidden Scriptures written I know not by what coblers of fables vnder the name of the Apostles Such writings were neuer written by them whose name they brare but were wickedly and falsely counterfaited vnder their names by sundrie heretiques This is that whereof our sauiour gaue vs warning Take heede that no man deceiue you for many shal come in my name saying I am Christ and shal deceiue many Againe he sayeth If any shal say vnto you lâ—…e here is Christ or there belecue it not for there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes Into what shape can not he transforme himselfe in whose name wil not hée crastilie sette foorth his errours which dareth falfelie sette him selfe in the place of the â—…onne of GOD This hath euermore béene the practise of that olde Serpent to chaunge himselfe into the likenesse of an Angel of light and vnder the credite of holie men to deceiue the worlde with vnholy and vnwholesome thinges Since the time that the Church of God hath departed from hir first faith and would no longer be guided by the voyce of the Gospel what and howe great forgeries haue there béene wrought What Epistles and Canons and decretals haue béene deuised to maintaine seueral partes of false religion and published vnder the name of Clemens Cletus Anacletus and of others whereof these holie fathers neuer thought Thus haue they cioked themselues vnder the couert of the Apostles of the fathers of the primitiue church and haue thought to winne credite in the worlde by false shewe of antiquitie It is certaine that the sonne of man shal come with his holie Angels and shal rewarde euerie man according to that he hath doone in this life Then will he giue sentence against the wicked and wil place the faithful at his right hande In that day the heauens shal passe
heauen the spirite of God ordring al thinges and directing al the heads of the church In the time of Tertullian the Christians stil kept this maner Therefore he sayth Coâ—…mus ad diuiâ—…arum literarum commemor ationem fidem sanet is vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam sigimus We meete together at the reading of the holy scriptures wee nourish our faith with those heauenly wordes by them we raise vp our hope settle our affiance trust Augustine Chrisostome Origen other auntient and godly fathers commended the reading of the scriptures vnto the people called vpon them to read them theselues or to get others to reade vnto them And that they would heare them not onely in the Church but also at home in their houses They taught them the hurt and daunger of ignoraunce that ignoraunce of the scriptures hath béene the cause of her esies and that it hath brought in corruption of life and of maners This was the order and vsage of the Church in the time of the holy Apostles and of our first fathers The people were guided by the worde of God they were made partakers of the holie mysteries and al thinges were done in the Church to edifying And the same order is this day restored and practised in our churches Let vs looke into the church of Rome and behold the vsage behauiour thereof Where shal we find that heauenly comelinesse which S. Paule requireth Where is the comfortable reading of scriptures Where is the people taught their saluation in Christ Iesus where is the brotherly méeting of al the congregation at the communion of the Lordes supper May we say of Rome that it holdeth fast the forme and fashion of that church which Christ and his Apostles left vnto vs and which the holy ancient fathers continued nay rather we may say of them with Chrisostome they may haue the chestes and cofers wherein the treasure was sometimes kept but the treasures they haue not We may say it is not nowe a house of prayer but a denne of théeues We may say it shal no more be called Bethel the house of God but Bethauen the house of vanitie or of lying Iupiter and Bacchus and the Idols of the heathen were not so dishonored of their worshippers as the almightie and euerlasting and onely true God is dishonoured in that sinagogue I speake of it as it is nowe and as it hath béene these many yeares For in the time of our elder fathers it had great testimonie of true holinesse Ignatius called it castissimam most chaste Tertullian saide it was a happie Church because the Apostles of Christ suffered martyrdome in it and left their whole doctrine vnto it And in like sort did others giue vnto Rome as it was in those times reuerent and worthie commendation But now saith he O Roma à Roma quantum mutata vetusta es nunc caput es scelerum quae caput orbis eras O Rome howe much art thou channged from the olde Rome thou which hast beene the chiefe in al the worlde art nowe the chiefe in al naughtinesse They haue forsaken the trade of life and the loue of the Gospel which they of olde time had in Rome and therefore cannot be inheritours of their commendation When Chrisostme considered the state of the Church as the Apostle speaketh of it vntâ—… the Corinthians did see how farre the church in his time swarued from that he sayd Nunc verò vestigia tantum rerum illarum tenemus We haue now the only bare signes of those things Againe Videtur ecclesia hodie mulieri quae mansuetudine veteri exciderit similis quaeqúe Symbola tantum c. The church which is now may be likened to a woman which hath forsaken her wonted modestie And hath only certaine outward shewes of that first felicitie and keepeth stil the hutches and boxes of precious thinges but lacketh the treasure which was in them To such a woman may the church this day be likened I speake not this of the giftes for the matter were not so great if we wanted them only but of life and of vertue And againe he sayth Scrinium aliud paternt the sauri exinanitum bodie dicam c. I wil tel you of one other boxe of that treasure which our father left vnto vs which is empty and hath nothing left in it at this day In times past they did sing altogether so doe we also but then they were al of one minde of one heart at this day you shal not finde one man that agreeth with himselfe there is such warre and discord in al thinges euerie where The name of peace is common in al places but peace it selfe is no where to bee founde Then men did vse their houses like churches now men do vse the church as they vse their house nay more prophanely than any house Thus Chrisostome blamed the church in his time and layeth out their departing from the faith He liued about 411. yeres after Christ. What may we thinke he would say of the church that hath béene of later yeres if he had liued to sée the desormitie and abuses thereof where besides that they are not of one minde and of one heart they suffer not the people altogether to sing the praises of God where they haue not only emptieâ—… such boxes or hutches wherein Christ left great treasures vnto his church but haue made light account of them and haue cast away the very patterns and images of true godlinesse They driue away the people from reading the scriptures and reckon that as vnlaweful as to cast the bread of the children vnto degges or pearles before Swine They leade men from trust in the bloud of Christ and teach them to beléeue such thinges and to put confidence in those creatures which cannot profit or helpe them at al. You may remember what prayers they vsed But blesse your eares for they are wordes ful of horrible blasphemie They sayde to the holy and blessed Virgin Marie the mother of our redéemer sauiour In te virgo Maria confidimus in te speramus nos defendas in aeternum Our trust and hope we put in thee O Virgine Marie defende vs euerlastingly They say O faelix puerpera nostra pians scelera O happy mother which doest purge vs from our sinnes And Sanctae Mariae merita ducant nos ad regna coelestia The merites of holie Marie bring vs to the heauenly kingdome Againe Tu mediatrix dei hominum aduocata pauperum refugiuÌ„ peccatorum Thou art the mediatour betweene God and man the aduocate for the poore the refuge of al sinners O merciful Christ what is become of thy passion where is the price of thy blout howe are we lead away from thée to séeke redemption in a creature Againe they say vnto her Thou art the Ladie of Angels thou art the Queene of heauen Commaund thy sonne shew thy selfe to be a mother He is thy sonne thou art
the kingdome and al the kings of Persia in the name likenesse of a Beare and so describeth the state of other whole kingdomes in such particular names And so doeth the spirite of GOD in the Reuelation set downe vnder the name of the Beast the succession and continuaunce of many He meaneth not therefore that Antichrist shal be anie one onelie man but one estate or kingdome of men and a continuaunce of some one power and tyrannie in the Church We reade of Pharao a cruel tyrant that he did persecute the people of God in Egypt And of Nabuchodonoser that hee oppressed them and brought them captiues into Babylon And of Antiochus that he likewise fought against them and did ouercome them and ledde them captiues into Macedonia They al were mighty and cruel tyrants Yet one other shal come whose crueltie shal be heauier and whose continuaunce shal bée longer than was the cruelty or continuaunce of any of these Who shal worke his purpose not in Aegypt nor in Babylon nor in Macedonia But in the holie place euen in the Church of Christ and in the house of God And this state and continuance of persecution in the church is the state of Antichrist But what shall he do whereby he may bee knowen Paul sayeth Which is an aduersarie This shal bee the marke whereby you may knowe him he shal set himselfe against God and against Christ for hee is an enemie of the Crosse of Christ. Why then saye you are not the Iewes and Mahomet and the Turke eyther al or the most wicked of them so called séeing they vtterly refuse al Christian religion because none of these sit in the temple of God which is the place where Antichrist shal aduance himselfe and because Antichrist shal not in open shewe set himselfe against Christ as doeth Mahomet and the Turkes but suttlelie and craftily like an euil and vngracious seruant He wil not openly speake his blasphemies or spit at the Gospel of God or defie the name of Christ but he wil cal himselfe The seruaunt of God perhaps the Vicar of Christ and perhaps the seruaunt of Gods seruantes or perhaps the heade or the chiefe member of the Church He shal say he is ledde with the zeale of Gods house and shal do nothing lesse for he shal séeke himself He shal say he séeketh the glorie of God when al that he doth is for the enriching and ambitious enlarging of his owne worldly pompe and vanitie In matters of Princes if any man take vpon him the name of an embassadour or deputie to a prince hauing no commission thereto and in this boldenesse presume to leuie and raise a power and force the subiectes to followe him although he worke al this vnder the name and by the colour of the princes authoritie as is the maner of rebels to doe yet hée is a traitour and his doinges are not wel thought of because he dealeth in the Princes matters without warrant from the Prince Euâ—…n so Antichrist he shal come in the name of Christ yet wil he doe al thinges against Christ and vnder pretence and colour of seruing Christ he shal deuour the shéepe and people of Christ he shal deface whatsoeuer Christ hath taught he shal quench that fire which Christ hath kindled he shal roote vp those plants which Christ hath planted hée shall vndermine that house which Christ hath built He shal be contrarie to Christ. His faith contrarie to the faith of Christ and his life contrarie to the life of Christ. Is any man desirous to know Antichrist his comming shalbe notable it shal astonne the worlde By this marke you may know him He shal be contrarie to Christ. To shewe you at large this contrarietie by comparison of things contrarie in Christ and Antichrist would aske long time It shal be sufficient we consider onely some fewe wherein they are manifestlie contrarie that by them iudgement may be made of the residue Saint Paule sayth With one offering hath hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified And againe We are sanctified by the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made What is he then that sayeth I make priestes to offer a dayly sacrifice for the sinnes of the people by whome the offering vp of the bodie of Christ is made euerie day he is contrary to Christ he is Antichrist Saint Paule sayth God hath appointed Christ ouer al thinges to bee the heade of the Church What is hee then which sayeth I am the heade of the Church which sayth Al the Churches of God are knit in mee You must vnderstande as I vnderstande you must heare with mine eares and sée with mine eyes I wil gouerne and direct you He is contrarie to Christ. This is Antichrist Christ ordayned that the Communion should be ministred vnder both kindes What is he then that deliuereth it to the people but vnder one kinde hee is contrarie to Christ. He breaketh the first institution of the Lordes supper he is Antichrist Christ sayth My kingdome is not of this worlde What is he then which sayeth I am Lorde of Lordes and King of Kings I haue right to both swords my power and authoritie reacheth ouer al the kingdomes of the worlde he is contrarie to Christ he is Antichrist Christ washed his disciples feete What is he then that giueth his feete to be kissed of Kinges and Emperours He is contrarie to Christ he is Antichrist Christ paide tribute to Caesar. What is he then that exempteth himselfe and his cleargie from the temporal sword and authoritie he is contrarie to Christ he is Antichrist Christ allowed mariage and reproued fornication What is he then that alloweth fornication and forbiddeth mariage he is coÌ„trary to Christ he is Antichrist Christ saith Search the Scriptures What is he then which saieth giue not that which is holy vnto dogs neither cast pearles before swine ye may not search the scriptures he is contrary to Christ he is Antichrist These be the certain and vndoubted markes of Antichrist So that he doth sit in the teÌ„ple of God That is he is bold and without force of anie dannger He is not driuen to hide himselfe in a corner he is exalted in the eye and in the heart of the world He beareth rule in the conscience of men He hath the keyes to open and shut at his pleasure He maketh Kings and Princes become his subiectes He ruleth them not by sword or speare only but by pretence of religion he telleth them al things are put in subiection vnder his féete that he is the vicar of Christ that his worde must be taken as the worde of God So he sitteth in the temple of God as if he were God The godly preachers sit also in the teÌ„ple of god they are y e ministers of Christ disposers of the secretes of God There they expound the Scriptures and she we the good and acceptable wil of God There
in the wildernesse wée call vppon the people to prepare the waie of the Lorde and to make his paths straight wée giue warning that the Lord is euen at hand He that teacheth is nothing hée that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing our tongue is nothing our word is nothing our wit is nothing Peter is nothing Paul is nothing It is God which openeth the hearts of the people and maketh them tremble at his words It is God which giueth the increase and maketh his worde to be of force The Prophet saith The Lord gaue the worde great was the companie of Preachers It is the worke of GOD both to make his worde mightie and to make the people to receiue it and yéelde vnto it Hée giueth vs hearts to féele the comfort of his word and to yéeld our obedience in doing as the worde requireth For he is the father of lights from whom al giftes are powred downe vppon vs. Wée are the children of Adam wée are flesh and bloud and nothing but vile claie and ashes Our eies are dimme our senses dul and our hearts heauie Christ telleth vs truely Without me ye can do nothing neither heare the word nor beléeue it I marke your presence that you are manie gathered together this daie in this place Euerie man séemeth to stand with bent countenance and earnest lookes and desirous to learne And albeit I which speake am but a worme vnworthie to créepe vppon the earth yet the word which we haue heard is the word of God the word of comfort and the word of life But God knoweth in al this companie how manie haue eares to heare In the Acts of the Apostles when God opened their harts they vnderstoode the Scriptures Before they heard and knew not what they heard Paule preached Lydia a woman which solde purple heard him the Lord opened her heart that shée hearkned vnto Paul Then she vnderstoode his words and beléeued This comfort is of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation he wil giue you vnderstanding hearts and will stablish you in euerie word and good worke CHAP. 3. FVrthermore brethren praie for vs that the word of the Lord maie haue free passage and be glorified euen as it is with you PRaie for me that I may be a faithfull seruante doing the will of GOD from my heart that he will open my mouth boldly to publish the secret of the Gospell and to declare the riches and glorie of his kingdome For of my selfe I am nothing I haue not the key of Dauid I cannot giue light vnto the worâ—…e and am not able to open the hearts of the people That the word of God may haue free passage he saieth not praie for vs that my word may haue passage or that my name may be spoken of and glorified or that the people may beholde my doings and talke of me For we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your seruants for Christes sake I am but an vnprofitable seruant I am the poore Ore that treadeth out the wheate I am a poore crier to proclaime the will of the Lorde Praie you that the worde of the Lorde may haue frée passage that the Gospell of Christ may be glorified that the hearts of the people may be readie and gréedie to receiue it that the kingdome of Heauen suffer violence and the violent take it by force that the worde may so possesse the heartes of the people as fire hath passage through stubble that it may shine as the sunne beames ouer al the worlde that it may be knowne from Cast to Weast and from North to South In this forte pray that the worde may haue a glorious entraunce into you and also among other Héerein shall appeare the loue you haue to the Saintes and the zeale you beare to the house of God when you wish others to be partakers of his blessednesse with you when you séeke not your owne glorie but the building of the Church of Christ when you praie that GOD will be mercifull vnto otherâ—… as vnto you that a light may be giuen to them which sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death that they may knowe the time of their visitation Such a praier made Dauid God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his fare to shine among vs that they may knowe thy waie vpon earth thy sauing health among al nations Let the people praise thée oh God let al the people praise thée Thus did Hieremie praie Turne thou vs vnto thee oh Lord and we shall be turned Giue vs a new heart and a new spirit encline our hearts vnto thy testimonies that wée may knowe and feare thy name So did Christ teach vs to praie Halowed be thy name among the infidels which knowe thée not let thy name be had in reuerence among al people Thy kingdome come thy will be done There is no other God but onelie thou let al the earth come and worship thée Euen so must we also pray that the word of God may haue frée passage and his name be glorified in al places V. 2. And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and il men for al men haue not faith 3. But the Lorde is faithfull which will stablishe you and keepe you from all euill 4. And wee are perswaded of you thorowe the Lorde that yee both doe and will doe the thinges which wee commaunde you 5. And the Lorde guide your heartes to the loue of GOD and the wayting for of Christ. From vnreasonable and euil men Which conspire against the Lorde and his annointed which blaspheme that good name that is called vpon vs. Such were Iannes and Iambres which resisted Moses in the time of the lawe Such were they in the time of the Prophets which saide The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But we wil doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of Heauen as we haue done both we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes Such were in the time of the Gospel the Scribes and the Pharises Which made the commaundement of God of no authoritie by their tradition Which turned darknesse into light and light into darkenesse Such was Alexander the copper smith Such were others The whole Scriptures are ful of such They were false prophets false Apostics false brethren They cauled diâ—…sion in the church They went out to preach in the name of Christ but inwardly they were rauening woolues Such were in the dayes of our fathers and such there are in our dayes such Iannes and Iambres such idol worshippers such srorners of Gods word such scribes and Pharises such Alexanders such false prophets false Apostles and false brethren we haue more than a good many in our dayes They pretend the Gospel no man more In company of protestants