And besydes these abuses ther is an other that maketh an ydoll of y t trew and lyuynge God And that is when we imagyn by oure owne heades an other forme or shape of god his wil than is true in dede and otherwise thā he himself hath declared to vs in his wourde As for an example whē we beleue that God is a bodely thynge hauynge handes fete other membres lyke a man or that he is more pleased wyth wearynge of a graye fryars coule or halowed garmentes than with any other semely apparel or that he delighte with our wilworkes and worshyppynges whyche he neuer commaunded but we of our braynes haue deuysed theym Suche phantasie and false opinion I saye maketh an ydoll of the trewe God it is a great offence against y e first chiefe commaundemēt But of thys you shal heare more in other sermons Wherfore good children take hede of suche ymaginations that you frame not to your selfes with in the temple of youre hartes anye straunge god or ydoll But suffer the lorde to be your God for he doeth offer himself very louingly and with a fatherly affection to be your God Therfore he sayeth to eache of you I am the Lorde thy God that is to saye I am youre lorde and your father I woulde fayne that you should take me for your veray God onely Yf I am your Lorde where is the feare dewe vnto me Onely feare me as your Lorde obey me with al your hart trust in me praye to me call vpon me and loue me good children as your father Yt were our bounden dewtye to praye vnto him with most feruent desier that he woulde vouchesafe to be our God But his goodnes is somuche inclyned towarde vs that he preuentethe vs and before we desiere hym he offereth himselfe to vs saying I am the Lorde thy God onely acknowlege me for God When he sayth I am thy God it is asmuche as yf he shoulde saye I wil powre all kindes of benefites vpon thee what soeuer kynde of aduersitie troubleth the make the moone to me whan soeuer y u lackest any thinge aske it of me I am not farre from the I am thy God At all tymes I wyl be present with the and I will helpe the in all thinges Now good children dyligently learne ye this lesson and graue it into youre memories So you shal loue God and put your trust in him For this is the meanynge of this first commaundement that we ought to feare loue the Lord God aboue all thing fasten our hope in him Wherfore good children with all dilygence learne you this rule And when this question shalbe demaunded of you how do you vndrestand the first commaūdement then shal ye answer thus In this precept we be commaunded to feare and loue God with al oure harte and to put oure whole trust and confidence in him The conclusion Now ye haue hearde good children in a briefe summe the trewe sincere and playne exposition of y e first commaundement beare away I praye you this doctrine and diligentlye recorde it walke in the feare of the Lorde that you transgresse not these commaūdementes For what soeuer God byddeth that is right iust good and holye what soeuer he forbiddeth that is wrong vniust euil and synne He himselfe requireth of vs to kepe his commaundementes and not dispise them For he saith I am the Lorde thy God a stronge and a ielous God whiche do punyshe the children y t do hate me euen to the thirde fourth generacion for the iniquite of their parentes And contrariwyse I do shewe mercy to a thousande generacions of them that loue me kepe my commaundementes In these wourdes God dothe threaten greuous punyshementes to all them that breake these commaundemētes wherefore it is our dewtie to feare his indignation punishment not to prouoke his wrathe vpon vs by oure disobediēce And contrary he doth promyse his fauor and goodnes to all theim that kepe these his commaūdemētes Therfore we ought to loue him cast oure affiaunce in him and obey his commaundemētes And speciallye ye good childerne oughte to feare God kepe his preceptes and to desire grace and helpe of him y t you maye perfourme and fulfyll them For the feare of God is the begynnyng of all wysedome and it maketh men godly disposeth them to all good workes And suche hauynge the fauour of God may profit many bothe in commen and priuate affaires Out of this feare of God springeth also a good conscience peace and quietnes of the same as you haue herde out of the spalme whiche was rehersed in the beginnyng of the preface and yf we continew to thende of our lifes in this trew knowledge and faith of God thā he ouer and besyde the forsaide benefites will gyue vnto vs lyfe euerlastyng y t whiche he graunt to you that is blessed for euer Amen ¶ Note that both y e preface and the conclusion also of this firste sermon shalbe repeted thone in the begynnyng and thother in the later ende in euery sermon made for the residew of the commaundementes YE haue herd good children in the former sermon that all maner of Idolatrie is forbyd by this commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Where also it was declared vnto you howe you may commit spirituall ydolatrie by ouer muche fearyng trustynge and louyng of creatures But nowe I wyll speake of the moost grosse ydolatrie whiche standeth in wourshyppynge of ymages eyther of creatures or of God himselfe And this ydolatrye is forbyde by expresse wordes in this commaundement where God sayeth thus ¶ Thou shalt make the no grauē ymage nor any lykenesse of anye thynge which is in heauē aboue or in earth benethe or in the water vnder the earthe Thou shalt not bow downe vnto it nor wourship it These wordes by most interpretors of late tyme belonge to the first commaundement althoughe after the interpretation of manye aūcient autors they be the seconde commaundement in whiche wourdes it is to be noted that it is not withoute greate cause that God with so playne and expresse words doth forbydde wourshyppynge of ymages For he sawe that mans corrupte nature frō the firste tyme that he fell from God hathe euer ben enclined and redy to ydolatry and to bowe downe to creatures rather than to looke vp to God that made him Wherfore he inhibiteth all occations of the same God did also forsee that in the latter dayes men should come which woulde maynteine worshyppyng of images Not onlye with painted colors but also with paynted wordes saying We kneele not to the ymage but before the ymage we worshippe not the ymage but the thing which is represented by the ymage we worshippe not the creatures but the creatore in the creatures And suche lyke excuses the greatest ydolaters dyd alwaies pretend But to thentente they shoulde not so deceyue you God doeth oftentymes in holye scripture call vpon you sayinge Thou shalte
not make to the any grauen ymage or lykenes of any creature thou shalt not kneele nor bow thy selfe downe to it For what can be more contrarie to the dignitie of man then he whom God hathe made Lorde ouer all creatures to kneele or to doe reuerence to the image of a creature God hath so fashioned man that he hath gyuen him a bodye standynge streighte vp and a countenaunce to loke vpwarde into heauen And why then shoulde he bow himself downward to the earth or to creatures made of earthe whych be rather to be troden vnder his fete then to be worshipped of him There is nothynge more againste reason then that he whiche hathe lyfe sense and reason should worshyppe that thinge which can neyther see feele moue heare nor vnderstande Wherefore God saieth plainly thou shalt not worshyppe ymages that is to saye thou shalte not gylte them and set them in costlye tabernacles and decke theim with coates or shertes thou shalte not sense them make vowes or pilgremages to them sette candelles before them and offer vnto them thou shalt not kysse their feete and bowe downe vnto them For God sayeth I am a ielouse God and will not gyue my honour to any creature but wyll greuouslye punyshe them that breake this my commaundemente Yea I wyll punyshe their children and posteritie vnto the thirde and fourthe generation And this indignation of god agaynst ydolaters hath at sundrye tymes be shewed by greuouse punishementes for our examples For Salomons idolatrie y e kingdomes of Israell and Iuda were deuyded and thereof dyd ensue a continuall dyscorde betwene these two kyngdomes And for ydolatrye God commaunded Moses to hange the capitaines of the people and of the people were slayne xxiiii thousande And the bokes of the Iudges Kynges and the Prophetes be ful of like histories howe almyghtye God for ydolatrie was offended with the Israelites and gaue theim into the handes of their enemies and into the subiection and bondage of all nations about them which did persecute kyl them And when they in their afflictions cried vnto y e lorde he refused them saying Go and crie to the gods whiche you haue chosen they wyll saue you in the time of youre necessitie What greater punyshemente can there be then this to be cast awaye from God when we haue mooste neede of his helpe and comforte And in Deuteronomie almyghtye God commaunded by his prophet Moses saying Cursed be he that shall make a grauen or molten ymage abhominable before y e Lorde the worke of an artificers hande and shall set it in a secrete place And all the people shall answere and say Amen Here you see how he is accursed of god that setteth but one ymage in a secret corner of his owne house to wourshippe it But muche more daunger it is to set vp ymages in the tēple of God which is y e open cōmen place to honore the only lyuing god But peraduenture some will saye that we are forbydden to worship ymages but not to haue ymages To this I answer First as touchynge the ymage of God that whan God spake vnto the children of Israell in the mount of Oreb they heard a voice but they saw no maner of ymage or lykenes of any creature And the cause was this Lest if he had appeared in the similitude of a mā or womā or of any beast vpon earthe or of any birde in the ayer or fishe in the water or of any other creature the ignoraunt people would paraduenture haue made an ymage like therto and haue worshipped it Therfore they did se no maner of ymage because they shoulde make no ymage of God Least that yf they had made any ymage of god they would also haue worshipped it And forasmuche as God is a goste not onely inuisible but also incōprehensible therfore he cā neither be made w t handes nor cōpassed by wit nether is it possible y t any thing made by mannes hande shoulde represent God vnto vs as his ymage so far those two be vnlyke God and an ymage made by man For God is a goste without ende without measure withoute mixture without corruption and most perfecte But an ymage is a body hathe an ende maye be compassed and measured it is myxed corruptible and vnparfit God is lyfe in him selfe of whom al thinges haue lyfe but ymages can nether heare see nor moue nor haue neither reason vnderstanding nor lyfe Therefore sayeth God hym selfe by his prophet Esaie that no similitude nor ymage can be made of him God shewed himselfe vnto the people in the mount of Oreb but in a clowde smoke and fyer declaring thereby that no man can come to the parfite knowledge of God as he is in him selfe The Propiciatorie also whereby God was signified was hidde and not sene aswel for that it stode in sancta sanctorum where the people neuer came as also for because the Cherubynes couered it with their wynges But in case any paynter or caruer were so connyng that he cold make an ymage which shuld perfytly represent vnto vs God which is impossible yet he ought to make no suche ymage And if it wer made it ought to be destroied because god hathe forbyd anye ymage to be made of hym For as it is forbydde to haue any straunge goddes so it is also forbide to haue any ymage of y e true lyuing God And yf any wil say that it is forbyde to make an ymage of God to thintent to wourshippe it but I doo not worshippe it nor haue it for that intent but onely that it may stere me to the remembraunce knowlege of God To this I aunswer that God did forbide the making of his ymage least this parrell shoulde followe that thou shouldest worshippe it Therefore thou doest offende although thou doest not worshippe it and that not only because thou doest againste goddes worde and commaundement but also because thou putteste thy selfe wilfully in very great peril and daūger specially seyng that of our corrupte nature wee be moost highly enclyned to Idolatry superstition as experience from tyme to tyme hathe taught vs euen from the begynnyng of the worlde And here appeareth y e abuse of our tyme which folowing rather the phantasye of caruers or paynters than y e worde of God haue set vp in churches the ymage as thei cal it of y e Trinitie where they portured God y e father lyke an olde man with a long hore berd And what can symple people learne herby but errore and ignorāce Haue not mani thought that God the father is a bodyly substaunce that he hath a face and berd hādes and fete because they see him so painted And for this consideracion saith sainte Austen it is a detestable thing for Christen men to haue any suche ymage of God in the church whereby it appeareth that in sainct Austens tymes ther wer no suche ymages in christen churches but that it is an inuention of y e papistes
these sacramentes is baptisme by the whiche we be borne again to a new and heauenly lyfe and be receaued into gods churche and congregation whiche is the foundation and pyller of the trueth The seconde is absolution or the authoritie of y e keyes wherby we be absolued from suche synnes as we be fallen into after oure baptisme The thirde sacrament is the communion or y e Lordes supper by the whiche we be fedde and nourished and fortified in y e faith of the ghospell and knowlege of Christ that by this fode we maye growe more and more in newnes of lyfe so that we maye be no longer children but maye waxe perfecte men and ful growē in Christ. For I wolde you should wel know this good children that a Christen mās knowlege and lyfe is a more excellēt thing than vnlerned people can iudge For a christen man hathe the certen worde of God where vpon he maye grounde hys conscience that he is made a christen man and is one of Christes mēbers which he is assured of by baptisme For he that is baptysed maye assuredlye saye thus I am not now in this wauering opiniō that I only suppose my selfe to be a christiā man but I am in a sure belefe that I am made a Christen mā For I know for a suerty that I am baptised I am sure also that baptysme was ordeyned of God and that he whiche baptysed me did it by gods commission and commaundemente And the holy goste doth witnes that he whiche is baptysed hathe put vpon hym Christ. Wherfore the holy gost in my baptisme assureth me that I am a Christen man And this is a true and syncere fayth whiche is able to stande agaynste the gates of hell for asmuche as it hath for it the euydence of gods worde and leaneth not to any mans saying or opinion Furthermore good chyldren you shall dylygentlye learne the cause wherefore we are baptysed You haue alredy herde y t by baptisme we be borne agayne The cause of this our secōd birth is the synfulnes and filthynes of our first birth For by our first natiuitie whan we were borne of our fathers and mothers all we were borne in synne and whē we yssued out of oure mothers wombe we were laden with synne and Gods angre as it was at large declared vnto you in the exposition of y e ten cōmaundements and speciallye in the last cōmaundement For as Adam did synne and by sinne was so corrupted both in his body and soule that by his awne power or strēgth he was not able to do any good thinge euen so all the children ofspring of Adam be borne synners so that they can not be iustified by themselues or by their awn strength but are inclined and bent to synne at all tymes And as saynt Paul saieth by nature they be the children of Gods wrath That is to saye God is angrye w t vs for those synnes whiche by nature be as it wer a kynne to vs and we be borne with theim into this world But when we be borne againe by baptisme thē our sinnes he forgyuen vs and the holy goste is giuē vs which doth make vs al so holy doth moue vs to al goodnes Wherefore good children whē a man is baptysed it is as muche to saye as he dothe there confesse that he is a synner and that he is vnder the rule and gouernaūce of sinne so that of himselfe he can not be good or ryghtuous And therefore he commeth to baptisme and there seketh for helpe and remedy and desyreth God first to forgyue him his synnes at length to deliuer him clerely from all synne and perfectely to heale his soule from the sykenes of synne as the physitian doth perfectely heale his patient from bodely diseases And for his parte he promyseth to God againe and solemply voweth that he wyl fyght againste synne with all his strength and power that he wyll gladly beare the crosse and al suche afflictiōs as it shal please God to lay vpon him and that also he wil be contēt to dye y t he may be perfectly healed and delyuered from synne For God doth forgiue vs our synnes by faith but by afflyctions and death he dothe take theim cleane away as saint Peter witnesseth sainge He y t suffereth or is afflycted in y e fleshe doth cesse from synne And sainct Paule sayeth he that is deade is iustified or delyuered from synne These be the promyses which we make whē we are baptised And of this mind must all they be whiche shall haue any fruite by baptisme Wherfore seyng all you that be here are alredy baptysed continewe I praye you in this good mynde and purpose knowlege in your hartes before God that you be synners be sory for y e same and praye to God to heale and delyuer you frō youre sinne Beware you fal not to sinne againe haue no delite in sinne nor synne not wyllyngly But be godly and holy and suffer gladly suche afflictions as God shall lay vpon your backes And yf you do thus then your baptisme shal be auaile able vnto you God shall worke in you by his holy spirit and shall fynyshe in you all those thinges which by baptisme he hath begon Hitherto you haue herde what we promyse to God when we are baptised now learne also I pray you what God worketh in vs by baptisme what benefites he gyueth vs in the same For baptysme is not water alone and nothinge els besides but it is the water of god and hath his strength by y e worde of God and is a seale of gods promyse Wherefore it doth worke in vs all those thinges where vnto God hath ordeyned it For oure Lord Iesus Christ saieth Go and teache all nations and baptyse them in the name of y e father and the sonne and the holy gost This god commaunded his disciples to do Wherfore by the vertue of this commaūdement which came from heuen euen from the bosome of god baptisme doeth wourke in vs as the wourke of God For when we be baptised in the name of God that is as muche to saye as God him selfe shoulde baptise vs. Wherfore we oughte not to haue an eye only to the water but to God rather whiche did ordeine the baptisme of water and commaūded it to be done in his name For he is almyghtye and able to worke in vs by baptisme forgiuenes of our synnes al those wonderful effectes and operatiōs for the whiche he hathe ordeyned the same althoughe mannes reason is not able to conceyue the same Therfore consider good chyldren the greate treasures and benefytes whereof God maketh vs partakers when we are baptised whiche be these The firste is that in baptisme our synnes be forgyuen vs as sainct Peter witnesseth saiynge Let euerye one of you be baptised for the forgiuenes of his synnes The seconde is that the holy gost is gyuen vs the whiche doth sprede abrod the loue of
God in oure harte whereby we maye kepe Goddes commaundementes accordyng to this saying of saynt Peter Let euerie one of you he baptised in the name of christ and then you shall receyue the gyft of the holy ghost The thirde is that by baptisme the whole rightuousnes of Christ is gyuen vnto vs that we maye clayme the same as our owne For so saincte Paule teachethe saying As many of ye as are baptised in Christe haue putte vpon you Christ. Fourthly by baptisme we die with Christ and are buried as it were in his bloude death that we shoulde suffer afflictions and death as Christ himself hath suffered And as that man whiche is baptised doth promise to God that he wyll dye with Christ that he maye be deade to synne and to the old Adam so on the other part God doth promise againe to him that he shalbe partaker of christes death and passion And also God maketh al afflictions whiche he sufferethe to be good and profitable vnto him as was the passion of Christ and not damnable as it was to Iudas and dyuerse other vngodlye parsons By thys which I haue hetherto spoken I trust you vnderstaÌ„de good children wherfore baptisme is called the bath of regeneratioÌ„ and howe in baptisme we be borne agayne and be made new creatures in Christe The whiche doctryne you shall the better vnderstande yf you consider in what coÌ„dition you were before you were baptised and in what state you stande in after your baptisme Firste before we were baptised it is euideÌ„t that we were synners and he that is a synner can haue no peace nor quietnes of coÌ„science before he come to Christ so muche he feareth Goddes wroth and euerlastyng damnation But after that oure synnes in baptisme be forgyuen vs and we beleue the promyse of God and so by oure faith be iustified than our conscyences be quieted and we be glad and mery trustyng assuredly that God is no more angrye with vs for our former offences and that we shal not be damned for y e same And thys is a meruelous alteration and renewyng of the inward manne the whyche coulde be wrought by the power of no creature but by God alone Also before we were baptised we were slaues and boundemen to synne so that we neyther coulde do that good which we would haue done nor could kepe vs from that euil whiche we would not haue done as saint Paule complaynethe of himselfe But whan by baptysme the holy gost was gyuen vs the whiche did spread abrode the loue of god in our hartes and did also delyuer vs from y e boundage and tyrannye of synne and gaue vs new strength power to wrastle against synne and manfullye to withstande our gostly enemye the deuel thaÌ„ after a certen maner we were able to fulfyl gods commauÌ„dementes And this is a greate chaunge and renewyng of the inwarde man And this I wold you shoulde know for a suertye good childreÌ„ stedfastly beleue y e same that no child of y e Iewes or Turkes whiche is not baptysed hathe the holy ghoste neyther that anye suche can vnderstande the worde of God neyther that anye suche is holy or righteous before God Wherefore you shall thanke God with all youre harte whiche hath brought you to baptysme And when you beleue in the name of Christ and loue the ghospell and are glad dyligeÌ„t to hear y e same theÌ„ this is a suer tokeÌ„ y t by the gospel you haue receaued y e holy gost Furthermore he that is a synner not baptised althoughe he had the holy ghoste to this effecte to helpe him to fight againste synne yet oftentymes he is ouer come and falleth to synne And althoughe he doth oftentimes ouercome sinne yet this is a great vnperfectenes y t he dothe it not willingly but that this fight against sinne is tedious and greuous vnto him Wherefore he is euer in perrel lest he be ouercome of syn And in case he doth manfully w tstande synne yet he seeth that his iustyce and obedience be to weake and vnperfecte to stande before the iudgement of God as in dede no man not the holyest is able to stande before y e iudgemeÌ„t of God by his awne rightuousnes But when in baptisme the rightuousenes of Christ is gyuen and imputed to hym then he is delyuered from al those perrels For he knoweth for a suerty that he hath put vpoÌ„ him Christ and that his weakenes imperfectioÌ„ is couered hydde with the perfecte ryghtuousnes and holynes of Christ. Wherfore after baptisme he doth not trust in his awne rightuousnes but in Christ only And he is no more pensyue or doubteful coÌ„syderynge his awne weaknes but he is ioyful because he coÌ„sidereth that he is made partaker of Christes rightuousnes And this agayne is a great alteratioÌ„ and renewyng of the inwarde man These newe affections and spiritual mocions are in the soulles of suche as are borne again by baptisme but they be vnknowne to worldly men and suche as be not led by the spirite of God And wheÌ„ they that beleue and be baptysed do continewe in this their faith to â—he ende of their lyues then God shall rayse them vp from death to lyfe that they maye be immortall and lyue euerlastingly with christ And then when syn and the kingdome of death is vtterli abolished and destroied we shalbe perfectly holy and rightuous both in body and soule And for this cause our sauioure Christ doth cal in y e gospel the rysyng againe from death a regeneration or a seconde begettyng Al these thynges doth baptisme worke in vs wheÌ„ we beleue in Christe And therefore Christe sayeth He that wyll beleue and be baptysed shall be saued But he that wyl not beleue shalbe damned Wherefore good children learne dylygentlye I praye you the fruyt operation of baptisme For it worketh forgyuenes of sin it delyuereth from death power of the deuel it gyueth saluation euerlastynge lyfe to all them that beleue As the wordes of Christes promyse doth euydently witnesse But peraduenture some wil saye Howe can water worke so greate thinges To whome I answere that it is not the water that dothe these thinges but the almyghtye worde of God whiche is knyt and ioyned to the water faith which receyueth gods worde promyse For with out the worde of God water is water and not baptisme But when the worde of the liuing God is added and ioyned to the water then it is the bathe of regeneration and baptisme water and the lyuely springe of eternall saluation and a bathe that wassheth our soules by the holy ghoste as saynct Paule calleth it saying God hath saued vs thorowe hys mercy and made vs partakers of the rightuosnes of hys welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ. Now consyder depely I praie you how great benefytes these be that you maye not be vnkynde to him that hath done so much for you but stedfastlye beleue these thinges mortifye synne
patiently suffre al dyseases aduersities whiche it shal please god to send you and than without dowte you shalbe saued Wherefore good childrē learne these thinges dilygentlye and when you be demaunded what is baptisme Thē you shal answer baptisme is not water alone but it is water inclosed and ioyned to the worde of God and to the couenaunte of Gods promyse And these be the wordes wherby our Lorde Iesus Christ did ordeine baptisme which be written in the last chapter of sainct Mathew Go and teache all nations baptisynge theym in the name of the father and the sonne and the holy ghost And when you shalbe asked what auayleth baptisme you shal answer Baptisme worketh forgyuenes of synne it delyuereth from the kyngdome of the deuel and from death giueth lyfe and euerlastyng saluation to all them that beleue these wordes of Christ promise of god which are wrytten in the laste chapter of sainct Marke his gospel He that wil beleue and be baptised shalbe saued But he that will not beleue shalbe damned Thirdly yf a man aske you how can water bryng to passe so greate thynges ye shall aunswer Uerely the water worketh not these thynges but the worde of God whych is ioyned to the water and fayth whiche dothe beleue the worde of God For without the worde of God water is water and not baptisme but when the worde of the lyuyng God is ioyned to the water then it is baptisme and water of wonderful holsomnes and the bath of regeneration through the holy gohst as saincte Paule writeth God saued vs by the bath of regeneratiō and renewyng of the holy ghost whom he powred vpon vs plenteously by Iesus Christ our sauiour that we beyng made rightuous by his grace maye be heyres of euerlastyng lyfe Fourthly Yf a mā aske you what doth the baptisynge in the water betoken aunswer ye it betokeneth that olde Adam with all synnes and euel desyers ought daylye to be kylled in vs by trewe contritiō and repentaunce that he may rise againe from death and after he is risen with Christ may be a new man a new creature and may liue euerlastyngly in God and before God in rightuousnes and holynes As saincte Paule wryteth saying All we y t are baptised are buried w t Christe in to death that as Christ rose agayne by the glorie of his father so we also should walke in newnes of lyfe Thus ye haue hearde good children what is ment by y e wordes of baptisme by the which we are borne again and made newe to euerlastynge lyfe Learne these thynges dilygentlye and thanke God who in Christ hath called you to be partakers of so large and ample benefites And expresse baptisme in your lyfe and baptisme shalbe the greatest comforte to you bothe in your lyfe tyme and also in youre death bed For by baptisme we be grafted into the death of Christe wherfore synne deathe or hell can not hurte vs but we shall ouercome all these thynges by fayth as Christe himselfe ouercame theym And so by this newe byrthe we shall enter into the kyngdome of God and lyfe euerlastynge The whiche God graunte vs all Amen ¶ A sermon of the authoritie of the Kayes THe holye Apostle sainct Paul good children in the tenth chapiter of hys epistle to the Romaynes wryteth on this fashion Who so euer shal cal vpon the name of y e lord shall be saued But how shal they call on hym on whom they beleue not How shal they beleue on him of whome they haue not hearde Howe shall they heare without a preacher Howe shal they preach expcept they be sente By the whiche wourdes saynct Paule doeth euidently declare vnto vs two lessons The fyrst is that it is necessary to our saluation to haue prechers and ministers of Goddes mooste holy worde to instructe vs in the true fayth and knowlege of God The seconde is that preachers must not runne to this hyghe honore before they be called therto but they muste be ordeyned and appoynted to this office and sent to vs by God For it is not possible to be saued or to please God without fayth no mā can truely beleue in God by his owne wytte for of oure selfes we knowe not what we shoulde beleue but we must nedes heare Gods woorde taught vs by other Agayne the teachers except thei be called and sent can not frutfully teache For the seede of Goddes wourde doeth neuer brynge forth fruyt onles the Lorde of the haruest do gyue increase and by hys holye spirite do wourke with the sower But God doeth not worke with the preacher whom he hathe not sente as saynct Paule sayeth Howe shall they preache yf they be not sent Wherfore it is requisite that preachers should be called and sent of god and they must preache according to the authoritie and commission of God graūted vnto them wherby they may strengthen mennes belefe and assure their consciences that God hath commaūded them to preache after this or that fashion For els euerie manne shoulde styll be in doubt and thinke after this sort Who knoweth whether thys be true whiche I heare the preacher saye who can tell whether God hath commaunded him to preach these thynges or no And in case he teacheth no thynge but truth yet I am not sure that God wyll wourke with me as the preacher promyseth Perchaunce these promises perteine to other and not to me These doubtes in the tyme of temptation might trouble mens myndes yf we were not assured that our Lorde Iesus Christ him selfe hathe both ordeyned and appointed ministers preachers to teache vs his holye wourde and to minister his sacramentes and also hath appoynted theym what they shall teache in his name and what they shall do vnto vs. Therfore he called them and sent them and gaue thē instructions what they should do and speake to vs in his name to the intente that we shoulde gyue sure credence vnto theyr wordes and beleue that god wyll worke with vs accordyng to his wordes by them spoken And he hath promised therfore y t what soeuer they shoulde bynde vpon earth shoulde be bounde in heauē whatsoeuer they shuld lose vpon earth shuld be losed in heauen also Wherfore good children to the intente you maye stedfastlye beleue all thinges whiche god by his ministers doeth teache and promise vnto you and so be saued by your fayth learne diligently I prai you by what wordes our lord Iesus Christ gaue this cōmissiō cōmaundemēt to his ministers reherse thē here worde for word that so you may print thē in your memories and recite them the better when you come home The wordes of Christ be these ¶ Our Lorde Iesus brethed on his Apostles sayd Receaue the holye gost whose synnes ye forgyue they are forgyuen vnto them And whose synnes you reserue they are reserued Now good childrē you shal employ your selfes not onely to reherse these wordes without boke but also to vnderstande