Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion, Dedication 2 – Sermons 3
TO THE MOST RENOVMED Prince Edward the ſixt, King of England and Fraunce, Lord of Ireland, Prince of Wales, and Cornewall, defender of the Chriſtian faith, Grace and peace from God the father, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
THE promiſe, that not long agoe I made to your moſt Royall Maieſtie, I doe nowe perfourme, offering here the other eight Sermons of the 4. Decade, which I dedicate vntounto your Royall Maieſtie, that of mee you may hauehave two Decades of Sermons full and wholie finiſhed. In March I ſent 12. Sermons vntounto you: which were fauourablie accepted of your Royall Maiestie as I vnderſtand by the letters of that Godly and worthy learned man maiſter I. Hooper, the moſt vigilant biſhop of Gloceſter, my brother & reuerend fellow father in Ieſus Chriſt. Who alſo by the commendation of your Royall M. goodwill to me ward hath hartened mee on, ſo that now, with farre more confidence and libertie than before, I ſend vntounto your Maieſtie this other part of my worke, entreating of moſt weightie and holy matters. In this my dedication I respect nothing elſe, but that, which I declared in my former Epiſtle, to witt, that I, according to the gift that the Lord hath indued me withall, may helpe forward and aduaunce the ſtate of Chriſtian religion, nowe againe happily ſpringing vp in the famous realme of England, by your Royall Maieſties good beginnings, and counſels of your worthy Nobles. All they of eueryevery nation, that is in Chriſtendome, whiche doe truely beleeue in Chriſt Ieſus, doe hartily reioyce on your Maie…ties behalfe, and the behalfe of your moſt flouriſhing kingdome for this renouation of true Religion, and do earnestly pray to Chriſt the Lord, that he will happily bring to a good end the thinge, that you in the feare of him hauehave happily begonne.
Your Royall Maieſtie verily hath aduentured vppon a woorke both very great and full of troubles: but he will neuer faile your Godly endeuoures, that ſayd, Behold I am Math. …Whether they that mind to reforme the Churches muſt ſtate to looke for the determinatiō of a coun….with you for euer vntounto the end of the world. And now alſo, euen as it hath beene alwayes from the firſt beginning of the Church, there are many letts and great impediments, that are obiect againſt moſt holy and wholeſome intentes, doing what they can to hinder and trouble the reformation of religion: and amonge other ſtoppes this is one of the greateſt, that no ſmall number, euē of the wiſeſt ſort do ſay, that there ought no ſuch haſt to be made vponupon priuate authoritie, but that the determination of the general coū ſell in controuerſies of religion muſt needs be ſtayed for, & altogether looked after, without the iudgement whereof, ſay they, it is not lawful for a kingdome, much leſſe for any other common weale to a…ter any one point in religion once receiued, and hetherto vſed. But the Prophets and Apoſtles do not ſend vsus to the counſels of prieſtes or elders, but to the word of God: yea in Ieremie we read, How ſay ye, we are wiſe, we hauehave the Ieremie. 8.law of the Lord among vsus? Truly the lying pen of the Scribes hauehave wrought a lye. The wiſe hauehave beene aſhamed, they were afraide & were taken. For loe they hauehave caſt out the word of the Lord. What wiſedome then can there bee amonge them? Againe in the Gospell we read, No man, that layeth his hand to the plough, and looketh backe, is fitt for the kingdome of God. Therefore the Luke. 9.authoritie of the Prophets and Euangeliſts giueth counſell, fully to abſolue and perfectly to end the reformation of religion once begon with the feare of God, out of, or by the word of God, and not to looke for or ſtay vppon counſels, which are directed, not by the word of God, but by the affections and motions of men.
For the late examples of ſome ages within the ſpace of theſe 400. laſt yeres or there What counſels hauehave beene in theſe latter age… celebrated.about do ſufficiently teach vsus, what we may looke for by the determinations of generall counſels. The cauſes of counſels of old were the corruption either of doctrine or elſe of the teachers, or elſe the ruine of Eccleſiaſticall diſcipline. And good and zealous men hauehave ſtrongly cryed nowe by the ſpace of 500. yeares and more, that there are crept into the Church ſuperſtitions, errours, & abuſes, that the ſalt of the earth is vnſauorie, that is, that the miniſters of the Churches are by ſlouth, ignorance, and wickedneſſe become vnſeaſonable, and that all diſcipline in the Church is fallen to ruine. Bernard Clareuallenſis, being one among many, is a notable witneſſe of the thing & cōdition. And for that cauſe there hauehave beene many counſels of prieſts celebrated, at the calling together of the biſhop of Rome, together with the mutuall ayde of many kinges and Princes. But what became of them, what was done in them, and what ſmall amendment or correction of doctrine, teachers, and diſcipline there was by them obteyned, the thinge it ſelfe (the more it is to be lamented) doth plainely declare. For the more that counſels were aſſembled, the more did ſuperſtition & errour preuaile in doctrine, abuſe in ceremoniall rites, pride, riot, couetouſneſſe, and all kinde of corruption in the teachers or prieſtes, & a foule blurring out of all honeſt diſcipline. For ſuch men were made preſidents of the counſels, as had neede firſt of all, themſelues either to be brought into a better order, or elſe to be vtterly excommunicate out of the congregation of the Saincts, & they being preſidents did in the counſels handle cauſes neither lawfull, nor lawfully. For the word of God had amonge them neither due authoritie nor dignitie, neither did they admitt to the examination and diſcuſſing of cauſes thoſe men, whom it was decent to hauehave chiefly admitted, but them whom they themſelues did thincke good to like off, & in them they ſought not the glorie of God, and the ſafegard of the Church, but ſought themſelues, that is, the glory and pleaſures of this tranſitorie world. Therfore in the holding of ſo many generall counſels we ſee no amendement or reformation in the Church obteined, but rather errours, abuſes, and the kingdome and tyrannie of the prieſtes confirmed & augmented.
And euen at this day, although we would wincke & not ſee it, yet we cannot chooſe What chriſtians at this day may looke for by general counſels.but euen with our hands feele, what we may looke and hope for in a generall counſell. There ſhall at this day no counſell hauehave any authoritie, vnleſſe it be lawefully (as they expound lawfully) called together. None ſeemeth to be lawfully called together, but that which the biſhop of Rome doth call together, & that which is holden according to the auncient cuſtome and lawes receiued, namely, that, wherin they alone do ſit, & hauehave, as they call it, deciding voyces, to whom power is permitted to determine & giuegive ſentence in the counſel, and to them, who ſhall thinke it an heynous crime, and directly contrary to the oth that is giuen them, to do once ſo much as thinke, much more to ſpeake any thing againſt the biſhop & ſea of Rome, againſt the decrees of the fathers, & conſtitutions of the counſels.
What therefore may you looke for in ſuch a counſell? That forſooth, which I tolde you that nowe by the ſpace of 400. yeares and more the afflicted Church of God, to the detriment of Godlineſſe hath ſeene and felt, namely, that the ſincere doctrine of Chriſt being trode vnderunder foote, and holy diſcipline vtterly oppreſſed, wee ſee that eueryevery day more and more with the great and intollerable tyrannie of the Sea and Church of Rome, there do increaſe and are confirmed vnſound and faultie doctrine, moſt filthie abuſes, and too too great licentiouſneſſe and wicked liuing of the priestes. They forſooth doe crie that it is an hereſie to accuſe the Pope of errour, in the chest of whoſe breaſt all heauenly doctrine is layed vp and conteined. They crie that all the decrees of the Apoſtolicall ſea muſt be receiued euen ſo, as if they were confirmed by the very voice of Peter himſelfe. They crie that it is a wicked thing to moue any controuerſie or to call into doubt the doctrine and Cermonies receiued & vſed in the Church of Rome, especially touching their Sacraments, whereof they to their aduauntage doe make ſilthie merchaundize. They crie that the Church of Rome hath power to iudge all men, but that no man hath any authoritie to iudge of her iudgement. There are in the decretals moſt euident canons that do ſet out and vrge theſe thinges, as I hauehave told them. Now what maner reformation ſhall we thincke that they are likely to admitte which ſtand ſo ſtiffely to the defence of theſe thinges? Truly they would rather that Chriſt with his Gospell, and the true Church his ſpouſe ſhould wholie periſh, thā they would depart one ynch from their decrees, rites, authorities, dignities, wealth, and pleaſures. They verily come into the counſell not to bee iudged of others, that they may amend thoſe things which euen their owne conſciences and all the world doe ſay would be amended, but they come to iudge and yoke all other men, to keepe ſtill their power and authoritie, and to ouerthrowe and take away whatſoeuer withſtandeth their luſt and tyrannie. For afore there were ſent out horrible thunders againſt the accuſers or aduerſaries of the Sea Apoſtolique, that is, of the Papiſticall corruption: after followed the hoat boltes of that thunder, euen ſentences definitiue of excommunication: the ſecular power hath nowe by the ſpace of 30. yeares and more beene called on, and perſecution hath beene eueryevery where rayſed vpp againſt guiltleſſe Chriſtians, not for committing heynous crimes and defending naughtineſſe, but for inueighing againſt miſchiefes and miſchiefous men, and for requiring the reformation of the Church: and yet euen at this day moſt cruell edicts are out, and crueltie is exerciſed eueryevery day more & more againſt them, that confeſſe the name of Chriſt: yea, ſuch is their impudencie & braſen-faced boldneſſe, they diſſemble not that the counſell, if any muſt be celebrated, ſhall be called for the rooting out of hereſies, yea they doe openly profeſſe, that the counſell once held at Trent, was to this end aſſembled. Nowe ſince theſe things more clearely than the ſunne are perceiued to be moſt true, thou ſhalt, moſt holy kinge. doe wiſely and religiouſly, if without looking for the determination of a generall counſell, thou ſhalt proceed to reforme the Churches in thy kingdome according to the rule of the bookes of both teſtaments, which we do rightly beleeue, being written by the inspiration of the holy Ghoſt, to be the very word of God.It is lawfull for enerie Chriſtian Church to reforme thinges out of order
But nowe that it is lawfull for eueryevery Chriſtian Church, much more for eueryevery notable Chriſtian kingdome, without the aduiſe of the Church of Rome and the members therof, in matters of religion depraued by them, wholie to make are formation according to the rule of Gods moſt holy word, it is therby manifeſt, becauſe Chriſtians are the congregation, the Church, or ſubiects of their king Chriſt, to whome they owe by all meanes moſt abſolute and perfect obedience, Now the Lord gaue his Church a charge of reformation: he commended vntounto it the ſound doctrine of the Gospell together with the lawfull vſe of his holy Sacraments: he alſo condemned all falſe doctrine, that I meane, that is contrarie to the Gospell: he damned the abuſe and prophanation of the Sacraments: and deliuered to vsus the true worſhip of God, & proſcribed the falſe: therefore Chriſtians obeying the Lawes & commaundements of their Prince do vtterly remoue or take away all ſuperſtition, and do reſtore, establiſh, and preſerue the true religion, according to the manner, that Chriſt their Prince appointed them. He verilie is a foole or a mad man, which ſayeth that the Church of Chriſt hath none authoritie to correcte ſuch errours, vicces, and abuſes as do daily creepe into it. And yet the Romiſh tyrannie hath ſo bewitched the eyes of many men, that they thincke that they cannot lawfully doe any thinge, but what it pleaſeth Rome to giuegive them leaue to doe. The Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories make mention of prouinciall Synods held in ſondrie prouinces, wherein there were handled matters of faith, and the reformation of the Churches, and yet no mention once made of the biſhop of Rome. What may be thought of that moreouer, that in certeine Synodes not heretical, but orthodoxaſticall and Catholique, thou mayeſt finde ſome that were excommunicated for appealing from their owne Churches vntounto the Church of Rome? Sainct Cyprian writing to Cornelius the biſhop of Rome doth ſay, Since that it is ordeined by vsus all, & that it is iuſt and right, that eueryevery mans cauſe ſhould be heard there, where the crime is committed, & that to eueryevery ſeueral paſtour is appointed a portion of the flocke, which eueryevery one muſt gouerne, & make accompt of his doings before the Lord, it is expedient verilie that thoſe, ouer whome we hauehave the charge, ſhould not gad to and fro, by that meanes with their ſubtile and deceiptfull petulancie to make the concord of biſhops to be at iarre, but to pleade their cauſes there, where they maye hauehave their accuſers preſent, and witneſſes of their crime committed. But letting paſſe the teſtimonies of men we do now come to the teſtimonies in the booke of God. The moſt holy king Ioſias Holie Kinge Ioſias.(moſt godly Prince) may alone in this caſe teach you what to do, and how to do with the warrant & authoritie of God himſelfe. He by the diligent reading of the holy booke of God, and by the contemplation of things preſent, and the manner of worſhipping God, that then was vſed, did vnderſtand that his aunceſtours did greatly & very farre erre from the plaine and ſimple truth, for which cauſe he calleth together the princes and other eſtates of his kingdome, together with all the prieſtes to hold and celebrate a counſell with them. In that counſell he ſtandeth not long disputing whether the examples of the elders ought rather to be followed, or Gods commuandement ſimplie receiued: whether he ought rather to beleeue the Church, or the Scripture: and whether all the iudgement of religion ought to be referred to the high prieſt. For laying abroade the booke of the Lawe, he ſubmitteth both himſelfe, and all his vntounto the Sacred Scripture. Out of the booke of the Lawe both he him ſelfe doth learne, & biddeth all his to learne, what thinge it is that pleaſeth God, namely, that which was commuanded and learned in the reading of the Lawe of God. And preſently hee gaue charge that all men ſhould doe and execute that, not hauing any regard to the auncient cuſtome, or to the Church that was at that time: he made all ſubiecte to the word of God. Which deede of his is ſo commended, that, next after Dauid, hee is preferred before all the kinges of Iuda and Iſrael.
Nowe your royall Maieſtie cannot followe any better or ſafer counſell than this, cō ſidering Faith cannot be refourmed but b… th…that it proceedeth from God, and that it is moſt fit for the cauſe which is euen nowe in hand. The diſputation is of the Reformation of Religion, and the true fayth of worde of God.Chriſt. You know that that doth ſpring from heauen, namely, that it is taught by the word of God, and powred into our hartes by the holy Ghoſt. For Paul ſayth: Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of Chriſt. Therefore as true fayth is not grounded vppon the word of man ſo is it not taught or planted by the ſame. For in an Rom. 10.other place the ſame Apoſtle ſayth: My preaching was not in the enticing words of mans wiſedome, but in the ſhewing of the ſpirite and of power, that your faith might not be in the wiſedome of man, but in the power of God. Not without good cauſe therefore doe we refuſe the traditions of men, and turne onelyonly to the 2. Cor. 2doctrine of the word of the Lord, without which it is aſſuredly certeine, that there is no doctrine nor any foundation of true fayth.
Neither are they worthie to be heard, who thincke that the Canonicall Scriptures are not plaine enough, full enoughe, or ſufficient enough, to miniſter a perfect platforme of reformation. They blaſpheme the ſpirite of God, imputing vntounto it obſcureneſſe & imperfection, The ſcriptures doe ſufficiently miniſter a full platforme howe to refourme the churchwhich faultes no prophane writer can well abide to heare off. Sainct Paule in defence of the trueth ſayth: All Scripture giuen by inſpiration of God is profitable to doctrine, to reproue, to correction, to inſtruction, which is in righteouſneſſe, that the man of God may be perfecte, inſtructed vntounto all good workes. What now I pray you is omitted in theſe woords, that may ſeeme to apperteine to a moſt abſolute reformation? What I beſeech you hauehave thoſe impudent fellowes to ſay againſt this? Proceed, therefore, proceed (moſt holy king) to imatate the moſt godly princes, and the infallible rule of the holy Scripture, proceed, I ſay, without ſtaying for mans authoritie, by the moſt true and abſolute inſtrument of trueth, the booke of Gods moſt holy word, to reforme the Church of Chriſt in thy moſt happie England. The Lord Ieſus, the head and mightie Prince of his Church, preſirue and lead thee his moſt faithfull worſhipper in the way of his trueth, vntill the end, to the glorie of his name, & the good eſtate and welfare of the whole Chriſtian Church. At Tigure, in the monethmonth of Auguſt, the yeare of our Lord 1550.
Your Royall Maieſties moſt duetifully bounden. Henrie Bullinger miniſter of the Church at Tigure in Swicerland.