Daily Sermons Upon Jonah, Title page 1 – Dedication 1
THE Lectures or daily Sermons, of that Reuerend Diuine, D. Iohn Caluine, Paſtor of the Church of God in Geneua, vponupon the Prophet Ionas, by N. B. Student in Diuinitie.
Whereunto is annexed an excellent expoſition of the two laſt Epistles of S. Iohn, done in Latin by that worthy doctor, Auguſt. Marlorate, and engliſhed by the ſame N.B.
Math. 12.39.
An euill and adulterous generation, ſeeketh a ſigne, but no ſigne ſhall be giuen vntounto it, ſaue that ſigne of the Prophet Ionas.
¶ Jmprinted at London for Edward White, dwellyng at the little North dore of Poules, at the ſigne of the Gunne. 1578.
¶ To the right honorable Sir Fraunces Walſingham knight, chiefe Secretary to the Queenes moſte excellent Maieſtie, and of her Highneſſe moſt Honorable priuie Counſell: And to the right worſhipful Sir Iohn Broket, of Broket Hall, and Sir Henrie Cocke, Knightes, N. B. Miniſter of the vvord of God in the towne of Ridborne, wiſheth grace and peace from God the father, through Ieſus Chriſt.
THE firſt view of this ſmall booke may mooue you right honorable Sir, to deeme the ſame of ſmall price if you meſure (as the common forte of men do) the inward excellency by the outward appearāce. Which thing I confeſſe, at the firſt did ſome thing ſtay me from either the publiſhing or the exhibiting therof vntounto anye manne: much leſſe durſt I preſume to preſent the ſame vntounto the ſight of anye honorable perſonage. But when I more deepely conſidered the wiſdome of godly men in our age, which iudge not the conſcience all together by the coate, nor the booke by the bynding, I then endeuored without caſting any moe doubtes, to make that common to others, which firſt I priuately red for mine owne commoditie. And truly if there be any thing that firſt moued me thereto, the ignoraunce together with the vanitie of many of our own people was one, who being vtterly vnskilfull of God and godlines, do yet apply their myndes to the vaine delightes of this flattering world, quite forgetting both the iuſtice of God which daily hangeth ouer them, and death which continually followeth and ſodainly ſtriketh them, yea, and eternall deſtruction which gapeth wide for them, and hopeth in the ende to ſwallow them. It grieued me to ſee what baites are layd for them by the world, death, and hell, (as pride of lyfe, and contempt of gods worde) of purpoſe to entangle both their ſoules and bodies. As touching pride of life, I nede not ſpeake much thereof, it is to manifeſt. What man …eeth it not?Eſai. 1. Mich. 3. Rom. 8. who is he almoſt that is not infected with it? what nation is voyde of it? doe not heauen and earth and all creatures grone and grieue at it? do not all good men bewayle it, preachers crye out of it, and God redy to puniſh it? yes verily. As for contempt of gods word, is it not in moſt places found. Are not the miniſters contemned, their preachings diſcredited, and their miniſtery ſkorned by papiſts and Ruffians, and olde cutters, called luſty and tall fellowes, who can ſweare out a matter at a pinch, and blaſpheme the ſacred name of God moſt horriblie? Are not prophane Comedies and tragedies (moſt of them beyng monſtrous lies) with great pompe celebrated, when the holy worde of God the foode of our ſoules (being preached) ought with reuerence to be heard?Amos. 8. Mat. 4. it is certainly true. We hauehave right honorable in many places the tables and tennis in ſteede of the Teſtament, the cardes in ſteede of the Catechiſme, the boules in ſteede of the Bible: yea and that more is, men think they hauehave made a very good change. We ſee ſome men beſtowe their time in writing, ſome in printing, and mo men in reading of vile & blaſphemous, or at leſt of prophan & friuolous bokes, ſuch as are that infamous legēd of K. Arthur (which with ſhame inough I heare to be newly imprinted) with the horrible actes of thoſe whoremaſters, Launcelot du Lake, Triſtram de Liones, Gareth of Orkney, Merlin, the lady of the Lake, with the vile and ſtinking ſtory of the Sangreal, of king Peleus, &c. ſome agayn ſtudy the liues of Huon of Burdeaux, and king Oberon, the king of the Fairies, of Valentine and Orſon, and the lady Cleremond, with the Iuggler Paccolet and king Trumpert, and the giant Ferragus: and the liues of the foure ſonnes of Aymon, with the worthy actes of Oliuer and Rouland, Guichard and Richard: ſome are expert in Beuis of Hampton that notable man, with the death of Boniface, Arundel and Trunchifice: ſome in the court of Venus, ſome in the Ieſtes of Skoggen the kinges dizzard: ſome in the ſubtleties of Howleglas, and Garagantua: ſome agayne (and to many) in the peſtilent pollicies of that Mahound Matchiauile: in the puddle of pleaſure, and Foliſt of hiſtories, and ſuch like, which doe manifeſtly ſhew that gods word is either ſhamefully neglected, or deſpitefully condemned. For if any good booke be writen, it lieth in the printers handes, ſmally regarded, ſeldome enquired after: ſo that the printer is ſcarce paied for the paper that goeth to the booke. And this maketh many printers which ſeeketh after gaynes, to take in hande rather thoſe thinges that are profitable to the purſe (though thei be ridiculous) & ſo ſatiſfie mens humors, then to printe without profite thoſe bookes that be godly: which being once printed, ſerue for nothing els but for waſte paper, acceptable to very few. It could not therefore but grieue me, to ſee thoſe enemies of mankinde, the World, Death, and Hell, ſo preuaile by their flattering illuſions, that they hauehave drawen after them the moſt parte of the people at this day, yea and ſought in time paſt, euen in my yongeſt yeres, to hauehave taken me in thoſe their nettes together for company. Whereupon,Ephe. 6. I determined amongeſt others, to geue them one blow more with the ſword of the ſpirit, the word of God, according to my duty, calling, & profeſſion, and to ring the Alarum bel together, with al godly preachers, vntounto our ſleepie country men, aduertiſing them of the approching of our deadly foes long agoe deſcried by the ſermons and writinges of the Martirs. Once before this time I attempted by mine own booke lately publiſhed, to abandone the ſecuritie of this our nation: the Lord graunt that it hath any thing awaked them. But now the ſecond tyme I hauehave cauſed that Diuine Doctor of the Church, Iohn Caluine, the Lordes vigilant watchman, euen in our owne tongue to ſound the trumpe, if by this meanes eyther he or I may geue them warning before their fall, to eſchew theſe baytes of wily Sathan, who knoweth whether the Lorde by this meanes wil open the eyes of ſome men to ſee their owne ſinnes and to be ſory for the ſame? But if they be neuer the better, but rather the blynder, my conſcience is diſcharged, and theſe few lines ſhalbe vntounto their conſciences a witneſſe, that they are from henceforth with out excuſe before the throne of God: And I feare there will bee denounced agaynſt them the iudgementes of God,The things that may in this booke be founde. that it ſhall be more eaſie for the land of Catha…a at the laſt day, then for them. For in this diſcourſe they might ſee:
Firſt, the ſinnes of Niniueh, and in it their own ſinnes. 2 Againe, the mercy of God in ſending Ionas vntounto the Niniuites, being haynous offenders, and thereby ſee that the Lord is alſo mercifull vntounto themſelues, that he warneth them of their fall by his preachers.
3 Then the diſobedience of Ionas and his puniſhment,To what end God puniſheth his Childrē. and thereby may they ſee a liuely image of the fall of Gods children vntounto ſinne, and Gods iuſtice euen vponupon his ſeruauntes, to the ende to reclaime them, and not to condemne them.
4 Alſo they might ſee here the working of gods ſpirite in Ionas, being in the bottom of the ſea, and his deliuery, and thereby might they learne, that God by puniſhing his ſeruantes, maketh them more ſtrong, and trieth their faith, and when they cry vntounto him, he deliuereth them out of all their troubles.
5 And ſo agayne might they ſee how ſeuerely Ionas preached vntounto the Niniuites, (hauing no commiſſion to entreat of Gods mercy vntounto them) and yet that kind of preaching wrought in them repentaunce, beyng the very ende why God ſent Ionas vntounto them (although Ionas conſidered it not) and alſo gods mercy in pardoning their ſinnes. And by this might they learne, that though God ſpeake angerly vntounto vsus, yet he neuer ſpeaketh ſo, but for our profit, and will ſurely pardon our iniquities, if we from the hart repent vsus of the ſame.
Laſtly they might ſee how Ionas beyng once forgeuen, yet eftſoone offended more grieuously, yea, and murmured agaynſt God, and yet God vanquiſhed him with reaſon, and of his great mercy forgaue him alſo that his ſinne. And by this might they learn how fraile the children of God are, if they be not ſtill gouerned by gods ſpirite, and how mercifull God is vntounto thoſe that be his, with many other things moſt neceſſary for all men. If they therefore neglect or contemne theſe things, let them know that they neglect the very word of the lord and their ſaluation, and ſo purchaſe to them ſelues eternall death. The lord therefore for his mercy ſake, heale their blinde eyes, and helpe their vnbeliefe. Now right honorable, if I be asked what mooued me to dedicate theſe my labours vntounto you: I muſt needes anſwer that the ſweete and comfortable matter therein conteyned, (whereof I know your honour will be a willing partaker) and the good liking that you hauehave had alwayes of M. Caluines workes, together with my duetifull remembraunce of your honours friendſhip to me ſometyme ſhewed, would hauehave forced me (if I had bene of my ſelfe vnwilling) humbly to hauehave ſubmitted this worke vntounto your honourable tuition (being the Lectures of M. Caluine moſt nere his ſermons) vponupon the prophet Ionas, by me now (at the earneſt ſute of ſome of my dere friendes) turned into our Engliſh tonge. The gift I confeſſe is but ſmall, but I deſire your honour to accept it in good part, as the gift of him that remaineth ſtill (notwithſtanding this) bound vntounto you. And as touching you, right worſhipfull knightes and Chriſtian gentlemen, many cauſes there be, why you alſo ſhoulde be partakers of theſe fruitefull ſermons or lectures. The one is to the ende, that ſith the moſte parte of you hauehave hearde my lectures or readinge vppon Ioſua, Daniell, Ionas and Malachie you might alſo by readinge this booke, call to remembraunce, to youre comfortes, ſome of the thinges which then you hearde at my mouthe. Another cauſe is, that excellent doctrine of the prophet Ionas not vnmeete for your callinges: and agayne the great ſtudie which you hauehave to further and promoote the glory of god: And further your manifoulde frinſhipes vntounto me declared at ſundry times, as wel in defending the trueth by me vttered, & in ſtudiyng to benefit me both in your wordes and deedes, as alſo your daylie deſires to doe me good, as wel openly to me proteſted as ſecretly intended, I omitte now other cauſes contentinge my ſelfe with theſe fewe, which certainelie ought to binde any Chriſtian that knoweth you, and is like eaſe bound vntounto you as am I, (and againe is of abilitie) to dedicate his laboures vntounto you alone▪ which thoughe I hauehave not donne, yet am I parſwaded that you will (according to your good natures) take the matter well, as it was by me mente, to this ende, that ſithe you are ioyned together in this worke with a man of honor (whom I know both you louelove & honor in the Lord) you wil alſo ioyne together with him in folowing the goſpel, and defending the ſame, at al times when it ſhal hauehave neede, & alſo make accounte of me to be alwayes redie, when the Lorde ſhall geue me occaſion, to teſtifie with all humilitie and reuerence of your worſhipfull good willes, vntounto me ſhewed, as well in other of my workes, as in this. Thus therefore Right honorable and worſhipfull, for this time I ende, making my praiers vntounto God for you, that as he hath by his prouidence cauſed your names by me his ſeruant to be mentioned in the preface to this one booke, ſo he will alſo vouchſafe, to linke you all together in perfect frinſhip the bonde of perfection, and increaſe his graces in you, mainetaine your eſtates and bliſſe your callinges, houlde vp your houſes and aduance your ſeates in this Iſrael of god, to the benifit of the church, to the ioye of the Queenes moſt excellence maieſtie; (who as god longe continewe amoungſt vsus) to the terror of the wicked, and the encoraging of the godlie, and finally to your owne eternall comfortes Amen. From my houſe in Ridborn this 22. of Ianuarie. 1577▪
Your Honors and Worſhips moſt humble in the Lorde Chriſt. Nath. Baxterus.