Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 91
On Wednesday the xxiij. of October. 1555. The XCj. Sermon, which is the second vponupon the fourteenth Chapter.
21 Ye shal not eat of anie dead bodie, but thou shalt giuegive it to the Straunger that is within thy gates, that he may eat it: or else thou shalt sell it to a straunger: For thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seeth a kidde in his dammes milke.
22 Thou shalt giuegive the tenth of all the increase of thy seede which groweth yeerely on thy Land:
23 And in the place which the Lorde thy GOD will choose to put his name in, thou shalt eate before him the tythe of thy grayne, and of thy wine, and of thine oyle, and the first borne of thy kine, and of thy sheepe, that thou maist learne to feare the Lord thy God alwayes.
YEsterday I tould you the cause why God forbad the people of olde time to eate of some certaine kindes of meats. For in as much as we be fed & sustained by his hand, it is good reason yt we should vse his creatures purely, and that we should hauehave leaue of him, so as eueryevery man take not leaue to doe what he listeth, but what Gods word permitteth vsus to doe. Therewtall I shewed also, yt although the ceremonie be no more vsed nowadayes, nor we any more bound thereto as the fathers of old time were which liued vnderunder the law: yet notwithstanding the doctrine thereof ceasseth not to be profitable for vsus. And hereby we be doone to vnderstand, that it is not lawfull for vsus to eate or drinke without faith, (as S. Paul speaketh of it in the xiiii. to the Romanes) that is to say,… 14.23. vnlesse we be sure that God giueth vsus the thinges which wee receiue for our sustenaunce, as if a father shoulde feede his children. On the other side, wee hauehave farre greater libertie nowadayes, than was vnderunder the Lawe. Wee see how liberall GOD is towardes vsus: and wee hauehave the more cause to yeeld him thankes. Moreouer the thing that was set downe in figures to the Iewes in olde tyme, is vttered as nowe vntounto vsus without figure: that is to say, that in all cases & all respects we must bridle our selues, so as we medle not wt the defilements of ye vnbeleeuers, but separate our selues from them, seeing yt our Lord hath gathered vsus into his flock and sheepefold. And this figure of the old time, is a warning for vsus nowadayes. For although we be no more bound to the keeping of it; yet notwt standing it ought to moue vsus ye more to serue our god purely, sith we see he hath giuen vsus a greater priuiledge than he gaue to ye Patriarkes & Prophets. After ye self same maner is it wt the things yt Moses addeth here. For yesterday he treated of the meats yt were foule and vncleane in those dayes. And hee sorted them into their seuerall kindes. You shal eate of such beastes, sayd he: but in any wise beware yt ye touch no swine, nor any such like things. Nowe he treateth of strangled meats, as of flesh yt dieth alone wtout killing and wtout letting of it bloud. And no doubt but yt his setting downe of this, is to shew that in so doing there is a double abhomination according to ye lawe. For first & formost when a beast died so alone of it self, it was vnholy aforehand, & the very only touching of it was able to make a mā vncleane. And yt was the cause why God did so forbid his people to eate therof. Again, the bloud of it was setled in it, & we hauehave seene already how it was not lawful for ye Iewes to eate bloud, & that was bicause yt in the bloud wee hauehave as it were a liuely image of ye soule & of the life: & Gods meaning was to teach his people to abstaine frō all crueltie. And hereof we hauehave ye reason expressed in Genesis,Gen. 9.4.6. at such time as Noe and his ofspring were forbidden to eate bloud; where it is added yt we must spare men, bicause a man is ye image of God, & whosoeuer doeth any outrage vntounto him, shal not scape vnpunished. Now then, Gods care was not for the beasts when he forbad ye Iewes ye eating of their bloud: but his intent was to teach them by yt meanes to abstaine from all crueltie, so as they should be loth to do any outrage, and specially any murther. But as for vsus in these days we bee not in such bondage.Col. 2.14. For our Lord Iesus Christ hath freed vsus by his death and passion. Neuerthelesse, howsoeuer we fare, ye groundwork abideth still; so as a man may forbid a little child to handle a knife, least he should hurt himselfe wt it: and yet an elder body also is to be foresended from hurting of himselfe, wheras yet notwithstā ding, the handling of a knife were not euill for a child but in respect aforesaid.Gal. 4.1. And therfore God who tooke ye Iewes as little children, forbad thē streitly the things yt are permitted vsus at this day. Howbeit, the finall end is all one both to them & vsus: insomuch that we must consider, that if Gods wil was to hauehave the Iewes kindharted, & to know yt the shedding of bloud is a detestable thing: the same ought also to be regarded of vsus at this day, although the figure therof be abolished. True it is (as wee reade in ye xv. of the Actes) yt the Apostles forbad ye Gentils to eate bloud or any thing that is strangled:Act 15.20.21. but yt was not for any sin yt was in so doing. It was to auoide occasion of offence, bicause (as it is there alleaged) Moses was read openly, & the law was published abrode in all Cities, so as they heard it there forbidden. The Iewes could not abide at ye first, to see them eate bloud, which named themselues Christians: for yt was a lothsome thing to them. Therefore men were faine for a time to forbeare ye libertie that God giueth nowadayes to al the faithfull, accordingly as S. Paul speaketh therof,1. Cor. 6.12 & 10.23. saying that the things which are lawfull for vsus are not alwayes expedient: for they edifie not. We hauehave in deede our consciences free before God: but yet if I see my brother offended, it behoueth me to beare wt him, if his so doing be through infirmitie, and in any wise I must hauehave a consideration, whether a man be already throughly instructed in the faith or no. The intent of the Apostles then was not to make a grounded law wherewith to tie mens consciences, & to hold thē in bondage: but only to auoide al occasion of causing folk to stumble. But this hath bin ill marked of a great sort of ignorant persons. For they hauehave thought it to bee deadly sinne to eate ye bloud of any beast, as wee see it mainteined still at this day: and that was a foolish & beastly superstition. For (as I said afore) our Lord Iesus Christ hath cancelled the obligation of the Lawe of Moses, so as we be no more bound vntounto it.Col. 2.14. But yet for all that, it behooueth vsus to liue in concord one with another, and to hauehave a regarde what our neighbours are able to beare. There is not the like reason for vsus noweadayes to forbeare the eating of fleshe vppon frydayes: for it is a meere deuotion, and it was forged and inuented without any likely hoode of reason, yea and it was matched with a kinde of Idolatrie, for as much as the Papistes hauehave surmised themselues to serue God by that meanes in forbearing to eat fleshe vponupon certaine daies, which was too grosse a folly. Neuerthelesse, if a christenman shold come among the Papistes, and goe about to teache them that are yet altogether blinded, the point yt he should begin at, must not bee the eating of flesh vponupon frydayes, for that would scare them quite away; bicause they neuer heard that it is lawful to do it, and therfore could neuer conceiue the truth of it, and besides that they should see him go about to breake a law which they take to be most holy, without informing them of the true meaning of the whole. Such dealing therfore should be contrary to Gods meaning, and to Christen liberty. And therefore order and measure are to bee obserued in those cases. But by the way, let vsus remember that wee hauehave cause to giuegive thankes to our God, for exempting vsus from ye bondage that our fathers were subiect to vnderunder the law: & that we must also benefite our selues by those figures, by learning to liue friendly with our neighbors, abhorring all murthers and outrages, not onelyonly actual murthers but also hatred, which is likewise condemned for murther before God, though it be neuer so secret and close kept, as saith S. Iohn.1. Ioh. 3.15. That is the thing which we hauehave to note when it is sayd vntounto vsus that God vttereth his will without any shadow, and not in darke speeches as he did to the fathers, but as one that speaketh with open mouth: and therefore let vsus hold our selues contented therewith.
Now after this commaundement, Moses addeth that wee must not seeth a Kidde in his dammes Milke: but woorde for woorde, it is but in Milke. It hath beene commonly vnderstoode, that a man shoulde not seeth a Kid in his dāmes milke, or make sawce with Goates milke to eate Kiddes fleshe withall. And thereuppon, the Iewes (who will needes bee alwayes adding of somewhat to the pure worde of God) hauehave made a Lawe that it shoulde not bee lawfull for a man to eate cheese made of Goates milke after he had eaten kiddes flesh, vntill he had first well scoured and washed his teeth, for to their seeming, that woulde hauehave bin a defiling of the man. But when al things are wel considered, the meaning of this text is yt men shoulde not rost a kid as soone as he were new yeaned, but yt they should let it sucke for a time, yt it might be flesh meete to bee eaten. And this was doone to the ende that folke should not inure themselues so much to the following of their owne appetites, as to fall into any beastly crueltie: for from the one, men come to the other. Let vsus alwayes beare in minde howe it was declared yesterday, that GOD was well willing to giuegive his people leaue to eate of all maner of good & conuenient meates, sauing that he meant to holde them in awe for the trial of their obedience, and yet notwithstanding ment not onelyonly to set them downe some order of diet or fare like a Phisition. For it were too grosse an imagination to thinke that God prouided but onelyonly for the diseases of his people, as though all his Ceremonies had tended but to the feeding of their bodyes. For the putting hereof among the olde figures and shadowes was not for nought. Then let vsus conclude that God had a further regarde when he forbad the eating of a kidde in his dammes milke. And in deede we see how in another place hee forbiddeth men to catch an olde birde sitting vponupon her yong ones,Deut. 12.6▪ for it is a kind of crueltie. If a man finde a nest of Partridges or other birdes, and catch the dam sitting vponupon the yong; God condemneth it, that is to say, he condemned it in olde tyme in the Lawe among the Ceremonies. And why so? Bycause it is against nature. For wee see howe the seely birdes are so carefull for their young, that the damme will rather starue than forsake them. Whereby wee bee put in minde to doe the like. Seeing then that the seelie birds, to discharge their naturall duetie, doe forget themselues so farre that they passe not what miserie they indure, no… what care they take for the cheerishing of their yong ones, in so much as they suffer themselues to bee taken with hand, and yeeld themselues as it were into bondage for them: were it not an acte of extreme crueltie for a man to goe kill them? Good cause therefore had God to forbid it, to shewe that men ought not to passe their bounds, and take leaue to doe what they list, but to restraine themselues to some kind of humanitie. And so whereas in this text God forbiddeth men to eate a kid in his dams milke; it is as much to say, as men ought not to deuour a yong beast as soone as it is come into ye world, vntill it hauehave sucked a time: neither can the flesh of it be kindly and good to eate. Nay, moreouer it importeth a kind of barbarous ouerfiercenes, when mē are so greedie yt they will needs take the beastes at the first fal of them, and not tarie till they may come to their full season to be eaten, as some hauehave bin seene to be so beastly, yt they hauehave ripped ye dame bellyes to take out the yong ones. It hath beene seen that a glutton hath not bin contented with the creatures which God hath brought forth into the world, but he must also go rip vp a Hinde to hauehave the Calfe for the satisfying of his appetite. It is sayde that the earth is full of infinite riches,Psal. 15.5. and yt god hath powred out such treasures as are able to amase vsus: & yet for al yt ye see how some man wil play the detestable monster. Whē he hath pāpered his belly with ordinarie foode, he fals to deuising I wote not what: in so much yt if it were possible he wold create a new world, to feede his paunch wtal. And although he be not able to make a flie, yet falleth he to imagining, I wil go slit a Hinde or a Doe, and take out ye vntimely fruit out of her belly to feed vponupon. And is not yt too great a wickednesse? No doubt but that such desires hauehave beene in all ages; but behold, God telleth vsus that wee must vse such temperance and sobernesse in our dyet, as wee may alwayes hauehave a regard to the mainteining of humanitie. Wee must prescribe a rule our selues, and our eating and drinking must not bee so barbarous, that it should be a meane to harden our hartes & make vsus to forgo all humanitie, which is a thing diuers times quite forgotten; but that we should liue together in good quietnes, & abstaine from all iniurie and euill dealing.
And as touching the Ceremony wherof I am to speake, which the Iewes obserue and whereof they hauehave made a very solemne law: we see therby how the world will needes pay God alwayes with petie trifles. And yt is it from whence such superstition is come. It is all one with that which we hauehave seene heeretofore, where God forbad his people to disfigure themselues at the death of any of their friendes. But the Iewes considering not to what end such prohibition was set downe: obserued it according to the letter. Well then, they must not disfigure themselues: but yet they had not an eye to gods meaning, which is yt men ouershoot themselues too far in making too much sorrowe at ye deceassse of their friends, tormenting themselues wtout measure, blaspheming the name of God, and fretting inwardly. And therfore God intended to represse such corruption. Yea and as though mens sins prouoked not Gods wrath sufficiently of themselues: they thinke it not ynough to be impatient, but they do also prouoke themselues to it still more & more. For we see there is no measure in mens sorrowing, but they inforce themselues to weepe, and doe many other thinges to increase their greefe and heauinesse, kindling the fire still more and more, which is great ynough already of it selfe. After the same maner deale they in all other thinges. But what doe the Iewes still in this behalfe? They may not disfigure themselues: but in the meane while they rend their garmentes. And so the meaning of the Lawmaker, which was simple, is disfeated. For to their seeming, when a friend of theirs is dead, they must not be without sorrowe for him, for that were a dishonouring of him, and therefore they must rend their garmentes for him. And besides that, they must make such Countenances, and such Ceremonies, so as they must not eate that day in their owne houses, but spend that day abrode in mourning, and in doeing this and that. When they hauehave finished a hundred pelting toyes, they beare themselues in hand that they hauehave wel pacified God; and yet notwithstanding that they may dispise him all their life long. And heerein we see as in a lookingglasse, how greatly our nature is inclined to superstition; and secondly that alwayes we will needes hauehave ceremonies to content God withall, and to discharge our dewties towardes him. Our nature (I say) is so bent to superstition, that if God forbid a thing, in deede wee dare not doe it with intent to resist him, but wee seeke some other byway, so as GOD shall bee disappointed, and neuer hauehave the thing that hee demaundeth. As for example, the Christians which beare that name, take not vponupon them the very superstitions of ye Idolaters as they terme them; but yet they followe the selfe same in deede with a little disguising of them, and so they beare themselues in hande that god espies them not at all. The Idolaters caryed bread and drinke to the graues of the dead, bearing themselues in hand that the soules were fed therewith; and they caryed thither lightes to the intent to glad them. Nowe the Papistes hauehave thought this to be too great an absurditie. But what for that? They offer vp bread, & wine, and candles, and monie at their Masses; and the soules departed (say they) shall finde releefe by it. Verily if it bee replyed that the superstition of the Papistes is not all one with the superstition of the heathen: in deede there is some difference betwixt them. But to what ende do they so, but to content GOD with some newe exchaunge? For (as I sayde) it is a thing rooted in mans nature. And wee ought to marke it well: for wee woulde soone fall into it, if wee were not restrayned by Gods woorde, as by a short and rough brydle. And all commeth from out of this spring, that wee will not serue GOD as he requireth, but by a sorte of Ceremonies I wote not what. And when wee hauehave once made some shewe of deuotion; wee beare our selues in hand that he is well appeased, and that he ought not to presse vsus any further. And thus ye see that the cause why men in all ages hauehave toyled themselues so much in the seruing of God, and hauehave inuented so many trifling things: is that they will needes paye him in such coyne, bicause they were loath to deale vprightly and faythfully with him. God requireth our hearts:1. Sam. 16.7. & if he possesse not them, al the rest is nothing worth. Now we bee full of hypocrisie, and wee bee not willing to discouer our backnookes which are full of dissimulation, malice, and rebellion, but would alwayes keepe them still to our selues. And yet in the meane season wee pretend a maruelous holynesse with our eyes, our feete, and our handes. Therefore let vsus learne that this mischeefe hath reigned in all ages, to the intent we may rid our selues of it; and let vsus assure our selues that God will not be serued at our handes by outwarde Ceremonies. True it is that all our whole life ought to beare witnesse that the feare of him is well rooted in our hartes.Iames 2.17. Faith is a dead thing if it vtter not it selfe by good fruites. Moreouer if we intend to hauehave our seruice accepted of God, let vsus assure our selues that we must begin at the soundnesse of hart, and that all Ceremonies are to no purpose, except they shewe yt our hart is right, pure, and vnfeined. Thus much concerning the superstition and abuse ye reigned among the Iewes and still reigneth at this present.
We must alwayes come backe to this saying of our Lorde, that the thinges which goe into a mans mouth defile him not, but the thinges that come out at his mouth, as all maner of wicked affections. One is full of ambition and pride, another burneth in couetousnesse, and a third practiseth spitefullnesse and treason. EueryEvery man hath his vice himselfe, so as one is a glutton and another is a whoremonger. These are the things that infect the man, yea and they infect the whole world. Therefore let vsus learne to clense our selues from all such filthinesse: and as for Ceremonies, let vsus knowe that wee ought to vse them so farre foorth as God requireth them for the vttering of our faith: but yet must we vse them simply, and not bee wedded too much to them. For wee see that the deuill will by and by hauehave a towell ready to blindfould our eyes withall, so as wee shall no more consider the principall, but forget it vtterly and abuse our selues to thinges of nothing. To the intent then that we may not hauehave our eyes so bleared; let vsus follow God that way which hee calleth vsus: that is, to serue him in all purenesse.
And now as touching the principall point of this sentence, where it is said that a kid must bee eaten in his dammes milke: let vsus vnderstand that God will hauehave vsus to vse honestie and sobernesse in our eating and drinking: that is the thing in effect, which wee hauehave to remember in that text. Truely as touching the figure, we be no more tyed to it, as I hauehave said afore: but as for Gods meaning, that is durable. When men doe giuegive themselues to their leawde and outrageous appetites, it is all one as though they ment to ouerthrow the order of nature. Yee see how drunkardes (when they bee so full that they be ready to burst) doe inuent such shamefull thinges, that an honest man would bee ready to cast vp his stomacke to heare the things spoken of which those swine doe. When they be as full as their skinnes can holde, they whet their stomacks, & take shooinghornes (as they term thē) to drawe on a cup of wine, and such other like things, so as wee may see that men cannot content themselues with any measure; but although God shewe himselfe liberall towardes them, yet notwithstanding they wil needs follow their inordinate lustes still, declaring yt their desires are vnsatiable, & neuer at rest, till they hauehave brought themselues to shameful disorder, without regard of any modestie. Sith we see such things, we may well perceyue howe it is not without cause that God hath warned the Iewes to vse a kind of honestie in their liuing and feeding: which thing belōgeth much more to vsus at this day. Although we hauehave not the Ceremonie any more; yet will God hauehave vsus to liue honestly, & to vse a sobrietie in our eating & drinking, so as we may alway lift vp our eyes & say, Lord, we hauehave receiued foode at thy hand, & we know yt thou shewest thy selfe a father towards vsus. But if we make a hotchpotch of al things wtout discretion, surely it is no taking of them as at Gods hand, but wee shall finde at the last, that we rauened them vp like beastes. And therfore let vsus learne to refraine our selues. Thus wee see howe the doctrine that is conteyned heere, is not vnnecessarie at this day, so wee can applie it duely, and with discretion of the holy Ghost to our instruction.
Now after this, he sayth concerning beasts that are strangled, and are dead in their bloud; that they shoulde giuegive them to straungers or else sell them. It seemeth heere at the first sight, that God should as well condemne those beastes for the straungers as for the Iewes. For if it be not lawfull for me my selfe to doe a thing; why should I bee an occasion to my neighbour to doe it? Am I not giltie of sinne in so doing? Here we hauehave to consider the reason that Moses addeth: Thou art a People holy vntounto thy God. Heere he sheweth that God had shooled out ye Iewes from all other nations of the earth, and therefore hee would not hauehave them to defile themselues with any kind of meate. Now if it be demaunded, and why then had they leaue to selor giuegive the things to strangers, which were abhominable as in respect of themselues? The reason is this: That god hauing named the beasts which he would hauehave his people to eate of, did leaue all beastes without difference for all other men to feede on which were not instructed in his Law. True it is that he had forbidden al mankind to eate the bloud of any thing, and consequently to eate of any beast that was strangled or died alone. But the most part of the world was already gone astraye, so as they knew not the law any more, & we see how yt euen in the life of Noe, his posteritie intangled themselues in a nomber of superstitious & Idolatries,Gen. 11.… 12.1. and had forgotten god who had preserued them so wonderfully: so as there was no more but the linage of Sem, which was but a very small portion, that held themselues to any purenesse in the seruing of God. By reason wherof ye whole world grew into such a licentious liberty, that all was mard. God therefore reserueth a people to himselfe, & bringeth them backe to the first law, saying. Seeing I tel you that I hauehave chosen you to be my houshould: I set you downe a speciall order, yt you may hauehave my badge wherby to be knowne from al ye vnbeleeuers of the earth. After yt maner doth god deale. But men runne gadding on their own head, & follow alwaies their own affections, & cānot find in their harts to submit themselues simply to Gods law as he requireth. Truely the thing of it selfe were not euill, if there had bin no law against it. And this law was giuen to ye Iewes, for the two reasons which I hauehave alleaged afore. The first was for the tryall of their obedience, yt they should shew themselues to be subiect vntounto God. And the second was, yt thereby they might be quickned vp to keepe themselues from al corruption. But as for the heathen, they might hauehave eaten of all meates, so they had acknowledged the giuer of them and the creator that had made all thinges to their vse, worshipping him purely and abstaining from al cruelty & outrage: but they liued in ye world like beastes. They had in deede a kinde of Imagination that there was one God; & they forged a great nomber of gods: and yet for all that while eueryevery man had an Idoll by himselfe, the liuing God was forsaken of all men. For as much then as the heathen had not the Law appointed vntounto them: the Iewes might well leaue those kind of meates vntounto them.
And verily therby they were done to vnderstand, yt the thing of it selfe was not euill. Seeing yt God gaue them leaue to sel or giuegive vntounto ye heathen the flesh of such things as were not ordinarily slaine; thereby they might perceiue how it behoued them to looke yet further. And why so? As touching murther, bicause it is forbidden of it self, if it be not lawfull for me to kill a man, neither is it lawfull for mee to lend a sworde to kill him withall, nor to vse any maner of treacherie. Now then, in things yt God condemneth of thē selues, & which are euil of thēselues: it is certaine yt all men ought not onelyonly to abstaine frō them, but also to beware yt he giuegive not any occasion to any other body to do thē. And so it is to be concluded, yt sith the Iewes might without offending God giuegive or sel the flesh of strangled beasts: God shewed thereby▪ that ye thing of it self was not euil; & that his forbidding of it was but to hold thē vnderunder awe, & thereby to leade them yet further, intending to make thē vnderstand, yt they ought to liue in al maner of purenes, bicause they were a holy people. This is yt which we hauehave to remē ber vponupon this place. Nowe, whereas he speaketh here of straungers, he meaneth all the heathen which were not of ye line of Abraham, as if we in these dayes should speake of ye Turks & Sarazins, wee might say they hauehave no fellowship wt vsus bicause they weare not ye badge of Baptisme, and despise ye God whom we worship. For Gods lawe speaketh to all men alike, at leastwise the morall lawe as they terme it, that is to say, the lawe yt ruleth our life: but the lawe yt belongeth to ye Gospel, speaketh to none but to ye Church of God. As for example ye Turkes and the Sarazins hauehave not to do with the supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ, neither can they any skill of Baptisme. True it is that they hauehave washinges, and they wash themselues oft ynough: but al yt euer they hauehave is no better than ye holywater of the Papistes. As for ye thinges yt are peculiar to vsus, & which God hath giuen to vsus as to his children and houshold folk, those belong not to such as are altogether estraunged from ye Church, & the holy scripture. And therefore let vsus marke well, yt whereas God doth here giuegive the heathen leaue to eate al maner of meats: it is bicause he was not so gratious to them, as to giuegive them the instruction that was peculiar to ye children of Abraham, & to the holy linage which he had chosen from ye whole world. Nowe notwithstanding all this, if the Iewes had complained yt God held them in more subiection than he did the heathen, and yt their owne estate was worse than theirs: might we not say yt it were too great an vnthankfulnes? If a Iewe should say, How nowe? Seeing yt God hath chosen vsus for his children, why doth he not giuegive vsus as great libertie at the least, as he hath giuen to those that belong not vntounto him? Is it meete yt we should be inferiour to them? If a Iew should speake after that maner, we would be his iudges, and eueryevery of vsus would say, fie on him wretch, he sheweth himself too too vnhonest & churlish. For seing yt god hath chosen them for his people, & instructed them in his pure doctrine: should they finde fault with him for his holding of thē vnderunder ye obedience of his law? But nowe let vsus apply this to our selues. For in as much as God hath gathered vsus togither into his house; he wil hauehave vsus to walk more carefully and warely, than the sillie ignoraunt soules that are strayed from the way of Saluation. If wee say that that were too rough and seuere a dealing; wee our selues are too vnthankefull. It is said that we must liue as childrē of the light:1. Thess. 5.6 & no maruaile it is though such as hauehave not learned Gods word do stut and stumble, & go astray; for they be like blinde wretches in the darke.Psal. 119.104. Eph 1.17.18 & 5.17. But wee hauehave Gods worde, which is as a lampe to giuegive vsus lyght, and again we hauehave beene inlightened by the holy Ghost, so as wee knowe the will of God. And shall wee nowe runne astray as though wee had neuer knowen any good doctrine? Nowe then whereas God hath tyed vsus shorter than he hath tyed the ignorant; if we thereupon wil needes shake off his yoke and fall to checking at him, as though wee had leuer to hauehave the licentious libertie of the vnbeleeuers, than to bee held vnderunder the obedience of God our father: we were worthie to bee rooted out of the world. For it were too great a defacing of Gods gracious goodnesse, to doe so, when GOD hath chosen vsus to himselfe and giuen vsus his badge, as if hee should say, I wil raigne among you, let it appeare that yee hauehave beene in my schoole, let not my shewing of my selfe to hauehave beene your father and Sauiour bee in vaine. So then, let vsus marke well, that whereas God calleth vsus vntounto him, it is with this condition, that wee shoulde not liue any more after the manner of the ignorant wretches which woote not howe to order their conuersation: for they doe followe their owne beastly lustes. It is ynough (saieth Saint Peter speaking to the heathen that had beene conuerted to the beleefe of the Gospell,1. Pet. 4.3.) it is ynough (saith hee) that yee hauehave done heeretofore, ye hauehave giuen too much heede to your wicked affections already, see that none of you take such licentious libertie any more, but submit your selues to Gods yoke; and sith it is gods wil to hauehave the gouernment of you, suffer your selues to be guided by his hand, and obey his worde in all thinges, vtterly forsaking your owne wicked lustes.
Nowe then, whereas in these dayes we see the worlde to bee altogether corrupted: let vsus not alledge other mens crosse dealinges in defence of our own, neyther let vsus make a shield of them to say, why shoulde wee bee held more in awe than other men? Alas, is it to bee maruailed at that those shoulde goe astray, which hauehave no lyght? But seeing that GOD hath sent vsus the Sonne of righteousnesse, let vsus assure our selues that it will bee no excuse for vsus, though the ignoraunt wretches doe goe astray after their owne imaginations. Surely this is yll put in practise. For our whole seeking nowadayes, is nothing else but to heape together all the offences in the worlde, to make a confused hotchpotch of them. If it bee sayde that there bee a nomber of men which are giuen to fraude and guyle, and are full of suttletie and deceite: wee rest vppon that and are contented to counterfet their vices, & to alleage them in sport. As for mens vertues, wee let them alone, and make none accounte of them: but as for their vices, wee make a barre of them against God. O say wee, ye see howe such a man doth so, another doeth after that fashion: this is a common custome euerywhere: and wil ye hauehave vsus to be holyer than al other men? Besides this, it is alledged thus also. What I pray you, doe not the Papistes so before vsus? Yes: but the Papistes hauehave shaken off the yoke of our Lord Iesus Christ, they hauehave withdrawen themselues from him and from his Church. True it is yt they hauehave baptisme which is ye signe of Christianitie: but they hauehave vtterly abolished the true vse of baptisme, and we see how they hauehave no skil at al either of God or of his word. As for our part, forasmuch as we hauehave the Gospel, and that wee are thereby conuicted yt it is Gods trueth, and we be preferred before those that were at leastwise as good as we in respect of the world, & seeing he hath chosen vsus after that fashion, are we not too much to blame, if wee come not to offer our selues wholly vntounto him, saying, Lorde gouerne thou vsus, and let vsus not looke at other mens dooings to bee caryed away by their misexample; but let vsus alwayes bee gathered together as it were vnderunder the shadowe of thy winges? Thus ye see what wee hauehave to marke vponupon this admonition of Moseses, Knowe ye (saith he) that the Lord your God hath separated you out from all other nations of the earth.
After this, he cōmeth to the tythes wherof he had spoken afore, & saieth, Yee shall tythe the first of all your fruites which ye shall hauehave gathered, as well of Corne, Wine, and Oyle, as also of the first borne of all your Cattell. The repetition which our Lord vseth here is not more than needeth. For (as we hauehave seene heretofore) men are so wedded to their owne profit, yt their duetie cannot be had at their handes, but by force, and they must bee faine to hauehave their eares beaten dayly, or else (if it bee possible) they will doe what they can to exempt themselues from dooing their duetie, specially when it commeth to the Lawe of God and to the things that he requireth at our hand: for we wil be ashamed if wee yeeld not our duetie vntounto men. Whē a man hath misbehaued himselfe towards mē; ye shal see him ashamed to lift vp his head. True it is yt faults shal not faile to be committed, & that there wilbe a thousand deuises to defraude men by theft, robberie, extortion, and other wicked practises: but yet will men alwayes looke the warelyer to themselues, bicause they be restrained by shame. But as for to Godward, men are quite past shame, and set all at randon as though they would pul out his tongue, or forbid him to speake, when they hauehave taken from him yt which belonged vntounto him. And so yee see what is the cause that God hath spoken so oft of tythes which he would hauehave offered vntounto him, & likewise of ye first fruits. I hauehave tolde you already yt the tythes were allotted to the Leuites, bicause God reserued them to do him seruice: & it behoued them to liue vponupon ye Altar, bicause they were dedicated therunto. The same reason is in force at this day towardes vsus. Not that we be bound to the same maner of tything that the Iewes were, furtherforoth than ciuill order requireth: but that wee must alwayes come backe to this saying of Saint Paul,1. Co…. …14. that lyke as the Leuites …ed vponupon tythes bycause they were dedicated to the seruice of GOD: so nowadayes they that hauehave the charge of teaching in the Church, ought to be maintained with liuing likewise, & God hath made an euerlasting law thereof.
But yet moreouer, we hauehave to note, that the tithes were allotted to the Leuites as in recompence of their inheritance whereof they were depriued. For God had promised the Land of Canaan to all the linage of Abraham, by reason whereof the children of Leuie ought not to hauehave beene bereft of their portion. Yet notwithstanding, God bereft them of it. And why did he so? To the intent they should not toyle themselues in tilling the ground as other men do, but giuegive themselues wholly to his seruice as became thē. In respect whereof it was good reason that they should bee recompensed after another manner. Truly this matter cannot be discoursed at large as now, and therefore wee will delay the going through with it till to morrowe, taking this breefe summe of it for a conclusion, that our Lordes meaning in this place, was to set downe a Lawe for the maintenance of his seruice. And for that cause it was his minde that the Leuites should hauehave whereon to liue: for they were the parties that had the charge to maintaine the pure religion: and for that purpose were they dispersed throughout the whole land of Canaan to the end they should keepe the people in the purenesse of Gods seruice, as we see the prophet Malachy speaketh of them,… saying yt they ought to be expounders of gods law, as at whose mouth men ought to seeke what is good and lawefull. The cause then why GOD hath not onelyonly set downe this lawe but also repeated it, is for that he will hauehave his seruice mainteined. And because men are negligent in yeelding him his dewe, he hath vouchsafed to repete the law againe which he had set downe before; and besides that, his intent was also to put vsus in minde to honour him with al the goods which he bestoweth vponupon vsus in this life. For surely if men eate and drinke without yeelding any honor vntounto God, they defile ye things which they receiue. For ye true meane to sanctify meates, is by faith & praier saith S. Paul. Without faith and prayer, all things become vnclean to vsus.1. … And now ye see here how god cōmā deth men to offer vntounto him their first fruites and tenthes. And why is yt? Bicause that by ye meanes folke were prouoked to say, True it is yt the earth bringeth forth her fruites, wee hauehave a good haruest and vintage, we hauehave store of Oyle and vi… telles; & who is he that giueth vsus all these things? Hath the earth a soule to determine with it selfe to nourish vsus? No, it is God our father that doth it: and therfore it is good reason that wee should hauehave regard of him, & consider how much we be bound vntounto him. Thus ye see how yt in the tithes and first fruits, there was a solemne protestation yt whatsoeuer we hauehave we receiue it at gods hād, & therfore we ought to do him homage & sacrifice therewith. Which thing is then done, when we pray vntounto him to blesse them all, and when wee shew effectually by our almesdeedes and such other like thinges, that we be willing to offer all things vntounto him which hee hath put into our handes, and to vse them in such sorte, as wee may hauehave a care to follow measure, and to frame our selues to the sobrietie which hee hath commaunded vsus.
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to vouchsafe to behold vsus with pitie, and not to impute vntounto vsus the great number of offences whereof wee bee guiltie before him, but that it may please him to rid vsus cleane from them, euen by forgiuing them: and moreouer to drawe vsus so vntounto him by his holy spirite, as our whole seeking may bee to dedicate our selues throughly vntounto him, continuing throughout in his holy calling, to the end. And so let vsus all say, Almightie God heauenly father &c.