Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 174
On Friday the xxiiij. of Aprill, 1556. The CLXXIIII. Sermon which is the second vponupon the one & thirtith Chapter.
9 And Moses wrate this lawe and deliuered it to the Priestes the sonnes of Leuie, which bare the Arke of the couenaunt of the Lord, and to all the Elders of Israell.
10 And Moses commaunded them, saying, At the ende of eueryevery seuenth yeere, in the time of the yeere of freedome, in the feast of Tabernacles,
11 When all Israell commeth to appeare before the Lord thy God, in the place which hee shall choose: then shalt thou reade this Lawe before all Israell, in the hearing of them.
12 Thou shalt gather the people together, men, women, and children, and thy straunger which is within thy gates, that they may heare and learne and feare the Lorde your God, and keepe all the wordes of this lawe, to doe them.
13 And that their children also which hauehave not knowen it, may heare it and learne it, so as they may feare the Lorde your God all the dayes that thou hast to liue in the Lande whither thou goest ouer Iordan to possesse it.
14 Then the Lorde sayde vntounto Moses, beholde, the dayes of thy death are at hande: call Iosuah and stande ye at the Tabernacle of the Congregation that I may giuegive him his charge. And so Moses and Iosuah went, and stoode at the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
WE do wel confesse that God dealeth gratiously with men, when he vouchsafeth to teach them, and to shewe them the way of saluation. For we see well it is a most miserable state when men hauehave no teaching all their life long, but do guide themselues at all aduentures. Nowe the case so standeth that we can not holde any way that is certaine for vsus, but only yt which God sheweth vsus: for as for the thinges which men deuise, in deede they thinke them good ynough, but in the meane while, albeit that they bee blinded with their owne fantasies, yet must they needes euermore stande in dout, and God maketh it manifest at the last, that it was but vanitie and folly. If men therefore were well aduised, nothing should be more deere vntounto them, than to hauehave Gods trueth to guide them, which woulde be a lampe to shewe them the way of saluation. Beholde, God calleth vsus, hee tarrieth not till wee come to seeke that which is good for vsus, neither would he hauehave vsus to fetch long windlasses: but he offereth himselfe of his owne good will, assuring vsus that we can not faile, if we will hearken to his voyce; he will giuegive vsus sufficient instruction, and he p…testeth that it shall not be in vaine for vsus to followe that which we shall hauehave heard at his mouth.Isa. 45.19. Yet notwithstanding, wee for all this doe make smal account to be taught of him; eueryevery of vsus wandereth after his owne imagination: and (which worse is) hauing hadde some tast and knowledge, and hauing founde by experience that all our whole happinesse lyeth there, and that our whole contentment and rest ought to be settled in the obeying of Goddes worde; yet is there none of vsus but hee turneth aside from it, and the same hath beene common in all ages. Nowe therefore, to remedie this mischeife, GOD hath vouchsafed that his woord shoulde bee kept by some meane, and that some certaine folke shoulde hauehave the charge to preserue it safe and sounde, that it might not perishe. Wherein we behold the inestimable care that he hath of our saluation. Be not wee worthy to be depriued of such a treasure, seeing we do esteeme it so litle? Yes: for our vnthankefulnesse deserueth the wrath of God, and that he should withdrawe the thing which hee hadde bestowed vppon vsus. Yet notwithstanding, hee ceaseth not to drawe vsus still backe vntounto him: and heereof wee see heere a goodly example in that it is sayde that Moses hauing written the lawe, committed is to the priestes the children of Leuie, which carried the Arke, and to all the Elders of Israell, which hadde the charge and authoritie to gouerne the people. True it is, that when GOD hath once published his worde, euerie man ought to bethinke him to receiue it, for euerie man ought to take heede to it, for himselfe; men ought not to depende one vponupon an other: neuerthelesse there is not any man that is greatly carefull thereof. It is behoouefull therefore that GOD should appoint people to watch ouer vsus, whilest we sleepe, and to call vppon vsus: and if they see vsus readie to swarue aside, they must restraine vsus. This is the cause, why it was specially requisite that the lawe should be deliuered into the handes of the Priestes. First of all it was written; and it was sufficient, that the people had hearde the will of God. If men had good remembraunce, and woulde not forget that which they hauehave learned; it were ynough I say, that Moses had once declared vntounto them that which was requisite for their welfare. For hee hadde commaunded them to occupie their mindes about the studie thereof both night and day, and to write the lawe vponupon the postes of their houses,… vponupon their tables, and euerie where else; to the intent, that whyther soeuer they turned their eyes, they might euer be stirred to thinke vppon God. Againe, they ought to hauehave had a care to instruct their children: and besides this, the Lawe was copyed out, yea and to be kept as it were vppon Recorde of authoritie, as which proceeded altogether from the hande of God. And the reason was that the people did soone growe out of kinde. Although they hadde their eares beaten with the thinges that were contayned in the lawe; yet turned they away to superstition, and afterward eueryevery man became dulheaded & had nothing in him but ignorance, so as wtin a while there was no knowledge of God among them. But is the lawe written? Yet is it necessarie that it be cōmitted as a treasure into the hands of the Priestes, which be ye messengers of God,… as saith the Prophet Malachy; Knowledge ought to dwel in their mouth; and when we hauehave asked counsell of thē, we ought to hearken vntounto them to be enformed of the truth. Nowe then they are appointed to be keepers. But what came to passe after that God had prouided so well for the matter? The lawe perished and was lost. And surely seeing there was so good order takē for the preseruation thereof, that men might heare it spoken of, yea and yt at the end of eueryevery seuen yeere in the feast of Tabernacles, in yt solemn day, the couenant of God was to be renued, & the whole law was to be repeated before all the people: it is an incredible matter yt the same was so straitely kept, yet notwithstanding yt in the meane while there was such rechlesnes, yt the people made no reckoning to be depriued of their chief welfare. For mē (as we hauehave already sayd) be more wretched than brute beasts, vnlesse they be taught by God. To what end serueth all the r…ason & vnderstanding yt they suppose thēselue… to hauehave by nature, but to their greeuouser condemnation, vntil God hath put forth his hand to them, and hauehave shewed thē wherunto they must sticke? But yet howsoeuer the worlde went, the children of Israel, yt blessed seede of Abrahā, the chosen people, elect & adopted of God, his inheritance and his Church, they (I say) vntounto whō God had done so great honor, whō he had exalted vntounto so high a dignitie, hauing heard the law published, ought eueryevery of them to hauehave borne it in minde, and to hauehave kept it as carefully as men keepe the charters of a kingdome, or the Crowne, or other such thinges. And truly in all cōparison, the lawe of God deserueth well to hauehave the preeminence aboue al yt euer is in the world. But yet for all that it vanisheth away, & in the mean space the people had no great care thereof. And surely it is a very strange case how it shold come to passe, cō sidering yt the remēbrance therof was so solemnly kept, by reason wherof al the people ought to hauehave thought thus: How now? We lose this good custom, wherby ye law of god shold now sound in our eares, wherby we should hauehave ye remēbrance therof renewed; whereby we shold be confirmed in his couenant, & whereby the same should be ratified vntounto vsus by ye reading of the law. The people (I say) had no regard to any of these thinges. In deede they assembled at ye feast day, & made great cheere, but yet eueryevery body returned home to his owne house, wtout hauing regarde to these things, insomuch yt the lawe lay as it were buried vntil the time of Iosias,2. Chr. 34.14 in the which it was found againe. True it is yt at that time they were greatly abashed at it: but yet we see the rechlesnes of men in yt they spake not a word when they were depriued of so great a benefit. And yt is a token of too shamefull thankelesnes. Heere hauehave we a lookingglasse, wherein we may very well behold the affectiō of men: for we at this day be no better than the Iewes were. And in deede wee perceiue howe the world seeketh nought else but to be exempted, yt they might not hauehave their eares troubled with the law of God, nor with his word. True it is that they are ashamed, & do abhor to say yt Gods word should be despised; but yet they would make it a relique, to be worshipped a farre off, & as a sealed letter, so as men should content thēselues with the doing of some honor & ceremony to it, as if they should say, Lo, the word of God shalbe reuerenced, but yet it belongeth not to vsus to trouble ourselues ouermuch therewith, by applying our study thereunto. We see then how the world doth euermore shift it selfe from taking any such knowlege of Gods word as they ought to hauehave. For whereof cōmeth the horrible ignorāce, which reigneth yet stil in may coū tries, & generally in all the popedome, but only of this, yt men referre thēselues to the Monkes & Freers, and such other people, or at leastwise to the Popes Clergie for the knowledge of the holy scripture? For it is not for secular or temporall persons (as they terme them) to deale therwith. And the secular priestes also (as they call them) discharge thēselues thereof & put it ouer to the Monkes: they say it belongeth to none but doctors of diuinity to deale with it. See how brutish the world was become. And yet a man would thinke it strange yt men should be so grosly ouerseene, as to hauehave no discretion in yt behalfe, but that they shold be led by the mussels like beasts, and go astray after yt maner. How is it possible yt God should so forsake his church, & that thinges should be so grossely abused? Let vsus looke to the cause & fountaine of the mischiefe. When God kindleth the light of life amongst vsus, if we shutte our eyes thereat, & turne our backes, or take couertes to sleepe in, & play the sluggardes, which shut their windowes, yt the sun should not shine into their eyes: if we seeke to settle after yt sorte in our lees; is it not meete yt God shold withdraw all his teaching from vsus? Surely it is the paymēt which the world hath receiued, because yt where it shoulde hauehave sought learning fit for it; it chose rather to be ignorant, yt it might hauehave excuse before God. And moreouer, when our Lord vouchsafed yt his Gospell should be preached, that the world might be inlightned by ye brightnes therof; men did openly rebell against it, & chose to obey lyes rather than the trueth. Therefore it could not be but yt such horrible vengeance must needes come vponupon them. Againe we see the care that God hath had to preserue his gospel in perfect state. For like as he had prouided for ye law, euen so hath he also done by the gospell, which is the perfection of all learning, according as S. Paul sayth in the second to Timothee.2. Tim. 2.2. We see there what order he established in the Church, Looke what thou hast hearde of me (saith he) by many witnesses, commit thou it ouer as a gage vntounto faithfull folke, which be meete and able to teach others. There S. Paul appointed keepers of the gospell, as God had earst appointed ye Leuiticall priests for keepers of the lawe. Also hee would yt they shold be faithfull folke which shold be occupied & employed therein: and he would yt they likewise should doe their dutie in deliuering ye things ouer frō hand to hand, as they had receiued thē, to ye intent they might not lie hidden in darkenes. Yet neuerthelesse we see howe it is come to passe. Therefore, wee must marke well in this place, yt God hath euermore procured the saluation of his people, & of those whom he hath chosen, & not forgotten any thing that might be a meane to keepe them vnderunder his obedience. Thus much for one point.
Moreouer, wheras the world hath bin alwaies wauering, & caried hither & thither, and could not stay nor hold it selfe to ye seruing of God, nor suffer it selfe to be guyded by the doctrine which is for the saluation thereof; & to be short, wheras men play the wilde beasts; it is not at the first dash yt they hauehave so resisted God, or made countenance to disobey him: but they hauehave turned away frō him by litle & litle, in such sort yt within short time they hauehave falne quite & cleane away. And so ye see how men hauehave continued in their naughtines, & not kept the lawe yt was deliuered vntounto thē for a rule to liue by, & for ye way to lead them to saluatiō. Seeing it is so, we ought to take so much the more heede to the things which are shewed vntounto vsus heere. What must then be done? It is not ynough yt the truth be [but only] writtē: for to what end shall yt serue me but to my greater condemnation? But forasmuch as men are so wedded to the thinges that concerne this transitorie life, & think not on the heauenly treasure; it is requisite yt there should be good keepers: and aboue all thinges wee must note yt there will alwaies be a speciall order to retaine vsus euermore in the obedience of God, so long as his worde is dayly shewed vntounto vsus, & that eueryevery man hath it in his handes. And if this be not permitted, wee shall quickely be carried hither & thither, and there will be no stay in vsus, vnlesse we hauehave such a bridle to hold vsus backe. That is a thing which we hauehave to marke.
Nowe in ye meane while we see what charge is here cōmitted aswel to the Leuites, as to the rulers. True it is, yt at this day there is no certaine kinred allotted thereto by God in his Church: for his wil is, yt Shepherds shold be chosen: which office is no heritage: but he would yt they should be taken according as they bee knowen meete. Neuerthelesse al Pastors, & Elders, that is to say, all Officers, & such as hauehave publike charge, must vnderstande that they must employ thēselues to maintaine the pure religion, & that they must be as keepers of the word of God, to the end that it should not perish. And albeit yt there is no excuse for the rest of the people: yet shall these feele double vengeance, if they do not, what lyeth in them, to cause men to continue constant in the pure worde of God, & to see that euerie body be taught, & that both great & small do yeelde thē selues thereunto. If they straine not themselues to the vttermost of their powers yt Gods trueth may continue sounde, it is certaine that they are to account therefore.
Now as touching that which Moses saith further, That he cōmandeth the children of Israel, that on the solemne day at the feast of the Tabernacles at the end of eueryevery seuen yeere, the law should be recited to all the people: it is not meant yt God would not hauehave the Iewes taught it dayly: but it was yet a straiter band, & the keeping yt solemnity, (as we hauehave seene heretofore where we treated of the couenant made by Moses) was not to the intent yt the people should [at other times] be vnmindfull of the lawe,Deut. 27.4. but to ye intent they should be ye deepelyer touched therewith, & hauehave it the better ratified after a solemne maner. That is the very meaning of this place. EueryEvery yere, yea at eueryevery feast or solemnitie, ye people cōming to the tēple were to be taught in deede. The sacrifices were not to be done as a vaine pompe; but in such sort as men might know the end & vse of thē, so as eueryevery body might vnderstād what God he serued, & be put in mind of the couenant which he had made with their fathers. But yet herewithall, besides all this, God did moreouer ad a larger confirmation thereof, by renewing the remēbrance thereof at ye end of seuen yeres, as it were by the solemne taking of a new oth, to the end yt it shold not vanish away. Let vsus vnderstand then, yt when men had exercised thēselues frō day to day, and frō monethmonth to monethmonth, & had all their life long studied in the lawe of God, & bin taught his wil; yet this ceremony was neuerthelesse obserued, that they did reade all the contentes of the lawe that the people might consider thus wt thēselues; This is not a treasure yt may at any time perishe from among vsus, God hath not giuē it for a time: but it is for vsus & for our childrē for euermore, as we hauehave seene in ye 29. chap. Seeing it is so, let vsus take heed yt we continue the possession therof amōg vsus,…. 29.11. & yt through our own rechelesnes we be not defeated of so inestimable a benefite, which ought to be preferred aboue all ye riches & delectable things of this world. Now wheras he speaketh of ye feast, it is said, At such time as al Israel shal be assēbled togither in the presēce of his god. We hauehave heretofore often times treated of this maner of speaking, & it is nowe needelesse to stande long vponupon it. It is ynough for vsus alwayes to remēber, yt God in commanding men to come & worship him in his holy sanctuarie, meant that the faithful should hauehave a certein testimonie, & pawne of his presence, to the intent they should the willinglyer resort thither, & vnderstand that so to do was not an vnprofitable & lost labour. Yet notwithstanding God ment not to hold ye Iewes in any grosse imagination, as if he had been enclosed in the Arke of the couenant, or as if his essence had bin betwixt ye Cherubins: but his comming down was of purpose to make ye faithful to mount vp to heauen through faith: & that is the common maner which hee hath alwayes holden in his church. For in as much as wee are not able to approch vntounto him, nor to hauehave any accesse thither because of our infirmities; hee vouchsafeth to stoope to our litlenesse: howbeit not to make vsus to nestle ourselues here beneath, or to conceiue grosse opinions, as though hee were tyed to the elements of this world: but rather yt by such meanes, hee might raise our faith vp on hye. Thus were they taught in the time of the law. And euen now also doth he vse the same maner of dealing with vsus at this day. We hauehave at this day the Sacraments. In deede wee hauehave not so great a multitude, as the fathers had, for it were more than needed for vsus, because wee hauehave the substance of all the olde shadowes our Lord Iesus Christ. But yet for all that, God doth stil at this day apply him selfe to our rudenes by his sacraments. In ye water of baptisme we hauehave a testimony yt we be washed & made cleane,… 5.26. … and that we be renued by his holy spirite. Now then we must not muse vponupon the water; but when we see the visible signe, we must rise aloft, & vnderstand, yt God accomplisheth the thing in trueth, which is signified vntounto vsus by the visible Sacrament. Euen so also it is of the Supper. Wee see there bread & wine, but we must through faith mount vp to our Lord Iesus Christ, who is ye true foode of our soules, that wee may be fed & satisfied in him. And the same is called the presence of God. And why? For it is no deceitfull matter, neither doth God intend to beguyle vsus, when he declareth & witnesseth vntounto vsus, yt we be washed, & fed by the vertue of his onelyonly sonne; but hee would that we should be assured of it, by feeling the verie effect therof. Now when God vttereth such vertue, do not we feele him present? Let vsus note then, that God is present with vsus when we come vntounto him, being called thither, & hauing the meanes which he hath ordeined: and in like wise when wee be assembled togither, there is a presence of our God.Matt. 18.20. For our Lord Iesus Christ sitteth in the middest of vsus, because wee bee his. We must not think that he is farre off, but that he receiueth al our requests, & that we be hard, & do obtaine of God his father all that is conuenient for vsus. Thus ought wee to take courage. When we vse the Sacraments, when wee come to heare ye word of God, when we make commō prayers, & when wee obserue the whole order which God hath established in his church: let vsus be assured that he is with vsus, & that hee assureth vsus not in vaine, & that we make no windlasses as other men do, greatly tormenting themselues in following their owne fansies. No no; but in so doing our God preuenteth vsus, & seeketh altogether to hauehave vsus ioyned vntounto him, & that hee will shew the same openly & make vsus to vnderstand it by effect. That is the thing in effect, which we hauehave to remember concerning the manner of speach which Moses vseth here.
And by the way, the people are warned by this meane, to heare the law with ye more heede & reuerence. What is the cause, that when the worde of God is preached vntounto vsus, many in the meane while doe wander in the ayre, or bee at home with their houshold, or else fall on asleepe, and (to be short) that although they doe both heare & vnderstand, yet they bee not moued awhit; the law & the Gospel bee vntounto them as a matter of nothing: whence commeth such contempt? For it is against nature; that our GOD should speake, & that the creatures which liue by his grace, & which ought to dedicate themselues wholy vntounto him, should yeeld him so litle honor & authoritie. We do easily vouchsafe to heare a man, if we hauehave him in any estimation; no worde that proceedeth from his mouth shal fall to the ground; but we wil as it were suck vp whatsoeuer is spoken by so great a personage; in so much that before his words be fully pronounced, we conceiue what he meant to speake. Behold, God speaketh, & albeit yt it be by ye mouth of men, yet is it his will that his word should be of like maiestie with vsus, as if hee himselfe were here in person. But it preuaileth not: & that is because we thinke not on this presence wherof Moses speaketh in this place. Let vsus marke wel then, that where it is sayde that when the people assemble together, in the presence of their god, then the law shalbe repeated; it is as a preparatiue. For to the end that wee should be drawne away, & carried vp from the cares of the world, & from the vaine & fond gasings, with ye which we be intangled by nature: our Lorde doth here waken vsus, and tel vsus, that it is he that speaketh, & that hee wil throughly instruct such as wil heare him with all humilitie, and that his worde shall in like wise hauehave the power and force to searche mens heartes and to trye all their thoughtes & affections. Seeing it is so that we cannot eschue the presence of our God, and that hee summoneth vsus before his maiestie, and declareth that when wee heare his worde, it is to note and marke out them that obey him; that so at the least wise wee shoulde not bee so doltish, as not to apply our endeuour to bee taught as wee ought, nor to conceiue a feruent zeale, with such meekenesse and aptnesse to learne, as S. Iames requireth in vsus,Iames. 1.21. but that wee may hauehave the seed of life take roore in our hearts to bring foorth such fruites as may bee acceptable to our God. This then is one circumstance more which wee hauehave to obserue in this place, where Moses declareth yt when the people were come together after the order which GOD had set downe in his lawe, hee woulde bee present with them, and it was as an opening of the gate of heauen.
Nowe let vsus come to that which hee addeth. He sayeth, That all Israel shalbe gathered together, and that they shall read the law before men, women & little children. When he saith, Thou shalt assemble the people, he doth againe make it manifest that men will neuer come at God vnlesse they bee thrust forward & pricked as oxen or asses: & that serueth to make vsus yet more ashamed of such rechlesnes. For litle children need not to be exhorted to breake their fast, they can very well aske their foode; the great ones also are desirous ynough to be fed, eueryevery man hath care ynough for his belly: we neede no solicitors to come vntounto vsus to say, And wil ye not dyne? But in ye meane while, behold, our soules starue, if they want the foode which God hath ordeined for them: and yet who is he that careth for it? Who is he that commeth to seeke that foode? None. Therefore it is said, Thou shalt assemble the people. We see thē what beastlinesse there is in vsus: albeit that wee think our selues to be very able, & that eueryevery of vsus boasteth himself to be a reasonable creature, & that we hauehave wit & discretion to gouerne our selues: magnifie we our selues neuersomuch after yt maner, yet seeke wee nothing but to perish in our ignorance: and we be so farre off from seeking God, that he is fain to giuegive vsus many strokes with the spurre to draw vsus vntounto him, because we be so ill disposed: yea & we see ye example hereof in our selues, in so much yt if there were not an houre appointed for it, how many should a man finde that would hauehave the regard to say, Let vsus heare the word of God, yt we may hauehave some teaching? Nay, euen when the houre is come, & the bell hath bin tolled, euen then stil the most part make none account therof. I speake not of them which hauehave smal leisure therunto, & which hauehave some excuse: but of such as hauehave ease & al things at wil, insomuch as they knowe not howe to bestow the time, they are euen wearie of it & wote not what to do, nor (as they say) how to driue away the time; and yet rather than they will go to the church, they will sit downe ydly in their houses, or else in the streetes rather than come to heare a sermon. It is certaine yt there be some venimous toads, which gnash their teeth against the word of God, & doe flee from it as much as they may; but there be others which come thither, they wote not wherefore, sauing that they looke for no teaching. Others come thither for a fashion, & because there is in it a certain ceremony: but yet for all that, they be neuer ye better mynded nor the better disposed towardes it. Now then we perceiue yt looke how much God calleth vponupon vsus to heare his word; so much the more slow we be thereunto. And also contrarywise, we see how our Lord reproueth our vnthākfulnes, & yt we misapply & misuse the good which he doth to vsus, & as much as in vsus lyeth, suffer it to perish, vnlesse he vse al maner of helpes, to set vsus forward more & more.
As touching that he saith, that the law shalbe preached & recited to men, women, & litle children ▪ wee see in this place, yt God hath not giuen his word to a smal portion of people only, but would yt al in general should be partakers of it, euen frō the most vntounto the least; & that is a very notable lesson. For we see the craftines of Sathan, how he hath laboured to depriue the greater part of the world of that benefite, vnderunder colour that the word of God is no cōmon matter; yt it is too high & too deepe; and that it is too obscure. And moreouer they hauehave had this opinion, that it is not for men to enter into it, for that it is a Labyrinth to maze men withal, & men cannot fasten vponupon it. Wee see howe these hypocrytes in the popedome do terrifie the people from reading the word of God. Take heede (say they) for it is dangerous for you to aduenture so farre. In very deede ye word of God is sacred and holy: but what then? If the vnlearned sorte should taste of it, they should foorthwith be infected with heresies, & their errors would be infinite, so as they should fall into great confusion. By this meanes men dare not once seeke after the will of God: but they be borne in hande, yt as soone as they enter into it, they by and by plunge themselues into a bottomlesse gulfe. Contrary to that, here God sayth, yt when he gaue his law, it was not alonly for the Trybe of Leui, but for al ye people: and not for men only, but for women also, yea, & euen for the litle children. Let vsus holde it (say I) for a conclusion, that whereas God hath giuen vsus his lawe, and all the doctrine that is contayned therin; it is the testament which he hath left for vsus: and thereby hath he adopted vsus for his children. Nowe if wee bee not the children of God, then are wee not worthie to hauehave any thing in common with him: but hee calleth vsus vntounto him. And how shall we be sure of it, if he himselfe bee not a faithfull witnesse vntounto vsus of his will? Seeing then that our Lorde certifyeth vsus of our saluation, when he giueth vsus his word: wee must vnderstande that he will not suffer vsus to stray, as though wee knewe not whether wee shoulde turne on the right hand or on the left: but that hee doth giuegive vsus an infallible direction. Seeing then that hee vouchsafeth to doe the office of a schoolemaster towardes vsus; let vsus indeuour to profite thereby, and let vsus behaue our selues like good scholers towardes him, and let none of vsus in this case alleage, I am no clarke. For God hath not spoken to the greate doctours onelyonly, but his will was to deale foorth his worde in common both to great and small, and to the most ignorant: and hee hath so tempered it to their capacities, as that all they which come to yeeld themselues teachable, shall very well perceiue that our Lorde knew well what is meete for them, and they shalbe taught after such sort as he knoweth to be most conuenient for them. Now if this be verified of the lawe, much more reason is it that it shoulde at this day take effect in the time of the Gospel. For we heare how it is saide by the Prophet Esay; that in the kingdom of our Lorde Iesus Christ all shalbee taught of God.… 54.13. … 6.46. Marke the prophet Esay, who knewe very well that God had giuen his law to al the Iewes, and that it was a good and profitable instruction, as well for the litle children as for the Elders. But yet for as much as hee knewe wel that God would vtter foorth his grace more largely, and sende a newe manner of light of vnderstanding, when as Iesus Christ shoulde bee manifested vntounto the world; hee sayth that then all the children of the church should be taught of God. And we see that in the Popedome, where they turne away the people from reading the holy Scripture. It is a wicked blasphemie, when men suffer themselues to bee so blynded, and vouchsafe not to suffer thēselues to be lead nor taught at Gods hands, yea & they hauehave proceeded to so diuelish blasphemie, as to accuse the holy Scripture of too much darknes, as a thing of too great depth wherein men ought not to be instructed, for feare lest they should forthwith be possessed with many errors. When they talk on that wise, the iniurie tendeth to ye liuing God; for they accuse him of vntrueth, notwithstanding the protestation that he maketh by his Prophet Esaye; Yea & wee see, howe all the whole Scripture is full of the like testimonies, whereby it is auowed that the holy Scripture is profitable. There needed no more but this one place of S. Paul, where hee sayeth,… 3.16 … That all scripture is profitable to instruct, to exhort, to disprooue and to rebuke. Hee sayeth not that it is profitable for three or foure rables of scuruie Monkes or shauelinges; hee sayeth not so: but he sayeth that it is profitable to make the man of God perfect. And therefore let vsus not dout, but that when our Lorde deliuered his lawe hee knewe our capacitie, and applyed himselfe in such wise therunto, as hee teacheth vsus according to our measure. In so much that if wee bee teachable, wee shall fynde that his doctrine was not deliuered vsus in vayne, but that hee meaneth to guyde vsus thereby vntounto saluation, as it is in deede the true meane to attayne thereunto: onelyonly let vsus suffer our selues to bee gouerned of our GOD, and not behaue our selues stubbornely towardes him, seeing hee offereth himselfe so freely vntounto vsus. And surely it ought to mooue vsus very much, when hee sayeth, that God will hauehave all, yea euen the litle children and all to bee hearers of this lawe. For he telleth vsus (as Salomon also sayeth in his booke of the Preacher) that men must not delaye to thinke vppon GOD,… 12.1. till they beginne to droope and bee broken with age. Yet notwithstanding, wee see howe youth runneth astray, and that there is nothing harder than to make young folke beleeue that they must be bridled in, that they must imploy them selues, whilest they be strong and lustie, and that they must so much the more apply their wittes to be instructed in the word of God. A man can not bring this to passe, but the stronger & lustier they be, the more carelesse be they. Now Moses sheweth in this place, that as soone as the litle ones begin to discerne betweene good and euill, they must learne to knowe what God created them; and then what God hath shewed him selfe to be their father; & what God they ought to serue, & wherein they must put their trust. And in very deede, at the verie same time, God did alreadie at ye eighth day, giuegive a marke of his free adoption; for before they knew either good or euil, God enterteined them to be of his flock, and the circumcision serued to seale the promise of saluation which he had made in saying; I wil bee the GOD of thy seede.Gen. 17.12. Seeing that children be thus entertained, and God hath made it manifest that they bee of his church, & housholde people of the kingdome of heauen: is it meete that when they be come to the age of vnderstanding, they shoulde holde scorne of him which hath preuented them with so great goodnes? Ought they not to know, who is their creator, and in likewise, who hee is that hath vouchsafed to shewe himselfe to bee their father, when as hee hath receyued them for his children?
And wee at this day hauehave so good reason as the Iewes had. For as soone as our children be born, they be caried to baptisme. And there God doth shewe that hee hath already chosen them, and that his will is that they should bee as of his housholde. Therefore when an infant is thus declared to bee a member of our Lorde Iesus Christ, before he doth vnderstand what ye grace of God or religion or any thing else is: should he not when he commeth to age of vnderstanding, indeuour to learne yt he was created of God: who hauing created him after his owne image, hath vouchsafed also to choose him to be of the number and company of his people: and hath placed him in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ, to the end he should be partaker of the inheritance of saluation? Considering so many and so inestimable benefites receiued at Gods hand, ought he not (say I) to giuegive himselfe wholie to him and to his seruice? And if they doe it not, doe they not shewe themselues too much vnthankfull in disappoynting the grace which was then giuen vntounto them? Also our Lord sheweth the zeale that ought to bee in them which bee taught by his word: namely, that so much as in them lyeth, they must not suffer any despisers of religion to dwell amongest them: but rather take paines to winne the poore ignoraunt sort, and eueryevery man reache his hand to him that goeth astray, so as it may not bee long of vsus, that all men bee not brought into the way of saluation, and that all of vsus liue not with one accorde as wee ought to doe.
It is saide: The straunger also that dwelleth with thee, shall in likewise be taught. In deede they had not the promise, as the childrē of Abraham had: they were not of the body of that people. But neuerthelesse God would not hauehave any brutish people to abide there, which shoulde despise all religion; for it is such an infection and corruption as is not to bee borne withall in the church, when such folke are to bee seene there as knowe not whether there bee a God in heauen, or not, or which knowe not what religion they shoulde holde. Such are to bee ridde away, or else there wilbee nothing but corruption, which in the ende will marre all.
Againe, it is sayde, The children of them which hauehave not heard thereof afore. It is shewed in this place, that when the lawe of God hath serued to establish vsus in his feare, and in the hope of his goodnes, and that wee our selues hauehave beene edified thereby from day to day: wee must not forget them that hauehave not yet tasted of ye trueth, but doe as yet goe astray in their errors: we must pitie them, and doe our indeuour, so much as in vsus lyeth, to winne them, that God may be honoured of vsus all together. That is all in effect which wee hauehave to beare away concerning this place. Nowe (as I hauehave alreadie sayde) if the people of Israel were exhorted to hauehave such a care, in the time when they had the doctrine yet more darkely than it is nowe deliuered vntounto vsus in the Gospel, (for albeit that it was sufficient for that time; yet in comparison of the Gospel, it was not so large as wee hauehave it now) sith it is so, let vsus looke well to our selues, and marke well, that if euer wee be bereft of this so precious treasure which God hath giuen vsus, so as it be taken from vsus; it is for our owne malice, rechlesnesse, and vnthankfulnes, because wee hauehave despised God, and thrust the things vnderunder foote which wee shoulde hauehave kept most carefully. And therefore let it be a warning to vsus to make vsus giuegive good heede to the heauenly doctrine when it is once taught vsus, and set afore vsus. And moreouer let vsus followe the order which our Lorde hath established in his Church, and not onelyonly let eueryevery of vsus for his owne particular part and person followe it and indeuour to profit his owne housholde: but also let vsus benefite al other folk in common by exercising our selues in that which God commandeth vsus. And againe, when eueryevery of vsus hath so considered of himselfe; let vsus in likewise bee careful of our neighbours, & doe our indeuours to winne the ignorant, & to confirme them which be alreadie brought into the good way, vntill wee bee all come to the marke that God hath set before vsus.
Now let vsus fall downe before the maiestie of our good God, with acknowledgement of our faults; beseeching him to make vsus to feele them more and more, euen with such repentance, as being beaten downe in our selues, we may seeke nothing but to obtein merciemercy of him, according as he hath promised vsus in our Lord Iesus Christ: so as he will cause the desert of his death & passion to be auailable, that we being washed from all our filthines, may be so gouerned by his holy Spirite, as we may desire nothing but to giuegive ouer our selues vntounto him, fighting against all maner of wicked lustes & affections, & labouring more and more to bee ridde and deliuered from all things that may hinder vsus from yeelding our obedience to his righteousnes. That it may please him to grant this grace, not only vntounto vsus, but also to al people & nations of the earth, &c.