Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 108
On Wednesday the xxvij. of Nouember. 1555. The Cviij Sermon, which is the second vponupon the eighteenth Chapter.
9 When thou art come into the Land which the Lorde thy God giueth thee: thou shalt not learne to doe after the abhominations of those Nations.
10 There shall not any bee found among you, which maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through fire, nor any witch that vseth Witchcraft, nor any man that is a regarder of times, or that regardeth the flying of foules.
11 Or that is a Sorcerer, or a charmer, or that asketh Counsell at spirites that are called familiars, or that is a soothsaier, or which asketh Counsell at the dead.
12 For all they that doe such things are an abhomination to the Lord: and for such abhominations sakes, the Lord thy God driueth them out before thy face.
13 Be perfect therefore before the Lord thy God.
14 For the Nations which thou shalt possesse, giuegive eare to regarders of tymes: and to witches: but the Lord thy God hath not taught thee to doe so.
15 The Lord thy God will rayse vp a prophet like vntounto me, from among thy brethren: him shall you obey.
IT is in vaine for God to giuegive vsus many lawes & lessons, if we determine not with our selues to obey him in all pointes. For the first point wherat we must begin is to know Gods authority, & to learne to submit our selues to his word without any gainsaying. If the Law in generall hauehave not this force; to what purpose is it for God to speake of this thing or of that thing? Therefore let vsus beare well in mind, that we must bee disposed to receiue whatsoeuer God inioyneth vsus, before we can benefite our selues by any one sentence of the holy Scripture. As for example, when a man commeth to a sermon, though he heare the matter, yet shal it not touch him to the quick, vnlesse he know aforehand that Gods truth must be receiued, and that it is not to be incountered with disputing. And surely wee see many which are sufficiently conuicted, that the things which are told them are true, and that they be not able to reply against them: and yet passe not to make a mocke of them. And why is that? Bicause they be not touched with ye maiesty of God; and therfore they cannot thinke that wee ought to submit our selues to him that made vsus, & fashioned vsus to be obedient to him & to his commaundement. But on ye contrary part, when we be vrged to receiue the things which we knowe to come of God, his truth wil beare sway with vsus. As soon as we heare that it is God which speaketh,Esa. 66.5. we tremble at his speech, as is said by the prophet Esay. And so ye see now why God giueth this generall rule to his people, that they must houlde themselues to his pure and simple wil. But for as much as men are naturally giuen to superstition, & seeme to seeke euen wilfully to be beguiled: God here doth first withdraw vsus from all errours and abuses, & afterward giueth vsus a foundation wheron to stay & to be builded, that is to wit by herkning vntounto him, & by sticking to yt which he saith. Thus are there here two principall reasons. The one is y• God correcteth the vanity that is in men, in that they rather giuegive ouer themselues to cousinages & lyings, than to the rightfull truth. And thereupon he sheweth after what maner they may be directed, giuing them a remedie against all the wiles of Satan. For if a husbandman wil hauehave his seede to thriue, he must first till his ground: & if there come vp any shrewd weedes, he must pull them vp or cut them off. After the same maner doth God deale with vsus: to the intent his worde may hauehave enterance into vsus, and be receiued without any let; he riddeth vsus from all ye euil & vice that is in vsus. For all our owne seeking is to giuegive our selues to follie: & the diuell is so wylie & suttle, yt hee findeth meanes to attaine to his purpose, bicause he knoweth that our minds are so fickle, that our whole seeking is to be beguiled. Therefore let vsus marke wel that Gods meaning in this place, was to hold his people in obedience to his word, yt was the mark he shot at. And moreouer bicause we be forepossessed wt the said frowardnes, so as none of vsus can forbeare to hearken to leasings, but our wits are so shettle that we be stil hearkening after this & that, delighting in fond curiosities & speculations yt are nothing worth; & serue to no purpose but to trouble our mindes about vaine and vnprofitable things: therefore here our Lorde turneth those yt are his from all things that may corrupt them and withdraw thē from his truth. In respect whereof he saieth here in effect, That if wee will bee his people, wee must not bee intangled neither in Sorcerie, nor in Soothsaying, nor in Witchcrafte, nor in coniurings of the dead, nor in calling vp of familiar Spirites: but all these things must be rid away from vsus, or else he will disclaime vsus and vtterly forsake vsus. Marke that for one point.
As touching these seueral sorts, we wil treate of them another time: for the time will not suffer to speake of thē al as now. And therfore in ye meane season, let it suffice vsus to see whereunto God had an eye, & wherat he aimed. Let this then be one point: yt if we wil be the true disciples of our God, and receiue benefit by his word, to be taught as becommeth vsus: we must put away all wicked superstitions, & all abuses whereunto ye world is giuen, & wherewith we also should be bewitched, if ye remedie thereof withdrew vsus not therefro. And bicause wee be too much giuen to custome, in so much yt if a thing be once in vse, we think it to be lawfull: God telleth vsus expresly yt wee must not set our mindes vponupon such clokings, for they will stand vsus in no stead. Therfore whereas we see the whole world imbrewed wt errors, so as Satan hath his full scope to deceiue both great & smal: let vsus not run after them. For it wil not serue vsus for excuse, to shield our selues vnderunder ye greatnes of the multitude, or to say, EueryEvery man beleeueth so: I see the wisest folke doe so. Well may we alleage such things; but our Lord telleth vsus that we must not yeeld our selues after such maner vntounto men, that he shoulde not alwayes be preferred before them, and beare chiefe sway, and be regarded of vsus though we were intised away by all the examples of the world.
This thing is touched expressely by Moses in that he sayeth, True it is that when ye bee come into the Lande which yee shall possesse, yee shall finde it to be as a common Law, and that men hauehave so done: but yet must ye not think that God aloweth it euer the more, or that he is contented with it. For the world shall be condemned: and though all men were steyned with some one kinde of cryme; yet will not God forgo his office of Iudge, nor be ouercom by any multitude be it neuer so great. And therfore let vsus remember first of all, that if we wil offer our selues to God to be his scholers; we must not intangle our selues in the vanities that raigne in this world, but wee must yeeld our selues wholly vntounto him with a simple and right meaning mind, so as nothing may stop ye entring of his word into vsus & our receauing therof, but yt it may hauehave full authoritie to the vttermost. That is ye first point.
The second point is, that wee must not passe what the world doth, or how other men behaue themselues. For God will hauehave vsus for all that, to frame our selues according to his woorde. And although wee see nothing but rebellion heere beneath: yet must wee doe him the honour to submit our selues to him. For it is not ynough for vsus to worship him Ceremonially: the chiefe point is that his word do so raigne, as it be a brydle to hould vsus backe, and that our life bee framed altogether thereafter. And although this was so straitly commaunded: yet we see how the cleane contrary came to passe. Wherein we see a fayre mirrour of mans wickednesse and vnthankfulnesse. For albeit that God doe shewe him the right way; yet doth he go astray still. Ye see how the Iewes had warning ynough that they should not corrupt themselues with the abhominations of the heathen; God shewed them wherwith they ought to hauehave contented themselues and wheron to hauehave staied; namely yt they ought to hauehave learned at his own mouth: he gaue them his law, and hee raised them vp prophetes: and yet for all that they ceassed not to go fowly astray, & to hauehave itching eares, and to be inquisitiue of this & that. And that was the cause why sorceries and inchauntments, Coniurations of the dead, and such other like things reigned among them: insomuch that in the time of ye prophet Esay, we see there were very fewe folke that followed the law of God.Esa. …. Lo heere am I, (saith the prophet,) and those whome God hath giuen vntounto me. What? had he any great company wt him? No. But contrariwise he saith, that they were hated, and that they were pointed at wt mens fingers, as if they had bin monsters against nature. And those yt did so, would needes be counted wiser than all other men, like as ye Papists vpbraid vsus nowadaies, that we will needs make a new world, & require a reformatiō alone by our selues, by reason whereof we be scismatikes: & euen so was it in ye time of ye prophet Esay, as he declareth in his eight chapter. Yet notwtstanding he forbeareth not to vtter this sentence, & to confirme ye same, saying: If any man go about to turne you away to familiars, and to coniuring of ye dead, hold you your selues to the things that your God hath deliuered you. Ought not he to reigne both ouer the quick and dead, and to be obeied of all? Yes: and therefore hold you to his law and to his testimonies. And if the people speake against them; it is bycause they hauehave no light. But let ye blind go on into decay & destruction, seeing they cannot be helde back: & in the meane while hold you your selues to ye simplicitie of the doctrine. And for this cause it is said to ye Prophet Esay; Seale vp ye Testimonie of God, & let it be vntounto you as a letter that is closed vp, seeing there is nothing but vnbeliefe eueriwhere. And yet for all yt, ceasse not to holde you still to it quietly and obediently.
Now if this fel out in old time among ye Iewes: needs must we find ye like nowadais, as is shewed by ye Apostle in ye Epistle to the Hebrewes,Hebr. 2.13. who applieth this text to ye raigne of our Lorde Iesus Christ, & to ye state of ye Christian Church. Then if they which were desirous to hauehave serued God purely were abhorred; & that not of ye heathen but of such as named themselues the Church of God: it becōmeth vsus nowadayes to beare it patiently, if ye world not only looke awry vponupon vsus, but also hold vsus for accursed. Yet notwtstanding, we may wel defie ye Papists wt all their pride and diuelish ouerweening, sith we see them to be backsliders & to hauehave forsaken God; & (as much as in thē lieth) to hauehave renoūced their baptisme. Let vsus learn to hold our selues to ye law. And although Gods trueth be not receiued; yet let vsus keepe it stil as a letter closed vp, & as a treasure laid vp in store. And when we see all other men wander away, some after superstitiōs, & some after errors: let vsus assure our selues yt the way is infallible, so we hearken to our God, and indeuour to behaue our selues according to his wil, & we cānot misse the way, it is so certain, as Moses saith hereafter: This is ye way,Deut 30.19 & Esa. 30.24. walk therin. But for the better vnderstanding hereof, let vsus marke the words yt are set down here. The people (saith he) whose land you must possesse, are imbrued wt many lyes & abuses: but you shall not do so; especially if wee wil be taken for Gods flock, & accounted for his houshold folke; we must be separated from al the rest of ye world. Let vsus learn then yt our faith must not wauer, nor wāder after our eyes: but we must settle our sight & al our senses vponupon that which God telleth vsus. Though we saw a thousād stumblingblocks to dazle our eies wtall, yea & to put vsus to trouble: yet must we yeeld such authoritie to Gods word, yt it may hold vsus still in awe. They then yt run gadding at ye sight of this example or that example, do well shew that they were neuer throughly grounded vponupon ye word of God. And therefore this saying is of great importance, whē God setteth the things which he vttereth wt his mouth, as a counterpeise against all things yt are to be seene in ye world. As if he should say, Must I be laid in ye balance against men, yt when I hauehave cōmanded them to demeane thēselues thus or thus, my authoritie should bee diminished and doubted of, & it might come in question whether my word ought to take place or no? Were it not a turning of all vpside downe? Can there be any greater or ouglier confusion, than to compare the creature wt me? What are men? There is nothing in them but blindnes & beastlines. Yea & when they thinke thēselues wisest; then are they ye most fooles: & their aduancing of thēselues against me is starke madnes: & yet must my word be defaced for their pleasure? Then let vsus marke well, yt it is not for vsus to followe mens customes; nor to esteeme ye more of things for yt they hauehave had their free scope, when God turneth vsus from them & saith, Yee shal not doe so. For why? It is good reason yt we should separate our selues frō those whom God hath not inlightened. It is no maruel though men trip & stumble & go astray ouer all the fields like silie beastes. For it is said yt in this world we be as in the darke;Eph. 4.18. 1. Cor. 2.14. & therwithal it is said also, yt there is nothing but starke ignorance in vsus, and that wee comprehend not the things yt concerne God. Therfore when we want Gods word, we be as in an irksome dungeō. And so forasmuch as God graunteth not ye grace and priuiledge to al mē, to hauehave ye lampe of his word & truth lighted vp vntounto them to guide thē withal: we ought not to wonder though we see them goe astray, but rather to make our benefite of ye good yt God offreth vntounto vsus, and to hold vsus altogether to his word when it is giuen vntounto vsus.
And now he telleth them the cause why they should not do so. For your God (saieth Moses) will raise you vp a Prophet, and him you shall obey. If wee were but simply forbidden to giuegive our selues to superstition, sorcerie, and al other abuses: yt were not ynough. For we should be stil in vnquietnes, and eueryevery man might iustly demaund, yea, but what will God hauehave vsus then to doe? For he forbiddeth vsus to hauehave any superstition among vsus, and yet in the meane while he leaueth vsus in vncertaintie, so as the state of the heathen & vnbeleeuers is better than ours. After yt maner might a man hauehave replied: But our Lord hath prouided well for it. For he saith, whereas I call you backe from al abuses & errors, it is not to leaue you in perplexitie & trouble, so as ye should not knowe on which side to turne you: but I giuegive you my worde, & that is the thing which you must take heede vntounto. And if Gods trueth content vsus not: what an vnthankfulnes is it? We see then now yt the thing whereby God will put a difference betweene vsus and the Infidels, is that we must hauehave his word for our guide, to rule our selues therby: & therewtall we must let the world run at rouers, forasmuch as they hauehave no other doctrine to ground vpō, but their owne opinion, or ye folly of other men. And so when one blind mā leads another, he himself stumbleth first, & al the rest follow him. As for vsus, seeing we hauehave God for our Maister and teacher, let vsus hold our selues contented therewith.Matt. 15.14.
And let vsus marke hereby, yt it is vnpossible for men to be withdrawen from errors, vnlesse they hauehave Gods word. In deede a great sort can well ynough mocke at the great nomber of follyes which they see: as for example, ye shall see many worldlings nowadayes which will condemne the abuses & fond toyes yt are in the Popedome, & lustily reiect them: but yet for all yt, they stand vponupon neuer ye better ground themselues, neither hauehave they any setlednes or roote. And if they be not stained wt the errors which they condemne: they hauehave others as bad or worse. For many of them bee starke A theistes, that is to say without Religion and without feare of God, whose shame must needes bee discouered at length, and God must needes giuegive them vp to a leaud minde, that euen yong children may laugh at their beastlines. And whence commeth yt? Euen of this (as I said afore) yt we shall neuer hauehave any certain rule, vntil God hauehave taught vsus. And yt is a point wel worthy to be noted. For first, we neede not to be troubled at ye impediments which hinder many men to come to the Gospell in these dayes, when they see the whole worlde in a maner wilfully bent to superstition: for seeing that Gods word beareth no sway among them, what shal a man say, but yt blind folke may wel ynough wander in darkenes? Againe, we see the singular yea & inestimable benefite which God vouchsafeth vponupon vsus, when he giueth vsus his word, and applieth it to vsus for our soule health. For it is the only meane to draw vsus out of ye bottomlesse pit. So long as we bee in this world, we bee hemmed in with so many temptations of the diuel, as can not be nōbred: & the world it selfe may well bee likened to a maze, so as we cannot step one pace wtout daūger of falling down headlong to breake our neckes: from the which there is none other meane to preserue vsus but Gods word. Seeing thē yt he vouchsafeth to looke mercifully vponupon vsus, & to open his holy mouth to shewe vsus ye way of saluation: howe may wee excuse our selues, if wee vouchsafe not to come vntounto him? So then, let vsus learne to imbrace this treasure which is offered vsus, & to yeeld due reuerence to Gods doctrine, after wee hauehave once knowen what it bringeth vsus, and howe much it is for our behoofe. And finally let vsus beare in minde that by this texte where our Lord telleth vsus that he will raise vsus vp a Prophet, he doeth vsus to wit that we shalbe deliuered from all errors, if we receiue his worde to frame our selues thereafter.
And hereby we be done to vnderstand, that all such as in these daies do make none account of the Gospel, are wel worthy to erre: of which sort a man shall see many nowadayes, which shutte their eyes and stop their eares when God is so gratious as to draw them to him. They hauehave the meanes wherby to yeelde themselues into ye way of saluation, & they play the deafe & blind folks wilfully & wittingly: & therfore is it meete that such folk should perish. For inasmuch as they reiect Gods grace whereby they might hauehave been saued, & which could not bee sufficiently esteemed of: must he not needs be reuenged of their spitefulnes, in yt they bee so froward as to trample the word so vnderunder their feete, which serued to hauehave deliuered them from the gulfes of hell? Marke that for one point.
And therwithall let vsus marke on our side, that seeing God teacheth vsus, it ought to be a sufficient arming of vsus against all errours and all vaine fansies; in so much that although the diuell lay his snares for vsus, yet shall he not be able to catch vsus as long as we hearken to our God, and yeeld him the duetifull obedience which he deserueth at our hands, & which we owe vntounto him. And for ye same cause doeth S. Paul say expresly, that if we hauehave ye doctrine of ye Gospel throughly printed in our hearts,Eph. 4.14. we shall no more be led to daunce after other mens pipes, nor play the yong chrildrē which are easily deceiued. Ye see then that Gods trueth is inuincible. And when wee receiue it by true faith, then are we armed with the spirituall sword.Eph. 6.17. For it is not for nought that yt title is giuē to Gods word. We cannot be exempted frō being assailed by the diuel,Matt. 4.… ▪ for euen our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe passed through yt battel. But yet howsoeuer the world go, we shal hauehave wherewith to resist Satan, & al his wiles, so we receiue Gods word and sticke to it.
And by the way let vsus marke, that whereas Moses saith that God will raise vp a Prophet: he speaketh of ye continual order which God intended to stablish in his Church, which shall indure to the worldes ende. For had there beene no more but the once publishing of the Law, truely it had beene ynough to make folke vnexcusable whensoeuer they had turned from it: but yet had it not beene a sufficient meane to hold them to it, specially considering the frailtie of men, how they slip away like water and vanish away out of hand, chiefely when the case concerneth the accepting of any goodnesse. Therfore if God had done no more but published his Law, truly men ought to hauehave submitted themselues to it, and to hold themselues as in captiuitie thereunto: but yet wee see such was mens feeblenesse and vnconstancie, that they would hauehave turned away from it by and by. God therefore vouchsafed to adde a second helpe, as if he should put to a double bond, saying yt he will raise vp Prophets from tyme to time, among the people. As if he should say, True it is yt I hauehave declared my will vntounto you fully in my law: but yet wil I send you expoūders of the doctrine and mainteiners thereof, which shall be as keepers thereof, that it perish not, ne be buried, nor bee corrupted with false interpretations. So shal there alwayes be Prophets. This doth vsus to vnderstand, that God hath not onelyonly once vttered his will vntounto vsus, but also yt he hath sent vsus teachers from time to time to keepe his Church in obedience, and by their meanes to make his word to be vnderstood. And so we hauehave to gather yt the Church cannot stand without teaching, and yt it is not ynough for mē to reade the holy Scripture: for if God had knowen it to hauehave bin sufficient for vsus, he would hauehave gone no further. But it is his will that there should be teachers to speak dayly in his name, as instruments of his spirit, and (to be short) as his owne mouth. If this be not superfluous; we may conclude therupon, yt where no doctrine is preached in Gods name, there is no Church. And therby we see the desolation that is in the Popedome. True it is yt their hypocrites preach now and then: but for as much as they disguise themselues, yea and euen falsifie & corrupt all good doctrine: all that they doe is but abhomination. Againe, we know that those which beare the name of Bishops & Prelates in the Popedome, are but Idols and dumb pictures. For to what ende hath God set this order and policie among his people, but that his woorde should bee heard, and that it should bee sounded out with a loude and cleare voyce, so as both great and small may bee taught by it, and by that meanes submit themselues thereto, according to this saying, that his word is his Kingly Scepter or Mace wherwith he intendeth to gouern vsus?…. 110.2. …. 2.…. So then let vsus know that if we will be knowen and reckened to be of Gods church, and hauehave him to dwell among vsus: his word must be preached to vsus, and wee must not thinke it ynough to hauehave the holy Scripture, vnles we hauehave teachers also to bring vsus back to the things yt are written, & to giuegive vsus the vnderstanding of thē, & to apply them to our vse. That is ye thing which is shewed vsus in this text. Now I tould you that this serued not for the people of olde time onelyonly; but that it belongeth to vsus also; and we see it in as much as the same text is applyed by the Apostles to our Lord Iesus Christ.Act. 3.18. The Apostles intending to shewe that Iesus Christ was sent of God his father with full commission to gouerne vsus, and that it is he to whom wee must giuegive eare: say it is written that God wil raise vp a Prophet. Howbeit I hauehave told you already, that this place speaketh not of one Prophet alone, but of many, and of their continuall succession. Howe will that agree? Very wel. For in as much as God had promised his people, not to leaue them destitute, nor vnprouided: it is to be considered now, whether the same hath bin performed or no. True it is that there were Prophets sometime moe and sometime fewer. It is sayde of the time of Samuell that is to wit of his childhood;1. Sam. 3.1. that Gods word was very precious that is to say: very rare. And why? It was a punishment of God, according as he threatneth by his Prophet Amos,Amos. 8.11. that hee would send a dearth, not of bread and other vittels, but of hearing the truth, and of the doctrine of saluation. The Israelits then were sometimes as good as bereft of the thing that had bin promised them: but yet not so vtterly that God had no Prophetes at all. And after that maner did he incounter the malice and stubbornnesse of that people; in so much that although the Prophets were reiected, yea & cruelly murdered: Yet notwithstanding hee ceassed not to maintaine his promise still, euen to ye comming of Iesus Christ. In deede there was a certaine intermission, to ye end that the people should bee moued with the greater desire to receiue this great and cheefe Prophet yt was promised them. For we see there were no moe Prophets in Israell after the time of Zacharie and Aggeus. And had God for all that disappointed them? What was become of this Prophesie of Moseses? It is sayd expresly by Malachy,Mal. 4.4. Call to mind the Law that was giuen you on Horeb. As if he should say, Sirs, looke to your selues, for ye hauehave the perfect wisedome, which is conteined in Gods Lawe, and therewtal ye hauehave had prophets also, which hauehave expounded the same vntounto you faithfully. Hitherto God hath euer performed his promise towardes you: & now hencefoorth he sendeth you back againe to his law. To what end? He addeth the reason. Behold (saith he) I will send mine Angell before my face, (that is to wit, Iohn Baptist:) and when he hath made ready the way, then will I come, & therfore loke that ye obey me. For else I must be faine to smite mē, & all yt wtstand me must needs be beaten downe. This text sheweth how God promised Prophets, & yet notwtstanding had an eye to our Lord Iesus Christ, at whom the finall conclusion & the perfect working of all the prophesies amed. Yea & this was so cōmon a thing among ye Iewes, that euen the wretched harlot of Samaria could say, that whē Messias came, he should teach vsus al things.Iohn 4.25. Not onelyonly ye Iewes, but also ye Samaritans who had but a kind of shadow of the law, & were but as Apes, knew it was ye office of ye Redeemer to giuegive full knowledge of the things yt were requisite for ye saluation of ye world. Not wtout cause therfore is this text applyed to ye person of Gods son, forsomuch as ye Prophetes tooke their ende in him,Matt. 11.13. Luke 16.16. & he hath made a perfect conclusion of all. And our Lord Iesus Christ spake not three yeeres & a halfe, to ye intent to hold his peace after: but he will hauehave his Gospel to be preached with a loud & cleare voyce, and yt those whom he hath ordeined Ministers in his Church, should be as trūpets. According whereto we heare how it is said, yt his Gospell must bee preached ouer all the world.Matt. 28.19. And he limites no short time to it, but wil hauehave it done to ye worldes end. Sith it is so, wee see (as I hauehave touched before) yt Gods setting of this continuall order in his Church, was not for ye Iewes onelyonly, but also for vsus, so yt although we heare his worde, & hauehave it preached vntounto vsus dayly, & yet we be not disposed to learn as at his mouth: he shaketh vsus off, & banisheth vsus out of his kingdome, & we be not worthy to be reckoned in the nomber of his seruants. Thus ye see what we hauehave to marke.
But now forasmuch as this text is referred to our Lord Iesus Christ, & the Prophets that were raised vp afore, were inferiors to him & but his members: we must know also yt those that beare ye office of shepheards in his Church nowadayes, are in the same degree yt the Prophets were, to wit; compared to Iesus Christ, inferior vntounto him. True it is yt they be preferred far before ye Prophets,Mat. 11.11. as in respect that the Gospell is a higher and excellenter matter than any was vnderunder the shadowes of the law. But yet forasmuch as Iesus Christ is ye head of all; he alone is to be acknowledged for Maister of the houshould, as the Apostle speaketh of him when he compareth him with Moses.Hebr. 3.5.6. Seeing it is so then, let vsus marke that eueryevery doctrine is as it were excommunicated, if it respect not Iesus Christ. In deede there are many Prophets and teachers: but yet must Iesus Christ ouerrule al; al yt is expounded must come from him; he must hauehave all preheminence; that the thing which the heauenly father hath spokē may be performed, namely, This is my welbeloued sonne,Matt. 17.5. heare ye him. This is not spoken of any man, but only of the onelyonly Son of God himselfe. And therefore let vsus learne, that wheresoeuer there are Pastors or shepheardes, the brydle is not laid loose in their necks to set foorth what they thinke good: but they bee tyed to this condition, that our Lord Iesus must alwaies be their Maister, and alonly be heard, so as nothing bee set foorth but in his name, and that truly. Rightly saith Moses, ye shal obey the Prophet. As how? not yt they hauehave the authority to bind ye Church & to bring it into bondage: for (as S. Peter sheweth in his first Canonicall Epistle,) it behoued ye Prophets to speake by the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christ.1. Pet. 1.11. And in the same respect also doth S. Paule say, that it was he which led & gouerned the people [in the wildernes.] Although Moses bare the coūtenance, yet was it Iesus Christ that bare ye sway. Now I pray you, if a man take more authority vponupon him than Moses had, & aduaunce himselfe aboue him: what should a man say to it? Moses and all the Prophets are but vnderlings, to the end that Iesus Christ might speake: And seeing that the Sonne of God is come, is it reasō that men should put foorth their owne dreames and dotages, & that Iesus Christ should hold his peace? But the Popish Religion tendeth to none other end, than to put Iesus Christ to silence. The Pope boasteth himselfe to be his vicar. But howsoeuer the case stand, he will needes make lawes at his owne pleasure: he will needes make newe articles of faith: to be short, the Gospell is but an Apsie, if we beleeue the Pope: and the dotages yt he hath deuised, are the ful perfection of all. For behold, they hauehave not bin ashamed to say, that the thinges which the Popes and their Councels hauehave decreed, and all their gewgawes, filth, and pelting trash, (which yet notwtstanding are but diuelish abhominations to peruert the seruice of God:) are the thinges which the Apostles could not beare away, when Iesus Christ said vntounto thē, I hauehave many things to say vntounto you,Iohn 16.12. but ye cannot cary them away as now. And what things be they? O they be the high Mysteries which the Pope deuised aboue the Gospell. Lyke as Mahomet saith yt his Alcoran is ye soueraine wisdome: so saith the Pope of his owne decrees: For they be the two hornes of Antichrist. Sith it is so, doe we not see that we cannot in any wise cleaue to the Pope but by renouncing Iesus Christ? Then let vsus beare well in minde, that seeing it is Gods will to exalt his onelyonly sonne after that fashion: surely he wil hauehave vsus to looke vntounto him, and that all doctrine be referred vntounto him, and doe concerne him, so as wee must conclude that all such as will not speake in the Church, must vtter nothing but yt which they hauehave learned in ye schoole of this great schoolemaister. According whereunto he hath giuen this commission to his Apostles, Preache the things which ye hauehave learned of me.Matt. 1….1…. Iohn 16.13. Againe, when he promiseth them the holy Ghost, he saith, he shall teach ye all the things which ye hauehave hard of me. He sendeth them not there to a new doctrine; but saith that they shall hauehave vnderstanding of the thinges which they knew not by reason of their rudenesse. That is ye thing which we hauehave to remember in that God attributeth the soueraine authoritie to his sonne by name, and will hauehave all Prophets to be vnderunder that heade, as well whome he had raysed vp afore, as those whom he hath set vp in these daies in his Church, so as this order must be kept, that he onelyonly doe speake, and that all others which open their mouthes, serue but to deale foorth the thinges purely which they shall hauehave receiued at his hand.
But by ye way, let vsus also wey this speech where it is sayd, Ye shall hearken vntounto him. For as God sheweth himselfe freeharted; not minding to forsake his Church, but to prouide the things which he knoweth to belong to the welfare thereof: so is it good reason that we on the otherside should not despise the benefite that he offereth vsus, and imparteth vntounto vsus. Heere of his own free goodnesse he bindeth himselfe to vsus in saying: I will raise you vp a Prophet. And on the other part hee exacteth a couenāt, in cōmanding vsus to receiue yt benefit as it deserueth, & to make our profit of it. Therefore see that you obey. Wherefore let vsus marke, that when God hath allured vsus to him so gently and after so fatherly manner, that hee is ready to speake to vsus as it were mouth to mouth: he will not hauehave vsus to giuegive him deafe eare, or to runne gadding away, and to despise or mocke him. It is not for vsus to thinke that God will beare such vnthankefulnes and contempt of his word: for the reuendge thereof will be horrible as shal be declared in due place. But in the meane while let vsus goe willingly to our Lorde Iesus Christ, who is sent vntounto vsus in the name of God his father, & protesteth that he will reach vsus his hand to leade vsus to endlesse saluation. Therefore let vsus heare him, not onelyonly to say, it is true that he speaketh; but also to giuegive our heartes vntounto him. For the hearing that he requireth, is that all wisedome be beaten downe, so as men be not puffed vp with vain selfweening, as if they would say, I will doe what I list: but that wee hearken to our master which is giuen vsus from heauen, and that all our affections be subdued to him, and that our lust be ouercropped when they woulde carie vsus here and there; so as Iesus Christ may raigne howsoeuer the worlde goeth, and that both great and smal may knowe how yt to them it is that God speaketh. For as touching the great o…es, it is sayde vntounto them in the seconde Psalme, Kisse the Sonne ye kings and Princes of the earth:Psal. 2.12. do homage to the sonne of God whō he hath sent vntounto you. Nowe if our Lorde will hauehave all highnesse to stoope after that fashion vnderunder the soueraign dominion of our Lord Iesus Christ: (accordingly also as S. Paul saith, that the preaching of the Gospel serueth to pul down all loftinesse that will needes be exalted:1. Cor. 10.5.) what shall become of these wretched wormes, when they disdayne to receiue the Gospell obediently?
Let vsus marke then that here is no exception, and that Gods intent is to bring all the world to his lure. For if it bee so that the Angels must worship Iesus Christ, and reuerence his Gospel: seeing then that wee be but creatures, not only mortall, but also flightfull, and such as hauehave nothing in them but corruption: what shoulde wee doe when our Lorde is so gratious to vsus, as not only to raise vp men to speake to vsus in his name, but also to sende vsus his onelyonly sonne, by whome the doctrine is so authorised, as it cannot bee doubted of any more. Seeing we bee at yt point, what shoulde we doe but resort to our God, forsaking all things that may hinder our obedience towardes him, yea and euen our owne wits, lusts, and affections euerie chone? Hauing laide all those thinges downe and hauing subdued them, let vsus come to the thing that is tolde vsus here: which is, that we must obey the Prophets. Also let vsus not prouoke our god to anger by vsing such shameles hypocrisie as to say, O, I wil obey God, as wee see a number of the Papistes doe which say, tushe, I am a good Catholike. And euen among vsus (without going anie further) how manie are there to bee founde which boast themselues like shamelesse harlottes, As for mee I woulde hauehave the gospell, and yet for al that, they can finde in their heartes to spit at it? But wee must not thinke that God accepteth such Protestations, vnlesse we desire vnfainedly to be gouerned by his hand, For the doing whereof let vsus vnderstand that there is but only one meane, which is to obey Gods word. For he separateth not his maiestie from yt declaration of his righteousnesse and iustice which he hath set forth vntounto vsus.2. Cor. 3.13 4.4. The thinges that are conteyned in the law, the Prophetes and the Gospell, are his liuely Image. Will wee then obey our God and be subiect to him? Let vsus go to that which he declareth, & there shew the obedience which we owe him. And sith he sheweth himselfe so gratious and freeharted towardes vsus as to call vsus to our saluation: let vsus also on our side answere him againe.
Now let vsus fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to make vsus so to feele them, as we may with true repentance seeke to be reformed by his holy spirit, that we may follow his holy commaundements, and also that it may please him to beare with vsus & to bury all our offences, vntil hee hauehave clothed vsus with his owne righteousnes, and rid vsus of all the imperfections wherewith we be now inuironed. And so let vsus all say, Almightie God heauenly father, &c.