Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 82
On Munday the vij. of October. 1555. The Lxxxij. Sermon, which is the third vponupon the twelfth Chapter.
8 Yee shall not doe according to all the things that you doe heere this day, that is to wit eueryevery man as he thinketh good.
9 For as yet you be not come into the resting place and the inheritaunce which the Lord your God giueth you.
10 You shall go ouer Iordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God will make you to inherite. And he wil giuegive you rest from all your enemies round about you, and you shall dwell in safetie.
11 And when the Lorde your God shall hauehave chosen a place there, to put his name in: Ye shall bring thither all that I commaund you that is to wit, your burnt offeringes, your sacrifices, your tenthes, your Heaue offringes, and all the choise of your vowes which ye shall hauehave vowed to the Lord.
12 And ye shall make merrie in the sight of the Lord your God, both you your selues and your sonnes and daughters, your Menseruauntes and your Maide seruauntes, and the Leuite also that is within your gates: for he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
13 Beware that thou offer not thy burnt offeringes in all places which thou seest.
14 But in the place which the Lorde will choose in one of thy Tribes. There shalt thou offer thy burnt offerings, and thither shalt thou bring all the things that I commaund thee.
ALthough Moses hauehave treated of this matter heretofore, yet is it not without cause that he goeth to it againe for ye better confirming thereof. For as I hauehave told you alreadie, Men are alwaies desirous to passe their boundes, & cannot submit themselues to God, to attēpt nothing beyond his word. Wherfore let vsus marke well that God thinkes it not ynough to tell men once for all, that they should behaue themselues according to his word & ordinance: but he repeateth ye same lesson oftentimes, to the intent that men should take ye better heede of it, and marke it the better. And bicause ye people had not as yet the law written as touching the Ceremonies; it is said expressely, You shall not doe as ye doe now. For it behoued the people to bridle themselues thereafter as they were taught. Howbeit, for the better vnderstanding of this text, it might bee demaunded first, whether the Israelites did for a time offer sacrifice at their own pleasure, without rule, or without being certaine what God required or allowed. The answere hereunto is, that they had alwayes some marke to shoote at, and that they had not the bridle so loose in their neckes, but that they knew how they ought to sacrifice. And in deede, wee heare how the Apostle saieth to the Hebrewes,… 11.4. that frō Abel forth on, there was no sacrifice accepted but by faith. And fayth importeth alwayes an obedience, so as if men deale at alauenture, there is no faith at all in them. But the Apostle saieth expressely that Abels sacrifices pleased God bicause of his faith. Whereupon it followeth, that God hath euer shewed his will to ye faithfull, so as they hauehave not gone to woorke vnaduisedly, but hauehave had such certaintie as was requisit for them. And wheras Moses reporteth in Genesis that Noy sacrificed of cleane beastes vntounto God;… ….10. it doth vsus to vnderstand that Noy must needes hauehave had some knowledge of the difference of them aforehand: for it passed his vnderstanding to finde out which beastes were cleane. Needes therefore must it bee that God had imprinted it in him: and that order hath continued for euer. And so is it certaine that the Israelites neuer had any such lawlesse libertie, but that they knew which was the trewe way of worshipping GOD. Also it is expressed by Moses that Abraham would instruct his posteritie in the iudgements,Gen. 18.19. Lawes and Ordinaunces of GOD. Whereby he doth vsus to vnderstand, yt although there was not as then any law writtē; yet notwithstanding Abraham failed not to hauehave knowledge of the things yt God required & of whatsoeuer else was requisite. For Moses coulde hauehave sayde at one woorde, Abraham will teach his children to liue well and holily and according to the wil of God: but he sayeth that he wil teache them his lawes, statutes & ordinances. To what purpose? I hauehave told you before, that it was to magnifie God the better, for his well prouiding of all things requisite to the seruing of him, so as the faithful could not stand in any doubt, but were sure of their dutie what they ought to doe.
According hereunto therefore let vsus marke, that when the people of Israel came out of Egypt, their sacrificing was not after the maner of the Heathen, according to the inuention of man: but after a heauenly order, that is to say, according to the order which God had appointed. Yet notwithstanding… it is true that there was not as yet any such particular declaration made of the Sanctuarie, and of all the appurtenances and things belonging thereunto, as wee see is set downe in Exodus and Leuiticus. These things (say I) were not so particularly set forth: it was not yet sayd vntounto them, You shal hauehave but one altar, which shalbe of such a measure, of such a heigth, and of such a breadth: you shall hauehave a Tabernacle of such manner of stuffe, of thus many peeces, thus long, and thus broade: You shall hauehave fire burning continually in the Sanctuarie: Your sacrifices shall neuer bee offered without Salte: there shall alwayes bee lyght and perfume in the Temple: The cakes that shall bee offered in the Temple shall bee of such a fashion: There shall be bread continually before the Lord, and it shall be renewed day by day: Againe there shall bee a hygh Priest, which shall enter once a yeere into the narrowe Sanctuarie, and there shalbe an Aultar of burnt sacrifices for him to offer vponupon from day to day. These things were not yet thus set out: & that is the thing which Moses meaneth in this text whē he saith, Ye shall not doe after the same manner as we doe this day. For there was greater libertie before such time as God had set foorth his commandements to brydle the people withal, and to hold them in such awe as they should not attēpt any thing vponupon their owne head, nor step aside to the right hande or to the left; but followe the thinges roundly which were conteyned in his Lawe.
And heereof wee hauehave to gather, that after as God vttereth his will vntounto vsus, so are wee the more bound to follow the same. For if we knew not what to doe, and that God had let vsus alone in suspence: we might hauehave some excuse for our doeing of thinges as seemed good to our selues. For why? Our Lord hath not bin so gratious to vsus as to say vntounto vsus expresly, Thus shal ye doe: And therfore we may do according to our owne skill, seeing we hauehave no expresse word to ye contrarie. After that maner might a man reply. But now that God hath witnessed his will vntounto vsus, we must stoope to it, and it is not lawefull for vsus to adde any thing thereto, For that were as much to say, as we would fall to scanning whether God or wee were the wiser. And what a presumption were it, if wee would needes hauehave better thinges than those which he inioyneth vsus? Yet notwithstanding, if men cannot find in their heartes to yeelde to the thinges that GOD commaundeth, they enter into this diuelish presumptuousnesse of purposing to be wiser than God hath giuen them leaue to be. Wherfore let vsus learne, that when we hauehave once assurance what God alloweth, we must rest wholly vponupon it. And herewithall we must marke, that God did not without cause giuegive the people of olde time so many rules to shewe them how to doe sacrifice. When we read the thinges that are conteined in Leuiticus, to our seeming there bee many needelesse thinges. For God might well hauehave sayd in feawe woordes, I will hauehave a Temple, and there will I hauehave you to sacrifice vntounto me. But there are such a sort of commaundements as may make a man amazed and out of his wits. And what is ye cause thereof? True it is that all thinges were made and doone according to the patterne that Moses had seene in the Mount,Exod. 25.40. as God himselfe declareth. And thereby we be doone to vnderstand that the figures, (although that at this day we know not perfectly in all pointes to what vse they serued) had a spirituall truth, which may bee referred to the thinges which we hauehave nowadaies by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ:Heb. 9.8.10. for hee is the very body and substaunce of all the shadowes that were vnderunder the Lawe.Col. 2.17. When wee reade that the highpriest might not enter into the Sanctuarie, but with such attyre as is there described;Leuit. 16.4. wee would thinke it straunge to see a man so disguised, with so many thinges about him. And why was that? We must marke that it was to doe the people to vnderstand, that the partie which was to bee the mediator betweene God and men, was not of the common state and sorte of men, but that it behooued him to hauehave a speciall kind of holinesse to preace vntounto GOD with all. And that was the cause why hee caryed this tytle in his frontlet vppon his head;Exod. 2….36 Hallowed vntounto God, or the holinesse of God, Againe, hee had other attyres about him, so as hee coulde not goe or stirre, but there went a noyse or sound from him.Exod. 2….3… 35. For hee ware belles vppon the skirtes of his garments; and that was to shewe that all men ought to giuegive eare, when it is told them that the sonne of God was offered for vsus in sacrifice, so as the same may ring into our heartes, to the intent wee may seeke the meanes to be reconciled to GOD. There were other things whereof a man may perceiue the reason.Exod. 2….… As the twelue precious stones which the highpreest ware on his brest aloft vppon the Ephod: and the names of the twelue tribes grauen in other stones vponupon his shoulders.Exo. 28.9.… Whereby was ment that Iesus Christ did nothing for himselfe but all for vsus and in our behalfe: and that his going vntounto God after that fashion, was to bring vsus into his presence, according to this saying of his,Ioh. 17.19. I sanctifie my selfe to make you all partakers of the same holynesse. Nowe then wee see the reason of many thinges that were commaunded in the law, and we know it was not without cause that the Apostle sayde that all things were made according to the patterne that Moses had seene vponupon the Mount:Hebr. ….5. after the which maner Saint Steeuen alleageth the same text in the seuenth of the Actes.Act. 7.44. Neuerthelesse wee must note, that Gods meaning was to hold his people in awe, that they might be the surer what to doe, and not bee occasioned to transgresse the true seruice of God, by mingling of any inuentions with it. I say it was Gods intent to inure his people to obedience. For if we shew our selues to serue God otherwise, all that euer we doe will bee nothing woorth:… nay it will be sinne. If I weene I doe well, and in the meane while stand in doubt and perplexitie; al must needes goe to wrecke. For if wee bee not inlightned by certeintie of faith; God alloweth not any of our doinges. And therefore I say his intent was to keepe the people of old time in obedience. And that was the cause why hee willed that there should bee light continually in the Temple.… It was not to giuegive light vntounto God, or to doe him any seruice, but to do the rude people to vnderstand, that we must not doe thinges disorderly, and be as blind folkes when wee approch vntounto God: but that we must hauehave light to guide vsus by, which light is not to be found in our owne braines, but must come from aboue. And for that cause the holy candlesticke had Lampes vponupon it, wherein was oyle continually. Whereby was ment, yt if men be not guided & gouerned by ye holy Ghost, they do nothing but wander vp & downe, & in ye end they shall fall into destruction. Again,… God willed that no strange fire should be brought vntounto his Altar. Wherby is ment yt men must not bring aught of their own to the seruing of God: but we must hauehave the holy fire, yt is to say we must pray to God in ye Church, & not go beyond his word, or beyond ye doctrine yt he giueth vsus.… Moreouer it is said yt no sacrifice shold be offered wtout salt. And why so? For when wee offer things to God wtout warrant yt he alloweth them & requireth thē, they hauehave no sauor at al before him. Thus you see in effect how it was Gods intent to cōfort his seruants, & to incourage thē, y• they might serue him as became them. And again, it was his wil to cut off al occasiō of adding any thing which they had learned to ye heathen. We know yt although mē hauehave no incoūters before their eies, yet they ceasse not to forge many fond things, weening to please god by yt meanes. But when we see examples on either side of vsus, it is a further prouocation to vsus. Besides ye ticklishnes which we hauehave already of nature, it pricketh vsus foreward to say, why should not such a thing be good? For ye Iewes had seen ye fashiōs of Egypt & of other heathē folke: & therfore they might hauehave bin prouoked to fashion thēselues like vntounto them: & that had bin a corruption to ouerthrow ye whole seruice of god. To preuent this mischief, God gaue them a remedy, which held them occupied in such sort, as they had ynough to do in ye things yt were inioyned them, & had no leasure to withdraw themselues or to adde any deuise of their own. And so wee see it was not for naught yt God gaue his people so many lawes, rules, & ceremonies at their going into ye land of Canaan. For first of al, it was meete yt the figures and shadowes shold supply ye roome of ye truth yt was yet vnreuealed, vntil Iesus Christ was shewed opēly to y• world. Secondly it was Gods will to try ye obedientnes of his people by yt means. And thirdly it tooke away al occasion of intermedling thē selues wt ye superstitiōs of ye heathē & vnbeleuers.
And for yt cause doth Moses say, You shal go ouer Iordan, & God wil giuegive you rest in the land that he hath promised you, & there shall you dwell in safetie, though you hauehave enemies round about you. And then wil he choose him a place in one of your tribes, and thither shal you bring your sacrifices, burnt offerings, & oblations. And the very true sacrifice (saith he) is to do nothing vponupon your own heads, but to obey your God throughly in all poyntes. Whē he saith yt they shall come into ye land, it is to shew yt Gods deferring to giuegive his law til that time, was to declare more particularly what things he liked of. For it was his will to performe his promise made vntounto Abrahā, before he would establish his owne seruice. And thereby he gaue thē to vnderstand yt the land of Canaā ought to hauehave led thē to a further thing. For had there bin no further matter in it than ye land it selfe; it had bin ynough for thē to hauehave bin setled in it, and there to hauehave had wherewt to finde them abundantly. But God setteth vp his seruice, & sheweth thē after what sort they shold honor him thēceforth: & al is referred to our Lord Iesus Christ. We see then yt the land of Canaan should hauehave guided ye Iewes to ye hope of ye heauenly life; so as they should not hauehave set their mindes vponupon ye inioying & possessing of the profits yt came therof, but hauehave proceeded on further & considered yt Gods meaning was to raigne among thē after a spirituall maner. That was ye cause why he listed not to giuegive thē yt ceremonies at ye first, after the maner yt they be set down in Leuiticus: but reserued the setting of them foorth, vntill the people were come into their inheritance.
And he saith expresly that the Iewes should dwel in quiet & safetie, notwithstanding that they were beset round about with enemies. Hereby we bee done to vnderstand, yt it was not ynough for thē to hauehave conquered the country, but yt it behoued God to maintaine them stil vnderunder his protectiō. And as the Israelites were warned of it then: so doth the same belong to vsus at this day. For God telleth vsus yt if he hath once called vsus, it is al one as if he had made vsus to passe the red sea. True it is yt he could cal vsus without making of vsus to chaūge our place. But let vsus consider from whence God taketh vsus, & whither he draweth vsus. He taketh vsus out of ye bottom of hell.Eph. 2.12. For so long as we be in our owne nature, we hauehave none accesse to ye kingdome of heauen, nor any acquaintance with him, but are vtterly banished from ye hope of life. And whē he hath drawen vsus out of such confusion, he pulleth vsus vp to himself, to the end we might cleaue vntounto him: & although we dwel as yet on the earth; yet notwithstanding wee ceasse not to be heires of ye heauenly inheritance. This is a farre greater thing thā to passe the red sea. For we hauehave an enemy yt is greater and much stronger than was Pharao & al his people.Eph. 6.12. For what can we do whē we hauehave all ye diuels against vsus, labouring to hinder our saluation, & being so suttle & hauing all ye meanes yt can be to do it withall? They be called the princes of ye aire,Eph. 2.2. & they reigne ouer our heades, so as they might easily ouerthrowe vsus if God deliuered vsus not from them. Therfore it is a great power which God vttereth when it pleaseth him to gather vsus vntounto himselfe. And yet is yt to no purpose, except we be preserued still vnderunder his hand & tuition. For as long as we bee in this world,1. Pet. 5.8. we shalbe inuironed continually round about wt enemies. The diuel ceasseth not to trouble vsus; he hath wyles & slightes ynow to doe it withall: & we on our side are vnarmed & vnprouided; & therefore it standeth vsus greatly vpō, to hauehave God to bee our defender. Nay, the diuell needes not to seeke farre:Rom. 6.12.13. & 7.23. for we carie such a nū ber of vices with vsus of our owne, as we might be ouercome a hundred times without any great adoe or noise. Let vsus mark wel then, yt like as God promised to maintaine the Iewes in the inheritance yt he had giuen them: so it standeth vsus in hand at this day to be maintained by his hand in the faith; yt we may perseuer in his seruice: or else our saluation wil go to wreck eueryevery minute of an hour, so as there wil be no stay nor continuance.
Now afterward Moses addeth: God will hauehave you thenceforth to serue him in the place which he shal hauehave chosen to put his name in. Which is as much to say, as that we must not make this our rest; to inuēt this or that; but we must hold our selues in quiet, and abide vnderunder the gouernment of our God. When we be at rest, then is our mind much troubled wt vnquietnes, which is cleane contrary to Gods meaning. For if he giuegive vsus respit, so as we be not troubled with feare & terror, to what end is it? Is it not to the end that we should bee so mild a to say, go to my God, if I were vexed or disquieted in minde, I had some cause to bee caryed here and there and to doe some thing or other. I should bee seeking of sundry remedies. But now that thou vouchsafest to maintaine me in quiet rest, it is good reason that I should bee still, and suffer my selfe to bee ruled by thy word, and to bee bowed which way thou listest, without giuing heade to my lustes, for that were a wicked vnthankefulnesse. That is the thing which Moses ment by that text. And the same matter concerneth vsus also. For whensoeuer God vouchsafeth to giuegive vsus rest from our enemies, wee ought to bee so much the quietter in our selues. As for example. If we were among the Papistes, wee might bee in such feare, as we should bee driuen to seeke new shiftes eueryevery day, as the poore soules are which bee among them, who may well say, Alas, I hauehave no liberty to serue God. How may I be hauehave my selfe in such sorte as I may not defile my selfe with the superstitions of these Idolaters? Thus ye …ee how these poore catifes are faine to seeke al the waies to the wood to find some shift to swim between two streames. And no maruell though they be in that taking. In deede it is no sufficient excuse; for howsoeuer the world goe with vsus, we must bee fully resolued in our selues to serue God neuerthelesse. But yet are we the lesse to be borne withal, when we abuse the time of quietnesse that God giueth vsus. If we be at libertie, then must nothing withhold vsus from hauing our religion pure and clean. For he offereth himselfe to vsus dayly in his word. And therefore let vsus refraine our selues from wandring after our owne imaginations, and let vsus bridle our selues in that behalfe. Seeing that God hath giuen vsus rest: let vsus followe all that he sheweth, without attempting any thing at all to the contrary. But we see the contrary come to passe. For commonly it falleth out that when men be in rest, so as no man trubbles them nor disquietes them; then fall they to bee lustie or sporting like a horse that is broken lose and hath neither bridle nor saddle. And the experience hereof is too cōmon, in so much yt those to whom God hath graunted such fauour as to hauehave his truth in most safetie, doe thinke it better to behaue themselues after another sorte, and to chaunge their state: and what a kinde of dealing is that? It is a diuelishe rage that we be caried away withall, when wee cannot bee quiet in our selues at such time as god hath giuen vsus outward rest, and holdeth our enimies locked vp, so as although they be round about vsus, yet he suffereth them not to make any chaunge to disquiet vsus with all, and yet we our selues cannot abyde to sit in quiet. Wherefore let vsus marke wel, yt seeing God is so gracious to vsus as to grant vsus libertie to serue him purely: it is our dewtie to holde our selues quietly vnderunder his obedience, without attempting any thing at all. But the Papistes hauehave well shewed in this case, that they cannot find in their harts in any wise to submit themselues vntounto God, and that their intent is not to yeeld him any obedience. For first of all they looked not what God ment by the olde figures of the Lawe, and yet they followed the things that Moses cō maunded concerning lightes, perfumes, and apparell. And why was that? Bicause they considered not that all those things were referred to our Lord Iesus Christ. They were much more brutish than the very Iewes that had no faith at all. For the Iewes at leastwise held themselues to the rule that was giuen them. In deede they knewe not the right vse of their Ceremonies: but yet had they an expresse commaundement from God, & durst not attempt any thing against the same. But as for the Papistes, notwithstanding that Iesus Christ bee manifested, and hauehave accomplished all the thinges that were betokened in olde time: yet hauehave they vtterly ouerthrowen that good and substantial foundation, and thrust his death and passion vnderunder foote. They fall to taking vp of lightes. And what needes that? The holy ghost hath shewed himselfe visibly in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ,Ma…. 3.… Act. 1.3. and afterward vponupon the Apostles, to doe vsus to vnderstand that we must no more looke for any outward figures, bicause we hauehave the truth and substance of them▪ But what? The Papists hauehave abolished the infinite grace of God, and vtterly made a mocke of it. They will needes offer sacrifice, and hauehave attyred their priestes thereafter, disguising them as though it were to the playing of an enterlude. And all this geere is but gugawes, for they bee not commaunded of God, and besides that▪ they be done as it were in despite of him. All that was doone in the law was of Gods setting vp: & these men fall to setting vppe of newe fashions such as God neuer spake of. Againe, they place a mortall man in ye roome of our Lord Iesus Christ; as who shold say that the office of our Lord Iesus Christ were not welynough knowne and apparant, vnlesse it were figured out with newe and straunge toyes. It is all one as if a body should shew forth the picture of a man when the partie himselfe is present, and shoulde saye, Behoulde this picture, and yet the man is there himselfe who can much better shew himselfe what he is than the picture can doe. Euen so doe the Papists in setting forth of ye picture of Iesus Christ. He is named the liuely image of God. Although the father be incomprehensible in his owne maiesty: yet hath he so vttered himselfe in the person of his sonne,… Cor. … He… 2. Cor. … as wee may behold him there face to face, as sayth Saynt Paule in the second to the Corinthians. But the Papistes drawe a Curteine before it, and tell vsus that wee must bee contented with pictures. It is therefore a turning of all thinges vpside downe, and a bringing in of diuelish confusion. Neuerthelesse, wee see that in the Popedom there is no harkning what God saies; but all is doone at the appointment of man. Looke whatsoeuer they do, they terme it by the name of Gods seruice. Yea, but how is God dewly serued? God sayth, ye shall not doe whatsoeuer seemeth good to your selues: seeing that I hauehave set you downe a certaine order, bee contented to bee gouerned by my woord. But what say the Papistes? Mee thinkes this is good: This we take to be excellent: eueryevery man castes to his collup, and in all Gods woord a man shall not finde one syllable of al the things which they terme Gods seruice, and which they will needes hauehave to passe in their account. For let a man search all ye things through which are comprised vnderunder yt name in ye Popedom, & he shall find thē euerychone to bee forged and builded by men, and that God not onelyonly disclaymeth them, but also condemneth them, bicause he hath shewed vsus his certaine and infallible truth, which is the thing that we must frame our selues vntounto. Wee see then howe all this doctrine hath beene wickedly throwen downe in the Popedome: and that is bicause they hauehave peruerted the true vse of the figures of the Lawe, and taken inordinate liberty to doe whatsoeuer came in their heades, without hauing any regarde to the witnessinges that God giueth vsus, whereby they might hauehave said, These be the thinges which we ought to do. Now so much the more diligēt ought we to be in marking this place: For were wee still in doubt nowadayes what to doe, so as wee knewe not what thinges God alloweth: then might wee hauehave some fancie to make vsus to sway to and fro. But seeing that God hath tould vsus what hee requireth at our handes: that ought to be ynough for vsus. And now hath hee abolished, the Ceremonies of the law that were of his owne appointing?Col. 2.14. Yea▪ And wherfore? To shew vsus therby yt he wil not hauehave vsus any more intangled in the outward figures.Col. 2.17. The reason is added; bicause we hauehave them throughly fulfilled in Iesus Christ. Now then, if we wil not deface the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and ouerthrowe the benefits that he bringeth vsus; we must put away the old figures. Marke that for one point.
Againe, wee see that God is contented with fewe ceremonies. For it is not his will that wee shold hauehave any more deckings, lights, perfumes, Cakes, sacrificings of beastes, nor other such thinges: but his wil is that in our baptisme we should hauehave such an assurance of our washing & clensing by the grace that is purchased for vsus in our Lord Iesus Christ,Eph. 5.26. as should continue with vsus for euer. HaueHave we that? We must hold our selues contented with it. For God could hauehave added more, if he had listed: but he listed not so to do. And so ye see heere is a bridle which must reine vsus backe to gather vsus home to GOD, or else he shall neuer be able to weeld vsus. Now what hauehave the Papistes done? Tush, this simplicitie of baptisme pleased not them, they would needs adde this & that to it at their own pleasure. What say they? Should there be but sheere water? What a thing were that? yea, but god hath so ordeined it, Iesus Christ who is the infinite wisedome of God his father hath so appointed it. It is said that last of all God hath spoken to vsus by his mouth,… 1.2. … 28.19 and that we must stand to whatsoeuer he saith. Now he hath ordeined it in water alone. Yea, but wee must hauehave a taper (say the Papists) to represent the holy Ghost: we must hauehave salt, to represent ye heauenly wisedome, and the grace of God: wee must hauehave diuers other things, and we must hauehave spittle to make infantes and dum folks to speake, and we must hauehave a number of other gugawes to mocke God wtall, which are so grosse, and fond, as they can serue for nothing but to make Christianity a laughing stock to the Iewes and Turks: and the diuell plaies his part with them, when ye world is sorted after such a sort. We see thē that the Papists hauehave broken and transgressed Gods order, by adding after yt maner to ye things which he had set downe certaine, and in such measure as he would not hauehave men to go beyond them.
But there hath bin yet a farre more outrageous disorder in ye Lords Supper. For therein our Lord Iesus Christ ment to shew vsus, yt his wil is yt we shold settle our whole trust in him,Iohn 6.51. bicause we be fed wt his substance, & therfore wee must not seeke life any where else thā in him: we must not eate there & drink somewhere else; for we hauehave there ful suffisance for ye sustenance of our soules▪ we hauehave yt ful perfection of all goodnesse in him. That is ye thing which he sheweth vsus by his holy supper, & his wil is yt we should receiue y• bread & wine in witnes therof, and yt it should be distributed among vsus, to the end we should be knit togither in him,1. Cor. 10.17 to become members of his body. But on ye contrary part, they hauehave set vp ye abhominable Masse, & wil needs sacrifice Iesus christ. And whereof comes that? Euen of yt they vnderstād not yt they vsurpe ye office which is allotted to him in the holy scripture, according wherunto he hath offered vp himselfe once for al, & behold, mē wil needs take vponupon them to coūterfet him, for by their owne saying, it is all one sacrifice. Yet for al yt, they be but Apes to Iesus Christ. For it becommeth them not to take vponupon them the office yt is not allotted vntounto thē. Againe they wil needs make a minglemangle of al things: for they not only disguise & falsifie all thinges that were ordained by our Lord Iesus Christ,Luk. 22.17.19. but by al likehood are fully bent to fight furiously against his institution. Iesus Christ ordeined yt the bread & wine should be diuided among ye faithful. But it is ynough wt them yt one doe take it all, & eate it vp alone. Yea & when the people come of purpose to cōmunicate with them, (which is but once a yeere) they be faine to content themselues wt the one part of it, & the other part is reserued. Besides this, there is no opening of Gods word, their saying is yt they go to receiue their God, & they make a charme & sorcerie of their consecrating of the bread & wine. Thus ye see how proudly they be turned away frō Christes ordinaunce, so as they could not deuise howe to fight against him wt more violence. Now sith we see these things, we ought to acknowledge Gods grace in drawing vsus out of such confusion. And therewtall let vsus marke, yt Gods standing so much vponupon yt point yt his people shold not do what they liked thēselues, is not wout cause. For why? we see what mē are whē they once go astray. Whē they once take yt libertie, they disguise the trueth, and there is no end of their leasings. Therfore let vsus beware yt we hold our selues short, specially whē God hath giuen vsus rest from our enemies, & wee dwel in a place where we may worship him purely, let vsus keepe ye simplicitie yt he commaundeth, & alloweth by his word, wtout any swaruing aside from ye same how little soeuer it be. For we had need to keepe our selues farre off frō al corruptions, if we be determined to obey our God. And why so▪ For mans heart is a dreadful gulfe. And again, eueryevery mā drawes his neighbor into error after him. Therefore it is like an endlesse maze wherof there is no way out again, vnlesse ye thing be obserued that is spoken here: namely that men do not what eueryevery man thinks good in his owne eyes.
And let vsus note also▪ yt by this saying, al our intentes (as men terme them) are condemned, though they seeme neuer so good to our selues. For we be no competent Iudges; God must tell vsus what is good: & if we on our side find any apparant reasō, it is altogether but smoke. So then for as much as God in this place setteth his own word, and ye testimony of his will, directly against all our deuotions, and al that euer seemeth good to vsus: let vsus assure our selues that it is not lawfull for vsus to followe whatsoeuer we think good. For al that is nothing worth: but al ye seruice that wee do vntounto god, must be grounded vponupon his word & his infallible truth. Without yt, we doe but build in the aire, that is to say, all that euer we do is but dreaming.
Now Moses addeth ye same things again which he had spokē concerning Sacrifices, Burnt offerings, freewill offerings, vowes & tenthes; namely, that all those things must be done & paide in the place that God had chosen out of one of their tribes. This thing was not so soone performed as I hauehave shewed heretofore. And ye reason is, for yt god intēded to proue his peoples patience, & also for yt ye people were not worthy yt God shold stablish the order at the first, in such sort as he had promised it. And that is a thing well worthy to be marked. For we see yt gods gracious gifts are oftentimes long in comming.. And yet God saith, ye shal no sooner hauehave spoken, but I will be ready to succour you, yea & my hand shalbe stretched out to helpe you before your words be out of your mouths. So doth God promise: & yet nothwithstanding he suffereth vsus to linger. And why? Bicause we hauehave hindered the course of his grace by our vnbeleefe; and we be so rechles, that hee maketh no haste to come vntounto vsus, bicause we for our part come not to him but wt great hardnesse, & as it were limping. Yet notwtstanding he doth alw…ies surmount all our vices wt his infinite goodnesse, as it came to passe in yt which Moses speaketh here. God had promised to choose a place for his Sanctuary to rest in for euer. Now, yt thing was to hauehave bin done as soone as ye Israelites were entred into the land of Canaan; & yet it was delayed a long time: insomuch as there passed a hūdred yeeres or twaine, yea three or four hūdred before y^ promise tooke effect. And that was bicause the people were not worthy to be so satisfied, as God had declared, & therefore were faine to abide the punishment of their sin. For they draue not out their enemies as he had commaunded them, but became negligent: and besides yt, they themselues turned away & fell into all maner of vices & corruptions. That therfore was the cause why God withdrew his hand,2. Sam. 7.10 and performed not his promise till the time of Dauid. Neuertheles, although ye people were malicious, although they were vnthankfull towards God, although they prouoked his wrath so many waies to ye vttermost: yet could they not vtterly disappoint yt promise altogether. The reason was, for yt it depended not vponupon yt deserts of men. Therfore although men be vnworthy of it; yet doth God in ye end performe whatsoeuer he saith. Yet notwithstanding there is a delay made for a time, to the intent that folke should learne to know their own naughtines, and mislike of it, and be sory for it. Wherfore let vsus learne hereby, that if God at any time do shew himselfe vnwilling to put vsus in possession of his benefites out of hand: it is bicause that we hauehave procured the delay of them by our own naughtines. But yet shal we not be vtterly bereft of them, so we acknowledge our sinnes and be sory for them: but in the end he will reach out his hand again, to put vsus in possession of the benefites wherof we had deserued to be vtterly dispossessed. Truly this wil not boot the hypocrites at al: but as for gods church, although it liue in suspence for a time; Yet will our Lord shew in the end, that his goodnesse surmounteth all the sinnes of men, and that he will not faile to be faithfull,… though all of vsus be lyers. Sothly (as I said afore) we must not vnderunder this colour flatter our selues. For if we be stubborne in euil, our Lord wil welynough find the meanes to discharge himselfe of the promise wherof we shal hauehave beene disappointed. But let vsus learne to acknowledge our sinnes; & when we hauehave acknowledged them, let vsus learne also to rest vppon the goodnes of our god, not doubting but that it is so great and infinite, that notwtstanding all the lets which we on our side shal cast in the way of it, yet it will so get the vpper hande, that in the ende we shall find the welfare from the which we had shut our selues out of doores. That is the thing which we hauehave to remēber vponupon this text of Moses where he saith that god wold appoint a place, euen such a one as he had chosen out from amōg all the tribes of Israel, where he would hauehave his name to be called vponupon. The residue which cā not bee declared as now, shalbe pursued heereafter.
Now let vsus fall downe in the presence of our good god with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus perceaue them better than we hauehave done heretofore, so as wee may mislike them more & more, & therby be brought back vntounto him: and that sith wee for our partes bring nothing to him but vtter corruption; it may please him to graunt vsus the grace so to reforme vsus by his word, as ye sacrifices which we shall offer vntounto him may be made holy by faith, and he accept them for our Lord Iesus Christs sake. And for as much as we knowe that he requireth spirituall sacrifices: let vsus call vponupon him wt such bouldnes, as we may be hard at his hand, & yeeld him praise for all his benefites bestowed vponupon vsus; and moreouer indeuer to discharge our selues of our dueties eueryevery man towards his neighbor, bicause those be the sacrifices which he receiueth & aloweth. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelyonly to vsus, but also to all people and nations of the earth; &c.