Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 88
On Wednesday the xvj. of October. 1555. The Lxxxviij. Sermon which is the third vponupon the thirteenth Chapter.
6 If thine owne brother the sonne of thy Mother, or thine owne sonne, or thy daughter, or the wife that is in thy bosomme, or thy neighbour that is to thee as thyne owne soule, goe about to intice thee, saying secretly, Let vsus goe and serue other gods which thou hast not knowen, nor yet thy fathers:
7 That is to wit, any of the gods of the nations that are about thee, whether they bee neere thee or farre off from thee, from the one side of the earth to the other:
8 Consent not to him, neither giuegive eare vntounto him: neither let thine eye fauour him, shewe him not any pitie, neither conceale him.
9 But thou shalt put him to death, thy hande shalbe the first vponupon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones and so he shall die: (for he hath sought to thrust thee from the Lorde thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage:)
11 That all Israell may heare and be afraide, and not doe such a wicked thing among you any more.
Psal. 69.10.HAd we the zeale in vsus that is spoken of in the Psalme, that wee tooke the reproch which is done vntounto GOD, as if it were offered to our selues: this lawe here were in a manner needelesse. For euerie of vsus woulde willingly of his owne accorde indeuour to maintaine Gods honour. But nowe inasmuch as manie men thinke it to be too excessiue rigour to put the troublers and peruerters of religion to death: thereby it appeareth that we despise Gods honour and make no greate account of it. For euerie of vsus would faine hauehave his owne honour maynteined, and if anie man hauehave stormed against vsus, wee thinke the time will neuer come soone ynough for vsus to bee reuenged. If a man doe vsus any wrong or iniurie, wee woulde that euerie man shoulde sette himselfe against it in our defence: but if Gods honour bee trampled vnderunder foote, wee lette it slippe. Wee see then howe colde and vnlustie wee bee, but this vnlustinesse of ours deserueth a more shamefull name. For if a man suffer his father to bee scorned, folke will say hee is not worthie to liue in the worlde, because he doeth against his kinde. And beholde, GOD is as it were torne in peeces by wicked mennes aduauncing of themselues to rend asunder the vnion of the fayth wherethrough it is his will to bee knowen, and whereby it is his will to reigne among vsus: and that is borne withall. And is not that a token, that if it lay in vsus wee woulde neuer hauehave any remembraunce of GOD at all? But forasmuch as there is so litle zeale in vsus; therefore is this Lawe giuen vsus. And GOD declareth that hee is not vnmindefull of his owne maiestie, but that hee will hauehave the defacing thereof to bee punished. Naye rather hee sheweth that hee disclaymeth vsus for his people, if we hauehave not a speciall regarde of this case of his.
Wee hauehave hearde heeretofore what hath beene sayde concerning false prophetes: namely that if anie man troubled the Churche of GOD, hee shoulde bee stoned to death without sparing. Nowe God expresseth yet better the thing that he hadde spoken: which is, that we must put all affections of nature vnderunder foote, when his honour commeth in question, so as the father must not spare his sonne, nor the brother his brother, nor the husbande his wife, nor the friend his friende yt is as deere to him as his own life, yt he be not put to death. And good reason. For doe not all the friendeshippes in the worlde proceede of that order of nature whiche the creator hath established? Then if wee will not sette the carte before the horses, wee muste alwayes beginne at GOD. And Saint Paule doeth not without cause say;Eph. 3.15. that al kinred commeth from thence, and issueth out of that fountayne.
Also when there is any friendshippe betweene man and man; it must alwayes bee referred to this marke, that GOD hauehave still the cheife preheminence, and that wee be ioyned together in him. And cursed be al alyaunce that separateth vsus from our maker, in whome consisteth all our life, welfare, and ioye. Then if a husbande louelove his wife, without regarde of GOD, hee is woorthie to bee thrust out amonge the brute beastes. In like case is the father, which aimeth not at the same marke in louing of his children. If wee be so linked together, and hauehave so plighted our faith and trothe one to an other, as wee may seeme after a forte to hauehave as ye would say but one soule in two bodies, and in the mean while GOD be lette alone vnthought on: doe yee not see that it is too shamefull a beastlinesse? Then is it not without cause that GOD hath tolde vsus expresly that his honour is to bee preferred before al worldely or naturall considerations. And lette vsus marke well the wordes that are sette downe heere; for they bee of great weight.
Moses coulde hauehave sayde singly, If thy brother, thy wife, thy sonne, or some friende of thine inde… thee, and goe aboute to allure thee to naughtinesse; but hee addeth (which is of much more vehemencie) If thy brother the sonne of thy mother, which laye in the same bellie that thou thy selfe diddest. And to what ende is this doone of GOD, but to searche the bottome of our affections, by entering euen vntounto our bowels, as if hee shoulde say, I will see whether yee louelove mee better than yee doe these carkesses? For what is thy brother? Hee is but a mortall creature and I will see whether thou sette more store by him than by mee. Naye (say wee) but he and I laye both in one bellie. That is trewe, (sayth GOD:) but is it not meete that I shoulde alwayes hauehave the vpper hande and highest preheminence? The same case is it when hee sayeth, thine owne sonne, thine owne daughter, thy wife that sleepeth in thy bosome. Hee coulde hauehave sayde singly; thy wife: but hee sayeth, No, thou muste forgette and quite and cleane shake off all the louelove which thou bearest to thy wife, if shee goe about to plucke thee away from me.
Agayne, If thou hauehave a friende (sayeth hee) which is as deere to thee as thine owne life: thou must lay thy hande vppon him also to stone him: thou must not onelyonly bee his accuser and giuegive euidence against him; but thou must also sette hande vppon him without sparing: all merciemercy and pitie must bee put away in that case. Hereby wee see in effect, as I sayde afore, that Gods will is to trie vsus, whether wee truely louelove him. And for that cause doeth he sette downe vntounto vsus whatsoeuer might holde vsus backe, or hinder our desire from shewing such zeale as wee ought to hauehave to the mainteinaunce of his honour: declaring vntounto vsus that if any thing bee an impediment to our continuall keeping of the vnion of fayth aboue all thinges, in such wise as it is contayned in his woorde: wee bee traytoures and false hearted towardes him, and hee will shake vsus off; and in steede of taking vsus for his children, hee will giuegive vsus ouer and banishe vsus from his kingdome and his Churche: for hee will hauehave that order obserued among those that are his. Marke that for one point.
And herewithall it behoueth vsus to consider of whome hee speaketh. Hee sayeth not onelyonly, if a man goe about to abolish all religion, as wee see some worldlings doe, which coulde finde in their heartes like a sort of dogges and swyne, that men shoulde make a mockerie of all the seruice of God; hee speaketh not of such kinde of men: But his saying is, if a man go about by superstitious meanes to turne thee from mee to the seruing of ydolles; although it bee of the gods that are moste renowmed in the worlde, in the seruing and worshipping of whome, the people that are about thee doe thinke themselues to do well: If any man labour to turne thee from my worde, to make thee followe after those gods: let him bee rooted out.
Nowe then, wee see, that God punisheth, not onelyonly those that woulde abolish all religion: but also those that woulde corrupt his trueth. And therefore for the better vnderstanding of this lawe that is giuen vsus heere, let vsus marke at a worde, that it is not for vsus to saye, There is no God, it is but folly for men to trouble themselues about any deuotion, for wee shall gaine nothing by it: but [wee must consider,] that if a man bee neuer so deuout, and thinke to doo neuer so well, yet if hee turne himselfe to the superstitions of the Heathen like a renegate, and knowe not the true God: hee is condemned. And it is a distinction which wee ought to beare well in minde. For our Lorde sheweth vsus, that hee will hauehave vsus to bee contented with his worde, and to rest wholly vppon it, that wee may bee brydled by it, and not attempt to alter any thing, seeing hee hath once declared with his owne mouth what hee alloweth.
And hee sayeth expressely, the gods which neither thou nor thy fathers hauehave knowen. By this saying hee doeth vsus to vnderstande that it behooueth vsus to bee well assured of our religion. For to put a man to death without hauing knowen which is the true God, were but a frantike zeale, as wee see the Papistes doe at this day, and the Heathen hauehave beene wont to doe at all times, yea, and euen the Iewes also, who hauehave put this lawe in execution (howbeit a misse) against the prophets. And vnderunder the same pretence were our Lorde Iesus and his Apostles driuen to suffer persecution.
As for the Heathen, when they made lawes for the obseruing of the manner of religion that was stablished among them; they had a good grounde and foundation for the thing they did. For it is not ynough for Magistrates to make lawes to represse robberies, murther, and violence; but they knewe also howe it was meete that God should hauehave the forehande. Nowe if nature taught them so much; what excuse will there bee for vsus that professe Christianitie, if we say it is ynough for men to represse robberies, aduowtries, murthers, and other such violent and outragious dooings that tende to the hurt of priuate persons: and in the meane while make none account of God? What a dealing were that? The Heathen then had a good grounde in that they knewe that in a well ordered Common weale, religion ought to bee obserued, and that if any man attempted ought to the contrarie, he was to be punished: in so much that it was a matter of life and death among them, and it was obserued throughout all the worlde in all ages.
The Iewes did not amisse in beeing zelous in punishing false prophets after that God had giuen them this lawe. Likewise in these dayes, whereas the Papistes say that Heretikes are to bee punished; that is true, wee confesse that they bee worthie of it. But therewithal they ought to come to the poynt that is set downe heere, namely, that it behooueth vsus to knowe which is the GOD whome wee serue, and that wee bee sure that our religion is not a thing set foorth at all aduenture, but that wee holde the infallible trueth of Gods owne sending, and that it is preached vntounto vsus in his name & by his authoritie: so as it is hee on whome our faith is grounded. It woulde become vsus (say I) to come to that poynt. But the Papistes play the beasts in that behalfe, bearing themselues in hand that so they shut their eyes, they may execute their rage and furie vppon innocents.
And after the same manner hauehave the Heathen ouershot themselues. For, because religion was to bee maintained, they not discerning what they did, nor perceiuing whether it was good or euill: did set themselues against the seruauntes of God. Likewise dealt the Iewes with the Prophets. Yee see then here is a point which it standeth vsus in hande to wey well all our life long: and that is, that wee must hauehave knowen the true God, so as wee may iustly and without grudge of conscience condemne the errours which men woulde drawe vsus to. Which thing will come to passe, if wee hauehave the light of Gods worde to shewe vsus the way: for thence it is that all good discretion commeth.
Nowe then, to the intent wee may benefite our selues by this text, let vsus marke first of all what louelove wee ought to beare to our Lord God, when hee hath vttered himselfe vntounto vsus. Namely that wee must beware that in any wise hee may bee serued without gainsaying, and that the rule which hee hath giuen vsus bee vnbroken, and that nothing bee chaunged in his worde, but that we make much more account of the doctrine which wee hauehave receiued of him, than of our liues. And therefore let vsus not bee plucked backe from the saide zeale for any worldly respect as wee see the worlde is, which fauoureth more his owne fleshly affections than God. But howsoeuer the case stande, yet must wee fight against all impedimentes and distresses, vntill the saide zeale doe get the vpper hande in vsus, so as wee will rather cause them to dye which seeke the defacing of the true Religion, than suffer such a plague to preuaile in the Church, to the infecting and marring of our selues or of any others.
And hereof wee may gather a good exhortation; which is, that when wee see Gods honour impaired any manner of way, it must greeue vsus at the heart, according to the generally saying of the Psalme,Psal. 69.10. concerning all reproches. I say wee must not beare with any thing whatsoeuer it be, whereby Gods honour may be impeached or defaced. But what? Little (in deede) is this doctrine imbraced nowadaies. For blasphemie hath his ful scope eueryevery where; and if a body be to be reproued for so doing; though a dosen persons bee at the hearing of the blasphemie; yet shall not a man finde so much as one witnesse. In this case God ordeyneth all both small and greate to bee his aduocates, and hee will hauehave eueryevery man to doe him seruice in it. For it needes not to bee sayd to a man, HaueHave a care to bewray blasphemie when ye heare it: No for hee is knowen to hauehave beene present; and yet if hee bee asked of it, hee doeth but wring his groyne like a swyne, and saye, I heard him not. Such folke are well worthie, not only that God should plucke their eares from their head, but also vtterly ouerwhelme them. They bee monsters that can heare the name of their maker blasphemed, and yet couer such filthines and suffer it to abyde vnpunished. Is it not reason that God should shew how it is hee to whom they be to yeeld accompt for it? And though he winke at it, yet let not vsus thinke that they which forsweare themselues so vntrustily, shall scape scotfree, but that in the ende GOD will shewe howe it is not without cause that hee hath pronounced, that to fauour euill is worse than to doe euill. For it may bee that hee that doeth the euill is carried to it by choler or by some other affection: but as for him that cloketh it, he is not onelyonly a partaker of it, but also a wilfull iustifier of it as it were in despite of GOD: and that is an vtter peruerting of the order of nature. And therefore lette vsus learne by that which is tolde vsus heere, that euerie of vsus must beare such zeale to the mainteinaunce of Gods honour, as not to spare anie kinne or friende, if they steppe vppe to sette themselues against him to whome wee belong, and to whome wee owe all seruice, going about to ouerthrowe his seate, and to disappoint him that hee may no more reigne among vsus. And therefore whensoeuer Gods honour is darkened or diminished among vsus, let euerie of vsus in his state looke to it that we be so zealous as to redresse it to the vttermost of his power. This is ye first point which we hauehave to marke heere.
And moreouer, if any man shoulde goe about to alter the Religion, so as GOD shoulde after a sorte bee driuen from among vsus; it were meete that our zeale shoulde in that case be kindled yet more. For if wee bee nice in hauing our owne honour touched: what ought wee to be when Gods kingdome is in daunger of vtter dispatch? If there be some wicked practise in a Citie, so as some treason, insurrection or alteration of the state is a bruing, and one hauing but some secret incling of it tolde him in his eare, doe conceiue it; shall hee not bee taken as accessarie, and bee adiudged woorthie of punishment? If it be proued against a man that some wicked treason was a practising; and hee heard of the matter and yet discouered it not; he shalbe punished as a traytour, and men will say hee was well worthie of such punishment. And shall we bee helde excused of our silence, when an insurrection is made against GOD, and men goe about to ouerthrowe his holy temple, that he might not dwell any more among vsus, so as they indeuour to deface his maiestie, and furthermore to cast vp the saluation of mennes soules as a pray to Satan, and wee say nothing to it? Doeth not our dissimulation import both trecherie and periurie against GOD? Yet notwithstanding there be some so farre past shame, that they demaunde at euerie turne, Who is he that findeth faulte with mee? Whome hauehave I wronged? Behoulde, hee hath played the blasphemous and wicked wretche, in flushing out some matter so vglye against GOD, as hee ought to be rooted out for it; and yet hee sayes, Who complaines of mee? If hee had stolne but fifteene pence, he shoulde be whipped; and for the seconde or thirde offence, he should goe to the gallowes: and like a Churchtraytour hee hath trampled Gods maiestie vnderunder foote, wherin hee hath doone worse than the theefe that cuttes a trauellers throte, in a wood; and yet to his owne seeming he is iust still. And whereof commeth this, but of the foresaid lasinesse, that no man bethinks himself of his dutie in that behalfe? GOD doeth vsus the honour to make vsus mainteyners of his trueth, as though he made vsus a solemne commission of it.
And is not that such a preheminence, as of duetie ought to make euerie of vsus to streine himselfe (yea euen beyonde his power) to shew a constant and inuincible zeale in causing men to serue and honour GOD? For if a prince imployed a man in his afaires, and did put him in commission; hee woulde strayne himselfe so farre, as he woulde euen hazarde his life; and hee woulde thinke that what paine so euer hee tooke, though he did much more, yet all were too litle seeing hee hadde so honourable a charge.
Beholde, the liuing GOD taketh vsus as if wee were his defenders, and will hauehave euerie of vsus to represent his owne person: and yet for all that, we despise all those thinges; when Gods name is blasphemed wee make no reckening of it; the partie himselfe that hath taken the othe to conceale no such thing, shall playe the traytour first. And therefore it is no woonder though wicked folke take such libertie, and that when they bee conuicted, they alleadge that no man complaines of them, & that they hauehave done no man any wrong.
For were wee the true children of GOD, surely wee woulde tender the wronges that are doone to him, more than the wronges that are doone to our selues, and wee woulde take them much sorer to hearte.
For if wee our selues bee offended, is it any great matter? But when Gods holy name is lightly esteemed, and reproched; then wee ought to bee verie tender hearted. And because wee thinke not of it; when wee hauehave blasphemed God, wee say wee hauehave done no man any wrong.
Furthermore, let vsus consider (as I hauehave saide afore) that if wee must endeuour by all the meanes wee can to hauehave swearing redressed: much more reason is it that wee shoulde not suffer any man to step vp to trouble the Church, and to make any rebellion, but vtterly roote out such a pestilent fellowe out of hande. But yet before all other thinges, let vsus looke that wee knowe Gods trueth aforehand, that wee may be able to maintaine the same: for without that, wee shall goe lumpishly to worke, and our zeale shalbee but as the rage of madfolkes, as I hauehave alreadie shewed by the examples of the heathen men, Iewes, and Papistes. The Papistes hauehave a faire colour, in saying that if a man deface the maiestie of a Prince, hee shall not scape vnpunished: and therefore it is much more reason that men shoulde bee punished for setting themselues against God. Yea: but in the meane while they wote not what GOD they worship: for they bee carried away with their owne wicked and diuelish superstitions. Let vsus marke then, that wee must not take this lawe here at alauenture; but that to begin well, wee must lay this foundation, that wee bee sure that the religion which wee holde is of God. As for example, wee hauehave the holy Scripture; and there our Lorde hath shewed vsus his will. Hee protesteth by his Prophet Esay that hee hath not spoken vainly nor couertly,Esa. 45.19. nor meant to beguile men in bidding them to seeke him. Then hauehave wee an open declaration of Gods trueth, so wee obey his worde by faith, and receiue it without gainsaying.
When wee bee at that poynt, wee may well with good conscience and safetie punish such as seeke to turne vsus away from the trueth. But if wee be doubtfull and wauering, and go to it but by weening: what will come of it, but that wee shall punish innocent persons, as wee see the Papistes doe by persecuting our Lorde Iesus in his members? It were better for them nowadayes that they killed one another without colour of iustice, than to persecute the children of God after that fashion. For the matter standeth not vppon the punishing of men by taking away their liues, or by sheading of giltlesse bloud through wicked crueltie: but vppon the making of warre against the liuing God, and vponupon the suffering againe of our lord Iesus Christ in his members.
And let vsus marke, that whensoeuer wee falsly pretende the name of God for a colour; our fault is doubled in so abusing it, and we become so much the more blame woorthie. As for example, when the Papistes nowadayes doe persecute the faithfull, and vse such excessiue crueltie as they doe: they can welynough say, it is the zeale of God that driueth vsus to doe it. If a man hauehave slayne one or robbed one; very well, hee shalbee layde vppon the wheele. And what shalbee done when Gods maiestie is defaced? Shoulde the partie scape vnpunished? So will they alleage. Yea; but first they shoulde inquire of the case. For like as sometimes men punish giltlesse persons accused of false crymes: so may it well bee (and wee see it by experience,) that Martyres are persecuted in steede of heretikes. Therefore were it meete to looke well to the matter.
But nowadayes if a man say that wee ought to call vppon none but onelyonly God in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and that wee shoulde not fetche any further compasses after the imaginations of men; by praying to the virgine Marie or other Saintes deceassed to bee our patrones and aduocates; but that wee ought to holde our selues contented with Iesus Christ, to whome that office is giuen by God his Father: By and by they crye out, to the fire with him. And howe so? It is the pure doctrine of the holy Scripture. Yea, but the church of Rome admitteth it not.
If a man say, wee must worship God after a spirituall manner, without making any puppets to him, and that the breaking of the rule which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath giuen vsus, is vtter abomination: out vppon it, thats a foule heresie, at leastwise by the iudgement of the popedome. But yet for all that, the Scripture beareth it. If a man say wee hauehave no freewill to doe good, but that wee bee vtterly corrupted; and that if there bee any goodnesse in vsus, it proceedeth of Gods meere grace and merciemercy, so that our going forwarde towardes the marke, is because wee bee renewed by his holy Ghoste, and yet neuerthelesse that wee bee weake, and had neede to flee continually for refuge to the forgiuenesse which GOD promiseth vsus, and whereby wee bee reconciled vntounto him, whereunto wee attaine not by our owne desertes and satisfactions, but must bee faine to bee purged by the bloudshed of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and by that meanes wee obtaine saluation: if these thinges (say I) bee alleaged: by and by hee must bee haled to the stake. And why? Because all this is condemned by their Synagogues.
Yea, but it were meete for them that they shoulde giuegive eare vntounto God. For did hee forgo his authoritie when hee sayde that we should neither ad too nor diminish from the thinges that hee hath spoken,Deut. 12.32. as wee hauehave seene alreadie heretofore? For thereby doeth he shewe at what ende it behooueth vsus to beginne. Then is it a hellish kinde of dealing, when men stay not vppon the thinges that GOD commaundeth, and that are conteyned in his worde, and yet notwithstanding doe take vppon them to burthen other men with what lawes they list.
If a man say that wee must serue God according to his commaundementes, and not depend vponupon those that take vponupon thē to enioyne lawes to mens soules, and that all such inuentions are foolish: What? Shall the traditions of our mother holy Church bee so reiected? That were a deadly and intolerable cryme. If a man speake of the Sacraments, & say that baptisme ought to be ministred in a knowen tounge, that men may vnderstande to what ende our Lorde Iesus ordeyned it, what fruite it yeeldeth, and how to vse it a right: and moreouer that men may perceiue that baptisme sendeth vsus to our Lorde Iesus Christ, and hath no power of it selfe further than God worketh by his holy spirite, which appeareth when wee hauehave an eye to him that is the verie substance of baptisme: and that all the trifling toyes ought to bee put away wherewith men hauehave mocked God to the full, namely, the ceremonies of their owne inuenting which are but vtter corruptions of baptisme, as their spittle, their salt, & all their other may games which they play withall: If a man talke so of their stuffe, he must be put to death for it out of hand. And why? Fye vppon him, hee is a ranke heretike, he is not to bee borne with. Yea, but they shoulde see first whether it bee an heresie or no. For by that meanes they make God him selfe an heretike for want of due examination; and what a dealing is that? If a man say that our Lordes supper ought to bee receiued according to the rule which hee him selfe did giuegive vsus, that is to wit, that wee shoulde communicate togither, so as the bread might bee a warrant to vsus that wee bee truely become partakers of his bodie, and the wine a warrant that wee bee partakers of his bloud, and consequently that the Masse is an abhomination of the diuels owne deuising, for that therein the Christian are so farre off from communicating together, that one man separates himselfe from all the rest of the company: beholde, then must excommunication serue as a sauce for all meates.
Againe, if a man come at Easter to receiue the Lordes supper, hee must hauehave but a morsel, and hee must holde him contented with the one halfe of it: and moreouer, contrarie to Christ his institution, which sayes: take and eate: they woulde beare God in hand that he shall receiue; we giuegive it thee, say they. Besides this, if a man intende to bee reconciled to GOD, the Masse must serue as a new sacrifice, and although they say it is the same that Iesus Christ himselfe offered, yet doe they oftentimes reiterate it. If a man open his m…uth against such abhominations, O that is an vntolerable cryme. The aire must ring of the great outcryes that shalbe made against it. How now, say they? What ado hauehave wee here? Hee hath spoken against the decrees of the holy Councels. Yea, but before that God commaunded the punishment of Rentgates that shoulde goe about to trouble the Church, and to set diuision in the faith; he saide, Thou shalt not doe what seemeth good in thine owne eyes;Deut. 12. but thou shalt submit thy selfe obediently to my sayinges, and not step aside from my worde, but yeelde your selues to it both great and small; and therefore that order ought to bee maintained.
But we see that all thinges are turned vpside downe. And therefore let vsus looke that wee bee well informed, (as I saide afore) and that wee bee well assured that wee hauehave Gods certaine trueth, and that wee bee throughly resolued of it, so as wee may bee able to say, It is God that hath spoken it, we hauehave beene taught it in his schoole, and wee renounce all imaginations of men: for wee knowe there is nothing but vanitie and vntrueth in men. God then must bee the author of our faith, and allowe it, before wee can say. This is the trueth. And when wee bee so resolued, then may wee obey this commaundement here.
But wee must marke therewithall, that it is not ynough for men to excuse themselues by saying, as for mee I meane not to abolish all religion; and yet if I like well of this thing, why shoulde it not bee lawfull for mee to hauehave it? Moses sheweth vsus that although a man pretend the title of some god, yet is that nothing: for wee must hauehave the liuing GOD; and that when wee hauehave once the knowledge of the true Religion, that must suffice vsus, and that if wee goe astraye, it is through our owne fault, and there is no excuse for vsus. That is the meaning of Moses, and it is a doctrine well worthie to bee noted. For many men might finde starting holes in this behalfe.
May not a man bee ouerseene through simplicitie? Yes: but when wee hauehave once knowen God, wee cannot bee separated from him, but our malice must needes bee vtterly vnexcusable. And therefore let vsus take courage to benefite our selues: and when Gods worde is giuen vsus freely and preached vntounto vsus purely, let vsus bee so confirmed in it, as wee bee not anye more like wauering reedes, yeelding to eueryevery wynde,… nor as little children whome eueryevery man may beguyle: but let vsus vse wit and discretion. And in deede our Lorde giueth vsus his worde, not onelyonly to the intent wee should saye, Lo, this or that is good: but to the ende that eueryevery man shoulde keepe himselfe from euill, & bee fenced and armed against al temptations of Satan, so as wee might hauehave wherewith to resist him when hee goeth about to thrust vsus out of the way.
Nowe,Eph. 6.… Gods worde is tearmed a spirituall sworde: and therefore wee hauehave wherewith to outstande all assaultes, so wee hauehave profited in Gods worde as wee shoulde doe. And hereby it appeareth what diuels they bee, which would nowadayes leaue all things in dout. For there are fantasticall persons which say, What? If a man will punish Heretikes, hee must do it continually; because all thinges are out of order. True it is, that men ought to serue God. And if any many woulde saye there were no diuine maiestie in heauen, there is no GOD, there ought to bee no religion in the worlde, O▪ that were not to bee abidden. But as long as men holde this grounde, that there is a GOD; it is ynough.
And although the heathen keepe stil their dotages, although the Iewes be wilfull in maintayning their false exposition of ye lawe, although the Turkes holde still their Mahomets Alcoran, although the Papistes bee still intangled in their superstitions: all is one, so they holde fast this principle, that there is a God. Yea, but Moses sayeth here expressely, that although a man pretende an intent to serue God: yet must hee bee stoned to death, if it be knowen that hee meant but onelyonly to ouerthrowe or disguise the true religion. And what more then? For (as I hauehave sayd) wee must not onelyonly pronounce with our mouth that there is a God: but wee must also discerne him from all the abuses that men hauehave inuented of their owne brayne. For otherwise it is but a mocking of all the holy Scripture. I shall say I worship God, and in the meane time I worship a puppet. And what is my God? It is a fantasie that I hauehave deuised in mine owne head: it is not the liuing God, hee disclaymeth all such dealings, & so am I but a forger. For (as Saint Paul speaketh of it in the first to the Romanes,Rom 1.21.) such as hauehave wandred away after their owne imaginations, hauehave transformed the maiestie of GOD, though their intent was to worship the liuing God, as the Papistes doe, which protest that they worship God the maker of heauen and earth; and likewise the Turkes, who say the same thing; and so also doe the Iewes, notwithstanding that they abhorre Iesus Christ.
And it is sayd in Saint Iohn, that hee which beleeueth not in the Sonne beleeueth not in the Father which sent him.1. Io…. ….23. Nay he that turneth away from Iesus Christ, doeth vtterly renounce God. For where dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead but in Iesus Christ?Col. 2 17. When the Turks set their Mahomet in the place of Gods sonne,1. Ti… 3.16. knowing not that God hath manifested himself in the flesh (which is one of the chiefe articles of our faith): what a dealing is it? So then, how many thinges soeuer men terme by the name of God, they bee but diuels of their owne deuising and setting vp,1. Cor. 10.…0 if they keepe not themselues fast inclosed within the boundes of the holy scripture. And therefore let vsus marke well, that wee must holde vsus to the pure Religion; and when wee bee well assured of that, then must we come to this lawe whereof Moses speaketh here. And whosoeuer aduaunceth himselfe against it, let him bee rooted out.
Nowe if the man that woulde drawe vsus to the seruing of straunge gods, deserue to bee put to death: what is to be done to these dogges whose whole indeuour is to turne all vpside downe, and to be sorte the whole worlde, so as men may not knowe any more what religion is? And in these dayes wee see this kinde of weede to rise thorough the whole worlde, a sorte of heathenish people, which serue to no purpose but to scoffe and iest at all thinges that are spoken of GOD. Also what shall become of those that commit so open blasphemie, as they may seeme to make but a mockerie of all the holye Scripture, as though it were nothing else but fables? Nowe then, sith wee see that Moses speaketh so: what doe they deserue which do so trouble and defile the holy thinges?
Beholde there comes mee an hypocrite that woulde deuise a newe Religion, as it were to set vp a popedome here againe, or to bring in the Alcoran of Mahomet: nowe ought such a one to bee put to death without forbearing, for so hath God ordeyned. And if any man say, it is crueltie; let him finde fault with God for it, and wee shall see if he can preuaile.
On the other side, if wee may well spit in such mennes faces, notwithstanding that they saye that their so doing is to maintaine Gods honor, what is to bee doone to such as will needes after a sort deface it quyte and cleane? But let vsus come backe againe to the matter. There is a man that goes about to peruert the trueth thorough fonde deuotion; and to turne it into vntrueth: the same man ought to dye. There is a Royster that casteth forth lewd scoffes against the holy Scripture, as doeth that diuelish fellowe which is called Pantagruell, and all his filthie and ribauldly writings: and this sort of men pretende not to set vp any newe Religion, as though they were deluded by their owne foolish imaginations: but like madde dogges they belke out their filthinesse against the maiestie of God, and their meaning is to ouerthrowe all religion: and shoulde such bee spared? Why not? for they hauehave the Cardinalles for their vpholders, they bee fauoured and maintained by them: in so much that the names of these Lord Cardinalles are blazed in those goodly bookes, which serue to mocke God as well as Mahomet. All is one, all may bee abidden, so the Cardinalles bee curryed, it is welynough, and it doth them good to bee so registred: whereby a man may see that they not onelyonly mocke at all Religion, but also coulde finde in their heartes to abolish all religion quite and cleane.
But herewithall let vsus also see howe wee may apply this to our owne vse, for wee must not onelyonly condemne those that hauehave shewed themselues such as I hauehave spoken of: but wee must also fare the better by their example, to the end wee may knowe howe it is too wicked, yea, and too diuelish a thing, that when men go about to make some backeslyding or to set some trouble among vsus, and much rather to driue away all feare of GOD, and bee fauoured or shrowded, or harkened vntounto, or hauehave any gappe left open to them, or be let alone vnpunished; it is the next way to vndoe and marre all. And yet wee hauehave seene examples of such as hauehave maintained so cursed thinges, yea, and of such importance as the verie Papistes themselues coulde not endure them. For it is certaine that the two heretikes that were here, did wrest the holy Scriptures much more than the Papistes. As touching this Triacle maker, who was the first of them; hee maintayned free will, & destroyed Gods election: and are those thinges maintained among the Papistes? Neuerthelesse wee see how he was fauoured, & hee was held vp by the chinne as it were in despite of God.
Againe, as touching the seconde, we knowe how he was so horrible a blasphemer, that al mē abhorred his leawde opinions: and yet for all that, had he not his maintainers and defenders? Yes: for men shewed them more fauour than if they had beene the neerest of their kin. And yet was it not euident that they conspired continually against God and his trueth, to wage battel against him? Therefore let vsus looke neerlyer to our selues, & to conclude let vsus vnderstād that when God hath giuen vsus the grace to hauehave the certeintie of faith, so as we be grounded vpō his worde; wee must holde vsus to it after such a sort, that whensoeuer we see any bodie go about to trouble the order which God hath set, wee may all set our selues against it, and not tary till al agree in one, but that whosoeuer of vsus doth first perceiue the mischiefe, the same doe discouer it out of hande, and eueryevery of vsus do his duetie in such wise, as such plagie persons bee not nourished among vsus. For (as I hauehave declared alreadie) wee see there is such frailtie in vsus, that a verie little leauen will sower our whole batche of dowe;1. Cor 5.6. & Gal. 5.9. and as soone as wee giuegive eare to Satans iuggling trickes, by and by wee bee ouer-throwen and so intangled, that in the ende wee bee carryed quite away from our God and from the true religion.
God therefore beeing acquainted with our frailtie, meant to prouide for it by shewing vsus that it behoueth vsus to cut vp the wicked weedes out of hand. Accordingly also as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayeth, that wee must not suffer any euill weedes to growe:Hebr. 12.15. for they will marre the good corne, and if the time bee foreslowed, it wilbee too late afterwarde. Then must wee not driue off till to morowe; but eueryevery of vsus must quicken and stirre vp himselfe, following the exhortation that is made vntounto vsus heere.
Moreouer, seeing wee bee commaunded to plucke vp whatsoeuer is contrarie to the maiestie of God, and whatsoeuer may peruert or put away the true religion: let eueryevery of vsus see that hee so offer and dedicate himselfe to our God, as wee may not thrust one another out of the right way. If any man goe about to thrust mee out of the way: beholde, God commaundeth mee to rise vp against him; and though it were mine owne brother, my sonne or my wife; yet is it sayde that I ought not to spare them. Now then, if I my selfe thrust others out of the way, is it not a farre more heynous crime? I shalbe taken for an accessarie if I doe but conceale another bodies misbehauiour, and I shewe my selfe a traytour to Godwarde: Nowe then, if I my selfe bee an author of euill, howe deepe am I in? So then, if wee will correct other folkes misdealings so roughly, let vsus beare in minde that wee must in any wise holde our selues in the feare of God, so as in cases concerning his honour, wee bee not a stumbling blocke to driue wretched soules to destruction; but rather indeuour to gather home the stray sheepe into the flocke, & to bring back the wanderers into the right way, and to maintaine and further such as are in the good way alreadie, and all of vsus lende our helping handes one to another, that wee may goe serue our God with one common accord.
Nowe let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to receiue vsus into his fauor, and that although wee be wretched sinners and vnworthie to come in his sight; yet notwithstanding it may please him to accept of vsus, and to refourme vsus in such wise by his holy spirite, as all our life may bee imployed to his glorie, and our whole seeking hencefoorth may bee to aduaunce the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne. And so let vsus all say, Almightie God, heauenly father, &c.