Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1, Sermon 6
THE VI. LECTVRE.
AMOS. 2.4.
And their lyes cauſed them to erre, after the which their fathers hauehave walked.
IN my laſt Sermon I began the expoſition of the third part of this prophecie againſt Iudah, and paſſed ouer the two firſt branches. You then heard the people of Iudah reproued, for contempt, and rebellion: Contempt of the law of the Lord, and rebellion againſt his commandements. They hauehave deſpiſed the law of the Lord, they hauehave not kept his commandements.
What! Iudah! Iudah, aLament. 2.1.the daughter of Sion; ſhe that was great among the Nations, andbLam. 1.1. a Princeſſe among the Prouinces: Iudah! That was the LordscEſai. 19.25. inheritance, the LordsdExod. 19.5. peculiar, the LordsePſal. 114.2. Sanctuarie, thefEſai. 61.9. bleſſed ſeed of the Lord, thegEſai. 5.7. plant of the Lords pleaſure: Iudah, to whom thehRom. 3.2. oracles of God were committed; is Iudah become rebellious? Hath Iudah deſpiſed the law of the Lord? Hath not Iudah kept his commandements? What may be the reaſon of it? The reaſon followeth in my Text:
Their lyes cauſed them to erre, after the which their fathers hauehave walked.] In ſteed of lyes, the vulgar Latin hath Idola, Idols. So hath S. Hierome: Deceperunt eos Idola eorum; their Idols hauehave deceiued them. What Idols? Euen ſuch as their fathers followed, while they liued in Aegypt. They faſhioned vntounto themſelues, the ſemblance and counterfeit of the Aegyptian Oxe; they adored Beelphegor, they worſhipped Aſtaroth and Baalim. Beelphegor, Aſtaroth, Baalim; theſe were the Idols, as S. Hierome commenteth, by which the inhabitants of Iudah were deceiued: Deceperunt eos idola eorum; their Idols deceiued them.
For Idols, our Engliſh tranſlation readeth Lyes. the Hebrew fountaine is our warrant: the word there ſignifieth Lyes. Their Lyes cauſed them to erre.
Lyes are of two ſorts: ſome are in commercijs; ſome in cultu divino: ſome in commerce with me; ſome in the ſeruice or worſhip of God. Lyes in commerce with men, are cōmitted 3. manner of wayes, in words, in manners, in things. A Lye in words is, when we ſpeake one thing, & thinke another: and this is either iocoſum, or officioſum, or pernicioſum; it is either a lye in ieſt, or an officious lye, or a pernicious lye; not one of theſe can be excuſed: no, not the lye in iest, though S. Auſtin call it otioſum, an idle lye; and exempteth it from blame: as alſo ſome do officioſum, the officious lye.
A Lye in manners you may call ſimulation, diſſimulation, counterfeiting, diſſembling. This is ſeene in falſe-Chriſts, falſe-Prophets, falſe-Apoſtles, falſe-Teachers, ſuch as make a faire ſhew of honeſtie, or for aiLuc. 23.14. pretence make long prayer, orkMath. 7.15. weare ſheeps clothing, but are hypocrites, deuourers, wolues. Theſe lye in their manners: of theſe it is ſaid, frons, oculi, vultus perſaepe mentiuntur: the forehead, the eyes, the countenance, do often lye.
The lye in things is, when one thing is ſubſtituted or put in the place of another; a counterfeit for a true thing: as when a coſener ſells opium for apium, or broome twigs for balmewood, or alchimie for ſiluer, or copper for gold. But theſe lyes obuious and frequent in commerce with man, I muſt paſſe ouer. They are not intended in my text. The lyes intended in my text, are lyes in cultu divino, lyes in the ſeruice and worſhip of God.
Their lyes cauſed them to erre.] Theſe lyes in the ſeruice and worſhip of God, what are they? Lyranus will tell you. Quaecun que fiunt, aut cogitantur ſine Dei verbo; Whatſoeuer things in diuine worſhip are done or deuiſed without the warrant of Gods word, they are lyes. So ſaith, that learned Profeſſor of Paris, Mercer; Omnia humana figmenta, qua contra Dei verbum, in Dei cultu excogitantur; All humane inventions in diuine worſhip deuiſed contrary to the word of God, they are lyes. Summarily thus I ſay: By lyes in this place we are to vnderſtand, fictitios cultus, whatſoeuer worſhip of God is forged or counterfeited;lColoſſ. 2.23. foreign, all will-worſhip, all ſuperſtitious and blinde worſhip. Theſe are the lyes, that cauſed Iudah to erre.
Their lyes cauſed them to erre.] Firſt, they betooke themſelues to the Idolatrie of the Gentiles, they made their ſons to paſſe through the fire, according to the abominations of the Heathen, 2. Kings 16.3. Secondly, they forſooke the ſeruice of the Lords houſe, his holy Temple at Ieruſalem, and ſacrificed, and burnt incenſe, in high places, on hills, vnderunder eueryevery greene tree, 2. King. 16.4. Thirdly, they mHoſ. 10.1. & 8.11.increaſed their Altars, multiplied their ſacrifices, and augmented their ceremonies, ſuppoſing thereby ex opere operato, euen for ſuch their ſuperſtition ſake, to deme…it vntounto themſelues the fauor of God, though they were vtterly voide of faith, and repentance. Theſe were the lyes that deceiued Iudah; theſe their lyes cauſed them to erre. Commenta falſi cultus: their new-deuiſed, feigned, and forged worſhips of God, were the lyes, that cauſed them to erre.
This appellation of lyes is alſo giuen to falſe worſhip, Rom. 1.25. where S. Paul chargeth the Gentiles, with changing the truth of God into a lye. They changed the truth of God into a lye, that is, the true worſhip of God they peruerted, and changed into falſe worſhip. The reaſon why falſe worſhip there is called a lye, is, becauſe its oppoſed to truth.nDruſius. Quicquid veritati contrarium est, mendacium est; Whatſoeuer is contrary to truth, that is a lye. And therefore our Prophet here in this text oppoſeth lyes, to the law of God; becauſe Lex Dei veritas, Pſal. 119 142. the law of God is truth. This antitheſis betweene the law of God, and a Lye, we finde, Pſal. 119.163. Mendacium od…, immo deteſtatus ſum; legem tuam diligo. I hate a Lye; yea I abhorre it, but thy Law do I louelove.
We ſee now, what theſe lyes were, which cauſed Iudah to erre: they were humane deuiſes, and inuentions in the worſhip of God, defiling and infecting the ſinceritie of that worſhip, which God onelyonly approueth. And yet is the Holy Spirit here pleaſed further to notifie vntounto vsus theſe Lyes of Iudah, in theſe words: After the which their fathers walked.
Their Lyes cauſed them to erre; after the which their fathers hauehave walked.] What fathers meaneth he? Thoſe, whichoPſal. 106.19. made them a calfe in Horeb, and worſhipped the molten image, and turned their glory, euen their God, into the ſimilitude of an Oxe that eateth graſſe? of whom we read, Exod. 32.4. Or meaneth he thoſe which ſerued ſtrange Gods in Ʋr of the Chaldees? of whom we read, Ioſuah 24.2. Whatſoeuer the Fathers were, here meant by our Prophet; they were to theſe inhabitants of Iudah their anceſtors; they were their forefathers: ſuch as tooke delight in the ſeruice of falſe Gods.
Their Lyes cauſed them to erre after the which their fathers walked.] It is no new thing, no ſtrange thing, for children to ſtriue to imitate their fathers, that they may be like vntounto them. This doth S. Stephen, Act. 7.51. obiect to the ſucceſſors of theſe Iewes: Yee ſtiffe-necked and vncircumciſed in heart and eares, yee doe alwaies reſist the Holy Ghoſt; as your fathers did, ſo doe yee. Your Fathers were a ſtiffe-necked people; ſo are yee. Your Fathers were of vncircumciſed hearts and eares; ſo are yee. Your Fathers reſisted the Holy Ghoſt; ſo do yee. Yee ſtiffe-necked and vncircumciſed in heart and eares, ye do alwayes reſist the Holy Ghoſt; as your Fathers did, ſo do ye. By Fathers in this place the Protomartyr S. Stephen meaneth maiores, their predeceſſors, their anceſtors, their fore-fathers.
What? Are theſe words of S. Stephen extended to all the anceſtors of the Iewes? Were they all a ſtiffe-necked people? Were they all of vncircumciſed hearts and eares? Did they all reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt? This may not be imagined. The many and glorious titles, and appellations beſtowed vponupon that people in Sacred Writ do euidently make good the contrary. We muſt therefore diſtinguiſh of thoſe anceſtors, and forefathers. Some of them were excellent men, and ſincere worſhippers of the true God: ſuch were Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, and all the faithfull, that iſſued out of their loynes: theſe are not the Fathers, whom S. Stephen meaneth. Other ſome there were notoriouſly infamous for their impietie, for their bloudy tyrannie towards the Lords Prophets, for their idolatrous ſeruice of falſe Gods. And theſe S. Stephen in his ſpeech intendeth.
Theſe are they who in the 78. Pſal. verſ. 8. are called, a ſtubborne and rebellious generation; a generation that ſet not their heart aright; a generation, whoſe ſpirit was not ſtedfast with God. Theſe are they, who S. Iohn the Baptist meaneth, Matth. 3.7. where he calleth the Phariſies, a Generation of Vipers.
Theſe are they, whom our bleſſed Sauiour alſo intendeth, Matth. 12.33. & 23.33. where he ſtileth the Phariſies, as Iohn Baptist did; a Generation of Vipers. And what is this generation of vipers, but aspComment. in Act. 7.51. Lorinus ſaith, peſſimorum parentum peſſimi filij, wicked ſonnes of as wicked parents.
Such were theſe Fathers in my text: of whom it is further ſaid, that they walked after Lyes.]
They walked after Lyes.] To walke, in the Scripture phraſe is metaphorically taken, and hath diuers ſignifications. For the vnderſtanding of the phraſe in my text, you may know; there is a walking after truth, and a walking after Lyes; or which is all one, there is a walking after God, and a walking after Idols. We walke after truth, or God, when from the bottome of our hearts, we thinke vponupon, and do thoſe things, which God hath preſcribed vntounto vsus in the word of truth; when we liue a godly life, in this preſent world. On the other ſide, we walke after lyes, or after Idols, when we worſhip that which is not God; or when we worſhip the true God, but vponupon a falſe foundation, polluting and defiling his ſacred worſhip, with the fooliſh imaginations and inventions of our owne braines. Thus did the ancient Iewes walke after Lyes; which is here laid vntounto their charge: Their Lyes cauſe them to erre, after which their Fathers walked.
Hitherto hauehave you heard the expoſition of the text. GiueGive eare now I beſeech you to ſuch leſſons as may from hence be taken for our further inſtruction, and the reformation of our liues. The firſt leſſon I take from theſe words, Their Lyes cauſed them to erre; their lyes, that is, their idolatrous and falſe worſhip of God, hath cauſed them to erre, hath deceiued them. The doctrine is:
When men decline or ſwerue from the preſcript of Gods word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; and cannot but erre.
I thus explicate it. If we embrace not the truth of God, if we deſpiſe his holy Lawes, if we keepe not his commandements, we muſt of neceſſitie fall into ſupine and groſſe lyes. For ſo God permitteth. Whoſoeuer beleeue not the truth, but hauehave pleaſure in vnrighteouſnes; whoſoeuer receiue not the louelove of the truth, that they may be ſaued, to ſuch ſhall God ſend ſtrong deluſion that they ſhall beleeue lyes, 2. Theſſ. 2.11. Now Almighty God to keepe his elect and beloued ones from ſuch efficacie of errour, from ſuch ſtrong deluſions; how oft doth he admoniſh them, that in no wiſe they depart from his holy word.qDeut. 12.32. Prov 30.6. Reuel. 22.18, 19. Adde not to my word, neither diminiſh ought from it, Deut. 4.2.rDeut. 5.32. & 28.14. Ioſh. 23.6. Eſai. 30.21. Turne not from my word, to the right hand or to the left, Ioſh. 1.7. Lay vp my words in your heart and in your ſoule; binde them for a ſigne vponupon your hand, let them be as frontlets betweene your eyes, Deut. 11.18. What more obvious in holy Scripture then thoſe Mementoes from the Lord?ſDeut. 4.1, 6. Hearken vntounto my ſtatutes, and vntounto my iudgements, keepe them, do them: Remember tNum. 15.39.my commandements, uDeut. 6.17.keep them diligently, xProv. 3.1.lay them vp yProv. 3.1.in thy heart: forget not my law, zProv. 3.1.aProv. 4.2.forſake it not: bProv. 4.…0.attend to my words, cProv. 7.1.keepe my words, dProv. 4.20.encline thine eare vntounto my ſayings.
And why I pray is the Lord ſo earneſt to hauehave his ſtatutes, his iudgements, his commandements, his lawes, his words, his ſayings to be kept by vsus? Is it not, becauſe hee well knoweth, that if we euer ſo litle decline or ſwerue from theſe, or from any one of theſe, we are forthwith inwrapped, and involued in deceit, and cannot chuſe, but erre? Statutes, iudgements, commandements, lawes, words, ſayings. Here are multa verba, many words, but res vna, they all ſignifie one thing, and that is expreſſable in one word, euen the word; the w…rd of God mentioned in my doctrine, from whoſe preſcript if wee decline or ſwerue, wee are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; wee cannot chuſe but erre.
A reaſon hereof I may giuegive you, out of Pſal. 119.105. where the word of God is compared to a lampe, or a light: Thy word is a lampe vntounto my feete, and a light vntounto my path. You know the vſe of a lampe, or light. It is to direct vsus in the darke, that we erre not. Now what is this world, but a place of darkneſſe? Here the naturall man ſitteth in darknes, Luk. 1.79. he walketh in darknes, Pſal. 82.5. his eyes are blinded with darknes, 1. Ioh. 2.11. his vnderſtanding is darkned, Epheſ. 4.18. he is ſubiect to the power of darkneſſe, Coloſſ. 1.13. he hath fellowſhip with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes, Epheſ. 5.11. he is euen darknes it ſelfe, Epheſ. 5.8. How then can he chuſe but erre, if he hauehave not this lampe, or light of God, the word of God, to direct him?
It was not vnvſuall, with the Iewes, to ſeeke to them, who hadeEſai. 8.19. familiar ſpirits, and to peeping and muttering wizard…. To reclaime them from this error, the Prophet Eſay cap. 8.20. calls them ad legem, & ad teſtimonium, to the law and to the teſtimonie, that is, to the word of God. And why doth he ſo? He tells you why, in the words following: If (ſaith he) they ſpeake not according to this word, it is, becauſe there is no light in them: What can be more plaine? Where the word of God is not, or directeth not, there is no light, there is nothing but darkneſſe▪ nothing but errour.
You hauehave enough for the confirmation and illuſtration of my doctrine, which was,
When men decline, or ſwerue from the preſcript of Gods word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit, and cannot but erre.
Is it ſo beloued? If we leaue the word of God, are wee forthwith in errour? Let this be a ſtrong motiue to vsus, to giuegive more diligence to the word of God, then hitherto we hauehave done. Let vsus as we are exhorted by S. Peter in his 2. Epiſt. cap. 1. verſ. 18. Let vsus take heed vntounto it, as vntounto a light, that ſhineth in a darke place, till the day dawne, and the dayſtarre ariſe in our hearts. Let vsus not thinke any time miſſpent, that we beſtow vponupon this word of God, either to heare it, or to read it, or to keepe it. Yong men, wherewithall will you clenſe your wayes, but by taking heed vntounto your wayes according to the word of God, as you are aduiſed, Pſ. 119.9. All men I know would be bleſſed; but then muſt they delight in the word of God, and make it their meditation day and night, as it is Pſal. 1.2. If we leaue the word of God, which is the lampe and light of God, then are we forthwith in darknes; we are in error.
Is it ſo, beloued? Then ſecondly let vsus bring and offer to our gracious God, the calues of our lips, the ſacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiuing, for that it pleaſeth him for our direction in this valley of darknes and ſhadow of death, to giuegive vsus the light of his moſt precious word. He hath not dealt ſo with many nations of the earth. Many there are, that hauehave not the light of his word. And where this light is not, there can be nothing but darknes.
Is it ſo, beloued? Then thirdly is the Church of Rome very iniurious to the people of God, to with-hold and keepe from them this light of the word of God. Is it not plaine, they do ſo, when they forbid the Scriptures to be tranſlated into any Vulgar tongue, and ſo ſeale them vp from the vnderſtanding of the ignorant and vnlearned? They willingly ſend the Scriptures abroad in the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine tongues: but what are the common people of any Nation hereby benefited? Do they vnderſtand the Hebrew, Greeke, or Latin?
A Papiſt will anſwer; there is no neceſſitie that the vulgar ſort ſhould vnderſtand thoſe ancient & ſacred tongues. ThefRa…ford. Directorie cap. 56. Church hath appointed learned men alwayes to inſtruct the ſimple out of the booke of God, with ſuch hiſtories and leſſons, as may be moſt fit to edifie and help them, in the way to Heauen.
I grant, there is no neceſſitie, yea it cannot be, that the common people ſhould vnderſtand, the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latin tongues: but I adde; it is therefore neceſſarie that the Holy Scripture ſhould be tranſlated into vulgar and knowne tongues, euen for the vnderſtanding of the common people: as this day (through Gods goodnes) we hauehave them in our Engliſh tongue, nor diſmembred, and very much corrupted, as Radford would beare the world in hand; but more perfectly rendred, then euer was that old vulgar Latin edition, obtruded to the Chriſtian world for Authenticall by thegSeſſ 3 cap. 2. Trent Fathers.
The exception taken againſt the tranſlation of the Scriptures into vulgar, and knowne tongues, is vaine and ridiculous. They ſay, that great, and marueilous inconveniences and diſcommodities hauehave fallen out through ſuch tranſlations. How proue they this? They will ſeeme to proue it by ſundry inſtances.
1. They tell vsus of ahStaphylus de Bibliorū trāſlatione pag. 492. Painter of Pruſſia, who, becauſe he had in Luthers German Bible read of Lot his incest, aduentured to abuſe his owne daughter.
2. They tell vsus of aiIdem ex Joh. Gaſtio Briſac. lib. de Catab…p…ſiu. woman ofkMonaſtrij. in Weſtphalia, who, hauing diligently peruſed the hiſtorie of Iudith and Holofernes, attempted by the example of Iudith, ſecretly to kill the Biſhop of Munſter.
3. They tell vsus oflI…hannes …ugdunenſis, Sarcinater B…tavus. Iohn of Leiden, who would be as a King, becauſemStaphylus vbi ſuprà. p. 494. ex Sleidan. lib. 10. Ioſuah was ſuch: and would hauehave the toleration of many wiues, becauſe the Patriarchs had many.
4. They tell vsus ofnIdem ex Aenea Sylvio in hiſtoria …emorum. Grubenheimer, who, becauſe he had read in Geneſis, Encreaſe and multiplie, approued that in their night conuenticles, their lights extinguiſhed, they might commit filthineſſe not to be ſpoken. Theſe foure inſtances are brought by Frid. Staphylus in his treatiſe of the tranſlation of the Bible into vulgar idomes.
5. They tell vsus of Dauid George, a Batauian, who by reading the Scriptures in his mother tongue, was perſwaded of himſelfe, that he was the ſonne of God, and the Meſſias.
6. They tell vsus of an Engliſh woman, who hearing the Miniſter of the Pariſh where ſhee liued, read out of Eccleſ. 25. ſomewhat againſt wicked women, which pleaſed her not, roſe vp from her ſeate, and ſayd, Is this the word of God? Nay, rather it is the word of the Deuill. Theſe two latter inſtances are brought by Cardinall Bellarmine lib. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 15.
To theſe, and the former, vrged by Bellarmine, and Staphylus, to ſhew the inconueniences, and diſcommodities of hauing the Bible in vulgar, and knowne languages, I thus briefly reply. Shall ſober men be forbidden the vſe of meates and drinkes, becauſe many ſurfet of them? This you will grant to be very abſurd and vnreaſonable. So abſurd is it, and vnreaſonable, that the people of God ſhould be forbidden the vſe of the booke of God in their vulgar & knowne languages, becauſe a few, vnſtable perſons, ſuch as were the aforenamed, the Painter of Pruſſia, the Cobler of Leyden, Grubenheimer, Dauid George, and two ſilly women, the one of Weſtphaelia, the other of England, abuſed ſo rich a treaſure to their owne ouerthrowes.
This my reply agreeth with that anſwere, whichoAnimaduerſ. in Bellarm. Controu. 1. lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 63. Iunius giueth vntounto Bellarmine: Non conuenit, vt propter eos qui abutuntur malè, praecludatur, aut eripiatur Scriptura eis, qui ſunt vſuri benè. Its not conuenient, that for their ſakes who doe to ill purpoſe abuſe the Scriptures, the Scriptures ſhould be ſealed vp, and barred from ſuch, as would vſe them well.
The reaſon, which Dr Bucknham, ſometimes Prior of the Black-fryers in Cambridge, for this very purpoſe brought againſt Mr Latimer, is altogether as vaine, and friuolous. The danger of hauing the Bible in our Engliſh tongue hee prooued after this manner. The plowman hearing that in the Goſpell by St Luke, Chap. 9.62. No man that layeth his hand on the plow, and looketh backe, is meete for the kingdome of God, may peraduenture ceaſe from his plow: likewiſe the baker hearing that, Galat. 5.9. A little leauen corrupteth a whole lumpe of dow, may per-caſe leaue our bread vnleauened, and ſo our bodies ſhall be vnſeaſoned. Alſo the ſimple man, hearing that, Math. 5.29. If thy right eye offend thee, plucke it out, and caſt it from thee, may make himſelfe blind, and ſo fill the world full of beggers.
This friarly and bald reaſon of Dr Bucknham, is not worthy any other anſwere, then the wiſh of Latimer. pFox Martyrol. pag. 1904. Edit. Lond. An. 1570.Latimers wiſh was, that the Scripture may be ſo long in our Engliſh tongue, till Engliſh men be ſo mad; the plowman, not to looke backe; the baker, not to leauen his bread; the ſimple man, to pluck out his owne eye.
See you not (Beloued) how iniurious the Papiſts would be towards you, were they Lords ouer you? The light of Gods word, the incomparable and heauenly treaſure, they would ſeale vp from you in an vnknowne tongue.
This was not the practiſe of olde. Of old time, in the primitiue times of the Church, the Holy Scriptures had their free paſſage. All ſorts of people might read them, might ſearch into them, might iudge of them. The vnlearned, as the learned; the laitie, as the clergie; women, as men; baſe, as noble; yong, as old; all had their ſhares in reading, in hearing, in meditating, in practiſing the ſacred doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures. There can be no iuſt reaſon to the contrary.
For as S. Chryſoſtome in his firſt Homilie vponupon S. Mathew ſaith: The Scriptures are eaſie to the ſlaue, and to the husbandman, to the widdow, and to the ſlaue, and to him, that may ſeeme to be very ſimple of vnderſtanding.
To which purpoſe S. Auſtine Epi. 3. ad voluſian: affirmeth, that Almightie God in the Scriptures ſpeaketh, as a familiar friend without diſſimulation, vntounto the hearts both of the learned, and alſo of the vnlearned.
The like S. Baſil avoucheth vponupon the 1. Pſal. The Scripture of God is like an Apothecaries ſhop, full of medicines of ſundry ſorts, that eueryevery man may there chooſe a conuenient remedie for his diſeaſe.
VponUpon this ground S. Chryſoſtome Hom. 2. in Iohan, would perſwade his auditors, not onelyonly in the Church to bee attentiue to the word of God, but that at home alſo, the husband with the wife, and the father with the childe, would talke together thereof; and would to and fro inquire, and giuegive their iudgments: and would to God, ſayth he, they would once beginne this moſt approued, and moſt excellent cuſtome.
Theodoret in his fift Booke de curatione Graecarum affectionum, ſeemeth much to reioyce at the knowledge which the Chriſtians generally had in the ſacred Scriptures. Our doctrine, (ſaith he) is knowne not onelyonly of them, who are the doctors of the Church, and Maſters of the people, but alſo euen of Taylers, and Smiths, and Weauers▪ and all Artificers: of women too, not ſuch onelyonly as were learned, but alſo of labouring women, and Sewſters, and ſeruants, and hand-maides. Neither onelyonly Cittizens, but Country folkes alſo doe very well vnderſtand the ſame: Ditchers, deluers, Cowheards, Gardiners, can diſpute of the Trinitie, and the creation of all things.
Thus was it of old, and why ſhould it not be ſo now in our daies? The Holy Scriptures are the ſame now, that then they were. Now, as in the dayes ofqSermon. de Confeſſorib. ſive Diſpenſat. p. 610. Fulgentius, In Sacris Scripturis abundat, & quod rebuſtus comedat, & quod parvulus ſugat, There is in the Scriptures plentie, whereof the ſtrong may eate, and the little ones may ſucke. Now, as in the dayes ofrEpiſt. ad leandrum. Gregorie, Scripturae flumen ſunt, in quo agnus ambulet, & Elephas natet, the Scriptures are as a great Riuer, wherein a Lambe may walke, and an Elephant may ſwim. Now, as in the dayes ofſDe Lazar…. Theophylact, Scripturae ſunt, Lucerna quo fur deprehenditur. The Scriptures are as a lanterne, whereby you may deſcry, and diſcouer that great theefe, the Deuill, who is euer readie to ſteale away your hearts from God.
Let vsus (dea…ely beloued) follow this lanterne. Let this Lampe of Gods word direct your footſteps. So ſhall we bee ſafe from errour. But if we will not follow it; if we will decline, if we will ſwerue from it, we ſhall be ſuddainly involued, and inwrapped in deceit, and cannot chooſe but erre: This was my firſt doctrine. I can but touch the ſecond.
Their lies cauſed them to erre, after which their Fathers walked.] You hauehave vnderſtood by my precedent expoſition of theſe words, that the Inhabitants of Iudah are here blamed, for adhering to the blind ſuperſtitions of their forfathers. The doctrine ariſing hence is this;
In matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers.
This truth is plainely deriued from my text, for if we will make it our rule in Religion, to follow our forefathers; their lyes, that is, their blind ſuperſtitions, and idolatrous worſhip of God, may deceiue vsus, and cauſe vsus to erre. Were not the elders of Iſrael, thus deceiued, and brought into errour? The twentie Chapter of the prophecie of Ezechiel makes it plaine, that they were ſo: there ſhall you finde it obiected to them; that they were polluted after the manner of their fathers, and committed whoredome after the abomination of their fathers, ver. 30. And to draw them from adhering to the ill courſes of their fathers, the Lord himſelfe is pleaſed ver. 18. 19. thus to ſpeake vntounto them: Walke yee not in the ſtatutes of your fathers, neither obſerue their iudgements, nor defile yourſelues with their Idoles, I am the Lord your God: Walke in my ſtatutes, keepe my iudgements, and doe them. What will you more for the confirmation of my propoūded doctrine? You hauehave alreadie the warrant of Almightie God from heauen for it, that in matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers.
It is backed with another text, Zach. 1.4. Be not as your Fathers: your Fathers they heard me not, they hearkened not vntounto me, ſaith the Lord. Be not you therefore as your fathers. Your fathers tempted me in the deſert, Pſal. 95.9. Will you alſo tempt me? Be not as your Fathers. Your Fathers were a ſtubborne and rebellious generation, Pſal. 78.8. Will you alſo be ſtubborne, and rebellious? Be not as your Fathers. It is out of doubt; Our fathers muſt not be followed in euill. Yea, in matters of Religion we are not bound to follow our Fathers. If our fathers in their religion were blinded with ſuperſtition, and worſhipped God otherwiſe, then they were directed by Gods holy word, we are not to follow them: yea, we are plainely charged, not to be as they were: Thus briefly of my Doctrine: In matters of religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers.
This truth ſerueth for a reproofe of Ieſuits, Prieſts, Recuſants, and all other popiſhly affected within this our country, who are ſo ſtrangely devoted to the Religion whereof their fathers were, that they purpoſely ſhut their eyes againſt the light of Gods word, & will not ſuffer it to ſhine vponupon them. To whom ſhall I liken them? They are like to certaine Iewes, that dwell in Pathros in the land of Egypt: who when Ieremie, in the name of the Lord, dehorted them from their Idolatrie, did as it were, defying the Prophet, thus proteſt, Ierem. 44 17. We will not hearken vntounto thee; We will doe what ſeemeth good to vsus, as we hauehave done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, ſo will we doe. We will burne incenſe to the Queene of Heauen, we will powre out drinke offerings vntounto her. For ſo long had we plentie of victuals, we were well, we ſaw no euill.
Doe not our popelings in England now ſing the ſame ſong? Call themtEſa. 8.20. ad l…gem, & ad teſtimonium: call them to the word of God. Their anſwere is readie at their tongues end: we will not hearken to it: we will doe, what ſeemeth good to vsus: as we hauehave done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and Princes before vsus, ſ… will we doe. We will perſeuere in the Religion profeſſed by our Fathers, and reviued in Queene Maries dayes. For ſo long, as that religion was on foote, we had plentie of victuals, we were well, we ſaw no euill.
W…etched men and women, as many of you, as are thus wilfully addicted to the ſuperſtition of popery, take you heed, that the words of the Lord, Eſa. 6.10 giuen in charge to the Prophet, to be conueyed to the Iewes, be not in euerie poynt appliable vntounto you: Make the heart of this people fat, make their eares heauy, ſhut their eyes; leſt they ſee with their eyes, and heare with their eares, & vnderſtand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Will theuIerem. 13.23. Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? Then will our countrymen of the popiſh ſect change from the religion of their forefathers. Their firme reſolution to liue and dye in the religion of their fathers, is made apparant by theirxAn. D. 1603. ſupplication, to the moſt puiſſant Prince, and orient Monarch, our gracious Lord, King IAMES; one branch whereof, is this: We request no more fauour at your Graces hands, then that we may ſecurely profeſſe that Catholike religion, which all your happy predeceſſors profeſſed, from Donaldus the first converted, vntounto your Maieſties peereleſſe mother.
To this purpoſe dothyPreface to the King, before his Survey. Dr Kelliſon recite vntounto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predeceſſors, to moue him, if poſſible, to embrace their Religion. But (God his holy name be bleſſed for it) all in vaine.
When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Romane Empire, and Count Palatine of the Rhene, was by a certaine Prince aduiſed, for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis; hiszPolan. com. in Ezech. 20. anſwer was: In religions non parentum, non maiorum exempla ſequenda, ſed tantum voluntas Dei: In religion we are to follow, not the examples of our Parents, or our anceſtors, but onelyonly the will of God. And for this reſolution he alleaged the fore-cited teſtimonie of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel: Walke yee not in the ſtatutes of your fathers, neither obſerue their iudgements, nor defile your ſelues with their Idols. I am the Lord your God; walke yee in my ſtatutes. I doubt not, but that our gracious Soueraigne, King IAMES, hath euer had, and will hauehave a like anſwer in readineſſe, to ſtop the mouths of Kelliſon, and all others, who hauehave dared, or ſhall attempt, to moue his royall Maieſtie for his religion to be like his predeceſſors.
God giuegive our King the heart ofaIoſh. 24.15. Ioſhua; a heart ſtedfaſt and vnmoueable in the true ſeruice of the Lord our God. Though ſome of his Predeceſſors hauehave bin deceiued to fall downe before the beaſt in the Apocalyps, and to worſhip his image, yet good God, ſo guide our King, and bleſſe him with a religious people, that He and we, and his people, may now and euermore feare thee, and ſerue thee, in ſinceritie and truth, to the glory of thy great name, and the ſaluation of our owne ſoules, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.