Lord. God the Father crying from heaven, "This," saith he, “is my dearlybeloved Son:" he saith not, Hear your fathers, your grandfathers, or your great grandfathers; but he saith, "Hear him," even him. For our heavenly Father would have his Son and his word to be taught, and to be beat into men's heads in all places.

And certainly it may not be doubted of by any man but that that, which the most excellent, most wise, and most loving1 Father hath given unto us for our cause, is most excellent, most wise, and to our reasons most profitable. This is that river of water flowing abroad into life everlasting. This is that flesh, this is that blood of Jesus Christ, this is that only both most delicate and most wholesome food of our souls: with this only sword the devil is overcome, with this only stone Goliah is laid along, with this only maul the roughness and hardness of hearts is softened and overcome. And, were it not for this, neither could religion flourish, nor faith be confirmed, or the church kept within the limits of her duty.

Call to remembrance, I beseech you for the Lord's sake, that, as oft as the word of the Lord languished, how often and into how many grievous errors, and how great a break-neck evil did the whole people fall into; how oft despised they the mightiest and most loving God, their preserver and Father; how oft worshipped they Astaroth, Belial, the sun, the moon, calves, and beasts, and turned away themselves from all religion and godliness, and put their whole hope and confidence in things most vain and filthy. For, when as every one hatched out of his own mind a religion and holiness unto himself, superstition and such a multitude of new gods increased so suddenly, that the prophet was informed2 to cry out, "Your gods are in number as many as your cities." For, when as they had forsaken the truth, life, and religion, what remained but that they should fall headlong into lies, into destruction, into ungodly worshippings?

I had rather make mention of these old things, than to bring in examples which are fresh and in memory. There is none of us that ever was so blind that he saw not, or so blockish that he understood not, the calamities3 of former times. We have far gone beyond, not only the superstition and vanity of the Jews, but also of the Egyptians and Grecians. For when the authority of councils, and the conspiracy of a few bishops and monks, was placed above

verbum Domini. Deus Pater clamans e cœlo, "Hic," inquit, "est Filius meus dilectus: Ipsum," non patres, non avos aut proavos, sed "ipsum," inquit, "audite." Suum enim Filium cœlestis Pater et verbum suum omnibus locis doceri et inculcari voluit.

Neque certe cuiquam dubium esse potest, quin quod et optimus, et sapientissimus, et amantissimus Pater nostra causa nobis dedit, et optimum sit, et sapientissimum, et nostris rationibus utilissimum. Hoc illud est flumen aquæ scaturientis in vitam æternam. Hæc illa est caro, hic ille sanguis Jesu Christi, hic unicus est et suavissimus et saluberrimus pastus animorum. Hoc solo gladio diabolus superatur, hoc solo lapide Goliah sternitur, hoc solo malleo animorum rigor et durities emollitur et vincitur. Hoc nisi esset, neque religio vigere, neque fides confirmari, neque ecclesia in officio contineri posset. Revocate enim ad memoriam, per Deum immortalem, quoties verbum Domini elanguerit, quoties et quam graves in errores et quantum in præcipitium populus universus inciderit, quoties Deum opt. max. conservatorem et Patrem suum contempserit, quoties Astaroth, Belial, solem, lunam, vitulos, pecudes coluerit, seque ab omni religione et pietate averterit, et in rebus inanissimis et fœdissimis spem omnem et fiduciam collocarit. Cum enim suam sibi quisque religionem et sanctimoniam ex animo suo peperisset, ita repente increbuit superstitio, et tanta novorum Deorum multitudo, ut propheta coactus sit exclamare, "Pro numero civitatum sunt dii tui." Nam cum veritatem, cum vitam, cum religionem deseruissent, quid relinquebatur, nisi ut in mendacia, in exitium, in impios cultus præcipites ruerent?

Hæc enim vetera commemorare malo, quam exemplis uti vivis et recentibus. Nemo enim nostrum unquam fuit, vel tam cœcus ut non videret, vel tam stupidus ut non intelligeret, superiorum temporum calamitatem. Omnem enim non modo Judæorum, sed etiam Ægyptiorum et Græcorum, superstitionem et vanitatem multis partibus superavimus. Nam cum conciliorum auctoritas et aliquot episcoporum et monachorum conspiratio supra scripturas Dei locaretur;

[ Living, o. E.]

[2 Enforced, o. F..]

[ Calamity, o. E.]

the scriptures; when it was doubted whether the Romish bishop were a man or a god, and whether he could sin; when all things were referred to the constitutions of men, and nothing to the knowledge of Christ; when sales of pardons, vows, and masses, were made openly and without all shame; when the sacraments were miserably torn in pieces; when the word of God was condemned of fraud and heresy; when nothing was left sound and pure from superstition; when error possessed all things, and the truth could not be heard; where then, or what church of God was there? It was heresy in those days, not that disagreed from the scriptures, but from that which liked a few bishops. For the gospel was thrust into corners: nothing was left to the judgment of Christ. Our gods were not then according to the number of our cities, but they were as many as we had streets, yea, almost houses. So were all things utterly out of frame; for that religion depended not on the word of God, but on the will of man.

These horrible cases, brethren, may warn us, that we never unadvisedly depart from the word of God. And thereof it is that all the scriptures do move us so often and so diligently, that we neither add any thing to the word of God, nor take ought therefrom, nor that we bow to the right hand or the left. Neither would the Lord that we should be princes and judges, but messengers and ministers of his word. For look, what serveth to our salvation and unto godliness, all that hath God himself set down in his laws. "For the holy scripture (as Paul saith) inspired by God is profitable to doctrine, to reprove, to correction, to instruction, that the man of God may be perfect, instructed to every good work:" that the man of God, saith he, may be perfect and sound, and, as far as is requisite either to godliness or manners, that he should in every respect be perfectly furnished. And now, I pray you, what should God's embassador bring forth unto God's people rather than the word of God? He that is an embassador in civil affairs, if perhaps he say any thing beside that which is commanded him, he is accused that he hath not done his embassade rightly, he is called to his trial, he is arraigned upon life and death; and why do not we with like fidelity handle the word of God? But too too, good God, too too secure a mind, my brethren, too too secure a mind be we of. And, as though men alone could not be deceived, so do we hold, so do we defend that alonely

cum Romanus pontifex homone an deus esset, et peccarene posset ambigeretur; cum omnia ad hominum constitutiones, nihil autem ad Christi cognitionem rejiceretur; cum indulgentiarum, votorum, missarum auctiones publice et sine pudore ac fronte venderentur; cum sacramenta misere discerperentur, cum verbum Dei pro fraude et hæresi damnaretur, cum nihil a superstitione integrum et purum relinqueretur, cum error omnia possideret, veritas audiri non posset, ubi tum aut quæ usquam fuit ecclesia Dei? Hæresis tum erat, non quod a scripturis, sed quod ab aliquot episcoporum libidine discrepasset. Nam evangelium in angulos abstrudebatur, nihil Christi judicio relinquebatur. Non enim tum pro civitatum, sed pro vicorum atque etiam pene pro domorum numero dii numerabantur nostri. Ita omnia prorsus pervertebantur, cum religio non verbo Dei, sed hominum arbitrio niteretur.

Hi nos horrendi casus, fratres, monere possunt, ne unquam temere discedamus a verbo Dei. Eaque de causa omnes scripturæ nos toties et tam diligenter monent, ut neve addamus aliquid ad verbum Dei, neve minuamus, neve ad dextram vel sinistram deflectamus. Neque enim Dominus nos Aristarchos et criticos esse voluit, sed nuntios et ministros vocis suæ. Nam quicquid ad salutem nostram et ad pietatem facit, id omne jam olim Deus ipse suis legibus occupavit. "Sacra enim scriptura," ut ait Paulus, "divinitus inspirata utilis est ad doctrinam, ad redargutionem, ad correctionem, ad institutionem, ut integer sit homo Dei ad omne opus bonum instructus:" ut perfectus, inquit, et integer sit homo Dei, et quod vel ad pietatem vel ad mores faciat, omnibus numeris et partibus absolutus. Jam vero Dei legato apud populum Dei quid potius proferendum est, quam verbum Dei? In civili negotio legatus, si extra mandata quippiam forte dixerit, accusatur араnрeσßeías et male obitæ legationis, vocatur in jus, jubetur capitis causam dicere. Cur non eadem fide tractamus verbum Dei? Sed nimis, O Deus bone, nimis animo securo, fratres mei, nimis animo securo sumus. Quasi falli homines soli non possint, ita id tenemus unum, id tuemur, id defendimus quod a ma

[God his embassador, o. E.]

[5 God his people, o. E.]

In vain

which is come from our forefathers. There were among the Jews many murderers, thieves, and adulterers; and yet did not Christ inveigh either more often or more bitterly against any than against the Pharisees and scribes : "You break," saith he, "the commandment of God for your own traditions. do you worship me, teaching doctrines and the precepts of men." They are "blind guides of the blind." "Harlots and sinners shall go into the kingdom of God before you." How often, and with what words doth the Lord in the prophets complain of this! "Be astonished, ye heavens," saith he: "My people have done two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living water, and have digged unto themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no waters." ""What is chaff compared with wheat?" What is the rashness of men compared with the eternal will of God? For Basil doth say that that man, which dareth put to, or take away any thing from the scriptures of God, is either a feeble Christian, or a notable arrogant fellow1. To put to the word of God the inventions of men,

66

what other thing may it seem than to mingle new wine not with old wine, but with wine that is dead, and with lees or dregs? and to join light with darkness, a wild beast with a man, a man with God? My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways are not your ways, saith the Lord; for look how far the heaven is from the earth, so far are my ways from your ways, and my thoughts from your thoughts." Nay, rather look how far a man is distant from God, so far is the understanding of man distant from the word of God.

For, although very much by the judgment of all men is to be given to the fathers, yet were they men, and also might err. Truly, to speak nothing else of them, they did oftentimes very ill agree among themselves about very great and weighty matters. But the word of God is sure, and firm, and certain, and appointed for every time. Peter would have this kind of learning to be delivered unto the people in a sermon. And he, that will have doings (herein) with the people, must first be instructed himself with the word of God, that he may utter the word as inspired with a heavenly power. O if Peter were now alive, what would he say, or rather what would he not say, seeing that religion, godliness, the scriptures, are all passed into the inventions and dreams of men? That is only in question at these days, whether the customs of men are rather to be retained,

joribus nostris profectum sit. Multi erant apud Judæos sicarii, latrones, adulteri; in nullum tamen genus hominum Christus vel sæpius vel acerbius invehebatur, quam in Pharisæos et scribas. "Violatis enim," inquit, "præceptum Dei propter traditiones vestras. Frustra me colitis, docentes doctrinas et præcepta hominum." "Cœci sunt duces cœcorum.' "Meretrices et peccatores antevertunt vos in regno Dei." Id quoties et quibus verbis conqueritur Dominus apud prophetas. "Obstu pescite," inquit, "cœli; duo mala fecit populus meus, me reliquerunt fontem aquæ vivæ, et foderunt sibi cisternas dissipatas quæ aquas continere non possunt." "Quid enim paleæ ad triticum?" quid hominum temeritas ad æternam voluntatem Dei? Nam Basilius hominem vel parum Christianum ait esse, vel insigniter arrogantem, qui scripturis Dei vel addere aliquid audeat, vel detrahere. Hominum enim inventa ad verbum Dei ascribere, quid aliud videri potest, quam mustum, non veteri cum vino, sed cum vappa fæceque miscere? et lucem cum tenebris, feram cum homine, hominem cum Deo conjungere? "Non sunt cogitationes meæ cogitationes vestræ, neque viæ meæ viæ vestræ, dicit Dominus: quantum enim abest cœlum a terra, tantum absunt viæ meæ a viis vestris, et cogitationes meæ a cogitationibus vestris." Imo quantum abest homo a Deo, tantum abest sensus humanus a verbo Dei.

Nam quamvis patribus plurimum sit omnium judicio tribuendum, tamen et homines erant, et errare potuerunt. Certe, ne quid dicam præterea, maximis sæpe et gravissimis de rebus parum inter sese convenerunt. Dei autem verbum et fixum et firmum et certum est, et in omne tempus constitutum. Hoc doctrinæ genus Petrus populo pro concione tradi voluit. Oportet enim eum qui cum populo acturus sit, prius ipsum instructum esse verbo Dei, ut tanquam ab afflatu numinis cœlestis proferat oraculum. O si Petrus nunc viveret, quid ille diceret, vel quid potius non diceret, postquam religio, pietas, scripturæ, omnia in hominum inventa et somnia transierunt? Id enim solum hodie ambigitur, hominumne potius

[ ...φανερὰ ἔκπτωσις πίστεως καὶ ὑπερηφα νίας κατηγορία, ἢ ἀθετεῖν τι τῶν γεγραμμένων, ἢ

ἐπεισάγειν τῶν μὴ γεγραμμένων.—Basil. Op. Par. 1721-30. De Fid. 1. Tom. II. p. 224.]

or the laws of God: that alone hath moved these turmoils, that hath stirred the whole world, whether more credit is to be given unto a man or unto God.

I know that these things seem new to the most of you, and not to be believed: but put from you, I beseech you, your affections, and that opinion of things which you have already conceived, and you shall well perceive that I feign nothing for the time's sake, but that I speak the thing itself. Christ hath ordained the holy communion in remembrance of himself: men do neither retain any remembrance of Christ, nor yet communion, but have changed all the whole matter into a gay shew, and almost a stage-play. Christ saith: "Ye shall have the poor always with you, but me ye shall not have always:" "I leave the world and go to my Father:" "It is expedient for you that I go away: and Christ spake this, not of his Godhead, wherewith he was equal to the Father, or of his heavenly nature, but of this body. Men say that Christ neither hath with his body left the world, nor yet gone from hence to his Father. Paul saith that Christ is in heaven at the right hand of the Father; Peter saith in the Acts of the Apostles, "Heaven must hold him until the time that all things are restored:" men say that the body of Christ is in heaven and in earth both at once, and is dispersed into an infinite multitude of places at one time. Paul saith that "Christ hath once entered into the holy places," and "hath with one only sacrifice and one oblation made perfect all things:" men say that they can sacrifice Christ himself again every day, not only for remembrance sake, but in very deed, and that in infinite places. Christ saith: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve:" men worship the eucharist, alack the while! being neither Lord nor God, but a sacrament of the Lord, without authority of the scriptures, or example of the apostles, and that as God. For by the living God I beseech you, consider in your minds, brethren, who ever, I will not say of the apostles, but of the holy fathers, hath either worshipped the sacrament himself, or hath shewed it forth to be worshipped of others? I see that I speak these things, not before the common sort of men, but before them who are profoundly learned. I appeal to all your consciences, I will use in this matter your own testimony. Christ hath commanded the sacrament to be delivered whole: men have torn the same after a miserable manner. Christ willed that nothing should be added to his law: men do not only add many things, but the same they prefer before the word of God. But why should I reckon up more?

consuetudines retinendæ sint, an leges Dei. Id solum has turbas edidit, id omnem terrarum orbem commovit, hominine major fides habenda sit, an Deo.

Scio ego, ista plerisque vestrum nova videri et incredibilia. Sed ponite, quæso, affectiones, fratres mei, et præjudicatam de rebus opinionem; et me nihil temporis causa fingere, sed rem ipsam dicere sentietis. Christus sacram communionem in sui recordationem instituit: homines nec memoriam Christi ullam, nec communionem retinent, sed rem omnem in ludicrum apparatum et tragicum pene spectaculum commutaverunt. Christus ait: "Pauperes semper habebitis vobiscum, me autem semper non habebitis." "Relinquo mundum et discedo ad Patrem :” "Expedit vobis ut ego abeam:" atque hoc Christus non de numine suo, quo Patrem æquabat, aut cœlesti natura, sed de corpore suo loquebatur: homines aiunt Christum nec mundum corpore reliquisse, nec abiisse ad Patrem. Paulus ait, Christum in cœlo esse ad dextram Patris: Petrus in Act. Apostol. ait, "eum oportet cœlum capere usque ad tempora restitutionis omnium :" homines aiunt corpus Christi simul et in cœlo et in terris esse, et in infinitam multitudinem locorum eodem tempore dissipari. Paulus ait "Christum semel ingressum esse in sancta," et "omnia unico sacrificio et una victima perfecisse:" homines aiunt se posse Christum ipsum denuo in singulos dies, non memoriæ tantum causa sed re ipsa, infinitis in locis sacrificare. Christus ait, "Dominum Deum adorabis, et eum solum coles:" homines eucharistiam, nec Dominum nec Deum, sed sacramentum Domini, sine auctoritate scripturarum aut exemplo apostolorum, pro dolor! adorant pro Deo. Nam per Deum immortalem, cogitate cum animis vestris, fratres, quis unquam, non dico apostolorum, sed sanctorum, eucharistiam vel adoravit ipse, vel aliis proposuit adorandam? Video me ista non apud vulgus hominum, sed apud doctissimos viros dicere. Appello vestras omnium conscientias, utar in hac re vestro ipsorum testimonio. Christus eucharistiam integram tradi jussit: eam homines miserum in modum lacerarunt. Christus ad legem suam nihil ascribi voluit: homines non tantum ascribunt plurima, verum etiam ea præferunt verbo Dei. Sed quid plura commemoro? Longum esset omnia

[ His, o. E. 1609.]

This only will I speak, and that in a word: they which brought in transubstantiations, masses, calling upon saints, sole life, purgatory, images, vows, trifles, follies, babbles, into the church of God, have delivered new things, and which the scriptures never heard of. Whatsoever they cry or crack, they bring not a jot out of the word of God.

And these, as I have said, are the things wherewith the church of God at these days are disquieted. Upon these lieth the watch and ward of the church. These they honour instead of the scriptures, and force them to the people instead of the word of God: upon these men suppose their salvation and the sum of religion to be grounded.

And that which is much more grievous, notwithstanding at this present, by the great goodness of God, religion is restored almost to her former dignity and light; yet poor and pitiful souls, they set great store by these things, they to them again, and teach them, as though without them the church could not be in safety. O if the word of the Lord might be heard among so many clamours, and in so great a hurly-burly; if we would suffer God himself to sit as judge in his own case, the matter would be passed over with less tumult a great deal, and more easily might we agree about the whole matter. Wherefore, if all the worship of God, all godliness, all religion, be to be sought out of the word of God; if the institutions of men have miserably perverted all things in all times, let us, my brethren, unto whom the office of teaching is allotted, consider how dangerous a thing it is to speak more; and let all who will be, and will have themselves accounted to be Christians, remember how dangerous a thing it is to believe more. And if there be any of this whole number which hath given himself to any other kind of life, yet let him consider that these things belong unto him, so that, if he neither can nor will teach, yet let him diligently and attentively hear him that speaketh, and give God thanks, that he hath happened on those times in which he may hear the word of God freely and purely. Let us not be wedded too much to our own wit; let us not be wedded too much to the fathers and forefathers. Let us not unadvisedly think that men are so luckily born, that, whatsoever they say, they cannot err. When we shall be placed before that dreadful judgment-seat, when all things shall burn, and the angels of God shall tremble; to what fathers, to what decrees of our forefathers, shall we wretches then appeal? We shall then have refuge to Christ alone, then shall we use the aid and word of Christ alone. Wherefore let us not be of so secure a mind in so great a matter. Our life, our soul, our salvation, is the thing in hand. The heavenly Father

inter se componere. Hoc tantum uno verbo dicam, Qui transubstantiationes, qui missas, qui divorum invocationes, qui cœlibatum, qui purgatorium, qui statuas, vota, nugas, ineptias, quisquilias in Dei ecclesiam invexerunt, nova tradiderunt et inaudita scripturis. Quicquid clamant aut crepant, ne apicem quidem proferunt e verbo Dei.

Atque hæc, ut dixi, ea sunt, quibus hodie ecclesia commovetur. Hic excubatur, hic prospicitur ecclesiæ. Hæc scripturarum colunt loco, et obtrudunt populo pro verbo Dei: hic homines salutem suam et religionis summam sitam esse arbitrantur. Quodque multo est gravius, postquam hodie, summo Dei beneficio, religio ad pristinam pene dignitatem et lucem rediit, miseri tamen homines et deplorati ista mirantur, ista repetunt, ista docent, quasi sine his ecclesia salva esse non possit. O si inter tot clamores et in tanto tumultu verbum Domini audiri posset; si Deum ipsum per nos liceret in sua causa sedere judicem, minus magno cum tumultu res transigeretur, faciliusque de toto negotio conveniret. Quapropter si e verbo Dei omnis cultus numinis, omnis pietas, omnis religio petenda sit, si hominum instituta omnia omnibus temporibus misere perverterint, cogitemus, fratres mei, quibus docendi provincia contigit, quam sit periculosum plura dicere: omnes autem, qui se Christianos numerari et esse volunt, meminerint quam sit periculosum plura credere. Si quis autem est ex hoc omni numero, qui se ad aliud vitæ genus contulit, meminerit tamen ad se ista pertinere, ut si docere aut non possit aut nolit, dicentem tamen diligenter et attente audiat, et Deo gratias agat in ea se tempora incidisse, cum verbum Domini libere pureque audire possit. Ne nimium prudentiæ nostræ, ne nimium patrum et majorum auctoritati tribuamus: ne temere putemus homines ea felicitate natos esse, ut quicquid dixerint, errare non possint. Cum ad horrendum illud tribunal sistemur, cum omnia deflagrabunt, et angeli Dei contremiscent, quos tum ad patres miseri, ad quæ majorum decreta provocabimus? Ad solum tum Christum refugiemus, Christi tum solius præsidio verboque utemur. Quapropter ne simus animo tam securo in re tanta. Agitur vita, agitur anima,