Saint Paul goeth further and saith, It is not sufficient to be called Servants, to be called Ministers, to be called stewards of Gods secrets, but it is further required at the Stewards hand, that he be found faithful. In this world the Master committeth the order of his house to the governance of his Steward; the disposing of his whole living, & order of all other things, he committeth only to his Stewards wisdom: & he looketh that he be found faithful in all his doings. And if this be in worldly things, if the Master here in this world will look for, & require faithful dealings at his Stewards hands, in such things as are but transitory, & of little value: how much more then will God require faithfulness in his Stewards, as touching things Eternal, things Heavenly, and the disposing of his secrets. But from the beginning, even from the first beginning of the world, there ⟨image 13⟩have been always untrusty and wicked Stewards. For, at what time God framed man, and placed him in Paradise in great joy and pleasure, the Devil envying this his felicity, became a wicked Steward, and said unto Adam, Tush, ye shall not dye, eat of this fruit,1 ye shall not dye, God doth but mock with you: for he doth know that in what ever hour ye eat of it, your eyes shall be opened, & ye shall be as God, knowing both good & evil. And thus he became a most wicked Steward. Jeremiah also the prophet saith, that in his time there were wicked and untrusty Stewards: Currunt saith he, at ego non misi, loquuntur, at ego non sum loquutus illis, 2They run, saith God, but I sent them not, they have spoken, but I spake not unto them. So Christ himself said, that in the later days there should come false Stewards, false Prophets, false Preachers, and say,3 Hic est Christus, illic est Christus, Lo, here is Christ, there is Christ; and should do great wonders and tokens, in so much that, if it were possible, the ⟨image 14⟩very chosen should be brought into error also. Antichrist in likewise shall come saith Paul, The man of sin, the son of perdition, 4he shall exalt himself above all that is called God, he shall sit in the holy place, in the Temple of God, in the conscience of Men: and when he cometh he shall not say, I am Antichrist, I am a false Prophet, I am a wicked Steward; but he shall rather say, I am a true Prophet, I am a faithful Steward.
Saint Paul goeth further and saith, It is not sufficient to be called Seruants, to be called Ministers, to be called stewards of Gods secrets, but it is further required at the Stewards hand, that he be found faithful. In this world the Master committeth the order of his house to the gouernance of his Steward; the disposing of his whole liuing, & order of all other things, he committeth only to his Stewards wisdome: & he looketh that he be found faithfull in all his doings. And if this be in worldly things, if the Master here in this world will look for, & require faithful dealings at his Stewards hands, in such things as are but transitorie, & of little value: how much more then will God require faithfulnesse in his Stewards, as touching things Eternall, things Heauenly, and the disposing of his secrets. But from the beginning, euen from the first beginning of the world, there ⟨image 13⟩haue béen alwayes vntrustie and wicked Stewards. For, at what time God framed man, and placed him in Paradise in great ioy and pleasure, the Deuill enuying this his felicitie, became a wicked Steward, and said vnto Adam, Tush, ye shall not dye, eate of this fruit,1 ye shall not dye, God doth but mocke with you: for he doth know that in what euer houre ye eate of it, your eyes shalbe opened, & ye shall be as God, knowing both good & euill. And thus he became a most wicked Steward. Ieremy also the prophet saith, that in his time ther were wicked and vntrusty Stewards: Currunt saith he, at ego non misi, loquuntur, at ego non sum loquutus illis, 2They run, saith God, but I sent them not, they haue spoken, but I spake not vnto them. So Christ himselfe said, that in the later dayes there should come false Stewards, false Prophets, false Preachers, and say,3 Hic est Christus, illic est Christus, Lo, here is Christ, there is Christ; and should do great wonders and tokens, in so much that, if it were possible, the ⟨image 14⟩verie chosen should be brought into error also. Antechrist in likewise shall come saith Paul, The man of sinne, the sonne of perdition, 4he shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God, he shall sit in the holie place, in the Temple of God, in the conscience of Men: and when he commeth he shall not say, I am Antechrist, I am a false Prophet, I am a wicked Steward; but he shall rather say, I am a true Prophet, I am a faithful Steward.
- 1Gen. 3.
- 2Jer. 23.Ier. 23.
- 3Math. 24▪
- 42. Thess. 2.