A17183:1116
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Wherefore so long as the purpose of the mind (by which the body must be sanctified) remaineth, the violent deed of an others filthy lust taketh not from the body that chastity, which the persevering continency of the deflowered body doth seek to preserve And in the mean while there is no doubt, but the most just Lord will sharply punish those shameless beasts & monsters of nature, which dare undertake to commit such wickedness.
Wherfore so long as the purpose of the mind (by which the bodie must be sanctified) remayneth, the violent déede of an others filthie luste taketh not from the body that chastitie, which the perseuering continencie of the defloured body doth séeke to preserue And in ye meane while there is no doubt, but the most iust Lord will sharpely punish those shamelesse beastes & monsters of nature, which dare vndertake to commit such wickednesse.
The Saints are confirmed in their 1tribulations by the mnumerable examples of their forefathers, whereby they gather that it is no new thing y• happeneth unto them, since God from the beginning hath with many afflictions and tribulations, exercised his servants, and the Church his spouse whom he loveth so dearly. And here I think it to be very expedient & available to the comforting of afflicted minds, to reckon up the best & choicest examples that are in the scriptures. Of which there are many both private and public. The chances and pilgrimages of the later Patriarchs (because I mean not to speak of them before the deluge) are those which I call private examples. For our father Abraham is by the mouth of God called from out of Ur of the Chaldeans 2to go into Palestine, from whence he is driven by a dearth into Egypt, where again he is put to his shifts, & feeleth many pinches. After that when he came again into Palestine, even till the last hour of his life he was never without some one mishap or other to trouble & vex his mind. His son Isaac felt famine also, and had one misfortune upon an others neck to plague him withal. He sinneth not y calleth Jacob the wretcheddest man that lived in that age, considering the infinite miseries wherewith he was vexed. While he was yet in his mothers womb and saw no light he began to strive with his brother Esau: afterwards in his striplings age, he had much a doe to escape his murdering hands, by exiling himself from his fathers house into the land of Syria: wer again he was kept in ure and exercised