A17183:1124
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.
And although the saints do not rejoice at the destruction of their persecuting 1enemies, whom they could wish rather to be converted and so saved, than in this present world to be punished, and in the world to come to be damned for ever: yet they are glad when they see the Lord punish their afflicters, because thereby they perceive that God hath a care over those that be his servants. They do gather also by the present vengeance of God upon the wicked, that as afflictions are for the health and amendment of the faithful, so they are to the hurt and destruction of the unbelievers. For while they persecute other, they them selves are destroyed, and while they trouble the church of the living God, they kindle a fire of the wrath of god against themselves that will never be quenched. For in the Prophecy of 2Zechariah thus we read that the lord speaketh touching his church, Behold I make Jerusalem a cup of poison unto all the people that are round about her: yea, ••da himself shall be in the siege against Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all people, so that all such as lift it up, shall be torn & rent, & all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against it. A like saying to this hath the lord in Jeremiah, where he speaketh against the persecutors of his Church and saith: Take this wine 3cup of indignation from my hand, & make all the people▪ to whom I send thee, to […] of it: that when they have drunken thereof, they may be mad and out of their wits, for fear of the sword which I will send among them. For I begin to plague the city that is called after my name, and ⟨p. 317⟩think ye then that ye shall escape unpunished? Ye shall not go unpunished. And this is that whereto S. Peter alluding said: The time is that the judgement of God beginneth at the house of God: if it first begin with us, what shall the end of them be, that believe not the Gospel?
And although the saincts do not reioyce at the destruction of their persecuting