A17183:1158
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 because the Lord did especially require faith and faithful obedience at the hands of his servants in the observing of Ceremonies, therefore those Ceremonies did not please but utterly displease his Majesty, so oft as the people were ignorant of the meaning of the secret mysteries contained in those figurative shows, so oft, I say, as they were without faith, and observed only the outward actions or Ceremonies without inward zeal and touch of conscience. For the Lord in Jeremiah crieth out and saith: Heap up your burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eat the flesh: For 1when I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I spoke no word unto them of burnt offerings or sacrifices, but this I commanded them saying, Hearken ⟨p. 330⟩unto and obey my voice, and I will be your God and ye shall be my people. And yet in an other place we read that the offering of sacrifices, & that external action of the people in worshipping god was acceptable and of a sweet smelling savour in the nose of the Lord. Now whereupon riseth this diversity I pray you, but upon the difference of the minds of them that worship the Lord? For sacrifices pleased him, & the honour that was done unto him in simple obedience & faith alone did please him too: but that religion he did utterly mislike of, wherein he was worshipped with outward shows, and not with the faith and sincere obedience of the inward hart: in which sort we read that Cain did sin, for God commanded not to sacrifice in that manner that Cain did. Again he commanded to sacrifice and to worship him with external ceremonies, in faith that Christ should come to be the Saviour of the world: not that they should hope to be justified by the external action, but by him that was prefigured in all their Ceremonies, Christ Jesus the sacrifice once to be offered to save them all, who was the life and meaning whereunto all those Ceremonies did lead, that are expressed in the law.
And because the Lord did especially require faith and faithfull obedience at the hands of his seruants in the obseruing of Ceremonies, therfore those Ceremonies did not please but vtterly displease his Maiestie, so oft as the people were ignorant of the meaning of the secret mysteries conteyned in those figuratiue showes, so oft, I say, as they were without faith, and obserued onely the outward actions or Ceremonies without inward zeale and touch of conscience. For the Lord in Ieremie crieth out and saith: Heape vp your burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eate the flesh: For