A17183:566
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.
In the beginning, he crieth out and saith: I am the Lord thy God. Wherein he declareth what he is, and what he will be unto all men. These words are like to the words of the covenant which God made with Abraham, and in Abraham with all faithful believers. I am, sayeth 1the Lord, a strong God, and I am Schaddai, as who should say, Saturnus a saturando, which is to fill. For God is the abundant fullness that satisfieth all men and all things, he is the everlasting well of all good things which never is drawn dry. And that doth Jeremiah declare at large in the second chapter of his prophecy. All which verily, God in effect comprehendeth in these few words: I am the Lord thy God. I, I say, which speak to thee from within the fire, I and none other. Here is expressly meant, the unity of God. We are here taught to acknowledge one God, and no more, to stick to one, and not to suffer our hearts fantastically to dream of many. I am thy Lord, I am thy God. He is a Lord, because he alone hath the rule over all creatures, all things are subject to him as to their Lord, all things do bend and ⟨p. 113⟩obey him, if once he do but beck. He as Lord alone, doth govern and uphold all things that are. So then, in this one word is contained the wisdom of God, his virtue, his power and infinite maiestie. Deus, which word we use for God, is (peradventure) derived of the Hebrew word, Daij, which signifieth sufficiency or full ability. For God alone of him self, is unto him self most perfect blessedness and absolute felicity: he is also sufficiently able to minister all things most abundantly to all them, that seek after him in trueth sincerely, being of him self most liberally wealthy, to all that call upon his name. Therefore in this branch the sufficient and full ability, the liberality, the goodness and mercy of God are to be noted: but most especially in this that he saith, I am thy God, Thy God I say. For God is not good to him self alone, but even unto us also. He desireth to pour and bestow him self wholly, with all his goodness and gifts of grace, upon the faithful and sincere believers. He is no niggard, he is not envious, he rejoiceth and is glad to bestow and divide him self among us abundantly, and to our comfort, to fill us with the enjoying of him self at all times and seasons, but especially, in time of our necessity.
In the beginning, he cryeth out and sayth: I am the Lorde thy God. Wherin he declareth what he is, and what he will be vnto all men. These wordes are like to the wordes of the couenaunt which God made with Abraham, and in Abraham with all faithfull beléeuers. I am, sayeth