A17183:749
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.
But what & how the oppressed must pray, there are examples extant in the 9. of Daniel, and in the 18. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Let them also whose minds are vexed, call to remembrance the sayings of Peter and Paul the chief of the Apostles. The Lord (saith Peter) knoweth how to deliver his from temptation as he delivered Lot. Paul saith, God is faithful, & will not suffer his to be tempted 1above their strength, yea he will turn their temptations unto the best. Let them call to mind the captivity of Israel, wherein Gods people were detained at Babylon, by the space of 70. years: and therewithal let them think upon the goodly comfort of the captives which Isaiah hath expressed from his 40. chapter unto his 49. Let us persuade our selves that God is good, merciful, and omnipotent, so that he can when he will, at ease deliver us. He hath many ways and means to set us at liberty. Let us have a regard only that our impenitent, filthy, and wicked life, do not provoke the Lord to augment and prolong the tyrants cruelty. The Lord is able upon the sudden, to change the harts of Princes (for the hearts of kings are in the hands of the Lord, as the rivers of water, to turn them which way he will) and to make them, which have been hitherto most cruelly set against us, to be our friends and favourable to us: and them, which have heretofore most bloodily persecuted the true religion, to embrace the same most ardently, and with a burning zeal to promote it so far as they may. We have evident examples hereof in the books of the kings of Esdras, and Nehemiah, and in the volume of Daniels Prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar whose purpose was to toast with fire and utterly to destroy the martyrs of God for true religion, was immediately after compelled to praise God, because he saw the martyrs preserved, and he himself doth by Edicts given out, publicly proclaim and set forth the only true God, and his true religion. Darius the son of Assuerus, suffereth Daniel to be cast into the Lyons den: but straightway he draweth him cut again, and shutteth up Daniels enemies in the same d•nne, to be torn in pieces by the famished beasts. Cyrus the puissant king of Persia, advanceth true religion:
But what & how the oppressed must pray, there are examples extant in the 9. of Daniel, and in the 18. Chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles. Let them also whose minds are vexed, call to remembrance the sayings of Peter and Paule the chiefe of the Apostles. The Lord (saith Peter) knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation as he deliuered Lot. Paul saith, God is faithfull, & wil not suffer his to be tempted