A17183:855
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.
men do ⟨p. 212⟩lye in wait, supposing if he were once made away, that a good part of the preaching of the Gospel would then come to an end, and that thereby the Jewish religion (which notwithstanding was utterly false) should have been set up and maintained for truth. But Paul was not negligent to remedy this case, neither turned he the other cheek to have that stricken too, 1but earnestly and humbly requireth delivery and defence, which he requested, not of a Christian magistrate (when as yet there was none) but of a Roman Centurion: neither did he once gainsay him, when he saw that he chose out 400. footmen, and 70. horsemen, whom he placed in order of battle ray, to conduct him safely from Hierusal•m to Antipatridis: and by that means was Paul the vessel of election, preserved by an armed band of Italian soldiers. Of the Armenians whom Mariminus the Emperor did tyrannously oppress, Eusebius in the 9. book and S. cap of his ecclesiastical history saith: The people of Armenia having been long time both profitable and friends to the people of Rome, being at length compelled by Maximinus Caesar, to change the use of Christian religion (whereunto the whole nation was most holily bent) into the worship of idols, and to honour devils in stead of God, of friends became enemies, and of fellows adversaries, and preparing by force of arms to defend them selves against his wicked edicts, do of their own accord make war upon him, and put him often to much trouble and busyness. Thus saith he. It is lawful therefore for the magistrate to defend […] people and subjects against idola••ra, and by […] and […] to this there is an other cause why the magistrate may take war in hand. For either some barbarous enemy invadeth the people committed to thy charge, tearing and spoiling them most cruelly, like a wolf in a flock of sheep, when as notwithstanding thou diddest not first provoke him thereunto by injury, but also after his causeless beginning thou hast offered equal conditions of peace to be made. In such a case as this the magistrate is commanded to stand forth like a Lyon, and to defend his subjects against the open wrong of merciless cutthroats. So did Moses, when he fought against Arad, Sehon and Og, kings of the Amorites. So did Jehoshaphat when he fought against the Ammonites, and inhabitants of mount S•ir.