Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now after that Moses hath told the said things, he addeth yet one word more, which is Even unto this day. Whereby he meaneth that Gods will was to have those things observed. True it is that these things had not at that time endured above forty years: but yet doth Moses put the people in mind of them, telling them that that order must not be broken, but continued still even till the coming of the redeemer. In deed the priests themselves were greatly out of order & had marred all, so as they had well deserved that God should undo his covenant with them, & bereave them of the prerogative that he had given unto their father Levy, according to this text of the prophet Malachi, which saith that God made his covenant with Levy,¹ but yet forasmuch as the Levites had shrunk away, & not regarded the promise that they had made unto God, they deserved to be cut off, and God would curse all their blessings, as if he should say, when ye think ye have made a great hand, then will God but blow upon you, & by & by it will appear that all was but shame. Yet notwithstanding the priesthood was to continue still, even to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, & so it did. Likewise let us mark well nowadays, that when things be out of frame in the Church, so as all goes to havoc, the mischief is in deed to be corrected, but yet must not gods ordinance be therefore disannulled, so as we should let it alone, & not put it in execution, upon misliking of the vices & offences that have set all in a broil: but we must always resort back to Gods pure rule. We see there have bin no such devils incarnate, as those that have boasted themselves to be Prelates, Bishops, & shepherds. Now if upon misliking of such corruptions, a man would abolish all order in the Church, so as there should be no ministers, nor any mo folk appointed to teach the people: what else were it than a horrible confusion, and a setting open of hell, that all things in the world might go to havoc? But let us keep still this principle, that mens vices must be corrected, and gods commandment therewithal observed. Thus ye see what Moses meant, in saying that Gods choosing of the Levites was not for a day or twain, but to continue still, that by that mean the Church might be maintained.

Now after yt Moses hath told the sayd things, he addeth yet one word more, which is Euē vnto this day. Wherby he meaneth yt Gods will was to haue those things obserued. True it is that these things had not at yt time indured aboue fourtie yeares: but yet doth Moses put ye people in mind of thē, telling them yt that order must not be broken, but continued still euen till the cōming of ye redeemer. In deede the priestes thēselues were greatly out of order & had marred all, so as they had well deserued yt God should vndoe his couenant with thē, & bereaue them of ye prerogatiue that he had giuen vnto their father Leuie, according to this text of the prophet Malachie, which saith yt God made his couenant with Leuie,