Sermons upon Deuteronomy

By practising all manner of treason & disloyalty, & by applying their minds to all wicked shifts for the maintenance of the thing that they had misbegun. But in the end our Lord wrought. And what have we to consider therein? That we be worthy of blame. For although those folk did fight openly against God: yet would he not have suffered such miseries to have happened among us, but for our offences. And therefore let us consider that seeing he hath so punished the parties that came to set themselves apparently against him, & made their reckoning to overthrow all that he had builded: he hath schooled us at their cost, & therefore we ought first of all to thank him for his sparing of us, and that he wrapped us not in the confusion that was prepared for us, but hath put a miraculous difference between them & us. Thus ye see that the thing which we have to mark, is on the one side Gods mercy in bearing with us, & on the other, the punishing of a few folk, which ought to serve us for an instruction to teach us to fare the better by it. For it is certain that thereby God hath showed us, how it is his will to have things go peaceably, & to keep their ordinary course according to his word. For it is not for men to pretend Gods name falsely in this behalf, to swerve aside one way or other. The ministers of the word & such as are appointed to be preachers, must for their part be able to protest before God, & to show openly before men, that they neither be nor desire to be counted any other, than as persons to whom God hath committed the charge of preaching & of administering his sacraments, with such pureness as things may not be corrupted in the church. When it is so: let us understand that we must submit our selves thereto, & that we shall win nothing by striving against it, but Gods hand must needs be always against us. For he forgetteth not what he hath ordained, but will maintain & defend the same continually. Therefore let us learn to leave the seeking of any change against Gods ordinance. Let us look upon the rule that is contained in the holy scripture, & let no man attempt to encounter it by any manner of means. Let us rather die than alter any thing, or attempt any thing against our God. Let us be as sheep, if we will have Jesus Christ to be our shepherd.

By practising al maner of treasō & disloyalty, & by applying their minds to al wicked shifts for ye maintenance of ye thing yt they had misbegun. But in ye end our Lord wrought. And what haue we to cōsider therin? That we be worthy of blame. For although those folk did fight opēly against God: yet would he not haue suffered such miseries to haue happened among vs, but for our offences. And therefore let vs consider yt seeing he hath so punished ye parties that came to set themselues apparantly against him, & made their reckening to ouerthrow all yt he had builded: he hath scholed vs at their cost, & therefore we ought first of al to thank him for his sparing of vs, and that he wrapped vs not in ye cōfusion yt was prepared for vs, but hath put a myraculous differēce betwene them & vs. Thus ye see that the thing which we haue to marke, is on the one side Gods mercy in bearing with vs, & on ye other, the punishing of a few folk, which ought to serue vs for an instructiō to teach vs to fare ye better by it. For it is certain yt thereby God hath shewed vs, how it is his wil to haue things go peasably, & to keep their ordinary course according to his worde. For it is not for men to pretend Gods name falsly in this behalf, to swarue aside one way or other. The ministers of ye word & such as are appointed to be preachers, must for their part bee able to protest before God, & to shewe openly before men, yt they neither be nor desire to bee counted any other, than as persons to whom God hath committed ye charge of preaching & of administring his sacraments, with such purenes as things may not bee corrupted in ye church. Whē it is so: let vs vnderstand yt we must submit our selues thereto, & that we shal winne nothing by striuing against it, but Gods hand must needs be always against vs. For he forgetteth not what he hath ordeined, but wil maintaine & defend ye same continually. Therefore let vs learn to leaue ye seeking of any change against Gods ordinance. Let vs looke vpon the rule that is conteined in the holy scripture, & let no man attempt to incounter it by any maner of meanes. Let vs rather die than alter any thing, or attempt any thing against our God. Let vs be as sheepe, if we will haue Iesus Christ to bee our shepherd.