Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now he addeth afterward, as we have seen already heretofore, that the people should not sacrifice in all places, but only in the place that God should •••se among their tribes. And that is to hold the people in obedience, that they should not attempt to serve God after their own fancy & imagination. In deed a man might say at the first blush, that there needed no rehearsing of the thing that was easy enough of it self. But the case concerneth not the only understanding of it, there is another reason why god setteth down this saying so often: which is that men cannot refrain from swerving one way or other, but that although they be fully minded for a time to serve God, yet do they start aside in the turning of a hand, because they be unconstant & light minded. Not without cause therefore doth God rehearse here the same thing that we have seen here before, namely that the people should not offer sacrifice in all places. And why? For things in those days were very dark, & it was needful for the people to be restrained, to know that there was but one God. The heathen had every one their religion by himself, & there was no certainty at all among them. But it behoved the people of Israel to be fully resolved in this wise. The God whom we worship is the maker of heaven & earth: & because we be not able to get up unto him, he hath showed himself unto our fathers, so as we cannot do amiss, if we worship him according to his Law. It behoved the people of Israel to be at that point. For had they had divers altars, and that every man might have followed his own devotion: what a thing had it bin? There would have ⟨p. 509⟩bin store of inventions; they would have brought in diversity of religions, every man would have devised what he had listed, & the God of Abraham should no more have bin worshipped after his own manner. For this cause is it said, you shall have but one Altar and one Sanctuary, and God reserveth to himself the choosing and appointing out of the place wherein he will be worshipped & served. We see then that here all liberty is taken from men, so as they may not take any §10thing at all upon them in the serving of God. Mark that for one point.

Now he addeth afterward, as we haue seen alreadie heretofore, that the people should not sacrifice in all places, but only in the place that God shold •••se among their tribes. And that is to hold the people in obedience, that they shoulde not attempt to serue God after their owne fansie & imagination. In deede a man might say at the first blush, yt there needed no rehearsing of the thing yt was easie ynough of it selfe. But the case concerneth not ye only vnderstanding of it, there is another reason why god setteth down this saying so oftē: which is that men cannot refraine frō swaruing one way or other, but that although they be fully minded for a time to serue God, yet doe they start aside in the turning of a hand, bicause they be vnconstant & light minded. Not wtout cause therefore doth God rehearse here ye same thing that we haue seene here before, namely that the people shoulde not offer sacrifice in all places. And why? For thinges in those dayes were very darke, & it was needefull for the people to be restrained, to know yt there was but one God. The heathen had euery one their religiō by himself, & there was no certaintie at al among them. But it behoued the people of Israel to be fully resolued in this wise. The God whom we worship is the maker of heauen & earth: & bicause we bee not able to gette vppe vnto him, hee hath shewed himselfe vnto our fathers, so as wee cannot doe amisse, if wee worship him according to his Lawe. It behoued the people of Israel to bee at that point. For had they had diuers altars, and yt euery man might haue followed his owne deuotiō: what a thing had it bin? There wold haue