Sermons upon Deuteronomy

he telleth us that all faults shall come before his judgement seat, and that the hypocrites may well shroud themselves for a time, but in the end they shall be rooted out: and not without cause. For (as I have touched afore) think we that God will leave his honour in the suds? Seeing it is his will that even men should be maintained in good reputation, and that all outrages should be punished: what will he do when the case concerneth his own majesty, & that his glory is diminished by the malice of men? Ought such dealing to scape unpunished? Will God suffer himself to be mocked after that fashion? It will be alleged that all of us have been idolaters, & so we are all worthy of death. And their saying so, is as it were to stir up all men against God. For the folk that make such replies, seek but to poison mens hearts, that Gods honour might be lightly esteemed, and that we might quarrel with him when we feel our selves touched.

he telleth vs that all faultes shall come before his iudgement seate, and that the hypocrites may well shrowde themselues for a time, but in the end they shalbe rooted out: and not without cause. For (as I haue touched afore) thinke wee that God wil leaue his honour in the suddes? Seeing it is his wil that euen men should be maintained in good reputation, and that all outrages shoulde be punished: what will he doe when the case concerneth his owne maiestie, & that his glorie is diminished by the malice of men? Ought such dealing to scape vnpunished? Wil God suffer himselfe to be mocked after that fashion? It will bee alledged that all of vs haue beene ydolaters, & so we are al worthie of death. And their saying so, is as it were to stirre vp all men against God. For the folke that make such replies, seeke but to poyson mens heartes, that Gods honour might bee lightly esteemed, and that we might quarrell with him when wee feele our selues touched.

But first of all (as I said afore) we must mark that our Lord speaketh here of the punishing of idolaters, where order is stablished according to his word. If God had not begun at that end, his order had been amiss. But seeing he hath showed how men ought to serve him, and give a sure rule thereof, telling us that we must simply do whatsoever he commandeth; and seeing that both great and small are taught what God they ought to worship, and which is the true Religion: if a man or a woman do afterward turn away, and become forsworn and disloyal to God by stepping aside into the superstitions of the heathen: is there any excuse to be admitted in that case? Then let us mark well, that this Law was made at such time, as God had already stablished a Lawful government, directed according to his own word. But we have all been idolaters. As how? Even by means of the horrible desolation, that happened through the whole world, as is to be seen yet still in the Popedom. Had this law bin well observed at the first; Christendom had not bin so sore decayed. For had they been punished which were the first idolaters & had falsified the Gospel, and corrupted the pureness which was at that time: surely Gods order had bin maintained and preserved much better. But what? When hypocrites were once crept in, which would needs seem holier than all other men; then invented they many corruptions: and the more they were born with, the more did the mischief spread it self abroad, so that it became a poison that undoeth all. The cause then why the Church of God came to such desolation: is that men have not bin held in awe, that the pure simplicity of the Gospel might be maintained, and God worshipped according to his word, so as men might not assay to devise any thing of their own brain, but that all men both great & small, might be made to obey the doctrine which they knew already to be of God. Had this bin done: there had bin no such desolation as we see still at this day And therefore let us bear in mind, that Gods speaking here, is but of such countries or Cities, as have had the grace to have the true religion stablished among them, so as he is worshipped there, & they have all consented to admit the order which is set by God; & therefore if any of them do afterward turn away, he deserveth to lose his life.