Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And it is said expressly, That men shall stand to the sentence which is given by the Judges and Priests: and that the party which disobeyeth it, shall die the death because of his pride. Hereupon the Pope would needs ground, that it is not lawful in any wise to stand against the things that have bin determined by the Councils. What? Behold, the Pope hath sit as chief of the Council, and the Bishops and prelates have consented thereunto, and shall a man come and set himself against it, and say that it was il decreed. O that were an intolerable crime in deed, God will not have such pride to be borne withal in his people. This (as I have said afore) may easily be overthrown, as thus: that forasmuch as this text treateth of matters of law, it treateth not of doctrine. For God hath delivered his law, and hath said that men must not turn aside neither to the right hand nor to the left. In so much that when Moses gave instructions unto Joshua,¹ he said to him, thou shalt follow whatsoever is contained in the law, & not swerve aside one way nor other. Behold, Joshua is ordained to be the chief Judge, to hold the people in good order, he is their head, and representeth our Lord Jesus Christ: yet for all it, he saith not to him, Thou shalt do whatsoever thy mind giveth thee to do, & whatsoever is good & right to thine own seeming: but thou shalt do as the meanest of all the people, submitting thy self to the doctrine which is given thee for the guiding of the Church. So then, as touching Gods service, and religion, we see how the law hath ever borne the sway, and it behoved all men to have their ears open and ready to receive whatsoever is set forth there, and that no man might presume to stand against it, or to overrule it, for making of the people to murmur. Now therefore forasmuch as here is no speech concerning any other things than of matter in law, how they ought to be ended, and of the pacifying of quarrels which else would be endless between man and man; the solution is very easy: namely that if a man stand against a definitive sentence, his meaning is to pervert all order, and he is an enemy to mankind, and worse than a thief. He that robbeth or murdereth, shall be punished, and yet his breaking of the law, is but in some one point: but as for him that breaketh the civil order, he openeth the gap to theft, to murder, and to all confusion:

And it is said expresly, That men shall stand to the sentence which is giuen by the Iudges and Priests: and that the party which disobeyeth it, shal dy the death because of his pryde. Hereupon the Pope would needs grounde, that it is not lawefull in any wise to stand against the things that haue bin determined by the Councels. What? Beholde, the Pope hath sit as cheefe of the Councel, and the Byshops and prelates haue consented thereunto, and shall a man come and set himselfe against it, and say yt it was il decreed. O that were an intolerable crime in deed, God wilnot haue such pride to be borne withall in his people. This (as I haue sayd afore) may easily be ouerthrowen, as thus: that forasmuch as this text treateth of matters of lawe, it treateth not of doctrine. For God hath deliuered his lawe, and hath said that men must not turne aside neither to the right hand nor to ye left. In so much that whē Moses gaue instructions vnto Iosua,