Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And by the way let us mark, that whereas Moses saith that God will raise up a Prophet: he speaketh of the continual order which God intended to stablish in his Church, which shall endure to the worlds end. For had there been no more but the once publishing of the Law, truly it had been enough to make folk unexcusable whensoever they had turned from it: but yet had §10it not been a sufficient mean to hold them to it, specially considering the frailty of men, how they slip away like water and vanish away out of hand, chiefly when the case concerneth the accepting of any goodness. Therefore if God had done no more but published his Law, truly men ought to have submitted themselves to it, and to hold themselves as in captivity thereunto: but yet we see such was mens feebleness and unconstancie, that they would have turned away §20from it by and by. God therefore vouchsafed to add a second help, as if he should put to a double bond, saying that he will raise up Prophets from time to time, among the people. As if he should say, True it is that I have declared my will unto you fully in my law: but yet will I send you expounders of the doctrine and maintainers thereof, which shall be as keepers thereof, that it perish not, ne be buried, nor be corrupted with false interpretations. So shall there always be Prophets. This §30doth us to understand, that God hath not only once uttered his will unto us, but also that he hath sent us teachers from time to time to keep his Church in obedience, and by their means to make his word to be understood. And so we have to gather that the Church cannot stand without teaching, and that it is not enough for men to read the holy Scripture: for if God had known it to have bin sufficient for us, he would have gone no further. But it is his will that there should be teachers §40to speak daily in his name, as instruments of his spirit, and (to be short) as his own mouth. If this be not superfluous; we may conclude thereupon, that where no doctrine is preached in Gods name, there is no Church. And thereby we see the desolation that is in the Popedom. True it is that their hypocrites preach now and then: but for as much as they disguise themselves, yea and even falsify & corrupt all good doctrine: all that they do is but abomination.

And by the way let vs marke, that whereas Moses saith that God will raise vp a Prophet: he speaketh of ye continual order which God intended to stablish in his Church, which shall indure to the worldes ende. For had there beene no more but the once publishing of the Law, truely it had beene ynough to make folke vnexcusable whensoeuer they had turned from it: but yet had