The Decades: Third Decade

S

BULLINGER'S DECADES.

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Jf or tfir ttutlication of tijr 929otfe0 of tljr jFatfjr re ani) (?arl),> 5.XLlritc re of li)f tifformrH

THE DECADES

OF

HENRY BULLINGER,

< MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ZURICH.

TRANSLATED BY H. I.

M.SL

THE THIRD DECADE.

EDITED FOR

BV THE

REV. THOMAS HARDING, A.M.,

Of WORCESTER COLLEGE, OXFORD, AND VICAR OF BEXLF.Y, IN KENT.

CAMBRIDGE:

PRINTED AT

THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

THE THIRD DECADE.

Dedication to King Edward the Sixth ... 3 The Tenth Sermon . 368

ERRATA AND ADDENDA.

IN VOLUME I.

Advertisement, p. viii. line 27, for (Ecolampadius read Zuingle.

Page 2. In the Fac-Simile Title-page the N. B. should have been rather : " This

triple table is in the editions of 1577 and 1584 prefixed, but in that of

is in ed. 1584. Apostoli, Lat." 83, note 8. Bullinger's quotation here seems to have been from Erasmus,

IN VOLUME II.

95, — 18, dele 4 at " Christ," and add it at "present," 1. 20. ib. note 4, for preesentissimum read prasentissimam.

Y1jj ERRATA AND ADDENDA.

FIFTY SERMONS

DIVIDED INTO

FIVE DECADES.

THE THIRDEAND

fourth decade of sermons,

WRITTEN TO THE

MOST RENOVMED KING

of England, Edward the sixt, by

Ilenrie Bullinger.

The second Tome.

IESVS.

This is my beloucd sonne, in whom I am well pleased. Heare him. Matth. 17.

TO THE MOST RENOWNED

PRINCE EDWARD THE SIXTH,

KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE, LORD OF IRELAND,

PRINCE OF WALES AND CORNWALL, DEFENDER

OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH1.

GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

YOUR Majesty would, I know right well, most royal king, admit a stranger to talk with your grace, if any new guest should come and promise, that he would briefly out of the sentences and judgments of the wisest men declare the very truest causes of the felicity and unhappy state of every king and kingdom : and therefore I hope that I shall not be ex- cluded from the speech of your Majesty, because I do as- suredly promise briefly to lay down the very causes of the felicity and lamentable calamities of kings and their kingdoms so clearly and evidently, that the hearer shall not need to trouble himself with over-busy diligence to seek out my meaning, but only to give attentive ear to that which is spoken. For, by the help of God, I will make this treatise not to be perceived only by the wit and true judgment of learned heads, but also to be seen as it were with the eyes, and handled as it were with the hands, of very idiots2 and unlearned hearers; and that too, not out of the doubtful decrees and devices of men, but out of the assured word of the most true God. Even the wisest men do very often deceive us with their counsels, and greatly endamage the fol- lowers thereof: but God, which is the Light and eternal Wisdom, cannot any time either err, or conceive any false opinions or repugning counsels ; much less teach others any-

[* Bishop Hooper urged Bullinger to dedicate one of his writings to King Edward at this time. Original Letters, Parker Soc. pp. 73, 78. Interesting particulars concerning the conveyance, presen- tation, and reception in England of this Volume occur, in chronological order, in the same Original Letters, as follows : pp. 662, 660, 665, 269, 88. See als<?/ Strype, Eccles. Mem. Book i. chap. 30, Vol. n. part 1, p. 390, Oxf. 1822.]

4 DEDICATION TO KING EDWARD THE SIXTH.

thing but truth, or seduce any man out of the right way. The Wisdom of the Father doth in the holy gospel cry out and say : " I am the light of the world : he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall fiave the light of life." This eternal wisdom of God, as it doth not disorderly wrap things up together and make them intricate, but layeth down in order and teacheth them plainly ; so it doth not only minister wholesome counsels, but bringeth them to the effect which they wish that obey her. Oftentimes, verily, men do give good counsels, that are not unwholesome ; but yet in their counsels that is altogether omitted, which should have been first and especially mentioned.

All the wise men almost of the world have been of opinion, that kings and kingdoms should be most happy, if the king of the country be a wise man ; if he have many wise, aged, faithful, and skilful counsellors; if his captains be valiant, warlike, and fortunate in battle ; if he abound with substance ; if his kingdom be on every side surely fortified ; and lastly, if his people be of one mind and obedient. All this I confess is truly, rightly, and very wisely spoken : but yet there is another singular and most excellent thing, which is not here reckoned among these necessaries, without which no true fe- licity can be attained, nor, being once gotten, can safely be kept ; when as contrarily, where that one thing is present, all those other necessaries do of their own1 accord fall unto men, as they themselves can best wish or devise. The Lord our God therefore, who is the only giver of wise and perfect counsels, doth far more briefly and better shut up all shortly,

M«tt TL and say in the gospel : " But seek ye first rather the king- dom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all these

Lukex. things shall easily be given2 unto you." Again, "Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see: for I say unto you, that many kings and prophets have wished to see the things that ye see, and to hear the things that ye hear, and have Lukext neither heard nor seen them." And again, "Nay rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it," And this thing3 above all other is very necessary : " Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her." Having my warrant therefore out of the W9rd of God, I