[XXVII. Lectures, or Readings, upon Part of the Epistle Written to the Hebrews; London: Imprinted by H. Middleton for Lucas Harison, 1577]
Why This Epistle Was Written:
And first touching the cause of the writing, though we know assuredly, it was cause sufficient to leave so excellent doctrine unto the church of God: yet a special occasion then given, was undoubtedly this. The Jews were stubbornly set to the maintenance and defense of the law of Moses, holding fast all the ceremonies of it, as things necessary, never to be abrogated, but perpetually to be used in the worship of God. Among the residue they did especially strive for Circumcision, next unto it, for the observation of meats, and drinks, and times, and feasts, and sundry purifyings, as these things are namely mentioned in the scripture. Besides these, other ceremonies they embraced them and loved them.
And though many thousands (as it is in the xxi. of the Acts) did believe: yet were they still zealous for the law, nor could possibly hear of the abrogation of it. In so much that they and their forefathers had made this an article of their faith, and it is the ninth article of their Creed, & they hold it to this day: God gave his law to his faithful servant Moses, and he will never alter it, nor change it for any other.
And this their opinion, as it was rooted in them, so they had very many, & plausible persuasions for it: they strove not for the inventions of man, but for the law of God: not holden by traditions, but written by Moses: not in doubtful testimony, but in manifest show of the glory of God. And this their opinion they did not think was any conjectural exposition, but the manifest word, as it was oft repeated, that this should be an ordinance to them forever.
For this cause the Apostle having compassion upon his weak brethren, who believed in Christ (but were also thus addicted to the law) he writeth unto them this Epistle, by all means persuading them, never to join together our saviour Christ with the Ceremonies of the law, whose glory is perfect in himself alone, and all height must be abased before him. He created alone, and he will redeem alone: He made alone, and he will save alone: and to be set in comparison with him, all the gold, silver, precious stones, & all the ornaments of the temple, they are but beggarly elements. Nothing else in earth, nothing under earth, nothing in heaven, nor in the heaven of heavens, no virtue, no power, no strength no name else that is named, in which, or by which, we can be saved, but only the name of Jesus Christ.
Satan’s Persistent Strategy Against Christ’s Glory:
And for this cause this epistle was written. Wherein it shall be good for us to mark, how from the beginning, Satan hath striven to obscure and darken the glory of Christ: and how he hath holden still the same purpose unchangeably, even to our days. First he changed himself into an Angel of light, with glorious names of Moses, Moses, under pretense of holiness striving against truth: a marvelous practice, & in those days enough to have subverted the faith of many. For who would have thought that such men, so great lovers of the law, of the Temple, of Moses, should be enemies of the true Messiah? or be ignorant of the salvation and spiritual worship which he should teach them?
But here we learn, not to ground our faith, neither upon the glorious words, nor upon the glorious names of mortal men. For this deceived from the beginning: but the word itself must be grafted in us, if we will not err.
So now in these our last times, in which the devil striveth as at the first, we see how many say unto us, The church, the church, The pope, the pope, The fathers, the fathers, & many thousands are led with this sound of words: yet in these words is no wisdom: only they renew the old deceit in which the devil first troubled the church of God. For what is the Church they speak of? who is the pope? who are their fathers? are they greater than the Temple? than the law, than Moses? if not, then their names may be used for a cloak of falsehood as the others were.
Then we must try them and examine them, whether it be a true church, or true fathers they speak of. To follow a church you know not what, is to trust to the Temple you know not how. And know it well, such words are but mockeries, and such spirits are of error and darkness. The effect is proof enough. For the end of their religion is, that ignorance is the mother of devotion.