his body But there are two kyndes of men whiche contende with vs in this matter The Papistes being deluded with their transsubstantiation do deny the bread to be sene because the shewe therof doth only remayne without the subiecte but S. Paule confuteth their fantasy affirming that the bread whiche we breake is the communication of Christes body Furthermore the very nature it selfe of a Sacrament dothe abhorre their fonde imaginatioÌ„ the which can not stande perfecte except the outward signe be true For whereby shall we learne that our soules are fedde with the fleshe of Christe if the true bread bee not set before our eyes but a vayne phantasy For the body of Christe is not here geuen vnto vs simplely but to eate the colour of bread doth not nourishe but the substance Moreouer what will they say as coÌ„cerning the other signe For Christ saith not This is my bloud but This cuppe Therefore according to their fantasy not only the wyne but the matter also whereof the cuppe was made must of necessitie be transsubstantiated into bloud Nowe where as our EuaÌ„geliste hathe I wyll not drynke hereafter of this frute of the vyne he plainly thereby declareth that it was wyne whiche Christe gaue to drynke and not his bloud Therefore euery waye the grose ignorance of the Papistes is confuted M. And where as they saie that they gathered this their traÌ„ssubstantiation out of the wrytinges of the fathers peraduenture it is true that they gathered it but if thei did so it was by false interpretatioÌ„ miscoÌ„struing of their works that they did it For the fathers in some of their wrytinges saye that the breade with great admiration wonder is chaunged in to the body the wyne into the bloude of Christe Now these gatherers vnderstoode theÌ„ of the mutacion chaunging of the substance whereas the fathers touched not the same but vnderstode that the terrestrial coÌ„dition vse of bread was so chauÌ„ged into a heauenly that it was now to the faithful man not terrene or earthly bread neither in that vse that earthly bread remaineth but that it passeth into the body of Christe into celestiall nourishement The which chaunge might be called conditionall not substantiall And because it is a thing wonderfull in dede they sayd truely that the bread and wyne after a woÌ„derfull manner was chauÌ„ged into the body and bloud of Christe For who would not marueile that the terrene bread shoulde be taken and chaunged into suche dignytie that it maye bee called the body of Christe Who would not meruaile that the grosse elemeÌ„t of water should be chaunged into the lauer of regeneratioÌ„ and that it is geuen in washing the body to haue the purifying of the soule the wyping away of sinne A. And this is that coÌ„secration of the which we spake before C. And there are other some whiche reiecte the figure and lyke mad men receyue the same by and by againe The bread accordinge to their iudgement is truely and properly called the body Neither do they lyke of transsubstantiatioÌ„ because it is altogether voide of reason But when they are asked if the bread and wyne he Christe they aunswere that the bread is therefore called his body because it is receiued vnder the breade and with the bread in the Supper But truely by this aunswere we maye gather that the name of body is improperly transferred to the bread whereof it is the signe And it is marueile seing that these men can say that Christe spake thus in respect of the Sacramentall vnion that they marke not what they say For what is the sacramental vnioÌ„ of the thing of the signe Is it not so called because the lord fulfilleth that which he promiseth by the secrete power of his holy spirit Wherefore these maisters of learning are no lesse ridiculous thaÌ„ the Papists Hetherto we haue expouÌ„ded the wordes of the Lorde Now let vs se how the body of Christ is geuen vnto vs Some declare that it is geueÌ„ vnto vs wheÌ„ we are made partakers of all the blessinges which Christ hath gotten vnto vs as in his body wheÌ„ by faith we imbrace Christ crucified raysed froÌ„ death for vs and that by that meanes we are made partakers effectually of all his blessinges Other some much better say that we do then receiue the blessing benefites of Christes when we obtaine Christe him selfe For we do obtaine him not onely when we beleue that he was made a sacrifice for vs but also wheÌ„ he dwelleth in vs when he is one with vs when we are his members of his fleshe of his bones when we growe if we may so speake into life substance with him Furthermore we heare what the woordes may signifie for Christe doth not only offer vnto vs the benefite of his resurrection but his very body in the whiche he suffered rose againe Therfore the body of Christ is truly geuen vnto vs in the supper that it may be the foode of life vnto our soules that is to saye our soules are fed with the substaunce of Christes body that we may truly be made one with him or els whiche is as muche in effecte the quickening force out of the flesh of Christ is powred into vs by the spirite although it be farre from vs not mixed with vs Therefore a voyde or vayne signe is not set before vs but they are truly made partakers of the fleshe bloud of the Lord whiche by faith receiue this promise For the Lorde should commaunde his disciples to eate bread in vaine affirming it to be his body except the effecte were added to the figure Neither is this questioÌ„ haÌ„dled amoÌ„g vs whether Christe doe geue vnto vs hym selfe truely or figuratiuely onely For although we beholde there nothinge but the bread yet notwithstanding he doth not frustrate or mocke vs which taketh vpon him to fede our soules with his fleshe The true eatynge therefore of the fleshe of Christ is not set forth by a signe onely but also is offered in very dede But it is good for vs here to obserue throâ—… thinges namely that the spirituall matter be not ioyned amisse with the signe SecoÌ„dly that Christe be not sought in earth or vnder earthly elemeÌ„tes Thirdly that no other eatiâ—â— be inuenâ—…ed or imagined thaÌ„ that which by the secrete power of Christe inspireth life into vs because we doe not obtaine him but by faithe only First of all as we sayde let there remayne a difference betwene the signe the thing signified except we will peruerte all thinges For there shall remaine no profite of the sacrameÌ„t except it leade vs from the beholding the earthly element to the heauenly mistery Whefore whosoeuer doth not discerne the bodye of Christe from the bread and the wyne from the bloud he shal neuer vnderstaÌ„d what the supper meaneth or wherefore the faithfull doe vse these outwarde signes Secondly let vs followe the lawefull
haste sayde Then Iudas vvhich M. Wee sée here the wonderfull impudency of Iudas which doth not only dissemble the wycked dede but also with a brasen face offereth himselfe and denyeth the dede Because all the reste had demaunded of Christe and sayde Is it I leastâ—… he shoulde seme to be gyltye he bursteth forth also in lyke maner saying â–ª Master is it I He doth not aske this question to knowe the truethe neither because he was soâ—…y as the reste were but leaste he should be had in suspicion of the reste if he shoulde holde his peaâ—…e C. Althoughe wee see often tymes those that are gilty in conscience to tremble for feare yet notwithstanding they are so wrapped in feare in brutishe sencelesnes and in blindenes that that they boldelye stande to the denyall but at the length they secretlye bewraye their mischiefe Euen so Iudas hauinge his owne conscience accusing him could not kepe silence so cruellye did that tormenter within his breste disquiete hym with feare and care Thou haste saide Christ by his answere crossely reprhending the boldenes of Iudas stirreth him vp to consider his wicked facte whiche he sought to hide M. As if he shoulde saye I say not that thou goest about to betray me I do not reueale thy wickednes but thou thy selfe sayst it Take hede therefore what thou doeste Beholde here the wonderful mekenes of Christe he dothe not chyde him he casteth not his benefits in his teeth he driueth him not froÌ„ the communion of the table he holdeth him contented that he hathe striken his conscience and that he hath well prouided for the faith of the reste in shewinge that these thinges happened vnto hym accordinge to the Scriptures C. But nowe the minde of Iudas beinge possessed with deuelishe madnes he coulde not conceyue any suche meaninge Moreouer let vs learne by this example that the wycked in excusing their sinne do nothing els but bring the iudgement of God more spedely vppon them selues M After these thinges Saint Luke addeth that he sayd thus I haue inwardly desiered to eate this Paseouer with you before that I suffer For I saye vnto you henceforth I wil not eate of it any more vntill it be fulfilled in the kyngedome of god And he tooke the cup and gaue thankes and sayde Take this and deuide it amonge you For I saye vnto you I will not drinke of the frute of the vyne vntill the kyngdome of God come A. The which sentence we will expouÌ„de in the .29 verse followinge M. But Mathew hitherto declareth that Christ was not ignorant of the counsell and purpose of his betrayer of the which he maketh mencion not with a disdainefull minde neither to the ende he mighte bewray the wyckednes of Iudas or contende with him but hee rather did it to fortify the reste of his Disciples Of the whiche thinge truely this is an euident argument that he leauinge the trayter commendeth and instituteth to his Disciples the proffite memory of his death by the sacrament of his body and bloud Before the whichh institution it is euident that he did and spake these things by the wordes of Luke before rehersed by the whiche he declared that the Paseouer of the Iewes was not onely a remeÌ„brance of the deliueraÌ„ce out of Egipt but also a type of the deliueraÌ„ce to come which euen nowe was ready to be fulfilled weereof he himselfe shoulde the author C. But because Luke maketh meÌ„cion that Christe tooke the cup twyse in his hande wee muste firste of all se whether it be a repetition for sometimes the Euangelist do repeate one thing twise or whether Christe after he had tasted of the cup did the lyke againe the seconde time Surelye it is like that he tasted of the cup twyse For we knowe that the solemne rite of supping in the sacrifyces was obserued of the holy fathers where uppon it is writen I will receiue the cup of saluation and will call vppon the name of the lord So that we doubt not but that Christe did syp according to the olde custome in the holy feast the which coulde not otherwise be rightlye accomplished The which thing S. Luke plainly declareth before that he cometh to the narratioÌ„ of the new mistery the order wherof was distinguished from the Paschall lambe This also was done according to the accustomed and solemne vse in that he is expresely sayde to geue thaÌ„kes wheÌ„ he tooke the cuppe For in the beginninge of Supper no doubte he prayed euen as at no time he came to the table without inuocation of God But nowe also again he vsed the same seruice least he should omitte the ceremony whiche we sayde eueen now was annexed to the holy Sypping B. For the good man of the house if he had a domestical sacrifice began firste if it were the sacrifice of the whole people or multitude the kyng began firste Christe truelye woulde not despise that commen maner or custome For there was nothing mixed in the Paseouer of superstition Thankes therefore being geuen for the solemne assemblye he set before them the cup that euerye one might taste or syppe therof in doing wherof they declared that they woulde geue thaÌ„kes with the same minde eueÌ„ as if they should haue sayde Amen This Ceremony was nothing els than a testimony of agréement Nowe let vs come vnto the Supper for that fyrste sypping was only a geuing of thankes 26. VVhen they were eating Iesus tooke bread and when he had geuen thankes he breake it and gaue it to the Disciples and sayde take eate this is my body VVhen they vvere eating C. These woordes are not so to be vnderstoode as though this newe far more excellent supper were ioyned to the Paseouer but rather that the firste supper was then ended The whiche thing also is more plainelye expressed of S. Luke when he saith that Christe after supper tooke the cupe and gaue it For it had ben an absurde thing that one the selfe same mistery shoulde be cut of by the distance of time Wherefore there is no doubte but that orderly so soone as he had geueÌ„ bread he gaue the cupe also And that whick S Luke speaketh particulerly of the cup wee extende to the bread also Therfore as they were eatinge Christ tooke bread that he might cal them to the participation of the new supper The geuing of thankes was a certaine preparation and pasing to consider the misterye Thus supper beinge ended they tasted of the holy breade and wyne because firste their security was stirred vp that they might wholely geue them selues to so hye a mistery And reason doth thus require that this euident testimony of life spiritual should haue a difference from the olde shadowe But in that Christe instituted the Sacrament of his body and bloud when supper was ended he mente not thereby to make a law that the faithfull should take their Supper before they celebrated the mistical supper how beit that was the
custome among them of olde time that they shoulde celebrate the Lordes supper froÌ„ yere to yere after meate beinge begon by superstition and inuented by the subtilty of Sathan Iesus tooke breade B. It was the maner in time past amoÌ„g the religiouse and Godlye Iewes that when they sat down at the table the good man of the house or some other whiche sate vpermost at the table shoulde take take bread in his hande and geue the Lord thankes and after that breaking the same in péeces shoulde distribute it vnto the ghestes as out of the hande of the Lord before they had tasted of any other meate At the ende of the feaste they caried about the cup after the same maner This institution was coÌ„mitted vnto the Iewes by the holy fathers before the incarnatioÌ„ of Christe that they might alwayes take meate and drinke before the Lorde euen as it were out of his hande and mighte thereuppon be prouoked to liue wholly vnto God of whome they acknowledged themselues to be so louingly fed nourished As concernynge this institution certeyne men called Thalmudici do dispute vppon this place of Moses When thou haste eaten and filled thy selfe thou shalte blesse the Lorde C. But because this is a humane traditioÌ„ grounded vppon no commaundement of God it nedeth not that we shoulde curiously labor in searchinge out the originall of it But if this ceremony were in vse at that tyme amonge the Iewes Christe did so followe the vsuall maner that he mighte beinge notwithstandinge the mindes of his Disciples to an other thinge in chaunging the vse of the breade to an other ende This truely oughte to stande fyrme withoute controuersy that the figures of the lawe beinge abolished this newe Sacramente was set foorthe of Christe Breade B. It is a solemne and vsual maner amonge al men in matters of greate waight which they finishe and dispatche amonge them selues to deale not by woordes onely but also to ioyne to their woordes externall signes of those matters with which they haue to doe that by those signes they may deliuer that with the hande whiche they offer with their minde speciallye when eyther spiritual thinges muste be deliuered or els those carnall thinges which either are not presente or if they were could not be geuen with the haÌ„de They which geue their faith â—…o deliuer the same not only by wordes but also with the hande euen as we are wonte to doe wheÌ„ we promise effectually to performe the thinge whiche is required of vs Of them which are appointed to sweare not only wordes but also the lifting vp of the handes towarde heauen and the kissing of a booke is required They whiche receiue a kingdome are coÌ„secrated not only by wordes but also by reaching forthe of the Scepter other ceremonis They which sell houses or laÌ„des do deliuer the possessioÌ„ therof either by writing or som other external matter to the byar This custome also is obserued kepte in spirituall exhibitions and deliueris Far as God speaketh and talketh with vs accordinge to oure capascity euen so also hee worketh by external matters deliuering vnto vs inuisible spiritual things by visible and corporal signes visiblely and corporally so much as pertaineth to signes So he confirmeth the couenant and promise made vnto Noe with the signe of the Raynebowe in the cloudes To Abraham hee confirmed his promise by carnall circoncision Afterwarde to the Israelites in the deserte by sprinkeling the bloud of a bullocke Also he offered his presence by the mercy seate of the Arke He appointed the coÌ„secration of priestes and kings by pouring oyle on the heade And our sauior Christ himself gaue inuisible grace by the visible laying one of handes both to childreÌ„ sicke folkes Also he gaue the gyfte of the holy ghost by breathing on his Disciples After this maner therefore the Lord thought good to coÌ„mende vnto vs this his oblatioÌ„ exhibitioÌ„ the suÌ„me of our whole saluatioÌ„ not only by worde neither by baptisme only being the signe of the washing away of our sinnes by him but also added signes of meate drinke that is to say him self whiche is the true heauenly and liuing bread the sustentation foode of eternall life whiche he geueth vnto vs so long as he is liueth in vs But in the institution he chose these twoo signes namely bread wyne whiche were moste coÌ„mon vsuall in the ceremonies of all nations and appointed them to be distributed according to the coÌ„mon solemne order alredy receiued vsed amoÌ„g the people of God because he would both haue religion published and declared to all men also the fulnes amplenes of the spirite to be geuen that it might be mete to take suche signes as should bee bothe fewe and also common and symple For so Baptisme is a signe by the whiche an inuitation and calling to religion and to all religious action was made both amoÌ„g the Iewes also amoÌ„g the GeÌ„tiles Therfore because the tasting of bread and wyne was vsed in sacrifices among all nations also because they were thinges simple and easy to be gotten the Lord did sanctifie theÌ„ and make them a sacrament of his church that thereby he might geue the trewe communion of his body and bloud to those that are his And vvhen hee had geuen thankes C. The Euangelistes Marke Mathewe according to the Lattin translation haue And when he had blessed But seinge in stede thereof we reade in Luke the Greeke woorde Eucharistesai there is no ambiguitie at all in sence And seing they saye that he gaue thankes when he toke the cup they do sufficieÌ„tly interprete the former saying Ridiculous and grosse therfore is the ignoraunce of the Papistes whiche expresse this blessing with the signe of the crosse as though Christe had vsed exorcisme or coniuration But we must kepe that in memory whiche we touched eueÌ„ now namely that this geuing of thankes was ioyned to a spirituall mistery For Christe had not respecte to the common kynde of foode only that the faithfull might be thankefull to God because he susteineth them in this traÌ„sitory life but he had also respecte to the holy action that he might geue thankes vnto God for the eternall redemption of mankinde For if the norishementes whiche go into the bellye ought to moue vs and geue vs occasion to prayse the fatherly goodnes of God howe muche more ought we to be stirred vp and inflamed to this deuty and godly seruice seing that he fedeth our soules spiritually He brake it B. The loaues are thought to be of that forme that they might be conueniently broken as cakes or suche lyke And gaue to his disciples Here by the name of Disciples all godly Christians are vnderstode to whome Christe geueth his body as to his disciples so ofteÌ„ as thei celebrate this holy supper among them selues in the congregation of the faithfull For the priestes only are not vnderstoode by them as
some very childishly and peruersely expounde it who may easely be confuted by the place of S. Paule where he teacheth the Corinthians the true vse of the supper speaking to men womē without exception to the whole body of the churche testifieth that he deliuered the same to them as he had receiued it from the lord But he distributed bread to the Apostles that all generally might eate that euery one should so take his portion that there might be an equall participation among all For hee saythe Take eate C. In that he cōmaundeth vs to take he meaneth that it belōgeth vnto vs whereas he commaundeth to eate he meaneth that it is made one substance with vs For he did so institute all these thinges that the disciples might cōmunicate this supper among them selues Whereupon it followeth that it was a deuelishe inuencion that one man seperating him selfe from the residue of the congregation shoulde priuately celebrate the supper For what is more vnsemely than to haue the bread distributed in the presence of the people then to be eatē vp in a corner of one alone Although therfore the Papistes do boaste that they haue the substāce of the lordes supper in their masses yet for al that in dede it is playne that so many priuate masses as they haue celebrated so many conquestes hath Sathan erected to ouerthrowe the supper of the lord Neither is it true whiche they saye that it is a sacrifice offered in the name of the whole churche For Christ did not cōmaūde that one mā shuld eate it in the name of all the reste but that euery one should take and eate thē selues By the same woordes we are taught what oblatiō was offered of Christ in the supper He commaundeth his disciples to take He it is therfore that offereth Where as therfore the Papistes fayne that Christ offereth him selfe in the Supper it cōmeth of the cōtrary authour namely of the deuell not of Christe And truely this is a wonderfull inuersion and preposterous dealing that a mortall man whē he is cōmaunded to take the body of Christ should take vnto him selfe his office of offering and so making him self a prieste offereth vnto God his sonne We go not about here to declare howe full of sacriledge and execrable abhomination their fayned oblation is it is sufficient for vs to proue that it hath so little affinite with the institution of Christe that it dothe rather directly impugne the same This is my body Christ calleth the bread his body For the relatiue This doth expresse the bread and not the body For by and by it followeth This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud the which are figuratiue sayinges as we shall see anone But where as they saye that the bread was consecrated by these wordes that it might bee an outwarde signe of Christes fleshe we doe not dislike if so be that this woorde signe be rightly and truely taken Christe therefore chose the breade whiche was appointed to nourishe the body and sanctifieth it to another vse that it may now beginne to be spirituall foode And this is that conuersion whereof the aunciēt wryters of the church haue made mencion But for all this wee must note that the bread is not consecrated by whyspering and breathing ouer it but by the pure doctrine of faithe And truely it is a magicall sorcery when the consecration is directed to a dead element because the bread is not made a signe of the body of Christe for it selfe but for vs To be shorte Consecration is nothing els than a solēne testimony by the whiche the Lorde dothe geue vnto vs a terrestriall and corruptible signe to a spirituall vse The whiche thing cannot be done excepte the cōmaundement promise do plainly sounde forth to the building of faith Whereby it is euident againe that the Papistes do wickedly prophane the holy mistery with their obscure muttering and breathing But it Christe do cōsecrate the bread when he testifieth vnto vs that it is his body we must not imagin the alteration of the substāce but we must marke the newnes of the vse And except the craftines of the deuel had so bewitched the worlde that being once caried by the vayne imaginatiō of transsubstantiation it will at this daye admit no true interpretatiō in these words it should be superfluous in vayne to spend any long time in sekinge out the sence and meaning Christ pronoūceth that the bread is his body and he intreateth of the sacrament And we must nedes cōfesse that a sacrament dothe consiste of a visible signe to the whiche the thinge signified is ioyned whiche is his truthe This also hath bene euer a general rule that the name of the thing signified is trāsferred to the signe Wherefore no man that hath but indifferently traueled in the scriptures wyll deny but that a sacramentall speache must be taken denominatiuely We let passe generall tropes figures which are in diuers places of the scripture This onely we saye that so often as the externall signe is sayd to be that which it signifieth all men wyll confesse that it is done by a figure called Metonymia or Denomination If Baptisme be called the lauer of regeneration if Christe bee called the Rocke from whiche water flowed to the peopled that were in the deserte If the holy ghoste be called a doue no man nede to doubte but that the name of those thynges is attributed to signes whiche they figure Howe commeth it to passe then that they whiche so muche reuerence the woordes of the Lord cannot abide to haue that ioyned to the supper whiche is cōmon to all sacramentes The simple litterall sence doth please thē why then shal not the same rule preuayle in al other sacraments Truly vnles they graunt the Christe was a rocke substantially the reproche with the which thei oppresse vs is vnsauery stinketh If we expounde the bread to be called the body of Christ because it was a signe outwarde token of his body they pretēde falsely alleage by by that the whole doctrine of the scripture is ouerthrowen and made frustrate For wee haue not of late tyme inuented this rule of speakyng but all men haue receiued the same beinge set downe to vs by S. Augustine out of the authoritie of the auncient fathers that the names of spirituall thinges are improperly ascribed vnto signes and that all places of Scripture ought so to be expounded whē mencion is made of Sacramentes But to what purpose do we take an Axioma and sentence alwayes receiued and approued to moue great cries and shoutes as it were in a new and vnwonted thing But let mad men crye whyle them liste this shall preuayle with modest men and suche as are in their wyttes that there is in these woordes of Christe a sacramentall manner of speache Whereupon it followeth that the breade because it is a signe of Christes body is called
certain hidden Antithesis and force in it selfe whiche maketh equall the manifeste presence of God in Christe with the whole kinde and manner of presence as it was manifested to the auncient people before his coÌ„ming And truely he hathe done the office of a mediatour euen from the beginning of the worlde but because this did depende wholly of the laste reuelation he nowe comming openly forth as a priest in the sight of all men which should put away the sinnes of man by the oblation of his owne body and should reconcile them to his father by the price of his owne bloud finally when he hauing finished all the partes of mans saluation he hauing I saye as it were put on a new person worthely is nowe called Emanuel So that the deuine maiestie of Christe in this name is to be counted of vs in the first place and to be highly estemed of vs that it may haue the reuerence of vs whiche is only dewe to the eternall God but in the meane tyme the frute is not to be neglected whiche God afterwarde would haue gathered and receiued of vs For so often as we beholde and sée God and man in one persone of Christe for certaine we may beleue that we shall haue possesse the liuing God if by faith we be ioyned and linked to Christe 24 And Ioseph so sone as he awoke out of slepe did as the aungell of the lord commaunded him and he toke his wyfe vnto him C. The promptnes and redines whiche is here described and set forth maketh no les to the witnesing of the fyrme faythe of Ioseph then it doth to the prayse of his obedience For excepte all doubte and care had bene taken away and his mind very well pacified he had neuer so willingly taken his wyfe agayne with whose company a litle before he thought him selfe to be polluted Therefore some note of godlines was printed in his slepe whiche would not suffer his mynde any more to be troubled or to be caried hither and thether After this the effecte and force of faythe followed that so soone as he knewe the will of God he prepared hym selfe without delaye to obey the same B. Euen so when the lorde shal beginne to speake to oure hartes those thinges whiche séeme vnpossible to the mynde of man it is our partes not only to beleue all those thinges that are absurde and doubtfull but also to followe and imbrace them all Therefore howe obscure and doubtful so euer the woordes of the crosse of Christe do seme to oure mynde to be yea howe vntrewely soeuer the same be preached if the Lorde do teache within nothing at all shall be harde vnto vs to be beleued or done but if he teache not the hearers may seme to haue faythe and workes but they can not haue it in dede nor do those workes no although they hearde Paule or Christe hym selfe perswading them Therfore in that Ioseph did not doubt in him selfe but that the aungell of God appeared vnto him that those thinges whiche he harde were true although they were marueilous and straunge and diligently without delaye did that whiche the aungell of the Lorde had inioyned him to doo she being taken to wyfe whome he fearing a litle before to kepe determined to put away priuely it was the worke of the holy ghost guiding his minde according to the woordes of the aungell 25 And he knewe her not vntill shee had brought forthe her first begotten sonne and called his name Iesus And he knevve her not vntill C. About this place Heluidius maketh a great a do in the churche affirming that she continued a virgin no longer then till the byrth of Christe but that afterwardes she bare more children to her husbande And he proueth it thus The fyrst obiection of Heluidius HE knewe her not vntill she brought forth her fyrst begotten sonne Ergo after she had brought him forthe he knewe her Aunsvvere This worde did knowe in the sacred Scripture is vnderstoode twoo maner of wayes sometime it is taken for the carnall copulation betwene man and wyfe and sometyme pro scientia that is for knowledge or acqueintaunce Heluidius and those of his secte do vnderstande this word know for the copulation betwene man and wyfe where as it is certaineâ—… that it oughte to be referred to acquaintance and perfecte vnderstanding of any thing For although Ioseph was handefasted or bethrothed vnto Mary yet he was not acqueinted at the fyrste that shée was conceyued with the holye ghost and vntyl the almighty had by visions or dreames reuealed his will vnto hym As we hard before in this fyrst cha where the Aungell sayde Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto the Mary thy wife for that which is conceyued in her commeth of the holy ghoste And in the second likewise Arise take the chylde and his mother and fliée into Aegypt and abide there vntil I bring the worde Soo that the knowledge that Ioseph had was the sure vndoubted faith of those thinges that were reuealed vnto him from aboue And that this word know is taken pro scientia in the scripture often times it apereth by this place The chylde Iesus abode in Hierusalem and his parentes knewe not of it This worde vntyll also doth somtimes signifie the certaine and appointed time and somtyme it signifieth the tyme infinite without ende or ceassynge As in these places that followe I am I am vntyll you waxe olde I am Now in this place because he sayth vntyll they be old he wyll be theyr God wyll he therefore when they be olde ceasse or leaue of to be their God And our sauiour Christe to his Apostels Beholde I am with you euen vntyll the ende of the worlde Wyll the lorde therefore after the consummation of the worlde forsake his disciples Agayne the psalmist sayth He shall rayne vntyll he haue put all his ennemies vnder his feete Shall he therfore when his ennemies are subdued raine no longer Agayne As the eies of the mayde do wayte vppon the handes of her mistres euen so do our eies wayte vpon thee vntill thou haue mercy vpon vs. When the lord therfore hath compassion and mercie vpon vs shall we wayte no longer In the lyke sence this worde vntyll is to be taken in this place For the EuaÌ„gelist saith he knewe her not vntill shée brought forthe her sonne that we maye muche more perceiue and gather that he knewe her not after The seconde obiection of Heluidius OVr sauiour Christ was called her first begotten sonne and none can be called fyrst begotten but he that hath bretherne euen as he is called the onely begotten sonne which is the only sonne of his father Aunsvvere But that is not trew for euery onely begotten sonne is the first begotten although he haue no bretherne and therefore in the booke of NuÌ„bers the almighty God dothe define who or what is the fyrste begotten sayinge All that
Edom is called a wyldernes where as it is well knowen that it was in those dayes muche inhabited Also certayne wryters haue sayde that Heluetia was barren without people dwelling therin and that the whole land was called the desert of the HeluetiaÌ„s otherwise Swisers Furthermore th inheritaÌ„ce of the tribe of Iuda is said to haue sixe cities and their villages in the wyldernes Wherfore we may not thinke that Iohn gat him quite out of the coÌ„pany of men as the Heremites seme to do in these dais who dwel leade their liues in solitary woodes but for so muche as his fathers house was in the mouÌ„taines of Iury peraduenture he went a litle into the desert that is through the woodes towards Iordan 2 And saying Repent the kingdome of heauen is at hand And saying repent In this our EuaÌ„gelist differeth here froÌ„ thother two Marke Luke that he in the persone of Iohn sheweth the some of his doctrine but they with their own wordes Although Marke hath more then Luke by one word for he saith he came baptizing preaching the baptim of repentauÌ„ce But in the very thing it selfe they agrée very well in one because all men do ioyne repentaunce with remissio of sinnes as we shal sée by by The wordes of Iohn coÌ„siste of two partes For first he teacheth what we must do theÌ„ he sheweth the reasone why it ought to be done He biddeth repent because the kingdom of heuen is at hande E. The Greke woorde for the which we reade repent is said of vnderstanding the thing which followeth wheÌ„ as one hauing offended doth marke and waye his offence Wherefore the Greke worde MetanoiÌ„a or repentaunce is not only referred to the mind of man but to the worke amendement of life to the whole coÌ„uersioÌ„ of maÌ„ which Peter plainly declareth when he saith Repent you conuert that your sinnes may be done away For that whiche followeth is a declaration of that whiche went before For the kingdoÌ„ of heauen is at hand A. We haue shewed the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is ioyned with repentaunce in the preaching of Iohn that which this reasoÌ„ following doth approue C. For the kingdome of heauen among men is nothing els but a restoring to the blessed happy life so it is the true and euerlasting felicitie Therefore when Iohn sayd the kingdom of heauen drewe neare he ment that those men that were alienate from the righteousnes of God were banished from the kingdom of heauen that they were again to be gathered vnto God that they might liue vnder his haÌ„d But frée adoptioÌ„ forgeuenes of sinnes bringeth this thing to passe by the which he doth recoÌ„cile those that are vnworthy to him self To be shâ—â— the kingdom of heauen is nothing els but a neâ—…nes of life by the which God doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednes For he doth chaleÌ„ge vs to him self being taken froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of sin death that we being pilgrimes vpoÌ„ earth may possesse at length by faith a celestial and heaueÌ„ly life And although we be like vnto dead men yet we knowe are assured that our life is in safetie so long as it is hid in Christ From hence as from the fountaine the exhortation to repentance is brought Neither doth Iohn say repeÌ„t and so by this meanes the kingdome of God shal approche straight way but first he doth propounde set before them the grace of God then be doth exhorte men to repeÌ„t Wherby it doth appere that the foundation of repentaunce is the mercy of God by the which he doth restore those that are lost Neither doth Marke Luke say that he preached remission of sinnes in any other sence For repentauÌ„ce is not placed first as some very ignoraÌ„tly fain as though that were the cause of the remission of sinnes or that it should preueÌ„t God that he might be fauorable vnto vs but men are coÌ„maunded to repente that they may taste of the grace profered vnto them the reconciliation also But as by order the frée loue of God doth go before by the which he doth receiue imbrace vnto him miserable men not imputing their sinnes vnto them euen so we must note that we haue remission of sinnes in Christ not the God doth by his suffraÌ„ce allowe theÌ„ but rather that he may cure deliuer vs from sinne Neither truly can any man taste of the grace of God without he hate abhorre sinne vice But it is conuenient to waye coÌ„sider so much as pertaineth to the sence meaning of this present place that the whole Gospel doth coÌ„sist of two partes of remission of sinnes repentaunce But for so much as Math. did note signifie the first part by the kingdom of heauen we may therby gather that there is deadly warre and contentioÌ„ betwene God maÌ„ that we are quite banished out of the kingdom of heauen vntil he receyue vs againe into his grace fauour B. Therefore very shorte are the woordes of Iohn yet they conteyne the somme of the whole preaching of the Gospell Wherefore both Christ and his apostles haue begonne their Gospell in these woordes And although Iohn propounding the grace of God doth exhorte men to repentaunce yet for all that we must waye and note that this grace is no lesse the gifte of God than is the heritage of euerlasting lyfe For as he doth frely forgeue vs our synnes and doth by his mercy and goodnes deliuer vs from the gulffe and pitte of euerlasting death so he doth make and fashion vs like vnto him selfe that we may lyue to righteousnes euen as he doth adopte vs to be his sonnes euen so he doth regenerate vs with his holy spirite that our life may testifie and witnesse howe that not in vayne we call him father And no lesse doth Christe quicken vs to righteousnes if that we crucifie our olde man vtterly abolishe the whole body of sinne lurking in our fleshe then he doth put away our sinnes by his bloud appeaseth the wrath of his father by the sacrifice of his death Notwithstanding this is the somme of the Gospel that our sinnes being wiped away God doth imbrace vs in his sonne Christe that we denying our selues and our owne nature may leade a godly and holy life and so in earth haue our mindes altogether fixed in heauen 3 For this is he of whome the prophete Esay spake saiyng The voyce of a crier in the wyldernes prepare ye the waye of the lord and make his pathes straighte For this is he of vvhom the prophet M. The auncient latine wrytings haue VVhiche is called by Esaie and so hath the Greke texte also But by Marke and Luke they seeme to be the woordes of the EuaÌ„gelistes M. Some notwithstaÌ„ding referre it to Iohn him self geuing a reason of that whiche he spake of the
sinners but with hipocrites Iusticiaries proud phariseis whose hipocrisy always resisted the doctrine of Grace For when as they were impure and polluted with sinne yet they wolde in no wise seme so to be because they did alwaies hyde the sayde vncleanenes of their hartes with that externall shewe of sanctimonye and outwarde holines To the ende he might bewraye this he hath restored the vigor and parfecte strengthe of the lawe and therefore he speaketh of hym which doth not onelye couet with the harte but also fulfylleth the same concupisence and bryngeth it to passe in dede Yea and the lawe it selfe condempneth this concupissēce or lust as apereth in Exodus Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours wyfe The Iewes knew this but they did not consyder that the lust of the hart was before God euen as the actuall deede of adultery Bu. Notwithstandinge lett no man flatter him selfe vpon the wordes of Christ or take occasion to do euyll and saye if luste make me an adulterer I wil brynge the same to efecte or I wyl committ the actuall deede that I mighte not be counted so in vayne For truely thou shalte not be so called or counted without iust cause and thy deseruinge which haste done all that the fylthye adulterar doth sauing the very actual dede which no doubt thou woldest haue done if thou myghtest haue had lybertie time and occasion to the fynishynge of the same Therefore thy vertue dyd not staye thee from adultery but hauinge no power occasion also beinge contrary to thy purpose thou arte let so that thou also arte vniust and an adulterer But for certayne thou dost more greuousely offend and doste deserue more cruell ponishmēt if thou onely quenche not the burnynge fyer of concupiscence but also if thou bridell not thy selfe from the impure and fylthy action But forsomuche as there is no man liuinge whiche at some tyme hath not lusted the lorde approuethe by this lawe that all men are subiect to sin and nede the grace of God and the iustification of Christe whiche is onely iust impoluted and pure and dothe particypate vnto vs his righteousenes by faith by the whiche name the Apostels called fayth and our righteousenes the parfection of the lawe 29. If thy ryghte eie hinder thee plucke him out and cast it frō thee For bet-it is vnto thee that one of thy members perishe then that thy whole body should be cast into hell If thy right eie offende thee C. Because that Chryst mighte seeme to seuerely to vrge men in this natural imbecillitie wekenesse of fleshe and bloud he doth preuent al those mutterings that might be made To be short he declareth that althoughe it be harde sharpe and troublesome whiche the lorde commaundeth yet notwithstandinge we are not thereby excusable because the ryghteousenes of God oughte to be of more pryce vnto vs than all other thinges whiche are deere and preciouse For some mighte saie what shall becomme of vs if the matter be so when as we be so apte to all euyll cogytations and thoughts that we can scarse tourne our selues aboute and caste oure eye on the one syde but strayghtewaye vnloked for one daungerouse snare or other appereth sette and pytched before oure eyes to take vs. To this he faithe Againe and agayne yea continually ye must take héede that you haue a consideration and respecte to your owne infirmitie yea see that ye auoyde all occasion of offence and prouocation neyther let any thinge at no time be so dere vnto you if it bringe to destruction for whose sake you shoulde suffer your selues to be seduced so to incurre the daunger of euerlastynge peryll and payne There is nothinge so neere vnto you nothinge so conioyned and knit nothinge so nere of bloud yea there is nothinge so entierly beloued of you which ought not to be cut of if so be that occasion required yea although it were one of your membres and that the pryncipall and moste necessary as the right eye or the righte hande For there oughte no member be vnto vs of suche estimation and price that for the loue of the same we shoulde forsake God the creatour of our whole body C. Neither yet doth Christ meane that we should mangle our body and destroy the same that we mighte obey God but because al mē wold wishe not to haue their sences so brydled but that they myght haue the free vse of the same Christ teacheth hyperbolically that we must cut of what so euer is contrarye to his wyll And he dothe the same verye warely because men do to licentiousely in this poinct fauour them selues If the mind were pure then a man shold haue his eies and handes obedient to hym In the whiche it is certaine that there is no proper motiō In this therfore we sinne greatly that we are not so carefull in auoiding of daungerouse snares as it becommeth vs B. For we must shun and fle al occasion and the more we fynd our selues inclined and geuen to euyll the more we oughte to refrayne our mynde from the same 30. And if thy righte hande hinder thee cut it of and caste it from thee For it is better for thee that one of thy mēbers perishe then that thy whole body should be cast into hell And if thy ryght hande hynder thee A. This verse tendethe to the same effect that the former did C. The Greke texte hath if it offende thée To offend or hynder is to make a man stomble and fall in the way of the lorde This is a life acceptable vnto God namely to abyde in faithe and loue whereby a man maye go forwarde in the obedience of God. M. Here is to be noted what greate necessitie of auoydinge of offence the lorde propoundeth vnto vs For if that so necessary members and instrumentall helpes of the bodye are not to be reteyned and kepte if they be a hinderaunce vnto healthe what shall we then say of them which so gredely cleaue vnto vile things yea of no reputation but of the vanitie of this worlde that they wyll rather hasarde and put in venture the benefyte of eternall lyfe then they wyll be secluded from them For it is better c. M. This reason is taken of the profyte of preseruing the whole For better it is that som parte perishe then that the health of the whole body shoulde be put in daunger A. The same matter in effecte is handled where he entreateth of auoydyng of offences which foloweth in the .18 chap. 31. It is saide who so euer putteth awaye his wyfe let hym geue her a letter of diuorcement It is sayde Bu. These woordes do parteyne to the lawe of eschewinge adulterye and do teache that truely and vndefiledly we ought to kepe the faythe of wedlocke C. For euen as the Iewes thought that they behaued thē selues falsely and amisse before God yf they kepte not the lawe after a politique order euen so againe what so euer the
syster to Mary Iacobi These were sayde to be his brethren euen as Ioseph was sayde to be his father For it is wrytten in the Gospell I and thy father sought thee sorrowyng Stode vvithout A. Luke semeth to geue a reason of this matter saying His mother and brethern came vnto hym but they could not come nye hym for the prease Seking to speake C. Where as Ambrose and Chrysostome haue accused the virgin Mary of ambitiō that she should prease to her sonne to the ende the multitude might thereby know that she was his mother it is more then nedeth when as her synguler modestie godlynes is commended by testimony of scripture We deny not but that peraduenture the vehemency of carnall affections might make thē to busie thē selues more then they nede notwithstandinge we doubte not but that for some godly purpose they were moued to ioyne them selues vnto hym 47 The one sayde vnto him beholde thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee C. Where as our Euangelist Matthew reporteth this message to be broughte to Christe by no more then one Marke and Luke affirme that there were diuers of them that spake thus vnto Christ In the whiche there is no contrarietie for the cōmaundement whiche the mother gaue for the calling of her sonne being hearde of many went from one to an other tyll it came to Christe 48 But he aunswered and saide vnto him that had tolde hym who is my mo-mother And who are my brethren M. Christe here doth not so deny his mother and his brethrem as though by no meanes he woulde knowe them according to the fleshe but he resisteth their importunitie C. by that which they sought preposterously to interrupte hym in his doctrine and to make hym cease M. He was not therefore a littell offended by their importunitie as do his woordes declare and the very manner it self of speaking by interrogation saying Who is my mother He was occupied in the busynes of his father of the Gospell and in the busynes pertaining to the kyngdome of God whiche was of so greate waighte that they should not haue interupted him for the speaking with his mother and brethren A. Therefore by this his aunswere he teacheth that he muste go forwarde in the same After the same manner he sayde vnto them in an other place Wherfore did ye seke me Wiste ye not that I must go about my fathers busines 49 And he stretched foorth his hand toward his disciples and sayde Beholde my mother and brethren And he stretched foorth Bu. Least any man should conster or interprete the woordes that he spake of any other then of the faythfull hearers of the woorde of the Cittezens and inhabiters of the kyngdome of God he manifestly declared by the gesture of his body whome he mente and of whome he spake Beholde my mother and. C. Here Christe extenuating consanguinitie or the kyndred of fleshe and bloud setteth forth a very proffitable doctrine seinge that he receiueth all his disciples and faythful people into no lesse honour dignitie then if they were the chiefest of his kyndred by fleshe and bloude This sentence dependeth vpon the office of Christe for he declareth that he was not geuen for a certaine or a fewe but for all the godly which by faythe were ioyned and knyt into one bodye Furthermore there is no bonde more holy then the spirituall bonde because he oughte not to be comprehended according to the fleshe but by the power of the spirite with the which he was endued of the father to regenerate mē that they which were by nature the vncleane and curssed seede of Adā might by grace be made the holy and celestiall sonnes of God. Therefore S. Paule saythe that a man knoweth not Christe truely according to the fleshe because we must consider the redemption of the world which farre surmounteth the capacitie of men or humane power when he reformeth vs by his spirite accordinge to the image of god Wherefore this is the somme that we learne to beholde Christe with the eyes of faythe then to knowe that euery one whiche is regenerate by the spirite addicteth hym selfe to true holynes and ryghteousnes and to bee so vnited vnto Christe that he may be a true member of his body But although Christe do feme here to haue no respecte to consanguinitie yet notwithstandinge we knowe in dede that he did deuoutly reuerence the order of mankynde and did fulfyll suche lawful dueties as pertained to parentes but onely he admonysheth that spirituall consanguititie ought to be preferred before that whiche is carnall Let vs obserue the rightes of nature and yet let vs not addicte our selues to muche to fleshe and bloude And let vs so loue our parētes and kynsfolke that we alwayes and in all thynges preferre our spirituall and heauenly consanguinitie before all other 50 For whosoeuer doth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen the same it my brother syster and mother C. He vnderstandeth those to do the wyl of the father not whiche exactely fulfyll all the righteousnes of the lawe for so this name of brother whiche he geueth vnto his disciples should pertayne vnto none but specially he cōmendeth faith whiche is the welsprynge and originall of true obedience The sentence of Christ is knowne when he saythe This is the wyll of my father that euery one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth in him shal not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge M. Also this is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Therefore to beleue in Christe the sonne of God and to heare the worde of Christ as the worde of God is to do the wyll of the father whiche is in heauen So that he whiche heareth the worde of God and doth it and beleueth in hym is the brother syster and mother of Christe And therfore in stede of this which is wrytten here and in Marke He whiche dothe the wyll of my father is written in Luke He whiche heareth the worde of God and doth the same And in an other place he saythe he that is of God heareth Gods woorde Nowe to be a kynne vnto God is to be of hym and to be of kynne is to be of that spirituall consanguiuitie with him As it is wrytten To them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen thē that beleued on his name whiche were borne not of bloude nor of the wyl of the fleshe nor yet of the wyll of man but of god Nowe what other thing did the disciples of Christe whome here by the stretchyng foorthe of his hande he declareth to be his brethren systers and mother Did not they beleue that whiche be spake and forsoke all and followed hym C. When Christe therefore hath aduaūced his disciples with exceading honour in so much that he counteth them for his brethren howe abhominable and horrible is oure ingratitude if we forsake not all the
Psalmes wher it is mencioned howe the Isralites went backe froÌ„ God but speciallye in the thréescore eyghtene Psalme wher it is sayd They kept not the couenaunt of God and woulde not walke in his Lawe but forgat what hée had done and the wonderfull workes that hee had shewed for them And oure sauioure Christ at his last supper when he sought to kepe and confirme his Dysciples in a sure truste and true loue towardes him hée instituted and ordayned for a remembrauÌ„ce the Communion of his bodye and bloude in the breaking of the bread and in the communicatinge of the cuppe 10. Neyther the seuen loaues when there were fower thousand men and howe many baskets toke ye vppe A This Historye is declared at large in the fyftene Chapter goyng before 11. How happeneth it that ye do not vnderstand that I spake it not to you coÌ„cerning bread that yee should beware of the leuen of the Phariseys and of the Saduces A. The fault of so grosse ignorance hée layeth vpon his Disciples As if hée shoulde haue sayd these thinges were not so lately done before your eyes you had euen of late sufficient proofe and experience of my power how coÌ„meth it to passe then that so soone ye forget the thinge which should be alwayes in your mindes Surely the onely cause is the grosse blindnes of your hartes 12. Then vnderstode they how that hee bade not them beware of the leuen of bread but of the doctrine of the Phariseis and of the Saduces Then vnderstoode they C. Oure sauioure Christe toke this name of leuen in good part when hée sayd that the Gospell was like vnto leuen But the Scripture very often by this name meaneth euery corrupte fayned inuention by the which the naturall purity of euery thing is defyled In this place there is no agrement betwene these two namely betweene the simple veritye and truth of God and the fayned inuencions which men bring in vppon theyr owne brayne Neyther is there any cause why any sophister or subtill fellowe should deny this to be vnderstoode of euerye corrupte doctrine seinge that there can no other doctrine be found which can sustayne the name of pure vnleuened doctrine but that onely which is come from god Whereuppon it followeth that that is called leuen which is mingled or mixste with any other thing then that which doth pertayne to it selfe accordinge to the sayinge of S. Paule namely that the fayth of Christ is falsifyed so soone as wée are ledde from the simple truth of Christ But of the doctrine of the Pha. C. At that time the ordinary auctority of the Church did belonge to the Scribes Priestes amonge whom the Phariseys were chiefe When as Christ therefore by name commaundeth his Dysciples to beware of their Doctrine it followeth that all they are to be shonned and auoyded which ioyne and tye their owne inuencions to the word of God how honourable and mighty soeuer they séeme to be Wherefore that subiection of those men is abhomible and accursed which of their owne frée will submit themselues to the lawes and inuentions of the Pope 13. VVhen Iesus came into the coastes of the Cittye which is called Caesaria Philippi he asked his Disciples saying whom do men say that I the sonne of man am VVhen Iesus came Bu. In this presente Historye the Euangelist in a short compendium shéeweth the whole summe of our Religion namelye what the truâ—…e perfecte Catholike faith is what force and efficacy it hath wherof it commeth howe the confession thereof is requyred to be in euerye one of vs and laste of all what the foundacion of the Churche is and by what keyes the kingdome of heauen is opened C. Marke sayth that Christ had this communication with his Dysciples as they were in their iorneye And Luke sayth hée had it when hée was praying had no bodye with him sauing his Disciples But our Euangelist Mathew doth not so curiously note the time yet notwithstanding it is moste certayne that they thrée haue wryten this History and it maye he that Christ in that perigrination after hee had prayed a whyle demaunded this of his Disciples Into the partes of Casaria Philippi B. This Caesarca is at the ryuer of Iordan and was called at the first Panneas but afterward it was called Caesaria Philippi by Philip the sonne of Herode the great and the brother of the Tetrarche which beheadded Iohn The which Cesarea also after that for the honour of Nero was called by Agryppa Neronia as apereth by Iosephus in his eightene booke of the antiquities of the Iewes the thyrd chapter But the boundes or borders of this Cesarea Philippi was the region of the Iewes wherupon it was inhabited both by the Syrians and Iewes together Of this Cittie there is often mention made by Luke in the Actes of the Apostels C. There is also an other Cesarea namely that ancient and noble Cesarea whiche at the firste was called the tower of Strato M. This Cittie Herode the greate builded betwene Dora and Ioppa and for the loue of Augustus Caesar he called it Caesarea Of the first Caesarea our Euangeliste maketh mention and because he woulde make a difference he calleth it Cesarea Philippi VVhom do men say that I the sonne of man am E. Our Sauiour Christ demanded this question to make him self better known vnto his Disciples and to confirme theÌ„ for in the knowledge of him onely there is saluation and euerlastinge life Hee knewe that the iudgement of the coÌ„mon sorte of people as concernyng him selfe was diuerse He knewe also the simplycitie of his disciples whereby it myghte haue ben that they had ben hyndered and let from the knowledge of the trueth by the errours of the common people C. Vppon this consideration therefore to confirme them he dothe not onely demaunde what they but first of all what the people thought of him His question myghte seeme to be to knowe what the common fame as concerninge the redemer which was the sonne of man was Notwithstandinge his question is other wise namelye to enquire what menne thought of Iesu the sonne of Mary But he accordinge to his maner taketh vnto hym the name of the sonne of man as if he should say Nowe so longe as I am in my fleshe vppon the earthe as one of the common sorte of men what do men iudge of me M. Christ doth wyllyngly confesse the humilitie of his humanytie so often as he calleth him self the son of man for that also was ordayned to the glory of god This humble base forme of the sonne of man was an impedimeÌ„t and let to the Iewes to beholde the glory of Christe The sonne of man is nothinge elles but man accordynge to the phrase of the Scripture as in this place What is man that thou arte myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him And in an other place what art thou
thing And therefore the Euangelist S. Luke hath Yet beholde the hande of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table And although Luke bringeth in this saying of Christ to be spoken after Supper was ended yet notwithstāding the order of the time cannot hereby be gathered whiche we knowe to be often times neglected of the Euangelistes Yet for all that it is probable that Iudas was present whē Christ did distribut the signes of body and bloud 22. And they were exceding sorowfull and began euery one of them to saye vnto him Lord is it I And they vvere exceding sorovvfull M. Three things caused the sorow of the Apostels First because he said that he shoulde be betrayed deliuered vp into the handes of his enemis wheruppō they should be as orphantes therefore the Lord cōforteth them in the fourthten of Iohn Secondly because he should be one of thē whiche would worke so horrible a farre For what godly man woulde not be sory to here that an enemy of Christe shoulde come forth of the congregation whiche is ioyned together for the faith of Christe When the Apostel said to the Ephesiā Byshopes Of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw the Disciples after the how coulde the godly which were amōg thē be frée frō trouble Thirdly because they know not who the traitor shoulde be Moreouer Christe when he had testified these thinges was troubled in spirite as saith S. Iohn the which whē the Apostels saw how could they not be troubled also Therefore the Disciples are not afrayed as men which disquiet themselues being afrayed without cause but abhorring the wicked facte they desyer to be purged frō the suspiciō thereof This truely is a signe of reuerence that being toutched striken after a bye sorte they do not stoutly churlishly answer their master but referre them selues euery one to his iudgemente yet notwithstāding bearing thēselues bolde of a good cōscience they frely testify howe far they are frō doing so hainouse a fact Whereuppon euery one of thē demande sayinge Is it I M. They coulde not doubte of the wordes of Christe and although they knew themselues to be gylty and thing of this matter yet notwithstandinge they coulde not be quyet in all points For we are alwayes such that wee may be chaūged euery hower in somuch that the thing which we thinke not of to day we shal earnestly séeke after to morowe Peter truely could abide nothing worse than that he should deny Christe but yet it came to passe that he did deny him Innocents also are feareful not because they distrust the promises of God but because they feare themselues I knowe nothinge by my selfe saith S. Paule yet I am not hereby iustifyed For the Lord doth looke more narrowly and there are in vs infinite lurking places A. Therefore S Iohn writeth not without cause saying Thē the Disciples looked one vppon an other doubtinge of whome he spake 23. He answered and sayde he that dippeth his hande with me in the dishe the same shall betray me C. Christe by this answer doth neyther take awaye the doubte from them neyther sheweth vnto them the persone of Iudas but only cōfirmeth that which he sayd euen nowe that one of his familiar ghestes shoulde be the trayter A. As it maye also be gathered by the other twoo Euangelistes M. For S. Marke hath It is one of the twelue euē he that dippeth with me in the platter And S. Luke hath Beholde the hande of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table And so by this heaping together amplifying of the matter as we sayd before the disposition of this wicked man was noted who was nothing moued by the communion fellowship of the table to abstaine from so wicked a dede yea he beinge set at the table deuised nothing but howe he might haue cōueniēt time to betray him C. And although it was greuouse vnto the Disciples to be lefte suspēded and in perplexity for a time that they mighte busy thē selues in cōsidering the hainousnes of the fact yet notwithstāding there folowed after that an other profite and commoditye when they knewe that the Prophesye of the Psalme was fulfilled which saith It is not an open enemy that hath done me this dishonor neither was it my aduersary that magnified himself againste me But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my owne familiar frende We tooke swete counsell and walked together in the house of God as frendes Moreouer vnder the persone of Iudas the Lorde would haue his seruants of all ages to be admonished that they bee not dismayed or discouraged when they sée trayters to come from among the faithfull because the like that happened vnto him being the head of the Church must of necessity happen also to those that are his members 24. The sonne of man truely goeth as it is writen of him but who vnto that man by whome the sonne of man is betrayed It had ben good for that man if he had neuer ben borne The sonne af man truely goeth C. Christ speaketh these thinges as tourned to himself after he had admonished Iudas M. As if he should saye As toutching that which happeneth vnto me there is no daūger nothing shall happen vnto me by chaūce or vnlooked for that whiche is writen of me must nedes be fulfilled and to this in dede I am ready the wicked can do nothing against me but that whiche is appointed of god Bu. My death is ordeyned by the father himselfe it is not therfore by the power pollicy of men that I suffer but by the wyll of god C. By these wordes Christe preuenteth the offence which otherwyse might greuously assayle the mindes of the Godly For what coulde be more absurde than for the sonne of God beinge falselye betrayed by a Disciple to be committed to the will of the enemys that he might bee drawne to the moste shamefull and slanderouse death But Christ pronounceth plainly that this commeth by the will of god And he proueth this decrée by the testimony of the Scripture because hee hath made manifest and fulfilled the thing whiche was appointed to be done by the mouth of the Prophete long before Now let vs note to what ende the wordes of Christe do tende namely that the Disciples knowing whatsoeuer is done to be gouerned by the prouidence of God shoulde not thinke that his life or death was ordered by chaunce But the profite that commeth of this doctrine doth farther extende it selfe because then at the last the frute of Christes deathe shal be truely ratifyed vnto vs when it is manifestly knowne that he was not rashely caryed of men to the crose but by the eternall decrée of God was ordeyned a sacrifice to take awaye the sinnes of the worlde For howe commeth reconciliation vnto vs and the attonemēt but only because Christ by his obedience hathe pleased the father Wherefore let
manner of seking Christe that is let not our myndes reste in the earthe but let them ascende vpwarde to the heauenly glory in the which he dwelleth For the body of Christe doth not put on an incorruptible life that it might laye asyde his proper nature Whereupon it followeth that it is ended But nowe he is ascendeth aboue the heauens least any grosse imaginatiō should tie vs to the earth And certainly if this mistery be heauēly there is nothing more out of order than to bring downe Christe into the earth whiche doth rather call vs vp vnto him If a man aske a Papiste whether he worship the bread or the shewe and colour of bread he wyll strongly deny that he doth not worship the bread but notwithstāding when they go about to worship Christ they tourne them selues to the bread thei tourne them selues I saye vnto it not with the eies only and the whole body but with the cogitation of the mynde also But what other thinges in this than mere Idolatry For truly this partaking of the body of the Lorde whiche is offered vnto vs in the supper doth require neither the locall presēce neither the cōming down of Christ neither his infinite being in euery place neither any such thing For seing the supper is a heauēly actiō it is no absurditie to say the Christ abiding in heauē is receiued of vs Because in that he geueth him self vnto vs it is done by the secrete power of the holy ghoste the which power cannot only gather together thinges far a sonder by distance of places but also brynge them into one The bunde therefore of this coniunctions is the spirite of the Lorde by the knitting together wherof we are coupled is as it were a conducte pype by the which whatsoeuer Christe hath is deriued and brought vnto vs For if we see that the Sunne shining with his beames vpon the earth doth strike and pearce through the same and after a sorte cōneieth his substāce vnto it to bring forth to nourishe quickē the creatures therof why should the shining beames of the spirit of Christe be inferior to conueye the communion of his fleshe and bloud into vs Wherefore the Scripture speaking of our participation with Christe dothe referre the whole force thereof vnto the spirit notwithstanding let this place of S. Paule among many suffice to proue that Christe dwelleth no otherwyse in vs than by his spirite when he saith But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you By the which notwithstanding he doth not take awaye that communion of the bodye and bloud of the which mencion is now made but teacheth that it commeth by the spirit only that we possesse and haue Christe within vs. To the ende therefore we may be capeable of this communiō we must lifte vp our myndes to heauen Here therefore he helpeth our faithe after that all our fleshly sences fayle When mencion is here made of faythe we must not vnderstande it to be euery opinion grounded vpon the inuenciōs of men as many very fondly doe What thē Thou seest bread but nothing els but thou hearest that it is a token pledge of the body of Christe doubt not but that the same whiche the wordes do sounde shal be fulfilled of the Lorde namely that the body whiche thou seest not shal be vnto thee spirituall nourishement Thirdly as we said before we must note the kinde of eating for we must not dreame or immagin that there is a naturall passing made of his substance into our soules but his fleshe is eaten of vs when we receaue life of him For we muste note the analogy or similitude of the bread with the fleshe by the which we are taught that our soules are no lesse fed with the very fleshe of Christ than our bodies are nourished with the vigore and strēgth of bread Therefore the fleshe of Christ is a spirituall foode because it quickeneth vs And it doth therefore quicken because the holy ghoste doth power the lyfe into vs whiche resteth in the same And although it be one thinge to eate the fleshe of Christe and an other thing to beleue in him yet notwithstāding we must knowe that we can eate Christe no otherwyse than by fayth because the very eating is the effecte of faythe M. This semeth incredible that we should be fed with the fleshe of Christe which is so farre from vs But let vs remember that the woorke of the holy ghoste is secrete and wonderful in so muche that the capacitie and vnderstanding of man is not able to measure or comprehende the same and in the meane tyme let vs put away al grosse immaginations whiche staye vs in the bread Leaue vnto Christe the true nature of his fleshe neither extende thou his body by false imagination through heauen and earthe as though it were infinite racke him not with thy fained inuēcions neither worship thou him in this or that place accordinge to thy carnall vnderstanding suffer his glory to abyde in heauen and ascende thou thyther that thereby he may participate hym selfe vnto thee These fewe wordes will satisfie the discrete and modest as for the curious let them seke els where to fulfill their gredy desier S. Luke S. Paule adde these wordes VVhiche is geuen for you Doe this in remembraunce of me C. But Mathewe and Marke omitte it which not withstāding was not superfluous For therfore the fleshe of Christe is nowe bread vnto vs because in it saluation was once gotten for vs And as the crucified fleshe of Christe doth profite no man but suche as eate the same by faithe euen so in lyke manner the eating should be colde of no waighte but only in respect of the sacrifice once offered Therefore whosoeuer desireth to haue the the fleshe of Christ nourishemēt vnto him let him consider the same offered vppon the crosse howe that it was the price of our reconciliation payde vnto god For the Supper is a glasse whiche setteth Christe crucified before our eyes in so muche that no mā can receiue the supper profitably with frute but he which imbraceth Christe crucified But the saying before mencioned Do this in remembraunce of me doth pertayne to both partes that is to say to the bread and to the cup. For he woulde haue the whole action of the Supper to be a remembraūce of hym to helpe our infirmitie Otherwyse if we coulde remember sufficiently the death of Christe sacramentes were to no purpose for they are helpes of our infirmitie But what remēbrāce Christ would haue celebrated in his supper wee may reade in the foremencioned S. Paule And whereas many doe gather hereupon that Christe is therfore absent from the supper because it is onely a memory of one that is absent they do very well gather rightly For Christe is not sene visibly with the eyes as the signe is whiche in figuring him stirreth vp our
hym C. Although in the publique place al the people had condemned Christe with one voyce yet notwithstandynge wee do sée that some of them had not forgotten his doctrine miracles euenso God preserued some remnante in the miserable dissipation when all the people were dispersed But Iesus turned backe vnto them and said ye daughters of Hierusalem wepe not for me but wepe for your selues for your children Som thinke that the wemen were reprehended because they did sheade teares foolishelye with a rashe affectioÌ„ But truely Christ doth not simplely reproue theÌ„ as though they did wepe without reason but admonisheth that they haue a far greater cause to wepe for the horrible iudgemeÌ„t of God which was at hande as if he should haue sayde that his deathe shoulde be not the ende but the beginninge of all euell to Hierusalem and to all that people And by this meanes he declareth that he is not made so muche subiecte to the will of the wicked but that God hathe a care for him For it was euidente by the pounishemente that followed afterwarde that the Life of Christe was pretious to the Father at what time al men thought that he was reiected and wholy caste of of him These woordes also declare the stoute courage of Christes minde because he coulde not thus speake excepte he wente bouldly to his Deathe voide of feare but it tendeth to this ende that he might thereby declare that he was regarded of God in that deformed and base estate and that the wicked whiche nowe prowdely triumphe as Conqueroures should not enioye theire vntimely mirth longe because there should come shortly after a suddaine chaunge For behould the daies will comme in the which they shall saie Happye are the Barraine and the Wombes that neuer bare and the Pappes whiche neuer gaue Sucke He now denouÌ„ceth that no smal plague is at hande but suche a one as was neuer hearde of in the whiche the Vengeance of God maie plainely be discerned A. This Sentence agreeth with that whiche goethe before in the foure and twentie Chapter where it is saide Woe vnto them that are with Childe and that geue Sucke in those dayes For if they doo this in a gréene trée what shal be doune in the drye By this Sentence Christe confirmeth and proouethe that neither his Deathe shall be vnpounished neither that the Iewes shal stand or continewe longe whose wickednesse was euen nowe full ripe yea and halfe rotten And by a common similitude he proouethe that it cannot be but that the fire of Goddes Wrathe muste shortely consume theim Wée doo knowe that menne are woont to caste the drye woode firste vpon the fire But if the moiste and gréene woode be burned mutche lesse at the lengthe shall the drie woode be spared And wée maie expounde it thus If the gréene woode be brought before the time to the fire what shall becomme thinke you of that whiche is drie As if Christ shoulde haue saide The wicked whiche are like vnto drie woode when they haue destroyed the Godly shall also be destroied of God them selues For howe shall they beinge ordeined longe agoe to Destruction escape the handes of the Heauenly Iudge whiche take so greate Libertie to theim selues for a tyme to destroye the Good and Innocente But the summe of his woordes is that the womenne doo preposterously sheadde theire teares not hauinge respecte to the horrible Iudgemente of God whiche was at hande to pounish the wickednesse of the people And here we may learne this that when the sharpnes of the Crosse is out of measure gréeuous vnto vs wée ought to mitigate the same with this comforte that God whiche dothe nowe suffer His to be vniustely afflicted will at the lengthe poure out the fulnesse of his Vengeance vpon those that doo afflicte them The like manner of speache hathe the Apostle Peter when he saithe The time is comme that Iudgemente muste beginne at the house of God. If it firste beginne at vs what shal the ende be of theÌ„ whiche beleue not the Gospel of God Hereby let vs learne to offer oure selues a sacrifice vnto God if it be his good pleasure to make vs hotte by many afflictions asd to trie oure Faithe as it were in the Fornace and to make it more pure than Goulde let vs not onely take it patiently but gladly There shoulde bee no affection of Godlinesse in vs if hee shoulde not make vs hotte He doothe make vs hotte therefore and not burne vs but to the wicked he is a coÌ„suming fire And there were twoo euill dooers leadde with him to be slaine R. This also they did to the contempte and despite of Christe For it was necessarie that the sayinge of the Prophet shoulde be fulfilled when he saith He hathe neither bewtie nor fauoure When wée shall looke on him there shall be no fairenesse wee shall haue no luste vnto him He is despised and abhorred of men he is sutche a man as is full of sorrowe and as hathe good experience of infirmities We haue reckened him so vile that we hidde oure faces from him 33. And they came to the place which is called Golgatha that is to saie a place of deade mennes Sculles And they came B. This woorde Golgatha is a Chalde woorde signifieinge a Heade for whiche the Hebrewes saye Gulgoleth of the verbe Galal whiche signifieth to foulde or wrappe in of the whiche commethe Galgal a Spheare a Circle a Boule Gulgoleth therfore is a name for the heade because of the roundnesse therof But this place was without the gate on the north side of Mount Syon in the whiche Malefactours were put to death for the which cause the place was coumpted more reprochfull there would they haue Christe to be Crucified that thereby his Deathe mighte be more odious C. And althoughe Christe was brought vnto this place according to the custome yet notwithstandinge we must haue a further consideration of Goddes pourpose For he would haue his sonne to be caste out of the Cittie as one vnwoorthye of the companie of mennes that he mighte receiue vs with the Angelles into his Heauenly Kingdome Therfore the Apostle referreth this to the Ould â—â—gure of the Lawe For as God commauÌ„ded the bodies of the beastes to be burnte without the Tentes whose bloude was brought into the Sanctuary for Satisfaction euen so he saithe that Christe went out of the gate of the Cittie that taking vpon him the Curse that pressed vs downe he mighte be made the outcaste by this meanes might purge vs froÌ„ our sinnes And the more ignominie reproche that he suffered before the world the more acceptable and noble shewe he made in his death before God and the Angelles For the filthinesse of the place did not let but that he might set vp the glorious Ensigne of his Victorie neither did the stinke of dead Carkesses whiche laie thereabout hinder but that the swéete smel of his sacrifie might spreade