sea and from al tempest For this is the chiefe vertue and cunning of faith that it seeth those thinges which are not seene or felt and seeth not those thinges which are felt yea which are now sore vpon vs and doe presse vrge vs. As on the contrary side diffidence seeth nothing but that which it feeleth neither can it rest vpon any other thing but that which it feeleth For this cause those thinges are of God layd vpon faith which the whole world is not able to beare as sinnes death the world and the deuil neither suffereth he it to be occupied with small matters For who flieth not death who is not terrified ouercome of it The force of faith whereby death the world Satan and sinne are ouercome Against this inuincible faith standeth yea it couragiously setteth vpon it which otherwise tameth all thinges and ouercommeth and swalloweth vp that vnsatiable deuourer of life So euen the whole world is not able to bring vnder and subdue the flesh but it rather bringeth vnder and maketh the world subiect vnto it beareth rule ouer it so that he liueth carnally whosoeuer is of the world But faith subdueth this subduer of all other holdeth it in subiection and teacheth it not onely to be ruled but also to obey Likewise who is able to beare the hatred and furie ignominie and persecution of the worlde who doth not yeelde vnto it and is oppressed with it But faith euen laugheth at all the iniquitie rage and furie thereof and maketh that vnto it selfe matter of spirituall ioy wherewith other are euen killed It doth no otherwise behaue it selfe against Satan also Who is able to ouercome him which practizeth so many craftes and wiles wherby he stayeth and hindereth the truth the worde of God faith and hope and soweth against them innumerable errours sects delusions heresies desperations superstitions and such kind of abominations without number All the worlde is to him as a sparke of fire to a fountaine of water it is wholy subdued vnto him in these euills as alas we both see and trie But it is faith which troubleth him for it is not onely not made subiect to his delusions but it also discouereth and confoundeth them that they be no more of any importance that they are able to doe nothing but doe vanish away as we haue experience at this day by the decaying and vanishing of the Papacie and indulgences Finally sinne hath that force that that which is euen the least can not be appeased or extinguished of any creature that it doth not gnawe and teare the conscience yea if all men should goe about togither to comfort the conscience wherein sinne hath begun to liue they should goe about it in vaine But faith is that noble Champion which ouercommeth and extinguisheth euery sinne yea if all the sinnes which the whole world hath committed from the beginning were layde vpon one heape it would extinguish and abolish them all togither Is not faith therefore most mightie and of incomparable strength which dareth encounter with so many and so mightie enemies and beareth away the certaine victorie Wherefore Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 5 This is that victorie that hath ouercome this world euen our faith Howbeit this victorie commeth not with rest and quietnes Faith obtayneth not the victorie ouer the enemies of our soules without sore fight conflicts we must trie the fight not without blood and woundes that is we must needes feele sinne death the flesh the deuill and the world yea and that assayling vs so grieuously and with so great force that the hart of man doe thinke that he is past all hope that sinne hath ouercome and the deuill gotten the vpper hande and on the contrary side very litle feele the force of faith We see an example of this fight here in the Disciples for the waues did not onely strike the ship but did euen couer it that nothing could be now loked for but that it should be drowned especially Christ being asleepe and knowing not of this perill all hope was then past life seemed to be ouercome and death appeared to haue the victorie But as it fel out with the Disciples in this tentation so also doth it fall out and must fall out with all the godly in all kind of tentations which are of sinne the deuill and the world In the tentation of sinne we must needes feele the conscience thrall vnto sinnes the wrath of God and hellish paynes to hange ouer vs and all thinges to be in that case as though we were past all recouerie Likewise when we haue conflict with the deuill it must appeare as though truth shoulde giue place to errour and Satan shoulde driue the worde of God out of the whole worlde and he him selfe reigne for a God with his delusions deceits Neither standeth the case any otherwise when it commeth to passe that we are tryed of the world it must needes be that it should greatly rage and cruelly persecute vs so that it shall seeme that no man at all is able to stand that no man is able to obtayne safetie or profes his faith that Cain onely shall beare rule and suffer his brother in no place Albeit we be in daunger great distres yet must we not be discouraged but beleeue that we shall be deliuered But we must not iudge according to such feeling and outward appearance of things but according to faith The present example ought to stirre vs vp hereunto to be receiued of vs in steede of speciall comfort For we learne hereof that albeit sinnes doe vrge vs death disquiet vs the world rage against vs and the deuill lay snares for vs that is although the waues doe couer the ship yet we must not be discouraged For although thy conscience being wounded doth feele sinne and the wrath and indignation of God yet shalt thou not therefore be plunged in hell Neither shalt thou therefore die although euen the whole world hate and persecute thee and gape so wide to deuoure thee as the morning spreadeth forth it selfe They are onely waues which falling vpon thy ship doe terrifie thee and compell thee to crie out we perish Lord saue vs. Thou hast therefore in the former part of this text the nature of faith set forth how it is wont and ought to behaue it selfe in tentation also howe desperate a thinge diffidence is and nothing to be counted of The other part commendeth vnto vs loue in Christ whereby he was brought so farre that he brake of his sleepe arose and counted the daunger that his Disciples were in for his owne and helped them freely asking or looking for nothing of them therefore Euen as it is the nature of Christian loue to doe all things freely and of good will to the glorie of God and profit of our neighbours The nature of Christian loue seeking to it selfe nothing thereby For the exercising of which loue man adopted
the babe swadled and layd in a maunger 13. And straight way there was with the Angella multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying 14. Glorie be to God on high and peace in earth and towards men goodwill The summe of this text 1 WHereas the Euangelist here describeth the time and place of the natiuitie of Christ first herein is required faith of vs to witte that we beleue this to be the same Christ of whom these things be recorded Moreouer the house and stocke of Dauid is here notified and shewed forth whereof our Messias should rise 2 The shepeheardes which are here mentioned are the firste frutes of those Iewes which come vnto Christ as the Wisemen from the East are the first frutes of the Gentiles and the innocent infants of all them which must beare the crosse for Christes sake 3 Whereas the Angel of the Lord appeareth to the shepeheards in great glory it signifieth that the Gospell commeth vnto men with the glory of God First in deede it maketh vs afraide for it condemneth our darkenes and whatsoeuer is in vs vntill we heare the comfort which is here declared vnto the shepeheards in these comfortable wordes Be not afraide behold I bring you tidinges of great ioy which shall be to all people because vnto you is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. 4 Moreouer whereas one Angell first preacheth vnto the shepeheards that noteth to vs the Prince of all preachers Christ him selfe Secondly whereas many Angells are gathered together it signifieth the multitude of preachers who all say with one mouth Glorye be to God and peace vnto men 5 The frute and profit wherefore Christ tooke flesh vpon him is here expressed to be Euangelicall peace good will to men wherof the hymne of the Angells maketh mention Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will towards men The exposition of the text YE haue often tymes heard this history before and must heare it still both this yeare and euery yeare though to sluggish drousie Christians that are soone weary and cloyed with good things the same peraduenture may seeme tedious But to them that are endued with true faith it alwaies commeth againe as newe For the holy Ghost can speake so diuersly of one thing that to them which be his it alwayes seemeth newe Moreouer we might speake at large of this historie for it is very full of matter if we shoulde not want tyme and if it were not perillous least we shoulde somewhere straye from the purpose Neuertheles we will entreate somewhat thereof as God shall permit Ye haue already heard in the text how the Angell him selfe expresseth all this history giuing vs to vnderstand that the same is published for our cause and that the frute thereof doth redounde and appertaine to vs onely and is wrought to our saluation And therefore the Angell speaking to the shepeheards sayth in these wordes Be not afraide behold I bringe you tydings of great ioy which shall be vnto all people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the city of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lorde Christ came not for his owne cause but to worke our saluation Here is declared first that his natiuitie doth pertaine vnto vs when he sayth vnto you is borne a Sauiour For the Lord Christ came not for his owne cause onely but that he might helpe and succour vs. Wherefore let vs most diligently endeuour that we beleue the Angell and we shall enioy the whole benefit I haue heretofore oftentymes sayd that the Gospell preacheth nothing else but faith that the Angell also here doth and this must all preachers doe otherwise they be not true ministers For the Angell was here a beginning and example to all preachers Now we must in this place speake of a double natiuitie namely of our owne and of Christes But before I begin to entreat hereof I will handle the historye briefly that ye may lay it vp in your hart and may be partakers of the ioy which the Angell here bringeth First therefore the Euangelist sayth And it came to passe in those dayes that there came a decree from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed This first taxing was made when Cyrenius was gouernour of Syria Therefore went all to be taxed euery man to his owne citie The time of the comming of the Messias foretold by the Patriarch Iacob Gen. 49.10 Ye know right wel that the Iewes had a promise made of the Patriarch Iacob that a Prince lawgiuer or ruler of the house of Iuda should not be wanting in Iudea vntil the Messias which was promised them did come For the wordes of Iacob to Iuda are playne after this sort The scepter shall not depart from Iuda a lawgiuer from betwene his feete vntill Silo come Now at this time the case was so that the Romanes possessed Iudea and had set a Liuetenant ouer it whom the Euangelist here calleth Cyrenius The Iewes before for a long tyme had vsed priestes for Kinges when as the Machabees had obtayned the kingdom so that the dominion of the house of Iuda was already taken away and suppressed neither was there any Prince or ruler of the stocke and blood of Iuda gouernour ouer the people But that Christ or the Messias shoulde nowe come that was a great signe that the prophecie at that tyme especially might be fulfilled Wherefore the Euangelist sayth here that at the tyme when Christ was borne Augustus Cesar had set a Liuetenaunt ouer Iudea vnder whom the Iewes should offer them selues to be taxed As if he sayd Euen at that tyme at which he should be borne he is borne All that liued vnder the Romane Emperour were compelled to pay taxe for a testimonie that they were subiect vnto him This the Iewes knew but they did not vnderstand the Prophecie Iacob had sayd thus The scepter shal not depart from Iuda and a lawgiuer from betwene his feete vntill Silo come That is a Prince and ruler of the stocke of Iuda shall not be wanting in Iudea vntil Christ come Iacob did sufficiently shewe in these wordes The Iewes misinterpret the prophecie of Iacob concerning the cōming of the Messias that he should be wanting at the comming of Christ Moreouer whereas they vnderstood it so as though such a Silo shoulde come as shoulde beare rule with the sword it is a false vnderstanding thereof neither can it be gathered out of that text For he sayth thus that at the comming of Christ the temporall kingdome of the Iewes shoulde ende So Luke also here sheweth that very time when it behoued this to be done It followeth moreouer in the text And Ioseph also went vp from Galile out of a citie called Nazareth into Iudea vnto the citie of Dauid which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and linage of Dauid to be taxed with Marie that was giuen him to wife which was vvith
Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous and their inheritance shall endure for euer They shall not be confounded in the perilous time and in the dayes of dearth they shall haue enough And againe I haue bene yonge and now am old and yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread All which thinges Christ bringeth with him for that we are and are called his brethren not because of any merit but of meere grace If we would print these things in our hart that we might throughly feele them it should goe well with vs but they goe in at one eare and out at an other This is that wherof S. Paule so greatly glorieth Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God if we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Moreouer this title ascendeth so high that mans mind is not able to comprehend it For vnles the spirit the comforter did impart this grace vnto vs no man should euer be able to say Christ is my brother For reason can not be bold so to say albeit one repeat it in wordes very often as the new spirits doe It is a higher thing then that it can be so spoken for except the hart feele it as it is requisite it should it shall be nothing but onely flatterie But if thou feele it inwardly in thy hart it will be so excellent a thing vnto thee that thou wilt much rather say nothing of it then speake and talke of it yea by reason of the greatnes of so good a thinge thou wilt perhaps dout as yet and be in an vncertaintye whether it be so or not They which onely cry out thus Christ is my brother are fanatical spirits who vainly pronounce words without any frute The case standeth farre otherwise and farre more maruelously with a true Christian so that he is thereby enforced to be amased neither dareth he either say or confesse any thing sufficiently thereof Wherefore we must endeuour that we doe not heare this onely with fleshly eares but that we feele it in our hart for then we will not be so rash but we shall be forthwith caried into an admiration thereof True and sincere Christians enter into the viewing and feare of them selues thinking thus O wretched and defiled creature which am drowned in sinnes am I now made worthy that the sonne of God should be my brother how doe I miserable wretch attayne to such a thing Thus he is by and by astonied and doth not well vnderstand the thing But a great studie and endeuour surely is required that a man may beleue this yea if it were felt as it ought in very deede a mā should forthwith dye thereupon For he can not vnderstand it according to his flesh and blood and the hart of man in this life is more narrow and straight then that it is able to comprehend so great thinges But in death when the hart shall be stretched out then I say we shall trie what we haue heard by the word In the Gospel of Iohn chap. 20. Christ doth farre more plainly declare vnto Marie Magdalen this vse and frute both of his death and also of his resurrection when he sayth Goe vnto my brethren and tell them I ascende vnto my father and your father vnto my God your God this is one of the most comfortable places whereof we may glory and boast As though Christ should say Marie get thee hence and declare vnto my Disciples which did flee from me which haue throughly deserued punishment and eternall condemnation that this resurrection of myne is for their good that is that I haue by my resurrection brought the matter to that passe that my father is their father and my God is their God They are but a fewe verie short wordes in deede but they containe great matter in them namely that we haue as great hope confidence reposed in God as his owne sonne him selfe Who can comprehend such exceeding ioye I will not say vtter it that a wretched and defiled sinner may be bolde to call God his father his God euen as Christ him selfe The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 2. did well remember the wordes of the Psalme and weied with him selfe how it speaketh of Christ who as he sayth is not ashamed to call the beleeuers brethren saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the Church or congregation will I sing prayses to thee If any worldly Prince or noble man should humble him selfe so low that he would say to a theefe or robber or to one that is infected with the french pocks thou art my brother it would be a certaine notable thing which euery one would maruell at But whereas this king which sitteth in glory at the right hand of his father sayth of some poore man this is my brother that no man layeth vp in the bosome of his brest neither doth any man consider of it in his mind wherein notwithstanding our chiefe comfort and confidence consisteth against sinne death the deuils hell the law and against all sinister successe of thinges as well of the body as of the mind Moreouer forasmuch as we are flesh blood and therefore subiect to all kindes of aduersitie it followeth that the case should stand so also with our brother otherwise he should not be like vnto vs in all thinges Wherefore that he might be made conformable and like vnto vs Christ like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne he tasted and had experience of all things euen as we haue sinne only excepted that he might be our true brother and exhibite him self openly vnto vs. Which the Epistle to the Hebrues doth liuely set forth chap. 2. where it sayth Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh blood he also him selfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil that he might deliuer all thē which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he tooke not on him the Angells nature but he tooke on him the seede of Abraham VVherefore in all thinges it behoued him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull a faithfull hie Priest in thinges concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted The profit The frute of Christes passion and resurrection vse and frute of the Lordes passion resurrection
which strengthneth the knowledge that God hath taught him to wit that God is nothing els but a Sauiour abounding with grace who will be fauorable and mercifull to all them which call vpon him in this his Sonne Therefore the Lord sayth moreouer Verely verely I say vnto you He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life I am that breade of life Your Fathers did eate Manna in the vvildernes and are dead This is that bread vvhich cōmeth dovvne from heauen that he vvhich eateth of it should not die I am that liuing bread vvhich came dovvne from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I vvill giue is my flesh vvhich I vvill giue for the life of the vvorld In these wordes the soule findeth a table daintily furnished whereby it may stake all hunger For it knoweth assuredly that he that speaketh these wordes can not lye Wherefore if it commit it selfe confidently vnto him and cleaue to the word it resteth vpon him and so departeth not from this goodly table This is that supper to the preparing whereof the heauenly Father killed his oxen and fatlings and hath bidden vs all vnto it The liuing breade whereof the Lorde here maketh mention Christ the liuing bread whereon we must feede by faith is Christ him selfe whereby we are so fedde If we lay hold but of a morsell of this bread in our harts and keepe it we shall be satisfied for euer neither can we euer be plucked from God Moreouer such an eating is nothing els but to beleue in the Lord Christ that he is made vnto vs of God as Paule sayth 1. Cor 1. wisedom righteousnes sanctification and redemption He that eateth this meat liueth for euer Wherefore by and by after this text when the Iewes were at contention about these his wordes he sayth Verely verely I say vnto you Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you VVhosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath eternall life I vvill rayse him vp at the last day Manna which the fathers did eate in the desert as Christ here sayth could not saue from death but this bread maketh vs immortall If we beleeue in Christ death shall not hurt vs any thing at all yea there is no more death This the Lord meaneth by these wordes in an other place where he sayth to the Iewes Verely verely I say vnto you Ioh. 8.51 if a man keepe my word he shall neuer see death where it is certaine that he speaketh of the word of faith and of the Gospell But some man may say that holy men die notwithstanding An obiectiō for Abraham the holy Prophets are dead as the Iewes sayd vnto him I aunswere The death of Christians is onely a sleepe The aunswer as the Scripture also commonly calleth it for a Christian tasteth seeth no death that is he hath the feeling of no death For this Sauiour Christ Iesus in whom he beleeueth hath ouercome death that afterwards he shoulde not feele or tast it but death is vnto him onely a passage and gate to life as Christ him selfe witnesseth Ioh. 5 Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my vvord beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Wherefore the life of a Christian is merie and on euery side replenished with ioy and the yoke of Christ is easie sweete But that it semeth heauy and grieuous vnto vs this is the cause for that the Father hath not yet drawne vs hereupon it commeth to passe that we take no pleasure thereof neither is the Gospell comfortable vnto vs. If so be that we would lay vp the wordes of Christ well in our hart they would be vnto vs an exceeding comfort And thus ye haue heard howe we must feede on this breade which came downe from heauen that is on the Lord Christ to wit by faith which we then do when we beleeue in him that he is our Sauiour The whole chapter out of which this text is taken commendeth vnto vs nothing els but spirituall meat For when the multitude followed Christ that they might againe eate and drinke which the Lord him selfe signifieth he taketh occasion of the corporal meat which they sought almost through the whole chapter speaketh of spirituall meat as he sayd The wordes which I speake are spirit and life Wherby he would signifie that he therfore fed them that they should beleeue in him as they did eate the bodily meat so they ought also to feede of the spirituall Here let vs weie and marke this that the Lord doth so gently and graciously apply him selfe to vs and offer him selfe in such gentle wordes that it ought worthely to moue our hartes to beleeue in him to wit that that bread was therefore giuen for vs inasmuch as it was behouefull that he should tast death and suffer hellish paines Also should beare sinnes which he neuer had committed as though he had committed them and had bene his owne and he did also the same willingly for our sakes and tooke vs as brethren and sisters The will of the heauenly Father This if we beleeue we doe the will of the heauenly Father which is nothing els but to beleeue in his Sonne so be saued As Christ him selfe sayth a litle before This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life It now therfore appeareth that he that hath faith doth the will of God and eateth of this heauenly bread As Augustine sayth What doost thou prepare thy mouth beleeue and thou hast eaten Of this spirituall supper the whole new Testament speaketh but especially in this place of Iohn The Sacrament of Christes body blood is a certaine testimonie and pledge of this true supper whereby we ought to strengthen our faith and to be assured that this body and this blood whereof we feede in the Sacrament deliuereth vs from synne death Satan and all euell But how may a man perceiue and know How a man maye know whether he be called to this spirituall supper that he also doth pertaine to this heauenly bread and is called to this spirituall supper let him consider the case in his owne heart which if he fynde so affected that it doth as it were feele a sweetenes in the promise of God and is vndoutedly perswaded that he is of the companie of them which pertaine to his supper he is assuredly such a one in deede For as we belteue so commeth it vnto vs. Such a man hath also by and by a regard of his neighbour Charitie towarde our neighbour the frute of true faith and helpeth him as his brother careth for him giueth vnto him lendeth him comforteth him briefly doth no otherwise to him then he
backe it becōmeth worse with them then it was before thy heard the Gospell as Christ sayth of the vncleane spirit Matth. 12 which taketh vnto himselfe seuen other spirits worse them himselfe with which he commeth and dwelleth in that man out of whom he before had gone and so the end of that man is worse then the beginning After the same maner commeth it to passe with vs and shal hereafter also be vsuall so also hath it fallen out with Rome In the time of the Martyrs she was in her best flower but afterward she fell and abhomination was there erected that Antichrist might reigne there yea she became such a one that worse she can not be The grace of God which is reuealed and preached by the Gospel was hiddē that men might not attaine vnto it wherefore it could not be but a great and grieuous scourge and plague should follow So we also shall trie that great vengeance will come vpō vs for that we do not beleeue nor obey the Gospell which we haue and know For as often as God would send an horrible scourge and plague he hath first set vp a great light As when he would send the Iewes out of their owne countrie into captiuitie in Babylon God vseth lenity before he executeth seueritie first warneth before he harmeth he first raised vp the godly King Hosia who should again restore the law that the people might amend their life but when they did againe reuolt God punished them according to their desert So when he mynded to destroy the Egyptians he made a light to be set vp and preached vnto them by Moses and Aaron Moreouer when he would drowne all the world by the flood he sent the Patriarch Noe but when men did not amende but became worse and worse such a sore and grieuous plague did follow Likewise the fiue cities Sodome and Gomorra togither with the rest were destroyed for that they would not heare Lot who feared God Wherefore as sharpe vengeance shall light vpon them also which heare the Gospell but do not receiue it euen as the seruaunt here in the Gospell is deliuered to the tormentours till he should pay all the dette which is as much in effect as that he is compelled to suffer punishment for his fault and is neuer saued For vnto synne is required death and when he dieth he dieth alwayes neither is there any helpe or deliuerance remaining Wherefore let vs receiue these thinges for our owne admonition as for them that will not heare being hardened and indurate let them beware of the euell that hangeth ouer them This is a verie comfortable text and sweete to troubled consciences inasmuch as it containeth in it meere forgeuenes of sinnes Againe it setteth forth terrible iudgement to the vnmercifull hard hearted especially seeing that this seruaunt is not an Heathen but had heard the Gospell in that he had faith inasmuch as the Lord tooke pittie on him and forgaue him his offences without doute he was a Christian Wherefore this is not the punishment of Gentiles nor of the common sort that heare not the Gospell but of them that with their eares heare the Gospell and with their toung talke of it but will not expresse it in their life We haue therefore the summe of this text Whereas the Scholemen dispute here whether synne commeth againe which was before remitted I let it passe for they are ignorant what remission of synnes is they thinke it is a thing that cleaueth to the hart and lyeth quietly when as notwithstanding it is plainly the kingdome of Christ which endureth for euer without ceassing For as the sunne neuertheles shineth although I shut myne eyes so this mercy seat or forgiuenes of synne standeth alwayes albeit I fall And as I againe behold the sunne when I open myne eyes so I againe haue forgiuenes of synnes if I ryse againe and returne vnto Christ Wherefore let no man bring forgiuenes into such a straite as these made mē dreame of A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER TEACHING THAT WE MVST CLEAVE WHOLY to Christ and looke to obtaine all good thinges through him Matth. 9. Verse 18. WHile Iesus spake vnto the people behold there came a certaine ruler and worshipped him saying My daughter is now deceased but come and lay thine hand on her and she shall liue 19. And Iesus arose and folowed him with his disciples 20. And behold a womā which was diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeares came behinde him and touched the hemme of his garment 21. For she said in her selfe if I may touch but his garment onely I shal be whole 22. Then Iesus turned him about and seeing her did say Daughter be of good comfort thy fayth hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole in that same moment 23. Now when Iesus came into the rulers house and saw the minstrels and the multitude making noyse 24. He sayd vnto them Get you hence for the mayde is not dead but sleepeth And they laughed hin to scorne 25. And when the multitude were put forth he went in and tooke her by the hand and the mayde arose 26. And this bruit went throughout all that land DEarely beloued ye know that the Gospell is nothing els but a treatise of the onely person whose name is Christ And albeit there be extant many bookes sundrie treatises cōcerning diuers men as well of the Gentiles as Christians yea and of the mother of God S. Peter the Angels and of many other Saincts besyde yet be they not Gospels but that onely is the syncere Gospell which setteth forth Christ vnto vs and what good we must hope for frō him Sometime in the Gospell there is mention made of Iohn the Baptist Marie and the Apostles howbeit this is not properly the Gospell but therefore is it written of them that it might be more perfectly declared frō whēce Christ should come and what is his office So Luke describeth the historie of Iohn the Baptist euen from the beginning what was done both in his conception and in his natiuitie he writeth also of the virgine Marie All which thinges were committed to writing not because of their person but because of Christes person onely In the Epistles of S. Paule there is nothing committed to memorie of the Saincts but all thinges sound plainly of Christ For God hath so ordained that all men must depend on that one man Christ must hope in him All that will be saued must depend on Christ put their hope and trust in him must repose their trust in him if they desire to be saued for he alone is set forth of God to be a reconciliation for vs as Paule sayth Rom. 3. Hitherto one hath cleaued to this sainct an other to that one chose to himselfe S. Marie an other S. Barbarie and diuers sectes and sortes of religion did flourish But Christ was in no price for his name onely remained We had many intercessours all
she iudged her selfe more vnworthie then that she might either talke with him or looke vpon him for she knew that she had deserued nothing and that she had bestowed no good thinge vpon the Lord hereupon it is that she so behaueth her selfe she cōmeth behynde his backe she falleth downe at his feete and toucheth onely the hemme of his garment In a summe here is nothing but meere bashfulnes and want of merit here is no preparation here is no worke and yet the miserable woman promiseth her selfe much goodnes from the Lord namely that he would heale her She had bin diseased with an issue of blood twelue whole yeares what could she merite thereby how could she therefore be worthy of any thinge Neuerthelesse being vnworthie and hauing merited nothing she notwithstanding looketh for helpe of Christ feeling her selfe to haue great neede thereof And this is a true preparation both to the grace and goodnes of Christ when I feele my selfe to stand in neede thereof and then doth it verie well fall out when these two come togither the rich and the poore Christ and the synner But it is no small matter for men to be perswaded that they are poore and stand in neede of grace For that commeth to passe verie hardly Satan also doth not suffer it but alwayes draweth men backe to workes that they may not come so farre as to thinke that they haue neede either of the grace or mercy of Christ The text affirmeth that the woman was diseased with an issue of blood twelue whole yeares The woman diseased with an issue of blood and had spent all her substaunce vpō phisitians and that the more medicines she tooke the worse alwayes she was Luke and Marke do not a litle exaggerate and amplifie it whereby they both signifie that the more workes be preached so much the worse is it with vs and that there commeth nothing vnto vs thereby but a continuall multiplying of our euell Our conscience can not be quieted with workes for albeit some synne be driuen out of the conscience forthwith there is an other yea the remedy and work oftentimes do make synne in vs where there is no synne vntill suche time as we come to Christ euē as it was with this woman which had bin sick so long neither had she bin euer helped if she had not come to Christ of whom she obtaineth helth without any workes giuing him nothing but receiueth onely of him Continuall preaching of the word of God verie necessarie and suffreth to be giuen vnto her Nowe here is also declared how the worde of God is dayly to be handled and without ceassing to be vrged for there are as yet alwayes found such men as haue verie troubled and afflicted consciences For this woman is a type or figure of all men which are diseased with an issue that is which feele there synnes the issue whereof doeth alwayes runne neither can it be stayed for flesh and blood doeth no otherwise then it is caried with it owne lust and desire Nowe if that feeling of synne be great those wretches come forth and endeuour to helpe themselues then one taketh this worke in hand an other that and yet preuaile they nothing from hence so many orders so many monasteries haue sprong hereupon so many and so great works haue bin inuented that they are almost without number What was the cause of all these surely euen the synnefull conscience For we haue thought to saue our soules by these and to be deliuered wholy from all synnes But Christ was not there present for we would giue and not receiue Wherefore our case became alwayes worse as it fell out also with this woman who if she had tried the helpe of all Phisitians neither yet so could she fynde whereby she might be holpen So we also beleeued all Phisitians for whatsoeuer euerie one brought that we by and by receiued And was it any meruell for we desired to be healed and to haue a glad conscience The Phisitians are the preachers of the Lawe nowe if any desired to be deliuered from synnes what did they vnto him they gaue him whereby he became onely weaker and feebler which surely we haue seene and felt to our great euell namely how they would haue men to be iustified by workes by them to be deliuered from synnes But it profited nothinge for we were alwayes made more weake against synne and death so that there is neuer found in the earth a more desperate sorte of people then Sacrifycing Priestes Monkes and Vestall virgines and they whatsoeuer they by that trust in workes if there did but a litle byle arise vpon them byandby they must runne to the Poticarie then is suche tryinge of medecine suche running and hast as though they had nowe breathed their last Neither is any so afrayd of the last iudgement as this people Which then they verie well shew when they so deale with workes that they rest onely vpon them neither doe perseruer constant in any worke and the more workes they doe so much worse is their case so much more are they cast downe in mynde and become more desperate so that it falleth out with them as with this woman It is a verie goodly similitude which may most fitly be applied to vs for we do not onely bestow temporall thinges but our body also by fasting chastising and bearing other hard and intolerable burdens so that some haue thereby become mad and destitute of all strength yea at the last lost their life And I my selfe haue bene such a one and haue without dout more resorted to medicines then many other I could not atteine so farre as to leaue the Popes law It seemed a hard and a sore matter vnto me to eate flesh on the friday O good God A hard thing to forsake papistrie being once entangled therewith how hard a thing was it to me before I durst attempt to doe that Wherefore if any will be deliuered from such thinges and contemne the traditions of the Pope truely he must haue a stronge foundation of faith which if he shall not haue let him looke about him againe and againe before he attempt it For if faith be wanting it will fal out with vs as with this woman who had spent all her substance vpon Phisitians amending nothing but rather waxing worse and worse In like maner all our workes labours endeuours shall be lost all our obedience with all orders or religions and whatsoeuer we haue bestowed therein shall be in vaine Howbeit if we haue faith we shall at the last see the decrees of the Pope and popish Bishops to be nothing because of which before we trembled and were troubled all which did helpe vs so much as the Phisitians did that good woman which had bestowed all her substance and riches yea and her body also that she might be healed How many kindes of medicines and syrrups thinkest thou did that woman vse how weake