the Iewes The aunciente foundacions sayth hee being taken vppe new were layed by Herode vpon the which he erected a tēple a hundred Cubits long and in height a hundred and twenty And this tēple was builded of very harde white stoone the which stones were in greatnes fiue and twēty Cubits longe eight Cubits thicke and twelue Cubits broade It was such a peece of worke that it deserued to be spoken of throughout the whole worlde There were set a worke to builde this temple aboue ten thousande cunninge craftes men which did woorke vppon the same duringe the time of eight yeres Hegesippus also in his first booke maketh mencion of this temple C. And this temple also was had in such reuerence as well amonge forreine nacions as amonge the Iewes that no man durst suspecte that the same should euer be destroyed After this maner also the Papacy maketh simple mē at this day to marueile for when they see the same to be adorned beautifyed with great riches and fortefyed with power they are forthwith amazed in somuche that the Church of Christe seemeth vnto them filthye and base Manye also do thincke that wee are deceiued and oute of oure wittes when they go about to seeke the destruction therof thinkinge that wee maye as sone plucke the Sunne out of Heauen as the Pope out of his chayre M. Therefore that noble sighte of the Temple did make the Dysciples of Christe astonished insomuch that they thoughte it impossible that the Temple being so sumptuouse shoulde so sone be destroyed as Christ had sayd 2. Iesus saide vnto them See yee not all these thinges Verely I say vnto you there shall not here be lefte one stone vppon another that shall not be destroyed Iesus said vnto them M. Christe was so farre from pleasing the mynds of his Disciples that hee doth exaggerate and more earnestly inuey against that of which they seemed to take so much pitty and doth confirme the same with an earnest affirmation sayinge that it shal certainly come to passe See yee not all these thinges As if he should saye Behould all these thinges diligently and wonder at them also but all these thinges shall fade awaye how sumptuouse and beutifull soeuer they be Verelye I saye vnto you Hee vseth an othe C. For because the greatnes and pompe of the temple being as a veale set before their eyes did not suffer their fayth to reache to the kingdome of Christ to come therefore hee affirmeth by an othe that those thinges should shortly perishe which did so greatly stay them This foreshewinge therefore of the destruction of the temple did much prepare the waye to the ignorant and weake For although it was necessary and profitable for the temple to be destroyed least that the Iewes beinge to much adicted to earthly elementes creatures shoulde be helde thereby in the shadowed worship yet notwithstandinge this was the speciall cause that God woulde haue the repulse of his sonne and the contempt of the grace which hee offered vnto them to be reuenged of the nacion by a horrible example Wherefore it was necessary that the Disciples by this declaration shoulde forsake the societye of this rebellious people Euen as at this daye those thinges which the Scripture foretelleth as concerninge the punishment of the wicked ought to driue vs from those sinnes which prouoke the wrath of God. Also whatsoeuer teacheth as concerninge the short and trāsitory figure of this world ought to correcte the vanitye of our sences which to gredely followeth pompe luxury and other vaine delightes But speciallye that which the Scripture pronounceth as concerninge the feareful destruction of Antechriste and his secte oughte to take from vs all lettes and hinderaunces which do stay vs in the right race of fayth There shall not here be left one stone that shal not E. This word here is an aduerbe of place signifyeth thus much In this buildinge The Euangeliste Luke hath The dayes will come in the which of these thinges which ye see there shall not be left one stone vppon another The whiche thinge notwithstandinge as yet seemed impossible to the rude Dysciples And truly it appeareth hereby that the buildinge of this temple was in most strongest maner because when Hierusalem was taken the Romaine souldiours had much adoe to enter the same as wee may see in the seuenth Booke of Iosephus de bello Iudaico and the nynthe Chapter 3. And as hee sate vpon mount Oliuet his Disciples came vnto him secretelye sayinge Tell vs when shall these thinges be and what shal be the token of thy comminge and of the ende of the worlde And as hee sat vppon mounte Oliuet B. The Euangelist Marke addeth sayinge that he sate ouer against the Temple It is sayd in Luke that the Lorde was wonte in those dayes at night to go forth of Hierusalem to mount Oliuet the which he obserued this thirde day also after the which there is none of the Euangelistes that maketh mencion that hee retourned againe vntill the day of swete breade that is to saye the fift daye after that in the which he entered into the Cittye with pompe maiestye whē they cryed vnto him Hosiah-na Herevppon manye of the aunciente fathers helde opinion that hee taryed the fourth daye at Bethany His Disciples came vnto him C. B. M. The Euangeliste Marke nameth foure of his Dysciples that is to saye Peter Iames Iohn and Andrewe to whom he reuealed other misteries Peraduēture they thought that he would open these thinges and many other to them alone Secretly saying M. Or they came vnto him a part or priuatelye that is to saye the people beinge awaye because it was verye daungerous to speake anye thinge openlye of this matter as appeareth by the historye of Stephen Tell vs vvhen shall these thinges be A. Christ had openly and plainly sheewed them of the destruction of the temple but hee had not in like maner declared the time that the same might be knowne to the Dysciples Therefore they beinge perswaded that the matter shoulde come to passe as the Lorde had spoken do inquire of the time And vvhat shal be the token of thy comminge C. The Euangelistes Marke and Luke do not so plainly speake of this matter as doth Mathewe For they onely say that these fower Disciples came and enquired of the tyme when the Temple should be destroyed and because the matter was incredible they also demaunded what signe the Lorde woulde shewe thereof from Heauen But here they inquyre of the tyme of Christe his comminge and of the ende of the worlde Yet wee must note also that seing they had imagined euen from their childhoode the state of the temple to be perpetuall and seinge their mindes were wholy fixed vppon the same they thoughe while the worlde stoode the temple could not be destroyed Therefore so sone as Christ said that the tēple shoulde perishe they of their owne accorde call to minde the consumation
hathe taughte you to fle from the vengeāce to come But vvhen he savve many C. In this place Mathew doth shewe that Iohn dothe not onely preache repentance generally but also dothe apply the same to personnes And certainely it wyll be a colde kinde of teachinge excepte the preachers wysely waye the time the person and the place where and to whom they preache For nothinge is more out of order then continually to keepe one kynde of order in teching For this cause Iohn is thought more seuerely to handell the Phariseis and Saduceies who because of their hipocrisie disdaine with the whiche they did swel sawe that more sharply he must pricke and touche them then the comon sorte of people M As concernyng the Saduceys Phariseys and Esseys reade Iosephus in his seconde booke de bello Iudaico These were special sectes among the people The Phariseys dyd professe the more sure knowledge of the rytes and customes of the lawe they were had in great veneration and reuerence of the people and they got vnto them selues the greateste parte of domination and rule neither did they onely oppresse the people with the burthen of the prescripte lawe but also with theyr owne traditions in the whiche thynge the Saduce is were greately against them as we may reade in Iosephus C. But they are deceiued whiche thinck them to be so named of the diuision as though they beinge seperated from the order of the common sort of people might take a degree proper vnto them selues They were called also Pherussim that is to saye interpreters because not beinge contente with the symple letter they professed that they had the keye to vnderstande secrete misteries Whereof there arose a wonderfull myxture and confusion of errours when as they takinge to them selues the dignitie of mastership did with their wicked lust and sence also with wonderfull pride thrust in steede of the trewth their own inuentions Bu. Luke bothe of the Scribes and Phariseis wryteth thus when Paule perceiued that the one parte were Phariseis and the other Saduceis he cryed out in the councell Menne and bretherne I am a Pharisey the sonne of a Pharisey Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am iudged And whē he had so saide there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis and Saduceys and the multitude was deuided For the Saduceis say that there is no resurrection neyther angel nor spirite but the Phariseys graunte bothe B. Therfore the Phariseyes dyd acknowledge destenye notwithstanding with the lybertie of the minde beleuing the immortalitie of the soule The Saduceys wolde graunt nothing to come by desteny but attrybuted all thynges to the wyll of man neyther wold they allowe the immortalitie of the soule these also were more rude of manners further from humanitie then the phariseis Bu. The Esseyes were the third secte so called as labouringe and workinge they attributed all thinges to desteny B. they professed a marueylous continent life muche lyke vnto our olde monkes Bu. Besides they did not allowe wedlocke and parte did admitte it but with great warines Of these bothe Iosephus in his second booke of the warre of the Iewes in the .vii. chapi And Plini in his 5. booke and 17. chapter writeth at large But nowe let vs returne to the woordes of Iohn O generation of vipers C. That we may wel vnderstād the meaning of the holy man we must note that there is nothinge that dothe more amase and abashe hipocrites whiche deceiue other by the outwarde shewes of holynes then to haue their hipocrisy detected and to be thretened with the vengeaunce of god For that god may thunder generally against the whole worlde by false immagination they make vnto them selues a sanctuarye because they perswade thē selues that they haue nothing to do with the iudgement of god If any man doo thincke that Iohon kept a preposterouse order in receyuing them at the fyrst gretinge so sharpely we answere that they were not vnknowne to him but that he had good inteligence of them before and yet not by experience or his owne knowledge but rather by the secrete reuelation of the spirite of god Wherefore they were not to be spared one whit lest they came home againe more puft with pride then they wente It was necessary therfore that their highe stomackes should be abated Againe if any shall obiecte that they ought not to haue bē dismaied with so harde a reproche synce that comming to baptisme they wold afterwarde shew them selues to be altered and to become newe men we maye easely aunswere that suche as do lye vnto God and being wonte to dally with them selues doo vse falshod and dissimulatiō in stede of truth are the more sharpely to be vrged to true repentance For the obstinacie of hypocrites is wonderfull therefore vntyll by force and violence they are fleyne they wyl holde their skinne fast Now where as Iohn doth openly before all men reproue and rebuke them it perseyneth to example in the whiche sence Luke doth say that it was spoken to the multitude For althoughe Iohn spake vnto a fewe yet he hadde respecte vnto the multitude that he mighte make theim afraide As Paule to Timothe bad vs looke euer for that fruite in open reprehentions sayinge Those whiche offende openly reproue openly that others may be afraid Therfore in the parson of the Phariseys and Saduceys he dothe comprehende the whole multitude leaste they shoulde shewe a fayned clooke of repentaunce in stede of trewe affection Moreouer it belonged greatly to the people to knowe what the Saduceyes and Phariseys were of whom miserably the trew worshippinge of God was corrupted the churche destroyed and all trewe religion quite subuerted finallye with their corruptyon they extinguyshed the trewe and cleere light of God and with their vices infected all thynges Therefore it is certayne that Iohn went publiquely and openly to the Phariseis that he might admonishe the whole church of God least that any more through vaine shewes thei should blynd the eyes of the simple throughe wicked tyrrany kepe the people in oppression In this therefore we may beholde the constant boldnesse of Iohn who for al that they excelled others dyd not one whit spare theyr dignitie but sharply as they deserued reprehended them Euen to it becometh all godly teachers to be bould constant and not to feare any power or authoritie of men but without al feare to contend against all that exalteth it selfe agaynste Christ But and if they that came fainedly to baptisme to beare the name of the Gospell were so sharply and cruelly rebuked and dealt withall howe shall we deale with the professed and sworne ennemies of Christe whiche do not onely refuse all tast and sauour of holsome doctrine but also with sworde and fyer do violently rage to seke the vtter destroyinge of the name of Chryst Certainely if thou compare the polluted Pope and his bloddy caynishe clergy with the Saduces and
because so sone as we lifte vp our myndes to heauen there the inspeakeable ioye offereth it selfe vnto vs and taketh away all occasiō of heuines A. Whereupon Peter the apostell saith In the whiche ye reioyce though now for a season if nede require ye are in heuines through manifold temtations that the triall of your faithe being muche more precious then goulde that perisheth though it be tried with fyre might be founde vnto laude glory and honour at the appearing of Iesus Christ whome ye haue not sene and yet loue hym in whome euen nowe though ye see him not yet do you beleue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious receiuing the ende of your faythe euen the saluation of your soules For great is your revvarde Bu. As if he should haue sayde If it greue you that you suffer infamy and that you are persecuted in this worlde remember I praye you howe greatly your glory shall increase in the worlde to come For loke howe greate your affliction is in the earthe so muche the brighter shall your glory be in heauen Here the Papistes playe with this name of rewarde saying that there is speciall relation betwene the rewarde and the deserte but they erre for the promyse of the rewarde is free Furthermore if we consider howe mutilate imperfecte and vitious all good workes are what so euer they be that come euen frō the very beste we shal then well knowe that God at no tyme shall fynde anye worke worthy of rewarde There is none therefore so simple when he heareth mētion made of the rewarde that wil thinke vs when we spende oure lyues for the Gospell to deserue any thynge at the handes of God that is to do any thinge by the whiche God may become debter vnto vs We are all at the wyll and pleasure of God and he made not only vs but also all our goodes what so euer that of nothing for it is he that worketh in vs both the wyll and also the dede euē of good wyll Notwithstāding the scripture calleth that a rewarde which is geuen of God to suche as neyther do nor can deserue the same at all because they labour and worke all that they can to attayne the same Euen as the father sayth vnto his sonne go diligētly to thy booke apply thy mynde to learninge and thou shalt haue a goodly rewarde of me a new coate or some other thing as good nowe this coate is a rewarde and it is not because he obtained that rewarde not by his diligence but it happened to the child by his fathers gifte neuerthelesse not without the accomplyshinge of that diligence and study whiche he requyreth Euen so there is none that obtayneth this rewarde of the which the lorde speaketh here excepte he suffer for Christe and for this cause it is called a rewarde Also if it were possible that thou shouldest die a hundred tymes for the Gospell yet for all that thou couldest not deserue the worth of a here at the handes of God that is thou canst not constrayne and bynde hym to owe thee any thing at all for so often as thou shouldest receiue life so often thou shouldest become detter to hym againe And for this cause they are not rewardes whiche are geuen to vs of God but they are his free giftes freely geuē without any desert in vs As plainly appeareth by these testimonies of scripture Abraham I am thy defence and thy rewarde shal be exceading great that is to saye I wyll be thy defender thy gayne thy ryches and thy felicitie And the Prophete speaking of the consolation of the people vnder the person of Rachel sayth Leue of from weping and crying withholde thyne eyes from teares for thy labour shal be rewarded saith the lord And they shall come againe out of the lande of their enemies So that where he saith thy labour shal be rewarded is euen as if he had sayde The tyme wyll come that thou mayste knowe that thou hast not had chyldren in vayne for yet there remayneth a rewarde of this thy labour Moreouer in the Psalmiste it is wrytten Lo children and the fruite of thy wombe are an heritage and reward that commeth of the lorde In this place the heritage and the rewarde are taken for the free gifte of god For there the Prophete dothe recorde that not only all thinges that we desyre but also children come vnto vs by the gifte of God and through his goodnes not by our labour care By these and suche lyke places of scripture it is apparant inough that in the scriptures this worde rewarde is taken for those benefites that we receiue from the lorde In this place therefore the spirite of God would vse this woorde to shewe vs that we ought to seke for nothing so muche as for the giftes and rewardes of God the whiche he bestoweth vpon those that beleue in hym Therfore when as our sauiour by these presentes sayde that they should loke for a large rewarde in heauen whiche suffered persecution for his names sake he mente that they did an acceptable thing and of great price by bearing the burthē of the crosse layde on them for the glory of his name and that they them selues also thereby got great profite To be briefe so often as a rewarde is promised to good workes their deserte is not sayde to be the cause of rigteousnes or of saluation but only the faithfull are incouraged to do well since that they are sure that their labour shal not be in vaine Wherfore these two do very wel agree that we are freely iustified because we are acceptable vnto God without desertes and yet for al that he doth bestowe at his wyll and pleasure free rewarde vpon vs for our dedes In heauen C. Here he requireth of vs hope whiche dothe not beholde thinges present but thinges to come To this effecte pertaineth that whiche is written of the apostell saying For our tribulation whiche is momentany and lyghte prepareth an exceading and an eternall wayght of glory vnto vs whyle we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene but on the thinges whiche are not sene For the things which are sene are temporal but the thinges whiche are not sene are eternall For so persecuted they the prophetes This was added by the deuine consell of the spirite least the apostels hoping to get the victory and triumphe without ◅aboure fight should fainte in the midest of persecution For because the restoring of all thinges was promysed in the scripture vnder the kyngdome of Christ it was a venture that thei did not deceiue them selues with vayne truste not thinking on their warrefare And by other places also it doth appeare that they very fondly imagined the kyngdome of Christ to be replenished with earthly ryches pleasure Wherefore not without cause Christe doth admonishe them that they must enter into the same battayle that the prophetes did because they
bloude of Zacharye the sonne of Barachias whome he slewe betwene the temple and the altar That vppon you may come B. Bu. To haue the iust bloude come vpon any man is to be gilty of bloude and to haue bloude required at his handes that is to be punished and to haue vengeance recompeÌ„ced for the bloud whiche was shed C. Christ doth not only detracte and plucke away froÌ„ the Scribes Phariseis that whiche they falselye arrogated to them selues but also teacheth that they were adorned with the Prophetes to a quight coÌ„trary ende that no age might be frée from the mischife of wicked rebellion For the pronoune you doth generally comprehende the whole people from their firste originall or beginning Obiection If anye man do obiecte and saye that it doth not agrée with the iudgemente of God that the punishementes of the fathers faltes shoulde be layed vppon the children wee maye easelye aunswere that seinge they also by wycked conspiracy wrapped them selues in the same vngodlines it oughte not to seme absurde if God punishinge euery one of them alike do laye the punishemente dewe to the fathers vppon the heades of the children Therefore iustly a count is to be made and punishment also to be had of the whole people for the continuall contempte at the lenghte in whose time or in what age soeuer it commeth Forâ—… as God by the longe continuance of his pacience did constantly contende with the malice of the whole people euen so all of them by their iuste deserte werr made giltye of the inflexible obstinacy which coÌ„tinued euen vntil the laste hower as euery age by compacte consente murthered their Prophetes euen so it is mete that they be called to common and general iudgement and all the slaughters which were coÌ„mitted by one consented to be reuenged vpon al B. Bu. The Lorde therfore doth not only threaten the reuenge of those whome they shoulde kil but also the reuenge of those whome their elders had slaine signifiyng the beseginge and vtter destruction of this people For these men did kyll Christe the heade of all Saints and his Apostles also greater than all Saintes as they whiche broughte the more perfecte knowledge of God to the world therefore they did not onely finishe but also excéede the crueltye of all their forefathers whiche had shed the innocent bloud of the Prophetes So that euen as they had the crueltye of them al finished to the full so they made themselues gylty of all the iuste bloud which they at any time had shed For as all the saints from the first to the laste are all one body hauing Christe their heade and what benefits the Lorde geueth to their posteritye he saythe that he geueth them to their fathers euen so all the wicked doe consiste of one bodye hauynge Sathan their heade wee saye that vengeance is rewarded them and that they are punished with such punishmeÌ„ts which are not felt of theÌ„ in this lyfe with the whiche they are afflicted in dede but firste of all are takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ their posterity So the Amalachites fought against Israel wheÌ„ they came out of Egipte The which thing the Lord coÌ„maunded to be written in a booke for a remembrance and to be committed to the eares of Iosue promisinge that he wolde vtterly roote oute that people in somuch that no remnaunte of theÌ„ should remayne for a memoriall But the lorde performed that thing first of al by Saule within forty yeres after or thereabout that this people the Amalachites had offeÌ„ded and so the vengeance or reuenge of that falte fell vpon them whiche neuer committed the same by externall falte Notwithstanding this God was not vniust in reuenging vpoÌ„ them that which their fathers had coÌ„mitted For these at the last had fulfylled and whollye rynyshed the wickednesse of their fathers so that the same wickednes did specially deserue to be ponished externally in them After this manner therefore the crueltie also of all those whiche haue shed at any time iust bloud and the impietie of these Iewes at the laste whiche were destroyed by Titus came to the full and fulfilled the same measure whiche deserued extreame vengeaunce It was reuenged therefore and ponished in them by right and they were iustely plagued for an example to the whole world NotwithstaÌ„dinge in the meane tyme also they which were before these men were no lesse ponished for their offence but priuatelye but they receyued the more publique and greatter ponishement whiche were destroyed by Titus This is a horrible malediction and cursse if we communicate and take parte in the wyckednesse of the vngodly we shall not onely beare the ponishemente of oure owne synnes but of their synnes also From the bloud of the righteouse Abell C. Althoughe Abell were not slayne of the Iewes yet notwithstanding Christ imputeth his deathe vnto them because euen among those there was a certain affinitie of the wickednes of Cayne otherwise it wolde not agree that he saith that the iust bloud was shedd from the begynninge of the worlde by this generation Cayne therefore is appointed the headde the prince and authour of the Iewishe people because in that they began to kill the prophetes they succeded and came into his place whose followers they were A. He calleth Abell iuste because by a lyuely fayth in the promised redemer he offered vp sacrifice acceptable to God. As concernynge the which matter reade the leuenth chapter to the Hebrewes Vntyll the bloudde of Zachary C. He nameth Zachary not as thoughe he were the laste martyr for the Iewes had not then made an ende of kyllynge the Prophetes but rather herevpon their boldenes and mad fury increased and they which came after dyd ingurge and fyl them selues with the bloudde whiche theyr fathers onelye had lycked neyther yet because his death was the more comonly known although the holye Scrypture dothe celebrate the same but there is an other cause the whiche beinge worthye to be noted was vnknowen to the interpretours Wherby also it came to passe that they were not onely deceiued but the readers also were brought into greate doubte For Christ might seme to be forgetfull when he rehersynge an olde slaughter omitteth an innumerable heape of murthers whiche were afterwarde commytted vnder Manasses For the Iewes dyd not ceasse to persecute wickedly the saintes and holye men of God euen vnto the time of transmigration or departure into Babilon yea when the affliction of the Iewes was come we knowe howe cruelly they dealt with the prophete Ieremy But trewely the Lorde didde not seeke to cast in theyr teethe those lately done murthers but he rather chose this old and ancient slaughter whiche was the beginninge and originall of mischeuouse libertie that they might afterwarde burste forthe into vnbrydled crueltie because this was more meete for his purpose For wee declared euen nowe that this was the effect of his counsell and purpose that seing that nation did not cease and leaue