Pharisie who thought himself godly and rightuous and was not so maketh vs a Prayer too knowe an Hypocrite by Contrariwise the silie Publicane casting himselfe flat before God and acknowledging his own vnclennesse and yet neuerthelesse fléeing vntoo mercy dooth by his exāple set foorth a forme of true and healthful prayer The places are thrée 1 Of the rightuousnesse of the Law and of the fondnesse of the Pharisie 2 Of Christen rightuousnesse and of true repentance 3 Chrystes iudgement concerning the Pharisie and the Publicane ¶ Of the firste HE sayde too certeine vvhiche had an opinion of themselues that they vvere ryghtuous Héere I must néedes speake of the rightuousnesse of the Lawe what is it and what is the vse end and prerogatiue of it For thereby wée shall vnderstand how farre the Pharisies are wide from the true rightuousnesse What is the rightuousnesse of the Lawe It is a perfecte obedience of all our members inwarde and outwarde vntoo Gods lawe of the harte the affections the will the mouth and ▪ bréeflye of all the powers and abilities as well of the bodie as the minde whiche obedience it behoueth too be not at startes but continuall not vayne but perfecte and full not stayned but pure and chaste suche as mighte haue bin performed by Adam before his fall and suche as is performed by the holye Angelles in Heauen That the rightuousnesse of the Law ought too bée suche a one bothe Moyses and Chryst doo teache in these woords Thou shalt loue the Lord thy GOD with all thy harte with all thy soule with all thy strengthe and with all thy power and thy neyghboure as thy selfe Moreouer forasmuche as hée is pure holy chaste nothing can please him but that whiche is pure holye and chaste And they that fulfill this rightuousnesse they onely haue the promisse of the Law For thus sayeth Moyses The man that dooth these things shall liue in thē No man Chryst onely excepted didde euer performe this perfecte and continuall obedience suche as the Lawe requireth Wherefore all they ▪ that thynke them selues ryghtuous wyth thys rightuousnesse of the law are not only blinde and arrogant but also blasphemous ageinst the law of GOD which they measure by their owne slender skill and not by the voyce of GOD. That none is able too fulfil the law of GOD I haue declared a late and will now bréefly bring the same too oure remembrance ageine Firste oure members bothe inwarde and outward wherwith wée should execute obedience to the Lawe are mangled and corrupted with a certeine horrible outrage so as they are able too doo nothing aryght Agein the Law of sinne as a moste stoute Gyant grypeth our limmes euen after that wée bée borne a newe that wée cannot performe what we woulde Héereuppon S. Paule cryeth oute O vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer mée from this bodye subiecte too Death And in another place Too will is present with mée but too performe I finde not in my selfe Also I doo not the good that I would doo but the euill whiche I would not doo that doo I. Thus the regenerate haue a forewarde will but they are destitute of ablenesse too performe that which they would so importunate is our houshold enimie withdrawing vs from that whiche is good What shall wée saye then of them whose will is not yet reformed suche as all they bée that are not regenerate Too the furtherance héereof also maketh it that the Law of God is spirituall but wée are carnall For thus hathe Paule béeing at that time a faythfull Chrystian sayd The Law is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne Héereby it is easie too sée that wée are not able to performe due obedience too the law For how is it possible that flesh should performe spirituall rightuousnesse I alledged many and sundry other reasons not long agoe whereby I shewed that no man in this life is able too yéeld perfect and ful obedience too the Law What is too bée doone then Héere thou shalt firste heare the voyce of the Lawe What sayeth hée Curssed is hée that continueth not in all the things that are written in the book of the Lawe Héere thou hearest the sentence of the Lawe Let this saying of the lawe humble thée before God and vtterly cast thée downe that thou maist acknowledge both the filthinesse of thy sinne and thy iust damnation What is too bée doone héer Are we able too eschue the cursse of the lawe Thou art not able of thine owne power Wherefore thou must eyther perish or else séeke a remedie ageinst this damnation of the lawe but other remedie surely there is none than only Iesus Chryst who purposely came into the world too take vppon himselfe the curse of the lawe and too delyuer all that beléeue on him from the power of the lawe that is from damnation which the law threatneth too those y t transgresse it Therefore this cursse extendeth it selfe too all men that héere not Chryst nor are clothed with his rightuousnesses that they may appéere apparelled therewith in the sight of God For Chryst is the end of the law too iustifie all that beléeue Rom. 10. These things haue I spoken concerning the rightuousnesse of the lawe too this intent that I might shewe how fond these Pharisies were which thought themselues rightuous and hilde scorne of others as vnholy and vnrightuous But what is the cause that this Pharisie and the rest of his rable thought themselues rightuous The cause was blindnesse For he was so blinde that he saw not the méening of the lawe yea rather he saw only the couering of the lawe and neuer looked into the brest of the lawe according as the text of this gospel sufficiently declareth For he sayth I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publicane He had séene the letter of the law then but not the spirit that is he stacke only in the outward woorks but he considered not the spirituall méening which the law requireth How bée it too the intent these things may be set the playner before our eyes let vs sée first what maner of woorkes this Pharisies were Secondly Let vs lay them too the law of God Thirdly let vs gather therby what wanted in him And fourthly let vs sée of how many sinnes he was founde giltie and cast by the lawe though he vaunted himselfe rightuous before men The woorkes of this Pharisie were faithlesse procéeding of méere misbeléefe and pryde Now in as much as the scripture saieth plainely without faith it is impossible too please God who is so madde as too call this outwarde visor rightuousnesse Let vs lay his woorkes that he bosteth of too the woord of God The lawe requireth pure obedience This man out of his most vncleane hart draweth slaunders ageinst God and his neighboure The lawe commaundeth him too loue his neighboure He accuseth him yea and that before the iudgement seate of God
land of Ievvry art not the least among the Princes of Iuda for out of thee shall come too mee the Captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel Then Herod vvhen he had priuily called the vvise men enquired of them diligently vvhat time the Starre appeered he bad them go to Bethleem and sayd Go your vvay thither search diligently for the child And vvhen yee haue found him bring me vvoord ageyn that I may come vvorship him also VVhē they had heard the King they departed and loe the Starre vvhiche they savv in the East vvent before them til it came and stoode ouer the place vvherein the Childe vvas VVhen they savv the Starre they vvere exceeding glad and vvent intoo the house found the Childe vvith Mary his moother and fel dovvne flat and vvoorshipped him and opened their treasures and offered vntoo him giftes Golde Frankincense and Mirre And after they vvere vvarned of God in sleep that they should not go ageyn too Herode they returned intoo their ovvne countrie another vvay The exposition of the text THis feast is called in the Churche the Epiphanie of the Lorde that is too saye the appéering of the Lorde For after that the feastes of the comming and birth of the Lorde were celebrated by the Churche it séemed good vntoo the holy Fathers too put too this feast also that they might instruct the Churche of the sundry sortes of the Lords appéering in the fleshe And they alledge foure reasons why they call this feast Epiphanie Whereof the first is that as this day Christ appéered too the wise men that sought him by the leading of a Starre The seconde is for that as vppon this day nine and twentie yéeres after his birth his glorie appéered in Baptisme by the witnesse of the father speaking frō heauen in this wise This is my beloued sonne and by the visible appéering of the holy Ghoste vpon him The thirde is for that the same day twelue moneth after his baptisme his glorie appéered at the mariage by turning water intoo wine The fourth is for that in the .xxxj. yéere of his age his glorie appéered ageyne in féeding fiue thousande men with seuen loues of bread All these appéerings make too this end both too prooue Christ too be the true Messias and sauior of them that beléeue in him too stablish assured faith in vs that wée should certainly assure oure selues too obtaine saluation through him And thus muche concerning the cause of the feast Now let vs go in hande with the Gospel it selfe whiche conteyneth the storie of the firste kinde of Christes appéerings namely howe hée appeered too the wise men that is too say too the Heathen too the intente we may know that Christe with his benefits belongeth also too the Heathen The summe of the exposition of this Gospell is that the wise men came too Hierusalem too séeke the new borne King and that when they found him not there they kept on their way folowing the guidance of the Starre which went before them til they came in Bethleem where they finding the Childe honored him and offered him gifts After the dooing whereof at the warning of God they returned intoo their cuntrie by another way In this Gospell wée wil intreat of two places whiche are 1 The storie with his circumstances and lessons whiche are many 2 The vse of the storie and the spirituall signification of the wise mens offerings ¶ Of the first MAny are the circumstances of this presēt story of which euery one conteyneth peculiar doctrines and instructions When Christe was borne in Bethleem in the time of Herode the wise men came from the Easte too woorship the new borne king Héer come thrée things too bée weyed The time the state of the wise men and the ende for whiche they came The time is expressed when it is sayde in the time of Herode For the Scepter had ceased from Iud◠and accordyng too the Prophesies Chryste was too bée borne Thys conferring of the prophesies concernyng the birth of Chryst and the tyme wherein hée was borne as it confuteth the Iewes which looke for him still too come so it confirmeth the Faythe of the godly that they may assure them selues that this same whome the wise men séeke is the verie Messias The second is the state of the wise men that they were not of the Iewes but of the Gentiles Wherby wée learne that this new king borne in Bethleem perteineth also too the Gentiles who by the example of the wise men are admonished too séeke and too woorship Chryst. Moreouer these wise men were called Magi by which terme is signified the excellencie of their dignitie and office For Magus is an Hebrue woord and taketh his name of considering and teaching Which twoo things perteined chéefly too Kings and Préestes whereupon the Persians called their Kyngs and Préestes Magi. What are wée taught héereby Chryst lyeth in the maunger despised of his owne people and the Magies béeing Heathen men borne come too worship him Whereby is signified that although Chrystes kingdome bée not of the world yet is it a mightie and glorious kingdome or rather a heauenly kingdome which many shall acknowledge and not bée offended at the base countenance thereof too the outward shew in the world The second circumstaunce is that the wyse men come too Hierusalem and there séeke for Chryst that was newly borne The Iewes which had the bookes of the Prophets in their handes and vntoo whome the woorde of God was committed stoode still carelesse and neuer sought for Chryst. And in y e mean while ▪ those sought him who by their iudgement perteined not too the Church But where sought they him In the princely citie Hierusalem Whither when they came heard nothing of this king their faith was not a litle shaken but yet neuerthelesse they raysed vp them selues by the signe For they sayd Wée haue séene hys starre Doutlesse they had learned out of the Relickes of Daniels schoole that when Chryst should bée borne then should such a starre shew the time that hée was borne The thirde circumstance is too bée considered with héede for it sheweth what maner a Kyng Christe is For as the maunger in which he lay argueth that his kingdome is not of this world so the starre appearyng from heauen declareth him too bée a heauenly King And like as the Maunger sheweth him too bée base in the sight of the worlde euen so the Starre setteth out the maiestie of his kyngdome for vs too beholde to the furtherance of our faith least he should become despisable vnto vs through the leud and malicious disdaine of his owne countrey folke which continuing still in their ignorance doo persecute Chryst vntoo this day Some men demaunde héere what maner a Starre that was And diuers men déeme diuersly But thys is manyfest that it differeth in thrée propreties from other continuing starres that is to say in place in mouyng in brightnesse In place
pure séed so also wil he haue the same kept pure and in no wise corrupted And this séed hath he left with his Churche too kéepe layd vp in the treasures of the Prophetes and Apostles The frute that this séede bringeth forth foloweth the nature of the séede when it is growen vp For first after it is layed intoo the ground there springeth of it repentance that is too say an amendment of the former wicked life For like as some excellent séed béeing conceyued in the bowels of the earth dooth by his owne power kil the wéeds that ouergrew the grounde before so this séede doothe by true remorse kil the shreud wéedes that is too say sinnes whiche the Deuill hath sowed in mannes harte so as they may not hear deadly frute vntoo damnation as they did before Ageine this séede toogither with helthful repentaunce bringeth forth faith the frute whereof is moste acceptable too GOD. Out of this faith as out of the eare of the corne come forthe séedes that is too say children of GOD according too this saying To as many as beléeued hée gaue them power too become the children of God These as sayth sainct Peter are borne ageine not of corruptible séede but of incorruptible séede by the woorde of the liuing God that continueth for euer The children of God being so borne of Gods incorruptible séede doo bring forth their fruite that is too wit good woorkes and pacience wherwith the Lords fruteful féeld flourisheth euen vntill haruest ¶ Of the seconde BY the manner of the séede layde intoo the grounde a man may gather foure kindes of hearers of Gods woord For the séede that is layde intoo the ground either is not conceyued in the bowels of the earth or else is conceyued wyth frute howbéeit such frute as out of hande withereth and perisheth or else with frute that endureth too the haruest And this varietie happeneth by reason of the nature of the soyle For if the séede light intoo the way it taketh no roote but is either troden downe with féete or deuoured by the byrdes If it light vppon stonie grounde bicause it taketh no déepe roote it perisheth as soone as it coÌ„meth vp If it light among thornes the thornes choke it and it dieth without profit If it light vpon good grounde it beareth frute and that plentuously Héervpon our Lord concludeth manifestly that there bée foure sortes of héerers of which I must nowe speake in order The first kinde of héerers is set foorth in this wise in the Parable Some fell in the highe vvay and vvas troden vvyth feete The Parable is thus expounded by the Lorde Those that are by the high vvay are those that heere the vvoorde and anone commeth the Diuel and taketh the vvoord out of their heartes least they shoulde beleeue and bee saued In this exposition many things doo méete toogither woorthie too bée considered First what is the cause that it beareth not frute namely bicause the grounde is harde and drie that is too say the heartes of the héerers are stonie and harde so as they giue no place too the worde Mennes hartes wex harde by accustoming themselues too sinne by hope of scaping without punishment by Epicurishe thoughtes by innumerable examples of such as sinne and by the craftes of the Diuell And whereas the Lorde sayth that the â—éede was sowed in their hearts it is as muche as if he had sayde that the vice leudnesse of men is the cause why it is taken out of their hartes Therefore they doo God wrong that ascribe their damnation vntoo him For hée being mercyfull vntoo al men casteth his séed intoo the ground that is too say sendeth preachers too teach his gospel but through mens default it coÌ„meth too passe that it is troden vnder foote without frute Secondly it is too bée marked aduisedly that the diuel is sayde too come and take away the worde out of their hartes Whereby wée gather that this enimie of our saluation according as hungrie birdes are woonte too doo in séed tyme as soone as the doctrine commeth abroade is at hande â–ª and steppes in to catche it vppe before it can conceiue moysture and shoote forth That this is the continuall endeuer of Sathan the storie of all tymes teacheth vs and Peter testifieth when hée sayth that the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion séeking whom hée may deuour For in like wyse as hée set himselfe ageinst our first parentes and that by taking Gods word out of their hartes so employeth hée himselfe wholly with like endeuer at this day that the worde whiche is preached may abide frutelesse with the héerers Thirdly it is to be obserued that the Gospel is the preching of saluation For when hée sayth that the Diuell taketh the woord out of the hartes of the héerers least any should bée saued hée declareth sufficiently that the woorde of God is appointed too our saluation Fourthly héere is too bée obserued the great prayse of fayth in asmuche as Chryste in expresse wordes calleth it the cause of our saluation leaste throughe beléeuing sayeth hée they might bée saued For as saluation is offered vntoo men by the ministration of the Gospell so by faith only is the offered saluation receyued and reteined wherevpon the Apostle sayeth the Gospell is the power of God vntoo saluation too euery one that beléeueth Fifthly as our great vnthankfulnesse is noted wherethrough wée despise the saluation that is offred vs by the woorde so is their errour too bée detested which go about too depriue the woord spoken of his power whoo doubtlesse are the diuels instrumentes too hinder the saluation of men The second sort of héerers are noted in this parable Other some fell vpon stones and assoone as it came vp it vvithered bicause it had no moysture The Parable is expounded by the Lord in these woords For that vvhich fell vpon the stones are those vvhich vvhen they haue heard the vvoorde doo receiue it vvith ioye but yet they haue no roote but beleeue for a time but go backe in the time of triall As long as the Crosse and persecution troubleth them not they holde not the meanest place in the Churche but assoone as persecution ryseth for the Gospell they giue ouer and fayth dieth vtterly in them without frute and of this sorte of héerers alas for sorowe there are too many Assone as the doctrine of the Gospell was purged in this Realme very many séemed too embrace the Gospell earnestely But when they sawe their fréendes displeased with them for it wheÌ„ they perceiued that no smal péece of their estimation among the Papistes was abated by it and that the crosse touched them somewhat néerly then they forgat the swéetnesse of the Gospell whiche they had héeretofore receyued with ioyfulnesse and shamefully lyke wretches slipt from it too their vtter reproche the horrible destruction of their soules for whom it had ben much better neuer too haue tasted the goodnesse of the Gospell than wyth
them that beléeue in the Sonne This is proued by many textes of Scripture Hée that beléeueth sayeth Chryst hath lyfe euerlasting Like as before this â—ayeth goeth forgiuenesse of sinnes so goeth there with it soule health And Peter sayeth that the ende of oure Fayth is the health of oure soules The same thing is mente héere when it is sayd There must repentance bée preached wherthroughe wée sorowe for oure sinnes and flée vntoo Chryste who sayth I came not too call the rightuous but sinners too repentaunce After these things it followeth by whose benefite wée atteyne so greate good things namely for the sacrifice of Chryste that is too wit for Chrystes death and resurrection Wherevppon Paule in the fourth too the Romanes Hée dyed for our sinnes and was raysed ageine for oure iustification And lest any man should think the Gospell too bée a newe learning I added in the definition according vntoo the promise made by the fathers in olde time For both vntoo Adam after his fall was the promise made in the third of Genesis and it was often times after repeated beaten intoo the Fathers heads by the space of foure thousand yéeres til Chryste came in the fleshe In the conclusion are added the endes for which Chryst came first too deliuer vs from the iudgement of the law secondly that they whiche are deliuered shoulde bring foorth frutes woorthie of the Gospel thirdly that they shoulde blaze abrode this so greate a benefite and fourthly that at the last they should obtein ful redemption in eternall life through our Lord Iesus Chryst too whom with the Father and the holy Ghost bée praise honor and glory for euer and euer Amen The first Sunday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn xx THE SAME daye at nyghte vvhyche vvas the fyrste daye of the Sabbothes vvhen the doores vvere shutte vvhere the Dysciples vvere gathered toogyther for feare of the Ievves came Iesus and stoode in the middest and sayde vntoo them Peace bee vntoo you And vvhen hee hadde so sayde hee shevved vntoo them his handes and his side Then vvere the Disciples glad vvhen they savve the Lorde Then sayd Iesus vntoo them ageine Peace bee vntoo you As my Fathet sent me euen so send I you also And vvhen hee had sayde these vvords he breathed on them and sayd vntoo them receiue yee the holy Ghoste VVhosoeuers sinnes yee remitte they are remitted vntoo them And vvhosoeuers sinnes yee reteine they are reteyned The exposition of the text THis Gospel conteyneth parte of the storie that Iohn the Euangelist wrate concerning the resurrection of the Lord in whiche part the Lord testifieth by his visible and fleshely presence by woord déed and miracles that hée is risen from the dead And béetaking vntoo his Disciples the ministerie of his woord hée auoucheth them too bée blissed that shall beléeue in him In the ende of the texte is added the finall cause of all the holye Scripture For thus sayeth hée These things are written that yée may beléeue and that by beléeuing yée may haue life in his name Howbéeit for asmuche as inoughe is spoken already the last wéeke concerning the Lordes resurrection I will not make any more processe about it at this time but wil intreate of thrée other places whiche are conteyned in this Gospel The places 1 Of the ministerie of the woorde and of the power of the Churche 2 Of the confession of Thomas 3 Of the end of holy Scripture ¶ Of the first THe woordes of the texte concerning the ministerie of the woord and the power of the Churche are these Peace be vntoo you as my Father sent mee so send I you VVhen he had sayde this hee breathed vppon them and sayde vntoo them Take ye the holy Ghost vvhose sinnes so euer you release they are released vntoo them and vvhose so euer you vvith holde they are vvith holden Héere haue wée few woordes but they be pithie and conteine a plentiful doctrine whiche all christians ought too knowe Wherefore I exhorte you too giue good ear that you may vnderstand this doctrine And too the intent that may bée doon the more commodiously I wil deuide these woords wherby the ministerie is ordeyned into foure parts The first part peace be vntoo you The second part as my father sent mée so send I you also The third part hée breathed vpon them and said take yée the holy ghost The fourth part whose sinnes so euer you release they are released vntoo theÌ„ and whose so euer you with holde they are withholden Of these foure partes wil I speak in order The first part namely the gréeting Peace bée vntoo you dooth not only comfort the Disciples that were then present but also giueth courage too all that bée and shall be ministers of the woord in the Church He that taketh vpon him the ministerie of the woorde hathe by and by the Deuil his enimie who continually lyeth in wait for his doctrine and life If hée cannot corrupt his doctrine he endeuoreth too staine his life that a man might deny the thing in his works which he teacheth in his words If the Deuil cannot defile his life he layeth a snare for the doctrine that men might be deceyued with erronious doctrine and so bée damned In many hée defileth both life and doctrine Besides that the minister of the woord hath also the world ageinst him which assaileth him eft with Tirannie eft with Hipocrisie and eft with Sophistrie that he might not execute his dutie aright What should the minister of the woorde doo in so great disstresse He shall comfort him self with this saying of Chryst peace bée vntoo you and therwithall he shall pray vntoo God that hée will kéepe him in this peace so as hée hinder not the course of the Gospel eyther by his doctrine or by his conuersation Hée shall set more by the peace of Chryste than by all the delights and freÌ„dships of the world Let this then bée the comfort of the ministers of the Gospel whiche must fighte aageinst the crafts of the Deuil the tirannie of the world hipocrisie and sophistrie The second part is As my father sent mée so send I you How did the father send the sonne The father sent the sonne to destroy the kingdom of the deuil according too that saying The womans séed shall tread down the serpents hed Also Christ appéered too destroy the deuils woords What dooth it not belong only too Chryst too tread down the serpents head Dooth it not belong only too Chryst too destroy the woorks of the deuil Yes surely only vntoo Christ. But in this so greate a woorke there néed twoo engines Sacrifice and Doctrine Christ was sent that he alone by sacrifice should appease his fathers wrath and vanquishe the Deuil Afterward bicause this benefite is offred too men by Doctrine hée destroyed the woork of the Deuil by doctrine also Therefore was Chryste sent for twoo purposes too pacifie God by sacrifice too teach For the first purpose
héere promyseth so great things and sith that the heauenly Trinitie dwelleth in them that beléeue Let vs endeuer too bée cleane and pure as it be commeth Gods temples too bée Let vs bée spiritual things that wée may reigne ouer sinne and not serue it any more in the lustes thereof Let vs bée prests that may offer quicke sacrifices vntoo God and call vpon him by fayth in Chryst. Let vs bée saincts and segregated from the heathenish routes of the world that wée fall not intoo our former filthinesse agein ¶ Of the thirde ANd the comforter the holy Ghost vvhom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things This is Chrysts promisse whereby he promiseth his Disciples the holy ghost Wée haue herd before what is the woorthinesse of the Chrystians Now let vs héer what is ioyned with this woorthinesse And bicause I am not able to vtter these things according too their woorthinesse I will after the manner of babes prattle of eche thing that is spoken in this royall promisse These few woords therfore doo conteine seuen poynts concerning the holy ghost the which I will reherse bréefly and apply them too our vse For these points contein the causes why the holy ghost is sent and giuen First he is called an Aduocate Although I haue spoken somewhat an eight dayes hence concerning this name Yet peraduenture it shal not bée amisse too repete it agein too day Therfore he is called an Aduocate that is too say a spokesman bicause hée is at hande too the afflicted and dooth teache them comfort them take their case vpon him as his owne and in conclusion compelleth vs too crye out and too say with all our hart Abba father haue mercy vpon vs for thy sonnes sake whom thou hast giuen too bée our Sauiour And this is the first cause why the holy ghost is giuen The second is that he may quicken vs and thervpon he is called a spirit Now there is a double life The one naturall wherethrough all liuing creatures liue and this endureth for a short time for it is swalowed vp by death and the other life is of God from which Paule sayeth that all those are estraungers which haue not knowne Chryste The author of this life is that spirit of Chryst which he promised too his disciples This is not of short continuance but euerlasting as which is proper too the euerlasting God And this life liue al they that beléeue in the sonne of God Gala. 2. The thirde cause of sending and géeuing the holy ghost is that he may make vs holy of which operation he is called holy and he maketh vs holy at what time he worketh faith in vs when he regenerateth vs when he reformeth our vnderstanding affections and will and too bée bréefe when he bringeth too passe that wée become newe creatures and liue according too the will of God The fourth cause of sending giuing the holy ghost vntoo vs is that he may stablish a certeyne louingnesse among vs and therfore he is said too bée sent from the father too his children For as the father embraceth his children with an inward kindnesse loue so he desireth nothing more than that the childrē folowing the nature of their father should mainteine brotherly loue among them selues Thus too doo it béecommeth them that acknowledge God too bée their common father As for those that refuse too doo so either they neuer were his children or else they are shamefully growen out of kind from the nature of their father The fifth cause of sending the holy ghost is that wée may lerne of him in what sort our heauenly father is mynded towards vs. Therfore the Lord sayth and he shal teach you al things What Shall he teach any other thing than y t which the Prophets and Moyses haue taught Or any other thing than is deliuered vs in the scripture No forsoth For he shal teach the self same things Doth not y e scripture suffise Yes it suffiseth as in respect of doctrine but not as in respect of our capacitie For although wée héere the woord a thousande times yet is it vneffectuall vnlesse he teache within For anoynting as sayth the Apostle teacheth all things The sixth cause of sending and giuing the holy ghost is shewed in this saying in my name By which saying is signified the vttermost ende or the final cause why the holy ghost is giuen which is that they which beléeue in Chryst may bée saued For in as much as Chryst is our saluation that the holy ghost is sent in his name there is no dout but he is sent for our saluation sake The seuenth cause is that he may confirme Christs woord in vs. He sayth Chryst shall teach you all things he shall put you in mynde of all thyngs that I haue spoken vntoo you These things ar signifyed bréefly concerning the holy ghost in our Gospel that is red this day in our Church mo things are noted yet more bréefly in our Créede which are that the holy ghost is very God that he is the thirde person in Trinitie that he quickeneth and sanctifyeth that wée must leane vntoo him by liuely fayth as vntoo the father and the sonne But as concerning these things wée shall héer more another time and haue herd more a while ago ¶ Of the fourth MY peace I leaue vntoo you my peace I giue vntoo you not as the vvorld giueth doo I giue you This promisse of Chryst is right great also and much greater than the world vnderstādeth Dooth not Christ say as we haue herd of late in the world ye shall haue trouble and they shal cast you out of their sinagoges It is so Therfore Chryst maketh a difference betwéene the two sortes of peace betwéene the peace of the world and his peace What maner of peace the peace of the world is there is no man but he vnderstandeth But what maner of peace Chrysts peace is onely the children of God vnderstande For it is that peace whereof the Gospell speaketh and of which I haue entreated abundantly the first Sunday after Easter Neuerthelesse too the intent I may bréefly repete the same things The peace of Christ is our reconcilemēt vntoo God the remission of our sinnes the giuing of the holy ghost and euerlasting life according too this prayer of the Church O God which by the lightning of the holy Ghost hast taught the hartes of the faythfull giue vntoo vs that peace which the world cannot giue and that our hartes may bée quiet This peace the sonne of God graunt vntoo vs too whom with the father and the holy Ghost bée honour and glory for euermore Amen Vpon Whitson Monday ¶ The Gospel Iohn iij. SO GOD loued the vvorld that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that vvho so euer beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his sonne intoo the vvorld too condemne the vvorlde but that the vvorlde
of the law which is openly proclaymed ageinst all that repent not that is ageinst all spirituall Lepres But what remedie is there ageinst this ghostly Leprosie It is not too bée cured by any cunning of man There is but only one Phisitian that can clense it which is Iesus Chryst. Too whō if the Lepre come and humble himselfe before him calling vpon him and crauing too bée healed This most skilful Phisitian wil by and by first with his own blud wash of the filth of this spiritual Leprosie and then with his spirituall oyle anoynt the infected limmes vntill they bée made ful whole Untoo him therfore must wée go on the féete of faith his medicine which is offered by the voyce of the Gospell is too bée receyued with the mouth of the hart that is too say with fayth Of him is too bée requested that effectuall Oyle wherwith the appaired powers strength are renued and great héede is too bée taken that wée fal not intoo this Leprosie ageine by loosing this helthfull medicine of Gods worde and this healthfull Oyle of the holy Ghost Which thing if wée doo the curing of vs will be the harder afterwarde For when any disease hath taken too déepe a roote it is a harder matter too heale it Of the second ASsoone as he savv them he said Go and shevv your selues too the preest Whom he had healed in their going away by his only becke thē sendeth hée too the préestes who though they were wicked and couetous yet did they serue in the ministerie ordeyned by God But why sendeth hée them too the Préests There were many and great causes The first was that hée might trie their faith whither they beléeued his word and his promisse For God is woont by diuers means too trie the stedfastnesse of his seruants in faith not too their hurt or hinderaunce but too the intent that their fayth béeing tryed and as it were fined in the fire of temptation maye become the purer So was the fayth of Abraham tryed when he was commaunded too go kil his onely begotten sonne So was the womans fayth of Syrophaenicia tryed and there bée manye other examples as of Iob Ioseph Dauid and all others The seconde is that by this his dooing hée may confirme the publike ministerie ordeyned by GOD. For the Préests had a commaundement too discerne and iudge of Leprosie too receiue intoo the open congregations suche as will bée throughly clensed excluding the others And if hée had doone otherwise hée mighte haue séemed too haue broken Moyses law which hée came not too break but too fulfil performe The third is bicause the lawe the Préesthood beare witnesse of Chryst according as hée sayth himself The law and the Prophets beare witnesse of mée For wheras the préests were commaunded too iudge of Leprosie and to take an offering for the clensing of the Lepre that was healed It was a figure of Chrystes power who cannot only iudge of Leprosie but also clense the same and that with the sacrifice of his owne bodie and with his owne precious bloud The fourth is that the préests might lern by that miracle that the true Messias was come For so Esay tolde them before that Chryste shoulde shewe his presence by woonderful miracles among whiche this is reckened vp for one that hée should make the blinde too sée clense the Lepres Therfore when the préests had séene this heauenly miracle they shuld haue concluded vppon the Prophecie of Esay that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias promised in old time too the fathers specially sith the Prophesies cōcerning Chrysts comming did leuell all too this time The fifth is that the Préestes béeing by this miracle conuicted that Chryste the true Messias was come should sende their hearers and the people vntoo Chryst the moste skilful and cunning Phisitian bothe for bodie soule which thing they didde not leaste their owne gaine shoulde bée abated They haue many folowers now a dayes specially in the papacie The sixth is that these Lepres béeing receyued by the record of the Préests should shew their bountifulnesse toward God and the ordinarie ministerie Notw tstanding beside these true causes for which Chryst sent these Lepres too the Préests The Papistes haue forged another namely that wée shoulde shriue oure sinnes too the Préests numbring vp all our faults with all the circumstāces of them which surely is a thing vnpossible The Papists therfore doo wrest this text too a straunge sense with their allegorie doo make grinnes wherewithall the wretched consciences are horribly snarled And so of a moste comfortable Gospel they make a moste butcherly slaughterhouse of consciences What Is not priuate confession too bée reteyned Yes in déede but not in consideration of this Allegorie nor yet after the maner of the Papists whiche like Iudges exact the reckening vp of all a mannes sinnes and denie that ther is any remission if there bée not a ful rehearsal of all the sinnes which as Dauid witnesseth no man vnderstandeth muche lesse can hée then recken them vp But what is the cause why auricular confession is kepte stil in our Churches of Denmark For the commodities therof whiche are very many The first is that in this priuate talke the rude and ignorant may bée instructed which haue need too bée instructed in the Cathechisme The second is that in it striplings and yong men may bée tryed howe they profite For it is the duetie of a good shepeherd not only too teach godly doctrine openly but also his office requireth that after the example of Paule hée shoulde make a proofe of his hearers at home howe muche they haue profited in godlinesse For in this priuate cōmunication hée shall pricke foreward the slouthful as it were with a spurre hée shall commende the diligence of those that haue profited muche and encourage them too like continuance The third is that in this priuate conference an accounte of their fayth is required of those whose fayth and relygion may iustly bée doubted of The fourth is that in this talk the weak consciences are reléeued with doctrine counsel and comforte specially when they bée entangled with any scruple of conscience For suche persons doo wel by themselues if they get them too their shepherds that they may bée raysed and receiue comfort The fifth is although hée that beléeueth truely in Chryst is cléerely acquit from his sinne for where as sinne is a falling from Gods law and wil with a binding of the partie too euerlasting death and damnation out of doubt euery one is acquit that beléeueth the free promise according too this saying hée that beléeueth in the Sonne hathe euerlasting life whervpon it foloweth that true absolution is a deliuerance of the beléeuing man from his béeing bound too eternal death and damnation yet notwithstanding it is profitable for all men too heare the Gospell priuately also which béeing vttered by the mouth of the Minister declareth forgiuenesse
it procéeded of faith but the Pharisies déede was abhomination bycause the persone pleased not GOD. Twoo husbande men tyll their grounde the one dooth God high seruice ploughing in the feare of GOD and looking for blessing from God And the other pleaseth not God bicause hée is voyde of fayth and the feare of God And yet haue bothe of them commaundement of the woorke In the sweate of thy browes shalt thou eate thy breade The handmaydes that doo seruice obedientlye too their mistresse peraduenture in swéeping the flore haue bothe of them the commaundement also But shée that bringeth fayth with hir too hir businesse dooth seruice vntoo GOD where as shée that wanteth Fayth thoughe shée doo in déede that whiche shée is bound too doo of duetie yet cannot hir woorke bée called a seruice of God Furthermore the woork that is commaunded wrought in Fayth must tende too Gods glorie chéefly This is confirmed by the testimonie of Esay Euery one that calleth vpon my name haue I created too mine owne glorie I haue shapē him I haue made him But what is it too glorifie GOD In fewe woordes it is too attribute all glorye vntoo him and too praise him with hart with mouth with confession and with behauiour Now foloweth that whiche I promised too speake of in the fourth place That is too witte who they bée that are able too yéeld true woorship vntoo God Although this may bée gathered of the things that wente before Yet notwithstanding I wil shew it bréefly héer They only can doo seruice and woorship vntoo God that haue accesse vntoo him but the children of God onely haue accesse vntoo him wherfore they only can doo him seruice aright His children are all those that beléeue in his name Iohn 1. And these haue accesse vntoo the Father through fayth Rom. ◠And for the same cause Chryst teching his Disciples too pray biddeth them say Our father whiche art in Heauen meaning that none but his Children can call vpon him Let this suffise cōcerning the true seruice of God the summe wherof is conteyned in louing God our neighbour Now remayneth that I speake of the third doctrine ¶ Of the thirde WHhat thinke you of Chryst sayth he vvhose sonne is he They say vntoo him Dauids The Pharisies thought themselues rightuous by the law but if that had bin true Chryst had bin promised in vayne For thus sayth Paule in the seconde too the Galath If rightuousnesse come by the lawe then Chryste dyed in vayne Our Lorde therefore asked them of the Messias that is of Chryst that by making mention of him he might stirre them vp to know and consider to what end the law was giuen and too thinke wherefore the Messias was promised Whiche thing if they hadde doone aright they should haue reasoned thus The Messias was promised too take away sinne like as Esay witnesseth He bare our diseases Gen. 15. In thy séede shall all nations bée blissed Therefore it is néedefull that the sonne of Dauid should bée not only man but also God the Lord of Dauid according as the Psalme testifieth The Lord said vntoo my Lorde c. By this kinde of reasoning they might haue iudged aright bothe of the lawe and of Chryst and so they had embraced Chryste the Sauiour too whom bée honour world without ende Amen Vpon the .xix. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Math. ix IESVS entred intoo a shippe and passed ouer and came intoo his ovvne citie And beholde they brought too him a man sicke of the Palsey lying in a bedde And vvhen Iesus savv the fayth of them he sayde too the sicke of the Palsey Sonne bee of good cheere thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee And behold certeine of the Scribes said vvithin them selues This man blasphemeth And vvhen Iesus savv their thoughtes hee sayd vvherfore think ye euill in your harts vvhether is it easier to say Thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee or to say arise and vvalke But that yee may knovv that the sonne of man hath povver too forgiue sinnes in earth Then sayth he too the sicke of the Palsey Aryse take vp thy bed and goe vntoo thine house And he arose and departed too his house But the people that savv it marueled and glorified God vvhich had giuen suche povver vnto men The exposition of the Text. THis Gospell conteyneth one of those miracles wherewith as our Lorde testifieth his power will and office so hée confirmeth the certeyntie of his doctrine It is shewed in this present story how Chryst healed a man y t was diseased of the Palsie Whiche déede his héerers accept not all with one mind For the Pharisies blaspheme the cōmon sort by beholding the miracle are put in minde of the presence of God and are confirmed in Chrystes doctrine wherby they not onely conceyue feare ▪ and faythe but also vtter the true frutes of fayth by setting foorth y e goodnesse of God This gospell therfore is as a certeine picture wherin Chrystes kingdome in this worlde is paynted out in which there bée some that bring the diseased vntoo Chryste and some that murmure as the Pharisies in all times and other some that feare god aright and glorifie him for his déedes Among these sundrie sortes of héerers standes Chryste in the middes receyuing all that come vntoo him despising no man for his miserie healing their woundes releasing our sinnes and with his holy spirite as with a most precious balme he assuaged our brooses and healed them This is the summe and the drift of this dayes Gospell which for instructions sake I will diuide intoo thrée places 1 Of those that broughte this man that was sicke of the palsie in a bedde vntoo Chryste that he might heale him 2 The murmuring of the Pharisies accusing Chryst and his defence 3 The end and vse of Chrystes miracles ¶ Of the firste ANd Iesus taking Ship c. Héere firste and formoste is too be considered the occasion of the miracle wrought in this place by our Lord. Chryst taking ship sayth hée passed ouer and came intoo his owne Citie that is too witte Capernaum For hée kept there very muche What was the cause of this his going thither Hée had bin in the lande of the Gergesenes where bée healed a man that was possessed of the Deuil and when the Deuilles desired that they mighte enter intoo the swine the Lord agréed and so the herd of swine ranne headlong intoo the Sea and were drowned When the inhabiters saw this they came vntoo Iesus desiring him for too depart from them for they did set more by their swine than by Chryst and his Gospell And surely they haue many felowes in these dayes whom wée may rightly call Gergesenes Twoo things therfore are too bée obserued héere one whiche is set foorth for vs too eschue and another whiche is commended too all godly folke too folowe The vnthankfulnesse of the Gergesenes is too be eschued that set more by a péece of Bakon than by their soule
sted shall put too his hand too the healing of vs. The third is too reproue the Pharisies by this saying who iudged not aright either of his person or of his office For alwayes there be some y t séeke too picke quarels too the woorks of God Which thing warneth vs that wée should not bée the lesse diligent in dooing our duetie The fourth is that taking hold of this occasion he might instruct vs more fully concerning his owne person his loue towardes men and his office for which he was sent intoo the world by his father Now let vs wey our Lords woords for he sayth too y e Palsieman Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee These bée the woords of the sonne of God wherfore they are to be weyed aduisedly This woord sonne is to be set ageinst despair which this present disease wold haue persuaded him vntoo This saying bee of good cheere is to be set ageinst the cursse which euil conscience weÌ„t about to persuade y e wretch in Thy sinnes sayth he Héer grace surmounteth farre aboue sinne This saying are forgiuen is to be set ageinst y e dreame of satisfaction of merites of rightuousnesse that coÌ„meth by the â—awe Thy sinnes sayth he are forgiuen thée In so saying he applieth the benefite of his grace too the poore wretch Thus haue wée héere the Doctrine of saluation remission of sinnes iustification and adoption For these benefites sticke linked togither so fast continually that they cannot bée plucked asunder He requireth faith to him that beleueth he forgiueth his sâ—nnes whom he hath absolued froÌ„ his sinne him he adopteth too his sonne accepteth him as rightuous and whoÌ„ he hath iustified him also will he glorifie by bestowing euerlasting blisse vpon him neither is ther any other way of obteyning saluation than y â— which is set out vntoo vs in this exaÌ„ple The palsiemaÌ„ dooth .iij. things He acknowledgeth his sin he acknowlegeth himself to be iustly punished for his sin he putteth his trust in the sonne of God Agein Chryst doth iij. things He releaseth sin he adopteth him to be his sonne accepteth him too eternal life Folow y u this exaÌ„ple Acknowledge thy sin in good ernest acknowlege gods iust iudgemeÌ„t and beléeue in the sonne and thou shalt féele sensibly that Chryst will bestow his benefites vppon thée Let this suffise to bée spoken concerning the first doctrine of this Gospel and now foloweth the second ¶ Of the second ANd beholde some of the Scribes saide vvithin them selues This man blasphemeth And vvhen he savv the thoughtes of them he saide vvhy thinke you euill in your hartes Héere the grudging of the Scribes and Chrysts answere doâ— shew in what sort the kingdome of Chryst and the kingdome of Sathan méete one ageinst another Wée haue héere two things of which the one is the accusation of the Scribes accusing Chryst and the other is Chrystes most rightfull defence The accusation of the Scribes was this This man is a blasphemer Wherfore bicause he taketh vppon him too forgiue sinnes which perteyneth onely vntoo God For according too the phrase of the scripture Blasphemie is too attribute that thing vnto a creature which is proper or peculiare vntoo God Now too forgiue sinne is propre vntoo God â–ª which thing is assured by the testimonie of Esay where the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet sayth I am I am he that wipeth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and I will no more remember thy sinnes Héervppon they thinke they may conclude as by an infallible consequent y t Chryst is a blasphemer after this manner Whosoeuer taketh vppon him that which is peculiare vntoo God is a blasphemer This Iesus taketh vppon him that which is peculiare vnto God Ergo this Iesus is a blasphemer And vndoubtedly it had bin a true argument if Christ had bin like the Scribes that is too wit if he had bin mere man and not God also Sée I pray you how much our Papistes and Monkes are worse than the Scribes The Scribes were taught by the wordâ— of God to defend this proposition No man caÌ„ forgiue sinnes but onely God But the Papistes attribute forgiuenesse of sinnes too the merites of saincts too Masses and too pardons which things they deale not fréely but fel them very déerely Surely a wonderful kinde of chapmen They sel that which they haue not they sell men the smoke of woords take ready Golde for it They promisse their chapmen Heauen and deliuer them Hell But what shall wée saye of the ministers of Gods woord Doo they forgiue sinne They forgiue not of themselues but they pronounce forgiuenesse of sinnes too all that they finde like this man that was sicke of the Palsie They giue not ought of their owne But they offer another mannes by the commaundemente of Chryste For they offer forgiuenesse of sinnes by the voyce of the Gospell As many as receyue this voyce by fayth doo out of all doubte receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes For Chryst sayeth hée that héereth you héereth mée But what sayth Chryst too this accusation VVhen he savv their thoughtes hee sayde vvhy thinke yee euyl in your harts vvhyther is it easier too say thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or too say arise and vvalke Héere Chryst dooth thrée things First hée sawe the thoughtes of them whiche is the propertie of God onely Whereupon the Scribes ought too haue thought that Chryste was more than mere man For no man is able too sée the thoughts of another man For onely the spirit of God searcheth the depth of mennes hartes Secondly hée blameth them vvhy doo yee thinke euill in your hartes As if hée had sayde yée sinne in thinking amisse of mée By this wée may note â–ª that euil thoughtes are sinnes â–ª Thirdly by visible signe he confirmeth his hidden Godhead As if he had sayd you say that hée that taketh vppon him that whiche is peculiar vntoo GOD alone is a blasphemer for hée hurteth Gods name and fame Uerely I confesse this too bée true But in that yée beléeue not mée too bée GOD you doo amisse Wherfore you are blasphemers and not I. And nowe that I may shew and proue my self too be very God I heale this Palsie man with a becke onely whiche surely is peculiar too the power of the Godhead If I can doo this by my diuine power why shoulde I not also forgiue sinne Who can vtterly take awaye a disease but hée that taketh away the cause of the disease Nowe you sée with your owne eyes that I take awaye the disease and why beléeue you not that I am able too take awaye the cause of the disease also which is sinne Thus Chryst appealeth too his owne dooings whiche beare recorde of him For thus sayeth hee in Iohn If yée beléeue not mée beléeue my woorks which bear witnesse of mée Of this seconde doctrine therefore wée maye learne thrée things Firste that there is continuall battaile betwéene the kingdome of