thinges surely I ought to glory of if I be a true Christian But this seemeth difficult and hard God admitteth no sinne my fearefull and weake conscience is against me How am I his seruaunt when as notwithstanding I feele in my selfe that I serue the deuill and doe not knowe that I am holy I speake not here of the common sort of Christians such as I and such like are but of sincere Christians which haue a good conscience and in whose hartes the spirit of God abideth whose conscience albeit it be frayle and weake and they feele their sinnes yet they are enforced to say Howsoeuer sinne is yet I know no sinne by my selfe neither am I subiect to death and hell and for this cause they striue and at the last ouercome that therefore they would euen die in that confidence But I finde it farre otherwise if I set my life before my sight Here life and the word must be separated farre asunder If thou wilt consider life I will set also before thee the liues of S. Peter Paule or Iohn thou shalt finde euen them not to haue liued without sinne When thou desirest to be holy before God We must trust not to our life and workes but to the mere mercy and grace of God trust not to thy life vnlesse thou wilt perish for euer For thou must trust to onely mercy and grace and not to life or workes otherwise thy case will be very ill Wherefore our hart must be so affected that it say Lorde if thou shouldest call me to an account I should not be able either by life or workes to stande in thy sight no although I were euen Iohn the Baptist Neuertheles therefore I glory that I am godly thy seruaunt for that thou doest giue vnto me continually and also for that as thou hast promised to Abraham thou doest for thy Christs sake vouchsafe to shew thy mercy vnto me if so be that I of my selfe be not godly and righteous yet he is godly and righteous for me If I be prophane he is holy if I be not the seruaunt of God he is the seruaunt of God if I be not without feare and carefulnes yet he is voyd of all feare and carefulnes that so I may as it were transferre my selfe from my selfe and perse into him glory that in Christ by Christ I am good Thus he will haue vs to glory that we are godly and holy but not by our owne merit for we must glory of our selues as of most desperate wretches And that this may be plaine marke our life consider our good conuersation and maners weye how foolishly men apply them selues to the Gospell that I am almost in dout whether I should preach any more or no. For as soone as these thinges are taught in a sermon that saluation consisteth not in our works or life but in the giftes of God euery one is slow to doe good no man will liue an honest life and be any more obedient they falsly affirme euery where that good workes are inhibited Neuertheles God requireth of vs that we lead an honest life outwardly and he that doth not so shall at length finde his due punishment Nowe if it happen that we liue godlily and honestly outwardly Satan by and by frameth his wickednes Neither doe I know at this day how to order my selfe in this matter not because of my owne person but because of life For if we preach of an honest and godly life the worlde by by furiously attempteth without iudgement * They endeuour by their good works to attayne to saluation We must neither presume of good workes nor neglect to leade a godly life to build ladders to heauen which God neither can neither wil by any meanes suffer Againe a dishonest and ignominious life doth not become Christians neither doth a delicate life become them What therefore must we then doe They which haue respect onely to an honest and fayre life it were better for them to be adulterers and adulteresses and altogether to wallow in the myre And yet notwithstanding God will not haue vs to lead our life filthily and dishonestly For neither can he suffer that adiudging thee euen vnto hell therefore if thou so doe And if thou lead an honest life thou wilt sticke in it and arrogate vnto thy selfe which againe he can not suffer Thou must therefore so prouide that thou remaine in the middle pathe declining neither to the right hand nor to the left and that thou lead a quiet fayre and amiable life in the sight of the world which also may be acceptable before God and yet that thou doe not therefore so greatly esteeme it nor count so of it as though thou doest merit any thing of God thereby Thus a Christian continueth the holy seruaunt of God without feare not by his good workes and holy life but by the grace of Christ Blasphemous to affirme our selues holy by our works But he that affirmeth that he is holy by his workes is blasphemous against God robbeth God of his honour and denieth Christ for whom it were better that he were ten times an homicide or an adulterer then that he should thereby affirme him selfe to be a Christian yea godly and holy for he doth plainly dishonour Christ and it is as much as to affirme that there is no Christ for he is therefore called Christ for that he is our grace mercy redemption and holines If I should not attribute to the diuine mercy that God him selfe doth saue me what should this be else but to say that he is neither holy nor blessed Wherefore if I be a Christian I must confesse that I am holy and a Christian for this cause for that Christ him selfe is holy And albeit my conscience doth reproue me of sinne yet I must still perseuer in this that his holines is greater then my sinnes Thus I must liue honestly outwardly but inwardly rest and trust in him alone It followeth moreouer how Zacharias turneth his speech to the child and sayth Verse 76. And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the most High for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes This shall be thy office Thou shalt be the first and shalt first begin that is thou shalt be the Prophet of the most High But what maner of prophecie shall that be how shall it be done After this sort Iohn the forerunner of Christ Thou shalt be the forerunner of the Lorde shalt prepare his wayes When any Prince commeth certaine goe before him to prepare way and place for him and say Giue place depart out of the way Iohn doing the like runneth before and crieth vnto the people Goe aside turne out of the waye giue place the Lorde him selfe commeth Such a seruaunt is Iohn whom the Lord by and by followeth Such thinges no Prophet at any time hath spokē but they haue prophesied of these things that a Prophet
them of my self forasmuch then as they are Gods I will commit them vnto him he shal best preserue them For euen otherwise I must leaue them wherfore I will refuse to suffer no perill and to leaue whatsoeuer I haue for his sake if the case so require If he will haue me so to doe he can giue me other thinges for he hath promised that he will giue sufficient to them that beleeue both here and in the time to come If he will not haue me to liue here I owe death vnto him when he shall require me I will be ready for his wordes sake He that shall not doe thus denieth God and is notwithstanding compelled to lose both this fraile life and eternall life The stinking belly which we make our god is the cause Immoderate care for the belly the cause of diffidence and distrust of Gods care prouidence that we doe not cleaue to the word of God for I will first be certaine howe I may feede my selfe and where my goods be The Gospell sayth Trust in God but I prouide for my belly and if I haue one noble in gold I thinke I haue sufficient to sustaine nourish me for ten daies trusting vnto that which I haue layd vp I trust not in God that as he hath hitherto fedde me so he will nourish me still Is not this a detestable thinge that I trust to one peece of coyne onely whereby I looke to haue my foode and sustenance to morrow Fy what a cursed thing is such care for the belly Shall a vile peece of coyne be more esteemed of me then God him selfe in whose power are heauen and earth who giueth vnto vs ayer and water maketh graine to growe vnto vs and sendeth all thinges necessary It is more detestable then that it can be expressed by the voice of man that God is not esteemed of vs so much as a litle money Why doost thou not thinke God who hath made me will well nourish me if he will haue me liue If he will not well then shall I haue no neede But sayth the belly I finde no god in my chest Thou foolish asse who can assure thee that thou shalt liue till tomorrow It is vncertaine whether thou shalt keepe thy belly till to morrow and desirest thou to know where foode and sustenance is If this did pearse our hart we should see how deuilish a thing incredulitie is Is it not a horrible thing that I doe not make so greate account of God who feedeth so many mouthes as to trust in him that he will nourish me yea that I do make more account of one noble in golde then of God him selfe who poureth forth his good things so aboundantly The world is full of the blessings and workes of God he is on euery side with his good thinges notwithstanding we doe not yet commit our selues to him or receiue his visitatiō O cursed world which can not trust to God euen one day and yet trusteth to a peece of gold Thus we see as I thinke of what sort the world is how it despiseth God for the bellies sake which notwithstanding it is compelled to lose O how great contemners of saluation are we we ought rather to detest the world but we are too deepely drowned in olde Adam The world is as it were a figure of hell yea a very deuilish kingdom an entrance to hell Wherefore Christ with weeping eyes exhorteth vs to knowe our saluation and to receiue his visitation lest that a plague scourge follow which vndoutedly shall come vpon them which thinking them selues in safetie doe not beleeue and trust in God God giue vs his grace whereby we may knowe him It followeth moreouer in the text He went also into the temple and beganne to cast out them that soulde therein and them that bought saying vnto them it is written Mine house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a denne of theeues This is the second part of this text wherein is declared how the Lord going into the temple beginneth to driue out the byers and sellers therein The former part was nothing else but an exhortation and inuiting to faith but here the Lorde insinuateth what the temple of God is and bringeth a place out of the Scripture hereunto appertaining namely out of Esai Esai 56.7 where he sayth Myne house shall be called an house of prayer for all people This is a stronge saying whereas the Prophet sayth for all people against the Iewes who trusting vnto that temple at Ierusalē thought that this house made with hand should continue for euer supposing it to be vnpossible that God would either destroy this temple or leaue the citie desolate because the word of God can not lye Wherefore they stoned Steuen for that he spake against that holy citie and affirmed that Iesus woulde destroy it and chaunge the ceremonies giuen of Moses For they sayd The Prophets haue greatly praysed this house and doe you Apostles preache that it shall be destroyed Howbeit this saying is thus to be vnderstood that the citie Ierusalem the Temple and the People should continue vntill the time of Christ whereunto all the Prophets tend which referred all thinges vnto Christ that as he should doe so it should be and so it should continue Wherefore the place of Esai extendeth no farther then to the comming of Christ which all the Prophets also witnes affirming that there should come a kingdom which should extend farre and wide ouer the whole worlde as it is in Malachie Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name is great among the very Heathen sayth the Lorde of hostes Here the Prophet speaketh of the spirituall kingdom of Christ who would builde vnto him selfe an house of prayer in the whole world It is true that God him selfe did confirme and sanctifie the temple at Ierusalem not because it was furnished with precious stones and goodly buildings or halowed of the Priestes which maner of trifles and dotages we vse at this day but because he had consecrated and halowed it with his worde when he sayd This house is my house The true house of God for his word was preached in it Wheresoeuer the worde of God is preached there is his true house where the worde of God hath his course and proceeding there vndoutedly God dwelleth with his grace where his Gospell is there is the holy house of prayer there prayers both may and ought to be made vnto God God also will heare vs as Christ sayth Ioh. 16 VVhatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name aske ye shal receiue Contrariwise where the word is not there is Satan wholy Now whereas we imitating the Iewes haue builded
mercie and truth alone not by our strength and industrie forasmuch as our wayes being ordered hereby are nothing but vanitie before God and do deserue his wrath According to that which the Lord sayth Esai 55 As farre as the heauen is higher then the earth so farre do my waies exceede yours As if he should say Your righteousnes is earthly and of no value wherefore ye must bid it farewell and walke in myne if ye hope for saluation But according to his mercie he saued vs. It is maruell how the credit of these wordes can stand wherein the Apostle affirmeth that we are alreadie saued although liuing yet in earth and therefore in continuall miserie But he did so speake that he might more fully expresse the power of the diuine grace and the nature of faith against hypocrites who as though saluatiō were yet farre of do in vaine endeuour to get and obtaine it by their workes We are already saued by Christ For Christ hath already saued vs he hath perfourmed all things which are required hereunto that we may be saued he hath ouercome and subdued synne death hell c. so that he hath left nothing for any man to care for he hath also giuen all these things vnto vs in Baptisme that who soeuer beleueth in Christ that he hath perfourmed them hath them togither in the same moment so that he hath neede of nothing more vnto saluation but faith alone that he may firmely beleeue that these things are so perfourmed But marke how incōparable riches of his grace God hath poured vpon vs in Baptisme who hath deliuered vs euen from those workes whereby those foolish holy ones go about to merit heauen and to be saued For we must haue heauen and be saued before we can do any good workes for that workes can not merit heauen but heauen being before giuen of meere grace causeth vs to do good workes and that for no hope of merit or reward but onely to the commoditie of our neighbours and the glorie of God vntill this bodie also be deliuered from sinne and death What the life of a Christiā is after baptisme Wherefore all the life of a Christian after Baptisme is nothing els but an expectation of saluation and felicity to be reuealed which they that beleeue in Christ do now possesse although hidden They haue all thinges nowe certainly but they are yet hid in faith which when as it is chaunged knowledge being reuealed all things as they now haue them shall appeare which shall come to passe when pleasaunt and wished death commeth 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to that saying of Iohn Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shall be But we know that when he shall appeare we shal be like him And euerie man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure Wherefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued and to be seduced from this truth by those hypocrites which contemning faith do falsely affirme that saluation is farre from thee and teach thee to endeuour in vaine to attaine vnto it by thy workes It is in thy selfe if thou beleeue that all things are perfourmed by Christ euen as he himselfe witnesseth The kingdome of God is within you Luke 17. So that all our life after Baptisme ought to be nothing els but an expectation that that should be reuealed which is already in vs and that we may comprehend as we are comprehended as Paul sayth Philip. 3. I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ that is that I may at length see those things which are giuen me being as yet in the shut closet of faith He coueteth and burneth with desire to see the treasure which by faith he receiued both giuen and sealed in Baptisme Whereupon he addeth in the same place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall chaunge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Herewith also agreeth that which he saith Gal. 4 Ye know God and by and by he doth as it were correct that which he had sayd Yea sayth he rather are ye knowen both which are true although not after the like sort We are now knowen of God so that he comprehendeth vs and we in deede know God but we do not yet comprehend for that our knowledge is as yet hidden and closed vp in fayth He sayth moreouer Rom. 8 We are saued by hope that is we are saued although we yet see it not for that which one seeth he hopeth not for but if we hope for those thinges which we see not we do with patience abide for them Christ confirmeth this Luke 12 Let your loines be gird about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto men that wait for their maister when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly In which words he onely biddeth them that be his to be ready to looke for him the bridegrome as which are already saued being admitted into the number of his ministers Hereunto also pertaineth that which the Apostle sayth Tit. 2 Let vs liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In these and such like places whereof thou maist reade many here and there in the holy Scriptures he witnesseth that we are already saued and that it doth not behoue that a Christian man should first seeke to attaine to saluation by his workes This opinion and deuelish doctrine blyndeth the eyes of Christiās extinguisheth the knowledge of faith and carieth men from the waye of truth and saluation We must cleaue vnto that which the Apostle here saith He hath saued vs according to his mercie and that which he addeth in the ende of this text that we are heires according to the hope of eternall life We are now heires but that is hidden in fayth Why God will haue vs to looke for the reuelatiō of our inheritaunce a certain time but we looke with a certaine hope that hereafter it shal be reuealed And God will haue vs so to looke for the reuelation of this inheritance and to liue a certaine time after Baptisme that he may chastise our body by our ministery and declare the power of his grace in fight against the flesh the world and the deuil but especially for this cause that by vs he may helpe our neighbours and both by doctrine and also by our life which he liueth in vs may bring them to the communion of fayth And albeit he can do this by Angels yet it pleaseth him rather that it should be done by vs men that both the maner of fayth may be the better knowen and that all things may be done sweetely and louingly For if
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
be not wanting for before we should want the very Angels should come minister vnto vs foode Whereas therefore men are commonly oppressed with so great miserie onely vnbeliefe is the cause thereof VVe must labour not be carefull but commit the successe vnto God And albeit God be with vs notwithstanding he requireth yet of vs worke or labour and hope if he at any time differre somewhat to helpe vs. He commaundeth Peter here that for the taking of fishes he should cast forth his nettes Lanche out into the deepe sayth he and let dovvne your nets to make a draught as if the Lord said Do thou that which belongeth to a fisher cast thy net into the deepe and commit the successe vnto me leaue the care vnto me God leaueth not the care vnto thee but the worke and labour howbeit we after a cleane contrarie order study to commit the care to our selues and the labour to him Whereby it commeth to passe that euerie one for himselfe applieth his mynde earnestly to gaine and to gather money vnto himselfe that he may not be enforced by any meanes to take paines and labour But if thou wilt liue a Christian life leaue vnto thy God to care howe the fishes shall come into the nets and goe thou and take vpon thee the state wherein thou mayst labour Howbeit for the most part we wish such states of life as in which there is no neede of labour which is altogether a deuelish thing And therefore haue we bin consecrated Monkes and sacrificing Priests that we might liue onely like gentlemen without labour And for the same cause parents haue set their children to schole that at the last they might liue merie dayes and so serue God as they thought Whereby it came to that passe that they did not know what a good life was forasmuch as God especially commendeth that and that in deed is acceptable vnto him which is gotten with the sweat of the browes as he commaunded Adam Gen. 3. In the svveat of thy face shalt thou eate breade And the deeper thou art occupied in this lawe in so much better case thy thinges are wherefore follow thy worke labour and trust in God all carefulnes being cast of Now some murmur and say if faith be preached that we must trust in God and leaue the care vnto him I might long enough say they beleeue or trust before I should haue wherewithall to be fed and susteined if I should not labour Yea it is plaine enough that thou must labour We must still labour and hope though God differreth his help for a time for he will at the last assuredly helpe vs. forasmuch as labour is cōmaunded thee Howbeit suffer God to care for thee beleeue thou and labour then shalt thou assuredly haue those thinges that be necessarie for the sustentation of thy life And this is an other thing that we must hope notwithstanding though God differreth for a time Therefore he suffreth them to labour all the night and to take nothing and sheweth himselfe to be such a one as will suffer them to perish with hunger Which might haue come into the minde of Peter when he had fished so long and taken nothing so that he might haue said now God will suffer my belly to perish with pining and famine Howbeit he doth not so but goeth on still in his labour he plieth his worke hopeth that God at the last will giue him fishes albeit he differreth a time God therefore is present and giueth him so many fishes in one day as he could scarce take in the space of eight daies Wherefore these thinges are to be learned well of thee that thou labour and hope although God differreth his blessing a litle For albeit he differreth a while and suffreth thee to labour sore so that thou now thinke thy labour to be lost yet must thou not therefore despeire but repose thy hope in him trusting assuredly that he will at the last giue thee prosperous successe For he wil certainly come giue more then thou didst neede as he did here vnto S. Peter Wherefore if God delayeth with thee a litle thinke with thy selfe he delayed also with S. Peter yet afterward gaue vnto him aboundantly Commit thy matter therefore to his good will and pleasure and leaue not of thy worke but hope still and then shall not thy hope be frustrate Thus much concerning the former part of the text now let vs here the latter After therefore that they had taken fishes and tasted the frute of faith their faith is increased and augmented We therefore must go so farre that we may commit our bellie to God for he that can not commit so much as his bellie to him will neuer commit his soule vnto him Howbeit that is onely a childish faith Here we learne first to go by benches and settles here we do feede on milke as yet but we must likewise learne by these to commit our soule also to God The Euangelist so meaneth when he sayth Now when Simon Peter saw it he fell downe at Iesus knees saying Lord goe from me for I am a sinnefull man For he was vtterly astonied and all that vvere with him for the draught of fishes vvhich they tooke Let Peter here be a type or figure of them which beleeue eternal good thinges and counte him as one verily looking for seeing the good things to come A sinful conscience is of that nature The nature of a synnefull conscience that it so behaueth it selfe as Peter here did whereas he flieth his Sauiour and thinketh Lord I am more vnworthy then that I should be saued and sit among thy Sainctes and Angels for that good is most exceeding high Here a straight conscience is not able to comprehend such great good thinges but it thus thinketh If I were as Peter Paul I could easily beleeue Which is altogether a foolish and vaine thinge For if thou wouldest place thy selfe according to thine owne holines thou shouldest build vpon the sande Thou must not do so but behaue thy selfe like vnto Peter for in that he esteemed himselfe vile and iudged himselfe vnworthy of so great grace he rightly became worthy And therefore Though we feele the burdē of our sinnes we must not despeire but trust in God that he will remit thē receiue vs vnto grace whereas thou art a synner thou must trust in God and dilate and open wide thy conscience and heart that grace may enter in After thou hast now knowne God thou must reiect none of his giftes that is when as thou seest the great good things thou must not despeire It is good that we know our selues the deeper we know our selues so much the better But that grace is not to be refused because of thy synnes For when thou shalt fynde thy conscience to tremble so that it would driue away synnes then art thou most ready and most fitte to receiue grace then shalt
all Germanie will fall togither vpon an heape which alas in part of the communaltie hath already had a lamētable beginning we haue lost a great multitude of people almost an hundred thousand men haue bene slaine onely betwene the feasts of Easter and Whitsontide It is a hard worke of God and I feare me the warre begon is not yet at an ende this is onely a forewarning and threatning wherby God would terrifie vs that we might diligently take heede to our selues it was nothing but the Foxes tayle if he come againe with his whippe he will scourge vs more grieuously But we will behaue our selues as the Iewes behaued them selues vntill there shall be place for no succour nor helpe Now we might preuent it now were the time to knowe what shoulde be best for vs and to receiue the Gospell with peace for at this day grace is offered vnto vs whereby we may liue peaceably but we suffer day to passe after day yeare after yeare applying our selues lesse to the Gospel then before No man doth now pray vnto God for the increase of his word no man receiueth it in his hart If so be that the time shall passe no prayers shal any more helpe We wey not this matter in our hart we thinke our selues safe we do not throughly perceiue the great miserie already come to passe neither doe we consider in our minds how miserably God punisheth vs with false prophets and sects which he on euery side sendeth vnto vs which preach so securely as if they had wholy receiued into their breast the spirit the comforter Those which we counted best of all doe goe away bring men into such a perplexity that they almost know not either what is to be done or not to be done But this is onely the beginning albeit sufficient horrible and cruell For there can not be greater affliction and miserie then if the Lord send amongst vs sects and false prophets which are so rash and bold that it is greatly to be lamented Notwithstanding the time of grace is nowe present Christ hath bene sent downe into the world hath bene borne man hath serued vs died for vs is risen againe from the dead hath sent vnto vs the spirit the comforter hath giuen vnto vs his word hath opened heauen so wide that al good things may be obtained of vs moreouer hath giuen vnto vs rich promises whereby he promiseth that he wil preserue vs both in this short and fraile time and in the eternal times in this life and in the life to come most plentifully pouring forth his grace vpon vs. God will not suffer the contempt of his grace and word to be vnpunished Wherefore the time of grace is now before our dores but we despise neglect it which God neither will neither can pardon For when as we contemne his word he threatneth punishmēt and will at the last punish vs although he should deferre it euen an hundred yeares but he will not deferre it so long And the more purely that the word is preached so much greater shal the punishment be But I feare greatly lest this punishment require the subuersion of all Germanie God graunt that in this thing I be a false prophet but I feare exceedingly that it wil come to passe God can not leaue this wickednes vnreuenged neither will he deferre long for the Gospell is so aboundantly preached that it was not so manifest euen in the Apostles time as it is at this day thankes be to Christ therefore Wherefore I feare much lest that all Germanie be spoyled yea and quite destroyed vnlesse we otherwise apply our selues to this matter We which haue long heard the Gospell ought to pray God from the hart that he would giue vs longer peace The Princes goe about to bring all thinges to passe by the sword whereby they goe too rashly and rigourously to worke Wherefore it is exceeding needefull that we should pray vnto God that his Gospell may spred farther abroad through Germanie euen vnto them which haue not yet heard it For if punishment come sodainly vpon vs our case shall be miserable then many soules shall be in daunger to be lost before the worde shall come vnto them I woulde wish therefore that we woulde not so cruelly despise the Gospell that precious treasure not onely for our owne sake but also for their sakes which are as yet to heare it A scourge is a litle begon God graunt that it may so stay that neither the Princes nor the communaltie be stirred vp to greater rage and furie For if that ciuill warre shoulde begin againe it were to be feared that it would haue none ende We doe like as the Iewes did who had a greater care of the belly then of God hauing more regard how to fill the belly then that they might be saued wherefore they lost both and that worthely For forasmuch as they would not receiue life God sent vnto them death so they lost both body and soule They pretended the same cause that we do We would willingly in deede embrace the Gospell if there were no daunger of body and goods wife children If we shall beleeue him sayd the Iewes the Romanes wil come and take away both our place and the nation which neuertheles came vnto them for that which the wicked man feareth falleth vpon him This was a lette and hinderance to the Iewes that they would not beleeue the wordes of God neither haue regard to the rich and large promises that he had made vnto them So also doe we we regard not the mighty and comfortable promises which Christ hath made vnto vs as where he sayth He shall receiue an hundreth fold more Matth. 19.29 and shal inherit euerlasting life Leaue thy wife and children I will preserue them I will restore them so as thou goest to work boldly in my name Thinkest thou that I can not build thee other houses countest thou me so simple who will giue vnto thee heauen wilt thou not put thy self in daunger for my sake if thy goods be taken from thee it is wel with thee heauen and earth are mine I will recompence thee aboundantly These and such like sayings we passe ouer yea and also contemne hauing diligent consideration only what we haue layd vp in our chest and that our purse may be full neither doe we see that euen that which we haue God hath giuen vnto vs will as yet giue vs more if we beleeue and trust in him neither doe we marke if that we lose God we shall lose the belly also The faithful refuse not to suffer perill and trouble for God his sake Howbeit they that beleeue in God doe not auoide perill if it come for his sake but commit all things to his diuine power that he may order them according to his will and thus they thinke The Lord hath giuen me both a house and the furniture thereof wife children c. I haue not obtained
Abraham In the time of Abraham God did somewhat shewe forth his mercy he declared that he would send a Sauiour who should deliuer vs againe from death both of body and soule for albeit the body should dye yet it should not alwayes remayne in death but rise againe with the Lord Christ The wordes which God spake to Abraham Gen. 22. are thus In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Here miserable men had a cause to hope and looke for a Sauiour which should deliuer them From that time all the Prophets did diuersly foretell of this aboue measure flowing fountaine of all mercy that is of this seede of the Lord Christ how that he at the last should come that all which beleued in him might obtaine saluation by that promise which can not be reuoked If so be that men would now open their eyes they must needes confesse and say that a straunge and incredible thinge is done with vs that man being in the state of damnation cursed desperate should be restored by the natiuitie of one man Hereupon the Prophets cryed out with ardent prayers and vnspeakeable groning that God would vouchsafe to sende the Sauiour whom he had promised By faith in this Sauiour the Israelites afterward obtained the lawe and this honour before all people that they were called the elect people of God By which ordinances written of Moses the anointed was plainely figured and signified whom this text which we haue now in hand setteth forth what he is from whence he is and by the afore sayd faith all obtayned saluation from Abraham vnto Dauid euen as many as were saued In the time of Dauid God made the comming of the Messias to be more manifestly declared that it might be certainly knowne of what stocke he should come namely of the stocke of Dauid as when God sayd vnto Dauid 2. Sam. 7.12 VVhen thy dayes be fulfilled thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy body and wil stablish his kingdom He shall build an house for my name and I vvill stablish the throne of his kingdom for euer I will be his father and he shall be my sonne And yet more plainely in the Psalme The Lord hath made a faithfull othe vnto Dauid Psal 132.11 and he shall not shrinke from it Of the frute of thy bodye shall I set vppon thy seat Here Christ is described that he shall be a king and an eternall king Psal 45.6 as it is mentioned of him in an other Psalme Thy throne O Lord endureth for euer the scepter of righteousnes is the scepter of thy kingdome Who pertaineth to the kingdom of Christ and who to the kingdom of Satan Howebeit he is a spirituall king which ruleth the worlde by his worde and whosoeuer receiueth his word pertaineth to his kingdom But he that is not vnder this scepter neither heareth his worde is not of God neither pertaineth to his kingdom but is subiect to the kingdom of Satan vnder whose tyrannie we all are vntill the Lord doth deliuer vs from it defend vs with his scepter which is then done when we beleeue in him Forasmuch therefore as our saluation doth come meerly by the promise of God let euery one assuredly perswade him selfe that he shal neuer obtaine saluation wtout this promise although he should do the workes of all Sainctes yet they should profit him nothing hereunto Contrariwise if we lay hold on the scepter of this king that is of the promise of God we shal not perish although the sinnes of the whole world should lye vpon vs they shal be all swallowed vp in him albeit no good worke be done of vs. As we see in the theefe which hong by the Lord on the crosse who layd hold on the word of God beleued in Christ and therefore he obtayned the promised Paradise Here is no dout left let vs onely beleue that it is so and it is so in deede all thinges which men teach or which we haue done or can doe being set aside Here all thinges must giue place at the comming of this new king that he alone may rule reigne in vs. Let a man intermedle with those thinges that are written of this king as being his owne matters and as pertaining all vnto him Whatsoeuer is written of Christ it is written for our comfort For whatsoeuer is written any where of Christ it is written for our comfort that we may thereby feede and cherish our faith To the establishing of such faith God hath mercifully left vnto vs his promise written and hath suffered to be published that he will performe that which he hath promised Whosoeuer apprehendeth this in his hart it must needes be that with sighing he thirst for such Scripture and promise of God who of his grace being not prouoked of vs offereth vnto vs and bestoweth vpon vs such goodnes and mercy But let vs now come to our present text which not with words only but also with a certeine force pearseth the hart and poureth into it loue pleasure ioy gladnes c. As if an Angell should now come from heauen and say vnto vs miserable and condemned wretches after this sort Behold O man thou hast sinned wherfore thou hast deserued to be condemned for euer This being heard the hart must needes tremble Now although all this be true yet neuertheles God of his grace hath mercy vppon thee sendeth to thee a Sauiour as he promised to Abraham and his seede Be of a good cheere and giue thankes to God Loe here is the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ who is the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham so that this is not onely done but also written that thou mayst be certaine thereof Neither will he neither can he deceiue beleue onely and thou shalt haue all things Now it is to be noted that Matthew setteth Dauid before Abraham although the promise was first made to Abraham and came afterward to Dauid which promise made to Dauid the Prophets did afterward publish more abroad and did by it comfort the people As in the 11. chapter of Esai where the Prophet sayth thus There shall come a rod forth of the stocke of Iesse and a graffe shall growe out of his roote Ieremie likewise sayth thus chap. 23. Behold the time commeth sayth the Lord that I wil raise vp the righteous braunch of Dauid which king shall beare rule and he shall prosper with wisedom and shall set vp equitie righteousnes againe in the earth And many other such prophecies there are to be found in the writings of the Prophetes which they foretold of Dauid that his kingdom should be raysed vp as that Angell also declared vnto Marie when he sayd Luke 1.32 The Lord God shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid Why Matthew setteth Dauid before Abraham Luke 1.54 he shall
c. That they follow hitherto being blind and iustly stumbling contrary to the true frute of the Lordes passion Moreouer they seeke their owne thinges therein and therefore they bringe with them images bookes letters and crosses Some also go so farre that they thinke they shall make them selues safe from waters terrors fire and from all daunger as though the Lordes suffering should be without suffering in them contrary to the quality and nature thereof Thirdly some haue compassion of Christ lamenting weeping for him as being an innocent man like vnto the women which followed Christ from Ierusalem who were reprehended and admonished of him that they should weepe for them selues for their children Fourthly some so call to mind the passion of the Lord and so consider Christ that inwardly they are sore afraid yea their reason also or vnderstanding is turned into a certaine astoniednes or bashfulnes How the passion of Christ ought to terrifie vs. Which feare notwithstanding ought to proceede from hence especially in that we should be put in mind thereby of the wrath and immutable seueritie of God prepared for sinnes sinners forasmuch as he would not graunt to his onely begotten and beloued sonne that sinners should be absolued and pardoned vules he did make so great a satisfaction for them as he speaketh by Esay chap. 53 For the transgression of my people haue I smitten him What shall come vnto the sinner when a sonne so exceedingly beloued is smitten It must needes be that there is an vnspeakeable and a most serious and earnest matter where so great and excellent a person doth descend to doe good vnto him suffereth and dyeth for him Fiftly reuolue deepely in thy minde and dout not a whit that thou art he which so tormented Christ forasmuch as thy sinnes were most certainly the cause thereof Thus S. Peter in the second of the Actes did strike terrifie the Iewes as it were with a certain lightning when as he sayd vnto them generally whom you haue crucified so that the very same day three thowsand mē were greatly terrified and being pricked in their hartes sayd vnto the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Wherfore when thou considerest that his handes were pearsed with nayles thinke that it was thy worke when thou remembrest his crowne of thornes perswade thy selfe that it was thy wicked cogitations which caused it c. Sixtly thinke with thy selfe that whereas one thorne pricked Christ thou oughtest worthely to be pricked with an hundred thowsand thornes that without intermission yea much more grieuously and that whereas one nayle pearsed the hands and feete of Christ thou oughtest to be grieued molested with many moe and farre more sharpe nayles continually euen as it shall come at the last vnto those in whome the passion of Christ hath not bene effectuall but frustrat For Christ who is the truth it selfe will lye to no man will delude no man and that which he attempteth must needes be a matter of exceeding great importance and wonderfull high Seuenthly such feare Bernard had conceiued hereof when he sayd I did play abroad in the streete and in the Kinges priuie chamber sentence of death was giuen vpon me The Kinges onely begotten sonne hearing this layd of his diademe came forth clothed in sackcloth his head sprinkeled with ashes bare foote weeping and crying out that his seruaunt was condemned to death I beholding him sodenly comming forth am amased at the straungenes thereof I aske and harken after the cause What shall I doe shall I play still and delude his teares Alas sayth he it is no time now to play it is no time to be secure when so weightye a matter is in hande So he bad the women that they should not weepe for him but for them selues and for their children and he adioyneth the cause For if they doe these thinges to a greene tree what shal be done to the drie as if he sayd learne what ye obtaine by my passion and howsoeuer thinges fall out yet this is true and knowne among you that the whelpe is sometime smitten that the bandogge or mastiue may be terrified So also the Prophet hath spoken All kinreds of the earth shall waile before him He sayd not they shall bewaile him but they shal waile before him Moreouer they were sore afraid of whom it is before spoken so that they sayde vnto the Apostles Act. 2 Men and brethren what shall we doe Eightly that this affection may be wrought in vs the Lords passion is very diligently to be considered of and meditated vpon By consideration of Christes passion we ought to come to the knowledge of our selues forasmuch as the most certaine profit thereof doth much consist herein that a man may come to the knowledge of him selfe and tremble and be troubled before him selfe whereunto he that doth not come hath not yet attained vnto the due profit of the Lordes passion For the passion of Christ hath this proper and naturall vertue to make a man like vnto him that euen as he was grieuously tormented both in body and mind for our sinnes so we also to imitat him must be afflicted in the knowledge of our sinnes Howbeit the matter is not here done in many words but in depecogitation and earnest weying of sinnes A similitude Take a similitude as thou hast great cause to feare and tremble if when some malefactor is condemned for that he hath killed the sonne of the King or Prince thou in the meane season singing and playing securely as being innocent art terribly apprehended and conuicted that thou didest suborne the homicide So thou oughtest to become much more fearefull when thou doest reuolue in thy minde the passion of Christ For albeit the wicked Iewes be now iudged of God and dispersed yet were they Ministers of thy transgressions and thou for a certainty art he which with thy sinnes hast crucified and slayne the sonne of God as it hath bene sayd Ninethly he that feeleth him selfe so hardned and dull that the passion of Christ doth not terrifie him neither bring him vnto the knowledge of him selfe is in an ill and lamentable case for Christes passion is not effectuall in him But nowe it is a harde thing for thee to be occupied in these thinges What we must do that our meditation vpon Christs passion may be frutefull and earnestly bent to the meditation of them wherefore thou shalt pray God that he will mollifie thy hart and giue thee grace profitably to meditate vpon the passion of Christ because it can not in any wise be that the passion of Christ should be inwardly and rightly thought vpon and considered of vs vnles God inspire it into our hartes Yea neither this meditation nor any other doctrine is therefore set forth vnto thee that thou shouldest boldly rushe vpon it of thy selfe to fulfill it but that thou shouldest first aske and desire the grace of God
of a preface sheweth what gaue Christ cause to make this sermon where he sayth Then resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners to heare him In which wordes he plainly signifieth with what mē Christ kept companie With what kind of men Christ was conuersant namely with them which in the sight of all men liued as it did not become them and were openly called sinners and euell persons Whereby it appeareth that the Pharisees semed to haue sufficient cause to finde fault with Christ for that he which would be counted holy did familiarly keepe companie with such men Publicans what they were For they were commonly called Publicans at that time to whom the Romās did let out some citie or custome or some charge or ouersight in matters for a certain summe of money as the Turke or Venetians do now commit to some one some citie or office for which a certain summe of money is yearly to be payed and what soeuer they shall scrape togither by vniust exactions aboue this summe that is their owne So also the aforesaid Publicans did which so gathered those tributes and money wherewith they were charged that they themselues also might haue some gaine thereby And seing that a summe of money to be paide for some citie or office was not small they desirous to gaine thereby did by all meanes deale vniustly and vsed extortion in all thinges in all places and with all persons For the Lordes and maisters held them so hardly and straightly that they could not get much thereby if they would deale rightly and iustly and oppresse no man with vniust exactions Whereupon they had a verie euell report abroad that they were most vniust exactors and endued with small honestie and integritie of life Likewise the rest in generall were called sinners which otherwise liued dishonestly and wretchedly were defiled with filthie offences as with couetousnes with whoredome with surfetting and drunkennes and such like Such resort here vnto Christ and come to heare him when as before they had knowen him by report to be excellent and famous both in wordes and deedes Howbeit it is certaine that in them although they semed euen desperate there was a sparke of vertue and honestie in asmuch as they longed after Christ both couering to heare his doctrine and also earnestly desiring to see the workes which he did when before they knewe him to be a good man and heard no ill report either of his doctrine or workes so that their life did farre differ from his Neuertheles they are so wel disposed that they are not his enemies neither refuse or flie his company but runne vnto him not of any euell purpose or intent but to see and heare some good thing whereby they may amend their life The malitious dealing of the Scribes Pharisees Contrariwise the Pharises and Scribes which were counted most righteous and holy are such poysonfull beastes that they are not only sore displeased at Christ whom they cā abide neither to see nor heare but also they can not be content that miserable sinners should come vnto him and heare him whereby they being led by repentance might amend Yea they do also beside this murmur and reproue Christ for that he admitted vnto him and receiued Publicās and sinners saying Behold is this that holy and famous man Who will now say that he is of God when as he hath society with so wicked wretches yea rather he is a drinker of wine and a glutton as they say elsewhere Luke 7.34 a freind to Publicans and sinners Such a report he is cōstrained to beare of the holy Pharises not for that he giuing himselfe to gluttonie and surfetting accustomed to feede excessiuely and followe riotous pleasure togither with them but onely because he admitted such into his company and did not contemptuously reiect them For in their opinion he should haue gone with a sad and austere countenance in base apparell haue remained seuered from the conuersation and companie of men and refused their felowshippe lest that by familiar custome with them he should be defiled and should haue done as they were accustomed to do after the maner of holy men Of whom Esaie writeth that they studied for such puritie that they did feare and suffer against their will euen the touching of a sinner Which in deede plainly appeareth Luke 7. in the Pharise murmuring against Christ because he suffred himselfe to be touched of the sinfull woman And it was they that would alway be his maisters prescribe vnto him rules whereby to liue and behaue himselfe in this life Therefore in this place they murmur for that he did not applie himselfe vnto thē neither did disdaine the cōpany conuersation of such sinners according to their example Now Christ also is somewhat stout plainly shewing here The stoutne of Christ that he can suffer the maistership of none but that he is altogither free exempt from the commaundements of all as commonly in the Gospels we see him to be at his owne will pleasure who neuertheles otherwise was both gētler and also more seruiceable then all the rest But when as they would deale with him by lawes be his maisters thē all friendship ceassed for he did not otherwise leape back then the adamant layd vpon the anuyle striken speaking and doing onely the contrary of that which they require of him although they seeme to speake euen rightly and well alleaging thereunto also the worde of God As they doe here where they come and say thou must doe thus thou must follow the conuersation of honest men thou must flee the companye of wicked men This truly is a substantial doctrine and confirmed by testimony of the Scripture For Moses him selfe commaundeth the Iewes to auoid euill men take away euil from amonge them By this text they confirme their sayings come with their Moses Christ compared to the Vnicorne and would make Christ subiect to their lawes and haue him ruled by them But Christ neuertheles will be at his owne libertie And he is not vnlike the Vnicorne which beast men deny that he can be taken aliue with what kind of hunting soeuer he be assayled He suffereth him selfe to be wounded to be striken with darts and to be slayne Christ is impatient of lawes to be taken he doth not suffer him selfe No otherwise doth Christ also who although he be set vpon by lawes yet doth he not suffer them but breaketh through as through a spiders web rebuking them most sharpely As Matth. 12. where they found fault with his Disciples because they had plucked the eares of corne on the Sabbath day alleaging the commaundement of God that the Sabbath was to be kept holy c. he auoucheth the cleane contrary tearing in sunder the commaundement affirming the contrary both in wordes and also by examples Also Matth. 16 where he declareth to his Apostles that he shall suffer and be
said he vnto them Giue therefore to Cesar the thinges which are Cesars and giue vnto God those thinges which are Gods 22. And when they heard it they merueiled and left him and went their waye Mans wisedom reason is not able to preuaile against the wisedome of God IN this text is set forth vnto vs how subtil reason and mans wisedome agree with the wisedome of God and how fouly reason stumbleth when it striueth to be euen most subtil and wise as it here falleth out with the Pharisees who notwithstanding were the best and most wise of the Iewes which euen by this their subtiltie they declare neuertheles their wisedome is here proued to be foolishnes They could blame Christ neither for his preaching nor for his workes and yet would they willingly haue had occasion to put him to death wherefore they thought to set vpon him most craftely and wilely propounding a subtil question vnto him the subtiltie whereof was such that mans reason was not able to comprehend it then which also a subtiller could not be inuented and thus they speake vnto him The subtill question of the Pharisees propounded vnto Christ Maister we know that thou art true and teachest the waye of God truly neither carest for any man for thou considerest not the persone of men Tell vs therefore how thinkest thou Is it lawfull to giue tribute vnto Cesar or not Here thinke they we shal entrappe him For he shal be compelled to aunswere that tribute is either to be giuen or not to be giuen If he affirme that it is to be giuen we haue ouercome him but if he denie that it is to be giuen then is he giltie of death Whereas they say Maister they will thereby moue him and as it were constraine him to aunswere the truth But whereas they say We know that thou art true they do thereby put him in minde of his duty Whither therefore should Christ turne himselfe for there seemeth to be no way for him to escape yet he would not for all that fall into their net Was not this a subtil questioÌ„ Do they not shew themselues to haue bin sufficient craftie and wily ones for which way soeuer the Lord had aunswered he had bin taken Was not this done also full warely and circumspectly for they associate to themselues the ministers of Herode thinking no other but to entrappe him with deceit that he should not by any means escape thus casting in their mindes Now we will meete with him well enough if he denie that tribute is to be giuen the Herodians are present which shall forth with put him to death as a seditious felow and one that resisteth the Romane Empire But if he affirme that tribute is to be giuen he speaketh against the libertie of the Iewes then will we stirre vp the people against him For the Iewish people would be free and haue their king of their owne stocke euen as it was promised them both of Moses and God that their kingdome should continue vntill the time of the true king that is of Christ Euen as the Patriarch did prophecie thereof Gen. 49 10. The scepter shal not depart from Iuda and a law giuer from betweene his feete vntil Silo come And therefore God did choose this people specially to himselfe and made a kingdom of them onely for Christes cause Moreouer there were many sentences in the Scripture which declared that they should serue none For they should be the chiefest and not the lowest c. Deut. 28.13 This and such like sayings the Scribes had beaten into the peoples heads wherewith they were greatly disturbed euen as at this day it is put into the peoples minde that the Church cannot erre Hereupon the Pharisees thought thus If he affirme that tribute must be giuen he blasphemeth Gâ—d he shal be giltie of death as one iniurious to God and then shal be stoned of the people For God hath graunted and promised libertie vnto this people and they were all euen in the middest of captiuitie the people of God Howbeit at that time they wanted a king as they do at this day Wherefore diuers tumults seditions vprores were stirred vp among them For they were taught by the lawe that they should haue a king of their own flesh and stocke as it is said before wherefore they did vncessantly striue against straunge kings and gouernments vntill not a few of them at times were beaten slaine Neither did this happen seldom times for they were a stiffenecked obstinate and vnruly nation therefore the Romaines which at that time did beare rule ouer them did verie circumspectly gouerne them and diuided the land into foure charges of gouernment that being on euerie side kept in awe by the gouerners and presidents they might not so soone flocke together and moue sedition and that they might also be more easily resisted if at any time they should rise against the Romane Empire Wherefore Pilate was appointed of the Romains lieftenant of Iudea Herode Tetrarch of Galile his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the countrie of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene as Luke rehearseth them And all this was done that they might keepe the Iewes vnder whereupon the Iewes were inflamed with anger and in a rage and furie but specially in the time of Christ they would willingly haue had a king The subtill imaginations of the Pharisees against Christ Wherefore the Pharisees hauing fouÌ„d out this deuise thought thus with themselues Well we haue the matter now at a good stay The Romanes chalenge to themselues the gouernmeÌ„t now if he aunswere vnto the question that tribute is not to be giuen the lieftenant is at hand and ready to put him to death if he aunswere that it must be giuen he shall stirre vp the people against himselfe and so we shall assuredly by this meanes entrappe him thus they supposed that either they should fynde cause of death in the Lord or at the least make his doctrine to be nothing set by of the people As the Iewes here do so also do we the chiefe and necessarie thinges being left we are occupied about other matters not necessarie The Pharisees here moue a question whether they be free or otherwise forasmuch as they had the Lawe and the word of God they supposed that they ought to be subiect to none but to their owne Kinge yet they were now compelled to obey Cesar Emperour of Rome They had Scripture concerning the loue of God and their neighbour but that being left they are occupied about other matters It was promised vnto them if they obeyed the precepts and commaundements of God that they should then be a free people they disobey and neglect Gods commaundements and yet notwithstanding they wil be free and haue their owne king In like maner falleth it out with vs we earnestly chalenge to our selues Christian liberty and yet we thinke that if we doe those thinges that
therefore beleeued and we do also beleeue to wit the Fathers and we with a like and common faith in the same Christ although not after the same maner as it is saide And as by reason of this communion of faith which we haue a like in the same Christ we say we haue beleeued or we did beleeue when as not we but the Fathers haue beleeued or did beleeue so they againe did say that they should heare see and beleeue in Christ when as not they but we do liue in that time We read not in a few places of the Scriptures that they which were before the incarnation of Christ tooke vpon them the person of them which are after it and they which are after it of them which were before it because of the communion of faith and the same Christ which they haue in common and so there is as it were one companie of beleeuers Now whereas the Apostle saith How saluatiō is neerer vnto vs then it was to the beleuers before Christes incarnation that saluation is now neerer vnto vs then when we beleeued that is when our Fathers those auncient beleeuers did looke for it to come we must not vnderstād it of the neerenes of possession as though we now had it neerer and more certainly then they for the Fathers had altogither the same faith as it is said and the same Christ wherefore saluation was as neere vnto them as vnto vs. For Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer Heb. 13. Christ continueth the same from the beginning of the world euen vnto the end by whom all are saued alike But Paul speaketh of the neerenes of reuealing that what soeuer thinges were saide before concerning Christ they were now fulfilles death being ouercome the Lord did sitte at the right hand of the Father the Gospell was preached abroad in the world by which Christ did come vnto all in the whole world for this cause Paul sayth that our saluation is neerer then when it was hidden and knowne vnto few men because that Christ being not yet glorified it was not meete that the preaching of saluation should be made publike or common Whereas therefore the Apostle sayth here Our saluation is now neerer vs he sayth the same thing in the Epistle to Titus in other wordes The grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared that is hath sprong forth and is euerie where commonly preached although it was not hid before in any of the Saincts notwithstāding it was not yet commonly knowne vnto the world After the same sort the Scripture speaketh in many places when it sometime saith that Christ is to come sometime that he is come although he alwayes hath bin and is in all the elect Howbeit because he had not before his resurrection come to all by publike preaching the Scripture speaketh diuersly of his comming For because of this publike preaching he came in the flesh being made man for his incarnation had not bin profitable to any The cōming of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell if the Gospell had not thereupon bin preached by which he came into the whole world and whereby it is commonly knowne why he was made man whereby that blessing promised to Abraham is now published and made common to all which by the Gospell beleeue in Christ Hereupon Paul sayth verie well Rom. 1. that the Gospel was promised of God c. as though he would say although God hath promised euerie where in the writinges of the Prophets his sonne in the flesh yet forasmuch as all that should be done that the Gospell might be preached abroad in the world whereby he commeth spiritually to the myndes of the beleeuers which comming onely bringeth saluation and is farre to be preferred before that comming in the flesh inasmuch as it was done because of this I say rather that God promised by the Prophets in the Scriptures the Gospell concerning his sonne For God considered the Gospell and our faith in all these thinges for which he would also haue him to be made man that the Gospel might be preached of him that being made man he hath saued vs by his death and that the saluation which he hath wrought might go into the whole world and be made neere vnto all Some haue taught fower comminges of Christ according to the fower sundayes in Aduent as they call it but this comming of Christ by the Gospell which is most necessarie of all and of which all do depend of which Paul here speaketh this cōming I say they could not see inasmuch as they are ignoraunt both what the Gospell is and to what end it was giuen They babbie many things of the comming of Christ and neuertheles they driue him further from themselues thē heauen is distaunt from the earth For what can Christ profit any man which doth not possesse him by faith or how can any man possesse him by faith where the Gospell is not preached The night is passed and the day is at hand By the daye what is signified His meaning in effect is that saluation is at hand For by the day Paule vnderstandeth the Gospell namely that it is that daye whereby our hearts and mindes are enlightned therefore such a day being sprong our saluation is certainly at hand that is Christ and his grace promised in time past to Abraham hath shined forth by preaching in the whole world giueth light vnto all men raiseth all out of sleepe sheweth true and eternall good things wherein we may be hereafter occupied What is here ment by the night and may walke honestly in this day Contrariwise by the night all doctrine is to be vnderstood which is not the Gospell beside which none can bring saluation But if thou do a litle more exactly wey the wordes thou shalt see that Paule describeth that part of the daye which is most delectable of all and most full of all pleasauntnes namely the ioyfull and amiable morning and the rising of the sunne For it is the morning when the night is gone and ended and the daye is nowe come whereupon all thinges are meruelously cheered and recreated the birdes sing other lyuing creatures doe stirre vp with alacritie and ioyfulnes men being as it were made aliue againe doe goe forth to their labours all thinges the daye springing and the morning shining are so affected as though the world were renued and all thinges restored to life againe Wherefore in many places of the Scripture the ioyfull The preaching of the Gospell likened to the morning prosperous and quickning preaching of the Gospell is likened to the morning and the rising of the sunne as it is here of Paule who calleth the Gospell the day sprinking or arising Also Psal 110 In the daye of thy power shall the people offer thee free will offeringes of the wombe of the morning shall the dewe of thy children spring Here also the Gospell is plainly called the wombe of the
Gospell promiseth that Christ is giuen to vs that he may take away our sinnes and be our high Priest Mediatour and Aduocate before God that so we may nothing dout but that our sinnes through Christ onely and his workes are forgiuen vs and that we are reconciled to God and that by this meanes our conscience is deliuered and comforted The beleeuing hart reioyceth in the Lord. When such a faith possesseth the hart and the Gospell is so receiued in deede then God appeareth sweete altogither louing neither feeleth the hart any thing but the fauour grace of God it standeth with a stronge and bold confidence it feareth not lest any euill come vnto it it being quiet from all feare of vengeance and displeasure is merie and glad of so incomparable grace and goodnes of God giuen vnto it freely and most aboundantly in Christ Wherefore there must needes forthwith proceede from such a faith loue ioy peace gladnes giuing of thankes prayse a certaine meruelous delight in God as in a most deare and fauorable father which dealeth so fatherly with vs and poureth forth his giftes so plentifully and in so great a measure vpon them that doe not deserue them Behold of such ioy Paule speaketh here which truely where it is there can be no place for sinne or feare of death or hell yea nothing is there but a ioyfull quiet and omnipotent trust in God and in his fauour Wherefore it is called ioy in the Lord not in gold or siluer gluttonie or drunkennes in delicates or singing health knowledge wisedom power glory friendship fauour no nor in good workes holines or whatsoeuer is without God Of these thou shalt take but a deceitfull and vaine ioy Vaine ioy which can not pearse the hart or enter vnto the bottom thereof whereof thou mayst rightly say that which is wont to be spoken as a prouerbe amonge the Germanes This man reioyceth but he feeleth not any ioy in his hart There is one ful perfect ioy which the beleeuers take of and in the Lord which is nothing els then to commit them selues vnto him and of him alone to reioyce trust and presume as of a most fauourable and louing father Whatsoeuer ioy is not after this sort the Lord doth contemne and reiect it whereof Ieremie speaketh chap. 9 Let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedom nor the stronge man in his strength neither the rich man in his riches but whoso will reioyce let him reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me And Paule 2. Cor. 10. sayth Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. He addeth that we must reioyce alwayes We must alwayes reioyce in the Lord. where he toucheth them which onely halfe the time doe reioyce in the Lorde and praise him that is when all thinges fall out according to their desire but when aduersitie commeth they chaunge ioy with sadnes and sorow of whom the 48 Psalme speaketh So longe as thou doost well vnto him he will speake good of thee But the Prophet him selfe sayth not so I will alway blesse God his prayse shal euer be in my mouth Psal 34 And he hath a iust cause so to doe for who shall hurt him vnto whom God is mercifull surely sinne shall not hurt him neither death nor hel wherfore the Prophet sayth in an other place Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Psal 23. And Paule sayth Rom. 8 VVho shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peril or sword I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Againe I say reioyce This repetition of the Apostle confirmeth his exhortation and truely not without a cause forasmuch as we liue in the middes of sinnes and therefore in the middes of tribulations both which do moue vs vnto sadnes heauines Wherefore the Apostle purposing to comfort vs against these exhorteth vs that we should alwayes reioyce in the Lord Though the faithfull sometime fal into sinne yet they must not therefore ceasse to reioyce in the Lord. albeit we sometime fall into sinnes For it is meete the more God with his goodnes exceedeth the euill of sinne so much more alwayes to reioyce in him when we are sorowfull because of our sinnes which albeit by nature they bring sadnes and sorow with them yet forasmuch as they can not bringe so much hurt as Christ if we beleeue in him bringeth profit and safetie ioy in the Lord ought alwayes to haue the first place with vs and farre to ouercome the sorow and sadnes that commeth by reason of our sinnes For we must alwayes thinke on that which Iohn writeth If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes 1. Ioh. 2. Let your patient minde be knowne vnto all men He hath already taught howe men ought to behaue them selues toward God namely that they must serue him with a cheerfull hart and continuall ioy now he declareth in few wordes how the beleeuers ought to behaue them selues toward men saying Let your patient mind be knowne vnto all men Which wordes are thus much in effect Be ioyful toward God alwaies reioycing in of him What it is to let our patient mind be knowne vnto all men but toward men be of a patiēt mind pliant applying your selues to all so behauing your selues that ye be ready to do and suffer all things to yeeld in euery thing as much as may be by any meanes without transgressing the commaundement of God whereby ye may approue your selues to all men and please all in that which is good not onely hurting none but also taking in good worth all things of al men interpreting aright the sayings of al men accepting them in the better part that mē may plainly see you to be them vnto whom all things are alike which take in good part whatsoeuer betideth you which stick in nothing which would not disagree with any man for any cause which be rich with the rich poore with the poore reioycing with them that reioyce weeping with them that weepe to be briefe which be made all things to all men that all men must needes acknowledge that ye are grieuous to none but agreeable of a patient mind pliant and obedient toward all in all thinges The Greeke worde epieices which the Apostle here vseth meaneth the same which signifieth in our tongue a patient and pliant mind whereby one doth so apply and shew him selfe indifferent to others that he is the same to one that he is to an other applying him selfe indifferently to the will of all not
requiring him selfe to be counted for a rule whereunto the rest ought to apply and order them selues An old Interpreter translateth it modestie which if thou vnderstand it aright and not for the onely moderation temperancie of meate and apparell as it is wont commonly to be taken is not altogither vnfitly translated namely if thou vnderstand it to be a vertue whereby one thinking modestly of him self endeuoureth to order and apply him selfe vnto all according to the capacitie and abilitie of euery one ready to permit to take in good part to obey to giue place to doe to omit to suffer all thinges as he shall see it will profit his neighbour albeit he must suffer hinderance and losse of his substance name and body thereby That these thinges may be made more playne it shall be good to declare them by examples An example of a patient minde in Paule Paule 1. Cor. 9 writeth thus of him self Vnto the Iewes I become as a Iew that I may winne the Iewes to them that are vnder the lawe as though I were vnder the lawe to them that are without lawe as though I were without lawe when I am not without lawe as pertaining to God but am in the lavve through Christ I am made all thinges to all men that I might by all meanes saue some Behold thou seest here the patient pliant minde rightly obseruing those things which are here commaunded For those things that he writeth of him selfe haue this meaning Sometimes he did eate drinke and doe all thinges as a Iewe albeit it was not necessary that he should so doe sometimes he did eate and drinke with the Gentiles and did all thinges as free from the lawe For onely faith in God and loue toward our neighbour are necessarily required all other thinges are free so that we may freely obserue them for one mans sake omit them for an other mans sake as we shall perceiue it to be profitable to euery one Now it is contrary to this modestie or meekenes if one hauing an impatient mind trusteth to his owne wit An impatient minde what it doth and contendeth that one thing among the rest is necessary which thou must either omit or obserue and so applying him selfe vnto none but contending to haue all other to apply them selues vnto him he neglecteth peruerteth the softnes meekenes which is here taught yea the libertie of faith also such some of the Iewes were vnto whom we must giue no place euen as Paule yeelded not vnto them We see the same example commonly in Christ but specially Matth. 12 Mar. 2. where we reade that he suffered his Disciples to breake the Sabbath he him selfe also when the case so required did breake it when it was otherwise he did keepe it whereof he gaue this reason The Sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath Which is as much to say as the Sabbath is free that thou mayst breake it for one mans sake and commoditie and for the sake and commoditie of an other thou mayst keepe it So Paule caused Timothe to be circumcised because of the Iewes for that they thought that it was of importance to their saluation againe he would not haue Titus circumcised because certain Iewes did vniustly vrge it so that the circumcision of Titus would haue bene rather a confirmation of errour vnto them then haue profited them any thing Paule therefore would keepe circumcision free that he might sometime vse it and sometime not vse it as he should perceiue it to be commodious and profitable to euery one How the ordinaunces decrees of men must be obserued or not obserued So to come to other matters when the Pope commaundeth to make confession to fast to abstaine from or vse this or that kind of meate c and exacteth these thinges as necessary to saluation they are to be vtterly contemned and those thinges that are contrary to these are most freely to be done but if he should not commaund them as necessary if any man might be holpen or edified in any thinge by the obseruation of them surely they were to be obserued but freely and of loue onely as also they are to be omitted if the omitting of them may be profitable to any The reason of this libertie is this The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath if of the Sabbath howe much more of the traditions of men Whatsoeuer thou shalt obserue vpon this libertie it can not hurt any but to obserue them of necessitie it extinguisheth faith and the Gospell Likewise if one liue as yet in a Monasterie if he obserue the vowes and ordinaunces of that life vpon Christian libertie and of loue to his brethren that he may edifie them and of no necessitie neither with the hinderance of his owne or other mens saluation he shall doe godly for he is free but if those thinges be straitly required as necessary to saluation then before thou suffer thy selfe to be brought into this errour Monasteries shauings hoods vowes rules ordinaunces and all such like must be left and the contrary must be done to witnes that onely faith and loue are necessary for a Christian and that all other thinges are free so that he may eyther omit or doe them for the edifying and cause of them with whom he liueth Whatsoeuer thou shalt obserue vpon libertie and of loue is godly but if thou obserue any thing of necessitie it is vngodly The same is to be sayd of all other ordinaunces and decrees of men which are wont to be obserued in Monasteries that whatsoeuer doth not disagree with the worde of God thou mayst being free eyther obserue or omit it according as thou shalt knowe it to be profitable and acceptable to them with whom thou art conuersant but if they be required as necessary reiect them all vtterly and tread them vnder thy feete Hereupon thou now seest what a deuilish thing the Papacie Monasteries be For whatsoeuer things be fre to be permitted to free loue onely they make them necessary Christian liberty turned of the Papistes into meere necessitie and say the keeping of them is of importance to saluation wherby truely as much as is in them they togither peruert and extinguish the Gospell and faith I passe ouer with silence that they hereupon set and sell the care of the bellie in steede of the seruice of God For how many among them at this day do for Gods cause not rather for the bellies sake take vpon them to be Monkes or Clerkes do frequent the quier sing pray say Masse or doe any such thinge wherein they counterfait and corrupt the true worship seruice of God The common subuersion of all Monasteries were the best reformation of all these thinges from which so much discommoditie and no whit of profite may be looked for Before one Monasterie could be perswaded concerning true Christian libertie infinite thousands of soules in others should perish
art the sonne of God therefore righteous by his grace let all feare care be here awaye Howbeit thou must feare tremble that thou maist perseuer such a one vnto the end Thou must not being in this case be careful that thou maist become righteous saued but that thou maist perseuer and cōtinue Neither must thou do this as though it cōsisted in thine own strēgth for all thy righteousnes saluation is of only grace whereunto only thou must trust But whē thou knowest that it is of grace alone that they faith also is the gift of God thou shalt for good cause liue in feare care lest that any tētatiō do violētly moue thee frō this faith Hereunto pertaineth that which is written in the 9. chap. of Ecclesiastes The righteous wise yea and their seruaunts also are in the hād of God there is no man that knoweth either loue or hate but all things are before thē It happeneth vnto one as vnto an other c. For the present time euery one by faith is certaine of his saluation but constantly to stand and perseuer as it is the gift of the Lord and not in our owne strength so ought we alwayes to haue a care and feare thereof Whē they of Cains broode heare faith to be entreated of after this sort they can not sufficiently maruell at our madnes as it seemes vnto them God turne this away from me say they that I should affirme my selfe holy and godly farre be this arrogancie and rashnes from me I am many wayes a miserable sinner I should be mad if I should arrogate holines vnto my selfe And thus they mocke at true faith and count such doctrine as this for execrable errour and goe about with might and mayne to extinguish the Gospell These are they that deny the faith of Christ Denyers of the faith of Christ persecute it in the whole world of whom Paule speaketh 1. Tim. 4 In the latter times many shall depart from the faith c. For we see it brought to passe by the meanes of these that true faith lyeth euery where oppressed is not onely not preached but also commonly disallowed and condemned with all them that either teach or profes it The Pope Bishops Colleges Monasteries and Vniuersities haue now aboue fiue hundred yeares persecuted it with one mind and consent yea and that maruelous stiffely and obstinately and haue done no other thing vnto the world but euery where as much as they were able driuen many vnto hell Which truely both hath bene and is that last and most hurtfull persecution of Antichrist The Lord at the last bring it to an end If any obiect against the admiration or rather mad senslesnes of these men that we doe nothing but that that is meete if we count our selues euen holy trusting to the goodnes of God iustifying vs seeing that Dauid prayed thus Preserue thou me Psal 86.2 Rom. 8.16 O Lord for I am holy And for that Paule sayth ▪ The Spirit of God beareth witnes vvith our Spirit that we are the children of God They aunswer that the Prophet and Apostle would not teach vs in these wordes or giue vs an example which we should follow but that they being peculiarly and speciall enlightened receiued such reuelatiō of them selues that they were holy And after this sort they misinterpret and wrest whatsoeuer place of the Scriptures affirmeth that we are holy saying that such doctrines are not written for vs but that they are rather peculiar miracles and prerogatiues as they call them which doe not belonge to all Which forged imagination we account of as hauing come from their sick braine who when as they be them selues void of faith and sauour nothing of the spirit thinke and contend that there be none which haue sounde faith and the spirit whereby surely they beleeue them selues to be thornes and thistles not Christians but rather enemies and destroyers of Christians and persecutours of the Christian faith Againe they are of this beleefe that they shall be righteous holy by their owne workes and that because of them God will giue vnto them saluation and eternal blessednes The Papistes attribute more to their owne workes then to God his grace But here see the madnes of men in their opinion and iudgement it is a Christian thinge to thinke that we shall be righteous and saued because of our workes and to beleeue that these thinges are giuen by the grace of God they condemne as hereticall They attribute that to their owne workes which they attribute not to the grace of God they affirme that they doe saue vs and not this they trust to works they can not trust to Gods grace which blindnes worthely commeth vnto them inasmuch as they will not build vpon the rocke let them build vpon the sand so be drowned by their owne meanes that by their owne workes and satisfactions they may torment them selues euen vnto death gratifying Satan herein for that they will not rest vpon the grace of God serue the Lord with a gentle and sweete seruice They that are endued with a true faith are both ioyfull in God and dutifull toward their neighbours For they that are endued with true faith and doe rest vpon the grace of the Lord it is meruelous how they are in God by his goodnes of most quiet mindes and greatly reioycing with holy ioy whereupon they doe also with pleasure apply them selues to good workes not to such as these of Cains broode doe as to fayned prayers fasting base filthy apparell such like trifles but to true right good workes whereby their neighbour is profited and from whence no small commoditie redoundeth vnto men Moreouer they are of most ready mindes to suffer whatsoeuer thinges inasmuch as they are certaine that God doth fauour them and hath a care of them These are right honest and profitable men of whom both God is glorified men much profited When as those of Cains broode serue to no vse either before God or before men no they doe not so much as profit them selues but are onely an vnprofitable lumpe of earth yea not onely vnprofitable but exceeding pernicious and hurtfull also both to them selues and to others For inasmuch as they are destitute of true faith they can not giue vnto God his due glory Where true faith is wanting there neither God can be duly glorified not true good workes done nor doe those good workes which may truly profit their neighbour For those workes that they apply them selues vnto are their owne inuentions consisting in gestures apparell places times meates and such like trifles whereby their neighbour can be holpen neither in body nor minde nor in any thinge els For what can it profit me that thy crowne is shauen very broad that thou wearest a gray coule what profit bringeth it that thou fastest to day and keepest holy day to morrow that thou abstainest from
9. this offence commeth because of our faith and can not be auoided of vs and therefore the blame thereof ought not to be layde vpon vs. Howbeit there is an other offence which proceedeth hereof for that our loue is not sufficient dutifull this commeth through vs inasmuch as our workes are the cause thereof because they do not so shine by faith that they wâ—iâ—h are conuersaunt with vs may thereby be prouoked to serue God as it is meete This offence is giuen through our fault whom it be commeth so to liue that the Iewes Heathen Princes of the world might haue no occasion to say Beholde how light and naughtie these men are yea and verie wicked wretches the doctrine of life which they follow must needes be euell and pestilent So our infamie and crimes are occasion of offence to others and of hatred and detestation of the most holy word of God For whereas we ought so to know preach and folow it that thereby both our neighbours might be brought vnto God and to the leading of a godly life and also the glorie of God set forth we by our naughty and slouthfull life bring to passe that it doth not onely bring no profit and commodity to our neighbours but is brought into hatred and made detestable through our meanes bearing our ignominie and reproche Now it is a most horrible synne and wickednes by our naughtines to make the word of God which is most holy and bringeth saluation to make it I say so odious and to repell and driue men from it to our owne and their most certaine destruction But in all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions c. Here he describeth in order the signes proper tokens of a Christian life wherewith it ought to be adorned in outward conuersation Not meaning that one is made a Christian and godly hereby but as he sayth that by these as by proper frutes and signes of Christianitie we should shew our selues to be both and behaue our selues as the ministers of God that is as Christians godly men And marke well that he sayth as the ministers of God It may seeme very straunge that the ministerie of God consisteth in these in many afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in watchings in fastings c. Among these he numbreth not Masses and prayers for the dead or other trifles of fained worship of God He rehearseth those things that pertaine to the true and right seruice of God whereby the body is chastised and the flesh tamed Which is well to be noted lest that any neglect fastings watchings and labour and make us count of them for that they do not iustifie They bring not righteousnes in deede yet are they frutes of righteousnes being obtained wherein thou mayst be exercised and whereby thou mayst keepe thy flesh in subiection and enforce it to do his dutie In tumults He rehearseth tumults or seditions among the rest not that it becommeth vs to teach or moue them who ought to obey Magistrates and with quietnes to liue obedient vnto all in that which is good as Paule teacheth Rom. 13 and Christ Matth. 22 Giue vnto Cesar those thinges that are Cesars but that we must beare tumultes of others as also necessities distresses stripes and imprisonments which we must cause or procure vnto none but suffer being procured and layde vpon vs by others Wherefore in the first place he setteth much patience which surely moueth no sedition or tumult but rather suffreth it and appeaseth it if it can But in the meane season it singularly comforteth vs at this time Christians commonly accused to raise sedition and tumults wheÌ„ they suffer the same being raised of other when as tumults are commonly imputed vnto vs for that this is incident to a Christian life that for the preaching of the Gospell it is accused to raise sedition which it rather suffereth being raised of other against the word of God For as in time past Achab accused the most holy Prophet Elias of sedition affirming that it was he that troubled Israell when as he himselfe in deede did trouble it so is it neither a shamefull nor new thinge for vs to be accused of the same when we preach the same word Let vs thinke when the enemies of God lay this reproche and sclaunder vpon vs that not onely Elias not onely the Apostles but Christ himselfe was counted of the Iewes a seditious felow crucified a title being writteÌ„ in three languages and put on the crosse that he should of all be counted as a seditious king of the Iewes which would haue moued that people against Cesar and adioined them to himselfe who in deede by word and example of his life taught nothing more themsubmissioÌ„ and obedience and liued so that he was ready to profit and minister vnto all As for the rest whereof the Apostle here maketh mention as patience affliction necessitie distres stripes prisons labour watchinges fasting puritie it is easie to vnderstand how they pertaine to the ministerie of God who truely disdaineth to haue slouthfull idle gluttonous and drowsie ministers and such as can not abide aduersitie and trouble â–ª But he specially reproueth our delicate ones which quietly enioy reuenues and rents and take their delight and pleasure thinking that it is an vnworthie thinge that they should labour for they are shauen weare long gownes and crie out in temples c. Howbeit these shall not be able to approue themselues before God God will haue none to be idle but also labour and so eate their owne bread who will haue all to labour and eate their owne and not other mens bread as it is written by Paule to the Thessalonians Who therefore teacheth here also that God is serued by labour and not that onely but that we also are thereby proued and commended to be the ministers of God In knowledge Paule taketh knowledge here for that which we call prudence or wisedom wherby we vse things with reason behauing our selues with discretion and comelines Of which knowledge the saying also of Paul Rom. 10. is vnderstood They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge that is they beare a zeale to the lawe not prudently not weying and coÌ„sidering all things well that they might do no vndecent thing Wherefore whereas he here expressely requireth knowledge in the ministerie of God Christians must frame their life prudently and with sufficieÌ„t discretion he thereby admonisheth vs that we frame our life with reason and order it prudently in all things keeping a meane and hauing an aduised rehard of our neighbours lest that in any thing we offende the weaker sort with vnseasonable vse of Christian libertie and that we do all thinges to the edifying of all So we must labour fast watch and applie our selues to chastitie and such other thinges not aboue measure that either the body may be
Noe Abraham yea and of all the faithfull Fathers they would profit me nothing The Priest and Leuite saw that miserable man lie wounded but they could not helpe him any thinge they saw him lie halfe dead but what was that to the purpose they could not giue him any remedy The holy Fathers sawe men drowned and plunged in synnes euen vp to the eares they also felt the sting and anguish of synne but what could they doe hereunto they could make the case worse and not better And those were the preachers of the Lawe which shew what the world is namely that it is full of synne and lieth halfe dead and can not euen any whit helpe it selfe with his strength reason and free will But Christ is that true Samaritane Christ the true Samaritane which helpeth the wounded man Oyle who is touched with as great care of that miserable man as of himselfe Neither doth the Samaritane call him vnto him for he hath no merit but enioyeth the meere grace and mercy of Christ who byndeth vp his woundes and hauing great care of him poureth in oyle and wine that is the whole Gospell He poureth in oyle when grace is preached when it is sayd beholde O miserable man this is thy incredulitie this is thy condemnation thus art thou wounded and sicke but abyde I will shew thee a remedy for all this Behold ioyne thy selfe to this Samaritane Christ the Sauiour he will best helpe and succour thee and beside him nothing The nature of oyle as he know is to make soft and mollifie so the sweete and gentle preaching of the Gospell maketh my heart soft and tender toward God and my neighbour so that I dare bestow my body and life for Christ and his Gospell if God and neede so require Wine Sharpe wine signifieth rhe holy crosse or affliction which forwith followeth Neither is there any cause that a Christian should looke farre about and seeke the crosse for it sooner hangeth ouer his head then he is aware of as Paul witnesseth 2. Tim. 3 All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutiō This is the cognisance and badge of this king He that is ashamed of this cognisance pertaineth not vnto him Moreouer that Samaritane putteth this wounded man vpon his owne beast this is our Lord Iesus Christ who beareth vs we ly vpon his shoulders vpō his necke body There is scarce a more amiable comfortable historie in the whole Gospell then where Christ compareth himselfe to a shepeheard which carieth againe the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders vnto the flocke The Inne whereunto the wounded mā is brought the host to whom he is committed The Inne is the state of Christianitie in this world wherein we must abide for a litle time The host is the ministers preachers of the worde of God and of the Gospell whose charge is to haue care of vs. This therefore is the summe The kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of mercy and grace where is nothing els but alwayes to be borne and to beare Christ beareth our defects and infirmitie he taketh our synnes vpon himselfe and beareth our fall willingly we daily lie vpon his necke neither is he wearied with that bearing of vs. It is the dutie of the preachers of this kingdome to comfort consciences to handle them gently to feede them with the Gospell to beare the weake to heale the sicke Moreouer they ought fitly to applie the worde according to the neede of euerie one This is in deede is the dutie of a true Bishop and preacher not to proceede by violence and iniurie as it is the custome of our bishops at this daye which vex torment and crie out goe to goe to he that will not willingly shal be compelled to doe it against his will We must in no wise doe so But a Bishop or preacher ought to behaue himselfe as a healer of the sicke who dealeth verie tenderly with them vttereth verie louing words vnto them talketh very gently with them and bestoweth all his endeuour about them The same must a Bishop or minister of any particular parish do and thinke no otherwise but that his bishoprike or parish is as an hospitall wherein are such as are combred with diuerse and sundrie kyndes of diseases If Christ be thus preached then faith and loue come togither which fulfill the commaundemēt of loue Now forasmuch as the knowledge of the Lawe and the Gospel and of the difference betweene them is verie necessarie I will intreat of them somwhat more at large Of the Lawe and the Gospell I haue verie oftē admonished your brotherly charitie The wlole Scripture diuided into the Lawe the Gospell that the whole Scripture deuideth it selfe into two parts into the Lawe and the Gospel The Law is that which teacheth what we must do what the will of God requireth of vs. The Gospell teacheth where that is to be receiued which the Lawe cōmaundeth Euen as if I seeke to take phisicke it is one art to tell what the disease is an other to minister that which is good and wholesom to remedie it So standeth the case here The Lawe reuealeth the disease the Gospell ministreth the medecine Which is manifest euē by the text whereof we haue already intreated The Lawyer commeth and being verie desirous of eternall life asketh what he must do The Lawe declareth it vnto him saying The office of the Lawe Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe He that readeth these workes after a bare and sclender sort onely as this Lawyer did vnderstandeth them not We must pearce into the Lawe and euerie one behold his face and heart therein God must be loued of me from the bottom of my heart Againe I must loue him with all my soule that is from the depth of my soule so that I throughly feele in my selfe that I loue him For to loue with the soule signifieth in the Scripture such loue as a yong man beareth toward a mayd which he feeleth throughly in his minde Moreouer with all my strength that is with all my members Also with all my mynde that is all my senses cogitations thoughts must be directed vnto God Now I finde in my selfe that I do none of these For if I must loue God with all my heart soule strength and minde it is requisite that myne eyes shew no angrie twinckling or motiō that my toūg speak no angrie word that my feete handes eares c. shew no signe of wrath that my whole body euen from the crowne of the head to the soles of the feete all things belonging thereunto do walke in charitie be as it were rauished with loue and pleasure toward God alwaies serue worship him Wherfore who is he which by the pleasure loue of vertue is chast righteous there cā not