talke but at one time or other hée may burst forth into idell cōmunicatiō it is for certaine that if god should deale with vs according to iustyce should execute the extremity of the lawe then should wée be driuē to forsake all hoope of remission to dispayre but because the trust of our saluation is grounded and built vpon this that god will not enter into iudgemente with vs but wil forget those sinnes that haue deserued a thousand deathes let vs not doubt but that hee abollishinge the whole bodye lumpe of synne will also remit and forgeue the sinne offence of vaine and ydell talke For when soeuer the Scripture maketh mēcion of the iudgement of god it doth not ouerthrowe the remission of synnes Notwithstandinge let no man hereby take any liberty to offēd but rather let euery one be studious circumspect to brydel his tongue First that wée alwayes speake soberly reuerently of the holy misteryes of God then that wée abstaine from filthye cōmunicatiō Last of all the wée refraine from slaūderous reprochfull woords against our brethren vse that whiche shall become saints As exhorteth the Apostel saying Let no euil cōmunication procede out of your mouthes but that which is good to edifye withall 37. For oute of thy wordes thou shalt be iustifyed And out of thy words thou shalt be condemned C. Here hée applyeth the common prouerbe to the matter which he had in hād And there is no doubte but that this sayinge was common amonge the people namely that euery man was eyther saued or condempned by his owne confession But Christe dothe apply this somewhat a lyttell to a contrary sence meanynge that peruerse or frowarde spech beinge a token of the mallyce which lurketh in the hart is sufficient to condēne a man For he hath respect to that which he said the tree is knowne by the fruite Idell woordes are signes of a fylthye and lyghte minde Yea men by their sygnes do declare them selues what they are But wheras the Papystes do wrest this place to shake the forte of oure ryghteousenes or iustification by fayth it is in vaine and to no pourpose For a man is iustified by his sayings not that his sayinges are the cause of his righteousenes as we obtayne by faith the grace of god to the ende he myght count vs for ryghteouse but because oure pure talke and speache dothe set vs free and at lybertie leaste we should be founde and iudged by our tongues to be wycked Is not this place foolishely brought in to proue that men may deserue their righteousnes before god When as this place rather maketh in al poyntes against them For although Christ speketh not here of the cause of our righteousenes notwithstandinge the Antithesis betwene two words declareth what this word iustify signifieth 38 Then certain of the Scribes and Phariseis asked him sayinge Master we will se a signe of thee Then certaine of C. Matthewe hath the lyke of this in the syxtene chapter and Marcke in the eight chapter Wherby it appereth that Christ was demanded of this matter oftētimes whiche declared their wickednesse to be without ende which were ful resolued determined to resist the trueth For it is certaine that they require a signe to the ende they might collour cloke their vnbelefe namely that the calling of Christ was not lawefully sealed and confirmed Their docillite aptnes to be taught was not such that they wolde be perswaded geue place to thre or fower miracles but as we saide euen now vnder this cloake they excuse them selues that they beleue not the gospel because Chryst did shewe no confirmation of the same frō heauen He had shewed already myracles enow playnelye before their eies but because they thought them not sufficient to confyrmation they wolde haue somewhat to come from heauen in the which God after a sorte myghte appere-visible vnto them As if they shoulde haue sayde If thou do these myracles by thine own power not by the power of Sathan then shewe vs somme sygne from heauen if thou came from thence wherby we may knowe that these thy doynges are done and fynished by the power of god They seeme to haue respecte vnto Moyses as in an other place when they sayd What sygne therefore doest thou that we may see and beleue thee Moyses had testimony by thonder by fyer by smoke by voyces and by the sounde of the heauenly troumpe in the mount of Synai They seeme nowe to require some suche signe of hym as if he shoulde shewe some such sygne as Moyses did that then they wold beleue hym Maister C. They salute him by the name of maister accordynge to their maner because then they called all the Scribes and interpretoures of the law by the name but they do not acknowledge him to be a prophet of God vntil he shewe them a signe from heauen The sence therfore is this Forasmuch as thou doest professe thy self to be a teacher and a master if thou wilte haue vs to be thy disciples cause some signe to appere frō heauen that god may testifie therby that he hath geuen thee aucthoritie may cōfirme thy vocation calling by a miracle 39 But he answered and said vnto them the euil aduoutrous generation seketh a signe there shall no signe be geuen vnto thē but the signe of the prophete Ionas But he aunsvvered and. M. He reproueth them very sharpely agayne For he calleth them not symplely euill but a wicked an aduouterouse generation C. Therfore he doth not onely accuse them but also their forefathers whose generation they were Hee calleth them adulterous because they were as vncleane and bastardes degeneratynge from the holy fathers euen as the Prophetes reproued the vnfaithefull in theyr age saying that they were not the seede of Abraham but the cursed sonnes of Chanaan M. And Steuē also said vnto them Ye stiffnecked people with vncircumcised hartes and eares you haue alwaies resisted the holye ghoste as dyd your fathers euen so do ye C. Now it may be demanded Question if Christ did so sharply reproue them because they desired to haue a signe geuen vnto theim for God sheweth in an other place that this is not displeasante vnto him Gedeon required a signe God not angry with it but grāted his request and although he was importunate yet notwithstanding it pleased God to beare with his infirmytie Ezechias not askinge had a signe offered vnto him Achaz also was sharpely reproued of the Prophete because he refused to require a signe Therfore Chryste doth not symplely reproue the Scrybes because thei required a signe but because they beinge vnthāckefull vnto God and despising maliciousely all his myracles sought a starting place and a cloake that they might not beleeue the Gospell and obey his worde The same vyce also doth S. Paule condemne in theyr posterytie whē he saith that the Iewes seke for
because so sone as we lifte vp our myndes to heauen there the inspeakeable ioye offereth it selfe vnto vs and taketh away all occasiō of heuines A. Whereupon Peter the apostell saith In the whiche ye reioyce though now for a season if nede require ye are in heuines through manifold temtations that the triall of your faithe being muche more precious then goulde that perisheth though it be tried with fyre might be founde vnto laude glory and honour at the appearing of Iesus Christ whome ye haue not sene and yet loue hym in whome euen nowe though ye see him not yet do you beleue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious receiuing the ende of your faythe euen the saluation of your soules For great is your revvarde Bu. As if he should haue sayde If it greue you that you suffer infamy and that you are persecuted in this worlde remember I praye you howe greatly your glory shall increase in the worlde to come For loke howe greate your affliction is in the earthe so muche the brighter shall your glory be in heauen Here the Papistes playe with this name of rewarde saying that there is speciall relation betwene the rewarde and the deserte but they erre for the promyse of the rewarde is free Furthermore if we consider howe mutilate imperfecte and vitious all good workes are what so euer they be that come euen frō the very beste we shal then well knowe that God at no tyme shall fynde anye worke worthy of rewarde There is none therefore so simple when he heareth mētion made of the rewarde that wil thinke vs when we spende oure lyues for the Gospell to deserue any thynge at the handes of God that is to do any thinge by the whiche God may become debter vnto vs We are all at the wyll and pleasure of God and he made not only vs but also all our goodes what so euer that of nothing for it is he that worketh in vs both the wyll and also the dede euē of good wyll Notwithstāding the scripture calleth that a rewarde which is geuen of God to suche as neyther do nor can deserue the same at all because they labour and worke all that they can to attayne the same Euen as the father sayth vnto his sonne go diligētly to thy booke apply thy mynde to learninge and thou shalt haue a goodly rewarde of me a new coate or some other thing as good nowe this coate is a rewarde and it is not because he obtained that rewarde not by his diligence but it happened to the child by his fathers gifte neuerthelesse not without the accomplyshinge of that diligence and study whiche he requyreth Euen so there is none that obtayneth this rewarde of the which the lorde speaketh here excepte he suffer for Christe and for this cause it is called a rewarde Also if it were possible that thou shouldest die a hundred tymes for the Gospell yet for all that thou couldest not deserue the worth of a here at the handes of God that is thou canst not constrayne and bynde hym to owe thee any thing at all for so often as thou shouldest receiue life so often thou shouldest become detter to hym againe And for this cause they are not rewardes whiche are geuen to vs of God but they are his free giftes freely geuē without any desert in vs As plainly appeareth by these testimonies of scripture Abraham I am thy defence and thy rewarde shal be exceading great that is to saye I wyll be thy defender thy gayne thy ryches and thy felicitie And the Prophete speaking of the consolation of the people vnder the person of Rachel sayth Leue of from weping and crying withholde thyne eyes from teares for thy labour shal be rewarded saith the lord And they shall come againe out of the lande of their enemies So that where he saith thy labour shal be rewarded is euen as if he had sayde The tyme wyll come that thou mayste knowe that thou hast not had chyldren in vayne for yet there remayneth a rewarde of this thy labour Moreouer in the Psalmiste it is wrytten Lo children and the fruite of thy wombe are an heritage and reward that commeth of the lorde In this place the heritage and the rewarde are taken for the free gifte of god For there the Prophete dothe recorde that not only all thinges that we desyre but also children come vnto vs by the gifte of God and through his goodnes not by our labour care By these and suche lyke places of scripture it is apparant inough that in the scriptures this worde rewarde is taken for those benefites that we receiue from the lorde In this place therefore the spirite of God would vse this woorde to shewe vs that we ought to seke for nothing so muche as for the giftes and rewardes of God the whiche he bestoweth vpon those that beleue in hym Therfore when as our sauiour by these presentes sayde that they should loke for a large rewarde in heauen whiche suffered persecution for his names sake he mente that they did an acceptable thing and of great price by bearing the burthē of the crosse layde on them for the glory of his name and that they them selues also thereby got great profite To be briefe so often as a rewarde is promised to good workes their deserte is not sayde to be the cause of rigteousnes or of saluation but only the faithfull are incouraged to do well since that they are sure that their labour shal not be in vaine Wherfore these two do very wel agree that we are freely iustified because we are acceptable vnto God without desertes and yet for al that he doth bestowe at his wyll and pleasure free rewarde vpon vs for our dedes In heauen C. Here he requireth of vs hope whiche dothe not beholde thinges present but thinges to come To this effecte pertaineth that whiche is written of the apostell saying For our tribulation whiche is momentany and lyghte prepareth an exceading and an eternall wayght of glory vnto vs whyle we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene but on the thinges whiche are not sene For the things which are sene are temporal but the thinges whiche are not sene are eternall For so persecuted they the prophetes This was added by the deuine consell of the spirite least the apostels hoping to get the victory and triumphe without ◅aboure fight should fainte in the midest of persecution For because the restoring of all thinges was promysed in the scripture vnder the kyngdome of Christ it was a venture that thei did not deceiue them selues with vayne truste not thinking on their warrefare And by other places also it doth appeare that they very fondly imagined the kyngdome of Christ to be replenished with earthly ryches pleasure Wherefore not without cause Christe doth admonishe them that they must enter into the same battayle that the prophetes did because they
out of those wrytinges whiche were employed and consecrate to the Churche it selfe by holy men whiche bestowed all their labour and study to enlarge the true faith and for that cause they may well be termed Ecclesiasticall wryters Secondly because it appertayneth of dutie to the Churche to knowe the familiar voyce of their spouse who speaketh vnto her sitting in the heauens and that by the helpe of his seruauntes to wytte faithfull ministers who for that same cause are called in the Scriptures the interpretours of Gods wyll and the messengers whiche bryng fidinges of the reconciliation betwene God and man. But we call it Catholike that is vniuersall because it is gathered vniuersally out of all the most appro◅ed deuines And for because welbeloued brethren in Christe you whiche yet grone vnder the yoake o◅◅ntechriste dispersed here and there you desier with ardent affectiōs to knowe those things whiche may guyde you to the perfect vnitie and certaintie of faythe I moste earnestly request you that as the Churches restored to their integritie enioye the sacred sermons lectures communication and publique conference of the selfe same men whiche haue enriched this woorke with their labours so you also vse gladly and cherefully this exposition of the newe Testament that your fayth may haue the better successe and Christes spirite by the reading of the Scriptures may in suche wyse mortefie whatsoeuer concupiscence of the fleshe is remayning in you that we may all speake thinke and vnderstande one thyng being one whole body Flie therefore all peregrine straunge doctrines and geue attentiue eare to the moste swete voyce of that great shepehearde of the shepe Christe Iesus who by his Apostels and Euangelistes teacheth you moste playnly the way to saluation Despise with a stoute courage the forged tales and traditiōs of men by whiche your consciences are snared and imbrace the libertie achieued by Christe and worthely set forth in this newe Testament whereof you haue here an exposition no lesse sounde than playne and euident Not that this interpretation is so perfect absolute in euery point that nothinge may be added thereto pertayning to doctrine and edification for who can examine or interprete any one place of Scripture so happely and dilligently that no man shal be able to expresse the same more playnely or obserue in it somewhat more helping either to teache exhorte or reconcile other places Neither was it my intente to vrge the studentes in holy Scriptures to kepe silence but rather not onely to exhorte all the Godly but also to desier them for Gods sake that if they haue attayned anye thing either by reuelation of the spirite or by the commentaries of other whome we haue not sene to brynge it and make it commen so that it be briefe and fitte to edefie whiche howe necessary it is in serious matters there is none but wyll confesse For ouer and besides the newe bookes whiche come forth dayly whereby this worke might bee enlarged I am fully perswaded that the authours them selues out of whose wrytinges I haue taken this exposition are so farre from ambition and emulation that they desier nothing more than that they to whome the gifte of prophecie is graunted shoulde not defraude the Churche thereof for whose sake they haue receiued that whiche they haue I sought therefore to profite them onely whiche with vpright conscience seke the symple and peculiar sence of the Scriptures leauing vnto the Church whom God endeweth euery day with marueilous giftes libertie to adde according to tyme and place what semeth to belonge to the common edifyinge of the godly as is wont to be done in the holy assembles and metinge where the Godly communing of diuine matters haue libertie to bringe forth or alleage in the middest of the company that whiche they haue receiued of the father of lightes so that if it be reuealed to an other sitting by the firste doth willingly kepe silence as the Apostell commaundeth Nowe as concerning the authours out of whose commentaries or annotation vppon the Gospell after Mathewe this exposition is collected we haue declared their names in the next leafe following And leaste the often repetition of their whole names should trouble the readers we haue signified thē by their first letters although that thing semed once vnto me not greatly necessary if this one admonition of my frēdes had not prouoked me thereto who tolde me that it would fall out that some would reproue me of a lye for because this woorke being intituled a Catholyke exposition collected out of sondrye interpretours should neuertheles appeare to be one discourse neither would they beleue any other except we did note by letters euery particuler mans woordes But where I my selfe did incline to that parte not to discrie the authours names by letters I was led hereby because I feared the disposition of some who being addicted to men do for the moste part measure approue and reiect the interpretations according to the authoritie and estimation of the man rather considering the men than what the holy Ghoste pronounced by them to the common erudition of the Churche Moreouer the readers peraduenture will marueyle that I note so fewe woordes out of some authours but let them vnderstande this that when I finde one that sayth the same that almoste all the reste do whether it be in fewe woordes or many so it be in more playne woordes his woordes I haue chosen yet as it were weauing to or vniting out of other that whiche he had either omitted or lefte vnspoken for one man can not speake of all thinges for want of memory neither is occasion offered If at any tyme a diuers or contrary exposition happen to be founde among the authours I haue so described the same that I haue noted what the reader should followe Neither shall there be founde in this booke a hotche potche of opinions if wee maye so terme it whereby the Reader myght bee troubled not edefied but sounde and true doctrine and the same throughout the whole booke guyding vs to the father and Iesus Christe his sonne Therefore good brethren accepte and according to goodnes and equitie allowe his dilligence whiche together with you wysheth before all thinges the increase of Christes kyngdome and the destruction of Antechriste Do you also your endeuour with earnest ardent zeale to professe Christes Gospell neither as some falsely termed Christians do be you ashamed of it by constant confession whereof the glorious sentence of Christe is onely to be hoped for who shall approue the same before his heauenly father and electe Angels And verely no man is able worthely to commende the excellency and frute of the eternall wysdome of God whiche is opened in the Gospell For the Gospell is The light vvhiche the people that vvalked in darkenes did see and vvhiche sprang vp to them vvhich sate in the region of the shadovve of death It is the kyngdome of God vvhich approched to vs vvhich
Euangelist saith not that the hidden and secrete workynge of God was openly knowen but that he mingelth with the knowledge of men the vertue power of the spirite whiche as yet laye hidde By the holy ghoste B. Ioseph was fleshe and therefore he coulde beget nothing but fleshe that is lies and vanitie for that whiche is borne of the fleshe is flesh But by Christe there commeth grace truth Therefore he could not be begotten of a man It was necessary also that by the secrete power of God that is by the holy ghost the tyme and course of the séede of man should be supplied and haue hys full continuance in the virgin being the elect vessell of God and in the same time or terme a body to be formed to the lord in a Most chast virgin wherby he being pure and voyde of all synne mighte be a holy and acceptable sacrifice to his father and also might purge and sanctifie vs The aungell being sent of God did foreshewe the same to the virgin saiyng The holy ghost shall come vpon thée and the power of the highest shall ouershadowe thée 19 Then Ioseph her husband because he was a righteous man and woulde not put her to shame he was minded priuely to departe from her Then Ioseph her husband C. These twoo partes must be reade aduersatiuely that Ioseph was righteous and yet that he was carefull for the fame of his wyfe Therefore the righteousnes whiche is here praysed was for the contempte of the euill facte because he suspected his wyfe of adultery yea and iudged her to be an adulteresse Suche a wickednes with his clemencie and gentlenes he would not seme to fauoure for truly he is a bawde to his owne wyfe whatsoeuer he be that winketh at her dishonesty neither is there any being of honestie and godly disposition but they abhorre detest suche wickednes Therefore Ioseph by the zeale of righteousnes dyd condemne that whiche he thought to be a falte in his wyfe notwithstanding his mynde bending to humanitie did staye him that he shewed not the rigor or extremitie of the lawe M. The lawe commaunded that she shoulde be punished which in adultery was founde with childe Yet the humanitie that was in Ioseph would not suffer him to shewe such extremitie C. This was a more meane and reasonable waye if he departing priuely went to another place Wherby we may gather that he was not of so tender or effeminate mynde that vnder shewe of mercy and compassiō he should maintaine the falte in hiding of it He did only remitte somwhat of the extremitie of the lawe least he should make his wyfe an open shame And we ought not truly to think but that this was done by the deuine counsel of God who no doubt staied his minde by the secrete motion of his holy spirite By this we knowe how impotent and weake Ielosy is and howe violently it withdraweth a man Wherfore although Ioseph did fully determine in his minde to departe away from his wife yet he was let with the consideration of so many daungers that woulde insue vpon the same And the selfsame is to be iudged of the silence of Mary who no doubte also was let with shame that she durst not bewraie her selfe to be with childe by the holy ghoste Notwithstanding she was let more by the prouidence of God then by her owne counsell and mynde For if she had spoken of it the matter being so straunge and hard to be beleued namely that she was with child by the holy ghoste then would Ioseph haue though he had bene mocked Therfore the lorde did suffer his seruaunte Ioseph to be led by ignoraunce into a peruerse iudgement that he by his own voice might bringe him into the waye But we must vnderstande that this was done rather for vs then priuately for Iosephs sake or cause For God in no wyse would suffer any to haue a sinister or wrong iudgement and suspicion in his woorde M. Let vs learne here by the example of Ioseph so to be angry with wickednes that we swarne not altogether from humanitie yea and let out humanitie be suche that iustice thereby be not hindered C. Also this is the reason why this misery was not made knowen then immediatly to many because it was necessary that the excellent and incomparable treasure should be hidde that it might onely be reueled to the sonnes of god Againe it should seme no absurditie if we saye that the lorde did it as he often doth to proue the faithe and obedience of those that be his For the same cause also it came to passe that the lorde suffered Mary to marie that the celestiall heauenly conception of the virgin should be hid vnder the name of mariage vntil the full time that reuelation should be made in the meane time it was hidde from the vnbeleuers as their ingratitude malice deserued And vvould not put her to shame M. A man is put to shame when that he is opēly punished according to his desert 20 But while he thus thought behoulde the aungel of the lorde appeared vnto him in slepe saying Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife For that which is cōceiued in her cōmeth of the holy ghost VVhile he thus thought C. Here we may perceiue that the lorde is always ready to help those that are his that in time euē at the very instant Bu. In Ioseph is verested that whiche Paule writeth saiyng God is faithful which shal not suffer you to be tēpted aboue your strength but shal in the mids of the temptatiō make away that ye may be able to beare it For with a wonderfull cōfort here doth God assiste Ioseph being afflicted Whereby we may gather that although he feareth or semeth as though he regarded not our cares and griefes yet notwithstanding he hath respect vnto vs but he thus hideth him self refraineth that he may haue a ful triall of our pacience in the time which shall be of him appointed to helpe vs And all though his help be long ere it be shewed oftentimes yet is it profitable for vs so to haue it differred Appered vnto him in slepe A. That thaungel appeared vnto him in slepe it sheweth vnto vs that this is one of the two ordinary meanes that God vsed in time paste to shewe his minde to man of the which is made mēcion in Numeri where the lord saith I wil be knowē to the prophetes which are among you by a vision will speake to them in a slepe My seruaunt Moyses is not so vnto whō I will speake mouth to mouth Bu. Supernatural slepes or dreames do come of God from aboue by good aungels by the which God reueleth his will to whome it pleaseth him C. And we must vnderstande that those kinde of dreames doo much differ from those that are naturall because they are of more certeintie and sealed
did condemne all kynde of othes without exception As the Anabaptistes who thought that Christe did admitte no man to sweare for any kinde of cause in that he forbad to swere at al. But by the text it self the meaning is best gathered For incoÌ„tineÌ„t it foloweth Neither by heauen nor by earth Who nowe seeth not that these kyndes of swearing or particulers are added expositiuely that they myght expresse the firste member by destincte enumeration The Iewes had a disordered kynde of swearing and wheÌ„ they did sweare by heauen by the earth or by the altare they did counte it as nothing Christe to the ende he might reproue this vice playnely declareth that they must not sweare at all neither by this nor by that neither by heauen nor by earthe nor by any thinge Whereby we may gather that this worde At all is not referred to the substaunce but to the forme of an othe otherwise in vayne he shold haue rehersed these particulers Wherefore the Anabaptistes bewraye their grosse ignoraunce for whyle they curiously persiste in vrging one worde they ouerpasse perceiue not the whole tenor of his talke A. Christe speaketh here of busynes and affayres and familiar talke about the whiche there is no necessitie of an othe required In necessary causes it is not onely permitted to sweare but also is commauÌ„ded of God as appeareth in the sixte of Deutronom And the Prophete Ieremy saythe that an othe is to be taken in truthe in Iudgement and righteousnes Christ did often tymes sweare Paule vsed an othe God also swore by hym selfe Therefore the effecte is this that the name of God is by other meanes taken in vayne then by swearing Therefore men must abstaine from all superfluous kynde of swearing and where iust occasion serueth there to sweare Wherefore Christe mente nothing els but this that all kynde of othes were vnlawefull which by any abuse did prophane the holy name of God to the reuerence whereof they ought to serue V. Finally he that sweareth doth twoo thinges fyrst he taketh God to witnes and sayth that he wyll fulfill his promyse to the honour of God Then he calleth vpon God as the chiefe iudge that he wil not suffer his office to be abused prayeth that he wyll defende his honour and the dignitie of his deuine iudgemeÌ„t and shewe the same vpon him whiche sweareth excepte he kepe his othe And thus he constraineth God to take veÌ„geaunce by the mention of his honour truthe and office Neither by heauen C. They are greatly deceyued whiche expounde these maner of othes to be corrected of Christ because we ought to sweare by God only For the reasons whiche he bringeth do tende more to the contrary that then we sweare by the name of God when we sweare either by heauen or by the earth because there is no part of the worlde in the whiche some special note or marke of the glory of God is not imprinted Obiection Notwithstandinge this sentence dothe not seme to agree with the commaundemeÌ„t of the Lawe where God dothe plainely coÌ„maunde to sweare by his name Moreouer it semeth to disagree with many places of holy scripture where the almighty God complayneth that we do vnto him iniury so often as we sweare by his creatures We may aunswere that corruption is adioyning to idolatry wheÌ„ that either the power of iudgement or the authoritie of approuing testimony is deferred and brought to them For the ende of an othe is to be coÌ„sidered because men called God the reuenger of falshod and the defender of truthe as we haue shewed already a litle before This honour cannot be geuen to another without the violating of his maiestie In consideration of this the Apostell saith Men verely sweare by him that is greater theÌ„ them selues and an othe to confirme the thing is to them an ende of all stryfe So that this is only proper to God to sweare by him selfe Euen so in olde tyme men did vse to sweare by Moloch or by some other Idole and so they appointed another in Gods stede to be a knower of secretes iudge of myndes by the whiche they did take away the righte appertayning to god Euen so at this daye they do no lesse offende which sweare by aungels and other dead saintes God therefore in all thinges is only to be taken for a witnes Because it is the seate of God. M. These wordes appertayne also to â—â—e Prophete when he saithe Thus saithe the lorde The heauen is my seate and the earth is my foote stoole C. The heauen therefore is called the throne or the seate of God not that he is there included and shut vp but that meÌ„ may learne to lifte vp their myndes so often as they thynke of him and that we might not imagine any earthly thing of hym A. To this effecte tendeth the begynning of the lordes prayer wherein we are commaunded to call hym our father whiche is in heauen 35 Neither by the earth because it is his footestoole Neither by Hierusalem because it is the citie of the great king Neither by the earth M. This sentence also is taken out of the foresayde place of the Prophete Esaie Christ speaketh here of a kingely maiestie to put vs in minde of a heaueÌ„ly maiestie and dignitie Great is the excellencie of a kynges throne neyther do the footestoles of kings want their honoure Let no man therefore thinke that this earth in the which we liue is without the glory maiestie and power of god C. The earthe is called the foote stoole of God that we might knowe that he is euery where and that he cannot in the space of place he comprehended Neyther by Hierusalem M. Althoughe the earthe is the lordes and all that therein is as the Prophete Dauid saythe and therefore ought reuerently to be inhabited by the grace and fauour of the deuine maiestie Yet notwithstaÌ„ding it is worthely required that those places in the which the goodnes of God is more highly extolled should be more honorable then others Suche was this cittie because of the Temple priesthoode worshippe and woorde of God and because the lorde had chosen the same to be the seate of his empyre To the probation wherof these places followyng do serue I haue appointed him my kinge vppon my holy hill of Sion Agayne Tourne thy wrath awaye I beseche thee from thy cittie HierusaleÌ„ and from thy holy hill Moreouer the deuell caried him into the holy cittie And they came into the holy cittie It is called therefore the cittie of the great kyng because there more plentifully he shewed his power and the signes of his presence not that he was therein included Nowe Hierusalem is become the whole worlde as it was spoken of before by the Prophetes God wyll be called vppon and knowne euery where M. It is not with out great cause that Christe in this place calleth God the great
doctrine is shewed in the lawe prophetes but he vnderstandeth that what soeuer is there commaunded of charitie what so euer lawes and exhortations there be for the imbracinge of equitie oughte to be referred to this ende The sence therfore of his woordes is that the second table is fulfilled if so be that wee do vnto others as we woulde they should do vnvs Accordinge to the whiche S. Paule saith He whiche loueth an other fulfylleth the lawe Againe he saythe All the law is cōprehended in one worde namely in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 13 Enter in at the straite gate for wyde is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to destructiō and many there be whiche go in thereat Enter in at the strayte gate M. Because this doctrine seemed to the disciples new and vnwonted as it was heauenly so the same semed incomprehensible to the wisdome of the fleshe specially in respecte of that whervnto they were accustomed Christ therfore added this admonishing his disciples to prepare thē selues as it were to a strayte and thorny way or to a troublesome iorney Broade is the vvaye M. By the way the scripture vnderstandeth the lyfe of man because it tendeth as a waye eyther to a comming to lyfe or deathe And many there be vvhiche go in thereat C. He sayth that many go the broade way because mē do destroy one an other by their peruerse ensamples For wherevpon cōmeth that euery man willingly and carelesly casteth hym selfe to destruction but because they thincke they perysshe not when in dede in the middest of the route they perishe And on the contrary parte the small nomber of the faythful maketh many altogether bent to wickednes for we are not easely broughte to renounce the worlde and to frame our selues and our lyfe to the manners of fewe for we thincke it an absurde thing to be brought from the multitude or greatest nomber as though we were not part of mākinde And although the doctrine of Christ doth constraine vs as bonde doth bryng our lyfe into a straite iorney and dothe seperate vs from the multitude and ioine vs to a few yet notwithstanding this precisenes ought not to lett vs to aspire and come to life immortall 14 For strayte is the gate and narrowe is the waye whiche leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that fynde it For strayte is the gate Bu. The sence of this place is that there is a certaine institution of life which is vneasy hard sharpe and therefore it doth abhorre the myndes of the people but this soure and vnsauery lyfe hath most pleasant fruites which bringeth to euerlasting lyfe But where as the waye is narrowe that commethe by our corrupt nature and imperfection in that we can not make our lyfe subiect to the yoke There is no cause therefore why we should complayne but we must ascribe the same to our wicked inclination Laste of all we muste note here the twoo endes of man whiche are here put of Christe to one of the whiche we must ronne at the lengthe that is to saye eyther to lyfe or perdition 15 Beware of false Prophetes whiche come to you in shepes clothinge but inwardely they are rauening wolues Bevvare C. This is a moste profytable admonition declaring that is more easy to be deceiued then to obeye and harken to wholsome counsaile for of our owne free wil we encline to falsehode and deceyte yea and althoughe there were no deceiuer yet we seduce and beguyle our selues By these wordes therfore our sauioure Christ doth teache that alwayes his churche is subiecte to dyuerse seducinges so to be daungerouse for some to fall from the faithe excepte they be vigilant diligent to beware The Iewes for the most part did hope that they shold haue a happy state vnder the kingedome of Christ and to be exempt from al strife and trouble Therefore he admonysheth his disciples to persiste and contynue if they couet to prepare theim selues to auoyde the deceytes of Sathan For the lorde will haue his church exercised with a continual warfare in this world wherfore that we may shewe our selues to be his disciples to the very end docillitie is not only sufficiēt as to suffer our selues to be gouerned with his woorde but also our faythe must be armed because often times it is assalted of sathan This trewly is the greatest thing if we suffer our selues to be ruled by the godly and faithfull ministers of Christe But because false teachers do arise excepte we watch diligently and be armed with cōstancy we may easely be withdrawen from the flocke To the which perteyneth the sayinge of Christ that the sheepe do here the voice of the shepeherd and not to regarde the voyce of a straunger but to flye from him Whereby we may gather that there is no cause why the faythefull shoulde be discouraged or troubled when wolues do crepe into the sheepefoulde of Christ when false prophetes go about to deface the trewe faith but rather ought to be of good chere and to watche For it is not without cause that Christ biddeth theym beware Wherefore if our owne slouthfulnesse ◅o not trouble vs we shall easely eschewe all trappes and snares and truely without this trust we could not be bolde enough to beware Now when as we knowe that the lorde will not frustrate oure expectation by any of the assaltes of sathā let vs go on without feare cra◅inge of him the spirite of discretion whiche sealeth our hartes with faythe of his treweth and bewrayeth the wyles deceytes of Sathan least we shoulde be begyled Of false prophetes C. A prophete is taken for the teacher shewyng forthe the pure woorde of God to the whiche ā false prophete is contrary which pretendinge the name of God hath a shewe of a prophete There shal arise saith Christ false Christes and false prophetes and shall do greate miracles and wonders in so much that if it were possible the very electe shoulde be deceyuod VVhiche come to you M. That is whiche ioyne theim selues vnto you and fayne thē selues to be on your side being neyther called nor sente Of the whiche prophetes the lorde complayneth in the olde testament sayinge I sent not prophetes and yet they wente In sheepes clothinge C. Here he noteth their falsehod and hipocrisie They faine sayth he them selues to be sheepe when as they are nothinge lesse Christ sheweth that deceyuers wante not their coullered cloke But invvardly they are M. These false prophetes Paule also doth depaynt I knowe saith S. Paule that after my departure there shall come wulues among you not sparing the flock Moreouer of your own selues shal men arise speaking peruerse thinges to drawe disciples after them And in an other place I beseeche you brethern marke them which cause deuission geue occasions of euyl contrary to the docttrine whiche ye haue learned and auoyde them for they that are such serue not
knitt to a constant minde that it wil not one inche geue place to any temptation For all they buylde vppon the sandes whiche digge not inwardly euen to the denyinge of them selues VVhiche buylde on the sandes Bu. The sande signifyeth false hypocrisie fayned sanctimony and those thinges whiche aryse of the same as trust in creatures inuocation of sainctes choyse of meate and apparell fastinges hypocriticall prayers and suche lyke who soeuer trusteth in these maketh a sandy and frayle fyckle foundation There is a common prouerbe thou buyldest on the sande and others also like vnto these Thou striuest against the streame Thou drawest water in a siue Thou castest stones against the winde which all are spoken against those and applied to theim whiche go about anye thinge that will be vnprofitable and to none effecte 27 And a shower of rayne descended and the flouddes came and the windes blewe and beate vpon that house and it fell and great was the fal of it C. By these woordes Christ doth signifie that trewe pietie and godlynes cannot well be distinguished from hypocrisie til suche time as it commeth to a triall For the temptations wherewith we are proued are lyke vnto flouds or troublesom waues which easely ouerwhelm vnconstant mindes whose lyghtenes in calme weather is not knowne 28 And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine C. When he had geuen the people a tast of his doctrine euery man that heard him was amased because a new and vnwonted maiestie did drawe vnto it the myndes of men Bu. The talk of Christ was liuely feruent and pearcing the mindes of men in so much that it moued the herers and specially because it was new in the peoples eares whervpon they sayde afterwarde what maner of thing is this what new doctrine is this For with authoritie commaunded he the foule spirytes and they obeied him The multitude therefore was amased because the doctrine of Christ was ioyned with a maiestie In the which doctrine the efficacy of the spirite was included 29 For he taughte them as one hauynge power and not as the Scribes M. Some expounde this place so as though the Euangelist shoulde say that Christe therefore taught with aucthorytie because by his aucthoritie he forbad that whiche the lawe graunted and required that whiche the lawe commaunded not thinking the .5 chapter before so to be the fulfylling of the lawe that it shoulde fulfyll that whiche was imperfecte in the same But if they marke well the sentence of Chryste they shall fynde that he addeth nothinge to the lawe but rather doth restore the law which before was broken and obscured by the Scribes and Phariseyes to his former place Wherfore others a greate deale better dyd vnderstande this sentence sayinge that this auctoritie was a certain vigour and force of parfecte doctryne veritie with the which Christe dyd instructe the people standinge before hym And there is no doubt but that the doctrin of Christ was of greate force to the people when as the doctryne of the Scrybes and Phariseies was obscure feble and colde E. And trewely the Greeke woord for the whiche we reade the auctoritie doth signifie power and right to do any thing B. But here it signyfieth aucthoritie and power of the spirite persing the hartes which parteineth to Chryst and the trewe mynisters although not by lyke measure For it is geuen to euery one by measure And some haue the same more plentifully then other some The .viij. Chapter WHEN he was come downe from the mounte muche people followed him VVhen he vvas C. Nowe Matthewe commeth to the pithe of the history Before he sayd that Christe ascended into the mounte and then he brought in many principelles of the doctrine of Christe And nowe he addeth that at the same tyme that he preached in the mounte he healed a Leaper The whiche miracle Marke and Luke do also declare although they shewe not the time Muche people M. The great multitude of people which are here said to followe flocked and came vnto hym a litle before as the Euangeliste shewed saying And there followed hym a greate multitude of people from Galilee and frō the tenne citties and from Hierusalem from Iurie and from the regions that lie beyonde Iordane Notwithstandinge the inconstancie of the common sorte of people is to be noted who for a tyme haue a feruent desire to knowe the truthe but when persecution commeth they flye and are sodenly gone 2 And lo there came a Leper and worshipped him saying Maister if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And lo there came C. In this truely appeared the deuine power of Christe that only with his woorde and the touchinge of his hande he sodainly put awaye the leprosy of the man M. By suche workyng of myracles greater faythe credit and authoritie was gotten to the woorde of god Neither without cause was the healyng of bodies ioyned to the cure of soules For Christe is the true Sauiour of the whole man not only of the soule but also of the body the which he wil plainly declare in the ende of the world when as he wyll bestowe on vs the benefite of euerlasting lyfe C. But although the leprosy were of an other kynde then that whiche the Physitions call Elephanthiasis in Gréeke whiche leprosy also maketh amans skynne like vnto the skynne of an Elephant yet notwithstanding it is welenough knowen that this disease was incurable For if it continued any long tyme it was seldome heard or sene that any mā was deliuered frō the same VVhiche vvorshipped him saying B. What signifieth here to worshippe the other twoo Euangelistes do shewe whiche declare this same history Marke in stede of he worshipped hath he bowed the knee or kneled downe Luke saythe he fell down at his feete on his face Also the Samaritane which was clensed when he retourned to geue thankes fell downe on his face at Iesus feete And Symon Peter fell downe at Iesus knees also C. The Leper therefore by bowyng of his knee shewed some signe of reuerence We do knowe that Adoration was a common vse among the Iewes and among them in the easte partes Wherefore many thynke that the Leper did not worshyp Christe in his mynde with any deuine worship but did honourably salute hym as some great Prophet of god But with what affection he worshipped Christe we dispute not But what he obiected vnto hym we sée namely that he could make hym cleane if he would by the which wordes he acknowledgeth a deuine power to be in Christe And Christ when he aunswered that he would sheweth that he attributeth more vnto him then appertaineth vnto a mā For he must nedes be of great power whiche onely with a woorde or becke can restore helth vnto men But whether the Leprose man dyd beleue Christe to be the sonne of God or whether he were endewed
and he doeth it For I my selfe also am a man. M. Here the Centurion cōfirmeth by his example the confession of his faithe of the power of Christe bringing in an argument of the more to the lesse For he estemed more the deuine power whiche was in Christ then the rule and domination whiche he had ouer his souldiours and seruauntes B. As if he should saye I am nothing at all like vnto thee in power which as yet am vnder the subiection of another man where as thou haste all thinges in thy hande and yet with my woorde can I make my seruauntes to do any thing my souldiours at my commaundement are obedient and those whiche are vnder my rule grudge not to fulfill my mynde Howe muche more then canste thou do with thy worde whatsoeuer thou wilt in all thinges as in healing diseases in restoring health in putting awaye death in restoring lyfe M. Here al they haue an ensample set before them whiche are magistrates maisters ouer housholdes that they may learne by their power to acknowledge the power of God thinke vpon his deuine woorde and cōmaundement If our wordes be so muche able to preuayle among men that whatsoeuer we saie and commaunde they do and fulfill when as notwithstandinge we our selues are miserable men nothing differing from others howe muche more hath the worde of God his power in ruling all vniuersally Furthermore let them gather of their owne obedience after this sorte Beholde thou art a man set vnder the power of another and thou saiest vnto this go and he goeth to another come he commeth and to the third do this and he doeth it loking and requiring of them their due obedience Therefore if so great obediēce be shewed to thée whiche arte a man subiect to others the whiche thou also requirest to be done as a duty tell me I pray thée how thou wilt behaue thy selfe if thou be disobedient to thy lord of whom thou hast receiued that power and in whose name this obediēce is done to thée if he saye vnto thée go and thou goest not come thou comest not do this and thou doest not B. Here also we must note that all thinges that are good procede of God are done by his power according to the saying of S. Paule It is neither in the willer nor in the ronner but in the mercy of god For who wyll not muche meruaile at the great goodnes of God if he way howe littel this Centurion being an Ethnike the more prophane by reason of his affayres in the warres had heard of Christe and howe muche be beleued Let all fleshe therefore humble him selfe to the maiestie of God the whiche except he of his goodnes reuoke to life it must nedes perishe 10 VVhen Iesus hearde these woordes he meruailed and sayde to them that folowed him verely I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith in Israel VVhen Iesus hearde these vvordes C. Although admiration belong not to God because it ariseth of newe thinges vnloked for notwithstāding it might happē in Christ because he taking vpon him our fleshe was endewed with mans affections B. He meruayleth therefore in respecte of his humanitie at so wonderfull a myracle of the goodnes of God that so greate faith should be geuen to an Ethnicke Heathen man being rudely brought vp in respect of his faith in so muche that he should excell the people of God in the excellency of faithe B. Before God being knowen almoste only in Iury nowe of a prophane man he is more knowne then of many of the Iewes A newe thing truly and straunge worthy of admiration And sayde to them that follovved him B. To the ende the people which followed him might also meruaile and might haue a desire to immitate the fayth of the man he saythe thus vnto thē Verely I say vnto you I haue not founde so great faithe in Israell C. The whiche woordes are spoken as the Logicians terme it Secundum quid non simpliciter that is in respect of his faithe not simplely that he did excell in generall For if we cōsider all the partes of faith the faith of Mary excelled in this that she beleued her self to be with childe by the holy Ghoste that she might bringe forth the only begotten sonne of God furthermore because she beleued the sonne whiche shoulde be borne of her to be his owne maker and the creator redemer of the whole worlde But for two causes specially Christe did cōmend preferre the faith of this Gētile heathē man before the faith of the Iewes namely because that of so small and littell taste of his doctrine he brought forth so sodainly such gret frute Secōdly wher as the Iewes did to much depēd vpō earthly signes external this Centurion this Gētile Heathē man requireth no signe at all but dothe affirme his onely woorde to be sufficient for him Christ was cōming vnto him not because ther required any necessitie but to proue trie this faith of the mā wherfore he doth specially cōmēd this faith because it is satisfied with the word only He saith not here com lord se touch no he desireth not any corporal presēce tuchīg but he beleueth such efficacy to be included in the word that thereby he knewe the healthe of his seruaunt might be recouered And hereupō may be gathered a generall rule namely although God woulde haue our sauynge health wrought in the fleshe of Christe and doth dayly seale the same by Sacramentes Notwithstandinge we muste seke the certaintie of the same out of his woorde For excepte this authoritie be attributed to the woorde that we graunt that so sone as God hathe spoken by his ministers that our synnes are forgeuen vs and that we are restored vnto lyfe all the sure truste of saluation dothe falle awaye By this place also we vnderstande that the Centurion was no Israelite 11 I saye vnto you that many shal come from the Easte and VVeste and shal reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen A. Now Christe takyng occasion of the faythe of the Centurion dothe in fewe woordes touche the callynge of the Gentyles and the reiecting of the Iewes C. For as Christe in the parsone of the seruaunt propounded a taste and as it were the fyrste fruytes of his grace to the Gentyles euen so he dothe teache his dominion to be a token of the callynge hereafter of the Gentyles and of the dispersyng the fayth throughout the whole worlde neyther doth he onely teache that they shall comme out of the countreys whiche are at hande but also out of all the partes of the whole worlde And although this be declared already by many of the Prophetes notwithstandinge in the beginning it semed absurde and incredible to the Iewes whiche immagined that God was bounde to the sede of Abraham Wherefore not without admiration this was heard that they which were
straungers and foriners should be of the housholde and heyres of the kingdome of heauen And not onely that but this that the couenaunt and league of saluation should by and by be publyshed that the whole worlde myght growe into one body of the churche when he saythe that the Gentyles which should come to the faythe shoulde bee partakers of the same saluation with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Bu. They reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen whiche being partakers of the promises of God which he made with the holy fathers do at the lengthe possesse the kingdome of heauen with them beinge made the sonnes of God coheyres with Christe and fellowes with the sainctes C. To be briefe this senteÌ„ce is as much as if he should haue saide they shall haue the same life Wherby certainly we may gather that the same sauing health which is exhibited vnto vs in Christ was exhibited in times paste vnto the fathers Neyther should the kingdome be common to all except there were but one faith which is the onely meane to obtaine the same The same manner of speaking the lorde vsed to his Apostles when he sayde I apointe vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye maye eate drinke at my table in the kingdome 12 But the children of the kingdom shal be cast out into vtter darkenes there shal be weping and gnashing of teeth But the children of the. M. This is the other matter which we saide Christ had here in hande namely of the reiecting of the Iewes C. But it may be demaunded how Christe calleth them the children of the kingdome whiche were nothing lesse theÌ„ the sonnes of Abraham For truely they whiche are alienate from the faythe ought not to be numbred in the flocke of Christ It may be aunswered that although they were not truly of the flock of Christ notwithstaÌ„ding because thei had a roume in the flocke or churche he grauÌ„teth this title vnto them Furthermore we muste note that the couenaunt and promyse of God was of such force so long as it stode in the sede of Abraham that properly the inheritauÌ„ce of the kingdom of heauen did pertaine vnto them at the least in respect of God him selfe then as yet they were holy braunches of the holy roote And truely that deniall or forsakinge whiche afterward folowed dothe sufficiently declare that they were then accoumpted of the housholde of god M. Therefore because the promises of the kingdome the testameÌ„t did properly pertain vnto the Iewes they ar worthely called the soÌ„nes of the kingdoÌ„ Of this matter Paul doth dispute at large in his epistle to the Romaynes C. Secondly we muste note that Christe dothe not speake of euery one but of the whole nation This truely was farre harder then the calling of the Gentiles For it mighte seme scarse tollerable for the Gentiles to be planted knytte and vnited to the same body by frée adoption with the posteritie of Abraham Notwithstanding Christe pronounceth that they shal be vnited to the end God might admitte straungers into the bosome of Abraham and denye the chyldren B. that the laste may be firste and the fyrste last M. So that it is not to be thoughte that the Lorde woulde haue all the Iewyshe chyldren of the kyngdome to be caste out but he hathe selected and chosen to hym selfe certayne of them as saynt Paule wryteth to the Romaynes Euen as we may not thinke that all the Gentiles shal be saued but that the chosen of God shal be gathered from amonge them Into vtter darkenes C. There is a secrete antithesis in this woorde vtter darkenes for Christe dothe signifie that out of his kyngdome whiche is the kyngdome of lyghte there reigneth nothynge but darkenes For the Scriptures when they make mencion of darkenes do signifie metaphorically a horrible kynde of payne whiche the tongue of man in this lyfe cannot expresse nor the harte imagine Bu. So that by these greuous threatenynges Christe went not about to dismaye the Iewes or to brynge them into dispayre but rather to drawe them out of the myre and puddell of incredulitie and to wynne the Gentiles vnto hym who came to saue bothe the Iewe and the Gentyle There shal be vvepynge M. This is a Metaphor by the whiche he compareth that vnhappy state and condition of the damned to captiues sytting in a dongeon or darke place full of horror and feare who are constrayned by an euell conscience feare of the iudgement to come to wepe wayle mourne gnashe their teethe And thus thought he good to set foorthe the tormentes of damned soules 13 And Iesus sayde vnto the Centurion go thy waye and as thou beleuest â—…o shall it be vnto thee And his seruaunt was healed in the selfe same hower And Iesus sayde vnto the Centurion M. Nowe the Lorde aunswerynge the Centurion graunteth him his petitioÌ„ as if he should say be of good chere and quiet thy minde For go thy waye in this place hath such signification Neyther is this a symple commaundement to go vnto his owne whiche shoulde cary with it ambition but it is an assent or agreinge to that whiche was demaunded So Dauid consentinge to the woman of Thecoa sayd go home to thy house I wyll geue a charge for thee So we reade that Christ did often tymes sende awaye the afflicted after they had obtayned consolation at his handes saying go in peace and be whole from thy plague And in another place he saythe go thy sonne lyueth And as thou beleuest so shall Bu. In fewe woordes euidently he declareth the efficacy of faythe Faythe bryngeth to passe and is the cause that we receyue that by the power operation of the holy ghoste whiche we beleue of the woorde of god The Centurion beleued that the Lorde coulde heale his seruaunte lying sycke therefore the lorde healed hym C. Hereby it appeareth howe louingly our Sauioure Christe poureth out his grace if he may haue the vessell of fayth open vnto hym For although oure Sauioure Christe speaketh vnto the Centurion notwithstanding there is no doubte but that by his example he woulde haue vs all to haue the lyke faythe Moreouer we are here taught what is the cause that God dothe oftentymes reiecte oure prayers surely our incredulitie and vnbeliefe Wherefore if in faythe we come vnto hym we maye be sure our prayers shal be harde So shall it be vnto thee M. These woordes do not onely expresse and set forth the goodnes of Christe but also his omnipotency by the whiche he hathe in his wyll and power lyfe and death healthe and syckenesse yea onely with his assente he restored this seruaunte whiche was euen nowe at the poynte of deathe to healthe and lyfe He saythe not go thy waye I wyll praye vnto my father for thee or for thy seruaunte but he saythe go thy waye be it vnto thee according to thy faythe
man dothe not only beseche him to come to his house but also to laye hande vpon his daughter so that he beleued not as did the Centurion who thoughte that he coulde do all thinges with his woorde onely C. Here therefore we haue a worthy example of the sufferaunce of god This man here attributeth no vertue or power vnto Christe but onely by touchyng with the hande And so sone as he heard by the messenger that she was departed by by he is quite without hope of any farther remedy M. He beleued that the presence of Christe as of some holy man myghte muche prffite her So Martha and Mary sayde vnto Christe Lorde if thou haddest bene here our brother had not bene dead So Naman the Syrian despysed the commaundement of Elizeus because he came not vnto him personally to touch the Leprosy So also an other of the Rulers of the people sayde vnto Christe Syr. come downe I pray thée or euer that my sonne die We sée therefore that the faythe of this Ruler was very weake In the which notwithstanding he was not forsaken as we shall here anone 19 And Iesus arose and followed hym and so did his disciples And Iesus arose M. Here appeareth the wonderfull clemency and gentlenes of Christe The Iewes excluded all those out of the temple whiche cōfessed Christ and yet for all that Christ casteth not the same in the Rulers teethe neyther saith he why commest thou vnto me whome ye so hate and abhorre Nowe that thou arte oppressed and greued thou runnest vnto me for helpe Moreouer he did not obiecte against him the imbecillitie imperfection of his faythe sayinge Doest thou thinke that I am not able to restore vnto thee thy daughter without the laying on of my handes What should I go with with suche a one He did not thus saye but quietly rysinge graunteth the asker his requeste C. Therefore wheras he harkeneth to his prayers and animateth him to hope well and to trust for the best it is a document that howe lyttell so euer his faythe were yet was it not reiected Although therfore we haue not so parfecte a faythe as we oughte to haue yet neuerthelesse there is no cause why oure weakenesse shoulde let or dyscourage vs to praye styll And his discip M. Marcke sayth that much people followed him and thronged him and Luke saith as he wente the people thronged hym The people are very curiouse often times to beholde straunge and vnwonted thynges as we maye here well perceyue Euery man desired to see a miracle and therfore they thought they could neuer come nighe enoughe vnto Christ in so muche that they thronged him Chryste therefore in his tyme when he wente about to heale the sicke and to do myracles had manye followers and gasers on but a fewe hearars that hearde as they ought to heare So that when any crosse or trouble came they forsooke him and lefte him alone 20 And beholde a woman whiche was disseased with an issue of bloud twelue yeres came behind him and touched the hemme of his vesture And beholde a vvoman Bu. The story begon is broken of in the middest and the miracle whiche happened in the waye is sette in and as it were interlyned As the hystorye of the leprouse man and of Peters wyues mother sicke of a feuer dothe teache and declare that Chryste is the phisition lorde of all disseases euen so doth this history also of the womā troubled with a bloudy yssue so many yeres teache the lyke declare vnto vs that there is nothing so incurable far gon which can not be healed by the vertue and power of Christ Tvvelue yeres The Euangelistes do expreselye saye that this fluxe of bloudde contynued by the space of twelue yeres shee notwithstandinge sekynge all that time for remedye in so muche that she spent all her goodes vppon phisicke by the whiche the glorye of the myracle dothe the more appere M. Let vs now see therefore what this woman did in thynges withoute hope of remedy of what force Fayth is and also what the power beneuolence of Christe can brynge to passe Came behynde hym and touched A. Marcke sayth that when she hearde of Iesus she came into the preace behynd him There is mention made then that she hearde of Iesu and no doubte she dyd so namelye of such as made report of Iesus by whose fame shee was moued to seeke for health Nowe it was necessary that those thynges which she hearde of Chryst were not comon or humaine or suche reportes as are wōt to go of phisitiōs for their cures For hereby she coulde conceiue no hope of healthe hauing so often proued what they were able to do by that facultie It is necessary therfore that those things whiche she herde of Iesu were deuyne not humaine wherby she was broughte to that fayth whiche afterwarde she declared But what were those thynges that were so deuine Surely euen the same whiche he did euery where whereby he declared him selfe to be one to whō there was nothinge to hard which could heale all kynde of disseases whiche came to this ende to helpe the misery of man and therefore hee is that trewe Messias whiche was promised of God to come in these later tymes by the prophetes whiche receiued all with gentlenesse good will whiche despised none whiche offered him selfe to all to be shorte whiche was the sauynge healthe of mankynde 21 For she sayd within her selfe if I may touche but euen his vesture onely I shall be safe C. Wheras this woman thinketh within her selfe that she shal be whole if shee maye but onelye touche the vesture of Christ it was trewely the singular motion of the spirite of God neyther ought it to be thought a common matter We knowe howe arrogantlye superstition daunceth in foolyshe and rashe imitation of sainctes but truely they are apes and not imitatours or followers whiche vsurpe any syngular example without the commandement of God and by their owne immagination rather then by the directiō of goddes spirite It may be that the faythe of the woman had some falte and errour annexed with it which Christ by fauoure might suffer and forbeare Trewely in that she trembleth and feareth her owne conscience accusing her it is a signe of doubte which is contrarye to fayth and voyde of excuse Why came she not rather vnto Chryste without delaye If reuerence stayed her yet notwithstanding frō whence shoulde shee haue hoped for helpe but onely from his mercy Howe commeth it to passe then that she feareth offence if she hadde bene perswaded of his fauour Christe for all this voutchesafeth to receyue her fayth accordynge to that whiche we saide euen nowe that God dothe deale mercifullye and louingly with those that are his receiuinge to his fauoure their weake and imperfecte faythe not imputynge vnto them theyr fault and imparfection The womā therfore Faith being her guide commeth vnto Christ
But where as she dothe rather seke her health by touching of his vesture then by commynge vnto hym by prayer and intreatie peraduenture she dyd it by an vndiscrete and rashe zeale declinynge a littell out of the way speciallye when as a littell after she declareth that she did com doubtingly with a troubled mind But admit that she was led by the spyrite to do thus yet notwithstanding this abideth sure that our faith ought not by priuate example to be caryed hyther and thyther because we ought whollye to grounde the same vppon the woorde of God accordinge to the sayinge of S. Paule Faith cōmeth by hearinge and hearing commeth by the woorde of god A. Marcke addeth sayinge And straighte waye the fountaine of bloudde was dried vp and she felt in hir body that shee was healed of that plague Bu. Whereby we maye note that syckenesses infirmities are called plagues by the which God dothe scourge men to make them to know theim selues and to amende And then it followeth Iesus straight way felte in him selfe that vertue proceded out of hym tourned him about in the prease and said who touched my clothes Obiection C. This seemeth an absurd thinge that Christ should bestow grace vpon any one not knowing vpon whom he bestowed it or who receiued any benefite therby Trewly there is no doubt but that wittingely and wyllingelye he healed the womā yea there is no doubt but that by the secrete operation of his holye Spirite he drewe her vnto hym to the ende he mighte heale her but he asketh who it was after a strange sorte because the woman her self should come forthe openly and witnesse that she was healed If Christ should haue borne witnes of his myracle he shoulde not haue ben credited and therefore the woman beinge afraide beareth wytnesse of that whiche hapned vnto her and openly declareth the same whose confession was of great force 22 But Iesus tourned hym aboute and when he sawe her he saide Daughter be of good comforte thye saythe hath made the safe And the woman was made whole euen the same tyme But Iesus tourned him about M. The woman not onely for the kynde but also for the maner of her dissease for shame crepeth backewarde as thoughe she had stolen priuilie this benefite of her healthe But Christe partely for the settynge forthe of the glory and power of God and partly for the corroboratinge and strengthenynge of the weake faithe of the rular of the Synagogge woulde not suffer that whiche he had done to lye hyd but requiringe bothe the confession of the dissease and also the acknowleginge of the benefite he bryngeth her forth in the middest of whom he was towched Daughter be of good A. Here ryseth a ques It was saide a lyttelle before And Iesus knowinge that vertue had proceded out of hym And Luke hath I fele vertue to go out of mee Moreouer the vertue of the lorde was presente to heale them Also Al the people sought to touche him because that vertue went out of him When as therefore the power of the lord doth heale why sayth he here Thy faith hath made thée safe M. He saith so for twoo causes The one is that althoughe it be trewe that the power vertue and strength onely of Chryste dyd heale the woman as it dyd others also notwythstanding because this vertue is such as happeneth vnto none that is it happeneth vnto none but to those that haue faythe and onely fayth being that which is capeable of the power of Christe It is truely saide that this woman is healed by the faithe whiche she had in Christe These two therefore must be ioyned together that is to saye fayth and the vertue of Christ For howe great soeuer the vertue of Christe be yet it offereth not it selfe to any vnfaithfull persone as it is sayde in an other place he coulde not do many miracles in his countrey because of their vnbeliefe Moreouer excepte the vertue of Christe be present and the wōderfull goodnes of God all faithe in him is but vayne So that it may wel be said This woman is saued by faythe but the power grace and vertue of Christe hath brought it to passe and agayne it maye be sayde she is saued by the power of Christe when as notwithstandinge she was not saued without faythe by the power of Christe After the same manner we must thinke of faythe the grace and goodnes of god We are sayde to be saued by fayth in Christe Iesus when as notwithstanding in dede we are saued by the grace and mercy of god Whereupō saint Paule sayth Ye are saued by grace Againe he saithe According to his mercy he saued vs But because no vnbeleuing persone is saued by the grace of God and none can be partakers of the goodnes of God without fayth and because it is necessarye that the grace goodnes and mercy of God be apprehended by fayth in Christe Iesu It cōmeth to passe that saluation and ryghteousnes be ascribed vnto faythe Faithe can not be without grace neyther can grace be withoute fayth And therefore Paule when he had once sayd ye are saued by grace least any man should thinke that it was done with out fayth or that it coulde be done without faythe he addeth by and by For ye are saued by grace through faythe The other cause why he rather sayd thy fayth hath saued thee thē my vertue hath saued thee is this that he might cōfirme the woman in the same faithe whiche she had taken and that he might shewe that this was the waye to attayne saluation and to be partaker of the power of god The which he should not haue done if he had sayde my vertue hath saued thee for so he shoulde haue preached his vertue but should not haue declared the way to apprehende the same C. Now as Christ attributed the healing of the woman to fayth So it is sure and certayne that by faithe we obtaine remissiō of our sinnes by the whiche we are reconciled vnto god Marke addeth saying daughter thy faythe hath saued the go in peace and be whole of thy plague C. Whereby we may gather that the benefite whiche she had receiued was then truely ratified confirmed when she harde that of the mouthe of Christe whiche already she had founde true by experience By these wordes therefore the conscience of the woman is corroborated and confirmed So in another place although the synnes of the synful woman were remitted and Christe also had sayde vnto Symon as concerning her Many synnes are forgeuen her because she loued muche Notwithstanding to the ende he mighte certefie her as concerning this thing he said thy synnes are forgeuen thee A. Now let vs retourne to the history of the Ruler of the Synagoge Marke as concerning that matter sayth thus Whyle he yet spake there came from the Ruler of the Synagoges house certayne whiche sayde Thy daughter is dead why
liue delicatelye in all fylthye pleasure after the desyer of the same onelye wee must beware of superstition leaste that foolishe men immaginynge that perfection consisteth in bare elementes outwarde signes do neglecte the trew worship of god M. Last of al we must note in this place how the reprobate specially the wise sainctes of this world howe they I saye can be moued by no reason neyther by the holy and deuout life of the preacher neither by the wonderful shew of myracles neyther by any humanitie to beleue when as neyther the austerytie of Iohn nor the humanitie of Christ can preuaile any thynge at all with these men A. Seinge therefore we are constrayned to beholde so great obstinacy in men let vs neuerthelesse go forward in the mynistery of the gospell with boulde cheere pronouncing vnto them the vengeance of God vnlesse they repente And vvisedome is iustifyed C. This place is expounded diuersly of the interpretours Some say that the Iewes did iustify this wisedome because their owne consciences accusyng them and they beinge iudges of their own incredulitie were constrayned to acknowledge that the same was bothe holy and godly doctrine which they had reiected therefore they vnderstande the Iewes to be these sonnes of wisedome whiche gloried and boasted in the name and tytell thereof Some think that it was spoken Ironice as thus Doo ye allowe after this sorte the wysedome of God whose sonnes ye boast your selues to be But because the Greeke preposition Apò is not properly referred to the doing parson there are som which expound it thus Wisedome is absolued loused or dismiste of hyr chyldren that shee is no more bonde or subiecte by any ryght vnto them as if the inherytaunce proper to me should be geuen by my cōsent to an other euen as S. Paule saith that Christe is iustified from synne because the curse of synne hathe noo more ryghte or power ouer hym Other some more harde and with greatter lybertye affirme that wisedome was alyenate or put awaye of her chyldren But that the Greke preposition might signifie this another sence and meaninge seemeth more fete namely that althoughe they which are the proper sonnes do wickedly slander and reporte euyll of wysedome yet notwithstandinge she shall lese nothing of her excellency and dignitie but shal remayne whole and perfecte The Iewes and specially the Phariseis and Scribes dyd boast them selues to be the schollers of goddes wysedome yet notwithstanding they trode that excellent nurse and mother of theires of goddes wisedom vnder theyr feete But Christ sheweth that although wisedome hath euyl and vnnaturall children yet she shall remaine safe without al harme and that their mallice which wickedly and maliciousely slaunder shall derogate nothinge of her righte and aucthoritie Notwithstandinge wee haue not as yet brought the sence which seemeth by the iudgement of many men to be proper and agreable to this place Firste there is a secrete Antithesis or cōparison in the wordes of Christ betwen the trewe sonnes and bastardes whiche altogether stande vpon vaine tytels and shewe nothynge in deede as if Chryste shoulde haue saide let them go forward in their obstinacie which furiously boste them selues to be the sonnes of wisedom she notwithstanding shal haue the praise and commendation of her own children whiche is proper and due vnto her Therefore Luke more vniuersally saith Of all her children whereby he meaneth that the obstinacie of the Scrybes shall be no let but that the electe and chosen of God maye go forwarde and abide in the fayth of the Gospel Therfore although many Apostatas swerue frō the churche of God yet let the sounde and parfecte fayth of the Gospell alwaye abyde with the electe whiche are of the trewe flocke of Christe 20 Then began he to vpbraide the cities in the which most of his miracles wer done because they repented not of theyr synnes C Luke expresseth at what time and for what cause Christe so inuayeth agaynste these citties namely when he had sente his disciples into diuers partes of Iewry that in theyr iourney they might declare the kingdome of God he cōsidering their ingratitude with whom he exercysed the office of a prophete a longe tyme without fruite and had shewed manye wonders and signes he burste out into these woordes as if he had saide that the time was now come in the which he must go to other citties after he had proued the dulnes and mallice of the inhabitauntes of that parte where he began to preache his Gospell and to worke manye myracles But speakinge nothing of his doctrine he vpbraideth theim because they were not moued to repentaunce by the miracles that he shewed among theim For it is most sure that the lord sheweth forth the documētes of his power to this ende that he mighte drawe men therby vnto him but because all men by nature are tourned away from hym it is necessary that the begynninge should procede of repentaunce M. We do se therfore what Christ sought for in all his accions and doinges namely for repentaunce 21 VVo vnto thee Chorazin wo vnto thee Bethsaida for if the myracles which haue ben shewed among you had bene doone in Tyre and Sydon they had repented longe ago in sacke clothe and asshes VVoo vnto the Chora M. Chorazin Bethsaida are Citties of Galilae nere vnto the lake of Genesareth For if the myracles had ben done in Tyre and Sydon B. Tyre and Sydon are citties adioining to the sea coaste and sittuate on the border of Galilae in the which not Iewes but vncircumsised Ethnickes and Idolatours dwelte and inhabited C. Therefore because infamouse impietie luxury and other vices were there by reason of the nerenesse and borderinge of those citties Christ bringeth in this comparison whereby he mighte the more touche and pricke the Iewes For there was none of them which did not counte the menne of Tyre and Sydon for wicked contēpners of god Christ therefore doth not a littell amplifie his wo and curse when he saith that there was more amendmente to be hoped for out of those places in the whiche there was no relygion then out of Iewry it selfe M. He noteth therfore a wōderfull obstinacie to be in those citties in the which he hath ben often conuersant because the citties of the Gentyles being Idolatrouse and corrupte coulde souer be conuerted to repentaunce then they But least any man should moue troublesome questions as concernynge the secret iudgementes of God we must note that this sayinge of the Lorde is applyed to the weake and feble capacitie of mans minde comparing the cittezens of Bethsaida and the inhabitantes there abouts with the men of Tyre and Sydon He disputeth not what thyng God sawe before shoulde come to passe of these or them but what the other wolde do as by the dede it selfe might wel be perceiued For where as the manners of these cytties wer so corrupt and out of all order it may be imputed to ignorance because at
decende to the rude multitude wee shall fynde that as the poisoned and cankered mallice of the greatter parte doth apere euen so they are left to destruction with the heades and greate men We graunt trewly that all the vnfaythfull do swell with a wronge and wicked trust in them selues whether it be throughe wisdome or the same of honestie or whether they be encouraged by theyr honoures or rychesse or at leaste by some greate porte that they beare in this worlde notwithstandynge let vs note that Chryst here without the naminge of vyce doth comprehende all whiche excell in wytt and learnynge Euen as also hee countethe it not a vertue to be a babe or a chylde For althoughe Chryste be the mayster of the humble and geueth this rudiment and instruction of Faythe Let no man be wyse in his owne conceyte yet notwithstandynge in this place he speaketh of that babyshe and chyldishe behauyour whiche is voluntarye but Chryste by this meanes amplyfieth the grace of his father in that he doothe voutchesafe to extende his mercye to the loweste sorte and lyfte the poore out of the dounghyll But here aryseth a question that seynge wysedome is the gyft of God how commeth it to passe that the same shoulde be a let and a hynderaunce vnto vs that we can not perceyue the lyghte of the Gospell Wee must remember that which we sayde euen nowe that the vnfaythefull do defyle and abuse the wysedome geuen vnto theim and therefore excellente wyttes are often tymes hyndered because they can not suffer theim selues to be taughte But as towchynge this place we aunswere that althoughe the wysedome of the wyse do hynder theym nothynge at all yet maye they be depryued of the lyght of the Gospell Furthermore the wysedome of this world is folyshenesse before God. Also wee maye gather that the saying of Chryst in this place is not general when he sayth that the mysteries of the Gospell are hydden from the wyse For if of fyue wise men sower reiect the Gospell and one imbraceth the same and of so many rude and ignoraunte men also twoo or three become the dyscyples of Chryste then is the sayinge of Chryste here fulfylled because God dothe not banyshe all those from his kingdome that are noble wise and myghty but onely he sheweth that the nomber of those kynde of men which shall be called is but smal So that wisedome is not here condempned in respecte that it is the gifte of God but Chryst only pronounceth that it is of no effecte to obtayne faythe Neyther is ignoraunce here so commended as thoughe it were the mother of vertue but hee shewethe that the same can not staye his mercye loue and compassion towards them that are ignorante by the whiche they maye be made wyse Wherefore by this place we may gather that none by theyr own wyt but onely by the secrete illumynation of the holy ghoste can attayne to the perfection of faith As S. Paule plainely teacheth in the tenth to the Romaines 26 Trewely Father soo it was thy good pleasure E. Or So O father it was done because it pleased thee hauinge poynted the same before by thy euerlasting counsell M. Here wee are admonysshed that the counselles of God in his woorkes and iudgementes ought not to be dyscussed but rather to be praised and commended onely contentinge oure selues with this sayinge It is thy good pleasure C. For trewely God requireth no harder thinge of vs then that his wyll be vnto vs in stede of excellent reason and iustice He doth often tymes inculcate and beate into our heades that his iudgementes are a profounde depthe and bottomlesse sea and yet notwithstandynge wee rashelye caste our selues headlong into the same and if any thinge seme vnpleasaunt vnto vs we frett and murmure by and by agaynst the same yea and many burste out into open blasphemies But the lord prescribeth vnto vs this rule that wee shoulde thyncke all thynges that please God to be well 27 Al thinges are geuen vnto me of my father and no man knoweth the son but the father neyther knoweth any man the father saue the sonne and he to whom the sonne will shew him C. There are som interpretours which do amis in knitting this sentence to that whiche goeth before whiche thincke that Christ onely spake the same to confirme and strengthen his disciples with greatter fayth to the preaching of the Gospel Where as truely Christ semeth to speke it for on other cause and to an other end For as before hee shewed that the church was gathered together by Goddes fre election euen so nowe he sheweth howe he came vnto men throughe the grace of saluation For when many heare that there are no other heyres of euerlastyng lyfe but suche as were chosen before the foundation of the worlde by and by they enquyre howe they knowe the secrete counsell of god And so they cast theym selues in a whirle poole out of the which they come not easely agayne but Christ aryghte byddeth men to come vnto hym to the ende they may receiue the certeintie seale of theyr saluation The sence therefore of this place is that lyfe is declared made manifest vnto vs in christ and therfore none can be partaker of the same but he whiche entereth in by the gate of faythe Nowe wee se how he ioyneth faith with the euerlasting predestination of God whiche wicked men count contrary one to an other For althoughe our saluation were alwais hid with god yet notwithstanding Christ was the waterpipe by the which he did flow vnto vs is receiued of vs by faith by the whiche it might be firme ratified in our harts Wherfore it is not good that we swarue from Christe vnlesse we meane to for go our saluation And no man kovvethe the sonne He speaketh this because men shold not haue a wronge opinion and iudgemente of his maiestie The sence therefore of this place is that if we wyll know what Chryst is we must go to the testimonye of his father who alone cā iudge of hym aryght and knoweth very wel what appertaynethe vnto hym For if we iudge and immagyne of him accordyng to our owne mynde we shall robbe and despoile hym of a greate part of hys power therfore he is not trewly knowne but by the voyce and testymony of his father Allthoughe a voyce alone should not suffice without the dyrection of Goddes spiryte For the power of Chryste is hygher and more secrete then men can attayne and reache vnto vntyl they are illuminated from aboue of the father Therefore vnderstande that he knoweth not the father for hym selfe but for vs Obiection to the ende hee myghte reueale hym vnto vs Notwithstandynge this sentence semeth not to be parfect because twoo partes of the same seeme to be dysagreable one wyth the other As concernynge the sonne it is sayde that no man knoweth the father sauinge he alone and to whom the sonne wyll reueale hym And
tyme to come in the whiche the Messias shoulde be reuealed and reioysed how greatlye excedingly would hée haue reiosed if hée had séene that Messias nowe present with his bodely eyes Christe therefore commendeth vnto hys Disâ—…iples that time in the which he was now reueled in the flesh vnto whom all the law and the Prophets had respect 18. Heare yee the parable of the sower Bu. This pronowne yée hath a great emphasis and force in it A. As if hee should say you to whom it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God here ye I say to whom it is giuen to sée and here those thinges which haue bene denyed to manye Prophetes kinges what this parable which I haue propounded of the sower sowinge his seede meaneth C. This our Euangelyste Luke makes mention that our sauioure Christ expounded the parable simplelye to his Disciples without any reprehension but Marke declareth that he reprehendeth their dulnes sayinge Know yee not this parable how then will ye know all other parables As if hée should haue said it is your part to expound not only this parable but also all other to the ignoraunt people the which thing how caÌ„ yée do when yée are ignoraunt of this 19. VVhen one heareth the worde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not then commeth the euill man and taketh awaye that whiche was sowne in his hart this is hee which was sowne by the waye syde VVhen one heareth A. Luke in the beginning of the explication of the parable declareth what Christ mente by the séede saying the séede is the word of God. M. And to the end wée might know that hée spake of the preaching of the Gospel hée calleth this seede in this place in the beginning of his exposition the word of the kingdom in the which the mysteries of the kingdome of God are expressed C. But the summe of the whole parable is that the doctrine of the Gospell when it is dispersed abrode like séede is not in euerye place fruitfull because it falleth not alwayes in fruitfull and well tylled ground Hée reherseth here foure kindes of hearers of the which the first kind conceyue no séede the seconde séeme to conceaue but so in déede that they take no liuely roote in the thirde the séede is choked so that now there remayneth only the fourth part whiche bringeth forth fruite But hee bringeth not in these fower kinds as though one among fower onely or ten among fortie imbrasing the doctrine should fructifye no more for Christ heare would not appoint any certaine nomber neyther deuide those of whom hée speaketh here into equall partes to the ende hee might shew that the springing vp or growinge of fayth was not alwayes alyke but some whyle exceding fruitfull somewhyle lesse where the woord is sowen but onely declared that the séede of lyfe perished in many by reason of the contrary vyces by the which it is eyther by and by corrupted or wythered or els by lyttle and lyttle it degenerateth and is out of kind But to the ende this admonition myght profite vs the better wée must note that there is no mencion made of contemners which openly do reiect and repell the word of God but that those onely are noted in the whiche there séemeth to be some docillitye and aptnes to be taughte Wherefore if the greater parte of these men do vanishe away what shal be fall the rest of the world of whom the doctrine of saluation is opeÌ„ly repelled Heareth the vvoorde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not C. In this first place hée maketh mention of those whiche are barren and vntilled which inwardly coÌ„ceyue not the séede because there is no preparation in theyr harts B. They here the word but with no affection of the mind with no dilygent affection their mynde being drawne of Sathan another waye wherby it cometh to passe that they neuer thinke vppon the woord which they heard but as the Prouerbe is it entereth in at one eare and goeth out at the other C. Such Chryst compareth to the hard drye earth which is in the comon way whych being continually troden vppon waxeth hard as stone I would to God there were not so many to be founde of this kinde as there are who when they offer them selues to heare do stand notwithstanding astonyed neyther do they receaue any tast or féeling of the same to be short they differ very little from blockes stones that are incensible Wherfore it is no marueyle if they vanishe quyte away Then commeth the euill man A. Luke hath Sathan and Marke putteth downe this name deuil And taketh avvaye that vvhich vvas C. Hereby wée gather that Sathan is an ennemy of our saluation Euen as do the hungary byrds in sowing time so cometh hée forth so soone as the doctrine of truth is sowne and taketh it awaye before it hath taken moysture and beginneth to springe Bu. For that auncient enemye knoweth wel enough that the sauing health of mortal men is wrought by fayth in the word VVhich vvas sovven in his hart C. Wheras Christ sayth that the word was sowen in their hartes although it be an improper kind of speaking yet notwithstandynge it waÌ„teth not reason because by the vice and wickednes of men the nature of the word is not taken away but that it maye retayne and keepe the vertue of séede For wée may in no wise thincke that any thing of the graces of God is deminished althoughe the effecte of them come not vnto vs In respect of God the word is sowen in the harts but the harts of all men do not receiue that sowen sede with méekenes and gentle affections as exhorteth the Apostell sainte Iames verye well Therfore the Gospel is alwayes in power a frutefull séede but not in dede M. Wherefore althoughe in it selfe the séede or thinge sowne is good and apte to bring forth good fruite notwithstandinge it maketh a greate matter into what ground it be cast In like manner the woord of God althoughe it be good apte to woorke pyetye and godlynes yet neuerthelesse it maketh much what maner of person the hearer be A. Luke addeth saying least in beleuing they shold be saued C. By the which wée may note no small prayse of faythe when that it is called the only cause of saluation This is hee vvhich vvas sovvne by the C. Some translate it thus This is that which was sowne by the wayes syde 20. But hee that receiued the seede which was cast into stonye places the same is hee that heareth the woorde and anone with ioye receyueth it A. It were better if it were translated thus But that which was sowne in the stony grounde signifyeth him which c. Bu. This is another sort of the hearers the rockye or stonye ground signifyeth vntimelye hearers I saye the myndes of such men as are rype to soone whiche receiue the woorde of God so soone as it is
such greuouse occasiōs ar set before her that vnlesse she had receyued a sounde perfect faith she might haue forsakē Christ spokē euyl of the gospel of the kingdome C. Therfore the Euangelists for diuerse causes do commende the faith of this woman as now for her inuincible constancie for seing that the sylence of Christe was a certaine kind of repulse it is meruaile that she was not caste downe dyscouraged by this temptation but her continuall prayer was a sufficient testimonie and witnesse of her perseueraunce Notwithstanding this shoulde seeme to be contrary to the nature of fayth and inuocation as sainct Paule describeth the same sayinge that no man can praye arighte without he haue firste hearde the woorde of god Who therefore wyl say that this woman had fayth who Christe holding his peace gathereth and conceiueth a trust of her own selfe But for so much as Christe speaketh two maner of waies yet holdeth his peace we muste note that although hee did then kepe sylence yet notwithstandinge he spake to the mynde of the woman and so this secret instinction of his spirite was in stede of the external preaching Thus the lorde oftentimes speaketh to his faithfull seruauntes and yet holdeth his peace for they bearing them selues bolde vpon the comfortable testimonies of Scrypture where they heare him speakinge doubte not but that he wyl be merciful vnto thē and yet notwithstandynge hee dothe not by and by accomplishe their desires and graūte their petitions but semeth rather as though he dyd not heare We se therfore to what ende Christ helde his peace not to extinguyshe the fayth of the woman but rather to kyndell her feruente fayth and to inflame her to be more earneste Wherefore if so small a seede of doctrine in the womā of Canaan brought forthe suche plentifull fruite it were to to much shame if we shoulde faynt and quayle when he differreth vs and satisfieth not our request And his disciples came and besought The dyscyples beyng wery and anoyed with the importunate suite and crying of the womā came vnto Christe and besoughte him to sende her away saying Sende her avvay E. That is to saye dispatche her eyther by granting to her her petition or els by satisfying her by some other meane C. The disciples trewly craue nothing in the womans behalfe at the handes of Christe but because of her importunate suite they desire to haue her sent awaye Bu. For they them selues shew the cause why they would haue her sent away sayinge For shee crieth after vs. as if they shold haue sayde She weryeth vs excedinglye and aboue measure with cryinge with her complaintes she is irkesome vnto vs in so muche that it is a reproch to vs all if she thus follow vs thou neyther rebukinge her nor grauntyng her petition whereby we maye be in quiet C. But what a foolishe imagination and deuyse of the Papistes was it by this place to teache to pray vnto the dead saintes For lett vs graunte that this woman craued some helpe or fauour at the disciples handes whiche can not be gathered by the texte yet notwithstanding there is a difference betwene the dead and the liuing Bu. It is moste sure and certayne that the sayncts which are alyue on the earth do pray for such as are in trouble affliction and mysery but it is most vncertaine that the saintes in heauen do pray for vs yea it is most sure that they are ignorāt of our cogitations and desyres 24. But he aunswered and saide I am not sent but to the lost shepe of the house of Israell C. Here he sheweth the cause why he doth not heare answere the woman of Canaan because he wolde geue him selfe wholly to the Iewes to whom he was appointed a minister of the grace of god Therefore he argueth of the vocation cōmandement of his father that no helpe muste be shewed to straungers and forreners Not that the power of Christ was alwaies shut and included in such straite bondes but hecause the time dyd so require that he begynninge at the Iewes might for the tyme kepe him selfe whollye vnto them but after his resurrectiō the tyme came that he should preach peace vnto the Gētiles which were alienate frō the kingedome of God. For this cause Christ at the first commanded his Aposteles to kepe thē selues or to preach onely to the Iewes and not to come into the waye of the Gentiles The Apostell Paule also to this effecte callethe Christ the minister of the circumsition He doth therefore truely denie hym selfe to be sente sauing onely to the lost shepe of the house of Israell that is to saye to the Iewes vntil the fulnes of time came in the which the Gentiles shold succede Bu. Hereby let vs learne how greatly the lorde estemed the people of Israell in graunting to thē such a prerogatiue that the sonne of God him self should say that he was specially sent vnto them Whervpon the trueth of goddes promise maye be gathered in that all thinges that God by the prophetes had spoken promysed are now offered and perfourmed to this people Furthermore he dothe not onely call the elect and chosen the lost shepe of the house of Israell but also all suche as came of the stocke of the holy fathers because God comprehēded all vnder the couenaunte and because the redemer was promised to all without exception euen as without exception hee reuealed and offered hym selfe to al men This also is worthy to be noted that he pronounceth him selfe to be geuen to the loste sheepe euen as in an other place he saith that he came to saue that which was loste 25 Then came she and worshipped him saying Lorde helpe mee Then came shee B. This woman hadde a wonderfull trust when that neyther the silence of Christ nor the answere which he made to the disciples by the which he might seme to deny to shewe to her any fauour at all could any whit discourage her but began so much the more earnestly to praye for sayth the Euangelist she came and worshipped hym saying Lord helpe mee The more sharpely shee was repoulsed the more vehemētly she prayed and craued helpe C. Shee semethe therfore obstinatly to contend as though she coulde extorte somwhat from hym by violence But without al doubt the goodnesse whiche by faith she had conceiued of the Messias dyd thus imbolden and encourage her And whereas Christe precisely denying that this her request pertayned to his office she was not dyscouraged neither lefte of her suite it must needes so come to passe as we sayde before by the fyrme and constante faythe whiche shee had conceyued And this is a trewe probation and trial of our fayth when we wyll neuer suffer the generall principle of our saluation which is founded vpon the woorde of God to be taken frō vs. Lorde helpe me A. As if she sholde haue saide I do not perceyue that I am
vnder the Doctrine of the Lawe and the Prophetes insomuche that nothinge almost remayned sounde and perfecte B. But what and howe great this theyr Hypocrisy was Christ himselfe by most playne woordes in the thrée and twentye Chapter following declareth of the which also wee haue noted many thinges in the fifte Chapter goinge before Hée calleth their doctrine leuen because euen as leuen it corrupted and infected manye Obiection Notwithstandinge it maye be demaunded to what ende Marke placeth Herode with the false teachers which professed no such thinge Wee aunsweare that forsomuche as hée was halfe a Iewe vnlike to his auncetours and disloyal hée sought by all meanes possible to seduce the people that dwelt vnder his Dominion For this is the manner of all Apostatase to make one myxsture or other that a new Religiō may aryse which may abbolishe the first Because therefore hee wente about craftely to subuert and ouerthrow the principles of true and aunciente godlynes to the ende that Religion at the lengthe might florishe which was most fitte to his tyranny yea because he sought to brynge in a certayne newe kynde of Iudaysme the Lord dooth not withoute good cause commaunde his Dysciples to take héede of his leuen also For as the Scribes dispersed their errors oute of the temple of God so the Courte of Herode was a shoppe of Sathan to forge quyne other errors Euen so at this daye in the Papacie we sée that Antechrist doth shew out his deceyts not onelye in Temples dennes of Sophisters and Monkes but by the helpe and ayde also of Courtelyke deuynes hée stayeth vp his kingdome so that no arte cunninge or pollicy is wātinge to the same But as Christ did then preuent presente euilles and as hee styrred vppe the myndes of his Dysciples to beware of those thinges that were noxious and hurtefull euen so by this example wée beinge admonished let vs learne at this daye wyselye to take heede what corruptions may hurte vs More easlye maye a man make fyer and water agree then the fayned inuentions of the Pope with the Gospell Whosoeuer therefore desyereth to be vnfaynedlye a Dysciple of Christ let him séeke to kéepe his minde pure from those leuens But and if hee be infected and polluted allready let him laboure so longe in purginge himselfe vntill hee finde no spot or blot anye more cleaninge to him M. But what this doctrine of the Phariseys Saduces was of the which Chryst admonished his Disciples to beware it is to longe by particulers to reherce notwythstandynge it maye be deuided into two kyndes The firste was theyr false exposition of the Law of God teachinge that righteousnes did consist of the externall woorkes of the lawe For this matter wée haue noted many thinges in the fift Chapter going before The seconde was the adding of their owne traditions to the Lawe of God the whiche they commaunded the people to obserue Of the which matter read the fiftene Chapter goinge before 7. And they thought within themselues sayinge we haue taken no bread with vs. A. Some turne this say They contended amonge themselues because Marke for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. The Dysciples supposing that Christ spake of the leuen of bread thoughte that they were forbidden to eate breade with the Phariseys and that they shoulde counte them as excommunicate and therevpon it came into their mindes that they had taken no breade with them and so they contended amonge themselues for the same 8. VVhich when Iesus vnderstode hee said vnto thē O ye of little faith why take yee thoughte within your selues because yee haue brought no breade VVhich vvhen Iesus knevve E. Namelye that his Disciples were carefull because they had forgotten to bring their vittayles into the ship A. fearing for that cause least they should want foode wheras notwithstanding they had him with them which with nothing had fed so many thousands C. By the which they shew agayne how little they profited both by the doctrine of theyr Master and also by his wonderfull workes Therefore according to their deseruing hée sharpely reproueth them sayinge O yee of lyttle fayth As if hée should haue sayd why doth this care vexe youre mynd because you haue forgottē to bring bread as though any thing should be wāting vnto you although ye prouided not for yourselues C. This wicked vngodly care proceded of distrust They therfore which haue no faith or the which they haue beinge very small are founde sometime eyther verye negligent or els very carefull and that in vaine It cōmeth of distrust that wée are so exceding carefull for thinges to come wheras before time wee haue had experience of his helpe haue found him to be a helper in time of néede So that if hereafter wée do distrust we shall not onely with the Dysciples be accused of little fayth distrust but also of ingratitude which is the occasion of the defect want of fayth For ingratitude is the cause that wée are not onely troubled in temptacion and tryall but also that wée are oftentimes ouercome C. Therefore all they are conuinced of infidellity which hauing oftentimes felt the power of God do distrust care out of measure for the time to come For as fayth doth cherish kepe the remembraūce of the giftes of God in our hartes so vnlesse the same be broughte a slepe wée shall neuer forget them 9. Do ye not yet perceiue neither remēber those fiue loaues when there were fiue thousand mē and how many baskets toke yee vp Do ye not yet per. E. The Euangelist Marke sayth Perceyue yee not yet neyther vnderstande haue yee your hartes yet blinded haue ye eyes sée not and haue ye eares and heare not do ye not also remember As if hée should haue sayd you beinge taught and learned so many wayes do ye not yet vnderstād is your harts yet blinded with such cares and after the maner of the Phariseys do ye not sée that which is before your eyes that which you heare with youre eares is vnto you as though yee harde it not By these wordes hée teacheth sufficientlye that wée must not haue a sluggish or slepinge mynd to get a sure trust and confidence in the power and goodnes of God but such a mind which in the woorkes of God vnderstandeth his power and goodnes Neyther remember M. The forgetting of the giftes wonderfull workes of God doth bring great hurte vnto fayth bringeth to passe the hée which hath receyued knowledge of Deuine matters doth make no more accompt of the same then if hee had neuer knowen what it had mente And therefore Moyses did oftētimes inculcate and beate that into the peoples heades sayinge take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule dilligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue séene and that they depart not out of thy hart all the dayes of thy life And in the
thincke your selues vnworthye of euerlastynge lyfe lo wee tourne to the Gentiles for so hathe the Lorde commaunded vs Agayne when the same Paule had playnelye preached to the Iewes remyssion of synnes by faythe in Iesus Chryste they hauynge saide contrary and blasphemed he shoke his rayment and sayde vnto them your bloudde be vpon your own heades from henceforthe wyll I go blamelesse to the Gentiles By the whiche meanes truely he bounde the vnfaythful the worde of God was fulfylled For so long as the Iewes persisted in theyr obstynate and rebelliouse beleefe the bondes of theyr synnes were not loused In lyke maner in an other place Peter bounde Symon Magus with these woordes Thy money peryshe with thée because that thou hast thought the gift of God might be bought with money thou haste neyther parte nor fellowshippe in this busines for thy harte is not ryghte before God. By these examples we see howe the Apostels dyd bynde and louse remyt and retaine sinnes C. Howe be it we must note that to binde and retaine sinnes is a thinge accidentall to the Gospel and as it were contrary to nature as Paule also teacheth when he speaketh of vengeance the which he saith he is ready to take on al disobedience by and by he addeth when your obedience is fulfilled For vnlesse the reprobate by their owne faulte shoulde tourne theyr lyfe to deathe and destruction the Gospell should be to euerye one the power of God to saluation yet notwithanding because the same beinge heard the impietie of many openly bursting forthe dothe more prouoke the wrath of God to such it must nedes be a deadly sauoure To be shorte the entent and purpose of Christ was to certify his disciples of the saluation promysed vnto them in his Gospell that they myghte haue no more doubt to seke for the same than if he hym selfe shoulde come a witnesse from heauen Agayne he mente to bringe a terrour and feare to the mindes of the wicked and contemners lest they shoulde thincke to mocke and despyse the mynisters of his woorde vnponished the which two thinges were very necessary For because the incomparable treasure of life is set before vs in earthen vesselles vnlesse the authoritie of the external doctrine were after this manner stablished and confirmed euery momente almoste the fayth and credite therof wolde fayle and vanishe away Againe the wicked do thus bouldly dally and scoffe because they thyncke that they haue onelye to do with men Christ therfore pronounceth that by the preachinge of the Gospell in earthe it is reuealed what the celestiall iudgement of God shall he and that frō no other thynge we oughte to fetche the certaintie of lyfe or deathe Here appereth great honour that we are the interpretours of God to testifie saluation to the worlde An excellent maiestie is it of the Gospell that there is an imbassage sayde to be betwene God and men of mutuall reconciliation To be shorte a wōderfull consolation and comforte is it to the myndes of the Godly that the message of saluation brought vnto them by a mortall man is confirmed and ratified before god In the meane tyme let the wicked and vngodly scoffe and deryde at their pleasure the doctryne whiche is preached by the cōmaundement of God at the length they shall feele howe truely and seryousely God threatened theim by the mouthe of men Many trewelye do despyse blaspheme and rayle at the Gospel but when this power of binding is geuen to the mynisters of his woorde let not ieringe scorners thynke that they shall be suffered to deryde the woorde of God without ponishement Wherefore let all Godly teachers being armed with this trust confidence promise without all doubt this liuely grace of God to thē selues and to others let them no lesse boldely thunder against all impudent contemners of their doctrine Christ truely wēt not about to flatter Peter but to comfort him to shew that a newe reuelation muste not be looked for from heauen but that we must be sure certain of the doctrine which is taken out of the Gospell Hitherto we haue plainly expounded the proper true sence of the woordes in such wise that nothyng can be wanting vnles that Romishe Antechrist seking to bring in a cloake for his tyranny dare take vpon him wickedlye falsely to peruert the trewe meanyng of this place And although the light it selfe of true interpretation whiche we haue broughte be sufficient to pourge his obscure darknes yet notwithstanding lest any thing should stay or hinder the godly readers we will with a brefe confutatiō wipe away his stinkynge and vnsauery calumniations First of all he fayneth immagineth Peter to be the foundatiō of the Churche But what man is hee so blinde that seeth not that to be spokē of the faith of Peter whiche he referreth to the person of man Wee graunte that in Greeke Peter Petra a stone do signifie al one thinge as is shewed before sauing that Peter is Nomen Atticum and Petra a name of the common speche but this varietie was not without cause noted of Matthew for the kinde is altered to note some other matter And there is no doubt but that Christ with his owne woordes dyd note some difference Very wisely therefore doth S. Austine teache vs that Petra a stone is not so called of Peter but Peter of Petra euē as we are called christians of Christ But we will not be tediouse seing the saying of Paule is most certain an infallible truth whē he saith that the churche of Christ can be founded builded vpon nothing sauing vpō Christ only The Pope can not bring in an other foūdatiō without blasphemy without he robbe Christ of his honour And truly how much we ought to detest and abhorre the tyranny of the Pope and papacye I can not with woordes expresse sufficiētly because by the meanes of him his the foūdation of the church is takē away insomuch that the opē mouth goulfe of hell swalloweth vp miserable sowles Moreouer this parte as it was saide before pertaineth not as yet to the publike office of Peter but only one speciall place among the rest amid the holye stones of the temple is geuen vnto him Those glorious titels which followe do pertaine to the office of the Apostelship whereupon it followeth that nothinge was spoken to Peter which pertaineth not to the rest of the Apostels also For if the dignitye of the Apostelshippe be cōmon among them then must all thinges elles be common which are annexed and knit to the same But Christe speaketh only to Peter by name For as one in the name of all confessed Christ to be the son of God so in like maner Christ speaketh to one whose woordes notwithstanding pertaine indifferently to all the reste Neyther is that reason of Cipprian and others to be reiected when he sayth that Christe spake to all in the
with Christ shal raigne with Christ In the glory of his father C. Christ maketh mention of the glorye of his father of the angels lest that his disciples shold iudge of his kingdome according to the present sight for as yet it lay hyd being base and contemned vnder the shew of a seruante He sheweth therfore that he shal be in an other maner of estate when he shal come to be the iudge of the worlde A. For the sonne of man shall come in his glorye all his angels with him and he shal sit vpon the seate of his glory all nations shall be gathered before him Also these thinges serue to terrifie those which delight in their wickednesse vyce which shall not be able to abide his face For although the lord toke vpon him humaine nature yet notwithstanding he abideth vnchanged in the eternall glory of his father and hath loste nothing eyther of his diuine substaunce or glory for he is of lyke substance maiestie and glory with the father All the Angelles serue him beinge the ministers of God and ordeyned to fulfill his cōmandement Whose power howe great it is maye appere in that one angell dispersed the mightye campe of the Assyrians in one night a hundred fowre score fiue thousand of them being slain But and if one angell be of such power what shall they not be able to subdue and ouerthrowe when they being altogether come with the lorde to Iudgement And then shall he revvarde euery man B. This sentence is often vsed in the scriptures the which they peruert who go about to proue that we are iustified by our workes because forsothe we are iudged according to the same when as Chryste speaketh not here of the cause of saluation They consider not that the tree is iudged according to his fruite and yet notwithstandinge that the fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite When we se figges on the tree wee iudge by by the tree to be a fygge tree yet notwithstandynge the fygges are not the cause that it is a fygge tree but when it was made a figge tree then it brought forth figges Euen so in al thinges the worke iudgeth of the worker For it makethe not the worker but is broughte to passe and wrought of the worker In lyke manner good workes do declare a good man to be the sonne of God but they make him not to be the sonne of god Therefore woorkes do not iustifie that is to say they do not make vs the more acceptable vnto God the whiche workes can be nothing elles but synne condempninge if so be they be wrought before thou be purified and regenerated by the spyrite of God because that an euill tree can not bringe forthe good fruite But the lorde describynge his iudgemente saythe after the manner of men that euery man shal be iudged according to his woorkes euen as wee commonly are wonte to iudge Neyther doth he say that euery man shal receyue accordynge to his woorkes as thoughe that our workes were the fyrste cause of our saluation For the specyall cause why we obtaine euerlasting life is the voluntary free wil of God the second cause are the merites of Christ for he died for the saluation of al mankind but this also is a free gyfte of the good wil of god The thirde cause is our Fayth by the whiche we imbrace and receyue this good wyll of God and the merytes of Christe For he that beleueth hath euerlastinge lyfe but that faythe also by the whiche we do beleue is the worke gifte of God in vs for the merite of Chryste Also good woorkes may after a sorte be said to be the cause of our saluation but improperly because euery man shall be rewarded accordyng to his deedes but these also are the gyftes of Goddes good wyll the effects of Christs merites and the fruites of fayth For there is no good woorke acceptable vnto God but that whiche is done for the loue of God the whiche loue no man hath but he whiche beleueth in god And no man can beleue in God but suche as are inspired with the spirite of God whiche pertayneth onely to the sonnes of god This spirite is onely geuen vnto those whose sinnes are remitted and whom he hath chosen before the foundation of the world was layde All the partes therfore of our saluation are a gyfte and woorke of the wyllynge and free wyl of god But we must note here that Christ saide not he shall geue to euerye man accordynge to his faythe the whiche lyeth hyd and whiche euery wicked man boasteth that he hath but accordinge to his woorkes whiche can not be obscure and hid for workes are a seale of our sayth The Apostell Paule speaketh thus of this Iudgement of Christe we must al appere before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man maye receiue the woorkes of his owne body accordinge to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And in an other place the Apostell saith Thou heapest vnto thy selfe wrathe againste the daye of Iudgement when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God whiche will rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes that is to say prayse honoure and immortalitie to them which continue in good doinge and seke immortalitie But vnto them that are rebelles and do not obeye the trueth but follow vnrighteousenes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that dothe euyll C. Let this therfore be the somme that these two do very well agree namely that we are iustified freely because wee are acceptable vnto God without oure merite and yet notwithstandinge that he accordinge to his good pleasure geueth and imputeth and vndeserued rewarde to our woorkes A. As concernynge the whiche matter reade the fyfth chapter goinge before 28 Verely I say vnto you there be standinge here whiche shall not taste of deathe till they se the sonne of man come in his kingedome Verely I say vnto you M. As touching this woorde verely rede the fifth chapter goinge before There be standinge here C. Because the disciples might dought among them selues when this day should come the lord erecteth thē with a more specyall trust saying that it shal not be long ere that he geue vnto some of them a shew of his glory as if he should haue said If you thincke the time to longe before I come I wyll come betime for before you dye that kingdome of God whiche I byd you hope for shall be set before your eies M. Some vnderstode this sentēce of the extreame and last day of iudgemēt thinking that Christ mēt here that Iohn the Euangelist shold not die vntyl the day of iudgement but the Euangelist him selfe sheweth that this opinion of him conceiued was not true Wherefore we must vnderstand that the cōming of the kingdome of God is the reuealing of the heauenly glory
in a base contemned person C. Luke saith that this was done when he praied But by the circumstance of the place and tyme we gather that which we saide euē nowe namely that he praied that there mighte be a visible sighte or shewe of his deitie in the brightnes of a newe forme the which thing he obtayned not because it was necessary that he shoulde pray for that which he wāted him selfe or because the wyll of his father was doubtful but because in humillitie he referred all that he did to his father and would by his exaumple incourage vs to praye And his face did shine C. Luke hath And it came to passe as he praied the fashion of his face was altered Yet notwithstāding this transformatiō did not set forth Christ to be seene of the disciples according to the glory which he hath nowe in heauen but he gaue them a tast of exceding glory accordinge as they were able to cōprehend the same His face dyd then shine as the sonne but now it dothe far excede the son in brightnesse A strange and vnwonted brightnesse shone then in his apparell but nowe his deuine maiestie shineth without apparel in his whole body So God appered in tyme paste to the holy fathers not as hee was in hym selfe but as they were able to abyde the beames of his excedinge brightnesse M. But whereas Christ was transeformed frō the forme of humillitie into that heauenly deuine shape it was a manifest token that the state in the which he was then was not eternal but mutable and subiecte to chaunge not that the substance of his body was subiecte to trasmutation and chaunge in so muche that the veritie of his humaine fleshe shoulde be turned into the veritie of the spirite God forbid but that there should be a trāsmutation of the humaine condition fragillitie his manhode abidinge styll M. But where as he was transformed while hee was at praier it sheweth howe wee are trāsformed into God when we are praying for the which cause we ought to be the more earnest to pray Herupō it came to passe that the fathers holy men were so often times in minde rapte caryed into heauen As Peter the Apostel of Chryst Daniell to whome an Angell appered when he was in prayer declarynge vnto hym thinges to come Cornellius who in praier sawe an Angell And Paule who as he praied saw Ananias in a vision laiing his hād on him Also the same Paule testifieth of him selfe thus When I was come againe to Hierusalē and praied in the temple I was in a traunce and sawe hym saying vnto me make hast and get the quickely out of Hierusalem for they wyll not receiue thy witnes Hereby we gather that they are most farre from the company and fellowship of God of the heauenly spirites whiche are neuer ledde by the feruencye of the mynde to prayer And his clothes vvere as vvhite as C. It is not mete that any man should dispute or reason subtilly about the whitenes of his apparell or of the brightnes of his countenance seing that this was not a perfecte declaration of his heauenly glory but a signe which did onely pertaine to the measure capacitie of flesh M. For as darknes is assigned by Christ to the kingdom of Sathā and externall darckenes to the condemnation also of the wicked for the horror which they shall suffer euen so an excedinge light inspeakeable brightnes is ascribed to the kingedome of God for the glory and pleasure whiche the electe shall haue The iuste saithe our sauiour Christ shal shine as the sonne in the glory of their father As the light E. It is red in a certayne auncient Greeke boke As the snowe and the Euangeliste Marke saith also thus And his raymente dyd shine became very white euē as snow so white as no fuller cā make vpō the earth 3 And beholde there appered vnto thē Moyses and Helias talking with thē And beholde there appered B. No doubt this apperinge and talke of Moyses and Helias dyd make very muche to the declaration of the kingdome of Christ Notwithstandynge it is demaunded whether they were truely present or whether that a figure or shewe onely of them was set before the face of the disciples euen as vysions of thinges absent were sette before the Prophetes Althoughe the matter be so probable that bothe partes may haue good occasion to dispute yet notwithstādinge it is more lykely that they were truely brought into that place Neyther is it any absurditie at all to say seinge that God hath both body soule in his hād power that the dead for a time may be restored to life according to his will. Moyses and Helias dyd not rise vnto thē selues at that tyme but they rose at the will cōmandement of God to be presēt for the time with Christ Againe Question if any demaund how the Apostels knew Moyses Helias whō they neuer sawe it may easely be answered that whē God had set them in the midst before them he gaue thē signes tokens by the which they might be knowne vnto them This truely was done by an extraordinary maner of reuelation that they might certainely knowe Moyses Helias Question But why did these two rather thē any other of the saintes apere Surely that reasō ought to satisfie vs to say that the lawe the Prophetes had no other scope or ende then Christe For it was a great aide helpe to our faythe the Christe came not forth without testimony but was cōmēded of God long before B. Therfore in Moyses the lawe and in Helias the Prophetes are represented M. For althoughe Helias left nothinge writtē behinde him yet notwithstanding after Moyses he was the chiefe excelled all men He restored the polluted law of God to perfectiō yea he was an excellent meintainer setter forth of true godlynes pietie whiche was then almost extinguished C. The talk therfore of Moyses Helias with Christ is the agrement of the lawe and Prophetes with Christe For it behoued the Apostels to be confirmed perswaded that it was no newe doctrine or religion which Christe preached vnto thē but the same wherof the lawe and prophetes beare witnes for excepte they had ben perswaded in this that Christ did not teache any thing contrary to the law and prophets they had euer doubted neither had they ben able with a constante minde to preache the Gospell We haue therfore here a notable seale of our faith when we know that the doctrine of christ is not newely sprong vp as some imagine but of long cōtinuance Talking vvith them A. Onely Luke sheweth for what cause they talked with Christ in these wordes That appered in the maiestie and spake of his departinge whiche he should ende at Hierusalem M. He calleth the death of Christe a departinge or a going out namely of this worlde So in
Moses seate as it was said before signifieth to teache out of the law of God howe men ought to frame theire liues Here also is noted the lawful callinge because Christe therefore commandeth the Scribes to bee hearde because they were the publique teachers of the Church The Papistes counte it sufficiente to haue a titell and to occupy the place of such as should execute the lawe For to this effecte they wrest the words of Christe as though it were necessary obediētly to receiue whatsoeuer the ordinary gouerners of the Churche do commaunde But truely this their cauil is sufficiently confuted by the other edicte of Christe where he commandeth to beware of the leuen of the Pharises If it be not onely lawfull before GOD as oure Sauioure Christ saith but also necessarye to reiecte whatsoeuer the Scribes of their owne braine do mingle with the lawe it shal not be mete truely without greate choyse deliberation and iudgemente to receiue whatsoeuer it shall please them to commaunde Furthermore if Christe shoulde here tie the consciences of those that are his to the preceptes of men he should falselye saye in an other place that they worship God in vaine with the commaundementes of men C. G By these it appeareth that Christ doth not here speake generally But so longe as they sate in Moses seate and continued in the pure and simple interpretation of the lawe teaching those thinges whiche the Lord had commaunded Moses to be done he woulde haue the people to heare them and those thynges kepte also which they commaunded and taught in the name of god For Sainct Augustine very well and accordinge to the minde of Christe expoundeth that the Scribes sytting vppon Moses seate taughte the lawe of God and that therfore the shepe oughte to heare the shepeherds voyce by them as by hyerelings To the whiche wordes he addeth by and by sayinge God therefore teacheth by them But if they go aboute to teache their owne inuencions neither here them nor follow them To the which sentēce agréeth that which the same father hath in his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana saying Because the good and faithfull doe not heare euerye man but obediently heare God himself therfore they are hearde proffitablelye which also lyue not proffitablely Therfore the seate not of the Scribes but of Moses constrained them to teache that whiche was good although they did not that which was good For in their lyse they did what them lyste but the seate being none of theirs suffered them not to teach what them lysted That obserue and do A. For blessed are they which heare the worde of God and kepe it And Sainct Iames saith be ye doers of the worde and not hearers only deceyuing your selues But do not ye after their vvorkes M He therfore vttered these wordes because he knewe that the lyfe of the teachers was more followed thā their doctrine obeied But he speaketh specially of their hypocrisy by the which they did contaminate and destroye all their woorkes yea euen those which were good Whervppon he addeth as hereafter followeth sayinge All that they do is to be sene of men For they saye and do not They said or taught truely out of Moyses that all thinges shoulde be done by a true faith and iuste feare of the Lorde that trueth and equitye shoulde be imbraced that euery man shoulde so doe vnto his neighbour as he woulde be done vnto that they shoulde haue a stedfast harte geuē to the glory of God in the ceremonies of the lawe that they would at no time follow their owne will and such lyke These thinges they spake but these things thei obserued not For whether they gaue almes prayed or fasted or fulfilled any of the ceremonys they did it to be sene of men not to be accepted of God as it is sayde before They soughte euerye wheare for their owne but in the meane time they wanted mercy and compassion iudgement and faith euen as the Lord him selfe as followeth casteth in their teeth But to worke do after this maner is as auayleable with God as to do nothing at all And this is the cause that our Sauiour Christ saith They saye and do not 4. Yee they binde together heauy burthens and greuouse to be borne and laye them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not heaue at thē with one of their fingars Yee they bynde together heauy burthens C. Our Sauiour Christe doth not here accuse the Scribes as thoughe they dyd tyrannically oppresse mens minds with vniuste lawes For although they had brought in many superfluouse rites as maye appeare by other places yet notwithstanding Christ doth not now touch that falte because he doth compare the true doctrine with a wicked and dissolut lyfe So that the greuouse burthens and hard to be borne which being bound together they layd on mens shoulders were the liuely and expresse commaundements of God the which as Peter also witnesseth neither they nor their fathers coulde beare For who euer at any time was endewed with that spirit that he was able to obserue without any trāsgression so many rytes and ceremonies as the lawe prescribeth Who also fulfilled at any time those thinges whiche properly are cōtained in the law Christe onely excepted C. It is no merueile therefore if the lawe be called a burthen heauy and greuouse to be borne and specially in respecte of our infirmitye But althoughe the Scribes did require nothinge more than that which was commaunded of God yet notwithstandinge Christe dothe here reproue that whiche was to straight and austere an order of teachinge which was common to these proude ypocrits namely in that they imperiously exacted and cruelly demaunded of others whatsoeuer was dewe vnto God and were inexorable and seuere in vrginge and requiringe of deuties wheras they fauored thēselues in those things which they so seuerely enioyned to others In the whiche sence the prophete reprocheth them when he sayth that they ruled the people of God cruelly and churlishly For they which feare GOD in dede althoughe they study to frame disciples according to his wil yet notwithstanding because they are more seuere towarde thēselues than towards others they are not such seuere exactors and vrgers of deutie Furthermore because they knowe their owne infirmitie they do willingly beare with the weake But there is nothinge more bolde and cruell to commaunde then the wicked contemners of God because they haue no regarde to the difficultie from the which they exempte themselues Wherfore there is no man that shall moderately commaunde others but hee which is first a maister to himselfe But they themselues vvil not heaue at them vvith one of their fingars M. G. The Euangeliste Luke hath these woordes Ye lade men with burthens whiche they are not able to beare and ye your selues toutche not the packes with one of youre fingars But by those commaundements of the lawe and by those harde preceptes of the rites and
be odiouse opprobiouse execrable because fylthyly it defiled the glroy of God in polutinge the honour of his grace A. To the whiche ende also those horrible thretninges do pertaine the whiche the lorde vsed againste Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum Hovve often tymes vvolde I haue C. This is rather a displeasure taken than a putting He doth as yet trewely shew mercy on that cittie ouer the which he wepte a lyttell before but hee is more sharpe and seuere againste the Scrybes the authors of destruction euen as theye deserued Howebeit he doth not spare the rest all the whiche were gyltie accessaries and fellowes of the same falte but drawinge all into lyke gyltynesse of the facte he dothe specially inuey against the captaynes them selues whiche were the cause of all euyll Nowe let vs note the vehemencie of the speache If the grace of God had ben symply forsaken at Hierusalem the ingratitude was nowe in no poynte to be excused but seynge that God did seke to wynne the Iewes to him selfe louingely and getlely and did profyte nothinge at all by so greate clemencie the falte of so proude consumely and contempte was a greate deale the more hainouse To this also was adioyned wilfull and vnruly obstinacy because God did not seke to gather them once or twise onely but he sente continually froÌ„ time to time one prophet after an other whiche were reiectted for the most parte euery of them and of the greatter parte A. For thus it is wrytten in the sacred hystorye Moreouer all the rulers the priestes and the people trespassed more synninge after all manner of abhominations of the heathen polluted the house of the Lorde whiche he had hollowed in Hierusalem And the Lorde of theyr fathers sent vnto them by his messengers rysinge vp betymes and sendynge for he had compassion on his people and on his dwellinge place But they mocked the messengers of God despysed his woordes and misused his prophetes vntil the wrathe of God rose agaynste his people and til there was no remedy Bu. Christ therfore dothe not speake of his time only but he signifieth that he woolde haue brought this thinge to passe oftentymes before he was man Wee must note this woorde together for they are all dispersed whiche are alienate from god But the sonne of God came to gather those together in one whiche were dispersed God dyd this thynge also from the beginnynge of the worlde and dothe it at this daye also This thinge he dothe alwayes that when his are dispersed through syn he bringethe theim vnto hym agayne by Christe to be ingrafted in his bodye Thy children together He compareth Hierusalem to a mother accordynge to the maner of the Scripture which commonly calleth the cittezens chyldren Euen as the henne gathereth her chickens Consider and weye these wordes and this symilitude more diligently with how earnest affection and burning harte he propounded the same and thou shalte know and see in this howe to behaue thy selfe towarde Christe howe thou mayste vse him and what profyte he shall bring thée Onely beholde and consyder the hen and her chyckins Thou seest that Christe is here connyngly depaynted and more expressely set forthe than anye paynter by arte can brynge to passe There is scarse any other creature to be found that is so carefull diligent and louinge to theyr young ones and that seketh with such industry and constancie in peryl to defend them It is most certayne that our soules are the chickins of Christe the kytes in the ayre that seeke to set vpon theim to destroy them are the deuilles which are muche more crafty to catche oure soules than are the kytes to take the young chickins from the henne We are vnder the wynges and protection of Christe when as with trewe faythe wee cleane not to our selues or to any other thynge but onely to Christe when we commit oure selues wholly vnto hym and get vs vnder his righteousenes whiche we count our protection and safegard euen as the chickins who are neyther defended by theyr owne strength nor by running a waye but by hidinge them selues vnder the body and winges of the hen A. For he whiche wyll stande in the iudgement of God let hym not say I am of sufficyente force I perfectly fulfyll the lawe I am voide of care I trust to my woorkes but let him obiecte the righteousenesse of Christe to the father lette him suffer the same to be examined by the iudgemente of God and so it shall depart away alone with victory Let euery man thereefore get and hyde him selfe vnder this which is ordayned to saluation lett him truste and beleeue that he shall be safe by the same the which also he shall obtayne by this faythe and not by his owne merite or by the deserte of faythe but for Christ and his righteousenes sake For it is no trewe faithe whiche is otherwise gotten So Dauyd speakinge of this trust saith Who soo dwelleth vnder the defence of the moste higheste shall abide vnder the shaddowe of the almighty The same shal saye vnto the Lorde Thou arte my hope and my stronge holde my God in whom I will truste For hee shall delyuer mee from the snare of the hunter c. all the whiche thinges are spoken of the faith of Christe howe the same consisteth and abideth safe from all peryll and destruction of humayne doctrine and temptatioÌ„s of the deuyll as well spirituall as carnal C. Nowe let vs note wherefore Christ compareth him selfe in the person of God to a henne A. For this cause surelye that hee myghte declare the excedinge affection of his minde towardes our saluation C. and also that he myght brynge more ignominie to this wycked nation whiche reiected his sweete and motherly inuitations This surely was a wonderfull and vnspeakeable documente of hys loue that hee dysdayned not to humble him selfe to speake fayre to the ende hee mighte winne the rebelliouse and obstynate into his obedience and loue The lyke reprehention with reproche is to be redde in Moyses where it is sayde that God as an Egel spreadeth forth his winges to imbrace the people And although God in one manner doth not extende and spreade out his winges to cheryshe and defend that people yet notwithstanding Christe dothe apply specially this forme of speakynge to one kynde because the prophetes were sente to gather the wanderinge and dispersed into the bosome of god By the which he declareth that the worde of God is at no tyme set forth vnto vs but he by his motherlike louâ—… openeth his lappe vnto vs beinge not contente therewith he humbleth him selfe in desendinge to the symple studye care of a hen to defende her chickins Wheruppon it followeth that oure ingratitude were to monsterouse if we woulde not suffer oure selues to be gathered of him Certeinelye if the fearefull maiestie of God came into our remembraunce of the one part and our filthy and base condition on the other parte wee
preachers of the word Althoughe theyve impudente yet by this one thinge they are forced to yelde that none can be a successor of the Apostles excepte hee be a preacher For who soeuer teacheth not doth in vaine take vnto him the name of an Apostle A. And this preachinge of the Gospell which Christe here committeth to the mynisters of his word hath also the preachinge of repentance ioyned with it as S. Marke teacheth sayinge that Christe preached thus The time is come and the kingdome of God is at hand Repent and beleue the Gospell And againe hee sayth to his Apostles Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer and to ryse againe from death the thirde daye and that repentaunce and remission of sinnes shoulde be preached in his name amonge al Nations To preache the Gospell therefore is to exhorte all men to repentaunce and to pronounce remission of sinnes to all those that repente in the name of Christe who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For hee which shal repent and beleue the Gospel sheewinge remission of sinnes shal be saued But as for those that teache not this Gospell but rather their owne dreames who dare say that they are the ministers of Christ and that they are sente and oughte to be receiued All Nacions C. Here Christe without all exception maketh the Gentiles equal with the Iewes and admitteth both of them without difference to the societye of the couenaunt And thus was the Prophesye of Esay fulfilled where hee sayth that Christ is geuen a light to the Gentiles that he might be the saluation of God to the vtmost parte of the earth And this was the meaninge of Marke when hee said To all creatures because after the peace was preached to the househoulde the same was sent to straungers and such as were farre of M. Therefore the doctrine of saluation the grace of Christes kingdome must be offered to all men The father hath so disposed it and for that cause hee sente his sonne into this world and gaue him power of all thinges that the world might be saued by him Wherefore the Gospell must be preached to men and women to oulde yonge to the wise and foolishe yea to all estates not in the lattine tonge as certaine deceyuers and false teachers haue taughte but to euery one in his owne tongue A. And this is to be noted that if all Nations must be taught accordinge to this commaundement of Christe it followeth that all men throughoute the whole worlde were naturally in error and ignoraunce and that neither the Iewes by the doctrine of the law nor the Gentiles by the studye of Philosophye coulde come to the knowledge of the truthe The lawe and the Prophetes did foreshewe the comminge of Christ but they were not able to set forth this lighte of the grace of Christe For the vale honge yet before the harts of the Iewes by the which also at this daye they are kepte from the knowledge of the truth So that the whole worlde withoute the light of the Gospell is in darkenes and in the woorkes of darkenes and so vnder the kingdome of Sathan which is the prince of darkenes Therefore Christe sayth that his Apostles are the lighte of the world that is to say the mynisters of the light of the Gospell Baptizinge them C. Christe commaundeth those to be baptized whiche subscribe to the Gospell and professe themselues to be Dysciples partly that baptisme might be vnto them a pledge before God partlye an outwarde signe of fayth before men For wee knowe that God by this signe declared the grace af his adoption because hee doth ingrafte vs into the bodye of hys sonne that he might count vs of his flocke But as God by this signe confirmeth his grace vnto vs euenso whosoeuer offer thēselues to baptisme do in like maner bynde their faith as with a sure pledge M. What Baptisme is and what it is to baptize reade the thirde Chapter goinge before Christe did not here institute Baptisme for it may appeare out of Iohn that hee baptized his Disciples before And hee doth therefore make mencion of Baptisme here that the Apostles mighte knowe what they shoulde do with those whiche repented and beleeued the Gospell namelye to baptize them in the name of the father of the Sonne and of the holy ghost and to appoint them to keepe those thinges which hee himselfe hath commaunded C. Hereby againe we gather that none are lawfull mynisters of Baptisme but they which also minister the word Whereas therefore it hath bene permitted to priuate men and to women also to minister Baptisme it is contrary to the institution of Christ and a meere prophanation of the Sacrament Moreouer Doctrine is set in the first place because vntill God geeue life vnto the terrestriall elemente by hys word it is not made a sacrament to vs Wherefore let vs knowe that it commeth to passe by the vertue of doctrine that the signes take vnto them a newe nature euen as the externall wasshinge of the fleshe beginneth to be a spirituall pledge of regeneration the doctrine of the Gospell goinge before And this is the true consecration in steede whereof the Papistes bringe in their magicall exorcismes And therefore in Marke it is sayde Hee whiche beleeueth is baptized shal be saued By which wordes Christ doth not onlye exclude hypocrites from the hope of saluation whiche beinge voyde of faith haue only the external signe but also ioyneth baptisme to the holye bonde of doctrine B. Baptisme therefore is ioyned to preachinge as the seale of preachinge by the whiche the faithfull are assured that their sinnes are forgeeuen by Christ and is geeuen to them for a testimony that they are counted of the house should of god C. But because Christ doth commaunde to teach before baptisme be ministered Obiection and will haue those onelye that beleeue to be receiued to baptisme Baptisme seemeth not to be rightly mynistered excepte fayth go before accordinge to the opynion of the Anabaptistes who for that cause deny the baptisinge of Infantes vntill they come to that age that they maye be taught and beleeue This may easely be aunswered if a man waye the order of the commaundemente Christe commaundeth the embassage of eternall saluation to be caryed to all Nations hee confirmeth the same by adding the seale of Baptisme And the faithe of the word is iustly set before baptisme seing the Gētiles were altogether alienate frō God neither had they any fellowshippe with the chosen people For otherwyse the figure should lye whiche should offer remission of sinnes and the gift of the holye Ghoste to the vnbeleeuinge whiche were not as yet the members of Christe But wee knowe that they are gathered and broughte to the people of God which before were dispersed Neither is baptisme after this sort seperated from faithe or doctrine because althoughe yonge infantes for want
prayer and the ende thereof 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 2 Priuate praier and the end thereof Liplabour in praying must be eschewed Colde pâ—…chers vsâ—… labour Luke 1â—… 1. Thes Popysâ—… laboure Popishâ—…er is soâ—…uery 〈◊〉 stedeâ—… it proâ—… pedleâ—… â—…e 1. â—…abourers â—…ompared vnto the â—…kes 〈◊〉 is not â—…d with â—…des 1. King. 18. Aunswere Praier is the exercise of our faythe Chap. 12 The first table of prayer in the whiche we aske those thinges that pertain to the setting forthe of Goddes glory The Lordes praier consysteth of syxe petitions The lawe of God is deuyded into two tables A time conuenient for prayer The profouÌ„d treasure conteyned in the lordes praier Two things to be considered of them whiche pray God is our father Psalm â—… Psalm â—… 1. King â—… .2 Cro. â—… Prayeâ—â— be gâ—â—â— vpon 〈◊〉 Chap. â—… Christ iâ—… made 〈◊〉 sonnes â–ª â—…ur prayâ—… muste â—…eeke the of God. â—…h 6. â—…llowâ—… gods Esay 52. Ezech. 36. Ezech. 39. Roman 2. Gods kingedome Mannes naturall affections resist god The destruction of the old man is the beginninge of gods kingedome 1. Cor. 15. Godâ—… Godâ—… is scrâ—… vnto 〈◊〉 scriptâ—… maneâ—… waies Psal. â—… Iohn 6. â—… Thes 4. â—…he seconde â—…ble of prayâ—… in the â—…hich we ask â—…se thinges â—…t parteine our soules Mans labor without goddes blessinge is nothinge 4. King. 6. Aunswere Al our meats and drinkes without goddes blessinge are nothinge Philip. 4. Our fyâ—… make vâ—â—ters vrâ—â— Roma â—… â—…ission of â—…s putâ—…way saâ—â—tions â—…ission of â—…es in â—…te putâ—… way the â—…s parâ—… 〈◊〉 5. Psalm 32 Iohn 20. Esay 43. Math. 18. Augustin Sathan is an ennemy to the godly Gene. 22 The tempâ—…tion of the â—…uill is as 〈◊〉 were a pâ—… of bellowâ—… to kindellâ—… wycked aâ—…tions Chap. 1. 1. Sam. â—… â—…ingdome â—…er gloâ—…â—…longeth â—…ed â—…m 145. 1 Cor. 14 Math. 18. Of fastinge A definition of fastinge The fastynge of hypocrites Popishâ—… 2. Samâ—… 2 Sam. â—… Ruth â—… Luke â—… Mathâ—… â—…t diffeâ—…â—…twene 〈◊〉 and faâ—… â—…de of 〈◊〉 â—…ousnes â—…nfected â—â—n â—…ousnes 〈◊〉 cloake Riches are subiecte to ruste Couetousnes is a distrust in God. 1. Timo. 6. Couetousnes is the roote of all euell Luke 12. Prouer. 19 1. Tiâ—… Col. 3â—… Worâ—… forsâ—◠〈◊〉 3. Our affections must be guyded by the eye of Gods spirite The Papists vpoÌ„ this place geue free wyl Esay 29. Coueâ—… persoâ—… sake tâ—â—â—…nice oâ—… Româ—… Godâ—… serueâ—… our hâ—… â—…8 â—…ate â—…bid â—…cesâ—…quiâ—… Psalm 127. Ephe. 4. Mans lyfe consisteth not in meate and drynke Luke 12. Gods prouidence Heâ—… Gâ—… deâ—… leaâ—… Dâ—… Psâ—â— â—â—umption â—…xcessiue alwayes â—…yned toâ—…r â—â—o â—â—e 12. â—â—h 5. The flowers of the field far surmounteth all the glory of the worlde Excessiue care ryseth vpon the want of faithe Ignoâ—â— the orâ—… of exceâ—… care Psal. â—… â—…ion â—…were â—…4 〈◊〉 11. Distrustfull care hath euer respect vnto the tyme to come Rashe iudgement Luke 6. Iam. 3. True â—…ment Esay â—… 〈◊〉 6. â—…er 17 Men are diligent to note the faltes of their brethren but not their owne Math. 15.22 and .23 Luke 13. Mark â—… 2. Croâ—… Aunsâ—… Wicâ—â— are 〈◊〉 to hoâ—… dogâ—â— Matâ—… Thâ—…â—…riesâ—… oughâ—… be sâ—â— theâ—… â—…th 13 â—… Gospell preciouse â—…e â—…o manâ—…â—…f contemâ—… 1. Timo. 1. 2. Tim. 4. Prayer Promises annexed vnto prayer Praier is but a vaine ceremony without faithe God is redy to graunt our petitions Chap. 3. Prayer must haue constaÌ„cy Esay 55. Prouer. 8 Faithful men haue the lorde their watcheman Esay 4 Luke â—â— God by 〈◊〉 owne 〈◊〉 is voyde 〈◊〉 affectionâ—… â—…o 4. â—…n 5. â—…h 6. Equitie Euery maÌ„ for him selfe is an indifferent iudge Esay 1. 58 Amos. 5. Roma 13. Gala. 5. The liâ—… man is 〈◊〉 eyther 〈◊〉 or deathâ—… Manâ—… hath 〈◊〉 endes 〈…〉 〈…〉 Math. 14. Ierem. 23. Actes 20 Roman 16. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Petr. 2. The monkes and friers go in shepes clothinge Papâ—… Tâ—… ofâ—… Thâ—… dâ—… hâ—… Iohâ—… Obâ—… â—…tion â—…were 〈◊〉 3. â—…ope is â—…a raue â—…â—…lfe â—…octrin 〈◊〉 Paule Math. 12 Actes 15 The ponishement of false prophetes Iohn 15. Math. 25. Math. 5. Hyerlinges Ieremâ—… Chapâ—…â—… â—…n 4.5.6 â—…t 6. â—…hn 1. 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 3. The daye of iudgement Math. 25. 1. Cor. 4. Math. 21. Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 14. External profession is nothinge Myracles Nume 24. 1. Sam. 10. Math. 10. Philip. 2. Luke 10. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 11. 2. Thes 2 Deut. 1â—… Math. â—… 2. Tiâ—… 2. Câ—… â—…p 9. â—…e 11. â—…ust be 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and not â—…rs onely â—â—tr 2. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Iohn 4. Psal. 125. Trew fayth Hipocrisie TemptatioÌ„s are a custome to hipocrites Marke â—… Math. â—… 〈◊〉 4. â—…constaÌ„â—…e mulâ—… 〈◊〉 diuiâ—… hereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the â—…uior 〈◊〉 â—…ody â—…e Chap. 1. Chap. 5. Luke 17. Luke 5. Modestie Roma 8. Christes innocency and cleanenes Ephe. 5. The 〈◊〉 Chrisâ—… waâ—â— kynde 〈◊〉 Chriâ—â— physiâ—… â—…good inâ—… beynge â—…ary to 〈◊〉 will 〈◊〉 not him â—…n 15. 〈◊〉 withâ—…â—…owâ—… 〈◊〉 13.14 Popishe auriculer confession is here grounded Chrisost in homel 12. De muliere Cana In consi Late lib. 4. senteÌ„ 14 The deuoute confession of a harlot to a popishe prieste Nectarius byshop of Constantinople toke awaye auricular confession Chrisostom hom 2. in psalm 25. 1. Iohn Mathâ—… 〈◊〉 6. â—…s 4 â—…ation â—…o briÌ„g â—…o â—…c 〈…〉 The blindnes of the Iewes Two things here to be noted Humilitie Aunswere Aunâ—… â—…xample Magiâ—…s and â—…rs of â—…es â—…nce The faithe of the CenturioÌ„ Christe commended the Centurions faith for two causes Lukâ—… Quâ—… Anâ—… â—â—a 9. 〈◊〉 11. â—â—ment â—â—roâ—… 2 Sam 14. Marke 5. Iohn 4. The efficacy of fayth The wante of faith is the cause that our prayers are refused The omnipoteÌ„cy of Christ Man must tary the lordes leysure The effectes of faythe Maâ—… Lukâ—… An 〈◊〉 of faâ—… loue â—…ultes 〈◊〉 not be â—…ed â—â—es are 〈◊〉 messenâ—… â—… 4. Demoniakes The mercy of Christe Esay 53. Aunswere 1. Petr. 2. Marke â—… Luke â—… Carnalâ—… spellers â—…ardely â—…sh waâ—…our â—…6 â—…o 3. â—…e and â—…tate â—…ste Aust aduersus Fau. li. 22 chap. 48. Ciprianus aduer Qui. lib. 3. Philip. 2. Luke 9. Luke 9. Our heauenly father must be obeyed before our earthly father Luke 14. Theâ—… liue 〈◊〉 worâ—… deadâ—… God. 1. Tâ—… 〈◊〉 folloâ—…â—…hrist 〈…〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 8. We can not be in the fellowship of Christ without danger Trouble is a triall of our faith The 〈◊〉 feare Quâ—… Auâ—… All 〈◊〉 feaâ—â— euell 〈◊〉 46. At what time miracles do profyte vs. Augustin The deuyll persecuteth men to the deathe Saâ—… ranâ—… â—…an his â—…dome is â—…tr unto â—…st â—… 16. â—…ng 9. â—…ra 35. â—… 4. Christes comminge bryngeth torment to the wicked Aunswere Mannes mysery Luke 8. Sathan desireth to be amonge men Sathan â—…teth no â—…ture bâ—… Sathaâ—… do notâ—… withoâ—… parmiâ—… God. Iob. 1. Luke â—… â—…s proâ—… â—…mal â—…th to â—…ge â—…godâ—…y The ingratitude of the Gadarenites The countenaunce of god is terrible to the wicked Luke 14. Marâ—… Brâ—â— loue Noâ—… imâ—â—â—
in him that followeth Christ Myracles serued to set forth the glorye of God. Chriâ—… Phisâ—… Mathâ—… Esayâ—… Theâ—… charitâ—… 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 9. Traditions thrust in by men Scribes Iohn 1. Papistes alleadge traditions Thâ—â— of trâ—… Iohn â—… Indâ—â— thingâ—… not be necessaâ—… â—â—ke 7. The order of washing was curiously vrged of the Iewes Popish holye water is made by this place The lawe of God ought to be preferred before mens traditions Traditions of men tye the consciences of gods people Papistes strayne â—…gnat sâ—…low afâ—… Markâ—… 1. Tiâ—… Childâ—… oughtâ—…â—…nour 〈◊〉 Parcâ—â— â—…us of â—…cy Honor dowe vnto parents Commeth of me is not expressed but vnderstoode in the Gereke texte Corban the boxe of the temple Luâ—â— Deâ—â— traâ—â— perâ—â— neâ—â— â—…rituall â—…ship beâ—â—eth to 〈◊〉 â—…onoure â—â—ueth 〈◊〉 God. â—…rifie â—…hyngs â—…serned â—…er Gods worde is sufficient to teache vs how to worshyp hym Fained worshippinges ar abhominable Rom. 14. Ignoraunce is not acceptable vnto God. Markâ—… Maâ—…ence 〈◊〉 welâ—… all euâ—… Godâ—…â—…tures Popisâ—… of meaâ—… drinckâ—… Titus â—…ry in â—…ige 〈◊〉 agre 〈◊〉 must â—…ded The vertu of Christ offended the Iewes Luke 2. Esaye 5. Ierem. 2. Ierem 12 Amos. 9. Esay 60. 2. Cor. 2 The effecte of the Gospell The duetie of a preacher Preâ—…â—…tion 〈◊〉 wâ—… owâ—… naâ—â— Eraâ—… of thâ—… â—…riginall 〈◊〉 saluaâ—… â—â—s geâ—… offen â—…n Blindenesse and ignoraÌ„ce are the cause of destruction Papistes maintayne blyndnesse Gala. 2. Mark. 7. Mâ—â—â—…fâ—…le 〈◊〉 man. Aâ—… â—…orrupâ—…â—…at is in 〈◊〉 defyâ—â— whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. â—…e 7. Roma 15. Math. 10. Rom. 1 2.3 and .10 1. Cor. 1. Gala. 3. The Greeke letter χ is as much as ch Faithe commeth by hearynge Sâ—… wâ—… faiâ—… 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 speaâ—… his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Popishe praier to saintes Ephe. 2. Math. 10. Roma 15. Luke 19. Faith that is firme can not be beaten downe 〈◊〉 made â—â—ntiles 〈◊〉 were â—…ges to 〈◊〉 sonnes 〈◊〉 â—…oÌ„ hath â—…s Marke 7. A constants fayth in the woman of Canaan Luke 18. Chriâ—â— fayth â–ª â—…btayâ—… thinâ—…â—…he haÌ„â—… God. Marke 8. Math. 4.8.9 and 14. Saintes may not be sought vnto for helpe False myracles dishonor God. Acteâ—… Galâ—… Hebâ—… Theâ—… weâ—… Chriâ—… waÌ„â—… 〈◊〉 5. â—…e reaâ—…eth â—…s poâ—… 〈◊〉 11. 1. King. 14. Encrease commeth by the blessing of God. 1. Kings 17. Mans life 〈◊〉 a continuall warfare on earth The truth neuer wanteth enemyes chap 8. Papistes would haue the Gospell confirmed by newe signes Thâ—… set 〈◊〉 croâ—… bâ—…â—…desâ—… wâ—… 〈◊〉 fayâ—… sheâ—…â—…gion â—…e 12. Gene. 1. Esay 35. Gene. 49. It is lawfull to note and obserue the outwarde apperaunce of the Heauens â—…e 4. â—â—ke 8. Error beinge once grounded truth is abbolished Marke 8. Luke 12. False doctrin is compared to leuen Ierem. 5. Deut. 10. Traditions of men bringe in hypocricye Aunsâ—… Antiâ—… Româ—…â—…lye sâ—â—â— his kâ—… Popeâ—…tions aâ—… Gospeâ—… not agiâ—… Two 〈◊〉 of leuen â–ª â—…uste is â—…se of â—…erate Ingratitude is the cause that wee are ouercome in temptation Deut. â—…4 and 25. Psalm 78. Matth 26. Math. 13. 2. cor â—… Mark â—… Luke â—… 〈◊〉 li. 18. 〈◊〉 3 de â—…ui and cap. 16. 〈◊〉 10.12 â—…1 〈◊〉 17. 〈◊〉 the â—…f man. Psal. 8. Esaye 5. The error of the Iewes as concerning the soule of man. Math. 11. Ierem. 1. Thâ—â— of 〈◊〉 Antithâ—… compâ—â— thingâ—…â—…trarye â—…ssion of â—…with â—…th is â—…ed of Chriâ—… Iohn 6. Peter was the mouthe of the Apostels 1. Kings 24. Luke 2. Actes 17. Iohn 17. Luke 4. Math. 8. Math. 21. Esay â—… Gala â—… Epheâ—… Matâ—… â—…his the â—…of God. 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 3. chap. 1. Peter signifieth a stone Ephe. 2. 1. Timo. 1. 1. cor 3. Ephe 2. 2. cor 10. Psal. â—… Numâ—… Deâ—â— Exâ—â— Psalâ—… Ephâ—… Matâ—… 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 21. â—â—er 5. â—…hurche â—…geth to 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Pope 〈◊〉 20. 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 14. â—…ates â—…ot preâ—… against 〈◊〉 Roma 8. 1. Iohn 5. Iohn 10. Christes congregation so longe as it is on earth shall euer be subict to persecutions Esay 22 Luke 11. The 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 lyfe Mathâ—… Aunsâ—… Iohn â—… Luke â—… â—â—ssion of â—â—es by the â—…pell 〈◊〉 42.49 〈◊〉 61. â—…es 26. â—…s 2. 〈◊〉 16. Actes 13. Actes 18. Binding pertayneth to the Gospell Actes 8. 2. Cor. 10. 2. cor 4. The Gospell is a reconsiliacion betwen God man. Auguâ—… 1. cor â—… Ephe â—… â—…christ of â—â—e taketh â—…r the fouÌ„â—…on of the â—…che â—â—ian â—â—he suâ—â—cie Peter was made a doore keper of the kingedome of heauen Peter dyed at Rome Aunswere Truthe at all times muste not be spokeÌ„ â—…achi 2. â—…h 21. â—…lorye of â—…es reâ—…tioÌ„ and â—…the â—…lwaies â—…ed toâ—… Rom. 4. Loue not guided by reasoÌ„ Rashe zeale Good intencions of men not guided by the word of God. Aunswere Gene. 18. Gene. â—… Mathâ—… Peteâ—…â—…led Sâ—… 〈◊〉 8. â—â—p that â—…y beâ—… be aâ—… Rom. 8. Chap 8. Chap. 9. Luke 14. Two things make vs like vnto Christ Iohn â—… Iohn â—… Luke â—… 1. Corâ—… Lukâ—… Versâ—… Theâ—… haueâ—… theâ—… pertâ—â— to thaâ—… â—…0 〈◊〉 4. 1 Peter 2. All are not Martyres thou suffer death without feare The soule of man is immortall Chap. 9. The 〈◊〉 generâ—… Iudâ—â— Maâ—… Luâ—… Maâ—… â—…c 7 â—â—o 2 〈◊〉 25. Angelles are Goddes mynisters 4. Kin. 19. Workes are not the cause of saluation The fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite Three causes of our saluation Iohn 3. Woorkes are a seale of our Faythe 2 Cor. 5. General iudgment Roma 2. Iohn â—… Mark â—… Math. â—… Math. 12. Collos 1. â—…oma 15. â—…ilip 4. â—…bre 10. Marke 9 Luke 9. The cause of Christes traÌ„sfiguration Christe suffered because he woulde Deut. 19. Math. 6. Luke 11. By praâ—… arc traâ—â—med inâ—â— Actes â—… Daniâ—â— â—…ctes 10. â—…ctes 22. â—â—h 13. â—â—ke 9 〈◊〉 deade â—â—ing are â—…ddes â—…demeÌ„t Aunswere Aunswere A sure seale of our faithe Luke 9. Iohn 13 Luke 24 Luke 9 Math. â—… The wâ—â— must 〈◊〉 withall Psalmâ—… Petâ—â—â—…initie â—â—hn 6. â—â—ust imaâ—…â—…nd the â—…g vp of â—â—es Psalm 10 4 Actes 1. Math. 24. 1. Thes 4. Psalm 91 Deut. 4. Hebr. 1. Against images Math. 3. By Chryste we are made heyres Chryst a mediatour Aunsâ—â— Angâ—â—â— not â—â—â—ciler Chriâ—… the soâ—â— two 〈◊〉 persoâ—â— The exâ—…cie of thâ—…â—…pell â—…c 1. â—â—s 2. â—…uentiâ—… men 1. Iohn 4. Luke 10. The infirmitie of man. Deut 5. Exod 30. Châ—â— beâ—â—â—â—…ses â—…rke 9 â—…ke 9 â—…rrour 〈◊〉 Rabâ—… 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 53 â—…ror of â—…ribes The desyre that ought too be in the ignorante Why Iohn the Baptist was caâ—â—ed Helias Luke 1. Matth. 11. Mattâ—… Theâ—â— fetchâ—… withâ—… bodâ—â— to thâ—â— Luke â—… â—…arke 9. â—…he mallice â—…he scribes â—…lâ—…naâ—…â—â—re The nature of Sathan The miserable estate in the which we are set out to moue vs to prayer The care of God for his children The obstinate 〈◊〉 are noâ—… to be forborne The louinge kindenes of Christe A consâ—…tion 〈◊〉 â—…uery 〈◊〉 ought 〈◊〉 2 Tâ—â— Marâ—… 〈◊〉 deuils 〈◊〉 Christ â—…efecte of â—…is the â—…of euill â—…th 13. â—…ely saith Three kindes of fayth 1. A