suerty that God is merciful vnto them But why is Christ baptised which neuerthelesse is without synne Not for his owne behalf but for ours which are synners For he taketh oure synnes vpon hym and deliuereth vs from them And for this cause he cometh to baptisme as the Euangelist sheweth very properly wheras he saith Christ forbidden of Iohn aunswereth Suffer me for this is it mete to fulfill all righteousnes Which is as much as to say In his baptisme is conteyned the righteousnes of al the world For wheras al the worlds synnes are put on me if the recouer of the worlde be sought for I muste do that that God commanded synners to do that is that they should be baptised of the. Do not thou forbyd it but rather further it that euen as I do gladly take vpon me baptisme for synnes sake so do thou gladly procure baptisme for me that the wrath of God may be pacified and remission of synnes ordeyned To this meaning sendeth the Father this voyce out of heauen This is my dearly beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased He speaketh these words at that tyme when Christ is baptised that we may vnderstande that this is oure baptisme and thinke surely that the wrathe of God is pacified and oure synnes purged by this baptisme and that God wil receaue vs again into fauour for his sonnes sake No difficultie or combrance be it neuer so great should take the sound of this voyce and so magnificēt a reuelation out of oure sight and mynde wheras the Lord oure GOD openeth the heauens and sendeth doune the holy Ghost in the forme of a doue wher as God the Father hym self sendeth forth such a pleasant voyce saying Beholde here is for you my sonne whome I loue and esteme aboue all things yea and my self also wholy for you But what doth the sonne he behaueth hym selfe as a miserable and wretched synner and is baptised of Iohn There coulde be no gentler and meker reuelatiō of al the godheade according to the three persons in three sortes than this was so that all men may be sure of this that he that receaueth Christ and beleueth his word and trusteth in his working pleaseth God in all pointes Which thing is set forth and confirmed in this place Whatsoeuer he commandeth saith or doth all that is verily after the will and pleasure of the Father Blessed were we if we wold obey his will and embrace his sonne with a stedfaste faith and confidence But who wold not meruaill at the great madnes of them which at the sound of this most magnificent voice passe by as deafe But yet the rable of Papistes adde to this contempte a more greuouse crime They curse and persecute this voyce and they speake with open blasphemy that Christ is not only he in whome the Father is delighted but that he is delighted also in Mounkes Masses Pilgrimages and suche lyke He that wold earnestly ponder with hym selfe what a blasphemy this is to dishonour and disgrace Gods goodnes and humanitie with such pryde wold thynk it better to dye then to lyue leaste he should fede on that ayer with this wicked kinde Wherfore my childern learne this whyle ye haue occasion A fewe yeares paste ye knew not these things Then was heauen shut vppe Then were we fayne to hear and beleue Mounkes dreames as touchyng purgatorie and terrible spirits and soules and suche other lyes But now other things are taught and only it remayneth that men learne But for as muche as we preuayle nothing with the worlde as touching this at leaste wyse let vs remember oure duetye and geue GOD thankes for this benefite for that he reueleth his mynde vnto vs on this daye geuing vnto vs a thing of inestimable pryce euen the holye Ghost in the lykenes of a doue his owne sonne at Iordane in baptisme and hym self in a voyce full of maiestie and confort Who woulde not therfore condemne hym worthely whiche geueth not thanks which reioyceth not which receaueth not the sonne of God with a feruent desyer whiche standeth here in Iordane receueth baptisme as a synner Upon whom commeth the holy Ghost in the sight of a doue where the Fathers voyce is so nighe that it can be no nigher There is no doubt but that the angels of God were present For where as is the Father the sonne and the holy Ghoste there muste nedes be a great multitude of Angels Wherfore see that ye esteme this hystory hyghly In dede it is a reuelatiō wher as CHRIST openeth hym self to the wyse men by a starre But this reuelation passeth that very farre For these are three especiall kynges God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost whiche are al present together when Christ is baptised If it had so pleased hym this reuelation might haue ben done as well either in the wildernes or in the temple of Ierusalem But it was shewed euen at baptisme of the set purpose of God that we might learne religiously and reuerently to esteme baptisme And bycause we also are baptised let vs esteme oure selues no other wyse then fresh and new made sayntes The pratynge of the Anabaptistes is very great where as they say now that baptisme is nothyng els than water But with what word myght a man sufficientlye curse these execrable heddye persons This is the Iudgement of brute beastes and not of Christians For there is not only water but also the worde of GOD as it is seen at CHRITES Baptisme For God the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghost is present Wherfore it is no more water of the Element but suche water as in the which the Sonne of God is washed vpon the which the holy Ghost is caried God the Father preacheth that this water might not be counted symple water but sanctified whereat God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost is present As Christ also for that cause appoynteth the forme of baptisme that it should be geuen in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Wherfore when a chylde is now baptised the Sonne of GOD is present at this baptisme whiche with his body The holy Ghoste whiche with his presence God the Father whiche with his voyce hath consecrated and halowed baptisme Wherfore it can not be said that it is but water For all the Godhead is present And for this cause we iudge baptisme no mans worke For although a man baptiseth yet he baptiseth not in his name but in the name of the Father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost whiche come and are present at the worke of their owne accorde Or els that wold neuer folow at baptisme that ought to folow Now who is he that wold count this vile and of no valew that God the father the sonne the holy Ghost is present who will be so bold as to calle it very water Is it not euident what God of his owne addeth to
Secondarilye this is to be noted that as the scripture geueth a peculiar name vnto CHRIST and calleth hym the worde of GOD So doth it also geue a proper name to the sprite callynge it Spiritus Sanctus that is the holye Ghoste whiche by his grace doth sanctifye the heartes whiche were before vnholy and defiled with synne This name bringeth greate conforte to all good Christian men For they perceaue that they are weaker then the deuill and vnable at all times to resyste hys temptations And as they are verye sorowfull that they fele the euyll spirite sore sette agaynste them so are they put in good hope that by CHRIST they obtayne the holye Ghoste whiche pardoneth theyr synnes and styrreth them to obeye God truly But howe the holye Ghoste dooth bringe thys to passe it is shewed in Iohns Gospell The holye Ghoste shall reproue the worlde of synne of iustice and of iudgement For so are the properties of the Trinitie discerned in the articles of our faith that GOD the father gaue vs bodye and lyfe and made vs to his Kyngedome And after that oure parentes became the firste synners and vnder deaths danger and we also as by enheritance succeded vnto their synne and forfet The sonne of god was made man and thorough his death restored to vs that that was loste deliuered vs from sinne and death This deliuerance doth the holy ghost set forth by the Gospell and so instructe the heartes of men to beleue therin that is to haue sure confort therin that CHRIST died for them and that they maye not doubt but that they are reconciled to God the father by that death so that he wili no more remember their synnes but will forgeue them for Christes sake This doth signifie the sanctifiynge of the heartes or the purifying by fayth as Peter speaketh in the Actes of the Apostles And wher as is suche remission of synnes by faith so that we do not despaire althoughe diuers sinnes remaine but take sure conforte thorowe the death and resurrection of CHRIST There foloweth at the lenght the second sanctifyinge of the holye Ghoste wherein oure bodyes also are sanctified by the holye Ghoste as when we geue ouer oure selues no more to sin nor be delighted therwith but abstayne and studie to do those thynges that please God as Paule teacheth He that stole set hym steale no more but rather let hym labor with his owne handes that that is good that he maye haue to geue to the nedefull c. This is the propertie of the holy Ghoste to begin in vs a newe and true obedience towarde GOD that we maye resiste synne and mortifye the fleshe and so obtaine remission of oure sinnes by faith But this sanctifying is not parfect by and by with the first For if the fyrst were not the second coulde not muche preuayle For fleshe and bloud are full of infirmitie but the deuill is excedynge mighty against vs and we haue receaued onely the firste fruites of the spirite Wherefore this obedience can not be parfect and there is no sanctifyinge to attayne vnto ryghteousnes before GOD and euerlastynge lyfe than the sanctifyinge of fayth wherof is spoken before For thereof dependeth the whole matter wheras the second sanctifyinge when it hath done all that it can confesseth his owne vnprofitablenes and stycketh onelye to the sanctifyinge whiche commeth of Gods grace and mercie Hereof then is it plaine why the holye Ghoste is so called because it doth make holy and sanctifye that is by the word it stirreth vp in vs fayth towarde CHRIST that thereby we maye obtayne remission of oure synnes Besyde this office of sanctifyinge the holy Ghoste hath other offices as he hath other names in scripture For Zacharie calleth hym the spirite of prayer because he encourageth the heartes to truste surelye in GOD and to call vpon hym in their necessities Also CHRIST calleth hym the conforter whiche helpeth oure heartes by stirringe vs to take paciently all thynges that they shoulde be feared by no misfortune or combrance of the worlde Also he calleth him the spirit of truth because to withstand lies and heresies and to confirme the pure word and true faith he is alwayes bent Wheras contrariwise the deuill by our reason and false doctrine woulde caste vs hedlong into errours and lyes These are the proper offices of the holye Ghoste besyde that he garnisheth the heartes of the faythfull with diuers vertues and gyftes and is suche a conforter that bydeth with vs alwayes where as all the worldlye conforte is but for a tyme and at laste forsaketh vs. Seynge then that the holye Ghoste dooth worke suche greate thynges in vs. This also is to be learned Whiche is the waye to attaine to suche greate gyftes and howe they maye begynne to growe in vs and that we maye receaue the holye Ghoste and thereby be sanctifyed and saued As touchynge this thynge CHRIST hymselfe doth teache vs. Luke xj Wheras he sayth on this wise Seynge that you that are euyll can geue good thynges to youre sonnes howe muche more can youre heauenly father geue his holye spyrite vnto them that aske it of hym Yt is a sentence worthy to be rehearsed teachynge fyrste that GOD woulde that the holye Ghoste shoulde be obtayned by prayer of hym and that he geueth it to them that wyth humble prayers desire it of the father Wherefore when thou haste a desyre in thy mynde to obtayne the holy Ghoste of GOD continewe in prayinge and doubte not but thou shalte obtayne This is the redye waye to obtayne the holye Ghoste For CHRIST hym selfe dooth teache thee so to doo and to call vpon GOD the father often for the holye Ghoste but this prayer as all other prayers muste be made also in the name of IESV and on suche wyse muste we praye GOD that he for CHRIST his Sonne sake wyll geue vs the holye Ghoste And to the attainement thereof haue greate helpe in that that Christ ascended to the father for no other cause but to receaue these gyftes of the father and to geue them vnto vs. Wherfore in our prayers we can not doubt for it is not onely commanded of God that we shoulde praye for the holye ghoste and also promised that we shall obtayne but also his wil is redie to geue it For as muche as Christ therfore sitteth at the right hande of God the father to distribute amongest vs these gyftes For he also receaued them of the father as it is writent in the .lxviij. psal Not for hymselfe but for men to geue them vnto them Besides prayers there are other things also necessary to the obtayninge of the holye Ghoste For we muste haue a feruent studie to read or heare the worde of God and to vse often the Sacraments that all these thinges ioyned to gether may make opē the way for the holy ghost For this is once for all
doth declare Weras he saith whē the conforter cōmeth whō I will send the spirit of truth y◠which procedeth frō the father he shall testifie of me And Christ here doth not onely speake of the office of the holy ghost but also of the substāce of the holy ghost wheras he saith that he procedeth which is as much to say as his proceding is eternal wtout beginnīg For the father frō whō the holy ghost procedeth is without beginning wherfore the Prophet cal hym by a proper name the spirit of the Lorde as ye heard on whitsonday wheras Peter allegeth the saying of Iohel which sayth thus And it shal come to passe in the latter dayes saith the Lord I will shed out of my spirit vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and daughters shal prophecie Marke this worde attentiuely wher God saith I will shed out of my spirit For ther can be els nothing in god that is not eternal almighty holy wife good and perpetuall as he is hymselfe This sentence and many suche other as concerning the holy ghost were the very same wherwith the holy fathers dyd defend this article against the deuil and the worlde and hath maintained it vnto our time that we beleue onely in one god and do confesse furthermore that this one god is god the father god the sōne and god the holy ghost eternally It is not as the heretikes saye and triflingly imagin that these three names do signifie but one person whiche hath diuerslye shewed forth their selues at diuers times If they are troubled with this article because it seme absurde to reason what is that to me For if a man myght reason in this matrer surely I coulde do that and not all of the worste ye and perchaunce better then any Iewe or Turke can But I count this thinge as the greate benefite of god that I do not dispute of this article whether it be true and agreable to reason but wheras I see that it is so plainly set forth in scripture and hath suche a sure fundation I beleue god more than my owne reason neither do I any thinge care howe this shoulde be true that ther is but one substance three persons in one substance For we go not about here to shewe whether the trueth may be cōcluded by a forme of reason but whether this be certayne by the worde of god If the word of god holdeth with thee care for no more It wil not deceaue thee Wher as the word then is certaine and euident as it is proued and this article is maintained of the holy fathers with suche constancie and power stycke thou also surelye therto and dispute not muche how the father the sonne and the holy ghost maye be one god Thou canst not know precisely what is the cause of laughing in the face neither what is the cause of the sight of the eyes that they see a thing so farre of And also when thou slepest wherof it commeth that as muche as belongeth to the bodie thou art deade yet a lyue We can not know a very litle thing of our owne reason yet we presume to go vp into heauē to searche comprehend god in his maiestie with our reason Why do we not first begin to serche our selues after that sorte first learne to know wher lyeth the operation of our senses when we slepe Ther might we dispute without perill But in this article there is great peril And here we must stycke surely simplely to the worde which sayth of Christ that he is the image of the father and his first begotten before al creatures that is he is no creature but eternall god as there are many testimonies in Iohn All thinges are geuen to me from my father he that seeth me seeth my father Doste thou not beleue that I am in the father and the father is in me There is no place for cauillations in this thyng God hath spoken and sayd that ther is no difference betwene the father and the sonne then in that the sonne is begotten of the father But how this sholde be done how this eternall generation shold be we can not know only know we this that as the scripture sayth he is the first begotten before all creatures and the image of the inuisible god in nature So doth scripture also teache of the third person euen of the holye Ghost which is called the spirit of God And as it is taught before he procedeth from the father that is he hath his substance of the father so that ther is no part of godhed wisdom veritie power in the father whiche is not also in the holy Ghoste But how this cōmeth to passe I can not expresse for it can not be by reason comprehended and it is aboue all angels and creatures Wherfore we must thynke and beleue no further of this than is declared in scripture but to the wordes therof we may surely sticke But to know that perfectly is a thynge not belōging to this lyfe but vnto the lyfe to come Wherfore we must differre the vnderstandyng of these and not dispute theron but beleue plainelye and simplye whatsoeuer the scripture affirmeth of this matter This article is very well set forth in the articles of faith And firste of all this is euident and agreed vpon amongest all men that we are not the first inuenters of this article Neither are the holy fathers the authors therof But they collected it out of the writynges of the Apostles and Prophetes very shortly and compendiouslye euen as bees of many floures gather honye Here first we saye I beleue in God the father This is the first person in the godhed And these are his proper workes in that he his omnipotent and the creatour which made all thinges preserueth all thinges vnto this time In this worke is the father described After that we say And I beleue furthermore in one person which is also god For we must beleue in none els but in only god What is the name of this person His only begotten son Iesus Christ. So hath al christiā men prayed beleued now more thā a thousand v. hundred yeres Yea rather frō the first beginning of the worlde Although this article hath not at al times so plainlye ben forth but hath ben taught at diuers times after diuers sortes For frō the time of Adā vnto Abrahā the son of god was called the sede of the woman After that was it named the sede of Abrahā of Iacob of Dauid so forth And al this is but that onely man Iesus Christ Yea the angels also are called the sonnes of god so are al godli mē are so in dede but neither is there Angell nor any other godly man whiche may be called the only begotten Wherfore only this Christ is so begotten of the father as the sonne to whome he hath none like nother in the angel nother in creatures
that we shoulde perishe and be damned in our synnes The third cause is the euerlastyng councell and prouidence of God wherwith he determyned by this meanes to shewe his loue and to deliuer mankynde frome synne The fourthe cause is the trewe and faithfull promise whiche he made in tymes paste Oute of the whiche afterwarde foloweth the blyndnes and indignation of the Iewes whiche is the fyfte cause As touchyng the fyrst cause I mean our synne the holy Prophete Esaie speaketh on this maner He was wounded euen vnto the death for our synnes and broken on pieces for our wickednesses In these wordes the Prophete declarech wherfore Christ was so euyll handled and so greuously punished verily not for his owne synne For he is the onely begotten and derely beloued sonne of God which neuer committed synne neither was there euer found any guyle in his mouth yea for our synne for thyn and myne iniquitie was he wounded and broken on peces Therfore saith the prophet For our sinne Now that he saith Our that is for the synne of all men did he suffer and die For whē he had ones takē vpon him our infirmities diseases then must he also die for our sinnes and wickednesses as the prophete saith in the afore recited chapter the Lord hath laid the iniquitie of vs all vpon hym And a lytle after the prophete speaking in the person of God sayth For the synne of my people haue I striken and smitten him And in the ende of this chapter he saieth He bare the synnes of many and paide for transgressors Dauid in like maner complaineth in a certayne Psalm and speaking in the person of Christ saith The rebukes of them whiche rebuked thee he meaneth the heuenly father fell on me And a litle afore I paid the things that I neuer toke We haue greuously offended God dishonored his holy name and greatly obscured his glorie All this must Christ pay satisfie make amendes for it Therfore saith Peter in his fyrst Epistle Christ suffred ones for our synnes the iuste for the vniust Herof doth it folow that not only the Iewes whiche lyued at that tyme neither the souldiors nor yet Pilate Herode c. are gilty of the passion and deth of Christe but also all sort of vs whyche all without exception haue synned For for Oure synnes was CHRIST slayne and nayled on the Crosse. Neyther are wee better thenne they that crucified hym Althoughe that the Iewes dydde not knowe hym as the sonne of GOD otherwyse they would not haue crucified the Lorde of glorye yet for all that euen of very malyce and enuie agaynst hym they layde hand on hym as a gyltlesse manne accused hym and flewe hym But he hadde neuer come to that poynte if our synnes had not ben for the whyche hee was stryken wounded and slayne So lykewise made we hym to serue in oure synnes and through hym much sorow with our iniquities Therefore lette vs no more bee angrye with that myserable caytife Iudas Pylate Herode Cayphas Annas c. as the maner heretofore hathe bene yea rather lette euery man be angrye wyth him selfe accuse hym selfe and impute the fault to hym selfe as vnto hym whych for his synnes dyd cast Christ that innocent lamb of God into this most horrible and intollerable payne Te seconde cause is the excedynge great charitie loue and mercye of GOD whyche he shewed vnto vs miserable men wicked synners without any merite or desert on our behalfe wherwyth the heauenly Father beyng prouoked spared not only his begoteen sonne as Sainct Paule sayth but for vs delyuered him vp euen vnto death This declareth Saint Iohn in his Epistle saying In this thyng hath the loue of God appeared that he sente his onely begotten sonne into the worlde that we myght lyue thorough hym In thys is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make satisfaction for oure synnes And Christe hym selfe saythe GOD hathe so derely loued the worlde that he hath geuen hys onely begotten sonne to the ende that all that do beleue in hym shoulde not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge Thys Charytie and Loue moued CHRIST alsoo to obeye hys Father in thys behalfe so that he came down into this world and toke oure synnes vpon hym as the Prophete Esaie saeith In his loue and in his fauour hath he redemed them And S. Paule saith God setteth forth his loue meruailously towarde vs in this that when we were yet synners Christ dyed for vs. And Christ hym self saith No man hath a greater loue then thys that a manne shoulde geue his lyfe for his frendes Of these places of the holy scripture tofore alledged it appeareth euidently that the seconde cause of the death of Christ is the loue of God towarde all mankynde whome oure miserable and wretched state did so greatly moue and strike with tender compassion that he sent his onely begotten Sonne whyche also of very loue towarde man obeyed hys fathers wyll euen vnto the deathe the moste ignominious and spitefull death of the crosse into this worlde and gaue hym ouer into the handes of synners that he by his death and passion myght delyuer vs from euerlasting death damnation Wherof we may learne to loue one an other and so to bee mynded one to an other as Christe was mynded towarde vs. Of this thyng dothe S. Iohn admonyshe and teache vs in his Epistle where he saieth In this haue we knowen loue that he gaue his lyfe for vs we ought to geue our liues for our brethren Paule also in his epistle to the Philippians exhorteth vs that after the examples of Christ we shold humble our selues and serue one an other euen as Christ serued vs. The thirde cause is the euerlastynge councelle and prouidence of God which by his vnoutspeakable wisdome determined from euerlastynge to delyuer mankynd by the death of his sonne before the world was made as Peter in his sermon testifieth wher he after many wordes of the crucifying of Christ saith thus Hym Christ haue ye taken by the handes of vnrighteous persōs after he was deliuered by the determinate councel foreknowledge of god and haue crucified slayne him And Christe himselfe in the gospell telleth aforehande in many places geueth his disciples forewarning how that this passion death shal chaunce and comme vnto him by the euerlasting councell and decree of his heauenly father as he said also vnto Pilate Thou shouldest haue no power at all ouer me excepte it were geuen thee from aboue The fourth cause is the faith and trueth of God For when this councel was determined from euerlasting then god wold not haue it kept in secret but did make open the same before many times and promised that Sauiour in many places of scripture by his holy Prophetes as S. Paule testifieth in his epistles This promes
to our frendes but to all men yea to theim that hate vs to them that offende vs and semeth vnworthie of our good will and benefite This great displeasure and anger of ours whiche wee declare by bitter and hatefull woordes is to ouer come as when we saie what shall I medle with suche a knaue I am sore hurte of hym His slaunderyng tongue is not vnknowen to me What Should I helpe him No truely And he were full of Magottes I could not finde in my heart to doe him good And this is the lessō that our nature teacheth vs as touching lende mercie whiche onely hath respecte to our companions and riotfelowes but as for other it abhorreth vs vtterly to shewe any mercie But Christ seketh a remedie for this fault when he requireth vs to doe good to our enemies and to theim that hurte vs Suche mercie saieth he is mete for a christian as your father of heauen hath For without this ye can not be his sonnes nor my brethren whiche haue redemed you with my blood from synne and deathe Doubtlesse ye haue offended your heauēly father manifolde waies you haue broken his commaundementes in all poinctes And God hath a iust cause by your sinne to saie should I giue my sōne for suche vnthriftes yea rather let thē die as thei haue deserued For thei for sweare them selues thei slaunder thei are giuen to coueteousnes and to adulterie thei leaue no kinde of wickednes vndoen let them goe for me and for their leudnesse leudely perishe as thei deserue This maie GOD saieth Christe laye against you but he doeth not yea rather for all the iniuries ye doe vnto hym he hath mercie vpon you and doeth you good giuing you not onely bodie and life foode and familie wife and children and for all them liuelode but also his owne sonne and life euerlastyng Suche mercie also must we vse For what if one haue hurt and offēded thee what is that in respect that thou hast offended GOD so often and so greuously Wherefore if Gods mercie be so greate that he giueth his sonne for his enemies to deliuer thē from death and synne by hym and also giueth all thynges beside as life bodie soule substaunce yea and that when he hath rather an occasion to take vengeaunce to punishe and to plague Put this before thee for an exāple that thou maiest saie thus Although this man hath hurte me greuously and maie seme worthie of a misfortune at my hande yet will I not reuenge For els my mercie should not be christian like but like the Gentiles If he hath doen me wrōg perchaunce I haue otherwise deserued it Now when he hath nede of my helpe I will not requit euill for euill For I se that he hath nede of helpe and that it is in my power to helpe hym For thus dealeth my heauenly father with me c. It is euidently seen how full of wickednes and wrong the husbande menne and the people of the countrie be If thei could sell the vilest thyng thei haue for the moste highest price thei would not feare to doe it The tounes men and citezens also hath very corrupt maners thei scrape together substāce by right or by wrong thei care not how Thei liue riotuously thei deceiue and defraude as many as euer thei can This might well moue other to stomacke their doyng and to deny theim helpe when thei are in aduersitie But a christian hath a precept cōtrary to it whiche is that he should not remember any displeasure doen vnto hym What is this to me saith he if thei be wicked leude shall I giue vp therefore my purpose of well doyng Yea I will doe rather after the maner of a good tree from the whiche if a man plucke beate or shake doune fruicte it bringeth out the more the next yere with out paine So will I doe If I haue doen good for thee and thou shewest thy self vnkinde and dooest me a shrewde turne for it yet will I not hereby be compelled to forsake well dooyng If thou art a thornie bushe and canst doe nothing but pricke yet I will not become like vnto thee in life but I will rather shewe my self a fruitfull vine to bring forth swete grapes For so doeth my heauenly father He geueth to wicked people and vnthriftes housholde stuffe liuelode clothyng goodes bodie and soule peace seasonable weather and all thynges necessarie He giueth vs the light of the Sonne whereas we rather haue deserued Brimstome and fire from heauen but yet we haue it not For he will not bee made a churle for our vnkindnes sake but he saith If you are disposed to bee naught yet will not I forsake my naturall goodnesse I will giue bothe Sonne and water from heauen to the good euil And this is the example that Christ appointeth vs to followe that we also likewise maie be mercifull and not prouoked to malice by other mennes malice after the maner of the worlde that reuengeth and pursueth his right This maie not christian menne doe Yea rather thei ought to praie for their foes that GOD will make of them profitable and fruictfull plantes whiche are now wilde thornie and baren bushes And this is be you mercifull as your father of heauen is mercifull whiche is also moste bountefull euen to his very enemies But we must put in a caueat in this place and beware that wee take not this doctrine of mercie so although all kynde of reuengyng were disanulled hereby For there are diuers persones in one christian man A christian and the disciple of Christ doeth not reuenge But after this there be diuers descriptions of offices as of fathers in a familie of Iudges in a shire of Magistrates in a citie of Erles in an Erledome of Kynges in a Kyngdome All these offices can not bee without reuengyng And thei that are in theim should offende if thei should not punishe suche thynges as are dooen against the common wealthe For by the commaūdement of God in this must those thynges be performed whiche are ordained of GOD for the preseruation of the commonaltie that the offenders bee punished and breakers of order restrained For if any manne would exercise ouerth warte mercie it would euidently appere to what poincte it would come when foolishe mercie shewed to a fewe shall be tourned to the vtter vndoing of many First are thei betrayed to whom this vntrue mercie is shewed then ensueth the breakyng of discipline rule without the whiche the worlde can not consiste in safegard Wherefore GOD requireth this of all gouernours and ouerseers of order that accordyng to their office thei vse straight punishement and if thei cease to doe so let theim knowe thei shall giue accompt thereof to the high magistrate whiche is God hymself Wherefore this commaundement of Christ consisteth in a certaine respecte to an other order that is that the sonnes of GOD that is to saie Christiās
Nazareth of Galile vnto this toune Bethleem They went further then it is from Saxon to Franconie And herof a man may easely gather that they caried not much stuffe with them and that their swathelyng clothes and suche other things wer not very costely so that he put on her smocke on the child and laid it in the maunger For she could not alwayes hold yt in her lappe she must warme the clothes and dresse their couche and do such other things that wer requisite for an infāt And in the meane tyme must the babe reste in the oxe stalle Neither could Ioseph be lackyng to this necessary busynes And it is lyke that he went about to some of the maydens of the house to gett water and to do such other busines But this is not written that any mā came to proffer seruice vnto them in this trauaill They regarded it not whan it was tolde them that the mayde was deliuered of a chylde in the stable Wherfore this towne is worthy to be hated with his great barbarousnes For although Mary because of her pouerty was not thought so much worth and yf she had bene vnhoneste yet at this tyme had it ben the part of a man to shewe humanitie But no man is greued therewith The childe muste suffer paciently this great extreme pouertye and looke for no better In this beggerie sorowfull life this Lord is borne Wheras other deuoure riot awaie cōsume prodigallie al things by costly apparell gorgeous buildīg c. This is the historie Whiche is set forthe to vs to the entent that we should graue this picture of Christes byrthe faste in oure hart with how great miserie the Lord Iesus was borne in this wordle that we might learne to geue God thankes for this so great benefit For we misers and wretched men and also damned came this day to high renoume For on this day were we made one fleshe and bloud with the sonne of God and he that made heauen and earth of nothing is borne a man lyke vnto vs only this thing excepted that with this child all things are without synne Wherfore we may boste magnificently that God is become oure brother oure fleshe and bloude This renoum is not geuen to the angells or diuels but to vs men Wherfore although the angells are more excellēt creatures then we yet God geueth more renoume to vs then to all the angells For he was not made an angell but a mā Wherfore yf we men could thinke and beleue this as the greatnes therof requirethe our mynde wold be moste redie to sett moste by God to thanke him and to obey his will gladly When the Popes religion reigned there was suche an historie read vnto vs That vpon a time the diuell came into the Churche to masse And when these wordes and he was made man were songe and men made no obbeisance by bowinge of their knees he gaue one of them a great blow and rebukinge him said Thou monsterous beaste art not ashamed to be so litle moued why fallest thou not downe on thy face for ioy yf the sonne of God had ben made oure brother as he was youres surely we wold haue no measure in reioycing And although this matter be not true yet it semeth to be fayned of a good man which well dyd perceaue the great renoume geuen vnto vs when the sonne of God became man and that not after the maner of Adam and Eue which was made of the grounde but he was made more conioyned vnto vs. For he was borne of the fleshe and bloud of the virgin Mary as other men were excepte this that Mary the virgin was sole and alone and he was conceaued without synne by the holy Ghoste Excepte this that he is worthely named the naturall sonne of a woman Adam and Eue were not borne but made For God made man out of the earth and a woman of his ribbe But how much nigher is Christ to vs then Eue to Adam because he is oure bloud and flesh We ought to esteme this renoume highly and to haue great meditation thervpon in that the sonne of God is made oure fleshe and that there is no difference betwene his flesh and ours except only synne For he was conceaued of the holy Goste and God replenished bothe the body and sowle of the virgin with the holy Ghoste because she was without synne when she conceaued Christe and afterward wared great with child by hym And this is the only difference in all other things he is lyke other men in that he vsed meate and drynke felt hunger thyrst and colde as other dyd He was subiect to all suche naturall infirmities as Paule sayth in shape he was found lyke a man he eate he drounke he was sorowfull and gladde This is truely a profound humilitie and subiection For he myght haue vsed an other sorte when he became man after what sort he is nowe in heauen where as he hath flesh and bloud as we haue But yet he is not subiecte to naturall actions He might haue done this at the begynning but he wold not that he might declare his singular loue toward vs that we might haue therby sure confort and ioy when we knowe that we haue a brother nowe in heauen whose sure helpe we may stycke vnto are bound so to doo For cursed is euery man that doth not receaue him and conceaue stedfast hope for his sake And therfore is this history rehersed euery yere that the tender myndes might haue meditation theron and geue God thanks and say My matter is in good takynge I haue a brother and he is made lyke me But why he was made so I do not yet tell for this was the cause that he might helpe me agaynst syn and eternall death But nowe I speake of the renoume of all mankynde wherof we boaste and reioyce that the sonne of God is become man Of this renoume may euery man boaste But Christian men somwhat more then all other for because this renoume shall be to their endlesse profyte And this is firste to be learned of the history Secondarily marke also this great example Where as Christe the sonne of God dothe so humble him self and communicate all his glory with fleshe and wheras his hyghe maiestie before whome the Angells tremble dothe so demitte hym self and goeth after the lykenes of a man In heauen the Angels worship him in the earth he serueth vs and is subiect to our beggery Seing then the sonne of God doth this this matter is not lightly to be sett by Lett vs caste our selues away for his glory honours sake And yf aduersitie be to be suffered we muste not refuse it For Christe him self hathe suffered likewise frost hunger miseries and troubles not only these For whan he was borne into the wordle he was poore in all things he had neither place neither bed clothes neither stuffe for houshold A maunger and
man that of God mannes nature might be made one person The diuell can not ioyne him self so nighe to mā But God is made man and yet he remayneth a man And by this meanes he set him self more depely in mannes fleshe than the dyuell can which may enter into mannes body and vexe it but he can not be made man that the diuell and man might become one person Betwene these two natures is ther alway remayning a difference of persones not only in substance but also in person But in CHRIST that is borne these things be one For the sōne of God is made one flesh and one bloud borne of the virgyn Mary after the course of nature as all be excepte that he was not conceaued of mā but of the holy Ghost and hath escaped the fylthy mark of the dyuell and was borne with very pure flesh and bloud wheras oures is full of synne In all other things he is lyke vs which was subiecte to all naturall actions in all poyntes as other men As sayth Paule He was found in behauiour as a man so that all that sawe hym or heard hym dyd affirme that he muste nedes be a true and naturall man not any phantasme or appearing only for he had all the properties that belonge to this lyfe And this is the ioy as touching the which speaketh the Angel I speake only of the glorie not of the fruite For therof is it wont to be declared in the history of the passion and resurrection Now do we speake only of the glory that GOD is so nighe ioyned vnto vs that he is of my flesh bloud and soule very man as we be With this so great and meruailous glory hath he begon this matter and aduaūced mankind therby to high renoume And the Angell setteth this forth vnto men and sayth I shew you great ioy which shall be to the whole people The word sheweth that his mynde was rauished with some great ioy He telleth it boldly to the shepheards He wold that all men with hym shold know of this great honour wherby mannes nature is come to such dignitie that GOD whiche made all things is become oure flesh and bloud And if we wold ponder this well although we had no other profite therby yet wolde it make together amongest vs a great flame of charitie and loue I speake not yet as I said before of the profyt vse but only of the glory therof If we were moued earnestly therwith yt wold suffer no malice to remayne amongest vs. The reason is Who is there that wold hate this kinde or hurt it which is euen as oure God in body and sowle shall we not for this glories sake wher with God hath garnished vs loue all men do the best that we can for all men The Angels are more excellent creatures then we men are But this glory is not geuen them God was not made an Angell neither an Angell was made God Furthermore the Angels are innocent and holy which condicion was more agreable with Gods maiestye But it semeth otherwyse to him he choseth the viler creature which was subiect to syn which is hold captiue vnder the kyngdom of the diuell and the tyrannye of death Whom the dyuel vexeth and troubleth extremely He could not humble him self any lower But should not we be stirred hereby to loue and charitie to esteme one an other and not to neglecte but to proue mastries who can do other moste good Certayn of the fathers and amongest them as it now cometh to mynde Bernarde thought that the diuell whan he was in heauen did se before that the sonne of God should become man and for that cause enuied at man and began to hate God because he had not chosen rather to become an Angell than a man and that for this enuie and pride he was caste out of heauen Whether this were fayned or done in dede yet wold the holy fathers signifie hereby howe great is oure renoume in that that God became man and tooke the very same mannes nature which belongeth to vs all whiche haue ben in the dyuels daunger and captiue to synne and death In what wretched case then are they whiche are ignorante of this renoume But yet are they much more wretched which when the Angels or Apostles shew such things that God hath visited mans nature and tooke it on him and made it Lord ouer al creatures yet do not reioyce O how wretched are they that are not moued with this tidings If one amongest many bretherne should come to be a kīg how wold al the other reioyce how bolde would they waxe As Iosephs bretherne may be an example of this And this is a naturall zeale But how chāceth it that we reioyce not in such a great matter that we are not moued neither do geue thanks to GOD that oure God hath taken oure flesh and bloud and now sitteth at the right hand of God Lord ouer all creatures He therfore that wold esteme this as it is in dede wold loue all flesh and bloud in the worlde for this flesh and blouds sake and wold hate no mā The only gloriouse sight and contemplation of the humanitie of Christ oure God wold so chere vs replenishe vs with ioy that we should neuer be angry with any man Yea and he that beholdeth this image continually that the sonne of God is made man wold not loke for any wrathful displeasure frō Christe but hope for all goodnes at his hand For no man is angry with him self or hurteth him self Now is Christ one of vs and a man How could he hate him self that is to say vs which are his flesh bloud And if this sight were well printed in vs it wold sone put away all exāples of Gods wrathe out of oure myndes as is Noes floud the punishement of Sodom and Gomor All that wold vanishe away at such a contemplatiō if I wold muse of this only man which is God hath estemed mannes nature so greatly that he became man But be these things neuer so inestimable yet some mē are so mad that they care not they caste away this treasure and set their mynd on other things to heape vp riches to purchase get whereto mens myndes are wont wholy to be stirred And this is the cause that we fele no ioy rise in vs at the tydinges of the Angell Wherfore this thing may wel make vs ioyful and proude that we are preferred before all creatures in this renoume yea before Angels and may boaste and say My flesh my bloud sitteth on the right hand of God and hath the rule of all No Angell or creature hath suche renoume but my flesh and my bloud This fier ought to melt as it were in one all mens hartes and to inflame men with suche mutuall loue that we should embrace one an other with al oure hartes But this is the continuall working of the diuell to make vs forget
nothing but commande vs to loue God with all oure heart and oure neighbours as oure self yea and that when he hurteth vs also and when we wold desier to be reuenged But the law preuayleth nothing by her controllinge Nedes muste there be in oure nature anger variance vnpacientnes hatred enuie pride such lyke there is no other remedie Wherfore ther is no mā that can obey this doctrine Neither can this any thing preuayle in the iudgement of God if we fulfill the law as much as we can And this is the cause why a greater euen Christe the sonne of God commeth into the worlde which by great moderation submitteth him self to the lawe to take it wholly away For he it is that may pleade with the law on this wyse Thou doste not as men looke thou shouldest doe thou makest them not righteouse thou doste not purifie their hartes as we proue by experience For els what cause should Dauid haue had to say Who can comprise his faultes Purge me Lord from my secrete synnes Lykewyse in the 143. Psalme Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no man is righteous in thy sight And again in the 130. Psal. If thou marke straightly oure iniquities Lord who shal be able to stande in iudgement And such lyke sentences do testifie that no man can say Lorde we haue done this worke euen as thou cōmandedst there is no doubt of that For as much then as the law hath vs bound vnto it on this wyse and dryueth vs from the sight of God yea beateth downe oure confidence and faith which we ought to haue in God we must of necessitie graunt that we haue nede of a more perfecte doctryne that we may come into Gods sight This is the doctryne of the Gospell whiche Christ procureth to be preached to vs and to the Iewes after this sentence that we are damned for oure synne And it profiteth the Iewes nothing that they are circumcised For this circumcisiō deliuereth them not from synne As the Prophet saith Although they haue the flesh of their foreskyne circumcised yet their heart is vncircumcised and vnpure But this deliuereth in that the Gospell preacheth on this wyse that oure Lord Iesus Christ whiche ought nothing to the lawe because he was without synne made hym self subiect to the lawe and wold be circumcised that he might haue to do with the lawe for as much as he wher as he was Lord of the lawe yet was challēged as a bondman to the lawe now againe abydeth the controling and dominion of Christ. And this power that Christ hath ouer the lawe doth he make common to vs all he benummeth the lawe of his power whiche it had against vs synners and deliuereth vs from it not to the entent that we should nothing regard it or geue ouer oure self to lustes but this that whē we haue done that we should not it might be forgeuen vs and not be layde to oure charge neither turne away oure saluation Wherfore they that beleue in Christ hath no nede of circuncision For they are not only free from these and suche lyke burdens of the lawe but they haue also remissiō of their synnes and promesse of euerlasting lyfe by Christ. This doth profit me that I beleue y◠Christ was circumcised For this was done for my sake that he might be a suerty for me whatsoeuer action the law haue against me Wherfore I wil truste to the innocencie of hym that shal be my confort that although for a tyme the lawe as Lord in heauen for it accused vs men before God and we had no safegarde against it neither could we complayne of any wrong because oure syn was opē yet now is the matter otherwyse For by the circumcision of Christ we are deliuered from the curse of the lawe We can not put so great confidence in oure circumcision and loue towarde God and obedience toward oure neighboure We can not truste and stycke to these things All oure truste is in this that Christ is obedient innocent and holy This trust shall not deceaue vs for it is certain Before that this was opened vnto vs we thought that we must nedes fulfill the lawe or be damned But now we knowledge that it is impossible for all men to do and that we can not beare that burden But Christ hath taken it from vs put it on hym self and began the matter by circumcision fulfilled the lawe And herein is oure truste We oughte not truely to be carelesse in taming of the flesh and in instructing it that it may obey GOD leaste I be founde vtterly disobedient Whatsoeuer I am not able to do I remit it to this safegard For whatsoeuer I haue not done that dyd Christ for my sake For we shall neuer be in such good takynge that we may do all that we ought to doo As Paule sayth I am delighted with the lawe of God after the inwarde man but I finde an other lawe in my members repyninge against the lawe of my mynde and subduynge it to the lawe of syn which is in my members Whiche is as muche as to say I must of compulsion obey the flesh but after fayth I do not so it greueth me and I abyde this bondage against my will After this sorte Christian righteousnes is made perfecte when I acknowledge my synne that I can neuer fulfill the lawe of God and yet I despaire not therefore For in this example I knowledge that CHRIST regardeth me and for my sake made hym self subiecte to the lawe and fulfilled it Hereof after that ensueth a new zeale and a new affection euen loue toward God bycause he loued vs fyrst that we may be obedient to his will with all diligence Herof according to the Psalme riseth a willing people whiche beginneth to loue GOD and to do after his lawe And althoughe such doing is slacke and vnperfecte by the means of the flesh yet is it alowed of God for the fayth in Christ. For whatsoeuer is vnpure and vnperfecte in it it fleeth to remission of synne as to the only meane lefte to escape by And this haue we now spoken of the two sortes of circumcision The first was commanded by God And the Iewes haue obeyd vnto it hitherto as vnto a lawe and yet they obtayned not saluation therby For no man could fulfill the lawe Wherfore although they had the lawe yet neuerthelesse the lawe accused and condemned them before GOD. But saluation and holynes is obtayned hereby in that that Christ subdued hym self to the lawe and bore the curse therof Wherfore the Iewes that beleued this and had their saluation consisting in the promised sede to them was circumcision outwardly a seale to assure them that they were righteouse before God not for circumcision but for their saith in Christ. Whiche thing sith it is so the hystory of the circumcision of Christ is worthely estemed to be full of
is the hystorie In the whiche this is the chiefest poynte that GOD calleth the Gentils also to his kyngdom and maketh them his people although they were not circuÌ„cised neither subiect to the law as the Iewes were This is a great benefite neyther is it mete that any christian men should be vnkynde for it For it is a sure euidence for vs Gentiles that wee may not despayre as though we had no part in Christ but that wee maye thynke surely that Christe pertayneth to vs as well as to the Iewes although we are not his people as the Iewes are For ther is no doubt of this but that the wise men were Gentiles whych had neyther priesthode neither seruyce nor word of God nor circumcision and yet notwithstandynge all this they come although they were strangers without any commendation or settyng foorthe of them selues to the felowshyp of Christs lyght and acknowledge him And he acknowledgeth them also he alloweth theym for theyr worshippyng and reuerence done to hymself All these thyngs belong to the confirming of vs that we may shew our selues thankful to God for that that he hath set vp such a kingdom in the erth through Christ into the whiche wee that were not his people are receaued not of merite and deserte but of mere grace Then must we learn in this historie also what is our duetie to doo to Christ agayn euen to resist manfully all offences as these wise meÌ„ did and to confesse Christ before the worlde as they dyd to seeke hym and worship hym as our Sauiour And because his kyngdom for the weake and simple syght therof is opprest with many and great difficulties to bestowe oure goodes and substaunce gladly to the maintaynynge thereof And we haue store enough to open oure treasures as the wise men dyd vnto Christe and to offer presentes vnto hym For this is it written That ye doo to the least of myne ye doo it to me Wherefore he that healpeth the nedy the myserable the wretched he that fyndeth charges to this that fitte men may be instructed in the studye of learnyng and in holy Scripture that in processe of tyme they maye doo profitable seruice to the congregation he offereth to the nedy chylde Iesu which as soone as he was borne was not only poore and nedy but was constrained also to flee into banishment into Egypte to escape the tyrannie and perill of his enemye Wherfore the prouidence of God by those wyse men prepared wayfarynge victuall for the chylde his parentes in their iorney It is very like by the wordes of the Euangelist that it was no small gyft whiche sayth that they opened theyr treasures But seyng it is euident how great the good wyl of the wise men was towarde the chyld who can doubt but that their magnificence and liberalitie was great Which thyng ought to admonish Christen men not to despaire wheÌ„ they suffer persecution and when they are tossed vp downe by banyshement For God can so lyttle abyde that christen men shoulde perishe for hunger that he will rather stirre men that dwel farre of to bryng succour and aide for them As we are sufficiently confirmed by the exaumple of his onely begotten sonne as touchyng this matter We must ioyne also with this hystorie that that is put forth in the prophecy of Micheas wherin is conteined an euident description of Christ with a syngular doctrine and lesson by it selfe Whose wordes are these And thou Bethleem of Iuda art not the least amongest the thousandes of Iuda For out of thee shall come he that is gouernour in Israell In this sentence as the Iewes testifie themselues God gaue a playn and euident prophecie that Christe should be loked for at Bethleem and that there should be the first swathling bands of his apperyng in mans nature This is that chief renoume which setteth forth this litle town of Bethleem more magnificently then is the most noble excellent citie Ierusalem And this is the cause why the Euangelist semeth to change the woordes of the Prophete The Prophete calleth it small The Euangelist wyll not haue it counted smal For the Euangelist beholdeth not the outward syght as the Prophete dyd but the spirituall glorie Because the Sonne of GOD is borne there To the whiche honor there is none of all the honours that euer was geuen to any Citie to be compared Wherfore they are magnificent and glorious woordes wyth the whiche the Euangeliste commendeth Bethleem Out of thee sayth he shall there come foorthe a Capitayn for me which shall fede my people Israell And this is a most sweete Prophecye whiche describeth Christe vnto vs on suche wyse that although before the world he be a man despised for his pouertie and borne in an obscure and an vnknowen place yet is he that captayne and prince of Israel that is ouer the people of God But what maner of kyngdome this is to be taken for I declared before in the sermon of the Angell whiche hym self also calleth Christ the Lord. Not suche a one as is a tyrant and that wyll vexe men wyth his cruel imperye For euen for that cause sayth the Prophete Bethleem that arte smalle As though he shoulde say If thys Lorde woulde haue hadde imperiall maiestie that he myghte seme terrible vnto other he might haue chosen an other place for his byrthe But here is no princely prouision no armour no riches no waightyng men no appointyng of offices And that the very fyrst principles myght foorthewith declare what a kyngdome this was to come he chose not Ierusalem as the moste holyest nor Rome as the most mightiest but he was content with a poore towne that it might foorthwith be declared therby that he should becom a lord not after the common facion but poore and nedy in the sight of the world howâ—eit riche in spirit and in all spirituall giftes For this is his title to be a Lord a Prince But yet all the sight when he is borne and when he is born in Bethleem and what soeuer thyng is apparaunt to the senses as touchynge hym was lyke no princely pompe Wherfore sith he is a Lord and Prince and yet not glorious before the worlde but poore and nedye what other glorie can it bee than euen as hee is myserable in respecte of worldlye Felicitie so contraryly he is myghtye and greate in those thynges wherein the worlde is founde to bee needye and a starke begger And here of it is that he is excellente in rightuousnes where as the world is oppressed with sinnes that he is eternall wheras the worlde is casuall he is the lorde of the dyuell where as the dyuell hath the worlde yoked vnder his moste cruell bondage He is good whereas the worlde is all naught he hath God mercifull vnto hym where as the worlde struggleth with the wrath of God He is the lorde of euerlastynge lyfe where as the worlde is appointed
to hell This is the imperie of this chylde and for this condition and state doth the fruite redound vnto his people He wyll geue no bodyly saluation but as farre as the soules helth and his glorie requireth for he is poore and nedy Wherfore let no man come to the kyngdom of Christ to the entent that he may enlarge his goods and encrease his substance Ye may loke for this of the Pope and of men of that sorte He aduanceth his creatures to imperie he getteth them riches parteth amōg them all Prouinces as Daniell prophecied But the princely power of this childe is to be felte only in this that thy synnes may be forgyuen that he maye iustifye and saue thee that he may geue his holye spirite and transpose thee out of the kyngdome of the worlde and of death into the kyngdome of God And to this now is Faith requisite and as I sayd before that thou kepe sure the worde of God For he that letteth passe Gods woorde and foloweth his owne thoughtes shall lose Christ neither shall he knowe hym for a king but for a Iudge he shall be in hatred and feare as the dyuell is For they are wont to feare hym also when they feele them selues gyltie for their synne least he shoulde take them to be punyshed wheras Christ in the meane season confesseth hym selfe to be the lord and prince of his people to delyuer theim from synne and to transpose them into the kyngdom of grace For his people are no other but myserable synners which tremble at the felyng of theyr synne and are afrayde and would fayne be in Gods fauour So that herby may the playn description of the Prophet be perceyued Fyrst that he shal be no bodyly prince nor yet exercise spirituall punyshementes agaynst wyckednes but to geue saluation to all men that beleue in hym agaynst synne the deuyll death and hell For of suche a prince there is sure hope of Saluation And thus farre doo the Scribes recite the saying of the Prophete and no farther They feare peraduēture lest this be to muche For they perceaue well that this is Herodes entent to seeke some way howe to slea and to take this kyng of the Iewes out of the way Wherfore they reherse not the whole sentence before Herode and they do almost professe by worde that at this time they acknowledge no other kyng of the Iewes besyde Herode And yet is it in the Prophete that a Prince of the Iewes shoulde come and shoulde procede oute of Bethleem Therfore they leaue this vnperfect neither dare they to pronounce any farther But the Prophete although he was not lyuyng at that tyme yet dothe he procede and describe what maner of captayn or kynge this should be whiche belongeth also to his persone in these wordes Et egressus eius ab initio a diebus aeterni tatis And his out going hath ben from the beginning and from euerlastyng This dyd not the Scribes reherse to Herode no neither they them selues dyd vnderstand it For ther is more obscuritie therin than was in the words before And that his byrth should be in Bethleem and he him selfe be a captaine ouer all Israell it is not obscurelye spoken and there is a sure signe that he shal be a man But wheras the Prophet sayth furthermore His procedyng is from the begynnyng and from the dayes of eternitie It signifieth that he is the eternal and euerlastyng God whiche had not his beginnyng in Bethleem Of a trouth he was born in Bethleem and this is one maner of procedyng But there is an other also beside this Which is sayd to be from the beginnnyng and from the days of eternitie The wordes of the prophete are not to be changed Fyrst he sayth Out of the shall procede Here do the priestes and scribes testify that to procede to be borne signifieth all one Wherfore the same word afterward must nedes signifie the same thyng when he saith Whose procedyng is from the old dayes and from eternitie that is before that tyme that dais and houres were Wherefore if thou wilte know frō whēce this child is borne mark this prophecie He is born saith he frō Bethleē But what more hath he no other birthe then this the prophet saith furthermore yes he was rather borne before al creatures heauen earth the sonne and moone But that may be determined by no wordes and it is nothyng els then that he was borne without begynnyng eternally before there was any tyme or dais This did neither Herode neither the Iewes vnderstand neither wer they worthy to vnderstand it And this is the prince king which was born at Bethleem a very man which neuerthelesse hath this name also Procedyng from the old dayes which proceded and was born before the world that is which is a true and eternal god and also a true a naturall man And this is the cause of so great stir rynges motions in the worlde For it can not vnderstand this to be procedyngs and birthes without discention that this child also should haue his procedyng before there was sonne or moone The Iewes could not abyde this and afterward there sprang vp many heresies whiche spake agaynst it But this matter is left to be consydered of the which hast gods word put foorth vnto the. Out of whome then was he borne if he was borne before the world Uerily of no other but of God only This must reason nedes confesse if it beleue that God made heauen and earth For what other thyng could be before heauen and earth than God If this childe then proceded was borne before heauen and erth was made it must nedes folow that he was borne of God and is very God For besydes God and his creatures was there nothyng And this is surely a sentence which conteyneth the ground foundation of all things For if Christ were onely a pure man death wold haue confounded hym with all other mortall men For in that that he was born of a virgin it hath not so great strength against death But this is a greatter miracle where as God made Eue of a ribbe thā in that that a virgin brought forth a chyld For a virgin is of that sexe and kynd whiche is borne to bryng foorth children Wherfore that thing coulde not represse the dyuell nor deathe because he was borne of the Uirgin Marye But all the healpe consysteth herein that the virgin Mary is not onely great wyth chylde but also with suche a chyld which was borne before the worlde Wherefore the dyuell deathe and all the kyngdom of the dyuell is ouercom in that they proue maistrie with suche a manne whiche hadde hys procedynge or begynnynge beefore the worlde If it were not for this and if he had his procedynge out of Bethleem only he coulde haue the vpper hande ouer death no more than we all he should be in danger therof aswel as his
Iordan vnto Iohn to be baptised of hym But Iohn forbad him saying I ought to be baptised of thee and comest thou to me Iesus answeryng sayd to hym Let it be so nowe For thus it becometh vs to fulfyll all righteousnes Then he suffred him And Iesus as soone as he was baptised came straight oute of the water And loe heauen was open vnto hym and Iohn sawe the spirite of God descendynge lyke a doue and lightyng vpon hym And loe there came a voyce from heauen saying This is my beloued son in whom I am welpleased THE EXPOSITION OF the feast of the Epiphanie haue we intreated how that it hath his name of this that Christ opened hymselfe not onely by the starre but also at Iordan where hee was baptised But forasmuche as this reuelation is the greatest and chiefest and most comfortable vnto vs it should not be against reason if it wer called the feast of Christ baptised and opened at Iordan when he was thirtie yeares old The Euangelist dothe shew the hystorie playnly That he moued from Galile and came to Iohn vnto Iordan to be baptised of hym as other synners were whiche knew their synne and desired remissiō of them Iohn is troubled with this strange case For he knew Christ from his childhode And he thinketh him self not worthye to baptise hym But Christ saith suffer me this must be done that all righteousnes may be fulfilled that is that he may bring it to passe that all miserable synners may come to righteousnes and be saued Wherfore herein is now set forth a confortable example vnto vs wheras the sonne of God offered him self to be baptised which neuerthelesse synned not and doth that that he was not bounde to doe wheras we do not that that we are boūde to do And it is farre vnlyke that we should do more than oure duetie when we through oure wickednes are very farre from that that we shoulde do Wherfore this ought especially to be marked in this place that Christ the sonne of God whiche is holyer then al baptisme is notwithstanding baptised gaue commandement that baptisme should be kepte in the congregation and that al that wold be saued should be baptised And by this is it now euident that al men are damnable and accursed and stryken with madnes and blindnes of God for a punishemēt which can not intreat and obtayne so much of their eyes and eares as to marke what is done in this matter but contēne and dispraise baptisme and speake vilanously therof For why doste thou and thy childern refuse baptisme seing the sonne of God receaued it what great madnes or what great furie is this in the that thou shouldest denye suche a great worke Doth not baptisme seme worthye of great renoume for this cause if it were profitable for nothing els that this so great a mā vsed it wher as this is euident that he is the sonne of God came to baptisme that thou sholdest come to baptisme for the renoume therof if thou hadst no other cōmoditie therby But this matter is not without oure profyte For what good it doth vnto vs it appeareth in this wher as God by this baptisme sheweth foorth hym selfe wholye For as the Euangelist beareth witnes Iohn sawe the heauens open Whiche is a signe that God is delighted with baptisme whiche Christ hym selfe the Sonne of God sanctifieth with his body Wherfore heauen is opened which was shut vp before and now aboue the baptisme of Christ is the gate and windowe of heauen made wyde open so that from henceforth there is no distance betwene vs and God bycause GOD is now fallen downe vnto Iordane What is a reuelation then if this be none Wherfore if the feast of Epiphanie that is of reueling and appearing be requisite why is not this constitute and appointed wheras so playne a manifestation and opening of the Father of the Sonne and of the holye Ghost is sette foorth For the holy Ghost procedeth here after a moste gentle sight as a symple doue whiche amongest all byrdes is moste tame and is affirmed to be voyde of all wrathe To the entent that we might conceaue hereby a sure token that the holy Ghost will declare no crueltye towarde vs but bestowe that on vs thorough Christ wherby we may be iustified and saued And for this cause is Christ also opened after suche a gentle sorte to be the Sonne of God and wher as he had no nede of baptisme for his owne behalf he is present therat and receaueth baptisme not only for an example but also for a sacramēt that his baptisme might profite vs also may cause vs to haue sure truste that God is mercifull vnto vs. Besyde this wheras the Father openeth hym self by a voyce This is my dearly beloued sonne in whom I am delighted This is an other maner of voyce then was shewed in the mount Sinay when the earth and hylles dyd shake the men that hearde it thought them self to be in danger of their lyfe He sheweth not now such a cruell voyce All things are full of swetnes humanitie And God doth almost pronounce with this saying on this wyse To you mortall men is this man put forth in baptisme If ye desyre to know him it is my dearely beloued sonne in whome is my chief and only pleasure Neither is there any cause why ye shoulde feare him He is set forth to you as naked without armour without all cruel sight And there is no cause why ye should feare me For I come not now with thunder lightninge with a horrible a dreadful trumpe as I came to the mount Sinay but all things are peaceable quiet calme For what spice of crueltye may here be The sonne of God which is innocent without synne standeth in Iordane receaueth baptisme The holy Ghost commeth with the meeke forme of a doue Besides this God sheweth forth a very humane and gentle voyce declaringe that he sendeth vnto vs no Apostle no Prophet no Angell but his Sonne in whome he may greatly delyght What greater recorde can ye haue at al to make vs to marke and obserue the sonne of God Sith it hath pleased God to geue this cōmendation that his sonne is with vs that all maye be sure of this moste certain tried will of God If they wil haue God merciful vnto them let them imbrace his sonne only from whom the Father can by no meanes turne his fauour for the sonnes sake all his must nede be accepted to the Father Wherfore let all men regard diligently this commandement that they heare him obey his precept For he had no nede of circumcision and baptisme bycause he was voyd of synne But the baptisme of Iohn was made of God for sinne that al that acknowlegde their synnes be sory for them desyer that they might be pardoned should go to baptisme thinke for a
attempt the interpretation therof It is conteyned in this hystorie how the matter goeth when the chyld Iesus is loste out of the heart But we for this tyme will let passe this hyghe mysterie and will deferre it vnto an other tyme. And will now take that vpon vs to expounde which is moste playne and euident As touching the last feaste this haue we sayd that it is named the Epiphanie or appearing of Christ. Which thing was done to the entent that this chylde new borne should not be kepte priuie but be opened to al men For otherwyse should we haue no vse of this chylde if we had not gotten the knowledge of hym And for this cause other hystories are put foorth out of the whiche it appeareth howe Christ hath reueled and opened hym self As when Iohn baptised hym in Iordane and he opened his glorie by a signe in the mariage of Canaā euen that he is suche a Lord that hath full power of the creature And that he should not only be knowen amōgest men but also be coūted famouse for a power farre passing the power of mā And because he is knowen to be such a lord whose power is most hyghest almightie we ought to take hym for oure Sauiour vnto whome we should haue refuge in all difficultie aduersitie looke for helpe of him And to this thing doth this present Gospell belonge For this is also a reuelation by the whiche CHRIST doth declare that he is a child not after the common sorte but after a peculier manner and trade whereas he commeth away hym self pryuily from his mother he regardeth not obedience whiche otherwyse all other chyldern owe to their parents after Gods cōmandement This matter chanced by such an occasion The parents as other Iewes were bound euery yeare to kepe the passouer They came to the temple of the Lord to Ierusalem And wheras they had brought the child Iesus with them whē the feast was done the child folowed not the companie of his parents but taried in the temple At the begynninge the mother was not so sorowful for him peraduenture because he was wont in tymes paste to go to his kynsefolke For Christ folowed nothing in the fyrst yeares but after the common capacitie of that age he was not grym and sadde otherwyse than it was agreable to a chylde In runninge and playe he shewed not hym self vnlyke to other chyldern excepte that that there appeared not suche sedes of vyce in hym And hereof it is that Ioseph and Marie were sone persuaded that he was with his kynsfolke and are not carefull for hym But when they had iorneied one daye at euening they inquire in the Inne for the chylde And when they found hym not amongest their kynsfolke they were greatly moued For this chylde was committed peculiarly to the mother And Ioseph also hadde no litle cōmaundement to see diligently to this chylde But yet was Mary the only mother Wherfore she toke this matter moste greuously and feared very greatly for that she found hym not where she sought hym And it is easie to iudge that it was no smalle feare Doubtlesse they returned by night the nigheste way but they finde not the chyld What they thought in this case and what heart they hadde iudge thou of thy owne felinge although it be not lyke For one day was passed ouer without care in the whiche he was loste vpon the second they make inquisition in the thyrde daye at length they fynde hym And as for two nyghtes together they slepte not but passed it ouer with carefull thoughtes And doubtelesse the mothers mynde was greuously wounded with suche moste bytter suspitions reasoning this with here self God hath taken away thy Sonne from the he will not suffer thee to take anye longer ioye of this gifte bycause thou haste kepte hym so negligently Ioseph toke it for a punishement of Gods wrathe bycause he tooke no better hede to this only chylde This therfore is most worthye to be marked that Christ wolde declare his priuiledge that he is not bound with lyke force as other chyldern be to be subiecte to the parents But that whatsoeuer he dyd he dyd it for an example of a free will and not constrayned by the rigour of the lawe For he was not only the sonne of his mother but also her God and Lorde Wherfore he is not here subiecte to his mother as we shall heare nexte where as he sayth Woman what haue I to doo with the So doth he here also and declareth that he is not a pure man whiche can be constrayned by necessitie to obey his parents But this doth he openly professe that he hath a hygher parent to whome he is more bound then to Mary Ioseph How is it sayth he that ye sought me Knew ye not that it behoued me to be about those thinges that belōged to my Father As though he should say I am youre sonne but yet on suche wyse that I am more bounde to obey the heauenly Father Wherfore he is made open and manifeste for oure behalf that we might wel know hym and repose and lay vp within vs the true example of hym that he is not only man but also God Wherfore assone as his mother said vnto him Sōne why dyddest thou deale thus with vs He aunswereth I am not disobedient vnto you I haue not despised you as ye thought Wherfore he defendeth his right against his mother and bycause of his parents sorow and great vexation of their mynde their case semeth so muche the worse For they might haue called to mynde the words of the Angels and shepheards as touching this chylde and might know that although this chylde folowed not them yet he ought not to be blamed as disobedient but it was their part to thinke of a greater obedience whiche ought to be shewed to the heauenly Father And for a necessarie cause was this example to be put forth of Christ against oure reason ouerthwart maner which doo alwayes iudge that the seruice inuēted by man is better than the seruice appoynted by God Wherfore this rule is here to be learned that when the matter commeth to this point that we muste either denye God of his seruice or els oure parents and magistrates we muste aledge CHRISTES worde for oure defence and say I muste rather be about these thinges that belonge to my Father whiche is in heauen Besyde this case I will gladly do all that I can to fulfill my duetie towarde my Father and mother toward the powers and satisfie the familie and maister But in this state I muste declare that I haue an other Father whiche ought more to be obeyde This thing had CHRISTS parents forgotten in this place wherfore Christ calleth them agayn into the way and admonisheth them as touching their duetye Wherfore Christ putteth foorth an example for reason Whiche when it ought to obey and serue God excuseth it self by this pretence that God
before hym and praieth Lord if thou wilt thou mayst clense me And here are two things to be noted Fyrst he beleueth steadfastly and without waueringe that Christ hath both will and power and that he can helpe in this disease wher as if all men wold do their beste they can helpe nothing wher as Christ neuerthelesse differed nothing in shape and behauiour from other priuate persons Secondly although he doubted nothing of this yet he yelde all to Christs will If he will not deliuer hym from the disease of the body that is if this be contrary to the will of God and against his owne saluation that he is ready to abyde this euil paciently more lenger And this is not only the propertie of true beleif but also of true prayer as these two are always ioyned to gether by nature He that beleueth truely prayeth truely he that beleueth not truely prayeth not truely For this is wholye requisite to true prayer that the heart doubteth not but that God is good and mercifull and that his whole will is to ridde vs of oure myseries Yea and especially this faith ought to be moste stronge in those things that beloÌ„ge vnto the glorie of God and oure saluation as are the remissâ—on of synnes the restitution from the dyuell and from death and in that that God will geue vs the holy Ghoste and preserue vs in his word helpe vs in temptation minister vnto vs the encrease of faith and charitie c. And these be the things that chiefly pertayne to the glorie of God and to oure saluation Wherfore here haue we nothing to doo with any condition when we pray vnto God for these things as though that God could herein be otherwyse mynded And he that in these things wold vse the leapers forme in praying Lord if thou wilt pardon my synnes If thou wilt saue me c. shold not pray aright For in these thinges we may not doubt of the will of God whether he will do it For he hath put forth his expresse and absolute worde that this is his ratified and vnchangeable wil that all men shoulde be saued And for that cause he procured his sonne to be a sacrifice on the crosse for the synnes of all the world put forth a commandement that al shold heare hym receaue and beleue in hym But where as the leaper doth vse a coÌ„ditional prayer If thou wilt thou maist clense me The thing is to be considered for the which he entreateth We sayd before that whatsoeuer belongeth to the glorie of God our saluation muste be surely loked for without any condition For the willl of God is certain he hath declared it with absolute perfecte promises that as touching these things ther is no misterie more to be required in God But in bodily promises it goeth not so For there may be miserie wordlie calamities yet the true saluation nothiÌ„g diminished therby as al christiaÌ„s are an exaÌ„ple Wherfore sith that true saluation coÌ„sisteth not in such bodyly things yea oftentymes the damage of the body goodes helpeth much to true saluation he that prayeth to be ridde of them as we are to this entised by the leapers exaÌ„ple ought to think surely with hym self that God can helpe that he will helpe yet ought he to ioyne his will with the will of God that if this be against goddes glorie and oure principal saluation then that God will not gratifie and fulfill oure will And in suche things this is the true prayer to beleue surely and yet to point God neither time neither way how to do it and how he shall deliuer vs from this euill For we haue all this fault for the moste part that we know not what how we shold aske As Paul saith GOD doth best know what is for his glorie and oure saluation Wherfore oure will ought to be made conformable vnto his and we ought not to doubt but that he will surely heare vs if such a petition belongeth to his glorie and oure saluation Wherfore this ought to be a very notable example for the congregatioÌ„ that first of all it doubt not of the good will of God toward it self but that he knoweth oure euils and calamities that he hath respecte vnto vs. This ought we to sticke vnto yet not to prescribe any thing as touching the maner deuise tyme or successe therof For the congregation remembreth this that this senteÌ„ce is ioyned with the promises of such things that it be obedieÌ„t in bearinge the crosse As the leapre doth here He doubteth not but that Christ caÌ„ helpe that he hath a redie will to helpe he nothing mistrusteth For what other cause els had he to praye so earnestly But he vnderstandeth that the saluation and health which he now asketh to be such as touching that which he caÌ„ not alledge the absolute will of God as it goeth with the thynges aboue rehersed Suche faith and obedience is meruailously alowed of Christ. Wherfore he suffereth not the desyer of this miser no not in this petition wherin if he had not obtayned yet he might haue retayned the hope of true saluation to be voyde and frustrate This may be set forth as an euident example in the Churche how greatly God is delighted with the prayer of a godly and obedieÌ„t mynde And herevnto belonge the most notable sentences of the Prophetes Dauid saith O tarie thou the leysure of the Lord be stronge and he shall confort thee and put thou thy trust in the Lord. Again My soule doth waight for hym in his worde is my truste from the morning watche vntill nighte Abacuk sayth also If the vision maketh tariance looke for it for it will come spedelye without prolongynge For this is knowen in all hystories that although helpe hath ben delayde yet that it hath appeared at the laste Yea and in this is the proper trade of God wher as he heareth not forthwith he doth it to declare his liberalitie more abundantly toward vs then we desyer or vnderstande as Paul sayth And it is not a thing superfluouse to make inquisition as touching this Why Christ after he had clensed the leaper sent him to the Priests to offer his gifte there as Moses commanded A man may aunswere hereto very well if he say that Christ set foorth vnto vs an example of charitie coÌ„corde and sobrietie wher as he wold nothing diminish the right of the Priests in that that was graunted vnto theÌ„ by God which thing yet he might haue done that we should learne hereby to defraude no maÌ„ of his right But the chief cause of this commandement tendeth to this ende that there might be common testimonials yea by the very aduersaries as concerning this miracle For when the pryest receaueth his gyfte of him and he coÌ„fesseth that he is clensed he testifieth against him self and against all rebelles that this Christ that wrought this
therfore not bounde to the lawe For Moyses lawe is for suche women as were broughte with chylde after the common naturall course yet shee demandeth no pryuiledge more then other womenne hadde but humbly obeyeth the lawe as all other dyd And the chylde IESVS whyche is lorde of the lawe with whome Moyses is not to be compared yet submitteth hym selfe so lowely that hee obeyeth the lawe of his seruant These examples be suche as proue our vertues and doynges lytle worthy of prayse and therfore are described in sermons and sette before vs to make vs ashamed for that we for this lordes sake of whome we haue all thynges do not so much as our necessary duetie byndeth vs where as he for oure sakes dothe that that his seruaunt commaunded hym He therefore that hathe anye vnderstandynge lyke a manne woulde deteste and abhorre hym selfe that where as hee seeth so greate an exaumple of CHRIST hys delyuerer whiche so muche humbleth hym selfe and sheweth suche obedience as men coulde neuer haue inuented the lyke yet wee not withstandynge that lytle regarde to obey hym whyche hath power eyther to caste vs into helle or ells for to receaue vs into heauen Wherfore CHRISTES obedieÌ„ce putteth ours to confusion and shame and it ought to admonysh vs of our great dishonestie that we may reason thus with our selues What doo we caytiues what meane we Shall we neuer come to our right wittes obey hym and folowe his example whiche became man for our sake whiche cried in his swadelynge bandes whiche was accused at Hierusalem whiche is obediente to Moyses his seruant to whome he was not â—ounde For hee is the Lorde and as for Moyses is scarcely woorthy to bee his seruaunt and yet he doth that that he was not coÌ„manded And as for me I do not that that I am bound and charged to do vnder pein of damnation And this is the first simple and playne doctrine wherin by the example of Christ we are put in remembraÌ„ce of our dutie that when we coÌ„sider his great obedieÌ„ce we may be pricked with shame concernyng our lewd nature for that we refuse to be obedient for our owne necessarye cause behofe The other doctrine is of the preferment of the first born for that that God hath ordeined hym to be of suche an hygh degree as to be called the sonne of God and his proper god This is a great honor a great priuiledge wherof the Iewes were not a litle prowde For they disdained all their other brothers as though that they in comparison of them selues were not of the numbre of them that pleased god As many euident exaumples are redy to declare this true wher as none did more degendre from their kind then the first borne none dyd lesse behaue them selues to the contentation of their parents myndes For they coulde not knowe or measure them selues for pryde they thought them selues onely holy before God and despised all the reste Neither coulde we at this tyme if we had suche preeminence refrayne from like statelynesse as wee maye perceaue this by the maners of monkes If they could haue any thing to declare this their preferment and honour and say truly We ar the holye sonnes of God this priuiledge haue we by his worde and ordinance how glorious wold they be seyng that nowe they take so muche vppon them for a stinkyng coules sake And this pride was the ruine ouerthrow of the first borne As it was to Lucifer the chief angel Cain also was the first begotten and therfore he thought hymselfe most happiest And this doth Eue declare by the name that she gaue hym when he was borne euen that this was the maÌ„ that they shold loke for She gaue hym this name to garnyshe hym as with a diademe or kynges robe as though he shold be that promised heroicall persone to come But euen as of Lucifer was made a deuil so of Cain was made a wicked prince There was also no small pride in Ismaell whiche could not suffer his brother Isaac in the house for he persuaded hymself that he should be head of all And suche pride for the most part was of them all as thoughe they onely were the holye ones of the Lord and that all the residue were estemed but for vnderlynges Wherfore GOD coulde not spare them Esau for his fyrst byrthes preeminence thought to become the chief But God prouided otherwise For wheÌ„ he thought by the priuiledge of birthright that he mighte without lette oppresse and neglecte his brother it pleased GOD to take hys ryghte frome hym and to put hym besyde the blessyng euen as he dyd with Ismaell and Cayn But for the profe of this matter the example of the Iewes passeth al other For they by good right should haue bene the fyrst begottten in the kyngdom of God and in the churche and we Gentiles theyr yonger bretherne But when they waxed stoute and proude and would plucke vnto them thinges due by birthrighte God cast them of for that they trusted so much in theÌ„ selues and despised other Wher as it had ben mete for them for that cause to be more gentil kynd obedieÌ„t And for this pride were they reiected from God the Gentils receaued Dauid at Gods request preferred in his kyngdom Salomon the yongest before his elder brethren to exclude all prouocations of pride And the chosyng of Dauid to his kingdom was after no other maner when God sent Samuel the prophet to anoint the sonne of Iesse to be kyng for Saule First cam the eldest whose pride appered for that he so cruelly rated his brother in the tents as though he counted him for his bondmaÌ„ But the Lord answered that it was not he vntil seuen sons of Iesse were passed by the pro phet was fain to aske whether he had any other sonne besides To whoÌ„ the father as though he thought no likelihode in Dauid answered that he had a litle sonne fedyng shepe For Iesse could not thinke that God wold auanced his yongest sonne to such a chief fortune and state But this was he that God accepted The fyrst begotten pleased not God as he saith to Samuel I iudge not by the outwarde shewe but I beholde the hearte But what shall we say to be the cause that God so greatly neglecteth the first birthright whiche he ordeined hym self and aduanceth Dauid to the kyngdom that was the yongest amongest his brethren wheras yet by Gods ordinance the right of the kyngdome belonged to the fyrst borne Ueryly all hys entente and purpose is to persuade that priuileges in bodily thinges are not regarded or respected of God Neyther wyll he that the vse of his priuileges and giftes shold be referred to suche an ende that therby should spryng pride statelynes and contempte GOD would haue his children sober and lowly and not proude and loftie But they that therby take occasion to be disdainfull and arrogant although they were thervnto
trēble they as these do 〈◊〉 fele no consolation nor conforte in the worde for he that feleth death and is not armed with the worde of god against death the terrours of the same he is madde wode frantike fareth as though he were in desperation yea and possessed with the deuil Cōsider therfore O dearely beloued what a great treasure precious Iewel ye get when ye diligently gladly heare the word of God The firste is this ye know the ye are of god haue ouercome the deuil and al his infernal armie that neither sinne nor damnation hath any power ouer you Moreouer what soeuer shoulde be obiected againste you to the hyndraunce of your saluation it can not preuaile againste you but ye shall easely ouercome it But contrariwise the worlde with the leaste trouble that cōmeth waxeth madde is impaciēt falleth vnto vtter desperation The Christians vndoubtedly in this worlde haue many troubles For the worlde the deuil hate thē most extremely Therfore are they at al times in daunger of life of goods of fame of al that euer they haue Now how shal they fynde meanes to suffer these thinges paciently verely by none otherwaye then by holdinge faste the worde and cleauinge harde to the same saying let it go as it wil go I am not of the world but of god for if I were of y◠world that worlde wolde deale otherwise with me But I had rather a thousand times that worlde should hate persecute me then loue me so fal out of the fauour good will of god Where the minde is thus affected setled all the troubles aduersities of that worlde passe awaye as a cloude or as a byrde that is swyfte of wynge They shewe them selues a litle while vnto vs but straight way they are gone Let this be your greate singuler consolation that euen in this life ye fele the power of y◠worde but specially then whē death cōmeth which now thorow the faith that ye haue in the worde is euē as a swete pleasaunt slepe And as he y◠walketh ī darkenes perceaueth not the theaues is y◠soner oppressed ouerthrowen yea that befor he be ware euē so goeth it with the faithful the deuil is the theife mur therer hath sworne our bodely death so that we cā not escape it notwithstāding when we are enarmed with the worde holde faste that we shal scasely fele death or any payne therof For the worde setteth men in a ioyeful and quiet state maketh their cōsciences chereful mery and gladde so that they despaire not when aduersitie cōme neither make they any busines whē they loose their promotiōs lyuinges but kepe pacience in all kinde of aduersitie yea when death cōme they embrace it ioyefully receaue it without any feare at al onely this is their conforte that for Christes sake they haue a merciful father in heauen For this they learne in the word without the word they can learne nothing If there were non other cause that we should desyre the knowledge of gods word but only to learne how we ought to take these dayly cōbrances aduersities that chaunce vnto vs it might worthely seme a cause sufficient But this is nothing in comparison of the last miserie that cōmeth by death For as cōcerning that it is euident that then there is no helpe in any phisition or in any other thinge Christe alone our Lord is he which helpeth vs which also ought to be more estemed of vs then al the things in the worlde But how goeth it with vs whē he offereth vs this helpe remedie yea and bringeth it home to our owne dores we despise it and set naught by it This therfore chaunceth vnto vs worthely afterwarde that we be not of God and so by litle and litle dayly fall more and more into more greuous sinnes and become worse worse as it is sufficiently before sayd When suche are at the point to dye they can fynde neyther helpe nor councel And what remayneth there for all suche then lamentation feare tremblyng horroure yollyng out roring yea desperation and damnation Therfore this is the principal point of doctrine contayned in the Gospell of this present sonday that we diligentlye embrace the worde gladly heare it and faithfully beleue it If ye do this then shall ye ouercome synne deuyll death hel c. And althoughe death shall take you out of this lyfe yet shal ye fele no payne of hym but it shal be vnto you as a moste swete and pleasaunt slepe For the worde of God is suche a conforte and present helpe that it bringeth vnto vs a quiet lyfe a mery cōscience euerlastyng saluation As for the vngodly and suche as despyse the worde of God there can no more mischief be wyshed vnto them then they suffer all redy For seing they heare not the worde of God they are not of God As an vnruly childe whiche despyseth the commandement of God careth not for his parentes What can be spoken more vnto his reproche then that he is the sonne of the deuill and not of God This is not lightly to be regarded or to be set naught by For it were better to be the bonde slaue of the Turke or of any other most barbarous and cruell tyraunt then to to be the captiue and bondslaue of the deuyll which is an accuser a calumniatour a picker of quarels a murderer and seketh all means possible to cast vs into vtter destruction Take hede of this mischiefe and dilygently consider with your selfs in what gret reuerēce and estimation ye ought to haue the woorde of God For there is none other reskue help or remedy against euerlasting death deuyl sinne hell c. then to hold fast the word of Christ that is to say to beleue his promise and thorow faith in his worde to haue a sure hope of euerlastyng saluation For when Christ saith He that wyll kepe my woorde shall neuer see deathe He meaneth not the lawe that God gaue to the Iewes by Moyses Whiche lawe although it bee a trewe holy and profitable doctrine yet seyng we because of our vicious and corrupt nature can not obey that doctrine it is become vnto vs the ministerie of deathe and alwaies reproueth accuseth and condemneth our sinne before God Therfore haue we nede of an other word that we may be delyuered from synne and be iustified before God And that nowe is the woorde of Christe where he sayth He that beleueth in me shall neuer se deathe This worde muste be apprehended and layde hande on with a strong faithe so that we may by no means doubt but that it is true which Christ promyseth For he that refuseth the worde and taketh counsell of his owne deuise he shal fynd death and not life Therfore in the agony of death not according to that we fancie but according to
wolde god as the euerlasting truth performe according to his promes sende the Sauiour suffer him to be crucifyed and slaine as witnesseth S. Peter in the Chronicle of the Apostles actes writtē by blessed Luke God saith he hath performed those thinges whiche he before declared by the mouth of all his Prophetes That Christe should suffer c. Christe also speaketh thus after his resurrection with the two Disciples that were iourneying towarde Emaus It was necessarie that all thinges shoulde be fulfilled that are written of me in the lawe of Moises in the Prophetes in the Psalmes What testimonies there are of the passion of Christ in the scriptures of the olde Testament ye may easelye see in the Euāgelicall historie of the passion death of Christe whiche I wolde wyshe you diligentlye to note for the confirmation of your faith in this behalfe The last cause is the induration or excecation and blyndnes of the Iewes which thorow their great cōtumacie stubburnes thorow their impenitēcie or vnrepētaūt heart being forsaken of god were punished blinded that they should heare and not vnderstād that they should see with their eyes and discerne nothynge as it is written in the scriptures By this meanes they flewe the sonne of God and so prouoked the fyerce vengeance and hote wrath of God against them as the Apostle sayth The wrath of God is comme on them euen to the vttermost For althoughe God from euerlastinge had determined that his sonne Christ shoulde suffer and dye and it could none otherwise be but as God had before decreed yet were not the Iewes excused For they founde no cause of death in hym And although they did not know that he was the sonne of God yet they knewe this for a certentie that he was a godly and innocent man whome they of mere enuye and malice slewe as Pilate againste hym selfe testified this saying I fynde no cause of death in hym Therfore they sought an other thyng then god did whiche appointed his Sonne to suffer and to dye that he by his sufferance and death myghte deliuer them that beleue from synne death deuill and hell and that he by his resurrection myght be glorifyed and become of moste worthie renoume But Satan with his mēbers the Scribes and Phariseyes sought an other thyng euen to slea Christe to bringe Christ to shame and vtterly to roote hym out of remembraunce both hym and his doctrine that there might be no more mention made of hym And so the wicked Iewes thorow their enuie their blinded heart and their vngracious coūcel executed contrary to theyr wyll and deuice the decree and determination of the heauenly father wherby thorowe the mercie of Christ dying for them health and saluation chaunced to so many as beleue Yea the vugodlye Iewes worthelye blynded were deceaued of their purpose and aduaunced Christ whome they determined vtterly to destroye vnto glorie as it is written The Lorde bringeth the councell of the heathen to naughte and maketh the deuices of the people to be of none effect But the councell of the Lorde shall endure for euer and the thoughtes of his hearte from generation to generation When we earnestlye consider these causes then shall we see how miserable and damnable synners we are verely euen suche as coulde none otherwise be saued but only by Christe so that for vs and for our saluation he muste neees dye yea and that the most ignominious and spitefull death of the crosse Again we shall see the moste brenninge heart and incomparable fyre of the loue of our heauēly father and of his sonne Christ which hauing no regard to our synnes nor yet that we were his enemies died for vs that we shold not perishe in our synnes Moreouer we see how faithfull and true god is and that all his wordes and promises will take place and procede against all the violence force power strength crafte and suttiltie of the deuill and the worlde and that heauen and earthe shall sonner fall perishe and cōme to naughte then one iote or title of gods worde shal be founde vntrue and false By the first we learne of the lawe howe greate and horrible a thynge synne is before the eyes of Gods maiestie for the abolishing wherof the onely and innocent sonne of God must be scourged and dye so bytter ignominious and spiteful death yea and that onely to take awaye other mennes synnes By the second we learne the Gospell and the louing gentle and mercifull hearte of GOD toward vs whiche for vs for our saluation sent his only begotten sonne that incomparable treasure into this world and suffred him to be nayled on the crosse By the third we learne assuredly to truste and beleue the promise of God and not to feare the vngodly and wicked persecutours forasmuche as we see that he hath so faithfully and so abundantly performed by his sonne all that euer he promised Again he hath confounded and brought to shame the deuill and all his children of this worlde and hath made frustrate and voyde all their deuices councels and imaginations in so muche that where as they thought with this their worke vtterly to kyl confounde and extinguish Christ they haue moste of all aduaunced Christe vnto his great honour and glorie and by this meanes brought to passe that all the faithfull shall receaue saluation by this crucified Christe For howe could Satan and the stifnecked Phariseyes thincke that Christ by death vnto life by buriall vnto resurrection by ignominie and contempt vnto glorie and honoure shoulde be brought and made king and ruler ouer all creatures both in heauen and in earth But mightie is the lorde our God to performe his promise and to confounde the worlde with his God the deuill as he both doth and shall do euen vnto the very ende of the worlde But now followeth the third thing which we ought to consider about the passion of Christ. This is howe great paine and affliction Christe suffered inwardly outwardly Of the externall passion outward suffring we haue abundantly in the Euāgelical history where we rede how he was taken be spitted whypped beaten crowned with thornes and at the last crucifyed put to death Of the inwarde passion and suffrynge that he had in his hearte and conscience when he must striue with death which was before his eyes hell and deuill Luke writeth in his gospell on this maner he was in an agonie and prayed the longer his sweat was lyke droppes of blood tricklynge downe to the grounde Of the whiche wordes the excedyng greate horror and torment whiche Christ suffered in his conscience may be estemed and iudged and how horrible the sight of death of sinne which he toke on him of hel and deuil was before hym seing that his sweate contrary to al reason of nature was bluddye and so came from hym Againe in that the cōfortour creatour of all the
worlde was cast into such necessitie feare that his father sent an Angel vnto him for to conforte him as Luke in the aforesaid place doth also testifye That stryffe of death is fearefull beyond all measure and taketh awaye all strength of nature as we see in condemned persons whiche are sodenlye taken to be put vnto death What a meruelous torment anger appeareth there in them til nature hath made her selfe captiue to death so that the payne and death it selfe may iustly seme to be nothyng in comparison of that great agonie trouble and feare How excedyng greate vnmeasurable it was in Christe his bloudy sweate that came from him doth manifestly declare whiche thing was neuer done nor hearde of any other This calamitie and fearefulnes was afterwarde wonderfully encreased when he hanging vpon the crosse was forsaken of all his disciples frendes again mocked scorne and spitefully rayled on of his enemyes in somuche that he being in suche an agonie cried out vnto his heauenly father sayinge O my god O my God why hast thou forsakē me wherof we may rede more at large in the xxij Psalme of Dauid In the whiche psalme the Prophete hath exactly painted set forth the bytter complaintes and the afflicted conscience of Christe miserable and forsaken where also thou shalt fynde in what angore and affliction he was for our synnes And here let vs lerne as we sayde before the highe hatred greate displeasure and extreme wrathe that God beareth against synne in so muche that because of that he woulde not spare his only begotten and dearely beloued son nor yet forgeue him seinge he toke vpon him the cause of other mens sins as we may see in the Prophete Esaye And S. Paule sayeth He spared not his onely begotten sonne This signified Christ also when he spake to the women on this wise If they do this in a moyste tree what shall be done in a seare drie tree As though he should say Learne of me whiche beare other mens syns and in my selfe am innocent righteous and holy what punishmentes ye haue deserued and what shall chaunce vnto you which by nature are synners and wycked can do nothing that good is Therfore Christ warneth the women to wepe vpon thē selues which with their sinnes had deserued that payne and punishment that he nowe must suffer In consideration wherof s. Peter sayth If the righteous shall scaslye be saued where shall the sinner the vngodly appeare for God hath here plainly and euidētly set forth before our eyes in Christ his anger wrath displeasure against sinne seinge that he suffred the highe goodnes innocencie wisedome iustice euen his onely begotten sonne to to cōme because thereof into extreme pouertie paine contempt ignominie as though he were the greatest enemie that god hath suche one as is not worthy to liue on the groūd yea god did so shew him self toward him as thoughe he had geuen him ouer for euer euer wold neuer after be reconciled vnto him as Christe miserablye complaineth in the xxij psalme And al this came to passe for other mens sinnes whiche Christe tooke vpon him O how horribly shal god auenge sins in them that naturally are prone and bent vnto sinne and cane none otherwise then sinne and do wickedly seing he declared this so seuerely in his sonne in whō notwithstanding he had a singuler delight and great pleasure O howe greuously shall he punishe them whiche confesse not their sinnes yea whiche wil be counted holye and righteous and wyl by no meanes receaue Christe to be their sufficient Sauiour and perfecte redemer to purge and put away their sinnes but will rather cleaue to their owne righteousnes to their owne workes and to the merites an intercessiōs of other Therfore let all true and faithfull Christians diligently cōsider this matter and with all study and labour beware of sinne and of the wrath of god seing it coste the sonne of God the price of his lyfe seinge also that for the aduoydinge of the same he was enforced to suffer most greuous payne greate bytter sorowe and at the laste the moste ignominious and shamefull death of the crosse that by this meanes he mighte apeace the wrath of GOD kyndled againste man for synne delyuer man from synne reconcile man to his heauenly father and make him enheritour of euerlasting glorie Fourthly let vs consider the fruites and profites of the passion and death of Christ. For this is our ioye and comforte verely as they be greate so are they infinite and innumerable if they were diligently and at large wayghed pondered and considered for Christe is that true wheat corne wherof he himselfe speaketh in the Gospell of Iohn sayinge verely verely I saye vnto you except the wheate corne fall into the groūde die it abideth alone But if it dye it bring forth much fruite Of these many fruites we will declare some yea and those the cheife and principall For those being knowen and perfectly beleued no man shall lyghtly wauer in his conscience nor yet despaire thorowe pusillanimitie and wekenes of minde but he shal be conforted and lyfted vp with a sure hope of the merites of Christes passion and alwayes stand firme and constante in all assaultes of the enemie The first fruite of Christes passion is that Christe God man by his death hath redemed and deliuered vs from the curse of the lawe For seinge the hearte of man by nature is euil and there is no man that doth good but all sorte of vs before the iudgement of God are synners and lyars the curse of the lawe by this meanes cōmeth vpon vs and condempneth vs as despisers and transgressours of the lawe and saith Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all thynges that are written in the boke of the lawe that he maye do them From this curse and iudgement of the lawe hath Christe deliuered vs which hath taken vpon him our cause and satiified the lawe that so many as put their confidence faith and truste in him he shoulde make free from suche curse sentence and iudgement of the lawe and so by his death hath redemed and deliuered vs from the lawe so that it can no more condemne vs as sainct Paule testifieth in his Epistle to the Galathians sayinge Christe hath deliuered vs from the curse of the lawe whyle he became accursed for our sake Nowe howe Christe became accursed Paule declareth more at large and sayth It is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree This sentence of the lawe was generall ouer all that were crucified and put to death on the crosse Among whom Christe also came and outwardly suffered the ignominie and curse of the lawe and was reputed taken and iudged as a malefactour and wycked person But Christe by suffrynge vnworthely the outwarde curse condēnatiō of the law ouercame did
God reueleth and therefore accuseth and condemneth If it be no synne in the lawe of God then is it a popishe synne vnknowen to God and therfore not to be regarded For that is onely synne that the lawe of God forbyddeth And thus may we see that very many lye weltring in great notorious synnes as couetousnes whoredome adultery theafte vsurie anger enuy glotony drunckenes bannynge cursyng blasphemy and suche lyke and styll remayne frowardly in the same without repentaunce without anye conscience of their wycked and vngodly behauiour as for their sinnes they care not onely this is their desire that they may so synne that it be not perceaued nor knowen of other Suche sinnes can not be forgeuen and vnto these belong byndinge or retayninge and the second power whereof Christe speaketh here that suche synnes are to be retayned Therefore here is a difference to be made and the true sinnes are so to be diuided that some are sinnes both before vs and God some only before God and not before vs. For we wil not knowledge them nor be sorie for them and desire of god remission and forgeuenes of them As Dauid saith against thee alone haue I synned and before thee haue I done euil Here both be ioyned together forasmuch as Dauid knowledgeth and confesseth that he hath done euill and knoweth that it doth displease God As thoughe he should saye verely I know and fele the synne not only because I remembre it but also because I fele what synne is able to do yea I feale the power and strength of synne that it is a cruel torment and an intollerable burden and that it accuseth me before god and goeth about to plucke me vnto death and vnto the deuill as Paule sayth to the Romains without the lawe synne was dead I lyued somtime without lawe As though he should saye Synne is alwayes in vs. But before the lawe commeth it is as though it were buried or a sleape For it disquieteth vs not it vexeth vs not it tormenteth vs not And hereof it commeth that we heape dayly more and more sinne vpon synne and make no conscience thereof otherwise woulde we repent and cease to synne But when that thonderbolte I meane the lawe of God stryketh the conscience pearceth it thorowe then begynneth synne as a man wolde saye to waxe alyue againe so that now we begynne to knowe how mightie a thing synne is whiche taketh god awaye from vs and casteth vs downe hedlong vnto the deuill and hell fyre Therfore sayth Paule when the lawe came synne waxed alyue again But I was dead the commandement which was vnto life was founde vnto me to be vnto death And this is the very sinne which is sin before God me as we may see in Dauid when he committed adultery with Bethseba the sin greued him nothing at all for sinne was dead But when Nathā the prophete ones came and did cast this thonderbolt at him Thou art this man then beganne syn to waxe aliue in Dauids hearte and threatned him death But Nathan conforteth him sayth Thou shalt not dye Thus sewe that the Apostlike regiment is an aucthoritie and power not ouer politique ciuile and temporall matters or ouer suche synnes alone as that world accuseth cōdemneth iudgeth and punisheth but ouer all those synnes whiche thou in thy consciēce and god in his righteousnes count to be sinnes so that by thys meanes the syns of the whole worlde are subiect to the Apostles to all the ministers of the church yea when time requireth to all Christians so that thou maist certenly persuade thy selfe when thou hearest of thy pastour or in his absence of any other Christian that thy sinnes are forgeuē thee in the name of Christ that that is so true iuste and certen and is also of no lesse power as though Christ himself had spoken it or an Angel from heauen had declared it vnto thee at the commandement of Christ. But this cōmission and power is not geuen to the Apostles ministers of the church that they shoulde thereby auaunce themselues setforth their owne honour waxe proude and exercise tyranny ouer the congregation of God For it is onely geuen them to this ende that therby they should serue thee and that thou mayest be defended agaynste thine enemye whiche is to stronge for thee Therfore this is a wonderfull and incredible power that wretched man whiche is a synner also should dryue the deuyll out with his power whom otherwise the hole worlde coulde not expell and driue out For so sayth Christ what soeuer ye losen in earth shal be losened in heauen Again whose synnes ye shall forgeue shal be forgeuen them And as it is rehersed in this our gospell as my father sent me so lykewise do I send you These wordes are so plaine and euident that no man ought to doubte of them but as he heareth the wordes of remission of sinnes pronounced vnto hym so lykewise shall he receaue and enioye it And this is the cause that we admonishe you so often seinge Christe hath geuen suche and so great power to his churche that ye shoulde vse the same and by no meanes despise it For vnto this ende hath Christ ordeined this ministerie that on this wise the synnes of the worlde shoulde be forgeuen and taken awaye so that they be sinnes in dede and with a repentaunt fayth and faithful repentaunce knowledged and confessed For as for counterfaite and forged synnes they pertayne nothynge vnto this matter They must be sinnes in dede which trouble vexe and disquiet the heart as Adam in the fyrste booke of Moyses preached and sayd to his son Cain If sayth he thou haddest done well and haddest ben good thyne oblation shoulde haue bene accepted But for asmuche as thou arte euill thy synne lyeth in the dores As though he shold say Thou standest nowe there and arte a synner but thou dost not yet fele it Thy synne lyeth but in a very troublesome and vnrestfull place Therfore se vnto it for it wyll one day awake and comme to light and then shall it otherwise go with thee For thy synne lieth lurketh not vnto this ende that it shoulde for euer rest and be kepte secrete but that it should comme to light that it may torment trouble vexe and byte thee so that thou shalt not know what to do nor whether to turne thee They therfore that are not moued with their sins haue notwithstandinge synnes in dede but yet suche as are not venial remissible or able to be forgeuen and therefore are their sinnes retained holden and boūde For they haue no luste nor desyre to be forgeuen for if they had they would repent and leaue to synne This was the doctrine of the Papistes that whosoeuer wold haue remissiō of their sinnes they should firste of all confesse all theyr synnes to the priest be contrite and sorie for them and receaue penaunce at the
more maruelous The Lord hath appointed and set the deuill and the worlde their limites beyonde the which they can not go And this is worthy to be noted and for euer to be remembred that thou in thine affliction persuade thy selfe that what soeuer aduersitie chaunceth vnto thee it commeth not by fortune or by chaunce but by the singuler prouidence councell and determinatiō of god yea and that vnto thy greate cōmoditie althoughe it semeth otherwise to thy blinde and carnal reason And here nowe riseth also a greater difficultie for yf I must thus persuade my selfe that all the aduersities and troubles whiche I suffer cōme by the prouidence of God then by the Iudgement of reason it maye be gathered that the councell and determination of god concernyng myne affliction is vnto my destruction and damnation For what health or saluation maye be loked for of paynes plagues and punishmentes in our great and greuous afflictions we can not otherwise be persuaded but that God euen of displeasure and hatred againste vs doth plague and punishe vs. And this greatly encreaseth our sorowe and in a maner bringeth vs to desperation because God doth so punishe vs If any other thing were the cause of oure plagues and troubles it would not so greatlye greue vs for then we woulde thincke that there were some helpe and conforte remayninge in God towardes vs. In this case therfore must we haue recourse vnto the worde of God and not heare nor obey the iudgement sentence of reason For if we heare and beleue that we shall surely fall into desperation yea and vtterlye detest and abhorre God The worde whiche in this behalfe conforteth and openeth vnto vs the will of God is this S. Paule sayth If we wolde iudge oure selues we should not haue bene iudged But when we are iudged of the Lorde we are chastened that we should not be dāned with the worlde By this sentence of the Apostle it is euident that whome God wil not haue condemned with the worlde but preserued and kept vnto euerlasting life he correcteth and punisheth them neither ought this to be counted a token of hatred but rather a signe of fauour loue good will although they be afflicted and troubled This sentence in affliction is diligently to be considered and remembred One hath this crosse an other hath that whereof they woulde gladly be eased But if euery mā wold thincke on this maner saye to him selfe If thou were not restrained with this byt of aduersitie if thou were not thus correcte thou wouldest surely do that which shold worke thee greater displeasure and be the cause of a more euil but God doth send thee this aduersitie that thou sholdest not be damned with this worlde but hereof take an occasion to amend thy life to call thy selfe vnto repentance to feare GOD to call on his blessed name to thancke him for his benefites c. If euery man in his trouble wold thus thincke with himselfe then would they not be angry with god for laying that crosse vpō them nor thincke that he doth it of hatred displeasure against thē but rather of fauour good wil towarde them yea then would they loue and praise god that he in that affliction sheweth tokens of his fauour and good will toward them by this meanes preseruinge them from eternall damnation vnto euerlastynge saluation Unto this ende also doth S. Paule in hys Epistle to the Hebrues alledge this sayinge of Salomon out of his prouerbes My sonne despise not thou the chasteninge of the Lord neither faint when thou arte rebuked of hym For whom the lord loueth hym he chasteneth yea he scourgeth euery sonne that he receaueth If ye endure chastening god offereth himself vnto you as vnto sonnes For what sonne is he whō the father chasteneth not If ye be not vnder correction wherof all are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes Therfore seing we haue had fathers of our fleshe whiche corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence shal we not muche rather be in subiectiō vnto the father of spirites and lyfe And they verely for a fewe dayes nurtered vs after their own pleasure but he nurtereth vs for our profite to the intent that he may minister of his holines vnto vs. No maner chastising for the presēt time semeth to be ioyous but greuous neuerthelesse afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnes vnto thē whiche are exercised therby This sentēce of the holy Apostle doth testifie not only that the discipline correction which god laieth vpon vs is no token of his anger displeasure againste vs but also that it is a most manifeste signe euident argument of his fatherly and frendly good wil toward vs. Let vs not therfore thinke whē we are corrected punished that GOD is angry with vs or that he set naught by vs. For the cause why he corrected vs is because we are his sonnes and should not loose oure enheritaunce nor at any time be put from it And as the worde doth preach and declare vnto vs of the crosse and of afflictions so lykewise is it set forth by examples who can or dare say that god the father hated his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesu And yet for all that yf thou considerest his lyfe and death and weighest the matter after the iudgement of reason there shall appeare no great signes of gods loue towarde hym yea rather signes of hatred then of loue and that the vngodly and wicked Iewes were more regarded with god then Christ whom they hādled at their pleasure and entreated as they woulde accordyng to the saying of the Prophete He hath nether beautie nor fauour when we looked vpon hym there was no fayrenes we had no luste to hym He was despised abhorred of menne We reckoned him so vile that we hyd our faces from hym yea he was despised and therefore we regarded hym not We dyd iudge him as though he were plagued cast downe of god And Christ hymselfe sayth by the psalmographe As for me I am a worme and no man a very scorne of men and the outcaste of the people All they that see me laughe me to scorne they shote out their lyppes shake the heade c. They gape vpon me with theyr mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon c. Yea the very Iewes when he hanged on the crosse mocked him saying If he be the sonne of God let him comme downe from the crosse c. Now as god did handle his owne derely beloued only begotten sonne Christe Iesu here on earth euen so wil he handle al Christians in this worlde as Christ hath to fore saide The seruant is not greater then his maister If they haue persecuted me they wil persecute you likewise And it is sayde both moste trimly and truly in the Epistle to the Hebreues as we heard afore If ye be not
holy ghoste after these fewe dayes When they therefore were come together they asked of hym sayinge Lorde wylt thou at this tyme restore agayne the kyngdome of Israell And he sayd vnto them It is not for you to know the tymes or the seasons whiche the father hathe put in his owne power But ye shal receyue power after the holy ghost is come vpon you And ye shal be witnesses vnto me not on lye in Ierusalem but also in all Iewrye and in Samaria and euen vnto the worldes ende And when he had spoken these thinges whyle they behelde he was taken vp on hye and a cloude receyued hym vp out of their syght And whyle they loked stedfastly vp towarde heauen as he went behold two men stode by them in whyte aparell which also sayde Ye men of Galile why stande ye gasynge vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene hym goe into heauen THE EXPOSITION THis daye is celebrated and kepte holy the feast of the Ascention of Christe that we maye the better be instructed concernynge thys Article of the Christen Fayth He ascended into heauen and sytteth on the ryght hand of God the Father almyghty frome thense he shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade For the trewe vnderstandyng of this article two thynges are necessarye to be knowen One concernynge the hystorie of the Ascention of Christ. The other as touchyng the mysterie of Christes Ascention what he hath done why he dyd ascende and what profyte he hath brought to his Churche and faithefull congregation by that hys meruailous and glorious Ascension As concernynge the hystorie blessed Luke in hys Chronicle of the Apostles actes dothe very diligently describe it and set it foorthe when he maketh mention of the daye of the place and of the persones that were present after this maner That the Lord after that by the space of fortie days he had shewed hymself aliue to his Disciples after his resurrection spokē vnto thē of the kingdom of God gathered them together and brought them vnto mount Oliuete not farre frome Hierusalem and gaue them commaundemente that they shoulde not departe frome Hierusalem but to wayte there for the promise of the Father euen the Holy Ghost and that afterwarde they shoulde publyshe the Gospelle thorough out the worlde And when he hadde spoken these thynges whyle they behelde hee was taken vp on hye and a clowde receaued hym vp oute of theyr syghte And whyle they looked stedfastly vp towarde heauen as he went Beholde sayth Luke two men stoode by theym in whyte apparell whyche sayd vnto them Ye menne of Galilee why stande ye gasing vp into heauen Thys same IESVS whyche is taken vp frome you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene hym go into heauen This is the historie of the Ascention of Christ as it is described and sette forth by blessed Luke In this hystorye fyrst of all is this miracle woorthye to be obserued that the Lorde Christ before hys Disciples is caryed vp into Heauen and by a cloude taken oute of theyr syght whiche is a manyfeste declaration vnto vs what the state of glorified bodies after the generall Resurrection shall bee For it is not the naturall propretie of mens bodies to be caried vp Notwithstandyng that shal be the condition of glorified bodies that in a moment they maye go to all places without impediment of any thyng as the example of Christe teacheth whome when he rose agayne from death vnto lyfe the stone of the graue could not hynder hym nor afterwarde the doores shutte coulde kepe hym out He pearceth thorow all thyngs He maketh hym selfe vysible when he wyll agayn inuisible when his pleasure is That same felicitie and blessed state shall our bodies also haue after the resurrection when the bodies shall be immortall and no more subiecte to infirmities as they are nowe in thys lyfe wherein we are combred with many diseases and necessities But of these thynges we shall speake more at an other tyme whenne wee shall treate of the Article of the Resurrection of the deade Lette vs nowe come vnto the principall poynte of the whole matter wherunto also the Angels had speciall respecte when they called agayne into the waye the Disciples that gased here and there that they should rather consider why Christe is ascended into heauen then how he beyng a littell afore seene is nowe seene nomore The doctrine of the Apostles in all thynges moueth specially to this poynt that we should consider vnto what ende all the actes of Christe were doone as for an example They referre Christes deathe vnto our sinnes and his resurrection vnto oure Iustification and so likewise of the other After this sorte muste we nowe also see why Christe ascended into heauen and what commoditie and profyt we haue by that his ascension And fyrst of all lette vs behold the nature and state of his kyngdome For in that that he is gone vp into heauen he declareth that his kyngdom is not of this worlde and that his administration shall not be after the maner of worldly kyngdomes When the Disciples demaunded of Christe at what tyme he woulde restore the kyngdome to Israell they were of this opinyon that Christes kyngedome shoulde be a corporall and worldly kyngedome But by his ascension they are taught otherwyse to thynke of his kyngdom that is to saye that it is no worldely kyngdome oute of the which great richesse dignities and promotions are to be looked for but rather a spirituall and euerlastynge kyngedome in the whyche hee shoulde geue Spirituall gyftes vnto menne Therefore lette no manne become one of Christes flocke to the ende that he wyll gette temporall goodes and worldely possessions or to come vnto great honour for these thynges are not to be found in this kyngdome Baptisme the ministerie of the worde and the Lordes supper were not instituted for tēporall thinges neither shold Christ euer haue ben reueled in the world if it had not bene for a more graue and weighty cause then this For our euerlastyng saluation and rightousnes came he down from heauen There was therfore an higher greater matter why the sonne of God did either descende or ascend verily that he might prouide for vs euerlasting goodes as are the fauor of God remission of sinnes the gift of the holy Ghost righteousnes euerlastyng lyfe Such gyfts must we loke for at Christes hand which continued not in this life but wēt into an euer stinge life euen into heauen and there hath begun a spirituall inuisible and euerlasting kingdome Whych thing was longe before prophecied by Dauid in a certaine Psalm which S. Paule reciteth in his Epistle to the Ephesians and interpreteth it of the Ascention of Christ and of his spirituall kyngdome The words are these Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue and
worlde commeth and hath naughte in me But that the world may know that I loue the father And as the father gaue me commaundement euen so do I. THE EXPOSITION THis gospell is a part of Christes Sermon whiche he made to his disciples before he suffred And for that cause ought it greatly to be estemed For Christ setteth forth in it a singuler doctrine and lesson whereby he teacheth that all reason is but superfluous to the attainement of the knowlege of God if it take not his first foundation of the loue of Christ. When this is not taught all thinges are vncertaine wauering of no strength that are eyther taught or imagined of god For they can not be comprehended or knowen by any meanes But he that loueth Christe is so farre brought that he loueth the father also But what is the cause of this worde why doth he make mention of loue and speaketh not after his olde customable maner saying he that beleueth in me Is loue the cause of our saluation and not faith wher as he saith if any man loueth me But they are both of like efficacie power strēgth For thou canst not loue Christe except thou beleue in him and dost put thy trust in hym with a certain and sure faith And the worde of faith is somwhat more euident wheras it declareth that we muste withholde our eyes from all other thinges that be and fasten thē in Christ Iesu only For this is the nature of loue that it embraceth that thinge only that it loueth in that thinge doth it set al here felicitie therwith only it is satisfied and careth for nothing besides Suche maner of loue doth Christ require of vs that we shold embrace hym with all oure hearte whiche thynge can not be done but by fayth Wherfore this sentence maketh nothynge againste faith But is spoken to the entent that the nature and condition of fayth with his proper vertue and efficacie might be the better vnderstanded An other cause of this worde is that Christ dyd perceaue that he that receaueth the worde and purposeth to kepe it can not do it without greate endeuor and industrie For diuers temptations do chaunce to them whiche do rebuke and embrayde suche as hath entered into the profession of Godlines of folie and rashnes wher as they reason on this wise with them selfe Alas what haue I done whan I tookee vpon me the office of teachynge I might haue holde my peace and thought wyth my selfe that GOD woulde haue set foorth other Other might haue come that shoulde haue had better successe in this matter Nowe am I in doubt and do not onely litle profit but put my selfe also in perill of lyfe If we will ouercome suche kynde of temptation that the worde maye be surely maintained this onely succour must they especially vse as Christe here sheweth that they loue Christe and put their hole delight in him so that all the professours of the gospell al the good may thus conforte them selues whatsoeuer be cometh of me let it be at the pleasure of God for whose cause and glorie and not for mans sake was this begon of God Wherfore I must endure it And looke wher this loue is not ther can they not endure saith Christe For I geue not goods nor golde but euerlastinge life wherof the possession is not taken in this life but after this life Wherfore all the matter resteth herein that ye loue me If loue be in you ye wil kepe my saing and contineue constantlie although that ye should do it to the perill of your life But if ye loue me not ye wil not kepe my wordes For ye shall haue so many dangers calamities and afflictions that they shall make you faint and put you in desperation But he that knoweth Christe truly beleueth in hym and loueth him he is troubled by no aduersitie For he thinketh surely Christ dyed and was buried for vs and rose againe wherby all suche gather surely that Christ doth greatlye fauor them So that this loue procedeth of faith which afterward is able to withstand all perils and dangers neither doth it feare the greate threatnings wrath of the worlde For it setteh more by Christ and his worde then by all these threatnings and displeasures of men And that is it that he saith if any mā loue me he wil kepe my word my word of my death resurrectiō not the worde of Moyses or ten commaundements That worde is not to be caste awaye nother is any thing to be done contrarie therto For God commanded that worde to be fulfilled but with that worde is there ioyned no consolatiō as is with my worde the conscience is not therby made quiet but the more that we therby know our disobedience toward GOD so much the more we dread feare the wrath indignation of God For the worde of Iesu Christ is the fondation and pillar of all thinges He that hath this saith Christ neither suffereth hymselfe to be plucke frō thence ought not to doubt but my father doth loue him And this is the peculiar phrase of Iohn whiche hath a proper kynde of speache beside all other Euangelistes that first he ioyneth men to Christe and then thorough Christ bringeth them to the father For this is the order and proces in this matter As Christ here teacheth that first we must know Christ loue hym and take him for one that is most desirous of our saluation and profit When we haue suche trust loue toward Christ there foloweth also a sure confidence that the father also loueth vs. And although we had none other confort before our eyes but only this perceauinge and vnderstanding that we nede not feare any crueltie or any wrothe or yre of God yet were that sufficient to certifie vs that we nede not feare synne or the deuill because god loueth vs for that that we loue Christe This is a great confort in all tribulation to beleue constantly that GOD is not againste vs but he louinglye embraceth vs if so be that we loue Christe kepe his worde stedfastly But in the tyme of tribulation oure heartes can hardlye thus be persuaded But we thinke rather contrariwise that God hateth vs and hath no regard to vs but that he goeth about rather to prouide punishmēt for vs. But these thinges are false For Christe doth not lye whan he sayth yf we procede so farre that we loue hym and count it abhominable to hate hym that then we muste not doubt but the father doth loue vs and will so declare hys loue toward vs that he wyth his sonne and the holy ghost will haue their abyding with vs. It is a greate matter and a singuler confort that a righteous man by fayth doth not say in his heart who is ascended in to heauen c. For in whatsoeuer place he be whether he be at Ierusalem or at Rome or
the world is full of periurie and blasphemye To this so odious a beast and monster and extreme enemie of God geueth god his sonne and that of pure loue The gift of God is specially commended hereby that God dothe not let or spare to doo good for our so great wickednes and frowardnesse But what soeuer is done and cōmitted against him he regardeth it not No not in that that his name and worde is so blasphemously handled and such stubburnesse is vsed agaynst his commaundement For where as the gift is so excedyng and the geuer so great the geuer might of good reson be offended for the frowardnes of him that receaueth it But God ouercommeth hym selfe and putteth out of syght all the synnes that we work eyther against the fyrst or the seconde table of Moses But because of these synnes and this myserie wherwith we synners are encombred and so encombred that we could neuer escape without the help of God doth God put foorth this loue and bestoweth this gift freely vpon vs. Is not the mercyfull Lorde therfore worthy to bee loued again And ought we not to put our whole confidence in hym which forgeueth vs our synnes yea the synnes of all the world and doth not recken them although they are innumerable For seyng that the sinnes of one man are infinite who can numbre the syns of the whole worlde And yet is this sentence trewe and certayn that God forgeueth the worlde all their synnes For wheresoeuer is the loue of God there is also remission of synnes We shoulde haue here ready hertes to haue diligent meditation on this loue wher as God geueth to the world that is his enemye euen his owne selfe so that we shold loke for no other thing of hym but mere grace and mercy Whatsoeuer chāce in this lyfe yet shold our hope be in this loue and our faith remain constant in the mercy of God for Christ. Suche thoughtes must nedes be full of great ioy as I and many other godly mē do protest that we haue liued in all kind of abhomination and idolatrie haue ben defyled with dyuers syns This vngodlynes hath not God punished in vs after our deseruyng but hath declared his loue and hath by the gospel opened again his sonne which he had geuē to the world before that now we may heare again the holsom doctrin vnderstande that God is not angry with the worlde but loueth it in that he gaue his sonne to it But alas howe execrable is our ingratitude what excedyng dulnes of vnderstādyng is this that we can not consider this great goodnes of god For if we wold truly consider it ther shold rise in vs the affection of such ioy that we wold not onely shewe highe obedience vnto God but we would also gladly suffer all thynges for his sake But we may thank our vnbelefe for this which regardeth not this great ioye but in the meane while setteth his pleasure in worldly trifles and seketh for vain daliāce Thus farre haue we shortely rehersed these fower thynges who is the geuer what is the gifte howe it is geuen and to whome Whyche thynges are all so great that no man can expresse them sufficientely by wordes now foloweth the entent wherfore god gaue this gift Truly not that we should eate cloth our selues get a liuyng therby and muche lesse that he shold be vnto vs a poyson or pestilence as we teache also of Baptisme and of the Lordes supper that al these thinges might be counted wholsome vnto vs But it appereth plainly that he was geuen to this entent that all that beleue in hym shold not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe Here is it declared with playne woordes that in this matter there is no respect had vnto riches or worldly desires but that we myght therby be delyuered from death and synne and that we mighte not perishe This is the onely busynes that the Father of mere loue hath enioyned his sonne to do euen to ouer come the deuyl and hell and to deliuer vs from eternal death into the whiche we fel headlong by sinne This is the cause and entent why this gift was geuen Wherin we haue iust cause to beleue and trust stedfastly For we heare by the mouth of Christ that he hymself is geuen vnto vs and that the power of the diuell is weakened and ouerthrowen and power to pacifie the troubled conscience is restored to vs for the attainment of euerlasting life and saluation Death shal be abolished al ioy shal rise for this sure faith wherwith we beleue that God is merciful vnto vs that he loueth vs of very loue gaue his son vnto vs that we shold not perish but haue euerlastīg life The words be such that they can not be sufficiently cōprehended with thought Wherfore a christiā must daily pray that god by his spirit wyl make these words swete pleasant to our hertes and kendle and inflame them in our myndes Suche kind of teaching and discipline might easily make true doctors of diuinitie to teach vs truly of Christ and to iudge al other doctrines and to abyde all things with out murmuring that it shal please God to lay on vs. But where as it is so that we heare this doctrine and yet care not for it whether it take roote in vs or no and whether it bring forth fruite or no alas so are we neuer the better And there is no doubte but that the damned in the latter Iudgement shall chiefely be confounded in theym selfe for thys faultt that they despised thys preachynge and dydde not regarde it But nowe lette vs go foorth and see what is the waye to come by this gifte For all thyngs are not of lyke force to obteyne this gyfte Christ himself dothe shewe that playnly by his worde when he saith that all that beleue in him shold not perishe but haue euerlasting life This is an euident profe that onely Fayth that is the trust in the grace and mercy of God is the very hand wherwith we must take vnto vs thys gyft For euen as God geueth by loue and mercy so we do take and receaue by Faith and can receue no otherwise As for thy merite for doyng this or that it hath no place For our workes are nothyng requisite to the obteinyng of this gyfte onely is it necessary to shew our selues ready through Faith and euen as it is geuen of God by loue so we ought to receaue it by Faith in Christ. As for an example We heare here that God is merciful and redy to forgeue and that he doth declare his loue and charitie by this towarde vs when he sendeth his only begotten sonne into the fleshe and layeth our sinnes on hym accordyng to this sayinge of Iohn Beholde the Lambe of GOD whych taketh away the synnes of the worlde that by this gyft and loue oure heartes may be confirmed against synne and the
Amen An other Sermon on Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Iohn iii. THere was a man of the Pharyseis named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayde vnto hym Rabbi we knowe that thou arte a teacher come from God for no man coulde do suche miracles as thou doest excepte God were with hym Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto hym Ueryly veryly I saye vnto thee except a man be borne from aboue he can not se the kingdome of God Nichodemus sayde vnto hym Howe can a man bee borne when he is olde Canne he enter into his mothers wombe and be borne agayne Iesus aunswered Ueryly veryly I saye vnto thee excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdom of god That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Marueyle not thou that I sayde to thee ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but thou canst not tell whence it commeth nor whyther he goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nicodemus answered and sayd vnto hym Howe can these thinges be Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto hym Art thou a maister in Israell and knowest not these thynges Ueryly veryly I say vnto thee we speake that we know and testifie that we haue sene and ye receiue not our witnesse If I haue tolde you earthly thinges and ye beleue not howe shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges And no man ascendethe vp to heauen but he that came downe from heauen euen the sonne of man whiche is in heauen And as Moises lyfte vp the serpente in the wyldernes euen so muste the sonne of man be lyfte vp that whosoeuer beleueth in hym peryshe not but haue euerlastyng lyfe An other Sermon on Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Iohn iii. THis is a speciall good gospell in the which is declared what is the true and only way to euerlasting life It appereth that it was apointed to the feast of the Trinitie because it maketh so plaine a distinction difference betwene the persons in setting forth the high work of God that god worketh amōg vs men whē he iustifieth saueth vs. For it is certainly pronoūced as touching the father that he loued the world gaue vnto it his only begotten sonne These ar two distinct persons the father the son ech of them hath his propre worke The father loueth the worlde and geueth his sonne The sonne is become a gift and as Christe saith here the sonne geueth hymself to be lift vpon the Crosse as the serpent was exalted of Moses in the desert that all that beleue in him should not perishe but haue euerlastynge lyfe And to this worke also commeth the thirde person the holye Ghoste which by the water of baptisme doth enkendle faithe in our heart and so regenerate vs vnto the kyngdome of heauen Which doctrine is full of swete confort ought to fyll vs with a great truste in God when we see that all the thre persons al the godhead tendeth to this end to preserue vs against deathe and the deuill and that Iustice euerlasting lyfe and the kyngedome of God myght be prepared and made redy for vs. What cause shold we haue therfore to feare in the presence of God for our syn How can we doubt of his good will toward vs For if he had ben willyng to condemne vs for our synnes as we always feare the father would neuer haue geuen vs his onely begotten sonne the father the sonne would neuer haue called vs to baptisme the lauer of regeneration vnder the gouernaunce of the holy ghost And this only thinge do I notifie here as concerning the testimonies of the Trinitie For as touching this article and the doctrine that thervnto belongeth we haue spoken in our former sermon more plentuously Now therfore wil we entreae in order of this gospel and all the partes therof Christ entreth into a long disputation with Nicodemus the chiefe of the Phariseis among the Iewes and that of a matter that Nicodemus coulde not vnderstande the doctrine therof because it semed strange vnto him for lacke of custome therto and because he was accustomed to an other kynd of doctrine Nicodemus beyng no euyll man declareth bothe by word and dede how highly he estemeth Christ where as he setteth so much by him whom his own companions hate so extremely and commeth vnto hym albeit by night to testifie this openly before Christ that he acknowledgeth the power of God to be in him and doth not condemne him against his conscience as dyd the other Phariseis and Scribes Neither is it to be counted blame worthy in this man that he doth acknowlege Christ for the man of God and thinketh him worthy to be receiued of all men for that that he is sent from god What is the cause then that Christ doth seme to receaue this man after an vngentyll sort which gaue suche an excellent praise as concernynge Christe Uerilye there was a verye deadly error in this man whiche ought not to be ouer passed of Christ least that he should seme to consent to Nicodeme in such a great matter wherof yet he was most blamelesse For as touching the knowlege of god he shewed himself here to be very perfect and certain in this that he pronounceth that he knoweth that Christ was sent from God to be a teacher in that he toke the miracles which Christ dyd for the very workes of God But Christ doth declare by his answere wherein he reproueth Nicodemus opinion as touchyng the kyngdome of God what this knowledge preuayleth Nicodemus therefore thynketh this that he knoweth what is the kyngdome of God bycause he knowethe God and vnderstandeth how al things are wrought and gouerned by hym It were true that if he knewe GOD well he muste nedes knowe hys kyngdome But bycause the firste is false CHRIST rebuketh him in the laste that is that he knoweth not what is the kyngdom of God as he thynketh that he doth Wherfore all the disputation standeth in this poynte what is the kyngdome of God and who dothe see it and know it Nicodemus neuer had other opinion before this tyme but that the kyngdom of God had his description in the lawe that out of it might be vnderstande the holynes and sanctitie of God the whiche ought to be performed and fulfylled of all mē yf they wold liue with God most holy in his kyngdom He neuer thought how the synne can not be takē away by the lawe and that the lawe should be but a testimony to declare to vs our synne that it myght be a begynning of a hygher knowledge as concernynge God and hys kyngdome in vs. For he that is ignorant of the kyngdome of grace is ignorant bothe of God and also of his kyngdome Wherfore we muste
of no strenght they can not bring vs to heauē But thou wilt say Are al condēned are al wtout saluatiō This sentēce is against al mē neither can it be otherwise for asmuch as it belōgeth to al mē of whatsoeuer cōditiō or state they be There is but one way to heauē which we do not opē make but the son of god doth it And of this speaketh christ now immediatly saying As Moses lyfted vp the serpent in the desert so much the sonne of man be lifte vp that all that beleue in him may not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe This is the secōd part of this celestial heauēly sermō of the very soūd of the holy ghost now he mitigateth the sharpnes of his first sermō by these words For it is an horrible fereful sayīg that no mā shal go vp īto heauē get saluatiō But it is spokē to the intēt that we shold learne that our first birth is al sinful ther can nothing be foūde in vs that may seme worthy of euerlasting life that not only to put down our prid carelesse liuing but that we shold tourne hūble our selues before god aske grace And this is the beginning of the true gospell that according to my former sayīg euē as no mā ascēdeth īto heauē so that here thou maist know that al that beleue in Christ shal not perish but haue euerlasting life This is a swete voice soūd by that which the holy ghost may be felt perceaued And both these doctrines are necessary in the cōgregatiō The first of sin of our corrupt nature that we might despaire of our workes of al things that we shal neuer go vp into heauē for their sake And whē our heartes are terrified abashed by such wordes then must that cōfortable worde be put forth that Iesus Christ the son of god descēded frō heauē came into the world tooke our flesh blood died for our sins that we might be free frō syn get the inheritāce of euerlasting life He that beleueth this sayinge purposeth surely to sticke therto is now saued shal not be forsakē of Christ nether in life neither in death but shal be takē vp vnto hī into heauē This sermon is a heauenly thynge which can not sufficiently be set forth commended vnto men especially to Nicodemes that is to them that thynke that the law must be obserued vnto iustification and that it is sufficient vnto saluatiō For these are they which knowe not the firste doctrine of sinne that although the lawe be iust holy and good yet we are so corrupt and euill that for our naturall vice we can not obey the lawe although to syght we do good workes Furthermore they muche lesse know that we must ascend into heauen by this man the sonne of Mary which only came frō heauen And so it cōmeth of such ignorance that they do not only thynke that they shal be saued by their owne righteousnes before god but also they persecute the righteousnes which cōmeth of faith in Iesu Christ as we see by the examples of the papistes which can suffer nothyng lesse in our doctrine striue againste nothyng so much as that we teache that we are iustified only by faith and saued therby not by good workes But compare our doctrine with the doctrine of Christ and ye shal fynd no diuersitie In the fourth booke of Moyses ther is such an hystorie The people of Israell when they were werye of suche thynges as they had in the wildernes They murmured against god Moses despised Manna as a light meat This sinne trespas dyd god punishe after this sorte He sent amōgest them ferye serpētes by and by at their styngyng followed a swellynge an inflammation in their bodies so that they fel down on heapes died Then came they to Moyses said we haue trespaced in that we haue spoken againste God and they pray hym that he wil take away from vs these serpētes And the lord spake vnto him Make a brasen serpent and put hym vp for a signe he that is stong and loketh vpon it shal liue Christ here maketh mention of this historie applieth it to himselfe that he must be lifte vp also as the serpent was And he that looketh vpon him that is he that beleueth in hym shal not perish but haue euerlasting lyfe First let vs learne the cause of this dreadfull iudgement whiche Christ hath pronounced twise before againste all men that is that no man can go vp to heauen but the sonne of man that came downe from heauen And again except a man be borne again he can not se the kyngdom of god Wherof came this great misery to man that he is thrust out of heauen should for his owne desert perish for euer It came of no other thing than that the old serpent the deuil dyd so byte hurte the first man and so corrupted him infected hym by syn That he is now in danger of euerlasting death can not by himself get any remedie against it as the type figure in the Iewes doth shew also whosoeuer were stonge they died al. So is it with vs also the reward of sinne is death And looke wher synne is ther must death nedes folow For as much then as al men as soone as they are borne be sinners this iudgement is geuen on thē that they must dye as god by name doth threaten Adam Eue whatsoeuer daye ye eate of this tree ye shall dye the death But here doth God shew his mercie in that he casteth not awaye men that are in this miserie and so infected damned to death but euen as in the figure and tipe of the brasen serpent he put forth a cōmandement which serpent was in all points lyke other serpents sauing that he had no poyson was a remedie against poyson so doth he procure that his son shold be lyfte vp on the crosse that all that looke on him sholde not perishe but escape the danger of death get euerlasting lyfe Yea he himselfe on the crosse had y◠forme of a poysonful serpent but yet hath no poyson but the lykelines therof For although Christe had our fleshe bloud yet that fleshe and bloud was without sinne yea and is of such strength that it deliuereth vs from poyson and sinne This is the very voyce and sound of the holy ghost by the whiche he beginneth the newe byrth in oure heartes that faith may conceaue and that this serpent by true faith may be in our syght and geue saluation But this sight of Christ is not regarded because of folishe reason As it is very lyke that so it chaunced thē also with the Iewes which wold not be brought in beliefe that ther was so great vertue in sight of such a dead
the Phariseis in in comparison of them selues whom thei thought iuste exclude synners Thei did see that thei were directe againste the lawe of God in their doynges and therfore thei also pronounced plainly that thei ought to haue no place in the kyngdome of God Thei suspect Christ also that he doth not after Gods will bicause he had to doe with such But consider thou this with thy self to what case the matter will come if synners should be excluded from God and his kyngdome as the Phariseis thinke For although thei suppose that there is a kinde of men that liueth without synne yet GOD and the lawe knoweth none suche For although euery manne committeth not adulterie slaughter and thefte yet before God no manne is without synne yea and those synnes are the more greuous if thei fall in a manne that hath wisedome and strength to resist them If then the Phariseis iudgement be true that GOD doeth tourne awaie from synners it maketh as muche against them selues as against other For by the lawe are not onely reproued the sinnes of the Publicās and of synners but also their owne all others Then will it followe that no men haue place in the kingdome of God So that the Phariseis are proceded so farre by ignoraunce that as thei are fore against other so giue thei a moste greuous sentence against them selues But all their ouersight riseth here of bicause thei knowe not why Gods lawe was giuen neither what corruption of synne there is in all men And as in other thynges one errour bringeth an other so here also of the kyngdome of God doe these hypocrites knowe nothing whiche must nedes be set vp by Gods grace and goodnes But Christ groundyng his reason on true principles openeth the misterie of the Gospell vnknowē to naturall witte and to all that followe the rightuousnes of the lawe that is that God hateth not sinners nor willeth their death and that he declareth this his will in Christ whom he sent into the worlde to bring home againe to their foldes shepe that straye from their flockes and that all his intent hath onely respect to the fulfillyng of the Gospell that the loste and straies maie chiefly be regarded and that all the will of God might hereby bee declared and the Gospell opened to the poore This is plainly an other kinde of doctrine then the doctrine of the lawe and Phariseis whiche taketh not here seede and roote in our nature but is brought from heauen by the sonne of God as saith Ihon. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten soonne whiche is in the bosome of the father sheweth hym forthe For no man knoweth that will of God that he is not angrie with sinners nor damneth them for their synnes but receiueth them rather to his grace and saueth them but all knowe the contrary Wherefore the feare of the wrothe of GOD is naturally ioyned with synne But Christe teacheth vs here by his Gospell that GOD is otherwise mynded towarde synners and that he is not angrie but mercifull and that the Angelles in heauen reioyce when synners repent and amende This doctrine must be the better marked bicause it semeth contrary to our reason that we by it maie confirme our conscience For he that in suche temptation followeth reason and iudgement goeth hedlong to the Deuill and there is no remedie against desperation Wherefore this goeth the matter we must agree surely with Christ contrary to reason and al other thinges that although we are synners yet that by Christ we must be reuoked and called againe as shepe goyng a straye vnto the place of our saluacion As Christ setteth forth a plaine parable in this place to the declaracion of his moste excellent office In diuers other places doeth the Gospell declare why God casteth not awaie synners as in the third of Ihon that GOD is suche that hateth not the worlde but loueth it so that he giueth his onely begotten soonne for the recoueryng thereof that the worlde maie haue confidēce for these sacrifices sake and maie not despeire for their synne For although God might haue helped vs otherwise yet he purposed to doe it by his soonne so that we should haue no cause to doubte of his deliueryng and redemption For this is moste true that God is more pacified by the death of his sonne then offended by our synnes Furdermore there is an other cause set forthe by Christe why God casteth not awaie synners For he sheweth that sinners are a portiō of Gods substance whiche fell from him yet God hath suche respect to the matter that he regardeth not the greatest thynges that he hath vntill that that is loste be recouered And all this waie of recoueryng is sette vp by Christe as he hymself saieth in this place Wherfore it ought to seme no maruell if he make a searche for synners that straye from Gods houshold to bryng them home againe For he is sent for this very cause to bryng home synners againe and if he should dooe otherwise as the Phariseis appoinct hym he could not execute Gods commaundement But it is verie comfortable to see the affection of Christe toward synners whiche is described in the tipe and figure of this careful and studious shepherd whereas he followeth after the straye shepe takyng no care in the meane season of the reste and when he findeth her he beateth her not but handleth her gētly as though she were blamelesse He taketh her on his shoulders and at his retourne he maketh ioyfull gratulacions with his frendes All whiche declareth the greate bounteousnesse and loue of Christ toward man whiche if it should bee well cōmended and set forthe had nede of a long sermone The declaracion of this loue resteth chiefly in hym that is loste weake and in perill as men doe testifie in suche thynges that thei loue Loue is vncertaine when there is any sure trust of aduauntage But when there is daunger and yet there is more care for that that is in daunger then for all that is safe this is naturall and true loue Yet this maye not bee compared with the shadowe of the greate affection of Christe He searcheth for them of whō he was greuously hurt as shepe goyng a stray and as though thei wer in peril without their owne fault and when he findeth them he put them on his shulders What thyng maie a man inuent that is more comfortable and swete Whereas he followeth after thē that are fugitiues and by their owne fault seke their owne destruction ioynyng theim selues with the deuill that is Gods aduersarie and stoutly defendyng his parte and holdyng with Gods enemie the Deuill againste Gods kyngdome He pursueth not after theim I saie as after his hurtfull enemies but searcheth them out as miserable shepe that are in peril endeuoureth wholy hym self to recouer theim before the Woulfe oppresseth theim that is that thei dye not in
is very true that we cā not be without tēptacion when it chaunceth to vs as it did to Peter To labour all the night and to take no profite thereby we take it vnpaciently and goe about to lay all aside and depart But we ought to ouercome this temptacion and sticke to our vocation stedfastly and to caste all our care on the Lorde For I haue knowen this often tymes by experience when the obedient children in a familie hath had misfortune and contrariwise the disobedient and stubburne good fortune But at laste the hard case of the good was more commended and the wicked had an euill ende Wherefore if it chaunce likewise to thee that all thinges goe not well be constaunt and strengthen thy self that thou be not ouercome of temptacion For better is misfortune with obedience then good fortune with wickednesse The reason is that GOD at the laste casteth awaie the disobediente with their prosperitie bee it neuer so greate and exalteth the hūble and meke to great renoume This example of Peter is studiously to bee followed in that he hath respecte onely to the worde and followeth that and is nothing moued with these thoughtes whiche surely would greatly haue troubled vs and doubtles thei were in his minde also For we are commaunded aswell as Peter to labour and to serue in our vocation He that taketh holde to his vocation and suffereth not him self to be withdrawen from his purpose although it doeth but slowly prosper and the blessyng is lōg in comming yet must he not doubt of a prosperous ende For GOD can do no otherwise but at length haue respecte to obedience although he differreth it for a tyme and proueth vs whether we regarde his commaundement or not Wherefor no manne ought to be weary if he hath laboured all the night without profite For if Peter had gone about this draught in the night he would haue imputed it to his cunnyng and labour neither would he haue thought any thyng els requisite to suche a successe But whereas he fisheth all nighte and taketh nothyng and Christ first ministreth his woorde biddyng hym there with to assaie againe there hath Peter a sure triall that this good successe came not by fishyng and labour but of Gods worde and blessyng And lette this suffice you as concernyng the firste doctrine whiche is corporall and pertaineth to the bodily liuelode that Christe will be present with all his that laboure by his blessyng and not suffer them to perishe for hunger The second doctrine is spirituall For thus doth it followe in the historie that Peter is astonied by the draught of fishe and cōmeth to the knowledge of Christe that he is not onely man And whereas he acknowledgeth hymself a synner and falleth doune at Christes feete saiyng departe from me Lorde for I am a synner It is a spirituall matter and fewe vnderstande it For it semeth hereby that Peter did it of a certaine religion and that he desired for a reuerence to departe from Christe But the meanyng of it is not so The consciēce is in this case When GOD commeth with his grace and promiseth remission of synne and life euerlastyng frely for Christes sake the grace is so large that all thinges seme to greate for vs neither dare we approch nigh thereto for the greatnesse thereof It is easie to beleue that GOD is good and mercifull but that he imbraceth vs with his greate mercie our heart can not be made to beleue that All men thinke if I wer so pure and rightuous as Marie the virgin sainct Peter sainct Paule I would couple my self also to his grace but I am a sinner I am not worthie of grace but rather of wrothe Then commeth the Deuill and he inlargeth sinne so muche in thy heart that thou maiest see nothing but thy vnworthinesse and thou canst not but wonder and be amased at the greatnes of that exceding grace This is a spirituall temptacion whereof the prophane and rude as wee bee almoste all haue no perceueraunce nor vnderstanding For this is learned by experience onely and no otherwise Wherefore the greatest sort liueth on such wise that thei thinke not muche either of their sinne or of the grace of GOD. But true Christian men doe alwaies tremble and feare that that is to muche that GOD doth on his owne behalf Who am I saie thei O Lorde GOD that thou bryngest me thus farre I am not worthie of so greate mercie of GOD. And herevnto belōgeth that Christ comforteth Peter to be without feare for bicause he goeth not about now to iudge Peters synnes but to deliuer hym from sinne and to sette hym in suche an office that he maie bryng other also to the same grace So that all this comforte maie bee applied if wee should chaunce to haue suche thoughtes and be put in like feare to encourage vs to resiste theim and not to giue place vnto them For Christe came not to driue synners from hym but he came into the yearth for their sakes Wherfore he comforteth Peter against suche thoughtes and biddeth hym not to feare as he saieth also in an other place Feare not little flocke it is my fathers will to giue you the kyngdome In that place Christe talketh also with suche that thinke How canste thou come to heauen and to eternall life Canst thou obtaine to the fellowshippe of Angelles If thou were holier there were no cause why thou shouldest despaire But as thou art now all thy hope is in vaine But Christe answereth otherwise you feare saieth he but dooe not so For it hath pleased my father to giue you the kyngdome and that of his owne free will For whereas you are vnworthie beyng synners this is his mercifull will to giue it you of his grace and mercie wherefore feare not but receiue it ioyfully and with a gladde hearte For if GOD would not giue vs vntill wee were worthie wee should neither haue meate nor drinke But he will not haue respect to our worthinesse merites but to our nede and to his owne goodnes mercy And this is the cause that he giueth vs not onely thynges requisite to the bodie but also euerlasting life with suche temptacion is Peter also here encombred He perceiueth the greate goodnes of Christe and casteth in his mynde howe vnworthie he is thereof and therefore he beginneth to despaire what place saieth he is there for thee with vs Couple thy self with the rightuous I am a synner But Christ comforteth hym and sheweth hymself to be farre vnlike that that Peter thought of him commaundyng hym to bee of good chere and to take heart of grace and that the matter as concernyng the fishe is but little in comparison of that that he will make hym a fisher of men Now thou art a Fisher but I will giue thee an other office to enter into other waters and to take other Fishe that is men that heauen maie haue store of suche fishes
to be saued as thy shippe is now full of fishe I will finde thee an other Nette for that draught that is the Gospell By this shalt thou take the elect that thei maie bee Baptized beleue and haue euerlastyng life And that not in one place but that in all the worlde thou maiest tourne to the faithe in one place a citie in an other the whole people This is a spirituall comforte whiche GOD putteth forthe to his disciples that he will not onely satisfie their hunger but gouerne their spirituall administration and sende them into all the worlde to Kynges and Princes with the Gospell And although the deuill withstandeth those Fishers with all his might yet the vertue of this Fishyng can not be restrained but that the worde breaketh thorowe and getteth many Christians enuieth the deuill neuer so muche And the Gospell Baptisme and the Lordes Supper are our instrumentes for this matter whereby the waie to euerlastyng life is opened vnto vs. It is a greate thyng that we are appoincted to euerlasting life and a thing hard to be beleued But consider on the contrary part what a great thing it is to burne in hell fire and that we might escape this punishement GOD giueth vnto vs his worde and sacramentes whiche are Nettes prepared for the draught of suche fishe Wherefore Christ comforteth and saieth feare not consider not whether ye hee worthie It is my fathers will that ye should not perishe as your synnes haue deserued Wherfore cleaue to me onely come to Baptisme vse the Lordes supper shewe your selues obedient to my Gospell and there shall be no perill We haue now intreated of these twoo doctrines with the example that Gods woorde might be greatly studied The first is that although there be pouertie and lost labour for a tyme yet that GOD will helpe vs at the length by his blessyng The seconde is that he helpeth vs against sinne that we maie not be damned And for this cause he giueth vs his worde that we maie be certified in our selues to bee the soonnes of GOD. The whiche thyng our heauenly father graunt vs through Iesus Christe his sonne and our Lorde Amen ¶ The .vj. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. v. IEsus saied vnto his disciples expcepte your righteousnes exceade the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Ye haue heard that it was saied vnto them of old tyme thou shalte not kill whosoeuer killeth shall bée in daunger of Iudgemente But I saie vnto you that whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly shall bee in daunger of iudgemente And whosoeuer saie vnto his brother Racha shal be in daunger of a counsaile But whosoeuer saieth thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fire Therefore if thou offerest thy gift at the aulter and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought againste thee leaue there thyne offeryng before the aulter and go thy waie first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gifte Agree with thyne aduersarie quickely while thou art in the waie with hym least at any tyme the aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the minister and then thou be caste into prison Uerely I saie vnto thee thou shalte not come out thence till thou haue paied the vttermoste farthyng THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell we vnderstande that it is Christes counsaill and purpose here to teache his Christians after thei beleue and are Baptised and hath obtained this glorious name of Christians and besides that diuerse good thynges and spirituall giftes to order their life soberly righteously and Godly whiche procede of a true and not of an hypocriticall trade For neither did he shewe vnto vs any fained grace whiche semeth grace to sight but euen as our synnes were not fained but very deadly and felenous so was not his grace counterfeited nor forged but true and sincere in deede Wherefore must we also endeuour our selues not to doe fained woorkes towarde our neighbours but true and hartie euen as GOD wrought the woorke of our saluation in verie deede And for this cause Christe taketh on hym this Gospell to expounde the first precept and putteth forthe to vs an example to beware saiyng Except your rightuousnesse exceade the rightuousnesse of the Phariseis and Scribes ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The sentence is shorte he must haue more rightuousnesse then the Pharisie that aspireth to the kyngdome of GOD. What is then the rightuousnes of the Phariseis This is not to be blamed that thei liued an honest and sober life refrainyng them selues from sinne c. For GOD requireth that of vs as is his commaundemente Thou shalte not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalte not beare false witnesse And he that obeieth thereto dooeth well But this was to be blamed in the Phariseis that thei thought theim selues rightuous for these woorkes and that thei were fautlesse in all that the Lawe requireth as though thei had whollie accomplished it And least we should haue suche an opinion Christ warneth vs in this place that although we doe the woorkes of the lawe and liue blamelesse in the sight of mē yet that we should not be so arrogant as to thinke ourselues iuste before GOD therefore and in perfecte obedience For as Christ saieth here Although a manne hath not killed with the hande yet maie he be a murtherer and a breaker of the lawe before GOD. The reason is For GOD hath forbidden all anger in the heart euery wrathfull worde and all angrie signes in the face by this commaundement So that the Phariseis rightuousnes signifieth outward rightuousnes as not to kill not to commit adultrie and to thinke that all rightuousnes and holinesse consisteth therein and that the Lawe hath nothyng against vs but that we haue fulfilled it and haue no neede of Gods mercie although the heart inwardly be full of suche sinne and concupiscence For this rightuousnes saith Christ there is no place in heauen but rather in helle For woorkes fulfill not the lawe but an heart is requisite thereto whiche is pure and voide of ire hatered enuie lecherie other concupiscences He that can doe so muche is sure of rightuousnes As long as sinne and concupiscēce are not mortified in slaughter but hath stil their motions although thei procede not to effect and worke yet beware thou think not thy self rightuous or to be in heauen Ye haue neede of more rightuousnes saieth Christe For ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen by the rightuousnes of the Phariseis and Scribes What is this greater or more perfecte Iustice Truely this when the woorke and heart are both rightuous and fulfill the woorde of GOD so that not onely the hande doeth not kill but the heart also is without ire and desire of reuengyng and that thou be not onely no adulterer in worke but that thy hearte also be pure
therof ar not so nygh vnto hym as the citisens of this kyngdome were Therfore this example ought to be a monument of Gods anger that we despise not the woorde of God Let vs not vse this talke as we were wont to doo Peace peace There is no ieopardie All thynges are well The anger of God will neuer be so great against vs. Tushe he wil neuer punishe vs as he dyd the city of Ierusalem and the inhabitantes thereof But brethren let vs not deceaue our selues For if he suffered this holy citie wherin he had so great delight here on the earth to be so destroyed vtterly subuerted that one stone was not lefte vppon an other because of their wickednes which heard his worde and yet dyd not repent nor amend verily we ought not to think that he will spare vs if we offend as the inhabitants of that citie dydde Like synne lyke punyshement For this citie was so destroyd that ther remained not somuch as a print or token of an house And God dyd than chiefly thus plague the citie when the people by great multitudes came thither vnto the feast of the Passeouer For as histories report there were than in the citie .iii. hundred thousande strangers besydes the inhabitantes therof For this was Gods determination to make a generall plague in this moste frequent and populous company that all beyng gathered togither as into the verye place of punyshement the Romaines shoulde punyshe theym all alyke For thus wryteth Iosephus that in the whole tyme of the siege and occupiyng of the Citie there were slayn ten hundred thousand people and consumed with death Agayne That there were ledde awaye Captyue seuen and nynty thousande They were so despysed and counted thynges of naught that thirty of thē wer sold for one peny And so were they recompenced at Christs hand whome they bought of Iudas the traitour for thirty pence And this is that moste noble and excellent people whome God with meruailous great signes and wonders delyuered out of Egypt and broughte into the lande of Chanaan yea hee was as a father vnto them reueled vnto them his word and handled them most louyngly and gentilly And yet for all this when they despised his worde and would not heare hym he made hauocke of them And this is the cause why Christe euen with weeping teares saith If thou dyddest know those thyngs which belong vnto thy peace euen in this thy daye thou woldest take hede But now are they hyd from thy eyes Thou goest foorth carelesse as though there were no danger But the matter will not alwais stand in this case It will breake out and the tyme is euen at hande although it is yet hyd and thou seest it not But why wyll somme manne saye doothe GOD deferre the punyshement Why doothe he not shewe his anger streyght wayes and falle to plaguynge of them without delaye Ueryly GOD deferreth hys plagues ta thys ende euen to declare and shewe hys longanimitie or paciente sufferynge and to see whether wee wyll amende or not or as the holy Apostle sayeth Despysest thou the rychesse of Goddes goodnesse and pacience and longe suffryng not knowing that the kyndenesse of GOD leadeth thee to repentaunce Lykewyse sayth Saynct Peter The Lord is paciente to vs warde for as muche as he woulde haue no manne loste but wyll receaue all men to repentaunce For yf God shoulde streighte wayes punyshe vs for oure synnes we shoulde lyue a verye lyttell whyle Therefore God deferreth his plagues and geueth vs tyme and space to repente and amend oure lyues And this is a woorke wyche greatly setteth forth the goodnesse of GOD and hyghely commendethe his excedynge great mercy towarde vs. But the deuyll beynge an angry spirite doothe not thys for yf he coulde kyll any man with a fyllyp he woulde doo it But God is mercyfulle and therefore doothe he deferre hys punyshemente but yet wyll he not forgeue excepte repentaunce come But wycked men greately abuse this lenitie and longe sufferyng of God and by that meanes becomme carelesse so that they doo not onely not amende but they also become dayly worse and worse as wee haue the adulterers vsurers theues and suche lyke for an exaumple whiche because they are not out of hand punished lyue without feare and perswade theym selues that they shall longe so continewe But yf that thou bee wyse bee ware and eschewe the daunger betymes For thou heareste here that GOD vseth to deferre the punyshement and to conceale and wynke at the faulte for a tyme. But yet the payne is not auferred beecause that it is deferred neyther is the punyshemente taken awaye because there is made a delay thereof Therfore returne to the ryght waye betymes repent and amende This is that which Christ saith here But it is now hydde from thyne eyes As though he should saye Because the paine is hydde lette not that deceaue thee Thou shalt kyll me as thou haste kylled the Prophets before me Nowe I dissemble the matter I suffer and beare all thynges And thys ys the cause that thou thynkest it shall alwayes go thus with thee And therfore no manne earnestly goeth about to repente and amende But knowe thou this thou haste not escaped the punishement If thou couldest onely beleue thou wouldest then deuise howe to escape this payne But forasmuche as thou doest not beleeue thou arte secure and carelesse and neglectest the tyme of thy visitation wherin thou art moued to repent wherein also thou myghtest be restored vnto the fauour of God and so art thou nothyng at all moued with this perill that lieth hydde This is the synne why the wrath and vengeance of God shall fall vpon thee and vtterly destroy thee Marke howe diligentlye therfore in this place what syn God recoūteth the greatest For here Christ gathereth all syns into one that is to say that the sonnes of perdition regarde not the word of God they let go all sermons and admonitions as thoughe they were deafe and in the meane season they thynke that theyr matters wille not falle oute so euyll so that they goe foorth without all repentaunce to synne For Ierusalem was a citie full of bloud euen as Englande also in tymes paste yea and that of late yeares haue ben ful of bloud for the manyfold persecution of the word Besydes this sin there were many other in Ierusalē as fornication adultery vsery couetousnes theft spoilyng of the poore oppression of widows fatherles gluttony dronkennes c. Nowe saieth Christ My mynde was to reproue these thynges with the worde that ye might amende and eschue the wrathe of God And for this cause I sent before vnto you my prophetes Iohn the Baptist and myne apostles Yea I my self taught among you wrought miracles and left nothyng vndone that was requisite necessary for your amēdement and saluation All your sinnes shold easily be forgeuē Ierusalem shold remayn if ye wold only know the
cares if ther be blessynge ther is substance ynough But if not although ther be neuer so muche yet the vse and fruite of the substance is lackyng As examples do declare This ought to be a iuste cause to driue vs to fayth not onely because this care hindereth our faith but also it causeth a great tormentinge and yet do we preuayle nothyng therby But are not these manifest signes of auarice of cares and of vnbeleife For these are alway Ioined to gether Or if we woulde vse but only reason it behoued vs to hate these vices and to auoyde them He addeth more besyde this that this confirmation may be perfect againste couetousnes He byddeth vs also to consyder the thinges whiche come before oure eyes as we walke in the countrie Ther are flowers of all kyndes whiche shewe them selues vnto vs with moste beautifull and swete coulours and doth almoste speake vnto vs and adhort vs to trust in God For syth that they are decked with such magnificence that the apparell of mightie kynges can not be compared with flours muche more doth God take care in appareling and deckyng his owne For we maye not thynke of apparell as the cōmon sorte doth as thoughe all thinges went by chance Christ in this place doth pronounce wyth very plaine speache GOD sayth he doth appareill the grasse in the felde Byrdes fyndeth not their lyuynge be chance But the father of heauen fedeth them and geueth to euery one his portion This is it also as concernynge the lylies For if gods wisedome were not in the cause they could not be so like to gether in colour leaues number of leaues rootes and forme c. Wherfore sith he bestoweth so great care vpon flowers that are but for pleasure and that beastes might lyue therbie is it not an vncredible incredulitie and mistruste that we doe yet doubte whether we also shall haue appareill from God For as we haue a preferment before all birdes when we tyll the grounde mowe and gather into our barnes and prouide for certayne tymes wher as birdes can do no suche thinge and yet they are fedde So saith Christe also to vs that we haue the preeminence also in apparelynge There is so muche flare hempe and suche like herbes brought foorth by tillyng there is also a greate multitude of shepe so manie weauers and spinners c. euery wher what great madnes is it then not to thinke that part therof belongeth vnto vs And especially whan we spare no labour For in this place muste we put a difference For labour is not onely not forbed but also enioyned that we shoulde do all thynges moste studiously and diligentlye and vtterly flee all slouthfulnes and slouggyshnes aboue all thynge But the care of lyuynge and appareill is vtterly forbedden For suche care is a sure token that we haue not so muche truste in GOD as that he will fede vs and prouide other thinges for vs. Wherfore that care appertayneth to Gods dishonour and blasphemie That these two thinges may so be ioyned to gether First that thou do thy worke diligentlye and spare no labour For that dyd God commande man in Paradice that if he wold eat he shold labour The second is that thou be a Christiā beleue For to beleue is to put thy trust in Christ that he is our parent and knoweth what we haue nede of and that he wil geue vs these thynges liberallie and plenteously Care can not agree with this fayth but assone as care taketh place faith departeth Wherfore Christe forbyddeth and sayth be ye not therfore carefull labour for of this ye haue a commandement Let care alone for me For that is mine that I may be your father And I can also somwhat preuaile but so can not ye Wherfore attempte not a thynge in vaine Or if ye are not content to be reuled with this my councell knowe ye that ye are not my worshippers but the worshippers of Mammon Him do ye loue and me do ye hate to hym do ye cleaue and me ye do despise as is the example of the worlde And if ther were any occasion at this time of aduantage thou shouldest finde manye that woulde rather let passe this sermon than not to regard the aduantage or at leaste wise to differ the tune therof vntill after sermon Mammon moueth them so muche that they fele that the time of it will neuer returne againe but the tyme of the sermons not so Nowe the matter is plaine that whatsoeuer is done to the worde of god is done to GOD. He that despiseth it an preferreth monie the despisynge and contempte therof belongeth to GOD. There is no place for glosis the worde and speache is to euident ther can be no other thynge gathered Wherfore this sermon is belongynge to Christians that they be not pensiue nor saye what shall we eate or drinke or what clothynge shall we weare The Gentiles sayeth Christ inquire therof that knowe not or beleue not tha◠they haue a father in heauen But ye haue a father in heauen whiche gaue you bodie and soule yea and his son he knoweth wherof ye haue nede as touchynge whome how can ye do so great iniurie as to thynke him hard and vnmercifull vnto you as though he would denie you lyuelowd and sustenance so that ye must nedes die for hunger Wherfore behaue your selues after the example of your children at euening they goe to bedde without any care they take not thought for to morow for they know that their parentes will prouide for it do ye also lykewise My sonnes sayth Christ haue respecte vnto your father in heauen and all other thynges shall be geuen vnto you only beware of care For this should be a signe that ye haue no truste in the heauenly father or els ye would caste awaye all care and would be of good hope Wherfore Christ concludeth his sermon and saieth seeke first the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes therof and al other things shal be cast vnto you This is a necessary doctrine and an excellent promisse The worlde seeketh his owne kyngdom when it hath nede of riches and monie and yet there is no suretie in thē But contrariwise gods kyngdome is eternall that must we Christians make search for This kyngdom sayth Paule is amongest vs and it is nothing els than to heare the worde and to beleue that is to trust vnto God truely and to knowledge hym for our father Looke wher suche fayth is ther is GOD present and forthwith foloweth righteousnes and remission of sinnes Let this saith Christ be firste with you Care ye for the worde heare it diligently exercise it and beleue it When ye haue on this wise made searche of Gods kyngdome and righteousnes care ye for no more let euery mā do his busines in his vocatiō For it becōmeth not Christian men to be idle but to labour Then shall all thinges be geuen vnto you For if the goodnes of god
doctrine aboue the lawe For syth we can not perfectly fulfill the lawe The law causeth vs to haue an euil conscience to feare gods wroth for our synnes sake Wherfore this doctrine tendeth to this ende that thou sholdest learne what is Christ and what he hath done And nowe this is his voyce that he is not onely the son of Dauid as the Iewes beleue but also Dauids Lord that is an euerlastinge and verye god But what dothe he he putteth asyde from hym the forme of god as Paule sayeth and becommeth a man He taketh vpon hym the deathe of the Crosse. And why so Uerilye because he is the sonne of god that is to saye a sacrifice for the synnes of the worlde After that he dyed and rosse agayne the thyrde day from death vnto euerlastinge lyfe and sytteth at the ryghte hande of god This must we learne and beare awaye as touchinge Christ. For he that holdethe this faste is safe He that holdeth it not shall perishe vnder his synnes The reason is we are all synners and the lawe doth not only not deliuer vs from oure synnes but maketh vs more greuous synners agaynst god accuseth vs before God so that we are in greate daunger and can fynde no wayes to escape by all that we can doe In sinnes are we conceaued and borne and the longer that oure lyfe is the more do oure synnes encrease For this burden is put on vs not as an other burden which we may put downe cast of when we will It cleaueth to our very mary bones most secret parts of vs neuer suffereth vs to be at reast as we cā not denie this if we wold cōsider wel proue our strēgth Against this is this the only remedie to learne what is Christ. For assone as thou knowest who he is and then what he doth this is the very way to come vnto saluation The reason why is this If thou be a sinner and haste sinned muche againste God haue respecte to this God sendeth this Christ to suffer for synners to make satisfaction for synnes But what should this debte trouble the whiche that most riche Christe hath taken vpon hym to pay yea and hath payd it allredie wherfore this only remaineth that thou embrace with true confidence and fayth this death and crosse of Christe This can be vnknowen to no man that death is dewe to vs all and no man can haue any hope of a priuilege for the contrarie When we are dead we are vndone We can not helpe our selues But consider wherof commeth death Is it not for sinnes sake Nowe haste thou heard wher thou muste set remission of thy synnes euen in the death of thy Lorde Iesu Christ. This Christ whan he was deade remained not in death But he arose frō death to lyfe And this is a sure profe that he is Lord ouer death Wherfore euen as thou hast remission of syn through hym so by him thou hast euerlastyng lyfe in that he shall rayse thee vp againe thy flesh bodie in the last day And this the true knowing of Christ to know whose sonne he is euen the son of Dauid For he is a mā yet neuertheles the Lord of Dauid which sitteth at the right hāde of god hath for his footstoole his enemis sin death and hel Wherfore he y◠nedeth any helpe against these enemies must not require it of Moses nor of the law nor of his own worke or righteousnes but let him require it of the son Lord of dauid wheras he shal be sure to find it This doth the idle kind of Phariseies not know Wherfore they care not for Christ are cōtent with this that they know out of the law how god the neighbour is to be loued Wheras yet it is not possible that god shold be knowen I will not speake of the loue of him except Christ be knowen firste As he saith in Math. 11. No man knoweth the father but the sonne he to whom the son openeth him And this is the cause why Christ by this occasiō moueth this presēt questiō As though he should saye This ye know that god is to be loued But ye shal neuer loue god with all your heart wyth all your soule with all your mynde excepte ye knowe Christ well and perceaue who he is For how can we otherwise knowe what grace and mercie God hath geuen vnto vs This is no smale thinge that God hath made vs and geuen vs bodie and soule and all thinges But we vse these thinges but for a litle time in this lyfe But herein appeareth moste especially the riches and great goodnes and mere mercy of God wheras he spared not his only begotten sonne but deliuered hym vnto the death of the Crosse for our sinnes that we should be deliuered from sinne and obtayne euerlasting lyfe through hym This is the euerlasting infinite and incomprehensible loue and grace whiche no man can know excepte he know Christ. And therfore he can neuer loue God truely without Christ. Wherfore it appeareth hereby what the Phariseies and Scribes get by their question Euen this verely that they are openly conuicted of Christ before them al that they can talke much of the loue of God But they vnderstande not nor yet perceaue the leaste part therof truely And wheras they knowe not god whiche hath bestowed so great benefittes and liberalitie vpō them how shall they loue their neyghbour that hath nede of their helpe and can recompence nothynge for their pouertie Wherfore let vs highly esteme this doctrine and let vs geue thankes to God with all oure heart that we are deliuered out of vncredible darkenes vnder the Popedome euen like as the darkenes of the Iewes were here And we haue the pure doctrine of Christ wherby we do not only knowe howe we ought to be deliuered and saued from sin but we receaue the holy ghost Whiche by this doctrine moueth oure mindes so farre that we may begin to loue God and our neyghbour The whiche thing our Lord Iesus Christ graunt vs. Amen Amen The .xix Sonday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Math. ix IEsus entred into a shipe and passed ouer and came into his owne citie And beholde they brought to him a man sicke of the paulsey lying in abedde And when Iesus sawe the faythe of them he sayd to the sicke of the paulsey Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes be forgeuen thee And beholde certayne of the Scribes sayde within them selues this man blasphemethe And when Iesus sawe theyr thoughtes he sayde Wherefore thynke ye euyll in your heartes Whether is it easier to saye thy sinnes be forgeuen thee or to saye aryse and walke But that ye maye knowe that the sonne of man hath power to forgeue sinnes in earth Then sayeth he to the sicke of the paulsye Aryse take vp thy bedde and go vnto thine house And he rose and departed to his
is excluded from Baptisme the sacrament and the worde is bounde also in heauen By this power that we men in earthe doo lose and bynd sinnes god is not spoiled of his glorie neyther ar we made Gods therby as the prophane and wicked mynded men doo oftentymes say of this matter For we haue no more than the ministerie and office Wherfore God hath coupled vs together by this ministerie that alwaies one of vs shoulde conforte and confirme an other And that the other shoulde thynke hym selfe bounde to beleue as farre as the worde is purely preached vnto hym that is to say remission of synnes in the name of Christ. And this is the very bryngyng vnto God and remission of syns He that dieth in thys beliefe dieth to his saluation But hee that dyeth as he is taught in the Popedome with a confidence and trust of the intercession of Sainctes dyeth euyll and to his destruction For hee lackethe those defenders whiche God ordeyned agaynst the violence of death that is the trewe pastor the pure worde and absolution So great miserie the deuyll brought in by the Pope yea and nowe begynneth to bee the author of an other infection by the sectaries For they can not abyde the worde This offendeth his eyes Wherefore the Pope toke it clean away and in his place brought in the monkes rules masses pilgremages pardons and suche other This can the dyuel well away with For it hyndreth his kyngdom nothyng The Anabaptistes furder the matter which speake very contemptuously of the water of Baptisme The Swenckfeldians also mooste vilely and wickedly contemne the outward preachynge of the worde All haue loste the worde wherfore they are to be auoyded and this is to be learned that remission is no where els but there as the woorde is That woorde is in Baptisme in the Supper of the Lorde in absolution in publike preachyng Wherfore remission of synne is there also and let hym be accursed that sayeth otherwise But wher as the word is there is faith requisite And then the membres begyn to be fastned which the syck of the palsey could before moue by no means But loke wher the worde is not the palsey is neuer taken away and it is vnpossible that any true mouyng should ioyn the membres together This wold I the more earnestly dryue into you because the Pope and sectes are the authors of suche great disorder in the Congregation The Pope bryngeth neyther to the worde nor sacramentes The sectaries can not but speake contemptuously of the worde and sacrament and nothynge preuayleth with them but the holy Ghoste And we knowe thys that the holye ghoste wyll not doo hys worke without the woorde and sacramentes Wherfore we can not despise the woorde and sacramentes but we wyll obserue them for the chiefe thynges that we haue God graunte his grace that we maye preserue this pure doctrine and continue in it to the end and be saued Amen The .xx Sonday after Trinitie Sondaye ¶ The Gospell Math. xxii IEsus sayde to his Disciples The kyngdom of heauen is lyke vnto a man that was a kynge which made a maryage for his sonne and sent forthe his seruauntes to call them that were bydden to the weddyng and they woulde not come Agayne he sent forth other seruauntes saying Tell them which are bydden behold I haue prepared my dinner mine Oxen and my fatlynges are kylled and all thynges are redy come vnto the mariage But they made light of it and went their wayes one to his farme place another to his marchaundise and the remnaunt toke his seruauntes and intreated them shamefully and slewe them But when the kyng heard thereof he was wrothe and sent forthe his men of warre and destroyed those murtherers and brente vp theyr Citie Then sayde he to his seruauntes The maryage in dede is prepared but they whiche were bydden were not worthy Go ye therefore out into the hye wayes and as manye as ye fynde bydde theym to the maryage And the seruauntes wente foorthe into the hyghe wayes and gathered together all as many as they coulde fynde bothe good and badde and the weddynge was furnyshed with geastes Then the kynge came in to see the geastes and when he spyed there a man whiche had not on a weddyng garment he saide vnto him Frende howe camest thou in hyther not hauyng a weddynge garmente And he was euen spechelesse Then sayde the kynge to the ministers Take and bynde hym hande and foote and caste him into vtter darknesse there shal be weepyng and gnashynge of teeth For many be called but fewe are chosen THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospel ye heare that the kingdom of God is lyke vnto a mariage vnto the whiche many are bydden that not onely come not and regarde not but that also reuile and kyll the seruants that call them Here must we first learn what this word Kyngdom of heauen signifieth euen that it is no worldly kyngdom but a kyngdome in heauen where as God onely is kyng That doo we call the holye churche whiche is nowe For Christ dothe therfore vse the parable of the mariage because that he beyng the kynges sonne taketh the churche to be his spouse Wherfore the kyngdome of heauen is to be taken on suche wise that it is in earth and yet it is no politicall or earthly kyngdome but spirituall and eternall For the state of the Christians that are in this lyfe is suche that they are halfe in the kyngdome of God that is in soule and spirite and after theyr fayth Wherfore when thou heareste of the kyngdome of heauen thou must not loke to heauen but thou must seke after it in the earth amongest men and that in all the world where soeuer the Gospel is beleued and the true vse of the sacraments ministred So that proprely the kyngdom of heauen is nothyng els then the kyngdom of Christ the kyngdome of the Gospell and of faith For whersoeuer the Gospell is there is Christ. And wher Christ is there is the holy ghost and his kyngdome whiche is the true kyngdom of heauen For the which cause all that haue the word and sacramentes and beleue continue in Christ by faith they are heauenly princes and sonnes of God And onely this remayneth that God moue away the half wall which is put betwene that is that we die then shall all thynges be heauen and saluation This therfore must be lerned first that the kingdome of heauen is the kyngdome of Christe where as the worde Faith is For in this kyngdome we haue lyfe in hope and are cleane from synnes free from death hell Sauyng that the body of synne is lefte whiche is not yet abolyshed and yet shal be abolished when al thinges shal be lyfe saluation and heauen To this mariage sayeth Christ God hathe called the Iewes his people dyuers tymes before his commynge by his holy Prophets For it was their office specially bycause they cōmanded the Iewes to waite for
of his worde as we wolde of a power that is almightie For he that hath that hath all and can doe all thynges And he that hath it not can do nothynge againste synne death and the deuill For loke what Christ doth here with the sonne of the ruler wher as he defendeth him by his worde againste death that lyfe shold not be oppressed of death the very same doth he make to worke in vs all by his worde if we do but receaue it and purposeth not only to deliuer vs from corporall euils but also from sin and eternall death Wherfore we muste folow the example of this ruler that in our peril euilles we may here require health wheras the almightie worde hath so redie and present power and wil to helpe vs. For wher as this ruler maketh haste hateth all delay Christ maketh muche more haste and differreth not the helpinge vnto the comming of the father but rather in this very houre and moment he wil haue the sycke child made whole So we also must not doubte but that Christ will be most redie to helpe vs if we do but aske it of him and trust surely for it of him For to this intēt was he sent and came into the earth to deliuer vs from sin death to destroye the tyranny of the deuill and to open the kyngdome of god for vs. For this very cause the father our most merciful god sent him for this cause he came into the earth Wherfore he that asketh helpe of hym shal not depart without helpe as we see in this ruler which only intreateth for bodelye helth Howe much more redie shall his wil be wheras is more perill and where as helpe is more necessary for vs wher as the matter of euerlastyng lyf is in hande This is the first as touching the which it is the vse to instructe and teache when suche kynde of miracles be taught For therfore dyd Christ worke them and afterward they were preserued in monuments bookes that we might know the power and will of Christe and haue our refuge vnto him in all trouble and perill The second whereof we must teach in this history is that a notable example is sett forth vnto vs in the whiche we may know certainly truly what is faith Our aduersaries the Papistes teache none otherwise as touching faith then that it is a certein knowledge concerninge Christ and what he hath don But in this the true Christians haue no more than the deuil hipocrites haue For these also know of Christ of his miracles actes But as concerninge Christian faith the scripture speaketh on this wise that by it we obtaine remission of sinnes righteousnes euerlastinge life For this saith Paule we suppose that a mā is iustified by faith without the workes of the law And the Prophet Abacuk saith The righteous lyueth by faith And Christ saith to Mary whose sinnes were forgeuen Go thy wayes thy faith hath saued thee Wherfore this faith is no faith of the deuil of hypocrites in the congregation whiche know only the history holde it as purely sincerely as Christians do For this could not be hid priuie frō the deuil what he dyd suffered in the earth But although this is necessary for a Christian to knowe yet this is not the true faith by the whiche we obtayne remission of sinnes and life euerlastinge But in this place it is described by an exāple what is true faith euē to thinke surely that that Christ speaketh promiseth is most certaine without all faulte For these two are ioyned together when god promiseth that we shold ēbrace it with faith doubt nothing but that it is most true And that it is most certaine although we do not perceaue it or see it And loke wher the promise is we embrace it with faith that is a true Christian faith as we see in this ruler He commeth to Christe and desyreth him to go downe with him and to helpe his son The ruler tooke it very heuily and was greatlye afrayd For he dreaded greatly least that if he brough not christ betimes his son shold die afterward ther shold be no hope of helpe By this he declareth what maner of faith he hath wher as he knowledgeth christ for his helper For without this meaninge he woulde neuer haue come to Christ. Wherfore this ought to be counted a greate thynge that wher as by nature he despeired of recoueringe of lyfe for men had no longer hope of lyfe in hym Yet he taketh a longe iorney to Christ with that hope that if he myght bring Christe to him before he was deade he should not be past cure But yet could not Christe take this for faith because that although this was a certaine knowledge of Christ yet was it not such as for the setting forth wherof he came into this worlde For he will not be taken and acknowledged onely for an helper in bodilie necessities yea and that so he be present but such worde is set forth as touching him in the promise and reuelacion of the gospel that we may fele that his godly power is present against all euill but speciallie againste spirirual euill If he hath diuine and godlyke power them must his worde be thought almighty And to this point doth he adhorte this ruler that he might rather haue respect to the cause of the miracles then the miracles themselues and that he mighte begine at last to hope for saluation out of the word although ther had ben no miracle shewed For in the miracles is ther alwayes present ayde required But this is true faith that despeireth not of the promise of the worde although ther be no signe of present ayde and succoure And this must be the fayth of al sainctes that god may be glorified and not our will And that if god sheweth not himselfe appliant vnto vs as soone as we will and after what way we wil yet that we shoulde not ceasse from praisyng hym as the hypocrites doe Wherfore he requireth such a faith that can abide patiently althoughe gods miracles be not done at his becke But this faith can not be excepte there be respecte had to this word as touching Christ whiche is that the deadly malediction and curse is by hym taken awaye so that al that are incombred with bodilie euils and with death although they are destitute of other signes in their deliuerance yet should not despeire as touching the final last deliuerāce through the death and resurrection of Christe And Christ commandeth that all shold loke seeke for this signe and as for the other he wold not haue vs careful for them For as touchyng this cheif signe he hath put forth his expresse worde and that without any condition that al might certainly beleue to haue remission of synnes deliuerance from death life euerlasting for Christes sake And he wold that
of the worlde He shal be a kyng saieth the Prophet but yet with pouertie miserie without al princely reputation if the matter be consydered after the custom of the world of princes This Prophete also speaketh of an other power of this kyng For he calleth hym righteous and a sauiour and not riche fortunate or a glorious kyng before the worlde but righteous and a sauior whiche bryngeth with hym iustice and saluation and destroyeth synne and death the enemie of synne and death whiche shall delyuer all from synne and death that beleue in hym and take hym for theyr kyng and are not offēded with the borowed asse They that do this haue geuen vnto them remission of synne and remedye agaynst deathe to the attainement of euerlastyng lyfe And althoughe their body dye and be buried yet is it not to be called death but rather a slepe And this it is that Zacharie wyll teache vs of Christ when he geueth him these two names that is of a righteous and Sauior whiche may be the deathe of deathe and destroy the power of the deuyll and by this meanes deliuer vs that beleue in hym from sinne and death and transpose vs into the kingdom of angels wher is life and saluation He left for the kynges of the worlde their glorie richesse towers palaces Let them lyue in glorie neuer so muche buyld they neuer so gorgeously be theyr apparell neuer so costely yet haue they not this power whiche this poore kyng had For there is no emperor kyng or pope so mighty with all hys power that can delyuer vs from the least synne that is and that can heale a small disease with all the richesse that he hath And what shall I say than that they haue muche lesse any power agaynst euerlastyng deathe and hell But this poore kyng onely helpeth therin and that not only against one synne but against al sinne and not only agaynst my synnes but agaynst the synnes of the whole worlde He came not onely to take awaye diseases but also death and not onely death but also the deathe of all the world Tell this sayth the prophet to the daughter of Syon that she be not offended for his lowe behauiour but that she shut vp her eies and open her eares and let her not consyder howe poore this kyng is in syght but what the word doth teache of this kyng The pouertie is open forasmuche as he commeth on an asse without ridyng apparell But in that he forgeueth synne deliuereth from death geueth saluation and euerlastyng life to them that are sanctified that is not sene wherfore the word therof is only to be herd and to be beleued So saith Zacharie Tel the daughter of Sion that she may knowe and not be moued nor offended that he commeth so pore vnto his people and dyeth so shamefull a deathe For all these thynges be doone for thy sake that thou by thys Sauior mightest be saued against the deuyl death his purpose is to sanctifie thee and to delyuer the frō synne All endeuours are in vayne when we regarde not the sence of the eares but loke to haue it allowed by the eies For this kyng differeth very muche from other kyngs What so euer they do they do it in great magnificence and pompe But in Christe it is not so which fyrst in Baptisme gaue vs this strength wher by we ar deliuered from sinne from death Here the eies se nothing but cōmon water ▪ which is included in the word and pronunciation therof Here the eies see nothing then the breath of a man but this we must be ware that we folowe not the iudgement of the eyes The eies ar to be shut vp and the eares to be opened and the worde to be heard Whiche teacheth that our Lord Iesu Christ shed his bloode for the remission of synnes and euerlastyng lyfe These gyftes are founde for a suretie in the holye Baptisme in the Supper of the Lorde in the preachynge of the Gospell This is true But because of the simplicitie therof they ar not thought to haue so great efficacie by the lauer of water supper of the Lorde But beware thy eies bring the not to this straite It semeth an absurde thyng in the eies of the people that he that came on a vile asse and after was crucified shoulde be thought to haue power agaynst synne death and hell No mans sight was so clere as to see that But the prophet saith it Therfore in this matter there is no nede of eies but of Faithe and eares Wherfore sayth the Euangelist Tell the daughter of Syon And the Prophete sayth Reioyce Syon be glad daunce and leape for ioye O Ierusalem beholde thy kyng commeth What maner of kyng A righteous kyng and a sauior which shall sanctifie thee and saue thee For he wyl communicate his righteousnes and saluation with thee that thou myghtest be free from synne and he wyl dye for thee that thou by his death mayst be delyuered frome eternall death Wherfore let not the great pouertie that is in hym offend thee thy lyfe and saluation lyeth hydde in hym Geue thankes for the benefyte and vse it to thy comforte For all these thynges are doone for thy saluation Wherfore this is our kyng Iesus Christ this is his kingdome and office He handleth no taxes and tributes he careth for no towers nor for worldly magnificence But when we are now come to the marke of deathe so that we can lyue here no longer Then is it the office of this kyng that we by his passion and death may walke into Paradise and say on this maner I am sanctified through my kyng Iesus Christe whiche for that cause came after a vile forme and would be crucified that he myghte sanctifie me and that in me he might slea synne and death He that beleueth this on this wise as he heareth and is preached in the Gospell shal be sure of saluation For therfore was Baptisme ordeined of Christe that by it he might put his iustice on the and that his holynes and innocencie may become thyne by right For al we are miserable synners But in Baptisme Christ doth comfort vs and saith Geue me thy synnes and take thou my rightousnes and holynes Let thy death be taken from thee and my lyfe put on thee Wherfore this doctrine ought gladly to be receiued and the godlynes therof then also it ought to be declared in our lyfe that God myght not seme to haue geuen this lyght in vayne vnto the earthe But it chanceth contrarywise and the world is made oftentimes the worse for this doctrine And here is the very diuel reigning with al his kingdom in the vnkynd worldly man for all this greate grace of God The matter is playne that there is nowe more auarice couetousnes crueltie impudent lechery aduoutrie and wickednes then was before vnder the popedome What is the cause Uerily no other thing then
that mē do not gladly receiue this doctrin as it behoueth them to do but all set naught by it They care more for golde and riches then this incomparable treasure which Christ the sonne of GOD brought downe to vs from heauen Wherfore this punishement is deserued wherwith God plagueth these vnkynde persons If thou sayth he thinkest thy self vnworthy to geue me thākes for that I delyuer thee from great euyls frome syn from death be it so truly And I wil make that thou shalt greuously trauaile vnder sinne and death seyng thou louest it so wel And wher as before thou were in the danger but of one diuel nowe shalt thou be vexed of seuen worse Wherfore I adhorie you to here this doctrine with a godly feare and to be thākfull for it and to pray God with all your harts that he may confirme you in this fayth that ye may kepe suche doctrine Wherby it shall come to passe that we be made daily more sobre more obedient more gentle more chast and better For this is the nature of this doctrine to make men more ful of modestie and softnes of obedience and chastitie But they that cast it from them becom seuen tymes worse then they were when they were without this doctrine as examples doo testifie euery where Wherfore take ye hede truly the tyme will come it will come without doubt when God shall reuenge this vnkyndnes and then shall it be sene what the world hath deserued by this vnkyndnes Wherfore marke wel the hystorie of this gospel For seyng that the Iewes woulde not here the voyce of the prophete this is sayd vnto vs that our kyng commeth meke and poore that we shoulde not be offended neither haue respect to the pōpe riches of the worlde But let vs consyder that this our kinge is righteous and a Sauiour whiche deliuereth vs from sinne and from deathe And when this is taught receaue it gladly and louingely and geue God thankes least after that ye be fayne to receiue the deuyll with howling wailing and gnashing of teeth To the whiche thyng we are adhorted also by the example of the Apostles and of other which were in the trayn of this kyng For seyng that Christ is a kyng he must nedes haue a kyngedome and people and this people muste shewe their due seruice to their kynge What seruice this is the hystorie declareth For here be found some that knowlege that the Lord Iesu the kyng is come and be not ashamed to be amongest the waiting men of this asse and poore kynge Amongest these are the Apostles first which knowledge the Lord Iesu Christ to be the true Messias that shall iustifie and become a sauiour agaynst synne and death Wherfore they bring vnto Christe an asse that is they councell the Iewes to go to Christ whiche hytherto haue lyued vnder the lawe haue borne the burden therof lyke asses Then with the asse they bryng a colt also vnto Christ that is the Gentiles that be not yet tamed neither wer vnder any lawe For Christ is the Sauior of all men Wherfore al true Euangelists and teachers ought to bring men vnto Christ And this is one seruice that is due to this kyng that he be knowen receyued and glorified of all men for the rightuous Sauiour The second seruice is that we sing Osanna to Christ on the Asse that is that after we haue receaued this Sauiour and knowledge hym for our kyng that men wyshe well to him and to his kyngdom and that they do all thynges that belonge to the aduancyng of thys kyngdome although it offend the Phariseis and chief priestes neuer so muche For Osanna signifieth Saue O lord blesse Lord the sonne of Dauid As we say in the Lordes prayer Thy kyngdome come For the diuell and his membres will not cease to go about to abolyshe or at the leaste corrupte this kyngdome Here haue we nede of prayer that it may please God to infringe and represse this enterprise of the diuell The third is that we do not only pray but also put of our clothes and sprede them to our Lord Christ in the way that the pompe of his comming may be more syghtfull and not so beggarly And this is then done when accordyng to our abilitie we helpe the ministery of the worde that there may be plentie of teachers good men which both by teachyng and lyuyng maye be gouerners of the congregation And also that they that nowe are ministers may so be handled that they may see to their duetie and geue them selfe to studye and not to fall away from their ministration for lack of lyuyng or to be busied with other thyngs that they can not haue leasure to doo theyr duetie To be short what soeuer thyngs or riches is bestowed to this vse that the ministrations in the cōgregation may be wel ordred and maie haue true pastors It is to be vnderstanded by the clothes which ar spread for Christ that his commyng may be somewhat more kynglike Thus must this seruice be doone to this kyng neither care thou for the Priestes and Phariseys whiche are moued for this sclender pompe and do al that they can to let it But Christ doth not suffer this For where as he is kynge he canne not be without a people and he hath nede also to be serued like a kinge And happy are they that serue this king For he is such a king that he will serue vs againe not with riches and store for that were to base a thyng for this king but with righteousnes agaynst synne with saluation against death and dampnation Wherefore it is expedient that we should be redy and glad to doo this king seruice Neither let vs be offended with the example of the Pope and bishops and suche other which bring not the asse to Christ as the Apostles did to put him theron but that thei may ride vpon the asse themselues and may kepe men vnder the danger of their doctrine as they list but thei make Christ go on foote neither can they suffer him to come through his Gospell and to turne mens eies vnto hym These false doctours haue their disciples also whyche flatter with theim and strawe boughes of Palmes and Oliues in their waye but they cast stones at Christ. For they persecute hym and his gospell and all that professe it These in that daye shall knowe with the Iewes that they haue despised the righteous kyng and Sauiour and therfore shall suffer the wrathe of God for euer Wheras contrary they that haue receaued hym and confessed hym and hath become parteners with him in all that they haue shall obteine by hym iustice and euerlasting lyfe The whiche thyng as our truste and wishe is might chance vnto vs through our Lorde Iesu Christe and Sauiour Amen The seconde Sonday of Aduent ¶ The Gospell of S. Luke xxi THere shal be signes in the Sonne and in the
for enuy thei had deliuered him When he was set downe to geue iudgement his wife sent vnto him saying haue thou nothing to do with that iust mā for I haue suffred this day many things in my slepe because of him But the chief Priests Elders persuaded the people that they should aske Barrabas and destroy Iesus The deputie answered and said vnto them Whether of the twaine wil ye that I let lose vnto you They said Barrabas Pilate said vnto them what shall I do then with Iesus that is called Christ They all said vnto him let him be crucified The deputie said What euil hath he done But they cried more saying Let him be crucified When Pilate saw that he coulde preuaile nothing but that more busynes was made he toke water and washed his handes before the people saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust person se ye Then answered all the people and said His bloud be on vs on our childrē Then let he Barrabas loose vnto thē and scourged Iesus and deliuered him to be crucified Then the souldiors of the deputie toke Iesus into the cōmon hal and gathered vnto him all the cōpany and they stripped him and put on him a purple robe and platted a crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head and a reed in his right hande and bowed the knee before hym and mocked hym sayinge Haile kyng of the Iewes And whenne they hadde spytte vppon him they tooke the reede and smote hym on the head And after that they hadde mocked hym they tooke the roabe of hym agayne and putte hys owne rayemente on hym and ledde hym away to crucify hym And as they cam out they found a manne of Cyrene named Symon hym they compelled to beare hys Crosse. And they camme vnto the place whyche is called Golgotha That is to say a place of dead mennes skulles and gaue hym vineger myngled with gaulle to drynke And whenne he hadde tasted thereof he woulde not drynke Whenne they hadde crucifyed hym they parted hys garmentes and dydde caste lottes that it myghte bee fulfylled whyche was spoken by the Prophete They parted my garmentes amonge theym and vppon my vesture dydde they caste lottes And they satte and wacched hym there and sette vp ouer hys head the cause of his deathe written Thys is Iesus kynge of the Iewes Then were the twoo theeues crucifyed wyth hym one on the ryghte hande and an other on the lefte They that passed by reuyled hym waggynge theyr heades and sayinge Thou that destroyedst the Temple of God and dyddest buylde it in three dayes saue thy selfe If thou bee the sonne of GOD come downe frome the Crosse. Lykewyse also the hye Priestes mockynge hym wyth the Scrybes and Elders sayde He saued other hym selfe he can not saue If he bee the Kynge of Israell lette hym nowe comme downe from the Crosse and we wyll beleue hym Hee trusted in God lette hym delyuer hym nowe yf he wyll haue hym For hee sayde I am the sonne of GOD. The thieues also whych were crucified with hym caste the same in hys teethe Frome the sixthe hower was there darkenesse ouer all the land vntyll the nynthe hower And aboute the nynthe hower Iesus cryed wyth a lowde voyce sayinge Ely Ely lamasabathany That is to saye My God my God why haste thou forsaken me Some of them that stode there when they hearde that sayde Thys manne callethe for Helias And streyghte waye one of them ronne and toke a spunge and whenne he hadde fylled it full of vineger hee putte it on a reede and gaue hym to drynke Other sayde Lette bee lette vs see whether Helias wylle come and delyuer hym Iesus whenne hee hadde cryed agayne wyth a lowde voyce yealded vp the ghoste And beholde the vayle of the Temple dydde rent in two partes frome the toppe to the bottome and the earthe dydde quake and the stones rente and graues dydde open and manye bodyes of Sainctes whiche slepte arose and wente out of the graues after hys Resurrection and came into the holye Citie and appered vnto many When the Centurion and they that were wyth hym watchynge Iesus sawe the earthequake and those thynges whiche hapned they feared greately saying Truly this was the sonne of GOD. And many women were there beholdyng hym a farre of whyche folowed Iesus frome Galilee mynistryng vnto hym amonge which was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Iames and Ioses and the mother of Zebedes children THE EXPOSITION THIS daye is redde in the Churche as ye haue hearde the storye of the paynefull Passyon and dreadefulle death of our most louynge Lorde and swete Sauioure Iesus Christe And although the passion of Christ oughte at all tymes and euery daye dylygentely to bee remembred of vs and of euery Christian seyng it is that onely and alone precious treasure whereby wee are delyuered and sette at lybertie frome all the power of helle from Sathan synne deathe damnation c. yet the aunciente Fathers of Christes churche in tymes paste haue well prouyded that we shold haue euery yeare a certayne peculiar tyme appoynted for this purpose in the whyche we myght doo and exercise this eyther priuately or publykely For by this meanes shall the Passion of Christ be the more dilygently inculked and beaten into the youthe and also bee the more surelye engraffed in the memorie of the Elder sorte of people Nowe forasmuch as the Passion of Christe hathe in tymes paste ben meruaylouslye abused by vayne meditations and cogitations of superstitious and ignorant hypocrites we wyl at this present leaue all suche vanitie and declare howe the passion and deathe of CHRIST oughte trewely and profytablye to bee consydered weyghed and pondered vnto oure synguler consolation and comforte and also vnto the amendement of our lyfe and conuersation Thys shall bee brought to passe if wee dilygentlye expende weyghe ponder and consyder these principall poyntes followynge Fyrst what the Passion of Christe is Secondly what prouoked and moued hym to suffer thys Passion Thirdly how Christ bothe outwardly and inwardlye suffered Fourthly what fruite and profite he hath procured and gotten for vs by his Passion Fyrst the passion of Christ is none other thing then an vnmeasurable dolour sorowe torment and payne whiche he of a singular vnoutspekable loue toward vs for our synnes that hee myghte purge them and vtterly put them away thorow his satisfaction outwardly in his body and inwardly in his soule susteined and suffered tyll at the laste he died on the crosse which shal be opened declared more playnly herafter Secondly there are fyue causes that moued Christ to suffer his most dolorous and peinful passion The first is our synne which could none otherwise be clensed purged and put away but only by the passion death of Christ. The second cause is the greate and vnoutspeakable charitie loue and fauor that Christ and his heauenly father bore toward vs men whiche charitie coulde not abyd