loue standeth not in fayre wor des and amiable countenauÌ„ce or gesture but in the dede selfe Nowe the more mysery we were in before Christes commynge the greater is his benefyte and the more bounde be we vnto hym God as wryteth saynt Paule setteth forth hys loue towardes vs seyng that whyle we were yet synners Christ dyed for vs. Now Christ hymselfe assureth vs that who so euer beleueth in hym thus sente of the father downe vnto vs shall not quayle shall not be confounded shall not peryshe but shalbe sure to attayne euerlastynge lyfe Seynge Christ hymselfe doth assure vs of euerlastynge lyfe for oure belefe or faythes sake why shulde we doubt Why shulde we go aboute to seke heauen by other wayes than Christ appointeth vs The senteÌ„ce is vniuersall all that beleue in him shall not perysh Wherfore let noman thynke hym selfe exempted as vnworthy Here is no respect eyther to thy worthynes or to thy vnworthynes Yf thou hast faith thou shalt be sure to be of the chosen company Only take hede thou mockest not God dissemblest not before the face of the worlde sayeng thou hast fayth and haue it not in dede Yf thou hast fayth in dede thou must nedes brynge forth the frutes of fayth thou canst not but declare thy faith wyth workes of charitie both to God man whom for God thou canst not but loue as thy natural bro ther. Yf thou beyst a good tree thou muste nedes brynge forth good frute But a bad tre bryngeth forth bad frute Christe goeth further and sayeth For God sente not hys sonne into the worlde to con dempne the worlde but to saue the worlde Here ye se the fynall cause of Christes commynge whyche was to saue that was lost Howbeit thys texte is to be vnderstande of Christes fyrst commynge and of the tyme of grace ye maye not vnderstande it of his seconde aduent or commynge whyche shalbe at the last daye for thaÌ„ he shal wythout fayle come to iuge accordynge to an other place where he sayeth The father hath gyuen all iudgement to the sonne Neuerthelesse in the meane season whosoeuer beleueth not is already iudged and condempned wheras on the contrarye parte they that beleue can in no wyse be condempned But why is the infidele alreadye condempned Bycause sayeth Christe he hath not beleued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god Lo here ye se agayne how fayth saueth lacke of fayth condempneth And thys is the condempna cion that lyght is come into the worlde and men lo ued darkenes more then lyght bycause theyr dedes were euyl Who is thys lyght Christ. Who is y e darkenes The worlde The lyght then shyned in y e darkenes and the darknes dyd not comprehende it Do not men loue styll darkenes more then lyghte Had they not rather walke in theyr owne fanseys wylworkes then in Christes doctrine Alacke for pytie Yea though the lyght neuer so much shyne though the Gospell be neuer so much in the hande yf Christ by hys holy spirite do not teache the thou arte styll but darkenes and why so for thou louest styll darkenes better than the lyght for thy dedes are euell and therfore thou muste nedes conuince and damne thy selfe of infidelitie It foloweth For euery one that doth euell hateth y e lyght neyther woll he come to the lyght that is to saye to Christ and hys worde lest the bryghtnes of the lyght shuld reproue his dedes Thys is the cause good people why these papistes are so loth that the scripture of God shulde be redde of you laye people lest ye myght happen to espye theyr hypocrisie and crafty iugelynge agaynste Christ and hys trouth For scripture is the rule or touchstone wherby ye maye easely trye and discerne the chaffe from the corne the chalke from chese that is to saye hypocrisye from true religion They haue good people longe holden you in ignoraunce and in blyndenes to auaunce them selues and to raygne lyke kynges ouer you contrary both to gods lawe and mans lawe Wherfore I blame them the lesse though they hate scripture whych dis closeth theyr hypocrisie and vsurped authoritie lest as Christe here sayeth theyr dedes shulde be rebuâ—ed and reproued But he sayeth Christe that doeth trouth coÌ„meth to the lyghte that hys dedes may be knowen bycause they are wrought in God as who shuld saye He that is iustifyed declared a good person by hys fayth whych he hath in me for deâ—laracion therof doth the truth that my worde mo ueth hym to do and worketh not after hys owne faÌ„sey thys man commeth to the lyght that is to wyt he gladly suffreth hys workes and procedynges to be tryed and examined by the rule of my worde bycause they be doâ—e in God and be godly workes Where as coÌ„trary wyse the hypocrite doth so much abhorre from the iudgement of my worde that he fle eth by all meanes he can from it woll suffre none other to loke vpon it He woll neyther enter into the kyngdome of heauen hymselfe nor yet suffer others that wolde enter Such persons vnder pretence of holynes haue longe shut vp the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ from many men But now thanked be God y t lyght hath somwhat shone agayne Wherfore good people let vs not hate thys lyght and loue darknes styl as we haue done in tymes past whan we were decey ued by the iuglynges of these papistes Let vs beleue in thys Christe sente downe from the father of heauen to redeme vs. And yf gods worde be true we shall surely be saued and raygne wyth hym in heauen worlde wythout ende c. The Epistle on the thyrde daye of Pentecost The. viij chapter of the Actes Thargument ☞ Peter Ihon be sent into Samaria where after baptisme the Samaritanes receyued the holy goost WHen the Apostles whyche were at Ierusalem hearde say that Samaria hadde receyued the word of god they sent vnto them Peter and Ihon Whyche when they were come downe prayed for them that they myght receaue â—he holy goost For as yet he was come on none of them but they were baptysed onely in the name of Christe Iesu. Then layed they theyr handes on them and they receaued the holy gooste THys lesson good people is taken forth of the eyght chapter of the Actes of thapostles for a more perfyte vnderstandynge wherof ye shal know that in the selfe chapter a lytle before it is shewed how S. Philip thapostle entered into a cytie of Sa maria and preached there to the Samaritanes the glad tydinges of our Sauiour Christ Iesu how he beynge the sonne of God came downe for the redeÌ„pcion of mankynde Thys his preachynge he dyd also confirme wyth myracles For as the texte also de clareth the vncleane spirites cryenge wyth loude voyce came out of many that were possessed of them And many takeÌ„ wyth palseâ—s and many that halted were healed Now the people gaue great hede to the thynges whych
setteth oute the authoritie of the same as a meane or instrument whereby throughe new birth or regeneration we be the chyldren of god and as saynt Iames here speaketh the firste frutes of gods creatures As towching the causes of gods worde ye shall vnderstande that the gospell or word of God is no humaine thinge it is the word neither of Emperour Kinge Prince Duke nor other tempo rall ruler neither is it any meritorious word whych caÌ„ chauÌ„ce vnto vs for our own deseruinges or merites neyther yet is it an vnpythy weake or vnperfect word whych eyther of it selfe is not stronge ynough or nedeth any other worde to the perfection and accomplyshement therof but it is a diuine or heuenly worde a good gyft of God and perfecte that is to saye whyche hath almyghty god for authour of yt whych god gyueth of his mere grace and fauour whych is stronge and full of efficacie and power according to saynt Paule whych sayth it is the power of god to the helth and sauetye of all such as beleue the same It is perfecte forasmoche as it neither nedeth any other word neyther yet can it suffre any other to be matched with it Nowe al thys tendeth to this purpose and intent that saynt Iames woll coÌ„mende and set forth vnto vs the authoritie of gods worde lest by errynge and strayeng out of the waye we myght happen to deceiue our selues thynkyng it ynough sufficient to heare the worde of god wyth out any maner of regeneracion and newe lyefe For the worde is a farre greater thyng it is euen an heuenly diuine good and perfecte gyfte whych coÌ„meth from aboue euen from the father of lyghtnes wyth whome is no transmutation of lyght and of darkenes neither can he suffer that we shuld mengle our dreames and darknes with his lyghtsome worde I meane our owne inueÌ„tioÌ„s our blindnes our careles maners our carnal lybertie our euel liefe so forth We be also here admonished and taught of the final vse of gods worde wherfore it serueth Yt serueth doubtles that by it we shulde be regenerate and be made the fyrste frutes of the creature of god whych cometh not of oure owne deseruynges but it is the worke of god the father whych doth renewe and regendre vs wythe y e worde of trouth that we maye be the first frutes of hys creature Saynt Iames therfore in thys place wylleth vs to sette asyde and laye downe all securitie and slauthfulnes towardes the worde of god and that we shulde praye god that he woll vouchesaue to open disclose vnto vs the vnderstandynge of hys worde and that he wolle gyue vs also encrease in the same that we maye heare the worde wyth frute â—nderstandynge if and beynge regenerate therby might be made the fyrst frutes of y e creature of god Do not then erre my dere brethreÌ„ as thoughe it were inoughe only to heare the worde of god and not to vnderstande it wyth the harte not to catche holde of it by faythe not to worke well outwardlye Euery good and perfyte gyfte is from aboue that is to saye the worde of god is perfyte it nedeth none other worde to stey it to make it perfyte Yea thou caÌ„â—est neither take it nor vnderstaÌ„de it perfytly onles it be gyuen the of god Yt is of it selfe moste perfyte and it is it also whych onlye can make vs perfyte Yt procedeth frome the father of lyghtes that is to wytte from god whych is y e only cause of all lyght in such sorte that y e thynge whych we se in vnderstandynge the worde is of god Yt is also the gyfte of god that hys worde dothe lyghten for the father is of hymselfe lyght Wyth whom is no variablenes nor chaunge into darkenes that is to saye he can not abyde nor suffer that the lyght darknes shuld be confounded or myngled togither For he is the father of lyght only and not of darkenes Neither can he suffer that we shulde glorye and bragge of his worde as of a gyfte and in the meane season do the workes of darkenes And by this the apostle saynt Iames doth moue vs from euyl workes by thexemple of god whyche is intransmutable and inconuertible that is to say he is not now light now darkenes And therfore ought not we to folow both lyght and darknes togither For wyllyngly be gatte he vs wyth the worde of his trouth that we shulde be the first frutes of his creature As though saynt Iames wold saye Bicause god hath regenerate vs by the word of trouth that we might be now his â—irst frutes then seing we be his first frutes iâ— de commeth vs not to folow the darkenes it becoÌ„meth vs no more to leade oure lyefe in vyce and naughtines but it behoueth vs to be doers not only hearers of the word In that he sayth voluntarily or of his owne will he excludeth merite It is called the word of trouth aswel because of it selfe of the own nature it is true as bicause it maketh other true Secondly Ye shal diligently note and marke good people that thappostle Iames in the latter parte of this epistle doth sturre vs to newe liefe and to such workes as the worde of god and regeneration wold aske For it is euen due and annexed to newe byrth that a man shulde do good workes as also Paule testifieth sayenge What shall we then saye shall we abyde in synne y t grace myght abouÌ„d God forbyd We that be deade to synne howe shall we hereafter lyue in the same Also to the Ephesians he sayeth We be gods haÌ„d worke created in Christ to do good workes whyche god hathe prepared that we shulde walke in them And to the Colossians Wherfore if ye haue risen wythe Christe seke ye the thynges aboue regard heuenly thinges not erthly thinges wherfore deare brethren sayeth saynt Iames let euery man be swyfte to heare slowe to speake By whych wordes he forbyddeth chefely moch talkyng and pratlynge wherby in saynte Iames tyme many dyd bragge as they do at this daye of the gospell without chaunging of their former liefe and wythout lyuinge after the gospell Such persons sainte Iames wolde haue swyft to heare slow to speake tyl tyme they rightly vnderstande the worde and do dedes worthy for the same He willeth vs also to be slowe to wrath but he wol we shuld be meke and pacieÌ„t For the wrath of maÌ„ worketh not that whych is rightouse before god that is to saye Ire or wrath the effectes therof can not do the thynges whych be iust before god or whyche god requireth of vs. And saynt Iames calleth here the iustice of god not that where by we be iustifyed before God but that whych god requireth of vs beyng alredy iustified to the declaration of that iustice whyche iustifieth and whych is gotten by fayth Wherfore casting awaye all vncâ—enlynes and superfluitie of maliciousnes se
lord than expresseth and declareth to hys apostles where in they beleued not and what they wanted whyche doubtles was that they perfytly beleued not his resurrection For albeit they beleued all the rest yet in thys behalfe they remayned infideles For happely they beleued also thys that God wolde be mercyfull vnto them but yet this was not ynough For it was necessary also that they shulde beleue Christes resur rection Wherfore he vpbraydeth them of theyr infidelitie sayenge that albeit they had sene altogether yet they beleued it not and that they yet wāted thys article of resurrection What is it than to beleue the resurrection of Christ whych beareth so great a stro ke and is of such importaunce that y e disciples were called infideles and mysbeleuynge persones for the defaute of it Certes to beleue the resurrection of Christ is nothynge els than to beleue we haue a reconciler before God whych is Christ whych maketh vs at one wyth God the father and iustifyeth vs in hys syght For what so euer is in man of hys owne nature and byrth wythout regeneratiō is but synne and death whereby he heapeth vpon hymselfe gods vengeaunce Agayne God is the eternal iustice and clerenes whych of hys nature hateth synne Hereof it commeth that betwene God and man is perpetuall enmitie neyther can they be frendes or agre together Christe therfore beynge incarnate dyd bothe translate our synnes vpon hymselfe and drowned y e wrath of the father in himselfe to reconcile vs to his father Wythout thys fayth we be y e chyldren of vēgeaunce we can do no good worke that maye be acceptable to God neyther wyll God heare our prayers For thus in the. xviij psalme it is wryttē They cryed and ther was no helper to the Lorde and he answered them not Yea the moost excellente worke wherby we thought to obtayne grace helpe comforte of God was imputed vnto vs for synne as the prophete in the. cix psalme sayth Oratio eius in pec catum fiat Be hys prayer counted for synne for surely we can not wyth al our powers of our owne na ture pacifie god We neded therfore Christ to be me diatour for vs to the father and to make vs at one wyth hym and finally to obtayne what so euer is ne cessary for vs. By the same Christ it behoueth vs to aske of God what so euer thynge we nede as Christ hymselfe enstructeth vs sayenge What so euer ye aske the father in my name it shalbe done vnto you What soeuer we demaunde of God surely by thys Christ which hath satisfied for our synnes we must obteyne and get it For Christ is he whych layeth a garison about vs he is the defēce and bukler vnder whome we be hydden euen as the chekens be nouryshed and hydde vnder the wynges of the henne By him only our prayer is allowed before God By hym onely we be herde and get the fauoure grace of the father Thys is now to beleue vpon Christes resurrection yf as it is recited we beleue that Christ hath borne vpon hym aswell our synnes as the syn nes of the hole worlde hath drowned in hymselfe the one and the other and also the yre of the father wherby we be reconciled to God and made ryghtuouse before hym Now ye se your selues howe fewe christian men and wemen there be whych haue thys fayth wherby all men be delyuered from theyr synnes and be made ryghtuouse For they beleue not in the resurrection of Christe that theyr synnes be taken awaye also by Christe but go about to be iustifyed by theyr owne workes Thys man entreth into the cloyster is made a monke or freer she a nonne some one thynge some another that they may be de lyuered from theyr synnes and yet they saye they be leue in the resurrection of Christe where theyr workes do shew cleane contrary Wherfore thys article haue the holy fathers preached and inculked specially before other For thus saynt Paule in the. xv chapter of hys fyrste epistle to the Corinthi sayeth Yf Christ hath not rysen frō death to lyfe thā vayne is our preachynge vayne also is your fayth And a lytle after Yf Christ haue not rysen vayne is youre fayth ye be yet in your sines What maner cōsequēs is thys how do thys folowe Thus truly yf Christe rose not from death to lyfe it foloweth that synne death dyd swalowe hym vp and kylled hym After that we could not ryd our selues out of our synnes Iesus Christ toke them vpon hym to treade vnder hys fete death and hell and to be made Lorde ouer them Now yf he rose not agayne than surely he ouercame not synne but was ouercome of synne And yf he rose not agayne he redemed vs not and so we be yet in our synnes Furthermore in the tēth to the Romaynes he sayeth thus Yf thou confessest wyth thy mouth Iesus to be the Lorde and beleuest in thy harte that God hath raysed hym from death thou shalt be saued Here vnto agreeth all scripture both olde and newe But it is not yet suffi cient to beleue the resurrection of Christ. For al wic ked persones beleue thys yea Satan doubteth not but that God suffered rose agayne But we must also beleue the summe of the resurrection and also what frute and profyte we haue taken therby that is to saye pardon of our gylt and as it were a gayle delyuerey of all our synnes that Christe passed thorough death and by it ouercame synne death yea and what so euer coulde hurt vs he trode vnder his fote and is constitute and made at the ryght hande of the father in heauen the myghty Lorde ouer syn Satan death hell and what soeuer hurteth vs and that all these thynges be done for our sake whyche thynge the wycked persons beleue not Ye se than my frēdes how much is layde in thys artycle of resurrection so that we may better wante all the reste than thys one article For what were it to beleue all the artycles as that God was borne of the virgine Mary that he dyed and was buryed yf thou doest not also beleue that he rose agayne And thys God meaneth in Abacuc where he sayeth I shall worke a worke in you whych no man shall beleue whan it shalbe tolde And thys is the cause why Paule in al hys epistles handleth no worke or myracle of Christ so diligently as he doth the resurrection of Christ. Yea he letteth passe all the workes and myracles of Christ and chefly teacheth vs the frute of it so that none of thapostles hath so paynted Christ vnto vs as Paule Wherfore not wythout cause Christ sayd to Ananias Thys is my vessell of election to beare my name before the Hethen people and kinges and the chyldren of Israell It foloweth in the texte Go ye into the hole worlde and preach the Gospell to euery creature What shall they preach