sayth the Euangelist the only sonne that is in y e bosome of his father he hath shewed hym And agayne No man knoweth y â— father but the soÌ„ne Wherfore in y â— sonne of God which is Iesus Christe the wyll of God muste bee knowen and his counsell seene And we see in thys place the sonne of God to tarye longe in fedynge the hongrye and yet in conueniente time he feedeth them after a meruelouse fashion And euen so playnely be the maners of oure hea uenlie father for he is wont to seme almoste deafe at the praiers of good men and to take no care to saue theÌ„ For what purpose dothe he that For that that he heareth the prayers of good men and wyll not saue vs God forbidde What thinges so euer sayth he you shall axe in your prayers and beleue ye shall haue them And againe I wyll heare them beefore they crye and heare them whyle they be yet speakynge And agayne Call vpon me in the daye of tribulacion and I wyll deliuer thee and thou shalte ho noure me God therefore called vpon in fayeth slacketh in gyueynge healpe not because he wyl not saue you but he tarieth first that by this delay he wold stire vp in the trobled a greter desier to cal vpon hym that is to do trewe godly honoure For the more ferueÌ„tly ye cal vpoÌ„ God the more ye serue God And we are made for this purpose to worshippe oure Lorde God Sertainely he tarieth to geue to the afflicted greater benefites whereby both the afflicted may get greater fe licitie and the glorye of the name of God maye be more shewed out For as a graine that is caste in the grounde is not loste thoughe it be couered wyth yearth and to dye but rather is encreased whyche in the haruest tyme apereth manifestlye so the praiers put in the bosome of god thorowe fayeth are not in vayne although they seme not to be hard but in their conuenient tyme they bryng fruite plentifully and God so much the more aboundantlye is wonte to gyue hys benefyte howe muche the more soâ—…dli he was thought to haue bene a slepe This entente of god in differring his helpe must diligeÌ„tly be learned For as it helpeth a seruâ—…e â—…uche to do his master good 〈◊〉 if he know his wyl and purpose So it helpeth vs to serue our lorde god wel if by prolonging the helpe of god which we call for in our trouble we knowe what is the wyll of god and his entente that is that god doth not defer his helpe be cause he wil not saue vs but that he wyll saue vs more gloriously profitably then any man can thinke Thou wylte saye what helpeth vs then this knowledge Firste it kepeth in vs sufferauÌ„ce which vertue as it is great so is it a plesaunt seruice to god For he that thorowe the holye goste is perswaded that God differreth his helpe not to take it a waye but to geue it more abundane lye to him that axeth it can not bee but he muste suffer paciently whatsoeuer aduersitie happeneth More ouer this knowledge kepeth him y t doth praye in doing his duetye and perseueraunce of prayer This also is a greate vertue seruice very ac ceptable to god For he that wyth a suer hope trusteth that the benefits of God shall be made more howe shuld not he continue stil in praier how shulde not he get forwardes coÌ„ staÌ„tly last of al it kepeth him y â— doth praye in obedience of those offices which by godds vocation he oweth to God and to hys neygheboure for he that thorowe the holy goste seeth that he shall receaue so much y e grea ter benefites of God how much the longer the helpe of God is differred he can not be holden but moste diligentlye wyl folowe the callynge of god lest the benefactor being pro uoked to anger thorow disobedience he receiue an euell turne for a good And what worke pleaseth god better then obedience Better is obedience sayth god then sacrifice Wher fore when aduersitie encreaseth and ryseth against vs let vs not thinke that god hath forgotten vs or that he careth not for vs but let vs acknowledge and well consider gods entent that strengthened in fayth we may go forwardes in the office of our callinge But that the miracle which Christ wyl do may y e more plainly be knoweÌ„ the lacke of bread ought to be knowen not only to the Apostles but vnto the people also So Iesus sayde Make these men sit downe For there was muche grasse in the place so ther sat doune a M. almost v. C. meÌ„ in nuÌ„bâ—…e Other Euangelistes rehearse also the order of their sittinge that is that they sat in the grene fieldes in sonder by hundredes and fyfties and shewe that besyde almoste fiue thousand men in numbre there weâ—… women and children also And what then meaneth Christ that he wolde not distribute the bread except they fyrst sate doune yea and that euerie man in his order Could not the meÌ„ haue eate excepte they fyrste had sitten yes they coulde But as we said before the lacke of bread ought to be knowen also to the people that the miracle myght be the more euident For now wheÌ„ the men wet set doune and were set in order they were thorowe this sighte stirred vp to feele searche out betwixt theÌ„ selues what the matter meante who shulde geue them meate where they shulde haue bread for none of theÌ„ had broughte bread with theÌ„ So here their lacke was opened and they were quickened to looke that Christ shulde geue them meate Yea the order of theyr sitting made the miracle more to be marked So when these thinges were thus prepared Iesus beganne to worke the miracle For he tooke breade and after he had geuen thankes he distributed them to his disciples and the disciples to theÌ„ that were set downe Lykewyse of the fishe asmuche as he wolde We maruayle what Christ ment by bidding them sit doune and now we more marueile what this ceremo nie of thankes geuing meaneth for he dealt not the bread before he had fyrst lifte vp his eyes to heauen and gaue open thankes in the sight of al men What nede had Christ to these ceremonies Is not he the worde of god and god him self He spake and thinges were made he coÌ„maunded and they were created Whye nowe therfore saye but euen a worde that the loaues myghte be multiplied Christ myght not only if he had spo keÌ„ but one worde but euen also by a thought only haue multiplied these loaues but it plesed him to vse these ceremonies first to shew in the sight of the people that he taughte them none other God but hym the true God maker of heauen and earth that he did not his miracles by iugglyng but by heauenlie and power of God Moreouer he wolde teache vs what gyuinge of thanckes was and how muche it was hable to do For wher Iohn sayth
¶ A verye fruitful Exposicion vpon the syxte Chapter of Saynte Iohn diuided into x. Homelies or sermons written in Latin by the ryghte excellente clarke Master Iohn Brencius traÌ„slated into English by Richard Shirrye Londoner Inclyte Ioannes Germane gloria gentis Qui toties magno resonasti pectore Christum â—…ternum viuis non inuida tempora nomen Obscutare tuum poterunt per secula foelix O quà m dulce fluit colamus tibitum bone BreÌ„ti Cum seruatorem placidus depingis IeÌ„sum Quae tu Germanis Anglis ego munera grata Ferre meis curiens sermones transfero denos Quos conscripsisti sextum in caput alti Ioannis ¶ To the right Honorable Lorde Wentworth Lorde Chamberlaine one of the Kynges mooste honorable Counsel Rycharde Schirrye wisheth health euerlastynge WHaÌ„ I had fynyshed thys trea tise which I toke in hande to traÌ„slat of good zeale toward y e most sacred and holy worde of God deuisynge wyth my selfe vnder whose proteccion the same beyng printed myght be published abrod althoughe I knowe not youre Lordship by any coÌ„uersacioÌ„ acquaintaunce but only by a general fame that maketh you to be gra cious acceptable to the worlde for thys cause specially that you fauoure all good letters and chiefelye the holie scripture w t those expositours whyche moste sincerelye and purelye expounde the same I coulde fynde out none to whome for the sayde respectes I thoughte more conuenient to dedicate this my traÌ„slacioÌ„ than to your good lord shyp To whom although I be vnworthi to offer this presente boeth for my basenes of degre and also of learninge yet is the worke it selfe of suche pryce that it maye iustelye chalenge so worthy a patrone In thys Chapter ben certaine textes whych beynge cropped oute from the reste haue ministred to learned men muche matter of argumentacion some expoundynge them one waies some an other And forasmuche as there is nothynge but by euyll enterpretacyon it maye be depraued and that in all al coÌ„trouersies to find out the trueth ther is no rediar waies thaÌ„ to heare the hole tale tolde I thoughte it a dede worthy the labour to set out in our English toÌ„ge the exposicioÌ„ of y e righte excellent Clarke Iohn Bren cius which he writeth vpoÌ„ the sixt Chap. of Iohn not leapyng out from one text to an other but thorowely expounding it eueÌ„ in y e selfe same order in whyche the EuaÌ„gelist wrot it so y t the circuÌ„staunces shal not a litle helpe to the true sence vnderstaÌ„dig therof which maÌ„er of exposicioÌ„ is much to be coÌ„meÌ„ded And contra ri thei are worthi dispraise which rashli plucking out the texts as thei come first to haÌ„d not wayinge theÌ„ w t the rest that eyther folowe or haue gone before make theÌ„ serue to their own pur pose and apply theym to suche an exposicioÌ„ as they theÌ„ selues haue conceyued before in their own mynd Wherupon often time ariseth much altercacioÌ„ i wor des whych wold easely be auoided if at y â— begynnyng had bene laied a suar fundacion of reasonyng But thys expositour Brencius declareth hys mynde in â—…o clere an order that auoydynge all confusion the diligente reader maie sone perceyue howe iustlye one thynge dependeth vpon an other so that for thys poynte that is in declarynge howe the textes shoulde ryghtly be vnderstande by the iudgemente of well learned menne he maye be compared to the beste interpretoures that haue bene in anye tyme longe before What shuld I speake of hys eloquence whyche maye be sooner maruayled at than folowed If it please youre Lordshyppe fauourablye to accepte these my laboures not a litle shall I be incouraged to goo forwarde wyth the reste of the Homelies or some other thing of lyke Profite and acquaynte my selfe agayne wyth those studyes whyche beynge begunne of me in youth and so continued forthe certayne yeares haue bene a longe season althoughe not quyghte left of yet very much remit ted and slacked The liuyng God whyche nowe of hys infinite goodnes hath sent vs peace froÌ„ mortal bodili war giue vs also concorde of myndes y â— agreyng in one sound doctryne we may be vnited and knyte as meÌ„bers of one misticall body to our head Iesus Christ our lord to whom be glory for euer ¶ The Preface to the Reader IN these oure dayes whan the monimeÌ„tes of soexcel lente wyttes so plentifullye come abrode that therebye it maye ryght well be knowen ther be ryghte manye not onely perfectlye seen in all humayne sciences but in speciall in the moste fyrme and vndouted Christian religion no doute there is greate cause vnto all good men and to al suche as loue knowledge greatly to reioyse And yet to followe these principal guides and chiefe leaders not a fewe are put in dout either for that y â— iudgementes of men be so various and the wylles of most part so froward y â— to vp hold either this opinion or y t I wot not whither it may seme lesse apt to receiue thanke or more redy to dauÌ„ ger of euil speach extreme ieoperdy Which thing of some men is so feared y t it boeth taketh away theyr wittes wylles to do good therefore passe their life in silence But if this mind should be to al that caÌ„ do wel y t is that for feare of such diuer sitie in iudgement of al sorts of meÌ„ they should leaue of to do such profit as they myght do than myght it fortune to be a greate while or euer the truth were spread abrod and or knowledge should haue the vpperhand of ignoraunce Which thyng certaine persons encouraged by the spirit of God right wel perceiuyng haue valiantly put forth theÌ„ selues aduentured y e daungerous charge of euil tonges secretly regarding ra ther y e right iudgemeÌ„t of a fewe thaÌ„ discoÌ„forted by obloquie euil spech of a great many Thus dyd y t noble Poet Horace whan he was content with the assent of a few wel learned to whom he recited his worckes as appereth in his sermons Thus do also nowe a dayes suche as seke not for y e vaine praise of the multitude but onelye to rest in y â— bosome of the wel learned But sith talkyng there of is so coÌ„mon wittes so manye diuers ther semeth to lacke nothig rather than a iudge to giue senteÌ„ce of this great diuersitie which riseth not so much by douts in seculer science as by sondry opinions in most waightie coÌ„trouersies of our faieth religion Of these is nowe al meÌ„s talke I say they talke of diuinitye yea the learned the vnlearned the woman as wel as the man the rych w e the pore Unhappy be we christian men if in this our religion we be more vncertaine than were the heathe in their doctrine What is more displeasant to man touching the bo dy than darknes what to the mind more greuous thaÌ„ ignorauÌ„ce ThaÌ„ if it be so what can be on the contra
the ship dyd worshyp hym and that worthely as Mathew doth wryghte and confessed him to be the verye sonne of God And nowe we maye not thynke that these thynges were done put in wrytyng for the Dysciples sake onely but they partaine to the whole cōgregacion and set before vs an Image of thynges which be done in al ages in y ◠church of God For althoughe there be not here in the shyp verye manye Disciples yet are they the church of god they are the chosen people of God In thys place is also Christe hym selfe head of the church Wherefore y ◠y ◠here is done is an image of those thynges whych are alwayes wount to be done betwixt the churche and Christ the heade thereof The sea is thys worlde And in thys worlde is the church of God I praye not sayeth Christe that thou wouldest take them out of the world but that thou wouldest saue theym from euyll In thys worlde you shall haue trouble and affliccion And againe you shall wepe and Lamente but the worlde shall be gladde and reioyce And Paule sayeth we must enter in to the kyngedome of God by manye affliccions Further Christe was awaye in the mountayne and yet he sawe hys Dysciples that were in greate ieopardye For althoughe Christ be ascended into heauen is now inuisible to oure corporal eies yet the churche that is in ieopardye is wel seen to of him he is ready to healpe hys church he taketh care for it and loketh vpon all the paynes and trobles of it to help and saue it For he sitteth at the ryght hand of GOD and is thee almyghtye gouernour of al thinges Wherfore neyther heyth nor length nor depth can lette hym that he shoulde not healpe hys churche beynge in paine and sorowe But lyke as he came to hys Dysciples in the myddle of the tempest and was thoughte to haue bene a spirite of the dyuell that woulde haue drouned theym in the watters so he came in dede accompanied in thysworlde wyth a crosse and couered wyth diuers affliccions Wherefore in verye greate aduersitye men that be of a weake fayeth thyncke not that Christe the sauioure is there but a legion of dyuylles that woulde destroye theym euen oute of hande For they gyue not suere confydence to thys promise of GOD whych is in the ▪ lxxxx Psalme I am wyth hym in tribulacion I wil take him out and glorify hym But by cause y t thē they se nothing but aduersitie thei thinke much rather that the deuyll is there to oppresse them than Christe to delyuer But Christe opened him selfe to hys Dysciples by hys voyce and by speakynge vnto theym sayinge It is I be not aferde so also he sheweth hym selfe to hys church by his Gospel For the Gospel is the voice of Christe whereby he declared that he hym selfe to was sente into the worlde for thys purpose that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shuld not perishe but haue lyfe euerlastynge He sayeth also in another place I am the resurreccion and lyfe he that beleueth in me althoughe he be deade he shall lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleueth shal not dye euer lastyngely Wherefore when greate troubles aryse we must giue care to the voice of Christe and to his gospell that thereby we maye take cōforte and be saued But as Christe walked vpon the sea and yet dyd he it not alone but he called also Peter to do y ◠same And althoughe he whan the wynde blewe sore vpon hym began to doute and syncke doune yet whan he called vpon the helpe of Christ he is saued beynge caught by the hande of Christe so Christ preached not hys owne gospel alone and confirmed it with mi racles but he chose vnto hym Apostles to be hys felowes and vnto the also he gaue the gift to do mira cles Then after theym folowe the ministers of the church to shew out the gospell that they haue receyued of the Apostels What hath happened then That that was spoken to the Apostels Beholde I sende you into the myddes of wolues That sayinge stretcheth out not onelye to the ministers but also to the self office of preachynge of the Gospell For in thys worlde so greuous calamities are wont to ryse agaynste the ministers of the churche that it lacketh but a litell to be vtterly destroyed Therfore they that be a litle to weake are diuerslye mynded and almoste fall in dispayre But it is happy Christe is redy at hande and beyng called vpon putteth out his hande and preserueth the ministerye of the churche whych semeth to other to be destroyed The gates of hell sayeth he shall not preuayle agaynste it And agayne Lo I am wyth you al the dayes euen to the ende of the worlde Finallye Christe beynge receyued into the shyppe ther is made a great calme and the shyp is in y e heauen For he that by the Gospell wyll knoweledge Christe and receyue hym by fayeth how can not he be in safty as the prouerbe is haue his shyp in the hauen in dede For wher Christ is ther must the streme nedes be a calme and death lyfe He that beleueth sayeth he in me although he be deade shal liue Let vs take Christe therefore into our shyppe wyth obediente fayeth that we maye safelye come by the stormes of al afflicciō and death in to the hauen of euerlastynge lyfe thorow the grace and helpe of Iesu Christ oure Lord whiche together with the father and holye gooste is god blessed for euer Amen ☞ The thirde Homilie THey be greate and excellent miracles whych hitherto the Euan gelist hath reher sed and we haue metely expounded but much greater and more excellente is the sermō whyche Christ made takinge occasion of the corporall breade for the whyche the multitude of men folowed more than for the spirituall breade Of the Sermon before we nowe speake we wyll a lytell touch these thynges whych happened after that Christe and hys Apostels had passed the sea The nexte daie sayeth the Euangelist the multitude whych stode on the other syde the lea after they sawe that ther was none other vessell there but that onelye whereunto hys Dyscipels were entred and that Iesus was not gone into that barge wyth hys Dysciples but that hys dysciples only wher gone And ther came other boates from the sea of Tibirias nye vnto the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord had gyuen thākes So whan the people had seen that Iesus was not ther nether hys dysciples they also went into boats and came vnto Caparnaū sekyng for Iesus And when they had founde him on the other syde the sea they sayde vnto hym Maister when camest thou hither The miracles that were done in the sea none knowe but hys Dysciples But nowe the whole multitude of men knoweth also that Iesus was not come on y t other side of the banke without miracles Wher fore whan they axe of Iesus whan or howe he
needes counte the also in the number of deceitful persons For what kind of life is there or what order state of men in the whych naughtie men maye not be found Finally Christ prophecieth of the fallyng away of the vnbeleuers of the treason of Iudas to warne in tyme the vnbeleuers and Iudas hym self hys Apostle to repent auoyd the punish ment for his wickednes For Christ made this sermon as I thinke almost two yere before he was betrayed of Iudas and crucified He signifieth therfore in thys communicacion that one of his twelue Apostles shuld be a traytoure that Iudas which was noted bi y â— name of the diuel shuld haue space of repentaunce and beware that he did not fulfil by hys myscheife in dede that which he was called by worde This example is very worthy to be marked For the scripture which is the reuelacioÌ„ of the holy gooste pro phecieth of y â— laste times in y â— which we now liue that many shal fal froÌ„ Christ and folow wickednes The sonne of man saythe he when he shall come shall he fynde faithe in the worlde And agayne The gate is brode and verye wyde whyche leadeth into myscheife and there be manye that go in by that And againe Many false prophets shal ryse and deceiue many And in an other place Many whiche were firste shalbe laste These and lyke to these were sheâ—… before to oure admâ—…nicion that by all diligence and obedience that we maye wee learne that we â—…e not deceiued with these many and led into destruccion but that we tarye in the trewe fayth of the gospell and with good men whether they be many or fewe we may get the heauenly herediâ—…aunce thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lorde whyche together with the father the holy gooste is God blessed for euer AmeÌ„ ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Daie dwelling ouer Aldersgate and Wylliam Seres dwelling in Peter Colledge The yerâ—… of our Lorde God M. D. L. the â—…th daye of Apryll ¶ â—…um priuilegio ad imprimendum solum T The Dysciples of Christ were diuerslye minded God se meth deafe to the pray er of good men Praiers of fayeth Christe ueth th kes Geuing of thankes is blessing The fragmentes be gathered Miracles be done be cause of learninge the gospel God is the housekeper and ca reth for his housholde Thi house holde must bekept but sinne thou muste not Deceiptes do not pro spere The maiestie of a king is the ordinauÌ„ce of God Christes callynge We muste not wythstand goddes wyll the churche in one ship Thâ—… Gospel is the voyce of Christe The â—…uge gâ—…shnes of man in seking heaueÌ„ ly thynges is reproued The sluggishnes of Hypocrits is condemned We be pilgrimes in this world Noman 〈◊〉 perfectely good Fayeth is the most excellent 〈◊〉 of god What it is to beleue 〈◊〉 Iesus Fayth is not euerye mans They seke for an worldlye Messias Bodily coÌ„ modities are couÌ„ted the chefest LactaÌ„câ—… in his bokâ—… of falâ—…e religion La. xxix Floralia 〈◊〉 The cause of vnbelief what it is â—…hrist hath taken vpon him the fashion of a seruaunt The offyce of a magistrate and housâ—… â–ª The 〈◊〉 whereby god is se â–ª Messias y â— very sonne of God The end of Scripture The ministery of the Gospel is necessarye The salua cion of infantes God drawethâ—… how Christ was opened among men euen from the begynning of the worlde The ende of scripture is to coÌ„firm fayeth The predestinacion of god is 〈◊〉 led in christ â–ª Christ is y â— boke of life The cause of goddes predestinaci on The difference of the prophetes visions Christes â—…o 〈◊〉 Christ is to beleue Christ only 〈◊〉 our helth Theâ—…ating of Christes fleshâ—… is necessarys to saluacion What pro fit y â— death of sayncteâ—… hath â–ª The eating of Christes flesh is nece ssary to saluacion The vse of the Lordes Supper The Supper of the â—…ord 〈◊〉 â—…o 〈◊〉 the inâ—…an â–ª although â—…ey haue â—…yeth do not yet â—…derstande thâ—… fayeth What maner of meaâ—… the fleshe of Christ 〈◊〉 Christe is very man 〈◊〉 veâ—… God Men be made gods Men bâ—… made gods by adopcioÌ„ Man is a God 〈◊〉 The Indinâ—… eate â—…eyr paren 〈◊〉 To ascend into heaueÌ„â—…hat it is The gospel is properly y â— doâ—… triuâ—… of Christe The maiestie of Mes sias Christe is the natural sonne of God