as God doth promyse to nourishe me Thou Sathan doste bynde his grace vnto breade but he on the contrary parte witnesseth that his grace is sufficient to nourishe and succoure vs Nowe let vs consyder what kynde of temptation this was surely suche a one with the which Sathan dayly fighteth against vs For the sonne of God would not suffer any vnwonted temptation but would fight in the same battaile that we fight in to the ende that we being fournished with the same armoure wherewith he was armed nede not doubt of the victory but that already we haue the palme in our handes 4 But he aunswered and said It is wrytten man shal not lyue by bread only but by euery woorde that proceadeth out of the mouthe of God. And he aunsvvered and. C. First this is here worthy to be noted that Christe taketh the scripture for his buckler for this is the true kynde of fight if we couet to haue the victory Neyther in vayne doth Paull call the woorde of God the sworde of the spirite M. Christe coulde by his deuine power haue caste Sathan into the bottomles pit but for our sake he would ouercome his temptations that his deceites should not only be frustrate but also we that shoulde followe thereby might learne howe to fight A. That we being well appointed with the armoure of the woorde of God might bouldely resiste our enemy the deuell C. Whereby also we may gather that the Papistes hauing made a league and agremente with Sathan as it were to caste out the soules of men to th ende they may cruely of hym be destroyed they suppressing the scripture do despoyle the people of God of their armoure with the whiche they might only defend them selues For they whiche caste from them this armour and exercise not thē selues daily in the schole of God are worthy euery houre to be in daunger of the deuell to whome they do betraye them selues Neyther is there any other reason why Sathan should so spoyle and ouercomme so many were it not that God would be reuēged on their negligence and contempt of his woorde Now we must consider the testimony of Moyses whiche Christe citeth Man shall not liue by bread M. By this word bread he vnderstandeth all maner of foode what soeuer we vse to the sustentation of our body Loke in the sixt chap. folowing Some very falsely wreste this testimony of Moyses as if it had bene saide that the liues of mē were not nourished with visible breade but with the worde of god In some respect this is true but Moyses respected another thing For when they had no other breade at hande he sheweth that Manna was an extraordinary foode to the people that by this document it might be witnessed for euer that the life of men is not included in bread but to depend at the wil and pleasure of god The woorde therefore in this place is not takē for doctrine but for the decrée which god published to the defending of the order of nature to the nourishing of his creatures Neither doth he reiecte men which are the workemanship of his handes but for this cause he powreth life into them that once being geuen he may daily sustaine the same The woorde is the vertue and power of God by the whiche we be sustained as well without meate as with meate whether he place any other thinge in steade of meate as Manna which he gaue to our forefathers or nothing as he kept and preserued Moyses Helias and Christe so many dayes C. So saythe the Apostle he ruleth all thinges with the woorde of his power That is al the worlde is preserued all the partes thereof abide in their proper state at his becke and decrée by whom al thinges are gouerned Therefore although we be fed by breade yet we must not attribute our lyfe to the vertue of the same but to the secrete power of his grace whiche God inspireth in the bread to feede vs. Whervpon also it followeth that God whiche vseth the ordinary meane of bread to our sustentatiō will otherwise whē it pleaseth him fede vs that we may liue B. Therfore the aunswere of Christe is in effecte thus Although I honger yet God by his power can preserue me still as he hathe done hitherto without meate that I shal not nede to make these stones breade A. Neyther is the power of my father tyed vnto breade By this sentence of Moyses therefore their wickednes is condemned wiche counte that their lyfe and felicitie to haue aboundace and superfluitie of all thynges pertayning to the body Here also is reproued the distruste wicked carefulnes whiche causeth vs to seke after vnlawfull thinges And to this point the aunswere of Christ is properly directed that we must so trust to receiue our foode and other thinges necessary to our life that we passe not the boundes limited vnto vs. For if Christe thought it not lawfull and mete to make breade of stones contrary to his fathers commaundement muche lesse it is lefull to get our liuinge by rapine violence murther bribery extortion vsury and suche lyke We knowe it was sayde to Adam in the beginning Thou shalt get thy liuing in the sweate of thy browes And Paule He whiche laboureth not let hym not eate And againe if any prouide not for his housholde he hath denied the fayth and is worse then an infidele And these places are wrytten leaste that any man should take occasion to lyue idely refuse the labour of his handes whiche God hath appoynted to get our liuing by 5 Then the Deuell toke hym into the holy cittie and set hym on a pinnacle of the temple Then the deuell toke him M. This is the other temptation of Sathan by the which what he wente aboute we may gather by the aunswere of Christe Luke resiteth this in the second place but the Euangelistes ment not so to order the history that they would obserue and kepe alwayes exactly the order of tyme but rather to gather the speciall thynges that they might set forthe as it were in a glasse or table those thynges whiche were moste proffitable to bee knowen as concernyng Christe This therefore shall be sufficient for vs to knowe that Christe was tempted thrée manner of wayes But whiche was the fyrste seconde or thyrde it maketh no matter vnto vs. A. Here Mathew declareth that Christ was taken of the deuell and set vppon the Pinacle of the temple E. But howe he was taken and caried whether by force or by his own free wyll following the Deuell C. Or whether he were caried through the aire or whether it were done by a vysion it is not for the godly to searche It may be that there was no small tyme betwene the first and seconde temptation and betwene the seconde and the thyrde but that there was some distaunce whiche is moste lykely although by the wordes of Luke it is gathered
contempte of the woorde of God and that Religion myght not altogether be despysed and of no reputation amonge the vnlearned But the defence of Christ with the which he dothe purge his doctrine oughte to animate and incourage vs If we at this daye haue the lyke reproche and false accusations layde against vs. This cryme also was layde againste Paule sayinge that he was an Apostata contrary to the lawe of god Wherefore it is no marueyle if the Papistes in like sorte falsely accuse vs and rayle against vs. But by the example of Christe we must reiecte all false accusations and not regarde them notwithstanding we muste frely professe the truthe although it be subiect to false sclaunders B. But here this woorde Lavve is taken for the doctrine ordeined for the institution of lyfe by the wyll of god Wherfore immediatly the lorde dothe adde to the Lawe the Prophets also saying I am not come to destroye the Lawe and the Prophetes that so he might more plainely declare what he ment by the Lawe namely the doctrine and institution of life which the Prophetes shewed and declared also It is certaine therefore whatsoeuer thinges are written in the Lawe do appertayne to this ende namely to call the minde of man to the perfecte and true righeousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared to all good woorkes The whiche also the lorde signifieth when after the exhortation to the lighte of good workes and the necessitie of fulfillinge the lawe he addeth that therfore he came to fulfill the same And so we vnderstand by the Lawe and the Prophetes the doctrine of God comprehended in the holy scriptures by the whiche men are instructed to liue righteously and godly in this present world whiche is comprehēded in this that we trust in God that we feare and loue him with all our mynde to the whiche our elders added and appointes the Lawes of sacrifices and of other ceremonies of the tabernacle Furthermore that we loue our neighbour as our selfe to the whiche was added ciuile Lawes Laste of all that we vse those thinges cōtinently and comly with modestie which the necessitie of the body requireth to the whiche also appertaineth whatsoeuer is cōmaunded for the cleannes and comlines of bodies to the which are added certaine externall purifiynges To destroie M. The Lawe is destroyed or broken when that it is made voyde of none effecte by false expositions traditions of men or els when as men do violate and breake the preceptes thereof either by the imbecillitie weakenes of the fleshe or els by a wicked contemptuous minde But here he vnderstandeth the destroying of the Lawe after the first māner namely by false expositiōs A. To breake the Lawe and to destroy the lawe are all one as appeareth by the saying of Christe in Iohn If a man on the Saboth daye receiue circumcision without breaking of the lawe of Moyses disdayne ye at me because I haue made a man whole on the Saboth day No I came not to destroye C. God truly had promised a new league by the cōming of Christ but he had shewed also that it shoulde littell differ from the first but rather this to be the end that he would obserue kepe the league whiche he made with his euen from the beginning I wil wryte saith he my Lawes in their hartes I will forget their sinnes By these woordes he doth not so departe from his former league that he woulde deny his laste to be firme and sure when the newe succeded And this is the meaning of the woordes of Christe when he saide I came not to destroy but to fulfil the Lawe For truly he fulfilled it in quickning the dead letter with his spirite thē shewing the same in dede whiche was declared vnder figures signes Therfore in respect of doctrine we must imagine no abrogation of the Lawe in the comming of Christe For seing that it is an euerlasting rule to lyue well and godly by it must be immutable euen as there is one only permanente righteousnes of God which is cōprehended therin As touchinge ceremonies although they may be thoughte improper and not pertayning to the Lawe notwithstanding they wer only abrogated in vse but the signification abideth still Wherefore the comming of Christe did detracte nothing no not from ceremonies but rather the truthe of shadowes being declared it doth bring great cōfirmation vnto them when we beholding the true effecte do perceiue that they are not vayne and vnprofitable Let vs learne therefore to kepe this holy bonde and knot of the Lawe and the Gospell inuiolable the whiche many do breake amis and very fondly M. Christe fulfilled the Lawe and the Prophetes first by his comming in the fleshe when as he fulfilled those thinges whiche are written in the Lawe and the Prophetes as concerning his kyngdome and the redemption of mankynde promysed longe before Of the whiche Luke speaketh in his .xxiiij. chap. Therefore as saint Paule saythe Christ is the fulfilling of the Lawe to all them that beleue Do we then destroye the Lawe through faythe God forbidde but we rather mayntaine the Lawe 18 For truly I saye vnto you tyl heauen and earth passe one iot or one title of the Lawe shall not escape till all be fulfilled For truly I saye vnto you Bu. Although that whiche was spoken of before was made manifest enough yet for all that it is more strongely confirmed agayne by the mouth of the lorde For he vseth a moste vehement othe and confirmation saying For truly I saye vnto you Truly is a worde peculier to the Hebrewes confirming and wytnessing the truthe for this cause it is so often repeted of the lorde And the Apostell Paule saythe All the promyses of God by Christe are yea and are in hym amē vnto the lande of god Whiche is as if he shoulde haue sayde all the promyses of God are sure and certaine by Christe Tyll heauen and earth passe Luke in woordes somwhat differeth but in sence he very well agreeth saying It is easier for heauen and earth to perishe then for one iot or titell of the Lawe to fayle For the holy ghoste would teache by both places that there was nothing so fyrme and stable in the whole worlde as the truthe of the lawe that truly in euery pointe Some very subtilly dally with this woorde Vntill As though the vanishing of heauen and earth whiche shal be at the last daye of iudgement shoulde bringe an ende to the Lawe and the Prophetes And truly euen as then tounges shall cease and prophecies shal be taken awaye euen so we thinke that the Lawe written with the exposition of the same shall cease But because Christe spake more symply suche intisementes being set to allure this shal be sufficient for vs to note that heauen shal perishe and the whole worlde shall decaye before the stabilitie and strength of
so often parables For they thought that it should haue bene his part to vse manifest and plaine words to the end hée might the more easilye be vnderstode C. And although that symilitudes doe oftentimes manifest the thinge which is handled those notwithstanding which do containe a continual metaphor are very hard darke and obscure Christ therefore propoundinge this similitude would comprehend that vnder an allegorye which without a figure might more plainly and euidently haue bene spoken But now when the exposition is added made the figured speach hath more perspecuity and plainenes then the simple that is it is not onely of more efficacy force to moue the minds of men but also more cleare and euidente to be perceyued so great a difference ther is in the speaking and vttering of things Truly if Chryst should haue sayd simplely the Gospell is preached to manye in vaine A. Hée had touched the effect of al this matter C. Notwithstandinge it woulde not haue had so great force waight as this similitude Bu. The Disciples therefore saye whye speakest thou the mysteries of the kingdome of God in such darke parables rather then in plaine and easye sentences whereby thou mayst be vnderstoode 11. Hee aunsweared and saide vnto them it is geuen vnto you to knowe the secrets of the kingdom of heauen but to thē it is not geuē Bu. The lord by his answeare manifestly declareth to whom the doctrine of the Gospell is obscure and to whom it is euident plaine also who are mete hearers of the Gospell who are not C. By that which answere of Christ we gather that the doctrine of saluation was propounded of God vnto men for diuers ends and purposes For Christ testifyeth that hée spake therfore the more obscurelye because his word should be hard and difficile vnto many mighte stryke and sound in their eares with confused ambiguous sound If any man obiecte the saying of the Prophet I haue not spoken in the secret places of the earth neither yet in darknes It is not for naught that I sayde vnto the séede of Iacob séeke mee Also Dauid acknowledgeth the words of the law to be a lāterne to his féete to geue wisedome vnto babes It may be aunswered that the woord of God by his owne nature is brighte cleare but the brightnes of the same by the darkenes of men is suffocated obscured For although the law had the vaile hanging before it yet notwithstāding the truth of God was manifest enough in the same vnlesse the eyes of mē were blinded And as cōcerning the Gospel S. Paule sayth that it is not hid vnles it be hiddē to the reprobate to such as are in darcknes whose minds Sathan hath blinded Furthermore wée must note that the force of illuminating wherof Dauid speaketh the familiar maner of preaching whereof Esay prophesyeth is properlye referred to the elect and chosē people of god This notwithstanding alwayes abydeth infallible that the woord of God is not obscure of it selfe but as it is obscured darkened with the blind mystes of the world in the meane seasō the Lord doth neuertheles contayne kepe his mysteries that the sence vnderstāding of the same cannot come to the reprobate And truly by two meanes hée doth depriue them of the light of the Gospell For sometimes hée speaketh that in parables which mighte be spokē much more plainly sometimes expressing his mind plainly without eyther tropes or figures hée doth so dul amase their sences that euen in the open manifest light they are blind To this effect pertayneth the saying of the Prophete Your Prophets rulers that should sée hath hée couered And the visions of al the prophets is become vnto you as the woords of a Booke that is sealed vp which mē delyuer to one that is learned sayinge reade thou in it And hée sayth I cannot for it is sealed Forsomuche as Christ hath so dispensed his doctrine by his deuyne coūsell that it shal profite only a few in whose mindes it shall soundlye be imprinted shall trouble and moleste the rest it followeth that this doctrine of saluation was not sente vnto men for one end purpose but by the wisedom of God to be so moderatly tempered that it should be no lesse a sauor of death vnto death to the reprobate then it is of life vnto life to the electe chosen children of god And least any mā should contend S. Paule addeth to these words that what soeuer the effect of the Gospell bée though it be a deadly sauour yet is it swete before god But to the ende wée may haue the true sence and meaning of this place wée must more nerely consider the purpose of Christ for what cause and to what end hée speaketh this First vndoubtedly the comparison pertayneth to this end that hée might amplifye the grace geuen to his Disciples because that was geuen specially vnto them whiche was not giuen in like maner to all men To you sayth hee it is giuen to know the misteries of god If any demaūde frō whēce the Apostels haue this priuiledge of dignity truly there shal no cause of worthines be found in thē for Christ in pronoūsing that it is geuen vnto them excludeth al deserte Christ pronounceth that they be certaine select chosen men vpon whom God specially bestoweth this honor to be partakers of the secret mysteries of God the other being depriued of the same Ther is no other cause of this difference found sauing that it pleaseth God to call vnto him those whom he hath chosen frelye in his mercye before the foundacion of the world was layde A. Whervpon hee calleth the rest forreners or straungers as may be gathered by the words of Marke when hee sayth but vnto them that are without all thinges happen by parables C. By the which words Christ plainly declareth that these were not of the nomber of the electe and therefore that it was not giuen vnto them 12 For whosoeuer hath to him shal be giuen and hee shall haue aboundaunce but whosoeuer hath not from him shal be taken awaye euen that whiche hee hath M. It is a cōmon prouerbe that to the rych shal be giuen but to the poore not so yea they shall haue the little takē from them be made beggers By the which our sauiour Christ would signify that it was also ful filled in his kingdome that the knowledge of life should be communicated and geuē to those only which haue the gift of election and from those that want the same shal be taken awaye that deuyne knowledge whiche they séeme to haue by the preaching of the woord because the reprobate by the contempte of the woord whiche they cannot receaue are blynded more and more til at length thou mayest see them depryued of their cōmon sence The lord toke the Disciples vnto him to the end they might more more
in a base contemned person C. Luke saith that this was done when he praied But by the circumstance of the place and tyme we gather that which we saide euē nowe namely that he praied that there mighte be a visible sighte or shewe of his deitie in the brightnes of a newe forme the which thing he obtayned not because it was necessary that he shoulde pray for that which he wāted him selfe or because the wyll of his father was doubtful but because in humillitie he referred all that he did to his father and would by his exaumple incourage vs to praye And his face did shine C. Luke hath And it came to passe as he praied the fashion of his face was altered Yet notwithstāding this transformatiō did not set forth Christ to be seene of the disciples according to the glory which he hath nowe in heauen but he gaue them a tast of exceding glory accordinge as they were able to cōprehend the same His face dyd then shine as the sonne but now it dothe far excede the son in brightnesse A strange and vnwonted brightnesse shone then in his apparell but nowe his deuine maiestie shineth without apparel in his whole body So God appered in tyme paste to the holy fathers not as hee was in hym selfe but as they were able to abyde the beames of his excedinge brightnesse M. But whereas Christ was transeformed frō the forme of humillitie into that heauenly deuine shape it was a manifest token that the state in the which he was then was not eternal but mutable and subiecte to chaunge not that the substance of his body was subiecte to trasmutation and chaunge in so muche that the veritie of his humaine fleshe shoulde be turned into the veritie of the spirite God forbid but that there should be a trāsmutation of the humaine condition fragillitie his manhode abidinge styll M. But where as he was transformed while hee was at praier it sheweth howe wee are trāsformed into God when we are praying for the which cause we ought to be the more earnest to pray Herupō it came to passe that the fathers holy men were so often times in minde rapte caryed into heauen As Peter the Apostel of Chryst Daniell to whome an Angell appered when he was in prayer declarynge vnto hym thinges to come Cornellius who in praier sawe an Angell And Paule who as he praied saw Ananias in a vision laiing his hād on him Also the same Paule testifieth of him selfe thus When I was come againe to Hierusalē and praied in the temple I was in a traunce and sawe hym saying vnto me make hast and get the quickely out of Hierusalem for they wyll not receiue thy witnes Hereby we gather that they are most farre from the company and fellowship of God of the heauenly spirites whiche are neuer ledde by the feruencye of the mynde to prayer And his clothes vvere as vvhite as C. It is not mete that any man should dispute or reason subtilly about the whitenes of his apparell or of the brightnes of his countenance seing that this was not a perfecte declaration of his heauenly glory but a signe which did onely pertaine to the measure capacitie of flesh M. For as darknes is assigned by Christ to the kingdom of Sathā and externall darckenes to the condemnation also of the wicked for the horror which they shall suffer euen so an excedinge light inspeakeable brightnes is ascribed to the kingedome of God for the glory and pleasure whiche the electe shall haue The iuste saithe our sauiour Christ shal shine as the sonne in the glory of their father As the light E. It is red in a certayne auncient Greeke boke As the snowe and the Euangeliste Marke saith also thus And his raymente dyd shine became very white euē as snow so white as no fuller cā make vpō the earth 3 And beholde there appered vnto thē Moyses and Helias talking with thē And beholde there appered B. No doubt this apperinge and talke of Moyses and Helias dyd make very muche to the declaration of the kingdome of Christ Notwithstandynge it is demaunded whether they were truely present or whether that a figure or shewe onely of them was set before the face of the disciples euen as vysions of thinges absent were sette before the Prophetes Althoughe the matter be so probable that bothe partes may haue good occasion to dispute yet notwithstādinge it is more lykely that they were truely brought into that place Neyther is it any absurditie at all to say seinge that God hath both body soule in his hād power that the dead for a time may be restored to life according to his will. Moyses and Helias dyd not rise vnto thē selues at that tyme but they rose at the will cōmandement of God to be presēt for the time with Christ Againe Question if any demaund how the Apostels knew Moyses Helias whō they neuer sawe it may easely be answered that whē God had set them in the midst before them he gaue thē signes tokens by the which they might be knowne vnto them This truely was done by an extraordinary maner of reuelation that they might certainely knowe Moyses Helias Question But why did these two rather thē any other of the saintes apere Surely that reasō ought to satisfie vs to say that the lawe the Prophetes had no other scope or ende then Christe For it was a great aide helpe to our faythe the Christe came not forth without testimony but was cōmēded of God long before B. Therfore in Moyses the lawe and in Helias the Prophetes are represented M. For althoughe Helias left nothinge writtē behinde him yet notwithstanding after Moyses he was the chiefe excelled all men He restored the polluted law of God to perfectiō yea he was an excellent meintainer setter forth of true godlynes pietie whiche was then almost extinguished C. The talk therfore of Moyses Helias with Christ is the agrement of the lawe and Prophetes with Christe For it behoued the Apostels to be confirmed perswaded that it was no newe doctrine or religion which Christe preached vnto thē but the same wherof the lawe and prophetes beare witnes for excepte they had ben perswaded in this that Christ did not teache any thing contrary to the law and prophets they had euer doubted neither had they ben able with a constante minde to preache the Gospell We haue therfore here a notable seale of our faith when we know that the doctrine of christ is not newely sprong vp as some imagine but of long cōtinuance Talking vvith them A. Onely Luke sheweth for what cause they talked with Christ in these wordes That appered in the maiestie and spake of his departinge whiche he should ende at Hierusalem M. He calleth the death of Christe a departinge or a going out namely of this worlde So in
the Euangeliste Marke hath Take hede to your selues by the which wordes he noteth the end vse of the admonition namely that they ought to be ready to suffer least that temptation should oppresse them vnawares B. Furthermore the cause of this hate was the scourge of God with the which both the Iewes the Gentiles resistinge the grace of God were scourged as we may se if we reade Tertullian For they assigned imputed the causes of warres of pestilence of honger of earthquakes such like to the Christians as though the deuine maiestie of God were offended angry with thē After the same manner the ministers of the Gospell the receiuers of the Euangelicall grace at this daye are hated A. according to these sayinges The time will come that whoso killeth you wil thinke that he doth God good seruice Also we are made the filthines as it were of the world the ofscouringe of all thinges euen vnto this daye 10 And then shall many bee offended and shal betray one another and shal hate one an other And then shal many C. Nowe he rehearseth certaine temptations whiche shall come of euill examples But this tēptatiō aboue al others is moste violent hard to ouercome seing that Christ him selfe is the stone of offence to many at the which some stomble some when they se it before them go backwarde other some fall thereat B. For it was mete that the disciples shoulde be exercised with this aduersitie whiche oftentimes bringeth more trouble doth more afflicte the true ministers of Christe than persecution it selfe Least therefore they should be troubled out of measure in seing many to fal for always the nōber of the elect is small he thought it good also to forwarne thē of these things For they should not only fall whiche were offended but there should also be enemies euen of the brethren of the whiche matter Paule had experience as he writeth in his Epistle to Timothe This is a moste daungerous temptation or triall when we see those that professed Christe to fall frō him But this offence is of two sortes for they whiche fall suffer offence then they bring offence to those that see their fall This last of seconde is very daungerous therefore they had great nede of this forewarninge But this place may very well be expoūded of those whiche semed to be domestical mēbers of the churche Howebeit Chirste semeth here to comprehende many kynde of perturbations because they do not only fal whiche had once entered into the right race But also many are exasperated moued against Christ other some hauing quyte forgotten modestie and equite doe caste them selues into brutishe madnes others become as Heaten men and put of all sence of pietie others in confused matters do vsurpe vnto them selues libertie to do that whiche is euell And shall hate one an other A. This must be referred to the hatred with the which the vnbeleuing hate those that preache the worde of the Gospoell Christe declareth the cause of hatred to his bretheren by these wordes The worlde can not hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the workes thereof are euell But he whiche hateth Christe hateth his ministers also If the worlde hate you ye knowe that it hated me firste And a litle after he saieth the seruaunt is not greater than his Lorde If they persecuted me they will also persecute you If they haue kept my saying they wyll kepe yours also To this saying also agreeth that whiche went before in the .x. chapiter of Mathewe And ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake The infidell shall hate the faythfull man. 11 And many false prophetes shall arise and deceiue many And many false prophets This admonition differeth from that whiche went before when Christe sayde that many should come in his name for there he spake only of false Christes which within a while after the beginning of the Gospell did falsely boaste them selues to be Christes but nowe he saith that false teachers shall come after them whiche should corrupte the sound and true doctrine with their errours euen as Peter teacheth that the churche shoulde be no lesse subiect to this euel than it was in tyme past vnder the lawe wherfore there is no cause why errors euery deceite of Sathan the corruptions of pietie should appaire or hurte the godly myndes because there is no man truely founded and buylte vpon Christe but he whiche hath learned to knowe that he must stande against suche assaltes For this is the true trial of our faith when the same is not ouerwhelmed by the rising of false prophetes Furthermore a false Prophete signifieth as muche to saye as a lying Prophete and whiche is called a Prophete by a false name as a false Apostle he whiche falsely taketh vnto hym the name of an Apostle B. Against suche Paule hath euer great contention These serued their bellies and not Iesu Christe They are such as were gelous ouer the Galathians amis These are dogges slowe bellies euell workers ennemies of the crosse of Christe whose ende is damnation whose God is their belly glory to their shame whiche are worldly mynded These are deceyuers through Philosoply and vayne deceite hauinge in their mouthes a shewe of wysdome And deceyue many C. He dothe not onely saye that false Prophetes shall come but he sayeth also that they beyng indewed with crafte and deceyte to deceyue shall drawe sectes after them In this point therefore we haue greate nede to beware because the multitude of those that erre causeth to declyne from oure race no lesse than a violent waue of the Sea except we be surely grounded vpon God. Bu. Of these deceauers also Peter spake the chief of the whiche were these Praxeas Valētinus Nouatus Arrius Manicheus Macedonius Donatus Nestorius Pelagius ◅uthiches the Mahometes also and the Papistes 12 And because iniquitie shall haue the vpper hande the loue of many shall abate B. That is to saye that crookednes or euell disposition of nature by the whiche men onely seeke to benefite them selues and haue no regarde to the proffite of their neighboure this abounding charitie loue must nedes waxe colde C. The whiche euell howe generall it is no man ought to be ignoraūt but fewe or none haue any regarde thereof For because by the lyght of the Gospell the faultes of men are more playnely detected we maye also euidently see that the studye of benificence is fainte and almoste extinguished euen in the honester more godly sorte For thus euery man thinketh in hym selfe if I bestowe my lyberallitie vppon this or that man surely it is loste and in vayne for experience and dayly practyse teacheth me that all men for the moste parte are vnthankefull vntrusty or vnhonest A greuous surely and a daungerous temptation for what can be more absurde than to allowe
fealynge of oure infirmitye oughte not to staye vs from taking that in hand whereunto the Lorde doothe calle vs but it oughte rather to restrayne oure rashenesse leaste wée goe beyonde oure callinge It shoulde also stirre vs vp to Prayer that God whiche gaue vs power to beginne wel wil also geue grace to perseuere and goe forewarde And sate vvith the Seruauntes to see the ende A. Luke saithe that he sate with them by the fire as appeareth by these wordes And when they hadde kindeled a fire in the middest of the Pallaice and were sette downe togeather Peter also sate downe amonge them To see the ende Bee oulde here the Ende why Peter followed Christe namely that he mighte sée what woulde becomme of hym This Narration as concerninge Peter which oure Euangelist Mathew hath here begonne is ended in the thrée score and nienth verse folowinge In the meane tyme he writethe what was donne vnto Christe by Caiphas 59 The Chiefe Priestes and the Elders and all the Councell soughte False witnesse againste Iesus for to putte hym to Deathe The Chiefe Priestes and the Elders M. Mathewe sayde before that the Scribes and Elders of the people were gathered togeather in the House of Cayphas Nowe he describethe wherefore they were gathered togeather namely to consulte by a common Councell aboute the Deathe of Christe Soughte False vvitnes C. By theise woordes the Euangelistes doo note that the Priestes Scribes and Elders of the people wente aboute nothinge les then to enquire of the cause that the mater beeinge founde out they mighte minister vnto him iustice for thei had fully determined before to destroy Christ and nowe onely they seeke howe to oppresse him And it cannot be that equity shall take any place when the cause is not firste knowen Theire False and wicked Crueltye bewraiethe it selfe in that they seeke for False Witnesses A. S. Iohn saithe that Christe was demaunded as concernynge hys Disciples and his Doctrine by the hie Priest the which the other thrée haue omitted 60. But they founde none yea when many False VVitnesses came yet founde they none At the laste came twoo False VVitnesses and saide But they founde none B They did not gather a Councell that the cause of Christe might be knowen and that truth mighte take place but only to condemne him by False Testimonie and to deliuer him vp to Pilate to be slaine C. In the whiche they doo notably declare their Crueltye And where as they beeinge disappointed of theire hope doo persiste notwithstandinge in their wicked pourpose wée maye the better perceiue theire blinde obstinacie Therfore in that blind madnesse the Innocencie of the Sonne of God did shine notwithstanding that the Diuels them selues might know that an Innocent was put to death B. For the Lorde was so cleare not onely from all euill but also from all shewe of Euill that the whole coūsaile could finde no false witnesse to come in agaynst hym that they might haue any likelihoode or shew of Truthe Chiefely wee muste note this Innocencie of Christe not so mutche in this presente Publique Action as in that also whiche Pilate did as hereafter followethe I saye wée muste note this as the speciall Heade of oure Saluation and principall place and fruite of the Lordes Passion For it was méete that wee shoulde haue suche a Hye Prieste which is Holy Harmelesse Vndefiled and seperated from Sinnes that wée through him mighte be made the Rightuousnes whiche is allowed of god S. Marke hathe Many bare False Witnesse againste him but theire witnesses agreed not togeather At the laste came in tvvoo False A. False Testimonyes of other here mentioned by Mathewe are not spoken of by the other Euangelistes but are simply condemned of Falsehoode and vanity and the Testimonye of these menne is therefore brought foorthe because it hath somme shewe of Truthe 61. This Fellowe saide I am able to destroye the Temple of God and to builde it againe in three daies This Fellovve saide Howe are theise called False Witnesses seeinge wée reade that they saide nothinge but that whiche Christe spake C. But wee muste note that they are called False Witnesses not only which bringe foorthe a Lie made of nothynge but also whiche doo cauellingly peruerte those thinges whiche were trewely spoken and wreste them to a Faulte Of the which mater wée haue here an example as concernynge the Ruine and Newe Buildinge againe of the Temple Christe truely saide that when they had destroyed the Temple of hys Bodye he woulde rayse it agayne in thrée Dayes So that nowe the False Witnesses doo not deuise a newe Lye but doo depraue and misconstrue his woordes as though he woulde haue vsed somme Legierdumaine or craftie conueiance in building the Temple For he saide not I can destroye or I will destroye but Christe saide Destroye yée or if yee doo destroye attributing the destruction of the Temple vnto them not to him selfe Furthermore he said not This Temple made with handes but they beinge superstitious diuised it estéeminge the Temple made of Stoane to be more excellente and Holy then the Spirituall Temple whiche is a faithfull Soule And of that superstition spronge that Iewishe crueltie whiche not onely Christe fealt but the Prophetes also and S Steuen The same Superstition also raigneth at this daye To conclude he coulde not by righte be called the Destroyer of the Temple of God whiche destroyed not the Temple to the ende it mighte lie waste but that it mighte be better then it was before If thei did not beleue that he could make it better why did they beleue that he coulde destroie it in thrée daies seinge the same also was impossible to man Wherefore Marke saithe But yet their Witnesses agreed not togeather 62. And the Chiefe Priest arose and said vnto him Answearest thou nothing VVhy doo these beare VVitnesse againste thee And the Chiefe Prieste arose M. Although this Testimonye was not sufficiente to bringe Condemnation yet notwithstandinge the Hie Prieste for too mutche desire that he hadde to kille Christe coulde not pretermitte this with silence but risinge in hys Authoritie goeth aboute to exaggerate the matter and to make it more hainous C. But it is certayne that Christe helde hys peace when False Witnesses pressed hym not only because they were vnwoorthy of Confutation but also because he did not nowe séeke to be loused knowinge that hys houre was comme Notwithstandynge Cayphas tryumphethe because of hys silence as thoughe he helde his peace because he was ouercomme euen as they doo whose Consciences accuse them But the wickedness of Caiphas was the more in that he dissemblethe Christe not to be without faulte because false Witnesses doo stande againste him For that is the meaninge of this question VVhy doo these beare vvitnesse against thee As if he had saide Howe commeth it to passe that these menne comme agaynste thée but only that Conscience causeth them Neither are they thine enimies without a cause M. What notable wickednesse
confirmed from aboue so that the veritie of the same cannot be ambigious or doubtfull The dreames which commonly happeÌ„ vnto meÌ„ are wont to come of continual cogitacions thoughtes of the minde or of the course of nature or of the disteÌ„perance of the body or of such like causes Bu to the deuine dreames cometh the testimony of the spirite which witnesseth for a suertie that it is God whiche speaketh Bu. As of the ladder of Iacob which we rede that he saw in a vision or dreame Moreouer we learne out of this place how greate the prouideÌ„ce of God is towards those that are his with the which by his fatherly watching care he doth instruct teache those that are a slepe nothing careful for thinges necessary what they must do what thei must auoide he wil soner teache theÌ„ with a miracle theÌ„ thei shold so dauÌ„gerously erre Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid C. This exhortation of the aungell doth declare that Ioseph was troubled with carefulnes of mind least he should be polluted or defiled with any infection in suffering the adultery of his wife Therfore that opinioÌ„ that he had conceiued of the fact thangel taketh away that he might abide dwel with his wife with a quiet conscience This Epithete of the sonne of Dauid he vseth according to the present cause that he might lifte vp his mynde to that hie mistery because he should be of that family a certain remnaunt with a few of whom saluatioÌ„ was promised to the world Ioseph therfore hearing the name of Dauid of that which stock he maried he might remeÌ„ber that excelleÌ„t couenaÌ„t of the restoring of his kingdom that he might vnderstaÌ„d that no new thing was spoken vnto him Therfore it is eueÌ„ as if the aungell bringing in the foretellinges of the prophetes should haue prepared the minde of Ioseph to receiue the grace presently proffered 21 She shal bring forth a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes This thing was forshewed by thangel saying thou shalt coÌ„ceiue bring forth a sonne She shal bring forth a sonne And thou shalt cal his name Iesus C. The cause why he should be so called is preseÌ„tly added for he shal saue his people from their sinnes This name Iesus is takeÌ„ froÌ„ this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiphil which properly signifieth to saue but accordiÌ„g to that Hebrew it is otherwise pronouÌ„ced as Iehosua but the Euangelistes for so much as they write in Greke haue vsed the coÌ„moÌ„ phrase of speache wherby their folly is reproued which rather do wrest this name Iesus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then deriue it For they couÌ„te it a gret absurditie that any shold haue this name saue only the sone of god And tragically and cruelly they crie out that Christ would neuer suffer his name so to be prophaned and made coÌ„men as though truely we had forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that the name of Iesu was no lesse coÌ„mon to those men theÌ„ Iehosua But wher as the Rabbines do write in euery place Iesus It is plaine that they do it maliciously least they should call Christ by any title of honor but rather they imagined him to be some base borne iewe Therefore their writing deserueth as much authoritie as the barking of a dog Moreouer they obiecte that this name Iesus before the which euery knée ought to bowe deserueth no reuerence nor treÌ„bling feare except only alone it pertaineth to the son of God. But certainly Paule ascribeth not vnto him any magicall name in the sillables wherof any maiesty is included or hid no rather he meaneth thus that al power is geueÌ„ to Christ of his father yea al empire dominion therfore that the whole world ought to huÌ„ble it self vnder him Therfore al such fonde fained imaginatioÌ„s laid apart let vs vnderstaÌ„d that the name of Iesus was geuen to Christ that in it the faithful might learne to seke for that which in times past was shadowed vnder the law which was that saluatioÌ„ should come through him Bu The selfe same worde vseth the prophet Esay speaking of Christ saying I haue made thée the light of the Gentils that the maiest be my helth or saluatioÌ„ to th end of the world For he shal saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes A. Here the sonne of God is plainly coÌ„mended to be the author of saluation euen as there is no saluation in any other but in hym C. First of al therfore we must consider that al they in theÌ„ selues are lost to whoÌ„ Christe is sent to saue for he is called by name the sauiour of the church If that they are ouerwhelmed with death destructioÌ„ whom God hath taken ioyned to him self vntil Christ restore life vnto them again what shal we say of those strauÌ„gers which are not of the fellowship vnto whoÌ„ at no time any hope of light or life hath shined Wherfore we must nedes coÌ„fesse that mankinde vniuersally was iudged geuen to vtter death destructioÌ„ damnatioÌ„ vntil saluatioÌ„ was included in Christ But here also we must note coÌ„sider the cause of this death destructioÌ„ for the celestial iudge wil not pronounce vs to be accursed rashely or without cause The aungel therfore doth witnes that we perished were oppressed kept down in miserable daÌ„natioÌ„ because by our sinnes we wer alienated draweÌ„ froÌ„ life Wherby is shewed vnto vs the wickednes and corruptioÌ„ of our nature For if there wer any man so fully beâ—…t in any pointes to liue vprightly iustly yet he shal stande in nede of Christ the deliuerer But truly there are none but they haue nede of his grace Therfore it followeth that we are the seruauntes of sinne altogether destitute of true righeousnes eueÌ„ as the apostle Paule writeth C. Here also we may gather what way meanes Christe hath to saue vs because he deliuereth vs from our sinnes There are two parts of this deliueraunce The first is by the pacifiyng of the wrath of God whiche bringeth vnto vs frée pardon remission by the which we are exempted from death reconciled to god The second is by the sanctification of his spirite through the which he doth deliuer vs froÌ„ the tyranny of SathaÌ„ that we may liue to righteousnes Wherefore Christe is not truly acknowledged to be our sauiour vntill we assure our selues to haue frée remission of our sinnes and to be certified that we are righteous acceptable in the sight of God because we are absolued from the desert gilte of death And finally we hauing no confidence in our own workes merites must craue of him the spirite of perfect righteousnes M. Therfore diligeÌ„tly we must indeuour that this effectuall power of Christ to saluation may ratifie and confirme in vs his truth and veritie We must also note
will ensue and seeke to get with synguler diligence puritie innocency and trewe godlines 9. And be not of suche mynde that ye would say within your selues we haue AbrahaÌ„ to our father For I saye vnto you that God is able of these stones to rayse vp children to Abraham And be not of suche E. That is lyue not so that you may seme to lay al your trust in Abraham M. Or be not of this opion to saye that you are the sonnes of AbrahaÌ„ as though that were sufficient to righteousenesse to be begotteÌ„ of saintes C. Vntill hypocrites are oppressed they slepe securely in theyr synnes but when they are cyted so the tribunal seate of God carefully they seke for starting holes and lurking places or some couering to hideÌ„ them selues Thus therefore Iohn doth speake to the Phariseies and Saduceis Nowe that you are sharpely reproued of mée I would not haue you do as others are wonte whiche are lyke vnto you to seke for remedy by a false vaine and coloured pretence For he doth extorte froÌ„ them the vaine trust with the which they were bewitched The league and couenaunte that God made with Abraham was as it were a target or buckeler to couer their euill conscience not that they would place all their saluation vpon one man but because God had adopted all the stocke of Abraham not wayinge at all that none were of the séede of Abraham but suche as followed his faithe and that the league of god was not ratified to profite to saluation but by fayth Therfore Iohn addeth not this in vaine VVithin your selues For althoughe they boasted not with their toÌ„gues that they were the sonnes of AbrahaÌ„ yet inwardly they greatly gloryed of this title as hipocrites are not ashamed at all to iest more grossely to dally with God than with men VVe haue Abraham M. Iohn knewe that they were the sonnes of Abraham as also Christe witnesseth saying I knowe that you are the sonnes of AbrahaÌ„ he knew that the couenant was not only made with Abraham but with his séede also I wyll make a couenaunt betwene thée and mée betwene my séede and thy séede after thée c. This he had neuer taken froÌ„ them if they wold haue followed the steps of their father Abraham But because after a preposterouse sorte they flattered them selues through the promises made by God to Abraham and because they perswaded them selues that it was possible that they shoulde be cut of because the promise was made for euer to Abraham and his posteritie their hartes were so hardened that at no time they were moued at the threteninges of God to powre vengeance on them therfore after the apte and profitable exhortation to bring forth fruites of repentaÌ„ce he thoughte to take away this preposterouse securitie and carelesnesse For I say vnto you C. The Iewes dyd flatter them selues almost after the same maner that the Papistes do at this daye aduance them selues It is necessary that some church be in the world because god wyll be knowen in the worlde and wyll haue his name called vppon And his churche can be no where but amonge vs with whom the lorde hath made his couenaunte The hye priestes and bysshoppes swelled aboue others with arrogancie and others which were of great power and authoritie with them For the common sorte of people were counted prophane and accursed of them as we maye reade in Iohn But theye thought them selues to be holy primates and heades euen as at this daye our horned byshoppes our abbotes our monkes our channons oure fryers and euerye masse prieste being eleuated and puffed vp with the proude tytle of Clergy did muche despise the laytie Iohn dothe refell and confute this errour that they do to much restraine the promyse of god shewinge that althoughe God do want them yet he will haue his churche The effecte therefore of his woordes is this God made an euerlastinge couenaunte with Abraham and his séede Yet one thinge deceiueth you that when you are more theÌ„ bastardes you thinck your selues to be the sonnes of AbrahaÌ„ Therfore God will rayse vp a newe seede to Abraham which nowe apereth not For Iohn speaketh here in the datiue case he will rayse vp to Abraham sonnes that they may vnderstand that the promise of god shall not be voide but stande in effecte still Neither was Abraham deceiued although his sede died in them So that froÌ„ the beginning of the world god was true iust in his promises to his seruauntes Neither dothe he at any tyme leaue of to geue his grace to those that be his children althoughe he reiecte hipocrytes Neyther dothe Iohn speake here of the callinge of the Gentiles as some suppose but he meaneth the verye stones without any further sence For because that prowde men thought it vnpossible that his churche should be caried to an other place he sheweth that the lorde hath meanes waies in his hande to delyuer his church which they thoughte not vppon euen as if he shoulde create newe sonnes to him selfe of stones As if he should haue said I declare vnto you that God is of such power that althoughe he vtterly destroy you as you haue deserued yet he can rayse vp children to his beloued Abraham euen of these stones Te lyke argument our sauiour Christ vsed saying I say vnto you that if these holde their peace the stones shal cry Abraham had respect vnto this power of God when he was commaunded to offer vp his sonne 10 Euen nowe is the axe layde vnto the rote of the tree euery tree that bryngeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fyer Euen novve is the axe layde to the roote C. After that Iohn had taken awaye the cloake of vayne truste from the hypocrites he denounceth vnto them that the iudgemeÌ„t of God is at hande Before he shewed them that being expelled they were not the people of God now he addeth that God is bent to banishe rote out al chose that are vnworthy from his church euen as barren vnfruitful rotten trees ar woÌ„t to be cut vp The efecte is this that God is purposed to purge his church For the grace of God neuer coÌ„meth forthe to the healthe of the godly but also his iudgement cometh forth to the destructioÌ„ of the world that for two causes because then god wil seperate his people from the reprobate and the ingratitude of the world prouoketh newe anger Wherefore no maruaile if the preaching of the gospell and the comming of Christ haue remoued the axe to the cuttiÌ„g vp of the wicked trees do daily hasten against them the vengeance of God. Is hevven dovvne and cast into the fyer B. Here he saithe that as trees whiche in vayne comber the grounde and are vnfrutful are cast into the fier euen so shal you be cast out of the laÌ„d and be consumed with fier which hitherto haue ben vnfrutful vnthankful to Goâ—…
is wrytten thou shalte not tempte thy lorde thy God. Iesus sayde to him M. Here our sauioure Christe doth very well set and compare Scripture to Scripture not to deny the Scripture whiche Sathan broughte as though it were false but rather to reiect the whiche he falsely applied out of the scripture saying Throwe thy selfe downe Although the Greke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so placed that it may be referred to both He sayde agayne or againe it is wrytten Furthermore sometime it signifieth an itteration sometyme a contrarietie If it be referred to this woorde sayde it signifieth an itteration for he aunswered before once but if it be referred to this woorde it is wrytten it signifieth then a contrarietie As if he should haue sayde on the contrary parte it is wrytten that he might set scripture against his scripture not that he woulde deny the same as it was sayde euen now but that he might resiste the temptation of Sathan by the testimony of scripture Thou shalt not tempte B. This place is in the booke of Deutronomie where as Moyses doth warne the Israelites not to tempte the lorde as they did in that place whiche was called Massa and Meriba that is temptation For there when they thyrsted thei would proue whether there were a God amōg them or no saying Is there a God amonge vs or not C. Moste aptly therefore dothe Christe aunswere that the helpe whiche God promysed there is no otherwyse to be hoped for then if the faythfull modestly committe them selues to hym to be gouerned For we can no otherwyse assaye the promyses of God then if we obeye his commaundementes But for so muche as God is tempted by many kyndes of meanes in this place he is sayde to be tempted when we forsake the ordinary meanes whiche are before oure eyes And they whiche forsakinge the meanes that God dothe commende wyll trye the power and strength of God do euen as if one should cut of a mans armes and his handes and after bedde hym set them on agayne and go worke Or as if a man hauing his limmes should lye styll in the ditche and yet desyre God to helpe hym out To be shorte whosoeuer seketh to trie the deuine power whereas there is no necessitie he tempteth God makyng his promyses to none effecte M. So the Iewes tempted Christe saying What signe doest thou showe that we may sée and beleue thée What workest thou Our fathers did eate Manna c. And in an other place when as somme of them tempting hym required a signe from heauē But this place which our sauiour Christe alleageth was spoken of Moyses plurally as thus see that ye tempte not the lorde your God as ye did in the temptatiō Yet he toke no more then that which should serue for his purpose leauing out that whiche followed as ye tempted in the temptation because that did appertayne to the chyldren of Israell 8 Agayne the deuell toke him vp into an exceading hyghe mountayne and shewed hym all the kyngdomes of the worlde and the glory thereof Againe the deuell toke him M. By the two former temptatiōs the tempter nothing preuayled For Christe neyther gaue place to the honger nor to the subtill wresting of the Scripture amisse Therefore nowe the enemy taketh another kynde of temptation in hande And shevved him all the kingdomes of the vvorld C. This truly was a vision yet we must note that it was not made by the imbicillitie and weakenes of the nature of Christe that Sathan shoulde staye his eyes but rather by voluntary dispensation and sufferaunce Furthermore his sences were so pleasauntly touched and styrred with the kyngdomes of the worlde set before him that his mynde was nothyng at all therwith touched When as the lustes of the fleshe as wylde and vntamed beastes are caried headlong to those things that seme pleasaunt vnto vs For Christe had the lyke sence and felinge that we haue but not his desyers and appetite so vnruly and out of square Nothing therefore is saide here to be vnworthy of Christe although he were God nor nothing secrete vnto hym For it was necessary that his diuinitie for a tyme shold be hidde that he myghte bee subiecte to temptations 9 And he sayth vnto him all these wyll I geue thee if thou wylt fall downe and worship me And he sayde vnto him all these C. The order of this temptation was that Christe should seke for the enheritaunce whiche God had promysed to his sonnes from some other then of God hym selfe then being delighted with the pompe of the worlde might submitte him selfe to Sathan with the whiche temptations we are daily assalted And here the theuishe boldenes of Sathan in stealing of holy thinges doth shewe it selfe in that he vsurpeth the kingdom of the earth to him selfe whiche pertaineth vnto god A. As more plainly by the wordes of Luke appereth where he saith I wyll geue thee all this power and the glory thereof because they are geuen vnto me to whom I wyll I geue them C. And we with the same deceite must haue no lesse contention daily the whiche all the faithfull do fele in them selues and is more plainly perceiued in the whole life of the wicked For although we repose all oure strength and defence all our riches and proffit in the blessing of God yet neuerthelesse our sences do prouoke and allure vs to seke for the helpes of Sathan as though God alone were not sufficient For the chiefe parte of the world taking away from God the empyre and rule of the earth do perswade them selues that Sathan is the geuer of all good thinges Whereby it commeth to passe that they are addicte and geuen to euell practyses to rapyne and to all kynde of deceites Thei truly with their mouth desier God to geue them their dayly breade but no farther then with their mouthe because they make Sathan the chiefe in distributing the ryches of the whole worlde M. Moreouer the byshop of Rome doth immitate this lie of Sathan which saith that the power and empire both of heauen and earth is geuen vnto him that also he hath by ryght the dispensation of kyngdomes and that by his liberalitie it came to passe that the empire came to the Germanes If thou vvilt fall dovvne and vvorship C. This is the spirite whiche frō that time requireth to haue deuine honor of mortal mē in the which because of his pride he was cast downe from heauen into the inferior partes He prescribeth this condition to his subiectes to whō he promiseth earthly power and glory that they may worship him And this was the chiefest cause of worshiping of deuels that therby they were promysed to haue the kingdome rule of this worlde 10 Then sayde Iesus vnto him auoyde Sathan for it is wrytten thou shalt worship the lord thy God and hym only shalt thou serue Then saide Iesus vnto him B. As in the former temptations so euen
this kynde of seasonynge by the whiche onely oure putrifaction is corrected and amended but in the meane tyme let the saltours take hede that they suffer not the worlde in their foolishenes yea much more let them take hede that they infecte them not with their euell and corrupte seasoning And therefore the impudency of the Papistes is not to be borne with all who are not ashamed to adorne and decke their masking Prelates with these tytels that none myght so hardy of his eares reprehende any thing in them As though truely it were the purpose of Christe to geue vnto his disciples vnlaufull lybertie and to appoynte and make them slears of soules as tyrauntes and not rather to admonyshe them of their dutie leaste they shoulde departe from the righte lyne Christe dothe here shewe what manner of persones he would haue the teachers of his Churche to be Let therefore all vnsauory ministers pastors and teachers yea and suche specially as vaunte them selues to be the Apostels successours let suche I saye consider what a seuere commination and threatning our lorde and maister pronounceth against them that they of all men are in worse case if they be vnsauoury As plainlye we may reade in the prophecie of Malachy V. Wherefore let the preachers of the woorde take hede that they discharge their office and callynge throughlye leaste that the curse of the Lorde pronounced by the mouthe of the Prophete fall vppon them sayinge Seynge thou haste refused vnderstandynge therefore wyll I refuse the also so that thou shalt be no more my Prieste 14 You are the lighte of the worlde a cittie set on a hill cannot be hidde You are the light of the vvorlde M. He speaketh here in effect the same thing which he spake in the wordes going before sauing that he addeth a more plaine admonition Bu. Those whome before he called salte he now calleth light and where as before he called them the salte of the earth he now calleth thē the light of the world so that nowe by the worlde he vnderstandeth men liuing in the worlde Therfore as there is nothing more clere then the lighte so there is nothing more proffitable then the same He hathe very well therefore shadowed and prefigured the teachers of the church by the lighte by that meanes also the celestial euangelicall doctrine then the which as there is nothing more pure cleane so there is nothing that doth more replenishe vs with heauēly benefites thē that For the Prophete saith Thy woorde is a lanterne to my fete a light to my pathes C. For although we be all the sonnes of lighte after we be illuminated by faithe are cōmaunded to haue cādels burning in oure handes least we wāder in darkenes yea and to shewe others the way of life Notwithstandinge because the preaching of the Gospel was appointed to the apostles aboue other men also at this day is appointed to the pastors of the church Christ did specially geue this titel vnto them as if he should haue saide that for this cause they were placed in this degrée to shyne clerely vnto all men M. Finally Christe doth plainly shewe that this world without the doctrine of the kingdome of God whereof his disciples shoulde be the ministers should be oppressed quite ouer whelmed with the darke obscure cloudes of errour and finne Furthermore we see that the ministers of Christe ought to be in steade of the light lighting the darkenes of this worlde because of the doctrine of truthe whiche they shewe to the whole worlde For this is iudgement that light is come into the worlde and men loue darkenes more then lighte The doctrine of the Gospel is the light bewraying detecting and reprouing vngodlines and the ignoraunce of the true pietie of God and for this name it is muche enuied of the worlde for he which doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the lighte least his dedes should be made manifest Then after it hath put awaye the darkenes of ignoraunce it offereth the knowledge of God and true godlines to the hartes of mortall men But here it maye be demaunded how and after what sorte the disciples are the lighte of the worlde when as Iohn woulde not graunte the same to the foreronner of Christ saying He was not the lighte but he graunted that Christe was the light of the worlde And Christe speaking of him selfe saith I am the light of the worlde I aunswer Christe is the true light which receiueth not the light from any other but by his owne proper nature hath strengthe and power to illuminate His Apostels haue not so but are therefore called the lighte because they bare wytnes of the true lighte and they receyued the brightnes of the deuine knowledge of that lighte whiche saythe I haue chosen and ordayned you And agayne without me ye can do nothyng Euen so Iohn was a burnyng and shyuing lyghte but not of hym selfe for he was lyghted of this lyghte whiche is Christe Bu. The synceritie and integritie both of lyfe and manners whiche oughte to be in them is signified by this lyghte as appeareth by the woordes followynge So let youre lyghte shyne before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauē Hereuppon Saynt Paule saythe do all thynges without murmuringe and disputynge that ye may be suche as no mā can complayne on and vnfained sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a croked and peruerse nation amonge whome see that ye shyne as lyghtnes in the worlde A cittie buylte on a hill cannot be hid Bu. Nowe he sheweth by this parable that the heauenly doctrine and the lyfe of the teacher muste be godly holye pure perfecte and irreprehensible B. But oure lorde leafte the exposition of this collation to the intelligence of the hearers as thus As a cittie builte on a hill cannot be hid euen so ye can not be hyd neither ought ye but ye shal be made manifest vnto the whole worlde euen as a cittie set vppon an hill Wherefore by all meanes endeuour your selues that men may se that in you whiche is godly and verteous to immitate and followe 15 Neither do men lighte a candell and put it vnder a bushell but on a candelsticke that it may geue light to all that are in the house Neither do men light a candel C. He doth shew vnto thē by these wordes that they ought so to lyue as if they were set forth for all mē to be hold And certainly the more a mā doth excell the more he doth hurte by his euell example if he behaue him selfe not well Christ therfore wold haue his disciples to be more ware and circumspect to leade a godly sober lyfe then are the cōmon sort of people because al men do beholde them as candels and that they are in no wise to be borne withal except
vnto vs that he dothe promise his spirite which ingraueth the righteousnes of the law in our hartes We are cōmaunded therfore to aske both and in the fyrst place the petition to obtaine remissiō of sinnes is put Oure dettes M. Luke in the xi Chapter hath forgeue vs our synnes or trespasses C. Therfore our sinnes are called dettes because they bringe vs before the trybunall seat of God make vs detters vnto him yea they do wholly seperate vs from God that there is no hope to atteine peace and grace but only by pardō And so is fulfylled that whiche Paule wryteth All haue synned and are destytute of the glorye of God that all mowthes maye be stopped and that all the world may be subdued vnto god For althoughe the righteousenes of God doth partely shine in the sainctes notwithstanding so long as they are in the fleshe they lie ouerladē with sin So that there is no man founde in the whole world so pure whiche hath not nede of the mercy of God of the which if we desire to be partakers it is necessary that we féele oure owne misery But they whiche fayne to thē selues such perfectiō in this worlde that they think them selues frée frō al sin and vice do not so much neglect their sinnes as they do Christ frō whose church they banish them selues For when he cōmanded al his disciples daily to aske remissiō of their sins he excludeth al out of theyr nomber cōpany whiche thinke this remedie to be superfluous vnto thē Let vs put awaye therefore by this praier the wrath indignation of our heauenly father the iust ponishmētes whiche wee haue deserued let vs seke to please him by reconciliation For what can be more greuous then the displeasure of the father For so much as therfore our hole health consisteth in this to keepe the fauour of our heauēly father good and iuste cause we haue to put awaye his displeasure Now this remissiō which we here desire is cōtrary to satisfactiōs by the which the world seketh redēption For that credytour is not said to remit whiche beinge paid asketh the det no more but he which willingly frely departing frō his right dischargeth the debttor Neither dothe that cōmon distinction of falte ponishement here take place for there is no doubt but that dets do signifie the desert of ponishment or paine We must note also here that if we be forgeuē fréely al dispensations cōming from the Pope are in vaine For to obteine remission of oure sinnes Christ sēdeth vs to his father alone that rightly for who can forgeue the offence cōmitted against an other not againste him self Nay can any man forgeue sins beside God Wherfore Christe sent hym which had hurt his brother to go reconcile him self to his brother Therfore whē we syn against God our health saluation only cōsisting in him it is manifest that we can be forgeuen of none but of him therfore at his hāds we must aske forgeuenes according to the form of this praier Herevpon Dauid saide I saide I wil confesse my syns vnto thee lord so thou forgauest mee the wickednes of my sin For this shal euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thée in a time whē thou maiest be found Neither is this repugnāt to that authoritie which was geuen to the Apostels to remit sinnes For they did not forgeue sinnes by their own power but as ministers of Christ prechers of grace they did pronounce to the penitent faithfull that their sins were forgeuen According to the saying of the lord by the Prophete Esay I euen I am he that put away your sinnes that for my owne sake As vve forgeue our detters C. This condition was therefore added that no man should presume to aske pardon for his sinnes excepte he were free from mallice hatred Notwithstāding the pardō which we aske dependeth not vpon that which we shewe to other but by this meanes Christe exhorteth vs to forgeue all offences and dothe make our trust and confidence also of absolution pardō more fyrme and strong Furthermore it was not the purpose of Christ to note the cause but onely to teache vs of what mind we ought to be one towards an other when we desire to be reconciled vnto god And trewely if the spirite of God do raigne in our hartes all mallice euil wyl reuengement wil ceasse But for so muche as the spirite is a wytnesse vnto vs of our adoption we se that there is here a note geuen vnto vs who are the sonnes of God and who are not B. Our remission therfore is a motion of the spirite because God ruleth our affections Nowe since the case standeth thus how can they be excused whiche will not forgeue theyr neybours offences How can such presume to aske pardon of their sinnes at the handes of God Is it a triffle to lye vnto the lyuinge God and to play the Hypocrytes Yea when we say forgeue vs as we forgeue others what do we elles but call for vengeaunce at the handes of God vpon our selues if wee forgeue not oure offendours And for this cause there are many nowe a daies which rather then they wil remit forgeue they will neuer say the lordes praier But suche escape not the iudgemente of god For it shall abide for euer whiche the lord saith If ye forgeue not mē their trespases your father whiche is in heauē shall not forgeue you your trespases To this ende also parteineth the parable which he sheweth following Wherfore we may not let to forgeue our ofenders if so be that we will haue god to forgeue and forget our synnes 13 And leade vs not into tēptation but deliuer vs from euill for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer amen And leade vs not into tempta C. Here many amisse do deuide this into two petitions when as by the matter it is euidēt to be but one not two as they imagine For the coniūctiō set betwene both coupleth both the sentēces together whiche S. Austine very wiselye examined Thus therefore ought this praier to be resolued Least vve be led into tēptation deliuer vs from euill But the sōm of this prayer is this that we knowing our own infirmities desier god to be our aide helpe that we may stāde valiantly against al the assaltes of sathā M. We are taught therfore in this petion that we are as yet set in a doubtfull dāgerous cōflict in the which we must fight against the deuil the world and the fleshe For the godly haue an other maner of fight in this worlde then haue the childrē of darknes For they haue a carelesse conscience sekinge at no time to resyste Sathan whiche worketh in them but the godly because they geeue theim selues wholly vnto God they haue Sathan the prynce of this worlde
For what can be more foolish then to lay vp goodes where either they muste perishe or be stolne away of men But couetous men thinke not vpō this for they shut vp their riches in chestes surely barde and strōgly banded with sufficient lockes Yet not withstanding they can not bynde so sure but their riches are in daunger of ruste of mothe of corruption of theues of water of fyre and a hundred daungers mo They are blynde therefore and out of their wittes whiche moyle and toyle laboure and trauayle so immoderatly for ryches and knowe not what shall become of them specially when God wyll lende vnto vs a place in heauen to laye vp oure treasure yea and that whiche is more liberall he offereth vs treasure to possesse whiche shall neuer by no corruption perishe E. Let not man marueyle that Christe so carefully seketh to withdrawe his disciples from couetousnes V. For couetousnes is nothing els thē a distrust in god M. Whereupon not without iuste cause Paule calleth the same the roote of all euell Bu. And truely if we consider well what is the cause of strife but couetousnes what is the cause of warres couetousnes What is the cause of iniuries Couetousnes What is the cause of sedition Couetousnes What is the cause of periury Couetousnes What is the cause that men betray their owne Countrey is not couetousnes Yes vndoubtedly To be shorte Couetousnes taketh awaye liberalitie Couetousnes hyndreth the true worshipinge of God and Couetousnes maketh all that we do to be frustrate before god O crabbed roote that spreadest thy braunches so farre that all the worlde taketh a taste of thy fruite Thou haste made truthe to be vnsauory in the mouthes of men And as for iustice and righteous dealing thou haste so shadowed them with thy armes that the dewe of heauen can scarse falle vpon them Yea and the time of thy florishinge is of suche continuance that excepte the heauenly husbād man cut the downe thou wilt shortly ouergrowe all goodnes in the earthe VVhere ruste and mothe do corrupte M. Christ reproueth them by the vtilitie and profite of earthly thinges As if he should haue sayde what madnes is this that you put your truste in those thinges whiche are transitory and subiect to corruption By this woorde ruste is vnderstode all corruption that maye happen to earthlye thynges reade the fifth chapter of Saint Iames. M. Here also he toucheth secretly the troublesome care of kepynge and the greuous feare of loosing riches being once gotten 20 But laye vp for youre selues treasures in heauen where neither ruste nor mothe dothe corrupte and where theues breake not through nor steale C. They are sayde to laye vp their treasure in heauen whiche auoydinge the snares of this worlde do bestowe their cares and study to the meditation of a heauenly lyfe Luke expresseth not the Antithesis but sheweth the diuerse occasion wherefore Christe commaunded his disciples to prepare them littell sackes whiche waxe not olde For he sayde vnto them Sell all that ye haue and geue almes Nowe because it is a difficulte and harde matter for men to sell all that they haue to ease this griefe he setteth before them a wonderfull hope of recompence namely that they shall laye vp treasures in heauen whiche helpe and succour the necessitie of their brethren in earthe according to the saying of Salomon He that hath pittie vppon the poore lendeth vnto the lorde and looke what he layeth out it shall be payde hym again M. The lorde therefore doth here as it were sette heauen against the earthe whereby he may withdraw his as the sonnes of heauen from the earthe to their proper contrey that heauenly Hierusalem where they should raigne for euer Paule wryting to Timothie dothe as it were expounde these woordes of Christe saying Charge thē that are ryche in this worlde that they be not hie minded and that they truste not in the vncertaine ryches but in the liuing God and so foorth till you come almoste to the ende of the chapiter Againe If ye be rysen with Christe seke those thinges whiche are aboue where Christe sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on thinges that are aboue and not on thinges that are on the earthe 21 For where your treasure is there will your harte be also For vvhere your treasure is C. By this prouerbiall sentence Christ proueth men to be moste miserable whiche haue their treasure layde vp in the earthe because their felicitie is but earthly and vayne For couetous men do affirme that they are not let by no meanes of their money to lifte vp their hartes to heauen but Christe propoundeth an axioma that wheresoeuer they fayne their chiefe felicitie to be there is their whole harte affiaunce As if he should saye yea call vpon God your father in heauen of whō ye are called to heauenly goodes vppon hym therfore set your whole mynde and affection But if you laye vp your treasure in earthe then all youre mynde and care wyll be there C. They renounce heauen therefore whiche haue their felicitie in this worlde We knowe howe muche how diligently the Phylosophers disputed about felicitie yea it was the greatest pointe whereabout they laboured and cōtended and not without cause for so muche as the whole consideration of the framing of our lyfe dependeth vpō the same and whereunto are referred al sences For if honour and dignitie be thoughte felicitie and chiefe happenes then it must nedes come to passe that ambition do raigne in the myndes of men If money then it followeth that couetousnes inuadeth the whole lande If the pleasure of the bodye as the Epicures thought then it can not be auoyded but that men shal be geuen to brutishe inclination and behauioure For we are all naturally geuen to seke that whiche is good and so it commeth to passe that we are diuersly caried and led awaye by false imaginations But and if we were well and seriously perswaded that our felicitie and happines were in heauen it were an easy thing the worlde and all earthly thinges beinge despised whose intisementes and snares do deceiue the greater parte of men to ascende into heauen In consideration of this Paule goeth about to lifte vp the myndes of the faythefull into heauen and to exhorte them to the study of an heauenly lyfe settinge Christe before their eyes in whome the true and perfecte felicitie oughte to be sought As if he should counte it a madnes in mē to fire their minde in the earth whose treasure is in heauen There vvill your harte be also B. The harte is here put for the affections of the harte The harte therfore to be in a place is nothing els but a care a cogitation a ioye a truste a hope a loue a feare or the whole mynde to be in some place Bu. The whiche is to be thought not onely of the study of money but also of all other
to prayers seing that the lord doth promise with so great faith and constancie he wil heare our praiers 9 Is there any man among you whiche if his sonne do aske breade wyll offer hym a stone Bu. By these woordes also he doth anymate and incourage vs to praye promising that God at the length wil heare vs helpe vs if we aske those thynges that are holy good meete and profitable beinge nothinge the more infirme weake in faith althoughe for a while he do delaie the time and put of to heare helpe vs C. He vseth a comparison of the lesse to the more and compareth the malyciousenes of men to the exceding goodnes of God whiche is so greate that it may well be compared to a bottomlesse sea The loue of our earthly parente is in no poincte lyke vnto this As the lord by the mouthe of the prophete Esay sayth Although the mother forgett her children yet will I neuer forget you 10 Or if he aske fysshe wyll he proffer him a serpent B. The like woordes we reade in Luke sauing that he addeth this or if he aske an egge will he offer him a scorpion Some go about to expounde these woordes allegorically but not to the purpose xi If ye then when ye are euil can geue your children good giftes how much more shall your father whiche is in heauen geue good thinges if ye aske of hym If ye then vvhen ye are euyll A. Nowe he compareth as it was saide euen now the maliciousenes of men with the wonderfull and vnspeakeable goodnes of god Bu. For men are euyl and subiecte to the affections of anger indignation enuy and hatred as fathers often times do hate despise their children But God by his owne nature is good and voyde of all affections alwayes sekinge to do good that his chyldren may feele his goodnes his liberalitie and munificence most abondantly Can geue your C. Christ hath expressed this not without greate cause least the faithful should to muche lose and slack the raynes to foolishe and wicked desires in praying We know how great the intemperancy and bouldnes of our fleshe is in this poincte Christ therefore committeth our praiers to the will of God to the ende he should geue no more vnto vs then he knoweth to be profitable for vs Wherefore let vs not thincke that he hath no care of vs so often as he fulfilleth not our desires because he knoweth still whereof we haue nede and what is expedient for vs But now because al our affections are blinde the trewe forme of prayer is to be taken from the woorde of god Therfore who so euer desireth to come vnto God by a sure trust of prayinge let hym learne to brydell his hart that he aske nothing but that whiche is accordinge to his will as S. Iames admonisheth in his epistell Hovve muche more shall your father M. He saith not how muche more shal god but how muche more shall your father neyther saith he my father but your heauēly father that we may alwaies conceiue in our minde this sure trust Geue good thinges B. Luke hath Geeue his holy spyrite as it were expoundinge what Math. meaneth by good thinges For what good things ought we to aske of God in our prayers but a godly life that is that the name of God may be sanctified in vs that the kingdome of God may come and approche These thynges truely we receiue whē as we are replenished with the spirite of god which doth renewe vs and cause vs to seeke the glory of God a godly lyfe C. For this alwaies ought to be in our minde Fyrste seke the kingdome of God and the ryghteousenes thereof and all other thynges whereof ye haue nede shal be geuen vnto you Wherfore the sonnes of God to the ende they maye praye aryghte must put of all earthly affections and come to the meditation of a heauenly lyfe 12 VVhatsoeuer therfore ye would that men shoulde do vnto you euen so do vnto them for this is the lawe and the prophetes VVhat so euer therfore ye vvoulde that men A. Because of this woord therfore some do thinck that this is the Epiloge or conclusion of those thinges goinge before as concerning the petition or praier Other some do refer it to the beginning of this seuenthe chapter where he forbad vs to iudge And others thincke that Chryste had respecte to all those thinges which he affirmed in this assertion but specially in the fifth chapter as though he woulde knitt vp all those thinges wherof he had spoken in a shorte somme C. But truely it is more probable to affirme that this woorde therefore whiche is an illation is superfluouse and more then nedeth for often times we fynde them in shorte sentences where no necessitie importeth We saide before that Mathewe dyd not declare one sermon onely of Christ but rather to collect a somme of his doctrine out of many of his sermons This sentence therefore is to be red seuerally by the which Christ doth instructe his disciples to vse equitie and doth briefly shew the definition of the same that we maye knowe that the cause why so many mischeues do raigne in the worlde and why men so many waies are hurtfull one to an other is because wittingly and wyllingly they do treade equitie and indifferent dealinge vnder their feete Notwithstandinge euery man woulde haue the same straightly obserued toward him selfe for where as our owne profite is in hande there is none of vs but we wyll sircumspectely and preciselye reason and enquire what is equitie right Therfore euery man sheweth him selfe an indifferent iudge for his owne commoditie and profyte How cōmeth it to passe that we be not so equall iudges when as other mennes profite or losse commeth in question but only because we are parcyall to oure selues and vniuste towardes our neyghboure And not onely this but that whiche is worse we indeuour oure selues wickedly to wincke at the rule of equitie whiche shyneth in our hartes Christ therefore teacheth that euery mā may liue rightly iustly with his neighboures if he do that to others whiche he coulde be content to haue done to hym againe So that here he doth refell confute all false and vayne shewes whiche men deuise and inuent to hide and cloke their pretenced righteousnes For without all doubt parfecte equitie should continue amonge vs if so be that wee were such faithful disciples of charitie in dede as we are teachers of the same in worde M. The false opinion of the Pharyseies ministred occasion to Christ to pronoūce this sentence of equitie for they preferred the obseruation of ceremonyes and mannes inuentions before the obseruation of the woorkes of charitie Wherevpon the prophetes were often times cōstrained to reuoke Israell from ceremonies and mannes traditions to the workes of charitie For this is the lavve and the prophetes C. Christ meaneth not that this onely parte of
knitt to a constant minde that it wil not one inche geue place to any temptation For all they buylde vppon the sandes whiche digge not inwardly euen to the denyinge of them selues VVhiche buylde on the sandes Bu. The sande signifyeth false hypocrisie fayned sanctimony and those thinges whiche aryse of the same as trust in creatures inuocation of sainctes choyse of meate and apparell fastinges hypocriticall prayers and suche lyke who soeuer trusteth in these maketh a sandy and frayle fyckle foundation There is a common prouerbe thou buyldest on the sande and others also like vnto these Thou striuest against the streame Thou drawest water in a siue Thou castest stones against the winde which all are spoken against those and applied to theim whiche go about anye thinge that will be vnprofitable and to none effecte 27 And a shower of rayne descended and the flouddes came and the windes blewe and beate vpon that house and it fell and great was the fal of it C. By these woordes Christ doth signifie that trewe pietie and godlynes cannot well be distinguished from hypocrisie til suche time as it commeth to a triall For the temptations wherewith we are proued are lyke vnto flouds or troublesom waues which easely ouerwhelm vnconstant mindes whose lyghtenes in calme weather is not knowne 28 And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine C. When he had geuen the people a tast of his doctrine euery man that heard him was amased because a new and vnwonted maiestie did drawe vnto it the myndes of men Bu. The talk of Christ was liuely feruent and pearcing the mindes of men in so much that it moued the herers and specially because it was new in the peoples eares whervpon they sayde afterwarde what maner of thing is this what new doctrine is this For with authoritie commaunded he the foule spirytes and they obeied him The multitude therefore was amased because the doctrine of Christ was ioyned with a maiestie In the which doctrine the efficacy of the spirite was included 29 For he taughte them as one hauynge power and not as the Scribes M. Some expounde this place so as though the Euangelist shoulde say that Christe therefore taught with aucthorytie because by his aucthoritie he forbad that whiche the lawe graunted and required that whiche the lawe commaunded not thinking the .5 chapter before so to be the fulfylling of the lawe that it shoulde fulfyll that whiche was imperfecte in the same But if they marke well the sentence of Chryste they shall fynde that he addeth nothinge to the lawe but rather doth restore the law which before was broken and obscured by the Scribes and Phariseyes to his former place Wherfore others a greate deale better dyd vnderstande this sentence sayinge that this auctoritie was a certain vigour and force of parfecte doctryne veritie with the which Christe dyd instructe the people standinge before hym And there is no doubt but that the doctrin of Christ was of greate force to the people when as the doctryne of the Scrybes and Phariseies was obscure feble and colde E. And trewely the Greeke woord for the whiche we reade the auctoritie doth signifie power and right to do any thing B. But here it signyfieth aucthoritie and power of the spirite persing the hartes which parteineth to Chryst and the trewe mynisters although not by lyke measure For it is geuen to euery one by measure And some haue the same more plentifully then other some The .viij. Chapter WHEN he was come downe from the mounte muche people followed him VVhen he vvas C. Nowe Matthewe commeth to the pithe of the history Before he sayd that Christe ascended into the mounte and then he brought in many principelles of the doctrine of Christe And nowe he addeth that at the same tyme that he preached in the mounte he healed a Leaper The whiche miracle Marke and Luke do also declare although they shewe not the time Muche people M. The great multitude of people which are here said to followe flocked and came vnto hym a litle before as the Euangeliste shewed saying And there followed hym a greate multitude of people from Galilee and frō the tenne citties and from Hierusalem from Iurie and from the regions that lie beyonde Iordane Notwithstandinge the inconstancie of the common sorte of people is to be noted who for a tyme haue a feruent desire to knowe the truthe but when persecution commeth they flye and are sodenly gone 2 And lo there came a Leper and worshipped him saying Maister if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And lo there came C. In this truely appeared the deuine power of Christe that only with his woorde and the touchinge of his hande he sodainly put awaye the leprosy of the man M. By suche workyng of myracles greater faythe credit and authoritie was gotten to the woorde of god Neither without cause was the healyng of bodies ioyned to the cure of soules For Christe is the true Sauiour of the whole man not only of the soule but also of the body the which he wil plainly declare in the ende of the world when as he wyll bestowe on vs the benefite of euerlasting lyfe C. But although the leprosy were of an other kynde then that whiche the Physitions call Elephanthiasis in Gréeke whiche leprosy also maketh amans skynne like vnto the skynne of an Elephant yet notwithstanding it is welenough knowen that this disease was incurable For if it continued any long tyme it was seldome heard or sene that any mā was deliuered frō the same VVhiche vvorshipped him saying B. What signifieth here to worshippe the other twoo Euangelistes do shewe whiche declare this same history Marke in stede of he worshipped hath he bowed the knee or kneled downe Luke saythe he fell down at his feete on his face Also the Samaritane which was clensed when he retourned to geue thankes fell downe on his face at Iesus feete And Symon Peter fell downe at Iesus knees also C. The Leper therefore by bowyng of his knee shewed some signe of reuerence We do knowe that Adoration was a common vse among the Iewes and among them in the easte partes Wherefore many thynke that the Leper did not worshyp Christe in his mynde with any deuine worship but did honourably salute hym as some great Prophet of god But with what affection he worshipped Christe we dispute not But what he obiected vnto hym we sée namely that he could make hym cleane if he would by the which wordes he acknowledgeth a deuine power to be in Christe And Christ when he aunswered that he would sheweth that he attributeth more vnto him then appertaineth vnto a mā For he must nedes be of great power whiche onely with a woorde or becke can restore helth vnto men But whether the Leprose man dyd beleue Christe to be the sonne of God or whether he were endewed
and he doeth it For I my selfe also am a man. M. Here the Centurion cōfirmeth by his example the confession of his faithe of the power of Christe bringing in an argument of the more to the lesse For he estemed more the deuine power whiche was in Christ then the rule and domination whiche he had ouer his souldiours and seruauntes B. As if he should saye I am nothing at all like vnto thee in power which as yet am vnder the subiection of another man where as thou haste all thinges in thy hande and yet with my woorde can I make my seruauntes to do any thing my souldiours at my commaundement are obedient and those whiche are vnder my rule grudge not to fulfill my mynde Howe muche more then canste thou do with thy worde whatsoeuer thou wilt in all thinges as in healing diseases in restoring health in putting awaye death in restoring lyfe M. Here al they haue an ensample set before them whiche are magistrates maisters ouer housholdes that they may learne by their power to acknowledge the power of God thinke vpon his deuine woorde and cōmaundement If our wordes be so muche able to preuayle among men that whatsoeuer we saie and commaunde they do and fulfill when as notwithstandinge we our selues are miserable men nothing differing from others howe muche more hath the worde of God his power in ruling all vniuersally Furthermore let them gather of their owne obedience after this sorte Beholde thou art a man set vnder the power of another and thou saiest vnto this go and he goeth to another come he commeth and to the third do this and he doeth it loking and requiring of them their due obedience Therefore if so great obediēce be shewed to thée whiche arte a man subiect to others the whiche thou also requirest to be done as a duty tell me I pray thée how thou wilt behaue thy selfe if thou be disobedient to thy lord of whom thou hast receiued that power and in whose name this obediēce is done to thée if he saye vnto thée go and thou goest not come thou comest not do this and thou doest not B. Here also we must note that all thinges that are good procede of God are done by his power according to the saying of S. Paule It is neither in the willer nor in the ronner but in the mercy of god For who wyll not muche meruaile at the great goodnes of God if he way howe littel this Centurion being an Ethnike the more prophane by reason of his affayres in the warres had heard of Christe and howe muche be beleued Let all fleshe therefore humble him selfe to the maiestie of God the whiche except he of his goodnes reuoke to life it must nedes perishe 10 VVhen Iesus hearde these woordes he meruailed and sayde to them that folowed him verely I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith in Israel VVhen Iesus hearde these vvordes C. Although admiration belong not to God because it ariseth of newe thinges vnloked for notwithstāding it might happē in Christ because he taking vpon him our fleshe was endewed with mans affections B. He meruayleth therefore in respecte of his humanitie at so wonderfull a myracle of the goodnes of God that so greate faith should be geuen to an Ethnicke Heathen man being rudely brought vp in respect of his faith in so muche that he should excell the people of God in the excellency of faithe B. Before God being knowen almoste only in Iury nowe of a prophane man he is more knowne then of many of the Iewes A newe thing truly and straunge worthy of admiration And sayde to them that follovved him B. To the ende the people which followed him might also meruaile and might haue a desire to immitate the fayth of the man he saythe thus vnto thē Verely I say vnto you I haue not founde so great faithe in Israell C. The whiche woordes are spoken as the Logicians terme it Secundum quid non simpliciter that is in respect of his faithe not simplely that he did excell in generall For if we cōsider all the partes of faith the faith of Mary excelled in this that she beleued her self to be with childe by the holy Ghoste that she might bringe forth the only begotten sonne of God furthermore because she beleued the sonne whiche shoulde be borne of her to be his owne maker and the creator redemer of the whole worlde But for two causes specially Christe did cōmend preferre the faith of this Gētile heathē man before the faith of the Iewes namely because that of so small and littell taste of his doctrine he brought forth so sodainly such gret frute Secōdly wher as the Iewes did to much depēd vpō earthly signes external this Centurion this Gētile Heathē man requireth no signe at all but dothe affirme his onely woorde to be sufficient for him Christ was cōming vnto him not because ther required any necessitie but to proue trie this faith of the mā wherfore he doth specially cōmēd this faith because it is satisfied with the word only He saith not here com lord se touch no he desireth not any corporal presēce tuchīg but he beleueth such efficacy to be included in the word that thereby he knewe the healthe of his seruaunt might be recouered And hereupō may be gathered a generall rule namely although God woulde haue our sauynge health wrought in the fleshe of Christe and doth dayly seale the same by Sacramentes Notwithstandinge we muste seke the certaintie of the same out of his woorde For excepte this authoritie be attributed to the woorde that we graunt that so sone as God hathe spoken by his ministers that our synnes are forgeuen vs and that we are restored vnto lyfe all the sure truste of saluation dothe falle awaye By this place also we vnderstande that the Centurion was no Israelite 11 I saye vnto you that many shal come from the Easte and VVeste and shal reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen A. Now Christe takyng occasion of the faythe of the Centurion dothe in fewe woordes touche the callynge of the Gentyles and the reiecting of the Iewes C. For as Christe in the parsone of the seruaunt propounded a taste and as it were the fyrste fruytes of his grace to the Gentyles euen so he dothe teache his dominion to be a token of the callynge hereafter of the Gentyles and of the dispersyng the fayth throughout the whole worlde neyther doth he onely teache that they shall comme out of the countreys whiche are at hande but also out of all the partes of the whole worlde And although this be declared already by many of the Prophetes notwithstandinge in the beginning it semed absurde and incredible to the Iewes whiche immagined that God was bounde to the sede of Abraham Wherefore not without admiration this was heard that they which were
to followe him As if he shold say there is no cause why thou shouldest looke for any earthly power commoditie or gayne And if thou therfore followe mée thou art much deceiued For I haue so lyttell of those thynges in this worlde whiche thou sekest that the foxes and foules of the aire are rycher then I for they haue where to rest and dwell and so haue not I. They haue sure abiding places in this earthe but I haue not where to lay my head C. By these woordes the sonne of man declareth what the state and condition of his lyfe was when he was in the earth but he prescrybeth to all his disciples to what order of lyfe they oughte to frame them selues Notwithstāding it is marueile that Christ woulde denie him self to haue any one foote parte or portion of the earthe where to lay his heade when as he had many godly and louinge men whiche at all tymes woulde gentlely receiue and enterteine him but we muste note that this was spokē for admonyshions sake least that the scrybe should loke as from a ryche master for a riche and plentifull rewarde when as the lord him selfe as a guest or in the way of intreatie dydde leade his life in other mennes houses Neastes E. The Greeke woord rather signifieth shadowe places S. Austine in his .22 booke againste Faustus in the .48 chapter calleth this woorde neastes lodginges Euen so Ciprian calleth them in his third booke to Quirinus for the birdes beside their neastes haue holes to saue and couer them in the tyme of tempest as in hollowe trees in stone walles and in the eaues of houses The sonne of man. B. Christe here in this place in other places calleth hym selfe the sonne of Adam or the sonne of man to abase him selfe to the loweste state of men and to shewe his humyllitie It is whollye agreable to that whiche Paule saeth He made him selfe of no reputation taking on hym the shape of a seruāt and was found in his apparell as a man This kinde of speakinge therefore dothe very wel expresse the misery of mannes nature with the whiche Christe beinge indewed it must nedes be that he is partaker with vs of al our infirmities sinne onely excepted 21 And an other of the nomber of his disciples saide vnto him master suffer me first to go and bury my father And an other of the nomber A. Here is now another propoūded before our eies which askinge leaue for a time is more slowe and lesse ready to followe Christe whom notwitstanding he restrained and suffered not to go C. The Scrybe was dryuen from the fellowshippe of Christ because he immagininge that he shoulde leade a pleasant lyfe rashely offered him selfe But this man trewly whō Christ kepte backe was infected with the contrary salte For when as he should haue obeyed the callinge of Christ out of hāde he was let by the infirmitie of the fleshe thinking it a harde matter to forsake his father it is lykely that his father was a very olde man when he saide Suffer me fyrst to go and bury For this saying doth declare that he had not muche tyme behinde as if he shoulde haue said suffer me to tary with my father and to serue hym in this his olde age tyll he dye He preferred the duety which he ought vnto his father before Christ Luke sayth that he was commanded of Christ to followe him For the which Mathew saith that he was one of his disciples But to be shorte he refused not his callinge but desire the lybertie to be geuen hym for a time vntill he had discharged his duety towards his father His scuse is as much in effecte as if he should haue denied him self to be free vntil his father were dead 22 But Iesus said vnto him follow me and suffer the dead to bury their dead Follovve me B. Here this woord follow is not onely taken to cleaue vnto Chryst by fayth and to imbrace his doctrine but also to leaue all impedimentes whiche might let and drawe him backe from being a minister of the gospel which more plainely appereth by the wordes of Luke when he saith that our sauiour Chryste saide Go thou and preache the kingdom of god C By this answere of Christe therefore we vnderstand that chyldren ought so to reuerence obey and cleaue to their fathers that they leaue the same without respecte so often as God calleth thē to another matter of greater waight and importance I say all dueties apperteyning to men muste ceasse when God commaundeth vs to wayte on hym to obey him and to follow him And to this effecte perteyneth the saying of Chryste in an other place If any man come vnto me and hate not his father and mother his wyfe and children his bretherne and sisters yea and his owne life also he can not be my disciple C. Now al men must way and consider what God requirethe of theim and what the vocation wherevnto they are called requireth also least that earthly fathers hynder them withdraw them from the seruice of their omnypotent and heauenly father to whom all duetie specially parteyneth And suffer the dead to bury C. By these wordes Christ condemneth not the buriall of the deade for it were a filthy and beastly thinge to caste out the carcases of the deade and not to bury them And we knowe that the ryte and ceremony of buryinge was geuen frō aboue vnto men and receyued and vsed of the saynctes to confirme the hope of the resurrection Onely the meaning of Christ in this place was to teach vs that what so euer doth call vs from the ryght race or doth stay vs in the same doth sauoure and taste of nothing but deathe as if he should haue said They onely lyue rightly which apply their studies and al partes of theyr life to the wil and commandement of god And those whiche bowe and bend to the world and which neglect and disobey God to shew them selues obedient to men are lyke vnto the deade whiche in vaine and to no purpose occupie them selues in hauynge a care of the deade M. And so in the former place he calleth them deade which are alienate from the true lyfe that is which beleue not in him beinge depriued of the grace of god whiche haue a greatter care for worldly matters then for those thinges which parteine vnto God which neglecting God geue them selues to the world wholly as saith S. Paule speakinge of the widdow She that lyueth in pleasure is deade beinge yet alyue In the later place he calleth those dead which by tēporal death haue ended their liues suffer saith he infidelles to be with infidelles and one infidell to dwel with an other one of them to dye with an other suffer it I say rather then that shoulde be a set vnto thee to serue mée C. This man therefore was called of Christ as Luke more plainly declareth to be a minister
their maister For Christe taketh their cause in hande and confirmeth them as you shall here anon But first marke howe they which by the iudgement of men did excell all others in the knowledge of the Lawe holines of lyfe howe they I saye set them selues aboue all other againste Christe By this thou mayest vnderstande that it is moste true whiche is spoken by the mouthe of the lorde saying That whiche is highly estemed among men is abhominable in the sight of god Moreouer these Scribes and Phariseis do all thinges by crafte subtilty and deceite For they obiecte nothing against the lord him selfe knowing that he was not without sufficient vnderstanding but they bende their subtile force against the disciples to beate down them being altogether vnapointed and vnarmed Bu. A good man accuseth him to his face whome he would haue amended and corrected but the spitefull calūniator the reprochefull sclaunderer and shameles bacbiter priuily accuseth not that he may redresse and reforme any thynge that is amis but to the ende be may satisfy and accomplishe his desyre and malicious stomack 12 But when Iesus harde that he sayde vnto them They that be strōg nede not the Phisition but they that are sycke But vvhen Iesus harde that M. Our Sauiour Christe being not asked maketh answere although he knew that thei thereby would be neuer the better yet notwithstanding for his disciples sake he aunswereth and geueth a reason of his doinges both to auoyde the offence and also to styll the murmuringe of the Phariseys By the whiche we are admonished to aunswere al the calumniations of the aduersaries so oftē as nede shal require for the herers sakes yea although we knowe before that they will persiste and abyde in their foolishe opinion but specially suche as are caried by the spirite of enuy against the truthe They that be strong nede not C. By this aunswere of Christe it appeareth that the Scribes and Phariseis synned two māner of wayes First for that they did not regarde the office of Christe Secondly because they did proudly despyse al men neglecting their owne faultes Whiche was a common disease amonge them all For Hypocrites being full and dronke as it were with the vayne truste of their own righteousnes haue no regarde neither do they consider for what end Christ came into the earth No they knowe not how depely mankynde is drowned in the whirle poole of all euell They knowe not howe that the horrible wrathe and malediction of God dependeth vppon all men and howe they are pressed downe in the confused synke of all vice synne And so it commeth to passe that they being amased at the miseries of men neuer thinke vpon the remedy These iusticiaries these hipocrites standing in their owne conceites wil neuer be restrained but take great disdayne to bee counted among synners This seconde errour Christe toucheth when he aunswereth saying that the strong haue no nede of a Phisition By this aunswere our Sauiour Christ doth teache them that they are offended at the sight of synners because they arrogate to them selues righteousnes Because you are whole saythe he the sycke are displeasaūt in your eies you are ashamed of them you lothe the sight of them but the Phisition may not do so And so by this generall and prouerbiall sentēce Christ defendeth his doing in that he went into synners C. Afterwarde he sheweth that he must take vppon him the office of a Phisition because he was sent of his father to call sinners For although our Sauiour Christe began with obiurgation yet if we couet to proffite in his doctrine let vs chiefly note that whiche he put in the seconde place that is to say that he came to quicken the dead to iustifie the gilty and condemned to washe the vncleane to bringe the dāned out of hell to couer the naked with his glory and to renouate those with blessed immortalitie whiche before perished in the corruption of fleshe If we consider and finde this to be his office and that this was the ende of his cōming If we remēber that for this cause he toke vppon hym our fleshe shed his precious bloud did suffer the moste cruel death of the crosse and descēded into hell it shall neuer seme absurde vnto vs that he seketh to saue the moste wicked synners in the whole worlde He semeth vnworthy to thee of the grace of Christe whome thou abhorrest Why was Christ then made a sacrifice and cursse if he myght not reache out his mercifull hand to synners Nowe if disdayne crepe into our myndes that the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the lorde do ioyne vs to fylthy and synfull men in so muche that their societie and company might seme to defyle vs then by and by we muste descende into oure owne consciences and iudge our selues arighte without parciallitie And this examination wyll brynge to passe that we shall willingly suffer the impure vncleane to washe in and at the same well with vs without respect of persones that we reiecte not that righteousnes whiche he offereth to all the wycked that lyfe whiche he offereth to the dead and that saluatiō whiche he offereth to the loste sheepe of the house of Israell 13 Go ye rather and learne what that meaneth I wil haue mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repētaunce Go ye rather and learne A. By these wordes our sauiour doth reiecte the Scribes and the Phariseis commaunding them to go and learne seing they wyll not learne of hym C. He seeth that they are vnapte to learne and not tractable therefore he sendeth them awaye Bu. Beside that he casteth in their teethe their ignoraunce in the scriptures in the which they were counted studious and skylfull C. Or els truely he declareth that they are at controuersy with God the Prophete whiche being cruel through pride disdaine to helpe the miserable to bring medicine to the sicke I vvill haue mercy Bu. This sentence is taken out of the .vi. chapter of the Prophete Osee where the Prophet preacheth of the vengeaunce of God against the Iewes because they worshipped God with outward sacrifice their myndes being voyde of pietie and their manners alienate frō integritie righteousnes A. This woorde not is here taken for rather as the sentence following in the same chapter declareth saying and the knowledge of God rather then sacrifice or burnt offeringes C. For the Prophet cōdēneth not sacrifice although afterward they should be takē away but he would haue mercy to be preferred before sacrifice and doth teache that the lord doth not regarde outwarde holynes nor the righteousnes whiche consisteth in sacrifices but true godlines and charitie vnfayned For those thinges whiche God hathe appointed in his churche he hathe appointed for this ende that we might be the more exercised in the knowledge of God and in shewynge compassion towardes our neighbour But men do very muche abuse
harme and deceite C. But Chryste by these woordes semeth to be contrarye to him selfe Obiection For this had ben an excellente waie to beware and take hede namely to do their busines at home and not to com in the company of men I answere that here is noted an other kynde of takynge heede not that they shoulde depart from their office beinge dysmayed with feare but that they shoulde not be troubled out of measure when euyls do aryse at a sodeine For we do see that many men beinge beset with daunger on euery syde vnloked for do faynte and quaile by and by Christe therefore woulde haue hys disciples se before hand what would followe afterwarde that they might frame and prepare their mindes betime to suffer trouble To conclude hee soundethe the trompet vnto them that they might with the better cheere and courage prepare them selues to the battaile For as to muche forecast dothe weaken and dyscourage some euen so to muche securytie and carelesnes doth make at it were other som drunke so that in soddaine desstruction they perishe For they shall delyuer you vp M. Nowe hee sheweth the reason wherefore his Apostelles shoulde take hede of men because they shoulde suffer muche euyll at theyr handes He saythe not They wil goo aboute to delyuer you or to beate you or to betraye you but most certainly he affirmeth that they shal deliuer them vp to the counselles in dede and scourge them C. By the whiche woordes we may easely gather that those troubles whiche Christe nowe declareth to his Apostels ought not to be restrained to the first expedition or sendyng forthe in the which they had no experiēce of any such thyng This was the ende of the forewarninge of Christe that they shoulde not be dysmaied with feare at any tyme because it was a rare vertue and seldome sene for poore men when they came in the presence of princes to be of stoute mynde and to be troubled with worldely tumulte To the counselles E. The Greeke worde Synedrion signifieth the syttynge of the senatours iudges and chiefe of the people which we cōmonly call the sessions And shall scourge you in their Sy. B. The greke woorde signifieth the temples where the people met together it signifieth also the assemblies of people as in this place M. Hereby trewely we maye note that the aduersaries of Chryst although they shewe them selues to be wulues bruite beastes rather then men yet notwithstanding they wold seeme to condempne the ministers of Chryste as schismatikes and seditiouse persons not by violence but by iuste iudgement by lawe by the consente of the people and by publyque aucthoritie when as in deede these kinde of men neyther regarde people nor maiestrate but do onely seeke with earnest study to abuse theyr affectiōs the nothing might seeme to be done of hatred or of a sinister affection but by lawe cōscience After this maner when they had taken Christ him selfe by their souldiours and might haue slaine him out of hand without any more busynes they didde rather seke first to bryng hym before the counsell of the elders and hyghe priestes and there to condemne him then being condempned by the auctoritie and consent of the coūsel he was delyuered to the deputie to be ponyshed who broughte hym to the people to be condempned and afterwarde was scourged of him and deliuered again to the people to be put to death Herevpon the Euangelistes Marke and Luke write at large After the same maner Peter Iohn were violently handled and all the rest of the Apostels And of Peter beinge bounde it is saide that Herode after the passeouer would bryng him forth to the people Steuen also was broughte before the counsell 18 And ye shal be brought to the heade rulers and kynges for my sake in witnesse to them to the Gentiles And ye shall be brought to the head rulers C. By these wordes Christ admonished the dysciples that they must not onely fyghte in Iewry but in places of farther distance that by longe preparation they myghte arme them selues to warre M. By this place also we se that Christe had an euyll opinion of al the potētates of the world and not without cause For looke howe muche more dignitie they are of in this worlde and the more power and aucthoritie they haue soo muche the more are they geuen to persecute Chryst and hys doctrine whether they be counsels common assemblies maiestrates or kinges that is the whole seate of iudgement all the power of the worlde whiche was ordeyned of God to the ponishement of the wycked and to the prayse and mayntenaunce of the good and godly Whereby it appereth that Sathan the prynce of this world hath obtained tiranny in this world to styrre vppe all the force of the worlde against Christ the sonne of God and that in so peruerse a manner that he hath made that power rule and aucthoritie whiche by God was appoynted to ponishe the wicked and to suppresse all impietie to defend his owne kyngdome and to impugne resiste the kyngedome of Christe And that whiche is most subtyll and craftye of all other is this hee dothe so handell and vse the matter that he maketh the maiestrates princes and kinges beleue that they do good seruyce vnto God when as in deede they doo the contrary and are suche of whom Christ speaketh sayinge The houre wil come in the whiche who so euer kylleth you wil thinck that he doth god good seruice For my sake M. that is as muche to saye for my names sake In vvitnesse to them C. The sence meanyng of this place is this that the disciples must witnesse the wyll of God to forrayne prynces farre coūtreis to th ende they might be inexcusable A. Herby let the ministers of the woorde learne that their laboure is not in vayne althoughe they be reiected of wycked men because the woorde that they preache shall be a testimony in the daye of iudgement against them 19. But when they delyuer you vp take ye no thought howe or what ye shal speake for it shal be geuen you euen in the same houre what ye shal speke But vvhen they delyuer you vp B. After he had admonished them of the greate and manifolde daungers whiche were at hande he now sheweth them by whose ayde and helpe they shall ouercome theym to the ende he mighte comforte them C. For Christe in vaine shoulde haue exhorted his disciples an hundered tymes excepte he had promised vnto them also that God shoulde be their helper and that also by his power they shoulde certaynely haue the vpper hande Herby we may gather that it was farre from the purpose and meanynge of Christe to discourage his disciples by telling them of the perylles to come they being before very desirouse no doubte to discharge theyr duetie It is a greate thinge trewelye to abyde the countenauce of princes for not only the feare but
brother should hate another yet doth our sauioure Christe here affirme that it shall come to passe for his names sake that it may be fulfylled which hee sayth in another place I am not come into the world to bringe peace but a sworde 22 And yee shal be hated of all men for my names sake but hee that continueth to the end shal be safe and ye shal be hated Heare oure sauioure Christe foresheweth that his Disciples shal be hated of all men that is of all euyl men for many be called but few are chosen For my sake That is for me as is shewed before Here wee must note that it is the part of Christians so to liue so to behaue theymselues and so to suffer all thinges that Christe onely maye be the cause of the hatred and persecutiō which they suffer This therefore is ought to be a comfort vnto vs that if we suffer for Christ thē are we his then are we chosē out of the world then shall we say with the apostel Paule We labour and suffer rebuke because we haue a stedfast hope in the lyuinge God whiche is the sauioure of all men specially of those that beleue But he that continueth B. This promyse of healthe is a greate consolation and comforte in so much that howe greate so euer the dangers be if faith be presente it is able to lift vp a discouraged faint hart For he that only continueth to the ende committinge him selfe vnder the tuition and protection of the Lorde hee I saye at the length shall be safe although he be deliuered to the death hated of al men This safetie health is promysed not by resistinge but by sufferynge as the lord more plainly in another place declareth saying In pacience possesse your soules This truely is a wonderful consolation They which fight vnder princes ar doutful of the victory but Christ here promiseth victory without al doubt to thē that fight to the ende A. Let vs not therfore feare or doubte to fighte for the glory of God although the whole world rise against vs because a happy and prosperous ende is promised vnto vs of the sonne of God whiche is a faithfull keper of our saluation if we continue To the ende This teacheth vs that it is not trewe pacience which continueth not to the ende Many men saye Is it possible for any man to suffer these things continually Trewly whatsoeuer he be that suffereth the trouble that is laide vppon hym for Christes sake may continue without yrkesomnes to the last cast yea to the very ende We must not therefore call to mynde howe longe but we muste haue respecte vnto the ende Herevpon the Apostell saythe So ronne that ye maye obtayne Also Stretche forthe the handes that were let downe and the weake knees And in an other place Let vs ronne with pacience vnto the battaile that is set before vs lokinge vnto Iesus the capitayne and fynisher of our faith and so forthe What doth it proffite a man to labour in the siluer myne and to sainte before he attaine the syghte of the syluer Dothe he not lose all his labour and trauayle yes vndoubtedly What dothe it proffe the ronner to ronne if he faynte in the myddest of the race shall he haue the game or rewarde No vndoubtedly Not withoute cause therefore dothe the Scripture in so many places exhorte vs to pacience and perseueraunce Let vs not therefore be weake or feble but followers of theym which receiue by faith paciēce the inheritaunce of promise which is euerlasting life after the trauaile paine of this life 23 But when they persecute you in this cittie flee ye into an other For verely I saye vnto you ye shall not goo through all the citties of Israell til the sonne of man be come VVhen they persecute Question C. By these wordes Christe preuenteth that whiche myghte be obiected thus If we muste beare the hatred of all men in the worlde when shal there be an ende Chist aunswereth Althoughe ye can be no where in peace and sauegarde yet must ye not dispayre but when you are caste out of one place you muste proue and trye whether your worke and labour maye take place in an other But certayne interpretours are deceyued whiche thyncke here that this is a bare permission or sufferaunce whē as Christ rather cōmanded his Apostels to do that which he wold haue done For he which hath suffered one persecution wolde willingly geue ouer by by lyke vnto an olde beaten souldiour which beinge once maymed in the warres goeth no more to the same but lyueth on his pētion at home in peace But Christ here geueth no such vacatiō and ease to his soldiours but wil haue them without ceassing to passe throughe to the ende To be short the apostels are cōmaunded so sone as one battell is done to begin a newe not to think them selues absolued or dismist for fightinge twoo or three fieldes Neyther are they permytted to flee into caues dens wher they may lie ydel but although their labor com not to good succes in one place the lord exhorteth thē to go forward M. that if the gospel of his kingdome will not be admytted in one place they preach the same in an other without delay C. But vnder the cōmaundement there is also some libertie graunted For we must thus thinke of flying persecution All that flye persecution are not presysely to be condemned neyther is flyeing in all pointes without exception lawefull Many of the aunciente fathers in time paste were to earnest in this point whiche condemned flight in persecution no lesse then a certaine kynde of denying Christe For if this were true some part of ignominie shoulde redounde to Christ and his Apostels Agayne if it were lawefull to flye without difference or exception there should be no difference in persecution betwene the good shepeherd and the hiered seruaunt We muste obserue therefore the meane whiche saynt Augustin prescribeth to Honoratus least any man forsaking his abode or hould for feare should either betray his flocke into the handes of the enemy or els geue a cowardly example and yet notwithstāding sayth he let no man rashely daunger him selfe If any vrgent matter require it is necessary that the Pastor venter his life for the flocke but if there be no great necessitie it may bee that his absence may proffite the churche of God more Verely I saye vnto you C. This can not bee referred to the first sending out of the disciples but oughte rather to be referred to the whole Apostelship Notwithstanding in this there is some hardnes what the comming of the sonne of man here signifieth Some expounde it to be suche good successe of the Gospell that all men shoulde acknowledge the kyngdome of Christe and should loke for the renuing of the kingdome of Dauid at his handes And some referre it to the
in them is mad and rageth against the name of Christe so sone as the doctrine of the Gospell is published their impietie whiche before laye a slepe is nowe awaked and styrred vp So that Christe whiche properly is the authour of peace for the malice of mē is made the cause of tumulte Whereupon Christe saithe here thynke not that I am come to sende peace but a swerde Bu. As if he should say I would not haue any of myne to thinke that I came into the worlde to brynge suche peace as the worlde loketh for and desyreth namely a secure voluptuous and luxurious peace For Christe is not the authour of sinne or the fautor and mainteiner of vyce and wickednes No I came not to sende peace Bu. Christ truly is the prince of peace and his kyngdome is the kyngdome of peace For he geueth peace vnto those that are his and he leaueth to them peace but that peace which the worlde can not geue yea that peace whiche the worlde can not abyde but hateth For the peace of Christe passeth all vnderstanding and is the peace of consciences by the whiche we agree with God whose wrathe we beleue to be appeased for Christes sake and therefore we walke in his commaundemētes and we auoyde the cōcupiscences of the flesh we agree with al good men and we contende against all euel and peruerse men The mundane peace hath respecte to nothyng but to that whiche pertayneth to the worlde S. This therefore is the conditition of the Gospell to stirre vp discorde among men although not by his owne nature but because that is the doctrine of the Gospell whiche the deuell hateth that is Christe whose heele the Serpent seketh to hurte Moreouer because the Gospell reproueth the worlde and the wickednes thereof therefore it is hated and euell spoken of accordinge to the saying of Christe in an other place The worlde loueth darkenes more then lyghte because their dedes are euel And for this cause the Gospell is called a swerd that is an instrument of warre by occasion C. Hereby let vs learne how wycked we are by nature whiche do not only despyse so precious a gifte and iewel but also impute to it all kynde of euell Whē as in dede it is the right waye the straight pathe and ordinary meane to brynge vs to all vertue to all quietnes and to direct our steppes to the euerlasting life in heauē 35 For I am come to set a mā at variaūce against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in lawe against the mother in lawe For I am come to set E. The Gréeke woorde for the whiche the olde interpretour hath seperate signifieth to deuide that into two whiche before was vnited and ioyned in one The which thing Chrisostom also noteth wryting vppon this place Furthermore in this place man is put for sonne accordinge to the Hebrewe phrase for he saythe a man againste his father M. To the ende Christe mighte expresse and declare that this discorde should not be after the common manner or wonted sorte he bringeth in the degrees of consanguinitie and nature affirming that he wyll separate them with the swerde whiche he came to sende into the worlde For among those persones there were chiefly wonte to aryse for the wordes sake bitter and cruel contentiōs For the more the persones by nature are ioyned together the greater and more sharpe is the contention betwene them When the Gospell is preached and receiued of the sonne but reiected of the father by and by mutuall discorde dothe aryse which in dede doth properly spring of the dissimilitude and varietie of the myndes not of the Gospell or lorde hym selfe For this happeneth through the faulte of the wycked as we sayde euen nowe contrary to the nature of the Gospell That whiche the Prophet Malachy teacheth of Iohn the Baptiste belongeth to all the ministers of Christe namely that they are sente to this ende to tourne the hartes of fathers to their chyldren the hartes of chyldren towardes their fathers And truely the malice of the wycked bryngeth to passe that they which before were ioyned together are so sone as they heare the voyce of Christe separated and deuided into contrary partes A. To cōclude Curssed be that peace whose bonde is not the only truthe of Christe 36 And a mans enemyes shal be they of his own houshold Bu. This doth the Gospell in these dayes brynge to passe that they whiche were in tyme paste of the housholde that is speciall frendes and acquaintaunce shal be afterwarde enemies and straungers one to an other So that Christe foresheweth that they in the worlde shal come to suche confusion that the lawe of nature shall not be regarded and all humanitie quite banished For when the Prophet Micheas doth bewayle the case of those whose enemies shal be of their own house he declareth the destruction and cōfusion to come The lyke our Sauiour Christe affirmeth shall come to passe whē his Gospell is preached which at an other tyme had bene incredyble Bu. But here the godly haue great nede of wysdome and warines being conuersaunt among them with whome there is nothing in safegarde to the ende they may seke for helpe at the handes of god C. Neither doth Christe meane that this shall endure alwayes that they of one housholde shall haue dissention styll among them selues for the Gospel as certayne curious men imagin who thynke that they cānot be the disciples of Christ without they be banyshed from their parentes from their wyfe chyldren and housholde But rather all lawefull coniunction is fulfilled and accomplished in the vnitie of fayth Christe only admonisheth his disciples that they be not troubled so often as suche debate and discorde happeneth but rather to consyder the sayinges of the Prophetes by the whiche they may comforte them selues agayne 37 He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me And he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me He that loueth father or mother C. Because this is very straighte and sharpe for amā to make those his enemies which should by nature be moste nere vnto hym therfore Christe saythe nowe that without it come so to passe we cannot be his disciples He hiddeth vs not put from vs humane affections naturall inclination or mutuall loue but onely he goeth aboute to restrayne all that is of suche mutuall loue among men that godlines and true religion can not haue the preheminence Let the husband therefore loue the wyfe the father his sonne and the sonne his father but so that their humane loue withdrawe them not from the spirituall loue of Christe whiche is to obserue and kepe that whiche he commaundeth Bu. All thinges therefore that are in the worlde be they neuer so precious neuer so dere vnto vs ought to be despysed for Christes sake and the truthe of the Gospel For the
as we are proude by nature so nothinge is estemed of vs excepte it be decked and set forth with vayne pompe forniture But truly the churche of Christe because it is collected gathered of poore mē it is very base contemptible in the sight of the world yea the same despiseth nothinge more thē vayne pompe pompelike vanities Hereupon cōmeth the contempte of the Gospell because it is not receiued of euery one that is in honour and highe estate nay there is none that do more reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel thē suche But howe peruerse and wicked this estimation is Christ him selfe sheweth vs by the nature of the Gospel it self seing that it is appointed and prepared for none but suche as are poore afflicted Whereupō it followeth that it is no new thing and therefore oughte not to moleste trouble vs if the Gospel be despised of great and honorable men whiche beinge puffed vp with their riches leaue no place in them for the grace of God to abyde and dwell Yea there is no cause why we shold meruaile though it wer reiected of the greatest part of men when as smal is the nūber that is chosen of God to saluatiō Christe therefore here doth declare vnto vs what they are whiche be mete to perceiue receiue the grace of saluation which is there offered And by this meanes he callinge miserable sinners gently to the hope of saluation cōfirmeth their mindes with a sure trust For it is moste sure that they are called poore in this place whiche are of poore miserable estate which are despised of many R. But we must note dilligently the whole aunswere of Christ because thereby he sheweth a reason of all those miracles that he did For sauing that the miracles of Christ cōtained certaine priuate cōmodities in them they were done specially for this cause to declare that this Iesus the sōne of Mary was the true Messias the sōne of God. And Christ himself cōmēdeth this vse of miracles not only in this place but also in many other places as whē he saith I haue greater wytnes then the witnes of Iohn For the workes which the father hath geuen me to finish the same workes that I do beare wytnes of me that the father hath sent me And in an other place he saith The woorkes that I do in my fathers name beare wytnes of me and immediatly folowing he sayth If I do not the workes of my father beleue me not But if I do ye beleue not me beleue the workes that ye may knowe beleue that the father is in me I in him And Iohn him self speaking of the vse of the miracles saith Many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which ar not writē in this boke These ar writtē that ye might beleue that Iesus is christ the sonne of God and that in beleuing ye might haue life through his name 6 And blessed is he that is not offended 〈◊〉 at me C. By this sentence oure Sauiour Christe declareth that whosoeuer abideth firme and cōstant in the doctrine of the Gospel must resiste offēces whiche come to let hinder the successe of faithe He doth arme vs therfore against offences because we shall neuer want occasiōs to put from vs the Gospel vntil we exalt our mindes aboue al offences First of al therfore we must learne to fight against offēces that we may persiste in the faith of Christ Neither is Christ falsely saide to be the rock and stone of offēce wherat many shall stomble The whiche truely cōmeth through our own fault but he remedieth this vice when he pronounceth all those to be blessed whiche are not offēded at him whereby we may gather that the vnfaythfull shall haue no excuse although they excuse them selues to be hindred with many lettes For what should let them to come vnto Christe or what should be the cause that they should forsake Christ Namely because he with his crosse semeth contēptible deformed ful of reproche vnto the worlde because he calleth them to take part of his afflictiōs because his glory maiestie being spiritual is neglected and not regarded of the worlde because the nature of our fleshe doth altogether abhorre his doctrine And finally because by the pollicy of Sathan many do arise which defame both Christ and his Gospel make the same odious B. Furthermore this sentence did properly pertayne to the disciples of Iohn Whose eyes the holines of Iohn had so blynded that they coulde not discerne the excellent maiestie of Christ from the dignitie of Iohn for they thought Christe to be farre inferior to Iohn For they were offēded by the humilitie of the lordes cōuersasion because he lyued not from the company of men in such straightnes of lyfe as their maister did Here we learne that seueritie and straightnes of life ought not to be regarded neither yet despised but saluation and healthe commeth only by Christe For Iohn confessed hym selfe to be inferior to Christe when as notwithstandinge he excelled Christ in straightnes of lyfe Thei measured saluation righteousnes by seueritie of life their own workes therfore they despised Christ and his disciples Euen as we at this day iudge holynes by externall thinges are deceiued by hyppocrisie B. He saith therfore blessed is he that is not offended at me that is whiche by no meanes can be discouraged and driuen from me that he may beleue me to be the sauiour of the whole world and committe him selfe vnto me 7 And as they departed Iesus began to say vnto the people cōcerning Iohn what went ye out into the wyldernes to se A reede that is shaken with the wynde And as they Bu. Now the lorde setteth forth at large the prayse vertue of Iohn the Baptist Neither doth Christ without cause set forth the praise of Iohn whē the disciples were gone as Luke plainly declareth For by this he teacheth vs to auoyde al suspitiō of adulatiō flattery yet notwithstanding not to defraude or detract from any man the prayse dignitie which pertaineth vnto him But the vse cause profite of this cōmēdatiō of Iohn is manifold may be taken many ways M. First because the people which stode by heard this message of the disciples of Iohn might be confirmed in som wrong opinion contēpt of Iohn because of his imprisonment C. Furthermore Christe cōmendeth Iohn to the people to th ende they might call to mynde that which they herd of him might credit his testimony For his name was famous amōg the people and they spake very reuerently of him but his doctrine was of lesse estimation yea fewe there were whiche gaue any regard to his ministery Also Christe sheweth that thei lost their labor which wēt into the desert to se Iohn except they did reuerently apply their mindes diligēce to his doctrine And so the sēce
Yea the field of the lord which is his church is so replenished with them so diuersely collored that a mā may hardly discern the wheat frō the tares 27 So the seruauntes of the housholder came and said vnto him Sir diddeste thou not sow good sede in thy fielde from whence then hath it tares M. So we may rightly meruaile when that the lord doth bestow so great labour and trauayle in tillinge of his fielde and yet notwithstanding how cockel darnel and tares growe in the same the houseband man is good but the sede is naught 28 He saide vnto them the enuiouse mā hath done this The seruauntes saide vnto him wilte thou then that wee go and weede them vp M. Christ sayth here that this wickednes is wroughte by the Deuill whiche is a continuall and deadly ennemy to the saluation of mankind A. The rest shal be expounded in that exposition which Christ maketh himself Namely the 39 and 40. verces folowing in the text 31. Hee put another parable vnto them sayinge The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a grayne of mustarde seede which a man toke and sowed in hys fielde B. By this parable the Lorde doth declare with what vertue and with what successe his Gospell shoulde passe through the whole world For the kingdome of heauen at the first beinge brought to the world by the Gospel was verye small in the which was the kinge Christ onely with a few contemned persons in the sight of all men stickinge to him C. Therefore hee dooth encourage his Disciples least they beinge offended at the base simple beginning of the Gospell should draw backe and dispayre of the good successe of the same Wée sée howe proudly profane mē despyse deryde the Gospell because it is brought vnto them by poore Ministers and rude in comparison of those which are of noble byrth and parentage because all men do not by by receyue the fame but hath only a few Disciples euen the baseste amonge the common people wherby it commeth to passe that the weake do dispayre of the good successe of the Gospell which they loke for in the beginning But truly the lord doth by his secrete counsell begin his kyngedome with bace and contemned beginninges to the end a wonderfull successe of the same comming at a sodayne vnlokedfor mighte declare his power to be the greater For the kingdome of Heauē is cōpared to a grayne of Mustard séede 32 VVhich is the least of all seedes But when it is growne it is the greatest of all herbes and is a tree soo that the birdes of the aire come make their nestes in the braunches thereof VVhiche is the least B. As if he should say As the grayne of mustardsede being but smal the least among seedes groweth into a greatter stalke and branche then all other herbes in short time also waxeth a tree euē so the flocke of Christ in short time was spred to the vtmost parts of the earth excelled al the kingdomes of the world C. Let vs learne therfore if the shewe of the kingdome of Chryste be contēptible base to our fleshely eies to lifte vp our mindes to the inestimable exceading power of God the whiche as he created all thinges once of nothing so dayly he stirreth vp those thinges which are not aboue humaine reason or vnderstanding As for the proude let vs suffer them to grynne like dogges vntill suche time as the lord astonishe amase theim with that whiche they loked not for In the meane time let vs not dispaire or be without hope but let vs rise agaynst the disdayne of the worlde with a sure and vndoubted faythe vntyll suche tyme as the lorde sheweth forth some wonderfull token of his power of the which the lord speaketh here 33 An other similitude spake hee vnto thē The kingdome of heauem is like vnto leuen whiche a woman taketh and hideth in three peckes of meale till all be leauened An other symilitude M. This parable of the leauen hath the same signification that the other had goinge before This name of leauen some tymes signifyeth that whiche is euyll as when Christ admonished his disciples to beware of the leauen of the Phariseyes and Saduceyes Also when Paule teacheth that a lyttell leauen sowrethe the whole lompe of dough But here the application must be taken symplely to the present cause M. The Apostelles were a littell leauen who beinge taken out of Galile by the wysedome of God were made apte and of stronge force to sower and season and were sente oute into the whole worlde for the same pourpose vntill the same in al points were leauened And hydeth in thre peckes of meale Bu. Chrisostome saithe that hee nameth not three peckes for many in vayne For the lorde declareth that a lyttell quantitie of leuen is of strengthe and vertue to leauen and sower a greate deale of meale The latten woord Satum a pecke as it is translated is taken from the Hebrewe word Seah whiche is a measure conteynynge one Italyan busshell and a halfe of drye thinges as sayth Iosephus in his ninthe booke and fourth chapter de antiquitatibus Some affirme that this measure cōtayned .320 ounces of water And some saye that it woulde holde no more then .144 hennes egges 34 Al these things spake Iesus vnto the people by similitudes and without a parable spake he nothing vnto them C. Althoughe Marke plainely saith that Christ spake so that they might heare yet notwithstanding it semeth probable that he vsed not cōtinual parables so much to teache as he did to make the auditory more apt to here against a more cōueniēt time For why did he expound thē to his disciples in secret familiarly did he it because they were more rude ignoraunt then the cōmon people No surely that was not the cause but he rather did so to the end he myght familiarly set the meanyng of his minde before them leaue the myndes of other suspended vntill he myghte find a more cōuenient time better oportunitie For these were as one mighte terme thē the enterances begynnings of the Gospell the more plain manifest declaration wherof was differred vntil the time came of the same But the shew of repugnācie contrarietie whiche seemeth to be betwen the saying of our Euāgelist Mathew the prophecie of Esay spoken of before is easely put away For although he obscured toke away the light of his doctrine frō the reprobate yet notwithstandinge this doth not let but that he might apply him selfe to their capacytie so that they might be inexcusable He followed therfore a kind of teaching apte and mete for those herers whō he knew not to be ready as yet to learne 35 That it might be fulfylled which was spoken by the prophete that sayth I will open my mouthe in parables I wyl speake forth thinges which haue ben kept secrete from the beginning of the worlde
without it be brokē and deuided And by this meanes it answereth and is agreable to the mystery of communicatyng the body of the lorde the Apostell sayinge The breade whiche wee breake is it not the participation of the body of the lord Not that she body of Christ is therefore sayde to be broken because it hathe in it selfe some cut but because it is made communicabile that is apte and mete to be participated and receyued of many The Apostel Paule saith in an other place in the person of Christ This is my body which is broken for you In stede of the whiche S. Luke hath which is geuen for you He gaue the loaues to his disciples C. This our sauioure Chryst did to the ende the wonderfull increase and aboundance mighte growe in the handes of his disciples as they were distrybutinge the same that they therby might be the ministers of the deuine power of Christ For lest it shold séeme a smal matter to be onely eye witnesses of the myracle he made theim to feele as it were his diuine power with their handes He coulde haue shewed a great heape of breade in so much that all men mighte haue sene in a moment the greate encrease the whiche thynge hee dyd not yet notwithstandinge he would not haue the myracle hyd The lord dothe not any thinge in vayne for he wil haue his myracles knowne but soo notwythstandinge that the wicked may remayne blynd furthermore that there maye be some place lefte vnto fayth which sholde be none at all if that fayth shoulde be adioyned to sence and corporal felyng whē as the eyes shoulde be occupied in beholdinge the power of God which is perceiued and receiued chiefely by fayth And as he encreased the loaues in the handes of the disciples so he encreaseth his blessinge by the ministery of his seruantes he geueth plēty of sede to the sower and encreaseth his gyftes in our handes Whensoeuer therfore we seeke to helpe one an other let vs be well assured that God dothe blesse our labour And his disciples C. The disciples without delaye obeyed the commaundement of Christe althoughe the thinge whiche he commaunded might seme ridiculouse They might haue thought in their mindes What shall it profite to bryng fyue loaues to so many thousande men specially when Phillip had said before Two hundred peniworth of bread is not sufficient for euery man to take a lyttel And an other of the disciples saide But what are these amonge so manye Notwithstandinge they obeye and distrybute the loaues at the commaundement of Christ to the multitude beinge set downe By this exaumple let vs learne to obeye the lorde although there be no hope of good successe in those thinges that we take in hande let vs shewe oure obedience lett vs leaue the successe vnto the lorde and not take vppon vs more wysedome then becommeth vs. 20 And they did all eate and were sufficed And they gathered vp of the fragmentes that remayned twelue baskettes full And they dyd all eate M. These thynges are spoken to cōmend the power of christ and to set forth the myracle least any mā shoulde thincke that all dyd not eate of these loaues or that all which didde eate were not satisfied And they gathered vp of The Euangelist Iohn saith When they had eaten enough he sayth vnto his disciples Gather vp the broken meate whiche remaineth that nothing be lost And they gathered it together filled .xii. basketsful with the brokē meate of the fiue barly loues which broken meate remayned vnto them that hadde eaten In the which we se the rychesse of the glorye of God by the which he so fedeth those that are his that they are not onely satisfyed therwith but also haue a great ouerplus remaining vnto them We are also here taught to beware that we lose not the rēnaunte of those good thynges with the which we are fed C. When as therfore the fragmentes after the satisfying of so greate a multitude were more by twenty foulde then that which was set before them at the first the miracle must nedes seme excellent wonderfull for all men vnderstode wel perceiued that the fode which they had was not only made of nothing by the power of Christ for the present vse but also that he wold prouide it nede shoulde require for the tyme to come Now let vs gather the sum of the whole myracle In this it differeth not from other myracles namely that in it Christ declared his deuyne power to be ioyned with his beneficence or liberalitye Wée haue also by this myracle a confyrmacion of that sētence as wée should euen now by the which oure sauioure Christ exhorteth vs to seeke first the kingdome of God promisinge that all other things whereof wée haue néede shal be geuen vnto vs. For if hee haue a care of those which but at a sodain motion onely come vnto him howe should hée not haue a greate care to helpe vs if wee seeke him with a cōstant mynd Hée suffereth truly as wée sayd before those that are his sometimes to hūger notwithstandinge hée neuer leaueth them destitute of his helpe In the meane time hée hath good cause why hée shoulde not helpe vs but in matters of extremity Admyt that Christ came to bring not onlye spirituall life vnto the world but also that hee was sent of the father to nourishe and feede mens bodies for the abundāce of all good things are comitted vnto him so that hée is the lyuelye well springinge from the father of life Therefore saint Paule geueth thanckes vnto God for his grace which is giuen by Iesus Chryst And againe hée teacheth vs in all thinges to gyue thanckes vnto God by Iesus Christ Neyther is this quallity onelye proper to his eternall Diuinitye but the father also hath appointed vnto vs a stewarde or dispensator by whose hande hee voutchsafeth to feede vs For althoughe wée do not see daylye myracles with our eyes yet notwithstanding Christ doth no lesse declare his power now in feedinge vs than hee did then by myracles And trulye wée do not read that hée vsed newe meanes so often as hee wente aboute to make any feast Wherfore it shal be a preposterouse desyer for any man importunatelye to séeke to haue meate broughte vnto him by any vnlawfull and extraordinarye meane For althoughe God doth not now at this day feede fyue thousande men with fiue loaues yet notwithstanding hee ceaseth not most myraculouslye to feede all the world in the whiche there are an infinite number of thousands contayned This truly is a Paradox or sentence contrary to the opinion expectacion of diuers namely that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery woord which proceadeth out of the mouth of God. For wée are so tyed to externall meanes that nothing is more harde vnto vs then to depende vppon the prouidence of God. Hereuppon commeth suche care feare distrust when
his proper Angell the which in déede is playne repugnante to the doctrine of holy Scripture which testifyeth that the Angels do cōpasse the faythfull about and not that any one Angell is peculiarly belonginge to anye one man M. C. And the Prophete Daniell when hée bringeth in the Angell of the Gréekes the Angell of the Persians séemeth to affirme that certaine Angels are set ouer kingdomes prouinces as Princes But whereas some maye obiecte that which is written in the Actes of the Apostels of those that said it is his Angell It may be answered that they so thought by a cōmon conceite imagining that euery faithfull mā had an Angell appointed vnto him to be his guide Or it maye be answered that they called the his Angell simplely which was appointed by God vnto Peter to be a minister of saluatiō a kéeper Whereby the opinion of certaine cānot be gathered namely that eueryone hath his proper Angell tēding on him C. Let that foolish imagination therefore ceasse as concerninge the good euill Angell let vs holde it sufficient to beleue the Angels haue a care cōmitted to them of the whole Churche that they helpe euerye particuler member of the same as occasion and necessity requireth M. Wheras therefore certaine Christians worshippe their Angels they are moued thereunto by a double error By the one because it is not certayne that euery man hath his proper Angell for it is a greate presumption and rashenes to holde any opinion withoute the warrante of Goddes woorde By the other because that althoughe euery man had his proper Aungell belonginge vnto him yet notwithstanding Angels ought not to be worshipped but the Lorde of Angelles onely 11 For the sonne of man is come to saue that whiche was lost For the sonne of man. M. This is the other argument of the prouidence and louinge kindenesse of God towardes his faythful taken from the cause of Christes cōming into this worlde by the whiche argumēt he doth withdrawe vs from the cogitacion whiche mighte bringe vs to the contempte of oure bretherne when we see some falte in them whereby we thincke that we haue iust occasion to despise thē As if he should saye I am come to saue the whiche was lost to receiue that which was abiecte of the whiche there is no accompte made in this worlde despise not and destroy not therefore those whom I am com to saue This is a most profitable admonition to teache vs that we oughte not to disdayne any synner C. For it is to bad that they shoulde be reiected by our disdaine whō the sonne of God so greatly estemeth And althoughe the weake haue faltes remayning in theim whiche may deserue contempt yet is not our disdaine thereby excusable because they are not to be esteemed for their vertewes so muche as for Christes sake after whose exāple whosoeuer frameth not him selfe shal declare gret pryde to remaine in him To saue that vvhiche vvas lost A. He thought it better to saye that he came to saue that which was lost then that whiche was littell to the ende he might the more effectually by his example exhorte vs to haue the weake and abiected bretherne in good estimation because he came not onely to saue them and to redeme them but such also as perished in deathe 12 Howe thincke ye If a man haue an 13 hundred sheepe and one of them be gone astray dothe he not leaue ninty and nine in the mountaines and goeth and seketh it that was gone astray Hovve thinke ye M. He thought good to adde this pleasant similitude to make the matter more plaine C. Howbeit Luke sheweth a farther occasion of this parable namely that the Phariseis dyd murmur against the lord because he was daily conuersaunte with synners Christe therefore goeth aboute to declare that a good teacher must seeke no lesse to recouer and saue that whiche is lost than to preserue kepe that whiche is vnder his hand and custodie Yet as it should appere by our Euangelist Mathew our sauiour Christ by his similitude procedeth farther namely that the disciples of Christ are not onely friendely to be borne withal but also that their faltes are to be suffered to the ende we might bringe those that wander into the right waye For although it commeth often tymes to passe that they do wāder and go astray yet notwithstandynge because they are sheepe ouer whom God hathe made his sonne Christe the shepeherde they muste be brought from dispersing reduced from error into the right way For to this ende pertayne his woordes that we must take hede that we destroy not that which God will haue saued 14 Euen so it is not the wyll of youre father in heauen that one of these littel ones shoulde perishe M. This is the application of the similitude by the which Christe declareth that the faythful are cared fore of God the father howe abiecte so euer they be in the worlde in so muche that he stayed not to sende his onely sonne into the worlde to saue them Here are two thinges therfore to be considered the one is that God is so affectionated towards those that are his that he wyl not suffer one of them to perishe no not the very leaste by the other we are admonysshed to beware that we despise not one of the least althoughe he erre and seeme in oure Iudgemente to perishe 15 Moreouer if thye brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his falt betwene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast won thy brother If thy brother trespasse against thee C. Because our sauioure Christe had preached and spokē before as concerning the hearinge with the infirmitie of oure bretherne he nowe sheweth more plainly how wherfore and to what ende they must be borne withall For otherwise a man mighte easely obiecte and saye that there is no other way to beware of offences than for euery one to winke at other mennes faltes and so to beare with euil Christ therfore prescribeth a meane whiche shal neyther to much offend the weake and yet notwithstandinge shall be verye meete and apte to cure theyr disseases For seueritie is profitable and worthy of greate praise being framed according to the nature of medycine To be shorte Christe doth commaunde his disciples so to forgeeue one an other that neuerthelesse they seke to reproue correct faltes The which thing ought wisely to be considered because there is nothinge more harde than in sparinge and forbearinge men to reprehende theim notwithstandinge freely for their faltes All men for the moste parte do seeke to cloake one an others falte and to deceyue them selues with mortall flatteries or elles they doo hate those without all measure whō they ought to beare withal But Christ doth commend vnto his disciples mutual loue which should be farre from flattery Onely he cōmandeth them to season their admonitions and reprehensions with moderation and reason
weÌ„â—… away mourninge And this sorrowe doth proue that he loued his riches more thaÌ„ God or his neighbour to the knowledge wherof our sauiour Christ ment to bring him by these words Go sell all that thou hast If the yong maÌ„ had loued his neighbour peraduenture he should not haue had so great aboundance of riches if he had receiued theÌ„ by his parents hauing the loue he would not haue kept them but would haue bestowed vpon the nedy neigbours For he had great possessions M. The Euangelist sayth not hee loued his riches but with a great Emphasis force he saith For hee had great possessions by the which woords he declared after this sort the nature of this disease that we might vnderstand that the more wee possesse the greater is our disease For this is a most true sayinge Loke hovv much the masse and suÌ„me of riches doth encrease So much doth the loue of theÌ„ our hart and minde possesse The Euangelist Luke hath For he was very rich to coÌ„clude this exaÌ„ple teacheth vs to persist abide coÌ„stantly in the schole of Christ and so renounce the flesh This yong maÌ„ departed from Christ which at the first brought with him both a desier to learne also great modestye because it was bitter vnto him to forsake his familiar vice The like also will happeÌ„ vnto vs except the swetnes of the grace of Christ do make all the intissing desâ—…ers of the flesh vnsauery vnto vs Whither this temptacion indured but a time whether hee repeÌ„ted afterward or no it is vncertaine but it is likely that hee was withdrawen could not profite through couetousnes 23. Then saide Iesus vnto his Disciples Verely I say vnto you it shall be hard for the riche to enter into the kingebome of Heauen Then said Iesus Bu. Iesus taking occasion of the yonge man doth shew farther how hardly rich men shall enter into the kingdome of heauen that is to saye there is nothinge that doth so greatly plucke vs backe from the kingdome of Heauen as riches M. Marke and Luke haue Iesus lookinge rounde aboute him and seynge that he was sory said vnto his disciples wyth what difficultye shall they that haue money enter into the kingdome of god C. By the which woords hee doth teach not only how incurable deadlye a plague couetousnes is but also how gret a let riches bring vnto vs Bu. And least Christ mighte séeme to speake this incideÌ„tly or beside the purpose he addeth before an earnest asseueration sayinge Verely I say M. And in Marke these words are pronounced with an admiratioÌ„ How hardly shall they that are riche c. He is said also to loke about him then to speake these words to the end he might make his Disciples more attentiue as if they should heare some notable matter To enter into the kingdome Here hee calleth euerlasting life the kingdome of heauen or the kingdome of God for he had said before If thou wilt enter into life kepe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts Marke after these wordes addeth And the disciples were afraide because of these sayings But Iesus answereth againe sayth vnto them ChildreÌ„ how hard is it for them that trust in money to enter into the kingdom of God C. By the which words hee doth seeme to mittigate the sharpenes of his former sayinge when he restrayneth it to those only which set their trust in riches But in deede he doth rather confirme his former sentence than correcte the same as though he should affirme that it should not seeme woÌ„derful vnto them that he maketh the enterance into the kingdome of Heauen so hard vnto riche men because it is an euil belonging almost to euerye man to trust in his riches But this doctrine is profitable to all meÌ„ to richmeÌ„ because they beinge admonished of the danger that hangeth ouer them may take heede to poore men that they being contented with their estate couet not that thing gredely which in time to come shall bringe them more harme than gaine It is most certaine trulye the riches of themselues are not euill neither of their owne nature bring impediments vnto vs wherby we might be let from the seruice of God but the impedimentes coÌ„meth of our owne corrupte nature otherwise wee mighte blame the auctor For as the sufferance of the father doth often times bring corruption to the childe euen so it caÌ„not almost be auoyded but that the more oboundance is geuen to some â–ª the more they ingurge theÌ„selues take a surfet as it wer of the same such is the wickednes of maÌ„s nature So that they to whom riches do encrease are helde as it were bounde with chaynes of Sathan least they should aspire into heaueÌ„ M. Whervpon it is no marueile if our sauiour Christ in Luke calleth them the riches of iniquity of the effect otherwise Zachaeus was very rich Neither doth the Apostle Paule say None are called being riche but hee sayth not many being rich are called And Ioseph of Aramatia which is said to bury Christ and to be his disciple was reported to be rich Abraham Lot Isaac Iacob Dauid Iob were very rich who if they had liued in the time of Christ had not ben excluded at all froÌ„ the fellowship of the Gospell seing that they were partakers of the kingdome of God in the old testamente Therfore the harts of those rich men are blamed which set their whole trust affiance in riches Whervpon the Apostel sayth not they that are rich but they which seke to be riche fall into diuers temptacions c. Againe he sayth the loue of money is the roote of all euill hee saith not the money simplely is the cause And farther hée saith to Tymothe in the same Chap. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not hye minded nor trust in vncertain riches but in the liuing God c. 24. And againe I say vnto you it is easier for a Camell to go throughe the eye of a nedell then for the riche man to enter into the kingdome of God. Againe I say vnto you B. Here our sauiour Christ correcteth that which he spake before repeting it more sharpely amplifying the difficulty of the matter which before more softly and fauourably hée expressed C. For he meaneth that rich meÌ„ do so swell with pride trust in themselues that they will in no wise abide to be broughte to those straytes in the which God doth hold those that are his For a Camell to go E. The Latine text is Facillius est Camelum per foramen acus transire This woord Camelum a Camell in the English translation is expounded of some to signify in this place the Cabel of a Ship trulye that doth better agree to the eye of a nedell and yet Pollux writing of the instruments pertayning to a Ship maketh no mencion of this worde Camelus and Suidas onlye is founde to vnderstand
time to come he doth not without good cause demaund whether they leauing al that they had gaue themselues in vaine vnto Christ For it were not indifferent that they shoulde be spoyled as it were by the Lorde and not restored to better But what were all those thinges that Peter saith here he hath forsaken For they beinge meane men of poore estate had scant a house to put in their heades this great all and sūme therfore that Peter boasteth of mighte seeme ridiculous and great folly in Peter to boast of the same And truly experience doth teach howe liberally men perswade thēselues to haue done their duty towards God euen as at this day we see that some which were almost beggers in the time of the Papacy do proudly bragge that they for the Gospels sake haue suffered great losse And other some which before the Gospel was knowen were reedye to suffer whatsoeuer shoulde be layed vppon them after they were deliuered from tyranny had lefte a little god wot behinde thē being come to the place where the Gospell was more freely preached by by proudlye and vnthanckefully they boaste that they haue forsaken all whereas God doth more esteme the affection thā all the kingdomes of the world C. Notwithstanding the Disciples maye be excused because although they had not aboūdance yet notwithstanding they liued at home with their handy labor no lesse merelye than they that had great plenty of riches And we know that simple men accustomed to a quiet competent life are more hardlye withdrawne from theyr wiues and children than they which are riche Truly except some reward were in store for the Disciples they had foolishly chaūged the state of their life But as in this parte they are excusable so in this notwithstandinge they offende that hauinge not made an ende of the warre taken in hāde desier to tryumphe If at any time the like tediousnes by reason of delaye do trouble wearye and make vs impaciente let vs learne first to consider of the solace ioye which the Lorde hath in store to mittigate the sharpenes of the Crosse in this life and to lifte vs vp to the hope of the euerlastinge life to come For in these two partes the aunswere of Christ is cōtayned VVhat shall vvee haue E. Those woordes which Iesus spake to the yonge man sayinge sell all that thou haste and thou shalte haue treasure in heauen and come and follow mée did not a little kindle the hope of Peter who although hee were not riche yet notwithstanding hée forsoke that which hée had as it was said before with a willing minde as his ship and his nettes and followed the Lorde Lord sayth hée beholde wée haue done that which thou requiredst of the yonge man What reward therefore shall wée haue 28. Iesus saide vnto them verelye I saye vnto you that yee which haue followed mee in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in the seate of his maiestye shall sit also vppon twelue seates iudginge the twelue tribes of Israell Iesus said vnto them verely I say vnto you yee vvhich Peter had spoken two thinges when hée saide Wée haue forsaken all and wee haue followed But Christ aunswering sayd not you haue forsaken all For Socrates the Philosopher did so and manye other which despised riches Because therefore it is not sufficient to leaue all Christ sayth ye that haue followed me For this belongeth to the Apostelles and the faithfull In the regeneration shall sit C. Least the Disciples should thincke that they had loste their labor and least they should repent them as of a foolishe enterprise Christ admonisheth them that the glory of his kingdome which then as yet lay hid should be reuealed as if hee should saye There is no cause whye this base estate should discourage you for I which am of no reputacion in the world will at the length ascende and sit vpon the seate of my Maiesty abyde therefore and content your selues a while for the time will come when yée shall sée my glorye And what doth hee promise them then sure hée promiseth that they shal be partakers of the same glory with him For in that hée attributeth vnto them thrones or seates out of the which they shall Iudge the twelue tribes of Israell hée compareth them vnto Legates or to the chiefe counsellers and Presidentes which in the presence of the Kinge haue the chiefe places Wée know that the Apostels were chosē twelue in number that thereby it might be declared that God by the reuealing of his sonne Christ would gather together the dispersed remnaunts of his people This was an excellente dignitye and honor but as yet hid therefore Christ suspendeth their desyers euen vntill the last time when the glorye of his kingdome should be reuealed that then at the last they might perceiue the fruite of their election And although the kingdome of Christ in the preaching of the Gospell in some point doth shine yet notwithstanding there is no doubt but that he speaketh here of the last day In the regeneration M. There are two kindes of regeneration The first is of the mindes of men in this present life which is finished and brought to passe by the preachinge of the Gospell fayth in Christ by the operatiō of the holy ghost for that is a Christian life when wée consecrate our selues to God and Christ The secōde is of the bodies of men beinge the state condition of the life to come which S. Paule calleth the redemption of our bodies when our bodies shal be raysed vppe from death shal be regenerate that is to say newe borne into the heauenly glory not into earthlye corruption For then the creature it selfe shal be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorye of the sonnes of god If wée well consider the time of the iudgement to come in the which all things shal be renued altered and that into another state and conditiō how can it be more aptly termed then by the name of regeneration The Apostel Peter calleth this regeneration the restoring of all things C. For then shall mortallitye be swallowed vp of life And our vile bodye shall then be transfigured into the heauenly glory of Christ This regeneratiō notwithstāding ought rather to be referred to the first comming of Christ because then the worlde began to be renued and the Churche also arose out of the shadow of death vnto life And this maner of speache is founde often times in the Prophetes and agreeth very well to the circumstance of this place For the renouation and restoringe of the Churche being so oftentimes promised so soone as the Messias appeared it brought a wonderful hope of felicity Christ therfore that hee might staye that error maketh a difference betwene the beginning of his kingdome and the finishing of the same VVhen the sonne of man shall sit in the seat M. Hée putteth into
he speaketh to his Apostles in secrete that they afterwardes as we shewed before might be witnesses 18. Beholde vve go vp to Hierosalē and the sonne of man shal be betrayd vnto the chiefe Priestes and vnto the Scribes and they shal condemne him to death Behold vve go vp to Hierusalem M. Here we see howe patiently he beareth the imperfection of his disciples he had twise before shewed them of these thinges and had exhorted them in all poyntes to deny them selues to the sufferance of the crosse and to the folowing of him and although he findeth them as yet carnall and weake yet notwithstanding he doeth not reiecte them or more sharpely reproue them but foretelleth them of that which should shortly come to passe saying And the sonne of man shal be C. Hereby we perceyue that Christ was armed with diuine fortitude to ouercom and vanquish the terrors of death who wittingly and willingly maketh haste to subdue the same For whye doth he take his way no man compelling him to suffer the most shameful death of the crosse but onely because the inuincible power of the spirite did subdue feare and al humain affections A. So he saith in another place The prince of this world cōmeth and hath naught in me But that the world may knowe that I loue the father And as the father gaue me a commaundement euen so do I. B. Therefore hée goeth nowe to take this punishment willingly vpon him which before he oftentimes fled because now his hower was come After this maner all the children of God behaue themselues In all thinges they followe and obey the commaundementes of God they abyde constant and their mindes do not fainte in the workes of God but they rather go forward cherefullye and boldly A. Of the which matter wée haue Paule for an example who when the brethren did beseche that he woulde not go vp to Hierusalem aunswered after this maner What do ye wéepinge and vexinge mine harte I am ready not to be bounde onelye but also to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesu C. The Euangelist Luke addeth sayinge And all thinges shall be fulfilled which were written by the prophetes as concerninge the sonne of man Therefore Christ did not onelye foreshew those things that were at hand but hée addeth also a lesson namelye that those thinges which the Prophets had written must be fulfilled in the sonne of man For this was an excellent remedy to ouercome temptacion to know the very markes and token in the ignominy of the Crosse by the which the Prophetes did signe the promised author of saluation Herevppon also they might knowe that nothinge came by chaunce but that all thinges were certainlye determined and appointed before of god And there is no doubt but that the Lord did also declare out of the Prophets what maner of fruite of his death they should loke for For the Prophets do not onely teach that Christ shall suffer but they adde also the cause namelye that hée might reconcile the world vnto god The Angell brought this fore warninge into the womens mindes after the resurrection when he saide Hée is risen hée is not here Remember how he spake vnto you when hée was yet in Galile sayinge that the sonne of man must be deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and be crucifyed and the thirde daye rise againe And Christ himselfe sayde vnto his Disciples These are the woordes which I spake vnto you while I was with you that all muste néedes be fulfilled which were written of mée in the Lawe of Moyses and in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes 19. And shall deliuer him to the Gentiles to be mocked and to be scourged and to be crucifyed and the thirde day hee shall ryse againe And shall delliuer him to the Gentiles C. In the our sauioure doth more nerelye declare the circumstāces hée setteth forth a more plaine documente and instruction of his deity For as hée was man hee could not coniecture that after hee shoulde be condemned of the hye Priestes and Scribes hée should be deliuered to the Gentiles and be spitted vppon and reprochfullye handeled whipped and at the laste hanged on the Crosse M. And it is well knowen that the Romane power did adiudge him that punishmente and that it did appoint him that death which at that time was moste cruell and ignominious C. Wée must also note that although the Lord knewe the infirmitie of his Disciples yet notwithstandinge hee woulde not hide this greuous stomblinge blocke of offence For there could be nothinge worse at that time to strike and ouerthrow the mindes of the godly than to sée the whole order of the Churche againste Christ yet notwithstandinge hee dooth not spare by deceyuinge their infirmitye but trulye declaringe the matter it selfe hee sheeweth a meane to ouercome temptacion namely that they should certainlye looke for a resurrection for hee addeth And the third daye hee shall ryse againe But because it was necessary for death to go before hee placeth in the meane time their triumphe reioysinge in hope A. Reade the sixtene Chapter goinge before The Euangelist Luke addeth And they vnderstoode none of these thinges and this sayinge was hidden from them and they vnderstoode not what was spoken What this dulnes was not to vnderstand those thinges which were spoken plainly and familliarlye not of no misticall or secrete matter our Sauiour Christ tolde them But it shal be necessarye also also here to repete that which wee spake before namelye that they were kepte in so grosse ignorance because when they had fayned to themselues a ioyful and happy successe they did count it for a greate absurdity that Christ shold dye so opprobrious a death Wherby we gather how greatly a false imaginatiō doth be witch deceiue men Wherefore let vs beware least wee being intangled by any deceites and fayned perswasions doe waxe blinde in the cleare light Wée must also note that although those admonitions did nothinge profite the Apostles at the very instante yet notwithstanding it did profite afterward For all things being finished they began to call to minde these thinges and many other which they had heard before of their maister insomuche that at the lengthe they were not vnprofitable althoughe at the firste they did profite nothinge at all Euen so when wée profite not at the first sight in the woord of God wée must not geue ouer for the woorde maye haue his force in due time Also there are left many infirmities in saints that they may know how that saluation commeth onely from God. 20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedes children with her sonnes worshippinge him and desiringe a certaine thinge of him Then came to him the mother Bu. This historye declareth how corrupt the nature of man is and what flesh seketh in the Gospell or the kingdome of god C. It containeth certainly an euident spectacle of the vanity of mā For it
this woorde Hosiah-na is as muche to saye as helpe now or saue and prosper althinges that this man taketh in hande B. And when they added to the sonne of Dauid it was as muche as if they shoulde haue sayed Helpe Lorde wee beseeche thée and prosper all things that belonge to this sonne of Dauid that his kingdome maye prosper luckely and take good successe prosper him thou wée say which dwellest in the hyest This crye of the people semeth to agrée with that whereof mencion is made in the tenthe Chapter of the firste booke of Kinges where the people sayde God saue kinge Saule and in the first Chapter of the thirde booke of kinges where the people cryed God saue kinge Solomon A. Therefore the Disciples and the multitude beinge moued by the instincte of the spirite prayed for the felicitye of the king for the prosperous successe also of his kingdome C. And truly as the spirit of God did then appoint that people to pray dailye for the kingdome of Christe euen so also hee doth nowe prescribe the same rule vnto vs And seing that God wil raigne by no other meanes than by the power of his sonne wée ought daylye to wishe and praye for his kingdome according as wee are taught Thy kingdome come vnder the which sentence the same is noted which more plainely in the Psalme is expressed Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde C. The Hebrewe woorde Berach in the Psalme out of the which these were taken signifyeth to prayse and to encrease one with goodes whervppon commeth the Hebrewe participle Baruch that is praysed blessed or increasee with goodes By this voyce therefore they wish vnto Christ the encrease of all goodnes and the prosperous successe of all thinges For repetitioÌ„ seemeth to be a familiar thinge to the Hebrewes and oftentimes vsed of them For that which before they wished in these woordes Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid or God prosper the sonne of Dauid they nowe wishe againe in sayinge Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord as if they should haue sayde Hitherto wee haue beene oppressed with diuers tyrannies but nowe oure kinge comminge all thinges shal prosper well and hee shal be happye which commeth vnto vs in the name of the Lord or beinge sente or annointed of God saue prosper and blesse thou him therfore which dwellest in the hyest The Euangelist sayth expresly in the name of the Lorde because the Messias should come as one sent and not as one that thrusteth in himselfe but should be sent of the father For hee is said to come in the name of the Lorde which intrudeth not himselfe but taketh the kingdome at the will and commaundement of god The which thinge maye more certainly be gathered by the woordes of Marke when hee sayth Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the name of him that is the Lorde of oure father Dauid For they spake after this maner in respecte of the promises because the Lord had promised that he woulde at the lengthe be the deliuerer of that people and had appointed a meane namely the renuinge and restoringe of the kingdome of Dauid B. The like and the very selfe same meaninge almost had those prayers of the seruauntes of Solomon when they sayd As God hath bene with my Lorde the kinge euen so be hee with Solomon also and make his seate greatter than the seate of my lord kyng Dauids hath bene C. We do see therefore that the honour of a mediatour of whom all good thinges and the benefite of saluation was hoped for is attributed vnto Christ But seing they were rude and ignorante people which called the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of Dauid we may hereby learne that this doctrine was comon and well knowne to the vulgar sorte which doctrine semeth to some at this daye very harde because they are not exercised in the Scriptures Hosanna in the hiest B. This repetition dothe declare a greate feruencye to be in the people which hartely and vnfainedly receyued Christe to be their kinge as if they shoulde haue saide Thou O God whiche dwellest in the heauens saue the kynge whiche thou hast sente vnto vs C. and delyuer vs by Christ whiche in thy name is come vnto vs C. The Euangelist Luke addeth somewhat more saying peace in heauen and glory in the hiest In the whiche there were no obscuritie if it were agreable to the songe of the Angell in the seconde of Luke For there the Angelles assigne glorye to God in Heauen and peace to men in earthe but here bothe peace and glory are referred to god In sence notwithstandinge there is no disagreement for althoughe the Angelles do more distinctely shewe the cause why it was necessarye that the glory and prayse shoulde be yelded vnto God namely because by his mercy men inioy peace in this worlde yet notwithstandinge it meaneth the same thinge that the multitude in this place proclaymeth namely that there is peace in heauen because we knowe that myserable consciences in this worlde are no other waies pacified then by the reconciliation of God to them from heauen 10 And when he was come to Hierusalem all the cittie was moued saying VVho is this And vvhen he vvas come Bu. It was necessary that the glory of the kynge Chryste shoulde not be obscure or hidden but euidente and manifest and therefore by the ordinance of God al the cittezens of Hierusalem are moued at this vnwonted â—…ight that we might know that the comminge of Christe in this order and apperance was not vnfruitefull and voyde of profyte C. The matter was not done in huggermugger or by stealth in secret without the knowledge of the hye priestes and Scribes but openly all the people beholdinge the same Wherefore in that contemptible state of the fleshe the maiestie of the spirite was euidente for howe coulde al men haue suffered without their greate peryll that Christ shold be brought into the Cittie with kinglike pompe excepte they had bene amased at the sighte A. This sighte therefore mighte haue seemed a laughinge game had not the power of God ben presente C. This therefore is the somme that the enteraunce of Christe into the cittie was neyther secrete nor his ennemies quiet because they contempned hym but rather that they were staied by secret feare because God had stricken theym so that they durste not attempte any thynge In the meane time the carelesse securytie of the cittie is reprehended and the zeale and religion of straungers is commended For when the cittezens by reason of the noyse make enquirye who it was they plainly declare them selues to be none of the disciples of Christ Finally these woordes ought to be extended to all those thinges whiche pertayne to the kyngedome of Chryst the whiche kingdome semeth to the worlde contemptyble and base and the mynisters and seruauntes of this kingdome do feme vnto them to be madde and out of their witts but
daungerous least they should quayle being ouerwhelmed with euels specially if they had promised vnto them selues quiet ease But he speaketh not here symplely but by a cōparison that there were always warres but neuer such greuouse warres For about the begynning of Christes commyng or about the beginninge of the Gospell they preuayled more and more B. Furthermore these rumours of warres and warres that is to saye tumultes seditions and murthers began specially and chiefely to bee in the tyme of Cumanus lieftenaunt whiche succeded Tyberius Alexander of whome Iosephus maketh mention Within a whyle after there insued an other tumulte betwene the Iewes and the Samaritanes with greate slaughter of men and spoylyng of townes After that there followed an other tumulte at Caesaria But when P. Festus had succeded Felix of whiche succesion mention is made in the fower and twenty chapter of the Actes he went aboute to delyuer that Prouince form theues but the vengeaunce of God stayinge the same he coulde not The sayde Festus being succeded by Albinus and Albinus by C. Florus all kynde of wyckednes ouerflowed For as these twoo but specially Florus lefte nothyng vndone pertayning to tyranny extreame and open iniurie and rapine euen so therewith the bouldenes of those that were seditious amonge the Iewes did dayly more and more increase where vpon immediatly came tumultes hurly-burlys roberies open violence and by little and lyttle cruel murthers and the people were vexed daylye with vnspeakeable euels and calamities tyll that they were driuen to iust rebellion with suche vnwonted force and violent crueltie not heard of before he raged against them But kyng Agrippa went many wayes about to diswade and dehorte them from rebellion yet all in vayne At the length therefore when they had preuayled whiche sought to renewe thynges the Romane power and the garryson of kyng Agrippa did assault the cittie of Hierusalem with open warre and being forced to yelde after they had geuen handes and promysed lyfe with an othe they slewe ouery one of them sauing only Mutilius the lieftenaunt After that Cestius the presidēt of Syria did bid the cittizens of Hierusalem battaile But he being forced to rayse his siege and to auoyde the force of the Iewes by flight the authours of the rebellion were made more boulde and hauing gotten all power they brought vnto them selues and to theires muche euell vntyll suche tyme as they were altogether banyshed by Titus Of all the whiche thynges Iosephus wryteth at large form the eleuenth chapiter of the seconde booke of the warre of the Iewes vnto the ende of the seuenth booke Be not troubled S. To be troubled by reason of warres in this place is to doubte of the truthe of the worde the whiche thyng we doe when we iudge of the woorde by vncertayne thynges B. as at this daye it happeneth with them whiche for the present happe and chaunce doe eyther begyn to doubte of the Gospell or to haue the same in suspicion or els altogether to cōdemne it For all these thinges must firste come This woorde Must conteineth in it no small consolation For what wyse man wil be afflicted for the thing whiche cannot otherwyse be But what man that trusteth in God wyll be troubled when that commeth to passe whiche must nedes happen by the ordinaunce of God the whiche thing must nedes be beste and moste wholsome for the saynctes of God God truly wyll not haue those that are his to bee troubled in these necessary and continuall tormoyles of thinges but to bee of a stoute mynde as those that knowe it to bee the decree and ordinaunce of god He saieth that it must nedes bee and yet notwithstandinge hee sheweth not the cause but declareth that none of all these thinges come to passe by chaūce or without the prouidence of God least we shoulde in vayne kycke against the pricke For there is nothynge more effectuall to bryng vs vnder than when we do acknowledge that those thinges whiche seme moste confused are moderated by the wyll and pleasure of god For to God him selfe iust causes and true reasons why he suffereth the worlde to be troubled are neuer wantinge but because it is mete that the faythfull doe areste in the mere and good pleasure of God Christe thoughte it sufficient to exhorte the disciples to haue their mindes armed with constancie to beare and suffer because so it pleased God. By these woordes also he dothe shewe vnto vs that his kyngdome dothe not brynge vs pleasaunte delightes and suche other lyke commodities of this worlde but that it is spirituall and he dothe as it were demonstrate with the fynger that wee must haue respecte to somewhat els than to the earth and the commodities of this present lyfe Neither dothe this woorde Must signifie any thing that is fatall or belonging to desteny as certayne fanaticall or mad men doe deme For it hath alwayes one cause or other and it is profitable to bee done for those causes before mencioned But the ende is not yet Christe here more playnely vttereth that whiche we spake of before namely that those thinges whiche were greuous of thē selues were notwithstanding onely certayne enteraunces and beginninges of greater calamities because whan the flame of warres had corrupted Iury it would burste out further For in that the doctrine of the Gospell was spread abroade the lyke ingratitude among other nations dyd kyndle the wrathe of God. Hereupon it came to passe that they whiche had broken the bonde of peace with God dyd nowe teare one an other with mutuall debate that they whiche refused before to obeye God are nowe gladde to submitte them sleues to the violence of their ennemies that they whiche before woulde not abyde to be reconciled vnto God are nowe together by the eares one with an other and that they whiche depryued them selues of heauenly saluation haue nowe fylled the earth with murther in sleying one an other M. Therefore by these woordes hee sheweth that these sedicions shall bee of longe continuance And it is a verye proffitable admonition leaste men shoulde thynke that they haue done enough if they haue escaped twoo or three daungers but rather that they shoulde alwayes bee readye to a newe fyghte For seynge the lyfe of man is a continuall warrefare vppon earthe we ought not to promyse vnto our selues a quiet state whyle we are in this worlde 7 Nation shall ryse againste nation and kyngdome against kyngdome there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places Nation shall ryse against nation B. This proued to true to Caesarea Scythopolis Ascalon Ptolmaida Alexandria and afterwarde to Damasi where tenne thousande were slayne finally to the kyngdome of Agrippa and to all Syria and the kyngdomes there aboutes of the whiche Iosephus maketh mention And there shal be pestilence M. In the third place he putteth those sygnes of the wrath of God and of the destruction to come whiche shoulde be from heauen As concerninge these plagues
for there shabe greate trouble in the lande and wrathe ouer all this people And they shall fall throughe the edge of the swerde and shal be led awaye captiue in to all nations He meaneth the lande of Iewry By this woorde wrathe he vnderstandeth the vengeaunce of God frō Heauen that is to saye greate afflictions and calamitis sent of God from heauen which declare that God is angrye He ioyned wrath and trouble together because God beinge angery sendeth trouble as if he shoulde saye by this greate trouble the Lord declareth that he is angrye against this people dwelling in the lande of Iewry And what this trouble should be he afterward declareth when he saith And they shall fall through the edge of the swerde c. And in this place is putte in stede of For. B. He that readeth the story of Iosephus shall see that these thinges are true in all pointes For so many euels happened vnto them in the tyme of beséeginge that they can not be tolde an innumerable sorte of them in this tyme perished daylye some by kyllinge themselues some by honger whiche continued so longe that a certayne woman was fayne to seeth her owne sonne for foode there were also taken of them in the tyme of this warre a thousande and foure score and seuentene prisoners and theyr dyed betwene the beginnynge and endynge of this séege ten hondered thousande as writteth Iosephus C. The Euangeliste saincte Luke addeth that all those thinges whiche were written mighte be fulfilled For seinge the couenaunte of GOD was then broken by the obstinate malice of the people it was necessary that the earthe it selfe and the ayer shoulde be stricken wyth a wonderfull alteration and chaunge There coulde no plage truely bee more deadlye and greuouse to the Iewes than to haue the lighte of the heauenlye doctrine extinguished and they them selues also reiected of god But they were constrained to fele the plage of their reiection by sharpe and greuouse scourges as in greate obstinacye it was necessary More ouer the cause of so horrible vengeaunce was for that the desperate impietye of this people was come euen to the full For the medecine whiche was broughte for theire disease was not onlye proudlye despised of them but also contumeliouslye reiected yea they dyd cruelly as it were mad men rage against the Phisition hym selfe Seinge therefore the Lorde reuenged on them so seuerelye the obstinate contempte of his Gospell let vs alwayes haue before our eyes their punishement and let vs therby learne that there is nothynge that the Almighty God can lesse suffer at our handes than the obstinate contempte of his grace And althoughe the same rewarde dothe abyde the lyke contemners of the Gospell yet notwithstandynge God woulde haue the same documente or instruction to abyde in memorye aboue all others to the ende the glory of Christe his commynge mighte be more euident to those that shoulde come after For wee can not by woorde of mouthe expresse anye crime more hainouse than to put the sonne of God to death the author of lyfe offered vnto them from heauen Therefore when they had fulfilled this horrible acte they seassed not by one wickednes or an other to brynge vppon them all the causes of extreame destruction A. Therefore Christe sayth there shal be greate tribulation Suche as vvere not from the beginning of the vvorld Bu. Marke hath from the beginninge of creatures whiche God created callinge there the world the creature of god as in the eight to the Romanes also Neither shal be C. Christ saith here that the like afflictiō shal neuer be in the world because euē as the only repulse of Christ beinge ioyned with suche obstinacy and ingratitude was the moste detestable sinne that euer was committed euen so also it was iust and mete that the reuēge therof should passe all other in cruelty M. But if the Lorde did so seuerely punishe and reuenge himselfe on that nacion whiche he had chosen to be a holye one to himselfe what shall wee thinke will come to passe excepte wee beinge warned by these examples followe oure callinge 22. Yea and except those dayes shoulde be shortned there should no fleshe be saued but for the chosens sake those dayes shal be shortened Yea and except those dayes should be shortened A. That is except the Lord should shorten those dayes For Marke hath Except the Lorde had shortened those dayes that is except the Lord had ended them As if he shoulde saye if the Lorde had suffered that calamity as it was vehement so to haue continued if also he had suffered the enemys to rage so much and so longe as they listed not one amonge all that people should haue escaped There shoulde no fleshe be saued C. He putte this worde fleshe for man accordinge to the maner of the Hebrewes We must vnderstande these things to be spoken of the Iewes not of all mankind as some falsely interprete as if he should haue saide that no man shoulde abide in safety He amplifieth therfore the cruelty of the destruction notwithstandinge he mitigateth the same againe with a consolation namely that the name of the Iewes thereby shoulde vtterlye be destryed blotted out excepte the Lorde shoulde haue respecte vnto his electe and for their sakes to release somwhat of the extremity And this place agreeth with that of the prophete Esay where he saith And excepte the Lord of hostes had lefte vs a fewe alyue we shoulde haue bene as Sodoma lyke vnto Gomorha For it was necessary the that vēgeāce of god which happened in the Babilonical exile should be fulfilled againe by the comming of Christ as the Apostell Paule witnesseth Yea the greater that the wickednes was the more greuouse ought the vengeance of God to be Therfore our sauiour Christ saith that except God should make appointe an ende to these euels the Iewes shoulde vtterly perishe in so muche that not one of them shoulde remaine But God hauing a consideration of his cōuenāt saith he spared his electe according to the Prophesy of Esay in an other place saying Thoughe thy people O Israell be as the sande of Sea yet shall the remnaunte of them conuerte in him and bee saued But for the chosens sake those dayes A. The Euāgeliste Marke hath he hath shortned those dayes Because he had as yet and woulde haue some of the chosen oute of this people the Lorde shortened those days of calamity leaste the whole stocke of the Iewes shoulde altogether be extinguished Whereuppon Peter also writteh The Lorde knoweth howe to deliuer the godly oute of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgemēt for to be punished He preserued Noe the eight preacher of righteousnes and broughte in the floude vpon the worlde of the vngodly and he deliuered iust Loth being vexed with the vncleanly cōuersatiō of the wicked C. And this is a notable documēt or lesson of the diuine Iudgement of God
the grace of Goddes kyngedome offered vnto theym and do contempne and persecute his mynisters shall see in tyme to come what they haue despysed and shall mourne C. And hee alludeth to the place of the Prophete where GOD teachinge that a notable proofe of his iudgemente is at hande saith that there shall be mournynge amonge all kynredes lyke as men mourne for theyr onely begotten sonne yea and be sorye as men are sorye for the buryall of their fyrste chylde Wherefore there is no cause why any man shoulde looke for the conuersion of the worlde because to late and without profyte at the lengthe they shall feele whom they haue crucifyed And they shall see the sonne of man. This is an explycation of that signe because they shall see the sonne of man commyng on the clowdes whiche was then in earthe vnder the fourme of a vyle seruaunte And after this maner hee declareth that the glorye of his kyngedome shall not be earthely but heauenly as the Disciple falsely immagyned M. And there is an emphasis or force in this that hee saythe not and they shall come but they shall see As if hee shoulde saye Hym whome they contemne and persecute shall they see comyng with greate terroure and feare to iudgemente with power and greate glory After this manner hee beinge broughte before the presence of the hyghe priestes sayde Hereafter shall ye see the sonne of man syttynge on the ryghte hande of power and commynge in the clowdes of the skye And in the nynteth of Iohn it is sayde they shal see hym whom they pearced They shall see I saye the sonne of manne For when hee assended into Heauen hee dydde leaue his humayne nature but dyd clarifie the same He meaneth therefore that hee wyll descende in the same forme and subtance in the whiche he assended into heauen Comminge in the cloudes of heauen M. Hee assended in the cloudes For it is said And the cloudes toke him awaye from theyr sighte And as he assended so shal he dessende againe So shall he come said the angelles as ye se him go into heauen S. Paule also saith And we shall be taken vp in the clowdes to mete Chryste in the aire So often therfore as we see the clowdes let vs be admonished of these thinges For they are and shal be the mynisters of Christ and oures also Let vs thincke that they shall be our charriote by the whiche we shal be caried vp to the heauenly glory We are also admonished by this place not to differ oure repentāce and amendment of life to that time in the whiche there is no leysure to repente or conuerte To late repentaunce is vaine which to no pourpose afflicteth the wicked at the comming of the iudge maketh the vnbeleuinge Iewes the Gentiles and euill christians to mourne 31 And he shall sende his angelles with the greate voyce of a troumpet and they shall gather together his chosen from the foure windes euen from the higheste partes of heauen vnto the endes therof And he shall sende his angelles vvith the great voyce Bu. Or with the trompet of a gret voice for the greeke texte may diuersely be taken But the well soundynge and shryll trompet by the whiche the electe shall be called frō all places is that most effectuall calling as well of the deade as of the liuing to the trybunall seate of Christe whiche shall be done by the mynistery of angels And it semeth to be alluded to the maner of the Israelites who were wont to be gathered together with the sounde of a trompet by the Leuites Moreouer the sound of the trompet was heard whē the law was geuen to Israel in the whiche there was a certaine shewe made of this last gathering together of the people of God. The Apostell Paule ioyneth the shoute voyce of the Archangell with the trompe of God saying For the lorde hym selfe shall dessende frō heauen with a shoute and the voice of the Archeangel and trompe of god And the same Paule calleth it the last trōpe in another place And they shall gather together his chosen M. For consolations sake he sheweth what shal happen to the electe He sayth not They shall gather together Christians of the which the greatest parte are reprobates neither the iust or pure from syn which haue well deserued but the electe that he mighte commende the grace of election A. out of the which as out of a most cleere fountayne all good thinges what so euer God hath done or wil do for his children doth flowe C. And it is to be noted that it is sayd tht the electe shall be gathered together by his aungelles therfore angels are the ministers of god From the fovver vvindes That is from the one ende of the worlde to the other The Euangeliste Marke hath from the foure windes from the ende of the earth to the vttermoste parte of heauen For he meanethe that the electe muste be gathered from all places of the earthe Euen from the hyest partes of heauen That is euen to the vttermoste parte of heauen For the heythe of the heauen signifyethe as muche as the vtmoste regyon or parte thereof But Chryste speaketh hyperbolically that he might teach the elect that altoughe they be quite taken out of the earth and theyr ashes dispersed through the ayre yet notwithstanding that they shall be gathered together agayne that they maye growe and increase vnder his heade to euerlastinge lyfe and maye inioye the longe loked for inheritaunce For he mente to comforte his discyples leaste the sorrowfull scatterynge of the Churche shoulde discourage them Wherefore also wee so sone as we discerne and perceyue the Churche to be racked and deuyded by the subtyll practyse of Sathan or to be torne by the crueltie of the wycked eyther to be troubled by wicked oppinions or elles to be vncertaynely led awaye lette vs learne to haue respecte to this collection But trewly if the matter seme vnto vs harde to be beleeued lette the Angellical power come into oure myndes the whiche Christe therefore setteth before vs that he mighte put vs in minde of more than that whiche man is able to do For allthoughe the Churche being nowe weryed and molested by the mallice of man wandereth vnstable chased into banyshmente and beinge dashed and brused as it were by the waues and myserablye rent hath nothing sure and certayne in this world yet notwithstanding it must hope well because he shall gather it not after the manner of men but by his heauenly power whiche shal be of greatter force than all lettes 32 Learne a similitude of the figge tree when his braunches is yet tender and the leaues spronge ye knowe that sommer is nye Learne a symilitude of the fygge tree A. The Euangelist Luke And he spake vnto them a parable Beholde the fygge tree and all the trees when they shote forth their buddes ye see and knowe of your selues that sommer is then
the disposinge of the inheritance and are then at the last confirmed and in full strengthe when the testators or will makers are desceased In like maner Christ being dead the Heauenly graces are exhibited and geuen to vs euen as oute of a Testamente or will. The Greeke interpreters of the Byble haue translated the Greeke word Dhiatheken to signify a Testament the whiche word our Euangelist Mathewe vseth also Howbeit S. Hierom hath translated it to signifye a league or couenant Of the which woord when the Scripture maketh mencion namely that God entered into a league whether it were by the olde or newe with his people it meaneth that couenaunte and promise by the whiche God promised that hee would be the God of his people and by the which his people promised likewise that thei would take him for their God for their father and sauiour and that they woulde geue themselues wholly to the wil of God. The oulde leage and Testamente therefore is that by the which God chose Abraham and his seede After that hee did renue with all the people by Moyses in the mounte Sion This was also confirmed agayne in Iosue as we may reade in the fower and twētye Chapter of his Booke The newe leage and Testamente is that by the which God chose all Nations to be his people by the Gospell of the which Testament the Prophetes foreshewed many thinges as Esay Ieremye and others This Testamente is described by remission of sinnes and in destributinge the amplenes of the spirite to all the electe that they maye knowe the Lorde from the smallest to the greatest hauinge the lawe written in their hartes The holye fathers of olde time also were partakers of this leage and Testament but not so clerely in such mightynes of spirite as now that Christ is exalted For truly there is but one mediator of God and mā neither was there any man which was able to please God at anye tyme but the same had his sinnes remitted and the lawe of God by some meanes written in his hart The bloud of Christ is one price of redemption to all the saints But as the more full and perfect reuelation of the old Testament was confirmed by the same bloude of Christ but vnder the type notwithstandinge of the bloude of a yonge bullocke euen so the new was sealed by no other bloude then by the preciouse harte bloud of Christ himselfe For immediatlye after the death resurrection of the Lord the Gospell begā to be preached to all creatures and a new people to be gathered Herevppon the Lord sayth that he geeueth his bloud of the newe Testament that is by the which this new Testament was sealed and the Testamente it selfe confirmed with this bloude For this cause truly wee acknowledge and worship God the father and are partakers in deede of the true spirite and of the grace of the new Testamēt because Christ liueth in vs and because we are flesh of his flesh C. But two things are here worthy to be noted For wee gather by this worde Testamente or leage that there is a promise included in the holy Supper By that which their error is confuted which deny that fayth is holpen cherished stayed vp and increased by Sacramentes For betwene the Testament of God and the faith of men there is alwayes mutuall relation Whervppon it followeth that they are not onely amonge men externall signes of profession but also inwarde helpes of fayth Furthermore by this word Newe Christ went about to teache that old figures haue nowe an ende that they might geeue place to the firme and eternall couenant There is therefore here a crosse opposition or comparison betweene this mystery and the shadowes of the Lawe whereby it appeareth how much our condition is better than the fathers which after the sacrifyce finished on the Crosse do enioye the sounde and perfect truth That is shed for manye Luke declareth that he said also For you Christ doth here depaint and set forth himselfe as thoughe hee were hanginge on the Crosse and imbrewed with bloude For hee sayth which is shed and not which was shed And when he sayth For you in Luke hee declareth his owne innocencye which was not subiecte to deathe for so muche as the Prince of this world which had rule ouer death had nothing in him because he was free from sinne wherevppon it was not needefull that hee should offer for his owne sinnes first accordinge to the maner of the hye priestes because he is holy vndefiled voyde of all sinne Hee teacheth also howe great his loue is toward vs that when hee ought nothinge vnto death he would suffer the same for vs Greater loue hath no man than this that a man bestow his life for his frends But whereas this our Euangelist Mathewe sayth that Christe sayde For manye some man might marueile seinge the Apostle sayth Christe dyed for all that they which liue shoulde not henceforth liue vnto themselues And seinge it is saide in another place that Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde The aunswere to this doubt is That our sauiour Christe vnder the name of manye doth meane not onely a part of the world but all mankinde also For hee opposeth or setteth many against one as if he shoulde saye that hee is the redeemer not of one man onelye but that hee suffereth deathe to deliuer many from the gilt of sinne and cursse Euen so in the fifte to the Romaynes S. Paule taketh manye for all men by a comparison betwene one and many Neither is there any doubt but that Christe speakinge here to a few ment to make the doctrine cōmon to more Notwithstandinge wee must also note that in Luke he speakinge to his Disciples by name exhorteth all the faithfull to apply the effusiō of his bloud to their vse Thereforefore when we come to the holye Table let not onelye this generall cogitacion come into our minde that the worlde is redemed by the bloude of Christ but also let euerye man thincke with himselfe that Christ hath satisfyed for his sinnes M. For the death of Christ is a vniuersall redemption for that cause he is called the sauioure of the world and the preachinge of the Gospell was sent into the whole world that all men might be called to the fayth of Christ But because the elect onely do receiue this grace he is specially said to be the sauioure of the electe and faithfull who in comparison of the reprobate are fewe yet in them selues are many For the remission of sinnes C. That whereof Mathewe and Marke made no mencion in the signe of bread they nowe expresse in the Cuppe namelye that his bloud shoulde be shed for the remission of sinnes But this note ought to be referred to both partes Therefore to the ende wee may eate the fleshe of Christ aright wee must behould his offeringe because it was
persecute Wee are the chiefe priestes and louers of the law and Dysciples of Moyses let this our authority be sufficient to content thee Thinkest thou that wee do erre Behould here howe these wicked ones whom God hath aduaunced to a hye degree of honour beinge blinded as it were with their excellencye do geue liberty to them selues to do what they liste Behoulde also what swellinge pride remayned in them They would haue Christ to be thought an euill doer because they accuse him but truly if the matter had bene handeled in deede what should his euill deedes haue beene founde to bee but onely the healinge of the sicke the castinge of deuils out of men the makinge of those that were sicke of the palsey to stand the restoringe of sight to the blinde the makinge of the deaffe to heare the restoring of life to the deade The matter truly was thus and they were sufficiently conuinced but as we sayd euen now there is nothing more hard than to make men that are droncke with pride to Iudge with a sounde and vprighte minde Pilate therefore sayth vnto them Take yee him and Iudge him after your owne law There is no doubt but that Pilate beinge offended at their rudenes violence casteth in their teeth that order of condemnation which they vrged to be contrarye to the cōmon Lawe of all Nations and to abhorre the sence of man And therewith also hee secretelye reprehendeth them because they bosted that they had the Lawe geuen vnto them of god Hee speaketh Ironice when he sayth Take ye him For he ment not to suffer them to execute Iudgement of life and death vppon him but his wordes are thus much in effect If the power were yours hee shoulde sodainelye be drawne vnto death his cause not hearde is this therefore the equitye of your lawe to condemne a man for no faulte Euen so the wicked falselye pretendinge the name of God do submit his holy doctrine to the sclaūder and reproche of the ennemyes and occasion geuen to the world to speake euill The Iewes therefore sayd vnto him It is not lawful for vs to put any man to deathe They are deceiued whiche thincke that the Iewes refused that whiche Pilate offered vnto them but rather when they knewe that it was sayd to them by a mocke Take you him they aunswere It is not lawfull for vs to put any mā to death as if they should saye Thou wouldest not suffer this therefore seing thou arte a Iudge execute thine office That the sayinge of Iesus might be fulfilled which hee spake signifyinge what death he should dye At the length Saint Iohn addeth that it ought so to be that the same might be fulfilled which was foreshewed of Christe sayinge The sonne of man shal be deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles C. Pilate therefore would not by by accomplishe and satisfye the request wickedlye made of the Iewes neither deliuer and innocent to death at their pleasure And therefore the Euangelist Luke sayth And they beganne to accuse him sayinge Wee founde this fellowe peruerting the people and forbiddinge tribute to be payed vnto Caesar sayinge that hee is Christe a kinge M. This is that accusation by the whiche they desyered to styrre vp the minde of the debity against the Lord and that not without craft For although they went aboute to ouerthrow Christ with many and sondry faultes yet notwithstandinge it is certaine that this accusation that hee desyered the name of a king was very wickedlye put vp against him to the ende they mighte thereby cause Pilate to enuye him And therefore they do expreslye saye that they founde him alteringe the state of thinges peruertinge the people and forbiddinge tribute to be geuen to Caesar This trulye of all other faultes was most odious vnto Pilate who cared for nothinge more than to defende and maintaine the quiet state of the people and gouernment M. The Iewes also knew that a prophane man would be much moued if they should say Wee found this man speakinge blasphemye against God to be a despiser of our Temple But they knew that Pilate and such as hee was coūted sedition a greuous faulte and not tolleble if anye man shoulde forbid tribute to be geuē to Caesar and a most greuous hatred if any man should make himselfe a kinge in the Romaine Empire A. Wherefore they do chieflye stande vppon this as vppon the special part of the whole accusation namely that they mighte make Christe giltye of ambicious desyer of the kingdome Euen as at this day also Sathan by this pretence goeth about to make the Gospell hated and suspected as though Christe in erectinge settinge vp his kingdome would destroye all the gouernementes of the world and abolishe the rightes and lawes of kinges magistrates And truly suche is the blinde pride oftentimes of kinges that they thincke Christe cannot raigne withoute the losse of their power Therfore that action seemeth vnto them alwayes plausible and right by the which Christ is once vniustlye burthened M. For this cause both the Prophetes in the olde Testamente and also the Apostles and so many as at anye time in the newe haue sincerely preached the worde of God were not only accused of eronious doctrine but also of seditions and are at this day also And for this cause wee do see many princes to abhorre out of measure the doctrine of the truth as thoughe it were a seditious doctrine But let vs retourne to our Euangelist Iesus sayth hee stoode before the Debitye C. Although this were a disordered and vnsemelye sighte farre from the dignitye of the sonne of God that hee should be drawne to the Iudgement seate of a Heathen man to pleade his cause for life in bonds as though hee had beene an euill doer yet notwithstandinge wee muste remember that in the doctrine of the Crosse which is folishnes to the Greekes and a stomblinge blocke to the Iewes there is contayned plentyfull saluation For the sonne of God woulde be brought bounde before a earthly Iudge there be made subiect to the Iudgement of deathe that hee beinge desolued from giltines of sinne may come bouldly and freelye to the celestiall throne of god Therefore if wee consider what profite wee receyued by the Iudgement of Christ vnder Pilate the reproche of such vndeserued subiection shal by and by be put away And truly the condemninge of Christ offendeth none but onlye eyther proude hypocrites or els insensible and grose contemners of God who are not ashamed of their owne iniquity Christ therefore stoode as one gilty before a mortall man and suffered himselfe there to be accused and condemned that wee mighte stande before God voyde of all feare His ennemyes truly wente about to put him to perpetuall reproche and shame but wee must rather consider the ende to the whiche the prouidence of God doth directe vs For if we call to minde how terrible and fearefull the Iudgemente seate of God is
and that wee coulde not be deliuered from the same except Christ should haue bene made giltye in earthe wee will neuer be ashamed to glorye and reioyce in bondes Moreouer so often as we heare that Christ stode in sorrowfull and base forme before Pilate let vs thereby gather occasion to beleeue the bearing our selues bould of the intercessor wee maye come into the presence of God with cherefulnes To the same ende also it pertayneth which followeth by and by as concerninge his sylence Christ helde his peace when the hye Priestes vrged him on euerye syde that by his sylence hee might open our mouthes For herevppon commeth that power vnto vs whereby wee crye Abba father And the Debitye asked him saying Art thou the kinge of the Iewes Howbeit it is probable that there were manye things spoken on both sides whereof the Euangelistes make no mencion not withstandinge all other thinges set a part Pilate chieflye standeth vpon the matter of seditiō because if he had founde Christe in any point to be a troubler of the common state hee woulde haue condemned him without delaye This is the cause why hee asked if he were a kinge M. S. Iohn sayth Then Pilate entered into the Iudgement haule againe and called Iesus and sayd vnto him Arte thou the kinge of the Iewes Nothinge coulde be done withoute tumulte because they were seditiouslye bente Hee entereth therefore into the Iudgement haule And truly his purpose is to absolue set Christe at liberty but Christ himselfe that he mighte obey his father offereth himselfe to be condemned and this is the cause that hee aunswereth so sparinglye For seinge hee had a Iudge so gentle an fauourable and whiche hearde him willingly it was an easye matter for him to defende his cause but he considereth to what ende hee came into the worlde and wherefore hee is now called of the father Therefore hee willinglye houldeth his peace least he should escape death And as concerninge this question whiche Pilate demaunded here of Christ namelye whether hee were a kinge it was done by the procurement of the Iewes who burthened him with the same faulte But he did make this demaunde as concerninge the kyngdome of Christ because if hee coulde cleare himselfe of that matter hee would set him at libertye Iesus sayth vnto him thou sayest In S. Iohns Gospell Christ maketh this aunsweare Speakest thou this of thy selfe or hath some other toulde it thee of mee The which aunsweee tendeth to this ende that there is no cooller in that accusation So that it contayneth an ouerthwarte refutacion as if hee shoulde saye This faulte is vndescretely obiected to mee seing there is no likelyhoode thereof whereby I might iustlye he suspected But Pilate seemeth not to take it well that Christe shoulde demaunde why hee suspected him And therefore in displeasure and reproche hee sayth that if any thinge were amisse it was longe of his owne nation I saith he sit a Iudge straungers do not accuse thee but thine owne country men there is no cause therefore why thou shouldest make me partaker of your discorde and contencion By mee and the Romaines ye mighte liue quietlye but ye wearye and trouble your selues yet I accordinge to my office which I am cōstrayned to take muste see that peace and quietnes be maintained Thy hye Priestes accuse thee what hast thou done A. A horrible sighte to behoulde Christe standeth bounde before the Iudge beinge striken with fistes spitted vppon lookinge for nothinge but the sentence of death and yet notwithstanding what hee had done it was not knowne Whereby wee leane that there was nothinge true or had any likelyhoode of truthe that coulde be layed to Christes charge and yet for all that the vniuste and most wicked sentence of death was pronoūced against him Iesus aunswereth My kingdome is not of this worlde By these woordes hee confesseth that hee is a kinge but he putteth awaye and pourgeth the reproche so muche as was sufficient to proue his innocensye For he affirmeth that his kingedome doth not withstande pollitique order as if hee should saye I am falselye accused to be a troubler of thinges and to renue matters in the publique state I preached of the kingdome of God but that is spirituall therefore there is no cause why yee shoulde haue mee in suspicion of desieringe a kingdome But this defence of Christ was before Pilate but the same is a profitable doctrine to all the godlye to the ende of the world For if the kingdome of Christ were earthly it shoulde be vnstable and transitory because the fashion of this world passeth away but now seinge it is sayde to be Heauenly it proueth that the same shall abyde for euer Euenso if it shoulde come to passe that the whole worlde should be destroyed and that there shoulde be before oure eyes horrible motions and earthquakes yet let our mindes hauinge respect vnto the kingdome of Christ abyde firme and stable If wee be cruelly vexed of the wicked yet notwithstandinge there abydeth for vs perfect saluation in the kingdome of Christ which is not subiecte to the pleasure of men Furthermore wee are taughte what the nature of this kingdome is For if it shoulde make vs blessed accordinge to the fleshe and shoulde bringe vnto vs riches pleasures and whatsoeuer could be wished for the vse of this present life it woulde be but earthly and of this worlde which hath but a time but now although to loke vnto oure estate be myserable yet notwithstandinge our perfect felicitye doth abyde for euer Hereby also wee learne who they are which pertaine vnto this kingdome namelye they whiche are renued by the spirite of God and do meditate a heauenly life in holynes and righteousnes Howbeit we must also note that it is not denyed but that the kingdome of Christ is in this world For wee know that it hath the proper abydinge place in our minds euen as Christ also sheweth in another place The kingdome of God is within you But to speake properlye the kingdome of God dwellinge in vs passeth throughoute the whole worlde because the conditiō thereof is altogether diuers Christ addeth If my kingdome were of this worlde then woulde my mynisters surely fight that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes but now is my kingdome not from hence Hee proueth that hee desyereth not an earthlye kingdome because no man made any tumulte nor toke any weapon in hande For if any priuate man vsurpe vnto himselfe a kingdome it is necessary that hee get power and force by factious men In the kingdome of Christe there is no suche thinge it followeth therefore that he is no earthly kinge Question But it may be demaunded in this place whether it be not lawful to defende the kingdome of Christe with weapons For when the Princes are commaunded to kisse the sonne of God they are not onelye commaunded to submit themselues priuately to his imperye and power but also to bende all theyr force to defende
the Churche and maintayne godlynes First of all wee aunswere that they do vnaptly and amisse which inferre this consequence that the doctrine of the Gospell and the pure worship of God ought not to be defended by the sworde because Christe is not then defended in his owne person For Christ onely proueth by the present deede how friuolus and vaine it was whiche the Iewes slaunderouslye brought against him Furthermore although godly kings do defende the kingdome of Christ with the sword yet notwithstanding this is done after another maner than earthlye kingdomes are defended For the kingdome of Christe as it is syirituall so it must be grounded in the doctrine and power of the spirite After the same maner also his buildinge is broughte to passe for neyther lawes nor edictes of men neither punishmentes do reache so far as to the conscience Notwithstandinge this doth not let but that Princes by accidens maye defende the kingdome of Christ partly when they do appoynt externall discipline and partly whē they do apply their defence to the Churche against the wicked But the wickednes of the world bringeth to passe that the kingdome of Christ is more established by the bloud of martyres than by the defence of weapons Pilate therefore sayd vnto him Art thou then a kinge Iesus aunsweared Thou sayest that I am a kinge For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I might beare witnes to the truth Althoughe alreadye Pilate vnderstoode by the former aunsweare that hee challenged some one kingdome to himselfe Christ notwithstandinge doth nowe affyrme the same againe and not content therewith hee addeth another sentence which might be a confirmation and seale of that other sayinge Whereby wee gather that the doctrine which concerneth the kingdome of Christ is not common seing hee sayeth that the same is worthy of so great asseueration or affyrmance For it is a general sentence For this cause was I borne that I might beare witnes of the truthe notwithstandinge it must speciallye be applyed to the circomstance of this place But the wordes signify thus much that it naturally belongeth vnto Christ to he true and also that for this cause he was sente of the father Wherefore there is no daunger or feare that if wee beleeue in him wee shall be deceyued betause it is impossible that hee should set forth any thinge but that whiche is true to whom the office of teachinge and maintayninge truthe was committed from aboue Whosoeuer is of the truth heareth my voyce This sentence Christ added not so much to exhort Pilate because hee knewe hee should not profite as hee did it to set his doctrine free from vndeserued reproches and slaunders to the which it was subiecte as if hee should haue sayde This is counted a fault in mee that I haue professed my selfe to be a kinge but truly this is an vndoubted truth the which they receiue reuerently withoute controuersy which are of a right Iudgement and sounde vnderstandidge Howbeit hee sayth that they are of the truthe not which naturallye behoulde that whiche is true but in respecte that they are gouerned by the spirite of god A. Christ preached these thinges as concerninge his kingdome before Pontius Pilate the Debitye as witnesseth S. Iohn But the other three Euangelistes saye that Christe aunsweared thus Thou sayest it C. The which aunswere is very ambiguous and doubtfull yet notwithstandinge it maye be gathered oute of Iohn that Christe confessed freelye that which was obiected agaynste him but yet that hee did therewith put away the fault when hee denyeth himselfe to be an earthly kinge But because hee did not greatlye seeke to purge himselfe euen as those that are giltye are wont to do the Euangelistes do set downe vnto vs his halfe aunsweare as if they should say that he denyed not but that hee was a kinge yet notwithstandinge that hee ouerthwartlye noted the slaunder wyth the whiche the ennemyes burthened him without a cause Pilate sayth vnto him What thinge is truthe It seemeth to some that Pilate curiouslye enquired as commonlye Heathen men do whiche greedelye desyer the knowledge of secrete thinges and beinge notwythstandinge ignoraunte whye they desyer this For they onlye seeke to feede their eares But rather this voyce seemeth to proceede of disdayne For Pilate thoughte that it was no small iniurye done vnto him that Christ should depriue him of all knowledge of truthe Nowe let vs behoulde in Pilate the common disease of men for althoughe oure owne consciences do beare testimonye vnto vs of oure ignoraunce yet notwithstandinge there are very fewe which can abyde to confesse the same And herevppon it commeth that the greater parte do reiecte the true doctrine Afterwarde the Lorde whiche is the teacher of the humble in blindynge the proude geeueth them the punishmente that they deserue Oute of the same pryde commeth that disdayne whiche wyll in no wise submitte it selfe to learne because euery man seemeth wyse in his owne conceyte The matter is thought to be an oulde truthe But God on the contrarye parte affyrmeth that it farre exceedeth the capascitye of mans minde The like also happeneth in other matters The speciall pointes of deuinitye consiste of these namelye of the corrupte nature of the mortification of the fleshe of the renouation of life of the free reconcilliation by the onelye sacrifyce of the imputaon of righteousnes by the whiche a sinner is accepted of God and of the illumination of the spirite Nowe because euerye one of these is a Paradox the common sence and reason of men doth contemptuouslye reiecte them Very fewe therefore do profite in the schole of God because there is scarce one amonge tenne whiche taketh anye heede to his first rules and principles And howe commeth this to passe but onelye because they measure the secrete wysedome of God by their owne vnderstandinge And that Pilate spake in derison it maye appeare by this that hee wente foorthe by and by To be shorte hee is angerye and displeased wyth Christe because hee bosteth that hee bringeth forthe the truthe whiche before was hidde Yet notwithstandynge this hys displeasure doth declare that the wicked do neuer so frowardlye reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel but that they are touched with some force of the same For althoughe Pilate came not so farre as to shewe hymselfe apte to be taughte yet notwithstandinge he is constrayned to feele some pricke of conscience within him These thinges beinge ended S. Iohn and S. Luke saye thus And when he had spoken these thinges hee came foorthe agayne to the Iewes to the hye Priestes and to al the multitude and said vnto them I finde not cause at all in him A. Althoughe Pilate were a wicked and vniuste man yet notwythstandinge hee woulde not adiudge an innocente to death so longe as his fame or office were in no perill Moreouer as the Euangelistes do dilligentlye describe that Christe wente not to hys deathe by externall force
the hyghe Pryestes the heathen people also had mocked hym pryuately in the iudgemente house of the deputie but nowe on euery syde all degrees tryumphe ouer hym without mercy and compassyon hee beinge readye to dye and sufferynge moste cruell tormentes as the hyghe Pryestes the Scrybes the people the soldioures the highest the lowest yea the theefe on the crosse deryded hym and whiche was most sorrowfull no man dyd bewayle hym euen as Dauid hadde foreshewed sayinge I loked for somme to haue pittie on me but there was no manne neyther founde I any to comforte mee B. C. All men knowe by experyence howe greate griefe it is vnto man if in his greate trouble not onely no manne bewayleth hym but also all men rather reioyce Chryste suffereth most bitter tormentes in the bodye his mynde also is trowbled and hee is afflycted wyth moste sharpe and slaunderouse reproches by the whiche Sathan wente aboute to geeue hym a deadelye wounde that hee myghte putte his Fayth in danger In this syghte as in a glasse God hathe sette forthe howe myserable oure condition is if wee shoulde wante a redeamer For what so euer Chryst suffered it was for oure ease and saluatyon whereby wee oughte dayely to be moued to repentaunce This temptation truly was more sharpe than all other tormentes that all men shoulde vexe hym with contumelies and sclaunders as thoughe hee hadde beene reiected and forsaken of god B. And therefore Dauid bearynge the personne of Chryste â—…othe specially bewayle this amonge the reste of his euylles saying All they that see me laugh me to scorne they shote out their lyppes and shake the head C. And trewly there is nothinge that doth more wound pearce the mindes of the godly than when theÌ„ wicked to destroye their faithe do cast them in the féethe that they are destitute of the helpe and grace of god This is that sharpe persecution with the whiche Paule saith that Isaac was vexed of Ismaell Not because he persecuted him wyth the sword and force of armes but because he mockinge the grace of God went about to ouerthrowe his faythe And firste of all Dauid felte these temptations â–ª after that Christ him selfe leaste they should tempte vs to muche at this daye by the newenes thereof For the wycked shall neuer be wantinge to reioyce at our miseries 40 And sayinge thou that destroyedste the temple of God and diddest build it in three daies saue thy selfe If thou be the sonne of God come downe froÌ„ the crosse Thou that destroyedst C. Here they do reproue the doctrine of Christe in vayne because hee dothe not nowe declare the power in time of neede whiche hee saide before hee had But trewelye excepte a desyre to speake euill had depriued them of their minde and iudgement the truth of his sayinge a lyttell after was euydente inoughe vnto theim Christe had saide Destroye this temple and I will rayse it vp the thyrde daye Nowe they tryumphinge before the time in the begynnynge of the ruine and fall doe not tary vntyll the third day Suche is the insolencye presumption of the wicked agaynst all the chyldren of god when as vnder the pretence of the crosse they goe aboute to take from them the hope of the life to come Where say they is that immortall glory which foolish beleuinge men do dost of seinge they now lye thus contemned and in misery Are not some of them in extreme pouerty othersome in banishment others in prison some allso burnte to ashes Thus dothe the corruption of the presente externall man blynde them that they thinke the hope of restoringe to come to be vayne and rydiculouse But we must loke for the dewe time when the promised building shall be finished neyther must we take it greueously yf we be now crucified with Christ because hereafter we shal be pertakers of his resurrection Saue thy selfe Bu. As if they had sayd At the length it apeareth how notablelye thou hast lyed for nowe thou canst not saue thy selfe Thy afflicted body cut and torne with strypes thou canst not restore so farre vnable art thou to build againe the Temple if it were destroyed If thou be the son of God C. For this cause the hye Prieste with the rest of the Priestes Scribes and Elders of the people condemned Christ of blasphemye in the Counsaile Now here they triumphe ouer him beinge crucifyed as though he were conuicted of blasphemye This voice If thou be the sonne of God is a great temptacion and procedinge from the deuill speciallye if thou weye consider how and when it was obiected vnto him beinge afflicted and complayninge that hée was forsaken of God. Euenso Sathan séeketh to take from vs the promises of god In like maner Christ beinge amonge beastes in the wildernesse and féelings the paine of hunger SathaÌ„ saide If thou be the sonne of God commaunde that these stones be made bread Come dovvne from the Crosse The wicked do requyre of Christ such a document of his power that by prouinge himselfe to be the sonne of God he may cease to be the sonne of god For this cause hee toke vppon him our humaine nature and came into the worlde that by the sacrifyce of hys death he might reconcile men to God the father Therefore it was necessarye that hee shoulde hange vppon the Crosse to shewe himselfe to be the sonne of god And let vs hereby learne to confirme our faythe because the sonne of God to finishe the woorke of our saluation â–ª would abyde till hee had suffered both the cruell tormentes of the fleshe and also the horrible extremities of the spirite yea and death it selfe And leaste it happen vnto vs to tempte God as these wicked ones did in the same maner let vs suffer God to byde his power so often as it séemeth good vnto him so to do that at his pleasure he may declare the same againe in due time M. It was not needeful that Christe shoulde declare hymselfe to be the sonne of God by desceâ—â—ynge from the Crosse but it was needefull that hee beinge deadde and buryed shoulde ryse agayne the thyrde daye and therby to declare hym selfe to be the sonne of god Whereupon the Apostell Paule also saythe whiche is declared to be the sonne of God with power and by the resurrection from the deade 41 Likewise also the hie pristes mocking him with the Scribes and elders saide M. These wicked Hypocrites begyn to tryumphe so sone as the trueth semed to be in daunger in the meane tyme notwithstandinge euerlasting glory is prepared by the crose for Christ but to them perpetual confusion They thought that the truethe of Christe was fastened with nailes to the crosse with the body of Christ when as it is one thing for the preacher of the worde to be fastened in body to the crosse and an other thing for the truethe of Goddes worde to be nayled thereunto So Paule said but the worde of God is not bounde
For they shewe that the declaration of the resurrection in Christe was of such estimation to the Apostels and faythfull that thereby they were moued to worship him as the God Lord. For he is declared to bee the sonne of God by the power of the resurrection But some doubted M. It is marueile that some here should doubt as yet hauing so often times before sene Christe But it ought not to seme absurde vnto vs if the reliques of feare whiche remayned behinde caused some of them to doubte and wauer a newe For we knowe that so often as Christe appeared they were afearde and amased vntill they had better remēbred them selues and bene a whyle conuersaunt with hym Wherefore the meaning is that certayne in the beginning doubted vntill suche tyme as Christe had bene more nere and familiar with them but when hee was certainly knowen vnto them they worshipped hym because in dede the brightnes of his glory was manifest vnto them These thinges being ended they retourned to Hierusalem where the Lorde commaunded them to abyde as wytnesseth S. Luke saying And beholde I wyll sende the promyse of my father vpon you But tary ye in the cittie of Hierusalem vntyll ye bee indewed with power from an highe 18 And Iesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth Ann Iesus came and spake vnto them C. There is no doubte but that Christe by this sentence toke all doubte from them Sayinge All povver is geuen to me Before the Euangeliste doth shewe howe the office of teaching was inioyned by Christe to the disciples he sayth that Christe began to speake of his power and not without cause For he had nede to haue no small authoritie but great and deuine power whiche should cōmaunde eternall lyfe to be promysed in his name the whole worlde to bee brought vnder his gouernement and a doctrine to be publyshed whiche pluckyng downe all pryde of fleshe should humble mankynde And certainly by this beginning Christ did not onely erecte his Apostles to the bolde truste of executinge their office but also stablyshed the faythe of his Gospell throughout al Ages The Apostels truly would neuer haue bene perswaded to take in hande so harde an office excepte they had knowen that their reuenger dyd syt in heauen to whome all power was committed For without suche defence it was impossible to profite any thing at all But truely when they heare that he is Lorde of heauen and earth for whome they woorke by this one thyng they are sufficiently armed to ouercomme all lettes But and if the condition of those whiche preache the Gospell seme base and cōtemptible to the hearers let them learne to lyfte vp their eyes to the authour thereof by whose power the maiestie of the Gospel ought to be wayed And so it wyll come to passe that they dare not despyse hym speakyng by his ministers Therefore that the Apostels might knowe that they are not sente of man but of hym which hath ful power he sayth Al power is geuen to me In heauen and in earthe Christe dothe here playnely make hym self bothe Lorde and kynge as well of heauen as earth because he makyng men subiecte vnto hym by the preaching of the Gospell appointeth the seate of his kyngdome in earth and regenerating those that are his into a newe lyfe and inuitinge them to the hope of saluation openeth the heauēs that he may take them vp into blessed immortalitie with the Aungels whiche before were drowned in death And we must remember that Christe being equall with the father was neuer destitute of power so that it was geuen vnto hym nowe in our fleshe or in the persone of a mediatour For hee speaketh not here of the power whiche he had before the creatiō of the worlde but of that whiche he nowe receyued being made the iudge of the worlde B. Of this therefore hee admonisheth his disciples to the ende they myght the more wyllingly take in hande the preachinge of the Gospell when they should knowe them selues to bee his imbassadours whiche had power of all thinges 19. Go yee therefore and teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye Ghoste Go ye therefore and teache A. Marke as it were expoundinge these wordes sayth Go ye into the whole world Bu. By that which woordes Christe doth set forth and expresse the boūdes and lymits of his kingdome excludinge no nation The summe of these wordes is that by publishinge the Gospell euerye where they maye bringe all nacions to the obedience of the faithe and that they may seale and confirme their doctrine with the seale of the Gospell M. By the force of this worde it came to passe that this embassage of the Apostles pearced throughoute the whole world and preuailed againste all tyran◅es For such is the power of the worde of Christ that being once spoken it setteth it selfe againste all the deceites of Sathan and the worlde Otherwise howe was it possible for this new and straunge doctrine to be brought into the whole worlde of symple men and of no power and the impietye of the whole worlde to be reuealed and condemned except his vertue and power had ayded this imbassage And teache The Euangeliste Marke expresseth what they shoulde teache sayinge The Gospell And a little hereafter in our Euangeliste there is added a restrainte namely that they should teache to obserue those thinges which the Lord had cōmaunded A. Neither is it sayd onely to Peter whom the Papistes would make the head of the Churche Christes vicar Preache ye and teache yee but to all the Apostles a like therefore all the mynisters of the worlde ought to preache and teache And this office was appointed and commaunded of Christ himselfe What the Gospell is wee haue shewed in the firste Chapter goinge before Neither doth Christe commaunde anye other thinge to be taughte than that whiche hee had already preached as we maye see in the fourth Chapter goinge before And in another place hee saith Christ went about all Citties and Townes teachinge in their Sinagoges and preachinge the Gospell of the kingdome Also hee affyrmeth that hee is sente to this ende when he sayth I must preache the Gospell of the kingdome to other Citties for this cause was I sent And to this ende he sendeth his seruaunts C. Whereby wee gather that the Apostleship is not a vaine title but a laborious offyce therefore there can be nothinge more absurde than for men to liue idlely and to reiecte this office of teachinge whiche vsurpe vnto themselues this honour The Pope of Rome and his rable proudly boast of this succession as though hee were equal with Peter and his fellowes But they haue no more care to teache than had the priestes of Pan Bacchus or Venus But with what face can they presume to come into their place whom they heare to be ordayned
preachers of the word Althoughe theyve impudente yet by this one thinge they are forced to yelde that none can be a successor of the Apostles excepte hee be a preacher For who soeuer teacheth not doth in vaine take vnto him the name of an Apostle A. And this preachinge of the Gospell which Christe here committeth to the mynisters of his word hath also the preachinge of repentance ioyned with it as S. Marke teacheth sayinge that Christe preached thus The time is come and the kingdome of God is at hand Repent and beleue the Gospell And againe hee sayth to his Apostles Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer and to ryse againe from death the thirde daye and that repentaunce and remission of sinnes shoulde be preached in his name amonge al Nations To preache the Gospell therefore is to exhorte all men to repentaunce and to pronounce remission of sinnes to all those that repente in the name of Christe who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For hee which shal repent and beleue the Gospel sheewinge remission of sinnes shal be saued But as for those that teache not this Gospell but rather their owne dreames who dare say that they are the ministers of Christ and that they are sente and oughte to be receiued All Nacions C. Here Christe without all exception maketh the Gentiles equal with the Iewes and admitteth both of them without difference to the societye of the couenaunt And thus was the Prophesye of Esay fulfilled where hee sayth that Christ is geuen a light to the Gentiles that he might be the saluation of God to the vtmost parte of the earth And this was the meaninge of Marke when hee said To all creatures because after the peace was preached to the househoulde the same was sent to straungers and such as were farre of M. Therefore the doctrine of saluation the grace of Christes kingdome must be offered to all men The father hath so disposed it and for that cause hee sente his sonne into this world and gaue him power of all thinges that the world might be saued by him Wherefore the Gospell must be preached to men and women to oulde yonge to the wise and foolishe yea to all estates not in the lattine tonge as certaine deceyuers and false teachers haue taughte but to euery one in his owne tongue A. And this is to be noted that if all Nations must be taught accordinge to this commaundement of Christe it followeth that all men throughoute the whole worlde were naturally in error and ignoraunce and that neither the Iewes by the doctrine of the law nor the Gentiles by the studye of Philosophye coulde come to the knowledge of the truthe The lawe and the Prophetes did foreshewe the comminge of Christ but they were not able to set forth this lighte of the grace of Christe For the vale honge yet before the harts of the Iewes by the which also at this daye they are kepte from the knowledge of the truth So that the whole worlde withoute the light of the Gospell is in darkenes and in the woorkes of darkenes and so vnder the kingdome of Sathan which is the prince of darkenes Therefore Christe sayth that his Apostles are the lighte of the world that is to say the mynisters of the light of the Gospell Baptizinge them C. Christe commaundeth those to be baptized whiche subscribe to the Gospell and professe themselues to be Dysciples partly that baptisme might be vnto them a pledge before God partlye an outwarde signe of fayth before men For wee knowe that God by this signe declared the grace af his adoption because hee doth ingrafte vs into the bodye of hys sonne that he might count vs of his flocke But as God by this signe confirmeth his grace vnto vs euenso whosoeuer offer thēselues to baptisme do in like maner bynde their faith as with a sure pledge M. What Baptisme is and what it is to baptize reade the thirde Chapter goinge before Christe did not here institute Baptisme for it may appeare out of Iohn that hee baptized his Disciples before And hee doth therefore make mencion of Baptisme here that the Apostles mighte knowe what they shoulde do with those whiche repented and beleeued the Gospell namelye to baptize them in the name of the father of the Sonne and of the holy ghost and to appoint them to keepe those thinges which hee himselfe hath commaunded C. Hereby againe we gather that none are lawfull mynisters of Baptisme but they which also minister the word Whereas therefore it hath bene permitted to priuate men and to women also to minister Baptisme it is contrary to the institution of Christ and a meere prophanation of the Sacrament Moreouer Doctrine is set in the first place because vntill God geeue life vnto the terrestriall elemente by hys word it is not made a sacrament to vs Wherefore let vs knowe that it commeth to passe by the vertue of doctrine that the signes take vnto them a newe nature euen as the externall wasshinge of the fleshe beginneth to be a spirituall pledge of regeneration the doctrine of the Gospell goinge before And this is the true consecration in steede whereof the Papistes bringe in their magicall exorcismes And therefore in Marke it is sayde Hee whiche beleeueth is baptized shal be saued By which wordes Christ doth not onlye exclude hypocrites from the hope of saluation whiche beinge voyde of faith haue only the external signe but also ioyneth baptisme to the holye bonde of doctrine B. Baptisme therefore is ioyned to preachinge as the seale of preachinge by the whiche the faithfull are assured that their sinnes are forgeeuen by Christ and is geeuen to them for a testimony that they are counted of the house should of god C. But because Christ doth commaunde to teach before baptisme be ministered Obiection and will haue those onelye that beleeue to be receiued to baptisme Baptisme seemeth not to be rightly mynistered excepte fayth go before accordinge to the opynion of the Anabaptistes who for that cause deny the baptisinge of Infantes vntill they come to that age that they maye be taught and beleeue This may easely be aunswered if a man waye the order of the commaundemente Christe commaundeth the embassage of eternall saluation to be caryed to all Nations hee confirmeth the same by adding the seale of Baptisme And the faithe of the word is iustly set before baptisme seing the Gētiles were altogether alienate frō God neither had they any fellowshippe with the chosen people For otherwyse the figure should lye whiche should offer remission of sinnes and the gift of the holye Ghoste to the vnbeleeuinge whiche were not as yet the members of Christe But wee knowe that they are gathered and broughte to the people of God which before were dispersed Neither is baptisme after this sort seperated from faithe or doctrine because althoughe yonge infantes for want
may keepe them also and shewe them in dede And lo I am vvith you alvvaye It was a hard office whiche hee committed vnto them to beare the whiche good were able in no pointe And it is likely that the Dysciples were not a little terrefyed by the consideration of it C. Therefore hee doth incourage them with the truste of his heauenlye ayde promisinge vnto them his presence euerye where at all times throughout the whole worlde his helpe and grace also euen to the ende and finishinge of their embassage For before hee promised that he woulde be with them hee declared that hee was the kinge both of Heauen and earth whiche with his hand and power gouerneth all things Therefore in this word I there is a great Emphasis and force contayned as if he had sayde that if the Apostles would discharge their dutye bouldly they must not haue respect what they themselues were able to do but must leaue to his inuincible power vnder whose banner they fight Bu. As if he should say So longe as you do these thinges the world wil be against you as it hath bene againste mee For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of this worlde and my doctrine is altogether contrary to their affections which loue those thinges that are of this world So that with many tumultes men will ryse againste you but there is no cause why ye should dispayre althoughe ye be not noble but simple weake and few in nomber I haue ouercome the world you by my helpe and my example shall ouercome By my power not by your owne shall yee ouercome what soeuer seemeth feareful to you in this world And although I will cary vp shortlye this body into Heauen which thinge is good for you that it be so yet not withstandinge I will neuer forsake you for after that I shall cease to be with you in body then more effectually wil I be with you in spirite C. Therefore the maner of presence which the Lord promiseth to his Dysciples ought spiritually to be vnderstode because it is not needefull that hee shoulde descende from Heauen to helpe vs because hee canne helpe vs by the grace of his spirit as it were stretching his hande from Heauen Euen vnto the ende of the vvorld These wordes do declare that this was spoken not to the Apostles onelye because the Lorde doth promise his helpe to continue not to the ende of one age onelye but also to the consumation of the worlde His wordes therefore are in effect as if hee should saye How weake soeuer the mynisters of the Gospell be and what neede soeuer of thinges necessary they suffer I wyll be their ayde and defender insomuch that they shall haue the victory ouer all the conflictes of the worlde M. The order of the Historye doth require that wee adde those thinges which the Euangeliste Luke writeth as concerning the Assencion of Christ in the latter ende of his Gospell and in the Actes of the Apostles He sayth therefore And hee led them out into Bethanye C. Because Mathewe had greatlye exalted the kingdom of Christ aboue the whole world hee maketh no mencion of his Assention into Heauen Marke maketh mencion of the Assention but where and how he assended hee speaketh nothinge at all But Luke very plainly setteth forth this matter for hee sayth that Christe led his disciples forth into Bethany that he might assende from the mounte Oliuet into his heauenly throne R. For the Euangeliste Luke saythe in an other place that when the Lorde was assended the Apostels retourned to Hierusalem from the mount Oliuet C. As hee woulde not be seene of all men after his resurrection as wytnesseth Peter so hee would not haue all men to be wytnesses of his assention into heauen because he would haue this mistery of the fayth to be knowen rather by the preaching of the Gospell thā to be seene with the eyes R. But what talke the Apostles had with Christe in the mounte S. Luke wryteth in these wordes saying Lorde wilte thou at this tyme restore the kyngdome of Israell But he said vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes and seasons whiche the father hathe put in his owne power It followeth in Marke and Luke So vvhen the Lorde had spokē vnto them he lifted vp his handes and blessed them C. And so he taught them that to blesse which office was committed to the priests vnder the lawe did truely and properly be long vnto him Seing therefore he was the onely authour of all blessing yet to the end his grace might bee the more familiar hee would haue the priests from the beginning to blesse in his name as mediatours So Melchisedech blessed Abraham And for this matter there is a lawe geuen whiche lasteth for euer To the same ende pertaineth that which is written in the Psalmes where it is said We haue wyshed you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lorde And the Apostle saith that it is a signe of excellency to blesse others For the lesse sayth he is blessed of the greater Nowe when Christ the true Melchisedech and the euerlasting prieste declared him selfe it was necessary that the same whiche was shadowed in the figures of the lawe should be fulfilled euen as the Apostell Paule also teacheth that wee are blessed of God the father in him that we may bee ryche in all celestiall benefites Therefore he once blessed the Apostels solemly that the faythfull might come vnto hym if they desyred to be partakers of the grace of god So that he lifting vp his handes and blessing them and theyr ministery declareth by a certain signe that he wysheth vs well that we might receyue consolation by this blessing so longe as the Gospell is preached It followeth And it came to passe as he blessed them he departed from them and was taken vp an hie and a cloude receiued him out of their sight into heauē After Christe had done all those things which were appointed to him of his father and whiche pertayned to our saluation it was not nedefull that he should be any longer conuersaunt in earth He therefore being taken vp into heauen hath taken out of our sight the presence of his body not that he seasseth to be present with the faithfull whiche as yet are pylgrymes on the earth but that he might gouerne heauen earth with a more present power The heauens are sayde to be the seate of God who notwithstanding fulfilleth all thinges The heauen therefore into the with our Lord is ascended is the inuisible glory of the father where the sonne of man whiche was before so contemned and reiected of his enemies reigneth for euer in power glory hauinge all thinges subiect vnto hym and fulfilling all thinges in his electe by his holy spirit And wee obtayne two specallye fruites by this assention For in that hee ascended into heauen for oure sakes hee hath opened
awaye for vs to come thyther that the gate may stande open for vs whiche before was shut by reason of synne Furthermore he is an aduocate and intercessor with God for vs as it is said in the Epistle to the Romaynes And sitteth at the right hand of god C. This kynde of speache signifieth that he is taken vp an highe that hee might excell Angels and all other creatures that the father by his hande myghte gouerne the worlde and that before hym euerye knee might bowe C. This similitude is taken of the manner of princes which haue their counsellers and assistentes to whome they geue seuerall offices of gouernement EueÌ„ so Christe is sayde to bee receiued vp to the right hand of the father solemly to receiue possession of the administration committed vnto him and to kepe the same till his comming to iudgemeÌ„t And therfore the Apostel saith The father hath set him on his right hande in heauenly thinges aboue all rule and power and mighte and dominion and aboue euery name that is named not in this worlde only but also in the worlde to come and hath put all thinges vnder his feete and hath made hym aboue all things the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of him whiche fylleth all in all Therefore this is as much as if he shuld be called Gods vicar whiche taketh vppon him his persone After these thinges the Euangeliste Luke declareth howe the disciples behaue them selues and what they did when the Lorde was taken from them saying And when they had worshipped hym they behelde as he was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to heauen as he went beholde two meÌ„ stoode by them in whyte apparell which also sayde ye men of Galile why stande ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene him go into heauen C. This sentence consisteth of two partes The first is that Iesus is receiued vp into heauen least men any more by a foolysh desire should plucke him down into the earth The seconde is added for a consolation as concerning his seconde comming R. The summe and effecte is that although Christ be nowe taken vp into heauen and will not at this tyme reueale the publique maiestie of his kingdome in this worlde that his excelent treasures might bee perceiued and felte by humane sence yet notwithstanding he ascended not into heauen to dwell there alone and to enioye the celestiall glory alwayes him selfe inuisible and to suffer the worlde after his olde manner to passe from tyme to tyme but rather that hee myght come in his tyme into this worlde visibly with great power to set al thinges in a better order that is to geue vnto the Godly and faithfull euerlastinge felicitie and to the wycked and contemners of the Gospell perpetuall damnation And by these twoo partes ioyned together a strong argument to confute the Papistes and all others whiche affirme that the carnall presence of Christe is ioyned with the signes of bread and wyne may be gathered For when Christe is sayde to bee taken vp into heauen the distance betwene heauen and earth is manifestly noted Wee graunt truely that this worde heauen is diuersly taken some tymes for the ayre some tymes for the whole compas of the Sphere some times for the glorious kingdome of God wheÌ„ as his maiestie hath his proper seate howsoeuer it fulfilleth the worlde For the whiche cause Paule placeth Christe aboue the heauens because he is aboue the worlde and in that mansion place hath the hyghest roume of immortalitie because hee is aboue all Angels of whome he is the head But this letteth not that he should not be absent from vs and that by the name of heauens a separation from the worlde may be signified And how soeuer they cauil it is playne that heauen into the whiche Christe is taken is apposed and sette against the compas of the whole worlde Therefore if he be in heauen as no doubte he is he cannot be in the worlde But first of all we must note the purpose of the Angell that wee maye geue the better iudgement of his wordes The Angels go about to reuoke the disciples from the carnall presence And to this ende they saye that he shall not come agayne vntyll the second tyme which is at the generall iudgement But they thynke that thei haue made a good distinction wheÌ„ they saye that he shall then come in a visible forme but now daily in an inuisible forme But there is no disputation here about the forme onely the Apostels are admonished to suffer Christe to abyde in heauen vntyll the last daye appeare As Peter also admonisheth in an other place sayinge When the tyme of refreshing commeth which we shall haue at the presence of the Lorde wheÌ„ God shall sende him whiche before was preached vnto you that is to wytte Iesus Christe whiche must receiue heauen vntyll the tyme that all thinges whiche God hath spoken by the mouthe of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began he restored againe Therefore according to the commaundemene of the Angell let vs not with our fayned inuencions plucke Christe out of heauen before the tyme but let vs consider that accordinge to the presence of his spirite he is euery where and according to the presence of his fleshe at the right hande of God in heauen For this matter reade the .xxvi. chapiter going before Then retourned they to Hierusalem with great ioye from the mount Oliuete R. Although the Disciples had loste the sight of the Lorde 〈◊〉 they retourne to Hierusalem with great ioye Thei felt then that it was true whiche the Lorde had said namely that it was good for them that he shoulde departe from them in the fleshe Whyle hee was with them in the fleshe they were altogether carnall and sauored nothing but that whiche was fleshelâ—â— but when he departed as touching the fleshe was present with them in the spirite they were wonderfully affected with ioye and began to extoll and magnifie the name of god They obey the commaundement of Christe in going to Hierusalem which said vnto them before But abide ye in Hierusalem vntil ye be indewed with power from aboue It was very daungerous for them to be in Hierusalem among the middest of Christes enemies yet they obey Surely if we waye the circumstances well we shall see that they retourned all moste to present death For howe should they spare the disciples whiche so cruelly put Christ to death But the power of the spirit of Christe filled them with suche ioye and made them obedient to do their office And when they were come in thei weÌ„t vp into a parler where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrewe Philip and Thomas Bartholomewe and Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus