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
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
incarnation and bloud should make agrement betwene humaine things and heauenly thinges as S. Paule wryteth to the Ephesians and Collossians Thirdly it signifieth that he is that same Christ which made vnto vs free passage and recourse to the thron of his grace the gates of heauen beinge by hym broken open To be shorte that whiche was reuealed to Ioseph in the vision of the opening of the heauens and of the ladder that from the earth reached therevnto is declared from aboue by this inauguration and celebration of Christe And he savve C. Namely Iohn because by and by yt foloweth that the spirite descended vpon Christe M. And Iohn hym selfe in an other place saithe I did not knowe hym but he that sente me to baptize with water the same sayd vnto me vpon whom thou shalt se the spirite descende and tary styl on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holye ghost And I sawe bare recorde that the same is he which is the sonne of God. Question C. It may now be demaunded how Iohn coulde se the spiryte We aunswere that for as muche as the spirite of God is dispersed euerye where and fylleth both heauen earth that the descention from heauen is very vnproperly applied vnto it the same we must iudge also as concerning the sight therof For although the holyghost be inuisible by it selfe yet notwithstanding it is said that we se it when as it sheweth any signe of his presence Iohn sawe not the essence of the spirite the which essēce or beinge can not be sene with mannes eies neyther did he se the vertue it self which cannot be comprehended with humaine sence but onely with the intelligence and vnderstandinge of fayth but he sawe the shape of a dooue vnder the which it pleased God to shewe and manifest his spirite Therfore this is a metonymical kinde of speache by the which the name of a spiritual thinge is put for a visible signe For as some very folishly and preposterously do vrge the letter that they might include the thyng in the signe euen so we must wey consider that by these meanes phrases of speaking figuratiuely is noted the coniunction of the thing with the signe Accordinge to this sence meaning the bredde of the sacred and holy supper of the lord is called the body of Christ not because it is so but because it dothe witnesse vnto vs that it is trewely geuen vs to eate Furthermore we must call to mynd that whiche we towched euen nowe that is we must not fayne and imagin the commynge downe of any notable or myralouse thynge that the holye Ghoste should be sought in a signe as though he were included in the same as in a place but we must satisfie content our selues with this that the lorde by his secrete power doth shewe forthe vnto vs by figures whatsoeuer he promysed Descending M. This comming downe of the spirite of God was made for this purpose in a visible shape to descende vpō Christe that the authoritie that he had from aboue might be declared in earth The like came vpon the Apostels when they were sent to preache the Gospell throughout the whole worlde And when the Apostles had layde handes on those that were ready to preache the Gospell the vertue and power of the holy ghoste was geuen to theim by a visible signe which before they had receiued through faith that the churche as yet being rude should be comforted and that by the singuler and visible gift of the spirite they might be appointed to the worke of the mistery and instructed and confirmed in the same Like a doue C. It may be demaunded why the holy ghoste rather appeared in the shape of a doue then in fier The solution of this question doth depende vpon the analogy or similitude of the thinge sealed with the figure We knowe what the Prophete attributeth to Christe when he sayde A broosed reede shall he not breake and the smoking flaxe shal he not quenche he shall not cry neither shall his voyce be harde Because of this gentlenes of Christe by the whiche mildely and louingly he hath brought sinners to the hope of saluation the holy ghost descended vpon him in the likenes of a doue And in this signe is offered vnto vs the manifeste pledge of swete consolation that we should not be afrayde to come vnto Christe whiche came not vnto vs in the fearefull terrible power of the spirite but in the pleasant amiable shewe of his grace M. Also by the same is shewed what Christe would worke in the hartes of the faithfull namely the very same whiche he him selfe saith Be ye innocente as doues Finally by this appearing of the holy ghoste is shewed what this heauenly kyng should be how meke and louing then what behauiour and disposition they should haue whiche should be regenerate by the baptisme of the holy ghost C. Moreouer some more curiously then profitable do seke and demaunde whether this doue were a perfecte and sounde body or only an image and figure of a Doue For although the woordes of Luke do seme to affirme that it was not the substaunce but the shape of a Doue yet notwithstanding we can not appointe any certaintie thereof And comming vpon him M. That is to say vpon Christe Question C. Here it may be demaunded why the spirite did then descēde vpon him when as before he was replenished with the same This question is aunswered with this place of the prophete The spirite of the lorde vpon me therefore he anointed me to preache to the poore he sent me For although Christ did excell in the singuler grace of the spirite euen vntill the myracle yet neuertheles he kept hym selfe at home like a priuate man vntill he was brought forth of his heauenly father Therefore nowe when the dewe time was come in the whiche he should prepare him selfe to accomplishe the office of a redemer he is indewed with the newe power of the spirite and that not for his owne cause so muche as for others For this was done by the prouidence of God that the faithfull might learne to imbrace reuerently his deuine power and that the infirmitie of the fleshe should not be contemptible and despised in him And that was also the cause why he differred his baptisme till that he was thirty yeare olde Baptisme was the beginning of the Gospell therefore he toke it when he began to preache the Gospell For Christe preparing him selfe to preache the Gospell began his office as well by baptisme as by the instruction of the holy ghost The holy ghoste therfore descending vppon Christe appeared vnto Iohn to teache that no carnall or earthly thing was to be foūde in Christ but as a diuine person to come from heauen in whom the fulnes of the spirite raigned We knowe vndoubtedly that he was God manifested in the fleshe yet notwithstanding his heauenly