thorns here so he might weare a crown of glory with him in Heaven Canutus for like purpose set his Crown upon the Crucisix It is not fit sith the head was crowned with thorns that the members should be crowned with rose-buds saith Zanchius Verse 3. And said Hail King of the Jews They scoffe at him as a ridiculous and stage-play-King whom therefore they cloathed with purple which was a colour affected by the Emperours and Nobility of Rome as Herod for like cause cloathed him in white 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a colour much worn by the Nobility of the Jews Jam. 2.2 And they smote him with their hands So doe hypocrites still by their unchristian practice when they bend the knee to Christ with ludibrious devotion Perba tua Dei planè sunt facta veâ—ò diaboliâ—â—deâ—tur They have the voice of Jacob but the hands of Esau Their words are Gods their deeds the devils as John Capocius told Pope Innocent the third preaching peace and sowing discord Verse 4. That ye may know that I finde no fault But why did he not then deliver him out of their hands Pusillanimity and popularity would not suffer him but howsoever he shall give testimony to his innocency Act. and Mon. fol. 1469. So when Doctour Weston was gone from Mr Bradford Martyr with whom he had had conference the Keeper told Bradford that the Doctour spake openly that he saw no cause why they should burn him This Weston being Prolocutour in the Divinity Schools at Oxford when Cranmer was brought forth to dispute thus began the disputation Ibid 1300. Convenistis hodiè fratres profligaturi detestandam illam haeresin de veritate corporis Christi in Sacramento c. At which divers learned men burst out into a great laughter as though even in the entrance of the disputation he had bewrayed himselfe and his Religion God will have such words fall sometimes from the mouths of persecutours either wittingly or by mistake as shall one day rise up in judgement and out of their own mouths condemn them Verse 5. Pilate saith Behold the man Q. d. If ye be men take pity upon a man so miserably misused as if ye be good men let him goe that is so innocent But these monsters like those beasts at Ephesus had put off man-hood And for good men amongst them it fared with Pilate pleading for Christ as it did with him at Nola in the Story who when he was commanded by the Romane Censor to goe and call the good men of the City to appeare before him went to the Church-yards and there called at the graves of the dead Anton di Cuevara in Retor de los princip l. 1. c. 2. O yee good men of Nola come away for the Romane Censor cals for your appearance for he knew not where to call for a good man alive Verse 6. Crucifie him crucifie him So afterwards the primitive persecutours cried out Ad bestias ad bestias Christianos ad leones Tertul Apci cap 40. Tollantur sacrilegi tollantur imputing the cause of all publike calamities to them as Tertullian testifieth So they cried out at Geneva against Farellus when the Bishop first convented him In Rhodanum in Rhodanum as the Papists still cry out against the Professours of the truth ad ignem adignem to the fire with them to the fire with them Indeed in the form and stile of their own sentence condemnatory they pretend a Petition to the secular power In visceribus Jesu Christi ut rigor juris mitigetur aâ—que ut parcatur vitae So they will seem outwardly to be lambs but inwardly they are ravening wolves witnesse that Chancellour of Salisbury Dr Jeffrey Act and Mon. fo 1864. who was not only contented to give sentence against certain Martyrs but also hunted after the high-Sheriff not suffering him to spare them though he would So Harpsfield Archdeacon of Canterbury Ibid 1862. being at London when Queen Mary lay a dying made all Post-haste home to dispatch those six whom he had then in his cruell custody and those were the last that suffered for Religion in Queene Maries raigne I finde no fault in him No wonder For he was as Peter saith A lamb without blemish of originall sinne and without spot of actuall sin 1 Pet. 1.18 Neither was it without a sweet providence of God that he should be so often absolved from the desert of death that thereby we might escape the manifold deaths that we had so well deserved Verse 7. The Iews answered them c. When they saw that the treason they laid to his charge unicum crimen eorum qui crimine vacabunt Not. ad Tacit. saith Lipsius would not doe the deed they accuse him of blasphemy another while that by some means or other they might take away his life Thou and such as thou said Bonner to Thomas Brown Martyr report I seek your bloud To whom he answered Act. and Mor. so 1685. Yea my Lord indeed ye be a bloud-sucker and I would I had as much bloud as is water in the sea for you to suck Another unknown good woman told this Bishop in a letter Ibid. 1672. that he had such store of Christs lambs already in his Butchers-stall that he was not able to drinke all their bloud lest he should break his belly and therefore he let them lie still and die for hunger Ibid. 1358. My Lord said M. Saunders to Bonner you seek my bloud and you shall have it I pray God you may be so baptized in it that you may hereafter loath bloud-sucking and become a better man Verse 8. He was the more afraid Christs innocence did besore triumph in Pilates conscience But now that he hears that he made himself the son of God he was in a mighty maze He was afraid saith the text of lifting up his hand against God The greatest men if not utterly debauched and satanized cannot but quake at the apprehension of God and as the worms when it thunders wriggle into the corners of the earth Culigula that dared his Jove to a duel with that Hemistich in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either kill me Sueton in Calig or I 'll kill thee when it thundered covered his eies with his cap running under the bed or any bench-hole Verse 9. Whence art thou He questioneth not Christ of his countrey but of his condition q. d. Art thou a man or a God Such a dung-hill-Deity he meant as the Heathens worshipped And therefore our Saviour would not once answer him Especially since if he should have asserted his Deity Pilate likely would have acquitted and dismissed him whereas Christ knew that he was now and here to be condemned There are that thinke that Pilates wives dream was from the devil who sought thereby to have hindered the work of our redemption which could not be wrought but by the death of Christ Verse 10. Speakest thou not unto me
in all Italy meet with Bellarmines works or any of the like nature to be sold Verse 20. Thou hast a devil This he passeth by as a frontlesse slander not worth refuting but proceeds to maintain the lawfulnesse of that he had done on the Sabbath-day Sincerity throwes off slanders as Paul did the Viper yea in an holy scorn it laughs at them as the wilde asse doth at the horse and his rider Wicelius and Cochleus say that we betraied the Rhodes saith Melancthon and some other such foul businesses they lay to our charge Dicant ipsi talia quoad velint These are such grosse lyes that we need not disprove them let them tell as many such lyes of us as they will c. our names are oyled they will not stick Verse 22. Ye on the Sabbath-day circumcise q. d. If you may wound a man on the Sabbath-day may not I heal one If you may heal on the Sabbath one member of the circumcised may not I make a man whole every whit If you may be at pains to cure such a one with your hand may not I without pains cure a man with my word only What if circumcision be a Sacrament Arbitror nonnal os opinaturos me sensisse quod non sensi a â—t non sensisse quod sensi Aug. de Trin lib. 1. cap. 3. so was this that I have done a speciall means of bringing much glory to God Verse 24. Indge not according to the appearance Nothing is more ordinary with many then to precipitate a censure to exercise their criticks and to reprehend that which they do not comprehend I suppose saith Augustine that divers in reading some places in my books will think that I thought Annal tom 6. ad An. 450. n. 17. that which never came into my minde to think and the contrary This was his fear and this befell him as Baronius witnesseth Erasm epist ad Cardinal Moguntin Compertum est saith Erasmus It is well known that many points are condemned as hereticall in Luthers books which in Austins and Bernards books are read and received for good and orthodox Hill in his quartem of reasons saith The Catholikes follow the Bible but the Protestants force the Bible to follow them Reas 8. pag. 41. And the Authour of the Gagge for the new Gospel assures his Catholikes that our condemnation is so expresly set down in our own Bibles Pref. to the Cathol Reader and is so cleer to all the world that nothing more needs hereto then that they know to read and to have their eyes in their heads at the opening of our Bible Qui totam li. em Dâ—â—â—nicam vacat ten ulentiae scor t is alcae an dit bellus ho. mo c. Erns Schol. in Epist ad Episc Basil de delectu ciborum Isal 119. This is their judgment of us But what among themselves He that tastes an egge saith Erasmus at an undue time is cast in prison and made to answer for his heresie but he that spends all the Lords-day in drinking drabbing dicing is called a good fellow and passeth unpunished Verse 27. No man knoweth whence he is This errour might arise out of some Texts of Scripture misunderstood as Isa 53.8 Psal 110.4 We should whenever we open the Bible pray Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Verse 28. Ye both know me Either this is an Ironie or else a heavy aggravation of their sin a proofe that they sinned that sin unto death 1 Ioh. 5.16 for which there remains no more sacrifice Heb. 10.26 Two sorts of men in our times are in danger of this sin 1. Hypocriticall professours 2. Those they call the Wits of the world your most knowing men Verse 33. Yet a little while am I with you Christ is but a while with men in the opportunities of grace There is a prime of mans life yea a prime of every mans ministery Christ stands not sits at the door and knocks Now while one is standing he is going Verse 34. Ye shall seek me c. Because ye shall dye in your sins which is worse then to dye in a ditch Verse 35. Teach the Gentiles Which the Jews could not endure to think on They professe at this day that rather then the Heathen-bastards should have benefit by their Messias they would crucifie him over and over Goi Mamzer Luk. 4.25 The rusticks of Nazareth understood our Saviour of preaching to the Gentiles which put them into an anger and him into a danger Verse 36. What manner of saying is this He would not tell the Jews what he meant by this dark saying His Disciples he told afterwards Psal 25. chap. 13. and 16. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him when the wicked shall be neither of his Court nor Councell Verse 37 38. In the last day In this eighth day which the Jews called Hosanna Rabbah they read the last section of the Law Tremel ex Talmud and likewise began the first lest they might otherwise seem more joyfull in ending their sections then willing to begin them Upon this day also by the institution say they of Haggai and Zechary but more likely by their own superstition they did with great solemnity and joy Godw. Antiq. Heb. bring great store of water from the River Shiloah to the Temple where it being delivered unto the Priests it was poured upon the Altar together with wine and all the people sang that of the Prophet Isa 12.3 with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wels of salvation Hereunto our Saviour is thought to allude Vers 38. Out of his belly shall flow Rivers of water provided that he beleeve in me so as the Scripture saith he should For so after Chrysostome Heinsius De-dieu and others expound it Verse 41. Shall Christ come out of Galilee Satan that subtle Sophister though he confessed Christ to be the Holy One of God Mark 1.24 Yet he calleth him Jesus of Nazareth to nourish the errour of the multitude that thought he was born there and so not the Messias Neither did his cunning deceive him as here appeareth Satan etsi semel videatur verax millies est mendax Bucholcerus semper fallax saith one Diabolus capite blanditur ventre oblectat Rupertus caudâ ligat saith another Verse 46. Never man spake like this man It is good to come to the Word though with ill intent they that come to see fashions only as Moses came to the Bush may be called as he was They that come but to sleep may be taken napping as Father Latimer saith They that come to catch may be caught as these in the Text. The serpent that comes forth to sting may be charmed ere he go back When Henry Zutphen was preacher at Breme the holy Catholikes could not be idle but sent their Chaplains to every Sermon to trap him in his words But God whose
the day of adversity your strength is small Prov. 24.10 Hard weather tryes what health hot service what courage Verse 32. Behold the hour cometh c. So bladder-like is the soul that filled with earthly vanities though but winde it grows great and swels in pride but if prickt with the least pin of piercing grief it shriveleth to nothing Verse 33. These things I have spoken This Sermon of our Saviour then would be read in time of trouble It hath virtutem pacativam if mixt with faith That in me ye might have peace Though surcharged with outward troubles Josiah died in peace according to the promise though slain in warre True grace like true gold comforts the heart Alchymy gold doth not In the world ye shall have tribulation There 's no avoiding of it 'T is not a paradise but a purgatory to the Saints It may be compared to othe straits of Magellan Heyl. Gâ—og pag 80â— which is said to be a place of that nature that which way soever a man bend his course he shall be sure to have the winde against him I have overcome the world Therefore we are more then conquerours â—om 8.37 because sure to overcome afore-hand We are triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 We need do no more then as those in Joshuah set our feet on the necks of our enemies already subdued unto us by our Jesus CHAP. XVII Verse 1. And lift up his eyes to Heaven THis and the like outward gestures in prayer as they issue from the fervency of the good heart so they reflat upon the soul whose invisible affections by these visible actions in the Saints are the more inflamed Howbeit hypocrites though they have their hands elbow-deep in the earth will seem to pierce Heaven with their eyes lift up in prayer videntur torvo aspectu coelum ad se attrahere saith Calvin somewhere they so fix their eyes in publike prayer as if they would leave them on the roof of the Church when as all is but histrionicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be seen of men Matth. 6. theatricall counterfeit The eagle when she soareth highest hath ever an eye to the prey below so hath the hypocrite to profit credit c. The hour is come q. d. I aske not before the time is come and ripe and ready for thy kingdom Some would be in Heaven ere they have done their worke upon earth But what said that Ancient Domine si tibi sim necessarius non recuso vivere Lord if thou have any further service for me to do I am willing to live longer When we come to Heaven the reward will be so large that we shall repent us if it were possible there to repent for any thing that we have done no more worke It is not lawfull saith one to wish for death simply neither to be set free from the troubles fears and cares of sin Capell of Tempt par 3. nor that we would not conflict nor wrestle any longer for this were to serve our selves and seek our own ease and ends but in hatred to sin as it is sin c. Verse 2. That he should give eternall life And what more free then gift Note this against our Merit-mongers who not only cry with Novatus Non habeo Domine quod mihi ignoscas I have done nothing that thou shouldst forgive me but with Vega. Vitam aeternam gratis non accipiam I will not have heaven for nothing How much better S. Auguctine Homo ignoscat saith he ut Deus ignoscat And William Wickam Act and Mon. founder of New-Colledge who though he did many good workes yet he professed that he trusted to Jesus Christ alone for salvation Verse 3. That they may know thee To know God in the face of Christ is Heaven afore-hand Qui non habet Christum in horoscopo Bucholcer non habet Deum in medio Coeli By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many saith God concerning Christ Isa 53.11 that is by faith which infolds assent of the judgement consent of the will and affiance or assurance of the heart Papists place faith in the will only and exclude knowledge Nay Bellarmine affirmeth that faith may be better defined by ignorance that mother of devotion then by knowledge They dig out mens eyes as they dealt by Samson and then make sport with them they confine faith to the will that they may doe what they will with the understanding and the heart as the Friers send men on pilgrimage that they may lie with their wives the while Heyl. Geog. 288 Verse 4. That thou gavest me to doe Our Saviour counts his work a gift So should we take it for a favour that he employes us that we may have any office about him that we may magnifie him with our bodies whether by life or death Act. and Mon. Phil. 1.19 As an heretike I am condemned said Mr Bradford and shall be burned whereof I ask God heartily mercy that I doe no more rejoyce then I doe having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord God and Saviour to suffer And the greatest promotion said Latymer that God giveth in in this world is to be such Philippians to whom it is given Ibid. 1565. not only to believe but also to suffer Ignatius professed he had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch Ibid. 1831. John Noyes took up a Fagot at the fire and kissed it saying Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this The Apostles rejoyced that they were graced so to be disgraced for Christ Act. 5.41 Verse 5. With the glory which I had c. Our Saviour then is no up-start-God and of a later standing as the Arians and Mahometans would make of him Mahomet speaks very honourably of Christ except only in two things First he denied that he was crucified but that some other was crucified for him Secondly he took up the opinion of the Arians to deny his Divinity Arius at Constantinoply sitting upon the close-stool purged out his guts Mahometisme is now there in that place as it were the excrements of Arius Verse 6. I have manifested thy name The Jews seek to detract from the glory of our Saviours miracles by giving out that he did them by I know not what superstitious or Magicall use of the Name Jehovab Bern. But that name of God that he is here said to manifest is that nomen Majestativum that holy and reverend name of God set down Exod. 34.6 7. A name that would fill our hearts with heaven and answer all our doubts had we but skill to spell out all the letters in it Verse 7. Now they have known c. That the Gospel is a plot of Gods own contriving and no device of man as that Evangelium regni was set out by the Family of Love and those Fanatikes mentioned by Irenaeus that were so besotted with an opinion of
No and yet S. Paul saith he witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate 1 Tim. 6.13 because he had said sufficient before and was now ready to seal up the truth with his bloud But to be delivered he would not once open his mouth to Pilate So M. Saunders had so wholly devoted himself to the defence of Christs cause Act. and Mon. so 1359. that he forbad his wife to sue for his delivery and when other of his friends had by suit almost obtained it he discouraged them so that they did not follow their sute I pray you let me make labour for you said one Creswell to Master Bradford You may doe what you will said Bradford But tell me what sute I shall make for you quoth Creswell Forsooth said the other that you will do Ibid. 1467. do it not at my request for I desire nothing at your hands If the Queen will give me life I will thank her if she will banish me I 'll thank her if she will burn me I 'll thank her if she will condemn me to perpetuall imprisonment I 'll thanke her Life in Gods displeasure is worse then death and death in his true fear is true life I have power to crucifie thee To crucifie an innocent man Who gave him that power But profane persons bear themselves over-bold upon their power as if they were little gods within themselves So Caesar told Metellus he could as easily destroy him Rideo quod uno nutu meo jugulare vos possim uxori lam bona cervix si â—ul ac jussero demetur as bid it be done So Caligula speaking to the Consuls I laugh said he to think that I can kill you with a nod of my head and that this fair throat of my wives shall be presently cut if I but speak the word Verse 11. Except it were given thee from above Therefore be good in thine office lest thou give a dear account to him that is higher then the highest as Solomon hath it who therefore cals the judgement seat the holy place Eccl. 8.10 Pilate was after wards kickt off the bench by Caius for his perverting of justice and for grief and shame became his own deaths-man Verse 12. But the Jews cried out saying c. They return again to their former accusation and enforce it One way or other they are bent to have his bloud In K. Edward the sixths daies when the Duke of Sommerset was cleared of the treason laid to his charg yet he must suffer so his potent enemies would have it for I know not what flight suspitions of felony At which time also Sr Thomas Arundel was Sir Iohn Heyw. life of Edw 6. p. 14â— among others with some difficulty condemned Unhappy man saith the Historian who found the doing of any thing or of nothing dangerous alike Verse 13. When Pilate therefore heard that saying That saying and the base fear of being shent by Caesar makes him warp and go against his conscience But should not Judges be men of courage Should not the standard be of steel the chief posts in the house be heart of Oak Solomons tribunall was underpropt with Lions to shew what metal a Magistrate should be made of It is a mercy to have Judges Cic. pro Milo Modò audeant quae sentiunt saith the Oratour so they dare do their consciences Verse 14. Behold your King Q.d. A like matter that this poor man should affect the Kingdom and not rather that he is like to lose his life Act and Mon. so 1590. byforged cavillation Christ himself was misreported and falsly accused saith father Latymer both as touching his words and meaning also c. Core and his complices object to the meekest of men with one breath pride ambition usurpation of authority Lips in Tacit. Invenies apud Tacitum frequentatas uccasationes majestatis unicum crimen eorum qui crimine vacabant Verse 15. We have no King but Caesar Why but Is there no King in Sion is her Counsellour perished saith the Prophet Mica 49. Did not these men look for a Mâ—ssiâ—â—h Or if not will they reject the Lord from being their King Oh how blinde is malice how desperately set upon it's ends and enterprizes But in Christs kingdom this is wonderfull saith Zaâ—chius that this King willeth and causeth that the Kingdoms of the world be subject to his Kingdom In regâ—o Christi hoc mirabile est quod iâ—â—e rex vult efficit c. Zanch. Mâ—scel and again he willeth and causeth that his Kingdom be also subject to the Kingdoms of the world Verse 16. Then delivered he him c. Overcome by their importunity and over-awed by the fear of Caesar to condemn the innocent It was Eato's complaint that private mens theeves are laid by the heels and in cold irons but these publike theeves that wrong and rob the Common-wealth sit in scarlet with gold chains about their necks Sinisterity is an enemy to sincerity Privatorum fures in rervo compedibaâ— vitam agunt publici in auro purpura visuntur Cato ap Gell. l. 1â— c 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All self-respects and corrupt ends must be laid aside by men in authority and justice justice as Moses speaks that is pure justice without mud must run down Deut. 16.20 Durescite durescite said the Smith to the Duke that durst not do justice Verse 17. And he bearing his crosse c. This was the Roman fashion as Plutarch relates it that every condemned person should bear that Crosse that anon should bear him Hence grew that expression of our Saviour He that will be my Disciple must take up his Crosse and so fill up that which is behinde Col. 1.24 Into a place called the place of a skull Where his tender heart was pierced with grief no doubt at the sad sight of such a slaughter of men made by sin like as it could not but be a sore cut and corrosive to Mauritius to see his wife and children slain before him when himself was also to be next stewed in his own broth Sain John is exact in setting down our Saviours sufferings and this for one Verse 18. Where they crucified him An ignominious accursed and dolorous death for he was nailed to the tree in the hands and feet which ae th most sensible parts as fullest of sinews and therefoe in so fine a body as his especially of most exquisite sense Look wishtly upon sin in this glasse and love it if thou canst For our sins were the nails and our selves the Traitours that fastened him to the tree Pilate and his souldiers Judas and the Jewes were all set awork by us Learn to lay the blame on the self and say It was my gluttony that reached a cup of gall and vineger to his mouth mine incontinency that provided stripes for his back mine arrogancy that platted a crown of thorns upon his head mine inconstancy that put