This he spake he beinge in bondes Furthermore althoughe the brightnes of the trueth do seme for a time to be obscured yet notwithstandyng the cloude being takeÌ„ away it is much more clere and bright than it was before euen as after the resurrection of Christ his glory did shine brighter a greate deale than it did at any other tyme before 42 He sauid other him selfe can hee not saue If he be the kyng of Israell leâ—…t him nowe come downe froÌ„ the crosse and we wyll beleue hym He sauid other him selfe can C. This ingratitude was not to be excused that theye being offended at the present abasyng of Christ regarded nothiÌ„g at all those miracles which before time he had shewed in their sighte For they confesse here that he saued others By what power or by what meanes Whye doe they not at the least in this part reuerence the manifest worke of god Surely the reason is this because they wickedlye obscured wente about so muche as in them laye to extynguishe the lyghte of God whiche shyned in miracles they are vnworthy to haue a right iudgement of the infirmitie of the crosse Because Christ doth not presently delyuer hym selfe from deathe they reproche him with impotencye â–ª A as if they shoulde say At the length it appereth what those great benefites bestowed vpon the blynde do profyte thee thou whiche healest the lame and all others that were troubled with disseases arte not nowe able to helpe thy selfe Where is nowe thy power This is alwaies the manner of the wicked â–ª to measure the power of God by the presente aspecte that whatsoeuer he doth not they thinck that he can not do and therfore they condeÌ„ne him of debillitie so often as he doth not satisfie their wicked desire But we must note this that Christe beynge able to delyuer him selfe easelye from deathe dyd it not because he woulde not And why had he no care of his owne saluation for a time but onely because oure saluation was more dere vnto hym Why wolde he not delyuer him selfe but onelye because he wolde saue vs al This temptation is like vnto that which went before 43 He trusted in God let hym delyuer him nowe if he wyll haue him for he saide I am the sonne of God. He trusted in God. M. The prophete Dauyd foreshewed that these thinges sholde be cast in his téethe sayinge He trusted in God that he woulde delyuer him let him delyuer hym if he wyll haue him These thinges are very greuouse hurtfull if they be put into the eares minde of hym that is tempted and forsaken and feelynge nothinge but the wrath of God against him C. This is a greuous teÌ„ptation of sathan when hee perswadeth that God hathe forgotten vs because hee dothe not helpe vs at the verye instante and in due tyme For saythe hee seinge God hath alwayes a care to saue and defende those that are his and dothe not onely helpe them in dewe tyme but also preuente their necessittie as the Scrypture oftentimes teacheth hee seemethe not to loue those whom he helpeth not By this subtyll perswasion he seketh to make vs dispayre and to thyncke that wee trust to the loue of GOD in vaine when as his helpe dothe not manyfestlye appere vnto vs And as he putteth this kynde of subtyltie and deceypte into our myndes so he doth craftely suborne his mynisters whiche may perswade vs that oure saluation is not regarded of God because hee differreth helpe Therefore we maye reiecte this as an euyll argumente that they are not loued of God whom hee seemeth to hate for a time yea there is nothing more absurd than to restrayne and tye his loue to euery particular time God trewely hathe promised that he wyll be our delyuerer but if at any time he wincke at our trouble we must paciently abide his leisure Wherefore the chiefe priestes do gather amisse that Chryste is not the sonne of God because hee is not delyuered from the crosse for hereby he fulfilled the wil of his father and herby he redemed mankinde from deathe and hell But Chryst against these temptations of the wicked comforted him selfe thus Thou arte hee that toke me out of my mothers wombe thou waste my hope when I hanged yet on my mothers brestes I haue ben lefte vnto thee euer sence I was borne thou arte mye God euen from my mothers wombe O go not from mee c. 44 The theues also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teethe The theeues also vvhiche vvere M. S. Austine thinketh as concernyng this place that the plural nomber is here put for the singuler S. Hierome saith that it is a fygure called Silepsis because for one these two are said to blaspheme But it is manifest that it is a figure called Synecdoche because Matthewe and Marke do attribute that vnto théeues which Luke saith was proper to one for hée writeth thus And one of the euill doers whiche were hanged rayled on him sayinge If thou be Christ saue thy selfe and vs Neyther ought this sayng to offende any man because the purpose of the other two Euangelistes was nothing els than to teache that Christ was rayled vppon on euerye syde insomuche that the theeues which were halfe deade did not spare him And althoughe they do omit that notable storye of the other théefe whereof Luke maketh mencion yet notwithstaÌ„ding there is no absurditye at all in this that they shew that Christe was derided of all estates yea of the théeues because they speake not particulerly of euery person but generallye Luke sayth that they sayde If thou be Christe saue thy selfe and vs. Bu. This was not the least reproche For what innocent can beare and suffer to be contemned and rayled on of a wicked person of a théefe and reprobate But yet the Lorde did suffer it and that with great pacience By suffering wherof he hath gotten honor vnto vs amonge the Angels that they may acknowledge vs to be their brethren But by the way here is described vnto vs a notable example of obstinacye in this reprobate man not ceassinge with great rage in the middest of his torment to spewe oute horrible blasphemye And thus are desperate men wonte to do who when they cannot escape tormente in the whiche they are they seeke to be reuenged by contumacy But the other aunswered and rebuked him In this myserable man is set before vs a singuler spectacle of the woÌ„derfull and inspeakeable grace of God both for that hee is sodenlye chaunged a little before death into a new man broughte from hell to heauen and also because hee obtayned remission of all the sinnes and wickednes with the which his whole life was ouerwhelmed insomuche that hee was receyued vp into Heauen before the Apostles and firste fruites of the newe Church First of all therefore in the conuersion of this man wée haue a singuler example and profe of Gods grace for hee did not put of the
vvere the bondslaues of synne and heires of eternall death It is that happy and ioyfull tidinges vvhich exempteth vs from all feare and bringeth occasioÌ„ of incredible ioye because it tolde of his comming vvhiche came to seke and to saue that vvhiche vvas lost For God so loued the vvorlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to the ende that all vvhiche beleue in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting It is that moste riche treasury vvhiche conteyneth vvhatsoeuer Moses and the Prophetes haue vvritten vvherein is opened vnto vs all the counsell of God. It is the povver of God to saluation to as many as bâ—â—â— to the Ievve first and to the Gentile It is the preaching of the crosse vvhiche vnto those â—…erishe is foolishenes but vnto vs that are saued the povver of God. It is that Myrror of the deuine glorie in vvhiche vve all beholding the glory of the Lorde vvith vncouered face are chaunged into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirite of the Lorde The doctrine also of the Gospell is so certayne and in euery pointe so absolute that although an Angell from heauen should preache any other thing but the same he ought to be counted accurssed It is the vnsearcheable misteries of Christe vvhiche in other ages vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as it is novve reuealed to his holy Apostels and Prophetes by the spirite It is the vvoorde of lyfe vvith vvhiche all the godly must holde out in the middest of a naughty and croked nation It is also the vvorde of truthe vvhich is not onely come among vs but also doth fructefie and increase through the vvhole vvorlde in spight of the resistance of Sathan and his ministers It is that holy and true saying vvhiche is vvorthy to be receiued of all men not as the vvorde of men but as it is in dede for the vvorde of God vvhiche also vvorketh effectually and mightely in those that beleue It is the spirite of the mouth of the Lorde vvhich shal slea that vvicked sonne of perditioÌ„ Antechrist vvho shall seduce them that perishe It is that faithfull saying and vvorthy by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christe came into the vvorlde to saue synners This is the same Gospell vvhereby Christe the sonne of God comming into this vvorlde hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light For it teacheth hovve vvee being iustefied by the grace of God are heires according to the hope of eternall lyfe It is moreouer that immortall and incorruptible sede vvhereby he vvhiche vvas before vvicked and vnprofitable is made a nevve creature in the Lorde It is the liuely vvorde of God mighty in operation and sharper than any tvvo edged svverde and entereth through eueÌ„ vnto the deuiding a sonder of the soule and of the spirit and of the ioyntes and mary and is a discerner of the thoughtes and intentes of the harte It is that pure vvord vvhich being receiued vvith mekenes and grafted in vs is able to saue our soule It is that holy vvorde of the Lorde against vvhich almoste all the vvorlde is bente and yet it endureth for euer It is also that Scripture vvhiche is geuen by inspiration from heauen vvhich they that are vnlearned and vnstable peruerte to their ovvne destruction It is that inuiolable vvorde vvhiche vvhosoeuer kepeth in him is the vvorde of God perfecte in dede It is the doctrine vvhiche vve must only imbrace so that if there come any to preache vnto vs and bring not this he ought not to be receyued of vs no nor yet saluted It is the vvorde of saluation and veritie vvhose faithfull preachers ought courteously to be receyued Contrarivvyse the contemners and scorners of the same shal be greuously punished by Gods iust iudgement And to conclude it is the eternall Gospell vvhiche must be published vnto them that inhabitâ—… on the earth to euery nation and kynred and tongue and people Those men therefore are vnhappy which set light by this vnuiolable Gospell of Christe but farre more vnhappy are they whiche haue and persecute the ministers and fauourers thereof and moste vnhappy of all are suche as deny and reiecte frowardly that whiche otherwyse they knowe to be true of whiche sorte many are founde among the Papistes for whome it had bene better not to haue knowne the waye of righteousnes than when they haue knowen it to retourne from that whiche was set forthe by Gods commaundement But it falleth out with them according to the true prouerbe The dogge is returned to his owne vomet and the Sowe that was wasshed to wallowe in the myer I beseche you moste dearely beloued brethren in Christe â—â—e from suche as are worse than the Dogge or Serpente and reade ouer this booke whiche is offered vnto you with great dilligence you shall finde in it I trust wherewithall to confirme your myndes in Christe our Sauiour aboundauntly among so many and so great troubles of this curssed worlde To hym be glory honor and dominion for euer and euer Amen Farewell in the Lorde At Viuiacum in the Calendes of Ianuary 1559. The names of those out of whose woorkes this exposition is gathered 1 Martin Bucer B. 12 Augustine AVG. 20 Iosephus 2 Caluin C. 13 Hierome HIER 21 Aulus Gelius 3 Erasmus E. 14 Origene OR 22 Plini 4 Musculus M. 15 Cyrill CYR. 23 Budaeus 5 Philip Melanethon P. 16 Chrysostome CHR. 24 Georgius Agricola 6 Erasmus Sarcerius E. 17 Basil BA 25 Cicero 7 Brentius R. 18 Eusebius EVS. 26 Hegesippus 8 Bullinger Bu. 19 Gregory GR.   9 Zuinglius Z.      10 Vitus Theodorus V.      11 Augustine Marlorate A.      A GODLY AND CATHOLIKE EXPOSITION OF THE holy Gospell of Iesu Christe after Mathewe THE ARGVMENT THE MORE PLAINE AND EASY THOSE things are vvhich are described and set forth vnto vs in this EuaÌ„gelical history the more vve ought to seeke chiefly for vvhat purpose the Euangelistes not content vvith the office of preaching committed vnto their posteritie in vvryting the preaching of Iesu Christe vvhiche by mouthe in their tyme here and there they had published For it is certaine that they did it not vvithout a speciall meaning and intent Surely the holy Ghoste vvith the vvhich they vvere inspired did forsee that there should come many after the deathe of the Apostels by the instinct and motion of Sathan vvhiche should bring vnto men â—…o the defacing and dâ—…siling of the doctrine and faith of Christ false opinions and vayne dreames vnder the name of Christe A and vvould place and set false and fayned thinges in stede of that vvhiche is the very truthe and so vvould either extinguishe and cleane put out the true light of the Gospell or at least so obscure and darken the same vvith their thicke and mistie cloudes that scarse truthe
not belonge to the faythfull to murmure against God. But truely this is the simple sence and meaning of this place that it is in the handes and choyse of God séeing that he doth defraud no man of his iust reward to geue them an vndeserued recompēce which he called late that the first might be last and the last first 15. Is it not lavvfull for me to do as me listeth vvith mine ovvne goodes Is thine eye euill because mine is good Is it not lavvfull A. By these words he declareth that the gentlenes and liberalitie of God cannot iustly be reproued of any man although he geue rich rewards to the vnwoorthy and vndeseruing Is thine eye euill E He put the eye for the mind for malice pertaineth to the mind and not to the corporall eye As if he should haue saide Art thou therfore greued because thou seest me gentle towardes those whom it pleaseth me 16. So the last shal be firste and the first last for many be called but fevve be chosen So the last shal be first C. Christe doth not nowe ioyne the Iewes to the Gentiles as in another place neither the reprobate which swerue from the fayth to the elect which perseuer and continue so that the sentence which some adde vnto this doth in no poynt agrée with the same Many are called but fevve C. The purpose of Christ is onely to shewe that as euery man is called before another so he ought more cherefully to runne and then to exhort all men to modestie least they prefer them selues before another but that they admit and geue way one to another to come to the cōmon rewarde The Apostles were séene to take vnto them selues some great and excellent thing because they were the first fruites of the whole Churche neither did Christe denye but that they shoulde sit as Iudges to iudge the twelue tribes of Israell but least any ambition or vayne trust in them selues should make them prowde they wer also to be admonished that others whiche should be called a great while after them shoulde be felowes and partakers with them of the same glory because God is bounde to no man but calleth euery one whom it pleaseth him of his frée mercye and being called he geueth them what rewarde séemeth him good A. This is the simple and bare exposition of the parable set before vs the which more safely may be folowed then standing vpon euery part to fayn and inuent more matters which are not according to the minde of Christ So the parable of the steward in the sixtene of Luke is not set before vs to be obserued and folowed in all poyntes that we also shoulde deceiue and begile our masters but onely the industrye of the steward is commended vnto vs to be folowed which so carefully prouided for himselfe and that by his masters goodes and because so wittily he had founde out that which was best for him selfe If any man nowe should curiously searche and go about to teach what the debters what the booke of accomptes the oyle the wheate and measure signifyed in that parable that man shoulde easyly decline from the purpose of Christe and shoulde folowe his owne inuentions and vayne comentes and shoulde also offende the Church and not teache it For these similitudes are not set forth before vs to the ende they shoulde be obserued in all poyntes For Paule also compareth Adam and Christ together and saith that Adam was a tipe and figure of Christe when as notwithstanding Adam left vnto vs for our inheritaunce sinne and death but Christ life and righteousnes 17. And Iesus going vp to Hierusalem tooke the tvvelue disciples aside in the vvay and sayde vnto them And Iesus going vp to Hierusalem B. Nowe our Sauiour Christ doth more playnely preache and speake of his death and passion to his disciples M. For nowe the time of his passion was at hand the time of darkenes and offence and this was the last iorney that he made to Hierusalem But the disciples whiche folowed him were astonied and afrayde for he assending to Ierusalem wonte before them Therefore although they were admonished and tolde before what the end of the Lorde shoulde be yet notwithstandinge because that which he had often spoken did profite them nothing at all he nowe repeteth the whole summe agayn from the beginning to the ending and exhorteth them to constancy least they should fall so soone as they were tempted But he confirmeth them by two maner of wayes for he foreshewing that whiche should come doth not only gard and fortefie them least a sodaine mischiefe and vnlooked for should cause them to faynte but also by the offence of the crosse he setteth before them a shewe of his deitie least that a sodaine onset shoulde discourage them they being perswaded that he is the sonne of God and therefore the conquerer of death The second way by the which he doth confirme them is of the resurrection which should shortly folowe A And truelye this exhortation was very necessary for them C. For because they sawe by experience before that he had gréeuous aduersaryes at Hierusalem they go with Christe not onely afeard but also greatly astonished They therfore rather wisshed that he woulde seeke to be quiet in some bye way or corner without daunger then willingly to put him selfe into the hands of such cruell enemyes But although this feare might by many meanes be reprehended as vngodly yet notwithstanding in that they folowed Christ they shewe a signe of great obedience and pietie It had truely bene farre better cherefullye and without sorowe to runne and make haste to what soeuer the sonne of God would haue led thē but their reuerence deserueth great prayse in that they rather séeke to venture them selues then to forsake him M. Our Euangelist Mathewe sayeth here that he assended or went vp to Hierusalem because it stoode vpon an bye ground Tooke the tvvelue C. It might séeme straunge seing fear had inuaded them al insomuch that they were without consolation why he maketh the twelue onely priuy to his secret purpose It is likely that he did therefore hide his death and keepe it secret because he would not haue it spreade abroade before the time Furthermore because he did not looke for any fruite or profite of his admonition out of hande he thought it better to commit the same to a fewe which afterwards might be witnesses of it For as the séede which is cast into the earth doeth not by and by growe and ware gréeue euen so we knowe the Christ had spoken many things to his Apostles which by and by brought not forth fruit But and if he had spoken these wordes generally in the eares of all mē it might haue come to passe that many for feare would haue fled from him and woulde haue made his secretes common to all men So contemptible was the death of Christ that he séemed rashly to bring the same vpon him Therfore
nowe also suffered deathe B. And so hereby he hathe geuen vs an example of true obedience that it might not bee greuouse vnto vs to liue accordinge to the good pleasure of GOD althoughe it be to languishe in greate sorowe and grefe 49. Other sayde let vs see whether Helias will come and deliuer him Other sayde let vs see A. Sainct Marke saythe that he spake these wordes which offered the sponge vnto Christe wyth vineager whiche place semeth to be corrupted so that it muste bee redde thus Other sayde lette bee or suffer thou in the singuler nomber as certeyne Gréeke bookes haue and not suffer ye For he did not lette other to geue hym drinke when hee hymselfe gaue it And Sainct Mathewe plainely writeth that other woulde not suffer hym to geue it VVill come and deliuer hym Sainct Iohn addeth to these woordes sayinge When Iesus therefore hadde tasted of the vineager he saythe it is finished A. Christe woulde not drinke of the vineager which was offered at the first because hee would tary the tyme whiche the father hath appointed but when all thinges were ended he receiued it and sayde it is finished By the whiche sayinge wee are taughte that the whole summe of our saluation is contayned in his deathe We haue sayde before that his resurrection muste not bee seperated from his deathe onelye the purpose of Christe is to grounde oure faythe vppon hym alone that it swerue not oute of the waye There is also in these woordes contayned a secrete antithesis or comparison because Christe setteth his deathe against all olde sacrifices and figures as if he shoulde saye Whatsoeuer was vsed in the lawe was of it selfe of no force to putte awaye sinne to pacifye the wrathe of GOD and to gette righteousnes But nowe at the lengthe Saluation is declared and offered To this doctrine the abrogation of all the rytes of the lawe is annexed It is fynished therefore because hee brought all thinges to passe by his crosse and deathe in so muche that there remayneth nothynge nowe but that wee shoulde enter into euerlastynge lyfe and felicitye by his deathe Why then shoulde we feare All thynges I saye is finished satisfaction is made for synne the wrathe of GOD is pacifyed deathe is swallowed vp in victorye the Kingedome of God is purchased heauen opened to be shorte all thynges necessary for our saluation are obtayned A. Euen as therefore sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death euenso the deathe of Christe beinge ended hath brought foorth lyfe For it became hym for whome are all thynges and by whome are all things after that he had broughte manye sonnes vnto glory that he shoulde make the Lorde of their saluation perfecte throughe afflictions 50. Iesus when he hadde cryed againe wyth a loude voyce yelded vppe the ghoste Iesus vvhen he had cryed againe C. The Euangeliste Sainct Luke whiche made no mencion of the former crye and complaynte rehearseth the woordes of this seconde crye whiche Sainct Mathewe and Sainct Marke prefermitte For he saythe that hee cryed Father into thy handes I will commende my spirit R. This woorde spirite is here putt for the immortall essence of the soule C. By this crye Christ declared that althoughe hee were very sore assalted and shaken with violente temptations yet notwithstandynge his faythe was not shaken but alwayes abode in his place inuincible For there coulde be no more euidente a triumphe than that Christe dothe boaste that God is the keeper of his soule whiche all men thoughte to be destroyed And because hee thoughte hee shoulde speake vnto those that woulde not here he did very well tourne hym selfe vnto GOD and layed downe the testimony of his truste before hym He woulde that menne shoulde heare that whiche hee spake But althoughe hee did profite nothynge with men he was contente to haue God onelye a witnes And althoughe he semeth to take this forme of prayer oute of the thirde Psalme yet notwithstandynge there is no doubte but that accordynge to the present circonstance of the tyme hee made it serue his present tourne As if he hadde sayde I see verelye Father that I by the consente of all menne am appointed to dye and that my mynde after a sorte is caryed hyther and thyther In the meane tyme I féele no helpe to come from thee accordynge to the fleshe Yet neuertheles this shal be no let vnto me whereby I shoulde the lesse committ my spirite into thy handes and quietly reste my selfe in the secrete custody of thy goodnes Notwithstandyng wee muste note that Christe did not commende his soule into his fathers handes for the priuate respecte that hee hadde to hymselfe but that hee comprehended all the soules of his faythfull as it were in one that they might be saued and kepte with his And he speaketh in the future tence or time to come saying I will commende as if he shoulde saye Father I do willinglye committe my soule into thy handes because thou shalte bee the keeper thereof This crye dothe shewe againe the vehemency of the affection For there is no doubte but that Christe at the lengthe burste forthe into this voyce oute of the extremitye of temptations wyth the whiche he was helde not without great occasion C. Hereby therefore lette them receyue consolation whiche are vniustly putte to death of the wycked because when the wycked are suffered to do al that euer they can to the Godlye yet notwithstandynge they are constrayned whether they wyll or no to leaue they re soules vntoutthed that they may committe them wyth reste into the handes of God what soeuer happen to they re bodyes So Christ sayde Feare not them which kill the body but can not kyll the soule A. And the Apostell Peter saythe Lette them that are troubled accordinge to the wyll of GOD committe they re soules to hym wyth well doinge as vnto a faythfull creator This was the cause that the blessed martyr Saint Steuen cryed saying at his deathe Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite For this is the difference betwene the deathe of the children of GOD and the reprobate that the one dothe dispayre and the other committe theire soules to the tuition of GOD as a preciouse Iewell to bee kepte vntill the daye of resurrection Yelde vp the ghoste C. The Euangeliste Sainct Luke hathe And when hee had spoken these things he bowed down the heade saithe Saint Iohn and gaue vp the Ghoste â–ª namely to the father All the Euangelistes do diligentlye sett foorthe the deathe of Christe And not without cause For hereupon commethe the hope of eternall lyfe and hereuppon commeth reioycinge ouer death because the Son of God hath suffered the same for oure sakes and fyghtynge therewith hath gotten the victory A. Wherefore althoughe these thynges are touâ—…ched in fewe woordes yet notwithstandynge they are not negligently to be pretermitted because hereby wee maye perceyue the whole summe of our saluation All the Patriarkes by faythe had respecte vnto this hower To
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
might bee discerned from falsehode and lyes For the crafty vvylines of false Apostels is vvell enough knovven vvho being deceitful and subtile vvorkers taking vpon them the name of the Apostels of Christe do easely begyle the simple and suche as take no hede of them as the Apostell Paule in his epistell to the Corinthians declareth M. Therefore to the ende a certainâ—… doctrine as concerning Christ should persiste and continue in the Churche or congregation the holy Ghoste brought to passe that firste of all the natiuitie of Christe his life doctrine death buriall resurrection and assention into heauen beside these the sending forth of the embassage of the Gospell into the vvhole vvorlde the going forvvarde and good successe of the doctrine of the Gospell and Christian faithe the declaration and confirmation of the same by faithful vvitnesses that is to saye holy Euangelistes should in maner of an history beÌ„ coÌ„mitted to vvriting by them vvhiche Euangelistes heard and savve all thinges them selues before their face vvhiche also hauing authoritie and povver of God vvere the first vvhiche vvere sent and appointed to the preaching of the Gospell throughout the vvhole vvorlde To this vse ende and purpose the foure Euangelistes haue vvrytten the history of Christe among vvhome C onely Luke maketh a preface to his Gospell vvhiche he vvryteth briefely shevvyng the cause vvhiche moued him to vvryte as euidently you may see if you reade the same B. As touching the interpretation of this vvorde Gospell it being taken from the Greeke vvorde signifieth good or glad tidinges The vvhiche vvorde the three score and tenne interpretours vsed so often as they founde the Hebrevve vvorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bisser vvhiche signifieth to tell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besora tidinges being the deriuatiue of the same and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meuasser telling The Apostels and Euangelistes vsed this vvoorde very muche after them The Euangeliste Luke citing the place of the Prophete Esaye vsed this vvoorde To preache the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me Therefore the Gospell shal be vnto vs a publique or open setting foorth and preaching of the grace and redemptioÌ„ purchased and gotten by Christe as concerning the vvhiche redemption there are infinite testimonies of holy Scripture C Or els the Gospell is a history conteining the glad tidinges of the comming of Christe in the fleshe being sent of the Father accordinge to his promises in the lavve Prophetes and Psalmes In the vvhiche history the lyfe specially of Christe his doctrine death resurrection and assention is declared beside these the fruite of his comming is therein declared namely that by him vve are deliuered from the Deuell sinne and death and that vve are sanctified and assured of euerlasting lyfe B. As therefore the Gospell in the Scripture is properly a declaration of the long loked for saluation and at the lengthe reuealed and offered by Christe euen so our Euangeliste Mathevve as the reste Marke Luke and Iohn hath very cunningly and artificially vvritten in his Gospell the history of the Lorde by the vvhiche he declareth both his vvoordes and dedes in order A. But vvho this Mathevve vvas vvhose vvorke in the nevve TestameÌ„t hath the first rome M and from vvhat state of life he vvas called of Christe and aduaunced by him to the dignitie of an Apostle he of himselfe as vve shall heare hereafter declareth In the meane tyme vve must thinke and assure our selues that the holy Ghoste vvas and is the true authour of this history and that Mathevv vvas only the instrumeÌ„t or secretary to the same vvho leauing his pouling kinde of lyfe is become not onely a companion and disciple but also an Apostell and Euangeliste of Christe from vvhome all thinges in the vvorlde that are good do flovve as from the lyuely and celestiall vvell of grace A GODLY AND CATHOLIKE EXPOSITION OF THE HOLY Gospell of Iesu Christ after Mathevv The fyrst Chapiter The booke of the generation of Iesu Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham The booke of the generation C. IN VAYNE do certaine interpretours trauel about this titel or inscription to make excuse because the Euangelist Mathew doth name the whole history of the halfe of one chapter For this titel is not exteÌ„ded to the whole booke but the name of the booke is put for a Cataloge or rehersall as if it had ben saide here foloweth the order of the generation of Christ B. Euen as we maye reade in Genesis This is the boke of the generatioÌ„ of meÌ„ In the which place the Hebrew worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sepher which coÌ„meth of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saphar that is he hath nombred rehersed or declared For there foloweth the Cataloge or rehersal of men from Adam vntyll Noah with a discription of whoÌ„ and what tyme euery one had his ofspringe and originall Or els the booke of the generation signifieth that in the which somwhat is rehersed or nombred M. whervpon we reade that the booke of the Iust the booke of God in the whiche the Iust are written is so called B. This name therfore perteineth properly to the Cataloge and to the history A. And although the Euangelist goeth about to shew that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the true Messias promised long before in the lawe and Prophetes and loked for of the fathers B. Yet notwithstanding he wolde begyn the Gospell of Christ with the basenes of his generation sekinge to bring in all the sorrowes traueiles and paines of his life euen till the power glory and maiestie of his resurrection and kingdome in the which he sittinge at the right hande of God gouerneth all thinges that as Christ suffered many thynges and so entered into the glory of his kingdome and as he dyd fyrst abase hym selfe and became man a seruant also and humbled him selfe to the death of the crosse euen so he myght preache Christ vnto vs to be a mortal maÌ„ and crucified before that he was mortal and rayned gloriously in his kyngdome and so by the folishenes of preachinge to bringe saluation to the faythfull A The Euangelist Iohn more plainly euen at the fyrst preacheth the maiestie of Christ B. teaching him to be the eternall worde of the father and that deuine power and vertue by the which all thynges were made lyue moue consist feele vnderstand But our Euangelist Mathewe thought it sufficient to shewe briefely as it were in one word the diuinitie of Christe wrytinge thus The booke of the generation of Chryste And where as he calleth Iesus whiche was thought to be a carpenter and the sonne of a carpenter Chryst being that king which was long loked for promysed to the fathers he hath already shewed a sufficient cause and reason of so doinge to those that knowe the force of this name The sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham C. He calleth Chryst the son of Dauid and AbrahaÌ„ in respecte of
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
Edom is called a wyldernes where as it is well knowen that it was in those dayes muche inhabited Also certayne wryters haue sayde that Heluetia was barren without people dwelling therin and that the whole land was called the desert of the HeluetiaÌ„s otherwise Swisers Furthermore th inheritaÌ„ce of the tribe of Iuda is said to haue sixe cities and their villages in the wyldernes Wherfore we may not thinke that Iohn gat him quite out of the coÌ„pany of men as the Heremites seme to do in these dais who dwel leade their liues in solitary woodes but for so muche as his fathers house was in the mouÌ„taines of Iury peraduenture he went a litle into the desert that is through the woodes towards Iordan 2 And saying Repent the kingdome of heauen is at hand And saying repent In this our EuaÌ„gelist differeth here froÌ„ thother two Marke Luke that he in the persone of Iohn sheweth the some of his doctrine but they with their own wordes Although Marke hath more then Luke by one word for he saith he came baptizing preaching the baptim of repentauÌ„ce But in the very thing it selfe they agrée very well in one because all men do ioyne repentaunce with remissio of sinnes as we shal sée by by The wordes of Iohn coÌ„siste of two partes For first he teacheth what we must do theÌ„ he sheweth the reasone why it ought to be done He biddeth repent because the kingdom of heuen is at hande E. The Greke woorde for the which we reade repent is said of vnderstanding the thing which followeth wheÌ„ as one hauing offended doth marke and waye his offence Wherefore the Greke worde MetanoiÌ„a or repentaunce is not only referred to the mind of man but to the worke amendement of life to the whole coÌ„uersioÌ„ of maÌ„ which Peter plainly declareth when he saith Repent you conuert that your sinnes may be done away For that whiche followeth is a declaration of that whiche went before For the kingdoÌ„ of heauen is at hand A. We haue shewed the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is ioyned with repentaunce in the preaching of Iohn that which this reasoÌ„ following doth approue C. For the kingdome of heauen among men is nothing els but a restoring to the blessed happy life so it is the true and euerlasting felicitie Therefore when Iohn sayd the kingdom of heauen drewe neare he ment that those men that were alienate from the righteousnes of God were banished from the kingdom of heauen that they were again to be gathered vnto God that they might liue vnder his haÌ„d But frée adoptioÌ„ forgeuenes of sinnes bringeth this thing to passe by the which he doth recoÌ„cile those that are vnworthy to him self To be shâ—â— the kingdom of heauen is nothing els but a neâ—…nes of life by the which God doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednes For he doth chaleÌ„ge vs to him self being taken froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of sin death that we being pilgrimes vpoÌ„ earth may possesse at length by faith a celestial and heaueÌ„ly life And although we be like vnto dead men yet we knowe are assured that our life is in safetie so long as it is hid in Christ From hence as from the fountaine the exhortation to repentance is brought Neither doth Iohn say repeÌ„t and so by this meanes the kingdome of God shal approche straight way but first he doth propounde set before them the grace of God then be doth exhorte men to repeÌ„t Wherby it doth appere that the foundation of repentaunce is the mercy of God by the which he doth restore those that are lost Neither doth Marke Luke say that he preached remission of sinnes in any other sence For repentauÌ„ce is not placed first as some very ignoraÌ„tly fain as though that were the cause of the remission of sinnes or that it should preueÌ„t God that he might be fauorable vnto vs but men are coÌ„maunded to repente that they may taste of the grace profered vnto them the reconciliation also But as by order the frée loue of God doth go before by the which he doth receiue imbrace vnto him miserable men not imputing their sinnes vnto them euen so we must note that we haue remission of sinnes in Christ not the God doth by his suffraÌ„ce allowe theÌ„ but rather that he may cure deliuer vs from sinne Neither truly can any man taste of the grace of God without he hate abhorre sinne vice But it is conuenient to waye coÌ„sider so much as pertaineth to the sence meaning of this present place that the whole Gospel doth coÌ„sist of two partes of remission of sinnes repentaunce But for so much as Math. did note signifie the first part by the kingdom of heauen we may therby gather that there is deadly warre and contentioÌ„ betwene God maÌ„ that we are quite banished out of the kingdom of heauen vntil he receyue vs againe into his grace fauour B. Therefore very shorte are the woordes of Iohn yet they conteyne the somme of the whole preaching of the Gospell Wherefore both Christ and his apostles haue begonne their Gospell in these woordes And although Iohn propounding the grace of God doth exhorte men to repentaunce yet for all that we must waye and note that this grace is no lesse the gifte of God than is the heritage of euerlasting lyfe For as he doth frely forgeue vs our synnes and doth by his mercy and goodnes deliuer vs from the gulffe and pitte of euerlasting death so he doth make and fashion vs like vnto him selfe that we may lyue to righteousnes euen as he doth adopte vs to be his sonnes euen so he doth regenerate vs with his holy spirite that our life may testifie and witnesse howe that not in vayne we call him father And no lesse doth Christe quicken vs to righteousnes if that we crucifie our olde man vtterly abolishe the whole body of sinne lurking in our fleshe then he doth put away our sinnes by his bloud appeaseth the wrath of his father by the sacrifice of his death Notwithstanding this is the somme of the Gospel that our sinnes being wiped away God doth imbrace vs in his sonne Christe that we denying our selues and our owne nature may leade a godly and holy life and so in earth haue our mindes altogether fixed in heauen 3 For this is he of whome the prophete Esay spake saiyng The voyce of a crier in the wyldernes prepare ye the waye of the lord and make his pathes straighte For this is he of vvhom the prophet M. The auncient latine wrytings haue VVhiche is called by Esaie and so hath the Greke texte also But by Marke and Luke they seeme to be the woordes of the EuaÌ„gelistes M. Some notwithstaÌ„ding referre it to Iohn him self geuing a reason of that whiche he spake of the
the institutions therfore when as they haue no respecte to the ende for the whiche they were ordeined He therfore whiche hath not a care of his neighbors health but is a straight obseruer of externall rites dothe bewray declare his own hipocrisie as these iusticiaries who reiected the Publicanes synners suffered them to perishe had not Christe called thē vnto him cured them We must so thinke therfore of sacrifices as wayes meanes to come vnto God which notwithstāding are of no force except a sounde perfect truthe be annexed vnto the same Bu. So that our Sauiour Christ did very well oppose this general sentence of religion to his aduersaries C. For vnder this worde mercy he comprehendeth all the partes and duties of humanitie whiche we owe vnto oure brethren as by the name of Sacrifice he meaneth all seremonies and externall thynges For I came not to call the righteous Bu. Nowe Christ hauing respect to that whiche he spake euen now that he came a Phisition into the worlde by a certayne illation and exposition he concludeth the whole disputation and those whome before he called whole and strong he nowe calleth righteous Not that he meaneth them to be righteous in dede but because they bosted thought them selues to bee righteous as did the Phariseis These thinking them selues to be absolute perswaded thē selues that the grace of God pertained nothing at all to their perfection and this was the cause that they did not call for the mercy of the Lorde For what nede haue the righteous of mercy So that here their offence was great in so muche that the Lorde in an other place sayde If ye were blynde then had ye no synne but nowe ye saye we see therefore your synne remayneth Again he sayde Yee are they whiche iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hartes C. Wherefore although this was spoken to refelle and confute the pryde and hypocrisie of the Scribes yet notwithstanding generally it contayneth a profitable doctrine For we are taught that the grace of Christe dothe no otherwyse proffite vs then when we acknowledging our synnes and syghing vnder the burthē of the same come humblely vnto hym for release and pardon Furthermore infirme and weake consciences are erected and lyfted vp by sure truste and confidence because we oughte not to feare that Christ wyl reiecte synners for whose saluation he descended from his heauenly glorye into this wycked worlde M. But we muste note that he sayth not I came to constrayne synners but to call synners Whereby we may gather what kynde of persones the medicine of the grace of God would haue vs to be namely suche as are desyrous of saluation and wyllyng to receiue the same for he reiecteth the vnwillyng Hereupon it is written Blessed are they that hunger and thyrste after righteousnes for they shal be satisfied Neither doth Christe saye here I am come to call some or a fewe but generally all excludynge none C. But we muste note this also which followeth To repentaunce That we may know how that pardon is graunted vnto vs not to synne or offende styll but that afterwarde we may leade a godly holy and vertuous lyfe For vpon this condition he dothe reconcile vs to his father that we being redemed by his bloud may offer our selues liuely sacrifices as saynt Paule saythe The grace of God that bryngeth saluation hath appeared to all men and teacheth vs that we shoulde deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and that we should lyue soberly and righteously and godly in this present worlde To the whiche also agreeth the saying of Zacharias That we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies may serue him without feare in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our lyues M. For repentaunce is nothing els but a conuersion of the mynde and an alteration of the former opinion as appeareth by the saying of the Prophetes Tourne vnto me and ye shal be safe Againe I wil not the death of a synner but that he tourne and liue Also repente and amēde that your synnes may be done away 14 Then came the disciples of Iohn vnto hym saying why do we and the Phariseis faste for the most part but thy disciples faste not Then came to him the disciples M. It is not the least among the miracles of the wisdome of God when that he dothe oftentymes manifeste and confirme his truthe by the resistaunce and gainsayinge of the wycked The whiche thinge as in all other places so in this may manifestly be sene whereupon truely no small proffite commeth vnto vs by the rebellion of the Phariseis VVhy do vve and the Phariseis faste C. Luke in his fifth chapter bringeth in the Phariseis speakinge in their owne persone and Marke semeth to ioyne thē both together Neither is there any doubt but that the Phariseis by this wycked deceite and wyle pretended to wynne and allure the disciples of Iohn on their part and to make thē contende with the disciples of Christe The cōgruitie in prayers and fastinges was a plausible prouocation and intisement of societie but the contrary opinion and reason of Christe was an occasion of discorde and priuy hatred to waywarde and curious persones being to muche addicted to their owne willes By this example we are admonished and taught wisely to take hede least by some light pretence the wycked and crafty men do sowe discorde and dissention among vs For Sathan is wonderfull busy in this practise and againe it is an easy matter for vs to bee troubled about nothyng But we ought specially to take hede leaste that the vnitie and agrement of oure faythe be cut asunder by suche externall rites and ceremonies and leste the bonde of charitie be broken With this disease many are infected in that they seke more then is necessary to stablishe the ceremonies and elementes of the worlde as Paule sayth Furthermore there commeth another euel of curiositie disdayne that is euery one seketh to bring all the worlde to his example If any thing please vs we couet straightway to haue the same a lawe that others may depend vpō our arbitrement Nowe forasmuche as we do reade that the disciples of Iohn laboured with this disease were taken with these snares of Sathan let vs learne vnderstād that sanctimony pietie is not placed in external thinges let vs learne also to brydell our selues with the byt of moderation and equitie least that we seke to bring al men to our opinion but rather let euery man haue his owne libertie M. Furthermore that the disciples of Iohn were enuious against Christe for a certaine zeale they bare vnto their maister it is euident by S. Iohn where he saith There arose a questiō betwene Iohns disciples and the Iewes about the purifying And they came vnto Iohn sayde vnto hym Rabby he that was with thee beyonde Iordane to whome thou
the Samari The Samaritanes and the Gentiles were all one sauing that the Samaritanes receiued outwardly the lawe of Moyses Of these we may reade in the seuentene chapter of the fourthe booke of Kynges Reade also the fourth chapter of Iohn 6 But go ye rather to the loste shepe of the house of Israell C. The firste place he assigneth to the Iewes because thei were the first begotten yea because God counted them only of his houshold all others as straungers and foreners He calleth them also loste shepe both that the Apostels being touched with mercy shold the more spedely and with more earnest study seke to helpe them And also that they myghte knowe that euen nowe they had plentifull occasion ministered vnto them to worke The Iewes which were nere vnto God and the promised seede and lawfull heyres of eternall lyfe are sayde notwithstanding to be loste vntyll they had recouered health in Christe What then to vs remayneth whiche in honoure and dignitie are not to be compared vnto thē M. Christe teacheth vs therefore wherin perdition consisteth and in what saluation also standeth They to whome he sente his Apostels were not loste corporally but spiritually because they were out of the feding and custody of Christe C. Moreouer Christe gaue the name of sheepe to the reprobate whiche properly were not of the flocke of Christe because the adoption pertained to all people As in an other place he calleth them sonnes or the children of the kyngdome whiche afterwarde for their vnbeliefes sake shal be caste out into vtter darknes To be short by the name of shepe Christ commendeth the Iewes to his Apostels to the ende they might bestowe their labour vppon them because none can be counted of the flocke of God but they whiche are gathered into the shepefolde 7 Go and preache saying the kingdom of heauen is at hande Go and preache Bu. Now he geueth them cōmaundement what they shall preache namely that they referre all their Sermons to the kyngdome of god R. This kynde of preaching hath a certayne similitude of the voyce of a crier whose parte is to declare and proclayme the comming of the kyng that thereby the myndes of the people may be prepared to receyue their kyng ioyfully C. Euen so by this proclamation of the Gospell Christe would haue the myndes of the people cōforted with the hope of the redemption at hande The kyngdome of heauen is at hande M. Luke saith the kyngdome of God is at hande but in the same sence and meaning namely that the Iewes myght know that firste of all they are restored by the power of God and not by the benefite ayde of men Then that their state and condition shal be happy vnder God theyr kyng Thirdly that no earthly or corruptible felicitie is promysed vnto them but suche an heauenly ioye as neuer shall haue ende Bu. To the same effecte and purpose all they whiche preache in the churche of God at this daye ought to dyrecte their Sermons namely that they teache truly what the kingdom of Christ is howe and after what sorte it reigneth here in vs and how we shall reigne with the same in heauen 8 Heale the sycke clense the Lepers rayse the dead caste out deuels frely ye haue receiued geue frely Heale the sycke C. As he armed and endewed them with power so he commaundeth them to be his faithfull and liberall ministers and he forbiddeth thē to hyde that whiche was committed vnto them for the health of all men A. He commaundeth to heale the sicke to clense the Leprous and to rayse the dead that therby the hearers may more easely receyue the doctrine of the Gospell C. Moreouer by these miracles he declareth wherfore he was sent of his father and what is the ende also of his Gospell These miracles therefore haue a certaine analogy and similitude with the office of Christe that we may knowe that he came to vs being the authour of all good thinges to deliuer vs from the tyranny of Sathan from the stynge of death and the curse of the lawe and to helpe to cleare vs from all synne diseases and myseries Frely ye haue receiued M. Christ knew that this Ambassage might helpe thē to great gayne For what would not the sicke mā geue to receyue his healthe What coste woulde the parentes spare to haue their children beinge dead raysed agayne to lyfe Therefore by expresse wordes he commaundeth them to bestowe that liberalitie frely whiche frely was also geuen vnto them C. Signifying that they were not endewed with those giftes for their owne glory and praise but that thei should be as it were conducte pypes for the grace and mercy of God to passe by as if he should haue sayde Consider from whence this power came vnto you euen as it came not vnto you through youre owne merytes or deseruing but by the mere grace of God euen so see that without any rewarde therefore ye geue frely agayne We knowe by experience howe lothe all men are to part from that which they thinke to be proper to theim selues or their owne good And how lusty euery man is if he perceiue that in hym selfe whiche is wantinge in his brother and howe ready by and by he is to despyse hym The which being forsene of Christ he geueth them a precise cōmaundement to geue frely to euery one that wylyngly seketh for the same Nowe Christe hath in his ministers exhibited his grace according to the prophecie of Esayas sayinge Come to the waters al ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money Come bye wyne and mylke without money or money worthe He sheweth also here that non can be sincere ministers of his word and dispensators of his grace but such as can be contented to bestowe their worke and trauayle frely but as for all hierlinges they do but corrupte and profane the office of teaching M. But how odious to God this turpe lucrum is this selling of his giftes it appeareth by many places of scripture As by the exāple of Gihezi by the example of Symon Magus and by the example of the biers and sellers which were scourged out of the temple The whiche examples I woulde to God were well examined and indifferently wayed by the byshops of Rome whiche do nothinge but make marchaundise of al that euer they haue yea they are as peltinge pedlers with pouling packs and in dede to speake the truthe they are in no poynte for honestie and true dealing to be compared vnto them Also this prohibiteth not Preachers godly ministers which frely and willingly serue Christe to be nourished and maintayned with publike stypendes according to saint Paule who sayth If we sowe amonge you spirituall thinges thinke it not muche if we reape your corporall and carnll thynges 9 Possesse not goulde nor syluer nor brasse in your pursses E. The Greeke woorde signifieth rather to prepare and prouide that whiche we haue not
to haue in time the vpper bāde how much so euer men seke to oppresse the same Although this doctrine was sometyme preached in the temple openly notwithstanding because it was reiected it was hydde as it were as yet in secrete corners but he affirmeth that the tyme wyll come when the same shall be publyshed openly The whiche thynge as wee knowe within a littell whyle after came to passe And because this promise might refreshe and chere vppe theyr mindes Christe exhorteth them boldely and manlye to accomplysshe the same and not to feare allthoughe the Gospell as yet seemed vnto theim base and contemptyble but to be preachers of the same That shall not be ope A. The olde latten translations adde in time to com for the which the Greke texte hathe whiche shall not be reuealed That which is spoken in the fourth chapter of Marke was spoken peraduenture at an other time in an other sence notwithstanding because they are short sentences the matter maye agree with this place of Mathew For after that Chryst there had cōmanded the apostels to manifest their light vnto all men euē as burning candels he addeth by and by There is nothing secrete which shal not be opened But the light of the gospel was kindeled as it were in darkenes to the Apostelles that being lifted vp by their ministery it might shine throughout the whole world M. Yet there semeth to be an other vse of this prouerbe whiche may be takē two maner of ways one which maketh greatly for their consolation which suffer iniurie which cōsolation is that a day shal come which shall manifest declare to the whole world their innocency which a long tyme had ben hyd The examples of this matter are Ioseph Dauid Susanna others The other vse of this prouerb serueth to make vs shon auoid all those thinges that are euill because that god being a iust iudge will not suffer the impietie of the wicked to lie in secrete as saith s Paule I wold not haue you iudge before the time vntil the cōming of the lord which shal lightē al things that are in darknes shal bewray the secretes of the hartes thē shal euery mā haue praise of god But the first expositiō of all agreeth very wel with the meaning of Christ 27 what I tel you in darknes that speake ye in the lyght And what ye here in the eare that preache ye on the house toppes M. Christ now goeth forwarde to exhorte his disciples that they thynke not them selues to be in secrete or that they hide not that in darknes which they haue receiued of him As if he shold say Those thinges whiche I haue committed vnto you in darknes that is whē ye were together alone wolde I haue made manifest that is I wold haue you preach thē openly in the light to all men Where ye must now cast away al feare shewe your selues abrode B. He setteth here light against darkenes he ioyneth to the eare hearing to the house topps preaching He meaneth by speaking in darknes to cōmit somwhat to the mind by secrete talke Therfore they speake in the light which tel opēly plainely the whiche they haue hearde Euen so to here or tel in the eare is to receyue or cōmit somewhat by priuate metinge together For men vse cōmonly to whisper in the eare whē they wold not be heard of other mē Therfore to preache in the house tops is to disclose to al men that which was cōmitted vnto them openly manifestly and plainly to vtter that which was before geuen thē in secrete This is spoken according to the maner of that region where their houses ar so builded that a man may stand or walke vppō the tops of them the ridges of the houses being flat and leaded much lyke our galleries Whervpon it is writtē in the boke of Moyses thus Whē thou buildest a new house thou shalt make a battelment or wal about the roofe or top of thy house that thou lade not bloud vpō thy house if many fal there from And in an other place we reade thus And there were vpō the roofe of the house about thre thousand men and women that behelde while Sampson played 28 And feare ye not them which kill the body but ar not able to kil the soule But rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule body into hell And feare ye not B Hitherto christ hath armed his apostls aginst the feare of infamy C. and now with a singular reason he animateth encourageth thē againste the feare of death because men ought to despise this vaine mortall life in respecte of the immortal heauenly life whervnto they are created For here cōsisteth the some if the faithful way consider wherfore they were borne what their state and conditiō of life is they shal find that there is no cause why they shold so carefully seeke after this earthy and terrene life But the wordes of Christe are more ful and fruiteful For he teacheth that the feare of God is deade with thē which departe from the confession of the trewe faythe for the feare of tyrantes seeke not to put out of their mindes a brutishe and beastly stupor and dulnesse whiche by the terrour of death maketh them to cast from them the confession of the same faythe for we must note the Antithesis betwene the two contrary feares If the feare of God be choked by the feare that is in men doth it not appere that we attribute then more vnto them then vnto God him self And so it foloweth herevppō that we reiecting the eternal celestial life make our selues like bruite beastes Only goo hath power of euerlasting life death Him we neglect because the feare of men doth withdraw our mindes doth it not plainely appere that wee esteeme more our corruptible body the lif therof then the euerlasting state condition of the soule yea the heauēly kyngdome of God semeth nothing so preciouse vnto vs as doth the momentany vanyshyng shadowe of this corporall life Thus therfore the wordes of Chryst must be resolued Vnderstād ye that immortal soules are geuen vnto you which beinge onely subiecte vnto the will of God come not into the power of men Wherfore let not your fayth quayle for no terrors or threteninges of men For howe cōmeth it to passe that the feare of men doth preuaile in the cōflict but only because we esteme more of the body then of the sowle lesse of euerlastinge lyfe then of a shaddowe VVhiche kill the body C. Where as Christ by these wordes doth attribute vnto men power to kyll it is spoken by a certayne kynde of grauntynge For God doth oftimes geue libertie vnto the wicked that they beinge puffed vp with the truste of their power myghte venture desperately vpon euery thynge as thoughe theye coulde do all thinges without harme but it
as concernynge the father this alone is spoken that he alone knoweth the sonne no mention of reuelatiō being made We answere that it was superfluous to repete the which was spokē alredy before for what doth that former geuing of thanks cōtaine but only that the father reueled the sonne to whō yf pleased him Where as now therfore it is added that the son is knowē of the father only it is as it were the shewinge of the cause for this thought might arise What nede was ther that the sonne should be reueled of the father which offered himselfe to be seene openly of all men Now let vs note vpō what occasion it was said that the sonne was knowen of the father alone It followeth Neyther knovveth any man the father saue the sonne This knowledge differeth from that whiche wente before For the sonne is not said to know the father because hee reuealeth him by hys spyrite but he is sayd to know him in as muche as hee being the liuely Image of the father dothe after a sort in his owne person shewe him visiblye So that wee exclude not the spiryte but wee referre the reuelacion of the whych mencion is made here to the maner of knowledge and so very well this text is vnited in it selfe For Christ confirmeth that whiche hee spake before that al things were geuen to him of his father to the ende wee might know that the fulnes of the deyty consisteth in him This therefore is the some of this text It is the gyft of the father that the sonne is knowne bycause by his holy spyrite hee openeth the eyes of our mynds by the which wee beholde the glory of Chryst whiche otherwyse is hydden from vs But the father whyche dwelleth in the mydest of light being in himselfe incomprihensible is reueled vnto vs by the Sonne which is the patterne and liuely Image of him to the ende that hee should be sought for in no other A. Wherupon the Lorde aunswered Philip which requested that the father mighte bee sheewed to him and to the rest of the Apostells Philippe hee that seeth mee seeth the father also Last of al this place sufficiētly declareth that neither the vnbeleuing Iewes neyther the Turkes nor the Papistes whiche reiecte the doctrine of Christe doe knowe the father when none but Christe can shewe and declare hym vnto vs. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that laboure and are heauye laden and I wyll ease you Come vnto mee all yee B. He doth verye well inuyte and call all men vnto hym after that hee hath declared that all things are giuen vnto him of his father and that it is hee onelye that geueth the knowledge of his father C. By this so gentle and louing a calling hee witnesseth and declareth that hee is ready to entertaine and receiue all men if so bee that they come to be his Disciples For although hee be ready to shew his father vnto all men yet notwithstandinge the greatest parte neglecte to come because they feele not their owne necessity Hypocrites regard not Christ because they being dronke as it were with their owne righteousnesse do neyther honger nor thyrst after his grace They whiche are adicted giuen to the world also esteme the heauenly lyfe as nothing Therfore Christ in vaine shold call those two sorts of men vnto him so that he turneth him rather about to those that are myserable afflicted That labour and are laden C. Hee calleth those laborers and laden whiche feele the burthen of their sinnes sighe vnder the waight of the same and which trauaile for the quietinge of their conscience and which continue poore in spirit God truly dothe humble his electe and chosen by dyuers meanes but because there are manye which beinge oppressed with miseryes do remaine neuertheles obstinate and stubborne Christ calleth those laborers laden whiche haue their consciences afflicted with the punishmēt of eternal death and are inwardly so vrged with their sinnes that they are ready euen to dispayre the which sorrow inward griefe in deede maketh vs moste apte to retaine the grace of Christ Wherfore let vs suffer the proude iusticiaries to seeke for health by their owne merites let vs suffer also the worldlings to flatter themselues with the felicity and prosperous estate of this worlde but let vs suffer our selues by the sting of conscience to be broughte vnto Christ And because Chryst wyll admit no other into the fellowshippe and fruition of his rest and quyetnes but suche as faynte and beginne to quayle vnder the burthen of sinne let vs vnderstande that there can be no poyson more pestiferous and pernicious then that negligence whych that false and deceytfull opinion of earthly felicitye and oure owne ryghteousnesse bredeth and ingendreth in vs. Therefore let euery man dayly awake stir vp him selfe and first of all let hym shake of frō him the vaine delightes and pleasures of this world then let him put away cleane wholly al peruerse trust confidence in his owne righteousenes But we must note that no mā can aspire and come to this repentance by his own power because it is the gift of God Neither doth Christe here go about to teache what man may do of him selfe but onely he declareth with what affectiō they oughte to com vnto him A. For this saying of Christ is most true No man cōmeth to me except my heuenly father draw him C. But they which go about to restrayn this burthen labour to the legall ceremonies do to much stretch the meaning of Christe We graunte truely that the burthen of the lawe is intollerable and that it doth discourage the mindes of mē but we must be mindefull of that whiche was said that Christ doth reache out the hāde of his mercy to al those that are afflicted to the ende he mighte make a dyfference betwene his disciples the contemners of his gospell Also we muste note that he maketh here a generall calling leaste that any man should doubte that hee had not fre accesse and comming vnto Christ Bu. He calleth not therfore this man or that he calleth not the Iewes alone he calleth not the learned the noble or riche onely but he calleth all olde and young Iewe or gentyll learned or vnlearned riche or poore ye so generall is this his inuitatiō that he refuseth none of what state or condition so euer they be of C. And yet notwithstanding they whith come are few in nomber because amōge a great multitude that perishe there are fewe that fele theyr destruction And I vvyll ease you B. Or I wyll refreshe you This refreshinge is not to bee referred to meate or drynke but to the remedy of werines As if he should haue saide I wyll make you rest and breathe your selues C. Notwithstandinge this refocillation or refreshynge whiche hee speaketh of and promyseth here consysteth in the remission and forgeuenes of our synnes whiche alone
restraine that synne to the fyrste table of the lawe Shall not be forgeuen This semeth to some to be a verye harde and straighte sayinge and therefore theye flee to this chyldysshe and fonde distinction and cauyll sayinge that it was saide to be irremissible or voyde of remyssion because the pardon of the same is rare and hardly obtained But Christ spake more plainly and in suche sorte that his woordes can not be so slenderly eluded For they reason to folishely whiche say that God should be very cruell if he should neuer remit synne not waying how beastly a wickednes it is not onelye to prophane the holy name of God but also to spit as it were in his face when it most brightly shineth What greater synne more certaine token of the reprobate can there be then to blaspheme reuile reproche and to slander the spirite of God into the whiche who so euer falleth it is a greate likelyhod that he is geuen ouer into a reprobate sence and that god doth so indurate and harden his harte that hee shall neuer attayne to trew repentaunce But the blasphemy against the spirite E. The Greeke texte hath the blasphemy of the spirite blasphemy being in the nominatiue cace spirite in the genitiue So do Hillary and Austen reade it Marke hath he that speaketh blasphemy agaynste the holy ghost 32 And who so euer speaketh a woord againste the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But who so euer speaketh agaīst the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuē him neither in this world nor in the worlde to come And vvho so euer speeketh a vvord S. To speake in this place is takē generally eyther to speake to meditate to thyncke to determine or to do for the Hebrewe woorde Dabar hath a large signification As cōcerning this matter we haue spokē sufficiently in our annotatiōs going before It shal neuer be forgeuē him C. What these wordes meane Marke brefely shewethe saying that they are in danger of euerlastinge iudgement whiche speake any thynge against the holy ghost S. But to be displeased with our selues for sinne to be sory and repentaunte for the same is not sinne againste the holy ghoste For this griefe and acknowledgynge of oure faultes with a repentaunte harte procedeth from God and is his gyfte If man be sory for synne then by faythe he is sory but faith is the gifte of the hoghoste therefore he that is sory can not sinne against the holy ghost We do dayly aske and craue remission of our sinnes at the handes of God and he dothe reconcile vs vnto hym selfe and at lengthe in death our sinnes beinge done awaye he sheweth hym selfe to be merciful and fauourable vnto vs the frutes of this mercy wyll declare it selfe in the laste daye The sence therfore and meanyng of this place is that there is no hope for them to obtayne pardone in this lyfe or in the day of iudgement whiche blaspheme the spirite of God. B. Finally the marchantes or rather pedlers of purgatory seeme to fetche theyr gayne out of this hauen or place Obiection For saye they if blasphemye be neyther forgeuen here nor in the world to comme then it followeth that other synnes be as wel remitted in the worlde to come as in this present worlde for to what ende shoulde he saye neither in the world to come vnlesse some sinne might be forgeuē in the world to come And if any syns be remitted in the world to com then must there nedes be a purgatory in the world to com in the which they must be remitted pourged But trewly this their cauil is easely refuted Firste they are very much abbused in wresting these words the world to come to a myddell time when as it is manifest to euery one that by the same is mēt the very vtmost extreme or last day after the which there is no other Here also they bewray theyr own wickednes because their cauil here is contrary to their own doctrine Their blind destinction is knowne well enough that synnes are frely remytted in respect of the fault notwithstandyng a ponyshment and satisfaction is required By the which they confesse that there is no hope of saluation vnlesse the falte be remitted before death There remaines therefore no remission to the deade but the remission of ponishement And truely they dare not deny for the price of their purgatory but the mention is here made of falte Let him now that is a cold go blow the coale in purgatory let hym kindell his fyer if yse may be the matter of the same and then shall he make as good a fyer as dyd the foxe when he pist in the snow M. Also this place is to be noted againste those of Orrigens secte which taught that no mā shoulde be damned for euer but that all men shoulde be saued at the length For if the synne agaynste the holy ghost shall neuer be remitted in this worlde nor in the worlde to come and if there be some which do commyt this faulte it doth very consequently and aptely followe that all shall not be saued but somme shall be dampned for euer 33 Eyther make the tree good and hys fruite good or elles make the tree euyll and his fruite euyll also For the tree is knowne by the fruite Eyther make the tree good and his C. It might seme here to be a very absurde thing that men should haue free choice to be either good or euill but if wee consider what kynde of men Chryste dothe here speake of we shal fynde in it no absurditie at al. We knowe of howe greate estimation the Phariseyes were for the mindes of the common people were so tyed to them by their fained sainctimony and holynes that no man durste once be so bolde as to iudge of their faultes Christe sekinge to take away this outward shewe colored cloke of holines cōmandeth them eyther to be good or euil as if he should haue said there is nothing more contrary to honestie then hipocrisie simulation and in vaine do they boast with the tytel of righteousenes which are neyther perfecte nor sincere He doth not therefore geue vnto thē the bridel grante them libertie but onely admonisheth declareth vnto thr̄ that their painted pretence double dealyng wil nothing at al profit thē because it is necessary that eyther men be good or euill So he saith in an other place you ar they which iustifie your selues before mē but God knoweth your hartes Where as he saith Eyther make the tree some very fondly therby gather that it is in euery mans power to frame his maners life as hym list It is an improper kynde of speache by the whiche he doth reproue the hypocrisie of the Scribes and reuoketh them to the puritie and synceritie of life And his fruite good He shewethe here a waye and meane by the whyche the trees declare theim selues to be good or
talke but at one time or other hée may burst forth into idell cōmunicatiō it is for certaine that if god should deale with vs according to iustyce should execute the extremity of the lawe then should wée be driuē to forsake all hoope of remission to dispayre but because the trust of our saluation is grounded and built vpon this that god will not enter into iudgemente with vs but wil forget those sinnes that haue deserued a thousand deathes let vs not doubt but that hee abollishinge the whole bodye lumpe of synne will also remit and forgeue the sinne offence of vaine and ydell talke For when soeuer the Scripture maketh mēcion of the iudgement of god it doth not ouerthrowe the remission of synnes Notwithstandinge let no man hereby take any liberty to offēd but rather let euery one be studious circumspect to brydel his tongue First that wée alwayes speake soberly reuerently of the holy misteryes of God then that wée abstaine from filthye cōmunicatiō Last of all the wée refraine from slaūderous reprochfull woords against our brethren vse that whiche shall become saints As exhorteth the Apostel saying Let no euil cōmunication procede out of your mouthes but that which is good to edifye withall 37. For oute of thy wordes thou shalt be iustifyed And out of thy words thou shalt be condemned C. Here hée applyeth the common prouerbe to the matter which he had in hād And there is no doubte but that this sayinge was common amonge the people namely that euery man was eyther saued or condempned by his owne confession But Christe dothe apply this somewhat a lyttell to a contrary sence meanynge that peruerse or frowarde spech beinge a token of the mallyce which lurketh in the hart is sufficient to condēne a man For he hath respect to that which he said the tree is knowne by the fruite Idell woordes are signes of a fylthye and lyghte minde Yea men by their sygnes do declare them selues what they are But wheras the Papystes do wrest this place to shake the forte of oure ryghteousenes or iustification by fayth it is in vaine and to no pourpose For a man is iustified by his sayings not that his sayinges are the cause of his righteousenes as we obtayne by faith the grace of god to the ende he myght count vs for ryghteouse but because oure pure talke and speache dothe set vs free and at lybertie leaste we should be founde and iudged by our tongues to be wycked Is not this place foolishely brought in to proue that men may deserue their righteousnes before god When as this place rather maketh in al poyntes against them For although Christ speketh not here of the cause of our righteousenes notwithstandinge the Antithesis betwene two words declareth what this word iustify signifieth 38 Then certain of the Scribes and Phariseis asked him sayinge Master we will se a signe of thee Then certaine of C. Matthewe hath the lyke of this in the syxtene chapter and Marcke in the eight chapter Wherby it appereth that Christ was demanded of this matter oftētimes whiche declared their wickednesse to be without ende which were ful resolued determined to resist the trueth For it is certaine that they require a signe to the ende they might collour cloke their vnbelefe namely that the calling of Christ was not lawefully sealed and confirmed Their docillite aptnes to be taught was not such that they wolde be perswaded geue place to thre or fower miracles but as we saide euen now vnder this cloake they excuse them selues that they beleue not the gospel because Chryst did shewe no confirmation of the same frō heauen He had shewed already myracles enow playnelye before their eies but because they thought them not sufficient to confyrmation they wolde haue somewhat to come from heauen in the which God after a sorte myghte appere-visible vnto them As if they shoulde haue sayde If thou do these myracles by thine own power not by the power of Sathan then shewe vs somme sygne from heauen if thou came from thence wherby we may knowe that these thy doynges are done and fynished by the power of god They seeme to haue respecte vnto Moyses as in an other place when they sayd What sygne therefore doest thou that we may see and beleue thee Moyses had testimony by thonder by fyer by smoke by voyces and by the sounde of the heauenly troumpe in the mount of Synai They seeme nowe to require some suche signe of hym as if he shoulde shewe some such sygne as Moyses did that then they wold beleue hym Maister C. They salute him by the name of maister accordynge to their maner because then they called all the Scribes and interpretoures of the law by the name but they do not acknowledge him to be a prophet of God vntil he shewe them a signe from heauen The sence therfore is this Forasmuch as thou doest professe thy self to be a teacher and a master if thou wilte haue vs to be thy disciples cause some signe to appere frō heauen that god may testifie therby that he hath geuen thee aucthoritie may cōfirme thy vocation calling by a miracle 39 But he answered and said vnto them the euil aduoutrous generation seketh a signe there shall no signe be geuen vnto thē but the signe of the prophete Ionas But he aunsvvered and. M. He reproueth them very sharpely agayne For he calleth them not symplely euill but a wicked an aduouterouse generation C. Therfore he doth not onely accuse them but also their forefathers whose generation they were Hee calleth them adulterous because they were as vncleane and bastardes degeneratynge from the holy fathers euen as the Prophetes reproued the vnfaithefull in theyr age saying that they were not the seede of Abraham but the cursed sonnes of Chanaan M. And Steuē also said vnto them Ye stiffnecked people with vncircumcised hartes and eares you haue alwaies resisted the holye ghoste as dyd your fathers euen so do ye C. Now it may be demanded Question if Christ did so sharply reproue them because they desired to haue a signe geuen vnto theim for God sheweth in an other place that this is not displeasante vnto him Gedeon required a signe God not angry with it but grāted his request and although he was importunate yet notwithstanding it pleased God to beare with his infirmytie Ezechias not askinge had a signe offered vnto him Achaz also was sharpely reproued of the Prophete because he refused to require a signe Therfore Chryste doth not symplely reproue the Scrybes because thei required a signe but because they beinge vnthāckefull vnto God and despising maliciousely all his myracles sought a starting place and a cloake that they might not beleeue the Gospell and obey his worde The same vyce also doth S. Paule condemne in theyr posterytie whē he saith that the Iewes seke for
iestinge stocke But the lorde sometimes doth make his seruantes subiecte to the pride of the wicked vntyll he may at the length declare that right preciouse is the bloude of his sainctes in his sighte And she brough it to her C. Herodias reioyseth that she hath obtayned her purpose cruelly tryūpheth ouer her iudge and controller but afterwarde she being depriued of all her rychesse not only banished from the honour of the kingdome but also from her natiue land and contrey and all other helpes shee I saye at the length leadynge a myserable lyfe in exile and banishment was an excellent spectacle to aungelles saintes and to al good men to beholde Bu. God truely is long sufferynge merciful and of great goodnesse grauntinge euen to those that are most wicked a long time of repentaunce But and if they go forward cōtynue in theyr wickednesse styll hee lettethe not to ponnishe and plague them Euen as the hystoryes make mention and testyfie of the adulterouse kyng adultresse But for as much as men are constrayned to pollute and defyle theyr eyes by the beholdyng of the abhomynable pompe and ghestes and suche as are bydden to feastes we maye gather that suche as sit at the tables of prynces are oftentymes intangled with diuerse and sundry myschieues For althoughe no blouddy or cruell deede dothe vyolate or defyle the table yet notwithstandinge all thinges are so replenished with all kynd of wyckednes that at the leaste wyse suche as come thyther must be adicted and geuen to wantonnesse 12 And his disciples came and toke vppe his body and buried it and went and told Iesus M. How it was laufull forthe disciples of Iohn to take away his body which was slaine it may wel be demaunded because Iosephus saith that he was beheaded in the castell of Macheron Some answere that the disciples had accesse or libertie to come to the castell as apereth in the .xi. chapter before when Iohn as yet lay bound in pryson wherby it may be gathered that they were not prohibyted But forsomuch as this dyd pertaine to the crueltie of the woman that the body of the holy man should lie vnburied it is probable for somuch as the disciples toke vpō thē to bury it that it was cast out by souldiours of the tyrant And although the honour or pompe of buriall profiteth nothing those that are dead yet notwithstanding it is the lordes wyll to haue the same reuerenced of vs M. And truely it were farre from humanitie to suffer the deadde to lie vnburied like the carcaces of bruit beastes For what sight can be more sorrowfull ougly or horrible then to se a dead mans body vnburied Furthermore buryall is a figure of the resurrection to come Wherfore this diligence of the disciples of Iohn in comming to bury the body of their master was acceptable vnto god Moreouer this serueth much to cōfirme their godly minds ernest loue which they bare to their master whē he was aliue for by this menes they professed that the doctryne of the holy man Iohn remayned yet in their hartes This cōfession therfore was laudable deserued no smal cōmēdation seing it was done with danger greate aduenture of perill because they coulde do no honour to their master being put to death without prouoking great displeasure outragyouse reuenge of the tirant against them Bu. Here we are taughte what we owe to the dead bodies of saintes namely burial not Papisticall canonization or false worship which hath ben vsed with great abuse And vvent and. C. Iohn had so instructed som of his disciples that afterwarde they wēt to the schole of Christ as apereth by Andrew the brother of Simon Peter 13 VVhē Iesus heard of that he departed thēce in a ship vnto a desert place out of the way And when the people had heard therof they followed him on fote and left the Citties VVhen Iesus heard of that C. The Euangeliste Iohn makynge mention of the same historye sheweth not for what purpose Iesus wente on the other side of the water Marke Luke also differ very muche from Matthewe For they say that hee tooke vppon hym this iourney because he would geue rest vnto his disciples after that they were retorned againe from their imbassage But in that there is no discorde or disagrement because it maye be that Christe woulde segregate his Apostels into a desert place to the ende hee mighte the better frame them to greater thynges and vnder the same tyme a newe occasion by the death of Iohn offered it selfe for the death of Iohn myght easly haue terrefyed weake mindes because that lamentable chance of the man of God Iohn dyd declare vnto them that they were in like state and condition and subiecte to the lyke peryll and aduenture And as it is wrytten Iohn beinge taken Chryste went out of the domynion or iurisdiction of Herode to the ende he myghte escape the present furor and madnesse euen so wee maye nowe gather that Chryste to the ende hee myht delyuer his Apostelles beinge as yet but fearefull from inflamation and burnynge thoughtes wente into a deserte place But as concerninge the tyme which the Apostelles spente in theyr imbassage when they were firste sente forthe for to preache the Gospel we can say nothing because it is not certainely knowne For the order of the tymes was eyther neglected of the Euangelistes or elles not curiouslye obserued but it is more probable and lykely that they were not onlye sente once to publishe and proclaime the kyngedome of Christe but also as occasion serued they dyd eyther iterate the same in certayne places or elles after a lyttell whyle they wente into dyuerse places Nowe therefore wee gather that theye were come together to wayte euer afterwarde dayly and hourely vppon Chryste whiche before sente them foorthe as if it had bene saide that they wente not so from theyr maister that euerye one of them myght take vppon hym selfe the ordynary office of teachynge but that they hauinge fulfylled and ended theyr temporall imbassage shoulde retourne agayne to the schole to the ende they myghte growe to a more rypenesse and perfection And vvhen the people had hearde thereof A. Nowe Chryst when he had declared and proued him selfe by certaine signes and his wonderfull doctryne to be a teacher sente from God the people followed him into a deserte place C. And although Chryste whiche by his diuyne knoweledge foresawe all thynges was not ignorant what should come to passe yet notwithstandynge hee woulde haue regarde to his disciples as he was man to the ende he might declare that in very dede he had a speciall care ouer them Bu. And that also he myghte geue vnto vs an exaumple to eschewe and auoyde rashe delyuerynge ouer our selues into the ennemies hande or into any kinde of danger because all men perseuer not in the same constancie in the whiche at the fyrst they offer them selues to be tried For this
prayed therefore earnestly hee prayed I saye being constrayned by necessity Let vs learne therfore by this example that the chiefe exercyse of our fayth is to pray vnto God and to remoue all impedimentes that mighte hynder the same And vvhen nyght vvas come hee vvas M. Before in the fiftene verce the Euangeliste sayd and when the euen drewe on his disciples came to him saying c. These wordes were spoken before Chryste had fed the people and now the Euangelist semeth to repete the same agayne But by euening in that place wee muste not vnderstande one houre of the daye but all that part which is from three of the clocke in the after noone vntill it be darke night for the euening hath his beginning his end so that wee may well call that the Euening which falleth eyther in the ende or in the beginning of the same 24. But the ship was now in the myddest of the Sea and was tost with vvaues for it was a contrary wynde B. The Lord taryed til the tempest arose and tlil it was verye fearefull C. that the Disciples being tossed with daunger in the same for a tyme might at the last receiue the helpe broughte vnto them with more ioyfull myndes For about mydnight or about the darke time in the nighte there arose a contrarye wynd 25. And in the fourth watch of the night Iesus went vnto them walking on the Sea. And in the fourth vvatch C. That is Chryst appeared thre howers before the Sunne rysing The armes of the Dysciples were not more weryed with rowinge then their faythe was assaulted with terrors B The nyght was deuyded into fower parts which were called watches because so often the night watches were chaunged The fourth watche was the morning watch of the which there is mencion made in the fourtenthe of Exodus This is a singuler and comfortable example by the which Christe declareth that although hee bringeth not presente helpe to those that are his yet notwithstanding hee will not forsake them but will helpe in due time Howsoeuer these Dyscyples of Christe laboured in daunger they perishe not but are preserued Let vs leaue therefore that yeares monethes dayes howers and moments are in his power and let vs not prescribe vnto him any time but rather let vs as the Apostell sayth tarrye the Lords leysure VValking on the Sea M. In that Christe walked vppon the rough boysterous and raging sea it was then an argument that hee was Lord of the swelling sea the which sea was so vnable to destroye his Dysciples that it was constrayned for all the raging to giue waye vnto Christ to come vnto them Wee haue therefore such and so excellent a Lord euen the Lorde oure God whych notwithstāding all the seas and swelling flouds of this world will deliuer vs So great is his power 26. And vvhen the Dysciples savve him vvalking on the Sea they vvere troubled sayinge it is some spyrite and they cryed oute for feare And vvhen the Dysciples savve A. Here it followeth how the Dyscyples were afrayde and amazed at the syght of Chryst Sayinge it is some Spirite S. The Greeke translator hath trāslated the Gréeke word Phantasma into the Latine woorde Spectrum whiche betokeneth an Image or figure in a mans imagination Wherevppon in the Englishe translation wée fynd this worde spirite C. But when as necessitye did greatly vrge the Disciples to loke and long for their masters presence it was a token of to much lumpishe dulnesse to be troubled with the sight of him as with the sighte of a spyrite For thys cause the Euangelyst Marke sayth that their hartes were blinded that they remembred not the fiue loaues For by that myracle they were sufficiently taughte that Christ was not destitute of Diuyne power to helpe those that are his and that hée carefullye sought to helpe whereas necessitye required Therfore now they wel deserued to haue their grosse dulnes reprehended seinge they called not to minde that heauenlye power which being shéewed but the daye before should haue remayned freshe before their eyes It is most certaine true that they were amazed by reason of their forgetfulnes not consideringe as they oughte the myracles that were so latelye done before by the which they should haue greatlye profited But their blyndnes is chieflye reproued because they applyed not theyr mindes to consider the deity of Christ of the which the multiplying of the fyue loaues was a sufficient confirmation and proofe Notwithstanding the wordes of the Euangelyste Marke expresse two thinges first that they did not well way the glorye of Christ which was shewed in multiplying the fyue loaues secondly hee shéeweth the cause which was the blyndnes of their hartes The whych thing was not onelye noted of the Euangelyst to the setting forth of the greatnes of the faulte but also to the end wée beyng admonished of the blindnes of our mindes shoulde craue newe eyes at the hande of god It was truly as wée said euen now to brutishe a kinde of ignoraunce not to féele the palpable power as it were of god Notwithstanding because all mankinde is infected with the same disease the Euangelyst Marke endeuoureth himselfe to make mencion of this blyndnes to the end wée might know that it is no new thing to see men blinde in the manifeste light of Gods workes vntill they be illuminated from aboue as sayth Moyses Hitherto the Lord hath not giuen thée a hart to vnderstand And althoughe by the name of hart the wil or affection of man is oftentymes noted yet notwithstāding in that place of Marke and in this sentence of Moyses it is taken for the mynd of man Bu. Furthermore that spirits are oftentimes set before the eyes of men it is no vayne opinion Man truly oftentimes imagineth throughe the corrupt humors of his brayne that hee séeth those things which in deede hee seeth not which are not at all but sometimes not sildome certayne spirites appeare vnto men not without the iust iudgement of God by the mynistery both of good euill spirits instructing and admonishinge men or els accusing and laying violence on the vnbeléeuing and louers of darkenes It is commonlye sayd that spirits do appeare vnto men because they do oftentimes hurt those to whom they do appeare and that for the imbecillitye of theyr fayth therefore many are afrayde of spirites This trouble therfore which came through the opinion and persuation of the sighte of a spirite did greatlye batter and shake the mynds of the Disciples For so it happeneth vnto vs oftentimes that wee are vexed and disquieted with vaine feare when wée dreade the befall of some euill which is farre from vs or could not hurt vs if it were presente before our face The selfe same Apostels that wée read of here when they sawe Chryst to be rysen agayne from deathe thinking that they saw a spirite were wonderfully troubled and afrayde Feare oftentimes bereueth and
the keyes C. Here our sauiour Christe beginneth nowe to intreate of the publike office or of the Apostelship the dignitie whereof is adorned with a double tytle for Christ sayth that the mynisters of the Gospell are as it were porters of the kingdome of heauen because they carry the keyes of the same and that is the fyrst Then he saith that they haue power to binde and louse not only in earth but also in heauen and this is the seconde This similitude of the keyes pertayneth very aptelye to the office of teachinge B. The Metaphor is herupon taken because the chiefe power of the house and of the cittie is in his power and rule whiche hath the chiefe custody vse of the keyes for that he maye let into the house or cittie whom he wil and seclude and kepe out whom he list Hereupon the lorde when he promysed to Eliakim the sonne of Helkia the seruaunte of kinge Ezechias the chiefe power in the kinges courte in Hierusalem he spake thus by the Prophete Esay The keye of the house of Dauid wyl I lay vppon his shulder so that he shall open and no man shall shut He shall shut no mā shal open For there he prophesied of this Eliakim speakinge of Sobna which was the chiefe gouernour of the kinges house thus In that day shall I cal my seruant Eliakim the sonne of Helkia And with thy garmentes wyll I clothe him with thy girdell will I strengthen hym thy power wil I commit into his hande and he shal be a father of such as dwel in Hierusalem in the house of Iuda The same metaphor the lord vsed in an other place saying Woo vnto you Lawyers for ye haue taken away the keie of knowledge ye entered not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad that is to say ye withstode the doctrine of the kingedome of God lest it shoulde be broughte out to thē that they mighte be partakers of the same C. Christ therefore sayth that the Scribes Phariseies which were interpretours of the law had the keye of knowledge or the key of the kingdome of heauen for we know that the gate of lyfe is opened no otherwise vnto vs then by the worde of God. Whereupon it followeth that the key is geuen into the hāde of the ministers therof Notwithstādinge it is demaūded why the lord promised that he wold geue that vnto Peter which he semed to haue geuē before at the making of the Apostels But this questiō is answered before where we said that the twelue were but forerunners for the time so that when they returned vnto Christe againe they had finished the race ende of their calling But after that Christe rose againe from death then they were apointed ordinary teachers of the church in this respecte this honor pertained vnto thē euer after Bu. Therfore he saith here I wil geue not I haue geuen He promiseth that he will geue the keies he geueth them not But after his resurrecttion he sayd vnto them Peace be vnto you As my father sent me euē so send I you also And whē he had said these woordes he breathed on them and saith vnto thē receyue ye the holy ghoste Who so euers synnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them And who so euers sinnes ye retayne they are retayned In the which wordes As my father sente me c. there is a cōparison not an equalitie For Christ was sent that he might be the redemption of the whole world the Apostels were not so sent but onely to preach But as Christ was sent of the father for the saluatiō of the whole world so the Apostels were sent to prech this saluation that they which beleue their preachinge might be saued as if he had heard Christ him selfe as he saith in another place He which heareth you heareth me Moreouer he saith not They shal be geuē but I will geue by the which words Christe challengeth all this power of the kingdome of heauen to him selfe as lord in so much that he might cōmyt the same to whom it pleased hym For here it maketh no great matter not only who receiueth but of whom any thing is receiued And vvhat so euer thou bindest in earthe C The seconde metaphor or symilitude pertayneth properlye to note the remyssion of synnes For Christe delyueringe vs by his Gospell from the euerlastinge paine of deathe louseth the snares and fetters of maledyction with the whiche we were held bounde Therfore he declareth that the doctrine of the Gospell was ordeyned to louse our bandes that being loused in earthe by the voice and testimony of mē we mighte also in deede be loused in heauen B. But this metaphor is taken of this that the Prophetes do preache that the office of christ is to louse peculiarly those that are bound So Christ him selfe speaketh vnto Paule sayinge I wyll sende thée to the Gentiles to open theyr eyes that they may be tourned from darkenes to lighte and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they maye receyue forgeuenesse of synnes and inheritance amonge those which are sanctified by faith Where he expoundeth that to be the power of the keyes which consisteth in the remission and retayninge of synnes Bu. The Apostelles did neuer after any other maner louse or binde As for example Repent you saith the Apostell Peter of your sinnes and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of synnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy ghoste Thus Peter vsed the keies that were cōmitted vnto hym thus he loused in earth promissynge remission of synnes by the woord of Christ to them that beleue Yea and Chryste ratified and confirmed this message and preachinge of Peter for to them that confessed theyr synne and trusted to his mercie he remytted as Peter had promysed Also the Iayler of the pryson sayde to Paule and Sylas Syrs what muste I do to be saued and they saide beleeue on the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and all thy houssholde Beholde the Apostelles do louse him that is bounde forgeuyng hym his synnes and that by the keyes by the preachynge of the Gospell the whiche preachynge because he beleued the lord pronounceth him to be loused in heauen C. But because a greate many doo not onely wickedly reiecte the delyueraunce offered vnto them but also by theyr obstinacie do bryng more greuouse iudgemente to them selues the power of bindynge also and the commaundemente of the Gospell is geuen to the ministers Of the whiche matter we haue an example in the Actes of the Apostelles Bu. The Iewes saith sainct Luke were full of indignation and spake agaynste those thynges whiche were spoken of Paule raylinge on it Then Paule and Barnabas waxed bolde and said It was meete that the worde of God should first haue ben preached to you But seinge ye put it from you and
cōceiued of their master For they imagined that he should be the aucthor of earthly felicitie They were led therfore with a vaine hope gredely gaping for the time in the whiche he should reueale the glorye of his kingdome They wayed so littel in their mindes the ignominy and shame of the crosse that they thoughte it impossible that any thinge not honorable should happen vnto hym For this was a greuouse sayinge and circumstance that he should be reiected of the hye priestes Scribes in whose power the rule of the Church consisted Whereby we may gather how necessary this admonition was The Euangeliste Luke saythe And hee warned and commaunded them that they shoulde tell no man that thinge sayinge The sonne of mā must suffer many thinges and be reproued of the Elders and of the bye Priestes Scribes and be slaine c. Hée woulde not therefore at that time bee published to be Christe because hee should be crucifyed and reiected Of the seniors C. When wee heare that the elders and Scribes were the chiefe ennemyes of Christ wee maye sée howe great the discipation of the Church of Ierusalem was For the sacrifycers did not onlye sacrifyce but also teache therefore of the Prophete Mallachy they are called Angels or messengers These were then the ennemyes of Christ which coulde in no wyse abyde his Doctrine But and if this were spoken of the Priestes of Egipt or of the sacrifycinge Priestes and teachers of other Nations it had beene no maruayle but this is spoken of those Priestes which bare the chiefe rule of the Church of God in earth The which thing oughte to be an example vnto vs that wee suffer not our selues to be seduced and deceyued wyth counterfeytes whiche doe not their dutye truly and as they ought Let vs alwaye remember that Christ is the heade corner stone which the builders reiected as hée himselfe sayth to Phariseys in the one and twenty Chapter And be raysed agayne the thirde daye C. Because it coulde not be but that the onely mencion of the Crosse should trouble the infirme and weake mindes of the Dysciples Christ by and by séeketh to salue this sore saying that hée must ryse agayne frō death the .iii. day And truly whē as in his Crosse onlye the infirmitye of the fleshe appeareth our fayth shall finde nothinge to staye and lift vp it selfe vntill we haue respecte vnto his resurrection in the which the power of the holy ghost most brightly shyneth Therefore the Mynisters and Preachers of the woorde of God muste wysely way and consider this that when they couet to edify and to teach with profite they must alwayes ioyne the glorye of the resurrection with the death of Christ Let vs consider therefore that the absolution of true fayth and confession doth pertayne to this ende namely that wee beleue and confesse that the Lorde Iesus Christ dyed for our sinnes roose againe for our iustification For the which reade in S. Paules Epistell to the Romaynes 22. And vvhen Peter had taken him a syde he began to rebuke him saying maister fauour thy selfe this shall not happen vnto thee And vvhen Peter had taken him C. It was a greate signe of moderate boldenes for Peter after this sorte to take his Maister a syde howbeit hée might seeme to haue a consideration of the reuerence due vnto him when hée toke him asyde because hée durst not be boulde to reprehende before witnesses notwithstanding Peter exceded the boldnes of modestye to admonishe him to fauour himselfe as though Christ had not bene in his right minde Hee began to rebuke him M. Peter trulye loued Christ more then any one of the Apostels but his loue was to carnall as yet and not accordinge to knowledge therefore hée vseth more libertye in speaking to Christ as wee may see in manye other places So also here when hee thought that this thinge which hée hearde shoulde be a shame to Christ the sonne of God that it mighte be auoyded and did thincke that Christ was inflamed with a certaine impotent zeale and that hée was bent againste the wickednes of the elders Scribes and hye Priestes of Ierusalem whereuppon hee knew that hée should be afflicted yea killed by them being ignonoraunt of the mystery of redemption of the necessity of the Crosse of the will of the father of the end of Christes comminge for this cause hée taking Christ a syde rebuked him and goeth about to wythdraw him from his purpose Hée beinge affected with a preposterous zeale cōsidereth not what hée doth hee goeth about to hinder Christ from the worke of our redemption and from the fulfylling of the will of his father C. But such is the force of rashe and vndiscreete zeale and to this issue it dryueth men and so carryeth them hedlonge that they are not afrayde to take vppon them to teache God what hee hath to do Peter iudgeth it an absurde thinge that the sonne of God should be crucifyed of the Elders which came to be the redeemer of the people and that hee shoulde be put to death which was the Lord of lyfe And hereby wée are taught how our good intencions are accepted before God. So great pryde truly is naturally ingraffed in men that they thincke great iniury is done vnto them and do murmure if that please not God whiche they iudge to be right and good So that we sée with how greate pertinacye the Papistes do boaste and vaunt of their deuocions For trulye whē they do so arrogātly reioyce in them selues God doothe not onelye reiecte that which they iudge worthye of so greate praise but doth also condemne it as mere madnes If truly sence carnall iudgement mighte preuayle the intencion of Peter was godlye or at least tollerable But Christe so sharplye reproued him that hée could not put him to greater reproch For what meaneth so seuere a reprehension Question whereas hée shewed alwayes such gentlenes that hée brake not the broosed réede why then doth hée now so cruellye thonder against his electe chosen Dysciple The reason trulye is manifest namely because in the person of one mā hée woulde pacifye and staye all the rest least they shoulde séeme to alow their vndiscrete zeale For although the lustes of the fleshe in vnrulelynes are like vnto brute beastes yet notwithstanding there is no beaste more furious and vnrulye then the wysedome of the fleshe Therefore Christ so sharpely inueyeth against the same and doth as it were suppresse it with an yron mallet that wée learne onlye to seeke for wysedome out of the word of God to iudge that onely to be righte which the word of God doth alowe Fauor thy selfe The Lattine text is Propitius tibi sis the Gréeke text hath onlye Propitius tibi so that wée muste vnderstande esto or sis and the omittinge of the verbe maketh muche for the affection of Peter declaring that his minde did greatly abhorre the same
least in beinge too sharpe seuere they quighte discourage the infirme and weaker sorte And to this ende he putteth downe vnto vs thre sondery degrees of brotherly admonition or correction The fyrste is that we admonishe him which offendeth priuately and in secrete The second is that if he which hath offended shew hym selfe stobborne and obstinate that then wée admonishe him agayne before certayne witnesses The thirde is that if we can proffyte nothinge at al by these meanes with the offendoure that then we delyuer hym to the publique and open iudgement of the church and congregation The ende why these thre degrees are set downe vnto vs is as we saide before that we should not vnder the pretēce of a feruēt zeale breke the bonde of Charitie And because most men are led by ambition seking to publishe and reueale the faltes of their bretherne Christ very orderly and in good tyme preuēteth that vice geuing a plain commandement that we seeke to hide so much as in vs lyeth the faltes of our bretherne For it is most certayne that they whiche are delighted with the shame and infamie of theyr bretherne are led thervnto by hatred and euill wyll because yf loue remayned in them they wolde seke to maytaine their honestie and to couer the shame of their bretherne Notwithstandyng it may be demaunded whether this rule oughte to be extended to euerye synne without exception although it be neuer so haynouse For there are manye whiche wyll admitte no publique iudgemente vntyll that the offendour be pryuately admonished And truely there is a manifeste restraynte in the woordes of Christe But it maye be aunswered that Christ doth not symplely and without exception geue cōmaundement that euery one whiche offendeth should be admonished or reproued priueily or without witnesse but hee woulde haue vs to vse and proue this waye of pryuate admonition when that we are priuately offended Neyther dothe our sauioure Christe intreate here symplely of paciente sufferynge of iniurie but generally hee teacheth that we oughte to be corteouse and louinge one towardes an other least in dealinge too sharply with the weake we destroy those which shoulde be saued Therefore these woordes agaynst thee do not signifie vnto vs the iniurie doone vnto any man but it maketh a distinction or difference betwene secrete and manifeste faultes For if any man synne or offende agaynst the whole congregation he must be openly reproued thoughe he be an elder or senior according to saincte Paules doctrine to Tymothe where he sayth Them that synne rebuke openly that others may stand in feare And truly it were a ridiculouse and foolishe matter that he whiche hath openly offended in so muche that his falte is known to euery one shoulde be of euery one admonyshed because if a thousande knewe of it he must then be amonished and reproued for the same offēce a thousand times Wherefore the distinction which is here alleaged of our sauioure Christe muste here be noted least that any man in publishynge secrete faltes rashely withoute necessitie defame his brother Go and tell him his falte M. He sayth not blame thy brother but Goe and tell hym hys fault Or admonish hym and that Betvvene thee and hym alone C. Our sauiour Christe by these woordes goeth about to temper and myttigate our excedinge seueritie and sharpenesse which doth gretly hynder vs vnder the pretence of zeale in so muche that thereby wee violate and breake the knot of brotherly loue Zeale oughte so to moue vs that the ende therof be loue and that speciallye when that the good estate of our brother dependeth vppon the same Let vs not therefore be to hasty but vse a meane in correctynge our brothers faltes If he heare thee C. Christ here confirmeth his doctrine by the vtilitie proffite that should come thereby For it is noo smalle matter to bringe that soule vnto God whiche was the mantion and resting place of Sathā But whervpon commeth it to passe that they do syldome tymes repente whiche fall but onely because they beinge enuiousely vexed do harden theym selues in obstinacie Therefore there is nothing more mete for Christians than brotherly loue and frendely admonition which reconcileth those vnto God whiche before were fallen from hym But whosoeuer intemperately without reason rusheth forth into a foolishe heate and feruency dothe willingely cast away and lose the healthe of his brother whiche he hadde in his hande M. Fynally to heare in this place is taken for the admittinge wyllinge receyuinge of the brotherly admonition and correction for the acknowleginge the faulte with repentaunce and for the desire of a recōciliation For thus it is written in Luke If thy brother trespase against thee rebuke hym and if he repente forgeue hym C. In the which place our sauiour Christe commaundeth vs to be contente with priuate reprehention if that oure brother be broughte to repentaunce Hereby we may gather also how necessary the mutuall libertye of reprehencions is amonge the faythfull For seing that euery man doth more oftē sinne daily it is to to cruell to betraye by our sylence and dissimulation theyr good estate whom frendly reprehenciō might saue from destruction For although this way do not at all times prosper and take effecte yet notwithstandinge hee is in great fault which neglecteth the remedy prescribed of the Lord in helping and defending oure brother Therefore if thy brother which hath trespassed receiue thy gentle admonition and repente there is no cause why he should be brought into obloqui and defamed Let him that is the admonisher or corrector holde himselfe contented with this that he by his secrete admonition hath broughte his brother which erred into the righte waye by the which meanes hée hath deliuered his brothers soule from death accordinge to the saying of S. Iames where hée saythe Brethren if anye of you do erre from the truth and another conuerte him ▪ let the same know that hée which conuerteth the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a foule from death and shall hyde the multitude of sinnes C. This also is worthy to be noted that the Lorde to the ende wée may be the more stronge bould to do oure dutie ascribeth that honour appertayning to him selfe vnto vs For it pertayneth vnto none to conuerte any man but vnto God onelye yet notwithstandinge it pleaseth hym to adorne vs with this power namelye to win and recouer our lost brother A. The same maner of speache vseth the Apostell Paule wrytinge to Tymothe where hee saithe thus Take hede to thy selfe and to thy Doctrine continue therein for if thou shalt so do thou shalte saue thy selfe and them that heare thée Thou hast vvon thy brother A. Hée expresseth the name of brother agayne both to the end hée might encourage mē to seeke for the prosperitye of theyr brethren and also to declare that this discipline oughte to be amonge brethren that is to
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
is no doubt but that Christ here toucheth the foolish imagination by the which he saw his Apostles to be deceiued You do foolishly sayth hee and amisse faine vnto your selues a kingdome the which I abhorre If therefore yee seeke to do mee faithfull seruice yee must meditate and study vppon another manner of matter namely to serue and loue one another VVhosoeuer vvill be great amonge you M. Our sauiour Christe mighte séeme here to graunt vnto his Apostles superiority C. But hee speaketh improperlye commaundinge him to be a minister which would be greate For ambition will not suffer that any man should submit himselfe to his brethren Wée graunt truly that they flatter after a seruile manner which aspyre vnto honor but their intēt is nothing lesse than to serue But the meaninge and purpose of Christ is not obscure for because euery man is geuē to loue himselfe hee pronounceth that the affection must be otherwyse transposed as if hee should haue sayd Let this onely be your greatnes excellency and dignitye to submitte your selues vnto your brethren let this also be your superioritye to be the seruauntes of all men M. For the greatest honor in the Church of Christ is that euery man shoulde mynister and serue Therefore hée which is called in the Churche to be a Pastor and gouernor of the Church must know that hée hath not obtaynde a Lordship but the office of a minister or seruaunt Therefore the Apostle Peter prescribing to ministers the duties of life sayth Raigne not as Lordes ouer the parishes but see that yée be an ensample to the flocke And the Apostle Paule Let a man thus wise estéeme vs as the mynisters of Christe and dispensators of the mysteries of god They therefore which are chosen to a Bishopricke haue gotten the mynistery and office of a seruante not of Lordship not of superiority not of principallity Therefore Peter speaking of Iudas sayth Hée was numbred with vs and had obtayned fellowship in this ministration 27. And whosoeuer will be chiefe among you let him be your seruaunt And vvhoso vvill be chiefe amonge you A. This is all one in effect with the sentence goinge before By these woordes it is euidente and manifest that the bishop of Rome is not of Christ but of the world of the deuill the Prince of this world It is a counterfeyte humilitye which they faine calling thēselues seruaunts of seruaūtes for indéede they testify that they couet to be worshipped as the kinges of all kings but they haue the Lord their iudge 28. Euen as the sonne of man came not to be mynistred vnto but to minister and to geue his life a redemptiō for manye Euen as the sonne of man Bu. The Lord to his commaundement addeth his example to the ende hee might the more mightely perswade Wee must alwayes remēber that the seruaunt is not greater thā his maister neither the disciple aboue his teacher Christ speaketh here as concerninge the time of his abasinge of the which S. Paule writeth thus When he was in the shape of God hee thoughte it not robbery to be equall with god Neuerthelesse hee made himselfe of no reputacion takinge on him the shape of a seruaunte and became like vnto men was found in his apparell as a man Hée humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen to the death of the Crosse Who will refuse this condition seinge that wée haue the example of our Lorde and maister Hée behaued himselfe no otherwise then it became a seruaunte yea a seruaunte of men for hee was made the mynister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises Neyther did he only declare himselfe to be a minister and seruaunt in death but in the whole race of his life also And to geue his life also a redemption for manye C. To the ende hée might more plainlye proue how farre hée was frō a hye estate he putteth them in remembraunce of his death as if hee shoulde saye Because I haue chosen you to be nexte vnto mée in honour a wicked ambition doth inflame your hartes to rule but I to whose example yee oughte to frame your lyues came not to extoll my selfe or to vsurpe vnto mée any kingly maiestye but I rather tooke vppon mée the ignomynye of the Crosse with the base and contēned forme of the fleshe also Bu. I am truly the onely sonne of the liuing God by whom all thinges were made your Lord and maister the Prince of lyfe and the conquerour of deathe and the power of Sathans kingdome yet notwithstādinge I arrogate and take vnto mee no dignity For I came for the commodity of all men and that I mighte geue my lyfe for sinners Let therefore all your counsayles and studies tend to this ende ▪ that you seeke the healthe and profite of all men and that you abase your selues to the lowest degrée C. If anye man do obiecte that Christ was therfore exalted that before him euery knée should bowe Wée may easly aunswere that the thinge which hée now speaketh is referred to the time of his abaseing as wee shewed a little before And therefore the Euangelist Luke addeth that hee was so conuersaunt among them as though he had bene a minister Not that hée was inferiour vnto them either in forme in name or in deede for hée woulde be alwayes acknowledged of them their Lord and master but because he descended frō the throne of the heauenly glory to so base an estate to take their infirmities vppon him not only theires but the infirmities of all men Moreouer wée must remember that there is here a comparison made of the more and of the lesse as wée maye read in Iohn where hée sayth thus If I your Lord and master washe your féete ye ought also to wash one anothers féete A redemption for many E. The Gréeke word signifyeth properly a price or raunsome by the which captiues are deliuered C. But the mencion of deathe as wee saide before was made to the ende the Disciples mighte be broughte from the false imagination of an earthye kingdome Notwithstandinge the force and fruit of the same is very aptly expressed when that hee affirmeth that his life is a price of our redemption Whervppon it followeth that wee are fréelye reconsiled into the fauoure of God onlye by the raunsome of Christes death E. The Apostle Paule declareth what that redēption is namely the remission of sinnes In whom sayth hee wée haue redemption by his bloud euen the remission of our sinnes And in another place By whom wee haue a redemption by hys bloud euen the remission of our sinnes And the Apostell Peter sayth for somuch as ye know how that ye were not redemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersatiō which ye receiued by the tradition of the fathers but with the precious bloude of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled C.
Christ therefore in this place went not subtilly about to intreat of all the partes of righteousnes or of their order but hee taughte simplelye so farre as the common capassity of men would beare that the lawe is then kepte when mē deale iustly gently and truly one with another because in so doinge they declare that they loue God that they reuerence him yea they shewe foorth a lawfull and meete testimonye of syncere godlynes not that it is sufficient to do our duty towardes men except first of all God haue his righte geuen vnto him but because it is necessary that he be a true worshipper of Godwhich frameth his life according to his prescript lawe Yet notwithstandinge the obiection is not fully answered for the tenthes which Christ setteth after equity and mercy were a part of the worship of God and some part thereof was wont to be distributed to the poore And so they cōtayned in themselues a double sacrifice Wee aunswere that tenthes are not simplelye compared here with almes deedes fayth and Iudgement but the fayned holines of the Scribes is conferred with sincere perfect loue For why were they so willing and ready to paye their tenthes but only that they mighte please God with the least expence and grefe For they were not so readye to the whole and therefore it ought not to be nombered amonge the duties of loue because they soughte to deceiue both God and men with small trifles of little price These things ought ye to haue done This is a figure in Rhetorique called occupatio by the which Christ preuenteth the cauill of his aduersaries For they might haue cauilled and construed his woordes amisse as though he had made no accompte of that which was written in the law of god Hee graunteth therefore that whatsoeuer God hath commaunded oughte to be kepte and nothing thereof to be omitted but yet that the loue of the whole lawe doth not let men to stand vppon the speciall pointes thereof Wherevpon he gathereth that they do amisse preposterously which busye themselues in the smalest things when as they should rather begin at the greatest matters Christ therefore denyeth it to be his purpose to derogate euen the least thinge from any of the comaundements although hee commende and require an order in the obseruation of the lawe Let therefore the vniuersall lawe abide sound and whole which can be broken in no part without the contempt of the author For he which forbad to commit adultery to kill and to steale the same condemned also all concupiscence Wherby wee gather that all the commaundementes are so linked and knit together that it is not meete to disseauer them one from another Wherefore it is also written Cursed be euery one which doth not those thinges that are written By the which wordes the vniuersall righteousnes of the law is ratifyed withoute exception but this reuerence as wee said before taketh not awaye the difference betwene the commaundements neither yet the scope of the law to the which the true embracers therof directe their minde least they should onelye beare an outwarde shewe B. Therefore the Scribes Phariseis are not blamed of our sauiour Christ because they gaue exactly tyeth of all their fruite for this was meete also to be done but because they dide neglect those greater thinges without the which there coulde no piety at all consist Herevppon certaine do boast that the righte of tithe is confirmed of the Lorde when as wee must put a greater difference betwene those of our time which receiue tithes and those to whom tythes were due by the lawe The whole tribe of Leuy receiued no possessions in the lande of Chanaan because the Lord had appointed the same to the ministery of the tabernacle wherfore he appointed also that tythes should be payed vnto them by the rest of the Isralites as appeareth in Numerye and Deutronomye Therefore so longe as the mynisterye of these men and externall worship of the tabarnacle continued the Isralites ought to haue payed their tithes according to the lawe but the priesthode being remoued the law is remoued also Christ is our hye priest and that in heauenlye thinges to whō it is not nedefull that we geue parte of our oblations and tithes but it is meete that wee offer our selues wholy vnto him for the continuall meditacion of a heauenly life Notwithstāding wee must geue those thinges that are necessary to such as stande in nede of them yea those ministers also are worthye of double honoure which rule well and labour truly in word and doctrine But whether wee do these thinges in geuinge of tythe or by anye other portion of substance with the which the Lorde hath blessed vs it shal be all one before God if so be wee seeke not thereby vaine glorye but geue the same with a pure affection to those that be in neede 24. Ye blinde guides which straine out a gnat and swallow a Camell Yee blinde guides A. Againe he calleth these ypocrites blinde guides to the ende hee might the more moue the people to forsake them For if the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditche VVhich strayne out a gnat svvallovv C. This is a prouerbiall sentence by the whiche the precise care of ypocrites in small trifles is noted for they are so horribly affrayed at the least offēces as though one only transgressiō should be more sharpe vnto them than a hundred deathes but in the most greuous sinnes they swetelye lull themselues and others a sleepe They do therefore euen as if a man shoulde straine at a small crumme of bread and swallow a whole loafe Wee knowe that a gnat is a small creature and a Camell a huge beast there is nothinge therefore more rydiculous than to strayne in wyne and water least in swallowinge a gnat thou hurte thy Iawes but careleslye to suppe vp a Camell But truly it is euident that ypocrites do this dallye because they lettinge passe Iudgement mercy and faithe are to seuere and strayte in matters of no great importaunce A. Moreouer in this place the participle of the present-tence is put for the indicatiue moode As if hee should say ye are like vnto them who if it chaunce vnto them to haue a gnat fall into their wyne they sucke and strayne in their wyne hardely through theyr lippes teethe least in swallowinge the little gnat they should be strangled in the meane time they do not onelye eate a Camell beinge a monsterous beast but also swallowe hym downe without feare all you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites are like to these I say who will not omit the smallest point of the lawe but those thinges whiche are the waightiest pointes of the Lawe ye altogether neglecte withoute anye pricke of conscience Suche manner of men are they which are diligent abstayners from fleshe obseruers of confession and suche like trifels but in charity in a good conscience they
in the houses wherin ye are And whē I sée the bloud I will pase ouer you and the plage shall not be vpon you to destroe you when I smite the lande of Egipte And this day shal be vnto you a remembrance and ye shall keepe it holy daye vnto the Lorde for euer M. Christ saith not here simplely after two dayes the sonne of man shal be deliuered vp c But he saith After two dayes shal be Easter the soone of man c To the ende he might declare that the time of Easter was the appointed time in the which he should be crucified Furthermore that he mighte declare that he was the true Paseouer which must be offered for the redemption of the world the tipe figure wherof was the Paseouer which the Iewes celebrated euery yere The Euangeliste Marke in stede of Ye knowe that after two dayes shal be Easter write After two daies was Easter and the dayes of swete breade that is according to the wordes of S. Luke The feaste of swete breade drewe nye whiche is called Easter that is to say the eating of the Paschall lambe and the vnleauened bread For in the fore said chapter of Exodus where it was commanded as concerning the celebration of paseouer it is strayght waye added Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleauened breade And the Sonne of man C. Nowe Christe confirmeth that againe which wee haue hearde him so often foreshewed vnto his Disciples but this laste forewarnynge doth more plainly shewe how willing he was to offer him selfe to the death and it was necessary because God could not be pleased but by the Sacrifice of obediēce He ment also to preuent the offēce least the Disciples thinkinge that he was cōstrained by necessitye to be deliuered to death shoulde quayle and faynte in the faythe And so the vse of this sentence was twoo maner of wayes Firste that it mighte be declared that the Sonne of God of his owne accorde deliuered hym selfe to death that he mighte reconcile the worlde to his Father because otherwise he coulde not satisfye for the gylte of synne or purchase vnto vs righteousnes Secondly that he was not oppressed to dye as by a violent death whiche he coulde not auoyde but because he did wilingly offer himselfe to the death He dothe therefore here openlye declare that he commeth to Hierusalem with good aduisement that he might there suffer death For he hauing liberty to go backe againe and in quiete retourne to ouerpasse that time yet notwithstandinge euen in the very moment and tyme conuenient he goeth with good aduisement and deliberation into the midest of his enemys And although it did then nothynge profite the Disciples to be admonished of the obedience whiche he shewed towardes his Father yet notwithstandinge afterwarde their faythe was not a lyttel builded by this doctrine Euen as also at this daye wee receyue no small profite thereby because as it were in a lyuelye glasse the willinge sacrifice is set forth vnto vs by the which all the transgressions of the worlde are wypped awaye and wee do beholde and see the Sonne of God in goinge boldlye and withoute feare to his deathe to bee nowe the conquerer of death Shal be deliuered vp to be crucifyed Bu. Namely by Iudas to the hye Priestes of these he shal be deliuered to Pontius Pilate and of hym to the tormenters to be crucifyed In this shorte sentence he comprehendeth manye thinges Reade the twenty chapter goinge before 3. Then assembled together the chiefe priestes and the Scribes and the elders of the people vnto the palace of the hye prieste which was called Cayphas Then assembled together the C. The Euangeliste Mathewe meaneth not that they were gathered together euen in the second daye or within the compas of two dayes but he bringeth in this history to shewe that Christe as he was a manne was not able to appointe anye certaine time of his death For what might moue him thus to coniecture when as his enemies were fullye determined to differre the tyme The sence and meaninge therefore is this that he spake by the spirit of prophesy of his death seing that no man coulde suspecte that it was so nye at hande M. For althoughe the deathe of Christe was ordained by God and depended vppon the secrete counsell and purpose of God and not of men yet neuertheles the narration of the history did require that it shoulde be described by what and whose practises the same was wrought to the ende we may know that there is no one sorte of men more hurteful to the kingdome of Christ than they which raigne and exercise tyranny against the people of god vnder the shew of Godlines But note who they be whiche are sayd here to come together they truelye whiche had the name of the Churche what one innocente woulde haue beene afrayed of the assemblely of these men Vnto the pallace of the hye Prieste M. Here was the heade of the priestely kyngdome the matter was now about the authoritye hereof They had all one scope namely to defende and preserue that priestely kingedome VVhiche vvas called Cayphas B. This Cayphas had also to name Iosephus whiche succeded in the priesthoode the sonne of Symon Canithus beinge made hie priest of Gratus then presidente whom Pilate succeded Hee was also remoued againe from the priesthoode by Vitellius the proconsull of Syria Ionathas the sonne of Anna being placed in his steede Reade Iosephus for this matter For al thinges yea deuyne offices throughe couetousenesse and ambition of the priestes were bestowed amis by the Romaines Bu. This Cayphas was a man corrupted with couetousenes with luste with pryde and one that swelled with ambition beinge called by no lawfull ordinance to the dignity of the hye priesthode but for bribes and fauoure of the wicked presidentes which were Ethnixes was taken from the fylthy puddell and set in the dignitie of the hie priest Behold this chiefetaine in the counsell of the prestes 4 And helde a counsel that they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kyll him And helde a counsell Bu. The Euangelist sayth here that they helde a counsell that they might take Iesus by subtiltie or deceyte that is not openlye neyther by force but by some pretence the whiche Iudas brought to passe whiche fayning friendeshippe betraied him with a kisse What this counsel was S. Iohn describeth at large saying Then gathered the hie priestes and Pharisetes a counsayle and saide What do we For this man doth many miracles If we let him scape thus all men wyll beleeue on hym and the Romaines shall come and take away bothe our rome and the people And one of them named Cayphas beinge the hye preeste the same yere saide vnto theym Ye perceyue nothinge at all nor consyder that it is expediente for vs that one man dye for the people and not that all the people peryshe 5 But they saide not on the holy daye least there be
thing And therefore the Euangelist S. Luke hath Yet beholde the hande of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table And although Luke bringeth in this saying of Christ to be spoken after Supper was ended yet notwithstāding the order of the time cannot hereby be gathered whiche we knowe to be often times neglected of the Euangelistes Yet for all that it is probable that Iudas was present whē Christ did distribut the signes of body and bloud 22. And they were exceding sorowfull and began euery one of them to saye vnto him Lord is it I And they vvere exceding sorovvfull M. Three things caused the sorow of the Apostels First because he said that he shoulde be betrayed deliuered vp into the handes of his enemis wheruppō they should be as orphantes therefore the Lord cōforteth them in the fourthten of Iohn Secondly because he should be one of thē whiche would worke so horrible a farre For what godly man woulde not be sory to here that an enemy of Christe shoulde come forth of the congregation whiche is ioyned together for the faith of Christe When the Apostel said to the Ephesiā Byshopes Of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw the Disciples after the how coulde the godly which were amōg thē be frée frō trouble Thirdly because they know not who the traitor shoulde be Moreouer Christe when he had testified these thinges was troubled in spirite as saith S. Iohn the which whē the Apostels saw how could they not be troubled also Therefore the Disciples are not afrayed as men which disquiet themselues being afrayed without cause but abhorring the wicked facte they desyer to be purged frō the suspiciō thereof This truely is a signe of reuerence that being toutched striken after a bye sorte they do not stoutly churlishly answer their master but referre them selues euery one to his iudgemente yet notwithstāding bearing thēselues bolde of a good cōscience they frely testify howe far they are frō doing so hainouse a fact Whereuppon euery one of thē demande sayinge Is it I M. They coulde not doubte of the wordes of Christe and although they knew themselues to be gylty and thing of this matter yet notwithstandinge they coulde not be quyet in all points For we are alwayes such that wee may be chaūged euery hower in somuch that the thing which we thinke not of to day we shal earnestly séeke after to morowe Peter truely could abide nothing worse than that he should deny Christe but yet it came to passe that he did deny him Innocents also are feareful not because they distrust the promises of God but because they feare themselues I knowe nothinge by my selfe saith S. Paule yet I am not hereby iustifyed For the Lord doth looke more narrowly and there are in vs infinite lurking places A. Therefore S Iohn writeth not without cause saying Thē the Disciples looked one vppon an other doubtinge of whome he spake 23. He answered and sayde he that dippeth his hande with me in the dishe the same shall betray me C. Christe by this answer doth neyther take awaye the doubte from them neyther sheweth vnto them the persone of Iudas but only cōfirmeth that which he sayd euen nowe that one of his familiar ghestes shoulde be the trayter A. As it maye also be gathered by the other twoo Euangelistes M. For S. Marke hath It is one of the twelue euē he that dippeth with me in the platter And S. Luke hath Beholde the hande of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table And so by this heaping together amplifying of the matter as we sayd before the disposition of this wicked man was noted who was nothing moued by the communion fellowship of the table to abstaine from so wicked a dede yea he beinge set at the table deuised nothing but howe he might haue cōueniēt time to betray him C. And although it was greuouse vnto the Disciples to be lefte suspēded and in perplexity for a time that they mighte busy thē selues in cōsidering the hainousnes of the fact yet notwithstāding there folowed after that an other profite and commoditye when they knewe that the Prophesye of the Psalme was fulfilled which saith It is not an open enemy that hath done me this dishonor neither was it my aduersary that magnified himself againste me But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my owne familiar frende We tooke swete counsell and walked together in the house of God as frendes Moreouer vnder the persone of Iudas the Lorde would haue his seruants of all ages to be admonished that they bee not dismayed or discouraged when they sée trayters to come from among the faithfull because the like that happened vnto him being the head of the Church must of necessity happen also to those that are his members 24. The sonne of man truely goeth as it is writen of him but who vnto that man by whome the sonne of man is betrayed It had ben good for that man if he had neuer ben borne The sonne af man truely goeth C. Christ speaketh these thinges as tourned to himself after he had admonished Iudas M. As if he should saye As toutching that which happeneth vnto me there is no daūger nothing shall happen vnto me by chaūce or vnlooked for that whiche is writen of me must nedes be fulfilled and to this in dede I am ready the wicked can do nothing against me but that whiche is appointed of god Bu. My death is ordeyned by the father himselfe it is not therfore by the power pollicy of men that I suffer but by the wyll of god C. By these wordes Christe preuenteth the offence which otherwyse might greuously assayle the mindes of the Godly For what coulde be more absurde than for the sonne of God beinge falselye betrayed by a Disciple to be committed to the will of the enemys that he might bee drawne to the moste shamefull and slanderouse death But Christ pronounceth plainly that this commeth by the will of god And he proueth this decrée by the testimony of the Scripture because hee hath made manifest and fulfilled the thing whiche was appointed to be done by the mouth of the Prophete long before Now let vs note to what ende the wordes of Christe do tende namely that the Disciples knowing whatsoeuer is done to be gouerned by the prouidence of God shoulde not thinke that his life or death was ordered by chaunce But the profite that commeth of this doctrine doth farther extende it selfe because then at the last the frute of Christes deathe shal be truely ratifyed vnto vs when it is manifestly knowne that he was not rashely caryed of men to the crose but by the eternall decrée of God was ordeyned a sacrifice to take awaye the sinnes of the worlde For howe commeth reconciliation vnto vs and the attonemēt but only because Christ by his obedience hathe pleased the father Wherefore let
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
necessar that hee shoulde be geuen once for oure saluation that hee might be daily geuen to vs Let vs know then that by these woordes we are directed to the sacrifyce of Christ his death without the rememberaunce whereof the Supper shall neuer be rightly celebyated Neither trulye can the mindes of the faithfull be otherwise filled but by this that they know God to be fauourable to them M. But this is diligently to be noted that hee sayd in the plurall nomber Of sinnes not of one sinne againste the opinion of those which wickedly say that the death of Christ hath made satisfaction for Originall sinne but not for actuall sinne and for those sinnes also which were cōmitted before Baptisme and not after for the which they appoint a proper satisfaction Against whom S. Iohn also writeth thus My little children these thinges writ I vnto you that ye sinne not but if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous hee is the propitiacion for our sinnes Hee writ no doubt to the Christians which were already baptized and therfore hee teacheth also that the sinnes of those that are baptised are forgeuen by the propitiation of Iesus Christe To these woordes of Christe S. Paule addeth this Do this so often as yee shall drincke it in the remembraunce of mee And then what that remēbraunce is hee declareth in the words followinge For so often as yee shall eate this breade drincke this Cuppe ye shall shew forth the Lordes death till his comminge Therfore the Supper is ◅ certaine memoriall which ought continuallye to abyde in the Churche euen till the last comming of Christe beinge instituted to this ende that Christ mighte admonishe vs of the benefite of his deathe and that wee might acknowledge the same before men wherevppon it is also called Eucharistia that is a thanckes geuinge 29. But I say vnto you I will not drincke henceforthe of this fruite of the vine tree vntil that day whē I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingedome But I saye vnto you C. By this sentence the Dysciples were admonished as well of the death of their master which was at hād as of the newe and Heauenlye life For the more neere that the houre of his death approched the more they were to be confirmed least they should altogether quaile Hee sheeweth also that his Disciples shall in a short time haue the truth of this signe As if he should say I do not apoint a signe the truth of the which is farre of no it is at hand Hee commendeth vnto them his supper for this cōsideratiō because they shold not alwayes haue him present with them While hee was presente they were confirmed by his Sermones and now that he must be absent they had neede of another confirmatiō Great therfore is the force of the supper which supplyeth the presence of Christ and setteth him before vs But because it was sorrowfull tydinges when hee affirmed that he must now go out of the world there is by and by added a consolation that there is no cause why they shoulde abhorre death after which there shall followe a better life as if hee had sayd ▪ Now truly do I make hast vnto death but to this ende that I may thereby passe to blessed immortality not to liue alone in the kingdome of God by my selfe but that I may haue you partakers of the same life So we see that hee lifteth vs hys Dysciples to the hope of the resurrection after hee had ledde them by the hande as it were to the Crosse And as it was meete that they should be directed to the death of Christ that by that ladder they might assende into Heauen euen so now Christ hauinge tasted of death and beinge receiued vp into Heauen it is meete that wee be broughte from the behouldinge of the Crosse to the lifting vp of our mindes to Heauen that death and the repayringe of life may agree together And that they shal be partakers of the same glory with him it may euidentlye appeare by his wordes VVhen I shall drincke it nevve vvith you in my fathers kingdome Bu. As if hee should say I beinge now made immortall and translated into the glory of my father or els I beinge now in Heauenly glorye in eternall ioye For Luke hath almost the like wordes when he sayth And I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed vnto mee that yee may eate drincke at my table in the kingdome C. But whereas some do obiecte that meate and drincke doth not appertaine to the kingdome of God it is a friuolous and vaine obiection because Christe meaneth nothinge els but that his Dysciples should shortly want his presence insomuche that after this hee shoulde eate with them no more till that they enioyed the Heauenly kingdome together Againe the eatinge and drinkinge mencioned in Luke is spoken of our sauiour Christ allegorically To be shorte Christe here commendeth vnto vs the frute and effect of the redemption which he got by his death Whereas some thincke that this was fulfilled so often as the Lord did eate with his Dysciples it is contrary to his minde and nothinge so For seinge hee was the mydle state betweene the course of mortall life the goale or ende of Heauenly life the kingdome of God was not then as yet reuealed and therefore hee sayd vnto Mary Toutch mee not for I am not yet assended to my father Moreouer the Dysciples were not as yet entered into the kingdome of God that they might drincke new wyne with Christ and be partakers of the same glorye But whereas wee reade that Christ drancke after his resurrection when as notwithstādinge he had denyed to do it till such tyme as hee had gathered his Dysciples into the kingdome of Heauen that shewe of repugnancye may easlye be put awaye For hee speaketh not precisely of meate and drincke but of the custome of this present life And wee knowe that Christe did not therefore drincke eyther because hee was a thrist or because hee woulde retaine his Dysciples in his meate and drincke but onely that his resurrection beinge thereby approued of the which they were as yet doubtfull he might lift vp their mindes to Heauē Let vs therfore contente our selues with this true and proper meaning of the place that the Lord promiseth to his Dysciples the fellowship of the blessed and immortall life with him seing they had the fellowship of his mortall humanity in earth 30. And when they had saide grace they went out vnto mount Oliuet And vvhen they had saide grace C. The first three Euangelistes omit those deuine Sermones which S. Iohn sayth the Lord made as wel in the house as by the way that they wente For their purpose was to comprehende and set forthe the Historye of thinges done more than doctrine This onely they toutche that hee wente of his owne accorde to the place whether Iudas was
sure and certaine sheewinge that it is not in the power of man not to be offended at this Crosse That in this same night Hee setteth a shorte time againste a most large promyse Before the Cocke crovve The Euangelist Marke hath Before the cocke crowe twyse For the house cocke beginneth to crowe aboute midnighte and before the breake of the daye Hee maketh mencion therefore of the Cockecrowinge to geeue him a token and to printe a certaine signe in his mind which might put him in minde the deniall which was toulde him before For it followeth in the 74. verse And immediatly the Cocke crewe And Peter remembered the wordes of Iesu which sayd vnto him before the Cocke crowe thou shalt denye mee thryse 35. Peter saide vnto him Yea thoughe I shoulde dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise faide all the Disciples Yea thoughe I shoulde dye It is marueile that hee doth so wilfullye bragge that hee will not be ouercome For Marke hath But hee spake more vehementlye Hee had felt nothinge before neither had hee wayhed hys strength And how great experience soeuer hee had of the perill of deathe and howe stronge and stout soeuer hee had beene yet notwithstanding hee wanted not presumption and wonderfull rashnes in that he stroue against the wordes of Christ beinge so manifest and confirmed by the testimony of the Prophete Hereby wee are taught that we cānot learne true humillity except we haue experiēce of our owne infirmity Let vs not marueile therefore that wee fal so often for otherwyse we cannot profite in the doctrine of humility But so often as we do fall let vs remember that wee are admonished of our infirmity of the Lord. Likevvise also saide all the Disciples C. It is marueile that the rest of the Dysciples after that Peter was reprehēded burst forth notwithstandinge into the same rashnes Wherevppon it appeareth howe little acquainted they were with themselues By the which example wee are taught that we must presume to do nothinge but that wherevppon God will set his hand because there is nothinge more vaine than rashe zeale The Disciples saw that there was nothing more filthye absurde than to forsake their maister Therefore they do not without iust cause deteste this vyce but being not fullye setteled in the faith of the promise neglectinge prayer they do vndiscretely bragge boast of their constācy which was nothing Euen so al our fortitude is nothinge els but a vaine immagination which seemeth to be somewhat before the profe tryall be made 36. Then came Iesus with them vnto a farme place which is called Gethsemane and saide vnto his Disciples sit ye here while I go and pray yonder Then came Iesus vvith them C. This is in dede the exordium and beginninge of the sacrifyce by the whiche wee are reconciled vnto god For Christ begā here to offer himselfe it was meete that this shoulde be a voluntarye sacrifice If he had bene drawne against his will it had bene no true sacrifice or oblatiō He humbled himselfe beinge made obediēt to death euen to the death of the Crosse No man taketh awaye my life from mee saith hee but I geue the same of my selfe Christ therefore rightly take vpon him the partes of a mediator that by his sacrifyce hee might take away the sinnes of the world because he offered himselfe to the death willingly If wee consider the tormente payne that he suffered not this obedience also we omit the principall part Vnto a place vvhiche is This Greeke worde which the interpreter hath called a farme in this place signifyeth a place fielde Luke vseth a woorde lesse doubtful which signifyeth a place S Iohn calleth it a gardē which seemeth more specially to expresse this place Hee addeth also that Iesus oftentimes resorted thither that Iudas which betrayed him knewe the place Whereby wee gather the Christ went not asyde to hyde himselfe but wente as it were of his owne accorde and minde to the death Sit ye here vvhile I go and pray M. By these words it is declared for what cause he wente a syde into this garden namelye to pray wee may hereby gather that this was his accustomed maner whē he would pray Hee wente asyde therefore that hee mighte power out his minde wholy before God. For hee had neede of the singuler helpe of God that he might striue against death C. But leauinge the Disciples hee spared their infirmity euen as a man which being in the warre seinge greate daunger-like to happen vnto him leaueth his wife and children in a quyet place 37. And hee toke with him Peter and the two sonnes of Zebede and began to waxe sorrowfull and heauye And hee toke vvith him Peter C. Although hee woulde haue all to be oute of daunger yet notwithstandinge hee toke thre of them with him to beare him companye and hee was the chosen flower in whiche there was a sweete smellinge sauer M. The Lorde at other times also chose these thre before the reste to behoulde speciall matters as wee maye reade in the .17 Chapter goinge before and in the eight of Luke And the same three hee taketh now C. not that they were able to suffer the like violence but that they mighte be a document and patterne of the infirmitye of them all M. Marke expresseth the two sonnes of Zebede by name sayinge Iames Iohn Hee began to be sorrovvfull Or he began to waxe sad and to be greeued in minde Marke hath And hee began to waxe abasshed and to be in an agonye C. Wee haue seene before that the Lorde stroue with the feare of deathe but because the Lord now fighteth hande to hand with the feare of death it is sayd to be the beginninge of sorrowe and heauines Whereby wee gather that there is no true tryall of vertue but in a present matter For then the debillity and weakenes of the flesh sheweth it selfe which before was hid the inwarde affections power out themselues Therefore althoughe God had oftentimes before summoned his sonne to battaile exercised him with certaine skyrmishes as it were yet notwithstandinge nowe by the more approchinge sight of death he doth more greuously wound him and strike him with vnwonted feare And because this seemeth reprochfull to the glorye of Christe that hee shoulde be striken with feare and sorrowe manye interpreters haue carefully trauayled in seekinge startinge places but their labour was verye rashe and nothinge profitable For if wee be ashamed of the feare and sorrowe of Christ the redemption will soone be gone For trulye sayth S. Ambrose I do thincke him sayth hee not onelye inexcusable but also I do no where more marueyle at his piety and maiestye For hee had little profited mee excepte hee had taken on him my affection Therefore hee sorrowed for mee who had nothinge in himselfe to be sorye for and the delectacion of the eternall deuinitye beinge sequestred hee is molested with
infirmity I do therefore bouldlye call it sorrowe and heauines that he suffered because I preach the Crosse For hee toke not vppon him oure fleshe in cooller and shewe but in deede Hee ought therefore to suffer griefe that hee myghte ouercome sorrowe not that hee mighte exclude it Neyther haue they so muche prayse of fortitude whiche beinge wounded feele not the same as they that suffer the griefe of the wounde Thus farre S. Ambrose They truly which Immagine the sonne of God to be free from these passions they do not acknowledge him to be a man trulye and effectuallye Yea when it is sayde that the deuyne power of Christe beinge hid as it were rested for a time that hee mighte fullfill the partes of a mediator in sufferinge it is so farre from absurditye that otherwyse hee coulde not fulfill the misterye of oure saluation Yet notwithstandinge the infirmitye whiche Christe toke vppon him oughte to be distinguished from oure infirmitye because it is farre differinge from that whiche is in vs. For in vs affection is not voyde of fault because all of them do exceede a meane and righte temperature But Christ was so troubled wyth sorrowe and feare that notwithstandinge hee murmered not agaynst God but sayde Father if it be possible let this Cuppe passe from mee Neuerthelesse not that I will but that thou wilt be done So that hee framed himselfe accordinge to the true rule of temperaunce For it is no marueyle hee beinge pure and holy free from all spotte if that pure affections flowed from him althoughe they were witnesses of humaine infirmitye and if from the nature of man there dothe sprynge nothinge but that which is filthye and full of puddle Let vs therefore note this difference that Christe in feare and sorrow was weake without anye spot of sinne and that all oure affections because they gushe and burste forth in excesse are vicious B. Wee muste acknowledge then that he was true and perfecte man and that hee did saye by a cooller that hee was sorrye and troubled C. But nowe wee muste note the kinde of affections with the which Christe was tempted Mathewe sayeth that hee was affected with sorrowe and heauynes Luke sayth that hee was in an agonye and Marke sayth that hee was abasshed But howe came it to passe that hee was sorrowfull heauye fearefull and abasshed but onely because in his death hee conceyued some thinge more sorrowfull horrible than the seperation of the soule and bodye And trulye hee suffered death not onely that hee mighte assende from the earth into Heauen but rather that hee taking vpon himselfe the curse to the which we were subiecte mighte delyuer vs from the same Hee feared not death therefore simplelye as it is a departure oute of this world but because hee had before his eyes the fearefull Iudgemente of GOD the Iudge himselfe beinge armed with incomprehensible vengeance and the huge heape of our sinnes which were layed vpon him oppressinge him Wherefore it is no maruayle if the horrible gulphe of destruction do sharpelye vexe him with feare and sorrowe M. Here therefore is set before vs a hye preste whiche can haue compassion vppon our infirmities which was tempted in all pointes like as wee are but yet without sinne to whom let vs go bouldly as vnto the seate of grace that wee may obtayne mercye and finde grace to helpe in time of neede This place also bringeth consolation vnto vs teachinge vs not to thincke that wee displease God when wee are throwne downe with the feare of death Christ doubted not to complaine of the horror of death which he suffered in praying to the father The which thinge also we may reade in the Psalmes to be done oftentimes of Dauid Wee are also forbidden that wee doe not iudge by and by or contemne those whiche are discouraged by the feare of deathe as though they had euill consciences and that also wee do not iustify those which dye with a boulde courage 38. Then saide Iesus vnto them My soule is heauy vnto the death Tarrye ye here and watche with mee My soule is heauy vnto the death M. Christe was full of sorrowe before hee did praye C. But hee maketh these three Dysciples priuy of his death that they mighte be partakers of the same passiō not because their weakenes was hiddē from him but because they might afterward be the more ashamed of their dulnes in vnderstandinge And this kinde of speach doth expresse a deadly woūd of sorrow as if he had sayd that throughe sorrow hee was out of hart and halfe dead So Ionas aunswered the Lord and sayd I am angery euen vnto the death Wee therfore geeue this note ▪ because certaine of the olde wryters handelinge this place folishly affyrme that the soule of Christ was not heauy in the death but to the death Againe this so greate sorrowe and heauines of the minde was not contrarye to the will of the father for the father woulde not haue hym suffer without sorrowe and griefe It was the wyll of the father that Hierusalem shoulde be besieged yet notwithstandinge Christ bewayled the same insomuche that hee wepte Tarrye ye here and vvatche vvith mee M. Such is the disposition of the wicked that they desyer to haue those whom they take to be their frendes to mourne and sorrowe with them euen as if thou wouldest not beare a heauy burthen alone but wouldest lay part thereof vpon other mens shoulders which in deede is some helpe to the afflicted It should seeme that Christ beinge thus affected desyered to haue these three Dysciples before anye other to watche with him that is in prayinge and sighinge to labour wyth him And least any man shoulde thincke the Christ was voyde of this affection let him note this thing which the Prophete sayth I loked for some to haue pittye on mee but there was no man neither founde I any to comforte mee This was yet a farther declaration and more euident argument of the humaine infirmity that was in Christe As if he should haue sayd Lend me your hand Althoughe hee were oute of daunger yet it behoued him to sustayne these thinges Wherefore seinge wee see these thinges in Christ let vs not despyse the prayers of our brethren hee hath vndoubted victory ouer death yet notwithstandinge hee sayth Watche with mee How be it wee may gather that Christe did not require these Dysciples to watche with him so much for himselfe as for their owne sakes as if they had bene in the like daunger that they mighte not be ouercome with the temptacion to come Luke sayth that hee added And pray least ye enter into temptacion that which wee will expounde in the one and fortye verse followinge 39. And hee wente a little farther and fell flat on his face and prayed saying O my father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from mee neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And hee vvente a little farther M. Hee went asyde as
matter knewe the will of his father and he knew all those thinges certainly that should happen vnto him and yet notwithstanding he doth seeke by prayer to resiste his passion to come not lightly but earnestly not once but twyse yea thryse as the Euangelist noteth It is not therefore vnseemelye and disagreeinge from the affection of the godlye when they are in daunger to resiste the Crosse and other troubles by prayer this beinge alwayes added Neuerthelesse not as I vvill but as thou vvilt C. Wee do see here how soone Christ brideled his affections and submitted himselfe But first of all here it may be demaunded howe his minde was pure from all sinne Question which notwithstandinge agreed not with the will of god For if the will of God be the onely rule of a good and iuste man it followeth that al affections which do not agree with the same are vicious Wee aunswere that althoughe this be the true rule for vs to frame oure affections in generall to the will of God yet notwithstanding there is a certaine kinde of disagreing which is voyd of fault and is not imputed for sinne as if a man do wishe the state of the Churche to be quyet and prosperous if hee desyer to haue the sonnes of God deliuered from sorrowe and trouble to haue all superstitions taken awaye quight and to haue the wil of the wicked restrayned least they hurt These thinges being of themselues right maye be rightlye requyred of the faythfull though the will of God be otherwyse who will haue his sonne to raigne amonge the ennemyes his seruauntes to be exercised vnder the Crosse and the victory of fayth the Gospell to be set forth by the contrary practises of Sathan Wee do see that they are godlye peticions which seeme to disagree sometimes from the will of God because God will not alwayes inquire of vs exactly or scrupulouslye what his will is but suffereth that to be required of him whiche in our reason and sence is to be wisshed for Notwithstandinge the question is not as yet fullye aunswered For seinge it was sayd euen now that all the affections of Christ were ordered aright how doth he now then correct himselfe for he so submitteth himselfe to the will of God as though before hee had exceeded a meane In the firste requeste truely that moderation whereof we spake before doth not appeare because he doth goe backe so muche as he may from fulfilling the office of a mediatour We answer that there is no falte in him because the terror of death being offered the mist of obliuion was obiected also so that all other thinges being omitted he lepte spedely to make this request Neither ought we here subtily to inquire whether he might forget our saluation or no because this one thing is sufficient for vs that whē he burst forth into a desier of staying putting away his death he thought vppon no other thynges whiche had shutte the waye If any man doe obiecte that the fyrst motion whiche was mete to bee brydeled before it wentee any farther was not tempered as it ought to be we answer that the feruency of our affections in this corruption of our nature can not be seene so tempered with moderation as the feruency of Christ was but that we must geue this honour vnto the sonne of God least we iudge of hym by our selues For all the affections of the fleshe doe so boyle and burne in vs that they quickely ronne into contumacy or at least one wyckednes or other is mixed with thē But Christe did so burne with the feruency of feare and griefe that he kepte hym selfe notwithstanding in his measure Yea ▪ euen as dyuers tunes disagreing among them selues are so farre frō discorde that they rather make a pleasaunt and sweate harmony Euen so wee haue here a singuler example of true proportion in Christe betwene the wyll of God and man that without conflicte and repugnancy they differ betwene them selues This place truely euidently teacheth that those auncient heretiques were to incensible which were called Monothelites because they fayned Christe to haue one onely and symple wyll For as he was God he wylled nothinge contrary to the wyll of the father It followeth therefore that they were the affections of his humane mynde being destincte and seperated from the secrete purpose of God. But nowe if it were mete that Christe should kepe his will captiue that he might submitte the same to the will and rule of God although it were well gouerned howe carefull ought we to be to represse kepe vnder the libertie of our affections whiche beinge alwayes rashe are caried hedlong and are full of obstinacy And although the spirite of God doe gouerne vs in so muche that we desire nothing contrary to reason yet notwithstanding we owe this obedience vnto God patiently to suffer when successe is not geuen to our prayers For this is the modestie of faith to permitte God to determine otherwyse thā we desire Specially this rule must bee obserued when we haue not a certayne and speciall promyse to take heade that we aske nothing without this condition namely that God may fulfill that which he hath decreed the whiche we can not doe but we must nedes committe our requestes vnto hym M. Yea and the denying of our own wyll is necessary to all Christians of the whiche Christe saith He whiche wyll follow me let him deny him self the which is done in the very tyme of temptacion and vnder the crosse C. Nowe it may be demaunded what profite Christe receiued Question by praying The Apostell sayth that he was heard because of his feare For so that place ought to be read and not as it is in the common translation where it is sayde that he was heard for his reuerēce For that should not agree if Christe simplely had feared death because he was not deliuered frō the same whereupon it followeth that he was constrayned to wyshe away his deathe for feare of a greater euell namely when hee sawe the wrath of God layed before him he being before the tribunal seate with all the sinnes of the worlde vppon hym it was necessary that he should feare the depe gulphe of death Although therefore he susteyned death yet notwithstāding because his sorrowes being loused as Peter also teacheth the better got the victory the Apostell truely sayth that he was heard because of his feare Here vnlearned men make muche a do and saye that it is a great reproche to affirme that Christe feared least he should be swallowed vp of death But let thē answer vs what feare they thynke that the same was which caused Christe to sweate drops of bloude for that mortall sweate neuer issued but of some terrible and vnwonted horror If any man at this daye should sweate bloud in suche aboundaunce that droppes should distill from his face to the earthe it shal be counted a thinge monsterous and not to be beleued
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
Herode and from Herode againe to Pilate who more and more setteth forth and proclaymeth the innocensye of Christ bringinge Herode also for a witnes Therefore the Lorde bringeth the Counsayle of the Heathen to naughte and maketh the deuises of the people to be of none effecte and casteth oute the counsayle of Princes But the Coūsayle of the Lord shall endure for euer That whiche the Lorde hath determined cannot be vndone Because there is no wysedome no vnderstandinge nor Counsayle agaynste the Lorde 15. At that feaste the Deputye was wont to deliuer to the people a prysoner whom they woulde desier At that feaste M. The Euangeliste Luke in steede of VVas vvonte hath of necessitye Pylate soughte by all meanes occasion by the which hee mighte deliuer the Lorde that was not giltye but innocente whom hee knewe to be deliuered of enuye For this cause hee takinge occasion of the presente feaste tryeth what hee may do For hee hoped that the common sorte of people were so incensed with hatred against Barrabas that they would graunt to anye thinge rather than that hee should liue than whose deathe they desyered nothinge more R. But it appeareth that this custome of lousinge a prisoner at the feaste of Easter grewe rather of ambition and superstition amonge the Iewes than of any lawfull cause and true godlines For if the heathen rulers broughte in this custome of their owne minde they seeme not to haue done it for anye other purpose than thereby to gette the fauour of the Iewishe people that they mighte seeme to reuerence the Lawe of Moyses as concerninge the cellebration of Passeouer But it is the parte of a good magistrate to get and keepe the loue of subiectes not by neglectinge theyr offyce but by dylligente administration of publique and commen lawes amonge the whiche this also is contayned that the malefactors should seuerelye be punished to the ende others mighte feare and that honest men mighte liue in safetye And the reuerence of Moyses law should haue bene declared by another meane than by the lousinge of those which were openlye knowne to be malefactors and whom the verye Lawe of Moyses commaundeth to be put to deathe But and if this custome were brought in as it is most likelye by the Iewes themselues it doth appeare that the same was vsed speciallye for this cause that it might be a monument of the deliueraunce oute of Egipte Euen so men are commonlye wonte to worshippe God euen with euill deedes and wee do see what came by this vaine custome namely that Christe beinge an innocente should be condemned to death S. Iohn wryteth that Pilate saide But yee haue a custome that I should let one louse vnto you at Easter Mathewe sayth here VVhom they vvoulde Marke hath VVhom they had demaunded 16. Hee had then a notable prisoner called Barrabas C. What this Barrabas the prisonner was the Euangeliste Marke dothe more plainly describe sayinge And there was one that was named Barrabas whiche laye bounde wyth theim that made insurrection and that had committed murther Luke more plainlye sayth Which for an insurrection made in the Cittye for murther was cast into prison And S. Iohn in one word sayth that hee was a theefe 17. Therefore when they were gathered together Pilate said vnto them whether will yee that I geeue louse vnto you Barrabas or Iesus which is called Christe Therefore vvhen they vvere gathered together C. Here both the extreame crueltye of the Priestes and also the furious obstinacye of the people is described vs to vs. For it must needes be that they were farre oute of their wittes which thoughte it not sufficiente to conspyre the death of an innocent but they must louse also a theefe in despite of him Sathan doth so carrye the wicked hedlonge after they begin once to fall that they do abhorre no vyce be it neuer so detestable but beinge blinded do heape one sinne vppon another There is no doubt but that Pilate seekinge to make them yelde for shame chose oute the most wicked man that Christ beinge compared with him might be loused And the verye haynousnes of the faulte of the which Barrabas was gilty ought worthely to deserue the hatred of the people that Christ by this comparison at the least wyse mighte be deliuered But truly neither the Priestes nor the multitude are terrefyed wyth shame but do requyre that a seditious person a murther maye bee committed vnto them Yet by the way wee must note the purpose of God by the whiche it came to passe that Christe as the worst of all men was geuen to the Crosse The Iewes trulye rage againste him with blinde furor and madnes but because God had appointed him to be the sacrifyce for the sinnes of the whole world hee suffered him to be counted inferior to a theefe and murtherer But hereby there is no small occasion of bouldnes sure truste offered vnto vs because Christ was therefore cast into such shamefull ignominye and reproche that hee might make vs by his abasinge to assende into the Heauenly glory Therefore hee was counted woorse than a theefe that hee mighte ioyne vs to the Angels of god This fruite if it be rightlye wayed shal be sufficient to put awaye the offence of the Crosse 18. For hee knew that for enuye they had deliuered him M. This must be vnderstande by the Priestes as it maye appeare by the woordes of Marke They knewe sayeth hee that for enuye they had deliuered him These two tokens of a wycked minde are geeuen and noted in the writings of the Euangelistes to be in the Priestes Scribes and Phariseis First that they bare enuye against Christe as wee maye see here in this place Secondly that they hated him as we may reade in the fiftene of Iohn 19. VVhen hee was set downe to geeue Iudgemente his wyfe sent vnto him sayinge haue thou nothinge to do with that iust man For I haue suffered manye thinges this daye in my sleape because of him VVhen hee vvas set dovvne to geeue Iudgemente M. Onlye Mathewe maketh mencion of this thinge concerninge the wife of Pilate which was done when Pilate was sittinge downe on his tribunal seate to geue Iudgemente of death against the Lord. Haue thou nothinge to do vvith that iuste man As touchinge the Greeke texte it is sayde Thou hast nothinge to do with that iuste man. But the Hebrewe text hath Haue thou nothinge to do with that iuste man. Behould and note here how the innocency of Christ deserued testimonye of euery one namelye of Iudas of Pilate of Pilates wyfe of Anna of the false witnesses of the theefe of the wise men of the Chananites of the Samaritanes of the Centurione lastly of the theefe hanginge on the Crosse For I haue suffered manye thinges C. Although the meditacion and studye in the day time mighte be the occasion of this dreame yet notwythstandinge it is withoute all doubt that the wyfe of Pylate suffered
the Iewes directly but toucheth Pilate ouerwthartly whiche fulfilled their desier And from thence forth sought Pilate meanes to loose him Although Pilate behaueth him selfe not bouldly is more led by ambition than by the loue of righteousnes therfore is in miserable doubte yet notwithstanding his modestie is to be praised that being seuerely reprehended of Christe he is not angery nay he seketh the more to deliuer him He is a Iudge and yet notwithstāding he suffereth the prysoner with a lowely mynde to be his correcter One truely amongest a hondred shall scarse be founde whiche wyll beare so quietly a reprehentiō of his equal But the Iewes cried saying if thou let him go thou arte not Caesars friende for euery one whiche maketh him selfe a kynge is an enemy to Caesar A. With this crie they ronne through Pilate and with this voyce onely ouerwhelme all his vertues C. For they do force him by threatening to condēne Christe Neyther coulde they obiecte any thyng more odious or that could more terrefie than when they vrge him with treason and falsehode against Caesar Thou saye they shewest thy selfe to haue no care for the gouernemēt of Caesar if thou louse him whiche goeth about to trouble the whole multitude This their wycked perswasion preuayled and brake the minde of Pilate whiche was onely beaten before with violēt cries Neyther truely doth S. Iohn prosecute and inculcate these circomstāces so diligētly in vaine because it pertaineth greatly to our profite to knowe that Christe was not cōdemned of Pilate before that he was absolued thre or fower times of his mouth that we might thereby gather that he was not condemned for his owne sake but for our sinnes And certainly by this his obedience he brought to passe that his deathe was a sacrifice of a swete sauour vnto God to put away our sinnes After these things howe greatly the people the chief priestes required the death of Christe S. Luke declareth saying And they cried with loude voyces requiring that he might be crucefied And the voices of them of the hygh priestes preuayled R. Beholde here the vnspeakeable madnes of the Iewes against Christ that we may knowe howe that Sathan desyreth nothyng more vehemently than that Christe may peryshe Wee must also note the wonderfull patience of Christe to the ende we may knowe that the more Sathan doth rage against hym the more mightely he is ouerthrowen by his patiēce S. Iohn moreouer addeth Whē Pilate heard that saying he brought Iesus foorthe and sate downe to geue sentence in a place that is called the pauement but in the Hebrewe tongue Gabatha Hereby it appeareth how diuersly Pilate was distracted euē as if one player should play twoo partes He sitteth downe in the Iudgement seate that according to the manner he might pronoūce sentence of death against Christe and yet he plainly declareth that he dothe it againste his wyll and conscience It was the preparing daye of the Easter about the syxte hower The Euangelistes in notyng the time do seme to disagree The other three Euangelistes saye that it was darke from the syxt hower when as Christ dyd hange on the Crosse And S. Marke playnely saythe that it was the thyrde hower when Iudgement was geuen vpon hym C. But if wee consyder that whiche may bee gathered by other places namely that the day was deuided into fower partes and that euery parte had his name from that firste hower of his begynninge wee may easely reconcile them All the myddel tyme from the rysing of the Sunne vntyll the seconde parte was called by them the fyrste hower The second part vntill noone was called among them the thirde hower The syxte hower begynnynge at noone contynewed vntyll the thyrde or fourthe hower after noone When the Iewes therefore sawe that Pilate prolonged the tyme and that nowe noone was at hande Saint Iohn saythe that they made the more haste and cryed more vehemently least all the daye should bee spente But this is no lette or staye but that the Lorde myght bee crucefyed about the ende of the thyrde hower For it is euident enough to bee seene that so soone as hee was condemned hee was sodaynly caried away So great a desyer had the Iewes to haue hym destroyd Therefore Marke speaketh not of the beginning but of the end of the third hower And this is more lykely that Christe dyd hange on the Crosse not aboue three howers But betweene the syxe and nynthe hower it began to waxe darke whiche continued vntyll the nynthe hower in the whiche Christe dyed And hee saythe vnto the Iewes beholde your kyng Christe is called a kyng here by Pilate Ironice meanyng that it was a friuolous and vayne sclaunder with the whiche the Iewes burthened Christe As if he shoulde saye You contende that this man made hym selfe your kynge Notwithstandyng beholde hym and marke hym well if hee beare any suche countenaunce They cryed awaye with hym awaye with hym A. Truthe obtayneth no mercy A murtherer dothe sooner obtayne pardone of the worlde than a syncere minister of Gods woorde Away with this monsterouse fellowe saye they it is not mete that hee shoulde lyue Euen so the Iewes cryed out against Paule saying Awaye with suche a fellowe from of the earthe It is not meete that hee shoulde lyue Crucifye hym This kynde of punyshement pleased thē well that the name of Christe shoulde bee extinguyshed and defamed with the ignominie and shame of the Crosse But that whiche they counted the greatest ignomie and reproche is to the electe in stede of the greatest glory Pylate saythe vnto them Shall I crucifie your kynge Pilate deryding their obstinate madnes saythe Shall I brynge so greate reproache vnto your kynge as to nayle him to the Crosse This will be a great shame vnto you The hyghe priestes aunswered we haue no king but Caesar Here truelye their horrible furor and madnes bewrayeth it selfe that the hye Priestes whiche oughte to haue beene exercised in the lawe do reiecte the Messias in whome the saluation of all the people was included of whome all the promises did depende and in whome all Religion was grounded Certainly they depriued them selues of the grace of GOD and of all goodnes in reiectinge Christe Let vs see therefore howe greatlye they were oute of their wittes Let vs Imagine that Christe was not Christe yet notwithstandynge they haue no excuse because they acknowledge no kinge but Cesar For firste of all they fall from the spirituall kyngedome of God. Secondly they do preferre the tyrannye of the Romane Empire before the iuste gouernement whiche was promised of god Euenso the wycked to flye from Christe doe not onelye depriue them selues of euerlastynge lyfe but also brynge vnto them selues all kynde of misery This people truely of the Iewes dyd manifestlye forsake the frendeshipp and louinge kyndenes of God their maker and regarded not the God of theyr saluation Miserable men had rather haue a manlie to raygne
no doubte therfore but that the Iewes do carelesly curse them selues as though before God they were excusable Hereby wee gather howe carefullye we oughte to auoyde all vnaduised rashnes in all Iudgementes For when men dare neglectinge inquisition and diligent searche take vppon them this or that as semeth to them good it is necessary that they fall into madnes And this is the iuste vengeaunce of GOD wyth the whiche he punisheth their pride whiche disdaine to make any choyse of that whiche is good and of that which is euell and whiche refuse to put a difference betwene equity and vnrighteousnes The Iewes thoughte that in killynge of Christe they did vnto GOD good seruice but whereuppon commeth this wycked error but of wycked obstinacy and of the contempte of God Wherefore they are iustly cast into this madnes that they may bringe the laste destruction to them selues But as for vs when the woorship of God and his holy ministers are handeled or spoken of let vs learne to open oure eyes and reuerentlye and soberlye inquire of the matter leaste that hypocrisye and boldenes do put vs oute of oure wyttes But as God woulde neuer haue suffered this execrable voyce to come oute of the mouthe of the people ecepte their impietye hadde beene firste desperate euen so afterwarde he punished the same iustely by horrible and straunge meanes and yet notwithstandynge wonderfully kepte certeine remnaunts of them to hymselfe leaste that his couenaunt should bee extinguished by the destruction of all the people He had adopted vnto hymselfe the séede of Abraham that it mighte be a chosen people a ryall Priestehoode and a holy nation nowe the Iewes to the denying of so greate grace doe conspire as it were with one voyce Who woulde not say that all the nation is plucked vp by the rootes as it were from the kyngdome of God But God in their wyckednes declareth the constancy and fyrmenes of his promise and to the ende he myghte shewe that he made not a couenaunt in vaine with Abraham he deliuereth those whome he chose fréely of his grace from generall destruction Euenso his trueth wyll alwayes haue the vpperhande of all the letts and stayes of humane incredulity M. Althoughe therefore miserable and foolishe mene do curse them selues and their children yet notwythstandynge the Lorde did not condemne them by the sentence whiche they gaue vppon them selues but receyued them whiche repented as well of themselues as of their children For Paule also was of them and manye thousandes also which beleued in Christ at Hierusalem as S. Iames declareth in the Actes of the Apostells To this effecte also pertaineth that whiche is writen in the Actes of the Apostels in the second fourthe chapters Notwythstandynge this vengeaunce whiche they wyshed for resteth vppon the posteritye of the Iewes vntyll this daye 26. Then let he Barrabas louse vnto thē and scourged Iesus and deliuered him to be crucifyed Then let he Barrabas louse M. This place is thus redde oute of the fower Euangelists And so Pilate willinge to contente the people gaue sentence that it shoulde bee as they requyred And let louse vnto them Barrabas whom they desyered who for insurrection and murther was caste into prison and he delyuered vnto them Iesus to do wyth hym what they woulde and to be crucifyed The importunate sute of the Iewes truelye constrayned Pilate to delyuer vp Christe and yet for all that it was not done as in a tumulte but accordynge to a solemne maner he was condemned because twoo theues also the matter beinge knowne were condemned to the crosse C. Twoo thinges therefore are to bee noted namelye that an assente or agremente was extorted from the Iudge againste his will and yet notwithstandynge that he represented the persone of a Iudge in condemninge him whome he pronounceth to be innocent For excepte the Sonne of GOD hadde beene free from all synne wee shoulde not looke for redemption by hys death but shoulde remayne still in oure synnes God therefore woulde haue hys Sonne to be condemned after a solemne maner that by hym he mighte delyuer vs from synne For if wee séeke to profite rightly in the meditation of Christs deathe wee must abhorre oure synnes for the greatnes of oure punishemente whiche he suffered for synne So shall it come to passe not onely that wee shal be ashamed of oure selues but also that wee beinge wounded wyth grefe shall seke for the medecine that may heale the same For our harts were muche more harde than stone if wee be not wounded with the woundes of the Sonne of God And excepte wee hate and deteste oure synnes to put awaye the whiche the Sonne of God suffered so many punishementes Neyther muste wee feare that oure sinnes shal come any more into the Iudgement of God from the which he hath redemed vs with so preciouse a raunsome For he did not onely suffer death to purchase lyfe vnto vs but also he tooke vppon hym wyth the crosse the curse that was dewe vnto vs that there shoulde no vncleanenes remayne in vs anye more And scourged Iesus and deliuered hym M. It is vncertaine whether this scourginge bee that or no where of S. Iohn maketh mencion the whiche also is noted in the 23. verse before when Pilate woulde haue sett Christe at libertye Or whether he were beaten the seconde tyme accordinge to the maner of the Romanes For no man was putte to deathe or crucified but he was firste scourged It semeth to some that this was the scourginge by the whiche he wente aboute to deliuer hym leaste he should be crucified For afterwarde the mockes and scornes are recited whiche followe the condemnation 27. Then the soldiers of the deputy toke Iesus into the common haule and gathered vnto him all the company Then the soldiers of the deputy Bu. Nowe the Euangeliste describeth as it were in liuely coolers howe the moste meke Iesus was handeled of the wycked after he was condemned by the mouthe of the Iudge to death A. All this was done that when the people should see this sighte they might be persuaded that nothinge was done here withoute consideration but by the best order of true iudgement 28. And they stripped him and put on him a purpell robe And they stripped him Sainct Marke hath And they put of his owne clothes Because he was condemned of desiering the maiestye of a kinge the soldiers so soone as Pilate hadde geuen Iudgement that he shoulde be crucified woulde before all other thinges for the good will that they bare vnto Cesar mocke and deride Christe beinge condemned thereof To the ende therefore they myghte shewe that a priuate man hath vsurped a mis vnto hymselfe the honor of a king they take of his owne apparell whiche was lyke to other mens and put on hym garmentes belonginge to a kynge as purpell a crowne and a scepter and besyde this they salute hym wyth a kingelike salutation But because they did this to his reproche
worship and honoure and afterwarde so farre as it is conuenient we must do our dutye vnto men Accordinge to this sayinge Hée that hateth not father and mother for mee is not worthye of mee When wée haue obeyed God then shall wée rightlye haue a consideration of oure Parentes of our wife and children Now on the other parte wee haue here to note the fayth of the women For it was no small affection of loue to followe Christe euen to the Crosse and excepte they had beene endued wyth a constante fayth they woulde neuer haue bidden suche a syghte Nowe let vs be ashamed if the horror of the crosse do stay vs from followinge of Christe seinge wee also haue before our eyes the glory of the resurrection when as the women coulde see nothinge but ignomynie and shame and malediction When Iesus therefore sawe his mother and the disciple whom he loued hee sayde vnto his mother woman behold thy sonne After that he said vnto the disciple Beholde thy mother As if he should haue saide to his mother After this I wyll be no more conuersant in the â—…arthe to do the duetie of a sonne vnto thee I do appoynte therefore this man in my roome to take vpon hym my duetie And this is the meanyng when he saythe vnto Iohn Beholde thye mother For by these wordes he commandeth him to count her as his mother and to care no lesse for her than if shee were his mother In that hee calleth her woman and not Mother some thynck that he did it because he woulde not thereby moue her affecttion to gréefe Othersom thincke that he dyd it to declare that the race of his humaine lyfe beinge ended he did now leaue of that condition vnder the whiche he had lyued and entered into the heauenly kingedome where hee shoulde rule bothe men and Angelles And this later coniecture is no lesse probable than the firste For wee do knowe that Christ alwaies went about to bring the faythefull from the consideration of the flesh to the spirite The which thing hee ought specially to do at his deathe And froÌ„ that howre the disciple tooke her for his owne R. That is to saye hee toke her as his mother hee reuerenced her as his mother and he was obediente to her as if he had ben her sonne so long as shee liued C. Iohn in obeyinge the commandement of Christ sheweth hym selfe a louinge Disciple to his maister Hereby also it dothe appere that the Apostelles kept theyr famelies for how could Iohn elles kepe the mother of Chryste contrary to the opinion of those whiche thincke that the Apostels lefte all when they came to Christ 38 Then were there two theues crucified with him one on the right hand and an other on the lefte Then vvere there C. This was done to put Christe to extreme shame that hee should be hanged in the middest betwene twoo theues murtherers and robbers For they appoynted vnto hym the chiefest place euen as if he had bene the captayne of theeues A. But the Greeke woord signifieth not theues but murtherers and whiche lurke in dennes by the hiewaies side to sley men for they were not wonte to crucifie theeues Therfore to the ende Christe mighte susteyne the greatter ignominie hee is placed in the middest as though he had ben the chiefe murtherer If he had bene nayled to the crosse alone his cause myght haue semed the better and to be seperated from other malefactours but nowe he is not onely placed with murtherers but also set in the chiefe roome as thoughe he had bene the moste detestable of all other And it was necessary that he shoulde be thus ordered that we might knowe howe great punishemente was due for our synnes There was no punishemeÌ„t cruel inough for oure wyckednesse whiche coulde be founde out if Christ had not dyed for vs Therfore that he might delyuer vs from the payne due for synne this kinde of satisfaction was necessary that he myghte set him selfe in our roome And here we maye perceiue howe horrible the wrathe of God is againste synnes to pacifie the whiche it was necessarye that Christe whiche is the Eternall righteousenes shoulde be counted as a moste vnrighteouse and placed in the order of murtherers For because Christ was reckened among malefactours we are counted innoceÌ„t of the father as witnesseth the prophete saying By the knowledge of him which is my righteouse seruant he shall iustefy the multitude for he shal beare away their sinnes The EuaÌ„gelist Maâ—…ke addeth And the scripture is fulfilled whiche saith He was couÌ„ted among the wicked That place is red in the prophsie of Esay thus Therfore wil I geue him the multitude for his part he shal deuide the spoile with the strongest because he geueth ouer his soule to death and is reckened amonge the transgressours whiche neuertheles hath taken away the sinnes of the multitude and made intercession for the misdoers The Prophete therfore playnely speakethe this as concernynge Christe that he shall delyuer his people from deathe not by any greate pompe but by sufferyng the punishement whiche was dewe for theyr wickednesse The Euangeliste saythe as it was also foreshewed in the place of the Prophete before mentioned that Chryste prayed for his enemyes sayinge Forgeue theÌ„ for they wotte not what they doe The Lorde had taughte before sayinge Doe good vnto those that hate you and praye for theim whiche hurte you This his doctryne hee approueth in deede and by this his prayer hee prouyd hym selfe to be the lambe moste meeke and gentell whiche shoulde be sâ—…ayne in sacrifyce for the synnes of the worlde And after this manner the faythfull oughte to temper theyr affections in sufferynge euylles namely to wyshe well vnto their persecuters and yet for all that not to doubte but that God wyll defend and saue their lyfe But it is lykely that Chryst did not praye for all in generall without exception but onely for the myserable people whiche were caryed by a rashe zeale not by obstinate impietie For there was no hope lefte of the chiefe priestes and Scribes so that hee shoulde haue prayed for them in vayne For they sinned against the holy Ghoste because theyr own conscience did heare them wytnesse that Iesus was Chryste promised in the lawe and prophetes whom neuerthelesse they persecuted Whereby wee learne that wee oughte not to praye for those with whom wylfull mallice preuaylethe and are caried with obstinate blindnes sinnynge againste the holy Ghoste if so be they maye be discerned to be suche And there is no doubt but that this praier of Chryste was hearde of the Heauenlye Father and that hereuppon it came to passe that manye of the people which had shedde the bloudde of Christe afterwarde drancke the same by faythe 39 They that passed by reuyled hym wagging theyr heades They that passed by Bu. Nowe commeth the fulnesse of all iniurye doone vnto Christe crucyfyed They had fyrst mocked hym pryuatelye in the Courte of
and Simon Zelotes and Iudas the brother of Iames These al continewed with one accord in prayer and supplication with the wemen and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his brethren It is like that the Apostles gathered theÌ„ selues together into this parloure and securite place that they might there abyde vntyll they had receiued the holy Ghoste But fonde and foolishe are the Papistes whiche go about to proue the supremacy of Peter because in this place hee is named first among the reste of the Apostles And if so bee we should graunte that hee was the chief of all the Apostles yet it doth not followe that he was chief of the whole world But if he be therefore chiefe of the Apostels because in the cataloge or rehersall of names he is put in the firste place we wyll also by the same reason conclude that the mother of Christe was inferior to all other women because she is named in the lowest roume The whiche thing â–ª I am sure they wyll in no wise admitte and if they would it were to absurde Wherefore except they meane to make all men laughe and ieste at their Popishe supremacy let them cease to proue it by suche sclender and childishe reasons But to retourne to our purpose The Euangeliste Luke sayth that all the Apostels of Christe were assembled together in prayer R. Continuall prayer truly was necessary for them for at that tyme they were sette in the middest of many and greuous temptations partely because the holy Ghoste came not presently vpon them after they came from the mount Oliuet and partly because they might loke euery moment when the armed souldiers should beset the house in the whiche they were C. They praye therefore that Christe woulde sende his spirite vpon them as hee had promysed Whereby we gather that the same is a trewe faith which doth moue vs and styrre vs vp to call vppon the name of God. And were continually in the Temple lauding and praysing God. C. The Euangeliste Luke meaneth that the Apostels for exceading ioye burst forth openly into the prayse of God and were dayly in the temple The Apostels at the firste for feare pryuely kepte them selues in secrete but nowe with bouldnes and ioye they come abroade And whyle they thus wayghted for the comminge of the holye Ghoste they chose Mathias in steade of Iudas Iscariothe as Luke declareth in the Actes At the length when the fifty dayes or Pentecost was ended that is to saye seuen wekes after the resurrection the holy Ghoste was sente vppon them as wytnesseth Saynt Luke sayinge When the fifty dayes were come to an ende they were altogether with one accorde in one place And sodainly there came a sounde froÌ„ heauen as it had bene the comming of a mighty wynde and filled all the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues and so foorthe vntill the thirtene verse They being therefore baptized and confirmed by the holy Ghoste and thereby being made more strong prepared theÌ„ selues by and by to discharge their office as the Euangeliste Marke declareth by these woords And they went foorthe and preached euery where the Lord working with them and confirming the woorde with miracles followyng Wherefore let vs by the example of the Apostels glorifie the name of God whiche plentifully hath powred his holye spirite vpon vs whiche hath sanctified vs by the same spirite geuen vnto vs free remission of our sinnes by the death of his sonne Iesus Christe whome he raysed agayne from death and hath exalted to the ryght hande of his glory in heauen that he hauing takeÌ„ possession thereof 〈◊〉 wee hereafter might be partakeâ—…s of the same In the meane tyme The God of peace that brought agayne from death our Lorde Iesus the great shepehearde of the Shepe through the bloud of the euerlasting testament make vs 〈◊〉 all good workes to â—â— his wyll and bring to passâ—… that the thing whiche we do may be pleasaunt 〈◊〉 his â—â—ghtâ—… through Iesus Christe our lord To whome â—…e prayse foreuer wâ—… 〈…〉 Amen FINIS Matth. 13 â—…a 10. â—…r 1. â—…s 9. 〈◊〉 3. â—…h 28. 〈◊〉 4. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 14. Pro. 29. â—…he reason of â—…e Title 2. Cor. 5. 1. Corint 1. 1. Cor. 14. Math. 10. Math. 4. Mar. 1. Luke 2. Iohn 3. Act. 20. Rom. 1. 1. Corint 1. 2. Cor. 3. Gal. 1. Ephe. 3. Phil. 2. Colos 1. Thes 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 1. Titus 3. Phile. Heb. 4. Iam. 1. 1. Petr. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 1. Iohn 2. 2. Iohn 3. Iohn Inde Apoca. 14. 1. Corint 11 Chap. 4. Esay 64. Mat. â—… Gene. 5. Exod. 32 Iosua 10. Philip. 2. 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1â—… Gene. 21. and .22 Psalm 89. Math. 21. Matth. 22. Roman i. Nume 36. Iudg. 21. Luke 1. 2. Par. 22. â—…oma 15. â—â—on 4. Hebre. 15. 4. King. 11. 1. para 22. 2. Para. 23. Gene. 16. Gene 21. Roman 9. Gene. 26. Luke â—… Gene. 22. Philip. 2. Gene. 25. Malac. 1. Roman 9. Gene. 29. Gene 49. Roma 9. Phillip 2. a Psalm 42. Gene. 38. A comfortable saying 1. Parli 2. Iosua â—… Ruth â—… â—… Sam. 8. 2. Sam. 20. 2. Sam. 7. 1 Pet. 17. Psalm 89. 132. Mans merites are condemned 1. Reg. 12 2. Para. 12. 2. Para. 12. 2. para 10. 1. Reg. 2â—… para 1â—… 2. para 14. 2. po 15. 2. para 16. Ezech. 33. 2. Par. 21. Epiphanius in his booke against heresie False religioÌ„ The reuerent â—…steming of gods worde â—… Para. 34 â—… King. 24 Gene. 49. 1 Paralip 3. Gene. 49. The signification of the woorde of Christi Dan. 9. Psalm 45. Iohn 3. â—â—e 6. â—…th 13. â—…o 6. Luke 1. Luke 1. The honest zeale of Ioseph Deutro 22. Iustice modestie merâ—… and anger must be had punishing vâ—… The cause why Mary maried 1. Cor. 20. Nume 12 Dreames suâ—â—rnaturall â—â—d naturall â—…he cause of â—â—turall â—â—ames Gene 28. Gods prouidence shewed in dreames The malice of the Rabbines Philip. 2 There is no vertue included in the bare woorde Iesus Esay 49 Act 4. b. Saluation by Christ only Roma 3 Two partes of deliueraÌ„ce Christ is not our sauiour without we beleue The coÌ„ming of Christ hatâ—… abolished the awe Osee 3. Roman 9 Esay 7 Esay 8. Hierusalem the sanctuary of God. Gene. 24. c Exod. 2. b Prouerb 31. Esay 59. The nere affiâ—…tie betwene God and vs â—…y his sonne Christe â—…phe 2. Deut. 7. Psal. 147. Collos 2. Christ a lawfull mediator Iohn 1. Hebr. 2. Collos 1. 1. Tim. 2. Hebr. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The obedieÌ„ce and faith of Ioseph Without the lorde by his holy spirite in struct the hart all externall preaching is in vayne â—â—ed by the â—…slatour 〈◊〉 of HieroÌ„ â—…ath 1. Nume 18. Exod. 12. Math. 13 Actes 1. Luke 2. a The notable agrement of the Euangelistes â—…a 19. â—…ges 12. 〈◊〉 li. anti â—…ic 14. 〈◊〉 18. â—…he ende of â—…apering of 〈◊〉 starre Psalm 72. The fond immagination of
out of those wrytinges whiche were employed and consecrate to the Churche it selfe by holy men whiche bestowed all their labour and study to enlarge the true faith and for that cause they may well be termed Ecclesiasticall wryters Secondly because it appertayneth of dutie to the Churche to knowe the familiar voyce of their spouse who speaketh vnto her sitting in the heauens and that by the helpe of his seruauntes to wytte faithfull ministers who for that same cause are called in the Scriptures the interpretours of Gods wyll and the messengers whiche bryng fidinges of the reconciliation betwene God and man. But we call it Catholike that is vniuersall because it is gathered vniuersally out of all the most appro◅ed deuines And for because welbeloued brethren in Christe you whiche yet grone vnder the yoake o◅◅ntechriste dispersed here and there you desier with ardent affectiōs to knowe those things whiche may guyde you to the perfect vnitie and certaintie of faythe I moste earnestly request you that as the Churches restored to their integritie enioye the sacred sermons lectures communication and publique conference of the selfe same men whiche haue enriched this woorke with their labours so you also vse gladly and cherefully this exposition of the newe Testament that your fayth may haue the better successe and Christes spirite by the reading of the Scriptures may in suche wyse mortefie whatsoeuer concupiscence of the fleshe is remayning in you that we may all speake thinke and vnderstande one thyng being one whole body Flie therefore all peregrine straunge doctrines and geue attentiue eare to the moste swete voyce of that great shepehearde of the shepe Christe Iesus who by his Apostels and Euangelistes teacheth you moste playnly the way to saluation Despise with a stoute courage the forged tales and traditiōs of men by whiche your consciences are snared and imbrace the libertie achieued by Christe and worthely set forth in this newe Testament whereof you haue here an exposition no lesse sounde than playne and euident Not that this interpretation is so perfect absolute in euery point that nothinge may be added thereto pertayning to doctrine and edification for who can examine or interprete any one place of Scripture so happely and dilligently that no man shal be able to expresse the same more playnely or obserue in it somewhat more helping either to teache exhorte or reconcile other places Neither was it my intente to vrge the studentes in holy Scriptures to kepe silence but rather not onely to exhorte all the Godly but also to desier them for Gods sake that if they haue attayned anye thing either by reuelation of the spirite or by the commentaries of other whome we haue not sene to brynge it and make it commen so that it be briefe and fitte to edefie whiche howe necessary it is in serious matters there is none but wyll confesse For ouer and besides the newe bookes whiche come forth dayly whereby this worke might bee enlarged I am fully perswaded that the authours them selues out of whose wrytinges I haue taken this exposition are so farre from ambition and emulation that they desier nothing more than that they to whome the gifte of prophecie is graunted shoulde not defraude the Churche thereof for whose sake they haue receiued that whiche they haue I sought therefore to profite them onely whiche with vpright conscience seke the symple and peculiar sence of the Scriptures leauing vnto the Church whom God endeweth euery day with marueilous giftes libertie to adde according to tyme and place what semeth to belonge to the common edifyinge of the godly as is wont to be done in the holy assembles and metinge where the Godly communing of diuine matters haue libertie to bringe forth or alleage in the middest of the company that whiche they haue receiued of the father of lightes so that if it be reuealed to an other sitting by the firste doth willingly kepe silence as the Apostell commaundeth Nowe as concerning the authours out of whose commentaries or annotation vppon the Gospell after Mathewe this exposition is collected we haue declared their names in the next leafe following And leaste the often repetition of their whole names should trouble the readers we haue signified thē by their first letters although that thing semed once vnto me not greatly necessary if this one admonition of my frēdes had not prouoked me thereto who tolde me that it would fall out that some would reproue me of a lye for because this woorke being intituled a Catholyke exposition collected out of sondrye interpretours should neuertheles appeare to be one discourse neither would they beleue any other except we did note by letters euery particuler mans woordes But where I my selfe did incline to that parte not to discrie the authours names by letters I was led hereby because I feared the disposition of some who being addicted to men do for the moste part measure approue and reiect the interpretations according to the authoritie and estimation of the man rather considering the men than what the holy Ghoste pronounced by them to the common erudition of the Churche Moreouer the readers peraduenture will marueyle that I note so fewe woordes out of some authours but let them vnderstande this that when I finde one that sayth the same that almoste all the reste do whether it be in fewe woordes or many so it be in more playne woordes his woordes I haue chosen yet as it were weauing to or vniting out of other that whiche he had either omitted or lefte vnspoken for one man can not speake of all thinges for want of memory neither is occasion offered If at any tyme a diuers or contrary exposition happen to be founde among the authours I haue so described the same that I haue noted what the reader should followe Neither shall there be founde in this booke a hotche potche of opinions if wee maye so terme it whereby the Reader myght bee troubled not edefied but sounde and true doctrine and the same throughout the whole booke guyding vs to the father and Iesus Christe his sonne Therefore good brethren accepte and according to goodnes and equitie allowe his dilligence whiche together with you wysheth before all thinges the increase of Christes kyngdome and the destruction of Antechriste Do you also your endeuour with earnest ardent zeale to professe Christes Gospell neither as some falsely termed Christians do be you ashamed of it by constant confession whereof the glorious sentence of Christe is onely to be hoped for who shall approue the same before his heauenly father and electe Angels And verely no man is able worthely to commende the excellency and frute of the eternall wysdome of God whiche is opened in the Gospell For the Gospell is The light vvhiche the people that vvalked in darkenes did see and vvhiche sprang vp to them vvhich sate in the region of the shadovve of death It is the kyngdome of God vvhich approched to vs vvhich