affirmeth that he is God Now séeing there is one God it foloweth that Christ is one essence with the father and yet notwithstanding that they differ in something R. For the Father imprinteth the Image The sonne is the Image imprinted or expressed The father shineth and the worde is the very same brightnesse which doth shine M. Wherefore we must not feare lest the Euangelist shall appoint a newe God vnto vs against the law of God in the which it is sayde Psal 81 Thou shalt haue no newe God He cannot bée God which is not equall with God in sempiternity It is written There is no God before me neither is there any after me If this word be sprong foorth after God it cannot be God But the Euangelist taketh awaye this feare from vs séeing he saieth not And that word was made God But the worde was God Not because afterward it ceassed to be God God forbid How had that béene God which coulde afterward ceasse to be God But to the ende he might expresse the euerlasting diuinitie of the worde of God the which hath no beginning he sayde and God was the worde That is to saye In the beginning before the worlde was made before all times this worde was God A. But this confession of Christian fayth by occasion was the cause of manye persecutions For when the worlde coulde not attaine to knowe by carnall wisdome howe God woulde be manifested in the fleshe it persecuted the Apostles and Martires of Christ to the death because they séemed to affirme the pluralitie of Goddes when as they with great constancie of minde affirmed that to be true whiche this our Euangelist hath here put downe by plaine wordes namely God is the worde But truely Iohn doth not affirme that God is with God 2. The same was in the beginning with God M. The Euangelist repeateth those thinges which he spake euen now but so that he ioyneth together those thinges which were spoken seuerally For these two being ioyned togither In the beginning was the worde And the worde was with God do attribute vnto the worde an vndoubted Godheade And it is very well that they are repeated ioyntly and together which in déede are ioyned together least occassion shoulde be giuen to the malicious to gather and say that the worde was in the beginning but not by and by coeternall or of like eternitye with God which was somewhat before the worde Therfore he repeateth this that the same was in the beginning with GOD ascribing vnto him the like sempiternitie with GOD. C. And so those two former partes are gathered by him into a short conclusion that he was alwaies and that with God to the ende we might vnderstande the beginning to be before all time Nowe wée sée with how fewe wordes notwithstanding circumspectlie and Godlye the Euangelist hath handled the mistery of the diuinity the which thing if the Christians of olde time would haue followed the churches had not beene so miserablie and daungerouslye deuided neyther shoulde they haue geuen occasion to the subtil and busie aduersaries 1. Cor. 2 to contaminate and obscure the deuine maiesty with their impure inuentions We shall not come into the wholesome knowledge of the diuinitie but by the meanes of the mediator the man Christ Iesus Wherfore it shall be good to learne with Saint Paule to know Christ Iesus and the same crucified that thereby we maye humble ourselues and maye diligentlye prosecute the mortification of our fleshe according to our promise Furthermore we are here admonished not to fainte because we sée in this our time also manye wicked sectes to be sprong vp they are the dartes of Satan against the wholesome truth of the gospell the which is a manifest signe that the truth is amongst vs for otherwise he woulde not stirre 3. All thinges were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made Al things were made by it C. After he hath affirmed the word to be God and declared his eternal essence nowe hée proueth his deuinitie by his workes B. shewing by what meanes he did insinuate and secretlie reueale himselfe to the worlde First of all he did it by creation for by him all thinges were made without him there was nothing made that is made secondely both by the conseruation déede for by his blessing al things liue M. First of all therfore the Euangelist propoundeth the worke of the creation then he passeth to the woorke of redemption And he putteth the worke of creation in a most briefe compendium of all thinges the which Moyses more largely hath described All thinges saith he Heauen Earth Sea and all things else conteyned in them were made by him that is to say Heb. 1. Collos 1. by Christ the worde of God So saith the Apostle By whome hee made the Heauens also Saint Iohn therefore by these wordes doth bring a light vnto that which Moyses hath written to the ende we might vnderstande that those thinges which are written in the first of Genesis as concerning the workes of creation doe set foorth vnto vs the deuinity of Christ R. For Moyses euen in the beginning of Genesis affirmeth that God made all thinges by his worde which is the onelie begotten son of God Christ our Lorde saying Gen. 1. And God sayde Let there bee light and there was light And afterwarde he sayth Againe GOD sayde Let there be a Firmament Let the waters be gathered c. Let vs make man after our owne Image Whereby wée sée that to be true which the Prophet singeth in his Psalme Psal 33. By the worde of the Lorde the heauens were made and all the powers of them by the breath of his mouth Psal 148. And in another place he sayeth He spake the worde and they were made hee commaunded and they were created Colos 1 And the Apostle Paule sayth All thinges were made by him and for him and hee is before all thinges and in him all things consist C. Therfore the Euangelist goeth about here to shewe that the word of God had his eternall action euen in the beginning of the creation of the worlde For séeing that he was incomprehensible at the first in his essence his power was then openlye knowne made manifest by the effect M. But where as the Euangelist sayth in the pretertence or time past that all thinges were made by it we must not thereby gather that after the worlde was created and all thinges therein contayned GOD doth make nothing anye more by his worde but doth suffer all things to be done by chaunse and is as it werein the meane time ydle or a sléepe God forbid For those thinges whiche hée made by his worde hée gouerneth and preserueth with his euerlasting prouidence as testifieth our Sauiour Christ him selfe Iohn 5 saying My Father worketh hitherto and I worke And the Apostle Paule 1. Cor. 12 Gen. 2 VVhich worketh all in all For in that
hath spoken of Fayth and the vertue thereof To the ende therefore hée might shewe that the faith of the Godlye is not in vaine whiche is reposed in Christe hée declareth that all power to saue is wholye geuen to the Sonne because hée is loued exceedinglye of the Father M. Iohn Baptiste had hearde the Heauenlye voyce by which the Father spake from Heauen saying Math. 3.17 This is my welbeloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Nowe the whole inheritaunce cannot but belong to the welbeloued sonne Therefore when Iohn was about to saye And hath geuen all thinges into his hande Hée verye well added first The Father loueth the Sonne Question C. But what is the meaning of this reason Doeth hée hate all others Aunswere is made herevnto Aunsvvere that hée speaketh not here of the common loue with the which God loueth men and other workes of his handes but of that singuler and speciall loue which beginning at the Sonne floweth from thence to all other Creatures For this loue of God by which hée louing his Sonne loueth vs also bringeth to passe that hee doeth communicate vnto vs by his hande all good thinges Bv. Wherevppon the Apostle Paul sayeth He loued vs in his welbeloued Sonne Ephe 1.6 And hath geuen all thinges into M. These fewe woordes appertaine greatlye to our Faith by which wée depende vpon Christ as vpon the Lord of all Bv. For all thinges as well visible as inuisible and whatsoeuer else without exception hath the father geuen vnto him M. to be in his power in his proper possession and in his disposition gouernmēt Bv. I say he hath geuen vnto him all thinges not that in respect of his Diuine nature he wanted them at any time or that hée was not equall with the Father in omnipotencye For hée sayth Glorifye me nowe O Father with thy selfe with the same glorye which I had with thee before the beginning of the world CYR. but because when the fulnesse of time was come the Son of God was incarnate and made man and was humbled to the death euen to the death of the Crosse therefore God hath exalted him according to the nature which he hath taken is sayd to haue receiued some what not as from another but as his owne proper right M. and he is sayd so to haue receyued the same not to refer that to him selfe alone which he hath receyued but liberallye to dispence the same to others In consideration whereof he calleth all men vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that trauayle Mat. 11.27 c. Also he sayeth All power is geuen to me Mat. 28.18 both in heauen and in earth Go ye therefore vnto al Nations Neyther tooke he this power by force or violence nor yet dyd he buie the same the which happeneth as we sée in the kingdome of Antichrist but tooke the same naturallye of the Father as the onely begotten and welbeloued Sonne of God Bv. The which is done for our sakes For as it is sayde hée hath receyued all those thinges for vs and distributeth them vnto vs and maketh them subiect vnto our power that wée might bée Lordes of Life of Death of Men of Deuils and of al other thinges according to the saying of the Apostle VVhether it bee Paul or Apollo 1. Cor. 3.22 or Cephas eyther the worlde eyther life eyther death whether they be present things or things to come al are youres And ye are Christes and Christ is Gods Of the lyke benefite of God Psal 8.7 and of the same glory appertayning to men speaketh the Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes 36. He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life hee that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him He that beleeueth on the Sonne C. Hée addeth this to the ende wée might not onelye knowe that all grace and goodnesse is to bée sought in Christ but also that we might knowe howe to gette and enioye the same He sayeth that the waye to enioye grace and euerlasting lyfe is by fayth Faith obtaineth saluation in Christe and not without good reason because by the same we possesse Christ who bringeth with him righteousnesse and lyfe the fruite of righteousnesse M. He sayeth not simplye Hee that beleeueth but He that beleeueth in the Sonne By the which note the Christian faith is distinguished from the fayth of other Nations yea from the faith of the Iewes because we beléeue in the sonne of God Christ Iesus whome the whole worlde contemneth and derydeth This is our foolishnesse in this worlde Hath euerlasting life Bv. Hée speaketh here in the present tence Life euerlasting in this life saying Hee hath he sayth not Hee shall haue for he possesseth already euerlasting life wayting in hope for that which hée is assured he shall haue Moreouer the faithfull féele in this carnal life Vitall motions of the Spirite and life it selfe Gala. 2.20 the Apostle witnessing I liue yet nowe not I but Christ liueth in me and the life that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God which loued me and gaue him selfe for mee Life is set against Death against Malediction and Condemnation signifying Iustification absolucion happinesse and euerlasting blessednesse He that beleeueth not the Sonne C. As he propounded life in Christ to allure vs vnto him by the swéetenesse of the same euen so nowe hée denounseth vnto them eternall death which beléeue not in Christ Hée sayeth not simplye Hee which beleeueth not but He which beleeueth not the Sonne For all vnbeléefe is not condemned but that onelye which despiseth the Sonne of God He which beléeueth none of the Fathers nor the Bishoppe of Rome is not vnder this sentence of condemnation so that he beléeue the Sonne of God C. Also this sentence doeth properly pertaine vnto them as it is sayde in another place which reiecte the Gospell preached vnto them For although all mankinde is wrapped in lyke destruction yet notwithstanding greater vengeaunce shal fall vpon those which refuse the Sonne of God to be theyr deliuerer Shall not see life That is to saye he shall neuer enioye life M. By this manner of speache Life and enteraunce into the Kingdome of Heauen is not denied to the vnbeléeuing without an Emphasis as if hée shoulde saye He which beléeueth not shall be so farre from hauing euerlasting life that he shall neuer enioye so much as the sight of the same Bv. So sayde our Sauiour Christ to Nicodemus Iohn 3.3 Except a man bee borne againe hee can not see the Kingdome of GOD. Also hée sayeth Except ye beleeue that I am hee Iohn 8.24 ye shall dye in your sinnes But the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God is here apposed against life therefore it comprehendeth all miserye Calamitye Vnhappinesse Sicknesse Pouertye Vengeaunce Death Sinne Malediction Punishment and torment AVG. He sayeth not The
Sathan had a wicked desier to hurt him insomuch that he went about with all his might to destroye hym Bv. and working error and rebellion in our parents Adam and Eue he slue all mankinde The same also within a while after armed Caine to destroye his brother Abell And dayly throughout the whoale world he stirreth vp wicked and vngodly men to murther For he reioyceth in bloud in warres in theft and in the destruction of men and only because hee enuieth the felicitie and happinesse of others But Christ meaneth not here the beginning of the creation as though God had endewed the Deuell with a desier to hurte but he condemneth the wickednesse of Sathans nature whiche he hath taken to him selfe M. Neyther ought it to séeme absurd to any man that the Deuell is sayde to be the autor of death when as notwithstanding the Apostle séemeth to attribute the same to our firste parent saying As by one man sinne entereth into the worlde and by sinne Death c. For these two went together namely the Temptor and the Obayer of Temptacion Sathan was the Temptor and perswador to transgression and sinne by enuie mixing with the same a lye yet notwithstanding hée had fayled of his purpose if so be Adam had not harckned to his perswasion and transgressed Gods commaundement Therefore as touching that enuie of the Deuell the roote of euell temtation and also as touching the lye of perniciouse perswasyon it is truely attributed to the Deuell that hée is the firste author of death againe as touching the assent of Adam and the transgression of Gods commaundement it is rightly by the Apostle ascribed to Adam that he was the author of synne and death to all his posteritie insomuch that there is no disagréement at all here betwene Christ and the Apostle As for example if so bee amonge the enemies besieging a Cittie one of them doe with sertaine false perswasyons perswade and intice one of the principall Cittizens to betraye the Cittie vnto them insomuche that he harkeneth therevnto whereby be boath betrayeth his Countrey and also maketh the Cittie to be sacked and destroyed boath the perswading enemie and also the betraying Cittizen which contemning the false perswasions of the enemie might haue kepte his fayth whiche he did owe vnto his countrey are rightly sayd to be the aucthours of this destruction Euenso the mortalitie of mankinde is aptly referred to the mallice and enuie of the Deuell but yet not without the falt of our parentes And aboade not in the trueth C. These wordes playnly expresse a chaung and alteration to the worse and therefore Sathan is a lyer not from the creation but because he fell from the trueth Therefore in that he is a lyer it is not because he hath bene alwayes by nature an ennemy to the truth but because he fell voluntarily from the same Bv. God made the Deuell good in the beginning for all his workes are good He did set him in the trueth from the which hée coulde neuer haue fallen except he had sometyme stoode in the same Of hym was required by the moste Iust God Fayth or fidilitie thankefulnesse and the acknowledging of God the Creatour who had geuen him strength to perseuer yf he had woulde for he might haue stande yf he had woulde But through his owne falte and wickednesse he aboade not in the trueth that is to say in the puritie in the which he was made For by Infedilitie he fell C. This discription of Sathan is very profitable for vs that euery man maye learne to béeware of his subtill snares 1. Pet. 5.8 and to resist him For he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon séeking whome he may deuoure and he hath a thousand wayes to deceiue AVG. We haue not red that the Deuell hath at any time vsed any externall armoure to kill a man neyther that hée hath playde the murderer with his hand but he hath vsed lying and pernicious perswasion M. This is the worse and moste Deuelishe kinde of murther when the body is not only killed with the sworde but also when both soule and body with a blasphemouse lye against the worde of God is made subiect not only to Temporal but also to euerlasting death C. So much the more therefore it behooueth the Faithfull to be armed with spirituall armoure to fighte and to be sober and watche M. Therefore the Apostle when he feared this kinde of murther sayde I feare leste by any meanes that as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subteltie 2. Cor. 11.3 euenso your mindes shoulde be corrupted from the singlenesse that is toward Christ For the serpent had the false Apostles Ministers of this murder by whose dilligence he sought to bryng to passe that thing whiche he had begon in the beginning to the destruction of mankind such false Aposteles he hath alwayes had among the Gentiles among the Iewes and amonge the Christians C. Therefore yf Sathan cannot put of this affection there is no cause why we shoulde he troubled as at some newe or straunge thing when we sée diuers errors to spring vp for Sathan sendeth forth his Instrumentes to trouble and to deceiue the worlde And it is noe marueile yf so be Sathan séeke so dilligently to ouerwhelme the light of the trueth for it is the onely lyfe of the soul Therefore he vseth lying as a mortall darte to destroye the soule Because there is no truth in him C. This is a confirmation taken of the effecte For because Sathan hateth the trueth and cannot abide the same but fauoreth altogether of lyes Christe gathereth therevpon that he was taken and quight tourned awaye from the trueth R. Neither is it repugnaunt to this sentence of Christ Iob. 1.10 Math. 4.6 when we reade that Sathan hath sometime spoken the truth as when he sayde Thou haste blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the Land Also it is writen he shall geue his aungeles charge ouer thee Again Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Luk. 4.41 Act. 16.17 Moreouer These men are the seruauntes of the moste high God whiche shewe vnto vs the waye of saluation These I saye and such like sentences are nothing repugnaunt with these wordes of Christ For it is one thinge sometime to speake the trueth and another thing to haue the truth within one Euenas it is one thing sometime to tell a lye and another thing to bée a continuall lyar The trueth is in them which do not onely sometime speake that whiche is true but do loue the trueth and doe speake those thinges which they speake for the loue which they owe vnto the truth A man shall finde some whiche speake the trueth not for the Loue they beare to the trueth but for the loue either of glory or of gayn or else for the hatred which they beare to some man Of those it cannot bee sayde that the trueth is in them Although therefore Sathan sometime speaketh
detracteth his prayer whiche he knewe was againste his callynge and wisheth to suffer any thinge rather than he should not fulfill that which was enioyned to him of his Father lastly he beinge contented with the glory of God onely he forgetteth all other things and counteth them as nothing But this seemeth to be vnméete for the son of God that he should vnaduisedly make his prayer the whiche he muste by and by renounce to obay his Father We confesse verelye that this is the foolishnesse of the Crosse whiche is a stumbling blocke of offence Affections in Christe vvere pure A. Is it is sayd in the firste Chapter of the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians But the more the Lord abaced himselfe the more his vnspeakable loue towards vs is manifested Moreouer we must remember what was spoken of before that the humaine affections from the which he was not fre were pure in hym and voyde of Sinne the reason is because they were framed and tempered to the obdience of God For there is no let but the Christe should feare naturally death and yet notwithstandinge desire to obay God but in diuers respectes Herevpon came the correction when he sayeth that therefore he came into this howre For how soeuer he feared death notwithstanding because he waied wherfore he was sent and what the office of a redeemer required he offereth the horror conceiued of the sence of nature to his father to be corrected or rather that the same beinge restrayned he might make him selfe frée and at libertye to excute the commaundement of God Wherefore if so be the affections of Christ whiche were pure from al sinne ought so to be restrayned that he might be obedieÌ„t to his Father Affections in man enemies to God how diligently ought we to séeke to suppresse our affections séeing there is not one of them but they are enemies vnto God Let this therefore be the meditation of the godly to striue against them selues vntyll they haue denyes themselues We must also noate howe that not only those affections are to be brideled which are contrary to the will of God but also which do hinder the course of our calling although otherwise they are neyther hurtfull nor vitiouse To the ende thys maye more euidently appeare we must place the will of God in the first degrée in the second degree the pure and sincere will of man as the same was geuen of God to Adam and as the same was in Christ In the last degrée our will which is infected by the contagion of sin The wil of God is a Rule to the which whatsoeuer is inferiour to the same must bée subiect Now the pure wil of nature shal not of it selfe be rebelliouse vnto God howebeit man hath many impediments though he be framed and bent neuersomuch to the right way vnlesse he subdue hys affections vnto God Christ therfore had one simple battaile that he might feare no more that thing which naturally he feared when he knewe otherwise to please God but we haue a double battaile because we muste fight against the stubbornnesse of our fleshe Herevppon it commeth to passe that the most valiaunt souldiers do neuer get the victory without a wound Wee must also learne to obserue this order that so often as we are vexed with feare or opressed with sorrowe we by and by lift vp our hartes vnto God There is nothing worse or more hurtful than to foster that within vs which doeth vexe vs. And this is the iust punishment of slouth and negligence in all those which will not come vnto God 28. Father glorify thy name Then came there a voyce from heauen saying I haue boath glorifyed it and will glorify it againe Father glorify thy name B. These are abrupt and broken sentences and not spoken without silence and consealing of somwhat that shoulde haue ben vttered the which are often vsed of such as haue troubled mindes C But in these wordes he testifieth that he preferreth the glory of his father before all other thinges yea before his owne lyfe B. As if he shoulde saye for this cause that I might cause thy name O father to be gloryfied euery where by my death I came into this howre graunt mee of thy goodnes that this maye alway come to passe To haue the name of God gloryfied is to haue God the Father hym selfe in many places preached and acknowledged This began to be done more excelently then at any time before after the death of Christ when the holy Ghoste was sent for so it ought to appeare what the death of Christe brought vnto the world C. This therfore is the true moderation of our prayers yf so be wee so defyer the glorye of God that in them we prefer them before all other things I haue boath glorified it and will glorify it This is as much as if he had sayde I wil finish that which I haue begonne For God doth not forsake the worke of hys handes B. The father had glorifyed his name when he wrought such notable miracls by the Lord that in flesh he declared the testimonies of his goodnes againe hée woulde glorifie the same by sending the Comforter which should preach the gospell of grace to the vttermost partes of the earth and should cause many to beléeue the same Or to speake more large he glorified it when Christ was borne of a virgine when he wrought miracles when he was worshipped of the Magi guided by a Starre when he was acknoweledged of the saints ful of the holy Ghost when he was reuealed by the descending of the holy ghost in the likenes of a Doue when he was declared by a voyce sounding from heauen when hee was transfigured on the mountain And he will glorify the same when Criste shoulde ryse againe from the dead when death should neuer after haue any more power ouer him when he should be exalted aboue the heauens and his glory aboue al the earth when he should power out the holy ghost vpon all fleshe and by the preaching of the Apostles shoulde tourne the whâ—ale world vnto him Bv. Also the oracle or voyce from heauen might thus be vnderstood hytherto thou arte my naturall consubstantiall and equall Sonne from the beginning and euerlasting but when in the fulnesse of tyme thou hadest taken vpon thée mans nature thou didest loose nothing thereby of thy deuine maiestie as I will declare Thou shalte dye in déede as man but hauing ouercome sinne death and hell thou shalt ryse againe as God and shalt be worshipped with me throughoute the whoale worlde Moreouer because it was the purpose of God to salue the offence of the Chrosse to take away the stombling stoane of the fame the father doth not only promise that the death of Christ shal be gloriouse but doeth also promise to adourne the same so much as â—uer it was adorned before M. Wée haue also to noate in this place that the prayers of the children of God cannot
them selues and think that they shall escape vnpunished for abusing Christe he addeth heare a horrible threatening that although he rest and suffer yet his only doctrine shall suffice to condem them euen as in an other place he sayde that there shoulde neede no other iudge but Moises in whom they dyd glory Therfore the sence is this Iohn 5.45 I earnestlye desiring your saluation doo not vse my auctorytie in condemninge you but doo wholely séeke to saue that whiche was loste yet thinke not ye that you are therfore escaped the hand of God Bv. For they shall not escape vnpunished and go away without iudgement which contemne and reiecte the sonne of God C. For to speake of the least the onely worde which ye haue despised shall be a sufficient and meete Iudge And receyueth not my wordes C. This latter part is an exposition of that which wente before M. For in these wordes it is declared â—hat it is to obiect the Sonne of God and what they are which reiected him C. For because men haue hypocrisy ingraffed in them by nature there is nothing more easy for them than in words to boste that they are ready to receiue Christe and we sée how common this vaine boasting is euen amonge the most wicked Wherefore we muste remember this definition namelye that Christe is reiected when we imbrace not the pure doctrine of the Gospoll M. euen as to receiue Christe is nothing else but to receyue his worde by a liuely faithe C. The Papistes bragge with openne mouthe of the worde of God but so soone as the same is preached ther is nothing more hatfull vnto them These kisse Christ as Iudas did Therefore let vs learne to include him in his worde and geue vnto him that worshipe of obedience onely which he requireth The worde that I haue spoken C. He could not by a more gloriousse tytle extoll the authority of the Gospell than when he geueth the power of Iudgeing vnto the same For accordinge to these wordes the laste Iudgement shall be nothing else than an approuinge of the doctrine of the Gospell For Christ shall site vpon his tribunall seate but he affirmeth that he will pronounce that sentence out of his worde which he nowe preacheth This threatninge ought to make the wicked much afearde when they cannot escape the Iudgement of his doctrine which they nowe so prowdly contemne Againe hereby commeth a wonderfull consolation to the godly that howsoeuer they are now condemned of the worlde they are notwithstandinge already Iustefied in heauen because whersoeuer the faith of the Gospell hath this feate the tribunall seate of God is errected to saue We bearing our selues bould vpon this aucthoritye there is no cause why wée should care for the Papistes with theire preposterous Iudgementes because our faith reacheth aboue the Angels Bv. Therefore let vs well remember this and let vs take hede that we despise not the Lorde speaking to vs in his Gospell 49 For I haue not spoken of my selfe but the father which sente me he gaue mee commaundement what I should saye and what I shoulde speake C. Leste the externall shewe of man should deminish any thinge of the maiesty of God Christ calleth vs from the fame vnto his Father And for this cause he maketh mention so often times of his Father And verely seing it is greate wickednes to transfer vnto any other any parte of the deuine glory it is necessary that the same worde come from God to which Iudgment is geuen Bv. Christ therefore in these wordes doth very strongly maintaine the whole doctrine of his Gospell and proueth the same not to be humane but deuine vndoubted and authenticall C. Also here hée putteth a difference betwéene him and his Father not according to the deuine person simplye but rather according to the fleshe least the Doctrine being iudged to be of man shoulde haue the lesse waight and auctoritye Moreouer if so be the conciences of men shoulde be subiect vnto humaine lawes this reason of Christ shoulde not serue that his word shall be a Iudge because the same hath not come from man according to the saying of Saincte Iames There is one Lawe geuer which is able to saue and to destroye Moreouer hereby we maye gather what wicked and cruel sacriledge that is that the Pope dare presume to binde mens consciences vnto his immaginations for by this meanes he arrogateth more vnto him selfe then doth the sonne of God who denyeth that he speaketh any thing but according to the commaundement and prescript of hys Father A. The which he doth not only here affirme but very often also for the commendation of his doctrine as in the seuenth and eyghte Chapters goinge before 50 And I knowe that his commaundemente is lyfe euerlastinge whatsoeuer I speake therefore euen as the father badde mee so I speake C. Againe he commendeth the fruicte of his doctrine to the ende al men might the more willingly submit them selues vnto the same M. For hee sayeth not simply And his commaundement is euerlasting life but he sayeth I knowe that hys commaundemente is euerlastinge lyfe This is the testimony of the trueth and of the will of God towardes mankind He knewe what to teache and wherefore he was sent namely to preach the doctrine of eternall lyfe and for this cause was he sent of the Father that hee might be to the faithfull the author of euerlasting life This certainly also beecommeth the Ministers of Christ who ought to teach no other thing then that which they haue receiued in commaundement The which if they doo they also maye saye VVe speake not of our selues but hee which hath sent vs hath giuen vs a commaundement what wee shoulde teache and we know that his commaundement is eternall lyfe An excellent tytle verylye of the doctrine of Christ For the Gospell of Christe is the commaundement of God to euerlasting life that is to saye it is the doctrine or preaching of grace committed by the Father to Christ the sonne of God to eternall lyfe which he promiseth to them that beléeue in him R. For this commaundement the Father hath giuen to the sonne that hee shoulde descende into this worlde and saue all those that beeléeue For so God loued the whrlde that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that euery one which beléeueth in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting M. The Lawe also was commaunded to Moyses but it was giuen vppon Mount Sina with feare trembling and leading to death but the Gospell is the commaundement of God giuen to Christ the sonne of God preached in Sion and spreade from thence throughout the whoale worlde being peaceable and swéete and wrighten by the spirite of God in the tables of their heartes which beleeue offering remission of sinnes and euerlasting lyfe to all that beléeue C. It is meete therefore that they féele the vengeaunce of God which are so wickedly bent that they now refuse him to be the Aucthor of lyfe
the Apostles were chosen that therewithall he Ioyneth that firste election by which they were grafted into the body of the Church and in these wordes he generallye comprehendeth all that dignitie wherevnto hée had aduaunced them But yet neuerthelesse we confesse that ge speaketh speciallye of the Apostleship For the purpose Christ is to stirre vp his Apostles faithfully and constantlye to discharge their office He taketh occasion of exhortation from that frée fauoure into the which he receiued them For the more we are bounde vnto the Lord the more feruent we ought to be to doe those duties which he requireth at oure handes otherwise wée cannot escape the vice of wicked ingratitude Whereby there is nothing whiche oughte to mooue vs more to liue a holy and a Godly lyfe then when we knowe that we haue al thinges from God and nothing of our selues and that as well the beginning of our saluation as all the partes that come of the same doe flowe from his free grace and mercye A. For euerye good gyfte and euerye perfecte gifte is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lyghtes C. And how true this scentence of Christ is it maye hereby apeeare Iam. i. 17 that Christ choose them to bée his Apostles which might séeme of all other to bée most foolishe Howebeit in their person he would haue a perpetuall monument of his grace to bée séene ◠Cor 4 2 For as the Apostle Paule sayth What man shall be founde méete to goe on that message by which God reconcileth mankind vnto him selfe And what man is he which can beare the person of God Therefore it is onelye Christ which by his election maketh vs méete For this cause Paule bringeth his Apostleship from grace Rom. i 5. By whome sayth he we haue receyued grace and the office of the Apostleshippe Also he sayth that he was chosen to bee an Apostle Gala i 15 euen from his mothers wombe And because we are vnprofitable seruauntes they which séeme most to excell shall be vnméete for the lest parte of their calling vntil they be chosen So that the more he is aduaunced to honour the more let him knowe he is bounde vnto God B. And this is a manifest place against suche as are enemyes vnto the grace of God i. Cor 4 7 and doe mayntaine merites For what hast thou sayeth the Apostle which thou hast not receyued And ordained you to go C. Election is secreate vntyll it bée manifested in déede when a man is inioyned an office to the which he was ordayned before Election to Apostleship euen as the Apostle Paul after hee had sayde that he was chosen from his Mothers wombe strayte after addeth Gala i. i5 that he was made an Apostle when it séemed so good vnto the Lorde So the Lorde testifyeth that Ieremy was knowne vnto him before he was in his Mothers wombe whome notwithstanding in his time he called to the Propheticall office Notwithstanding it may be that some man maye come rightly prepared for the office of teaching and it is alreadye ordayned in the Churche that no man bée called but he whiche is endued with necessarye gyftes i Tim 3 2 Titus i 7 A. Euen as we maye sée by those thinges whiche Paule requireth to be in a Bishop But in that Christ maketh him selfe the aucthour of boath it is no maruaile for so much as the Father worketh not but by him and hée worketh with the Father Therefore as well the election as the ordination is common to boath To goe and bring forth fruite C. Nowe he sheweth wherefore he made mencion of his grace namelye that hee mighte make them more cherefull vnto their worke The dignitye of the Apostleship was not an idle office therefore it behoued them to fight and striue with great perrilles Christ therefore pricketh them foreward lest they should shonne labour perrilles and troubles M. He sayth not I haue ordayned you to bée Princes and Kinges and to haue domination of the whole worlde but To go and bring forth fruit Neither doth hee make any difference betweene them and others but maketh all subiect vnto his calling The Byshoppe of Rome hath ordayned such in the Church at this daye as goe not to bring fruite to the kingdome of GOD but gather tribute and taxes and to be nothing else but burthens to the earth and consumers of fruite These are Trées ordayned not to beare but to deuoure fruite And this ought not to seeme straunge to any man for they are not braunches of the true vine but of the wylde vine C. Furthermore Christ reasoneth here of the effect when he sayeth To bring foorth fruite meaning hereby that theyr labours shal not be vaine and vnprofitable if so bée they be ready and wylling to obaye For he doeth not here onelye prescribe what theyr vocation doeth requyre but also least they shoulde bee wearye and coulde he promiseth vnto them prosperous successe For it cannot be that any man shoulde vse paines and dilligence at his worke except he hope that his labour wyll be profitable It can not be vttered howe necessarye this consolation is against so many temtations which daylye happen to the Ministers of Christ Therefore so oftentimes as they séeme to loase theyr labor let them remember this that Christ wyl at the leangth bring to passe that their labour shall not be in vaine For then speciallye this promyse taketh place when there appeareth no fruite And that your fruite shoulde remaine C. Here it maye be demaunded why Christ sayeth that this fruite shal be perpetuall Because the doctrine of the Gospell wynneth foules vnto Christ that they maye inherite euerlasting life this seemeth to be the perpetuitye of the fruite But this sentence may be farther extended as that the Churche shall stande vnto tee ende of the world For the labour of the Apostles at this daye also doeth fructefye and the preaching of Ministers belongeth not vnto one age but the Churche shall encrease insomuche that after theyr death newe profite shall come A. Wherevpon Peter speaketh thus I wyll euer geue my dilligence that ye maye haue wherewith to styrre vppe the remembraunce of these thinges after my departure 2. Pet. i 15 C. When he calleth it their fruite he speaketh as though it were gotten by their industrye i Cor. 3 7 whereas notwithstanding Paule sayeth that they which plant and they which water are nothing And in déede the creation of the Church is suche an excellent worke that the glorye thereof ought not to he ascribed vnto men But because the Lorde declareth his power by the handes of menne lest they shoulde labour in vaine he is wonte also to ascribe that vnto them whiche is proper vnto him selfe That whatsoeuer ye aske in my name M. This serueth greatlye to the comforting of the myndes of the Disciples when they knowe that they are not onelye called of Christ to goe and to bring fruite but also in
to commende and prayse murder A. The lyke sentence is to be reade in the Chapter going before which is the one and twentie verse the exposition whereof may be applyed to this place 4. But these thinges haue I toulde you that when the time is come yee maye remember then that I toulde you These thinges sayde I not vnto you at the beginning because I was present with you C. Hée repeateth that which hée had spoken alreadye that this was no shadowed Philosophye but such as was to bee practised and put in vse and that hee nowe speaketh vnto them of these things that they might perceyue in verye deede that the◠had not bene taught in vayne When he sayth Ye maye remember fyrst of al he willeth them to laye vp in theire mindes those thynges which they haue hearde secondly that when vse shoulde require they woulde be mindefull of them last of all hee geueth them to vnderstande that there was waighty consideration in this that hee prophesyeth of matters to come A. For he did this to the ende they might sertainely beleue that he was the true sonne of God These thinges said I not to you in the beginning M. It semeth that these thinges were spoken to preuent that which might bée eyther spoken or thought For they might haue thought Yf so be these so sharpe and greuouse afflictions shall happen vnto vs why didest thou not tel vs of them before Yf so be thou hadest foretoulde vs of these thinges at the first when thou didest call vs we mighte haue better prouided for our selues He so preuenteth this thoughte that he declareth wherefore he tolde them not in the beginning of these troubles to come C. For the Apostles being as yet but young schollers and weake so long as Christ was with them in the flesh there gentle and louing Schoolemaster bare with them and would not burthen them wyth more then they might well beare Therefore they hadde then no great néede of confirmation when they liued in peace and were free from persecutions Now he sheweth that theyr state must be altered and therefore exhorteth them to prepare themselues vnto the battayle As we may sée more at large in the two and twentie Chapter of Luke 5. But now I go my way to him that sent mee and none of you asketh mee whether goeste thou M. The former parte of this verse maye appertayne to that which goeth before and so to be reade thus But these thinges toulde I you not in the beginning because I was with you but now I go vnto him that sent mee As if hée shoulde saye But now because I goe vnto hym that sent mee I thought it nowe a conuenient time to foretell you of these thinges A. But if so bee anye man desire rather to reade it as it lyeth then wee must saye C. that the Lorde by a notable consolation sought to mittigate the griefe which the Apostles might conceiue by his departure from them the which was verye necessarye For they which vntill now had liued peaceablelye and at ease were appoynted afterwarde to abide greeuous conflictes What then might haue come to passe except they had knowne that Christ was the heade of their saluation For to goe vnto the Father is nothing else but to be receyued into heauenly glorie to raigne with imperiall power This therefore was set before them for a solace and remedy of their sorrowe because Christ beinge absent in body shall site notwithstanding at the right hande of his Father to defende the faithfull by his power But this semeth to be falsely obiected a gainst the Apostles that they do not aske whether their master goeth seing it was the first question which very earnestly they demaunded M. For Péeter sayde vnto him Lorde whether goest thou And be him selfe also had much talke with them concerninge his de parture not withoute their demands which semed to tend to this ende that he would plainely shewe vnto them whether he went C. But the solution is easie namelye that they so demaunded not to confirme their mindes in Faith which they ought most chefely to haue Therefore the sence is this You hearing of my departure are affeard not considering whether I goe nor to what end I goe M. The very mention of my deperture troubleth you in such wise that you are verye sorowefull in harte B. And as for that which I spake of my kingdom and glory to come it doth nothing moue you ye are nothing carefull neither do ye demaund any thing concerning the same onely yee consider this that I shall forsake you in the fleshe and that the worlde shall persecute you C. For he reprehendeth these to vices in the Apostles that they were to much addictede to the visible presence of his fleshe and also because the same beinge taken from them they were exceding sorowefull not hauinge any farther respecte The like also commonly hapeneth vnto vs. For we alwayes tye Christ vnto our sences yf he appere not vnto vs according to our desier we take occasion to dispayer M. For such is our nature disposition that when any solace or ioye which wée haue vsed for a time and vpon the which wée holy depende is taken from vs by God to the ende we might haue better in stéede of the same we are so discouraged that we consider nothing at all why and to what ende GOD dealeth so with vs. The whiche is euen as if Children shoulde so depende vpon their Fathers presence that they are verye sorrowful if at anye time they bee depriued of the same for a time not considering whether theyr Father goeth and that he goeth for their profite A. So at the death of our wife of our childe and of our frend we must alwaies consider whether and wherfore they departe this life 9 But because I haue sayde suche thinges vnto you your hartes are full of sorrowe M. As if he should saye because I haue spoken vnto you of my departure and of the hatred with the which the worlde shall hate you your harts are full of sorrowe the which contrariwise shoulde be comforted and erected yf ye woulde rather aske whether I wente and would enquire of the glory and power which I shall receiue in going to my Father R. But these thinges séeme contrarye to that which went before For a lyttle before he left with his Apostles hys peace and ioye and behoulde nowe sorrow ariseth But the Lord fulfilleth hys promises vnder a contrarye shewe Hée promiseth righteousnesse but hée suffereth the faythfull to be condemned of the worlde of vnrighteousnesse hée promiseth lyfe and behoulde death So he promised peace but behoulde trouble of the mind ariseth he promiseth ioye but there followeth sorrow But this commeth not to passe without the secret counsayle of God that boath the godly might be prooued and the wicked also blinded 7. Neuerthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go awaye for if I go not awaye
belongeth to the Elect whome the Father hath giuen to the Sonne The other is common to all that haue eares to heare A. My shéepe sayth hée heare my voyce R. For the elect heare and beléeue the Gospell the other are obstinate Therefore so manye as are ordayned to euerlasting life beléeue C. This therefore is the thirde degrée The first is frée election The seconde is that donation by which wee are committed to the custodie of Christ and being receyued of Christ are gathered through fayth into the sheepefoulde The worde of God vanisheth awaye from the reprobate but it taketh déepe roote in the elect whereby they are sayd to obserue and keepe A. Wherefore Christ sayd not in vaine vnto the Iewes Ye seeke to kill mee because my wordes abydeth in you And in the parrable of the séede that they had no roote which beleeue but for a time Luke 8.13 and in time of temptation go away 7 Nowe theye haue knowene that all thinges vvhatsoeuer thou haste geuen mee are of thee C. here is expressed that which is principal in faith when men so beleue in Christ ▪ that faith stayeth not it selfe vpon the sight of flesh but conceiue his deuine power For when he saith Now they haue knowen that all thinges whatsoeuer thou hast geuen mee he meaneth the faithfull that whatsoeuer they haue they fele and know the sonne to be celestiall and deuine And verely except wee know him in Christe wee must needes continuallye wauer and be vnstayed R. Therefore because the elect doe beleeue the Gospell therefore they knowe that it is no humayne inuention but the worde of the Father come from the Father and the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth But the worde of the Crosse to them which perishe is foolishnesse Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 Thou sée est also this place that knowledge followeth Fayth and goeth not before the same as we sawe also before in the thrée score and nine verse of the sixt Chapter 8 For I haue geuen vnto them the wordes which thou gauest mee and they haue receyued them and haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that thou dyddest sende me R. Nowe hee declareth what that is which the Father hath gyuen vnto hym namelye the Gospell the which was committed by the Father to the Sonne that hee might preache the same vnto the worlde Whosoeuer therefore receyueth the gospell of CHRIST by fayth he shall truelye knowe Chryst who beyng knowne GOD is also knowne And the knoweledge of the Father and the Sonne by the Holye Gospell is lyfe euerlasting C. Therefore leaste anye Man shoulde thynke that hys doctryne is of Man or sprong from the Earth hee pronounceth in these wordes that GOD is the Authour of the same And hee speaketh after hys manner in the Personne of the Mediatoure when he saith that hee hath taught that onelye whych hée had receyued of the Father For because thys condicion in the flesh was as yet base and because vnder the fourme of a Seruaunt hys deuyne maiestye laye hydde hee assygneth GOD vnder the person of the Father Neuerthelesse we must remember that whych Saynte Iohn in the begynnyng howe that Chryste in that hee is the eternall worde of GOD was alwayes one GOD wyth the Father Therefore the meanynge is that Chryste was a faythfull wytnesse of GOD vnto the Disciples that theyr fayth myghte bee founded vppon none other than vppon the worde of GOD seyng the Father hymselfe hath spoken in the Sonne M. Here therfore wee see that Christ delyuereth nothyng to hys Dysciples ▪ but that whych he hadde receyued from the Father so much doe althynges depende vppon the woorde of GOD that the Sauiour hymselfe the Sonne of GOD woulde preach nothynge else vnto mortall men then the worde of hys Father geuen vnto hym to thys ende that hee might preache the same vnto the worlde Let then the teachers of humaine tradicions bee ashamed of their great presumption in tying the consciences of men to humaine tradicions and imaginations when there can come no peace of conscience but from the woorde of God delyuered to the Apostles by the Sonne of God And they haue knowne surelie that I came out That which hee had touched before hee nowe repeateth in other wordes For Christe to come out from the Father and to bee sent of the Father is euen as muche as that which wente before where Christe sayth that whatsoeuer he hath is of the Father M He might haue made mention of sygnes whiche testifie also that he came out from God but this is the noate of the Children of God to beléeue his worde C. The sume is this that fayth ought rightlye to behoulde Christ but so that it déeme and iudge no earthlye or contemptible thing to be in him and that it ought to be lifted vp to his deuine power that it may certainelye be perswaded that God and whatsoeuer belongeth vnto God is perfytelye in him B. Behoulde here therefore the order of saluation First of all the Gospell is preached to the elected then it is giuen vnto them to beléeue thirdelye in the Gospell and by it God is knowne hereof by and by spring a trust in him and the loue of him from whence consequentlye groweth the loue and desire of pietie and holynesse and also the duetye which we owe vnto oure brethren C. Also we maye noat that in the first parte of this sentence Christ vseth this worde knowen and in the latter part this worde beleue For there by he teacheth vs that wee cannot knowe God truly without fayth in the which there is such assuraunce and sertayntie that it is rightly called knoweledge A. How Christ went out from the Father wee haue shewed before 9 I praye for them I praye not for the world but for them which thou haste geuen mee for they are thine R. Before Christ prayed for him selfe to be gloryfyed nowe he prayeth for his Apostles And this prayer is a brasen wall for the Disciples whereby they may stande stedfast in all aduersityes and whereby they maye ouercome sinne death and Sathan C. Therefore after Christ had shewed that he could bring his Disciples into his fathers fauoure nowe he maketh a prayer for the same in the which he sheweth that he desyereth nothinge but that which is agreeable vnto hys fathers wil because be commendeth those only to hys father whom he of his owne accord loueth M. Christ in praying putteth a difference betwéene the electe and the reprobate and prayeth 〈◊〉 only for the electe and not for the world but also expreslye prenounceth that hée prayeth for them and not for the worlde He calleth his those which the Father hath geuen him and he calleth the vnbeleeuers the reprobate and those whome the father hath not geuen vnto him the worlde C. So that he playnly affirmeth that he prayeth not for the worlde because he cared for his owne flocke only which
for deuine lawes it hath Priestes and Philosophers which are learned elloquēt and of greate authoritie agaynst whom thou settest vs which are naked vnprepared vnlearned and barbarous men C. Therefore bicause almost no mortall man was fitte for so heard an office therfore Christ endueth his Apostles with the spirit of grace And in déed it is a thing far surpassing the strength and power of man to gouerne the Church of God to prefer the Ambassage of eternall saluation to erect the kingdome of God in earth and to lift vp men vnto heauen Wherfore it is no maruayle if so be none be found fitte but hee which is endued with the holye ghost 1. Cor. 12. For no man can speak one word of Christ except the holy Ghost gouerne his tong so far is euery one from the faythfull discharging of so notable an office But this glory belōgeth only vnto christ to frame appoynt those teachers which he setteth ouer his Church For therefore he receyued the fulnes of the spirite that he might geue vnto euery one of the measure of the same And séeing he is the only Shepeheard of the Church it is necessarie that those Ministers whose labour he vseth in the Church haue the power of the spirite from him the which he declared by an externall signe when he breathed vppon his Apostles What horrible sacriledge thē is that of the papists which take that honour vnto them selues which belongeth vnto the sonne of God C. For their consecrating Bishops depraue these woordes when in making their Masse Priestes they boast that they breath out the holy Ghost by belching But the matter it self doth plainly declare how much their filthy breathing doth differ from the deuine breathing of Christ bicause of brutish horses they do nothing els but make ignorant asses Wherefore they vsurpe vnto themselues the glorye of the diuinitie which professe that they geue the holy ghost by breathing We must also note that Christ indueth them with necessary giftes whom he calleth to the pastorall offices that thei may be able to execute their office or at least not vnprepared for the same Therefore let vs beleue that they are lawfull pastors of the Church who as it may appere are endued with the grace of the spirite But some will say Obiection if so be Christ at this tyme gaue the holye Ghost by breathing the sending of the holy Ghost afterward may séeme superfluous Answer Answere The holy Ghost was so geuen to the Apostls in this place that they were only sprinckeled with his grace and not endued with his full power For whē the spirite appered in fyery tonges lighting vppon them they were wholy renued But at this tyme he did not so ordaine them preachers of his Gospell that they might biandby go forth to the same but rather as it is sayd in another place hée commaundeth them to be quiet Luk. 24.42 and to abyde in the Citie vntil such tyme as they wer endued with power from aboue And when Christ might haue geuen grace to his Apostles by secret inspiration he added therunto visible breathing to the end he might not onlye instructe them with wordes but confyrme them also with a certayne signe Ier. 19.10 to the ende the myndes of the disciples might doubt the lesse of the truth of the promise The like signe Ieremy vsed in threatning destruction of Ierusalem But we must also note that the word is ioyned to the externall and visible signe For hereof sacramentes take their force Not that the efficacie of the spirite is included in the voyce which soundeth in the eares but bicause the effecte of all those things whiche the faythfull vnderstande and féele by sacraments dependeth vpon the testimonie of the worde Christ breatheth vpon his Apostles but they receiue not only brething but also the holy ghost And wherefore but onely bicause Christe promiseth vnto them Thus it commeth to passe in Sacraments Whervpon we may gather that whatsoeuer sacraments men haue deuised are nothing els but méere toyes bicause there cā be no truth in signes but where the worde of God is present 23. Whosoeuers sins yee remit they are remitted vnto thē and whosoeuers sins ye retaine they are retained C. After that Christ had ordeined and appoynted Ambassadours to be sent foorth into the world now more expresly be describeth the office or ministerie of his Apostles and comprehendeth in fewe wordes the summe of the Gospel For this power of remitting of sinnes must not be separated from the office of teaching Sinnes remitted by Christ to that which héere it is annexed M. The sonne of God him selfe came into this world and suffered the death of the crosse to bring remission of sinnes vnto mankinde So said the Angell Mat. 1.21 Lu. 24.47 Rom. 4.6 He shall deliuer his people from their sinnes For in this consisteth our saluation that our sinnes are fréely forgiuen vs euen as damnation standeth in the retayning of them Remission of sinnes pronounced by the Apostles C. Therfore the speciall ende of preaching the Gospell is that men may he reconciled vnto God bicause remission of sinnes is frée euen as the Apostle Paule teacheth in the fyfth Chapter of his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians where vpon this consideration he calleth the Gospel the ministery of recōciliation Many other things the Gospell conteyneth but this is the speciall thing which God intreateth of in the same that he might receyue men into his fauour not imputing vnto them their sinnes They therefore whiche will shewe them selues faythfull ministers of the Gospell muste be very paynefull in this poynt For the Gospell dothe differ speciallye from prophane Philosophie in this Saluation consisteth in free remission of sinnes that it placeth the saluation of mankinde in the free remission of sinnes For héereof come other benefytes of God as that God illuminateth and regenerateth vs by his holy spirite that he maketh vs lyke vnto hymselfe and armeth vs with inuincible fortitude agaynst the worlde and the diuell So that the whole doctrine of pietie and the spirituall buylding of God standeth vpon this foundation that God deliuering vs from all our sinnes adopteth vs to be his sonnes M. But it maye be demaunded Obiection howe Christe giueth vnto his Apostles power to remitte sinnes seeing it belongeth only vnto God to remitte sinnes Answere Answere Christe so commaundeth his Apostles to remit sinnes that he doth not geue vnto them that whiche belongeth vnto him selfe It is proper to him selfe to remit sinnes this honor as it is proper to him selfe he doth not geue vnto hys Apostles but commaundeth them in his name to pronounce remission of sinnes that by them he might reconcile men vnto God And to speake properly he hym selfe alone forgiueth sinnes by hys Apostles Notwithstanding this was giuen to establishe our fayth when he so greatly extolleth their power that he maketh them witnesses onely and proclaymers of this grace and not the authors of the
from our mothers wombe but our carnall nature Therefore it followeth that wée are naturallye banished out of the kingdome of God and being depriued of the celestiall life doe abide vnder the bondage of death This word fleshe doth signifye the whole man For fleshe in this place doth not onelye signify the bodye but also the Soule and euery part of man For the Papistes do very fondlye restraine it to that parte which they call sensuall because by this meanes the argument of Christ shoulde bée verye vaine as to saye that the second byrth is néedefull because some parte of vs is corrupted and defiled But if any man obiect and saye that there remaineth yet some parte of Gods giftes in this our degenerate and corrupt nature and therevppon conclude that we are not in euery part paruerted and polluted Wée maye easilye aunswere to this obiection and saye That those giftes whiche GOD lefte in vs after the fall of Adam in respect of them selues are highlye to bée estéemed and praysed but séeing the contagion and corruption of sinne hath difunded and spread it selfe throughout euery part we shall finde nothing in vs pure and frée from all pollusion Wherfore as we haue naturally some knowledge of God whereas there is ingraffed in vs a certaine discretion to iudge betwéene good and euill Whereas wée haue wit and reason to defende this present life and whereas wée excell the brute Beasts in so many notable giftes Mans nature defiled these thinges of them selues and as they proceede from God are verye notable but all thinges are defiled in vs no lesse than the Wine that is vnsauery through stinking Vesselles being made thereby verye hurtful Therefore because man is by nature from his Mothers Byrth onelye carnall hée must bée transformed againe by the Spirite that he maye beginne to be spirituall And this worde spirite is here taken twoo manner of wayes namelye for grace and for the effect of grace For in the first place Christ teacheth that the holye ghost is the onelye aucthour of a pure and reformed nature In the second place hée teacheth that we are spiritual so sone as wée are renued by the vertue of the same R. Of this manner of renuing the Apostle also speaketh saying The Lawe of the spirite of life setteth me free from the power of sinne and death through Iesus Christ For what the Lawe coulde not doe by that part by which it was weake through the flesh that did God by sending his owne sonne in the similltude of sinfull fleshe Euen by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe Rom. 8. that the righteousnesse of the Lawe might bee fulfilled in vs whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite For they that are carnall are carnally minded But they that are spirituall are spirituall ye minded To be carnallye minded is death but to bee spirituallye minded is life and peace Because that the fleshlye minde is enmity against God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neyther can bee So then they that are in the fleshe can not please God But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite If so be that the spirite of God dwell in you M. In this place the Apostle attributeth first to the fleshe and then to the spirite certaine thinges which make very wel for the declaration of the woords of Christ He geueth to the fleshe twoo impossible thinges The first is that it cannot obeye the Law of God The seconde that it can not please God Herevppon it followeth that the same is vnder the power of sinne and death as an enemie vnto God and that the Doctrine of the Letter whiche hée here calleth the Lawe cannot reforme the same in so muche that it standeth altogeather in neede of the Heauenlye power by whiche wee are regenerate Then he geueth that to the spirite which fulfilleth the iustification of the Lawe that is to saye which maketh man spirituall For the Law requireth a spirite conformable The spirite of God is the aucthor of our regeneration and agréeing with the will of God Such a will doth the holy ghost begette The spirite therfore deliuereth from the power of Sinne and death and quickeneth and therefore it is called the spirite of life C. But it is verye absurde which some haue gathered vppon this place of Christ namelye that wée take our beginning of our first Parentes not onelye in body but also in soule For Christ sayth nothing here but that wée are all carnall according to our Byrth and that our nature doth sauour and taste of nothing but fleshe in this respect that we bee borne mortall men into the worlde For he doth here simplye distinguishe betwéene the naturall and supernaturall gifte 7. Meruaile not that I sayde vnto thee Yee must be borne againe M. This sentence maye be referred as well to those thinges which goe before as to that which followeth B. as if the Lorde shoulde saye Thou hast heard good cause and reason Nicodemus why I sayde that no man can enter into the kingdome of GOD except hée bée borne againe meruaile not therefore M. But if wée referre it to that which followeth then wée must vnderstande that the Lorde went about to take from Nicodemus by the similitude following the maze which Nicodemus had conceyued by the straungenesse of the thing which hée hearde C. The which wée must not so take as though the Lorde woulde haue so notable a worke of God in mans regeneration to bee little esteemed of Nicodemus but hee woulde not haue him to woonder leaste his fayth shoulde bee hindered For manye reiect that which is difficile and hearde to bée vnderstoode as friuolous and vaine To be shorte wee must not doubt but that we are framed againe by Gods spirite and are made newe men although the maner how the same is brought to passe be not reuealed vnto vs. Ye must be borne againe M. First of all our Sauiour Christ excludeth himselfe from this necessitie of being borne againe not because hee had not the substaunce of fleshe of the which he was borne but because hée was not so borne of the same that he had néede of regeneration as other mortall men had and haue which are conceyued and borne vnder sinne Then he ioyneth Nicodemê° a learned man in the Lawe and the Prophetes and a Pharisey to the rest and includeth him to this necessitie of reregeneration with all other men Psal 53.4 Rom. 1.12 Heb. 7.16 R. For all haue gone out of the waye all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Luke 1.35 But Christe by right is exempted from this corruption seeing that hée is exempted from sinners Wherevppon the Angell sayde vnto Mary That holye thing which shall bee borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of GOD. 8. The winde bloweth whyther it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell vvhence it commeth and vvhyther it goeth So is euery
of earthlye thinges and can desyre nothing but that which is against GOD. But Christ is here set before vs as the onely reméedy against that mortal sting of the Serpent Who is therefore called the Serpent because hée is like vnto sinfull men Heb. 7.26 And hée is compared to a Serpent of Brasse because he is pure and cleansed from all filthinesse of sinne Holye Innocent and vndefiled 1. Pet. 2.7 Also hée is called the Brasen Serpent because hée is fyrme and a sure Rocke of defence for all such as put their trust in him 15. That all that beleeue in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting M. Thus the trueth agréeth with the figure The Brasen Serpent was not exalted without cause neyther for it selfe but for the healing of those which otherwise had béene but dead Euen so Christ is exalted by the Preaching of the Gospell Ephe. 2.3 that wée which are borne by nature the Children of wrathe might bée cured so that wee beholde him whiche is the aucthour and finisher of our Faith Heb 12.2 Wherevppon also it is sayde that hée hath cleansed and puryfied his Churche Ephe. 5.26 in the woorde of life For as they which behelde the Serpent lifted vppe were healed from perishing and restoored to lyfe euen so they whiche beléeue in Christ Preached shall not perishe but haue eternall life M. The Brasen Serpent was a remeedye onelye against corporall and temporall death but Christ is a remeedye against eternal and spirituall death C. This certainelye is a notable report of Faith Faith deliuereth froÌ„ eternal destruction that it is sayde to deliuer vs from euerlasting death and destruction For Christ went plainelye about to expresse and declare that although we séeme to bée borne to death yet notwithstanding we haue most certaine deliueraunce from the same offered to vs through faith in him And thus death Our meriâ—s obtaine not eternal life which otherwise hangeth ouer vs is not to bée feared Furthermore if eternall life bée obtayned by faith where are then our merites where are our workes Who can attaine to righteousnes by his workes to euerlasting life by his merites C. Also Christ vseth the generall worde All bothe to call all men to the participation of life and also to cutte of all excuse from vnbeléeuers M. Therefore Christ Iesus is readye to bestowe eternall life vppon all those that beléeue in him without respect of personnes for louinglye hée calleth all vnto him Bv. Olde men Yong men Women Learned Vnlearned Poore Rich Iewes and Gentiles and to bée short he calleth all kinde of menne which Laboure and are Laden with the heauye burthen of sinne that hée maye refreshe them and indewe them with euerlasting life C. Notwithstanding let vs here note and consider that life is so generallye promised to all men that beléeue in Christ Mat 11.23 that yet faith is the condition annexed to the promise which faith appertayneth not to all For Christ is exhibited and offered vnto all notwithstanding 2. Thess 3. GOD openeth the eyes of the elect onelye that they maye séeke him by faith 16. For so GOD loued the worlde that hee gaue his onelye begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perish but haue euerlasting life R. Our Sauiour Christ goeth on still in the former disputation still more plainely opening and declaring that righteousnesse commeth not by the Law but by the behoulding of the Serpent that is to saye by fayth in Christ and therewithall sheweth the first cause and principall originall of our saluation No peace of Conscience without Gods loue and that because wée shoulde not be least in doubt For our myndes haue no peaceable rest or quietnesse in the which they may staie them selues vntill we come to the frée loue of God Therfore as the whole substance of our saluation consisteth in no other then in Christ so we must sée wherby Christ is vnited vnto vs why he is offered to vs to be our sauiour Loue in God and faith in vs bringet 〈◊〉 vs life eternal Both these thinges are beare distinctly put downe vnto vs the first is a liuely faith in Christ The second is the loue of God by which he so loued the worlde that hée sent life to the same by his onely Sonne to saue mankinde from destruction And this order is diligently to be noted For when the originall of our saluation commeth in question by and by according to our naturall ambition burst foorth diuelish imaginations of our owne merites Wée faine that God is therefore mercifull because hée hath respect to none but those whome hée iudgeth worthy Mercy of God maketh mans merites frustrate But the Scripture doth euery where extoll his méere and simple mercie which cleane abolisheth all merites And this is the verye meaning of our Sauiour in these wordes when hée appoynteth the cause in Gods mercye M. Therefore the loue of God with the which hée hath loued the world hath so determined that the worlde shoulde be saued by the sending of the Sonne And our Sauiour doth slightlye passe ouer this loue but doth dilligentlye amplyfie and inculcate the same when hée maketh mention of the sending of the onelye begotten sonne of god who was giuen vnto vs as a most certaine and vndoubted pledge of his fatherly loue towarde vs. R. Whereof then commeth saluation whereof commeth iustification whereof commeth the hope of eternall lyfe Come these from the worthinesse or merites of men God forbidde but they haue their originall of the loue of God For wée had alwayes aboade so much as wée coulde in our sinnes in death and in hell except God of his entire loue with the whiche hée loued vs being as yet miserable sinners had not giuen his onelye begotten sonne for vs. Herevppon the Apostle sayth In this is loue not that wee loued him for the fleshe is vtterlye voyde of the knowledge of God but because hee loued vs first 1. Ioh 4.10 and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes And the Apostle Paule sayth Rom. 5.8 GOD commendeth or declareth his loue towarde vs in that when as yet wee were miserable sinners Christ died for vs. Sinne bringeth with it death C. Without all doubt where sinne raigneth wée shall finde nothing but the wrath of God which bringeth with it death Therefore it is onlye mercye which reconcyleth vs vnto God that therewithall we might be restored vnto lyfe If any man demaund in whome this loue is founded The Apostle Paule aunswereth Ephe. 1.5 That it is founded in the purpose of his will Notwithstanding this manner of speache séemeth to be contrarye to manye testimonies of Scriptures which place the first and principall foundation of Gods loue towarde vs in Christ and doe shew that without him wée are displeasing and hatefull vnto GOD. But wée must remember that the hydden and secret loue with the which God hath
God haue not neyther can haue at any time him which maye deliuer them from their sinnes Therefore miserablye they perishe in their sinnes Wherevpon because it is not geuen to them to beléeue in christ they are alredy iudged and condemned no lesse than hée which hauing receiued a deadlye wound and hauing no Surgian is sure to dye or than hée which being adiudged to dye hath no redéemer Euen so verylye Christ redéemeth not them eternallye from euerlasting death to whome it is not geuen to beléeue in Christ For he alone deliuereth from death and that by faith onelye C. They therefore which reiect that grace which is offered in him are worthye to finde him a Iudge and a seuere punisher of such wicked and fowle contempte Of the which we haue a plaine testimonye in the Gospell For séeing it is the power of God to saluation Rom. 1.16 to all that beleeue the same most wicked is theyr ingratitude which make it a sauour of death vnto death 2. Cor. 10.6 Both these did the Apostle Paul very well expresse when hée sayde that hée had in a readynesse the vengeaunce against all the aduersaryes of his Doctrine when the obedience of the Godlye is fulfilled For his woordes are as muche in effect as if hée shoulde haue sayde that the Gospell principally doeth belong to the Faithfull that it may bée vnto them Saluation and then to the wicked that it maye bée vnto them condemnacion because they contemning the grace of Christ had rather haue him the aucthour of death than of life This word worlde is twise repeated that no man might thinke him selfe excluded if so be he continue in faith 18. He that beleeueth in him shal not be condemned But he that beleueth not is condemned already because hee beIeeueth not in the name of the onelye begotten sonne of God He that beleeueth in him R. This is the summe of all Preaching He that beleeueth in Christ shal not bee condemned Hee that bleeueth not is condemned alreadye A. As it is also sayde in another place Mark 16. He which beleeueth and is Baptized shal be saued But he which beleeueth not shal be condemned M. Therefore it is Faith which maketh vs partakers of the Grace of Christ and deliuereth vs from iudgement Faith iustifieth before God And for this cause the Apostle attributeth iustification before God to Fayth the which iustification is nothing else but remission of our sinnes purchased by the blood of Christ so that not to bée iudged is euen as muche as to saye as to be iustified to bée absolued from sinnes and to bée accounted for iust He sayeth not Whosoeuer beléeueth in him is without sinne and therfore cannot bée iudged But he sayeth whosoeuer beléeueth in him is not iudged that is to saye by the grace and mercye of God hée is saued the sentence of deserued condemnacion also being taken awaye So the Apostle Paule sayeth There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesu Rom 8. C. And whereas our Sauiour Christ so oftentimes and so diligentlye inculcateth and affirmeth that all the faithfull are out of the perrill of death we maye thereby gather howe necessarye the certaintye and stabilitye of faith is to take awaye the trembling and oppressing feare of conscience Therefore hée pronounceth againe that there remaineth no condemnacion so soone as we beléeue the which also moore at large he speaketh of in the fifth Chapter following Bv. But if for faithes sake a man is not iudged as the trueth it selfe here plainlye affirmeth Where is nowe Indulgences and Pardons Where are the Ronishie Satisfactions Yea where is the fire of Purgatory and such like humaine imaginations and phantasies Surelye they are vanished away and perished for euer For the trueth hath sayde which ought neuer to bée forgotten Who so euer beléeueth in him is not iudged But hee that beleeueth not This is the other part of the sentence for it is double and consisteth of contraries C. And it teacheth vs that there is no other reméedye by which any man maye escape death than by beléeuing in the Sonne of God as if hée should haue sayd there remayneth nothing but death for all those Faith contayneth life which reiect that life offered to them in Christ because life consisteth onely in Faith R. Therefore as nothing saueth but faith so nothing condemneth but infidelitye And faith therefore saueth because it receyueth al good things from Christ and worketh also all goodnesse in the â—â—beléeuer For as it receiueth righteousnesse of christ euen so it bestoweth the same againe into the bosomes of our brethren workes of Faith by the works of Charitye But vnbeléefe therefore condemneth because it reiecteth and contemneth all the graces of Christ and is the cause of all wickednesse Vnbelefe condemneth For as it receyueth all vnrighteousnesse from Satan which is the father of a lye euen so also it committeth all euyll Workes of vnbelefe against GOD and men it doth nothing that is iust it alwaye sinneth it continuallye breaketh the Lawe of God Wherefore this is a most iust sentence Whosoeuer beleueth not is condemned already C. And he vseth the Preterperfect tence of the Verbe for a greater Emphasis of force to the ende he might thereby the better expresse and declare that there remayneth nothing but vtter destruction for vnbeléeuers But wée must noote that Christ speaketh speciallye of those whose impietye shall bewraye them selues in the manifest contempt of the Gospell M. For wée must not apply this sentence to euerye one that beléeueth not For the Apostle Paul sometime beléeued not the Preaching of the Gospell naye hée persecuted the same and yet notwithstanding afterwarde when the time of his calling was come by beleeuing hée was saued and escaped the iudgement of God Also the elect are for a time in vnbeléefe but not for euer A. Herevppon the Apostle sayeth VVe our selues Titus 3.3 were sometime foolishe disobedient deceyued seruing diuers lustes and voluptuousnesse liuing in maliciousnesse and enuye full of hate hating one another But after that the loue and kindnesse of our Sauiour God to manward appeared c. M. Therfore in this place hée speaketh of those whiche perseuere in vnbeléefe And hée addeth the reason Because he beleeueth not in the name of Bv. As if hée should saye There is geuen to the worlde one onely sauiour which should take our sinnes from vs malediction and condemnation and should abolish them by his diuine power that euery one which beléeueth in him may bée absolued from his sinnes from malediction and eternall death as the Innocent and onelye begotten sonne of God and that hée may bée an heyre of euerlasting life and blessednesse Without this there is no other benediction Purgation Satisfaction Absolution and saluation wherevppon it consequently followeth that hée is yet in his sinnes and subiect to death and damnation whiche hath not this sonne in whome alone consisteth life and redemption
wrath of God shall come on him but The wrath of God abydeth on him All mortall menne which are borne bring with them the wrath of God and that for the sinne whiche they haue drawne from Adam But the Sonne of God came hauing no sinne and hauing on him our fleshe was amongest vs to turne awaye the wrath of God if so bée man woulde receyue the grace of GOD offered vnto him He therefore whiche beléeueth not the Sonne the wrath of GOD abideth on him What wrath is that Surelye the verye same of the which the Apostle speaketh saying Ephe. 2.3 VVe are by nature the children of wrath C. And although they which are naturally condemned are reprobates already yet notwithstanding they bring new death vnto them selues by their owne infidelity Math. 16.19 And to this end the power of Binding and Losing is geuen to the Ministers For this is the Iust punishment of mans contumacye and Pride that they which shake of the wholsome Yoke of GOD do tye them selues with the bonds of death M. Here therefore is appointed the perpetuitye and duraunce of the wrath of God and of the punishment of the wicked For as it is necessarye that he should liue vnto God who so euer he be that is capable of his euerlasting goodnesse for he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing so it is necessarye that he be guilty and destroyed for euer which is subiect to the euerlasting wrath of God through incredulity Herevpon it is sayd Math. 3.12 That he wyl burne the chaffe with vnquencheable fire They shall go into euerlasting torment Their worme shall not die Math. 25.46 Esa 66.24 and the fyre shall not be quenched R. This is a notable Sermon of Iohn the Baptist the which we ought alwayes to remember For he preacheth vnto vs Christ and setteth him before vs to the ende we might know what great treasures of blessings wée possesse in him through fayth Bv. Let vs therefore often times diligentlye reade ouer the same and déepely consider the same in our minde and then wée shall reape thereby the most pleasaunt fruites of the liuelye knowledge and fayth of Christ which from time to time shall increase and grow more and more and abide firme and sounde for euer ⧠The fourth Chapter 1. As soone as the Lorde knew how the Pharisees had hearde that Iesus made and baptized mo disciples than IOHN R. IN THE BEginning of the former Chapter the Euangelist hath described the true waye of Iustifying Nowe in this Chapter hée addeth the example of true Iustification in the Harlot of Samaria least that Doctrine should séeme friuolous and vaine for want of an example Bv. All the partes of this Historye are very wel knitte togeather For now the Euangelist passeth from the communication of Christ Nicodemus and from the Testimonye of Iohn to describe another conference betwéene the Lorde and the Woman of Samaria C. And first of all hée sheweth the cause why our Sauiour Christ went out of Iudea For when he knewe that the Pharisées were euyll affectioned hée woulde not put him selfe in daunger of theyr furye before the appointed time came Therefore leauing Iewrye hée went againe into Galilee Wherefore hée came not of purpose into Samaria there to abyde but because hée must passe through the same into Galilee Assoone as the Lorde knew M. The Euangelist speaketh not here as though the Lord were at any time ignoraunt of the practises of his enemies for he néede not be admonished of the deuises of his enemies for he knewe theyr euyll Cogitacions therfore hée shunned their fury C. The Euangelist maketh menciō only of the Pharisees which were sworne enemies vnto Christ not that the other Scribes were his friendes but because this secte of the Pharisées then raigned and were mad vnder the pretence of a Godlye zeale Saint Iohn sayth here that these men heard howe that Christ made and Baptized moe Disciples than Iohn the Baptist but he sayeth not that they sawe this First of all this was hereticall by the Sacerdotall or Priestly Iudgement for this might haue deuided the Church and haue bread Schismes For so many as became the Disciples of Christ and were Baptized went to a newe Churche and imbrasing the Yoke of Christ were drawne from the gouernment of the Pharisées Scribes and Priestes C. Moreouer their mindes being sturred vp before by the gathering togeather of Disciples by Iohn they were nowe the more exasperate and set on fyre when they sawe that Christ came and drewe more Disciples after him than Iohn had done For from the time that Iohn preached him selfe to bée nothing else but the forerunner of the Sonne of GOD the greater number followed Christ and the Ministerye of Iohn beganne nowe to ceasse And so by lytle and litle hée resigned to Christ the office of teaching and Baptizing A. as hée him selfe had sayd Math. 3 He must increase but I must decrease The Lorde made Disciples that is to saye hée wanne vnto him hearers and bounde them vnto him with the knot of Religion And in verye déede the hearers of the Lorde haue béene alwayes called from the beginning Disciples afterward Christians 2. Though that Iesus him selfe Baptized not but his Disciples A. It is sayde in the twoo and twentye verse of the Chapter going before that Christ was in Iewrye and that he there Baptized the which Saint Iohn here expoundeth saying that hée Baptized by his Disciples AVG. Therefore the Lorde Baptized Christ baptized not yet did baptize and Baptized not For he Baptized because it was he that cleansed washed and purified the sinnes hée Baptized not because hée vsed not the outward Sacrament of dipping or ducking in the Water The Disciples vsed the Ministerye of the bodye and hée Ioyned thervnto his Maiestie and grace B. Therefore the Lorde Baptized by the Ministerye of his Disciples This outwarde signe was committed to the Ministerye of the Churche and to this Ministery Christ chose his Apostles As therefore by this the Church ought to be ordred gouerned euen so hée thought good to prepare his Apostles to the same and to enter them into this holy ministerye M. For hée sayde afterwarde to his Apostles Goe ye foorth Mat. 28.19 Mat. 16 1◠and teache all Nations and Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holye Ghost C. So that we sée that the same is called the Baptisme of Christe which is ministred by the handes of other menne to the ende we might knowe that Baptisme doeth not depende vpon the person of the Minister but that the force thereof doeth whollye hang vpon the aucthour in whose name and at whose commaundement the same is ministred Whereby wée haue a singular consolation for séeing we know that our Baptisme is of no lesse efficasie to cleanse and to renewe vs than if the same were geuen to vs of the sonne of God him selfe
there to bée worshipped But the Samaritanes on the contrarye part pretended the example of the Fathers as alwayes the forsakers of true pietye are wont to doe M. because they had worshipped God in that Mountaine Gen. 33.20 Gen. 22.2 Deu. 27.12 Wee reade of Iacob that hée erected an Alter to the Lorde in that place Some affirme that Abraham offered his sonne Isaac in that place Moreouer this mountaine was chosen to serue God there But those thinges which the Iewes obiected out of the scriptures cōcerning the Temple of Hierusalem the Samaritanes did not acknowledge for Authenticall For they allowed not the Scriptures sauing onely the fiue Bookes of Moises And this is the same which the woman sayeth here Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountaine and ye saye that in Hierusalem is the place where wee shoulde worship C. But the Samaritanes dyd verye preposterouslye in forsaking the woorde of GOD and following theyr owne Imaginations in worshypping God Whereby also wée maye note howe disorderlye they deale which preferre the examples of the Fathers before the commaundement of God Such are the Papistes which without any respecte of personnes estéeme them for Fathers which are most vnworthy of all others so to bée counted Moreouer let vs here vnderstande not euery kinde of worship for priuate Prayer might euerye where bée vsed but that worship onelye to the which Sacrifices were annexed Math. 14.23 B. For the Lorde him selfe oftentimes sometimes in the mountaine alone sometimes in other places prayed to his Heauenly Father 21. Iesus sayeth vnto her Woman beleeue me the howre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father Woman M. Although this Womans name was not vnknowen vnto our sauiour Christ yet notwithstanding he doeth not cal her by her proper name but by the common name of her sexe or kinde VVoman First of all because the same was not necessary Shée knewe now well inough that the Lorde had the Spirite of Prophesie Secondlye as yet shée was not made familiar with him And it is a note of familiaritye for a man to call another by his proper name When Christ appeared in the forme of a Straunger to Mary Magdalen first hée called her Woman saying Iohn 2◠VVoman why weepest thou For hytherto he would bée vnknowne vnto her But when hée woulde bee knowne hée sayde Mary which voyce had a greate shewe of familiarytye Beleeue me the howre commeth Christ therefore requyreth to bée beléeued at her hande because without this faith the Doctrine of the Spirite and of the kingdome of GOD is deliuered in vaine Bv. As if hée should saye Woman cast out of thy minde all brawles ouerthwart aunsweres and contencions and if thou beléeue me to bée a Prophete as thou professest beléeue my woordes For I will not faine I wyll not lye but wyll simplye and purelye set foorth the trueth M. Sée therefore that thou do not deride those thinges which I speake as thou hast hitherto done but beléeue them in good fayth and doubt of the trueth of nothing that I shall saye A. By this place it appeareth howe disdainefullye and presumptuouslye they deale which exclude the common sort of men from the reading of the scriptures and from the searching out of those thinges which belong to the true worshippe of GOD and soules health For Christ aunswereth not this Woman saying What matter is it to thée whether God bée worshipped in this Mountayne or at Hierusalem which hast so litle feare of GOD that thou dost not abstaine from committing manifest euyll But rather gette thée home to thy house and looke to thy businesse suffer the Doctours to confer and reason among them selues of so great misteryes it becommeth not thée to talke of these matters The Lord obiected none of these thinges to the woman thyrsting after the trueth but rather was contented to reueale vnto her those thinges which excéeded the capasity of such wise men C. And this aunswere of Christ consisteth of twoo partes In the first he brieflye abolisheth the Ceremoniall worshippe which was instituted vnder the Lawe with the same also which the Samaritanes had deuised without the word of God In the other part hée setteth downe the true waye to worship God When he sayth that the howre shall come in the whiche there shall no peculiar or speciall place bée appointed to worshippe God in hée declareth that the same which was appointed by Moyses was but for a tyme the same time being then at hande when the vaile should bée taken away By this meanes the worshippe of God which was shut vp in a corner of Iudea extended it selfe farther in so much that the Samaritanes were partakers of the same also So that Christ speaketh here of the abrogation of the Law concerning the Temple and the Priesthoode and other externall Rites and Ceremonies M. Therfore we sée howe the worshippe of God in the newe Testament is tyed to no place in so muche that the lawe of God made concerning the true worshippe of God ought to bée abrogated notwithstanding the euyll example of Fathers For he sayeth not onelye Ye shall not worship the Father in this Mountaine but also he addeth Question Nor at Hierusalem What then maye some saye did neuer any man after that worshippe God aright at Hierusalem Dyd not the Apostles abide there a certaine time after Christes death Was not the Churche of the Faithfull there after the resurrection of Christ before and after the destruction of the Citye Did not the same worshippe God at Hierusalem I answere Christ speaketh not this to exclude the true worshippers of God from Hierusalem Aunsvvere but to teache that the time is at hande first in the which that shadowed worshippe shall ceasse secondlye in the which God wil be worshipped not onelye in Hierusalem or in the Mount Garizin as before but in the whole world to fulfill this Prophesie Mala. 1.11 From the rysing of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Incence shal be offered to my name and a pure offering For my name is great among the Heathen sayeth the Lord of hoastes 1. Tim. 2.8 A. To the which agréeth the Apostle saying I wyll that men in euerye place lyfte vp pure handes For he meaneth that there is now no more difference betwéene the Gentile the Iewe when God is acknowledged to be the Father of all Ephe. 4.6 C. Wherevppon Christ here calleth God the Father whome he séemeth to oppose and set against the Father of whome the woman had made mencion As if he should haue sayde God wyll bée the father of all men that hée maye nowe be worshipped of all men without difference of place or person M. In lyke manner hée geueth to vnderstand that he speaketh with an elect Daughter of God concerning the chosen and Children of God A. For such worship God not onelye as God but as
and to bring peace to them that were farre of 43. After two dayes hee departed thence and went away into Galilee After twoo dayes B. Hée abode twoo dayes onely with the Samaritanes because as yet the houre was not come for the kingdome of God more magnifycently to bée reuealed vnto them First it was necessarye that the Gospell of the kingdome should bée offered to the Iewes and then by the death of Christ the middle gate which deuided other Nations from the Iewes was to be broken downe And went awaye into Galilee M. The course or iourney of Christ was dyrected by the wyll of God from Iewry to Galilee but by the waye as hée went hée was as it were stayed abyding twoo dayes in Samaria notwithstanding after twoo dayes were past hée procéeded in the same Hereby let vs learne to knowe the certaintye of the course of the Gospell which is begonne and ended according to Gods Deuine wyll 44. For Iesus him selfe testified that a Prophet hath no honour in his owne countrey Bv. The Euangelist briefly and therfore obscurelye telleth the departure of Christ out of Samaria But if we confer with the other Euangelistes it shall appeare that hée leauing the Citye of Nazareth went another waye into Galilee C. For when he sawe that he was contemned in his countrey of Nazareth hée thought good to turne out of the way to another place A. Concerning this cōtempte reade in the thirtéene chapter of Mathew verse fiftye and seuen Marke the sixt verse foure And in the twentye and foure verse of the fourth Chapter of Luke 45. Then as soone as hee vvas come into Galilee the Galileans receyued him vvhen they had seene all the thinges that he dyd at Hierusalem at the daye of the feast for they went also to the feast daye Then as soone as he was come M. It appeareth that the Euangelist endeuoureth him selfe to shewe how Christ founde more fauour and friendship among these abiect and rude Samaritanes and Galileans than among the Iewes which were instructed in the lawe and the Prophetes and excelled others in the outwarde shewe of holinesse Euen so the ignoraunt and ruder sort of men are more readye to imbrace the truth than they which boast them selues to knowe Religion and to loue godlinesse So that hauing made mencion howe the Samaritanes receyued Christ hée nowe commendeth the same also in the Galeleans being a Nation so much contemned that the Pharisées boldlye sayde that it coulde not bée founde in the Scriptures that euer any Prophete came out of Galilee Iohn 7.52 and for this cause they reiected Christ as a Galilean C. Moreouer whether this honour continewed any long time which the Galileans gaue vnto Christ it is not perfectlye knowne For there is nothing more ready than the forgetting of Gods giftes and benefites When they had seene all the thinges A. Of these signes it is spoken before in the three and twentye verse of the second Chapter these thinges wanted not theyr fruite C. For in séeking to prepare a waye to Doctrine they bring to passe that Christ maye bée reuerentlye thought of For they went also to the Feast M. The Euangelist putteth not downe this without cause for beside that it apertaineth to the purpose it hath also a commendacion of the godlinesse of this people which so carefullye obeyed the Lawe of GOD that dwelling farre of they came to Hierusalem at the feast dayes appointed A. Hereof also wée maye take an example of the obedience and dilligence which is due to the word of God 46. So Iesus came againe into Cana of Galilee where he turned the vvater into Wyne And there was a certaine Ruler whose Sonne was sycke at Capernaum Into Cana of Galilee A. Concerning this Citye and the Myracle there shewed reade in the second Chapter going before M. The Euangelist maketh mencion of this in this place bothe to call to memory a freshe the Miracle of the water turned into Wine also to declare that Christ came for this cause into that place that he might as it were water and cause that to growe by shewing his power and light agayne which of late in the beginning of his Myracles he had planted Heauenly thinges are soone forgotten For such is our nature and corruption that howe soeuer we haue attained and gotten heauenlye and good thinges except they bee afterwarde caused to prosper of all other thinges they wyl most easylye bee forgotten But it is not so with those thinges that are euill and which are agreeable to our corruption the which although they bée lightlye gotten they wyllingly increase and goe forward insomuch that it is truely sayd The first beginninges see thou withstand For remeedye to late thou doest prouide When euylles haue the vpper hand By long delayes styll to abyde The which verses certainely cannot be veryfied of good thinges A. For this cause Christ him selfe a lytle before his death Iohn 12.1 went to sée Bethany where he had raysed Lazarus from the dead The Apostles also were wont to sée againe the Churches which they had planted by the Gospell of Christ Acts. 15.41 to confyrme them in the faith which they had receyued M. Wherefore by these examples let vs learne to sée and ouersée againe and by dilligent husbandry to set foreward eyther in our selues or in others the beginninges of good thinges And there was a certayne Ruler Bv. These thinges also which followe pertaine to that which went before for they proue that Iesus is euen the verye same whome hytherto he preached him selfe to bée and whome the Samaritanes acknowledged and receyued namely the sonne of God the Messias and sauiour of the world the Lord of all thinges euen of lyfe and death for this thing he most manifestly declareth by his present acte M. It appeareth that this Ruler was one of the seruauntes and Lieftenaunts of Herode as maye appeare in the thrée and twenty of Luke the seuenth verse C. And the Euangelist plainely expresseth his state condicion because in such a personage the myracle was more notable M. For it commeth very seldome to passe that suche a one beléeueth in Christ speciallye being the Seruaunt of such a King as Herode was These examples are very rare and yet notwithstanding nothing impossible Wherefore we must not despayre of such A. but rather praye that the Lorde wyll bring them to the knowledge of his trueth euen as the Apostle exhorteth i. Tim. 2.1 for great is his mercye 47. Assoone as the same hearde that Iesus was come out of Iewry into Galilee he went vnto him and besought him that he woulde come downe and heale his sonne for he was euen at the point of death R. The Ruler is here descrybed to haue a rude and a Childyshe fayth For hée requesteth Christ that he would goe downe to Capernaum heale his sonne In that hée prayeth Christ to heale his sonne it belongeth to a fayth conceyued by those myracles
nothing else then to vnderstande to remember to knowe and to thinke Faith is not an opinion M. we muste note that to beléeue Christe is by fayth to receaue his worde and to beléeue the father is to beléeue that hée sente his sonne into this worlde to bée the redéemer of the same Therefore we must beléeue God not symplye as God of the which faith the Iewes bragge but as the father in the sonne and as the sender in him that sent He which wanteth this faith may bée reckened among the blinded Iewes not among Christians He that heareth my woorde Bv. Therefore the firste thing in the order of saluation iustification is to heare the worde but not euery ones worde but the wordes of Christe onely our Iustifier sauiour And herein is required preaching Ro. 10.14 For how shal they heare with out a preacher It is necessary therefore that the worde of Christ doe make vs redy to heare when as the Inuentions of men and the constitutions of the fathers are excluded For faith cleaueth to the word of God not to the worde of men C. Christ afterward commendeth the fruite of obedience saying Hath euerlasting life Life eternall the frute of faith to the ende we might be the more readye and willing to perfourme the same For who can be so flinty harted but that he can be contented willingly to submit him selfe vnto Christe when hée séeth the rewarde of euerlasting life set before him And yet notwithstanding we sée howe fewe he winneth vnto him by this clemencie Such is our wickednes that we hadde rather willingly perishe then to geue our selues to the obedience of the sonne of God that through him we might bée saued Furthermore the aucthoritye of the Gospel is confirmed by these wordes of our sauiour Christ For Christ testifieth that he came from God and not from man Euen as in another place he affirmeth that hée speaketh not of him selfe but that which the Father hath committed vnto him Ioh. 14.10 M. And it ought not to deminish anye thing of the sonnes honour that hée is sent of the father as the Ambassadour of the Emperour is inferiour to him that sent him Bv. But in that the sonne is sent it belongeth rather to dispensation then to Imbecillitie M. The Ambassadour hath deseruedly lesse honour then the Emperour because he is neither the Sonne nor the Lorde nor yet of suche power as the Emperour is but a Minister and a seruant But Christ was sent into this worlde not as a seruant of his Lorde but as a sonne of his father not as one of lesse power but as his equal in al thinges not as of another nature and substaunce but as coequall and coeternall with him in euery condition Christe equall to the father touching the Godhead and therfore worthy to be no lesse honoured then the father yf the father hadde taken vppon him our fleshe and descended from heauen as he hath done Bv. For therfore the father sent the eternal word that in him he might manifestlye declare him selfe vnto vs. For the sonne is a most proper Character of the Fathers substance Heb. 1.3 AVG. Therefore the Sonne is sent of the father but not separated from the father And shall not come into iudgement M. Because God hath not sent his sonne into the world to Iudge the world but that the worlde might bée saued through him Iohn 3.17 Christe here confirmeth the sentence going before concerning eternall lyfe Math. 1.21 For he came to saue his people from their sinnes And sinnes being taken awaye the power of death is at an ende Rom. 6.23 1. Cor. 15.56 because the rewarde of synne is death and the sting of death is sinne C. We therefore are out of the perill of death because we are deliuered by the benefite of Christe Bv. as the Apostle teacheth in the eight chapter to the Romanes But is escaped from death to lyfe Our sauiour Christe doth not without déepe consideration affirme that we are alredye escaped from death because the séede of life by which we are called 1. Pet. 1.23 is incorruptible in the Sonnes of God and because they are already through hope with Christe in the heauenlye glory Ephe. 2.6 Luk. 17.21 and also haue within them the kingdome of God For although their life is hidden with God in Christe Colos 3.3 yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to possesse the same through faith and in that they are deliuered from death and do knowe them selues to bée in safetye through the protection of Christ they do not therfore ceasse to be in peace Neuerthelesse let vs remember that the faithful are so in life in this present world that they alwaies carrye about with them the matter or cause of death But the spirit which dwelleth in them is life which at the length shall abolishe the reliques of death 1. Cor. 15 26 For that saying of Paul is most true The last enemy that shal be destroyed is death And yet in this place the full deliuerance from death or the perfite exhibition of life is not handeled But although that lyfe is but begon in vs yet neuerthelesse Christ pronounceth the same to be so certaine to the faithful that they ought not to be afraid of death no maruaile they being ingraffed in him which is the bottomlesse wel of lyfe M. This place also maketh verye much to the confuting of their opinion which most impudently affirme that the soules of such as dye dye togeather with their bodies and of their opinion also which say that they slepe after death vntil the day of iudgement For that which Christe speaketh here cannot be vnderstoode of the body The soule passeth frō death to life because it passeth from death to the graue but of the soule which passeth from the death of the body to life Euen as Christ in plaine woordes sayde to the Théefe This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And the Apostle Paul saith Luk. 23.43 Philip. 1.23 I desyre to be dissolued and to bee with Christ euidently shewing that it will come to passe that he should be in spirite with Christe so soone as hée should be discharged and loosed from the bondes of the body Otherwise Christe lyued in him insomuch that he had no neede so greatly to desire the dissolution of the body to this thing Galat. 2.10 except he had beléeued that his spirite being entered after death into euerlasting life shoulde spéedyly come vnto Chiste A Howbeit this place ought properlye to be vnderstoode and expounded of that escaping and passage from death to lyfe which is by faith as we haue declared alredye Bv. For so soone as a man truelye beléeueth the word of Christ he passeth from death to life Christ beginneth to liue in him which is the life of the soule R. Therefore death in the faithful shal be swallowed vp and made the gate
that whiche the other thrée Euangelistes haue yet notwithstandinge in this it differeth from that which they declare namely that it tendeth to an other ende as wée shall sée But it is not necessarie that wée vnderstande the histories of this present Chapter to be done straight after those thinges which are declared in the Chapter going before and which were done at Ierusalem at the feast of Penticost séeing that those thinges which follow in this Chapter were done when Passouer was now at hande insomuche that there was a whole yere lacking seauen wéekes or there aboutes betwéene at which time as may appeare by the other Euaungelistes hée went rounde about Galile after he had left Ierusalem from thence he came to Genazereth and after that to the partes of Tyre and Sidon and returning againe into Galile he sent forth his Apostles by two and two to preache the Gospel and then last of al after theire retourne and the behedding of Iohn the Baptist he went ouer this sea of Tiberias C. For the other Euangelistes saye that this was done after the death of Iohn the Baptist by which circumstance of tyme they note the cause of the departure of Christ For tyrauntes when they haue imbrued them selues with the blood of the Godly they are inflamed to greter cruelty no lesse then immoderate drinking maketh the dronken man more thirstie Therfore Christ by his absence ment to pacefye the fury of Herode Ouer the sea of Galile B. This is a lake which is called in the Scripture the sea or Lake of Cinnereth which some interpret the swete sea and is called of the Gréekes Genezar or Genazareth M. Of this Iosephus maketh mencion in his third booke of the warre of the Iewes and xviii chapter B. Sainct Iohn calleth it the sea of Tiberias because the citty of Tiberias so called of Herod the Tetrache for the honor of Tiberias Caesar bounded vpon the East parte of the same C. Wherfore by this portion the Euangeliste doth more playnly describe the place whether Christ went for the whole lake was not called the sea of Tiberias but onely that part which laye nere to the shoare vppon which Tiberias was cituate B. The Euangelist Marke beside that which is spoken before concerning the cruelty of Herod maketh mencion of another cause of this cut ouer the sea namely That Christe might take rest and be at quiet for he was much oppressed of the people howbeit they did not suffer him to rest any longe time for straight waye they folowed hym and that not so much for to heare the word of God as to sée the signes which he wrought as Sainct Iohn testifieth here saying 2. And a great multitude followed him because they sawe his miracles whiche he did on them that were diseased M. The Eunagelist maketh mencion of this because of that parte of the History which foloweth in which he wil declare what a great multitude of people were satisfied most miraculously fed lest if there should be no mencion of this before a man might doubt how so great nomber of people could be assembled together in a wildernes desert place He addeth also the causes which moued this great multitude to forsake the cities and to come into this desert place from farre and to followe the Lord. C. For they were thus desirouse to follow Christ because they behoulding his power in the miracles were perswaded that he was some greate Prophet sent of God Wherevppon they had so earnest a desier to heare Christ that forgetting them selues aboad til night in a desart place voyd of all care Care for eauenly thinges is to be preferred befor◠a worldly care How can we nowe excuse our slouth and negligence in that we do not preferre the heauenly doctrine of Christ before the care for the satisfying of honger but are drawne away from the meditacion of euerlasting lyfe by euery small entisement yea very seldome it commeth to passe that Christ findeth vs frée and vntyed from obstacles and lettes of this worlde All men for the most parte are so farre from folowing Christ to the desart mountayne that scarce the tenth man can receyue him when he offereth hym selfe to come home to his house in in the midest of his commodities M. But in that so great a multitude followed Christ because of the miracles whiche he wrought it might be so for diuers causes For part as it is lykely because they gathered by these signes that this man was sent of God followed him that they might heare the doctrine of God at his mouth part being curiouse desiered to see and heare newe and straunge thinges part sought eyther for their frendes or for them selues corporall health And thus this multitude was diuersly affectioned although this which the Euangelist heare speaketh concerning the seing of the Lordes miracles belonged to all This concourse and flocking of the commen people to Christ is lyke vnto the comming of those which in the beginning of the Gospell gréedelye imbrace the Doctrine of the same whose sondrye affections are harde to bée discerned C. Moreouer here the Euangelist omitteth that which the other thrée Euangelistes haue namely that Christ spent part of the daye in teaching and in healing the sicke and nowe that the Sunne was readye to set his Disciples prayed him to sende awaye the people For hée thought it sufficient brieflye to handle the same that by this occasion hée might bring vs to the rest of the text which followeth hereafter 3. And Iesus went vp into a Mountayne and there hee sate with his Disciples M. There is no doubte but that hée went a part into a desert place to recreate also and to refreshe his Disciples for the which purpose this mountayne séemed a very fitte place both for the shadowe which was in the same against the heate of the Sunne and also for the conuenient places of rest Reade the sixt of Marke in our exposition vpon the one and thirtie verse 4. And the Passeouer a Feast of the Iewes was nighe Bv. At this Feast the Iewes dyd celebrate the memorye of those benefites which theyr forefathers had receiued in olde time at the handes of God in the Land of Egipt Question M. Therefore it may here bée demaunded If the Passeouer were at hande why the Lord went vp to Hierusalem according to Moyses Lawe rather than to this desart mountayne Deu. 16.16 Or if he woulde not goe vp to Hierusalem because of the crueltye of the Scribes and Pharisées wherefore he exhorted not the people which followed him to ascende thyther for the obedience sake which they ought to the Lawe As touching that which concerneth the person of Christ Aunsvvere we maye easylye aunswere Hée had oftentimes ascended thyther lest he might séeme to contemne and breake the Lawe of God but when the Iewes hegan to abuse the feast daies as an occasion of crueltie he dyd verye well to absent him selfe from them least hée should by
of his Father Moreouer Christ in this place did not plainly testifie who he was but specially went aboute to refell and put away the sclaunder which his enemies brought vpon him Because I said J am the Sonne of God M He saide not Because I am God but because I am the Sonne of God that he might beare with the infirmitie of his hearers who could better abyde that hée shoulde call him selfe the Sonne of God then to saye I am God 37. If I do not the vvorkes of my Father beleeue mee not 38. But if I doe and if yee beleeue not mee beleeue the vvorkes that ye may knovve and beleeue that the Father is in mee and I in him Bv. He calleth the workes which he did the workes of his father that is to saye deuine workes For they are not therefore called the fathers workes because the Sonne doeth not the same but because hee doeth them by the same power and vertue by the which he is equall with the Father If so be sayeth he I doe not such works as no man can doe but God only beléeue mée not C. This is a kind of graunting as if hée should saye I would haue you bound to beléeue mée for no other cause then yf the thing appeare manifest ynough vnto you ye may bouldly reiect mée and escape vnpunished if so be God hath not openly testifyed of mée M. I woulde to God they woulde speake thus which boast them selues to be Christes vicars and the Successors of the Apostles The Romishe Anticrist sayth in wordes I am the vicar of Christ and he so violently requireth him selfe to be credited that he threatneth to such as deny it a thousand deaths when as notwithstanding by his workes he sheweth him selfe plainly not to be Christ but Antecriste not the vicar of Christe but the Minister of Sathan In wordes hée sayth I am the seruaunt of the seruants of God but by his workes he declareth him selfe to be Lord of Lords In wordes he sayth I am the head of the Church but by his workes he declareth him selfe to be the plague of the Church he would be counted moste holye when as his workes shewe him to bee moste prophane What néede many wordes let hym saye If I do not the workes of the vicar of Christe of the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God and of the moste holye man beléeue me not Let the rest of the Bishopes saye the lyke which woulde be counted good and true shepheardes If so be we doe not the workes of good Bishopes beléeue vs not Let vs also saye which boast of Iustification by faith If so be we doe not the workes of those that are Iustified and of those that béeléeue then beléeue vs not But if J doe and if yee beleeue not C. As if he shoulde saye To the ende I maye suffer you to doubte of my doctrine I maye not denye the miracles which I haue shewed to be of God therefore yée do willingly reiect God and not man In this place wée are taught not to be so discouraged with the basenesse and contempt of any mans persō that we should refuse to beléeue those workes whiche geue euident testimonie to the truth For often tims it commeth to passe that God worketh great thinges by simple men That ye maye knowe and. C. In that he placeth faith after knowledge hée doth it because he had to do with vnbeléeuers who vnlesse they were wonne and constrained by experience neuer would geue place vnto God For suche as are rebelliouse and obstinate will alwaies knowe before they beléeue And yet notwithstanding God doth so beare with vs that by the knowledge of his workes hée maketh vs apt to béeléeue But the knoweledge of God and of his secrete wisedome by order followeth Faith Because the obedience of Faith openeth to vs the gate of the kingdome of heauen A. Concerning the coniunction of faith and knowledge reade in the first Chapter going before beginning at the sixtie nine verse That the father is in me and I in him C. He repeateth the same which he had spoken before in other wordes saying I and the father are one M. For that vnity is betweene the father and the Sonne that the Sonne is in the father and the father in the same The father saith he is in me that is to saye the power and vertu of God sheweth forth it self plainly in me And I am in the father that is to say I do nothing without the helpe of God insomuch that there is a mutuall coniunction betwéene me and my father For he speaketh not here of the vnitie of escence but of the manifestation of the diuine power in the person of Christ whereby it shall appeare that he is sente of God A. The very same he repeateth in the tenth verse of the fowrtéene Chapter following and that in the same sence 39. Againe they went aboute to take him and hee escaped oute of theyr handes Againe they wente aboute Bv. Reason can take no place with mad men M. The Lord coulde not more plainly and expresly defend those thinges which he had spoken in making aunswer against the sclaunder which they had deuised but they were so far from yéelding vnto the trueth that they sought to laye handes vppon the Lorde They had thus behaued them selues often times before as we maye sée in the fifte and seuenth chapters C. But nowe they goe aboute to apprehend him that they might drawe him out of the Temple to be stoaned For their madnesse was nothing mittigated by the wordes of Christ But this was a shamefull thing that when they coulde not aunswere his Argumentes they should vse violence and stoanes by which they séeke to intercept him M. They haue nowe forgotten that their like practises at another time tooke noone effecte But this is the nature of the wicked alwais to attempt that which they haue falsely conceiued although that whiche they go aboute bée neuer so often made frustrate This thing appeared in the Iewes as also in Saule their predecessoure For although often times he found by experience that he went about in vaine to apprehend Dauid and had sworne vnto him that he would not persecute him any more yet neuerthelesse when he came againe to his ould disposition hée sought to sley Dauid Esai 2.3 And in these our dayes we haue many of these examples For what man is ignoraunt howe busily the souldyers of Antichrist haue sought and doe dailye séeke to subuerte the truth of Christ To be short this is a most firme and true sentence The harte of the wicked is lyke the raging sea i. King 22. which cannot be quiet And he escaped out of their hands B. By his deuine power he escaped out of their handes which sought to apprehende him At the first he was as it were shutte vp in their handes For the Iewes had beset him on euery syde to take him fyrste with wordes to sée yf they could haue brought it
he which beléeueth in God beléeueth also in mée which am the true God of one essence power and glory with the Father C. But it is marueile why he placeth here fayth in the Father in the firste place For he shoulde rather haue sayde vnto his Disciples that they must beléeue in god so soone as they had béeleued in Christ Because as Christe is the expresse Image of the Father euenso firste of all they should haue beheld and considered him and for this cause also he descended vnto vs that our fayth beginning at him might reach vnto the Father But Christ had a farther meaning For there is no man but he will confesse that wée must beléeue in God and this is a generall Rule to the which all men without controuersie will subscribe and yet notwithstanding there is scarse one among a hondered which in verye déede doth beleue in him both because the bare maiestie of God is to farre from vs and also because Sathan doth set betwéene vs and it all the darcke clowdes hée can to kéepe vs from the syghte of the same And so it commeth to passe that our faith seking God in his heauenly lighte and glory vanisheth away Also the fleshe of her owne accorde bringeth a thousand Immaginations to drawe vs awaye from the right behoulding of God Therefore Christ setteth forth hym selfe as the scope and marck wherevnto if we direct our fayth it shall finde by and by where to rest For this is that true Immanuel who so soone as he is sought by faith aunswereth within vs. This is one of the Principall poynts of our faith that the same oughte to bee directed only vnto Christe and to bee reposed in him least it shake in temptations And this is a true triall of faith when we wil not suffer our selues at any time to be drawen awaye from Christe and the promises mad in him 2. In my fathers house are manye mansions If it were not so I woulde haue toulde you I goe to prepare a place for you Bv. He addeth nowe another place of consolation moste euident taken of that blessed kingdome and of the ende or fruite of the Lordes death C. Béecause the absence of Christ might be the of sorrowe he testifieth that hee doeth not therefore go from them to the ende he might abide from them still because there was place prouided for them in the kingdome of heauen For this suspition was to be taken awaye that Christ ascended to the father to leaue his Disciples in the earth carlesly behynde hym This place hath bene drawen amysse into another scence as though Christ had taught that there had béene seuerall degrees of honoure in his heauenly kingdome For he sayth there are many mansions not differing or one vnlike another but such as were and are sufficient for many euen as yf he should haue sayde There is place there not only for mee but for all you also R. There is noe cause then why ye shoulde be gréeued for my corporall departure for the kingdom of my Father is prepared for you from the beginning of the world and ye were chosen therevnto before the foundation of the worlde was layde Wherefore there is nothing that canne hurt you whether it be synne the world Death Ioh. 10.29 Hell or Sathan For no man can take the elect out of my Fathers hand Obiection But some will saye if so be we weare elected and had mansions prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde what nede haue we then of Christ Or wherefore came he into this worlde I aunswere Aunsvvere we were elected before the foundation of the worlde but yet in Christ and by Christ For none is Adopted of the Lord to be his sonne but by Iesus Christ And thus dwelling places were prepared before the foundation of the worlde but by Christ the Mediatoure and Intercessoure Wherefore Christe came into this world to reueale those dwelling places vnto vs before prepared to open the gate of election and allso to make vs ready and apt by his holy spirite to receiue those mansions For what shall it profite to be elected and yet eyther to be Ignoraunt of the gate of election or else not to enter into the same But whereas there are sayde to be many mansyons whenas fewe are chosen as sayeth our sauioure in another place Mat 20.16 many are called but fewe are chosen We must not lightly ouerpasse it For there are sayd to be many in respect of Christ that this might be the scence Heauen is not prepared for me aloane I aloane am not elected from euerlasting of my father but many others hath my father elected by me the kingdome of heauen is prepared for many others by mee through the fayth which they haue in mée I aloane am the true and only sonne of God and only naturally elected of my Father from whome aloane the kingdome of heauen is prepared naturally but there also many others whom the Father hath chosen in mee and which shall possesse by me the kingdome of heauen prepared from the beginning insomuch that by me they are made the children of God by adoption and heyres of all his blessinges graces and benefites For I haue geuen al those power to bee the sonnes of God which beleeue in my name Jf it were not so J would haue tould you As if he should say C. If so be the kingdom of heauen were prepared for me aloane I would disapoynte you of youre hope I woulde therefore haue tould you that there is no place in heauen with my father but for me alone Notwithstanding heare a question maye be demanded Obiection what was the conditiō of the fathers before Christ ascēded into heauen For many Immagine that the soules of the righteouse were in Limbo beecause Christ sayeth that he will prepare a place by his ascension into heauen But aunswere is easily made here Aunsvvere that a place is sayd to be prepared against the daye of resurrection For mankinde is by nature banished out of the kingdome of God But the Sonne which is the only heire of heauen is gone to take possession for vs that by him we mighte haue accesse thether For in his person we possesse heauen already by hope Ephe. 2.3 as the Apostle Paule teacheth Here therefore he putteth not a difference between our state and the state of the Fathers after death because Christ prepared a place for boath together into the which he shall receiue all in the latter day Before the Reconciliation was finished the soules of the righteouse were as it were in a watch Towre wayting for the promised redemption and doe enioye blessed rest vntil the redemption be fulfilled 3. And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again receiue you euen vnto my selfe that vvhere I am there may ye be also C. This conditionall sentence oughte to be resolued into an Aduerbe of tyme as if he had sayde after I am gone I
declare I confesse by that your great sorrowe how familyerly ye loue mée but I wyll that ye shewe your loue by another Argument For yf ye loue me indéede shewe that your loue towards me by the obseruation of my commaundements B. Therfore he willeth them diligently to obserue those thinges which he had commaudded them that is to saye constantly to beleeue in him to contemne the world bouldly to confesse Christ before the world to haue mutuall loue one towards another the rest which are contained in these things C. This is profitable doctrine because amonge those which seeme vnto them selues to loue Christ there are very fewe which truly serue him But here contrary wise the true loue of Christ is required to the obseruation of his doctrine as the onely rule M. He saith not if ye loue me dispute of my commaundements or see that others obserue and keepe my commuandements For the declaration of loue consisteth not in disputations nor in the vrging of others to obserue and kéepe them for this may be done euen of those which séeke not Christe but them selues but it consisteth in this yf thou thy selfe be an obseruer of them A. Furthermore Christ sendeth not his Disciples vnto the coÌ„mandements or vaine constitutions of men but to his owne commaundements For he hath not appointed them to be Seruauntes of men but to be faithfull Ministers vnto hym C. Moreouer also we are put in mind how vitious al other affection are when as not so muche as our loue towarde Christ is without fault except it be framed to pure obedience 16. And I will praye the father and he shall geue you another coÌ„forter that he maye bide with you for euer C This remedy he addeth to mitigate sorrow which the Disciples might conceiue by the absence of Christ notwithstanding therewithal Christ promiseth that he wyll geue strength and abillitie that his commaundements may be kept For otherwise his exhortation had bene to small purpose Therefore he prouideth for the same in time and teacheth that how far soeuer he was distant from them in bodye yet notwithstanding he woulde not suffer them to be quite destitude of helpe because he would be present with them by his holy sprite He calleth here the gift of the father the spirit which he himselfe wil obtayne by his prayers In an other place he promiseth that he wyl geue the same Ioh. i6 7 Both are truly and aptly sayde For in that Christ is our Mediatour and aduocate he obtaineth at his handes the spirite of grace In that he is God he geueth the same of him selfe vnto vs. The meaning of this place is this I was geuen of the Father to be a comforter vnto you not for a time but to abide with you for euer R. For Christ by his death and passion purchased to the faithfull the holy ghost which is nothing els but the inspiration of God by which he inspireth our hartes and moueth the same to holy godly iust right and deuine thinges that we might thinke speake and doe nothing day and night but that which is holy and deuine C. This name of comforter is as well geuen vnto Christ as to the holy Ghost and that by right for it appertaineth vnto them both to comfort and exhorte vs and also to defend vs. Christ was the patrone and defender of his Disciples so longe as he was in this world afterwarde he then committed them to the tuition garde of his spirit Yf any man demaunde whether we at this day are not vnder the protection of Christ we may answer that Christe is our euerlasting defender but not after a visible maner So long as he was in the world he openly shewed himselfe vnto them to be a defender but now he defendeth vs by his spirite A. For he saith I wyl be with you vnto the end of the world C. He calleth the same an other comforter by reason of the difference of benefits which we haue from them both it was proper vnto Christe to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde to pacefie the wrathe of God to redéeme men from death to bringe vnto them righteousnesse and lyfe but it belongeth vnto the spirit to make vs partakers as well of Christe him selfe as of all his his owne benefits How be it the distinction of the parsons is not hereby gathered amisse For it is necessary that the holy Ghost do differ from the sonne R. But had not the Apostles the holy Ghost before the death of Christ yes verely had they for they could not haue beléeued in Christe but by the workyng of the holy Ghost but they had the same more abouÌ„dantly and plentifully when Christe was gloryfied euen as we haue shewed in the seuenth chapter goyng before in the xxxix verse 17 Euen the Spirite of truthe whome the world cannot receiue because the worlde seeth hym not neither knoweth hym but ye knowe him for he dwelleth with you shal be in you C. Christ now geueth a new tytel vnto the spirit calling the same the master of truth B. Wherby he meaneth that the holy Ghost is by his owne nature truthe because he is God The same spirite is true and the reueler of truth it is pure sound sincer constant fyrme and faithfull without all deceite tyll such time as we ar taught of hym all our myndes are full of vanitie and lies Whom the worlde cannot receiue C. To the end be might the more comforte his Disciples he sheweth the excelency of this spirit with all the vnspekablâ— loue of the father towardes them in geuing to them his holy spirite which the whole world could not receiue C. For by this Antithesis or comparison he amplyfieth the excelencye of his grace the whiche God geueth onely to his elect For his meanynge is that it is no common gift of the which the whole world is depriued In the whiche sence also the Prophet saith Behould darknesse shal couer the earth and a thick miste the people but the Lorde shall aryse vpon thee and his glory shal be seene in thee For the mercy of God deserueth the more prayse toward the Churche when by a singular priuiledge he extolleth the same aboue the whole world Bv. For as the Deuyll dwelleth in the worlde and by his vncleanesse casteth the wicked into distruction euen so the holy Ghoste dwelleth and worketh with the Sainctes that by his purâ—ty and holynesse he may bringe the faithfull to eternall and blessed lyfe Neuertheles withal christ exhorteth his Disciples that they take héede lest they put from them that grace of the spirite being puffed vp with vnderstandyng of the flesh Worldly wise men count all that the Scripture speaketh concerning Christ to be as a dreame because they presuming vpon their owne reason do dispise heauenly illumination Neuertheles the words of Christ do declare that no man can haue any vnderstandyng of the Spirit by humane sence and reason but by the onley experience
in our hartes saying Let the peace of God haue the victorie in your hartes Colo. 3.15 And in another place The peace of God which passeth all vnderstandinge keepe your hartes and mindes through christ Iesus Phili. 4.7 C. And there is sayde to be the Ioye of Christe and our Ioye in diuers respectes That is the Ioy of Christ which is geuen of him vnto vs for he is the author and cause of the same Esai 53.5 The cause of our Ioy for that wée are deliuered from sinne and death the chastisement of oure peace béeing vppon him And he is the Authore because by his spirite he taketh feare and sorrowe out of our hearts whereof commeth this excéeding Ioye Our ioye is sayde to be in another respecte because wee inioye him so soone as hee is geuen vnto vs. Ioye in Christ and in vs. Nowe when our sauiour Christ pronounceth that hée therefore spake these thinges that his Disciples mighte haue Ioye we gather that whosoeuer doe truely profite by this sermone shall haue mater wherby to quiet themselus And that your ioy might be full Bv. He meaneth the most perfect Ioye the which wanteth nothing so that Christ promiseth vnto his Disciples Ioyes and the fulnesse of all Ioye C. Not that the faithfull shal be frée from all heauinesse and sorrowe but because they shall haue excéeding cause of Ioye in such wise that no feare care and sorrowe shall ouerwhelme them For they to whome it is geuen to Ioye and reioyce in Christ shal be excéeding Ioyfull and mery whether it be in life or in death in prosperitye or in miserye Notwithstanding there are some which referre this Ioye in the second place to the fruition of eternall lyfe Othersome saye that this is the meaning these thinges haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy might be in you that is to saye that yée might only reioyce in these thinges in the which I reioyce For so ye shall bée strong to fight and vpon hope of sauing men ye shall willingly suffer perills reioysing not a little because the will of the Father who woulde haue all men come to the knoweledge of the trueth to the vttermost of my power shall be fulfilled This ioye therefore haue I chosen this also yf ye shal haue ye shal haue sincere and perfect Ioy. A. But the first exposition is best to to liked 12. This is my commandement that ye loue togeather as I haue loued you M. Because he had spoken of the kéeping of his commaundementes he repeateth by occasion his commandement and more largely speaketh of the vsinge of mutuall loue of the whiche allso hee spake a little before C For séeing it is méete to direct our life according to the commaundement of Christ wee muste firste of all consider what he willeth and commaundeth to be done And he sayth that aboue all thinges he delighteth to haue mutuall loue among the faithfull By order wée must haue firste the loue and reuerence of God but because the true probation thereof is loue towards our neyghboure he specialle maketh mention of the same Bv. As if Christ should saye Some commaund one thing and some another and there is neyther forme nor ende of commandements but I commend vnto you only loue loue one another C. And as before in a generall forme of doctrine so nowe in a particuler he setteth before vs an example to followe For he loued all his Disciples to the end they shoulde in like manner loue one another B. And al his commaundements are finished in this onely commaundement of mutuall loue 13. Greater loue hath no man than this that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frendes C. Christe sometime commendeth the greatnesse of his loue towarde vs that he myght thereby the better establishe and confirme the trust of our saluation but nowe hée goeth farther that hee might inflame vs by his example to loue our Bretheren Notwithstanding he Ioyneth boath together For he would haue vs to taste by Faith the excéeding swéetnesse of his goodnesse then by this reason he allureth vs to the study and desyer of loue Ephe. v. ij So in lyke manner the Apostle Paule sayeth VValke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath geuen him selfe an oblation and a sacrifice of a sweete smell vnto God i. Ioh 3.16 A. Also saint Iohn sayeth Hereby know we loue because he hath geuen his life for vs and we ought to geue our liues for our bretheren C. God mighte haue redeemed vs with his worde in a moment yf so be for oure sakes it had not seemed better vnto him by not sparing his only begotten sonne to declare in his personne what great care he hath for our saluation Now they must haue to hard and stoany hartes which wil not be mollefyed with such vnspeakeable swéetnesse of Gods loue Bv. Man hath nothing in this worlde more pretiouse than life He hadde rather hasard his riches and whatsoeuer else he hath in this worlde rather then to suffer his life to come into peril Math. i6 26. Wherevpon the Lord sayth in the Gospel what doth it profyte a man if hee winne the whoal world and lose his own soule Or what shall a man geue to redeeme his owne soule withall Wherfore among men there is not a greter token of loue then if a man geue his life for his freind Therefore great and vnspekable is the loue of the sonne of God towarde vs by which he voutsafed to dye for vs. Rom. v.x. C Notwithstanding it maye be demanded howe Christ dyed for his frindes séeing that we were his enemies before he reconciled vs euenas the Apostle Paule testifieth C. For he hauing satisfied for synne by the sacrifice of hys death put away quite the enmity which was betwéene God and vs. The solution of this question maye be taken oute of the sixtéene verse of the third Chapter going before where wée sayde that in respect of our selues there is enmitye betéene God and vs vntill such time as our synnes are abolished by the death of Christ but we then sayde that the cause of this grace exhibited in Christ was the euerlasting loue of God by which also he loued his enemies A. Christe therefore dyed for his freindes who notwithstanding were vniust For so sayth Peter Christ dyed once for sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs vnto God 14. Ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaunde you Bv. Christ requireth in the faythfull a notable loue and desyer of Godlinesse lest they should boaste in vayne that Christ dyed for the saluation of the worlde they in the meane time liuing to the worlde which they are wont to doe which are perswaded that the Gospell beareth with sinnes and that Christian liberty is leaue to synne They Iudg and doe farre otherwise who truly loue Christ C. But Christ meaneth not that wée haue gotten suche honoure by our own merite but onlye sheweth vppon what condition
out by the Rulers of the Iewes out of the Churche of God C. This was no light offence to trouble their mindes that they should be driuen out of the company of the Godlye as wicked and naughtye men and that of those which hoast them selues to bée the people of God and gloryed in the tytle of the Churche Therefore in that hée sayeth they shal be excommunicated his meaning is this They shall cast you out of theyr Sinagogues they shall condempne you of impietye and heresie they wyll restraine you of water fyre and suche necessaryes they wyll banishe you and sell your goodes and they wyll account you not for Israelites but for Gentiles and Athiestes C. For the Godlye are subiect not onelye to persecutions but also to ignominy and reproche Euen as sayth the Apostle Paul Mee thinketh that God hath set foorth vs which are the last Apostles i. Cor. 4.9 as it were men appointed vnto death For we are made a gasing stocke vnto the world and to the Aungelles and to men Christ notwithstanding commaundeth to stande fyrme and stedfast against this temptacion because though they bée thrust out of Sinagogues yet neuerthelesse they shal abide in the kingdome of God The sum is that we ought not to bée discouraged by the peruerse iudgemēts of menne but rather stronglye to beare the opprobrie and shame of the Crosse of Christ being contented with this one thing that our cause whiche menne scornfully condemne is allowed of God Also hereby wée gather that the Ministers of the Gospell are not onelye euell intreated of the sworne enemies of the Gospell but also sometimes sclandered and euell spoken of by those which séeme to bée of the Churche and of the houshoulde of Christ and Pyllers of the Churche The Scribes high Priestes by whom the Apostles were condemned boasted that they were apointed of God to bée the Iudges of the Churche And in déede the ordinarye gouernment of the church was in their hands the office of Iudging came from God not from mē But by their tyrrany they had corrupted the whoale order instituted of God Thus it came to passe that the power which was graunted vnto them to edifycation was nothing else but siuyll oppression of the seruauntes of God excommunication which should haue bene a medicine to pourge the Churche was conuerted to banishe all impietye out of the same The which séeing the Apostles perceiued in their age there is no cause why wee shoulde be afrayde at this daye of the Popes curse with the which he thretneth vs because of the testimony of the Gospell For they canne doe vs no more harme than these ould excommunications dyd vnto the Apostles nay we ought to desyer nothing more than to be out of that company from whence Christe is banished But concerning excommunication and the abuse of the same read the ninth Chapter going before But the time shall come M. Christ sheweth what great hatered of the worlde the Apostles were like to sustayne It might séeme a light matter to be expelled and caste oute of the company of some men For what hurt was it to the Apostle to be expelled out of the Sinagogues of the Iewes As thoughe they should not shortly after haue gone out of the same though they had not bene expelled R. Therfore paraduenture it was tollerable ynough for them to suffer proscription and exile excepte the wicked should haue vtterly killed the Godly And peraduenture it was tollerable that they myghte also be slayne excepte the world should acknowledge without blushing that they doe wickedly and shoulde openly confesse that it doth therefore kyl the Godly because they beleeue in God and because they haue taught that which is godly but the world is so farre from confessing this that it will rather bee thought to doe well and to doe God good seruice by slaying the godly This is the true crosse C. For nowe of it selfe it is a verye harde matter for the Godly to be cruelly vexed but it is much more sharpe and gréeuouse that the Iniuryes whiche are done vnto the childeren of GOD by the wicked should be counted for iust due punishmentes belouging to their faltes But we must be so strong and boulde in a good conscience that we must patiently suffer our selues to be so oppressed till Christ shall appeare from heauen to defende our and his cause who wyll take vengeaunce vppon those which haue not knowen God C. But it is merueile that the enemies of the trueth when their owne conscience doth accuse them can beare such a fayre shewe not onely before men but also challenge vnto them selues prayse beefore God for theyr most wicked crueltye Wee aunswere Hipocrites although their owne conscience doth accuse them yet notwithstanding they always flatter and deceiue them selues They are ambitiouse cruell and prowde but yet they couer all these vices with the pretence of zeale by which they promise vnto them selues impunitye To this also is ioyned a sertayne furiouse dronkennesse after they haue imbrued them selues wyth the bloud of martyres R. Wherefore the worlde beeing wyse will not séeme to doe euell to persecute the worde of the Lord nor to kill the true Euaungelistes For it professeth that it loueth and honoreth these it professeth that it beleeueth the word of the Lord but it sayeth that it will not beare with bringers in of newe thinges with the disturbers of the peace and with the contempners of humaine and diuine ryghteousnesse and that it doth not beleeue their worde to be the word of God but rather a fained immagination found out to trouble and disturbe all Religion and loue of honestye And thus are the godlye slayne of the world as the authours of all euell that not without shewe of perswation and probable reasonne For Christ also hym selfe was fastened to the Crosse not as the sonne of God but as an enemie vnto him R. So his disciples were thought vnworthy to liue vpon the earth A. Wherfore we being in suche straytes let vs imbrace the worde of the Lorde Iesu with a liuely fayth let vs in pacience possesse our soules 3. And suche thinges will they doe vnto you because they haue not knowne the Father neither yet me C. Christ doth not in vayne bring his Apostles vnto this consideration that there is one onely cause why the vnbeléeuing doe so rage against the godlye namely because they knowe not God Notwithstanding this is not spoken to extenuate their fault but rather that the Apostles might with a good courage despise their blinde madnesse R. As yf he should saye They boaste of GOD but they knewe not GOD because they persecute the worde of God And he which persecuteth the worde of God persecuteth God himselfe and knoweth not God although he boaste of him For God is knowne by his worde which is the Sonne of God C. Moreouer by these wordes wee are taught what great wickednesse the ignoraunce of God is whiche maketh them
Gospell not to liue at their owne pleasure but that their light might shine before men not to be Princes of this worlde but to beare the crosse wyth Christ Who came not to be ministred vnto Mat. 20.28 but to minister him selfe and to giue his life a redemption for many M. Wherfore let the Bishoppes of Rome marke well and sée how they defend their Lordship which they haue in the Churche vnder the pretence of Christ 19. And for theyr sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also mighte be sanctified through the truthe R. To sanctifie is to ceparate to diuine vses C. Therefore in these words he doth more playnly explicate from whence that sanctificatioÌ„ doth come which is wrought in vs by the doctrine of the Gospell namely bicause he hath consecrated him selfe to the Father that his holinesse mighte appertayne vnto vs. For as the blessinge is extended from the firste fruites to the whole increace euen so the spirite â—f God doth sprinkle vs with the holinesse of Christe and maketâ— vs partakers of the same and that not onely by imputation for by this meanes he is sayde to be made vnto vs righteousnesse but he is also saide to be made vnto vs sanctificaon .1 Cor. 1.30 bicause after a sorte he offereth vs to the Father that by his spirite we may be renued into true holynesse And althoughe this sanctification perteineth to the whole lyfe of Christe yet notwithstanding it is specially to bée seene in the sacrifice of hys death bicause then he appeared to be a true Priest whiche consecrated the Temple the Altar all the Vessels Exod. 29.1 and the people by the power of his spirite A. Euen as before tyme in the Lawe it was shadowed R. Christe therefore sanctifieth him selfe That is he is made the instrument of God the Father by whiche he is glorified he offereth and sacrificeth him selfe that we also may be made the instrumentes and true sacrifices of hys diuine glory Sanctification M. For Christe hath not so sanctified hym selfe for vs that we may abide prophane and farre separate from the communion of his spirite and sanctification but although we be saued by hys onely holynesse yet notwithstanding we are sanctified also by the participation of his spirite They which are voyde of the same promise vnto them selues in vayne the fellowship of Christ Wherevpon the Apostle sayth Rom. 6.4 VVe are buried vvith him by Baptisme into his deathe that lykevvyse as Christe vvas raysed vp from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so vve also shoulde vvalke in nevvnesse of lyfe And in another place he sayth Roma 12.1 Offer vp your bodies a quicke sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God vvhiche is your reasonable seruice This therfore is the sence meaning I sanctifie my self that is I dye for them that they by my death may be filled with the spirite of sanctification and may be made the holy vessels of God by the reuealed spirite of the Gospell M. This the Apostle comprehendeth in these wordes Hebr. 10.10 In the vvhiche will we are made holy euen by the offering of the body of Iesus Christe once for all In the truthe The worde of God is the truth euen as Christ sayd before Therefore the sanctification of the ministers of Christe and of the faythfull Acts. 15.9 Fayth maketh al thinges cleane consisteth in the truthe of Gods worde vppon the whiche fayth is grounded by whiche God purifieth the hartes Without this all things are prophane and vncleane 20. Neuerthelesse I pray not for them alone but for theÌ„ also which shall beleue on me through their preaching R. Thirdly Christe prayeth for all the faythfull whiche should be to the ende of the world This verily bringeth great consolation For if so be through the doctrine of the Gospell we beléeue in Christ there is no cause why we should doubt but that with the Apostles we are vnder Gods protection so that none of vs can perishe This praier of Christ is a quiet hauen into the whiche whosoeuer entereth he is safe from all perill of shipwracke for his wordes are of as great force as if he had solemly sworne that he is carefull for our saluation R. And firste of all this place confirmeth the authoritie of the Apostles agaynst those which very contemptuously extinuate and disprayse the preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles Prou. 20.9 for that they were men also subiect vnto errours And it is true that they were men in lyfe and in workes for who can say my harte is cleane but they preached the doctrine of the Gospel not by humaine but by the diuine ministerie Wherevppon Christe also prayeth for those which shoulde beleeue through their preaching Furthermore let our consciences be confyrmed agaynst the worlde and agaynst all the afflictions of the worlde For so soone as Christe prayed the Father hearde and the father hearing what remayneth but hys grace and readie affection towarde vs C. Let this also suffice vs whiche knowe that our fayth is founded vppon the Gospell preached by the Apoples though the worlde condemne vs a thousande tymes namely that Christe acknowledgeth vs for his speciall charge and coÌ„mendeth vs to his father Ioh. 11.41 of whom he can not choose but be heard C. When he addeth Throgh their preching He very well expresseth the forre and nature of fayth M. Euen as the Apostle Paule also Rom. 10 17 when he sayth that fayth coÌ„meth by hearing And the worde of the Apostles is nothing else but the Gospell which they were commaunded to preach in the worlde Mar. 16.15 C. Wo then vnto the Papistes whose fayth is so farre from thys rule that they are not ashamed most blasphemously to say that the scriptures are like vnto a Shipmans hose and to a nose of waxe and that therefore the tradition of the Churche shall be their direction and rule of fayth But let vs be assured that the same fayth onely is approued of the sonne of God our Iudge alone whiche is conceyued by the doctrine of the Apostles For there shall no certayne testimonie any where else bee founde than in their writinges We muste also note what fayth the word of the Apostles doth bring foorth This Christ declareth when he sayth Which beleeue in me Let nowe the Iewes Turkes and Romishe rable glory of their fayth but it maketh no matter what euery one beleeueth and in whome he beleeueth Euery doctrine hath his fayth but the Apostolicall doctrine begetteth onely the faith in Christ And this faith alone is partaker of this prayer of Christ of the promises concerning euerlasting life 21. That they all maye be one as thou father arte in me and I in thee and that they also may bee one in vs That the world may beleue that thou hast sent me R. That which Christ prayed for his Apostles he nowe also prayeth for all the faythfull that they might be of one fayth
wée muste be the true members of hys bodye B. Therefore when wee are absolutelye Godly it shall appeare that we are deere and acceptable vnto God R. And wee must well remember the prayer coÌ„tayned in this Chapter For if so be Christ prayed for him selfe for his Apostles and for al those that should beleeue by the preaching of the Apostles it must needes be in an effectuall prayer For howe could it be that the son which was obediente to the death of the Crosse shuld be repulsed Wherfore let vs bee fullye perswaded that neyther death neyther life neyther Angels neither rule nether power nether things presente nor thinges to come neither heigth nor depth neither any other creature shal be able to seperat vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. ⧠The .18 Chapter 1. When Iesus had spoken these words he went foorth with his Disciples ouer the brooke Cedron where was a Garden into the which he entred with his Disciples M. IN this Chapter the Euangelist begynneth to declare the historie of the Lordes passion in the declaration wherof he omitteth many things whiche are to be read in the other three Euangelistes the which he doth of purpose euen as he hath set downe many things worthy of remembraunce whiche the other thrée haue let passe with silence R. Therfore hitherto was noted the Sermon which Christ made at his last Supper by which Christ most fully declared and manifested him selfe to his Disciples to the ende we might know what grace and goodnesse he conteyneth in him selfe specially vnder the crosse Also he prayed that all those that beléeue in him might be sanctified that they might be one with him and that the loue with the which the Father loued him might be in them Therfore his Sermon and Prayer béeing ended he went foorth with his Disciples ouer the brooke Cedron M. Some thinke that this brooke was called the brooke of Ceders bicause many Ceder trees grew about the same C. But it is very like notwithstaÌ„ding that this name came vp through error For of the valley or brooke of Cedron there is mention oftentimes made in the Scriptures M. Where the Hebrewe worde dothe not signifie Ceder trees but dimnes or darknesse R. Concerning the whiche brooke we reade in the booke of Kings 2. Kin. 15.23 4. kin 23.4 C. This place therfore was so called bicause of the darknesse bicause it was a deepe valley and muche shadowed Howbeit we will not contende much about this Specially we haue to consider the purpose of the Euangelist in naming this place For hys purpose was to shewe that Christ went willingly to death He came into that place which he knew was well knowne vnto Iudas And to what ende but only to offer him selfe to Iudas and into the handes of his enemies For he came not vnto this place without foresight of that which folowed séeing he was ignorant of nothing whiche was to come to passe M. Wherefore Christ passing ouer the brooke Cedron entred into the Garden not to flée from his Persecuters but that he might go to that agony whiche was to come according to Gods appoyntment If he went ouer the brooke CedroÌ„ bicause he would flée away his best way had bin through the wildernesse and not to haue entred into this Garden C. He went not therfore to seeke a place to hide him selfe in but he entred into the Garden that he might haue more libertie to pray The other Euangelists say that he went out vnto the mount of Oliues Mat 26.36 and they make mention of a certayne place which is called Gâ—thsemane the which hath no discrepance seeing that the historie of Dauid also sayth 2. kin 15.23 that the people when they had passed ouer the brooke Cedron went towarde the way of Oliuet 2. Iudas also whiche betrayed him knewe the place for Iesus ofttimes resorted thither with his Disciples R. As Christ is not betrayed but of an Apostle and his chiefe Disciple and that to those to whom he him selfe was the truthe and whose office and function was a shadowe and tipe of him Persecution of the Gospell by Disciples Mat. 23.37 Act. 7.52 that is to say to the high Priestes and Scribes euen so the worde of the Gospell is almost neuer betrayed but of suche as know the same and are friends in shew and very seldome it suffreth persecution of straungers The Gentiles killed not the Prophets but the Iewes which boasted of the worde of the Lord. The Phariseis cast out the Apostles Antechrist is not suche a one as denyeth Christ but a boster of the name of Christ and yet he persecuteth the Gospel So the hypocriticall Monkes Priests Bishops Popes and such like haue onely the outwarde name of Christians and seeke to betray and to destroy Christ 3. Iudas then after he had receiued a band of men and officers of the high Priests and Phariseys came thither with lanternes and torches and weapons R. With what force strength doth Iudas set vpon Christ Or by what power do the souldiers of Iudas persecute the Gospel Not with reasons sentences of scripture except peraduenture the same be wrested to serue their turne not with probable arguments but with the corporall sword with weapons with afflictions all kinde of torments If this be to ouercome who haue greater conquest victorie than tyrants fighting with crueltie And if this be to play the champion who is more bould stout than théeues Reade the .26 of Mat. beginning at the .47 verse concerning the other two verses folowing also reade the same chapter 6. Assoone then as he had said vnto theÌ„ I am he they went backwarde and fel to the grounde C. The Euangelist sheweth what great vertue and power the Lorde breathed with one voyce to the ende we myghte know that the wicked had power ouer him no further than he gaue them leaue He gently aunswereth that he is the very same whome they sought for and yet notwithstanding hee casteth them prostrate vppon the earth euen as if it had béene with the violent puffe or blast of a whirle wynde or with the flashing stroke of lightning Therefore he wanted no power to restrayne their handes if it had so pleased him but he woulde obey his Father by whose decrée he knewe he was called and appoynted to deathe Aug. For where is nowe thys ambushmente of Souldiers Where is nowe theyr terrour and fortification of weapons One voyce strake repulsed and prostrated without force of weapon the outrageous hatefull multitude and terrible with weapons For God lay hydden in the fleshe and the sempiternall day was so shadowed and couered wyth humayne members that darknes sought with Lanternes and Fyrebrandes to kill the same What wyll he doo which shall come to iudge whiche dyd thys that he might be iudged But this purpose was to put in proofe that efficacie whiche the Prophet Esay attributeth to hys word Amongest other the mightie
powers of Christe the Prophete repeateth thys Esa 11.4 that he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouthe and shall slay the wycked with the breath of hys lippes 2. Thes 2.8 The Apostle Paule suspendeth the fulfilling of this Prophesie vnto the ende of the worlde yet notwithstanding we sée dayly that the wicked doo fall with their fury and pride at the voyce of christ But then when they fel which came to bind Christ was shewed a visible token of that feare which al the wicked manger their heads féele within them when Christ speaketh to them by his ministers Moreouer séeing this was as it were accidentall to the voyce of Christe whose propertie it is to rayse vp miserable men whiche lye in the shadowe of death he will vse no doubt thys power towards vs to exalt vs vp into heauen R. And this is manifest that the same worde of God whiche is to the wicked iudgemente is to the Godly consolation For at other times Christe comforted his Disciples when they were afrayde Mat. 14.27 Luk. 24.39 with these wordes I am he Also VVhy are yee troubled it is I Therefore that whiche the Lorde threatneth to the wicked in the Lawe is in these wordes manifefestly to be séene For Moses sayth The Lorde shall geue thee a trembling harte Deut. 28.65 Esa 57.21 and looking too returne till thine eyes fall oute and a sorrovvfull minde Psal 110.1 And the Prophete saythe The vvicked haue no peace M. Let the wicked therefore consider what shall befall on the enimies of Christe For this contayneth a figure of that whiche happeneth and shall happen to all the enimies of Christe namely confusion and vtter destruction It is prophesied that the enimies of Christe shall be made his footestoole The enemies of Christe of the whiche we haue so greate a multitude heere consisted of Iudas the hypocrite and false Apostle of the seruantes of the highe Priests and of the Romaine souldiers In these we sée what the enemies of Christ are oftentymes some are hypocrites some are superstitious and other some worldlinges but in due time when Christe shall shewe hym selfe they shall vtterly be destroyed and though they bée lyfted vp alofte yet shall they bée caste downe to the grounde flat and shall bee broughte to duste A. For the wycked shall not be able to stande but shall be lyke the duste Psal 1.5 whiche the wynde scattereth away from the face of the earth 7. Then asked he them agayne whome seeke ye They sayde Iesus of Nazareth C. Hereby it doth appeare howe great the blindenesse is with the whiche the Lorde striketh the mindes of the wicked and howe horrible their obstinacie is after that Sathan hath bewitched them by the iuste iudgement of God The Oxe and the Asse when they fall haue some féelyng but these men hauing had manyfest experience of the deuine power of Christ do no lesse securely go forwarde than if they had not seene so muche as the shadowe of a man in him Nay Iudas him selfe is not moued Let vs learne therefore to feare the iudgement of God by whiche the Reprobate béeing suffered to fall into the hands of Satan are more sencelesse than brute beasts For Sathan no doubt was the author of this so great wickednesse 8. Iesus answered I haue tolde you that I am he If ye seeke me therfore let these go their way 9. That the saying might be fulfilled whiche he spake Of them which thou gauest me haue I not lost one R. Although he were taken yet he retayned his authoritie and power styll For the power of the worde can not be bounde For the Apostles had not gone awaye without hurte excepte the Aduersaries had béene restrayned of their furie by the efficacie of this commaundement By the same efficacie of the word he restored to Malchus hys eare Luk. 22.51 that we might learne the power of the worde in the middest of impotencie and weaknesse A. But was it not lawfull for him whiche deliuered others to delyuer hym selfe also out of the hands of hys enemies C. But he mynded to play the parte of a good shephearde to defende hys flocke He sawe the rauening of the Wolues he taryeth not vntill they come to the Sheepe of whiche he was appoynted the keeper but wythstandeth them betyme Wherefore let vs not doubte so often as wycked men or the Diuell rise vp agaynst vs but that we shall haue by and by the same helpe Moreouer Christe hath by his example prescribed a rule to the Shepheardes whiche they muste followe if so be they will duely fulfill their office That the saying might be fulfilled R. The Euangelist alleageth the saying of Christe to teache that the same is effectuall For if so bee the saying of Christe hadde not beene effectuall howe coulde the Disciples haue escaped thys perill and shunned suche wylfull madnesse of the people their aduersaries specially Peter who strake with the sword Notwithstanding this sentence seemeth to be broughte out of order whiche seemeth rather to appertayne to mennes soules than to their bodies For Christe dydde saue and preserue the Apostles in safetie as touching their bodyes to the ende but he rather spake thys that in the middest of continuall daungers and in deathe it selfe theyr eternall saluation shoulde be in safetie I aunswere The Euangelist speaketh not simply of their corporall lyfe but meaneth rather that Christ sparing them for a time prouided for their euerlasting saluation Let vs consider howe greate theyr imbecilitie was as yet What would they haue doone thinke you if they had béene broughte to the pinche Séeing therefore Chryste woulde not tempte them aboue their strengthe he deliuered them from eternall destruction And héereby we may gather a generall doctrine namely that althoughe oure fayth bée proued by many temptations yet notwithstanding we shall neuer come into extreme perilles but he wyll geue vnto vs strengthe and abilitie to beare the same AVG. Therefore bicause the Apostles were not as yet sufficiently confyrmed in the Faythe to retayne the confession of the truth and had bothe denyed Christe and also peryshed the Lord would saue them M. Furthermore they were specially chosen to the preaching of the Kyngdome of God and were not onely so geuen vnto Christe that they might be saued but also to Preache the worde of lyfe vnto others and to serue Chryste For thys office they were to be preserued Wherefore if they had béene taken and slayne of their enemies they had perished to Chryste vnto whome they brought foorth muche fruite by the preaching of the worde Concerning that which followeth vntil yée come to the .19 verse reade our Commentarie vpon the .26 of Mathew beginning at the .51 verse 19. The hye Priest then asked Iesus of his disciples of his doctrine R. This hye Priest was Caiphas for Annas had straightway posted ouer Christe vnto Caiphas M. These things and many mo of the which the other Euangelists
doctrine bringeth a double profit The first is that al they which wil not erre in seeking Christ must lift vp their minds to heauen The second is Col. 3.1 that al they which come to him must cast off from thē carnal affections euē as the Apostle Paule teacheth But go vnto my brethrē M. Christ sēdeth Mary vnto his Apostles whom he calleth his brethren For they wer sons of the same God the father whose only begotten son he was C. But the inestimable goodnes of Christ doth shine in this that he ordaineth appointeth women to be witnesses vnto the Apostles of his resurrection For the Ambassage which is committed vnto them is the only foundation of our saluation conteineth the principal point of heauenly wisdom Howbeit we must also note that this was extraordinary and as it were accidentall I ascende vnto my father and your father By the name of ascending he confirmeth the doctrine of that which we spake euen now namely that he therefore rose againe not to abide vppon the earth but to enter into the heauenly life to drawe all the faithfull thither with him Therefore ther is a great emphasis force in this word I ascend bicause Christ reacheth his hande vnto his disciples lest they should seke felicitie in any other place then in heuen For where our treasure is there also it is méete that our heart shuld bée But Christ saith that he doth ascend therfore we also must ascend except we wil be seperated frō him Mat. 6.21 Moreouer when he saith that he doth assend to God he doth put away all sorow and griefe which the Apostles might conceiue by his deperture For he geueth thē to vnderstand that he will alway be present by his deuine presence with those that are his By his assending the distance of the places is noted But although Christ be absent in bodye yet notwithstanding bicause hée is God hys power euerye where shed foorth doth playnlye declare hys spirituall presence For to what end doth he ascend vnto god but only that he sitting at his right hande might reigne in heauen and in earth M. Also this is to be noted that he doth not onely say I ascende vnto my Father and my God but added also And to your Father and your God Therfore they which are Christes haue the same God and the same Father that he hath C. For this is an inestimable benefite that the faythfull may surely truste and beléeue that the God of Christ is their God and Father also This trust beeing founded vpon Christe is no rashnesse Moreouer Christe calleth the Father his God in respect of his humanitie he hauing taken vpon him the fourme of a seruant This therfore is proper to his humane nature but yet it is referred to the whole person in respecte of the vnitie because he is both God and man We haue also here to note that Christ is the Sonne of God by nature but we by adoption onely but suche is the stabilitie of grace whiche we haue by him that the diuell with all his force shall neuer be able to shake the same but that we shall alwayes call him our Father who hath adopted vs in his only begotten sonne A. Christe therefore is so called oure brother that therewithall also wee must account him our Lord and Prince 18. Marye Magdalene came and tolde the Disciples that she had seene the Lorde and that hee had spoken suche things vnto hir A. So soone as the Lord commaunded Mary Magdalene obeyed who notwithstanding as it is like was muche greeued that she should departe from him And she tolde vnto the Disciples two things according to the Lordes commaundement The one is that she shad seene the Lorde She sayth not that the Lord was rysen but that she had seene him that she might bring tidings of that whiche was playne and euident This was very necessarie to be tolde vnto the Apostles by hir who before had made them suspecte the remouing away of the Lordes body The other is that he sayde vnto hir Go vnto my brethren and tell them I ascend vnto my father c. Let vs consider that it is not without cause that he commaunded Mary to tell the Disciples not only that he was risen agayne but also that he was about to ascende into heauen to his Father They were to be called from an earthly opinion as well as Mary the which they coulde hardly put away hauing conceyued the same in their myndes before his Passion Wherefore Luke reporteth that they sayde Lorde vvilte thou at this tyme restore the kingdome of Israell 19. The same day at night which was the first of the Sabbaths whē the dores were shut where the Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stoode in the middest and saith vnto them Peace be vnto you M. Sainct Iohn omitteth many things which are to be read in the other Euangelistes C. He nowe beginneth to shewe heere howe that by the sighte of Christe the Disciples were confirmed in his Resurrection Bv. For he setteth his liuely body before his ten Disciples to bee seene and touched C. And it came not to passe without the prouidence of God that they came altogither in one place that the credite of the matter myghte be the more sure and manyfest Bv. The Apostles were miserably dispearsed by the crosse of Christe euen as the Lorde himselfe by the mouth of the Prophet Zacharie had tolde them it should come to passe but now taking vnto them a good courage againe they come togither loking now for more happie successe Wherfore if so be at any tyme the tempest of afflictions do disperse vs let vs retourne againe vnto our fellowship for we shal not wante the grace of God C. Christ verely delte most gentelly with them bycause he helde them in suspence but till the euening When the doores were shut M. The manner of this people was not to shut their doores in the day tyme. For this cause the Euangelist sayth that the Apostles came together in a secrete assembly beeing afearde of the fury and outrage of the Iewes C And in that they came together it was a signe of faith or of Godly affection but in that they shut vp them selues in secret we do acknowledge that there was some infirmitie in them For the stoutest and most valiant mē sometime are afrayd but notwithstāding we may perceiue that the Apostles were so afearde that they bewrayed the infyrmitie of their fayth R. The Apostles feared the Iewes as yet bicause their harte was not yet sealed with the spirite of God but afterwarde the spirite beeing reuealed the doores were not onely opened but also the Apostles preached Christ publiquely abroade fearing neyther thretninges nor death nor hell nor Sathan but deryded them euen as tryfles and sporte Of so greate power is the consolation of the holy Ghost C. And we haue here an example worthy to be noted For although
same And therefore the Apostle Paule saith 2. Cor. 5.20 VVe are messangers in the roome of Christ euen as though God dyd beseeche you through vs so pray vve you in Christes steede that yee be reconciled to God And we oughte not to estéeme of this vnspeakeable treasure any whit the lesse bicause it is offered to vs in earthen vessels but wee haue rather cause to giue thaÌ„ks vnto God which hath giuen such honor vnto meÌ„ that they may represent his owne person and the person of his sonne in pronouncing remission of sinnes Moreouer heereby appeareth the madnesse and blindnesse of the Papistes Absolution of the Papistes which wrest and abuse this place to their magicall absolutions But Christe dyd not héere appoynt his Apostles to be auriculer confessours but publique preachers of his Gospel Wherefore we must consider the maner of remitting of sinnes that we may knowe what power this is which is giuen to the Apostles And whosoeuers sinnes yee retayne Christ addeth this seconde parte to terrifie the contemners of his Gospell to the ende they may know that their pride shal not escape vnpunished Therefore as the Ambassage of saluation and eternall lyfe was enioyned the Apostles so also they had vengeance committed vnto them to vse agaynst all those wicked ones whiche should reiecte the saluation offered vnto them as the Apostle Paule teacheth Bv. So that the Apostles forgaue men their sinnes when by the preaching of the Gospell they taught that the faythful had their sinnes forgiuen them Retayning sinnes and that they were endued with life by the death and resurrection of Christ Iesus And they retayned sinnes when they pronounced the wrath of God to rest vpon al vnbeleuers It is proper vnto the Gospell that we are reconciled vnto God 2. Cor. 10.6 but it is accidental that the vnbeleeuing are addicted vnto death Notwithstanding wée must note that whosoeuer heareth the preaching of the Gospell and doth not imbrace remission of sinnes there offered is in the state of eternall damnation 2. Cor. 2.16 For as the sonne of God is the sauour of life vnto life to them that beléeue so also he is the sauour of death vnto death to the Infidels A. Concerning the larger exposition of this place reade our Commentarie vpon the .16 Chapter of Matthew and begyn at the nynth verse also at the .18 verse of the .18 chapter 24. But Thomas one of the twelue whiche is called Didimus was not wyth them when Iesus came R. As the fall of Peter is before described at large not to the reproche of Peters fall but that the Scripture myghte set before vs the vayne presumption of flesh euen so in this place S. Iohn describeth the vnbelefe of Thomas not to discredite him by ripping vp his sinne but to set foorth in Thomas the nature of flesh Bv. For Thomas representeth all those who iudge the resurrection of the fleshe to be impossible and therefore doo make a scorne at the same And the vnbeleefe of thys Apostle is therefore set downe that the faythfull myghte thereby bée the better confyrmed and strengthened He was not onely slowe and harde to beléeue but also hys obstinacie made hym desire to feele and handle the body of Christe béeing not contented with the sighte of the same R. Furthermore in this Historie wee acknowledge the woonderfull Iudgementes of God For as God wyncked at the brethren of Ioseph and suffered them to be ledde by enuie agaynst Ioseph at the fyrst secondly to sell him and lastly to lye vnto their Father but to this ende that béeing fallen the deeper when they were deliuered they mighte the more manyfestly see and acknowledge the hande and power of the Lorde Euen so Christe wynketh at the vnbeléefe of Thomas but with this iudgemeÌ„t The iudgementes of god in Thomas hys vnbeleefe that not so muche hys faythe as oures mighte be the more confyrmed For by the vnbeléefe of Thomas oure beléefe was furthered M. In that Thomas was not with the rest some thinke the cause to be this bicause he was not as yet returned from the flighte whiche he tooke for feare 25. The other Disciples sayde vnto him wee haue seene the Lord. But he sayd vnto theÌ„ excepte I see in hys hands the print of the nayles and thrust my hande into his side I will not beleeue C. Here is noted the originall and welsyring of the fault bicause euery maÌ„ will be wise in his owne conceyte and flattereth him self too much Bv. Thomas doth not desire simply to sée the Lorde but rather seeketh for the printes of the nayles and markes in the flesh for so he sayth he will beleeue that Christ is truely rysen agayne As if he shoulde say Ye are disceyued no doubt by some phantasie or spirite I therefore will not beleeue except I see his body yea and least my sight be deceyued except I put these my hands into the printe of the nayles in his hands and my finger into the wounde of his side These wordes contayne nothing sounding to fayth but onely a sensuall iudgemente The lyke happeneth to all those which are so addicted vnto them selues that they giue no heede or credite vnto the worde of God 26. And after eyght days agayne hys Disciples were with him and Thomas with them Then came Iesus c. M. This was the eight day after his resurrection which we may name the Sonday The same day the Disciples were gathered togither agayne In whome we maye note the nature of sincere loue There is a common prouerbe Like will to like They were all lyke affected towarde Christ therfore they desired to be in one assembly And they did paciently beare the vnbeleefe of Thomas vntill suche time as he should be cured by Christ him selfe They did not excommunicate him but admitted him into their fellowship withoute grudging And Thomas also him selfe although he beleeued not those who tolde him of the Lordes resurrection yet notwithstanding he could not keepe him selfe out of the companie of the Apostles and Disciples Héereby wee are put in minde to foster and maynteine mutuall loue and not to forsake the bonde of Christian charitie for some lighte contention C. Concerning the comming in of Christ and the salutation which he vsed reade the .19 verse going before 27. After that sayde he to Thomas Bring thy finger hither and see my handes and reache hither thy haÌ„d thrust it into my side and be not faythlesse but beleeuing M. The Lorde dothe not tarrye vntill Thomas preuenteth him but eâ—â—â—eth him that thing first without the which he had sayde he woulde not beleeue that thereby he might not onely beleeue the resurrection but mighte also be pearced in conscience and that he might knowe that he was not ignoraunt of those things which he had spoken vnto the rest of the Apostles telling him of the Resurrection C. Hereby also we gather what care he had to prouide bothe for the confirmation of our faythe and
we doo neuer obey God with such a willing free minde but the world seeketh to drawe vs a contrarie way R. Death is alway vnsauery to the flesh the flesh is most vnwilling to dye C. Whervpon the Apostle complayneth The good which I wold do I not but the euil which I vvould not that doo I. Rom. 7.19 Therfore Peter in the flesh was vnwilling but in the spirit willing to dye G. Furthermore we haue to note that all men naturally feare death Death feared by nature bicause it is contrary to nature to desire to be dissolued Therefore Christ though with his whole hart he was framed to the obedieÌ„ce of God he wisheth death away This doctrine therfore is necessarie to be knowne For it stirreth vs vp to pray bicause we can neuer ouercome the feare of death without the singuler helpe of God therfore our onely way is to submit our selues vnder his holy hande to be ordered at his pleasure 19. That spake he signifying by what death he shuld glorify God And wheÌ„ he had spoken this he saith vnto him Follow me M. The Euangelist expoundeth the words of Christ by which he gaue Peter to vnderstande that he should be slayn for the doctrine of the Gospell C. This addition of S. Iohn is of great weight For although all the godly ought to seeke to glorifie God whether it be by life or by death yet S. Iohn thought good to adorne their death with a speciall title whiche with their bloud seale the Gospell of Christ and set foorth his name Phil. 1.19 Bv. That punishmeÌ„t which the confessors of Christ suffer is extreme reprochefull and full of ignominy but the truthe calleth suche deathes and suche punishments glorious bicause the holy Martyrs of God by death do glorifie God and are glorified also them selues by that eternall glory M. The Euangelist doth not say by what death Peter should dye nor yet by what death he shoulde deserue euerlasting life but he sayth Signifying by vvhat death he should glorifie God Therefore the death of the godly which they suffer for Christes sake bringeth not destruction vnto them as the blinde world iudgeth neyther doth it deserue eternall lyfe but hath onely thys commendation that it glorifieth God The which whosoeuer doth he hathe to comforte him selfe with this voyce of the Lorde 1. Kin. 2.30 Apoc. 14.13 I will glorifie them whiche glorifie me Blessed therefore are the deade which dye in the Lorde Follow me C. Hâ—â—re Christ declareth wherefore he foreshewed the violent death of Peter namely that he might prepare Peter to patience sufferance Séeing sayth he thou must suffer death by my example follow thy captayne M. Therfore the Lord propoundeth his example to Peter as if he should say Thou knowest how I haue liued in this world how diligently I haue fed the shéepe which the father hath giuen me what I haue suffered of the wicked for this cause and from wheÌ„ce I am now raysed to eternall lyfe and glory Héereby frame thy selfe after my example hereby take heede what thou doest hereby know what to looke for and thou shalt finde consolation R. For thou shalte dye a cruell death Therfore prepare thy selfe for the afflictions to come and take heede to thy calling This ought to be no small consolation vnto vs how sharpe soeuer death séemeth to bée seeing the sonne of God offereth him selfe before our eyes with hys blessed resurrection which is our triumph agaynst death Bv. So that this place playnly sheweth that all the Ministers of the church ought to be folowers of Christ in whom they shall finde see and learne al that apperteyneth to the discharging of their ministerie In him is the most excellent loue both of God the father and also of the flock committed vnto him in him is a burning and discrete zeale he teacheth sincere swéete and sharpe doctrine he is most pure in maners and in example of lyfe he giueth strength and patience to euery one in perils and he is most long suffering To this Shepheard let euery Pastor in the Church haue respect Iohn 8.12 For he is the light of the worlde who so followeth him walketh not in darknesse but shall haue the light of life 20. Peter turned about saw the disciple whom Iesus loued following him c. Bv. Although Peter was restored and placed in his Apostolicall office yet neuerthelesse he retayneth stil in himself the relikes of humaine nature and imbecilitie which procedeth froÌ„ the corruptioÌ„ of sin M. For wheÌ„ he was coÌ„maÌ„ded to folow the lord he doth not so muche consider that vocation as he hath respect vnto others Bv. For looking behinde him he saw Iohn following and seeing he knew thot he was more deare vnto him than the reste he greatly maruelled what death he should dye M. Whervpon he moueth the question concerning his lot saying Lorde vvhat shall he doo For he thought it very absurde that he should be called alone and Iohn omitted whom Christe had alwayes so greatly loued A. Concerning the leauing of Iohn on Christes breste reade the .23 verse of the .13 chap. before Lorde what shall he do C. We haue here in Peter an example not onely of our superfluous but also of hurtfull curiositie when as by the the beholding of others we are draweÌ„ away froÌ„ our office For we being by nature seuere and narrowe examiners rather of other mens liues than our owne do therby seke to shift off our selues For by this cullour of excuse we willingly deceiue our selues namely that other are no better than we as though their slouth and folly were our discharge Scarse the hundreth person doth consider this saying of S. Paule Gal. 6.5 Euery man shall beare his ovvne burthen Wherfore in the person of one man this is a generall reprehensioÌ„ of al those which looke rounde about them how other men behaue them selues but neglecte their owne dutie and charge which God enioyneth them faythfully to execute Of tenne God will choose one whome he will exercise eyther with excéeding sorrowes or with gréeuous labour the other nyne he will suffer to liue in peace or at least will lightly exercise them He vseth not all men alike but trieth euery one as it seemeth good vnto him Seeing therfore ther are diuers kinds of Christian warfare let euery man learne to kéepe his owne raye and order least as idle persons we enquiring after this or that prouoke our heauenly Captayne to displeasure agaynst vs to whom we ought to be in suche subiection that we shuld forget al such things as appertain not to the doing of our duties 22. Iesus sayth vnto him If I will haue him to tarry till I come what is that to thee Follow thou me Bv. The Lord Iesus reprehendeth the curious and vnprofitable demaunde of Peter Bv. and calleth him into the way in the which he must go willing him to consider not the burtheÌ„ of other men but what he him selfe is