whose death our synnes dye and perishe Michel v. i. Pet. ii Hebr. xiii Then let vs remeÌ„ber what this capitayne and emperour of our life dothe sette before vs which is geuen vnto vs of God the father not onely for a redemer but also a foregoer and guide of the way that we reiecting all thinges might follow his steps and hauyng our eies fixed vpon him Rom. viii might folow him without the walles of the castel bearing the reproche which he had we might be made semblable vnto the Image of the sonne of god vtterly denieng all vngodlinesse Ad Tit. ii and hurtfull desires Rom. vi yea denying our selues let vs beare the crosse after him being grafted in his deth let vs mortifie the members which are vpon the earth and wheras before we haue set our myndes vpon vnrighteousnes let vs now endeuour our selues to righteousnes and holynes Neither is Christ a painted or graueÌ„ example and so dead but a liuely example and of efficacy which doth shine in the faithfull and is expressed and worketh truely which dothe shew forth it selfe both in worde and in dede and in the whole actions of the life a liuely example I say and such as expresseth all heauenly vertues as charitie obedience modesty long suffring gentlenesse patience purenesse and constancie then which example there is none more perfite or absolute for what greater charitie can there be than for to suffer deth for his enemies neither was this in his childhode as the children were slaine of Herode neither died he after the manner of the riche or honourable men but he died a most filthye and vile death that is to say of the crosse and that betwene .ij. theues I meane he was put to suche a deth as wicked mischeuous men are beyng counted for a disceauer Moreouer Christ toke vpon him in himself whatsoeuer is hard vile and troublesome in this world This I say did Christ choose and toke it vpoÌ„ himselfe for vs lest the flesh might haue any occasion of complaynte Men wyl suffer any thing so that they may escape deth but Christ besides all euils suffred death and that a most bitter deth he despised whatsoeuer is great precious in this worlde he chose and suffred whatsoeuer is vnpleasaunt and euill vnto the flesh as pouerty reproche infamye rebukes blasphemies stripes bonds wouÌ„ds finally death to th end that we mighte learne to despise the world with all his entisementes and to suffer all aduersitie for him with ioye For we cannot approche to heauenly thinges except we cast away despise earthly things he which loueth the world caÌ„not loue god he which despiseth the world whatsoeuer is in the world sauoureth eternal things things of god No aduersitie caÌ„ trouble or throw douÌ„ such a maÌ„ no prosperitie caÌ„ puffe him vp humility obedieÌ„ce haue nede of his exaÌ„ple which being god desceÌ„ded toke vpoÌ„ him our infirmitie being obedieÌ„t vnto the father eueÌ„ to the death By these thinges which we haue forespokeÌ„ I thik it is manifest inough after what sort the deth of Christ should be meditated of vs what is set before vs to be learned by the same what it is to haue grief with him namely to follow his steps which coÌ„mitted no sin neither was ther fouÌ„d any guilem his mouth which being railed on with euil wordes i. Pet. â—â— replied not euil words again being troubled with euils he threatened not but referred the vengeance to him which iudgeth iustely let vs also learn the like things that we may be strong without feare coÌ„staÌ„t if any thing be to be suffered for Christ his sake for the truth and for righteousnesse that with a couragious minde we maye beare reproches rebukes and deathe that there be nothing so hard nothing so greuous â—om viii which we should not be ready to beare for him This is to bee made like fashioned vnto Christ to suffer that which he suffered to do that which he did to glory and reioyce if any thing happen to bee suffered for Christ for god forbid that we should seeke any other glory in this worlde Rom. v. then in the crosse of our lorde Iesus Christ Gala. vi by whome the worlde is crucified vnto vs and we to the world ii Cor. vi ii Cor. iiii ii Cor. v. whose markes lette vs beare in our bodies in muche suffring in afflictions in necessities in tribulations in stripes in imprisonmeÌ„ts in seditions in labor in watching in fasting in purenesse c. We are alwayes deliuered vnto the deathe for Iesus sake that the lyfe of Iesus might be made manifest in our flesh The loue of god doth constraine vs that we diligently weying this that if one man died for all men then all we before were deade and that one died for all that they which liue hereafter might not liue to themselues but to him which died and rose againe for them Let vs neuer therefore be weary ii Cor. iâ—â—â— for although our outward man be corrupted the inwarde man neuerthelesse shal be renewed euery day for the smalnesse of our affliction which endureth but a very smal time shall get vnto vs an euerlasting weight of glory aboue measure i. Pet. iiii so that in the meane time we regard not those thinges which we see that is to say whiche dure but for a tyme but those thinges which are not sene that is to say eternall thinges Wherfore seing Christ hath suffered for vs in the fleshe Let vs also be armed with the same cogitation that he which suffreth in the fleshe hath ceassed from sinne for this purpose that now he shuld not lyue according to the lustes of the fleshe the rest of the time which is in the flesh but according to the wil of god let it suffice vs that we al our life tyme before haue liued accordyng to the manner of Gentiles when as we were conuersant in wantonnesse in lustes dronkeÌ„nes gluttony bibbings and bancketings and in detestable worshipping of ymages let vs not meruaile as though some new thing hapned vnto vs if that we be tried by fier for this is done to trye vs withal but let vs reioyce that God thinketh vs worthye to suffer any thing for hym and that we shoulde bee made parteners of Christ his afflictions in the reuelation of whose glory we shal also ioy with great reioising if we suffer rebukes slaunders for the name of Christ we are blessed bicause the glory and spirit of god remayneth vpon vs. For if we haue died with Christe we shal also liue with him â—â— Tim. ii Rom. vi if we haue suffred with him we shal also raign with him no man is crowned but he whiche lawfully wrestleth Let vs therfore suffer afflictioÌ„ as good souldiors of Christe whiche haue made promise to Christ in the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme â—â—b xii being apointed to go on his warfare grafted
more he feeleth consolation the lesse doth the burthen of afflictions trouble him It is pleasaunt to all fleshe to receaue grace or consolation in aduersities but wholly to denye him self and to seeke neyther in him self nor without him selfe any thing but God only in al things Here is the workâ— here is the labour This finally declareth him to be a stoute souldier of Christ Let it not therefore be greuous to vs if we bee forsaken of all men yea and of our most derest frends This is not one dayes worke but it requyreth a longe and continual fight if a maÌ„ wil ouercome him selfe and cleaue only to God A man is hardened by afflictions so that all thynges be they neuer so paynfull will be easye Let vs not therfore despayre if the Lord somtimes hide away withdrawe hys ayde and comforte from vs. Thys is no newe or rare thing to those which are exercised in the waye of God and in the spiritual battayle Courses of thynges are altered so that after rayne and tempestes followeth most pleasaunte fayre weather and calmes The Lord is neuer vnmyndfull of hys how so euer he dissemble sometymes whiche is myghtie to comforte vs after oure longe temptation and that with a great increase of spirituall ioy Wherfore the saintes complayne in their extreme aduersities that they be forsaken of god when as yet for all that in the meane tyme they dispaire not but desyre helpe of God so much the more feruently as they doe acknowledge them selues to bee more forsaken nothyng doubting but that God wil be present in tyme and shew forth hys power in theyr weakenes We must therefore according to the example of Christe stande stedfaste in afflictions neyther muste we come downe from the crosse how so euer our enemyes rage or bee woode agaynste vs. We shall see streyght waye God will ayde vs from aboue He is ready to succor them which fyghte and hope in hys grace And althoughe he seeme somtymes to vs to deferre or to bee a slepe thys is done to geue vs an occasion to fyght so by that meanes to ouercome These thynges happen vnto vs from oure moste pitifull Father to trye our fayth and to teache vs to acknowlede our weakenes to flye vnto him and to requyre helpe of him Let their doctrine therefore be put awaye from the Churche of Christ whiche affyrme Christ to haue dispayred vpon the crosse But let vs rather thynke thus that the heauenly Phisition tooke vpon him self al euils for vs Heb. 2. that we myght acknowledge that we haue a faithful high priest which can be sicke with them whiche bee sicke and to haue compassion of oure infyrmitie Christ soroweth with them which are sorowfull and the hed powreth out his complaynte for the members which are sicke This voyce is of the fleshe whiche feleth payne yet doth it not rebell nor dispayre Innocent flesh feleth extreme payne a moste holy bodye feleth moste greuous torment which is so wonderful great that euen the insensible creatures beare witnesse that they be sorowfull concernyng a certayne horror for the death of theyr creator Christ expresseth thys vnmeasurable griefe by â—xample and graue wordes ☞ Afterward when Iesus knewe that all thinges were finyshed that the scriptur might be fulfilled he said I thirst And there was set a vessel ful of vineger and they filled a sponge with vineger and ysope and put to hys mouthe Then when Iesus had receaued the vineger he sayde it is finyshed THere is no member in Christ withoute paine and torment Wherin we may perceaue partly the loue of the father which put hys Sonne so forth to all euils for vs and partly the cruelty and ingratitude of the Iews God hath not spared hys owne Sonne sayeth Paule but hath deliuered hym for vs al. The heauenly Phisition setteth before vs a remedy against the disease of our first parents who by the prouocation of the apple would satisfie their appetite whereby synne hath flowed into vs all Christ therfore woulde not offend with his tonge that he might heale thys disease teaching in the meane tyme all the Godly to temper them selues from the delicatenesse pleasures of the body wherby the feare of god doth almost growe out of vse in the hartes of men In that he sayeth it is finyshed he declareth that whatsoeuer thynges were Prophecied of him in the law and Prophetes are now finyshed For al did demoÌ„strate Christ the shaddowes and olde figures were put oute when Christ the true light shined Of the which thing we haue spoken more aboundauntlye in other places Let vs learne here that our saluation is finished in Christ and let vs not seke it any further in other things besides Christ There remayneth nothing whiche can be added vnto it eyther by the Pope or by any creature Thys is left that we should followe the accomplisher of our fayth constantly and stoutely and to abide in our calling euen to the end 2. Tim. 4. 1. Gor. 9. that we may at the length say with Paule I haue fought a good fighte I haue finished my course I haue kept the fayth and that we runne not as in an vncertaine course but that we may win the price ☞ And Iesus cried with a loude voice Father into thy handes I committe my spirite And when he had sayde thus he bowed hys hed and gaue vp the Ghost THe lyfe of al mortall men dieth vpon the crosse as touching the flesh opening vnto vs by his death the way of life and deuouring death by his death An innoceÌ„te dyeth for wicked meÌ„ a laÌ„be wtout spot is made a most acceptable sacrifyce vnto the father for our sinnes Let vs pore wretches therfore flye vnto so healthful a death and draw out our life there Furthermore let vs also learne to dye dayly to the the affections of the flesh we must cast away the world and those thinges which are in the worlde that beynge cleane from the contagiousnes of the world so beynge naked we may follow Christ naked in whome hereafter we must both liue and dye we must offer our selues wholy vnto him which hath offred himselfe for vs in whose mercye we puttinge our trust let vs commend our soules to the father which is a true God hath redemed vs. ☞ And beholde the vayle of the temple was rent into two partes from the top to the botome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen the graues wer open and many bodies of the saintes which slept arose and came oute of the graues after his resurrection and wente into the hollye citye and appeared to many But when the Centurion and they which were with hym watching Iesus saw the erth quake the things that were done they feared greatly saying trulye this was the sonne of god For when the CenturioÌ„ which stode ouer against hiÌ„ saw that which happened and that he thus crienge gaue vp the Ghost he glorified God
A briefe rehersal of the death resurrectioÌ„ ascention of Christ gathered together oute of the foure Euangelistes and Actes of the Apostles by the most godly and great learned man Huldriche Zuinglius written first in Latin and now traÌ„slated into Englishe that such as vnderstande not the Latin tongue should not wante the vse of so worthy and profitable a treatise ¶ Perused and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties Iniunctions ⧠The preface and introduction into the history of the Passion and death of Christ AMong all the histories gentle reader that any time haue bene written froÌ„ the beginning of the world vnto this present was there neuer any to be compared to the historie of the Passion resurrection and ascension of Christ written most exactly by the foure Euangelists albeit dispersed and in sondry places and aptely not without great trauell and payne gathered in due order by the most godly wel learned man Zuinglius with certaine briefe annotatioÌ„s and many wholesom godly instructions and declarations of the harder places adioyned vnto it by the same man for the easier vnderstanding to the reader which history as it is most certaine and true for that no percel therof was written but by the holy ghoste although he vsed men as instrumeÌ„ts therunto which onely is truth froÌ„ whom proceadeth nothing but truth So by it is sette forthe vnto vs the springe and ground of our saluation namely the passioÌ„ and death of Christ the price of our redemption the onely pacifieng of the wrath of god towarde vs way to eternal ioy which Paule affirmeth to be great and wonderful such as neither eye hath sene neither eare hath heard nor heart can imagin but what shal I nede now to make any loÌ„g or further declaratioÌ„ either of the certaintie therof wherof no christiaÌ„ man hauing the feare of god before his eies hath euer douted or of the coÌ„moditie comming vnto vs by the same whiche is so amply and manifestly set forth in the treatise it selfe But for as much as it is writteÌ„ in a straÌ„ge tonge namely in latin which the multitude of our countrey vnderstand not and also which is much to be lamented manie of these which are in place of teachers such is the infelicitie of this our time lest these I say shuld vtterly waÌ„t the vse of so fruitefull a worke I was moued and thought good both for the aduauÌ„cement of the glory of god and also for our brethrens farther encrease of knowledge to bestow some labour at such conuenieÌ„t leasure as I coulde well spare to turne it into our English tongue plainly and truly without all arte or eloquence as one tendyng nothing els but the endes aforesaide which if I obtein I shal accompt my labours right wel bestowed minding also farther to trauail in the same kind of labor if I shall se by this that my labour hath bene profitable FOr as much as the deathe of Christ is the lyfe of all the electe it behoueth therfore to know by what meanes it is made our saluation which in it self cannot be but saluatioÌ„ For Christ as Simeon declareth as he is set for the rising of many Luke ii so is he agayne set for the fall of many And this commeth to passe which ofteÌ„times hapneth that that which is geuen vnto vs for a remedy against poyson by our vice is turned to be nomand destructioÌ„ There be which do think vpon the crosse and death of Christ our sauioure after a certaine kynde of carnall affection thinking thei haue done their duety excelleÌ„tly wel that they haue done god high seruice if so be that thei haue euery yeare a certaine grief with Christ dieng that they witnes the same with teares Those ought to remember that Christ desired the women not to weepe for his sake Luke xxiii for he saithe wepe not for me or for my sake but he admonished theÌ„ of the misery which shoulde come vpon them for their ingratitude and infidelitie and therfore he addeth wepe for your selues for the dayes wyll come c. I wyll not speake now of the ambition which we haue sought for in such fayned sorrow for we would seme to be suche as wer heauy with Christ when as in dede we were nothing lesse Others minâ—ble vppe certayne colde praiers in memory of the passioÌ„ others deuide the order of the passion for synguler dayes or certaine houres other some againe doe abuse the same as it were by magicall enchauntments to their owne glorye and couetous desyre not sekyng Christ but themselues let vs rather thinke or rather meditate and depely weigh consider why Christ died and here shal the vaynes of faith and charitie open themselues God so loued the world saith S. Iohn that he gaue his only begotteÌ„ soÌ„ for it Ioan. iii. that whosoeuer beleueth in him shuld not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting It commeth of a singuler charitie that god doth geue his onely begotten sonne vnto the death for miserable and damnable seruantes the which beyng considered kindleth our hartes bindeth vs altogether to god and whatsoeuer other thing god hath geueÌ„ vnto vs besides him selfe it would haue done vs litle good yea although he had geueÌ„ a most excellent creature it would not haue satisfied the fleshe he gaue himself therfore to vs in his sonne that there by we shoulde nothing doubte of his loue and fauour but he died that we mighte liue He was nayled to the crosse that he myghte deliuer vs for he hathe borne our synnes vppon his body Esay liii i. Pet. il and hath taken al our infirmities vpon him by whose beating whipping we ar healed He is the price which was geuen for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ by him our vnrighteousnes is put away blotted out before god In hym the iustice of god is pacified in him is life geueÌ„ to them which beleue The meditatioÌ„ of these things will leade vs not onely into the vains of God his goodnes but also to the springs of our synnes Let vs therefore consider this in Christ for what thing he was geuen vnto vs of god wherfore Christ dothe not onely teache vs that we shoulde thorowly acknowledge our selues vnrighteous and condemned but also doth open vnto vs with the same the bosome of mercye as a most sure sanctuary and doth also comforte the consciences which in a maner are desperate and heauy ladeÌ„ with the burden of synnes geuing vnto them which be his Rom. viii peace and tranquilitie For what can he which hathe geuen his sonne denye vs afterward Let vs therfore first thinke vpon thys in the crosse of Christ that is Christ to be the price of our redemption the sacrifice for sins our satisfactioÌ„ i. Cor. i. our righteousnes life holines gate and way to god the pledge of saluation euerlasting life the onely mediator intercessor and reconciler by whome the way to god is made open by
in his deth Therfore let vs not be wrapped with the businesse of this life lette vs not be defiled with worldly desires let vs run by patience in the battell which we haue set before vs hauing an eie to Iesus which is the capitaine of faith and finisher who setting before himselfe ioye suffred the crosse contemning reproches and rebukes let vs diligently consider that he suffred such gainsaying of synners that we beyng weried in our myndes should not faynt Let vs thinke how vile a thing it is to shrink away from such a capitayne or for vs to bee so sluggish when as he fighteth so strongly so valiauntly Let vs consider how euil it becommeth the members to be proud high minded and enuious when as the hed doth so huÌ„ble it selfe and is so feruent in charitie Let vs also weighe how great infamy it is for a capitaine to take vpon him so many woundes lastly of all death ii Tim. ii Act. xiiii Eccle. ii Iacob i. Ioan. xiii the souldiors to be a slepe and geue themselues to rioring whosoeuer therfore will liue godly in Christ Iesus must prepare themselues to suffer persecutions and by many tribulacions must striue to come to euerlasting life they must abyde in the feare of god and prepare their myndes to temptations and kepe theÌ„selues pure froÌ„ this world Christ hath geueÌ„ vs an exaÌ„ple that we shuld do euen as he hath done Luke 22. ¶ Now the feaste of vnleauened bread drew nighe which is called the Passeouer namely after two daies IT was commaunded vnto the Iewes that on the feaste daye of the Passeouer Exod. xii xiii xiiii when they did eat the lambe they should eate vnleauened cakes 7. dais after which figure Paul openeth in the 1. Cor 5 sheweth that we must purge the old leaueÌ„ for that a littel leaueÌ„ doth leaueÌ„ al that is mingled with It is meete for such as ar born of new by Christ to liue a new innoceÌ„t life that they may be as it wer a certain new dough vnleauened For our Passe ouer Christ saith he is offred vp a lamb without spot Let vs therfore celebrate this festiuall day not with old leauen neither with the leaueÌ„ of malice wickednesse but with bread wantyng leauen that is with sinceritie and truth The Passeouer of the Iewes hathe a figure of the libertye whiche should come by Christ for euen as in the old tyme god saued the children of Israel in Egipte froÌ„ the murther with which the Egiptians were punished namely whose doores were sprinckled with the bloud of the Lambe and after that he led them forth with a mightye arme safe and sound thorow the red sea and so deliuered theÌ„ from the most greuous yoke of Pharao So also he saueth those by Christ whiche beleue from euerlasting deth and hath deliuered theÌ„ froÌ„ the power of darkenesse traÌ„sferryng them into the kingdome of his beloued son Colo. i. by whoÌ„ they haue redemptioÌ„ namely remission of sinnes by his bloude Iohn i. and this is the cause why Christ would die at this time that we might vnderstand that is that lambe of god whiche should take away the sinnes of the world and they which are washed with his bloud shuld be safe froÌ„ the destroyer Iohn iii. for so God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne â—or it that euery one whiche beleued in hym might not perishe but haue life euerlastyng Iohn v for they which do beleue in Christe doe come vnto no iudgemeÌ„t or punishmeÌ„t but haue passed froÌ„ deth to life yea although thei wer dead yet shall they haue life in him which is the resurrection and life But where as Marke saieth it was Easter and Mathew Iohn â—â— after two daies shal be Easter Luke expoundeth it and saith the festiuall day of the Passeouer drewe â—ere or was at haÌ„d that is it should be shortly namely after ij dayes It is therfore a preueÌ„ting of the time But the feast of the Passeouer by Iohn doth seme to be the day followyng the eatyng of the Lambe So the daies of swete bread are put for the Passeouer bicause they came both togethers ¶ Then the highe priestes and the elders were gathered together in the house of the high priest whose name was called Caiphas consulting togethers howe they might take him and kill him by guile but they feared the people and therfore thei said amoÌ„gst themselues not on the feast day lest peradueÌ„ture there be a commotion made by the people THen this woorde then is not referred vnto the time in the whiche he speaketh these thinges but to the tyme wherein they were gathered together The audacitie of the flesh is here to be noted which wheÌ„ it goeth about to lye in wait against the truth it consulteth diuers wayes and in those counsels choseth and obserueth occasion and tyme for the purpose Wherfore then they lay theyr heds together when as the people were busily occupied in preparyng of the lambe They which resist the truth do assemble lay theyr wittes together Psal ii against their lord to destroy him bicause he was contrary to their works They inuente diuers causes to accuse hym withal knowing that as sone as he were takeÌ„ all the people woulde forsake him But howe impudent so euer the flesh is it feareth neuerthelesse where as nothing is to be feared For wheÌ„ they had agreed that he should not be takeÌ„ on the festiual day yet neuerthelesse by the ordinaÌ„ce of god he was takeÌ„ on the feast day that without any vprore that hapneth ofteÌ„times vnto the wicked which they feare yea which they seke by al means possible to auoid This we may perceaue in the couÌ„sel of Caiphas who thought it better that one should be takeÌ„ away thaÌ„ that the whole natioÌ„ should perish and furthermore if Christ should be taken away to take hede that the Romanes shoulde not oppresse them But whilest these folishe men do auoyde one vice they runne into the contrary The Iewes hoped that if Christe were rid out of the way that then the people wuld forsake him but after the deth of Christ many more beleued came vnto Christe thaÌ„ there did before when as in one daye manye thousandes receaued the faithe They feared lest if Christ liued the Romanes would haue taken away their countrey and nation which hapned vnto them 40. yeares after So God derideth the counsels of the vngodly bryngeth to passe that they are snared and takeÌ„ in their owne counsels And the selfe same thing in our dayes doth the Pope the Cardinals the Bishoppes the Monkes and euill senators but they hide their counsels yea they adorne them with the title of honesty religioÌ„ ¶ And SathaÌ„ had entred into the hart of Iudas Iscariot which was one of the xii he weÌ„t his way to the chief priests magistrates eueÌ„ with this mind to betray him vnto theÌ„
he loued them I Told you before that Iohn toke the Passe ouer for the day folowing the eatyng of the Lambe the Euangelist dothe Rhetorically amplify the excelleÌ„cy of Christ that his lowlines might the more depely be knoweÌ„ He saieth Iohn which knew al thinges he whiche knew the houre of his death he to whom the father had geuen all thinges into his hands which came from god c He I say washetâ— the feete of his disciples Let all prophets byshops gouernors of common weales and leaders of the people learne of this teacher faytâ— loue care towards those whiche are coÌ„mitted vnto them Christ loued his euen to thâ— death he neuer forsaketh them he neuer ceaseth after he had once begun to loue them hâ— was obedieÌ„t vnto the father euen to the death that he might set before vs an example of humilitie and weldoyng c. ¶ Now on the first day of the feaste of vnleuened bread the disciples came vnto Iesus saying vnto him where wilte thou that we prepare for thee the Passeouer he said go into the city prepare for vs to eat the Passeouer there but they said where shal we prepare Iesus aunswered goe into the city vnto a certain man behold there shall meete you entryng into the city a maÌ„ bearing a pitcher of water follow this man into the house wherin he entereth and saye you to the good man of the house The maister sendeth vnto thee my time is at hand that I should eatin thy house the Passeouer wyth my disciples wher is the lodging wher I shall eate the Passeouer with my disciples And he will shew you an vpper chaÌ„ber which is large trimmed and prepared there make it redy for vs. So his disciples wente forthe and came to the city found as he had saide vnto them and they made ready the Passeouer NOthing is done here by chance nothing is done rashly all things are foresene and ordained by the prouidence of God without beginning All thinges are gouerned by his counsell and will These thinges are therfore writteÌ„ by the Euangelist that we might vnderstand that Christ was not compelled to die by violence or of necessitie but of his own free will and by the wyll of the father and bicause that all the shadowes of the old Testament vanished away in Christ it is declared also that Christ is that Lambe which is prefigured in the old Testament as Paule teacheth in the 1. Cor. 5. ca. But this word Passe ouer is taken diuers waies sometymes properly for that passing or slippyng ouer of the Angel in Egipt wheÌ„ as he slew the firste begotten of the Egiptians but spared the Israelits vpon whose dores the bloud of the lamb was sprinckeled sometimes it is takeÌ„ for the festiuall day it selfe and sometimes for the laÌ„b which is killed and that by denominacion as here when he saieth to kill to eate or prepare the Passeouer So this worde Passeouer is put for the Lambe agayn the Lambe is called the Passeouer Gen. xvii when as it was only but a memoriall of the passing ouer So the breade is called afterwards the body of Christ wheÌ„ as it is but the token of the body circumcision is called the couenauÌ„t Gen. xvii of the which couenaunt it was but the signe We learne here the pouerty of Christ who not hauing where to put vnder his head is coÌ„pelled to prepare his supper with hys disciples in other folkes houses after the manner of the poore ¶ And when euen was come Iesus came with the xii and when it was time he sate doune and the xii with hym and he said vnto them I haue earnestly desyred to eat this Passeouer with you before I suffer For I say vnto you henceforthe I wyll not eate of it any more vntill it bee fulfilled in the kingdome of God and as they wer eating Iesus toke the bread geuing thankes brake it and gaue it to his disciples sayeng Take and eate this is my body which shal be geuen for you do this in remembrauÌ„ce of me and taking the cup he gaue thankes and sayd Take this and deuide it amoÌ„g you this cup is the new testament thorowe my bloud whiche is shed for you for I saye vnto you that after this I wil not drinke of this fruite of the vyne vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kyngdom they al dranke of it JT is exactely described of all the Euangelistes how Christ did institute the sacrameÌ„t of his body bloud after the figuratiue supper that he might declare that the figures of the old testament were accomplished and finished in him and that all thinges were renewed that they mighte haue in memory his wonderfull great benefit geuen them in the crosse no lesse theÌ„ the old fathers had in eating of the Passeouer that the newe might be agreable to the olde and that light might succede darkenesse He sheweth first with how great a desyre he did eate this supper with them namely wyth a vehement and a most feruent desire for this figuratiue speache in Hebrew is I haue desired or in desiring that is I haue desired with a wonderful great desire to eate this Passeouer that is this memoriall Lambe and I haue no lesse desired to eat with you this new supper in the which I commeÌ„d vnto you the memory of my deth to be celebrated of you for euer For as often as Paule expoundeth as ye shall eate of this breade and also drinke of this wyne you shal be myndfull of my death Let the memory of this benefitte neuer slippe from you let it neuer be forgotten lette it alwais remain in your hearts Let your mouth alwais declare and shew forth this preache you this euery where celebrate thys without ceasing and geue wonderfull great thankes for this For it is not meete that you shoulde at any time put in obliuion my deathe seyng that I haue with so great a desire suffred deth for you which am so desirous of your saluatioÌ„ that I do euen geue awaye my life for you I wâ—ll suffer my body to be nayled to the crosse as a sacrifice for your sinnes and I will shed my bloud to wash you withall I do so muche esteme you that I am redy to redeme you by my death from euerlasting death I do set before you signes of this benefite and of this redemption whiche being eaten of you shall renew the memory of me vnto the which signs I gaue the names of my body and bloud that they might the more strongly moue your senses My deathe is your lyfe if so be that you beleue that by my death I haue appeased god for you and that my bloud hath washed away your sinnes this shall norishe and fatten you inwardly This beyng weighed with a true faith shall make mery and pacify your myndes Take therfore and eate do this in remeÌ„braunce of me I go now from you so
that froÌ„ henceforth I shall not eate and drynke wyth you after the accustomed maner I shall with my bloud being shed confirme that testament which somtyme I established with AbrahaÌ„ but after a new sorte not by the bloud of beastes as it was in the olde tyme but by myne owne bloud Neither shal my couenaunt staÌ„d with the Iewes only but with al mankind This worde braunche or fruite of the vine is a paraphrases of wyne and doth signifye not onely that to be wyne which Christ dranke in the cuppe and gaue vnto his disciples but it also declareth that it was bloud but such as came out of the vine and not powred out of his body as if a man would say this is of the fruite of wheat he shoulde by circumloqution signifie bread and therwithall declareth that it is not onely bread but also it is bread made of wheat and of no other graine For there is also bread made of Rye and of Otes c. And this emphasis haue all parephrases and specially the Hebrew parephrases So wheÌ„ Christ calleth himselfe the sonne of man Therfore he saith henceforth I wil no more eat nor drink wherfore it is likely Christ him self also dyd eate and drinke namely after this sort but after an other sort and newe that is to say after my resurrectioÌ„ I wil theÌ„ eat with you wheÌ„ as you shall eate with me at my table in the kingdom of my father but not after that sort as bodies are wonte to be fed but in the state of immortalitie Therfore the kingdom of god is either the time after the resurrection or els a more full knowledge of Christ The kingdom of God or els the eternal life after this life in the which the faith full shall eate and drinke vppon the table of Christ wiih Christ that most swete drinke of immortalitie as appeareth in the .xxii. chapi Luke As concerning the sence of these wordes of Christ this is my body and of the foode of the soule we haue spoken inoughe of in an other place Let vs not dispute how the bread is made the bodye of Christe but lette vs rather remember the benefitte performed vnto vs by the bodye of Christe that being inwardly satiated in our minds we may lift our hartes to him which sitteth at the right hand of the father that is in a certain limited place in heauen that we may loue one another that we may liue innoceÌ„tly that we may geue thaÌ„kes vnto the Lord and walk worthely in our vocatioÌ„ To eate of the body of Christ is none other thing but to beeleue that his body was geuen to the death to make satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes To drinke the bloud of Christe is nothing els but to beleue that Christ his bloud was shed for the washing away of our sins neither is there any other eating of the bodye of Christ then that which is done by faith of the which Christ speaketh in the 6. chap of Iohn neither can it be done of any but of the godly But the eating of the simbolical and mistical bread is common both to the godly and also to the vngodly althoughe after a diuers sorte For there be some which do eate the bread of the supper vnworthely and drinke the wine vnworthely and by that meanes do get vnto themselues death and iudgement that is punishmeÌ„t And those although they eat drink with their mouth the sacrameÌ„ts of the body bloud of the Lord yet neuerthelesse they eate not the body of Christ neither do they drinke his bloud vnlesse they will make Christ a lyar which farre be it from the euerlasting and infallible truth wheÌ„ as he saith They which eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud abyde in me and I in them There is none I thinke that will affirme if he haue his right wittes that this agreeth with the vngodlye but as for the godly they do not onely eat with their teath the signes neither haue they â—are signs but besides the eating of the signes whiche is done with the mouth of the body they are inwardly fed in their mindes with the body and bloud of Christ by the eating of faith which faith the spirit of Christ kindleth within theÌ„ at such tyme as much to whoÌ„ it pleaseth him For the operatioÌ„ of his spirit is not bouÌ„d to the signes neither is grace so put in them that it shuld be brought vnto them as it were in a wagon but Christ that chief and eternall bishop doth feede the faithfull with his body and bloud the minister only administring the sacraments outwardly vnto whome he setteth before their eyes putteth in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce and declareth the grace of god he bringeth it not to them he geueth it not neither doth he distribute it to theÌ„ Therfore a faithful mind doth receaue the body and bloud and hauing receaued it the spirite of God doth with heat disgest it poureth it into the inwarde bowels of the soule of the which springeth a maruelous and inwarde refreshing vnto a godly mynde when we celebrate therfore the Supper of the Lord or thankes geuing let vs remember that only sacrifice which was offred vppon the crosse with thankes geuyng For we are admonished that by the flesh and bloud of the onely begotten sonne of God offred vppon the crosse for vs we are redemed from euerlasting death and that the same are made to vs spirituall foode to norish and kepe vs in euerlasting life for as much as Christ hath offred vp himselfe a most acceptable sacrifice for vs vnto the father in geuing his body to the deth powred forth his bloud to wash vs wtall it is wholy our partes to meditate and to preache abroad so great a loue and so woÌ„derfull great a benefit and to geue thanks for so liuely a death and by that meanes our faythe will more encrease towardes God the father also his loue and good will towards vs will be more and more kindled Moreouer we are admonished by this most holy Supper to offer and vowe our selues wholy bodye soule vnto Christ for a sacrifice considering that he hath suffred death to restore vs vnto life and desire not to lyue nowe to our selues but to Christ Finally the remembrauÌ„ce of the body geueÌ„ and of the bloudshed is therfore set before the church of Christ in the holy signes of the supper that by the same it might more certainly receaue as it were a certain priuy tokeÌ„ of her redemption and might cal into memory that we are so compacte by faithe into one bodye that we are made the members of one head Christ It is therfore mete that we bee bound together with a singuler charitie amoÌ„gest our selues and with doyng good one to an other Let the death of Christ therfore neuer slip out of our heartes let vs alwayes remember that Christe is wholly made oures that we should also be his by faith and charitie and our neighbors by charitie
and let vs abyde in him by faithe and he in vs by loue let vs do and suffise all thinges for him which died for our sakes ¶ And when supper was done when the diuell had put in the hart of Iudas Simon Iscariot to betray him Iesus knowing that his father had geuen him all thinges into his haÌ„des and that he came from God should go vnto God he rose from supper and put of his garmentes and when he hadde taken a linnen towell he girded himselfe with it then he poured water into a basen and began to washe the fete of hys disciples and to wype them wyth the lynnen towell wherewyth he was girded GOd setteth before vs in Christ an example which oughte neuer to goe out of our sight namely of all vertues Let vs consider his vnspeakable charitie ioyned wyth a singuler humilitie God therfore teacheth vs in Christ charitie humility liberality gentlenesse strength long suffring and constancie Let vs do good vnto all men both to our freÌ„des and to our enemies neyther let vs looke for any other thyng for our benefits then hatred and most greuous persecutioÌ„ Yet let vs not in the meane while be drawne away from doyng good neither let vs at any tyme cease This is that which Paule saith al that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecutioÌ„ He which amoÌ„gest mortal men wil planâ— vertues and set forth righteousnes must put forth himselfe wholy to the hatred of all men and must vowe him selfe for rightuousnesse and eueÌ„ as Christ could not be plucked away by no reproches or hatred i. Thes iâ—â— from rightuousnesse and truth from charitie and wel doing but that he obeied the father euen to the deth and constaÌ„tly suffered whatsoeuer the vngodly didde vnto him loued his so wel vnto the end So also must al the godly do They must constantly go forward to do good in the myddest of all euels neither must they faynt or be wery at any time as ouercome wyth the hatred of euill men Christ loued and did good euen vnto his death he serued and profited all men and therby got nothing but extreme hatred and most cruell death To departe out of this world and go to the father is a periphrasis of his death as though he would say Iesus knowing that he should dye nowe but as we haue tolde you the Hebrew periphrasis haue great emphases and are of more efficacy than if the sentence had ben set forth plainly and wtout figure What is to dye For by these woordes he sheweth declareth a great consolatioÌ„ vnto the faithful namely that the deth of the faithfull is no other thing but to leaue the worlde â—nd to go to God And is not this a great coÌ„solation to leaue the world that is al wickednesse all infidelitie al labour and affliction to go vnto God which is the most good and also the most louing father who woulde not reioyce when he heareth this that by deathe he is deliuered from al euils and endued with all good thinges And to the christians to die is no other thing than to leaue the world and to goe vnto God whereas otherwyse if we shuld die without Christ deth were the most terriblest thing that could be vnto all fleshe The Euangelist therefore by these wordes doth make death pleasant and acceptable and doth declare what death also what the pain of sin is made vnto vs by the death of Christ namely the end of all euils and the beginning of a new and euerlasting life Therfore worthely saith Dauid that the death of the saints is precious in the sight of God wheÌ„ as in the meane time the death of sinners is moste yll The farther we departe from the worlde so much the nerer we come vnto God Agayne the more we come and addicte our selues vnto the worlde the more we departe from God betwene these two there is no meane neither maiest thou cleaue to both of them but in that the Euangelist doth say that the diuel did put this treason into the hart of Iudas he doth it to declare that these wicked deedes and mischiefes are done by the diuel as of the author of them that is to say by his instrumeÌ„ts For in dede there be in man certain good affectioÌ„s created of God but by mans faulte they are corrupted and made euill as the couetous desire of thinges These affections dothe the diuell snatche vnto himselfe and draweth vnto hym whatsoeuer he catche and vseth them at his owne pleasure So that which is created good in vs of God the deuill draweth to our destruction He put of his garments c. It is a kind of speaking which describeth the thing manifestlye and as it were setteth it beefore our eyes ¶ Then he came vnto Simon Peter and Peter said vnto him wilt thou washe my feete Iesus aunswered what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Peter said vnto hym Thou shalte neuer washe my feete Iesus aunswered If I washe thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Simon Peter saide vnto him Lord not onelye my feete but also my handes and my head Iesus sayd vnto hym He that is washed hath no nede but to washe his feete but is altogether cleane and ye be cleane but not all for he knew which of them shoulde betray him and therfore he sayd ye be not all cleane HEre is set forthe in Christ an example of singuler charitie and humilitie in Peter the blindnesse and curiosity of humain wisdom Christ perfourmeth the same in dede which he had taught in worde for in the eleuenth chapter of Mathew The submission of the mynde he saith learne of me bicause I am meke and humble in hearte he therfore expresseth humilitye in him selfe for what greater a basenesse can there be than for the sonne of God and the Kyng of Kinges to humble himselfe to the feete of his seruantes â–ª Let vs hereby learne to throwe downe our selues to attribute nothing to our selues and to boast nothing at all yea and loke how much the more in estimation we bee so muche the more let vs humble our selues So sayeth Paul in the xij to the Romanes ij to the PhilippiaÌ„s But in Peter is declared the stubbornnes of the flesh which inquireth after captiue al things curiously neither doth it obey God but his owne reason but it should haue made his vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the obedieÌ„ce of Christ Peter vnderstode what Christ would do for he did se that he would wash his feete but he vnderstode not what Christ meÌ„t by this washing Therfore Christ saieth that whiche I do that is that which I entend thou knoweâ—â— not that is thou vnderstandest not thou perceiuest it not we are so dul and so sluggish that after we haue sene things done it is loÌ„g before we can vnderstaÌ„d them neither do we know what they mean God ofteÌ„times signifieth by som outward thing that which at
aunswered hym sayest thou that of thy self or did other tel it thee of me Pilate aunswered am I a Iewe Thine own nation the high priestes haue deliuered thee vnto me What hast thou done Iesus answered my Kyngdome is not of thys world if my kingdome were of this world my seruauntes would surely fyght that I should not be deliuered vnto the Iewes but now is not my kingdome frō hence Pilate thē sayd vnto him art thou a king thē Thou sayest that I am a king For thys cause am I borne and for thys cause came I into the world that I should beare witnes to the truth euery one that is of the truth hereth my voyce Pilate said to him what is the truth whē he had saide that he wente oute agayn vnto the Iewes and said vnto them I fynde in hym no cause at all But ye haue a custome that I shoulde deliuer you one loose at che passeouer wil ye therfore that I lose vnto you the King of the Iewes Then cryed they all agayne saying not hym but Barrabas Nowe thys Barrabas was a thiefe whiche was in prison with the authors of an insurrection made in the citie wherin was murther committed Thē Pilate spake vnto them agayn willing to let Iesus lose But they cried saying Crucifye crucifie him And he sayd vnto them the thyrd time what euil hath he done I fynde no faulte worthy of death in him I wil therefore chastise hym and let him lose PIlate at the firste sheweth a certaine semblaunce of Iustice and equitie for that he goeth about to deliuer an innocente and to pluck him out of their handes and he being an heathen man doth beare witnesse of the innōcency of Christ but he is vnconstant and wauering like a rede and he fowly goeth against his conscience being moued partly by feare partly by gredy desire to reygne He ought not to haue suffred that he whom he confessed to be innocente should be beaten of the souldiours and muche lesse to be crucified For bycause that Christ sayth that hys kingdome is not of this worlde the Anabaptistes abuse thys saying and would take away Magistrates from amongest Christians But they should marke that Christ speaketh of him selfe appoynteth the kingdome of the spirite Christ came not to possesse a kingdome in the world but to set forth an example of humilitie and obedience So in lyke case no Christiā mā ought in his mind to be desirous of a kingdome no though he be chosen to gouerne others So Christ was the king ouer the whole world as he is also at this day but he coueted not a kingdome for he came not therfore but for to Preach and yet for all that he denyed not him self to be a king but he desired no kingdome but only of consciences So all preachers ministers of the word ought to do For although thei be appointed ouer kingdomes princes Iere. 1. ◠Cor. 10. yet ought they by no meanes to make suite for thē as Ieremy saith but thei ought to gouerne consciences with the worde of God So Paule sayth that the weapons of our warfare ar not carnal but mighty through God to cast downe holdes by the which we ouerthrowe the deuises and euery high thyng that is exalted against the knowledge of God we leade euery thoughte captiue to the obedience of Christ and we haue in a redines vengeaunce against al disobedience We may boast in this authority whiche God hath geuen vs for edification and not for destruction I came for thys intent that I might beare witnesse to the truth as though he would say I came not to the end to reigne but to beare witnesse to the truth To beare witnesse of the truth is the Periphrasis of a Preacher To beare witnes to the truth So Iohn was sent to beare witnesse of the lyghte that is of the truth So Christ sayeth to his Apostels in the xv Chapter of Iohn and ye are my witnesses Also in the last of Luke thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer Iohn 1. and to arise agayn frō the dead the thyrd day that repentaunce remissiō of sinnes shoulde be preached in his name amongest al nations Luke 24 beginning at Ierusalē And ye be witnesses of these thinges not only in Ierusalē Act. 1. but also in al Iury Samaria finally vnto the vttermost part of the earth The father therfore sent the sonne into the worlde to beare witnesse vnto the truth that is to say to make hym selfe knowen of the world for he is the truth Iohn the .xviiij. chap. And who soeuer hath but euen a crome of the truth within him the same is begotten of him heareth his voyce Christ is not onely made equall with wicked persons but is cast muche more lower thē wicked persons For the thiefe is loosed but Christ is killed They geue a murtherer his life but they desyre to haue the author of lyfe crucified they chuse a thiefe and reiecte a Sauiour By the whiche we are taught not only the maliciousnesse of the Phariseies but also the inconstancye ingratitude of the common people It was not long before that they cried and sange Hosanna and extolled him riding vpon the Asse with great prayses saying blessed be he which commeth in the name of the Lord. Now they crie as faste again he is a deceauer Let him be crucified Let no man therfore hunt for prayse of the people Let no man glorye if the common people prayse hym The wauering and inconstante people is by and by perswaded vnto a contrarye sentence so he is cursed in deede that putteth his confidence in man Pilate beareth witnes more then once of the innocencye of Christ and saith that he doth fynde no cause of death in him He is therefore vniuste bycause he suffreth an innocent to bee whypped But he feared men more then God A iuste iudge ought not to punyshe the giltles to get the fauour of other mē The Romaines did put to death those whō they had beatē Although it semeth the Pilate dyd not beate Christ to the intent that he would put him to death but 〈◊〉 by this meanes he might deliuer hī frō death All these thinges are done by the prouidence of God that Christ might suffer all the punishementes which euen the most wicked do Here may we iudge the loue of god the father which thrusteth his well beloued only begottē sōne for vs vnto most greuous punyshmentes that we might also learne to beare pacientlye what things so euer shall happen vnto vs. ¶ Then Pilate tooke Iesus scourged him and the souldiors platted a crown of thorns and put it on hys heade and they clothed him wyth a purple garmente and sayde Hayle Kyng of the Iewes they buffeted him And Pilate went forth agayne sayd vnto thē behold I bring him forth vnto you that ye may know that I find no fault in
hym at all Thē came Iesus forth wearynge a crown of thorns a purple garmēt Pilate sayd vnto them behold the man Then when the highe priestes and officers saw him they cried sayyng Crucifye him crucifie him Pilate said vnto them Take ye him crucifye him for I finde no faulte in him The Iewes aunswered him we haue a law accordinge to our law he ought to dy bicause he made him selfe the sonne of God whē Pilate then hearde that worde he was the more afeard and went againe in to the common hall and sayde vnto Iesus whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no aunswere Then sayde Pilate vnto him speakest thou not vnto me Knowest thou not that I haue powre to crucify the and haue also power to lose the Iesus āswered thou couldest haue no power at all against me excepte it wer geuen thee from aboue Therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hathe the greater synne from thense forthe Pilate sought to lose Iesus but the Iewes cried saying if thou lose this man thou arte not Ceasars frende Whosoeuer maketh himselfe a kyng speaketh agaynste Ceasar PIlate is a figure of a tyrannous and negligente iudge bearing a certayne shewe of righteousnesse whē as in dede he hath not so much regard to it So often tymes we outwardly shewe one thing and inwardly in oure hart meane an other thing He would haue saued Iesus so that it might be done with Ceasars fauoure and the Iewes But if his hart had bene inflamed with the desire of Iustice he would not haue defended an innocent so carelessely and coldly but stoutly and vpryghtly A iudge ought not to haue a respect to the fauoure or displeasure of men but vnto the rule of equitie and lawe They which be softe and weake doe by litle and litle slippe till at the length they declyne altogether from the ryght waye Whiche we may see by Pilate who for that he doth not constantly prosecute that whiche he knew to be ryght is compelled at the length to geue sentence agaynst an innocent his own conscience accusing him to the contrary in cōdempning of whom he condempneth him selfe when as he saith with arrogant boasting that he hath power to lose Christ Whom the Lord doth gentelly reprehend Rom. 13. declaring vnto hym that no man can doe any thyng but so farforth as the Lord shall permitte And bycause that al power is of God therfore a Magistrate ought not to abuse the same power to oppresse innocentes with all euen as they lust them selues Also this is a comforte vnto vs when as we know that mē cā do nothing vnto vs though they bee neuer so cruell but so muche as the Lorde shall permitte them Thys must we also marke that the Father dyd laye our sinnes vpon Christe therefore Christ was scourged for oure synnes by whose stripes we are healed by whose woundes oure woundes are cured He offereth hys backe to them whiche stryke hym and hys cheakes to them whiche buffet hym Esay 53. Esay 20. Let vs therefore with griefe remember the hepe of our synnes which Christ suffred for in hys bodye beinge despysed and put to shame that he myghte deliuer vs from euerlastyng shame and punyshmente Let vs also make readye oure backe and oure whole bodye to beare stripes for hym whiche hath loued vs with so great a loue Iesus holdeth his peace geuing an example to the Godlye that they shoulde not greatly indeuour to excuse or deliuer them selues when they shoulde suffer death for the truth ☞ And when Pilate hard that worde he broughte Iesus forthe and satte down for to geue iudgemente in the place which is called the paued place and in Hebrew Gabarha And it was the preparation of the passeouer almost about the sixt hower he saied vnto the Iewes behold your king But they cryed awaye with him awaye with him crucifye him Pilate sayd vnto them shal I crucify youre kyng The high priestes aunswered we haue no kyng but Cesar And the hygh priests with the elders accused him of many thinges And when he was accused of the chiefe priests and elders he aunswered nothing Thē said Pilate vnto him dost thou not here how many witnesses thei brīg agaīst thee And he āswered him not to one word after the insomuch that the gouernor marueyled gretly Now at the feast the gouernour was wont to delyuer vnto the people a prisonner whome they woulde And they had at that time a notable prisonner cal-Barrabas which was in prisō with the authors of a sediciō in the which sedicion they had cōmitted murther when they were gathered then together that the people made a noyse he begā to requir them instātly that he might do as he had alwayse done vnto them Therfore Pilate said vnto them whether wil ye that I lose vnto you Barrabas or Iesus which is caled Christ for he knew ful wel that they hadde delyuered hym for enuye THe Iewes desyred nothing so much as to recouer theyr King But nowe these moste wicked persons doe dissemble that stoutly to destroy Christ whiche tolde thē that he was a king which was that king that was promised vnto them Of which king also there are amongest the Gentiles which witnessed of him For thus writeth Suetonious in the life of Vespasion There spred thoroughoute the whole east an olde and constante opinion that it was destimed that at that time Iury should obtayne the dominion of thinges The Iewes applying that to them selues which was forespoken of the Romaine Emperoure as it appeared in the end rebelled and slewe their president Moreouer they droue awaye the Liuetenant of Siria comming to succoure the gouernour and ouerthrewe the Romaines standerd Thus farre writeth he Where agayne we may learne also the lightnes and inconstancye of the common people when he fed them they would haue made him a King when he inueigheth against theyr peruerse manners they desire to haue him crucified He is therefore a foole and a mad man that sticketh to the fauour of men Thei preferre a thiefe a murtherer before Christ an innocent which is cōmonly sene now a dayes yea amongest those whiche are called by the name of Christ when as varlets and vngodlye men despisers of the truth religion and all godlynes are promoted to the gouernaunce of the common wealth and to common offices but they whiche are honest and simple men are despised And where suche things are done most hardest things are to be loked for to suche common wealthes what shoulde we hope for any other thing when as vngodly men are promoted If so be the a maide clothed with a white garment woulde beleue that she coulde kepe her clothes white amōgst the middest of colliers Shoulde shee not make her self a laughing stocke to all mē And what other thyng is an vncorrupte senate then a certayne vndefiled Virgin decked with moste pure silke And if thou ioyne vnto the same corrupte and naughtie men then is it
seperated from their sight being also besides that the price of our redemption He tooke vpon hym for our sake all manner of reproche he is reuiled froÌ„ the lowest to the highest no man pitieth him no man hath compassion on him being afflicted no man comforteth him they rage agaynst him most cruelly without mercy and yet could not hys goodnesse be ouercome by theyr malice Nothing coulde plucke hym backe from the worke of oure saluation which he had begonne nothing coulde withdrawe him from hys office Let vs follow our hed and despise what soeuer is delectable glorious in the world Math. 10. Luke 21. let vs also willingly suffer reproche following the steppes of hys humilitie pacience Let there be nothing so hard nothing so paynefull to feare vs awaye from our vocation For in pacience we shall possesse our soules and he whiche abideth to the ende shall be saued Let vs not be ashamed to be euill spokeÌ„ of for Christ Let vs not be ashamed of the witnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ neither let vs be abashed if any afflictions be to be suffred for his sake â— Tim. 1. For if we haue bene partakers of his crosse we shall also be parteners of his glory All thinges though they be neuer so hard or paynefull shall be welcome vnto vs if we shall considre that our hed hath suffred the same thinges before In the thiefe is set forth an example of Gods loue and grace whiche is not denyed yea euen to moste greate sinners if that with a true fayth they call vpon God by Christ if they acknowledge Christ to be theyr Sauiour if they repente from the bottome of the harte Let vs also acknowledge our sinnes with the thiefe Let vs acknowledge remission of sinnes to come by Christ and we shall finde the lyke comforte at his handes We muste in the meane time acknowledge and confesse that we are worthye both of eternall death and also of infamye for our wickednesse and we must cast our selues vpon the grace of Christ which is our righteousnesse and life when our consciences are sore troubled and as it were in maÌ„ner desperate we muste runne vnto Christ saye Remember me Lorde in thy Kingdome Great is his mercye which loued vs and gaue his Sonne for vs that by him we might liue He desireth not the death of a sinner but that he may be conuerted and liue I expound paradise for all kinde of ioye and pleasure this daye shalt thou reioyce with me and haue the fruttion of eternall pleasures By these wordes is the error of the slepers confuted whiche saye that the soules departed out of the bodye do slepe The soules of the Godly slepe not but as sone as they bee loosed from the bodyes they are in vnspeakeable ioye with Christ ☞ And it was aboute the sixte howre and there stoode by the crosse of Iesus his mother his mothers sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Marye Magdalen Then when Iesus saw his mother and the disciple whome he loued standing by he said vnto hys mother woman beholde thy sonne Then sayd he to the disciple behold thy mother And froÌ„ that howre the disciple toke her for hys WE haue now very often spokeÌ„ of the most great infamye whiche Christ suffred and of the extreme sorrow wherewith he was afflicted which declareth his exceding great loue towards vs when as nothing is more vnpleasaunt vnto man then losse of his fame glory Moreouer what is more greuous vnto the flesh then to bee beaten and wounded It is meete the refore that we loue him whiche of his vnspeakable loue hath suffred most greuous thinges for our sakes so that he mighte deliuer vs froÌ„ euerlasting punishment infamye It happeneth somtimes that in afflictions the presence of frendes doth bring coÌ„fort mitigate the sorrow But in Christ al thynges are otherwise for he receaueth no consolation by his Mother standing by but a more greuous sorowe when as neyther he caÌ„ helpe his mother nor his mother him In the meane time his fayth and loue towards his mother ceasseth not but he dying coÌ„mendeth her to his welbeloued Disciple which shoulde thenceforth take care ouer her in his stede But in that Iohn writeth that his Mother stode by the crosse it is not done without a reason and a certaine Emphasis for by these wordes is signified that there was a constancye of fayth with an exceding greate modestye in his Mother which constancye might mitigate her vnmeasurable sorow yea and myghte fortifie her and staye her vp This vertue being in the beleuers maketh them that they can commit nothing vnworthily in trouble neither can they altogether fall the Lorde assisting theÌ„ with his hand ☞ And from the sixte howre there was darknes ouer the whole earth vnto the ninth howre and the sunne was darkned and about the ninth howre Iesus cryed wyth a loud voyce sayenge Ely Ely lama azasthaui That is my God my god why hast thou forsaken mee And some of them that stode by there wheÌ„ they heard it said thys maÌ„ calleth Helias and straight wayes one of them ran and tooke a sponge and fylled it with vineger put it vpon a reede and gaue it him to drinke but other sayde let be let vs see if Helias will come and saue hym CHrist in all his torments both of body and mynde hath nothing to lighten his payne though it were neuer so litle the Lord did thrust hym down and drowne him in all euils and tooke awaye from him all comforte to the end we should not dispaire if the lord somtimes withdrawe his comforte from vs in temptations and seme to be a slepe In the meane tyme Christ declareth in hym selfe to bee of the true nature of man and sheweth the weakenesse of the fleshe to put them to shame whiche fayne that Christ had a fantasticall bodye or do take from hym the felyng of payne Also the vayne and hipocritical opinion of the Stoikes is here confuted which make their wise maÌ„ to be with out griefe Christ is not so and yet was there neuer any at any tyme eyther more holy than he or els more absolute in vertue but he groneth he wepeth he is sorrowful and he complayneth to the Disciples of hys lot he crieth that he is forsaken when as neuerthelesse in an other place he saith that he is not alone Psalm xvi but hys father is with him yea his Disciples forsaking him We see therefore that thys is spoken after the fashion of men that in our person who toke vpon him selfe all our infirmitie but yet without sinne The Lord teacheth vs by this figure what he requireth of theÌ„ which worship him namely to denye theÌ„selues wholly and to be redye to follow theyr capitayne in all thynges yea though the consolation of god be absent or withdrawne For it is not so great a matter to beare the crosse if a man feele prâ—sent consolation For the
saying Truly this man was iuste the son of God And al the peple that came together to that sight and had sene the thinges whych happened retourned smiting theyr breasts THe vayle is rent this is of the kind of examples which are called pure or dombe where examples teache and speake with deedes and without wordes The like wherof is when Ezechiell is coÌ„maunded to burn some of the clipped heares and to cast awaye other some Also when as Tarquinius walkinge in a gardein did out of with a staffe before his soÌ„s seruant the chief toppes of the poppye So the vayle being rent doth teach vs that al fygures ar accoÌ„plished in Christ and whatsoeuer hath bene hidden or kept secret in the old testament is now expounded the dayle beyng takeÌ„ away his bloud being shed entred into the SanctuÌ„ Sanctorum So he spake by the earth quake by other signs to declare firste the vnworthines of the thinge which the earthe coulde not beare whilst his creator suffred Secondly to shake of as it were an old garmeÌ„t declaring that it would one day put on a newe face by his preaching which now suffred and that it should be moued by the preaching of the Gospell Where the Gospell death of Christ is Preached there do the foundacions and corners of the earth tremble the fleshe quaketh is troubled when that it heareth that hys workes are nothing worthe Prolipâ—â— and that the death of Christ hath thoroughly payed all thinges But in that it is written that the dead dyd aryse agayne that is done by a figuratiue speache of Hebrewe For fyrst he setteth forth as it were by a generall proposition all things that were done but yet at sundrye times then he entreateth of euery perticular thing for by and by he returneth to his buriall So the dead did then ryse agayne from death and come into the citie when Christ was now risen which is the first fruites of theÌ„ which slepe and that they might testifie that they liued in deede they appeared vnto many that the Iewes might the easlyer beleue that they shoulde also one day ryse againe when as they see Christ their elders to haue risen agayne So the stones doe detest the vnworthynesse of the thyng and the hardnesse of the Iewes which do crucifie theyr Sauiour Moreouer also they doe signifie the Gentiles whiche be a harde people and yet for all that they should be clouen and subdued to the Gospell Into the holy citie So was Ierusalem called in the olde tyme but it was so corrupted with naughtinesse and wickednes that it was made rather a denne of theues Esay 1. The bodye of Christ as it semeth was coÌ„mitted to the Centurion and his souldiours to bee watched for the souldiers crucified him This CeÌ„â—urion when he sawe the wonderfull thynges that happened knewe that Christe was more then a man which he testified and confessed wtâ— loude voyce These thinges are not written without a cause As though the Euangelyste woulde say Though that man were a Gentile and a warrior neuerthelesse he gaue God the glory To geue God the glorye after the Heâ—rewe Phrase is to beleue the truth to coÌ„fesse the true god to cleaue vnto the truth First â—e calleth him a iuste man and thys is the first â—egree vnto fayth and then he calleth him the â—onne of God The smyting of the breast hath â—n admiration with griefe and shame For thei which cryed crucifie him now are sory and are â—ricked in conscience Wherby is noted besides â—he grief which followed of sinne also the incoÌ„â—tancye of the people whiche before tooke the priestes part and now take Christes part Pricking of conscience followeth wicked acts So â—o late at last commeth shame and punishment So in lyke case came it to passe in our first Faâ—her AdaÌ„ that he was ashamed bicause he was â—aked when as he was also neuerthelesse naâ—ed before hys sinne He whiche bendeth hys mynde to commit wickednes persuadeth with â—imselfe that he can be hidden but it commeth â—o passe otherwise for the day of the Lord reâ—ealeth al thinges also the conscience it self 1. Cor. 3. But put case it be not made manifest here yet for al that it shal be reueled at the comminge oâ— the lord before the whole world Math. 10. Time vteretâ— al things ther is nothiÌ„g so secret which shaâ— not one day be reuealed After sinne folowetâ— shame feare and trouble ☞ Then the Iewes bicause it was thâ— preparation of the passouer that thâ— bodyes mighte not remayne vpon the crosse on the Sabaoth daye for that Sabaoth day was a hygh day desyred Pilate that theyr legs mighâ— be brokeÌ„ the bodyes taken down The soldiors therfore came brake the legges of the fyrste and also oâ— the seconde whyche were crucifyed wyth hym but when they came vnto Iesus and saw that he was alredy deade they brake not his bones but one of the souldiours thruste a speare into his side and incontenently there ran foorth water and bloud and he which sawe it bare witnes hys witnes is true and he knoweth that he speketh the truth that ye also myght beleue Exod. 12. For these things wer done that the scripture might be fulfylled ye shall not breake a bone of hym And againe an other scrypture sayeth They shall looke vpon hym whome they haue persed THe preparacion whereof is here spoken I take to be for the Sabaoth following and not for the eating of the lamb for that was almost past but the .vii. daies lasted stil in which they did eat vnleuened bred And this sabaoth bicause it fel within the dayes of the passeouer was called a gret day because it was the most solemn The euaÌ„gelist doth manifestly enough declare that all these thinges were not doone rashly but that the truth mighte corresponde with the fygures The Church is built out of the syde of Adam sleaping and out of the same floweth forth water to washe the sinnes of the whole worlde The gate is opened that there might be a sanctuary in that place for all beleuers and a hole made in the rocke where as many as labor do fiÌ„de rest ther the hart opened that we might nothing doubt of loue This founteyne of Gods mercy neuer ceaseth to spreade abrode of whose fulnes all they which thurste do drinke and are refreshed that it mighte be made in them a fouÌ„teine of water ouerflowing to eternal life Let vs therfore draw water out of the fauntaynes of our sauiour that we may herafter lyue vnto hym alone which is so wouÌ„ded for vs which doth open his harte vnto all men and sayth geue me your hart O my children Here shal the shepe of Christ find the ryuers of life and the gate thorough which they goe in and out at I woulde to God the Lorde would wouÌ„d our harts with his loue Pro. 23. that we might ryghtly weigh coÌ„sider so gret a loue to that
deth wer al their life time subiect to bōdage Christs resurrectiō therfore is oure lyfe righteousnes which for this cause was diuers wayes proued by the apostles namely to cōfirme our faith For otherwise our flesh doth hardly beleue the resurrectiō of the fleshe which semeth to it self impossible absurd which may be sene in thapostles whose wauering doubtfulnes coulde scarce be taken away notwithstand so many most euidēt demōstratiōs god suffereth his sōetimes to be tēpted to fal that their weaknes might be made manifest to thē selues also to others but he ceaseth not to rayse vp confyrme thē by his powre till he fully performe take frō them al distrust So far is he from casting vs away for our weakenes that he also appeareth vnto womenne and maketh them Apostles of his resurrection For they came of loue to the sepulchre partly to see the Sepulchre partly to annoynte the bodye of Iesus The earth was moued at the death of Chryst to declare that it was heauy with his creator And it is in like case moued at the resurrection desiring gladlye to restore hym whome it had receaued and as it were reioysinge that Christe was risen agayne Moreouer the earthe was moued at the sēding of the holy Ghost to teach vs by this figure that by the death and resurrection of Christe thorough vertue of the holy Ghost the whole world shoulde not only be moued but also be renewed we learne furthermore that the councels of the vngodly agaynst the truth are vayne for howe soeuer they go aboute by lyes to extinguishe the truth yet doth God bryng to passe that by those things which they haue excercised to oppres the truth the truth shall more brightly shyne forth worthely therfore are the Iewes repudiated blinded which do abhor the truth so that they which could not abide to be saued by the truth should pearish beyng wrapped in lyes errors This gospell is chieflye declared vnto Peter who was in most great he uynes aswel for the deth of his lorde whome he offended by denyenge of hym as also for hys deniall that he might receyue comfort and knowe that his synne was forgeuē hym Furthermore christs resurrectiō to a new life doth stir vs vp to newnes of lyfe that we beyng dead to sins mighte henseforth liue to righteousnes They which doe still lye and rotte in the filthynesse of sinnes do declare that they haue not yet risen again with Christ For they which are risen truly in Christe doe shew forth the same in worthy fruites neither doth sinne reigne in their mortall bodye They thincke not vpon earthlye thinges but their minde is vpon heuenlye thinges aboue where Christe their hed sytteth at the righte hande of the Father ☞ And they went out quickly and fled from the Sepulchre for they trembled and were amased neither sayd they any thing to any man for they were afraid And Mary Magdalene ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whome Iesus loued and saide vnto them They haue taken awaye my Lorde out of the graue and we can not tell where they haue laied him Peter thē went forth and that other disciple came to the sepulchre And they ran both together the other disciple did out runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre And when he had stowped downe he sawe the linnen clothes lyeng yet went he not in Thē came Simon Peter folowinge him and wente into the Sepulchre And he sawe the linnen clothes lye and the napkin that was about his hed not lyeng with the linnen clothes but wrapped vp in a place by it self Thē wēt in also that other disciple which came firste to the Sepulchre and he sawe and beleued For as yet they knew not the scripture that he shuld rise again from the deade Then the disciples went away again to theyr own howses Epanodus But Mary stode with out at the Sepulchre weping And as she was wepīg she bowed her self into the sepulchre saw two aūgels clothed in white sittinge the one at the heade and the other at the feete there where they hadde layed the body of Iesus They sayd vnto her woman why wepest thou She sayd vnto them They haue taken awaye my Lord neither wot I where they haue layde him When she had thus sayd she tourned her backe and saw Iesus standing and knew not that it was Iesus Iesus sayd vnto her woman why wepest thou Whome seakest thou She supposing hym to be a gardener sayed vnto him Syr if thou haste borne him hense tel me where thou haste layed him and I will fetch hym Iesus sayd vnto her Marye Shee tourned her selfe and sayed vnto hym Rabboni which is to saye Maister Iesus sayd vnto her touch me not for I am not yet ascended vnto my Father but goe to my brotherne and say vnto them I ascende vnto my Father and to youre Father to my God and to youre God Marye Magdalene came and tolde the disciples that she had sene the Lord had spoken such things vnto her Shee tolde I saye them which were with him as thei mourned wept And they although they hearde that he was on liue and that she had sene him beleued not THe Euangelistes do by many diuers wordes beate into our heddes the resurrection of Christe that we myghte see that Christe was exalted after death and beleue that we shall enter into lyfe by the death of Chryst and that also our fayth and hope myght be confirmed Christ could in dede haue illustrated the harts of his disciples with his sprite as sone as he was dead so that they should haue nothing douted of his resurrectiō but he loueth this doubt weaknes in thē to make them so much the more earnest in their supplications vnto God The more a sick man fealeth his woundes and diseases the more is he made desirus of medicine So lykewise the more we fele in our selues the weaknes of the flesh the more do we run vnto God for ayde the lesse do we bragge in our owne strengthe which can doe nothing without god when as therfore we feele oure fayth begin to fall then haue we occasion offred vs to call vpon God wyth continuall prayers The prouidēce therfore of God doth by litle and litle leade the disciples to the knowlege of the resurrection of his sonne till it hath fullye made them perfect Thei saw the stone rowled a wai thei foūd the sepulchre empty thep sawe the napkins the lynnen clothes layed aparte the place wherin he laye and finally the aungell testifyinge that he was truly risen And this is diligently to be marked that the Angell sayth that Christe of Nazareth whiche was crucified is not there by which wordes theyr opinion is plainly confuted which cōtēd to haue the body of Christ euery wher after his resurrectiō not in a place For what other thing do they then deny the verity of the humayne
nature in Christ and reuoke from hel Marcyons opinion Christs body was not in the sepulchre after his resurrection when as it appeared vnto Marye Magdalene neyther was it wyth the eleuen at Ierusalē when as it was with the two which went toward Emaus No more can it be in the breade when as according to the scriptures it was taken vp to heauē and setteth at the right hand of God the father For Christ went from the father and came into the worlde againe he left the world and went to the father But he left not the worlde in respecte that he is God when as he is with vs to the end of the world therfore left he the worlde as concerninge his manhed that is he caried into heauen the body which he toke of the virgin Mary into the glorye of the father This is the foundation of the Catholike and Christian faythe and the hope of all the elect which whilest they denye or stirre let them take heede what they make of Chryste or howe they are to be counted for Christians Let them take heede I saye what foundation they stick vnto The flesh of Christ also is glorified after his resurrection and yet for all that is it flesh in deede and putteth not of the nature of flesh and although it be spirituall yet is it not conuerted into a spirite and much lesse into God A spyrite sayth Christe hath neyther flesh nor bone as ye see me haue The body therfore of Christ is in heauen and not in the bread of the supper which coulde be neyther necessarye nor profitable yea it was caried vp is heauen after the resurrection in the sight of the Apostles which was so expedient for theyr fayth which fayth they could neuer establysh by the suppenor by the presence of his body glorified but that thei alwaies wauered and doubted til suche time as they were confyrmed by the holy ghost We must therefore transferre our minde from all corporal and visible thing into heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of god beleue that Christe hath geuen his body to the death for vs. After this sorte is the body of Christ eaten not with the teeth of the body but by the contemplacion of fayth For fayth in dede which cleaueth only to God may vse corporall things but not as though saluation were bounde to those things and be deliuered to vs thorough them but to put in practise fayth and charitie Euen so we cary about the bread and wine in the Supper we distribute it amongest vs and we eate not to merite any thing of God by the same as it were by a certayn worshipping but bycause by these outward signes our senses are stirred vp to weigh consider more diligentlye the grace of God geuen vs by the death of Christ and to lift vp our mindes to Christe the bread of lyfe which for our sakes descended frō heauen For our weakenesse therefore are the sacramentes instituted of Christ as it were certayne signes of the grace and beneuolence of God towardes vs which do stirre vs vp to consider the promises of God wherein our fayth is exercised For they whiche vse these signes doe testifye that they haue fayth in the promises of God and that they bee of the number of those which acknowledge God for theyr God whom they worship in spirite in whom they trust to whō they geue thanks c. And whē doth god more declare shewe him selfe to be our God most louing Father thē when he promiseth to geue vs hys sonne and also performeth it Roma viii For how can he not geue vs all thinges with hys sonne Or what can he denye whiche hath geuen vs his only begotten Sonne Iohn iii. And he hath geuen him vnto vs not to punishe and condemne vs as we iustly haue deserued but that by him we might be saued and haue euerlasting lyfe For he gaue him to be ours al whole to be our righteousnesse wisedome hollynesse redemption saluation and life What a great loue is thys what a great grace the eternal Sonne of God descendeth and taketh vpon hym selfe our nature that we being made newe by his grace might ascend taking after a sort the diuine nature He descended that we creping on the groūd might be thoroughe him transferred and lift vp to his glory The Lord of al things taketh vpon him the shape of a seruaūt to make vs which are by nature seruaunts oppressed with most greuous bondage the sonnes of God He taketh vpō him selfe our weakenes to strengthē vs with his spirite He is made man to transforme vs by his grace in a manner into Gods He hath communicated with vs in fleshe and bloude being made partaker of the same that also the children namely we might haue euerlasting fellowship with him In fine he would be made like to hys brethren in al thyngs Hebr. 3. that we myghte see that we haue a mercifull and faythfull high prieste to doe all those thinges which we haue to do with God which maketh satisfaction by his bloude for all our sinnes He hath taken vpon hym selfe all that is ours to participate vnto vs what so euer he him selfe is and hath And thys is it which he sayeth to Magdalene I ascende to my Father and your father my God and your God See what a loue the father hath geuē vs both to be named and to be the Sonnes of God i. Iohn iii For the which cause he is not ashamed to cal vs brethren saying God to my brethren c. For his spirite beareth witnes to our spirit that we are the sōnes of God For we haue not receaued a spirite of bondage to be affeard Roma viii but the spirite of Adoption by the which we crye Abba Father God therefore is our Father and our God and we are hys children with whom he hath made a new couenaunte and confyrmed it by the bloud of hys Sonne that we might nowe haue fellowship mutuall perticipacion with the father hys sōne Iesus Christ These benefites so great and most ample are geuen vnto vs of God ii Cor. iii. i. Cor. xiii but they are receaued of vs only by faith which selfe fayth is also the gifte of God and are felt inwardly in spirite For as yet we doe not beholde the glorye of the Lorde with open face for partlye we knowe and perceaue by a glasse in a riddell and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be which is done to our profit that the father should not make vs fully perfecte whilest we liue in this fleshe but doth geue vs the knowledge and fruition of him selfe by certain degrees that we might learne to think humblye of oure selues to walke before oure heauenly father in the feare of God and to depend al wholly vpō him we are therfore made safe but yet in hope whiche hope is not nowe sene fullye otherwise it shoulde be no hope
of concupiscence do not only reygn in city and court but also there be very few which set them selues a brasen wal agaynst them and mend agayne the breach of the hedge Ieremy 1 Ezechiel 22 Let these men remember what loue they beare to Chryst and also consider how great a treasor is committed to their keaping namely a flock gotten by the bloud of Christ Math. 24. Let them diligentlye weigh with what punishment the Lord wyl punysh the vnfaith full ministers when he retourneth to take accompt he wil cut him in twayne saith Christ and put his parte with hipocrites Verely verely I say vnto the wheÌ„ thou wast young thou girdest thy self diddest walke whither thou wouldest but when thou art olde thou shalt stretche forth thi haÌ„des an other shal gird the lead thee whither thou wouldst not And this he spake signifing by what death he should glorifye God when he had spoken this he sayd vnto hiÌ„ folow me Peter turned about saw that disciple whoÌ„ Iesus loued following who also leaned on his brest at supper had said lord which is he that betrayeth thee when Peter therfore saw him he said to Iesus lord what shal this man do Iesus said vnto him If I wil haue him tary til I come what is that to thee Folow thou me Then went this saieng abrode amoÌ„g the brethern that that disciple shuld not dy yet Iesus said not to hiÌ„ he shal not die but if I wil that he tary til I coÌ„e what is that to thee The disciple is he which beareth witnes to these things wrote these things we know that his witnes is tru Ther ar also many other things which Iesus did the which if they should be writteÌ„ euery one I suppose the world could not conteyne the bokes that should be written THat which is spoken by christ to Peter let vs thinke the same to be spoken vnto vs al namely that we should follow christ vnseperably cleaue vnto him keepinge our selues safe froÌ„ straunge things Let euery man be vigilant in his own office and not curiouslye searche and enquire out other mens sayings and doyngs And let not affection be of more force with vs theÌ„ the gouernmeÌ„t of god Let Gods wil be the rule of our life wherof to aske a reason of God is moste wicked And althoughe these thinges are spoken vnto all men yet chieflye they pertayn to the ministers the word that they shuld earnestly follow Christ wtout any tarying setting al other thiÌ„gs apart beiÌ„g redy for his glory not oÌ„ly to lose their goods but also their life The seruaÌ„t is not greater theÌ„ his lord there can be no greater glory then to suffer death for Christs sake And the eleueÌ„ disciples departed to Galiley to a mountaine where Iesus had appointed theÌ„ And when thei saw him they worshipped him but some of them doubted whose vnbelief after he had rebuked he saide These are the woordes which I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that al things must nedes be fulfylled whiche were written of me in the law of Moyses in the prophetes in the psalmes Then opened he their mind that thei might vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures he saied vnto them Thus is it written thus it behoued Christ to suffer to rise again froÌ„ the ded the iii. day and that repentance and remissioÌ„ of synnes shoulde be preached in his name amoÌ„g al natioÌ„s begiÌ„ning first at Ierusalem And ye are witnesses of these thinges and behold I sende the promise of my father vpon you But tary ye in the city of IerusaleÌ„ vntill ye be endewed with powre from aboue THe shepherd being strikeÌ„ the shepe were scattered as saith the prophet but afttr that I am risen againe saith Christ I wil goe before you into Galile Marh 26. zach 13. the angel rehersynge these words sayth Go tel the disciples that the Lorde is risen agayne and will goe before you into Galile This to be nowe accoÌ„plished the EuaÌ„gelist Mathew testifieth we haue declared before what it is to preach repentance forgeuenes of sins through the name of Christ Math. 26. And the beginninge was made at Ierusalem first amonge the Iewes for whose sake Iesus came Esay 2. â—om 11. yet in the mean time Let vs reioyse that we also are called vnto thesame lot let vs be thaÌ„ful lest we be cut of again It behoued that Christ should suffer that he might be made a sacrifyce to pacify god for our sins by the which sacrifice gods iustice myght be satisfyed It behoued hym to arise againe from the dead to make vs beinge raysed from the death of sinnes righteous vnto God the father and partakers of the life to come ☞ And Iesus came spake vnto hys Disciples saying Al power is geueÌ„ to me in heauen and in earth As my father sente me so sende I you also when he had spoken these things he breathed vpon them and said vn-them Receaue the holy ghost whose sinnes so euer ye shall forgeue they are forgeueÌ„ them and whose so euer synnes ye shall retayne they are retayned Go ye therefore teache al nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges what so euer I haue commaunded you And behold I am with you alwayes euen to the end of the world Goe ye into al the world and Preache the Gospell to all creatures He that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that beleueth not shal be daÌ„pned Moreouer these are the signes that shal followe them which shal beleue In my name they shall cast out deuils they shall speake with newe tonges they shall driue away serpentes if they drinke any deadly drinke it shall not hurt them Thei shal lay their hands on the sicke and they shal recouer AFter Christ had manifestly proued to his Disciples hys Resurrection he sheweth theÌ„ what great glory he shall be exalted vnto that they also might abide vnder the crosse knowing that eternal glory is prepared for theÌ„ with Christ He sayth that all power is geuen him as well of heaueÌ„ as of earth to make vs to vnderstand how great a lord we haue in whose hands all things are put And no man hath in his hands the dominion ouer all thinges but he must nedes be god also For god geueth not his glory to an other Esay 42. as witnesseth Esay Let vs not therefore be affeard if vile men threateÌ„ vs and conspyre agaynste vs But let vs flye vnto the Lord vnder whose tuition we shal be safe Luk. xix Psalm ii And although there be some which do say we wil not haue him to reigne ouer vs let vs caste away theyr bondes from our neckes neither will yet acknowledge such and so great a Sauiour and king but go aboute to cut of his kingdome such rebelles neuerthelesse shall
be subdued vnder his gouernment wil they or nil they Phalme ex Psal 2. be made his fotestole Whom the King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes shal bruse with an yron rod shall breake them in pieces lyke a potters vessel shal reigne ouer thē for euer Hitherto sayeth he haue I serued you with most humilitie being put to reproches al kind of euils now is the time present wherin the father wil glorifie me with the same glory which I haue had alwayes without beginning that euery knee might bowe vnto me the whole world might acknowledge me to be their Sauiour by whom the way to god is made open Iohn xvii Philip. ii I haue elected you witnesses of this thing and I sende you into the whole worlde to declare this ioy to al men namely that I descended frō heauen haue ouercome death opened the way to heauen for miserable mortal mē Math. x. taking away death and hell Preach not these thynges only to the Iewes as I charged you fyrste which was to kepe the fidelitie of my promyses but go now to all nations and call them to be companions of my glory whē ye shal preach these things through out the world the vngodly wil set vpō you by diuerse snares and wiles Ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake but be ye of a good courage Iohn xvi I haue ouercome the worlde and in me also shall ye ouercome all your enemies for al power is geuen to me both in heauen and earth I will alwayes be presēt with you and defende you against al inuasions Although I shall now withdraw from you my corporall presence which shall be profitable for you I will yet be with you to the ende of the world with my power with my spirite with my grace This promise is not made only to the disciples but to al beleuers for the apostles liued not to the end of the world This is the greatest cōfort that cā be in aduersitie diligently to cōsidre the power and kingdome of Christ Math. 16 Thei which leane vnto this rocke the gates of hell shall not preuayle any thing against them As my father sent me We must vnderstād that these things are spokē by cōparisō not by equalitie As though he would say My Father sent me to preach to die for the truth doe ye so lykewise But this is the differēce betwene Christs death his disciples death and ours In that Christs death is healthfull to the whole world pacifieth gods wrath for the sins of the whole world so is not his disciples death nor ours Christ was sent of the father to be the saluatiō life of the whole world so were not the apostles sent but to preache this saluation and life to the world He geueth thē the holy ghoste that we might vnderstād that he which wil preach the gospel with a stoute courage hath neede of the holy ghost For mā cā do nothing of his own power onles he be endued holpē by the power frō aboue And he sendeth his ministers not to gape for riches to make marchaundise to seeke for gaine to hunte for glorye to swel in pride to burne in filthie lustes but to preach saluatiō vnto mē The father sent not his sonne after that sort neither studied Christ for such matters He sent him to preach the truth Phillip ii to teache the knowledge true worshipping of God that he taking vpō him that for me of a seruaunt might serue al mē might be obediēt to the father euē to the death of the crosse to take vpō him selfe the hatred reproches of al mē in the middest of these to do good to al mē to saue al mē Let thē then whiche are chosen to the office of preaching follow Christ in these things let not thē do their own wil Iohn 6. but his wil that sent thē Let thē desire of the father the holy ghost to accomplish these things Luke 11. who worketh performeth these things in thē Whose sins ye shal forgeue That which might be spokē impersonallye he attributeth to the persō which is done after the Hebrue manner who speake not seldome that impersonally whiche longeth to the persō againe thei attribute that to the persō which is impersonal But wheras he saith whose sinnes ye shal forgeue it is a periphrasis definition of the gospel for what is the gospel This is the gospel that god the father sent his son to make satisfactiō for the sinnes of mē to forgeue thē the same Why thē he that preacheth remission of sins preacheth the gospel As though Christ would say To whō so euer ye shal preach the gospell if they receaue it thē shall their sins be forgeuē thē For he expresseth the same sentence more plainly in the last of Marke sayīg Preach the gospell to all creatures he that beleueth shall be saued he that beleueth not shall be condempned He that beleueth namely the gospell preached by you Remissiō therefore of sins is geuē to the apostles bicause thei preach that wherby sinne is forgeuē for they preache the gospel or the same Christ or grace of God by Christ wherby sinnes are forgeuē This is therfore the meaning whose sinnes ye shal forgeue that is to whō ye shal preach the remissiō of sins they shall beleue the gospell preached by you vnto thē are their sinnes forgeuen Let vs diligently therfore note this that that is attributed to the Apostles which belongeth only to God For it cōmeth by the holy ghost and not by the preaching or voyce of mā that the conscience of mā shuld be assured that god is his father and that his sinnes are forgeuen and the anger of God pacified But bycause the apostle is the instrumēt by the which god sheweth forth saluatiō vnto men and a certain part as I may terme it wherby God wil haue his grace preached Christ therefore vouchsafeth thus to speake he attributeth that to vs which belōgeth only to him self bicause of the cōiunction communicating which the mēbers haue with the godhead 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 3 God worketh al in al he is nothīg which watereth he is nothing which plāteth but god which geueth the increase god doth al things he moueth the mouth the tong of that preacher he draweth illustrateth the hart of the hearer It is al one saying therefore to say whose sins ye shal forgeue are forgeuē thē c to say he which beleueth shal be saued But Markes wordes are more plaine For to binde to loose are darcker then to beleue not to beleue the preachers Thei are darker to vs I meane not to the apostles of Christ To bynde To bind therfore is to preach the gospel which gospel he that beleueth not To lose is bound Contrarilie to lose is
lawefull neither to heare nor yet to read the gospel openly they assemble together in some house they read they pray they hear the word of God and geue thancks c. Then they come into the common assembly with other men to auoyde suspition bearing somewhat with ceremonies which ar not vtterly vngodly But this they do but for a time So the apostles abhorred not from the temple of the Iewes wherin were yet the sacrifices of beastes which notwythstandynge were streight wayes to be abolished They did therfore preach Christe eyther in the temple or els in the porch though the superstitions of the Pharisees remained still there And here do those hipocrites chifly erre which seeke a pretence excuse to theÌ„selues by this facte of the Apostles so sticke stil to papistry mingling theÌ„selues with their wicked seruices for feare of their goods or els of their estimation either els of their life Thei go not streight but halte on both sides These meÌ„ must remember that the nature of the ceremonies whiche were prescribed vnto the Iewes in the law of God was farre differring from the nature of the ceremonies whiche the popes haue fayned by the persuasion suggestion of Sathan so that by no meanes these are to be conferred to theÌ„ And besides that they come not to the papistical seruices of God with that same minde that the apostles did to the Iewish seruices For the Apostles in the meane time preached Christ and laboured to winne the Iewes froÌ„ their iewishnes to Christ but our men are affeard of them selues and dissemble Christ dare not confesse him openly frely before this wicked nation so they cleaue continuallye vnto them not to winne them vnto Christ but to betraye Christ to peryshe with the vngodly or as they persuade theÌ„selues to be in safetye And agayne the Apostles committed nothing against theyr conscience but were present only at such ceremonies as God had commaunded by his own mouth prescribed for a time Those I say thei vsed only for a time wtout any vngodlynesse or supersticioÌ„ But coÌ„trarywise these are preseÌ„t to these vngodly rites against their own coÌ„scieÌ„ces as wheÌ„ they bowe their knee to the bread of the papisticall masse which at the least waye in a shewe they worship they fall down before Idols and brieâ—â—ye they defile them selues with these vnpure customes and filthye fellowship Let these men diligently considre what happened to Peter as long as he was amoÌ„g the souldiers he denied Christe more and more till he wrapped him selfe out of their companie got him to Christ with bitter weping Awake vp therfore O my brethren and come out of Babilon come out I say froÌ„ among them touch not the vncleane Let nothing kepe you backe Let nothing cause you to linger 2. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3 Christ hath no fellowship with Belial the temple of god hath nothing to do with Idols and ye are the temple of God do not prophane that which Christ consecrated with his bloude Let it not repent you if ye muste forsake or loose any thing for Christs sake Math. 19 the Lord will restore vnto you an hundred folde If Iacob the patriarch left many thinges behinde him to haue the fruition of the best things in the land of Egipt Gen. 45. why should it be greuous vnto vs to forsake earthly thinges seing we shal be recompensed in the world to come with such ioy as the eye hath not sene thee are hath not heard neyther can the hart of man comprehend it Esay 64 Iudas in gaping for gold lost both his bodye soule Wherfore vnwrap your selues oute of these bondes caste awaye whatsoeuer holdeth you backe to auoyde the immynent daunger although nakedly Prou. 1. CoÌ„tend vnto the Lorde with the whole hart why lest time serueth Contempne not his voyce lest he mocke you to scorne when euill thinges happen vnto you There is an other error of the Anabaptistes which count it wicked to preach the truth in temples whiche are amongest the papistes yea though the Idols and papistical supersticions be now abolyshed out of them But where caÌ„ Christ be more commodiously preached then in those places where the multitude of people accustome to assemble together This certaynely dyd the Apostles eyther on the holy dayes or elles on the Sabboth dayes when the people were assembled together both to be there present them selues and also to bryng the Iewes which claue vnto their old supersticioÌ„ to Christ which might be done moste commodiously in the temple whether the people of the Iewes resorted Neyther dyd they so stubburnly and disdaynefully seperate them selues from the Pharisees and the reste of the Iewes as the Anabaptistes nowe of dayes accustome to seperate themselues from those which do beleue and cleaue vnto Christ That the soules of the Godly are receaued into Ioyes and the soules of the vngodlye are pulled to punyshmentes not only the holy Scriptures do testifie but also the writers of the Gentilles And the Philosophers and Poets doe manifestlye agree with the Prophetes in these thynges although they speake it with other words Here of come the fieldes of Elisius and the sorowfull lake of Acheron and that some are counted to be receaued after theyr death into the nuÌ„ber of God c. The soule is not of it selfe but of God Wherfore when it is seperated froÌ„ the bodye it retourneth vnto God euen as all other thinges returne vnto the fountayne from whence they came all thinges flowe agayne to theyr author These thinges are so in dede and so are written And Christe truly testifieth in him selfe that the soule liueth after the death of the body and that men retourne to their author which thyng was neuer before that time set before the eyes of men although as many as were of sounde iudgemente vnderstoode it Christe proueth the lyfe of hys soule by hys Resurrection Ascencion and that glory shal come to the whole man with God He therefore teacheth not only by worde but also declareth in deede what shall be come of the Godlye after this lyfe He ascended vp into heauen to prepare the waye to glorye for vs I we should knowe whether we shall goe after death and what so euer our mindes fele and beleue al the same do we see to haue gon before in our head Christ Christ descended once for our saluation sake agayne he ascended once that we shoulde not hence forth requyre the corporall presence of Christ but our hartes being lifted vpwarde we shoulde meditate the heauenly lyfe with Christ oure King Put case there were a king whiche woulde seeke for the common profite woulde doe Iustice and make equall and good lawes and graunt that he were a father of the couÌ„trey c. It cannot well come to passe that euery one in hys kingdome can see hym for some dwell farre from hym some are blynd or lame so that they can not come vnto him there
rested on the Sabboth day according to the commaūdement But the nexte daye that followed the preparation of the passeouer the high priestes and Pharisees assembled vnto Pilate saying Syr we remēber that that deceauer said while he was yet aliue After three dayes I will ryse agayne Commaunde therefore that the sepulchre be made sure vntill the thyrde daye least his Disciples come steale him away and saye vnto the people He is rysen from the dead and so shall the last error be worse then the fyrst Pilate sayde vnto them ye haue a watch go and make it as sure as ye can And they went theyr waies and made the Sepulchre sure sealed the stone and set watche men to kepe it IN these women is an example of Godlynesse and diligente loue as they had followed the Lorde in hys lyfe tyme so doe they not forsake hym when he is dead They runne and watche with a Godlye pensiuenesse hauyng an earnest care to annoynte hys bodye This example ought we to followe for there is no let but that we may bestowe this godlines vpon Christ but yet in his membres for that he after this is no more with vs in his body Let not vs be ashamed to serue Christ to be liberall vnto the poore Let it not repente vs if any thyng depart frō our goods whē as we may see that he hath geuen his life for vs which doth so much commend the poore vnto vs when as we may see also these women honest mē to haue spared no coste for to bury the body of Christe moste honourablye For we learne here what great griefe sorowe they had which dare not cōfesse Christ openly for feare yet neuerthelesse they cease not to runne priuily to watch to admonishe and to helpe that they might doe Christ seruice at the leaste by some waye We which may professe the doctrine of Christ frely without feare daūger ought to pray for these to helpe thē with our seruice succour thē with our benefites to chearish thē in cōforting thē exhorting c. Cōtrarilie in the priestes Pharisees is set forth an example of enuie for they wer not yet fatisfied with the putting of Christ to death but also they muste persecute him being now dead shadowe his glorye They are tossed with infernall madnes with enuie feare curiositie The vngodly are inwardly vexed fearefull how so euer outwardlye they set a face on the matter We remēber say they that that deceauer c. Such bitter words doth enuie vse til it come to destruction The Pharisaicall infidelitie had perswaded to it selfe that the light sauior of the world was a deceauer They be like vnto those which crye also nowe of dayes that the doctrine of the Gospel is heresie And if so be that Christ be a seducer and a deceauer what nede these wicked mē to be affeard of him Doth God raise vp deceauers frō death Wil god assiste those which cleaue vnto lies No truly What are they affrayed of thē This feare declareth that they beleued otherwise thē they confessed by mouth thei cal him a deceauer but yet thei iudge hī to be somwhat more noble their conscience putteth thē in remembrāce that he was the sonne of God or at the least greater thē a man And if it so be that thei were persuaded that he was the Sonne of God why then did they crucifie him So the vngodlye do alwaies shew forth in some parte that they knowe and beleue that thyng to bee true which thei impugne persecute pursue So Herode feared least Iohn wer risen again So also an other Herode feared leaste a childe new borne should possesse the kingdome Thei make safe seale the sepulchre but what they brought to passe by all these things the honourable Resurrection of Christ doth ynough declare Vaine therfore ar the enterprises of the vngodly which labour to oppresse to quenche the truth For there is no councell against the Lord the truth cā not be oppressed but it appeareth alwayes more bright Let no mā therfore be affeard of the power of the world though it be neuer so great the Lord is strōger mightier he which cleaueth vnto him shal neuer be put to shame Here followeth the historye of the Resurrection and Ascention of Christe ANd whē the sabboth day was past in the euen of the Sabboth Marye Magdalene Mary the mother of Iames Salome bought odours that thei mighte come embaulme him And vpō an euening of the sabboths which dawneth of one of the sabboths namely the fyrste daye of the Sabbothes when it was yet darke they came to see the Sepulchre And they came very early in the morning vpō the first day of the Sabbothes when the sōne was risen And beholde there was a great earthquake for the Aungel of the Lorde descended from heauen came and rolled backe the stone frō the dore and sat vpon it and hys countenaunce was like lyghtening and hys raymente whyte as snowe for feare of whom the kepers were astonyshed became as deade men And behold some of the kepers came into the cytie shewed vnto the high priests all the thyngs that had happened And they gathered thē together with the elders and tooke coūsel gaue money largely to the soldiers saying Say ye that hys disciples came by night and stole him awaye when ye were a sleape And if this come to the presidēts eares we will perswade him saue you harmles So they tooke the money and did as they were taughte and this sayeng is noysed amōgst the Iewes vnto thys daye Then the women when they were on theyr way sayd amongest thēselues who shall role away the stone from the dore of the sepulchre For it was a verye great one and when they looked they saw how the stone was rolled awaye frō the dore of the sepulchre And they wēt into the sepulchre but found not the body of Iesus but they saw a yonge mā sytting on the right hād clothed in a white garmēt and they were afrayed And the aungell aunsweared and said vnto the women Feare ye not I know that ye seke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is risē he is not here he is risen I say euen as he tolde you come see the place where they layed him But go your waies tel his disciples Peter that he goth before you into Galiley there shal ye se him as he sayd vnto you THe history of the resurrectiō of our sauior Iesu christ is painfully most diligētly writē theuangelists namely for the vse of the church Wherin is prīcipally declared how that hūble despised Iesus beīg crucified betwene thieues is glorified after his death to what renowm he is exalted vnto For neyther could deth hold him Heb. 3. which hath abolished both deth also him which hath dōiniō ouer deth hath made thē free as many as throgh feare