secondly for that we be made partakers of his flesh and of his Godhead and thirdely for that by it we communicate and are vnited togither one with another Moreouer by this supper is ment that wée are spiritually nourished and susteined or fed with the body and blud of Christ. For like as bread and wine doo nourish encrese preserue and comfort mens bodyes So doth Chrystes body blud nourish encrease preserue and comfort our soules vnto euerlasting life if so be that true fath bée found in vs. What is the signification of this Supper in respect of the time to come This holy supper signifieth that by the power of Chrysts body raised from the dead our bodies also shal one day rise ageyn that they may be made like vnto the glorious body of Chryst. Wherevpon Paule sayth If Chryst bée risen agein wée also shal rise ageine that we may enioy the cōtinual presence of Chrysts body for euermore Whervppon certein of the holy fathers haue termed this Supper conduct money bicause it putteth them that receiue it before their death in mynde that Chryst is vntoo them the passage from these troubles to eternal blisse What is the signification of the Lords Supper in respect of the euerlastingnesie It is a perpetuall warrant of Gods fauour towards men at no time subiect vntoo chaunge and therfore the Lord himselfe calleth this his supper the newe Testament as which shall neuer become olde at any tyme. How be it too the intent this thing may be vnderstood more cléerly I will as bréefly as may be declare what things are most méete in euery Testament and how all those things which ought to méete in euery last wil or testamēt doo méete héere and moreouer what the new testament is In euery testament or last wil there be fiue things First the Testator that maketh the wil. Secondly the goods which the Testator bequeatheth Thirdly the heirs that are made Fourthly the death of the testatour And fifthly the conditions that are to bée kept of them that are made heires by the wil. In this new Testament the testator is Chryst. The heritage is the possession of eternall life The heires are the children of God that is to say al that beléeue in Chryst. The death of Chryst the testator folowed presently after For he died was buried and rose ageine the third day The conditions too bée obserued of the heyres that are named are that they should beléeue in Chryst and obey him and continue in innocencie of life vnto the end And if they fall intoo sinne that they earnestly repent them before their death Héerevppon wée may now in this wise conclude what the new Testament is The new Testament is is an euerlasting couenant stablished by the death of the Testator Iesus Chryste concerning the grace of God the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the frée gift of eternall life promised too all nations people that beléeue in Chryst crucified ¶ Of the second WHen Paule sayth Let a man examine himselfe and so eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe for hee that eateth vnvvorthely and drinketh vnvvorthely eateth and drinketh his ovvne damnation These woords of Paule confirme foure things First that the vse of the Supper ought too bée in the church Secondly that it is necessary for men to trie themselues before they vse this Supper Thirdly that hée which receiueth thys Supper vnworthely dooth sinne most gréeuously And fourthly that this supper is too bée ministred onely vnto those that are able too examine themselues I will speake of the second only that is to say how euery man ought to examin himselfe that mindeth too vse this Supper too his behoofe How then must he proue himselfe that will vse this supper That doth Paule teach the seconde Epistle too the Corinthians and y e .xiij. Chapter in these woords Examin your selues whither you bée in faythe examine your selues Know yée not your selues that Chryst is in you By which woordes is vnderstoode that rightful triall consisteth in this that true Fayth and the presence of Chryste bée felte in vs that is to say too vse plainer woordes He is tried and cōmeth woorthely too Chrystes holy Supper that commeth too it reuerently in the feare of God in true repentance in true faith and with a Godly purpose And on the contrary parte he that preaseth to it vnreuerently without the feare of god without true repentance without true faith and with purpose to sinne commeth vnworthely not making difference of the body and blud of the Lorde and hée eateth his owne damnation Therfore whosoeuer approcheth too this supper and hath a purpose to continue in his sinnes he is a blasphemer and receiueth the sacrament with Iudas But too the intēt rude people shold not rashly presume to come to this supper the discipline of confession absolution is instituted in our churches too very good purpose For this discipline auaileth greatly to this that a man may orderly examine himselfe Howbeit too y e intent we may iudge aright cōcerning cōfession and absolution first it is too bée known that as there bée two sorts of cōfession so there be two sorts of absolution also One kind of confession is to God only that is too wit when a man confesseth his sin before God acknowledgeth himself to bée a sinner and desireth forgiuenesse for Christes sake without such confession none of ful yéeres is saued In this wise did Dauid confesse himself when he sayd Haue mercie on mée O God for I haue sinned against thée Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no man liuing shal bée iustified in thy sight So confesseth Daniel himself when he saith Wée haue sinned and done amisse with our fathers So did y e publican whē he durst not lift vp his face vnto heauen but strake his brest saying O God be mercifull too mée ◠sinner Unto this cōfession aunswereth the absolution that is giuen by only God And this is done when a mā beléeueth his frée promise For whosoeuer beléeueth is iustified from sinne that is to say set frée from sinne For sith that sinne is a falling away from the lawe will of God with a binding vntoo euerlasting death damnation vndoutedly absolution must be the releasing of the beléeuing man from that bonde wherby he is bound to euerlasting death and damnation So was Manasses assoyled so was Dauid so was the théefe vppon the crosse so was Mary Magdalene So are we assoyled dayly when we say with a true heart I beléeue the remission of sinnes and when we pray with faith forgiue vs oure trespasses Let this suffize concerning the first kynd of confession and the absolution of the same An other Confession is of Discipline when a man for counsell instruction and confirmation of his Faith commeth to the minister of the Churche acknowledgeth himselfe a sinner craueth comfort and desireth too bée instructed with Gods woord too the intent his conscience may be made quiet In
For they refused too come too this Heauenly Supper For as the swyne makes more account of the myre wherein he berayeth himselfe than of golde and precious stones euen so men that are weltered in theyr owne filthynesse shunne the goodlynesse of so great a supper In which thing thrée euylls are too bée lamented the myserie of mankynde their excéeding great vnthankfulnesse and their corrupte iudgement The miserie is that men being ouer pressed with sinfulnesse and curse do not only not goo about to wind thēselues out of so great mischéeues but also are euen delighted with the filthynesse So farre are they from séeking redresse And this is that Chryste speaketh of No man commeth too mée saue he whom my father draweth The vnthankfulnesse is that men being bidden too a frée supper that is too wit too frée deliuerance from sinne from Gods wrath from the curse of the law from hell and from the diuell too forgiuenesse of sinnes too Gods fauour too rightuousnesse too heauen too God hymselfe too liue blessedly with him for euermore doo notwithstanding refuse too come Who is able too bewaile this vnthankfulnesse sufficiently The corrupte iudgement is that men set more by transitorie goodes than by euerlasting goods by a few than by many by brittle than by durable by earthly than by heauenly by things that maynteyne this life for a small time than by things that maynteyne both soule and body in euerlasting life Is he not coūted foolish that preferreth clay before golde Yes surely most foolishe as one that can iudge nothing aright Muche more foolishe is he yea farre out of measure most foole of all that preferreth death before life sinne before rightuousnesse hell before heauen the diuell before GOD and to be bréefe innumerable euils before innumerable good things Let vs acknowledge this oure moste corrupt iudgement and let vs pray to haue our mindes reformed with newe lighte that wée may rightly vnderstand what things are good in déede and orderly desire the thyngs that wée iudge aryght of and perseuer to the ende in seekyng those things whiche wée orderly desire Now that we haue spoken thus much in general concernyng the great miserie of mankynd the excéeding vnthankfulnesse and most corrupt iudgement of men Let vs looke vppon the text which continueth the sundry maners of their excuses First it sayth And all began vvith one consent too excuse them selues That is to say the greatest parte of the world being thanklesse hild skorne of the benefite that was offered fréely The first therefore sayde I haue bought a farme and I must needes go see it I pray thee haue me excused Héer is described the first kind of men that excuse thēselues Under which kynd are all they conteyned which trusting too theyr owne power refuse too come to this royall supper Yet is not power the efficient cause of this excuse but onely an occasion in those which acknowledge not theyr power too come of God but leane vntoo theyr owne puissance that is too wit too a staffe of réede For when sinne death hell and the diuell assault mans power auayleth not for in this case the power of God only auayleth namely Chrystes Gospell which Paule defineth too bée the power of God too the saluation of euery one that beléeueth And that power and possession of landes is not the efficient cause of refusing too come too this deyntie Supper examples shew Dauid was of power and had greate lands Nero also was of power and had lands Of which twoo the first béeing bidden too the mariage came the other refused Why so bicause the one vsed his power too the glory of God the other abused it too his owne destruction For being deceiued by it he refused too come too this supper Héer therfore wée are admonished too vse our landes well that they bée not a hinderance vntoo vs for cōming too the heauenly Supper I omit examples And an other sayd I haue bought fiue yoke of Oxen and I go too trie them I pray thee haue me excused Héere is described a seconde kynde of men that excuse them selues that they cannot come too this supper Under this kynde are conteyned the riche men of this worlde Why Are riches the efficient cause of this refusal No surely Abraham was rich and the glutton of whome wée herde of late was riche but Abraham was not letted by his riches For hée made more account of this Supper than of his earthly riches Contrarywyse the glutton was droonken and sotted in his riches and therfore refused too come For when riches are in euill mennes hands they are as a bayte wherby they being enticed are caught and killed Therfore Chryst sayeth they bée thornes hée auoucheth it too bée a hard matter for a rich man too bée able too enter intoo the kingdome of heauen The Philosopher Plato sayd right that riches were blind wythoute wisedome and that they are sharpe sighted when they folowe wisedome So may wée also say that riches are thornes without godlynesse and that they are roses when they folow godlynesse For the godly with their riches as it were with certaine Roses do beautifie the ministerie the cōmon weale and their owne houses Whosoeuer then hathe the riches of this worlde lette him endeuer that godlynesse and charitie maye bée the gouerners of them as wée sée it was in the holy Patriarkes and Kyngs and many other godly and holy men And the thirde sayde I haue maried a vvyfe and therefore I cannot come Héere is discribed the thirde kynde of men that refuse too come too this Supper Under which kynde are conteyned all those which béeing giuen too the pleasures of thys worlde passe not for the Gospell of Chryst. The marying of a wyfe is not of it selfe eyther euill or the cause of refusall but onely an occasion vntoo some men that mysvse the gyft of God Abraham had a wyfe and so had many godly men who notwithstandyng dyd not therfore refuse too obey the Gospell Wherfore let maried couples endeuer too haue Chryst with them and let them beware that they take not occasion of euill at that whiche is good Hythertoo wée haue herd of thrée kynds of men that excuse them selues for comming at thys Supper when they are bidden And by these wée maye vnderstande all thyngs that hynder men from harkenyng to the Gospell ¶ Of the third THe seruant returning home brought the master of the house woorde what answere they made and béeing sent foorth ageyn when he had gathered toogither a greate number of poore folke and cripples he is commaunded too compell men too come in that the house of his feast may bée filled In this compulsion is set forth vntoo vs a singular comfort For GOD not only promiseth not onely biddeth not onely commaundeth but hée also enforceth and compelleth folke to come in too his Supper But howe compelleth hée Surely many wayes Parents and housholders shall compell their houshold and by familiar nurture and awe accustome
this little ship for that the Churche reprooueth the woorkes of the worlde that is too say blameth the worldly wyse men of follie condemneth the rightuous men as giltie of sinne and aduaunceth not the riche men but pronounceth them vnhappie and wretched vnlesse true godlinesse bée the gouernoure and ruler of their riches And this is it that Christ promised when hée sayde The holy Ghoste shall reproue the world of sinne of rightuousnesse and of iudgement What had Abel offended against Caine who horribly murthered him Iohn answereth Abels woorkes were good and his brothers were euil What did Noe What did Hieremie What did Esay What did Christe and too bée short what did so many martyrs from the beginning of the world vntoo this day They would haue brought the worlde backe from darknesse vntoo light that menne renouncing worldy lusts might liue godlily honestly and vprightly in the world This is the thanke that the worlde is woont too requite his benefactours withall For it woulde drown them in his waues Howbéeit all things fall not out as hée would wishe he cannot destroy this little ship vtterly for out of the bloud of the martyrs spring vp other newe martyrs ageine Wée may therefore learne hereby a holy arte against the stumbling blocke of persecution and fewenesse If the tossing of the ship trouble thée haue an eye vntoo Christe whoo is present at hand in the ship If the fewenesse trouble thée haue an eye too the Arke of Noe too the Sodomites and too the rest of the whole world Those things that are best did neuer like but the fewest The Churche at the beginnning was very small in the middes it was biggest and in the ende it shalbée so small againe that what with the malice of the Deuil and what with the leude doctrine of Diuels and what with wicked maners it may séem ouerwhelmed with waues In these waues therfore let vs learne too waken Christe with oure calling vppon him whoo is neuer away from his ship but guydeth it with his holy spirit his woord his sacraments and his discipline Too whome with the Father and the holy Ghoste bée honour and glorie worlde without end Amen The .v. Sunday after Epiphany ¶ The Gospel Math. xiij HE put foorth another parable vntoo them saying The kingdome of Heauen is like vntoo a man vvhich sovved good seede in his feeld but vvhile men slept his enimie came and sovved tares among vvheate and vvent his vvay But vvhen the blade vvas sprong vp and had brought foorth frute then appeared the tares also So the seruants of the housholder came and sayd vntoo him Sir didst not thou sovve god seede in thy feeld from vvhence thē hath it tares He sayd vntoo them the enuious man hath done this The seruants sayd vntoo him vvilt thou thē that vve go and vveede them vp But he sayd nay least vvhile yee gather vp the tares yee plucke vp also the vvheat vvith them let both grovv togither vntill the haruest and in the time of haruest I vvill say too the reapers gather yee first the tares and bind them togither in sheaues too bee brent but gather the vvheate intoo my barne The exposition of the text OCcasion of this Gospell was giuen by Christes hearers of whom some were Hipocrites who notwithstanding liked very wel of them selues that they were accounted of Christes flocke and other some were sincere and good How bée it bicause they sawe a confused mixture of the good and euill toogither their mindes were not a little troubled Too the intent therefore that the Lord might both warn the one of their hipocrisie and of the punishment that shoulde one day ensue for it raise vp the other too stedfastnesse and vnvanquishable confidence by laying béefore them the seperation and reward that was too come he propounded this parable vntoo them Whereof the meaning is this that the euil must be mixed with the good in the church as long as this world stādeth which in the end of the world shall bée seperated one from another so as vntoo the godly may be rendered reward and vntoo the wicked deserued punishment This Gospel therefore serueth too this purpose too put the hipocrites in feare and by setting foorth their punishment too prouoke them too repentaunce and too comforte the godly arming them too the sufferance of euils And the places of this Gospel are foure 1 What maner of kingdome Christes kingdome in this world is 2 Of the enimies of this kingdome 3 The prayer of Christes disciples ageinst the enimies why God suffreth enimies in his Churche 4 Of the punishment of Christes enimies and of the reward of the godly ¶ Of the first THe kingdome of heauen is takē diuersly in scripture For first when Iohn sayeth Repent and amend for the kingdome of heauen is at hand the kingdome of heauen is none other thing than the newnesse of life wherby GOD setteth vs vp ageine intoo the hope of blissed immortalitie For deliuering vs out of the bondage of sinne and death he taketh vs too him selfe that wandering as Pilgrimes vpon the earth we may before hand possesse the heauenly life through faith Therefore where as hée sayeth the kingdome of heauen is at hād he meaneth that the restoring of vs vntoo blissed life yea and the verye true and euerlasting felicitie is offered too vs in Christe Besides this it signifieth the Gospel of Christe it selfe whereby the Citizens are gathered toogither intoo the kingdome of heauen as when the Lord sayth the kingdome of heauen is within you Thirdly it signifieth the frute of the Gospel preached in the hearts of the godly and then it is as Paule defineth in the xiiij too the Romaines righteousnesse ioy spirite and peace of conscience Fourthly it signifieth the felicitie too come in euerlasting life after the iudgement as when Christe promiseth it should come too passe that manie shall come from the East and from the Weast and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdom of heauen Fifthly it signifieth the verie visible Churche it selfe in this world wherin are good and euil mingled toogither vntil haruest time that is too say til the end of this world In this signification is the kingdome of heauen taken in this Gospell of which kingdome I wil nowe speake a fewe things out of this present parable The kingdome of Heauen is like a man that sovved good seed in his feeld c. The man that soweth is Chryst verie God and verie man The féeld is the world The séed are the children of the kingdom Eche of these thre doo teach many things For first when Chryst is called a sower these things are ment therby First how great the dignitie of the Church is which hath the sonne of God too hir founder Secondly that the wise of the world doo not sowe the church for that belongeth alonely vntoo Chryst and therefore that it is not preseued by the wisedom of the world Thirdely that it
saide before yet will I repete certeine poyntes héere First therfore let vs knowe that our Baptim is héere halowed and that the water of Baptim is made holy by Christ who vouchsaued too bée baptized with water Agein the whole sight of the thing that was don peinteth out Christes church before our eyes as it were in a table Héere is to bée séene Iohn a teacher in the Churche For whereas is not the word of God and wheras the voyce of the teacher is not herde there the Church cannot be shewed Moreouer Christ is baptized For the Church that is well ordered cannot be without the vse of Sacramentes Thirdly Christ being baptized prayeth whose example his members folowe and exhibite true worship vnto God through faith Fourthly the sonne standes in the middes the fathers voice soundeth from heauen and the holy ghost resteth vpon him that was baptized The same thing is doone in very déede at this day in our churche For the father the sonne and the holy ghost is present with his churche and by the voyce of the preachers witnesseth his good will towards Christes churche By the presence of his sonne he testifieth that he hath adopted vs too bée his children and by the holy ghost he witnesseth that he gouerneth his church Whervpon we may conceiue this assured confidence that hel gates shall not preuaile ageinst it ¶ Of the thirde THe more part of those thinges that perteine to our Baptim are declared in the places aboue mentioned Wherfore I will bréefly touche certeine things whiche it is excéeding néedefull to knowe The things that I wil tel are two What maner of signe baptim is and whiche is the true consideration of the same What maner a signe then is Baptisme First it is a testimonie of grace as wel exhibited as also applyed too the party that is baptized Namely that God is pacified towards him through Chryste which testimonie verely requireth too bée apprehended by faith Agein this Sacrament is a signe that teacheth by a certein comparison For it is a sign of Christes spirituall vertue namely that Chryst by his owne death buriall and resurrection is the deliuerance of vs from death buriall and the giuer of euerlasting life Moreouer it is a representation of our newe life before God as Paule teacheth Rom. 6. by these woords As many of vs as are baptized in Iesus Chryst are baptized intoo his death We are therfore buryed together with him vntoo death that like as Chryst is raised frō the dead so we also shuld walk in newnesse of life Furthermore before men it is a certein badge of our profession wherby wée testifie our selues too bée Christes members and the Diuels enimies The godly consideration of baptisme consisteth in these things First wée must bée fully resolued that our baptisme is a certeine moste sure ensealement and Sacrament of our attonement with God Secondly baptism must bée a certein continuall warning vntoo vs that this attonement is made by the bloud deathe buriall and resurrection of Chryst. Thirdly it must put vs in minde of the mortifying of the flesh of the quickning of the spirit and so consequently of a continuall repentance in this worlde and of the glorifying that shall bée héerafter by Chryst. Fourthly it must put vs in minde that the benefite of regeneration is the gifte and woorke of the whole Trinitie in whose name wée are baptized too the intent we should stick thereuntoo and woorship it all our life long too whom be honor and glory for euermore So bée it The first Sunday in Lent ¶ The Gospel Math. iiij THen vvas Iesus led avvay of the spirit into vvildernesse too be tempted of the Deuill And vvhē he had fasted fortie dayes fortie nights he vvas at the last an hungred And vvhen the tempter came too him he sayde if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones bee made bread But he ansvvered and said it is vvritten man shall not liue by bread only but by euery vvoord that procedeth out of the mouth of God Then the Deuil taketh him vp intoo the holy Citie and setteth him on a pinacle of the temple and saith vntoo him if thou be the sonne of GOD cast thy selfe dovvne hedlong For it is vvritten he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and vvith their hands they shall holde thee vp least at any time thou dashe thy foote against a stone And Iesus said vntoo him it is vvritten again Thou shalt not tēpt the Lord thy God Ageine the Deuil taketh him vp intoo an exceding high moūtain shevved him all the kingdomes of the vvorld the glory of them and sayth vntoo him all these vvil I giue thee if thou vvilt fal dovvn and vvorship me Then saith Iesus vntoo him Auoyd Sathan for it is vvrittē Thou shalt vvorship the Lord thy GOD and him only shalt thou serue Then the Deuil leaueth him and beholde the Angels came and ministred vntoo him The exposition of the text LIke as the last Sunday we héerd the story of Chrystes baptim wherein very great things are cōteyned So this Gospel also conteyneth parte of Christes dooings that is too wit his fasting and temrtation by which things God of his singular wisdome wold his sonne should be humbled and also would shew how true it was that he had forespokē long ago namely that like as the serpent should lie in waite for the héele of the womans séede that is too say that Sathan should practize mischéefe ageinst the person and kingdome of Chryst which thing this story sheweth too bée most true so also would the same séede crush the head of the serpent with his héele wherof wée sée a certeine proof in this story Al these things are to be applied in suche wise that wée may bothe lerne Christes obedience vnder the crosse and knowe what shéeld it béehoueth vs to set before vs ageinst the temptatiōs and dartes of the diuel The places are two 1 Of Fasting 2 Of Temptation ¶ Of the firste IN this place are two things to bée considered First what is the maner of fasting in generall and secondly what is too bée thought of Christes fast in speciall Fasting is an vtter forbearing of meate and drinke for a time wherby the body is kept low and as it were mortified And it is of three sortes Indifferent Godly and vngodly Indifferent fast is whē a man absteineth from meate and drinke either for pouertie or for healthes sake or for some great sorowe of minde This of it selfe neither pleaseth nor displeaseth God but is too bée thought to please or displease according as fayth and pacience go with it The fast that is godly Christian and acceptable too God is an abstinence not only from meate and drinke whereby the body is pinched and mortified but also from all other things that may in any wise delight the flesh tending too this purpose that the spirite may haue full souereintie through true pacience godly prayer and
kéepeth Chrystes sayings shall not sée death for euer Howebéeit too the intent wée may the better vnderstand these thinges I will shew forth in order what they conteyn For the first thing too be obserued héere is Chrysts othe The second what maner a ones wee bée without Christ. The third what wée obteyn by him The fourth how we may be able too béecome partakers of Chrystes benefits His othe is to this end too assure vs of Gods truth ageinst all the doctrines of men and deuils against the reason of the flesh yea against the whole kingdome of the Deuil which consisteth of Sophistrie Hipocrisie and Tyrannie For it is not possible that the sonne of God should deceyue whoo hath warranted his doctrine by so great an othe What maner a folke bée wée without Christ By Christ it cōmeth too passe that wée sée not euerlasting death Wherfore without Chryst wée are giltie of euerlasting Death Now as there are foure kindes of Lyfe so are there foure kindes of death also The first is the lyfe of nature wherby wée naturally liue in this world This life simply in respect of it self is good bycause it is the gift of God which hée promiseth in the fourth commaundemente but it varieth according too the state of men Untoo Abraham it was good bicause hée vsed it too Gods glorie But vntoo Nero it was euil bicause hée abused it both too the reproch of God that gaue it also to his owne damnation Ageinst this natural life is set naturall death which of it self is euil bicause it is the punishment of sinne Notw tstanding it varieth according to the states of men For lyke as vntoo Abraham this death was a passage vntoo a better life and therefore was good vntoo him so vntoo Nero it was the gate of Hel and therfore too him it was euil The second life is of sinne namely wherby sinne liueth in man and reigneth through his lusts as it dooth in all the vngodly This is alwayes euil bicause it tendeth too dānation Ageinst this is set the death of sinne wherby sinne is mortified in vs which thing cōmeth then too passe whē wée liue in true repentance the feare of God This death of sinne is euermore good bicause it is the passage too eternal life The thirde life is of grace whereby Christe lyueth in vs through grace This is euermore good bicause it is Gods gift and the way too glorie Ageinst this is set the death of grace that is too say the priuation of grace whiche thing commeth too passe when wée slide backe ageyne intoo sinne and cast away fayth This is alwayes euill bicause it is the way intoo hell The fourth life is the euerlasting lyfe by which the godly shall liue with God and his Angels in endlesse blisse This life is most excellent good Ageinst this is set euerlasting death which is endlesse damnation Unto this endlesse death are all men subiect without Christ. For vnlesse wée bée deliuered from this death by the benefite of Chryste it shall bée our perpetual reward for sinne as Paule sayth too the Romanes the .6 chapter Such are wée without Chryst that is wretched damned and giltie of eternall death But what doo wée become through Chryst That doothe Chryst assure vs of by his othe namely that being deliuered from euerlasting death wée are rewarded with eternal life in which shal be ioy without end Howe are wée made partakers of Chrystes benefites This Gospell aunswereth Verely verely I say vntoo if any man kepe my saying he shal not see death for euer Then is this great treasure in Chrystes woordes which who so kéepeth hath Chryst whoo only is the way too life What is too kéepe the woord of Chryste It is too héer it too lerne it and to beléeue it according to this saying He that beléeueth in the sonne hath life euerlasting Why so bicause hée that beléeueth is iustified by his owne faithe that is to say is set frée from sinne endued with the rightuousnesse of Chryste and accepted too eternall life for Chrystes sake He therfore that coueteth eternall life let him marke well the things aforesayd let him liue in continual repentance let him héer Christes word let him beléeue it and let him cōtinue in the faith euen vnto death So shal it fall out that this naturall death shall be vnto him a passage vntoo eternall life But what say the Iewes too this healthfull Doctrine of Christes Chryst saith He that kepeth my vvord shall not se death The Iewes answere now wée know wel thou hast a Deuil Abraham and the Prophets are dead and thou sayest if a man kéepe my woord he shall not tast of death for euer Art thou greater than our father Abraham who is dead c. Whom makest thou thy self As if they had said If thy woord bée of such power that they which héer thée shall not taste of euerlasting death surely thou art greater than the prophets and our patriark Abraham which are dead but this is false for thou art not greater than Abraham Ergo it is false that thou sayest he that kéepeth my saying shall not tast of death for euer Therfore thou art a blasphemer of God and hast a Deuil Christ answereth and sayeth If I glorifie my selfe my glory is nothing that is too vvit by your iudgement It is the father that glorifyeth mee The méening of these words is this The only begotten sonne of God is greater than the seruāts of God or than the adopted sonne of God I am the only begotten sonne of God according as the father himself witnesseth by his own voyce and woorks But the Prophets and Abraham are Gods seruants and Gods children by adoption wherfore I am greater than Abraham and the Prophets Ergo it is no maruel though my woord bée of greater power than theirs Then vsed they a poynt of Sophistrie For that which Chryst spake of the euerlasting death they construed of the naturall death howbeit maliciously Wherfore Chryste procéedeth too reproue them saying If I say I knovve him not I shall be a lyar as you are For you say you know him whom you know not But what is it to knowe god First it is to know whoo he is that is to wit the father the sonne the holy Ghost Secondly to beléeue in him And thirdly too order a mans life according to his wil. Howbeit bicause the Iewes gloried of their father Abraham Chryst procéedeth too shew how vaine this boasting is and sayth Your father Abraham vvas glad to see my day and reioyced In these woords Chryst teacheth thrée things The one that he was before he tooke mās nature vpon him that is to say from euerlasting God euerlasting The other that Abrahā beléeued in him For too beléeue in Chryst is spiritually too sée him And Chryst is séene thrée ways in body only as the Iewes saw him that talked héer with him in spirite only as Abrahā wée y t beléeue in him
good his owne promises For he promised his Disciples that after hée had bin deliuered too the Gentiles and mocked of them he should be put too death and rise ageine the third day And he preuented not the third day bicause all men might certeinly know that hée was dead in déed Therfore by lying fortie houres in his graue he shewed himselfe too haue bin dead in very déede And why he delayed not his resurrection til the last day there are right weightie causes ready too be shewed The first is bicause it was written Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one too sée corruption For Chrystes body might not rot in the graue First for that it was made of the bloud of the moste chaste virgin by the woorking of the holy ghost Secondly for that as long as hée liued in this world he kept it pure and vndefiled Therfore had it bin vnméet that suche a body should haue become woormes meat The seconde cause why hée delayed not his resurrection is our hope For thus sayeth Peter Blissed bée God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste for begetting vs ageine too a liuely hope throughe the resurrection of Chryste from the dead The third cause is that hée should be the first of them that rise ageine For like as Adam was the firste that appéered in mortall body by reason of sinne so ought Chryste too bée the first that should appéer in immortall body iustifying vs and healing our bodies from eternall death And although wée shal all rise ageine and that others besides Chryst haue risen ageine Yet is there excéeding great difference betwéene the resurrection of Chryste and of other men For first Chryst rose ageine by his owne power whiche thing no man coulde euer doo saue onely hée Secondly the other that were raysed as the widowes sonne the ruler of the Sinagogs daughter and Lazarus and others rose too die ageine But Chryste rose too liue for euermore Besides this Chrysts Resurrection differeth from the Resurrection of other men in frute and efficacie For Chryste by his owne power rayseth vp others which thing was shewed in the Garden where he was buried and rose ageine at the rising of the Sunne Lastly Chrysts rising ageine differeth from oures in time also For as it is already shewed and as we knowledge in our Créede Chryst rose ageyne the third day but our Resurrection shall bée delayed till the last day For then shall appéere the euerlasting life and endlesse righteousnesse which he shall giue too all his that is too say too all them that beléeue in him Thus much concerning the second place why Christ rose ageine the third day and how his resurrection differeth from oures that by the Resurrection of Chryst wée may conceiue liuely hope of the euerlasting and incorruptible heritage in heauen ¶ Of the thirde NOw remayneth the thirde place concerning the frute of Chrysts Resurrection which is more plentifull and abundaunt than that it may bée expressed by mannes tung Paule saythe that by Chryste all things are restored in heauen and in earth For first Chryste by comming out of his graue sheweth himselfe conquerour and triumpher ouer Death Hell and Sathan and so maketh good the promisse vttered concerning him in times past The séede of the woman shall treade downe the Serpents head whiche Prophecie Iohn expounding sayth Chryst appéered too destroy the woorkes of the Deuill How bée it as too vs warde that are men for whose saluation he came downe from heauen was made manne dyed and rose ageyne there are foure sundrye kindes of frutes of Chrystes Resurrection too bée considered For Chrysts Resurrection is first our Iustification Secondly the power whereby sinne is subdued in vs thirdly an example of newnesse of lyfe the cause therof and fourthly the cause of our resurrection and a most assured warrant of the same Of these foure maner of frutes I will speake in order Therfore the first frute of our Lordes resurrection is the iustification of vs of which frute Paule speaketh in y e fourth too the Romanes Hée died for our sinnes and rose ageine for our iustification And Daniell in his .ix. Chapter Iniquitie shal bée taken away and euerlasting righteousnesse shal bée brought in To the intent this frute may bée the swéeter wée must consider of how great value it is Wée are borne in sin and subiect too Gods wrath Ephes. 1. Wée are all by nature the children of wrath The reward of sinne is death Ro. 6. frō this death are wée deliuered by the resurrection of Christ. For by Christ wée are quit from the gilt of sinne and so consequently from eternall death Héervpon commeth that saying in the Apocalips Blissed and holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for vpon them hath the second death no power but they shal bée préests of God of Chryst and they shall reigne with him For as the first death is by Adam so the first Resurrection is by Chryst. Héervntoo also perteineth this saying Blissed are they that wash their garmentes in the Lambes blud that they may haue power in the trée of life and may enter in at the gates of the Citie The second frute of our Lords Resurrection is that it is the power whiche is shed intoo the beléeuers which maketh them able too ryse from vices vntoo vertue This power is bestowed vppon vs in Baptim and confirmed in the Lordes Supper so that wée bée not behinde hande with our partes And yet this power is felt in those only that are borne agein of immortall séede 1. Peter 1. The thirde frute is the example For as Paule sayeth Chryste rose ageine too the intent wée might walke in newnesse of lyfe Those therefore that folowe their owne vices liuing wickedly vnclenly doo testifie by their own doing y t they despise Chryste whose Resurrection is set before vs as a glasse to sée how we ought too leade our life For they think that Chryst was scourged crowned with thornes and shed his blud vppon the altar of the crosse too the intent that they may giue ouer themselues too all outragiousnesse tyranny pryde and lusts and after this maner as much as in them lieth they crucifie the sonne God of new agein We therfore who couet not only to be called but also to be the same that we are called that is to say Christians must think vppon the mater as it is in déede namely that Chryst dyed for the clensing of suche mennes sinnes as receiue Faith with him and liue in true repentance by mortifying the old man and quickening the new man There bée foure euils wherewith men are burthened ignorance giltinesse of sinne vices and feare of endlesse damnation Ageinst ignorance Chryste is vntoo vs wisdome whyle he by his Gospel instructeth vs of his will towards vs. For if we were not instructed concerning his will by the woord of god our mind should be wrapped in continual darknesse which darknesse is put away by the
séen Chryst the author of this peace sayd Now let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue séene thy saluation The frute of this peace after the Resurrection shall bée euerlasting ioyfulnesse euerlasting gladnesse and euerlasting fruition of the sighte of GOD and of all the Sainctes that haue liued from the beginning of the worlde too that day This frute is no man able too conceiue sufficientely in this life Now that I haue somwhat largely spoken of those things that méete toogither in this peace I will drawe intoo a bréefe summe or description what this peace is The peace béetwéene GOD and man therefore is a mutuall agréemente of GOD and man Of GOD accepting man intoo fauoure for Chrystes sake and of manne receyuing by fayth the grace that is offered him and promising earnestly his obedience vntoo GOD. Let this suffize concerning the peace which Chryst offreth héer not onely too the eleuen disciples whiche were then present but also vntoo vs and too all that will receiue this peace when it is offered them by the preaching of the gospel ▪ After this peaceable gréeting it foloweth in the text by what means Chryst proued him self too be risē agein frō death in déed And hée sheweth that the same thing was so foretold in Moyses in the prophets in the Psalms But for as much as you haue herd of these things vpon Easter day and yesterday I wil speak onely of the necessitie vse of Chrystes death and resurrection ¶ Of the second SO is it vvritten and so ought Chryst too suffer and rise agein from death the third day and repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes too bee preached in his name too all nations beginning at Hierusalem First therfore when hée saith so is it written His wil is that not reason but Scripture should wey with vs as often as the kingdome of God cometh in question Where this is written hée addeth saying It must néedes bée y t all things bée fulfilled in the law of Moyses in the Prophets and in y e Psalmes Therfore when any question is put foorth concerning saluation Moyses must bée called too counsell the Prophets must bée read and the Psalmes must bée perused and consequently the wrytings of the Euangelists and Apostles Whatsoeuer is repugnant too these wrytings muste bée reiected as procéeding from Sathan What is written that Chryst ought so too suffer and rise from death the third day When hée saith So ought it importeth a necessitie of Chrystes death and resurrection Why then ought hée First that the scriptures whiche can not lie might bée fulfilled For like as GOD endureth for euer so his woord endureth for euer And Chryste sayeth Heauen and Earthe shall passe but my woordes shall not passe Secondely this thing muste néedes bée doone bicause God hath so determined For it cā by no meanes be auoyded but that that thing whiche God hath certeinly determined muste néedes take effecte Thirdly it was of necessitie that Chryst must suffer for the redemption of man from endlesse punishementes whiche they hadde deserued by their sinnes For had not Chryste suffered wée had abidden in our sinnes vnder the wrath of GOD. Fourthly it was of necessitie that Chryst should suffer for the glorie wherewith hée was too bée crowned afterwarde Fifthly it behooued Chryste too suffer for our instruction comfort Forasmuch as he is our head it behooued him to leade vs the way as well in persecution as in glory Sixtly it behooued Christ to suffer too the intent y e truth might answere the figures For many figures of the old Testament did represent Chrysts death and Resurrection of which is spoken vpon Easter day Bréefly too conclude in one woord Chryst suffered dyed and rose ageyn that Gods displeasure might bée pacified mankinde saued and the diuels kingdome destroyed Thus haue wée of howe great necessitie it was that Chryst should dye and rise agein Nowe let vs héere what is the frute and vse of this wonderfull woorke ▪ Whiche thing the Lorde declareth in these woords And repentance and forgiuenesse of sins too bee preached too all nations in his name By these woords is gathered first what the Gospell is and what is the effect of it The Gospell is a preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes for Chrysts sake The effect of the Gospell is that deliueraunce from sinne and saluation happen through Iesus Chryst only Howebeit too the intent it may appéere the more playnly vntoo vs how great benefites are offered vs by the Gospell all which lye hidde vnder these woords of Chryst I wil bring a somwhat more large description out of the Scriptures The Gospell is a generall preaching wherein is vttered the deliueraunce from the cursse of the lawe and Gods wrath and wherein forgiuenesse of sinnes Saluation and Eternall lyfe is proclaymed too them that beléeue in the Sonne of GOD for the Sacrifice of him according too the promyses made in olde tyme too the Fathers that the glorie of Gods goodnesse might continually bée published and that moreouer men béeing delyuered by Chryst might bring foorth frutes méete for the Gospell and at length enioy euerlasting life In this description is fyrst set foorth from what euils wée bée set frée by meanes of the Gospell that is too wit from the curse of the lawe according too that sentence Galath 3. Chryst became accursed for vs that is too say he tooke vppon him the cursse that wée deserued for our sinnes too the intent wée might become heyres of righteousnesse and blissyng This thing also auoucheth Paule 2. Cor. 5. where he sayth thus Him that knewe no sinne he made sinne that wée might bée made the righteousnesse of GOD in him This is as much too say as Chryst whiche was frée from all sinne became giltie for vs. Therefore is it well sayde that deliueraunce from the cursse of the lawe is preached vntoo vs by the Gospell Moreouer bicause Gods wrath was ioyned with the curse of the lawe wée are also delyuered from Gods wrath when wée beléeue the Gospell He that beléeueth not sayeth the trueth the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Therefore he that beléeueth is no longer vnder wrath but vnder grace Nowe where as grace reigneth there the diuels tyrannie hath no power there is no sting of euerlasting death there is no feare of hel from these euils therfore dooth the Gospell preache deliueraunce But what are the good things that it bringeth woord of It bringeth tidings of forgiuenesse of sinnes of saluation and of eternall lyfe Wée béeing giltie of sinne are by nature cursed and damned to euerlasting death But nowe dooth Chryste in his Gospell offer vs Forgyuenesse of sinnes Saluation and euerlasting lyfe Whiche good things hée hath purchased for vs by his death and glorious Resurrection Wée haue heard by what euils wée are set frée by meanes of the Gospell and what good things are offered vs by the same Nowe followeth too whom these good things happen namely too
faith alone Yes it is true But there is a difference too bée put betwixt the causes of saluation and the obedience that God requireth of those that bée his Wée are iustified by faith only but when wée are iustified wée are made new men that is too wit the sonnes of God and hence foorth wée must after the example of our father lead a new and blissed life But héere is too bée considered also that as there is a double marke of the children of God so ther is a double marke of the children of Sathan The marke of the children of God is one while inward and another while outward The inward is repentance faith godlinesse good conscience The outward is héering of Gods woord and honest conuersation among men For as Chryste sheweth héere that the loue of his woord and the héering of it is a marke of his Disciples so Peter requireth honest conuersation among men whereby God may bée glorified his church edified But the inward marke of Sathans children is too bée without faith without godlynesse too haue an euil conscience and euil affections too haue the maistrie The outward mark is outward contempt of the woord and a leude life Mark wel these marks and let euery man examine him self whither he bée too bée accounted among the children of God or among the children of the Diuel If hée perceiue him self too bée among the children of Sathan let him pul back his foot out of hand least he be thrown headlong intoo damnation sooner than he looked for If he perceiue him self too bée among the children of God let him giue God thanks and desire encrease of faith loue and other vertues let him desire too bée strengthened by the holy Ghoste least he bée withdrawen from his godly and holy race by the sleights of Sathan ¶ Of the second ANd my father vvill loue him and vvee vvill come vntoo him and dvvell vvith him Heere are rehersed the moste swéete frutes of kéeping the woord of God The firste frute is that the Father loueth suche as kéepe Chrystes woord For hée holdeth them right déere in his beloued Ephe. 1. How great a good thing this is it may bée vnderstood héerby that those which beléeue not in Chryst abide vnder Gods wrath according too this saying Hée that beléeueth not in the sonne the wrath of God abideth vpon him Wher as the wrath of God is there is sinne death damnation hel the tirannie of the Deuill and too bée shorte all mischéefe Contrarywise wheras is the loue of God there are the enimies ouercome there is saluation there is ioy there is life euerlasting Therefore let vs think vpon this first frute of keping Gods woord that by thinking theron wée may be kindled the more too loue the woord The seconde frute is and vve sayth hée vvill come vntoo him Than the whiche comming there can bée no greater honor If God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost come too him that kéepeth Chrystes woords vndoubtedly it foloweth that they came not too him before But that hée was in the diuels power and in the kingdome of darkenesse where death and damnation reigne It is a great frendship if a King come too his subiect it is a great honor too be visited of a mans better but vntoo this honor none other is comparable that God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost come vntoo a man that loueth Chryst and kéepeth his sayings The third frute is that the Trinitie not only cōmeth too a man that kéepeth Christs sayings but also maketh his dwelling with him abydeth in him Christ méeneth by this most swéete promisse that those whiche héere Chrystes woord and kéepe it are the temples of the Trinitie in whome dwelleth the father the sonne the holy Ghost And although that all the whole church is called one church of God yet is euery seuerall Christian a seuerall temple of the holy Ghost Behold how princely a promisse this is If any body should promisse a miserable man a great treasure of gold he should haue good cause too be mery and reioyce that of a poor and wretched creature he should become a riche and happie man But héere is promised a moste incomparable treasure namely the dwelling of the Trinitie in vs whiche farre surmounteth all the treasures of the world But what dooth the Father when hée dwelleth in a man what dooth the sonne what dooth the holy ghoste The father with his might shéeldeth and defendeth the men in whom he dwelleth ageinst the rage of sathan wheras sathā executeth ful power vppon all beléeuers The sonne with his wisdome and light teacheth and lighteneth them ageinst all mistes of all maner of darknes The holy ghost with his holinesse sāctifieth consecrateth anoynteth them too bée the Prophets Kings Préests and saincts of the Lord. Too be Prophets bicause we sée those things with the eyes of our faith which no bodily eare is able too conceiue Of this Propheticall office speaketh Ioel according as Luke also maketh mēcion Act. 2. Too be Kings partly bicause we are made the childrē of God by the victorie of Christ and also bicause that by the power of Christ we reigne ouer death and hel Lu. 22. I appoynt vntoo you a kingdome like as my father hath appoynted vntoo me Too bée préestes bicause when wée beléeue in Chryst wée haue aucthoritie too offer vntoo GOD the sacrifice of prayse wée haue libertie too cal vpon God through Iesus Christ our only mediator and high préest wée haue aucthoritie too teach Gods woord Howbéeit euery man according too the maner of his calling And too bée saincts bicause that through Faith in Christ wée are accoūted as pure as if wée had fulfilled y e law to the vttermost Behold what a nūber of frutes the keping louing of Chrysts woord bringeth with it There can bée no greater dignitie there can bée no greater glory there can bée no honor or worship more excellent But what shal wée lern by it To liue worthy so great honor that wée by our owne vnclennesse driue not God out of our harts but rather that wée exalt him with continual prayses in true godlinesse and sanctificatiō That so great worship ought to put vs in mind héerof Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 2. where he sayth thus you are a chosen generation a kingly préesthood a holy nation a people whom God claymeth proper too himselfe that yée should set foorth his woorks whoo hath called you out of darknesse intoo his woonderfull light You that in times past were no people are now the people of God you which in times past obteyned no mercy haue now obteyned mercy Héerevppon the Apostle inferreth Absteyne therfore from fleshly lustes which fight ageynst the soule and make your conuersation honest among the Heathen As many benefites of God then as wée héere of towardes vs so many spurres shall there bée to pricke vs forward too godly and holy lyfe Wherfore sith Chryste
héere promyseth so great things and sith that the heauenly Trinitie dwelleth in them that beléeue Let vs endeuer too bée cleane and pure as it be commeth Gods temples too bée Let vs bée spiritual things that wée may reigne ouer sinne and not serue it any more in the lustes thereof Let vs bée prests that may offer quicke sacrifices vntoo God and call vpon him by fayth in Chryst. Let vs bée saincts and segregated from the heathenish routes of the world that wée fall not intoo our former filthinesse agein ¶ Of the thirde ANd the comforter the holy Ghost vvhom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things This is Chrysts promisse whereby he promiseth his Disciples the holy ghost Wée haue herd before what is the woorthinesse of the Chrystians Now let vs héer what is ioyned with this woorthinesse And bicause I am not able to vtter these things according too their woorthinesse I will after the manner of babes prattle of eche thing that is spoken in this royall promisse These few woords therfore doo conteine seuen poynts concerning the holy ghost the which I will reherse bréefly and apply them too our vse For these points contein the causes why the holy ghost is sent and giuen First he is called an Aduocate Although I haue spoken somewhat an eight dayes hence concerning this name Yet peraduenture it shal not bée amisse too repete it agein too day Therfore he is called an Aduocate that is too say a spokesman bicause hée is at hande too the afflicted and dooth teache them comfort them take their case vpon him as his owne and in conclusion compelleth vs too crye out and too say with all our hart Abba father haue mercy vpon vs for thy sonnes sake whom thou hast giuen too bée our Sauiour And this is the first cause why the holy ghost is giuen The second is that he may quicken vs and thervpon he is called a spirit Now there is a double life The one naturall wherethrough all liuing creatures liue and this endureth for a short time for it is swalowed vp by death and the other life is of God from which Paule sayeth that all those are estraungers which haue not knowne Chryste The author of this life is that spirit of Chryst which he promised too his disciples This is not of short continuance but euerlasting as which is proper too the euerlasting God And this life liue al they that beléeue in the sonne of God Gala. 2. The thirde cause of sending and géeuing the holy ghost is that he may make vs holy of which operation he is called holy and he maketh vs holy at what time he worketh faith in vs when he regenerateth vs when he reformeth our vnderstanding affections and will and too bée bréefe when he bringeth too passe that wée become newe creatures and liue according too the will of God The fourth cause of sending giuing the holy ghost vntoo vs is that he may stablish a certeyne louingnesse among vs and therfore he is said too bée sent from the father too his children For as the father embraceth his children with an inward kindnesse loue so he desireth nothing more than that the childrē folowing the nature of their father should mainteine brotherly loue among them selues Thus too doo it béecommeth them that acknowledge God too bée their common father As for those that refuse too doo so either they neuer were his children or else they are shamefully growen out of kind from the nature of their father The fifth cause of sending the holy ghost is that wée may lerne of him in what sort our heauenly father is mynded towards vs. Therfore the Lord sayth and he shal teach you al things What Shall he teach any other thing than y t which the Prophets and Moyses haue taught Or any other thing than is deliuered vs in the scripture No forsoth For he shal teach the self same things Doth not y e scripture suffise Yes it suffiseth as in respect of doctrine but not as in respect of our capacitie For although wée héere the woord a thousande times yet is it vneffectuall vnlesse he teache within For anoynting as sayth the Apostle teacheth all things The sixth cause of sending and giuing the holy ghost is shewed in this saying in my name By which saying is signified the vttermost ende or the final cause why the holy ghost is giuen which is that they which beléeue in Chryst may bée saued For in as much as Chryst is our saluation that the holy ghost is sent in his name there is no dout but he is sent for our saluation sake The seuenth cause is that he may confirme Christs woord in vs. He sayth Chryst shall teach you all things he shall put you in mynde of all thyngs that I haue spoken vntoo you These things ar signifyed bréefly concerning the holy ghost in our Gospel that is red this day in our Church mo things are noted yet more bréefly in our Créede which are that the holy ghost is very God that he is the thirde person in Trinitie that he quickeneth and sanctifyeth that wée must leane vntoo him by liuely fayth as vntoo the father and the sonne But as concerning these things wée shall héer more another time and haue herd more a while ago ¶ Of the fourth MY peace I leaue vntoo you my peace I giue vntoo you not as the vvorld giueth doo I giue you This promisse of Chryst is right great also and much greater than the world vnderstādeth Dooth not Christ say as we haue herd of late in the world ye shall haue trouble and they shal cast you out of their sinagoges It is so Therfore Chryst maketh a difference betwéene the two sortes of peace betwéene the peace of the world and his peace What maner of peace the peace of the world is there is no man but he vnderstandeth But what maner of peace Chrysts peace is onely the children of God vnderstande For it is that peace whereof the Gospell speaketh and of which I haue entreated abundantly the first Sunday after Easter Neuerthelesse too the intent I may bréefly repete the same things The peace of Christ is our reconcilemēt vntoo God the remission of our sinnes the giuing of the holy ghost and euerlasting life according too this prayer of the Church O God which by the lightning of the holy Ghost hast taught the hartes of the faythfull giue vntoo vs that peace which the world cannot giue and that our hartes may bée quiet This peace the sonne of God graunt vntoo vs too whom with the father and the holy Ghost bée honour and glory for euermore Amen Vpon Whitson Monday ¶ The Gospel Iohn iij. SO GOD loued the vvorld that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that vvho so euer beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his sonne intoo the vvorld too condemne the vvorlde but that the vvorlde
clensing héerof hath he giuen his sonne willeth that those which wil be partakers of his mercy should mortifie it in thēselues by continual repentāce But how doth God loue the world So as he hath giuen his sonne for it that is to wit that he should take vpon him the sinne of the world die for it vpon the crosse Surely it is a great loue than which there can be none greter But reason is héer offēded which vnderstandeth not Gods purpose and obiecteth in this wise Is not God almighty Yes surely Can he not doo what hée listeth Yes vndoubtedly can he Had it not bin better then if he had shewed his loue towards men by some other meane Austin answereth If hée had doone otherwise neyther would y t haue liked thée It pleased him saith Paul too saue the vnbeléeuers by the foolishe preaching of the Gospel Wherefore setting aside the iudgemente of reason let vs saye with Dauid Thy woorde is a lanterne too my feete Also this is too bée knowne that God is not only almighty but also most iust most merciful and most wise Mankinde was falne intoo sinne What did Iustice require in this case Surely that mankind should bée punished according too the greatnesse of his sinne Nowe as his sinne was infinite for the infinite goodnesse was defaced therby so Gods iustice required that eyther mankinde should suffer endlesse punishmēt or else that rightfull amēds should bée made in stead of the punishemente This amends could none make but God But forasmuch as God ought not too bée punished the sonne of God tooke mannes nature vpon him and in it made satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde And so God shewed himself not only almighty but also most iust most merciful and most wise For he alone foūd out the way which reason could not find He gaue his sonne whoo by his heauenly power ouercame sinne death the Deuil Hel who of his mercy hath receyued vs who with his rightuousnesse hathe satisfied the iustice of God who through his wisdome hath found out the way of saluation ¶ Of the second THat all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Héere is the instrument set foorth whereby the benefites of our Mediatour Chryst are applyed vntoo vs. Howbéeit for asmuch as these are the woordes of the sonne of God and the chéef floure or pith of the whole scripture I wil sift them one by one and shew what doctrine is too bée gathered of euery word First hée sayth All. This woord all remedieth two moste gréeuous temptations whereof the one is of particularitie and the other of vnwoorthinesse for the multitude of sinnes There are diuers that confesse God too bée merciful too many for Christes sake but they dout whither so great a good turne perteine too them selues or no. This is a sore temptation the whiche the sonne of God remedyeth with this one woord all For if Chrystes benefite extended not it self too all he would in no wise haue sayd all but many or some Let vs then giue the praise of truth vntoo Chryste and let euery man throughly persuade him self that Christes benefits belong to him also Ageine another temptation riseth of the thinking vppon the greatnesse of sinnes whiche temptation the miseries of this present life encrease This dooth Chryste remedy also by this woord all For hée sayth not euery iust man or that committeth the lesser sinnes but all that is to wit euery one that is found within this wide worlde This also confirmeth the price of our redemptiō The blud of Christ saith Iohn clenseth vs from all iniquitie that is too say from all that whiche wée doo amisse contrary too the law of God Therefore let no man despaire by reason of the greatnesse of his disease Oure Phisicion Chryste is wise and hath an effectuall remedye ageinst all diseases namely his owne death and obedience Then foloweth the second woord that beleeueth by whiche woord mākind is disseuered intoo twoo sorts of men of whom the one beléeue the other beléeue not They beléeue whiche persuade them selues that Christ is fauorable to them according too his promisse and they beléeue not whiche despise the gospel and wil not credit Christ these perish through their owne default Uerely the benefit extendeth it self too al men is offred too all according too Christs commaundement but it is receiued of the beléeuers only according too Chrysts cōmaundement and promisse Go yee intoo the vvhole vvorld preach the gospel to al creatures He that beleueth shal be saued Behold the benefit is offred vntoo all but only the beléeuers take hold of it the rest perish through their own default For althoughe that God of his mercy is willing too haue all men saued yet wil hée of his iust iudgement that the vnbeléeuers perish whom hée would haue saued if they had not refused to embrace their saluation by faith The third woord is on him For hée is saued that beléeueth on him that is on the sonne of God very man the sauyoure of the world Iesus Chryst. What is it too beléeue on him It is too despaire of thy self and too hope for all good at his hand The fourth woord is should not perish In this saying are shewed twoo things Firste that all whiche beléeue not on Christ are subiect too the sentence of damnation And secondly that men bée acquit from this sentence of dānation by the merites of only Chryst through fayth only This therfore is the greatest benefite of the Gospel too bée set frée from deserued destruction and endlesse damnation The fifthe saying is but haue life euerlasting This is the chéefest benefit of the Gospel Endlesse death is due to vs by oure owne desert eternall life is due too vs by the deserte of Christ so that wée leane vntoo him by stedfast fayth vntoo the end By these things now is too be gathered a firme differēce betwixt the law and the Gospel and betwéene woorkes and fayth The law promiseth eternall life but it is too them that doo the lawe But bicause no man is able too fulfil the lawe it foloweth that no man can atteine life by the law The Gospel promiseth eternal life fréely too all that beléeue in Christ bicause Chryste hath for all suche satisfied the rightuousnesse of the lawe Fayth therefore receyueth that benefite fréely whiche the lawe offereth without condicion of fulfilling the law Notwithstanding when wée haue obteyned this benefite by faith we must doo works not too the intent too deserue Heauen and euerlasting life by them but as Gods Children too performe true obedience too our Father and to shew oure fayth by our frutes in all godlynesse and honestie ¶ Of the third FOr God hathe not sent his sonne intoo the vvorlde too comdemne the vvorlde but that the vvorlde mighte bee saued by him Hee that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is iudged already bycause hee beleeueth not on
of the law which is openly proclaymed ageinst all that repent not that is ageinst all spirituall Lepres But what remedie is there ageinst this ghostly Leprosie It is not too bée cured by any cunning of man There is but only one Phisitian that can clense it which is Iesus Chryst. Too whō if the Lepre come and humble himselfe before him calling vpon him and crauing too bée healed This most skilful Phisitian wil by and by first with his own blud wash of the filth of this spiritual Leprosie and then with his spirituall oyle anoynt the infected limmes vntill they bée made ful whole Untoo him therfore must wée go on the féete of faith his medicine which is offered by the voyce of the Gospell is too bée receyued with the mouth of the hart that is too say with fayth Of him is too bée requested that effectuall Oyle wherwith the appaired powers strength are renued and great héede is too bée taken that wée fal not intoo this Leprosie ageine by loosing this helthfull medicine of Gods worde and this healthfull Oyle of the holy Ghost Which thing if wée doo the curing of vs will be the harder afterwarde For when any disease hath taken too déepe a roote it is a harder matter too heale it Of the second ASsoone as he savv them he said Go and shevv your selues too the preest Whom he had healed in their going away by his only becke thē sendeth hée too the préestes who though they were wicked and couetous yet did they serue in the ministerie ordeyned by God But why sendeth hée them too the Préests There were many and great causes The first was that hée might trie their faith whither they beléeued his word and his promisse For God is woont by diuers means too trie the stedfastnesse of his seruants in faith not too their hurt or hinderaunce but too the intent that their fayth béeing tryed and as it were fined in the fire of temptation maye become the purer So was the fayth of Abraham tryed when he was commaunded too go kil his onely begotten sonne So was the womans fayth of Syrophaenicia tryed and there bée manye other examples as of Iob Ioseph Dauid and all others The seconde is that by this his dooing hée may confirme the publike ministerie ordeyned by GOD. For the Préests had a commaundement too discerne and iudge of Leprosie too receiue intoo the open congregations suche as will bée throughly clensed excluding the others And if hée had doone otherwise hée mighte haue séemed too haue broken Moyses law which hée came not too break but too fulfil performe The third is bicause the lawe the Préesthood beare witnesse of Chryst according as hée sayth himself The law and the Prophets beare witnesse of mée For wheras the préests were commaunded too iudge of Leprosie and to take an offering for the clensing of the Lepre that was healed It was a figure of Chrystes power who cannot only iudge of Leprosie but also clense the same and that with the sacrifice of his owne bodie and with his owne precious bloud The fourth is that the préests might lern by that miracle that the true Messias was come For so Esay tolde them before that Chryste shoulde shewe his presence by woonderful miracles among whiche this is reckened vp for one that hée should make the blinde too sée clense the Lepres Therfore when the préests had séene this heauenly miracle they shuld haue concluded vppon the Prophecie of Esay that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias promised in old time too the fathers specially sith the Prophesies cōcerning Chrysts comming did leuell all too this time The fifth is that the Préestes béeing by this miracle conuicted that Chryste the true Messias was come should sende their hearers and the people vntoo Chryst the moste skilful and cunning Phisitian bothe for bodie soule which thing they didde not leaste their owne gaine shoulde bée abated They haue many folowers now a dayes specially in the papacie The sixth is that these Lepres béeing receyued by the record of the Préests should shew their bountifulnesse toward God and the ordinarie ministerie Notw tstanding beside these true causes for which Chryst sent these Lepres too the Préests The Papistes haue forged another namely that wée shoulde shriue oure sinnes too the Préests numbring vp all our faults with all the circumstāces of them which surely is a thing vnpossible The Papists therfore doo wrest this text too a straunge sense with their allegorie doo make grinnes wherewithall the wretched consciences are horribly snarled And so of a moste comfortable Gospel they make a moste butcherly slaughterhouse of consciences What Is not priuate confession too bée reteyned Yes in déede but not in consideration of this Allegorie nor yet after the maner of the Papists whiche like Iudges exact the reckening vp of all a mannes sinnes and denie that ther is any remission if there bée not a ful rehearsal of all the sinnes which as Dauid witnesseth no man vnderstandeth muche lesse can hée then recken them vp But what is the cause why auricular confession is kepte stil in our Churches of Denmark For the commodities therof whiche are very many The first is that in this priuate talke the rude and ignorant may bée instructed which haue need too bée instructed in the Cathechisme The second is that in it striplings and yong men may bée tryed howe they profite For it is the duetie of a good shepeherd not only too teach godly doctrine openly but also his office requireth that after the example of Paule hée shoulde make a proofe of his hearers at home howe muche they haue profited in godlinesse For in this priuate cōmunication hée shall pricke foreward the slouthful as it were with a spurre hée shall commende the diligence of those that haue profited muche and encourage them too like continuance The third is that in this priuate conference an accounte of their fayth is required of those whose fayth and relygion may iustly bée doubted of The fourth is that in this talk the weak consciences are reléeued with doctrine counsel and comforte specially when they bée entangled with any scruple of conscience For suche persons doo wel by themselues if they get them too their shepherds that they may bée raysed and receiue comfort The fifth is although hée that beléeueth truely in Chryst is cléerely acquit from his sinne for where as sinne is a falling from Gods law and wil with a binding of the partie too euerlasting death and damnation out of doubt euery one is acquit that beléeueth the free promise according too this saying hée that beléeueth in the Sonne hathe euerlasting life whervpon it foloweth that true absolution is a deliuerance of the beléeuing man from his béeing bound too eternal death and damnation yet notwithstanding it is profitable for all men too heare the Gospell priuately also which béeing vttered by the mouth of the Minister declareth forgiuenesse
Apostles testifie These are the things in generall that are too bée considered in this Gospell Howbéeit too the intente wée may receiue the greater frute thereby I wil propound thrée places whiche I will intreate of in this Sermon 1 What maner of affection Chryste beareth towardes vs. 2 The declaration of this present miracle with the circumstances of the same 3 An Image of all Mankinde ¶ Of the first THe Euāgelist telleth a storie of a certeine yong man that was dead and caryed out too be buryed at the sight wherof our Lord was moued with compassion For when hée behilde the sorowfull moother hée conceyued a déeper thoughte There came too his remembrance the fall of mankinde the tirannie of the Deuil the greatnesse of the miseries wherwith mankind is distressed by reason of sinne He considered it was his office too ouerthrow these fortificatiōs of Sathan For he saw in this womā a paterne of mans wretchednesse whiche did put him in minde of mannes fall and of his owne office Wée may therefore gather twoo things of this place One what wée be and another what Chryst is toward vs. Wée in very déede are miserable in distresse and damned and we cannot of our owne power wrest our selues out of so greate mischéeues Chryste is God and man and came too saue that whiche was loste who in this case vttereth his affection towardes mankinde For hée is none otherwyse mynded towards vs than he was towards this widow Hée is gréeued for hir calamities and he is gréeued for ours He helpeth hir and he wil help vs also This is the very thing that the Apostle sayth writing to the Hebrues we haue a high préest that can bée sory with vs in our infirmities Yea surely hée hathe greater affection and loue towards vs than this widow hath toward hir only sonne whom shée foloweth héer wéeping too the place of his buryall For thus sayeth the Prophete Can a woman forget the Babe of hir owne wombe though shée doo forget yet wil not I forget thée But what are the causes of this vnspeakable louingnesse of Chrystes towards vs that are all too bée dawbed with the filthinesse of many wicked crimes Surely there is no desert of ours ne woorthinesse in vs. Howbéeit there bée foure causes whereby the sonne of God is moued too embrace vs with so great louingnesse The first is his fatherly kindnesse For hée created vs and therefore wée are his by righte of creation And although hée know vs too bée ful of filth and wickednesse yet notwithstāding he findeth somewhat in vs that is his namely that wée bée his creatures Thou hast mercy on all things sayeth the wise man and thou hatest none of the things that thou haste made The seconde is the woorthinesse of our creation Namely for that wée are created too the likenesse of God according too this Let vs make man after our own image and likenesse And bicause this image was for the chéefe part thereof defaced through sinne the Lord himself came too repair it ageine Which thing cometh then too passe when wée beholding him stedfastly by true faith are transformed intoo the likenesse or image of God The third is the ende too whiche wée are created For wée are created too be the temple of God glorifying God And albéeit that this Temple was then vnhalowed through sinne yet the stuffe of it was stil remayning wherof Chryst might buyld vp a new Temple The fourth is the destruction of Sathans kingdome too ouerthrow the which Chryst came intoo this world A certein hansel of this destruction was giuen in this miracle Chryste encountered oftentimes with Sathan and oftentimes didde put him too flight and at length ouercame him when hée rose ageine from death This victorie of Chrystes shall bée séene perfect in the last day whē the last of al enimies death shall bée abolished These foure causes moued oure Lorde too take flesh vpon him and to become man and in the flesh that is in the nature of mā too suffer both in soule body for mankind And although this affection of Chrystes bée oftentimes cōmended vntoo vs in the woorde of God and warranted with many miracles yea and with the obedience of the Sonne of God himself who was obediente too the father euen vnto th◠death of the crosse yet notwithstanding there be thrée things that laboure too persuade vs otherwise That is the law cōscience and the heap of miseries wherwith ▪ we be ouerwhelmed in this life For these things crye vntoo vs that wée are abiects from Chryst. The law sayeth Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all the things that are written in the book of the law And there is no man but hée séeth hée hathe innumerable wayes transgressed y e law Wée look vpon Eue who became subiect to the sentence of cursing for breaking of one cōmaundemēt and what shall become of vs that haue offēded God so often The sentence of this law is confirmed by the fearfulnesse of the conscience whiche is as good as a thousand witnesses as it is sayed in the Prouerbe The conscience is a thousand witnesses Héeruntoo perteyneth this saying of the Poet As eche mannes conscience findeth him so feeles he in his hart a ioyfull hope or dreadful feare according too desert And S. Bernarde sayth The euil conscience of our sinnes is our witnesse our iudge our tormentor and our prison for it accuseth vs it iudgeth vs and it condemneth vs. What can bée more gréeuous I pray you than day night too cary suche a witnesse about vs in our brest Many béeing conuicted by the recorde of this conscience haue abridged their owne liues while they could not endure too heare hir accusing them and bearing witnesse ageinst them Too the furtherance héerof cometh the huge heape of calamities which confirme y e sentēce of the law the conscience Ageinst these .iij. moste gréeuous temptations let vs in true repentance set Christ alone He came intoo the world to take away y e curse of the law too wipe out sin too turn intoo glory al the miseries of those that beléeue in him howbéeit in such wise as al things ar doon orderly This world is a wast wildernesse frō whence wée must passe intoo our countrey The people of Israel came not by by intoo the resting place that was promised them Ioseph came not too so great dignitie in Egipt without imprisonment before Christ entred not into his glory till he had bin first crucified dead buried Wherfore it behoueth vs also to enter into glory by the crosse For thus sayth Paule If we suffer with him we shall reigne w t him also He y t shunneth the encounter looketh for y e garland in vain No mā shal be crouned saith the Apostle but he that contendeth lawfully The same sayth we are made safe by hope Therfore ageinst the cursse of the law let vs set Christ who became accursed for vs. Ageinst our conscience
not only ageinst the sorow that wée conceiue for the deade but also ageinst all afflictions as well of minde as bodie But some man obiecteth I haue forgon the comfort of my life TheÌ„ thou bewaylest not him that is dead but thou bewaylest thine owne self and thy losse that thou hast by forgoing him It is a naturall thing too wéepe Thou sayest truthe but let grace ouercome nature Thâ—s muche is added bréeflye in the seconde circumstance concerning comfort at the death of our déere fréends The third Our Lord toucheth the coffin wherin the deadâ— men lay By which touching he declareth that his body was the instrument too get vs life and saluation The fourth He speaketh too the yoong man and sayeth I say to thee yong man arise So also raysed he the yong maâ—d as is in Marke So raysed he Lazarus that had bin buried foure dayes as is in Iohn Héere wée are taught bothe that Chryst is stronger than death and that his word is the word of life and saluation The fifth The dead man ryseth at Chrysts call and this is the miracle he riseth y t was dead he began streight wayes too speake and our Lord deliuered him too his moother The sixth Feare fel vpon them al â–ª and they glorified God saying A great prophet is risen vp among vs and God hath visited his people and this saying vvas spred abrode of him through all Ievvrie Héere is described a double frute of this miracle The one befalleth too the present héerers and the other extendeth vntoo others too whom the report of this miracle came The present beholders conceyued faith héereby and so feared God glorifying him with true woorship and acknowledged the Messias too bée come whom also they confessed Besides that the report héereof came vntoo others that were in Iewrie and the countrey bordering thervpon who in likewyse conceyued Fayth in the Messias And in these dayes the report héereof commeth vntoo vs wherby we may acknowledge Christ too bée the very Messias and too bée stroÌ„ger than death â–ª and may conceiue faith in him magnifying God with hart voyce confession and manners and so it will come too passe that one day wée shall haue by him a ioyfull resurrection too euerlasting life ¶ Of the second SAinct Ambrose sayeth that the image of the Churche is set foorthe héere and bicause it representeth our estates it is woorth the opening The widow saith he signifieth y e church the dead yong man euery sinner y t liueth without repentaÌ„ce and the 〈…〉 the body of sinne The widow bewaileth hir dead 〈◊〉 â–ª That is to say the church lâ—â—â—nenteth for the vnrepentantnesse of the wicked entreateth Chryst too moue them and draw them too him with his woord his spirit Chryst therefore biddeth them that caried the corse too stand still Foâ— the sinner is borne to hell byfoure porters which are theâ—e First 〈◊〉 of longer life Secondly looking vppon other mennes faultes Thirdly presumption vppon Gods mercy And fourthly â—â—atterie of lend company Now if thâ—u wilt ryse from the death of sinne thou must néedes héere Chryst who biddeth the porters stay First therefore then must exclude hope of long lyfe bicause life is â—ncerteyn according as the experience of many teacheth and perill is at hand as it is too bée séene in the riche glutton Ageine thou muste not set another mannes euill lâ—â—e before thée as a paterne too follow â–ª but thou must submit thy selfe too God as Abraham did thou must trust in him and thou must â—mend thy coÌ„ditions knowing thâ—t the 〈…〉 in iudgement â–ª It 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 that thou gauest mee hath giuen mée of the Apple Thirdly lâ—y away presumption of Gods mercy for this presumption is a great contempt of God Rom. 2. Fourthly put away flatterers that entice thee too euill And when thou hast done so leane vppon Chryst with liuely faith the will quicken thée too eternall lyfe the which Chryst graunt vnto vs 〈◊〉 whom bée 〈◊〉 for euermore Amen Vpon the .xvij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij IT chaunced that Iesus vvent intoo the house of one of the cheefe Pharisies to eate bread on the Saboth day and they vvatched him And behold there vvas a certeine man before him vvhich had the dropsie And Iesus ansvvered and spake vntoo the Lavvyers and Pharisies saying Is it lavvfull too heale on the Sabboth day And they hild their peace And he tooke him and healed him and let him go and ansvvered them saying vvhich of you shall haue an Asse or an Oxe fallen intoo a pitte and vvyll not straight vvay pull him out on the Sabboth day And they coulde not ansvvere him ageine too these things He put foorth also a similitude too the guestes vvhen he marked hovve they preaced too bee in the highest roumes and sayde vntoo them VVhen thou art bidden too a vvedding of any man sit not dovvne in the hyest roume lest a more honourable man than thou bee bidden of him and he that bad him and thee come and saye too thee giue this man roume and thou beginne vvith shame too take the lovvest roume But rather vvhen thou art bidden goe and sit in the lovvest roume that vvhen he that bad thee commeth he may say vntoo thee frende sit vp hyer Then shalt thou haue vvoorship in the presence of them that fit at meate vvith thee For vvhosoeuer exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lovve and he that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this Gospell was this Chryst beyng bidden too dinner of a certeyne Pharisie was watched by those that sate at meate with him that either in his woordes or in his déedes they might haue found somwhat too charge him withall For the world is so wicked that like as men cloke vices vnder the visors of vertue So they are not ashamed too rayse slaunder vppon honest déedes and true vertue So great is the malice of men Notwithstanding Chryst is not feared away with their leudnesse but kéepeth his old woont and executeth his office euen in the thickest of his enimies leauing vs an example that wée should not cease too procéede in well dooing though wée should sée all the whole world hent ageinst vs. Chryst therefore healeth this wretche declaring therein the might of his Godhead his most forward will too helpe them that bée in miserie and his Office for which he came intoo the worlde Moreouer he sheweth the right maner of halowing the Saboth day and by his déede dooth as it were define the true kéeping of the Saboth By which thing like as he reproueth the pryde of the Pharisies and their ignorance in the scriptures So he exhorteth them vntoo true humilitie And thus much concerning the summe of this present Gospell The places are thrée 1 Of the Saboth and the true woorks therof 2 Of the miracle by which the true vse of the Saboth is confirmed 3 Of true Humilitie ¶ Of the firste WHen the
bothe eternal and present punishment Héer had hée bin forâ—â—â— for sorowe if hée had not herd the comforte of the Prophete in Gods roume Thou shalt not die the Lorde hath taken away thy sinne At the hearing of this comforte fayth kindled in him wherby taking holde vpon the releasement began too beholde the mercie of God and rested vpon the mediatour Wée haue hearde a late a moste goodlye example in the Publicane whoo in suche wise acknowledged the greatnesse of his det that hée durst not so muche as lift vp his eyes And yet hauing bearde of the greatnesse of Gods mercie hée rayseth himselfe by faith and prayeth O God bée mercifull too mée a sinner And so hée obteyned a frée discharge of y e whole dette Let vs set before vs these exaÌ„ples which playnly shew vs the doctrine of repentance and fogiuenesse of sinnes That forgiuenesse of sinnes is the frée releasement of the dette which happeneth too him that repenteth and fléeth too Gods mercie for Chrysts sake And although this release bée vtterly frée as in respect of our selues yeâ— if wée looke vppon Chryst who for our sinnes suffered dreadfull punishment there is made satisfaction too God for our det Let vs therfore marke wel this woord releasement which of itselfe alone conteyneth in it right manyfolde Doctrine First it ouerthroweth the Moonkish doctrine of satisfaction For if saluation befall men through releasement of the dette according too the Gospell what a madnesse is it too say that saluation happeneth for satisfaction of the det for releasemeÌ„t and payment doo so fight one ageynst an other that they can innâ— wise stand both in one respecte Secondly it ouerthroweth all merites of men For howe 〈◊〉 that bée of merite which is of frée gift Paul sayth openly Unto him that woorketh rewards is giuen not of fauour but of duetie but vntoo him that woorketh not but beléeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is imputed too him for rightuousnesse â–ª According wherewitâ— Dauid also sayth Blissed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Thirdly the woord of releasment ouerthroweth satisfaction which the Papists teach â–ª whiche satisfaction muste bée made as they beare men in hand by pilgrimages fastings almes déedes Also it quencheth the fire of Purgatorie For if the det bée released why is the detter punished Lastly this woord releasement openeth vntoo wretched sinners the gate of grace in the conflict of death it is the hauen of saluation and it is the welspring of al comfort And thus much concerning the first place ¶ Of the second BIcause this text coÌ„cerning the parable of the creditor sheweth how gret gods loue mercy are toward mankind â–ª I will speake somewhat therof The mercy of God is of twoo sortes The one is vniuersall wherthrough he suffereth the sunne too rise vppon the good and bad and the other is particuler wherewith as a most déere father he embraceth the Churche of his sonne Of which Christ speaketh in the third of Iohn So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne too the intent that euery one which beléeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Our heauenly father could not by any greater recorde haue declared his mercy towards vs than in giuing his sonne who might by his death redéeme â—â— from deserued damnation and giue vs euerlasting life Therefore as ofte as wée héere Gods mercy named let vs thinke thâ—â—â— things First let vs thinke how great the miserie of mankinde is before he bée receyued intoo fauoure Mankinde lieth vnder foote and wounded by the Diuell with whose venime being moreouer poysâ—â—ed he breatheth nothing but sin for which he is subiect too eternall paines 2. The causes of this miserie are too bée thought vppon which are partly the sinnes of our first parents and also our owne filthinesse For although that by the fall of them wée hée bound vntoo the sentence of damnation yet notwithstanding by our owne 〈…〉 from day too day we are bouÌ„d too sorer punishments 3 The louingnesse of God and his gentlenesse toowards mankinde is too bée thought vpon For the louing kindnesse sayth Paule and the gentlenesse of God our Sauiour appéered vntoo all men What greater louing kindnesse could there 〈◊〉 than that he hath not cast vs away for so great shamefulnesse and filth 4. Is too bée thought vppon the raunsome that is too wit the Sacrifice of the sonne whereby mannes misery is reléeued and sinne abolished Him that knewe no sinne he made 〈◊〉 that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 5 Is too bée thought vpon the way by which wée may come too the possession of Gods mercy That way is shewed in the first place and is none other than true repentance 6 Is too bée thought how far foorth Gods mercy stretcheth that it is not belonging too a fewe or too the men of one age but indifferently too all that feare him For the holie virgin béeing taught by the spirit of Chryst whom shée had conceyued by the holy Ghost singeth in this wise Gods mercie is from generation too generation too them that feare him that is too all that repent 7 Is too bée thought vppon continuall thankfulnesse in all the whole life that wée may glorifie GOD for his so greate mercie with hart mouth profession and behauiour 8 Wée must thinke howe wée may bée héedfull in framing our whole life that wée lose not so greate a benefite through our owne fault as this detter did ¶ Of the thirde THe third thing that I purposed vpon is of mutuall forgiuing eche others skapes that are woonte too happen For this goeth iointly with beléefe of forgiuenesse of sins Nowe there are twoo things y t go ioyntlye with beléefe of remission of sinnes Namely Grace Gifte Grace is the very Iustification it selfe whereby Chrystes rightuousnesse is imputed too them that beléeue and their sinnes cléerely are forgyuen Of this wée haue spoken in the firste place Gifte is the very bestowing of the holy Ghost wherthrough a man that is iustified by faith only is toogither therwithal regenerated and sanctified that is too say is mortified in the fleshe and quickened in the spirit The flesh is mortified when the custome of sinning is abolished and the spirite is quickened when wée begin to performe new obedience vnto God A certeine parcell of this quickening is mutuall forgiuing wherby eche of vs forgiue other their misdéedes and displeasures Howe necessarie this forgiuenesse is this dayes Gospel sheweth most euidently as I sayd at the entrance intoo it Chryst hath commaunded vs too pray forgiue vs our dets as wée forgiue our detters For Christ wil haue vs too folow his fathers exaÌ„ple How bée it there are twoo kindes of men that offende vs. Some as soone as they perceiue themselues too haue offended doo by and by in humble wise desire forgiuenesse But as touching those that procéed too offend
the examples and thinke that God is no accepter of persons but that he will haue mercie on all men in Chryst Iesu. With this confidence fall vppon Chryst and persuade thy selfe that he will héere thée and graunt thée thy requeste if thou aske not poyson that is too say if thou aske not that which will do thée no good or which may hinder Gods glorie And apply vntoo thy selfe this saying Come vntoo me al. c. which thing when thou hast doone thou shalt féele comfort But this woman had Chryst present and sawe him with hir eyes but he is farre from me This a temptation of the fleshe ageynst which set thou first Chrysts promisse I am with you too the ende of the world And secondly that which the Lord said too Thomas Blissed are they that beléeue and sée not And moreouer that Chryste is no accepter of persones and howe by certeine examples when he was héere in the fleshe he shewed howe he would deale with the rest that should call vpon him But I am a great sinner I beléeue thée But Chryst came intoo the world too saue sinners So sayth he first him selfe I came not too call the rightuous but the sinners too repentance Paule repeting this sayeth It is a sure saying and woorthy too bée embraced of all men that Chryst Iesus came intoo this world too saue sinners Also healthfull grace appéered vntoo all men Then let vs behold the examples of Gods mercie Adam had cast him selfe and all the whole worlde into damnation Neuerthelesse he repenteth and is receiued Paule persecuted Chrystes Churche Peter denyed Chryst and Manasses hadde defyled him selfe with horrible Idolatries and with plentiful bloudshed of the saincts and yet all these vppon their repentance were receyued into fauor Wherby is shewed how true this saying is in the Prophet As truely as I liue sayeth the Lorde I will not the death of the sinner but that hée should turne and liue Héereuntoo make also these earneste assurances of Chryste Uerely verely I say vnto you hée that beléeueth in mée shall not perishe but haue life euerlasting Set thou these sentences and these examples ageinst the thoughte of the greatnesse of thy sinnes and knowe thou that Gods mercye excéedeth the hugenesse of sinne and that grace aboundeth aboue misdéede But I know not whither I am predestinate This is the sorest temptation and commeth euen from Sathan himself Who is falne Adam his posteritie For wée were in him as in y e generall lump of all mankind Who receyued y e promisse was it not Adam Then euen as thou arte falne in Adam so art thou partaker with him of the promisse so that thou wilt giue credite too the woord of promisse Ageine it is a cléer saying of Paule God would that all men should bée saued and come too the knoweledge of his truthe Héereuntoo also maketh it that Chryste giueth a generall commaundement too his Disciples Go yée intoo the whole worlde and preache the Gospel hée that beléeueth and is baptized shalbée saued and hée that beléeueth not shalbée damned But fayth is the gift of God whiche hée giueth too whome hée will Sée howe manye things the fleshe deuiseth too shut himselfe out of the way of Saluation Fayth is Gods gifte but it is bestowed in this wise Hee setteth his woorde foorthe vntoo thée and biddeth thée beléeue it and in thy thought will â—â—e woorke effectuallye But take than héede that wyth the Iewes thou resist not the holy Ghost which thing Stephen chargeth his owne Nation wythall When Chryste looked vppon the Citie of Hierusalem and thought vppon the desolation therof hée wept and sayde How often would I haue gathered thée toogither as the Hen gathereth hir Chickens and thou wouldest not Beholde Chryst wil and hée willeth none other thing than the Father willeth What would hée Gather the children of Hierusalem too his shéepeholde But Hierusalem béeing deceyued by hir owne seducers and false Prophetes woulde not Hierusalem béeing caught with the bayte of riches power pleasures and cares of this worlde would not obey Chryst hir shéepeherd Wherfore as shée perished by y e iust iudgement of god so perished shée by hir own default Wherfore trusting too Gods promises specially being vniuersall and confirming our selues with examples Let vs with this woman flée vntoo Chryste in oure sorowes and afflictions so wil it come too passe that we shal find help in time conuenient Wée haue séene the faith of this womaÌ„ â–ª Now let vs look vpon that which I sayd was too bée considered in the third place concerning this woman namely what maner of prayer or supplication this woman made Shée holdes hir peace shée speakes too hir selfe shée dooth no more but touche the hem of Iesus garmente Héere is no prayer too bée herd of vs. True it is in déed héere are recited no woordes of praying howbéeit héere bée signes of one that prayeth and the effectes of prayer The tokens or signes are that shée commeth too him toucheth the hem of his garment and within hir selfe thinketh of his gentlenesse and from the bottome of hir hart wisheth too obteine mercie Chryst heard this wishe no lesse than if it had bin a moste earnest prayer The effects that ensued it were comforte and healing Wée reade also of Moyses that though hée moued not his lippes yet the Lord sayd vntoo him wherfore cryest thou vntoo mée Wherby we are taught that the prayer whiche perceth the clouds is not a wagging of the lips nor a babling of woords much talke but rather an humble lifting vp of the minde too God in which any thing is desired of God through fayth in Chryste This thing is confirmed by the witnesse of Dauid who saith Too thée O Lord haue I lift vp my soule Moreouer for as muche as there is no greater seruice of God than too call vppon him aright and that it behoueth the godly too bée occupied continually therin I will bréefly say somewhat concerning right inuocation I told a little before what true prayer is nowe will I shewe what conditions praying ought too haue continually There be fiue continual conditions as it were properties of a godly prayer which are these First after what sort our mind must be framed too pray Secondly what shoulde moue vs and prouoke vs too pray Thirdly whom wée ought too cal vpon Fourthly vpon what foundation wée should ground our selues when wée preace intoo Gods sight too pray And fifthly what is too bée sought and when with condition wheÌ„ without condition The first Our mind must bée framed in this wise First wée must put of all thought of glorying in our selues like as this woman acknowledged nothing but filthinesse in hir selfe Secondly wée must féele our néedinesse whiche this afflicted woman felt very great in hir selfe Then lette a man with true repentance cast him selfe down before God that rather in minde than in bodye That this woman did so it appered in that she
say Graunt mée now that I may die in peace and happily Héereof may wée gather bothe instruction and comfort Instruction that the spirituall beholding of Chryst whiche is by Faith maketh a man too depart ioyfullye oute of this life bicause hée that before his death séeth Chryst in this wise hath a light too guyde â—â—m vntoo lyfe He that foloweth me sayth the Lorde walketh not in darknesse Contrarywise he that séeth not Chryste passeth from the death of this present lyfe vntoo euerlasting darknesse And wée may gather comforte bycause they that sée Chryst at the instant of death haue wherewith too comforte themselues They know they are at the point too bée dismissed in peace They know they shall not goo too darknesse but too euerlasting ioy Bicause the théefe vppon the Crosse not only saw Chryst with his bodily eyes piteously tormented but also saw him conqueror of death with eyes of his faith he herd the Lord say This day shalt thou bée with me in Paradyse So Steuen at his death saw Chryst and with excéeding pleasure and ioyfulnesse of mynde sayde vntoo him Intoo thy hands O Lorde I commit my spirit After this maner thou also when sickenesse brings thée too the pittes brinke looke too Chryst thy Sauiour by Faith and desire of him that he will let thée departe in peace that is too say that he will giue thée leaue too depart out of this lyfe and too enter intoo the rest that is promised too al the faithfull This thought will make vs manfully despise this world and the miseries of this present lyfe and comfort our minde with hope of saluation the whiche he that can not lye hath promised vs. Now ensueth the other part of this song VVhich thou hast prepared before the face of all people to bee a light to lighten the Gentyles and to bee the glory of thy people Israel Héere are bréefly shewed two things The one what are Chrysts benefites the other to whoÌ„ these benefits are appoynted The benefits are saluation light and glorie Without Chryst then the world sticketh stil in damnation darkenesse and shame and that is for sin For Christ taketh away damnation and restoreth saluation he driueth away darknesse sheadeth foorth light he remoueth shame and giueth glorie How great things are these I pray you Surely no man is able too value them sufficiently But 〈◊〉 whom are these benefites appoynted Too all people Iewes and Gentiles howbéeit they must bée receyued by faith For they are offered vniuersally too all suche is the vnserchable goodnesse of God Howbéeit with condition he that beléeueth shal bée saued and he that beléeueth not shall bée damned Wherfore if wée couet these good things let vs with Simeon receiue this our Lord and Sauior Iesus intoo the armes of our hart leane vntoo him with stedy faith To this our sauior be honor glory for euer euer So be it Vpon the Annuntiation of our Lady Sainct Mary the Virgin The Gospel Luke j. AND in the sixth moneth the Angell Gabriell vvas sent from God intoo a citie of Galilee named Nazareth too a virgin spoused too a man vvhose name vvas Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the virgins name vvas Mary And the Angell vvent in vntoo hir and sayde Hayle full of grace the Lorde is vvith thee Blissed art thou among vvomen VVhen she savv him she vvas abashed at his saying and cast in hir minde vvhat manner of Salutation that shoulde bee And the Angell saide vntoo hir feare not Mary for thou hast founde grace vvith God Beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy vvombe and beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall bee greate and shall bee called the sonne of the hyghest And the Lord God shal giue vntoo him the seate of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall bee none ende Then sayde Mary too the Angell hovv shall this bee seeing I knovv not a man And the Angell aunsvvered and saide vntoo hir the holy Ghost shal come vppon thee and the povver of the highest shall ouershadovv thee Therfore also that holy thing vvhiche shal be borne shal be called the sonne of God And beholde thy cousin Elizabeth shee hathe also conceyued a Sonne in hir age and this is the sixth Moneth vvhiche vvas called barrein for vvith God nothing shall bee vnpossible And Mary sayde Beholde the handmayde of the Lord be it vntoo mee according too thy vvoord And the Angel departed from hir The exposition of the text THis feaste conteyneth the story of the conception of Iesu Chryst which is told vntoo the virgin by the Angel of God For long agoe the thrée thousande nine hundred sixtith yéere before his conception God promised the séede of the woman that shoulde tread downe the Serpents head that is too say which shuld destroy the Deuils woorks sin and death God béeing mindful of this promise sends his Angel too the most chast virgin too whome hée bringeth tidings that shée shoulde conceiue by the holy Ghoste without the séede of man and bring foorth a Sonne that should bée the sauiour of the worlde This is the summe of the story whereof there be fiue principall points and these are they 1 A description of the message 2 The Salutation of the Angel 3 The comforting of the troubled Uirgin 4 An exposition of the Message 5 The maner of the conception ¶ Of the firste IN the description of this Message many circumstances are too bée obserued of whiche wée wil consider euery one seuerally by it selfe too the intente wée may drawe out of it some doctrine too confirme our selues The first is time In the sixth moneth sayeth hée that is too wit after the conception of Iohn Baptist who according too the sayings of the Prophets should bée the forerunner of the Lorde that men myghte prepare the waye ageinste the comming of their King And it was the twentith yéere since the Scepter was taken from Iuda For thus was it Prophecied before by the Patriarke Iacob The scepter shall not bée taken from Iuda â–ª vntill Silo come that is till the séede of the woman come whiche was promised too our firste Parentes Therfore this circumstance of time conuinceth that this son of the virgin is the true Messias For hée was borne the selfe same time that y e holy Ghost had spoken of before by the prophets And as concerning y e day this is woorthy too bée remeÌ„bred that the killing of the paschal Lambe the conception of Chryst the passion of him fel all vpoÌ„ one day of the yéer on which day the holy Fathers supposed that AdaÌ„ was created These things set oute vntoo vs the truthe of Gods promises God delayed too sende his Sonne a great while after the promise was made but yet hée continued true in his promises The Sonne hath promised that hée wil come too iudgement but he maketh delay yet wil hée come when he
too our purpose Particularitie is the restrayning of the largenesse of Chrysts benefites which are offered generally too all men vntoo a feawe And it is properly the occasion of falling which as well the wilfull as the weake do take by miswresting or by misvnderstanding the doctrine of Election and predestination Pastort Shepherds a name aptly applyed too the Ministers and Curates of Chrysts church wherby they are put in minde too féede their flockes with Gods woorde and Sacraments and good example of life Perplexitie anguish distresses according too our English prouerbe a pecke of troubles When men bée so snarled and entangled that they wote not which waye too winde them selues out or what way too turne them Pomp the countenancing of things in furniture and setting foorth too the outward showe Prefigurate couertly darkly or slightly too foretoken foreshew import shadow or represent a thing too come Preposterously aukly frowardly ouerthwartly vntowardly vndaftly setting the cart before the horses arsiuersie topsiteruie Priuation the vtter taking away voydance or beréeuing of a thing so as it haue no more being Prohibition a forbidding a forwarning a forfending a commaundement or lawe restrayning a man from dooing a thing Propiciation procurement of mercy forgiuenesse attonement and fauour Propiciatorie that whiche reconcileth or whiche purchaseth mercy forgiuenesse attonement and fauour Also it is put for the mercy seate Proposition a ground or foundation in a sentence or oration whervpon too builde dilate argue gather and conclude the matter Also it is sometime put for the full effect conteint purport and méening of a sentence or matter Purifie too purge too clense too make cleane too make pure too skowre R REgeneration or new birth is when by being washed outwardly by Baptim and clenzed inwardly from sinne by the woorking of the holy Ghoste wée are graffed intoo Chryste and made the children of God and heires of his heauenly kingdome Renegate is he that renounceth or forsaketh his profession as when a Protestant becommeth a Papist A Turncote Reprobate a castaway a forlorne person Also a frowarde peruerse wilfull and obstinate person such a one as is giuen vp too his own wickednesse and hardned in his wilfulnesse and so consequently past grace S SAcriledge is properly the stealing of Holy things or of things dedicated and appoynted too a holye vse or the stealing of things out of a holy or halowed place And so by a maner of spéech it is any spitefull or contemptuous fact doone too the derogation of Gods glorie or the breach of Religon and is as it were high treason too God Sanctifie too halow too make holy too kéepe holy whereof commeth Sanctification which is halowing making holy or holynesse As Chryst is our Sanctification that is to say Chryst is our holynesse or the thing that maketh vs holy Saluation soulehealth or rather perfect blisse heauenly ioy euerlasting welfare bothe of bodye and soule Or it is the cléere deliuerance and frée sauing of vs from sinne death hel the Diuel and damnation by Iesus Chryst. Satisfaction is a making of amends for misdéeds displesures or wrongs doone too the ful contentation of the partie that was gréeued Secular worldly of the world Societie felowship companie Solemnize too doo a thing with great pompe reuerence or deuotion Sincere pure cleane vncorrupt vnmingled vndefiled vnfeyned vnstayned voyde of guile voyde of craft swéet sound vpright T TAbernacle a Tent Hall or Pauilion such as men of war pitch in the fields too lie in Testimonies witnessings witnesse bearings recordes depositions Throne a Kings seate or chaire of estate a séege Royall Tumult vprore hurlyburly commotion insurrection Type a figure shadow signe tokē representation or Image of a thing too come V Vnite too make one thing of twoo or mo too cupple to knit too ioyne toogither Vocation or calling is that estate degrée or trade of life too which any man is allotted eyther by birth by commaundement of God by appoyntmente of the Magistrate by oportunitie of time or by necessitie FINIS It is too bée noted that the twoo miles mencioned in the .131 leafe of the first side and .22 line are dutch miles which make of our Englishe miles seauen miles and a halfe Also it is too bée noted that the authour of this woork deuideth the Table of the ten commaundements in suche wise as that hée putteth the fifth commaundement intoo the first Table vnder the name of the fourth and beginneth the seconde Table with the sixth commaundement whiche is of prohibiting murther which he accounteth as fifth in order procéeding after the same manner vntoo the last commaundement whiche hée deuideth intoo two commaundementes contrary too the vsuall order and accompt of our Church ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman dwelling in Knightrider streete at the signe of the Marmayde for Lucas Harrison and George Byshop Anno Domini 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO
health of his soule ¶ Of the thirde BIcause Chryst foresaw with what euils the world should ouerflow about the time of his comming hée framed an exhortation partly to the intent they shuld eschue the things which at that time should exclude the greatest part of the world from the promised saluation and chiefly too the intent they should shewe them selues stout souldiers too fight with watching and Prayer against this world vnder the standarde of only Iesus Chryst. And too the intent they may bée the readyer vntoo bothe hée alledgeth reasons too persuade them For hée both telles them that that day shall come vpon the sodain and also declareth plainly that by this meanes they shall bée quite rid from all euils and bée set in the presence of the sonne of God Therfore he sayth Take héede too your selues that your harts bée not at any tyme ouerloden wyth surfettyng and droonkennesse and the cares of this worlde These then are the thyngs that are too bée eschued that is too say surfetting dronkennesse and the care of this world namely vngodly and Heathenish care which quencheth the faith of Christ. In as muche as it is most manifest that all estates of the worlde are wrapped and snarled in these euils so much the more ought this exhortation of Chrystes too bée in our sight least wée perishe béeing deceiued with the euill trades of this world Furthermore where as the Lorde addeth Watche yee continually in Prayer hée teacheth with what things it béehoueth those too bée occupied y e couet too escape the euils that are too come In that summe he requireth the shunning of euill things and the earnest folowing of good things Bothe these the Apostle ioyneth toogither in his Epistle vntoo Titus writing Renouncing all vngodlinesse worldly lusts let vs liue sobrely vprightly and godlily in this world looking for the blissed hope and the coming of the glorie of the great GOD too whome bée praise soueraintie and glorie world without end Amen The thirde Sunday in Aduent ¶ The Gospell Luke xj WHen Iohn being in pryson heard the vvorkes of Christ he sent tvvo of his disciples and said vntoo him Art thou hee that shall come or doo vvee looke for an other Iesus ansvvered and sayd vntoo them Go and shevv Iohn ageine vvhat yee haue hearde and seene The blinde receiue their sight the lame vvalk the leapres are clensed and the deafe heare the deade are raised vp and the poore receiue the glad tidings of the Gospell and happie is he that is not offended by mee And as they departed Iesus begaÌ„ too say vntoo the people coÌ„cerning Iohn VVhat vvent ye out intoo the vvildernesse too see A reede that is shaken vvith the vvind or vvhat vvent yee out for to see A man clothed in soft rayment beholde they that vveare soft clothing are in kings houses But vvhat vvent yee out for to see a Prophet verily I say vntoo you more than a Prophet For this is he of vvhome it is vvritten Beholde I sende my messanger before thy face vvhich shall prepare thy vvay before thee The exposition of the text THis gospel describeth vntoo vs the kingdom of Chryst and peinteth it out in his proper colours so much at least wise as perteyneth too the outward appéerance therof which is séene with outwarde eyes For if yée regard his secrete power with the eyes of faith it is a most bright a most glorious thing In this place therefore is intreated only of his outward shape The foreruÌ„ner lieth in prison Wherby wée are warned y â— Christes kingdome is put vnder the crosse The disciples being in doute are sent foorth howbeit vntoo Chryst only Chryst the king himself is conuersant among the poore the blind the deafe and the leapres These are healed and receiue the glad tydings of saluation which things the mighty noble and wise men of the world despise In fewe woords as this Gospel peynteth out the Kingdome of Chryst so it confirmeth the mynistery of Iohn by assured arguments proueth that Christ is the true Messias that was promised to the fathers Notwithstanding for more plentiful doctrines sake let this Gospell bée distributed intoo foure parts which are these 1 Is shewed bothe the lot and office of the ministers of the woorde 2 The question of Iohn 3 The aunswere of Chryst. 4 The commendation and praise of Iohn ¶ Of the first ANd vvheÌ„ Iohn being in prison heard the vvorks of Christ he sent tvvoo of his Disciples vntoo him Iohn béeing bound in gyues teacheth by his owne example what is the lot of the ministers of the word And the same Iohn by sending his disciples vnto Chryst sheweth the true dutie of the ministers of the worde I will therfore speake of either of them in order and first of their state in this lyfe Iohn exhorteth men to repentance and findeth fault with their wickednesse And what happens to him for it that doth the storie tell Math. 14. for there it is shewed that bycause Iohn reproued Herode and told him it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife he was cast in prison and at lengthe lost his heade This rewarde receiued the holy Baptist at the vngodly tyrantes hande For as a Surgion if he touch the wound of a mad man and go about too cure it can looke for none other thyng but that the mad man should fall vpon him and render euil for good euen so if the minister of Gods woorde reproue the sinne of any vngodly man especially of any tyraÌ„t to the intent he should repeÌ„t and hée heled of the wound of sin let him loke for none other than threats reuilyngs and death How true thys is not only Iohns example techeth but also the storie of the whole Churche and the storie bothe of the olde and newe Testament For this haue so many béen famous through martyrdom For this haue so many Prophets béen put to death for this were the apostles persecuted for this was Paul murthered Peter crucified diuers others diuersly tormented which things doo put vs in mynd of the lot of the sainâ—tes in this life But happy is y e Crosse which Chryst auoucheth too bée noble Blissed is the Crosse whiche is the waye too true and euerlasting victorie by Chryst Iesus And therfore the mynisters of the Gospell must not bée slack in their dutie bycause of persecution but béeing stirred vp by the example of Iohn they must doe theyr duetie manfully which consisteth chéefly in these poynts First let them preache Chryst and shewe the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world Then let them rebuke sinne For they are the instrumeÌ„ts of the holy Gost who by them reproueth the world of sinne as wée sée in Iohn Thirdly let them beautifie their mynisterie by their holy and godly life Fourthly let them despise the threatnings of the world as Iohn did putting them selues in a redynesse too suffer any tormeÌ„ts rather thaÌ„ to séeme slack in their
olde For like as in Circūcision there méete foure things viz. promis commaundement of the signe the vse of the signe and the beléefe of the promis So in the méening of euery sacramēt the same things must of necessitie méete namely that a godly Sacrament bée a visible signe commaunded and ordained by God wherby like as God heareth recorde of his promis vnto men so man accepting the signe doth on the other side professe his faith towardes GOD and confirmeth the same with the vse of the signe and by thinking vpon it How bée it in euery signe the singular likelinesse of the signes vnto the thing signified by them is too bée considered For example the likelinesse of water in Baptim vntoo the thing signifyed therby is this Like as water washeth a mā outwardly frō outward filth so the blood of Christ washeth our consciences inwardly frō deadly woorks And so of all other sacraments But why was Chryste circumcised séeing he is exempted from the number of sinners This doth Paule expound too the Galathians when he sayth when the fulnesse of time was come God sent his sonne borne of a woman made subiect too the Lawe that he might redéeme those that were vnder the Lawe Wherefore as he was borne for vs so also was he circumcised for vs. Neither was it his wil too abolish circumcision before he had made his perfect sacrifice vpō the altare of the Crosse by which doing he bare witnesse that Circumcision was a sacrament ordeyned by God Now are a few things too bée added concerning spirituall Circumcision which in the scripture is called the Circumcision of the hart made in spirit and not by hand which is signified by the outward Circumcision as a thing inuisible by a thing visible Of this the Lord giueth commaundement in the tenth of Deuteronomy Cut of the forskin of your harts and harden not your necks any more But in the third to the Phillippians Paule most plainly of al defineth this spirituall Circumcision where he sayeth wée are the Circumcision which woorship God in spirit and bost of Christ and put not our trust in flesh In these woordes of Paule twoo things are too bée considered The cause and the effect or the actiue Circumcision and the passiue Circumcision The cause is Christ himselfe and consequently the actiue Circumcision is that whereby the sonne of God cutteth of whatsoeuer sinne and cursednesse is in vs which Circumcision is felt in all the godly sort of all ages The effect or passiue circūcision is that whereby the regenerate sorte doo daily more and more cutte of the relikes of sinne and giue themselues too newnesse of life shredding of all vices as much as may bée But Paule in most goodly order distributeth the effectes maketh thrée sortes of them One is that wée worship God in spirite another is that wée boast in Chryst The third is that wée cast away the trust in fleshe by denying our selues The effect that is set last in place is the first in order of consequence next which foloweth the second and lastly that which was set in the first place Therefore wée must circumcise all our members as wel inward as outward Inward as the mind the hart the will The mind is too bée circumcised by casting away of erroure and by getting the true knowledge of God From the heart must all sinful thoughts bée cut of The wil must bée circumcised by conuerting vnto God The outward such as are the eares the eyes the lippes the nose c. So as now they may no more yéelde obedience vntoo corrupted nature but obey the spirit of regeneration ¶ Of the second CHildren were woont to haue their names giuen them in their Circumcision as they haue them now giuen them in their baptism Then too the entent they might bee witnesses of their circumcision and now too the intent they may bée signes of the baptism bestowed vpon them And therfore as often as wée hear our selues named wée must call too minde the couenant that wée haue made with God in our baptism And so after the maner of other children Christs name was giuen him in his baptism and hée was called Iesus Names were woont to bée giuen too children either at the pleasure of men and that was sometimes by meanes of kinred and aliance sometime for the vertue of noble men sometime vpon chaunce sometime vpon affection or at the commaundement of God and that not without some representation of a thing eyther past or too come For God whoo cannot bée deceyued dooth not giue names too things without cause why Why then was the Sonne of the virgin named Iesus For the office sake which he should haue in the worlde For thus sayth the Angel by the commaundement of God in the firste of Mathew Thou shalt call his name Iesus bycause hée shall delyuer his people from their sinnes For Iesus is as much too say as Sauiour The Angel added the kinde of saluation namely from sinne and so consequentlye from death damnation Gods wrath and hel Wherevpon it must néedes folowe that hée pacifieth the Father restoreth the Image of God and rewardeth the beléeuers with eternal life For all these things are ioyned with forgiuenesse of sinne How bée it too the intent wée may more certainlye kéepe in minde the vse of this name Iesus I wil reduce it intoo foure respectes The first is that it putteth vs in minde that wée are forlorne if it were not for this Iesus that is too say this Sauiour And therfore it putteth vs in minde of our sinne and of repentance The second is that it pointeth vs too the fountaine of saluation For hée that wil bée saued must néedes draw out of this wel And so wée are admonished therby too beléeue vpon this Sauiour The third is that it is our comfort ageinst dispair ageinst the greatnesse of sinne ageinst repining ageinst particularitie and ageinst the power strength of the Deuil And herevpon groweth the ground or establishment of faith The fourth is that it putteth vs in mind of obedience and thankfulnesse that throughe our owne default wée fall not from the saluation purchased for vs by Christ too whom bée glory for euer and euer Amen The Gospell on the day of Epiphanie commonly called Twelfth day ¶ The Gospell Math. ij WHen Iesus vvas borne in Bethleem a Cittie of Ievvrye in the time of Herode the King Beholde there came vvise men from the East too Hierusalem saying vvhere is hee that is borne King of the Ievves For vve haue seene his Starre in the East and are come too vvoorship him VVhen Herode the King had heard these things hee vvas troubled and all the Citie of Hierusalem vvith him And vvhen hee had gathered all the cheefe Preests and Scribes of the people toogether hee demaunded of them vvhere Christe shoulde bee borne And they sayed vntoo him at Bethleem in Ievvrie ▪ For thus it is vvritten by the Prophete And thou Bethleem in the
be instructed by the voice of the minister in this entrance of theirs intoo wedlock Thirdly that the Churche may bée a witnesse of the assurance made betwéene them lest they might liue with offence vntoo others as if they were Lemans rather than maryed folkes Fourthly that they may be openly helped with the Prayers of the Churche so as the mariage begoon may turn too Gods glory their owne commoditie and finallye too the edifiyng of the whole Churche by their godly conuersation in holy mariage Now remayneth somewhat too be spoken bréefly concerning the mariage feast wherein it is too bée considered what behooueth too bée there and what too bee away In any wise there must bée vtterly excluded frō Christian mariages first Surfetting secondly Pride thirdly too muche sumptuousnesse fourthly filthie and vnmannerly talke suche as the talke of ribauldlie minstrels is woont too bée and fifthly forslowing of godlinesse namely that they followe not their feasting at suche time as deuine seruice shoulde bée doone in the Church whereby God is displeased the neighbor offended and occasion of falling is giuen too many On the cōtrarie part there must be present first godlinesse secōdly honest mirth thirdly holy talke and fourthly often wishing y e God may prosper this his state with his blissing For as we réede these things were customably vsed too bée doone in the mariages of the saincts and therfore God also hath with his goodnesse furthered such mariages ¶ Of the second NOwe that wée haue noted certein things concerning mariage I wil héereafter adde a few things of mariage finished and confirmed and I wil do but two things First I wil recite the finall causes of mariage And afterward I wil shewe by what vertues the societie of maryed folkes is made swéete and amiable All godly folk know that the finall causes of mariage are foure Whereof the first is mutuall helpe for when Salomon sayeth wo is him that is alone he méeneth that mutuall help and societie is néedful that we may the better and more quietly endure the miseries of this life For this cause may old men marye whose bodies are so withered that they can beget no children The second cause is procreation of children for it is Gods will that mankinde should bée mainteined by this meanes And therfore he sayd to our first parents Encrease and multiply and fulfil the earth The third cause is that euery housholde might bée as a church in which the parents as it were Prophets are adorned with propheticall dignitie too the intent they may instruct their children concerning God and religion and that their children as it were certeine yong impes myght bée watred with continuall doctrine and exhortations so as at length they may grow too bée trées and bring forth the most swéete frute of fayth The .iij. cause is the auoyding of whoredome in this corrupted and depraued nature For thus sayeth Paule for auoiding of fornication let euery mā haue a wife of his own For wedlocke is the remedie ageinst that most filthy sinne of fornication and aduoutrie wherein doo méete togither many and horrible sinnes For first it is a wilfull breaking of Gods law 2. a peruerting of the law of nature 3. a shamefull and foule transgression of ciuill lawes 4. a miry puddle of regeneration 5. a horrible treason for wée are not at our owne libertie but his who hath redéemed vs with his precious blood 6. a dishonoring of the Resurrection For what is more filthy than with most shamefull wickednesse too defile the body which in time too come shall rise ageine to eternall glorie 7. a horrible defiling of the temple of GOD. Corinth 6. Now séeing that so many sinnes méete héere toogither there is no cause why any mā should thinke that God will not punish it with his owne handes But the company of man and wife is made amiable and swéete by these fiue meanes by godlinesse vertue mutuall forbearing mutuall loue and by dutifulnesse performed busily and godlily on bothe sides Godlinesse of right holdeth the chéef place For there is no stable and stedfast frendship vnlesse it haue his beginning from God and therefore must godlinesse néedes shine before the rest For when couples haue determined to obey God al things afterward become more easie Uertue and honest conditions bréede mutuall delight betwéene man and wife For when vertue is exercised it maketh conuersation of liuing more amiable Mutuall forbearing whereby we take in good woorth one anothers conditions and faultes is very néedful For in this weakenesse of nature there happen many scapes which wil bréede strife if they be not couered by mutuall forbearing Mutuall loue hauing his beginning of godlinesse and true vertue maketh vs not too bée too sharpe sighted in looking intoo one anothers faultes But that many things eyther wée marke not or if wée marke them wée couer them with loue For charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Duetie performed godlily and busily on bothe sides maketh the yoke light and swéet For when man wife marke one another and find like héedfulnesse in their duetie bothe their company is made more pleasant and they are the more stirred vp on both sides too render duetifulnesse that the one may requite the other alike Where these fiue things bée not the company of their life is most bitter or rather more sharpe than death Therefore let the godly couples doo their endeuer y t these vertues may bée séene in their life continually ¶ Of the third HAuing expounded those places that gaue occasion too this miracle now let vs looke vppon the miracle it selfe with the circumstances thereof The circumstances are many as time occasion the request of Chrystes moother and his answer the preparature of the miracle the miracle it selfe the confirmation of the miracle and the vse and frute of the same The time is noted bothe in that it was doone the thirde day after his comming intoo Galilée and in that it was the first of all the miracles that the Lord wrought The time therefore admonisheth vs too way thys miracle with singular héede Foure occasions of this miracle may bée gathered of the text First the mariage it selfe that was kept in Cana. Secondly the bidding of Chrystes moother too the wedding Thirdly the want of wine And fourthly the virgins heart most redy too helpe Therefore vvhen vvine failed the moother of Iesus sayd too hir sonne They haue no vvine Too vvhom Iesus ansvvered vvoman vvhat haue I too doo vvith thee Mine houre is not yet come His mother truely speaketh this either for pitie sake or else too the intēt hir sonne should by some meanes or other help the present necessitie But Chryst answereth his moother somewhat hardly and that for right great causes In this behalfe he voutsaueth hir not the tytle of moother but calles hir simply by the name of woman And moreouer he sayeth vvhat haue I too doo vvith thee mine houre is not yet come The Lord had héer a
awake he had of his owne accorde helped them at the pinche as in so great a daunger though his disciples had not prayed him And albeit that of his goodnesse and fatherly affection towards vs hée be ready too giue vs all things that be necessary to our welfare yet is hâ—e not 〈…〉 giue them but at our entretaÌ„ce For prayer is the ordinary instrument too atteyn all things that are needful for vs of God whiche thing is done for this cause that we should reuerence him the true God creatour fountaine of all goodnesse and acknowledge oure selues weake creatures as what without GOD neyther haue ought nor ought are able too do 3 The woorking of faith is héere séene For faith is not an idle assent or thought but it is a stout Giant which ouercommeth the world as Iohn saith This is the victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen your faith verely faith ouercommeth but yet through the conquerour Christ whom it possesseth Thus faith hath 〈◊〉 his enimie the worlde that is too wéete sinne Death the Diuel daungers and the fleshe On sinnes side standeth the Lawe conscience and dispaire On faiths side standeth the Gospel Christes sacrifice and 〈…〉 Therefore when the Law assayleth thée wyth his lightening smoake fyre vapoures and thunder Let fayth take the Gospell vntoo him and set that betwéene him and the Lawe And when the Lawe sayth Cursed is euerie one that dooth not al the things that are written in the booke of the Law set the Gospel ageinst it saying Euerie one that beléeueth on the Sonne hath life euerlasting When Death threatneth death set thou ageinst him the ouercommer of Death Iesus Chryst who casting Death in the téeth sayth Death where is thy sting Hel wher is thy victorie The same in the Gospell of Iohn sayeth Hée that beléeueth in mée shall not taste of Death for euermore but shall passe from Death vntoo Lyfe Then is Death profitable too the godly person for it is only a passage vnto the better life so little cause is there that the godly should be afrayd of it The Deuill in déede accuseth and packs vp a great beadroll of sinnes toogither But sette thou ageynst him the sentence of Chryst which sayeth The Prince of this worlde is iudged already and this saying of Paule It is God that iustifieth who then can condemne If hée lay our owne vnrighteousnesse too our charge Let vs answere with Paule Him who knew no sinne made hée a sacrifice for sinne that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of God in him In likewise the daungers of sinne reprooue vs for they are as it were a sermon of God concerning sinne But aunswer thou that iudgement beginneth at Gods house that the Lorde chastiseth euerie childe whom hée receyueth vntoo him yea and that too the childes behoofe The fleshe moueth too despaire But make thou the fleshe subiect too the spirite and say that fleshelie iudgemente hath no place in this behalfe And so doo a thousande things méete vs that will hinder our saluation Could Nero then haue gainsayde sinne the Law Death and the flesh in maner aforesayd No verely For the onely children of God haue that priuiledge The rest are hilde in bondage vnder sinne bicause they are the seruants of sinne as which commit sinne by mainteining it agaynst the spirit or rather vtterly quench the spirit with it Whosoeuer therfore will geinsay sin the law death the deuill the flesh c. let him looke whither hée féele true repentance let him looke whither hée haue fayth and a good conscience and finally let him looke whither hée bée so framed that hée can preferre the obedience of God before all the commodities of this life vtterly casting away all purpose of sinning 4 Chryst findeth faulte with twoo things in his Disciples First with their fainthartednesse bycause they ought not too haue bin afrayd as long as hée was with them for in asmuch as they had séene so many miracles of his they might easily haue learned that it is not possible for him too perishe with whoom Chryst is present And secondely with the smalnesse of their fayth bicause they beleued not that hée coulde doo as much sleeping as waking or as much vpon the sea as vpon the lande being the maker both of sea and lande 5 And as in sléeping hée shewed himselfe too bée man So héere in commaunding the windes hée prooueth himselfe too bée GOD both which things doo serue the slendernesse of our Faith For his manhood sheweth his good wil towardes vs and his godhed sheweth his ablenesse which twoo things are requisite in euerie frée acte 6 Too bée short Chryste by this storie sheweth that hée willed in déede the saluation of men and especially of them that call vpon him For as it is his will that we should call vpon him in our perils so also is it his will too vtter his fatherlie affection towards vs in deliuering vs from danger ¶ Of the thirde THis is a most plesant Allegorie For here is painted out the state and image of the Church The sea is the world the ship is the Church the winde is the Deuil the Disciples are the godlie companie of the beléeuers Chryst is the truth and the Gospel is faith First mark héere that before Christe with his Disciples entred intoo the ship the Sea was calme that is too say the world slept soundly in his own sinnes But as soon as Christ entred into the ship ther arose a mighty tempest in so much as the ship séemed too bée ouerwhelmed But what ensued Christe the Lord was there present who could commaunde the sea and the windes Héereby therefore wée may learne that out of this little ship that is too say the Churche there is no safegard Howbéeit we must looke wel about vs héere that we take not our enimies ship for the true ship The enimies ship is bothe better decked outwardely and of greater receit within But the true ship hath hir decking inwardly and it hath a muche more stately maister namely the holye Ghost All the mariners that it hath are godly It hathe the woord of God and the sacraments in right vse and obedience too the ministerie And with these treasures this ship holdeth it selfe contented in so great waues 2 It is too bée obserued that this shippe sayleth not in the calme sea but is tossed in the waues whiche driueth it hither and thither whiche thing too bée moste true the storie of the world sheweth When GOD had made the world hée put this ship in the middes of it And by and by the deuil the enimie of Gods sonne tossed it with stormes and from thence foorthe it was miserably turmoyled vntoo the time of Noe and after Noe too Abrahams time from Abraham too Moyses time and from thence vntil Christs time who too the intent too saue this ship came intoo the world Yet ceassed not the waues thereof as then But what is the cause that the world cannot abide
world euen your fayth Fifthly that béeing deliuered from the tirannie of Sathā by Christs presence we may both acknowledge y e Christ dwelleth in vs according too that whiche is written in the 2. Reg. 17. that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel that is too say in the Churche and also that wée may magnifie God which deliuereth vs. Of the Diuell wée haue heard who he is what he dooth why he laboureth the destruction of the Church and wherefore God permitteth him so too doo Nowe let vs héere of our king Chryste of whom I will speake who he is what he dooth and why he dooth Who is Chryst God and man borne of the father before all worldes euerlasting God with the euerlasting Father and the holy ghost according as we confesse in our Créede who came downe from heauen for our saluation and tooke mans nature vpon him too the intent he might by his death delyuer vs from endlesse death and punishment What dooth hée That dooth this present Gospell teache vs. First he openeth this deaf mans eares Secondly hée casteth the diuell out of him Besides that he loozeth his toong that he may speake And also he openeth his eares The self same thing dooth he dayly in his church First he openeth our eares that wée may héere Goods word Therfore who soeuer heareth Gods woord willingly let him know that his eares are opened and contrarywise he that héereth not the woord willingly let him knowe that his eares are stopped still by Sathan Wherefore who so hath not yet eares to héere let him flée to Chryst who only can open them Secondly he deliuereth the harte from the diuel that wée may beléeue For in the sixth of Iohn Chryst teacheth that fayth is the woorke of God for thus he sayth This is the woorke of God that we beléeue in him whom he hath sent Then if thou beléeue not the diuell stil possesseth thy hart Wherfore thou must go too Chryst who only can ouercome him Thirdly he loozeth thy toong that now from henceforth thou mayst with thy mouth confesse him magnifie him and call vpon him And wherfore dooth Chryst so First bicause he is a louer of men whose nature he tooke vpon him at suche time as he was conceyued man and borne of the virgin Mary Secondly bicause he is the enemie of the Diuell Thirdly bicause it is his office or charge too inuade the kingdome of his enemie the diuel too put his sayd enemie to the spoyle too rewarde all that beléeue in him with euerlasting life Now by these things it appéereth howe great difference there is betwéene the kingdom of the diuel and the kingdom of Chryst. In the diuels kingdome is sinne and death In Chrysts kingdome is righteousnesse and lyfe In Sathans kingdome is damnation in Chrysts kingdome is saluation and acquitall from damnation In Sathans kingdome is darknesse In Chrysts kingdom is perpetuall light In Sathans kingdome is torment In Chrysts kingdome is ioy In Sathans kingdom is too bée séene the diuell with al damned soules In Chrysts kingdome the sainctes enioy the syght of God and the glorie of immortalitie through Iesus Chryst. Héerby therfore we may be admonished both with how great héede the kingdome of Sathan is too bée shunned and with how great diligence we must indeuer too bée made citizens of the blissed kingdome of Chryst. ¶ Of the second THe Iewes séeing this déede of Christ as the ministers of Sathan do set themselues with might and main against Christ and say he casteth out diuels by Beelzebub prince of the diuels Sée how great the malice of the world is Too the intent it may die in his owne sinnes it ascribeth the woorke of God too the diuell What liuing creature woulde ryse vp with so great madnesse agaynst Chryste if hée were not styrred theretoo by the spirite of Sathan Howebeit Chryste in no wise beareth that reproche of GOD at their hande but with moste strong argumentes confuteth this diuelishe blasphemie The first Argument is No man can by one diuell driue out an other Ergo you doo lewdely too affirme that I caste out diuels in the name of Beelzebub For if one Diuell should woork agaynst an other and cast out one another the Diuels kingdome should not bée stedfast But now wée sée the kingdome of Sathan too bée moste stable and strong For euery kingdome deuided within it selfe shall bée made desolate For whersoeuer is discorde there is assured destruction too bée looked for The second argument is If I cast out diuels in the name of Belzebub your sonnes doo also cast out diuels in the same name But this by your owne iudgement is false For you affirme them too cast out Diuels by the power of God wherfore you doo wickedly too say that I cast out Diuelles in the name of Belzebub The thirde argument is I cast out Diuels by the finger of God that is too say by the power of God Ergo you doo falsly ascribe my worke too the Deuil The fourth argument is A strong person is not ouercome but of his stronger The Deuil is ouercome by mée for I cast him out spoil him Ergo I am strōger than hée VVhen a strong persō armed kepeth his house the things that he possesseth are in peace Who is that same strong armed person the olde serpent Hée kéepeth his house as long as he dwelleth in the vnbéeleuers and while hée blindeth mennes senses that they acknoweledge not Chryste And then are all things in peace whiche hée possesseth when the woord of God is put to silence and mens traditions sounde abrode But as soone as the swoord is drawne whiche is the woord of God by and by the Deuil is compelled too giue place For Chryst who is in the woord is stronger than Sathan The fifth argument is He that is not vvith mee is against me and he that gathereth not vvith mee scattereth That is too say The Deuil scattereth the church I gather the churche toogither Ergo there is no agreement betwéene mée and the Deuil And that the Deuil scattereth the churche he proueth by a moste goodly similitude ¶ Of the third WHen an vncleane spirite is gone oute of a man that is when the Deuil who of him self is vnclean woont by many meanes too defile the mindes of men is gone out of a man like as hée is now by my power cast out of this wretched man that was possessed What dooth hée then He vvalketh by drie places seeking rest and finding none hee sayeth I vvill returne intoo my house from vvhence I came Hée walketh by drie places that is too say by hartes that are not watered with the riuer of the holy Ghoste What is ment by his séeking rest and finding none By this phrase of speaking is signified his endeuer for it is not inough for him too haue doone harme vnlesse hée may doo more harme So great a desire hath hée too destroy men He is not
bicause the tumb was nere at hand rolling a great stone to the mouth of the graue they went their wayes And there were presente Mary Magdalene and Mary Ioses sitting against the tumbe and other women which also were come with Iesus from Galilee beholding where and how his body was bestowed And when they came home they prepared spices and oyntments and rested the Saboth day according to the cōmaundement But the next day that foloweth the preparation of the passe ouer the high Preests and Phariseys came togither vnto Pylate saying Sir wee remember that this deceyuer while hee was aliue sayd After three dayes I will ryse agayne Therefore commaund the Tumbe to be garded vntil the third day leaste peraduenture his Disciples doe come and steale him awaye and say vnto the people Hee is risen from the deade and the last errour shall be woorse than the first Pylate sayde vntoo them Yee haue a watche go and make it as sure as yee can Then they went their wayes and garded the Tumbe sealing the stone and setting watchmen about it too keep it The exposition of the text FOrasmuche as no woorke is more woonderful than the work of our redemption which is the passion and death of our Lorde Iesus Chryste according too that saying of Peter in the firste chapter of his first Epistle Yée are not redéemed with transitorie things as Golde siluer but w t the precious blud of the vnspotted vndefiled Lamb namely of Iesus Christ It becometh vs right déer beloued brethren sistern to endeuer by al means possible to knowe the storie of this woonderful woork specially séeing it is betaken vntoo vs in the Articles of our fayth where we professe our selues too beléeue in the sonne of GOD our Lord Iesus Chryst that suffred vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buryed c. And that too the end that by the knowledge of this storie fayth might bée stirred vp in vs hy the holy ghost wherby it may come too passe that the frute of this woonderful woork may extend vntoo vs. How bée it too the intente I maye the more distinctly and plainly speake of this wonderfull woorke I will deuide the whole doctrine of the Lords passion intoo thrée places or articles whiche are these 1 How many sundry wayes our Lord suffred 2 The estimation and frute of our Lords passion 3 The godly and helthful meditation of our Lords passiō ¶ Of the first BIcause wée haue sinned bothe in bodye and soule and that satisfaction must néeds haue bin made for bothe our Lord Iesus Chryste suffered bothe in soule and bodie Therefore I wil speak of his suffring in bothe namely of the soule and body of our Lord. That he suffred in soule hée himselfe witnesseth bothe in spéeche and in outward apparance In spéeche when hée saith My soule is heauie euen vntoo death and vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Héerunto also dooth pertein the prophecie of Dauid concerning Chryste The sorowes of Hell haue compassed mée aboute that is too say I was striken with excéeding greate sorowes Hée testifieth his sorowe in outwarde appéerance at the graue of Lazarus Iohn the xj and in the garden At the graue when hée thought vpon the Deuilles tirannie ouer mankinde and the miserie of mankinde For all the sorowes of minde that Christe endured by the space of thrée and thirtie yéeres vntoo his death are part of the passion which the sonne of God suffered In the garden hée sheweth that the heauinesse of his minde was excéeding greate when for the bitternesse of sorrowe he sweat droppes of bloud It is a naturall thing for a man too wéep and sometime too sweat in excesse of sorowe at the hearing of some sodaine euill but neuer was any man found yet that sweat bloud for sorowe for no man is able too susteine so great sorowe If yée demaund the causes of this excéeding great sorow yée shall vnderstand that it is not one cause but many whereof the chéefe are these First the thinking vpon the tirannie ouer mankinde and the excéeding great miserie wherwith all men were oppressed for falling from God Secondly the thinking vppon Gods wrath whiche it behooued him too sustaine for our sinnes whiche hée tooke vppon him selfe For all bée it that he were cléere from all sinne yet tooke hée vppon hym the gylte of the synnes of all the whole world Wherevppon Iohn sayeth The Lamb of GOD taketh awaye that is too say beareth in his bodie the sinnes of the world The sonne of God therfore did in very déed féel the wrath of his father Which féeling stirred vp so great sorow in his most holy soule that he swet blud Thirdly y e thinking vpon the punshment which he forsaw he should shortly the next day folowing suffer in his most holy body and the reprochfulnesse that he should bée put vntoo Fourthly the thinking vpon y e vnthankfulnesse of y t most part of the world For he forsaw it should come to passe that many wise men many mē of power diuers others shoulde take scorn of this his punishment which he should sustein too redéeme them yea that they should persecute him his Hée foresaw also y t the gretest part of thē y t beare y e name of christians should through their own wickednesse vngraciously depriue thēselues of this his benefit Which four causes procured most bitter sorow in y e hart of christ Upō this our lordes sorow must wée also thinke y t wée may bée stirred vp too fayth godlinesse least wée perish with y e thanklesse world Let this suffice bréefly too bée spoken concerning the vexation of Chrysts soule Now wil I speake of the punishmēt of his body For although that the vexation of his body began in the Ox stall whē ther was no roome for our lords mother in the Inne and afterward whē at the eight day of his birth he was let blud in circumcising and so foorth vnto the time that he was made a sacrifice for vs vpon the alter of y e crosse yet notwithstanding I will at this time intreate but of that punishment which he endured last of all And although that by the storie which I haue alredy recited a man may easily vnderstande how sundry wayes our Lorde was afflicted in his most holy body neuerthelesse I will gather intoo a short sūme that which is dispersed at large in the story diuide it according too the state of the places in whiche he was punished The places are these The gardin the house of Caiphas the consistorie of the préests the house of Herod the common hall and Galgata that is too say the place without the Citie where offenders were wont too bée put too execution What suffered he in the Gardin He was betraied with a a kisse the souldiers layde hands vpon him hée was apprehended and piniond he was led away like a théefe a murtherer and there also all
his disciples forsooke him What suffered he in the house of Cayphas He was mocked with false witnesses he was rayled vpon beyond measure and he catched a blowe of the preests seruaunt What suffered he in the consistorie of the Préests He was charged with false witnesses he was scoffed at he was spit in the face he was buffetted he was striken blindféeld and bidden gesse who strake him What suffred he in Herods house He was scorned by the tyrant and all his whole court and in token of vtter contempt Herod clothed Iesus in a faire garment and sent him backe agein vntoo Pylate What suffered hée in the common hall There is he accused false witnesses are brought in ageinst him he is demaunded too bée crucified for more despite Pylates men of warre put a purple garment vpon him A crown of thorne is set vpon his head a réede is giuen him in his right hand and in crouching knéeling vntoo him he is scoffed at with this taunt Hayle king of Iewes they spit in his face they buffetted him his most holy head was strikē with cudgels and in y e end at the request of the préest the whole people he was condemned too the crosse a most vile kind of death What suffered he after his condemnation There is laide vpon his shoulders the tymber of the crosse wherevpon he should bée nayled hée is crucified betwéene two théeues too the intent he should bée déenied the wickeddest of them al as he hangeth on the crosse there is giuen him vineger and gall too drink and at length in these most gréeuous torments he dieth Héereby it appereth how bitter punishment the sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Chryst endured But of what things shall the gréeuousnesse of his punishment put vs in minde Sure of many things and specially of foure For first is séene the greatnesse of Gods wrath ageynst sinne For our sinne had so prouoked the wrath of God that it would not bée pacified but by the sonne of god who taking mans nature vppon him supplyeth our roome and satisfieth Gods iustice Secondly héere is séene the filthinesse of sinne For according too the qualitie of the misdéede doo the punishments also varie A traytour is punished vpon the whéele a théef on the galowes a murtherer with the swoorde and a childe offending with a rod. But the sonne of God suffered a moste shamefull death and a death that was accursed in Gods law By which thing is signified howe abhominable sinne is in the sight of God Thirdly is séene the humbling of Gods sonne who was abased beneath all creatures by whiche humbling of himselfe he testifieth his loue towards mankinde for the redéeming of whom he abode so great things Fourthly is séene the horrible and vnappeasable hatred of the Iewes ageinst the Sauior that was sent vntoo them And although nothing is héere doone more than God had determined should bée doone For Chrysts Passion was long time before prefigured and foretold by the holy Prophets of God as Peter sayth in y e first Chapter of the first Epistle yet notwithstanding the Iewes did not this thing too the intent too obey or accomplyshe the purpose of God but too satisfie their owne hatred For the nature of the woorld is such that if any man rebuke the wickednesse thereof any thing sharply it séekes too rid them out of the way too the intent it may sinne the more licentiously Let this bréefe saying suffize for the first part ¶ Of the second WE haue séene of what sort Chrysts passion was now concerning that which I haue promised in the seconde place I will shew what estimation Chrysts passion is of before God and what frute groweth therof What estimation then is it of before God The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ is the sacrifice propiciatorie wherin the euerlasting sonne of God becomming man and being appoynted by God too bée the euerlasting préest offered himselfe by the euerlasting spirite too the euerlasting father that by this his oblation he might pacifie Gods wrath and make amends for the fault and punishment of mankind too the intent that all which beléeue or shall beléeue in him might by him bée sanctified vntoo eternal life according too that saying of Iohn in his .xvij. chapter for these doo I sanctifie my self Héerby is manifested how great is the estimatiō of our Lordes passion and what frute redoundeth thereof too vs men vpon condition that we rest vpon Chryst by lyuely Fayth Chryst béeing ordeined mediator betwéene vs and God doth by his sacrifice that is too say by his death and passion pacifie Gods wrath he himself being the préest offreth himself vp too God and that is too the intent too deliuer vs from deserued damnation ▪ Wée sée therfore that ther be fiue things in this sacrifice First the préest is Chryste himselfe 2. The sacrifice or thing that is offered vp is the Prest himselfe 3. God is he to whom this sacrifice is offred vp 4. The world is it for which this oblation is made 5. The bargain couenant is that this oblatiō turneth too the welfare of the faithfull only But howe can it come too passe that the death of Chryste alone shoulde make sufficient and full amends for the sinnes of the whole worlde Beholde the Lambe of God sayth Iohn which taketh away the sinnes of the world For of the vndiuidable and vnspeakable vnion of the Godhead and māhood in one person groweth the woorthinesse estimation and endlesse merite of all the woorkes and passions of Chryste Therfore when it is sayd The sonne of man hath redéemed vs by the desert of his passion a woork of inestimable price and incomparable value is named bycause the same sonne of man that hath suffered is also God Also the death of the Sonne of man is a satisfaction bicause it is the death of such a man as is God The obedience of the Sonne of man is our rightuousnesse bicause it is the obedience of a man that is GOD. So the sonne of man forgiueth sinnes bicause hée is God The fleshe of Chryst is the foode of life bicause it is the flesh of a man that is God And although the Godhead in Chryst suffred not but his manhood only as sayth Peter Chryst suffred in the fleshe yet his passion extendeth too his whole person In so muche that what so euer reproche is doone too Chrystes manhod the same redoundeth too the reproche of his whole person according too this sentence they haue crucifyed the Lord of glorie In consideration wherof the Churche confesseth the sonne of God too haue suffred bicause hée suffred in the manhod which he had taken vpon him Of what estimation our Lordes passion is before God it is already sayd and also what is the frute therof in general Howbéeit now to the intent the frute of oure Lordes passion may bée séene the better I wil deuide it intoo partes These therfore are the frutes The first is y t obedience
is performed Phi. 2. He humbled himself and became obedieÌ„t euen vntoo the death of y e crosse The seconde is that the Deuil is ouercome For this purpose sayth Iohn appéered Chryst that he might destroy the works of the Deuil according too the first promise The womans séede shall tread down the Serpents head The thirde is that man is saued from sinne and iustified Behold sayth Iohn the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Also Rom. 4. He dyed for our sins 2. Cor. 5. Him that knew no sin he made sin that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of GOD in him that is too say he made Chryste a sacrifice for sinne that through his rightuousnesse we might be made rightuous before God The fourth is that the Iewes and Gentiles are made equall according too that saying Ephes. 2. For hée is our peace whiche made bothe one and hath broken down the wall that was a stop betwéene vs and hath also put away through his flesh the cause of hatred that is too say the law of commaundementes conteyned in the law written too make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace that he might reconcile both vntoo God in one body through his crosse The fifth is that death is abolished Osée 13. O Death I wil be thy death Too be bréefe Chrystes sacrifice is oure redemption For it is the price payd for vs wherewith God is pacified man redéemed the Deuil ouercome yea all thinges in heauen earth put vnder one head which is Chryste Ephes. 1. ¶ Of the third THe godly helthfull minding of our Lordes passion may bée brought intoo sixe partes whiche Christen folk ought too think vpon not only at this time but all the time of their whole life For the godly minding weying of these partes dooth not onely confute those whiche in the Papacie thinke them selues too haue discharged their dutie if they say ouer so many Pater nosters and Aue maries knéeling before Idols set vp for a supersticious seruice of God but also woonderfully strengthneth and comforteth the godly I wil therefore set out the sixe partes of this minding The first is that therby wil come too our mind how great the wrath of GOD must néedes haue bin for the sinnes of men which could not bée appeased by the woork of any creature but that of necessitie the onely begotten Sonne of God must die too pacifie Gods wrath by making this rightful satisfaction for sinne The second is that therby wil come too our remembrance how vnmeasurable and vnsercheable hath bin the mercie of God the Father who rather would that his onely begotten Sonne should suffer moste bitter death than that mankinde whome hée had created shoulde perishe Peraduenture thou 〈◊〉 â—urmise that God coulde haue deliuered mankinde by some other meanes What art thou that wilt teache God what he might haue done Think thou vpon Gods Iustice and mercy togither For as his mercy moued him too saue so his iustice moued him too looke for rightfull amends of the wrong Man sinned and for so doing he must either perish or make amends Nowe man béeing no more but man could not satisfie Gods Iustice and other than man none ought too doo it Gods wisdome therfore found through mercie a remedie in this case which was that the eternal sonne of God should become man by meanes wherof he both was able too satisfie Gods iustice bicause he was God and ought too doo it bicause he had taken mans nature vpon him Thus in Chrysts Passion appéereth mercie too bée mixte with iustice and wisedome hath tempered them both The thirde is that thereby will come too mynde the moste excellent and vnspeakable loue of the Sonne of God towards mankinde who vouchsaued too turne the wrathe of his Father too him selfe and too abyde so slaunderous a Death and that for his enimies as Paule beareth witnesse Rom. 5. The fourth is that thereby will come too minde the true meane whereby the frute of our Lordes Passion may bée applyed too thee so as it may bée for thy soule health This applying of it is brought too passe thrée wayes by the woord by fayth and by the Sacrament By the woorde as it were by the hande of GOD is the benefite of the Lordes passion offered vntoo thée where and as often as the Gospell of Iesus Chryst is preached and the ministers of the woorde do in Gods stéede shewe the frute of our Lordes Passion too all that héere the Gospell Ageyne when the benefite of the Lordes Passion is thus offered as it were by the hande of God it must bée receyued by Faith as it were a certeyn hande of man the which Fayth the holy Ghost woorketh in men that héere the Gospell and obey it Furthermore it is sealed vp with either Sacramente of Baptim and of the Lordes supper and the strength and vse therof is painted out as it were in tables like as wée heard yesterday Therfore when thou rehersest the Article of thy beléefe concerning the Passion of the Lorde persuade thy selfe firmely and beléeue most assuredly that the sonne of GOD suffered death for thée Which thing if thou doo thou art partaker of the Lords death in so muche that all the whole obedience of Chryst is thy acquitall from sinne and thy righteousnesse But there is a double obedience too bée marked in Christ his obedience of the Crosse and his obedience of the lawe which was his perfect fulfilling of the same Like as his obedience too the crosse is our clensing from sinne so his obedience of the law is imputed to vs for our righteousnesse Rom. 5. The fifth is that when wée bée thus made partakers of the Lords passion through faith it wil come too our remembrance what is the lotte of the godly in this lyfe For like as Christ hath suffered so will he haue the rest of the godly too suffer that they may bée comformable too the image of the sonne of God Whervpon Paule in the sixt too the Romans sayth For therefore doo wée suffer with him that wée may bée glorified togither with him The sixt is that we shal call too minde what thing Chryste who hath redéemed vs with his own blud requireth at our hands For now sith we are redéemed by him wée must obey him What willeth he First that wee should renounce his enimie the diuil SecoÌ„dly y t we should flée sin that we offend not God ageine wittingly and willingly with our sinnes Thirdly that we giue our selues too holinesse and godlinesse and that wée serue him in true feare all the dayes of our life Which thing if wée doo wée shall obteyne the ende of our fayth that is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Whiche God the Father graunt vntoo vs through Iesus Chryst our Lorde Amen Easter day The Storie of the Resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Chryst compiled by laying toogither with the foure Eaangelists AS soone as the Sabboth daye
Angel that Chryste is risen This is the summe of the storie The women are willed not too bée afrayd This is the frute of this benefite and the women séek Chryst raysed from death By the example of whom is commended vntoo vs the helthful vse of our Lords resurrection Wherefore not without cause Paule wryting too Timothie sayth Remember that Iesus Chryste is risen from death For as the same Apostle saith in the .10 too the Romains If thou beléeue in thy harte that God hath raysed him from death thou shalt bée saued How bée it too the intent this Article of oure fayth may be the better confirmed vntoo vs I wil handle thrée places in this sermon whiche are 1 How many wayes there are too proue the Lorde resurrection 2 Why hée arose the third day 3 What is the frute of Chrystes resurrection ¶ Of the firste BY thrée kindes of Testimonies is the Lordes Resurrection confirmed For there are Testimonies that go before and that go with it and that come after it Of which I will speake in order Christ admonisheth vs in the .xxiiij. of Luke that we should aduisedly wey the testimonies that went before the Lordes Resurrection where he sayth So is it written and so ought Christ too haue suffered and risen agein the third day and repentance and remission of sinnes to be preached in his name vntoo all nations But where is this written He himself answereth and saith In Moises and the prophets the Psalmes it is written of mée Therfore in Moyses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes must wée séeke for the Testimonies that go before our Lords resurrection In Moyses there is a double kinde of Testimonie concerning the Lords Resurrection For it is both foretolde in expresse woords shadowed with many figures The expresse woordes are these The womans séede shall breake the Serpents head that is too say Chryst shall ouercome the Deuil which thing could not bée doone but by Chrysts rising ageyn from death ▪ For if Chryst had taried stil in his graue the deuil had had the vpper hand of Chryst. For as long as Chryst lay in his graue Christ had no victorie that is he had no triumph But assoone as our Lorde opened his graue and came out of it aliue he shewed him selfe conqueror and triumpher ouer Sathan Héerevnto also perteyneth this saying In thy séede shall all the nations of the earth bée blissed Now as in death is the curse so is blissing too bée séen in y e life of Christ. Also it is shadowed with figures in Moses Adam dying and afterward being raysed ageyne was a figure of Chryste dying and rysing ageine For thus sayth Augustine Chrystes resurrection was prefigurate in our first father Adam because like as Adam rising after sléepe knew Eue shaped out of his séede So Christ rising agein from the dead builded the church out of the wound of his syde Isaac also being laid vpon the altar too bée sacrificed and yet beyng deliuered by the Angell was a figure of Chryste offered vp vpon the Crosse and afterward raysed from death by the power of God Ioseph being cast into prison afterward brought foorth vntoo high honor did betoken the death resurrection of the Lord. In the Prophets also are both sayings and figures of this Resurrection Esai 53. chapter If he giue his soule for sinne he shall sée long lasting seede and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Daniell telleth openly that Chryst shall bée put too death and that he shall reigne for euer Oseas also sayth the thirde day he shall quicken vs. Among many other figures are these Sampson is shut within the Citie and the gates fast locked And our Lord is closed in the graue fast sealed Sampson breaking the lockes and bearing away the gates escapeth without harme And Chryste breaking the powers of hell goeth out frée Like as the shippe should haue perished if Ionas had not bin cast out so should the woorld perish if Chryst had not suffered And like as Ionas was in the belly of the Fishe thrée dayes and afterwarde was cast out on lande So Chryste was thrée dayes in the earth and afterward came foorth aliue out of his graue In the Psalmes also are Testimonies and Figures of Chrystes resurrection The second Psalme entreateth altoogither of the kingdome and préesthood of Chryst. The fiftene Psalme Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one too sée corruption The .xxij. Psalme preacheth the Lordes Passion and resurrection The Cx. Psalme He shall drinke of the brooke by the wayes side therfore shal he lift vp his head The same Dauid doth shadow the death resurrection of the Lord. Dauid fléeing so oftentimes at length being aduaunced too the kingdom was a figure of Chrysts abacemēt by death of his glorificatiō by rising agein Such maner of proofes of y e lords death resurrection there are many in Moises in the Prophets and in the Psalmes but I haue recited but fewe for shortnesse of time To the furtherance héerof cōmeth it also y e Chryste oftentimes forewarned his Disciples of his deathe and resurrection Of testimonies that go with it there be twoo sorts namely expresse woords signes In this Gospel the Angel sayth He is risen he is not heer The signe was séen the graue was emptie there was an Earthquake the Lorde shewed him selfe first too Mary Magdalene afterward too the more part of the Apostles and then too fiue hundred bréethren hée is conuersant with his Disciples fortie dayes and at the ende in the sight of a great number he ascēded visibly intoo heauen from whence the .x. day after his ascencion hée sendeth the holy Ghost according too his promise whiche holy Ghost conuinceth Chryst too haue ascended intoo heauen in déed as triumpher ouer death and hel The testimonies that folowe are of twoo sortes also The preaching of the Apostles whiche is confirmed wyth sundry miracles afterward the recorde of the whole Churche confessing Chryst their Lord and mediator ▪ Besides these there bée other signes also The inward signe is Chrysts spirit in the harte of the beléeuers whiche testifieth vntoo them that Chryste liueth The outwarde signes are Baptime and the Lords supper For by Baptim is figured Chrysts death buriall and resurrection as Paule teacheth the .vij. too the Romaines The Lordes Supper dooth also represente vntoo vs Chrystes resurrection Hee that beléeueth not these testimonies going before it with it and comming after it shall one day sée him comming in the Clouds too be his iudge whome hée acknowledged not too be his Sauiour héer on earth ¶ Of the second WHy arose he ageine the third day Why did he not put it of till the last day that wée mighte haue risen toogyther with him He rose ageine the third day first too fulfil the Prophecies For it was tolde before by the Prophet Oseas and prefigured in Ionas that he should rise ageine the third day Secondly too make
the world is signified the triumph of the Iewes kylling Chryst. For when they had put him too death they thought theÌ„selues and their common weale too bée out of all hazard And when he addeth Your sorovv shall be turned intoo ioy Hée signifieth that he will rise ageyne from death wherby his disciples shall conceiue ioy This selfe same thing declareth he by the similitude of the woman trauaylyng with chylde whoo as long as she is in hir labor féeleth gréeuous throwes but as soone as shée séeeth the child borne she taketh so great ioye that she vtterly forgetteth the paine that shée felt a little before After the same maner the disciples of the Lord felt gret sorow of mynde when the Lord was dead and buried but anon after when the Lord was raised ageyne from death for ioy they forgate the sorow past And this is it that he sayth And I will sée you agein and your hart shal reioyce bicause you shal sée mée raised from death and no man shal take your ioye from you that is to saye I shall die no more that yée should be cast into heauinesse for my death but I shall liue for euer so instruct you by my spirit concerning the knowledge of God that you shall haue no more néed too aske mée any moe questions Thus haue wée playnly séene the méenyng of the Text. And nowe are all these things too bée applyed too the church of all times whiche in this world shall bée vnder the crosse whyle the vngodly reioyce Howebéeit at length when Chryst appéereth it shall obteyne full perfect ioy wherof shal be none end For these thréedays wherin our Lord suffered and rose ageyn are an image of y e crosse of the church and of the ioy of the world that is to say of the vngodly persecuting Chryste and killing him in his membres of the glorious deliueraÌ„ce of the church which shal at y t time be full wheÌ„ our Lord shalle â—ome in the cloudâ— with glorie and great power and shall take vp those that bée his intoo euerlasting ioy and deliuer the vngodly too the diuell too bée tormented with eternall paines For as muche then as this place admonisheth vs of the Crosse of the Churche and of the glorious deliuerance of the same I will first shew what the Crosse is and how diuers next what are the causes of the Crosse Then the difference betwéene the crosse of the Godly and the punishments of the vngodly Also with what minde the Godly may beare the crosse and lastly from whence comfort is too bée sought vnder the Crosse. What is the Crosse It is any affliction whereunto the meÌ„bers of Chrysts Church are subiect in this world wherof there seme to be foure differences For the crosse of a godly person is first either a gréefe of mynd and affliction of body and that for sundry causes as for the receiuing of some losse for the sorowfull mischaunce of some fréend for thirst nakednesse imprisonment or torture as holy Iacob had exceding gréefe of mynde for the losse of his sonne Ioseph Ioseph suffred affliction of body in y e prisoÌ„ Lazarus felt hunger and the peyne of his byles at the richmans gate and many are exercised at this day with sundry troubles and gréefes both of mind and body 2 Or iâ— is a most sharpe fight betwene the fleshe and spirite in the Godly For the fleshe lusteth alwayes ageynst the spirit and now and then getteth the vpper hand séeming to giue the spirit an vtter ouerthrowe as wée sée in Dauid who being ouercome with the concupiscences of the fleshe felt intoo the most heynous offences of murther and aduoutrie and had perished for euer had he not bin called back too repentance and the flesh subdued agein vnder obedience of the spirit Heervpon Paule cryeth out whoo shal deliuer mée from the body of this death The grace of God through Iesus Chryst. 3 Or it is a hardnesse and distresse of vocation in household state ciuil state or ecclesiasticall state that is too say of priuate publik ecclesiastical state How great a crosse euen the godly husbands wiues féele in bringing vp their children and in séeking néedefull things whereby too liue they know that haue had the triall of it Such as beare office as kings noble men counsellors and presidents are not frée from the crosse at least wise if they bée godly So also godly bishops parish préests and the other ministers of the Churches doo oftentimes féele a crosse by reason of the difficultie of their office 4 Or else the crosse is a punishment for some certayne fault Like as there bée many causes of the troubles of the Church of which causes I will now intreate What then are the causes of the crosse of the church Certein causes of the crosse are within vs and certein without vs. Within vs are thrée causes of the crosse whereof the first is sinne inhabiting in vs that is too say originall sinne If this sinne were not brydled it woulde bring foorth damnable frutes The seconde is Concupiscence shooting out of the same as a flame out of fire which flame vnlesse it were quenched with the water of the Crosse woulde kindle the fire of hell The thirde cause is that there bée in vs daylye backslydings which originall sinne procureth by his concupiscences Seuen times in a day sayth Salomon dooth the righteous man fall and riseth ageine These dayly fallings dooth the crosse stay that is layd vpoÌ„ vs by God too the intent wée should not bée damned with the world in our sinnes Besides these there are also causes of the crosse without vs but of an other nature For God of his fatherly goodnesse visiteth vs with his rod. For whomsoeuer hée receyueth him hée chastiseth with none other affection than the good father Agein the diuil lies in wait for the church as wée sée in Iob but God appointeth him bounds beyond which he is not able too raunge Moreouer the limmes of the diuell that is too say tyrants and euill men in this world which trouble the Church in this life Also there bée other causes of the crosse which I will let passe and speake of the difference betwéene the crosse of the godly and the punishment of the vngodly What is the difference then betwéene the Crosse of the godly and the punishment of the vngodly sith wée sée as wel the godly as vngodly striken with gréeuous miseries in this world surely there bée many differences The first difference is taken of the efficient causes For as the affection of the godly procéedeth of the fatherly loue of the heuenly father towards his children so the punishments of the wicked procéede of the wrath and sore displeasure of the iust iudge god who punisheth the wicked as his enemies and aduersaries The second difference is taken of the finall causes for the godly are exercised with the crosse too their good but the vngodly are striken with punishementes too
riches too the ouerthrow of the ministerie like as many Tyrantes haue doone in times past and doo at this day Secondly such as plucke away the Churche goodes and kéepe them too themselues Thirdly also such as bestowe no parte of their owne goodes too the mayntenance of the ministerie of the woord And moreouer suche as by sute or other sleights get intoo their hands the Church goods vnder an honest tytle as though they were ministers of the Churche wheras they bée no better than dombe dogges which neither haue doone seruice too the Church or commō weale nor euer can doo seruice but are slouthful bellies and dul beasts whoo neuerthelesse wil bée saluted by the names of Prelats Chanons Uicars Abbots c. The second and true lawfull vse of riches is that wée imploy part of them too the maintenance and garnishing of the common weale wherin wée liue For common weales are the sogeorning places of the Churche and therefore wée owe thankefulnesse vntoo them although wée should receiue none other commoditie by them Ageinst this vse many offend as for example those that pay not the ryghtfull Tributes those that rayse vnryghtfull Tributes those that imploy not the Tributes too the mayntenaunce of the common weales but too ryot and surfetting and oftentymes too making wrongfull warres The third right and lawful vse of riches is that euery mā should mainteine his owne estate honestly without nigardship Ageinst which vse offēd first they that wast away their goodes in drinking feasting and apparell too sumptuous for their degrée as many doo And secondly also couetous men which delite in their own filthynesse mainteine not their estate honestly as becōmeth them but are basely appareled and feede grosly when in the meane while their money lyeth rusting and rotting in their cofers The fourth true and lawfull vse of riches is that wée bestow some part of it vpon the poore and specially vpon suche as in their pouertie are also godly For this is y e cheefe cause why God sendeth poore folkes among vs that he may make a proofe whither we will folowe his mercie according too Chrystes commaundement Bée mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull Against this vse doo many also offend with this rich glutton whose felowes they shall be one day in punishment for that they haue in this world folowed him as their master in cruelnesse towards the néedie Now foloweth the fourth thing which I sayd was too bée considered in the example of the rich glutton Namely what is the state of their soules that depart out of this life without faith For wheras Christ sayth y t the rich glutton lifting vp his eyes in hel saw Abraham a far of desired that Lazarus might dip the top of his finger in water too coole his tong he peinteth out a table which representeth the state of wicked mens soules after their death wherin these things are noted First the excéeding great torment the cōtinual worme of the conscience 2. The remembrance of his crueltie which he had executed vppon them that were in miserie 3. Their desire too bée reléeued by the help of those too whom they had bin vnmercifull in this life 4. That there shall bée no end of their torments that it is in vaine for them to sue for any easement of their paynes For looke what our Lord for oure capacities sake peynteth out by way of communication betwéene the glutton and Lazarus that did the glutton féele in his own cōscience which the Lord who knoweth al things could not be ignorant of Let this punishmēt of vngodlinesse therfore allure vs too earnest repētance that wée bée not put too torments whither wée will or no. ¶ Of the second ANd there vvas a certeine begger named Lazaraus vvhiche lay at his gate full of sores desiring too bee satisfied of the crummes that fell from the rich mans table and no man gaue vntoo him In this exāple of Lazarus are many things too bée obserued wherby wée may receiue bothe instruction and comfort First héer is confirmed the Sermon of Peter who saythe that iudgement beginneth at the house of the Lord. For God punisheth his own in this life that they may as it were with a brydle bée kept within the boundes of theyr duetie For if all things shold happen to them as they would wish they would be made drunken with the prosperous successe of things and fall from godlynesse too vngodlynesse Whervppon Moyses speaking of the Iewes sayd The people sat downe too eate and drink and rose agein too play that is too say they fel too Idolatrie and other heinous offences Wherfore let vs beare in mynd the saying of Paul 1. Cor. 11. When wée are iudged that is to say afflicted wée are chastysed of the Lord that wee should not bée damned with this worlde Therfore let vs haue an eye to Gods fatherly mynd as often as wée bée hardly delt withall in thys lyfe and taking warning by our crosse let vs feare God leading a godly and blamelesse lyfe Ageine by this example of Lazarus wée are taught that they are not all wretched before God which are cast vnder foote in this world nor on the other side all in Gods fauor that séeme happy and blissed in this life Lazarus was miserable in this lyfe but he was in fauoure with God The Glutton was happye in this world but he was in Gods displeasure What was the cause Lazarus feared GOD through a liuely faith but the Glutton feared not God but was voyde of fayth Thirdly wée sée in Lazarus an exāple of Gods prouidēce He lyeth despised and disdayned But when he lay without all comfort the dogges came licked his sores Wherby is signifyed that God suffereth not the godly to bée so ouerpressed with miseryes but that hée intermedleth comforte wyth their sorowes For there is no doubt but it came too passe by Gods prouidence that the dogges came licked the sores of Lazarus too the greater damnation of the Glutton and his houshold For the meynie folowed the wickednesse of theyr master for the text sayth and no man gaue vntoo him Fourthly let vs marke héere the common lot of the godly and vngodly The Glutton dyeth and Lazarus dyeth Death is cōmon too them both but not the falling out of their death For the Glutton by death passed too miserie but Lazarus atteyned too felicitie Fiftly héer is too bée marked in Lazarus the ministerie of the Angels The Glutton despised Lazarus while he was alyue but the Angels caryed vp his soule when hée was dead He that was despysed in his lyfe was regarded and honored of Gods Angels in his death Neither happeneth this in Lazarus alone but that which wée read of him is common too all the godly For as the soules of the godly are regarded of God so are they caryed by the Angels intoo the hauen of saluation and blissefulnesse Sixthly in the example of Lazarus wée sée what is the state of
miserie shuld be rewarded with euerlasting lyfe which is called héer the great supper and in Mathew the mariage of the kyng vntoo whiche great Supper men are called of Gods méere mercie too the intent they may bée filled at it with spiritual daynties euerlastingly Howbéeit too the intent the delicates of this Supper may bée the plesanter vntoo vs I will set out seuerally one by one the circumstaunces that are noted in the text and shew what instruction and admonishment is too bée learned by eche of them The first circumstance therfore too bée considered in this supper is concerning him that biddeth vs vntoo it For thervpon hangeth the estimation of it Who is it then that prepareth this Supper Is it some worldly kyng No. Yet wer that King woorthy too bée muche made of for his liberalitie too bée praysed for his mercie that would prepare a princely feast royally furnished for miserable and poore soules Who is it then It is God our heauenly father the Lord of Lords and king of kings who only is riche and well stored with delicates This circumstaunce is a most euident testimonie of Gods goodnesse and mercy The second circumstance is that God héere the master of the house biddeth guestes too Supper c And what is ment by the name of supper The very Gospel and all those things that are ioyned with the Gospell as is saluation and eternall lyfe Sée how great mercy shyneth foorth héere What is the reason of the terming of it so Why are these so great good thinges called a supper Surely it is not doone without great causes of which number there bée thrée chéef The first is bycause the Gospell promiseth euerlasting ioye and endlesse good things For as the Supper is set before men in the latter end of the day so the good things which the Gospell offereth shall of the méere mercy of God bée giuen in rewarde too the beléeuers after that they in dystresse haue outworne the manyfolde labours of this lyfe The second cause is for that lyke as the euening whiche is the tyme that men are woonte too prepare for supper is the ende of the daye so the age in which all men by the ministerie of preaching are bidden too repaste of the heauenly Supper is of the laste age The third cause is for that the Gospell is the last voyce of GOD in the worlde after whiche there is none other too bée looked for in lykewyse as the Supper is the last meate that is set béefore men in the day For ther shall neuer sound any other voyce of God from heauen but thys selfe same voyce of the Gospell shall sounde vntoo the laste daye of iudgement The third circūstance is in this woord Great by whiche is commended vntoo vs the richnesse of Gods mercy For God biddeth not a kyng or twoo or a wiseman or twoo vntoo this supper but he biddeth the whole world He ouerskippeth not the poore he neglecteth not the riche men he shutteth not out the gentlemen he kéepeth not the country folke nor the townesmen from his feast he holdeth no skorne of the little ones disdeyneth not y e great ones al men without exception that are dispersed through the whole worlde biddeth he too that great supper For the text witnesseth both that it is a greate supper and that many are bidden The fourth circumstance is of the manner of his bidding The manner is expressed in these wordes And he sente his seruaunt at the houre of Supper too saye too them that vvere bidden Héer by the name of seruant is ment the Prophetes Apostles and all godly teachers whom God hath sent from the beginning of the worlde too bid guestes too the Supper Too this supper dyd God himselfe bidde the patriarke Noe. He being bidden bad the rest of the world in Gods sted Afterward when the world throughe it owne vnthankfulnesse was perished in the flud Abrahā was by Gods owne mouth bidden too this supper After which time when the malice of the world was encreased vpon the earth God chose one peculiar people among whome he often times raysed vp Prophets that bad guests too this supper And the master of the house continued in so dooing vntill he sent his owne Sonne our Lord Iesus Chryst whome those that were bidden hanged vpon the Crosse. And he being raised ageyn from death sent out his Apostels intoo the whole world too byd all nations too this most delicate supper The fifth circumstance is of the hour of the supper What is this houre It is the time of grace and the time of glory The time of grace is the time wherin is preached vnto men the liberality mercyfulnesse of y e master of the house which tyme is deuided intoo thrée parts Intoo promise performāce and the tyme that hath folowed the performance The time of promis was from Adam vntoo the birth of Chryst almost foure thousand yéere Then was the tyme of performance during all the while that Chryst was conuersant héere vpon earth in the flesh and preached and offered himselfe the price of redemption for them that wer bidden too this supper The tyme that followed the performance is thencefoorth from the sending of the Apostles intoo the whole worlde vntill the daye of Iudgement in whiche tyme wée also bée and are bidden too this Supper by the voyce of the Ministers of Gods woorde The tyme of glory in eternitie When wée shall sit downe in the heauenly glorie not onely wyth Abraham and Isaac but also with God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy ghoste and shal enioy euerlasting mirth and gladnesse in Chryst Iesu our Lord. The sixth circumstance is the manner of the biddyng Come sayth he for all things are ready That is too saye as wée sée in the bidding of Iohn Baptist and Chryst Repent and beléeue the Gospell for the kyngdome of heauen is at hand This bidding requireth repentance that is too wit an alteration of the former life that wée shuld depart from euil and doo good and it requireth fayth that is too wit that wée should beléeue that this Supper is set on the Table for vs not in respect of our deseruyng but of méere mercy for the Sons sake whom God hath giuen vntoo vs too bée our wysedome ryghtuousnesse sanctification and redemption For with these gyftes and as it were garments of the Sonne of God muste wée enter intoo the Supper of euerlasting lyfe For Chryst by his wysedome reformeth our myndes wyth his ryghtuousnesse he decketh vs when wée beléeue on him with his sanctification or halowyng hée clenseth vs and at length he receyueth vs intoo his parlor where shall bée perpetuall redemption glorie and happinesse And thus muche concerning the firste place wherin is set oute vnto vs the mercyfulnesse of GOD which is from generation too generation vppon all that feare hym as the virgin our Lordes moother singeth ¶ Of the second BVt all began vvith one consent to excuse them selues
only that wée should learne by the example of this multitude first too séeke the kingdome of God but also that we should bée confirmed concerning the power of Chryst. For Chryst sheweth that he hath a care of those that hée his and he declareth that no man is able too performe any thing in his vocation vnlesse â—e be present with him in his businesse and as it were put to his hand too the dooing of it according as he sayeth Without me yée can doo nothing And the Psalme sayeth Unlesse the Lord build the house in vayne doo they watche that kéepe it The places are foure 1 The néedfulnesse in héering Gods woord is commended by the example of this multitude which was so gréedy too héere Chryst. 2 An Image of the Church and of the teachers hearers of the woord 3 The present miracle and the vse of the same 4 The example of Peter bothe in catching the Fishes and also in the acknowledging of Chryst méete too bée folowed ¶ Of the firste ANd it came too passe vvhen the people preased vpon him too heere him The example of this multitude teacheth vs that the gospell is too bée herâ— desirously For this people would neuer haue folowed Chryst so earnestly if they had not vnderstoode that his doctrine had bin very néedfull This multitude then folowed Christ not too lye in the wynde for him not too take aduauntage of his woords not too laugh him too scorne as the Scribes Pharisies and Hypocrites did but too héer Gods woord too déefed with the bread of saluation For the woord of God is heauenly bread farre swéeter than the Hony and the Hony combe as is said in the Psalm This multitude therefore like a sorte of hungry soules come flocking about him as one that were dealing of some large almesse and not without cause For as the body is susteyned with materiall bâ—â—â—d bicause it is materiall it selfe so is the soule nourished with spirituall bread â–ª which is the woorde of God bicause it selfe is spirituall Ageyne like as the appetite too meat betokeneth health and the lothing of it is a â—oken that the body is faint and ill at ease So the longing after Gods woord 〈◊〉 a sigâ—â— that the soul is in good plight and contrarywise the lothing of Gods woord bewrayeth the disease of a crased soule Therfore if wée lothe Gods woord wée must doo as they doo that are diseased in their body For like as they take counsell of Phisitians that by receyuing a medicine they may recouer health and haue a good stomacke too their meate So wée when Gods woord goeth ageinst oure stomacke and that our soule lotheth it must by Prayer séek too Chryste the Phisitian that hée may make oure soules too like of Gods woorde whiche is the breade of saluation least wée starue for want of Gods woorde For Gods woord is the heauenlye foode That is too say the breade of life and the drinke whereof who so euer drinketh shall not thirst for euer Ihon. 4. How bée it too the intent we may hunger after this bread of life and thirste after this heauenly drinke as this multitude did Wée muste thinke vppon the néedfulnesse of thys foode whiche béeing perceyued there is no man but wil haue an appetite too it vnlesse it bée suche a one as is so blinded bereft of his wits by the Deuil that hée hath no care at all of his soule helth The first néedfulnesse is this that euery soule must néeds die whiche is destitute of this heauenly foode vntoo the ende For firste wée obteine life when wée conceiue fayth by the woord Ageine the woorde is the foode of fayth wherewith it is fed and nourished This néedfulnesse is confirmed by oure Lords saying Hée that beléeueth not shall die for faith coÌ„meth not from else where than by héering the woord of God Rom. 10. Ageine without this food maÌ„ abideth vnder Gods wrath Hée that beléeueth not sayth Chryst the wrath of God abideth vpon him Besides that this is the food that strengthneth too eternall life Héeruppon sayeth Paule The Gospel is the power of God too saluation too euery one that beléeueth Lastly to coÌ„clude all in one woord Gods word is y e vncorruptible séed as the Apostle Peter teacheth wherwith wée who before were the children of wrath by reason of y e sinne of our first Parentes and of our selues are begotten a new borne a new through the grace of the sonne of God Therfore as by nature wée are born the children of wrath that is of damnation vntâ— euerlasting death So by grace through the séed of Gods woorde wée are borne the children of grace that is to say of blissing to eternal life They that beléeue are the children of Abraham and heires of the promisse Wherfore if the helth of our soules if the escaping of death Gods wrath and damnation if the dignitie that wée are called too by being adopted the sonnes of God doo moue vs Let vs bée desirous of Gods woorde let vs héere it and kéepe it and that not onely after the example of this multitude but also of the whole Churche whiche coueteth nothing more than too bée throughly fed with this woord of God ¶ Of the second IEsus vvent intoo a Shippe in vvhiche he sate him dovvne and taught the people standing on the shore In these woordes is the state of the Church militant and floting in the waues of this world very trimly peinted out In which picture thrée things are too bée obserued The ship it self Chryst sitting in the ship and the people standing on the shore The shippe it self is a shadowe of the Churche Chryst betokeneth all true Preachers and teachers The people standing on the shore represent the héerers of the woorde Now like as a shippe is horribly shaken when a tempest riseth on the Sea euen so nothing is more shaken and tossed in the worlde than the church which thing the story of the whole world auoucheth How sorowful was the shaking of this shippe when Cayne slue his owne brother And afterwarde when Lothe was in Sodome and Abraham in his wayfarings Ageine howe sore was Gods Churche shaken firste in Egipte and after that by the space of fortye yéeares toogyther too passe ouer in silence the persecutions whiche the Churche endured at all times vnder the Iudges vnder the kings and in the captiuitie of Babilon And too omit other things and too speake of our time Howe sore is the Churche shaken by them that wil séeme too bée Citizens of the Churche Some assaile it with heresies as with horrible tempests sent out by the Diuell him selfe What is it that the Sacramentaries doo not What is it that the other Sectaries Anabaptistes and Libertines doo not too ouerturne this little ship of Peters The Byshops condemne it of heresie The Iewes iest at it The Turke despiseth it The ciuill Magistrate in many places appeacheth it of sedition as wée reade in the storie of
bicause yée must folow him into the wildernesse wheras is y e crosse famin woolues a thousand deadly daungers but rather that wée lift vp our minds intoo heauen where Chryst sitteth at the right hand of the father in heauenly glory For we that are his meÌ„bers shal by none other way come intoo heauen than by the same that he weâ—â— whoo is our head He in this life endured hunger cold and other distresses let vs also beare the lyke paciently Which thing if wée do wée shall one day bée glorified with him ¶ Of the second ANd the Lord said to his disciples I haue pity of this people bicause they haue folovved me novv these three dayes and haue nothing to eate And if I shal send theÌ„ avvay to their ovvn houses they vvil faint by the vvay In these woords is described the affection of Chryst toward the people y t folowed him He is sory for the hunger of their bodies much more it is to be thought y t he was sory for the hunger of their soules For as the soule is much nobler than the body so y e hunger of y e soul is much more hurtful What theÌ„ dooth the merciful Lord He féedeth the body w t bodily food the soul with ghostly food He féedes the body with earthly bread the soul with heauenly bread y t is with gods woord Héer our reasoÌ„ which wil séeme to haue skil in gods matters though it be but foolish demauÌ„deth What is not Chryst God why then did he not woorke a miracle féede them out of hand or why did he not sustein them without bread He wold not alter y e order or nature w tout a great cause And the order appoynted by God is y t like as the body is fedde with bread so the soul should bée nourished and susteyned by Gods woord And this is it that is spoken in Moyses Man liueth not only by bread but by euery woord that procéedeth out of the mouth of God Therefore it is not his wil y t we should loke for any thing coÌ„trary to this order appoynted by God but that we should leane vnto his heaueÌ„ly mercy looking for help at his haÌ„d in time conuenieÌ„t This order established by God madbraind heads do inuent It is written of two Hermites that fell among théeues and had not aught too eate that when they had endured hunger a great whyle and that one of the Théeues at lengthe taking pitie vpon them gaue them bread too eate The one of them sayd I will eate none vnlesse it bée giuen mée from heauen But the other tooke it with thanksgiuing ate it and anone â—â—ter he that looked for bread from heauen dyed for hunger whereas the other escaped that looked for no miracle but tooke the bread that the théeues gaue him as it had bin at the hand of God The Anabaptists also inuert this order at this day Chryst hath commaunded the Gospell too bée preached that the soule may bée nourished with it as spirituall foode But the Anabaptists despysing the woord looke for new reuelations without the woord Whereby it commeth too passe that they fall into the Diuels snares who turneth himselfe intoo an Angell of light too the intent he may throwe them headlong intoo damnation Therefore bicause Chryst would not inuert the order established by God he delayed the miracle But yet at length the affection that he beareth too those that bée his which is greater than the affection of the father towards his children did ouercome him For what maner of affection Chryst beareth towards those that are his not only the Euangelist sheweth in this Gospel when he sayth I take pitie of this people But also the Prophet Esay 49. setteth it out in a most goodly figure Can the moother sayth he forget hir owne chyld y t she should not pitie the sonne of hir owne wombe Although she should forget yet will not I forget thée Beholde I haue written thée vppon my handes Also the Parable of the prodigal childe peynteth out this affection of Chrysts towards those that bée his What shall I say of similitudes parables Chrysts crosse sheweth what maner affection he had towards his owne For he so loued vs when we were yet his foes that he suffred most reprochfull death too redéeme vs. But too what purpose are all these things First too this purpose that wée should put on a childly affection toward God the father our Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly that by falling intoo consideration of his loue towardes vs we shuld in this life hold nothing déerer nothing swéeter nothing preciouser than too submit our selues wholly too his will and too obey his voyce wherein consisteth the perfection of a Christen man in this life Wee read that our father Abraham did so who after he had herd the Lorde say vntoo him Walke before me and bée perfect receiued a commaundement too offer in sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac whom Sara had borne vntoo him in his olde age But what dooth he he obeyed Gods wil without delay making ready a bundel of stickes went about too slea his sonne But the Angell of the Lord withhild his hand This being doone God sayd vntoo Abraham Now I know that thou fearest me We sée héer in our father Abraham how earnest he was too obey God sith he wold not spare his only sonne but wold haue killed him at the commaundement of the Lord. But alas for sorow there are many too bée found that will not kill so much as one of their affections at the commaundement of their most mercifull father God so farre of are they from desire of folowing the example of our father Abraham Furthermore Chrystes fatherly example towards vs must put vs in mind of like good will and loue towards our brethren I haue giuen you an ensample sayth he loue ye one another like as I haue loued you ¶ Of the third THis present miracle wherein God with seuen loues and a few small fishes féedeth foure thousand men serueth too this purpose too confirme the truthe of Chrysts Gospel and too encrease the faith of the people that were present wherof I wil say no more at this time But I wil speake somewhat concerning the right vsage of Gods giftes wherby we may bée stirred vp too thankfulnesse towards God and vse Gods blissing aright First therefore this is too bée obserued that the bread encreaseth in the hands of Chryst as he prayeth and giueth thanks too the heauenly father Wherby we are taught that all blissing is of the Lord according as Paule 1. Timoth. 4. teacheth when he sayth All the creatures of God are good Stay héer a litle consider how the things which thou hast as bread and drink are Gods creature and not thy creature Wherfore thou playest the théefe if thou take any thing froÌ„ him ageinst his wil. Which thing thou dost as often as thou vsest Gods creatures without thanksgiuing and
Pharisie who thought himself godly and rightuous and was not so maketh vs a Prayer too knowe an Hypocrite by Contrariwise the silie Publicane casting himselfe flat before God and acknowledging his own vnclennesse and yet neuerthelesse fléeing vntoo mercy dooth by his exāple set foorth a forme of true and healthful prayer The places are thrée 1 Of the rightuousnesse of the Law and of the fondnesse of the Pharisie 2 Of Christen rightuousnesse and of true repentance 3 Chrystes iudgement concerning the Pharisie and the Publicane ¶ Of the firste HE sayde too certeine vvhiche had an opinion of themselues that they vvere ryghtuous Héere I must néedes speake of the rightuousnesse of the Lawe what is it and what is the vse end and prerogatiue of it For thereby wée shall vnderstand how farre the Pharisies are wide from the true rightuousnesse What is the rightuousnesse of the Lawe It is a perfecte obedience of all our members inwarde and outwarde vntoo Gods lawe of the harte the affections the will the mouth and ▪ bréeflye of all the powers and abilities as well of the bodie as the minde whiche obedience it behoueth too be not at startes but continuall not vayne but perfecte and full not stayned but pure and chaste suche as mighte haue bin performed by Adam before his fall and suche as is performed by the holye Angelles in Heauen That the rightuousnesse of the Law ought too bée suche a one bothe Moyses and Chryst doo teache in these woords Thou shalt loue the Lord thy GOD with all thy harte with all thy soule with all thy strengthe and with all thy power and thy neyghboure as thy selfe Moreouer forasmuche as hée is pure holy chaste nothing can please him but that whiche is pure holye and chaste And they that fulfill this rightuousnesse they onely haue the promisse of the Law For thus sayeth Moyses The man that dooth these things shall liue in thē No man Chryst onely excepted didde euer performe this perfecte and continuall obedience suche as the Lawe requireth Wherefore all they ▪ that thynke them selues ryghtuous wyth thys rightuousnesse of the law are not only blinde and arrogant but also blasphemous ageinst the law of GOD which they measure by their owne slender skill and not by the voyce of GOD. That none is able too fulfil the law of GOD I haue declared a late and will now bréefly bring the same too oure remembrance ageine Firste oure members bothe inwarde and outward wherwith wée should execute obedience to the Lawe are mangled and corrupted with a certeine horrible outrage so as they are able too doo nothing aryght Agein the Law of sinne as a moste stoute Gyant grypeth our limmes euen after that wée bée borne a newe that wée cannot performe what we woulde Héereuppon S. Paule cryeth oute O vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer mée from this bodye subiecte too Death And in another place Too will is present with mée but too performe I finde not in my selfe Also I doo not the good that I would doo but the euill whiche I would not doo that doo I. Thus the regenerate haue a forewarde will but they are destitute of ablenesse too performe that which they would so importunate is our houshold enimie withdrawing vs from that whiche is good What shall wée saye then of them whose will is not yet reformed suche as all they bée that are not regenerate Too the furtherance héereof also maketh it that the Law of God is spirituall but wée are carnall For thus hathe Paule béeing at that time a faythfull Chrystian sayd The Law is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne Héereby it is easie too sée that wée are not able to performe due obedience too the law For how is it possible that flesh should performe spirituall rightuousnesse I alledged many and sundry other reasons not long agoe whereby I shewed that no man in this life is able too yéeld perfect and ful obedience too the Law What is too bée doone then Héere thou shalt firste heare the voyce of the Lawe What sayeth hée Curssed is hée that continueth not in all the things that are written in the book of the Lawe Héere thou hearest the sentence of the Lawe Let this saying of the lawe humble thée before God and vtterly cast thée downe that thou maist acknowledge both the filthinesse of thy sinne and thy iust damnation What is too bée doone héer Are we able too eschue the cursse of the lawe Thou art not able of thine owne power Wherefore thou must eyther perish or else séeke a remedie ageinst this damnation of the lawe but other remedie surely there is none than only Iesus Chryst who purposely came into the world too take vppon himselfe the curse of the lawe and too delyuer all that beléeue on him from the power of the lawe that is from damnation which the law threatneth too those y t transgresse it Therefore this cursse extendeth it selfe too all men that héere not Chryst nor are clothed with his rightuousnesses that they may appéere apparelled therewith in the sight of God For Chryst is the end of the law too iustifie all that beléeue Rom. 10. These things haue I spoken concerning the rightuousnesse of the lawe too this intent that I might shewe how fond these Pharisies were which thought themselues rightuous and hilde scorne of others as vnholy and vnrightuous But what is the cause that this Pharisie and the rest of his rable thought themselues rightuous The cause was blindnesse For he was so blinde that he saw not the méening of the lawe yea rather he saw only the couering of the lawe and neuer looked into the brest of the lawe according as the text of this gospel sufficiently declareth For he sayth I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publicane He had séene the letter of the law then but not the spirit that is he stacke only in the outward woorks but he considered not the spirituall méening which the law requireth How bée it too the intent these things may be set the playner before our eyes let vs sée first what maner of woorkes this Pharisies were Secondly Let vs lay them too the law of God Thirdly let vs gather therby what wanted in him And fourthly let vs sée of how many sinnes he was founde giltie and cast by the lawe though he vaunted himselfe rightuous before men The woorkes of this Pharisie were faithlesse procéeding of méere misbeléefe and pryde Now in as much as the scripture saieth plainely without faith it is impossible too please God who is so madde as too call this outwarde visor rightuousnesse Let vs lay his woorkes that he bosteth of too the woord of God The lawe requireth pure obedience This man out of his most vncleane hart draweth slaunders ageinst God and his neighboure The lawe commaundeth him too loue his neighboure He accuseth him yea and that before the iudgement seate of God
the causes according as I promised in the thirde place whiche surely are many The first is Gods commaundement For the first table requireth humilitie too Godward and all the seconde table requireth humblenesse to manward The second is the example of Chryst. Wherupon Paule in the second chapter too the Philippiās Let the same minde bée in you which was in Iesus Chryst who béeing God tooke the shape of a seruant vpon him The thirde is the consideration of thy selfe what thou warte before thy birth what thou arte from thy birth too thy deathe and what thou shalt bée after this life Thou warte séed and bloud in thy mothers wombe now thou art in a wildernesse of miseries during this life and in the ende thou shalte bée woormes meate The fourth is that thy goodes and good giftes if thou haue any are not thine own but Gods bestowed vpon thée too doo good with vntoo others Therfore if thou bée eyther proude of them or abuse them thou muste stande in feare of horrible punishement The fifth is too think that God is able too take away what giftes soeuer thou haste if thou abuse them and yéeld not the praise too him alone The sixt is that many which séeme too haue lesse gifts than thou doo oftentimes imploye their laboure more too the profite of the common weale and the Churche than thou doost For as God is the strength of bread so is he the power wherby any thing is made acceptable too himselfe And these are the sixe causes which béeing knit toogither make true humilitie the which is hindered by twoo mischéeues strife and vainglory Wherfore Paule in the second too the Philippians sayeth Doo nothing of strife or vaineglorie but through humilitie let euery man estéeme other better than himself For as for those whiche haue a delighte in striuing like as they bée destitute of charitie so are they also voyde of true humilitie and vaineglorie fighteth ful butte ageinste humilitie Thus haue wée what humilitie is of howe manye sortes it is and what causes it hath Now foloweth that whiche I promised too speake of in the fourth place of the rewarde and naturall fruites of the same Hée that is humble shall receiue thrée fruites the first before God the seconde before men the third in himselfe Firste before God the frute is that hée whiche is rightly humble hath God dwelling in him Whereuppon Esay 57. I dwell highe aboue and in the Sanctuarie with him also that is of a contrite humble spirite And in the .66 Whome shall I regarde Euen him that is poore and of a lowly troubled spirite and standeth in awe of my woords Luke the second GOD exalteth the lowly 1. Peter 5. God resisteth the proude and giueth grace too the lowly Before men the lowlye person receyueth this frute Euen as the proude body is disdeyned of al men euen so he that is lowly in déede is honored of all men and an honeste name and report foloweth him In himselfe the lowly person findeth these moste swéete frutes First humilitie or lowlinesse is the mother of chastitie pacience Secondly it is the way vntoo wisdome Prouerbs 11. Where as is lowlinesse there is wisdome Thirdly it is the kéeper of fayth and of the feare of God Fourthly it is the furtherance of inuocation and after a sorte procureth too bée hearde of the Lorde Psalme 101. The Lord looked down vpon the prayer of the lowly Fifthly glorie accompanieth lowlynesse Math. v. Blissed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Mat. 24. He that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Prouerbes 29. The lowly person shall come too woorship not for that lowlynesse deserueth these things but bycause these things fall vntoo the lowly through the lowlynesse of Christ. To whom bée glory for euer and euer Amen Vpon the .xviij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Math. xxij WHEN the Pharisies had heard that Iesus did put the Saducees too sylence they came toogither and one of them vvhich vvas a doctor of lavv asked him a question tempting him and saying Maister vvhiche is the greatest commaundement in the lavv Iesus said vntoo him Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy hart and vvith all thy soule and vvith all thy minde This is the first and greatest commaundement And the seconde is like vntoo it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe In these tvvo commaundementes hang all the lavv and the Prophets VVhyle the Pharisies vvere gathered toogyther Iesus asked them saying VVhat thinke yee of Chryst vvhose sonne is he They saide vntoo him The sonne of Dauid He said vnto them Hovv then dooth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying The Lord sayde vntoo my Lord sit thou on my right hande tyll I make thine enimies thy footstoole If Dauid then call him Lord hovv is he then his sonne And no man vvas able too ansvvere him any thing neither durst any man from that day foorth aske him any mo questions The exposition of the text THis Gospel conteineth a summe of the christen doctrine that is too wit the doctrine of the lawe and of the Gospel A Pharisie propoundeth a question concerning the lawe and Chryst ageine an other concerning the Gospell but for a sundrie purpose For the Pharisie asketh a question concerning the lawe too the intent too tempt Chryst and too picke a quarell too him But Chryst demaunded of him concerning the Gospell too the intent too bring the miswéening Iewes and Pharisies vntoo the true knowledge of the law the gospel For they bicause they thought y t men wer iustified by the déedes of y e law despised the Gospell supposing there was no néede of any other doctrine too the attaynment too saluation than the doctrine of the law whose error Chryst confuteth Sée héer the goodnesse of Chryst. Although the Pharisies aske the question vppon malice yet notwithstanding Christ answereth them according too his owne office and teacheth an absolute doctrine concerning the lawe and the Gospell Therfore the summe of this Gospell is that Christe contriueth all the lawe and the Prophets intoo these two poyntes which are the loue of God and the loue of our neybour Afterward he enquireth of the Messias that is too wit of himselfe too the intent he might shew what one he was namely God and man who was too this end promised too the fathers that he should destroy the woorkes of the diuell and that all kinreds of the earth myght bée blissed in him who becomming our préest should pacifie Gods wrath by paying our raunsome for vs. The places are thrée 1 Of the Saducées whose mouthes our Lord stopped 2 The question concerning the summe of the Law and a rule how too serue God 3 The question concerning the Messias ¶ Of the firste THe Pharisies hearing that hee had put the Saducees too silence assembled toogither c. Albéeit that the Pharisies and Saducées were of a sundry religion one from another and defended contrary
our senses by outward signs which are the seales of his woord So in these dayes he had disclosed his wil vntoo vs by his Gospel the which he sealeth vp with the outward signes of Baptim and the Lordes supper Howbéeit in this coÌ„munication of the Angel with the virgin this spéech is too be noted wher he saith â—or vvith God no vvord shal be impossible This woord this saying of the Angel conteineth two things First it sealeth vp the truth and certentie of Gods promises And secondly it admonisheth vs to set gods power ageinst al sense iudgement of the flesh to assure our selues y t God is true although the whole frame of things shuld go about to persuade vs otherwise and to say with the virgin do according to thy woord thou reuelest thy wil by thy woord fulfil thy wil by thy power that thou alone may be glorified Thou art a sinner bewailest thy misery But herken what Gods woord saith of his wil. I wil not the death of a sinner Also all that cal vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Include thou within this woord both Gods wil his power ageinst which nothing is able too staÌ„d When y u art sorowful bicause thou art at deaths doore flée vnto Christ héer his woord Blissed are they that die in the Lord. In this word ioyne togither Gods wil his power then assure thy self y t death shal be vntoo thée the way to blisfulnesse through Chryst Iesus our Lord too whom with the father the holy Ghost be honor praise glory world without end Amen Vpon the Natiuitie of Iohn Baptist. The Gospel Luke j. ELizabeths time came that she should be deliuered and she brought forth a son And hir neibors and hir cousins herde hovv the lord had shevved gret mercy vpon hir reioiced And it fortuned that in the eight day they came too Circumcise the childe and called his name Zacharie after the name of his father And his mother ansvvered and said not so but his name shal be called Iohn And they said vnto hir There is none in thy kinred that is named vvith this name And they made signes to his father hovv he vvould haue him called And he asked for vvriting tables and vvrote saying his name is Iohn And they marueiled al. And his mouth vvas opened immediatly and his toung also and he spake and praysed God And feare came on all them that dvvelt nie vntoo him And all these sayings vver noised abrode throughout al the hie countrie of Ievvrie and they that herd them laid them vp in their harts saying â–ª vvhat maner of childe shal this bee And the hand of the Lorde vvas vvith him And his father Zacharias vvas filled vvith the holy Ghost and prophecied saying Praysed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raysed vp an horne of saluation vntoo vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Euen as he promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets vvhich vvere since the vvorld began That vve should bee saued from our enimies and from the hand of all that hate vs. That he vvould deale mercifully vvith our fathers and remember his holy couenaunt And he vvould performe the othe vvhich he svvare too our father Abraham for too forgiue vs. That vvee being deliuered out of the handes of our enimies might serue him vvithout feare all the dayes of our life in such holynesse and rightuousnesse as are acceptable for him And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the hyest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord too prepare his vvays Too giue knovvledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of sinnes Through the tender mercy of our God vvherby the day spring from an hye hath visited vs. To giue light too them that sate in darknesse and in the shadovv of death and to guide our feete into the vvay of peace And the child grevv vvexed strong in spirit and vvay in vvildernesse til the day came vvhen he should shevv himselfe vntoo the Israelites The exposition of the Text. ALthough it bée a heathenish Idolatrie too call vppon Sainctes which thing is doone by the Papistes in the feastes of Sainctes yet it is very behoofefull and that for many causes too kéepe still the feasts of some Saincts The first cause is for that it is very profitable that the storie of the Church should bée known For from thence wée may fetche instruction confirmation and comfort The second is for that it is a swéete thing too thinke vppon Gods benefites towards his Church whereby commeth singuler frute too the godly hartes The third is that thanks may bée giuen to God for his benefites towards the members of his Churche The fourth is that by weying throughly the variable chaunces of the Sainctes wée may arme and strengthen our minds ageinst chaunces present and too come which we must needes taste of The fifth is that the Sainctes maye bée as it were samplers vntoo vs of repentance conuersatioÌ„ woorshipping confession constancie patience and other vertues according to which wée may frame our liues The sixth is that wée with godly gronings should desire too come too the felowship of the Saincts These and other weightie causes there bée why wée reteine feastes of Sainctes in the Church Would God that many men abused not the feasts of Saincts and other things too their owne pleasures and madde deuises like as many in the papacie abused chéefly this feast when they halowed it with dauÌ„cing and reueling with méetings of louers with bibbing and tippling al night long and with other more shamfull things which I will not speake of wherin they pleased not God nor the Angels and Saincts but they serued Sathan too the reproch of God and of the Angels and Saincts Thus much bréefly concerning the feasts of Saincts and the right vse of them In this feast I wil entreat of one point only that is too wit the story of Iohn out of which I will build certeine admonishments ¶ Of the Storie of Iohn Baptist. IN the Storie of Iohn Baptist let these circumstances bée weyed His parents his conception his birth his bringing vp his calling his office Chrysts recorde concerning Iohn his death and the things that hapned about his death and after his death Iohn Baptists parents wer Zacharie a préest a holy maÌ„ and of blamelesse life and his moother was Elizabeth a woman far striken in yéeres and of singuler godlinesse Of both these Luke the Euangelist beareth this witnesse in his first chapter They were both perfect before God and walked in al the lawes and ordinances of the Lord that no man could find fault with theÌ„ And they had no child bicause Elizabeth was barren both were well striken in age This description sheweth of what yéeres the parents of Iohn were with what innocentnesse they liued that being now growne in yéeres they were destitute of
the godly mennes soules after this lyfe Lazarus is caryed intoo Abrahams bosom What is Abrahams bosom Like as Abraham was therfore called the father of the faithful bycause that with him was layd vp the couenant of eternall lyfe the which he kéeping in faythful custodie deliuered as it were from hand too hand first vntoo his owne children and afterward too all nations that they are called his children as many as are heires of the same promisse So after death they are sayd too bée gathered intoo his bosom bycause thy receyue the frute of the same fayth with him For like as a mannes sonnes whē they come home toogither at nyght from their dayly labor are cherished as it were in their Fathers bosom So the godly after their trauels taken in this life are after death gathered togither intoo blisful rest where they are wel at ease and in happy case vntil the rysing agein of the dead This bosom of Abraham is called also Paradyse as in that saying of Christ to the théefe this day shalt thou be with mée in Paradyse where according too the Psalme is abundance of ioy by beholding of God and euerlasting pleasures in his right hand Too be bréef Blissed are they that die in the Lord bycause they shal bée euermore with God shal enioy endlesse ioy And as concerning the communication of Abraham the Glutton it is to bée known that these things happened spiritually For so thought the Glutton wyth himselfe in his torments and such answer receyued he in his owne conscience Seuenthly behold in Lazarus the image of the Church in this lyfe For it is afflicted and it is despysed of the mighty rich men of this world ¶ Of the third THey haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heere them ▪ This is a very weighty admonishment and excéeding behoofeful for by this saying many are damned First euery one is damned that receiueth not Moyses and the Prophets For these are giuen of God too lead vntoo God and to shew the way of saluation He therfore that receiueth them not abydeth in his damnation Secondly they are damned that receyue them but yet set more by mennes traditions and rather frame their life after mennes commaundements than after Gods commaundements notwithstanding Gods charge giuen openly too the contrary For thus sayth he in Ieremy Cap. 20. Walk yée in my statutes and not in the cōmaundements of your fathers Thirdly are dāned héer Pope Gregorie the Anabaptists and other Euthusiasts which looke for new Reuelations frō heauen and giue more credit too the fumes of a frantike and melancholicke brayne than too the heauenly voyce or rather forsake and vtterly cast away the woord of God Fourthly wée learne héerby too make much of the doctrine of Moyses the Prophets and Apostles which wil be a lanterne for vs too eternall saluation so wée folow the lyght therof For the world hath not a more precious treasure than Gods woord Dauid did make more account of this than of y e finest golde Through this Lazarus who was poore in the world was rich before God By this did Iob rayse vp himself in the middes of his miseries Wherfore ryght déere brethren let vs also loue Gods woord Let vs assure our selues that that is the instrument wherby is offered vntoo vs the preciousest of all treasures Iesus Chryst and by him euerlasting lyfe which our heauenly father graunt vntoo vs by the same Iesus Chryste too whom bée honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Vpon the .ij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij A Certain man ordeined a great supper and bad many and sent his seruant at supper tyme too say too them that vvere bidden come for all things are novv ready And they al at once began too make excuse The first sayd vnto him I haue bought a farme and I must nedes goe and see it I pray thee haue me excused And an other sayd I haue bought fyue yoke of Oxen and I go too proue them I pray thee haue mee excused And another sayd I haue maryed a vvyfe and therfore I cannot come And the seruaunt returned and brought his master vvord againe therof Then vvas the good man of the house displeased and sayd too his seruaunt go out quickely intoo the streetes and quarters of the citie bring in hither the poore feble the halt blind And the seruaunt sayd Lord it is done as thou hast cōmaunded yet ther is roum And the Lord sayd vnto the seruant go out into the hie vvayes hedges cōpell them too come in that my house may bee filled For I say vntoo you that none of these men vvhich vvere bidden shall taste of my supper The exposition of the Text. LIke as the last Sunday it was shewed in the Glutton y t the contempt of a mannes neighboure is hinderance too saluation so in thys Gospel we are taught another let which is too bée shunned that is too wit that wée set not more by our owne possessions and affaires by the care of worldly matters thā by the Gospel of Chryst or that we suffer not our selues to be letted and busied w t the commodities and pleasures of this world that wée come not too the supper vnto which wée are bidden by the preaching of the Gospel Now the occasion of this Parable was a certein Pharisies talke at a feast too which Chryst was bidden For when Chryste had declared that suche as are liberall too the poore shal bee rewarded in the resurrection of the rightuous the Pharisie intending too sooth Chryst in his woordes sayd Blissed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God Notwithstanding for as much as Christ saw the ouerthwart cōditions and froward inclination of this Pharisie and of the rest of the Iewish nation he put foorth this Parable wherin he peinteth out bothe the iust reiecting of the Iewes and the frée receyuing of the Gentiles The dryft end of which Parable is that wée should not suffer the transitorie things of this life too bée a hinderance vntoo vs for cōming too the heauenly supper whervntoo wée are bidden by the gospell The places are foure 1 The greatnesse of Gods mercy is poynted out in thys Supper 2 The vnthankfulnesse of the world is noted in those that refuse too come when they are called 3 Of his compulsion how he compelleth and by whom 4 A thretning of punishmente too them that receyue not the Gospell ¶ Of the firste HOw great Gods mercy is towards mankinde it is euident by many proues For not only Gods woord but also Gods excéeding great benefites towards the whole world and specially towardes Chrystes churche beare witnesse of Gods inspeakable mercie The earth sayth Dauid is full of the Lordes mercye The greatest proofe of this mercy is the giuing of his Sonne too redéeme the worlde drowned in vtter miserie and that by his death and passion too the intēt that men béeing deliuered from this