they did very fondly to chang the manner of their life But as they were in this behalfe to be excused yet herein they offended that they desire now to see triumph when they had not yet gone throgh the warfare If at any time wee doe loath and bee vnpacient that the time or tryumph is delayd let vs learne first to consider the solaces wherewith the Lorde asswageth the bitternesse of the crosse in this world then to stirre vp our selues with the hope of eternal life For in these two poynts is the answere of Christ contained MAT. 28. Verely I say vnto you Least the Disciples should think they had lost their labour and repent them of the course they had begunne Christ teacheth them that the glory of his kingdom which as then was hidde should be reuealed as if he should saye there is no cause whye you should faint at this your base estate For I who doe scarsly lye amongste the meanest will at the length ascend into a throane of maiestie Therefore beare a litle vntill the time of manifesting of my glory shall come But what doth he then promise them Namely that they shal be fellowes of the same glory For by giuing them throanes wherin they shuld iudge the twelue tribes of Israel he compareth them to Ambassadours or to chiefe counsellers and presidentes whiche haue the chiefe seates in the kingly assembly VVee know that the Apostles were chosen twelue in number that so it might be declared that God by the sending of Christe would gather togeather the dispersed remnauntes of his people This was the chiefe dignitie but as yet it was hidden therfore Christ deferreth their desires vnto the last manifestation of his kingdome that then they might receiue the fruit of their election yet it is not to be doubted but that Christ spak in this place of the latter day In the regeneration Some doe referre this poynt to that which followeth in the text So regeneration should be nothing else but the newnesse which should followe our restoring while that which is mortall shall be swallowed vp of life and our weake body shall be made like to the heauenly glory of Christ. But I doe rather referre this regeneration to the first comming of Christ because the world beganne then to be renewed and the Church sprang vp out of the darknesse of death into the light of life And this manner of speaking is found euery where in the Prophetes and dooth very well agree with the cyrcumstaunce of this place For the renewinge of the Churche so often promised made them hope for some greate happines when as the Messias should appeare Christ therefore that he might take away that errour distinguisheth betweene the beeginning and the end of his kingdome LVK. 28. You are they Though Luke seemeth to report this speach of Christ diuersly and as if it were spoken at an other time yet I thinke not otherwise but that it appertaineth to this time Neither is there set downe a continuall Sermon or speach of Christe but diuerse sentenses sette togeather without regard of the order of the tyme as shal againe be sayde a little after But he vseth moe wordes then Mat. for sith the Apostles followed him in his temptations and continued constant hee saieth that they shall also be partakers with him of his glorye It is demaunded what hee meaneth by these his temptations I thinke that hee meante those troubles wherewith GOD generallye exercised him and hys Apostles And hee dooth verye aptlye vse this worde Temptations for euen accordinge to the sense of the humane nature his faith and patience was proued 29. I appointed vnto you a kingdom Hee doth not onlye make them rulers here but kings for he imparteth with them the kingdome which he receiued of his father But there is a great vehemēcy in that word I appoint that they shuld not with a rash and hotte desire make too much haste to possesse that kingdom wherof he only had the lawful autoritie of ordaining and he exhorteth thē to patience by his example For though his father had made him a king yet he is not presently placed in his glory nay he humbled himself and through the shame of the crosse he obtained the kingly honour To eate to drink vpon his table is metaphorically put for this that they should be fellowes of al his glory MAT. 29. VVhosoeuer shal forsake After he had stirred vp their mindes to hope for the life to come he also encourageth them with present comfortes and confirmeth and strengthneth them to beare the crosse For though God suffreth his to be much afflicted yet he doth neuer forsake them but he will recōpence their sorowes with his helpes Neither doth he onely speake to his Apostles but taking this occasion he generally directeth his speach to all the godly This is the summe they that shal willingly lose al things for Christes sake shall yet euen in this life bee more blessed then if they had kept al but the chiefe reward is laid vp for them in heauen Yet that promise of recompensing of an hundred fold seemeth not to agree with that we see in experience For they which for the most part are spoiled of parentes or children and other kinsmen or are depriued of their wiues and robbed of their goodes for the testimonye of Christ are so farre from recouering their owne goodes that as people without company and forsaken they should painefully and hardly trauell in banishment with great want and pouertie I answere if any man doth rightly esteeme the present grace of God wherwith he comforteth and lifteth them vp in their miseries he wil graunt that it is rightly preferred before al the riches of the world For though the vnfaithfull doe flourish yet because they knowe not what shall become of them to morow it is necessary that they shoulde alwayes be doubtfull and afrayde neither can they otherwise enioy their pleasures but that after a sort they are amased at themselues In the meane season God maketh his mery so that the litle good which they enioy is more worth vnto them and farre more pleasaunt then if without Christ great abundance of goodes shuld flowe vppon them In which sense I take that word was added in Mark with persecutions as if Christe shoulde haue saide though the godly in this world doe alwaies suffer persecutions and that the crosse doth alwayes cleaue as it were to the backe of them yet the sauce of Gods grace is so sweete which maketh them so mery that their estate is more to be desired then the pleasures and dainties of kinges 30. Many that are first This sentence was added to teach vs to shake off the sluggishnes of the flesh The Apostles hasted now to the reward when as they were scarse come forth into the race And wee all are of this disposition almost that if we haue passed one month in seruice we all desire to be rewarded and set at libertie as if we had
that hee may tryumph ouer them and their head Satan But in this answere the speciall purpose of Christ was to set forth his owne glory while he compelleth them to depart with shame Math. 22 Mark 12 Luk. 20. 23. The same daye the Saduces came to hym which say there is no resurrection and asked him 24. Saying maister Moses said if a man dye hauinge no children let his brother mary his wife raise vppe seede vnto his brother 25. Now there were with vs seauen brethren and the first married a wife and deceased and hauing no issue left his wife vnto his brother 26. Likewise also the seconde and the thirde vnto the seauenth 27. And last of all the woman died also 28. Therfore in the resurrection whose wife shal she be of the seauen for al had her 29. Then Iesus answered said vnto them ye are deceiued not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God 30. For in the resurrection they neither marye wiues nor wiues are beestowed in marriage but are as the Angels of God in heauen 31. And coÌ„cerning the rerection of the dead haue ye not read what is spoken vnto you of God saying 32. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the god of Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing 33. And when the people heard it they were astenyed at his doctrine 18 Then came the Saduces vnto him which saye there is no resurrection and they asked him saying 19. Maister Moses wrote vnto vs if anye mans brother die and leaue his wife and leaue no children that his brother shoulde take his wife and rayse vp seed vnto his brother 20. There were seauen brethren and the first tooke a wife and when hee dyed left no issue 21. Then the second took her and he died neither did he yet leaue issue and the third likewise 22. So seauen hadde her and left no issue last of all the wife died also 23. In the resurrection then when they shall ryse againe whose wife shall she be of them for seauen had her to wife 24. Then Iesus aunswered and saide vnto them are yee not therefore deceiued because ye know not the scriptures neither the power of God 25. For when they shal rise againe from the dead neyther men mary nor wiues are maried but are as the Aungels which are in heauen 26. And as touchinge the dead that they shal rise again haue ye not read in the booke of Moses howe in the bushe God spake vnto him saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob 27 Hee is not the God of the dead but of the lyuing yee are therefore greatly deceiued 27. Then came to him certeine of the Saduces which deny that there is any resurrection and they asked him 28. Sayinge Mayster Moses wrote vnto vs if anye mans brother dye hauing a wife and hee die without children that his brother shoulde take his wife and raise vppe seede vnto his brother 29 Now there were seauen brethren and the first tooke a wife and he died without children 30. And the seconde tooke the wife and he died chidlesse 31. Then the third tooke her and so likewise the seauen died and left no children 32. And last of all the woman died also 33. Therefore at the resurrection whose wife of them shall shee bee for seauen hadde her to wife 34. Then Iesus aunswered and said vnto them the children of this world marrie wiues and are married 35. But they which shall bee counted worthye to enioye that worlde and the resurrection from the dead neither marrye wyues neither are married 36. For they can dye no more for asmuch as they are equall vnto the Aungels and are the sonnes of God since they are the children of the resurrection 37. And that the dead shal rise againe euen Moses shewed it besides the bushe when hee sayd the Lord is the GOD of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob 38. For hee is not the God of the dead but of them which liue for all lyue vnto him 39. Then certeine of the Pharises aunswered and sayde Mayster thou haste well sayde 40. And after that durste they not aske him any thing at all Heere we see how Sathan gathereth all the wicked together to ouerthrow the trueth of God which men in other thinges coulde not agree amongst themselues For though there was great dissention betweene these two â—ectes yet they conspire together against Christe so that the Pharises were not displeased that theyr doctrine was oppugned in the person of Christ. So at this day we see al the bandes of Satan though otherwise some of them are against others yet they ryse from al places against Christ. And the Papistes do beare so great hatred against the gospell that they doe gladly nourish Epicures Libertines and suche other monsters so that they may haue their helpe to ouerthrowe the Gospell In summe we see that they came out of diuers fortes to assault Christ and this came so to passe because that all menne generally hated the lyght of sounde doctrine But the Saduces moue the question to Christ so as vnder the colour of an absurditie they might eyther drawe hym into an errour or if hee shoulde dissente they myght dyffame him and bringe him into contempte amongste the rude and vnlearned multitude And it maye bee that they were woonte to trouble the Pharises before with the same obiection but now they lay the same snare for Christ. 23. VVhich say that there is no resurrection I haue shewed before of the beginning of the Saduces They did not onely deny the last resurrection of the slesh but also the immortalitye of the soule as Luke declareth Act. 29. 8. And truely if the doctrine of the scripture be wel considered without the hopeof the resurrection the life of the soule shall seeme to bee a very dreame For God doth not say that the soules do so liue after death as if they should now enioy the present glory and blessednes but he suspendeth theyr hope vnto the latter day I graunt that the Phylosophers which were ignoraunt of the resurrection of the flesh spak many things of the immortall essence of the soule but they speake so fondlye of the estate of the life to come that theyr writinges are to no purpose But sith the scripture saieth that the spirituall lyfe dependeth of the hope of the resurrection and that the soules separated from the bodyes haue respect to that whosoeuer denyeth the resurrection doth also deny the immortalyty of soules But here is to be seene the horryble confusion of the Iewish Church that the chiefe maisters of theyr relygion tooke awaye the hope of the lyfe to come so that after death there should be no difference betweene men and beastes They did not deny a holy righteous lyfe neither were they so prophane as to account the worship of GOD a needelesse matter but
temperance for it is no maruel when as he was perfect and pure from al spot that the affections which he shewed wer pure vnspotted though they should be witnesses of his humane infirmitie but from the corrupt nature of men nothing commeth but that which is defiled and hath dregs Therefore let this difference be holden Christ was afraid sorrowful without any spot of sinne but al our affections are sinful because they doe breake out into excesse Nowe that kinde of affections is to be noted wherwith Christe was tempted Mathew sayeth that he was sorrowfull and grieuously or doubtfully troubled Luke that hee was in an agonie Marke addeth that he was afraid But whence cōmeth this sorrow doutfulnesse feare vpon him but because that in death he conceiued somthing more sorrowful more horrible then the separation of the soule and the body And certainly he died not onely that he might goe out of the earth into heauen but rather that by takinge the cursse vppon hym wherto we were subiecte he might set vs free from the same Therefore he was not simply afraid of death as it is a departure out of the worlde but because the fearful tribunal seat of god was before his eies the iudge himselfe being armed with incōprehensible vengeance and our sinnes the burden wherof was laide vpon him with their huge waight pressed him downe VVherefore it is no meruaile if the horrible depth of destruction grieuously vexed him with feare and doubtfulnesse 38. My soule is very heauie He maketh them priuie to his sorrow that he might mooue them to haue a like feeling with him not that hee knewe not their weakenes but that afterwardes he might make them the more ashamed of their slouthfulnesse Further this kinde of speach expresseth a deadly wound of sorrow as if he should haue sayd that he was wythout life or halfe dead for sorrow So Ionas answeareth the Lord chapter 4. 9. I am angry euen to the death Of the whiche I doe therefore giue warning because that some of the olde wryters subtilly entreating of this place doe fondly fantasie that the soule of Christ should be sorrowfull not in death but onely vnto death And heere we must agayne remember the cause of so great sorrow For death of it selfe coulde not haue so vexed the minde of the sonne of God if he had not fealt that he had to doe with the iudgement of God 39. So he went a little further VVe haue seene the Lord otherwhere that he might be stirred vppe to pray with more vehemencie prayed oute of the company of men For out of the sight of men we doe the better gather our senses togither that they may be the better bent to that whiche we do It is not necessary so oft as we would pray to flee into backe corners nay it is not alwayes expedient but where some great necessity◠vrgeth because the heate of prayer doeth the more freely powre out it selfe in a solitarie place it is profitable for vs to pray alone If that the sonne of God neglected not this helpe it shoulde be more then a madde pride in vs not to apply the same to our vse Adde that where God alone is the iudge because that ambitiō is not then to be feared the faithfull soule doeth more familiarly discouer it selfe and more simply powreth out her prayers sighes cares feares hopes ioyes into the bosome of God And God permitteth many follies to his children when they pray alone which in the sight of men coulde not be wythout ostentation His gesture also when he falleth downe vppon the grounde doeth declare an earnest zeale in prayer For though the bowinge of the knee was commonly woont to be vsed in prayers as a signe of honoure and reuerence yet Christ humbly lying vpon the ground for the greatnesse of his sorrow framed himselfe to a miserable behauiour O my father if it be possible Some doe striue in vaine to shewe that thys was no prayer but onely a complaint Yet verely though I doe graunt that the request was abrupte yet I doubt not but that Christe prayed Neither is that of force against it that he desireth that a thinge impossible should be graunted him For the prayers of the faithfull doe not alwaies flow in one course continually vnto the ende they do not alwaies keepe an equall temperature they are not alwayes framed in a distincte order but rather they are intricate and doubtful they doe either contende with themselues or doe stoppe in the midst of the course euen as a shippe tossed with stormes though it bendeth to the hauen yet it cannot alwaies holde a right and equall course as in a calme and quiet sea That must be noted which I sayde euen nowe that Christe hadde not suche troublesome affections which mighte shake the pure moderation of his minde as we haue but as muche as the sounde and vncorrupt nature of man would beare he was stricken with feare and holden wyth doubtfulnesse so that he was of necessity enforced amidst suche violent streames of temptations as it were to wauer in his prayers hether and thether This is the reason why he praying to auoid death presently restraineth himselfe submitting himselfe to the authority of the father and correcteth and reuoketh that request which hadde sodainly escaped him But it is demaunded howe he coulde desire to haue the eternall decree of the father broken whereof he was not ignoraunt For thoughe the condition be added If it be possible yet this seemeth to be absurde to make the counsell of God chaungeable For so it was meete for hym to holde that it coulde not be that God should reuoke his counsell But by Marke Christ seemeth to oppose the power of God against his decree All things sayeth he are possible to thee But the power of God is yll applied to this to ouerthrow his truth by making him variable and changeable I aunsweare it is no absurdity if Christ after the common course of the godly not looking vppon the counsell of God shoulde poure the desire wherwith he was enflamed into the bosome of the father For the faithfull in making of their prayers doe not alwaies climbe vppe to looke into the secreates of God or sit at ease to consider what is possible to be done but are sometimes caried headlong with the heate of their desires So in Exod. 32. 32. Moses desireth to be blotted out of the booke of life So Paule Rom. 9. 3. desired to bee accurssed Therefore this prayer of Christ was not premeditated but the power and force of the sorrowe wreasted this sodaine speache out of him which he presently corrected The same vehemencye made him not to remember the heauenly decree for the present that he coulde not in the very moment consider that he was sent of this condition to be the redeemer of mākinde euen as great sorrowe doeth often blinde the eyes that all things cannot be remēbred at once In summe it is no
minde altogither corrupted should presently at the first instructions vppon the curssed crosse apprehend saluation and the celestiall glory For wyth what markes or ensignes did he see Christ adorned that he might lift vppe his minde to that kingdome And certainly this was as if hee shoulde clime out of the deepest helles aboue the heauens But to the flesh thys was but as a fable and to be laughed at to attribute to a man cast away and condemned whome the world could not abide a kingdome farre more noble then all earthly Empires Heereby we do gather how quicke the eyes of his mind were wherwith he beheld life in death height in ruine glory in reproache victorye in destruction and a kingdome in slauerie If that the theefe extolled by his faith Christe nowe hanging vppon the crosse and as it were ouerwhelmed with curssinge into a heauenly throane woe be to our slouthfulnesse if we doe not reuerence him nowe sitting at the right hand of God if we doe not fasten the hope of life in his resurrection if we go not into heauen whether he is entred Nowe if on the other parte wee doe consider what state he was in when hee besought Christe of his mercy his faith shall growe to further admiration with a torne body now almost with out life he waiteth for the last blow of the slaughter men and yet he reposeth himselfe in the onely grace of Christ. First whence hath he this hope of forgiuenesse but because that in the death of Christe which seemeth detestable to all other he conceiueth the sacrifice of a good sauour to be effectuall to wash away the sinnes of the worlde And where he with courage regardeth not his torments nay as it were forgetting himselfe is caried to a hope and desire of a better life it doeth farre passe the vnderstandinge of man VVherefore let vs not be ashamed to learne both mortification of the flesh and patience and excellency of faith and constancy of hope and zeale of godlinesse of this maister whome the Lord sette ouer vs to humble the pride of the flesh For the readilier that any man followeth him the nearer he shall so come to Christ. 43. Verily I say to thee Though Christ had not yet triumphed opēly ouer death yet he sheweth the effect frute of the same when he was most abaced And by this meanes he declareth y t he was neuer thrust out of y e power of his kingdō For nothing doth more notably nor more royally beseeme a diuine king then to restore life to them whiche are deade Christ therefore though he being stricken with the hand of God appeared in shewe to be a man halfe desperate yet because he ceassed not to be the sauiour of the world he was alwaies endued with a heauenly power for the performance of his office And first heere is to be noted hys incredible readinesse that without delaye hee accepteth the theefe so louingly and promiseth him that he shall be a partaker of the blessed lyfe VVherefore it is not to be doubted but that he is to admit wythout exception into his kingdome all whiche doe come vnto him VVhereof it may be assuredly gathered that we shall be saued if hee be mindefull of vs. Further it cannot be that he shoulde forgette them who doe commende theyr saluation to him If the theefe had so easie a passage into heauen because that when all things were in greatest extremitye he rested vppon the grace of Christ much more shall Christ the conquerour of death at this day reache foorth his hande out of his throne to vs that he may gather vs into the fellowshippe of life For it were absurde since the time that hee nailed to the crosse the hand wryting whyche was against vs and hath putte death and Sathan to flight and in his resurrection hath triumphed ouer the prince of the worlde that there shoulde not be as easie and as ready a passage from death to life for vs as for the theefe Therefore who soeuer being ready to die shall wyth a true faith commit the custodie of his soule to Christ he shall not be driuen off any long time to languish in suspence but Christ will accept his desire wyth the same kindnesse that he vsed towardes the theefe Therefore awaye wyth that stincking deuice of the Sophisters of the retaining of the pain when the fault is remitted for we see that Christ doeth presently deliuer from punishment him whome he freeth from guiltinesse Neither is that any lette that the theefe neuerthelesse beareth euen to the vttermost the punishment whereto he was appoynted For we must heere imagine no recompence which was in steed of a satisfaction for the appeasinge of the iudgement of God as the Sophisters do dreame but the Lord by corporall punishments doeth simply teache his electe to detest and to hate sinne Therefore Christ doeth as it were set vpon his lappe the theefe brought by fatherly correction to deny himselfe and sendeth him not to the fire of Purgatorie It is further to be noted with what keyes the gate of the kingdome of heauen was opened to the theefe For Popish confession or satisfactions were not here accoūted of but Christ was entreated with repentance and faith to receiue him that came willingly to him And heereby that is againe the better confirmed whych I touched euen nowe if any man shoulde disdaine to walke in the steppes of the theefe and to followe as he went before he is woorthy of eternal destruction because that with his vngodly pride he driueth himselfe frō entring into heauen And truely as in the person of the theefe Christe hath giuen vnto vs all a common pledge or assurance of obtaininge forgiuenesse so againe he vouchsafed that wretch so great honour that all men casting off their owne glory we should not glory but in the mercy of God alone If that euery one of vs would truely and earnestly search himselfe the great heape of our sinnes woulde woorthily make vs ashamed of our selues and it woulde irke vs to take this poore man who of meere grace obtained saluation as our guide and standered bearer Further as the death of Christe brought foorth the frute of the same then presently so we doe heereof gather that the soules when they doe depart from the bodyes doe remaine and liue otherwise the promisse of Christe shoulde be but a iest whyche he also confirmed wyth an oathe Yet of the place of Paradise lette vs not curiously and subtilly dispute Lette it suffice vs that who soeuer are by faith grafted into the bodye of Christe are partakers of his life and so after death shall enioy a blessed and a ioyfull rest vntill the perfect glory of the heauenly life shall fully be reuealed at the comming of Christ. One thing yet remaineth that he promiseth the theefe not to take away his present miseries nor to diminish any thing of his corporall punishment VVhereby we are admonished that the grace of GOD must not
what should become of men in so greate frailtie of the fleshe if hauing once obtained life they shoulde afterward be left vnto themselues Therefore the continuall estate of the life must be grounded vpon the power of the selfe same Christ that hee may finish that which he hath begunne And the faithfull are saide neuer to dye for this cause because their soules being borne againe of the vncorruptible seed haue the spirite of Christ abiding in them whereby they are continually quickned For although the body be subiect to death because of sinne yet that spirite is life for righteousnesse Rom. 8. 10. And in that the outwarde man is dayly corrupted in them that is so farre from impayring theyr true life that it euen helpeth forwarde the same because the inwarde man is renewed from day to day 2. Cor. 4. 16. Yea death it selfe is in them a certaine setting free from the bondage of death Doest thou beleeue this Christ seemeth at the firste sight to intreate of the spirituall life for this cause that hee may withdrawe the minde of Martha from her present desire Martha did desire to haue her brother restored to life Christ answereth that he is the authour of a better life namely because he quickneth the soules of the faithfull by his heauenly power But I doe not doubt but that his meaning was to comprehende a double grace Therefore he commendeth generally the spirituall life which he giueth vnto all those that be his but he will giue some tast thereby of this power which hee would afterward shewe in raysing vp Lazarus 27 Truly Lorde To the end that Martha may prooue that she did beleeue that which she had heard of Christ that he is the resurrection the life she maketh answere that she beleeueth that he is Christe and the sonne of God so that indeed this knowledge comprehendeth in it selfe the summe of all good things For we must alwayes mark to what end the Messias was promised and what office the Prophetes doe attribute vnto him And when as Martha confesseth that it was he that shoulde come she confirmeth her faith with the prophesies of the Prophetes VVhereupon it followeth that the full restoring of all thinges and perfect felicitie is to be hoped for at his hands and finally that he was sent for this cause that he may erect set in order a true and absolute estate of the kingdome of God 28 VVhen she had said these thinges she went and called her sister Mary secretly saying the master is present and calleth thee 29 So soone as shee heard that shee ryseth straightway and commeth vnto him 30 And Iesus was not yet come into the towne but was in the place where Martha met him 31 The Iewes therefore which were with her at home and did comfort her seeing that Mary arose sodainely and went out they followed her saying shee goeth vnto the graue that shee may weepe there 32 Therefore after that Mary came where Iesus was when shee sawe him shee fell at his feete saying vnto him Lorde if thou haddest beene heere my brother had not beene dead 33 Therefore so soone as Iesus saw her weeping and the Iewes whiche came with her weeping he groâ—ed in the spirite and troubled himselfe 34 And hee sayde where haue you laide hym They say vnto him come and see 35 Iesus wept 36 Therfore the Iewes said behold how he loued him 37 And certaine of them said could not he which opened the eyes of one that was blinde bring to passe that this man should not die 38 Then Iesus groned againe in himselfe and came vnto the graue and it was a 〈◊〉 and a stone laid vpon it â—â— Called her sister It is likely that Christ stayed without the towne at the request of Martha least he should come into such an assemblie of men For she feared daunger because Christ had but of late hardly escaped out of the middest of death Therefore least his comming shoulde be noysed abroade any further she telleth her sister priuilie The master is present This word master doth shew what account these godly matrones did make of Christ And although they had not profited so much as became them yet was this a great matter that they had wholy addicted themselues to be his disciples And the sodaine departure of Mary that she might come to meet him doth not a little testifie how she reuerenced him 31 Therfore the Iewes that were with her Although Christ suffereth Martha to returne home that she might draw aside her sister out of the companie yet Christe did intend an other thing namely that he might haue the Iewes to see the myracle They doe in no case thinke vpon this but it was no new matter that men should be brought thyther as it were in darknes by the secret prouidence of God whyther they went not They thinke y t Mary goeth vnto the graue as those are wont to doe who seek to haue their sorrow stirred vp For this disease reigneth commonly euery where that husbands being depriued of their wiues and parents of their children and again wiues of their husbandes and children of their parents or kinsfolkes or friendes doe increase ambitiously by all means possible their mourning and it is a solemne thing to finde out diuers inuentions to this ende So that indeede whereas the affections of men are alreadie inordinate they prick them forward with newe prickes to the ende they may the more vehementlye and with greater force resiste God Further more it was their dutie to pull backe Mary least by beholding the Sepulchre she should gather matter of mourning but they dare not vse so sharpe a remedie but euen they themselues doe nourish the inteÌ„perancie of her grief in that they beare heâ— coÌ„panie So that it falleth out oftentimes that their consolations are little worth who beare with their friendes too much 32 Shee fell downe at his feete In that she falleth downe at his feet we doe thereby gather that he was worshipped in that house aboue the coÌ„mon order and manner of men For although they were wont to prostrate themselues before kinges and rulers yet because Christ had him selfe no princely or loftie thing in himselfe according to the flesh Mary falleth downe at his feete for another ende Neither would she haue doone so vnlesse shee had beene perswaded that hee was the sonne of God Lord if thou hadst been here Although she seemeth to speake honourably of Christ after a sort yet we haue of late declared what corruption is in these wordes For doubtlesse the power of Christ whiche did replenish heaueÌ„ earth ought not to haue bin restrained vnto his corporall presence 33 Hee groned in the spirite Vnlesse Christ had sorrowed togeather with them he woulde haue stood rather with a fierce countenance but when as he conformeth himselfe vnto them euen vnto weeping he declareth his agreement with them For the Euangelist seemeth in my iudgement to expresse the cause of such
the heauenlye life But Luk declareth the true nature of godlines wheÌ„ he saith that the witnesse of the Angell was in steede of a rule to the Shepheardes to the which they directed all thinges For then is faith rightly holpe by the workes of God if it directeth al thinges to that purpose that the trueth of God which is reuealed in his word may more clearely shine forth 21. That the childe should be circumcised That which generally is to be coÌ„sidered of circumcision let the readers fetch out of Ge. 17. 10. It shal be sufficient at this time briefly to touch those things which beelong to the person of Christ. God would that his sonne should be circumcised that he might be subiect to the lawe for circumcision was a solempne signe wherewith the Iewes were initiated into the obseruation of the lawe Paule declareth the end Gal. 4. 4. when he saith that he was made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law Therfore Christ taking circumcision professed himself a seruaunt of the law that he might obtaine libertie for vs. And so by this meane not onelye the seruitude of the lawe was abolyshed by him but the shadow of the ceremonie was applyed to his sound and perfect bodye that it might soone take an end For although the abrogating of it depended of the death and resurrection of Christ yet this was a certaine beginning of the same that the sonne of god suffered himselfe to be circuÌ„cised His name was then called Iesus This place also witnesseth that it was a manner receiued amongst the Iewes that on the day of circumcision they gaue names to their children as we at this day vse to doe at baptisme But the Euangeliste noteth two thinges that the name of Iesu was not giuen vnto the sonne of God rashely or for the pleasure of men but that the Angel brought it from heauen TheÌ„ that Ioseph Mary obeyed the coÌ„mandement of God this is the consent of our faith with the word of God that that word going before wee should speake to the same and our faith shoulde answere to his promises Especiallye Luke commendeth vnto vs the order of publishing of the word when hee saieth that saluation was testified by the mouth of men which was promised by the Angell from aboue through the grace of Christ. Matth. 2. Marke Luke 1. VVhen Iesus then was borne at Bethlehem in Iudea in the dayes of Herâ—â—e the king beholde there came wise men from the East to Ierusalem 2. Saying where is the king of the Iewes that is borne for we have seene his starre in the East and are come to worship him 3. VVhen king Herod heard this hee was troubled and all Ierusalem with him 4. And gathering togeather all the chieâ—â— Priestes and Scribes of the people he asked of them where Christ should be borne 5. And they sayde vnto him at Bethlehem in Iudea for so it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem in the lande of Iuda arâ— not the least among the princes of Iuda for out of thee shall come the gouernour that shal feede my people Israel   1. VVhen Iesus was then borne Matthew concealeth the cause whye Christ was borne at Bethlehem but the spirit of God who had appointed the Euangelistes as his Scribes seemeth aduisedly so to moderate their stile that with most notable consent they al write one and the same historie though it be in diuers manners that thereby the trueth of God might be the more certeine and euident when as it was openly manifest that his witnesses did not purposely before consent to speake but euery one separate from other nor hauing one respecte of an other did simply and freely write that which the spirite taught them Furthermore here is a historie declared worthy to be remembred that God fetched wisemen out of Chaldea or Persia which should come into Iudea to worship Christ where hee lay without honour and contemned Truely a wonderfull counsell of God that God would his Sonne should come forth into the world vnder this obscure humilitie yet hee excellently adorned him as with phrases so with other tokens least any thing for the triall of our faith had beene wanting from his diuine maiestie yet here is to be noted a notable harmonie of thinges seeming to be repugnant The starre from heauen declareth him to be a king whose throane is the beastâ— stall because that hee is denied a place euen amoÌ„gst the common sorte of men His maiestie shineth in the East which not onely appeareth not in Iudea but is also difiled with many reproches To what purpose is this namely the heauenly fathers will was to appoynt that the starre and the wisemen should lead vs the right way to his sonne but yet hee stripped him naked of all earthly honour that we might know his kingdome to be spirituall VVherefore this storie is not onely profitable because that God brought these wisemen to his sonne as the first fruites of the Gentiles but also because hee woulde set forth the kingdome of his sonne as with the praise of them so of the starre for the helpe of our fayth least the wicked and malitious dispite of his own nation should cause him to be despised of vs. It is sufficiently knowne that the Astrologers and Philosophers with the Perseans the Chaldeans were called Mag. i. wisemen Therfore is is easily to be coniectured that these came out of Persia. Furthermore how many they were in number it is better not to know because the Euangeliste doth not expresse it then rashly to affirme for certaine that which is doubtfull A childish errour lead the Papistes that they imagined them to be three because Matthew saith that they offered gold franckencense and mirrh as if hee should distinctly assigne a proper office to euery of them and that rather hee should not declare that these three thinges were generally offered by them VVhosoeuer that old writer was whose vnperfecte commentarie vppon Matthew beareth the name of Chrisostome and is accompted amongst Chrisostomes workes saith that they were fourteene which hath no more colour except that peraduenture it came by tradition of the fathers yet that same also hath no assuraunce But the Papistes are more then ridiculous which imagined to themselues that they were kinges because they did read that beefore sayde Psal. 72. 10. That the kinges of Tharsis of the Iles and of Saba should come which should offer giftes to the Lord Verily they are wise workemen who that they might giue a newe shape to men they haue begun at the turning of the worlde for of the South and VVest they haue made the East And it is not to be doubted but that by the iust reuenge of God they were so amased that their grosse ignoraunce might be laid open to the reproofe of al men who made no religion to corrupt the trueth of God and to turne the fame into a lye But here is first
the comming of Christ. 30. Because mine eies haue seene Although this maner of speaking is ofteÌ„ seene in the scriptures yet the corporal beholding of Christ seemeth expressly to be noted in these words as if SimeoÌ„ shuld say that he now had the sonne of god present in the flesh vpon whom he had bent the eies of his mind before I take saluation for the matter of saluation because that al the partes of saluation and of a blessed life are laid vp in Christ. Now if the only sight of Christ being as yet but an infant did so much preuail with Simeon that ioyfully quietly he would go to death how much more aboundaÌ„t matter of saluation is there giueÌ„ to vs this day who may see al the points of our saluation fulfilled in Christ. Christ is not conuersant vpon the earth neither do we beare him in our armes but his diuine maiestie doth clearly openly shine in the Gospel therin he sheweth himself to be seene of vs as it were face to face as Paule saieth 2. Cor. 3. 18. neither sheweth he himself any more in weaknes of flesh but in the wonderful power of the spirit the which he declareth in miracles in the sacrifice of his death and in the resurrection In summe he is so absent from vs in body that yet wee may beeholde him sitting at the right hand of his father If such a beholding of him bring vs not peace that we may goe ioyfully to death we are more then vnthankfull to God and we carelesly account of the glory which he hath bestowed on vs. 31. VVhich thou hast prepared By these wordes Simeon signifieth that Christ was ordained of god that al people might enioy his grace that shortly after he shoulde be placed vp on high that he might tourne the eyes of all men vnto him And in this worde he comprehendeth what prophesies so euer there be of the encrease of the kingdome of Christe But if Simeon embracing the tender infant in his armes coulde yet extend his minde to the vtter borders of the world that he acknowledged his present power euery where howe much more doeth it become vs at this day to thinke more royally of him sith that he is lift as a banner to the Gentiles and hath made himselfe knowen to the whole worlde 32. A light to lighten Now Simeon sheweth to what ende Christ was brought foorth from the father before all people that is that hee might lighten the Gentiles which before were in darknesse and that he might be the glory of the people Israel for betwene this and them he maketh a difference and that not without a cause because that the children of Abraham by right of adoption were neare vnto God but the Gentiles with whom God had made no couenant were accompted as strangers from the church By the which reason Israel Ier. 31. 9. is not only called the childe of God but also the first borne and Paul teacheth to the Ro. 15. 8. that Christ came that he mighte be a minister of circumcision according to the promisses geuen vnto the fathers But Israel is so preferred to the Gentiles that al they in common might obtaine saluation in Christe A light to lighten signifieth as much as if it had bene sayde to geue light to the Gentiles whereby we gather that menne are naturally without light vntill that Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse shine vnto them As concerning Israel although they were endewed with greate honour from God yet Simeon sheweth that all this glory dependeth of this one head that the redeemer was promised them Matthew Marke Luke 2.   33. And Ioseph and his mother maruailed at those things which were spoken touching him 34. And Simeon blessed them and sayde vnto Mary his mother Beholde this childe is appoynted for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel and for a signe which shal be spoken against 35. Yea and a sword shalâ— pearce through thy sâ—ule that the thoughtes of many hearts may be opened 36. And there was a Prophetesse one Anna the daughter of Phanâ—el of the tribe of Aser which was of a great age and had liued with an husbandâ— 7â— yeares from her virginitie 37. And she was widowe foure score foure yeares and wâ—nt not oute of the temple but serued God with fastings and praâ—ers night and day 38. Shee then comminge at the same instante vppon them confessed likewise the Lorde and spake of him to al that lâ—ked for redeÌ„ption in Ierusalem 39. And when they had performed al things according to the law of the Lorde they retâ—â—ned into Galile to their owne citie Nazareth 33. And Ioseph and his mother Luke doth not say that they were amased as at a new or a straunge matter but that they reuerently considered with due estimation embraced this prophesie of the holy Ghoste oute of the mouth of Symeon that they mighte more and more profite in the knowledge of Christe And we are taught by this example after we are once enstructed in a right faith to gather what small helpes soeuer may seeme to auaile for the confirmation of the same for he hath then rightly profited in the word of God who ceaseth not to esteme whatsoeuer he daily readeth or heareth for the continuall furtherance of faith 34. And Simeon blessed them If thou referrest this to Ioseph and Mary there is no difficultie in the matter but because Luke semeth to comprehend with them Christe it maye be demaunded by what righte Simeon tooke vpon him this office of blessing for the lesse is blessed of the greater as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 7. 7. Furthermore it seemeth to be absurde that any mortall manne shoulde conceiue praiers for the sonne of God I aunsweare that the Apostle doeth not speake of euery blessinge but of the priestes onely for men otherwise do blesse one an other And it is more probable that Simeon as a priuate manne and as one of the common sorte of the people blessed them rather then as a publike person for as it is sayd before he was neuer called a priest But there is no absurditie if we say that hee prayed for the happie successe of the kingdome of Christe because the spirite in the Psalme commaundeth this maner of blessing to all the godlye Beholde this childe is appoynted Simeon properly directeth this speache to Marye yet it generally belongeth to all the godly The holy Virgine hadde neede of this admonition least that shee triumphing at these pleasant beginnings as it commonly commeth to passe should be the lesse able to beare the sorowes that were to come And also least shee shoulde hope that Christe shoulde be receiued with the generall fauour of all the people but rather that shee might be armed with inulncible strengthe of the minde against all contrary blastes But yet the spirite of God woulde deliuer a generall doctrine to all the godly that they beholdinge the worlde with wicked contumaâ—â— resisting Christe should not
name auctoritie of Christ alone therefore he speaketh in the singular number after a sorte taketh vppon him the person of Christe that he might the more effectually stirre vp the mindes of the godly to an assured trust It is certaine that the wordes which are here set downe cannot properlye be applyed to any but to Christ alone and that for two causes First because that he alone was endued with the fulnes of the spirite that hee might be a witnesse and a messenger of our reconciliation with God by which reason Paul assigneth that peculiarly to him which is commō to all the ministers of the Gospel Ephe. 2. 17. that is that they shuld preach peace to as many as are nigh and farre off then because he only worketh and perfourmeth by the power of his spirit whatsoeuer good things are promised 18. The spirit of the Lord vpon me This is therfore said that we might know that Christ aswel in himself as in his ministers doth not the work of mā or any priuate busines but that he was sent of God to restore the saluation of the Church For he testifieth that he doth nothing by the motion and counsell of man but al things by the gouernment of the spirit that the faith of the godly might be grounded vpon the aucthoritie and power of God That clause that next followeth Because he hath annoynted mee is added to expound the former For many do falsly boast that they haue the spirit of God whē they are without the gifts of the spirit But Christ by the annoynting as by the effect proueth that hee is endued with the spirit of God Then hee sheweth to what end hee was endued with the grace of the spirit namely that he might preach to the poore whereby we gather that whosoeuer are sent of God to preach the Gospell ought first to be endued with necessary giftes that they maye be able to discharge so great an office VVherefore they are indeede to be laughed at which vnder the pretence of the calling of God doe vsurpe the place of Pastors when they are most vnapt to execute the office as the horned bishops in poperie when they are more ignorant then any Asses yet they proudlye cry out that they are the Vicars of Christe and that they only are the lawful gouernours of the Church It is also expresly said that the Lord doth annoynt his seruauntes beecause that the true and effectuall preaching of the Gospell dooth not consist in windy eloquence but in the celestiall power of the spyrite as Paule sayeth 1. Cor. 2. 1. 4. To the poore The Prophet declareth what the estate of the church was before the beginning of the gospel and what al our condition is without Christ. Therefore he calleth them poore broken captiues and blind and brused to whom God promiseth restitution But though the body of the people was oppressed with so many miseries that these titles might agree to euery member of the same yet because that manye in their pouertie blindnesse bondage and to bee shorte in death doe flatter themselues or ar senselesse therfore few are fit for the receiuing of this grace And first we are taught here to what ende the preaching of the Gospell belongeth and what it bringeth vs that is when we were wholly ouerwhelmed with all kind of euils there God shineth vnto vs with his light of life that he leading vs out of the great depth of death might restore vs into a full felicitie Truely this is no vsuall commendation of the gospell that we gather such incomparable fruit of it Secondly we see whō Christ calleth to him and whom he maketh partakers of the grace committed to him that is they that are wretches in al-poyntes and are without all hope of saluation But againe we are admonished that we cannot any otherwise enioy these benefits of Christ except we be humbled with a deepe feeling of our miseries and as people hungarstarued doe desire and seeke for him to be our deliuerer for whosoeuer swell in pride and sigh not vnder their captiuitie and are not displeased with theyr owne blindenesse they doe with deaffe eares dispyse this prophesie 19. That I should preach the acceptable yeere It seemeth to many to be an allusion to the yeere of Iubile whose iudgement I doe not refuse Yet it is worth the labour to note how the Prophet taketh paines to aunswear a doubt which might trouble and shake the weake mindes seeing that the Lord had so long differred the promised saluation and had holden them in suspence Therefore he appoynteth the time of redemption in the counsell or goodwill of God as he saith chap. 49. 8. In an acceptable time I haue heard thee in a day of saluation haue I helped thee Paule to the Galla. 4. 4. calleth it the fulnes of time that the faithfull may learne not curiously to enquire further then is expedient but to reste in the will of God and this one thing was sufficient for them that the saluation in Christ was giuen when God saw it good 20. And the eyes of all that were in the Synagogue I doubte not but that God had touched their heartes that the straungnes of the matter might make them more attentiue and so should giue eare to Christ speaking for it was necessary that they should be stayd least they presently shuld haue made a noyse or at the leaste that they shoulde not breake off the course of the word seeing that otherwise they were more bent and readye to contemne Christ as we shall see 21. This day is fulfilled Christe doth not onely vse these three words but prooueth in deede that the tyme is nowe come wherein GOD would restore the decayed Church that the exposition of the prophesie might be euident and plaine to the hearers as the interpreters do rightly and in order handle the scripture when they applye the same to the present vse and he saieth that it was fulfilled rather in their eares then in their eies because the bare sight doth litle profit except that doctrine had the chiefe place 22. They bare witnesse Here Luke first commendeth vnto vs the diuine grace which was in the mouth of Christe then hee liuely paynteth out the vnthankfulnes of men He calleth them the words of grace or gratious wordes in the Hebrew phrase wherein the power and grace of the holy Ghost was seene Therefore the Nazarites are compelled to acknowledge with admiration God speaking in Christ yet they willingly hinder themselues from giuing the right and due honour to the heauenly doctrine For when they obiect that he is the sonne of Ioseph they do not amplyfie with this circumstaunce the glory of God as it became thē but malitiously they take this as an offence that they might with the fairer colour refuse whatsoeuer shal be sayde by the sonne of Ioseph So at this day we see very many who though they are enforced to graunt that to be the word of God which they
Peter aunswered and said to Iesus master it is good for vs to be heere let vs make also three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias 6. Yet hee knew not what hee said for they were afraid 7. And there was a cloude that shadowed them and a voice caÌ„e out of the cloud sayinge This is my beloued sonne heare him 8. And sodenly they looked round aboute and sawe no more any man saue Iesus onely with them 28 And it came to passe abouâ— an eight daies after those words that he tooke Peter and Iohn and Iames and wente vp into a mountaine to pray 29. And as he prayd the fashion of his countenaunce was chaunged and his garment was white and glistered 30. And beholde two men talked with him which were Moses and Elyas 31. VVhiche appeared in glory and told of his departing which he should accompâ—â—sh at Hierusalem 32. But Peter and they that were with him were heuy with sleepe and when they awoke they sawe his glorye and two men standing with him 33. And it came to passe as they departed from him Peter said to Iesus maister it is good for vs to be here let vs therefore make three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias wiste not what hee said 34. VVhile he thus spak there came a cloud and ouershadowed them and they feared wheÌ„ they wer entring into the cloud 35. And there came a voyce out of the cloud saying This is my beloued sonne beare him 36. And wheÌ„ the voice was past Iesus was found alone First it is to be considered for what purpose Christ tooke vppon him the heauenly glory for so short a time and had but onely three of his disciples as witnesses of this straung sight The opinion of some that is was done to that end that they might be strengthened against that teÌ„ptation which was now at hand by reason of his death is not probable to me For why should hee haue depriued others of that remedy naye why doth he expresly forbid them that they shuld not declare what they had seene before his resurrectioÌ„ but because the profit of the visioÌ„ shuld appeare after his death Therfore I doubt not but that Christ would declare that he was not drawn to his death against his wil but went willingly to the same that hee might offer vp a sacrifice of obedience to hys father This knowledge came not into the disciples mindes vntil Christ rose againe Neither was it necessary for them at that time to conceaue that diuine power of Christ which they shuld know conquering vpon the crosse but they are taught against another time aswel for their own sakes as for ours least the infirmity of Christ should offend any man as though it were by necessity or constraint that he should suffer For it is euident that it was as easie for Christ to exempt his body from death as to adorne it with heauenly glory Therefore we are taught that hee was subiect to death because his wil was so and that he was crucified because he offred himself For that same flesh which being offred vpon the crosse lay in the graue could haue bene free from death and the graue wheÌ„ as it had now before bene partaker of the celestiall glory But we are also taught that so long as Christ was conuersant in the world in the shape of a seruaunt and that his maiesty was hid vnder the infirmity of flesh nothing was withdrawn from him because that he humbled himself of hys own freewil but now the resurrectioÌ„ taketh away that vaile wherwith his power was hidden for a time Further it was sufficient for the Lord to chuse three witnesses because that by the law that number was prescribed for proouing any matter Deut. 17. 6. The difference of the tyme ought not to offend vs. Math. and Mar. do number six whol daies which passed betweene But Luke saying that it was done almost eight daies after comprehendeth aswel that day wherin Christ spake that as the day wherin he was traÌ„sfigured Therfore wee see that they do agree very wel in one sense vttered in diuerse words 2. And was transfigured before them Luke sayth that this came to passe when hee praid and by the circumstaunce of the place and the tyme it may be gathered that he praied for this that he obtayned that a visible shewe or demonstratioÌ„ of his godhead might be reuealed in the brightnesse of a new shape not that he had nead to aske by prayer of any other for that he had not or that the wyl of the father was to be doubted of but that in the whole course of his humilitie if hee did any thinge as God he referred it to his father and his purpose was to stirre vs vppe to prayers But in this transfiguration the disciples did not see Christe altogeather in that excellency that he is in now in heauen but he only gaue them such a taste of that great glory as they were able to abyde Then his face shone as the sunne but now it farre exceedeth the brightnes of the sunne Then an vnwoonted brightnes shone in his apparell nowe without apparell the maiesty of his Godhead shyneth through out hys whole body So GOD in times paste appeared vnto the fathers not such as he was in himselfe but as they were able to abyde the beames of hys great bryghtnesse for Iohn saieth 1. Io. 3. 2. that the faythfull shal not see him as hee is before that they be made lyke vnto him Nowe there is no cause for any manne to dispute subtilly of the whitnesse of his garmentes or of the brightnesse of his face when as this was not a full reuealing of his celestiall glorye but hee partelye gaue a taste in figures of that whiche they were not yet able whollye to conceaue 3. Moses and Elyas appeared vnto them It is demaunded whether Moses and Elias were verily present or that the disciples sawe onely the lykenesse of them as the prophetes did oftentimes see the visions of thinges absent Though the matter be disputable on both sides as menne say yet it is more profitable in my iudgement that they were brought indeede into that place Neyther is there any absurditie in it seeing that God hath both bodies and soules in his hande at his pleasure to restore the dead to life for a time And Moses and Elyas rose not then for themselues but that they might be present there with Christe If any manne demaunde agayne how the Apostles knew Moses and Elias whom they had neuer seene The answere is easie for sith God brought them to appeare he gaue theÌ„ also signes and markes whereby they might bee knowne amongst them And this was by an extraordinary manner of reuelation that they certeinly knew them to be Moses and Elyas But why these two appeared rather then any other of the companye of the holy fathers that reason ought to satisfie vs that the
also for the dead which had bene lost But it is too vile a thing for vs to loath them whom the sonne of God hath set so much by Neither if the weake ones haue faultes which might bring them into contempt is our prid therefore to be excused for they are not to be esteemed after the value of their own vertues but for Christes sake after whose example who so will not frame himselfe is too froward and proud 12. How thinke yee Luke maketh a further rehearsall of the occasion of this parable namely that the Scribes murmured against the Lord whoÌ„ they saw dayly conuersant with sinners Therefore Christes will was to shewe that a good teacher muste take no lesse paines to recouer those which were loste then to preserue those whiche are vnder his hande Though the similitude proceedeth in Mathew namely that the disciples of Christ should not onely be friendly entertayned but their faultes are to be borne with so as wee may endeuour to bring them that wander into the way For though it fall out that they doe sometimes go astray yet because they are sheepe ouer whom God hath set his owne Sonne to be their shepheard it behoueth vs to gather them from going astraye so farre must we be from putting them to slight with vnkindnes or from taking lyberty to driue them away For to this purpose beelongeth that saying heede must be taken that we dessroy not that which God would should be saued That which Luke reporteth tendeth somwhat to a diuerse ende because al mankinde is Gods they are to be gathered which are strangers as great ioy is to be made while they that were lost returne to good as if any man should beyond all hope recouer that which he was sory should be lost LV. 10. There is ioy in the presence of the Aungels If the Angels doe reioyce among themselues in heauen when they see restored into their company that which was lost it becommeth vs that are in the same and like estate with them to be partakers of the same ioy But how is it that hee sayth that the Angels do reioyce more at the repentaunce of one wicked man then at the perseueraunce of many righteous whom nothing more delighteth then a continuall and iust course of righteousnes I aunswere though it should more agree with the desires of the Aungels as it is also more to be desired that men shoulde alwayes continue in pure integritie yet because the mercy of God doth more appeare in the delyueraunce of a sinner who now had bene giuen ouer to destruction had falen off as a rotten member from the body he attributeth to the Angels after the maner of men the greater ioy for this good vnlooked or vnhoped for Further he doth specyallye restraine the word repentaunce to the conuersion of them which were wholly falne from God as that they now rise from death to lyfe For otherwise there ought to be a continuall meditation of repentance through the whole life neither is any man exempted from this necessity when as their seueral sinnes do stir all men to a daily exercise of the same But it is one thing amongst offences or falles or errours to go forward to the goale when thou art entred into the course and it is an other thing to call a man home from errour who was altogeather out of the way or to beginne a right course from the prisons They neede not such repentaunce who haue now begunne to frame their life after the rule of Gods lawe that they might beginne to lyue holyly and godly though it be necessary for them to sigh vnder the infirmities of their flesh and to labour to reforme and correct them Math. Mark Luke 15.   11. Hee sayd moreouer A certeine man had two sonnes 12. And the younger of them sayde to his father Father giue me the portion of the goodes that falleth to me So he deuided vnto them his substance 13. So not long after when the younger sonne had gathered al together he took his iourney into a farre countrey and there he wasted his goodes with riotous liuing 14. Now when hee had spent all there arose a great dearth throughout that land he began to be in necessity 15. TheÌ„ he went and claue to a citizen of that countrey and he sent him to his farme to feede swine 16. And he would â—ain haue filled his belly with the huskes that the swine eat but no man gaue theÌ„ him 17. Then he came to himself and saide how manye hired seruants of my fathers haue bread ynough and I die for hunger 18. I wil rise and go to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hyred seruaunts 20. So he arose and came to his father and when he was yet a great way off his father sawe him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his necke and kissed him 21. And the sonne saide vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne 22. Then the father said to his seruaunts bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his secte 23. And bring the fat calf and kill him and let vs cate and be mery 24. For this my son was dead is aliue again he was lost but he is found And they began to be mery This parable is nothing els but a confirmation of the former doctrin And in the former part of it ther is shewed how redy willing god is to forgiue sinnes and in the other how malitiously peruersly they doe which do murmur at his mercy which we wil handle after in that place And vnder the person of a prodigal yong man who through lust ryotous expenses being brought to extreame pouerty returned in al humility vnto his father against whom he had bene iniurious disobedient Christ describeth al sinners who lothing their owne madnes do applye themselues vnto the grace of God And vnto a humane father who not onely forgiueth the offences of his sonne but runneth willingly foorth to meete him he compareth GOD who is not satisfied in pardoning them that aske forgeuenesse except he doe also preuent them of his fatnerly kindnesse Nowe we will consider the particular poyntes 12. The yonger of them sayd Heere is first described a token of vngodly folly in a yoÌ„g man in that he desiring to depart from his father thought not himself wel except he might haue free liberty to wantonnesse without checke or controlment of his father Vnkindnesse is also added to the former in that he forsaking the old man he doeth not onely depriue him of those dueties which in righte he oweth him but also spoyleth and diminisheth his goodes Then followeth a riotous liuing in pleasure and vnbrideled wickednesse
downe this their foolish arrogancye doth not onely say that they are no better then other nations beecause that God hath vouchsafed to send Prophetes and notable interpreters of hys wisdome vnto them but he proueth that this grace being abused shal be their greater rebuke and the more to theyr destruction for the purpose of GOD was farre otherwyse then they imagined namelye that hee might make them the more inexcusable and that the heape of their wicked malice might be brought to the full height as if he should haue said you doe verye fondlye and foolishlye pretende this as an honour to you that God hath sent you Prophetes For God hath determined another thing in his secrete iudgment that by this continuall course of calling of them so louingly he might openly discouer your wicked obstinacy and that he might when he hath brought the same to passe destroy the children and the fathers togeather As concerning the wordes the sentence in Matthew wanteth somewhat the sense wherof must be supplied out of Lukes wordes He numbreth the Scribes and the wise men with the Prophetes that he might amplifie and set forth the grace of God VVhereby their vnthankfulnesse dooth the more appeare that when GOD had omitted no meanes that might serue for their destruction yet it preuailed nothing Luke for the Scribes and wise menne placeth the Apostles but the sense is all one This place doth also teach that God dooth not alwayes saue menne so oft as he sendeth his word vnto them but his will is that it shall be preached to the reprobate whom he knoweth to be obstinate that it might be vnto them a â—auour of death vnto death The word of GOD is of it selfe and of the owne nature holsome and calleth all menne generallye to the hope of eternall life but because that all menne are not moued inwardlye neyther dooth GOD open the eares of all menne to be short because that all menne are not renewed by repentaunce nor brought to obedience whosoeuer doe refuse the worde of God doe by their vnbeliefe turne it to their destruction and make it deadly to them VVhen God knoweth before that it shall come so to passe he doth purposely send his Prophets vnto them that he may cast the reprobate headlong into the greater destruction as hee declareth more at large Isay 6. 10. I graunt that this agreeth not with the reason of manne as we see the wicked contemners of God doe take a iolly occasion to barke out that God as some cruell tyrant should delight himselfe in the greater destruction of menne whom without hope of profiting he doth wittinglye and willingly blinde and harden more and more But God doth by such instructions teach the faythfull modestie Therefore let vs learne this sobrietie fearefully to reuerence that which passeth our vnderstanding They which doe say that the foreknowledge of God is no hinderaunce but that the vnbeleeuers may bee saued they doe fondly excuse God with a vaine defence I graunt that the reprobate doe not seeke their owne death beecause that God foresawe that it should be so and therefore their destruction cannot be ascribed to his foreknowledge but I say that the righteousnesse of God is not thus rightly defended for it may be presently obiected that it is in the power of GOD that they doe not repent beecause that the gyfte of fayth and repentaunce is in his hand This maye also be obiected what the meaning of this should be that GOD of sette and deliberate purpose appoynteth the light of his word to blinde men why is he not contented simply with the destruction of them that are appointed to eternall death but would haue them perish twise or thrise There is no other aunswere to be made but to giue this glory to the iudgementes of God that we may cry with Paule that it is a profounde and vnsearchable depth Romanes 15. 33. But it is demaunded howe GOD should say that the prophesies were giuen to the Iewes for their destruction when as his adoption did alwaies flourish effectually in that nation I answere when as onely a smal remnaunt embraced the worde by faith to saluation he speaketh here of the greater nuÌ„ber or of the whole bodye as where Iesaias 8. 61. foretelleth the generall destruction of that nation hee is commaunded to seale vppe the lawe of God amongst the disciples Therefore we must knowe that as ofte as the Scripture iudgeth the Iewes to eternall death the remnauntes are alwayes excepted in whom the Lorde preserueth some seede beecause of his owne free election 35. That vppon you may come all the righteous bloud Hee dooth not onelye take from them that which they wrongfully toke to themselues but hee teacheth that the Prophetes were giuen them altogeather to an other end that no age might be free from the sinne of rebelling against God For the Pronowne you doth generallye comprehende the whole nation from their beginning If any man would obiect that it agreeth not with the iudgement of God that the children should be punished for the offences of the fathers the answere is ready sith they ioined with them togeather in that vngodly conspiracy it must not seeme absurd if God generally punishing all men should cast the punishment due to the fathers into the bosome of the children Therefore the account of perpetual contempte is iustlye exacted and required of the whole nation and the punishment is laid vppon them at once though some of them liued at one age and others in another For as God by the long continuance of his patience stroue continually with the malice of the whole people so the whole people is woorthily founde guilty of stubbornnesse which would not be amended but continued euen to the last of it and as all those ages slewe their Prophets as if they had agreed vpon the same so it was meete that they should be called to a generall iudgement and that all those slaughters which were done with one consent should be reuenged vppon them all From the bloude of Abel Thoughe Abel was not slaine by the Iewes yet Christ imputeth his death vnto them because there was a certaine kinred of vngodlinesse betweene them and Caine otherwise that which he saieth coulde not agree that the righteous bloude euen from the beginning of the worlde was shed by this generation Caine therefore is accounted as the heade and the prince and author of the Iewish people for since they began to kill the Prophets they succeeded in his roume whose steps they followed Further hee nameth Zachariah not as if that he were the last martyr for the Iewes made not an ende then of murthering the Prophets but their boldnesse and rage rather encreased therby and their posterities which followed them made themselues druÌ„ken with the blud which their fathers had only tasted neither yet for that his death were more famous and knowne though the holye scripture reporteth the same but there is an other reason which is worthye to be noted
heard that most grieuous troubles were at hand It is not known whether Christ gaue his disciples twise warning of one thing But I thinke it to be probable that when mention was made of the coÌ„ming of the kingdom of God Luke added these sentences which I haue here set downe though they were spoken at an other time which is no rare matter with him as we haue sene otherwher But because this place is through ignorance diuersly wrested that the readers may haue the natural vnderstaÌ„ding of the same they must note the opposition betwene the secreat places the open spreading of the kingdom of Christ farre and neare and that of a sodain vnloked for as is the comming of the lightning from the East to the VVest For we know that the false Christes which was agreeable to the grosse and foolish ignorance of that nation could haue gathered any powers into corners of the desart or into dennes or into other secreat places that they might with a forceable and strong hande haue shaken off the power of the Romane Empire from them The sense therefore is that whosoeuer gathereth his riches into a secret place that he might by armes recouer the lybertie of that nation dooth falsely challenge himselfe to be Christ for hee is sent to bee the Redeemer who should sodeinly and vnlooked for spread his grace into all the quarters of the worlde But these two were contrarye the one to the other to shutte vp the redemption in some corner and to spread the same through out the whole world By this meanes were the Disciples taught not to seeke for the Redeemer any more in the secrete places of Iudea for he would sodenlye stretch the coastes of hys kingdome euen to the vttermost endes of the earth And this wonderfull speede in spreadinge the Gospel in so short a time through all the partes of the worlde was a notable testimony of the power of God For it coulde not be brought to passe by the witte of manne that the light of the Gospell should as the lightning assoone as it shineth presentlye spread it self from the one end of the world to the other and therefore Christ dooth not without consideration commend his heauenly glory by this circumstance Further by this describing of the largenes of his kingdome his will was to shew that the destruction of Iudea could not be any hindraunce to him but that he would reigne 28 VVheresoeuer a dead carkasse is The meaning is by what shiftes soeuer Sathan shall endeuour to drawe the children of God backe hether and thether yet the holy band of vnitie resteth in Christ himself wherewith it is meete that they shuld be holden which are bound For whence commeth this diuision or confusion but because that manye fall awaye from Christ who is our onely staye and strength Therefore here is a prescribed meane how to nourishe this holy vnitie least the fallinge into errours shoule teare the body of the Church asunder that is if we continue fast setled in Christ. The which must bee noted dilygentlye for Christ doth not tye vs eyther to the supremacy of the seate of Rome or to any other trifles but by this knotte onelye would hee tie his Church togeather if that all from all places would looke to him who is the only head whereof it followeth that whosoeuer doe cleaue to him with a pure fayth are out of daunger of a schisme Now let the Romanists goe and cry out that they are Schismatikes which doe not suffer themselues to be alienated from Christe that their faith might bee enthralled to a theefe The interpretation of the Papists is too sottish who take them which are of that company which professe one faith and the Eagles to be allegorically expounded for sharpe and quicke sighted menne when as it is euident that Christ hadde no other purpose then to call the children of God to him and to keepe them in him wheresoeuer they were dispearsed And he doth not heere call it simplye a bodye but a carkasse And Christe attributeth nothing to the Eagles but that which agreeth to the rauens and vultures with vs after the nature of the countrey which we inhabite Neither is there any firmenes in the fancy of others who saye that the death of Christ was so odoriferous as that it allured the electe of God For in my iudgment the purpose of Christ was to reason from the lesse to the greater if there is so great wisdome in byrdes that many of them canne come together out of places farre distant to one carkasse it is a shame for the faithfull if they should not come togeather to the authour of lyfe who is their onely true foode Matth. 24. Mark 13. Luke 21. 29. And immediatelye after the tribulations of those dayes shall the Sunne bee darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be shaken 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the sonne of man to heauen and then shall all the kinreds of the earth morne and they shal see the sonne of manne come in the cloudes of heauen with power and greate glorye 31. And hee shall sende his Aungelles with a greate seunde of a trumpet and they shall gather togeather his elect from the foure windes and from the one ende of the heauen 24. Moreouer in those daies after that tribulation the Sunne shal wax darke and the Moone shal not giue her light 25. And the starres of heauen shal fall and the powers which are in heauen shal shake 26. And then shal they see the sonne of manne comming in the cloudes with great power glorye 27. And he shall then send his Angels and shal gather together his elect from the foure windes and from the vtmoste parte of heauen 25. Then there shal be signes in the Sun and in the moone and in the stars and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shal roare 26. And mens harts shal fayle them for feare and for looking after those things which shal come on the worlde for the powers of heauen shall be shaken 27. And then shall they see the sonne of manne come in a cloude with power and great glory 28. And when these thinges beginne to come to passe then look vp lift vp your heads for your redemption â—â—aweth neere Now Christ manifesteth his kingdome more fully whereof hee was demaunded at the firste and promiseth that after they haue beene vexed with so many troubles their redemption shall come at the time appointed For in his aunswere he specially bent to this to strengthen and to make his disciples of good comfort least they should faint in their minds for those troublesome stirres Therefore hee doth not simply speake of his comming but he vseth a propheticall kinde of speaking and as euery man was specially bent so contrarily it was necessary for him to abide a sharper kinde of
of Sathan the glory of God be it neuer so manifest is hidden from them at the least theyr mindes are darkened that seeing they should not see But sith that was a general admonition it should profite vs at this day to let vs know that the sacrifice wherewith we are redeemed was of no lesse moment then if the Sunne had fallen from heauen or that the whole frame of the world had beene ouerthrowne for so we may be brought the more to abhorre our sinnes Further where some doe thinke that this darkening of the sunne was ouer al the quarters of the world I do not thinke it to be likely For though some one wryter or another haue so reprorted yet the hystorie of those times was more renoumed then that so notable a myracle could be concealed of many others who diligently searched and set downe things which were not so worthy of remembrance Further if that the darkenesse had beene generall ouer the whole me◠might the more easily haue forgotten it because it might haue been supposed to be naturall But the woonder was the more straunge that the sunne shining other where Iudea should be ouerwhelmed wyth darkenesse 46. About the ninthe houre Iesus cried Though there appeared more then the force of a man in the crying of Christ yet it is certain that the vehemencie of griefe wrested it out of him And certainly this was the chiefe conflict sharper then all other tormēts because that in hys sorrowes he was not so comforted with the aide and fauour of his father that he thought himself in some sort forsaken For he not only offered his body for the price of our recōciliation with God but in soule he also bore the punishments due to vs and so he rightly became a man ful of sorrowes as Isai. 53. 3. speaketh And truely they are too foolish which passing by this part of the redemption doe onely rest vppon the outward punishmēt of the flesh For to the end that Christ might make satisfaction for vs it was behoueful for him to stand as guilty before the iudgemēt seat of God And there is nothing more horrible then to feele God a iudge whose wrath exceedeth all deaths Therefore when this kinde of temptation is laid vpon Christ as if God being his enemy he should nowe be giuen ouer to destruction he is taken with horror wherin al mortal mē had been swallowed vp a hundred times but he by the maruellous power of the spirite escaped with the victory And he maketh not this complaint dissemblingly or after the maner of a plaier that he was forsaken of his father And where many do pretend that he spake thus according to the opinion of the common people it is but a fonde cauill for the inwarde sorrowe of the minde compelled him forceably and earnestly to breake out into this cry And it was not onely a redemption to serue the eye which he wrought as I sayd euen now but as he had offred himself a pledge for vs his will was to beare in deede the iudgement of God in our place But it seemeth to be absurde that this desperate speach should passe from Christ. The answear is easie though the sence of the flesh beheld destruction yet his faith was fast setled in his heart wherein he behelde God present of whose absence he complaineth VVe sayde other where that the Godhead gaue place to the infirmity of the flesh so farre forth as was mete for our saluation to the end Christ might fulfil all the partes of a redeemer VVe haue also noted the difference betweene the sence of nature and the knowledge of faith wherefore there is no cause to hinder it but that Christ might in minde conceiue an alienation from God so farre as sence did see and withall by faith he held God mercifull vnto him The which doth euidently enough appeare by the two partes of his complaint for before he woulde vtter the temptation he first protesteth that he fleeth to God as to his God so with the shield of faith he valiantly repelled that assault of forsaking which assaulted hym on the other side To be short in this sharpe torment his faith remained safe so he complaining that he was forsaken yet trusted in the helpe of God at hand Further that this speache was woorthy especially to be noted it doth appeare by this that the holy Ghost to the end it might be imprinted in mans memory woulde haue it reported in the Syrian tounge for this is as much as if he shuld bring in Christ rehearsing the same words which he then vttered with his own mouth So much the more is theyr slouth thereby to be condemned as vile who make no more account of Christes so great sorrow dreadful feare then as if they passed lightly by a place But who soeuer considereth that Christe toke vppon him the person of a mediatour of this condition that he might beare our guiltinesse as well in soule as in body will not maruaile that he had to striue with the sorrowes of death as if hee shoulde be cast off from God in hys wrath into a labyrinth of euilles 47. This man calleth Elias They which do refer this to the soldiers who were rude ignorant of the Syrian tongue and not accustomed to the Iewish religion are in my iudgement deceiued for they thinke that the likenesse of the speaches deceiued them But I doe not thinke it any way probable that they slipped of ignorance but rather that it was determined of sette purpose to scorne at Christ and quarellingly to peruert his speach For sathan hath no apter a deuice for the hindrāce of the saluation of the godly then when he driueth them from calling vppon God Therefore so muche as lieth in him hee driueth his ministers to thys to quench our affectiō to praier So he driue the vngodly enemies of christ wickedly to turn his praier into laughter seeking by that shift to spoyle him of his chief weapons And certainly this is a very great temptation when we seme to be so far from preuailing that God rather should lay his name open to reproches then shew himself fauourable to our prayers Therefore this ironicall or doggish barking was as much as if they had denied Christ to haue any thing to do with God that calling vpon Elias he should repose himselfe in another refuge So we see him vexed on euery side that he being ouerwhelmed with desperation might cease from calling vpon God which was to renounce saluation But if at this day as wel the hired slaues of Antichrist as also the varlets which are at home with vs doe wickedly with their quarrelles depraue those things which we haue spoken wel let vs not maruel that the same befall to vs which befel to our head Yet thogh they should transfigure God into Eliah when they haue scorned vs at their pleasure at the length God wil heare our sighes and will shew himself partly a defender of his owne
vs vntill suche time as our sinnes are purged in respect whereof he is worthily angrie with vs So that the blood of Christ must come betweene to reconcile vs vnto God before such time as we can feele his fatherly good wil. And as wee heare in the former place that God did giue his sonne to die for vs because he loued vs so it foloweth straightway after that Christ alone is he in whom we ought properly to fixe our faith He hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer shall beleeue in him may not perish This I say is y e right beholding of faith to set Christ before it in whom it may beholde the breast of God powred out into loue this is the firme and sounde shoare to leane vnto the death of Christ as the only pledge This worde only begotten hath in it great force to set foorth vnto vs the vehemency of Gods loue toward vs. For because men are not easily persuaded y t God doth loue theÌ„ to the end he might take away all doubtfulnes hee setteth downe in plaine words y t God did loue vs so dearely that he spared nor his only son for our sake Therfore seing that god hath declared his loue toward vs sufficieÌ„tly whosoeuer is not coÌ„tented with this testimonie but doth as yet doubt he doth Christ no small iniurie as if some one of the common sorte were deliuered vp to death But rather we must thus thinke with our selues that looke howe great account God doth make of his sonne so precious was our saluation vnto him the price whereof he would haue the death of his onely begotten sonne himselfe to bee Christe is called by this name by good right because he is the onely sonne by nature who doth make vs partakers of this honour by adoption then when we are ingrafted into his bodie Hee that beleeueth in him may not perishe This is a singuler commendation of faith that it deliuereth vs from eternal destruction For his meaning was plainely to expresse that although we seeme to be borne vnto death yet is there certaine deliuerance offered in the faith of Christe so that death which doth otherwise hang ouer our heads is no whit to bee feared And he added also the vniuersall note both that hee may inuite all men in generall vnto the participation of life and also that hee may cut off all excuse from the vnbeleeuers To the same ende tendeth the worde worlde which hee vsed before For although there shal nothing be founde in the worlde that is worthie of Gods fauour yet he sheweth that he is fauourable vnto the whole worlde when hee calleth all men without exception vnto the faith of Christ which is nothing els but the entrance into life But yet let vs remember that life is promised vnto all those who shall beleeue in Christe so commonly that yet faith is not common vnto all men For Christe lyeth open vnto all men yet god doth onely open the eyes of the elect that they may seeke him by faith Furthermore herein appeareth the wonderfull effect of faith because we doe thereby receiue Christe as he is giuen vs of the father namely that he may make vs heires of eternall life being deliuered from the giltinesse of eternall death because he hath purged our sinnes by the sacrifice of his death least any thing should hinder God froÌ„ taking vs for his children Therefore seeing that faith doth imbrace Christe with the efficacie of his death fruit of his resurrectioÌ„ it is no maruell if we do also thereby enioy the life of Christe yet it doth not appeare sufficiently as yet why and how faith doth make vs partakers of life whether it bee because Christe doth regenerate vs by his spirite that the righteousnesse of God may liue and be of force in vs or whether it be because beeyng purged by his blood from sinnes we are iudged iust before god through free pardon Truely it is certaine that these two are alwayes ioyned together but because we intreate in this place of the certaintie of saluation wee must especially note this reason that we do liue for this cause because God doth loue vs freely in not imputing vnto vs our sinnes Therefore the sacrifice is mentioned by name whereby togeather with sinnes death and the curse are abolished I haue alreadie declared the drift of these two members namely that wee may know that wee recouer life in Christe whereof wee are depriued in our selues For in this miserable estate of mankinde redemption is before saluation in order 17 For he sent not This is the confirmation of the sentence next going before because God sent not his sonne hyther vnto vs in vaine But he came not to destroy Therfore it followeth that it is the proper office of God to giue saluation through him vnto all those that beleeue Now there is no cause why any man shoulde doubt or be carefull howe to escape death seeing that we vnderstande that this is Gods purpose that Christe shoulde deliuer vs from the same This worde worlde is repeated againe to the ende no man may thinke that he is excluded if so bee it he holde the way of faith To iudge is taken in this place as in manie other places for to condemne And wheras he saith y t he came not to coÌ„deÌ„ne the worlde he setteth downe therein the proper ende of his comming For what neede had Christe to come to destroy vs who were vtterly perished Therefore we must consider no other thing in Christ but that God meant to helpe vs for his infinite goodnesse sake that he might saue vs beeing lost And so often as our sinnes do testifie against vs so often as Satan doth pricke vs forward to despayre wee must holde vp this buckler that God woulde not haue vs to perish euerlastingly because he hath ordeined his sonne to bee the sauiour of the worlde And whereas Christe in another place saith that he came to iudgement in that hee is called a stone of stumblyng whereas hee is saide to be the fall of many that is an accidentall thing or that I may so speake a thyng that commeth by chaunce For they that refuse the grace that is offered in him are worthie to finde hym a Iudge and reuenger of such wicked â—ilthie contempt VVhereof there appeareth a most euident token in the Gospel for whereas it is properly the power of God vnto saluation vnto all that beleeue the vnthankfulnesse of many causeth it to turne to their destruction Paule expresseth both verie well when he boasteth that he hath in readinesse the vengeance wherewith hee will punishe all the aduersaries of his doctrine after that the obedience of the godly shall bee fulfilled For it is as much as if hee shoulde say that the Gospel is appointed chiefly and principally vnto the faithfull to bee vnto them for saluation but that afterwarde it shall turne to the destruction of the vnbeleeuers who contemning the grace of Christ
as appertaining vnto the kingdome of God bee iudged dead And Paule declareth this death at large Ephe. 2. 1. and 4. 17. when as hee saith that we are estraunged froÌ„ the pure sound reason of the minde and that being enemies vnto God with all the affection of our hearte and aduersaries of his iustice that we wander in darkenesse beyng blinde we are giuen to wicked concupiscence If there be no force in a nature that is so corrupt to desire righteousnesse it followeth that the life of God is quite extinguished in vs. So that the grace of Christ is the true resurrection from death Furthermore we haue this grace giuen vs by the gospell not that the outwarde voyce hath so great force which doth oftentimes beate the eares in vaine but because Christ doth speake vnto our heartes within by his spirite that wee may receiue by faith the life that is offered vs. Neither doth he intreate in this place generally of al the dead but he meaneth only the elect whose eares God doth bore through and open that they may heare the voyce of his sonne that it may restore them to life Yea Christ doth distinctly in his words coÌ„mend vnto vs a double grace when he saith The dead shall heare the voyce of the son of God and they that shall heare shall liue For it is no lesse contrary to nature for the dead to heare then to bee called againe to life from which they were fallen Therefore both of these are properties of the secrete power of God VVhen he saith The houre shall come and now is he speaketh as of a thing before vnaccustomed And truly the publishing of the Gospell was a newe and sodaine resurrection of the worlde If any man aske this question whether the worde of God did not alwayes giue life to men or no wee may readilie answere that the doctrine of the lawe and the prophetes forasmuch as it was appointed for God his people it rather had this office to nourish those in life who were begotten to God then to bring them backe againe from death But the estate of the Gospel was otherwise whereby the Gentiles who were before aliants from the kingdome of God separated from God depriued of all hope of saluation were gathered into the fellowship of life 26 For as the father Hee sheweth by what meanes his voyce hath so great force to wit because he is the fountaine of life and doth powre out the same by his voyce into men For wee should not haue life from his mouth vnlesse the cause and originall thereof were in his power For God is not only said to haue life in himselfe because he liueth alone through his owne and inward power but because hauing in himselfe the fulnes of life he quickeneth all thinges And this truly doth properly appertaine vnto God as it is Psal. 36. 9. VVith thee is the VVell of life But because the maiestie of God as it is set far off froÌ„ vs might be like to an hidden secrete spring therfore did it shewe it selfe in Christ. Therfore we haue a readie and common well out of which wee may draw This is the meaning of the words because God would not haue life to be hidden with him as it were buried he therefore powred it out into his sonne that it might flowe vnto vs. Hence wee gather that this title is properly ascribed to Christ inasmuch as he was manifested in the flesh 27 And hath giuen him power Hee repeateth this againe that the gouernment was giuen of the father that hee may haue full power of all things both in heauen and earth exoâ—sia doth in this place signifie dignitie and iudgement is taken for gouernment As if he should say that the sonne is made of his father a king that he may gouerne the world and exercise his fathers power The reason which followeth immediately is principally to be noted Because he is the sonne of man For his meaning is that hee commeth vnto men adorned with so great power that he may impart vnto them that which he receiued of his father Some do think that that which is here spoken is all one with that of Paule Phil. 2. 7. That Christe when he was in the forme of God did make himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the shape of a seruant and did humble himselfe vnto the death vpon the crosse VVherefore God hath also highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that euery knee may bowe before it c. But I doe make it to reache farther that Christe inasmuch as hee was man was appointed of the father to be the authour of life that we might not seeke farre for it For Christe did not take it to himselfe as if he needed the same but that he might inrich vs with his plentie The summe is that that was reuealed vnto vs in Christ as he was man which was hidden in God that the life which before could not be attained vnto is now in readines And whereas some doe knit this reason vnto the member following hauing pulled it away from his owne text it is farre set and contrary to Christ his meaning 28 Maruell not at this He seemeth to reason very vnfitlie whilest that he setteth the confirmation of that which he had spoken from the last resurrection For it is no harder matter for the bodies to be raysed vppe then for the soules I answere that here is no coÌ„parison made betwene the greater the lesser according to the thing it selfe but according to the meaning of men For as they are carnall they maruell at nothing but that which is carnall and visible Hereby it coÌ„meth to passe that they doe carelesly passe ouer the resurrection of the soule do more woÌ„der at the resurrectioÌ„ of y e flesh And also this our blockishnes causeth those things to be more of credite which can be seen w t the eyes theÌ„ those whiche caÌ„ be coÌ„ceued by faith only because he maketh meÌ„tioÌ„ of the last day y t restraint is no loÌ„ger added And now is but he doth absolutely say that y â— time shal once be And here meteth vs another obiectioÌ„ for althogh the faithful do wait for the resurrectioÌ„ of the bodies yet can they not leane vnto the knowledge thereof to bee persuaded that the soules are nowe deliuered from death because the bodies shall in time to come ryse out of the graues And what is more ridiculous amongest the wicked then to proue that which is knowen by that which is as they say vnknoweÌ„ I answere that Christ doth in this place boast of his power amongst the reprobate that he may declare that the perfect restoring of all things was commanded by the father as if he shold say that which I say I haue now begun I wil once finish before your face And truly whereas Christ doth now quicken the soules that were drowned in destruction by the voyce of his Gospel that is
that which was harde to beleeue that the soules are no otherwise fed with his flesh and blood then the bodie is susteined with meate and drinke Therefore as he did of late testifie vnto all men that there remaineth nothing but death for those who seeke life any where els saue only in his flesh so hee doth now encourage the godly vnto good hope whilest that he promiseth life vnto them in the same fleshe Note that he dothe so often adioyne the resurrection vnto eternall life because our saluation shall lye hid vntill that day Therefore no man can feele what we haue of Christe saue he who hauing ouercome y e world doth set the last resurrection before his eyes It appeareth plainely by these wordes that all this place is vntruly expounded of the supper for if it were true that all those who thrust in vnto the holy Table of the Lord are made partakers of his flesh and blood all men should find life in lyke sort And truly it had byn a foolish and vnseasonable thing to reason then concerning the supper which he had not yet instituted therefore it is certain that he doth intreate of the continuall eating of faith And yet notwithstanding I do also confesse that ther is nothing said in this place which is not figured in the supper and is indeed perfourmed vnto the faithfull So that Christ would haue the holy supper to bee as it were a seale of this sermō And this is the reason why Iohn maketh no mention of the supper Therefore Augustine followeth the naturall order whilest that in expounding this chapter he doth not touch the supper vntil he come vnto the end And then he teacheth that this mysterie is represented in the sacrament so often as the Churches doe celebrate the holy supper in some places euery day in some places only on the Sabboth dayes 55 My flesh is meate indeede He confirmeth the same thing with other wordes that as the body pyneth away with hunger so shall the soule perish with hūger vnlesse it be refreshed with the heauenly bread For whē he affirmeth that his flesh is meate indeede he giueth vs to vnderstande that the soules are hungrie if they want this meate Therefore thou shalt then finde life in Christ if thou shalt seeke the matter of life in his flesh So that we must boast with Paule that there is nothing excellent with vs saue Christe crucified because so soone as we are once departed from the sacrifice of his death we can see nothing but death Neither doth he bring vs any other way vnto the feeling of his diuine power saue onely by his death and resurrection Therefore embrace Christ the seruaunt of the father that he may shew himselfe vnto thee the prince of life For in that he made himselfe poore by this meanes are we inriched with all aboundance of good thinges his humbling and descending into hell hath lifted vs vp into heauē by taking vpō him the curse of the crosse he hath erected a noble ensigne of righteousnesse Therefore they are peruers interpreters who leade away the soules from the flesh of Christe But why doth Christe make mention apart of his blood which is conteined vnder the fleshe I answer that hee had respect vnto our ignoraunce For when he maketh mention of meate and drinke seuerally he telleth vs that the life which he giueth is in all respectes perfect least we should feigne vnto our selues halfe a life or an vnperfect life as if hee should say that we shal want no part of life if so be it we do eate his flesh drink his blood So also in y ◠supper which agreeth with this doctrin being not contented with the signe of the bread he addeth also the Cuppe that hauing a double token of life in him we may learne to be content with him alone For doubtlesse no man shall finde a part of life in Christ saue only hee who shal bee perswaded that hee is vnto him whole and perfect life 56 Hee that eateth my flesh Another confirmation For seeing that he alone hath life in himselfe he prescribeth the meanes to inioy it that we do eate his flesh as if he should say that there is no other meanes wherby he is made ours saue only when our faith is directed vnto his flesh For he shall neuer come vnto Christ as he is God who neglecteth him as hee is man VVherefore if thou wilt haue any thing to doe with Christ thou must aboue all things beware that thou loath not his flesh VVhen as he saith that he abideth in vs it is as much as if he should say that this is the only bond of vnitie and that by this meanes he groweth to be one with vs when our faith leaneth vnto his death Furthermore we may againe gather hence that he maketh not mention of the outwarde signe which many of the infidels do receiue yet do they continue aliants frō Christ. Furthermore out of this place is refuted that doting that Iudas did no lesse receiue the body of Christ then the rest whilest that Christ reached the bread vnto them all For as this doctrine is foolishly restrained vnto the externall signe so we must hold that which I said before that the doctrine which is here set downe is there sealed But it is certaine that Iudas was neuer a member of Christ secondly it is more then absurde to imagine the flesh of Christ to be dead and without aspirite last of all they are to be laughed at who doe dreame of any eating of Christ his flesh without faith seeing y ◠faith only that I may so say is both the mouth and stomacke of the soule 57 At the liuing father hath sent me Christ hath hytheto taught how we must be made partakers of life now he passeth ouer vnto the principall cause because the first beginning of life is in the father And he preuenteth an obiection because he might seeme to take from GOD that which appertaineth vnto him when as he made himselfe the cause of life Therfore he maketh himselfe the authour of life in such sort that he graunteth that this is giuen him by another which he ministreth vnto others Let vs also note that this sentence is applied vnto their capacitie vnto whom Christ spake for he doth only compare himselfe vnto the father in respect of his fleshe For although the father is the beginning of life notwithstanding the eternall worde he also is properly life But Christ entreateth not in this place of his eternall diuinitie because he setteth himselfe before vs as he reuealed himselfe vnto the world being clothed with our flesh Therefore in that he saith that he liueth for the father it doth not agree with the bare diuinitie neither yet doth it appertain simplie of it selfe vnto the humane nature but it is a title of the sonne of God reuealed in the flesh Secondly we know that Christe doth commonly ascribe vnto the father what diuine thing
those that will keepe it as a precious treasure he saith they shall not see death because where faith doth quicken the soule of man death cannot giue any deadly wounde any more hauing his sting beaten back poyson wyped away 52 Now we know The wicked persist in their dulnesse neither are they touched any more with promises then with threatnings so that they can neither be led nor drawen vnto Christ. VVhereas some doe thinke that they craftily wrest the wordes because they say tast of death which they heard not of Christ I thinke it is scarse sound I do rather thinke that the phrases did signifie all one thing amongest the Hebrues To tast of death and to see death for to die But in this they are false interpreters because they apply the spirituall doctrine of Christe vnto the body None of the faithfull shall see death because being borne againe of vncorruptible seed they liue euen by dying because beeing ioyned vnto Christ their head they cannot be extinguished by death because death is vnto them a passage into the kingdome of heauen because the spirit that dwelleth in them is life for righteousnes vntill he swallow vp the death which remaineth But these men as they are carnall so they do acknowledge no deliuerance from death but such as may appeare openly in the body And this disease is too coÌ„moÌ„ in the world so that most men do almost make no account of the grace of Christ because they esteeme the same only by the sense of the flesh Therfore least the same befall vs our mindes are to be awaked that they may be made partakers of the spirituall life in the middest of death 53 Then our father This is the other vice because they endeuour to darken the glory of Christe with the brightnesse of Abraham and the saintes But as the brightnesse of the Sun doth darken all the starres so all the glory which is in the Saintes must vanish away at the vnmeasurable brightnesse of Christ. Therefore they deale vniustly and peruersly in that they set the seruantes against the master Nay moreouer they are iniurious vnto Abraham and the Prophets whilest that they abuse their name against Christ. But this frowardnes hath also reigned almost in al ages and it doth as yet reigne at this day that the wicked by pulling in peeces the workes of God doe make him as it were their aduersarie God did make his name knowen by the Apostles and martyres the Papistes make vnto themselues Idols of the Apostles Martires that they may supplie the place of God doe they not by this meanes forge vnto themselues of the graces of God engins to pul down his power For what remaineth vnto God or Christe if the Saintes haue that which the Papistes doe giue vnto them lauishingly Therfore we must knowe that all the order of the kingdome of GOD is confounded vnlesse the Prophetes Apostles and all the Saintes bee farre inferiour vnto Christe that hee alone may excell them all And truly we cannot speake more honourably of the Saints then whenas we put them vnder Christ. But howsoeuer the Papistes doe deceiue the vnskilfull by boasting that they are good worshippers of the Saintes yet they are iniurious both vnto God and them because they pull downe Christ by setting them vp And truely they offende double in this that they preferre the Saintes before Christ in theyr doctrine secondly in that cloathing them with that which they take from Christ they doe almost dispoyle Christe of his power 54 If I glorifie Before hee answere them concerning that vnequall comparison he saith first that hee seeketh not his owne glory by this meanes he answereth their slaunder If any man obiect that Christ did also glorifie himselfe we may readily answere that hee did this not after the manner of men but hauing God for his authour and guyde for in this place as in many other he separateth himselfe from God by a kinde of graunting In summe he affirmeth that he desireth no glâ—ry saue that which is giuen him of his father And we are taught by these wordes that sithence God doth gloryfie his son hee will not suffer the world to contemne him freely In the meane season these voyces of god sounding from heauen ought not a little to encourage the faithfull to worship Christ reuerently Kisse the sonne Let all the Angels worship him Let euery knee boâ—e vnto him heare him let the Gentiles seeke after him let all flesh be hambled Furthermore we are admonished by these words that all that glory is vaine and nothing worth which men doe purchase to themselues of themselues Therfore what blinde ambition is this when as we are busie about nothing Therefore let vs alwayes haue that saing of Paule before our eyes 2. Cor. 10. 17. Hee that commendeth himselfe is not allowed but he whom God commendeth And because we are all destitute of the glory of God let vs learne to glory in Christ alone for asmuch as hee maketh vs partakers of his glory through grace VVho you say He wresteth from them the false colour and cloake of the name of God which they were wont to catch at I knowe saith he how boldly you boast that you are the people of God but that is a false title because you doe not acknowledge GOD. VVhence wee doe also learne what profession of faith is lawfull namely that which springeth from true knowledge and whence commeth that knowledge but froÌ„ the word therfore whosoeuer make boast of the name of God without the word of God they do nothing els but lie In the meane season Christ setteth the boldnes of his conscience against their frowardnesse And thus doth it become all the seruaunts of God to haue theyr mindes so setled that they be content with this one thing that God is on their side although all the whole world do rebell against him Thus did the couragiousnesse of the Prophets Apostles stand inuincible against al y e horrible brunts of y e whole world because they knew who it was that sent them And whereas the perfect knowledge of God is wanting there is nothing that can hold vs vp 55 And if I shall say By this clause Christ doth testifie that he is enforced by the necessitie of his office to speake because his silence should be a traiterous betraying of the truth An excellent sentence that God doth reueale himself vnto vs to this end that we may with our mouth profes amongest men the faith of our heart when neede requireth For doubtlesse this ought not a litle to terrifie vs that they which do dissemble for mans sake and do either denie the truth of God or disfigure the same with false inuentions and glosses are not only a little weakened but are euen sent away to be the sonne of Satan 56 Your father Abraham reioyced to see my daye and hee sawe it and was glad 57 Therfore the Iewes said vnto him Thou hast not yet fifty
is dead 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there that you may beleeue But let vs goe vnto him 16 Then Thomas that was surnamed Didimus said vnto his felow disciples let vs go also that we may die with him 17 Therefore Iesus came and founde that hee had lyon in the graue foure daies alreadie 11 Our friend sleepeth Because hee said before that the sicknesse was not vnto death least the disciples should bee too much troubled with a thing vnlooked for he doth now also declare that he was dead and putteth them in hope of his resurrection And their rudenesse is wonderfull that they vnderstand the saying of Christ of sleepe For although it be a metaphoricall kinde of speech yet is it so often vsed and so common in the scriptures that it ought to haue bin wel knowen vnto al the Iewes 12 If he sleepe he is safe VVhen as they say that sleepe will be wholesom for Lazarus they do by this means by the way exhort Christ not to goe thyther And yet doe they not craftily wrest the wordes of Christe vnto their owne commoditie but because they thought hee spake of sleepe they doe willingly catch at that occasion to escape daunger Augustine and many after him do cunningly play the Philosophers in this worde sleepeth namely that it is applyed vnto death for this cause because it is as easie a matter for God to rayse the dead to life as it is for vs toawake those that sleep But we may gather out of the continual vse of the scripture that Christ thought no such thing yea seeing that this selfe same translation is common also amongest the profane writers it is without all doubt that it came into vse by no other means saue only because the dead cark as lyeth without any sense or fealing euen as the body of man when he sleepeth For which cause sleepe is not vnfitly tearmed the image of death in Homer it is called the brother of death Furthermore whereas by this worde the sleeping of the bodies onely is signified certaine mad felowes do most foolishly wrest it vnto the soules as if being depriued of vnderstanding they were in daunger of death Furthermore Christe setteth foorth his power in this because he saith he will come that he may awake Lazarus For although the easinesse of the resurrection is not expressed by this woorde sleepe yet Christe sheweth that he is the Lord ouer death when as he saith that he awaketh those whom he restoreth to life Therfore Iesus said thē plainely vnto them This was the most singuler goodnesse of Christ that he could suffer so great grossenesse in his Disciples And truely he deferred to endow them with greater grace of the spirit for a season that being renued in a moment the myracle might bee the greater VVhen he saith And I am glad for your sakes his meaning is that his absence was profitable for them because his power should haue byn more obscure if he had holpen Lazarus by and by For the nigher the workes of God doe drawe vnto the ordinarie course of nature the more base doe they waxe and the glory thereof doth the lesse appeare which thing we doe dayly trie For if hee reache foorth his hande by and by we do not lay holde vpon his helpe Therefore to the ende the Disciples myght acknowledge that the resurrection of Lazarus was indeed a work of God it was requisite that it should be deferred that he might be most farre from all remedie that could come by meanes of man And we must remember that which I saide before that the fatherly sufferance of god is here represented in y e person of Christ. Therfore when as God doth suffer vs being ouerwhelmed with griefs long time to languish let vs know that hee doeth by this meanes prouide for our safetie VVe truly doe grone being carefull and sorrowfull but the Lorde reioyceth in our welfare and there appeareth in this poynt double gentlenesse of his that he doth not only pardon our faults but doth ioyfully find meanes to redresse the same That you may beleeue He doth not meane that this was the first beginning of faith in them but a confirmation of the faith which was already begun for as much as it was very small and weake Neuerthelesse he telleth them that they would not haue beleeued vnlesse the hande of God had been openly shewed 16 Then Thomas Hitherto the disciples endeuoured to pull backe Christe Now is Thomas readie to follow but without any confidence he doth only arme himselfe with Christ his promise that he may follow him ioyfully and quietly For these are wordes of distrust Let vs goe that we may dye whereas it became them to be sure of life Furthermore the relatiue him may bee expounded as well of Lazarus as of Christ but and if you expound it to be spoken of Lazarus it is a taunt as if he had saide what good shall we doe by comming thither Vnlesse peraduenture we cannot otherwise doe the dutie of friendes vnlesse we die together with him Yet doe I rather allow the other sense that Thomas doth not refuse to die with Christ. But this as I haue said floweth from a rash zeale because he should rather haue been encouraged by the faith of the promise 18 And Bethania was high to Ierusalem almost fifteene furlongs 19 And many of the Iewes came vnto Martha and Mary that they might comforte them for their brether 20 Therfore when as Martha had hearde that Iesus did come the came to meet him and Mary sate at home 21 Therefore Martha saide vnto Iesus Lord if thou hadst been heere my brother had not been deal 22 But nowe I knowe also that whatsoeuer thou shalt desire of God God will giue it thee 23 Iesus saith vnto her thy brother shall ryse againe 24 Martha saith vnto him I know that he shall rise againe in the resurrection in the last day 25 Iesus saith vnto her I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue 26 And euery one that liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer die Doest thou beleeue this 27 Shee saith vnto him truly Lord I beleeue that thou art Christ the sonne of God which shoulde come into the worlde 12 And Bethanie was The Euangelist doth diligently prosecute those thinges which serue vnto the certaintie of the historie He sheweth how nigh Ierusalem was vnto the towne of Bethanie least any shoulde maruell that many of their friendes came thence to comfort the sisters whō God would haue to beare witnesse of the myracle For although they were moued with the dutie of curtesie yet were they gathered together by the secrete counsell of God to some other ende least the resurrection of Lazarus should be obscure or shoulde haue those onely to beare witnesse thereof who were of his owne family And here is proued the malicious vnthankfulnesse of the nation that this so
Seeing that those fell to the ground which came to binde Christe there was a visible token and signe shewed of that feare which all the wicked doe feele inwardly whether they wil or no when Christ speaketh by his ministers But seeing that this thing was accidentall to the voyce of Christ whose propertie is to lift vppe miserable men which laide in death it shall doubtlesse shew foorth that force towarde vs that it may lift vs vp euen vnto Heauen 7. Therefore he asketh them againe whome seeke yee they saide Iesus of Nazato beereth 8. Iesus answered and said I sayd vnto you that I am he If therefore ye seeke me let these depart 9. That the word might be fulfilled which he had spoken of those which thou hast giuen one haue I not lost any 7. Therefore he asked them againe Heereby appeareth what force that blindnes hath wherewith God striketh the mindes of the wicked and how horrible their amasednes is after that Sathan hath bewitched them by the iust iudgement of God If Oxen and Asses doe fall they are touched with some feeling these menne hauing tried the diuine power of Christ manifestly doe goe forward no lesse carelesly then if they hadde not seene so much as the shadowe of a man in him yea Iudas himselfe is not yet moued Therefore let vs learne to feare Gods iudgement wherby the reprobate being deliuered into the handes of Sathan are made more astonied then bruite beastes And doubtlesse it was Sathan which carried them headlong with such furious force vnto such carelesse boldnes For there is no phrensines that canne throwe downe a man headlong so violently as such blindnes For the wicked run headlong against God after that they are cast into a reprobate sense as if they had to deale onely with a flye They feele his power indeede but not that they may be bended For they wil be sooner broken an hundred times then they wil yeelde Finallye their wickednes is vnto them a vaile which hindereth them from beholding and looking vnto the light of God obstinacy doth make them harder then stones least they shuld at any time suffer themselues to bee tamed 8. I told you that I am Here we see that the sonne of God dooth not only die willingly that he may blot out our transgressions by his obedience but also that he fulfilleth the office of a good shepheard toward his stocke in defending the same Hee seeth the inuasion of the wolues hee waiteth not ne staieth vntil they come to the sheepe whose keeper hee was made but he setteth himself against them in time VVherfore let vs not doubt but that so often as either wicked men or the deuils doe inuade them we shal haue the same aide present with vs. In the meane season Christe prescribed a rule to all Pastours by his owne example which they must follow if they wil fulfill their office aright 9. I haue not lost any This sentence seemeth to be brought out of season which appertaineth rather vnto the soules then vnto the bodies for Christ did not preserue and keepe his Apostles safe and sound euen vntill the last end but this he did that their eternal saluation might alwaies be in safetie amongst continual daungers and in the middest of death I aunswere that the Euangeliste speaketh not simplye of their corporall death but that this is rather his meaning that Christ in sparing them for a time did prouide for their eternal saluation Let vs consider how weak they were as yet what do we think they would haue doone if they had beene examined and tried to the quick Therefore forasmuch as Christe would not haue them tempted and tried aboue the strength whiche hee had giuen them he deliuered them from eternal destruction And hence may we gather a general doctrine although he tried our faith with many temptations yet shal we neuer come into extreame daunger but hee wil giue vs strength also to ouercome And truely we see how hee beareth with our infirmitie oftentimes when as he beareth backe and driueth away so many endeuours and practises of the wicked by encountering with thē himself because he seeth that we are feeble and not ripe enough as yet Finally he neuer bringeth forth his vnto the battel vntyll they be well furnished and appoynted that euen in perishing they may not perish beecause there is gaine prepared for them aswell in death as lyfe 10. Then Simon Peter hauing a sword drew it and smote the hie priests seruaunt and cut off his right eare And his name was Malchus 11. Therfore Iesus saith vnto Peter put vp thy sword into the sheath wilt thou not that I drinke the cup which my father hath giuen me 12. Then the band and the Captaine and the ministers of the Iewes tooke Iesus and bound him 13. And led him away vnto Annas first for he was father in law to Cayphas whiche was high priest that yeers 14. And it was Caipha◠which had giuen counsell to the Iewes that it was expedient◠that one man should die for the people 10. Therefore Simon Peter The Euangelist describeth Peter his foolish zeale now who went about to defend his maister otherwise then it was lawful for him to doe Hee taketh vpon him and ventureth into great daunger for Christes sake couragiously and valiauntly but because hee respecteth not what his calling requireth and what God suffereth his fact deserueth so small praise that Christe reprehendeth him sharplye And let vs know that all that is condemned in the persō of Peter which men dare assay of their owne head VVhich doctrine is especially to bee noted For there is nothing more common then vnder colour of zeale to defend whatsoeuer we doe As if it skilled not whether God doe allow that or no which men think is right whose whole wisdom is meere vanitie If we did see no corruption in Peters zeal yet we ought to be cōtēted with this one thing only that Christ pronoūceth that it doth not please him But wee se◠that there wanted no good will in him to haue Christ called backe from death and that he should haue suffered eternal shame and reproach For in that he layeth violent handes vpon the captaine and soldiours he rageth in that respect like a robber or murtherer because he resisteth the power ordayned of God Seeing that Christ was ouermuch hated of the world this one facte might haue beene a colour for al slanders false reports wherewith the enemies burthened him falsely Secondly this is too preposterous that he will proue and declare his faith by the sword and cannot do it with his tongue VVhen as he is called to confesse he denieth but now without his maisters commaundement he rageth and maketh much a do VVherefore seeing that wee are admonished with so notable an example let vs learne to moderate our zeale And because the wantonnes of our flesh itcheth alwayes and is bold to do more then God commaundeth let vs knowe that our zeale shal
if wee being terrified either with threatninges or daungers we depart from the profession of that doctrine which God hath sealed in our heartes by his spirit Furthermore we must note how detestable the papisticall tiranny is which driueth away the common people from reading the Gospell and al the whole scriptures Pilat being a reprobate and otherwise an instrument of Satan was yet by secrete inspiration appoynted to bee a preacher of the Gospell that he might publish a briefe summe thereof in three laÌ„guages Therfore what account ought we to make of those men who study so much as in them lyeth to suppresse the knowledge thereof wheÌ„ they proue themselues to be worse theÌ„ Pilate 23. Therefore when the soldiours had crucified Christ they tooke his garments and made foure partes to euery soldiour a part and his coate The coate was without seame wouen from the toppe throughout 24. Therefore they said amongest themselues let vs not cut it but let vs cast lots for it who shal haue it that the scripture might be fulfilled saying they parted my garments to themselues and on my ceate did they caste lâ—ttes And these thinges didde the souldiours 23. Therefore the soldiours There is mention made likewise in the other Euangelistes of the deuiding of Christes garmentes amongste the soldiours There were foure soldiours which parted the residue of his raiment amongst them The coate which was without seame remained which sithence it could not be deuided they did cast lots vpon the same To the end the Euangelistes may retaine our mindes in considering the intent and purpose of God they teach that the scripture was also fulfilled euen in this poynte Notwithstandinge it seemeth that the place which they bring out of the Psa. 22. 19. is applied vnto this present matter out of season For seeing that Dauid complaineth in that place that he was a pray vnto his enemies he comprehendeth metaphorically vnder the word Garmentes all that he had as if hee shoulde briefly say that he was spoyled robbed by the wicked which figure whilest the Euangelists doe neglect they depart from the naturall sense But we must first of all vnderstand that the Psalme must not be restrained vnto Dauid as it appeareth by many sentences and especially by that clause where it is saide I will praise thy name amongst the Gentiles which muste needes be expounded of Christ. And now it is no meruaile if that were more darkly shadowed in Dauid which appeareth more plainely in Christ to witte how much more excellent the trueth ought to be then the figure therof Furthermore let vs know that Christ was stript out of his clothes that he might cloath vs with his righteousnes that his naked bodye was laid open to the reproches of men that we may appeare with glory before Gods iudgement seate VVheras some do wrest this place allegorically vnto the scripture which the heretiks pull in peeces it is too much racked I doe not mislike the comparison that like as the prophane souldiours did once deuide Christ his garments so at this day peruerse men doe pull in peeces with straunge inuentions the scripture wherewith Christ is cloathed that we may see him But wee must in no case suffer the wickednes of the Papists which is ioyned with the horrible blasphemye of God They say that the Heretikes doe pull the scripture in peeces but the coate that is the Church remaineth whole and sound to the end they may proue reiecting the autoritie of the scripture that the vnitie of y â— faith consisteth in the only title of the Church As if the vnitie of the Church were grounded any where els saue onely in the faith of the scripture Therefore when as they pull faith from the scripture that it may be subiect to the Church alone they do not now dispoile Christ by such a diuorcement but they pull in peeces his body by cruell sacriledge Although we graunt vnto them that the coat which was without seame was a signe figure of the Church yet shal they not obteine that which they hunt after because it shall remaine that they proue that the Church is with them whereof they shew no token at all 25 And there stoode beside the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Mary the daughter of Cleopas and Mary Magdalen 26 Therfore when Iesus had seene his mother and the disciple standing by whome he loued he said vnto his mother woman behold thy sonne 27 Then said he to the disciple behold thy mother And from that houre the disciple tooke her home vnto him 25. And there stoode The Euangelist telleth here by the way that Christ did so obey God the father that he did not neglect the duetie of humane godlynes toward his mother Hee forgate himselfe and all thinges so farre forth as it was necessary for him to obey his father but when hee had done thus he would not omit the dutie which he did owe vnto his mother And hereby we learne how we must obey God and men It falleth out oftentimes that when God calleth vs any whither our parents wife or children do call vs vnto the contrary so that we cannot satisfie them altogether If we make men equall with God we deale wickedlye Therefore we must preferre Gods commaundement wee must preferre his honour and worship afterward we must giue men their right so far forth as it shal be lawfull for vs. Neither doe the commaundementes of the firste and seconde Table of the lawe euer disagree as it appeareth at the firste sighte but wee muste beeginne with Gods woorshyppe afterwarde wee muste giue menne the lower place To whiche ende these sentences tende he that shall not hate father and mother for me he is not woorthy of me Math. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. Therefore we must so obey men that they doe not hinder vs and keepe vs backe from woorshipping and obeying God VVhen we haue obeyed GOD then shall we thinke rightly and orderly vppon our parents wife and children As Christe taketh care for his mother but being vppon the crosse whereunto he was called by the decree of his father But if wee weighe the circumstaunce of the place and time the godlinesse whiche Christe shewed towardes his mother was woonderful I omit the extreeme torments of his body I omitte his rebukes but althoughe horrible blasphemies against God did make him woonderfull sorrowfull and hee dyd suffer an horrible conflicte with eternall death and the deuill yet none of all these things doeth hinder him from being carefull for his mother VVe may likewise gather out of this place what honour that is whiche God commaundeth vs to giue to our parentes in the lawe VVhen as Christe committeth the charge of his mother to the disciple hee deliuereth her vnto him to be nourished and cared for Therefore it followeth that honour due to parents consisteth not in the ceremonie but in all necessary dueties Nowe we must on the other side consider the faith of the
women This was no small affection of loue that they followed Christe euen vnto the crosse but vnlesse they had beene furnished with faith they coulde neuer haue beene present at suche a spectacle As touching Iohn himselfe we gather that his faith was so choked for a shorte time that yet notwithstanding it was not altogither choked Now lette vs be ashamed if the horrour of the crosse doe keepe vs backe from following Christ seeing that the glory of the resurrection is beefore our eies whereas the women saw nothing but ignomony and a curse He calleth her Mary either y e wife or daughter of Cleopas I like this latter better He saieth that she was sister to the mother of Iesus according to the Hebrew phrase which conteineth all kinsfolkes vnder the worde Brethrē VVe see that Mary Magdalen was not in vaine deliuered from the seauen deuils which shewed her self such a faithful disciple of Christ euen vntil the end 26. VVoman behold thy sonne As if he should say I cannot hereafter be conuersant vppon earth that I maye doe to thee the duetie of a Sonne Therefore I put this man in my place that he may take vpon him mine office Hee meaneth the selfe same thing when he saieth vnto Iohn Beheld thy mother For hee commaundeth him to take her for his mother and that he should be as carefull for her as for his owne mother In that he saith woman and not mother some thinke that he did it for this cause leaste he should wound her minde more deepely with sorrow which I do not reiect But an other cōiecture is no lesse probable that Christ meant to shew that so soone as he had finished the course of his humane life hee put off that condition vnder which hee had liued and that hee entreth into the heauenly kingdome where hee may commaund men and Aungels For wee knowe that Christe was alwayes woont to call backe the faithfull from beholding the flesh and he ought especially to haue doone this in his death 27. The disciple tooke her It is a signe of the obedience of the disciple toward his maister in that Iohn obeieth Christes commaundement It doth also appeare heereby that the Apostles had their families because Iohn could not lodge Christes mother neither haue her in house with him vnlesse he had had an house and some trade and manner of liuing VVherefore they dote which thinke that the Apostles came naked and emptie vnto Christ hauing left their substance And they dote too too foolishly who thinke that perfection consisteth in begging 28 After this when Iesus knew that al things were fulfilled that the scripture might be fulfilled he saieth I am a thirst 29. Furthermore there stoode there a vessel full of vineger And they compassed a spong being ful of vineger with Isope and they put it to his mouth 30. Therfore when Iesus had taken th◠vineger he said it is finished And bowing his head he gaue vp the Ghost 28. VVhen Iesus knewe Iohn omitteth many thinges purposely which the other three sette down he describeth now the last acte wherin there was a great weight VVhen as hee saieth that there stoode a vessel there he speaketh as of an vsuall thing and I thinke that it was a kind of potion made to hasten death when as miserable men hadde beene tormēted longe enough Christe dooth not call for drinke vntill all thinges were fulfilled whereby he declared his infinite loue toward vs and his vnestimable desire of our saluation It cannot bee sufficiently in woordes expressed what bitter paines he suffered yet did he not desire to delyuer himselfe vntill Gods iudgement was satisfied and the purginge of our sinnes was perfect But how saith he that all thinges were fulfilled seeing that the principall poynt was as yet wanting to wit death it selfe And againe doeth not his resurrection make to the fulfilling of our saluatiō I answer that Iohn doth comprehended those thinges which should follow immediately Christ was not as yet dead he was not yet risen againe but he sawe nothing which coulde hinder him from dying and rising againe And so hee instructeth vs by his example vnto perfect obedience that it may not be greeuous or troublesome to vs to liue at his pleasure although wee muste languishe in the middest of great sorrowes and paines That the scripture might be fulfilled VVe may easily gather out of the other Euangelistes that the place is cited out of Psal. 69. 22 They gaue me gall to eate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke This speech is metaphorical wherby Dauid signifieth that they did not only deny to helpe him at his neede but also that his miseries were cruelly doubled But there is no absurditie in this if that were more plainely reuealed in Christ which was sleightly shadowed in Dauid For we do hereby plainely see what difference there is betweene the truth and the figures whenas those thinges appeare plainely and as it were perfectly in Christ which Dauid suffered only figuratiuely Therefore to the end Christ might declare that it was he whose person Dauid did represent he would drinke vineger and that for the confirmation of our faith They which forge an allegoricall sense in this word thirst desire rather to shew some subtiltie then truly to edifie And the Euangelist doth plainely refute those who saith that Christ called for vineger seeing that he made hast to die VVhen as he saith that the spounge was compassed about with Isop vnderstand that it was fastened vpon a bat that it might be put to Christes mouth 30 It is finished Hee repeateth the same woorde whiche hee vsed of late But this saying of Christ is especially to be remembred because he teacheth that the whole accomplishing of our saluation and all the partes thereof are contained in his death VVe haue alreadie saide that the resurrection is not separated from his death it is only Christe his intent to retaine our faith in himselfe alone least it wander and turne hyther and thyther Therefore this is the sense that whatsoeuer maketh vnto the saluation of men it consisteth in Christ and is no where els to be sought or that which is all one that the perfection of saluation is included in him And there is comprehended vnder this a secrete opposition because Christe setteth his death against all the olde sacrifices and figures as if he should say whatsoeuer was vsed vnder the law it was nothing worth of it selfe to pacifie Gods wrath to purchase righteousnesse to purge sinnes Now at length there is true saluation giuen to the worlde vnto this doctrine is annexed the abrogation of all the rites of the lawe For it were an vnmeete thing to follow the shadowes sithence that wee haue the body of Christe And if sobeit we stay our selues vpon this voyce of Christ we must be contented with his death alone vnto saluation neyther is it lawful for vs to set any helpes frō any other But y e whole religion of
But thys is a great matter that they were not afrayed to take vppon them continuall warre wyth their nation Therefore it is certaine that it came to passe throughe the heauenlye motion that they who gaue not due honour vnto Christe so longe as hee liued doe runne vnto his carcasse being dead They brynge their odours to enbalme Christes bodye but they woulde neuer haue done this vnlesse they hadde fealt the sauour of his death VVhereby it appeareth howe truely Christe sayde That onlesse a wheat corne die it remaineth alone but after that it is deade it bringeth foorth frute aboundantly before 12. 24. for wee haue a moste manifest testimonie in thys place that his death was more liuely then his life And the sweetenesse of the smell whyche the death of Christe breathed oute into the mindes of these two menne was of so great force that it did easily extinguishe all the affections of the fleshe So longe as the loue of richesse and ambition raigned in them the grace of Christe was vnto them vnsauerie but nowe all the whole worlde beginneth to be vnto them vnsauerie But lette vs knowe that there is prescribed vnto vs in the example of them what wee owe vnto Christe These two to the ende they might shewe some token of their faith caried the body of Christe constantly thoughe not without great daunger vnto the graue Therefore it is shamefull and filthye â—luggishnesse if wee defraude him of the confession of faith when as hee raigneth in the heauenly glorye VVherefore their vngodlinesse is so muche the more vnexcusable who seeinge they doe at this daye denye Christe with faithlesse dissimulation doe yet notwythstanding pretende the example of Nicodemus And I confesse they are like him in one poynte they endeuour by all meanes possible to haue Christe buried but nowe it was no time to burye hym sithens that hee is ascended vnto the right hande of the father that hee maye bee aboue menne and Aungels and that euery tongue maye confesse his high gouernment Philippians 2. 9. 10. 11. Secreatlye for feare of the Iewes Because feare is in this place set against the holye constancie whyche the spirite of the Lorde wroughte in the heart of Iosephe it is likelye that hee was not voyde of all vice Not that all feare whereby the faithfull take heede to themselues and auoyde tyrauntes and the ennemies of the Gospell is corrupte and vitious but because the weakenesse of faith bewrayeth it selfe so often as the confession of faith is suppressed by feare VVee must alway marke what the Lorde commaundeth vs to doe and howe farre hee biddeth vs goe Hee that stayeth in the midst of the course sheweth that he beleeueth not in God and hee hath no excuse who setteth more by his owne life then by the commandement of God In that the Euangelist vouchsafeth to bestow vpon Ioseph the title name of a disciple at such time as he was too fearfull and durst not professe his faith before the worlde we know by this howe gently the Lorde dealeth with those that be his and how fatherly he pardoneth their faultes Neither is there any cause why the false Nicodemites should flatter themselues who doe not only hide faith within but whilest that they feigne a consent with wicked superstitions so much as in them lyeth they deny that they were Christes disciples 40 As the Iewes are wont After that Christ had suffered extreame ignominie vpon the crosse God woulde haue his buriall to be honourable that it might be an entrance into the glory of the resurrection Ioseph and Nicodemus bestow no small cost so that it might seeme to bee superfluous but we must looke vnto the purpose of God who did also enforce them by his spirite to doe his sonne this honour that he mighte take from vs the horrour of the crosse with the smell of the sepulchre But those things which are extraordinarie ought not to be taken for an example And againe the Euangelist saith plainely that hee was buried after the manner of the Iewes by which woordes hee signifieth that this was one of the ceremonies of the lawe For it was requisite that the olde people vnto whom the resurrection was not so well made knowen and which had no token and pledge thereof in Christ should bee vnderpropt with such helps y t they might loke for the coÌ„ming of y â— mediatour with a constant faith VVherefore we must note the difference that is betweene vs vnto whom the brightnesse of the Gospell hath shined and the fathers vnto whome figures did supplie Christe his absence This is the reason why greater pompe of rites was tollerable then whiche shoulde not be without fault at this day For those whiche bury the dead so sumptuously at this day doe not onely bury dead men but also Christ himselfe so much as in them lyeth who is the king of life hauing pulled him out of heauen because his resurrection hath abrogated these old ceremonies There was also great care and religion amongest the Gentiles in burying which tooke his beginning of the fathers as sacrifices But seeing they had no hope of the resurrection they were not followers of the fathers but their Apes For the promise the word of God is as it were the soule which quickeneth the ceremonies so soone as the woorde is taken away what rites soeuer men do vse although they agree in externall shew with the obseruing of holy thinges yet they are nothing els but rotten and foolish superstition But wee must as I haue saide before at this day vse sobrietie and sparing in this point because immoderate cost doth take away the smell of Christ his resurrection 41 And there was in the place This is the thirde point which I saide was to be noted in the historie of the buriall The Euangelist expresseth the place for many causes first of all it came to passe not rashly or without the certaine prouidence of God that the body of Christ was laide in a newe sepulchre For although he died the death which all other men die yet because he should be the first begotten of the dead and the first fruites of those which ryse againe from the dead he had a new sepulchre giuen him Ioseph and Nicodemus had another thing in their heads For because it was but a shorte time to the settyng of the Sunne which was the beginning of y e Sabboth they sought the coÌ„modiousnes of the place In the meane while God did chose contrary to their mind a sepulchree wherein neuer man had laid for his sonne Therefore the holy men doe like the nighnesse of the place onely for this cause that the Sabboth might not be broken But God offereth vnto thâ— that thing which they sought not that hee might discerne and distinguish the bâ—riall of his sonne from the common order by some token The circumstance of the place did also serue to this end that the resurrection might be more famous and that it might giue
warily was therefore giuen as I doe imagine because that he remeÌ„bred that by very many meanes Christ had heretofore proued his Godhed But in the meane season his madnes was to be wondred at either in that his friuolous dissimulation to hide himselfe when he shoulde come into the sight of the sonne of God or that he would oppose the witte of men against his great power but that the wicked are so driuen forwarde with their owne madnesse that they entangle themselues in their winding and croked thoughts 49. God saue thee master I doubt not but that Iudas as one afraid at the peril of his master in these wordes preteÌ„ded a pitiful affection therfore Marke expresseth a patheticall repetition Master master For though the maiestie of Christ vrged him yet the deuill had so bewitched his minde that he hoped throughly to couer his treason with a kisse and flattering words Therefore this saluation or acclamation was a pretence of pitie and I doe iudge the same of the kisse For thoughe it was an ancient custome amongst the Iewes to entertaine their frends with a kisse yet because that Iudas had a little before departed from Christ he semeth now as one afraid at that sodaine danger to giue his master this last kisse So in shewe of piety he exceedeth all the rest while he seemeth to be hardly drawen from his maister in the meane season it appeareth by Christes answeare that he profited nothing by his deceitfull dealings 50. Frend wherefore art thou come It is more expresly set downe by Luke Iudas dost thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse But this reproofe is the more vehement that he doeth wickedly abuse the good will of the master and the great honor which he had bestowed vpon him to so great treacherie For it is no ironical speache when Christ calleth him frend but he obiecteth vnto him his ingratitude that of a neare frende and companion he is become a traitour as it was spoken of before in the Psalme 41. 55. 13. 14. If a straunger had done this it might haue bene borne but nowe it was my familiar and companion with whome I ate breade ioyfully who went into the teÌ„ple of the Lord with me hath lifted vp his heele against me And here we doe euidently see that which I spake of before with what craft soeuer hypocrites doe couer themselues and what pretences soeuer they will seeme to make when they shall appeare before the Lord their sinnes shal be discouered yea the greater iudgement shall light vpon them for that they being receiued into the bosome of Christ doe traiterously rise vppe againste him for the name of a Frende as wee saide carieth with it a sharpe reproofe But vnto this mischiefe whyche Christe once did beare in hys owne personne we muste knowe that the Churche shall be alwayes subiecte that shee shall alwayes nourish traytours in lier owne bosome And therefore it is sayde a little before The traitour came who was one of the twelue least by suche examples we should be troubled aboue measure for by bothe the meanes the Lorde would trie our faith while Sathan oppresseth vs and the Churche without by open ennemies and within by hypocrites he forgeth the secreat destruction of it Yet whatsoeuer we are that are of his disciples we are togither taught to woorshippe God in sinceritie For the defections which we doe daily see doe prouoke vs bothe to feare and to the studie of true godlinesse as Paule sayeth VVho soeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lord lette him depart from iniquitie we are all commaunded to kisse the Sonne of God Therefore beware that no man doe it traiterously otherwise it shall be to their great cost that they were preferred to so great honour Mathew 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 51. And beholde one of them which were with Iesus stretched out his hande and drewe his sworde and stroke a seruaunt of the high priest and smote of his eare 52. Then sayd Iesus vnto him put vp thy sword into his place for all that take the sword shal pearish with the sworde 53. Either thinkest thou that I cannot nowe pray to my Father he wil giue me mâ— then twelue legions of angels 54. How then should the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must be so 55. The same hoâ—re sayd Iesus to the multitude ye be come out as it were against a thiefe with swordes and staues to take me I sate daily teaching in the temple amonge you and you tooke me not 56. But al this was done that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled Then all the disciples forsooke him and fled 47. And one of them that stoode by drewe out a sword and smote a seruaunt of the hie prieste and cutte off his eare 48. And Iesus aunsweared and sayde vnto them yee be come out as vnto a theefe with swordes and staues to take me 49. I was daily with you teachinge in the temple and yee tooke me not but this is done that the scriptures should be fulfilled 50. Then they all forsooke him and fled 51. And there followed him a certaine young man cloathed in linnen vpon his bare bodye and the younge menne caught him 52. But hee left his linnen cloth and fledde from them naked 49. Now when they which were about him saw what would followe they sayde vnto him Lord shall we smite with the sword 50. And one of theÌ„ smote a seruaÌ„t of the hie priest and stroke of hys righte eare 51. Then Iesus answeared them and sayde Suffer them thus farre and hee touched his eare and healed him 52. Then Iesus said vnto the hie priestes and captaines of the temple and the elders whiche were come to him Be ye come out as vnto a thiefe wyth swordes and slaues 53. VVhen I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched not forth the handes against meet but this is your very houre the power of darkenesse 51. Behold one of them Luke sayth that al the disciples conspired togither to this ende y t they might fight for their master VVherby it apeareth how much bolder and readier wee are to fight then to suffer VVherefore it behoueth vs wisely to consider what the Lorde shal command what he shall require of euery of vs least the heat of our zeale do break forth out of reason and measure And that the disciples are said to haue asked Christ they did it not of that minde that they might obey his commaundement but by these wordes they declared that they were prest and readye to refell the force of the enemies But Peter tarried not vntill that he should be commanded and lycensed to strik but rashly he steppeth forth to vse vnlawfull force This stoutnes seemeth at the first sight to bee praise worthy that the Disciples forgetting their own weaknes though they were vnequally matched for resistaunce yet would pledge their bodyes for their maister and doubted not to throwe themselues into
the certeine daunger of death For they had rather to die with the Lord thē themselues to liue and to see him ouerwhelmed But beecause that they attempted more then the calling of God woulde suffer or permit their rashnes is iustly condemned VVherefore that the Lorde may be pleased with our doinges let vs learne to depende vppon his will and let not any man moue a finger further then he shal be commaunded by him And therefore it dooth especially behoue vs diligently to apply our selues to this modesty beecause that in steede of a righte and well ordred zeale there dooth for the moste parte reygne in vs a disordered rashnes The Euangelistes doe in this place conceale Peters name but Iohn declareth and it dooth shortly after by the text appear that it was Peter whoe is heere noted though his name be not sette downe Yet it may be easilye gathered by Luke that he had also other fellowes as hot as himself for he doth not only speak vnto one but he saieth generally vnto all Suffer them thus farre 52. Put vp thy sword Christ in these words confirmeth that cōmaundement of the lawe wherein priuate men are forbidden the vse of the sword And the appoyntment of the punishment which is presently added must especially be noted For the penalty was not left to be appointed at the pleasure of men for them thereby to reueng their own bloud But God himselfe by restraining vs seuerely from murders doth declare how deare mankinde is vnto him First therefore he wil not be defēded by force and might because that God had forbidden to strike in the law And this is a generall reason and presently hee descendeth to a speciall But heere is moued a question whether it be neuer lawefull by violence to repell vniust violence For when Peter had to doe against vngodly wicked theeues he is yet condemned because he tooke the sword If that in this facte an exception of a moderate defence could not auaile Christ seemeth to tye all mens handes But though this question was handled by vs before vppon the fift chapter yet I will now againe in few wordes rehearse my iudgemet First it is meete to distinguish betweene the ciuill court and the court of conscience For if any man resisteth a theefe beecause the lawes doe arme him against a common enemy of mankinde he shall not bee in daunger of publike punishment So as oft as it is opposed as a defence against vniust violence the penalty which God hath cōmaunded earthly iudges to execute ceaseth But the simple goodnes of the cause dooth not free the conscience from guiltines except there go a pure affection with it Therefore that a man may rightly and lawfullye defend himselfe it is necessary for him to put off the heate of anger and hatred and desire of reuenge and all disordered forces of the minde that the defence may haue no troublesome thing in it Because that this is very rare and befalleth scarsly at any time Christ hath good cause to call his Disciples backe to the general rule that they should altogeather abstaine from the sworde Furthermore fanaticall men doe fondlye abuse this testimonie that they might pull the sword from the Iudges They say that it is wicked to strike with the sword and I doe graunt the same to be true for it is lawefull for no man to commit murther at his owne pleasure to be the authour of murther but I deny the magistrates to bee accounted amongst the common order of men for they are the ministers of God by whome he executeth his owne iudgementes Adde also that Christ by these his wordes doth expresly giue this power to them For when he saieth that the murtherers shall be putte to death it followeth that the sword is put into the Iudges handes that they may reuenge the death of them which are vniustly slaine It doth sometimes fall out that bloudy men are punished by other meanes yet this is the ordinary way wherby the Lord would haue the cruell fiercenes of the wicked restrained least it shoulde goe vnpunished Nowe where some Canonistes dare be so bold as to break into this impudency to teach that the sword was not taken from Peter but commaunded that he should keepe it vp vntill opportunity should come for to draw it heereby we doe perceiue howe groslye and vntowardlye those dogges doe abuse the woorde of God 53. Thinkest thou that I cannot Now followeth that special reason wherof I made mention a litle before For Christe declareth that hee hath at hande a farre better maner of defence and more lawefull but that the will of the father must be obeyed For this is the summe sith that by the eternall counsel of GOD he was appoined for a sacrifice and the same was witnessed by the Oracles of the scriptures it muste not be resisted So the rashnesse of Peter is condemned by another circumstaunce in that he endeuoureth not onely to ouerthrow the heauenly decree but also to stoppe vppe the way against the redemption of mankynd Not only Peter doth draw his sword vnlawfully but the disciples were foolish and madde that they being so few and not meete for the wars shuld attempt to doe any thing against a bande of souldours and so greate a company Therefore the Lord that he might the more euidentlye reproue theyr folly putteth this comparison if he should seeke for defence for preseruation of his life he had not onely eleuen Angelles ready but a great and inuincible armye therefore when as he calleth not the Angels for help much lesse would he moue a stirre without consideration whereby no good were to be hoped for For it should no more auaile to haue the disciples to make a stirre then if a few frogges shoulde make a noyse But some interpreters doe search here in vaine howe Christe could obtayne Angelles of his father by whose decree it was that hee should dye For these things are contrary one to the other that he should delyuer his son naked and vnarmed to death beecause it was so necessarye and once appointed yet that he might be moued with praiers to sende him succours But Christes speach was conditional that he had a much better meanes for the defence of his life if the will of the father were not againste it So all the repugnancy is taken away for Christ therefore abstayned frō praying to his father because that hee was sure of his decree to the contrary Hereof yet is this profitable doctrine gathered that they doe iniurye to God which doe flye to vnlawful meanes vnder pretence of necessitie If any man doth want riches and helpes that are lawful he runneth headlong to wicked counsels and sinfull endeuours namely because that fewe doe attend vppon the secrete counsell of God which onely should be sufficient to giue vs rest If we be in daunger because the end appeareth not vnto man we imagine this or that as if there were no Aungels in heauen which the