theues but seeinge it was chosen of God it coulde not be defaced by no corruptions of men vntyll suche tyme as the reiectinge thereof were made manifeste or els it was prophane in respecte of the wyckednes of men and holye in respecte of the worshyppe of God vntyll the destruction of the Temple whiche happened not longe after Christe was crucified 54 VVhen the Centurion and they that were with hym watchynge Iesus sawe the earthquake and those thynges whiche happened they feared greatly saying Truely this was the sonne of God. VVhen the Centurion M. Marke Luke speake seuerally thus of the Centurion When the Centurion whiche stoode before hym sawe what had happened that is as saythe Marke that hee so cried and gaue vp the Ghost he glorified God as saythe Saint Luke saying Verely this was a righteous man Marke hathe this was the sonne of god But this oure Euangeliste wryteth ioyntly and together of the Centurion and of those which kept Iesus with hym C. The Euangeliste Luke maketh mencion that the Centurion with his Souldiours acknowledged Christe to be the sonne of God to amplefie the matter because it is marueyle that a prophane man and not broughte vp in the Lawe but altogether voyde of trewe godlynes gaue suche a iudgement of the sygnes whiche he sawe The whiche comparyson dothe not a lytle serue to condemne the blyndnes of the cittie for it was a sygne of horrible madnes that none of the Iewes were moued sauing the cōmon multitude and that a fewe at the shaking tremblyng of the foundation of the worlde Howe be it God in so greate blyndnes woulde not suffer the testimonies whiche he had geuen of his sonne to bee hydde Bu. This Centurion was a Romayne sente of Pylate the Deputie and sette to ouersee Christe after hee was condemned leaste there shoulde aryse any tumulte amonge the people They feared greatly C. In that the Centurion is sayde to feare and also to glorifye God it ought not so to bee expounded as though hee dyd fully and wholy repent For this was onely a sodayne and transitory motion whiche continewed but a short tyme Euen as often tymes it commeth to passe that vayne men and suche as are geuen to the worlde are strycken with the feare of God when hee declareth his fearfull power But because it taketh not depe roote it dothe by and by brynge foorth securitie whiche quyte extynguysheth the same Therefore the Centurion was not so chaunged that all his lyfetyme afterwarde he gaue hym selfe vnto God but hee was onely for a tyme a proclaymer of the deytie of Christe Saying Truely this vvas the sonne of God. C. The Centurion affirmeth hym to be the sonne of God and a righteous man not that hee distinctly vnderstoode howe Christe was begotten of the father but because he iudged somewhat that was deuine to bee in hym and because he was constrayned by the myracles he deameth that he was indued with the power of god M. After these thinges Saint Luke addeth saying And all the people that came together to that syghte sawe the things whiche had happened smote their brestes and retourned The strykynge of the breastes was a sygne of griefe and suche that they feared leaste the Lorde shoulde take vengeaunce on them for the bloud of the innocent man For that sygne is geuen eyther when wee repente vs of oure synne or when we feare the calamitie whiche hangeth ouer oure heade And certaynly the whole region is polluted in the whiche Innocent bloude is shedde 55 And many women were there behouldyng him a farre of whiche followed Iesus from Galile ministering vnto hym Add many vvomen vvere there E. The Euangeliiste Saint Luke hathe And all his acquaintaunce and the women whiche followen hym from Galile stoode a farre of behouldyng these thynges C. But these thynges are therefore added that wee myght knowe that although the disciples were dispersed here and there through flyghte yet not withstanding the Lorde kepte some of them as wytnesses And although the Apostell Saint Iohn wente not from the Crosse yet for all that there is no mention made here of hym but the women onely are commended of oure Euangeliste Saint Matthewe which followed Christe euen to the deathe because the men flying awaye with feare their singuler loue towarde their maister dyd the more appeare Notwithstandyng wee doe not gather by the forenamed place of Saynct Luke that all the men fled away because he saith that all his acquaintaunce stoode a farre of But the Euangelistes doe not without good cause chiefelye make mention of the women For thereby the Apostels are sharpelye reprehended because the women were lesse fearefull than they Wee speake of the bodye it selfe For because one onely abode as a remnaunte of hym as we sayde euen nowe the three Euangelistes make no mention And this was a greate shame to the chosen wytnesses to withdrawe them selues from that syght vppon the whiche the saluation of the whole worlde dyd depende So that when they should afterwarde publishe the Gospel thei were faine to learne the speciall parte of the history of the women Wherefore excepte the prouidence of God had wonderfully preuented this euell they had depryued them selues and vs to of the knowledge of the redemption And although there semeth not to bee so greate authoritie and creedit to bee geuen to the women yet neuertheles if wee waye with howe greate power of the holy Ghoste they were strengthened against that temptatiō there shall be no cause why our faith should wauer whiche resteth in the trewe God the authour of testimony C. Therefore wee must note theire wonderfull faythe It was a greuous temptation to see Christe reproached with suche sclaunder and at the lengthe to dye It was also a horrible syghte to see his daed carcas Theire faythe therefore was not lyghtly tryed But in that they stoode a farre of it was a sygne of womanly feare For although they dyd loue the Lorde yet notwithstandynge theire loue was not without the infirmitie of the fleshe Wherefore by this example we learne not to reiecte the weake and fearefull by and by as though there were no loue in them to the Lorde VVhiche follovved Iesus from Galile C. This deserued no small prayse in these women that for the desyer they had to learne they forsooke theyr owne countrey that they myght continually depende vppon the mouthe of the Lorde And also because they neyther spared labour nor goodes to haue the doctryne of saluation For our Euangeliste sayth Ministering vnto hym What thei ministered Luke declareth saying Which ministred vnto hym of their substaunce They mynistered not onely to the persone of Christ but to the Apostles also whiche followed hym This place ought diligently to bee noted The kyng of kynges whiche nourisheth all thynges beynge Lorde of heauen and earthe had nothyng to sustayne hym selfe but that whiche hee had of those that followed hym Therefore the Apostell Paule saythe For ye knowe the lyberallitie of oure
diseasest thou the maister any farther We haue already shewed of howe small and weake fayth this Ruler was then how by the example of the womā healed aforesayde he was not a litle erected and confirmed but nowe againe by these messengers he is made as feble and weake as euer he was By the whiche example the temptation of fayth is depainted vnto vs how the same is resisted by the iudgemēt and sence of reason For he beinge erected and lifted vp by the woordes of Christe whiche he spake vnto the womā saying Go in peace thy faythe hath made the safe conceiued in his mynde greater thynges of Christe then he did before but by and by this message being broughte by his seruauntes his truste is layde in the duste because he neuer came so farre as to beleue that Christe by his power was able to rayse vp the dead But what sayde Christe vnto this Dothe he altogether reiect the man wauering in faith No truely For hearing the worde that was brought he sayth to the Ruler of the Synagoge Feare not only beleue Luke sayth feare not only beleue and she shall be safe C. The messenger of death brought dispayre because he craued nothyng at the handes of Christe but to helpe her that was sicke Christe therefore forbiddeth to shut the enteraunce waye to grace by feare and distruste to the whiche grace death can neuer be a hynderaunce For in that he sayth Only beleue he declareth that he wanteth not power so that Iayrouse would admitte and receiue the same whiche can be done by no other meanes then by faythe And truely euen as it fared with Iayrouse so commeth it to passe with many of vs. For God oftē tymes would deale a great deale more liberally with vs if we were not so harde of beliefe but oure straightnes our precisenes doth let and hynder hym to power his giftes plentifully vpō vs To be shorte in this place we are taught that we cannot beleue to muche because our faythe be it neuer so large cannot comprehende the hundreth parte of the goodnes of god Furthermore here we see the goodnes of Christe and the care that he had to heale those that were sycke and diseased because he is not ignoraunt of our infirmities and temptations Moreouer this ought to be a great consolation vnto vs that he neglecteth not those that are his but helpeth them so sone as nede requireth Laste of all when as so straightly he requireth faithe of this Ruler he plainely declareth that he seketh for nothing but faith only For where vnbeliefe is there can not the power and strengthe of God exercise it self A. On the contrary parte all thynges are possible to hym that beleueth 23 And when Iesus came into the Rulers house and sawe the minstrelles and the people making a noyse C. The Euāgelistes reherse mourning to make the faithe of resurrection more sure for Christe reprehended and blamed greatly their lamentation and wepinge as appeareth in Marke when he sayde why make ye this a do and wepe Matthewe playnely affirmeth that there were mynstrelles which thing was not wonte to be excepte the party were certainly knowen to be dead and their exequies and funeralles a preparing And although they vsed after this fashion to honour their dead and to furnishe and decke their buriall Yet notwithstanding we see that the worlde is not onely ready to nourishe but also to styrre vp their owne vyces and to adde vnto the same If we be desyrous to knowe what absurde fashions the Gentiles vsed in bewayling their dead we may reade Lucianus wher he writeth of mourning This vse was a signe of humanitie but we must alwayes obserue a meane in all our doinges For where as there is hope of eternall lyfe there is comforte and cōsolation But when as we geue the brydell libertie and the ful scope to weping lamentatiō and mourning then are we cleane without hope and we do also therby resiste God and his wyll Therefore immoderate lamentatiō is a signe of infidelitie The faithfull can measure their mourninge but the vnbeleuinge fret against God and are ouercome with sorrowe Reade the apostell Paule to the Thessalonians Where the apostell dehorteth Christians from vnmeasurable mourning saying in the end of the same chapter Wherfore comfort your selues one another with these wordes 24. He sayth vnto them get you hence for the maide is not dead but slepeth And they laughed him to scorne He saith vnto them C. Marke and Luke saye that none were admitted to go in with Christe to the raysing of the mayde saue only thrée of the disciples of Christe and the parentes Matthewe being more brief pretermitteth the circumstaunces But the cause why Christe would haue so fewe witnesses at the raising vp of the mayde commaundinge them also very straightely that they should tell no man semeth to be this This mayde was the firste that Christe raysed from deathe to lyfe and therefore he woulde be sene to do suche an vnwonted thynge but of a fewe witnesses For as he reuealed him selfe more and more by succession continuaunce of tyme so he kepte an order in his disciples that he might manifeste his trueth to some in the begynning and to other some more late hauing alwaies respecte in all things to reueale the glorye of his father in that order in that tyme in that place and to those mynysters that his father had appoynted him before to do So he reuealed that to the shepeherdes which he did not onely hide from the hye priestes but also frō other holy men So at the firste he wolde haue the kyngdome of God preached onely to the Iewes as we may reade in the tenth of Mathewe and afterwarde to be preached throughout the whole worlde Also that whiche he spake to the people in symilitudes and parables he afterwarde expounded to his disciples And euen amonge them he had a certayne choyse For in this place he preferred these thrée disciples before the rest because no doubt he determyned to vse theim in greatter thinges This therefore was a specyall thyng whiche they nowe mighte by this myracle behold namely that Christ was lorde of lyfe and deathe whiche mysterie he thought good to reueale but to a few beinge suche as he had specially chosen He cōmandeth the rest to departe eyther because they were vnworthye to beare witnesse to such a miracle or ells because he not would haue the miracle obscured and not manifested the people makinge a hurlyburly round about him this was onely sufficiente that the maide whose carcase lay before theyr eyes dead sholde arise sodeinely alyue and in ful and parfecte strengthe For the mayde is not deade M. What Did not Christe knowe that the maide was deade Yes trewely he knewe well enoughe that she was dead to her father and mother to the people which mourned yea to the whole world and to her selfe also but to Chryste the sonne of God to
whiche Christ began at his resurrection afterward more fully reuealed the same by sending his holy spyrite and by working miracles B. Therfore to see Christ comminge in his kyngdome is nothing els in this place then the which Marke and Luke haue To see the kingdome of God that is the glory good successe of the kingdome of god The Euangelist Marke expressely saith Vntyll they haue sene the kingdome of God come with power The kingdome of god was com before wherupon he cōmanded to preach that the kingdome of God was at hande And in an other place he sayde vnto the Phariseis If I by the spirite of God cast out deuyls then is the kingdome of God come vpon you But because the kyngedome of God was not yet so gloriouse as it should be in all the worlde after his resurrection he truely saith Vntyll they haue sene the kingdome of God come Of this kingdome the apostel Paule writeth thus whē he speaketh of the Gospel Whiche is come vnto you euen as it is into all the worlde and is fruitefull and groweth c. But more largely in an other place whē he saith I haue therfore whereof I may reioyce through Christe Iesu in those thinges which pertayne to god For I dare not speke of any of these thinges which Christ hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obediente with woorde and dede in mighty signes and wonders by the power of the spirite of God so that from Hierusalem and the coastes rounde aboute vnto Illiricum I haue filled all countreys with the Gospel of Christe This gloriouse power of the kingedome of Christ did chiefely declare it selfe within .xx. yeres or theraboutes after his passion vntyll the whiche time no doubte many of those to whome the lord presently spake were aliue But to what ende doth Christ speake this Surely to the ende he might learne them some comfort against the tyme of the crosse affliction because shortely the kingdome power of God should be declared and reuealed So are we comforted by the holy ghost so often as we heare it saide The lorde is nigh and wyll not be flacke The cōming of Christe truely semeth to be far hence but doth he not in the meane time shewe vnto vs his power Some vnderstande this place to be spokē of the transefiguration of Christ in the mount which is declared in the chapter followinge as though that Christ by these wordes shold promise that there were som disciples in the cōpany to whom he wolde shew his glory in the earth so far as the eies of mortall men might perceiue the same A. But we haue shewed alredy the true proper sence and meaning of Christes wordes VVhich shal not tast of death Bu. That is they shal not die The like phrase of speche we haue in the .viii. chapter of s Iohn in the secōd of s Paules epistel to the Hebrues The .xvii. Chapter AND after sixe dayes Iesus taketh Peter Iames and Iohn his brother and bringeth them vp into an high mountaine A. This history is declared by three of the Euangelist namely by this our Euangelist Mathewe and Marke and Luke C. In the which hystory we must fyrst of al se to what ende and purpose Christ wolde put vpon hym his heuenly glory for so short a time and wolde take onely three of his disciples to be witnesses of this sight Some thincke that he did it to the ende he mighte arme his disciples against the temptation whiche was at hande by reason of his deathe but that is verye vnlikely For why dyd he depriue others of the same remedye Yea why dothe he plainely forbyd them to publishe that which they had sene vntyl after his resurrectiō vnlesse the fruit of the vision had ben after his time There is no doubte therefore but that Christ ment to declare that hee was not deliuered vnto death against his wil but that he came vnto it willingelye to offer the sacrifice of obedience vnto his father This kingedome came not into the mindes of the disciples vntill Christe rose agayne neyther was it necessary at that tyme to conceyue the deuyne power of Christe which they knewe to be the vanquisher and ouercōmer in the crosse and affliction but they were taught agaynste an other tyme as wel for them selues as for vs least that the infirmitie of Christe shoulde offende any man as thoughe he had suffered by necessitie and force for it is euident that it was no more hard vnto Christ to exempte and deliuer his bodye from death than to adorne the same with heauenly glory We are taught therfore that he was subiectte vnto death because he woulde and that hee was crucyfied because he offered hym selfe For the same fleshe which honge vpon the crosse and laye in the sepulchre seinge before it was partaker of the heauenly glorye might haue bene free from death and the graue But we are taught that Christ so longe as he bare the forme of a seruante in the worlde his maiestie hidden vnder the infirmitie of his fleshe there was nothing detracted or taken from him because he did abase hym selfe of his owne free wyll but now his resurrection toke a way that vaile by the which his power for a tyme was couered And the Lorde thoughte it sufficient to chose vnto hym three witnesses because this nōber was prescribed by the lawe to testifie proue any matter And after syxe dayes B. As cōcerninge the nomber of the daies Marke agreeth with Mathew But Luke hath And it fortuned that about an eight daies after these sayinges But this oughte to offende no man C. For Marcke and Matthewe nomber sixe whole dayes which came betwene the tyme the Christe spake the woordes goinge before in the xvi chapter and the tyme in the whiche he was transfigured but Luke faithe it was done within eyght daies after comprehending as well the day in the which Christ spake as also the day in the which he was transfigured Wee se therefore howe well diuerse wordes comprehende one sence and meaning And bringeth them vp into Luke saithe that the lord went vp into the moūtaine to pray no doubt to pray vnto the father that he wold manifest reueale his glory to his disciples for the which cause he brought them vp into the mountaine By the which example of Christe we are taught to be likewise affectioned to the glorye of Christes kingdome towardes those also to whom as yet it hath not apered So Paule prayed as it appereth by his epistels But Christ him self hath taught vs to pray saying Hallowed be thy name 2 And was transfigured before them his face did shine as the sonne and his clothes were as white as the lighte And vvas transfygured before them S. That is to say he put on a newe figure or forme full of all glory and excellent brightnes and dyd not appere as the sonne of man
fastinge to be meritoriouse and acceptable also withoute the trewe pietie of the harte for there is no merite in our workes neither is fasting of it selfe so acceptable as this whiche the lorde requireth sayinge Honour thy father and thy mother And this is the cause that the almighty sayth thus by the mouthe of the Prophete Esay Thinke ye this fast pleaseth mee that a man should chasten him selfe for a day and to wrythe his heade aboute like a hoope and to lye vppon the earthe in a heary clothe Shoulde that be called fastinge or a day that pleaseth the Lord Dothe not this fasting rather please me that thou lose him out of bōdage that is in thy daunger that thou breake the othe of wicked bargaines that thou lette the oppressed go free and take from them all maner of burthens to deale thy bread to the hungry and bringe the poore wandering home into thy house c. Wherfore abstaining from meate drincke and the affections of the flesshe is but a preparatiue and meane to make vs apte to pray for it is as a certayne rudiment and childishe instruction for our infyrmitie and externall exercise So that fastynge is a seruante to prayer and a meane to make the same more feruent And thus dothe the Scripture speake of prayer 22 VVhile they were occupied in Galile Iesus saith vnto them it will com to passe that the sonne of man shall be betraied into the handes of men VVhile they vvere occupied C. The nearer that Christes deathe approched the oftener he admonished his disciples least that sorrowefull shewe shoulde quayle theyr fayth Christ spake these wordes immediately after he had wrought the myracle for Marke saith that they departed thēce and tooke their iorneye throughe Galile and wold not that any man should know of it for he was fully determined to com to Hierusalē at the solemne feast day because he shold suffer the Easter following It vvyll come to passe that the sonne of B. This is nowe the thirde time that oure sauyoure Christ admonisheth his disciples of this matter Reade the .xvi. chapter goinge before the .xxi verse 23 And they shal kill him and the third daye shall hee ryse againe And they were excedinge sory And they vveye exceding sory C. The Euangelist Luke sheweth the cause why they were so sorrowful saying But they wist not what that word ment it was hiddē frō them that they vnderstode it not And they feared to aske him of that sayinge Therefore althoughe they had ben before admonished of this matter yet notwithstanding they are no lesse troubled than if they had neuer heard of the same Of such force is an opinion conceyued that euen in the most clere manifest light it blindeth the minde The Apostels imagined that the state of Christes kingdome shold be delectable pleasant they thoughte the so sone as he was known he should be receiued with the consent of all men there was nothinge semed more incredible thā that the hie priestes Scribes seniours of the people shold be enemies vnto him Therefore they being before in error refused what soeuer was spoken contrarye to the same For Marke saithe that they knew not what the lord ment But how cometh it to passe that they are thus ignorant when as Christ speaketh so plainly and euidētly vnto thē but because one vaine opinion blinded their mindes And where as they durst not be so bold to aske any farther questiō it may be that they wer stayed by a certaine reuerence and also by the grosse absurde opinion with the which they were made amased But this shamefastnesse and reuerence was not al together commendable because it incresed their doubte wicked sorrowe Notwithstāding the sede of godlines whiche was sowen in their myndes dyd more stay them from departing frō the schole of Christ than dyd the pure knowledge of the trueth For they had a certaine beginninge of fayth and trewe vnderstandinge graffed in them but they had not learned so farre as to knowe the nature of the kingdome of God and the promysed renouation in Christe Hereby wee gather what praise and dispraise they deserued M. If the Apostelles had vnderstode those thinges whiche he spake vnto them they woulde not haue so greately sorrowed For Christe sayth in an other place if ye loued mee ye would greatly reioyce because I go vnto the father for the father is greatter than I. And in an other place It is good for you that I go away They sorrowed when mention was made of his death they cōsidered not the glory of his resurrection they knew not the mistery of his crosse This admonitiō trewely did not proffite them by and by but after a while it did profite thē greatly Wherefore let vs here learne that whensoeuer mētion is made of the death of Christ to remember his gloriouse triumphe ascention into heauen which bringe vnto vs a newe lyfe 24 And when they were come to the cittie of Capernaum they that vse to receiue tribute moneye came to Peter and saide Dothe your maister paye tribute And vvhen they vvere come C. First of all we muste note the ende and scope of this historie namelye that Christ by payinge tribute willingly declared his subiection accordynge to the forme of a seruante whiche he toke vpon him without constraint or necessitie and abased him selfe of his owne free and voluntary submission to the ende the world might iudge of him as of a cōmon man. But the manner of payinge was that euery man shoulde chose a cittie as a certaine habitation in the whiche he would be cessed There is no doubt therfore but that Chryste came to Capernaum as to his owne cittie to pay tribute They that vse to receyue tribute C. This trybute was not for tolle neyther for passage nor ferrye but it was a yerely trybute whiche was laied vpon the Iewes by the whiche they were constrayned to pay that vnto tyrantes which they were wonte to paye vnto God onely For we knowe that this trybute was prescribed vnto them in the lawe where it is sayde Thus muche shall euery man geue that goeth into the nomber halfe a sicle after the sicle of the sanctuary a sicle is twenty halfepence Nowe when the kinges of Asia had brought this tribute vnto thē selues the Romaynes by their example encroched the same So that the Iewes beinge as it were alienate from the empire and gouernement of God payde to prophane Tyrantes the holy tribute appoynted and cōmanded in the lawe But it might seme very absurde that Christe whiche came to redeme the people shold not be free from tribute To the ende he might take away this offēce he teacheth by plaine wordes that he did it of his voluntary wyl onely and proueth the same by a myracle because he coulde exempte him selfe from earthely gouernemente whiche ruled the sea and the fyshes therin A. As towching the somme value of this tribute
he speaketh to his Apostles in secrete that they afterwardes as we shewed before might be witnesses 18. Beholde vve go vp to Hierosalē and the sonne of man shal be betrayd vnto the chiefe Priestes and vnto the Scribes and they shal condemne him to death Behold vve go vp to Hierusalem M. Here we see howe patiently he beareth the imperfection of his disciples he had twise before shewed them of these thinges and had exhorted them in all poyntes to deny them selues to the sufferance of the crosse and to the folowing of him and although he findeth them as yet carnall and weake yet notwithstanding he doeth not reiecte them or more sharpely reproue them but foretelleth them of that which should shortly come to passe saying And the sonne of man shal be C. Hereby we perceyue that Christ was armed with diuine fortitude to ouercom and vanquish the terrors of death who wittingly and willingly maketh haste to subdue the same For whye doth he take his way no man compelling him to suffer the most shameful death of the crosse but onely because the inuincible power of the spirite did subdue feare and al humain affections A. So he saith in another place The prince of this world cōmeth and hath naught in me But that the world may knowe that I loue the father And as the father gaue me a commaundement euen so do I. B. Therefore hée goeth nowe to take this punishment willingly vpon him which before he oftentimes fled because now his hower was come After this maner all the children of God behaue themselues In all thinges they followe and obey the commaundementes of God they abyde constant and their mindes do not fainte in the workes of God but they rather go forward cherefullye and boldly A. Of the which matter wée haue Paule for an example who when the brethren did beseche that he woulde not go vp to Hierusalem aunswered after this maner What do ye wéepinge and vexinge mine harte I am ready not to be bounde onelye but also to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesu C. The Euangelist Luke addeth sayinge And all thinges shall be fulfilled which were written by the prophetes as concerninge the sonne of man Therefore Christ did not onelye foreshew those things that were at hand but hée addeth also a lesson namelye that those thinges which the Prophets had written must be fulfilled in the sonne of man For this was an excellent remedy to ouercome temptacion to know the very markes and token in the ignominy of the Crosse by the which the Prophetes did signe the promised author of saluation Herevppon also they might knowe that nothinge came by chaunce but that all thinges were certainlye determined and appointed before of god And there is no doubt but that the Lord did also declare out of the Prophets what maner of fruite of his death they should loke for For the Prophets do not onely teach that Christ shall suffer but they adde also the cause namelye that hée might reconcile the world vnto god The Angell brought this fore warninge into the womens mindes after the resurrection when he saide Hée is risen hée is not here Remember how he spake vnto you when hée was yet in Galile sayinge that the sonne of man must be deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and be crucifyed and the thirde daye rise againe And Christ himselfe sayde vnto his Disciples These are the woordes which I spake vnto you while I was with you that all muste néedes be fulfilled which were written of mée in the Lawe of Moyses and in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes 19. And shall deliuer him to the Gentiles to be mocked and to be scourged and to be crucifyed and the thirde day hee shall ryse againe And shall delliuer him to the Gentiles C. In the our sauioure doth more nerelye declare the circumstāces hée setteth forth a more plaine documente and instruction of his deity For as hée was man hee could not coniecture that after hee shoulde be condemned of the hye Priestes and Scribes hée should be deliuered to the Gentiles and be spitted vppon and reprochfullye handeled whipped and at the laste hanged on the Crosse M. And it is well knowen that the Romane power did adiudge him that punishmente and that it did appoint him that death which at that time was moste cruell and ignominious C. Wée must also note that although the Lord knewe the infirmitie of his Disciples yet notwithstandinge hee woulde not hide this greuous stomblinge blocke of offence For there could be nothinge worse at that time to strike and ouerthrow the mindes of the godly than to sée the whole order of the Churche againste Christ yet notwithstandinge hee dooth not spare by deceyuinge their infirmitye but trulye declaringe the matter it selfe hee sheeweth a meane to ouercome temptacion namely that they should certainlye looke for a resurrection for hee addeth And the third daye hee shall ryse againe But because it was necessary for death to go before hee placeth in the meane time their triumphe reioysinge in hope A. Reade the sixtene Chapter goinge before The Euangelist Luke addeth And they vnderstoode none of these thinges and this sayinge was hidden from them and they vnderstoode not what was spoken What this dulnes was not to vnderstand those thinges which were spoken plainly and familliarlye not of no misticall or secrete matter our Sauiour Christ tolde them But it shal be necessarye also also here to repete that which wee spake before namelye that they were kepte in so grosse ignorance because when they had fayned to themselues a ioyful and happy successe they did count it for a greate absurdity that Christ shold dye so opprobrious a death Wherby we gather how greatly a false imaginatiō doth be witch deceiue men Wherefore let vs beware least wee being intangled by any deceites and fayned perswasions doe waxe blinde in the cleare light Wée must also note that although those admonitions did nothinge profite the Apostles at the very instante yet notwithstanding it did profite afterward For all things being finished they began to call to minde these thinges and many other which they had heard before of their maister insomuche that at the lengthe they were not vnprofitable althoughe at the firste they did profite nothinge at all Euen so when wée profite not at the first sight in the woord of God wée must not geue ouer for the woorde maye haue his force in due time Also there are left many infirmities in saints that they may know how that saluation commeth onely from God. 20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedes children with her sonnes worshippinge him and desiringe a certaine thinge of him Then came to him the mother Bu. This historye declareth how corrupt the nature of man is and what flesh seketh in the Gospell or the kingdome of god C. It containeth certainly an euident spectacle of the vanity of mā For it
in the houses wherin ye are And whē I sée the bloud I will pase ouer you and the plage shall not be vpon you to destroe you when I smite the lande of Egipte And this day shal be vnto you a remembrance and ye shall keepe it holy daye vnto the Lorde for euer M. Christ saith not here simplely after two dayes the sonne of man shal be deliuered vp c But he saith After two dayes shal be Easter the soone of man c To the ende he might declare that the time of Easter was the appointed time in the which he should be crucified Furthermore that he mighte declare that he was the true Paseouer which must be offered for the redemption of the world the tipe figure wherof was the Paseouer which the Iewes celebrated euery yere The Euangeliste Marke in stede of Ye knowe that after two dayes shal be Easter write After two daies was Easter and the dayes of swete breade that is according to the wordes of S. Luke The feaste of swete breade drewe nye whiche is called Easter that is to say the eating of the Paschall lambe and the vnleauened bread For in the fore said chapter of Exodus where it was commanded as concerning the celebration of paseouer it is strayght waye added Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleauened breade And the Sonne of man C. Nowe Christe confirmeth that againe which wee haue hearde him so often foreshewed vnto his Disciples but this laste forewarnynge doth more plainly shewe how willing he was to offer him selfe to the death and it was necessary because God could not be pleased but by the Sacrifice of obediēce He ment also to preuent the offēce least the Disciples thinkinge that he was cōstrained by necessitye to be deliuered to death shoulde quayle and faynte in the faythe And so the vse of this sentence was twoo maner of wayes Firste that it mighte be declared that the Sonne of God of his owne accorde deliuered hym selfe to death that he mighte reconcile the worlde to his Father because otherwise he coulde not satisfye for the gylte of synne or purchase vnto vs righteousnes Secondly that he was not oppressed to dye as by a violent death whiche he coulde not auoyde but because he did wilingly offer himselfe to the death He dothe therefore here openlye declare that he commeth to Hierusalem with good aduisement that he might there suffer death For he hauing liberty to go backe againe and in quiete retourne to ouerpasse that time yet notwithstandinge euen in the very moment and tyme conuenient he goeth with good aduisement and deliberation into the midest of his enemys And although it did then nothynge profite the Disciples to be admonished of the obedience whiche he shewed towardes his Father yet notwithstandinge afterwarde their faythe was not a lyttel builded by this doctrine Euen as also at this daye wee receyue no small profite thereby because as it were in a lyuelye glasse the willinge sacrifice is set forth vnto vs by the which all the transgressions of the worlde are wypped awaye and wee do beholde and see the Sonne of God in goinge boldlye and withoute feare to his deathe to bee nowe the conquerer of death Shal be deliuered vp to be crucifyed Bu. Namely by Iudas to the hye Priestes of these he shal be deliuered to Pontius Pilate and of hym to the tormenters to be crucifyed In this shorte sentence he comprehendeth manye thinges Reade the twenty chapter goinge before 3. Then assembled together the chiefe priestes and the Scribes and the elders of the people vnto the palace of the hye prieste which was called Cayphas Then assembled together the C. The Euangeliste Mathewe meaneth not that they were gathered together euen in the second daye or within the compas of two dayes but he bringeth in this history to shewe that Christe as he was a manne was not able to appointe anye certaine time of his death For what might moue him thus to coniecture when as his enemies were fullye determined to differre the tyme The sence and meaninge therefore is this that he spake by the spirit of prophesy of his death seing that no man coulde suspecte that it was so nye at hande M. For althoughe the deathe of Christe was ordained by God and depended vppon the secrete counsell and purpose of God and not of men yet neuertheles the narration of the history did require that it shoulde be described by what and whose practises the same was wrought to the ende we may know that there is no one sorte of men more hurteful to the kingdome of Christ than they which raigne and exercise tyranny against the people of god vnder the shew of Godlines But note who they be whiche are sayd here to come together they truelye whiche had the name of the Churche what one innocente woulde haue beene afrayed of the assemblely of these men Vnto the pallace of the hye Prieste M. Here was the heade of the priestely kyngdome the matter was now about the authoritye hereof They had all one scope namely to defende and preserue that priestely kingedome VVhiche vvas called Cayphas B. This Cayphas had also to name Iosephus whiche succeded in the priesthoode the sonne of Symon Canithus beinge made hie priest of Gratus then presidente whom Pilate succeded Hee was also remoued againe from the priesthoode by Vitellius the proconsull of Syria Ionathas the sonne of Anna being placed in his steede Reade Iosephus for this matter For al thinges yea deuyne offices throughe couetousenesse and ambition of the priestes were bestowed amis by the Romaines Bu. This Cayphas was a man corrupted with couetousenes with luste with pryde and one that swelled with ambition beinge called by no lawfull ordinance to the dignity of the hye priesthode but for bribes and fauoure of the wicked presidentes which were Ethnixes was taken from the fylthy puddell and set in the dignitie of the hie priest Behold this chiefetaine in the counsell of the prestes 4 And helde a counsel that they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kyll him And helde a counsell Bu. The Euangelist sayth here that they helde a counsell that they might take Iesus by subtiltie or deceyte that is not openlye neyther by force but by some pretence the whiche Iudas brought to passe whiche fayning friendeshippe betraied him with a kisse What this counsel was S. Iohn describeth at large saying Then gathered the hie priestes and Pharisetes a counsayle and saide What do we For this man doth many miracles If we let him scape thus all men wyll beleeue on hym and the Romaines shall come and take away bothe our rome and the people And one of them named Cayphas beinge the hye preeste the same yere saide vnto theym Ye perceyue nothinge at all nor consyder that it is expediente for vs that one man dye for the people and not that all the people peryshe 5 But they saide not on the holy daye least there be
fealynge of oure infirmitye oughte not to staye vs from taking that in hand whereunto the Lorde doothe calle vs but it oughte rather to restrayne oure rashenesse leaste wée goe beyonde oure callinge It shoulde also stirre vs vp to Prayer that God whiche gaue vs power to beginne wel wil also geue grace to perseuere and goe forewarde And sate vvith the Seruauntes to see the ende A. Luke saithe that he sate with them by the fire as appeareth by these wordes And when they hadde kindeled a fire in the middest of the Pallaice and were sette downe togeather Peter also sate downe amonge them To see the ende Bee oulde here the Ende why Peter followed Christe namely that he mighte sée what woulde becomme of hym This Narration as concerninge Peter which oure Euangelist Mathew hath here begonne is ended in the thrée score and nienth verse folowinge In the meane tyme he writethe what was donne vnto Christe by Caiphas 59 The Chiefe Priestes and the Elders and all the Councell soughte False witnesse againste Iesus for to putte hym to Deathe The Chiefe Priestes and the Elders M. Mathewe sayde before that the Scribes and Elders of the people were gathered togeather in the House of Cayphas Nowe he describethe wherefore they were gathered togeather namely to consulte by a common Councell aboute the Deathe of Christe Soughte False vvitnes C. By theise woordes the Euangelistes doo note that the Priestes Scribes and Elders of the people wente aboute nothinge les then to enquire of the cause that the mater beeinge founde out they mighte minister vnto him iustice for thei had fully determined before to destroy Christ and nowe onely they seeke howe to oppresse him And it cannot be that equity shall take any place when the cause is not firste knowen Theire False and wicked Crueltye bewraiethe it selfe in that they seeke for False Witnesses A. S. Iohn saithe that Christe was demaunded as concernynge hys Disciples and his Doctrine by the hie Priest the which the other thrée haue omitted 60. But they founde none yea when many False VVitnesses came yet founde they none At the laste came twoo False VVitnesses and saide But they founde none B They did not gather a Councell that the cause of Christe might be knowen and that truth mighte take place but only to condemne him by False Testimonie and to deliuer him vp to Pilate to be slaine C. In the whiche they doo notably declare their Crueltye And where as they beeinge disappointed of theire hope doo persiste notwithstandinge in their wicked pourpose wée maye the better perceiue theire blinde obstinacie Therfore in that blind madnesse the Innocencie of the Sonne of God did shine notwithstanding that the Diuels them selues might know that an Innocent was put to death B. For the Lorde was so cleare not onely from all euill but also from all shewe of Euill that the whole coūsaile could finde no false witnesse to come in agaynst hym that they might haue any likelihoode or shew of Truthe Chiefely wee muste note this Innocencie of Christe not so mutche in this presente Publique Action as in that also whiche Pilate did as hereafter followethe I saye wée muste note this as the speciall Heade of oure Saluation and principall place and fruite of the Lordes Passion For it was méete that wee shoulde haue suche a Hye Prieste which is Holy Harmelesse Vndefiled and seperated from Sinnes that wée through him mighte be made the Rightuousnes whiche is allowed of god S. Marke hathe Many bare False Witnesse againste him but theire witnesses agreed not togeather At the laste came in tvvoo False A. False Testimonyes of other here mentioned by Mathewe are not spoken of by the other Euangelistes but are simply condemned of Falsehoode and vanity and the Testimonye of these menne is therefore brought foorthe because it hath somme shewe of Truthe 61. This Fellowe saide I am able to destroye the Temple of God and to builde it againe in three daies This Fellovve saide Howe are theise called False Witnesses seeinge wée reade that they saide nothinge but that whiche Christe spake C. But wee muste note that they are called False Witnesses not only which bringe foorthe a Lie made of nothynge but also whiche doo cauellingly peruerte those thinges whiche were trewely spoken and wreste them to a Faulte Of the which mater wée haue here an example as concernynge the Ruine and Newe Buildinge againe of the Temple Christe truely saide that when they had destroyed the Temple of hys Bodye he woulde rayse it agayne in thrée Dayes So that nowe the False Witnesses doo not deuise a newe Lye but doo depraue and misconstrue his woordes as though he woulde haue vsed somme Legierdumaine or craftie conueiance in building the Temple For he saide not I can destroye or I will destroye but Christe saide Destroye yée or if yee doo destroye attributing the destruction of the Temple vnto them not to him selfe Furthermore he said not This Temple made with handes but they beinge superstitious diuised it estéeminge the Temple made of Stoane to be more excellente and Holy then the Spirituall Temple whiche is a faithfull Soule And of that superstition spronge that Iewishe crueltie whiche not onely Christe fealt but the Prophetes also and S Steuen The same Superstition also raigneth at this daye To conclude he coulde not by righte be called the Destroyer of the Temple of God whiche destroyed not the Temple to the ende it mighte lie waste but that it mighte be better then it was before If thei did not beleue that he could make it better why did they beleue that he coulde destroie it in thrée daies seinge the same also was impossible to man Wherefore Marke saithe But yet their Witnesses agreed not togeather 62. And the Chiefe Priest arose and said vnto him Answearest thou nothing VVhy doo these beare VVitnesse againste thee And the Chiefe Prieste arose M. Although this Testimonye was not sufficiente to bringe Condemnation yet notwithstandinge the Hie Prieste for too mutche desire that he hadde to kille Christe coulde not pretermitte this with silence but risinge in hys Authoritie goeth aboute to exaggerate the matter and to make it more hainous C. But it is certayne that Christe helde hys peace when False Witnesses pressed hym not only because they were vnwoorthy of Confutation but also because he did not nowe séeke to be loused knowinge that hys houre was comme Notwithstandynge Cayphas tryumphethe because of hys silence as thoughe he helde his peace because he was ouercomme euen as they doo whose Consciences accuse them But the wickedness of Caiphas was the more in that he dissemblethe Christe not to be without faulte because false Witnesses doo stande againste him For that is the meaninge of this question VVhy doo these beare vvitnesse against thee As if he had saide Howe commeth it to passe that these menne comme agaynste thée but only that Conscience causeth them Neither are they thine enimies without a cause M. What notable wickednesse