What should I make many woordes He hath doone nothing according too the appoyntment of the lawe Is it not a great matter too bée no extortioner too bée no vniust man too bée no aduoutrer too faste and too giue almesse Surely these things are not too bée disalowed But this Pharasie did wretchedly defile the good déedes he had doone with selfe loue and pride What wanted he then The well spring of good woorkes fayth in Chryst which woorketh by charitie Whereas this is not bée the woorke neuer so sightly and faire yet can it not bée acceptable vntoo God yea rather it is an abhomination before GOD specially when there goeth an opinion of ryghtuousnesse with it like as wée sée in this Pharisie Wée haue séene from whence the woorkes of this Pharisie procéeded and howe farre they are voyde from the rightuousnesse of the lawe and what he wanted Nowe let vs sée how gréeuously he sinned and how vnrightuous he was First he durst preace vntoo God and boldly speake vntoo him being without feare of God without fayth without repentaunce without the mediator Chryst by whom only the enteraunce too the father is set open Is this so great a wickednesse Yea In this acte he breaketh all the commaundementes of the first table and as it were trampleth it vnder his féete Ageine ▪ hée béeing but dust and ashes durste boast before GOD when notwithstanding it is written The giltlesse is not giltlesse before thée Howe great a pride was this I beséeche yée Thoughe hée despise bothe God and men doothe hée not feyne himselfe neuerthelesse too bée ryghtuous Thirdlye hée abused the Temple of GOD whiche was ordeyned too praye for forgiuenesse of sinnes bothe publike and priuate But what maketh hée of the Temple A Court barre too accuse others at Fourthly hée layeth violent handes vppon all the whole seconde Table and breaketh it contrary too the nature of Charitie whiche is woont eyther too salue the sinnes of oure neighboure or else too conceale them What dooth hée I am not sayeth hée as other men extortioners vniust aduouterers Yea all this séemed but a little too him Wherefore béeing in the vpper ende of the Temple hée looked behinde him and saw the silie Publicane praying and hée had no sooner espyed him but hée accuseth him by and by at the iudgement seate of GOD. Neyther am I sayth hée as this Publicane If hée had bin a godly man in déede hée would haue bin glad for the Publicane as the Angelles of GOD were whiche reioyce in Heauen vppon a sinner that repenteth But when as hée accuseth the repentaunte hée sheweth sufficiently of what spirite hée spake Hée oughte too haue remembred the saying of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Despise not a man that turneth from his sinne For wée are all of vs in corruption that is too say subiecte too sundry miseries Let him that standeth sée y t hée fall not sayth the Apostle Paule As touching the fasting and Tything of this Hipocrite I say no more but this Fasting whereby the stoutenesse of the fleshe is subdued is a thing not euill But if thou faste too merite any thing at Gods hande then thy fasting becommeth an abhomination For God will not bée woorshipped with mennes traditions but according too the rule of his own law Concerning Tything I say this That God so ordeyned it in his common weale that the Préestes of the Tribe of Leuie should haue whereon too liue And Chryste sayth The labourer is woorthie of his hire and thou shalt not moozel the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. ¶ Of the second LIke as in the Pharisey wée haue séene what manner of ryghtuousnesse the Pharisaicall ryghtuousnesse is and haue shewed the fondnesse of it by comparing it wyth the ryghtuousnesse of the Lawe So nowe foloweth the second doctrine concerning Chrysten ryghtuousnesse whiche is represēted vntoo vs in this Publicane as it were in some liuely image Howbéeit bicause the scripture teacheth of vertues by twoo wayes that is too wit by rule and by example I wil first sée what the scripture sayth of Chrysten rightuousnesse And afterward I will shewe the same in the example of the Publicane that in so dooing the rule may be confirmed by example Now as concerning the rule of Christen rightuousnesse these are cléere sayings Paule in the third too the Romains sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glorye of God and they are iustified fréely by his grace throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth too bée the mercy seat through fayth in his bloud And anone after in the same chapter Wée vpholde that a man is iustified by fayth without the woorkes of the lawe 2. Corrinth 5. Him that knew no sinne hée made sinne that wée might bée made the ryghtuousnesse of GOD in him Romaynes ◠Like as by the disobedience of one man manye become sinners So ageine by the obedyence of one man manye are made ryghtuous And of Abraham Abraham beléeued GOD and it was imputed vntoo him for ryghtuousnesse And Dauid Blissed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Such sayings as these there are without number in the Scripture concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse but I haue alledged these fewe that I might therby gather a general doctrine concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse First therfore is gathered of these Textes that Chrysten ryghtuousnesse is not of woorkes albéeit that hée whyche is iustified beginneth henceforth too doo good woorks This therfore is too bée borne in minde that woorkes are in suche wise excluded as that they are not the cause of this rightuousnesse but the effects and frutes as I wil shew héereafter Secondly is gathered of these sayings that Christen rightuousnesse is not the obedience of men themselues but of Chryste for them Thirdlye that this obedience of Chrystes is bestowed vppon man too the intent hée may bée rightuous by it and not by his owne rightuousnesse Fourthly That whosoeuer beléeueth is made partaker of this rightuousnesse of Chrystes so that it is imputed too hym as his owne For Chryste is the ende of the Lawe too iustifie euery one that beléeueth Fifthly that bicause wée are sinners wée bée reconciled vnto the Father by Chryst whom GOD hath set foorth too be the mercy seate Sixthly That Chrystes bloud was shed for the sinnes of them that beléeue so as the Iustice of God or of the Lawe is satisfied Seuenthly By all the things gathered it falleth out that christian rightuousnesse consisteth of acquytall from sinne imputation of Chrystes ryghtuousnesse and acceptation vntoo euerlasting lyfe fréely for Chrystes sake This is the summe of the doctrine of the churche concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse wherby it commeth too passe that Chrysten iustification is an acquital from sinne an imputacion of Chrystes rightuousnesse and an acceptation vntoo eternall life fréely for Chrystes sake How bée it thys is further too bée borne in minde that by fayth onely wherby wée are iustified this ryghtuousnesse
sted shall put too his hand too the healing of vs. The third is too reproue the Pharisies by this saying who iudged not aright either of his person or of his office For alwayes there be some y t séeke too picke quarels too the woorks of God Which thing warneth vs that wée should not bée the lesse diligent in dooing our duetie The fourth is that taking hold of this occasion he might instruct vs more fully concerning his owne person his loue towardes men and his office for which he was sent intoo the world by his father Now let vs wey our Lords woords for he sayth too y e Palsieman Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee These bée the woords of the sonne of God wherfore they are to be weyed aduisedly This woord sonne is to be set ageinst despair which this present disease wold haue persuaded him vntoo This saying bee of good cheere is to be set ageinst the cursse which euil conscience weÌ„t about to persuade y e wretch in Thy sinnes sayth he Héer grace surmounteth farre aboue sinne This saying are forgiuen is to be set ageinst y e dreame of satisfaction of merites of rightuousnesse that coÌ„meth by the â—awe Thy sinnes sayth he are forgiuen thée In so saying he applieth the benefite of his grace too the poore wretch Thus haue wée héere the Doctrine of saluation remission of sinnes iustification and adoption For these benefites sticke linked togither so fast continually that they cannot bée plucked asunder He requireth faith to him that beleueth he forgiueth his sâ—nnes whom he hath absolued froÌ„ his sinne him he adopteth too his sonne accepteth him as rightuous and whoÌ„ he hath iustified him also will he glorifie by bestowing euerlasting blisse vpon him neither is ther any other way of obteyning saluation than y â— which is set out vntoo vs in this exaÌ„ple The palsiemaÌ„ dooth .iij. things He acknowledgeth his sin he acknowlegeth himself to be iustly punished for his sin he putteth his trust in the sonne of God Agein Chryst doth iij. things He releaseth sin he adopteth him to be his sonne accepteth him too eternal life Folow y u this exaÌ„ple Acknowledge thy sin in good ernest acknowlege gods iust iudgemeÌ„t and beléeue in the sonne and thou shalt féele sensibly that Chryst will bestow his benefites vppon thée Let this suffise to bée spoken concerning the first doctrine of this Gospel and now foloweth the second ¶ Of the second ANd beholde some of the Scribes saide vvithin them selues This man blasphemeth And vvhen he savv the thoughtes of them he saide vvhy thinke you euill in your hartes Héere the grudging of the Scribes and Chrysts answere doâ— shew in what sort the kingdome of Chryst and the kingdome of Sathan méete one ageinst another Wée haue héere two things of which the one is the accusation of the Scribes accusing Chryst and the other is Chrystes most rightfull defence The accusation of the Scribes was this This man is a blasphemer Wherfore bicause he taketh vppon him too forgiue sinnes which perteyneth onely vntoo God For according too the phrase of the scripture Blasphemie is too attribute that thing vnto a creature which is proper or peculiare vntoo God Now too forgiue sinne is propre vntoo God â–ª which thing is assured by the testimonie of Esay where the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet sayth I am I am he that wipeth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and I will no more remember thy sinnes Héervppon they thinke they may conclude as by an infallible consequent y t Chryst is a blasphemer after this manner Whosoeuer taketh vppon him that which is peculiare vntoo God is a blasphemer This Iesus taketh vppon him that which is peculiare vnto God Ergo this Iesus is a blasphemer And vndoubtedly it had bin a true argument if Christ had bin like the Scribes that is too wit if he had bin mere man and not God also Sée I pray you how much our Papistes and Monkes are worse than the Scribes The Scribes were taught by the wordâ— of God to defend this proposition No man caÌ„ forgiue sinnes but onely God But the Papistes attribute forgiuenesse of sinnes too the merites of saincts too Masses and too pardons which things they deale not fréely but fel them very déerely Surely a wonderful kinde of chapmen They sel that which they haue not they sell men the smoke of woords take ready Golde for it They promisse their chapmen Heauen and deliuer them Hell But what shall wée saye of the ministers of Gods woord Doo they forgiue sinne They forgiue not of themselues but they pronounce forgiuenesse of sinnes too all that they finde like this man that was sicke of the Palsie They giue not ought of their owne But they offer another mannes by the commaundemente of Chryste For they offer forgiuenesse of sinnes by the voyce of the Gospell As many as receyue this voyce by fayth doo out of all doubte receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes For Chryst sayeth hée that héereth you héereth mée But what sayth Chryst too this accusation VVhen he savv their thoughtes hee sayde vvhy thinke yee euyl in your harts vvhyther is it easier too say thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or too say arise and vvalke Héere Chryst dooth thrée things First hée sawe the thoughtes of them whiche is the propertie of God onely Whereupon the Scribes ought too haue thought that Chryste was more than mere man For no man is able too sée the thoughts of another man For onely the spirit of God searcheth the depth of mennes hartes Secondly hée blameth them vvhy doo yee thinke euill in your hartes As if hée had sayde yée sinne in thinking amisse of mée By this wée may note â–ª that euil thoughtes are sinnes â–ª Thirdly by visible signe he confirmeth his hidden Godhead As if he had sayd you say that hée that taketh vppon him that whiche is peculiar vntoo GOD alone is a blasphemer for hée hurteth Gods name and fame Uerely I confesse this too bée true But in that yée beléeue not mée too bée GOD you doo amisse Wherfore you are blasphemers and not I. And nowe that I may shew and proue my self too be very God I heale this Palsie man with a becke onely whiche surely is peculiar too the power of the Godhead If I can doo this by my diuine power why shoulde I not also forgiue sinne Who can vtterly take awaye a disease but hée that taketh away the cause of the disease Nowe you sée with your owne eyes that I take awaye the disease and why beléeue you not that I am able too take awaye the cause of the disease also which is sinne Thus Chryst appealeth too his owne dooings whiche beare recorde of him For thus sayeth hee in Iohn If yée beléeue not mée beléeue my woorks which bear witnesse of mée Of this seconde doctrine therefore wée maye learne thrée things Firste that there is continuall battaile betwéene the kingdome of
further sight For he foresaw what superstitions should in time too come rise vppon Inuocation of the virgin Marye He saw that hypocrites should wickedly yéeld vntoo hir the things that were proper too God and too the mediator And therefore in this somewhat harde answer he deliuereth too all ages a perpetuall and graue Doctrine leaste the vnmeasurable reuerencing of Sainctes should deface the honoure of his office and in this respect he abased his owne moother too the vulgar degrée of women Then was it no light cause that he spake too his moother in this wise what haue I too doo with thée but too make a difference betwéene his owne office and his moother and so consequently of all Sainctes He will not part his office which is peculiarly his owne and giue parte of it too his mother But he chalengeth too himselfe alone the office of a Sauiour Wickedly therefore doo the superstitious call the virgin Quéene of heauen aduocate life swéetenesse moother of grace and consequently the saluation of the world For no parte of our redemption is too bée ascribed vntoo Marye And whereas he addeth Myne houre is not yet come he implyeth twoo things Namely that he ceased not for any maner of héedlessenesse or â—louth and also that he would haue a care of the matter assoone as opportunitie should offer it selfe What did the moother of Iesus in this case Whatsoeuer he biddeth you doo sayeth shée too the wayters that doo yée This perteineth too the preparature of the miracle The moother dooth only conceiue good hope that hir sonne wil succoure the present néed And where as she sayeth too the wayters whatsoeuer hée biddeth you doo doo it shée ministreth vntoo vs a generall doctrine in the Churche wherof the blissed virgin is bothe a tipe and a member What then learneth the Churche héereby Forsooth it lerneth with the blissed virgin too commaunde all ministers yea and all Christians too obey Christe in dooing whatsoeuer hée biddeth them how little so euer it séeme agréeable too reason Anone the Lorde when oportunitie serued willed the wayters too fill the sixe water pottes that were set there too serue for the superstitious purging of the Iewes of which pottes euery one did holde a twoo or thrée Firkins a péece so that altoogither did holde about an Amer of Wine These water pottes I say did the Lord bid them fil vp too the brimmes whiche béeing doone hée badde giue thereof too the maister of the feast For by the secreat power of Christe it was nowe become wine whiche was euen now water Which when the maister of the feast had tasted hée sayed too the bridegrome All men are vvont too set good VVine vppon the table first and vvhen the guests are vvel laden vvith VVine then too giue them that vvhiche is vvoorser But thou haste kept the best VVine too the last This is added for the confirmation of the miracle For the maister of the feast witnesseth that this wine was muche more excellent than that whiche they had drunk before Now ensueth the vse and frute of the miracle and he manifested his glorie saith the Euangelist and his disciples beleeued vpon him This miracle therfore was appointed for twoo things Namely too manifest Christes glorye and too strengthen the fayth of the Disciples For looke how manye miracles Christe shewed in the worlde so many witnesses were there of the glory of his Godhead so many sealings were there of his doctrine and of faith in the hearers This then is the right vse of Christes miracles that his glory béeing blazed abrode his doctrine béeing confirmed by them as it were by authenticall seales wée should leane vnto him by liuely faith â–ª But as for suche miracles as either darken the glory of Christ or quench faith they are sleights of the Diuel of whiche the Lord giueth vs warning too béeware in the .24 of Mathew There shall sayeth he arise false Christes and false Prophets and shall shevv great signes and vvoonders in so muche that the very elect if it vvere possible should bee deceyued beholde I haue tolde you of it before hand Therfore let no man giue credit too any miracles saue such as set foorth Christes glory and norish and confirme the true faith too him ward ¶ Of the fourth FOr as much as in this Gospell there is mention made of many persons I wil now shew bréefly what doctrine and instruction is too bée taken at eche of them First therefore let vs at all these guests lerne an example of thriftie making chéere from whiche bée banished riot and vnaduisednesse of whiche things more is spoken in the first place At the Bridegrome Bride let vs lerne too receiue Christ too our feasts which thing truely is then doone when in the feare of God and with thankesgiuing wée vse Gods gifts to honest mirth and leaue them at home that are not bidden By the miracle let the bridegrome and bride learn that if they bid Christe too their feast he wil chaunge the water intoo wine that is too say hée will turne all bitter things intoo swéet and blisse the parties with his blissing so as they shall want nothing At Christe let vs learne according vntoo our abilitie too helpe the Brydegrome and the Brydâ— that is too saye too beautifie the Churche by what meanes so euer wée can bée able At Christe let vs learne too transferre againe vntoo a good and godly vse the things that were abused and put too superstition so as they may serue too Gods glorie and too the building of the Church The waterpots héere serued too Iewishe superstition but Christe vseth them too the setting foorthe of his owne glorie and too the edifying of his Churche So the Church goods which héertofore haue bene abused ought now too bée conuerted too a better vse At Mary wée may learne too bée touched with pitie for the néede of other folks and too pray too God too further the poor with his blessing At the maister of the feast wée may learne too like wel of Christes dooings with clensed mindes At the wayters wée may learne to employ our labour at Christes commaundement and not so muche too looke what he biddeth as too doo that he biddeth Of Christ Mary the Disciples toogither we may lerne too kéep felowship with men and too take their slendernesse in good woorth Also wée may learne to honor the honest mariages of poore folkes with our presence and too helpe them with our purse when cause requireth These things haue I spoken the largelier of this Gospel bicause this matter wherof it entreateth is not woont too bée intreated of but once in the yéere I haue spoken of the maner of mariage and of matrimonie Also I haue shewed how great a sinne it is too breake the sixth commaundement I haue expounded the miracle with his circumstances what doctrine and instruction the examples of the persones in this Gospell yéeld vntoo vs. Now God the father
kéepeth Chrystes sayings shall not sée death for euer Howebéeit too the intent wée may the better vnderstand these thinges I will shew forth in order what they conteyn For the first thing too be obserued héere is Chrysts othe The second what maner a ones wee bée without Christ. The third what wée obteyn by him The fourth how we may be able too béecome partakers of Chrystes benefits His othe is to this end too assure vs of Gods truth ageinst all the doctrines of men and deuils against the reason of the flesh yea against the whole kingdome of the Deuil which consisteth of Sophistrie Hipocrisie and Tyrannie For it is not possible that the sonne of God should deceyue whoo hath warranted his doctrine by so great an othe What maner a folke bée wée without Christ By Christ it cōmeth too passe that wée sée not euerlasting death Wherfore without Chryst wée are giltie of euerlasting Death Now as there are foure kindes of Lyfe so are there foure kindes of death also The first is the lyfe of nature wherby wée naturally liue in this world This life simply in respect of it self is good bycause it is the gift of God which hée promiseth in the fourth commaundemente but it varieth according too the state of men Untoo Abraham it was good bicause hée vsed it too Gods glorie But vntoo Nero it was euil bicause hée abused it both too the reproch of God that gaue it also to his owne damnation Ageinst this natural life is set naturall death which of it self is euil bicause it is the punishment of sinne Notw tstanding it varieth according to the states of men For lyke as vntoo Abraham this death was a passage vntoo a better life and therefore was good vntoo him so vntoo Nero it was the gate of Hel and therfore too him it was euil The second life is of sinne namely wherby sinne liueth in man and reigneth through his lusts as it dooth in all the vngodly This is alwayes euil bicause it tendeth too dānation Ageinst this is set the death of sinne wherby sinne is mortified in vs which thing cōmeth then too passe whē wée liue in true repentance the feare of God This death of sinne is euermore good bicause it is the passage too eternal life The thirde life is of grace whereby Christe lyueth in vs through grace This is euermore good bicause it is Gods gift and the way too glorie Ageinst this is set the death of grace that is too say the priuation of grace whiche thing commeth too passe when wée slide backe ageyne intoo sinne and cast away fayth This is alwayes euill bicause it is the way intoo hell The fourth life is the euerlasting lyfe by which the godly shall liue with God and his Angels in endlesse blisse This life is most excellent good Ageinst this is set euerlasting death which is endlesse damnation Unto this endlesse death are all men subiect without Christ. For vnlesse wée bée deliuered from this death by the benefite of Chryste it shall bée our perpetual reward for sinne as Paule sayth too the Romanes the .6 chapter Such are wée without Chryst that is wretched damned and giltie of eternall death But what doo wée become through Chryst That doothe Chryst assure vs of by his othe namely that being deliuered from euerlasting death wée are rewarded with eternal life in which shal be ioy without end Howe are wée made partakers of Chrystes benefites This Gospell aunswereth Verely verely I say vntoo if any man kepe my saying he shal not see death for euer Then is this great treasure in Chrystes woordes which who so kéepeth hath Chryst whoo only is the way too life What is too kéepe the woord of Chryste It is too héer it too lerne it and to beléeue it according to this saying He that beléeueth in the sonne hath life euerlasting Why so bicause hée that beléeueth is iustified by his owne faithe that is to say is set frée from sinne endued with the rightuousnesse of Chryste and accepted too eternall life for Chrystes sake He therfore that coueteth eternall life let him marke well the things aforesayd let him liue in continual repentance let him héer Christes word let him beléeue it and let him cōtinue in the faith euen vnto death So shal it fall out that this naturall death shall be vnto him a passage vntoo eternall life But what say the Iewes too this healthfull Doctrine of Christes Chryst saith He that kepeth my vvord shall not se death The Iewes answere now wée know wel thou hast a Deuil Abraham and the Prophets are dead and thou sayest if a man kéepe my woord he shall not tast of death for euer Art thou greater than our father Abraham who is dead c. Whom makest thou thy self As if they had said If thy woord bée of such power that they which héer thée shall not taste of euerlasting death surely thou art greater than the prophets and our patriark Abraham which are dead but this is false for thou art not greater than Abraham Ergo it is false that thou sayest he that kéepeth my saying shall not tast of death for euer Therfore thou art a blasphemer of God and hast a Deuil Christ answereth and sayeth If I glorifie my selfe my glory is nothing that is too vvit by your iudgement It is the father that glorifyeth mee The méening of these words is this The only begotten sonne of God is greater than the seruāts of God or than the adopted sonne of God I am the only begotten sonne of God according as the father himself witnesseth by his own voyce and woorks But the Prophets and Abraham are Gods seruants and Gods children by adoption wherfore I am greater than Abraham and the Prophets Ergo it is no maruel though my woord bée of greater power than theirs Then vsed they a poynt of Sophistrie For that which Chryst spake of the euerlasting death they construed of the naturall death howbeit maliciously Wherfore Chryste procéedeth too reproue them saying If I say I knovve him not I shall be a lyar as you are For you say you know him whom you know not But what is it to knowe god First it is to know whoo he is that is to wit the father the sonne the holy Ghost Secondly to beléeue in him And thirdly too order a mans life according to his wil. Howbeit bicause the Iewes gloried of their father Abraham Chryst procéedeth too shew how vaine this boasting is and sayth Your father Abraham vvas glad to see my day and reioyced In these woords Chryst teacheth thrée things The one that he was before he tooke mās nature vpon him that is to say from euerlasting God euerlasting The other that Abrahā beléeued in him For too beléeue in Chryst is spiritually too sée him And Chryst is séene thrée ways in body only as the Iewes saw him that talked héer with him in spirite only as Abrahā wée y t beléeue in him
vnderstande that absolution may bée giuen both publickly and priuatly So Peter assoiled thrée thousand men openly also Cornelius priuately in whiche sort the Prophet Nathā also assoyled Dauid The ministers of the woord may vse that generall kinde of absolution as often as they preache the Gospel And they may vse the special kind when reason requires it that is too wit when any man desireth too haue priuate conference with the minister of the woord for the strengthening of his faith 2 It is put in the text Sinnes without any addition Wherfore all kinds of sins are too bée vnderstanded héer which are foure First corruption of nature secondly the boughes that spring out of the euil root thirdly the sinnes committed by error and fourthly wilful sinnes There is no sinne at al but it is forgiuen if forgiuenesse bée desired for Chrystes sake The woorde Release is too bée marked for whiche Mathew hath Loose Chryst commaundeth his Disciples too release loose sinnes Too release them as det too loose them as a pinching burthen For sinnes are dets bicause that like as dets doo bind too paiment so sinnes binde men too satisfaction vnlesse the penaltie bée released Sinnes also are burthens bicause that as a heauie burthen weyeth him downe that beareth it so sinnes wey men downe with the burthen of curse and the sentence of the law vntil Chryst come take vp the burthen vpon him self But what Can mā vnbind release sins God faith in .43 of Esay I am hée I am hée that wipeth out thine iniquities and will not beare thy sinnes in minde This text conuinceth that only God releaseth sinne Ageine wheras the Lord sayth héer whose sinnes so euer yée shal release they shalbée released in heauen I answer ▪ Chrysts saying sheweth manifestly that there is a double releasing one vpon earth by the ministers of the word and another in heauen whiche is doon by God alone Of this latter speaketh Esayas Too be bréefe God releaseth as Lord and owner the ministers of the woord release as seruantes and messengers that declare the wil of their maister whiche release is made by telling the wil of God This is proued Num. 6. wher the Lord saith in this wise The préests shal put the name of the Lord vppon the children of Israel but I wil blisse them Too vnbinde therfore whiche is the duetie of the préest is too declare that God hath released the fault But how doo they withhold sinnes by the word and according too the woord that is too wit what sinnes soeuer ye shall declare too bée withhild by the woord of god they shal be withholden in heuen also I haue spoken more héerof in the feast of the Lords supper and therefore now I passe to the second place wherof I will entreate very bréefly ¶ Of the second COncerning Thomas wée haue two things in this story that is to wit vnbeléefe and confession His vnbeléefe hée sheweth in these woords vnlesse I see the gash of the nailes in his hands I vvill not beleeue He herd the other Disciples telling how they had séen the Lord and yet he being vtterly vnmindful of al the foretellings of the prophets and of Christ beléeueth not So sore doth mannes reason set it self ageinst God and his woord in matters of saluation Hithertoo concerning his vnbeléefe Now foloweth concerning his faith and confession An eight dayes after the Disciples vvere togither ageine in one house and Thomas vvith them And Iesus came vvhen the gates vvere shut and stoode in the mids of them and saide peace bee vntoo you and he said too Thomas bring thy finger hither and see my hands c. And bee not vnbeleeuing but beleeue When he had herd the Lords voice and was cōuicted by the manyfest signe he conceiued fayth out of which he vttred this cōfession my lord my God At Thomas therfore we may lern .ij. things frō whence faith is what is the true confession Faith is of the woord of the signe according whervnto we haue the gospel y e most true woord of Chryst and two most stately signes Baptim and the Lords supper This faith conceiued by the woord confirmed by signe will vtter a true confession suche as this is of Thomas who crieth out héere my Lord and my god This confession of Thomas if it bée well sifted conteineth foure things For first it acknowledgeth Chryst too bée the same man that was slaine a thrée daies before by the Iewes Secondly whereas he calleth him God he acknowledgeth his Godhead Moreouer wheras he sayeth not two Lordes or two Gods but one Lorde and one God he acknowledgeth the vnitie of his person Lastly whereas he sayth my Lord and my God he confesseth his office of redemption vppon whom he also stayed himselfe by liuely faith ¶ Of the thirde BLissed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued This vniuersall doctrine concerning beléeuers is too bée obserued For héere Chryst by expresse woords pronounceth them blissed that beléeue although they sée not Chryst with their bodily eyes Héerevnto perteineth al the whole Scripture as he sayth But these things are vvritten that you might beleeue that Iesus is the sonne of God and that beleeuing yee might haue life in his name The ende therefore of the Scripture is that we may beléeue The ende of fayth is that the beléeuers should haue euerlasting life to which bring vs Iesus Chryst the author of life too whom with the father the holy ghost bée honor for euermore Amen The second Sunday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn x. CHryst sayd vntoo his Disciples I am the good shepheard a good shepheard giueth his life for the sheepe An hired seruant and he vvhich is not the shepheard neither the sheepe are his ovvne seeth the vvolfe comming and leaueth the shepe and fleeth and the vvolfe catcheth and scattereth the shepe◠The hired seruant fleeth bicause he is an hired seruant and careth not for the shepe I am the good shepherd knovv my shepe and am knovvne of mine As my father knovveth me euen so knovve I also my father And I giue my life for the shepe and other shepe I haue vvhich ar not of this fold Them also must I bring and they shal heare my voyce and there shall bee one fold and one shepheard The exposition of the text THe occasion why this Gospel is set forth in the church at this season is this We herd in y e first holy day after Easter to what ende it be hooued Christ too suffer rise ageine from death that is to wit that in his name repentance forgiuenesse of sinnes might be preached too all nations through which preaching the kingdom of Sathā might bée destroyed the kingdōe of Christ set vp Now in as much as this thing cannot otherwise bée brought to passe than by faithful ministers of the woord whō the scripture termeth shepherds It liked the church as on this day to
that thou in thy life time receyuedst thy pleasure and contraryvvise Lazarus receyued paine But novve hee is comforted and thou arte punished Beyonde all this betvveene vs and you there is a greate space set so that they vvhich vvould go from hence too you cannot neyther may come from thence too vs. Then hee sayde I pray thee therefore Father sende him too my Fathers house for I haue fiue brethren for too vvarne them leaste they come also intoo this place of tormente Abraham sayde vntoo him they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them And hee sayde Nay Father Abraham but if one come vnto thē from the dead they vvil repent Hee sayde vntoo him If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neyther vvil they beleeue though one rose from death ageine The exposition of the Text. FRom the first sunday in Aduent hithertoo hath bin set foorth the doctrine concerning euery seuerall article of our Fayth Now in the Sundayes folowing vntoo the first Sunday in Aduent agein is intreated of Chrysts miracles and of the nature and true frutes of faith and that too this intent that the truthe of the Gospell might bée confirmed by the doctrin of miracles and that the doctrine of fayth and the frutes of the same might stirre vs vp too good woorkes Chryst teacheth of good woorkes fiue wayes For sometime he is contented with the doctrine alone as whē he sayth Bée yée merciful fal too repentance bring foorth frutes woorthy repentance And sometime he alledgeth himself for an example for his too folow as when he sayth learne of me bicause I am méeke and lowly of hart One whyle he propoundeth parables as of the good steward of the ten virgins of the séede cast intoo the groūd and such others wherof there is store in the stories of the Gospel And another while he vseth threatnings as when he sayth except your righteousnesse excéede the righteousnesse of the Scribes Pharisses yée shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Also wo bée too you Scribes Pharisies Hypocrites c. And now then he setteth foorth the rewardes and penalties with notable examples lyke as he dooth in this Gospell Too bée short the Lorde leaueth nothing vnattempted wherby he may make his disciples bent too liue honestly Now let vs come too this daies Gospel the summe wherof is that Chryst our Lord by putting foorth two examples discourageth vs from vnmercifulnesse and crueltie towards the poore and encourageth vs too pitie and too constantnesse in suffering the miseries of this life For as by the example of the rich glutton he teacheth what punishment remayneth for the vnmercifull So by the example of poore Lazarus he exhorteth too pitie and honest life in the feare of God The vse héerof therfore shal bée that the rich men which are mercylesse towards their neighbours may beholde as it were in a table what punishment they shall one day abyde if they amend not betimes And ageyne that the poore béeing godly and afflicted in this lyfe may by the example of this poore man Lazarus rayse vp themselues and patiently tarie for their deliueraunce and blissed rest yf they continue in faith vntoo their death The places bée thrée 1 The description of this Glutton with the lessons therof 2 The description of Lazarus with the comforts therof 3 The Lordes saying They haue Moyses and the Prophets ¶ Of the firste THere vvas a certeine riche man vvhich vvas clothed in Purple and fine vvhite In this first place are foure things too bée marked which are 1. A generall rebuke of them that are cruell to the poore 2. The cause of this riche mannes damnation 3. The right vse of riches 4. The state of the wicked mennes soules after this life First therfore when this Glutton is damned in generall are all they reproued that are hard too the poore and whiche flowing in riches them selues are touched with no care of the poore of which sort there bée many in the world This rebuke perteyneth too those also that neither with their counsell nor with their substance doo helpe the ministerie of the world or the néedy members of the church Wherfore let euery man aduise himself wel and take warning by the damnation of this Glutton that he may lerne too bee wise The cause of this Gluttons damnation ar not his riches and the finenesse of his apparell and his deintie fare so they had bin measurably vsed as it appereth by the Gospel it self For poore Lazarus was taken vp intoo the riche Abrahams bosom For if riches had bin y e efficient cause of damnation Abraham also had bin damned Dauid had bin damned and so had many other kings and rich men bin damned But riches and honor and such other things may bée an occasion of damnation namely when men abuse them to the dishonor of God and the contempt of their neighbor too the maintenāce of pride superfluitie But what were the causes why this Glutton was damned Thrée horrible faults which are noted expresly in the text Of which the first was fleshly carelesnesse which had with it these euils that he repented not that he had no féeling of Gods iudgement and wrath that he was touched with no care nor regarde of his duetie For fleshly carefulnesse hath these things continually going with it An other fault for which this Glutton was damned was ryot and surfeting by which bothe mennes bodyes and myndes are ouercharged that they cannot think a whit of the matters of their saluation The third fault for which the Glutton was dāned was the disdeyning of Lazarus which thing sufficiently bewrayeth that he had no faith For wher as is true faith there can bée no crueltie towardes the poore and néedie For these thrée causes was the Glutton damned After whose example many runne daily too assured damnation which with their riches do meynteine carelessenesse surfetting and disdain of Chrysts members Wherfore if we like too be saued let vs amend betimes and let vs take héede that wée abuse not Gods gifts too our owne destruction In the third place it is to be gathered by this example on the contrary part what is the true vse of riches which true vse consisteth in these foure poynts The first is that we employ part of our substance too the mayntenaunce of the ministerie and this vse is confirmed first by the end of man For man was made too the end he should acknowledge and praise God Wherefore the goodes that he hath ought too bée imployed too this ende Secondly this vse is confirmed by the commaundement of God oftentymes repeted For God commaūdeth vs too help the church with our abilities Moreouer this vse is stablished by the examples of godly kings and other holy men who wished nothing so much as with their riches too beutifie and maintain the ministerie of the woord Ageinst this first and godly vse of riches doo many offend among whome bée First suche as conuert their
is effectuall and bringeth foorth frutes most acceptable too God through Iesus Chryst. And where this frute is not séene there is skarce any fayth too bée founde For when wée beléeue therewithall wée are borne new men that wée should yéelde new obedience vntoo God Now let vs sée this selfe same doctrine of Chrysten ryghtuousnesse in the example of the Publicane First as the text sayeth hée stoode a farre of For béeing put in feare with his own vnwoorthinesse hée durst not come foorth with the Pharisie intoo the sighte of Gods maiestie In likewise Peter falling downe at Chrystes féete sayde Away from mée for I am a sinful man Likewise the Centurion Lorde I am not woorthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe This fearfulnesse in the conscience of man ryseth of the knoweledge of the Law by the squyre whereof when a man examineth his owne déedes hée is enforced too crye oute I am a sinfull man Secondly he dareth not lift vp his eyes Héere is noted howe the Publicane was ashamed of the filthynesse of hys sinne 3. Hee knocketh himselfe vppon the breast whereby is signified his striuing ageinst wanhope and despaire 4. when hee sayeth Lorde be merciful vntoo mée a sinner hée giueth vs too vnderstand how we ought too flée vntoo God onely for the putting away of oure sinnes Hithertoo hée hath wrestled with sinne with the sentence of the Lawe and with wanhope By whiche wrestling is declared that he was sorye in déede Nowe foloweth how he wounde him selfe oute of this Hell as it were For when he sayeth GOD be mercifull too me a sinner he reyseth himself vp by fayth ageinst dispaire For héere hée called too remembraunce the promises concerning Chryste that GOD will bée mercifull vntoo sinners which falling too repentance doo flée vntoo Chryste with true fayth For hée is the propitiation for our sinnes In reysing him selfe vp in this wise hée imputeth sinne too himselfe and mercie vntoo GOD hée acknoweledgeth himselfe the sicke man and GOD too bée his Phisition hée setteth mercie ageinst sinne and so beléeuing God too bée fauourable vntoo him he is iustified by Faith alone After the same manner dyd Daniell Untoo thée Lorde bée rightuousnesse and vntoo vs confusion and shame And so wée may learne of this Publicane first the maner of true repentance and Christen rightuousnesse for euen as true repentance is true sorynesse for sinne euen so Chrysten rightuousnesse is to bée loosed and acquit from sinne whē wée come vntoo God by true fayth as I haue sayde before 2. We may lerne of him of what sort true Prayer ought too bée For it must procéede from the bottom of the hart in the feare of God and leane vntoo the propitiation which is in Iesus Chryst. 3. Wée must learne of the Publicane too behaue our selues after a lowly maner both before God and before men Must wée then liue after the maner of Publicans Yea surely must we so farre foorth as they repent and amend according as this Publicane did For as this Pharisie is not mislyked for the outwarde honest woorkes that he did but bycause hée trusted in the woorkes So this Publicane is not too bée commended for the synnes that he had committed but for his repentaunce whiche ensued Yea wée haue lessons in bothe of them that wée may fare the better by With bothe of them wée must go too Churche with bothe of them wée must giue thankes vntoo God with both of them wée must pray Wée must learne of the Pharisie too doo honest outwarde woorks and of the Publican too bring with vs godlynesse of minde and true faith ¶ Of the third I Say vntoo you this man vvent home too his house iustified and not the other Héere wée haue Chrystes iudgement of the Pharisie and the Publicane The Publicane sayth he departing out of the Temple came home too his owne house iustified by Fayth And the Pharisie returned not iustified but rather condemned This confirmeth he with a generall sentence For euery one that exalteth him selfe shall bée brought low and he that humbleth himselfe shal bée exalted The Pharisie exalted himselfe thinking himselfe rightuous by his deeds of the law which were none at al and therfore he was brought lowe by the sentence of damnation The Publicane humbled himself by acknowledging his sinne by lowly prayer and by trust in Gods mercie through Chryst and therefore he was exalted by the grace of acquitall and glorie of blissednesse That wée may be humbled after this mans example Christ graunt too whom with the father and the holy ghost bée glorie for euermore Amen Vpon the .xij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Marke vij IESVS departed from the coastes of Tyre and Sydon and came vntoo the Sea of Galilee through the middes of the coastes of the ten cities And they brought vntoo him one that vvas deafe and hadde an impediment in his speech and they prayed him too put his hande vpon him And vvhen he had taken him aside from the people he put his fingers intoo his eares and did spit and touched his tongue and looked vp too heauen and syghed and sayde vntoo him Epham that is to say be opened And streight vvay his eares vvere opened and the string of his tongue vvas losed and he spake plaine And he commaunded them that they should tell no man But the more he forbad them somuch the more a great deale they published saying He hath doone all things vvell hee hath made both the deafe too heare and the dumbe too speake The exposition of the text THis Gospell conteyneth one of the Lordes miracles whereby hée shewed his power his will and his office His power appéereth in this that all things created are at his commaundemente as the Sea the Windes the Féendes and diseases as in this place Hys will is séene by his readinesse too helpe for hée is moste readie too help all that cal vpon him His office appéereth in that he is a sauiour according to his name which is Iesus Those thrée things are too bée séene well néere in euery of Chrystes miracles which wée must lerne too vse aright For wée must vse the power of Chryste our Lorde ageinste the tirannie of the worlde Sophistrie and Hipocrisie yea and ageynste all the whole kingdome of Sathan Let vs set the knowledge of his will ageynst the ouerthwarte will and iudgemente of our fleshe Let vs arme oure selues with the minding of his office ageinst all Antichristes that will robbe Chryste of his office These thrée things wée may behold in this present gospell as in a Glasse Héere the deafe and dumb man is hild in bondage by the Deuil But what dooth Chryste in thys case Hée vttering his power openeth his eares and looseth hys toong maugre the Deuilles resistance Ageine in that hée helpeth this miserable and wretched creature hée sheweth him selfe too haue a remorse of his miserie and by so dooing vttereth his good wil towards him Lastly hée declareth his own
that we being instructed by Chrysts woord and miracle shoulde cast off the care of the belly and folowe Chryst intoo the desert leauing all care for our selues vntoo him according too his commaundement cast thy care vpon the Lorde and he shall nourishe thée The méening therefore of all this whole Gospell is too teache that they which héere loue and kéepe the woord shall not perish for want of foode bicause Christ taketh vpon him too care for them The places are these 1 That God hath care for them that folow him 2 The circumstances of this present miracle and the vse therof to vs wards 3 The déede of this people that wold haue made Christ king and of Chrysts fléeing ¶ Of the second IN this first Doctrine many things offer themselues too bée weyed of which euery one dooth minister some Doctrine and admonition As are Chrysts iourneying and woorking the earnestnesse of the people to héere him what moued the people so to do what profit redoundeth therby to the people and what wée ought too lerne by the example of the people and the déede of Chryst. Chryst iourneying is shewed in these woords Iesus vvent his vvay ouer the Sea of Galilee vvhich is the Sea of Tyberias This Tyberias was a Citie builded by Herode néere vntoo Iordan in the honor of the Emperor Tyberias In this iorney of Chrysts there is too bée marked the end and the example therof The end of it was to spred abrode his Gospell by teaching and miracles The example is that we woulde folow Chryst euery man in his vocation not sparing our selues but night and day by land and by sea endeuer to answer our calling And this example is not too bée folowed by the ministers of the woord only but of all men according too the maner of eche mans vocation What dooth Chryst in this iorney Mark in his .6 chapter sayth that Chryst had pitie vpon them bicause they were as shéepe that had no shepherd and that he began to teach them many things ▪ Mathew addeth that he was occupied al day in healing the diseased Héere do foure things offer themselues too bée weyed First Christs loue Secondly the cause of this loue Thirdly what wée be without the ministration of the woord Fourthly what is the end of the ministerie When Christe taketh pitie of the people we are admonished too think how like a father he is minded towards vs as who is sory for our miseries This is it that the Apostle saith too the Hebrues we haue a high préeste that can suffer with vs in our infirmities The cause why he pitied the people is shewed by Marke Bicause sayth hée they were as shéepe that haue no shepherd But what are shéepe without a shepherd Wretched redy too take harme by theeues woolues Now when the Lorde sayd these things the people was by false teachers led away from the true seruice of GOD vntoo sundrie superstitions the frute whereof is the losse of their soules like as wée erewhile tasted vnder y e Popedom wher in sted of the true seruice of GOD there were broughte intoo the churche moste horrible superstitions Praying vntoo Saincts heathenishe abusing of the Sacraments Purgatorie and other bables whiche would GOD did not stick stil in many mennes mindes at this day Héereby therefore wée may lern what men be without the ministerie of the woord namely y t they be as shéepe straying in a wildernesse where they are euery moment in very great danger of théeues and woolues or rather too tell all at one woorde wheras is not the woord of God there is no saluation Also wée may learne héer the end of the ministery of the woorde Men without the woord are as shéep that go astray without a shepheard Ergo the woord is too them as the shepherds staffe wherwith men are gathered toogither out of the wildernesse too their owne shepherd Also it is fodder wherewith they are refreshed and nourished And it is the salue wherewith our soules are healed Too be short it is the immortall séed by which we growe vp new ageine too eternall life when we beléeue the woorde that is preached It is easy then too vnderstand héereby how néedful a thing the woord of God is The earnestnesse of y e people too hear Chryst is also declared héer A great company sayth the Euangelist followed him yea that far intoo a desert place from the Cities wher was neyther meat nor drinke Beholde the excéeding greate earnestnesse where through the people were so ioyful to héer Chryst that they séemed too haue no care at all of their body The day was far spent sayth Mark. Why the people folowed Christ in this wise Iohn declareth in this dayes Gospel when hée sayth bicause they sawe the miracles that he wrought And his miracles were partly a witnesse of the power of the Godhed in Chryst and partly as it were certeine seales of his doctrine and tokens of his excéeding great good wil towards men For the people came too the thinking vpon these thrée things by the signes miracles whiche the Lord wrought The people then by this their folowing after Chryst reaped this profit that they came too the knowledge of their saluation For when he had by woonderful miracles confirmed the doctrine that he had taught them by mouth they gaue credit too his woord by which faith all those were saued that cōtinued in it vntoo their end Besides this many receyued corporall benefites at his hand For he healed suche as were diseased according as the other Euangelists make report How now is this example of the people too bée followed of vs First wée folow the example of this people if wée héer Gods word diligently and beléeue the same as ouercome by Chrystes miracles wherwith hée hath confirmed the truth of his doctrine Secondly wée shall followe the example of the people in this that they obey the rule which Christ giueth in the .6 of Math for thus saith Christ. First séek the kingdome of God his righteousnesse all the 〈◊〉 shall bée cast vntoo you This order is too be obserued diligently of all the godly The first care muste bée for the kingdome of God the righteousnesse of God And then also they must labour according too the state of their calling For thus sayeth the Scripture In the swet of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread And in the Psalme it is sayd Thou shalt eate of the labours of thy handes Also Paule sayeth He that laboureth let him eate So is laboure appoynted to all men how be it according too euery mannes estate For the laboure of a shepherd is one of a plowman another of a king another and of a Chauncelor and Senator another But all men must beware that they woork not arsiuersie which thing they doo that care first for the belly and last of all for the soule Therefore let him that beareth an office thinke thus My Lord Chryst sayeth
crummes which hée coulde scarce come by than the rich Glutton wyth his delycate fare Let euery one of vs thinke vppon these things aduisedly and wayt paciently for the Lordes promise that hée may blisse our laboures and encrease our breade For he commaunded vs too pray and say Gyue vs this day our dayly bread Ouermore Chrystes déede teacheth vs too gyue God thankes for his gifts when wée go about too vse his heauenly benefits and too desire him that he will halow his gifts with his blissing For the creature of GOD is made holy by the woord and by prayer according as Paul teacheth in the first too Timothie and the fourth Chapiter But it commeth too passe that many bycause they knowledge not Gods benefites and much lesse yéelde thankes too the gyuer are either néedie euen in great plenty of things or else are pressed with great pouertie Wherfore I exhort you to folowe this example of Chryst as often as you méene too vse Gods good gifts And let this suffise for this present miracle Now ensueth the third place ¶ Of the thirde WHen they had seene sayth the Euangelist the miracle that he had vvrought they sayde Of a truth this is that Prophet that should come intoo the vvorlde Therefore Iesus knovving that they vvould come and take hym vp too make hym kyng fledde ageyn intoo a Mountaine by himselfe alone Héere are two examples propounded one of the multitude and another of Chryst. In the multitude wée sée twoo things The one is that by the miracle they acknowledge the Messias Which thing is wel done of the people For the Prophet Esay foretold it should come to passe that when the Messias came into the world he should woorke great miracles by the which he should be known Thus far therfore the people iudged aright The other that wée sée in the people is the error of the people in iudgemēt Who perceiuing by the miracle that Iesus was the Messias would haue made him kyng But Christes kingdom is not worldly according as he himselfe sayd vnto Pylate My kingdom is not of this world The people would faine haue bin thankful to Christ but they shewed not their thankfulnesse according too knowledge Wherby we may lerne of this multitude too bée thākful too God how beit in as much as they were euershot in their dooing let vs imbrace Gods woord for a rule of thankfulnesse But when Chryste vnderstood the vnskilful zeale of the people that were minded too make him their Kyng he fled intoo a mountaine and suffred not himselfe too bée made king by the people What may we lerne héerby First that which I spake of euen nowe that Chrysts kingdom is not worldly Next that wée must couet no honor cōtrary to our vocation Let euery man content himself with that degrée of estimation that he is called vntoo not take vpon him an other mans office for desire of estimatiō But let euery one of vs in his own vocation looke vntoo these thrée things First let vs labour lustily in the feare of God Secondly let vs not séeke the praise of y e multitude if we shal haue doon any good Thirdly let this be our purpose to serue God and his church in the feare of God They that doo otherwise doo nothing aright but offend God and vtter their owne pride whome God suffreth oft to slide that their foly may be known and so may suffer punishment for their presumption That the which thing happen not vnto vs let vs pray God to gouerne vs with his spirit too whom the only and euerlasting god bée honor praise and glorie for euer and euer Sobeit The fifth Sunday in Lent commonly called Passion Sunday ¶ The Gospell Iohn viij WHiche of you can rebuke mee of sinne If I say the truth vvhy doo ye not beleue mee He that is God heereth Gods vvords yee therefore heere them not bicause ye are not of god Then aunsvvered the Ievves and saide vntoo him Say vve not vvell that thou art a Samaritane and hast the Diuel Iesus ansvvered I haue not the diuel but I honor my father yee haue dishonored me I seeke not mine ovvn praise there is one that seeketh and iudgeth Verily verely I say vnto you if a man keepe my saying he shall neuer see death Then sayde the Ievves vntoo him Novv knovve vvee that thou hast the deuyll Abraham is dead and the Prophets and thou sayest If a man kepe my saying he shall neuer tast of death Art thou greater than our father Abraham vvhiche is dead And the prophets are dead vvhom makest thou thy selfe Iesus aunsvvered If I honor my selfe myne honor is nothing it is my father that honoreth mee vvhich you say is your God and yet ye haue not knovvn him but I knovv him And if I say I knovv him not I shall bee a lyer like vntoo you But I knovv him and keepe his saying Your father Abraham vvas glad to see my day and he savv it and reioysed Then sayde the Ievves vnto him Thou art not yet fifty yeare old and hast thou seene Abraham Iesus sayd vntoo them Verely verely I saye vntoo you Ere Abraham vvas borne I am Then toke they vp stones to cast at him but Iesus hid himselfe and vvent out of the Temple The exposition of the text THys Gospell conteyneth a singular Doctrine concerning Chryste and a gaynsaying of the same doctrine by Chrysts enimies For lyke as Chryst defendeth his owne person office and doctrine and pointeth out the true fountayn of saluation so the Iewes Chrystes enimies set them selues against the person office and doctrine of Chryst and pleade against him with thrée arguments which Sathan hath vsed from the beginning of the world foorth And those thrée weapons are these Hypocrisie Sophistrie and Tyrannie This Gospell therfore conteyneth the discription of twoo Kyngdomes that is to say of Christes and of Sathans For as Christ héer mainteineth his owne kingdome So the champions of Sathan maynteyne their maysters quarel But bicause it is for our behoofe too harken what Chryst sayeth rather than what Sathan thynketh agaynst it I will propoūd twoo lessons out of this gospel grounded vpon Chrysts wordes and shew what his enimies answered and dyd ageinst eyther of them The places are twoo 1 That lyke as Chryste is the true Messias so euery one that héereth him not is not of God 2 That hée whiche kéepeth Chrystes woordes is set frée from eternal death And in these twoo chéefe lessons of this Gospell I will set forth the strife betwéene Chryst and the Iewes in declaration wherof many particular lessons doo offer themselues ¶ Of the firste OF the first lesson there bée twoo parts One that Chryst is the true Messias the other that he which héereth not Chryst is not of God Concerning the first part the texte hath thus VVhiche of you can rebuke mee of sinne If I speke the truthe vvhy doo not you beleeue mee The Iewes had found faulte with Chrystes doctrine
bicause Sathan and his seruantes hate the truth Chryst confirmed his doctrine by innocencie of life the recorde of the Prophets and sundry miracles so as the Iewes might haue knowne hym too bée the true Messias and also haue beléeued in hym too theyr saluation Therfore when as they through the instinct of Sathan for hatred to Chryst ward and of loue too their own false doctrine whiche they had receiued of their forefather did with all their power set themselues agaynst Chryste Chryste on the other syde thirsting mannes saluation defended his owne innocentnesse doctrine and office too the intent he might at least wise yet win some of his foes vnto God and call them backe from falling headlong intoo damnation First therfore he asketh if any man can finde faulte with his conuersation VVhich of you sayth he can reproue mee of sinne As if he had sayd I haue liued openly amōg you without faulte from my cradle so as none of you is able too reproue mée of any sinne Nowe séeyng that so to do is the propertie of the Messias why do you not acknowledge mée too bée the Messias that was promised long agoe For none is cléere withoute Synne but the Messias onely In as muche then as none of you is able too conuicte me of sinne yée doo foolishely not onely for that yée acknowledge mée not too bée the Messias but also for that you condemne mée of sinne Héerevntoo he addeth concernyng his doctrine If I speake the truthe vntoo you vvhy beleeue you mee not As if he had sayd In asmuch as I do by innocencie of lyfe by record of the Prophets and by many miracles cōfirme my doctrine too be so true that whither you will or nil yée confesse it to be true why beléeue you mée not Hée is woorse than mad that persecuteth that thyng as false whiche he knowes to be true But this is the nature of men He that is noozeled in naughtynesse of a childe is hardly reclaimed from his errour So great a mater it is too bée enured too a thing from the shell But what may wée lerne héer of Chryst and the Iewes Of Chryst all ministers of the woorde may lerne so too frame their life and doctrine that no man may haue aught too reproue eyther in theyr lyfe or in their doctrine For albeit that only Christ was pure from all sinne yet notwithstanding those that will teach his gospel with frute must be cléer from opē crimes For the Poet sayeth aright It turneth too the teachers shame When hee hymselfe is found too blame For how I pray you can a tippling Préest fynde fault with tiplers How dare a whoorehunter chasten whooremongers and aduoutrers Howe shall a couetous person condemne couetousnesse or an vsurer vsurie or a quareller quarels or a proud man pride In fine he that will rebuke others must be fautlesse himselfe As for those that say doo as I teach but doo not as I doo they are not the ministers of Chryste but of sathan For no man is too be accounted too teache vnlesse hée expresse the same thyng in hys life that hée teacheth in his woordes For so doothe Paule teache Timothye Bée thou sayeth hée a paterne too the flocke That is to say expresse the thing in life that thou teachest in woord that the héerers may behold in thée a liuely example of thy doctrine Wherevpon Paule sayeth of himself Be yée folowers of mée lyke as I am of Chryst. Moreouer they that héere the Gospell must learne somewhat of these Iewes Not too set them selues ageynste Chryst and their teachers as they did but to take warning at their damnation and so too repent that they may be saued by the benefit of Chryst. On the other part of the first lesson the text speaketh in this wise He that is of God heereth the vvooord of God and the cause vvhy you heere not is for that yee are not of God He assigneth the cause why the Iewes so maliciously despised Chrystes doctrine that is to wit for that they were not of God but of Sathan He speaketh not héer of mans nature which in very déede is of God but of mens maliciousnesse which is of the diuell For this maliciousnesse maketh men vnwilling to héere Gods woord Héer let euery man examin himselfe and déeme of himselfe whither hée bée of God or of the Diuell For he that with a good will héereth Gods woord hath Chrystes recorde that hée is of God Contrarywise he that despiseth the woord and persecuteth it is vndoutedly of the Diuell though the vngodly are not willing too héere of this But in lyke maner as the Iewes doo héere persecute and slaunder Chryst that told them this so in lykewise are the ministers of the Gospell persecuted at this day by those whome in their sermons they declare to be of the Diuell What then say the Iewes héere They aunswered and sayd vnto him Say vvee not vvell that thou art a Samaritane and hast a Diuell This is the craft of Sathan when he can not deny the truth he falleth to flat rayling So also standeth the case at this day when men are not able too denie but that it is Gods woord wherby their wickednesse is reproued by and by they fall too rayling and séeke for somewhat too carye at in the ministers of the Gospell But what dooth Chryst héer He answered I haue no diuell but I honor my father and you dishonor mee And I seeke not myne ovvne glorie but there is one that seeketh and iudgeth In this aunswer Chryst first denyeth himselfe to haue a diuell whiche thing the Lord confirmeth héereby that he séeketh Gods glorie which they doo not that haue made a couenant with the diuell Afterward hée turneth the slaunder vpon the Iewes when he sayth And you haue dishonored mee that honour God For those that rayle vpon them that honor God must of necessitie bée led by the Diuell Further more when he addeth I seeke not myne ovvn glorie but there is one that seketh and iudgeth Hée remoueth from himselfe the desire of vainglorie and in his dutifulnesse commendeth himself to his father By this aunswere of Chrystes the ministers of the woord may lerne thrée things First as much as may be too defend themselues from the slaunders wherwith they are charged least their ministery should be abased when they themselues are brought in contempt Secondly to cast those railers in the téeth with their owne sinnes bycause they make warre not so much against men as against God him selfe And thirdely not to séeke their owne glorie but the glorie of God and to persuade thēselues assuredly that God defendeth their innocencie ¶ Of the second OF the seconde lesson the Lordes woordes speake in thys wise Verely I say vntoo you if any man keepe my sayings he shall not see death for euer These woords are too hée throughly well weyd as which conteine the highest benefite of Chryst towards men that is to wit that he which
his shéepe home that is to say intoo their own countrey where the Godly shall enioy continuall peace and quietnesse with Chryst. I haue spoken of Chryst the shepherd of his towardnesse care benefits towards his shéepe that is to wit all that beléeue in him Nowe will I adde 〈◊〉 at concerning the shepherds that are ordeined vnder him too haue the charge of the Lordes flocke And it were too bée wished that all hadde lyke Doctrine conuersation and regarde towarde theyr shéepe as had that true shepherd But bicause that is not so there are foure differences kinds of shepherds to be noted One kind is of them that teach wel and liue wel folowing the example of the chéef shepherd Suche were Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and the other Prophets Suche were Paule and Peter Such at this day are all godly parish préests and Bishops which shine before others in doctrine conuersation and profession These are by Dauid and Daniel compared to starres shining in heauen where they be lightened with the euerlasting brightnesse of Chryst. These as Paule sayth are worthy of double honor These build the Citie of God with both their handes The second sort is of them that teach euil and liue euill These are the worst for they pull downe the temple of God with both handes Of which sorte Peter and Iude the Apostles haue told vs that there should bée many in these latter times The third kind is of them that teach well but liue euill Looke what these men build in the churche with their right hand they pul it down againe with their left and they are altoogither like the shipwrights that builded the Arke of Noe for they preparing the Arke for others too saue them frō the flud perished themselues in the middes of the waues Suche one was Iudas in times past many such are found at this day They say doo as we teach but folow not our works Of these spake Chryst saying when the Scribes and Pharisées sit in Moyses Chaire doo as they bidde but not as they doo The damnation of these men is iust For they know teach the things that are to be done and yet they do them not thēselues wheras it is a shame for the teacher to be takē tardie with the fault that he rebuketh in others Therfore sayeth Barnard well Shepherds must fatte their shéepe with their owne exāples rather than with the examples of other men The fourth kind is of them that teach euil but liue well so as they be not subiect too open crimes These bée hipocrits doo most harme of al. For wheras men gaze at the outward appéerāce of conuersation they are easly drawn too embrace their doctrine also Like as many of you in the papacie haue séene Monkes that not only haue séemed holy to themselues but also haue sold their good works vntoo others so lie they in wait both for the soules of men and for their goods Thus I haue spoken concerning the foure kinds of shepherds or teachers in the church of whom the first only is praise woorthy and buildeth Chrystes church too the soul health of many and that according to the doctrine and commaundement of our chéef shepherd Iesus Christ. ¶ Of the second NOw foloweth the second place cōcerning the wolf the hireling Of which y e wolf teareth destroyeth Christes shéep and the other leaueth the shéep in dāger giueth them ouer into the woolues mouth For thus saith the text But the hireling and he that is not the shepherd vvhoo is not ovvner of the sheepe seeth the vvolf comming and forsaketh the sheepe rūneth his vvay the vvoolf catcheth the sheep and scattereth them Héere it behooueth vs to know whoo is that woolf of whom the Lord speaketh after what maner he entereth vpon the shéepe when the hireling is to bée thought to flée Who is then this woolf that the Lord speaketh of héer It is the diuel For assoone as man was created he set vpon him by and by assailed him and threw him too the groūd So goeth he about hungry at this day séeking whō he may deuour neither wil he cease as long as this world standeth By what meanes I pray you setteth hée vppon Chrysts shéepe He setteth not vpon them one way but he hath foure wayes too set vpon them For he is woont to rush in among Chrystes shéepe either by sophistrie or Tirannie or wickednesse or Hipocrisie He setteth vpon them with Sophistrie either whē he disguiseth vices with the titles of vertues or when in stead of Gods truth he foysteth in errors to the intēt he may destroy Chrystes séely shéepe Too call vpon Saincts to erne euerlasting life by our woorks are most greuous sinnes and yet he defēdeth them as good déeds and so of many other things He inuadeth Christes shéepe by Tirannie when he bringeth too passe that they bée destitute of food and other helps of this present lyfe or else when he assaulteth them with open warre too the intent he may either trouble the purenesse of the Gospell or else quite abolish it He inuadeth Christs flocke w t wickednesse stumbling-blockes when he draweth many vntoo naughtinesse where through the holy ghost is shakē of mē agein brought in bōdage vnto sathā How many in these dayes are by this policy ouerthrown ther is no mā y t séeth not In what village reignes not enuie backbiting bibbing whoorhunting such othe horrible wickednesses In as much as we sée these thīgs we haue an assured proof y t sathā inuadeth christes shéepfold Also he inuadeth Chrystes shéepfold by hipocrisie as oftē as he couereth most heinous offences with his outward pretence of holynesse like as was wōt too bée in old time among the Moonks is yet still at this day among them that haue not yet laid away their Pharisaicall fashions Wée haue already by what ways the woolfe whiche is the Deuil inuadeth Christes shéepfold Now wil we speak of the fléeing of the hireling For the hireling is he that is no owner of the shéepe and therfore he runneth away when he séeth the woolf make toward them But did not Chryst now then flée Did he not cōmand his disciples that when they wer persecuted in one city they shuld flée into another Did not Paul himself flée whē he was let down from the wal in a basket Now in as much as it is certein y t neither Christ was a woolf nor the rest of y e Apostles it must néedes folow y t this fléeing wherof y e Lord speaketh héer is not to be vnderstood of euery kind of fléeing But it is to be known y t there is a fléeing of the body a fléeing of the minde The fléeing of the body is sometimes lawfull but the other is not But what is the fléeing of the minde It is when one fléeth from doing his duetie And this fléeing is of foure sortes according to the woolues foure maners of inuading
persons nations or kindes For God is a louer of men and willeth the saluation of all men according too this saying his will is that all men should bée saued and come too the knowledge of his truth But what must the Apostles proclayme The gospell that is too wit glad tidings of the ouercomming of the enimies of mankinde whiche are sinne death the deuil and hell of peace made betwixte God and men and of euerlasting saluation which they that beleeue in Chryst shall obtein by inheritance This is the summe of the Gospel Howbéeit too the intent this summe may bée the better vnderstood I will giue a more plentifull definition the whiche I will also bréefly declare by testimonies of the scripture The Gospel is a doctrine reueled from heauen wherin is shewed deliuerance from sinne curse and Gods wrath and wherin is proclaimed forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting lyfe too them that beléeue on the sonne of God for the sacrifice of the same son of God that the goodnes and mercy of God may bée published that they which are deliuered by the son may by faith in the same sonne bring foorth frutes worthy the Gospel This definition conteineth many things which wée will reherse and confirme in order First I saide that the Gospell is a doctrine reueled from heauen which thing is confirmed by that which is written in the .xvj. to the Romanes where Paule calleth the Gospell a mysterie hidden from the beginning By which woordes he signifieth most manyfestly that the Gospel dependeth not vppon mannes reason For yf reason coulde by any meanes through it own sharpnesse haue perceiued this doctrine it might in no wise haue bin called a mysterie hidden from before all worlds Ageine it is saide in the definition that in the Gospell is shewed deliueraunce from sinne from the curse of the lawe and from Gods wrath For the prophet Danieil sayth that Chryst shall take away sinne And Paul sayth that the curse of the Lawe is abolyshed by the comming of Chryste Also the heauenly father telleth vs from heauen that hée is pacified for his sonnes sake And this thing too bée most true all the godly doo féele hauing witnesse of the holy Ghoste by whom they crie Abba father Which thing vndoutedly they shoulde not doo vnlesse they persuaded themselues for a certeintie that sinne is taken away the curse of the lawe abolished and Gods wrath pacified In the thirde place is added that in the Gospel is proclaimed forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life For thus sayth the Lord himselfe in the .xxiiij. of Luke So is it written and so it behooued Chryst too suffer and repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes too bée preached too all nations in his name And in this dayes Gospell hée sayth Hée that beléeueth shall bée saued And the Lorde him selfe sayth Hée that beléeueth on the Sonne shall haue life euerlasting What néedes many woords All the whole scripture promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting lyfe too all that embrace the Gospell But forbicause these benefits befal not too al mē for Cain Iudas Saule and many others perished and at this day alas the most part of y e world rūneth intoo destructiō therfore is added in the fourth place of the definition that these benefites happen too the beléeuers For the Lord sayth playnly he that beléeueth in mée shall not perish but shal haue life euerlasting And least any man should think that this dependeth vpon the state of woorks Paule writeth that a man is iustified without woorks the same Paul pronounceth y e euerlasting life is the gift of God through Iesus Chryst that is y t it befalleth too them that beléeue in Chryst not for their owne desert but by the benefite of Chryst. In the fifth place is added for the sacrifice of the Sonne of God For thus sayeth Paule through the redemption that is in Chryste Iesu. For the Gréeke woord Apolytrosis whiche Paule vseth signifieth suche a raunsome as is made by paymente of a fine for the pardon of a mannes life Suche a fine payd Chryst for vs when he was made sinne for vs that we might be made the rightuousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. Sixthly is added that the goodnesse and mercy of GOD might bée published Which thing is confirmed by the example of the troope of Angels singing this Himne at our Lords birth Glorie vntoo God on high and on earth peace and vntoo men good wil. Wée must think that this was doon too this end that all that acknowledge this Chryste may by the example of the most pure Angels lern too set out the goodnesse and mercy of God specially séeing that nature calleth vppon vs too render thanks too suche as haue deserued wel Last of all in the definition of the Gospell is added That those which are deliuered by the Gospel should bring foorthe frutes woorthie the Gospel For Paule in the .2 Ephe. sayth Wée are created in Iesu Chryst vntoo good woorks in which wée must walke And the same Paule sayth that wée oughte too walke in the lighte bycause wée are the Children of light For how I pray you stādeth this with reson that wee should bée exempted out of the bondage of sinne and yet serue sinne and bée oppressed with the yoke thereof The grace of God sayth Paule appéered too the welfare of all men too the intent that renouncing all vngodlinesse and fleshly desires we might liue soberly godlyly and rightuously in this world Forasmuche then as wée haue by strong reasons shewed that sinne curse and Gods wrath are taken away by the Gospell and that in their roome doo succéede rightuousnesse saluation and euerlasting life for Chrystes sake as long as wée beléeue in him and that for this benefite God will haue vs set foorth his goodnesse and shew thankfulnesse in all oure whole life It foloweth that the Gospell as I sayd is a doctrine reuealed from heauen wherin is preached deliuerance from sinne from curse of the law and from Gods wrath and wherein is proclaymed rightuousnesse saluation and euerlasting life too all that beléeue in Chryste for the sacrifice of him that the goodnesse and mercy of God may bée set foorth that those whiche are deliuered by the Gospell may bring forth frutes woorthy the Gospel Thus much concerning the Gospel And as for that which is added concerning Baptim wherby the benefite is applyed too the Gospel and sealed vp it is spoken already in the first Sunday in Lent and often elswhere ¶ Of the third NOw foloweth the place whiche is peculiar too this feast For the Euangelist declareth that our Lord ascended in too heauen Wherefore I wil say a little and that as plainly as I can concerning Chrystes ascension intoo heauen which is an Article of our Créede In this article of our Lords ascension there bée thrée thinges too bée specially considered of vs. First his coming down for before hée went vp hée came downe Secondly his
should bring vp a worshipping of God contrary too his commaundement Fourthly that wée should wallowe in al filth and wickednesse Which so euer of these four things our enimie shal compasse he holdeth men as prisoners For he that denyeth Gods prouidence is condemned for one of Epicures sect He that executeth his vocatiō deceitfully is woorse than an Infidel He that setteth vp a woorshipping contrary too Gods commaundement despiseth God and is rather the Diuels seruaunt than the seruaunt of God He that liueth an vnhonest lyfe is the bondslaue of sinne and the hyreling of Deathe and of Sathan But what remedie is there ageinst these mischéeues Purenesse of Doctrine and absteyning from false prophets For the purenesse of doctrine teacheth vs that God regardeth vs in suche wise that the Lord kéepeth reckening of all the heares of our head The same pure doctrine holdeth vs in our vocation and teacheth vs the true manner of worshipping God Besides that it conteyneth the rule of true holynesse and of leading a blamelesse life The second thing which I admonished folke too consider in this first place is Bond. Now it may be demaunded whither this Bond perteyne too all men or but only too the gouernoures of the Churche For many thinke themselues excused if they obey those that haue the ordinary calling Untoo whom the prophet Ezechiell in his thirde Chapter or rather the spirite of Chryste speaking in Ezechiell answered in these woordes I haue made thee watche man ouer the house of Israell and thou shalt héere the woord at my mouthe and shalt giue them warning from me If I say too the vngodlye thou shalt dye the death and thou tell it him not nor speake vntoo him that he may turne from his wicked way and liue The vngodlye persone shall dye in his owne sinne and I will require his blud at thy hand But if thou giue the wicked man warning and he tourne not from his wickednesse and from his vngodly waye Hée verely shall die in his owne wickednesse but thou haste deliuered thine owne soule This saying of the Prophete sheweth sufficiently that they are farre wide whiche surmise it too bée inoughe for them if they obey their paryshe Curates whyther they teache well or ill If it were so the Turkes and Ethnikes should bée saued of whom many haue obeyed their teachers It is too bée knowne therefore that all men are bounde too flée false Prophetes as pestilent Plagues of their Saluation For Chrystes commaundemente is manyfest whiche héere is giuen too all men for he speaketh too the multitude And Iohn in his firste Epistle fourth Chapter sayeth Beléeue not euery spirite but trie the spirites whyther they bée of GOD for many false Prophetes are gone out intoo the world And Chryst sayeth My shéepe héere my voice But what dooth that tirant the Pope in this case Hée sayeth that the discussing of the doctrine belongeth too him his shauelings I pray you what can be spoken or imagined more shamelesse Is not this as muche as too ouermayster Chrystes spouse and too vsurp Lordship ouer the Lordes inheritance notwithstanding that Peter the Apostle whose successoure hée bosteth him selfe too bée were forbidden too doo it Iohn Baptist professeth him selfe too bée a seruaunt too the spouse but the Pope will bée mayster of the spouse Chryst coueteth too haue his spouse kept chast vntoo him self but the Pope defileth hir with horrible aduoutrie Hée teacheth the doctrines of Deuilles whereby shée may learne too play the strumpet Paule sayeth I haue betrothed you too one man that I may bestowe you a chaste virgin vppon Chryst. This betrothing is made by fayth of the moste pure and moste chaste woorde of GOD. But the Pope who bosteth himselfe too bée Peters successoure bestayneth this virgine with a thousand adulteries when hée leadeth hir away from embracing of hir husband Chryste too sundry Idolatries and woorshipping of Sainctes The third thing that I set out too be considered in this first place is the vse of this prohibition or forbidding Bevvare of false Prophets Whiche vse surely is manifolde For first this prohibition warneth vs that there shall bée false teachers in the Churche Which thing the Lord signified also by the Parable of the man that sowed good séede in his féelde and of the enimie that came and sowed Darnel in the same féelde For the woodnesse of the Deuill is so greate that hée neuer ceaseth woorking too corrupte Gods woorde whiche thing hée began too doo assoone as euer oure firste Parents were created in Paradise And at this daye the more is the pitie he woorketh his feats through the whole world Séeing that wée knowe this wée must bée the more diligent and looke better about vs. Secondly this prohibition Bevvare of false Prophets must stirre vs vp too giue our mindes more earnestly vntoo Gods woorde Wherevppon Paule wisheth that the Philippians may increase in all knowledge And Chryst saith Serch the scriptures and learn of mée If yée abide in my woord yée are my Disciples in déed and yée shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall deliuer you Thirdly this prohibition proueth that the Churche maye bothe put downe false teachers and set vp true teachers in their steade For it were in vayne too bidde vs shunne false Prophetes vnlesse it were lawfull too displace them from the Office and charge of teaching and too appoynt true ministers in their roumes Praise woorthie therefore are those godly Kings and Princes that are careful for the reformation of the Churches and the maintenance of the ministery of Gods woord Fourthly also this prohibitiō sheweth how the woordes of those y t teach are too bée receiued If they teach the truth they are too be heard no lesse than God himselfe For so sayeth the Lord Hée that héereth you héereth mée and he that despiseth you despiseth mée If they teache amisse they are too bée eschued no lesse than Sathan him selfe For as Sathan seduced Eue with euill doctrine so they that teache lies disappoynt men of the grace of God or rather thrust them oute of the heauenly kingdome according as euery man knoweth too bée doone in the papacie ¶ Of the second WHich come vntoo you in Sheepes clothing but invvardelye are rauening VVolues In the declaration of thys place wée will looke vppon fiue things in order First from whence false prophets come and whither they go Secondly By what names they bée called in the scripture wherby the greatnesse of the perill may bée vnderstoode Thirdly What is the outwarde countenaunce of false teachers Fourthlye What is their desire and intent Fiftly What markes they haue wherby they may bée discerned from true Prophets If yée aske from whence they come and whither they go I answere in fewe woordes they come from Sathan as stirred vp by him and they goe intoo the Lords vineyarde that is intoo the Churche Héereof are many examples Into that little Churche of Adam Eue and Abell there came the false teacher Caine
haste the woorde of life How bée it this fayth of Peters got greater strength and came as it were vntoo full growth on Whitsunday when hauing receyued Chrystes spirite visibly hée came abrode and at one sermon wan thrée thousand people vntoo Chryste So also muste fayth encrease in all others whiche if a man haue respect too the substance of it is perfect by and by as soone as it is conceyued by the woord but if yée haue an eye too the quantitie of it it groweth greater by dayly encrease And as concerning the dooings of Fayth they are moste trimly set oute in this Courtyer For firste fayth compelleth this Courtyer too flée vntoo Chryste for refuge in his aduersities as vntoo a moste true and skilfull Phisitian for all diseases and gréefes Secondlye it enforceth him too call vppon Chryste and too craue his ayde Besides this it maketh him not too giue ouer Chryst forthwith when he could not at the first intreataunce winne his purpose but too hang vpon him with earnest sute and not suffer himself too bée shaken of for a rough answere from him whom hée acknowledged too bée the only Sauyour And by so dooing hée obteyneth of Chryst what hée would Wherthrough his faith encreseth the more hée becometh the more chéerful earnest in suing and yéeldeth the frutes of confession and glorifying as is sayde héere And he beleeued all his vvhole housholde Héerby then wée may gather y e faith hath six frutes going with it continually The first is that fayth wil driue vs too Chryste in our aduersities too séeke help at his hand It knowes no sainctes too call vpon but onely Chryst whom it acknowledgeth too bée the onely mediatour betwéene God and man The seconde is that when it is come vntoo Chryste it calleth vpon him not for it owne woorthinesse but vppon trust of his gentlenesse and mercie The third is that though it obteine not out of hande yet it ceaseth not like a sluggarde nor fainteth like a cowarde but procéedeth stil in praying The fourth is that it obteyneth what it will it willeth that which may turne too the glory of God The fifth is that after it hathe obteyned what it wyll it groweth more and more and commeth too a fulsome quantitie The sixth is that after it yéeldeth the frute of confession praise of GOD. And this sentence is too bée marked héedfully Hee beleeued and all his house The like thing reporteth Luke of Cornelius Héerby therefore wée may learne too inure our housholde vntoo godlinesse Let vs bée a patron and example of doctrine vntoo it Let vs instruct the ignoraunt chastise the offenders quicken vp the dullerds and too bée short let vs too the vttermost of our power endeuer y t there may bée as many churches as there be housholds But as for them that haue no care of their housholde too sée them traded in godlinesse they may brag of faith as much as they list for they haue but the smoke of faith not faith it selfe whiche is alwayes bearing frute through Iesus Chryst our Lorde too whom bée prayse and glorie world without end Amen Vpon the .xxij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospel Math. xviij THerefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vntoo a certeine man that vvas a king vvhiche vvould haue accompts of his seruauntes And vvhen he had begonne too recken one vvas brought vntoo him vvhich ought him ten thousand talents but for as muche as he vvas not able too paye his Lorde commaunded him too bee solde and his vvyfe and children and all that he had and payment too bee made The seruant fell dovvne and besought him saying syr haue pacience vvith me and I vvill pay thee all Then had the Lorde pitie on that seruaunt and loosed him and forgaue him the dot So the same seruaunt vvent out and founde one of his fellovves vvhiche ought him an hundred pence and he layde handes on him and tooke him by the throte saying Pay that that thou ovvest And his fellovve fell dovvne and besoughte him saying haue pacience vvith me and I vvill pay thee all And he vvoulde not but vvente and caste him intoo prison till he shoulde pay the det So vvhen his felovves savve vvhat vvas doone they vvere very sory and came and tolde vntoo their Lorde all that hadde happened Then his Lorde called him and sayde vntoo him O thou vngratious seruaunt I forgaue thee all that dette vvhen thou desiredst mee shouldest not thou also haue had compassion on thy fellovve euen as I had pitie on thee and his Lorde vvas vvrothe and delyuered him too the gaylers tyll he shoulde pay all that vvas due vntoo him So likevvyse shall my heauenly father doo also vntoo you if yee from your harts forgiue â–ª not euery one his brother his trespasâ—e The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this Gospel was the question that Peter asked of Chryste howe often hée shoulde forgiue his brother that offended him whither vntoo seuen times Too him Chryst aunswereth I say not too thée seuen times but vntoo seuentie times seuen times that is too wit of sinnings Seuentie times seuen are foure hundred fourescore and ten Whereby is signified that wée must forgiue the fault of our brother that repenteth as often as he offendeth ageinst vs. For he put a number certeine for an infinite Howbéeit in as muche as this séemed hard to Peter our Lord put foorth a parable the sum wherof is this God our heauenly Father pardoneth vs oftentymes offending ageinst him Wherfore wée also must forgiue our brethren that haue delt amisse with vs as often as they bée sory for it This Gospell therfore perteineth too the third part of Repentance namely too the leading of a new lyfe by fayth of which new lyfe one part is a forgiuing one an other of the mysdéedes that scape vs. Now too the intent this parable may bée the more cléerly vnderstood I wil make a comparison of things in this wise Like as a very rich creditour is in respect of a very poore detter but yet such a detter as humbleth himselfe and casteth himselfe downe flat at his creditours féete beséeching him of release Euen so dooth God behaue himselfe towards sinners humbling them selues before him in true repentance and casting them selues downe and crauing forgiuenesse for Chrysts sake But the rich creditour releaseth the dette too the detter that humbleth him selfe Ergo God of his mercy forgiueth the repentant person all his sinnes Now like as God behaueth him selfe towards sinners oftentimes offending ageinst him so must a Christen man behaue himself towards his brothers or fellow seruaunts that trespasse ageynst him Therefore like as GOD forgiueth vs our misdéeds fréely so must wée also forgiue the displeasures wherewith wée are impeached by our brethren Ageine on the contrary part Look in what wise the Creditor dealeth with his detter too whom hée earst released his dette and afterwarde founde him cruell ageinst his brother
be made a iestingstocke too the people his doctrine bée defamed his aucthoritie bée abased and he at last bée haled too punishment as a blasphemer ageinst God an heretike euill dooer Yée sée the drifte of the Pharisies counselling toogither In the thirde place foloweth what manner of deuise they founde out It lyked these good councellers too sende their disciples with Herodes seruauntes A very suttle fetche that they might haue witnesses present too report his errande too Herode if he had sayde ought that afterwarde might scarce bée wel lyked of These their disciples had they noozeled thorowly in hypocrisie that they might bée the fitter too deceyue For none deceyue men â—ooner than those that outwardly pretende holynesse and curtesie when priuily they purpose too beguyle Fourthly the coÌ„munication of those hypocrites is described in this wise Maister vvee knovve that thou speakest the truth and teachest the vvay of the Lorde aright and that thou carest not for any man This is the beginning of their talke which surely if thou looke vpon the woordes is most apt For it conteyneth two things First they acknowledge him too bée their master and afterwarde they attribute vntoo him the vertues whiche a faythfull teacher ought too haue WheÌ„ they acknowledge him too bée their master their méening is too séeme not his enimies but his fréends or rather his disciples and such as had great desire too learne at his hande And when they attribute vntoo him the vertues that a true teacher ought too haue they craftely wynde them selues in with him too the intent he shold beléeue they ment him no harme But there is no deuise there is no wisedome ageinst the Lord. And what are those vertues which they attribute vntoo Chryst The first is the loue of truthe Wée knowe saye they that thou arte true The seconde is certeyntie of doctrine And that say they thou teachest the way of God aright And the thirde is stedfastnesse and stoutnesse of minde And thou carest for no man say they Wherfore Bicause thou respectest not any mans persone and this is the fourth vertue for thou say they regardest not any maÌ„s person These foure vertues are great and are required of all Gods ministers The loue of trueth dryueth away the darknesse of ignoraunce and maketh the truth too shine out cléere The certeintie of doctrine makes vs that wée bée not tossed too and fro with the windes of variable doctrine nor flote in the fondnesse of false reports Stedfastnesse stoutnesse of mynde make a man inuincible in his office When the teacher hathe no respecte of any mennes persones it maketh that the truthe can not bée suppressed for feare or for any other thing These vertues dooth the Lorde attribute too Iohn the Baptist and the sequele shewed that hée was endued with them in déede For when Herode had taken away his brother Philips wife Iohn boldely withstoode him not fearing the persone or state that Herode bare For hée sayd It is not lawfull for thée too haue thy brothers wife For which thing he was put too death within a while after Such vertues had Helias also who resisted the wicked King Ahab and sayd openly too his face It is thou and thy fathers house that trouble Israell But as for those that doo not this are more rightly too be called hirelings than true shepherds Hithertoo concerning the practises of Hypocrites ageynste Chryste ¶ Of the second NOw foloweth their question wherewith they thinke too catche suche hold of Chryst that he cannot shift away froÌ„ them Is it lavvfull say they too pay Tribute vntoo Caesar or no Héere they thoughte that of necessitie and simplye hée must haue aunswered one of these twoo things eyther that it was lauful or not lawful If he had sayd it had bin lawful he should haue displeased the people vpon whom the Emperor had layd this burthen ageinst their willes so the Pharisies might haue had a gap opened to destroy him wheÌ„ the people had abandoned him And if hée had sayd it had not bin lawful Herods seruantes were at hand too cary him foorthwith as a seditious person too bée punished What dooth the Lord then too this questioÌ„ He dooth twoo things First he rebuketh theÌ„ and afterward hee assâ—yleth their question Iesus sayeth the Euangelist perceyuing their vvickednesse sayd vvhy tempt you mee yee Hipocrites Héere they found true by their own experience the thing that they had spoken too him before in the way of flatterie thou respectest not the persons of men The solution too their question hée framed in this wise Shevv mee a peece of the tribute money and they shevved him a pennie VVhose image and inperscription is this sayeth hee They sayd vntoo him Caesars Then sayd he vntoo them Giue therfore vntoo Caesar the things that are Caesars vntoo God those things that are Gods The question is answered in such wise as that neyther our Lord suppresseth the truth nor the Pharisies haue any holde too picke quarels too him Wherfore béeing confounded they wondered went their wayes So little can any deuise or any craftinesse preuaile ageinste the Lord. But what dooth this answere of Chrystes teache vs First it putteth a difference betwixte Cesars kingdome and Gods kingdome that is betwéene the kingdome of the worlde and the Church Ageine it putteth a difference betwéene the persones that are chéefe of these twoo diuers kingdomes Also it teacheth that obedience is too bée perfourmed in bothe kingdomes that is too say that God must haue his seruice in his spirituall kingdome and that due dutifulnesse must bée performed too the ciuil magistrate In this place I should shewe what is due too God and what too the ciuil magistrate Howbéeit forasmuche as I haue often héeretofore entreated of the seruice of GOD I wil now speake héere onely of the Magistrate too the intente wée may bée put in minde how godly opinion wée ought too haue of the magistrate I will therefore say fiue things concerning the Magistrate First froÌ„ whence hée is and what hée is Secondlye what conditions ought too â—elong too a good Magistrate Thirdly what is his dutie and what are the endes of the ciuill gouernemente Fourthlye what right the Magistrate hath vppon the bodies and goodes of his Subiectes And fiftly what the Subiectes owe too their Magistrate The first that I purposed that is too wit from whence and what the Magistrate is is declared by Paule in the thirde too the Romaines where hée teacheth that the Magistrate is of God For there is no power sayth hée but of God and the powers that are are ordeyned of God Which thing truely is too bée vnderstoode of the rightfull gouernement and not of the confusion that is oftentimes séene in states of gouernement for mennes wickednesse Therefore as long as good Magistrates guyde the helme wée sée God after a sort present with vs and ruling vs by the hande of those whom he hath sent ouer vs. Contrarywise where