comminge of christ it is described as it wer in a glasse M. For those thicke darcknesses do take place where so euer that light of the grace of Christ doth not shine This darknesse dothe ingender all kinde of wickednesse whiche the apostel calleth the workes of darkenesse Galile of the Gentiles C. This lower Galile was called Galile of the Gentiles not onely for the adioyning to Tyre Sydon but bicause that there the Iewes and the Gētyles wer mingled together oute of the whiche specially Dauid had graunted to king Hiram certaine cities to declare that the lyghte of the Gospell shoulde be caried also to the Gentiles Iesus spake vnto Paule thus Delyueringe the from this people and from the Gentiles vnto whom nowe I send thée to open their eies that they may be turned from darkenes to light and from the power of Sathā vnto God that they may receyue forgyuenesse of synnes and inheritaunce among them which are sanctified by faith that is toward mée 16. The people whiche sat in darknesse haue seene greate lyght and to them which sat in the regiō and shadow of darkenesse is the lyght sprong vp The people vvhich sat in darke M. The Apostell Paule most plainely declareth what it is to sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death saying Remēber that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called vncircumcision from that whiche is called circumcision in the flesh which circumcision is made by hands remember I say that at that time ye were without Christ being aliantes from the common weale of Israell and strangers frō the testamētes of the promise hauing no hope being without God in this world Savve great lyght C. That they whiche sat in darknesse are said to se great light so sodaine and manifest a chaunge dothe amplifie and inlarge the greatnes of the deuine sauing health M. Christ doth cal him selfe the light of the world The propertie of the lighte is to dryue awaye the darkenesse and to lyghten those that are in the same So Christ is the true lyght of the worlde which lighteth euery man comming into the world that is he putteth awaye the darkenes of our mindes he openeth the secretes of our hartes and by his holy spirite he maketh vs to haue parfecte knowledge of God. In the region and shadovve of deathe S. He calleth it the region and shadowe of deathe according to the maner of the Hebreues a region in the whiche there are darke cloudes euen as in hell The shadow of death is the comming of present death yea euen the very terrours of death and it signifieth a continuall trouble of consciences Is a light sprong vp A. To se the light and to haue the lyght to shyne vp-vpon any man is all one 17. From that tyme forth Iesus began to preach and say repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hande From that tyme forth C. Mathewe in this place doth seeme somwhat to differ from the other two Euangelistes Marke and Luke For after he saide that Christ leauinge his countrey went into Capernaum at length he toucheth the beginning of his preachinge but Luke and Marke say that he taughte openly in his owne countrey A. For thus saith Marke After that Iohn was taken came Iesus into Galile preaching the Gospel of the kingdome and saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hands repente and beleue the Gospel But Luke saith And Iesus returned by the power of the spirite into Galile and the fame of him was spredde througheout the whole region and he preached in they re synagogges and was cōmended of all men But the solution of these is easie soone gathered For the aduerbe of time which Mathew hath oughte to be referred not onely to the next member but also to the whole somme of the narration Therefore Christ by his comming into Galile entered and began his race Repent for the kingdome C. The somme order of this doctrine differeth nothinge from that which Iohn vsed of the which we spake before For it consisteth of two partes of Repentaunce and of the preaching of grace and healthe He exhorteth the Iewes to cōuersion and amendment of life because the kingdome of God was at hande that is because God wold take in hand him selfe to gouerne his people with full and parfect felicitie and blessednesse Marke a littell otherwise saythe The kingdome of heauen is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell notwithstandinge euen in the same sence that Mathew writeth For speaking before of the restoring againe of the kingdome of God to the Iewes he exhorteth to repentaunce and fayth A. Christe hym selfe commaundeth his apostelles to preache the like Se that ye preache sayinge the kingdome of heauen is at hande and againe he sent them to preache the kingdome of god Also saye vnto theim the kingdom of God is come vpon you And againe Repentaunce and remission of sinnes muste be preached in his name The whiche commaundement the Apostells obeyed For when they went forth they preached repentaunce But Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptised euery one of you in the remission of sinnes And again Repente and conuerte that your sinnes maye be done awaye Notwithstanding it may be demanded forasmuche as Repentaunce dependeth vppon the Gospell why Marke did seperate the same frō the doctrine of the Gospell We maye aunswere two maner of waies For God somtimes doth so bed vs amend our lyues that he onely saith the same must be chaunged into a better afterward he sheweth that conuertion and newnes of life is the gift of his holy spirite that we maye knowe howe we are commaunded not onely to do that which is our duetie but also that the grace and vertue of obeiyng is with the same offered vnto vs If after this maner we vnderstande that whiche Iohn preached of repentaunce the sence and meaning is The lorde commaundeth you to tourne vnto him but because of your selues you can not do it he promyseth his spirite of regeneration Wherefore you must receyue this grace by Fayth although the faith which the Gospel requireth ought not at all to be restrayned to the gyfte of renouation or renuinge but specially it dothe belong to remission of synnes For Iohn ioyneth repentaunce with faythe because God dothe reconcile vs to hym selfe to be worshipped and honored of vs as a father in holines and rightousnes Furthermore it is no absurditie to saye that to beleue the Gospell is as muche as to imbrace and receyue free iustificacation righteousenes For often times in the scripture this speciall relation betwene faith remission of sinnes is had as when it teacheth that we are iustifyed by faythe Bothe wayes we maye expounde this place but the beginninge is sure and ratyfied that free saluation is offered vnto vs of God that being tourned vnto him we may liue to righteousnes Therfore he promising
the misteries of God to commit them to the scornings iestes and tauntes of the wicked and reprobate Secōdly Christ sought meanes to comforte his disciples that they should not be discouraged so seace to preache to the electe although they sawe the wicked reprobate peruersly to reiect the same Neyther cast ye your pearles M. In respecte of the preciouse price and noblenes of the woorde of God he calleth it a pearle for the which we ought to sel all that we haue as we may reade in the 13. chap. followinge C. Whereby we gather of howe greate price this holy doctrine of the gospell oughte to be vnto vs. M. He sayth your pearles to declare that it is peculiar and proper to the faithfull C. The pure vse of the doctrine of God is to féede the faithfull with the woorde of God as with their corporall meate and that the wicked should be made afraide by the iudgement of god the which if they neglecte geue not that whiche is holye to dogges nor pearles to swyne or Before hogges Bu. By hogges he vnderstādeth such as wholly drown them selues in filthy pleasure with their blasphemies do seeke to defile the doctrine of the Gospell so much as in them lyeth Least they treade them C. By this Christ doth seeme to distynguishe betwene the hogges the dogges attributing to the hogges a brutishe dulnes voide of sēce to the dogges madnes This experience trewely teacheth that there are twoo kindes of contemners As for example what so euer is in the scriptures as concerning the corrupt nature of man frée iustification and eternall election many do tourne the same either to sluggishe slouthfulnes and brutysshe behauiour or elles to the lasciuiousnesse of the fleshe suche are very aptly accorto deserte compared to hogges The other do rent teare with extreame madnes by furiouse reproche the pure doctrine the ministers thereof to the ende they might frustrate the study of wel doinge the feare of God and al care of saluation Although therefore Christ doth declare by bothe names that the aduersaries of the woord of God are incurable notwithstanding by a double similitude he doth shew briefely in what one of thē do differ from an other M. We must also note this that he saith And the other tourninge againe all to rente you For at the fyrst they do feyne modestie that they may learne the secretes of religion but whē they haue learned it they tourne sodeinly they deride they rayle byting and tearing the ministers of the woorde and all suche as are louers of the trueth Thus plaied Alexander the coppersmith Hymenaeus Iuleanus Caesar the apostata Porphirius and Lucianus with other lyke vnto these 7 Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto yon C. This is an exhortation to praye and because we are in this exercise of godlynes which ought to be our greatest care so slowe and negligent he cōmaundeth the same to be done by three manner of speakinges Neyther is it in vaine that he saith Aske seke and knocke for least his doctrine shoulde waxe colde he continueth still in stirringe vp our dulnesse And to the same ende parteineth the promises whiche he addeth ye shal haue ye shall finde it shall be opened vnto you For there is nothing that doth better incourage vs to pray then a sure and vndoubted trust hope to obtaine for they cannot praye aright whiche doubte yea prayer is a vayne and rydiculouse ceremony without faithe Christ therfore to allure vs to this parte of duety effectually dothe not onely charge vs with that whiche we ought to do but doth also promise that our praiers shal not be in vain And this also is diligentlye to be noted first that we maye vnderstande that this order of prayer was appoynted and prescribed vnto vs that we might suerly perswade our selues that God is mercyfull vnto vs and redy to here our prayers to graunte vs oure petitions Furthermore so oftē as we are prepared to pray or so often as we fele that the heate and force of prayer hath not in vs his feruent zeale and effecte we must call to mynde howe greatly the lorde inuiteth and calleth vs and howe mercyfully he promyseth that we shall taste his fatherly affections So it shal come to passe that euery man bearing him selfe boulde on the grace and fauour of Christ shal conceiue a sure trust of prayinge and shall freely call vpon god As Paule teacheth in his epistel to the Ephesians But because we are more geuen to distrust then becommeth vs Christ to correcte the same doth iterate one promise with diuers wordes Let vs therefore acknowledge oure nakednesse and imbecillitie neyther let vs dispaire but let vs boldely aske and that constantly For he saithe Aske seeke knocke A. Aske namely that whiche is lawefull and accordynge to his wyl Seeke diligently Knocke with perseuerance continually C. But he vsed the metaphor of seking because we thyncke that to be farre from vs which our nede and necessitie requireth And he vsed the metaphor of knockinge also because the carnall sence of the fleshe imagineth that those thinges are shut from vs which ar not at hande in a readines To this sentence of Christ agreeth the saying of the prophete Seeke the lorde while he may be found call vpon him while he is nie Againe I loue them which loue me and they which seke me early shal fynde mee 8 For who so euer asketh receyueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shal be opened A. To the ende we mighte be more feruent and desirouse to pray C. Chryste doth here offer vnto vs his fathers grace and fauour as if he shoulde say that god is redy of his owne free wil to heare vs if so be that we pray and that riches are offered vnto vs if that we will aske thē By the whiche woordes he dothe declare that they are iustly ponyshed which wāting necessary thinges seeke not this remedy against their nede It is most certaine when the faithful are often times a slepe the lorde watcheth for them and for their healthe and so preuenteth their praiers For there were nothynge to vs more miserable then if he shoulde looke for our prayers in this slepy and drousy sluggishenes of the fleshe but he dothe not by prouocation but of his owne free will geue vnto vs fayth whiche by order and time goeth before all prayers But because Christ in this place speaketh vnto his disciples he dothe plainely shewe howe his heauenly father woulde make vs partakers of his giftes Therefore although he doth freely bestowe vppon vs all thinges yet notwithstanding he doth commaunde vs to praye to exercise oure faithe and that he might graunt vnto vs which aske those thynges whiche onely come of his mere goodnes Bu. This vndoubted promise of God oughte to stirre and allure all men
doctrine is shewed in the lawe prophetes but he vnderstandeth that what soeuer is there commaunded of charitie what so euer lawes and exhortations there be for the imbracinge of equitie oughte to be referred to this ende The sence therfore of his woordes is that the second table is fulfilled if so be that wee do vnto others as we woulde they should do vnvs Accordinge to the whiche S. Paule saith He whiche loueth an other fulfylleth the lawe Againe he saythe All the law is cōprehended in one worde namely in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 13 Enter in at the straite gate for wyde is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to destructiō and many there be whiche go in thereat Enter in at the strayte gate M. Because this doctrine seemed to the disciples new and vnwonted as it was heauenly so the same semed incomprehensible to the wisdome of the fleshe specially in respecte of that whervnto they were accustomed Christ therfore added this admonishing his disciples to prepare thē selues as it were to a strayte and thorny way or to a troublesome iorney Broade is the vvaye M. By the way the scripture vnderstandeth the lyfe of man because it tendeth as a waye eyther to a comming to lyfe or deathe And many there be vvhiche go in thereat C. He sayth that many go the broade way because mē do destroy one an other by their peruerse ensamples For wherevpon cōmeth that euery man willingly and carelesly casteth hym selfe to destruction but because they thincke they perysshe not when in dede in the middest of the route they perishe And on the contrary parte the small nomber of the faythful maketh many altogether bent to wickednes for we are not easely broughte to renounce the worlde and to frame our selues and our lyfe to the manners of fewe for we thincke it an absurde thing to be brought from the multitude or greatest nomber as though we were not part of mākinde And although the doctrine of Christ doth constraine vs as bonde doth bryng our lyfe into a straite iorney and dothe seperate vs from the multitude and ioine vs to a few yet notwithstanding this precisenes ought not to lett vs to aspire and come to life immortall 14 For strayte is the gate and narrowe is the waye whiche leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that fynde it For strayte is the gate Bu. The sence of this place is that there is a certaine institution of life which is vneasy hard sharpe and therefore it doth abhorre the myndes of the people but this soure and vnsauery lyfe hath most pleasant fruites which bringeth to euerlasting lyfe But where as the waye is narrowe that commethe by our corrupt nature and imperfection in that we can not make our lyfe subiect to the yoke There is no cause therefore why we should complayne but we must ascribe the same to our wicked inclination Laste of all we muste note here the twoo endes of man whiche are here put of Christe to one of the whiche we must ronne at the lengthe that is to saye eyther to lyfe or perdition 15 Beware of false Prophetes whiche come to you in shepes clothinge but inwardely they are rauening wolues Bevvare C. This is a moste profytable admonition declaring that is more easy to be deceiued then to obeye and harken to wholsome counsaile for of our owne free wil we encline to falsehode and deceyte yea and althoughe there were no deceiuer yet we seduce and beguyle our selues By these wordes therfore our sauioure Christ doth teache that alwayes his churche is subiecte to dyuerse seducinges so to be daungerouse for some to fall from the faithe excepte they be vigilant diligent to beware The Iewes for the most part did hope that they shold haue a happy state vnder the kingedome of Christ and to be exempt from al strife and trouble Therefore he admonysheth his disciples to persiste and contynue if they couet to prepare theim selues to auoyde the deceytes of Sathan For the lorde will haue his church exercised with a continual warfare in this world wherfore that we may shewe our selues to be his disciples to the very end docillitie is not only sufficiēt as to suffer our selues to be gouerned with his woorde but also our faythe must be armed because often times it is assalted of sathan This trewly is the greatest thing if we suffer our selues to be ruled by the godly and faithfull ministers of Christe But because false teachers do arise excepte we watch diligently and be armed with cōstancy we may easely be withdrawen from the flocke To the which perteyneth the sayinge of Christ that the sheepe do here the voice of the shepeherd and not to regarde the voyce of a straunger but to flye from him Whereby we may gather that there is no cause why the faythefull shoulde be discouraged or troubled when wolues do crepe into the sheepefoulde of Christ when false prophetes go about to deface the trewe faith but rather ought to be of good chere and to watche For it is not without cause that Christ biddeth theym beware Wherefore if our owne slouthfulnesse ◅o not trouble vs we shall easely eschewe all trappes and snares and truely without this trust we could not be bolde enough to beware Now when as we knowe that the lorde will not frustrate oure expectation by any of the assaltes of sathā let vs go on without feare cra◅inge of him the spirite of discretion whiche sealeth our hartes with faythe of his treweth and bewrayeth the wyles deceytes of Sathan least we shoulde be begyled Of false prophetes C. A prophete is taken for the teacher shewyng forthe the pure woorde of God to the whiche ā false prophete is contrary which pretendinge the name of God hath a shewe of a prophete There shal arise saith Christ false Christes and false prophetes and shall do greate miracles and wonders in so much that if it were possible the very electe shoulde be deceyuod VVhiche come to you M. That is whiche ioyne theim selues vnto you and fayne thē selues to be on your side being neyther called nor sente Of the whiche prophetes the lorde complayneth in the olde testament sayinge I sent not prophetes and yet they wente In sheepes clothinge C. Here he noteth their falsehod and hipocrisie They faine sayth he them selues to be sheepe when as they are nothinge lesse Christ sheweth that deceyuers wante not their coullered cloke But invvardly they are M. These false prophetes Paule also doth depaynt I knowe saith S. Paule that after my departure there shall come wulues among you not sparing the flock Moreouer of your own selues shal men arise speaking peruerse thinges to drawe disciples after them And in an other place I beseeche you brethern marke them which cause deuission geue occasions of euyl contrary to the docttrine whiche ye haue learned and auoyde them for they that are such serue not
their miserye as appeareth in the thirty verse going before and now the Euangelist sheweth that Christ was not only led by his free grace goodnes to heale them but also by the compassion that he had of their misery As concerning this coÌ„passion reade the ninth chapter going before And touched their eyes A. Marke saith that Christe added farther sayinge Get thee hence thy faith hath made thee safe And Luke hath receiue thy syghte thy faith hath saued thée C. Where by the name of fayth not only the sure trust of the recoueringe of their sighte is vnderstood but also a farther persuasion namely that Iesus was the Messias promised of god For the blynde man did not rashely or without good coÌ„sideration adde vnto Christe the name of the sonne of Dauid Christ ascribeth the receiuing of the syghte to the faythe of the blynde men because although the power glory of Christ doth pearce eueÌ„ to the vnbeleuing somtimes yet notwithstandinge no man doth truely and profitably enioy his benefits but he which by Faythe apprehendeth the same yea to the vnbeleuing the vse of Gods gyftes is so farre froÌ„ doing them good that it is very hurteful vnto them Wherfore the health of the Christ speaketh here is not restrained to the externall health but it comprehendeth a whole and safe mynde also as if Christ should haue saide that the blind man obtained by fayth his desyere at the merciful handes of God. Wherefore if God bestoed his grace vppon the blynde man for his fayth it followeth that Iustification commeth by fayth And by and by they receyued theire sighte Bu. In that that they receiue their sight so soone the power and great verte we of Christe is declared And they follovved him C. This is a signe of greate thankefulnes that the blinde men woulde wayte vppon Christe And although it be vncertayne whether they continued with him anye long time or no yet notwithstandyng it was a great argument of their thankefulnes that they followed Christ to sett forth his grace and power thoughe but for a time The Euangelist Luke hath And they followed hym glorifying God For to this ende we are illuminated of Christ that wee should followe him the true lighte and the author of the same A. And certainly so many as haue truly â—…elâ—…e the redemption of Christe they can not chose but followe their Sauior and glorify God in all thinges which by his only grace hath brought them therevnto C. Luke also addeth that the people gaue the glory vnto God which maketh not a littel to proue the certainty of the miracle The xxi Chapter AND when they drewe nie to HierusaleÌ„ and were com to Bethphage vnto mount Oliuete then sent Iesus twoo of his Disciples And vvhen they drevv nye to Hierusalem Bu. Hytherto oure Euangeliste Matthewe hath described What the Lorde dyd in Galilee and in his Iorneye coÌ„myng from Galile to Hierusalem and now he declareth what he did in that holye and kingly City it self And the nerer that he approched to his death crosse the more liuelye he declareth his power vertue and strengthe For nowe he entring into that holy Citty with a newe and ease kynde of pompe declareth him selfe to be the promised king and deliuerer which the Israelits had long looked for C. Oure sauiour Christe therfore dothe not sende his Disciples for an Asse because he was werye of his Iorney but to an other ende and purpose For seynge the tyme of his deathe was at hande he mente to shewe after a solemne maner what the nature of hys Kyngdome was The whiche thynge treuly he begane to doe euen from the tyme of his Baptisme but this shewe remaineth for hym to sette for the euen in the ende of his callynge and if a man mighte so speake it was the laste pageante he hadde to playe For why did he hetherto abstayne from the name of a Kynge and nowe geueth libertye to haue hymselfe proclaymed a Kynge but onely because he was not farre from the ende of his race Therefore when his Assention into heauen was at hande he woulde haue his Kyngdome openly proclaymed in earthe This hadde bene a foolishe kynde of pompe and verye ridiculouse hadde it not bene that Zachary hadde before Prophesyed of the same To the ende Christe mighte take vnto hym selfe the honor of a Kynge he entereth into Hierusalem rydynge vppon an Asse a worthye pompe in deede to declare a Kynge Moreouer the beaste which he rode vppon was not so rude and base as the forniture that belongeth vnto it was For the Disciples for wante of a saddell were fayne to laye they re clothes vppon the Asses backe which was a token of greate pouertye and nedines We graunt that he wanted no waytinge men for a greate multitude followed hym But what surely suche as came oute of poore villages in the waye as he wente Ioyfull shoutes and cryes are made but of whome surelye of poore men and the contemned sorte of the people Therfore he might seme to do all that he could to make hymselfe a Iestinge stocke to all men But because there were twoo thinges adioyned vnto hym to bee done namely to shew som document or example of his kyngdome and to teache that it was not like vnto terrene or earthlye Empyres he vsed this base estat in ryding to Hierusalem Howbeit this also mighte peraduenture seeme vnsauory and without reason were it not that God had longe before witnessed the same by his Prophete namely that his Kynge which shoulde come to restore saluation to his people shoulde ryde after the maner that oure Euangelist maketh mencion here Therefore leaste the contemptible and base estate of Christe doe hinder vs from the beholding in this spectacle the spirituall Kingdome of Christe let vs laye before oure eyes the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of his Prophete by the which God vnder that deformitye of a beggar doth more beautify his son than if he should shyne in all the maiesticall robes of a king Without this sauce this history will neuer be sauory or pleasuant vnto vs Wherefore the woordes of our Euangelist Mathewe are of great force when he saith that in this the saying of the Prophete is fulfilled because he seing that men which are to much addicted vnto pompe and glorious shewes could not by the naturall sence and vnderstanding of the fleshe gather any profit by the history bringeth them from the bare beholding of the thing to the consideratioÌ„ of the Prophesy as we shal heare anon And vvere come to Beth. M. This Bethphage was a litle village at the bottome or foote of the mounte of Oliues which was nere to the Citty of Hierusalem being distant from the same not aboue two myles as we may reade in the first chapter of the Actes He sent tvvo of his Disciples A. What the names of these twoo Disciples were none of the Euangelistes make mencioÌ„ 2. Saying vnto them Go into the
August lib. 11. Super gens Maior est huius scripturae authoritas quam omnis humani ingenij perspicacitas A CATHOLIKE AND ECCLESIASTIcall exposition of the holy Gospell after S. Mathewe gathered out of all the singuler and approued Deuines whiche the Lorde hath geuen to his Churche by Augustine Marlorate And translated out of Latine into Englishe by Thomas Tymme Mynister Sene and allowed according to the order appointed Jmprinted at London in Fletestreate neare vnto S. Dunstones churche by Thomas Marshe 1570. Quanto magis quisque in sacris eloquijs assiduus fuerit tanto ex eis vberiorem intelligentiam capit Isidor De summo bo lib. 3. I haue once already founde suche frendship at your honours handes tempered with liberalitie whiche I cannot sufficiently requite that now againe I am the more bolde to moleste and trouble you Crauing pardon that for your noble courtesy then I nowe dare presume to committe vnto your honours charge the conduction of a drifte and sea beaten ship And although the very substauÌ„ce of the treasure and precious pearle contained in my shippe of it selfe is so excelent that it nedeth not the commendation and defence of man yet notwithstanding because by Gods appointment man hath to do with the same for his saluation and therefore I being one among all other moste vnworthy hauing taken vpon me to publishe the same by translation out of Lattin into our vulgar tongue for the common profite of my countremen must of necessitie my own vnworthines I say considered humblely beseche your honor to be a garde and defence of this my endeuour handled with as great dilligence as possible I coulde In so doing you shall not only promote the glory of God and greately further this my simple labour but also make me bounde vnto your honor while life doth laste Thus hauing bouldly required your honourable defence and troubled your eares with tediousnes I ceasse wyshing to youre honour long lyfe increase of nobilitie and the perfecte felicitie of the lyfe to come Your humble orator Thomas Tymme TO AL THE BRETHREN DISPERsed here and there that fauoure and loue the Gospell Augustine Marlorate wisheth grace mercy and peace from God the father through the Lorde Iesus WHen as all men so long as they liue in this present life ought to leuell as at a Butte at the knowledge of the truthe whiche maye nourishe them in the hope of the true and eternall lyfe those men are to bee iudged vnworthy vtterly the name of Christians whiche being contente with some arte or science whereby to get their liuing either do lightly regarde or els altogether neglecte the knowledge of heauenly matters the onely meanes to attayne saluation Neither can there be found any greater ingratitude among men then wheÌ„ they do not endeuour to the vtmoste of their power to know God alone whiche hath not only created fashioned and nourished them as a father in this life but incessantly calleth them to the immortall and incorruptible heritage whiche is prepared for all them whome that celestiall father hath engâ—â—fted by faithe into the body of his onely begotten sonne Moreouer a true and singuler waye to attayne saluation is by God propounded to vs namely if wee beleue his promises whiche waye iustefieth before God mankynde by nature prone vnto sinne and maketh hym the heyre of God and fellowe heyre with Christe I meane faithe not suche as veyne men and hypocrites boast of when they chaunce to conceiue some slender opinion of God but that whiche alone deserueth the name of faithe and vndoubtedly taketh holde of the righteousnes offered in the Gospell and so stayeth on the foundatioÌ„ of free remission of synnes that it caÌ„not be perswaded any other thing than that whiche is certainly knowen to procede out of the mouthe of the Lorde for faythe commeth by hearing but hearing by the woorde of God who at sundrye tymes and in diuers manners spake in the olde tyme to our fathers by Prophetes but in these laste dayes he hath spoken to vs by his sonne On whome he hath powred out his spirit most plentifully in so much that whosoeuer shall heare him teaching and imbrace his doctrine by faythe they may assure them selues to haue bene rightly instructed by the wysedome of God it selfe and to be setled out of all peryll of errour Nowe when his vocation required that after he had opened the veritie to his electe and finished al thinges for the whiche he came into this worlde then he should retourne to his father he woulde not that his spouse the Churche should lacke that incomparable treasure of the Gospell whiche he hym selfe brought down from heauen For seing the cause of his comming was to builde agayne the taberdacle of Dauid whiche was fallen downe and to repaire the ruine therof that is to say that he might erecte and stablishe his kyngdome in the middest of his Churche whiche according to the oracles of the Prophetes he should gather together out of all people and tongues he thought it not sufficient to offer the happy and gladde tidinges of the Gospell to theÌ„ which were at hand namely to the Iewes but he would haue the benefite of the heauenly calling offered to them also whiche were farre of to witte the Gentiles For God had also determined from the beginning that the Gentiles shoulde be heyres knit in one body fellowship of the promises in Christe through the preaching of the Gospell Christe therefore rysing as a conquerer from death coÌ„maunded his Apostels being endewed with heauenly vertue to go into all the worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures teaching the Gentiles to obserue all thinges that he had commaunded them But because the nomber of twelue did not suffice for so great a multitude of men as the king of all kinges had decreed to call to saluation by the shryll trumpe of his Gospell after he had obtained of his father and that the holy Ghoste was sente downe on his Apostels he enriched encreased and adorned his Churche with men indewed with heauenly wisdome whose ministery he would vse to the ende of the worlde in feading the flocke redemed by the sheading of his bloude Therefore he ordeined some Apostlels some Prophetes some Pastors some Teachers to the gathering together of the sainctes to the woorke of the ministery and to the edefying of Christes body But alas after the departing of those watchemen there was in all the worlde so great scarsitie of faythfull ministers that those heauenly ryches wherewith the Churche was beautified were not on euery part so plainely set forth as the worthynes of the thing it selfe did require For it was brought to passe by the wilines of Sathan that fearce enemy of the Euangelicall truthe that in stede of faithfull Pastors innumerable gredy and rauening Wolues did craftely insinuate or wynde in them selues in to the flocke of Christe whiche straightwaye being disguised with those worthy titles of Pastors did vnder that
purenes of harte is the mother of al vertues but notwithstanding there is scant one among a hundred whiche hath not crafte and deceite in steade of excelēt vertue Hereupon it commeth that the common sort of people thinke them blessed and happy whiche are conning and practised in working deceites and which can deale craftely with such as they haue to do withall Christe therefore doth nothing at al agre to the reason of the flesh when he calleth those blessed whiche are not delighted in deceit and fraude but do walke sincerely among mē and do shewe no other thinge with their woordes and countenaunce then they thinke and pretende in their harte M. Double in harte and pure in harte are contrary Lorde who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupte lyfe and doth the thing whiche is righte and that speaketh the truthe from his harte And agayne who shall ascende into the hill of the lorde or who shall ryse vp in his holy place Euen he that hath cleane handes and a pure harte and that hath not lifte vp his minde vnto vanitie nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour This cleanenes or sinceritie of harte commeth not of the nature of man For mans harte as the prophete saythe is wicked and inscrutable And the thoughte of mans harte is wicked euen from his youthe Furthermore who can saye my harte is cleane or I am free from synne But this cleanes and puritie of harte is geuen to man of God from aboue wherfore Dauid saith Make a newe harte within me O God. Also this sinceritie is gotten by faythe in Christe by which faythe he purifieth the harte Therefore whosoeuer beleueth in Christe he is of a pure harte and so many as follow the study of innocencie with a true faith For although our innocēcie in al pointes is not perfect notwithstanding we are sayde to be pure and cleane because the lorde doth impute the moste perfecte cleanes of Christe vnto vs and for our faythe he doth accept and receiue vs as cleane M. Moreouer the lorde doth seme to reproue the hypocrisie of the Phariseis whose hartes as they were hollowe crafty so were they obstinate and peruerse and had a false and wronge iudgement of the doctrine of truth Blessed saith he are the pure in harte that is which ioyne them selues vnto me with a pure symple desirous minde of knowing the wyll of God and do imbrace the doctrine of truthe without hipocrisie and doublenes of harte Suche were the disciples of Christ who imbraced the doctrine of Christe so sone as it was offered vnto them Suche was Nathanaell of whom Christe sayde Beholde a true Israelite in whome there is no deceite For they shall see God. C. Because the symple are derived as fooles for that they are not circumspecte to their owne luker and proffite Christe calleth them to consider farther that if they be not circumspecte to defraude and deceiue in earthe they shall haue and enioye the syghte of God in heauen Therefore they whiche are not delighted with crafte and deceite but walke godly purely and sincerely amōg men whiche also adioyne them selues with a sincere and feruent mynde vnto Christe suche I saye shall see God that is firste they shall be endewed with the perfecte knowledge of God they shal vnderstande his wyll and mynde what affection he beareth towardes them and laste of all they shall haue euerlastynge lyfe when they shall beholde hym not in the darke speakyng of faythe but face to face with his holy aungels 9. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sonnes of God. Blessed are the peace makers C. He vnderstādethe suche peacemakers whiche do not only study for peace and so muche as in them lieth do eschewe put away brawlinges chidinges and contentions but also which with diligence pacifie contentions whiche aryse among others they are the authours of peace among all mē they cut of the occasion of hatred and debate as commaundeth the prophete Dauid Eschewe euell and do good seke after peace and insewe it Neither is this spoken of the lorde without great consideration For seing it is a troublesome thing to pa◅ifie those whiche are at dissention among them selues moderate temperate men which study and seke by all meanes to get peace are constrayned to beare this dishonestie that they heare the reproches the complaintes and quarrels of both partes which riseth hereuppon that none would willingly haue thē to be their aduocates whiche wyll not take their parte and defende them Let vs not therfore depende vpon the fauour of men Christe biddeth vs to haue respect vnto his fathers iudgement Who for so muche as he is the God of peace taketh vs to be his sonnes so long as we seke for peace although oure study and indeuour please not men For they shal be called M. That is they shall be thought they shal be in dede and they shal be acknowledged the sonnes of God whether it be of God him selfe or of those whiche haue the spirite of god The Hebrewe texte hath this woorde call for to suppose or thynke In Isaack shall thy seede be called The which Paule expoūdeth thus Neyther are they all children straightway that are of the seede of Abraham But in Isaac shall thy seede be called that is to saye they whiche are the children of the fleshe are not the children of god But they whiche are the children of promise are counted the seede Also where as Mathewe hath My house shall be called the house of prayer Luke saith It is the house of prayer Therefore if there aryse any contention and strife among men the preachers of the worde of peace shall redresse the same And for this purpose the Magistrate is appointed of God that we may one with another liue a godly and a peaceable life And so we shal be blessed and happy For we shal be called that is we shal be the sonnes of God whiche is the God of peace and not the God of debate and stryfe Also if we be sonnes then are we heyres of his glory and true felicitie Let the Cardinalles Byshoppes heads of the church in these our dayes reade and waye these thinges dilligently For men may easely vnderstande whose sonnes they be whē that thei blowe not the trōpe of the Gospel in the courtes of princes but rather they sounde their trōpet to warres battayle 10 Blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that suffer persecution M. It is a wonted and a commen thing for the children of this worlde to persecute the godly This wicked nature is declared by an infinite number of examples from the beginning of the worlde Bu. Therfore the worlde in this life doth counte them moste vnhappy and miserable which are banished their countrie spoyled of their
because so sone as we lifte vp our myndes to heauen there the inspeakeable ioye offereth it selfe vnto vs and taketh away all occasiō of heuines A. Whereupon Peter the apostell saith In the whiche ye reioyce though now for a season if nede require ye are in heuines through manifold temtations that the triall of your faithe being muche more precious then goulde that perisheth though it be tried with fyre might be founde vnto laude glory and honour at the appearing of Iesus Christ whome ye haue not sene and yet loue hym in whome euen nowe though ye see him not yet do you beleue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious receiuing the ende of your faythe euen the saluation of your soules For great is your revvarde Bu. As if he should haue sayde If it greue you that you suffer infamy and that you are persecuted in this worlde remember I praye you howe greatly your glory shall increase in the worlde to come For loke howe greate your affliction is in the earthe so muche the brighter shall your glory be in heauen Here the Papistes playe with this name of rewarde saying that there is speciall relation betwene the rewarde and the deserte but they erre for the promyse of the rewarde is free Furthermore if we consider howe mutilate imperfecte and vitious all good workes are what so euer they be that come euen frō the very beste we shal then well knowe that God at no tyme shall fynde anye worke worthy of rewarde There is none therefore so simple when he heareth mētion made of the rewarde that wil thinke vs when we spende oure lyues for the Gospell to deserue any thynge at the handes of God that is to do any thinge by the whiche God may become debter vnto vs We are all at the wyll and pleasure of God and he made not only vs but also all our goodes what so euer that of nothing for it is he that worketh in vs both the wyll and also the dede euē of good wyll Notwithstāding the scripture calleth that a rewarde which is geuen of God to suche as neyther do nor can deserue the same at all because they labour and worke all that they can to attayne the same Euen as the father sayth vnto his sonne go diligētly to thy booke apply thy mynde to learninge and thou shalt haue a goodly rewarde of me a new coate or some other thing as good nowe this coate is a rewarde and it is not because he obtained that rewarde not by his diligence but it happened to the child by his fathers gifte neuerthelesse not without the accomplyshinge of that diligence and study whiche he requyreth Euen so there is none that obtayneth this rewarde of the which the lorde speaketh here excepte he suffer for Christe and for this cause it is called a rewarde Also if it were possible that thou shouldest die a hundred tymes for the Gospell yet for all that thou couldest not deserue the worth of a here at the handes of God that is thou canst not constrayne and bynde hym to owe thee any thing at all for so often as thou shouldest receiue life so often thou shouldest become detter to hym againe And for this cause they are not rewardes whiche are geuen to vs of God but they are his free giftes freely geuē without any desert in vs As plainly appeareth by these testimonies of scripture Abraham I am thy defence and thy rewarde shal be exceading great that is to saye I wyll be thy defender thy gayne thy ryches and thy felicitie And the Prophete speaking of the consolation of the people vnder the person of Rachel sayth Leue of from weping and crying withholde thyne eyes from teares for thy labour shal be rewarded saith the lord And they shall come againe out of the lande of their enemies So that where he saith thy labour shal be rewarded is euen as if he had sayde The tyme wyll come that thou mayste knowe that thou hast not had chyldren in vayne for yet there remayneth a rewarde of this thy labour Moreouer in the Psalmiste it is wrytten Lo children and the fruite of thy wombe are an heritage and reward that commeth of the lorde In this place the heritage and the rewarde are taken for the free gifte of god For there the Prophete dothe recorde that not only all thinges that we desyre but also children come vnto vs by the gifte of God and through his goodnes not by our labour care By these and suche lyke places of scripture it is apparant inough that in the scriptures this worde rewarde is taken for those benefites that we receiue from the lorde In this place therefore the spirite of God would vse this woorde to shewe vs that we ought to seke for nothing so muche as for the giftes and rewardes of God the whiche he bestoweth vpon those that beleue in hym Therfore when as our sauiour by these presentes sayde that they should loke for a large rewarde in heauen whiche suffered persecution for his names sake he mente that they did an acceptable thing and of great price by bearing the burthē of the crosse layde on them for the glory of his name and that they them selues also thereby got great profite To be briefe so often as a rewarde is promised to good workes their deserte is not sayde to be the cause of rigteousnes or of saluation but only the faithfull are incouraged to do well since that they are sure that their labour shal not be in vaine Wherfore these two do very wel agree that we are freely iustified because we are acceptable vnto God without desertes and yet for al that he doth bestowe at his wyll and pleasure free rewarde vpon vs for our dedes In heauen C. Here he requireth of vs hope whiche dothe not beholde thinges present but thinges to come To this effecte pertaineth that whiche is written of the apostell saying For our tribulation whiche is momentany and lyghte prepareth an exceading and an eternall wayght of glory vnto vs whyle we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene but on the thinges whiche are not sene For the things which are sene are temporal but the thinges whiche are not sene are eternall For so persecuted they the prophetes This was added by the deuine consell of the spirite least the apostels hoping to get the victory and triumphe without ◅aboure fight should fainte in the midest of persecution For because the restoring of all thinges was promysed in the scripture vnder the kyngdome of Christ it was a venture that thei did not deceiue them selues with vayne truste not thinking on their warrefare And by other places also it doth appeare that they very fondly imagined the kyngdome of Christ to be replenished with earthly ryches pleasure Wherefore not without cause Christe doth admonishe them that they must enter into the same battayle that the prophetes did because they
sinners but with hipocrites Iusticiaries proud phariseis whose hipocrisy always resisted the doctrine of Grace For when as they were impure and polluted with sinne yet they wolde in no wise seme so to be because they did alwaies hyde the sayde vncleanenes of their hartes with that externall shewe of sanctimonye and outwarde holines To the ende he might bewraye this he hath restored the vigor and parfecte strengthe of the lawe and therefore he speaketh of hym which doth not onelye couet with the harte but also fulfylleth the same concupisence and bryngeth it to passe in dede Yea and the lawe it selfe condempneth this concupissēce or lust as apereth in Exodus Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours wyfe The Iewes knew this but they did not consyder that the lust of the hart was before God euen as the actuall deede of adultery Bu. Notwithstandinge lett no man flatter him selfe vpon the wordes of Christ or take occasion to do euyll and saye if luste make me an adulterer I wil brynge the same to efecte or I wyl committ the actuall deede that I mighte not be counted so in vayne For truely thou shalte not be so called or counted without iust cause and thy deseruinge which haste done all that the fylthye adulterar doth sauing the very actual dede which no doubt thou woldest haue done if thou myghtest haue had lybertie time and occasion to the fynishynge of the same Therefore thy vertue dyd not staye thee from adultery but hauinge no power occasion also beinge contrary to thy purpose thou arte let so that thou also arte vniust and an adulterer But for certayne thou dost more greuousely offend and doste deserue more cruell ponishmēt if thou onely quenche not the burnynge fyer of concupiscence but also if thou bridell not thy selfe from the impure and fylthy action But forsomuche as there is no man liuinge whiche at some tyme hath not lusted the lorde approuethe by this lawe that all men are subiect to sin and nede the grace of God and the iustification of Christe whiche is onely iust impoluted and pure and dothe particypate vnto vs his righteousenes by faith by the whiche name the Apostels called fayth and our righteousenes the parfection of the lawe 29. If thy ryghte eie hinder thee plucke him out and cast it frō thee For bet-it is vnto thee that one of thy members perishe then that thy whole body should be cast into hell If thy right eie offende thee C. Because that Chryst mighte seeme to seuerely to vrge men in this natural imbecillitie wekenesse of fleshe and bloud he doth preuent al those mutterings that might be made To be short he declareth that althoughe it be harde sharpe and troublesome whiche the lorde commaundeth yet notwithstandinge we are not thereby excusable because the ryghteousenes of God oughte to be of more pryce vnto vs than all other thinges whiche are deere and preciouse For some mighte saie what shall becomme of vs if the matter be so when as we be so apte to all euyll cogytations and thoughts that we can scarse tourne our selues aboute and caste oure eye on the one syde but strayghtewaye vnloked for one daungerouse snare or other appereth sette and pytched before oure eyes to take vs. To this he faithe Againe and agayne yea continually ye must take héede that you haue a consideration and respecte to your owne infirmitie yea see that ye auoyde all occasion of offence and prouocation neyther let any thinge at no time be so dere vnto you if it bringe to destruction for whose sake you shoulde suffer your selues to be seduced so to incurre the daunger of euerlastynge peryll and payne There is nothinge so neere vnto you nothinge so conioyned and knit nothinge so nere of bloud yea there is nothinge so entierly beloued of you which ought not to be cut of if so be that occasion required yea although it were one of your membres and that the pryncipall and moste necessary as the right eye or the righte hande For there oughte no member be vnto vs of suche estimation and price that for the loue of the same we shoulde forsake God the creatour of our whole body C. Neither yet doth Christ meane that we should mangle our body and destroy the same that we mighte obey God but because al mē wold wishe not to haue their sences so brydled but that they myght haue the free vse of the same Christ teacheth hyperbolically that we must cut of what so euer is contrarye to his wyll And he dothe the same verye warely because men do to licentiousely in this poinct fauour them selues If the mind were pure then a man shold haue his eies and handes obedient to hym In the whiche it is certaine that there is no proper motiō In this therfore we sinne greatly that we are not so carefull in auoiding of daungerouse snares as it becommeth vs B. For we must shun and fle al occasion and the more we fynd our selues inclined and geuen to euyll the more we oughte to refrayne our mynde from the same 30. And if thy righte hande hinder thee cut it of and caste it from thee For it is better for thee that one of thy mēbers perishe then that thy whole body should be cast into hell And if thy ryght hande hynder thee A. This verse tendethe to the same effect that the former did C. The Greke texte hath if it offende thée To offend or hynder is to make a man stomble and fall in the way of the lorde This is a life acceptable vnto God namely to abyde in faithe and loue whereby a man maye go forwarde in the obedience of God. M. Here is to be noted what greate necessitie of auoydinge of offence the lorde propoundeth vnto vs For if that so necessary members and instrumentall helpes of the bodye are not to be reteyned and kepte if they be a hinderaunce vnto healthe what shall we then say of them which so gredely cleaue vnto vile things yea of no reputation but of the vanitie of this worlde that they wyll rather hasarde and put in venture the benefyte of eternall lyfe then they wyll be secluded from them For it is better c. M. This reason is taken of the profyte of preseruing the whole For better it is that som parte perishe then that the health of the whole body shoulde be put in daunger A. The same matter in effecte is handled where he entreateth of auoydyng of offences which foloweth in the .18 chap. 31. It is saide who so euer putteth awaye his wyfe let hym geue her a letter of diuorcement It is sayde Bu. These woordes do parteyne to the lawe of eschewinge adulterye and do teache that truely and vndefiledly we ought to kepe the faythe of wedlocke C. For euen as the Iewes thought that they behaued thē selues falsely and amisse before God yf they kepte not the lawe after a politique order euen so againe what so euer the
their ennemie most vigilant and crafty agaynst them and because they haue their cōuersation in heauen they are as yet subiecte to the hate mischife of the worlde and because they obey the spirite the fleshe is disobedient vnto them draweth thē to wicked things so that not without cause we are taught here to pray And leade vs not into temptatiō but delyuer vs frō euil C But this word tēptation is in the scriptures often times taken generally for euery kinde of tryall probation In the which sence Abrahā is said to be temted of God when his faith was tried So we are oftē times tried as wel in aduersitie as prosperitie because by this occasion the affections of men are manifest which before were not known But here is noted the internal temptation whiche may wel be called the deuils bellowes to kindel our cōcupiscēce for it were an absurd thing to aske of God to pray hym that we may be frée from al documentes instructions of our faith Therefore all wicked motiōs which cause vs to sinne are comprehēded vnder the name of tēptation Although it cannot be but that we must féele such prickes motions in our minde because al our life time we haue a cōtinual battel with the flesh notwithstanding we desire of god that he wil not suffer vs to be subiect or leade vs to tēptation And to the ende Christ might the better expresse to how great fall ruyne we are subiecte except god of his mercy stay vs with his hand he vsed this maner of speach And leade vs not into temptation For it is certain that euery man is tempted of his own concupiscence as S. Iames saith but because God dothe not onely geue sathan libertie to kindell in vs the fier of concupiscēce but also vseth him as a minister of his Ire so often as he purposeth to destroy men he him self also by his own meanes leadeth to tēptation In the which sence the euill spirite of God is saide to come vpon Saule and to the same effect do many places of scripture tende yet notwithstāding we may not cal God the aucthour of euyl because although he geue ouer men into a reprobate sence yet he vseth not vpon thē tyranny but his iust secrete iudgement But deliuer vs from euyl C. By this name of euill whether we vnderstād the deuil or sinne it maketh no matter Sathā truely is that enemie which seketh cōtinually whom he may deuour the armoure wherwith he is prepared to destroy vs is sin The ende therefore of our prayer is that we be not ouercome with temptatiōs but that we may stand by the power of the lorde agaynst al the force of Sathan and that we beinge protected and gouerned vnder the shadow of his wings may tryumphe ouer sinne deathe hel gates and al the kingdome of the deuyl which is to be deliuered from euyll For thine is the kingdome C. It is meruayle that this clause so wel agreing with the rest was pretermitted of the Latines Neyther was this therefore added onely that he might kyndel our hartes to desire the glorye of God and to shewe vs what the scope and ende of our prayers oughte to be but also to teache vs that the praiers which are here declared vnto vs ar groūded vpon none other then God onely lest we woulde truste to our owne merytes For although nowe we be most miserable although we be of al creatures most vnworthy and althoughe we be voide of al commendation yet for al that we shal neuer want occasion to pray oure faith cannot decrease because all kingedome dominion power and glory perteyneth vnto hym and can neuer be taken from hym M. Firste therefore we attribute this vnto God that his is the kingdome By this woorde kingdome is vnderstode al right and power of raigning of rulinge of gouerninge protectynge and defendinge The povver This is added that we should not thinke the kyngdome of God to be weake and voyde of force and mighte and that we shuld not thynke it to be for wante of power that he dothe not reuenge hym selfe of theim whiche acknowledge not his kingdome What power therefore so euer there be in any place it parteyneth not vnto the creature but vnto God. And the glory That is magnificence and the honour of al things The which if any man vnderstande of the dewe praise glory of god it shal be al one to say thou only art to be honored praysed and glorified For euer and euer M. This is added that we might acknowledge the kingdom of god our father to be perpetual his power infinite and his glorye euerlastinge The which things the prophete comprehēdeth after this sorte sayinge All thy workes praise thée O lord thy saintes geue thākes vnto thée They shewe the glory of thy kingdome talke of thy power that thy power thy glory mightines of thy kingdome mighte be known vnto men Thy kingdome is an euerlasting kyngdome thy dominion indureth throughout al ages Amen C. By this word the feruente desier to obteine those thynges which we aske of God is expressed our hope is confirmed that those thinges which we aske are granted vnto vs because of the promyses of God whiche can not be broken M. This is an Hebrew word hauing a signification of a certaintie and truth And this word is vsed two maner of waies First to expresse the affection desire of him that praieth And here is required the consent of the minde that which consent truely they haue not which pray without the minde or marke not the which is spoken of others As concernynge the which reade the. 14. of S. Paule in his 1. epis to the Corin. The other is that we declare that we do not only wishe that the thing may com to passe which is spokē but also that we know certainly that it will come to passe In this sence a sure vndoubted Faith is required Thus Christ him selfe oftē times said ▪ Amen Amē dico vobis Verely verelye I saye vnto you This word amen being said our conscience is pacified and so we ende our prayer 14. For if ye forgeue men their trespasses your heauenly father shall also Bu. By a certaine repetition or relation here he retourneth to the whiche he spake euen now saying And forgeue vs oure debtes as we forgeue our debters C. And doth teach vs that god wil not be intreated of vs except we likewyse do forgeue thē which by any meanes do hurte vs And surely except we be harder then stele or stony flint this exhortatiō ought to mollifie vs to make vs tractable to remit our offenders Except God should forgeue the manifold sinns that we daily cōmit we know that we shold perishe many waies truely god dothe forgeue vs vpon no other conditiō then that we likewyse forgeue our brethren in whatsoeuer they offended vs They therefore which wil not forgeue
to prayers seing that the lord doth promise with so great faith and constancie he wil heare our praiers 9 Is there any man among you whiche if his sonne do aske breade wyll offer hym a stone Bu. By these woordes also he doth anymate and incourage vs to praye promising that God at the length wil heare vs helpe vs if we aske those thynges that are holy good meete and profitable beinge nothinge the more infirme weake in faith althoughe for a while he do delaie the time and put of to heare helpe vs C. He vseth a comparison of the lesse to the more and compareth the malyciousenes of men to the exceding goodnes of God whiche is so greate that it may well be compared to a bottomlesse sea The loue of our earthly parente is in no poincte lyke vnto this As the lord by the mouthe of the prophete Esay sayth Although the mother forgett her children yet will I neuer forget you 10 Or if he aske fysshe wyll he proffer him a serpent B. The like woordes we reade in Luke sauing that he addeth this or if he aske an egge will he offer him a scorpion Some go about to expounde these woordes allegorically but not to the purpose xi If ye then when ye are euil can geue your children good giftes how much more shall your father whiche is in heauen geue good thinges if ye aske of hym If ye then vvhen ye are euyll A. Nowe he compareth as it was saide euen now the maliciousenes of men with the wonderfull and vnspeakeable goodnes of god Bu. For men are euyl and subiecte to the affections of anger indignation enuy and hatred as fathers often times do hate despise their children But God by his owne nature is good and voyde of all affections alwayes sekinge to do good that his chyldren may feele his goodnes his liberalitie and munificence most abondantly Can geue your C. Christ hath expressed this not without greate cause least the faithful should to muche lose and slack the raynes to foolishe and wicked desires in praying We know how great the intemperancy and bouldnes of our fleshe is in this poincte Christ therefore committeth our praiers to the will of God to the ende he should geue no more vnto vs then he knoweth to be profitable for vs Wherefore let vs not thincke that he hath no care of vs so often as he fulfilleth not our desires because he knoweth still whereof we haue nede and what is expedient for vs But now because al our affections are blinde the trewe forme of prayer is to be taken from the woorde of god Therfore who so euer desireth to come vnto God by a sure trust of prayinge let hym learne to brydell his hart that he aske nothing but that whiche is accordinge to his will as S. Iames admonisheth in his epistell Hovve muche more shall your father M. He saith not how muche more shal god but how muche more shall your father neyther saith he my father but your heauēly father that we may alwaies conceiue in our minde this sure trust Geue good thinges B. Luke hath Geeue his holy spyrite as it were expoundinge what Math. meaneth by good thinges For what good things ought we to aske of God in our prayers but a godly life that is that the name of God may be sanctified in vs that the kingdome of God may come and approche These thynges truely we receiue whē as we are replenished with the spirite of god which doth renewe vs and cause vs to seeke the glory of God a godly lyfe C. For this alwaies ought to be in our minde Fyrste seke the kingdome of God and the ryghteousenes thereof and all other thynges whereof ye haue nede shal be geuen vnto you Wherfore the sonnes of God to the ende they maye praye aryghte must put of all earthly affections and come to the meditation of a heauenly lyfe 12 VVhatsoeuer therfore ye would that men shoulde do vnto you euen so do vnto them for this is the lawe and the prophetes VVhat so euer therfore ye vvoulde that men A. Because of this woord therfore some do thinck that this is the Epiloge or conclusion of those thinges goinge before as concerning the petition or praier Other some do refer it to the beginning of this seuenthe chapter where he forbad vs to iudge And others thincke that Chryste had respecte to all those thinges which he affirmed in this assertion but specially in the fifth chapter as though he woulde knitt vp all those thinges wherof he had spoken in a shorte somme C. But truely it is more probable to affirme that this woorde therefore whiche is an illation is superfluouse and more then nedeth for often times we fynde them in shorte sentences where no necessitie importeth We saide before that Mathewe dyd not declare one sermon onely of Christ but rather to collect a somme of his doctrine out of many of his sermons This sentence therefore is to be red seuerally by the which Christ doth instructe his disciples to vse equitie and doth briefly shew the definition of the same that we maye knowe that the cause why so many mischeues do raigne in the worlde and why men so many waies are hurtfull one to an other is because wittingly and wyllingly they do treade equitie and indifferent dealinge vnder their feete Notwithstandinge euery man woulde haue the same straightly obserued toward him selfe for where as our owne profite is in hande there is none of vs but we wyll sircumspectely and preciselye reason and enquire what is equitie right Therfore euery man sheweth him selfe an indifferent iudge for his owne commoditie and profyte How cōmeth it to passe that we be not so equall iudges when as other mennes profite or losse commeth in question but only because we are parcyall to oure selues and vniuste towardes our neyghboure And not onely this but that whiche is worse we indeuour oure selues wickedly to wincke at the rule of equitie whiche shyneth in our hartes Christ therefore teacheth that euery mā may liue rightly iustly with his neighboures if he do that to others whiche he coulde be content to haue done to hym againe So that here he doth refell confute all false and vayne shewes whiche men deuise and inuent to hide and cloke their pretenced righteousnes For without all doubt parfecte equitie should continue amonge vs if so be that wee were such faithful disciples of charitie in dede as we are teachers of the same in worde M. The false opinion of the Pharyseies ministred occasion to Christ to pronoūce this sentence of equitie for they preferred the obseruation of ceremonyes and mannes inuentions before the obseruation of the woorkes of charitie Wherevpon the prophetes were often times cōstrained to reuoke Israell from ceremonies and mannes traditions to the workes of charitie For this is the lavve and the prophetes C. Christ meaneth not that this onely parte of
deuils all maner of miracles do nothing at al profite those that haue thē neither ought we to thinke thē holy beloued of god or aperteining to his kīgdome because in this place we here that many suche shal be reiected of Christe in the day of iudgement We must not beleue therfore euery one that is a worker of miracles as we may reade in Moyses and in Matthew followinge 23 And then wyll I knowledge vnto thē I neuer knew you Departe from me ye that work iniquitie And thē vvil I C. that is I wyll make manifeste vnto them I will openly shewe or declare I neuer knevve you C. By these wordes he doth vtterly deny reiect thē affirminge that he neuer counted them amonge the nomber of his although they boasted thē selues to be heads pillers of his church And therfore he biddeth thē depart which by a false title haue stolne a false profession for a tyme saying Depart from me Paule doth seme to haue takē that which he writeth out of this sentēce of Christ whē he saith The lord knoweth who are his Let him depart frō iniquitie what soeuer he be that calleth on the name of the lord For the first parte tēdeth to this ende that the weake shold not be troubled by the defection or fall of some whose name was great of fame For he denieth thē to be known of the lord although they seme gloriouse in the sight of men In the second parte the Apostel exhorteth all those which wil be coūted the disciples of Christ that they in time departe frō iniquitie least Christ forbid them his presence when he shal deuide the sheepe from the goates VVhich vvorke iniquitie M. Here he calleth those that wrought miracles workers of iniquitie because they did good with an euil minde ful of craft subtiltie hipocrisie Suche were the scribes phariseis in their fastinges praiers and almes dedes of the whiche we haue spoken before Neyther must we vnderstād here the christ speketh of adulterers murtherers vserers drūkerdes such like but of suche as beare a shewe of holines would seme aboue all mē to parteine to the kingdom of god So Paule calleth the false apostells subtile and crafty workers M. Wherfore let vs consider by what spirite they are led which after the maner of the Iewes at this daye aske signes as though that they woulde beleeue the treweth if they might see signes 24 VVhosoeuer therfore heareth of me these woordes and dothe the same I wyl liken him vnto a wise man which buylte his house vpon a rocke M. These wordes do seeme to be the cōclusion of that which went before in the 21. verse He that doth the wyl of my father and so forthe And that also is euydent in Luke which saith Why do ye cal me lorde lorde and do not those thinges whiche I commaunde you Who so euer commeth vnto me and heareth my wordes and so forthe To here in this place is taken to vnderstande as in manye other places also And dothe them Bu. By these woordes he teachethe that it is not inough to here the woord of God excepte thou endeuour thy selfe to do that which he commaundeth in the same According to this place Blessed are they that heare the woorde of God and keepe it Also S. Iames saithe See that ye be doers of the woorde and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues For if any manne heare the worde and declareth not the same by his workes he is like vnto a man beholding his bodely face in a glasse so forth For there are diuerse men at this daye hath ben alwaies which thinke that relygion consisteth in often hearing the woorde of God in disputing of the same at cōmon metings But our lord Iesus Christ here pronounceth that trewe pietie doth not cōsiste in knowledge and talking but in the action and conuersation VVhiche buylded his house To buylde is to make erecte or sette vp some spirytuall workemanship The same allegory vseth Peter sayinge If so be that ye haue tasted how graciouse the lorde is to whom ye come as vnto a liuynge stone disallowed of men but chosen of god and preciouse and ye as liuing stones are made a spiritual house Vpon a rocke The rock is Christ and true and parfect godlines I meane Faythe workinge by Loue. And so treweth it selfe is the foundation by the firme and immoueable power of Christe the house is the worke whiche is done and all the conuersation of the whole lyfe 25 And a shower of rayne descended the flouddes came and the wyndes blewe and beate vpō that house and it fel not because it was grounded on the rocke A shovver of rayne Bu. The shower of rayne the flouddes the wind do signifie the sundry and manifold dangers temptations persecutions disseases and suche lyke wherewith men are vexed troubled B. For all these thinges do plainely shewe and manifest whether we be buylded vpon the rocke Christe or no. C. For then trewely we do receyue the doctrine of Christe when we can resiste al the assaultes of Sathan The like sayinge hath S. Paule to the Corinthyans And it fell not A. That is no temptation is able to ouerthrowe the house of this wise man B. for the fayth and sure trust of the Godly fully knyt vnto Christ can not be confounded neyther can the gates of hell and all the power of sathan how so euer he cause a tempest preuaile agaynst this For greater is he that is in them than he that is in the worlde And they which trust in the lord shall be euen as the mount Syon whiche maye not be remoued but standeth faste for euer 26 And euerye one that heareth of mē these wordes and doth them not shall be like vnto a folish man which builte his house vpon a sande And euery one vvhiche heareth Bu. Nowe the lord sheweth the contrary part of the parable to the ende it maye appere more plaine the more stirre vp the hearers The sēce of this must be gathered by the former parte euery part being repeated set one against an other C. For seyng it is harde to discerne the true professors of the Gospell from the false by such parables our sauiour Christ doth shewe in what thing they do chiefly differ For he cōpareth the false professiō of the Gospel to an imperfecte building which stādeth for a time beynge at euerye storme and tempeste in daunger of destruction because it wanteth a sure foundation These vvordes C. This rellatiue These dothe not note one kinde of talke but the whole some of doctrine For the Gospel excepte it be fully fixed in mennes myndes it is lyke vnto a thyn waule whiche is erected on hye withoute any staye or stronge fondation His woordes therefore are in effecte as if he shoulde haue saide that the same is a trew faith which is deepely rooted in the harte and is so
and he doeth it For I my selfe also am a man. M. Here the Centurion cōfirmeth by his example the confession of his faithe of the power of Christe bringing in an argument of the more to the lesse For he estemed more the deuine power whiche was in Christ then the rule and domination whiche he had ouer his souldiours and seruauntes B. As if he should saye I am nothing at all like vnto thee in power which as yet am vnder the subiection of another man where as thou haste all thinges in thy hande and yet with my woorde can I make my seruauntes to do any thing my souldiours at my commaundement are obedient and those whiche are vnder my rule grudge not to fulfill my mynde Howe muche more then canste thou do with thy worde whatsoeuer thou wilt in all thinges as in healing diseases in restoring health in putting awaye death in restoring lyfe M. Here al they haue an ensample set before them whiche are magistrates maisters ouer housholdes that they may learne by their power to acknowledge the power of God thinke vpon his deuine woorde and cōmaundement If our wordes be so muche able to preuayle among men that whatsoeuer we saie and commaunde they do and fulfill when as notwithstandinge we our selues are miserable men nothing differing from others howe muche more hath the worde of God his power in ruling all vniuersally Furthermore let them gather of their owne obedience after this sorte Beholde thou art a man set vnder the power of another and thou saiest vnto this go and he goeth to another come he commeth and to the third do this and he doeth it loking and requiring of them their due obedience Therefore if so great obediēce be shewed to thée whiche arte a man subiect to others the whiche thou also requirest to be done as a duty tell me I pray thée how thou wilt behaue thy selfe if thou be disobedient to thy lord of whom thou hast receiued that power and in whose name this obediēce is done to thée if he saye vnto thée go and thou goest not come thou comest not do this and thou doest not B. Here also we must note that all thinges that are good procede of God are done by his power according to the saying of S. Paule It is neither in the willer nor in the ronner but in the mercy of god For who wyll not muche meruaile at the great goodnes of God if he way howe littel this Centurion being an Ethnike the more prophane by reason of his affayres in the warres had heard of Christe and howe muche be beleued Let all fleshe therefore humble him selfe to the maiestie of God the whiche except he of his goodnes reuoke to life it must nedes perishe 10 VVhen Iesus hearde these woordes he meruailed and sayde to them that folowed him verely I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith in Israel VVhen Iesus hearde these vvordes C. Although admiration belong not to God because it ariseth of newe thinges vnloked for notwithstāding it might happē in Christ because he taking vpon him our fleshe was endewed with mans affections B. He meruayleth therefore in respecte of his humanitie at so wonderfull a myracle of the goodnes of God that so greate faith should be geuen to an Ethnicke Heathen man being rudely brought vp in respect of his faith in so muche that he should excell the people of God in the excellency of faithe B. Before God being knowen almoste only in Iury nowe of a prophane man he is more knowne then of many of the Iewes A newe thing truly and straunge worthy of admiration And sayde to them that follovved him B. To the ende the people which followed him might also meruaile and might haue a desire to immitate the fayth of the man he saythe thus vnto thē Verely I say vnto you I haue not founde so great faithe in Israell C. The whiche woordes are spoken as the Logicians terme it Secundum quid non simpliciter that is in respect of his faithe not simplely that he did excell in generall For if we cōsider all the partes of faith the faith of Mary excelled in this that she beleued her self to be with childe by the holy Ghoste that she might bringe forth the only begotten sonne of God furthermore because she beleued the sonne whiche shoulde be borne of her to be his owne maker and the creator redemer of the whole worlde But for two causes specially Christe did cōmend preferre the faith of this Gētile heathē man before the faith of the Iewes namely because that of so small and littell taste of his doctrine he brought forth so sodainly such gret frute Secōdly wher as the Iewes did to much depēd vpō earthly signes external this Centurion this Gētile Heathē man requireth no signe at all but dothe affirme his onely woorde to be sufficient for him Christ was cōming vnto him not because ther required any necessitie but to proue trie this faith of the mā wherfore he doth specially cōmēd this faith because it is satisfied with the word only He saith not here com lord se touch no he desireth not any corporal presēce tuchīg but he beleueth such efficacy to be included in the word that thereby he knewe the healthe of his seruaunt might be recouered And hereupō may be gathered a generall rule namely although God woulde haue our sauynge health wrought in the fleshe of Christe and doth dayly seale the same by Sacramentes Notwithstandinge we muste seke the certaintie of the same out of his woorde For excepte this authoritie be attributed to the woorde that we graunt that so sone as God hathe spoken by his ministers that our synnes are forgeuen vs and that we are restored vnto lyfe all the sure truste of saluation dothe falle awaye By this place also we vnderstande that the Centurion was no Israelite 11 I saye vnto you that many shal come from the Easte and VVeste and shal reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen A. Now Christe takyng occasion of the faythe of the Centurion dothe in fewe woordes touche the callynge of the Gentyles and the reiecting of the Iewes C. For as Christe in the parsone of the seruaunt propounded a taste and as it were the fyrste fruytes of his grace to the Gentyles euen so he dothe teache his dominion to be a token of the callynge hereafter of the Gentyles and of the dispersyng the fayth throughout the whole worlde neyther doth he onely teache that they shall comme out of the countreys whiche are at hande but also out of all the partes of the whole worlde And although this be declared already by many of the Prophetes notwithstandinge in the beginning it semed absurde and incredible to the Iewes whiche immagined that God was bounde to the sede of Abraham Wherefore not without admiration this was heard that they which were
to followe him As if he shold say there is no cause why thou shouldest looke for any earthly power commoditie or gayne And if thou therfore followe mée thou art much deceiued For I haue so lyttell of those thynges in this worlde whiche thou sekest that the foxes and foules of the aire are rycher then I for they haue where to rest and dwell and so haue not I. They haue sure abiding places in this earthe but I haue not where to lay my head C. By these woordes the sonne of man declareth what the state and condition of his lyfe was when he was in the earth but he prescrybeth to all his disciples to what order of lyfe they oughte to frame them selues Notwithstāding it is marueile that Christ woulde denie him self to haue any one foote parte or portion of the earthe where to lay his heade when as he had many godly and louinge men whiche at all tymes woulde gentlely receiue and enterteine him but we muste note that this was spokē for admonyshions sake least that the scrybe should loke as from a ryche master for a riche and plentifull rewarde when as the lord him selfe as a guest or in the way of intreatie dydde leade his life in other mennes houses Neastes E. The Greeke woord rather signifieth shadowe places S. Austine in his .22 booke againste Faustus in the .48 chapter calleth this woorde neastes lodginges Euen so Ciprian calleth them in his third booke to Quirinus for the birdes beside their neastes haue holes to saue and couer them in the tyme of tempest as in hollowe trees in stone walles and in the eaues of houses The sonne of man. B. Christe here in this place in other places calleth hym selfe the sonne of Adam or the sonne of man to abase him selfe to the loweste state of men and to shewe his humyllitie It is whollye agreable to that whiche Paule saeth He made him selfe of no reputation taking on hym the shape of a seruāt and was found in his apparell as a man This kinde of speakinge therefore dothe very wel expresse the misery of mannes nature with the whiche Christe beinge indewed it must nedes be that he is partaker with vs of al our infirmities sinne onely excepted 21 And an other of the nomber of his disciples saide vnto him master suffer me first to go and bury my father And an other of the nomber A. Here is now another propoūded before our eies which askinge leaue for a time is more slowe and lesse ready to followe Christe whom notwitstanding he restrained and suffered not to go C. The Scrybe was dryuen from the fellowshippe of Christ because he immagininge that he shoulde leade a pleasant lyfe rashely offered him selfe But this man trewly whō Christ kepte backe was infected with the contrary salte For when as he should haue obeyed the callinge of Christ out of hāde he was let by the infirmitie of the fleshe thinking it a harde matter to forsake his father it is lykely that his father was a very olde man when he saide Suffer me fyrst to go and bury For this saying doth declare that he had not muche tyme behinde as if he shoulde haue said suffer me to tary with my father and to serue hym in this his olde age tyll he dye He preferred the duety which he ought vnto his father before Christ Luke sayth that he was commanded of Christ to followe him For the which Mathew saith that he was one of his disciples But to be shorte he refused not his callinge but desire the lybertie to be geuen hym for a time vntill he had discharged his duety towards his father His scuse is as much in effecte as if he should haue denied him self to be free vntil his father were dead 22 But Iesus said vnto him follow me and suffer the dead to bury their dead Follovve me B. Here this woord follow is not onely taken to cleaue vnto Chryst by fayth and to imbrace his doctrine but also to leaue all impedimentes whiche might let and drawe him backe from being a minister of the gospel which more plainely appereth by the wordes of Luke when he saith that our sauiour Chryste saide Go thou and preache the kingdom of god C By this answere of Christe therefore we vnderstand that chyldren ought so to reuerence obey and cleaue to their fathers that they leaue the same without respecte so often as God calleth thē to another matter of greater waight and importance I say all dueties apperteyning to men muste ceasse when God commaundeth vs to wayte on hym to obey him and to follow him And to this effecte perteyneth the saying of Chryste in an other place If any man come vnto me and hate not his father and mother his wyfe and children his bretherne and sisters yea and his owne life also he can not be my disciple C. Now al men must way and consider what God requirethe of theim and what the vocation wherevnto they are called requireth also least that earthly fathers hynder them withdraw them from the seruice of their omnypotent and heauenly father to whom all duetie specially parteyneth And suffer the dead to bury C. By these wordes Christ condemneth not the buriall of the deade for it were a filthy and beastly thinge to caste out the carcases of the deade and not to bury them And we knowe that the ryte and ceremony of buryinge was geuen frō aboue vnto men and receyued and vsed of the saynctes to confirme the hope of the resurrection Onely the meaning of Christ in this place was to teach vs that what so euer doth call vs from the ryght race or doth stay vs in the same doth sauoure and taste of nothing but deathe as if he should haue said They onely lyue rightly which apply their studies and al partes of theyr life to the wil and commandement of god And those whiche bowe and bend to the world and which neglect and disobey God to shew them selues obedient to men are lyke vnto the deade whiche in vaine and to no purpose occupie them selues in hauynge a care of the deade M. And so in the former place he calleth them deade which are alienate from the true lyfe that is which beleue not in him beinge depriued of the grace of god whiche haue a greatter care for worldly matters then for those thinges which parteine vnto God which neglecting God geue them selues to the world wholly as saith S. Paule speakinge of the widdow She that lyueth in pleasure is deade beinge yet alyue In the later place he calleth those dead which by tēporal death haue ended their liues suffer saith he infidelles to be with infidelles and one infidell to dwel with an other one of them to dye with an other suffer it I say rather then that shoulde be a set vnto thee to serue mée C. This man therefore was called of Christ as Luke more plainly declareth to be a minister
quiet vntill present daunger vrged them and then exceading feare stirred them vp and perswaded them that they shoulde not bee saued excepte they awoke Christe And this was the cause why he accused them of infidelitie 26 And he sayde vnto them why are ye fearefull O ye of litle faithe then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea and there followed a greate calme VVhy are ye fearefull O ye of litle Bu. Nowe it followeth howe Christe behaued him selfe in this daunger and after what sorte he delte with his disciples being paste hope almoste Firste he blameth the imbecillite of their faith in this that he teacheth howe they ought not to quayle in perilles but cōstantly with an vndoubted mynde to hope for present helpe from the handes of the lord and sauioure Notwithstanding of this reprehension of Christe a question may be moued namely whether all feare ought to be cōdēned repugnāt to faith At the first he reprehendeth them not symplely because they feared but because they were full of feare they were out of measure afrayed Then he opposeth faithe against their feare and declareth that he speaketh of their immoderate perturbation which did not so muche exercise their faithe as it did shake their myndes Hereby it appeareth that all kinde of feare is not contrary to faythe for if we feare nothyng then there aryseth a wonderfull carelesnesse of the fleshe so that faithe languysheth synne increaseth and the remembraunce of God vanisheth away So we see that the feare whiche exerciseth faith is not of it selfe euell vntill it exceadeth the excesse consisteth in this if the tranquillitie of faythe be troubled or disquieted whiche ought to areste in the worde of God. Then he arose and rebuked A. Christ would trie his disciples but he woulde not suffer them to perishe therefore he rebuketh the wyndes and there followed a calme C. he commaunded the sea and the wynde to be quiet not that the lake had any sence or vnderstandynge but that he might shewe that the power of his voyce did pearce euen through the deafe elementes And there follovved a great calme M. This trewely bryngeth an vnspeakeable ioye and comforte to all the elect For in this place we learne that there is nothinge in this worlde so harde so cruell and desperate which Christ can not rule tame and ouercome C. Neyther doth the sea and the winde alone which are voyde of sence obeye the rule and power of God but the very wicked also for all their obstinacie are constrayned to couche To this place agreeth the sayinge of the prophete Dauid when he saith God is oure hope and strengthe a very present helpe in trouble Therefore we wyll not feare thoughe the earth be moued and though the hilles be caryed to the myddest of the sea Though the waters therof rage and swell and though the mountaines shake at the presence of the same Againe The lorde maketh warres to ceasse in all the worlde he breaketh the bowe and knappeth the speare in sonder burneth the chariots in the fyer M. It is most true therfore that the byshoppes of Rome affyrme that the ship of Christ whiche is the churche can not perishe it maye be assalted and beaten filled with waues but in the ende it wil escape and possesse a calme They speake the trueth It appereth no lesse by this place And we reioyce But let them see whether they be in the ship with Christ or no whiche perishe not then let them see whether they them selues are not they whiche trouble the churche or no which ouerwhelming the trewth replenishe and ouerlade the same with mennes traditions 27 But the men marueyled saying what maner of man is this that both windes and sea obey him C. The Euangelistes Marke and Luke attribute this saying to the apostels for after they had said that they were reprehended of Christ they adde that they cried out with feare sayinge what maner of man is this Notwithstandinge this saying did more appertayne to others to whom Christ as yet was not knowne Yet we allowe theim bothe Here nowe the fruite of the miracle appereth when the glory of Christ is celebrated For thē miracles do profyte vs when we wonder at the power of God in Christ submitte our selues wholly to his wyll Bu. Wherfore let all men learne here when they are delyuered from euyll that they haue respect to God alone to geue to hym all glory and to be thanckfull vnto hym for his benefites 28 And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesites there met him twoo possessed with deuilles whiche came out of the graues and were out of measure fearce so that no mā might go by that way And vvhen he vvas come B. By an other excellent miracle or benefite the lorde sealeth his power and declareth it to the whole world manifestly approuing him selfe to be lord not onely of the disseases and elementes of the worlde but also to be the ruler of Sathan the prince of this world Into the countrey of the Gergesites C. We haue already a littell before confuted their erroure whiche affirme that Marke and Luke declare an other history then this For when as the region of the Gadarenites is saide to be that which lieth ouer against Galilae of all the three Euangelistes and all the circumstaunces also do agree who wil be perswaded that these thynges happened at dyuerse tymes There met hym tvvoo possessed C. This one onely difference gaue occasion of errour to the interpretours to disseuer Mathew from the rest because he nameth twoo the other Euangelistes reherse and make mention but of one only But the coniecture of Austine is probable who thinking that there was twoo saith that they made mention but of one of them whiche was more famouse then the other because of his exceading fercenesse for the whiche crueltie and fearcenes the miracle seemed more wonderfull in him And trewelye we do see that Luke and Marcke do persist in amplyfying with many woordes the cruel fearcenesse of the deuyll the whiche maketh muche with the coniecture of S. Austin Where as Luke saithe there mett with the lorde a man out of the citie it is vncertaine whether he vnderstande hym to be a citizen of the Gadarenites or whether he wente oute of the cittie to meete with Christ For when he was commanded to go home as you may reade in the story and to preache to his famelye and kinsefolke the grace and mercy of God Marcke saith that he went and preached in the tenne cities which was a regyon nye to the Gadarenites and oueragaynst Galilae wherevppon it is gathered that he was not a Gadarenite by byrth Moreouer Mathew and Marke do in no point affirme that he came out of the citie but out of the monumentes or graues and Luke declareth that he lyued in the wyldernes These woordes therefor of Luke There met hym a certayne man oute of
what followed They besought him to departe Than this what coulde be worse They theim selues were scattered sheepe the shephearde commeth to gather them together yea God by his sonne reached out his armes that by his imbracing he mighte carry them vp to heauen which were ouerwhelmed with the shadowe of deathe They did rather couet and desire to be depryued of the saluation offered then any lenger to haue the presence of Chryste They seeme to be offended because of the losse of their hogs But Luke noteth a farther cause that theye were greatly afraide and trewely they beinge mad angry by the losse dyd not pray him but dyd more sharpely compell expulse him But where as they reuerenced him as the mynister of God and yet notwithstanding wished him farther from them we se that they were touched in no point with the grace of god And trewely althoughe all the wicked do worshyp God and do greatly indeuour theim selues to please hym yet notwithstanding if they mighte haue their desire they woulde be farre enough from him because his coūtenaunce semeth terryble vnto them so longe as they thyncke hym to be a iudge rather then a father Herevpon it commeth to passe that the doctrine of the gospell then the whiche nothynge can be more pleasaunte seemeth so sharpe and sower vnto them Euen so at this daye when men publikely and priuately go aboute to measure the kingedome of God with theyr commodyties and proffytes they canne haue no taste of the grace of god This was an euyl sygne and token in the Gadarenes that they were more afraide by the losse of theyr hogges then they were comforted and made glad by the saluation of their sowles Wherevpon Christe affirmeth that he can not be his disciple which forsaketh not al and followeth hym The .ix. Chapter HE ENTERED also into a shyppe and passed ouer and came into his owne cittie And he entred into a ship M. Because the saluation of mankynde dothe onely consiste in the knowledge of the Sonne of God and because Chryste came to wyn the worlde he coulde do no lesse in deede then declare hym selfe to the world And although this were done by the myracles that wente before yet notwithstandinge because it coulde not be done sufficientelye he thoughte good to geue vnto this people a proof or tryall of his power Wherfore in this wonderfull healing of the man disseased with the palseye we must note and marke the declaratiō of the power of God to whom all thinges are constrained to obey And came into his ovvne Cittie C. This place dothe teache vs that the cittie of Caparnaum was the place where Chryste was borne because he didde often times frequente the same For there is no doubt but that this same history is declared of the three Euangelystes althoughe one of them more subtilly then an other doth bringe in the circumstaunces Luke saythe that the Scrybes came oute of dyuerse partes of Iudea in the presence of whome Chryste healed the man sycke of the palsey notwithstandinge he sheweth afterwardes that manye by the mercy of Christe were healed For before he commethe to speake of the man disseased of the palseye he speakynge in the plurall nomber saithe The power of the lorde was presente to heale them But there parteyned no smale fame and prayse to this myracle that a manne taken in all the partes of his bodye beyng lett downe with ropes he lyinge in his bedde shoulde soddeynely aryse whole sownde and in parfecte healthe Notwithstanding there is another more specyall reason whye the Euangelistes do so long persiste in this then in the others namely because the Scrybes toke disdaine at Chryste that he shoulde take vpon hym aucthoritie and power to forgeue synnes but because it shoulde appere so vnto them for certaine he wolde haue his aucthoritie sealed and ratified with a visible signe 2 And beholde theye broughte vnto hym a man sycke of the palseye lyinge in a bedde And when Iesus sawe the faythe of them he sayde vnto the sycke of the palsey sonne be of good chere thy synnes be forgeuen thee And beholde they brought Bu. The Euangeliste Marcke dothe descrybe the maner of his brynginge more at large sayinge And they came vnto him bringynge one sycke of the palseye whiche was borne of fowre men And when they could not come nyghe vnto hym for the prease they vncouered the roofe of the howse whiche he was in And when they had broken vppe the roofe they dydde with cordes lette downe the bedde wherin the sycke man of the palseye laye By the whiche we muste note the syngular dyligence and moste feruent loue of them whiche caryed the sycke man the which trewely they declared in so easely vncouerynge the roofe of the house And vvhen Iesus savve the faythe of them God trewely is the onely knower of Faythe and sercher of secretes but yet they shewed a token of the same by their diligente labour industry because thei wolde neuer haue takē vpon thē so many troubles neyther woulde they haue assayed what they might preuaile so manye lettes beinge agaynste theim excepte that a sure truste had fully perswaded their myndes of good successe so that the fruite of their faith appered in this that al meanes and waies of commynge to Chryste beynge shutte and stopped they were not for all this weryed or voyde of hope For where as some thincke that Chryst was priuie to theyr faythe whiche was hydden theyr opinion seemeth to be too stricte and precyse M. In the meane season notwithstandinge we must note that Chryste dothe in these cariers of the man sycke of the palseye note a speciall faythe Whereby we maye see that in all kynde of woorkes Christe hathe respect vnto Fayth For the Euangelyste sayth not here when he sawe theyr workes but when he sawe their faith Sonne be of good chere M. This bringeth greate consolation to the conscyences of synners that God wyll vouchesafe to receiue synners as his sonnes Furthermore by this worde be of good chere he requyreth faith of the sycke parson also encourageth him comforteth hym as phisitiōs do oftentymes theyr pacientes C. Nowe when as Christe by the faith of the bearars healed the man sycke of the palseye it is demaunded of some in this place what one mannes faythe doth profyte an other Fyrst of all we knowe for certayne that the faythe of Abraham dyd profyte his posterytie when as he imbraced the couenaunte and promyse made to hym and his seede The lyke wee oughte to iudge in all the faythefull because by their faythe they spreade out the grace of god to their children and posteritie yea and that before they be borne And also the same taketh place in chyldren and younge infantes who for want of age are not apt to haue fayth But they which are ripe of yeres whose owne faythe is insufficyent whether they be straungers or of the fame lyne or kynred an other mannes faythe
But where as she dothe rather seke her health by touching of his vesture then by commynge vnto hym by prayer and intreatie peraduenture she dyd it by an vndiscrete and rashe zeale declinynge a littell out of the way speciallye when as a littell after she declareth that she did com doubtingly with a troubled mind But admit that she was led by the spyrite to do thus yet notwithstanding this abideth sure that our faith ought not by priuate example to be caryed hyther and thyther because we ought whollye to grounde the same vppon the woorde of God accordinge to the sayinge of S. Paule Faith cōmeth by hearinge and hearing commeth by the woorde of god A. Marcke addeth sayinge And straighte waye the fountaine of bloudde was dried vp and she felt in hir body that shee was healed of that plague Bu. Whereby we maye note that syckenesses infirmities are called plagues by the which God dothe scourge men to make them to know theim selues and to amende And then it followeth Iesus straight way felte in him selfe that vertue proceded out of hym tourned him about in the prease and said who touched my clothes Obiection C. This seemeth an absurd thinge that Christ should bestow grace vpon any one not knowing vpon whom he bestowed it or who receiued any benefite therby Trewly there is no doubt but that wittingely and wyllingelye he healed the womā yea there is no doubt but that by the secrete operation of his holye Spirite he drewe her vnto hym to the ende he mighte heale her but he asketh who it was after a strange sorte because the woman her self should come forthe openly and witnesse that she was healed If Christ should haue borne witnes of his myracle he shoulde not haue ben credited and therefore the woman beinge afraide beareth wytnesse of that whiche hapned vnto her and openly declareth the same whose confession was of great force 22 But Iesus tourned hym aboute and when he sawe her he saide Daughter be of good comforte thye saythe hath made the safe And the woman was made whole euen the same tyme But Iesus tourned him about M. The woman not onely for the kynde but also for the maner of her dissease for shame crepeth backewarde as thoughe she had stolen priuilie this benefite of her healthe But Christe partely for the settynge forthe of the glory and power of God and partly for the corroboratinge and strengthenynge of the weake faithe of the rular of the Synagogge woulde not suffer that whiche he had done to lye hyd but requiringe bothe the confession of the dissease and also the acknowleginge of the benefite he bryngeth her forth in the middest of whom he was towched Daughter be of good A. Here ryseth a ques It was saide a lyttelle before And Iesus knowinge that vertue had proceded out of hym And Luke hath I fele vertue to go out of mee Moreouer the vertue of the lorde was presente to heale them Also Al the people sought to touche him because that vertue went out of him When as therefore the power of the lord doth heale why sayth he here Thy faith hath made thée safe M. He saith so for twoo causes The one is that althoughe it be trewe that the power vertue and strength onely of Chryste dyd heale the woman as it dyd others also notwythstanding because this vertue is such as happeneth vnto none that is it happeneth vnto none but to those that haue faythe and onely fayth being that which is capeable of the power of Christe It is truely saide that this woman is healed by the faithe whiche she had in Christe These two therefore must be ioyned together that is to saye fayth and the vertue of Christ For howe great soeuer the vertue of Christe be yet it offereth not it selfe to any vnfaithfull persone as it is sayde in an other place he coulde not do many miracles in his countrey because of their vnbeliefe Moreouer excepte the vertue of Christe be present and the wōderfull goodnes of God all faithe in him is but vayne So that it may wel be said This woman is saued by faythe but the power grace and vertue of Christe hath brought it to passe and agayne it maye be sayde she is saued by the power of Christe when as notwithstandinge she was not saued without faythe by the power of Christe After the same manner we must thinke of faythe the grace and goodnes of god We are sayde to be saued by fayth in Christe Iesus when as notwithstanding in dede we are saued by the grace and mercy of god Whereupō saint Paule sayth Ye are saued by grace Againe he saithe According to his mercy he saued vs But because no vnbeleuing persone is saued by the grace of God and none can be partakers of the goodnes of God without fayth and because it is necessarye that the grace goodnes and mercy of God be apprehended by fayth in Christe Iesu It cōmeth to passe that saluation and ryghteousnes be ascribed vnto faythe Faithe can not be without grace neyther can grace be withoute fayth And therefore Paule when he had once sayd ye are saued by grace least any man should thinke that it was done with out fayth or that it coulde be done without faythe he addeth by and by For ye are saued by grace through faythe The other cause why he rather sayd thy fayth hath saued thee thē my vertue hath saued thee is this that he might cōfirme the woman in the same faithe whiche she had taken and that he might shewe that this was the waye to attayne saluation and to be partaker of the power of god The which he should not haue done if he had sayde my vertue hath saued thee for so he shoulde haue preached his vertue but should not haue declared the way to apprehende the same C. Now as Christ attributed the healing of the woman to fayth So it is sure and certayne that by faithe we obtaine remissiō of our sinnes by the whiche we are reconciled vnto god Marke addeth saying daughter thy faythe hath saued the go in peace and be whole of thy plague C. Whereby we may gather that the benefite whiche she had receiued was then truely ratified confirmed when she harde that of the mouthe of Christe whiche already she had founde true by experience By these wordes therefore the conscience of the woman is corroborated and confirmed So in another place although the synnes of the synful woman were remitted and Christe also had sayde vnto Symon as concerning her Many synnes are forgeuen her because she loued muche Notwithstanding to the ende he mighte certefie her as concerning this thing he said thy synnes are forgeuen thee A. Now let vs retourne to the history of the Ruler of the Synagoge Marke as concerning that matter sayth thus Whyle he yet spake there came from the Ruler of the Synagoges house certayne whiche sayde Thy daughter is dead why
diseasest thou the maister any farther We haue already shewed of howe small and weake fayth this Ruler was then how by the example of the womā healed aforesayde he was not a litle erected and confirmed but nowe againe by these messengers he is made as feble and weake as euer he was By the whiche example the temptation of fayth is depainted vnto vs how the same is resisted by the iudgemēt and sence of reason For he beinge erected and lifted vp by the woordes of Christe whiche he spake vnto the womā saying Go in peace thy faythe hath made the safe conceiued in his mynde greater thynges of Christe then he did before but by and by this message being broughte by his seruauntes his truste is layde in the duste because he neuer came so farre as to beleue that Christe by his power was able to rayse vp the dead But what sayde Christe vnto this Dothe he altogether reiect the man wauering in faith No truely For hearing the worde that was brought he sayth to the Ruler of the Synagoge Feare not only beleue Luke sayth feare not only beleue and she shall be safe C. The messenger of death brought dispayre because he craued nothyng at the handes of Christe but to helpe her that was sicke Christe therefore forbiddeth to shut the enteraunce waye to grace by feare and distruste to the whiche grace death can neuer be a hynderaunce For in that he sayth Only beleue he declareth that he wanteth not power so that Iayrouse would admitte and receiue the same whiche can be done by no other meanes then by faythe And truely euen as it fared with Iayrouse so commeth it to passe with many of vs. For God oftē tymes would deale a great deale more liberally with vs if we were not so harde of beliefe but oure straightnes our precisenes doth let and hynder hym to power his giftes plentifully vpō vs To be shorte in this place we are taught that we cannot beleue to muche because our faythe be it neuer so large cannot comprehende the hundreth parte of the goodnes of god Furthermore here we see the goodnes of Christe and the care that he had to heale those that were sycke and diseased because he is not ignoraunt of our infirmities and temptations Moreouer this ought to be a great consolation vnto vs that he neglecteth not those that are his but helpeth them so sone as nede requireth Laste of all when as so straightly he requireth faithe of this Ruler he plainely declareth that he seketh for nothing but faith only For where vnbeliefe is there can not the power and strengthe of God exercise it self A. On the contrary parte all thynges are possible to hym that beleueth 23 And when Iesus came into the Rulers house and sawe the minstrelles and the people making a noyse C. The Euāgelistes reherse mourning to make the faithe of resurrection more sure for Christe reprehended and blamed greatly their lamentation and wepinge as appeareth in Marke when he sayde why make ye this a do and wepe Matthewe playnely affirmeth that there were mynstrelles which thing was not wonte to be excepte the party were certainly knowen to be dead and their exequies and funeralles a preparing And although they vsed after this fashion to honour their dead and to furnishe and decke their buriall Yet notwithstanding we see that the worlde is not onely ready to nourishe but also to styrre vp their owne vyces and to adde vnto the same If we be desyrous to knowe what absurde fashions the Gentiles vsed in bewayling their dead we may reade Lucianus wher he writeth of mourning This vse was a signe of humanitie but we must alwayes obserue a meane in all our doinges For where as there is hope of eternall lyfe there is comforte and cōsolation But when as we geue the brydell libertie and the ful scope to weping lamentatiō and mourning then are we cleane without hope and we do also therby resiste God and his wyll Therefore immoderate lamentatiō is a signe of infidelitie The faithfull can measure their mourninge but the vnbeleuinge fret against God and are ouercome with sorrowe Reade the apostell Paule to the Thessalonians Where the apostell dehorteth Christians from vnmeasurable mourning saying in the end of the same chapter Wherfore comfort your selues one another with these wordes 24. He sayth vnto them get you hence for the maide is not dead but slepeth And they laughed him to scorne He saith vnto them C. Marke and Luke saye that none were admitted to go in with Christe to the raysing of the mayde saue only thrée of the disciples of Christe and the parentes Matthewe being more brief pretermitteth the circumstaunces But the cause why Christe would haue so fewe witnesses at the raising vp of the mayde commaundinge them also very straightely that they should tell no man semeth to be this This mayde was the firste that Christe raysed from deathe to lyfe and therefore he woulde be sene to do suche an vnwonted thynge but of a fewe witnesses For as he reuealed him selfe more and more by succession continuaunce of tyme so he kepte an order in his disciples that he might manifeste his trueth to some in the begynning and to other some more late hauing alwaies respecte in all things to reueale the glorye of his father in that order in that tyme in that place and to those mynysters that his father had appoynted him before to do So he reuealed that to the shepeherdes which he did not onely hide from the hye priestes but also frō other holy men So at the firste he wolde haue the kyngdome of God preached onely to the Iewes as we may reade in the tenth of Mathewe and afterwarde to be preached throughout the whole worlde Also that whiche he spake to the people in symilitudes and parables he afterwarde expounded to his disciples And euen amonge them he had a certayne choyse For in this place he preferred these thrée disciples before the rest because no doubt he determyned to vse theim in greatter thinges This therefore was a specyall thyng whiche they nowe mighte by this myracle behold namely that Christ was lorde of lyfe and deathe whiche mysterie he thought good to reueale but to a few beinge suche as he had specially chosen He cōmandeth the rest to departe eyther because they were vnworthye to beare witnesse to such a miracle or ells because he not would haue the miracle obscured and not manifested the people makinge a hurlyburly round about him this was onely sufficiente that the maide whose carcase lay before theyr eyes dead sholde arise sodeinely alyue and in ful and parfecte strengthe For the mayde is not deade M. What Did not Christe knowe that the maide was deade Yes trewely he knewe well enoughe that she was dead to her father and mother to the people which mourned yea to the whole world and to her selfe also but to Chryste the sonne of God to
thyng himselfe to eate but commaunded her parentes to geeue it her So after that Lazarouse was raysed from deathe he caused a feaste to be made Peter also by this argumente confyrmeth the resurrection of Christe because he dyd eate and dryncke with the lorde after his deathe 27 And when Iesus departed thence two blind men followed him crying and saying O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And vvhen Iesus departed Bu. By a newe proofe and a newe benefyte he declareth to the whole world that there is no dyssease so incurable whiche the lorde is not able to heale Tvvo blynde men follovved C. The other twoo Euangelistes omytt this myracle because as sayncte Iohn saythe they determyned not to set forthe all the deedes of Chryste but gatherynge the chyefest amonge a greate maynye go aboute to proue hym to be the Messias Matthewe saythe here that twoo blynde men had theyr syghte restored vnto thē but not so soone as Chryste was wonte to helpe others that were dysseased afflicted troubled For hee geueth these two no answere they crying styll after hym as he wente but as it were faynynge that he harde theim not suffered theym to followe hym to his lodgynge and there at the last he asketh thē what they thyncke or beleue of his power Therefore bothe in dede and wordes he taketh a tryall and iust examination of theyr faythe and pacience in sufferyng them to crye as thoug he regarded them not M. There is no doubte but that by the occasyon of the other myracle goynge before and by the fame of his benefytes whiche was spredde throughoute the whole worlde they were moued to followe after Chryste sayinge Haue mercy on vs. C. They expresse not theyr suite for it is enoughe for vs to call vpon God for our mysery M. Furthermore they callynge for mercye require not that whiche is vaine or without effecte but suche mercye as dyd not onely consyst in the affection of the hart but also whiche in deede dyd helpe theyr mysery which was beyng blynde to be restored to theyr sight Thou son of Dauid C. They call hym the sonne of Dauyd because the promyse whiche was made vnto Dauid was commonly in the mouthes of the Iewes They counted him not therfore as a prophete but they estemed him euen as he was to be Chryst the redemer of the whole worlde B. And it is lykely that Iesus was then commonlye thoughte to be the Messias promysed before in the lawe and prophetes For all the people at that tyme loked for Chryste In so muche that they tooke Iohn to be the Messias Whereby wee maye see howe inexcusable the obstynacye of the Pharyseys was which wolde not acknowledge the tyme of theyr visytation being admonyshed of the same by so many signes and tokens M. Moreouer it appereth howe lyttell fayth thynketh vpon daunger For it was decreed amonge the chiefe Rulars of the Iewes that euerye one that confessed this Iesus to bee Chryste the sonne of Dauyd shoulde bee caste oute of the Synagogge Notwithstandinge these blynde men were nothynge afrayde of this commaundement For their crye dothe sufficiently declare howe sounde in faythe they were 28 And whē he was come into the house the blynde came vnto hym And Iesus saythe vnto theim Beleue ye that I am able to do this They saye vnto hym Lorde we beleue And vvhen he vas come into the hovvse B. The lord suffereth these blinde men to cry after him til he came to his lodging wherby he myghte make them more earneste and try them and make their faythe an exaumple for vs to followe The blinde came to hym A. That is they wente into the howse into the whiche Chryste was entered before theim M which is a syngular exaumple of the stedfaste faythe whiche ceasethe not to hope although at the firste time the petition be not graunted but continuethe mutable till the purpose be obteyned Suche was the faythe of the woman of Syrophenesia Beleue ye that I am able to do this B. He asketh them if they beleeue teachinge that faith is required to the obteininge of the power of Chryste and the wyll of God and that the same faithe by the which we beleue in Christ can heale and saue of his owne proper nature and force without the benefyte of prayer For he saithe not do you beleue that I can obtaine this at the hands of God but do you beleue that I can do this By the which wordes wholely such a faith is required by the which we attribute the dyuine power vnto Christ to obtayne any benefite at his handes Question But here it maye be demaunded whether it be sufficiente to make a faythful man to be perswaded of the power of God and of Chryste For so it maye be gathered by the woordes of Chryst Do ye beleue that I can do this And by many other places of the Scrypture it is manifest that the acknowledgynge of the diuine power is but vaine vnlesse wee be certaynelye perswaded of his wyll Notwithstandynge Chryste beynge contente with theyr aunswere doth commende the same as parfecte in all poynctes Wee aunswere when at the fyrste they had confessed hym to be the sonne of Dauid they were perswaded somewhat of his grace For by this tytell they declare hym to be the redeemer of theyr countreye and the aucthor of all good thynges Faythe therefore comprehendeth the mercy of God his fatherly loue his omnipotencie the good wyll of Chryste also towardes man with his power and strengthe But because men do commonlye attrybute lesse to the power of God and vertue of Chryste then they oughte this question is not withoute reason moued to the blynde whether they beleeue that Chryste can doe that whiche they professe with the mouthe And for this cause theyr faythe is commended because they beleeue hym to be the sonne of Dauyd beyng in so humble and base estate Lorde vve beleue A. Hym whom before they called the Sonne of Dauid they nowe call Lorde attrybutynge vnto hym no doubte the honoure of a Messias 29 Then towched he theyr eies saying accordinge to your faythe be it vnto you Then tovvched he their eies M. It is not necessary that Christ shold toutche theyr eies for he coulde helpe theim with his woorde onelye but for the blynde mennes sakes onely namely that hereby their faythe myght be much holpen Euen so we counte the couching of such as we thincke to be saynctes and holy men of greate force Chryste therefore waying the imbecillitie of mākind to the ende he myght helpe the faythe of the blynd toucheth theyr eyes the which no doubte confyrmed muche the truste and hope of these blynde men to receyue their syghte Hereby we see the nature and goodnesse of Christe who alwayes indeuoureth hym selfe to helpe our imbecillitie in those thynges which require a constante faythe Sayinge accordynge to your faythe be it vnto you E. By this shorte sentence the lord teacheth vs
sayde euen nowe into the whole world His tvvelue disciples M. This number of twelue in the scriptures and workes of god is holy and excellent For this did note and signifie the instauration and reforming that should be of the churche For as the people dyd sprynge of twelue Patriarkes euen so nowe the reliques or remnaunte beyng scattered abroade Christe calleth to remēbraunce his ofspringe that they might haue a sure and certayne hope of his restoring And although the kyngdome of God did not so florishe in Iury that the state of the people was whole and sound but rather that people whiche was nowe miserably falne and decayed in despising the grace and mercy to them offered by their ingratitude deserued double destruction Yet notwithstanding this stayed and letted not but that a newe people might be borne again Afterward it came to passe that God sent from farre the rod and Scepter of the power of his sonne out of Sion that there might spryng out of that well head suche a one as shoulde plentifully water all the foure partes of the worlde Then did God gather from all partes his people Israell that they myghte growe and encrease into one body yea and not only the dispersed and torne members but suche men also as before were altogether alienate from the people of god Therefore the Lorde appointing not in vaine the twelue as Patriarkes testifieth the renuinge of the churche Admitte nowe that he admonished the Iewes by this number of the ende and cause of his comming But because they gaue no place to the grace of God he begat vnto hym selfe a newe people If we haue respect to the beginning this might seme a ridiculous thing but the ende whiche was wonderfull and the fruitfull propagation of the churche declareth that the Apostels do farre excell the Patriarkes both in the degree of honoure and also in the fertillitie of succession M. To be shorte as the multitude people of the Iewes came of the carnall generation of the twelue sonnes of Israell euen so the multitude of the faythfull whiche in number passeth the sande by the sea syde by spiritual byrthe came of the twelue Apostels For if Paule speake truly in saying that he begat those whiche he brought vnto the faythe of Christe Why then should not the like be sayde of the reste of the Apostles According to this exāple the Byshop of Rome obserueth the number of twelue in the election of his Cardinalles whome he choseth in stede of the Apostels His disciples E. Luke saith that Christ afterwarde called them Apostels He gaue them povver Some olde Gréeke bookes haue as it is here He gaue them power against vncleane spirites Other some haue as the olde interpretour also He gaue thē power of vncleane spirites The whiche ambiguitie and doubtfull speache being mislyked of Hilary he readeth it He gaue them power to caste out vncleane spirites The Gréee woorde signifieth power and authoritie to do anye thing the whiche power truely amonge men wanting the strengthe and facultie to execute the Lawe is voyde of the effecte But in deuine matters it fareth not so For to God the facultie and power are ioyned together Wherefore because the disciples receyue here power of Christ the true sonne of God they receiue also with the same the vertue and strengthe which is able to worke the effect Wherupon we reade in an other place that these twoo facultie or authoritie and power are ioyned together But because the Apostels were of no reputatiō almost among men and the Ambassage whiche was committed vnto them was altogether deuine Furthermore when as thei did neither excell in wytte nor eloquence and againe the excellencie and newenes of the thinge required more then possibely could be in man It was necessary that thei should haue farther authoritie from some other Bu. Furthermore when Moyses shoulde promulgate and set forth the Lawe the Lorde prepared hym authoritie by many signes and miracles Therefore it was conuenient that nowe lykewyse by tokens and wonders he shoulde gette credite to the preachers of his Gospell For truely without the authoritie of the teacher the doctrine it selfe semeth weake and of small force although otherwyse it might seme sufficient C. Wherefore Christe seing before hande that his Apostels by shewing of myracles should get great credite and reuerence among the people he endeweth them aboundauntly with heauēly power And hereupon the lawefull vse of myracles may bee gathered whiche was to seale ratifie and confirme the doctrine of the Gospell Wherefore the Papistes are falsefiers and wicked deprauers of the workes of God in separating the woorde from myracles To caste them out M. By this it appeareth that they receiued not power to do with the deuels as them listed but to driue expell and caste them out They coulde not therefore sende them into men and vse their workes to the destruction of mankynde For they receiued power so ouer all kynde of diseases that they mighte make of those that were sick whole those that were blynde to see those that were dombe to speake and those that were lame to walke but the contrary by this their authoritie and power they coulde not do 2 The names of the twelue Apostels are these The firste Symon whiche is called Peter and Andrew his brother Iames the sonne of Zebede and Iohn his brother The names of the tvvelue are Bu. It was necessary that the names of the Apostels should be put in wryting because it was not mete that the heades of our religion the speciall witnesses of the catholique truthe the lightes of the whole worlde should remayne vnspoken of M. This also is the māner and wonte of the scripture not to suffer the names of those whose workes God vsed to his ministery to lye hidden in obliuion but to expresse them by their names what they were partely that we may know that they are not neglected of God whiche serue hym and partly that we being myndefull of their faythe shoulde followe their godly example For it bryngeth vnto vs great vtillitie and proffite to knowe them by name whose ministery and seruice God hath vouchesafed to vse for oure greate commoditie and sauing health Euen so Moyses dothe Chronacle their names by whose industry and labour the tabernacle was made And in an other place their names are rehearsed whiche brought backe againe the Arke of God whiche Dauid made into the Tabernacle The firste Symon H. Here we muste note that the other Euangelistes do not reherse the Apostels names in the same order that Matthew doth leaste that any man shoulde make Peter the chiefest of all the reste because he is put here in the firste place For the other two Euangelistes rehersing the Apostels names by couples place Matthew before Thomas And Matthewe him selfe for modesties sake preferreth Thomas And Paule reherseth Iames in the firste place saying Iames and Cephas and Iohn which semed to be the pillers
declare a testimonye to wytnesse or to acknowledge because he wolde not haue the faith of men lie hiddē in their hartes but opēly pronounced set forth vnto mē And whosoeuer hideth kepeth this faith silent doth he not frustrate the sonne of God shut hym selfe also out of the dores and expulse him self as none of his familie There is requyred trewely a more playne and manifest confession of the faythe of suche as are teachers then of priuate men furthermore because all men haue not fayth alike by measure he which hath the most of the spirite oughte to geue the greatteste ensaumple notwithstanding there is no faythefull man whome the Sonne of God requireth not to be a wytnesse For that whiche Peter commaundethe pertayneth to all the faythfull when he sayth Sanctifie the lorde in your hartes Be ready alwayes to geue an aunswere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you In the whiche place hope is taken for saythe C. But where when howe often howe and to what ende our faythe ought to be professed it were a harde matter to constitute any certayne lawe but the occasiō must be considered least that euery one of vs in tyme neglecte our duety Moreouer we must craue at the handes of the lorde the spirite of fortitude and wysdome the whiche being our guyde we shal knowe what we oughte to do and obserue also that whiche he hath commaunded Bu. Finally to professe Christe in this place is truely to publyshe the truthe of the Gospell that is constantly to acknowledge Christe to be perfecte God and mā and to be the onely saluation and righteousnes of the worlde by the whiche the faythful are iustified Hereby we see that it is not enoughe for a Christian man to haue Christe in his harte vnles also he professe him opēly before men according to the measure of the fayth that is geuen vnto hym as we sayde euen nowe according to his office and calling and as oportunitie shall serue If any man therfore be called to the cōfession of the faithe before Tyrauntes then ought he openly and playnely to confesse Christe euen as if God him self shold require testimony of hym The whiche that he may do in deede he ought to pray vnto God that he woulde vouchesafe to geue hym a sure truste and confidence with the spirite of boldnes B. Agayne Christe is denied when we do not acknowledge hym to be true God and man when we denie hym to be our Sauiour our righteousnes and redemer and when we thinke not his doctrine to bee the infallible truthe or when we are ashamed of him either for mallice contēpte or feare Of contempte and mallice that wicked kynge Iulianus denied Christe for feare Peter denied him At this daye the Iewes and Turkes not knowing the misteries of the gospel do malitiously deny him They deny him for feare whiche either by the terror of death of torment of banishement or of prysonmēt being asked of the magistrate do denie them selues to be louers of the Gospell But some willingly and without constrainte do confesse Christe to be the onely prieste the mediatour and the onely euerlastinge sacrifice of the faythfull purgation redemption and righteousnes Whosoeuer nowe acknowelegeth not this he doth plainly deny Christ and not only deny hym but he taketh awaye also the glory of his name Hym vvyll I confesse also M. That is whosoeuer acknowledgeth me for his lorde onely Sauioure and is not ashamed as sayth Marke and Luke of my doctrine before men but boldly and truely cōfesseth the same him also wyll I acknowledge for myne and commende him to my father There is a promyse therefore added here whiche should inflame our hartes make vs zelouse in this behalfe For how much doth the promise excede that which he requireth Surely there is almost no comparison sauyng that it pleaseth hym of his mercifull liberalitie to bestowe it vppon vs. 33 But whosoeuer denieth me before men him wyll I deny also before my father whiche is in heauen M. Marke somewhat more at large affirmeth this saying Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my wordes in this aduouterous and sinfull generatiom Of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy aungels Luke in lyke manner hathe the same woordes almoste in effect C. If therefore the promyse before be not sufficient to encourage vs to acknowledge Christe then let vs geue eare to the seuere threatninge that Christe when he shall come to iudge the worlde shall denie al which for feare shame or contempte haue denyed hym before men Now let the enemies of the crosse of Christe go flatter them selues in their dissimulation when as Christe doth blotte them out of the booke of lyfe For whome shal God at the laste take for his chyldren but those whiche are offered vnto him by Christe Where as Christe is sayd to come in the glory of his father and of the aungels the meaning is that his glory shall be reueled plainely to the whole worlde 34 Suppose not that I came to sende peace into the earth No I came not to sende peace but a swearde Suppose not that I came C. By these wordes our Sauiour Christe declareth that he should not nede the labour helpe ministry of his apostels if the whole world with one consent would subscribe to his Gospell But because the greatest parte is not only against it but seketh diligētly to ouerwhelme the same we cannot without contention the hatred of many men acknowledge Christe Christe therfore admonisheth his Apostles to prepare them selues to the battaile because it is necessary that they warre whiche professe the Gospel And so he preuenteth two offences whiche otherwyse mighte haue troubled and disquieted the mindes of the weake For whē as the Prophetes promised euery where that the state of the kyngdome of Christe should be quiet and peaceable what coulde the Apostels loke for but that all thinges shoulde be quiet in peace whersoeuer they came Nowe for somuche as Christe is oure peace and the Gospell also doth reconcile vs vnto God Obiection it consequently followeth that brotherly concorde should be among vs Therefore to haue warre contention and strife in the worlde when the Gospel is preached agreeth not with the foreshewynges of the Prophetes and much les with the office of Christe and the nature of the Gospell But that peace whiche the Prophetes speake of because it is ioyned with faithe is among none but the true worshippers of God and in the consciences of the godly and it commeth not to the vnbeleuers though it bee offered vnto them they wyll neuer the soner also come into the grace fauoure of God Whereby it commeth to passe that the Embassage of peace worketh in them the greater disquietnes and tumulte For because Sathan whiche reigneth among the reprobate and beareth rule
meaning of the wordes is this You went into the deserte but your readines lightnes was altogether folishe vain except your going had some certaine end purpose For truly ye sought for no worldly pompe or pastime but your purpose was to heare the word of God by the mouth of the Prophet Now therfore that ye may shewe forth the frute of your purpose let that whiche he spake abide printed in your myndes A rede that is Bu. By the rede shakē with euery blast of wynd declining bending now hither now thither is signified the vacillatiō shaking incōstancy of inconstant mē at euery light occasiō Wherby we may learne that all light inconstant men are vnmete for the ministery of the Gospel For Iohn chaūged not his minde but being in prison cōtinued in the same opinion that he was of before Wherfore they which intende to profite the churche of God to be allowed of him muste be pure simple constant in the worke and busines of the Gospell of Christe 8 Or what went ye out to se A man clothed in soft raimēt Behold they that were soft clothing are in kings houses C. They are deceiued which thinke that this is spoken to condēne costly princelyke apparel there are many other places where luxury in apparel to much pōpe is reprehēded But the sence of this place is more simple namely that there was no such thing in the desert by the whiche the people should be drawne thither For there all thinges were vntilled wylde barren whiche coulde bring nothing but werines as for those thinges that did delighte they were in the kinges courtes 9 But what wēt ye out for to se A prophete Yea I say vnto you and more then a Prophete Bu Nowe Christe commeth to the effect grounde of the cōmendation of Iohn to the which the circumstaunce of the place is referred He sayth therfore what wēt ye out for to sée a Prophete M. As if he should saye Because not without occasion ye went forth with such spede into the deserte to Iohn it must nedes be that ye went to sée some great and excellent sight Went ye forth to sée a Prophete For it muste nedes be that ye sought for some singuler thing in Iohn Truly your expectation is not deceiued For ye sawe a Prophete yea And more then a. C. By the which wordes he doth not only confirme the authoritie of Iohn but dothe also preferre his doctrine before the doctrine of the olde Prophets to th end he might bring the people to the right scope end of his ministery For because they did not consider wherfore he was sent it came hereupō to passe that they did proffite nothing at all in his doctrine Christe doth therfore extoll and place him aboue all the Prophetes to the ende they might learne and know howe that some speciall excellent thing was geuen and committed vnto him M. For whereas the reste of the Prophetes dyd prophecie of Christe a great while before that he came This Iohn did shewe that he was come already did pointe him out with the finger C. But where as he him selfe in another place denieth that he is a Prophet it is not contrary to this place For he was not a Prophete after the cōmon manner of other Prophets Whom God had made interpretours of the law and messengers of his will to his church But notwithstandinge he was more excellent thē they because he did not darkely obscurely or vnder shadowes shewe declare that time of redēption but plainly did declare that the same was already come to the whiche effecte the prophecie of Mallachie following pertaineth 10 For this is he of whome it is written beholde I sende my messenger before thy face which shal prepare thy waye before thee B. The Hebrewe texte the thréescore tēne interpretours write this same somewhat more diuersly notwithstanding in the same sence sayinge Beholde I send my messenger he shall prepare or make ready the way before my face and the lord whome ye would haue shall sone come to his temple yea euen the messenger of the couenaunt whome ye long for c. And thus do Mathew and Luke reade it Wherby we gather that it was then so redde in the cōmen Gréeke bookes the whiche they desired rather to followe then by newnes to offend those that are vnperfect and want skill In the Hebrewe texte the wordes are of Christe speaking of him selfe but the wordes of the Euangelistes are of the father speaking of the sonne The aungel here or the messenger of God is Iohn the Baptiste All one waye pertaineth to the father and to Christ his sonne by the which he cōmeth vnto vs we in like maner vnto him in true humility repētaūce with a sounde and perfecte faith M. Iohn prepared the waye being sent before the face of Christ when by the preaching of repentaunce by the testimony that he bare of Christe he sent al mē vnto him as to the sauioure him selfe The which two thinges are to be noted of vs namely the preachinge of repentaunce the faith in Christ For in these two consisteth the waye to life Bu. Such a messenger of so great thinges was Iohn the Baptist as witnesseth his father Zacharias by these wordes And thou childe shalt be called the Prophete of the hiest for thou shalt go before the face of the lorde to prepare his wayes to geue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercy of our God so forthe By and by after this preaching of Iohn came Christe into his tēple that is to his people which are the true temple of god According to the saying of S. Paule ye are the temple of the liuing God whiche tēple is holy This therfore is the somme of this place Iohn excelled in this that he was the crier forerunner of Christ For although the Prophetes in olde tyme dyd speake of the kyngdome of Christe yet notwithstandinge they were not placed like vnto Iohn before his face that they might shewe him presently and say Beholde the lambe of God whiche taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde 11 Verely I say vnto you among them that are borne of women arose not a greater then Iohn the Baptist Notwithstandinge he that is leaste in the kingdome of heauē is greater thē he B. That which he saith here simply there arose not a greater then Iohn is to be expounded by the other Euāgeliste where he saith Amōg womēs children is there not a greater Prophete then Iohn Baptiste For here he commendeth no other thing in him then the office that was geuen vnto him from aboue by the whiche the obstinacy of the Iewes is more sharpely reproued whiche despised the moste excelent Prophetes of all C. This excelency therefore is to be referred to the office that was geuen vnto him to
But and if this solution be not sufficient to those that are contenciouse we answere that althoughe the remedy for the preseruation of the Sodomites was in the handes of God yet notwithstanding he shewed his iustice in destroyinge them C. It shal be nedelesse therfore to enter into those questions of predestination when as we knowe that God wolde not do neither hath he decreed any thing to be done without excellent consyderation as to whom he shoulde shewe mercy and to whom not 24 Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shall be easyer for the lande of Sodome in the daye of iudgement then for thee For this matter reade the tenth chapiter goinge before and the fyftene verse 25 At the same tyme Iesus answered and saide I thancke thee O father lord of heauen and earthe that thou haste hid these thynges from the wyse and prudent and hast opened them vnto babes At that tyme. B. Luke saythe that Christ spake these wordes when the threscore and ten disciples were retourned and reioysed that deuylls were subdued vnto them Iesus aunsvvered C. Althoughe this worde of answeringe is very vsuall and familiar to the Hebrewes in the begynninge of some communication and matter notwithstanding in this place it hath a greate Emphasis or force Because that Christe thus toke occasion by the present matter to speake namely when the threscore and tenne retourned with ioye the which thinge the wordes of Luke confyrme a greate deale better saying that Iesus in the same hower reioysed in the spirite But whervpon cam this reidysynge but onelye because the Churche being gathered of a fewe poore and contemptible men was no lesse dere and preciouse vnto hym then if it hadde bene fornysshed with all the nobylytie power and glory in the whole worlde And the prayer of Christe beinge dyrected vnto the father was of more vehemency then if he had talked with his disciples Howe be it it is moste sure that for theyr sakes hee gaue thanckes vnto the father leaste that the base and lowe degree of the churche should offende any man For wee do all for the most parte seeke for glorye and there is nothynge seemeth lesse necessary vnto vs then the heauenly kyngdome of the sonne of god whose glory in dede consisteth in the dregs reliques and of scouringes of the world Accordynge to the sayinge of S. Paule We are become as it were the very outswepynges of the world and ofscouring of all men vnto this tyme And trewely this is the wonderfull counsell of God that he hauynge the whole worlde in his hande rather choseth to him selfe his peculyar people out of a base poore and contemptyble multitude then out of the heapes of nobles and prynces who as it myghte be thoughte shoulde better by theyr nobylitie and excellencie set forth the name of Christe then any other But Christe here sekethe to withdrawe his discyples from a proude lofty minde leaste they shoulde despyse the base and obscure state of the churche in the which he hym selfe dyd delyghte and gaue thanks vnto his heauenly father for the same Nowe what madnesse what blindnesse yea what arrogancye were there in vs if we shoulde denye gaynesay or mislike of that which our sauiour Christ hym selfe beinge our heade vouchesafeth reuerently to receyue and hyghelye to commende sayinge I thancke thee O fa. B. Or I prayse thee or I glorysie thye name For these three I prayse I gloryfye I geue thanckes are taken frome the Hebrew worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iadath which the Gretiās haue made Omulogeo that is I confesse C. Christ therfore by these wordes doth testifie that he doth quyete and rest hym selfe in the decree of his father whiche disagreeth and differeth from the reason and vnderstandinge of man. Lorde of heauen and. C. In this thing therfore he dothe affirme that he doth gloryfye his father that he beinge lorde of the whole earthe hath preferred babes and younglings before the wise of the world For it maketh no smal matter to the circumstance of the argument that he calleth the father lord of heauen and earth because by this meanes he declareth the cause of the blyndenes of the wyse to depende vppon the wyll of God and that by his wyll also the rude and ignorante are made to vnderstande his hye and secrete mysteries There are many other places also where the lord declareth that al those that com to saluation are elected chosen by him of his tender mercy frely because the earth is the lordes and al that therin is the compas of the worlde they that dwel therin Wherefore this sentence hath a double cōsideratiō First where as all men do not obey and beleue the gospel it cōmeth not so to pas by the impotencie vnablenes of god in whose power it is to subdue all creatures vnto him Secondly wheras some beleue obey other som remaine hard harted obstinate that is brought to pas by his louing free election Notwithstanding in that he choseth babes rather then the wise he hath a cōsideration of his glory For how much wold the flesh reioyce if faith mighte be gotten by the dexteritie of wyt by industry or by learnyng Wherefore God beateth downe the wisedome of man to the ende the glory of his name might not be obscured but brightly shine in makīg the foolishe thinges of this world to confound the wise C. That therefore which Christe here affirmeth seruethe muche to the confirmation of the faithful at this day and for euer in that all men ar stirred to the acknowledginge of the mercy of god for so muche as there is nothyng in vs that can prouoke him to cal vs but rather a wōderful heape of sinne wickednes to stir him to plague condemne vs wer it not that his mercy is the greater For truely the Gospell is not gotten by the wyt labour or industrie of man but onely by the illumination of the spiryte of God. Because thou hast hyd thee A. That is because thou hast not reuealed or opened these mysteries of thy kyngedome to the wyse and prudent For to hyde not to reueale open or shewe are all one So in an other place we reede The lord hyd it from mee and dyd not shew it vnto me and againe My father wyl do nothinge neyther great nor smal but that he will shewe it mee and howe shoulde he hyde this thinge from mee From the vvise and prudēt C. Here it maye be demanded who they ar whom Christ calleth wyse and babes for experyence teacheth vs that all that are vnlearned and rude come not to the perfection of faythe neyther are the learned and wise lefte in their blyndenesse Therfore they are defyned to be wyse and prudente in this place whiche beinge lifted vp with diabolical or deuelishe disdain wyl in no wyse abyde to heare the voice of Christe Paule with this pride was puffed vp but the lorde tamed his furiousenes If wee
That it might be fulfylled M. Againe the Euangeliste sheweth a reason why Christe woulde speake vnto the multitude by parables namely that he might not seme insolent or presumptuouse I vvyll open my mouthe C. The Euangelist Mathew meaneth not that this Psalme whiche he reciteth here was a speciall prophesie of Christe but as the maiestie of the spirite of God shyneth in the woordes of the Prophete after the same maner the force and power of the holy ghost also was expressed in the wordes of Christe In that Psalme the prophete speaking of the couenant of God by the which he adopted the sede of Abraham of the contynuall benefytes bestowed on that people and also of the gouernement of the Churche prophesieth myghtely I wyll open my mouth in parables That is I wyll not intreate of lyght toyes or triffles but I wyl speake earnestly of graue seriouse and weightye matters The same is mente also by darcke sentences For it is a common repetition in the Psalmes For the Hebrewes call comparisons Mesalim Furthermore this name is translated to graue sentences because that similytudes do often tymes beautifye the oration or talke and make it seeme plesant and delectable Also they cal Hidoth somwhile darcke sentences and some tyme shorte sentences For althoughe Matthew dothe seme to allude it to the name of Parable yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that Christ as he knewe righte well spake figuratiuely that the forme it selfe of the worde might brynge with it some dignitie weight He saith that that which is written in the Psalme is fulfilled because by allegories and fygures he admonished and declared that he intreated of the secret misteries of God lest the doctrine shoulde be contempned C. Wherby we gather that it was no absurditie at all in that he spake obscurelye to the people for diuerse endes consyderations For althoughe he woulde hyde from the reprobate that which he spake yet notwithstandynge he soughte by all meanes that they beinge astonied by his woordes might feele and perceyue that there was some celestial and deuine matter contained in the same 36 VVhen the people were sent awaye then came Iesus into the house And his disciples came vnto him sayinge Declare vnto vs the parable of the tares of the field VVhen the people vvere sente A. Nowe followeth the exposition of the parable going before of the wheat of the tares which the lorde declared to his disciples when they were alone Declare vnto vs the parable Bu. The occasion of the interpretation of the parable is here set before vs namely because the disciples prayed the lorde who declared the same vnto them They seme not to doubt as cōcerning the grain of mustardsede or of the leuē any thing at all for they mighte plainelye vnderstand and perceiue therby that they were admonished not to fainte quaile or dispayre at the base symple and rude beginninge of the Gospell In the parable of the tares there were certaine thinges whiche they did not so well vnderstande they request the lord therfore that it would please him to be their interpretoure Let vs also praye being taught by the exāple of the disciples that the lord in mercy will open reueale vnto vs the hiddē secret misteries conteined in his worde For he is ready and easy to be intreated so that we not in any point to doubt of his diligēce 37 He answered and said vnto them He that soweth the good sede is the son of man C. First he said that the kingdom of heauen was like vnto a man that did sowe but improperly Notwithstanding the sence meaning is euident that the like happeneth to the gospell beinge preached that commonly cometh to passe in the sowing of fieldes where the tares and cockell growethe with the wheate sauinge that hee expresseth one speciall thynge sayinge that the fielde is myngled and strewed with tares by the deceyte of the ennemye to the ende wee myghte knowe that it is not doone by chaunce or naturallye that so manye wycked are myngled with the electe and chosen of God euen as if they were good corne but rather by the enuye and mallice of Sathan not that men shoulde be iustified by his damnation but chiefelye that God might not be sprynckeled with any blott for this synne and vice whiche commeth without his defaulte furthermore that we shoulde not meruaile that tares do springe and growe in the fyelde of the lorde when as Sathan alwayes watcheth to do harme He vvhiche sovveth good sede is the sonne of manne C. Where as Christe sayth not that the mynisters of the woord do sowe but hym selfe alone it wanteth not good reason for although it be not meete conuenyent that this be restrained to his person notwithstanding because he so vseth our laboure and diligence as onely meanes and instrumentes to the tillynge of hys fielde he doth rightly take that vnto him selfe whiche after a sorte is common to his ministers Let vs remember therfore that the Gospell is not onely preached by the cōmandement of Christe but also is defended and cōducted by his power that we myght be as it were his hands but he the onely aucthour of the woorke 38 The fylde is the world And the children of the kingedome they are the good seede the tares are the children of the wicked The fyelde is the vvorlde C. Althoughe he sayth that the world is the fielde notwithstandinge there is no doubte but that he applied the same properly to his churche of the which all this communication arose But because hee would bring his plough by littel littell throughout all the partes of the world to the ende he mighte till fieldes vnto hym selfe in al the world might sprinkel the seede of life also he attributed that to the whole world by a figure called Synecdoche which agreed a great deale better to the part onely And the children of the kingdome M. The children of the kingdome that is the elect chosen of God the beleuing in Christ those which pertaine to the kingdome of heauen which also are called the sonnes of God cittezēs with the saintes and the housholde of God. Bu. The sede here properly signifieth the word of God which the sonne of god hath sowne in the fieldes I meane in the brestes of mortal men shewing forthe repentaunce to the worlde and remission of sinnes Thereof truelye were the sonnes of the kyngdome borne namely of the woorde of the kingdome that is of the woorde of God which liueth and lasteth for euer A For he of his owne free will begat vs by the worde of trueth M. He sayth simplely of the kingdome for only the kingdome of heauen is the trewe kingedome the other are but vayne shewes in cōparison of that Bu. In the hartes of the faithful Christe raigneth by faythe by loue by cleannes by al righteousenes and vertue in the which al the sainctes of God florishe being a plentiful field of swete
him would not suffer him to be drowned The like happeneth daylye vnto vs for as Peter began to syncke so soone as hee was possessed with feare euen so the flowinge and vayne cogitacions of the fleshe herevppon bring to passe that wee syncke euen in the midest of our busines Notwithstanding the Lord beareth with our weaknes and reacheth foorth his hande that the water mighte not altogether ouerwhelme vs. Hee vvalked on the vvater to go to Iesus M. This place confuteth the Maniches and suche like heretiques which denyed the truth of the humaine nature of Christe saying that his body was not a true body but a phantasticall body Thus they reasoned to vphoulde their error it pertayneth not to a true and perfect body to walke on the sea but Christ walked vppon the sea therefore hee had no true or reeall bodye but a phantasticall body These men consider nothinge more to be in Christe then in a bare man as thoughe it were impossible to God to helpe a humaine body from sinking in the sea But what say they vnto this that Peter at the commaundemente of Christ walked vppon the sea Why do they not consider that hee whiche caused Peter to walke vppon the sea with a humaine body can much more easlye hymselfe do the like They should way the power of Christe if not in his owne deede yet at least by the deede of Peter 30. But vvhen hee sawe a mighty wynde hee was afrayde and when hee began to sincke hee cryed sayinge Lorde saue mee But vvhen hee savve a mightye B. In that Peter walked vppon the water it is to be attributed vnto his fayth to the which al thinges are possible but now that he beginneth to drowne his distrust is suffiētlye bewrayed For as by fayth wee ouercome all daungers so by distrust we faint and sincke in the smalest perill wee come vnto The beginning therefore of Peters synckinge was his distruste which had more regarde to the boysterousnes of the wind then to the force of Chrystes word by the which he said come Furthermore this sinking of Peter was a punishment of his vnlawfull petition Lord saue mee C. Peter seing the euill successe of his rashnes hée appealeth to the mercye of Christ Wherefore let vs although wée are worthely punished come vnto Christ that hee may haue mercye vppon vs and helpe vs howe little soeuer wée deserue the same 31. And immediatly Iesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said vnto him O thou of lyttle fayth wherefore diddest thou doubt And immediatelye Iesus M. Here wee haue an example of the helpe of God how readye the same is to delyuer from perill all such as call vppon him That which happened vnto Peter happeneth oftentimes vnto vs for when soeuer wée are deliuered from perill and daunger and from affliction what other thing is done thē this that wée read of here Thus sayd the Prophete Dauid hée shall sende downe from the heyght to fetch mée and shall take me out of many waters The Lord doth alwayes beare with our infirmity when wée fly vnto him how soeuer we deserue to be forsaken O thou of lyttle fayth Iesus teacheth Peter that the daunger which hee feared came not of the waues or of the wind but of the weakenes of his fayth therefore putting out his hande to helpe him hée rebuketh him and sayth O thou of little fayth why diddest thou doubt For it is not sufficiente to haue a vehemente fayth for a time but wée must haue a constant and continuall fayth neyther must we haue only respecte to the greatnes of the daunger what wée are able to do but wée must haue respect what wée are able to bring to passe by constant fayth in Christ C. Wherfore Christ saueth Peter so gentlye that notwithstanding hee winketh not at his fault for hée openlye condemneth the weaknes of his fayth Notwithstanding it may be demaunded whether euerye feare doth argue and betoken a defecte or wante of fayth for the woordes of Christe seeme to proue that there is no doubting or feare where faith rayneth It maye be aunswered that doubting which is directlye contrarye to faith is here reprehended by Christ It maye be that a man may doubt and not offend namely when the word of God is not agaynst him by the which he mighte be perswaded But the cace of Peter was otherwyse who beinge instructed by the commaundement of Christ and hauing all ready experience of his power swerued notwithstandinge from that double foundacion and grounde to vayne and peruerse feare M. Wée are taught therfore by this that wée haue neede of constant fayth in the middest of the raginge flouds of this world which threaten destruction vnto vs when wée make hast to com vnto Christ Peter toke this iorney in hand being daungerous with a greate fayth and feruente heate but before hee came halfe waye hee was cooled hée continued not as hée began A. Wherefore let vs pray vnto the Lord to geeue vnto vs not onely the earnestnes of fayth but also a constancye and perseuerance to continue in the same to the ende 32. And vvhen they vvere come into the ship the vvind ceassed B. That is to saye when the Lord Iesus and Peter were come into the shippe By the woordes of Iohn which saythe Then woulde they haue receyued hym into the Ship and immediatlye the Ship was at the Lande whyther they wente it might seeme to be gathered that Iesus went not into the Ship at all were it not for Mathewe and Marke which by expresse wordes affyrme the same A. Thus therefore the wordes of Iohn and the other Euangelystes maye be vnited as if they should haue sayde Then would they haue receyued him into the ship and hee went into the Ship to them and when Christe and his Disciples were in the Ship together the wind ceassed M. Here wee learne that there is no storme or wynde so boysterous but that Christe is able to quyet and calme the same For it is hée alone which can send and mayntayne aswell the externall as the internall peace of his Church the which hée hath declared oftentimes 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him sayinge of a truth thou arte the sonne of God. Then they that vvere in the A. Nowe it followeth what came to passe after the finishing of this excellent myracle They that were in the ship seing the power of Christe and the present helpe which hee broughte in so great trouble came and worshipped him saying Of a truth thou art the sonne of God C. This was spoken not onelye of the Disciples but also of the Marriners and others that were in the ship They therefore which as yet had not giuen sufficient credit vnto him now at a sodaine confesse him to be the sonne of God by the whych voyce they attribute vnto him the honor of the Messias For althoughe this highe misterye was not commonlye
because they are alwayes caried hedlonge into destruction Wherefore we must vnderstand those to be planted by the hande of God which by his fre adoption are graffed into the tree of life And in the prophets we shall oftentimes fynde these wordes planted of the lorde when they meane that the lord hath chosen some to be his people So the father hath plāted into the kingdome of heauen whom he geueth to the sonne to iustifie These being planted vpon the trewe lande of Israell shall neuer be pluked vp But these reprobate outcaste Phariseyes were neuer of this nomber but being externally of the vine of the lorde were in a shorte tyme cut of as vnfruitefull branches therefore they beinge nowe incurable and ordayned to destruction Christ pertayneth not vnto them C. And in this sence also the prophete calleth the Church renewed by the grace of Christe a flower planted by the lorde Finally because election commeth onely of the lorde the reprobate muste nedes perysshe howe so euer it come to passe not that God destroyeth the good innocent but because they by their own mallice tourne all thinges be they neuer so holsome and profytable for theim to theyr owne destruction And so it commeth to passe that the Gospell is the sauoure of death vnto deathe to them as witnesseth S. Paule For although the Gospell be set forthe for the saluation of all men yet notwithstāding it bryngeth not forth the fruite of saluation but onely in the elects B. Wherefore these wordes and examples of Chryste oughte to confyrme and strengthē so many as shal offend the euill and wicked by worde or dede when they following the word of God set forth nothinge but the glorye thereof and the fayth of our lord sauiour Iesus Christ Let theim onely beware that they neyther do nor say any thing of them selues without good aucthoritie and that theye sowe the seede of the worde of God with great reuerence and feare and also that they euer pray for the dyrection of godds spirite If they thus doinge offende any man let them remember these woordes of Christ namely that euery plant whiche the heauenly father hath not planted must be plucked vp by the rootes that is to saye it is ordained by the wyll of god that all they shoulde perishe whiche are not predestinate by the father to eternall life and that therfore of necessitie it must nedes come to passe that in al good thinges some shall be offended But as wée saide before it is our partes verye dilygently to beware and take heede leaste that they se or here any thynge by vs whereby they may iustly be offended but that they may haue al the cause of offēce in them selues although they wold seme to take the same by our good demeanour C. To be short a faythfull and good teacher wyll so temper moderate guyde what so euer hee publisheth that it shall proffite all men but so often as it commeth otherwise to passe let him comfort hym selfe with the aunswere of Christe Christ verye well and aptely put forthe this similitude to proue that the cause of destruction is not in the doctrine but that the reprobate which haue no rote in god worke their owne destruction and damnation who when the doctrine of Christ is set before them powre out their secret poyson and thus they accelerate and hasten deathe to theim selues Moreouer Chryste by this similitude towcheth Hypocrites whiche seeme for a season to be lyke vnto good trees that are planted Suche were the Scribes and Phariseis which sprang vp and grew in the church of God muche lyke to the Cedar trees in Lybanus to the ende their defection and withering away might seeme the more absurde Therfore in the church of Christ pure and sincere doctrine shal be alwaies preached Wherfore let the teachers cōsider and way what the capacitie of men doth require If any after their doctrine rage and waxe mad let the ministers of Christ suffer them For althoughe they seme to stande very well in the Church yet neuerthelesse they shal be plucked vp by the rootes at the length because they are not planted of the lorde And wher as Christe might very well haue saide that they shal perishe which carelesly and disdainefully reiecte saluation offered vnto them he procedeth farther and saith that none shal stand for euer but such whose saluation is firme sure in the electiō of God. By the which woordes he plainely sheweth that the first oryginall and beginning of our saluation commeth of the grace by the whiche God chose vs to be his sonnes before we were created before the foundation of the earth was layde 14 Let them alone they be the blind leaders of the blind If the blind leade the blynd both shall fal into the ditche Let them alone C. He meaneth that we should not set so much by men that their offence shoulde greately moue vs Notwithstanding a iudgement and discression is nedeful to be had For when they are offended by theyr owne wyckednes and not by ignorance we muste not regarde them but passe euen through the myddest of them Hereuppon came that olde distynction of auoydynge offences namely that we beware leaste we geue the offence to the weake but if any wicked obstinate and maliciouse person take the offence it is no matter to vs we nede not care For it is necessary the christ which is the rocke of offence shold be buryed if we wyll satisfie the obstinacy of all men Therefore it shall behoue vs to discerne betwene the weake whiche are offended throughe ignorance and are by and by conformable and the proude and obstinate whiche take offence to theim selues leaste any weake person be molested and troubled throughe our defalte But when the wicked obstinatelye kicke against vs let vs go voyde of care euen through the middest of theyr offences For he which doth not spare geue place to his weake bretherne is churlishe and dothe treade those as it were vnder his fete to whom he ought to reache out his helpinge hande But to care for others it is no parte of our bewetie seinge they must of necessitie fall into offence if we go forward in our calling and discharge our duety Furthermore when it shall come to passe that they are alienate and fallen from Christ by the collour cloke of offence let vs let theim alone leaste they drawe vs with thē also The cause why the Phariseies were offended was arrogancie disdaine they contemned greatly despysed the doctrine of Christe notwithstanding that it came from God the father In their hartes they bare the cause of offence wherfore Christ cōmandeth to let them alone They be the blind leaders of the blynd E. Or they be the blynde guides of the blinde according to the nature of the Greeke worde C. In this sentence there is a great Emphasis or force by the which Christ sheweth that the
with Christ shal raigne with Christ In the glory of his father C. Christ maketh mention of the glorye of his father of the angels lest that his disciples shold iudge of his kingdome according to the present sight for as yet it lay hyd being base and contemned vnder the shew of a seruante He sheweth therfore that he shal be in an other maner of estate when he shal come to be the iudge of the worlde A. For the sonne of man shall come in his glorye all his angels with him and he shal sit vpon the seate of his glory all nations shall be gathered before him Also these thinges serue to terrifie those which delight in their wickednesse vyce which shall not be able to abide his face For although the lord toke vpon him humaine nature yet notwithstanding he abideth vnchanged in the eternall glory of his father and hath loste nothing eyther of his diuine substaunce or glory for he is of lyke substance maiestie and glory with the father All the Angelles serue him beinge the ministers of God and ordeyned to fulfill his cōmandement Whose power howe great it is maye appere in that one angell dispersed the mightye campe of the Assyrians in one night a hundred fowre score fiue thousand of them being slain But and if one angell be of such power what shall they not be able to subdue and ouerthrowe when they being altogether come with the lorde to Iudgement And then shall he revvarde euery man B. This sentence is often vsed in the scriptures the which they peruert who go about to proue that we are iustified by our workes because forsothe we are iudged according to the same when as Chryste speaketh not here of the cause of saluation They consider not that the tree is iudged according to his fruite and yet notwithstandinge that the fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite When we se figges on the tree wee iudge by by the tree to be a fygge tree yet notwithstandynge the fygges are not the cause that it is a fygge tree but when it was made a figge tree then it brought forth figges Euen so in al thinges the worke iudgeth of the worker For it makethe not the worker but is broughte to passe and wrought of the worker In lyke manner good workes do declare a good man to be the sonne of God but they make him not to be the sonne of god Therefore woorkes do not iustifie that is to say they do not make vs the more acceptable vnto God the whiche workes can be nothing elles but synne condempninge if so be they be wrought before thou be purified and regenerated by the spyrite of God because that an euill tree can not bringe forthe good fruite But the lorde describynge his iudgemente saythe after the manner of men that euery man shal be iudged according to his woorkes euen as wee commonly are wonte to iudge Neyther doth he say that euery man shal receyue accordynge to his woorkes as thoughe that our workes were the fyrste cause of our saluation For the specyall cause why we obtaine euerlasting life is the voluntary free wil of God the second cause are the merites of Christ for he died for the saluation of al mankind but this also is a free gyfte of the good wil of god The thirde cause is our Fayth by the whiche we imbrace and receyue this good wyll of God and the merytes of Christe For he that beleueth hath euerlastinge lyfe but that faythe also by the whiche we do beleue is the worke gifte of God in vs for the merite of Chryste Also good woorkes may after a sorte be said to be the cause of our saluation but improperly because euery man shall be rewarded accordyng to his deedes but these also are the gyftes of Goddes good wyll the effects of Christs merites and the fruites of fayth For there is no good woorke acceptable vnto God but that whiche is done for the loue of God the whiche loue no man hath but he whiche beleueth in god And no man can beleue in God but suche as are inspired with the spirite of God whiche pertayneth onely to the sonnes of god This spirite is onely geuen vnto those whose sinnes are remitted and whom he hath chosen before the foundation of the world was layde All the partes therfore of our saluation are a gyfte and woorke of the wyllynge and free wyl of god But we must note here that Christ saide not he shall geue to euerye man accordynge to his faythe the whiche lyeth hyd and whiche euery wicked man boasteth that he hath but accordinge to his woorkes whiche can not be obscure and hid for workes are a seale of our sayth The Apostell Paule speaketh thus of this Iudgement of Christe we must al appere before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man maye receiue the woorkes of his owne body accordinge to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And in an other place the Apostell saith Thou heapest vnto thy selfe wrathe againste the daye of Iudgement when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God whiche will rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes that is to say prayse honoure and immortalitie to them which continue in good doinge and seke immortalitie But vnto them that are rebelles and do not obeye the trueth but follow vnrighteousenes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that dothe euyll C. Let this therfore be the somme that these two do very well agree namely that we are iustified freely because wee are acceptable vnto God without oure merite and yet notwithstandinge that he accordinge to his good pleasure geueth and imputeth and vndeserued rewarde to our woorkes A. As concernynge the whiche matter reade the fyfth chapter goinge before 28 Verely I say vnto you there be standinge here whiche shall not taste of deathe till they se the sonne of man come in his kingedome Verely I say vnto you M. As touching this woorde verely rede the fifth chapter goinge before There be standinge here C. Because the disciples might dought among them selues when this day should come the lord erecteth thē with a more specyall trust saying that it shal not be long ere that he geue vnto some of them a shew of his glory as if he should haue said If you thincke the time to longe before I come I wyll come betime for before you dye that kingdome of God whiche I byd you hope for shall be set before your eies M. Some vnderstode this sentēce of the extreame and last day of iudgemēt thinking that Christ mēt here that Iohn the Euangelist shold not die vntyl the day of iudgement but the Euangelist him selfe sheweth that this opinion of him conceiued was not true Wherefore we must vnderstand that the cōming of the kingdome of God is the reuealing of the heauenly glory
Shadovved them M. To the ende the excedinge brightnesse of Christ transfigured which the Apostels coulde not beare myghte be mittigated Furthermore to declare the louinge kyndenes of God because he woulde beholde and marke thē For this shadowing of God was a signe and token of deuyne protection as wee maye reade in the Psalmes where it is sayde hee shall couer thee with his wynges C. The disciples were also admonished that they must come to their wonted warre and fight agayne leaste they triumphed before the victorie And beholde there came a voyce out of C. This also is worthy to be noted that the voice of God soundeth oute of the cloude but neyther body nor face was seene Therfore that admonition of Moyses cometh to our remembraunce namely that God hath not a visible shape least that we beinge deceyued shoulde thincke hym to be lyke a man It is trewe that in olde time he appered dyuersly and many wayes to the fathers by the which they knew God yet notwithstandinge he alwaies abstained from such signes which might geue occasion to make Idoles And truly whē the myndes of men are too much adicted to vayne fantasies it shall be vnprofitable to geue any occasion to helpe forward and support the same this specially was a manifest reuelation of Goddes glory But when the cloude being set betwene he calleth vs vnto him by his voyce how absurde and folishe a thynge is it to seke to sette his presence before our eies in a wodden tree or stone It is onely faith whiche is able to pearce into the secrete place of this lyghte it is a secrete place truely and without accesse to the sence of the fleshe but not vnto fayth whiche seketh not a carnall God but is directed a righte to seke hym by the woorde The voyce is certayne the which whosoeuer hereth hath the testimonye of the spyrite that God speaketh the whiche testimony is of more price and waight vnto theim than al fleshely reasons The voyce commeth out of the cloude to the ende they might beleue that it proceded from god M. The Cloude was no dombe spectacle for the worde of God was added So whē Christ was baptized the father being not contente that he had opened the heauen and that he had sent down the holy ghost vppon his sonne added his woorde also of the whiche we haue spoken before For he wil not haue vs to iudge speake of these signes after our owne iudgemēt and sence but after his wyll and therefore he addeth his woorde The lyke consideratiō we must haue of the sacramentes of the Churche This is my beloued sonne C. Here is a secrete Antithesis of Moyses and Helias with Christ God commandeth his disciples to be content with his sonne onely B. As if he should haue said Why are you sory that Moyses and Helias are gone Ye haue all thynges in this your master my onely son in whom I am well pleased here hym as for that whiche Moyses and Helias and other of the Prophetes what soeuer they be can teache it maketh no matter because if you haue fayth you shall learne al thinges at his handes more perfectly There is a great Emphasis in this word sonne by the whiche name he is extolled aboue seruauntes This is only the beloued for whose sake we are beloued and by whō the father is well pleased and doth good vnto mortal men In vvhō I am vvel pleased C. By these wordes God declareth Christ to be a mediatoure in whom he reconcileth the world vnto hym selfe As the Apostell Paule expoundech it at large in his epistell to the Ephesians sayinge Which ordayned vs before through Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto him selfe according to the good pleasure of his wil to the praise of the glory of his grace wher with he hath made vs accepted throughe the beloued by whom we haue redemption by his bloud remission of synnes C. Seing therfore it was the purpose of God to make a differēce betwene Chryst and other men as by these woordes we may truely and properly gather that he is by nature his onely sonne it is lykewise brought about that he is onely loued of the father and onely appoynted a teacher that all aucthoritie may rest and stay vpon hym If any man demaunde Dothe not God loue angelles and men we may easely answere that the fatherly loue whiche is shewed vppon angels and men doth procede from Christ as from the well For the sonne is not loue of the father that all other creatures sholde be hated but that he myghte make them partakers of that which properly pertaineth to him selfe Howbeit there is a difference betwene vs and aungelles For they were neuer alienate from God that they shoulde nede a reconciler but wee were ennemies by synne vntyll suche tyme as Christ became the propiciation for our sinnes Yet notwithstanding this is certayne that God is mercyful to both in respect that he imbraceth vs in Christ because the aungelles can haue no firme coniunction or copulatiō with God without the heade Christe Nowe seinge the father speaketh here and distinguisheth him selfe from the son it followeth that they are two distincte personnes but of one essence and maiestie A. As towchinge that which pertaineth more to the exposition of this place the reader maye fynde in the thirde chapter going before It followeth in the texte Heare hym C. By this voyce the Churche is called and referred to Christ the onely teacher that it maye wholely depende vppon the woordes of his mouthe For althoughe Christ came to bringe credite and authoritie to the lawe and the Prophetes yet notwithstandinge he dothe so excell and shyne in the bryghtnesse of his Gospell that by the same he quite putteth out those sparkes whiche shyned in the olde testament For he is the sonne of ryghteousenes at whose cōming it was parfect day M. Therefore there is a great emphasis in the pronoune demonstratiue him as if he should haue sayd I wolde not haue you to depende vpon euery one whether it be Moyses or Helias but I wold haue you heare this my sonne this is the onely teacher and master of all men if any man desire to heare mee let hym heare him Not without cause trewly dyd the father appoint his sonne vnto vs by a singuler prerogatiue to be a teacher commaundinge to heare him and not euery one C. Wherevpon the Apostell saith God in tymes paste diuersely and many waies spake vnto the fathers but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his own sonne The father in fewe wordes commended vnto vs the authoritie of Christ when he saide heare him but in thē there is comprehended a greater weyghte and force then cōmonly men esteme iudge For it is euen as if he shoulde commaund all men to seeke onely at his mouthe for the doctrine of saluation to depend wholly vpon him to cleaue vnto him and to
in the .xx verse for your vnbelefes sake c. But the former exposition doth better agree that we may knowe that the Scribes hereby were reprehended C. For they went about as it was said before to extinguishe the light set before their eies Again Christ doth deale more fauourably with those that are his And croked nation E. That is to say peruerse froward and alwaies bending from the trueth and so obstinate that they could not be perswaded in the trueth neyther coulde abide or suffer thē selues to be taught or perswaded to any thinge that was profitable for thē Such dyd the Israelites shew them selues to be in so often murmuringe against God in so often rebelling against Moyses and Aaron whō neyther those meruailouse signes and wonders which were done for their sauegarde healthe neither so horrible feareful punishmēts of their rebellion neither the inspeakeable clemencie gentilnes of Moyses his infinite labour and dayly care for thē coulde make to do their duetie towardes him These with whom Christe had to do shewe forthe no lesse obstinacie crooked frowardnesse then they C. Wherefore not without cause doth our sauiour make exclamation against thē sayinge that they are no longer to be borne withall that he calleth them a faithles and croked nation For they bringe taught by so many exāples before should haue learned thus muche not to backebite and slaunder Hovv long shal I be vvith you The wordes goinge before were verye sharpe but these are much more sharper for what greater euil can happē vnto vs then to be forsakē of Christ to be left to dispayre Here the lord Iesus after a sorte cōtendeth with him selfe for by his goodnes he greatly coueteth to ouercome the mallice of the Scribes of al the people beside yet neuertheles he reprehendeth thē as they deserued He went about to bryng thē vnto God but they were winding euery way croked as serpētes reiected the grace of their visitation with a proud careles minde Hereby we see that men must be handeled according to their disposition nature for Christ delte not with thē alwais after one maner of fashiō For he allured those that were tractable with great humanitie lifted vp the weake moderatly also pricked forward the flow negligēt and spared not the windinge croked serpentes whō he saw to be incurable They are very vnwise therfore which haue not cōsideration temperature Al scripture geuen by deuine inspiratiō is profitable to teache to improue to correcte to amende as saith S. Paule that the man of God may be perfect geuen to all good works Yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that the minde of Christ retayned still one kinde of moderation These are thūderyng wordes against the vnbeleuing yet neuertheles he was sory for their wickednesse Bringe him hither A. Although the Scribes which stode by were vnworthy to beholde see so wonderfull a miracle yet notwithstandynge our sauiour Christ suche was his clemēcie commaundeth hym that was afflicted with so greuous a dissease to be brought vnto hym before them all 18 And Iesus rebuked the deuill and hee departed out of him and the child was healed euen that same tyme. And Iesus rebuked M. That is to say he cōmaunded him according to the whiche we rede in the 8 chapter going before Whervpon the Euāgelist Mark more at large expounding this saith that Christ after this maner spake vnto the spirite Thou dombe and deafe spirite I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him This reprehension declareth a certaine indignation and anger of Christ against the vncleane spirite that iustly For how shold not he which came to saue al men be angry with the spirite of perdition the enemie of mākinde For the more the loue of Christ was toward mākind the greter was his hate against those spirites which were the ennemies of the health of mankinde And he departed out of A. At the power of Christ it must nedes be that the power of Sathan be brought to nothinge The deuilles althoughe againste their wylles are cōpelled to obey Christ What shall they do then whiche neuer ceasse to resiste his power Shal they be stronger then hee And the childe vvas healed A. Beholde now the obstinacy and peruerse dealing of the Scribes is ouercome by the which they proudely triumphed as thoughe the power of Christ were aswaged 19 Then came the Disciples to Iesus secretely said VVhy could not wee cast him out C. The disciples meruaile that the power is takē frō them with the which they were endued before as we may reade in the .x. chapter of Matthew when as by their own salt they had depriued thē selues of the same for it followeth 20 Iesus saide vnto thē Because of your vnbelefe For verely I say vnto you If ye haue faith like a graine of mustarde seede ye shall saie vnto this mountain remoue hence to yonder place and it shall remoue neyther shall any thing be impossible vnto you Because of your vnbelefe Bu. Againe incredulitie hardenes of hart is condemned moreouer faith and the great force of the same is cōmended vnto vs. And whereas our actions come not to good ende our matters haue not good successe it cōmeth by the want defect of faith Christ therfore assigneth imputeth this wante to the incredulitie of the disciples M. Hee saith not for the vnbelefe of the father of the Lunatike child but for your vnbelef A. to the ende he might stirre vp his disciples to aske the increase of faythe If ye haue fayth M. By the similitude which he bringeth of the grain of mustard seed he sheweth the liuelines efficacye of fayth For that being the least among seedes doth in short time springe shote vp aboue all other herbes euē so if faithe be liuely it dothe earnestly shewe forth it selfe nothing shal be impossible vnto it it shal ouercome al thinges for it seketh to do nothing but that which pertaineth to the glory of God what soeuer it taketh in hāde it is certainely perswaded that the lorde wyll finishe it for the which it praieth continually But lest any man sholde by by gather as certaine peruerse men do that whosoeuer hath faith as a graine of mustarde sede may remoue mountains and do al thinges els and say we beleue therfore we are able to do all thinges yea if nede be to remoue mountaines also to cast out euyl spirites we must note of what faith the lord speaketh here Let vs vnderstād therfore that there are thre kindes of faith The first is that by the which certaine thinges are beleued to be suche as they are declared to be in the Scriptures as in Scripture we here that ther is one God being omnipotēt the creator of all thinges this faith is called an hystoricall faith The seconde is that by the
whiche we beleue the promises of God apprehende the mercy grace of God in Christ Iesu this faith is said to be a iustifing faith The third is that by the which a man doth firmely beleue that there is nothinge impossible vnto God the minde caried by a certain inspiration of the spirite to do meruailouse thinges this is called the faithe of myracles The fyrste kinde of faith is most general in so much that it pertaineth euē to the wicked with the which faith also Sathan is indued as appereth by the woordes of the Apostell Thou beleuest that there is one God thou doest wel the deuils also beleue and tremble The second kinde of faith pertayneth onely to the elect chosen of God as witnesseth the Apostell Paule in his epistell to Titus by the whiche faithe we are made mēbers of Christes bodye are saued of this faith Christ speketh not here neither do al they that haue the same worke myracles straighte waye The thirde kinde of faith pertaineth to certaine Christians that not at al times but it hath a certaine time and a certaine consideration also A. This faith may also be called a particuler or special faith And it is no doubte a singular gift of the holy ghost as s Paule teacheth sayinge To some faythe is geuen by the same spirite the which truely can not be saide of the iustifying faith which pertaineth not to a certaine only but to all the electe and chosen of God. This faith saueth no man neyther doth it chaunge the hartes of men and therfore it is suche a faithe as is geuen also to the wicked M. And therefore we haue already heard in the .vii. chapter goynge before how the wicked at the day of iudgement shall say vnto Christ Lorde Lord haue not we prophesied in thy name and by thy name caste out deuilles and done many miracles throughe thy name To whom it shal be answered I neuer knew you depart frō me ye that worke iniquitie C. And in an other place the Apostel Paull sayth If I haue all faythe so that I can remoue mountaines and haue no loue it is nothing Of this fayth Chryst speaketh here when he sayth If ye haue fayth lyke a graine of mustarde seede Ye shall say vnto this mountaine B. By the remouinge of mountaines he vnderstandeth euery hard thing yea such thinges as are impossible to nature not because the faithful must therfore remoue mountaines although in dede they could do it or any other thing more impossible to the force of nature if so be the same did pertaine to the settinge forth of the glory of god For the faithefull are so addicted to the glory of God to the profyte of theyr neighbours that they can wishe for nothing but as those two thinges do moue thē wherefore they wil neyther remoue mountaines nor do any other thing of the which they are not certain that it wil make to the proffite of mē to the glory of god Paule also as we shewed a littel before brought in the remouing of mountaines for the greatteste myracle C. It is certaine therfore that this is a Hyperbollycal kinde of speaking whē Christ saithe that by faith a man maye remoue mountaines trees Notwithstanding this is the effecte and somme of his wordes that God wil neuer faile vs if so be that wee open the gate geue passage to his grace And yet he meaneth not that God wyll geue what soeuer cōmeth rashly into our mind or mouth whē as there is nothing more contrary to faith then to follow the folishe rashe desires of the flesh for who soeuer is indued with a true faithe desyereth wissheth nothinge contrary to the wyll of god This modestie and sobrietie therfore must alwaies be kepte that we desire no more then that which is promised vnto vs and that also we directe our prayers according to the rule geuen vnto vs If any man do obiect say that the disciples knewe not whether it was the lordes pleasure to heale the lunatike person we answere that their ignorance came through their owne falte For Christ as it was said before speaketh here of a speciall faith the whiche fayth as matter occasion seruid had his secret and inward instructions And this is that faith which Paule speakethe of in that place whiche we haue twise cited before How cōmeth it to passe then that the Apostels wante the power of the holy ghoste which they had receyued before to do myracles but onely because by their owne negligence they hadde extinguished the same But where as Christe spake of the particuler fayth according to the circūstance of the place it is extended to the comon faithe of the whole churche 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by praier fasting Hovvbeit this kinde Chr. Some vnderstand this to be spokē vniuersally of al maner of euyll spirites M. Othersom vnderstand it onely of the chiefe spirites which are not cast out but by fasting prayer A. This later opynion is more firme true then the fyrst C. because when Sathā hath taken sure holde ful possession and rangeth at his pleasure the victory and conquest wil be more difficulte and harde and therefore we must fight with all our strengthe But by prayer and fastinge C. We must here diligently note that the disciples askinge why the deuill gaue not place vnto them he answereth saying that he wold not because of their vnbelefe to the ende we might knowe that al force power is attributed vnto fayth and not vnto fasting prayer For when this fayth praieth earnestly it requireth fastyng accordyng to the nature of trew prayer that is to saye a ceassynge from all worldely and fleshely busynes Wheruppon the Lorde in effecte maketh this aunswere to his disciples You being young coniurers dare presume to encounter with the deuill without a firme and constant faith ye go to ioyne with him as with a tryffelinge and dallyinge fighte but truelye ye haue to do with a puissante Antagonista and stronge ennemie who can not lightly be ouercom but with great fortitude Therfore your fayth should haue ben stirred vp by prayer and because ye are slowe and colde to praie ye shoulde haue taken fasting vn to you as an ayde and helpe thereunto Hereby it is euident howe ridiculous the Papistes grounde their remedy and medicine in fasting to expell deuylles whē as the lorde referreth it to no other ende than to kyndell the heate of prayer But the worlde here hath euer erred and bene deceyued For men haue thoughte that fastinge hath ben a worke meritoriouse and that of longe tyme For this is the sayinge of Hipocrites as may appere by the wordes of the Prophete Wherfore fast wee saye they and thou seest it not we put our liues in straightnesse thou regardest it not Their errour therfore is doubble because they thinke theyr
in whō onely they ought to trust A. For as God is onely good so hée is onelye faithfull and true and euery man a lyar But and if thou vvilt enter into life C. Many of the fathers haue expounded this place amis whom the Papistes haue followed as though Christ should haue sayde that wée may deserue euerlastinge life by the obseruation of the law But truly Christ had not respecte what man could do but hée maketh aunswere to the propounded question what the righteousnes of workes is namely that which the lawe defineth And certainly wée must thus make accompt that God hath comprehended the order and maner of a holy and iust life in his law in the which law righteousnes is cōtayned Neyther did Moyses speake thus in vaine hée that doth these things shall liue in them Also I call heauen earth to witnes this day that I haue shewed vnto you life It cannot therefore be denyed but that the obseruation of the law is righteousnes by the which he getteth eternall lyfe which is a perfecte obseruer of the lawe But because wee are all destitute of the glorye of God there shall nothinge be founde in the Law but a curse so that wée haue no other refuge then to flye to the frée gifte of righteousnes And therefore Paule the Apostell appointed two kindes of righteousnes namely the righteousnes of the Lawe the righteousnes that commeth of fayth hée placeth the first in workes and the second in the mere grace of Christ Wherby wée gather the this aunswere of Christ is legall or pertayninge to the Law because the yonge man séeking for the righteousnes of woorkes oughte firste to be taught that no man can be counted iuste before the Lorde but hée onely which satisfyeth and fulfilleth the law the which thing being impossible to be done might be a meane to make him acknowledge his infirmitye and to flée to the refuge anker hould of fayth Therefore the person of the speaker and the question it selfe moued the Lord thus to aunswere and to sende the yonge man to the consideration of the law in the which is the perfect glasse of righteousnes the which must be fulfilled if wée will haue the reward of eternall life But who now shall fullfill the same For howe shoulde they flee vnto Christ excepte they acknowledge themselues to be fallen from the waye of lyfe into the pit of destruction And how shold they haue wandered and swarued from the waye of life excepte they first knowe what the way of life is Therefore they are admonished and taught that then the sanctuary of recouering of saluaciō shal be in Christe when they behoulde howe much difference and disagrement of their life there is wyth the ryghteousnes of God which is contayned in the obseruation of the laws To be briefe this is the somme if saluatiō be sought for in workes the commaundementes muste be kept by the which wée are guided to perfect righteousnes but wée must not here staye excepte wée will fainte in the middest of the race For none of vs are able to fulfill the commaundementes And when wee had done all that euer wée cā yet wée remaine vnprofitable seruaūts Because therefore wee are excluded by the righteousnes of the law wée must of necessitye seeke another staye namely the fayth in Christ Wherefore as the Lorde here called the yonge man to the consideration of the lawe whom hee knewe to swell with a vaine confidence of hys workes whereby hee mighte know himselfe to be a sinner and subiecte to iudgement euen so hee comforteth those that are nowe humbled by this knowledge of themselues by the promise of his grace sayinge Come vnto mée all ye that trauaile and are heauye laden and I wyll ease you yée shall finde rest vnto your soules Wee graunt therefore because God hath promised the rewarde of euerlastinge lyfe vnto the obseruers of the law that this way were to be followed kepte were it not the the infirmitye of the fleshe did staye and hinder vs but the Scripture teacheth vs that it is come to passe by our fault that the same muste be geuen vnto vs freely which wee cannot obtaine by oure merits If anye man do obiecte and saye that righteousnes in the lawe is propounded vnto vs in vaine Obiection of the which no man can be pertaker Answere Wee aunswere that seinge it is a rule by the which wee are brought to the righteousnes of faith it is neither superfluous nor vaine Therefore S. Paule when hee said that the doers of the Lawe are iustifyed by the righteousnes of the law excludeth all men A. The which thing the Prophete Dauid acknowledginge saith that all fleshe shall not be iustifyed in the sight of the lord C. To conclude this place abolisheth all the tryflinge inuencions of the Papistes which they made vnto themselues to get saluation Therfore whosoeuer will frame his lyfe to the will of Christ let him wholy apply himselfe to obserue so neere as hee can the commaundementes of the Lawe 18. Hee saithe vnto him which Iesus saide Thou shalt not commit manslaughter Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shat not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnes Hee saieth vnto him vvhich A. This questiō betokeneth is a manifest signe of foolishe confidence Thou shalt not commit manslaughter M. Here it may be demaunded why Christe forsakinge the commaundementes of the first table Question bringeth in onlye those thinges which are of the second table Wee aunswere that it was done because it maye the better be discerned what euery mās minde is by the duties of charitye For the truth of the first table is not so well perceiued in men the obedience of the which table was for the most part either in the affection of the hart or ells in ceremonies the affection of the harte did not appeare hypocrits dailye gaue themselues to ceremonies but the woorkes of charity are such that thereby wee testifye and declare true and perfecte righteousnes And let no man thincke because Christ aunswereth out of the second table that therefore the same is more excellente than the first when as hée speaketh not here of the estimation and excellency but of the knowledge of righteousnes which cannot be taken by so certaine an obseruation of the first as of the seconde C. Let vs vnderstand therefore that those commaundements were chosen of Christe in the which there is a testimony of true righteousnes notwithstanding by a figure called Synecdoche hée vnderstandeth the whole by parte M. Some write that Christe propounded here the common commaundementes which were best knowē not because those principalles in the firste table pertayned not vnto this matter but because these commaundementes of the seconde table were counted cōmon of the Iewes of the which euery man almost thought himselfe a diligente obseruer when as notwithstanding there were none of thē almost which did kepe the same euen as
his handes Thou sonne of Dauid C. In this the fayth of the blynd men doth appeare that they acknowledge Iesus to be the Messias for the Iewes knew that the Messias should come of Dauid They flée therfore for helpe vnto Christ not only as to a Prophete but as to the only author of helth which was promised of god Euen so ought we to thinke of Christ to iudge of hym accordyng to the Scriptures and not according to our owne Imaginatiōs 31. And the people rebuked them because they should hold their peace But they cried the more saying haue mercy on vs O Lorde thou sonne of Dauid And the people rebuked them C. The people rebuked the blinde men eyther because they thought it vnsemelye for beggers to set Christ a worke as though it were againste his glory to haue to doe with men of so base estate ether because they thought that they woulde craue an almes at the handes of Christ which they counted very filthy other because they sawe that Iesus had no respecte to their crye to geue any answer thinking theyr exclamation to be troublesom vnto hym when as he rather of purpose fained as though he had no regarde to their crye because ye might haue the more tryall of their fayth perseuerance in prayer or els because som among the people were offended for that they called hym Christ the sonne of Dauid by the which wordes they cōfessed hym to be the Messias promised in the Prophets But it is here to be merueyled at that the Disciples of Christ which followed him for deuty and reuerence sake would suffer these miserable ones to be driuen from the grace and fauore of Christ would seke them selues also so muche as in them laye to stoppe the waye passage whereby his vertue might appeare But this commeth oftentimes to passe that the greater parte of men whiche professe the name of Christe do rather staye vs from comming to Christ than call vs to hym If Sathan went about by godly and simple men whome zeale and religion persuaded to followe Christ to stoppe the waye against these blinde men of comming to Christe howe much more will he bringe that thinge to passe by hipocrits and vngodly men if we take not great hede vnto our selues We haue nede therefore of constancy whiche may put awaye all impediments Yea the more stomblinge blockes that Sathan dothe caste in oure waye the more we haue occasiō to praye euen as wee sée that the blinde men the more they were stayed the more they cryed For it followeth But they cried the more saying C. They perseuere and abyde howsoeuer the multitude forbid them they had therfore a cōstante faith whiche neuer quayleth in tēptations Yea when they knewe that theire wordes were odiouse in the eares of some yet notwithstanding a feruent desyre ouercame feare in somuche that they cryed with the greater vehemencye Thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs Euē so we must striue against all stayes and lets and manfully resist them neyther muste we make an ende vntill wee haue ouercome them B. So shal euery mā thē also by trew earnest prayer cal for the mercy of the Lord when he being oppressed with the like necessitye feeleth howe much he standeth in nede of helpe 32. And Iesus stoode stil and called them and said what will ye that I shall doe to you And Iesus stoode still A. The Euangeliste Marke speakinge of one of them only wrighteth thus And Iesus stoode still and commaunded him to be called and they called hym that was blind sayinge vnto him Arise be of good chere he calleth thee and he threwe awaye his cloake and arose and came to Iesus Therefore the Apostles do obey the commaundement of the Lorde they cal him that was blinde and incourage him to hope well saiyng Be of good chere aryse Iesus calleth thee whose helpe thou crauest with so loude a voyce By the which woordes the blinde man conceyued such a hope that he casting asyde his cloake by the which he was defended from coulde ran to Iesus In the which wee must consider the cherefulnes of this blinde man and diligently note the same So often as wee are called vnto Christe wee neyther cast of oure cloake neyther do we leape for Ioye nor runne to him but doe rather tourne our backes differ the time stande still make excuse wallowe still in darkenes and hadde rather in oure fylthy cloake to begge an Almes of this worlde then to receyue the blessed light of Iesus whiche comprehendeth the whole state of felicity If he cast awaye his clocke for Ioye of his corporall sight what oughte wee not to caste of to receyue possesse Christe the moste comfortable and blessed lighte VVhat vvill ye that I shall do M. Christe was not ignoraunte of their demaunde but because it was not knowen vnto the people that they craued so greate a thynge somuche excellinge humaine power thinkinge rather that they desired som almes at his handes he therfore asketh them what they would haue to the ende they mighte make open declaration of the same that is howe greate faythe and truste they hadde in hym whose helpe they desyered wyth so greate a crye For in the qualitye and largenes of the petition the qualitye and largenes of theire faythe appered also C. He doth therefore verye frendlye and courteouslye demaunde what they desyere to haue donne vnto them because he was determined to graunt they re petitions For there is no doubte but that by the speciall motion of the spirite they made their petitions vnto hym because as the Lorde will not haue all men to escape theire corporall diseases so also he will not suffer them to praye There is a rule prescribed vnto vs what howe and to what ende wee shoulde craue anye thynge at the handes of God from the which rule we maye not decline except the Lord by the secrete motion of his spirite doe make vs to wishe for some speciall thinge which commeth verye syldome to passe But Christe as it was sayde euen nowe asketh them what they would haue not so muche for theyr own sakes as for the people that stood by For we doe see howe the worlde deuoureth the benefites of God without sence excepte they bee styrred vp by prouocations Therefore Christe by his voyce maketh the people standinge by to geue hede vnto the miracle euen as hereafter he did by a visible signe when by touchinge he opened their eyes 33. They sayd vnto hym Lord that our eyes may be opened A. The Euāgelist Marke saith that Bartimaeus made answer saying Lord that I may receiue my sighte Vsynge the Chalde woorde Rabboni for the whiche the Hebrewes haue Rab. or Rabbi that is to say Lorde 34. So Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediatlye their eyes receiued sight And they followed hym Iesus had compassion on them A. These blind men craued the mercy of Christ to helpe
them both For wée haue declared already that Christ sate vppon the coulte onely And the Euangelist Marke hath these woordes And they brought the coulte to Iesus and layde their garmentes vppon him and he sate theron B. Our sauiour Christ thought good to make this shew of his kingdome vnto the people before he should suffer that thereby hée might confirme the good in the faythe towardes him and mighte make the wicked voyde of excuse It was a great pompe therefore very kinglye if wée haue respect to the desier of the people and to their reioysinge and to the vertue and power also by the which hée cast the byers and sellers out of the temple and made himselfe to be feared of his cruell ennemies C. Furthermore the Iewes themselues are constrayned to expound the Prophesy of Zacharye which was then fulfilled of the Messias notwithstanding they deride vs iudginge vs to be deluded vnder the shadowe of the Asse because wee attribute the honor of the Messias to the sonne of Mary But our fayth is not only grounded vppon this place of the Prophete but vpon far greater testimonies Moreouer wheÌ„ we say affirme that Iesus is Christe wée take not the grâ—…unde ther of vpon this that he entered into Hierusalem rydinge vppon an Asse But herevppon wée ground the same because hee made the blind to sée the deafe to here the lame to walke and the dead to rise out of their graues because he raysed himself to life being put to death the third daye Yet notwithstanding this confirmation of the base enterance of Christ into HierusaleÌ„ must not be despised because the almighty did foreshew by the mouth of the Prophete Zachary the same thinge that men might knowe that the kingdome of his sonne was disagréeing with the pompe glory power of this world and that it was also rather spirituall 8. And many of the people spred their garmentes in the waye Other cutte downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the waye And many of the people C. Here the EuaÌ„gelistes do declare that Christ was knowen of the people to be a king M. Surely the counsel and purpose of God in this was wonderfull that hee vseth the rude simple and abiecte sort of people and not the great Cittizenes of Hierusalem the Scribes Phariseis and hye Priestes to receiue his sonne and to set forth the beginning of his kingdome and so styrreth vp their minds and maketh them so ioyfull that setting all feare asyde of the hyer powers and of excommunication they proclaime him with open crye to be their kinge and the Lordes annointed and so condemned their elders And that these men were not Cittizenes of Hierusalem but suche as came from farre by reason of the feast daye wée maye gather by the woordes of Iohn who sayth On the next daye much people that were come to the feast when they heard that Iesus should come to Hierusalem toke braunches of Palme trees and wente forthe to méete him and cryed It might séeme truly a Maygame or iesting matter for the rude multitude cuttinge downe bowes and spreading their garments in the way to geue vnto Christ the vaine title of a king notwithstanding as they did this in good earnest and did faithfullye declare their mindes euen so Christe thoughte them méete and worthye proclaymers of his kingdome Neither is there any cause why we should maruaile at any such beginning when as he sitting at this daye at the right hand of his father doth sende obscure and base men from his heauenly throne of whom his maiesty is cellebrated in a most contemptible maner Other cut dovvne braunches C. Manye coniecture that the cutting of the braunches of the Palme trees came of an auncient and solemne custome of the day as concerninge the which matter we may read much in the thrée and twenty Chapter of Leuiticus but it is a greate deale more probable that this honor was geuen vnto Christe at a sodaine by the motion of the spirit first in the Disciples who had premeditated of no suche thinge than in the multitude which was set one by the Disciples as may be gathered by the wordes of Luke where hee sayth And when hée was nowe come nye to the goinge downe of mount Oliuet the whole multitude of the Disciples began to reioyce and to praise God with a loude voyce for all the myracles that they had séene sayinge Blessed be the kinge that commeth in the name of the Lord. 9. Moreouer the people that wente before and they that came after cryed saying Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde Hosanna in the hyest Moreouer the people B. This acclamation and crye is taken out of the hundreth and eightene Psalme wher other thinges properly aunswering and agreeing to the presente pompe of the Lorde it is thus red The same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone in the corner This was the Lords doing it is marueilous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and be glad in it Helpe nowe O Lord O Lord sende vs now prosperity Blessed be hee that commeth in the name of the Lord c. This verce Helpe now O Lord O Lorde sende vs nowe prosperitye was applyed of them vnto Christ whereby it is euidente that the Psalmes were then vsed C. Also the Euangelist Mathew doth not withoute good cause resite the Hebrewe wordes that we might know that these acclamations and ioyful cryes were not rashely geuen vnto Christe and that the petitions and woordes of the Disciples were not spokeÌ„ without consideration but that they reuerentlye followed the order of prayer which the holye ghost had committed to the whole Churche by the mouthe of the Prophete For although hee do there speake as concerninge the kingedome yet notwithstandinge there is no doubte but that hee himselfe hath speciallye respecte and would that others also shoulde haue regarde to the eternall and euerlastinge succession which the Lorde had promised vnto him For hée framed gaue vnto the Church a perpetuall law of praying which notwithstanding that the riches of the kingdom were decayed was in vse And so the custome preuayled and grew that oftentimes they made their prayers as concerning the promised redemption in these woordes Also it was the purpose of Mathewe as wee touched euen now to recite the verse in Hebrewe to the ende hée might teache the Christ was knowen to the people to be the Messias and redemer E. This shoute therefore of the people was a wisshinge of prosperity and a prosperous crye eueÌ„ as wée in these dayes when anye Maiestrate is newlye chosen into his office shoute and wishe him good successe After the same maner this people was affectioned towards Christ they thought now that his corporall kingdome should begin and prosper therefore they prayed and wished that all things might happen vnto him luckelye For
euyll and vniuste personnes are worthy of destruction But when they vnderstode that this parable was spoken against them they retracted and denyed their former sentence sayinge God forbyd that the wicked shoulde be destroied and that we shoulde kyll the Messias And this is alwayes the manner of the wicked when other mennes matters are in hande they wyll streight waye define geue Iudgement against them but yf the case toutche thē selues they are soone chaunged into an other mynde And vvyl let out his vineyarde C. They dyd not onely geue sentence againste theym selues being deceiued by the parable but also they pronounced that the Gentyles shoulde iustely in their steede be receiued into the grace and fauour of the Gospel and that they shoulde by Faythe a greate deale better order the vyneyarde then they them selues dyd The whiche thyng Christe a lyttel after confirmeth saying The kingedome of God shall be taken frō you and geuē to a nation that shal bring forthe more fruite M. This therfore is to be noted that the lord of the house wil let out his vineyarde to other husebande men For althoughe he shall destroy the wicked yet notwithstanding he wil not neglecte his vineyard but wyll alwaies haue a regarde to his Churche and wyll not suffer it to lye waste but wyll committe it to the charge of other men who also stande in the lyke danger and peryll of destruction if they followe the stepps of their predecessours A. As touching the yeldinge of fruite indewe time that pertayneth to stewardes and dispensatours that they maye be founde faithful 42 Iesus saith vnto them did ye neuer reade in the Scriptures The stone whiche the builders refused the same is become the headde of the corner this is the lordes doinge and it is meruaylouse in our eies Dyd ye neuer reade M. Because they wold not admit the parable in that the wycked shoulde be destroyed and in that the son of God the lorde of the vineyarde should be destroyed of them for they wolde not be counted such which shoulde kil Christ promised of the prophetes and comming into his vineyarde he bringeth in a most euidente place of Scripture oute of the prophete whiche euidently teacheth that Christ shall be reiected of his owne and that he beinge reiected shal be by the wōderfull counsell and power of the Lorde the prince and heade of the house of God and that with the greate admiration of al men C But this interrogation hath a greate Emphasis and force in it as if he had sayde You counte it a very absurde thinge that it shoulde come to passe that the labourers of the vineyarde shoulde wickedly conspyre againste the sonne of god But I praye you Dothe the scripture make mention that he should be receyued fauourably with gladnes or doth it not rather declare that the chyefe rulers shall be his ennemies The stone vvhiche the buylders refused M. As before the Churche was compared to a vineyarde euenso nowe it is also compared to a buildinge Christ is the stone the priestes maiestrates and seniours of the people are the builders For so saith the Apostel Peter This is the stone whiche was cast asyde of you buylders whiche is nowe become the head stone in the corner To builde in the Scripture is oftentimes vsurped for to teache But this place which our sauiour Christ here alleageth is takē out of the same psalme out of the which the prosperouse cry that the people made to Christ when they cried Hosanna was taken And that it is a prophesie of the kingdome of the Messias it is hereby euidente that Dauid was made kinge vpon this condition that his seate shoulde stande for euer so long as the sonne and Moone endured and that the decayed kingedome shoulde come againe by the grace of God into his former state Seing therefore that psalme doth contayne a description of Dauiddes kingedome there is a perpetuitie and a restitution also annexed to the same If the Prophete had spoken there of any temporall kingedome Christ should very improperly haue drawne the same to him self but we must alwaies note what kingedome God erected and set vp in the personne of Dauid surely that which he mente to stablishe in the trewe Messias euen to the ende of the worlde For that auncient custome of anointing was but a shaddowe Whereby it is gathered that that whiche was done in the personne of Dauid was a foreshewing and figure of Christe M. The priestes and Scribes therfore could not denie this Scripture and say vnto it God forbyd For they cōfessed that this Psalme was made of the Messias and at that tyme also the crye of the people and the crye of the chyldren shoutinge and sayinge Hosiah-na blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde c. dyd declare what vnderstanding and knoweledge the common sorte of people had of the Messias the whiche cries and shoutes as we said before were taken out of this psalme C. Nowe let vs com to the wordes of the psalme The priestes Scribes thought it incredible that Christ should be reiected of the chief rulers of the Churche But he proueth by the psalme that he muste be placed in his seate by the wonderful power of God in despight of men the which thing was prefygured in Dauid who beinge reiected of the rulers of the people was receyued of God to the ende he myght declare what he wolde do at lengthe in his Christ And the prophete taketh the metaphor of building For seing the church was the holy place of God Christ in whō the same was builded was worthely called the corner stone that is to saye that parte whiche holdeth vp the whole buildinge For the similitude shoulde agree in all poyntes if any man woulde apply euery parte thereof vnto Christe but in this it dothe excellently well agree because the sauinge healthe of the whole Churche resteth in hym and he houldeth vp the state thereof And therefore other prophetes also tooke herevppon occasion to followe the same manner of speache as Esaias and Daniell But Esa◅as commeth nerer to this place speaking in the person of almyghty God thus Beholde I laye in Sion for a foundation a stone euen a tryed stone a preciouse corner stone a sure foundation at the whiche bothe the houses of Israell shall stomble Also this selfe same manner of speaking is often tymes founde in the newe testament Therfore the somme of this place is that the kingdome of God must be built vpon that stone which the builders them selues reiecte as a cast awaye and good for nothing and the sence and meaning is this that the Messias shall not be chosen by the common consent of men but when God wyll wonderfully aduaunce hym by his secrete power and vnloked for then shal the princes set them selues against hym to whom the charge of buildinge was commytted Bu. It is manifest therfore by this testimonie of scripture and by the iudgemente of
compendium and short summe that God had not respect in the commaundementes of the lawe what men coulde do but what they ought to do For in this infirmity of the fleshe it cannot be that the perfecte loue of God should obtaine the kingdome for wee knowe howe prone all the sences of our minde are to vanity B. C. Wherby we gather that all mortall men were farre from perfect righteousnes and that there was no sinfull man neyther shal be which hath not offended in either of both namelye either in makinge accompte of one onelye God or in louinge of hym or els in both whē as ther is none which at some time hath not wauered in the faith and ioyned other thinges in equall loue with god C. Lastly here wee learne that god careth not for the outward shew of workes but specially requireth the inwarde affection that good fruites maye springe from the roote 38. This is the first and greatest commaundement A. Hée meaneth that all the commaundementes of the first table are comprehēded in this commaundement 39. And the seconde is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And the seconde is like to it M. Hee calleth it seconde in order because to loue God before our neighboure is first in order C. For the worship of God hath the first place Hée sayth that it is like to the first because it hath some affinity and agreement with the first or rather because it dependeth of that For seing euery man is addicted and geuen to himselfe true charity shal neuer abyde betwene neighbour and neighboure but whereas the loue of God abydeth It is a counterfeit loue with the which the children of this world loue one another because euerye one hath care for his owne profite Againe it is impossible for the loue of God to raygne but the same shall breede and ingender brotherly loue betweene man and mā B C. Othersome will say that it is therefore like to the first both because in eache of them the true and perfecte affection of loue is commaunded and also because as loue is heade of all those thinges which are due vnto God which are shortly comprehended in that commaūdement that wée loue God with all oure harte c. Euen so also the loue of oure neighbour is the head of all those things which are due and belonginge to oure neighboure which are comprehended in this commaundement Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And this is that which they say the Apostle writ in the thirtene to the Romaynes and fift to the Galathians Thou shalt loue thy neighboure This woord neighbour doth not onely signifye kinsmenne and frendes or suche which are ioyned to vs by som affinity but those also which are vnknowne to vs and our ennemies whom Christ commaundeth vs to loue in another place C. For we come all of one being made after the Image and likenes of God neither is ther any man so barbarous or base but hee is ioyned vnto vs in this knot which is inuiolable and holy and cānot be abolished by the wickednes of any man All mankinde must be imbraced by one affection of loue there oughte to be no difference betwene the barbarous and Scithian betweene the worthye and vnworthye betweene the frende and ennemy because all are one in Christ Iesus and they are to be considered in God not in themselues From the which way if we decline it is no marueile if wée be intangled in many errors Neither can wée herevppon denye but the more a man is neere vnto vs the more we ought to helpe him For this the nature of man it selfe bringeth to passe that the more they are knit together eyther by the bonde of kinred familiarity or affinity the more they are prest and ready to do them good A. Also wee are bounde accordinge to the rule of S Paule to loue those sainctes faith full men in whom the repayred Image of God shyneth more than such as beare the ymage of the deuill the Prince of this world though they be our nye kinsmen For hee sayth Let not to do good to all men but specially to them of the househould of fayth Euen as thy selfe C. Whē Moyses the mā of God commaunded vs to loue our neighboures as our selues hee mente not to set the loue of our selues in the first place as thoughe euerye man shoulde loue himselfe first and then his neighbour as the Sorbonicall Sophisters do cauill But seinge wee are to muche addicted to our selues Moyses going about to reforme this vyce commaundeth vs to geeue the like and same loue to our neighboures that wee geeue to oure selues euen as if he had forbidden al men to neglect others and to haue a care for themselues because loue ioyneth all men into one body And goinge about also to correcte Philautian or selfe-loue which seperateth one man from another hée reduceth all men to common society and mutuall loue Therefore wée are not here taught how to loue our selues But hee teacheth vs this As euery man is wont to loue himselfe so let him loue also his neighboure And whereas the affection of loue was wōt to remaine in vs by a naturall corruption he sheweth nowe that it muste be otherwise that wée mighte haue no lesse desier and care to benefite our neighboures than oure selues Whereby we gather that Paule doth not without good cause call loue the bonde of perfection and in another place the fulfilling of the lawe because all the commaundementes of the seconde table are referred to the same Bu. The Euāgelist Marke addeth that to loue a mans neighbour as himselfe is a greater thing then all burnt offeringes and sacrifices For these thynges were neuer acceptable to the trewe lyuinge and eternall God without faith and loue as we haue already declared in the fifthe chapter goinge before Nowe if we gather al these thinges into a compendium and shorte somme we shall see that the lorde hathe taught vs that in fewe words which the whole scripture discourseth of at large namelye that there is one God onely in substaunce that this God is oure God whiche woulde vs well whiche loueth vs and seketh to saue vs And that this God ought to be loued and worshiped of vs for him selfe as the father lorde and chiefe felicitie and that euerye man also must be loued for Goddes sake and that so vnfaynedly as wee loue our selues and as Christe hath loued vs. 40 In these two cōmaundementes hang all the lawe and the prophetes C. Howe the lawe and the prophetes do depende vppon these twoo commaundementes reade the seuenth chapter going before What so euer is taughte in the lawe and the prophetes as concernynge the doctrine of lyfe is fulfylled of them whiche loue God and theyr neyghboure A After these thynges the Euangelyst Marke addeth that a Scribe aunswered Christ sayinge Well maister thou hast saide the truethe for there is one God and there is none but hee 41 VVhile
Christ therefore in this place went not subtilly about to intreat of all the partes of righteousnes or of their order but hee taughte simplelye so farre as the common capassity of men would beare that the lawe is then kepte when mē deale iustly gently and truly one with another because in so doinge they declare that they loue God that they reuerence him yea they shewe foorth a lawfull and meete testimonye of syncere godlynes not that it is sufficient to do our duty towardes men except first of all God haue his righte geuen vnto him but because it is necessary that he be a true worshipper of Godwhich frameth his life according to his prescript lawe Yet notwithstandinge the obiection is not fully answered for the tenthes which Christ setteth after equity and mercy were a part of the worship of God and some part thereof was wont to be distributed to the poore And so they cōtayned in themselues a double sacrifice Wee aunswere that tenthes are not simplelye compared here with almes deedes fayth and Iudgement but the fayned holines of the Scribes is conferred with sincere perfect loue For why were they so willing and ready to paye their tenthes but only that they mighte please God with the least expence and grefe For they were not so readye to the whole and therefore it ought not to be nombered amonge the duties of loue because they soughte to deceiue both God and men with small trifles of little price These things ought ye to haue done This is a figure in Rhetorique called occupatio by the which Christ preuenteth the cauill of his aduersaries For they might haue cauilled and construed his woordes amisse as though he had made no accompte of that which was written in the law of god Hee graunteth therefore that whatsoeuer God hath commaunded oughte to be kepte and nothing thereof to be omitted but yet that the loue of the whole lawe doth not let men to stand vppon the speciall pointes thereof Wherevpon he gathereth that they do amisse preposterously which busye themselues in the smalest things when as they should rather begin at the greatest matters Christ therefore denyeth it to be his purpose to derogate euen the least thinge from any of the comaundements although hee commende and require an order in the obseruation of the lawe Let therefore the vniuersall lawe abide sound and whole which can be broken in no part without the contempt of the author For he which forbad to commit adultery to kill and to steale the same condemned also all concupiscence Wherby wee gather that all the commaundementes are so linked and knit together that it is not meete to disseauer them one from another Wherefore it is also written Cursed be euery one which doth not those thinges that are written By the which wordes the vniuersall righteousnes of the law is ratifyed withoute exception but this reuerence as wee said before taketh not awaye the difference betwene the commaundements neither yet the scope of the law to the which the true embracers therof directe their minde least they should onelye beare an outwarde shewe B. Therefore the Scribes Phariseis are not blamed of our sauiour Christ because they gaue exactly tyeth of all their fruite for this was meete also to be done but because they dide neglect those greater thinges without the which there coulde no piety at all consist Herevppon certaine do boast that the righte of tithe is confirmed of the Lorde when as wee must put a greater difference betwene those of our time which receiue tithes and those to whom tythes were due by the lawe The whole tribe of Leuy receiued no possessions in the lande of Chanaan because the Lord had appointed the same to the ministery of the tabernacle wherfore he appointed also that tythes should be payed vnto them by the rest of the Isralites as appeareth in Numerye and Deutronomye Therefore so longe as the mynisterye of these men and externall worship of the tabarnacle continued the Isralites ought to haue payed their tithes according to the lawe but the priesthode being remoued the law is remoued also Christ is our hye priest and that in heauenlye thinges to whō it is not nedefull that we geue parte of our oblations and tithes but it is meete that wee offer our selues wholy vnto him for the continuall meditacion of a heauenly life Notwithstāding wee must geue those thinges that are necessary to such as stande in nede of them yea those ministers also are worthye of double honoure which rule well and labour truly in word and doctrine But whether wee do these thinges in geuinge of tythe or by anye other portion of substance with the which the Lorde hath blessed vs it shal be all one before God if so be wee seeke not thereby vaine glorye but geue the same with a pure affection to those that be in neede 24. Ye blinde guides which straine out a gnat and swallow a Camell Yee blinde guides A. Againe he calleth these ypocrites blinde guides to the ende hee might the more moue the people to forsake them For if the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditche VVhich strayne out a gnat svvallovv C. This is a prouerbiall sentence by the whiche the precise care of ypocrites in small trifles is noted for they are so horribly affrayed at the least offēces as though one only transgressiō should be more sharpe vnto them than a hundred deathes but in the most greuous sinnes they swetelye lull themselues and others a sleepe They do therefore euen as if a man shoulde straine at a small crumme of bread and swallow a whole loafe Wee knowe that a gnat is a small creature and a Camell a huge beast there is nothinge therefore more rydiculous than to strayne in wyne and water least in swallowinge a gnat thou hurte thy Iawes but careleslye to suppe vp a Camell But truly it is euident that ypocrites do this dallye because they lettinge passe Iudgement mercy and faithe are to seuere and strayte in matters of no great importaunce A. Moreouer in this place the participle of the present-tence is put for the indicatiue moode As if hee should say ye are like vnto them who if it chaunce vnto them to haue a gnat fall into their wyne they sucke and strayne in their wyne hardely through theyr lippes teethe least in swallowinge the little gnat they should be strangled in the meane time they do not onelye eate a Camell beinge a monsterous beast but also swallowe hym downe without feare all you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites are like to these I say who will not omit the smallest point of the lawe but those thinges whiche are the waightiest pointes of the Lawe ye altogether neglecte withoute anye pricke of conscience Suche manner of men are they which are diligent abstayners from fleshe obseruers of confession and suche like trifels but in charity in a good conscience they
should be a greater reproche vnto them and worke them greater destruction because in dede the purpose of God was otherwise than they imagined For hee ment thereby to make them the more inexcusable and also to bringe their wicked malice euen to the full As if he had sayde althoughe heauenly Propheres were sente vnto you of God and ordained for you only yet do ye folishly alleage for your selues and bragge of this honor For God by his secrete counsell and iudgemente determined an other matter namely that by continual and gentel inuitacion and callinge he might openly detecte and bewraye your wycked obstinacy the whiche beinge conuicte and ouercome he mighte bringe both vppon the fathers and the children a like horrible destruction I sende vnto you Prophetes Bu. Hereby it appeareth that ministers of saluation come not excepte they be sente of God. Howe shal they preache saith S. Paule excepte they be sente Whereuppon our Sauioure Christe also sayde Praye ye the Lorde of the haruest that he woulde thruste out laborers into his haruest It declareth also the fatherlye affection of God in sendynge Prophetes to saue Israell And vvyse men and Scribes C. In that he reckeneth wysemen and Scribes with the Prophetes he doth it to amplify the grace of God whereby their ingratitude doth the more appeare because although the Lorde omitted nothinge to teache them by yet notwithstandinge they did not proffite at all M. in so muche that they cruelly slewe the Prophetes and wyse men that were sente vnto them for their saluation C. In stede of wyse men and Scribes the Euangeliste Luke putteth downe Apostels in the same sence B. These are they which by the instincte and motion of gods spirit brought preached to the whole worlde the woorde of lyfe the true wysedome of God and the proper naturall sence of the Scriptures 〈…〉 This place pertaineth to the trueth of the gyftes of the spirit among which not only the prophesis shewing of things to come and declaring the wil of God and also the wisedome of those which speake by the spirit of God without the knowledge of the Scriptures haue place but also the knowledge of the Scriptures which the Scribes haue Of whom read the second chapter going before And some of them ye shal kil and crucify M. Here the wonderful malice of the Scribes and Phariseis is described It is a smal matter not to receiue a minister of grace if it be cōpared to this cruelty by the which he is contumeliously handeled afflicted scourged and killed This crueltye pertaineth to those that swel and are puffed vp by the name of holines and righteousnes which can not abide the preaching of the trueth but do resiste the same all that they can with fyer and swerde and do persecute it as though it were heresi But they perish not vnto the Lord whiche are slaine and the founde shéepe are brought vnto the pastor and all excuse is taken from the wicked when that theire malice which otherwyse would lye hid is made manifeste to all men Euen so in an other place he sayth For a testimony vnto them and the Gentiles C. So that this place teacheth that God dothe not worke the saluatiō of men alwaies so often as he sendeth vnto thē his word but that he woulde haue the same some times declared vnto the reprobate who he knoweth notwithstanding will be obstinate that it may be vnto them the sauore of death vnto death The woorde of God certeinlye of his owne nature is of power to saue and calleth all men without exception to the hope of euerlastinge lyfe but because al men are not inwardlye drawne because God doth not open their eares and because all men are not renewed to repentance or framed to obediēce whosoeuer do reiecte the woorde of GOD do make the same to be vnto them selues death and destruction Seinge therefore God knewe that this shoulde come to passe that the reprobate shoulde be drawne into greater damnation hee by his secrete counsell sente vnto them his Prophets as more plainly the Prophete Esay declareth Wee graunte truelye that this is farre contrarye to carnall sence and reason euen as wee sée the impure and vnreuerent contemners of God to take hereby speciall occasion to barke and murmure againste the secrete counsels of God because that lyke a tyraunte as they say he delighteth in the greater punishemente and destruction of men whome he doth more and more indurate make blinde in their synnes withoute all hope of profite But God by such documentes as these doth exercise and trye the modesty of the faithfull Let this therefore bee oure sobriety namely to reuerence that with tremblynge feare whiche excedeth our reason and capassity They whiche saye that the foreknowledge of God is no let at all wherebye the vnbeleuinge shoulde not be saued do by vaine defēce foolishly excuse God himselfe We graūt certainly that the reprobat do not therefore bringe death vnto them selues because God hath so prouided that it shall come to passe and therefore it can not be ascribed to his foreknowledge that they perishe but wee deny the righteousnes of God to be lawfullye and truelye defended by this cauill because a man may straite waye obiecte that it is in Godes power to staye them from repentance because the gyfte of faythe and repentance is in his handes This also maye be obiected Obiection What meaneth this that God by his sure determinate counsell appointeth the lighte of his woorde to blynde and dasell the eyes of men Why wil God beinge not contente with the simple falle and destruction of suche as are accursed and ordeyned to euerlastynge death haue them to taste of the fyrste seconde and thyrde death Wherefore this onelye resteth that wee geue this glorye to the Iudmentes of GOD and to crye wyth Sainct Paule and saye O the déepenes of the ryches both of the wysedome and knowledge of GOD howe vnsearcheable are his iudgements his wayes past findinge oute For who hathe knowne the mind of the lorde But it maye be demaunded howe the Lord pronounceth by his Prophete Esay that the Prophesies should tourne to the destruction of the Iewes Question seing that his adoption did alwayes effectuallye take place flourishe in that nation It may be answered that seing a very littel and smale portion only receiued imbraced the worde by faith mencion is made here of the greater nomber as of the vniuersal body Euen as Esayas who when he preached the common destruction of the people was commaunded to seale the law of god with his disciples Let vs vnderstāde therfore that so often as the Scripture doth adiudge the Iewes to euerlastinge death the remnaunts are excepted in whome the Lorde preserueth some sede for his frée elections sake 35. That vpō you may come all the righteouse bloud which hath beene shed vpon the earthe from the bloude of righteouse Abel vnto the
when he so afflicteth the visible Church that it might seme vtterly to be destroyed yet notwithstanding to saue some sede he doth wōderfully deliuer his elecct being fewe in nōber from destruction that they might withoute all hope arise oute of the gulphe of death For so the hypocrites are terrefyed and made affrayed leaste they bearing them selues bolde vppon the titell shewe of the Church do faine vnto thē selues a vaine hope of escaping vnpunished because God will deuise a meane by the whiche he may deliuer his Churche they being geuen ouer to destruction But a wonderfull consolation is here committed to the mindes of the Godlye because God will neuer geue so muche place to his wrathe but he will haue regarde to their safety So in punishinge the Iewes he was horriblelye inflamed yet notwithstāding contrary to the hope and expectation of men he did moderate himselfe leaste any of the electe shoulde perishe And thus gaue greate occasion to woonder that when saluation should spring oute of Iewry God made floudes to issue and flowe oute of small droppes of a dryed well whiche shoulde water the whole worlde For so sone as they had broughte vppon them selues the hatred of all people it coulde not come otherwise to passe but that theye muste nedes haue bene tormented at a soden in euery place Neyther is there any doubt seing that many sought to haue thē thus destroyed but that Titus was stayed by the power of god least the soldiours and others which were to greedy to execute this matter shoulde at his apointement arme them selues This therefore was a shortenynge to preserue some seede in that the Romaine emperoure dyd keepe vnder and staye at that time the last misery and destruction of the whole nation In the meane tyme this is to be noted that for the electes sake he stayed the vyolence of his wrathe least he should ouerwhelme them al. For why wold he haue a fewe to remayne of so greate a multytude and what cause had hee why hee shoulde preferre these before other Suerlye the reason was this namelye because his grace rested vpon the people whom he had adopted and least his couenaunte shoulde be of none effecte certain were elected and appoynted by his eternal purpose and decree to saluation And therfore S. Paule doth assigne the cause to the free election of God that of so gret a people the remnaunt are sauid Lette therfore the merites of men cease when wee are called backe to the meere good pleasure of God least there depende any other difference betwene these and them sauinge this that they must of necessitie be saued whiche are elected The whiche thinge Marke seking more plainely and expressely to set forthe addeth these wordes sayinge But for the electes sake whom he hath chosen he hath shortened those dayes The participle truely might haue serued but onely that he wente aboute expressely to affirme that God was not moued by any forrayne causes to be more fauourable to the one than to the other but because it pleased hym to elect those whom hee woulde saue that hee myghte stablyshe the secrete pourpose of his free grace in theyr saluation Notwithstanding it maie be demaunded howe God dyd moderate the destruction and miserye for the electes sake that hee vtterly destroied not al the Iewes when as many desperate and reprobate persōs were sauid We maye easely aunswere that parte of the nation was deliuered that hee mighte the chaffe beinge put aparte bring and saue his elect therfrom whiche were mingled euen as seede Althoughe therefore a temporal saluation did happen as well to the reprobate as to the electe yet notwithstanding because it profited not them it is iustely ascribed vnto these alone euen as it was directed for theyr sakes by the wonderfull prouidence of god M. We se by this place how peruerse the iudgemēt of the worlde is as concerninge the iuste Where such afflictions do fall by and by all the falt is ascribed to those that feare God when as notwithstandinge for theyr sakes God dothe moderate and temper the deserued vengence 23 Then if any saye vnto you lo here is Christe or there beleue it not Then if any say vnto you C. Nowe he repeteth that agayne whiche he had spoken before as concernynge seducers and deceyuers and not in vayne for a greater daunger by reason of this temptation was at hande least myserable men beinge deceiued by a deceitfull and false title in affliction and desperation shoulde seke for counterfayte and fayned shewes in steede of Christe and shoulde imbrace the delusions of Sathan in steede of the helpe of god For when the Iewes beinge so hardely oppressed for contemning and despysinge the redemption shuld be brought from their vnfaithfulnes at lest by vyolent remedies Sathan craftelye obiected vnto theim newe hopes whiche shoulde seduce them farther from god And truely there is nothynge more deadly than to be deceyued vnder the pretence of the name of God by lyes when we are voide of councell in aduersitie the which lies bothe stop vp the gate of repentance against vs and also do increase the darknesse of infidelitie and at the length being confoūded with desperation do bring to madnesse Wherefore in so great danger this repetition was nothynge at all superfluouse A. as if Christe shoulde haue sayde See that ye be seduced by no meanes M. because if any saye vnto you in that desolate dissipation or scatterynge Beholde here is Christ or there is Christe that is if they shal shew you some carnall sauiour beleue them not I am the onely sauioure of all men and the eternall Chryst whiche euen nowe by humilitie am conuersant in the world and wyll shortely forsake the same in the fleshe vntyll I come agayne in greater glorye For I foreshewe vnto you that false Christes shall arise and that theye also shal haue their false prophetes whiche shall allure men to them not onelye by woordes but by signes also and great wonders in so muche that many shal be deceyued by them B Thus symplely these thinges muste be vnderstoode and taken For it is certaine that the lorde in this place went about to answere his disciples what they ought to thincke of the comminge of Christes kyngdome which they had alwaies hearde should be restored by Christe Neyther is there any doubt but that they alwaies dreamed of a carnall kingedome and externall felycitie and that therefore the lorde wente about to brynge them from that erroure as he did at other tymes also Wherfore it can not be denied but that they were false Christes whiche by promisyng externall felycitie seducede manye of the Iewes So that this was the scope and ende of the aunswere of Christe in this place to perswade the disciples that the kingedome of Christ should not be restored with externall felycitie and glory in this present lyfe but in spirite and faith and that with the greate afflictions and temptations of the citezens of
this kingdome And that there shoulde be manye false Christes whiche shoulde promyse outwarde and worldelye happinesse but falsely and therby also shold turne their followers from the spirytuall and euerlastinge felicitie and that therfore they ought to take hede of all those which promise the externall kyngedome of God in this world or do tye the same to any certaine place whiche because it is deuine spirituall can not be tyed These thinges also are more manifest to be seene in Luke by the aunswere of our sauioure Christ geuen to the Phariseies For they demaunding of hym when the kingdome of God should come we reade that Christ answered there thus The kingdome of God shall not come with waitynge for neyther shall they saye Lo here or Lo there for beholde the kingedome of God is within you What other thing is this than to saye The kyngedome of God is not carnal as you thincke that it might be shewed in any certayne place For either it is comprehended in fayth and is neuer seene and althoughe it bryngeth forthe plentifully his fruites wheresoeuer it be yet notwithstandyng it is with greate persecution and afflyction of the fleshe Or elles it wyll be so manifestlye presente to the whole worlde that it shal not nede to be wayted for or marked or that men shoulde saye Lo here is Christ or lo he is there For he is nowe among you you haue the kynge of that kyngedome present already ye haue the trewe cittezens thereof namely my disciples But these thynges whiche appertayne vnto vs seme vnto you contrary and disagreing with the kyngdome of God and glory of the Messias yet notwithstanding it is so ordained of God that I must fyrste suffer many thynges and be reiected of this nation before that I shall raygne in glory Hereuppon commethe that my humillitie and base shewe of glory whiche so greatly offendeth you Let the reader way diligently the wordes of Luke Hereby nowe it is euident who are properly noted by the true christ to be false Christs what they were whō we mentioned before with many others which all had their false Prophetes their signes and wonders But we must diligently note that a false christ is one an Antechrist is an other There haue ben many Antechristes from the beginning of Christes kyngedome vnto this daye namely all they whiche haue taughte at any tyme any thinge whereby menne might be seduced from Christ and from the faythe of our lorde Iesus leaste they shoulde be perswaded that by his onely deathe they haue euerlastynge lyfe of this reade in the seconde chapter of the fyrst epistell of S Iohn But they were properly false Christes whiche boasted them selues to be Christ as some which came to the Iewes Others which were the authors of errors are more rightely called false prophetes than false Christs Where as some do nowe bringe in this place against the seducing doctrine of the Papistes and Mahomett they do verye well because when Christe testified in this place that the kingdome of God doth consist in him by fayth and that it is not adicted to any certain place in this world these notwithstandinge haue taughte to seeke the kingedome of God in externall thinges But yet no man maye trewely teach that Christ in this place did speake of these men There are other places as concerninge these as the first chapter of sainte Paule in his second epistell to the Thessalonians and the third of the secōde to Tymothe the fyrste and thirde also of the seconde of Peter For the Pope dyd neuer saye that he was Christ that is to say that restorer of lybertie and all felycitie whiche wolde exhibite and offer in this present life al those thinges that the Prophetes had foreshewed as touchinge the Messias But Mahomett came more neere to this abhomination 24 For there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shew great myracles and wonders In so muche that if it were possible the very electe shoulde be deceiued For there shall arise false Christes A. Euen as the trewe Christ had his preachers of the truethe namely the Apostelles other disciples which may be called prophetes that is faithful interpreters of holy thinges euen so the false Christes wil haue their false prophetes that is to saye the masters of lies whiche maye leade men from the sincere doctrine of the trewthe to a lye And shall shevve greate myracles C. Christe admonysheth that suche deceyuers shall bringe with them no small deceites to deceyue withall but greate signes and wonders which shal astonishe the myndes of suche as are weake and make them amased For seinge that God dothe testifie and declare the presence of his power by miracles and that therfore they maye be seales as it were of trewe doctrine it is no meruaile if they bring reuerence and credite to deceiuers And by suche kynde of illusion dothe God reuenge ponishe the ingratitude of men that they may beleue lies whiche haue reiected the trueth and that they maye be more and more in darknesse which haue shut their eies against the trueth lighte offered vnto them Howbeit he doth therwith exercise the constancie of those that are his whiche doth more playnely shew forthe it selfe when they geue place to no deceites B. And as deceitfull doctryne hath alwaies her signes and wonders by the whiche they that woulde not beleeue the trueth might be seduced to beleue a lie and as no age wanteth his false prophetes agayne as all superstition hath his originall and beginning of the flesh and dothe frame and applie it selfe to the commodity and profite of the fleshe euen so there is nothing of those things wherof Christe hath spoken which accordyng to their maner do not offer them selues vnto vs Whereuppon trewly all men oughte dilygentelye to waye these forewarninges of the Lorde and to keepe them in mynde For althoughe there be none at this daye whiche doo openlye professe them selues to be Christes yet notwithstandinge there are manye false Prophetes and Antechristes who go about to drawe the mindes of men frō the true and only Christ to their workes to their Masses to their dirges and trentals to their owne fastings and choyse of meates and of apparell and to such kind of nedeful elements and necessary creatures of the worlde and also to the merits and intercessions of saints being in this pointe like vnto false Prophets and false Christes of whome Christ properly in this place forewarned his Disciples that they do seduce men frō the trueth to a lye and do falsely promise a Carnal Christe a carnall worhsip and external felicity For they do teache men to seeke for saluation by other meanes than by a lyuely faith in Christ and do suffer men to liue after their owne pleasure promisinge furthemore by theyr Masses and other lyes of the like leuen that men shal haue remission of theyr sinnes and recōcilliation betwene God and them Hereby therfore we
Paule sayth that he careth not for mans iudgemēt but that his onely care is to be founde faithfull of the Lorde M. These thinges may be more playnly vnderstode if they be cōferred with that whiche followeth of the euell seruaunte 47 Verely I saye vnto you that he shall make him ruler ouer all his goodes M. By this parte of the similitude he only goeth about to shewe that the minister of Christe whiche is faithfull shall haue great honour and be made equall almost with his Lorde For when Ioseph was made ruler ouer all the kinges treasure in Aegipte he was reuerenced aboue all the kyng excepted And the Lorde hym selfe saythe I appointe vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drynke at my table in the kyngdome and syt on seates iudgeing the twelue tribes of Israell And the Apostle Paule speaketh thus of hym selfe I haue fought a good fighte I haue rōne my race I haue kept the faith and there is laide vp for me a crown of righteousnes which the lorde being aiust iudge shall geue to me at that daye And what the happynes of this faythfull seruaunt shal be the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the harte of mā C. Therefore let all those hereby learne whiche are called to an honourable office that the greater their office is the more thei are bounde with all their study and industry to discharge the same For seing it is the dutie of the common sorte of seruauntes to finishe the woorke committed vnto them stewardes must bee muche more dilligent to whome it pertaineth to haue a care of the whole housholde Otherwise Christe reproueth thē of ingratitude because they being chosen before al others frame not thē selues according to their honour For to what ende should the Lorde preferre thē before others but only because they should excel all others in faithe and wysdome A dilligent and sober attention is inioyned to all men alyke but yet for all that negligence and slouth is more vnsemely and lesse excusable in pastors and gouernours of the people Furthermore the hope also of the rewarde ought to kyndell a dilligence in them A. For they ought to be certainly perswaded that their paineful trauaile in their calling is moste acceptable vnto the Lorde and that he wyll requyte the same with a large rewarde 48 But and if that euell seruaunt saye in his harte my lorde wil be long a comming But and if the euell seruaunt saye Bu. Nowe of the contrary part he threateneth destruction to those ministers and others whiche being aduaunced to some degree of honour do not consider that they are made rulers ouer their fellowe seruauntes and that they must geue accompte vnto Christ but first of all do consume their Lordes substaunce and afterwarde shewe tyrannye against them In his harte M. This is spoken according to the māner of the Hebrues For a certaine secrete perswasiō of that minde So it is sayde in the Psalme The vngodly hath sayd in his harte there is no God that is he is fully perswaded that it is but vayne whiche is spoken of god C. Therefore Christe teacheth in these woordes howe it commeth to passe that the euell seruauntes are so secure or careles surely because they bearing themselues bolde vpon his long tariance do imagine that the daye will neuer come in the which they shall geue accompt M. Of suche the Apostell semeth to speake saying This firste vnderstande that there shall come in the last dayes mockers in deceitfulnes whiche wyll walke after their own lustes say where is the promise of his cōming for since the fathers died al things continue in the same estate that they were in the beginning Wherfore vnder the pretēce of Christes absence they promyse to them selues that they shall escape vnpunished For it can not bee but that the looking for him so often as it commeth in our myndes must put away all slouthfulnes restraine the fleshly affections least we be wickedly caried So that there can be no exhortacion more sharpe and of greater force to pricke vs forwarde than when we be put in minde of that tribunall seate whiche no man can auoyde Wherfore that euery one of vs may watche and seke to discharge oure duties and that we maye dilligently and modestly kepe our selues within our boundes let vs call to mynde that sodayne comming of our Lorde from aboue the whiche the reprobate wickedly contemne 49 And so beginne to smite his fellowes yea and to eate and drinke with the dronken M. This is the frute of the euell seruaunte whiche he bryngeth forthe by the false perswasion of the slackenes of his Lordes comming He dothe all thynges at his pleasure without feare Christe therfore by the waye sheweth howe easy a thing it is for bouldnes to increase when a man hauing once loused the raynes geueth hym selfe to synne Neither dothe Christe onely here make mēcion of a dissolute and wicked seruaunte but also of suche a one whiche obstinately seketh to disturbe the whole house and peruersely abuseth the power committed vnto hym exerciseth crueltie towardes his fellowe seruauntes and riotously speadeth his maisters goodes to his reproche This is the image and picture of a secure and careles seruaunte To the whiche if you compare the Pope the Cardinalles the Bishops Abbottes Priors Clarkes with the reste of the clergy and layitie also whiche serue Antechriste you wyll say that they are moste lyke of all other to that sluggishe careles seruaunt For these had rather syt to eate drinke with the dronken thā to repente at the preaching of the Gospell But thīke you that thei shal so do vnpunished no truly For harken to what followeth 50 The same seruauntes Lorde shal come in a day when he loketh not for him and in an hower that he is not ware of The same seruauntes Lorde shall come A. Beholde the payne and punishement of the wycked seruaunt Bu. Firste of all he shal be deceiued of his hope and expectation For when he saythe my lorde wylbe longe a comming the lorde shall come in a daye when he looketh not for hym and so the sodayne comminge of his maister shall bryng the greater terrour and feare A. And then shall followe greuous punishement For it followeth 51 And shall hewe him in pieces and geue hym his porcion with hypocrites there shall be weapynge and gnasshing of teethe And hevve hym in peeces Bu. It was the manner of those of oulde tyme to cutte the bodyes of them in pieces whiche had broken faythe and couenaunt with them Of the whiche matter we maye reade a long discourse in Aulus Gellius C. Here therfore a horrible punishement is added to terrifie the wicked seruaunt because suche vnbrydeled wyckednes deserueth the greater vengeaunce And geue him his portion vvith hypocrites B. He vsurpeth this worde portion or parte for
not a greate multitude of witneses And the holy Ghoste thought good to expresse this to the ende the very sighte of men might stirre vs vp to kéepe the confession of the saythe For if wee denye Christe before the weake because by oure example they be shaken and slyde awaye wee do destroy so manye soules as lyeth in vs to destroye And if wee doe defraude Christe of his dewe testimony before the wycked and aduersarys of the Gospell we doe make his holye name a iestynge stocke to the to the whole worlde To be shorte as a stronge and free confession dothe edify and buylde all the Godlye and maketh the wycked ashamed euen so the denyall and fallynge from the faythe bringyngeth with it publique ruine in the Churche and the reproche of sounde doctrine Therefore the more a manne is in estimation the more let him take hede to hymselfe because he canne not fall from his degree but he shall do the more hurte I vvot not vvhat thou sayest C. S. Marke and Sainct Luke haue I knowe hym not neyther wot I what thou sayest This maner of deniall dothe sufficiently declare that crafte and subtilty doth profite suche as are in misery nothynge at all whiche by delayes excuses and circonstances séeke to escape when they are called to geue accounte of theire faith Peter dothe not plainelye denye the whole doctrine of the Gospell He onelye denieth that he knewe the man But because he doth priuelye vnder the parsone of Christe bury the lighte of the redemption offered he is condemned of foule and fylthy distruste He had hearde a lytell before oute of the mouthe of the Lorde that the confession of faythe was an acceptable sacrifyce vnto god Therefore that denial is not to be excused by the whiche GOD is robbed of his lawefull woorship and Christ of his dewe honor Let vs know this therefore that so soone as men forsake the simple and true profession of Christe he is disapointed of his lawfull testimony He dothe not simplely aunswere to the wordes of the maide I was not with him but I knowe not what thou sayest He knewe well inoughe what the woordes of the mayde mente but to the ende hee mighte auoyde daunger and not denye by and by he dissembled ye he plainly denyed that he vnderstoode not what the damsell spake Wee oftentimes beinge craftye do vse this caution or prouiso namely Trueth can not alwaye be spoken without danger But this refuge pertayneth to hypocrites and to suche as are of corrupte disposition not to seme to do the thyng whiche in dede notwithstandynge they are a doinge Sainct Marke addeth to these thynges sayinge And he wente oute into the porche and the cocke crew 71. VVhen he was gone oute into the porche an other wentche sawe him and sayde vnto them that were there This fellowe was also wyth Iesus of Nazareth VVhen he vvas gone oute into the porche M. He semeth to take hede vnto hymselfe because after the fyrste temptacion he goeth foorthe oute of the pallace into the Porche féellinge hymselfe not to bee in sauegarde in this house of the hye Prieste He hadde done somewhat if he hadde gott hym oute of the pallace altogether But hee dothe nothinge whiche dothe not wholelye withdrawe himselfe from all occasion of euell Peraduenture he durst not sodenlye departe althoughe he wente aboute to get awaye leaste by his sodeyne departynge he should with daunger haue bewrayed that whiche before he dissembled M. This oure Euangeliste saith that Peter wente oute into the porche in the whiche it is lykelye that the seruants of the hye Priest had made a fyer where at Peter warmed hym selfe or ells that he entered into the pallace agayne For Sainct Iohn writeth thus The seruaunts and the ministers stoode there whiche had made a fyer of coles for it was colde and they warmed them selues Peter also stoode amonge them and warmed hym _____ After this he Describeth what Caiphas demaunded of Christe from the 19. verse vnto the 25 verse and from this he retourneth to the second denyall of Peter An other vventche savve him C. It maye rather be gathered by the wordes of Marke that it was the same damsell for he maketh no mencion of anye other In this notwithstandyng there is no repugnancy or contrariety because it is probable that the same question whiche was demaūded by one was also demaunded by the reste and affirmed to be true yet Saint Iohn saith that this questiō was not demaunded by the damesell the seconde time but by the company of men that stoode by Whereby it is euidente that the voyce whiche came from the mayde was hearde of those that stoode by who strayte waye questioned wyth Peter Peter therefore was vrged both of men and women This fellovve vvas also vvith Iesus A. The Euangeliste S. Luke saith And after a lyttell while an other sawe hym and sayde thou arte also of them And Peter sayde man I am not But our Euangeliste sayth 72. And againe he denied with an oathe sayinge I do not knowe the man. And againe he denyed C. Horrible is the vnsensible dulnes of Peter whiche hauinge denied his master is not onelye moued with no repentance but also hardeneth hymselfe with libertye If euerye man had asked hym in order he woulde haue made no staye to denye hym a thousande tymes Wee muste note the circonstance whiche our Euangeliste expresseth here namelye that after he coulde not escape awaye by one simple denyall he dothe wyth an oathe double the falte and after that beinge more vehement vrged he beganne to cursse Whereby wee gather that when the synner hath once gone forwarde in synne he is by and by caryed from euell so worse euenso they whiche beginne with small faltes doe after that fall hedlonge into fylthy sinnes whiche at the fyrste they abhorred This happeneth daylye vnto manye in the beginninge the fall shall not be so greate but afterwarde commeth a custome when the conscience is nusled and brought a slepe And this is the iust vengeance of God that so soone as wee are depriued of the helpe of the holy Ghoste Sathan at the laste ruleth with violence in somuche that wee beinge addicted vnto him wholye hee caryeth vs hyther and thyther at his pleasure But this thinge happeneth specially in the denyall of the faith because when one throughe feare of the crosse hath swerued from the pure profession of the Gospell if he sée that the enemys bee not yet satisfyed hee goeth farther and that whiche he durste not purelye confesse he vtterly forsweareth withoute any clokynge of the matter I do not knovve the man M. He denieth more than was nedefull For seinge it was onelye sayde vnto hym Thou was with him it hadde bene sufficient to answere that he had not ben one of his companye and not to adde that he knewe hym neuer yee and beinge not contente with this he addeth an oathe also C. This therefore is to be noted that Peter fell almoste three
Lorde Iesus Christe that though he was ryche yet for youre sakes hee became poore that ye through his pouertie might bee made ryche The whiche argument the Apostell vseth to moue the myndes of the faythfull to geue almes to the poore Christe oure Sauioure by this his pouertie gaue example that they whiche receiue spirituall thinges shoulde bee ready to geue parte of theire goodes to theire teachers Otherwyse it had bene an easye matter for the Lorde to sustayne hym selfe and his disciples without any helpe of these women He knew that the labourer was worthy of his hyer Here also by the example of these women wee are taughte not to bee wearye of well doynge and to perceuere in the race whiche wee haue well begon as they followed hym beyng alyue so now they prosecute hym beyng dead 56 Among whiche was Marie Magdalene and Mary the mother of Iames and Ioses and the mother of Zebedes chyldren Among vvhiche vvas Mary Magdalene A. They whiche were beste knowen are here expressed by name The Euangeliste Saint Marke addeth sayinge And other women also whiche wente with hym to Hierusalem For as Luke saythe hee had healed many of them from euell spirites and diseases And what was done after these thynges Saint Iohn declareth saying The Iewes therefore because it was the preparynge of the Sabaoth that the bodyes should not remayne on the Crosse on the Sabaoth daye for that Sabaoth daye was a hyghe daye besoughte Pilate and so foorthe vntyll the eight and thyrty verse in the whiche he declareth those thynges whereof our Euangeliste Matthewe maketh mention in the eight and fifty verse saying He wente to Pylate and begged the body of Iesus 57 VVhen the euen was come there came a ryche man of Aramathia named Ioseph whiche also was Iesus Disciple VVhen the euen vvas come C. Nowe the Euangeliste addeth the buryall of Christe as the myddell passage from the ignomynie of the Crosse to the glory of the resurrection God woulde haue his sonne to bee buryed for an other cause also that so it myght bee the better declared that hee suffered deathe in dede for oure sakes but by the waye this ende is specially to be noted that by this meanes the curse began to be abolyshed which he toke for a shorte time For his body was not cast into the pyt after the common manner but was layde honourablely in a Sepulchre of stone VVhen the euen vvas come E. Or rather when it was toward the euen the Sunne beynge readye to sette after the nynthe hower For the euen was not come when Ioseph desyred the bodye of Iesu Because before the nyghte began also the preparinge of the Sabaoth beyng not yet ended the Lorde was layde in the Sepulchre For so soone as that euen was begonne the greate Sabaoth beganne also In the whiche it was not lawefull to take downe the bodye or to burye it in the Sepulchre No man ought to doubte but that this is the sence of the Euangeliste bothe the obseruation and custome of the Iewes requyringe the same and also the holye father Ignatius wrytynge in his Epistle thus Before the Sunne settyng he was taken downe from the Crosse and buryed in a newe Sepulchre C. Therefore wee muste vnderstande that Ioseph came not in the twylyghte but before the Sunne settynge that hee myght doe this deede of Charitie to hys maister withoute the violatynge of the Sabaoth For the begynnynge of the Sabaoth was from that euen And from the deathe of Christe to the obseruation of the Sabaoth were three large howers There came a ryche man. M. The Euangelistes doe declare manye thynges of this Disciple of Christe namely that hee was a ryche man that he was a good man honeste iuste a Senatoure that hee looked for the kyngdome of God that hee was a Disciple of Christe but secretlye and that hee agreed not to the counsell and deede moste wycked of the Iewes C. Nowe allthough this affection of Ioseph deserued greate prayse for that hee soughte to burye Christe so honourably yet notwithstandyng fyrste of all me must consyder the prouidence of God because amonge his seruauntes hee chose a man noble and of greate dignitie whiche should begynne with the honoure of the Sepulchre to couer the reproche and ignomynie of the Crosse And truely seeyng hee put hym selfe in daunger and hatred of all men and aduentured hym selfe in greate perylles there is no doubte but that hee was made thus boulde by the secrete instincte of the holy Ghoste For althoughe hee were before one of the Disciples of Christe yet notwithstandynge hee neuer durste openly and freelye confesse his faythe But nowe when in the deathe of Christe there was a syght to bee seene of great desperation and whiche was able to breake a stoute courage howe commeth hee to bee so boulde that beynge in greate terrour hee feareth nothynge and goeth farther than hee maye doe with ease Let vs vnderstande therefore that the sonne of God was buried by the hande of Ioseph by Gods appointment To this ende also the circumstaunces whiche are here noted ought to bee referred M. Fyrste oure Euangeliste saith that hee was ryche not that hee dyd preuayle anye thynge the more because hee was ryche but to the ende he myght shewe a reason as it were why this Ioseph so easely obtayned the bodye of Iesu at the handes of the Romayne Deputie For great is the prerogatiue of ryche men with the Iudges of this worlde And wee knowe howe fylthye and infamous a woorke it was to take the carcas of a crucefyed man out of the hande of the Hangeman or tormenter But wee are taught by this example that ryche men are so farre from excuse if they robbe Christe of his honour that they are rather gyltye of twoo faultes when they conuerte those prouocations whyche shoulde styrre them vp into lettes Wee graunte truely this thynge to bee very commen and oftentymes seene that they whiche seme to excelle others pluck theyr necke out of the coller that they are to nyce and tender and that they are to circumspecte and fearefull But wee must haue an other manner of consideration that excepte oure ryches and honours bee helpes to the woorshyppes of God wee do wyckedly abuse them Moreouer Ioseph hath perpetual praise because he agreed not to the Iewes which condemned Christe By the whiche example Senatours and Magistrates being admonyshed ought to take hede vnto them selues leaste they synne against theire conscience in sheadynge of Innocent bloude A. Saint Luke addeth sayinge whiche wayghted also for the kyngdome of God. Ioseph is here praysed for waytinge for the kyngdome of god Hee is praysed also for his ryghteousnes But this waytinge for the kyngdome of God was the very roote and originall of righteousnes By the kyngdome of God wee must vnderstande the promysed renewynge in Christe For the integritie of order cannot stande whiche the Prophetes sayde shoulde bee at the commyng of Christe but when God dothe gather those men
that are dispersed vnder his Impery In this therfore Ioseph is commended that in a myserable state and subiecte to destruction hee kepte the hope of redemption whiche was promysed of God. Hereuppon also spryngeth the feare of God and a desyre to leade a godly lyfe For it cannot bee that any mā should serue God but hee whiche assureth hym selfe that hee wyll bee his delyuerer Lette vs also note that saluation in Christe beynge offered to all the Iewes alyke and his promyse commen to all men the holye Ghoste wytnesseth that it was recyued but of a fewe as wee maye reade here of Ioseph Whereby it appeareth that the inspeakeable grace of God was wyckedly despysed of all men for the most part through obliuion All men coulde talke in boastinge wyse of the commynge of Christe but the couenaunt of God was fixed in the hartes but of a fewe that they myght aryse by faythe to the spirituall renouation But I woulde to God the lyke myserable corruption were not in these dayes Howe many be there I praye you whiche wayte for the kyngdome of God Are not all mē for the moste parte so fastened to the earth as though there were no promysed resurrection But howesoeuer the greater part forgettyng them selues doe streye to and fro let vs remember that this vertue is proper to the faythfull to seke those things that are aboue and specially nowe that the grace of God hathe bryghtly shyned through the Gospell teachynge vs that wee shoulde deny vngodlynes and worldly lustes and that we should lyue soberly and ryghteously and Godly in this presente worlde lookynge for that blessed hope and appearyng of the glory of the greate God. Of Aramathea Saint Luke saythe that it was a Cittie of the Iewes Some saye that it is the same whiche is called Ramatha beynge sytuate on Mounte Ephraim besyde Lydda whiche was called afterwarde Diospolis VVhiche also vvas Iesus Disciple Saynt Iohn saythe that he was a pryuie Disciple of Christe for feare of the Iewes This man althoughe hee had hearde Christe preachynge and was throughlye perswaded that hee was the Messias yet for all this hee durste not confesse hym so to bee leaste hee shoulde bee caste out of the Synagoge As concernynge the whiche reade the ninthe of Iohn 58 Hee wente to Pilate and begged the body of Iesu Then Pilate commaūded the body to be deliuered Hee vvent to Pilate C. Saint Marke hathe Hee went bouldly to Pilate Here wee see that what bouldenes so euer man hathe the same commeth altogether from god Furthermore wee see that wee oughte not to dispayre of those who although as yet they doe not openly professe the truthe of the Gospell yet notwithstandynge they doe in harte imbrace the same and are secrete disciples thereof When occasion is geuen it may happen to them by the grace of God that they shall come foorthe and openly declare that they consented not to the effusion of Innocent bloude and to the resystynge of the truthe when his Disciples whiche haue alreadye the profession of truthe shall flie for feare And begged the bodye of Iesu Hee durste not take downe the bodye of Christe by his owne authoritie or power For the bodyes of those whiche are put to deathe by the magistrate are also after deathe in the power of the magistrate Saynt Marke addeth sayinge And Pilate marueyled that hee was alreadye deade and called vnto hym the Centurion and asked of hym whether hee had bene anye whyle deade And when hee knewe the truthe of the Centurion hee gaue the bodye to Ioseph Saint Iohn hathe And Pilate gaue hym lycence But our Euangeliste hathe Then Pilate commaunded the body to be deliuered This was as it were a certain preparation to proue the truthe of Christes resurrectiō leaste the false Iewes should saye that hee fayned him selfe to be dead and that he rose from that coūterfeyt and dissembled death Therefore wytnesses are brought in that he was certaynely dead But it was done by the wounderfull permission of God that Pylate should graunte the bodie of Christe vnto Ioseph 59 And when Ioseph had taken the body he wrapped it in a cleane lynnen clohe And vvhen Ioseph had taken the body A. Saint Marke hathe And hee bought a lynnen clothe God truely would bury his Christe with a glorious burial although his death had nothing but ignominie It was sumptuous and done with coste because it was a certayne preparation to the glory of the resurrection And therefore the dead ought to be buried with some honest preparation to couer theire bodies into the whiche they are put vntyll the daye of resurrection The Iewes had many ceremonies in burying their deade to whome so greate lyght dyd not shyne This onely belongeth vnto vs as well as to them not to leaue the dead carcases vpon the grounde for byrdes and beastes but to bury them in the earth where they may be kepte vntyll the daye of Christes comming He vvrapped it in a cleane lynnen cloth In that the body of Christ was wrapped in a cleane lynnen clothe and layde vp in a newe Sepulchre it was thereby declared that some newe thynge was done whiche was not hearde of before For Christe ought not to haue bene layde with other deade men because he went to opē the way to a newe life The buriall of Christe also doth admonish vs of our dutie Of the whiche the Apostle wryteth saying All we whiche are baptised into Iesus Christe are baptised to dye with hym where hee teacheth at large what it is to bee buried with Christe and also to ryse with hym agayne Saint Iohn also maketh mention of a certayne disciple of Christe whose name was Nicodemus whiche dyd helpe Ioseph in the buriall of Christe his woordes are these And there came also Nicodemus whiche at the beginninge came to Iesus by nyghte and brought of Myrre and Aloes myngled together aboute an houndred pounde wayghte Then tooke they the body of Iesus and wounde it in lynnen clothes with the odoures By the example of these men is prescribed vnto vs what wee owe vnto Christe For bothe of them to make a playne declaration of their faythe tooke Christe from the Crosse but not without great daunger and brought hym to the Sepulchre Greatly therefore is oure negligence to bee blamed if wee defraude hym of the confession of oure faythe nowe that hee raigneth in heauenly glory Saint Iohn hathe As the manner of the Iewes is to bury C. That the Iewes buryed the bodyes of the deade with swete odoures and spyces we may gather of the buriall of Iacob of the whiche it is sayde And Ioseph commaunded his seruauntes the Phisitions to imbaume his father and the Phisitians embawmed Israell fourty dayes longe for so long dothe the embawmyng laste These Balmes and odoures were vsed to kepe the carcas for a tyme frō corruption and stynke After therefore Christe had suffered moste shamefull ignominie vppon the Crosse God woulde haue his buriall to be honourable that
it might foreshewe the glory of his resurrection Ioseph and Nicodemus do bestowe so greate coste that it myght seme superfluous But we must cōsider the purpose of God which led them by his spirite to geue this honour vnto his sonne that the swete odoure of the Sepulcher might take away the horror of the Crosse Moreouer those thinges which are extraordinary ought not to be drawen into example Saint Iohn also by those woordes before recited doth declare that this was one of the ceremonies of the lawe For it was necessary that the people of olde tyme namely the Iewes shoulde bee stayed vp by suche lyttle helpes who had not suche manifest testimony of his resurrection that with constant faythe they myght looke for the comming of the mediatour Wherfore wee must note the difference betweene vs to whom the brightnes of the Gospell hath shyned and the fathers to whom figures and shadowes supplyed the absence of Christ This is the reason then greater pompe of Ceremonyes was tollerable which at this day cānot be vsed without faulte For they which at this day burye the deade so sumptuouslye do not onely burye dead men but also they so muche as they can plucke Christ himselfe the kinge of life from Heauen and do shutte him into the Sepulcher because his resurrection hath abrogated those oulde Ceremonies For the promise and the worde of God is the soule as it were whiche geeueth lyfe vnto Ceremonies the worde beinge taken away all rightes what soeuer that men obserue are nothinge but meere superstitiō because immoderate coste doth extinguishe the sweete odoure of Christes resurrection Moreouer S. Iohn addeth sayinge And in the place where hee was crucifyed there was a garden and in the garden a newe Sepulcher wherein was mā neuer layed There layed they Iesus therefore because of the preparinge of the Sabothe of the Iewes Because the time was farre spente and the Sunne settinge which was the beginninge of the Saboth was at hande Ioseph and Nicodemus chose this garden as a fitte and conuenient place for their purpose 60. And layed it in his new tombe which hee had hewen out euen in the rocke and rolled a great stone to the dore of the Sepulcher and departed And layed it in his B. Luke and Iohn do declare what Matthewe meaneth by this newe Sepulcher sayinge In the whiche neuer anye man was layed C. Whereby wee gather that Christe was honourablye buryed For there is no doubte but that Ioseph beinge a riche man and grauntinge his Sepulcher vnto the Lorde spared not any other coste which was necessary for his buriall VVhich hee had hevven out The Euangelist Marke hath Whiche hee had hewen out of the rocke And rolled a greate stone to the dore of the Sepulcher Hee rolled this greate stone to the dore of the Sepulcher eyther lest some shoulde spoile the deade carcas or els steale it away But by this meane the prouidence of God woulde take awaye all vaine suspicions and make a waye to the gloryous resurrection of Christe 61. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Marye sittinge ouer against the Sepulcher And there vvas Marye Magdalene A. The Euāgelist Marke hath And Mary Magdalene Mary Iosephe beheld where he was layed Luke hath The women that followed after which had come with him from Galile behelde the Sepulcher and howe his body was layed She whom Mathew calleth the other Marye is sayde of Marke to be the mother of Ioseph and the brother of Iames. S. Luke addeth sayinge And they returned and prepared sweete odores and oyntmentes Mathew and Marke onlye declare that the women behelde howe where hee was layed but Luke here expresseth their purpose also namelye that they retourned into the Cittye to prepare swete odores and oyntmentes that two dayes after they might celebrate his funerall E. But when they prepared their sweete odores and oyntmentes Marke declareth sayinge And when the Sabothe was past Marye Magdalene and Marye Iacob and Salome brought sweete odoures that they might come and anoint him For after that they had marked the place and sawe howe the Lord was put into the Sepulcher the Sabothe came vppon them On the which Saboth they rested accordinge to the commaundement but the Saboth day beinge paste they prepared by and by theyr sweete odoures and oyntmentes Wherefore the wordes of Luke seeme to be placed oute of order whiche should be red thus But the womē returned and rested the Saboth day according to the commaundemēt the which beinge paste they prepared sweete odoures and oyntmentes 62. The next day that followed the day of preparinge the hye Priestes and Phariseys came together vnto Pilate The next daye that follovved C. In this narration the purpose of Mathewe was not so muche to shew with what obstinate madnes the Scribes Priestes persecuted Christ as to represente vnto vs in a glasse the inspeakeable prouidence of God in prouinge the resurrection of his sonne The crafty and false Iewes conspire amonge themselues and do deuise a waye by the which they might extinguishe the memorye of Christe beinge deade For they see that they haue profited nothinge excepte they oppresse the fayth of the resurrection But while they go about to bring this thinge to passe they bring that other thinge which they sought to hyde into the lighte of knowledge For truly the resurrectiō of Christ should haue bene more obscure or at the least they should haue had more libertye to denye the same excepte they had set witnesses to keepe the Sepulcher Therefore wee see that the Lord doth not onelye frustrate the expectacion of crafty men but also snaringe them in their owne deuises causeth them to obey his wil. The ennemyes of Christe were vnworthye to behoulde his resurrection but yet it was meete that their impudencye should be reproued and that the pretence of sclaunder shoulde be taken from them yea that theyr owne consciences might be conuinced least they shoulde be excusable throughe ignoraunce For what greater testimonye of Christes resurrection coulde there be than to finde the Sepulcher emptye after Christ was put into it the souldiers watchinge the same The hye Priestes and Phariseys came Behould here how these hye Priestes these hypocrites which were wont to reprehend Christ for healing those that were sicke on the Saboth day do themselues violate the Saboth day that they may prosecute their mallice against Christ 63. Sayinge Sir wee do remember that this deceyuer saide while hee was yet aliue After three dayes will I aryse againe A. This our sauioure Christ spake in the 16. Chapter goinge before But they mighte also haue more plainly learned this thinge at the mouthe of Iudas who hearde the Lorde himselfe saye that hee would ryse againe the third day 64. Commaunde therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the thirde day lest his Disciples come and steale him awaye and saye vnto the people hee is rysen from the deade And the last error shal be worse than the
haue tould you C. By this kind of speach the Angell doth affirme that it is true which he said B. as if hee should say Go your way take experience of that which I haue saide if ye distruste it is your owne fault as for me I haue declared that vnto you which I know to be true C. This the Angell speaketh not of himselfe although he were the first author but subscribeth to the promise of Christe and therefore in Marke hee doth onelye put him in minde of the wordes of Christ Luke sayth that they remēbered the words of the Lord By the which wee are taught that althoughe they did profite very little in the doctrine of Christ yet notwithstāding the same did not perishe but was choked vntill it began to growe in due time A. Euenso the Disciples saw many thinges in Christ and heard those things of him which they vnderstode not by and by but after that hee was rysen againe from death 8. And they departed quickly from the Sepulcher with feare and great ioye and did runne to bringe his Dysciples worde And as they wente to tell his Disciples And they departed quickelye C. This ought to be vnderstoode of the second returne into the Citty in the which Mary Magdalene and the reste of her fellowes tould the Disciples that Christe was risen whiche they had learned as well by the testimony of the Angell as by the sight of Christ himselfe But before Christ sheewed himselfe they ran to the Dysciples as they were cōmaunded of the Angell And as they were goinge they were cōfirmed againe Christ makinge him selfe manifest vnto them as it shal be said in the next verce following The womē therefore runne to the Disciples VVith feare great ioye C. By these woordes Mathewe meaneth that the womē were greatly comforted at the voice of the Angell yet notwithstandinge that they were striken with feare that they burne betwene ioy sorrow M. So that we do see two affections almost contrarye one to the other to be mixed together namely ioye feare But spirituall ioye is such that we cannot truly reioyce in the Lord except the fleshe be caste downe humbled Wee must mortify the flesh otherwise wee cannot be partakers of the immortall spiritual ioy Herevpon it commeth that so often as God appeareth geueth some feeling of his presence we are made afraide almost discouraged They went therfore with ioy for the resurrectiō of Christ which they had learned of the Angell and with feare for the straungenes of the vision greatnes of the myracle They were not as yet fullye certifyed in minde of the resurrection of Christ and yet notwithstandinge they receiued no small ioy and comfort by the wordes of the Angel. For if they had had a sound and perfecte faith it would haue put away feare greatly quieted them but nowe feare mingled with ioy plainlye declareth that they were not satisfyed by the testimonye of the Angell For they beinge in the middest of sorrow and hearinge this tydinges which they neuer looked for of the Angell they could not beleue for the great ioy The like we reade of the Dysciples in Luke that they could not beleeue for very ioye that is for the desier of the Lord and for the straungenes of the myracle C. Here therefore Christ did wōderfully declare his mercy in taking awaye the doubte and feare whiche was a great let to the fayth of these women 9. Behoulde Iesus met them sayinge All haile And they came and helde him by the feete and worshipped him Behoulde Iesus met them M. The Lord had a consideration of his Disciples insomuch that hee woulde not haue his resurrection sheewed to his Dysciples by these women vppon the report only of the Angell but offereth himselfe also to be seene that nowe not only the testimonye of the eares but also of the eyes might certify them And for the certainty of his resurrectiō hee would haue the same declared not only of the Angels to the women of the womē to the Disciples but also offer himselfe both to that the women to the disciples to be seene felt Saying all Haile M. Or reioyce and be glad There is no doubt but that he spake in Hebrew accordinge to the maner of the coūtrey said Salom that is to say Peace Here the manner of salutacion is cōmended vnto vs the words thereof beinge common both to the godly wicked also notwithstandinge in deede and effecte proper only to the godly He is not a true frend which loueth not truly in God. Therfore S. Iohn exhorteth vs to loue one another not in word only but in deede and verity And they came and helde him by the feete C. This thinge seemeth not to agree with the wordes of Iohn where hee sayth that Mary was forbidden to toutch Christ But these two places may be easelye reconciled that the Lord seinge Mary to be to busye in embrasing and kissinge his feete commaūded her to go from him because it was meete that superstition shoulde be corrected and the ende of his resurrection also declared from the which partly earthly grose affection and partly folishe zeale did withdrawe her But the Lorde at his firste meeting suffered them to toutche his feete least anye thinge shoulde be wantinge that might certifye them of his resurrection Therefore by and by Mathewe addeth And vvorshipped This was a signe of certaine knowledge Wee reade not that they said any thinge A sauinge that S. Iohn saith that Mary sayde Rabboni But this their deede is as muche as Thomas expressed afterward in a word sayinge My Lord and my god This worship was a signe of reuerence whiche they gaue vnto the maiestye of Christ Hereby we may learne what our duty is namely to prostrate our selues before the lord And as for the resurrection of Christ it oughte to make vs acknowledge his power whiche in deede oughte to styrre vs vp to reuerence him 10. Then saide Iesus vnto them be not afraide Go tell my bretheren that they go into Galile and there shall they see mee Then saide Iesus vnto them C. Wee gather that feare was euill because Christ deliuereth the women from the same againe For although it came of admiracion yet notwithstandinge it was contrary to a quiet truste Therefore to the ende they mighte lift vppe themselues to Christe the Conqueroure of deathe they are commaunded to be of good cheere But by the same woordes wee are tought that wee do then trulye knowe the resurrection of the Lord if with an vndouted faith wee haue bouldnes to boaste that wee are made partakers of the same life Christe therefore taketh from them feare not ioye For his resurrection bringeth not any occasion of feare to the beleuing but of true perpetuall ioy These wordes therefore bringe great consolation to a fearefull conscience Go and tell He geeueth them the same commaundement that the Angell did C. And