not slide Thine handes shall finde out all thine enemies and thy right hand shall finde out them that hate thee Thou shalt make them like a firy ouē in tyme of thine anger The lord shal destroy them in his wrath and the fire shall deuoure them Here agayne we see that Christ after he had humbled and debased himselfe should be exalted aboue all thinges as the true king of eternall blessednes and felicitie and that the enemies both of Christ and Christians should perish eternally Wherefore it is something strange that those two disciples were so offended at Christes suffring ¶ Anna. It is a strange thing in dede that they vnderstood not their owne prophets For seyng they were Iewes borne they should not haue bene ignoraunt of any of those thinges But peraduenture the carelesnesse and slouthfulnesse of the churchmen or priestes was the cause that the Iewes had so little knowledge of Messias and his kingdom I remember I haue heard you say that when Christ came into the sinagogue the Scribes and Pharises had layd aside the holy Scriptures and taught and vrged the doctrine and traditions of men What meruaile thē if the rude vnlearned people knew not the Scriptures seing they which boasted themselues to be the rulers of the church were blinded and vnderstood them not ☞ Vrban It is as you say for you see in Mathew how at that tyme those blynd guides set aside and despised the commaundements of God and preferred the doctrine and traditions of mē before the word of god Sathan hath alwais his false prophets among the children of God and he soweth spreadeth his errours in all places ¶ Anna. God the father kepe vs and destroy the deuises and assaults of that enemy But now go on and open the prophesies which be in the psalmes ☞ Vrb Dauid prophesieth in the 24. Psalme that Christ should be a most mighty and puissaunt prince in all the world And there he commaundeth that all worldly princes potentates should open the gates dores of glory vnto this most maiestical king and that they should on eche side go out of his way that he might haue a wide large way to walke in For he sayth he is the almighty God that most mighty puissant lord strōg in battail These are the prophets wordes Lift vp your heds you gates and be ye lift vp ye euerlasting doers and the king of glory shall come in Who is the king of glory The lord strong and mighty euen the Lord strong in battail Lift vp your heades ye gates and lift vp your selues ye euerlasting dores and the king of glory shal come in Who is the king of glory The Lord of hostes he is the king of glory Selah And againe he saith The lord doth remayne king for euer The lord shal giue strength vnto his people the lord shall blesse his people with peace This god shal rule for euer Iesus Christ and no other whose kingdom only shal remaine for euer Neither is his kingdō an earthly kingdome wherin Israel accordyng to the flesh raigneth in the lande of Canaan as the Iewes dreamed but it is an heauenly kingdome For Dauid sayth not here that the lord will giue his people cities fieldes grounds medowes vineyardes wealth riches but he sayth he wil giue them strength fortitude and power to wit the power of the holy ghost which is the spirite of strength and fortitude He sayth that he will blesse his children with peace and he blesseth them in deede with that true and eternall peace and enricheth and encreaseth them in all heauenly gifts The 72. Psalme also doth excellently prophesie of this heauenly kingdom of Christ shewyng what kind of kingdome it should be to wit a kingdom of righteousnes a kingdome in which should be perfect true holinesse without hypocrisie a kingdom of true peace wherin nothing is done contrary to law and equitie a kingdom wheras no man hath wrong but al things be wrought and done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by true iustice equalitie equitie and clemency a kingdom where all peace quietnes humanity and iust dealing florishe and a kingdom where the poore afflicted oppressed contemptible and wretched find present helpe comfort and consolation And further he sayth that this kingdom wherin true life dwelleth is so wyde that it extendeth it selfe not ouer Iuda onely but ouer the whole worlde For thus sayth Salomon Giue thy iudgementes to the King O GOD and thy righteousnesse to the kinges sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy power with equitie The mountaynes and the hils shal bring peace to the people By iustice he shall iudge the poore of the people he shall saue the children of the needy and shall subdue the oppressour They shall feare thee as long as the sunne the Moone endureth from generation to generation Hee shall come downe like the rayne vpon the mowen grasse and as the showers that water the earth In his days shall the righteous florishe and aboundaunce of peace shal be so long as the Moone endureth His dominion shal be from sea to sea and from the ryuer vnto the endes of the lande They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and hys enemies shal licke the dust The kings of Tharses and of the Iles shall bring presentes The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring giftes yea all kinges shall worship him all nations shall serue him For he shall deliuer the poore when he cryeth the needy also and hym that hath no helper He shall bee mercifull to the poore and needy and shall preserue the soules of the poore he shall preserue and redeeme the soules from deceite and violence and deare shall their bloud be in his sight yea hee shal lyue and vnto him shal they giue of the gold of Sheba or Arabia they shal also pray for him continually daily blesse him His name shall be for euer His name shal endure as long as the sonne all nations shall blesse hym and be blessed in him It was nedefull that Christ should rise from death that this prophesie might be fulfilled that he might begin enlarge establish preserue this his most ample and wide kingdō for euer and euer And the holy ghost in the 45. Psalm also setteth forth Christ and his kingdom with wonderfull glorious wordes callyng Christ true god Which testimony Paule also citeth to the Hebrues saying O God thy throne is for euer and euer The scepter of thy kyngdome is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquity Wherfore god euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes Read the whole Psalme for it doth excellently set forth Christ and his spirituall kingdome in which both sinne death and Sathan yea els whatsoeuer afflicteth and troubleth the godly are extinguished destroyed and ouercome in their places is giuen euerlasting lyfe Also in the 47.
Psalme the holy ghost very sweetly and comfortably setteth forth Christes ascension glorification and ample kingdome saying thus All people clap your handes sing loud vnto God with a ioyful voice for the lord is high and terrible a great king ouer all the earth God is gone vp with triumph euen the Lord with the soundes of the trumpet Sing prayses to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises For god is the king of all the earth Sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstāding God raigneth ouer the heathen God sitteth vpō his holy throne In this Psalme all nations are stirred vp to laud and prayse the Lord who in Christ raigneth now ouer all the world If then all these thinges ought to be accomplished through the whole earth it could not be that Christ should continue in death especially seing it was prophesied that Christ should deliuer the world out of the bandes of death himself be exalted placed in the highest type of honor glory The prophet Dauid also speaketh of the battail victory of Christ in the 68. psal telling how he ouercame death and Satan and by his mighty deuine power deliuered al thē from Satans tiranny which were his captiues ascended into heauen And this psal Paul citeth to the Ephes saying He ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue S. Augustine here vnderstandeth by captiuity captiue euen death it selfe which held al the children of Adam as sinners in captiuity and mightily ruled ouer them yea euen ouer good christiās which lay bound and captiue vnder the yoke and captiuity of Satan but by Christs death and resurrection are deliuered and redemed Dauid saith The lord raigneth and is clothed with maiesty the lord is clothed and girded with power The world also shal be established that it cānot be moued Thy throne is established of old thou art from euerlasting the floudes haue lifted vp O lord the flouds haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lifted vp their waues The waues of the sea are maruelous through the noise of many waters yet the lord on hie is more mighty Thy testimonies are very sure holines becommeth thy house O lord for euer Here God the holy ghost prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ to wit how Christ the king of all glory so wonderfully kepeth surely establisheth strōgly fortifieth his kingdom that it cannot fall and be ouerthrown although the sea of this world by violence and huge stormes inuade it set vpon it and seke cleane to subuert it The Iewes did all they could vpō good Friday quite to extinguish this king And now that he is risen again from the dead both Iewes Gentiles Turkes heretikes and false christians with the world and Satan al their power resist him and his kingdom They forge most impudēt and shameful lies against him they lay snares by subtleties to intrap him they fill all places with slaughter of him they assay euery way to hurt him and they doe the worst they can both by force and cunning agaynst him But though they try euery thing they shall preuayle nothing Al their deuises shal be frustrate al their trauaile shal not preuaile yea all their power shall not profite them for he died once and henceforth dieth no more Now he sitteth at the right hand of God aboue the heauens and is the euerlasting and eternall God himselfe whose throne is builded and standeth on so sure a foundation and ground worke that it cannot be moued or ouerthrown Yea the very gates of hell cannot preuail against the poore church in as much it only dependeth vpon this head Christ that glorious kyng of heauen that most sure and vnmouable rocke He which falleth on this stone shal be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grind him to pouder Seing then the habitatiō of this king shal endure for euer it must nedes follow that he shal both liue for euer and also giue euerlasting lyfe vnto vs. Againe Dauid saith The lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwene the Cherubins let the earth be moued The Lord is great in Sion and he is high aboue all people They shall prayse thy great and fearefull name for it is holy and the kings power that loueth iudgement for thou hast prepared equitie thou hast executed iudgement and iustice in Iacob exalt the lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy This king is Christ who ruleth the church which is the spirituall Sion thorough the whole world He hath placed his throne in a high place euen in the very heauens and all the earth is his footestoole and he ruleth for euer But Sathan and the world beyng set on euill cannot abide this And when they are not able to throwe downe Christ from the seat of his maiesty they fret and fume agaynst the godly and cruelly persecute them But for all that they cannot take away their saluation although they indeuour it neuer so much For where this king is there shall all those be also which beleue in him Therefore the vngodly cannot hurt the righteous so as may truely bee called hurting For when they kill them and take their lyues from them which to the world seemeth the greatest hurt that can be then do they most profite them For death is vnto them the gate and redy way to lyfe but the enemies of Christ and his church shal in the end be thrown vnder foote troden downe and be more vile and filthy then any rubbish dirt or dung And agayne Dauid sayth Thou wilt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the tyme to haue mercy theron for the appoynted tyme is come For thy seruantes delight in the stones therof and haue pity on the dust thereof Then the heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the kinges of the earth thy glory when the Lord shall builde vp Sion and shall appeare in his glory and shall turne vnto the prayer of the desolate and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall prayse the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuary out of the heauen did the lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death In this Psalme we see how earnestly the godly Christians which were before Christes natiuitie did in feruency of prayers looke for his kingdome wherin onely or els not sinnes are pardoned and death is vanquished These true Christians desire and praye that Zion that is the church may be builded euery where and the glory of Christ seene and propagated through all the world as did Dauid Samuel and the rest of the Prophetes who with spirituall eyes saw long before that Messias should first be debased but afterward exalted and glorified through the whole world Neither were they offended at
copy of this fayned angry countenance lyeth hid a fatherly grace and great good wil as if he should say I will not kill thee but I will smite thee and chastice thee that thou maiest liue It followeth Therfore thy gates shal be open continually neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring vnto thee the riches of the gentils and that their kings may be brought For the nation and kingdome that wil not serue thee shal perish and those nations shal be vtterly destroyed That is although thou be enuyroned with many enemies which all seek thy life and threaten thy death yet shalt thou be safe and without danger euen as a fortifyed and wel defenced citie which shutteth not her gates and feareth not her enemie This is our security that we haue in the spirite Neither can all the enemies of christ though they ioyne hands lay their heads together subuert or destroy the church of the godly though they neuer so sore afflict their bodyes and take away their goods The church is as a city that lyeth alway open For it euer and at all times receiueth and wayteth for all that repent and geue their names to Christ come into this citie for it hath this promise that it shall increase euen vnto the last day The word and the Sacraments be and are euer to be found in the church by which if we conuert we haue remission of sinnes neither be these truly found in any place but in the church He that is not a christian or a citizen of this citie is flatly condemned It followeth in the text The glory of Lybanus shall come to thee the Firre tree the Elme and the Box tree together to beutefie the place of my Sanctuary For I will glorifie the place of my seate That is in whatsoeuer excellent and famous thing the Sinagoge of the Iewes hath before time excelled other nations as in the sacred Scripture the knowledge of god the promise of grace Christ righteousnes and true hope of saluation With all those will I now bles Christs church It followeth The sonnes also of them that afflicted thee shall come and bow vnto thee and all they that despyse thee shall fall down at the soules of thy feet and they shal cal thee the Citie of the Lord Syon of the holy one of Israell Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went by thee I will make thee an eternall glory and a ioy from generation to generation Thou shalt also suck the milk of the gentils and shalt suck the brests of kings thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Sauyour and thy Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob That is Harken my church Those which now persecute thee and so bitterly reuile thee shal once be conuerted to the catholick faith and shal wel know that thou euen thou art the city of god and the true Syon And look how desolate thou wast as forsaken for a litle time so shalt thou now be highly exalted to great glory And where he figuratiuely speaketh of milk thereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that euen as mothers doe wish wel to their deerly beloued babes cherish them softer them and nourish them euen so shall the Gentils shew exceeding great curtesy and kindnes to the church and by all meanes study to profite further it Here now must you note that though the church outwardly appeare despysed and fouly deformed yet wil God preserue it and defend it that he may highly magnify exalt it and glorify it But this is chiefly done in spirite and this Spirituall glory of the church doth very far excell all the beuty of the world Furthermore those shal be highly honored which in this world were despised persecuted Were not the Apostles and Martirs I pray you vtterly contemned and yet the remembrance of them is now yearely celebrated with all solemnity and ioy And they are called as in deed they are the deer frends of God and most holy and happy soules And whence haue we this estimatiō verely because God himself is our sauiour that strōg almighty one our redeemer How now cā we miscary hauing this sauiour redeemer alwaies with vs on our side It followeth For bras wil I bring gold and for Iron wil I bring siluer and for wood bras for stones Iron I will also make thy gouernment peace and thine exactors righteousnes Violence shall no more be heard of in thy land neyther desolation nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call saluation thy wales and prayse thy gates Thou shalt haue no more son to shyne by day neyther shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee For the Lord shal be thine euerlasting light thy god thy glory Thy sonne shal neuer goe down neyther shall thy moone be hid For the Lord shall be thy euerlasting light and the dayes of thy sorrow shal be ended Thy people also shal be all righteous They shal posses the land for euer The graffe of my planting shall be the work of my handes that I may be glorified A litle one shall become as a thousand and a small one as a stronge nation I the Lord wil hasten it in due time That is to say Geue eare my church if for my sake thou lose any thing or be despised it shal be manifoldely and aboundantly restored thee and thou shalt be recompenced with heauenly treasures Thou shalt become mighty and gloryous thou shalt haue faithfull bishops and doctors which shal godly and diligently teach both spirituall and temporall peace so that the godly may liue and be at rest and peace both inwardly in their harts with God and outwardly with their neighbours The Lord shall so marueylously defend thee that thy Inhabitants and Citizens may for euer sit secure and safe But this must be vnderstood in this life of the spirituall security and peace Thou shalt call thy walles saluation Seeing thou hast within thee this so sure and certain an ayd and defence against all assaults of the enemyes a defence I say much surer then the world either hath or can geue And thou shalt call thy gates prayse because the true and marueilous great riches of gods graces shall be so plainely taught and vnderstood in thee that by them al christian men may be moued to laude and prayse the Lord without ceasing for all his gifts both temporall and spirituall which this wicked and vngodly world doth not so much as acknowledge so far is it from geuing God thanks and prayse for them Only the faithfull in Christe be they that doe this and they sing both in spirite and mouth and desire alwayes so to sing as witnesseth the Psalmist saying Blessed are they that dwel in thine house O Lord for they will euer prayse thee Selah And least we should look for a corporal Citie and an earthly kingdome at Christs hands as doe
bringeth vs vnto God reconcileth vs vnto God as a Mediator maketh intercession for vs vnto God that we may with a sure trust ioy of hart make our prayers vnto the father in the name of our eternall high priest Christ As Paul sayth For there is one God one mediator betwene God man which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men And Iohn saith My babes these things write I vnto you that you sin not if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust he is the reconciliation for our sins not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world And Paul saith Through Christ we both haue an entrāce to the father by one spirit And again by whō we haue boldnes enterance with confidēce by fayth in him Christ also saith Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shal aske the father in my name he will giue it you So Paule maketh his prayer through Christ as our high priest by whom for whom only we our praiers are acceptable vnto God the father As it is said to the Hebr. By Iesus Christ we offer the sacrifice of prayse alwais to God that is the fruit of the lips which confesse his name Furthermore it is worthy marking that where the prophets do promise to the people of God deliuerāce from sin death al other euils that there Iesus Christ is promised For we see this is the purpose of God that he wil not helpe any deliuer any nor be gracious to any but only for Iesus Christes sake As Peter sayth in the Acts. We haue saluatiō in none but in Iesus Christ For among men there is giuē none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Now looke on the prophesie For both the name worke of Christ is liuely described in it He is called Iehoschua or Ieschua that is a sauiour who must deliuer helpe saue Which worde we find written in the prophets sometime with moe sometyme with fewer letters but yet significatiuely plainly set downe Dauid saith All the endes of the earth haue haue sene Iescuah the saluation or sauiour of our god And in the 119. he calleth him often Teschuatecha that is a deliuerer or a sauiour It followeth My soule fainteth for thy saluation In all these places the prophet sheweth how hartily he desireth Christ how earnestly he loketh for Christes cōming as S. Augustine saith vpon this Psal. And here you see that Christ the onely sauior was euer euen from the beginning of the world the only hope trust as well of the fathers elected in Christ in the old testament as he is now our god our hope our comfort in the new testament For no man can attaine saluation vnlesse he beleue in Christ and be a christian Esa. saith My righteous one or my righteousnes is nere my saluation goeth forth My saluation shall be for euer my righteousnesse shal not be abolished Here this name Ieschua or Iesus is often repeated for the prophet speaketh in this text of Christ And againe he saith The lord hath made bare his holy arme in the sight of all the Gentils all the ends of the earth shall see the saluation of our god And again I euē I am the lord beside me there is no moschia that is sauiour There be many such testimonies as these in Esay 33.46.66 in many other places He is called in the 54. of Esa. a redemer For he that made thee is thine husband or he shal rule ouer thee which was thy maker His name is the lord of hostes or Iehouah Zebaoth And thy redeemer the holy one of Israel shall be called God of the whole earth Here this word Goel is vsed which signifieth a sauior or deliuerer which epitheton in the scriptures is alwais attributed vnto Christ And Es saith The redemer shal come vnto Sion vnto thē that turne frō iniquity in Iacob saith the Lord. S. Paul to the Rom. citeth this text of Christ our only deliuerer in Sion And therfore Ose saith thus I wil redeme them frō the power of the graue I wil deliuer them frō death O death I wil be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction Death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory But we wil speake more hereof in another place And yet mark here by the way that this word Goel or redemer in the prophets signifieth not only man but also very god And therfore is he much more mighty then sinne death and hel and he both wil can saue deliuer vs And thus vpō such a sure and sound foundatiō as you see is our catholike faith grounded Now note the doctrine of the Apostles grounded and stayed vpon these testimonies of scripture in the new testament Paul saith Christ is our redemption Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euil world We haue redemption by the bloud of Christ Christ deliuereth vs frō the wrath to come We loke for that blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty god of our sauior Iesus Christ Vnto you is born this day in the city of Dauid a sauiour which is Christ the lord The new testamēt is ful of such sentences Againe the Psalmist witnesseth that Christ is our shepeherd that we be his shepe that he carefully kepeth preserueth vs fedeth vs in his pleasaunt pastures vnto euerlasting life And he speakes only of Christ saieng Come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the lord our maker For he is our God we are the people of hys pasture the sheep of his hād And the 100. Psa saith thus Know ye that euē the lord is god he hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and shepe of his pasture Esa. saith He shal feed his flock like a sheepeherd he shal gather the lambes with his arme and cary them in his bosome shal guide thē with yong And Christ in Ioh. calleth himself that good shepeheard which giueth his life for the sheepe he promiseth them eternal life saying No man shall plucke them out of my hand And Luke saith He is a faithful shepeheard which seketh the lost shepe when he findeth it he laieth it on his shoulders with ioy bringeth it home Iere. saith He that scattered Israel wil gather him will kepe him as a shepeheard doth his flocke For the lord hath redemed Iacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that is stronger then he This is not to be vnderstood of the carnal but euen of the spirituall Israell whether they be Iewes or Gentiles And Zach. sayth Arise O sword vpō my shepeherd vpon the man that is my felow
prophet Nathan that of his seed should Messias come saing When thy dayes be fulfilled thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers and I will set vp thy seed after the which shall proceed out of thy body and will stablish his kingdome he shall build a house for my name and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer and I will be his father and he shal be my sonne Also in the psalmes it is sayd The Lord hath sworne in truth vnto Dauid and he will not shrinke from it saying Of the fruit of thy body I will set vpon thy throne This same promise is also extant in the 89. Psal. And tolled magnified and exalted for the wonderfull marueilous holy and deuine natiuitie of the noble maiesticall sonne of God Iesu Christ by whose meanes this poore village obtayned got this worthy name and great honour For what I pray you be walles though high and faire towred what be bulwarkes though great and strong what is circuit though most ample and large what is popularitie or what is the brauery and glistering bewty of building and workemanship of any Citie to the glory prerogatiue and priuiledge of that poore towne Bethleem only in that it was the bringer forth and natiue soile according to the flesh and humayne nature of the most mightye magnificent and omnipotent God our Messias And therfore S. Mathew inspired with the holy Ghost iustly preferreth it before other Cities saying Thou Bethleem in the land of Iudea art not the least among the princes of Iuda And the 70. translators also as Hierome witnesseth red this place thus And thou Bethleem the house of Ephrata art not the least that thou shouldest be amongest the thousandes of Iuda The Calde text saith thus Thou Bethleem Ephrata art not much behynd and but little inferior but that thou mayest be reckoned amongest the thousand houses of Iuda Bethleem in deed was a little towne in the tribe of Iuda once called Ephrata as it appeareth in Genesis But if we will diligently throughly and truely ponder the Ebrew text or true sence we shal see in my iudgement that the prophet Micheas and the Euangelist Mathew plainly and throughly agree in one sence without any differing or iarring at all S. Hierome interpreteth this Hebrue word Zagir Thou art a little one But these wordes of the Prophet Zagir liheioth may bee translated also thus It is but a trifle a small thing a thing of nothing and a thing to to badde base that thou shouldst be counted amōgst thousands of Iuda And this is the true and natural sence of these wordes Thou Bethleem Ephrata art farre greater and excellenter yea better and of more fame then that thou shouldst be reckoned or numbred amongst thousands or princes of Iuda Such honour as the other cities haue is to base and vile for thee nothing correspondent to thy dignitie thy renowne and maiesty is of more glory then that the princely prayses of these cities can sufficiently set it forth nay no tongue can speake nor penne expresse the prayses that are due to thee If you will thus construe the Prophets wordes you shall finde that the Euangelist spake the selfe same thing which the prophet ment for it is all one in sence to say Thou art not lest amongst the princes of Iuda And to say it is a very base and small prayse to value thee with the commō princes and thousands in Iuda And the cause why is shewed immediately after in these wordes For out of thee shal Messias come And this glory and honour of this little towne was no small glory but a most splendent and famous glory yea it is such that it is not lightly to be estemed but before al other to be praysed and preferred And where the prophet hath these wordes In thousandes of Iuda it must be thus vnderstood Moyses in Exodus maketh a law that one tribe or prince should be hed ouer a thousand for he diuided the people into hundreds and thousandes The prophet then sayth thus much in effect Thou Bethleem Ephrata which hast scarcely on thousandes of men in thee for it was but a little Citie and not populous nor much replenished shalt neuerthelesse for all thy basenes yeld and bring forth vs as a prince or Lord which shall gouern all Israel For in thee shal be borne c. Furthermore in this prophesie is to be noted that by this word Moschel or prince no other can be ment but only Christ or the promised Messias whom the Iewes alwayes vnderstood in this place For in the second of Mathew whē Herod ernestly enquired of the Scribes where Christ should be borne they answered him out of this prophesie that Bethleem in Iuda should be the place of his birth And they recited this text for autoritie But where the Hebrue word is Moschel that is lord or prince there the Calde Bible hath Meschihah which is to say Christ and Rabbi Salomō doth thus interprete it Out of thee shall come to me Messiah the sonne of Dauid And this I thought good to put in here as an addiphet prophesieth that Christ should be born of the tribe of Dauid for Iesse or Ishai as the Ebrew worde is was Dauids father All these thinges were fulfilled and then the Angel Gabriel hauing saluted the virgin sayd To him that is Christ shal God giue the throne of his father Dauid And Paul to the Rom. sayth Christ according to the flesh was borne of the seede of Dauid And againe Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raysed agayne frō the dead according to my gospel And the woman of Canaan in Mat. cōfesseth the same crying O lord thou son of Dauid haue mercy on me Also those two blind men sitting by the high way side when they heard that Iesus passed by cried aloude saying O Lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. In like maner on Palme sonday the multitude cried saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. And in Mathew the Pharises confesse that Christ is the sonne of Dauid ¶ Anna. I thanke God I am as sufficiently satisfied in this point as harte can wishe wherefore now I pray you recite some places which make mention of the city in which Christ vouchsafed to be borne here in earth ¶ Of the Citie wherein Christ should be borne Vrbanus MIcheas the Prophet in that prophesie which he hath of Christ nameth the citie saying And thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be amongst the thousandes of Iuda yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be ruler in Israel whose goings forth hath bene from the beginning and from euerlasting Here you first see the Bethleem in Iuda was the place where Christ should be borne As in Mathew the Scribes at Ierusalem declared to Herode out of this chap. of
Which thing he did on Easter day when by his owne proper power and might he rose from the dead This is the worke of God and he attributeth and taketh it to himself For he saith I haue power c. We also shall rise againe but we haue no power to rayse vp our selues as Christ raiseth himself but he through his owne proper strength and vertue doth rayse vs vp Christ also is omnipotent but none but God is omnipotent therfore Christ is god Paul proueth his almighty power to the Phil. where he sayth Christ shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned lyke vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subdue all thinges to himselfe Therefore must he nedes be almighty so of necessity true god God saith in Zachary I wil poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitantes of Ierusalem the spirite of grace and of compassion and they shal loke vpon me whō they haue perced Here God speaketh For to giue the holy ghost is the very office of god And the same onely Lord God saith He was nailed on the crosse and pierced through the side And did not the very same happen vnto Christ hanging vpon the crosse Iohn saith One of the souldiers with a speare pierced his side forthwith came there out bloud and water Seyng that God and man is one person in Christ therefore doth the Scripture because of the vnitie of person vse this phrase or maner of speaking as Paule sayth to the Corinthiās They would not haue crucified Christ the Lorde of glory For the person of Christ is not to bee deuided or sundered Wee must not say man Christ suffered for vs man Christ was slayne for vs but God and man that one person the Lord of glory and maiesty was crucified and dyed for vs. The Godhead or deuinitie of Christ is euery foote in the new Testament proued and confirmed out of the ground of the olde Testament Paule in the Actes sayth Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to al the flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Bede sayth in his Commentaries on these wordes Paule is not afrayde to call it the bloud of God for the vnitie which is in the two natures of our Lord Iesus Christ Wherefore he is called also the sonne of man which is in heauen Let therefore that Nestorian heretike cease to seperate the sonne of man from the sonne of god and let him not make to hymselfe two Christes Iohn Baptist sayth thus concerning Christ I saw and bare recorde that he is the sonne of God. Let vs note here that which Cyrill noteth vpon Iohn to wit that the Greeke article doth declare the person Christ to be the very sonne of God after a peculiar sorte We are the children of God adopted by grace but Christ is the onely true and naturall sonne of God begotten of the substaunce of the father who was prefigured and set downe in the types of Moyses lawe who also was prophesied of by the Prophetes God so loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely begotten son that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe Saint Cyril sayth vpon these wordes He giueth forth in these wordes that he is true God by nature For it must needes be that the onely begotten sonne of God beyng like to the father must also be God who hath not onely the externall honour of childhoode as we haue but is in deede the very same which he is sayd to bee Christ also in Ioh. sayd vnto the Iewes None is able to take thē my shepe out of my fathers handes I and my father are one for which saying the Iewes being about to stone him sayde Thou being a man makest thy self a God. Here the Iewes plainly vnderstood that when Christ called God his father and when he said I the father are one that then he called himself true God and the naturall sonne of God who is like to his father as s Augustine sayth vpon these words And Thomas simply calleth Christ God saying Thou art my lord and my God. Here again s. Cyril admonisheth vs to note these wordes well as they were writtē in the Greke tong in which the new testament was writtē The Greke is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both the wordes lord and God haue their proper articles Wherupon it may easily be gathered vnderstood that Christ is not called lord or God as the angels and men in office authority are called gods but after another proper peculiar sort for he is the true and natural god But it would be long to repeate all that is in Iohn concerning this matter And this I tel you that all the gospel of Iohn almost euery chap and verse is nothing els but a testimony of Christes Godhed Wherfore my councel is that you highly esteme Ioh. gospell that you hartily loue it and that with all diligence you read it and read it again Paul saith that god had promised his gospel afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his sonne Iesus Christ our lord And here after a peculiar sort he calleth Christ the sonne of God euen his natural sonne And he sayth that Christ concerning the flesh came of the ancient fathers who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen We looke for that blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ And to the Phil. he saith Christ being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with god but he made himselfe of no reputation toke vnto him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a mā And to the Col. In Christ dwelleth the fulnes of the godhead bodely That is as Theophilact expoūdeth it substantially or essentially so that God and man are one persō and not two sonnes of god but one sonne of God one Christ And Ioh. saith We are in him that is true that is in his sonne Iesus Christ This same is very God eternal lyfe There are many mo testimonies of Christes true godhead But seing it would be great trouble and also aske long tyme to speake of them al I pray you at this tyme be content with these ¶ Anna. You haue alledged sufficient testimonies concerning Christes diuinity I haue oftentymes heard you in many and long sermons thorowly ground and proue it but you haue neuer done you make no end if you once beginne and haue occasion and opportunity to speake of this doctrine and article ☞ Vrb. Some mē litle conuersant in heauēly things perhaps wil thinke that I haue spoken many needles wordes laboured long about a little But take you good hede my wife that
slepe in Iesus will God bring with him And to Tim. he sayth Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners And againe There is one God and one mediator betwene GOD and man which is the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for a ransome for all men And againe God saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality vnto lyght through the gospel And to Titus he saith For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse worldly lustes that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world loking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God of our sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeme vs from all iniquity and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of good works And to the Hebr. he sayeth Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise tooke part with thē that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage For he in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Wherfore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faythfull high priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffred and was tempted he is able to succour all them that be tempted In the same place the Apostle sayth that Christ by the grace of God tasted of death for all men Read the whole epistle to the Hebr. but especially the 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. chap. concerning Christes priesthood and sacrifice for it is in deede a most worthy and precious treasure Peter sayth Blessed be God euen the father of our lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundaunt mercy hath begotten vs agayne vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And it followeth You are not redemed with corruptible things as with siluer and gold from your vayne conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot which was lord before the foundation of the world but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes doe beleue in God that raysed him from the dead and gaue him glory that your faith hope might be in God. And agayne Christ himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christ also hath once suffred for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to god And Ioh. saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne And againe We haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliatiō for our sinnes ▪ and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world It followeth Your sinnes are forgiuen you for his names sake And againe For this purpose appeared the sonne of God that he might loose the workes of the deuill And again In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a recōciliation for our sinnes To be briefe this is the pithe of all the Apostles preaching And this is the summe of their doctrine that we obtaine forgiuenesse of all our sinnes and euerlasting lyfe by none other but only by Iesus Christ and by no other worke but by his most precious death and victorious resurrection Therfore Peter with great boldnes instructing the Iewes concerning Christ comprehendeth all the whole matter briefly in few wordes in the 4. chap. of the Acts where he sayth You haue crucified Christ whom God raysed frō the dead This is the stone which was cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other For among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued And Paul to the Cor. saith Christ died for our sinnes according to the scripture and was buried and rose agayne the third day according to the scriptures And if Christ be not raised agayne then is our preaching vayne and your fayth vayne Ye are yet in your sinnes and so they which are a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and was made the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made alyue S. Augustine hath a learned and worthy saying namely that one resurrection of Iesus Christ saith he hath giuen vs two resurrections to wit one spiritual from our sinnes and the other corporal For when as Christ rayseth vs vp from the spirituall death of sinne by his holy Gospell and lighteneth our hartes with the knowledge of Gods grace and our sinnes When he pardoneth our sinnes and whē he giueth vs the holy ghost then do we rise from our wickednesse and are counted righteous in the sight of god This resurrection is here in earth by fayth in Christ which we receyue whē we heare his word in the holy gospell As Christ sayth in Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you the houre shal come and now is when the deade shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that heare shal liue Which words are spoken of the rising from our sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them The other resurrection which Christ hath deserued wrought or obtayned for vs by his resurrection is that resurrection of the body which shal be in the last day Of which Iohn sayth thus The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And Paul saith to the Thes If we beleue that Iesus is dead is risen euen so them which slepe in Iesus will God bring with hym For this say we vnto you by the worde of the Lord that we which