vnto vs that he dothe promise his spirite which ingraueth the righteousnes of the law in our hartes We are cōmaunded therfore to aske both and in the fyrst place the petition to obtaine remissiō of sinnes is put Oure dettes M. Luke in the xi Chapter hath forgeue vs our synnes or trespasses C. Therfore our sinnes are called dettes because they bringe vs before the trybunall seat of God make vs detters vnto him yea they do wholly seperate vs from God that there is no hope to atteine peace and grace but only by pardō And so is fulfylled that whiche Paule wryteth All haue synned and are destytute of the glorye of God that all mowthes maye be stopped and that all the world may be subdued vnto god For althoughe the righteousenes of God doth partely shine in the sainctes notwithstanding so long as they are in the fleshe they lie ouerladē with sin So that there is no man founde in the whole world so pure whiche hath not nede of the mercy of God of the which if we desire to be partakers it is necessary that we féele oure owne misery But they whiche fayne to thē selues such perfectiō in this worlde that they think them selues frée frō al sin and vice do not so much neglect their sinnes as they do Christ frō whose church they banish them selues For when he cōmanded al his disciples daily to aske remissiō of their sins he excludeth al out of theyr nomber cōpany whiche thinke this remedie to be superfluous vnto thē Let vs put awaye therefore by this praier the wrath indignation of our heauenly father the iust ponishmētes whiche wee haue deserued let vs seke to please him by reconciliation For what can be more greuous then the displeasure of the father For so much as therfore our hole health consisteth in this to keepe the fauour of our heauēly father good and iuste cause we haue to put awaye his displeasure Now this remissiō which we here desire is cōtrary to satisfactiōs by the which the world seketh redēption For that credytour is not said to remit whiche beinge paid asketh the det no more but he which willingly frely departing frō his right dischargeth the debttor Neither dothe that cōmon distinction of falte ponishement here take place for there is no doubt but that dets do signifie the desert of ponishment or paine We must note also here that if we be forgeuē fréely al dispensations cōming from the Pope are in vaine For to obteine remission of oure sinnes Christ sēdeth vs to his father alone that rightly for who can forgeue the offence cōmitted against an other not againste him self Nay can any man forgeue sins beside God Wherfore Christe sent hym which had hurt his brother to go reconcile him self to his brother Therfore whē we syn against God our health saluation only cōsisting in him it is manifest that we can be forgeuen of none but of him therfore at his hāds we must aske forgeuenes according to the form of this praier Herevpon Dauid saide I saide I wil confesse my syns vnto thee lord so thou forgauest mee the wickednes of my sin For this shal euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thée in a time whē thou maiest be found Neither is this repugnāt to that authoritie which was geuen to the Apostels to remit sinnes For they did not forgeue sinnes by their own power but as ministers of Christ prechers of grace they did pronounce to the penitent faithfull that their sins were forgeuen According to the saying of the lord by the Prophete Esay I euen I am he that put away your sinnes that for my owne sake As vve forgeue our detters C. This condition was therefore added that no man should presume to aske pardon for his sinnes excepte he were free from mallice hatred Notwithstāding the pardō which we aske dependeth not vpon that which we shewe to other but by this meanes Christe exhorteth vs to forgeue all offences and dothe make our trust and confidence also of absolution pardō more fyrme and strong Furthermore it was not the purpose of Christ to note the cause but onely to teache vs of what mind we ought to be one towards an other when we desire to be reconciled vnto god And trewely if the spirite of God do raigne in our hartes all mallice euil wyl reuengement wil ceasse But for so muche as the spirite is a wytnesse vnto vs of our adoption we se that there is here a note geuen vnto vs who are the sonnes of God and who are not B. Our remission therfore is a motion of the spirite because God ruleth our affections Nowe since the case standeth thus how can they be excused whiche will not forgeue theyr neybours offences How can such presume to aske pardon of their sinnes at the handes of God Is it a triffle to lye vnto the lyuinge God and to play the Hypocrytes Yea when we say forgeue vs as we forgeue others what do we elles but call for vengeaunce at the handes of God vpon our selues if wee forgeue not oure offendours And for this cause there are many nowe a daies which rather then they wil remit forgeue they will neuer say the lordes praier But suche escape not the iudgemente of god For it shall abide for euer whiche the lord saith If ye forgeue not mē their trespases your father whiche is in heauē shall not forgeue you your trespases To this ende also parteineth the parable which he sheweth following Wherfore we may not let to forgeue our ofenders if so be that we will haue god to forgeue and forget our synnes 13 And leade vs not into tēptation but deliuer vs from euill for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer amen And leade vs not into tempta C. Here many amisse do deuide this into two petitions when as by the matter it is euidēt to be but one not two as they imagine For the coniūctiō set betwene both coupleth both the sentēces together whiche S. Austine very wiselye examined Thus therefore ought this praier to be resolued Least vve be led into tēptation deliuer vs from euill But the sōm of this prayer is this that we knowing our own infirmities desier god to be our aide helpe that we may stāde valiantly against al the assaltes of sathā M. We are taught therfore in this petion that we are as yet set in a doubtfull dāgerous cōflict in the which we must fight against the deuil the world and the fleshe For the godly haue an other maner of fight in this worlde then haue the childrē of darknes For they haue a carelesse conscience sekinge at no time to resyste Sathan whiche worketh in them but the godly because they geeue theim selues wholly vnto God they haue Sathan the prynce of this worlde
Edom is called a wyldernes where as it is well knowen that it was in those dayes muche inhabited Also certayne wryters haue sayde that Heluetia was barren without people dwelling therin and that the whole land was called the desert of the HeluetiaÌ„s otherwise Swisers Furthermore th inheritaÌ„ce of the tribe of Iuda is said to haue sixe cities and their villages in the wyldernes Wherfore we may not thinke that Iohn gat him quite out of the coÌ„pany of men as the Heremites seme to do in these dais who dwel leade their liues in solitary woodes but for so muche as his fathers house was in the mouÌ„taines of Iury peraduenture he went a litle into the desert that is through the woodes towards Iordan 2 And saying Repent the kingdome of heauen is at hand And saying repent In this our EuaÌ„gelist differeth here froÌ„ thother two Marke Luke that he in the persone of Iohn sheweth the some of his doctrine but they with their own wordes Although Marke hath more then Luke by one word for he saith he came baptizing preaching the baptim of repentauÌ„ce But in the very thing it selfe they agrée very well in one because all men do ioyne repentaunce with remissio of sinnes as we shal sée by by The wordes of Iohn coÌ„siste of two partes For first he teacheth what we must do theÌ„ he sheweth the reasone why it ought to be done He biddeth repent because the kingdom of heuen is at hande E. The Greke woorde for the which we reade repent is said of vnderstanding the thing which followeth wheÌ„ as one hauing offended doth marke and waye his offence Wherefore the Greke worde MetanoiÌ„a or repentaunce is not only referred to the mind of man but to the worke amendement of life to the whole coÌ„uersioÌ„ of maÌ„ which Peter plainly declareth when he saith Repent you conuert that your sinnes may be done away For that whiche followeth is a declaration of that whiche went before For the kingdoÌ„ of heauen is at hand A. We haue shewed the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is ioyned with repentaunce in the preaching of Iohn that which this reasoÌ„ following doth approue C. For the kingdome of heauen among men is nothing els but a restoring to the blessed happy life so it is the true and euerlasting felicitie Therefore when Iohn sayd the kingdom of heauen drewe neare he ment that those men that were alienate from the righteousnes of God were banished from the kingdom of heauen that they were again to be gathered vnto God that they might liue vnder his haÌ„d But frée adoptioÌ„ forgeuenes of sinnes bringeth this thing to passe by the which he doth recoÌ„cile those that are vnworthy to him self To be shâ—â— the kingdom of heauen is nothing els but a neâ—…nes of life by the which God doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednes For he doth chaleÌ„ge vs to him self being taken froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of sin death that we being pilgrimes vpoÌ„ earth may possesse at length by faith a celestial and heaueÌ„ly life And although we be like vnto dead men yet we knowe are assured that our life is in safetie so long as it is hid in Christ From hence as from the fountaine the exhortation to repentance is brought Neither doth Iohn say repeÌ„t and so by this meanes the kingdome of God shal approche straight way but first he doth propounde set before them the grace of God then be doth exhorte men to repeÌ„t Wherby it doth appere that the foundation of repentaunce is the mercy of God by the which he doth restore those that are lost Neither doth Marke Luke say that he preached remission of sinnes in any other sence For repentauÌ„ce is not placed first as some very ignoraÌ„tly fain as though that were the cause of the remission of sinnes or that it should preueÌ„t God that he might be fauorable vnto vs but men are coÌ„maunded to repente that they may taste of the grace profered vnto them the reconciliation also But as by order the frée loue of God doth go before by the which he doth receiue imbrace vnto him miserable men not imputing their sinnes vnto them euen so we must note that we haue remission of sinnes in Christ not the God doth by his suffraÌ„ce allowe theÌ„ but rather that he may cure deliuer vs from sinne Neither truly can any man taste of the grace of God without he hate abhorre sinne vice But it is conuenient to waye coÌ„sider so much as pertaineth to the sence meaning of this present place that the whole Gospel doth coÌ„sist of two partes of remission of sinnes repentaunce But for so much as Math. did note signifie the first part by the kingdom of heauen we may therby gather that there is deadly warre and contentioÌ„ betwene God maÌ„ that we are quite banished out of the kingdom of heauen vntil he receyue vs againe into his grace fauour B. Therefore very shorte are the woordes of Iohn yet they conteyne the somme of the whole preaching of the Gospell Wherefore both Christ and his apostles haue begonne their Gospell in these woordes And although Iohn propounding the grace of God doth exhorte men to repentaunce yet for all that we must waye and note that this grace is no lesse the gifte of God than is the heritage of euerlasting lyfe For as he doth frely forgeue vs our synnes and doth by his mercy and goodnes deliuer vs from the gulffe and pitte of euerlasting death so he doth make and fashion vs like vnto him selfe that we may lyue to righteousnes euen as he doth adopte vs to be his sonnes euen so he doth regenerate vs with his holy spirite that our life may testifie and witnesse howe that not in vayne we call him father And no lesse doth Christe quicken vs to righteousnes if that we crucifie our olde man vtterly abolishe the whole body of sinne lurking in our fleshe then he doth put away our sinnes by his bloud appeaseth the wrath of his father by the sacrifice of his death Notwithstanding this is the somme of the Gospel that our sinnes being wiped away God doth imbrace vs in his sonne Christe that we denying our selues and our owne nature may leade a godly and holy life and so in earth haue our mindes altogether fixed in heauen 3 For this is he of whome the prophete Esay spake saiyng The voyce of a crier in the wyldernes prepare ye the waye of the lord and make his pathes straighte For this is he of vvhom the prophet M. The auncient latine wrytings haue VVhiche is called by Esaie and so hath the Greke texte also But by Marke and Luke they seeme to be the woordes of the EuaÌ„gelistes M. Some notwithstaÌ„ding referre it to Iohn him self geuing a reason of that whiche he spake of the
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
the Lawe be once shaken For so sayth the Prophete Thus saithe the lorde If the couenaunte which I haue made with the daye and the night may be brokē Then may my couenaunt also be broken whiche I made with Dauid my seruaunt And a littell after he saythe agayne If I haue made no couenaunt with daye and nighte and geuen no statute vnto heauen and earthe then wyll I also caste awaye the seede of Iacob and Dauid my seruaunt One iot or titell of the Lavve shall not passe tyll all C. What meaneth this Question that euery iot and titell of the Lawe shall be fulfilled For we sée howe farre men are yea ando suche as are borne a newe by the spirite of God from the perfecte obseruation of the Lawe I aunswere that this fulfilling of the lawe is not referred to the life of man but to the sounde perfect truth of doctrine as if he shoulde haue sayde there is nothing vnstable in the Lawe there is nothing rashely put in the same and therfore it can not come to passe that one letter shall vanishe or passe awaye Wherefore this place here is of the certaintie and truthe of the woorde of God that we might not doubte no one tittell in the Lawe no one iot to be in the Prophetes in the whiche the vndoubted and infallible woorde of God is not declared For the woordes of the lorde are pure woordes euen as the syluer which from the earth is tried purified seuen times in the fier Bu. Tittels are the smalest thinges in wryting by the whiche also Christe dothe signifie that the smalest thynges sene and red in the Lawe shall be fulfilled V. Neyther is the lawe of God a humane and mutable constitutiō as are the preceptes of money or apparell whiche are dayly altered but as the wysdome of God his euerlasting righteousnes are immutable euen so his lawe of perpetuall and euerlasting obedience abideth for euer 19. VVhosoeuer therfore breaketh one of these least cōmaundementes and teacheth men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But who so euer dothe and teacheth the same shal be called great in the kingdome of heauen VVhosoeuer therfore breaketh C. Here Christ speaketh particularly of the commaundementes of life or of tenne sentēces by the whiche all men that are the children of God ought to frame theyr lyues And therfore he pronounceth them to be false and peruerse teachers whiche kepe not theyr scholers vnder the obedience of the lawe and he counteth them vnworthy whatsoeuer they be that be of the church whiche diminishe the aucthoritie of the lawe in any poynct those to be honest and méete ministers of God which do allowe and commende the obseruation of the lawe as well by the example of their life as with woordes S. To breake the lawe and to fulfyll the lawe are contrary He breaketh the lawe whiche desyreth another mannes wyfe although he commit not adultery and he is in this opinion that he beleueth that the fulfyllynge of the lawe maye be forgeuen for oure imbecillitie and weakenes sake or elles that God wil not so straightly deale with vs for the fulfyllinge of the lawe One of these least commaundementes C. He calleth them the least commaundementes according to the sence meaning of men For although all are not of lyke force weyght but when we compare them together one is greater and lesse then an other Notwithstandinge we may not thincke any thynge smale of the whiche it pleaseth the heauenly lorde and lawe maker to commaunde For howe great derogation is it to the glorye of God to take any thynge disdainefully which cōmeth out of his mouthe For by this meanes his maiestie shoulde be controlled Wherefore where as Christ calleth them lyttell commaundementes it is a kinde of graunting And teacheth men so B. He doth not reiecte him onely which transgresseth some cōmaundement and despiseth the parfection of the same but also him which teacheth others so namely that so greate perfection is not requyred as the Phariseyes and Saduceyes whiche requiringe onely the externall workes and contemninge the spirite of the lawe counted it nothinge to lust after a woman and so they taught also Shall be called the leaste C He alludeth this to that whiche was spoken of a lyttell before as concernyng the comaundementes notwithstandinge the sence is manifest and playne that they shall be reiected as the outcastes of all men which make the lawe to be contemned in any one poyncte The kingdome of heauen is taken here for the renouation or renuyng of the churche or for the second state and condition of the church which arose then of the preachinge of the Gospall So Christ maketh him which is least in the kingedome of heauen greatter then Iohn This maner of speakinge is because God renuinge the worlde by hys sonne Christe made his kingdome firme and sure Therefore Christ admitteth no teachers into his churche after it is renued but such as are faythful interpretours of the lawe and apply them selues to mainteine and set forthe the wholsom doctrine therof Bu. Let such reade these thinges more diligently whiche at thys day handle the law of the lorde very negligently and slyghtly when as by these woordes of the lorde a man may plainly perceiue that there is nothinge set forth by the heauenly wysedome of God in his diuine lawe whiche requireth not onely greate and earnest study but also much estimation and credite But some men wyll here demaunde Question Are not the ceremonies amonge the preceptes and commaundementes of God and what néede haue we of them to what ende shall wee obserue them They are answered that if they weye and consider the ende purpose of the lawe maker they shall be satisfyed For althoughe God do cōmaund ceremonies that the externall vse of thē shoulde be temporall but their signification eternall yet he doth not lose take away the ceremonies whiche kepynge still theyr effecte omitt that whiche is figuratiue and shadowed Nowe when as Christe dothe banishe all those from hys kingdome whiche accustome and teache men to despise the lawe theyr senceles sence is wonderful who ar not ashamed with theyr robbinge indulgences to remit that which God moste seuerely doth require and vnder the coullour of venial synne to treade vnderfote not regarde the righteousenes of the lawe But vvho so euer dothe and teacheth the same c. M. This that is spoken here perteyneth to the ministers of the word C. He teacheth them therfore what perfectiō is required of thē namely that they expresse and declare those thynges in theyr lyfe whiche by their doctrine they declare and teache So Paule dyd chastice his bodye and brought it into subiection least whē he preached to others he hym selfe shuld be a cast awaye And writinge to Timothe Be sayth he vnto them that beleue an exsample in woord in conuersation in loue in spirite in
do willingly prouoke God vnto wrath and heape dampnation vnto them selues 15 But if ye forgeue not mē their trespases your father whiche is in heauen will not forgeue you your trespases B. God doth require nothinge so muche of vs as brotherly loue that the image of his goodnesse mighte shine amonge vs nowe there is nothing that letteth this so much as offēces by the which the mindes of men ar alienate and withdrawen frō goodnes He dyd specially repeate this therefore to the ende we might forgeue our neighboures For he knewe howe hardely we wolde forgeue if we wayed the greatnes and heynousnes of the offence committed A. or if we did not cal to minde those offences lykwyse whiche dayly we committ against god Therefore he dothe here threatten as it were denyinge him to haue pardon which wil not forgeue his neyghbours offence As concerning the whiche thinge the lorde sheweth an excellente parable in the .18 chap. following whiche may be a lyuely example to suche as will not forgeue 16. Moreouer when that ye faste be not sadde as the hypocrites are For they difigure their faces that they mighte be seene of men how they fast Verely I say vnto you they haue ther rewarde More ouer vvhen ye fast C. Againe Christ retourneth to his former doctrine Bu. and goeth forwarde with the same order in shewinge of fasting that he did in declaring of Almes and prayer M. For he dothe not so reprehende the fastinge of the Scribes and Phariseies as thoughe it were euyll to fast but he condēned the detestable wyckednesse of hypocrisie in them Be not sad as the hypocrites Bu. Fastyng was a certaine discipline measurable castigation or chastisement of the bodye alwaies vsed of the auncient fathers and sainctes of God vsurped to this end that the substāce of heauēly things might the more be inflamed and that the fleshly desires of the body myght the more be quēched But the Phariseies abused this fasting to gaine and to get the opinion of sāctimony holines wherby they might haue the more estimation of the ignorāt people If thei fasted therfore at any time they framed al their doynges to ostentation and vaineglory and wolde haue all men knowe that they fasted M. Wherfore they were sad being abrode they woulde mourne and wepe and anoynte their face and hange down their heades that other men might se their deuotion this vanitie Christ noted in them saying They disfygure their faces B. The Greeke woorde signifieth they obscure theyr faces as it were to make them that they cannot be deserued as they whiche vse deceytes hyde their faces Verely I say vnto you they haue their revvarde Bu. As if he shuld say they get the praise of men they haue therefore that whiche they seke for by their fastinges God rewardeth not suche arrogant fastinges A. For he respecteth not the woorke so much as he dothe the minde of man And truely the fastings of the Papistes monkes and nonnes differeth littel frō that which th Scribes and Phariseies vsed 17 But thou when thou fastest anoynte thy head and washe thy face C. In that Christe commaundeth to annoynte the head to washe the face we must note that it is an hyperbolical locution For he doth not withdrawe vs from one kinde of hipocrisie to leade vs to an other Therefore he doth not bed vs here to faine a curiouse deintenesse neyther doth he exhorte vs to the temperancye of liuyng that he wold suffer vs to be delicate in anoīting appareling our selues but simpely he exhorteth vs to kepe a meane in the which there is no newe thynge M. But Christ speaketh here according to the maner and custom of the countrey and people of the Iewes where they whiche gaue them selues to mirthe and banqueting anoynted their heades with some preciouse oyntment frō the which oyntment they that were sorrowful absteyned as we may reade of Dauid who anoynted and washed hym selfe when he arose from mournynge Moreouer of the woman of Thecoa who to the ende she might seeme to mourne and bewaile the deade was commaunded of Ioab to faine her selfe a mourner and not to anoynte her selfe with oyle Also Noemi sayde to Ruthe washe thy selfe and anoynt thée And Christ said to Symon the pharisey My head thou hast not anointed with oile Also in the house of Symon the leaper the woman powred a preciouse oyntmēt vpon the head of Christ E. So that here he doth not teache his disciples what thei ought to do as it was sayde euen now but teacheth them to beware of vainglory that the faythefull maye be deserned from hypocrites 18 That it appeare not vnto men howe that thou fastest but vnto thy father which seeth in secrete and thy father which seeth in secrete shall rewarde thee openly A. As if he should say Take hede that ye alter nothinge that is accustomed in the manner of lyfe wherby ye should couet to be sene of men only let him be a sufficient wytnes of youre faste whiche of euill and vnbeleuinge men made you good and faithfull C. Where as here there is a rewarde promysed of God to fasting it is an improper kynde of speache as it was sayde a littell before of prayer Betwene praier and fasting there is great difference For prayers are the chiefest workes of godlynes But fasting by it self is but a meane worke and not of the nomber of them whiche God dothe require and alowe as are almes dedes and such like Notwithstanding after a sorte it pleaseth hym in that it is referred to an other ende namely that it may bring vs to abstinencie and to brydell the luste of the fleshe and also that it may be a testimony of our repentaunce so often as we are vrged thervnto by the iudgement of god Therefore the meaning of the wordes of Christ is this that God in the day of iudgement wyll make openly knowne that those workes pleased him whiche were often tymes despysed of men 19 Laye not vp for your selues treasures in earthe where the ruste and mothe doth corrupt and wher theues breake through and steale Laye not vp for your selues V. Here our Sauioure maketh an excellent declaration against couetousnes a manifeste Phariseycal vice C. yea this pestiferous and pernicious disease of couetousnes raigneth euery where in the worlde No nation no people no state and degree is frée from the same V. But they make a prety excuse and cloake saying that it becommeth husbandes or houskepers to haue respecte to the calamitie to come to prouide for their house for their wyfe and for their childrē And thus the world blyndly goeth on hauing no respecte to the mischiefe that commeth thereof C. But the lorde reproueth men of foolishenes that they hauinge heaped together aboundaunce of ryches whiche they make their felicitie wyll so carelesly cōmitte it to wormes and mothes and laye it foorth as a praye for theues
the Samari The Samaritanes and the Gentiles were all one sauing that the Samaritanes receiued outwardly the lawe of Moyses Of these we may reade in the seuentene chapter of the fourthe booke of Kynges Reade also the fourth chapter of Iohn 6 But go ye rather to the loste shepe of the house of Israell C. The firste place he assigneth to the Iewes because thei were the first begotten yea because God counted them only of his houshold all others as straungers and foreners He calleth them also loste shepe both that the Apostels being touched with mercy shold the more spedely and with more earnest study seke to helpe them And also that they myghte knowe that euen nowe they had plentifull occasion ministered vnto them to worke The Iewes which were nere vnto God and the promised seede and lawfull heyres of eternall lyfe are sayde notwithstanding to be loste vntyll they had recouered health in Christe What then to vs remayneth whiche in honoure and dignitie are not to be compared vnto thē M. Christe teacheth vs therefore wherin perdition consisteth and in what saluation also standeth They to whome he sente his Apostels were not loste corporally but spiritually because they were out of the feding and custody of Christe C. Moreouer Christe gaue the name of sheepe to the reprobate whiche properly were not of the flocke of Christe because the adoption pertained to all people As in an other place he calleth them sonnes or the children of the kyngdome whiche afterwarde for their vnbeliefes sake shal be caste out into vtter darknes To be short by the name of shepe Christ commendeth the Iewes to his Apostels to the ende they might bestowe their labour vppon them because none can be counted of the flocke of God but they whiche are gathered into the shepefolde 7 Go and preache saying the kingdom of heauen is at hande Go and preache Bu. Now he geueth them cōmaundement what they shall preache namely that they referre all their Sermons to the kyngdome of god R. This kynde of preaching hath a certayne similitude of the voyce of a crier whose parte is to declare and proclayme the comming of the kyng that thereby the myndes of the people may be prepared to receyue their kyng ioyfully C. Euen so by this proclamation of the Gospell Christe would haue the myndes of the people cōforted with the hope of the redemption at hande The kyngdome of heauen is at hande M. Luke saith the kyngdome of God is at hande but in the same sence and meaning namely that the Iewes myght know that firste of all they are restored by the power of God and not by the benefite ayde of men Then that their state and condition shal be happy vnder God theyr kyng Thirdly that no earthly or corruptible felicitie is promysed vnto them but suche an heauenly ioye as neuer shall haue ende Bu. To the same effecte and purpose all they whiche preache in the churche of God at this daye ought to dyrecte their Sermons namely that they teache truly what the kingdom of Christ is howe and after what sorte it reigneth here in vs and how we shall reigne with the same in heauen 8 Heale the sycke clense the Lepers rayse the dead caste out deuels frely ye haue receiued geue frely Heale the sycke C. As he armed and endewed them with power so he commaundeth them to be his faithfull and liberall ministers and he forbiddeth thē to hyde that whiche was committed vnto them for the health of all men A. He commaundeth to heale the sicke to clense the Leprous and to rayse the dead that therby the hearers may more easely receyue the doctrine of the Gospell C. Moreouer by these miracles he declareth wherfore he was sent of his father and what is the ende also of his Gospell These miracles therefore haue a certaine analogy and similitude with the office of Christe that we may knowe that he came to vs being the authour of all good thinges to deliuer vs from the tyranny of Sathan from the stynge of death and the curse of the lawe and to helpe to cleare vs from all synne diseases and myseries Frely ye haue receiued M. Christ knew that this Ambassage might helpe thē to great gayne For what would not the sicke mā geue to receyue his healthe What coste woulde the parentes spare to haue their children beinge dead raysed agayne to lyfe Therefore by expresse wordes he commaundeth them to bestowe that liberalitie frely whiche frely was also geuen vnto them C. Signifying that they were not endewed with those giftes for their owne glory and praise but that thei should be as it were conducte pypes for the grace and mercy of God to passe by as if he should haue sayde Consider from whence this power came vnto you euen as it came not vnto you through youre owne merytes or deseruing but by the mere grace of God euen so see that without any rewarde therefore ye geue frely agayne We knowe by experience howe lothe all men are to part from that which they thinke to be proper to theim selues or their owne good And how lusty euery man is if he perceiue that in hym selfe whiche is wantinge in his brother and howe ready by and by he is to despyse hym The which being forsene of Christ he geueth them a precise cōmaundement to geue frely to euery one that wylyngly seketh for the same Nowe Christe hath in his ministers exhibited his grace according to the prophecie of Esayas sayinge Come to the waters al ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money Come bye wyne and mylke without money or money worthe He sheweth also here that non can be sincere ministers of his word and dispensators of his grace but such as can be contented to bestowe their worke and trauayle frely but as for all hierlinges they do but corrupte and profane the office of teaching M. But how odious to God this turpe lucrum is this selling of his giftes it appeareth by many places of scripture As by the exāple of Gihezi by the example of Symon Magus and by the example of the biers and sellers which were scourged out of the temple The whiche examples I woulde to God were well examined and indifferently wayed by the byshops of Rome whiche do nothinge but make marchaundise of al that euer they haue yea they are as peltinge pedlers with pouling packs and in dede to speake the truthe they are in no poynte for honestie and true dealing to be compared vnto them Also this prohibiteth not Preachers godly ministers which frely and willingly serue Christe to be nourished and maintayned with publike stypendes according to saint Paule who sayth If we sowe amonge you spirituall thinges thinke it not muche if we reape your corporall and carnll thynges 9 Possesse not goulde nor syluer nor brasse in your pursses E. The Greeke woorde signifieth rather to prepare and prouide that whiche we haue not
teache And Christe dothe so extolle the name of Iohn to the ende he might make the Iewes more attentiue to the Embassage that he brought He that is leste in the kingdome C. Some expounde this amys of Christe affirminge him by this place to be called the leaste in the kyngdome of heauē But the dignitie of the persone is not here handled but the excellency of his office is commended Therefore it is better to bee vnderstoode of those whiche were made the ministers of Christe in the new Testamēt that the maiestie of the Gospell myghte be aboue the law For if Iohn were therfore greater then the Prophetes whiche were before hym because he came before Christe whiche came by and by after hym or because he pointed him out with the fynger why shall not an Apostell bee greater or any other minister of Christe lesse whiche doth not onely preache that Christe came but also dothe shewe the misteries of his kingdom and declare the same to the whole worlde For Christe would haue Iohn so praised that notwithstandynge all the same commendation shoulde tende to the setting forth of the deuine grace of his kingdome that the same mighte be the better allowed and accepted As Christe therefore woulde prepare the Iewes to receiue the Gospell euen so at this daye it becōmeth vs to be stirred vp that we may heare Christe reuerently speakyng vnto vs from the highe throne of his heauenly glory least that he take vengeaunce vppon vs for our contempte with that horrible curse whiche he pronounceth to the vnbeleuinge by the mouthe of the Prophete in the same place The kyngdome of heauen and of God is takē for the new state of the church as in other places before because by the comming of Christe the instauration and repayringe of all thynges was promysed 12 From the dayes of Iohn Baptiste vntill this daye the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violente plucke it vnto them C. There is no doubte but that Christe commendeth the maiestie of the Gospell because many with feruent study desired the same For as god stirred vp Iohn to be the foreronner and proclaymer of the kyngdome of his sonne euen so he indewed his doctrine with the power and efficacy of his spirite to the ende it mighte pearce the hartes of theim and kyndell their zeale It appeareth therefore that it came from God seing that it sprange vp so sodenly after so straunge a manner is able to stirre vp so wonderfull motiōs But in the second mēber the restraint is added as appeareth And the violēt plucke it For because the greater parte was nothing the more moued thā if at any tyme no woorde had bene spoken of the Prophetes as concerning Christe he declareth that the violence whereof he speaketh was but in one certayne kynde of men The meaninge therefore of this place is this Nowe there is a great concourse of men as if they would violently rushe forth to apprehende the kyngdome of god For by one mans voyce they come on heapes neyther only gredyly but also with a snatchinge violences as it were they receyue the grace offered vnto theim Notwithstanding many rage and are no more touched than if Iohn shoulde tell them a tale in the deserte nothing at all pertaining vnto thē To this effecte the mynde of Christe in this place tendeth namely that they are in excusable which contemptuously shut their eyes and stoppe their eares at the manifest power of God whiche as well shyneth in the teacher as in the hearers B. The kyngdome of heauen is the new doctrine of the Gospell The kyngdom of heauen suffereth violence when men runne with great force to the publique preaching of the Gospell Men do violētly plucke the kyngdome of heauen vnto them when they burne as it were with an earnest desyre of the kyngdome of Christe in so much that they despise thir life all that euer they haue so that they may be partakers of the Gospell and cittezens of the kingdome of heauen Nowe by these wordes of Christ we learne what is the nature and propertie of true faith namely to harken to the woorde of God with a feruent minde with an earnest desire to be instructed in the truthe not coldly or negligently to regarde the same 13 For all the prophetes and the lawe it selfe prophesied vnto Iohn C. Nowe the lorde compareth the ministery of the Gospell with the Lawe and the Prophetes As if he should saye It is no meruaile if God do nowe so mightely worke in the mindes of the hearers because he doth not now hide him self a far of vnder darke and obscure shaddowes but dothe shewe hym selfe openly to the ende he might establishe his kyngdome Hervpon it followeth that they are lesse excusable which obstinately reiected the doctrine of Iohn then they which despysed the lawe and the prophetes M. For that which Iohn preached is the very same whereof the lawe the Prophetes spake before C. In this worde of prophesiing there is a greate Emphasis and force because the lawe and the prophetes did not set God before the eyes of men but dyd shaddowe him as one absente vnder fygures Nowe we see to what ende the comparison tēdeth namely that it is not mete that men should waxe cold and wery of that by the which God offered him selfe presente vnto them But where as Christ now doth count Iohn in the nomber of the mynisters of the gospel whom before he placed aboue the prophetes it is no absurditie because his preachynge althoughe it be parte of the Gospell yet notwithstandinge it was but a certayne rudiment and principle of the same 14 And if ye wyll receyue it this is Helias whiche was for to come C. Here he doth more certaynly declare how Iohn began to preache the kingdom of god because he was that Helias which shoulde be sente before the face of God. Chryst therefore wolde haue that manyfest and terrible comming of God which is celebrated of Malachy to be knowne now of the Iewes whē Helias which is there promised hath done the duetie as it were of a Sōner or parator M. But how Iohn was called Helias we may rede in the fyrst of Luke wher it is thus writtē of hym And he shall go before him in the spiryte power of Helias to tourne the hartes of fathers to theyr children the vnbeleuers to the wisdom of the iust men to make redy a parfecte people before the lorde C. By this exception also which he addeth sayinge if ye wyll receiue it he declareth the hardenes of their harts because they were blynde in the cleere lyghte But shal he not be Helias if he be not receyued Yes surely he shall continew in his estate styll For Christ meaneth not that the office of Iohn dydde depende vpon them but after that he had witnessed that he was Helias he reproueth them of negligēce and ingratitude excepte they geue vnto him the aucthoritie which
no tyme the worde of God was preached there neyther was any myracles wrought for them to beholde to worke repentaunce But in the citties of Galilae whiche Christe rebuked there was exceding obstinacie in despising the miracles whiche he wrought often times among them by the power of god In effect the wordes of Christ tende to no other ende then to shewe that Chorazin and Bethsaida dyd excell Tyre and Sydon in mallice in the incurable contempte of god M And yet notwithstandinge there is no cause why we shoulde contende with God because he neglecteth those of whō there mighte be hope and sheweth hys power to contemners For he leaueth al those iustely to destruction to whom he vouchsafeth not to shewe his mercy Nowe if it be his wyll in taking awaye his woorde from some to haue them peryshe And in offerynge the same to other to exhort them to repentance who hath any thynge at all thereby to accuse hym of parcialitie and vnrighteousenes Therefore we knowynge our owne infyrmitie let vs learne to beholde this altitude and highnesse For their prowde curiositie is not tollerable which cannot abide to geue the glory prayse of ryghteousenes to God but so farre as theyr vnderstandinge is able to comprehende the same In sackecloth and asshes C. Those that were wonte in tyme past to mourne and repente were wont to be apparelled with sackeclothe and asshes Sackclothe and ashes were externall signes whiche were vsed in solempne repentance whē the people had offended which made the people the more earnest affected in repētyng theyr sinnes C. Therfore repentance in this place is descrybed by externall signes of the which there was then a solēpne vse and custome in the churche of God not that Christ doth stande vpon this parte but because hee bendeth hym selfe to the capacitie of the common people We do knowe that repentance was not required of the faythfull onely for a fewe dayes but it was requyred to the ende they shoulde meditate in the same and exercise it euen to the deathe Nowe if these externall signes shoulde stil continue then must we weare euerye daye and euery hower sackecloth then muste we continually sprinkel our selues with ashes because we oughte neuer to ceasse from repentance Therefore this externall profession of repentaunce muste not alwayes be vsed but onely when men aryse from some greate fall and haynous cryme and tourne vnto God with a sorrowfull harte for the same And trewly sackcloth and ashes are signes of offēce to pacifie the wrathe of the iudge and therfore they do properly pertaine to the begynnyng of the conuersion Nowe seinge men do testifie by this ceremony and declare theyr sorrowe and griefe it is necessary that the hate of sin the feare of God and the mortifycatyon of the fleshe do go before accordinge to the sayinge of the Prophete Rent your hartes and not your garmentes and so forthe And now we see wherfore Christ ioyneth sackeclothe and ashes to repentance when he maketh mention of Tyre and Sydon to whose inhabitauntes the Gospell coulde not be preached without the condemnation of theyr lyfe past and the exhortation to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe 22 Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shal be easyer for Tyre and Sydon in the day of iudgement then for you Bu. Nowe he declareth by a comparison the greate and greuouse ponishement of those Citties whiche haue reiected the grace of God offered vnto them M. Let those citties therefore stande in feare to whom the trewth of the Gospel hath ben preached more then to other vnles they shew forth the fruit of the same in theyr lyfe and conuersation A For truely the contempte of the woorde of God can not escape longe vnponyshed In the daye of iudgemente C. There are som whiche vnderstande by the day of iudgement that tyme in the which God ponyshed the land of Iewry but some a graet deale better referre it to the day of iudgmente which shall be after the consummation of the worlde as before in the tenthe chapter 23 And thou Capernaū which art lyfte vp vnto heauen shalt be cast downe into hell For if the myracles whiche haue ben done in thee had bene shewed in Sodome they had remayned vnto this daye And thou Capernaum Bu. This Apostrophe or conuersion hath a wonderful Emphasis as if a man should reprehende a company of wicked persons and at the length forsakinge al other shoulde conuerte and turne his reprehensiō to some one notorious wicked person and say Ye haue all committed iniquitie wherfore ye shall al accordinge to your desertes be ponysshed and plagued but thou perniciouse and wycked fellowe aboue all other whiche haste commytted so haynouss offence that no man in wickednes is like vnto thee thou I say shalt haue farre greatter ponishement then the rest C. Euen so Christe namely aboue all others reprehendeth Capernaum because he was in no place more conuersante then there B. This cittie Capernaum was the most famous cittie of Galilae bothe because it was the publyque and common place of marchādise all thinges necessary beinge there bought and solde and also because that Christe had wrought many of his excellent miracles in the same as it is said before C. This trewely was such a dignitie as none might be compared to the same that the sonne of God chose this citie in stede of his pallace and sanctuary in the which he mighte begin his kyngedome and priesthode But surely it was so ouerwhelmed and drowned in fylthynes as it no droppe or sparke of Goddes grace had once ben sene or hard of in the same and therfore Chryst pronounceth that the more goddes benefytes were bestowed vppon theim the more horryble ponishement was at hande prepared for them VVhiche art lyft vp A. In two olde greke bokes it is red with an interrogation as readeth it also the olde interpretoure sayinge Shalte thou be lyfted vp to heauen Shalte be throvven dovvne that is thy fame shall haue a fall thou shalte be despoyled of thy glory and thou shalte vtterly be destroyed Because if the myracles had ben done in So. M. He terrefyeth theim by the exaumple of the Sodomites because if they hadde not so great a consideration of the iudgement to come as they shoulde haue that then he mighte moue them to the same Wee se here also that as some sinnes are gretter then other some so one ponishmente shall be greater then an other least that we shoulde rashely heape one synne vppon an other For this cause Christ saith therefore ye shall receyue the greatter dampnation And S. Paule saith Accordinge to thy harte beinge harde and impenitent thou heapest to thy selfe a treasure of wrathe agaynst the daye of wrath and of the openynge of the ryghteouse iudgement of god They had remayned vnto Before wee declared that Chryste spake accordinge to the capacitie of manne not foreshewinge what shoulde haue come if he had sent a prophete to the Sodomites
deceitfulnesse of richesse C. Christ here put in the deceitfulnesse of rychesse for couetousenes Hee calleth ryches deceytful to the ende men might take hede to auoyde the snares thereof As concerninge ryche men and rychesse howe greate a stomblinge blocke and let they be to a Christian man reade the .vi. of Luke the .xii. and xvi the .vi. chapter of the fyrst of Timothy the fifth chapter of S. Iames and the .xix. chapter also of S. Matthewe followinge And so is he made vnfruitefull A. Luke hath And bringeth forth no fruite C. By this we learne that the affections of our flesh whiche are innumerable are altogether hurtefull to the corruptinge of the seede of lyfe 23 But he that receiued the seede into the good grounde is he that heareth the woorde and vnderstandeth it whiche also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred folde some syxtie foulde some thirty folde But he that receyued the seede into the A. That is to saye that whiche was sowne in the good and fruitful ground signifieth him which here the woorde and so forthe Bu. Christ hath rehersed three kindes of hearers whiche heare the worde of god without fruite and therfore they greatly displease Nowe followeth the fourth kynde of hearers of those I saye whiche receiue the seede of goddes worde which vnderstande kepe bringe forth fruite of the same C. They onely therfore are compared to good and fruitefull ground in whom the woord of God dothe not only take depe rote but also ouercommeth all lettes impedimentes which mighte hinder choke and ouergrowe the same If any man obiecte that noo man can be founde without briers and thornes wee maye aunswere that Christe dothe not speake of the parfection of fayth but onely sheweth in whom the word doth fructifie Whosoeuer therfore he be that doth not degenerate or swarue from the syncere worshippinge of God althoughe he profyte but meanely he is counted good grounde and fruitefull It is our duety truely to indeuour our selues to plucke vp thornes but because we shall neuer bringe our purpose to such effecte by our dayly labour but that some part of these thornes will remaine let vs not ceasse but continually seke to mortifie the same that the fruite of the worde therby be not hyndered Is he that heareth and vnderstandeth M. Marke addeth And doth receyue it that these thre might be ioyned together heare receiue and vnderstand Luke in stede of this hath That whiche fell into the good grounde are they whiche with a pure and good harte heare the woorde and keepe it That is as muche to saye whiche is hearde receyued and vnderstode That is They haue the sence and meaning of the word of God so fixed and ingrauen in their hart that by the grace of God it becōmeth as it were natural the liuely rotes being so grounded in the hart that it cānot be plucked vp by any temtation B. Luke calleth that a pure good hart which is changed drawne vnto god by the holye ghoste A. There is neuer a one of vs truelye that is prepared to receiue the seede of the gospell or apt of our selues therfore we shoulde heare in vayne if God dyd not kyll oure heartes with his holye and graciouse spirite for otherwyse there woulde sprynge vp many naughty weedes whiche wold choke the sede This commeth to passe not by the nature of men but by the housebandrye and woorkemanshippe of God. VVhich also beareth fruite Wheate sede wil brynge forthe nor beare no other grayne or corne then the which is of the same nature kind as wheate It is contrary to nature for wheat to bring forth rye barlie or pease Euen so the Gospell beyng preached what other thyng doth it bring forth of a good harte then that whiche it containeth in it selfe teacheth appointeth Faith in Christ is preched sowne the repentāce of the life past the knowledge of god Loue also towards God and our neibour such lyke which neuer bringe forth the contrary fruites Luke addeth saying in Paciēce B. The chiefest fruit whiche the knowen woorde of God bringeth forthe is the participatynge of the same to others also that men beynge taken from the tyranny of Sathan maye be citezens of the kingdome of Chryste This thynge can not be brought to passe without the crosse persecutiō and trouble in this worlde Wherefore Pacience is truelye sayde to be a woorke neyther can this excellent fruit be brought forth without the pacient sufferinge of manye euilles for S. Paule sayth Al they that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecutiō So Christ brought forth his excellent fruit vnto vs namely with singuler pacience Some an hundered foulde C. This confirmeth the sentence goinge before of the meane and smalle proffite fruit of the Gospel For Christ teacheth here that euerye one bringeth not forthe fruite in measure quantitie alike For althoughe the fertilitie and encrease of that grounde which bringeth forth fruite thirty folde is very small in respecte of that whiche bryngeth forthe an hundred fould yet notwithstandinge we se that Christe ioyneth all those groundes together whiche do not whollye frustrate the hope and expectatiō of the husband man M. Therfore according to our dispositiō we bring forth fruit som more som lesse And hereby we are taughte that they are not to be despised which excell not as others do because that although the husbādeman him selfe do preferre euerye one accordinge to his aboundāt encrease yet it pleaseth him to geue ascribe the title of goodnes fertillitie to those of inferiour sort as well as to the other The seruāt whiche gayned but two talentes had no lesse cōmendation and praise thē had the other which gained fiue for it was sayde vnto thē bothe alike Well thou good and faithfull seruant Some very ignorantly do write and wrest this place to virgins widdowes maried persons as though the proffit which the lord required at our handes did onely pertain to a single life that the pietie and godlynes of maried persons were not more plētiful in bringing forth al the fruite of vertues This also is to be noted by the waye that Christe doth not seke here Hiperbolically of this fruit which was an hundred fould according to the fertilitie of certaine regions there in those daies as is well approued by diuerse hystories witnesses that sawe the same M. By this parable the lorde doth forewarne vs that we be not offēded at those thinges which should be in the kingdom of heauen in the preachynge of the gospel at such things I say which might geue an occasion of falling to the ignorant and a cause of calumniating to the maliciouse namely when they shold se so many hearers and so few bringers forthe fruite of the Gospell 24 An other similitude put he forth vnto thē saying The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a man whiche sowed good sede in his field An other
knowne howe that the sonne of God should be reuealed in the flesh yet notwithstanding they had learned out of the Prophetes the hée which shoulde come to redeeme mankinde should be called the sonne of God and they which celebrate the glorye of Christ with this tytle sufficiētly declare that they beléeue in Christ M. Here wée sée that the myracles of Christe serued to this vse namely to testifye of the power of God whereof hée was the minister although he by his power wrought the myracles by the which hée moued men to behold the glory of god These things are to be noted againste the false myracles that are attributed vnto sainctes 34. And when they were gone ouer they came into the land of Genesareth C. The Euangelistes speake here of that place which toke the name was so called of a certayne lake but wée will not stand vpon the denominatiō of the place because it is no matter of importance 35. And vvhen the men of the place had knowledge of him they sent out messengers into all that countrey rounde aboute the coaste and broughte vnto him all that were sicke A. Now the myracle which was wrought vppon the sea brought his fame through a great part of that Countrey insomuch that all they which were touched with the loue of God preached the glorye of the sonne of god C. The Euangelyst therfore doth testifye that the glory of Christ was not reueled by two or thrée myracles alone but that all that Countrey or part of Iewrye was filled with manye testemonyes the fame whereof might easely come to Ierusalem and to other Citties Townes ther abouts Wherevppon wee gather how filthye and howe wicked the ingratitude of that countreye and people was which maliciouslye and disdaynfullye shut their eyes at the manifest brightnes of Gods glory yea which went about so much as in them laye to extinguishe the same But now it is our partes in this so great a heape and multitude of myracles to acknowledge wherefore and to what ende Christ came namely to be a Phisition to heale all oure disseases were they neuer so incurable And therefore it shal be good to remember that place of the Prophete Esaye which the Euangeliste Mathew alledged at the first saying he toke on him our infirmities and bare our sicknesses And althoughe hee bee not on the earth at this daye yet notwithstandinge it is most certaine that hee sendeth those graces and blessinges now from heauen whereof hée gaue vs a visible documente when hee was on the earth But because euery man is infected with all maner of disseases vntill suche time as hée heale them let vs not onely offer our selues vnto him but also let vs séeke to bringe others vnto him which haue neede of the like health and remedy A. as these men did which Broughte vnto him all that vvere sicke M. For this is the nature of loue to haue no man contented with his priuate fruishion of Christe but to make the same common also to his neyghboures and bretherne 36. And besought him that they mighte toutche the hem of his vesture only And as many as touched it were made safe B. It is likely that these men were superstitious when as they restrayned the grace of Christe to the toutchinge of his vesture but thereby they defrauded him of his due honour when as they beleeued not the simplenes of his worde to be of sufficiente power But least hée should quench the smoking flaxe hee applyeth himselfe to their rudenes Notwithstanding here is no occasion offered wherby they should please themselues which séeke the grace of god in word or in garments when as S. Paule plainlye saith that wée oughte not to conceyue anye thing of Christ vnlesse it be worthy of his spiritual and heauenly glory Their infirmity was to be borne withall for a time which not knowinge Christe to be God sought to haue a more perfect knowledge of him But now that hée filleth both heauen and earth with the odor of his grace it is not méete that wée should apprehend the sauing health which hée offereth from heauē with oure eyes and hands but with a pure fayth A. As concerning the touching of the hem of Christes vesture read the .ix. Chapter before handled The .xv. Chapter THen came to Iesus Scribes and Phariseys which were come frō Ierusalem sayinge Thē came to Iesus Scribes Bu. In this Chapter the Euangelist hath writen as concerning the traditions of men C. The which Chapter is worthye to be noted because a vyce no lesse hurtful thē cōmon is here reproued and condemned Wée sée how wanton and diuers men be in worshipping and seruing god For they inuent and deuyse daylye new worshippings and the more wise that euery mā would séeme to be the more he seketh to shew forth the same in deuysing howe to serue god Wée speake not of forreyners but of the househould of the Church of Christe whom God specially hath aduaunced to this honor that hée hath geuen them a playne and prescript rule of Godlines in their mouth God hath prescribed and appointed how he wil be worshipped of vs and in his Law hée hath set downe vnto vs perfect holines Notwithstanding a greater sorte take vppon them to adde ioyne to many of their additions as though it were a light and small matter yea a thing friuolous and vayne to obey God and to keepe that which hée commaundeth They which are of any auctoritye and credit thrust in their commēts and expositions to the same end and purpose as though they had somewhat more perfecte then the word of god Then by lyttle and lyttle it groweth to be a lawe and a cruell and violente rule because when men haue once gotten lycence and auctoritye to commaunde they by and by precisely and straytely requyre the obseruation of their lawes and will in no wise suffer the least iot or titill of the same eyther by contempte or by negligence to be omitted But in the meane time the worship of God whose beginning and head is obedience is viciated and polluted wyth theyr vayne traditions Yea theyr auctoritye is preferred before the auctoritye which belongeth vnto god So that by this meanes the common sorte of people are constrayned violently and tyrannicallye to applye theyr whole studye vnto tryfles But this place teacheth first that all fayned worshippings are displeasaūt vnto God because hée himselfe will be heard alone to the end he might fasshion and frame vs according vnto his wyll to true godlines Secondly that they loose theyr laboure which being not contente with the onely lawe of God weary themselues in obseruing the traditions of mē Thirdlye this place teacheth that there is greate iniurye done vnto God when the comments of men are so highlye extolled that the Maiestye of his Lawe is eyther obscured or els the reuerence of the same is qualifyed VVhich vvere come frō Ierusalem Bu. As in these our dayes
tribute and many of them wold openly haue resisted the Romaines as we maye see in Iosephus and therefore it came to passe that Christ was accused of this matter before Pilate Therefore leaste there shoulde be in hym any shewe or token of a seditious minde he wold not do that which he might haue done And cast an angle C. Although we graunte that Christ had not alwaies plēty of money yet notwithstandinge wee must not thincke that neede constrained him to commande Peter to do this thing but rather that hee dyd it to the ende by a myracle he might declare him selfe to be the lorde of all and that he had not onely men but also the wilde vntamed fyshes tributory vnto hym And we reade that this was doone but once onelye because one document was sufficient And vvhen thou hast opened his mouth M. Here we must note and waye the argument proofe of Christes diuinitie in that hee knoweth the secretes of the sea and ruleth the fyshes that swymme in the depe and causeth the fyshe here mentioned to come to Peters hooke For seing that he had declared him selfe to be the kynge of all and to be the naturall sonne of God it was necessary that he should shew som token of the same to Peter by some dede or signe to the ende he might be acknowledged to be the Lorde of all thinges and of the fyshes of the sea also That take and geue vnto them for thee and mee A. Wee haue already declared that the Papistes vppon this place do very fondely gather the supremacy of Peter because that Peter is ioyned vnto Christe in payinge tribute They consider not that Peter was a cittezen of that cittie and that therfore he was constrained to paye trybute in that place The .xviii. Chapter AT the same time came the disciples vnto Iesus sayinge VVho is the greatteste in the kingdome of heauen At the same tyme. C. By the other two Euangelists whiche wrote this historye it appereth that the Disciples came not of their owne frewyll vnto Christ but when they had priuily disputed in the way their secret talk whispering was bewrayed And there is no absurditie at all in this that Matthewe makinge hast to the aunswere of Christ sheweth not the whole order of the historie but lettinge passe the beginninge briefely sheweth why Christe reproued the foolishe desyre of Supremacy in his disciples But forsomuch as Christ inquired of their secrete talke and constrayned his disciples to confesse that the thinge whiche they wisshed for was suppressed we are taughte to beware take hede of al secrete emulation and desire to excell Further we must note the circūstance of the tyme the foreshewinge of death had made them sorrowful and heauy yet notwithstandinge they being as it were ful of toyes and drunke with the poetical Nectar do contend by and by for the principallitie Howe could it be that suche sorrowe and care should so sodeinly vanishe awaye out of their myndes if that men were not by nature too muche geuen to Ambition that forgettinge the present warre and fyghte triumphe before the victory Wherefore if the Apostels so sone forgat the sermon of Christ so lately made vnto them what shal happen vnto vs if we leauinge the meditation of the crosse geue and addict our selues to sluggishenesse to negligence and to vaine speculations VVho is the greattest in the kingdome of heauen E. The Greeke texte hath the comparatiue for the superlatiue degree as thus Who is great in the kingdome of heauē C. This disputation as concerninge the supremacy arose not hereupon the Christ for him self and Peter payde the tribute as many thincke because the same began before they came to Capernaum but because he spake vnto them of his deathe and resurrection with many wordes as they were in the waye and also comforted them they being ignorant what his resurrection was excepte it shoulde be a certaine possession and renewing of the kingdome therfore they began this disputation M. For the Apostels did not contend or dispute of the heauenly kingdome to come but of suche a kyngdome whiche they thoughte shoulde be in this shorte life according to the maner of the kingdomes of this world as concerning the whiche kyngedome they questioned with hym after his resurrection saying Lorde wilt thou at this tyme restore againe the kyngedome of Israell C. Therefore they omittyng the occasion of sorrowe and heauines drawe vnto theym selues that whiche was spoken of his resurrection wherupon amonge the secure and carelesse this contentiō arose And because they flee frō the former part of doctrine which is sower and bytter to the fleshe God suffereeh them to be seduced and to erre in his resurrection that they might dreame of that whiche should not come to passe namely that Chryste by the bare preaching of his worde sholde possesse an earthely kingedome and that they in the same shoulde be part takers of greate pleasure M. They myghte also haue ben moued to the same disputation when they heard that it was saide before vnto Peter To thée wyll I geue the keies of the kingdome of heauē A. Although this was not spoken properly to Peter alone but to al the mynisters of the word in his person as we haue shewed before M. In like maner they had seene Iames Iohn and Peter onely to be taken they beinge left behinde to the raysinge vp of the rulers daughter And also they onely went with Christ vp into the mountain C. But in this question there were twoo faltes For fyrste the Apostelles all care of the warre beinge as it were set a parte preposterously as if they had ben dismist souldiers and worne in battaile require rest to be geuen them and their pention also before their tyme Secondly in this they did offende namely where as they should haue ben of one minde and agreed together as bretherne in helping one an other they nowe beinge full of ambition seeke howe they maye peruerte one an other Wherefore to the ende our race may be acceptable vnto the lorde let vs learne paciently to beare the burthen of the crosse layed vpon vs vntill the ful tyme of the receyuing of the triumphāt crowne come then as S. Paule exhorteth vs let vs in honour go before one an other To the fyrst vice the vaine curiositie of these men at this daye is a kynne whiche leauinge the lawful race of theyr calling leape out of time aboue the heauens The Lorde in his Gospell callinge vs to his kingdome sheweth vs the waye by the whiche we maye come thyther Rashe and inconstant men nothing consideringe of Faythe of Pacience of the inuocation of God and of other exercises fall in hand to dispute as concerning that whiche is done in heauen But this is euen as if one beinge about to take a iorney inquyring where his lodging sholde be mouethe not one foote For when as the lorde cōmaundeth vs to walke in the earthe whosoeuer he
yet notwithstanding the sauce of the grace of God is so swete that their condition is more pleasaunte desiered then the delights of kinges M. For they shal be so farre from loosing the ayde helpe of kinsfolkes that they shall gette many more in my kyngdome than they had before and of greater fidellity and trust For loke how many fellowes they shall finde partakers of theyr fayth so many bretheren so many sisters so many fathers and mothers so manye children so many kinsfolkes and frends they shall finde For they are our Parēts sisters bretherene father and mother which heare the word of God and kepe it B. When hée sayth therefore An hundered foulde hee meaneth that wee shal haue a more infinite deale of pleasure in vsinge that small quantity in persecution which the Lord hath geuē vs for this present life than wee had with the abundaunce of those thinges which wee enioyed before wee knewe the Gospell For the children of God esteeme so much of the knowledge thereof that they will not chaūge the same for the whole world Furthermore because they that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good and to them that séeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof all thinges needefull shal be geuen although Christians are banished from their house and are lefte destitute of thinges necessary yet notwithstanding nothinge shal be wanting vnto them the vse whereof might either be profitable vnto them or necessary In the meane time they haue learned of S. Paule to be content with those thinges that they haue they knowe howe to be low and howe to excéede they know how to be full and how to be hungrye both to haue plentie and to suffer néede And shall inherite euerlasting life Bu. This truely is the greatest comfort of al to be the heyre of God and coheyre with Christ that is to be partaker of the graces of god A So in another place our Sauiour Christe doth call those that are his to the bearing of the crosse manfully by the consideration of this excéeding benefite saying Be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen 30. But many that are firste shal be last and the last shal be first But many that are first BV. This sentence teacheth vs that modestie becommeth those that are Saints Z. Because Peter very ambitiously had sayde Behold we haue forsaken all folowed thée what reward shall we haue therfore the Lord fore shewed that it woulde come to passe that many in the Church shold conceiue a great opinion of thē selues by reason of their works and merits for the which they think that eternall life is due vnto thē for the which they should glory and boast thē selues to be most acceptable vnto God Such were the Scribes Pharises in Christes time such are the Scribes and Pharises in these our dayes I mean the Papistes whom our Sauiour Christ pronounceth here to be last or farthest from the kingdome of heauen that is to say such as shal be excluded and shut out of the kingdom of heauen This sentence therefore serueth greatly to driue away the slouthfulnes of the fleshe For our Sauiour Christe here sheweth that they which are neuer so forward in their race except they go on still and continue to the ende shall not obteyne According to S. Paule which sayth that all which runne do not obteyne the game And in another place he exhorteth by his owne example to forget those thinges whiche are behinde and to séeke to gette those thinges which are before according to the marke appoynted But where as he saith And the last shal be first he taketh awai all desperation from the greatest sinner whom the goodman of the house may call into his vineyard to be a laborer when he will and geue him eternall life as to the thiefe hanging on the crosse which deserued no such thing Do we not see that the Iewes boasting them selues to be the first in the lawe to be made last and to be reiected that the Gentiles which were last are nowe become firste and most acceptable vnto God to whom he hath geuen repentaunce vnto life The whiche thing our Sauiour Christe doth more largely declare in the Chapter folowing The .xx. Chapter FOr the kingdom of heauen is like vnto a manne that is an housholder vvhich vvent out earlye in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard For the kingdome of heauen Bu. Here our Sauiour Christe according to his maner to make the matter more euident and playne taketh a parable by the which he might make manifest his sētence which went before Many that are first shal be last and the last shal be first C. But we must sée howe this similitude maye be made apt and applied to the purpose Certaine interpreters coniecture this to be the summe and effect Because the heauenly inheritaunce is not gotten by the merites of workes but is geuen fréelye that therfore the glory of all men shal be alike But truely Christ doth not here dispute of the equalitie of the heauenlye glory or of the state and condition of the godly that shal be but hée onlye sheeweth that there is no cause why they shoulde glory or boast more thē other which are first or excell by reason of time because the Lorde so often as it shall please him may call those whom hée might séeme to neglecte for a time and so eyther make them equall or preferre thē before those that were first If any man go aboute to discusse exactlye euerye parte of this parable hée shal shewe himselfe to curious Therefore wée muste searche no farther then the counsell and purpose of oure sauiour Christ But wée said a little before that hée had no other respecte than that he mighte continually styrre vp his Apostels to go forward Wée do knowe that slouthfulnes doth aryse moste commonlye of to much trust and so it commeth to passe that many as it were in the running of a race do faint and fall downe in the middest of the waye Therefore Paule commaundeth vs to forget those things that are behinde that wée consideringe what remayneth vnto vs maye with a good courage prepare oure selues to runne The kingdome of heauen is like A. To know what the kingdome of Heauen is reade the fower twentye verce of the thirtene Chapter going before C. The sence and meaninge is that the maner of the deuine callinge is euen as if a man should hyer workemen early in the morning at a certaine price to dresse his Vineyarde and afterwarde shoulde send other labourers without couenant or gréement to whom notwithstanding hée should geue the same rewarde But hée therefore maketh mencion of the kingdome of Heauen because hee compareth a spirituall kinde of life to that which is earthy and the rewarde also of eternall life to moneye by the which men doe reward those that worke for them
willinglye as if he shoulde haue sayde I am a companion in the crosse with you and you with me Also vnder the person of these two men he speaketh vnto all his seruauntes generallye For although many faythfull men do dye naturally and not a violent or blouddy death yet notwithstanding it is common to all men as S. Paule teacheth to be fashioned according to the ymage of Christe So that we are all the daye longe as shéepe appoynted to be slayne But vnder the name of Crosse the Scripture comprehendeth all kinde of sorowe and affliction as bondes prisonment scourgings banishment ignominye and such like These two disciples were not exercised in these thinges which truelye do tame the fleshe and the affections of the fleshe and doo brydle sinne also But to sit on my right hande and on my lefte is A. What hee meaneth by these woords read the one and twenty Verse goinge before Is not myne to geue C. By this aunswere our sauiour Christ derogateth nothing from himselfe but only sheweth that his father hath not enioyned vnto him this office that hée should assigne to anye man his proper seate in the kingedome of heauen Hée is come trulye to bringe all those that are his into euerlasting life but it is sufficient vnto vs and wee ought there with to be contente that the inheritance purchased with his bloud abydeth for vs For how much one shall excell another in glory it is neither our partes to seeke neyther was it the will of God that Christ should reueale the same vnto vs but woulde haue the same deferred euen vntill the last reuelation Now let vs note the purpose of Christ for he disputeth not here of his owne power but he only sheweth wherefore hee was sent of the father and what is agreable to his callinge And therefore hee maketh a difference betwene the maner of teaching committed vnto him and the secrete purpose of god Euen as when hée sayth in another place as concerning the day of Iudgemenr But of that day hower knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neyther the sonne himselfe saue the father only A very profitable admonition that wée might learne soberlye to be wyse and that wee might not go about to burst out into the secrete misteries of God and speciallye that wée should not be to curious in searching out the state of the life to come for it hath not yet appeared what wée shal be neither shall it appeare vntill suche time as God hath made vs like vnto himselfe But it shall chaunce vnto them that it is M. These two presumed to take the prerogatiue of glory vnto them selues because they were a kin vnto Christ but Christ teacheth that it was not meete the the glorye of the kingdome of Heauen shoulde be geuen for that cause Hée teacheth therefore that the glory of the lyfe to come muste be loked for by the onlye grace of the merciful God which choseth his electe without any respect of workes or merits Wherefore in the daye of Iudgement hee shall say Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the Apostell Paule sayth Euen as hee chose vs in himselfe before the foundation of the world was layed So that we must note that there is not an equalitie appoynted amōge the sōnes of God after that they are receiued into the heauenly glorye but that degree of honor is promised to euery man to the which they are ordeyned by the eternall counsell and purpose of God. 24. And vvhen the ten hearde this they disdayned at the tvvo brethren And vvhen the ten heard this BV. Truely sayth the holy Prophete of God that the heart of man is wicked and inscrutable For we may see euen in the disciples a certayne bottomlesse pit of errors and that when one vice is cut of another is in his place yea and euen those things which we thought cut of to florishe againe For euen nowe the Lorde had stayed the ambition of his two disciples and by and by he is constrayned to driue the same out of the other ten disciples brestes and not only that but the pestilent disease of enuye also M. For whereas the other ten are saide to disdaine the twoo disciples which were brethren it was not because they did hate this ambition A. but because they them selues also being led by ambition did séeke to excell in the kingdome of Christ M. So that this disdain did arise of the ambition which lay secret in their harts C. The Euāgelist Luke doeth séeme to referre this contention of the disciples vnto another time But whosoeuer doth wisely consider that two and twenty Chapter of Luke shall finde that the words which were spoken at diuers times the order being neglected wer knit together Therefore the contention for the superiority wherof Luke maketh mention had his originall hereupon because the sonnes of Zebede did couet to haue the chiefe seates in the kingdom of Christ And yet notwithstanding the indignation and disdaine of the other ten was not to be allowed for séeing the ambition in the two brethren was greuously reprehended insomuch that they went away from Christ with shame what did it hurt the other ten that they had foolishly desired that which they had not gotten But the Lorde went about by this occasion to haue the disease which lurked in them to be reuealed for there was not one of thē which willingly woulde geue place to another but euery man in his heart hoped to excell the rest so it came to passe that one of them enuyed another and contended one with another Wherfore if this vice were in rusticall rude and base men and if it bursted forth in them vpon a light or almoste vppon no occasion howe muche more ought we to take héede when there is sufficient matter to kindle the secrete fyre We doo sée by experience howe ambition doeth burne in the greatnes of power and honour and it casteth out flames farre and wide were it not that the modestie of the spirite did restrayne from heauen the naturall pride which cleaueth vnto man M. We doo sée howe great ambition and pride remayned in the sonnes of Iacob the twelue patriarkes and how greuouslye they toke it to haue their brother Iosephe preferred before them A. Let vs therefore so much as wée may tourne our selues awaye from this pestilent disease ambition 25. But Iesus called them vnto him and saide ye know that the Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them And they that are great men exercise authority vppon them But Iesus called them vnto him M. Christ cā in no wise abyde the discord and disagréement of those that are his therefore hee calling his Apostles vnto him cutteth of againe the roote and occasion of the euill seekinge to make them all of one minde C. In that hee calleth them vnto him to the ende hée mighte
this woorde Hosiah-na is as muche to saye as helpe now or saue and prosper althinges that this man taketh in hande B. And when they added to the sonne of Dauid it was as muche as if they shoulde haue sayed Helpe Lorde wee beseeche thée and prosper all things that belonge to this sonne of Dauid that his kingdome maye prosper luckely and take good successe prosper him thou wée say which dwellest in the hyest This crye of the people semeth to agrée with that whereof mencion is made in the tenthe Chapter of the firste booke of Kinges where the people sayde God saue kinge Saule and in the first Chapter of the thirde booke of kinges where the people cryed God saue kinge Solomon A. Therefore the Disciples and the multitude beinge moued by the instincte of the spirite prayed for the felicitye of the king for the prosperous successe also of his kingdome C. And truly as the spirit of God did then appoint that people to pray dailye for the kingdome of Christe euen so also hee doth nowe prescribe the same rule vnto vs And seing that God wil raigne by no other meanes than by the power of his sonne wée ought daylye to wishe and praye for his kingdome according as wee are taught Thy kingdome come vnder the which sentence the same is noted which more plainely in the Psalme is expressed Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde C. The Hebrewe woorde Berach in the Psalme out of the which these were taken signifyeth to prayse and to encrease one with goodes whervppon commeth the Hebrewe participle Baruch that is praysed blessed or increasee with goodes By this voyce therefore they wish vnto Christ the encrease of all goodnes and the prosperous successe of all thinges For repetitioÌ„ seemeth to be a familiar thinge to the Hebrewes and oftentimes vsed of them For that which before they wished in these woordes Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid or God prosper the sonne of Dauid they nowe wishe againe in sayinge Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord as if they should haue sayde Hitherto wee haue beene oppressed with diuers tyrannies but nowe oure kinge comminge all thinges shal prosper well and hee shal be happye which commeth vnto vs in the name of the Lord or beinge sente or annointed of God saue prosper and blesse thou him therfore which dwellest in the hyest The Euangelist sayth expresly in the name of the Lorde because the Messias should come as one sent and not as one that thrusteth in himselfe but should be sent of the father For hee is said to come in the name of the Lorde which intrudeth not himselfe but taketh the kingdome at the will and commaundement of god The which thinge maye more certainly be gathered by the woordes of Marke when hee sayth Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the name of him that is the Lorde of oure father Dauid For they spake after this maner in respecte of the promises because the Lord had promised that he woulde at the lengthe be the deliuerer of that people and had appointed a meane namely the renuinge and restoringe of the kingdome of Dauid B. The like and the very selfe same meaninge almost had those prayers of the seruauntes of Solomon when they sayd As God hath bene with my Lorde the kinge euen so be hee with Solomon also and make his seate greatter than the seate of my lord kyng Dauids hath bene C. We do see therefore that the honour of a mediatour of whom all good thinges and the benefite of saluation was hoped for is attributed vnto Christ But seing they were rude and ignorante people which called the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of Dauid we may hereby learne that this doctrine was comon and well knowne to the vulgar sorte which doctrine semeth to some at this daye very harde because they are not exercised in the Scriptures Hosanna in the hiest B. This repetition dothe declare a greate feruencye to be in the people which hartely and vnfainedly receyued Christe to be their kinge as if they shoulde haue saide Thou O God whiche dwellest in the heauens saue the kynge whiche thou hast sente vnto vs C. and delyuer vs by Christ whiche in thy name is come vnto vs C. The Euangelist Luke addeth somewhat more saying peace in heauen and glory in the hiest In the whiche there were no obscuritie if it were agreable to the songe of the Angell in the seconde of Luke For there the Angelles assigne glorye to God in Heauen and peace to men in earthe but here bothe peace and glory are referred to god In sence notwithstandinge there is no disagreement for althoughe the Angelles do more distinctely shewe the cause why it was necessarye that the glory and prayse shoulde be yelded vnto God namely because by his mercy men inioy peace in this worlde yet notwithstandinge it meaneth the same thinge that the multitude in this place proclaymeth namely that there is peace in heauen because we knowe that myserable consciences in this worlde are no other waies pacified then by the reconciliation of God to them from heauen 10 And when he was come to Hierusalem all the cittie was moued saying VVho is this And vvhen he vvas come Bu. It was necessary that the glory of the kynge Chryste shoulde not be obscure or hidden but euidente and manifest and therefore by the ordinance of God al the cittezens of Hierusalem are moued at this vnwonted â—…ight that we might know that the comminge of Christe in this order and apperance was not vnfruitefull and voyde of profyte C. The matter was not done in huggermugger or by stealth in secret without the knowledge of the hye priestes and Scribes but openly all the people beholdinge the same Wherefore in that contemptible state of the fleshe the maiestie of the spirite was euidente for howe coulde al men haue suffered without their greate peryll that Christ shold be brought into the Cittie with kinglike pompe excepte they had bene amased at the sighte A. This sighte therefore mighte haue seemed a laughinge game had not the power of God ben presente C. This therefore is the somme that the enteraunce of Christe into the cittie was neyther secrete nor his ennemies quiet because they contempned hym but rather that they were staied by secret feare because God had stricken theym so that they durste not attempte any thynge In the meane time the carelesse securytie of the cittie is reprehended and the zeale and religion of straungers is commended For when the cittezens by reason of the noyse make enquirye who it was they plainly declare them selues to be none of the disciples of Christ Finally these woordes ought to be extended to all those thinges whiche pertayne to the kyngedome of Chryst the whiche kingdome semeth to the worlde contemptyble and base and the mynisters and seruauntes of this kingdome do feme vnto them to be madde and out of their witts but
sentence was muche vsed of Christ and obiected to the common sort of people as a prouerbe 13. VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for yee shut vp the kingdome of heauē before mē ye neither go in your selues neither suffer ye them that come to enter in VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis C. Our sauiour Christ as yet doth earnestly inueye against the Scribes Phariseis the which he doth not so muche for their sakes as hee did it to reuoke the people and simple sorte from their secte For although we see that the vengeance of God is oftentimes in the Scriptures pronounced against the reprobate to the ende they mighte be made the more voide of excuse yet notwithstandinge vnder their person the children of God are profitablely admonished that they wrap not themselues in the same snares of wickednes but that they beware of the like destruction Truly when the Scribes the worship of God beinge ouerthrowne and the doctrine of godlines being corrupted woulde beare no correction and set themselues against the redemptiō offered vnto them by desperate madnes to the destruction both of themselues and of the people it was necessary that they should be hated and detested of all men Howbeit Christe had not respect so much what they deserued as hee had what was profitable to the rude and ignoraunte For he mente about the ende of his life to leaue some solemne testimonye least that anye man excepte willinglye and wittinglye might be deceiued by those wicked varlates For wee know howe great a let to the simple the foolishe reuerence of false teathers is least they should be deliuered frō errors The Iewes at that time were endued with false doctrine yea from their infancye they had sucked in manye superstitions How difficult hard a thing should it be then of it selfe to bringe them into the waye for the preposterous and wronge opinion which they had conceiued of the false teachers did greatly hinder them because in deede they thoughte them to be the lawfull gouerners of the Churche the prelates of deuine worship and the pillers of pietye Moreouer we maye deeme that they were so bewitched that they could not well be drawne from the same except it were by violent feare Christ therefore doth not pronounce the horrible vēgeance of God against them that hee might cure the Scribes but that hee might feare the rest from their deceites and snares In like maner at this daye wee are constrayned to thunder more vehementlye againste the Popishe clergye for no other cause but this that they which are tractable and easye to be taughte and not altogether reiected and caste of of the Lorde may attende and geeue eare to their saluation and beinge striken and astonyed at the iudgemente of God maye breake the deadlye snares of superstition wyth the which they were helde captiue Whereby wee may gather how cruell their tender softnes is to whom our vehemencye is greuous It displeaseth them that the wolues are sharpelye vexed and punished whiche dailye seeke and gape to spoile and deuoure the sheepe and yet notwithstandinge they see that the sillye sheepe beinge deceiued by a vaine and counterfeite shewe do willingly cast themselues into the mouthes of the raueninge wolues excepte the sheepeheard whiche desiereth to haue them saued and goeth aboute to deliuer them from destruction do driue them awaye with the crye of his voyce Wee must note therefore the purpose of Christ that wee by his example may seuerely threaten the wolues and wicked deceiuers and may bouldly cry against them that whosoeuer are cureable maye flee from them for feare of destruction For although this profiteth nothinge with the ennemies of the truth yet notwithstandinge they muste be cited to the tribunall seate of God and others admonished that they may know that the same curse hāgeth ouer their heades excepte they departe be times from their wicked purpose Yee hypocrites M. Christe pronounceth this malediction or cursse against these ypocrites eight times in this Chapter and that trulye with suche vehemencye of the spirite as he is read neuer to do the lyke to anye man at anye other time Wee are therefore admonished and taughte by this place that no sort of men howe pestilent and hurtfull soeuer they be can be subiecte to a greater curse than these ypocrites and not onelye these but all suche of like condition For yee shut vp the kingdome of Heauen C. Christ doth denounce a cursse agaynst them because they peruert their office to the destruction of the whole multitude For seing that the regiment of the Church was in theyr handes they should haue bene as porters of the kingdome of Heauen For to what ende pertayneth Religion and holye doctrine but onelye to open the kingdome of Heauen vnto vs For wee knowe that all mankinde is banished from God and excluded from the inheritaunce of euerlastinge life and saluation But the doctrine of Godlynes is as it were the waye by the which wee enter into life Therefore the Scripture sayth metaphoricallye that the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are geuen to the pastors as wee haue more largelye declared in the sixtene Chapter goinge before And this definition must be obserued which more euidently also maye be gathered by the woordes of S. Luke where Christe reproueth the Lawyears and casteth in their teethe that they toke away the keye of knowledge and that because they beinge the keepers of the deuine lawe defrauded the people of the true vnderstandinge thereof Euen as therefore at this daye the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are committed vnto the pastors that they maye admit the faythfull into euerlastinge life and depriue the faithfull of all hope of the same euen so in times paste the same office was inioyned and committed to the hye Priestes and Scribes vnder the lawe M. The doore of the kingdome of Heauen was opened by the comminge of the preachinge of the Gospell the which the Scribes did shut vp before men when they draue them from the enterance thereof that is to saye from the fayth of the Gospell condemninge the doctrine of Christe least the people shoulde receiue the same C. Furthermore by this woorde knowledge whereof Luke maketh mencion we gather howe folishly the Papistes faine and imagin to themselues keyes as though there were a certaine magicall power without the word of god For Christ declareth that no other vse these keyes than they whiche are the ministers of doctrine If anye man obiect that the Phariseis although they were peruerse interpretors of the law yet that they had neuerthelesse the keyes we answe are that although they were committed vnto them in respect of their office yet notwithstāding that they were suppressed by mallice and fraude insomuch that no vse of them remained Therefore Christ saith that they toke away or stale that keye of knowledge by the which they shoulde haue opened Heauen doore euen as it is seene in the Papacy
at this day for they shut and close vp the way to heauen againste the miserable people beinge the dore keepers themselues or at least to whō this charge is committed and that by their tyrannye But excepte wee be to secure carelesse wee will not geue oure hande to wicked tirantes whiche cruellye staye vs from the enterance into euerlasting life Yee neither go in your selues M. By two meanes they did shut vppe the kingdome of Heauen before men Firstlye because they themselues would not enter in for the simple people did greatly stande vpon their auctority as maye appeare by this their sayinge Do any of the rulers or Phariseis beleeue in him but this multitude which knoweth not the lawe are accursed Therefore to beleue in Christ is as much as to enter into the kingdome of Heauen Secondly because they stayed those that desiered to enter in both by the wronge interpretacion of the lawe challenging to themselues the keye of knowledge and not allowing anye opinion or intelligence of the law and Prophetes whiche they themselues had not taughte and also by the commination and terror of excommunication For they had already conspired in this that they woulde cast the confessors of Christ out of the tēple the which truly did not only bringe corporall griefes but also the consciences of the people of God being tyed with Religion it semed to heauy and greuous Bu. Therefore while they desired to haue their praye of the common sorte of people which were subiecte vnto them they neither entered into the kingdome of Heauen themselues neither did they suffer those which woulde enter 14. VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for yee deuoure widowes houses and that vnder a pretence of longe prayer therefore shal ye be the sorer punished VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Bu. Oure sauioure Christe in all the beginninges of his accusations calleth the Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites strikinge their consciences and declaringe that whatsoeuer they do in religion is but fayned coūterfeyte and false For ye deuoure E. The most auncyent and beste lattine and Greeke bookes haue Because yee deuoure VVydovves houses C. Now hee procedeth farther accusinge not only their feastes which were worthye to be hated and abhorred before all men but hee wypeth awaye also the fayned and counterfaite shewes of vertue by the which the common sort of people were deceiued If any man alleage and say that those thinges were not needeful to be reprehended which could not hurt by example we must remēber this that they coulde not otherwise be saued which were tyed vnto the errors of the Scribes excepte they did whollye forsake them This was the reason therefore that constrayned Christ to bewraye and vncouer the vaine shewe of vertue whiche was the fome of superstition So that in some and effecte hee sayth that when they seeme to do verye well they do falselye abuse vnder the pretence of religion In their longe prayers there was some signe of vertue sildome seene For the more holy that euery man is the more hee geueth himselfe to prayer But our sauiour Christe sayth that the Scribes and Phariseis were so impare that they vsurped not truly the principall part of the worship of God without sinne because the dailye custome of prayinge was to them a subtill meane to get filthy gayne Neyther did they sell their prayers otherwise than do hierlings their daily labors B. He doth reproue therefore their religion set oute to sale for when hee nameth prayers hee vnderstandeth also all other thinges pertayninge to externall worship C. Whereby also wee gather that longe prayers are not preciselye reprehended as thoughe the faulte consisted in the length speciallye seinge it behoueth the pastors of the Church aboue all others to be occupyed in prayer but this corruption is condemned that a thinge laudable of it selfe should be drawne to so euill an ende For when gaine is made of hyered prayers the more that the shewe of feruent deuocion increaseth the more is the name of God prophaned B. Our sauiour Christ nameth here the houses for the goodes and substance By the name of wydowes he vnderstandeth such as are poore and needye and set oute to the preye good and simple men the meanest sort amonge the people which wanted patrones and defenders notwithstandinge hee speciallye vnderstandeth wydowes whiche are more enclined to superstition and may more easelye be deceiued by the pretence of sanctimonye and holynes Prayer is a holy thinge whiche they defiled abusinge the same to filthy gaine For it is the dutye of all men to praye one for another and not to make marchandise of prayer For they which sell prayers what do they els than by and sell make a market and exercise sacriledge in the temple of God Christ therfore toucheth the Phariseis because vnder the pretence and cooller of longe prayers they allured and enticed wydowes and other simple personnes to this that they should bring their houses or els truly the price of theyr houses soulde to Corban And because a false perswasion was already entered into the hartes of the common people therefore oure sauiour Christe doth more sharpelye threaten the Scribes and Phariseis sayinge Therefore shall yee be the sorer punished E. The Greeke text hath ye shall receiue the greater iudgement Bu. Hee vseth the comparatiue degree because they did not onelye fill their bellies with the riches and substance of wydowes whose neede they should rather haue holpen but also because they did a wicked thinge vnder the pretence of Godlynes or els because they did not onely oppresse the nedier sort deuouringe their substance but also because they had therewith longe prayers takinge to themselues sāctimony and coueringe their crueltye A. Therefore there remayned vnto them no small punishmente because the pollution of so holy a thinge was no small or light offence Bu. The Popishe clergy also greuouslye offende in the like pretence of Godlynes In time past in the holy or Ecclesiasticall company the Psalmes himnes and sacrede lessons were redde the sollemne action of the Lordes supper was cellebrated accordinge to the institution prescribed of Christ for these thinges no man payed anye thinge all thinges were receiued freely But at this daye by the couetousnes of sacrifycinge priestes the matter is come to this passe that all thinges are set oute to sale Canonicall howers masses and watches are redde and other canticles of sufficiente length are songe all things are done vnder the pretence of soules healthe when as by this meanes they are inriched and made fat but the poore are made leane C. Neither is it any marueile if widowes were intangeled with these false perswasions because as wee saide before women beinge prone to superstition it was alwayes the maner of the leude personnes to robbe and despoile them cleane by craft of their money So Paule obiecteth to the false teachers of his time that they bringe into bondage women laden with sinne Bu.
Wherfore most greuous punishment doth hange ouer the heades of suche deceiuers excepte they conuert and forsake their sinnes And it is not to be omitted that the Euangelist Luke doth rather vse this woord of deuouringe than of eatinge For so hee noted the excessiue and insatiable desyer of these hypocrites to the ende all men might beware of the like deuouringe 15. VVo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for ye compasse sea and lande to make one proselyte and when he is become one ye make him two foulde more the childe of hell then ye your selues are VVo be vnto you M. Here our sauioure Christ toucheth another kinde of ypocrits C. For by this zeale also the Scribes had got vnto themselues fauoure by the which they sought to bringe forreners and the vncircumcised to the Iewishe Religion Therfore if they had deceiued anye man by their intisementes or by anye other deceite they triumphed wonderfullye as thoughe theyr Churche had bene increased Herevppon also it came to passe that the common sorte of people did so highly esteeme of them namelye bycause by their industry vertue they did inserte ioyne straungers to the Church of god But Christ on the contrarye parte pronounceth that the same their studye and industry ought so litle to be attributed vnto them for theyr prayse that they rather thereby prouoke the wrath of God because they are drawen into more greeuous destruction which geeue themselues to theyr secte For wee must note how corrupte the state of thinges was then and how religiō was dissipated and decayed For as it was a godly and excellent worke to bringe Disciples vnto God euen so to allure and intice the Gentiles to the Iewishe worship which was then corrupted and fylled with wicked prophanacions was nothinge els then to bringe them from Scilla and to carye them to Charibdis or to bringe them from one mischiefe and to cast them into a greater Christe therefore doth not condemne the studye and diligence in drawinge of straungers but hee declareth by the ende it selfe that they do not the same vppō a good affection seinge they made those worse by two foulde than they themselues were For when the Ethnike or heathen man was led vppon hoope of learninge religion they made him suche a one by theyr superstitious doctrine and corrupt maners that he shoulde not onelye forsake the pure and true worshippe of God and the inheritaunce of Heauen but also that hee shoulde be a more wicked Iewe than hee was an Ethnicke and in more daunger also of hell fyer than the Iewes themselues were For it commeth almost to passe that the Dysciples doe ouercome their euill maisters in mallyce Ye compasse sea and lande E. The latayne texte hath the sea and drye callinge the lande drye after the maner of the Hebrewes To make one proselyte The Greeke woorde signifyeth a straunger They whiche came from Ethnicisme to Iudaisme that is which hauinge denyed and forsaken the religion of the Gentiles receyued the religion appertayninge to the Iewes and were circumcised these were called proselytes and straungers And vvhen hee is become one yee make him the child This is spoken in the Hebrewe phrase accordinge to that whiche is written in the twenty Chapter of the first Booke of Samuell where Saule calleth Dauid the child of death for the man deseruinge deathe or worthy to dye So hee calleth that man the childe of hell which deserued to be caste into hell and to dye withe euerlastynge deathe Tvvo foulde more then ye your selues are The Greeke texte hath yee make them more double the children of hell then ye your selues are as thoughe both of them were two foulde the children of hell but in this place the straungers are said to be in greater perill of damption than they For by the wicked abuse of Gods name they prouoked greater vengeaunce vppon themselues seing that Religion gaue vnto them a more groose liberty to sinne The like example at this day wee may behoulde in the Monkes for they gather from all places proselites but such as they make of wicked mē wikced deuils For such is the corruption of these ydle bellyes and filthye lechers that they depraue euen the Angels of Heauen Notwithstanding their monkishe apparell is a most fit veale to couer all kinde of wickednes 16. VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye saye whosoeuer doth sweare by the temple it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gould of the temple hee is gilty VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides C. Euen as ambition is alwayes almost ioyned to hypocrisye so the couetousnes and greedy raking of the pastors doth commonly suffer maintaine the superstition of the people The worlde trulye of his owne accorde falleth into errors and doth as it were of purpose bringe vnto it selfe deceits and al kinde of seduringes but then at the laste they obtaine wicked worshippings whē the chiefe guides themselues do confirme them but trulye oftentimes it commeth to passe that they which are the chiefe do not only by theyr winking suffer errors because they see that they are gainfull vnto them but also by their meanes they do more increase them So we see in the Papacy that superstitions were increased by infinite practises when the Sacrifycers inhaunced the preye who also daily deuise many things by the which they may the more deceiue the folishe multitude For when mens mindes are once darkened by the inchauntmentes and delucions of Sathā there is nothing so absurde or monsterous but they will receiue it Herevpon it came to passe that the Iewes gaue more reuerence to the gould of the temple and to the holy oblations than to the tēple and to the altare But truly the holines of the oblations did depende vppon the tēple and the Altar Also it is credible that this error came from the Scribes and hye Priestes because it was an apte and fit hūtinge to get preyes but this error was no lesse pernicious than folishe because it led the people to groose inuentions There is nothinge more proue and inclyned to fall from the pure worship of God than men it was therefore the purpose of Sathan by this veale to drawe those a farre of from the beholdinge of God which already leaned to much to foolishe imaginations This is the reason why Christe so sharpelye reprehendeth this error And yet notwithstandinge the Papistes are not ashamed to set forth the holy name of God to a more filthy ieste For they make more accompte to toutche a peece of filthy carreyen than the holy volume of the Bible or to lift vp their handes to Heauen And by this meanes the carnal worship of God is brought in which by litle little defaceth the true ende scope thereof Yee blinde guides for ye saye vvhosoeuer A. In the fiftene Chapter also going before hee calleth them blinde guides It is nothinge That is to saye hee doth not offende against the commaundement of an
daungerous least they should quayle being ouerwhelmed with euels specially if they had promised vnto them selues quiet ease But he speaketh not here symplely but by a cōparison that there were always warres but neuer such greuouse warres For about the begynning of Christes commyng or about the beginninge of the Gospell they preuayled more and more B. Furthermore these rumours of warres and warres that is to saye tumultes seditions and murthers began specially and chiefely to bee in the tyme of Cumanus lieftenaunt whiche succeded Tyberius Alexander of whome Iosephus maketh mention Within a whyle after there insued an other tumulte betwene the Iewes and the Samaritanes with greate slaughter of men and spoylyng of townes After that there followed an other tumulte at Caesaria But when P. Festus had succeded Felix of whiche succesion mention is made in the fower and twenty chapter of the Actes he went aboute to delyuer that Prouince form theues but the vengeaunce of God stayinge the same he coulde not The sayde Festus being succeded by Albinus and Albinus by C. Florus all kynde of wyckednes ouerflowed For as these twoo but specially Florus lefte nothyng vndone pertayning to tyranny extreame and open iniurie and rapine euen so therewith the bouldenes of those that were seditious amonge the Iewes did dayly more and more increase where vpon immediatly came tumultes hurly-burlys roberies open violence and by little and lyttle cruel murthers and the people were vexed daylye with vnspeakeable euels and calamities tyll that they were driuen to iust rebellion with suche vnwonted force and violent crueltie not heard of before he raged against them But kyng Agrippa went many wayes about to diswade and dehorte them from rebellion yet all in vayne At the length therefore when they had preuayled whiche sought to renewe thynges the Romane power and the garryson of kyng Agrippa did assault the cittie of Hierusalem with open warre and being forced to yelde after they had geuen handes and promysed lyfe with an othe they slewe ouery one of them sauing only Mutilius the lieftenaunt After that Cestius the presidēt of Syria did bid the cittizens of Hierusalem battaile But he being forced to rayse his siege and to auoyde the force of the Iewes by flight the authours of the rebellion were made more boulde and hauing gotten all power they brought vnto them selues and to theires muche euell vntyll suche tyme as they were altogether banyshed by Titus Of all the whiche thynges Iosephus wryteth at large form the eleuenth chapiter of the seconde booke of the warre of the Iewes vnto the ende of the seuenth booke Be not troubled S. To be troubled by reason of warres in this place is to doubte of the truthe of the worde the whiche thyng we doe when we iudge of the woorde by vncertayne thynges B. as at this daye it happeneth with them whiche for the present happe and chaunce doe eyther begyn to doubte of the Gospell or to haue the same in suspicion or els altogether to cōdemne it For all these thinges must firste come This woorde Must conteineth in it no small consolation For what wyse man wil be afflicted for the thing whiche cannot otherwyse be But what man that trusteth in God wyll be troubled when that commeth to passe whiche must nedes happen by the ordinaunce of God the whiche thing must nedes be beste and moste wholsome for the saynctes of God God truly wyll not haue those that are his to bee troubled in these necessary and continuall tormoyles of thinges but to bee of a stoute mynde as those that knowe it to bee the decree and ordinaunce of god He saieth that it must nedes bee and yet notwithstandinge hee sheweth not the cause but declareth that none of all these thinges come to passe by chaūce or without the prouidence of God least we shoulde in vayne kycke against the pricke For there is nothynge more effectuall to bryng vs vnder than when we do acknowledge that those thinges whiche seme moste confused are moderated by the wyll and pleasure of god For to God him selfe iust causes and true reasons why he suffereth the worlde to be troubled are neuer wantinge but because it is mete that the faythfull doe areste in the mere and good pleasure of God Christe thoughte it sufficient to exhorte the disciples to haue their mindes armed with constancie to beare and suffer because so it pleased God. By these woordes also he dothe shewe vnto vs that his kyngdome dothe not brynge vs pleasaunte delightes and suche other lyke commodities of this worlde but that it is spirituall and he dothe as it were demonstrate with the fynger that wee must haue respecte to somewhat els than to the earth and the commodities of this present lyfe Neither dothe this woorde Must signifie any thing that is fatall or belonging to desteny as certayne fanaticall or mad men doe deme For it hath alwayes one cause or other and it is profitable to bee done for those causes before mencioned But the ende is not yet Christe here more playnely vttereth that whiche we spake of before namely that those thinges whiche were greuous of thē selues were notwithstanding onely certayne enteraunces and beginninges of greater calamities because whan the flame of warres had corrupted Iury it would burste out further For in that the doctrine of the Gospell was spread abroade the lyke ingratitude among other nations dyd kyndle the wrathe of God. Hereupon it came to passe that they whiche had broken the bonde of peace with God dyd nowe teare one an other with mutuall debate that they whiche refused before to obeye God are nowe gladde to submitte them sleues to the violence of their ennemies that they whiche before woulde not abyde to be reconciled vnto God are nowe together by the eares one with an other and that they whiche depryued them selues of heauenly saluation haue nowe fylled the earth with murther in sleying one an other M. Therefore by these woordes hee sheweth that these sedicions shall bee of longe continuance And it is a verye proffitable admonition leaste men shoulde thynke that they haue done enough if they haue escaped twoo or three daungers but rather that they shoulde alwayes bee readye to a newe fyghte For seynge the lyfe of man is a continuall warrefare vppon earthe we ought not to promyse vnto our selues a quiet state whyle we are in this worlde 7 Nation shall ryse againste nation and kyngdome against kyngdome there shall be pestilence and hunger and earthquakes in all places Nation shall ryse against nation B. This proued to true to Caesarea Scythopolis Ascalon Ptolmaida Alexandria and afterwarde to Damasi where tenne thousande were slayne finally to the kyngdome of Agrippa and to all Syria and the kyngdomes there aboutes of the whiche Iosephus maketh mention And there shal be pestilence M. In the third place he putteth those sygnes of the wrath of God and of the destruction to come whiche shoulde be from heauen As concerninge these plagues
to be drawne awaye from Christ and to geue their faith vnto a theefe robbing God of his honour Where as the Papistes theym selues do take this place for the societie of those which professe one fayth and do expoūde the Eagles altegorically for those which are of sharpe wyt and occulate it is to folyshe seing that it is euidente that the pourpose of Christ was nothing els thā to call vnto him to retaine in him selfe the sonnes of God wheresoeuer they be dispersed Neyther is the body putt here simply but the carcas And Chryste attributeth nothinge to the Egles sauyng that which might agre with our crowes or rauens accordyng to the nature of the region in the which we inhabite Moreouer theyr reason is nothing sure or effectual which vpon this place say that the deathe of Christe was so effectuall that it allured the electe and chosen of God. For it was rather the pourpose of Christ to bringe an argument of the lesse to the more as thus If there be such wit in birdes that many of thē wil com from far to one carcas it is a great shame to the faithfull not to be gathered to the author of lyfe by whom onely they are truely fed 29 Immediatly after the trybulations of those dayes shall the sonne be darkened and the moone shall not geeue her lyghte and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be moued Immediately after the trybulations M. Nowe Christe maketh answere to his disciples as concerning his comming the ende of the worlde C. and promiseth ▪ that after they haue bene vexed troubled with so many euylles the redemption in his tyme shall come For by his aunswere he wente chiefely aboute to stabishe his disciples in a good hope least they sholde faynte for the confused motions Therefore he dothe not simply speake of his cōming but vsurpeth propheticall maners of speache to the whiche the more that euery one was bente geuen the more sharpe battaile of temptations of the contrary euente and successe it was necessary he shoulde haue For what coulde be more absurde than to beholde the kingdome of Chryste to be not onely contemtible and base but also oppressed with the crosse couered with many reproches and ouerwhelmed with all kynde of affliction of the whiche kingedome the prophetes preched so magnificently Could not that maiestie be required which mighte bringe darckenesse to the Sonne to the Moone and to the starres which might stryke the whole foūdation of the earth and chaunge the cōmon order of nature These tēptations our sauiour christ now seketh to preuent pronouncing that allthoughe these prophesies be not by and by fulfylled yet notwithstandinge that they shall be approued to be trewe by the euente and ende it selfe The sence and meanynge therefore of this place is that those thynges whiche were foreshewed in tyme paste as concernynge the miraculouse and wonderfull stryking as well of the Heauen as of earthe oughte not to be restrayned to the begynnynge of the redemption because the prophetes comprehended the whole race and course vntyll suche tyme as theye came to the marcke M. Moreouer the Lorde wold haue his discyples prepared at all times to departe hence and therefore he would not shewe the tyme of his comming and yet notwithstandinge would haue them loke for hym euery houre And therefore he woulde haue it preached as well by his owne sermones as by those that the Apostelles made that this daye was not farre of So the Apostell Peter sayde The ende of all thinges is at hande And saincte Paule saithe We are they vpon whom the endes of the worlde are come And therefore our sauiour Christe saith in this place immediately after the trybulations of those dayes But neuerthelesse he mente not by this to declare any certayne tyme of his comminge From the whiche opinion saincte Paule dehorteth the Thessalonians with great dyligence wrytynge vnto theym after this manner I beseche you brethern that ye be not sodaynely moued from your mind nor be troubled neyther be spryte neither by woordes nor yet by letter which shold seme to come from vs as thoughe the day of Christ were at hande Lett no man deceiue you by any meanes for the lorde shall not come except there come a departynge fyrst Wherfore this woord immediately which wee reade here signifyeth no more than that whiche wée reade in Marke where he sayth Moreouer in those dayes c. As if hee shoulde say After the trybulation of those daies in the whiche the whole worlde shall be ouerthrowne immediately howbeit in an vncertayne tyme when men thynke leaste of it shall the ende of the worlde come with the full reuealynge of mye glory and the perfecte redemption of my electe and chosen M. to the great horroure and feare of those men which haue not beleeued in mee I say that the ende of the worlde shall come then immedyately because afterwarde there shall no greate thynge be shewed I wyll take no suche open and manyfest vengeaunce on the impietie of mortall men vntyll that daye come in the whiche I wyl retourne to iudge all fleshe the which day with the Lorde is not farre for one daye with hym is as a thousande yere and a thousande yere as one daye Shall the sunne be darckened M. These are those signes in the Sonne Moone and starres whereof Luke maketh mention B. The whiche woordes of the Euangelist Luke are not so to be taken as thoughe those signes must go before the daye of the Lorde but signes are taken here for myracles and thinges not commonly sene whiche shall not so much betoken the very daye of the lorde as they shall bringe the present wrath of GOD vpon the wycked As concernynge the darkenynge of the sonne and the reste there are dyuerse opynions of interpreters yea of the auncienter sorte but it seemethe that the symplicitie and playnnesse of Christe his wordes oughte to be retayned and kept He saith that the son shal be darkened that the mone shal loose her light and that the starres shall fall from heuen and so forth We must now beleeue that it shall so come to passe But how the sonne shal be darkned we know not at this day neither can we coniecture but the euent of the same wyll declare And the starres shall fall from heauen He meaneth not that the starres shal fall in dede but that men shall thyncke them to fall And therfore Luke onelye sheweth that there shal be signes in the sonne mone and starres The meanynge therefore of his wordes is that the strikinge and shaking of the foundatiō of the heauen shall be so greate that the very starres shal be thought to fall The Euangeliste Luke speaketh moreouer as concerning the terryble motion of the sea that men shall fainte throughe very feare and sorrowe But the whole somme is that all creatures bothe aboue and beneathe shall be as it were cryers in sityng of men
to the horryble tribunall seate of iudgemente the whiche wickedly they shall more and more contemne euen vntyll the last day M. It is also sure and certayne that this seruytude and bondage of creatures shall feasse by the whiche they are subiecte to vanytie and that in the tyme of delyueraunce and glory of the sonnes of God they shall be changed into an other state and condition As concerninge the whiche matter reade all these places coted in the margente And althoughe the electe beinge chaunged to immortallitie all other thinges also shall be changed in dede and there shall be newe heauen and a newe earthe yet notwithstanding the manner of the Scripture is to signifie by the darkening of the sonne moone and starres and suche lyke whiche are here spoken of the greate temptestes of Goddes vengeaunce After this manner we reade that the vengeance of god was preached one while to the Iewes and another while to other nations as may appere by these places noted in the margēt For the worlde being brought into great distresse it semeth to be troubled the son darkened the moone torned into bloud the starres to retracte theyr lyghte the sea to rage and swell and all thynges to threaten destruction not that it shall so come to passe in very deede but because men shall be dryuen to suche strayghtes as thoughe they happened in deede And therefore seinge those more notable plagues and greater vengeances of God as were those that were takē of the Babilonians of the men of Tyre of the Aegyptians of the Iewes and suche others were certayne exaumples as it were profes of the iudgement to com it is no meruayle trewly if those thynges are vnderstoode by them which shal come all together after theyr manner at the later daye of iudgemente the whiche althoughe it be vnknowen vnto vs yet notwithstandinge it is beste knowne to God hym selfe C. And Chryste here meaneth that the heauen shal not be darkened at the first but after that the church hath suffered affliction not because by the laste commminge of Christe at the length the glory and maiestie of his kingedome shall appere but because vntyl that time the fulfyllynge of those thinges is differred whiche were begon after his resurrection and of the whiche God onelye gaue some taste to his Disciples that he might leade them farther by the waye of hope and pacience After this manner Christ suspēdeth the mindes of the faithfull vntyl the laste daye lest they shold thyncke that to be voyde and of none effecte whiche the prophetes foreshewed as concernynge the restorynge and reparation to come because it lyeth hydde vnder the darke miste of affliction a long tyme But cerrayne interpretoures do mysunderstande the afflyction of those daies in applying it to the destruction of Hierusalem when as it rather belongeth to all the wicked Furthermore by this argumente he doth annimate his Disciples to sufferaunce bycause afflictions shall haue a ioyful and happy ende as it hee hadde sayde So longe as the Church shall wander in the world there shall be a darcke and obscure time but so soone as the miseries haue an ende the day shall come in the whiche may maiestie shall appere And the povvers of heauen B. Accordinge to the maner of the scripture he so called all the host of heauen all the planettes and elementes of the whiche the heauens consist Or elles he called the heauens thē selues the powers of heauen euen as though they were strōg and of greate force to the which exposition the Greeke worde agreeth becaue it signifieth to moue to shaake or by stryking to be in daunger and not vnto angelles whome many say are ment by the powers of heauen 30 And then shall appere the token of the sonne of man in heauen And thē shall all the kinredes of the earthe mourne and they shall see the sonne of man comminge in the cloudes of heauen with powre and great glory And then shall appere the token C. Our sauyour Christe by this sentence dothe put a differēce betwene the present state of his kingdome and his glory to come For it is a kinde of granting that in the darke myst of afflictions the maiestie of Christ shall not be seene neither shall men féele the redemption which he hath broughte For truely the confused mixture of thinges which we now see doth bothe darkē our mindes also ouerwhelme the grace of Christ doth make it as it were vanishe out of our syght at the leaste that the saluatiō gotten by him might not be apprehended by the reason of the fleshe Therefore he pronounceth that hee wyll at his last commynge arise and openlye shewe forthe him selfe that he being endewed with heauenly power may as it were with a signe set vpp a lofte make all the whole worlde to beholde him Bu. For he dothe allude to the manner of the kinges and prynces of this worlde whiche goinge to the warre or battayle do fyrst display their banner to the whiche the souldiours hauinge regarde are gathered together M. Some wil haue this signe to be the very body of Christe hauinge the testimonies of his passion the woundes of his feete handes syde Othersome vnderstande by it the sygne of the crosse but their exposition is more symple proper whiche take this worde sygne for a sygnification As if he should saye By these sygnes the faythful shal be admonyshed to looke for the sonne of God from heauen And then shall all the kinredes of the earthe more C. Because Christ sawe that the greatteste parte of men shoulde contemne and despise his doctrine and be ennemies vnto his kyngedome he doth also denounce vnto all people mourninge and lamentation because it is meete that he keepe vnder the rebelliouse and obstinate and destroye with his presence those whiche haue despised his rule beinge absent But hee speaketh this partely that hee brynginge terrour to the myndes of the proude may leade them to repentance partely also that hee myghte confirme that myndes of his Disciples in so great contumacie of the worlde For the securitie and carelesnesse of the wycked is no lyght occasyon of offence because they seme to mock God without ponishment agayne there is nothinge more easye to be done than for vs to be taken with the intysynge snares of theyr prosperitie and so to dishonour god Therfore leste that they faythefull shoulde enuye theyr dronken ioye Chryst pronounceth that the same shall be conuerted at the length into mournynge and gnashing of tethe B. By the kynredes of the earthe hee vnderstandeth earthely and carnall men hauynge gotten no ryght or parte of the supernall and heauenly Cittie these beinge ignoraunte of Chryste the Sauyoure shall weepe when the signe of the sonne of manne apperethe in the clowden and goynge before his gloryouse commynge felyng in them selues that intollerable iudgement tarieth for them This woorde then hath a greate Emphasis or force with it as it hee shoulde saye The whiche do nowe reiecte
wente aboute all that he coulde to lyfte vp the mindes of his Disciples that they mighte haue no regarde to the worlde he semeth rather to note the dayly inclinations whiche are sene in the worlde as if he shoulde forbid vs to iudge of his sainges according to the instable varietye of the worlde For wee know when matters are tossed in the worlde howe easy a matter it is for our mindes therew t to be drawne awaye Therfore Christ forbiddeth his Disciples to haue regarde vnto the world but rather to beleeue that those thinges whiche he had foreshewed shoulde come to passe by the diuine prouidence of god We haue also oute of this place a profitable doctrine namely that our saluation because it is grounded vppon the promises of God is not caryed by the instable motions of the worlde but standeth faste if so be that oure fayth do reache aboue heauen and earth euen vnto Christe M. This place truelye is verye necessary to proue the certeinty of the wordes of Christe to the ende wee mighte doubte of no parte of them A. as certeyne prophane Epicures do who deride and make a ieste at all those thynges whiche the capacity of man is not able to comprehende of whome Peter writteth plentifullye in the thyrde chapter of his seconde epistell But my vvordes shall not passe Bu. What these wordes signify the Lorde hymselfe in an other place declareth saying One Iot or one tytill of the lawe shall not faile vntill all thynges be fulfilled So that his woordes are in effecte as if he shoulde haue saide Nothynge of that whiche I haue spoken shall passe till it be fulfilled 36. But of that day and hower knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaueÌ„ sauinge my father onely But of that daye and time C. By this sentence our Sauiour Christ went aboute to holde the mindes of the faythefull in suspence least they shoulde by false Imagination appointe any certaine time of the laste redemption For it commeth to passe by the greate curiosity of men that they neglecte those thinges whiche are necessarye to be knowne and do curiously desyer to knowe those thinges whiche God hath not voutchsafed to reueale vnto them With this disease of curiosity the Apostels were infected as we may reade in the first chapter of the Actes where theire curiouse question was thus answere by the Lordes owne mouth It is not for you to knowe the tymes and seasons whiche the father hat set in his owne power To the ende therefore he mighte bringe his Disciples from this curiosity and myghte take awaye from them all occasion of questioninge and doubtinge after he hadde spoken of his comminge and of those things that should be in the same he addeth straite waye Of that day and hovver knovveth no man. C. For he would haue the daye of his comming so hoped for and desyered that no manne for all that shoulde presume to enquire when he wyll come Furthermore he woulde haue his Disciples so to go forwarde in the light of faith that beinge vncertaine of the times they may waite paciently for the redemption We must therefore be ware leaste wee searche farther for the times and seasons than the Lorde will permitte For the speciall pointe of our wysdome consisteth in this if wee keepe oure selues soberly within the boundes of Gods worde B. Wherevppon the Apostell Paule when he had spoken certaine thinges as concernyng the laste tymes the comming of Christ for consolations sake he addeth by and by againste this curiosity sayinge As concerninge the tymes and seasons it is not nedefull that I writte vnto you No not the Angels of heauen C. Because men shoulde not take it greuously that this daye was hydden from them Christ maketh the Angells partakers of the same ignorance For it were a token of to muche pryde and wicked desyere for vs to couet more whiche crepe vppon the earth than is graunted to the heauenly Angells M. Let vs therefore wyllinglye holde oure selues contente to be ignoraâ—â—â— of that of the whiche GOD wyll haue vs ignoraunt Hereby wee sée that Angels knowe not all thinges howe much so euer they beholde the face of god Wherefore lette no manne geue credit to the reuelations of Angels contrary to those thynges whiche concerne oure saluation and are comprehended in holy Scriptures Therefore the Apostell Paule sayth Wee beseche you brethren that ye be not sodenly moued from your minde nor be troubled neither by spirite neyther by wordes nor yet by letter The Euangeliste S. Marke addeth neither the soon him selfe C. Wherefore he were to farre oute of his wits whiche woulde not willingelye submit hymselfe to be ignorant of those thinges when as the Sonne of GOD hymselfe for oure sakes is contente to be ignorante But because manye thoughte that this was a reproche vnto Christe they wente about by false interpretation to mittigate the hardenes of this sentence And to defend this theyr error peraduenture the heresy of the Arrians was their refuge whiche by this place wente aboute to proue that Christe was not the true and onelye god Therefore accordynge to theyr opinion Christe knewe not the latter daye because he woulde not make it knowne to others But seinge it is manifeste that ignorance is attributed to Christe as well as to the Aungells wee muste séeke a more proper sence the whiche before wee bringe foorthe let vs brefelye put awaye theire obiections which thinke it a reproche to the Sonne of GOD to saye that there remayneth anye ignorance in hym Firste of all whereas they do obiecte that there is nothynge vnknowne to the Sonne of God wee may easelye aunswere For wee doe knowe that there were twoo natures in Christe so ioyned together in one persone that bothe of them retayned theyr propertye but speciallye the diuinitye rested it selfe and did not shewe it selfe foorthe so often as it was mete for the humane nature to worke that aparte whiche belonged thereunto to the fulfillynge of the office of a Mediator Wherefore it is no absurdity to saye that Christe whiche knewe all thinges as he was manne to be ignorante of somewhat For otherwise he coulde not bee lyke vnto vs in beinge subiecte to sorow to anguishe of the minde to other affections But where as some obiecte that ignorance dothe not agrée with Christe because it is the punishemente for sinne it is to absurde Firste of all they shewe them selues very ignoraunte in sayinge that ignorance whiche is attributed to Angells should come of synne but they are no lesse blinde in the other in that they doe not acknowledge that Christe hathe there fore taken vppon hym oure fleshe that he might also receiue the punishementes that were dewe for synne And in that Christ accordinge to his humanity knewe not the latter daye that dothe no more derogate from his deuine nature than the takynge vppon hym oure fleshe But there is no doubte but that he hathe
the vse whereof oughte to be amonge the faithefull and that extraordinarye woorshippe whiche ceased after his assension into Heauen Will wée laye our money well in the trewe Sacrifice let vs geue then to the poore For Christe dothe not saie that he is with vs to the ende he mighte be woorshipped with externall pompes Wée doo knowe vndoubtedly and doo fele by experience of Faithe that he is presente with vs in power and spirituall grace but he is not with vs visiblye that he mighte receiue of vs earthly honoure For in that he is with vs by the grace of his holy Spirite and power in that he dwelleth in vs and in that also he féedeth vs with his fleashe and bloudde this perteineth nothinge at all to corporall Woorshippes Wherefore what Woorshippes so euer the Papistes doo inuente to woorship Christe with they doo bestowe theim in vaine seinge he dothe openly reiecte them A. Therfore the vnitinge and agréemente of this place with those whiche promise vnto vs the presence of Christe vnto the ende of the worlde is easie to be made Suche are these that folowe Bu. Behoulde I am with you vnto the end of the world Also Where so euer twoo or thrée are gathered togeather in my name there am I in the middeste of them For accordinge to his maiestie saithe S. Austen with Hierome accordinge to his prouidence accordinge to his inspeakeable and inuisible grace it is fulfilled whiche he saide Behould I am with you to the ende of the worlde But according to the fleashe whiche the woorde tooke accordinge to that that be was borne of the Virgin Mary according to that that he was taken of the Iewes that he was crucified on the trée that he was taken therefrom and lapte in linnen clothes and in that he was layde in the Sepulcher and manifested in the Resurrection he saide But mee shall yee not haue alvvaies Wherefore Because he was conuersante accordinge to the presence of his bodye fortye dayes with his Disciples and they accompanyinge hym sawe him ascende into Heauen and is not here For there he sytteth at the righte hande of his Father And he is here for the presence of his maiestye is not departed from vs C. Furthermore in that he saith there shall be alwaies poore wée do sée that it is our dueties to be liberall to the poore not for a yéere or two or thrée but for euer bicause that is alwaies acceptable vnto him Moreouer although in this place the hypocrisie of the Iewes be touched yet notwithstandinge wee gather that many are not poore needy by chaunce but by Gods appointmente to the ende he mighte by their néede exercise vs in the workes of charity And truly almes déedes are acceptable haue a swete sauour before God by the which that want of the poore is holâ—…en whom God if it pleased him mighte make ritch S. Marke addeth And when so euer ye wil ye may doo them good C. The summe of this place is that although the Lorde doo coÌ„maund to geue our selues and al that euer we haue to him yet notwithstandinge in respecte of him selfe he requi reth no other thinge then Spirituall woorship whiche consisteth not vppon any coste but will rather that we bestowe those thinges on the poore whiche superstition foolishely bestoweth to woorshippe him Wherefore maddde and obstinate are they which bestowe great coste vpon tryflinge toyes whiche God hathe reiected and dothe abhorre 12. And in that shee hath caste this ointment on my body she did it to burie me And in that shee hath B. In Marke he saith Shee hath done that shee coulde shee came aforehande to anoint my body to the burying C. By the which wordes Christ confirmeth that which we said before that the pretious oyntment was not acceptable in respecte of his odor but only in respecte of the buriall of Christe because by this signe he woulde declare that his buriall shoulde be so odiferous that it should caste the swéete smel of life saluation throughout the whole world Therefore Christ doth not allowe this as an ordinary seruice that the vse therof might alwaies remaine in the Churche For if he would that this seruice should be done vnto him daily he woulde haue saide some other thinge then this that it was geueÌ„ to bury him withal C. But in Iohn Mary is plainely commended because shee had kepte this oyntmente againste the day of burial By the which woordes Christe meaneth that the oyntmente was not spente out of time but accordinge to the circumstance of the tyme For it is saide to be kepte because it was vnder custody that it might in a méete and conuenient tyme be powred out For it is certaine that if any man woulde haue bestowed vppon hym any sumptuous delightes before thys tyme he woulde not haue suffered it But trewely he denieth that Marye did this for maÌ„ners sake but that shée might bestowe vppon hym the laste seruice And the annoyntinge of bodyes at that time was no vaine Ceremonie but rather a Spirituall signe whiche sette before the eies of men the hope of the Resurrection The Promisses were as yet obscure Christe was not as yet rysen whiche is not without cause called the firste fruites of them that sléepe and shal rise againe Therefore the Faithefull had neede of sutche little hopes whiche mighte directe them vnto Christe being as yet absente So that the annointinge of Christe was not superfluous seinge he shoulde be buried shortly after For he was annoynted as one that shoulde be layde vp in the Sepulcher Thys thinge the Disciples knewe not as yet And Marye no doubte was ledde by the direction of the Spirit to doo that thinge whereof shée hadde not premeditated before But Christe applied that to the hope of his Resurrection whiche they so greately disliked that the very vtilitye and profite thereof mighte reuoke them from wicked way wardnesse and childish grudginge And as God woulde haue the childishenesse of the people of Oulde tyme to be gouerned by sutche exercises euen so it were an absurde thinge at this daye to proue the lyke neither shoulde it be done without iniurie to Christ who by the brightenesse of hys commynge hathe put awaye all such shadowes But because his ResurrectioÌ„ had not fulfilled as yet the figures of the Law it was necessary that his burial should be adorned with externall righte Nowe the odour of his Resurrection hathe of it selfe sufficiente efficacye to reuine the whole world without either Nardus or Spices 13. Verily I saie vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in all the worlde there shall also this that shee hath donne be toulde for a memoriall of her VVheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached C. He saithe that this shall be a honour vnto Marâ—… because shée shall be praysed in the Doctrine of the Gospell Whereby wée gather that there is a rewarde appointed to oure woorkes not by the iudgemente of menne but by
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
the Churche can finde no authoritye by the pretence of continuance And this sayinge is noysed B. Namely that the Desciples stoale away the body of Iesus while the watchemen slepte As if he should say This lye beinge published abrode by the watchmen is so receiued of the Iewes that they will not otherwise beleue vnto this daye C. This was the full measure of Gods vengeaunce to blinde the Iewes because by the periury and falsehoode of the souldiers the resurrection was buried vnder foote and so vaine a lye receiued And hereby it appeareth that they were deceiued by volūtary error which did not thinke that Christ was rysen agayne euen as the world willingly offereth it selfe to be mocked by the deceiuers of Sathan But trulye if any man had but opened his eyes he neded not any longe inquisitiō The armed souldiers saye that the body of Christe was taken from them by a weake fearefull small and vnarmed company of men By what cooller do they pretende this They say that it was done when they were a sleape But if they suspected the Dysciples why did they not make after them why did they not rayse hewe crye This therefore was a childish excuse the which should not haue bene vnpunished if the deputy had bene iust of a stout courage But because Pilate winked at this matter it had the more credit Howbeit this seemeth very much that God should suffer this rumor to spreade abroade to extinguishe the glory of his sonne notwithstandinge we must attribute this matter to his iust vengeance which deserueth all honoure Moreouer because all of them had stombled at the stone of offence it was necessary that theyr eyes shoulde be darkened leaste they shoulde perceiue the purpose of God which went about to blinde them altogether as it was foreshewed by the prophesye of Esay For God would not haue suffered them to be deceiued by suche rashe beleefe but onely to depriue them of the hope of saluation of whom the redeemer himselfe was despised B. This of all other is the most iust Iudgement of God that they which refuse to beleeue the truth might beleeue lyes When wee see therefore lyes and false signes to be beleeued it is a signe of reprobation and of the vengeaunce of God. Vnto this daye B. The Scripture cōmonly vseth this kinde of speach when it signifyeth the durable cōstancy of any thinge As when it is said And Iosua set vp twelue stones also in the middest of Iordan c. and there haue they cōtinued vntill this day In like maner it is written And therfore it is that the priestes of Dagon tread not on the thresholde of Dagon vnto this day C. But although this lye preuailed amōge the Iewes beinge deuised of the hye priestes and wickedlye published by the souldiers yet for all that it did not let but that the truth of the Gospell mighte haue free passage euen to the vtmoste partes of the earth euen as alwayes it hath and doth ouercome all the stoppes and stayes of the world For the godly do alwayes houlde this as a sure bulwarcke namely that Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustificatiō B. The same day in the whiche the women sheewed the resurrection of Christe to the Disciples the Lord offered himselfe to be seene of the two Dysciples as they wente to Emaus After this whē the ◅ores were shut hee stoode in the middest of his Dysciples and wished them peace sheewed his handes and his feete did eate with them to certifye them of his resurrection To the whiche the wordes of Marke are to be ioyned when hee sayth And he cast in their teeth their vnbelefe and hardnes of harte because they beleued not them whiche had seene that hee was risen againe Besyde this hee gaue vnto them the holye ghoste as S. Iohn declareth saith vnto them Peace be vnto you c. Furthermore hee taught them that all thinges whiche were written of him were fulfilled and opened their mindes also that they might vnderstāde the Scriptures that it must needes be that Christ should suffer and ryse againe 16. Then the eleuen Disciples went away into Galile into a mountaine wheras Iesus had appointed them Then the eleuē Disciples vvent M. To the ende they mighte see Christ they went into Galile as the Angell had sayd vnto the womē in the seuenth verse before To the whiche place when they came they wente not by and by vppe to the mounte as oure Euangeliste here semeth to shewe but they went to the sea of Tiberias that is to the lake of Genesar to fyshe To whome as they were a fisshing Christe appeared as sayth S. Iohn in these woordes Afterwarde did Iesus shewe him selfe againe at the Sea of Tiberias c. From the fyrste verse vntyll the fourtenth verse beginning thus This is nowe the third tyme that Iesus appeared to his disciples after he was rysen againe The first appearaunce was vpon the daye of his resurrection The seconde eight dayes after The third at this fysshing euen nowe mentioned After these thinges the same S. Iohn maketh mention of the talke that Christe had with Peter after dynner In these woordes When they had dyned Iesus sayth to Symō Peter Symon Ioanna louest thou me more than these and so forth vntyll the .xxv. verse Therefore our Euangeliste onely maketh mentiō of this fourth appearing Into a mountaine vvhere Iesus had appointed them ▪ C. Although mention was not made of this mountaine in any other place yet notwithstāding we gather that is was noted vnto Mary and a place appointed vnto her But what mountaine this was it is vncertaine It is not that vpon the whiche he stoode within fourty dayes after when he ascended vp into heauen For that is not farre from Hierusalem but this is in Galile It is likely that this mountayne was chosen as a solitary place that the Lorde was oftentymes sene in the same 17 And when they sawe him they worshipped him but some doubted And vvhen they savve him R. This is that greate appearing by the whiche Christe woulde proue and ratefie his resurrection with moste certaine argumentes in the mounte of Galile before the greatest parte of his disciples that if we will not beleue one woman bearing testimony of the resurrection of Christe if we will not beleue many if not Peter if not Thomas if not the eleuen We may yet at the least beleue the fyue hundred brethren to whome Christe openly appered in the mounte The Apostel Paule semeth to remember this when hee sayth and that he was seene of Cephas then of the twelue After that was he sene of mo then fyue hundred brethren at once of whiche many remayne vnto this daye many are fallē a slepe They vvorshipped him M. The women are sayde to doe the lyke in the nynthe verse going before It is not in vayne that the Euangelistes make mention of this worshipping
awaye for vs to come thyther that the gate may stande open for vs whiche before was shut by reason of synne Furthermore he is an aduocate and intercessor with God for vs as it is said in the Epistle to the Romaynes And sitteth at the right hand of god C. This kynde of speache signifieth that he is taken vp an highe that hee might excell Angels and all other creatures that the father by his hande myghte gouerne the worlde and that before hym euerye knee might bowe C. This similitude is taken of the manner of princes which haue their counsellers and assistentes to whome they geue seuerall offices of gouernement EueÌ„ so Christe is sayde to bee receiued vp to the right hand of the father solemly to receiue possession of the administration committed vnto him and to kepe the same till his comming to iudgemeÌ„t And therfore the Apostel saith The father hath set him on his right hande in heauenly thinges aboue all rule and power and mighte and dominion and aboue euery name that is named not in this worlde only but also in the worlde to come and hath put all thinges vnder his feete and hath made hym aboue all things the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of him whiche fylleth all in all Therefore this is as much as if he shuld be called Gods vicar whiche taketh vppon him his persone After these thinges the Euangeliste Luke declareth howe the disciples behaue them selues and what they did when the Lorde was taken from them saying And when they had worshipped hym they behelde as he was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to heauen as he went beholde two meÌ„ stoode by them in whyte apparell which also sayde ye men of Galile why stande ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene him go into heauen C. This sentence consisteth of two partes The first is that Iesus is receiued vp into heauen least men any more by a foolysh desire should plucke him down into the earth The seconde is added for a consolation as concerning his seconde comming R. The summe and effecte is that although Christ be nowe taken vp into heauen and will not at this tyme reueale the publique maiestie of his kingdome in this worlde that his excelent treasures might bee perceiued and felte by humane sence yet notwithstanding he ascended not into heauen to dwell there alone and to enioye the celestiall glory alwayes him selfe inuisible and to suffer the worlde after his olde manner to passe from tyme to tyme but rather that hee myght come in his tyme into this worlde visibly with great power to set al thinges in a better order that is to geue vnto the Godly and faithfull euerlastinge felicitie and to the wycked and contemners of the Gospell perpetuall damnation And by these twoo partes ioyned together a strong argument to confute the Papistes and all others whiche affirme that the carnall presence of Christe is ioyned with the signes of bread and wyne may be gathered For when Christe is sayde to bee taken vp into heauen the distance betwene heauen and earth is manifestly noted Wee graunt truely that this worde heauen is diuersly taken some tymes for the ayre some tymes for the whole compas of the Sphere some times for the glorious kingdome of God wheÌ„ as his maiestie hath his proper seate howsoeuer it fulfilleth the worlde For the whiche cause Paule placeth Christe aboue the heauens because he is aboue the worlde and in that mansion place hath the hyghest roume of immortalitie because hee is aboue all Angels of whome he is the head But this letteth not that he should not be absent from vs and that by the name of heauens a separation from the worlde may be signified And how soeuer they cauil it is playne that heauen into the whiche Christe is taken is apposed and sette against the compas of the whole worlde Therefore if he be in heauen as no doubte he is he cannot be in the worlde But first of all we must note the purpose of the Angell that wee maye geue the better iudgement of his wordes The Angels go about to reuoke the disciples from the carnall presence And to this ende they saye that he shall not come agayne vntyll the second tyme which is at the generall iudgement But they thynke that thei haue made a good distinction wheÌ„ they saye that he shall then come in a visible forme but now daily in an inuisible forme But there is no disputation here about the forme onely the Apostels are admonished to suffer Christe to abyde in heauen vntyll the last daye appeare As Peter also admonisheth in an other place sayinge When the tyme of refreshing commeth which we shall haue at the presence of the Lorde wheÌ„ God shall sende him whiche before was preached vnto you that is to wytte Iesus Christe whiche must receiue heauen vntyll the tyme that all thinges whiche God hath spoken by the mouthe of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began he restored againe Therefore according to the commaundemene of the Angell let vs not with our fayned inuencions plucke Christe out of heauen before the tyme but let vs consider that accordinge to the presence of his spirite he is euery where and according to the presence of his fleshe at the right hande of God in heauen For this matter reade the .xxvi. chapiter going before Then retourned they to Hierusalem with great ioye from the mount Oliuete R. Although the Disciples had loste the sight of the Lorde 〈◊〉 they retourne to Hierusalem with great ioye Thei felt then that it was true whiche the Lorde had said namely that it was good for them that he shoulde departe from them in the fleshe Whyle hee was with them in the fleshe they were altogether carnall and sauored nothing but that whiche was fleshelâ—â— but when he departed as touching the fleshe was present with them in the spirite they were wonderfully affected with ioye and began to extoll and magnifie the name of god They obey the commaundement of Christe in going to Hierusalem which said vnto them before But abide ye in Hierusalem vntil ye be indewed with power from aboue It was very daungerous for them to be in Hierusalem among the middest of Christes enemies yet they obey Surely if we waye the circumstances well we shall see that they retourned all moste to present death For howe should they spare the disciples whiche so cruelly put Christ to death But the power of the spirit of Christe filled them with suche ioye and made them obedient to do their office And when they were come in thei weÌ„t vp into a parler where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrewe Philip and Thomas Bartholomewe and Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus
and Simon Zelotes and Iudas the brother of Iames These al continewed with one accord in prayer and supplication with the wemen and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his brethren It is like that the Apostles gathered theÌ„ selues together into this parloure and securite place that they might there abyde vntyll they had receiued the holy Ghoste But fonde and foolishe are the Papistes whiche go about to proue the supremacy of Peter because in this place hee is named first among the reste of the Apostles And if so bee we should graunte that hee was the chief of all the Apostles yet it doth not followe that he was chief of the whole world But if he be therefore chiefe of the Apostels because in the cataloge or rehersall of names he is put in the firste place we wyll also by the same reason conclude that the mother of Christe was inferior to all other women because she is named in the lowest roume The whiche thing â–ª I am sure they wyll in no wise admitte and if they would it were to absurde Wherefore except they meane to make all men laughe and ieste at their Popishe supremacy let them cease to proue it by suche sclender and childishe reasons But to retourne to our purpose The Euangeliste Luke sayth that all the Apostels of Christe were assembled together in prayer R. Continuall prayer truly was necessary for them for at that tyme they were sette in the middest of many and greuous temptations partely because the holy Ghoste came not presently vpon them after they came from the mount Oliuet and partly because they might loke euery moment when the armed souldiers should beset the house in the whiche they were C. They praye therefore that Christe woulde sende his spirite vpon them as hee had promysed Whereby we gather that the same is a trewe faith which doth moue vs and styrre vs vp to call vppon the name of God. And were continually in the Temple lauding and praysing God. C. The Euangeliste Luke meaneth that the Apostels for exceading ioye burst forth openly into the prayse of God and were dayly in the temple The Apostels at the firste for feare pryuely kepte them selues in secrete but nowe with bouldnes and ioye they come abroade And whyle they thus wayghted for the comminge of the holye Ghoste they chose Mathias in steade of Iudas Iscariothe as Luke declareth in the Actes At the length when the fifty dayes or Pentecost was ended that is to saye seuen wekes after the resurrection the holy Ghoste was sente vppon them as wytnesseth Saynt Luke sayinge When the fifty dayes were come to an ende they were altogether with one accorde in one place And sodainly there came a sounde froÌ„ heauen as it had bene the comming of a mighty wynde and filled all the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues and so foorthe vntill the thirtene verse They being therefore baptized and confirmed by the holy Ghoste and thereby being made more strong prepared theÌ„ selues by and by to discharge their office as the Euangeliste Marke declareth by these woords And they went foorthe and preached euery where the Lord working with them and confirming the woorde with miracles followyng Wherefore let vs by the example of the Apostels glorifie the name of God whiche plentifully hath powred his holye spirite vpon vs whiche hath sanctified vs by the same spirite geuen vnto vs free remission of our sinnes by the death of his sonne Iesus Christe whome he raysed agayne from death and hath exalted to the ryght hande of his glory in heauen that he hauing takeÌ„ possession thereof 〈◊〉 wee hereafter might be partakeâ—…s of the same In the meane tyme The God of peace that brought agayne from death our Lorde Iesus the great shepehearde of the Shepe through the bloud of the euerlasting testament make vs 〈◊〉 all good workes to â—â— his wyll and bring to passâ—… that the thing whiche we do may be pleasaunt 〈◊〉 his â—â—ghtâ—… through Iesus Christe our lord To whome â—…e prayse foreuer wâ—… 〈…〉 Amen FINIS Matth. 13 â—…a 10. â—…r 1. â—…s 9. 〈◊〉 3. â—…h 28. 〈◊〉 4. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 14. Pro. 29. â—…he reason of â—…e Title 2. Cor. 5. 1. Corint 1. 1. Cor. 14. Math. 10. Math. 4. Mar. 1. Luke 2. Iohn 3. Act. 20. Rom. 1. 1. Corint 1. 2. Cor. 3. Gal. 1. Ephe. 3. Phil. 2. Colos 1. Thes 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 1. Titus 3. Phile. Heb. 4. Iam. 1. 1. Petr. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 1. Iohn 2. 2. Iohn 3. Iohn Inde Apoca. 14. 1. Corint 11 Chap. 4. Esay 64. Mat. â—… Gene. 5. Exod. 32 Iosua 10. Philip. 2. 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1â—… Gene. 21. and .22 Psalm 89. Math. 21. Matth. 22. Roman i. Nume 36. Iudg. 21. Luke 1. 2. Par. 22. â—…oma 15. â—â—on 4. Hebre. 15. 4. King. 11. 1. para 22. 2. Para. 23. Gene. 16. Gene 21. Roman 9. Gene. 26. Luke â—… Gene. 22. Philip. 2. Gene. 25. Malac. 1. Roman 9. Gene. 29. Gene 49. Roma 9. Phillip 2. a Psalm 42. Gene. 38. A comfortable saying 1. Parli 2. Iosua â—… Ruth â—… â—… Sam. 8. 2. Sam. 20. 2. Sam. 7. 1 Pet. 17. Psalm 89. 132. Mans merites are condemned 1. Reg. 12 2. Para. 12. 2. Para. 12. 2. para 10. 1. Reg. 2â—… para 1â—… 2. para 14. 2. po 15. 2. para 16. Ezech. 33. 2. Par. 21. Epiphanius in his booke against heresie False religioÌ„ The reuerent â—…steming of gods worde â—… Para. 34 â—… King. 24 Gene. 49. 1 Paralip 3. Gene. 49. The signification of the woorde of Christi Dan. 9. Psalm 45. Iohn 3. â—â—e 6. â—…th 13. â—…o 6. Luke 1. Luke 1. The honest zeale of Ioseph Deutro 22. Iustice modestie merâ—… and anger must be had punishing vâ—… The cause why Mary maried 1. Cor. 20. Nume 12 Dreames suâ—â—rnaturall â—â—d naturall â—…he cause of â—â—turall â—â—ames Gene 28. Gods prouidence shewed in dreames The malice of the Rabbines Philip. 2 There is no vertue included in the bare woorde Iesus Esay 49 Act 4. b. Saluation by Christ only Roma 3 Two partes of deliueraÌ„ce Christ is not our sauiour without we beleue The coÌ„ming of Christ hatâ—… abolished the awe Osee 3. Roman 9 Esay 7 Esay 8. Hierusalem the sanctuary of God. Gene. 24. c Exod. 2. b Prouerb 31. Esay 59. The nere affiâ—…tie betwene God and vs â—…y his sonne Christe â—…phe 2. Deut. 7. Psal. 147. Collos 2. Christ a lawfull mediator Iohn 1. Hebr. 2. Collos 1. 1. Tim. 2. Hebr. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The obedieÌ„ce and faith of Ioseph Without the lorde by his holy spirite in struct the hart all externall preaching is in vayne â—â—ed by the â—…slatour 〈◊〉 of HieroÌ„ â—…ath 1. Nume 18. Exod. 12. Math. 13 Actes 1. Luke 2. a The notable agrement of the Euangelistes â—…a 19. â—…ges 12. 〈◊〉 li. anti â—…ic 14. 〈◊〉 18. â—…he ende of â—…apering of 〈◊〉 starre Psalm 72. The fond immagination of
13. Galathi 5. Math. 19. Aunsweare Tythe was a part of Gods worship Deâ—… Tyâ—… Nâ—… Deâ—… 1. Tâ—… 〈◊〉 15. Luke 11. â—…pists geue 〈◊〉 Glory of 〈◊〉 to saints Act. 7. Luke 11 Prosopopoeia is a figur vsed where as personages are fained or presupposed to speake as one man to an other Româ—… Matâ—… â—…tth 2. â—…ath 10. â—…ds worde â—…ached to â—…reprobate â—…eth them â—…de of excuâ—… â—… Cor. 2. Esay 6. Aunswere Rom. 11. Esay 6. Aunswere Esay 8. Aunswere Chriâ—â— head of 〈◊〉 godly Sathan head of the wicked Exod. 17 â–ª Reade this or the like sentence omyttynge that whiche is inclosed betwen these twoo markes and ye shall the better perceiue the sentence Iere. 32 â—… Para 24 The crueltie of the Iewes Geneâ—… â—…bbery holâ—… vp the â—…es seate Math. 11. 2. Paral. 36. Iohn 11. Christe is the defender of mannes soule Christe â—… righteouâ—… is our dâ—… Psalm â—… Deut. 32. â—…â—…5 1. Cor. â—… Aunswere Aunswere Anthropopatheion is the affection of Man. Psalm 115. Aunsweare Free wyll confuted Pâ—… â—… 5. â—â—â—te the â—…hte sonne â—…ghteousâ—… â—…estion â—…nsweare â—…th 1. Zacha. 12. Iohn 19. Two things in this chapter Marke 13 Esdras 5. Iosepâ—… de Aâ—â— Hegesâ—… 1. Chaâ—… â—…ection â—…emple â—…e 21. Luke 21. Actes 6. Actes 1. Coloâ—… The 〈◊〉 error â—… insiâ—â— â—…y 54. 〈◊〉 2 â—…my 31. â—…lachi 4. 〈◊〉 4. Ephe. 5. Iohn 7. Iohn 5. Deutro 13 Esay 29. 2. Thes 2 Iosep li. 20 cap. 4. De Antiqui Iosep lib. 1 cap. 18. De Antiqui Act. 5. Iosep li. 20 cap. 11 Chap â—… False â—…phetes Act. 2â—… Chap â–ª â—… Act. â—… 2. Petâ—… â—…e lib 2. â—… 11. de â—…o Iudai 〈◊〉 24. The kiÌ„gdom of heaueÌ„ doth not bringe worldly delightes Iob. 7â—… Iosepâ—… De bâ—… dai Leuitâ—… Deut. â—… Iosepâ—… cap. â—… Antâ—… â—…i 11. â—…e 11. 〈◊〉 lib 7. â—…ello su â—…ap 12 Math. 10. PunishmeÌ„ts are more seuerely layde on the faithfull than on the wycked Rom. 8. Act. 8. Actes 9. Act. 12. 2. Cor. 11. Iohn 7. Iohn 1â—… 1. Cor. â—… Christâ—… stone oâ—… 1. Timâ—… Twoâ—… of offâ—◠〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 10. â—â—i 2. 〈◊〉 trial of â—…yth 2. Cor. 11. Rom. 16 Gala. 4. Philip. 3 1. Cor 2. 2. Epi. 1.2 2. 2. Tim. 1. PerseueraÌ„ce and constancy 1. Petr. 1. 2. Thes 3. 2 Timo. 2 Aunswere Math â—… Mar. â—… Colâ—… Româ—… 1. Tyâ—… â—…swere â—…m 19. 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 14. â—…m 2. â—…lm 119. â—…lm 78. Daniel 9. Ye shall fynde this texte iÌ„ the Geneua Bible for that is nerest to the Hebrewe texte Daniâ—… 〈◊〉 two â—… halfe a â—â— 1. yeres â—â— monethes Persecution may be auoyded by flighte if time and occassion serue Luke 21. Rom. 2. Act. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 1. â—… lib. 7 â—â— Iuâ—â— cap. 18. CoÌ„tempte of the Gospel is most abominable iÌ„ the sight of God. Mar. 13. Rom. 8. Esay 1. Rom. 9. Esay â—â— 2. Peâ—… 〈◊〉 11. â—…ection Aunswere Lies stop vs from repentaunce False Christes Luke â—… Faythâ—…â—…preheÌ„â—… kingâ—… God. Antech 1. Iohn â—… â—… Chryâ—… â—…hes 1. â—…o 3 〈◊〉 1.2 SuperstitioÌ„ hath his oryginall of the fleshe The leuen of Papistes Papistes confirme their supeâ—…stition by miracles Aunsweare Mar. 16. Iohn 5. Act. 4. 2. Thâ—… 〈◊〉 can â—… resisted â—…r owne â—…ghâ—… â—… 10 〈◊〉 1. Luke 17. Lukâ—… Ioâ—… 〈◊〉 is â—…riaeth â—… errours 1. Petr. 4. 1 Cor. 10. The ende of the worlde 2. Thes 2. Marke 13 1. Peâ—… Luke â—… â—… 8. â—… 102. â—… 1. â—…3 â—… 13.24 Hier. 15 â—… 32. â—… 2.3 â—… 8. â—… 3. Zacâ—… Mathâ—… Ioâ—… â—… 1. â—…hes 4. â—… trumpte â—… electe 〈◊〉 10 〈◊〉 19. â—…es 4. â—… 15. Hebre. 1. Angelles are the mynisters of God. 2. Cor â–ª â—… Psalm â—… 2. Pet â—… 〈◊〉 5. Rom â—… 2 Pet. 3. Christes wordes are infallible 2. Pet. 3. Matth. 5. Curiouse searching of godes secretes is forbidden Act. 1. 1. Theâ—… Angâ—… not 〈◊〉 Angell no trueâ—… contrary saluatiâ—… Thes 2. 〈◊〉 heresy â—â—stio â—…swere Matth. 2â—… Math. 2â—… Hebr. 2.4 Luke â—… Luke 17. 2. Pet. 2. Gene. â—… Luke â—… â—…es 5. Hebr 11. 1. Pet. 3. 2. Pet. â—… Exod. â—… Vvaâ—… Luke â—… 〈◊〉 25 〈◊〉 12. â—…h 14. â—…ke 13 â—…es 5. 2. Petr. 3. A faithful seruaunt A wyse seruaunt 1. Cor. 4. 1. Tm. 3 Iohn 10 Ministers of the woorde are stewards 1. Petri. 5. 1. Cor. â—… Gen. â—… Lukâ—… 2. Tiâ—… 1. Coâ—… Maâ—… oughâ—…â—…ligeâ—… oâ—â—ice â—…ne 14 â—…ct 3. The Pope his ministers are vnprofitable seruauÌ„tes Auâ—… Gel. Noct. Att. 20 cap. 1. Psalm 16. Phili. 2 Iob 13 Persâ—… in lokiâ—… Christ â—…ming Luke â—… 〈◊〉 13. Heb. 11. Gene 15. and .18 2. Pet. 3. Carcaâ—… life of hynde â—… faithfuâ—… Infidâ—… alwayâ—… prepaâ—… the lorâ—…â—…â—…ing Iohn â—… Corin. 5. Esay 55. Inuocation must haue trust of Gods mercy annexed to it Hebr. 12. Reprobates repent not froÌ„ the bottome of the harte Luke â—◠〈◊〉 raigâ—… nowe by â—â—wer â—â— Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 12. Callinge is necessary for the mynisters of Christ Man hath no good thing of his owne but by imputacioÌ„ 1. Cor 4. Ephe. 4 Rom. 12. 1. Corin. 12. Ephesi 4. 2. Cor 3. 1. Peter 4 Marke â—… Iohn 15. 〈◊〉 9. â—…enaÌ„ts â—…no 4 â–ª Two speciall thinges in a stewarde 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 4. Ephesi 3 Math. 7. Faithfâ—…â—â—uaunteâ—… their râ—â— Rom. â—… â—â—se serâ—â— â—…s 1 â—â—ptes 〈◊〉 be made 〈◊〉 giftes â—… daye of â—…gement Aunsweare Couetous men possesse not moneye but are possessed of money Luke 17. Matth. 17. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Thes 1. 4. King. 19. Daniell 7. Act. 1. Matt. 24 Daniell 7. Psalme 9. Matth. 2â—… 1. Thessa. â—… 2. Cor 6 Matth â—… Math 13 Seperaâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 bad Ezechiâ—… 〈◊〉 seperatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 be made 〈◊〉 the last day â—â—cipline â—â—â—t to be in 〈◊〉 Churche Christ 〈◊〉 11. Saluation commeth onelye of the free mercy of God Gen. 24. Merits obtaine not the kingdome of heauen Papistes are defenders of superstitions 2. Tymâ—… Two thâ—… here to â—â—ted â—â—che is aâ—â— workes â—â—hâ—…s are 〈◊〉 of oure â—â—ation Ose 6 â–ª Esay 1. Iames. 1. Hypotyposis it is a figure called illustration by the which the forme of thiÌ„gs is so set forthe in woordes that it semeth rather to bee sene with the eies theÌ„ heard with the eaâ—…es Almes is geuen to Christ Gala. â—… â—â— 18 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 2.13 〈◊〉 9. â—â—e of 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Discipline of the spirit putteth awaye euell Faith turneth the cursâ—…e into a blessing Galathi 3. 1. ohn 3. Hell fyer Esay 66. Marke 9 Esay 30. SathaÌ„ is the head of the wicked Math. 12 1. Iohâ—… 1. Iohâ—… â—â—lme 16. â—â—hn 5 â—…att 13. Leuiti 23. Iohn â—â— Iohn â—â— Iohn 19 â–ª Marke 15. â—…uke 23. â—…uke 32. â—â—hn 19. Exod. 12. Exod. 12. Deut. 1â—… Verse 17. Exod. 12. Exod. 12. Leuit 23. Num. 28. Leuit. 23. Luke 22. Iohn 13. Iohn 19. Mar. 15 Luke â—â— Iohn â—◠〈◊〉 19. 〈◊〉 23. 〈◊〉 1â—… Num. 26. Leuit. 23. Verse 5. Marke 14. Mat 27. Marke 15. Luke 23. Iohn 18 Iohn 13. Iohn 13. â—…eth is H. â—…y is ch Exod.