otherwise falle oute Therfore lette vs moste certainly persuade our selues that our cause is moste true and moste vndoubted before Christ our Lorde and before GOD his father although it appeareth not nowe that God careth for vs any thyng at all but that the deuyll and all his haue the vpper hande ouer vs treadeth vs vnder foote and triumpheth agaynst vs. Rather assure thou thy self and say I know for a certaintie that God wil not forsake his churche and that he wyll euer be at hand to helpe and defend it if she be diligent with feruent prayer to call vpon hym for ayde and succour Our state and condition is certaine and good because of this his promise Whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name he wyl surely geue it you Wherfore I wyl not dispute whether I am electe and woorthye to praye but I wyll moste certaynly perswade my selfe that his promyse is certayne sure and mooste vndoubted when soeuer that I do praye and be constant in the same And that he wyll deale with me and with his whole Churche accordyng to his word and promise Which doctrin is both nobly and notably set forth in this our gospel worthy at al times diligently to be consydered For it describeth and liuely setteth forth Faythe wyth her exercise whyche at the last obteyneth all thynges at the hande of God if we faint not after the example of this woman For she although diuersly proued and tried fainted not in her faith neyther ceased she by feruent and continual praier to call vpon Christ euer persuading her selfe euen in the middest of those stormes that Christ was gentill louyng and mercifull at the last wold vndoubtedly helpe her geue her her desyre which thyng as ye haue herd she obteined The Lord our God bee mercyfull vnto vs and geue vs grace to folow the faith of this woman and to holde fast his worde and promise without wauering or doubting to continue in the same vnto the ende Amen The thirde Sonday in Lent ¶ The Gospell Luc. xi IEsus was casting out a Deuil that was dumb And when he had cast out the deuil the dumbe spake the people wondred But som of them sayd he casteth out deuils through Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuyls And other tempted him and required of him a signe from heauen But he knowyng theyr thoughtes sayde vnto them Euery kyngdome deuyded agaynst it selfe is desolate and one house doth fall vppon another if Sathan also be deuided agaynst hym selfe howe shall his kingdome endure Because ye say I caste out Deuylles through Beelzebub If I by the helpe of Belzebub cast out deuylles by whose helpe do your chyldren caste them out Therefore shall they be your iudges But if I with the fynger of GOD caste out deuyls no doubte the kyngdome of God is come vpon you When a stronge man armed watcheth his house the thynges that he possessethe are in peace But when a strâ—nger then he commethe vpon hym and ouercommeth hym he taketh from hym all his Harnesse wherein he trusted and deuydeth his goodes He that is not with me is a gaynste me And he that gathereth not with me scatâ—ereth a broade When the vncleane spirite is gone out of a man he walketh through drie places seekyng rest And when he fyndeth none he sayeth I wyâ—l returne agayne into my house whence I came out And wheÌ„ he commeth he fyndeth it swept and garnyshed Then goeth he and takethe to hym seuen other spirites worse then hym selfe and they enter in and dwell there And the enâ—e of that man is worse then the beginninge And it fortuned that as he spake these thinges a certayne woman of the company lyfte vp her voyce and sayde vnto hym happye is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes whiche gaue thee sucke But he sayde yea happy are they that heare the worde of GOD and kepe it THE EXPOSITION THe Gospell of this present sonday setteth forth vnto vs the story of a certain man possessed with a dumme deuill which Christ did cast out and healed the man so that the dumbe maÌ„ spake vnto the greate admiration and meruellynge of all the people that were present In this our gospell many thinges are contayned vnto our greate consolation comfort But oure cheiffe principal coÌ„solation is this that Christ casteth out the deuill that by this meanes we may certainlye knowe that Christ hath greater power then the deuil all his kyngdome And that this worke which was theÌ„ corporally done doth not yet ceasse but is shal be coÌ„tinually exercised while the churche endure For all things that are geuen to the curch of Christ as baptisme the Lordes Supper the worde absolution or declaration of the merciful promises of God vnto penitent synners and all other thynges that pertayne vnto the ministery of the worde as instrumentes are prouided vnto this ende that by them the kyngdome of the deuill may be destroyed agayne that menne maye be receaued out of Satans kyngdome into the kingdome of god and in fine that by them the deuil may be put out of men For as it is written in the Prophet my worde shall not returne voyde or withoute fruite As the raine that falleth vpoÌ„ the grounde that is drie is not without fruite for grasse or blades come forth and all thinges ware grene so is the worde of god alwayes fruitful with some for the holy ghoste is with the worde and by the same worde lighteneth kyndleth purifieth the heartes and by this meanes deliuereth them from the tyranny of the deuill And although mans reason can not coÌ„prehend it howe the deuil is theÌ„ cast out it maketh no matter For the worlde is not worthie to see so much as a sparcke of gods power but remaining in darcknes to cursse to blaspheme all thinges that belong vnto God as they do here vnto Christ. But we that receaue embrace the worde ought to know to coÌ„forte our selues herewith that god hath geueÌ„ vs power here vpoÌ„ earth whereby we may coÌ„tinually cast out the deuil Let vs take an exaÌ„ple of the child that is new borne Euery child that coÌ„meth into the world is borne in the deuils kingdom where he thorowe sinne as a Lord ruleth exerciseth all kynde of tiraÌ„ny But wheÌ„ this child according to the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of Christe is brought vnto baptisme whereby sinners are borne again into the kiÌ„gdom of god as Christ saieth Except a maÌ„ be borne a newe he caÌ„not see the kingdom of god For that is borne of fleshe is flesh that is borne of the spirit is spirite Then must the deuill nedes geue place the child be deliuered out of his kyngdom For in baptisme the grace of god is promised geuen to the child because he is baptised into the death of Christ In like maner may it be said of theÌ„ that haue troubled consciences whoÌ„ the
hygh mysteries of thy diuine wyll we moste humbly beseche thee that all cloudes of ignorancie and darknes dispelled and put away we beyng here gathered together in thy name may thorow the same thy spirite enioye the lyghte of thy eternall veritie and so reuerentely preache and mekely heare thy moste blessed worde at this present that we vnderstandynge the same and beyng enflamed with the loue therof may in all poyntes fashion oure lyfe accordyng to thy holy wyll and seriously prouide that the light of our actes and maners maye so shyne before men that they seyng our good workes may glorifye thee our Father which arte in heauen to whom wyth thy derely beloued sonne Iesus Christe and the holy ghost three distinct persones in deitie and yet one very true and perfect God in essence bee all honoure prayse and glory for euermore Amen A thankes geuynge after the Sermon PRayse honour and glorye be vnto thee O heauenlye Father whiche at this tyme haste fedde vs wyth meate not that perysheth but that abydeth vnto euerlastynge life Graunt we moste humbly besech thee that we hauynge the knowlege of thy word may also practise the same in our conuersatiō that we bothe entierly louyng and vnfaynedly lyuyng bothe heartily fauoryng and earnestly folowyng both couragiously professynge and diligentely practisyng thy holy and heauenly worde maye after this mortall lyfe lyue with thee in that lyfe whyche is immortall thorowe IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Amen Geue the glorie to God alone The first Sonday of Aduent ¶ The Gospell of Mathew xxi AND when they drew nygh to Ierusalem were come to Bethphage vnto mount Oliuet then sent Iesus two of his disciples saying vnto them Go into the towne that lieth ouer against you anone you shall fynde an Asse bound and her colte with her louse them and bryng them vnto me And if any man saye ought vnto you saye ye the Lord hath nede of them and streight way he will let them go All this was doone that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy kyng commeth vnto thee meke sitting vpon an asse a colte the foale of an asse vsed to the yoke The Disciples went and did as Iesus cōmaunded them and brought the Asse and the colte and put on them theyr clothes and set him theron And many of the people spred theyr garments in the waye Other cut downe branches from the trees strawed them in the waye Moreouer the people that went before and they that came after cryed saying Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the hyghest And when he was come to Ierusalem all the Citie was moued saying Who is this And the people sayd This is Iesus the prophete of Nazareth a Citie of Galile And Iesus went into the temple of God cast out all them that solde and bought in the Temple and ouerthrue the tables of the money changers the seates of them that solde Doues and saide vnto them It is written My house shall be called the house of Prayer but ye haue made it a denne of theues THE EXPOSITION THE PEOPLE of Israel had many notable and excellent promyses as concerning Messias or Christ how he shoulde come into this lyfe and set vp an euerlastyng kingdom and deliuer his people from all euyl and geue helpe for euer As it appereth by the writynges of the Prophetes when they preache so magnificently of the kyngdom of Christ to come And these promises were amongest the people But they were greatly hindered by false prophets and teachers whiche dyd so expounde these Promises as though this kyng after the worldly maner shold come into his kyngdom with great magnificence pompe and should aduaunce the people to hygh dignitie and power that all of them might be made lordes and rulers of Prouinces And to this tyme they can not be persuaded to haue any other opinion of Messias kingdom thā that as soone as he commeth they shal be as chiefe heades ouer all other that the Gentiles shal be their bondmen They vnderstand not that they haue nede of Christes cōming to this ende that they might be deliuered from synne and eternall death Wherfore that this lewde perswasion myghte not remaine with the people to their peryll GOD longe before raised vp Zacharie the prophete to shew vnto them that Christ shoulde not come after the facion of other kynges with kyngly apparel with loftynes and great pride of imperie and rule but as he saith like a begger as the hystorie of this gospell that we nowe entreate of declareth Lest this people shold haue any excuse to pretend that they would haue receaued this kyng if they had not ben ignorant of this matter and mysterie For that was opened vnto them many yeares before by the prophete And this act of Christ was not done in a priuie and solitarie place but he came in the lyght daye tyme vnto his people as a begger rydyng on an other mans asse which was nothyng prepared or redy to this purpose in so muche that his disciples were fayn to helpe their poore kyng by casting on their clothes that this pompe myght be somwhat likely Wherfore the Iewes can excuse themselues no ways For the prophecie is euidēt that whē Christ shall come into his kyngdome at Ierusalem he shall not come after the maner of other kyngs with a gret shewe of horses and armie but as the Gospell saieth meke and after the Prophet poore As though the prophete spake it to admonysh them on this wise Marke diligently the asse and knowe that he is very Christe that sitteth thereon Wherfore be wyse and looke for no scepter diademe or kynges robes For Christ shall come poore meke and humble shewynge foorth hym selfe on an asse This shall be all his magnificence and glorie whiche he shall shewe before the worlde in the pompe of his commyng to Ierusalem And this is the cause why Christe vsed thys pompe before he suffred and the matter is done also with great circumspection as Christ declareth hereby sufficiently where as he committeth all thynges to be done with such diligence and where as he commeth not in the night or priuily but openly in the daye and entreth into Ierusalem not alone but with a greate multitude of people which goeth both before him and after him and aduanceth him with praises as the very sonne of Dauid And they wishe that this his kingdome might be prosperous And the matter is done so openly that it must nedes be knowen in all the citie of his commyng Let them behold the asse the poore kynge of the whiche Zacharie prophecied and gaue warning to the Iewes that they should not be offended with the poore shew humble and lowly cōming of Christ but should rather condemne their own imaginations where as they thought that Christ shoulde come gloriously in the sight
great and high matters and not for vnholy thynges As the first precepte beareth recorde whiche is the chiefe in the second table Wherfore lette not the maried persons nor the seruantes thynke vilely and basely of their offices For these thynges please God and God hymselfe hath blessed matrimony and hath honored it for the nonce where as he now beyng a Preacher of the Gospelle came to the marriage at his byddyng If mariage hadde not ben holy inough hee myght haue alledged for his excuse the holynes of his office and so absented hym selfe But he beynge the chief prelate of all other is not lette by his moste holy office to come to the mariage whiche is the first foundation of all housholdynge But getteth vnto all such commendation estimation that who soeuer are in thys kind of lyfe doo highely esteme the iudgemente of God in that he hath so placed them in that roume that whether they be man and wyfe either chyldren eyther seruantes of the familie they may be sure that their office is after the will of GOD. For who woulde not bee moued with this notable exāple of Christ in that that Christ beyng so great a teacher yea and God him self is not onely a renoume but also an healpe to mariage declaring there his good wyll most euidentely This doctrine is first necessary against heretikes And wee can not be at this time without it in the congregation for because of the sectes which diminishe the estimation of matrimonie and raileth on it as thoughe in it were an occasion of all discōmodities with seruantes children neighbours wyfe houshold stuffe so that sufficient care of God and of his kyngdome may not bee had And therfore they seke an other deuise they take vpon them to lyue vnmaried they make them selues colledges and abbeys where they may lyue withoute suche paines Then after that by the authoritie of the dyuell they haue folowed these deuises euery man embraceth a rule and kynde of lyuynge that semeth beste vnto hym selfe Against this perill this doctrine is necessarie and the example of Christ most euident whiche at the mariage was not the cause of separation or diuorcement But that their copulation myght be more straighter narower more beneficiall with them selues he doth as a man would saye admonyshe them by his owne beneuolence and goodnes For yf he would haue disallowed the mariage there made he would not haue ben presente at an vnlaufull thynge If he hadde not fauoured with all his hearte the maried persones and sones and thereby hadde declared the fauour of God towarde the maried he woulde not haue blessed the mariage by the gyft of excellent wyne neyther would he haue geuen a token in this to the maried what succour and comfort they shold surely fele at Gods hand in such miseries yf they feare God And thys is one meanynge in Christes exaumple that hereby it myghte be gathered that Matrimonie ought to be honoured and counted among the moste godly sortes of lyuyng agaynst the phantasticall imaginations of the monkes whych so longe before were reproued by the Iudgement of the Apostles where as they are called seducynge spirites and the doctrine of deuyls forbyddynge to marry and to eate meates The other meanynge is to the comfort of the maryed persones that they may surely beleue that God is presente with them bee they neuer so muche vexed wyth pouertie nede and other myseries Onely lette thys bee thy care that thou neuer lacke this gueste at thy feast neyther bee thou any longer ruled with suche rules and Canons Thenne doubtlesse he shall alwayes for thy sake make wyne of water when he shall so prosper thy dooynges with hys blessyng that thou shalte neuer be lackynge of the greate glorye of GOD where as he also in thy tribulations whyche doo seeme paste all cure shall succoure thee at hys tyme appoynted The examples dayely chauncynge in mannes trauayle shewe thys to be trewe For when the maried persones are godly they feele the blessynge of God in preparynge theyr lyuyng the whiche is promysed by the Psalme Ecce dat dilectis suis dormientibus Beholde he geuethe to his electe euen when they sleape Lette vs take an experience hereof from the craftesmen I meane of the godlye and them that laboure dilygently in theyr vocation yf the whole summe of their gaines that they can gette by theyr yeares labor were put before them in a plaine summe and number they woulde vtterly despaire to fynde them and theirs thereby But the prime blessynge of God is amonge them where as necessaries are ministred vnto them when they perceaue it not and are geuen vnto them by Goddes secrete woorkynge so that they may perceaue Goddes priuye lyberalitie and bounteousnesse in theyr moste scarcitie To bee shorte the presence of Christe shall bee perceaued in all oure houses yf we se onely to thys that we caste not of the sekynge of the kyngedome of GOD thenne no doubte he wyl daylye tourne water into wyne for vs. He blesseth oure breade and loaues that a fewe maye suffise manye that symple meates maye seme to vs moste delicate that the garmentes maye not soone be worne so that yf wee coulde marke with attente eyes we myghte saye thys Lorde it is manyfeste that all the gouernaunce and ordrynge of mariage belongeth to thee and that the offices thereof pertayne vnto thy seruice For thy redynesse and good wylll appeare most euidentlye in the maryage at Cana and is yet seene where as thou doste so louyngly make prouysion for the godly maried persons Wherfore I wil count this thyng for no lighte and vnholye thinge but wyll decke and sette foorth for my poore mariage that I maye at least seme willyng to folowe the moste euident example of Christe thy sonne The Euangelist maketh speciall mention that Iesus mother was presente also peraduenture she was the bride mother in the mariage For shee thynketh that the matter belongeth to her when there chanced nede in the feast It appeareth that the mariage was suche in the whiche nothyng was lackynge but that that was necessarie And here Mary also by her exāple testifieth that mariage is not to be despised as som superstitious people despise it For shee is not thereat only in the highest rome but she hath Iesus her sonne and his disciples whiche are moste honorable guestes ioyned vnto her in this office also O what glorie and boasting would the monkes make if this great company of sainctes that is to saye Christe with his mother his disciples had ben sene on this wyse in theyr matters The moste holy mother thynke it no scorne to shewe her labour and diligence in the moste vylest and base seruice at the mariage All these thynges lacke onely the voyce of God protestyng and pronouncynge that we may beholde this kynde of lyfe and consyder it accordyng to her propre nature and true dignitie The whiche God hath in so hygh estimation
destroyd Fyrst of all we ought to haue singular respecte to the maintenance of the ecclesiasticall body or Church For then is that most in hasard if these things that are ordeyned of God to bring men to repentance and saluation be not openly suffred to be vsed against them that are vnpenitent Wherfore if the Church shold either for superstitiō or for a vayne ostentatiō of mercifulnes omit this authoritie of byndinge and excommunicatinge the vnpenitent and not punishe very sharplie suche offenders and so saue it self holy and vndefiled and not suffer a litle leauen to corrupte the whole dowe it were greatly to be blamed Consider also that this is not donne to destroy them that are excommunicat and excluded from the cōmunion and felowship of saintes For herby are they put to shame to the entent they should amend and obtaine saluation with the Church in Gods kingdō Or if they wold not amēd at all it may appeare that the Churche is not in the faulte whiche dyd the same for feare lest it also should be defyled and destroyd by sufferinge the wicked to intermedell with holye thinges Wherfore the Church doth as it is commanded for a good cause excommunicat the stubbourne synners Neither do they violat and breake CHRISTES commandement which forbad the tares to be pluckt vp For Christ hym self commanded saying Let hym be as an Ethnicke and Publicane And yet is he not against his owne cōmandement where as he forbad the tares to be pluckt vp As it is euidēt by the former description For excommunication hyndreth not the principall entent of Christ it is not against the doctrine of his grace but rather for the maintenance therof where as it casteth out them that behaue them selues disorderedly in the kyngdom of heauen to the entent they may the beter come to them selues and retourne again obediently or if they wil not to be vtterly caste out of this kingdom with the lesse daunger where as otherwyse they should heape together more greuous offences by defilinge and prophaninge the holy company of saintes and the Church also for her negligent regardīge her vndefiled holines should prouoke Gods hyghe displeasure and wrathe Now al other restrayninge of offences is amōgest the magistrates and officers they are bound diligētly to see therevnto lykewyse fathers and mothers are gouerners of families all informers of other in manners and learninge These are not forbydden by this commandement of CHRIST to execute their office but they are rather strayghtly commaunded and charged to do them And as touching their iurisdiction power and gouernance they exercise it not in the kingdom of heauen They exacte not certaine offices and rites to be donne whiche thing belongeth to the kyngdom of grace But they haue the regimēt of that kyngdom that belongeth to the body and bodilie thinges to ciuill maners office order humanitie honestie they firste procure that the bodie and bodelie thinges may be in safegard that therby the soules and spiritual thynges maye be the better gouerned And the magistrate maintaineth not onlie the second table as touchynge the duetie towardes men but also the firste as concernynge our duetie towardes God He punisheth Idolatrie blasphemie wytchcraftes periurie He punisheth restraineth heretikes that are blasphemous against God such as teache false doctrine He taketh to his correction them that are stiffe in defendinge of heresie and errors and punisheth them for malefactors bycause they seduce many from the truth And when he doth this he is not thought to plucke vp the tares for bycause he and his office is not belongynge to that kyngdom whiche is forbid to plucke vp the tares It were a superfluous thing to commande or teach that lesson to gouerners of housholdes or to ciuil officers or such other For they haue all their charges geuen vnto them which they must nedes execute in their offices with all diligence and yet they plucke not vp the tares for that they hynder not the kyngdome of grace but cause rather by their order discipline the kyngdom of grace to be in better case to be troubled with fewe offences All officers shold se diligently to quiet and tranquillitie to be had both in house and citie that the church the kyngdome of heauen might liue a quiet and a peaceable life with all godlines and grauitie in prayers supplications with thankes geuing and intercessions For to th end that this kyngdome of prayer true inuocation which is called of Christ the kyngdom of heauen might be reserued amōg men it is very necessarie that parents maiestrates see straightly to their offices Wherfore magistrates and officers of this corporall lyfe do not plucke vp the tares againste the commandement of Christe when they by sharp straight correction and execution do withstand these offences that disordre the common welth But they do the best that they can to see and prouide that the good corne in the congregation be not ouercome with tares so the kyngdome of heauē shold vtterly be abolished in earth And this haue I sayd as touchynge the true meaning of this parable least it shold by euil vnderstāding therof cause men through superstitiō to abstaine from doinge certaine offices necessarie in the cōmon welth Now to declare at large what an haynouse thing it is that Christe here describeth howe the ennemie in the night sowed his most pestilent tares and howe the byshoppes and superattendēts by their sleping sluggyshnes gaue hym occasion and leaue so to do it were a long matter and not fyt to be handled in so shorte a tyme but at this time I thinke sufficient for me to haue enstructed you as touching the true meanyng of this parable And to th end that ye may earnestlye regarde it euen as Christe would we shold when he put forth this parable of the tares let vs pray vnto our heuenly father as for a thyng most necessary to whome be praise and glory for euer Amen The Sonday called Septuagesima The Gospell Math. xx THe kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto a man that is an housholder which went out early in the mornyng to hyre labourers into his vineyarde And when the agrement was made with the labourers for a peny a daye he sent them into his vineyarde And he went out about the third houre sawe other standing ydle in the market place and sayde vnto them Go ye also into the vineyarde and whatsoeuer is ryght I will geue you And they went theyr waye Againe he went out about the vi and ix houre and dyd lykewyse And about the xi houre he went out and foūd other standing ydle and said vnto them Why stāde ye here all the day ydle They sayd vnto hym because no man hath hyred vs. He saith vnto thē Go ye also into the vyneyarde and whatsoeuer is ryght that shall ye receiue So when euē was come the lorde of the vineyarde sayd vnto his steward Call the
that God shall open hym the way to a better In the mean season let hym comfort hym self for that he hath the same Christ as the high emperours prelates and monkes haue and that he is as muche furdered by him to saluation and euerlasting life Or if they will not graunt that the lowest should haue equall felicitie with them in this kyngdom then haue they themselues no place in it For it must nedes be so in this kyngdom All are accepted into Gods fauour for that that Christ Iesus suffered for them all and washed vs with his bloud and that not one more and an other lesse but all alike Euery man hath lyke right to this tresure neither wil they after that be so greatly greued with this inequalitie that they wyll be sory for their state and make any disturbāce of the publike order therby But they are contēt with their present state how vnequal so euer it be so that they may be felowe partners haue like right with al saints in those things that ar hoped for are euer lasting If this were wel beaten into mens myndes how that al haue like right in Christs kingdō they wold with a certain godly spiritual pride war ioyful harty yea in doing the vilest seruice drudgery that is that with godlines For al things must be done there with a ioyfull hart wheras that christē mā perceiueth beleueth firmly that God is not displeased with any mā for his low degree ye for that gret renomes sake wherin al saints ar equal in Christ he cānot but cōceiue incredible ioy in somuch that he wold not refuse to scoure sinks so that he may be as wel accepted with Christ as ar they that are chiefest Our aduersaries the monks Nonnes do not this They imagin that God hath writing tables or a coūting boke to note euery mans labours woorkes and taskes and to marke how much one doth labor more then an other that thereby he myght haue the higher roume in heauen and haue a better Christ than he is that is euery mans Christ. For this haue they taught that when a priest masseth he doth such a worke that profiteth as well the dead as the quicke and that for-because he is a more worthier person and of an higher degree in the kyngdome of Christ then the laye people are These persons can not abide this equalitie which is in Christes kyngdom but go about to make inequalitie after a wordly maner After lyke maner haue they taughte that a Nunne in her abbey is holyer and better then a houswyfe in her house and if a man teache the contrary they condemne hym as an heretike And herein they are lyke vnto them that murmured in this parable for they require more then other and shewe God a roll written of al the howers that they wrought in and suffred the heate of the day But marke what answere God geueth them As for this inequalitie in a ciuil gouernāce he wil not reason with them For there to the hygher degree the higher honour is due But when ye come saith he to the kingdome of my sonne all are equall for that they haue but one baptism one Christ. Neither is a better Gospell taught to some to some a worse For where as the Monkes saye that the maried men haue but the worst gospell and the worst commandementes and that they them selues haue the beste because they are of a hygher degree in Gods kyngdome it is false and contrary to the Gospell For therby they go about to make inequalitie in the Gospell where as neuerthelesse Christ made all things equall and especially techeth this only thing in this parable that in his kingdom one is no better than an other To liue chast if a man haue the gyft is no euill thyng neither can it be forbidden by lawes or statutes But to affirm that a man or woman therby is in a higher degree before god and that he must haue a greater reward therfore is a fals doctrine and a great rock whereat the Pope stumbleth and therfore doth falsly accuse vs that forbyd good workes We only affirme this that there is equalitie in Christes kyngdom forasmuch as God accepteth vs not for our merit or deseruing but through his mercy and grace in Christ. And thus proceding in this matter after that a man hath obteined this equalitie and felowshyp Let euery man in the cōmon lyfe applye his vocation and see to his charge either in gouernyng youth in the schole or teachyng the people in the churche or gouernynge his familie at home or doing any other lower seruice And here let euery man doo his duetie diligently Neither let him loke to be equall with other in a higher degree For in Christ no mans state is better than other but all in hym obteine the mercy of God And in this is the worlde and the Iewes greately offended when they heare that we that are Gentiles and vncircumcised be receaued to saluation whiche were neuer burdened with the Saboth neither with other burdens of the law where as they haue caried borne them with great peine and sweate as Christ in this parable describeth it very proprely The fyrst had thought that they should had receaued more and therfore they murmured whan euery man had but his penye euen as they had also that were but an hower in the vineyard But Christ suffreth not this inequalitie Frende saieth he I doo thee no wrong take that is thyne and be gon That is to say you haue now receiued your wages euen the land of Canaan But now I wyll ordeyn an other new kingdom wherin al thinges shal be equal For all the riches therin are myn and I may order them as I list It doth not become you to teache me what wages I shal geue to my laborers workmen Therfore the Iewes by their vndiscrete maner and enuye doo caste awaye the kyngdome of GOD and thynke it an vnmete thing that we Gentiles shold be made equall with them and therfore they accuse God as though he dyd them wronge and dryueth him to his answer so that he is faine to chyde with them and say What aylest thou are they not my goodes that I geue and not thyne Is it not laufull for me to doo with myne owne goodes as me lusteth A lyke importunitie and vndiscrete maner is there in the Pope also and all his They abhorre this kyngdome wherin al thyngs are equall They require the chiefest preeminence for them selfe as of duetie but for theyr pride they shal obteyn no more thē the Iewes obteined Wherfore we must not lightly regard this differēce betwene the corporall and spirituall lyfe or if it must otherwise bee named betwene the kyngdome of the world Christes kingdome For in Christes kingdom all thynges must be equall for they are cōmon goodes as is God Christ the holy ghost the gospel baptisme the supper of the Lord faith And
aduanced by God yet be they soone broughte downe agayne Wherefore when the Angels Cain Ismaell Esau Elias and the Iewes waxed proude and applyed theyr preeminence and priuiledge geuen vnto them to knowledge Gods goodnes thereby fyrste to their own priuate pleasure and commoditie and then to the oppressyng of other they were reprobate cast out of Gods fauor notwithstaÌ„dyng their fyrst birth-right and outlawed out of Gods kyngdom into the kyngdome of the deuyll And this practise of God is described in the Psalme 103. Who is lyke vnto the Lorde oure God that hath his dwellyng on high and yet humbleth hymselfe to behold thynges in heauen earth He raiseth the symple out of the durst and lifteth the poore out of the myre And the virgin Mary in her songe He hath put down the myghty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meke This is Gods maner He wholly resysteth the proude neyther doth hee enryche and beautifie menne with his gyftes that they therby shoulde become extorcioners and oppressours And lest he should seme to be ouercome of the proude he aduanceth nowe and then â–ª most basest persons to high honor and contrarywise throweth down kyngs from their thrones and bryngeth them hedlong to extreme calamitie whereout they can neuer escape Wherfore among the Iewes the fyrst borne hadde great priuileges in the priesthode and kyngdome was due to them by gods ordinaÌ„ce But when they proudly abused this honor God dyd not alwais ratifie this lawe Ruben also was the firste begotten but he is so cursed of his father Iacob that he obteined by his birthright neither kyngdome nor priesthode Abraham also as men thynke was the youngest amonge his brethreÌ„ But GOD bestowed on hym that was due to his brother And this may ye learne by many examples that the first borne dyd for the most part degenerate And there was no other cause of this then pride whiche thought this I am the first begotten wherfore my priuiledge is chiefe in this house I am Gods holy one and his peculiar good Wherefore lette no manne be proude yf he excelle in any gyfte of God more then other If thou be endewed wyth the gyfte of learnyng vse that gyfte to Goddes glorye and to the profyte of thy neyghbour Boast not thy selfe so muche thereof as though thou receauedst it â—â—t They that passe other in holynesse beautie rychesse or any other gyfte Lette hym beware of thys as muche as hee woulde of death that he chalenge not those thyngs as his own and so cast hym selfe out of Gods kyngdome by commyttynge sacrilege For GOD in the fyrst moste excellent and auncient Patriarkes hath declared howe greately he was offended with pryde and statelynesse where as they all for the most part degendred Iohn the Baptist continued accordyng to his fyrste birthright and almost none els But all other for the most part were of suche intollerable arrogance that they obteyned not this chiefe commoditie of thys renoume vntyll at laste the Iewes by theyr fall and ruyne gaue vp their ryghte to vs Gentiles For nowe the byrthryghte of the churche before God consisteth not in ciuill and corporal matters as the Pope boasteth countyng himselfe chiefe Bishoppe wheras he is scarsly a dreame But the priuiledge of the Churche is in baptisme in the worde of GOD. For although our bodelye and corporall birth maketh greate diuersitie in vs yet by baptisme we are all equall For we are all borne out of the churche whiche is an vndefiled virgin in spirit For it hath the pure worde of God his SacrameÌ„ts And the church is pregnant and great with child and alwaies bringeth forth Christians which are the first frutes proper goods of God And one man no more than an other God will haue vs acknowlege our honour and renoum in this that we through baptisme are borne the sonnes of God and his proper goodes He did not so by all nations he shewed not the iudgements of his mercie and grace to them whether they be Turkes or sarasens For they regard not these priuileges of the first begotten Neither will they hear or see these thinges that make vs first borne before God And for as muche as we obtaine this honour from God and his grace all Christians a like we ought not by our fault so to behaue our selues that the thinges that are geuen to our coÌ„fort against the wicked shold through pride be our destructioÌ„ It is the greatest renoum of Christs churche For she as a mother by baptisme the worde and faith bringeth forth Christians the meÌ„bers of the church Wherfore in all those things if christiaÌ„ men will haue respect to their birth condicion they shal haue no occasioÌ„ to be proude For whatsoeuer they be it coÌ„meth of the grace of God by baptisme faith the worde which are equallie belongyng to all Christian men makyng no man more Christian then an other before God through his mercie All before God are priests and kynges And of this renoum can neither Turke nor Sarasyn boast Yet is not this renoum graunted to our ambition to corrupte seduce as the Pope doth that vsurpeth the supremacie ouer all christendome without the commandement of God by the instinkte of the deuil only For this is a continual and vnchangeable rule among the ChristiaÌ„s as it is taught in the parable of the hired laborers that no man in dignitie and worthines prefer hymselfe before other For there is but one baptisme of all And wher as there must nedes be teachers and pastours yet these be but ministrations and offices that haue no power to make the children of God For baptisme and the worde and fayth in the worde causeth vs to be the children of God and the first borne Wherfore it is well set foorth in the churche for a doctrine that the example of the firste borne in the olde Testament and their pride shoulde teache vs that GOD can not suffer pride And he that wolde be safe from this daunger must nedes humble and submitte hymselfe But this tale were as well tolde to a deafe man as to the worlde For it abuseth the most folishe and vaine thynges that be to pride And for as muche as the worlde will in no wise folowe better councell GOD ceaseth not to withstand the stubborne and proude They are by daylye examples caste downe euen as Lucifer and his angels were out of heauen And this is one part of this gospell as muche as belongeth to the historie and the presentynge in the churche After this doth the Euangeliste reherse what chaunced when they presented Iesus as theyr firste begotten sonne in the Temple and redemed hym wyth a gyfte We wyll take that in hande at an other time to entreate of And nowe let vs pray vnto GOD that he will preserue vs by his grace againste all pride and kepe vs in obedience and lowlines to his most godly wyll Amen
was so ouercom that he sayd least this wydow shold alwaies be troublesom vnto me I wil reueÌ„ge her quarell so that she wil not trouble me hereafter And shold not god sayeth Christ reuenge his electe that crie vnto him day night yea though he differre them I say vnto you he will soone take vengeaÌ„ce As though he shold say prayer crying maketh god not to proloÌ„g or to differce the matter which els he wold padueÌ„ture do This is then the fruite of prayer euen to obtayne quickly that that shold otherwise comme slowlye yea rather ther to obtaine wher without prayer nothinge shold haue ben gotten Wherfore this example is not lightlie to be regardede because it admonisheth vs of a great matter that when we pray before God we be not ashamed but put foorth our request boldly after this sorte I am a synner I graunt yet therfore I count not my selfe in a desperat case Certaine thinges moue and prike my conscience But what than I count not what I am but how nedie I am And I thinke also that thou art redie to geue whatsoeuer shal be necessarie either for bodie or soule therfore wheÌ„ thou hast prayed and ben instante then will God answere thee as he dyd this blynd man what wilt thou that I do for thee loke vp thy faith hath saued thee For to praye an not to beleue is to mocke God Faith stayeth onely on this point that god is mercifull to vs for Christe his sonne sake and that therfore he heareth and defendeth vs reuengeth and deliuereth vs. The whiche thing Iesu Christ our sauiour graunte vs. Amen The fyrst Sonday in Lent The Gospell Math. iiii THen was Iesus ledde awaye of the spirite into wyldernesse to be tempted of the deuyll And when he had fasted xl dayes and fortye nightes he was at the last an hungred And when the tempter came to him he said if thou be the sonne of GOD commaunde that these stones be made bread But he answered and sayde it is wrytten man shall not lyue by bread only but by euery worde that proceadeth out of the mouth of God Then the Deuill taketh him vp into the holy Citie and setteth hym on a pinacle of the Temple and sayeth vnto him yf thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe headlong For it is written he shall geue his Angelles charge ouer thee and with theyr handes they shal holde thee vp least at any tyme thou dashe thy foote against a stone And Iesus sayde vnto hym it is written again Thou shalt not tempte the Lorde thy God Againe the Deuill taketh hym vp into an exceading hygh mountayne and shewed hym all the kyngdomes of the worlde and the glory of them and sayeth vnto hym all these wyll I geue thee if thou wylt fall downe and worship me Then sayeth Iesus vnto hym Auoyde Sathan for it is written Thou shalte worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue Then the Deuyll leaueth hym and beholde the Angelles came and ministred vnto hym THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell ye heare of the three temptations of Christ whiche chanced vnto hym forthwith after baptisme after that he had fasted fortye dayes and nightes in the desert or as the description of Luke sheweth these temptations coÌ„tinued day by day for the space of fortye dayes and fortye nightes so that with eche of them he wrasteled certaine dayes not peraduenture after that order as Mathew describeth This Gospell is very large of matter if it be applied to the bodye of the whole church whiche is alwayes tempted with hunger persecution heresies and at last also with the kyngdom of the worlde as Christ was But this meanyng is more meette to be entreated of in scholes then in congregations of the coÌ„mon people Wherfore it is coÌ„uenieÌ„t for you here first to learne that euery Christian assone as he is baptised ought to knowledge that he is ordained to fyght continuallye against the deuill and not to looke for any other state as longe as he liueth And this enemie is so eger and so fearce that when he can not come to his purpose by temptatioÌ„s which is to plucke froÌ„ the Christians the kyngdome of God then he endeuoreth by all meanes possible to consume wast theÌ„ awaye by persecucioÌ„ so to dispatche theÌ„ whollie out of the worlde as his purpose was to do with Christ. And this peril belongeth to all the Christians The deadlye hatred of the ennemie canne by no meanes be pacified But he laboreth both with hand foote to make men to fall from Christ his baptisme vnto desperation or presumptioÌ„ through famine persecution through heresies false interpretation of scripture And when he preuaileth nothing by this he falleth vpon vs with death sleeth vs. Wherfore the exaÌ„ple of Christ is to be knowen and learned that we may be armed against our enemy that he may not preuaile against vs by teÌ„ptatioÌ„ And this shal we obtaine by faith trust in god in his worde He that hath these two weapoÌ„s vseth theÌ„ well is salfe froÌ„ the deuil And this ought to cause all Christians gladly to heare the worde of God diligeÌ„tly to learne it to put it in practise in the meane time to slacke nothing in prayer but to desyre for the spedie coÌ„minge of his kyngdome that we may not be lead into temptation but be deliuered from all euil through his fatherlye goodnes The euangelist beginneth the historie how that Christ was ledde into the desert of the spirit that is of the holy ghost For sith he had no other superiour lord to commande him he was obedient to the coÌ„mandement of the holy ghost wherby he was called into the desert And the euangelist speaketh this not without a singuler meaninge euen willinge therby that all men should beware of their owne inuentions and imaginations For Christe came not into desert by his owne councell will to wrastle with the deuil as manie doth which institute diuers thinges without the spirit and word Wheras it is forbiddeÌ„ so to do For no maÌ„ must take any thinge vpon hym or go forth as a pilgrime to any place to serue god except he know for a suretie that god hath commanded it eyther by his worde or by men whiche hath the power from god to shew vs what God byddeth vs to doe For they that take any thynge vpon them withoute this vocation as the monkes and nonnes went to their cloisters they not only do no seruice to God but offende also greuouslye contrarye to the obedience that they owe to God Wherfore this example of Christ is verye worthie to be had in remembraunce wheras he came not into the desert of his owne motâ—on But was commanded so to do by the holye Ghoste That we folowynge Christe shoulde institute nothinge of our owne witte so that in all oure doinges we maye boaste that we
not they are not to be obeyed but to be frely spokē agaīst althoughe losse of life shold folow therof For the gospell spareth no mā but reproueth the sinnes of all men generally without exceptiō Therfore let the pastors preachers diligently consider the greatnes wayght of their office remēbring that they must geue an accoūte therof at the great day of iudgemēt if they frely speake not to all men without feare rebuke those thinges that are worthy to be reproued be the persones of hye or low degree Why then shold we preachers for thy cause O thou maiestrate cast our selues into daunger serue thy lustes cōtrarie to our office It is not our worde Neither are we in this office to serue thy tourne as men hyred of thee to teach such things as maye please thy fansye the preachers may not do so neither wyl they do so nor yet ought they so to do He that is not willing to heare these thinges let him seke other that may serue his lustes so that this ministery be free wherunto God hath geuen authoritie power to rebuke sinnes yea the sinnes of all men And these are the three kindes of men whom Christ in this his most noble miracle hath censoures Iudges The first praise it allow it meruel at it the secōd hate it blaspheme it The third wolde haue such miracles wrought as they appoint neither are they any other at all times before whom the gospell is preached in the worlde Therfore the preachers in this behalfe must as Christ did dispute reason cōtēd with the aduersaries by no meanes suffer them or wincke at them but stoutly and valeauntly defende the Lord Christ his cause worde what soeuer aduersitie foloweth and not to regarde thoughe they seme to labour in vaine and to profite fewe We haue done our dutie if we haue disclosed their blasphemies If they heare not farewel they so that they vnderstand what they haue done and whom they haue contemned despised set at naught blasphemed and rayled vpon Christ first of al answereth thē that sayde he cast out deuils by the helpe of Beelzebub prince of the deuils These he cōfuteth with such a reasō as no reasonable mā can deny it That kingdom saieth he which is deuided in it selfe must nedes come to desolation If therfore one deuil cast out an other this then foloweth that y◠deuilles are together by the eares amōg them selues so must their kyngdom come to naughte And this is so true that euen in families or housholdes discorde maketh hauocke of al thinges For if the man the wife be at variance amonge them selues stryue one to hurte an other one to speake euill of an other then must the familie and housholde nedes perishe come to naught Examples do teache that discorde weakeneth maketh feble and vtterly destroyeth whole Empires Kyngdomes Cittes comon wealthes houses families Therfore the Phariseyes and Scribes are here vtterlye besyde them selues and clene out of their wyttes wantyng not only the Iudgemēt of the spirit but also of reason as our aduersaries also the papistes are madde vtterly estraūged from all reason whyle they contemne and condemne so manifest trueth For althoughe we had no scriptures yet were we able to defende our matters and confounde theirs euen with very reason But this helpeth nothyng al our labour is but loste so styffnecked and vncircuncised both in heartes and eares are our aduersaries the papistes And this here is worthy to be noted that Christe sayeth the deuill hath a kyngdome and suche a kyngdom as greatly agreeth in it selfe and defendeth their matters with high concorde and perfecte agrement so that whosoeuer prouoketh one deuill prouoketh and stirreth vp all He that hurteth one maketh all the residue his enemies otherwise if they lyued not in suche a concorde we shoulde plucke awaye many mo from the papistes vnto oure side That all do not beleue receaue the worde the cause is that the kyngdome of the deuil is so mightie and defendeth all their thinges by diligent coniunction and coupling together of consentes myndes This kyngdom doste thou disturbe and greue when thou receauest baptisme hearest the worde of God receauest the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. That the deuill doth not ouercom thee it is because that as in the deuils kyngdom there is hygh agremēt so likewise in the kingdom of Christ there is most true concord and singular linkyng together of myndes Therefore when the deuill assaulteth thee and goeth about to vexe and trouble thee he hath also to his ennemy hym that sitteth on the right hand of God the father euen Christ thyne heade as he saide vnto Paule Saul Saul why persecutest thou me This is to be taken for a myghty and strong defence yea and an inuincible fortresse I meane to be a christen man seynge we haue so myghtie a kyngdome against vs yea we shoulde not be certaine of our helth and saluation one moment of an houre if oure helpe were not sure and certain in the grace of God if God did not assist vs and be present with vs thorowe his holy spirite But here may an obiection be made against Christes confutation that the Exorcistes or cōiurers although they be a wicked kinde of people cast out deuils also Uerily al this cometh not of God but of the deuill We reade of a man that was possessed with many deuils yet a certain priest that was a coniurer and vsed sorcerie was so bold as to put his hād into the mans mouth that was so possessed And what other thing is this then one deuil to cast out an other I answer Paul saith that the deuill in the latter days shall worke wonders and do miracles yet shall they not be true miracles but fained counterfait and false For he worketh not those miracles to aduance the Gospell of Christ and to sette forth the glorie of God but to bryng men from the true faythe and to caste them headlong into all kynde of idolatrie There haue bene certain sainctes as they were wont to calle them as our Lady of Ipswiche our Lady of Walsingham the Roode of rest the roode of Grace S. Peter M. Iohn Shorne c. to whom they were wont in tyme past to sende such as were possessed with the deuyll that they myght there bee made whole and so manye tymes it came to passe But the deuyll was not therfore caste out as though he coulde no longer haue there remained but he was content gladly to depart to confirme them in their superstition and vnbeliefe As the deuill also hath many tymes fained that he is afeard of an halowed candell salt palmes holy water holy bread holy fyre c. When notwithstandynge he dyd it only to this ende to encrease superstition to banishe all true faith and religion to driue men from the lyuyng
God vnto dumbe and beggerly ceremonies that they whiche are all redy snarled with the bondes of idolatrie and superstition might be holdē the more strongly with the same and confirmed lest at any tyme they should begyn to leane and truste vnto the woorde of God and his mercy and so at the laste bee saued All suche miracles sygnes and wonders are wrought by the deuyl and ar lying false and vntrue as S. Paule termeth them yea they are nothyng els then playn sorcerie and iuglynge to deceaue them that are vnfaythfull because they would not embrace the truthe that they myght be saued Thynke thou those to be the true signes and miracles wherwith Christe the Apostles through the word did cast out the deuil so that he against his wil was cōpelled to depart For ther was no such daliance neither declared he himself of his own frewil to go away In those miracles the deuill was enforced against his will to geue place to the word of God that vnto this end that the glorie of God might be set forth the christen religion confirmed stablished this dothe not the deuil gladly Therfore in such agony conflict strife against the deuill crosses halowed candels holy water such other trifles do no good at all Where it is for the deuils profit and for the enlargement confirmation of his kyngdom in all superstition idolatrie false religion wickednes c. that he should be put out that by this meanes the wycked worlde may receaue the punyshemente of their frowardnes because they wyll not call vppon Christe and so be the more depely drowned in superstition there it is possible that the deuyll will suffer himselfe to be expelled and caste out of suche wicked persones as Sorcerers Necromancers witches and such lyke are For thys is not done to the ende that the Gospell maye be aduanced and the truthe knowen but that errour may be confirmed that the more authoritie may be geuen to monkerye to the inuocation of Sainctes to Pylgremages to Uigiles to Masses and to suche lyke trumperie For the mayntenance of these thynges wherwith the glorie of God is obscured and the truthe of his holye word hindred the deuyl is wel content to geue place and to suffer himselfe to be caste oute But where the castyng out of the deuyll is done to this end that the fynger and power of GOD may be sene and that the kyngdome of God may be stablyshed there the deuill resysteth wrastleth and sheweth him selfe vnwilling to depart and maintaineth his abode there so long as he can as Christ teacheth in the Parable of the strong armed man Therfore let vs neuer forget this great exceding mercy singular goodnes of the Lord our God but most humbly and hertily thanke hym that he hath sente his sonne to be an helper vnto vs against the deuil to cast hym out and hath geuen vs his worde wherby euen nowe also that worke is done I meane the kyngdom of the deuill is destroied and the kyngdom of God is set vp and encreaced In this grace God for his mercy euer kepe vs for his dere sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde and alone Sauior to whom with God the faand the holy ghost be all glorie for euermore Amen The fourthe Sondaye in Lent ¶ The Gospell Iohn vi IEsus departed ouer the sea of Galile whiche is the sea of Tiberias and a greate multitude folowed him because they saw his miracles whiche he dyd on them that were diseased And Iesus went vp into a mountayne and there he sat with his Disciples And Easter a feaste of the Iewes was nye When Iesus then lyfte vp his eyes and sawe a great company come vnto hym he sayde vnto Philip whence shall we bye bread that these may eate This he sayde to proue hym for he hym selfe knewe what he woulde do Philip aunswered him two hundred penyworth of bread are not sufficient for them that euery man may take a lyttle One of his Disciples Andrewe Simon Peters brother sayeth vnto hym There is a lad whiche hath fiue Barlye loaues and two fishes but what are they a monge so many And Iesus sayde make the people sit downe There was muche grasse in the place So the men sat downe in number about fiue thousande And Iesus toke the bread and when he had geuen thankes he gaue to the Disciples and the Disciples to them that were set downe and lykewyse of the fyshes as muche as they would When they hadde eaten ynough he sayde vnto his Disciples gather vp the broken meate whiche remayneth that nothyng be lost And they gathered it together and fylled .xii. baskettes with the broken meate of the fyue barley loaues which broken meate remayned vnto them that had eaten Then those men when they had sene the miracle that Iesus dyd sayde this is of a trueth the same Prophete that shoulde come into the worlde THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell we learne that our Sauiour CHRIST hath a syngular and special care for them that folow him that seeke the kyngdom of God and the rightuousnes thereof and sette theyr chief delectation and pleasure in hearyng the worde of God and in practisyng the same so that all such shall want no good thyng necessary for theyr lyuynge but shall haue abundantlye what so euer is needfull so farre is it of that they neede to despayre of Goddes prouidence in this behalfe as though he were ledde wyth no care at all towarde theym and theyr necessities Thys doctrine the wicked worldlyngs and couetous carles are not woorthy to heare muche lesse to beleue seyng theyr myndes are otherwyse sette In dede they heare that Christe bounteously wroughte thys great miracle but they doo not beleue that Christe wylle doo the same for theym Therefore are they all together gyuen to the worlde scrape and rake together what so euer they can gette by hooke or by crooke by ryght or by wrong by laufull or vnlaufull meanes declaryng by all theyr doynges that they haue no good and faithful persuasion of Gods prouidence and that Christe neyther can nor wyll deale with them as he dyd with this people of whom oure Gospell maketh mencion Yea some of them after the maner of Epicures thynke God to bee a carelesse God and not to regarde hys people but to sytte ydell in heauen gasing about I can not tell vpon what And therefore they thynke it to bee their charge and duetie to carke and care to aforesee and prouide all thynges necessary for them selues that they suffer not hunger and colde c. But suche men yea rather monsters of men Christe regardeth not They that embrace his word Christe conforteth them in this place that he will fede theym not with wordes but with dedes euen with all thinges necessarie Let vs not doubt thynke or compasse in our mynde how we should be nouryshed but lette vs put our whole confidence in
of synnes because all the faythfull are wyth hym rysen agayne frome synne so that frome hensefoorth synne can not hurte theym althoughe whyle they are in thys wycked mortall bodye they can not be free from it For Christ brought wyth hym oute of hys graue remission of synnes The seconde fruicte foloweth of the fyrste and it is this That Christe by his Resurrection hathe abrogated the Lawe that is to saye hathe delyuered and sette at libertie our conscience from it and hath geuen our heartes peace tranquillitie and quietnesse For seynge that Christ by his Resurrection hath slain deathe whyche is the stypende of synne and hathe brought with hym vnto vs remission of synnes it necessarily foloweth that he hath also abolished the strength of synne whyche is the lawe that it can no more accuse vs. Therfore sayth Paule The lawe of the spirite that is to saye the Gospelle whiche quickeneth hathe delyuered me frome the power of synne and of death The quickenyng of the Gospell or in that the Gospelle quickeneth and makethe alyue it hathe hys strength power and efficacie of the Resurrection of Christe For if Christe hadde not rysen agayne then all oure preachynge and all our Faith had ben vayne The third fruict of Christs resurrection is that we by his Resurrection are deliuered from death In consideration whereof Paule glorieth with the Prophet Osee saying Deathe is swalowed vp into victorye As though he should saye The glorious and victorious resurrection of Christ hath swalowed vp deuoured and abolyshed death so that death from hensforth can doo nothyng at all against vs. And his cruel and terrible sight is none other thyng then an hornet with out a stynge whyche looketh terribly and with her wynges maketh a great and dreadfull noyse but yet hath she lost her styng and pricke so that she can hurt or wounde no man Our Sauior Christ sayth I am the resurrection and the life He that beleueth in mee although he were dead yet shall he lyue And all that lyueth beleueth in me shal neuer dye By the whiche wordes Christ signifieth that deathe to the Faithfull is nothyng ells then a sleape For as he that sleapeth lyueth and may ryse agayne so lykewise he that beleueth although he dye corporally yet abydeth he not in deathe but returneth vnto lyfe yea death is vnto him a very gate wherby he passeth oute of thys myserable and sorowfull lyfe vnto a trewe and an euerlastyng lyfe and is raysed vp frome thys sleape so that for euer after he waketh and abydeth alyue worldes without ende Therefore the holy Scripture callethe the corporall death of the Faithful a sleape as we rede in many places of the old and new Testament of Dauid Ezechias Stephen and other holy Sainctes The fourthe fruict of Christes Resurrection is the deuastation or destruction of helle so that nowe we are free and safe frome euerlastynge pestilence and curse For yf CHRIST saieth Sainct Paule be not rysen agayne then they whyche are fallen a slepe in Christ are vtterly loste Of the whyche wordes it foloweth that all they are blessed whyche sleape in Christe for as muche as hee is rysen agayne frome death And therefore dothe bothe the Prophete Osee and the blessed Apostle sainct Paule mocke helle and saye O helle where is thy victorie And the Apostle streyghte waye addeth Thankes bee vnto GOD whyche hathe geuen vs the victorie thorowe Iesus Christe If Christe had remayned in deathe then had all we perished as the Apostle sayth But for as muche as he remayned not in death therefore are we not loste but with hym we are escaped out of helle and made ioyfull and blessed The fyfth fruicte and profite of Christes Resurrection is that CHRIST risynge agayne frome the dead hathe gotten for vs the victorie ouer Sathan and all his kyngdome with all his membres also as it is written Christe by his deathe hath expelled him whyche hadde lordshyppe ouer death that is to say the deuyll that hee myghte delyuer theym whyche throughe feare of deathe were all theyr lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage Christ by his Resurrection hathe taken away all power from Sathan so that now he can no more exercyse hys tyrannye againste the elect and chosen people of GOD. For Christe hathe taken hym prysoner and taken hys weapons awaye from hym bounde hym and so vtterly weakened him that hee hathe no power at all And thys hys victorye dydde hee in hys Resurrection myghtylye declare when he ledde awaye captyue all the rulers of helle as Saynct Paule sayth He hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of theym openly hath triumphed ouer them in his owne person And of this victorie against Satā it is recorded in a certen psalm of Dauid wher it is cōmāded that the gates dores shoulde bee sette open that the Kynge of glorie maye come in And the rulers and Princes of hell demand and saye Who is thys kynge of Glorye The Prophete aunswereth them sayenge It is the Lorde of Hostes. He is the kynge of glorie And of this victorie Christe also speakethe in a certayne Parable sayenge When a stronge manne armed watcheth hys house the thynges that hee possesseth are in peace But when a stronger then hee commeth vpon hym and ouercommeth hym Hee taketh frome hym all hys harneys wherein hee trusted and deuydeth hys goodes So lykewyse the deuyll possessed the world and shewed hys power in mainteynynge false worshyppynge of GOD and dyuers kyndes of Idolatrye and by thys hee stablyshed hys kyngedome and greately encreased the swarme of wycked and damned persones vntyll CHRIST whyche was stronger thenne hee inuaded hys kyngedome and tooke frome hym hys harneisse armour and weapon that is to saye synne and deathe wherewith he ouercamme the whole worlde and made spoyle of theim and by this meanes deliuered all the faithfull and electe people of GOD oute of his kingdome and sette theim free from his tirannie and power The sixt fruict of Christes resurrection is the preachynge of the Gospell For althoughe he dydde preache the Gospell to hys Disciples and to hys countreymenne the Iewes before hys deathe yet gaue hee oute noo Commyssion that it shoulde bee generally and vniuersallye preached to all Nations tyll after his Resurrection Therefore saieth he in the Gospell of Mathewe All power is geuen vnto me bothe in Heauen and in Earthe Go ye therefore throughout the whole worlde and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost He that shal beleue and be baptised shal be saued But he that shall not beleue shall be damned This is a moste noble gyft whiche no man is able sufficiētly to expresse or to esteme For all hadd ben frustrate and voyde yf it had not ben publyshed and set foorth abrode For howe
store house might be full therof and flowyng ouer out of this into that And thereby thei thought them self rightuous and for that cause to be blessed of GOD. So doe our Papistes also excuse theim selues Thei saie that our doctrine is true but yet for all that thei muste not departe and swarue from the holy churche leaste there should rise a sedicion and scisme Yea thei thē selues also do feare that if thei should receiue this doctrine that their owne churche and power should decaie and perishe Whereas neuerthelesse onely the Gospell maketh the true churche of GOD and dooeth represse all vniust power and sedicion Furdermore couetuousnes is the cause and impedimente that thei receiue not the Gospell for bicause thei see that the Gospell is defended with a verie simple garde that is with pouertie and persecution But what will be the ende of this Suche as was of the Iewes Thei defended their lawe priesthode kyngdome and riches so longe and so stubburnely vntill at laste thei were all ouerthrowen and loste all so that now thei liue emong straungers as banished persones and sure of nothyng and can not come to the felowship of this supper For the Lorde purposeth now to bid other geastes and bicause he is despised of them he despiseth them also as it foloweth The good man of the house was displeased and saied to his seruaunte Goe out quicklie into the streates and lanes of the citie c. As though he should saie if ye set so muche by your Farmes Oxen wiues that ye care not for my supper that is if ye holde so faste the priesthod the kyngdome and the richesse that ye put a side me and my Gospell this I tel you before that ye shal loose all together And I in the meane season will prouide me other geastes Wherefore thou seruaunt get thee out into the streates and lanes of the citie and bryng hither the same the poore the maimed and weake And so it chaunceth to the Iewes For when the princes priestes and all the chief emongest the people despised the Gospell for the causes aboue rehearsed GOD receiued the humbe fishers whiche is a poore and a despised sorte As Paule saieth to the Corinthians Looke brethren on your vocacion how GOD hath not chosen many wise men after the fleshe nor many mightie nor many of high degree but he hath chosen the foolish thinges of the worlde to confoūde the wise The weake hath GOD chosen to confounde the stronge The obscure of the worlde hath GOD chosen and the abiectes and those that are of no reputacion to bryng to naught those thynges that are of reputacion c. And accordyng to this sentence whatsoeuer thyng in this people had the preeminence in holinesse wisedome power or riches it is reiected bicause thei despised the Gospell Contrarie wise Christ receiued the simple and obscure as Peter Andrewe Simon and Bartholomewe c. whiche were Fishers and verie poore men Whom no manne thought worthie to execute the smallest offices for the chief Princes and Priestes For thei wer the outcastes and as Esai saieth the dragges of the moste excellent wine So that the excellentest of the people the priestes the riche heades the nobles the glorious were caste awaie for their vnbelief euen as a tunne of good wine where remaineth onely the dregges whom Christ here dooeth call the poore the weake and the blinde Those doeth Christ here poinct to the kyngdome of God and not the Pharasei and his whiche doeth faine that thei set greatly by the kyngdome of GOD and the bread thereof But Christ dooeth declare what suche hypocrites doe meane ye would saieth he haue Farmes and Oxen. But as for this supper of the kyngdome of GOD ye care not Wherefore this supper belongeth onely to the poore As it is saied the poore receiue the ioyfull tidynges of the Gospell For the rulers the holie and the wise despise this Supper and be vnworthie thereof He could not haue spoken more geuously against the Iewes and specially against this man that craked of the breade of the kyngdome of heauen and yet vnderstoode no more of this kyngdome then consisteth in Farmes Oxen and other present thynges of this life that their region might not be depriued of the priesthod and kyngdome whatsoeuer becommeth of Christe and his Gospell For thus thought he that he had no nede of Christ to attain thereby the kyngdome of GOD. But that GOD would saie to hym and to all the Iewes Come ye Iewes and high priestes ye holie men ye princes ye excellent citezens for you is the breade and supper prepared But saieth he thus goeth the matter ye are called but ye dooe not regard Ye excuse your selues and affirme that your excuses be lawfull Wherefore I reiect and refuse you and receiue the vile multitude as the lame the weake the blinde the halte the poore c. And thus farre this Gospell belongeth to the Iewes For he speaketh of the lame and weake that are in the streates and lanes of the citie and he calleth the people of the Iewes a citie bicause that people was well ordered and ruled For thei had the lawe ceremonies rites temple priestes kynges and all thynges ordained of God and written by Moises Now he sendeth his seruauntes in to the high waies and commaundeth theim to bryng geastes wheresoeuer thei maie bee had yea the beggers that sitte by the hedges c. And the Lorde saied vnto his seruaunte Goe out into the high waies and vnto the hedges and constraine theim to come in that my house maie be full These that lye at the hedges are wee Gentiles whiche dwell in no citie whiche haue had no forme of seruice but haue been Idolatours and knewe neither our selues neither God Wherefore all that we haue maie well be called an open fielde where all thynges lye open to the deuill at his owne will Goe thither saieth he and constraine them to come in For this is alwaies the frowardnes of the world to resist the Gospell and not to brooke the doctrine thereof Yet neuer the lesse this feast maker would haue his supper often to be vsed For he bestoweth all this coste and charges that he maie not lacke men to be merie and make good chere with hym although he should bee faine to raise theim out of stones And this is the very cause that GOD made the worlde so large and wide whereas yet now of late he hath had sufficient cause for mannes sinne to make bothe it and mankinde more lesse and narowe But he doeth not so bicause as yet he hath not geastes sufficient to furnishe his supper Wherfore wheras his seruauntes bryngeth the Gospell to vs also this is a token to vs that are Baptized and beleue that we pertaine also to this supper For we are those iolie felowes liyng by the hedges that is to saie blinde poore lame and Gentiles moste desperate But how dooeth GOD constraine vs whereas
neither hande nor mouthe is to be restrained We maie lawfully vse these instrumentes to reuenge accordyng to euery mannes vocation office and aucthoritie For here there is no place for lenitie and mercie but for vengeaunce So that in this behalfe would neglecte vengeance he should giue an occasion to GOD the high iudge that he should punishe the sinnes and offences of men and then were the matter in worse case For when GOD punisheth he punisheth more greuously then men doe· And this is the doctrine of the Gospell for this presente Sondaie The Lorde our GOD helpe vs by his holy spirite and giue vs grace for his sonne Iesus Christes sake that in this worlde we maye liue here a Godly rightuous and sober life euery manne accordyng to his vocation and office and in the worlde to come enioye the fruicion presence and sight of the moste blessed and glorious Trinitie GOD the father GOD the sonne and GOD the holy Ghoste three distincte persones and one true immortall and euerlastyng GOD To whom be all power glory and honor bothe now and euer Amen ¶ The .vij. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. viii IN those daies when there was a verie great companie and had nothyng to eate Iesus called his disciples vnto hym and saied vnto theim I haue compassion on the people because thei haue been now with me three dayes and haue nothyng to eate and if I sende theim awaie fastyng to their owne houses thei shall fainte by the waie for diuers of theim came from farre And his disciples answered hym where should a manne haue breade here in the wildernesse to satisfie these And he asked them how many loaues haue ye Thei saied seuen And he commaunded the people to sitte doune on the grounde And he tooke the seuen loaues and when he had giuen thankes he brake and gaue to his disciples to sette before theim And thei did sette them before the people and thei had a fewe small fishes and when he had blessed he commaūnded them also to be sette before them and thei did eate and were suffised And thei tooke vp of the broken meate that was lefte seuen baskettes full And thei that did eate were aboue fower thousande And he sent them awaie THE EXPOSITION THis miracle did Christe twise For on midde Lent Sondaie is the like historie sette forthe when with fiue barlie loaues and twoo fishes he fed fiue thousande menne besides women and children and yet there remained so many fragmentes as filled twelue Baskettes full But in this Gospell ye heare how with seuen loaues and a fewe little fishes he fedde fower thousande and there were lefte so many fragmentes as filled seuen Baskettes It appereth that suche as appoincted this Gospell now to bee redde had a consideracion of the tyme seyng that this miracle is set foorthe in the fruitfull tyme of the yere that all men maie learne and vnderstande that all these thynges whiche wee receiue and take of the grounde come vnto vs by the blessyng of God and that God euen at this presente daie worketh with vs this miracle whiche at the tyme he wroughte in the wildernes saiyng that with a fewe nourishmentes or slender prouision he is able now also through his blessyng to minister foode to many yea to thousandes thousandes of people as he daily doeth so that although many times through tempestes the fruictes of the yearth haue no good successe yet that wee should knowe that our chief help and comfort consisteth in the blessyng of God For it is not the abundance of foode but the blessing of God that feedeth For suche is the naturall frowardnes of the vnfaithfull worlde that when it seeth not present store of victuall yea also enough the same straight waies it beginneth to despaire as though it should out of hand perishe for honger Thei that haue great plentie of victuall as of corne wine c. thei will vtter none of it before thei bee able to make the moste of it and to sell it so dearely as is possible These are very leude persones and suche as knowe nothing of Gods blessyng neither doe thei beleue it Or els thei would so behaue thē selues that thei might haue Christ with them and so should thei neuer doubt but that he through his blessyng bothe were able and also would make of their little store great abundance and sende plentie of all thynges For this miracle teacheth vs that there is no cause why we should doubte of the good will of Christe but that he will prouide abūdauntly bothe for our soule and bodie for our soule his spirite worde and faithe for our bodie meate drinke clothe lodgyng c. so that although sometyme he suffereth suche as beleue in him to be vexed and greued with penurie scarsenesse pouertie and contēpt for thei are greatly hated of the world neither doeth the worlde thinke them worthy to be fedde or to liue on the yearth yet thei should not doubte of this but that Christ euen in the greatest tyme of penurie and then all thynges bee moste scarse and deare will plentifully prouide for theim all thinges necessary for this present life Notwithstandyng Christe ministereth his blessyng accordyng to the rule whiche he prescribeth in the Gospell of Matthew Seke ye first saieth he the kingdome of GOD and the rightuousnes thereof and al these thynges shall be caste vnto you For the Euāgeliste declareth that the people taried with Christ three daies What was the cause of their so long abode with Christ it is easie to conceiue Uerely to heare the worde of GOD at his mouthe And this is the cause that he afterward is so carefully moued to make prouision for them and coumpteth it his office to see that thei lacke nothyng leaste thei should perishe for honger that it should bee a speciall doctrine to vs first of all to haue a singuler regarde to the woorde of GOD and to practise the same in our life and conuersacion and afterward as touching thinges apperteining vnto our liuing to caste all our care vpon Christ. For he hath taken vpon hym to make prouisiō for vs so that he will by no meanes suffer vs to perishe for honger Stones shall soner be made bread then thei which seke the kyngdome of GOD the rightuousnesse thereof shall lacke any good thyng as the Psalmographe saieth O feare the Lorde ye that be his sainctes for thei that feare hym lacke nothyng The Lions doe lacke and suffer honger but thei which seke the Lorde shall want no maner of thyng that is good Again I haue been yong and now am old and yet sawe I neuer the rightuous forsaken nor his seede beggyng their breade The rightuous is euer mercifull and lendeth and yet haue his children Gods blessyng and inough So saieth blessed Marke in the sixt Chapiter of his Gospell that muche people came flockyngly together out of diuers cities tounes and
Ananias Misaell and Asarias when thei might haue eaten and dronken of the same meate and wine that kyng Nabuchodonozor did eate and drinke refused so to dooe and chosed rather in stede of that princely fare to eate Potage and to drinke water and yet wer thei better liking and fatter then thei whiche did eate of the kynges meate The meate whiche GOD sent to Daniell beyng in prison at Babilon by Abacut the Prophete was it any other then Potage and broken bread GOD giueth not deinties but necessaries to his people whiche thei shall neuer want that loue hym Sainct Paule saieth hauyng nourishement and clothyng he saith not hauyng delicious fare sumptuous apparell let vs be conteÌ„t For nothing brought we into the worlde neither shall we cary any thyng out of it Therefore our sauiour Christ in that praier whiche he taughte his Disciples to saie commaundeth vs to praie not for deinties and varietie of pleasaunte dishes but for breade that is to saie for necessary foode wherof preseÌ„tly we haue neede Giue vs this daie our daiely breade And that moste wise and noble kyng Salomon desired of GOD onely a necessary liuyng O Lorde saieth he giue me neither pouertie nor richesse onely graunt me a necessary liuyng least I be to full I deny thee and saie Who is the Lorde And least I beyng coÌ„strained through pouertie fall vnto stealyng and take the name of my GOD in vaine This frugalitie therefore and simple fare accompanied with the blessyng of Christe and practised of all good and Godly men from the beginning in all agâ—s ought to moue vs for to eschewe al kindes of voluptuous and dilicious fare and to content our selues with thinne and necessarie diete auoidyng all excesse and superfluitie not onely as a synne displeasaunt vnto GOD but also as a pestilent noysome and hurtfull to our healthe and life alwaies hauing before our eyes this saiyng of our sauiour Christe Take hede that your heartes bee not ouercome with surfettyng and dronkennesse And as saincte Paule saieth Make no prouision for the fleshe to fulfill the lustes thereof To ende This is not the meanyng of this our Gospell that we acknowledge and confesse Iesus Christ our Lorde to be our nurse father prouider and Steward whiche giueth vnto vs all thynges abundantly to enioye them whiche notwithstandyng hath the moste speciall care for the foode of the soulle that we maie get aboue all thynges the knowledge of Gods woorde and of true Godlinesse and so obtaine euerlastyng life Againe that so many as seeke the kyngdome of GOD and the rightuousnes thereof should not despaire concernyng corporall sustenaunce but in all their necessities flee vnto Christes blessyng and faithfully beleue that Christ will no lesse feede theim and take care for theim then he did for the fiue thousande of whom our Gospell maketh mention although reason se not how this thing maie be brought to passe so that here we are taught that as we be made of twoo partes that is to saie of soulle and bodie so likewise doeth Christ make prouision for theÌ„ bothe neither will he suffer suche as trust in hym to waÌ„t any good thing either for the soulle or for the body but giue theim all thynges liberally as the Psalmographe saieth O feare the lorde ye that be his Sainctes for thei that feare hym lacke nothyng The Lions dooe lacke and suffer honger but thei whiche seeke the Lorde shall wante no maner of thyng that is good That we maie obtaine these twoo blessynges of GOD the father through Christ accordyng to his moste swete and comfortable promises that is to saie foode bothe for soule and bodie necessarie liuyng for the sustentacion of this mortall life in this worlde and euerlastyng glorie in the worlde to come bothe for soule and bodie let vs at all tymes diligently praie for the assistaunce of Gods moste holy spirite that he maie breath into vs suche heauenly and spirituall motions that we maie aboue all thynges seke the Kyngdome of GOD and the rightuousnes therof depende whollie on his faithfull prouideÌ„ce and alwaie be thankfull to hym for his benefites where with daiely he inricheth vs through his sonne Christe Iesu To whom bothe now and euer bee all glorie and honour Amen The .viij. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. vii BEware of false Prophetes whiche come to you in Shepes clothyng but inwardly thei are rauenyng Woulues ye shall knowe theÌ„ by their fruictes Doe menne gather Grapes of Thornes or Figges of Thisties â–ª Euen so euery good Tree bryngeth forthe good fruites But a corrupte Tree bryngeth forthe euill fruites A good tree can not bryng forthe badde fruites neither can a badde tree bryng forthe good fruites Euery tree that bryngeth not forthe good fruite is hewen doune and caste into the fire wherefore by their fruites ye shall knowe them Not euery one that saith vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that dooeth the will of my father whiche is in heauen he shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen THE EXPOSITION THis our Gospell is part of that long sermon whiche our sauiour Christ made in the mountaine described of the blessed EuaÌ„gelist S. Matthewe in the .v. vi vii Chapiters of his Gospell and it is almoste at the latter ende of the aforesaied sermon And the occasion of these his woordes maie right well seme to bee this The Lorde Christ knewe right well that accordyng to our Englishe Prouerbe where so euer GOD buildeth a Churche there the Deuill will builde a Chapell iuste by That is to saie where so euer the woorde of GOD is truely sette forthe and sincerely preached there the Deuill ceaseth not through his Tares of wicked heresies and false doctrine to hinder and to lette yea to obscure and deface that good woorke as we maie se in the Gospell that fewe or none maie receiue profite thereby least his kyngdome should bee diminished and he spoiled of his praie Therefore in this our Gospell Christe admonisheth warneth and chargeth vs to beware of false Prophetes As though he should saie I haue set forthe my worde vnto you and diligently taught you what ye ought to doe how ye should rightly and truely vnderstande the tenne commaundementes praie faste beleue in GOD giue almose c. This now remaineth that ye diligently take hede that ye by no meanes suffer your selues to be plucked awaie from this my doctrine neither by the subtile suggestions of moste subtile Satan nor by the craftie conueighaunce and fleshly perswasions of Antichrist his adherentes For I sende you not forthe emong Angels but emoÌ„g Wolffes neither dooe I sowe you emong Wheate but emong Tares Therefore take hede diligently that ye be not deceiued nor allured from the waie of truthe vnto the rockes of errours and heresies Wherefor Christ in this our Gospell chargeth vs aboue all thynges that wee holde faste the sincere and
pure worde of God and suffer not our selues so muche as the breadth of our naile to bee plucked awaie from it but whatsoeuer is contrary to that to coumpte it as euill as the Deuill and plaine abhominacion who so euer be the aucthour thereof Kyng or Kesar Pope or Patriarche For as we heard before wheresoeuer the worde is sincerely preached there are the Wolffes at hande streight waies with all their subtelties deceiptes and craftie immaginacions as we haue experience hereof and diuers examples also bothe in matters of the Churche in affaires of the Common weale and in housholde businesse The Wolffe thrusteth hym self into all places that he maie plucke vs frō the worde and so occupie the place hym self In the Churche we haue the woorde of GOD there laboureth the deuill to the vttermoste to plucke it awaie frō vs. He stirreth vp one sectarie or other to teache some newe thyng of Baptisme of the Lordes supper yea of Christ hym self whiche we neuer heard before And then suche and so greate is our foolishenes inconstancie and leudnes that out of hand we are desirous of newes so that immediatly we cast awaie the woorde and haue a singulare respecte vnto the aucthour of that newe doctrine when notwithstandyng he dooeth nothyng els then goe aboute to deceiue and destroye vs. And vnto this ende that is to saie that we should not bee seduced of suche Wolffes doeth our sauiour Christe specially direct this his admoniciō As though he should saie ye shall not wante Wolffes whiche shall come vnto you with goodly visars and holy shewes that ye shall thincke ye neuer in your life heard more Godly or more excellent Preachers And thus except ye take hede ye shall bee deceiued and fall into daunger before ye beware But who shall be in the faulte Surely not I whiche warne you to take hede but ye your selues whiche heare the woorde and haue it and yet will you not kepe it nor holde it faste c. For if a christian man being circumspect and hauyng regard to himself and to his owne saluacion had no more but the Cathechisme that is to saie the tenne Commaundementes the Articles of the faithe the lordes praier the wordes of Christ concernyng Baptisme and the Lordes supper euen by these thynges onely might he defende hymself against all heresies and errours But seing there is so greate negligence of hearyng the woorde and so fewe that delighte in the same with their wholle heartes it is no marueile though the Deuill take place in theim and throwe theim hedlong into all kinde of wicked and vngodly doctrine Against this so greate daunger Christe would haue vs well enarmed and strongly defensed that we be not circumuented nor beguiled yea deceiued and destroied of those Wolffes whiche shal be if we caste a waie this securitie and negligence and fortresse our selues manly and valiauntly with the worde of God He setteth before vs the most certain deceiptes of the Wolffes and how craftely thei goe about to beguile We had nede therfore diligētly to take hede And therefore saieth Christ he that wil bee in saffegarde and sette free from the rauenyng tethe of the moste rauenyng Wolffes let him holde faste my woorde whiche is the true light whereby he maie clerely as in a moste cleare glasse beholde se and perceiue the slye subtleties of subtle Satan whiche also is the armour to defende vs againste the fierie dartes of the deuill although he approch vnto vs neuer so craftely euen cladde and garnished with the simple apparell of a moste simple shepe For this is the greatest ieopardie of all When the Deuill cometh he cometh not in his owne habite but he taketh vnto hym some holie and religious garment and pretendeth muche deuocion and godlinesse After this sort came he vnto Christe in the wildernes whē he saied vnto hym Fall doune and worshippe me and I will giue thee all these thynges These woordes were not mete woordes for the Deuill but for the moste high Maiestie of GOD. This a lone is to be worshipped This alone hath the right power of the kyngdomes of the worlde and giueth them vnto whō it pleaseth hym Therfore Christ rebuketh hym and saieth Hens Satan As though he should saie Thou camest vnto me in the apparell of GOD but I knowe thee Thou art the Deuill Therefore the Shepes clothing ought to moue no man For so maie we sone be deceiued receiue and heare the Deuill in steede of GOD. In like maner when the Deuill cometh vnto vs with his Sectaries Schismatikes and Heretiques he first of all putteth vpon him a goodly countenaūce and apparelleth hym self like an Angell of lighte that it maie none otherwise appere but that those impostores iuglars and deceiuers are moste holy moste religious moste feruente in Gods cause and moste zelous in matters of true Godlines and yet it is the Deuill as we haue plentle of examples in the Arrians Anabaptistes Dauidians Swenckfeldians c. To be shorte where the Deuill findeth idle and carelesse heartes there crepeth he into theim as a Serpente when menne slepe on the grasse and fele nothyng We maie not therefore neglect caste awaie and sette naught by the the faithfull admonicion and warnyng of Christe least through our negligence we be deceiued of these glistering Hypocrites and bee caried aboute with euery winde of doctrine but we ought rather diligently to heare the woorde haue our meditacion in that and embrace it with high constancie and by that expende weigh discerne and iudge al doctrines who soeuer be the aucthours of theim If we would thus doe the Deuill should not haue so greate power to deceiue vs. In the regimentes of common wealthes wee maie beholde an example and as it were a picture of Ecclesiasticall matters For when Princes are carelesse and idle and doe not their office diligently and earnestly as thei ought Then is as the lande full of flatterers For thei beleue generally al men what so euer thei heare thei thinke it straight wayes to be true And this is the cause why all thynges go to hauocke in their countries and their subiectes bee moste miserably polled and pilled as I maie speake nothing of their owne incommodities and losses For it is not vndaungerous to commit the handlyng of so waightie matters to all men and the Princes them selues nothyng at al regarde them If thei them selues were presente at the doyng of suche matters knewe the accoumptes of their officers and would beleue no more then thei knewe certainly to be true it should go better with the common wealthe then it doeth at this present And euen so is it likewise in families or householdes Whē suche as should be gouernours of houses are idle and carelesse and commit all thynges to them of their houshold losses chaunce soner then thei loked for In deede this is true we ought not to despaire generally of all mennes fidelitie
of our lyfe If the Iewes had done this the Romans although neuer so stronge and myghtie hadde neuer bene able to doo any thynge agaynste them yea they had neuer moued warre agaynste them But seynge they remained and continued in theyr synne obstinatly without any repentance and saide Tushe there is no ieopardie What should God cast away this citie wher his dwellyng place is wherin also alone his honour worshyp is maintened It will neuer come to passe Because of this vain bosting and vnrepentance God so plagued that their citie that ther was not one stone left vpon an other so that it is now vtterly destroyed and brought to naught and made an example for all them that obstinatly synne and wyl not amēd that the lyke peynes and plagues shall also chaunce to them but to other that receaue the word of God and repent it is a comfort and doctrine that they may lern when God hydeth the payne it is for their peace and that God will forgeue them their synnes if they only cease nowe from their wickednesse and returne vnto God For it is no meruayle though we synne But to defende oure synnes and obstinatly to perseuere and continue in them Thys by no meanes can GOD abyde hee wyll rather make hauocke of all togyther namely when he commeth on his gracious visitation and woulde gladdely call vs vnto repentance Thys Citie therefore was vnhappie neyther dyd any thynge destroye that but the glorious and noble title in that it was called the citie of GOD the house and dwellyng place of God Thys made the Iewes carelesse so that they thought on this maner Shold this citie come to naught It will neuer com to passe God can not cast it away Therefore though all the kyngdomes of the worlde came against it they shold neuer preuayle God wyll not suffer his citie dwelling place to be destroyed This title made thē so bold that for the redresse of their synfull lyfe they regarded not the visitation by the worde And by this meanes was God compelled that forasmuche as they refused to be visited vnto peace they shoulde be visited vnto deathe and destruction We Englishe men also are at this present daie of speciall grace and mere mercie visited of God by his worde but we in euery condition shewe our selues vnworthy of this syngular goodnes of God Some impugne the manifest truth of gods worde bothe by wordes and writynges Some abuse Gods worde vnto the maintenance of their couetousnes pride vnclennesse excesse and other moste greuous synnes It is therfore to be feared that excepte we spedily repent some great plague wyl sodeinly fall vpon vs whether it be by pestilence or by hunger by ciuile warre or by the inuasion of foreyne enemies Therfore let vs not forget this example that Ierusalem was so miserably destroyed because it receaued not the word of God but despised it that we mai lern gladly to hear the word of God and though we sinne yet that we should repent and amend And this is the first part of the Gospell After this the Euangeliste maketh mention that Christ wente into the Temple and did cast out all byers and sellers and sayde My house is the house of praier but ye haue made it a den of theues This dyd Christ with a meruailous great power and it is to be reckned with his other miracles which we are not able to folow For except it had ben so without doubte so many myghtie marchantes or occupiers had easily ben able to withstand Christ that they shold not geue place vnto him alone which without any weapon only with a whip as the Euangelist saith toke this weightie matter in hande In that they gaue place and made no resistence it sheweth euidently that Christ spake such wordes vnto the Iewes as he dyd to the Iewes in the gardein when they fell backward vnto the ground But thys act of Christ we Christians shall not folow Therfore let no man vse the storie to this ende as thoughe the Eclesiasticall ministers had any corporall or temporall iurisdiction as Christ exerciseth here such power For if Christ had not farre excelled the power of man hee alone agaynste so many coulde not haue done muche But we may not haue so great respect vnto the work as vnto the cause This expresseth Christ in these wordes when he saieth My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a denne of theues what cause had Christe that he should speake suche a fierce and harde sentence to the Iewes For without doubte they dyd not robbe nor steale in the temple But this was the matter The money changers had here their money dyd exercise bying and sellyng of shepe oxen doues c. for the sacrifices For euery Iewe could not bring with hym from home that he woulde sacrifice The priests deuised things for their owne auātage as the papistes did in time of blindnes that there should alwais be at hande plentie of cattall and peraduenture money also for to offer For the tēple also had her money as histories shew This semeth a thing more worthi of praise then of dispraise For seyng that God appointed and commaunded this seruice who durst be bolde to condemne this forasmuche as all these thynges made to auance and sette forth this seruice and worshipping of God that it myght be moste glorious and goodly But there was an other matter The priestes in dede made this pretence that they dyd all thynges to sette foorth the seruice of God but they wold not so greatly haue regarded that if they had not had so great profite by it Therfore what so euer they dyd they dyd it not for Gods cause but for theyr owne lucre and gain This couetousnes moued them that in all theyr doctrine they commended nothyng but sacrifices as our monkes and Priestes commende theyr sacrifice of the Masse that by it synnes are put away and the grace of God obteyned This made the people to swarme in goyng to Masse as though they had ben flockes of shepe But in the mean season while they sought their owne priuate commoditie and in their doctrine extolled their Missall sacrifice they vtterly omitted and left vntaught the true seruice and acceptable worshipping of God whiche is to feare God to beleue in God and to kepe his worde and by this meanes they encouraged men to go foorth in theyr wicked lyfe with great securitie and without any remorse of conscience Euē so played the Iewishe priestes They taughte the people that if they dyd kyll and sacrifice muche al things shoulde goe well with theym as we maye gather of the Prophetes whyche was the cause that they spake so muche agaynst sacrifices And this is a very great synne in deede when suche a robbery is committed that not the bodies but the soules are slayne for euer which is whē men are taught to put their confidence and trust in their owne
cares if ther be blessynge ther is substance ynough But if not although ther be neuer so muche yet the vse and fruite of the substance is lackyng As examples do declare This ought to be a iuste cause to driue vs to fayth not onely because this care hindereth our faith but also it causeth a great tormentinge and yet do we preuayle nothyng therby But are not these manifest signes of auarice of cares and of vnbeleife For these are alway Ioined to gether Or if we woulde vse but only reason it behoued vs to hate these vices and to auoyde them He addeth more besyde this that this confirmation may be perfect againste couetousnes He byddeth vs also to consyder the thinges whiche come before oure eyes as we walke in the countrie Ther are flowers of all kyndes whiche shewe them selues vnto vs with moste beautifull and swete coulours and doth almoste speake vnto vs and adhort vs to trust in God For syth that they are decked with such magnificence that the apparell of mightie kynges can not be compared with flours muche more doth God take care in appareling and deckyng his owne For we maye not thynke of apparell as the cōmon sorte doth as thoughe all thinges went by chance Christ in this place doth pronounce wyth very plaine speache GOD sayth he doth appareill the grasse in the felde Byrdes fyndeth not their lyuynge be chance But the father of heauen fedeth them and geueth to euery one his portion This is it also as concernynge the lylies For if gods wisedome were not in the cause they could not be so like to gether in colour leaues number of leaues rootes and forme c. Wherfore sith he bestoweth so great care vpon flowers that are but for pleasure and that beastes might lyue therbie is it not an vncredible incredulitie and mistruste that we doe yet doubte whether we also shall haue appareill from God For as we haue a preferment before all birdes when we tyll the grounde mowe and gather into our barnes and prouide for certayne tymes wher as birdes can do no suche thinge and yet they are fedde So saith Christe also to vs that we haue the preeminence also in apparelynge There is so muche flare hempe and suche like herbes brought foorth by tillyng there is also a greate multitude of shepe so manie weauers and spinners c. euery wher what great madnes is it then not to thinke that part therof belongeth vnto vs And especially whan we spare no labour For in this place muste we put a difference For labour is not onely not forbed but also enioyned that we shoulde do all thynges moste studiously and diligentlye and vtterly flee all slouthfulnes and slouggyshnes aboue all thynge But the care of lyuynge and appareill is vtterly forbedden For suche care is a sure token that we haue not so muche truste in GOD as that he will fede vs and prouide other thinges for vs. Wherfore that care appertayneth to Gods dishonour and blasphemie That these two thinges may so be ioyned to gether First that thou do thy worke diligentlye and spare no labour For that dyd God commande man in Paradice that if he wold eat he shold labour The second is that thou be a Christiā beleue For to beleue is to put thy trust in Christ that he is our parent and knoweth what we haue nede of and that he wil geue vs these thynges liberallie and plenteously Care can not agree with this fayth but assone as care taketh place faith departeth Wherfore Christe forbyddeth and sayth be ye not therfore carefull labour for of this ye haue a commandement Let care alone for me For that is mine that I may be your father And I can also somwhat preuaile but so can not ye Wherfore attempte not a thynge in vaine Or if ye are not content to be reuled with this my councell knowe ye that ye are not my worshippers but the worshippers of Mammon Him do ye loue and me do ye hate to hym do ye cleaue and me ye do despise as is the example of the worlde And if ther were any occasion at this time of aduantage thou shouldest finde manye that woulde rather let passe this sermon than not to regard the aduantage or at leaste wise to differ the tune therof vntill after sermon Mammon moueth them so muche that they fele that the time of it will neuer returne againe but the tyme of the sermons not so Nowe the matter is plaine that whatsoeuer is done to the worde of god is done to GOD. He that despiseth it an preferreth monie the despisynge and contempte therof belongeth to GOD. There is no place for glosis the worde and speache is to euident ther can be no other thynge gathered Wherfore this sermon is belongynge to Christians that they be not pensiue nor saye what shall we eate or drinke or what clothynge shall we weare The Gentiles sayeth Christ inquire therof that knowe not or beleue not tha◠they haue a father in heauen But ye haue a father in heauen whiche gaue you bodie and soule yea and his son he knoweth wherof ye haue nede as touchynge whome how can ye do so great iniurie as to thynke him hard and vnmercifull vnto you as though he would denie you lyuelowd and sustenance so that ye must nedes die for hunger Wherfore behaue your selues after the example of your children at euening they goe to bedde without any care they take not thought for to morow for they know that their parentes will prouide for it do ye also lykewise My sonnes sayth Christ haue respecte vnto your father in heauen and all other thynges shall be geuen vnto you only beware of care For this should be a signe that ye haue no truste in the heauenly father or els ye would caste awaye all care and would be of good hope Wherfore Christ concludeth his sermon and saieth seeke first the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes therof and al other things shal be cast vnto you This is a necessary doctrine and an excellent promisse The worlde seeketh his owne kyngdom when it hath nede of riches and monie and yet there is no suretie in thē But contrariwise gods kyngdome is eternall that must we Christians make search for This kyngdom sayth Paule is amongest vs and it is nothing els than to heare the worde and to beleue that is to trust vnto God truely and to knowledge hym for our father Looke wher suche fayth is ther is GOD present and forthwith foloweth righteousnes and remission of sinnes Let this saith Christ be firste with you Care ye for the worde heare it diligently exercise it and beleue it When ye haue on this wise made searche of Gods kyngdome and righteousnes care ye for no more let euery mā do his busines in his vocatiō For it becōmeth not Christian men to be idle but to labour Then shall all thinges be geuen vnto you For if the goodnes of god
is excluded from Baptisme the sacrament and the worde is bounde also in heauen By this power that we men in earthe doo lose and bynd sinnes god is not spoiled of his glorie neyther ar we made Gods therby as the prophane and wicked mynded men doo oftentymes say of this matter For we haue no more than the ministerie and office Wherfore God hath coupled vs together by this ministerie that alwaies one of vs shoulde conforte and confirme an other And that the other shoulde thynke hym selfe bounde to beleue as farre as the worde is purely preached vnto hym that is to say remission of synnes in the name of Christ. And this is the very bryngyng vnto God and remission of syns He that dieth in thys beliefe dieth to his saluation But hee that dyeth as he is taught in the Popedome with a confidence and trust of the intercession of Sainctes dyeth euyll and to his destruction For hee lackethe those defenders whiche God ordeyned agaynst the violence of death that is the trewe pastor the pure worde and absolution So great miserie the deuyll brought in by the Pope yea and nowe begynneth to bee the author of an other infection by the sectaries For they can not abyde the worde This offendeth his eyes Wherefore the Pope toke it clean away and in his place brought in the monkes rules masses pilgremages pardons and suche other This can the dyuel well away with For it hyndreth his kyngdom nothyng The Anabaptistes furder the matter which speake very contemptuously of the water of Baptisme The Swenckfeldians also mooste vilely and wickedly contemne the outward preachynge of the worde All haue loste the worde wherfore they are to be auoyded and this is to be learned that remission is no where els but there as the woorde is That woorde is in Baptisme in the Supper of the Lorde in absolution in publike preachyng Wherfore remission of synne is there also and let hym be accursed that sayeth otherwise But wher as the word is there is faith requisite And then the membres begyn to be fastned which the syck of the palsey could before moue by no means But loke wher the worde is not the palsey is neuer taken away and it is vnpossible that any true mouyng should ioyn the membres together This wold I the more earnestly dryue into you because the Pope and sectes are the authors of suche great disorder in the Congregation The Pope bryngeth neyther to the worde nor sacramentes The sectaries can not but speake contemptuously of the worde and sacrament and nothynge preuayleth with them but the holy Ghoste And we knowe thys that the holye ghoste wyll not doo hys worke without the woorde and sacramentes Wherfore we can not despise the woorde and sacramentes but we wyll obserue them for the chiefe thynges that we haue God graunte his grace that we maye preserue this pure doctrine and continue in it to the end and be saued Amen The .xx Sonday after Trinitie Sondaye ¶ The Gospell Math. xxii IEsus sayde to his Disciples The kyngdom of heauen is lyke vnto a man that was a kynge which made a maryage for his sonne and sent forthe his seruauntes to call them that were bydden to the weddyng and they woulde not come Agayne he sent forth other seruauntes saying Tell them which are bydden behold I haue prepared my dinner mine Oxen and my fatlynges are kylled and all thynges are redy come vnto the mariage But they made light of it and went their wayes one to his farme place another to his marchaundise and the remnaunt toke his seruauntes and intreated them shamefully and slewe them But when the kyng heard thereof he was wrothe and sent forthe his men of warre and destroyed those murtherers and brente vp theyr Citie Then sayde he to his seruauntes The maryage in dede is prepared but they whiche were bydden were not worthy Go ye therefore out into the hye wayes and as manye as ye fynde bydde theym to the maryage And the seruauntes wente foorthe into the hyghe wayes and gathered together all as many as they coulde fynde bothe good and badde and the weddynge was furnyshed with geastes Then the kynge came in to see the geastes and when he spyed there a man whiche had not on a weddyng garment he saide vnto him Frende howe camest thou in hyther not hauyng a weddynge garmente And he was euen spechelesse Then sayde the kynge to the ministers Take and bynde hym hande and foote and caste him into vtter darknesse there shal be weepyng and gnashynge of teeth For many be called but fewe are chosen THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospel ye heare that the kingdom of God is lyke vnto a mariage vnto the whiche many are bydden that not onely come not and regarde not but that also reuile and kyll the seruants that call them Here must we first learn what this word Kyngdom of heauen signifieth euen that it is no worldly kyngdom but a kyngdome in heauen where as God onely is kyng That doo we call the holye churche whiche is nowe For Christ dothe therfore vse the parable of the mariage because that he beyng the kynges sonne taketh the churche to be his spouse Wherfore the kyngdome of heauen is to be taken on suche wise that it is in earth and yet it is no politicall or earthly kyngdome but spirituall and eternall For the state of the Christians that are in this lyfe is suche that they are halfe in the kyngdome of God that is in soule and spirite and after theyr fayth Wherfore when thou heareste of the kyngdome of heauen thou must not loke to heauen but thou must seke after it in the earth amongest men and that in all the world where soeuer the Gospel is beleued and the true vse of the sacraments ministred So that proprely the kyngdom of heauen is nothyng els then the kyngdom of Christ the kyngdome of the Gospell and of faith For whersoeuer the Gospell is there is Christ. And wher Christ is there is the holy ghost and his kyngdome whiche is the true kyngdom of heauen For the which cause all that haue the word and sacramentes and beleue continue in Christ by faith they are heauenly princes and sonnes of God And onely this remayneth that God moue away the half wall which is put betwene that is that we die then shall all thynges be heauen and saluation This therfore must be lerned first that the kingdome of heauen is the kyngdome of Christe where as the worde Faith is For in this kyngdome we haue lyfe in hope and are cleane from synnes free from death hell Sauyng that the body of synne is lefte whiche is not yet abolyshed and yet shal be abolished when al thinges shal be lyfe saluation and heauen To this mariage sayeth Christ God hathe called the Iewes his people dyuers tymes before his commynge by his holy Prophets For it was their office specially bycause they cōmanded the Iewes to waite for
all his other miracles signes should serue geue place to this that is cheif Wherfore these thinges must be loked for in none other then in them which know that God is to be praised in this great signe aboue all and doth so vse this that neuerthelesse they may cheifly regarde the first and cheifest signe And if it pleaseth God to omitt the inferiour signes for the true procuring of that cheif signe let vs beware that we be not importune and that we thinke not that they must be done of necessitie For God requireth that the cheife should be counted such amōgest vs al that al shold beleue surely that they shal be saued for the most euident and pure couenant of God Neuerthelesse in the meane season god doth not suspend and prolonge the ende successe of these present temptations specially amonge the weake but yet so that they strenghthen themselues by litle litle to the spirituall vse and learne to obey god in al thinges that please hym and put his worde before them And althoughe the promise of this is to be loked for without a signe sensuall feling for a time yet let them not faint and geue vp but vse the holy ghost as a president and confortour although Christ departe with his signes and miracles And this is the true faith as I said before whiche stycketh vnto the word of Christ as touching saluatiō euerlasting life also as concerning the sure preseruation of the church also of euery one of vs all so that it be done without the temptation of God and we wholly depēd of his wil which therfore hath so boūd himselfe to the principal saluatiō which is certaine that he might haue all other thinges depending on y◠faith and trust therof and that he may be iudged to administer them wel vnto vs although he fulfil not our desirs in all pointes And betwene these two which belonge to the common ecclesiasticall trade he graunteth as a man would saye personal priuileges to this kyng euen a peculiaer word as touchinge the saluation of his son The which syth it is put forth so plaine euident it ought to be embraced with as sure faith as that that is put forth to all as concernyng remission of sinne and euerlasting life in the name of Christ. For loke of what thing the word is put forth with a promise that it shall certeinly come to passe that must certainelye be beleued For as GOD is tempted whan that a signe of a determined and appointed promise is required So is he not truly glorified when the appointed worde is not beleued as it was in Achas but this ruler doth glorifie GOD when he beleueth the determined word of CHRIST and forthwith obtayneth helth for his sonne as he knoweth of his familie at his retournyng home Learne therfore in this place what is true fayth euen to doubt nothing of the word of Christe of his promise but to beleue surely that as the worde promiseth so shall it come to passe although it be not sene perceaued For this is the cheif nature of faith to embrace and beleue that that is not present For thinges present are not beleued but are seen felte The riche man although he beleueth that he shal not die for hunger this yere yet is this no faith But he that hath no store nor substāce yet sticketh surely to gods word that god as a father wil prouide for his liuing but yet so that he caste not away the feare of god but serue his owne vocation he beleueth truly and it is not possible that such a faith shold deceaue him For it is grounded on gods word which is almighti promiseth that if fyrst we seeke the kyngdome of God the righteousnes therof that all other things shall be cast vnto vs. So all we do proue this that we are so corrupted by sin that we lyue voyde of all righteousnes But when the worde preacheth vnto vs remission of sinnes and righteousnes this can none otherwise be apprehended but by faith Wherfore the state of a Christiā is such that although he sustaineth the body of sin yet he is pure righteous wtout sin through faith the worde And this doth fayth worke in him the worke cā neuer do it as the brainlesse papistes teach For as touching the workes althoughe they be neuer so good yet are we vnprofitable seruāts as Christ saith And as I haue said as touching righteousnes so is it also as cōcerning lyfe We are so infected by synne and drowned vp in it that we can not be sure of lyfe for the space of a momēt So that this may truly be said with the wise Paynimes and Ethnickes that nothing is more certaine to a man then death As we proue that to be true not only by our examples but also by the example of others also that is how soone men are inuegled and enuironed with sycknes and other dangers And yet haue we the word set forth to vs which putteth vs in hope not only of lyfe but also of euerlasting life This do not we that beleue touche with our handes we fele it not we grope it not but it is promised to vs in the worde and we beleue it And it is sure that this faith shall not deceaue vs. For it is grounded on gods worde whiche is omnipotent and euerlastynge To be shorte this is the nature of faith As the worde doth promise thinges that are vnuisible and thīgs to come so doth faith beleue these inuisible thīgs and surely loketh for them to come The reason is It knoweth that the word of god is almightie that god is true and without lyinge wherfore fayth hath diligent respect vnto the worde If it perceaue the word it embrace it boldlye and careth nothinge eyther for the worlde or for the deuil For it is sure of the end and what shal befalle although the deuil the fleshe and the worlde make neuer so muche a do But wher as it perceaueth that the worde is lackyng it setteth not this much by the outward apperāce by that threates nor by any violence whiche is done of the worlde so that it maye perceaue that to be true and will suffer all extremitie rather then to be constrained to receaue any falshod And if in the Popedome we had had suche respecte vnto true faith we had neuer fallen into such horrible Idolatries and errours Wherfore it is a very necessarie and profitable doctrine for vs to be taught and certifyed as touchinge true faith that is that we should haue the worde of god and promise and stycke surely therunto and beleue that it shall surely come to passe For to beleue any thyng without the worde of God is no Faythe but a vaine opinion which can neuer well escape As if thou shouldest beleue that thou shouldest be Emperor of Rome Thou mayst this persuade thy selfe but yet so
this example of the Iewes let vs learne our peruersitie and frowardnes We gladly complaine when we are oppressed and alwayes thincke that we haue wrong done vs. And it is true if we consider the state of the worlde we are many times iniured and wronged And afterwarde we thincke that we haue a iuste and sufficient cause to set forth our right and to accuse the violence iniquitie of other so that there is no end of complaining as here the Iewes cōplained of the Romains for vsurping their kingdom For what iuste cause had the Romains against the Iewes Therfore by this cōparison they were certain that they had the best and greatest right and the most iust title to the kyngdome But yet there was a fault in the Iewes For although thy neyghbour doth the wrong yet must thou cōsider the matter more depely and thincke on this maner what if I haue moste greuously offended the Lorde my god and haue longe before this deserued that he shold take awaye from me not only this my ritght but also my very body and lyfe This one thyng must we learne For this semed very greuous to the Iewes to be subiectes to an heathē Emperour They thought thus with thē selues We are the people of God The heathen know nothing of god They are defiled with Idolatrie with adulterie whoredome dronckennes all other kynde of wickednes why then shoulde we serue them knowledge them to be our lordes and rulers But they that feared god prayed vnto god for their deliueraunce trusted litle or nothing at al to their right title neither did they bragge of that matter For they perceaued right well that they had deserued that plague if it had ben much greater For as cōcernyng the doctrine that was publiquely cōmonly taught it was very corrupte vnpure as the Euangelical historie testifieth the common wealth was not iustly vprightly gouerned As for couetousnes vsurie pride drōckēnes bancketing fleshely pleasure suche other vices they were cōmonly vsed yea that frely and without punishment as it is also among vs at this present daye Among the Iewes there was nothing almost in good order whether we respecte duties towards god or mā What shold god now do Shold he dissēble wincke at such so great contempte both of himselfe and of his word in the meane while defende these naughty packes with their right title when they to set forth his honour would do nothing at all nor amende any thing that was amisse Uerely God had here a iuste cause that forasmuch as they did cast awaye so beastly the right of God he also should suffer the right of this people to decay and come to naught For the Iewes had not their kingdome on this cōdition that it should stand for euer For god gaue thē that kingdom vnder a certain cōdition whiche was that they should performe that which he commanded them to do On this maner was his promise If they were righteous and obedient and kepte his commandementes But they would haue this promise wythout any condition although they on their behalfe shewed no obediēce at all A good kynde of people which would haue all things do nothing yea they shoulde haue remembred this rule do thy dutie so shalt thou receaue what is due vnto thee If an husbandeman of the countreye plaiteh the vnthrifte and riotously spendeth awaie that he hath so that he payeth not his rent at the time appointed is he iniuried wronged if he be put awaye from his farme that farme hired forth to an other which is better then he and wil kepe his couenaūtes better Therfore must we also learne to moderat our complaining and not onely consider our right and what vnright our neyghbour doth vs but also what gods right is and howe vnrightly we haue dealte with hym and so paciently and humbly lyftynge vp our heartes handes vnto god mekely reuerently say I haue not deserued that this mā shold do me this iniurie wrong Notwithstāding I must let him go loke vpō my selfe cōsider how the matter goeth betwene god me Oh there finde I a great lōge register which declareth vnto me that I am ten times worse that I haue ten times yea ten thousand times more offēded god thē my neighbour hath offēded me Therfore wil I paciētly beare this litle displeasure that my neyghbour hath done against me lest God seing my fearce cruel minde against my neighbour reuēge also and punishe that wickednes whiche I haue committed against him O Lord forgeue me handle me not according to my deserte and I will also gladly forgeue whatsoeuer is done againste me For it were againste all right that we shoulde so greatly vrge force our right which haue so vnrightly dealt with God concerning his right He that can preserue kepe and defende his right life and goods by lawfull meanes doth wel But he that can not this do let him not outragiously complaine but quieting himselfe let him with a contented minde saye That should be my righte and they that thus wronge me do very vniustly Notwithstanding I franckly and freely confesse that before God I haue deserued farre more greuous thinges And by this meanes we shall not be lyke the Iewes which thorow their own wickednes were the cause of all their miseries and plagues and yet thought to enioye their right and libertie although they had cast out God among them from his right longe afore euen as euill subiectes shoulde require of their maiestrate helpe and defence againste their enemies and yet would be free from paying tribute toll rent subsidie and such other paymentes that are due from them to the maiestrate But God aforeseing this hath geuen the maiestrate a swearde that he shoulde compel the vnwilling and disobedient The cōmon people also would gladly haue Pastours and preachers among them and yet do they defraude their ministers most vniustly of their tythes and other dueties which they ought of conscience to paye And forasmuche as the spirituall Pastour hath no power to compell them that refuse to paye their duties the miserable caytiues poll and pill bribe and steale defraude and conuey from the good pastour which continually both in prayer and exhortation watcheth like a faithfull sheppeheard for the saluatiō of their soules all that euer they can thincke it well gotten good although they haue gotten it neuer so wickedly and vniustly I sweare ▪ say they by Iesus Christ It is wel gottē that is gotten of a Priest The godly maiestrates in this behalfe ought to maintaine the right of the Pastours and seuerely to punishe such rebelles as walke inordinatly and wil not paye their duties The worckeman is worthy of his rewarde sayth our Sauiour Christ. The blessed Apostle writeth who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste Who planteth a vineyarde eateth not of the
deuyl is the cause that men remeÌ„ber not the word and doctrine Luc. 21. Gen. 3. Howe dangerous a rhynge it is lyghtly 〈◊〉 regarde Gods worde Math. 13. What maner of thynge a good hart is Math. 6. Fruicte in pacience 2. Tim. 3. Luc. 11. The word is not euerye where fruictfull Math. 11. Math. â—14 Marc. 6. Luc. 9. The word of Christ himself was not euery where fruitfull The cause why the worde is not fruictfull Math. 13. Leui. 12. The fyrst begottâ—n male muste be presented to the Lorde Exod. 13. Nuâ—â— â— The Turke taketh the first borne Exod. 11. Christ an example of obedience Of the fyrste borne The first begotteÌ„ by pride waxed worst Lucifer Cayne Ismaell Esau. The Iewes Dauid 1. Reg. 16. Carnall prerogatiues ought not to be applied to pryde Psal. 103. Luc. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Gen. 49. They that beleue in Christ are the first be gotten Math. 20. Ephes. 4. God hateth pride Iac. 4. â— Pet. 5. Iob. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Howe Christ is reueled Luc. 1. Math. 1. Luc. 1. Luc. 2. Math. 2. Luc. 2. The reuelation of SimeoÌ„ came by the holy ghost Gene. 49. The state of Christes churche in this worlde is poore and miserable Death maketh hartes to feare Rom. 6. Simeon learned not this way to dye by man Math. 1. The law and good workes caÌ„ do nothing against sin death The worlde ordaineth his sauiours besyde Christ. The saluation of God canonly saue How this sauiour saieth Iohn 1. Good works Simon hath no more prefermeÌ„t in this saluation then we haue Christ is the saluation of all men Simeon putteth no difference betwene the Iewe and the Gentile Gene. 22. What reason thynketh of Esai 9. 1. Timo. 2. The cause why all are not saued Note well There is no saluation but in Christ alone God is not the author of any mannes damnation Christ giueth lyght to the Gentiles Iohn 3. A syngular comfort for al synners The diligent study of Simeon in the prophetes Gen. 49. Dan. 9. Esa. 49. Rom. 3. Galat. â— Halowyng of candels The Papists borowe the most parte of their religion of the Iewes of the Gentiles Luc. 24. The disciples of Christ vnderstande not Christ. The workes of God are not vnderstanded before thei â—â—me to passe Faythe is requisite The example of Dauid 1. Reg. 17. Baptisme the resurrection of the dead God is almyghty can doo what he wyll Math. 19. Luc. 1. Reson ought not to Iudge Gods works Math. 13. Iohn 20. Luc. 15. Luc. 18. The word of God deceueth not although it seme impossible Note Howe we must praye We must be instant in prayer The praier of the blynd Iohn 16. Prayer prouoked God Luc. 1â— Prayer with out faith is a mockyng of God Luc. 4. TemtatioÌ„ is 〈◊〉 for Christians Diuersitie of temptation Howe we must staÌ„d sure when we are tempted Christ lead of the spirit Note well Our proper imagination without the worde is nothyng Rom. 14. Math. 15. The first teÌ„ptation that he shoulde haue no trust in god Two sortes of bread Psalm Iohn 6. The second temptation is to make to trust more in god then his worde requireth Psal. 91. Mat. 27. Deut. 6. To teÌ„pte god The deuill vseâ—h scriptures Math. 19. Anabaptistes Baptisme Iohn 3. Marc. 16. WheÌ„ that angels defeÌ„deth vs not The third teÌ„ptation is to make theÌ„ cast awaye true religion for riches poore Riches corrupted religion A change of the spirituall kyngdome in to a wordly of the wordlie into a spirituall Worshippyng of the deuill The popes religion is rather trymme then true A general admonition What is worshâ—ppinge of God God ought to be worshyped accordynge to his word and not after meÌ„s traditions Deut. 6. The dignitie and excelleÌ„cie of this gospel The deuyl is moste buly at the hower of deaâ—h The woman of Cananee diuersly temâ—â—ted 1. She is a Cananite Math. 10. A greuous stomblynge blocke Faith obteyneth al thynges of Christ Why this historie is sette foorth All thynges must be asked of God alone for Christes sake 2 Christ answereth nothing We must continually prayr and not cease â–ª Note and practise 3 Christ denyeth to helpe The constancy of this woman Marc. 7. Continue in prayer 4 Christ recouÌ„teth the woman as a dog Faith is before God a thyng most excâ—llent Faithe interpreteth all thyngs to the best Iohn 1. Roma 3. By fayth and prayer Christ is ouercome â—ohn 6. Why Christe shewed himself so hard to the woman Faithe obteyneth all thynges of God PerseueraÌ„ce in prayer Gen. 49. God for triaâ— of our faythe sometyme deferreth his helpe Gods promise is to be apprehended with strong and coÌ„ +stant faith Iohn 16. God geuethe more then we can or dare aske Ephe. 3. An extremities God heareth oure of hande When God â—eferreth to heare Abacuck 2. The Pope the Turk extreme enemies to the Churche of Christ. Iohn 36. Prayet made in fayth obteyneth all thynges of God Christ ouercometh the deuill Christ at this daye casteth out deuils by the worde and SacrameÌ„ts Esay 55. Baptisme Iohn Rom. 6. The declaration of Gods mercy to penitent sinners Math. 17. Iohn 20. Mat. 11. The Supper of the Lord. Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Luc. 1â— Iohn 14. Colos. 4. A Christiane must coÌ„tinually fight agaiÌ„st Satan 1. Pet. 5. Iac. 4. Iohn 12.16 Christ and in hym all Christians haue gotten the victory ouer the deuill and the worlde 1. Iohn 3. The papecie The wickednes of the minister hindereth the dignitie of the worde or sacraments nothing at all The worde the sacrameÌ„ts oughte to be had in greate reuerence The worde of god driueth awaye Satan Rom. 1. Esay 6. It is a greater miracle to driue the deuil out of mens heartes then out of their bodye Three sortes of people iudg of this miracle The first meruell at the worke The second blaspheme Beelzebub what it is in Englishe 2. Cor. 4. The godly reioyce in the gospell the vngodly blaspheme it The aduersaries grauÌ„t many thinges to be true yet they go forth to persecute 2. Cor. 4. The power of the deuill is not to be set lyght by The papistes in persecuting the true ChristiaÌ„s thincke they do God great seruice Iohn 16. The thirde seke signes from heauen The wise of the world are offeÌ„ded at the word because the preachers therof are so homly poore creatures The glorious worldlinges can not abyde to be reproued for their wycked lyuing Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Exod. 22. TeÌ„porall rulers owe no lesse obedience to God hys worde then subiectes do Esa. 53. Iohn 16. Preachers haue authoritie to rebuke the sinnes of all men without exception Preachers may be no meÌ„ pâ—easers Gala. 1. Marcke this well O thou preacher Christ confuteth his aduersaries Discorde The kyngdoÌ„ of the deuill Why so fewe receue the worde Why the deuyl preuaileth not agaynste Gods electe Acts. 9. Obiection Exorcistes Answere ii Thess. ii The deuyll worketh miracles to confirme