Christ is so lyttell disswaded from that which he had spoken by the obiection of Peter that he plainely affyrmeth that there oughte to be no ende of forgeuing For he wolde not prescribe any certayne nomber but rather geue commandement that we ought neuer to be wery But seuenty times seuen tymes M. Here the certayne nomber for the vncertayne and the finite for the infinite is put by the which our sauioure Christ declareth that we must forgeue our brother so often as he cōuerteth For as God is alwaies ready to forgeue euen so wee must followe his clemency vnlesse wee will be bastardes and degenerate from our heauenly father For conuertion or repentance is the worke of God the wōderfull power of his spirite and a newe creation The which if we reiect we are greately iniuriouse vnto god C. Luke the Euangelist semeth not a littel to disagree from Matthewe because hee simplely bringeth in the commaundemente of Christe namely that wee shoulde be ready to forgeue seuen tymes For hee writeth thus If thy brother sinne seuen times a day against thee seuen tymes in a day tourneth him vnto thee saying it repenteth me forgeue him Yet notwithstanding the sence is all one that we sholde not forgeue once or twise onely but that we shold receiue the offender into our fauoure so often as he submitteth him self vnto vs This is onelye the dyfference that out Euangelist Matthewe maketh mention that the lorde reprehended Peter because he was to straite and seuere and that Hiperbolically he increaseth the nōber the which nōber is sufficient to set forth vnto vs at full the meaning of our sauiour Christe Neyther did Peter demaunde whether he shoulde forgeue his brother seuen tymes as though he ment any certayne nomber but he made this demaunde to the ende he settinge forthe a greate shewe of absurditie might withdrawe Christe from his purpose as wee shewed a lyttell before Therefore hee which shal be redy to forgeue seuē times will also be contente to forgeue seuenty tymes Moreouer in the woordes of Luke there ariseth an other question because Christe doth not commaunde vs to forgeue excepte the synner by conuertinge and submittinge hym self vnto vs declare his repentaunce for by this hée semeth to graunt liberty to his disciples to deny pardō forgeuenes to the wicked We aunswere that synnes are remitted twoo manner of wayes If any man do vnto thee iniury and thou laying away all desyre of reuenge ceassest not to loue him styll but doste in steede of reuengement bestowe good tournes on hym althoughe nowe thou haue an euyll iudgemente of hym as hee deserueth yet notwithstandinge thou shalte be saide to remytte and forgeue hym For althoughe God dothe commaunde vs to wyshe well to oure ennemies yet neuerthelesse hee dothe not require of vs that wee shoulde allowe that in them whiche he him selfe condemneth but onely that we seeke to pourge our minde of all hatred and mallice The seconde kynde of remittynge is when wee so receiue our brother into fauour that wee haue a good opinion of him and are certainly perswaded that the remembrance of his synne is cleane put out before the lord And this is that which we spake of before that Christ doth not onely here speake of iniuries doone vnto vs but of al maner of offences also For he woulde haue those that are fallen to be lifted vp againe by our mercye and compassion The which doctrine is therfore very necessarye because wee are all for the most parte by nature out of measure waywarde and peruerse And Sathan vnder the pretence of seuerytie bryngeth vs to fearce and cruell rigour whiche makethe those men to whom we deny pardon most miserable and ouerwhelleth them with heauynes dispaire Againe Question it may be here demaunded whether we ought to beleue the offender so sone as he hath with the mouth professed repentaunce For what shall become of discretion and iudgement if euerye one maye mocke deceiue Answere and offende vs vntyll the hundreth time Fyrste we aunswere that Christ speaketh here of dayly offences in the whiche the very best hath nede of pardon and forgeuenes Seynge therfore we haue so slippery a iourney in so greate infirmitie and weakenes of the flesh so many deceites and intisementes what shall become of vs if al hope of pardone shoulde be taken from vs at the first seconde or thirde falle Secondly we may answere and say that Christ doth not depriue the faythfull of iudgement discretion that they might foolishely and rashely beleue euery worde but that hée goeth about onely to make them indifferente and mercifull that they may reach out theyr hande to those that repent if by any meanes we may perceyue that they are displeased with thē selues for their offēce and that vnfaynedly For repentance is a holy acceptable thinge and therefore it hath nede of a ripe examination trial but so often as the offender shall shewe a probable and likely signe of repentance Christ wold haue vs to admyt hym to reconciliation least by repelling shaking him of he fall into dispayre Thirdely we must note that whē a man hath brought him selfe into suspition by his lightnes inconstancie wee maye so forgeue hym that asketh pardon that euer after wee maye note and obserue his maners least he make a iest skoffe at our sufferaunce and gentylnesse whiche commeth by the spirite of god For wee must marke the purpose of the lorde in this place namely that they ought to be holpē vp which are fallen according to the exāple of our heauēly father who calleth sinners beinge far of that he may bringe them to saluation 23 Therfore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine man that was a king whiche wold take accomptes of his seruauntes Therefore is the kingdome M. What he meaneth by this parable it is euidente by that whiche he addeth in the ende of the chapter sayinge So likewise shall my heauenly father do also vnto you if ye from youre hartes forgeue not euery one his brother their trespasses C. For because it is a harde matter to bring vs to mercy and that specially when we must suffer and beare many sinnes of our brethern the lord very aptly with this parable confirmeth the doctrine goinge before teaching that they which will not yelde to forgeue the offēces of their brethern are to hard seuere and cruell by the which they do not only hurt their brethern but also them selues prouokinge the almighty to be likewyse cruell towardes them not to be intreated For this similitude consisteth specyally of three partes The lorde is opposed or set against the seruante A great som is compared with a small value And inspeakeable compassiō and mercy is set agaynst extreame cruelty These three being wel considered noted we may easely gather the meaninge of oure Sauiour Christ For what are we if wee be compared vnto God Whiche of vs are not
to Iordane to Iohn that he myght be baptised of him Then came Iesus from Galile B. The preachinge of Iohn the Baptiste being ended the Euāgelist beginneth to preach our lord Iesus the sauiour of the world personally of his own wordes and dedes And first of al he sheweth howe he was baptised not onely with water but also with the spirite was not so much celebrated and put into the flock of Goddes people which was the kingdom of heauē as he was declared by the voice of his father frō aboue to be a teacher kinge of his people kingdome M. Marke saith in those daies whē as Iohn had preached a while and a gret multitude of the people came to be baptised then was it a fyt conueniēt tyme for Christ to be reuealed the hartes of mortal men by the preching of repētance being pricked desiring thirsting after the grace of Christ That he might be baptised of him C. To what ende the son of god wold be baptised we maye somewhat gather of his aunswere folowinge 14. But Iohn forbad him saying I haue nede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to mee But Iahn forbad him M. Iohn denied his office and ministerye to Christe firste in consideration of his maiestie then in consideration of his own imbecillitie and weakenes the which he partly declared when he sayd whose shoose I am not worthye to beare He knewe that Chryste had no neede to be baptized with this baptisme of repentaunce yea rather that he had neede to be baptized of hym he thoughte it was vnworthy and vnmete that the seruant shoulde baptize the lorde and maister of all whiche had no necessitie therevnto By these reasons beinge moued he refused to baptise him I haue nede to be C. It is certaine that Christe was not onely knowne of Iohn to be an excellente prophete as many very fondly imagin but also to be the son of God otherwyse submittinge and surrendring his holy vocation to a mortal man he should haue ben iniuriouse to god But the reader may learn wherby he was knowē vnto Iohn in the first cha of Iohn This was a reasonable cause to refuse and denye seing that Christ had no nede of baptisme but in this Iohn was deceyued that he wayed not howe that Christe dyd not desire baptisme for his owne sake but for other mennes Therefore Christ beddeth hym to consyder what doth belong vnto him that hath taken vpon him the parson of a seruaunte because that willinge subiection dothe derogate nothinge of his glorye and renowne For althoughe Iohn knewe not his owne office and dewely for a tyme yet notwithstandinge his errour doth not let but that he did his duetie both lawfully and duely 15. Iesus aunswered and saide vnto hym let it be so nowe For thus it becommeth vs to fulfyll all ryghteousenes Then he suffered him Iesus aunsvvered and sayde vnto E. Our sauiour Christ by these wordes doth not denie the wordes of Iohn to be true when he said I haue nede to be baptized of the. but graunteth the wordes of Iohn to be trew yet neuerthelesse he doth infringe and put away the occasyon of controuersie which arose of those wordes sayinge Let it be so novve for so it becommeth vs to fulfyll all righteousenesse C. By this aunswere of Chryste we may gather why he woulde be baptised because it becommeth vs saith he to fulfyll all righteousenes To fulfil al righteousenes in the scripture is as much to saye as to fulfyll the lawe And so wee may expounde this place that it behoued Christe which willingly submitted hym selfe to the lawe to fulfill the same in al poyntes But better it maye be vnderstande on this maner as if Christe shuld haue sayde Sease and leaue of to speake of my dignitie neyther is it my purpose at this tyme to reason whiche of vs two is the better but rather we must looke what oure vocation requireth and what God the father hath appoynted vnto vs For Chryst vsed this generall baptisme that he might in al poyntes obey the will of his father but he vsed the special baptisme that he might consecrate the same in his owne body that it mighte be common to vs with him Therfore he saith so it behoueth vs to fulfill all righteousenesse as if he shoulde say I muste in all thinges be obediente to my father Thy baptisme is apoynted of the father therefore although I am greter then thou yet it so pleased my father that I should receyue baptisme of thée and shoulde consecrate the same in my bodye that they whiche receyue mée and are in me baptyzed should acknowledge me to be their brother and fellowe heyre Then he suffered hym Here is to be noted the modestie of Iohn whiche by and by geueth place and obeyeth Chryste For he contendeth no farther but hearynge reason that so it became hym to fulfyll all ryghteousenes althoughe before it seemed verye absurde is nowe perswaded and baptizeth Christe Euen so Peter which said Thou shalt neuer washe my feete when he hearde Christ say excepte I wasshe thée thou haste no parte with me by and by he sayde Lorde not onely my fete but my handes and head M. Whereby we are taught that those that erre by ignorance when they know the trueth are easely perswaded 16. And when Iesus was baptized he ascended out of the water and behold the heauens were opened vnto hym and he sawe the spirite of God descēdinge lyke a dooue and lyghtynge vpon him And vvhen Iesus vvas baptized M Now the Euangeliste dothe shewe vnto vs howe Christ was celebrated and authorised after his baptisme And beholde the. C. The openinge of the heauens is sometymes taken for the shewing forth of the glory of the heauens But in this place it is taken for the visible seperation and diuision of the heauens so that Iohn might se somwhat hier then the starry firmamēt where the planettes were But to search farther what this opening of the heauēs meaneth or what it was neyther dothe it parteine to the matter neyther is it necessary because it is sufficiēt to know that this was a signe token of the presence of god Yet where the Euangelistes do saye that Iohn sawe the holye ghost it is lykely that the heauens were open specially for his sake Althoughe it ought not to be denied but that Christ in respect that he was mā was the more assured of his vocation And to this effect do the wordes of Luke seme to serue whiche sayth that when Christe prayed the heauens were open M. But by the openinge of the heauens here specifyed is signified that this is he whiche shulde come from heauen and shoulde teache heauenlye thynges that is he shoulde shewe the wyll of his father to heauenly men For he that is of the earthe speaketh of the earthe but he whiche came from heauen is aboue all Furthermore it is signified that this is hée whiche by his
straungers and foriners should be of the housholde and heyres of the kingdome of heauen And not onely that but this that the couenaunt and league of saluation should by and by be publyshed that the whole worlde myght growe into one body of the churche when he saythe that the Gentyles which should come to the faythe shoulde bee partakers of the same saluation with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Bu. They reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen whiche being partakers of the promises of God which he made with the holy fathers do at the lengthe possesse the kingdome of heauen with them beinge made the sonnes of God coheyres with Christe and fellowes with the sainctes C. To be briefe this senteÌ„ce is as much as if he should haue saide they shall haue the same life Wherby certainly we may gather that the same sauing health which is exhibited vnto vs in Christ was exhibited in times paste vnto the fathers Neyther should the kingdome be common to all except there were but one faith which is the onely meane to obtaine the same The same manner of speaking the lorde vsed to his Apostles when he sayde I apointe vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye maye eate drinke at my table in the kingdome 12 But the children of the kingdom shal be cast out into vtter darkenes there shal be weping and gnashing of teeth But the children of the. M. This is the other matter which we saide Christ had here in hande namely of the reiecting of the Iewes C. But it may be demaunded how Christe calleth them the children of the kingdome whiche were nothing lesse theÌ„ the sonnes of Abraham For truely they whiche are alienate from the faythe ought not to be numbred in the flocke of Christ It may be aunswered that although they were not truly of the flock of Christ notwithstaÌ„ding because thei had a roume in the flocke or churche he grauÌ„teth this title vnto them Furthermore we muste note that the couenaunt and promyse of God was of such force so long as it stode in the sede of Abraham that properly the inheritauÌ„ce of the kingdom of heauen did pertaine vnto them at the least in respect of God him selfe then as yet they were holy braunches of the holy roote And truely that deniall or forsakinge whiche afterward folowed dothe sufficiently declare that they were then accoumpted of the housholde of god M. Therefore because the promises of the kingdome the testameÌ„t did properly pertain vnto the Iewes they ar worthely called the soÌ„nes of the kingdoÌ„ Of this matter Paul doth dispute at large in his epistle to the Romaynes C. Secondly we muste note that Christe dothe not speake of euery one but of the whole nation This truely was farre harder then the calling of the Gentiles For it mighte seme scarse tollerable for the Gentiles to be planted knytte and vnited to the same body by frée adoption with the posteritie of Abraham Notwithstanding Christe pronounceth that they shal be vnited to the end God might admitte straungers into the bosome of Abraham and denye the chyldren B. that the laste may be firste and the fyrste last M. So that it is not to be thoughte that the Lorde woulde haue all the Iewyshe chyldren of the kyngdome to be caste out but he hathe selected and chosen to hym selfe certayne of them as saynt Paule wryteth to the Romaynes Euen as we may not thinke that all the Gentiles shal be saued but that the chosen of God shal be gathered from amonge them Into vtter darkenes C. There is a secrete antithesis in this woorde vtter darkenes for Christe dothe signifie that out of his kyngdome whiche is the kyngdome of lyghte there reigneth nothynge but darkenes For the Scriptures when they make mencion of darkenes do signifie metaphorically a horrible kynde of payne whiche the tongue of man in this lyfe cannot expresse nor the harte imagine Bu. So that by these greuous threatenynges Christe went not about to dismaye the Iewes or to brynge them into dispayre but rather to drawe them out of the myre and puddell of incredulitie and to wynne the Gentiles vnto hym who came to saue bothe the Iewe and the Gentyle There shal be vvepynge M. This is a Metaphor by the whiche he compareth that vnhappy state and condition of the damned to captiues sytting in a dongeon or darke place full of horror and feare who are constrayned by an euell conscience feare of the iudgement to come to wepe wayle mourne gnashe their teethe And thus thought he good to set foorthe the tormentes of damned soules 13 And Iesus sayde vnto the Centurion go thy waye and as thou beleuest â—…o shall it be vnto thee And his seruaunt was healed in the selfe same hower And Iesus sayde vnto the Centurion M. Nowe the Lorde aunswerynge the Centurion graunteth him his petitioÌ„ as if he should say be of good chere and quiet thy minde For go thy waye in this place hath such signification Neyther is this a symple commaundement to go vnto his owne whiche shoulde cary with it ambition but it is an assent or agreinge to that whiche was demaunded So Dauid consentinge to the woman of Thecoa sayd go home to thy house I wyll geue a charge for thee So we reade that Christ did often tymes sende awaye the afflicted after they had obtayned consolation at his handes saying go in peace and be whole from thy plague And in another place he saythe go thy sonne lyueth And as thou beleuest so shall Bu. In fewe woordes euidently he declareth the efficacy of faythe Faythe bryngeth to passe and is the cause that we receyue that by the power operation of the holy ghoste whiche we beleue of the woorde of god The Centurion beleued that the Lorde coulde heale his seruaunte lying sycke therefore the lorde healed hym C. Hereby it appeareth howe louingly our Sauioure Christe poureth out his grace if he may haue the vessell of fayth open vnto hym For although oure Sauioure Christe speaketh vnto the Centurion notwithstanding there is no doubte but that by his example he woulde haue vs all to haue the lyke faythe Moreouer we are here taught what is the cause that God dothe oftentymes reiecte oure prayers surely our incredulitie and vnbeliefe Wherefore if in faythe we come vnto hym we maye be sure our prayers shal be harde So shall it be vnto thee M. These woordes do not onely expresse and set forth the goodnes of Christe but also his omnipotency by the whiche he hathe in his wyll and power lyfe and death healthe and syckenesse yea onely with his assente he restored this seruaunte whiche was euen nowe at the poynte of deathe to healthe and lyfe He saythe not go thy waye I wyll praye vnto my father for thee or for thy seruaunte but he saythe go thy waye be it vnto thee according to thy faythe
of these woordes of Christ 12. For there are some chaste which are so borne out of their mothers vvombe and there are some chaste which be made chaste of men And there be chaste which haue made themselues chaste for the kingdome of Heauens sake Hee that can comprehende it let him comprehende it For there are some chaste M. Now our sauioure Christ sheweth to whom this gift of continency is geuen And hee putteth downe vnto vs three kindes of chaste personnes Those which by nature are euenewkes or gelded or which are made chaste by men those I say by defection are putte from wedlocke because they wante those necessary members appertayninge to men Hee sayth that there are other euenewkes which haue made theym selues chaste to the ende they might be more at liberty to serue the Lord these also he setteth at liberty froÌ„ the necessity of wedlocke WheruppoÌ„ it followeth that all others which forsake Wedlocke do presumptuously striue against god As do the Papistes which vrge this word of makinge chaste as thoughe it were in their wills to enioyne men to the law of continency For first Christ affirmeth that the father gaue the same to whom it pleased him And a little after hée affirmeth that they rashely take vppon them a single life which are not endued with the gift of continency Wherfore continency or chastisment is not subiecte to oure will but whereas certaine by nature are apte to mariage or Wedlocke although they do abstaine yet notwithstandinge they tempte not God because God setteth theÌ„ at liberty For the kingdome of Heauens sake B. Some very peruersly expounde this clause for the kingdome of heauen sake that is say they to deserue euerlasting life that by chastity they might come to the same sayinge that chastity or continency is a meritoriouse worke esteming it to be in the libertye of all men to make themselues chaste denying continency to be a peculiar gift And so they do imagin that continencye is not onelye an acceptable worship of God but also the state of angellicall life But truly Christ mente nothing ells then that they which were chaste shoulde alwayes haue this ende before their eyes that they beinge loused from all the cares of this life should geue theÌ„selues wholy to the study of godlines It is a foolish imaginatioÌ„ therfore to thincke that chastitye is a vertue because it is more aceptable vnto God of it selfe than fastinge is neyther doth it deserue to be counted amonge the duties of obedience which hée requireth of vs but it ought to pertaine to another end yea Christ wold expresly declare that though a man were pure from whoredom yet notwithstandinge that his chastitye is not acceptable vnto God if hée only haue respecte to his owne ease and pleasure B. They therfore are sayd to make themselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen which wheÌ„ they may be maried men do willinglye chose vnto themselues a single life that they may séeke onely to set forth the glorye of God and being addicted to no speciall thinge may seeke for the profite of all men that is that they maye haue a care for those things which properly pertaine vnto the Lord that they may loue him aboue all thinges their neighbour as themselues that they may be holy in body and minde and that they may with an inseperable minde cleaue vnto him It is good for these men to liue withoute wiues because it is geuen vnto them so to do because they so liue for the kingedom of heauen Such a one Paule testifyeth himselfe to be and exhorteth other men to the same felicity to the end they hauinge a lesse care of those things which are in the world may cleaue vnto t e Lord and may vse the world as though they vsed not the same beinge ready at euery momeÌ„t to depart hence vnto Christ But after his exhortacion hée addeth this saying This I speake for your profite not to tangle you in a snare What are these woordes in effectâ—… but this All men are not able to coÌ„prehende this saying saue they to whom it is geuen To be shorte Christ teacheth that it is not enoughe if such as were coÌ„tinent persons liue chast vnlesse vpon good consideration they abstaine from hauing of wyues Hee that can comprehende it let him comprehende it C. By this parte our sauiour Christ admonisheth vs that wée oughte not to despise the vse of wedlocke excepte wée wil caste our selues by blinde wilfulnes into destruction for it was necessary that hee should reache out his hande to his Desciples whom hée sawe ready to fall without iudgement But this admonition is profitable for all men because in the chosing kinde of life which is the life of bachilers as wée terme them verye fewe consider what gifte is geuen vnto them but runne rashelye without choyse whithersoeuer a foolishe feruent loue carieth them and I would god as it is profitable so once it might be heard I wishe also vnfainedly that this admonition of our sauiour Christ might enter into the eares of Papistes But their eares are so stopt with the bewitchinge of Sathan that contrarye to nature and the will of God they putte vppon theym the perpetuall snare of chastitye whom God hath called to Wedlocke And then their myserable mindes are soe bounde with the snare of a deadly vow that they caÌ„ neuer easelye be vntangled againe A. For what mischiefe hath not the tyranny of the bishop of Rome broughte foorthe by the which the Priestes Moonkes and fryers haue béene constrayned to vow continuall chastitye Of the which matter wee may reade somewhat in S. Paules Epistell to Tymothe 13. Then were there broughte vnto him yonge children that hee shoulde put his hands on them and pray And the Disciples rebuked them Then vvere there brought C. This History is verye profitable because it teacheth that they are not onelye receyued of Christe which come vnto him by the motion of a holye desyer vndoubted faith but they also which for want of yeres are not able to féele how greatly they want his grace Ther is no intelligence or vnderstaÌ„ding in these little childreÌ„ that they might craue the blessing of Christe yet notwithstanding they being offered vnto him hée receyueth them gently and louinglye and consecrateth them to his father with the solemne righte of blessing The Euangelist Luke with a word not ambiguouse calleth them infants least any maÌ„ should thinke that mencioÌ„ were here made of such as were of rype yeares And wee muste note the purpose of those which offer these childreÌ„ vnto Christ for excepte there had beene an vndoubted perswasion in their mindes that hee had the power of the holye ghost the which hée should bestow vppon the people of God it had bene an absurde thinge to bring these children vnto him Wherefore there is no doubt but that they desyer him to make these children pertakers of his grace therefore to
necessar that hee shoulde be geuen once for oure saluation that hee might be daily geuen to vs Let vs know then that by these woordes we are directed to the sacrifyce of Christ his death without the rememberaunce whereof the Supper shall neuer be rightly celebyated Neither trulye can the mindes of the faithfull be otherwise filled but by this that they know God to be fauourable to them M. But this is diligently to be noted that hee sayd in the plurall nomber Of sinnes not of one sinne againste the opinion of those which wickedly say that the death of Christ hath made satisfaction for Originall sinne but not for actuall sinne and for those sinnes also which were cōmitted before Baptisme and not after for the which they appoint a proper satisfaction Against whom S. Iohn also writeth thus My little children these thinges writ I vnto you that ye sinne not but if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous hee is the propitiacion for our sinnes Hee writ no doubt to the Christians which were already baptized and therfore hee teacheth also that the sinnes of those that are baptised are forgeuen by the propitiation of Iesus Christe To these woordes of Christe S. Paule addeth this Do this so often as yee shall drincke it in the remembraunce of mee And then what that remēbraunce is hee declareth in the words followinge For so often as yee shall eate this breade drincke this Cuppe ye shall shew forth the Lordes death till his comminge Therfore the Supper is ◅ certaine memoriall which ought continuallye to abyde in the Churche euen till the last comming of Christe beinge instituted to this ende that Christ mighte admonishe vs of the benefite of his deathe and that wee might acknowledge the same before men wherevppon it is also called Eucharistia that is a thanckes geuinge 29. But I say vnto you I will not drincke henceforthe of this fruite of the vine tree vntil that day whē I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingedome But I saye vnto you C. By this sentence the Dysciples were admonished as well of the death of their master which was at hād as of the newe and Heauenlye life For the more neere that the houre of his death approched the more they were to be confirmed least they should altogether quaile Hee sheeweth also that his Disciples shall in a short time haue the truth of this signe As if he should say I do not apoint a signe the truth of the which is farre of no it is at hand Hee commendeth vnto them his supper for this cōsideratiō because they shold not alwayes haue him present with them While hee was presente they were confirmed by his Sermones and now that he must be absent they had neede of another confirmatiō Great therfore is the force of the supper which supplyeth the presence of Christ and setteth him before vs But because it was sorrowfull tydinges when hee affirmed that he must now go out of the world there is by and by added a consolation that there is no cause why they shoulde abhorre death after which there shall followe a better life as if hee had sayd ▪ Now truly do I make hast vnto death but to this ende that I may thereby passe to blessed immortality not to liue alone in the kingdome of God by my selfe but that I may haue you partakers of the same life So we see that hee lifteth vs hys Dysciples to the hope of the resurrection after hee had ledde them by the hande as it were to the Crosse And as it was meete that they should be directed to the death of Christ that by that ladder they might assende into Heauen euen so now Christ hauinge tasted of death and beinge receiued vp into Heauen it is meete that wee be broughte from the behouldinge of the Crosse to the lifting vp of our mindes to Heauen that death and the repayringe of life may agree together And that they shal be partakers of the same glory with him it may euidentlye appeare by his wordes VVhen I shall drincke it nevve vvith you in my fathers kingdome Bu. As if hee should say I beinge now made immortall and translated into the glory of my father or els I beinge now in Heauenly glorye in eternall ioye For Luke hath almost the like wordes when he sayth And I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed vnto mee that yee may eate drincke at my table in the kingdome C. But whereas some do obiecte that meate and drincke doth not appertaine to the kingdome of God it is a friuolous and vaine obiection because Christe meaneth nothinge els but that his Dysciples should shortly want his presence insomuche that after this hee shoulde eate with them no more till that they enioyed the Heauenly kingdome together Againe the eatinge and drinkinge mencioned in Luke is spoken of our sauiour Christ allegorically To be shorte Christe here commendeth vnto vs the frute and effect of the redemption which he got by his death Whereas some thincke that this was fulfilled so often as the Lord did eate with his Dysciples it is contrary to his minde and nothinge so For seinge hee was the mydle state betweene the course of mortall life the goale or ende of Heauenly life the kingdome of God was not then as yet reuealed and therefore hee sayd vnto Mary Toutch mee not for I am not yet assended to my father Moreouer the Dysciples were not as yet entered into the kingdome of God that they might drincke new wyne with Christ and be partakers of the same glorye But whereas wee reade that Christ drancke after his resurrection when as notwithstādinge he had denyed to do it till such tyme as hee had gathered his Dysciples into the kingdome of Heauen that shewe of repugnancye may easlye be put awaye For hee speaketh not precisely of meate and drincke but of the custome of this present life And wee knowe that Christe did not therefore drincke eyther because hee was a thrist or because hee woulde retaine his Dysciples in his meate and drincke but onely that his resurrection beinge thereby approued of the which they were as yet doubtfull he might lift vp their mindes to Heauē Let vs therfore contente our selues with this true and proper meaning of the place that the Lord promiseth to his Dysciples the fellowship of the blessed and immortall life with him seing they had the fellowship of his mortall humanity in earth 30. And when they had saide grace they went out vnto mount Oliuet And vvhen they had saide grace C. The first three Euangelistes omit those deuine Sermones which S. Iohn sayth the Lord made as wel in the house as by the way that they wente For their purpose was to comprehende and set forthe the Historye of thinges done more than doctrine This onely they toutche that hee wente of his owne accorde to the place whether Iudas was
pretence defraude the poore shepe of the holy foode of Gods worde and in stede of the same brought into the world certaine stinking and vayne traditions whiche they had drawen out of the filthy puddel of carnall reason and would haue them accompted suche was their arrogancy for deuine oracles Moreouer men were growen to suche madnes vnfaithful dealing that whatsoeuer pleased them the same also they did perswade the kynges rulers of the worlde whose duty it was to watche for the safetie of all the people and before all thnges to take hede that they did not degenerate from the true worship of god But in this horrible waste and confusion of thinges the celestiall father vouched safe to preserue his Churche by a certayne miraculous working not to be attained by our vnderstanding for he daily calleth backe his electe out of the bottomles pitte of ignoraunce and transposeth them into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne that being partakers of the light of the Gospell or rather being made light it selfe in the Lorde they might walke as children of the light submitte them selues wholy vnder his obedience whiche called them out of darkenes into a wonderfull cleare light Whiche worthy and incomparable benefite is daily offered not onely to priuate men here and there dispersed but also vnto kinges rulers so often as God doth styrre vp in their Costes faithfull Pastors though neuer so cruell persecutions storme euery where Sathan with his ministers raginge do bende all the force of their strengthe to hinder the course of the Gospel either by mans authoritie or els to breake it of by the feare intollerable wayght of afflictions Therefore seing through the grace of God we haue here free libertie vnder right Christian princes to enioye the light of the Gospell wheÌ„ as many other nations of the worlde are as yet buried in the depe dungeon of ignoraunce and seing it hath pleased God of his free mercy certayne yeares paste to snatche vs out of the iawes of Antechrist that we might heare the swete voyce of Christe continually sounding in the Churche wee should bee twyse ingratefull if we should not wyshe with ardent petitions that oure brethren might obtâ—â—â—e the like grace and fauour or if we shoulde not reatche out our hande to helpe them whiche make haste to gette the same libertie But there can no waye be founde out more commodious to further their saluation then if beside our daily prayers in whiche we commende them to the Lorde we reatche as it were into their handes some thing whereby they might well fortefie them selues against their enemies and be able to reproue and conuince suche as resiste the truthe Neither do we nede any great consultation to determine what this thing should be wheÌ„ as nothing can be more profitable vnto them than the sounde syncere playne exposition of the holy Scriptures which heretofore was so obscured by the fonde commentaries preposterous interpretations of those that knewe not truely the very elementes of Christian religion so that the worde of God gaue place to prophane wryters so farre was it from retaining the force and authoritie which of right she ought to haue among men For who knoweth not that those who neglecting the authoritie of the worde of God did cite Plato Aristotel Cicero and other prophane wryters of that sorte in their pulpettes were had in great estimation and counted for chiefe deuines in comparison of those that propounded the worde of God simply and sincerety I therefore wyshing to satisfie their desier whiche long earnestly for the sounde and playne exposition of the Scriptures lefte vnto vs by the Prophetes and Apostles applied â—…y mynde before these fewe yeares to collecte and gather out of the doctours suche as might be gotten bothe olde and newe whatsoeuer semed to helpe to the exacte knowledge of the newe testament hoping hereafter if the Lorde graunt me strengthe to bestowe the like diligence in the olde testament to the ende that as the whole body of the Scripture is set forth vnto vs by diuers organes of the holy Ghoste so beinge beutified with a plaine and perfecte exposition collected out of sondry interpretours it might be redde of all the godly to the glory of God and saluation of men Neither yet do we thinke that this our labour shal be improued by any saue onely by suche as mislike all godly and deuine thinges For seing many with earnest affection desier to knowe the opinioÌ„s of suche as interprete the holy Scriptures and oftentimes it chaunceth that what by one is pretermitted that is spoken by an other and contrariwyse yea but fewe haue the multitude and varietie of bookes many also cannot enioye them without perill Who I beseche you can condemne these oure painefull studies and good intent but that also he shall seme to improue their indeuour which would profite willingly by reading or hearing sondry interpretours of the Scriptures Moreouer if their diligence be commended and not vndeseruedly whiche out of the lectures and Sermons of the preachers of Gods worde note and gather what they can and geue it to be printed to the ende the whole Churche might reape a commoditie of that whiche was spoken out of a Pulpet to a fewe in nomber why should it not be laweful to collecte and chuse whatsoeuer semeth to pertaine to the explictation of the sacred Scriptures out of their commentaries whome God hathe made ouerseers of his flocke to feede and teache them and hath enriched them with many giftes to the common edifying of his Churche And as for suche as thinke them selues so spiritual that being contente with the volume of the Bible onely do carelesly and frowardly reiecte all commentaries those men I iudge not worthy any confutation For that whiche they vaynely babble tendeth to no other ende except perhappes they knowe not them selues but vtterly to abholishe the ministery of the worde that it might be lawfull for euery one to dreame or vtter vnaduisedly what he liste of Gods high misteries when neuertheles the Lord him selfe commendeth prophecie before other thinges in so muche that the Apostell Paule doth not doubte to preferre the same before certayne other giftes of the holy Ghoste otherwyse moste excellent And in an other place he sayth Despise not prophecies trie all thinges kepe that whiche is good Solomon also doth witnes in playne wordes that where prophecying doth fayle the people must nedes bee scattered abroade Let them therefore either bring to passe that all men may speake Hebrewe and Greeke and that euery meÌ„ber may be replenished with the fulnes of the spirite whiche thing is peculiar to ChristiaÌ„s or els let them suffer the Churche to enioye the communion participation of giftes whiche Christe distributeth to eche man as semeth good vnto him selfe As touching the tittle of the booke we thought it good to call it an Ecclesiasticall exposition for a double respect first because it is gathered
out of those wrytinges whiche were employed and consecrate to the Churche it selfe by holy men whiche bestowed all their labour and study to enlarge the true faith and for that cause they may well be termed Ecclesiasticall wryters Secondly because it appertayneth of dutie to the Churche to knowe the familiar voyce of their spouse who speaketh vnto her sitting in the heauens and that by the helpe of his seruauntes to wytte faithfull ministers who for that same cause are called in the Scriptures the interpretours of Gods wyll and the messengers whiche bryng fidinges of the reconciliation betwene God and man. But we call it Catholike that is vniuersall because it is gathered vniuersally out of all the most appro◅ed deuines And for because welbeloued brethren in Christe you whiche yet grone vnder the yoake o◅◅ntechriste dispersed here and there you desier with ardent affectiōs to knowe those things whiche may guyde you to the perfect vnitie and certaintie of faythe I moste earnestly request you that as the Churches restored to their integritie enioye the sacred sermons lectures communication and publique conference of the selfe same men whiche haue enriched this woorke with their labours so you also vse gladly and cherefully this exposition of the newe Testament that your fayth may haue the better successe and Christes spirite by the reading of the Scriptures may in suche wyse mortefie whatsoeuer concupiscence of the fleshe is remayning in you that we may all speake thinke and vnderstande one thyng being one whole body Flie therefore all peregrine straunge doctrines and geue attentiue eare to the moste swete voyce of that great shepehearde of the shepe Christe Iesus who by his Apostels and Euangelistes teacheth you moste playnly the way to saluation Despise with a stoute courage the forged tales and traditiōs of men by whiche your consciences are snared and imbrace the libertie achieued by Christe and worthely set forth in this newe Testament whereof you haue here an exposition no lesse sounde than playne and euident Not that this interpretation is so perfect absolute in euery point that nothinge may be added thereto pertayning to doctrine and edification for who can examine or interprete any one place of Scripture so happely and dilligently that no man shal be able to expresse the same more playnely or obserue in it somewhat more helping either to teache exhorte or reconcile other places Neither was it my intente to vrge the studentes in holy Scriptures to kepe silence but rather not onely to exhorte all the Godly but also to desier them for Gods sake that if they haue attayned anye thing either by reuelation of the spirite or by the commentaries of other whome we haue not sene to brynge it and make it commen so that it be briefe and fitte to edefie whiche howe necessary it is in serious matters there is none but wyll confesse For ouer and besides the newe bookes whiche come forth dayly whereby this worke might bee enlarged I am fully perswaded that the authours them selues out of whose wrytinges I haue taken this exposition are so farre from ambition and emulation that they desier nothing more than that they to whome the gifte of prophecie is graunted shoulde not defraude the Churche thereof for whose sake they haue receiued that whiche they haue I sought therefore to profite them onely whiche with vpright conscience seke the symple and peculiar sence of the Scriptures leauing vnto the Church whom God endeweth euery day with marueilous giftes libertie to adde according to tyme and place what semeth to belonge to the common edifyinge of the godly as is wont to be done in the holy assembles and metinge where the Godly communing of diuine matters haue libertie to bringe forth or alleage in the middest of the company that whiche they haue receiued of the father of lightes so that if it be reuealed to an other sitting by the firste doth willingly kepe silence as the Apostell commaundeth Nowe as concerning the authours out of whose commentaries or annotation vppon the Gospell after Mathewe this exposition is collected we haue declared their names in the next leafe following And leaste the often repetition of their whole names should trouble the readers we haue signified thē by their first letters although that thing semed once vnto me not greatly necessary if this one admonition of my frēdes had not prouoked me thereto who tolde me that it would fall out that some would reproue me of a lye for because this woorke being intituled a Catholyke exposition collected out of sondrye interpretours should neuertheles appeare to be one discourse neither would they beleue any other except we did note by letters euery particuler mans woordes But where I my selfe did incline to that parte not to discrie the authours names by letters I was led hereby because I feared the disposition of some who being addicted to men do for the moste part measure approue and reiect the interpretations according to the authoritie and estimation of the man rather considering the men than what the holy Ghoste pronounced by them to the common erudition of the Churche Moreouer the readers peraduenture will marueyle that I note so fewe woordes out of some authours but let them vnderstande this that when I finde one that sayth the same that almoste all the reste do whether it be in fewe woordes or many so it be in more playne woordes his woordes I haue chosen yet as it were weauing to or vniting out of other that whiche he had either omitted or lefte vnspoken for one man can not speake of all thinges for want of memory neither is occasion offered If at any tyme a diuers or contrary exposition happen to be founde among the authours I haue so described the same that I haue noted what the reader should followe Neither shall there be founde in this booke a hotche potche of opinions if wee maye so terme it whereby the Reader myght bee troubled not edefied but sounde and true doctrine and the same throughout the whole booke guyding vs to the father and Iesus Christe his sonne Therefore good brethren accepte and according to goodnes and equitie allowe his dilligence whiche together with you wysheth before all thinges the increase of Christes kyngdome and the destruction of Antechriste Do you also your endeuour with earnest ardent zeale to professe Christes Gospell neither as some falsely termed Christians do be you ashamed of it by constant confession whereof the glorious sentence of Christe is onely to be hoped for who shall approue the same before his heauenly father and electe Angels And verely no man is able worthely to commende the excellency and frute of the eternall wysdome of God whiche is opened in the Gospell For the Gospell is The light vvhiche the people that vvalked in darkenes did see and vvhiche sprang vp to them vvhich sate in the region of the shadovve of death It is the kyngdome of God vvhich approched to vs vvhich
might bee discerned from falsehode and lyes For the crafty vvylines of false Apostels is vvell enough knovven vvho being deceitful and subtile vvorkers taking vpon them the name of the Apostels of Christe do easely begyle the simple and suche as take no hede of them as the Apostell Paule in his epistell to the Corinthians declareth M. Therefore to the ende a certainâ—… doctrine as concerning Christ should persiste and continue in the Churche or congregation the holy Ghoste brought to passe that firste of all the natiuitie of Christe his life doctrine death buriall resurrection and assention into heauen beside these the sending forth of the embassage of the Gospell into the vvhole vvorlde the going forvvarde and good successe of the doctrine of the Gospell and Christian faithe the declaration and confirmation of the same by faithful vvitnesses that is to saye holy Euangelistes should in maner of an history beÌ„ coÌ„mitted to vvriting by them vvhiche Euangelistes heard and savve all thinges them selues before their face vvhiche also hauing authoritie and povver of God vvere the first vvhiche vvere sent and appointed to the preaching of the Gospell throughout the vvhole vvorlde To this vse ende and purpose the foure Euangelistes haue vvrytten the history of Christe among vvhome C onely Luke maketh a preface to his Gospell vvhiche he vvryteth briefely shevvyng the cause vvhiche moued him to vvryte as euidently you may see if you reade the same B. As touching the interpretation of this vvorde Gospell it being taken from the Greeke vvorde signifieth good or glad tidinges The vvhiche vvorde the three score and tenne interpretours vsed so often as they founde the Hebrevve vvorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bisser vvhiche signifieth to tell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besora tidinges being the deriuatiue of the same and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meuasser telling The Apostels and Euangelistes vsed this vvoorde very muche after them The Euangeliste Luke citing the place of the Prophete Esaye vsed this vvoorde To preache the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me Therefore the Gospell shal be vnto vs a publique or open setting foorth and preaching of the grace and redemptioÌ„ purchased and gotten by Christe as concerning the vvhiche redemption there are infinite testimonies of holy Scripture C Or els the Gospell is a history conteining the glad tidinges of the comming of Christe in the fleshe being sent of the Father accordinge to his promises in the lavve Prophetes and Psalmes In the vvhiche history the lyfe specially of Christe his doctrine death resurrection and assention is declared beside these the fruite of his comming is therein declared namely that by him vve are deliuered from the Deuell sinne and death and that vve are sanctified and assured of euerlasting lyfe B. As therefore the Gospell in the Scripture is properly a declaration of the long loked for saluation and at the lengthe reuealed and offered by Christe euen so our Euangeliste Mathevve as the reste Marke Luke and Iohn hath very cunningly and artificially vvritten in his Gospell the history of the Lorde by the vvhiche he declareth both his vvoordes and dedes in order A. But vvho this Mathevve vvas vvhose vvorke in the nevve TestameÌ„t hath the first rome M and from vvhat state of life he vvas called of Christe and aduaunced by him to the dignitie of an Apostle he of himselfe as vve shall heare hereafter declareth In the meane tyme vve must thinke and assure our selues that the holy Ghoste vvas and is the true authour of this history and that Mathevv vvas only the instrumeÌ„t or secretary to the same vvho leauing his pouling kinde of lyfe is become not onely a companion and disciple but also an Apostell and Euangeliste of Christe from vvhome all thinges in the vvorlde that are good do flovve as from the lyuely and celestiall vvell of grace A GODLY AND CATHOLIKE EXPOSITION OF THE HOLY Gospell of Iesu Christ after Mathevv The fyrst Chapiter The booke of the generation of Iesu Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham The booke of the generation C. IN VAYNE do certaine interpretours trauel about this titel or inscription to make excuse because the Euangelist Mathew doth name the whole history of the halfe of one chapter For this titel is not exteÌ„ded to the whole booke but the name of the booke is put for a Cataloge or rehersall as if it had ben saide here foloweth the order of the generation of Christ B. Euen as we maye reade in Genesis This is the boke of the generatioÌ„ of meÌ„ In the which place the Hebrew worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sepher which coÌ„meth of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saphar that is he hath nombred rehersed or declared For there foloweth the Cataloge or rehersal of men from Adam vntyll Noah with a discription of whoÌ„ and what tyme euery one had his ofspringe and originall Or els the booke of the generation signifieth that in the which somwhat is rehersed or nombred M. whervpon we reade that the booke of the Iust the booke of God in the whiche the Iust are written is so called B. This name therfore perteineth properly to the Cataloge and to the history A. And although the Euangelist goeth about to shew that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the true Messias promised long before in the lawe and Prophetes and loked for of the fathers B. Yet notwithstanding he wolde begyn the Gospell of Christ with the basenes of his generation sekinge to bring in all the sorrowes traueiles and paines of his life euen till the power glory and maiestie of his resurrection and kingdome in the which he sittinge at the right hande of God gouerneth all thinges that as Christ suffered many thynges and so entered into the glory of his kingdome and as he dyd fyrst abase hym selfe and became man a seruant also and humbled him selfe to the death of the crosse euen so he myght preache Christ vnto vs to be a mortal maÌ„ and crucified before that he was mortal and rayned gloriously in his kyngdome and so by the folishenes of preachinge to bringe saluation to the faythfull A The Euangelist Iohn more plainly euen at the fyrst preacheth the maiestie of Christ B. teaching him to be the eternall worde of the father and that deuine power and vertue by the which all thynges were made lyue moue consist feele vnderstand But our Euangelist Mathewe thought it sufficient to shewe briefely as it were in one word the diuinitie of Christe wrytinge thus The booke of the generation of Chryste And where as he calleth Iesus whiche was thought to be a carpenter and the sonne of a carpenter Chryst being that king which was long loked for promysed to the fathers he hath already shewed a sufficient cause and reason of so doinge to those that knowe the force of this name The sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham C. He calleth Chryst the son of Dauid and AbrahaÌ„ in respecte of
breaketh the matrixe in all fleshe whether it be of men or of beastes shal be thine Neuerthelesse the first borne of man thou shalt redeme Here the worde of the lord doth define what firste borne is that is euery one that openeth the matrixe first namely whether it be onely begotten or fyrst begotten The lorde saith not tary vntill the seconde be borne but he saith those that are to be redemed shalte thou redeme from the age of a moneth for the value of a mōthe namely for fiue sicles For if it should haue bene so that he that firste openeth the matrixe should not be called firste borne vntyll hee haue bretherne then might some man haue said I owe nothinge vnto the priest tyll that he be broughte forthe by whom he that is alredy borne be made first begotten Also in Exodus it is sayde And at mydnight the Lorde smote all the fyrst borne in the land of Aegypt both of man and beast Now if it be trewe that none are first begottē but they that haue brethern then the onely begotten although they were fyrst borne peryshed not The thirde obiection of Heluidius ANd he taught them in their synagogges in so much that they were astonied and said whence commeth this wisedom and powers vnto hym is not this the carpenters sonne ▪ is not his mother called Mary his bretherne Iames and Ioses and Symon and Iudas and are not all his systers with vs Also in the Acts of the Apostels it is said thus These all continued in prayer and supplication vvith the vvomen and Mary the mother of Iesu and vvith his bretherne And Paule in the Actes saith And I vvent vp accordinge to the reuelation and savve none but Peter and Iames the brother of our Lord. These places he bringeth to proue that shée was not a virgin because that these are called the bretherne of Christ Aunsvvere But in the scriptures a man is saide to be our brother fower maner of wayes that is to say by nature by countrey by kinred and by affection By nature bretherne are as Esau and Iacob the twelue Patriarches Andrew and Peter Iames and Iohn By countrey bretherne are saide to be as the Iewes which among them selues were called bretherne as in Deuterono If thou bye thy brother which is an Hebrewe he shall serue the syxe yeres And S. Paule I haue wysshed my selfe to be accursed from Christ for my bretherne and kynsemen accordynge to the fleshe whiche are the Israelites By kinred they are said to be brethern whiche come of one house that is when of one stock a great multitude do spring As in Genesis Abraham sayde to Lott Let there be no contention betwene thée and mée and betwene thy shepeherdes my shepeherdes because wee are al bretherne And againe Laban said to Iacob because thou art my brother thou shalte not serue me freely for nothinge Those that are bretherne by affection are deuided into twoo sortes into spirytuall and common They are spirituall bretherne whiche are Christians As in the Psal. Beholde how ioyfull a thynge it is brethern to dwel together in vnitie Commonly we are al called bretherne because we come al of one Father By this diuision it is apparant that they were saide to be the bretherne of Christ by kynrede not by nature not by countrey nor affection Therefore as Ioseph was called the father of Christ euen soo were they sayde to be his bretherne and that both in one respecte for Ioseph was thought to be the father of Iesus and so were Iames and Ioses others thoughte to be his brethern But none wil cōtend about this but such as ar to curiouse The seconde Chapter WHEN Iesus was borne at Bethleem in Iuda a Citie of Iewry in the time of Herode the king behold there came wise men from the Easte to Hierusalē VVhen Iesus vvas borne B In the first chapiter the Euangelist hath descrybed the original and stocke of Christ In this second chap. he dothe reherse what hapned vnto hym in his infancie in all thinges preachinge hym to be the Sauioure and trewe Christe For the whiche cause in this place he dothe expresse by name the place of his byrthe and the kingdome of Herode At Bethleem M. By what occasion the virgin came into Bethleem where as the aungell was sent to her in Nazareth Mathewe sheweth not but Luke very playnly declareth it in the begynning of the seconde chapter C For the spirite of God whiche prepared and appointed him self scribes or secretaries doth seeme so orderly to moderate theyr stile and manner of writynge that all of them should write on and the selfe same hystorie with most excellent agreement and yet notwithstanding diuerse wayes whereby the trueth of God should be the more vndoubted and manifest where as it is certaine that they spake not of their owne brayne but euery man did wryte seuerally that which the spirite declared and tolde one hauing no regarde to the other and that simply and fréely Iuda M. There are twoo Bethleems one in the tribe of Iuda and the other in the tribe of Zabulon of the which is mention made in the bookes of Iosua and Iudges In the tyme of Herode the king M The greke texte hath in the dayes of Herode according to the maner of the Hebrewes This is that Herode the greatter the sonne of Hircane of the beginning of whose kingdome Iosephus wryteth In this mans tyme he beinge now olde was Chryste borne Beholde there came vvyse men C. Here a hystorie worthy remembrāce is declared that God styrred vppe wyse men out of Chaldea whiche came into Iewry onely to worship Chryst where he laye in a maunger without pompe yea rather contemned Suerly this was the wonderfull wisedome of God that he wolde suffer his sonne in so base humilitie to come into the worlde and yet notwithstandynge he decked and beutified him as well with prayse and glorious tytels as with other excellent thinges least that any thinge should be wantinge to our fayth to the prouing of his deuine maiestie Notwithstanding in this shew of repugnancie and disagreinge the apt and proper harmony is to be considered and noted The Starre from heauen doth declare him to be a kynge whose state or throne is the maunger or crybbe of beastes because he was denied to haue rome or place amonge men In the Easte his maiestie did brightly shine where as in Iewry not onely there appered none at all but also it was polluted with muche ignomie and reproch But to what purpose was this Because our heauenly father wold appoynte both the starre and also the wyse menne to be our guydes whiche shoulde directe and brynge vs a righte to his sonne But in the meane tyme he toke frō him al earthly renoune and glory to the ende we mighte vnderstande that his kyngdome was a spirytuall and heauenly kingedome Wherefore this historie is not onely profitable for this cause that God
vnto vs the singuler loue of our heauēly father who maketh our tribulation momentany and light and hath prepared against the same an exceading and eternall wayghte of glory vnto vs Before he promised Ioseph to bring him woorde in time of his retourne here therefore is shewed the true performance of the promise of god Let vs here note that God will sende his aungels rather then he will leade his seruauntes in troublesome Aegipte Moreouer that the aungels haue frée accesse and passage to and from Aegipte Neither is there any place so wicked whereby the deuine prouidence of God will let to visite and comforte those that are his therein C. To conclude the lorde doth at no time nor in no place forsake those that are his but duely dothe aide and assiste them In Aegipte Here is shewed the perseueraunce of the faith of Ioseph who once stirred not his foote out of Aegipte vntill he was called agayne by the commaundement of God into his countrey 20. Saying arise and take the childe and his mother and go into the lande of Israel for thei are dead which sought the childes life Saying arise and take M. The Euangelist here doth very well order the woordes of the aungell whiche saide not Arise and take thy childe but simplely Take the childe and his mother that those thinges following may agree with that whiche goeth before in the first chapter And go into the lande of Israell Ioseph was thus commaūded because it behoued the childe to be brought vp in the lande of Israell and not in Aegipte least he might seme to be an Aegiptian and not an Israelite Furthermore there was a consideration to be had of Ioseph and Mary to whom no doubt it was greuous the feare of Herode being taken awaye to abyde any longer without cause in Eegipte and to be depryued of their owne lande and countrey VVhiche sought the childes life M. This is an Hebrewe phrase in stede of They wēt about to kyl the chyld This same was tolde of the aungel before but in other woordes when he sayde For it will come to passe that Herode will seke the chyldes lyfe to destroye it 21 And he arose and toke the chyld and his mother and went into the lande of Israell A. As Ioseph obeyed the first cōmaundement without delaye when he was commaunded to flée into Aegipt euen so nowe at the seconde tyme he obeyeth cōmitting him selfe to the regiment of the heauenly kyng 22 But when he hearde that Archelaus did reigne in Iury in the rowme of his father Herode he was afrayde to go thither notwithstanding after he was warned of God in a slepe he turned aside into the partes of Galilë But vvhen he hearde that Archelaus C. It is likely that Ioseph retourned from Aegipte immediatly after the death of Herode before that Augustus Caesar had appointed and decreed Archelaus to be his deputie and ruler in Iury because in his fathers testamēt or will he was appointed the successor of his kingdome although he toke not vnto him the glorious name and titell of a kyng for that stoode alwayes at the appointment and wyll of Caesar neuertheles he bare rule of al things after this he went to Rome and was fully confirmed and established all was graunted vnto him sauing the name of king and that was only denied till suche tyme as he deserued the same by his valiant dedes But Philip bare rule of Galile being a man of a gentle nature and almoste none lyke vnto him Therefore Ioseph by the forewarning of the aungell gate him into his dominion because vnder a gentill and mercifull prince there is no daunger As concerning this Archelaus the sonne of Herode we may reade more in Iosephus He vvas afrayde to go thether C. We must alwayes haue in minde the determinate counsell and purpose of God which kept his sonne euen from the beginning vnder the rudimentes and instructions of the crosse because afterward that same should be the onely waye and meane to deliuer his Churche For therefore he toke vpon him our infirmities therefore he was in perill and daunger and therefore he was subiecte to feare that his Churche being deliuered by his power from perill from daunger from feare might feare no more but haue cōtinually euerlasting peace and quietnes Wherefore his daunger was our safegarde and his feare was our sure trust confidence not that he then feared that any daunger should happen to hym selfe by reason of his age but because for the feare of Ioseph and Mary they were caried to and fro he may truly be sayde to haue taken our feare vpon hym that he myght brynge vnto vs a peaceable and quiet truste 23 And went and dwelt in a cittie called Nazareth that it might be fulfylled which was spoken by the prophetes he shal be called a Nazarite And vvent and dvvelt M. Luke the Euangelist saith that Iesus was noursed and brought vp in this cittie of Nazareth This place must be ioyned with that in the second of Luke where it is wrytten thus And when they had performed all thinges according to the lawe of the lord for he speaketh of the lawe of purifiyng they retourned into Galile to their owne cittie of Nazareth Least any man should thinke that they gat them to their owne cittie immediatly after their purifiyng the history of the wyse men doth staye let beside also the exile into Aegipt the which being ended they retourned into their own cittie Nazareth as our Euangeliste Mathew declareth That it might be fulfilled Theuangelist might haue shewed another reason why they wēt into this citty namely the which Luke semeth to alleage when he sayth They retourned to their owne cittie Nazareth But according to his manner and order he would not pretermit the occasion of the prophesy fulfilled to the ende we mighte learne that all thinges that were done as concerning Christe were signified before by the foretellinges of the prophetes By the prophetes Why doth Mathewe vse here the plurall number when as he alleageth but the testimony of one prophete why he so doth we shall see by and by He shal be called a Nazarite C. Mathew doth not bring this woorde Nazarite of Nazareth as though it were the true and proper etimologie and force thereof but it is only an allusion whiche hath some other meaning For the Hebrewe woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie holy and consecrated vnto God of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazar whiche signifieth to separate The Hebrewes truly call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nezer a flower but there is no doubt but that Mathewe had respecte vnto the former sence and meaning For we do not reade that the Nazarites are called florishing or garnished but they were those whiche were consecrated to the lorde accordyng to the prescripte lawe as we may reade in the booke of Numbers Wherfore the sence and meaning is this namely although Ioseph by feare was constrained to
Edom is called a wyldernes where as it is well knowen that it was in those dayes muche inhabited Also certayne wryters haue sayde that Heluetia was barren without people dwelling therin and that the whole land was called the desert of the HeluetiaÌ„s otherwise Swisers Furthermore th inheritaÌ„ce of the tribe of Iuda is said to haue sixe cities and their villages in the wyldernes Wherfore we may not thinke that Iohn gat him quite out of the coÌ„pany of men as the Heremites seme to do in these dais who dwel leade their liues in solitary woodes but for so muche as his fathers house was in the mouÌ„taines of Iury peraduenture he went a litle into the desert that is through the woodes towards Iordan 2 And saying Repent the kingdome of heauen is at hand And saying repent In this our EuaÌ„gelist differeth here froÌ„ thother two Marke Luke that he in the persone of Iohn sheweth the some of his doctrine but they with their own wordes Although Marke hath more then Luke by one word for he saith he came baptizing preaching the baptim of repentauÌ„ce But in the very thing it selfe they agrée very well in one because all men do ioyne repentaunce with remissio of sinnes as we shal sée by by The wordes of Iohn coÌ„siste of two partes For first he teacheth what we must do theÌ„ he sheweth the reasone why it ought to be done He biddeth repent because the kingdom of heuen is at hande E. The Greke woorde for the which we reade repent is said of vnderstanding the thing which followeth wheÌ„ as one hauing offended doth marke and waye his offence Wherefore the Greke worde MetanoiÌ„a or repentaunce is not only referred to the mind of man but to the worke amendement of life to the whole coÌ„uersioÌ„ of maÌ„ which Peter plainly declareth when he saith Repent you conuert that your sinnes may be done away For that whiche followeth is a declaration of that whiche went before For the kingdoÌ„ of heauen is at hand A. We haue shewed the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is ioyned with repentaunce in the preaching of Iohn that which this reasoÌ„ following doth approue C. For the kingdome of heauen among men is nothing els but a restoring to the blessed happy life so it is the true and euerlasting felicitie Therefore when Iohn sayd the kingdom of heauen drewe neare he ment that those men that were alienate from the righteousnes of God were banished from the kingdom of heauen that they were again to be gathered vnto God that they might liue vnder his haÌ„d But frée adoptioÌ„ forgeuenes of sinnes bringeth this thing to passe by the which he doth recoÌ„cile those that are vnworthy to him self To be shâ—â— the kingdom of heauen is nothing els but a neâ—…nes of life by the which God doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednes For he doth chaleÌ„ge vs to him self being taken froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of sin death that we being pilgrimes vpoÌ„ earth may possesse at length by faith a celestial and heaueÌ„ly life And although we be like vnto dead men yet we knowe are assured that our life is in safetie so long as it is hid in Christ From hence as from the fountaine the exhortation to repentance is brought Neither doth Iohn say repeÌ„t and so by this meanes the kingdome of God shal approche straight way but first he doth propounde set before them the grace of God then be doth exhorte men to repeÌ„t Wherby it doth appere that the foundation of repentaunce is the mercy of God by the which he doth restore those that are lost Neither doth Marke Luke say that he preached remission of sinnes in any other sence For repentauÌ„ce is not placed first as some very ignoraÌ„tly fain as though that were the cause of the remission of sinnes or that it should preueÌ„t God that he might be fauorable vnto vs but men are coÌ„maunded to repente that they may taste of the grace profered vnto them the reconciliation also But as by order the frée loue of God doth go before by the which he doth receiue imbrace vnto him miserable men not imputing their sinnes vnto them euen so we must note that we haue remission of sinnes in Christ not the God doth by his suffraÌ„ce allowe theÌ„ but rather that he may cure deliuer vs from sinne Neither truly can any man taste of the grace of God without he hate abhorre sinne vice But it is conuenient to waye coÌ„sider so much as pertaineth to the sence meaning of this present place that the whole Gospel doth coÌ„sist of two partes of remission of sinnes repentaunce But for so much as Math. did note signifie the first part by the kingdom of heauen we may therby gather that there is deadly warre and contentioÌ„ betwene God maÌ„ that we are quite banished out of the kingdom of heauen vntil he receyue vs againe into his grace fauour B. Therefore very shorte are the woordes of Iohn yet they conteyne the somme of the whole preaching of the Gospell Wherefore both Christ and his apostles haue begonne their Gospell in these woordes And although Iohn propounding the grace of God doth exhorte men to repentaunce yet for all that we must waye and note that this grace is no lesse the gifte of God than is the heritage of euerlasting lyfe For as he doth frely forgeue vs our synnes and doth by his mercy and goodnes deliuer vs from the gulffe and pitte of euerlasting death so he doth make and fashion vs like vnto him selfe that we may lyue to righteousnes euen as he doth adopte vs to be his sonnes euen so he doth regenerate vs with his holy spirite that our life may testifie and witnesse howe that not in vayne we call him father And no lesse doth Christe quicken vs to righteousnes if that we crucifie our olde man vtterly abolishe the whole body of sinne lurking in our fleshe then he doth put away our sinnes by his bloud appeaseth the wrath of his father by the sacrifice of his death Notwithstanding this is the somme of the Gospel that our sinnes being wiped away God doth imbrace vs in his sonne Christe that we denying our selues and our owne nature may leade a godly and holy life and so in earth haue our mindes altogether fixed in heauen 3 For this is he of whome the prophete Esay spake saiyng The voyce of a crier in the wyldernes prepare ye the waye of the lord and make his pathes straighte For this is he of vvhom the prophet M. The auncient latine wrytings haue VVhiche is called by Esaie and so hath the Greke texte also But by Marke and Luke they seeme to be the woordes of the EuaÌ„gelistes M. Some notwithstaÌ„ding referre it to Iohn him self geuing a reason of that whiche he spake of the
their ennemie most vigilant and crafty agaynst them and because they haue their cōuersation in heauen they are as yet subiecte to the hate mischife of the worlde and because they obey the spirite the fleshe is disobedient vnto them draweth thē to wicked things so that not without cause we are taught here to pray And leade vs not into temptatiō but delyuer vs frō euil C But this word tēptation is in the scriptures often times taken generally for euery kinde of tryall probation In the which sence Abrahā is said to be temted of God when his faith was tried So we are oftē times tried as wel in aduersitie as prosperitie because by this occasion the affections of men are manifest which before were not known But here is noted the internal temptation whiche may wel be called the deuils bellowes to kindel our cōcupiscēce for it were an absurd thing to aske of God to pray hym that we may be frée from al documentes instructions of our faith Therefore all wicked motiōs which cause vs to sinne are comprehēded vnder the name of tēptation Although it cannot be but that we must féele such prickes motions in our minde because al our life time we haue a cōtinual battel with the flesh notwithstanding we desire of god that he wil not suffer vs to be subiect or leade vs to tēptation And to the ende Christ might the better expresse to how great fall ruyne we are subiecte except god of his mercy stay vs with his hand he vsed this maner of speach And leade vs not into temptation For it is certain that euery man is tempted of his own concupiscence as S. Iames saith but because God dothe not onely geue sathan libertie to kindell in vs the fier of concupiscēce but also vseth him as a minister of his Ire so often as he purposeth to destroy men he him self also by his own meanes leadeth to tēptation In the which sence the euill spirite of God is saide to come vpon Saule and to the same effect do many places of scripture tende yet notwithstāding we may not cal God the aucthour of euyl because although he geue ouer men into a reprobate sence yet he vseth not vpon thē tyranny but his iust secrete iudgement But deliuer vs from euyl C. By this name of euill whether we vnderstād the deuil or sinne it maketh no matter Sathā truely is that enemie which seketh cōtinually whom he may deuour the armoure wherwith he is prepared to destroy vs is sin The ende therefore of our prayer is that we be not ouercome with temptatiōs but that we may stand by the power of the lorde agaynst al the force of Sathan and that we beinge protected and gouerned vnder the shadow of his wings may tryumphe ouer sinne deathe hel gates and al the kingdome of the deuyl which is to be deliuered from euyll For thine is the kingdome C. It is meruayle that this clause so wel agreing with the rest was pretermitted of the Latines Neyther was this therefore added onely that he might kyndel our hartes to desire the glorye of God and to shewe vs what the scope and ende of our prayers oughte to be but also to teache vs that the praiers which are here declared vnto vs ar groūded vpon none other then God onely lest we woulde truste to our owne merytes For although nowe we be most miserable although we be of al creatures most vnworthy and althoughe we be voide of al commendation yet for al that we shal neuer want occasion to pray oure faith cannot decrease because all kingedome dominion power and glory perteyneth vnto hym and can neuer be taken from hym M. Firste therefore we attribute this vnto God that his is the kingdome By this woorde kingdome is vnderstode al right and power of raigning of rulinge of gouerninge protectynge and defendinge The povver This is added that we should not thinke the kyngdome of God to be weake and voyde of force and mighte and that we shuld not thynke it to be for wante of power that he dothe not reuenge hym selfe of theim whiche acknowledge not his kingdome What power therefore so euer there be in any place it parteyneth not vnto the creature but vnto God. And the glory That is magnificence and the honour of al things The which if any man vnderstande of the dewe praise glory of god it shal be al one to say thou only art to be honored praysed and glorified For euer and euer M. This is added that we might acknowledge the kingdom of god our father to be perpetual his power infinite and his glorye euerlastinge The which things the prophete comprehēdeth after this sorte sayinge All thy workes praise thée O lord thy saintes geue thākes vnto thée They shewe the glory of thy kingdome talke of thy power that thy power thy glory mightines of thy kingdome mighte be known vnto men Thy kingdome is an euerlasting kyngdome thy dominion indureth throughout al ages Amen C. By this word the feruente desier to obteine those thynges which we aske of God is expressed our hope is confirmed that those thinges which we aske are granted vnto vs because of the promyses of God whiche can not be broken M. This is an Hebrew word hauing a signification of a certaintie and truth And this word is vsed two maner of waies First to expresse the affection desire of him that praieth And here is required the consent of the minde that which consent truely they haue not which pray without the minde or marke not the which is spoken of others As concernynge the which reade the. 14. of S. Paule in his 1. epis to the Corin. The other is that we declare that we do not only wishe that the thing may com to passe which is spokē but also that we know certainly that it will come to passe In this sence a sure vndoubted Faith is required Thus Christ him selfe oftē times said ▪ Amen Amē dico vobis Verely verelye I saye vnto you This word amen being said our conscience is pacified and so we ende our prayer 14. For if ye forgeue men their trespasses your heauenly father shall also Bu. By a certaine repetition or relation here he retourneth to the whiche he spake euen now saying And forgeue vs oure debtes as we forgeue our debters C. And doth teach vs that god wil not be intreated of vs except we likewyse do forgeue thē which by any meanes do hurte vs And surely except we be harder then stele or stony flint this exhortatiō ought to mollifie vs to make vs tractable to remit our offenders Except God should forgeue the manifold sinns that we daily cōmit we know that we shold perishe many waies truely god dothe forgeue vs vpon no other conditiō then that we likewyse forgeue our brethren in whatsoeuer they offended vs They therefore which wil not forgeue
the vanitie in the worlde and yet the grasse of the field is equall with the same and nothing inferior in pompe vnto it He argueth therefore of the basenes of thinges that thereby he might make the liberalitie of Gods prouidence more wōderful and excellente VVhiche is to morovve cast into the fornace E. That is to saye whiche shineth to day in the fielde being withered and cut down is to morowe cast into the fornace Bu. Some Grammarians do so deriue the ouen of the fornace that the same should be somewhat lesse moueable and to be caried about and made almoste through with mettall the reste of clay and bricke seruinge to make waters of herbes for medecine but this fornace is greater whiche is spoken of here being immouable made of stone lome lime sande to bake bread Shall he not much more M. This is the conclusion of the argument by the force of an interrogation as if he shold say Iudge you can ye deny it O ye of litle fayth M. Note here how frēdly Christe reprehendeth and rebuketh by the whiche with a reproche also he sheweth wherupon this carefulnes ariseth namely vpon the infirmitie weakenes of faith the which already he hath set before our eyes at large as we haue heard 31 Be ye not therefore carefull sayinge VVhat shall we eate or what shall we drynke or wherewith shall we be clothed M. This is the conclusion of this dehortation in the whiche he reherseth that whiche he spake before sayinge Be ye not therefore carefull Saying VVhat shall vve eate B. Nowe he expresseth the nature of carefulnes which with the like cogitations trouble many men saying What shal we eate or what shall we drynke alwayes fearing leaste they shall wante necessary foode The lyke murmuryng care was amonge the Israelites when they were in the wyldernes as we may reade at large in the booke of Exodus But this care ought to be farre from Christians which should still staye them selues vppon the prouidence of God who hath liberally promised neuer to fayle vs. 32 For after al these thinges do the Gentiles seke For your heauenly father knoweth that ye haue nede of al these thynges After all these thinges C. Here he reproueth their grosse ignoraunce wherof all suche cares arise For wherby commeth it to passe that the vnfaithfull neuer cōtinue in one state but only that they thinke God to be careles in heauē not to haue respect vnto men So that by this comparison he declareth that they haue but smally profited scarsly learned the rules instructions of godlynes which se not with the eies of faithe howe that the handes of God are full of all good thinges to bestowe vppon them Do the Gentiles seke M. That is hereunto they bende all their minde caring for nothing but this only thinking all thinges to be gotten with their labour industry hauing no respect of God vpō whose prouidence all thinges ought to depend neither are they at quiet vntil they sée plenty of vitailes before their eies This Gētillity Heathenes ought not to be amōg Christians For your heauenly father knovveth vvherof ye haue nede before ye aske M. As if he should say I knowe ye haue nede And your father knoweth the same also wherfore doubt not but he will prouide for you For as he is a father so beareth he a fatherly loue towardes his children always preuenting their necessity According to the saying of the Prophet Like as a father pittieth his own childrē euen so is the lorde mercifull vnto them that feare hym 33 But rather first seke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these things shal be geuē vnto you But rather Bu. Some man might say if I must put away all care what shal I thē do Dothe idelnes and a careles mynde please God The Lorde aunswereth Se that aboue all thinges thou honour God that thou submit thy selfe vnto him and walke in his lawes and do those thinges which he hath prescribed vnto thée so shal he norishe thée and thou shalt not neade to feare necessitie or wāte of foode C. By this argument he putteth awaye grose care For whosoeuer will preferre the kingdome of God he muste behaue hym selfe moderatly in gettinge his lyuinge Neither is there any thing more fitte to brydell the lasciuiousnes of the flesh that it triumphe not in the race of this lyfe then the meditation of a heauenly lyfe By the kyngdome of God is vnderstoode whatsouer pertayneth to the glory of God as the knowledge of him and his Gospell by whiche we come to the kingdome of heauen And the righteousnes thereof C. This woord righteousnes may as wel be referred to God as to his kyngdome For we know that the kyngdom of God consisteth of rigteousnes whiche is spirituall newnes of lyfe Bu. They therfore seke the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes thereof whiche with all their mynde and a sure faithe geue them selues wholely to pure religion and so frame their whole life that God maye dwell in them that they be iust and deale iustly with euery man to hurte no man to defraude no man but to labour truly for their liuynge in their vocation that they and their family may haue sufficiēt and that they may geue of their ouerplus to them that nede Whosoeuer doth these thinges he shal be sure not to peryshe with honger but shal be a partaker sufficient of the liberalitie of god As Paule at large sheweth in his epistels 34 Care not then for the morrowe the morrowe shall care for it selfe For the daie present hath euer enough of his owne trauayle Cart not then for the morovve Bu. To the end he might farther inculcate this doctrine of pietie he reherseth once agayne that which he declared before and commaundeth his to be of good chere He expresseth the nature and qualitie of this distruste whiche not being contente with the care of the daye present continually careth for the daye and tyme to come C. Many yea to to many are sicke of this disease whiche thinke the tyme to shorte if they be about the thinge whiche bryngeth gayne but contrariwyse if they be in trouble nede or sicke euery daye is thought to be a whole yeare A. Christe reuoketh diswadeth his from this vanitie saying Be not therefore carefull for the morrow that is for the time to come For so do the Hebrewes vse this woorde morowe Suche is the intemperancy of our fleshe that it thinketh neuer to haue sufficient for it selfe but styll distrusteth the prouidence of God. The morovve shall care for it selfe M. He sayth not to morowe thou shalt be carefull or to morowe thou shalte haue care for the daye to come but the morowe shall care for it selfe as if he had sayde What nede ye to be miserable before the tyme. For the daye present hath euer enough of his M. As who should saye If ye
what followed They besought him to departe Than this what coulde be worse They theim selues were scattered sheepe the shephearde commeth to gather them together yea God by his sonne reached out his armes that by his imbracing he mighte carry them vp to heauen which were ouerwhelmed with the shadowe of deathe They did rather couet and desire to be depryued of the saluation offered then any lenger to haue the presence of Chryste They seeme to be offended because of the losse of their hogs But Luke noteth a farther cause that theye were greatly afraide and trewely they beinge mad angry by the losse dyd not pray him but dyd more sharpely compell expulse him But where as they reuerenced him as the mynister of God and yet notwithstanding wished him farther from them we se that they were touched in no point with the grace of god And trewely althoughe all the wicked do worshyp God and do greatly indeuour theim selues to please hym yet notwithstanding if they mighte haue their desire they woulde be farre enough from him because his coūtenaunce semeth terryble vnto them so longe as they thyncke hym to be a iudge rather then a father Herevpon it commeth to passe that the doctrine of the gospell then the whiche nothynge can be more pleasaunte seemeth so sharpe and sower vnto them Euen so at this daye when men publikely and priuately go aboute to measure the kingedome of God with theyr commodyties and proffytes they canne haue no taste of the grace of god This was an euyl sygne and token in the Gadarenes that they were more afraide by the losse of theyr hogges then they were comforted and made glad by the saluation of their sowles Wherevpon Christe affirmeth that he can not be his disciple which forsaketh not al and followeth hym The .ix. Chapter HE ENTERED also into a shyppe and passed ouer and came into his owne cittie And he entred into a ship M. Because the saluation of mankynde dothe onely consiste in the knowledge of the Sonne of God and because Chryste came to wyn the worlde he coulde do no lesse in deede then declare hym selfe to the world And although this were done by the myracles that wente before yet notwithstandinge because it coulde not be done sufficientelye he thoughte good to geue vnto this people a proof or tryall of his power Wherfore in this wonderfull healing of the man disseased with the palseye we must note and marke the declaratiō of the power of God to whom all thinges are constrained to obey And came into his ovvne Cittie C. This place dothe teache vs that the cittie of Caparnaum was the place where Chryste was borne because he didde often times frequente the same For there is no doubt but that this same history is declared of the three Euangelystes althoughe one of them more subtilly then an other doth bringe in the circumstaunces Luke saythe that the Scrybes came oute of dyuerse partes of Iudea in the presence of whome Chryste healed the man sycke of the palsey notwithstandinge he sheweth afterwardes that manye by the mercy of Christe were healed For before he commethe to speake of the man disseased of the palseye he speakynge in the plurall nomber saithe The power of the lorde was presente to heale them But there parteyned no smale fame and prayse to this myracle that a manne taken in all the partes of his bodye beyng lett downe with ropes he lyinge in his bedde shoulde soddeynely aryse whole sownde and in parfecte healthe Notwithstanding there is another more specyall reason whye the Euangelistes do so long persiste in this then in the others namely because the Scrybes toke disdaine at Chryste that he shoulde take vpon hym aucthoritie and power to forgeue synnes but because it shoulde appere so vnto them for certaine he wolde haue his aucthoritie sealed and ratified with a visible signe 2 And beholde theye broughte vnto hym a man sycke of the palseye lyinge in a bedde And when Iesus sawe the faythe of them he sayde vnto the sycke of the palsey sonne be of good chere thy synnes be forgeuen thee And beholde they brought Bu. The Euangeliste Marcke dothe descrybe the maner of his brynginge more at large sayinge And they came vnto him bringynge one sycke of the palseye whiche was borne of fowre men And when they could not come nyghe vnto hym for the prease they vncouered the roofe of the howse whiche he was in And when they had broken vppe the roofe they dydde with cordes lette downe the bedde wherin the sycke man of the palseye laye By the whiche we muste note the syngular dyligence and moste feruent loue of them whiche caryed the sycke man the which trewely they declared in so easely vncouerynge the roofe of the house And vvhen Iesus savve the faythe of them God trewely is the onely knower of Faythe and sercher of secretes but yet they shewed a token of the same by their diligente labour industry because thei wolde neuer haue takē vpon thē so many troubles neyther woulde they haue assayed what they might preuaile so manye lettes beinge agaynste theim excepte that a sure truste had fully perswaded their myndes of good successe so that the fruite of their faith appered in this that al meanes and waies of commynge to Chryste beynge shutte and stopped they were not for all this weryed or voyde of hope For where as some thincke that Chryst was priuie to theyr faythe whiche was hydden theyr opinion seemeth to be too stricte and precyse M. In the meane season notwithstandinge we must note that Chryste dothe in these cariers of the man sycke of the palseye note a speciall faythe Whereby we maye see that in all kynde of woorkes Christe hathe respect vnto Fayth For the Euangelyste sayth not here when he sawe theyr workes but when he sawe their faith Sonne be of good chere M. This bringeth greate consolation to the conscyences of synners that God wyll vouchesafe to receiue synners as his sonnes Furthermore by this worde be of good chere he requyreth faith of the sycke parson also encourageth him comforteth hym as phisitiōs do oftentymes theyr pacientes C. Nowe when as Christe by the faith of the bearars healed the man sycke of the palseye it is demaunded of some in this place what one mannes faythe doth profyte an other Fyrst of all we knowe for certayne that the faythe of Abraham dyd profyte his posterytie when as he imbraced the couenaunte and promyse made to hym and his seede The lyke wee oughte to iudge in all the faythefull because by their faythe they spreade out the grace of god to their children and posteritie yea and that before they be borne And also the same taketh place in chyldren and younge infantes who for want of age are not apt to haue fayth But they which are ripe of yeres whose owne faythe is insufficyent whether they be straungers or of the fame lyne or kynred an other mannes faythe
diseasest thou the maister any farther We haue already shewed of howe small and weake fayth this Ruler was then how by the example of the womā healed aforesayde he was not a litle erected and confirmed but nowe againe by these messengers he is made as feble and weake as euer he was By the whiche example the temptation of fayth is depainted vnto vs how the same is resisted by the iudgemēt and sence of reason For he beinge erected and lifted vp by the woordes of Christe whiche he spake vnto the womā saying Go in peace thy faythe hath made the safe conceiued in his mynde greater thynges of Christe then he did before but by and by this message being broughte by his seruauntes his truste is layde in the duste because he neuer came so farre as to beleue that Christe by his power was able to rayse vp the dead But what sayde Christe vnto this Dothe he altogether reiect the man wauering in faith No truely For hearing the worde that was brought he sayth to the Ruler of the Synagoge Feare not only beleue Luke sayth feare not only beleue and she shall be safe C. The messenger of death brought dispayre because he craued nothyng at the handes of Christe but to helpe her that was sicke Christe therefore forbiddeth to shut the enteraunce waye to grace by feare and distruste to the whiche grace death can neuer be a hynderaunce For in that he sayth Only beleue he declareth that he wanteth not power so that Iayrouse would admitte and receiue the same whiche can be done by no other meanes then by faythe And truely euen as it fared with Iayrouse so commeth it to passe with many of vs. For God oftē tymes would deale a great deale more liberally with vs if we were not so harde of beliefe but oure straightnes our precisenes doth let and hynder hym to power his giftes plentifully vpō vs To be shorte in this place we are taught that we cannot beleue to muche because our faythe be it neuer so large cannot comprehende the hundreth parte of the goodnes of god Furthermore here we see the goodnes of Christe and the care that he had to heale those that were sycke and diseased because he is not ignoraunt of our infirmities and temptations Moreouer this ought to be a great consolation vnto vs that he neglecteth not those that are his but helpeth them so sone as nede requireth Laste of all when as so straightly he requireth faithe of this Ruler he plainely declareth that he seketh for nothing but faith only For where vnbeliefe is there can not the power and strengthe of God exercise it self A. On the contrary parte all thynges are possible to hym that beleueth 23 And when Iesus came into the Rulers house and sawe the minstrelles and the people making a noyse C. The Euāgelistes reherse mourning to make the faithe of resurrection more sure for Christe reprehended and blamed greatly their lamentation and wepinge as appeareth in Marke when he sayde why make ye this a do and wepe Matthewe playnely affirmeth that there were mynstrelles which thing was not wonte to be excepte the party were certainly knowen to be dead and their exequies and funeralles a preparing And although they vsed after this fashion to honour their dead and to furnishe and decke their buriall Yet notwithstanding we see that the worlde is not onely ready to nourishe but also to styrre vp their owne vyces and to adde vnto the same If we be desyrous to knowe what absurde fashions the Gentiles vsed in bewayling their dead we may reade Lucianus wher he writeth of mourning This vse was a signe of humanitie but we must alwayes obserue a meane in all our doinges For where as there is hope of eternall lyfe there is comforte and cōsolation But when as we geue the brydell libertie and the ful scope to weping lamentatiō and mourning then are we cleane without hope and we do also therby resiste God and his wyll Therefore immoderate lamentatiō is a signe of infidelitie The faithfull can measure their mourninge but the vnbeleuinge fret against God and are ouercome with sorrowe Reade the apostell Paule to the Thessalonians Where the apostell dehorteth Christians from vnmeasurable mourning saying in the end of the same chapter Wherfore comfort your selues one another with these wordes 24. He sayth vnto them get you hence for the maide is not dead but slepeth And they laughed him to scorne He saith vnto them C. Marke and Luke saye that none were admitted to go in with Christe to the raysing of the mayde saue only thrée of the disciples of Christe and the parentes Matthewe being more brief pretermitteth the circumstaunces But the cause why Christe would haue so fewe witnesses at the raising vp of the mayde commaundinge them also very straightely that they should tell no man semeth to be this This mayde was the firste that Christe raysed from deathe to lyfe and therefore he woulde be sene to do suche an vnwonted thynge but of a fewe witnesses For as he reuealed him selfe more and more by succession continuaunce of tyme so he kepte an order in his disciples that he might manifeste his trueth to some in the begynning and to other some more late hauing alwaies respecte in all things to reueale the glorye of his father in that order in that tyme in that place and to those mynysters that his father had appoynted him before to do So he reuealed that to the shepeherdes which he did not onely hide from the hye priestes but also frō other holy men So at the firste he wolde haue the kyngdome of God preached onely to the Iewes as we may reade in the tenth of Mathewe and afterwarde to be preached throughout the whole worlde Also that whiche he spake to the people in symilitudes and parables he afterwarde expounded to his disciples And euen amonge them he had a certayne choyse For in this place he preferred these thrée disciples before the rest because no doubt he determyned to vse theim in greatter thinges This therefore was a specyall thyng whiche they nowe mighte by this myracle behold namely that Christ was lorde of lyfe and deathe whiche mysterie he thought good to reueale but to a few beinge suche as he had specially chosen He cōmandeth the rest to departe eyther because they were vnworthye to beare witnesse to such a miracle or ells because he not would haue the miracle obscured and not manifested the people makinge a hurlyburly round about him this was onely sufficiente that the maide whose carcase lay before theyr eyes dead sholde arise sodeinely alyue and in ful and parfecte strengthe For the mayde is not deade M. What Did not Christe knowe that the maide was deade Yes trewely he knewe well enoughe that she was dead to her father and mother to the people which mourned yea to the whole world and to her selfe also but to Chryste the sonne of God to
lord nameth a most straight bonde in the whiche he comprehendeth al thinges that are dere vnto vs as glory fame honours ryches frendes parētes wyfe chyldren goodes landes and all thinges that God hath lente vnto vs Yea and in Luke he vseth a more seuere saying If any man come vnto me and hateth not or forsaketh not father and mother wyfe and chyldren syster and brother yea and his owne soule he cannot be my disciple But all in one sence R. For Christe teacheth vs that we must not seke for the terreine and corporall felicitie of this worlde in his kyngdome And to hate in that place of Luke is not taken in euell parte as to enuy the parentes the wyfe and chyldren or in malice to vexe and trouble them But thou must haue suche an affection towardes them that thou loue the sonne of God neuerthelesse aboue all thinges Of this holy and deuoute hatred we haue a worthy example in Abraham who had rather be cruell towardes his only sonne euen to the death then he woulde in any point shewe hym selfe disobedient vnto god C. To be shorte if the loue of our frēdes hynder vs in followyng Christ we must boldely resiste the same as did S. Paule who accoumpted those thinges that were vauntage vnto hym losse for Christes sake Is not vvorthy of me In stede of this Luke hath he cannot be my disciple M. If a man knewe what honour it is to be in the number of Christes disciples he woulde seke by all meanes to brydell and ouercoue his affections 38 And he whiche taketh not vp his crosse and followeth me is not worthy of me C. This our Sauiour addeth that we might know that we can not be his disciples by no other meanes then by suffering troubles and persecutions for the Gospels sake If we be troubled and vexed because there is discorde for the Gospels sake betwene vs and our parentes and our chyldren our frends then let vs call to mynde the condition that Christe doth laye the crosse vpon all his Apostels and disciples B. For truely the kyngdome of God cannot be preached in the worlde without crosse persecution Wherefore he is more sure of nothing then of the crosse whiche earnestly followeth Christe preaching him and bearing testimony to the world that the workes thereof are euell For the saying of the Apostell is moste sure All those that wyll lyue godly in Christe Iesus must suffer persecution C. But vnder this crosse let vs consider that we are the fellowes of Christe which shal bring great consolation to our myndes for he saith And follovveth me Here let vs learne two thinges firste that the faithful must take vp the crosse and followe their maister that is thei must frame them selues according to his example The second is they must for all the crosse and trouble for all the bytternes of the same neuer forsake hym but with a sure fayth follow his foote steppes euen to the ende The souldiour being in the warres wyll styll haue an eye vnto his captayne euen so we must alwaye loke on our Captayne Iesus Christe Whereupon the Apostell saythe loking vnto Iesus the captayne and finisher of our faythe whiche for the ioye that was set before hym abode the crosse and despysed the shame and is set downe at the righte hande of the throne of god And S. Peter also sayth Se that ye followe his footesteppes But it should appeare by the wordes of Luke that this ought not to be done ones alone but dayly For he saythe If any man wyll folow me let hym deny him selfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me B. Euery man hathe this crosse when he suffereth for the Gospel either by prysonment banyshement losse of goodes fier or swerd and suche lyke with the whiche the wycked ones of this world from time to time cease not to vexe and moleste the chyldrē of god The crosse is not that kynde of castigation or punishment which many haue in tymes paste layde vppon them selues willingly by whypping or cruell beating of them selues or by abstayninge frō meate drinke or by going barefoote whiche foolyshe superstitious actes were obserued of the Monkes and Fryers but that is the crosse of Christe whereof we haue tolde you already 39 He that fyndeth his lyfe shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall fynde it He that fyndeth his lyfe E. That is he that hathe respecte to his lyfe in suche wyse that he wyll not aduenture the same for my sake he truely shall lose his lyfe C. Therefore leaste that the former doctrine whiche is very harde and greuous to the fleshe should by it selfe haue small effecte Christe in this sentence cōfirmeth it by two wayes For he pronounceth that suche as are to ware and circumspecte when they thinke that they haue very well defended their lymmes they shall be disapointed of the same and lose it And agayne those whiche neglected their life nothing at all regarding death shall haue no losse because they shal saue it E. We knowe that there is nothyng more precious and dere vnto vs then our lyfe For the lyfes sake we do and vndo all thinges C. so great loue haue we to the same Wherefore it was necessary that Christe shoulde bothe promyse and threathen to the ende he myght animate his disciples to the contempte of deathe To fynde the lyfe in this place signifieth to possesse the same as in a sure hauen To those that are so desirous of this earthly lyfe that they wyll suffer no daunger but flatter them selues with the vayne truste in prosperitie and thinke alwayes that they are in good case when they suffer no trouble to suche worldlynges I saye death is a perpetuall destruction Contrariwyse to the faithfull whiche willingly offer them selues to the death coūting all thinges that are in the world as vaine for Christes sake to these I say and saint Paule saith with me also death is a great aduauntage for they are restored to a better lyfe Bu. They whiche escape prysonment and death by denying Christe and his Gospell seme in the face of the worlde to saue their lyues but in dede they haue loste them and haue prouoked the euerlasting wrath of God damnation vpō them vnles in time they repente On the contrary parte he that manly stādeth to the fier loseth his goods forsaketh his wyfe and chyldren and all that he hath semeth to the world to haue loste his lyfe when as he in dede hathe gotten euerlasting life with a crowne of glory for euer For my sake C. He saythe for my sake because ther are many which dye oftentymes rashely for ambitions sake for murthers sake and some wyll seme to dye for the truthes sake when they maynteine heresy Therefore I say Christe addeth very well for my sake shewyng vnto vs for what cause only we ought willingly to suffer violent
But and if this solution be not sufficient to those that are contenciouse we answere that althoughe the remedy for the preseruation of the Sodomites was in the handes of God yet notwithstanding he shewed his iustice in destroyinge them C. It shal be nedelesse therfore to enter into those questions of predestination when as we knowe that God wolde not do neither hath he decreed any thing to be done without excellent consyderation as to whom he shoulde shewe mercy and to whom not 24 Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shall be easyer for the lande of Sodome in the daye of iudgement then for thee For this matter reade the tenth chapiter goinge before and the fyftene verse 25 At the same tyme Iesus answered and saide I thancke thee O father lord of heauen and earthe that thou haste hid these thynges from the wyse and prudent and hast opened them vnto babes At that tyme. B. Luke saythe that Christ spake these wordes when the threscore and ten disciples were retourned and reioysed that deuylls were subdued vnto them Iesus aunsvvered C. Althoughe this worde of answeringe is very vsuall and familiar to the Hebrewes in the begynninge of some communication and matter notwithstanding in this place it hath a greate Emphasis or force Because that Christe thus toke occasion by the present matter to speake namely when the threscore and tenne retourned with ioye the which thinge the wordes of Luke confyrme a greate deale better saying that Iesus in the same hower reioysed in the spirite But whervpon cam this reidysynge but onelye because the Churche being gathered of a fewe poore and contemptible men was no lesse dere and preciouse vnto hym then if it hadde bene fornysshed with all the nobylytie power and glory in the whole worlde And the prayer of Christe beinge dyrected vnto the father was of more vehemency then if he had talked with his disciples Howe be it it is moste sure that for theyr sakes hee gaue thanckes vnto the father leaste that the base and lowe degree of the churche should offende any man For wee do all for the most parte seeke for glorye and there is nothynge seemeth lesse necessary vnto vs then the heauenly kyngdome of the sonne of god whose glory in dede consisteth in the dregs reliques and of scouringes of the world Accordynge to the sayinge of S. Paule We are become as it were the very outswepynges of the world and ofscouring of all men vnto this tyme And trewely this is the wonderfull counsell of God that he hauynge the whole worlde in his hande rather choseth to him selfe his peculyar people out of a base poore and contemptyble multitude then out of the heapes of nobles and prynces who as it myghte be thoughte shoulde better by theyr nobylitie and excellencie set forth the name of Christe then any other But Christe here sekethe to withdrawe his discyples from a proude lofty minde leaste they shoulde despyse the base and obscure state of the churche in the which he hym selfe dyd delyghte and gaue thanks vnto his heauenly father for the same Nowe what madnesse what blindnesse yea what arrogancye were there in vs if we shoulde denye gaynesay or mislike of that which our sauiour Christ hym selfe beinge our heade vouchesafeth reuerently to receyue and hyghelye to commende sayinge I thancke thee O fa. B. Or I prayse thee or I glorysie thye name For these three I prayse I gloryfye I geue thanckes are taken frome the Hebrew worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iadath which the Gretiās haue made Omulogeo that is I confesse C. Christ therfore by these wordes doth testifie that he doth quyete and rest hym selfe in the decree of his father whiche disagreeth and differeth from the reason and vnderstandinge of man. Lorde of heauen and. C. In this thing therfore he dothe affirme that he doth gloryfye his father that he beinge lorde of the whole earthe hath preferred babes and younglings before the wise of the world For it maketh no smal matter to the circumstance of the argument that he calleth the father lord of heauen and earth because by this meanes he declareth the cause of the blyndenes of the wyse to depende vppon the wyll of God and that by his wyll also the rude and ignorante are made to vnderstande his hye and secrete mysteries There are many other places also where the lord declareth that al those that com to saluation are elected chosen by him of his tender mercy frely because the earth is the lordes and al that therin is the compas of the worlde they that dwel therin Wherefore this sentence hath a double cōsideratiō First where as all men do not obey and beleue the gospel it cōmeth not so to pas by the impotencie vnablenes of god in whose power it is to subdue all creatures vnto him Secondly wheras some beleue obey other som remaine hard harted obstinate that is brought to pas by his louing free election Notwithstanding in that he choseth babes rather then the wise he hath a cōsideration of his glory For how much wold the flesh reioyce if faith mighte be gotten by the dexteritie of wyt by industry or by learnyng Wherefore God beateth downe the wisedome of man to the ende the glory of his name might not be obscured but brightly shine in makīg the foolishe thinges of this world to confound the wise C. That therefore which Christe here affirmeth seruethe muche to the confirmation of the faithful at this day and for euer in that all men ar stirred to the acknowledginge of the mercy of god for so muche as there is nothyng in vs that can prouoke him to cal vs but rather a wōderful heape of sinne wickednes to stir him to plague condemne vs wer it not that his mercy is the greater For truely the Gospell is not gotten by the wyt labour or industrie of man but onely by the illumination of the spiryte of God. Because thou hast hyd thee A. That is because thou hast not reuealed or opened these mysteries of thy kyngedome to the wyse and prudent For to hyde not to reueale open or shewe are all one So in an other place we reede The lord hyd it from mee and dyd not shew it vnto me and againe My father wyl do nothinge neyther great nor smal but that he will shewe it mee and howe shoulde he hyde this thinge from mee From the vvise and prudēt C. Here it maye be demanded who they ar whom Christ calleth wyse and babes for experyence teacheth vs that all that are vnlearned and rude come not to the perfection of faythe neyther are the learned and wise lefte in their blyndenesse Therfore they are defyned to be wyse and prudente in this place whiche beinge lifted vp with diabolical or deuelishe disdain wyl in no wyse abyde to heare the voice of Christe Paule with this pride was puffed vp but the lorde tamed his furiousenes If wee
euill affections and helde with a certaine admiration For how could it come to passe that they should all be so amased excepte the thinge it selfe did so cōstraine theim And truely there is none of vs but we may behold the wonderful power of God in this history as in a glasse Whereby it may bee gathered that the myndes of the Scribes and Phariseys were infected with deuelyshe poyson seinge thei were not afrayd to calumniate sclaunder and blaspheme this so excellēt and wounderfull a worke of God. Is not this that sonne of Dauid Here is to be noted the frute of the myracle For the power of God being knowen to the people they are led as it were by the hand vnto faith Not that they did so sodaynly profite so muche as they oughte for they speake doubtingly but here notwithstandinge is no smale profite when that they stirre vp their myndes so diligently to enquyre and consider of the glory of god Some thinke that they make a playne affirmation saiyng This is the sone of Dauid But the woordes sounde to no suche effectte and the matter it selfe declarethe that they beinge by so straunge a thinge amased iudged not perfectely but onely they thoughte in theyr myndes that it might be that this was Christ Neyther did they gather this absurdely by the miracles whiche Christe wroughte For it was prophesied before that Christ sholde do suche myracles And Christ him selfe sayth The woorkes that I do beare wytnesse of mee 24 But when the Phariseis heard it they saide This fellowe driueth the deuils no otherwaies out but by the helpe of Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuils C. Because the Scribes and Pharyseis had nothinge to say in so playne and euidente a thinge they blaspheme that whiche was done of Christe by the power of God being not content onely to obscure and to take awaye the deserued and iuste prayse of the myracle but also opprobriousely to rayle of the same as thoughe he had wroughte it by magicall exorcysme and that which they coulde not attribute vnto men they attribute vnto the deuil as though he had ben the aucthour of the same As concerning the woorde Beelzebub wee haue spoken before And the pryncipallitie amonge the deuylles wee haue touched in the ninth chapiter 25 But when Iesus knew their thoughts he sayde vnto theim Euerye kyngedome deuyded against it selfe shal be brought to naught And euery cyttie or house deuided agaynst it selfe shal not stande But vvhen Iesus knevve theyr Bu. Here the lorde sheweth that he dyrecteth all his doinges and woordes not by the power of Sathan but by his owne proper power and strength which is the power of god And herevppon he gathereth a farther matter namelye that the kyngedome of God is come and that he hym selfe is the kynge of the kyngdome of God whiche expoulseth Sathan the prynce of this world Although he knew well enoughe that the Scribes beynge full of mallice woulde take in euyl part what so euer he dyd and had experience often tymes also of the same Yet notwithstanding there is no doubt but that Mathewe and Luke meane that Chryst was the sercher of the heartes And truely there is no doubte but that they spake openly agaynste Christe to the ende he mighte here theyr opprobriouse blasphemy but Christ knewe well enoughe by his holye spirite with what mynde they dyd thus cauyll The sence therefore is this that Christ dyd the more vehemently inueye against them because he knew the mallice which they had conceyued inwardly in theyr heartes againste hym M. The Euangeliste therefore by these woordes declarethe that the Pharyseyes made this reproche by their own deceit and openly against their owne consciences did publishe the same Euery kingedome deuided C. First of all he refuseth the reproche and slaunder which they obiected against hym by a prouerbiall sentence notwithstandinge it seemeth but a slender refutation We know with what pollicies and subtilties Sathā doth often tymes delude setting forthe a shewe of dissention to snare mens mindes with superstitions Euen so the exorcismes in the Papacie are nothynge els but shadowes counterfaite shewes of the conflict of Sathan against him self But there coulde be no suche iust suspition in Christe because he so caste out the deuils out of men that he restored them whole and sounde vnto god The deuyl dothe often tymes fayne hym selfe to be so ouercome that hee neuerthelesse tryumpheth But Christ with open might encountered with the deuyll that hee might wholly ouerthrow and beate him downe He dyd not beate hym downe in one parte to the ende he might the more stablishe him in an other but he despoyled him in all partes and made his deuyces of no effecte Chryste therefore very aptly doth reason and proue that he hath no fellowshippe or agrement with him because that Sathan the father of deceit and lies hath alwaies a care and is very circumspecte to preserue his kingdome B. The reasons therefore by the which the lorde declarethe that the Phariseyes bothe thincke and speake that whiche is false are these No kyngedome or house deuided agaynste it selfe can stande if I therefore by the power of deuilles expell and cast out deuilles the deuyls shoulde be deuyded and fyghte one against an other and so their kyngedome coulde not stande or continue but you see that the kingedome of Sathan doth stande and abyde in great force and inuincible therfore I cast them not out by their power By the waye wee are to be admonyshed here howe great a mischiefe cyuill and mortall dissention is Namely such that it destroyeth howses citties and kyngedomes Of this there are many examples bothe in the stories of the Gentiles and also in the sacred histories The saying of Salust is not vnknowne to vs By peace and concorde small thinges growe and encrease but by discorde and dissention greate things are wasted consumed and brought to confusion And the Prophete when he prophesied of the destruction of the kyngedome of the Iewes sayde that there shoulde be cyuill dissention among them And before that wonderfull destruction of the cittie of Hierusalem ther was greate dissention and stryfe within the same for it was deuyded into three pernitiouse sectes the heades the chiefe whereof were Symon Iohn and Eleazarouse Reade the sixt boke of Iosephus the thirtenth chapter The kyngdome of Rome also by this ciuyll dissention was brought to confusion and by the same is lyke to come to destruction agayne By the dissention of the twoo Emperours of Constantinople there was a waye made to the empire of the Turkes and to the destruction of the empire of Rome To conclude the kyngedome of Hungary felte the greate inconuenience and hurt of this mischiefe But Christ did prophesie that before the destructiō of the world nation shoulde ryse agaynst nation and kingedome against kingdome 26 And if Sathan cast out Sathan he is deuided against him selfe How then shall his kyngedome endure M. As the good spirites and
syster to Mary Iacobi These were sayde to be his brethren euen as Ioseph was sayde to be his father For it is wrytten in the Gospell I and thy father sought thee sorrowyng Stode vvithout A. Luke semeth to geue a reason of this matter saying His mother and brethern came vnto hym but they could not come nye hym for the prease Seking to speake C. Where as Ambrose and Chrysostome haue accused the virgin Mary of ambitiō that she should prease to her sonne to the ende the multitude might thereby know that she was his mother it is more then nedeth when as her synguler modestie godlynes is commended by testimony of scripture We deny not but that peraduenture the vehemency of carnall affections might make thē to busie thē selues more then they nede notwithstandinge we doubte not but that for some godly purpose they were moued to ioyne them selues vnto hym 47 The one sayde vnto him beholde thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee C. Where as our Euangelist Matthew reporteth this message to be broughte to Christe by no more then one Marke and Luke affirme that there were diuers of them that spake thus vnto Christ In the whiche there is no contrarietie for the cōmaundement whiche the mother gaue for the calling of her sonne being hearde of many went from one to an other tyll it came to Christe 48 But he aunswered and saide vnto him that had tolde hym who is my mo-mother And who are my brethren M. Christe here doth not so deny his mother and his brethrem as though by no meanes he woulde knowe them according to the fleshe but he resisteth their importunitie C. by that which they sought preposterously to interrupte hym in his doctrine and to make hym cease M. He was not therefore a littell offended by their importunitie as do his woordes declare and the very manner it self of speaking by interrogation saying Who is my mother He was occupied in the busynes of his father of the Gospell and in the busynes pertaining to the kyngdome of God whiche was of so greate waighte that they should not haue interupted him for the speaking with his mother and brethren A. Therefore by this his aunswere he teacheth that he muste go forwarde in the same After the same manner he sayde vnto them in an other place Wherfore did ye seke me Wiste ye not that I must go about my fathers busines 49 And he stretched foorth his hand toward his disciples and sayde Beholde my mother and brethren And he stretched foorth Bu. Least any man should conster or interprete the woordes that he spake of any other then of the faythfull hearers of the woorde of the Cittezens and inhabiters of the kyngdome of God he manifestly declared by the gesture of his body whome he mente and of whome he spake Beholde my mother and. C. Here Christe extenuating consanguinitie or the kyndred of fleshe and bloud setteth forth a very proffitable doctrine seinge that he receiueth all his disciples and faythful people into no lesse honour dignitie then if they were the chiefest of his kyndred by fleshe and bloude This sentence dependeth vpon the office of Christe for he declareth that he was not geuen for a certaine or a fewe but for all the godly which by faythe were ioyned and knyt into one bodye Furthermore there is no bonde more holy then the spirituall bonde because he oughte not to be comprehended according to the fleshe but by the power of the spirite with the which he was endued of the father to regenerate mē that they which were by nature the vncleane and curssed seede of Adā might by grace be made the holy and celestiall sonnes of God. Therefore S. Paule saythe that a man knoweth not Christe truely according to the fleshe because we must consider the redemption of the world which farre surmounteth the capacitie of men or humane power when he reformeth vs by his spirite accordinge to the image of god Wherefore this is the somme that we learne to beholde Christe with the eyes of faythe then to knowe that euery one whiche is regenerate by the spirite addicteth hym selfe to true holynes and ryghteousnes and to bee so vnited vnto Christe that he may be a true member of his body But although Christe do feme here to haue no respecte to consanguinitie yet notwithstandinge we knowe in dede that he did deuoutly reuerence the order of mankynde and did fulfyll suche lawful dueties as pertained to parentes but onely he admonysheth that spirituall consanguititie ought to be preferred before that whiche is carnall Let vs obserue the rightes of nature and yet let vs not addicte our selues to muche to fleshe and bloude And let vs so loue our parētes and kynsfolke that we alwayes and in all thynges preferre our spirituall and heauenly consanguinitie before all other 50 For whosoeuer doth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen the same it my brother syster and mother C. He vnderstandeth those to do the wyl of the father not whiche exactely fulfyll all the righteousnes of the lawe for so this name of brother whiche he geueth vnto his disciples should pertayne vnto none but specially he cōmendeth faith whiche is the welsprynge and originall of true obedience The sentence of Christ is knowne when he saythe This is the wyll of my father that euery one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth in him shal not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge M. Also this is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Therefore to beleue in Christe the sonne of God and to heare the worde of Christ as the worde of God is to do the wyll of the father whiche is in heauen So that he whiche heareth the worde of God and doth it and beleueth in hym is the brother syster and mother of Christe And therfore in stede of this which is wrytten here and in Marke He whiche dothe the wyll of my father is written in Luke He whiche heareth the worde of God and doth the same And in an other place he saythe he that is of God heareth Gods woorde Nowe to be a kynne vnto God is to be of hym and to be of kynne is to be of that spirituall consanguiuitie with him As it is wrytten To them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen thē that beleued on his name whiche were borne not of bloude nor of the wyl of the fleshe nor yet of the wyll of man but of god Nowe what other thing did the disciples of Christe whome here by the stretchyng foorthe of his hande he declareth to be his brethren systers and mother Did not they beleue that whiche be spake and forsoke all and followed hym C. When Christe therefore hath aduaūced his disciples with exceading honour in so much that he counteth them for his brethren howe abhominable and horrible is oure ingratitude if we forsake not all the
pleasant fruites smellinge preciousely with a most acceptable odour before god men The tares are the chil M. Here we se to whō the wicked ones in the churche were ascribed But he speaketh not here of theues murtherers suche like but of those speciallye which haue not a sincere faith in Christ but are rather hypocrits fayning an outwarde shewe of holines Bu. We see therefore what the state of Christ his church is here in this worlde It was neuer without hypocrites Vntill the time of iudgement therfore there shal be traytours destroiers corrupters and theues euen in the middest of the church Of the vvicked M. He calleth the deuyll wycked not by nature but for his malliciouse practise Hee was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the way of trueth because there is no trueth in him When he speaketh of a lye hee speaketh of his owne because he is a lyer and the father of the same thing 39 The ennemy that soweth them is the deuill The haruest is the ende of the worlde the reapers be the Angelles The ennemie that sovveth M. Whom before he called wicked he calleth nowe the ennemie All wee therefore whiche are the children of the kyngdome and sowne of Christ and cleaue vnto him haue the deuill a continuall ennemie vnto vs. A. But how the rebrobate are sowne in the field of the lord by the deuyl we haue shewed before in the fiue twenty verse The haruest is the ende of the vvorld C. This trulye is a troublesome state and a greuous burthen yea almost intollerable that the Churche shal be burthened with the reprobate to the end of the world notwithstanding Christ therfore prescribeth vnto vs this time to patiēce least wée shold nourishe flatter oure selues with vaine hope wheras now the certaine time of a purgation is prefixed It behoueth the pastors therefore to endeuour them selues with all diligence to purge the Churche in this part all the godlye ought to set to their helping hands so far as their vocation will beare the same but when all the godly with hartye consente do theyr good will and true intente yet shall they neuer bring it about to purge the Churche from euery spot Wherfore let vs consider that our sauiour Christ mēt nothing lesse then to nourishe such filthy spots in his Church by to much sufferaunce onely his meaning and purpose was to comfort and exhort his faythfull seruauntes not to bee dismayed or drawne backe because they are constrayned to suffer wicked ones in their felloship and fraternity and also to brydel and moderate their zeale whiche thincke it not méete to haue any felloship but with suche as are pure and the sayntes of god The Anabaptistes therfore are greatly abused in séekinge by this place to dryue and put awaye the vse of the sword frō the church And they are easely aunsweared For sythens they do admitte excommunication which doth roote out and expoulse the wicked and reprobate at the least for a time why shoulde not the godlye Magistrates vse the sword against the wicked and vngodly ones so oft as néede requireth They affyrme that there is place geuen to repentaunce where there is no deadly punishment As though truly the théefe vppon the crosse found no saluation ▪ But let this aunsweare suffyce that it is not here taughte what our offyce or the Magistrates or the pastors office is A. But onelye Christ sheweth what the state and condition of the Church shal be til the ende of the world that the world can neuer be so purged purifyed and clēsed but that the wicked wil be alwayes myngled with the good C. to the ende the stombling blocke of offēce wherat the weake stumble and are troubled when they sée the Church thus confounded as it were might be taken away The reapers be the Angels C. This name must be applyed to the present cause In another place the Apostels are called reapers in respecte of the Prophetes because they entered into their laboures Also there is a commaundemente giuen to al the ministers of the woord that they bring forth frute that may euer abide to the which effect this saying of Chryst perteyneth The Corne is whyte and readye vnto the haruest Moreouer the Haruest is great but the labourers are fewe But here is another consideration to be had of the comparison because they are sayde to be planted in the field of the Lord which haue roume and place in the Churche Neyther is that contrarye to this which Iohn saithe in another place that so soone as Christ cometh forth with his Gospel hée hath his fanne in his hand wherby hée may purge his floorth For there is described the beginning of the purgation of the Church whiche purgation bee denyeth to be made in this place before the ende of the world A. For then shall appeare that most excellent king in his Maiestye and shall sit vppon the seate of his glory and all nations shal be gathered together before him and hée shall seperate thē one from another euē as the shéepeherde deuydeth the shéepe from the Goates hée shall set the shéepe on his right hand but the Goates on the left C. Moreouer althoughe then hee will set to his stronge hād by his Angels to purge his Church the same notwithstandinge hee dooth beginne to do now by his godlye teachers A. who for all that shal neuer bringe to passe that the Church shal be pure cleane in all pointes before the comminge of Christ at whose cōming a perfect purgation is looked for with the full redemption of the sonnes of God. 40. Euen as the tares therfore are gathered and brent in the fyer so shall it be in the ende of this worlde A. When hée did barely propound vnto them the parable without anye expositiō hee said suffer them to grow together vntill the Haruest and in the time of the Haruest I will say vnto the reapers gather yee first the tares and bynd them vp in bondels to borne Expounding the same now hée sayth euen as the tares are gathered and burnt in the fyer so shall it be in the ende of this world By the whiche words hée declareth sufficiently that wée must looke and wayte for the last daye of the whiche there is suche often mencion made in the scriptures that wee should be styrred vp to praye diligently 41. The sonne of man shall sende forthe his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offende and them which do iniquitye The sonne of man C. Hée attributeth these parts of the pourging of his Church to his Angels in the last day because they shal not stand ydell or vnoccupyed before the trybunall seate of Chryst but shal be ready and at hand to fulfil his commaundementes They therefore which preposterously make hast to roote out and abolishe whatsoeuer liketh not or displeaseth thē do preuent so much as in
them lyeth the iudgement of Christ do rashlye vsurpe vnto them selues the power of Angels the offyce perteyning vnto them And they shall gather A. By and by these reapers shall obeye the moste excellente Iudge Christ for they shall purge take awaye all occasions of offence out of his kingdome And them vvhich do iniquitye C. This is an exposition for hée declareth that those are offences stomblinge blocks which cōmit iniquity So that his words are in effecte as if hée should haue sayde then it is a meete and conueniente time to restore all thinges into a lawfull order because by that meanes the wicked are takē away which now are great offences The wicked are called offences because they do not onely liue wickedly to themselues but also because they doe destroy the fayth of many men they hinder some in the righte race some they seduce and tourne awaye and some they throw downe hedlonge to al kind of wickednes And hereby wée maye gather a most profitable admonitiō namely least wee being compassed about and beset with so many daungers go forward heauely and careleslye wheras in déede wée ought to be very dilygent in taking héede least wée throw oure selues cashlye into anye offence For loke howe many reprobate there bee so manye offences there are More ouer their nycenes is here corrected which are so dellicate and fyne that they will breake their race and tourne backe againe at euery small offence It is a very harde thing trulye some tymes not to stumble and oftētimes not to fall so many stumbling blockes lyinge in the way but wee must fortifye oure mindes with a sure and certaine trust because there is no doubte but that the Sonne of God whiche commaundeth his to passe through the myddest of offēces wil giue power and strengthe to ouercome them all Also hée denounceth horrible iudgement agaynst hypocrytes and all reprobates which séeme nowe to be the chiefe Citizens of the Church least they should trust to much to their vayne boasting 42. And shall cast them into a fornace of fyer there shal be waylinge and gnasshinge of teeth A. The interpretor retayned the Greke word In the lataine trāslation it is written into a fornace of fyer And the Hebrue worde is a fornace of fyre for a fornace the fyer wherof cannot be quēched a fornace of fyer and hell fyer signifyeth all one thinge In the eyghtene of Mathewe it is called hell fyer and in the ix of Marke likewyse also in the thyrd and fyue and twentye of Mathewe eternall fyer in the thyrd of Luke it is named fyer that can neuer be quenched C. As touching therefore the fornace of fyer there is no doubte but that it is so called by a Metaphor For as the endelesnes of the glorye whiche is layed vp for the sonnes of God doth so farre surmount oure sences and capacitye that we cannot with tongue expresse the same so the punishment payne and torment which remayneth for the reprobate because it cannot be comprehended in our myndes it is set forth accordinge to our capascitye in the name of a fornace 43. Then shal the righteous shyne as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father VVhosoeuer hath eares to hear let him heare M. This sentence maketh much to the consolation of the godlye whiche are oppressed in this worlde despysed persecuted reuyled and disdayned the wicked reigning and florishing in the Church A. Christ therefore affirmeth C. that the sonnes of God which are now cōpassed about with fylthines abased with the fellowship of the reprobate shal then shyne as the sunne in the Element the cloudes being caryed away And this word then being an Aduerbe of time hath a greate Emphasis and force in it for it cōteyneth a secrete Antithesis of the present state laste instauration and reedifyinge of the Churche with the hope whereof Christe doth comfort all the faithfull The sence therefore of this place is that althoughe many reprobates do now prosper and florishe in the Churche notwithstandinge wee muste hope for a happye daye in the whiche God will exalte all those that are his and wype away all fylthines with the which their shyning innocency is obscured and couered It is true certainly that the glorye to come is promised to none but to suche in whom the Image of God shineth and which are transformed by cōtinuall degrees of glorye into the same but because the lyfe of the Godly is now hyd and not manifested and their saluation because it consisteth in hoope is inuisible Christ doth worthely call the faithfull into heauen that they may enioy the glorye promised vnto them A. But as concerning the very glorye of the sonnes of God ther is much in the scriptures The Lorde seemeth to allude this place to the Prophesye of Daniell when hee sayth Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earthe shall awake some to the euerlasting life some to perpetuall shame and reprofe The wyse such as haue taught other shal shyne as the glistering of heauen And those that haue instructed the multitude shal be as the starres worlde without ende C. To the whiche place Christ had respect to the ende hee might the better animate encourage his auditory as if hee had sayde the the Prophete when hee speaketh of the glory to come doth also note the temporall darkenes therfore according to the Prophesy he declareth that the electe must suffer the mixsture in the which they are mingled with the reprobate for a time A. And as the wicked are offences which are not onelye vnrighteous and deceytfull to themselues but do go aboute also to drawe other into error and iniquity euen so the children of the kingdome the electe and true beleuinge do not count it sufficient that they themselues do know the truth and embrace righteousnes but also they endeuoure themselues to bringe foorthe frute and study how they may drawe other to the sauinge healthe make them partakers of the true righteousnes whervpon the Prophete calleth them teachers and instructers of others As the sunne C. Hee comparing the glory of the faithfull to the lighte of the Sunne maketh them not equall to the same For as Christ doth nowe distribute his giftes diuerslye among the faythful so hee in the last day will crowne them But wee muste remember that which wee haue spoken before the onely the reedifying of the Church which is differred till the last comminge of Christ is compared with the cloudye darke state of the world In the kingedome of his father C. The kingdom of the father as it were the heritage of the godly is set agaynst the earth that they maye remember themselues to be Pilgrimes in this lyfe to the ende they may aspyre and come to the heauēly life For althoughe the kingdome of God is sayde to be in vs notwithstandinge wee shall not haue the fruition of the same vntill God be all
because they are alwayes caried hedlonge into destruction Wherefore we must vnderstand those to be planted by the hande of God which by his fre adoption are graffed into the tree of life And in the prophets we shall oftentimes fynde these wordes planted of the lorde when they meane that the lord hath chosen some to be his people So the father hath plāted into the kingdome of heauen whom he geueth to the sonne to iustifie These being planted vpon the trewe lande of Israell shall neuer be pluked vp But these reprobate outcaste Phariseyes were neuer of this nomber but being externally of the vine of the lorde were in a shorte tyme cut of as vnfruitefull branches therefore they beinge nowe incurable and ordayned to destruction Christ pertayneth not vnto them C. And in this sence also the prophete calleth the Church renewed by the grace of Christe a flower planted by the lorde Finally because election commeth onely of the lorde the reprobate muste nedes perysshe howe so euer it come to passe not that God destroyeth the good innocent but because they by their own mallice tourne all thinges be they neuer so holsome and profytable for theim to theyr owne destruction And so it commeth to passe that the Gospell is the sauoure of death vnto deathe to them as witnesseth S. Paule For although the Gospell be set forthe for the saluation of all men yet notwithstāding it bryngeth not forth the fruite of saluation but onely in the elects B. Wherefore these wordes and examples of Chryste oughte to confyrme and strengthē so many as shal offend the euill and wicked by worde or dede when they following the word of God set forth nothinge but the glorye thereof and the fayth of our lord sauiour Iesus Christ Let theim onely beware that they neyther do nor say any thing of them selues without good aucthoritie and that theye sowe the seede of the worde of God with great reuerence and feare and also that they euer pray for the dyrection of godds spirite If they thus doinge offende any man let them remember these woordes of Christ namely that euery plant whiche the heauenly father hath not planted must be plucked vp by the rootes that is to saye it is ordained by the wyll of god that all they shoulde perishe whiche are not predestinate by the father to eternall life and that therfore of necessitie it must nedes come to passe that in al good thinges some shall be offended But as wée saide before it is our partes verye dilygently to beware and take heede leaste that they se or here any thynge by vs whereby they may iustly be offended but that they may haue al the cause of offēce in them selues although they wold seme to take the same by our good demeanour C. To be short a faythfull and good teacher wyll so temper moderate guyde what so euer hee publisheth that it shall proffite all men but so often as it commeth otherwise to passe let him comfort hym selfe with the aunswere of Christe Christ verye well and aptely put forthe this similitude to proue that the cause of destruction is not in the doctrine but that the reprobate which haue no rote in god worke their owne destruction and damnation who when the doctrine of Christ is set before them powre out their secret poyson and thus they accelerate and hasten deathe to theim selues Moreouer Chryste by this similitude towcheth Hypocrites whiche seeme for a season to be lyke vnto good trees that are planted Suche were the Scribes and Phariseis which sprang vp and grew in the church of God muche lyke to the Cedar trees in Lybanus to the ende their defection and withering away might seeme the more absurde Therfore in the church of Christ pure and sincere doctrine shal be alwaies preached Wherfore let the teachers cōsider and way what the capacitie of men doth require If any after their doctrine rage and waxe mad let the ministers of Christ suffer them For althoughe they seme to stande very well in the Church yet neuerthelesse they shal be plucked vp by the rootes at the length because they are not planted of the lorde And wher as Christe might very well haue saide that they shal perishe which carelesly and disdainefully reiecte saluation offered vnto them he procedeth farther and saith that none shal stand for euer but such whose saluation is firme sure in the electiō of God. By the which woordes he plainely sheweth that the first oryginall and beginning of our saluation commeth of the grace by the whiche God chose vs to be his sonnes before we were created before the foundation of the earth was layde 14 Let them alone they be the blind leaders of the blind If the blind leade the blynd both shall fal into the ditche Let them alone C. He meaneth that we should not set so much by men that their offence shoulde greately moue vs Notwithstanding a iudgement and discression is nedeful to be had For when they are offended by theyr owne wyckednes and not by ignorance we muste not regarde them but passe euen through the myddest of them Hereuppon came that olde distynction of auoydynge offences namely that we beware leaste we geue the offence to the weake but if any wicked obstinate and maliciouse person take the offence it is no matter to vs we nede not care For it is necessary the christ which is the rocke of offence shold be buryed if we wyll satisfie the obstinacy of all men Therefore it shall behoue vs to discerne betwene the weake whiche are offended throughe ignorance and are by and by conformable and the proude and obstinate whiche take offence to theim selues leaste any weake person be molested and troubled throughe our defalte But when the wicked obstinatelye kicke against vs let vs go voyde of care euen through the middest of theyr offences For he which doth not spare geue place to his weake bretherne is churlishe and dothe treade those as it were vnder his fete to whom he ought to reache out his helpinge hande But to care for others it is no parte of our bewetie seinge they must of necessitie fall into offence if we go forward in our calling and discharge our duety Furthermore when it shall come to passe that they are alienate and fallen from Christ by the collour cloke of offence let vs let theim alone leaste they drawe vs with thē also The cause why the Phariseies were offended was arrogancie disdaine they contemned greatly despysed the doctrine of Christe notwithstanding that it came from God the father In their hartes they bare the cause of offence wherfore Christ cōmandeth to let them alone They be the blind leaders of the blynd E. Or they be the blynde guides of the blinde according to the nature of the Greeke worde C. In this sentence there is a great Emphasis or force by the which Christ sheweth that the
wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen 25. For whoso will saue his life shall lose it Againe whoso doth lose his life for my sake shall finde it A. A most excellent comforte is this that whosoeuer looseth his life willinglye for Christes sake doth get life vnto himselfe For the Euangelist Marke plainly prescribeth this cause of dyinge to the faythfull therfore it is vnderstode in the wordes of Mathewe For it commeth oftentimes to passe that ambition or desperation dryueth prophane men to contemne and to despyse this life yet notwithstandinge they go bouldlye to their deathe in vayne Bu. Therefore to loose the lyfe in this place signifyeth to despyse the life of this worlde for Christes sake and to treade those thinges vnder foote in the which the world setteth life the chiefe felicity That truly is nothing els but to deny our selues to renounce our selues and to beare patiently such calamitye as is layed vppon vs whereby wée maye brydell all fleshlye affections C. The threatninge which is here set on the contrary part serueth very much to the dryuing away of the sluggishnes of the flesh which admonisheth vs that such as desyer greatly this lyfe purchase to themselues the losse of this life And there is an Antithesis betweene temporall and eternall lyfe as wee haue shewed before in the tenthe Chapter 26. For what doth it profite a man if hee winne all the whole worlde and loose his owne soule Or what shall a man geue to redeme his soule againe withall For vvhat doth it profite C. Here hée confirmeth the former sentence namelye that wée ought not to be vnwilling to forsake this lyfe For what is all the worlde in respect of mans lyfe for it is immortall And lose his ovvne soule Here our sauioure Christ admonisheth that the soule of man is not created to the ende hée might haue the same for a short tyme in this worlde but to the ende hée may liue immortall in heauen as if hée should haue sayd What negligence is this and what beastly incensible dulnes that men are such bondslaues vnto the worlde that they haue no consideration wherfore they were borne and that they are ignoraunt how that an immortall soule is giuen vnto them that the race of this lyfe beinge ended they maye liue perpetuallye in heauen And truly all men will confesse that the soule is more worthe than all the ryches and pleasures in this world but in the meane time the sence of the fleshe blindeth them that will they nill they theyr soules are caryed to destruction and euerlastinge perdition Therefore least the worlde by his intysing allurements do bewitche vs let vs alwayes call to mynde the excellēcye of oure soule the which if it be well wayed will easlye driue awaye all the vaine imaginations of earthly felicitye The Euangeliste Luke hath and looseth himselfe Or vvhat shall a man Bu. B. What exchaunge shall a man geue for his owne soule The Gréeke woord signifyeth that by the which anye thinge is redeemed Bu. Wherefore let euery one of vs endeuor our selues to despyse corruptible momentanye thinges and to holde faste those thinges that are eternall the which wee shall easly do if so be wée mortify all carnall thinges and retayne only Christ the lyfe 27. For the sonne of man shall come in the glorye of his father with his Angels and then shall hee rewarde euery man accordinge to his dedes For the sonne of man shall come C. To the ende his former doctrine might the better sincke into their mindes hée setteth before their eyes the Iudgement to come For it is necessarye to the despysinge of this lyfe that wée be touched with the féelinge of a heauenly life But the flownes of our minds hath néede of a helpe to loke vp towardes heauen Therefore Christ calleth the faythfull to his trybunall seate to the end they maye continuallye remember that they liue to no other ende than to aspyre and come to that blessed redemption which at that time shal be reuealed But to this ende the admonition tendeth that wee may know that they cōtend not in vaine to whom the confession of sayth is more precious and déere than theyr owne life as if Christ had sayd cōmit to my charge and custodye without all feare your soules for I will come at the lengthe a reuenger which wil restore you to perfection allthough you séeme for a time to perishe B. That therefore which hée speaketh here must be referred to the sentēce goinge before when hée sayde The one should finde his life and the other should loose it namely when the sonne of man commeth to Iudgement and shall geue to euery one accordinge to his deseruing But Christ exhorteth all those that desire to séeme followers of him and his Dysciples by thrée reasons to denye themselues to take vp his Crosse and to followe him Of the which the first is that hee shall loose his life which woulde saue the same and that hée shall saue it which looseth it the seconde is that to him which appeared a mortall man for a time in the fleshe all Iudgement is giuen and that therefore hée shall come in the glorye of his father with his Angels that hée maye giue to euerye man accordinge to hys deedes to the denyers of him hell fyer to the professors of him the kingdome of his father For as Marke in his eyghte Chapter and Luke in his nynth Chapter declare hée repeateth here to his Dysciples the same thinge that hée spake of before in the tenthe Chapter Whosoeuer shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my father which is heauē And as Luke sayth and Marke whosoeuer shall be ashamed of mee and of my wordes in this aduouterouse and sinfull generation of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holye angels Then he shal say vnto thē I neuer knew you Depart frō me ye that worke iniquitie Then shal they receyue according to theyr life and dedes What thing can be so heauy and greuouse vnto vs in this life that we shoulde not rather do beare the same then we shoulde offende this general iudge of all men and cause him to pronounce this bitter sentence against vs saying Go ye cursed of my father into Hell fyer A. It is better therfore to denie our selues and to cōtemne this lyf for Christes sake then to be depriued for euer of euerlasting life B. The thirde reason which bringeth a wonderfull consolation with it is that he saithe the time is not very long in the which he shall come with great power that som of them which were present should se the same What is he now the will not follow him for his sake deny him selfe take vp his crosse whō he knoweth shal raine very shortly gloriously in diuine power and that he him selfe shal raine with him For whosoeuer suffereth
with Christ shal raigne with Christ In the glory of his father C. Christ maketh mention of the glorye of his father of the angels lest that his disciples shold iudge of his kingdome according to the present sight for as yet it lay hyd being base and contemned vnder the shew of a seruante He sheweth therfore that he shal be in an other maner of estate when he shal come to be the iudge of the worlde A. For the sonne of man shall come in his glorye all his angels with him and he shal sit vpon the seate of his glory all nations shall be gathered before him Also these thinges serue to terrifie those which delight in their wickednesse vyce which shall not be able to abide his face For although the lord toke vpon him humaine nature yet notwithstanding he abideth vnchanged in the eternall glory of his father and hath loste nothing eyther of his diuine substaunce or glory for he is of lyke substance maiestie and glory with the father All the Angelles serue him beinge the ministers of God and ordeyned to fulfill his cōmandement Whose power howe great it is maye appere in that one angell dispersed the mightye campe of the Assyrians in one night a hundred fowre score fiue thousand of them being slain But and if one angell be of such power what shall they not be able to subdue and ouerthrowe when they being altogether come with the lorde to Iudgement And then shall he revvarde euery man B. This sentence is often vsed in the scriptures the which they peruert who go about to proue that we are iustified by our workes because forsothe we are iudged according to the same when as Chryste speaketh not here of the cause of saluation They consider not that the tree is iudged according to his fruite and yet notwithstandinge that the fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite When we se figges on the tree wee iudge by by the tree to be a fygge tree yet notwithstandynge the fygges are not the cause that it is a fygge tree but when it was made a figge tree then it brought forth figges Euen so in al thinges the worke iudgeth of the worker For it makethe not the worker but is broughte to passe and wrought of the worker In lyke manner good workes do declare a good man to be the sonne of God but they make him not to be the sonne of god Therefore woorkes do not iustifie that is to say they do not make vs the more acceptable vnto God the whiche workes can be nothing elles but synne condempninge if so be they be wrought before thou be purified and regenerated by the spyrite of God because that an euill tree can not bringe forthe good fruite But the lorde describynge his iudgemente saythe after the manner of men that euery man shal be iudged according to his woorkes euen as wee commonly are wonte to iudge Neyther doth he say that euery man shal receyue accordynge to his woorkes as thoughe that our workes were the fyrste cause of our saluation For the specyall cause why we obtaine euerlasting life is the voluntary free wil of God the second cause are the merites of Christ for he died for the saluation of al mankind but this also is a free gyfte of the good wil of god The thirde cause is our Fayth by the whiche we imbrace and receyue this good wyll of God and the merytes of Christe For he that beleueth hath euerlastinge lyfe but that faythe also by the whiche we do beleue is the worke gifte of God in vs for the merite of Chryste Also good woorkes may after a sorte be said to be the cause of our saluation but improperly because euery man shall be rewarded accordyng to his deedes but these also are the gyftes of Goddes good wyll the effects of Christs merites and the fruites of fayth For there is no good woorke acceptable vnto God but that whiche is done for the loue of God the whiche loue no man hath but he whiche beleueth in god And no man can beleue in God but suche as are inspired with the spirite of God whiche pertayneth onely to the sonnes of god This spirite is onely geuen vnto those whose sinnes are remitted and whom he hath chosen before the foundation of the world was layde All the partes therfore of our saluation are a gyfte and woorke of the wyllynge and free wyl of god But we must note here that Christ saide not he shall geue to euerye man accordynge to his faythe the whiche lyeth hyd and whiche euery wicked man boasteth that he hath but accordinge to his woorkes whiche can not be obscure and hid for workes are a seale of our sayth The Apostell Paule speaketh thus of this Iudgement of Christe we must al appere before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man maye receiue the woorkes of his owne body accordinge to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And in an other place the Apostell saith Thou heapest vnto thy selfe wrathe againste the daye of Iudgement when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God whiche will rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes that is to say prayse honoure and immortalitie to them which continue in good doinge and seke immortalitie But vnto them that are rebelles and do not obeye the trueth but follow vnrighteousenes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that dothe euyll C. Let this therfore be the somme that these two do very well agree namely that we are iustified freely because wee are acceptable vnto God without oure merite and yet notwithstandinge that he accordinge to his good pleasure geueth and imputeth and vndeserued rewarde to our woorkes A. As concernynge the whiche matter reade the fyfth chapter goinge before 28 Verely I say vnto you there be standinge here whiche shall not taste of deathe till they se the sonne of man come in his kingedome Verely I say vnto you M. As touching this woorde verely rede the fifth chapter goinge before There be standinge here C. Because the disciples might dought among them selues when this day should come the lord erecteth thē with a more specyall trust saying that it shal not be long ere that he geue vnto some of them a shew of his glory as if he should haue said If you thincke the time to longe before I come I wyll come betime for before you dye that kingdome of God whiche I byd you hope for shall be set before your eies M. Some vnderstode this sentēce of the extreame and last day of iudgemēt thinking that Christ mēt here that Iohn the Euangelist shold not die vntyl the day of iudgement but the Euangelist him selfe sheweth that this opinion of him conceiued was not true Wherefore we must vnderstand that the cōming of the kingdome of God is the reuealing of the heauenly glory
whiche Christ began at his resurrection afterward more fully reuealed the same by sending his holy spyrite and by working miracles B. Therfore to see Christ comminge in his kyngdome is nothing els in this place then the which Marke and Luke haue To see the kingdome of God that is the glory good successe of the kingdome of god The Euangelist Marke expressely saith Vntyll they haue sene the kingdome of God come with power The kingdome of god was com before wherupon he cōmanded to preach that the kingdome of God was at hande And in an other place he sayde vnto the Phariseis If I by the spirite of God cast out deuyls then is the kingdome of God come vpon you But because the kyngedome of God was not yet so gloriouse as it should be in all the worlde after his resurrection he truely saith Vntyll they haue sene the kingdome of God come Of this kingdome the apostel Paule writeth thus whē he speaketh of the Gospel Whiche is come vnto you euen as it is into all the worlde and is fruitefull and groweth c. But more largely in an other place whē he saith I haue therfore whereof I may reioyce through Christe Iesu in those thinges which pertayne to god For I dare not speke of any of these thinges which Christ hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obediente with woorde and dede in mighty signes and wonders by the power of the spirite of God so that from Hierusalem and the coastes rounde aboute vnto Illiricum I haue filled all countreys with the Gospel of Christe This gloriouse power of the kingedome of Christ did chiefely declare it selfe within .xx. yeres or theraboutes after his passion vntyll the whiche time no doubte many of those to whome the lord presently spake were aliue But to what ende doth Christ speake this Surely to the ende he might learne them some comfort against the tyme of the crosse affliction because shortely the kingdome power of God should be declared and reuealed So are we comforted by the holy ghost so often as we heare it saide The lorde is nigh and wyll not be flacke The cōming of Christe truely semeth to be far hence but doth he not in the meane time shewe vnto vs his power Some vnderstande this place to be spokē of the transefiguration of Christ in the mount which is declared in the chapter followinge as though that Christ by these wordes shold promise that there were som disciples in the cōpany to whom he wolde shew his glory in the earth so far as the eies of mortall men might perceiue the same A. But we haue shewed alredy the true proper sence and meaning of Christes wordes VVhich shal not tast of death Bu. That is they shal not die The like phrase of speche we haue in the .viii. chapter of s Iohn in the secōd of s Paules epistel to the Hebrues The .xvii. Chapter AND after sixe dayes Iesus taketh Peter Iames and Iohn his brother and bringeth them vp into an high mountaine A. This history is declared by three of the Euangelist namely by this our Euangelist Mathewe and Marke and Luke C. In the which hystory we must fyrst of al se to what ende and purpose Christ wolde put vpon hym his heuenly glory for so short a time and wolde take onely three of his disciples to be witnesses of this sight Some thincke that he did it to the ende he mighte arme his disciples against the temptation whiche was at hande by reason of his deathe but that is verye vnlikely For why dyd he depriue others of the same remedye Yea why dothe he plainely forbyd them to publishe that which they had sene vntyl after his resurrectiō vnlesse the fruit of the vision had ben after his time There is no doubte therefore but that Christ ment to declare that hee was not deliuered vnto death against his wil but that he came vnto it willingelye to offer the sacrifice of obedience vnto his father This kingedome came not into the mindes of the disciples vntill Christe rose agayne neyther was it necessary at that tyme to conceyue the deuyne power of Christe which they knewe to be the vanquisher and ouercōmer in the crosse and affliction but they were taught agaynste an other tyme as wel for them selues as for vs least that the infirmitie of Christe shoulde offende any man as thoughe he had suffered by necessitie and force for it is euident that it was no more hard vnto Christ to exempte and deliuer his bodye from death than to adorne the same with heauenly glory We are taught therfore that he was subiectte vnto death because he woulde and that hee was crucyfied because he offered hym selfe For the same fleshe which honge vpon the crosse and laye in the sepulchre seinge before it was partaker of the heauenly glorye might haue bene free from death and the graue But we are taught that Christ so longe as he bare the forme of a seruante in the worlde his maiestie hidden vnder the infirmitie of his fleshe there was nothing detracted or taken from him because he did abase hym selfe of his owne free wyll but now his resurrection toke a way that vaile by the which his power for a tyme was couered And the Lorde thoughte it sufficient to chose vnto hym three witnesses because this nōber was prescribed by the lawe to testifie proue any matter And after syxe dayes B. As cōcerninge the nomber of the daies Marke agreeth with Mathew But Luke hath And it fortuned that about an eight daies after these sayinges But this oughte to offende no man C. For Marcke and Matthewe nomber sixe whole dayes which came betwene the tyme the Christe spake the woordes goinge before in the xvi chapter and the tyme in the whiche he was transfigured but Luke faithe it was done within eyght daies after comprehending as well the day in the which Christ spake as also the day in the which he was transfigured Wee se therefore howe well diuerse wordes comprehende one sence and meaning And bringeth them vp into Luke saithe that the lord went vp into the moūtaine to pray no doubt to pray vnto the father that he wold manifest reueale his glory to his disciples for the which cause he brought them vp into the mountaine By the which example of Christe we are taught to be likewise affectioned to the glorye of Christes kingdome towardes those also to whom as yet it hath not apered So Paule prayed as it appereth by his epistels But Christ him self hath taught vs to pray saying Hallowed be thy name 2 And was transfigured before them his face did shine as the sonne and his clothes were as white as the lighte And vvas transfygured before them S. That is to say he put on a newe figure or forme full of all glory and excellent brightnes and dyd not appere as the sonne of man
the Disciples mindes his glorye to come beinge as yet but in a base estate and in such a place where hée sheweth that they must beare the crosse and forsake all for his names sake Yee shall sit also vppon tvvelue seates Bu. Hee speaketh accordinge to the maner of kinges which sit in their heighe throne and haue their councellers sittinge round about them By a humaine similitude yet full of magnificence hée setteth forth as vnder a shadow the deuine and perfecte iudgement of his maiesty This sitting therefore is nothinge els but that which the Apostell speaketh of sayinge When Christe shall appeare which is your life then shall you also sit with him in glory And in another place And then heyres annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that wée may also be glorifyed together with him C. And it is the selfe same thinge that Luke sayth the Lord spake to his Disciples on this maner Yée are they which haue â—…idden with mee in my temptacions and I apoint vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed vnto mée that ye may eate and drinke at my table in the kingdome sit on seates iudginge the twelue tribes of Israell For because the Apostels kepte him coÌ„pany all the time of temptacions and did constantlye abyde hee pronounceth that they shal be partakers of his glory Iudginge the tvvelue tribes of Israell C. Hee named the twelue tribes by the same reason which moued him to make twelue Apostels namely because hee was sente to be a minister of the circumsition for the truthe of God to confirme the promises made vnto the fathers as wée said before now to the ende hée might gather the remnaunt of the twelue tribes of Israell into one A. But whereas the Lorde sayth in this place that the Apostels shall be Iudges of Israell it must be referred to the last day of iudgement as wée sheewed before M. For then they shal condemne the harde harted and vnbeleuinge Israelites The which is no otherwise to be vnderstoode then that the faith of the Apostels which were also Israelites vnlearned simple men and yet embraced Christ shall take away all excuse from the Israelits Wée do reade also before that this condempnatioÌ„ shal procede from the Niniuits and from the Quéene of the Southe And in another place our saui Christ sayth Hée that refuseth mée and receiueth not my woordes hath one that Iudgeth him The woord that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last daye Otherwise Christ shall sit a Iudge alone in Iudgemente C. But this is not spokeÌ„ as though the Apostels should haue no more excellency thaÌ„ the Quene of the Southe in the day of Iudgemente For this is a greate matter that Christe speaketh of here for what can be greater and more glorious than to be so accepted and allowed in the day of Iudgement before the world and the Angels of God than that thy faithe O man shall condemne whole nations that haue bene vnbeleuinge And yet notwithstanding wée muste not thincke that the Apostels shall haue no more saue this for the glorye of the kingdome also is promised vnto them As wée may gather out of the place which wée cited out of Luke a litle before 29. And euery one that forsaketh house or bretheren or sisters or father or mother or wife or childreÌ„ or landes for my names sake shall receiue an hundered foulde and shall inherit euerlastinge life And euery one that forsaketh C. After he had listed vp their mindes to the hope of the life to come hée dothe also sustaine them with present solace and ioye and doth coÌ„firme them to beare the Crosse For God doothe neuer forsake those that are his thoughe hée suffer theim for a time to be greuouslye afflicted but sendeth ayde and helpe in the middest of trouble Neither is this here onely spokeÌ„ by the Apostels but hauinge occasion hee speaketh generally to all the godly M. To forsake anye thinge for the name of Christe or for Christ is to set Christ before all thinges and to loue him aboue all thinges and to haue him so déere vnto oure hartes that for his sake wee are ready to forsake all be it neuer so déere vnto vs which allureth leadeth or constrayneth vs to do any thinge which is contrary to his glory Or bretheren or sisters or father C. Hée reherseth our Parentes and the rest of our frendes to the ende hee mighte shewe that there is nothing so precious which the rewarde that hée setteth before vs doth not excede This therefore is the summe and effecte of his woords Whosoeuer loose all things willingly for Christs cause shall notwithstandinge be more happye and blessed in this life than if they had lost nothinge but their chiefe rewarde is layed vp for them in heauen Shall receiue an hundered foulde E. The Greeke text signifyeth thus muche as if thou shouldest saye Euery thinge shal be an hundered times doubled for the Gréeke word is a number of moultitude M. Luke hath shall receiue much more least wée should stande vppon this nomber of a hundered fould As if hee should haue said none shall sustaine losse for my sake but shall rather haue greate gayne both in this life also in the life to come Marke hath hée shall receiue an hundered foulde nowe in this life houses bretheren sisters mothers children and landes C. Which promyse notwithstaÌ„dyng doth not seeme to agrée with experience For wée sée oftentimes that they which are depriued and forced to forsake their Parentes theyr children and the rest of theyr kinsfolkes to leaue their wyues wydowes and to be dispoyled of all their substance for the testimonye of Christ are so far from the recouering of their owne againe with aduantage that all their life time they are constrayned to liue in exile and banishement with great penurye But wee aunswere againe to coÌ„mon experience that if any man rightly consider and esteeme the present grace of God by the which their myseries are holpen hée will confesse that it is not in vaine preferred before all the riches of the world For although the vnbeleuinge do florishe yet notwithstandinge because they know not what shall befall them to morrowe it muste néedes be that they burne alwayes in great perplexitye and feare neither can they without great torment tourne the whele of fortune which to them pertayneth But God doth make the hartes of those that are his ioyfull that they maye thincke that little which they possesse and the trouble that they suffer hauinge the grace and fauore of Christ to be more pleasaunte and sweete vnto them than if they had excedinge aboundance withoute Christe In the which sence the Euangelist Marke addeth these woordes with persecutions As if Christ should haue sayde Although the Godlye all their life time remaine in persecutioÌ„ and though the Crosse do as it were cleaue vnto their backes
Christe to the ende hee mighte reprehende ambition and reclayme his Disciples frō a wicked desire setteth before them the crosse and all kinde of calamitie which all the children of God must suffer as if he shoulde haue saide ▪ haue ye so much ease are ye so free from the present warre that ye prouide already for the glorye of the triumphe For if they had bene seriouslye busyed and occupied about the exercises of thier calling they should neuer haue had this fond ymagination come in their mindes Wherfore by this sentence our Sauioure Christe commaundeth them which triumph before the victorye to be occupied in the exercise and busynes of godlynes And certainlye by this bridle ambitiō is very wel stayed because such is our condition so longe as we are pilgrims in this worlde that it ought to shake of all vayne delightes We are beset on euery side with a thousand daūgers one while the enemy by subtill and craftye meanes setteth vpon vs another while he setteth vpon vs by open warre Is not he worse then mad which among so many deathes carelesly pleaseth and delighteth him selfe in depainting out the victory The Lorde commaundeth his Disciples to be certarne and sure of the victorye and to triumph in the middest of death because otherwise they should not be hold ynough to fight manfully boldlye but it is one thing to prepare them selues to fight cheerefully and to endeuour them selues wholly therunto vpon hope of the rewarde set before them and it is another thinge to be vnmindfull of the warre to forsake the enemy to neglect all daunger ▪ and to triumph before the victory the which should not be loked for before the battaile wer fought Moreouer this vntimely making of hast doth very much drawe men from their vocation For euē as the more cowardly that a mā is in the warre the more he seketh for the pray and spoyle euen so in the kingdome of Christ none desire more the superioritie then they which séeke to auoyd all laboure and payne Our Sauiour Christe therefore dooth not withoute good cause appoynte those souldiers their statiō and abiding place which they shall not passe whose mindes are eleuated and puffed vp with vayne glory But this is the summe of his wordes that none hath the crowne prepared for him but he which fighteth lawfully and that none shal be partaker of the life and kingdome of Christe but he which is a partaker of his passion and death M. Christ therfore asketh them if they could suffer the crosse and punishment which he shoulde suffer For so he meaneth by the drinking of the cup which he should drinke of and by the baptising of the baptime wherewith hee shoulde be baptized C For we knowe that by Baptisme the faythfull enter into the denying of thē selues to the crucifying of the old man to the bering of the crosse But it is to be doubted whether the Lord do draw this word cup to the mistery of his supper or no but because his suppper was not then instituted in vse it is better to take it more simply for the measure of afflictions which the Lord appointeth to euery mā For because it pertaineth vnto him to lay vpō euery man his burthen as it semeth him best euē as the goodman of the house deuideth equal portions amongst those that ar his therfore he is saide to geue the cup to drinke A. Wherupō our sauiour Christ saith in another place O my father if this cuppe may not passe frō me except I drink of the same thy wil be don Also he saith to Peter in another place Shall I not drinke of the cup which my father hath geuē me B. He calleth the same also Baptisme as we haue shewed alredy for it was euen as a washing away of death a purging to euerlasting life The same Metaphor he vsed also in another place as when he said I must be baptised with a Baptime and howe am I payned till it be ended B. But the metaphor of the cuppe in the Scriptures is often times taken in both partes For certainly God hath measured to euery man both aduersitie and prosperitie and he shal drinke his portion whether he will or no. It is taken in euill part as when it is said storme and tempest shal be their portion to drinke It is taken in good part as when it is sayde The Lorde is my portion and my cup. C. Moreouer in the wordes of Christe there is not a litle consolation to mittigate and asswage the sharpenes of the crosse when as Christe in the same ioyneth him selfe vnto vs For what can be more excellent then for vs to haue all thinges common with the sonne of God for so it commeth to passe that those thinges which seme deadly vnto vs do turn to our saluation and life But he whiche desireth to be altogether frée from the Crosse howe shall he be counted among the disciples of Christ which refuseth to be subiect to his Baptisme for this is nothing els then to refuse to be instructed in the first principles But nowe let vs learne so often as we heare mentiō made of Baptisme to remember that we are baptised vpon this condition and to this ende that we should willingly beare the crosse A. For all they which will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution They say vnto him vve are C. In that Iames and Iohn do so careleslye boaste that they are able and ready to drinke of the cup their carnall confidence is perceiued for when we are out of daunger we thinke we can do all thinges These two disciples perswade them selues that they are able to do muche by their owne strength and that without God forgetting their owne imbecilitie But at the length it came to passe that their rashnes was bewrayed For when they sawe that the Lorde was apprehended in the garden all fled awaye and lefte him alone Notwithstanding this was commendable in them that they offered them selues readyly to beare the crosse 23. He saide vnto them ye shall drinke in deede of my cup and be baptised vvith the Baptime that I am baptised vvith But to sit on my righte hande and on my lefte is not mine to geue but it shall chaunce vnto them that it is prepared for of my father He saide vnto them ye shall drinke C. Nowe he openeth vnto them and to all other the state and condition of his kingdome and sheweth what shall come to passe as concerning the same that they mighte arme them selues with patience because by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen For this is the kingdome of Christ and he which is the head in this kingdome testifyeth by his example that the same is necessary He sayth my cup as if he shoulde saye By my example suffer persecution Or els he sayth my cup to bring a consolation to them to beare the crosse
willinglye as if he shoulde haue sayde I am a companion in the crosse with you and you with me Also vnder the person of these two men he speaketh vnto all his seruauntes generallye For although many faythfull men do dye naturally and not a violent or blouddy death yet notwithstanding it is common to all men as S. Paule teacheth to be fashioned according to the ymage of Christe So that we are all the daye longe as shéepe appoynted to be slayne But vnder the name of Crosse the Scripture comprehendeth all kinde of sorowe and affliction as bondes prisonment scourgings banishment ignominye and such like These two disciples were not exercised in these thinges which truelye do tame the fleshe and the affections of the fleshe and doo brydle sinne also But to sit on my right hande and on my lefte is A. What hee meaneth by these woords read the one and twenty Verse goinge before Is not myne to geue C. By this aunswere our sauiour Christ derogateth nothing from himselfe but only sheweth that his father hath not enioyned vnto him this office that hée should assigne to anye man his proper seate in the kingedome of heauen Hée is come trulye to bringe all those that are his into euerlasting life but it is sufficient vnto vs and wee ought there with to be contente that the inheritance purchased with his bloud abydeth for vs For how much one shall excell another in glory it is neither our partes to seeke neyther was it the will of God that Christ should reueale the same vnto vs but woulde haue the same deferred euen vntill the last reuelation Now let vs note the purpose of Christ for he disputeth not here of his owne power but he only sheweth wherefore hee was sent of the father and what is agreable to his callinge And therefore hee maketh a difference betwene the maner of teaching committed vnto him and the secrete purpose of god Euen as when hée sayth in another place as concerning the day of Iudgemenr But of that day hower knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neyther the sonne himselfe saue the father only A very profitable admonition that wée might learne soberlye to be wyse and that wee might not go about to burst out into the secrete misteries of God and speciallye that wée should not be to curious in searching out the state of the life to come for it hath not yet appeared what wée shal be neither shall it appeare vntill suche time as God hath made vs like vnto himselfe But it shall chaunce vnto them that it is M. These two presumed to take the prerogatiue of glory vnto them selues because they were a kin vnto Christ but Christ teacheth that it was not meete the the glorye of the kingdome of Heauen shoulde be geuen for that cause Hée teacheth therefore that the glory of the lyfe to come muste be loked for by the onlye grace of the merciful God which choseth his electe without any respect of workes or merits Wherefore in the daye of Iudgement hee shall say Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the Apostell Paule sayth Euen as hee chose vs in himselfe before the foundation of the world was layed So that we must note that there is not an equalitie appoynted amōge the sōnes of God after that they are receiued into the heauenly glorye but that degree of honor is promised to euery man to the which they are ordeyned by the eternall counsell and purpose of God. 24. And vvhen the ten hearde this they disdayned at the tvvo brethren And vvhen the ten heard this BV. Truely sayth the holy Prophete of God that the heart of man is wicked and inscrutable For we may see euen in the disciples a certayne bottomlesse pit of errors and that when one vice is cut of another is in his place yea and euen those things which we thought cut of to florishe againe For euen nowe the Lorde had stayed the ambition of his two disciples and by and by he is constrayned to driue the same out of the other ten disciples brestes and not only that but the pestilent disease of enuye also M. For whereas the other ten are saide to disdaine the twoo disciples which were brethren it was not because they did hate this ambition A. but because they them selues also being led by ambition did séeke to excell in the kingdome of Christ M. So that this disdain did arise of the ambition which lay secret in their harts C. The Euāgelist Luke doeth séeme to referre this contention of the disciples vnto another time But whosoeuer doth wisely consider that two and twenty Chapter of Luke shall finde that the words which were spoken at diuers times the order being neglected wer knit together Therefore the contention for the superiority wherof Luke maketh mention had his originall hereupon because the sonnes of Zebede did couet to haue the chiefe seates in the kingdom of Christ And yet notwithstanding the indignation and disdaine of the other ten was not to be allowed for séeing the ambition in the two brethren was greuously reprehended insomuch that they went away from Christ with shame what did it hurt the other ten that they had foolishly desired that which they had not gotten But the Lorde went about by this occasion to haue the disease which lurked in them to be reuealed for there was not one of thē which willingly woulde geue place to another but euery man in his heart hoped to excell the rest so it came to passe that one of them enuyed another and contended one with another Wherfore if this vice were in rusticall rude and base men and if it bursted forth in them vpon a light or almoste vppon no occasion howe muche more ought we to take héede when there is sufficient matter to kindle the secrete fyre We doo sée by experience howe ambition doeth burne in the greatnes of power and honour and it casteth out flames farre and wide were it not that the modestie of the spirite did restrayne from heauen the naturall pride which cleaueth vnto man M. We doo sée howe great ambition and pride remayned in the sonnes of Iacob the twelue patriarkes and how greuouslye they toke it to haue their brother Iosephe preferred before them A. Let vs therefore so much as wée may tourne our selues awaye from this pestilent disease ambition 25. But Iesus called them vnto him and saide ye know that the Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them And they that are great men exercise authority vppon them But Iesus called them vnto him M. Christ cā in no wise abyde the discord and disagréement of those that are his therefore hee calling his Apostles vnto him cutteth of againe the roote and occasion of the euill seekinge to make them all of one minde C. In that hee calleth them vnto him to the ende hée mighte
this woorde Hosiah-na is as muche to saye as helpe now or saue and prosper althinges that this man taketh in hande B. And when they added to the sonne of Dauid it was as muche as if they shoulde haue sayed Helpe Lorde wee beseeche thée and prosper all things that belonge to this sonne of Dauid that his kingdome maye prosper luckely and take good successe prosper him thou wée say which dwellest in the hyest This crye of the people semeth to agrée with that whereof mencion is made in the tenthe Chapter of the firste booke of Kinges where the people sayde God saue kinge Saule and in the first Chapter of the thirde booke of kinges where the people cryed God saue kinge Solomon A. Therefore the Disciples and the multitude beinge moued by the instincte of the spirite prayed for the felicitye of the king for the prosperous successe also of his kingdome C. And truly as the spirit of God did then appoint that people to pray dailye for the kingdome of Christe euen so also hee doth nowe prescribe the same rule vnto vs And seing that God wil raigne by no other meanes than by the power of his sonne wée ought daylye to wishe and praye for his kingdome according as wee are taught Thy kingdome come vnder the which sentence the same is noted which more plainely in the Psalme is expressed Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde C. The Hebrewe woorde Berach in the Psalme out of the which these were taken signifyeth to prayse and to encrease one with goodes whervppon commeth the Hebrewe participle Baruch that is praysed blessed or increasee with goodes By this voyce therefore they wish vnto Christ the encrease of all goodnes and the prosperous successe of all thinges For repetitioÌ„ seemeth to be a familiar thinge to the Hebrewes and oftentimes vsed of them For that which before they wished in these woordes Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid or God prosper the sonne of Dauid they nowe wishe againe in sayinge Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord as if they should haue sayde Hitherto wee haue beene oppressed with diuers tyrannies but nowe oure kinge comminge all thinges shal prosper well and hee shal be happye which commeth vnto vs in the name of the Lord or beinge sente or annointed of God saue prosper and blesse thou him therfore which dwellest in the hyest The Euangelist sayth expresly in the name of the Lorde because the Messias should come as one sent and not as one that thrusteth in himselfe but should be sent of the father For hee is said to come in the name of the Lorde which intrudeth not himselfe but taketh the kingdome at the will and commaundement of god The which thinge maye more certainly be gathered by the woordes of Marke when hee sayth Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the name of him that is the Lorde of oure father Dauid For they spake after this maner in respecte of the promises because the Lord had promised that he woulde at the lengthe be the deliuerer of that people and had appointed a meane namely the renuinge and restoringe of the kingdome of Dauid B. The like and the very selfe same meaninge almost had those prayers of the seruauntes of Solomon when they sayd As God hath bene with my Lorde the kinge euen so be hee with Solomon also and make his seate greatter than the seate of my lord kyng Dauids hath bene C. We do see therefore that the honour of a mediatour of whom all good thinges and the benefite of saluation was hoped for is attributed vnto Christ But seing they were rude and ignorante people which called the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of Dauid we may hereby learne that this doctrine was comon and well knowne to the vulgar sorte which doctrine semeth to some at this daye very harde because they are not exercised in the Scriptures Hosanna in the hiest B. This repetition dothe declare a greate feruencye to be in the people which hartely and vnfainedly receyued Christe to be their kinge as if they shoulde haue saide Thou O God whiche dwellest in the heauens saue the kynge whiche thou hast sente vnto vs C. and delyuer vs by Christ whiche in thy name is come vnto vs C. The Euangelist Luke addeth somewhat more saying peace in heauen and glory in the hiest In the whiche there were no obscuritie if it were agreable to the songe of the Angell in the seconde of Luke For there the Angelles assigne glorye to God in Heauen and peace to men in earthe but here bothe peace and glory are referred to god In sence notwithstandinge there is no disagreement for althoughe the Angelles do more distinctely shewe the cause why it was necessarye that the glory and prayse shoulde be yelded vnto God namely because by his mercy men inioy peace in this worlde yet notwithstandinge it meaneth the same thinge that the multitude in this place proclaymeth namely that there is peace in heauen because we knowe that myserable consciences in this worlde are no other waies pacified then by the reconciliation of God to them from heauen 10 And when he was come to Hierusalem all the cittie was moued saying VVho is this And vvhen he vvas come Bu. It was necessary that the glory of the kynge Chryste shoulde not be obscure or hidden but euidente and manifest and therefore by the ordinance of God al the cittezens of Hierusalem are moued at this vnwonted â—…ight that we might know that the comminge of Christe in this order and apperance was not vnfruitefull and voyde of profyte C. The matter was not done in huggermugger or by stealth in secret without the knowledge of the hye priestes and Scribes but openly all the people beholdinge the same Wherefore in that contemptible state of the fleshe the maiestie of the spirite was euidente for howe coulde al men haue suffered without their greate peryll that Christ shold be brought into the Cittie with kinglike pompe excepte they had bene amased at the sighte A. This sighte therefore mighte haue seemed a laughinge game had not the power of God ben presente C. This therefore is the somme that the enteraunce of Christe into the cittie was neyther secrete nor his ennemies quiet because they contempned hym but rather that they were staied by secret feare because God had stricken theym so that they durste not attempte any thynge In the meane time the carelesse securytie of the cittie is reprehended and the zeale and religion of straungers is commended For when the cittezens by reason of the noyse make enquirye who it was they plainly declare them selues to be none of the disciples of Christ Finally these woordes ought to be extended to all those thinges whiche pertayne to the kyngedome of Chryst the whiche kingdome semeth to the worlde contemptyble and base and the mynisters and seruauntes of this kingdome do feme vnto them to be madde and out of their witts but
vnto him when as neuerthelesse they woulde seeme to be the sonnes of God and the doers of his wil. And this is the Scope of the parable as he himselfe expoūdeth in the two thirty verse following In that expositiō to the ende he might expresse their malice and obstinacy he vseth a collation comparinge them not to their equalls but to their inferiours for what was more inferior to the hye Pristes Scribes and Phariseys then publicans and harlots 29. He answered and said I will not but afterward he repented and wente C. Here he setteth forth the type of publicanes and harlots whose lyfe saythe nothing lesse than we wil not do the wil of god Suche were Mathewe Zache and the synfull woman of whome sainct Luke maketh mencion in the vij chapt 30. Then came he to the seconde and sayde lykewyse And he aunswered and said I will syr and wente not Then came he to the second E. Oure Sauiour Christe goeth forwarde with the parable bringinge in here the aunswere of the other which saide I vvill syr These wordes are read in al Gréekes bookes in the olde Latin interpretor It is a kinde of speache declaringe a man to be ready and at hande to do any thinge C. Specially belonging to the Hehrewes For when the Hebrewes go aboute to offer their endeuour and declare that they are in a redynes to fulfyll any thynge they speake after this maner Beholde I am here Lorde Euen so the childe Samuell when he thouhgte that he was called of Heli saide I am here For the whiche the Lattines haue I am readye or at hande M. This sonne did represente the hye Priestes Scribes and Phariseys who in woordes and profession said Beholde Lorde wee are here and are readye to do what soeuer thou commaundest but in dede they did nothinge lesse C. It is a vertue deseruing greate praise to fulfill with all diligence the will of God so soone as by his woorde he hath commaunded the same But as oure Sauiour Christe doth not here commende the promisinge of that which wee fulfill not so he doth not allow negligence or starknes in the Lords busines for to promise and boaste of that whiche wee doe not is mere hypocsyire an a vice lesse tollerable a greate deale 31. VVhether of them twayne did the will of the father And they saide vnto him the firste Iesus saith vnto them verely I saye vnto you the publicans and harlotes goe into the kingdome of God before you VVhether of them M. To do the wyll of the father is as it followeth by and by to repente and beleue the Gospel whiche is to enter into the kyngdome of God. And they sayd vnto him M. Here our Sauiour Christe dothe by force wreste oute of their mouthes their owne Iudgemēt against thē selues euen as Nathan caused Dauid to do Bu They could not saye before the people wee know not to this question without to greate impudencye but they are constrained by reason of the manifeste verity to aunswere that which was true The publicanes and harlots When he had hearde theyr aunswere he declareth to what end he propounded the parable namelye that he mighte declare that they by their impenitency and hardnes of harte depriued them selues of the kyngdome of God the which they did not now onely shewe but also before when Iohn came Go into the kingdome of God before you By those woordes oure Sauiour Christe meaneth that the publicanes and harlots were more ready to repente them and to beleue the Gospel than were the hye Priestes Scribes and Phariseys For thus doth the verse followinge teache vs to expounde it But we muste not vnderstande this woorde go before as thoughe the hye Priestes Scribes elders should followe the Publicanes and harlots into the kingdome of heauen For the wordes following do deny that where it is said And ye when ye had sene it wer not moued afterward with repētance that ye might haue beleued him Moreouer the parable following doth sufficiently declare how greatly they were hardened in their malice For although som of them as we maye reade in the Actes were afterward conuerted to the faith yet notwithstandyng this priestlye corporation or state of the hye priests here Scribes and elders of the people abode in their vnbelefe Also we se here howe hard a thing it is to bringe them to repentance which being moste vngodly yet hypocritically boaste them selues to be the true worshipers of god Yea this is so harde a thinge that it is more easy to bringe the vilest synners to a newe and reformed life Wherefore it is no merueyle if these kynde of hypocrits in oure time can by no meanes be broughte to repentance There is no doubte but that the Phariseys tooke it greuouslye at the last to be compared to publicanes and synners of most wicked name when as they thought scorne to haue the holyest sorte of men compared vnto them C. Now let vs note the purpose of Christe He dothe not onely reprehende the Scribes and Phariseys because they obstinatlye resisted GOD and because they repented not beinge so often admonished but he spoyleth and taketh from them that honor wherof they were vnworthy because theyr impiety was more abhominable than the lasciuiouse wyckednes of harlotes For the one was hypocrisye the other whoredome Of the whiche euells the fyrste is most abhominable in the sight of God. 32. For Iohn came vnto you by the waye of righteousnes and ye beleued hym not but publicanes and harlotes beleued him And ye when ye had sene it were not moued afterwarde to repentance that ye mighte haue beleued him For Iohn came C. Seinge that Iohn was the faythefull minister of GOD whatsoeuer he taughte Christe attributeth it to the personne of GOD himselfe It had been a more perfecte speache to haue sayde GOD came shewinge the waye of righteousnes by the mouth of Sainct Iohn but because S. Iohn dyd not speake in the name of GOD as a priuate man he is iustlye as a substitute set in the place of God. Also this place bryngeth no smale authoritye to the preachyng of the worde when they are sayde to bee rebells againste the same whiche despyse the Godly admonitions of the teachers A. Whereuppon oure Sauiour Christ sayd not in vayne to hys Aposteles he whiche heareth you heareth me he whiche despiseth you despiseth me And in an other place Whosoeuer receaueth whome I sende receaueth me and he that receaueth me receyueth him that sente me C. There are some which more subtilly expounde the name of righteousnes but here it seemeth to signifye nothynge ells than that the doctrine of Saincte Iohn was pure and true as if he shoulde haue sayde there was no cause why they shoulde reiecte the same For whosoeuer receyueth not the true minister of GOD he is a rebell to god He sayth therefore that they haue no excuse to laye for them selues And ye beleued hym not Namelye when he
not apointe any certain place but it doth rather include heaueÌ„ earth vnder the rule gouernmeÌ„t of Christ A. How Christ doth sit at the right hande of God reade in the first chapter of s Paules epistell to the Ephesians in the first chapter of his epistell to the Hebrewes Vntill I make thine ennemies C. This woorde vntil doth not signifie somwhat to come or not to come but it signifieth the tyme which goeth before B. We muste also note the Christ vseth the testimony of this psalme to declare that he is not only Dauids lord but also to set forth the inuincible power victorye of his kingdome against his enemies As if he should haue said ye shal be so far froÌ„ resisting me that ere it be long my father wil set me at his right hande and geue me full possession of all power the which power I wyl exercise vntyll suche tyme as you and all my ennemies are made my footestoole C. The holy ghost therefore dothe pronounce that Christe shall sytte vntyll his enemies are laide prostrate and brought into subiection that we myghte knowe that his kingedome shall euer remayne inuincible not because his enemies beinge ouercome his power shall be taken from hym agayne but because all the rable of his ennemies being ouerthrowen it shal stande whole and sounde for euer In the meane season the state and condition of his kingdome at this day is noted vnto vs to the ende it shoulde not be greuouse vnto vs when we se the same resisted on all handes For it wyll come to passe that whosoeuer rashely rysethe to rebel against the kyngdome of Christ shall vtterly be destroied and cast downe As concernynge the which matter reade the fyftene chapter of the fyrst epistell of S. Paule to the Corinthians Thy foote stoole B. M. By these woordes hee vnderstandeth absolute subiection euen suche subiection as that whiche the Apostell Paule speakethe of when hee saythe that in the name of Iesu euerye knee shall bowe These woordes do contayne seuere threateninges againste the ennemies of Christe The holy martyre S Steuen had the like meanynge also when he said Beholde I sethe heauens open and the sonne of man standynge at the right hande of the power of God. 45 If Dauid then called him lorde how is he then his sonne A. Our sauiour Christ concludeth with greate boldenesse that there shoulde be somewhat more in the Messias than the Humanitie M. Yet notwithstandinge hee dothe not this to proue that hee is the sonne of Dauid but to reproue the ignorance and blindenesse of the hie priestes scribes and Phariseyes by the whiche they iudged nothynge elles of Chryste than that whiche mighte also appertayne to the sonne of a man A. They dyd so assigne vnto him the terrene and transytorye kyngdome that they neuer remeÌ„bred the heauenly and euerlasting power with the whiche the father endewed his sonne Hee seeketh therefore to brynge theim to the consyderation of this heauenly kingedome 46 And no man was able to answere him any thinge neither durste any man from that daye forthe aske him any mo questions C. They dyd perceiue the power of God in his aunsweres the whiche they were not able to resiste excepte they shoulde seeme to contend and striue against God and that in vayne M. These woordes are added of the Euangelistes partely to declare the lighte of the trewthe whyche cannot be extinguished and partelye to declare howe hardely the mallyce of the wicked maye be ouerthrowne For although they be not able to make any answere nor dare any more aske hym questions to proue him yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to hate But this profyte commeth by the confusion of the ennemies of the trewthe namely that theyr impudencie is reuealed And this is the cause that the Apostel Paule commaunded Tytus to reproue sharpely the obstinate with wholesome doctrine The xxiii Chapter THEN spake Iesus to the people and to his disciples sayinge The Scribes and the Phariseis syt in Moyses seate Then spake Iesus to the. Bu. When our sauiour Christ had tried and assaied all the waies and meanes hée coulde and seynge there was nowe no hope left to conuert the hie priestes and rulers of the people at any time vnto the lorde for they were fully determined to perseuer in their errours and obstinatly to peryshe in their synnes leaste they should bring the people with them selues into the same ruine and destruction hee teacheth them at the laste to beware and take hede C. This admonition aboue al other was necessary profitable that amonge the discordes dissentions burliburlies in matters troblesome confused in the dissipatioÌ„ of the right lawfull order the autoritie notwithstanding of the word of God shuld remaine safe sound For to this ende did the purpose of Christ tende leaste the people beynge offended at the wickednes of the Scribes shoulde cast from theÌ„ the reuerence of the lawe For we knowe howe easely the myndes of men are inclyned to disdaine the same speciallye when the lyfe of the pastor or teacher is dissolute and louse and not agreable to his doctrine For then al men for the moste parte by theyr exaumple thincke that they maye do the lyke without daunger of ponishement The lyke yea a greate deale worse coÌ„meth to passe by discorde discention and strife For the greater parte the yoake beinge caste of geue them selues to pleasure burste forthe into extreame contempte But at that tyme the Scribes were excedynge couetouse they swelled with pryde and ambition and theyr rapyne gredynesse and terrible crueltie was so wel known with the corruption of theyr manners that they myghte seeme to haue conspyred the vtter destruction of the lawe Besyde this they had peruerted the true and naturall sence of the law with their false commentes and interpretations in so muche that Chryste was constrayned sharpely to contende with them because that a wonderful outragious madnesse caryed theim headlonge to extynguyshe the lyghte of the trewthe Therefore because it was daungerouse leaste that manye partely by suche corruptions and partely by the tumulte of contentions shoulde wholly contempne and despyse trewe godlynesse Chryste in good tyme meeteth with the same and pronounceth it to be done amisse if that trewe religion and reuerence of the lawe runne into contempte throughe the wyckednesse of menne Seinge the Scrybes were altogether obstynate ennemies of the trewthe because through theyr tyrannye they helde the Churche in oppression Chryste was constrayned to deâ—…ecte and dysclose theyr wyckednes For excepte that good and simple menne had bene drawne from theyr seruytude and hoâ—…dage the passage and waye had bene shutte and stopt against the Gospel There was also an other reason namely because the people thought that to be lawefull for them whiche they saw their guides and ringeleaders do and fayned vnto them selues a lawe of theyr vicious and corrupte manners Moreouer leste any man should misconstrue that which he
respecte to the office committed vnto hym of his father euen as he did at an other tyme when he sayde that it belonged not vnto him to set this or that man at his lefte or righte hande in the kingdome of his father For he did simplelye detracte that power from hym selfe as we haue already declared vppon that place but he meaneth that he was not sente of the father with this cōmandement so longe as he was conuersante amonge mortall men And thus we now perceiue that in respect that he came vnto vs to bee a Mediator he receiued not that whiche was geuen vnto hym after his resurrection vntill he had fulfilled his office For then at the lengthe he affirmed that the power of all thinges was geuen vnto him Bu. As therefore he toke vpon him all the infirmitis of man and was like vnto men in all thinges sinne only excepted so also he toke vnto him the knowledge the ignorance the reason and minde of man accordinge to the which he is saide not to know the latter daye And therfore in an other place it is said Iesus prospered in wysedome and age and in fauore with God men 37. But as the dayes of Noe were so shall also the commynge of the Sonne of man be But as the dayes of Noe vvere B. The Euangeliste Luke addeth to this the example of the Sodomites where by occasion not regardynge the time he reciteth this sermone of Christe But it is no absurditye that the twoo Euangelistes were contente with one example although twoo were propounded by Christ specially seing the same doth agrée in all pointes that all mankinde once beinge ouercome with securitye was sodenlye destroyed excepte a fewe By these thinges the Lorde mente that the daye of iudgement which he calleth the comminge of the Sonne of man and Luke the daye in the whiche the sonne of man shal be reuealed shall come when worldly men thinke not of it beinge altogether drowned in the cares and delights of this life euen as the floude and the vengeance of the Sodomites came in time paste on the wicked with theire horrible destruction C. Therefore althoughe Christe before suspended the mindes of his Disciples that they might not curiouslye inquire as concerning the later day yet notwithstandinge leaste they shoulde carelesly settell them selues in the pleasures of this worlde be exhorteth them nowe to carefulnes Therefore he woulde so haue his Disciples vncertaine of his comminge that neuertheles they might daylye be occupyed to wayte for hym euerye moment And to the ende he mighte putte awaye from them slouthfull negligence and mighte geue them occasion to take the more hede he foresheweth that the ende shall come sodenly the worlde beinge drowned and ouerwhelmed in beastlye slouthfulnes euen as in the dayes of Noe all nations were vnawares drowned in the floude when as they swetely crammed them selues wyth delightes and pleasures and a lytell after that the Sodomites being in the middest of their pleasures and fearinge nothing were consumed with heauenlye fyer Seing that the securitye of the worlde shall be suche towarde the latter daye there is no reason why the faythful should please them selues with the careles behauiour of the common sorte of people Nowe let vs note the purpose of Christ who leaste the faythful shoulde be sodenly ouerthrowne teacheth them to watche continually because the laste day of iudgemente will come vnloked for M And this is to be noted also howe the Lorde to confirme this bringeth not in anye similitude but a plaine example and suche a one whiche in tyme paste happened to the whole worlde and was not beleued till it came to passe that they whiche wyll not beleue things to come maye at leaste be moued by this crample that is paste The Apostel Peter also maketh mencion of these examples shewinge that GOD made them an ensample vnto those that after shoulde lyue vngodlye Howe greatly all thynges were corrupted in the time of Noe Moyses sufficiently sheweth in his firste booke Hereby wee are taughte that the faithfull shal be a very small nomber which shall lyfte vp their mindes vnto Christ and to the hope of his comminge But this obscure kynde of speakynge As it was in the dayes of Noe so shall the comminge of the Sonne of man be is more plainlye expounded by the Euangeliste sainct Luke when he saith And as it happened in the dayes of Noe so shall it he also in the dayes of the Son of man This he speaketh generallye Then recitinge the same particularly and as it were by parts he saythe they did eate and drinke they maried wyues and were maried euen vnto that same daye that Noe entered into the Arke Accordynge to these thinges shall the daye be in the whiche the Sonne of man shal be reuealed 38. For as in the dayes thot wente before the floude they dyd eate and drinke mary and were maryed euen vntill the daye that Noe entered into the ship For as in the daye M. Nowe he describeth the security of men whiche lyued wyckedlye in those dayes They did eate and drinke C. In that he saythe that men gaue them selues to eatynge and drinkynge to celebratynge of mariages and to other worldlye busynes when GOD destroyed the whole worlde with he floude he meaneth that they were so occupyed aboute the commodityes and pleasures of this present lyfe as thoughe there were no néede to feare anye alteration or chaunge So that he dothe not by this place directelye condemne the intemperancy of those times but rather the obstinacy by the whiche it came to passe that they despysinge the threateninges of GOD looked desperatelye for horrible destruction M. For who woulde haue maryed planted and buylded and that vntil the same daye in the whiche Noe entered into the Arke if this security had not raygned amonge them For they are not appointed for the present vse onelye but also for the time to come Seinge therefore they promised vnto them selues a durable state they were not afearde to go forwarde voyde of all care in they re olde fashions And truelye this of it selfe hadde not béene vitiouse or damnable to prouide for theire necessities if so be they hadde not carelestlye resisted the iudgemente of GOD ronninge hedlonge of their owne volontarye will into all kynde of wickednes as thoughe there were no Iudge in Heauen Euen so now Christ teacheth that the laste age of the worlde shal be altogether careles in so muche that it shall consider of nothynge but of this present lyfe and shall haue a continuall care to mayntayne the common course of lyfe as thoughe the earthe shoulde alwayes continewe in one state This the Apostell confirmeth sayinge When men saye peace and all thinges are quyete thee shall sodeyne destruction come vppon them Bu. And truely our people at this daye doe plainely declare by theire wycked maners and wonderfull contempte of the Gospell what oure Sauiour Christ meaneth in this place
Paule sayth that he careth not for mans iudgemēt but that his onely care is to be founde faithfull of the Lorde M. These thinges may be more playnly vnderstode if they be cōferred with that whiche followeth of the euell seruaunte 47 Verely I saye vnto you that he shall make him ruler ouer all his goodes M. By this parte of the similitude he only goeth about to shewe that the minister of Christe whiche is faithfull shall haue great honour and be made equall almost with his Lorde For when Ioseph was made ruler ouer all the kinges treasure in Aegipte he was reuerenced aboue all the kyng excepted And the Lorde hym selfe saythe I appointe vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drynke at my table in the kyngdome and syt on seates iudgeing the twelue tribes of Israell And the Apostle Paule speaketh thus of hym selfe I haue fought a good fighte I haue rōne my race I haue kept the faith and there is laide vp for me a crown of righteousnes which the lorde being aiust iudge shall geue to me at that daye And what the happynes of this faythfull seruaunt shal be the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the harte of mā C. Therefore let all those hereby learne whiche are called to an honourable office that the greater their office is the more thei are bounde with all their study and industry to discharge the same For seing it is the dutie of the common sorte of seruauntes to finishe the woorke committed vnto them stewardes must bee muche more dilligent to whome it pertaineth to haue a care of the whole housholde Otherwise Christe reproueth thē of ingratitude because they being chosen before al others frame not thē selues according to their honour For to what ende should the Lorde preferre thē before others but only because they should excel all others in faithe and wysdome A dilligent and sober attention is inioyned to all men alyke but yet for all that negligence and slouth is more vnsemely and lesse excusable in pastors and gouernours of the people Furthermore the hope also of the rewarde ought to kyndell a dilligence in them A. For they ought to be certainly perswaded that their paineful trauaile in their calling is moste acceptable vnto the Lorde and that he wyll requyte the same with a large rewarde 48 But and if that euell seruaunt saye in his harte my lorde wil be long a comming But and if the euell seruaunt saye Bu. Nowe of the contrary part he threateneth destruction to those ministers and others whiche being aduaunced to some degree of honour do not consider that they are made rulers ouer their fellowe seruauntes and that they must geue accompte vnto Christ but first of all do consume their Lordes substaunce and afterwarde shewe tyrannye against them In his harte M. This is spoken according to the māner of the Hebrues For a certaine secrete perswasiō of that minde So it is sayde in the Psalme The vngodly hath sayd in his harte there is no God that is he is fully perswaded that it is but vayne whiche is spoken of god C. Therefore Christe teacheth in these woordes howe it commeth to passe that the euell seruauntes are so secure or careles surely because they bearing themselues bolde vpon his long tariance do imagine that the daye will neuer come in the which they shall geue accompt M. Of suche the Apostell semeth to speake saying This firste vnderstande that there shall come in the last dayes mockers in deceitfulnes whiche wyll walke after their own lustes say where is the promise of his cōming for since the fathers died al things continue in the same estate that they were in the beginning Wherfore vnder the pretēce of Christes absence they promyse to them selues that they shall escape vnpunished For it can not bee but that the looking for him so often as it commeth in our myndes must put away all slouthfulnes restraine the fleshly affections least we be wickedly caried So that there can be no exhortacion more sharpe and of greater force to pricke vs forwarde than when we be put in minde of that tribunall seate whiche no man can auoyde Wherfore that euery one of vs may watche and seke to discharge oure duties and that we maye dilligently and modestly kepe our selues within our boundes let vs call to mynde that sodayne comming of our Lorde from aboue the whiche the reprobate wickedly contemne 49 And so beginne to smite his fellowes yea and to eate and drinke with the dronken M. This is the frute of the euell seruaunte whiche he bryngeth forthe by the false perswasion of the slackenes of his Lordes comming He dothe all thynges at his pleasure without feare Christe therfore by the waye sheweth howe easy a thing it is for bouldnes to increase when a man hauing once loused the raynes geueth hym selfe to synne Neither dothe Christe onely here make mēcion of a dissolute and wicked seruaunte but also of suche a one whiche obstinately seketh to disturbe the whole house and peruersely abuseth the power committed vnto hym exerciseth crueltie towardes his fellowe seruauntes and riotously speadeth his maisters goodes to his reproche This is the image and picture of a secure and careles seruaunte To the whiche if you compare the Pope the Cardinalles the Bishops Abbottes Priors Clarkes with the reste of the clergy and layitie also whiche serue Antechriste you wyll say that they are moste lyke of all other to that sluggishe careles seruaunt For these had rather syt to eate drinke with the dronken thā to repente at the preaching of the Gospell But thīke you that thei shal so do vnpunished no truly For harken to what followeth 50 The same seruauntes Lorde shal come in a day when he loketh not for him and in an hower that he is not ware of The same seruauntes Lorde shall come A. Beholde the payne and punishement of the wycked seruaunt Bu. Firste of all he shal be deceiued of his hope and expectation For when he saythe my lorde wylbe longe a comming the lorde shall come in a daye when he looketh not for hym and so the sodayne comminge of his maister shall bryng the greater terrour and feare A. And then shall followe greuous punishement For it followeth 51 And shall hewe him in pieces and geue hym his porcion with hypocrites there shall be weapynge and gnasshing of teethe And hevve hym in peeces Bu. It was the manner of those of oulde tyme to cutte the bodyes of them in pieces whiche had broken faythe and couenaunt with them Of the whiche matter we maye reade a long discourse in Aulus Gellius C. Here therfore a horrible punishement is added to terrifie the wicked seruaunt because suche vnbrydeled wyckednes deserueth the greater vengeaunce And geue him his portion vvith hypocrites B. He vsurpeth this worde portion or parte for
that condition and state of the faithfull shoulde not be to greuous vnto them if they be now constrayned to liue with the goates yea if they suffer of them sharpe stripes with their hornes and that they might take hede least their stinking smell infect them Thyrdly that they maye knowe that they loose not their laboure in leadinge a godly and innocente life because a difference shall at the lengthe appeare This place also serueth against their enterprise which go aboute in this life to seperate the goates frō the shepe the which thinge none can do but Christe at that time 33. And shall set the sheepe on his righte hand the goates on the left Thē shal the kinge say to them that be on the 34. right hande Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginninge of the worlde And hee shall set the sheepe Bu. The right hand is a place of felicitye and dignitye the left hande a place of vnhappines and miserye Wherevppon the auncient writers in steede of the right hand haue set downe vnto vs euerlastinge life and for the left hand perpetuall damnation And then shall the king saye C. Wee do see here that it is the office of Christe onelye which in this place calleth himselfe a kīg to seperate the good from the euill but not before the last day In the meane time the mynisters must labor diligētly to seperate the wolues the goates and the sicke shepe from the sheepe that are sounde for to this ende Ecclesiasticall discipline is ordayned the which oughte not to ve wantinge in the Church Yet notwithstandinge when they haue done their dutye to the vtmost there shall remaine still a mixture euen vntil the ende of the world because Christ only chalengeth this to himselfe to make a cleane purgation of his Churche and this purgation hee putteth of vntill the last day Come ye blessed of my father M. This boyce doth note the affection of a singuler fauore and of the loue of a frende The which affection Christ declared when hee was also in the worlde as when hee said Come vnto mee all ye that trauaile and are heauye laden I will refreshe you But who should come vnto this Iudge of the lyuinge and the dead except hee himselfe of his owne good will shoulde indue our mindes with a trust of comminge to him Ye blessed of my father That is to say ye beloued of my father being in my fathers grace and fauoure To to this is contrary Ye cursed of my father that is caste out of Gods fauoure and subiecte to his wrath C. But let vs note here the purpose of Christe for hee woulde haue his Dysciples to be nowe contented with hope that they might loke for the fruition of the Heauenly kingdome patientlye and with quiet mindes then hee woulde haue them carnestly occupyed and not to be weryed in the right race To this latter parte is referred this that hee promiseth the inheritance of Heauen to no other but to those which by good woorkes striue for the Palme and to the ende of the supernall callinge But before he speaketh of the rewarde of good woorkes hee sheeweth by the waye that the beginninge of saluation doth issue from a hyer springe For in callinge them the blessed of hys father he declareth that their saluation commeth by the free mercye of god For the blessed of God with the Hebrewes is as muche as the beloued of god Moreouer not onely the faithfull haue vsed this kinde of speache to set forthe the grace of God in men but they also whiche swerued from true godlines as Laban who saide to the seruaūt of Abraham Come in thou blessed of the lord Wee do see that these men had learned to geeue God the praise of all good thinges Wherefore there is no doubte but that Christ describinge the saluation of the godlye began at the free mercy of God by the whiche they are predestinate to lyfe who by the guidinge of the spirite in thys life aspyre to righteousnes To that effect also pertayneth that whiche hee sayth by and by Inherite the kingdome prepared for you Allthough a man might obiect and saye that a rewarde was layed vppe in store for the merits of those to come yet notwithstandinge if we waye the wordes without contencion wee shal graunt that there is a secrete commendation of the grace and mercye of god For Christ doth not simplely inuite the faithfull to possesse the kingdome as thoughe they should gette the same by their merits but doth plainly expresse that the same shal be geuen at the lengthe to the heyres Possesse sayth hee or as heyres possesse If it be an inheritaunce it falleth vnto vs because wee are the sonnes of God not by nature not by merits but by free adoption Saluation therefore commeth of free mercye not by merits or worthines Yet notwithstandinge the other ende is to be noted to the which the Lord had respect For althoughe the life of the godlye be nothinge els than a myserable and sorowfull exile in so muche that the earthe can scarce sustayne them in the time of persecution and althoughe they be in neede and suffer reproche and griefe yet notwithstandinge the Lorde sayth that there is a kingdome prepared for thē in another place that they mighte be of a good courage to ouercome all lettes and stayes This is no small exhortaciō and incouragement to pacience when men are certainlye perswaded that they labour not in vaine Therefore least the pride of the vngodly in the which they now reioyce should discourage vs leaste also our owne mynisters shoulde debilitate and quaile our hope let vs alwayes remember the inheritaunce which is prepared for vs in Heauē because it standeth not in hazarde but was appointed vnto vs by God before wee were borne Moreouer whereas it is here saide that the kingdome was prepared from the beginning of the world and in another place before the creation of Heauē and earth there is no absurdity in that at all For Christ doth not appoint here anye certaine time in the which the inheritaunce of euerlastinge life was geuen to the children of God but doth onely put vs in minde of the fatherlye care that God had for vs by the whiche hee embraced vs before wee were borne and dothe hereby also confirme the certaintye of our hope because all the troubles that we sustaine are not able to ouerthrow our life Some do cauil here saying that the kingdome was appointed of God to those whom he forsawe to be worthy But what could God forsee in vs but sinne onely Hee chose vs truly that wee shoulde be sanctifyed not because hee did foresee vs to be sanctifyed 35. For I was an hongered and yee gaue mee meate I was thirstye and ye gaue mee drincke I was harborles and ye toke mee in B. Because the workes of loue are here added the Papistes beinge defenders of superstions
do contende sayinge than we domerit the kingdome of God by our workes C. But if the cause of our saluation were disputed of here they shoulde not gather amisse that wee deserue eternal lyfe by our good workes but seing the purpose of Christ was nothinge els than to exhort his Disciples to the studye of a godly life they do falsely gather of his wordes that oure woorkes are able to merite In that they stande vppon the casuall worde For it is nothinge For we know that the cause is not alwayes noted but rather the consequence when eternall life is promised to the iust Howbeit there is a more plaine aunsweare to be made For wee do not deny a reward to be promised to good workes but wee say that the free reward is not promised to good workes because it dependeth of the adoption The Apostle Paule reioyseth that there is a croune of righteousnes layed vp for him but wherevppon hath he this trust but onlye because hee was a member of Christe which is the only heyre of the celestiall kingdome Hee sayth that the iust Iudge shall geeue him this crowne but howe hath hee this reward but onely because hee is freely adopted and indued with righteousnes of the whiche wee are all voyde These two thinges therefore are to be noted namelye that the faithfull are called to the possession of the heauenly kingdome in respect of good woorkes not because they haue deserued the same by the righteousnes of workes or because they of their owne strength can gette the same to themselues but because God doth iustifye those whom hee hath first chosen Secondly although by the guiding of the spirite they aspyre to the study of righteousnes yet notwithstādinge because they neuer satisfye the lawe of God there is no rewarde due vnto them but that is called a rewarde which is geuen to them freely Z. Moreouer it is a thinge often vsed in the Scriptures to geeue that vnto the latter which belongeth vnto the first as to workes that which pertayneth to fayth and againe that is oftentimes attributed to faith which is onelye proper to the deuine election Wherefore these workes here added muste not so be taken as thoughe for them God will call the electe to the possession of his kingdome but because these woorkes do testify that they are blessed of the father and chosen to the possession of the kingdome before the worlde was made by the whiche workes they declared that they were endued with the spirite of the father For to blesse the needy is a worke only belonging to the spirite of the father 36. I was naked and ye clothed mee sicke and ye visited mee I was in prisō and ye came vnto mee I vvas naked and yee clothed mee C. Christe doth not recken vp here all the partes of a godly and holy lyfe but onely toucheth for examples sake certaine duties of charitie by the whiche we declare that we worship God. For although the worshippe of God doth farre excell the loue of men and therfore faythe and inuocation are preferred before almes dedes yet notwithstanding Christe dothe iustly set before vs the testimonies of true righteousnes whiche doe more appeare If a man shoulde bee beneficiall to his neighboures and liberal to the poore and yet a cōtemner of God his mercy would profite him nothing at all to please God because in the meane tyme he defraudeth him of his right Christ therefore doth not place the sūme of righteounes in almes dedes but doth shewe as it were by more familiar signes what it is to lyue godly iustly the the faythful truely might not only professe with the mouthe but also proue by serious exercises that they woorship god Wherefore fantasticall mad men doe very preposterously vnder the coloure of this place withdrawe thē selues bothe from the hearing of the woorde and also from the vse of the holy supper from other spirituall exercises because by the same coloure they would also reiect faith the bearing of the crosse prayers chastity and suche lyke But truely Christe mente nothyng lesse than to restrayne the rule of lyfe whiche is conteyned in the two tables of the lawe to parte of the seconde table Yet notwithstanding these are the true exercises of Christians to doe good vnto their neyghboures And by this meanes God shall haue a tryall of vs whether we loue hym truely or no. For seing that hypocrites fayne them selues to serue God it is shewed vnto them out of the seconde table that their seruice is false For he whiche stealeth curseth and so forth although he be dayly occupied in prayer yet he bewrayeth his impietie euen as he that dothe well declareth his goodnes to al men There are truely some tymes wycked persones whiche are innocent among men and yet in the meane time idolaters And therefore bothe do comprehende pietie and loue for loue onely is not sufficient neither is that preferred before fayth and the inuocation of God for the worship of God is more excellent than any dutie belonginge to men seing the duties whiche pertayne vnto men do stande vpon the worship and pietie in god M. There are also many other excellēt workes which without all doubte shall be acknowledged and allowed at that daye in Christians as the woorkes of those whiche wyll forsake all yea their lyfe for Christes sake that faithfully worke in dispensing misteries many other suche lyke but hee reherseth those whiche maye generally agree to all Christians in so muche that he whiche is founde here voyde of synceritie may be reiected as one not pertayning vnto Christe Although therefore Christe commending vnto vs loue excludeth not the duties pertaining to the worship of God yet notwithstāding he teacheth his disciples that this shal be the lawefull triall of holy lyfe namely if they exercise them selues in loue according to the saying of the Prophete I wyll haue mercy and not sacrifice because that hypocrites being couetous cruel deceiuers violent dealers proude and suche lyke do notwithstanding fayne holines by the pompe shewe of ceremonies Whereby also we gather that if we couet to haue our lyfe allowed and accepted before the hie Iudge we may not wander in our own inuencions but we muste rather consider what he doth specially require of vs For whosoeuer shall depart from his commaūdementes all though thei trouble weary them selues in fayned woorkes yet neuerthelesse at the laste daye they shall heare this sayd vnto them Who sought for these thinges at your handes I vvas in pryson and ye came vnto me Z. Of these syxe whiche are here rehersed the Moonkes and suche like rables haue made vnto them selues syxe woorkes of mercy when as notwithstanding there are many mo than syxe And Christ according to the manner of the Hebrewes reckeneth a certaine nomber and that of the chiefe among many vnder the which by a figure called Synecdoche he lefte the reste to be vnderstode C. For to
For they shewe that the declaration of the resurrection in Christe was of such estimation to the Apostels and faythfull that thereby they were moued to worship him as the God Lord. For he is declared to bee the sonne of God by the power of the resurrection But some doubted M. It is marueile that some here should doubt as yet hauing so often times before sene Christe But it ought not to seme absurde vnto vs if the reliques of feare whiche remayned behinde caused some of them to doubte and wauer a newe For we knowe that so often as Christe appeared they were afearde and amased vntill they had better remēbred them selues and bene a whyle conuersaunt with hym Wherefore the meaning is that certayne in the beginning doubted vntill suche tyme as Christe had bene more nere and familiar with them but when hee was certainly knowen vnto them they worshipped hym because in dede the brightnes of his glory was manifest vnto them These thinges being ended they retourned to Hierusalem where the Lorde commaunded them to abyde as wytnesseth S. Luke saying And beholde I wyll sende the promyse of my father vpon you But tary ye in the cittie of Hierusalem vntyll ye bee indewed with power from an highe 18 And Iesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth Ann Iesus came and spake vnto them C. There is no doubte but that Christe by this sentence toke all doubte from them Sayinge All povver is geuen to me Before the Euangeliste doth shewe howe the office of teaching was inioyned by Christe to the disciples he sayth that Christe began to speake of his power and not without cause For he had nede to haue no small authoritie but great and deuine power whiche should cōmaunde eternall lyfe to be promysed in his name the whole worlde to bee brought vnder his gouernement and a doctrine to be publyshed whiche pluckyng downe all pryde of fleshe should humble mankynde And certainly by this beginning Christ did not onely erecte his Apostles to the bolde truste of executinge their office but also stablyshed the faythe of his Gospell throughout al Ages The Apostels truly would neuer haue bene perswaded to take in hande so harde an office excepte they had knowen that their reuenger dyd syt in heauen to whome all power was committed For without suche defence it was impossible to profite any thing at all But truely when they heare that he is Lorde of heauen and earth for whome they woorke by this one thyng they are sufficiently armed to ouercomme all lettes But and if the condition of those whiche preache the Gospell seme base and cōtemptible to the hearers let them learne to lyfte vp their eyes to the authour thereof by whose power the maiestie of the Gospel ought to be wayed And so it wyll come to passe that they dare not despyse hym speakyng by his ministers Therefore that the Apostels might knowe that they are not sente of man but of hym which hath ful power he sayth Al power is geuen to me In heauen and in earthe Christe dothe here playnely make hym self bothe Lorde and kynge as well of heauen as earth because he makyng men subiecte vnto hym by the preaching of the Gospell appointeth the seate of his kyngdome in earth and regenerating those that are his into a newe lyfe and inuitinge them to the hope of saluation openeth the heauēs that he may take them vp into blessed immortalitie with the Aungels whiche before were drowned in death And we must remember that Christe being equall with the father was neuer destitute of power so that it was geuen vnto hym nowe in our fleshe or in the persone of a mediatour For hee speaketh not here of the power whiche he had before the creatiō of the worlde but of that whiche he nowe receyued being made the iudge of the worlde B. Of this therefore hee admonisheth his disciples to the ende they myght the more wyllingly take in hande the preachinge of the Gospell when they should knowe them selues to bee his imbassadours whiche had power of all thinges 19. Go yee therefore and teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye Ghoste Go ye therefore and teache A. Marke as it were expoundinge these wordes sayth Go ye into the whole world Bu. By that which woordes Christe doth set forth and expresse the boūdes and lymits of his kingdome excludinge no nation The summe of these wordes is that by publishinge the Gospell euerye where they maye bringe all nacions to the obedience of the faithe and that they may seale and confirme their doctrine with the seale of the Gospell M. By the force of this worde it came to passe that this embassage of the Apostles pearced throughoute the whole world and preuailed againste all tyran◅es For such is the power of the worde of Christ that being once spoken it setteth it selfe againste all the deceites of Sathan and the worlde Otherwise howe was it possible for this new and straunge doctrine to be brought into the whole worlde of symple men and of no power and the impietye of the whole worlde to be reuealed and condemned except his vertue and power had ayded this imbassage And teache The Euangeliste Marke expresseth what they shoulde teache sayinge The Gospell And a little hereafter in our Euangeliste there is added a restrainte namely that they should teache to obserue those thinges which the Lord had cōmaunded A. Neither is it sayd onely to Peter whom the Papistes would make the head of the Churche Christes vicar Preache ye and teache yee but to all the Apostles a like therefore all the mynisters of the worlde ought to preache and teache And this office was appointed and commaunded of Christ himselfe What the Gospell is wee haue shewed in the firste Chapter goinge before Neither doth Christe commaunde anye other thinge to be taughte than that whiche hee had already preached as we maye see in the fourth Chapter goinge before And in another place hee saith Christ went about all Citties and Townes teachinge in their Sinagoges and preachinge the Gospell of the kingdome Also hee affyrmeth that hee is sente to this ende when he sayth I must preache the Gospell of the kingdome to other Citties for this cause was I sent And to this ende he sendeth his seruaunts C. Whereby wee gather that the Apostleship is not a vaine title but a laborious offyce therefore there can be nothinge more absurde than for men to liue idlely and to reiecte this office of teachinge whiche vsurpe vnto themselues this honour The Pope of Rome and his rable proudly boast of this succession as though hee were equal with Peter and his fellowes But they haue no more care to teache than had the priestes of Pan Bacchus or Venus But with what face can they presume to come into their place whom they heare to be ordayned
of age are not able by fayth to comprehende the grace of God yet notwithstanding God speaking to their parentes dothe also comprehende them As wel may be proued by this place I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee A. By this place also many do gather that wee could not be saued without baptisme But as S. Paule sayth that the confession of the mouthe is necessary to saluation euenso Christ here speaketh of baptisme Baptisme is necessarily required because it is the pleasure of God to haue vs baptized notwithstandinge wee muste not hereby gather that wee cannot otherwise be saued Fayth also is necessarily required to vnderstande the worde For fayth commeth by hearinge Can not God for al that geue vs faith by some other meane Hee can no doubt but this is the meane whiche hee hath appointed In the name of the father C. This place teacheth that the full and perfecte knowledge of God which was onely obscurely shadowed vnder the lawe and the Prophetes sprange forth at the lengthe vnder the kingdome of Christe The fathers of oulde time truly durst neuer haue called God theyr father except they had taken this trust frō Christ their head neither was the eternall wisedome of God which is the well of light and life altogether hiddē from them But by the beginninge of the Gospell God was more plainlye reuealed vnder three personnes because then the father in the Sonne by his liuely and expresse Image manifestlye declared himselfe but Christe himselfe shyninge throughe the whole world by the brightnes of his spirite so set forth this spirite himselfe that the world might know him But mencion is not here made of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost without cause for that the force of Baptim cannot otherwise be apprehended than to begin at the free mercye of God the father which reconcileth vs to himselfe by his only begotten Sonne then we must behould Christ with the sacrifice of his death last of all wee must remember the power of the holye Ghost by whom he doth wash and regenerate vs and make vs partakers of all his benefites So that wee see God cannot be rightlye knowne except that our fayth do distinctly conceiue three personnes in one essence and that the efficacy and fruit of baptisme doth come hereof because God the father doth adopt vs in his sonne and doth bring vs vnto righteousnes beinge purged by the spirite from all the filthy spots of the fleshe Therefore to be baptised in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holye Ghoste is to enter and consecrate those which are baptised into the fayth and Religion of one God that they maye beleue the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be one God to whom alone they oughte to truste and that the Sonne and the holye Ghost are nothinge els but the very essence of God acknowledginge the father who hath adopted them The Sonne by whom they are accepted and the holye Ghoste by whom they are regenerate Furthermore hereby the godhead of the personnes is proued against all heretiques For if wee be Baptised in the name of the Sonne then the Sonne is God if in the holy Ghost thē the holy Ghost is god The Euangelist Marke addeth sayinge Hee that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued but hee which beleueth not shal be damned C. This promise was added to draw all mankind to the fayth as was also the threatninge of dampnation to the vnbeleuinge to terrefye them Baptisme is ioyned with fayth of the Gospell to the ende we might know the marke of our saluation to be ingraued in the same For except it were effectuall to testifye the grace of God Christ improperly had sayde that they shal be saued which beleue and are baptised Moreouer he cannot be sanctifyed inuisiblelye whiche contemneth and regardeth not the visible Sacramentes not that they are so necessarye as wee saide before that we cannot be saued without them but because thereby wee shew our obedience to God who hath ordayned this thinge And he which beleueth not shal be damned C. Christ by this part doth declare that the obstinate in reiecting the grace offered vnto them do bringe vnto themselues the greater punishment The Lord himselfe in another place expoundeth what it is to be damned sayinge Hee that beleueth on the Sonne hath euerlastinge life hee that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him 20 Teachinge them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the ende of the world Teachinge them to obserue C. This is the other part of Christian doctrine that when wee shall beleue the Gospell and beleuing the grace of Christ and remission of sinnes shall apprehende true saluation we might obey the commaundementes of the Lorde and maye keepe those thinges whiche are taught by the Apostles as if they were commaunded of the Lorde Moreouer by these woordes Christe doth declare that he doth not wholy resigne vnto them his office as thoughe hee woulde ceasse to be the maister of his Churche For he sendeth forth his Apostles with this exception that they thruste not vnto men theyr owne inuentiōs but that they do pure lye and faithfullye dispense from hande to hande as it were that which hee himselfe hath commaunded And I would to God the Pope would submit the right which he arrogateth to himselfe to this rule For wee would easlye graunt him to be the successor of Peter or Paule if so be hee would not tyrannicallye raigne in the consciences of men But seinge the maistershippe and auctoritye of Christ beinge refused hee infecteth the Churche with his vaine trifles it doth sufficientlye hereby appeare howe farre he is from the Apostolicall office In fine let vs note that such are appointed teachers of the Church not which bring forth what seemeth vnto them good but whiche depende vppon the mouthe of their maister onlye that they may bringe Dysciples vnto him not to themselues Ye know saith the Apostle Paule what commaūdementes I haue geuen you by the Lord Iesus And S. Peter sayth If any man talke let him speake as the words of god M. But Christ speaketh not here of one or two commaundementes but of all hys doctrine which wee haue set forth vnto vs by his Apostles and Euangelistes A. Wherevppon the Apostle Paule going about to shew how faithfully he had done his duty sayth I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsaile of god M. We must also note that the Lord sayth not Teaching them to know and vnderstand but To keepe all those thinges vvhich I haue commaunded For althoughe the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ be required of the faithfull yet notwithstandinge the ende in learninge is not here prescribed to a Christian that he may only know those thinges which are good right but that he
Dissention is a deadly thinge 260. Dissemulation 73. Diuorcementes are forbidden 417. Diuorcementes 101. Doctrine without authority is of small force 200. Doubtinge putteth awaye faythe 467. Dreames supernaturall and naturall 13. E. Error that commeth ignorantlye is sone put away 53. Error increaseth godlynes beinge awaye 307. Error being grounded truth is abolished 351 Error of the Rabbines 383. Error of the Scribes 383. Error of the Anabaptistes 392. Error in interpreters 421. Error in Hierome 422. Encrease commeth by Gods blessinge 347. Equitye 141. Esseyes 45. Externall profession is nothinge 147. Externall repenâ—â—nce must be auoyded 239. Excommunication 406. Eradication of the wicked 336. Eternall life cannot be boughte 299 Eternall dampnation 414. F. Faith doubteth no peril in the coÌ„minge of Christ 193. Fayth muste be confessed with the mouth 222. Faith is not gotten by mans wisedome 241. Faythfull men are the brethren of Christ 275. Fayth commeth by hearinge 340. Fayth cannot be beaten downe 342. Fayth in the woman of Chanaan 343. Fayth obtayneth all thinges 345. Fayth is the gift of God 359. Fayth of three sortes 387. Fayth is of more power than fastinge and prayer 388. Fayth 188. 536. Faythfull meÌ„ haue the Lord their watchman 140. Fayth hath his effect 159. 160. Fayth beinge awaye our prayers are not hearde 159. Fayth bringeth all things to passe 172. 190. Faith in the Parents profiteth infantes 173. Fayth and grace are ioyned together in the woorke of saluation 189. Fayth only obtayneth remission of sinnes 189. Fayth turneth the curse into a blessinge 608. Fayth is holpen by Sacramentes 643. False Religion 8. False teachers 143. False Prophetes shal be punished 146. 557. False Christes 571. False teachers teache in â—…n vnknowen tongue 574. False witnes 674. Fame of Christ 73. Familiar thinges are not esteemed Fast in Lent 59. Fast of Papistes 59. 126. Fast of Christe most myraculous 59. Fastinge must be voluntarye not constrayned 184. Fastinge helpeth prayer 389. Fayned worship of God is abhominable 334. Feare in the Apostles 166. Feare in generall is not euill 166. Feare is contrary to fayth 188. Feare alwayes remayneth in the wicked 309. Feare taketh awaye oftentimes the sences of man 322. Feare putteth away trust 323. Feare vaine glory are alwayes ioyned with impiety 479. Feare of hell is euen in the electe 608. Feare pertayneth to the electe and reprobate 743. Felicity consisteth not in meate drincke 61. Feastinge is not withoute manye euils 310. Forewarning of dangers is profitable 210. Fortitude of the faithfull 445. Fortune is condemned 221 Flattery begileth simplicity 267. Flatterers 452. Flattery in frendship 662. G. God neuer fayleth those that are his 29. Godly deedes peruerted by the wicâ—…ed 30. Gods spirite cannot be seene 54. Gods spirite is of great force 57. Gods woorde is oure weapon to beate downe Sathan 61. Gods prouidence 62. 63 132. 171. 220. God alone muste be worshipped 66. Gods promises are immutable 90. God is euerye where 104. God is liberall to all men 110. God is our father 118. Gods kingdome 120. Gods will 120. Gods blessing encreaseth all thinges 122. God muste be serued with al oure harte 130. God is readye to graunte our requestes 139. Gods countenaunce is terreble to the wicked 171 Gods giftes ought not to be sould 204. Gods Iustice 239. God hath no respect of personnes God is Lorde of the whole earth 241. Gods purpose cannot â—…ltered 243. Gods election 272. God is not the author of euil 398. God turneth all things to the best 415. God the author of all goodnes 428. God a prseent helpe in trouble 439. Gods grace is swete to those that enioye it 439. God needeth not mans helpe 483. God is a God of the lyuinge 511. Gospell is a generall calling 498. Gospell is a reconcilliation betwene God and man 364. Gospell is the keye of life 362. Gospell came from God 234. Gospell consisteth of two partes 40. Gospell is a fan 51. Gospell is hated because it is sharpe salte 84. Gospell is subiect to slauÌ„ders 89. Gospel is a precious pearle 139. Good works ought to be in Christians 87. Good workes may not be done for vaine glory 87. Good woorkes are saide to be oures by imputacion 87. Good workes are not the cause of saluation 373. Good woorkes are a seale of oure fayth 374. Generall Iudgement 499. Generall counselles 409. Generall day of Iudgement 409. Glory prepared for the righteous 297. Grace made the Gentiles the sonnes of God 343. H. Hatred must be auoyded 109. Harlots enuye those that reproue them 311. Helpe commeth from the Lord in time of neede 213. Hell fyer 608 Hell gates shall not preuaile against fayth 361. Herode feared to put Iohn to death 309. Herodes blindnes 23. Hermits 40. Hell fyer 96. Health of the bodye is more set by than soules health 73. Hierusalem the sanctuary of God. 16. Hope bringeth consolation 190. Hope hath her frute 52. Honour due vnto Parents 331 Holines without brotherly loue is hypocrisye Holines consisteth not in outward shewes 183. Hypocrisy pretendeth religioÌ„ 348. Hypocrisy most abhominable 469. Hypocrits turne the truth of God into a lye 470. Hypocrites are hardly brought to repentaunce 481. Hypocrites haue a pretence 27. Hypocrisy 27. 150. Hypocrits feare to be detected 45. Hypocrites are secure 48. Hypocrites haue a cloake 73. Hypocrisy in geuinge almes 112. Hypocrits of diuers kinds 113 Hypocrisye is ambitious 115. Hyerlinges 146. Humillity 156. Humillity in Christ hid his glory from the reprobate 38. Humillity and the reward thereof 395. Humillitye pertayneth to all estates 451. Humâ—…llity is ioyned with the prayers of the godly 652. I. Idolatry 66. Idle wordes 268. Idle prelates are not sente 442 Impaciente persons cannot beare the yoake 75. Images oughte not to be in the Churche 379. Immoderate care 131. Impudencye in Papistes 85. InconstaÌ„cy 232. Ignorance in the Apostles is not an example for blinde guides to followe 71. Ignoraunce is the originall of excessiue care 134. Ignoraunce peruerteth all good workes 196. Ignoraunce oughte not to be in a teacher 301. Ignoraunce is the cause of error 58. Ignoraunce is not the mother of deuotion 242. 334. Inheritance of the godly 77. Indifferent thinges ought not to be tyed to necessity 328. Indulgences 91. Iniurye 98. Iniury must be borne 108. Infidels haue no profite by gods benefites 457. Infidels are alwayes vnprepared for the Lords comminge 593. Ingratitude in the Gaderenites 171. Ingratitude maketh vs to forget God 323. Ingratitude is the cause that wee are ouercome in temptacioÌ„ 353. Ingratitude punished 496. Inuocation 595. Infantes receiued of Christ 425. Infantes are made partakers of the grace in Christ 426. Iosephes zeale 12. Iohn the Baptiste 39. Iohn the forerunner of Christ 41. Iohn Baptist led an Austere life 43. Iohns constancy 46. Iohn Baptistes modesty 53. Iohn the Baptist is called Helias 383. Iudgemente 94. 136. 536. Iudgement doth not ouerthrowe remission of sinnes 268. Iudgement of hypocrites 499. Iudas a patterne of Popishe repentaunce 686. Iust
saye amonge the members of one ecclesiastical body and professors of one Christian religion For S Paule saith what haue I to do to iudge of thē that are forreiners Therefore if any whiche is called a brother be a whoremonger eyther a couetouse person or a worshiper of Images or a slaunderer or suche like with such see that ye eate not And thus far as concernynge the fyrste degree of brotherlye admonition 16 If he heare the not then take yet with thee one or twoo that in the mouthe of two or three witnesses euery matter may be established And if he heare thee not Bu. The second degree is a more seuere and sharpe admonition before twoo or three witnesses C. by the whiche he that behaued hym selfe so stoutely before one man may be admonished Bu. For if thou canst nothinge preuayle with a wycked man by frendely familiar and priuate admonytion take vnto thee certaine graue men and such as thou knowest the partie that is gyltie to be afraide of by reason of authoritie in the presence of whom vrge him whome thou wouldeste haue reformed with vehemencie Obiection But some do obiecte here that witnesses are called in vaine if that we haue to do with a selfe wild and obstinate person because he wyll be so farre from acknowledgynge his falte in their presence that he wyll more impudentely stande in the same and denie his falt Those that thus obiecte maye easely be answered if that we distinguish and make a difference betwene the kindes of denyinge and continuinge obstinate Hee whiche precisely denyeth his facte and affirmeth that hee is vniustely burthened must be omitted because in vayne he shoulde be vrged to the confession of his falte before witnesses But because many men do seeke to auoyde that peruersely whiche wickedly they haue committed or elles impudently do excuse the same vntyll they be vrged and pressed by greate authoritie and proofe this way is very well obserued And that the wordes of Christe oughte thus to be vnderstode it is euident by the woorde of reprouing whiche was mentioned in the verse goinge before To reproue or rebuke is by demonstration to conuince and ouercome But how sholdest thou conuince him of his falte which obstinately denieth the whole matter For he whiche withoute shame denyeth his falte dothe take away all occasion to be admonished any more Nowe let vs see to what ende Christ wolde haue witnesses Surely to this ende that the admonition might be more seriouse and of greatter waighte That in the mouthe of tvvo or three vvitnesses E. He vseth this woorde mouthe for the woorde or testimony as if he should say that the whole accusation shold be firme and ratifyed by the testimony of twoo or three that if it shoulde happen any man to be so impudente that afterwarde hee wolde denye that he had offended that in such case he might be conuinced by those wytnesses But when as any man shall deny in the presence of two or thre wytnesses that he hath offended and refuseth to acknowledge his falte then we muste commit the matter vnto God for we can procede no farther notwithstandyng in the meane tyme he shall haue those that were present witnesses of his obstinacy This place is taken out of the law namely out of the ninetene chap. of Deutronomy the whiche place our sauiour Christ tourneth somewhat into an other sence yet no absurditie therby aryseth Moyses forbiddeth to pronoūce or iudge vpō any secrete or vnknown matter And he saith that this is the lawefull way of tryinge that by the testimony of twoo or thre the case shoulde stande and be stablished Christ speakinge of the same lawe sayth that the cause is sufficient when two or three witnesses do aryse to condemne the contumacy of the man Neyther shall he haue any iust cause to complayne for the publishinge of his falte whiche hath refused to heare twoo or three 17 If he heare not theim tell it vnto the congregation If he heare not the cōgregation let him be vnto thee as an Heathen and as a Publican If he heare not them Bu. The thirde degree is the sharpe and seuere reprehension before the Churche or congregation For if the offender be not tractable but peruerse obstinate impenitent so shamelesse that hée despyseth all admonitiō and exhortacion goeth forwarde in his filthy conuersation and defyleth himselfe and others to thē must the matter be wholely referred to the Congregation that before the same hée maye be reproued more sharpely thē hée was before and be made also ashamed openlye Tell it vnto the Congregation C. It maye be demaunded what hée meaneth by the name of Congregation For Paule commaundeth that the Corinthian which was gilty of most filthy and abhominable incest shoulde not be excomunicated not of any certaine number but of the whole Congregation and therefore it maye séeme probable that Iudgemēt was here committed to the whole multitude But because at that time ther was no Church which had geuen her name vnto Christe nor no such order appointed and because the Lord himselfe speaketh according to the maner of the time there is no doubt but that hée applyeth it to the order of the olde Churche euen as in certayne other places hée frameth his speache according to the knowen custome When hée commaunded to leaue the offringe at the Altar vntill wée were reconciled to our offended brother there is no doubt but that by the present and legall forme of the worship of God hée would teache that wée cānot pray aright nor offer any thing vnto God so longe as wée are at dissention with our brethren Hée had respecte therefore after this maner to the discipline which was nowe vsed of the Iewes because it had bene very absurde to commit Iudgemēt vnto the Church which was not But seing the Auctority and power of excommunication belonged to the Elders amonge the Iewes the which Elders did represent the person of the whole Church Christ very aptlye and to the purpose saith that they which offende must be brought vnto the Church if disdainfully they cōtemned secreete admonition and scoffed at the same Wée do knowe that when the Iewes were retourned from the exile and banishemente of Babilon a counsell being chosē which they called Sinhedrim a lawe and reformation of manners and Doctrine was appointed This rule and gouernement was lawfull and acceptable vnto God and it was a brydell to restraine and kéepe in good order all such as were peruerse and vnrulye Obiection If any mā obiecte and saye that in Christes time all thinges were corrupted and out of order that nothinge lesse ought to be compted the Iudgement and lawe of the Church thā such cruell gouernement We may easelye aunswere that althoughe there were then a corrupte and peruerse waye yet notwithstanding that Christ doth iustlye commende the order which before tyme was appointed of the fathers But whē as within short time after hée
had erected the Church and had taken away the corruption hee restored the pure vse of excōmunication Notwithstanding there is no doubte but that the order of discipline which floryshed vnder the kyngdome of Christe succeded and came in the place stéede of the olde And trulye seinge the prophane Gentiles obserued and kepte the shadowed right and custome of excomunicatinge it is euidente that it was put into the myndes of men by God from the beginning that if any were polluted and vncleane they might be stayed from holy thinges It had bene a shame therefore and great reproche vnto the people of God to haue beene experte and altogether ignorante of that discipline of the which there was a remnant left among the Gētyles But Christe putteth that vnto vs which was obserued vnder the lawe because the matter standeth wyth vs as it did with the fathers And yet for all that it was not the purpose of Christ to sende his disciples to the Sinagoge which willingly suffered it selfe to be defyled wyth filthy spots and excomunicated the true and simple worshippers of God A. of the which matter wée haue an euidente example in the man that was blinde from his natiuity But hée admonished them that an order ought to be obserued in his Churche which order before time was appointed very Godly vnder the law C. If any man obstinatelye reiecte the first admonitions or continuing in hys vyce declareth himselfe to contemne the same when that he is admonished the seconde time againe before witnesses hee must be brought before the Iudgemente of the Churche that is before the Elders of the Congregation according to the cōmaundement of Christ where hée must be more sharpely reprehended as by publique Actoritye that if hée reuerence the Church hee may submit himselfe obey But if hee heare not the Church A. As if hée had sayd But and if hee be as yet so incurable that hee will not be corrected neyther by secrete and brotherly admonition neither by the conscience consent and agreement of two or three neither by the shame of the publishinge and disclosinge the faulte neither by the auctority of the Elders then leaue him to his sinne let him be cut of from the company of men and let him be of no better estimation then if he were a heathen or a Publican C. That which is spoken here of heathē men and Publicans confirmeth the former interpretacion where wée spake of those kinde of men For because heathen men and Publicanes were greatly hated and detested amonge the Iewes hée compareth vncleane and incurable persōnes to such Notwithstanding that heathen men and Publicanes were so abhominable in the sight of the Iewes Christ willeth them not to forsake them selues and to dispayre for of such his Church was gathered Neither is this place for their purpose which thincke that the faythfull oughte to abhorre the Publicane But Christ to the end he might the more easely be vnderstande of the rude and simple borrowed the maner of speache of the Countrey where hée was So that hys meaninge is that wee ought to haue nothinge to do with the contemners of the Congregatiō vntill such time as they repente C. Notwithstanding wee must not cast from them all hope of saluation but must commit them vnto the Lorde vntill such time as there appeareth some signe of repentaunce As concerninge heathen men and Publicans reade the fiue and sixe Chapters going before 18. Verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye binde on earth shal be bounde in heauen And what soeuer ye lose on earth shal be losed in Heauen Verely I say vnto you Bu. This sentēce pertayneth to the explication and confirmation of that which went before For because hee had said If he heare not the Church let him be vnto the as a heathen or a Publicane and because this mighte be the secrete aunswere or priuy thought of the brother which was the cōtemner If they despise mée I will despise them and if they condemne mée I will condemne them also because of these things I saye hee confirmeth here the Iudgement of the Church and vnder the testimony of an othe hee saith that before the Lord also they are eyther condemned or absolued which the Churche by deuyne Iudgement eyther absolueth or condemneth Therefore a iust excommunication ought to be feared but an vndeserued excommunication is of no force VVhatsoeuer yee binde on earth C. This place is nothinge at all like vnto the which is written in the sixtene Chapter goinge before but is otherwise to be vnderstode Yet wee make them not so contrary but that there is some affinity betwene thē Chiefly therefore they agree in this that they are both generall sentēces and that they haue alwayes one maner of power of binding and lowsinge namely by the worde of God both one cōmaundement and one promise And in this they differ that the former place in the sixtene Chap. of Mathew is peculiarly and specially to be vnderstoode of the Preachinge which the mynisters of the worde vse and this place pertayneth to the discipline of excommunication which is graunted vnto the Churche Christ there wente about to declare the auctority of Doctrine but here hee appointeth discipline which is an Appendix or thinge annexed to the same There hee sayd that the preachinge of the Gospell should not be in vaine but that it should be to some the sauor of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauor of death vnto death here hee affirmeth that although the wicked to deride the Iudgement of the Church yet notwithstāding that it shall not be in vayne So that wée must remember this distinction that in the sixtene of Mathewe hee speaketh of the word preached simplely and here he speaketh of publique iudgement and discipline The Churche bindeth whomsoeuer it excommunicateth not that it casteth into perpetual ruine and desperation but because it condēneth his life and manners which is euell and doth admonishe him of his damnation at hande vnlesse he repente Agayne the Churche lowseth whomsoeuer it receyueth into the fellowshippe of the same because it maketh him partaker of the vnitie which is in Christ Iesus C. Therfore whosoeuer forsakinge his synne acknowlegeth his falte and craueth pardone at the hādes of the Churche the same is absolued and lowsed not onely of men but also of god On the contrarye parte whatsoeuer he be that maketh a scorne and iest of the admonitions of the Churche if he be condemned by the same he maye be sure and certayne that he is also condemned in heauen Neyther shall he haue nowe any more to do with men but the lorde him selfe shal be the reuenger If any mā do obiecte say that God by this meanes shall be as it were an vnder iudge which subscribeth to the opinion and iudgemēt of mortall men we may easely answere and say that Christ doth not geue authoritie to his Church to the ende he might diminishe the